90 Days with Jesus-Day 55 (Saturday's blog)

On this day I am reminded by God to be patient. I am by my nature not a very patient person. I want it yesterday. If somebody tells me I need to talk to you at work, I hate that. I want them to talk to me right now. I want to know what they have to say to me. Then there's the ever famous saying, "We'll wait and see." Oh how my flesh hates to wait!

There's a couple of scenarios I've been waiting on God for to give me an answer as to what He wants me to do. He's being very quiet about it. He's given me small hints but there are no Big flags or flashing lights to tell me where He is leading me. I want to know. Why? Because I want to be in the center of His will and nowhere else. This is of the utmost importance to me. Before I wanted that but my actions didn't speak that way. His will is far better than my own flesh and my desire.

Over in the book of Psalm it says, "Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes." (New American Standard Bible). So, here I am trying to be patient. He has a plan and an answer to the prayers I've prayed. He's heard all along but He wants me to wait for HIS timing not mine.

Today I want to ask you:

1. Are you a patient person?

2. Are you resting in the Lord waiting patiently for HIm to speak to your heart?!!!


God bless you! Thanks for journeying along with Jesus and me!

Love,
Alicia

90 Days with Jesus-Day 54 (Friday's blog)

On this 54th day of the journey I noticed that I am only 36 days away from the 90th day. What a ride it has been so far! Jesus has been teaching me so much and I just don't want to ever loose this amazing relationship I have with Him. This closeness can't be bought at any store. OH How I LOVE this journey! I don't want it to ever end. If it's up to me, it won't!

As I think about the end of this 90 Day journey 2 things come to mind:

1. There's one more day of fasting and prayer left
2. How am I going to end this 90 day journey?

You see, there's much to be learned when you spend an entire day with Jesus. You learn to hear from Him ever so clearly. The biggest part is conviction of sin and cleansing of the soul. The other part is Bible reading, prayer, and seeking the face of our Heavenly Father. It's so worth it.

I've been pondering for a bit how to end this 90 Day journey with Jesus. I still have no real clear answer, but I'm sure He will tell me in His own special way. Will it be over a meal with a few select Christian friends? Will it be sharing the Lords supper with some friends? A day alone just Jesus and I? My mind wonders, but I know in His good time He will reveal it to me!

Today I would like to simply ask you:

1. When is the last time you went on a significant spiritual journey? Just you and Jesus?

God bless you,
Alicia

90 Days with Jesus-Day 53

A CHRISTIANITY SALAD BAR

This morning's devotional was quite an eye opener.  It made me think about what it really is to be a true Christian and to reflect God's glory.  We all are in a wide open mission field no matter where God chooses to bring us for the day.  We have work, neighborhoods, grocery stores, retail stores, and yes even church to show others what being a Christian is all about.  Well today God spoke to me in a very different way about our Christianity and what it looks like.  He said, "Alicia, your life as a Christian is much like that of a salad bar you have choices to make.  What you do with those choices impacts your walk and relationship with me.  It also impacts the way others view Christianity."  

I began to think about what God had said.  He's right!  Christianity is just like a big salad bar.  So come along and see what choices are available on this salad bar every day.

As you begin at the very front of the salad bar you see a beautiful green bowl.  It's filled to over flowing with the most beautiful lettuce ever.  Nice, fresh, and crisp you serve yourself a small helping.  You notice writing on the serving spoon and it reads, AGAPE:  God's love that never fails.

Moving right along is a bowl of grape tomatoes.  Oh they look so nice and enticing so you say to yourself, I'll have a few.  You look on the serving spoon to only read:  Gossip:  a favorite tool of Satan.

As you continue to serve yourself you notice that the choices you've made weren't all good although to the human eye they were appealing.  You take a seat and have a look at the plate that you've served up.  It looks like this:

1. Agape Love-Lettuce

2.  Gossip-tomatoes

3.  Temptation-cheese

4.  Lust of the flesh-eggs

5.  Forgiveness-nuts

6.  Mercy-raisins

7.  Grace- broccoli

8.  Salvation-sunflower seeds

9.  Pride-croutons

10. The blood of Jesus-French dressing

You see, this salad bar is a direct reflection of the choices the enemy throws at us every day.  However, did you notice at the end of the salad bar was the Blood of Jesus?  It takes away all of our sin!  All we need to do is ask!

So, today I challenge you as you travel through the salad bar of your Christian walk today.  Be careful of the choices you make because Satan is always in the mix!

God bless you.

Alicia Roark

90 Days with Jesus-Day 52 (Wednesday's blog)

Have you ever been wore out exhausted?! Well, you are not alone. I am now working on 1 hour of sleep in two days. We finally made it back home last night to get the generator started that wouldn't start for 3 days. Our neighbor helped us get it going! Thank you Lord for our neighbors!

I thought, oh now I'll get plenty of rest. I"m back in my bed, generator going which meant cool air! All would be well...NOT SO FAST! ALL NIGHT LONG my precious two dogs decided to bark and the fire trucks in and out every 5 minutes, and VA POWER employees were talking SO LOUD outside my window. NO SLEEP. Sean and I were up and down all night seeing if the power was up. Zilch, Zero, Nadda.....OH how I want power back....THEN AT 7 AM I heard Sean shout from the other room, WE HAVE POWER!" WOOOOOOOOOO HOOO do a happy dance!!!!! Power, the sweetest words ever since Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m.

