When we ask God for something, our responsibility is not to continue to worry about it. Our responsibility is to simply believe. Hebrews 11:6 says “ But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” The part I’d like to focus on is the part that says ” …for he who comes to God must believe that He is…” If we come to God we must believe that He is able to bring us out of the trial we are facing or He is able to do what we’ve asked Him to do for us.

James 1:6-8 tells us about the dangers of asking God for something and then not believing. Verse 6 gives us an example of what we’re like when we ask God for something but don’t apply faith to it. It says “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind…” When we look at waves being tossed by the wind, they’re unstable, and even scary at times. When we  ask God for something but don’t apply faith to it, we are like those waves…unstable.

…to be continued

Throwing it Out Part 1 of 3 is a post from: Mrs. BliSs for WomantoAnother.com

There are many scriptures in the book of Proverbs about receiving correction and wisdom. It is important that we walk in wisdom and we are able to take correction. We can’t always be so sensitive and be easily offended. As Christians, we will go through many trials that will require us to suck it up. So, let’s grow stronger in the Lord by denying the fleshly pride that wants to reject God’s loving correction.

“Whatever fancy name you give it, sin is sin. God looks on the heart and as for holiness, why, without holiness no man shall see the Lord” ~Aimee Semple McPherson

OUCH!!! Part 2 of 2 is a post from: Mrs. BliSs for WomantoAnother.com

I’m sure many of you remember being on the receiving end of your mother’s belt. If you remember the experience, you may also remember the words that followed those swats. “I’m doing this because I love you” As a child, you probably didn’t understand the concept of disciplining someone out of love. However, those lessons followed us all the way to adulthood. Some of us wouldn’t be the wonderful women we are today, had we not been instructed to “go get the switch ”. Proverbs 3:12 says “For whom the LORD loves He reproves, Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.” So, just as our parents disciplined us because they love us, God also disciplines us out of love. I believe God sometimes corrects us because He wants to bless us. He knows we won’t be able to handle the blessing in our present state. So, when He corrects us, if we obey, we will be able to get what He had in store for us.

OUCH!!! Part 1 of 2 is a post from: Mrs. BliSs for WomantoAnother.com

Finally, after we confess our sin, have godly sorrow, and repent, we have to accept God’s forgiveness and live guilt free. The enemy will try to steal our joy by holding our sin over our heads by using guilt  to remind us of the wrong we have done. Don’t allow him to do this. We can counter those attacks with the Word of God. A good scripture to remember in those times is Romans 8:1. It says “So now, those who are in Christ Jesus are not judged guilty”** Once our sins have been forgiven we receive a “not guilty” verdict.

When we sin, it breaks our communion with God. But, once we repent and receive forgiveness, that communion is then restored. Woman of God, no matter what you have done, God will forgive you. When I think of the wreck-less lifestyle I lived before giving my life to God, I can’t do anything but thank Him for keeping me from harm and forgiving me for the wrong I’ve done. Instead of guilt, live in praise. If you ever begin to feel guilty for sin after you have asked for forgiveness, begin to praise God for forgiving you. Soon, the guilt will melt away and all you will feel is gratitude towards a wonderful, loving God.

**Romans 8:1 quoted form the New Century Version

Confessing Our Sins and Receiving God’s Forgiveness Part 2 of 2 is a post from: Mrs. BliSs for WomantoAnother.com

1 John 1:9 says “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This is very simple. Does it sound too good to be true? Well, it’s not. There is no suffering required to be forgiven. Jesus suffered for us when He died on the cross. It doesn’t even matter how far astray you have gone. If you confess your sins to God, He will forgive you. I like how the scripture says that God is faithful. This tells me that forgiveness is guaranteed. The scripture also says that we will be cleansed from all unrighteousness. This is like getting a clean slate. Praise God!! We get to start all over from scratch and not have to worry about those past sins hanging over our heads.

Confessing our sin isn’t throwing a “forgive me Lord” out there only to go back to living the same way again. If we truly love God as we say we do, we wouldn’t want to do that. Jesus said in John 14:21 that if we love Him, we will keep His commandments. Once we learn truth, we are then obligated to walk in it. Doing other wise is sin, and not walking in God’s commandments. If we sin with the mind set of “Well I can always repent” we are then abusing God’s grace. There are some out there that choose to abuse God’s grace. I believe that is like playing with fire. Just think about how in the Old Testament when the Israelites would get caught up in idolatry. God would take His hand off of them and all sorts of terrible things would happen. I don’t ever want to get to the point where God would just leave me to myself because I chose to willfully abuse His grace…

to be continued…

Confessing Our Sins and Receiving God’s Forgiveness Part 1 of 2 is a post from: Mrs. BliSs for WomantoAnother.com

Runways, streets, and fashion blogs are seeing a variety of coats this season. Here are a few of those styles and some tips on how to work them into your wardrobe.

Blanket Coats

No doubt snuggling in a thick blanket is one of the best ways to stay warm during the winter. I think turning them into coats was a fabulous idea. This season blanket coats seem to be everywhere. You can spot them a mile away as their names are self explanatory.

- Style a blanket coat with a sweater, jeans and boots for a cozy casual look.

