Fill My Cup, Lord

Like the woman at the well I was seeking
For things that could not satisfy:
And then I heard my Savior speaking:
"Draw from my well that never shall run dry".

Chorus
Fill my cup Lord,
I lift it up, Lord!
Come and quench this thirsting of my soul;
Bread of heaven, Feed me till I want no more
Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole!

There are millions in this world who are craving
The pleasures earthly things afford;
But none can match the wondrous treasure
That I find in Jesus Christ my Lord.

Chorus
Fill my cup Lord,
I lift it up, Lord!
Come and quench this thirsting of my soul;
Bread of heaven, Feed me till I want no more
Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How many of us have sung this song? I know I've sung it quite a few times, but I never really stopped to think about it.

So many times, we walk into the church, our cup is so small...or filled to the brim with the cares and worries of the week before.Our little cup is already filled and overflowing with our OWN WANTS AND WISHES, there's no room for God to fill it up with blessings and overflow it with joy!

We sit in church, holding our tiny cup, praying, "Lord, fill my cup!" Then go home from church that day, wondering why the Lord didn't answer our prayer. "Wasn't He listening?" "Why wouldn't He give me blessings?"

How can He??!!

I am so guilty of just bringing one tiny little cup to church, not really trusting Him to fill it. Or if He does, it won't overflow, so I don't bring a saucer.

How wrong I am! "Oh ye of little faith!"

Well, the next time church comes along, I'm bringing me a bigger cup, that's completely empty, trusting Him to fill it up and overflow it.

Fill my cup, Lord, I lift it up, completely empty, and waiting for You to fill it with Your love, joy, and blessings.

Horoscope Hoaxes

I looked at my horoscope today.

Now before everyone drops over from sheer horror, let me explain. I am a firm disbeliever in horoscopes. "Then why did you look at one?" Well, because they make me laugh!! For example, I went to the horoscope section on the Yahoo! webpage and saw my horoscope. I found out something I never knew!! This is what it said: "You're a little troubled over some small misunderstanding between you and a good friend -- but it should clear up soon enough! Try not to let it drag you down into an emotional swamp."

Wow! Had it not told me that, I would have never known I was troubled over a small misunderstanding!! I didn't know that, hmm.

Now, I am NOT troubled over some small misunderstanding between me and a good friend, and I am most certainly NOT in an emotional swamp! Life is going well, God's been good.

SO WHY DO PEOPLE ACTUALLY BELIEVE THESE THINGS????

Anyone care to answer that?

People are so caught up looking for answers to all of their problems in life. They turn to drugs, they turn to alcohol, they turn to gambling; they just want answers! But what they fail to realize is, if they would just turn to Jesus, they would find every answer to every question. The answers for life's problems don't lie in some magazine horoscope section, the answers lie in Jesus Christ, "The Author and Finisher".

He wrote the pages of our lives, He knew how they would turn out! So why do you need some horoscope telling you what's what in your life when you should already KNOW.

And so, my dear friends, the next time you find yourself wondering what you should do today, don't turn to the horoscope page, instead, dust off that Bible and read what God has for you today. It will do you so much better than any horoscope could ever do.

Are They Afraid?

In I Samuel 18, the Bible is telling the story of David's life right after he was used to slay the giant, Goliath. Saul took him into his own house, David and Jonathan became the best of friends, and the Bible also says something that I found to be very interesting.

"And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him (He was obedient), and behaved himself wisely (He had character): and Saul set him over the men of war (He was willing to accept responsibility), and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants." I Samuel 18:5

But even though everything seemed like it was going right, Saul became jealous of David's popularity, and verse 9 of I Samuel 18 says, "And Saul eyed David from that day forward." Now, we all know the story, an evil spirit came on Saul, he threw a javelin at David, but God protected him. This happened twice and verse 12 records: "And Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him, and was departed from Saul." Verses 14 and 15 go on to state: "And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him. Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him."

