Faith, Hope, Prayer

Faith is defined as confidence or trust in a person, thing, deity, view, or in the doctrines or teachings of a religion, as well as confidence based on some degree of warrant.[1][2] It can also be belief that is not based on proof.[3] The word faith is often used as a synonym for hope,[4] trust,[5] or belief.[6

Hope a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.

Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with a deity, an object of worship, or a spiritual entity through deliberate communication. Prayer can be a form of religious practice, may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song.

What do the three have in common to you?  For me, you have to have faith that your prayers will be answered and with that you have a daily hope that it will be sooner than later.  Today i was reminded that without hope your faith can not thrive.  If you have doubt your not praying  enough to have peace on your mind and heart.

My heart is breaking

My heart is breaking for the whole town of Ferguson.  I understand a human lost their life and some are upset about a decision.   But why do we have to turn everything  into something negative? People should not be resorting  to violence  and destruction  of a town they still have to live in everyday.  I pray that God watches over that town and the people.

Have a blessed day
Jocelyn

Oh how I wish I knew more about the bible

Topic of conversation around the office today has been up and down. Of course it touched a bit on homsecxuality, but the main part was God is a very very selish person and he does not really want anyone to be happy.  I have a very hard time believing this, yes God wants to be selfish in the matter that he comes first in your life.  But in him brings happiness.  I cannot begin to think that he truly doesn't want happiness for anyone.  If that was the case we would all literally walk around in a zombie like trance.  The act of free will is so that we as individual's can have our own personal relationship with God and have the mutual understanding with him on what he expects from us and how we choose to go about that.  If we want to strive at it so he is not dissapointed in us or whether we choose to walk away and ignore him.  I truly feel in my heart that with God happiness will come.  For me to truly be happy and feel joy is to feel God in my everyday life.  But with the people in my office who are big time stubborn they will not listen to me when I even peep up to comment.  Maybe it is because they know they both know the bible better than me, but I am the one who is trying to learn more everyday about God and make my bond with him stronger.  Sometimes I feel that my voice gets lost when I try to speak on God's behalf but maybe that's because he knows it is a battle I may not win or lose but I am need elsewhere.

Have a blessed day

Jocelyn

The job of making disciples...

The the one question from Life group that sticks out to me the most was:  Does ths job of making disciples rest solely on the pastor's shoulders?  Well thinking of this question.  My answer goes like this.  No it doesn't rest solely on their shoulders but I do think they have a responsibility to equp us with Jesus' teaching so that we are able to go out there and be GREAT disciples instead of sub par disciples.  I personally feel without our Pastor's at SRCC I would probably sound like a fool when talking to anyone and probably make them run in the other direction.  But I have gained so much knowledge and have so much more to learn.  One of the ladies last night said the best way she goes about it when someone is very defensive about faith, is she tells them well nothing I tell you your going to believe but I can tell you what God has done for me personally.  She said sometimes it is better to point out the things that God has done rather than preach to them the bible.  Which is so true because sometimes people just think that is all Christianity is about and forget the relationship you have and the blessings God puts in our lives.

Have a blessed day

Jocelyn

Why?

Why do people read part  of what is wrote and think they are being smart without  reading a entire comment?  Social media is so horrible at  times.  I recently posted a comment on someone's video that was her singing  "take me to church" while i know this is not a Christian post i simply posted  that we should hear her beautiful voice at church on Sunday's  and this person whom thinks he is so smart posted which i can assume is towards me because of my comment great job by the group but this is not a Christian song.  I truly think the Lord blesses those with different talents and she got a great voice and it would be ashame not to hear her on Sunday's.   I am truly venting here so i don't post something and get into with this person who seems to hold himself higher than others from what  i read on many other people's post.

Have a blessed day

Jocelyn

What is fair is fair

I think it is sad when people take advantage of good things. I recently read that in Florida Christians were allowed to pass out bibles to students once a month and then a satanic group decided well we want in and started passing out coloring book pages and crossword pages with satanic symbols at the bottom to try and prove we'll pass out something educational to look better.  But because of their symbols now they are putting the stop to the bibles once a month.  Only if they realized the bibles are educational that is true history that is not taught in schools.  Not sure how coloring pages and a crossword puzzle is labeled educational. Satan may have got his way with these kids not getting bibles anymore but you will not win.  These kids are being prayed for and God will look over them.

Have a blessed day

Jocelyn

Sorry

Sorry for the lack of post this week.  I hurt my back and been feeling miserable all week.  God is good.  I asked my church to pray for a couple of friends and things are good for them.  My one friend had a baby early and she was having seizures and since the prayers the baby has not had anymore and is home gaining weight and doing good.  My other friend is getting better home but still no answer on her symptoms.  God truly does listen to prayer.

Love Jocelyn

Feeling awake

Today is the first time in awhile that I actually feel alive despite my back killing me.  I have learned today that a friend of mine that I have worried about that was going down the Wiccan path has for the past month or so been going to church.  I have invited her to come to church with me as well as the weekly Life Group meeting.  We shall see.  It makes me feel good when God has spoke to someone and they actually listened.  God is good and he truly blesses those in need.

Have a blessed day

Jocelyn

Can judgement be too much at times?

I know I have posted about judgement in the past but things have come up again.  Here is a link to a article that Dolly Parton did a interview for.


http://blogs.answersingenesis.org/blogs/ken-ham/2014/11/06/dolly-parton-says-christians-shouldnt-judge/?utm_source=facebook-aig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=arechristianssinningwhenthey+judge-kenblog&utm_campaign=20141106


Now in light of the Michigan coming down saying it will not allow gay marriage social media has erupted.   I do have friends who are gay and I struggle with it everyday on how to be friends with them and yet know they are living in sin.  My own boss deals with this situation often as well.  But the only thing I keep coming to is not to be judgmental.  I can love the person for who they are even though they sin but slide Jesus in there at times.  See some of the people I know believe with their whole heart in God and the Bible but they struggle with the gay lifestyle because they are making a choice to be happy.  I had a friend who knew he was gay for the longest time tried to bury the feeling and the urges, he went to church all the time was involved in the church until one day he woke up and said I can continue this life and never truly be happy or I can act on this one urge and be happy. My other friend who is gay is having a baby with her girlfriend and when I say having a baby with her girlfriend they actually took her egg, fertilized it and placed it in her girlfriend.  So the baby growing in her girlfriend is truly her biological daughter but because Michigan don't even recognize surrogate mother's she will not be able to be listed as the mother on the birth certificate and will have to have notes from her girlfriend to even take her own daughter to the doctor's.  The world is so corrupt with sin that at times the line of sin and kindness sometimes blur together.  Tonight I will be praying for God to give me some clear answers on this.

Have a blessed day

Jocelyn

Inspiration

Sorry I have been lacking lately.  I am trying to find my inspiration.  Lately I have been feeling blah.  I am starting to get back on track I won a new book called Kingdom Conspiracy by Scot McKnight.  I just begun reading but it already is making me think.  Scot McKnight writes "kingdom " is the biblical term most misused by Christians today.  So I am going to dive into this book and hope that it awakens me.  I think with the busy summer I had that when I finally got a free moment I took it and ran too far with it.  This past Sunday it was asked that I memorize

2 Timothy 4:3-4English Standard Version (ESV)

3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound[a] teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths

There was something in the sermon Sunday about DISMISS in there but I cannot find the version that was used.  But we do tend to Dismiss things when we know we are doing the wrong thing.  We need to stop living life so fast and slow down and pay attention to the signs that are around us. 

Have a blessed day

Jocelyn