We've been in prayer to get healthy in our house. By His Grace desiring to continue to live for Jesus, but really struggling with how we feel physically. It's taken me a long time to accept that even though I am Christian, washed in His blood, and a partaker of the heavenly nature, my emotions are effected by all that my physical body endures as it suffers the effects of living in a fallen world.
Though I draw close in prayer and in the Word to keep the Truth of who I am in Him, my emotions are still effected by monthly pms cycles or pre-menapause and all that our physical bodies endure. I've wrestled with this because I know the joy of the Lord and want to stay in Victory over these and He's led us to address the physical and to prayerfully have Victory in mindless or over eating.
I recently prayed for what each of my family specifically needs for good health. Not long after a Pastors wife came to a Bible Study and shared that she came to be a blessing. When I told her how I prayed about our health, she told me about the Blood type diet. Her and the Pastor use this diet and have a list on their refrigerator of the foods that are good for each of them to eat according to their blood type. My prayer is now that God would restore all that sin and the enemy has taken from our bodies and that Chris and I would have better health when we are in our sixties than when we were in our twenties.
The blessing of all of this is that Our Lord in His Sovereignty might allow us to see purpose in all that we've gone through. By His Grace I prayed to stay and live as a missionary in New Jersey and not long ago, I spoke with a sister in Christ who volunteers at a nearby Church vegetable garden. She told me that she prayed that God would raise up Saints to teach the families who come to the food pantry about health and nutrition. She is burdened for them. Not long after, I found out from another sister that approximately 80% of those who are homeless in New Jersey are Veterans. They all have different circumstances that may have led them to where they are but they all served our Country and are responsible for the freedoms we have today. They are brothers and sisters in Christ and Christians should be taking care of them. Before hearing this sisters prayer, the Lord already had my husband and I learning from The Truth about Cancer Series as well as the benefits of Essential Oils and Organic eating, so I am encouraged about what He will do through us and pray that many souls are helped and relieved for His Glory.
To get things moving on my end, I set up this Back to Belle Weight Loss Tracker. (Though we did not choose Beauty and the Beast as our wedding song, it technically was and we danced to it at our wedding and had the movie clip added to our video) My prayer now is to get back to my 'Belle' weight and that I will feel physically well and serve Him better. Feel free to cheer me on in prayer and however else the Lord leads you.
http://www.magicalkingdoms.com/timers/tickers/iz6m8tdfuf9kiacx.png
Solo De Glorio, In His Service, Joanie
Thursday, September 1, 2016
Sunday, August 12, 2012
De-Fragged
It’s been a long time coming and now De-Fragged the e-book is finally here. It's the story of how I came to faith in Jesus Christ and the journey that follows. My story begins when I had no faith at all and then continues as I practice religion and then legalism and eventually to trusting in and following the Lord. This story was originally longer and much more detailed but through prayer I've shared what I hope will be most helpful to the reader.
Over the next few months De-Fragged will be available to read on my blog one chapter each week. Because the book is sold on Amazon and Barnes and Noble,I have to delete the previous chapter before I can post the next one. So please be sure to check back each week.
For the ladies, if any part of this book is a blessing to you and you would like to hear more of the unpublished details of my journey please feel free to contact me at DeFraggedTheBook@gmail.com.
Men, please feel free to use the same e-mail address and I will happily forward your contact information to my husband who would love to share his part of our journey in Christ with you.
I hope these chapters are a blessing to you, thanks for reading!
To God Be the Glory :)
Books
Websites
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/de-fragged-joanie-alfors/1112126401?ean=2940014941631&itm=1&usri=de-fragged
http://www.amazon.com/DE-FRAGGED-ebook/dp/B008LX74GQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348510473&sr=8-1&keywords=De-Fragged
Over the next few months De-Fragged will be available to read on my blog one chapter each week. Because the book is sold on Amazon and Barnes and Noble,I have to delete the previous chapter before I can post the next one. So please be sure to check back each week.
For the ladies, if any part of this book is a blessing to you and you would like to hear more of the unpublished details of my journey please feel free to contact me at DeFraggedTheBook@gmail.com.
