My journey through life.....

Delayed post: My baby is going to be 13!

2011-10-18T08:54:00.000-07:00

Hee Hee, I had written this a while back, well actually 2 years ago, thought I would go ahead and post it now7/09 Well she is not the baby of the family, she is my oldest. But nonetheless just as special as my other 2! This child is the leader, is very smart, and a pleasure to hang out with. Yes, she is hitting those much feared years by many parents. The teenage years. Woahhaaaa haaa! But really for her its a breeze. It may cause a bit more emotions than we are used to but we are taking it one step at a time. This child has so many wonderful qualities. She is my friend and my daughter, and I am so proud to have her at my side. God really knew what He was doing when He gave her to me first. Being the oldest child is not the easiest job, I understand, but she does it so well. By being the oldest you are held responsible for 99.9% of everything that goes wrong while mom and dad are not in the room. The finger always gets pointed to the oldest. The oldest will be asked to do more. The oldest is asked to do stuff when noone else wants too. The oldest is responsible for keeping the other two quiet when mom or dad are in a "mood". Alot weighs on the oldest child. Yet, the trust that the parents have for the oldest can not be taken lightly either. The oldest is expected to be more responsible because they have been around slightly longer than the other children. They are expected to be the example of the younger ones. My daughter has helped me through alot of trials in life, just by being my daughter. She has made me not want to give up when I really wanted to. All I had to do was look down at her and have her look up to me and that can give any parent enough strength to carry on. She means the world to me, and I just want her to know how proud I am of her. No matter what she does in life, she will succeed. God is in her life so strong, and a mom can want nothing more than that. As long as she keeps a close relationship with God, she will not go wrong. It is difficult to watch my baby grow. To remember no so long ago, her taking the first step, saying "Momma" and "Appy" (happy). To hear her giggle for the first time. To sing her first song, lose her first tooth. Ride her bike, go to preschool, kindergarten. All the firsts, are so memorable. Now, as she grows she is starting to become accountable to her own decisions. I hope and pray that I have taught her all that she needs to know, and God feels in the gaps! Farewell childhood, and welcome Teenage years I know you will do alright!

Bible quizzing practice #1

2011-10-18T08:51:00.001-07:00

Wow! I am on an emotional high right now. It is Tuesday morning, theday after our very first Bible quiz practice. I am so proud that thesechildren are learning the word of God and can quote scripture. I amhappy that God has used my husband and myself to kickoff Biblequizzing in FAC. He has supplied us with people that have similarburdens and children that are willing to put their best foot forward.I am overjoyed right now. God has really blessed us with this one!Words can not express what I feel inside, hey, thats a song...I think.Seriously though, to try to put into words right now what I feel seemsimpossible. I do believe that Bible quizzing is the best thing that Ihave ever been involved in. I am now completely and utterly hooked. Iam by no means a leader but somehow God is working through us to bringthis huge task to completion. God is so good, God IS GOOD! Its what Heis, not the things He does, HE just is GOOD!. If you dont have a localBible quiz team, start one! If you need help, ask around. Find a localchurch that is willing to help you and get it started. You will beblessed and in turn you will secure the life of a young person livingtheir life in God's will. I am amazed with God. I am in shock thatthis is actually happening! Thank you God for placing this in ourcare. Thank you!!! And, I have to gloat for a second...our childrenwere awesome! To personally watch them struggle to learn verses andthen get up their and buzz in and answer ...all I can say is WOW!!! Towatch their hardwork pay off and put into action...WOW!!! I am proudof any child that gets up their and just tries!

My recent blessing

2011-10-03T06:11:00.000-07:00

It has been quite a while since I have posted. Its not that God has not laid anything on my heart its that God has filled up my life! Its unbelievable the blessings God has been arranging in my life these past couple of months. I am no longer weary and tired from trials and tribulations, I am tired in a good way. We went from not doing a whole lot for the church to becoming Sunday School teachers to 9-11 yr olds. Dan began working as the Men's leader and we are both directing and coaching Bible quizzing. Sunday school is exceedingly rewarding. These kids are eager to learn and they participate wholeheartedly. I enjoy every single one of them. Its very rewarding. If you have never taught Sunday School before and you are feeling that your life is not going anywhere and that everything is at a standstill...Go teach Sunday School! While at Camp meeting we were talking to a local pastor and suddenly the burden of Bible quizzing was laid on my heart. It had been on my husbands heart apparently already, but now it was on both of us. From that moment I purposed in my heart that this would go forward. While at Camp meeting we asked around and got feedback and approval to go for it! Everyone I talked to said the same thing " Its a lot of hard work!." But through God all things are possible. Of course, they were all right. It is a lot of work. But....when the kids were so excited about it, it renews your energy. When they run up to you quoting scripture, it reignites the fire inside. When you hear these 7-8 yr olds discussing how hard a verse was and how they memorized it....the burden gets lighter! When I did not think there was anyone that was going to give us a hand and that we would figure this out all alone, God provided. He gave us a local pastor that stretched out and is coaching us along with a great spirit! Its amazing to see God work in your life. When you really dont think there is much to do, God pours down His will and His sustenance to do His will. We have been busy doing fundraising and have been able to order material. The kids actual start day is today with memorization. We have a practice in 2 weeks for the first time. I believe that will help encourage the kids of how much fun this is going to be. My son asked me how can someone do all that we are doing right now...he said you cant do all that. But with God....you can! I am so thankful that God has put this into my life. From where I came from...to where I am now is not by my doing, its God's. If I were to look back when I was...say 13...you would not have thought this was possible in my life. If you were to look back from the age of 15 or 16 or even 3 years ago...you would have said there was no hope. And now, God has blessed this family more than I could have ever dreamed! I had to let go of several things so God could place this in my hands. When I finally said, I am done, God said, Okay, here you go! When I was ready to let go of all the past struggles and the lack of self worth and trust God, He turned around and gave me a gift. Its hard to let go of things, its because we maybe dont fully trust God. If you don't trust someone you are not going to give them something to hold onto for you. Its difficult to let go of things because we have held onto them for so long. Our hands are clasped so tight. But, if you let go, there are blessings abundantly waiting for you. Blessings that you can't contain. I did not come from a line of Pentecostals. I was a bus kid. Every Sunday I rode the bus to Sunday school....who would have thought a bus kid would now be directing Bible quizzing!? Another reason I am not qualified according to this world...I have absolutely no experience in quizzing. I have never quizzed. I have never coached a quizzer. My kids have never quizzed until now. I have never seen an actual quiz. So it has been a lot of added work just learning about it so I can coach the coaches and parents and quizzers. We do have a lot of work ahead of us, but I am so excited about it. We are already successful, because almost all of the quizzers now know Exodus 24:12! And we have not even begun. Let go and Let GOD!!!

True Victory

2011-05-26T06:21:00.001-07:00

In the past I had circumstances that would just knock me off my feet. I would pout, beg, get angry, moody, and fight my way through it. Did it change anything? Did it make it end any faster? Did it change the outcome of the trial?? NO!!! All it did was cause my life to be absolutely miserable through out the whole situation. Not only my life was miserable but I am sure I made alot of other people miserable too. So...what have I learned? Well today as I drove to work I began to think of my current situation of stuff and start getting all mad again. I thought to myself how today was going to be a bad day because of the last couple days of stuff that has come up. I was getting in that mood all over again! Then as I had the radio on to a worship station...I realized that no matter what the circumstance is God is worthy to be praised! He is in control. So even though to me this is the end of the world and the thoughts come and tell me that " this is reallly bad" and "I cant possibly be happy during this" and "its never going to get any better"...I began to worship God and get my mind of the problems and on Him! Guess what happened! I felt better. No, my problems are still there, but now I can face them knowing God is in control. And now I can rest in Him because I gave my burden to Him to hold on to. I will allow Him to guide me through this situation. He is my GPS. He is my guide through this fog. I dont have to walk with my head down and my spirit burdened. I can be guided through this forest with my head held high knowing I am not in control but God is!!! That is true victory: when you can be in the valley and only see mountains surrounding you...but you begin to praise the Lord and have joy in your spirit. Nothing can steal my joy! But I can give it away...Dont give your joy away, its especially helpful to have when you are in the shadow of a mountain! True Victory is being able to face a trial with your head held high and your spirit lifted and hopeful to what is to come!!!

You thought it for evil but God meant it for good

2011-05-23T13:12:00.000-07:00

Gen 50:20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; [but] God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as [it is] this day, to save much people alive.

How many times has someone done something to you in your life and you were hurt so bad by it? I bet your first reaction was not as this scripture says it. One of my favorite people to read about is Joseph. Though he was the favorite son he was later despised by his brothers. He was sold into slavery! And that was the lesser betrayal his brothers decided than actually killing him. I can not imagine sitting in prison for something I did not do. I can't imagine my own siblings despising me enough to get rid of me. And yet Joseph ended up becoming such a great person. A person used greatly to save many people through the drought in Egypt.

I think back to my life and realize now that it really is true that the things in my past, the hurts that have been done to me, the betrayals, the wounds inflicted...each and every circumstance God meant it for good even though each individual thought they were just hurting me. They didn't realize that God was actually using them. Even though there are rough areas in my past, God uses them for the good of not only my future but others. I pray that God would use me to affect people for the good! I thank God for every opportunity to do His will. Love people no matter what they have done to or for you. That is what God wants us to do. Use our lives to help someone else. We all go through things that are unique to what God wants us to go through, so we can reach others that are struggling.

Unanswered Prayers

2011-05-21T21:34:00.001-07:00

Don't get me wrong, I am not a fan of country music by any means! But...Garth Brooks, I believe wrote a song several years ago "unanswered prayers". I dont know the words but a few. I know the meaning of the song though without even hearing it. I know from years of experience the emotions behind such a song. As a parent I have to know when to say "no". If you don't ever tell your children no, they become selfish, self centered, and they will grow up thinking that everything they want, they get. Can you imagine someone in your life that you may have met or a family member that comes to mind that has never heard the word 'no' before? The person that if told no, either makes a way or runs someone over to get their way? Yeah, I have met them. People need to have a good balance of "yes' " and "no's". Adults are the same way, in that aspect, as children. God is now our parent. He is our Father. He knows what is best. He is looking out for our future. I tell my children, its your job to ask for something you want or think you need, and its my job to decide whether you need it or not. Its their responsibility to deal with the outcome. Its my job to enforce the outcome. Its the same way with God. We pray to Him for our wants and our "needs". Even though He knows what we need, I think He enjoys it when we ask Him. It's up to Him to decide whether we really "need" this in our life. Will it benefit us in some way or will it hurt us in the long run? Will it hurt someone else in the future? Is it worth the risk now for a future cause? Its alot to decide, thats why He is God! I am not smart enough sometimes...most of the time, to decide what is really best for my future and for the future of my children. I dont know what life has waiting for me if I make the wrong decision. I take comfort in knowing God has my future in His hands. I ask, He says "no" and I deal with it! He knows my heart's desire. But He also takes into account our future. I am grateful for that because looking back at all my prayers, I am thankful He did not answer some of those prayers. I prayed them in selfishness, I decided right now mattered more than my future, my kid's future. He knew all of that! I thank God not only for my answered prayers, but more so for the unanswered prayers because I believe just as a parent has a hard time saying no, so does God. I feel that as a heavenly Father, He wants to give us everything we desire, but its just not good for us. If you're a parent you may understand this concept more so than if you dont have any children.

Thank you Lord for my unanswered prayers, and I pray that you will lead me through the difficult situations in which I must endure. It would be so much easier right now if you answered my prayers, but I trust in you that you hold my family's and my future in your hands.

When you look up, what lights do you see

2011-01-04T18:27:00.000-08:00

If you live in the city you may find it difficult to see the stars. When you look around you may find that the city lights take away from the natural lights in the sky. When the city lights saturate the sky, the stars and moon may not be as easy to see. However, for those of you that live in the country, you may find that when you look up, the stars are right there for you to see. It looks like you can reach out and touch them. There are no city lights just the natural light which God created.

Lets imagine the city lights are the world's influence. The stars and lights in the sky are God's influence. When you are in the middle of the world and its influence its more difficult to see God's will and His influence for your life. YOu are surrounded by the world's light, its artificial happiness and glamour. But, when you are in the "country" you are in God's light!!! His will is so close you can reach out and touch it. Its easier to see God's influence without the worlds influence surrounding you. So step away from the "city lights" so you can see the stars in your life.

Why do bad things happen to good people?

