Heart Restoration: "Watch Your Words Dilegently"

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August 3, 2007

My devotion this morning was entitled “Watch Your Words Diligently.” I found this to be very providential since I have not written a devotional post for some weeks now. How we use our words is very important. Consider the following verses:

“Be quick to listen, slow to speak, … ” James 1:19

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building other up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” Eph. 4:29

“Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing” Prov. 12:18

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Learning to say things which benefit others is part of the journey to heart restoration. It’s so easy to say whatever comes to mind without filtering it through the Holy Spirit who lives in believers in Jesus Christ. I am learning to become more aware of the presence of God throughout the day in order to become more like Christ and to communicate with God continually so that I will say and do more of what is pleasing to Him.

Opposite of the old saying “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words may never hurt me,” I find that words actually hurt more than sticks and stones ever could. As the scripture above states “reckless words pierce like a sword.” So we have the power in our words to hurt or to heal… let’s choose healing.

Praying that our words will be wise, helpful and bring healing.

Heart to heart,

Cindy Calvert

Come, Join the Journey to Heart Restoration

Heart Restoration: Perserverance

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Perserverance…

Long word… fits it’s definition: “to persist in a state, enterprise, or undertaking in spite of counterinfluences, opposition, or discouragement”

To persist in spite of opposition.

Persist:

1 : to go on resolutely or stubbornly in spite of opposition, importunity, or warning
2 obsolete : to remain unchanged or fixed in a specified character, condition, or position
3 : to be insistent in the repetition or pressing of an utterance (as a question or an opinion)
4 : to continue to exist especially past a usual, expected, or normal time

James 1:2-4

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perserverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (NIV)

This is the area God is working on my heart this week. Oh how easy it would be to quit when faced with difficult times. But God gives us the opportunity to turn it all to PURE joy. Not just some fake, superficial happiness, but absolute joy in knowing that he is doing a great work in our hearts. We can become complete…lack nothing. Isn’t that really what our hearts desire?

Yes, I’ve made mistakes this week. Said things that hurt the people I love… but oh the joy of forgiveness and being restored. Oh the pain of living with my mistakes. But I can rest assured that God is developing in me perserverance: the ability to persist in spite of attacks from the enemy, in spite of my own feelings of failure, in spite of my selfishness, and in spite of discouragement.

One day I will be mature and complete… I will lack nothing. A glorious hope for those who are in Christ Jesus.

May God bless you with perserverance during your trials this week.

Praising his Awesomeness and Faithfulness,

Heart to heart,
Cindy Calvert
Come…Join the Journey to Heart Restoration

Heart Restoration: Simple Pleasures

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Simple Pleasure by Bethany Calvert

May 18, 2007

Psalm 16:11
You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

The most simple pleasure I enjoy in life is the joy of being in the presence of God. When I spend time with Him and His word, I am always renewed and refreshed. God never ceases to revel something new… it may be just a new way of thinking about a scripture or song that I have known for years. Sometimes it’s a way of seeing God in a way I’d never known. One of my most recent pleasures was discovering in Zephaniah that God sings. Yes, God sings! Here it is in chapter 3, verse 17:

The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you , he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.

Not only does God sing, but he is singing over me with great delight. I don’t know about you but the thought of God singing over me is astonishing to me… to consider how much God delights in me. I would have never imagined this had I not discovered it in His word. There is also the promise that he will quiet us with His love. Amidst the rush and hurry of your day take some time to enjoy the simple pleasure of God’s presence and His word and let Him quiet your heart with His love.

Heart to Heart,
Cindy Calvert
Come…Join the Journey to Heart Restoration

Heart Restoration: New Every Morning

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May 1, 2007

New Every Morning by Cindy Calvert

One of the greatest benefits of having time with God each day before you start anything else is sensing His presence in your life. If you start the day all hurried and rushed, you do not have time to reflect on His presence. You are not focused on Him and it is so easy to become discouraged.

God is doing a great work in your heart if you believe in Jesus Christ. He is literally transforming you day by day into the image of Christ. How much more we can make of the opportunities sent our way if we begin our day focused and determined to seek God.

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.
I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore, I will wait for him.”
The LORD is good to those whose hopeis in him, to the one who seeks him;
It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.
Lamentations 3: 22-26

I encourage you dear friend, seek Him in the morning and discover His wonderful compassions that never fail. We do not have to be consumed by worry and doubt. Rejoice in this promise.