So the story goes on, Saul offers his oldest daughter, Michal, to David in exchange for the foreskins of one hundred Philistines; David goes above and beyond that, and brings back double the required amount. So Saul honored his word and gave Michal to David. However, I Samuel 18:28-30 tells us, "And Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal Saul’s daughter loved him. And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became David’s enemy continually. Then the princes of the Philistines went forth: and it came to pass, after they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much set by."

Because of the Lord's hand on his life, David behaved himself wisely and people all around him knew that God was with him. However, Saul was afraid of David because of that same fact.

Do you, as a Christian, bring fear to the world around you? Do your co-workers dislike you for doing your job responsibly? It doesn't matter who is mad at you, who calls you a brown-noser, who thinks that you are just a 'suck up'; all that matters is that we be the witness and testimony that God wants us to be.

Are people afraid of your walk with Christ?

Me and Matt

Hey, since I told everyone I was courting, I figured I'd post a picture of me and Matt together. This picture was taken last year at camp.

Welcome home Joe!!

Monday, I got a call from a good friend of mine, Joseph Flory, who had been stationed over in Iraq. He called to let me know that he was once again home on friendly soil. Praise the Lord!! I am so thankful for all the things he, as well as the other men and women of the Armed Forces have done for me, for this nation. Have you thanked a hero today?

My New Guitar

God has certainly blessed me! I like to say that He's been better to me than He's been to you! My most recent, prominent blessing is: I have acquired a 1988 Fender acoustic guitar!!

I bought it at a flea market for $300, and that included the case! Its a beautiful guitar, and like brand new, I have already gained new calluses on my fingertips from playing it so much!

Announcement!!

Attention to all two of my blog followers!! Haha, and whomever else reads this.

I am now being courted by a wonderful, godly young man named Matthew Sehorne. I dont know what else to say. I feel very blessed to have such a man that had prayed for me for three years. And now the Lord has seen fit to bring us together.

Anyway, I just thought I'd share that with ya'll! I'm hoping to write something soon, but we'll see.

What's Happening To My Future?

I'm sure I'm not the only person my age that is looking around, wondering the same thing. This once great, once Christian nation has gone downhill so fast that to compare it's decline to an avalanche would not be doing it justice. Things that were once permissible are now prohibited and punishable to the full etent of the law, while things that were considered taboo are now being practised openly and some are even taught in our public schools.

For ninteen years I have been told that children are the future of our nation. But what do we, as the future generations, have to follow as role models and heroes? We have actors, actresses, singers, and models to look up to. But what kind of examples are they? Do you really want your sons addicted to various drugs because "It's the cool thing to do" or "Everybody's doin' it"? Would you want your daughters to be viewed inappropriately by millions or people or pedophiles?

As a nineteen year-old, I am becoming increasingly alarmed at the rate of under-age, single mothers, abortions, molestations, and kidnappings. All around me are kids my age who are already raising toddlers, or are hooked on drugs. But who can really blame them when they have such poor examples to follow?

If you are concerned about YOUR future, IT'S NOT TOO LATE!! We are the future. We have the power to shape the next generation. We are responsible to provide reliable and authentic role models for our children and grandchildren. We have the ability to give them the hope of a much brighter future. We have the ability and the responsibility to mold this nation into a great nation once again. But to do this, we have to wake up and realize that yesterday is gone, tomorrow may never come, but WE are the future.

Let Your Light So Shine...

There I was.

Dressed from nose to knee to PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), holding a pitcher of ice water.

She was lying in the hospital bed, talking on the phone.

Then, all of a sudden, she stopped talking to the person on the phone and said to me,

"May I ask you a question?"

"Of course!" Was my reply.

"Are you a Christian?" she asked with her head cocked to one side.

Surprised, I answered, "Yes, I am."

Then again, "A born-again Christian?"

"Yes ma'am!" A bit more enthusiastically.

"I thought so. You just have that 'look' about you."