2010-10-18T06:55:00.000-07:00

What a question. I am sure almost all of us have asked that same question. Why do good people suffer? Why do "christians" go through such horrible circumstances? When you serve the Lord, why must some of us endure such tragic hardships? Isn't it supposed to be easier when we have the Lord on our side? When we are struggling to do God's will, why does He let such difficulties come our way? Betrayel of a brother or a sister, abuse in any form, loss of a life of a dear family member or a friend...the list goes on.

The answer: Its our testimony! God gives us trials so we can make it through the fire to testify to other people of the God we serve. He puts things in our path that someone outside the church is enduring at that moment in their life and they need to know there is hope. If you have been abused, and you have survived it (since you are reading this, you have survived) go find someone that you can connect with. They need you! They need to know GOD! They long for hope, and you hold that hope in your hands. What will you do with it? God does not want us to hold onto the pain and let bitterness and anger boil in our blood. He gave us that hardship so we can go out to the world and witness to them. If our lives our perfect with no blemish or hardship, then how will we connect with those that need God that have difficulties in their lives. They dont want to hear how perfect our lives are, they want to know what GOD has done to transform our depression, how he took away our pain, how he helped us to overcome and turn our mourning into joy! Stop harboring anger and bitterness over your past, that is not God's will!

This came to me last night after a spiritually awakening service at church. God gives us a hardship. He allows us to go through it and He helps us overcome it, if we allow Him. If we keep it to ourselves, and keep it all inside, it will eat us up like a disease from the inside out. It will slowly destroy us a little at a time. But if we let it out and find someone that needs to hear your story, its like a healing takes place. The healing starts in you and it transfers to the other person. God begins the healing process and the disease remits itself to God. God is now in control and the disease process has stopped. But you have to get it out, you have to tell your story. Someone out there in the world has no hope right now and they are watiting for you!

The two things that cause us to keep our story/testimony to ourselves is: selfishness and pride. I talk to myself as much as to anyone reading this. I have done this. I have kept my past "hidden" for the most part, from most people. People dont know my story like I know it. They dont know of the abuse I lived through for my early preteen years. They dont know how God saved my life on an occasion where I wanted it to end. People that I have known for years think I have the perfect life, they dont realize that I have had to depend on God for breath and for strength on many occasion. Well I am hear now ready to go grab a girl off the street to tell her there is a better way! That God is a healer of spiritual scars. The scars and hurts that run in your veins can be healed by God. I am ready to tell my story! Who is going to listen, its up to God! I pray that God brings into my life someone that needs what I have to say. What about you? Are you going to sit there and hold on to yoru pain or are you going to allow God to heal you by sharing with someone who needs what you have?

God gives us life experience. He gives us these experiences not to punish us but to share with others. God is changing us, our church and me...I look forward to pursuing on and doing God's will. God bless you all and I pray this has changed something in you.

My Father

2010-10-12T15:58:00.001-07:00

My Father:

I did not actually meet my Father until the age of 6 or maybe I was 7, although, He knew me my entire life. He knew me long before I knew Him. One evening, I finally met Him and with tears of joy in my eyes, I thanked Him for His love. I did not fully understand much about Him at that time but through my childhood our relationship would grow stronger and stronger. I would go to Him when life was rough. I would call on Him and tell Him how good or bad of a day I had. I got to really see Him on the weekends more so than during the week.

Unfortunately when I was about 10 yrs old, I turned my back on Him. I stopped talking to Him and did what I thought was best for me. Even though, I turned away, He never forgot about me. He continued to watch over me. He continued to reach for me, and desired a relationship again with me, but I would not accept it. Then when about a year later when my world came crashing down, I turned once again to Him. He was right there, right where I left Him. He stood there waiting for me. He held me in His arms and allowed me to cry everything out to him. He understood more than I could say. He helped me through the following years that would take me through the worst trial any child could go through. He held my hand. He wrapped me up in His love. When no one was there, He was.

My Father reassured me that everything was going to be okay. Eventually one day, I don’t know what triggered it but He spoke out for me. He helped me say what I could not speak. He helped me to end my troubled years. He put a stop to it all, in just one single day! Years of suffering, came to an end in a matter of hours! I love my Father with everything I have in me.

Once that was over, He gave me a brand new life. He taught me so many life lessons. He showed me how to keep my spirit in check. He showed me how to not let life make me bitter. He has been faithfully there like no one else in my life as been. He knows me better than anyone else. I have the best Father than anyone could possibly have.
Thank you Lord for being my Father!

He made something beautiful of my life...

2010-09-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

Church last night was awesome...because God was there. I began to think about how God saved me. He pulled me literally out of darkness and into His light. When I was 12 years old...I was going through a very dark time...to put it lightly. I didn't have the problems that most pre-teens have. I would trade my troubles for those any day for what I went through. No, it wasn't boy trouble, or mood problems. Much worse. BUT...as I remember being this lonely child, I would pray to get out of the situation. God heard me...I know, but He was not ready for me to get out yet. But, when He was ready, He pulled me out in a flash. NO hesitaion, NO arugement, next thing I know I am sitting in a court room and then living a state a way then moving 2 states away from my nightmare. GOD is good. So, as I was thinking on this the song begins to play.

Something beautiful, something good
all of my confusion, Jesus understood,
when all I had to offer Him, was brokeness and strife
He made something beautiful of my life.

That says it all. I look around now, I have 3 wonderful children, a marriage that has endured for several years, a great job that benefits other people, a wonderful pastor and awesome friends. God has blessed me above measure. I have days that I complain alot to God, He knows my thoughts. But for today...I will praise the Lord. Not only for His benefits but for his unearthly blessings. For the things that I just cant find here in this world: Peace, Joy, true love, faithfulness. Thank you Lord for this day. Thank you Lord, for rescuing me and making something beautiful of my life. When I was 12 I had no idea that when I was 30 I would be where I am today. I had no anicipation for the future, because as far as I could see it was a bleak future. My days were not filled with light. And now...as I look around me...I see God's blessings.

A good day

2010-06-01T10:40:00.001-07:00

Its my new dispensation. Its my time for change. Today is the the beginning of the rest of my life. Do you ever get so weary of life's changes. Emotions rise and fall, faith is as big as the sky then as small as a mustard seed. Seasons come and go in a blink of an eye or as long as several years before you see a change. Life...it happens no matter if you want it too or not. But...I serve a God, who knows every season of my life. He knows what I need now to serve a purpose in my future. He knows where He wants me when He wants me there. We must push ourselves, I must push myself to look beyond the cares of today, but look toward the future. God is preparing me for a new dispensation, a new path, a new time in my life. I must be patient. I must wait and learn all I can now, because there will be a test and I must pass it to get through to the next level! We have to wait and be patient. Listen to what God is saying. He is directing our lives step by step, its us who like to turn away and then ask God where are you?? He has been there, we just have to listen to His voice, not the world's. The world will tell you its going to crash, you are not going to make it, you were never meant to be anything, you are being punished for your bad decisions...blah blah blah. You know its the world talking if its negative. But when God talks...its positive. He is not punishing us. He is not going to leave us without an out in a bad situation. He will lead us onward if we will follow. And even if in this world, we don't see all of our dreams come true...we still have not lost, because when we make it to heaven, all the cares of this world will disappear anyway! So, go forward, what do you have to lose by living your life with Jesus at your side??

A tree in the wilderness

2010-05-16T18:32:00.000-07:00

Today I had a privilege to hear a very special message in church today that inspired me to hang on a bit longer. I hope it helps you as it helped me today. When you feel like giving up, when life deals you "Marah" or bitter waters, hang on because God will show you where your tree is to make those waters sweet:

Bro Barker Exodus 15:19-25

The children of Israel had just crossed over the Red Sea. They had watched Pharaoh's army drown in the Red sea. They realized that God was not going to bring them out of Egypt just to let them be slaughtered in front of the Red sea but God would let them cross over on dry land. They had celebrated and been thankful for what God had done for them. Revival had broke out in the camp of the Israelites. Things looked good! Then as they traveled onward toward the Promise land, they came upon some waters. To come upon waters, they must have been thirsty. For them to find the waters they must have been searching for a drink of refreshment. They were in need of refreshment. But they only found bitter waters. When they needed some water to quench their thirst all they found was bitter water. What is bitter water? Its when everyone else is being blessed and you are not. When other families are coming to God and you alone stand on the promises of God while your family remains lost in the world. Its when your marriage is dead, when you have served God for years and your husband/wife continues on their path of destruction. Its when the doctor tells you there is no hope. When your children continue to live lives of sin. Bitter waters are when life deals you blows that at this moment of your life, you just don't think you can handle. Its when you are already thirsting for a drink from God to satisfy your burning soul because life is treating you hard. Then when you find the water, its bitter. Life seems that it is all smooth sailing for a period of time. You celebrate and thank God for circumstances working out better than you had planned. But then life happens. Things get out of control and you deal with hardship. You try to survive the wilderness. As you are surviving you then come across "Marah" or bitter waters. We ask God "why?" Maybe its because we tend not to pray enough or to study His word enough when things are okay. Maybe God wants to prove us because He has big plans for our future and He needs to prepare us for our journey through the rest of the wilderness to get to the Promised Land. So what do we do when we reach Marah? God has a plan. God has planted a tree in the wilderness. He not only planted it in preparation for us arriving to Marah but he has assured that tree would survive and flourish while God waited for us to arrive. God waits for us to say "God, I need you!" When we call on Him, He then shows us our tree. He tells us that tree He has provided and prepared for us ahead of time is now ready to be used in our life. That tree is our escape from the bitter water. If we use His tree it will turn our bitter water into a sweet experience. In the middle of our bitter water, there is already a tree planted for our deliverance. The seed was planted and watered. If I just hang on to the promise of God, He has made a way out. When the enemy tells us there is no hope, tell him "I have a tree." God is preparing me to use me like He has never used me before. He is preparing me for adversity ahead and wants to know if I can handle a little bit of bitter water. God will not leave me nor forsake me. My bitter water experience is about to get sweet. The only tree that could survive this type of wilderness climate is the Elvah tree. Which is also known as the dogwood tree. The irony in this is the cross was made out of the dogwood. So this tells us that God was showing the Israelites and His children will come to places where we need His help and He will not leave us but will always provide us a way out.

I am encouraged that soon God will show me where to find the tree. And all I have to do is put the tree in the midst of my "Marah" and they will become sweet. I just have to hang on and God will do provide...soon.

"Thanks" giving

2009-12-01T06:53:00.001-08:00

Hmmm...when you break the compound word up...you get thanks and giving. So you are thankful and you give. We give thanks. Or do we?....Do we sit around and think of what we are most thankful for...or do we fret over what to cook. Do we look around and see what God has blessed us with or do we worry over who may show up? Do we see the many blessings God has given to us or are we so caught up in having to prepare food and make everyone comfortable with drinks and appetizers and desserts that we miss what the day is really about. Thanksgiving has already passed this year, but everyday should be a Thanksgiving. Thanks for blessing me with health, and a family. A warm home, a vehicle, a job. So many things to be thankful for everyday. I hope all your Thanksgivings were as blessed as mine was.

Answered Prayer

2009-09-14T07:34:00.000-07:00

God is awesome! I was reflecting back the other day and just realized God had answered a prayer! I thought to myself how I had not even realized that it had been answered until now. That made me thing how subtle God is. We ask for these prayers to be answered and when they are how often do we just move on to our next need instead of taking time to say "thank you." I know I have done an earlier post on giving equal amounts of thanks. So I wont take this post in that direction.

How God has worked in my life. I had this urgent prayer that I was praying for some time now. Several weeks later, it comes to mind that my prayer was answered. How could my prayer be answered and me not even realize it? Well because God did not answer it how I was expecting. I had offered my suggestions to God, of how He could answer my need. But I guess He did not see that working out very well =). So, He took the liberty in my life to answer my prayer according to what He thought best...and you know what? I love it! He saw the need, He answered it according to what He knows is best...and it all is working out! I was so busy in looking for my way, my answer, my solution that I totally missed the work He was doing!

I think more people than just me do this often. I hope I am not alone! We ask God to do a work in our lives. We offer our own solutions, maybe like option 1, option 2, etc. We busy ourselves looking for these things to come to pass, when suddenly it hits us. God already answered our prayer. Just not the way we saw fit. But how He saw how it needed to work out.

