Thoughts

Last Friday -- Pastor Russ was teaching a Bible Study on Hosea. One thing that he mentioned that stuck with me was neglect. If we want to be able to kill something, all we have to do is neglect it. I rarely think about things that way, but it's so true.

This past Tuesday -- We were watching the "Truth Project", this week was about "Evil" and "What is Evil". One thing that stuck out to me was how the speaker spoke about Cain and Abel. Genesis 4:10 -- ¹⁰ The LORD said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground!". If one person's blood can cry out to God, how does God feel right now with all the babies killed in a mother's womb? It's crazy to actually imagine this...

Transformational Prayer

A couple of months ago, my dad sent me this forwarded email. I didn't read it until now. What an awesome prayer it is.

"Lord, transform my mind to think constructive and not destructive thoughts.

Work with me and teach me how to create and establish a blessed life through my spoken words.

Examine my heart and renew a right spirit within me that I may be able to walk in your true calling over my life.

Let your Holy Spirit remind me to continue to speak life daily and prepare me to walk in my God given fullest potential.

Lord, I speak in faith, calling out to ______________________(the job, your vision, your goal), that your abundant oils will flow and prosper the work of my hands.

Doors that were once closed will now be open!

I declare supernatural favor over my ____________________(project, business, finances) that I may bring you glory in all that I do.

Search me, Lord, that you may use and multiply what I already have.

Purify my heart and help me to take full responsibility over my life and to stop blaming others for where im at. Thank, Lord, for your mercy that is new everyday!

I release and forgive all those who have hurt me in the past. Allow your oil to flow freely over my life and all my endeavors.

Surround me with people who follow you and that are successfully and divinely appointed to me.

Lord, bless me with a Joshua anointing, that I may have a decided heart like him and that my vision will align with your will.

Thank you for all the blessings you have already released in my life and help me to keep an attitude of gratitude and to always be content, yet to continually strive to multiply for your Kingdom.

Beginning today, I will start believing forward and stop looking to the past in comparison.

Thank you, Jesus, for preparing me for the abundance that is to come!

In Jesus’ Name. Amen."

I Look to You.

There are so many times where I look at myself and tell myself I can do it. There are others times where I really allow my circumstances to determine my current situation in life. It's a battle within myself everyday, trying to fight my thoughts and feelings, overcoming problems that hold me down. Now a days, the more I try, the more weak I feel. I've made a lot of not so smart moves in this game of life. I do so many things in love, care, concern... but at the end of the day, I feel more let down, then I let my circumstances just make me because it's too hard to try. I want to help so many people, but what's the use if I leave no energy left to help myself? As I was talking to my brother the other day, I need to get out of this slump. I never thought I'd get myself into this situation, this is not I imagined life to look like. He said that I have such a soft heart, which is such a good thing, but sometimes I need some discernment, pick those who are worth investing time in, not grow cold hearted and focus on what I need to do for myself because no one else is going to pave the way for me. I've got myself so deep into the pit, my self confidence has sank lower because of it, it's been SO hard to pull back out and climb back up with mighty strength. Baby steps, Joan, baby steps, rely on God for the strength.

Recently, people's been asking me if I have any prayer requests.

I tell them to pray that "God would guide and direct my future path with big bright neon signs.

"The other day I got another Fortune Cookie. They always speak to me for some reason.
" You find what you're looking for; just open your eyes! "

God has some sense of humor.

Global Prayer Day

My parents love to do things that are different in terms of ministry. This year, for the Global Prayer Date, the Living Water Ministry decided to have a gathering around the Flushing Queens Library to pray together and gather together in unity. With their bright orange shirts and red balloons, they were the major attraction in Flushing for the day. As coworkers were passing out balloons, people were writing prayer requests on them and holding onto them throughout the event. At the end, everyone prayed and let it go in unity allowing it to float in the air. It was just a blessed time. No matter how overwhelming my parents may get, their great.

Here are some pictures:
http://www.peaceever.com/004/01/20110614/4347.html

http://www.peaceever.com/004/02/20110614/4346.html
http://www.peaceever.com/004/02/20110613/4345.html

Reduce Poverty?

So these past couple of days, I've been working on my resume because Johnson sent me this internship opportunity called Trickle Up Develop & Fundraising, whose core values are to reduce poverty around the world. As I was navigating around their website, this would be a place where I would love to be well acquainted with because these are people who spend their lives helping people out of their poverty-stricken situations around the world. So exciting! Still learning more about the company (just looked through it roughly), but looking through the site makes me glad that their are people in the world who truly try to help get people out of their bad situations.

Back to the Basics

So, a friend recommended me to listen to Chuck Swindoll because he's "only the best speaker out there" he says. I typically subscribe to his daily devotions, but never really heard his messages. So since I spent a majority of my time on public transportation today, I downloaded his podcast and listened to a whole load of it.

It was great! Why? The recent theme of things I've been learning is going back to the basics -- really understanding why we should trust the Bible, if the Bible is real, understanding our roots as Christians and developing a core foundation of what we really believe in. Chuck Swindoll confirmed just that.

His recent message series are going through the 66 books of the Bible and I thought that was great because that's what I'm focusing on in my Bible Studies too (the Bible in 25 steps), so it would be great to integrate some of his thoughts with that of the Bible Study materials.

Here's more information about him & his ministry: www.INSIGHT.org

He even has worksheets that are attached with his messages, so useful, and great bible study material!

Life

Dear God,

My life is like a roller coaster. Why do I keep running into thesse stupid emotional stop signs? There are many things I dont understand but help me to stay strong and not fall apart. I am so tired of being sick and tired.