Off to work I went then God said, "Praise me anyways. Turn on your favorite song and SING." I thought, "Are you kidding me, I"m exhausted..Yes, I"m glad we have power, but I'm tired." Then God said, "SING Alicia and Praise me." Well, guess who won that battle?!!! You got it! He did! He always wins!! His ways are definitely higher! Off to work I went singing and praising, and praying. I got to work and got a coke and jump started the day. Then lunch came, I ate lunch and headed back out to the floor. Wait....Where did the tiredness go? I couldn't find it? It had vanishes just as quickly as it came. Then God spoke again, "The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. " Psalm 28:7 He restored my strength when I was tired and weary! He carried me through my shift. Thank you Lord!

Today I would like to challenge you to SING and Praise God when you're tired, moody, and weary! Go ahead, pop in that favorite song of yours and Sing for Joy to the King!

Love in Christ,
Alicia

90 Days with Jesus-Day 51 (Tuesday's Blog)

I feel like today God's still small voice is screaming at me, "LOVE THEM ANYWAYS." Today I feel like throwing up my hands and saying, "BUT I DON"T WANT TO." I'm weary, tired, and just want to go to my house where I can sleep in my own bed, etc...YES....I"m having a pity party. However, I know that nobody shows up for pity parties and there are no gifts either. So, here I stand complaining about the circumstances after Irene and some of the craziest people that I've ever seen out in public. Trust me, nobody has knocked on my door to come to this pity party and there've been no gifts either...Sigh.

This IS NOT FUN. God never promised me this 90 days with Him would be a bed full of roses. He promised He'd be faithful and walk with me. Wait...God just reminded me that my house went unscathed from the path of Irene. We lost a branch from Irene. It leaned sideways and fell into the yard. Uhmm...There's no place to hide. OK! He got me! It's just not always easy when people CAN"T DRIVE when the power to the traffic lights has been taken away, then they come out and are rude and ugly. Anybody got any earplugs? Here's what else God has had to say to me: THIS IS A WIDE OPEN MISSION FIELD TO SHARE MY LOVE WITH THEM. THEY don't have any power either, THEY might have LOTS more damage than the little Crepe Myrtle branch that I leaned sideways into your yard, and THEY are in need of ME, the ultimate power giver.

Highly convicted, I pray a prayer of forgiveness. He's right. It's time for me to show those in the wake of this storm His love. He chose to keep our house and yard safe from harm...Oh what a humbling experience this day has been.

I feel no need to challenge you with anything other than to show God's love and pray hard through the circumstances we all are currently in.

Humbled by God,
Alicia

90 Days with Jesus-Day 50

Comfort! We all like comfort! We don't want to be taken out of our comfort zones! God has chosen to take me outside of my comfort zone more times than not on this journey. Why? I believe to teach me to trust Him implicitly. He's moved me to talk to people I would've never probably spoken to on a normal day just because I passed them by. He's teaching me to follow His lead no matter how uncomfortable it might be.

Speaking of uncomfortable.....Sean and I are staying at the in-laws' house until our power comes back on. It's strange but my in-laws and I get along famously 98% of the time! You may be asking yourself...where is the discomfort? When Sean and I were married our first bed was a queen size canopy bed (no not the girly kind!) We kept it for all of a year and then we gave it to His parents for their extra bedroom. We got a KING size sleigh bed for our bedroom! Guess who is sleeping in that Queen Size bed? Yep. You got it. It is highly uncomfortable! Saturday night we ended up sleeping over there due to no power. Let me tell you, there was not much sleep that night because of the winds from Hurricane Irene, plus every time one of us moved the bed made a squeaky sound....HIGHLY uncomfortable. I thought...How did we EVER manage to sleep in this thing when we first got married?! Guess what?! I get to sleep in that same LOVELy bed again tonight....

Today I challenge you to not doubt God when He takes you out of your comfort zone. Trust me, I'm sure you're as uncomfortable as me due to no power, closeness of people, maybe being in a strange house etc, but when it comes to God HE knows what He's doing! Be safe and I pray that you and your family are safe throughout this storm. Hang in there!

Love in Christ,
Alicia

90 Days with Jesus-Day 49 (Sunday's blog)

LOVE is in the air! It's my 12 year wedding anniversary! On this 90 day journey God has given me even a stronger love for Sean Roark. I didn't think that was possible, because I love my husband with every fiber in me. He's the spiritual leader of our home, and God's perfect choice for me for a soul mate!

I can remember when we started dating, when we were apart for my deployments or just on a normal day I missed him like crazy! I was truly in love with him and I wanted to spend as much time as I could with him outside of my Navy uniform. When I was with him nothing else seemed to matter. He was the apple of my eye and he had me so tight by the heart strings it wasn't even funny. This was no puppy love, it was true love! (Ok now you can take down your umbrella...Sorry for the sappiness!)

Well today God has spoken to me about His love that is much stronger than the love between a husband and a wife. I remember the day I was saved! There was untold Joy and I truly fell in love with King Jesus! I wanted to spend time in His Word, time in His house/Sanctuary, and time talking to Him. He was the love I had longed for that could fill up the emptiness I felt inside as a 9 year old kid! This kind of love is Agape. It's a spiritual love that can only come from Him!

During this journey I've fallen even more in love with King Jesus! I've spent more time with Him, talked more with Him, read more of His Word! OH the Joy it brings! Spending time at the feet of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords outweighs any other experience out there. Truly I have fallen in love with Jesus over again and it's ever so sweet!

What about you? Have you fallen in love with Jesus all over again? If not, I encourage you to start spending some time with Him and experience AGAPE love which is much better than any other!

God Bless you!

In God's Love,
Alicia