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How to Guard your Heart by Laura Grace

gate heart Be a Gate Keeper! Guard the Soul 

I think there are a lot of Christians out there, like me, who truly do not know how to guard their heart. First and fore most we must give more weight to the voice of the Shepherd than anyone else.

We don’t need pretty lies of exaggerating how wonderful we are, and we don’t need Input from amateur counselors or the peanut factories. We certainly don’t need help allowing unbelief! 

Because we are “word of God” people, we think if we can’t rebuke it, cast it out or get it gone via spiritual warfare, we are failing somehow. Not true.

Some people just ‘are what they are” and we must learn how to deal with it!

  1. Step number one we need to keep learning and meditating on who we are to Jesus. that knowledge must become so real to us, nobody can talk us out of it. If the voice of someone else’s opinion of us screams louder than what God says, we must reinforce what he says about us until it’s more real than anything else. 
  1. In keeping with that train of thought, the accuser of the brethren (the devil) is always going to try to remind you of your past. That’s his job. He is evil. He isn’t going to stop so you must learn to overcome him with YOUR TESTIMONY. You speak it to him: “I am saved, God’s child, I’ve been forgiven of that” and if the person who is allowing the enemy to “USE THEM” to accuse you keeps it up, start to ignore it. It’s the best defense you have. IGNORE IT. You can’t argue with demons.

 

You can’t cast them out of someone who wants to stay that way. No, they may not be demon-possessed- they just listen to his lies and it’s become a part of them, like WEEDS. You cannot go into someone else’s garden and start yanking weeds out. You are trespassing! You are going to have to ignore it and tend to your own garden. Not what you want to hear, but true. Change the subject, dodge the questions, or say “I don’t want to talk about that right now.”

 

  1. Do not ask for counsel from those who have no clue what you are talking about, or what you have been through. I don’t care what their credentials are or how much they “seem” to care. Ask God who you should talk to about something. SEEK HIM FIRST! He is your Shepherd, your counselor and your friend, and he is always listening. 
  1. You live in the world, so best to get started learning how to cope with things. Go to a rest room or go outside and pray. I’ve done this over the years, went to my car. Prayed, or even went to a restroom, prayed in whispers asking God for help, wisdom and guidance. I assume everything I go through he is RIGHT THERE WITH ME because he said he would be.

 

  1. Family can be the hardest, because they knew you before you knew Jesus. Family has expectations that often feel like obligations. If we are a good sister, daughter, mom or son we will do this or that supposedly. Jesus told his own mom he was going about the Father’s business, but another time he did change water to wine because she asked him to do something about the situation. There are no pat answers, we must learn to say; “I am praying” I am “seeking God” and let everyone know (including your family) you are on a mission to do God’s will. We are not born “being like Jesus’ It’s something we are walking out.

 

  1. Whatever weapons you know of right now (with God) use them, he will add to your skills as you use what he gave you. I started out a Lutheran Just ‘praying the Lord’s prayer” and now I know all kinds of spiritual warfare tactics. God is not in a hurry. You are in a school called life and he is willing to walk with you as your Father and help you to grow.

 

  1. Learn from your experiences, write them down. Use a Journal use the computer and ask God to teach you in EACH situation how to handle it better next time. I have noticed things I run from I will usually face again, so best to learn to overcome it.

 

  1. Give that other person the benefit of the doubt, whenever you can. Did they mean to hurt you or were they hurting themselves, distracted, or just clueless? We need to ask God “Why is this happening? Or “what do you want me to learn from this?”

There are some people who are just plain bullies, but what about the mandate to love them?Do we keep taking the hurt?

If I tell someone something wounds my soul and they keep doing it anyway, I am probably going to pull away from that person.  When you go, say a prayer and give it to Jesus. Be willing to be reconciled later, if that’s what he wants you to do. 

WHEN we guard our heart it’s not just against people. WE protect our heart from becoming bitter, angry, full of self-pity, and a host of other things the devil sends at us. There is no end to the things he will try, to destroy our very hearts. Do you know why?

BECAUSE my friends, that’s where the word of God gets planted and takes root. It’s where he speaks to us. It’s where rivers of life flow out of us!

Satan would rather take you out than take out a church building. If he can take you out, he has stopped the flow of God’s spirit to hundreds, or perhaps thousands of people due to the ripple effect. (you touch a life, they touch a life, and so on and so on and so on).  Some people gaurd a church building more zealously than they protect their own hearts from the evil one. It’s a full time job! 

 

 Guard your heart! It’s where your inheritance lies. It’s worth fighting for.

