Merry Christmas and Blessings for our Beloveds - Jesus! Life and Light!

Merry Christmas and Blessings for our Beloveds - Jesus! Life and Light!

“And SUDDENLY there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 

‘Glory to God in the highest, 

And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!’”

On the twelfth day of Christmas, we give our True Love ...the gift of Life and Light.

Glory to God in the highest!  Thank you LORD that we can celebrate today the miraculous birth of Jesus Christ!  

• Jesus, please invade the lives of those who are called to join us in Kingdom Marriage.  Break into their hearts, and into the messes of their lives in a new, miraculous way.  

• We speak NEW DIVINE LIFE & LIGHT to the dreams that have died, and pray for new dreams to be given and imparted to their spirits, minds, and hearts today.  

• We speak NEW DIVINE LIFE & LIGHT to all areas needing the Light of the World to expose doors that need to be closed, and shine Your light on the doors that are ready to be opened.  

• Give them the Keys to the Kingdom on this Christmas Day.  

• Fill them with more of You Jesus today.  

• Give them new gifts of Your Divine hope, joy, peace, and Your perfect love.

• Give them the expectancy of a child, and eyes to see clearly Your BEST gift for them.  

And thank you Great God for all of your gifts today, and that next year many of us praying today will be with our True Love for Christmas 2012!!  

AMEN!  It is firmly, truly so!

Expecting to be amazed ~

Barbara

© Barbara Nelson – 2011

The Twelve Days of Christmas Blessings for My Beloved - DISCERNMENT

The Twelve Days of Christmas Blessings for My Beloved - DISCERNMENT

Every day Match.com sends me a selection of men they have chosen for me on that particular day.  It is sort-of like the “ShopItToMe” emails I receive with all the great designer fashions that are on sale, based on my preselected criteria. It’s all shopping!  Anyway, the nice looking “Sagacious Gentleman” caught my eye, not as much because of the way he looked, or that he is a big skier - no it was “SAGACIOUS” that caught my eye.  I must confess, I had to look up the word, and I am glad I did.  

SAGACIOUS:  

• Keen in sense perception.  
• Of keen and farsighted penetration and judgment: discerning.
• Caused by or indicating acute discernment.
• Synonyms:  discerning, insightful, perceptive, prudent, wise, sage, sapient.

The Sagacious Gentleman is looking for a woman with “acute discernment and a keen practical sense.”  Discernment is a much more valuable trait to look for in a person than, “a woman who can look great in a LBD, and jeans.”   no really, I see that all the time.  

The discerning of spirits is one of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, and one I would like to send via UPS to the man God is leading to me, day by day.   My friend Jack Sera wrote a book called, “Revealer of the Enemy.”  Jack places a high value on a woman’s discernment in marriage:  

“...”The purpose of my new book, Revealer of the Enemy, is to bring enlightening revelation to the major role of wives within their marriage. That role is, "Helpmate." Satan has been attempting to hide Gods intended role from Christian wives ever since the fall in the garden. Helpmate, in Ancient Hebrew, is translated as Revealer of the Enemy. That's right! This message, when understood and lived out, will free up wives and husbands to begin to take back what the enemy has stolen

On the eleventh day of Christmas, we give our True Love ...the gift of Discernment.

Thank You Father God for the sagacious gentlemen and ladies You are preparing for each of us, and for Kingdom Marriages.  Please Unite us by the Presence of Your Spirit, and send them an increase of the supernatural gifts of discernment and wisdom.  

Just as the Wise Men were able to read the stars, and know a King was born, give our spouses the wisdom needed to know the next steps in their journey.  

• Give them spiritual and natural eyes to see, and ears to hear Your voice saying to them, “This is the way, walk in it.”  

• Impart to each person sensitivity in their Spirit, to know Your best when presented with a choice.  

• “For you (my beloved) have not been given a spirit of fear, but of Love, Power, and a sound mind.”  (Sound mind - the word denotes good judgment, disciplined thought patterns, and the ability to understand and make right decisions.  It includes the qualities of self-control and self discipline.)  

• Give our beloveds an increase of Your wisdom, and the good sense to ask You for wisdom daily.  

• Give our beloveds the Mind of Christ, to know their true identity as the King’s heir, child, and loved-one.  

Thank You dear Lord, for the anticipation we feel today; the expectancy, and hope.  Thank you Jesus for Hope.  

AMEN!  It is firmly, truly so!

