Tag: Jesus

Christian

Mono Made Me Do It!

Cindy Dawson

I was very sick and couldn’t get out of bed for two weeks. It was mononucleosis.

While I spent my days (and nights) in bed, a song I learned as a child kept playing in my head. I hadn’t thought of it in years. Maybe you know it. It goes like this – “This little light of mine. I’m gonna let it shine… Hide it under a bushel? NO! I’m gonna let it shine!”

God had my attention. But what did it mean?

“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel … Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16 KJV

That’s when it hit me! “I’m a closet Christian!” My light is hidden under a bushel!”  All the wonderful things God has done in my life were meant to bring glory to God. 

I was convicted in my spirit for being silent, a Christian who kept her light “under a bushel.”

Feeling convicted about my mostly private relationship with the Lord, the idea to write a blog crept into my mind. I had heard of blogging, but I knew nothing about it and had never thought about reading one, much less writing one.

Before long, I was convinced. The Lord was giving me a compelling desire to write about my Christian journey. 

Determined to end my silence, I proclaim the name of Jesus. I write to encourage real Christian women who have real-life problems, women who (like me) are far from perfect. I want to proclaim the Lord’s love, faithfulness, and mercy to all who will listen.

I blog, to share the unfathomable love and mercy God has showered on me, a sinner, undeserving, and saved by grace.

“I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,  may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,  and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:17-18 

Love, Cindy

This is My Journey Unscripted.

Click this link to learn more about Jesus: Who Is Jesus?

realchristianwomen.blog 

Christian

Are You Rich?

Cindy Dawson

Is it possible to be rich and not know it? That would be sad, wouldn’t it? Let me introduce you to Jane, a woman born with a silver spoon in her mouth and a billion dollars in the bank.

Every day Jane orders more stuff to make her happy. Monday she ordered a diamond ring and bracelet. Tuesday, a bigger swimming pool. Wednesday, 5 new cars. And Thursday, 1000 pairs of shoes.

But Jane isn’t happy. She’s been locked up in a mansion with servants to wait on her all her life and she has no one to compare her life to. She only knows she wants what she can’t have! And that is – out of the mansion!

Poor Jane. She’s rich, but she doesn’t know it…. If you’re talking about money, that is!

But is she really rich? Does having lots of money make you rich? One definition of rich is “abundantly supplied with resources”.

Jane has money and lots of possessions, but she doesn’t have contentment. She doesn’t have the resources she needs to be happy or content. In spite of all her money, she is miserable.

To be content means “to be satisfied with what one is or has and not wanting more or anything else.” Hmmmmm. 

What is our abundant supply of resources?

It is Christ. He is the Bread of Life. He is the Living Water. He is the source of all we need.

No matter what problems we face, He is our wisdom.

No matter what battle we fight, He is our Defender.

No matter what sadness we face, He is our Comforter.

No matter what fears we have, He is our Refuge and our Fortress.

If you have a relationship with Jesus Christ, you are rich because you have all the resources you need to have a life of peace, joy, and contentment.

Are you rich, but you didn’t know it? Thank God for all you have every day, and find a way to help others who have less. Soon you will realize you have been rich for a long time. You just didn’t know it!

With Love, 

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This is My Journey Unscripted.

Click this link to learn more about Jesus: Who Is Jesus?

Scripture References:

“…Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God…” 1 Corinthians 1:30 NIV

“How I love you, Lord! You are my defender. The Lord is my protector; he is my strong fortress. My God is my protection, and with him I am safe. He protects me like a shield; He defends me and keeps me safe.” Psalm 18:1-2 GNT

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.”

2 Corinthians 1:3-5 NIV

“I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust … He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge … For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;” Psalm 91: 2,4,11 NIV

Jesus said, “Whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:14 NIV

“The bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world… Then Jesus declared, I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” John 6:33:35 NIV

“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that … ” 1 Timothy 6:6-8 NIV

“Don’t weary yourself trying to get rich. Why waste your time? For riches can disappear as though they had the wings of a bird!” Proverbs 23:4-5 TLB

“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” 1 Timothy 6:17-19 NIV

Photo by Lucas Lenzi on Unsplash

 

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Christian

We Must Be Real With God

Cindy Dawson

About four months ago, I started writing some of my prayers in a prayer journal. This has really helped me to be more “real” with the Lord. These written prayers, while respectful, have been more open and honest and less formal, more like talking to a close friend.

At first its was a little scary to be less formal with the Lord. I thought that if I was going to talk to the Lord, it should only be about important things. But I have learned that this is not true. I can, and should, talk to Him about all my hopes and fears. I can ask Him about anything because he cares about me and He loves me.

“Casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully]. 1 Peter 5:7 AMP

Jesus calls us His friends. “I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. (John 15:15).  

Is Jesus really my friend? James 2:23 says that “Abraham … was called God’s friend.”

In John 15:14 Jesus said, “You are my friends if you do what I command you.”

Yes, Jesus wants to be your friend.

A relationship with God is about being real. Jesus explains that no matter how hard we try, we can’t hide who we really are from God anyway.

Jesus taught His disciples saying, “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.” (Luke 12:1)

In other words, be on your guard against hypocrisy! Don’t let yourself become a hypocrite! Be vigilant in guarding yourself against it. Why? Because it’s a trap easily fallen into.

So let’s talk about the Pharisees. Do you think the Pharisees knew they were hypocrites? I don’t think they did.

If they started out as “Godly men”, what happened? God sent the Messiah and they hated Him! How is that possible? What happened between the time the Pharisees decided to live a holy life and the time they killed the Messiah?

Maybe they hated Jesus because He (basically) threw a monkey wrench into their whole way of life (what they did and how they thought about things).

The word hypocrite came into English from the Greek word hypokrites, which means “an actor” or “a stage player.” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

Yes, I could walk around acting like a Christian. But actually letting God change me on the inside requires that I spend time in His presence. This is how we guard against hypocrisy.

It is impossible to be real with God and at the same time put on an act. You can do one, but not both at the same time.

If we pray to know Him better, He will answer that prayer. He will teach us. He will do it! Our part is always to ask for His help. I believe that the key to avoiding the trap of hypocrisy is to be real with God, to ask Him to help us in all things.

For example, “Lord, help my unbelief. ”

“Lord, help me to hunger for your Word. ”

“Help me to spend time in prayer. ”

Wherever you struggle, He will help you. You don’t have to pretend to be someone you’re not. He knows already where you struggle to be obedient and He loves you anyway. Don’t be afraid to ask Him for help.

“Behold, God is my helper and ally; The Lord is the sustainer of my soul [my upholder].” Psalm 54:4 AMP

With Love, 

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This is My Journey Unscripted.

Click this link to learn more about Jesus: Who Is Jesus?

Scripture References:

“And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), to be with you forever— ”  John 14:16 AMP

“But the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will help you remember everything that I have told you.” John 14:26 AMP

“So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently say, “The Lord is my Helper [in time of need], I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?” Hebrews 13:6 AMP

“I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” John 15:15 NIV

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! … On the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.” Matthew 23:27-28 NIV

“But there is nothing [so carefully] concealed that it will not be revealed, nor so hidden that it will not be made known. For that reason, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed on the housetops.” Luke 12:2-3 AMP

Photo by Gift Habeshaw on Unsplash

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Christian

When Will I Pray??

Cindy Dawson

Spend an hour in prayer every morning? Not likely!

Whether you’re a teacher like me, or a busy mom, things can get hectic once school starts! God showed me something about this that has given me peace and encouragement from Matthew 14.

When Jesus heard about the beheading of John the Baptist, he wanted to get away and talk to His Father. His heart must have ached with sadness. Can you imagine how you would feel if someone you loved was treated with such cruelty? I would want to be alone.

Jesus didn’t get to be alone or pray because thousands of people had followed Him and wanted Him to heal their sick. Imagine that! Thousands of people wanting/ seeking Him/ needing Him.

All day, Jesus ministered to the people and healed their sick. When evening approached, Jesus fed all the thousands of people with five loaves of bread and two fish.

Jesus sent the disciples away in a boat and dismissed the crowds. Can you imagine how exhausted He must have been both physically and emotionally? But this was the only time He had to pray, so He went up on a mountainside by himself to talk to His Father. He stayed there until the fourth watch of the night (between 3am and 6am).

I guess I always thought that early morning was when we are supposed to pray if we’re serious about prayer and knowing Him better. But if Jesus can pray after a long day, so can we.

This is what God showed me in His Word: He will meet me in the late afternoon, in the night, or in the morning. He will speak to me when I am fresh and rested (in the morning). But He will also speak to me when I am exhausted (after a hard day at work).

So all of you teachers and busy moms, listen. If you don’t have time to pray in the morning and your prayer time is in the afternoon or evening when you are exhausted, it’s OK.  Jesus understands. Your work place is your mission field – your place to let Jesus shine. That’s important.

I have 32 students with special needs. I know what it is to be tired after work. But the Lord assures me that He is with me. I need Him everyday, all day. And He has promised to be with me.

We may have seasons of rest. But for most of us, real ministry to real people doesn’t take place in church or prayer time. It takes place when we are about our lives and our work.