Once again, surprised, I asked, "What look?"

"You walked into this room, and your face was shining," she replied, "You have the brightest smile, you have a skirt on that is modest, and, if I'm not mistaken, your hair reaches to at least your shoulders."

She resumed talking to the person on the phone, telling her about me. "You ought to see this young lady," she said, "Her face, it just shines, and she's wearing the most beautiful smile..."

At this point, I took my leave, walked out into the hospital hallway where I just stood there for a moment and pondered what had just happened.

It was Sunday night, June 7th, around 11:45 pm. I was working the graveyard shift from 3pm to 1am. The day before had been a very discouraging day to say the least. I had fallen on my hurt shoulder, I had found out that I missed two days of work because I didn't know to check the schedule, and my car had broken down in the Wal-Mart parking lot after taking my brother to check his work schedule and then to Wal-Mart. It was almost 2:00 AM before I got to bed, plus I had to teach Sunday School. I left church after Sunday School to go home and get some rest. Two hours later, my brother calls and informs me that HIS car is now acting up and could I come follow him home? I do so, then bring him to work and meet dad in the parking lot. I also fixed the car which had had a computer chip knocked out of the lower side of the steering column.

All of this goings on had compiled a HUGE amount of stress, which would NOT help my testimony at work. So, before I went into work, I prayed. I want to make a difference for the Lord wherever I am, and I prayed that despite all the bad things that were piling up, the Lord would still be able to shine through me.

And God still answers prayer.

And that night, for the very first time, I truly understood what it meant to BE Matthew 5:14-16-"Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

India Trip

Today, we had one of our missionaries in our church. Bro. G.S. Nair and his family stopped by our area, and we were blessed to have them here.

As a result, we are planning on some of the folks from our church visiting them over in India in December, 2010, for an entire month. Please keep this endeavour in prayer, as we will each need over $1300 for plane tickets, passports, and visas, etc.

Lord willing, our pastor, his wife, Mrs Flory, Katie, Abraham, and I are planning on going. I'm not sure who else. Please keep this in prayer.

Been Up All Night

Hey all,
I've been up all night posting pictures to my photography blog (mostly because I didn't realize what time it was). There's a link for it with the other links. Go there and comment on them, what you liked, what you didn't like and what I could do differently! Hope you enjoy them!

Contentment Is A Skill

The apostle Paul had it right when he wrote in Philippians 4:11b, "...for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content."

More and more lately, I have been noticing, even in my own life, how discontented we all seem to have grown. Gone are the days of settling for what we can afford, these are the days of credit cards, and buy now/pay later. Get rich quick schemes are all around us, filling our heads with more ways to get more money for doing less. Gone are the days when having a two pairs of shoes-one for church and one for work- was good enough. Or when having a few outfits would last forever it seems. Nowadays we all have to have name brand shoes and clothing. Now name brands are a sign of status. Now, if you don't have the latest gadgets, you are a social outcast. Whatever happened to "And having food and raiment let us therewith be content."

Contentment doesn't come naturally, it has to be LEARNED, just like any other skill. Just like playing an instrument takes time, so does learning contentment. Let me give you an example.

When I started teaching myself to play the guitar, it was long and painful. My fingertips were cracked, sometimes bled, and often were too sore to play piano. But I kept at it. Pretty soon I knew a few chords. Calluses formed on my fingers. I learned how to coordinate those few chords with a few songs. My fingertips were no longer hurting, they were accustomed to the neck of the guitar. But I've found that if I go for days without playing guitar, my fingers will hurt a bit when I play.

Just like learning to play a guitar, learning contentment, I'm finding, is also a long, sometimes painful process. When you start off, your mind and body are weak. You are used to having everything you want. Then comes the time when you realize that God's ways are always the best. So, you suck it up, go on with your life, trusting God to lead you. Pretty soon, you are content in a few things, such as: being the odd duck, money being a little tight because of missions and tithe. But then, things come along that you are not content in. Suddenly, you find yourself a little bit sore, chafing at the spots where discontentment is rubbing you wrong.

