LIVING FREE by Beth Moore

Okay I FINALLY finished my Bible study on Living Free by Beth Moore today, so I am going to blog on it (and hopefully Sex God and Darkest England by the end of the month... I am trying REALLY hard to catch up... It almost feels like I'm doing coursework from school because I am SO FAR behind!!) This book... Well I can easily tell you I do NOT reccommend it... It was supposed to take me about 5 weeks (5 lessons a week for 6 weeks). I Started it on Valentines day and finished it, well... TODAY!!! And I only finished it this soon cos I sat down and forced my way through several lessons in a row because it was just boring as ever. This is a good study for a new believer perhaps... Or for someone who has a hard time praying to God... I personally had to PUSH myself to relate to it right now & if anything it distanced me from Godd in that I just did not want to study the Bible AT ALL with it. As the study progressed it got worse... I'm telling you... This was like a really BAD and BORING book for me and I am SO glad its over. I was starting to wonder if I would EVER Finish it!! ... ANYWAYYYY I Wrote down some points that stuck out to me most in each of the six weeks I will post on here... But even still the MOST significant point on here was not even as significant to me as the LEAST significant one in Stepping Up!! So if you are looking for a study, I reccommend my last one instead...

These are my notes:

Week One:

• Take every Thought Captive to break strongholds


• Do this by focusing on Christ & Using God's word to rebuke Satan

Week Two:

• There are five spiritual retinas: 1) Believe him 2) Glorify Him 3) Find Satisfaction in Him 4) Expirence his peace 5) Enjoy his presence.


• We can believe IN God but still not believe him


• Getting in the Word provides spiritual nourishment

Week Three:

• We can have low self-esteem but still loads of Pride


• Encountering God's Glory in any real way brings humility


• Pride is a destroyer of ministries, marriges, friendships, jobs, and charecter


• Humility is not something we have until humbiling ourselves is something we do


• A life that glorifies Christ is a process that comes with maturity, but none of us do it perfectly all the time.

Week Four:

• Why persue something that can't satisfy us?


• Without spiritual food and drink, we will be hungry & yearning for something


• Dissatisfaction is only terrible if we don't let it lead us to Christ.


• We must correct our perception of God to free from strongholds.

Week Five:

• Searching for unfailing love in anyone but God is fruitless, dissappointing, & destructive


• Avoiding prayer is perscription for anxiety


• Prayerful lives are powerful lives

Week Six:

• Its not that we have nothing to fear, but his presence is the basis of our courage


• Concentrating on sin can cheat a Christian out of fully enjoying the presence of God.

Well... Thats all I got on it for ya... and after ALL that waiting!! Honnestly it was not very good!! I hope the next one I choose (I have 3 books on my bookshelf to choose from) will be a LOT better :) Keep on a lookout for my April & May Book Blogs...

RAYE

Stepping Up: A Journey Through The Psalms of Ascent

Between 16 January & 13 February 2010 I worked through a six week Bible study book called Stepping Up by Beth Moore. (I sometimes skipped days or did 2 or 3 days work in a single day).The Book took a journey through the 15 Psalms of Ascent (# 120- 134) as the ancient Israelites took their pilgramage to Jerusalem. I have SO much to say about this study, but I could really keep it brief. This study I would reccommend to all women young or old that want to expirence a deeper relationship with God or are looking for a relationship with God. (I suppose a man could do the study but its directed towards women). This study was first reccommended to me by my friend Paige Johnson, but it was also a study my mum did a while back. It was on my list of things to do so I picked it up and did it. As a lot can be covered in 15 Psalms and 6 weeks I am only going to share a single little bit that I took from each Psalm. In the back of the book there is a stair graphic where you write in that stair what you want to take with you most about that psalm (after you write your own version of it in the book itself). So since we all can take different things from the study it is still good for you to do for yourself... And there is a lot more to be gained than a single point that I put in each of my steps on my stair graphic. So be sure to cheque out the psalms for yourself. These are my key points:

Psalm 120- We must heal from a lack of love. Let God love me so I can Love others better. (18 Jan 2010)