Expecting to be amazed ~

Barbara

© Barbara Nelson – 2011

The Twelve Days of Christmas Blessings for My Beloved - Prosperity

The Twelve Days of Christmas Blessings for My Beloved - Prosperity

Through my vast experience walking with many people desiring to be married, one of the things I have heard, and observed from the men is their need to feel financially stable before they commit to a long term relationship or marriage.  Not long after beginning 1 + 1 = One, while standing in line at my favorite Whole Foods, the cover of the Atlantic Magazine caught my eye - 

As you may have seen a few days ago, one of the phrases that raises my hackles is “there are no good men left!”   The articles I found in the Atlantic, a secular magazine, confirmed that there are many voices speaking (and therefore giving power to) the words that, “there are no good men left!”  

NO!  That is not the voice of God.  

Take a look - from the November Atlantic 2011:  

“Recent years have seen an explosion of male joblessness and a steep decline in men’s life prospects that have disrupted the “romantic market” in ways that narrow a marriage-minded woman’s options: increasingly, her choice is between deadbeats (whose numbers are rising) and playboys (whose power is growing). But this strange state of affairs also presents an opportunity: as the economy evolves, it’s time to embrace new ideas about romance and family—and to acknowledge the end of “traditional” marriage as society’s highest ideal."

And there is even a book!    

"In a new book, Why There Are No Good Men Left: The Romantic Plight of the New Single Woman, the social historian Barbara Dafoe Whitehead considers the challenges facing the contemporary single woman in her search for a mate, and argues that the prevailing courtship system must be transformed." 

We know that the words we speak or pray or declare have the power to change and create because we are sons and daughters of the King of kings!  We have dominion!  This Christmas lets send a blessing of prosperity to the person God has chosen as our Kingdom marriage partner (future OR current marriage.)    

One of the Hebrew words for Prosper or Prosperity is Shalom - PEACE!   When one is prospering, he is peaceful.  We are going to look at one of the other words....

Prosper, Hebrew - tsalach, Strong’s #6743:  To rush; to advance, prosper, make progress, succeed, be profitable.  To make prosperous, bring to successful issue, cause to prosper.  To show or experience prosperity, prosper.   

This is an interesting word because it is the same word used when the Holy Spirit came upon David, Saul, and Gideon to empower them.  Come upon us Holy Spirit!  

On the tenth day of Christmas, we give our True Love ...the gift of Prosperity.

Father God, thank you for sending Your anointing to prosper to the people you have chosen to join us in Kingdom Marriages.  Thank You that when we declare Your Word, which is THE Truth, changes will happen in the lives of the people for whom we are praying - even though we may not know them!  

Lord God, we declare a multiplication of these declarations to change the atmosphere, and change mindsets about marriage around the world!  (This email is going from the USA to Hong Kong!)  

“Save now, I pray, O LORD 

O LORD, I pray, send now prosperity!”  (Psalm 118:25) 

“Let the LORD be magnified, 
Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servants.’”  (Psalm 35:27 NKJV)

• Holy Spirit, we pray, come upon (prosper) the people You have called to Kingdom marriage - NOW send prosperity!  

• Give them Shalom - peace and prosperity!

• We declare that ALL things are possible with God, and that there are a multitude of GOOD men who are assigned to a Kingdom Marriage.   It is their destiny!  

• We speak the truth of God over the lies about marriage in our culture, and that our marriage partners will have ears to hear the Truth.  

• We declare that our spouses “will remember the LORD their god, for it is He who gives you the power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers.”  (Deuteronomy 8:18 NKJV)

• We declare that, “He (our spouse) will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bring forth fruit in its season, whose leaf shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper!”  

Thank you Lord that we can hope, and wait with expectancy for the fulfillment of the desires of our hearts!  

AMEN!  It is firmly, truly so!

Expecting to be amazed ~

Barbara

© Barbara Nelson – 2011

The Twelve Days of Christmas Blessings for My Beloved - SELF-CONTROL

The Twelve Days of Christmas Blessings for My Beloved -

SELF-CONTROL

Today's post will be short and sweet!  

Self-control is the last of the list of the Fruit of the Spirit, and encompasses all nine.  Another word for self-control is temperance.   there are times when I pray to tell my soul (flesh) submit to my spirit; that I may walk in the spirit.  

"But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the Holy Spirit, [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God)."  (Galatians 5:16 Amplified)

Temperance, Greek, Strong's #1465:  The virtue of one who masters his desires and passions, especially his sensual appetites.  

On the Ninth day of Christmas, we give our True Love ...the gift of Self-Control.

Thank You Father God for hearing our prayers, and moving in the lives of those we will soon join in Kingdom Marriages.  Today Lord, fill us afresh with Your Holy Spirit today, and impart us with the desire to walk in the Spirit.    

