#WorshipWednesday

I'm not afraid of admitting my faults. I'm not afraid to admit that I'm not a perfect Christian. And I'm not afraid to tell you there is no such thing as a perfect Christian.

I'll be honest. I have felt a bit out of touch with the Lord. I focused a lot of concentration on Lent, but came away realizing that I didn't spend much time in prayer. I need to work on that. I often find myself praying as I lay down at night or as soon as my alarm goes of in the morning, only to fall asleep mid-prayer. God deserves so much more than a sleepy, unstructured prayer. Or I may begin to pray and have a conversation with the Lord, only to see something shiny and lose my concentration. Feeding My Temple was founded on a prompting from the Lord, then name even comes from scripture. I consider my faith to be the foundation of who I am.

So, I ask you today-how do you make prayer a priority? Same time, same place each day? Use a devotional? Read some scripture and pray about it? Have you struggled with making prayer a priority? Or is prayer a part of you life just as brushing your teeth each day is?

morning announcements

Good Morning, friends! I hope you all had a fabulous weekend! We had such beautiful weather. So thankful!

For those of you who are observing Lent and Easter, here is a quick reminder that this is Holy Week. Although, I'm sure you all knew that. My first active participation of Lent has been a great one. I have been fasting from sweets (something physical) and negative words (something sinful). This week will be an intense one filled with a lot of reflection, prayer, and refection. I hope you join me. You can find today's Lenten prayer here.

This is also my last call for my 30 Day Fitness Challenge Group participants! I only have 2 spots left!! Who wants them? Not sure what the 30 Day Challenge is (she says, having an answer ready)?

As part of my group, you'll be one of five likeminded people. We'll track our progress along the way, hold each other accountable, and motivate, inspire, and encourage each other to achieve amazing results. It is time to get serious about your fitness, especially with swimsuit season RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER! If you are interested and ready to take charge, comment below with your email address and I will send you all the info to get set up, or you can email me at feedingmytemple@gmail.com. Let's do this! 

Also, have you linked up for the Spring Fling today? You should see the giveaway...wow. 

Worship Wednesday

Some of you enjoyed the prayers for Lent I was posting a few weeks ago, so this Wednesday, I am sharing a week's worth of Lenten prayers. It will get you through next Wednesday! Come back then for some more!

A Lenten Prayer for Wednesday
Loving and merciful God, 
I am so aware of my sins and weaknesses.
But as painfully aware of my faults as I am,
Let me also remember your tender love,
your gentle and limitless forgiveness.
I come before you filled with pain and guilt
but look into your eyes and see the forgiving love
I so long for in my life.
Help me to forgive the same way.
Teach me to love as you love. 


A Lenten Prayer for Thursday
Merciful Father/ Loving Mother, 
I know that the tiny sacrifices I make this Lent 
can never serve as a real penance in my life. 
But help me to make my whole life 
one of following your Son. 
I am filled with your love. 
Let your love shine out from within me 
and guide my life in this sacred journey 
toward the Easter joy you offer me. 


A Lenten Prayer for Friday
Loving God of forgiveness, 
I come before you humbled and sad 
in the face of my own repeated failings. 
I hold out my hands as a petitioner would, 
asking for mercy. 
It is then that I feel you reach out and take my hand 
in your loving grasp. 
Thank you for the love you pour out on me
so lavishly. 
Help me to follow more closely 
in the path you have set for me, 
the path of your Son. 


A Lenten Prayer for Saturday
Lord, 
what you ask of my life seems so right. 
It is how I want to live, 
following your Son, Jesus, so closely. 
And yet I fail so often to stay on that path. 
I cannot do it alone, loving Lord. 
I need your help and guidance. 
I need to remember your love for me 
and I want to remember 
how very much I need you in my life. 


A Lenten Prayer for Sunday
My loving Lord, 
it's so hard to love the world sometimes 
and to love it the way Jesus did seems impossible. 
Help me to be inspired by his love and 
guided by his example. 
Most of all, I want to accept that I can't do it alone, 
and that trying is an arrogance of self-centeredness. 
I need you, dear God, to give me support in this journey. 
Show me how to unlock my heart 
so that I am less selfish. 
Let me be less fearful of the pain and darkness 
that will be transformed by you into Easter joy. 