Psalm 121- God always protects and provides for me & hears me in a way no human can. (20 Jan 2010)

Psalm 122- Be content to serve God where you are now, not where you are going to be someday. (21 Jan 2010)

Psalm 123- God is here when we feel hurt or expirence contempt. (23 Jan 2010)

Psalm 124- Even though I have let the devil have part of me in the past, Satan didn't get all he wanted. (24 Jan 2010)

Psalm 125- God is present and protecting us even when we feel hurt or harmed. (25 Jan 2010)

Psalm 126- It takes patience to be restored to our gladness sometimes. (27 Jan 2010)

Psalm 127- Wait on God to stop labouring in vain. (28 Jan 2010)

Psalm 128- God blesses us when we perservere in him. (1 Feb 2010)

Psalm 129- God will give us all we need in due time (patience) just as he promised. (5 Feb 2010)

Psalm 130- God now has me fully redeemed from my past. He blesses me & makes me whole. (7 Feb 2010)

Psalm 131- God calms and carries me through difficulty. He is a bigger need than any physical need. (9 Feb 2010)

Psalm 132- When we ask God for something, he always responds exceeding what we asked for, even if our minds can not grasp the response. (10 Feb 2010)

Psalm 133- I need to forgive those in the church that hurt me to heal & love them to bring unity how God wanted it. (12 Feb 2010)

Psalm 134- God blesses me! Even when my mind doesn't initally realise it. (13 Feb 2010)

Overall the lessons I learned had to deal with patience (which I am still working on), moving on from the past (which I seam to get caught up in a different way around lately), and accepting the blessings God has already bistowed upon me (which is one of the few things that keeps me going).

Like I said, the study will teach each of us something different, so pick up the book if you haven't yet & try it. I hope sometime before the month is up to post my February book review on JESUS WANTS TO SAVE CHRISTIANS by Rob Bell. And hopefully get out those Christmas and Birthday cards... and find that job... Keeping fingers crossed... Til next time,

RAYE

Patience is a Valuable Trait...

If you were to ask me what I was worst at in 2004 I would have said patience, in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009 I would have said the same thing... I used to always say "God's gonna have to strike me dead before I learn to be patient!!" Well since December 2009 my arm has been bent backwards until i can get the value of patience into my skull!! The lack of patience has gotten me into trouble before... I believe that played a large role in my lack of wanting to wait to finish school... Now I WANT to wait because I know its best!! Through the process of trying to look for a job, in my daily life with Chad and relationaships with others I meet... It always turns out the same... PATIENCE MUST BE THERE!! In order to stay sane and not get compleatly frustrated at life I need to be patient. I am no onto my final session of the Beth Moore Study & I must say that has pushed me to be learning to be patient as well as a number of other things I learned (I will post on the book soon when I finish it). I honnestly feel though now as if I CAN wait for what is to come. Everything will happen when & as it is supposed to!!

I got a lot done today... I got my Post Office Box finally so I can send out my Christmas cards etc as soon as my address labels arrive in like one week... (I have to print my newsletter to send with it and figure out how to do that still). I still don't have my gov't money but it is coming SOON I can feel it!! That, or maybe a job will come. Today I had TWO interviews... The first was with that Salon "Charisma" that I was told was not hiring AFTER I had the interview (who gives an interview when not hiring?!?) so needless to say that was not well. I later however applied to a resteraunt called Cheddars & I got an interview right after I applied because it was before 4PM. I actually feel like that interview went REALLY well. The interview went on for 20 minutes and I did most of the talking. The interviewer seamed impressed with my interview skills & said he seamed like he knew me already. He said he put me down as a server/host on his list & would call me after calling a refrence or two. I hope I get this job... It would be great to finally be employed. If I can work full time hours I will be even happier!! At this point a job is a job though. I have eaten at Cheddars SEVERAL times so I think that would be pretty good... and I like their outfits :)

