Day 2 of my journey

The Message bible says Mary listened & was hanging on Jesus' every word. When Martha complained---your fussing to much & getting yourself worked up over nothing! One thing is essential. Webster's dictionary defines essential as most important, indispensable. Mary chose the main course not just an appetizer. This speaks to me in two ways. 1) When you first start dating someone you listen to their every word. You REALLY listen! As you begin to fall in love (you listen even more) but as you get to know that person you start to slack off because you feel you know them. This process may take years but it usually happens not only with your spouse but even sometimes with friends. Our goal is never to take our spouse, friends, and especially our heavenly Daddy for granted & not listen! OK this next one may be one everyone can relate to easier. 2) I like an orderly home. Everything clean & in its proper place. (everything has a home & put it back in its home so anyone can find it when they need it) Granted in my home it never stays clean & I'm known to stress out about it & my "To Do" list. (FYI--I'm ADD (easily distracted) & if its not on my list--I don't get it done. Just ask my family!!! Cleaning my home or my "to do" list should not take precedence over spending time with my Heavenly Daddy (HD)!!!! Moving on....This is one reason I'm doing this study. My husband & I recently sat down & re-prioritized our lives. One ? we asked ourselves: Are we so busy trying to do these "good" things that we've pushed the number 1 thing needed to the back burner. We believe in God-first, family-second, but we weren't always living that way. THAT WAS SCARY TO US!! How did we get to that point??? It crept in slowly--like the Casting Crowns song: Slow Fade. The decision to put off quiet time from morning to evening. Then evening comes & your tired & you put it off until the next morning. And the routine/cycle/habit beings! We have to strive to spend time with our heavenly Daddy (HD) regardless of the things going on around us!!!! I'll leave you with this: Is there a way for you to re-adjust or re-prioritize things for you to have that time??? Or maybe you have that handled?? If you do, GREAT--Kudos to you! If not, maybe its something to ponder today!!
Love to y'all! Joannie

Bible Study Day One

To introdue the bible study that I'm doing, lets take a short quiz. Do you feel any one or all of the following: Overwhelmed, Stressed Out, No Peace, Longing for More, No Enthusiasm, In Need of Fresh Hope? To sum this up Frazzled! I'm sure all of us have felt these. Sometimes God has to take us away from everything, (even if we think its good) to show us what he wants us to do. He really just wants us to "sit at his feet." God can speak clearly to us if he's not haveing to compete with all the distractions in our life. This is why our "Quiet Time" with God is so important. Sometimes its hard for us to let go of a few things to spend time with him. There are times when you need to step back from all the "good things" your doing to experience the BEST thing! As I journey thru this book & you tag along, I pray that we're all blessed!!
Matthew 6:33 Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be provided for you. (NIV) Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. (MSG) Today the lesson is titled: Mary chose the one thing needed, So will I! Luke 10:38-42. The Message version of this story speaks more to me. My focus is becoming intimate with God. Have you ever experienced a time that you felt "love deprived"? I'm sure you had some of these feelings: empty, cheated, angry, neglected, unloved, lonely, desperately sad, helpless.
The "story" of every believer is a journey of the heart. Jesus longs for you. He wants a relationship with you EVEN in the middle of your daily stresses. I have received a fresh new hope & excitement about discovering a more intimate walk with my Father and experience the deep love of our renewed relationship. God had already begun to speak to me in new ways & show me things also. One thing I was shown in this story of Mary & Martha was God is my heavenly Dadddy---not Father. Dad because Father is so formal. (Anyone can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a Daddy) I was a Daddy's girl at one time and loved being in his lap. In his lap is where my heavenly Dad wants me to be. If you feel thats disrespectful.... sorry but that will be your issue to deal with or overcome. My heavenly Daddy wants to love on me by me crawling in his lap & spending time with him, or sitting at his feet sometimes when he needs to discipline or have a hard talk with me. Either way he loves me & is always there for me.
More to come tomorrow. Ponder on these things for now!!Love to y'all! Joannie