A Lenten Prayer for Monday
God of love, 
I know that you are the source of all
that is good and graced in my life.
Help me to move from the life of sin
to which I so often cling,
into the new life of grace you offer me.
You know what I need to prepare for your kingdom.
Bless me with those gifts. 


A Lenten Prayer for Tuesday

Loving God, 
You have heard my complaints, my impatience.
Sometimes I become frightened
when I move away from you.
Guide my heart back to you.
Help me to think beyond my own wants
and to desire only to do you will.

Thank you for the many blessings in my life
and for the ways I feel your presence.

Worship Wednesday

The Second Week of Lent

Wednesday

God of Love, 

through this Lenten journey,

purify my desires to serve you.

Free me from any temptations to judge others,

to place myself above others.

Please let me surrender even my impatience

with others,

that with your love and your grace,

I might be less and less absorbed with myself,

and more and more full of the desire

to follow you, in laying down my life

according to your example.

tuesday things

Hey, friends! How are you? Ok, a few things today! 

1. I realized I never posted about my change in sponsorship status! Whoops! You can find all the details here, but quickly, I am now charging for ad space. I will no longer be accepting swap sponsors. I have some very reasonable rates for monthly ads. You DO NOT have to be a blogger to advertise with me. Own a shop? Scentsy consultant? Want to advertise a service? You can do that here! I am on track to hit 100,000+ pageviews this month and I have some prime real estate for you! 

2. Mad man Tony Horton just about killed me last night....in a good way. He lives in my TV and he makes me workout. It's glorious. 

3. Pinterest inspired nails! Dark plum with a chunky glitter top coat.

And now, continuing with our Lent tradition:

A Lenten Prayer for Tuesday

Father of my soul,

Mother of my heart, 

I know your love for me is limitless beyond imagining. 

You care for me as a loving parent. 

Through my smallest Lenten sacrifices, 

help me to become less selfish 

and more aware of your ways. 

Fan the flame of my desire 

to draw ever closer to you. 

Guide me to seek your love.

A Brag on My Husband & A Lenten Prayer for Friday

My  husband was out of town last weekend for a race. While he was gone, he picked me up a little gift! A Mistura watch! He owns one, I have a smaller purple one, and we eve gave our pastor one as a gift for marrying us. 

Mistura Watches are based in Dallas. They are all handmade from South American wood. This one has a beautiful multicolored face. Those flowers? They are REAL.

I'm in love with it! Perfect for the warmer weather (oh wait, we never had a winter)!

A Lenten Prayer for Friday

Lord, 

I know how much you love me. 

It’s hard for me to feel it sometimes, 

but I know your love is always with me.

Help me to use your love as a way 

to persevere in my Lenten intentions. 

I am weak, but I know with your help, 

I can use these small sacrifices in my life to draw closer to you.

A Lenten Prayer for Thursday

A fine prayer from this great Lenten resource at Creighton University

Lord,  
Let everything I do this day and in this season of Lent
come from you, be inspired by you.

I long to be closer to you.
Help me to remember that nothing is important in my life
unless it glorifies you in some way.

It's so easy to get caught up in the day to day of my life and keep saying,
"Tomorrow, I will spend more time in prayer,"
but now my longing meets your love and I want to do it now. 
Help me to rely on you for help.

The prayer asks you that I reach perfection.
Please, Lord, remind me that "perfection"
isn't the crazy, "successful" way I try to live my life,
but a perfection of my most authentic, real self.
My "perfection" might be holding my many flaws in my open hands,
asking you to help me accept them.

Heal me, Lord, and help me to find you in the darkness of my life. 
Let me reach out in this darkness and feel your hand and love there to guide me

Lent

Today is Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent.

I will be honest. Before I was actively in the Word or around anyone who was a frequent church goer, I had NO CLUE what Lent was...or (if I'm going to be really honest) what Easter was all about. Embarrassing, I know. At least I'm honest with you all.

