Category:

Preparing for 2018

12/10/2017

2018 Prep, Prayer Project - Theme Verse:

"May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us - yes, establish the work of our hands."
~Psalm 90:17 (NIV)

How many of us still have unanswered questions, concerns, and prayers from 2017? How many of us need clear direction from God about one or more situations or people (relationships) going into the new year? Does someone you love need Salvation? Do you want or plan to make a big move this coming year? Do you need healing? Do you need restoration of relationships or income? These are things God is absolutely concerned about! He is not far away, but wants to receive our prayers and respond. But He wants us to ask in simplistic, childlike faith.

We never need an entire project, program, or presentation to come to God. But sometimes "making it plain" and stirring up our faith with scripture, worship, and fasting is exactly what we need to come boldly into God's presence. He has provided some disciplines we can use, not to help Him, but to help US. We plan to use them ALL in preparation for 2018!

Beginning December 18th, through Jan 13th, The Christian Woman Chronicles' Page will facilitate our New Year's activity focused solely on prayer and hearing from God about the things we need direction on going into the new year. Each week we will have a different Bible verse, prayer point, and song of worship. Each of these activities will be designed to help us find God's presence and sense His voice.

Are you ready to see something different in 2018?? Let this time of prayer be the catalyst for experiencing the promise of Psalm 90:17!

Expecting Great Things For You,
Dawn~

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Happy New Year 2017

1/2/2017

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"‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance;"
~Matthew 25:29

Well Friends, here we are! A new year has dawned once again! I pray it was a safe and happy one for you and yours!

How is your vision for this year? What’s in your heart and spirit? What’s on the horizon for you, your family, your career, your ministry?

Here at Costly Oil, you may have noticed is that our theme has changed for the new year. Our new theme is: Psalm 20, God’s Great Name. Although this is a passage I have already begun, and am looking forward to continuing to delve into with God’s help, I want you to know that this year’s studies will be less in-depth than in the past couple of years. This is in consideration of new opportunities in which God has blessed. I hope this will be a blessing for you in that our blog will begin to once again look more like a blog, with less to digest, and faster to read; but filling nonetheless. A brief overview of 2017 MMM looks as follows: Beginning next week, we will study one verse a month from Jan-May and Sept-Dec, with the summer months off (A summer study will be determined at a later time through prayer). Each week will build on the month’s passage/verse to discover, reveal, talk about, praise, and exalt the greatness found in who God is and what it means to have Him on our side! I AM SO EXCITED!

Personally, I am in a very special place of increase promised by Jesus in this week’s reference passage. It is a reality I have seen God faithfully work out in my life, little by little, time and time again, as I simply acknowledge Him and obey. The level of increase opening up in my life for 2017 has come with great battles (some that are still smoldering from the fight of 2016, smoke trying to attach itself to the visions of 2017), fought and won and abandoned to the past as I look and walk confidently toward what God has established for me and my family. These spiritual battles were brought on in the face of prayer and obedience to trust and believe God for what He said He will do for His glory and my good. So in spite of the fight, you can understand how and why I stand victorious and joyful; and why I can look to all God is doing in confident hope: HE ALWAYS CAUSES US TO TRIUMPH!

Last year God did many new things in my life, and yet today I can say that for what God has spoken for 2017, I have never been stretched to such a level. However, I know that as I stay intimately connected and hidden in my Lord Jesus Christ, the promise of this week’s passage will continue to be a reality in my life, home, career, and ministering. I pray that we all experience this reality time and time again.

I would love to hear about what’s happening in your life, now and as 2017 unfolds. Have you seen this week's passage manifested recently for you? Please share as we embark on a new year, and a new journey!

Looking forward to all He will do in 2017,
Dawn~

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Special NYE 2016 Edition Blog

12/31/2015

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For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. ~Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NLT)

You may be able to tell from all the posting and tweeting and sharing on Facebook that I am really excited about 2016! Not because I’m ready for 2015 to be over, because 2015 has been a truly phenomenal year, in spite of a couple of deep losses. I have watched God move powerfully in the lives of some amazing Believers. I’ve watched His Name made great in the secular world in a way I never have before. (WOW to War Room is all I can say…I have tears even now thinking about it). I have grown personally in my intimacy with God, my prayer life, my love and understanding of His Word. I have watched revival take place in my life personally, in my children’s lives, and in our home-life. I have made less income than I have in the last several years, but I have given more! (THAT is what you truly call the law of seed-time and Harvest). I could probably go on, but you get the gist…2015 was a testimony year for me personally.