I must be truly candid with you, this is a lesson I am having a difficult time learning.

I am having a hard time with contentment in the aspect of relationships, a boyfriend, whatever you want to call it. I have never had a "boyfriend", never been in a relationship that went beyond friends. And while I am not lamenting that fact, something inside me longs to be with the person God's chosen for me. I don't know yet who that is or will be, and I am quite willing to wait. But, my flesh is so weak, and I see others around me, so happy in their relationships, and every time I see them I am discontent.

Then the flesh and the spirit begin to war, one with another. There IS a man that God has chosen for me, I know this for a fact. Therefore, I will not "go out with" any Tom, Dick, or Harry, just for the sake of having a "someone".

I MUST learn to be content! Hebrews 13:5b says, "and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said. I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

CHRIST IS ALL I NEED...now if I can just get that through my thick head......

Being Different

Different.

This word is defined as "Not alike in quality or character, differing, dissimilar, not ordinary, unusual."

I've been thinking alot about this word lately, even more so now that I'm in school and working. I was greeted just the other day at school with, "And there's Bethany and she's wearing a skirt...just like always." To some, that may have seemed to be an insult, but I thought of it as a compliment.

I enjoy being different.

The Bible says, "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord.... 2 Corinthians 6:17."

It's not hard to be different. But it IS hard to WANT to be different.

In a society filled with conformity, being different is generally frowned upon. In a world where good looks and a good body can get you anywhere, being different isn't glamorous. To some, being different means, getting a new tattoo, a new piercing, etc. But in my world, that is not at all what being different means.

This world seems to flaunt the strive for individuality all the while producing an image of perfection that people strive to attain. The latest fashions, cars, and homes are embraced without a passing glance at the price tag involved. And not all these price tags are monetary. Being the same as everyone else can take a toll on every individual involved. "Keeping up with the Jones'" seems to be the way of life, and probably will continue for a very long time.

To be different in my world would mean to break free from your comfort zone, to get a divorce from public opinion, and more importantly, to want to live your life in such a way that it is viewed as holy and acceptable unto God.

It's not always the easiest thing, as I'm sure many other Christian ladies would agree, to be the odd duck, to be the only one around that looks, speaks, acts, and dresses differently than the horde of people surrounding them.

I am not ashamed of the way I look, the way I dress, speak or act. I do the things I do because I believe they are right. They may not be right or politically correct in the sight of this world, but they are right in the sight of my Creator. And that's all that matters.

If you strive to be different, you will be. If you are content to dwell in this world and never stand or stand up, examine your heart. If you are a Christian, examine your priorities and your standards and convictions. I have challenged myself to do this very thing.

Pretty soon, I will be posting a series, "Why I Do What I Do". I will have Scriptural references for each of the things. Some of the posts will include topics such as:
Why I Wear A Skirt
Why I Obey My Parents (even thought I'm an adult)
Why I Will Not Swear
.....And so forth.


Hope you will enjoy and be blessed somehow through these.

His handmaiden,
Bethany J. Brady

Catching up...again

OK, things have gotten a bit crazy so I'll fill in the spaces as well as I can.

School has been going quite well, and clinicals are almost finished. My test date is June 12th,, and, Lord willing, after that date I will be a Certified Nurses Aide. My grade for clinicals is 100%, and so I am just studying for the written test and the skills test.

I have also been working at the IRMC as an aide on the sixth floor. Today was my second day actually on the floor and as I was walking into work this morning I thought, "Wow! I LOVE my job!!" I thank the Lord for being able to work there and be a testimony.

Tomorrow is Paul's graduation and we are waiting up for Scott and a friend of ours to arrive safely sometime in the early morning.

I'll try to keep you all posted as well as I can due to intermittent Internet service.