Thank you Lord for working in our lives. Thank you for being omnipotent, omnipresent, and all knowing! Thank you for your love and kindness. Thank you for your mercy and grace. Help me to offer my forgiveness and mercy to those who most of all don't deserve it....because even my enemy can love those who deserve it...but that is what seperates me from my enemy...that I can forgive the unforgiveable and love the unloveable through you God!

Have a blessed day.

Just as I am....

2009-08-20T08:35:00.000-07:00

Yes, as anyone that knows me knows that I am a huge fan of David Phelps. But that is not what this is about...a sigh of relief I hear?? =)

I was reflecting on the song lyrics this morning:

Dear Lord, I?m on my knees again
I come to You because You understand
I've tried so hard, but I just can't change myself
That's why I know I need Your help

(Chorus)
So here I am
This in my plea
My only hope is Your love for me
I'm reaching out
So desperately
Come take my hand; take all of me
Just as I am

Oh Lord, You make what's broken new
Why can't I just learn to follow You
I want to know You and feel You in my soul
I surrender all control

I am not afraid to follow You where You lead me
I can leave the past behind me
I'm forgiven and I'm free

We come to God, at some point in our lives...hopefully! and at that point, we come just as we are. We don't have to change for God to accept us. We don't have to clean things up in our life, before he makes us part of his heritage. He takes us in when we ask Him to wash our sins and accept us. God does not expect us to be clean before we come to Him, He wants us to come to Him with all that we have, just as we are. We are not meant to change things on our own, but seek out Gods strength and wisdom on how to change. Let God mold us and sculpt us because He is the potter and we are the clay. HE puts circumstances in our lives to make us into who He wants us to be. Although we may be "damaged" from life's abuses, to God we are a prized possession and that is true love. So, come to God just as you are, and let Him do the changing that He sees necessary. If you try to change yourself before coming to God, its like chasing your tail, you will never catch it. Let go and let God.

Turn your pain into your testimony for someone who needs it!

2009-08-11T08:16:00.000-07:00

God is our healer. He created us and He experienced hurts and disappointments while on here on Earth. He became man, so therefore He was able to feel our pains of rejection. He knows what it is like to be betrayed. He knows the hurt of losing a loved one. Jesus wept. He came to us as one of us. He became man. Yes, He resurrected on the 3rd day and resides in Heaven. But while on Earth He felt what we feel. Saying this, He is our creator as well. He put in us emotions. He placed in us our feelings that react to various situations. Our feelings which can lie to us. Our feelings that can remind us of hurtful pasts or mistakes we have made. God knows what we go through every day.

If you have a past that is filled with hurts and pains, then that means you are human. We all have something back there that caused us to feel uncomfortable. So no matter how big you perceive it to be, really...it is only as big as you make it. It impacts your life, however you let it. If you let this "thing" affect your every mood, your relationship with people, with God...then you are allowing something of the past to be your present. Situations we go through are meant to strengthen us, to teach us something that we may need for our self or someone else. They are not meant to be a constant hurt to make you bitter or angry. If it was someone that hurt you...just remember: people make bad choices sometimes but let it be for the better. Make that hurt into something wonderful. Be encouraged that you are not alone. Allow God to remove your hurt and heal you fully so you can help lift up someone else in need. You may be the one to pull them from their lowly state by having that connection with them.

We must not just be healed but once we are healed of a hurtful past, we must lower our mask so that we can be transparent to someone in need. People hurt people. I have hurt people by my words. Just the same, people can hurt with words as much as an act. We have all hurt someone or been hurt by someone. That unfortunately is a part of life. But don't let it be something that haunts you everyday. Don't let this thing control you. Allow God to take you back and heal that pain. Let God pour out his healing virtue on your life so you can be complete. Then unveil yourself to someone else in need. Let your past be your testimony for others.

Scenario #1: A lady gets up to a group of ladies that all have abusive pasts and states " God wants to heal you I have personally watched a lady be delivered fully from her abusive past. I have seen her go to the altar sorrowful of her past and God turned that sorrow into joy! I talk with ladies everyday about this." She goes on to say that though she has never been abused...she can see how much it hurts by talking with ladies that have been.

Scenario #2: A lady gets up to a group of ladies that all have abusive pasts and states " God wants to heal you I have personally watched a lady be delivered fully from her abusive past. I have seen her go to the altar sorrowful of her past and God turned that sorrow into joy! For I was that lady!" and she continues on explaining how someone had hurt her by abusing her and how badly she hurt and felt so alone. And through the years she thought that she had dealt with it fully until one day God called to her and COMPLETELY HEALED her! God had turned all her sorrow into joy like she had never felt.

Which scenario is more powerful? Which lady would you listen to more intently? The one that was an excellent source but had never personally felt the hurt you have experienced? Or the lady with a past similar to yours, that has overcome it with the healing virtue of God?? But to do this she had to unmask herself for all to see. I pray that if you have a testimony - use it for good, stop letting it hurt you, let yourself be healed and help someone else with your testimony.

Camp Meeting "09

2009-08-10T07:49:00.000-07:00

WOW! Is the best word to describe what God did this last week during Camp Meeting "Onward, Upward". If you ever get the chance to go, GO! You will walk away touched, I promise! The day preaching, teaching was superb. Bro. Hughes taught on family and healing yourself to not allow your junk into your family and onto your kids or into your church. To de-mask yourself and stop acting like your so perfect and life has never been rough on you. I was ultimately healed this week and filled with the joy of the Lord. I have not laughed so hard I think ever! God truly turned my sorrow into joy! What an awesome God I serve. I know I walked away with a touch that will change my life. I hope all that attended received something that will change their lives too. I am now encouraged more than ever to continue my journey and help others find their way to the Lord's path. For on the Lord's path there is fullness of joy, and peace, and an enduring love that you won't find anywhere else in life but from the Lord. Also, my youngest has now graduated to a 2 wheeler after much endurance! CONGRATULATIONS SWEETHEART!

The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away...

2009-07-14T10:31:00.000-07:00

Chapter 29 of my life story: I have a dream job, for me atleast. I teach people how to obtain better control over their asthma. Teach them they can live a normal life as anyone without breathing problems. I came from a highly stressful hospital setting that tore my emotions up! So this is a very nice work environment for me. So, as of yesterday we found out that most likely if not fully likely, our job will be ending early next year, matter of fact, March 31,2010. I am still in the shocked phase but trusting that God is only closing this door to open another door. He won't bring you to it, if He isn't going to bring you through it! I am trying not to look at the raging storm, and keep my eyes on Him, Nevertheless, I am scared! I don't know what the future holds. Is it possible to be scared but trusting in Him? Is that a sign of lack of faith? I hope not. As this progresses I hope to grow in my faith, and stop looking at the surrounding circumstances to determine my outlook! Please pray with me about this situation.

Words of my youngest: yay! Mommy you get to spend more time with me...I can't wait!

That makes me smile!

Scars vs. open wounds from the past

2009-07-13T07:09:00.001-07:00

While me and my husband were talking last night and interesting subject came up. We were discussing closure of the past, as our pastor had preached on Sunday. He spoke about how to put proper closure on things of the past so they don't keep popping up when you least expect or want them to. If you don't fully latch the door on past mistakes or hurts or whatever you have in the past then at any time the door may swing wide open at very inconvenient times. So how do you know if you have put proper closure on things??

Lets think of a physical wound. While it is open, it bleeds, it hurts and if you touch it, you can feel the pain radiate! When you accidentally bump it on something, you wince in pain. It physically is painful to have an open wound. But once it finally heals, no more pain. You probably have a scar there now. The scar has little to no feeling at all. Just a memory of a wound that happened but no more pain is involved if you touch it or bump it.

No lets take that same thought into the spiritual realm. If you have a hurt in your past, can you openly talk about it. If it is brought up does it trigger strong painful emotions still inside of you. Does it hurt? Does it make you angry? Can you feel the bitterness rising up? Or can you openly discuss this and use it as a testimony of where God has brought you from? Are you able to talk about it to help another person overcome this painful situation they may be facing?

God brings us through bad situations so we can be a light to someone else facing that same situation. He trusts us that we are going to rely on His strength to bring us through. Once we have fully healed He can use us to help someone else. So hurry up and heal because that person out there may be waiting on you!

God answers prayers...just not always how we think He should!

2009-06-22T14:46:00.000-07:00

This is how God answers prayers:

My mom really needed/wanted to sell her truck. So we posted it online and had alot fo people come test drive it, call about it, question us about it etc. But no luck in selling it. It is a work truck, with need of some TLC. So...finally while Dan was out of town, he calls me and tells me that there is a prospective buyer to see the truck. I asked if I should pull it out of the garage and he responded no..The guy could drive it around if he wanted to. So, the guy shows up...I am standing near the wall, located in front of the truck. ( I know now why this is never recommended!) He pops the hood, then gets in to start up the truck. The truck starts up and he gets out of the driver door, as he approaches the front of the truck, it begins to SLOWLY roll forward. It takes me about 1-2 seconds to see this truck is not going to stop. So I literally jump through my kitchen door from the garage and am quickly followed by...the truck! Yes, the truck came through the wall, and rearranged our fridge to about 1 1/2 feet into our kitchen. You can see the angle of the door. The top of the doorway is where it is supposed to be...So after the dust settles (literally). We evaluate the situation. Guy : uninjured, but nerveracked!...Me: safe on the other side of smashed in wall...Truck: not a dent or scratch on it. Hmmmm, now if you have ever driven a manual vehicle : What happens when you start it up and its in gear, when you let off the clutch?? For all of you automatic car owners...answer: It lurches forward until clutch is pushed in or it dies. Hmmmm, so how is it that this truck slowly came forward just long enough to let me through the door. Scenario 2: Truck lurches forward, and both my legs would be in the shape of the wall...smashed. I would not be typing this right now...I would be in lala land with much pain meds to keep down the pain of two broken femurs.

Okay so the dust is settled and my legs are still intact, guy is shaky but okay. And the best part is the truck sold! For almost what we were asking for! So when you pray for something...don't be so narrow minded about the answer. God does work in mysterious ways. Plus, being married to a handyman...the wall will be fixed this week! Nothing out of pocket for the wall, truck is sold, and I am still walking! Thank you Lord!

My Legacy

2009-06-05T11:40:00.000-07:00

My legacy is going to be my children. They are the best things besides for God that has happened to me in life. I have my oldest child. She is the star. She is a leader. She is my friend. She is beautiful too. She is becoming right before my eyes...a young lady. Yes, she has some tomboy qualities but she is a well balanced gal. She loves the Lord and loves her family, even if we are somewhat abnormal! =) She is going to be in 8th grade next year and I can hardly believe it. She pulled out some photos the other night and we could not help but laugh and laugh. I remember her growing up through the toddler years and she was a stinker. So honory and stubborn. Always doing something to her brother of some sort, from sticking stickers to his fine blonde hair or taking his 1st birthday cupcake! But through the years their love has grown. She is the most awesome person you could imagine at such a young age.

My son. My son is the best son you could dream of having. He is willing to earn rather than it be handed over. If he needs some extra cash, he will work hard for it. He also keeps me laughing as they all do. He has a star quality about him. He is quite handsome and is genuine in his heart. He loves his family and he is excelling at school. He earned the Presidents award by scoring top of the school in Math on his SAT. He will grow to be a wonderful young man with a love for God. He is a protector. And as much as he argues with his little sister, he loves her so much.

And my youngest. She is much less shy then she appears. She is born to lead as her sister is too. She is caring and loving. She is very bright along with her siblings. She can make friends with people of all ages from her age to the 8th graders at school. I take her to the school and all around me I hear " Hi Ashlee" over and over again. She can wrap you around her little finger faster than you can blink but win your heart over as soon as she looks at you with those eyes. She wants to be a dog. But has accepted she is a little girl. She adores her brother and sister. She loves school. And most of all she loves to learn.

I could go on and on about them and I am sure if you are a parent you could easily do the same about your own children. I am so proud to be a parent. I hope I have been able to instill upon them the love of God and morality. I pray I have been able to teach them stuff they wont learn at school. I pray that I have been able to help them grow into fantastic caring responsible adults.

Thanks for taking the time to read this. Have a blessed day.

2009-06-05T11:38:00.000-07:00

Redeem definition by Websters Dictionary

1 a: to buy back : repurchase b: to get or win back
2: to free from what distresses or harms: as a: to free from captivity by payment of ransom b: to extricate from or help to overcome something detrimental c: to release from blame or debt : clear d: to free from the consequences of sin
3: to change for the better : reform
4: repair, restore
5 a: to free from a lien by payment of an amount secured thereby b (1): to remove the obligation of by payment (2): to exchange for something of value c: to make good : fulfill
6 a: to atone for : expiate b (1): to offset the bad effect of (2): to make worthwhile : retrieve

Now think about our Redeemer. He redeems us. I like definition number 2. To make worthwhile or to retrieve. A synonym for redeem is rescue. My redeemer rescued me. I think thats just awesome. True love from my father above.