But the reason for this special edition blog is to share something God laid on my heart just yesterday. As stated, I have been truly anticipating the coming New Year in great fashion, mainly because of what God is doing here at Costly Oil. Although I have never been one to consistently celebrate on New Year’s Eve (twice in 10 years I estimate), this year is different for me. Closing this year out has taken on special meaning, for all the reasons I list above. So what could I do? Our family does not “party” as the world does; and, all our celebrating completely surrounds the goodness of The Lord. So what could we do to honor all that He has done and the wonders we have seen, heard, and experienced personally???

The following is what came to my heart for our family's New Year’s Eve "celebration":

Repent
We begin our celebration with a time of repenting to The Lord and one another. Kind of weird? Not really. As we look to go into the New Year, it is vital that our lives stand clean and available before God if we want to receive more of what He has planned.

Relax
Our house has been diligently prepped beforehand, and we have nothing left to do but relax as we enter the New Year. Our hearts and homes are clean and, literally and symbolically, ready for whatever God wants to do in and through us in 2016.

Reflect
As 2015 winds away, this will be our family’s time to reflect on all that has taken place over the last year.

Rejoice
This will also be our time to look ahead once again and rejoice at the possibilities and promises The Lord holds in His Hand.

I hope that your family finds a way to make this season of change meaningful as well as fun! We have our Sparkling Cider on ice at this very moment! Cheers! And Happy New Year!

With Much Gratitude and Expectation,
Dawn~
~Pouring My Life Out in Worship, Like Costly Oil~

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Reflections on 2014

12/29/2014

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"Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each New Year find you, a better person." ~ Benjamin Franklin

Over the past week I have been contemplating some of the valuable and head scratching things I have learned and observed over the past year. I have listen the top five of 2014 here below...

5. Social media makes braggarts of us all! The more interaction I have with social media, the more I see the simplicity of "showing off" at the heart of most posts and tweets. When did we as a society become like this?? I mean I never have, and still don't know many people over the age of 13 who would openly walk around telling thousands of "friends" on a daily basis how wonderful their life is. To a handful of close personal friends and family members, maybe! But this obsession with showing off to the world...it has become a sickness. **Exception Alert** I must admit, I'm always talking about how wonderful my children are at some point or another. But in my defense I claim the same ailment that has plagued mothers since the beginning of time: absolute, unconditional, and blinding Love for one's child. So for moms on social media, you have a pass; you can't help it, it's in your DNA to brag on your children. For those burning up the newsfeeds showing off material possessions that are here today and gone tomorrow, consider toning it down some in 2015, and focusing more (about 90% of the time) on the things that can not be bought or taken away.

4. Being results oriented alone regarding spiritual matters can be a source of extreme discouragement. I've learned this just in the last two days from a discussion with an old acquaintance. I am by nature a results oriented person. I set goals, I create procedures, I plan accordingly, and I anticipate the results based on all of the aforementioned. This is vital to business and even personal success, but ministry and spiritual results are completely in God's hands. Even invoking the most basic principles of sowing and reaping are grounded in His sovereign favor. HE is the one who provides the seed for the sower; HE provides the rain in due season; HE gives strength and knowledge to reap the harvest. Therefore, obedience to act on God's leading is a gift, and the results MUST be left to HIS hand and HIS timing. Expecting our obedience to result in what WE want is a recipe for disappointment. The answer is to simply obey His instructions and leave the results to Him. This leads to joy on the journey of surrender.

3. Always call the police when you are hit by another driver, even if it is on private property because people will lie on you, and the insurance company may deny your claim, and you won't get your car fixed. This one is pretty self explanatory.