Catching Up

To catch things up a bit, school is going GREAT! I absolutely love it! It has been a real experience and a blessing as well. I found out that one of my classmates, a Filipino lady, goes to the same church my dad used to pastor and knows a few of the preachers we know! God certainly works in mysterious ways!

Our first clinical day was last Saturday, I was so very nervous. We walked in there and Alice asked me if I was nervous too, so we both said we would pray for each other. It is definitely a plus to have people praying for you. The clinical went very well and I can't wait until the next one.

Oh yeah, and my little brother is teaching me how to drive a stick shift!! We went out driving once and I only stalled it twice!!! Haha pretty good...I think!

So anyway, that's what's new.

School

Well, I began a new phase of my journey on Thursday night. I have begun CNA classes and already God has given me far more than I've ever deserved.

I was aware at the beginning of this class, that the clinical's (the part where you get hands-on training at a nursing home) would be Saturday and Sunday mornings. I began praying that somehow the Lord would work it out so that I wouldn't have to miss church and so I would still be able to teach Sunday School. And, wouldn't you know? Just like He promised, God answered that prayer. There can only be a maximum of ten students on a shift with one teacher. There are fifteen students in my class! Therefore they will be splitting us up. The teacher asked if anyone had a particular day they didn't want to work, and of course I DID! So I told her that I teach Sunday School and she said that me working Saturdays would be fine!! Praise God!!

I am thrilled! Just thought I would share that answer to prayer with you all!

Starting school...again

Well, I am officially going back to school.

My CNA classes at the local vo-tech are starting here on the 19th of March. I am hoping and praying that everything goes well, and that I will be able to be a testimony while I'm there. The classes are going to be every Tuesday and Thursday night from 4 to 8.

Since we only have one vehicle, and four drivers, a good friend of mine from church is letting me use one of his cars for school. That will be a tremendous blessing and one that I didn't even foresee. God truly does give us far above all that we could ask or think.

PRAYER REQUEST:
MY dad's aunt, Violet, was involved in a serious car accident Sunday night. Last I heard, she was in Intensive Care, and in critical condition. Her husband is in a nursing home, he doesn't know yet. Please keep that situation in prayer.

My views on Valentines Day, dating, and guys

Ok, so I know it's a little bit late to be talking about Valentines Day, but better late than never, right?

I spent my Day in bed for the most part, crippled by a throbbing headache. Not the most preferable way to spend what is supposed to be one of the most romantic holidays of the year. However, I had the opportunity to sit and think in the solitude of my quiet house about how different things are and could be.

But for the grace of God, I could have been out on the town,'living it up' with some sleazeball of a guy, going to all the wrong places, doing all the wrong things. God's grace has allowed me to stay away from all the sinful pleasures of sin, the things that have pleasure but for a season. I have not had the misfortune of finding myself in a compromising situation with any man because of some romantic infatuation, etc.

Many people in the world, people that I work with, family members, don't understand why I don't have a boyfriend. They tell me, "Well, if you would just get out there and date..." Then what? I go to the mall and watch for some guy that catches my eye?? What would I do? They say, "Give him your phone number!" And then? Then I have a guy who may or may not be a Christan, who may or may not be pure, who may or may not be a total creep.

So many girls in this day and age find themselves trapped in abusive situations because they thought they had found themselves Prince Charming. They realize too late that this Prince of theirs is nothing but a low-down frog they kissed too soon.

I was asked, recently, why I didn't date by some girls at work. They told me that dating was fun, but I had to tell them that I didn't want it to be just fun and games, that there had to be a real interest. As Christians, we don't date, we court. The world doesn't understand that. Some Christians don't even understand it.

I told another person that I didn't want to have a boyfriend, just for the sake of having a boyfriend, just to say I have boyfriend, just to get the free chocolate, flowers, etc. I don't want to be in love with the idea of being in love, I want to be IN LOVE. They asked why there had to be love, why couldn't I just find some guy that I was comfortable with, someone I could just chill with and talk to? Well, the Lord has blessed me with a couple good guy friends that I can talk to, so why would I want or need to go sit at the mall and try to pick out one good-looking guy that could be something I already have?

