Tag: Challenge

Family Share

What are your secret fears?

EllyFilhoLeave a comment

A 365 Day Challenge Day #28

Preparing the Way

Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. Revelation 22:12

Things aren’t right here on planet Earth. We all know this. Sickness, poverty, injustice, and oppression are not God’s intention or design. Many of our prayers will be devoted to fixing what is wrong in our bodies, our finances, our relationships, our world. The children of God continue to pray, even though many wrongs have not yet been corrected. Does it do any good? Does all this praying have any traction with God?

The Bible describes a time when God will come to earth to make all things right. What does He do first? He gathers up all the prayers of His people and pours them out on the earth. In other words, your prayers, combined with the prayers of good people throughout the ages, are preparing the way for God to fix everything that’s broken in our world. Your prayers are helping to craft a new world, where everything is the way, it should be. God’s perfect design for humanity and creation will be restored to earth once again.

God, here’s what I look forward to You fixing…

The injustice of this place.
The unkindness.
The lack of love.
The insecurity.
The way people judge each other.
I also look forward to you fixing my life in general.

Featured Image -- 304

A 365 Day Challenge Day #29

Intimate Friendship with God 

What you’re after is truth from the inside out. Enter me, then; conceive a new, true life. Psalm 51:6 

God longs to be your most intimate friend. He can be trusted with your most guarded secrets. Your prayers form the fabric of a closer and closer relationship. In your conservations with other people, discretion will guide you into being selective with what you share depending on the nature of the relationship. But those filters don’t apply when it comes to your time alone with God. You truly can share anything with Him.

What are your dreams? What are your secret fears? All those things that are most personal about you are safe with God. As you invite Him into all these hidden places in your heart, you’ll find yourself becoming stronger as a person because His reassuring presence will fill those places inside you that are most fragile.

Making yourself vulnerable to God actually makes you less vulnerable as a person because that spiritual intimacy becomes a source of emotional strength. Talk about anything with God and don’t be afraid to go into those things that matter most to you.

God, the secret I want to share with You is….

I’m afraid, I have a lot of fears, and most of the time I have no strength, but I keep going. Day by day with your help.

Challenge · Devotion · Family Share · World VS Life

The perspective that changes Everything

EllyFilhoLeave a comment

A 365 Day Challenge Day #26

The perspective that changes Everything

The fear of the Lord _ that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding. Job 28:28 

Understanding God’s true place in the universe gives your prayers depth they would not otherwise have. As you ponder the certainty of His victory over evil, as you consider how deeply He cares, your own confidence in God’s answers to your prayers will grow, and the nature of your prayers will change. You will begin to see things from an eternal perspective and long for the same things that God Himself desires.

The Bible calls this ” the fear of the Lord.” This is a settled determination never to go against the Almighty, a reverential awe for His majestic presence and purposes, a healthy respect for His power, and a complete trust in the goodness of His motives; an understanding that God really does know best. As you pray from this perspective, your fear of people and circumstances wanes, your faith grows, and your doubts diminish. You begin to see how God can use even a small person to make a big difference, and your prayers will echo God’s deepest desires.

God, show me who You really are, especially with regard to…

It’s been a little over 2 years and I’ve been praying and waiting.
Show me who you really are God. Make a difference in my life. I need my confidence in God to grow. It’s been a true struggle and frustrating moments. Help me look into the future and not the past.

Photo courtesy Michelle W.

A 365 Day Challenge Day #27

A Beautiful Aroma

Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice. Psalm 141:2

In the process of selling a home, sometimes real estate agents ask their clients to bake bread just before the house is shown to a prospective buyer. Why? Research has shown that certain smells, such as fresh-baked bread or cookies, attract buyers, while other odors, such as chlorine bleach, repel them.

Did you know that your prayers actually have a beautiful aroma? The Bible describes the prayers of God’s people as “golden bowls of incense” in heaven carried by the angels into the presence of God. God loves the smell of your prayers. What you share from your heart is honored in heaven and long remembered by God.

There isn’t anything you need to off to make your prayers more attractive; they already are beautiful to God because they come from an honest and sincere heart. It’s eloquence of the spirit not vocabulary that matters to God. Trying to impress Him is a useless exercise. He hears and He answers because He cares deeply about you.

God, what is on my heart today is…

I woke up this morning with a lot in my heart. I was grateful God answer prayers. I have been asking for closure on an ongoing matter in my life and just this week I received a letter. It wasn’t closure but, it’s the beginning of the end, and I was very happy. In my heart today I’m asking God to see me through. I need this to be resolved and soon.