Men, please feel free to use the same e-mail address and I will happily forward your contact information to my husband who would love to share his part of our journey in Christ with you.
I hope these chapters are a blessing to you, thanks for reading!
To God Be the Glory :)
Bible
Study Resources, Favorite Quotes, Books and Websites
Bible
Study Resources
Strongs
Exhaustive Concordance - Available
through Amazon.com
Websters
1828 Dictionary - http://www.1828-dictionary.com/
Quotes
“Do
you really believe that what you believe is really real?” The Truth Project
“To
defeat the darkness out there, you must defeat the darkness inside yourself.”
Coriakin~Narnia, Voyage of the Dawn Treader
“No
matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t do it myself. Then he came towards me.
It sort of hurt, but…it was a good pain. You know, like when you pull a thorn
from your foot.” Eustace~Narnia, Voyage of the Dawn Treader
“Aim
at heaven and you will get earth thrown in.
Aim at earth and you will get neither.”~ C.S. Lewis
Truths
from Gods Word:
Be
not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.
Train
up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from
it.
It
is more blessed to give than to receive.
We
ought to obey God rather than men.
A
friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
There
is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of
death.
A
word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.
Make
no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go:
Iron
sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
Sayings
people have adapted to but are NOT in God’s Word.
A
penny saved is a penny earned
It
is better to be silent and thought a fool than to open your mouth and prove it.
A
lie stands on one leg, truth on two.
Cleanliness
is next to Godliness.
Give
me liberty or give me death.
An
apple a day keeps the doctor away.
Haste
makes waste.
Smile
and the whole world smiles with you, cry and you cry alone.
The
Pursuit of God~A.W. Tozer
Why
the Shepherd?~ Godfrey Bowen
Chronicles
of Narnia Series ~C.S. Lewis
Terrestria
Chronicles ~ Dunlop Ministries
www.FreedomRoadRadio.com - Encouragement
www.aceministries.com – Homeschool
Curriculum Resource
http://www.keepersofthefaith.com/
- Keepers Club is a Girls Scouts Alternative.
You can purchase the entire e-book at the following links through Amazon and Barnes&Noble.com (If you do not have a kindle, you can download a FREE Kindle App reader from Amazon. That's what I use!)
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/de-fragged-joanie-alfors/1112126401?ean=2940014941631&itm=1&usri=de-fragged
http://www.amazon.com/DE-FRAGGED-ebook/dp/B008LX74GQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348510473&sr=8-1&keywords=De-Fragged
Friday, June 24, 2011
Unstoppable
"How on earth did he get here so quickly?" "Could it be he got a ride in Donald Trump's helicopter?" These are my thoughts as I see my husband walk into the ballroom of the Hyatt hotel in New Brunswick. I was shocked. We just spoke on the phone forty-five minutes earlier. At that time he was in Mid-Town Manhattan, he had just missed his train and would have to wait 25 minutes for the next train.
This commute usually takes about an hour so you can understand why I'd be shocked and how mathematically this doesn't seem possible. Praise God though, things which often seem impossible to us are totally possible with Him.
In the fall of 2008, my husband and I were praying and felt a nudge to leave the church we had attended for 10 years. This was a hard decision because we cared alot about the people we were close to but we knew we had to follow the Lord. So on October twenty sixth, we visited the baptism service at Liquid Church which meets at the Hyatt Hotel in Morristown. We were very encouraged and came back to hear the series called "Unstoppable" that's when they announced the launching of a new campus in New Brunswick. We started praying and believed we were to help the church get this new campus started.
So, we planned to come to the New Brunswick Hyatt for a Sneak-Peak night on November 19th 2008, where Liquid would share the vision for the new campus. The plan was that my husband would meet me at the hotel after work. I remember the kids and I having a tough day and everything that could go wrong went wrong. My husband called to say he had problems at work, he had to work late and couldn't come to the kick-off. I told him what a tough day I had and said I wasn't going either. That's when he said "you should go...one of us should be there." The Lord had recently shown me the blessings of submitting to my husband so I knew I should go.
