Category: Faith Journey

Not a Fan Devotional Review & Giveaway

Post author By De
Post date February 1, 2016
5 Comments on Not a Fan Devotional Review & Giveaway

Not a Fan Devotional

*Disclosure: I received a Family Christian certificate & Book for this book review. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own.

Have you ever read a book and it totally changed the way you thought about things? I am sure you have. Over the summer I picked up the Not a Fan book by Kyle Idleman, within the first few pages I was absolutely hooked. I read through it agreeing with alot of the points and assessing and reflecting on my own life for others. Then I viewed the Bible Study Series on Right Now Media with my husband and together we had deep conversations about our faith journey, views, ideas and misconceptions. Then I got the opportunity to check out the Not a Fan Daily Devotional by Kyle Idleman and again my led to some soul searching.

Synopsis:

The Devotional much like the book challenges your current ideas and views on how you follow Jesus. Kyle categorizes Christian’s into two categories: followers and fans. The devotional is written for followers of Jesus and takes you on a 75 day faith journey to fully commit yourself to Christ, according to Kyle’s definition of what a fully committed Christian is with Biblical references to reinforce his definition. The devotional is broken in to three areas 25 days each: following, denying and pursuing. It is sequential and not meant for you to jump around but to follow it day by day. Each day is a short insight on each area written in Kyle’s modern day circumstantial and insights style of writing. For example: “Day 2: Jesus is not a T-ball coach.” Each day ends with some reflective and self assessing questions for you to journal or write about. I like Kyle’s writing style because he puts modern day occurrence and real-life stories and juxtapose them to the Bible. Making them relatable to people in all stages of their faith journey.

The book is also a great size to take with you anywhere and a little over 200 pages. It fits in a purse or book bag and perfect to take anywhere. It is not meant to be written in. Although, you could if you wanted too. I personally don’t think there is enough writing space to answer each question. Great, if you want to pass this on to someone to borrow or have once you have finished but I can also see completing this series multiple times. Some devotions are for one season of life but this one seems like it can carried on for different seasons, ages, sexes, it is applicable to people in different phases and lifestyles.

NotAFanDevotional

GIVEAWAY:

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Tags book review, family christian, giveaway, not a fan

christian mom Faith & Self Care Faith Journey new christians Self

Outside of my Comfort Zone

Post author By De
Post date December 3, 2015
12 Comments on Outside of my Comfort Zone

The voice of the Lord twists the oaks ad strips the forest bare. An in his temple all cry, Glory! Psalms 29:9

Lacking the ability of direction

I have a horrible sense of direction. Always have not sure if it’s inherited but my mother does too. Get us together and we are the blind leading the blind. I learned when my daughter was in 2^nd grade that we all have certain genius’. And spatial genius-being good a directions and space, that is something that I lack.

So, for the last year I have felt lost. Like, I know I am going in some sort of direction but a little confused. I have been seeking God’s guidance and his response has been, “be still.” Well they tell you when you are lost to stay still till someone finds you, right? I am not the stay still type of person. I have been pursuing different directions trying to find the direction of this evolving new me for about 4 years, but still lost. Again, seeking God’s direction and again, His response “be still.” This time is different, I am tired of thinking I am heading in the right direction only to be getting further and further lost. I want to stay still, but how does one stay still?

How does one stay still?

Have you ever tried to stay still? I have stayed still in moments, each time progressively longer but never till I found an answer. Never committing fully or entirely grasping the concept of “staying still.” If someone put a gun to my head I could probably master it but honestly;

Who wants a gun held to their head?

I rather voluntarily submit. I am trying to be still before God forces me too. He has gently reminded me from time to time for some time now. I have decided that I really really want to obey.

The definition of be still is-not moving or making a sound; deep silence and calm; stillness; and quieten. I am someone who is constantly moving. I always having an idea that needs to be brought to fruition. I am loud, not calm (calmer now that I am older but still I wouldn’t characterize me as calm), constantly active and quieten-I had to look that one up and nope not that either. To sit still is literally torture to me which makes me think:

“Why does God want to torture me?”

Yet, I really feel that God wants me to be still, so what does that mean for me? I honestly have no clue what to do when you are still and my husband jokingly says,

“that means do nothing.”

So, I go to google because clearly someone has had to created steps to “doing nothing.”

Yea, no.

Next, I got to the source the ultimate instruction manual the Bible. What does the Bible say about being still?