2. Enjoying life is optional. Of everything on my list, this has been the hardest lesson to digest. And honestly it took several weeks of "private practice" and "baby steps" to even get started. I'm still in the beginning stages of this journey, but here's the gist of it: I am and always have been the one to nurture and place the needs, wants, and preferences of others above my own, even to my own detriment. Nothing really wrong with this approach to life, but the truth is that nothing is really right with it either. The best approach lies somewhere in the middle of caring for others and caring for self; somewhere in the middle of enjoying what God blessed you with and giving it away to others. No one is going to make you care for yourself, and enjoy the life God blessed you with, so both are optional. YOU have to decide to say thank you to God and receive for YOURSELF some of the goodness, opportunities, and blessings God has allowed you to see. No one is going to force it on you.

1. There is a difference between those who care at the moment/publicly/when it's to their advantage, and those who care. Know the difference. Definitely the biggest lesson I have learned in a variety of ways this year; it is something you will want to make a clear mental note of and never forget. There will be many people you will come across in your lifetime who will shock you with public displays of friendship and concern, but will shock you even more with private apathy and dismissal. There are those who will hold tight when you have something to offer, or when befriending you gains them some kind of advantage, but will despise and reject your friendship when those times have passed. Those who care are consistent in their care whether it is a small or life changing matter. They will entertain the silliest calls and smallest concerns that will never, ever get recognized publicly or warrant an IOU. Not because of the subject matter, but because of you.

I hope some of my lessons of 2014 will be helpful to you today and in the coming year. May 2015 bring the fulfillment of every promise God ever spoke, and every dream you've ever dreamed!

Blessings,
Dawn~
~Pouring my life out in worship, like Costly Oil~

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Thanksgiving Thursday...Well...Kind of

11/21/2012

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For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven. ~Ecc .3:1 (NLT)

Its not quite Thursday...and this is not quite a Thanksgiving post...but oh well! :-)

Instead of doing a Monday Blog I decided to post close to the holiday since hopefully most of us will have some time to really sit and digest (no pun intended) what I am sharing. One of the goals of Costly Oil LP is to inspire and motivate women toward continued development in the Gifts and callings God has given before we were born. As we approach the end of the year, it is always a good thing to focus on reflection and future changes. This post is meant to get that process started, if it has not begun already.

Ladies, we have less than ten days left in November, and you need to know who and what you are TAKING into 2013 by Dec. 1st!!! Notice I said TAKING not allowing to COME with you. There IS a difference...

Who and what you TAKE with you needs to be strategically planned and documented and made plain for all involved. These are the people and situations that: 1. GOD has told you are to remain in your life for another season; and, 2. Clearly understand, value, and respect you and what you bring to their life and situation. These are your God connections, and iron sharpeners! These folks and situations will both open doors of opportunity, and help you sharpen your Gift in order that you might be prepared for the next level God is taking you to.

What and who COMES with you are those people and situations that you still need to add value/pour into. These are your investment opportunities plain and simple. You both see the need for you in the situation, and they are getting MORE from you than you are from them. You are investing, and the return comes primarily from their growth, development, and eventual ability to do the same by paying it forward.

If you don't already know by now who and what you are TAKING, and who and what is COMING into 2013 with you, I challenge you to go on a fast and start praying IMMEDIATELY! Don't let 2013 catch you carrying baggage that should have been left in the recycled bin (things to be used in another season by another consumer).

D~

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Preparing for 2018

2018 Prep, Prayer Project - Theme Verse:

"May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us - yes, establish the work of our hands."
~Psalm 90:17 (NIV)

Happy New Year 2017

Special NYE 2016 Edition Blog

Reflections on 2014

Thanksgiving Thursday...Well...Kind of

Make Mondays Matter

~dlb~
dawnlbedingfield

Archives

Categories

Preparing for 2018

2018 Prep, Prayer Project - Theme Verse:

"May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us - yes, establish the work of our hands." ​~Psalm 90:17 (NIV)

Happy New Year 2017

Special NYE 2016 Edition Blog

Reflections on 2014

Thanksgiving Thursday...Well...Kind of

Make Mondays Matter

~dlb~dawnlbedingfield

Archives

Categories

"May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us - yes, establish the work of our hands."
~Psalm 90:17 (NIV)

~dlb~
dawnlbedingfield