Devotion · Family Share · photography · reeding · World VS Life

What do you want from me?

EllyFilhoLeave a comment

A 365 Day Challenge Day #24

Asking for What You Want

{God} Listens to the godly person who does his will. John 9:31 

It’s exciting to know that you, by your prayers, might shape the nature of God’s intervention into human experience. Throughout the Bible, God listens to and responds to the specific prayers of His people. On one occasion, the people of God were attacked by enemy armies. Daylight was needed for a proper defense to be made and for a lasting victory to be won. The leader of God’s people called out to God, asking that He delay the sunset long enough for their army to prevail. God had an unlimited number of options, but He let a human being decide which one He would employ.

In the same way, many times God simply waits to find out how you would like to proceed. He can do anything, but He sometimes gives you the role of deciding what that “anything” is going to look like.

sad_girl___by_emoticide

When you pray in accordance with God’s will and purpose, you often set a course of action by your prayers. Don’t hesitate to figure out exactly what you want and ask God for it.

God, in accordance with Your will, I would want…

Oh! I want so many things. The real question is what do I need? Well, actually the question is in accordance with God’s will. I don’t know what God wants from or for me. Just this past week I asked him to exact this question. ” What do you want from me, God?”
I prayed for financial, my kids crashed my car. I prayed for love and peace that lovely neighbor won’t stop talking crap about me and getting on my nerves. I pray for health I get sick (or been sick for the past 2 months just getting worst)

What do you want from me, GOD?

pol

A 365 Day Challenge Day #25

Representing God’s Interests

As a person who prays, you represent the interests of God, looking for ways to further the purpose of God in your own life and in the lives of others. Your requests stem from your understanding of God. As you see the good that God wants to do in the lives of the people He loves, you will become bold to ask Him for what might be humanly impossible.

Your love for God will give depth and meaning to your prayers. you will gravitate toward higher motivations. For example, while you could pray for a million dollars because you want a nice house and fancy cars and luxurious vacations, your love for God might instead cause you to pray for a million dollars because you want to build and staff an orphanage in Asia. same prayer__different motives.

Many Christians use the phrase, ” in Jesus’ name,” when they pray. This is a way to underscore the idea that our prayer is intended to further God’s good purposes on this earth. Our motive is to pray for His interests.

God, based on my understanding of what You want, here’s my request…

My prayer request has been simple lately.  Health, the safety of my kids, and the salvation of my family Amen!
photo 1c378e67c9d74f5eb5872db3c191bec8.jpg

Challenge · Family Share · photography · Wordless · World VS Life

#30DayPhotography Challenge

EllyFilhoLeave a comment

DAy10

“Childhood”

Childhood is a magic castle of sand on a shore:
One moment, it’s here; the next no more.

 Author: Unknown

blackandwhite · brazilian · Challenge · entertainment · family · Family Night · Family Share · Fashion · fun · kids · love · mom · motherhood · Niche · party · photography · Poem · Style · women · Wordless · World VS Life

#PhotoAdAy

EllyFilhoLeave a comment

#30DayPhoto

photo 23884528311_1342d51a42_z.jpg
Day 2 what I wore

I started a 30-day photo challenge and only did a day one.
Didn’t get to keep going. My days have been so busy I can’t keep up with all I’ve set up myself to do.

I started way too many challenges and I never finish LOL.
I wanted to upload all the images up to date so I can catch up in this post and go on day to day as the days go on. I do apologize to the people who follow my blog and expect it to be so right all the time, but hey! I’m only human.

First of all, I’m a wife, (to a pastor of a church) and a mom to 3 teens 🙂 (so this includes all mom and wife duties LOL)
We go to church 3 times a week
I’m currently on a 365-day prayer challenge that I do every day (just don’t have the time to post it)
I’m on a Theological school that I have to study and do a test every month (that’s in Portuguese and extremely hard because of the language) I’m taking a 6.00.1x introduction to computer science as a tool to solve real-world analytical problems at MIT. (Also, really hard and time-consuming)

I have online media groups that requires me to post every day or every week in order for me to remain a member (time-consuming)
So, keeping up with all this and feeling sick, and all doctors appointments is not easy but it’s something I love to do. It’s me 🙂
I just wanted to ask for patience .. and say thank you!

