Tag: Rhenáe’s Randoms

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Faith Family Mental Health Productivity the Word of God

A Digital Detox and No Coincidences – 2/15/21

Digital Detox

So I did a thing yesterday.  I deleted my FB and IG apps on my phone.  I have this weird addiction to my phone and social media that’s quite annoying.  If it weren’t for my blog and business and keeping up with family and friends in different states, I would delete my social media presence altogether.  So after talking to my Wellness Consultant, Cheya Thousand, I decided to do a digital detox until April 1st.  Why April 1st?  Because that is when I will be launching my Financial Counseling, Planning, and Organization business.

Taking time away lets me focus on the last minute details and accomplish some plans and goals that I have set for my blog and business.  One of those things is to get more consistent with blogging again.  To do that, I decided to bring back my Rhenáe’s Randoms.  If you are new around here, Rhenáe’s Randoms are just nuggets from my day that I want to share. Unscripted and unedited.  

No Coincidences

My first one is from my Bible reading this morning.  For February, I decided to read Leviticus and Matthew since they have 27 and 28 chapters, respectfully.  One chapter from each book a day.  But about a week in, God shifted me to Nehemiah.  Nehemiah is an excellent book on leadership, praying, and planning, so I wasn’t disappointed (outside of my type-A personality that insists I finish what I start).  A few days later, He nudged me to add Daniel and Ezra to my reading.  If I had to pick my favorite books of the Bible, Daniel and Ezra are it.  Ezra helped the Israelites return to God, and the public reading of the Word, and Daniel was a dreamer.  Y’all already know how I feel about the Word.  And God often speaks to me in my dreams.

Today’s readings were Nehemiah 7, Ezra 2, and Daniel 2.  Random chapters, right?  Not to God.  Nehemiah 7 and Ezra 2 contain the exact same genealogical record of the exiles that in Ezra, were returning and in Nehemiah, had returned.  Mind blown!  But get this…I made a note of Nehemiah 7:5, “Then my God put it into my mind to assemble the nobles, the officials, and the people to be registered by genealogy…”.  I added it to my OneNote Bible study section on How God Speaks To Us.  Then as I am reading Daniel 2, I come across verse 28-29, “But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has let King Nebuchadnezzar know what will happen in the last days.  Your dream and visions that came into your mind as you lay in bed were these: Your majesty, while you were in your bed, thoughts came to your mind about what will happen in the future…”  

Now I don’t believe in coincidences, so I know that God has purposely guided me to these readings on these days.  I don’t know what for just yet, but I know God will reveal all of that in His own, perfect timing.  Until then, I will continue to share what I learn.

I hope you enjoyed today’s Rhenáe’s Randoms.  While taking a break from social media, I still want you to follow me to know when I come back.  Tanisha Rhenáe will still house my blog updates, book reviews, and personal life.  Tanisha Rhenáe Consulting will have all things Financial Counseling, Planning, and Organization.  Rendel and Rhenae Management will allow you to keep up with our business management company.

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Faith

Rhenáe’s Randoms: Turning to God when Feeling Blah

I feel blah.  I can’t explain why.  I don’t even know why.  It’s just been a blah couple of days.  I don’t really have anything new going on.  All of my previous struggles are still the same, but I’m actually making progress on them.  But I still feel blah.  I’ve been running through the Rolodex, that is my life.  How do I feel physically? Emotionally? Mentally? Spiritually? Everything is really just blah.  I also realized that the status of the world and all the bad news is really crushing my spirit.  I’ve found myself saying almost daily that this side of eternity really sucks.  Then I noticed in one of my church small groups that everyone seemed to have things going on.  Multiple prayer requests were needed.  Daily for each person! We talked a bit about how it looks like the enemy is just attacking so many of us.