I would be very happy to spend all my time in prayer, reading my Bible, and writing my blog. But the Lord has made it clear that, although that pleases Him, He wants me out on the “battlefield”, aka at work, making relationships and showing God’s love and compassion. That’s why we’re here.

With Love, 

Cindy

This is My Journey Unscripted.

Click this link to learn more about Jesus: Who Is Jesus?

Matthew 14:3-21 NIV

3 Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, 4 for John had been saying to him: “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 5 Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered John a prophet.

6 On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests and pleased Herod so much 7 that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked.8 Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” 9 The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted 10 and had John beheaded in the prison. 11 His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. 12 John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.

13 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns.14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”

16 Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

17 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.

18 “Bring them here to me,” he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

realchristianwomen.blog 

Photo by Kinga Cichewicz on Unsplash

Christian

God’s Purpose For Your Blog

Cindy Dawson

The best thing about becoming a blogger is the community of friends I have come to know. I know some of my blogger friends (BFs) better than the friends I actually live around! I sincerely love them and care about them.

I always thought God’s purpose for my blog was to encourage my brothers and sisters in Christ.  But it might be something more than that.

Maybe God’s purpose is for me to develop relationships. I know that He gave me this desire to write a blog and He has put love in my heart for followers I have come to know. When God calls you to love and pray for someone you never met, well that’s God’s love in action.

I know some of my followers well because they have shared their lives and their hearts with all of us. I could know someone my whole life and never find out some of the things I know about my BFs including their battles and their weaknesses.

I started collecting pictures of some of my BF’s to help me keep everyone straight in my mind. When I receive a comment or read their blog, I refer to their picture.

God is putting in my heart a desire to build relationships all through my life – at school – in the community – and on WordPress.

I hope you will join me in an effort to pray for and support people we come to know and love through our adventures in blogging.

With Love, 

Cindy

This is My Journey Unscripted.

Click this link to learn more about Jesus: Who Is Jesus?

realchristianwomen.blog 

Christian

Beating Anxiety

Cindy Dawson

Anxiety is sneaky. It can disguise itself as something else. For me, anxiety was masquerading as indecision, ruffled nerves, anger, sadness, fear, negative thoughts, loneliness – yet a desire to be alone.

How can we feel lonely and desire isolation at the same time? I felt like I couldn’t put on my happy face and I didn’t want to. It would be easier to hide until I felt normal again. I didn’t want to have to talk to anyone. This was all boiling below the surface and I was afraid it would pop out at any moment. My foremost thought was, “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

The odd thing was, I didn’t feel anxious about a particular problem. It was more like a cloud hanging over me. Anxiety is not necessarily the same as worrying. I can recognize worry right away and make a decision not to do it.

I felt like whatever it was I was going through was too strong for me to fight alone. So I got angry because I thought, “Nobody prays for me. Poor me! How can I have a ministry and nobody prays for me?” (And other ridiculous thoughts I’ll keep to myself.)

But once I realized that this dark cloud was anxiety, I was on my way to breaking free. (Probably because somebody was praying for me.) Identifying the problem robs it of power.

The rainbow in this storm is that I’ve learned to recognize this kind of spiritual attack and I know I am better equipped to face it in the future if it rears its ugly head.

If you think your enemy is too strong for you, hold on to this:

“He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
    he drew me out of deep waters.

 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
    from my foes, who were too strong for me.

They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
    but the Lord was my support.
 He brought me out into a spacious place;
    he rescued me because he delighted in me.”  Psalm 18:16-19 NIV

We need to memorize this one! I know I will. And remember – we extinguish the flaming arrows of the devil (the attack he launches against our mind) by believing God’s Word.

With Love, 

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This is My Journey Unscripted.

More Scripture references on anxiety and spiritual warfare:

“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NIV

 

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.8 Come near to God and he will come near to you.” James 4:7-8 NIV

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 NIV

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit,which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:10-17 NIV

 

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5 NIV

Click this link to learn more about Jesus: Who Is Jesus?

Photo by Sydney Sims on Unsplash

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Christian

Hope or Hopeless?

Cindy Dawson

Pastor Louie Giglio says, “Simply by our proximity to Jesus, we can bring hope and life to people and places trapped in discouragement and despair.” 

What greater motivation could there be for devoting time each day to God alone? My prayer is that because I seek Him, others will see Him and take hold of that hope that anchors my soul.