My redeemer lives!

Temptation Vs. Testing

2009-04-27T08:50:00.000-07:00

I have had the privilege of hearing Brother Clark preach for the past several nights and many things he spoke changed my life and how I see things. One of the main things that really spoke out to me was temptation vs. testing.

Many times throughout my life, I asked God...Why? Why do I have to go through this trial? Why does this have to happen to me? Why can't life be easy? I seldom looked at situations as an opportunity to prove my character! If I am coming against something in my life now and see it as a test, now I can look at it and say, okay how does God want me to come through this? What does He expect of me?

When God tests me, I know that He is showing me my character. Both my flaws and my strengths. For He knows my heart, better than I do, for He created me. So he uses these testing times to show me, what I am made of, what I am capable of. How much faith I have. So if I know really who I am, I can through prayer and more testing become who God wants me to become.

If we don't know who we are or what we are or are not capable of...how do grow? If I don't know where I am...how do I know where to start? If I don't know where to start...how do I know how far it is to where I need to go? We not only have to know Gods goals for our life, but we need to know where we are starting from too.

God puts problems in our ways, so that He can show us how big He is. This helps our faith grow, when we can look back and see what He has brought us through, we can look forward and know He will bring us through what lies ahead as well. I need to get out of His way when He is working in my life. I need to stop trying to fix the problems at hand, and let God fix them by using me!

So God does not tempt like the devil tempts, God tests to help us grow and show us what is really inside.

Excerpt from "A Virtuous women in the Bible Lesson" - Sarah

2009-03-02T09:21:00.002-08:00

Virtuous Women in the Bible Lesson 1

From Sarai to Sarah:
A Woman's Journey To Faith

Sarah is one of my favorite women in the Bible. Her life is a great reminder that God does not require that you be perfect, nor does He promise that your life will be.

Proverbs warns us that:

Hope deferred makes the heart sick...
-Proverbs 13:12 (AMP)

Sarai's life was a perfect example of the truth lying inside of this scripture.

Her journey began as God sent a message of destiny to Sarai's husband, Abram.

They were told to leave all that they knew, and travel to a new land - Canaan. God promised them that He would give them a child and that, through this seed, all the families of earth shall be blessed (Genesis 12).

Once they arrived in this strange land, God prophesied that He was going to deliver it to their descendants. The ones that were to come from this child.

A child that had not yet been born.

Well, weeks turned into months and months turned into years.

And, for over a decade, God promised Sarai a son. A child that she could love, and nurture. And, for over a decade, Sarai waited for the manifestation of that promise. Her promise of motherhood.

But Sarai was barren.

Yes, her child was to hold the key to blessing all of the people of the world. But I wonder how much Sarai was really thinking about that part. I wonder if, as a woman, more than anything, she really just wanted a baby.

But, years passed. And still, no baby. Sarai could provide no heir for her husband. And, now, a servant born in her house would be his heir (Genesis 15:2-3). The shame and bitterness of her barrenness began to engulf her.

And, as time went on, Sarai began to say within heart,"The Lord has prevented me from having children," (Gen. 16:2). You know that she said in within her heart, because she had begun to say it to her husband.

Sarai blamed God.

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Taking Matters of Prophesy Into Your Own Hands

Fearing that God's plan was flawed, Sarai prompted her husband, "Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her," (Genesis 16:2).

Notice what Sarai says here. "Perhaps I can have children." Her concern was not with the manifestation of God's plan, but with her own longing for motherhood.

Maybe if she realized that this child that she so desperately desired was to be the start of a lineage that would birth the savior of the world, she would have put her own desires aside. Or maybe not.

But surely Sarai's husband Abram, God's right hand man, understood after 10 years of walking with the Lord that He would not forsake them! Surely he told her to hold her tongue and wait on Jehovah God!

Never underestimate the amazing power of female persuasion.

"Abram agreed with Sarai’s proposal. So Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian servant and gave her to Abram as a wife," (Genesis 16:2-3).

But, this was not God's plan. This, was Sarai's plan. And it quickly began to backfire.

Once Hagar became pregnant, she resented Sarai. After being punished for her behavior, Hagar finally ran away.

Since the child Hagar carried was Abram's seed, and God had made covenant with Abram, God gave comfort to Hagar and convinced her to return to Abram and Sarai (Genesis 16:6-15).

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God Sees Through Your Present Faults
To Your Future Faith

Thank God for His mercy. Though Abram and Sarai had gone outside of His will and created a huge mess, His love for them had not dried up, but was still as an overflowing well.

He promised that kings and nations would come from Abram. Hagar's son Ishmael was not the son of promise. Once again, He proclaimed that Sarai would still bear Abram a son.

Speaking of God's unyielding forgiveness, He changed her name from Sarai which meant Noble Woman, to Sarah, which means Princess.

Now, of course I could be reading more into this than is here, but I feel that God calling her Princess is so symbolic.

Despite Sarah's imperfections, He had taken her as His daughter. Why?

Because God, unlike man, does not just see who you are today, He sees who He has destined you to become.

And, as a daughter of the King of Kings, what name would be more fitting than Princess?

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Is This Study on Un-Virtuous Women in the Bible?

More time passed, and God returned to visit Abraham and Sarah.

Now, this is an interesting situation. Though Sarah knew Who was there, she didn't go out to welcome her Guest. The visitors even inquired about where she was, but she never came out of the tent.

Instead, Sarah stayed inside, and eavesdropped.

You have to ask yourself - Why didn't she come out? But, if you put yourself in her shoes, would you have gone out there? For what?

To hear more unanswered promises? To have your hopes raised yet again, but never fulfilled?

Or, would you have stayed in the tent, just like Sarah?

As Sarah listened, she overheard God telling Abraham, "I will return to you about this time next year, and your wife, Sarah, will have a son!" (Genesis 18:10 NLT).

As she overheard this, Sarah "laughed silently to herself and said, 'How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my master—my husband—is also so old?'" (Genesis 18:12).

You see, as God's plan tarried, time did not. Sarah had long entered into menopause, and believed that her body could no longer conceive. As God so eloquently put it, "it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women" (Genesis 18:11).

So, she laughed within herself, I would imagine, to keep from crying. But, though her laugh was silent, there was One who could hear it.

Imagine Sarah's shock when God asked why she had laughed!

"Why did Sarah laugh?
Why did she say, 'Can an old woman like me have a baby?'
Is anything too hard
for the Lord?"
-Genesis 18:13-14

Uh Oh! Quickly, Sarah denied it all. But, God responded, "No, but you did laugh," (Genesis 18:15).

OK, so Sarah didn't just laugh at God, but she lied about it. She is definitely was not having a "Virtuous Woman in the Bible" day !

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A Legacy of Faith Born From a Life of Fears

Now, we could all sit around judging Sarah, but would we have been so different?

Do you have anything that God has been promising you. A promise that, when you look at your physical circumstance, your chances at attaining it look grim at best. And, maybe, as the time has passed, your faith has begun to pass along with it.

But, let me tell you the second half of the proverb that we began this study with.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but when the desire is fulfilled, it is a tree of life.
-Proverbs 13:12 (AMP)

But, how do you open the door for God to fulfill the desire that He alone has placed in your heart? By faith.

God says that Faith is:

The assurance, confirmation, and the title deed of the things we hope for.
The proof of things we do not see.
The conviction of their reality.
It perceives as real fact what is not revealed to the senses.
-Hebrews 11:1 (AMP)
This is what Sarah began to develop within herself. You see, in order to bring forth the seed that would ultimately lead to the Christ, God did not just have to change Abraham, He had to change Sarah.

I think that is why she is one of my favorite women in the Bible. She is a shining example of God's desire to mold you into your destiny.

You can not hide behind your femininity or your husband, and assume you do not have a place in God's plan. God has a special plan for you, and you, like Sarah, will have to grow into your destiny.

In the end, "Because of faith also Sarah herself received physical power to conceive a child, even when she was long past the age for it, because she considered [God] Who had given her the promise to be reliable and trustworthy and true to His word," (Hebrews 11:11 AMP).

Sarah's faith won her the honor of being the only woman among the top 5 examples God gave to exemplify true faith in Hebrews 11.

In fact, you are actually considered Sarah's true daughter when you "...let nothing terrify you [not giving way to hysterical fears or letting anxieties unnerve you]," (1Peter 3:6 AMP).

When you are able to look fear in the eye and say "No thank you - I choose to believe my Lord," you have inherited Sarah's legacy of faith.

ShareThis
Virtuous Women in the Bible

Lesson 1: From Sarai to Sarah-
A Woman's Journey To Faith
Have you ever caught yourself beginning to blame God for a particular situation? If so, why?

What do you think the significance was of God changing Sarai's name to Sarah?

Were you surprise by Sarah's imperfections? Why do you think God never glosses over people's missteps in the Bible?

Like the women in the Bible, what spiritual legacy would you like to leave for the future generations of women in your family?

Sarah is one of the women in the Bible whose story is not one of perfection. And neither will your's be. But, Sarah's legacy is of her journey to being able to take God at His Word. Of growing into the name that He had given her - His Princess.

The World To Come...

2009-02-02T06:57:00.000-08:00

A glimpse of the world to come. Full of rest. Free of fear. No stress. No worries. No sickness. Sounds like heaven eh?? Yes, Heaven. Last night at church there was such a peace about the service. It truly gave me a glimpse of what it will be like over there. True peace. Warmth. Your only goal is to see the Lord. No bills to pay. No work to go to. No tears. Just the warmth of Heaven. It was a taste of the world that exists beyond this one. Indescribable but to experience such peace makes you long for the reality.

Hbr 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

Hbr 6:2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

Hbr 6:3 And this will we do, if God permit.

Hbr 6:4 For [it is] impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,

Hbr 6:5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,

The world to come...such peace. Dont miss it whatever you do.

2009-01-29T11:53:00.000-08:00

I just saw these pictures that were taken during Christmas time. They are of Ashlee. They really made me laugh I hope they do the same for you!

Romans 8:28

2009-01-27T11:37:00.000-08:00

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose.

This scripture has come to me 3 different times in 3 weeks. #1 It first came to me as I was driving and my husband the night before had asked me about some promises of God. It took me until the next day or 2 (I am a little slow at times =) ). But this scripture came to mind. This is Gods promise to us. #2 Then sitting in Sunday Morning Church we had a missionary. Not even the Pastor it was a missionary! from another country! astonishing how God works. Anyway he was preaching and his final scripture he brings up in closing was...Romans 8:28. My eyes teared and my heart felt squeezed. I had chills up and down me. You see its been a difficult month or so and I have relied on this scripture to bring me through. God knows what we need! So after I almost fall to my knees and thank God for hearing my prayers and our needs, we go home. #3 Last week...my daughter brings me her book report to read. Its several pages long (Go Jessica) and the final question is something to do with a passage from the Bible. She has in there...you guessed it Romans 8:28. I got that feeling come over me again. I had to explain to her why this scripture meant so much. God is good. I tend to get so overwhelmed with life instances sometimes but God has a gentle reminder to let me know that no matter what happens down here on Earth...He is still King of Kings and Lord of Lords but most of all He is my faithful friend who hears my every need. He is my Heavenly Father above watching over my family and me. I thank Him for being so good to us. We are blessed.

In reference to a prior post

2009-01-16T07:06:00.000-08:00

Okay, I posted a while ago claiming a house! Well God came through for us. Of course it is not always what we had planned but what He has planned right? right! Well He came through in a mighty way. We are moving, into a nice place that is a bit bigger and a little less on the rent. No buying for now but thats okay, we are not ready to buy. Our newest landlord is a real nice person and I believe God softened his heart for our needs to be met. Thank you Lord. Awesome, Awesome, Awesome. So its off to moving now...but hopefully we will be here for quite some time to come! I can actually decorate this place. God is good all the time! OH and I am real excited about the new Gaither line up :)

2009-01-08T08:11:00.000-08:00

Rom 8:27
And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what [is] the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to [the will of] God.

Rom 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose.

Rom 8:29
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate [to be] conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Rom 8:30
Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

Rom 8:31
What shall we then say to these things? If God [be] for us, who [can be] against us?