This led me to think about my spiritual life again.  I looked at what has changed for me.  I don’t really listen to praise and worship like I use to.  Maybe a song here and there.  (I actually don’t listen to music much at all, so this isn’t specific to a genre.)  I use to could spend a day listening to sermons all day long.  I would have a playlist of pastors and churches that I would make sure I caught there latest message each week.  I can’t exactly remember the last time I did a fast.  Personally, I’ve just been doing my Bible reading/studying and praying a bunch.  And I know there are seasons where you will depend on one spiritual discipline heavier than the others, but I do believe that we should find a way to practice all of them.  So I question if that is why I am feeling blah?

I know one thing that I am going to do is fast tomorrow.  Honestly, I was thinking of fasting on Wednesdays (I think I have a friend who does this), and then I realized tomorrow IS Wednesday.  I’m going to spend some time seeking God’s face and presence.  Letting Him know my struggle and see what comes out of that time.  I recommend that if you are feeling the same way that you start with picking a day to sit at the feet of Jesus and bring your thoughts and concerns to Him.  I pray that God can heal you during this time!

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Faith Family

Rhenáe’s Randoms: Digital Detox

I made a post yesterday to show my highlighting from my reading of 1st Corinthians and mentioned that I think I need a digital detox.  And I decided today to take that digital detox.  I wanted to write a bit about why I came to that decision just in case you have been feeling the way I have.

As most of the world knows, we are currently in the middle (maybe?) of the COVID-19 pandemic.  With that comes the following:

  • constant news updates (almost every half hour)
  • its the topic of EVERY conversation
  • every part of life seems to be impacted
  • negative feelings and emotions about what we are doing/not doing with this time

 

Can I just say I am over it all?  This virus is serious yet instead of focusing on praying for the sick, the family of those that have passed away, or those impacted, I am just complaining (and hearing complaints).  As a Christian, my fear should not be in what’s happening around me.  My faith should be shining through in moments like this.  People should be able to turn to the body of Christ for light. (I know there has been a thing recently about not telling people how they should feel and what they should be doing.  While I agree with that for most things, I do know that the Bible tells us to do the beforementioned in times like this, so I won’t stop saying those things.  Even if our flesh isn’t allowing us to do it at the moment.)

So after a particularly moody week, I decided just to pull back from what is causing me so much angst and turn towards what will have me keeping my eyes focused on Jesus (Hebrews 12v.2).  Here is what I will personally be doing this week.

  • unplugging from ALL social media (I will be deleting the apps to remove temptation)
  • disabling all notifications for news apps or any other apps that are delivering COVID updates
  • not reading or responding to messages, calls or emails unless they are emergencies (emergency means an illness, death or prayer request for everyone else besides my husband)
  • spend more time reading and studying my Bible
  • journaling to God
  • praying more
  • writing (I’ve learned that the more I am focused on God, the more my creative juices flow)
  • reading and learning (my leisure activities)
  • spend as much time outside as possible

I hope that you are able to unplug for a bit this week in whatever way that looks like for you!

Update:

I typed the above part of this post this morning before I watched our church service. (Don’t judge me.)  And I just want to point out how good God is and how I love that He will confirm and affirm for us when we are doing something right.  Today’s message was obviously about Palm Sunday and Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem in John 12.  But that triumphal entry would not have been possible without the triumphal tragedy that happened with Lazarus’ death in John 11.  Pastor Tim made comparisons between that time and what is happening now.

He gave two paradoxical statements:

John 11v.5,6 “Jesus loved…He stayed”

John 11v.14,15 “Lazarus is dead…I am glad”

Here are some points from the message that spoke to me.

John 12v.16 Sometimes when you are going through things, you won’t understand until after it is over.

John 11 – The triumphal entry of chapter 12 starts here with Lazarus’ death

v.4 – This sickness with not end in death.

v. 5 – Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus

v. 6 – because of that love; so/therefore He stayed for two more days (He doesn’t always answer our prayers in the way we want because He has something greater in store for us. Ephesians 3:20)

v. 14 Lazarus is dead (remember v.4 tells us this will not end in death, not that he won’t go through death)

v. 15 I am glad…so that you may believe. (There is purpose.)

v. 35 Jesus wept. (Jesus had feelings and expressed them.  But He was still glad.  We need to learn to navigate faith in feelings)

v. 45 Therefore, many of the Jews who came to Mary and saw what he did believed in him.