Untitled
Day 4 Something Green – My kids playing at the Gillette Stadium
photo IMG_0022.jpg
Day 5 – From a High Angle
Untitled
Day 6- From a Low Angle 
book · Challenge · Devotion · Family Share · World VS Life

Not a performance

EllyFilhoLeave a comment

235c77e1ff0a7b831455ad2a4601aebe

A 365 Days Challenge Day #16

Not a performance

Many people are concerned that they don’t know the right words to say when they pray. But Jesus assures us that prayer is not a performance that will be graded, but instead a moment to be shared. ” Go into a hiding place and pray,” Jesus says. No one needs to watch your prayers and give their seal of approval.

In a healthy family, children don’t recite a script when addressing their parents; they just open their mouths and the words tumble out. In a happy marriage, spouses often speak to each other in cryptic, incomplete sentences. Their words would make little sense to someone on the outside, but, between the two of them, there’s a world of meaning.

The best prayers are not necessarily the most eloquent, but rather the most heartfelt. The syntax and grammar of prayer are honestly and humility. Anyone, anytime can let go of pride and bow his or her heart before God. That posture of the heart gives all of us equal footing with God.

Heavenly Father, it’s easiest for me to talk to You when…

The easiest time and place is the comfort of my home. Just this morning as I was getting ready for church I was in a big argument with my closet because half of my clothes didn’t fit and the other half is too big. So I stopped to look at the time and noticed I was getting late, and thought to myself. What’s more important? Me getting or even going to church? or looking good? Dressing all up? I believe it’s what I’m going there for, and what my heart is feeling, my humility, not my pride, and certainly not my looks. The outside shouldn’t matter. If going to a place to talk to God, I need to look better than someone than I don’t want to go there. I shouldn’t feel like that. I need to look and feel my best but not for others. So the comfort of my home is my best place.

pol

71db075e768c6a8b09ab9e6576fd4ec1

A 365 Days Challenge Day #17

Our Father in Heaven

Prayers flows out of relationship. It is your connection with God that creates your conversation with God. As you come into relationship with Him, you experience Him not as some remote deity, but as your loving Father who deeply cares about you.

Earthly fathers can be awesome, aloof, abusive, or absent altogether. Your relationship with your biological or adoptive father may have been less than perfect. But things are different with Father God.He is always there for you. He understands. He always has time for you. He never forgets, never fails to keep a promise. He will encourage you and never put you down. In this relationship you can be yourself because He is here to coach you into fulfilling your true potential. When it comes time for correction, your heavenly Father always acts with kindness, never with the heavy hand of condemnation.

Knowing God’s great care for you as your Father frees you to bring anything that is on your heart to him. He will care for you.

Lord God, when I think of You as my Father, I…

When I think of you I remember you always have time for me.
You never forget me, You never fail me, You always keep a promise, you encourage me.
You will Never put me down. You will forever LOVE ME for who I AM.

Challenge · Family Share · mom · motherhood · photography · Style · women · Wordless · World VS Life

#30DayPhotography Challenge

EllyFilhoLeave a comment

Day 1 Self-Portrait

cc5195c8-9fd4-4035-84fe-e5f79b09047a

The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” 1 Samuel 16:7

4faa843a40e5f34fbea66554f63de375

book · Challenge · Devotion · family · Family Share · love · mom · motherhood · photography · Poem · reeding · Review · sunday devotion · women · Wordless · World VS Life

I just gotta say this…

EllyFilhoLeave a comment

A 365 Days Challenge Day #6

photo 1_1.jpg

A Place for Prayer

The great thing about meeting with God is that you can meet Him anywhere. He can be found on the factory floor just as readily as He can be experienced in a cathedral. If you could find a way to travel to the most distant galaxy, you would find that God is already there.

But just as a couple much in love will seek out a quiet place to be alone together, so you may also wish to find a place all your own to meet with God. You might find a place in your home where you can be free to focus on God. Or you might enjoy connecting with God outdoors along a nature trail or in a park.

photo altalenando-1048171_960_720.jpg

Maybe you would prefer to meet privately with God in a church building or mix it up so you don’t get bogged down by too much routine.

photo 72ce805b175efc2fa617004099ae6f6f.jpg

 

As you move forward in your journey, you’ll identify the atmosphere that works best for you. A place for prayer helps you grow in your friendship with God.

God, the place that works best for me to communicate with You is…

The Best place for me to communicate with God is where ever I communicate period. I think the important thing is to separate the time and communicate, and by doing it is what really matters. Of course we all have our little secret special place like our closet, for me, it’s the laundry room or the shower hahaha.
I always have long dialogs at those special times. 🙂

He said, ” My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14 NASB

photo dfd62e3c8fe80ec7961b93309a84ecca.jpg

Dear Lord, 
You have the power to do more than I ask, more than I can imagine!
When I come to you in prayer then, let me do so knowing what great power You hold over any situation in my life.
I cannot measure Your power or truly even conceive of it in its fullness, but I know that the One who designed the universe by simply speaking it into being has the power to design my life.
I believe You can remold and reshape me and any circumstance in which I may find myself. 
God, I praise and thank You for my life and all that You are doing even now to help me.
Lord, I thank You for Your powerful and loving Spirit and for shaping me in ways that only serve to make me stronger. 

