Hope For Restoration

  
Zion’s Happy Future, The Road To Holiness, The Land And Its People Transformed, Joy Of The Redeemed, Fertile Wilderness, God Will Comfort His People, Hope For Restoration.  

These are just some of the subtitles for today’s verse in various translations.  
My favorite; of course- Hope For Restoration

Even the wilderness and desert will rejoice in those days; the desert will blossom with flowers.~ Isaiah 35:1 TLB 

Today is day 25 of my fasting experience and God continues to surprise me each day with a new download of His truth and encouragement. 

When our life feels like the desert or wilderness we can still find things to rejoice and celebrate.  

Flowers can still blossom in the desert! 
                             

Lord, thank You for the Hope of Restoration. Thank You for Your life giving and life transforming Word. Thank You for the Holy Spirit and the resurrection power that is helping me to transform from the inside out. May I continue to bloom where You have me planted. May I find much to celebrate and rejoice in all situations and circumstances. Amen. 
                    ~XXOO Michelle Bollom 

What Really Counts

  
 “It’s who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That’s the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before Him in their worship. God is sheer being itself—Spirit. Those who worship Him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration.” John 4:23-24 MSG 

Today’s verse reminded me of this exert from the book The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown.

Cultivating Authenticity

Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we’re supposed to be and embracing who we are.

The idea that we can choose authenticity makes most of us feel both hopeful and exhausted. We feel hopeful because being real is something we value. We feel exhausted because most of us know that choosing authenticity is a huge undertaking.

Choosing authenticity means
Cultivating the courage to be imperfect, to set boundaries, and to allow ourselves to be vulnerable;

Exercising the compassion that comes from knowing that we are all made of strength and struggle; and

Nurturing the connection and sense of belonging that can only happen when we believe that we are enough.

Authenticity demands Wholehearted living and loving – even when it’s hard, even when we’re wrestling with the shame and fear of not being good enough, and especially when the joy is so intense that we’re afraid to let ourselves feel it.
Mindfully practicing authenticity during our most soul-searching struggles is how we invite grace, joy and gratitude into our lives.

                                           ~Brene’ Brown  

I like Brene’ Brown. I think all that she said is true, and can only be true, with God. 

What really counts, before God, as the verse says, is who you are and the way you live.  

We should live authentically. We should mindfully practice authenticity as she states, but to practice all that and so much more we need to invite Jesus into our lives. Only Jesus can restore us back to what really counts. 
                   ~XXOO Michelle Bollom 

Strength For The Journey

  
I am half way through my fasting experience. I can’t say it has been easy or effortless; but I can say it has been much easier than I imagined and so very worth it.  

The scale is down almost 20 pounds. I feel so much better. My time with God is like on steroids! I can hear Him so clearly now. I have developed a much deeper spiritual walk and a deeper love for God and His word.   

God is continuing to be faithful.  

Today is 24 for 24.  

I love this verse!

If you are right with God, He strengthens you for the journey; the Eternal will be pleased with your life.~ Psalm 37:23 The VOICE 

Lord, strengthen me for the journey. May I always seek To obey You and Your word so that I am always in right-standing with You. Continue to remove my flesh responses and replace them with only Spirit responses. Thank You for Your faithfulness, Your mercy, and Your grace. Help me to continue to run my race well. Amen. 

                     ~XXOO Michelle Bollom 
  

Woman in Gold

  

A great blog post I read today! Enjoy! 

First off: I want to give a big thank you for 4000 subscribers! I am truly humbled and grateful for the outpouring of love and support in this little community. I appreciate each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart. 🙂 Alright, onto tonight’s post. I’m writing this from my old bedroom in my childhood […]

http://beautybeyondbones.com/2015/12/26/woman-in-gold-2/

May The Good Lord Be With You

  
“Next to a circus there ain’t nothing that packs up and tears out faster than the Christmas spirit.” – Frank McKinney Hubbard

Oh don’t let this quote be true for you! 

This year I did not drag out my old Christmas CD’s as in years past. I did not even turn the radio to the Christmas music channels. The only Christmas music I heard this year was while I was out shopping on the department store intercom. 

Being a Rod Stewart fan from way back, I immediately recognized his voice and then I recognized CeeLo Green’s voice. 

 The song is “Merry Christmas Baby” 

My very favorite part is the farewell greeting:
May The Good Lord Be With You

Don’t be too quick to pack it all up and head back to normal. Savor Christmas a little longer this year.    

Make Christmas about more than gifts you give others once a year.

Celebrate the Spirit of Christmas and the Greatest Gift ever all through the year! 

                     ~XXOO Michelle Bollom 

Reblog Meet & Greet

  

Thank You Dream Big Dream Often! 

Please check it out and support your fellow bloggers.  XXOO Michelle Bollom 

Christmas Meet and Greet 12/25It’s the Meet and Greet Christmas edition at Dream Big!! Ok so here are the rules: Leave a link to your page or post in the comments of this post. Reblog this post.  It helps you, it helps me, it helps everyone!  So don’t be selfish, hit the reblog button. Edit your reblog post […]
http://dreambigdreamoften.co/2015/12/26/christmas-meet-and-greet-1225/

Avoiding Entanglements

  
en•tan•gle•ment (ɛnˈtæŋ gəl mənt) 

n. 