John 12

v. 9 Then a large crowd of the Jews learned he was there. They came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, the one he had raised from the dead. (the same group from chapter 11)

v. 12 The next day, when the large crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, they took palm branches and went out to meet him. They kept shouting: “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord — the King of Israel!” (this would not have been possible if the tradegy in chapter 11 didn’t happen)

v. 27 Jesus again expresses His feelings for a situation that must happen.

Philippians 1 (Paul tells us about his time in prison)

v. 12 – what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel

v. 14 because of my chains

2nd Corinthians 12 (Paul speaks about his unanswered prayer)

v. 7 I was given a thorn in my flesh

v. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me (another prayer not answered it seems)

v. 9 “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (the reason the prayer is not answered.  God’s glory!)

Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities (NKJV) (Paul’s response)

v. 10 I take pleasure in my infirmities (Paul is choosing to take pleasure)

Y’all God is so good.  Even through everything that is going on right now.  God will use all of this for His glory.  Continue to lean into God during this time. “Give, and it will be given to you; a good measure – pressed down, shaken together, and running over – will be poured into your lap.” – Luke 6v.26  Here is a verse that is bringing me comfort right now:

His voice shook the earth at that time, but now he has promised, Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens. This expression, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of what can be shaken — that is, created things — so that what is not shaken might remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful. By it, we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. – Hebrews 12:26-29 CSB

I’m praying for you!

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Faith

Rhenáe’s Randoms: Preparation to Action

I am dropping in with an unscheduled blog post to share with y’all some things that have been on my mind.

For the past couple of months, God has placed the word “prepare” on my heart.  I didn’t understand what He meant, so I decided to dive deeper into His Word and increase my prayer life with Him.  I felt like he was dropping so many topics and areas into my head when it came to this.  In my human mind, I couldn’t possibly juggle and prepare for all of these areas at once.  Or even back to back.  But during my studying and praying, God kept reminding me that I couldn’t do anything in my strength alone.  That I needed God for all things, and I needed to start remembering that every single minute of the day.

I started to journal about all the things God dropped into my spirit and asked God to help guide what He needed me to do.  Some of these topics were not new ideas for me.  They were things that I either purposely put on the backburner or was just being lazy and not listening to God when He spoke them.  I repented for this and asked God to give me the desire and push to do all the things that He wanted me to do.  I also started to research and downloaded a lot.  Actually, I was collecting a lot but not doing much with the information I was receiving.  And with this pandemic stuff going on, there has been even more information out there.  People and businesses are providing their resources for free or at a discount.

But with that, also comes a lot of misinformation being shared.  Not to mention all of the news and updates we are receiving.  So it is essential to filter everything through the Word of God and the Holy Spirit.  One of the crucial messages The Church is sending out right now is faith over fear.  While many are saying that this is an unprecedented time, by reading my Bible, I realized that none of this is new to God and is not unique to the world.  So I agree with making sure we use this time to grow closer to God, read His Word, and not allowing fear to lead us.

This morning I felt the push to move from preparation to action.  I feel like I have the time now, even more than before, to start to do this.  Here are a few things I did:

  • I opened my Bible.  I don’t know if this is a good thing or not, but I find that I get a ton of ideas and thoughts when I am reading my Bible.  So when I am sitting down at a time where I feel overwhelmed, it makes sense for me to read my Bible.  It gives me a sense of peace and understanding.  It helps all the things jumbled in my head, get straightened out, and make sense.
  • I pulled out my notebook and started to clear my mind.  I listed everything I heard God speaking, everything that crossed my mind that I needed to do, random things, etc.  I do this frequently when I feel overwhelmed, and when I feel like God is telling me something.  Then I take those things and decide what needs to be done now, what needs to be scheduled for later, and what needs to be broken into action steps.
  • I pulled out my planners.  I have been using a daily Day Designer that I grabbed from Target last year.  It ends in June, but I am a big future planner, so I went ahead and set up my daily Erin Condren binder.  Erin Condren was the first planner company I used when I graduated to being serious about daily planning back in 2013/2014.  So I am happy to try out her binder system. My idea with the planners is actually to do the scheduling I mentioned above.  I’ve been in a mood, on and off for a few months, where I have all these plans and just haven’t been doing them.  So to avoid this, I go ahead and schedule it, and then I am more likely to do these things.
  • I have some stickers.  Because I may get bored or a little scattered, and planning with stickers helps make it fun.
  • Set up my iPad. I tend to do a lot of work on my laptop and cell phone.  So I keep my iPad up for videos and things I want to take in.  I mentioned above, I was downloading a lot of information, so I decided to start going through the information, writing down what I learned and planning out the steps I could take from what I learned. For instance, today, I wanted to see what One Big Happy Family was saying about the economy and personal finance.  I was able to catch a live of theirs.  They were talking about what is happening recently and why her method of prioritizing saving and wealth-building over paying off debt is essential in a time like this where people are losing their jobs and need to rely on that savings for the unforeseeable future.

 

I honestly don’t know what is next for me; what is going to come from this. But I am excited to see what God does with all of this.  I believe strongly in Romans 8:28.  “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”  There are lessons to be learned.  Families to spend more time with.  Dreams to be achieved.  Rest to be had.  Take this time to do what is best for you and your family.

*I included my Erin Condren referral link in this post.  In addition to you getting $10 off your first purchase, I earn rewards as well!

*I included my Day Designer referral link in this post.  Sign up for their newsletter for free printable and 10% off your order!  I receive a small commission at no cost to you.

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Family

Rhenáe’s Randoms: 3/14/20

This post is not about that virus!  But it accelerated my plans a little bit, so I wanted to share.

Background

If you follow me here or on social media, you know that for February, my Year of Healthy theme was going Plant-Based. And while it didn’t continue through March, I decided instead of heading to the grocery store, I was going to eat and cook based on what we had at the house.  After a ton of eating out and ordering in, of course, cause I was tired of cooking! But sometime in February, we cleaned out our pantry to reorganize it.  We trashed anything that was expired.  Took stock of what we were low on and added them to our grocery list for the future.  Chris and I also talked about things he wishes we kept on hand that he liked to eat.  Of course, we need to find a balance of healthy foods.  But it started me thinking about what should be in my pantry?  What should I always have on hand?  I planned to potentially talk about this in a future Year of Healthy post where I focus on food again or maybe concentrate on my home.  I added it to my “do later” list.  Cleaning out the pantry showed me what I had on hand, and I knew we had a good amount of meat and dairy in the freezer to use up.  So we were good to go for a while.

Challenges

However, I am also dealing with a couple of problems that might make this a challenge.  First, I have a medical condition that requires me to know exactly what goes into my body to prevent flare-ups.  I am still learning what I can and cannot eat.  While I have eliminated most processed foods, some regular foods can still be tricky.  Secondly, Chris is a picky eater.  Before February, I would have told you he hates all things healthy, but he tore up most of the vegan meals I made.  But his preference is processed foods.  The opposite of me.  I need to find the balance of what foods to keep on hand that he will eat and foods that are good for us.  Lastly, I hate wasting food.  I want to be able to rotate out the items because having to trash things that have expired hurts my heart.  Pantry and freezers items tend to have a longer shelf life, so I wanted to plan out what we could buy, keep for a while, and the best time to replace it.  Currently, I am doing better about not wasting my perishable items because I am going to the grocery store more often and am learning to buy what I need to get me to the next trip only.

What Changed?