Amen. 

12cfa28db7bf1bb3de78466ee5eee084

find-us-on-youtube_button

 

red-fancy-pinterest-button

 

twitter-9b

 

facebook_logo298

Causes · Challenge · Devotion · Family Share · mom · motherhood · photography · reeding · Review · sunday devotion · women · World VS Life

Pray Without Quitting

EllyFilhoLeave a comment

A 365 Days Challenge Day #5

photo 8d668806ab1236358d27a2e6c3f7bf3c.jpg

Pray Without Quitting

Does it seem your prayers have gone unanswered? Never give up. Find new ways to pray, and discover new ways to see your circumstances.

This requires a combination of teachability and persistence. If your prayers are answered in a way different than you expect, ask God what He wants to teach you through the experience. Ask Him again and again to show you what you need to know. Do you need to ask for something different? Do you need to wait longer for an answer? Listen and watch for God’s answers. If you are willing to listen and watch for God’s answers. If you are willing to learn, He is happy to teach. if you have patience, you’ll find His timing is perfect. Meanwhile, keep on asking.
photo ad2ac79bce8b84add7536b33f84f4d34.jpg
Persistence forges strength of character that comes from refusing to quit, even when the path isn’t easy. By persisting, you join Him in His determination to make things right. Pray without quitting.

Heavenly Father, the things I want to persist in asking for are…

I want to be more persist in asking for patience. God knows I need it, more than I realize it. I need to pray without quitting and learn from whatever God gives me for an answer.
photo 9288a45c71f423ce552c36c600222954.jpg

red-fancy-pinterest-button

Budget · Challenge · coupons · family · Family Share · frugal · savings

#BudgetWithElly the @DaveRamsey Style

EllyFilhoLeave a comment

Let’s start today with what I did to become frugal and try to be Debt free.
My husband inspired me by listening to ” The Dave Ramsey Show ” and he came home one day and said, can you listen to this guy I think he’s awesome. I decided to listen to Dave Ramsey for the first time and I thought to myself. Can we do this? Can we really be debt free? Is it possible to pay over $10k of credit card bills and actually live like ” No One else, so later in life we can live like no one else? __ Dave Ramsey”
19c6b-later-ppsize

So, who is this Dave anyways?
Dave Ramsey is a personal money management expert, radio talk show host and TV personality who over the years has helped thousands of people become debt free and change their financial lives.

Before I started to listen to Dave, we had to make a decision, to either listen and apply or don’t do it at all. I started to believe we could and believed in GOD we could do it. AM I there? no! not yet, but we have a lot less to go. 🙂

We started with Dave Ramsey’s baby steps that are

Baby Step 1 – $1,000 to start an Emergency Fund
Baby Step 2 – Pay off all debt using the Debt Snowball
Baby Step 3 – 3 to 6 months of expenses in savings
Baby Step 4 – Invest 15% of household income into Roth IRAs and pre-tax retirement
Baby Step 5 – College funding for children
Baby Step 6 – Pay off home early
Baby Step 7 – Build wealth and give!
we are obviously not anywhere close to where we would like to be, but we will get there.
We had to make some sacrifice, especially at the beginning. It’s not easy because it requires sacrifice. And it’s not a lot of fun. We started less than a year ago.
So, I decided to start looking at all the ways I could save, and I started doing the frugal mom thing (Coupons) I save over $200 a month just on coupons alone. Some people are embarrassed to use them, I’m not simple as that. they are there to help you and you’re not stealing from someone, So why not?

Budget-Quote

A lot of people talk about how to change their financial lives but never touch on the fact that if you or your spouse isn’t ready to change, it isn’t going to happen. You have to want to change.
His plan might not be perfect for everyone, but it does point everyone in the right direction.
What is your life’s purpose? When you find it, you’ll find the motivation you need to live according to your financial plan, even when it’s tough. Making these steps require a budget. In order to succeed with these bigger goals, you’ve got to make it work day-by-day. Paying off your debt snowball requires snowflakes. And you and your spouse need to regularly communicate.
Give it a try, visit the Dave Ramsey site and other budgeting sites and get started. Believe me, It’s never too late 🙂

red-fancy-pinterest-button