A Complete System Re-Boot

Starting over. Have you ever had to start something from scratch?  Let me share a little bit about my techno-drama. (yep, I just invented a new word) Last January/february I was forced to reboot my entire computer system from scratch. After investing in a couple different anti-virus programs and lotsa trial and error (mostly error), things still weren't working properly. By the way, I am a cheap-skate thrifty person, and the thought of spending *Gasp* money on a new computer gave me night sweats...(although that might have just been the perimenopause), anyways...After trying everything I knew to do including about a hundred different updates (data eaters).
So I finally decided to get a new laptop...We bought one for our daughter a few years ago, but I have never owned one for myself. What made me finally decide to shell out the bucks?...Well, I am sitting out here in a public parking lot posting to this and I don't have to pay for the data I'm using!  This free wi-fi stuff is a cheapskate's paradise...the stuff dreams are made of LOL!...Don't worry, I would never resort to sitting in anyone's driveway on the off chance they have an open broadcast or anything...That is stealing. But I might be found in a public parking lot a lot from now on...This should help draw me out of my agoraphobic tendency to hide away at home. Good therapy perhaps?
So, I have been forced to start over. since a major virus corrupted all of my document files on the desk top PC, and a human error caused me to lose most of my photos and other images...I am needing to depend quite heavily on snatching copy- write- free images from the internet; a good site for this is:
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=free+christian+images&qpvt=free+christian+images&FORM=IGRE 





So I am wondering, who agrees with me that it sure would be nice to have a boot disc to restart our lives from scratch once we have become so corrupted by our sins and unhealthy, unholy living? Is there a program out there that can erase all that corruption from our hard heart drives? Good news...There is!


                        *The perfect program*

Easy installation instructions:

1. Heavenly Father, I confess that I am a sinner. I   am sorry and I want to be forgiven for my sins.

2. I believe Jesus died on the cross to pay for my sins.

3. I believe Jesus rose from death on the third day proving that He is truly your Son!

5. I'm asking for Jesus to live within my heart so that the Holy spirit can work through me, teaching me of you and giving me power to become more like Jesus.
~Amen~
* If you need further 'tech' support, please read the manual that came with this program..(.The Holy Bible) and please feel free to contact this blog author or any other confessing Christian you may trust*







If you are already a christian let me ask you this: has your walk with the lord gotten a little slow and laggy lately?..Do you find more and more distractions popping up diverting your attention away from your prayer and or Bible study time?  Does it take you forever to open the Bible, and once opened does it quickly close again? Trust me, it's not God who's shutting you down. Maybe you have downloaded something that you shouldn't have, maybe it was hiding within another program that you thought was OK to download.  Feeling a little scatter brained? Maybe you just need to run a scan to defrag all those scattered thoughts that have accumulated inside your brain. 
 The Holy Spirit is the best program we have for detecting malicious threats from the enemy, as well as helping us to interpret the Word of God. We are given power through the Holy Spirit to use our God given gifts to accomplish the Lord's will for our lives. We have a network of fellow believers in whom we all fitted together, are the hands and feet of Jesus here on earth.  Jesus is our source code, our redeemer and in every aspect He is our life! 
Most computer programs require an update from time to time...Our relationship with the Lord also requires an update...God is not the one however who needs that update, as He is the same yesterday, today and forever (the Alpha and the Omega), It is we who need to renew our minds daily.




                        

Have you checked your countenance lately?

countenance (n) - Bing Dictionary

coun·te·nance

[ kówntənənss ]

1. face or expression: somebody's face, or the expression on it
2. composure: composure or self-control
3. tolerate or approve something: to tolerate, accept, or give approval to something

A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.

(Proverbs 15:13)

The joy of the LORD is your strength  (Nehemiah 8)

*(posted last night april 23)

Been going through some tough stuff lately and I've noticed ...it shows.

I won't get into what's been going on suffice to say we are all human, ergo..we suffer in this world.

No, I'm not talking about the kind of suffering that brings blessings (suffering for Jesus), I'm talking about just plain old suffering that every human saved or not must endure in this life. Although as a born again believer, we have access to a hope and a peace that the world can never give nor understand. We have a loving Savior who walks through the fires with us and holds us through the storms ~Amen!

So I've noticed my countenance has well...fallen. Funny, but as an aging woman I have come to just accept stuff falling LOL! But something made me look closer at my face in the mirror as of late; (scary, I know) and what I saw there was not the effects of gravity, but something more sinister and destructive...my joy was gone!..I barely recognized myself.

So, I said to myself..."Where is your light? Where is the life in you?"

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.(Matthew 5:16)

‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’(Acts 17:28)

I am once again reminded of an experiment I conducted many years ago; I decided I would smile the most genuine smile at everyone whom I encountered for an entire day, and see what would happen.  The result was I saw a lot of smiles, and even had a couple nice comments made ...even those who wore frowns seemed to change their countenance if only for a moment. 

 *(posted today, tuesday april 24):

Something un-ordinary happened today, Oh, I'm not surprised really, you see it has been my experience that whenever you decide to refreshen your walk with the Lord or even to kick it up a notch or two, stuff starts to happen.  So after posting yesterday for the first time in a couple of months...(about hope) and starting on this post as well, today my husband ended up being sent to the hospital after a routine doctor visit for a possible blood clot in his leg...everything is alright, but it was no coincidence that I ended up spending half of my day in waiting rooms where I was able to study...not scripture, but people.  I feel like the Lord put me in a classroom today.  I was glad to get home so I could continue this blog post.

I studied the countenance of each person I saw, and realized many wore their anger, sorrow, confidence, contentment, worry, pain, love, joy, disdain, weariness, etc.. clearly on their faces.  As I (discreetly) studied each one I found my own face beginning to mirror theirs!..Just like my last social experiment proved how a smile is contagious, so is any other expression, even if only briefly.

I sure must have made a lot of people frown recently, and here I thought everyone was just a bit grumpy, which made me even more depressed...we are all somehow affected by one another aren't we?

For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you,  because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. Y ou became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.  And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. (1Thes.1:4-7)

So, more than ever I am learning the importance of letting my light shine and showing the joy and hope that is within me...showing them Jesus!

~So here I'm leaving you all with a smile to imitate~

 

 

and so do I!

~God Bless~

Lisa

Our Master Gardener...planting new seeds of hope!

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."  (Romans 15:13)



 For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.  ( Hebrews 6:7-8)



 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ² He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. ³ You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ⁴ Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.  (John 15:1-4)

Looking forward to a fruitful summer full of the unwavering peace & blessings of Jesus!  ...Forever remaining in Him.
We are Never Forsaken.

~God Bless~ Lisa