The First Day of Study-Tomorrow

Its officially here! Tomorrow will be the first day of the bible study. I have been doing it for over a week & writing & taking notes & God has been showing me things & transforming things all around me. But Satan has his demons working to put obstacles & situations & problems in the way. But if serving God were always easy everyone would do it. Then it would not be a sacrifice?..... Just a fore-warning we begin tomorrow & I pray that each of you will allow God to bless you through this process. I'm praying for you today (read the jspates-corner. blogspot.com) for all the specifics of that prayer. Love to y'all! Joannie

Prayer Request

Hey Friends!
I have a prayer request for you! Our church sponsored a marriage retreat for this weekend. Gary & I could not go because its his weekend to work. I want each of you to pray that the couples attending will come away renewed, refreshed & more in love with their spouse & the Lord. I'll let you know all the answered prayers I hear about! Have a GREAT evening & count your blessings tonight before you go to sleep! I guarantee you'll go to sleep before you get through all of them!!
Love to y'all Joannie

Obedience can be hard!

Obedience can be harder at different points in our lives than others! I've recently had to have very difficult conversations with people. I HATE CONFLICT OF AAANNNYYY KIND!!!!!!!! (That story is for several other blogs!!!!) I will say that sometimes its needed to clarify the perception of others & even our own at times! This verse spoke to me this morning in my devotion time & God spoke to me that some of you may need to hear it so....

This is the KJV Psalm 119:34 Help me understand Your instruction, and I will obey it and follow it with all my heart.

This is the NIV Psalm 119:34-35 34)Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart. 35)Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight.

This is the MSG Psalm 119:34 34)Give me insight so I can do what you tell me -- my whole life one long obedient response. 35)Guide me down the road of your commandments; I love traveling this freeway!

I didn't have the KJV of verse 35 but that gives you something to look up & compare the translations!! I enjoy the various translations because it helps with my understand.

Some of you are facing very difficult things today & I want to give you a reminder that I got last night from our pastor during the service. (Seriously if you weren't there get this series on cd!) PLEAD the blood of Jesus! We are made an over-comer through the blood of Jesus Christ! I'm praying for you, your families & any situations/problems that you are facing! Enjoy this GLORIOUS day that God has given you-----problems & all!!!!!
Love to y'all!

P. S. This wasn't the bible study just a love note from our Heavenly Father! More to come! J

The Vision for Words to Ponder

Hey Friends!
Through a lot of prayer & re-adjusting priorities, God gave me the vision of how to continue the calling on my life by using blogger. Let me explain how this will work. I am going to be doing a bible study online. This means that I will blog about the things I'm learning as I journey through it. I will share scriptures, questions & answers as I & hopefully we deepen our walk with the Lord. As I mentioned in my other blog, I'm praying that this will be an inspiration & a place that you will look forward to visiting often! The best part is you visit when your schedule allows & your not deadlocked into a specific day or time. I'll be here whenever your available &/or need me. The bible study/book is entitled "The Frazzled Female" (Finding Peace in the Midst of Daily Life) by Cindi Wood. I bet some of you like me can relate to that title!! Also as I blogged originally, PLEASE don't feel obligated to put this on your "to do" list. None of us need to add to that list BUT......if you are not in a bible study & your having a hard time committing to personal/quiet time with your Savior...............COME JOIN ME as we sit at his feet & allow God to minister to us in various ways!!! I pray that each of you enjoyed your Wednesday night service at church. Our service was AWESOME! Pastor Jason has been teaching on "I AM AN OVERCOMER!" If you missed any of these....order the cds. It will be worth the investment! Have an AMAZINGLY JOYOUS Thursday (its your choice)!!!! Love to y'all

The New Blog Page

This is the page for my new blog!
Please come & visit often, everyone is welcome.
I'm praying that this page will be an inspiration
for each of you & you will look forward to
checking it out everyday. More details to
follow soon.
Love to y'all!