Shelly Says ~ "Peace Be With You "

The biggest thing I took away from our study today is that peace is a fruit of the spirit.

While I am familiar with Galatians 5:22-23, I often forget that peace is in that list.

When you and I received the Holy Spirit into our hearts, we received a very precious gift.

Peace dwells within us... even though we don't often feel such tranquility.

Check out my blog post for April 13th.

Stop, Drop and Pray

I wish you a peaceful day.

Shelly Says ~ "Thirsty For More"

"For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?" Matthew 16:26 (ESV)

Today's message really hit home. I am a recovering workaholic: One who works too much because she finds her worth in her work and won't stop til she is fulfilled (definition mine).

Check out my March 17th blog post.

Search for satisfaction in the only One who can fulfill your soul's deepest desires.

Stop Drop and Pray... then share what meant the most to you in your quest to break free today.

Shelly Says ~ "Glory to God"

It's so easy to accept thanks and accolades for your good deeds. But, when is praise a problem?

Before I carry on, please let me say that I don't believe there's anything wrong with accepting thanks and praise for a job well done as well as rewards for your efforts.

I believe that the problem isn't in accepting the praise; however, it's in accepting the glory.

Graciously receiving praise is one thing. Taking the glory for it is a whole other story.

You are allowed to do the things you do because the God of the Universe has mercy on you and showers you with grace. You are His Beloved and He wants to see you succeed and live a happy life. All He asks is that you give credit where credit is due. He deserves the credit and glory for every good thing in your life.

Have you ever heard the song "Blessed Be Your Name?" In that song, the listener is encouraged to praise God for every blessing. In a bountiful garden, in a desolate desert, even if you don't feel like dancin' and shoutin'... no matter your circumstances, there is always room to praise, bless and glorify God!

At every moment of every day, there is something to praise God about and give Him the glory for the awesome things He has done! When you praise and thank God for what He has done... you are glorifying His name. When you receive praise and accolades, you turn back and praise God for that. That's how He gets the glory. When "you" accomplish something grand (for some of us, that could have been just getting out of bed this morning : ) ... turn back and praise God! Give Him the glory for the great things He hath done!!!

By the power, grace and mercy of God you make it through your day and accomplish the things you do. It's not on your own power.

Give glory where glory is due... to God!

Stop, Drop and Pray for your fellow companions. While you're at it, tell God why He is so wonderful and glorify Him.

I just love how Beth Moore is taking each benefit and obstacle one by one... day by day in our Breaking Free journey. I pray that you can camp out on each lesson, each day. Concentrate on one item at a time.

Today, spend a whole lotta time sending the glory heavenward as you remember the wonderful things He has done and is doing in your life. While you're praying, give Him a little glory for what He's gonna do, too!

As you make a habit of glorifying Him, I have no doubt that He will reveal His glory to you more and more and your relationship with Him will grow more deeply.

Shelly Says ~ "Yadha Yadha "

I just about fell over this morning when I read, in Chapter 3, that "Yadha" is Hebrew for "know."

At the risk of sounding like a know-it-all: I already know this because I'm currently reading a series of books titled The Yada Yada Prayer Group. In one of the books, a character explains that very definition.

It's very interesting to me that this would show up twice in two weeks because my very favorite Bible verse is Psalm 46:10, "Be still and know that I am God...". Well, I FINALLY got the the "be still" part down (it's rather easy to do when you're sick) and very recently felt like God was telling me that I was ready for the next step... "and know that I am God."

That didn't hit me until I read our homework assignment this morning (Chapter 3)! "Okay, God, I think I'm ready!!!" Shelly says.

: )

You see, in a nutshell, I have a very active, busy body. Until last year, "no" wasn't really part of my vocabulary. In April 2008, God showed me Psalm 46:10 and He began to help me "be still." That's another story for another time.

For now, I want to hear from you:

Are you already recognizing the symptoms of captivity in your life?

How did you answer the study questions?

How are you doing with the Scripture memorization?

It's one thing to know Scripture and to hear what God has done for you; however, it's a whole other thing to actually believe it in your heart.

Stop, Drop and Pray

I don't know about you, but I was RELIEVED when I read that the Scripture memory will get easier. I imagine there were a few sighs of relief out there after hearing from so many of you that the memorization is challenging.

If you are on the mailing list, I will send you some suggestions for learning Scripture. I found them in the Bible Study that changed my life. They help me immensely! If you are not on the mailing list but are interested... just send me an e-mail (photogssc@yahoo.com) with Breaking Free Scripture in the title.

You don't have to memorize this one ; ) but I do want to leave you with a blessing from 2 Thessalonians 3:5 (TLB) today:

"May the Lord bring you into an ever deeper understanding of the love of God and of the patience that comes from Christ."

Shelly Says ~ "I See Jesus in Isaiah 61"

Isaiah 61:1-2 (NIV), "The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn..."

Jesus echoes that statement in Luke 4:18-19.