I went with my girls and it was a difficult drive, not being familiar with the town, I was not looking forward to driving home in the dark. I called my husband to tell him this and it turns out the timing was perfect. He didn't have to work late and when he answered my call, he had just come to a street corner where he could turn in one direction for a train going home, and in the other for a train to New Brunswick . He said he would come but when he got to the train platform he had just missed the train by one minute. The next train came soon after and it was an express train to you guessed it...New Brunswick. He remembers his train eventually passing the train he had just missed.
So that's how he got to the hotel 45 minutes after we spoke and in perfect timing to watch a video and have the Lord confirm to us we were right where He wanted us. For some time I was amazed about the details of that night. The timing on everything, the fact that my husband was not familiar with New Brunswick, it was dark and he had to walk from the train and find the hotel and the room we were in. I’ve learned, when the Lord wants you somewhere, He gets you there.
Thank you Jesus for being “Unstoppable!"
Since then God has used us to do His work at Liquid Church. One of the latest ways was at a service in which all the Liquid Church campuses met in one location to kick-off the New Campus opening fall 2011 in Montclair. At this event the Lord had me ask a group of pre-schoolers if they wanted to pray to receive Jesus as their savior. One boy happily nodded his head and said yes, as though he had been waiting for me to ask him. We prayed together and when we shared the good news with his mom she cried and said "His dad got saved today too and I've been praying for him for sixteen years." The mom and I watched as the father and son hugged...I'll never forget it.
Maybe your soul is feeling the nudge to get out of religion, and believe and live God's word. I want to encourage you to pray for a willing and humble heart. Then pray for God to show you where HE wants you and go there and get to work. You will be eternally grateful that you did. I can't stress the importance of praying with belief and letting Him lead. He doesn't call everyone to the same church, nor does he call anyone to stay at the church they are attending. That's not following Him! If your not sure that your hearing Him, pray silently this way when the answer to your prayer comes, you will be certain it is God's will for you because only God can hear what you are praying silently to Him.
If you don’t think you have what it takes, your right...you don't and I don’t either. Psalm 39 tells us “…verily every man in his BEST state is altogether vanity.” And 1 Corinthians 1:26 says “not many wise, mighty or noble are called.” The book of Acts tell us, Peter and John were foolish and unlearned men or “idiots” (from the greek iÎdiwñthv or idiotes pronounced id-ee-o'-tace) that God used to spread the message of Salvation in Jesus.
I'm so thankfull that no matter who we are or where we are at,if we're very intellegent or have no smarts at all, we can all meet the requirements to serve Him. :p
(Click the "Unstoppable" Title above this post to hear the series that God used to call my family to where we could serve Him. Enjoy!)
This commute usually takes about an hour so you can understand why I'd be shocked and how mathematically this doesn't seem possible. Praise God though, things which often seem impossible to us are totally possible with Him.
In the fall of 2008, my husband and I were praying and felt a nudge to leave the church we had attended for 10 years. This was a hard decision because we cared alot about the people we were close to but we knew we had to follow the Lord. So on October twenty sixth, we visited the baptism service at Liquid Church which meets at the Hyatt Hotel in Morristown. We were very encouraged and came back to hear the series called "Unstoppable" that's when they announced the launching of a new campus in New Brunswick. We started praying and believed we were to help the church get this new campus started.
So, we planned to come to the New Brunswick Hyatt for a Sneak-Peak night on November 19th 2008, where Liquid would share the vision for the new campus. The plan was that my husband would meet me at the hotel after work. I remember the kids and I having a tough day and everything that could go wrong went wrong. My husband called to say he had problems at work, he had to work late and couldn't come to the kick-off. I told him what a tough day I had and said I wasn't going either. That's when he said "you should go...one of us should be there." The Lord had recently shown me the blessings of submitting to my husband so I knew I should go.
I went with my girls and it was a difficult drive, not being familiar with the town, I was not looking forward to driving home in the dark. I called my husband to tell him this and it turns out the timing was perfect. He didn't have to work late and when he answered my call, he had just come to a street corner where he could turn in one direction for a train going home, and in the other for a train to New Brunswick . He said he would come but when he got to the train platform he had just missed the train by one minute. The next train came soon after and it was an express train to you guessed it...New Brunswick. He remembers his train eventually passing the train he had just missed.