- Poncho style blanket coats look great dressed up.

- Native American and other ethnic inspired printed blanket coats can be accessorized with feather earrings, fringe boots and bags, even big wood bangles.

Anorak Coats

Anoraks are parka and sometimes puffy style coats. They usually have a hood that is sometimes lined with fur. If you really want to ensure that you’ll be warm and toasty when braving the winter wind, an Anorak coat would be your best choice. In my opinion, these coats look best when worn casually or even sporty. Try styling them with jeans and boots.

Trench Coats

Trench style coats have been around for a very long time. I’m sure they aren’t going to go anywhere anytime soon. They come in an array of colors, lengths and fabrics.

- Style your favorite trench with a wide brim, or fedora hat for a 70′s inspired look

- Fur trench coats are not only warm but chic.

-A leather trench coat is a great investment and will last a long time

- Not into trench coats? Opt for it’s petite cousin the Pea coat.

- A trench coat is not only for dressy attire. It can be worn with flare jeans and your favorite sweater.

The look below features a wool belted trench. It’s styled with wide leg jeans, a chunky knit sweater, suede boots and a suede bag. The look is polished off with coordinating  jewelry and a cozy wool scarf.

I hope these few tips will help you to modestly stay in style when facing the frigid temperatures of winter. Be sure to hop over to Long Distance Loving and check out this week’s Winter Wonderland/Blog Swap Friday’s Fancies.

Mod.s.t Fashions Look of The Week: Coats is a post from: Mrs. BliSs for WomantoAnother.com

When we work out physically, we burn fat. After a bit of time, we begin to see the results of our workouts. We may even feel lighter and healthier.  When we work out spiritually, it’s the same concept. Instead of buning fat, we burn off our fleshly or carnal habits. Eventually, our spiritual self is slim, fit and strong. Working out physically can be painful. Working out spiritually can be painful as well. Our flesh wants to do what it wants to do. If we have a habit of operating in the flesh, it can be a bit difficult to break that bad habit at first.  Philippians 1:29 says “For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,” Our flesh has to suffer for the sake of pleasing Christ. But after a while, it get easier and eventually, it doesn’t hurt anymore.

Ladies, I know how hard it can be sometimes to obey the spirit and suffer in the flesh. But don’t be afraid to be a bit uncomfortable for Christ. Go ahead and pray for patience. Sure, you’ll have to wait for things a little longer than usual but the fruit of patience will taste so sweet once it’s ripe. With God all things are possible and we can do whatever we need to do with His help. So, let’s get a good spiritual workout, the only thing we have to lose is our flesh…we don’t need that anyway

Suffering is a post from: Mrs. BliSs for WomantoAnother.com

God didn’t  equip us to run away from things. If you study the armor of God in Ephesians 6:14-18, you will notice all of the armor God has given us covers the front of our bodies…not the back. Our armor isn’t designed to protect us from running away, it’s designed to help us confront. Know that when we run away from things, just like failed tests, we will have to go back and face that things eventually. I believe it makes more sense to simply deal with it and get it over with,  than to waste a bunch of time going into the wilderness. We will only end up having to go back to the thing in the end.

Ladies, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens  us (Philippians 4:13). This includes dealing with problems and facing challenges. When God says to “fear not”, He’s not telling us to not feel the emotion of fear. He is telling us not to run away from what’s making us feel that fear. When confrontations, problems and challenges arise, simply seek God for the solutions. Then, trust and believe that He will come through as promised in His word.

Running Away Part 3 of 3 is a post from: Mrs. BliSs for WomantoAnother.com

Why are we running? I believe the main reason is fear. For me, I didn’t like to cause strife, “drama”, or hurt someone’s feelings. I believe my main reasons were fear of man. Whatever the reasons were, they were all rooted in fear. We know that fear is the opposite of faith. Hagar didn’t show her faith that God would help with with the issues between her and Sarah. Elijah wasn’t showing faith that God would save his life when Jezebel sought to take it. When we run away from something, we are not showing our faith that God will help us deal with the problem

Running Away Part 2 of 3 is a post from: Mrs. BliSs for WomantoAnother.com

The Bible shows us several examples of this. One example can be seen in Genesis 16 with the situation between Sarah (then Sari) and Hagar. Sarah couldn’t have any children. So, she told her husband Abraham (then Abram) to have a child with her maid, Hagar. Verse 4 says, when Hagar saw that she was pregnant by Abraham , she “became despised in her eyes.” I think it means she got an attitude with Sarah. Verse 6 says Sarah dealt with Hagar harshly. I don’t know if it was physical or verbal but Hagar didn’t take it too well because she ran from the situation. Ending up in the wilderness.  God tells Hagar through an angel to return to Sarai. So, even though she ran from the problem, she still had to go back and face it.

When we are the ones that are being mistreated, as in Hagar’s case, running away may seem like  the logical thing to do.  But, staying and facing the problem is the solution. I can remember a time while working at a retail store,  the store manager and I didn’t get along very well. I will never forget a day when I’d called my husband telling him that I was ready to walk away from that job and quit. Had I quit, I would have been running away from the situation and not facing it…

Running Away Part 1 of 3 is a post from: Mrs. BliSs for WomantoAnother.com