This pretty much says it all....

Just when you have it all figured out...

2008-12-22T06:32:00.001-08:00

I love the Lord. He keeps you at the edge of your seat sometimes like a good book. Just when you think you have it all figured out...there is an unexpected twist. See we moved a couple months ago into this beautiful home. It was almost everything that we talked about wanting in a home. It had the hard wood floors. Nice kitchen and dining area. It had all been remodeled. The carpet in the bedrooms was the same carpet that I had picked out years ago in hopes of putting it in our bedrooms. The lights even matched my picture frames! Seriously this was almost my dream house. What it lacked? A backyard. The rooms for the kids are a little small. But everything else was just perfect. We were in hopes that we could figure a way of buying it. It really seemed it was going to work out just as we had planned. We thought Wow God this is just amazing how you work. We were not even praying for all this!....Then this weekend it all crashed down. You know that twist I was talking about well we ran into it. We were notified that we had to move. Not only did we have to move but she was giving us a 30 day notice! For a moment in time I forgot about the loving caring, faithful, abundant God I serve and lost myself. No need for details here, I will let your imagination fill this part in. Sunday morning, we got up, got ready for church and forgot about our problems at hand for some amount of time. Focusing only on giving God praise and honor for He is worthy at all times to be praised. Pastor preached on "A Christmas for everyone". And spoke about learning to walk in the favor of the Lord. Then in between church took our day of rest, and rested. Returned for evening church to find out that God has something better for us in store. God is in the process of closing this door only because he has something better for us behind door #2! Matter of fact I am going to claim it on here as well as out loud that He is going to give us a house by January 15th. It is going to be a 4bedroom 3 bath home. Hardwood floors, big backyard etc. We are going to buy it for 115,000! It is a promise from God. I believe Him for it as does our family. NO I don't know how it will happen because if you get your focal point on the economy, your faith has a way of depleting. So I will keep my eyes on the Lord as my focal point and keep my eyes out for our new home. I will enjoy reporting when we get it too. Please help us in agreeing that this be done and praying for us as well.

Be careful little lips what you say....

2008-12-17T08:52:00.000-08:00

I was talking to some coworkers in a break room this morning. I was telling them of a joke that my son had played on me the night before. As I was talking a lady walked into the room and one of my coworkers turned away and began to talk to her. I continued talking to my other friend. Upon finishing the whole conversation the lady that had walked in gets her things and leaves. That is when the coworker that had begun to talk to this lady turned to me and let me know why she had done this. This is the reason:

The joke was put your hand on your face and if your hand is bigger than your head you have cancer, upon doing this the person telling you this smacks your hand which usually hits your nose and you all have a nice hardy laugh, as I had done the night before.

What I did not know: The lady that had walked in...had cancer. So as I am telling this joke she walks right in to hear me saying the cancer part and my coworker sees the look on her face so she distracts her for she knew of her diagnosis. Yes, that is when my foot...no my two feet were placed abruptly in my mouth or they should have been. Indeed, I had no way of knowing this but nonetheless, be careful little lips what you say...for you know not what other people's journeys are taking them through.

On the positive side...when discussing good things like what God has done for you in your life, or a miracle, a blessing, anything related to Gods purpose, or His goodness, you just don't know what a person; that may be listening to the whole conversation may hear. They may need to hear about His goodness and mercy. So gladly speak of the Lord so others can hear...even if they eavesdrop.

A humbling experience and a lesson all before noon!

When the light shines the brightest, its the darkest all around

2008-12-16T08:03:00.000-08:00

As I was driving down our street last night, I was noticing all the beautiful Christmas lights. People decorate their yards, houses, and sometimes their cars! They put up huge displays. Sometimes its just a little house trimming that is done. As I passed by I admired them and the work it took to put all those lights up.

Now I have driven by them many times before in the past few weeks but never really noticed those lights. The displays that these people took the time out to put up in their yards. I never took in the beauty of these seasonal decorations. The reason: too busy? No. driving too fast? Hope not! Distracted? Maybe. The real reason was it has always been light out as I drove past these houses.

It was only when it was almost completely black all around me, that I noticed the beautiful displays. When the sun was down, darkness had fallen. That is when the lights shown like they had not shown before. Then my eyes were drawn to the Christmas decorations.

If you think about this it makes sense in our walks with God too. During the daylight hours (things are going good)when the sun is shining down on us and we can see what lies ahead, we dont see the lights that call for our attention. We are going about our way almost with blinders on. Then when darkness falls (things get bad for us) we look everywhere for a light at the end of the tunnel. We start seeing the lights that were there all along (God). He is there no matter day or night but its when the darkness surrounds us is when we take notice of the "Christmas Lights".

Let us remember that it may be we are going through dark times so God can show us how bright He can shine!

Merry Christmas to you all!

2008-12-08T06:54:00.000-08:00

God doesn't give you the people you want,
He gives you the people you NEED.
To help you, to hurt you, to leave you,
to love you and to make you
into the person you were meant to be.

2008-12-01T07:20:00.001-08:00

Happiness keeps You Sweet,
Trials keep You Strong,
Sorrows keep You Human,
Life keeps You Humble,
Success keeps You Glowing,
But Only God keeps You Going

What God will be....when we let Him

2008-11-07T10:56:00.000-08:00

He will lead us, if we will follow
He will be our strong tower if we lean upon Him
He will be a shoulder when we cry
He will be arms to hold us when we feel we are falling
He will encourage us to go forward when our pace has slowed
He will pick us up no matter how many times we fall
He will walk beside us when we feel alone
He will love us when we feel unloved
He will carry our burden when it is too heavy for us
He will carry us when we cant put forth another step
He will be our light in the darkness
He will be our water in the drought
He will be our stay in the middle of the storm

God is what we allow Him to be. He is a gentleman and He will never knock down a door to make you do something or allow Him to come in. He will knock, and patiently wait for you to open up the door and invite Him in. He will give you a thought and wait for you to digest it and let it work on your life to become something more for Him. He will offer the support but you have to be the one to accept it, and trust Him enough to lean upon Him. He will always be there, but we are the ones who must move. We must walk closer to Him, hand over our burdens, cry upon His shoulder, lift up our hands and ask for help, or allow His love to overcome our grief. If we don't allow this in our life than it won't happen because God will not force any of these wonderful qualities at you. He simply offers them, then you must receive them. He waits. Patiently. He waits. He stands at the door and knocks. Too many times in my life have I kept the door shut because I could handle it on my own. Too many times have I tried to climb up out of the pit only to find myself loosing grip and falling into the mud below. Too many times do we struggle with life. Trust His hand to hold you from falling.

He will be our everything...when we let Him. It is just amazing to see what God will do for us...if only we would let Him. We hinder Him in many ways. Let Go and Let God. Sometimes it is not necessarily a trust issue but a control issue. Search your heart and ask God...Do I not trust or Do I just want control and do everything on my own?

Choices thought they may be small...what an impact

2008-11-04T07:26:00.000-08:00

Lets think back to a time in our life when we had to make a decision about something. For me I thought I was making the right decision. But as hard as I tried God just would not allow it to work. I saw a mans heart hardened right before my eyes. I was so upset that it did not go as I had planned. I had worked so hard to make this work. I had great ideas about how this would work out for ME! Notice the word I. I...was not searching truly for Gods will but my own. I...was not asking for direction from my creator. So what I thought would be a splendid plan backfired in my face. And all that was left was a lot of tears. And money spent that I would never see again.

As I look back I could get bitter about the situation. But when I look at how it really was for the best that this did not work out...I am thankful that God moved when I did not think He should. He moved in to this circumstance and stopped it before it got started. The choice I was making was not a good one after all. I wish it always worked like this. When God sees us making a decision that is not for our own good...He could stop us. But sometimes He allows us to make bad choices. To learn from them, to be an example to others, or to keep us from making larger more impacting bad decisions in the future.

What choices we make today will impact us in the future. They will affect our loved ones. Our children. Our friends. Our eternity. No choice is a small choice. What you say to that coworker can be detrimental to their salvation. What attitude you hold with you as you go shopping could prevent you from seeing someone who needs a positive word. How you manage your finances today will affect your retirement. Whether you take the time out to speak to that loved one you have not talked to for a while can affect you dearly when they have passed on.

Today is election day. We all first have the choice of voting or not. Then if we decide to vote, we have a choice who to vote for. Our country allows us to vote for who we want. So go out and make your choice count. This is a choice that we will see the impact of in our future. So I urge you to greatly consider the choice you are making. Make sure it aligns with Gods will for you and your country. We all have decisions to make, and some of them will impact those around us. Some of them only impact us, but all of them impact our heavenly Father who cares for our soul.

Rain

2008-10-31T06:34:00.000-07:00

It is raining today. I dont like the rain, though it is a needed thing. My mom enjoys it thoroughly. But for me, it tends to make me feel a little down. It brings back memories, it is wet, it is cold, and I just dont really like it. BUT...it is a much needed thing. Isn't it like God to bring things into our lives that we dont really enjoy. THough, they are needed. Without rain, we would have a drought. Plants would die. Animals would die.
Babies have about 75% water in their bodies at birth. By adulthood men and women range from 55 - 65%. Can you imagine life without water? So when I see the rains come it is a simple reminder of God and how He works in our lives. As quick as the rains come.....they leave. So smell the rain...walk in the rain...laugh in the rain...enjoy the rain. Because it will pass and allow the sun to shine once again.

Abraham staggered not at the promises of God

2008-10-16T07:02:00.000-07:00

This is a recap of last nights preaching from Pastor Ken Sullivan, the highlights which stuck out to me:

Abraham staggered not at the promises of God. He would go through with the sacrifice of his only son. This is an act that was being carried on by the surrounding tribes, God now asked Abraham to do the very thing that everyone else was doing, to test his faith in God. Abraham simply told his son Isaac, that God would provide himself a lamb. He knew that God would come through for him somehow. Abraham staggered not at the promises of God.

When Abraham was about ready to sacrifice his only son, God had provided a ram in the brush behind him. But the angel of the Lord had to hold back his hand because he was so consumed with the circumstance and what he had to do, he took no notice to the "lamb God had provided." There right behind him was the answer to this test. The ram. It was there. For how long was that ram in the brush, we don't know. When he bound his son and placed him on the altar that ram may have been there. When he pulled out the knife to slay his only son, that ram may have been there. He had his head down looking at what had to be done. His immediate circumstances. He had to lift up his head and his countenance to see that God had provided. He had the faith that God would provide but he had to position himself, that is reposition himself to be able to see what it was God had provided.

We get so wrapped up in our situations that we are not looking at what escape God has provided for us. Lift up your eyes and look for the open door.

Life is meant to be lived
Stop staggering

What Jesus Means to Me by Jessica McDermott (12)

2008-10-15T06:39:00.000-07:00

I woke up one morning to get my coffee and saw a piece of notebook paper in front of my coffee pot, in fact there was two. One said in large print with an arrow pointing toward the other one " Read this and tell me what you think". So I figured it was an essay for school, so I began to proofread it totally unsuspecting what I would read. Here it goes, word for word, what my 12 yr old daughter wrote:

"What Jesus Means to Me"

Jesus means so much to me that, if I had to, I would die for Him. It's a simple as that. Jesus means so much to me that I want to praise and worship him for the rest of my days.

Jesus has been so good to me, even though I am only 12. It makes me think about what he's going to do for the rest of my life. Once he performed a miracle for me. I put my bright wallet on my dads tire in a parking lot before. I forgot about it and we left. After a while I remembered it. We couldn't go get it until after church though.

It had 30 dollars in it. During church I prayed that he wouldn't let anyone pick it up. After church we went to see if it was still there, and it was! I counted the money and it was all there! Even thought, I was 7 years old, he proved that he would answer even little kids prayers. Another time my mom took a weight loss class, and they made her do the bike for 30 minutes everyday. Her legs hurt her so bad that she could barely walk. We were again, in church and she prayed that He would heal her. God spoke to her and told her to run the aisle. She didn't want to but she did. Immediately she was healed, and her legs didn't hurt her anymore.

Every time I get down about God, I think about that and I can't resist but to love Him for it. I'm also very happy that he died on the cross so that we could go to heaven. I could write so much more about Him and eventually I will. In fact, I am very fired up about witnessing. Once I witnessed to my friend about God, and now I want to win a soul.