Heart to Heart,
Cindy Calvert
Come…Join the Journey to Heart Restoration

Restless Heart

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Looking Upward by Cindy Calvert
April 20, 2007
Why do we have such restless hearts?

God has offered us Peace but we settle for restlessness. Naturally we are inclined to do things our own way. I started today in a frenzy. So many things to do …. so little time. I almost neglected to start my day with God. What happened? The anxiety level began creeping up, I could not focus on what was most important for me to do next and I neglected to sense the presence of God in my life.

But I stopped and focused on the Lord. I read my devotional and read in my Bible and I found PEACE. This restless heart found amazing calm. Consider the following verses of scripture:

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Ouiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” Mark 4:39-41 (NIV)

We know the God of the Universe. The One who controls even the wind and the waves. Our hearts can find complete calmness in Him. How much more could we ask for? When we dwell on His word, the Bible, and stop dwelling on all the other voices out there (like the media who ceaselessly pound us with bad news) we will be able to walk steady in life.

“Even though you don’t know what will happen tomorrow, you can be absolutely sure of your ultimate destination,” from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. We are bound for glory and God holds our hand all along the way. (See Psalm 73:23-24)

So will you let God calm your restless heart today? My prayer is that you will find his precious Peace in all you do.

Heart to Heart,

Cindy Calvert
Come… Join the Journey to Heart Restoration

God Meets All Needs!

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April 16, 2007

Philipians 4:19
And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

I just love it when God revels new meaning to scripture that I have known all my life. As I was reading in Philipians 4 today, this is just what happened. I used to look at this passage only from the view of God meeting our physical needs. But today I realized the significance when it says God meets ALL our needs. He meets all needs - spiritual, physical, financial, emotional and mental.

The area that immediately came to my mind was emotional. Learning to lean on God to meet my emotional needs and not depending on others. I have been through depression and the only thing that brought me out was learning to focus on God and His word - not on my insecurity, my doubts, or my inablility to be perfect .

Letting go of guilt was another thing. God met the need for the restoration of our hearts when Christ died on the cross for our sins. We don’t have to feel guilty anymore. Romans 8:1, …there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

I just want to encourage you to let God meet ALL your needs. Watch for His presence in your life. Every trial or trouble is to grow you into the person God wants you to become.

Heart to Heart,

Cindy Calvert
Come… Join the Journey to Heart Restoration

Heart Restoration Update

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April 9, 2007

Creek photo taken by Bethany on our Family Retreat

Living Water by Bethany Calvert
Hi everyone!

I am excited to introduce you to my new articles section. Simply click on the white link in the green bar above “ARTICLES” and enjoy reading my articles written especially for you, my beloved friends.

The picture above was taken by my daughter Bethany during our recent family retreat . You can read my article Family Retreat: Seek the Heart of God for more details of our first ever spiritual family retreat. It was awesome.

Heart to Heart,

Cindy Calvert
Come…Join the Journey to Heart Restoration

Heart Restoration: “Grace”

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April 4, 2007

“Grace” by Bethany Calvert

My dear daughter Bethany chose to name this picture “Grace.” We define grace as “not getting what you deserve.” We all deserve the judgment of God because of our sinful hearts; but if we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, we are saved from this judgment and given the righteousness of Christ. God looks at our hearts and instead of seeing what is inside he sees the heart of Christ. Theologians say it this way: the righteousness of Christ is imputed to us. Noah Webster’s 1828 dictionary definition of impute: To attribute; to ascribe. To reckon to one what does not belong to him.

I’m not sure exactly why Bethany named her photograph “Grace.” I think it’s because grace is such a beautiful thing that God has given us. She recognizes what Christ has done for her and this picture is of a blossom in an unexpected place… on the trunk of the tree. God has place his beauty in us… an unexpected place considering the natural state of our hearts.Ephesians 2: 4-9

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith– and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–not by works, so that no one can boast.

May you experience the beautiful grace of God in a new and special way today.

Heart to Heart,

Cindy Calvert

Come, Join the Journey to Heart Restoration

Heart Restoration: Wait on the Lord & Artwork for you to download

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March 30, 2007

“Wait” by Cindy Calvert

God is doing such a great work of restoration in my heart. I am by His grace, consistently in His Word and it is transforming my life. One of the biggest lessons I am learning is to simply wait on the Lord. Wait for Him to speak to me so I will know His will and purpose for my life. Like you, many things compete for my attention every day. The only way to discern the will of God is to know His Word, to spend time with Him and wait on Him to show you the plans He has for you.