So that's how he got to the hotel 45 minutes after we spoke and in perfect timing to watch a video and have the Lord confirm to us we were right where He wanted us. For some time I was amazed about the details of that night. The timing on everything, the fact that my husband was not familiar with New Brunswick, it was dark and he had to walk from the train and find the hotel and the room we were in. I’ve learned, when the Lord wants you somewhere, He gets you there.
Thank you Jesus for being “Unstoppable!"
Since then God has used us to do His work at Liquid Church. One of the latest ways was at a service in which all the Liquid Church campuses met in one location to kick-off the New Campus opening fall 2011 in Montclair. At this event the Lord had me ask a group of pre-schoolers if they wanted to pray to receive Jesus as their savior. One boy happily nodded his head and said yes, as though he had been waiting for me to ask him. We prayed together and when we shared the good news with his mom she cried and said "His dad got saved today too and I've been praying for him for sixteen years." The mom and I watched as the father and son hugged...I'll never forget it.
Maybe your soul is feeling the nudge to get out of religion, and believe and live God's word. I want to encourage you to pray for a willing and humble heart. Then pray for God to show you where HE wants you and go there and get to work. You will be eternally grateful that you did. I can't stress the importance of praying with belief and letting Him lead. He doesn't call everyone to the same church, nor does he call anyone to stay at the church they are attending. That's not following Him! If your not sure that your hearing Him, pray silently this way when the answer to your prayer comes, you will be certain it is God's will for you because only God can hear what you are praying silently to Him.
If you don’t think you have what it takes, your right...you don't and I don’t either. Psalm 39 tells us “…verily every man in his BEST state is altogether vanity.” And 1 Corinthians 1:26 says “not many wise, mighty or noble are called.” The book of Acts tell us, Peter and John were foolish and unlearned men or “idiots” (from the greek iÎdiwñthv or idiotes pronounced id-ee-o'-tace) that God used to spread the message of Salvation in Jesus.
I'm so thankfull that no matter who we are or where we are at,if we're very intellegent or have no smarts at all, we can all meet the requirements to serve Him. :p
(Click the "Unstoppable" Title above this post to hear the series that God used to call my family to where we could serve Him. Enjoy!)
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Ask the Lord for Rain in the Springtime - Zechariah 10:1
There’s been a lot of talk about the rain lately…on Facebook posts…with friends…on T.V.and in stores. Everyone’s had enough and just want it to stop raining! Either it depresses them, makes them feel not motivated, ruins their outdoor plans or makes their joints hurt (especially if you’ve had surgery or broken bones like my husband).
With the forecast predicting rain on and off for the next week, I started praying about writing something encouraging about the rain.
This week my daughter’s homeschool co-op class came in prepared to share their favorite Psalm, Hymn or Spiritual song with eachother. Two of the eight girls picked the same song "Blessings" by Laurie Story and my friend heard one of the lyrics which says “What if your blessings come through raindrops?” I looked into the verse they used to get the lyric and it's from Isaiah 45:8. The rain they are referring to in this song is spiritual and it's the rain of God’s righteousness.
Isaiah 55: 10, 11 reads: "For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."
Rain and the word of God will both accomplish what God desires and achieve the purpose for which He sends it. When there’s no rain, there’s no fruit. Same way when there is no consumption of the word of God, there will be no fruit from within us.
In Mathew 7:24-27 Jesus said: Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. Anyone who puts Jesus words into practice is like the wise man and others are like the foolish man. Jesus is the “Rock” and the only way to know Him is through His word.
In the book of John, it tells us “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us”. The more you read His word AND put it into practice, the more you grow and come alive to Christ.
Rainy days can be a great time to read, pray and learn to put God’s word into practice. On a rainy day at our house we sometimes watch a movie, read a book, or do projects we don’t normally get to do. Maybe you do paperwork, play games, shop and cook. There’s nothing wrong with spending time on these things but if your soul needs nourishing there’s nothing more important than putting these things aside and spending time with God.