“We are never without hope, because we are never without Him.” Sarah Rodriguez Rhodes

Sarah writes about the day, shortly after her husband’s death, when doctors told her there was no hope for the life of her two-week-old baby girl. But Sarah says, “We are never without hope, because we are never without Him.” You can read her testimony of God’s faithfulness here. Sarah’s Story

“…Christ Jesus (is) our HOPE… 1 Timothy 1:1

With Love, 

Cindy

This is My Journey Unscripted.

Click this link to learn more about Jesus: Who Is Jesus?

realchristianwomen.blog 

Christian

The Amazing Night Sky!

Cindy Dawson

Did you know that every star you see in the night sky is bigger and brighter than the Sun? The Sun is a dwarf star, but it’s much closer to us than the stars we see at night. In fact, the bright star Deneb, which is prominent in the evening skies of Fall and Winter, is 19 quadrillion miles away.¹

If we will take the time to contemplate God’s creation – watch it and think about it, His majesty and power will astound us.

You will see things you never noticed before. And that, will bring you closer to the heart of God. So let’s all slow down and take a closer look at what God has made. It’s pretty amazing.

God spoke: “Lights! Come out!
Shine in Heaven’s sky!”²

BOOM!

To see what happened next, watch this dramatic time-lapse video of the night sky.

CAUTION: WATCHING THIS VIDEO CAN MAKE YOU WANT TO QUIT YOUR JOB AND BECOME AN ASTRONOMER!

The Incredible Night Sky

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES

“I sing for joy at the works of your hands.” Psalm 92:4 NIV

“Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory
    in the heavens…

3 When I consider your heavens,
    the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
    which you have set in place,

4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
    human beings that you care for them?” Psalm 8:1,3,4 NIV

What did you think of the video? Are you ready to quit your job?

With Love, Cindy

Click this link to learn more about Jesus: Who Is Jesus?

realchristianwomen.blog 

¹http://earthsky.org/space/ten-things-you-may-not-know-about-stars

²Genesis 1:14 MSG

Photo Credit: Ryan Hutton, Unsplash

Christian

Be Still and Know That I Am God

Cindy Dawson

I’m a To-Do List,  planner, scheduled-day kind of person. I didn’t realize how much until recently.

It was early in the morning, about 6:00, when I let my dog, Bella, out the back door. Sunny skies, a gentle breeze, and the sweet sound of birds singing greeted me. I sat down on my little black bench to enjoy it for a minute.

I already had coffee in hand, so I drank it outside instead of hurrying into my office. Suddenly, a hummingbird darted past and paused to drink from the bright pink Hibiscus bloom peaking out from my neighbor’s balcony.

A baby bunny hopped out of the cornfield and looked around. A striking red cardinal flew to my bird feeder and looked me right in the eye. “Are you going to put any seed in this feeder or what?” he seemed to say.

A bright yellow Monarch fluttered by. It was like God had orchestrated his creation to entertain me. I couldn’t leave my seat.

After a while, this Scripture came to me, “Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)

I sat peacefully, obediently, enjoying the beauty right outside my door. My brain stopped buzzing around like it was on fire.

Then, God reminded me that His plan is never what a person thinks it will be. Abraham didn’t know that Sarah would give him a son in her old age. Jacob didn’t know he would have to work twenty years for Laban before he could leave with Rachel. And Joseph could never imagined that God’s plan would land him in prison. But all these things were part of God’s plan!

If these men of God were like me, they would have been thinking that it was all their fault that things were working out so badly. But God’s will was being accomplished through ordinary, imperfect men – in spite of their flaws.

I learned something important that day. Sometimes I just need to slow down, quiet my brain, and observe God’s creation. It reminds me that He is God. And I might hear that still, small voice.

“And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.” 1 Kings 19:11-12

With Love, 

Cindy

This Is My Journey Unscripted.

(Re-posted from July, 2018)

Do you want to become a Christian? Click this link to learn more: Who Is Jesus?

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Photo by David Clode on Unsplash

Christian

Stirring Up Hope for the Forsaken

Cindy Dawson

Chris G Thelen's avatar140 Character Christian

Wednesday Walk Though the Bible, Matthew 5:1-12 & 7:28-29 (NIV)

#WednesdayWalk, an occasional exploration of what unknown people might have seen or felt when they witnessed the events in the Bible. This post is from the perspective of a person who encounters Jesus teaching the Beatitudes.

It was another hot day. The dust swirled around my sandals as I hurried along the path. Small stones crunched under my feet as I walked on the barren dirt. My mouth was dry from the heat as sweat dripped down my forehead and back. I was focused on fetching the baskets my father needed when I caught a glimpse of a large crowd on a hillside. I stopped and noticed the people were gathered around a man. “Why would so many people stand and listen to this man in heat like this?” I asked myself.

I hesitated a moment, curious as to why…

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