It has been a productive day... We did get a bit more snow, I want even MORE!!! (Like my snow picture?!? hahaha) I Want a royal WINTER WONDERLAND!!! :) I am sooooo Bloody Excited that I can feel good things coming as I draw closer to God. The future looks bright despite all the difficult things I have encountered in the last 7 or so weeks. I can say that because I have learned to be patient... and I am still learning everyday!! And someday WAY down the road I hope to go back to Uni (when I am REALLY ready) and persue my degree... Things will only start looking up... Even if the job for some weird reason doesn't work out, God is still good & he is still teaching me patience... What a great SKILL :)

I plan to read more of My February book too... Look out for that blog prolly closer to the end of the month... And Smile... Its going to be a great year!!

RAYE

Its been a While Since My Last Post...

Hello Everyone!! Sorry it has been a while since my last post on Velvet Elvis, but things have gotten even more crazy if you can believe it along with my internet and keyboard acting up worse than usual. Sorry for all the typing errors on the Velvet Elvis blog. Many of my keys are slowly dying on my keyboard. I hope to buy a MACBOOK PRO when I can afford to, but right now I really do not have that kind of money at all. I still have not gotten a job, but over the last week and a half or so that has not been much of a concern. The Chaos started on Monday (I think, or was it last Saturday... I think it was Saturday) of this (last) week. You know how some days are just SO BAD you can not help but laugh histarically?!? That was one of those days!! It started at 4am before I woke up with Chad's automobile dying at the pump at the petrol station. I tried to get it to start until 7am when he called his buddy Ben who he thought had to work at 8, but really didnt have to work til 10. either way he came out with his tools & him & Chad tried working on the auto to get it to start until 9am. They had no luck so Chad came back to the apartment to wake me up and have me call AAA to get some help. By about 11AM they car had been towed to the apartment car park & due to the snow they had trouble pushing it in a parking place. Due to a divine miracle the auto was jump started JUST long enough to back it 10 feet into the spot. The day proceeded with Chaos in Chad trying to get a full refund on a prepaid credit card that the people at "Advance America" but they kept charging him for it, so EVENTUALLY after like 4 hours or work on that he had his refund (and I got to drive him all over to fix the situation). At about 2PM our toilet broke!! I couldnt help but laugh all day at how awful the day was. That evening Ben visited & fixed the toilet, but Chad was out an automobile and he hates walking so thus I have been driving him for the past week.

I believe it was MONDAY things got bad for me. Walking into church on Sunday I fell on the ice (which is insane because I used to figure skate and never fell) but anyway because I have a joint disorder (HMS) I think it put a pretty bad strain on me, because Monday I had to go to Urgent Care Centre where I recieved like 8 XRays. There was a fear I broke or dislocated my elbow or shoulder, but luckily had only bad sprains through my left arm (If you look at my picture with this blog, you can see I am wearing my arm in a sling). So on top of running Chad's errands to pay his phone bill, take him to work etc, I have been running these errands with ONE ARM!!! I was unable to take my pain pills while driving so when I was not running errands I was often asleep from my crazy pain killers. Chad was pretty helpful when I asked him though, and I am weaning myself off the sling & doing better now. :)

As for news on a job I am somewhat getting tired of being told I am not qualified to work here & there etc. A man named Mark Jones at the Church I attend called me on Wednesday about being a waitress at Granite City and everything seamed pretty good until I concluded my interview and the man told me he did not think I capable of learning how to be a waitress or memorising the menu (never mind that I have been a perfect A student... because apparently that means nothing). Oh well! While at Starbucks talking to Lilly-Ann a lady came up to me who heard me talking about how I needed a job and all of the things I knew how to do etc & she said that I should apply in the salon management stuff that she works in. She said they were looking for people and I sounded like the right kind of person so I should bring my resume by on Tuesday. I still have to write a cover letter to go with it, but I really hope this works out because it is a really good job that I think I would do well at. We'll see... some things are just weird. (This all happened yesterday!!)