After I wiped the tears from my eyes, I wrote back to her and told her how wonderful a job she did in writing this. It truly came from her heart. I was so proud at that very moment to have such a thankful 12 year old girl as my child. God is so good to have watched over us and kept our minds through troubled times. You just never really know what your kids are thinking, sometimes you worry that they may go in the wrong direction, but you just have to leave it up to God. Like my Pastor says all the time" there is no perfect parent here on Earth, only the one in Heaven is perfect". That takes a lot of stress and worry off your back. Just do the best you can, pray and leave the rest up to God. He gave us these children, He will see them through along the way.

What was it like....

2008-10-02T06:14:00.000-07:00

Mary, what was it like to hold baby Jesus?
What was it like when He cried?
What was it like when for 3 days you looked, and Jesus you could not find?
What was it like when He turned water into wine?

What was it like to meet Him at the well?
What was it like to casually speak with Jesus, just you and Him?

What was it like to have Him say to your accusers..cast the first stone those who are without sin?
What was it like to have Jesus standing near you...protecting you?

What was it like to feel life breathe back into you by Jesus himself?
What was it like Lazarus to be beckoned by Jesus to come forth?

What was it like to sit at his feet and listen to the parables straight from the King?
Children what was it like to sit on Jesus' lap and let not the disciples forbid you to come?
What was it like to eat the bread and fish directly multiplied by Jesus hand?

Peter what was it like to walk to Jesus on waves of water?
What was it like to sink but have the Father there to grab your hand and lift you up?
What was it like when he said "Peace be still" and you watched the waves calm upon his words?

What was it like Mary, to sit at Jesus feet and wash His feet with your tears?
What was it like to dry them with your hair?
What was it like to annoint Him for His burial, so soon to come?

What was it like to push through the crowds just to touch the hem of His garment?
What was it like to feel the virtue flow from His body to yours as you were healed?
What was it like when you were addressed by Him and told you were made whole?

2008-10-01T00:35:00.000-07:00

Orphans

I write this to all those people out there that may have grown up with a single mom or a single dad. Maybe you grew up with a family that you were not born into. They chose you out of so many other needing children. I write this from my heart. A heart which comes from a single mom. I write this from a heart that did not grow up knowing what it meant “you just wait until your dad gets home!” I was raised without realizing what it meant for a mom to share the responsibility of a household with another. I watched my mom do it all. I matured thinking that you do not share a task with another you simply just did it yourself.

I want to discuss more than just the tasks of life, though. The heart and spirit are affected deeply by this as well. The heart learns to depend on just the motherly love. It learns some discipline but not like that of a household of two. As I grew I would stand in awe and wonder of my friends that had the Mom and Dad household. I never really wanted that instead of what I had. I did not see that as an option. But as I look back I think of the father I never really had. I ponder what would it have been like? Then it hits me…. I had a father as I grew.

I had this father watching me in more ways than one. I did not grow up lack of a parent. I was given the Father of all fathers as a parent. He chose to be my sole father on Earth. He saw that He was all I would need in life. He knew I needed a mom. But as far as the father image…He would supply all my needs. There is no perfect parent here on Earth but there is one in heaven. So I did not grow up fatherless, I was blessed with being one of many that has a Perfect Parent : Jesus Christ.
What is your walk in life like? Did God choose to be your sole parent? Did he fill those gaps in for you? Has He taught you what you needed to learn? If you answered no, then maybe you have not allowed Him to. Take some time out and think on this. Then search His word and pray…He will supply you with all that you need.

ClearPlay Content-Filtering DVD Player Now Being Sold Nationwide on Shelves of Best Buy Stores

2008-09-23T09:57:00.000-07:00

Check this one out:

ClearPlay Content-Filtering DVD Player Now Being Sold Nationwide on Shelves of Best Buy Stores

The Right Now is less important than the future

2008-09-18T08:44:00.000-07:00

We tend to be always looking for immediate satisfaction. Fast food, drive through pharmacy, instant messaging, email, texting...its all for the right now. But what about the future. If we live for immediate gratification what repurcussions for the future will we have. Many things we do are for the future. Simple tasks like brushing your teeth to prevent tooth decay in the future, you go on diets so you can lose wait at some point in the future to prevent heart disease, and other weight related problems. We send our children to school so they can grow up and become something great and wonderful. These things are not done for the right now (except the tooth brushing does help with stinky breath ). It is to do with the future.

When we are in a trial ; we want out of it. We tend to dwell on what surrounds us at that time. We want to overcome and get out of it as soon as we can. But we should look at what God has for us in that dark time. He wants us to take something from it to use in the future. If we are in some hurry to get out, we may not pick up what God wants us to. So He may send us right back in to get what He sent us in there for the first time. If you go in the store to pick up some items and you are on a tight time schedule, you may hurry to get out of the store. You get home start making dinner and realize you forgot something very imperative that you needed for dinner. Therefore you have 2 options: Cook something else (not planned circumstances, maybe not the will of God), or go back to the store and get your important item. (If you are lucky enough, you could call someone else and have them pick it up for you, but in my blog..right now...that is not an option. Dont send anyone else into your trial to get what you should have gotten :-) )

The reason for these trials is to teach us something. Or to do something important in us to be able to be or do something for God in the future. God loves us very much. He loves us so much He died on a cross for the remission of our sins. He does not want His children to suffer. So if you are suffering in a trial right now...think of how important this "item" is that you need to get. If our loving God is going to allow us to suffer it is for a very good reason. The quicker we get our "item" the quicker we can leave the store. Pray, Read Gods word to find your item, so you can move on to making dinner or dessert!

We need to stop looking at the surrounding circumstances and look toward the future. What I do now will impact my future. It will also impact the futures of those that surround me. God planned for me to cook this for dinner, if I dont get all the ingredients along my shopping trip, I may distort or change what is for dinner.

Now I am hungry! :-)

What is your ministry?

2008-09-15T09:39:00.000-07:00

We had a leadership class this weekend. A very important point was brought up. Many of us can brag...we have been in church for decades....or we are involved in multiple ministries. But if you ask yourself a question be ready for the answer. There is more to this life than just your involvement in the church. There is something that you need to ask yourself maybe daily, weekly, monthly or more. Ask God how you can accomplish this one thing that is most important in our lives. No matter all your years of experience...this one task may have never happened, only happened once, or maybe you are blessed to have accomplished this task multiple times. Nevertheless ask yourself this one question as this is how we should begin and end each day.

"How many people have I touched today with the ministry I am involved with?"

I am not talking about people already involved in church. I am not talking about the ones who already know who Jesus is. I am not talking about your buddies that you talk with after service is over. How many sinners have you talked to today about the love of God?! How many lost souls were brought to God by the blessings bestowed upon you. With your ministry, how many people have you brought to walk with the Lord?

Well I found this to be quite life changing. If I start my day with this attitude, it will bring humility to my spirit, make my attitude toward my life problems a whole lot better, and it will help me decide carefully my words throughout the day when dealing with the lost and dying world. I hope this thought helps you like it did me when I first heard it.

My Unseen Friend

2008-09-10T11:58:00.001-07:00

It may seem I walk alone
For there are only one set of prints
You only see me walking
Walking on the roads of life

It may seem I walk through
Through the valleys with noone
But is what you are not seeing
Is the unseen hand guiding me

When I walk until I can go no further
That is when you will see my friend
My friend who not only walks beside
But carries me when I faint

It may seem to you I am so poor
For priceless possessions I don’t behold
You wont find much riches
Down here in my home on Earth

It may be that down here below
I have no earthly treasures
In my home you wont find
Priceless riches, or expensive trinckets

But what I do own has no price
For I am a daughter of the most High King
He has a mansion for me but most of all
His love is more than this world could ever afford

Your see the eyes will tell you, your alone
Your heart will tell you, you are not loved
But I stand here today to tell you
He is with you, and He loves you very much.

“This world is not my home, I’m just passing through…my treasures are laid up, somewhere beyond the blue…The angels beckon me from heavens open door, and I cant feel at home in this world anymore.”

living for 12 yrs, dying for 12 years

2008-09-08T12:09:00.000-07:00

As I was listening to the preaching on Sunday...something caught my attention suddenly, as sometimes I am slow to catch on I suppose. I never caught the fact that the woman with the issue of blood had been suffering for about 12 yrs...The daughter that had died was 12 yrs old as well. So we have a birth taking place 12 yrs prior along with a slow death of a woman. We have a child growing stronger every day, and a woman who is searching for a way to stay alive with this ailment. A young girl learning how to live, and a woman seeking a way to end her suffering.

One day Jesus arrives on the scene and the woman after 12 long years of slowly dying inside, gains new life from the Master. He ceases this disease that is causing her to wilt away. He puts an end to her suffering. The very same day He adds life to a 12 yr old girl who had stopped living.

What a God we serve. All in one day, and one moment of time, He can put an end to suffering while raising the dead....

Just a quick thought.

The benefits, but even better the blessings...

2008-09-04T07:20:00.000-07:00

My pastor preached a great sermon last night. It really spoke to me. Here is a glimpse:

The blessings of the Lord are not materialistic. Material things, i.e. car, house, money, health etc can all be compromised at some point in life. They can be wrecked, burnt, put in debt, or made ill just within moments. Gods blessings can not be destroyed as can these things. Those are all benefits from the Lord. He takes care of His people. Blessings are spiritual. They surround us and it is up to us to take advantage of them. To bless the Lord is to acknowledge Him.

To me a blessing is to rise early in the morning and watch the sunrise and that huge feeling inside me, the joyous sense, the vastness of this world that you see in the colors it protrays is a blessing. To know that the creator of this world...CREATOR OF THIS WORLD...notices a nobody like me. Out of millions of people and creations. Really think about this. A blessing is to look around at the people that choose to live without God and know that you serve the Mighty King, He is your Heavenly Father, you are His child. Knowing that He cares about what you care about, He hurts when you hurt, and He cries when we cry!

Nothing in this world compares to serving the Most High. If God chose to never benefit me with material things, I would still be blessed, and I would bless the Lord. To have this attitude makes you feel joyous even in dark times. All it takes is a change of attitude, a choice.

Slow Fade

2008-09-03T07:40:00.000-07:00

I recently heard this song "Slow Fade" by Casting Crowns. What a powerful song. Listen to the lyrics. When you look at the words really consider what it is saying. We all know you dont backslide overnight. What the scary fact is...you may not know you are backsliding until you are so far from God and so deceived by the world that you have compromised your soul. It says "...be careful if you think you stand, you just might be sinking" "People never crumble in a day" Look back at your life, last week, last month, last year and look at your walk with the Lord. Has it grown stronger or farther away. We are all people living in this world. Just because we call ourselves christian does not mean we may not drift. Look at mechanics...Just because they are called a mechanic does not mean their car does not break down. It only means they have the know how to fix it when it does. As christians we should know how to fix our walk with God when it seems a little off balance...PRAYER! FASTING! etc. Dont allow your spirit to be tainted by the things of this world simply because you thought you were staying strong but then realized you were walking the wrong road and have drifted from God.

Just a few thoughts that were on my heart recently. Please if you have not listened to this song...Please do and pull up the lyrics as well.

Let go to receive something better

2008-08-29T07:45:00.000-07:00

'To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.' When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better.
I just had this emailed to me this morning. What a thought. God cant give us anything more if we are holding on to stuff already. Our bags are full. If we are holding on to bitterness than God cant give us healing in that area. We wont let go. If we are holding on to that angry feeling...God cant give us joy. We wont let go.

If God does take something from you...realize that He will fill that void with something better. Just let God do His will in your life. We are here because He put us here. So lets do His will not our own. He knows the future so if He takes something from you and you dont think it fair, trust God for in your future you did not need this thing anyway and now He can replace it with something else. But if you hold on to it, He cant replace it....Let go and let God do His will.

Joseph...blessed while in prison

2008-08-25T07:27:00.000-07:00

What circumstances lead us to places in life. Decisions made, prayers prayed, words stated, even attitudes during life changing times. God leads us where He wants us to go...it is our choice, however, whether we go that route. If you look at Josephs life before he was in the picture. Jacob had to work several years longer in order to take Rachel, his true love, as wife. Then Rachel was barren. Whereas her sister Leah bare 6 boys, Rachel had none. Rachel had to struggle through many torturous years and watch her sister and her handmaids produce children. Oh but look what would become of her son Joseph later down the road. How many times do we want to give up as we sit at the wayside and watch others be so productive. We watch others do great things for God. We think what are we doing so wrong? Why are we barren? Why can't we produce anything for God? But we do not know the future.

Gen 30:22
And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb.