1. the act of entangling. 

2. the state of being entangled. 

3. something that entangles; snare; involvement; complication. 

The dictionary describes entanglements as being like a spiders web.  

When you think of it, the spider weaves this intricate enticing web to snare his prey into the complicated but beautiful mess in order to devour it. That is pretty much what satan tries to do with his web of lies.  

But if we stay ever close to God and remember all the good He has done, fill our minds with His word, and learn to be led by the Spirit, we will avoid the enticing entanglements of the enemy that will try to lead us away from God and His plan for us. The enemy is subtle; he will even use something that seems good at first glance to try to entangle us. 

Lord, help me to never recount the wrongs or the negatives. May I only declare and speak of Your goodness and miracles. I love You, the Blesser way more than the many blessings. Show me how to avoid the entanglements of the enemy and the inner me as I learn to be led by Your spirit and no longer by my flesh. Your timing is worth waiting for. Help me to never rush or delay. Help me to rely fully on You and Your stability to move forward. In Jesus’ Name. Amen. 

O Lord my God, many and many a time you have done great miracles for us, and we are ever in your thoughts. Who else can do such glorious things? No one else can be compared with you. There isn’t time to tell of all your wonderful deeds.~ Psalm 40:5 TLB 

God’s timing is always worth waiting for. If we look to Him for help, He will rescue us from destruction and despair and from the things that hold us down. He will also bring stability to our lives so that we can move forward again with confidence and joy. If we are to experience God’s best for our life (which far exceeds all we can imagine), we need to rely on Him alone and avoid any entanglements with those who will lead us away from God and His plan for us. ~ Life Recovery Bible 

Christ As

  
Bright lights twinkling

Ornaments aglow.

Candy canes hanging

O’er the gifts below.

 

Bright-eyed little ones

Running to the tree.

The excitement, the wonder

Of all it could be!

 

Bright, sparkly ribbons pulled

And wrappings torn.

The joy, the laughter

Being born!

 

Bright, shiny new toys

For little hands to explore,

Not yet knowing

The need for so much more.

 

For the…

 

Bright morning light first came

To fulfill the promise of

Relief from darkness

And a proof of love.

 

 

Bright light twinkling

High in the sky,

Signaling the birth

Of The Son of The Most High.

 

Bright-eyed little ones

And big ones, too,

Take hold of the gift

That’s for me and for you!

 

Bright, sparkly ribbons

Come and they go,

And the wrappings

Are simply all for show.

 

Bright, shiny, and new

Are His mercies every day.

Open this gift

And receive today…

 

Christ as

Your Bright Morning Star!

 

“I, Jesus, sent my angel to testify these things for the churches. I’m the Root and Branch of David,

The Bright Morning Star.”

~Revelation 22:16

 

Stephanie Gable 2015

Merry Christmas from Restored Ministries 

This Time Of Year

  
Merriment for some

Foul traffic for others

Pessimism and Optimism 

Sister and brother

Poor people richer than

Beggars behind pulpits

We all simply need

The Prince of Peace

Saving us from hurting

Loving us

To our knees

Bringing His fair clarity

Reaching us in our deceit 

SAVIOR

Send healing

Desperate relief

Blessed One

Teach us

To BELIEVE 

Not only in you

Lord but in

Each other

So we mirror you

Not ourselves 

Your Faithful Love

For us 

This Time of Year

Emanuel 

God with Us

Forever

Amen
❤ Krystal Lynne 

A Work In Progress

  

Sometimes we think caring for ourselves is selfish. I thought so too before I ran my health off in the ditch and suffered a stroke in 2008.   

Now seven years later I was well on my way back to the ditch; doing it again.  

We can’t be effective to our families or to God if we aren’t healthy. 

I am thankfully now well into my fasting experience. I have lost 20 lbs and several inches. I am more than half way through my fast and a 1/3 of the way to my health goals. 

I knew todays verse well. I was vandalizing my temple. I was not caring for my body as a temple that housed the Holy Spirit. Christ’s home was inside me but I was making Him to live in a cluttered run down shack.   

What I like to visualize now is that I am going through each area of my temple, each room of Christ’s home, and I am doing a major house cleaning job. I am a work in progress. A new body under construction. 

I want my outer self to reflect the inner self. I can’t have God doing amazing things within my heart, my mind, and my soul, if I still was trashing my body. 

Thankfully, God has given us amazing bodies capable of repairing themselves.   

We never have anyone or anything to blame but ourselves because we have either created or allowed it.  

This promise does not say- hey maybe you should, or maybe you might want to….. 

No, it says- you MUST honor God with your body. 

God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. ~1 Corinthians 6:20 NLT 

Lord, forgive me for vandalizing what You so graciously and wonderfully gave me. You paid for me at a very high price. Please help me to honor and show gratitude by caring properly for my temple. Thank You that you are a loving God that gives us the grace and mercy to begin again. May I never slip back to old patterns of living or thinking. Forgive me for blaming anything or anyone for what was my choice to dishonor You. Thank You that You provide strength in my weaknesses. Thank You for Your promises. In Jesus’ Name. Amen. 

                ~ XXOO Michelle Bollom