A lot more crazy things happened yesterday too. Chad fixed his automobile. He opened the hood of his auto and noticed his battery had blown up to itty bitty tiny pieces. He gathered the pieces and took them to Walmart and bought a new battery & he put it in. He did not think the battery was the issue because he had tried things with the battery before & it did not work, but he put in the new battery & it just sort of started!! :) Chad's mum also stopped by to give Chad a hair cut & delievered our Christmas gifts (since we had not been by to pick them up). The day finished at around 3 to 4am today when Chad came in second place on a poker tournament (he was one card off of taking first, but I guess thats just luck)... He won $171 on a $1 entry fee!! Out of 100 or so people he was second, so I guess thats pretty good.

I have also been getting great help from Lilly-Ann and people at church to help with money beyond my parents sending money. Lilly-Ann has been giving me things like potatoes & loo roll... Little things, but still needed and helpful. An anonomyous gift from a person at church for $200 will also be a big help especially for food when it runs out, and doing laundry & paying medical bills. It actually somewhat puts me in awe that people can be this nice... It makes me want to be able to repay others and do things like this in return.

It has deffinatly been crazy. I have still taken time to have a date night with Chad to just watch films from the apartment & just enjoy ourselves. It is a rough time but I am sure things can get better. One day things will be better. I hope to have a job soon and my money from the government will hopefully be in very shortly. I also need my PO Box to send off my Christmas Cards, & Birthday for January & February... I still have not finished the Beth Moore Study, but will post when I am done, and I need to start on JESUS WANTS TO SAVE CHRISTIANS (My book for February) so I can post on that at the end of the month too). I hope to read one book every month this year... Just wait and see the things to come... And hopefully my NEXT post will have even more exciting good news :)

Til Next Time,

RAYE

January is almost Over...

Its insane to think we are 75% done with January 2010 already!! Whats new with Raye?!? Still looking for a job!! How unpleasent!! :( Yesterday I got the good news though that I had made it through to level two on the dental assisting job, so today I took a series of exams which felt like I was sitting the SAT's or the GSCE's all over again... especially in the last part with all the writing, grammar, maths etc lessons. But I think I did well (on the last exam anyway I believe I only missed one question if any). If I do well enough I will pass to level 3 where I get a phone interview, & then level 4 where I will get an office interview & shadow someone on the job. I really want this job because the more I think about it the more I would love to go into dentistry... Maybe work as an NHS dentist someday?!? Who Knows!! I am still applying elsewhere though in case and if not, I hope to become a dental assistant in the future as a stepping stone to a dentist. Jobs are so hard to find around here... most jobs in America seam to want you to speak Spanish these days... I have to learn Spanish... I only know French and Italian...

Other than job stuff I have been working on a couple projects... I got a puzzle from WalMart of London that I put together & want to glue and frame for when I get my own place... the 500 piece puzzle only took about 3 1/2 hours to put together... Thats what the picture is of on the blog. I have been thinking about England a lot lately and how I wish I could just up and be there right now sometimes (but being away from Chad would be too difficult)... A group of my M8's just got back from London & Cambridge... I told them all how next time they are taking me hahaha.

I have also been working on finishing Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell. I still plan to post a blog on my thoughts and some commentary on the book when I finish it so look out for that... :) I have also been continuing to work on my Stepping Up by Beth Moore Bible study book in order to draw closer to God... When I finish that I may also post a few thoughts on that if I find I have stuff to say... I did learn something cool though that I feel like saying now... Did anyone else know that Jerusalem actually translates to "City of Peace"?!? I thought that as pretty cool. Dispite the violence I would still love to visit Israel someday... :) Heck I would love to go about ANYWHERE... but right now, I would just like a job, to pay my bills, have a place of my own to stay, & live comfortably!!

Today I also got my birthday cards together for February... I am going kind of crazy that I still have not been able to send off my Christmas cards or my January birthday cards... Hopefully SOON!!!! I Will hopefully be able to move into my on place soon!! :)

Well I am back to applying for places for work, reading my books etc... and I have to do the dishes at somepoint. Keep a lookout for my Velvet Elvis blog which should be before January ends!! Have a great week to come :)

--RAYE