Figuring out the steps

I am being still to honor and serve God therefore, once I achieve being still then I need to wait on God. Okay, waiting now that is something that I am very familiar with. I am not am an impatient person. So, not only does God want me to be still, but He also wants me to wait. Who ever said this being a Christian thing is easy- is a LIAR! So, I now take this journey down a path to strengthen my faith I find that God is working on three things in me- my ability to be obedient, my ability to be still and to be patient and wait on Him to come guide me where I need to go. Let’s tackle one thing at a time: be still.

In my google search there was not a Wiki-How on how to be still but there was a quote that resonated with me. “You can only see your reflection in still water.” Did you get the same “Aha” that I did? Praise God for shining a little light on the subject. Here I am lost trying to find my way trying to find my calling. I told a friend one time I felt like a Spaghetti noodle being flung on the wall trying to see if I stick. I have so many talents, passions, ideas but every time I go to God to see where to take them I get the “be still.” Then, this quote brought so much clarity. I can’t figure out how to use these talents, pursue my passion until I am still enough to see my reflection. God wasn’t trying to torture me at all He was trying to give me the direction that I have been praying about for years and my hard headed self was trying to figure it out myself. When He really was answering me. How many times do we do that? Ask God to answer our prayers and then ignore Him when He actually does? (You can put your hand down, now.)

“The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” Exodus 14:14

He makes things so easy sometimes I feel like we are the ones who complicate it. So, I need to be still so that I can figure out and hear God better and start going in the direction of whatever purpose He has for me. Yep, easier said than done. So, actively trying to be still which for me is taking a step back from everything but raising my family. Daily devoting into the word, reading books, the Bible and just learning and growing in Him. For when I am actually still enough to see my reflection I want to be ready. I hopefully don’t have to wait too long.

Be Patient and Wait

This brings me to the next growing pain from God. I haven’t completely achieved being still and obedient. Although, I am honestly giving it all that I have growing that muscle daily but being patient and waiting is a lesson that I have learned before from God. Again, haven’t mastered it but I think He was preparing me for this phase of life so I have some understanding on how it is done. There are a few passages, highlighted, sticker-ed (Yes, I put stickers in my Bible) and heavily noted on waiting. My absolute favorite and another “Aha” is:

We wait in hope for the Lord;

He is our help and our shied.

In him our hearts rejoice,

For we trust in his holy name.

May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,

Ever as we put our hope in you.

Psalms 34:20-22

4 Essentials to Waiting

WAIT. Although, we don’t want to we must wait on the Lord. He is only conspiring for our good and although it may seem like a long time for us it is only a moment for Him. His plan supersedes our plan and He wants more for us than we can even imagine all we have to do is wait for His provision. For your salvation I wait, O Lord. Genesis 49:18
HELP. If it really gets too hard to wait, too much to bear then we need to rely on Him but to be impatient with God and try to do things our own way means that we don’t trust in Him to provide. We are so used to instant gratification but doesn’t meant that is how things should be. God is our refuge our strength in ever present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1
REJOICE. One of my favorite quotes is: When times are sweet give thanks and celebrate. When times are bitter give thanks and grow. We should always rejoice in the Lord, “For this is the day the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalms 118:24 It can always be worse but it is only a day, a moment, a season and blip in time that the Lord gives us, We should rejoice. So when waiting rejoice for where you are presently. Rejoice for where you will be in the future and rejoice and praise the Lord always for his provision. Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Philippians 4:4
TRUST. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and not lead to your own understanding Proverbs 3:5 because honestly, you just won’t get it. He has a upper story a meaning and a purpose planned out. What we are looking at here and now is not the full picture. It is a narrow perspective. We have to have trust in Him that He is conspiring for us in all things (which He is). How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, on those who take refuge in you.

I know what I need to be doing and I kind of know how to do it. So, I am just going to take a seat before He makes me take a seat and let God do His thing. I will try to rejoice and not look at it as torture because He could ask me to do far greater and harder things than to just be still. (ie. Moses, Abraham, Gideon, David….just for example)
Has God ever asked you to do something out of your comfort zone?

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Tags being a christian, challenge, Christian, comfort zone, faith journey, help, rejoice, trust, wait

christianity Faith Journey new christians

Closing the Gap

So, I accepted Jesus, now what?

When you become a believer there is a gap between the world and Christ. I have always known Christ. I knew He was a higher power and when you were really strapped and your back was against the wall it wouldn’t hurt to send a little prayer of “fix it Jesus” to help you. I didn’t realize that He was so much more. His grace, mercy, love, predetermination, protections, guidance, motivation, power, glory and fulfillment; still that doesn’t even describe the character of who God truly is there is so much more.