So here it is, March 13th (yesterday), and since I’ve been on a cooking strike, Chris and I have been relying heavily on what we have on hand.  And our kitchen was starting to look a little bare…in the middle of a virus pandemic where people are panicking and stockpiling like martial law is on its way and we won’t be able to leave our house for months.  I get it.  People handle these situations in different ways.  And thanks to consistent time with God, therapy appointments, and St. John’s Wort, I am feeling pretty well despite all of this…while I stay in my house.  (BTW #SocialDistancing is now my practice for life)  But I usually am consistent with heading to the grocery store and staying stocked up, so I was starting to get a bit concerned.  I mean, we are finishing up week 11 of the year, and I have already gone to the grocery store 15 times (not including Amazon deliveries).  So to be running low on essentials and not being able to find them, it’s a bit annoying. I got what I could, said a prayer for the rest, and started planning.

What’s Next?

Staying prepared means you do not have to get prepared.  I know this well enough as a military wife and a Floridian who has survived a few hurricane seasons.  So I decided to hit up YouTube and IG to see who could help me with this.  One person I love is Jordan Page from Fun, Cheap and Free, and she had a video on what you should store at home.  She recommends to slowly start with a stockpile of 3 months worth of items you would need to survive (food, water, supplies).  Buy 1 for now and 2 for later when things go on sale.  Doing this allows you to rotate through your items without stocking up and going too crazy.  I will note that she appears to be following her denomination of Christianity, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and how they recommend staying prepared.  I’ve checked it out, and it is pretty solid advice, but Jordan has it packaged in a way that anyone can use it.  Here are some posts of hers that I enjoyed:

Emergency Prep and Food Storage

Grocery Shopping on a Budget

Kitchen Staples

So while, at this very moment, I can’t do much about the essentials I ran out of that the store didn’t have stocked (like beans), I was able to make a decent grocery trip yesterday.  I built a list of items that we should keep stocked.  I added the things that we consistently eat.  Between grocery apps and circulars, I will pay attention to sale prices to know when to purchase again and stock up (Remember buy 1 for now and 2 for later.  Let’s save food for the rest of the world.).  Tracking this information also lets me know when the best time to buy these items is as well.  I’ve created a list of things I should buy every week (perishable items like milk, eggs, and spinach) and what I should buy every month (potatoes, rice, etc.).

This also goes beyond my kitchen and into our household products and cleaning supplies.  Guys, when this pandemic hit, we had four rolls of toilet tissue to our name.  I knew I was going to the store soon, so I wasn’t anxious about getting that low.  Until I got there, and there were zero paper products.  Talk about being concerned for a second.  But then I laughed and said, “God, we need toilet tissue.  I trust that you will be able to make that happen before we run out.”  Do you know what happened?  Chris called before he came home today and said he stopped at the store and they had toilet tissue, did I want him to grab some?  So he did.  We grabbed a big pack to get us through and left the rest for others.  Because I trust that when I need more, either this thing will be over or God will provide.  This faith has been years in the making, by the way.  Two years ago, I would have had a breakdown and cried about this.  Progress.  So while I know this is a scary time for many, I recommend using this time to plan and prepare.  Hurricane season is right around the corner.  Something like this may happen again.  Heck, a personal emergency could happen.  It’s best to stay prepared.  Let me know in the comments what you consider a staple item to keep on hand at all times!  Stay safe!

 

 

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Faith

Rhenáe’s Randoms 2/25/20

Should I Participate In Lent?

First, I want to share how this topic popped into my head. For the past couple of days, I’ve been feeling a bit off. It’s a mixture of things really.  From me not taking my vitamins (St. Johns Wart has been a lifesaver for my depression) to me having to go to multiple doctors, including one where I had to have a procedure done that is still causing me some pain.  Also, being away from my detailed Bible reading for a while didn’t help. I’ve been in the gospels (reading Chronologically), and I always lose interest in the gospels. It’s what used to prevent me from reading the whole Bible. And that’s horrible to say because they are literally the life of Jesus, the gospel lived out day to day, Jesus’ Words! But it’s my truth. So I decided to slow down and stick to reading a passage or two from the gospels but jump to Acts for the meat of my studying. (I did pray to God about this feeling and asked for help with this btw) While reading Acts 1-4, I received the refreshing my soul needed. For me, I like having a plan, so I checked out this Crossway infographic that mentioned it would take about 40 days for me to read the New Testament (my current focus) if I read 30 minutes a day. And that triggered in my mind that Lent was probably coming up soon.

