deep{er} #26: reflections

Hello, friends:)


It's time to celebrate--- yesterday was Poppie's 89th birthday-- happy happy birthday, Poppie:)

I hope that you are doing well and that the Lord has been speaking to you all week!  

UPDATE: SOOOOOOOOO much has been going on since we last chatted!

• Turning Point- Trav and I were informed on Sunday that we were in the audience of last week's Turning Point Spiritual Warfare series (week 5: Shoes of the Gospel of Peace)! So funny since we didn't even get to hear this sermon, and they used the exact same image as last time but just flipped it! Check us out on THIS post-- you will see the similarities. 
  
• Discipleship- I started discipling a young girl this week. Her name is J. I'm super excited but also nervous at the same time.... I'm not sure I know how to disciple! I did pick out an amazing series for our bible study, Revive Our Hearts and Erin Davis' Beautiful Encounters. I plan on doing the study with J at the beginning of our time, and then using the second half for fun stuff like crafting, cooking, and hanging out. Pray for me as I mentor this young woman!
• Radio- AGAIN! I was on the radio show Open Line Radio (air date 2.14.15). I asked a question on Twitter, and they answer it at about 39 minutes in the show! Be sure to check it out HERE to find out what I asked and what the answer was:)  

REFLECTION: So... it's been 26 or so weeks, and I'm thinking it's time to reflect on my deep{er} goal and idea. I need to evaluate and critique how I'm doing--- just to make sure I'm on the correct path and continuing to learn/live for God/etc.

The whole reason I started writing these posts was because I felt lead to share what I've been studying. I thought that my blog would be a good way for me to spread the word of God's love and Truth. And I think I've been doing that- I've completed several studies, reflected on multiple topics and thoughts/beliefs during these 26 weeks.

And then there's my OLW (One Little Word) and goal of going deep{er}. I am still feeling as if I'm in the shallow end. I've dug deep{er} into topics and some scripture of trials... but I'm not going as deep as the Lord wants me. So this past week, I decided to really find out what "going deep{er}" means. 

I mentioned last week that my 3030 Challenge book arrived- I'm super excited because this is the study that I think might kick me off into this deep{er} water. 

For about 13 years, I've only been "reading" my Bible. I mean... I do Bible studies, read scriptures for topics like fear, trials, etc...and I've always prayed. I was doing what I was taught. 

But I need to go deep{er} in my relationship with God and get closer to Him. I complain that I don't hear Him or feel Him around me. Why is this? Because I'm not close to Him. I am unsatisfied. Why? Because I'm not intimate with God. And you know what? The level of my intimacy with God is exactly as close as I want to be at this moment! It's a casual intimacy because I'm not digging deep and not surrendering all of my life and time to Him. 

Often I find myself seeking what God can do for me. GASP! I know! That's horrible! I'm ashamed because I need to be seeking the Kingdom of God FIRST... all the rest will be added when I seek His face [Matt 6:33]. Joyce Meyer said, "if we seek His face first, His hand will always be open". SOOOOOOOO true! And another thing I need to do is go beyond what I think and feel- take God at His Word! 

Joyce also compared "snacks" and a "full course". Snacks are going to church or reading a scripture or two. A full course is making God first (a God Habit), spending time with God daily, memorizing scripture, and knowing that I can't make it without Him. With my weight-loss and training, I'm ALWAYS hungry! I want a "full course"!!! LOL! 

I know the reasons I don't go deep{er}: I get distracted, work, watching TV instead of reading the Bible, etc. I need to get my pruning sheers out, cutting off and out anything that draws me away from time with God. I need to ask myself, "Is it bearing fruit?" If not, cut it off/out!

To go deep{er}, I'm going to continue doing what I normally do, as well as add in a couple of new things:

• Continue to pray prayers for Travis from Power of a Praying Wife and doing my prayer journal, reading my Acts study, and now my discipleship study. 
• But I'm also going to spend 30 minutes in the Word--- reading and asking God bring revelation to me as I seek Him. I have lots of concordances and word study bibles... and I will continue to use these to go deep{er} for topics/words/etc.
• I am going to start journaling (sigh! I hate journaling! But I'm going to do it- I want to keep track of what I read and what God tells me.). 
• I NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED to start listening, opening my ears to what God is saying! He is talking, but I just haven't been listening.
• And finally, I will pick up my "Book of Remembrance" [Malachi 3:16] again. This is a little journal notebook that I was writing blessings and thanksgiving in for the past year. I stopped doing it because I was writing answered prayers in my prayer journal. But I'm going to pick it back up and start using it again so that I will have a specific area where all my "remembrances" can be found. 

I don't want to waste any more time! Actually, all I'm going to do is study the Word in a deep{er} way. And "study" isn't even in the Greek dictionary! It says "see DILIGENCE part B", which is defined as laboring and endeavoring, exerting oneself, being zealous, continuous, and earnestness. That's what I need to do! 

I'm on the right track, but I'm going to run faster and go deep{er}--- well, that's my goal for the next 6 months:)

My goals for this week:

1. Pray pray pray (this is still on my list of things to-do) *I'm doing good... hopefully I will share a video of my prayer journal sometime in the future! LOL! 
2. Begin 3030 Challenge with Joyce Meyer- I'm starting this challenge probably on Sunday or Monday-- I like to start new studies at the beginning of the week...and I had to watch a week's worth of DVDs/TV programs to get an idea of what the study was about. Hope you can join me--- click HERE if you want to sign up for this 3030 challenge:)
3. Continue with Today in the Word Acts Bible study. *I'm still on chapter 14 or 15- I didn't get a chance to do one Acts study this week :( 
4. Continue with chapter 5 of the Dr. David Jeremiah Agents of Apocalypse *This is the chapter where Trav and I can be seen on the TV program Turning Point--- The Dragon! Check out my original post HERE.

I pray that God has been speaking to you--- and that you are blessed beyond what you have asked or wanted ❤️. I also am praying that God would open our eyes and heart to His Will, love, and Word. May you go deep{er} with God this week! 

Remember, if you need prayer, please contact me {savannahland2 at comcast dot net}. 

THANKS so much for stopping by today! Be blessed:}