I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. Proverbs 4:11

He promises to show us the right, straight path.

Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you. Psalm 9:10

He will not forsake those who seek Him.

Waiting on the Lord is not equal to being idle is the second lesson I am learning. Consider Philipians 2:12-16

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.

Now this is a tough but beautiful passage. Paul is talking here to the Philipians saying keep on working and being obedient knowing that it is God who is working out his good purpose in our lives. Now the tough part, while you’re working, don’t complain or argue. I love to quote this verse to my children, we even learned the cute little song that sings this verse out, but it is much harder to apply it to my own life. Do I spend my time arguing and complaining or am I patiently carrying on my responsibilities while waiting on the Lord? Now the beautiful part… when we are obedient and continue our work without complaining or arguing we become like stars shining in the universe holding out the word of life to the world.

I want to be a star… God’s star, shining His word to the world. So I will continue to wait on the Lord….daily.

My verse for today: Psalm 27:14

Wait on the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Heart to Heart,

Cindy Calvert

Come, Join the Journey to Heart Restoration

SPECIAL: FREE DOWNLOAD for your desktop

I hope you will like the special treat I have for you. I painted and hand lettered the above picture to share with you. You can download it to your computer to use as a background for your desktop to remind you to Wait on the Lord.

If you have a wide screen click here: Wait on the Lord Widescreen

If you have a full/regular screen click here: Wait on the Lord Full Screen

You should be able to save the image by right clicking on the image when it appears and save to the location of your choice. If you have any problems you can contact me here: Cindy’s email

Heart Restoration: No Fear!!!

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March 21, 2007

I am just beginning to learn deep trust in Jesus. I have trusted in Him for my salvation for many, many years… But there is so much more to trust Him to do. In fact, I’m learning that trusting Him moment by moment is the best way to live. Fear keeps us from many things. Some times it can be good, like fearing deep water if you can’t swim but far too often I believe fear keeps us from the abundant life Christ desires for us. It keeps us from being all Christ died to give us. He died to give us freedom, peace, joy and love. What keeps you from these things? Could it be fear?

My only prayer before having my quiet time of Bible reading and meditation with God this morning was “God, I need some help here.” I needed some clear direction about a decision our family has to make. Do we trust God to provide for our financial needs or do we try to do it all on our own? God recently provided us with knowledge of an opportunity to go to a professional conference to increase our knowledge and learn to create another source of income. This conference is being given by a well respected Christian business yet fear causes us to say… can we really afford to spend the money and take the risk? or is this really legitimate or is this person just taking our money? Automatically our thinking has limited what God can do. If He indeed wants us to go, He can provide the financial means to make it happen. We have to trust not fear.

I opened my devotion book, Jesus Calling:Enjoying Peace in His Presence by Sarah Young , and for today the first line was “Trust Me and Don’t Be Afraid…” God just spoke to my heart. I needed to trust the leading that He put in my heart by His Spirit concerning the conference and stop listening to all the other “voices” that aren’t God. Now I knew that my husband has a harder time with this than me so I asked the Lord for a specific sign. I just thought it, “let there be a check in the mail today if you want us to go to this conference.” See, my fear was not completely gone. But God is so-o-o-0 amazing and faithful. We had no reason to expect a check of any kind… no rebates, no payment for books I sell online. In fact, the truth is we mostly get bills for the debt we have.

When the weather permits I sit on my front porch to have my quiet time, and today was one of those nice sunny, warm mornings. The mail came while I was sitting there. I went to the mailbox… and yes, there was a check. It was a refund for overpayment of a medical bill. It wasn’t a grand amount but it was a check! Now I’m not encouraging you to ask for signs from God, but to trust God. Listen to His voice not all the others out there competing for our attention. Only then will you find all that He wants for you. Today I have found peace and no fear because I know He is my God and He speaks to me when I listen to Him. He even sent me a sign. That, my friend, was just icing on the cake. My cup is full and overflowing with thankfulness.

My verse for today is Isaiah 41:13

For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.

Heart to Heart,

Cindy Calvert

Come, Join the Journey to Heart Restoration

keep looking »

Heart Restoration: "Watch Your Words Dilegently"

Heart Restoration: Perserverance

Heart Restoration: Simple Pleasures

Heart Restoration: New Every Morning

Restless Heart

God Meets All Needs!

Heart Restoration Update

Heart Restoration: “Grace”

Heart Restoration: Wait on the Lord & Artwork for you to download

Heart Restoration: No Fear!!!

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