PARENTING FREEDOM

Carol | May 16, 2012

It is easy to trust God on a sunny day.  But when the very earth below you is shaking…  When a hurricane is threatening your very existence…  When life becomes too hard…  When the pain hurts so much that you can hardly stay inside yourself…  When your body, mind, and spirit feel completely broken…  When merely surviving is minute by minute…  When life as you knew it gets destroyed beyond all recognition…  When you feel like you are visiting the very pits of hell…  Look up.  God is there.   You are not in control.  You never were.  Let it go.  Let go of the “Why?”  Let go of the control. Let go of the fear.  Let go of your past.  Let go of your old story.  Let God be God.  Stop fighting Him. Trust and believe.  This is the time to start over.  Have faith in your Creator.  Feel gratitude and thankfulness for even the smallest lights in your life.  Focus your mind on the positive.   Create a new dream.  A new future.  Let God be in control.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

“Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am faint; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in anguish. How long, O LORD, how long? Turn, O LORD, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love. I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes. Away from me, all you who do evil, for the LORD has heard my weeping. The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer.” Psalm 6:2-4,6-9

“The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken. In that day they will say, ‘Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.’” Isaiah 25:8,9

“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

“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

“I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.” Psalm 34:4,5

“As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.” Ecclesiastes 11:5

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart. Do not be afraid… for I am with you… declares the Lord.“ Jeremiah 1:5,8

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.“ Proverbs 3:5,6

“The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.“ Isaiah 58:11

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.“ Philippians 4:4-7

“The LORD is my light and my salvation– whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life– of whom shall I be afraid?“ Psalm 27:1

“Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.“ Isaiah 12:2

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.“ Isaiah 41:10

“Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west.“ Isaiah 43:5

“In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid.” Psalm 56:3,4

“When you lie down, you will not be afraid, you will both lie down and sleep… For the Lord will be your confidence.“ Proverbs 3:24, 26

“You came near when I called you, and you said, ‘Do not fear.’” Lamentations 3:57

“Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.” Psalm 55:22

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

“I can do everything through him who gives me strength.“ Philippians 4:13

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” Ephesians 6:10

“Being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father.” Colossians 1:11

“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:29-31

“But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command. May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.” 2 Thessalonians 3:3-5

“Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.“ Psalm 27:14

“You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” Hebrews 10:36

“Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer.“ Psalm 4:1

“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”Romans 8:16-18

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.” John 10:27-29

“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18

“When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down, but even in death the righteous seek refuge in God.” Proverbs 14:32

“Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.” 2 Corinthians 1:9

“Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” Hebrews 2:14-15

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-5

“‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.’” John 14:1-4

“Then I saw ‘a new heaven and a new earth,’ for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’” Revelation 21:1-4

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Carol | May 8, 2012

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32

“Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, I am free at last!”

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Carol | May 3, 2012

Be careful of where your thoughts and worries and fears are taking you…
“For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.” Job 3:25
“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” Proverbs 23:7
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23

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Carol | May 2, 2012

Yoda Wisdom

“Use the Force. Yes… Now… the stone. Feel it. Concentrate!”

“Oh, no. We’ll never get it out now.”

“So certain are you. Always with you it can not be done. Hear you nothing that I say?”

“Master, moving stones around is one thing. This is totally different.”

“No! No different! Only different in your mind. You must unlearn what you have learned.“

“All right, I’ll give it a try.”

“No! Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try.“

“I can’t. It’s too big.“

“Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hm? Mmmm. And well you should not. For my ally is the Force. And a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we… Not this crude matter. You must feel the Force around you. Here, between you… me… the tree… the rock… everywhere! Yes, even between land and the ship!”

“You want the impossible.”

“I don’t… I don’t believe it.“

“That is why you fail…“

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Carol | April 26, 2012

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34

“We crucify ourselves between two thieves: regret for yesterday and fear of tomorrow.” Fulton Oursler

“With the past, I have nothing to do; nor with the future. I live now.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.” Buddha

“One has to live in the present. Whatever is past is gone beyond recall; whatever is future remains beyond one’s reach, until it becomes present. Remembering the past and giving thought to the future are important, but only to the extent that they help one deal with the present.” S.N. Goenka

“One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon-instead of enjoying the roses blooming outside our windows today.” Dale Carnegie

“The past is a guidepost, not a hitching post.” L. Thomas Holdcroft

“We can easily manage if we will only take, each day, the burden appointed to it. But the load will be too heavy for us if we carry yesterday’s burden over again today, and then add the burden of the morrow before we are required to bear it.” John Newton

“If you worry about what might be, and wonder what might have been, you will ignore what is.” Author Unknown

“Trust no future, howe’er pleasant!
Let the dead past bury its dead!
Act, – act in the living Present!
Heart within and God o’erhead.”
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

“We steal if we touch tomorrow. It is God’s.” Henry Ward Beecher

“The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time.” Abraham Lincoln

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Carol | April 26, 2012

“What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.” Psalm 56:3,4

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” Isaiah 26:3

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5

“Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.” Psalm 9:10

“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.” Psalm 37:5-6

“When I am afraid, I will trust in you.” Psalm 56:3

“In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?” Psalm 56:4

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.” John 14:1

“You have trusted Him in a few things, and He has not failed you. Trust Him now for everything, and see if He does not do for you exceeding abundantly above all that you could ever have asked or thought, not according to your power or capacity, but according to His own mighty power, that will work in you all the good pleasure of His most blessed will. You find no difficulty in trusting the Lord with the management of the universe and all the outward creation, and can your case be any more complex or difficult than these, that you need to be anxious or troubled about His management of it?” Hannah Whitall Smith