• We declare that our souls are submitted to our spirit, and we walk and live habitually in the Holy Spirit.  

• We ask You UPS Man to deliver and impart the strength to make good choices; to have self control, to those you have chosen for Kingdom Marriages.  

• Strengthen them, and empower them today.

• We declare Temperance to be imparted by the Holy Spirit to our beloveds, that they will: 
• Master their desires, and bring their passions under control.  
• They will rule their own spirit well.

• Bless their socks off today with ALL of the fruit of the Spirit!

AMEN!  It is firmly, truly so!

Expecting to be amazed ~

Barbara

© Barbara Nelson – 2011

The Twelve Days of Christmas Blessings for My Beloved - GENTLENESS

The Twelve Days of Christmas Blessings for My Beloved -

GENTLENESS

Producing the Fruit of the Spirit in our lives is relatively easy when we are around other lovely, fruit bearing people.  The challenge to be loving, kind, and gentle comes when we are confronted by the unlovely people who are not kind, courteous, or speak harshly to us.  Have you noticed how aggressive drivers are during Christmas?  Or is it just Colorado?  My fruit tends to wilt when I am cut off, or the other driver forgets to alternate.   

I heard from a man-friend this morning who is trying to love an unlovely father.  A father who has not blessed, but has been mean and demeaning to his only son.  It is much more challenging to produce the fruit of gentleness or meekness when the attacks from others come.  

Jesus entered our world as the most humble, meek and gentle being we can imagine; an innocent baby, born in a the mess and coldness of a manger.  Nothing is impossible with God.  Jesus modeled the power of gentleness.  The fruit of the Holy Spirit of the most awesome God is POWERFUL!  

Gentleness, (Greek) praotes, Strong’s #4236:  A disposition that is even-tempered, tranquil, balanced in spirit, unpretentious, and that has the passions under control.  The word is best translated “meekness,” not as an indication of weakness, but of power and strength under control.  The person who possesses this quality pardons injuries, corrects faults, and rules his own spirit well.  (Word Wealth note from my Spirit Filled Life Bible)

And I love this - 

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest.  [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.]  
Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls.  
For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne.”(Matthew 11:28-30)    

(A sculpture in Greenwood Village, CO - Julie Miles knows the artist and name of the piece - we will post.)

On the eigth day of Christmas, we give our True Love ...the gift of Gentleness.

Thank You Jesus for demonstrating the true meaning of gentleness and meekness.  Thank you for the supernatural power of the Fruit of Your Spirit!   Fill us afresh with Your Holy Spirit today, and fill those who are called to join us in Kingdom marriages.  

• Holy Spirit, fill our beloved with Your fruit of gentleness, meekness and humility - when we are filled and inflated with Your Spirit, we cannot be inflated with pride.  

• Strengthen them, and empower them today.

• We declare Gentleness to be imparted by the Holy Spirit to our beloveds, that they will: 
• Have a disposition that is even-tempered, tranquil, balanced in spirit, unpretentious, and that has the passions under control.  
• They will pardon injuries, correct faults, and rule their own spirit well.

• Father God, cause them to remove the yoke of heaviness, and to take Your yoke upon them, that they will find rest - relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet for their souls.

• Fill our beloved with Your Father Love for them; surround them and comfort them as the perfect Father.  

• Give them Your love for the unlovely people in their lives, and give them Your Father’s blessing where it has been lacking.   

• Thank You God, that You are the great Restorer - bring Your Restoration in these miraculous days of Christmas!    

AMEN!  It is firmly, truly so!

Expecting to be amazed ~

Barbara

© Barbara Nelson – 2011

The Twelve Days of Christmas Blessings for My Beloved - FAITHFULNESS

The Twelve Days of Christmas Blessings for My Beloved - 

FAITHFULNESS

“A faithful man will abound with blessings...”  (Proverbs 28:20)

Earlier this month, while looking at an impossible situation, and trying to have enough faith to believe that God would come through for me, my prayer shifted.  I began asking God to increase my faith, and strengthen me to believe that He will do what He says He will do.  I realized that I could not muster up enough faith by my own striving, it had to come from God.  I needed the gift of faith.  It is the picture of letting go, falling back, and trusting that He will be there to catch you.  He always does, because our awesome God is FAITHFUL!  SO faithful!   

God did come through for me in that situation that seemed impossible!  

I want to be full of faith every day, and it is my desire to meet a man who is so full of faith, that he is unwaveringly faithful to me, after he is steadfastly faithful to God.  