"Jesus arrived from Nazareth, anointed by God with the Holy Spirit, ready for action. He went through the country helping people and healing everyone who was beaten down by the Devil. He was able to do all this because God was with him." Acts 10:37-38 (MSG)

Isaiah 61:3 (NIV), "...and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor."

Jesus says in Luke 12:28 CEV, "God gives such beauty to everything that grows in the fields, even though it is here today and thrown into a fire tomorrow. Won't he do even more for you? You have such little faith!"

Jesus reminds us that beauty can arise out of the ashes of our circumstances if we... what?... Have Faith. Believe. Be still and know.

Jesus is God's Chosen One, sent to purify and renew the world (as explained in The Essential Study Bible CEV). In Hebrews 1:9 NAS,God is speaking of His Son. I believe God is waiting to anoint you, too. I cling to the King James Version of Psalm 23 because that's how I memorized it back in the day: "Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over." The runneth over of the cup denotes gladness, to me. On me, please poureth!

Jesus, full of joy, turns back to praise God in Luke 10:21. We, too, will exude a spirit of praise when we are covered with the Holy Spirit! Despair evaporates in the Light of His Glory and Grace!

Jesus, no doubt, produced the fruit of the Spirit all throughout His ministry. He set an example for us to follow.

Isaiah 61:4 (NIV), "...They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations."

Jesus died a cruel death on a cross so the ancient ruins of your past and the desolate places in your life could be restored.

All you do have to do is accept the free gift.

Trade in your sorrows for the joy of the Lord!

Shelly Says ~ "We're Off To See the King!"

The wonderful King of the Universe!

How often do you remind yourself that, as a Christian, you're on a journey from earth into eternity?

Psalm 84:5 says, "Happy are the people whose strength is in You, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage."

Are you happy? Is your heart set on pilgrimage?

As a child, I once heard that heaven has streets of gold. I think that's in a song I heard at an early age. As that image came to mind this morning when I read Psalm 84:5, I thought about how our journey together is much like the movie The Wizard of Oz. In the movie, Dorothy and her new friends are companions on a journey seeking that which is lost by gravitating toward The Great Wizard of Oz: We are companions on a journey seeking that which is lost by gravitating towards The One who died for the lost.

Do you feel like you've lost your mind? Have you lost heart in areas of your life formerly fueled with passion? Have you lost courage in the face of fear? Have you lost your way and are looking for the road that leads home?

Then let's keep up the pace! We're off to see the King of the Universe and He will restore us. He will make us whole again. He promises transformation by the renewal of the mind (Romans 12:2). He promises that we will find Him when we seek Him with all our heart (Jeremiah 29:13). He promises us that He will be with us and we do not have to be afraid (Deuteronomy 31:6). He promises to be our Tower of Refuge and strength... a shelter no matter our circumstances... our home base (Isaiah 4:6).

I could sing of His love forever!

Your former life may have seemed like a black and white nightmare: But when you became a Christian, I hope you felt like your world became alive with living color for the first time. I can just see you setting your cute ruby red slippers (or comfy flip-flops if such is the case) on that first gold brick and beginning a journey to see your Saviour. {smile}

Have there been many trials and tribulations along the way? Have you made new friends and learned of their plights as well? It's all par for the journey, dear friend. It's called life on Earth. Thank God for friends!

The good news is, our life doesn't end here. Christ died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again! O' Happy Day!

What grabbed your attention today in the reading of Chapter 1? How did you answer your study questions? I am excited to hear from you today. Don't forget to Stop, Drop and Pray today. Add your requests as well.

Keep your eye on the prize, Sweet Princess of the One True High King and watch out for flying monkeys!

Shelly Says ~ "Our Journey Begins!"

I thought this day might never come! It's the first official day of our Breaking Free Journey!

Whether you've signed up to follow along with the book or you just want to read the blog posts each day, I believe God will do amazing and wonderful things in and through you as you yield to Him and yearn to break free from that which binds you.

I have been praying for each and everyone of you and I'm SO excited that you are joining me on this journey to freedom! Grab your Bible, Breaking Free book, journal, water bottle (or coffee ; ) and a snack (or breakfast ; ).

Let's GO!

I first read the preface and introduction of Breaking Free on March 24th of this year at the Flying Biscuit Cafe in Charlotte, NC. I knew I needed to break free from something that was still holding me back, and I knew I had just the right bible study to help me discover freedom in Christ. I was ready to begin the journey alone when I felt God speaking to me about inviting other women to join me.

What? I could do this on my own; however, God had a different plan (see 3/25 blog post for more of the story).

If you have been following my blog and/or in recent contact with me, then you know I wanted this bible study to begin on April 19th. I had "the perfect plan" laid out for how I would study each section. I wanted the study to perfectly coincide with the personal retreat I felt led to attend in Mid-May. I was jumping the gun to get the ball rolling when I felt the tug to include others. When I obediently followed the tug, I expected 2 or 3 of my closest friends to join in and begin with me on April 19th. That was cool with me... I like small groups.

Wonderful plan, right? Not! Look more closely (if you haven't figured it out). There's a glitch (to the tenth power ; ) in the plan.