I love that: God remembered Rachel. God thought of Rachel and decided it was now her time. See before it was not the right timing for her to bare. Maybe a test of patience. But now God remembered her. He opened her womb...so it was God who had it shut for so long, but now it was opened to bare Joseph.

Joseph had to endure the teasing of his brothers. He was special and his parents knew that. He had to endure being different. It can become weary being a child among several brothers not only the youngest but special too. Can you imagine?? Then for his brothers to become so sick of seeing how special he was to trade him as a slave. So now onward to Egypt as a slave. Could Joseph possibly have been so much in despair to just give up. But something beyond his control drove him onward. Look where he ended up...Pharaoh's house! No one but God could possible chain these events together. He is a slave yes, but not just a slave...a slave in Pharaoh's house! How many times do we look at our small world...the slave part...and not fix our eyes on the entire circumstance. We may be a slave but I guarantee you that God has huge plans for our lives. We may be in the Pharaoh's home and not even realize the events taking place. Hang in there.

Gen 39:2
And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.

So Joseph finds grace in their sight and moves up in chain of command. He has everything under his hands. He has great responsibility. Things are looking up...But then look at what happens.

Gen 39:7
And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me.

Who comes on the scene none other but temptation. Of course Joseph resists the temptation but still is punished for it.

Gen 39:20
And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners [were] bound: and he was there in the prison.

Then Joseph finds favour in the eyes of the prison guard. No matter what Joseph did God blessed him and the Lord was with him through it all. He was now in prison but God still used him. He interpreted dreams and the butler was free but yet forgot about Joseph. 2 years later sitting in prison for a crime he did not commit, after being placed into slavery because his own brothers did not like him...Pharaoh has a dream that needs interpretation. What do you think went through Josephs mind? Despair, discouragement, frustration, anger, resentment, and any other unpleasant thought that may have tried to seep in to those prison walls.

Gen 39:21
But the LORD was with Joseph

The Lord encouraged him, gave him hope when Joseph saw none. Joseph could have had a bad attitude through it all. How many prayers do you think he prayed to be released from this prison? Do you think he may have plotted a way of escape? An early way out of this trial he was in? Don't we all do that. Look for our way of escape? But we need to wait on the Lord. He will bring us through. Do what His commandments say. Pray and Fast. God will bring us out of our trials but maybe not as quickly as we would like. Imagine what would of happened had Joseph escaped from prison. He may have not heard the dreams of the butler. He would not of been brought forth to the Pharaoh to interpret his dream. Who would have stocked the food for the 7 years of famine? I am sure God would of found someone else to do it but it would not of been Joseph.

If we want to do something huge for God...Just live your life doing what you are supposed to do. Be obedient to God's will. Your time will come but it's the small decisions we make in difficult times that have large impact.(Pastor Sullivan's sermon Sunday 8/24 :) ) So hang in there, stay in the "prison" for as long as God needs you there. Stay barren until God opens your womb. Stay a slave until God sets you free. But watch your attitude and decisions you make. Keep our eyes focused on God and all will fall into place...eventually! God bless you.

2 women, 2 circumstances

2008-08-18T07:34:00.000-07:00

Luk 8:43
And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any,
Luk 8:44
Came behind [him], and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched.
Luk 8:45
And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press [thee], and sayest thou, Who touched me?
Luk 8:46
And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.
Luk 8:47
And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately.
Luk 8:48
And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.

_____________________________________

Mar 5:24
And [Jesus] went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.
Mar 5:25
And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,
Mar 5:26
And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,
Mar 5:27
When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.
Mar 5:28
For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.

_____________________________________________

Luk 7:36
And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat.
Luk 7:37
And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that [Jesus] sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,
Luk 7:38
And stood at his feet behind [him] weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe [them] with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed [them] with the ointment.

_____________________________________________

Two women. These 2 women have always intrigued me. Maybe because they both came so close to Jesus. Both came to Him with a need. The woman with the issue of blood had a life threatening disease. She had spent all that she had so she was now poor as well. She was probably somewhat of a recluse due to the nature of her disease. But she heard that Jesus was in town. He was walking the streets. She knew what kind of power He had. She knew that just one touch would heal her. Could she fight through the crowd that surrounded Him. Could she face all those people to get her healing she so desperately needed? How far was she willing to go? If she could crawl along the ground, just to grasp the hem of Jesus' garment, she knew healing would come. She had such a need she was willing to humble herself, and face many people who would probably look down on her for her desperation. She knew she had to touch Him. Oh, if we could be so hungry for touching Jesus.

On the other hand we have a more quiet scene. We have a woman with a past. She has done many things wrong with her life. But she has heard the Master is going to dinner with a Pharisee. She has heard where He would be at a certain time. I don't know how many people were at dinner that night but I know it was quieter. The people were not thronging around Him. Jesus sat at meat. Maybe a nice meal before Him. Some chit chat going on. Some teaching occurring. Then she walks in. She starts with the tears as she approaches His feet from behind. Just His presence brings her what she needed to feel. But she does not stop there. She proceeds to wipe His feet with her hair. Then brakes open the very thing that cost her all her earnings for the past year. Maybe it took her longer than that to save up for this moment. She poured out all that she had saved up onto Jesus. She was not only going to receive a blessing from the Lord but in turn she would give to Him her offerings, her all.

2 women in 2 different circumstances. Both beautiful stories of how we should live our lives. How we should focus on touching Jesus. If you only had that 1 moment in time to touch Him, would you only touch the hem of His garment? Or would you take your tears and pour them on His feet, wipe them off with your hair and follow that with pouring out your lifetime of possessions? Would you crawl through thousands of people, amongst the crowd, to touch Him or would you wait for a quiet time to bless Him with your offering?

Drifting on the swells of life...

2008-08-14T09:02:00.000-07:00

When you are drifting in the ocean on a boat, you casually float along the swells. As you drift along you may be fishing, visiting with friends, or just sitting back enjoying the scenery. As you move along in the water it is a gradual pace in which the waters take you further from your port. You drift along and if you are not carefully watching, eventually you look for land and it is farther than you thought. You may have not realized it because you were distracted by other activities, but the swells have pulled you far out and away from land. You may have not intentionally drifted out so far, but you did. Apply this to your spirit now. If the water is life and swells are circumstances. What activities occurred on the boat is your reaction in life...distracted. God is the land for this story sake. Has the waters of life taken you away from your Lord. Maybe it was a gradual swell that took you away. The circumstances took you up and down, left and right, nonetheless they took you further and further away. It is not until someone says "Wow, look how far you are from land." Then you look up and get that sinking feeling of how far out you are and what it will take to get back! Luckily God has put a powerful engine on your little boat to get you back to shore.

Moral of the story is: Keep your eyes on God when in the seas of life. Dont stray so far to where you have to squint your eyes to see land. If you do happen to stray, turn on the motor of prayer to get you back quickly and safely to the arms of God. It usually is a gradual process when you drift from God, I am not talking about backsliding, just drifting...from His presence.

Lord, help me to keep my eyes on you at all times. Help me to not get so distracted by circumstances of life. And, when I do drift thank you for providing me a resource to safely come back into your arms once again and Thank you for accepting me back.

Glimpse into the past...Will help your future

2008-08-12T08:21:00.001-07:00

Everyone has a story...Here's a glimpse of mine.
I grew up knowing the Lord. He was always with me. I spent many days in the hospital due to my asthma. He was with me. Though I did not know He was with me. I went to Sunday School but that was usually it. I was baptized at 7. I remember one day as a child in my room I started praying. Then I was crying and I did not understand what was happening but looking back, now I know. God was reaching down and touching my heart. He was placing something inside of me that would keep me for my long journey ahead.

Months maybe years went by and I never really reflected too much on that. Through teenage years...Ha Ha Wow aren't those fun...I occasionally thought about the Lord. I would send up a prayer or two. I did not attend church but once with a friend. I would not call myself a christian by all means at that stage. But the Lord was with me. I was not living the way He would of wanted me to but He stayed at my side and listened to my prayers. He comforted me in times of need.

As I became a young adult I am sorry to say I did not draw any closer to the Lord. But I always knew He was with me, watching over me. I did attend church more often than in the past but I still did not have a strong relationship with the Lord. I got the Holy Ghost when I was a teenager but I still was not ready to turn my life completly over to Him. I did my own thing but when trouble came I would reach out to Him. Then as adulthood came I finally made a commitment to trust in the Lord with everything I had. I received the Holy Ghost again and again and again. I was faithful to the house of the Lord. I battled my way to do right when wrong just seemed better.

Now the Lord has become my friend, counselor, Prince of Peace, Heavenly Father and my everything. Through good times and bad I praise Him. How can I not give Him the glory when I look back and see all He has brought me through. I know I kept this generic still with little details but look at your own life. This is my testimony of what He has done for me. Only I can relate to this story because it is mine. But look back...What did He do for you behind the scenes? What did He put inside of you? Has He given you joy in times of despair? Has He given you life when death was at your door? Did He put you in green pastures after pulling you from your miry clay?

He has literally saved my life atleast thrice that I can count and that I am aware of. He has made me laugh when I should of cried. He has made me productive when I should be sitting on a corner talking to myself! He has renewed my soul when dark days hung on.

What has He done for you? No matter all the bad things that may be happening right now...Take a moment right now to reflect on what He has done in your life. Pick just one thing, and thank Him for it. You will feel better instantly. No matter what you have been through Jesus can relate to your situation and help you through it.

When you are looking up then you will take your eyes off all the destruction going on around you. Sometimes it is good to just look up for a while toward God and give your spirit a rest from all the stress and worries of this life. Look up and reflect back to a time that God really moved in your life. He is a healing God. Not only physical wounds but spiritual, emotional wounds can also be healed. He can heal wounds from abuse, addictions, or just unsettling events from your past. Let God heal you...but first you must expose your wound to Him so He can bandage you up!

Remember back as a kid you fell off your bike or skinned your knee at some point. Then good ole mom or dad, grandpa or grandma wanted to clean out the wound. You knew it was going to hurt so you would inch away as they came at you. But if they did not get the debris out it was going to just get infected and then turn into a body wide infection. Apply this to spiritual now. God must examine your wound, clean it out though it may be painful, then bandage it. If it is not thoroughly cleaned out and something that does not belong gets left in there...an infection can happen called bitterness. Allow the Lord to bandage your wound. And for goodness sake keep the bandaid on to let the healing process occur. Dont rip up the bandage and pick at the scab! Let it go and let healing run through your body from your heavenly Father above.

This is the God I serve.

2008-08-06T10:48:00.000-07:00

Someday my hope is to tell my life story. If you only knew the trials God has brought me through you could catch a glimpse of why I love the Lord. You see He has brought me through some dangerous perils. He literally saved my life, more than once. He protected my mind. He has healed me. He has rescued me when I did not want rescuing. He has protected my integrity. He has blessed me multiple times. He has comforted me in dark hours. He has counseled me. He has carried me. He has spoken for me when I could not speak. He has kept me close when I pushed Him away. He watched over me, before I ever turned my life over to Him. He has loved me when I was unlovable. When I thought I could not go on, He provided me with strength to endure. He has been so good to me, I could never tell it all. He has done things that I am unaware of. Yes, I may be young and have plenty of life before me but all I need to know is my God is all powerful, omnipotent, mighty king, and....He is my friend. What do I have to fear? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Disneyland July '08

2008-07-29T08:56:00.000-07:00

Day One- High energy, High spirits
Picture of Family in front of the famous castle...Ashlee was quite excited about seeing it in real life.
Haunted Mansion...Checking behind her to see if there was someone or something there...
She thought she was so tough...
Awww the end of day one...Yes it is close to Midnight and Cinderella was turned back into Mom with 3 Cute tired children...Heee Heee

2008-07-23T10:54:00.000-07:00

I could not believe this when I read it. I had to research it because I thought it was a hoax. This is an actual program to be aired this fall. The last sentence really sums it up for me:

“It’s a waste of time to argue with fundamentalists,” Dever said. “And this film doesn’t do it. It’s designed for intelligent people who are willing to change their mind.”

