10 Steps to Avoid Backsliding

The Christian life is not always an easy road. Sometimes we get off track. The Bible says to encourage your brothers and sisters in Christ daily so that no one turns away from the living God. If you have found yourself backsliding, or drifting away from the Lord, these practical steps will help get you back on course today.
Time Required: A Lifetime

Here's How:

1.Examine your faith-life regularly.

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?
2 Corinthians 13:5 (NIV)
2.If you find yourself drifting away, turn back immediately.
See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.
Hebrews 3:12-13 (NIV)
 3.Come to God daily for forgiveness and cleansing.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9 (NIV)
Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.
Revelation 22:14 (NIV)

CRIMES OF THE HEART

Crimes of the heart cause us great injury. Hurt feelings, harsh words, nasty misunderstandings leave deep imprints in our minds and hearts. We dwell on the cruel and unkind violations against us. Letting go of anger about things that have occurred in the past is difficult and sometimes feels insurmountable. We get stuck and hold on to our anger, and the wounds grow deeper and fester. The pain keeps us from finding peace within ourselves. When is it time to let go? 

 It is time to let go when holding on to the anger no longer serves us. When carrying the burden of our anger keeps us from moving in the direction of our ideals. When the anger keeps us from growing and becoming the person we seek to be. How do we begin?
We begin by letting go. Just letting go. We begin by no longer allowing ourselves to dwell on the negative and relive the injustices. We focus on recovering from the injury. We recover by surrounding ourselves with loved ones we can trust and by moving on. Forgiveness comes much later.Finding peace within ourselves doesn't mean we forget about the crimes. Rather, it means we choose to release them. To learn to live and love in a place where past grievances no longer touch us deeply brings wisdom. A life where harmony resides.

Thanks (^_^)

Ocha Samohito

God Heard Your Prayer

This is God's immediate and sure answer to Hezekiah's prayer for healing: "I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will heal you."

Sometimes, however, when we pray for healing, the answer doesn't come, or at least that's how it seems. We can be confident that God sees our tears and hears our prayers, but the problem enters when we don't believe he's answered.

I assert that God answers every sincere prayer. In fact, I would even state that there is no such thing as an unanswered prayer. He just doesn't always answer in the way we expect. Sometimes the answer is wait. We won't always get an immediate response like Hezekiah. And sometimes God has something else—something better—that he's working out, and the answer we seek is not the answer we truly need. If we're patient, if we wait and trust, in time we'll see that God has heard our prayer, he's seen our tears, and he has answered.

Thanks (^_^)

Ocha Samohito

A BROKEN HEART

We have all had are hearts broken at least once in our lives. There has been that one person that we have loved with all our heart and has not returned that love. When you wake up to that reality you feel like your world has shattered. You feel like you will never love that way again. He/She is all you think of and becomes your world. It feels like you will never love that way again. You ask yourself why is this happening to me? Am I not good enough? What's wrong with me?

Then, as time goes by, you get the answers to your questions. You begin to realize that it all happened for a reason. You realize the he/she is not the one for you. The more you analyze the person you begin to see the differences. You realize that you don't know that person like you thought you did and they don't know you. Then comes the understanding that you deserve someone who will love, cherish, appreciate you and never take you for granted.

My Heart, Your Home

Come and make my heart Your home
And come and be everything I am and all I know
And search me through and through
Till my heart becomes a home for You
Come and make my heart Your home 

And come and be everything I am and all I know
And search me through and through
Till my heart becomes a home for You
A home for You Lord, a home for You, Lord
Let everything I do open up a door for You to come through
And that my heart would be a place where You want to be
Come and make my heart Your home 

And come and be everything I am and all I know
And search me through and through
Till my heart becomes a home for You
A home for You Lord, a home for You, oh Lord
Let everything I do open up a door for You to come through
And that my heart would be a place where You want to be
'Cause you are my portion, filling up everything 

You are the fortune that's causing my heart to sing
That it's amazing, that You could make Yourself at home with me
With me Lord come and make my heart 

Come and make it Your home
And come and be everything I am and all I know
And search me through and through
Till my heart becomes a home for You
Till my heart becomes a home for You
Till my heart becomes a home for You Lord
For You, You You oh Lord

Thanks (^_^)

Ocha Samohito

God save me

Take me away from the pain.
I'm losing my faith.
My life. My vision. My passion.
There's no compassion.
This pain is forever lasting.
I'm fasting,
Trying to find grace.
Get my mind out of this place.
My soul cries out.
I want to scream.
Trying to get redeemed.
The devil is in disguise,
Being fake, and trying to act wise.
All his lies.
Trying to tempt,
As he pretends.
He is picking at my brain.
Straight driving me insane.
I'm going crazy.
Trying not to let him phase me.
Look him in the eyes,
I see the hate.
I look to the Light,
I see true praise.
Please, Lord, let this be a phase.
Make him go away.
I want him to decay.
Please make him fade.
I can't take it any more.
My heart I pour,
As I'm trying to ignore.
He is coming at me hard core.
Worse than before.
Lord save me.
Embrace me.
I have faith in Thee.
Come on, Jesus,
Set me free.
My soul pleads.
I beg Thee,
For you are my trustee.
I count on Thee.

Thanks (^_^)

Ocha Samohito