And really since I have accepted Christ into my life, I didn't really get Lent either...

This year I decided to do my research, read, pray, and decide what Lent was all about. I did. And I decided to actively participate this year.

Lent is a time when Christians prepare for Easter by observing a period of fasting, repentance, moderation and spiritual discipline. The purpose is to set aside time for reflection on Jesus Christ - his suffering and his sacrifice, his life, death, burial and resurrection.

For the next 40 days, until Easter (Sundays don't count) I will be fasting from 2 things. 

• Sweets. This means cookies, candy, cake, pie, ice cream....you get the point. 
• Negative words. I will speak blessings upon my life and those of others. 

These are 2 things I struggle with (sweets since I was pregnant) and through much prayer and discipline I hope to overcome them! 

It probably goes without saying, you will find much of my Lent experience here at Feeding My Temple.

Some dates to take note of: 

• February 22 - Ash Wednesday
• April 1 - Palm Sunday
• April 5 - Maundy (Holy) Thursday
• April 6 - Good Friday
• April 8 - Easter Sunday

Will you be participating in Lent this year? What will you be fasting from? Many of you shared via Facebook and Twitter some interesting choices! 

Fear

Chocolate

My Sweets (favorite)

Television

Soda

OH! In case you were wondering, I'm not Catholic. :)

A Psalm Reading For Ash Wednesday

Psalm 51

1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,

and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgement. 5 Indeed, I was born guilty,

a sinner when my mother conceived me.

6 You desire truth in the inward being;* therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart. 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice. 9 Hide your face from my sins,

and blot out all my iniquities.

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right* spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,

and sustain in me a willing* spirit.

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. 14 Deliver me from bloodshed, O God, O God of my salvation,

and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance.

15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. 16 For you have no delight in sacrifice; if I were to give a burnt-offering, you would not be pleased. 17 The sacrifice acceptable to God* is a broken spirit;

a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Worship Wednesday

I recently started another YouVersion reading plan: ESV Study Bible. Day 1 was killer. There were three verses to read and the one below was the first one. It really spoke to me and honestly, had a lovely calming effect...or maybe that was the ocean sound sleep app I had playing on the iPad. I am so weird.

Ecclesiastes 3

A Time for Everything

1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

2  a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;3  a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;4  a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;5  a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;6  a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;7  a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;8  a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.

Have an outstanding day, friends. 

Worship Wednesday

No, God is not dead. He is alive. He is. 

Worship Wednesday

(source)

Heart Therapy {Insecurities}

Now that things are somewhat normal again, I have linked up with Eisy Morgan for this week's Heart Therapy again! 

Go here for {hopes and dreams}.

Go here for {thankful}.

Ok...

Here goes.

I would like to think I'm a pretty confident person, but in reality...no one is. You see, I'm a planner. I like to know what's coming. I run almost all scenarios through my imaginative brain, planning them all out. Guess what? I'm not in control. I know this. I know it all too well. But I forget it just as frequently...when things don't go my or the way I thought it was going to go, yikes.

I know that sounds very brat-ish, but I promise, its not. I truly believe it is a security thing. I need to know what lies ahead, how I will deal with it, what I will say, what route I will take, how the day will go, what I will do next....Ugh. It just sounds exhausting once I type it all out. I really need to work on this.

Relax, Allison, relax.


I'm also insecure when it comes to what people think about me. I did this thing starting in middle school where I seriously thought everyone liked me and no one ever spoke bad about me. What world was I living in? I was in complete denial for several years. The first time I heard about someone saying something ugly about me, I felt like I had just been punched. What did I think was so special about me that made me immune to gossip? No idea.

Get a clue, Allison, get a clue.

Since joining the rest of the general public in reality, I still take hateful words and trash talking waaaay to personally. Why should I care? At the end of my life, am I really going to be concerned about what some miserable dude at work said about me? No.