Regardless if your just starting to read your bible now or if you’ve been walking with the Lord for years, when we humble ourselves, and pray, it will be time well spent : )
As Laura Story says in this song…praying we see our "Blessings come through raindrops" and our trials as “Mercies in disguise” : )
With the forecast predicting rain on and off for the next week, I started praying about writing something encouraging about the rain.
This week my daughter’s homeschool co-op class came in prepared to share their favorite Psalm, Hymn or Spiritual song with eachother. Two of the eight girls picked the same song "Blessings" by Laurie Story and my friend heard one of the lyrics which says “What if your blessings come through raindrops?” I looked into the verse they used to get the lyric and it's from Isaiah 45:8. The rain they are referring to in this song is spiritual and it's the rain of God’s righteousness.
Isaiah 55: 10, 11 reads: "For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."
Rain and the word of God will both accomplish what God desires and achieve the purpose for which He sends it. When there’s no rain, there’s no fruit. Same way when there is no consumption of the word of God, there will be no fruit from within us.
In Mathew 7:24-27 Jesus said: Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. Anyone who puts Jesus words into practice is like the wise man and others are like the foolish man. Jesus is the “Rock” and the only way to know Him is through His word.
In the book of John, it tells us “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us”. The more you read His word AND put it into practice, the more you grow and come alive to Christ.
Rainy days can be a great time to read, pray and learn to put God’s word into practice. On a rainy day at our house we sometimes watch a movie, read a book, or do projects we don’t normally get to do. Maybe you do paperwork, play games, shop and cook. There’s nothing wrong with spending time on these things but if your soul needs nourishing there’s nothing more important than putting these things aside and spending time with God.
Regardless if your just starting to read your bible now or if you’ve been walking with the Lord for years, when we humble ourselves, and pray, it will be time well spent : )
As Laura Story says in this song…praying we see our "Blessings come through raindrops" and our trials as “Mercies in disguise” : )
Monday, March 21, 2011
The Lighthouse
Over the years I've prayed about writing my life story. I've always wanted to help others by sharing the trials I've been through, especially how God works through those trials to draw us into a saving relationship with Him. Second Corinthians 1: 3-4 tells us that is what we're supposed to do, it's why we are still here on earth and not at home in heaven. The verse reads "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God, For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ."
Last month I was led to enroll in an online "Write your life Story Course". My first assignment was to study an object that has significant meaning in my life and then write my thoughts. I asked the Lord what object I should choose and he showed me The Lighthouse candle holder in my bedroom. Here's the first assignment:
The Lighthouse
Powerful beams of light, can’t be missed. Shines thru special glass, makes the light brighter, Built where their light can be seen for miles. The Beam or Beacon can be seen from very far away. Leads to safety. Withstands fierce wind and storms. Has a keeper, watches for changes in weather, turns on signals, takes care of equipment, sometimes live in cold lonesome surroundings.
This past couple of years the Lighthouse has been a continual beautiful reminder to me. A reminder to allow Jesus light to shine through me. Whenever I would go astray and forget that I gave Jesus my heart, He would graciously use a lighthouse to remind me that it was no longer I who lived but He who lived in me. The reminders came in all different ways. Once I was given a wonderful lighthouse painting from a Pastor friend, another time while shopping in a store I’d look down to see a lighthouse on a shirt, my husband unknowingly brought home lighthouse paper towels, at a flea market I came across a lighthouse jigsaw puzzle and my father-in-law not knowing the significance of the lighthouse in my life gave me lighthouse writing pads. There were many others but my favorite reminder is a ceramic candle holder lighthouse. I picked this one up at the Christmas Tree shop with my little girls. It rests on top of a curio in my bedroom. It’s the first thing I see in the morning and the last thing I see before I go to sleep.
This is what God did for me, He was so merciful in that I had such a hard time walking by faith, He let me walk by sight. I’m eternally grateful for the lighthouse, God used it to save my soul.
In light of this blog, I attached one of my favorite music video's below. Tenth Avenue North said it best ..."When you come to where your broken within the light meets the dark".
Lookin forward to sharing my next assignments with all of you and eventually a life story. It would be great to do this with the encouragement of friends and family. So, whoever you are reading this right now, even if you don't normally pray, would you please pray? Pray for my assignments and for the book. We can all be a part of this. It'll be cool to see What the King of Kings and Lord of Lords wants to write through me.