Faithful, emunah; Strong’s #530:  Firmness, stability, faithfulness, fidelity, conscientiousness, steadiness, certainty; that which is permanent, enduring, steadfast.  ‘Emunah comes from the root “aman,” to be firm, sure, established and steady.”  “Amen” derived from this same root, means “it is firmly, truly so!”   Emunah is often translated “faithfulness” or “truth,” as truth is considered something ultimately certain, stable, and unchangingly fixed.  

I also looked up the word “faithfulness” in Webster’s dictionary, and the “Synonym Discussion” was interesting to me.  Something I had not thought of when thinking of “faithfulness” is “firmness.”  

“Faithful, loyal, constant, staunch, steadfast, resolute mean firm in adherence to whatever one owes allegiance.”  

God is firm - He doesn’t move, or change His mind.  We are created in the image of God!  We are filled and empowered by His indwelling Holy Spirit, so we can ask for more of His attributes in our lives, and for Him to fill our beloved with more of His Goodies.  

On the seventh day of Christmas, we give our True Love ...the gift of Faithfulness.

Thank You Father God for Your firm Faithfulness!  You are so faithful to Your promises, and to complete what You have begun in our lives.  You invited us on this journey to pray for Kingdom Marriages, and I believe that all of us will receive the desires of our hearts - Your best marriages!   LORD, help our unbelief, and give us more of the gift of faith to believe the unbelievable, and wait with hope and expectancy!  

• LORD God, fill our (future or current) beloved with Your Holy Spirit; fill them with the gift of FAITH, that they will bear much fruit of Faithfulness!  

• Impart to our beloved the miraculous faith of Mary and Joseph this Christmas! 

• Increase their faith to believe that You adore them, and that You will bless them with a great romance.  

• Make their faithfulness FIRM - that they will be:
• Loyal
• Constant
• Dedicated 
• Devoted
• Devout
• Staunch 
• Steadfast
• Resolute

• And we declare that the faithful men and women You have called to unite in Kingdom Marriages will abound with blessings!  

Thank You, UPS Man, for Uniting us by the Presence of Your Spirit!  

AMEN!  it is firmly, truly so!

Expecting to be amazed ~

Barbara

© Barbara Nelson – 2011

The Twelve Days of Christmas Blessings for My Beloved - GOODNESS

The Twelve Days of Christmas Blessings for My Beloved -  GOODNESS

One of the things I hear in circles of unmarried people is, “All the GOOD ones are taken.”  

Or, “There aren’t any good guys out there [in the dating world.]”  

I cringe when I hear people say things like that!  Our words have power, and if “ all the good ones are gone” is what someone says or believes, it will be more challenging to see the great ones when God brings them into our lives.  I admit, sometimes it seems that all the good guys are married, but I am very careful not to agree with such faithless words.  

God is GOOD, and He is more than “able to do exceedingly abundantly above ALL that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us!”  (Ephesians 3:18 NKJV)

There are good men and women, just like you, waiting to find their beloved!  So when you start feeling discouragement weigh you down like a wet blanket because of the lies in your head, speak the Truth - the powerful Word of God over the lies.  

“Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of GOODNESS, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.”  (Romans 15:14 NKJV)

Goodness, agathosune; Strong’s #19:  Compare “Agatha”, and possibly “agate.”  Beneficence, kindness in actual manifestation, virtue equipped for action, a bountiful propensity both to will and to do what is good, intrinsic goodness producing a generosity and a Godlike state or being.  Agathosune is a rare word that combines being good and doing good.  

The other day I was feeling the expectancy of God’s blessings in my life, grateful for the things I have yet to see, and I felt Him say to my heart, “I am blessing you not because you are good, but because I AM Good.”  

Some days the only thing I can pray is, “God, I know You are good, and You are faithful.”   When we focus on His goodness and love for us, then goodness will be a result of His spirit living in us.  Fruit of the Spirit!  It doesn’t happen from striving to do all the right or “good” things, so that we will GET what we want.  He is not Santa Claus!  Naughty or nice, God is still good!  

One more thing - yesterday at church one of the pastors said, “when you need something in your life, give it away, and God will give it to you in greater measure.”  We could all use more goodness, so let’s give some away!  

On the fifth day of Christmas, we give our True Love ...the gift of Goodness.

God, You are GOOD!  Thank You for Your Goodness in our lives.  Thank You that because You are Good, You will hear our prayers, and touch the lives of people we may not even know today - our future or current spouses!   

• Fill them today with Your Holy Spirit.  Compel them to ask You to fill them today.  

• Fill our spouses with Your Goodness!  

• Fill them with Your “virtue that is equipped for action.”

• Impart to the people you have called to Kingdom marriages, “A bountiful propensity both to will and to do what is good.”

