Love Intercedes

My most favorite thing to do is to pray for somebody.  We all need prayer and I know that there have been lots of somebodies out there praying for me over the years.  I wouldn't be where I am had there not been.  Love intercedes and if we can all capture this thought and live by it every day.....I think this world would be a better place.  Our relationships with others would be better and our relationship with God tighter.  

We can't change people but God can.  We can't change situations but God can.  If we give God the lead, He can do ANYTHING in our lives!  Trust me, I've witnessed it......I have lived it! 

We cannot change somebody but we can be "wise farmers".  A farmer cannot force a seed to grow into a fruitful crop.  He cannot manipulate it or whine it to bear fruit.  However, a farmer can plant it, water it, feed it nutrients and wait for God to grow it.  

While we are waiting for God to move, we must pray.  We must intercede on our loved ones behalf and pray for growth and amazing change and have FAITH that God WILL do His part.  It might not happen as quickly as we would like or even as we think it should but God is always working behind the scenes.  He is always doing what is good for all!  His will shall be done if we give Him the reigns to lead.  

"Prayer really does work. It's a spiritual phenomenon created by an unlimited, powerful God.  And it yields amazing results."

Pray instead of quitting.  Pray instead of nagging.  Pray instead of demanding.  Pray instead of manipulating.  Allow prayer and the hand of God to bring peace to your storms, answer to your questions, and change to your desires.  

One of the most loving things you can do for a loved one is pray for them.  

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find it; knock, and it will be opened to you." Matthew 7:7

Start off by praying for three specific areas where you feel that God can work in the other's life.  Is it that they aren't a believer?  That's obviously the first thing you should seek God's help in.  Do they lack balance?  Do they have unforgiveness in their heart?  Give it to God and ask for guidance and ask for a breakthrough!  Be specific in your prayer.  God wants us to be specific.  He wants to make sure that the desires of our hearts are aligned with His and we must be specific with Him.  Sure He knows our every thought and our every wish and every secret we have buried deep down but He wants us to seek that closeness with Him, to build that trust with Him. 

Bring Honor Into Your Marriage

"To honor someone means to give them respect and high esteem, to treat them as being special and of great worth."

I love the word honor.  It is the one word that describes exactly what love is and should be.  It describes the loyalty and respect that comes with love.  There is no such thing as to love somebody and not honor them.  Honor is the word that describes what earthly love should be AND what our love towards God is.  That is why this word brings chills to my spine.  We honor our amazing God and He expects us to honor our spouse!  Honor is such a noble word used to describe the full extent of treating somebody well!  When you love somebody, they should always know how you feel because of how you treat them, because you HONOR them! 

"But there's another word that calls us to a higher place, a word that isn't often equated with marriage, though its relevance cannot be understated.  It's a word that actually forms the basis for honor - the very reason why we give respect and high regard to our husband or wife.  The word is 'holy'." 

God wants our mates to become "holy" in our eyes just as we are in His.  When somebody becomes "holy" to you, that person is sacred to you.  No one can rival in your heart.  The person will always be honored, praised, and defended. 

That's what love dares to do - to say, "Of all the relationships I have, I will value ours the most.  Of all the things I'm willing to sacrifice, I will sacrifice the most for you.  With all your failures, sins, mistakes, and faults - past and present - I still choose to love and honor you."

The beauty of honor is providing an atmosphere of love.....an atmosphere that has room for mistakes and failures.  It should be the atmosphere that we can be ourselves and know that we will still be loved. 

Love is honorable!

Younique's September Kuddos

Check out September's Kuddos and message me to host your own Virtual Younique Party via Facebook!!!!!  Email me at cryssiegarza@gmail.com or find me on facebook

https://www.facebook.com/pickle7829

https://www.youniqueproducts.com/CryssieGarza/party/616815/view

Speak Love

"Speak to each other with psalms,hymns, and spiritual songs singing and making music in your hearts to the Lord."  Ephesians 5:19

This verse really spoke to me today.  Here lately I have been feeling like there is so much anger around me. I see it on my social media, see it on TV, and I have even had a little in my own heart.  Sometimes I feel like people judge one another too harshly.  We expect others to be perfect and always know and do the right things.  The truth is, none of us are perfect and the truth is, none of us always know what to do.  Sometimes we make decisions in life that others are not happy about and simply do not benefit everybody involved.  Truth is, that's a part of life!

Lately, I have been praying for more understanding.  I don't want to be that person that is constantly criticizing others or constantly finding fault in others.  What's the point?  All we do is destroy relationships and break hearts that way.  Sure, somebody might make a wrong choice or somebody might hurt you but to have true understanding and love is to have peace and I want that peace so badly.

It starts with how we treat one another, how we speak to and about one another.  It's tough.  Sometimes it's easier to "vent" about somebody and talking bad about others, for some reason makes us feel better about our own lives and our own situations.  Stop it.  Really, all we do when we talk badly about others, is build our own anger up and destroys the relationship.  Even if the person never hears what you say.....it WILL slowly destroy that relationship.