I this... I that... Me, Myself and I

While I did feel led to begin this study, I don't believe God led me to do all the planning. He already had the plan: All He asked me to do was facilitate (to know me is to know that I like to plan, so it's no big surprise that I jumped right to this task).

God let me do the planning for a while, and I imagine that He was amused by my efforts. Then, things started changing.

Some of you wrote to tell me that you were interested but couldn't get the book quickly enough or were concerned that your book wouldn't arrive in time. THANK YOU for writing! Those e-mails made me stop and question my "perfect plan" and forced me to look up and seek God's Perfect Plan for our study.

After a lot of prayer and thought, I felt like May 3rd would be a good start date. I kept questioning God... asking Him if we could move it up to maybe April 26th or the 29th... May 3rd seemed so far away.

Long story shorter, May 3rd stuck and here we are!

I can already see the good in God's Perfect Plan.

As I sat down to pray over the schedule for this study, I felt that it was important to spend extra time on Parts 1, 2 plus extra special attention to Part 3. As I laid out the schedule on the calendar, I saw a perfect fit! The part I felt led to spend the most time on fell right in line with my pre-scheduled personal retreat! Even the break I intended to take afterwards falls right in line with Memorial Day AND the study ends the Friday before the 1st July 4th holiday week!!!

It's amazing what God can do when I set aside MY agenda, get still and trust Him!

Here's another cool thing: I have a beautiful journal that has pre-printed Scripture on each page. On the page where I started writing the above story, there is an appropriate Bible verse...

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28 NIV

How true! How poetic! That God!

He is working for your good as well. He has gone before you, preparing this journey just for you. He has called you to this journey, and He won't leave you at the beginning to set out on your own. He will be with you all the way through and beyond. He has prosperous, perfect plans for your future (see Jeremiah 29:11).

I really like how Beth Moore explains that our journey will be a process. Things may not click right away, but be patient. With any process there is a multitude of feelings and experiences. I don't expect our journey to be any different.

So, let's press on... toward the goal for the prize that awaits us... FREEDOM!

Keep your eyes forward, on the prize, and don't stop to look back unless you hear a sister calling for help. She may have fallen and can't get up ; ) .

What spoke to you most in the preface and introduction?

Do you see yourself in any of the lessons that Beth describes?

What lesson do you think you need the most? The least?

What did you want to underline or highlight but were afraid to for fear that someone might pick up your book and find out too much about you?

What lesson do you think you need the most? The least?

What are your answers to the study questions in the back of the book?

Feel free to answer any of the questions above in the comments section below. You are also welcome to comment on anything, anytime. Don't forget about our prayer requests. Stop, Drop and Pray.

I look forward to the journey ahead! Let's BREAK FREE!!!!!!!!!

Shelly Says ~ "Stop, Drop and Pray"

There is so much power in prayer.

This is an ongoing list of requests. Feel free to visit often, add requests in the comments section, and pray often.

I will Stop, Drop and Pray for you.

Shelly Says ~ "I Have Heard You Calling"

And, yes, it was "in the night!"

Frequently, I wake up in the middle of the night (well, technically very early morning) and feel like God wants to spend time with me. Lately, I have not had that feeling as often.

There are times I get up and go to our upper room (room set aside for sacred time with God) and pray and spend time with God: There are other times I just shut my eyes and pray that I fall back asleep.

This morning, at 3:42am, I woke up and I was wide awake. I didn't feel that there was any way I'd be going back to sleep any time soon.

I felt like God wanted to spend time with me.

I felt like I didn't want to get up.

I felt like God had something to say to me.

I felt like I wanted Him to wait and tell me later.

I felt God gently wooing me to a still, quiet place.

I felt I had not had enough beauty sleep to go there.

Then, I felt a song enter my spirit...

"Yes, Lord yes, to your will and to your way. Yes, Lord yes, I will trust you and obey. When your spirit speaks to me, with my whole heart I'll agree. And, my answer will be yes, Lord, yes!"

I have not thought or heard about that song in I can't tell you how long.

I was raised from the bed!

Okay, not literally raised... but I did rise on my own will! : )

I could not deny the gentle, sweet Spirit of God. I could not bear to be disobedient and miss the blessing.

* I'm not always the sweet little angel mentioned above. ; ) There have been PLENTY of times that I disobeyed and bore the pain and inconvenience associated with such rebellion.

Anyway, I obeyed this time and God had a sweet surprise waiting for me in the upper room.

Tucked away in a corner all our own at 4ish am (I did manage to snag water, a banana and a bathroom break... plus there was all that arguing that I did), God and I had and early breakfast together.

I bet you can't guess the topics I found in the devotional, bible study book and book my pastor friend loaned me. They're all unrelated in title and physical place from which they came. I was drawn to all 3 of them separately, but they each had the same message...

TRUST AND OBEDIENCE

***

The story continues on our journey!

Stay connected for more info on our Breaking Free Bible Study which starts May 3rd! See past posts for more information or contact me via e-mail at photogssc@yahoo.com