Since I’ve been serious about my Christian walk, I’ve heard about the Lenten season and questioned what it was. I gained an understanding that it was a season leading up to Easter, which is when we usually celebrate the resurrection of Christ. But that’s as far as my knowledge went. Focusing on the NT for 40 days, is that something I could do for Lent? Should I even be celebrating Lent? If you have followed along with my #All66Books journey on IG, you know I recently finished reading the whole Bible. Yet there was no mention of the word “lent.” So I did what I do best and went researching on the internet. I found this fantastic site (amongst others) that was able to break it down for me. Long story short, lent itself isn’t in the Bible, but the practices can be found (fasting and praying). It honestly reminds me of the corporate fast a lot of churches do in January for 21 days (which isn’t a command in the Bible either). Obviously, some denominations of Christians do more for Lent (like Catholics mentioned in the article above). There has been a lot of rituals and structure put into place by man that you can choose to follow.

So, where did I land on this issue? I’m following the Holy Spirit. So while officially I won’t be observing Lent and fasting on the exact days some denominations do, I am going to be using this time up until Easter/Pentecost season to focus on precisely what God wanted from His Church and me as His follower. I do have a feeling that I will be doing lots of fasting and praying during this time, and I look forward to it. I’ll share what I’m led to share when led to share. 💖

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Family Food

Rhenáe’s Randoms – 2/17/20

While I was ready to post a book review, I had some thoughts floating around about this vegan/plant-based journey that I wanted to get out.  Last Tuesday, I did a social media post about a few things I’ve realized and wanted to share after being plant-based for ten days.  I still felt pretty good about my journey and was optimistic about finishing strong.  Then we had Valentine’s day, and this weekend, I feel like I crumbled.  I didn’t get off the journey, but I strongly wanted to and was fighting some pretty bad cravings. It honestly had nothing to do with the holiday itself.  I planned to make pizza from scratch and was pretty excited about the meal I was going to prepare.  But those cravings had me seeking out other meals.  Like steak, chicken wings, crabs, shrimp and mac and cheese.  Oh, and cake.  All the cake.  I went to social media and just went scrolling to see all the goodness of the things I couldn’t eat for the month.  Let me just say that didn’t help at all.

Then our pizza was a major fail for me.  Something didn’t come together with the cheese, and all I could taste was salt.  Chris said he enjoyed it, but I couldn’t eat it.  But I was starving and frustrated, and at this point, I didn’t want anything I had cooked.  I, the day before, made some delicious queso dip and some pasta with “chicken” strips and broccoli. But that pasta dish had its issues with following the recipe, and that could have been the start of my frustrations.   So I decided to order from the only place that I knew that catered to vegans around here, Chiptole.

Now, I did do some research.  I wanted to see exactly what I could order.  I’ve been hearing a lot about their lifestyle bowls and wanted to know if it was something I wanted to try.  But their vegan bowl was nowhere on their site or app.  But from what I saw on posts about it, it was what I wanted.  The vegetarian bowl, however, was still on their site but was different from what others said was on it.  So I ordered the vegetarian bowl with hopes it wouldn’t have any dairy on it as the new description said.  Then because I am a foodie, I also ordered some tacos with sofrito because it was no longer an option on the lifestyle bowls.  But when my husband went to pick up the order, they forgot the bowl altogether.  And when making it, my husband told them it needed to be vegan.  When I got it, it was the same vegetarian bowl that was advertised on their site, so it made me wonder if they removed the vegan bowl altogether.