 

Laura Grace, Author, Grace to Grow Click here to Buy:

https://www.amazon.com/Grace-Grow-study-guide-Rescue-ebook/dp/B077L71XP1/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1525753636&sr=8-1&keywords=grace+to+grow+by+Laura+grace

 

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Prov 4:23

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Building with Precious things (Continued)

POOR FROM DUST.jpg

I’m going to tell you why I posted this. I used to live in housing projects. We suffered years of poverty I still have the records. Living on 8,000 a year or less even 6,000 a year (a family of four) and I used to quote this scripture “He raises the Poor from the Dust” …….(Psalm 113) 
 
And I’d say “AND IT”S TRUE FATHER” I believe you! Years later, things have really changed for me, and they have. 
Every time I have plenty of toilet paper, I am thankful. And, When the bills are paid, and I don’t get shut off notices I say THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU…..experiences like that you never forget all your life! Ask those who went through the great depression……..They just never forget what it was like 🙂
 
I can talk about building on the rock with Precious things, because I had the storms that took everything (and I barely escaped) and finally I got tired of it and said; “change me change me change me” ….people bailing you out will never change things. 
The change must happen from within! We need Soul healing and restoration! We need God to CHANGE US to think LIKE HIM!
 
Amen? 🙏🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
 
The Loving kindness of God WILL LEAD someone to repentance if they have a heart after God in the first place such as “They want to know (the truth). Others will take and take and get mad at him when he wants them to learn and grow up and sometimes Will Basically tell God Where to stuff it and walk away….
 
If you read the book of Revelation, some will NEVER repent. They will curse God no matter what (and blame him for all disasters). I know a lot of people think I don’t understand love but I do. I will walk with someone to the end of the earth If they are just struggling to understand God. If they don’t care, and spit on him, and want nothing to do wtih Him, I’m gonna work with those whose hearts are crying out to him. I wasted so much time on those who did not care (to know) the truths that can make them free. No more! It’s called Co dependency or it could be called strengthening the hands of evil doers. (Bad idea!)
 
God’s going to have a church that speaks the truth once again, not molly coddling those who want nothing to do with Him. The excuses have to stop, And God will show and reveal “who is who” and what is what.
WE NEED God’s Wisdom! WE NEED His input! This is not a game.
 
Those who “poo poo” on all this will have the outcome of their (Own) ways. and last thing: Don’t Worship Angels or anyone but God. They are simply fellow servants with you. #worshipGodonly #blazingglory #choosingGodoverothers
 
“Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he [stopped me and] said to me, “You must not do that; I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers and sisters who have and hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God [alone]. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy [His life and teaching are the heart of prophecy].” Revelation 19:10 (When John saw an Angel)
Peace and blessings! Laura Grace 
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Dodge the Stampede!

BUFFALOs.jpg

!

Stampeding (When someone “stampedes’ your blessing)

I just feel led to share this today. If you saw a herd of buffalo about to stampede the church building, you would shut the door, holler for Help……And keep them OUT would you not?

A stampede of fools is like a herd of buffalo. There are those who have this “gang mentality” and you cannot LOVE them out of it. You have to get out of the way. Shut the door! Keep them OUT Of your heart and your mind! Do not allow them to trample everything God has put inside your heart (as you open your heart to their treacherous doings!) ….

It’s okay in this case to stop TRYING to love, and just shut the door, get out of the way……Let them stampede on.. 

For those bent on foolishness there is no other way. Do you think you can stand in the face of a buffalo herd and keep it from Trompling you? No!

Then stop and think about what you are doing before you try to deal with these “stampeders” in the realm of the spirit! Get out of the way! They will not respond to your loving words (and not even to God’s words)

for right now…..you’ll just have to let them go..

a now word (Laura Grace) Author, Grace to the Rescue, Grace to Grow, Grace to Soar 

 

He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed. Prov 13:20

The wise shall inherit glory, But shame shall be the legacy of fools.Prov 3:35

The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, But the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness Prov 15:14

A prudent man conceals knowledge, But the heart of fools proclaims foolishness. Prov 12:23

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Christmas Story #6 “A viewmaster disaster”

12 days 5thomas really youngView master

Christmas Story #6 (12 days of stories) ” A Viewmaster Disaster”

(Sigh) It seems I’ve been telling on myself in these stories. That wasn’t the plan! Maybe God’s plan, but not mine! Anyway it was the 90’s, can’t remember what year, and the man of the house lost his job (again). I tried to shelter my children.

They really had no idea the fear, the chaos or the level of fright I was dealing with. I didn’t want them to know. No child should have to know they are in danger of being homeless all the time or having no dinner, or no Christmas present.

So, I prayed and found this viewmaster with Slides for 5.00 at St Vincent and I probably Told my son “God Provided” and made it sound like the thing was “a gift from God.”

YES I was a good mom. I prayed with them daily, I was faithful with all my heart to be a mom, but hey, I was learning myself! and I try as I might I still made mistakes. Blaming God for this gift WAS a mistake. It was almost detrimental to his Faith system.

So Thomas ripped into the view master all excited (From God! It must be special) and when he saw that viewmaster well he was pretty disappointed. okay VERY Disappointed! And, he cried.

Man I felt terrible. Like the worst mom ever!