Till next time, keep lookin to the light...it makes the darkness fade away : )
Sunday, March 20, 2011
The Prayer of Jabez for a Wife and a Mother
(Originally posted on Thursday, August 5th, 2010)
Well, the summer that I wasn’t ready for has so far been a real blessing. My husband was called out of his Wall Street job in April and into full time ministry. The Lord put it on his heart that we take this summer to work on our ministry here at home. Prayerfully we’ve been doing that and thankfully the Lord is working things out.
Not long ago I read The Prayer of Jabez by Bruce Wilkinson. You may have read it, the book explains the prayer from 1 Chronicles 4:10. which says “Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed,and enlarge my coast,and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! “I’ve read the book a couple of times before but this time there was a page in the middle of the book that really cought my attention. It read “Suppose Jabez had been a wife and a mother. Then the prayer might have gone: Lord, add to my family, favor my key relationships and multiply for your glory the influence of my household”It went on to say “Your home is the single most powerful arena on earth to change a life for God. Why wouldn’t he want you to be mighty for Him?”I don’t remember reading this the other times I read the book but I’m thankful that I saw it this time. Praying through and living out what this prayer means to me as a wife and a mom has been life changing. I’ve found that husbands and wives do have different roles in the Lord’s eyes and that if each stays in their place it’s truly beautiful and full of blessings! So much so that I want to share it with other wives and moms who could be struggling with the same issues I’ve struggled with. This week my husband said “I think you should blog again and share about the blessing of Bruces book too.”We purchased copies of the book in bulk some time ago so that we could share them. We still have copies available and would love to send you one. Please send us an e-mail with your address to cjalfors@yahoo.com and we’ll get one out to you. Just put ”Prayer of Jabez Book” in the title. Feel free to e-mail me as well if you have any questions about anything I’ve written in this or my past posts. I would be happy to encourage you with the same encouragement the Lord has given to me. (2 Cor 1:4)
I’m off now to swim with my family and our friends. I hope you have a great summer!! Peace and Love in Jesus: )
Well, the summer that I wasn’t ready for has so far been a real blessing. My husband was called out of his Wall Street job in April and into full time ministry. The Lord put it on his heart that we take this summer to work on our ministry here at home. Prayerfully we’ve been doing that and thankfully the Lord is working things out.
Not long ago I read The Prayer of Jabez by Bruce Wilkinson. You may have read it, the book explains the prayer from 1 Chronicles 4:10. which says “Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed,and enlarge my coast,and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! “I’ve read the book a couple of times before but this time there was a page in the middle of the book that really cought my attention. It read “Suppose Jabez had been a wife and a mother. Then the prayer might have gone: Lord, add to my family, favor my key relationships and multiply for your glory the influence of my household”It went on to say “Your home is the single most powerful arena on earth to change a life for God. Why wouldn’t he want you to be mighty for Him?”I don’t remember reading this the other times I read the book but I’m thankful that I saw it this time. Praying through and living out what this prayer means to me as a wife and a mom has been life changing. I’ve found that husbands and wives do have different roles in the Lord’s eyes and that if each stays in their place it’s truly beautiful and full of blessings! So much so that I want to share it with other wives and moms who could be struggling with the same issues I’ve struggled with. This week my husband said “I think you should blog again and share about the blessing of Bruces book too.”We purchased copies of the book in bulk some time ago so that we could share them. We still have copies available and would love to send you one. Please send us an e-mail with your address to cjalfors@yahoo.com and we’ll get one out to you. Just put ”Prayer of Jabez Book” in the title. Feel free to e-mail me as well if you have any questions about anything I’ve written in this or my past posts. I would be happy to encourage you with the same encouragement the Lord has given to me. (2 Cor 1:4)
I’m off now to swim with my family and our friends. I hope you have a great summer!! Peace and Love in Jesus: )
"Do What it Says" James 1:22
(Originally Posted Wednesday, March 17th, 2010)
Wow! It’s been almost two years since I started this blog and posted in it. Don’t think I ever shared it so, please STOP and read my first post now before continuing to read this post. Just click "Summer is Here" in the right column of this Blog. This new entry is a response to all I mentioned in the first entry posted on June 9th 2008.