Another thing I found while researching was people’s complaints about Chipotle being just another fast food place and how the food wasn’t satisfying.  I have no clue how people feel that way.  Obviously, with both meals, I couldn’t eat it all but I was stuffed for the rest of the night.  But one of the first things I noticed and agreed with was how easy this would have been to make myself.  The Vegetarian Bowl was brown rice, black beans, fajita veggies, fresh tomato salsa, and guacamole.  The Sofritas Taco was black beans, brown rice, soft flour tortilla, fresh tomato salsa, and roasted chili-corn salsa.  So if this was made at home the exact same way, all of a sudden it is satisfying?  But not grabbing it from Chipotle?  I didn’t agree, and I think it is a great option to have on the go.  And honestly, it gave me the boost that I needed to keep going on this journey.  The food was so good.  And instead of trying all brand new meals next week, I plan on batch cooking what was in my bowl and taco and eating that until we get tired of it.

Categories
Faith

Rhenáe’s Randoms – 2/4/20

I feel like manifesting, and affirmations have been a hot thing for the past few years.  I’ve spent that time ignoring them and not really paying attention.  But lately, with me on a continued journey of growth and taking in resources to help with that, these two things are consistently recommended.  But I’ve had some questions.  As a Christian, should I partake in this?  It appears that manifesting and affirmations may be connected to the Law of Attraction, and you speak to the universe about what you want.  But why am I talking to a created thing that can’t talk back? Then I’ve seen that the universe is another name for God.  No, the Bible is very clear.  God MADE the universe (Hebrews 1:2-3). He is not the universe.  So again, is this something I should participate in? I know the Bible has plenty to say about the tongue and how it can lead us to destruction, but is the opposite true as well?

I went to the internet and found both yes and no answers.  Bible verses were given for both points of view.  People that said we shouldn’t use manifesting and affirmations pointed to the many verses that talk about who God is and the authority that He has but nothing about what we can or cannot do.  Those that said yes showed verses about the gifts and strengths that God has given us.  I decided to write down a prayer to God and just asked Him.  I spoke about the verses that I knew were fact.  I confessed that I didn’t want to do anything that goes against His Word and asked for guidance.  Then I felt this impression to watch a sermon I’ve meant to catch up on from my church.  To be honest, I’ve felt this impression a few times since I’ve missed the service, but I’ve ignored it.  Not always intentionally, but my other to-do list items would come up (and some were even really good things to do).

The sermon was about right before the birth of Jesus.  The story of Joseph in Matthew 1.  How Joseph’s plan to marry Mary, didn’t go the way it was supposed to because Mary ended up pregnant.  How his secondary plan, to divorce Mary, apparently wasn’t right either.  Our Pastor gave us three things God challenges Joseph to do:

  1. How he thinks about all this
  2. How he talks about all this
  3. How he moves beyond all this

 

To me, I connected thinks with manifesting and talks with affirming.  I couldn’t believe how quickly God answered my prayer.  What makes it even better are the verses given to support it.  I include the sermon in today’s post, but below are my notes as well.

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).  

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Matthew 1:18-25 NIV (emphasis mine based on sermon)

3 Things God Challenges Joseph To Do

1. How I Think About All This

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. – Proverbs 19:21  NIV

Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. – Matthew 1:19 NIV

Joseph’s Plan A: follow tradition and marry Mary; Plan B: Divorce her quietly (our instinct is to distance ourselves when things go wrong).

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

If all of this is useable, I need to change what I think about it.

2. How I Talk About All This

Don’t speak about the negative things; talk about the purpose they provide.

She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. – Matthew 1:21 NIV

But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. – Matthew 1:25 NIV

Although we may not have planned it, we have to participate in it.  God has called us to put words to His work.

Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. – Genesis 2:19 NIV

You didn’t choose what you see, but you are responsible for what you say.

Then the Lord said, “Call him Lo-Ammi (which means “not my people”), for you are not my people, and I am not your God. – Hosea 1:9 NIV

3. How I Move Beyond All This

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. –  Matthew 1:24 NIV

Be faithful and walk through it.

How to walk after you wake?

She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. – Matthew 1:21 NIV

Joseph hears the gospel, and that is what transforms his life.