The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry, witchcraft; hatred, discord jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies and the like I warn you, as I did before that those who live like this will no inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 4:19-21

Getting rid of worldly views

I was raised and taught of a condemning God who was jealous and vengeful. A God with such high standards of how to live that, we as sinners will never achieve them. I gave up and took the easy road and found comfortable discomfort in the world. Where the standard was so low that it was easy to excel and achieve. That is how we do it in the world, “dog eat dog”, “every man for himself,” “one up” the next person, turn off their light so yours can shine brighter. Honestly at the end of the day there is no fulfillment in living like that. There is no dollar, house, car, or anything that can replace happiness, joy and unconditional love.

Then one day, back against the wall I came to God again to “fix it Jesus” but this time it was different. I wasn’t coming from that flawed mentality that I had of “what can Jesus do for me?” Again, limiting His power and my own faith tremendously. I was coming from a broken person who had achieve worldly success, figured out a way to earn cash fast but still wanting something more.

“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the rule of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved. Ephesians 2:1-5

What is a “New Believer”?

Then I accepted Jesus as my Savior, what did that mean? I accepted that Jesus had adopted me as His daughter and gave me the privilege of inheriting His kingdom. That took me a lot to accept, you mean “I am in the will just for being me? And being grateful for Jesus for sacrificing His life for me, (like enduring grueling pain, ridicule, torture, being nailed to a cross and left to die, for me?) How can you not be grateful and thankful? I know some are but I guess since I am on the other side of that fence I find it really hard to understand at this point. Yet, to think that I once was there and I don’t know if I didn’t accept it because it seemed unfathomable or I didn’t accept it because I felt undeserving but either way it happened and I am thankful because I don’t know anyone who would take that bullet for me or bear that cross. With that same mentality of “who would do that for me?” I tried to navigate this faith journey all by myself. At least I tried to at first.

In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will- to the praise of His glorious grace, when he has freely given us in the One he loves. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. Ephesians 1:5-7

Initially I was going it “alone” I was going to do and say all the right things because I was a Christian by name only but my heart wasn’t truly convicted yet, I don’t know if it was a lack of understanding of what it truly meant or an inaccurate definition but needless to say it was flawed. It was missing the most essential component and that was God’s direction.

The Lord makes firms the steps of the one who delights in him though he may stumble he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with His hand. Psalms 37:23-24

Doing things alone is a bad idea

Seeking to conquer my journey the only way I knew how, alone, by myself and forging ahead all on my own. Again, flawed and hindsight is 20/20, right? Looking back I was clearly in a transitional phase into where I wanted to be and where I am today. Going it alone made me realize that A) I don’t have the stamina, training or knowledge to do it myself and B) that is not what this “Christian” thing is about, we are meant to lean on God. I truly wish that my Church had a mentorship program for new Christians, I know they exist but I haven’t been privy to that. So, I accepted Jesus as my Savior got baptized and then was set free to roam. Thank God for His grace and love because once I realize I need to lean on Him and seek His guidance it became clear my path. When we go it alone we fail miserably and through my failure it introduced me to God. It gave me the yearning to have an active daily ongoing relationship in my life. He led me to the people that I needed to continue me on the path to maturity in Christ.

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. Romans 10:17

How did I figure it out?

What was the path? Who were the people? The answer: Christ and His believers and I found them in the unlikeliest of places. I pray every day for God to surround me with Christian people who love me unconditionally and support me. Who can help me grow and get to know Him better? Through this prayer I have found people who have taught me how to study the Bible. I have found the Bible, the ultimate Study Guide, Instruction Manual, devotional. I was reading books, devotionals, online studies and they are all great supplements to God’s word but the power of His word is indescribable. I am so much closer, dependent and strengthened through my relationship with Christ.

4 Ways to Close the Gap

So, I accepted Jesus now what?

Praise Him every day-no matter good or bad. If something good happens-praise Him and celebrate; If something bad happens-praise Him and grow.
Come to Him in prayer-It’s the best and easiest way to reach Him at any time, use it!
Trust in His Word-God cannot lie and His word is infallible
Rejoice always and give thanks always– for all that He does and let Him do the rest.

It doesn’t matter how big the gap is as long as I seek Him, he will close it. What have you done to build a relationship with Christ?