Disney was loads of fun….of course! Tiring but fun, you know …the kind of vacation you need a vacation from when you return home. I was happy that we went, we have some good memories and great pics to look back on. I have another thought to share on Disney but first I’ll reply to the rest of my original post.
It was not God’s plan for us to purchase a new home, we are still renting and are very thankful for it. Shortly after my last post, our LandLord asked Jesus to save her and in 2009 her son was saved in our house. Both our family and hers have been through many trials over the past few years and we’re both in agreement that we are thankful to God for having each other thru it all.
I didn’t follow thru on teaching our oldest the Writer’s curriculum we purchased. I don’t know how much of that was me being busy worrying about the salvation of friends and family, worrying about what my husband was doing and just overall "being out of my place". I think that was a huge part of it, the other was simply me trying to put the "cart before the horse". My heart needed to be right with God and truly, nothing I did was blessed if I ignored this very important truth. My oldest and I are now going to start a new writing curriculum, one that we could both learn from together.
The curriculum our friends gave us was a HUGE blessing. My youngest is reading and we have learned alot and continue to learn from the character lessons. The friends who gave it to us are an even bigger blessing. I thank God for putting them in our lives and for the work he does through them. Also, I just love them, for loving the lord, and for being great friends. I’ve learned that a great friend will tell me things I might not want to hear but that are extremely beneficial to me. That’s what makes them great and I could not have gone thru the past almost two years without them.
As for the writer’s conference….I flew all the way to North Carolina for the Lord to tell me "I couldn’t write a book until I wrote His word on my heart". So, I’m thinking I’ve been doing this but, not actually… You see, I’m not living out the reality of what God’s word is doing to my heart. The book of James 1:22 says…But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. So here are a few things God’s word says I should be doing:
» To live according to the word (Psalm 119:9)
» To hide the word in our hearts (Psalm 119:11)
» To spread the word of the gospel (Matthew 28:18-20)
» For wives and moms: Helping my husband (Genesis 2:18), and loving him and our children (Titus 2:4)
Back to Disney…. It was a vacation that brought me happiness (and swollen feet) but not Joy. For years I heard people talk about how happiness is temporary but Joy stays with you even in tough times. I didn’t realize that joy meant giving Jesus my heart, letting Him live through me and just loving Him. I LOVE Jesus so much, sometimes it hurts!
I knew I was supposed to write this today, my husband recently got me a laptop, brought home an article about blogging and today suggested I give the girls a day off from school so I could write. They are enjoying their dad and this beautiful sunny day outside.
Oh, about that flight I was apprehensive about….it was the coolest flight home ever! The airport was packed, all flights were delayed. I chose standby but was told it could be a long wait for my flight. I remember being really upset and frustrated… I didn’t want to sit all night at the airport! Not long after, the flight attendant started calling names of people on standby. I knew she wouldn’t call me because there were loads of people ahead of me but I prayed "Lord, I’ll praise you if you let me on this plane or not but PLEEEZ, let me on" I was the last name called before another attendant said "stop clearing, flight’s full". I sat next to a women I met earlier that year in a bible study near my house. We talked about the conference and she said she was praying for me whenever she saw me at the conference. We laughed in amazement as these songs played in the background "Only you", "You make me feel like a natural women" and "My eye’s adored you". I’ll never forget it. The Lord was telling me, "I'm right here, I love you, just trust me."
I’ve had lots of trials over the last two years, most of which was needed to bring me where I am today. I’ve learned that God is doing a work in me. I needed a Savior! If your someone who’s going through trials right now, stick with it, don’t give up and keep doing, but most of all, pray for Gods help. It’s much better going through tough times with the Lord than without Him.
Well, Gotta get back to "Doing" the word. Praying I don’t mess up! I’m going to end this blog similar to the last…. Ok, Spring/Summer 2010 I’m not ready, but He is, so let’s go!!!!
Please feel free to leave comments below on this post.