Categories
Faith

Rhenáe’s Randoms – 1/23/20

I first want to start by repenting if I was ever a person who complained about another Christian’s journey and relationship with the Bible.  I was in a situation recently where I was getting a ton of flack for constantly reading my Bible and even more so for using my color code system and highlighting in it.  I know some people refuse to write or mark in their Bibles and see it as disrespectful.  But I have never been one of those people, and I have yet to come across scripture that tells me I cannot do it.  I have come across plenty of scripture that tells me to meditate on God’s Word, to make it known and to not only hear but to be doers of the Word of God.  In my opinion, I cannot do any of that if I don’t spend time reading it, studying it, and just overall enjoying it.  How I choose to do that is by color-coding certain things, highlighting, and underlining.  It’s what has kept me consistently in God’s Word, and I don’t see that changing for me.  And I definitely won’t be changing it for other people.  Especially for people who don’t even open their Bibles themselves.

I’ve noticed that the people who typically complain about me reading the Bible, me color coding in my Bible, and me writing in my Bible tend to do so with a wistfulness in their voice. Almost like they are envious that I’m doing it and they aren’t. Here is a secret: you could do it too. God cares that I’m in His Word. Not what I’m doing in it. I would think He would appreciate me doing whatever faithfully keeps me reading and knowing His Word compared to me being fearful and not being in His Word at all. I’m not better than you for doing it this way. I’m not better than you at all. Let’s stop judging others for how they choose to walk out their relationship with God and prayerfully thank God that He has another soldier on earth. 

*I use to share things that stuck out to me from my daily reading on my social media accounts.  Here is the blurb I use to include:

Why do I share? To show you that it is quite simple to jump in and open your Bible and read and study it for yourself.

💙 Look for what the passage says about God/Jesus/Holy Spirit

💜 Look for what the passage says about God’s Word

💖 Look for any prayers

💛 Look for what the passage says that you should be applying to your life

💚 Look for what the passage says about your identity in Christ or as a child of God

Categories
Faith

Rhenáe’s Randoms – 1/14/20

My church, like many others around the country, is in the middle of their 21 days of prayer and fasting (on week 2).  For the past few years, I have gone hardcore with this.  I’ve done juice fasts, Whole30, given up social media, etc.  But this year, I felt a little off.  While I could use a change in my eating habits, 2020 is the Year of Healthy for me, so I feel like I will have that covered.  I hardly watch T.V. anymore, and my social media habits are improving.  There was honestly nothing I could think of to sacrifice that would mean anything to me. And because I am already working on building healthy habits, I couldn’t see anything to add immediately.

But during my Bible reading recently, I came across some information about fasting that I have never been taught before.

“Will the fast I choose be like this: A day for a person to deny himself, to bow his head like a reed, and to spread out sackcloth and ashes?  Will you call this a fast and a day acceptable to the Lord?  Isn’t this the fast I choose: To break the chains of wickedness, to untie the ropes of the yoke, to set the oppressed free, and to tear off every yoke?  Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, to bring the poor and homeless into your house, to clothe the naked when you see him, and not to ignore your own flesh and blood? Then your light will appear like the dawn, and your recovery will come quickly.  Your righteousness will go before you, and the Lord’s glory will be your rear guard.  At that time, when you call, the Lord will answer; when you cry out, he will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you get rid of the yoke among you, the finger-pointing and malicious speaking, and if you offer yourself to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted one, then your light will shine in the darkness, and your night will be like noonday. The Lord will always lead you, satisfy you in a parched land, and strengthen your bones. You will be like a watered garden and like a spring whose water never runs dry.” Isaiah 58: 5-11 CSB
I honestly feel like everything that I learned about fasting may be slightly incorrect.  I’ve been taught it is a day/time to deny myself.  And nothing about doing for others during/with my fast.  Maybe I should have just connected the overall “love thy neighbor” message to fasting, but it never clicked for me.  Admittedly, I need to do a study on fasting to get a better grasp of what I should and should not be doing.  I’ve added that to the list for future studies.