Unexpected Blessings

I am so blessed to share my health journey/testimony with the Lord over at Lisa Shaw's site today. She is an amazing woman of God, a rare blessing that I thank God for continually. Go over and see it here.

Again, words I myself needed to hear! Funny how God brings our words back to us. He is so good like that. I really needed to hear them because I had another flare up with this horrible face infection. Been fighting it for a year now. It seems I need another two months of antibiotics to treat it. Yet I will find the joy in it. God always has a purpose. I will trust and stand firm as I deal with this. It is a crazy privilege to share in His sufferings, a honor really. Lord, change me and help me see it this way.

Going off Facebook and Twitter

Hey all. God has been dealing with a heart issue of mine. It is the need for approval. It is really at its worst online. Like, "why didn't anyone comment on this?" or "Why does so and so talk with them so often and not me?" or "Why am I following this person and they don't follow me back?" Petty and stupid stuff. It is something that has taken root in my heart and Satan is happy to use it to mess with my mind continually.  I think the only solution at this point is to take a break from social media.

It is an obedience step and I am not sure how long it will go on but I am listening to Him. I want my full joy to come from Him alone. Not from me. Not from what He can give me. Just from Him alone. I will be updating you all about my journey on the blog. This is just a place for me to be very real about it and take seriously the sin that has found its way into my heart.

With that said I know there is a balance in this and I hope to find it. It is fine for people to give you a word of encouragement or compliment something that you have done. We just need to keep Christ in the center of this knowing anything that we have done is because of Him.

Now I am going to be doing a Bible study online at www.deebrestin.com/blog (join me) dealing with this and have a woman's group that I will be accountable to in the journey here. I will be focusing on saturating God's word in my heart. I will spend time beholding Him. Please pray for a breakthrough here. AND let me know how I can use this time to lift you before our Father.

A Confession of Insecurity

`I have a confession to make. God gave me this ministry some time ago. The purpose was to connect people and encourage those in the faith. This life can be hard and it is so important to keep Christ the center. This is the ministry that God has given me in order to serve others in the unique community of the Internet. This is the reason for my online presence.

However, I found some really thriving ministries with some really amazing people. I adore each one of them and had the amazing opportunity to work alongside them. This was a good thing but as I kept up my work for others I neglected this place that the Lord gave me. I felt like those ministries were valid where mine was well just me. I thought that no one would benefit from this because it was me. Oh my!? Do you hear it over and over again...ME. What in the world?! And where did that slip in?! Good intentions that were God directed but disobeyed.

I had to cut back on contributing for other ministries at this time because of what had happened in my heart. Obedience is more important than sacrifice right? I need to invest in this place first and what God has given here. Then when I get it where God wants it to go, then I can help in other ministries. I still consider myself partnered with them because I love them dearly and I am still going to point you to them. It is so important to walk shoulder to shoulder with other like minded believers.

God has shown me that if He is in it that is all I need. Hang with me as I seek Him, pray and redefine this ministry in the way He wants it. I know some exciting things are coming. I just need to take time in clearly moving as He leads. Thanks for your patience with me in this. Please pray for my family as we work it all out. I know obedience is the most important thing and I cannot wait to see what God does with it as I open my hands and let go of some securities in other people and jump into the unknown with Him.

Memory Work Monday - What I am Working on

For accountability this is what I am working on memorizing this week (listed under this). Lately I have realized that meditation on God's word is what is life changing. So often we are thrown off guard in life with unexpected circumstances or happenings from things as simple as bad traffic to diagnosis of devastating illness.

Over the years the only thing that has gotten me through is solid grounding in God's word. I have read the Bible over and over many times but it is just lately that I have realized that meditation on it is very beneficial. With that said, this year I will be working on lots of memory work from the word. Alot of it is in me already, the Holy Spirit will bring those back to memory as He always does in situations. I need it. It is something I know that will be good for me. So it is a purely selfish venture with a good motivation. I just know beyond a doubt I need God's word for survival and any kind of thriving in this life. I will try to post new work every Monday and update you all on my progress.

For SSMT this is my verse:

"Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." Ephesians 4:29 (ESV)

For our family sanctification:

"Parents, don't come down too hard on your children or you'll crush their spirits." Colossians 3:21(MSG)

For memorizing a book along with church family. (Started this a few times but never worked whole way through):

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the and deacons: overseers

²Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

³ I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, ⁴always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, ⁵ because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. ⁶And 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. Philippians 1:1-6 (ESV)

  

Please Check Out A Woman Inspired's New Website

This is just too good to pass by. I love this women's ministry site so very much! Check out their new make over here. What a wonderful job they have done!!

Featured now are several 31 days of inspiration in different areas we all need to focus on in our lives. Pick one and follow you will not be disappointed. I cannot even tell you how much I love each of these beautiful, godly women from the bottom of my heart. They shine Jesus so very beautifully.

Topics of focus are:
31 days of Online Ministry
31 days of Prayer
31 days of Intentional Parenting
31 days of Social Media
31 days of Praise
31 days of Encouragement
31 days of Wordpress

Such good stuff. Check it all out. AND.....
So excited about the Get Revived Conference in April 2011. It is completely free and online. I have the amazing honor of speaking alongside some other wonderful women you will not want to miss. Love to you all and cannot wait to see all God is going to do through this ministry.

3 in 30 Day Challenge

Another thing I am doing this year is participating with some twitter friends in reaching goals for accountability purposes. The idea is to make a list of 3 goals that you can reach in 30 days. My three for this month are as follows:

1- Come up with a defined goal and mission statement for this ministry.

2- Discipline myself to write something each day for the month, whether by blog or journal.

3- Drink more water. Not sure how much but any increased amount is good for me.

Family Goals, Scripture Memory and My First Test

This year we are going to pursue Christ likeness together in the areas we see in each other that need it the most. It will promote encouragement and family accountability. I am so excited about this. Especially since we are doing it together. We came up with this idea as we were stuck in the cabin in the mountains.

So here is my verse. I am also memorizes along with wonderful ladies at lproof.org site. Siesta Memory Scripture Team begins so go on over if you want to participate. We memorize 2 verses a month.

^"Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." Ephesians 4:29 (ESV)

Now in the process of memorizing it is not enough to just sit as that. We want to see how we can really apply these verses to our lives to promote change. Little would I know when I picked this verse that our family has just been attacked and slandered by someone! But I am going to keep Ephesians 4:29 right in the front of my mind. There is nothing I can say to this that would be good for building up or give grace so in this case I am just going to keep my mouth shut trusting God in it.

Excited to see all that God has in store as we store up His word in our hearts. Would love to hear from you if you are doing anything similar.