Others in “housing projects” who often lied about their income, (and I know they did) bought their kids Play Stations and big ticket gifts at Christmas time. Not so with us. It was God provided, or it didn’t happen other than the sweet benevolence of others.

So how does this turn out for Good (Romans 8) you might ask?

For one thing, when I get someone a gift such as recently for the Kids at Browning, I really THINK about what I am getting. will they like it? Will they enjoy it? Or am I passing off my old time ideas of what I THINK They should like?

 I loved my view master as as kid. my son grew up in a totally different generation. I have to say I would not get excited about a tin cup and a penny either (as some did many years ago). I would say thank you, but I wouldn’t be ecstatic or anything! The Little house on the Prairie children were having a different experience when Mr. Edwards Gave them that “tin cup!” God gives perfect gifts in the perfect timing, and in the perfect way. I would have been off saying “I got you a view master” and leave God out of it! There is more than one layer to this presentation by the way………:) 

In My Zeal to lift up Jesus as the King of Christmas, I failed to see I was misrepresenting God. I don’t think he “chose’ to give my son a gift that brought him to tears. Let’s face it poverty is hard on a kid. (it really is) It produces Character, it can be very GOOD for them, but it’s still hard. by the way…….. Many years later (2007?)

I got him ANOTHER viewmaster as a joke gift at Christmas! He was able to laugh over it Good sign! He came out with Character! Oh the Joy of having children with Character! Who Can abase or abound! And that my friends, is a result of prayer, Faith, and God’s Grace.  

Merry Christmas! Stay tuned for more! -Laura Grace

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”      James 1:17

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God’s wisdom is foolishness to man and vice versa. That’s not going to change.

HOLY SPIRIT TEACHINGThe Holy Spirit is our teacher if we are Christians. 

dove flying This word is not just for some Christians. It’s for all of us. What the Holy Spirit shows us will often not line up with “earthly Wisdom” It won’t make any sense to the natural mind. This is why we need to Be supernatural people and not natural people. The Flesh is at war with God. Our natural minds will be at war with God without his help and intervention. 

WE PRAY to be able to receive from God. Pray like King David “Father Give me understanding that I might learn your Statutes” “Create in me a clean heart oh God renew a right spirit within me! Take not thy holy Spirit From me Oh Lord! ” 

1 Corinthians 3:19
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”
If we are waiting for the world to agree with us, it’s never going to happen. The natural man cannot receive the things of God. We need to be born again, filled with God’s Spirit, and then we can BEGIN to cooperate with The Holy Spirit and be transformed by the renewing of our minds in Christ Jesus. Amen. 
There is no other way “into the light” ….God is light. And in him there is no darkness at all. Amen -Laura Grace Author and minister of the Lord and MIT (Minister in Training)
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The Road to Emotional Healing, is often a long, and very lonely road……….

long-road

The road to emotional healing…..if often a very long, and lonely road. Ask me, I know! 

It’s nearly impossible to describe (the emotional pain) to someone, that hasn’t been broken. Furthermore, there are so many false cures out there, and what I call bandage fixes, to even convince someone they might need help- is a challenge all by itself. 

Broken and hurting people must shield themselves from more (further) pain, or they know it will be the end of them. So they put walls up. I know, because I did this too. 

There were times I knew, one more reckless comment, (about my pain) and I would be finished, forever. For a bruised and broken person, one reckless word, can be the final blow. 

Sorry, but your anti-bully programs aren’t going to work. People need to be taught how to heal, how to love themselves, and how to insulate themselves from the pain. You can have all the bully programs you want to, but they are everywhere. Bosses. Store clerks. Everywhere you least expect them to be. 

I’ve been on a quest for healing, (Of my soul) for as long as I can remember. Drinking didn’t do it. Shopping didn’t cure me. The right job was only a temporary fix for the pain. Jesus doesn’t do it over night. He will travel with you on this Journey but you have to finish the course, and even realize sometimes you will be re-injured. 

OUR HEART (Soul) within us) is THE biggest Treasure, which Jesus was dying for, on that cross. And he wanted us whole. He wasn’t after bodies to go out and do his work, He was after our Heart(s). If we don’t allow him to heal us, no matter how long it takes, We have (pretty much) taken his name in Vain. 

The Road is long. Some Healthy ways to heal are: 

  1. Use a Journal. Write your goals and how you are doing each day.
  2. Pray daily for Soul Healing. God is the restorer of your soul.
  3. Recognize that most will not understand your Journey
  4. Many will not support your Journey, because they have never taken this road
  5. Remember, in the end you will be healed. Quick fixes lead to more setbacks.

Most of all, no matter how long it takes, do not give up on being restored, fully, to the person God intended you to be. It’s a long journey, but you are worth it. 

Jesus thinks so, and who are we to disagree with him? With Love in my heart and big huge hugs to all the hurting people out there…….

I’m praying for you. -Laura Grace