“He has not made us for nought; He has brought us thus far, in order to bring us further, in order to bring us on to the end. He will never leave us nor forsake us; so that we may boldly say, “The Lord is my Helper; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.” We “may cast all our care upon Him who careth for us.” What is it to us how our future path lies, if it be but His path? What is it to us whither it leads us, so that in the end it leads to Him? What is it to us what He puts upon us, so that He enables us to undergo it with a pure conscience, a true heart, not desiring anything of this world in comparison of Him? What is it to us what terror befalls us, if He be but a hand to protect and strengthen us?” John Henry Newman

“Fear is born of Satan, and if we would only take time to think a moment we would see that everything Satan says is founded upon a falsehood. He is the father of lies. Even his fears are falsehoods and his terrors ought to serve as encouragements. When Satan tells you, therefore, that some ill is going to come, you may quietly look in his face and tell him he is a liar. Instead of ill, goodness and mercy shall follow you all the days of your life. And then turn to your blessed Lord and say, What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee (Psalm 56:3). Every fear is distrust, and trust is the remedy for fear.” A. B. Simpson

“God will never, never, never let us down if we have faith and put our trust in Him. He will always look after us. So we must cleave to Jesus. Our whole life must simply be woven into Jesus.” Mother Teresa

“Most Christians are like a man who was toiling along the road, bending under a heavy burden, when a wagon overtook him, and the driver kindly offered to help him on his journey. He joyfully accepted the offer, but when seated, continued to bend beneath his burden, which he still kept on his shoulders. “Why do you not lay down your burden?” asked the kind-hearted driver. “Oh!” replied the man, “I feel that it is almost too much to ask you to carry me, and I could not think of letting you carry my burden too.” And so Christians, who have given themselves into the care and keeping of the Lord Jesus, still continue to bend beneath the weight of their burden, and often go weary and heavy-laden throughout the whole length of their journey.” Hannah Whitall Smith

“It is a glorious thing to know that your Father God makes no mistakes in directing or permitting that which crosses the path of your life. It is the glory of God to conceal a matter. It is our glory to trust Him, no matter what.” Joni Eareckson Tada

“Yes, we can believe God with all of our heart and yet have our heart broken by the loss of a child or the treachery of a spouse or the menace of a fatal disease. We know this is true — everyone in the church knows it. And yet, generation after generation of bruised saints have known something else and spoken of it. In the mystery of faith, we find a hand on us in the darkness, a voice that calls our name, and the sheer certainty that nothing can ever separate us from the love of God — not for this life and not for the life to come. We may be scarred and shaken, but as Lewis Smedes says in one of his sermons, we come to know that it’s all right, even when everything is all wrong.” Cornelius Plantinga, Jr.

“Trust the past to God’s mercy, the present to God’s love and the future to God’s providence.” Augustine

Surrender – Letting Go and Letting God – Tapping with Brad Yates

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Carol | April 26, 2012

The Spirit is Willing – Eric Ludy

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Carol | April 22, 2012

Third Day – Cry Out To Jesus

Cry Out To Jesus ~  Third Day

to everyone who’s lost someone they love
long before it was their time
you feel like the days you had were not enough
when you said goodbye

and to all of the people with burdens and pains
keeping you back from your life
you believe that there’s nothing and there is no one
who can make it right

there is hope for the helpless
rest for the weary
love for the broken heart
there is grace and forgiveness
mercy and healing
he’ll meet you wherever you are
cry out to Jesus, cry out to Jesus

for the marriage that’s struggling just to hang on
they lost all of their faith in love
they’ve done all they can to make it right again
still it’s not enough

for the ones who can’t break the addictions and chains
you try to give up but you come back again
just remember that you’re not alone in your shame
and your suffering

when you’re lonely
and it feels like the whole world is falling on you
you just reach out, you just cry out to Jesus
cry to Jesus

to the widow who struggles with being alone
wiping the tears from her eyes
for the children around the world without a home
say a prayer tonight

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Carol | April 22, 2012

“Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.” Psalm 112:4
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” 1 Peter 2:24
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Matthew 6:26

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Carol | April 22, 2012

repent
1) to change one’s mind
2) to change one’s mind for better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one’s past sins

repentance
a change of mind, as it appears to one who repents, of a purpose he has formed or of something he has done

“But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” Luke 13:3b

“Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.’” Matthew 4:17

“You must change your hearts and minds, for the Kingdom of Heaven has arrived!” Matthew 3:2

“They went out and preached that people should repent.” Mark 6:12

“Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” Acts 2:38

“‘Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked?’ declares the Sovereign Lord. ‘Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?… Because he considers all the offenses he has committed and turns away from them, he will surely live; he will not die… Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel?’” Ezekiel 18:23-31

“I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways!…” Ezekiel 33:11

“So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more. You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off the old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4:17-24

“You were spiritually dead through your sins and failures, all the time you followed this world’s ideas of living, and obeyed the evil ruler of the spiritual realm, who is indeed fully operative today in those who disobey God. We all lived like that in the past, and followed the desires and imaginings of our lower natures, being, in fact, under the wrath of God by nature, like everyone else.” Ephesians 2:1-3

“So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” Galatians 5:16

“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.” Isaiah 55:6-7

“Do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” Romans 2:4

“In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.” Acts 17:30

“My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.” James 5:19-20

“Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.” Revelation 3:3

“The Lord knows those who are his,” and “everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.” 2 Timothy 2:19

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