Let's see....what else am I insecure about? Oh right, my blog. I'll be honest, it was really hard to tell people about my blog, even my husband. (See the previous paragraph.) I thought "this could go one of two ways-1.) people will hate who I am or 2.) people are going to think I am so self absorbed because I started a blog...about myself." 99% of the time, I get a great reaction. I have said it a hundred times, but the blogging community is such a wonderful place. SO many supportive bloggers and readers, but it is still hard to put yourself out there. This is one insecurity that I feel myself letting go of (slowly). 

I'm also insecure about about sharing my faith. I'm sure I will be scrutinized for that, but hey, I'm just being honest. I grew up in a place that had a church practically every half mile, but my husband was the first person to ever share Christ with me...4 years ago. For this very reason, I am not confident in sharing my faith because I feel like a "rookie" Christian, but at the same time, it reminds me of why I should be bold about sharing. Not to be selfish, but I went 23 years of my life not knowing about Jesus, but grew up in the "Bible Belt." Seriously? I just feel like I don't know enough to answer all the questions everyone has...but ya know, I should just get over it. As a follower of Christ, it is my responsibility and privilege to share my faith with other. That was also a main reason I started my blog. Blogging was something that was on my heart for a while, and once I listened to that, I knew that my blog was going to faith based. It has been a big stepping stone for me towards getting over my fear of sharing my faith. 

Giving Thanks

Colossians 4:2

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

I will admit that a lot some of the time, I could point out 10 negative things in life before one positive thing ever come onto my radar. I need to work on that. 

I told my husband that I am ridiculously excited for Thanksgiving this year. Why? No clue. I mean, someone might need to give me a sedative soon. I'm that excited. 

I even bought a new edition of Trivial Pursuit so that a family game will, without a doubt, take place. Who am I???

 Last year, the holidays were pretty much a miserable blur for me. (Yeah, boo hoo, Debbie Downer.) I was 4 months post baby and a hot mess....physically and emotionally. 2010 was filled with a whirlwind of events including (but certainly not limited to) getting pregnant, getting married, having a baby, and buying a house. I had no clue on where to start managing my time as a full time working mom and wife...and workout? Don't worry. I stumbled through it, without any grace (as in graceful) whatsoever, and came out alive. 

As I reflect on my life over the past 365 days, it is a true and humbling reminder that no matter how much I think I'm in control...I couldn't handle being in control. I have been commanded by my Father to devote myself to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And for me, that feels really good. 

I am thankful for ...

today.

the promises He has given me.

a happy, healthy, and vibrant little boy. 

that he still needs me to rock him to sleep. 

I am thankful for my loving, supportive, and handsome best friend and husband. 

I am thankful for... 

two dogs that could be mistaken for pigs any day of the week. 

all of the family we will be seeing this holiday. 

a great job to return to on Friday. 

I am thankful that I don't have to worry about where our Thanksgiving dinner will come from. 

I am thankful that I do not have to worry if we will have heat tonight. 

And I am thankful for the wonderful blogging community I have found. I have prayed for friends  for...well, a really long time, and I have already met some of the most fantastic women, just by being me. 

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours! 

Sponsor Spotlight Guest Post {Sincerely, Kylee}

Hi there! I'm Kylee from "Sincerely, Kylee"

I would like to thanks to Allison for letting me write this guest post.

Isn't she and her blog awesome?!

She told me I could write about faith. 

It's interesting to me because my life is sort of a wreck at the moment.

My husband and I are saving up to buy our first home. In the mean time, we are living in his brother's converted garage.

I'm still in school until May of 2012. We both work two jobs.

Needless to say, we are stinkin' busy.

So here are three faith related thoughts to remember.

1) it's not okay for us to forget about our priorities. 

It's so easy to forget about what's important, am I right?!

This is so cliche... I know. But seriously, how easy is it to do... especially around the holidays.

(God first, God Second, Spouse third).

2) When you start valuing YOUR time more than the time of those around you... you have got a problem! 

When I get busy, the first thing I start thinking is, "Ugh, I'm so so busy. Why doesn't everyone know how busy I am?!"

(Case and point in the first paragraph, when I told y'all HOW BUSY I AM!).

The fact of the matter is that if you don't have time for God, stuff starts to suck... real quick.