Wow! It’s been almost two years since I started this blog and posted in it. Don’t think I ever shared it so, please STOP and read my first post now before continuing to read this post. Just click "Summer is Here" in the right column of this Blog. This new entry is a response to all I mentioned in the first entry posted on June 9th 2008.
Disney was loads of fun….of course! Tiring but fun, you know …the kind of vacation you need a vacation from when you return home. I was happy that we went, we have some good memories and great pics to look back on. I have another thought to share on Disney but first I’ll reply to the rest of my original post.
It was not God’s plan for us to purchase a new home, we are still renting and are very thankful for it. Shortly after my last post, our LandLord asked Jesus to save her and in 2009 her son was saved in our house. Both our family and hers have been through many trials over the past few years and we’re both in agreement that we are thankful to God for having each other thru it all.
I didn’t follow thru on teaching our oldest the Writer’s curriculum we purchased. I don’t know how much of that was me being busy worrying about the salvation of friends and family, worrying about what my husband was doing and just overall "being out of my place". I think that was a huge part of it, the other was simply me trying to put the "cart before the horse". My heart needed to be right with God and truly, nothing I did was blessed if I ignored this very important truth. My oldest and I are now going to start a new writing curriculum, one that we could both learn from together.
The curriculum our friends gave us was a HUGE blessing. My youngest is reading and we have learned alot and continue to learn from the character lessons. The friends who gave it to us are an even bigger blessing. I thank God for putting them in our lives and for the work he does through them. Also, I just love them, for loving the lord, and for being great friends. I’ve learned that a great friend will tell me things I might not want to hear but that are extremely beneficial to me. That’s what makes them great and I could not have gone thru the past almost two years without them.
As for the writer’s conference….I flew all the way to North Carolina for the Lord to tell me "I couldn’t write a book until I wrote His word on my heart". So, I’m thinking I’ve been doing this but, not actually… You see, I’m not living out the reality of what God’s word is doing to my heart. The book of James 1:22 says…But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. So here are a few things God’s word says I should be doing:
» To live according to the word (Psalm 119:9)
» To hide the word in our hearts (Psalm 119:11)
» To spread the word of the gospel (Matthew 28:18-20)
» For wives and moms: Helping my husband (Genesis 2:18), and loving him and our children (Titus 2:4)
Back to Disney…. It was a vacation that brought me happiness (and swollen feet) but not Joy. For years I heard people talk about how happiness is temporary but Joy stays with you even in tough times. I didn’t realize that joy meant giving Jesus my heart, letting Him live through me and just loving Him. I LOVE Jesus so much, sometimes it hurts!
I knew I was supposed to write this today, my husband recently got me a laptop, brought home an article about blogging and today suggested I give the girls a day off from school so I could write. They are enjoying their dad and this beautiful sunny day outside.
Oh, about that flight I was apprehensive about….it was the coolest flight home ever! The airport was packed, all flights were delayed. I chose standby but was told it could be a long wait for my flight. I remember being really upset and frustrated… I didn’t want to sit all night at the airport! Not long after, the flight attendant started calling names of people on standby. I knew she wouldn’t call me because there were loads of people ahead of me but I prayed "Lord, I’ll praise you if you let me on this plane or not but PLEEEZ, let me on" I was the last name called before another attendant said "stop clearing, flight’s full". I sat next to a women I met earlier that year in a bible study near my house. We talked about the conference and she said she was praying for me whenever she saw me at the conference. We laughed in amazement as these songs played in the background "Only you", "You make me feel like a natural women" and "My eye’s adored you". I’ll never forget it. The Lord was telling me, "I'm right here, I love you, just trust me."
I’ve had lots of trials over the last two years, most of which was needed to bring me where I am today. I’ve learned that God is doing a work in me. I needed a Savior! If your someone who’s going through trials right now, stick with it, don’t give up and keep doing, but most of all, pray for Gods help. It’s much better going through tough times with the Lord than without Him.
Well, Gotta get back to "Doing" the word. Praying I don’t mess up! I’m going to end this blog similar to the last…. Ok, Spring/Summer 2010 I’m not ready, but He is, so let’s go!!!!
Please feel free to leave comments below on this post.
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