I have to be completely honest. It's not always easy, waiting for God's choice...especially for us girls. I cannot speak for any guys, so if there are any guys reading this, feel free to put your input in. If you've been following my blog for any length of time, you will remember me telling you about meeting Abe. Abe and I seemed to hit it off, we talked, we prayed, we sang together...but in the end, when he called off the whole calling thing, I realized that during the time I had known him, I read my Bible more, prayed more, and that's when it hit me. I hadn't been praying that God would show me His mate for me, I had been praying that everything would work out between me and Abe!

I had my priorities wrong, and God used the most effective way to get my mind off focus of Abe, and focused back on Him. At first, I didn't understand, I was even sort of bitter, at God, at Abe, at the person who introduced us, at the entire world even. But God knew what He was doing, of course. I SAID I trusted Him...but I really didn't trust Him for EVERYTHING.

I guess I said all that to say this: Christian young ladies, it will be worth it to wait for God's One. And yes, there is only ONE. No Top Ten list, no group to pick out of, just ONE. I believe that God has a will for each of us, I don't know for sure yet what my place in this world will be, but I know God knows, and that it good enough for me. Young ladies, don't throw yourself away for instant pleasures, they go away, they fade, they will leave you feeling more empty than before. God has someone for you, don't doubt that for a second.

I am speaking as someone who is also waiting on God. I can't tell you how it feels to marry the man God chose, I can't tell you what it feels like to stand at the altar and give yourself to them man God has chosen. But I can tell you that IT WILL BE WORTH THE WAIT. Don't give up on God. He's never given up on us.

Stay put. Stay pure. Stay prepared.

My New Song

You know the words, "He hath put a new song in my heart, even praise unto our God"? I do. A while ago, I was getting discouraged and down. Finally, I prayed and asked the Lord to give me a new song to write that would lift my spirits, as well as others. On the 9th, this is the song He gave me, called, He's Never Given Up





He's Never Given Up
(Jan. 9, 2009)

Chorus:
Why do we give up on God so fast?
Even though we know these trials won't last,
Though friends may prove untrue, in God I will trust,
Why do we give up on God, He's never given up on us.

Verse 1
Mary and Martha, they were standing by their dear brother's grave,
Lazarus had been sick, but now it was too late,
The crowd cried, "He's coming!" Martha ran to him and cried,
"Lord, if you would have been here, Lazarus would not have died."

Chorus

Verse 2
Sometimes in this life, we have a burden that we all must bear,
We look around and wonder, "Does anybody care?"
We lift our hands up to God and question, "Why?"
But you don't have to give up, why don't you give faith a try?

Chorus

Repeat: Why do we give up on God, He's never given up on us,
He'll never give up on us.

New Year, New Grace

Well, it's a new year and with this new year comes new trials, new blessings, and new opportunities. I have experienced all of the above in the past couple of weeks.



The new trials that seem to be facing us this month is, of course financial, also, my brother has had to withdraw from college due to the lack of funding. He will be staying in North Carolina and helping with a friend's church down there. My other brother has been having quite the time also, please keep him in prayer. I can't go into details, but he need's God's hand on his life.



The new blessings and opportunities, I am now working at our local hospital in Medical Records. I was able to return to work there since they had requested me for this past summer, but since I was working at the station, I couldn't. Anyway, they have hired me in a temporary casual position, it was only supposed to be until the end of this month, but I am now going to be working there until I start school and then, on the days I don't have school or clinicals, I will still be able to work there, if they have work for me. The Lord IS good! As for the whole "school thing", Lord willing, I will be able to start a votech school around the middle of March for my CNA certification. I won't have to pay a thing, a local nursing home is funding that, and then, hopefully, I will be able to find a job back at the hospital.