Am I right?!

3) ...without works is dead. 

I'm so waiting on God's plan to take effect, but seriously, at what point do we meet him in the middle? Live, pray, work, breathe and start being what God has intended us to be.

Well, thanks for letting me ramble and share what's been on my heart lately.

Come by and see me. :) HERE

Psalm 109:4 {Worship Wednesday}

One of my many reading plans on YouVersion is the Active Word Daily Devotional. I haven't been doing great with my reading plans recently and I really need to work on that. I know my relationship with the Lord is not based on how many days I have missed my reading plan, but more times than not, they provide prayer and thought provoking view like the one below.

I preface this by saying, I am in NO WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM looking for sympathy when I share this with..well, the world. I have found more and more in my adult years that I really don't "fit in" any kind of group of people. I find myself as the outsider, the joke, or just plain fool. I have shared before, that I desperately want and pray for a good group of girlfriends. Christ minded women and mothers who are walking though life the same way I am. I group to lift each other up, not judge. That's hard to find with women. Really, it is. Women are mean...and dramatic...and catty. One of my consistent prayers with God is one in which I ask for a friend. Really, just one would be enough.

Since diving head first into blogging, I have met some of the most amazing women. I do feel like I "fit in." Women bloggers just want to be themselves. We don't fit in an about me box, we need a whole corner of the internet to express and share our lives. I have met a few women that really do "get it." This gives me hope and quite honestly, something to look forward to.

In the times (past and present), I don't fit in, don't say the right things, or learn I have become a source of hatred, I hope to remember Psalm 109:4.


Psalm 109:4

4 In return for my friendship they accuse me,

but I am a man of prayer.




When you pull back and look at Psalm 109 in its totality, it becomes painfully clear that it's one of David's most heart-breaking compositions. Obviously, he wrote it during a time of unparalleled difficulty and distress, when everything that could possibly go wrong did. Maybe it was when the sting of Ahithophel's betrayal was still fresh, or on the heels of some unrecorded conflict. Whatever the exact circumstances were, they took David to the brink of his breaking point.

And yet, there's a star that shines through all this darkness. Notice that in this state of extreme misery, David gave himself to prayer. All around him there was nothing but heartache, and so he looked up. He looked in that one direction, the only direction in which he could trust there would be a loving heart to receive him.

Sometimes, our lives parallel David's. Our enemies are multiplied and threaten to utterly overwhelm us, and even those we trusted betray us. We're attacked from every angle, except one: from above. The avenue of prayer is still open to us and unlimited resources of God's love, joy, peace, wisdom, and faith are made available to us.

When our lives seem to be racing out of control at breakneck speed, prayer is the brake that saves us. We need to use it. We need to do as David did and give ourselves to prayer when the battle appears hopeless and the floodwaters are at their highest. Don't surrender or roll over in defeat. Don't succumb to the rising tide. Dig deep, call out to God, pray! Take advantage of the one avenue that is and always will be open to you no matter what. 

Hearer of our hearts, may we always and ever pursue the pathway of prayer to You.

When you pull back and look at Psalm 109 in its totality, it becomes painfully clear that it's one of David's most heart-breaking compositions.

How Great is Our God {Worship Wednesday}

I know...its a long video...


In other news....I was featured by these lovely ladies! I really love the blogging community. I have met so many friendly people. :)

Prayer Donor {Worship Wednesday}

I literally just came across something that can and will change the world.

Scott Williams was a campus pastor at a branch of our church that we were a part of for a few years. He has since moved on to other things, but I regularly read many of his posts. Yesterday he shared an organization that's sole purpose is to unite the church and the world through prayer, PrayerDonor.org.

Through their site you can share your own prayers and pray for others all around the world. This is a great reminder of the power of prayer. The power that we most often promise others, but then forget to follow through with that promise.

How many times have you told someone I'll pray for you, only to go right back to your self absorbed life. Me? Too many to count.

I have decided to donate my prayers. Please join me!

Luke 18:1 "Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up."


Prayer Donor from Matthew Sloop on Vimeo.