• Generous God, fill them with Your generosity. 

• Give them the strength to be good and do good, and fill them with the knowledge to know it is because God, You are good.  

• We declare that there are GREAT people “out there” in the dating world, and we know that God is our Matchmaker!  

• We agree with Mary and declare, "For with God nothing will be impossible."  

“Indeed I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass.  I have purposed it; I will also do it.”  GOD (Isaiah 46:11 NKJV)  

AMEN!  

Expecting to be amazed ~

Barbara

© Barbara Nelson – 2011

The Twelve Days of Christmas Blessings for My Beloved - KINDNESS

The Twelve Days of Christmas Blessings for My Beloved - KINDNESS

“But what happens when we live God’s way?  He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard - things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people.  We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.”  (Galatians 5:22-23 The Message) 

As you may have guessed, the gifts we are sending via the Spirit to our spouse (future or current) are the Fruits of the Spirit.  Life is so much more pleasant when you and the people in your life are truly showing off their fruit of the Spirit!  

“So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives.  Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.”  (Galatians 5:16 NLT)

“My counsel is this:  Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit.  Then you wont feed the compulsions of selfishness.”  (Galatians 5:16 The Message) 

Selfishness - isn’t that where relationships fall apart?  My hope and desire is that I will be filled with the Holy Spirit, trusting God so completely that the Fruit of the Spirit is evident, and my navel gazing will be eradicated.  Therefore the spiritual gifts we are sending to our beloveds, are to help them to let go of fear, and “live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit.”   That kind of freedom is irresistibly attractive!  

Kindness.   The Hebrew word is chrestotes, Strong’s#5544:  Goodness in action, sweetness of disposition, gentleness in dealing with others, benevolence, kindness, affability.  The word describes the ability to act for the welfare of those taxing your patience.  The Holy Spirit removes abrasive qualities from the character of one under His control.  

I want that!   and I would like my future husband to be a kind person.  

On the fourth day of Christmas, we give our True Love ...the gift of Kindness.

Gracious God, you are so kind.  This Christmas, and right now, fill our spouse with Your Holy Spirit - so full they fall more deeply in love with You, letting go of fear and the cares of the world.   As they are filled with Your Spirit, give them an extra measure of Kindness, that they will ~

• Exhibit Goodness in action

• Have sweetness of disposition

• Be gentle when dealing with others

• Live a life of benevolence

• Be friendly, approachable and kind to others  

Thank you LORD for Your faithfulness!  Thank You for transforming us more each day, by the renewing of our minds through Your powerful Word.  Thank You for bringing our beloved closer to us every day.  Thank You Holy UPS Man, for Uniting us by the Presence of Your Spirit!  

Amen!  

Expecting to be amazed ~

Barbara

© Barbara Nelson – 2011

The Twelve Days of Christmas Blessings for My Beloved - PATIENCE

The Twelve Days of Christmas Blessings for My Beloved - PATIENCE 

The other word for patience is LOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG-Suffering.  When is long suffering, TOO-LONG-suffering?  God is right on time, though I must say, it sure feels as though He has not been on time - not according to MY time.  

Abraham & Sarah must have felt that God’s timing for the fulfillment of the promise was a bit too-long.  Or the Israelites who waited 400 years in spiritual darkness before Jesus broke-through with His glorious light!  They must have struggled with patience, and that was indeed loooooong-suffering. 

Patience, the Hebrew word is makrothumia; Strong’s #3115: 

From makros, “long,” and thurmos, “temper.”  The word denotes lenience, forbearance, fortitude, patient endurance, longsuffering.  Also included in makrothumia is the ability to endure persecution and ill-treatment.  It describes a person who has the power to exercise revenge but instead exercises restraint.  This quality is a fruit of the spirit. 

God is patient with us, and when we abide in His Spirit, we too are patient.  

“I waited and waited and waited for God.  At last He looked; finally He listened.”  (Psalm 40:1 The Message)

“And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” (Hebrews 6:11-12 NKJV)  

On the fourth day of Christmas, we give our True Love ...the gift of divine Patience. 

Patient God, we pray for our future (or existing) spouses, that You will deliver to them an extra measure of patience and long suffering by Your Spirit ~

• that they will be lenient with others

• exercise restraint when provoked

• have fortitude and patient endurance

Just as we have been waiting and waiting and waiting, the other person has been waiting too.  

Thank you LORD for sending the comforter to them while they wait with patience for us!  Thank you UPS Man, for Uniting us by the Presence of Your Holy Spirit!  

“Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  

AMEN!  

Expecting to be amazed ~

Barbara

© Barbara Nelson – 2011