Speak love to and about one another.  That is the only way we will ever be pleasing to God when talking about somebody behind their back.  God doesn't like us to speak ugly about one another because He loves each and every one of us.  God WANTS unity and desires that for our lives.  It hurts His heart when He hears us speaking ill of one of HIS children.  It doesn't matter the hows or the whys because He knows that none of us are perfect and He has taken the nails for our bad choices and wrong doings so to judge somebody else is never acceptable to Him and we are never justified in this act.  As Christians, we are to hold one another accountable for things but make sure you are still doing it IN LOVE!

So, try something new today and everyday here on out, speak only love about one another.  If you feel yourself about to speak hate or ugly, then just hush it.  Don't let the words come out of your mouth. Keep practicing this and before you know it, your heart will match your thoughts and your thoughts will match your mouth.

Be blessed today y'all!

High Five For Friday ~ Fall Is A Great Season To FALL In Love.....

High Five Number One ~ This week has been a crazy week of change.  I left my job at Covenant to start a new job working from home.  Definitely bitter sweet.  I left a group of girls that I adored working with and I have been praying like crazy that they find a replacement for my position quickly and that the burden is not too heavy on them.  Even though leaving was a hard decision, the last couple of days have been stress free and I can truly feel the effects stress was doing to my health and body and spiritual self.  My cardiologist has told me several times to eliminate as much stress as I can from my life and I strive on that.  Little did I know, my job at Covenant was probably the biggest stressor in my life.  Stress eliminated!

High Five Number Two ~ Yay for time now!  I have had time for my Bible study every morning since I left that job and time to catch up on my blog!  Wow!  I used to write in my blog almost daily if not daily at the VERY LEAST weekly!  That stopped for a while.  Writing is something that makes me happy so it feels good to be back at it.

High Five Number Three ~ Fall weather has peeked it's BEAUTIFUL face this week and I hope it lasts.  Living in Texas, it can be fall one day and back to summer the next, so I'm hoping this will last for a while......at least until winter. ;)

High Five Number Four ~ The weekend is here and I'm looking forward to it.  Not sure what is in store but I'm sure it will be lovely!

High Five Number Five ~ This week, my amazing boyfriend really came through for me.  He is so amazing and I'm so blessed to have him in my life.  Everyday spent with him is a blessed day and I thank God for him every morning!  He is answered prayers that's for sure!  :)

Understanding Your Own Anger

"In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent." Psalm 4:4 (NIV)

The first thing to understand about anger is that it's not a sin to be angry.  There is a difference between rational anger and irrational anger.  There is a difference between handling anger the biblical way and handling anger the worldly way.  There is a difference between keeping our peace and giving into our flesh. 

Anger is not always bad. It's unhealthy to suppress anger.  What is bad; however, is being angry at the wrong situation or wrong person.  80% of the time when we get angry at something, deep down we are really angry at something else.  Ask yourself, "What am I angry about? Why am I so upset? What is really the root of my anger?" 

It's so important to understand the why of anger and to really understand where the anger is stemming from.  Anger itself, is never the root problem. There is always a deeper issue. Anger is simply an emotional reaction to one of three primary emotions. If you want to understand your anger you've got to find out which of these three you are feeling.  Maybe it's one specific emotion or maybe it's a combination of all three. It's important that you know this because it's much easier to deal with the roots than it is to deal with anger itself. When you get angry it's either because:

You are hurt - either physically or emotionally. 
You are frustrated - Things don't seem to be turning out the way you want them to. When you're angered by frustration, ask yourself two questions: Would getting angry change the situation? Is it really worth being upset over? And am I really frustrated with this person or situation or just projecting my anger and frustration in the wrong direction?
You are fearful - you feel threatened or insecure.  Lots of times, insecurity sparks jealousy and jealousy sparks anger.  What are you really fearful of and work on that and stop projecting that fear onto others.

When you focus on the real cause, it's easier to control your anger.

The fact is, you can't eliminate hurt and frustration and fear from your lives. Those emotions and feelings are inevitable. But you can learn to deal with these things without becoming upset and angry and lashing out at the wrong people and situations. Anger is a choice. And when you get angry, it is because you've chosen to be angry. 

Change is a part of life and sometimes it starts within ourselves.  

Peanut Butter Delights Recipe

Ingredients


1/2 cup butter

4 cups confectioners' sugar

2 cups creamy peanut butter

3 cups crisp rice cereal

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

4 tablespoons shortening



Directions

In a large mixing bowl, mix butter, sugar, peanut butter and crisp rice cereal together thoroughly.

Roll into small balls and set aside.

Melt chocolate chips and shortening in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat. Coat the small balls in the chocolate mixture. Refrigerate for several hours.