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Tags believer, Christ, christ follower, christianity, faith, lost, new believer

Faith Journey Online Bible Study

Ephesians Online Bible Study

Post author By De
Post date October 11, 2015

I value my time in the word and have been praying on how I can help mom’s find time to study too. When I first started doing bible studies, I was a new Christian and found comfort in book studies, as I grew in my relationship with Christ my thirst for knowledge did too. After indulging in studying Chapters of the bible. I created my very own study to help others with their quest to armor themselves with the Word of God.

I believe the best way to begin any study is through prayer; pray that God helps you to understand the information. That he opens your mind and your heart to His word and allow you to be a light for God to share it with others in the future.

Knowing the truth will protect you from being misled by others and will empower you to share God’s knowledge. Take your time with this study, however long it takes.

This study will have a study guide:

online discussion group,
weekly bible verse memory,
weekly curriculum and
printable of the study.

I am so excited to start this journey through Ephesians with you. I pray that it will be a blessing to you and fuels your faith! You will receive download to the printable book or access to the book. Access to our private online group and more information about when our next session is beginning. If you would like to be a part of this six week study, please join us and register for the upcoming study starting soon!

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Tags bible, bible study, ephesians online bible study, God, online bible study, womens online bible study

christian mom Faith Journey Fitness and Health Honor My Temple Prayer Challenge Self self-care Weightloss Journey

Changing My Story

Finding a better way

Behind every picture is a story; We all know that and looking at the last few years of my life pictures I definitely have one to tell. August 1, I woke up and decided that I had enough with my current health. I was eating well enough, but I still was over indulging on sugar, my portions were ridiculous and using my boredom as an excuse to nibble on snacks. I didn’t feel content in the body I was in, it didn’t match the image in my head. So, I decided to do something. I posted about how I found Beyond Fit Mom, and how I was making changes in my life. Well here I am 60 days later and I have totally created a new lifetime habit. I wanted to blog about this because there are a lot of mom’s who have shown the before and after but not a lot that shows the during. Its hard to relate to someone who has already found the results that you seek. I am here (at least for now) everyday doing the work to get the body that I will help me live a healthy lifestyle.

Before, I had my third daughter I was visually in good shape but I had horrible eating habits. I also worked out several hours a day, which was great when you have two school age children but when you have a new baby its not that simple. BFM, was essential in my life because it allowed my workouts to be efficient. I was about 60 pounds overweight and I have a goal to lose it by Christmas. I am very goal driven and it was the only way that I was going to get my life back in order. So, the first 30 days I did the workout followed the nutrition and lost a little less than 14 pounds, my husband was a great motivator and accountability partner. The second 30 days, my husband who is a school teacher and wouldn’t be there to cheer me on so after prayer, I had the God idea to Honor My Temple through a prayer challenge. I partnered with a Fitness Specialist and together we prayed and through social media involved others to help us honor our temple through prayer. It was life changing for me. When I went to God with my issues not only was I stronger and achieved more I grew my relationship in Christ too.

Cleansing my temple

Another, life changing experience I had this month was a 30 day cleanse. I have never cleansed before and after speaking with my friend I was convinced that a 30 day cleanse would be a great way to jump start this change in eating and exercising. I totally thought I was ready, I was not ready at all. The first two weeks, I had a wedding and 2 birthday parties to attend which I was pretty strong willed and did very well I didn’t eat any of the no no foods and only drank water the entire time. Now, I would like to say this was my own strong will but in all actuality it was through prayer that I was able to achieve this feat. Now, the last two weeks were probably the hardest. I was over this restricted lifestyle change, I was ready to indulge, fall is here and all the smells and food were enticing me to quit. It was only through my strength in the Lord that I was able to continue and not submit to temptation. It seems cheeky but I really did pray my way through and I had amazing results.

How did I get here?

In 18 days I lost 6 pounds and 24.75 inches all over my body. I lost all of this through eating correctly, working out 3 days a week and daily prayer. I want to emphasize there were no wraps, no magic pills, I ate non processed protein and produced and sweated three days a week for 20-30 minutes each day without fail. Even when I weighed 128 pound I did not feel this good. I have so much energy, my memory has improved, I just feel so much better about myself. The best part through this entire journey is that my faith and trust in God has multiplied and I am now living a completely aligned life. I have always sought balance and now I have achieved it and will probably continue down this road for a lifetime.

What have you done in your life to change your story?

My journey so far and still have 40 pounds to lose, please check back with me next month or follow my blog to see my continued progress.