Intelligent people willing to change their mind. What does intelligence have anything to do with faith. Faith that the Bible is God's holy word. These are the times we are living in:

TCA: Nova uncovers 'The Bible's Buried Secrets'
03:49 PM PT, Jul 13 2008

It’s not often you hear “Nova” and “shocking” in the same sentence.
But participants in “The Bible’s Buried Secrets,” a two-hour special airing Nov. 18 on the PBS program, promised this morning that the show would trigger a fair share of controversy.
The special explores the ancient Israelites’ adoption of monotheism and seeks to explain who wrote the Hebrew Bible and what influenced them. Relying on archaeological work and biblical scholarship, the show poses provocative ideas -- including the notion that many Israelites believed that God had a wife –- and disputes literal readings of the text.
“It’s a shocking film in many ways, but it’s truth, revolutionary, and it’s as fresh as yesterday,” said William G. Dever, a noted biblical archaeologist who specializes in the history of Israel.
Carol L. Meyers, a religion professor at Duke University, said that “most of us start out as naïve Bible readers and take it at face value.”
In fact, Meyers argued, “there was no consciousness about the construction of history” when the Bible was written.
The stories of Exodus and Abraham and Sarah “are unlikely to represent real historical events, but rather there’s some kernel of ancient experience in there which has survived and which helps give identity to the people at the time,” she said.
Dever said he has participated in two dozen films about the Bible, “and most of them are dreadful.”
“They either pander to the public’s misunderstanding that the role of archaeology is to prove the Bible to be true, or, at best, they’re simply dishonest, outrageously so,” he said. “And I vowed not to make any more such films until 'Nova' came along. I knew their reputation, and I knew this one would be good.
“Most people simply misunderstand archaeology and the Bible. Some of them are not going to like this film, but nobody will see this film without changing their mind about the way the Bible ought to be read.”
Nobody?
Well, with one exception.
“It’s a waste of time to argue with fundamentalists,” Dever said. “And this film doesn’t do it. It’s designed for intelligent people who are willing to change their mind.”
-- Matea Gold

HNFS

2008-07-14T08:05:00.001-07:00

http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/080711/20080711005096.html?.v=1

Check out the above link. A glimpse into my work life...

Note: the quote from a patient of mine...

I learned a lot from this program. Mariah was very knowledgeable, patient and helped me to understand asthma and my medication. Because of her I knew what questions to ask my doctors and what worked best for me. I went from needing my inhalers four to six times a day, to needing it once in the last month! I went from an 18 percent to a 63 percent lung improvement! – Deborah F., Maryland

Youth Camp -short but sweet

2008-07-14T07:58:00.000-07:00

When you may be feeling old and need a little uplifting in your spirit, you must attend a week of youth camp. What a refreshing feeling to be surrounded by children, youthful spirits. I was the "camp nurse" this year and yes, I was busy with broken noses to high temps, plenty of ice packs and splinters. But, what a joyful feeling to walk through the camp and have all those smiling little faces waving at you. Having them run up to you and give you a hug. To watch them pray to a God so large that our human minds can not grasp the fullness of. But as these small wonders pray to Him, they receive Him into their hearts either for the first time or the hundredth time. To watch the magnificent powerful God take time out for the little ones of the world.

What a time it was. I am priveleged to be a part of it all.

Glasswing Butterfly

2008-06-30T13:27:00.000-07:00

These are called "Glass wing Butterflies". What an amazing creation. After seeing such wonders as this beautiful butterfly so simple yet so magnificent...who can wonder whether God really exists. Just look around you and see all the beauty of this world. Thank the Lord that we are able to enjoy all of it.

...and God saw that [it was] good.

This shows us that

-you don't have to be flashy to be beautiful to God

-transparency sometimes is best

-even the smallest thing can make someone stop and have admiration

A poem...

2008-06-23T10:40:00.000-07:00

A friend like no other

I have a friend, many of you may know
He is faithful to me, though harsh words I may throw

He cares about my every need, sees that I thrive
In his presence, I am always…satisfied.

He is my closest friend, closer than a brother,
For once you know Him, you will look for no other.

You ask me who this could describe, what is His name,
Oh, but you ask is he really all that? Even lift me of my shame!?

He can take away my sins, and take away my pain
He can relieve me of my sicknesses, and even stop the rain

Yes, He is a miracle worker, a healer, a comforter and more
He is my heavenly Father, my friend I will always adore.

He has been so good to me, though troubles have come my way
But when He walks beside me, nothing harmful wants to stay.

I could speak of His goodness and mercy all the day long
But you may not listen, for it is not your life, it is not your song

For you must know Him for yourself, you cant live off my testimony
You should call upon Him, ask Him to show you what He has shown me.

Yes, you will meet him, someday, your choice or His
If you don’t meet Him on Earth, you will meet Him, a promise this is

Call upon His name right now, for He knocks at your door
Once you have met Him , searching you will do no more

You ask me “How would you find this perfect friend I discuss?”
The answer I give is very simple you see, Just call out the name JESUS!

A humble person is...

2008-06-17T09:46:00.000-07:00

Humility: the quality or state of being humble.
Humble: not proud or haughty ; not arrogant or assertive, reflecting...etc.

Now first off, if you are someone who always has the best story at a gathering, the worst animal bite, the worst bodily injury known to man, the highest paying job, the best family in the world, the most expensive car, flown the longest distance, stayed awake the longest before dropping, or been to the moon and back. This blog is not for you. Just skip this reading, you have my permission. But for the rest of us minority, please continue. Sorry for my sense of humor... :-)

Jesus was a humble man. What an example to live by. He had all power given to Him by God. But instead of using this to show how much better He was than mankind, He used His power to heal people that had a need in their life. He did not brag or boast of what He could do. He did not belittle man even when they persecuted Him. They taunted him and yet he still refused to argue with them of who he was.

If you let me, I would imagine that as he walked around the cities. He would come upon men that thought they were hot stuff. There many accomplishments in life. The higher educated men. Maybe some heroes from battle. Some inventors etc. As Jesus may have spoke to these men, they may have boasted about their many accomplishments in life. Thinking they were only talking to a carpenter. You know those kind of people I speak about. They are the greatest of all because of what they have been able to do in life. They are those well accomplished people who whatever you tell them, they have a story that would top yours any day. Well those types of people must have existed long ago in Jesus' day as well. Could you imagine them talking with Jesus. Jesus all knowing what he would accomplish in the near future. He did not brag. He probably just listened to them talk. He did not try to top them, even though he easily could have. The devil tempted him with recognition. Jesus did not give in. He took the humble path. He was humiliated among throngs of people. His final words "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do..."

The people did not grasp the full concept of what really was taking place. Jesus did not fight it. He was humble in all his ways. In our daily lives we are tempted with recognition. We see others that don't really deserve, in our eyes, the recognition. Yet, they receive it. They stand among the crowd and brag about what they have accomplished. But when we don't get that special attention of someone saying "good job or well done," how do we respond. Do we respond the humble way and just continue our daily routine? Without growing bitter.

Its easy to watch others, see them recognized when you know you have been working so hard and no one said anything to you, the entire time. But, just smile because God knows that they need that recognition. Give it to them as well. Everyone can't be like this. Some people have to be the ones to give the recognition. If we all needed to constantly be patted on the back, who would be the ones to do the patting. Some are meant to be patted but maybe you are one meant to be the "patter". Either way be happy with your role in life, it was given to you by God.

The next time you see someone get the recognition that you think should be sent your way, think about Jesus. How he responded to this situation. Be a humble person. Be grateful for what you have. The Lord knows what you need in life. Let Him be the one to pat you on the back when you need it. I would much rather have my Lord be pleased with my life and give me a thumbs up than anyone in this world. If God is happy with my life and my accomplishments then that is all that matters to me. So look to God, your heavenly Father, for all the recognition that you need. Don't base your satisfaction on people's applause.

My daily life is motivated by the words "Well done, [thou] good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. "

Equal amounts of asking and thanking...

2008-06-16T09:04:00.000-07:00

Think about this...When you want something. I mean really desire something. Maybe it is an object; a new vehicle, a nice camera (canon rebel XT :-) for example), an expensive pair of shoes, etc. Or Maybe it is a prayer you are asking for; healing in your body, someone to be saved, lost loved ones, healing for someone else... The list will vary from one person to another. But just take a minute or two right now to think of something that you truly desired and eventually did obtain. Don't keep reading until you think of this thing...I mean it.

Okay now after you reflect back...Think about how long you asked or prayed for this thing or event to occur. Days, months, maybe years it may have took you to obtain this event or item.

When you did obtain it or the prayer was answered...Did you spend all the following time after being thankful for the occurrence. Days, months, or maybe years? If you prayed for that loved one to come to church for 5 years, day after day, service after service. Then they showed up. Did you thank the Lord for the remaining 5 years that they were able to experience His presence? What a sobering thought especially for me...because I know personally how much the Lord has done in my life and how little thankfulness I have given Him compared with how much time I put in to praying for things to happen.

I think we tend to ask God to do things for us and suddenly when it happens...we forget why it occur ed and who was in charge of it all. If we spend a year asking for something to happen...we should spend the following year being extremely thankful. In fact we should be as fervently thankful as we were praying for it to happen. So lets even it out some at least time wise. If you ask for something for 5 days and it comes to pass...follow it up with 5 days of thankfulness. When asking for a healing and it takes 1 month for it to occur, be thankful for the whole month after as much as you would have prayed for healing. We could never be as thankful to God for the things He does for us but we can at least try to equal out our time here on earth being thankful.

Remember the lepers Jesus healed:

Luk 17:12
And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:
Luk 17:13
And they lifted up [their] voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
Luk 17:14
And when he saw [them], he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.
Luk 17:15
And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,
Luk 17:16
And fell down on [his] face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.
Luk 17:17
And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where [are] the nine?
Luk 17:18
There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.
Luk 17:19
And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

Out of 10, one showed his thankfulness. Now I know we are thankful but do we spend the time telling God, just how thankful we really are. If you spend the time in prayer requesting God to move in your life...when He does move and answer your request...spend an equal amount of time being thankful. Really appreciate what God does for you, because He doesn't have to do anything, but He chooses to bless you!

So give equal amounts of thankfulness in return for God answering your prayers.

2008-05-29T09:45:00.000-07:00

Genesis 2:25
And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

They had no sin in their life yet. They had nothing to be ashamed of. When God takes away all of our layers, will we be able to say the same? If God takes away all of our shell that we tend to hide behind, would we be ashamed of what He finds on the inside. When the time comes for our complete exposure to the Lord, what will He find under it all. When I am revealed at the throne of God, my prayer is that I will not be ashamed. I don't want to be ashamed of what is inside my heart. My desire is to be pure and clean on the inside underneath the layers that we shelter ourselves with. Beyond the walls we build, should be nothing to be ashamed of. Our true colors, should be a reflection of God. When you stand alone and noone is watching, are you someone who is unashamed of who you are.

Their eyes were opened after choosing to sin. Now they became ashamed of who they were and immediately tried to cover themselves. They tried to build up those walls so God could not see them and their sin. When they tried to cover themselves, it shows what we do when we sin. We immediately try to hide it. Then we blame. Well if you hadn't of...then I would not have...So it is always someone else's fault because we allowed ourself to sin.

When we cover our sin, it is an ameteur job made of fig leaves. And eventually fig leaves once taken from their tree, become dry and brittle, and will fall apart. When we cover our sin, it does not last too long. Then everyone can see through our poor covering that we did. It is when we come to Jesus and admit our faults then He steps in. When he covers our sin, it is then that the covering will endure. He won't use something that will eventually die off and break away. He used coats of skin. Something that will endure. So when we sin, you have to come to the Lord and admit your fault. He already knows you did it, so why not admit it to him. My little girl colored on our wall one day. It was obvious that she had done these wonderful drawings. She had even written my name...MOM. When approached, she quickly denied she had done it, and blamed the dog. ( She knew better to not blame brother or sister, for they could talk, and tell me they did not do it, but the poor dog had no defense.) After talking with her for quite some time, I eventually got the truth out of her. I did not just let her blame someone or something else. I wanted her to learn to accept the fact she had been the one to do wrong. Then we cleaned it up together. So when talking to the Lord, just remember, He already knows your wrongdoing. So admit it, then ask what needs to be done to clean it up.

So when we stand before the King on that glorious day,will we be able to say...they were not ashamed.

In the midst...

2008-05-23T07:38:00.000-07:00

When you are surrounded by troubles or circumstances, you tend to get so lost in them. You see what is around you. You look at how bad things are and they just seem to get worse. You ask God to take you out of this place your in. You wait on the Lord to hear your cry, though, it seems He is not inclined to remove you from your circumstance. As you survey your surroundings, you take note of how dreary it all seems. You examine for a way out and you just find brick walls all around you. Every now and then you catch a glimpse of light through the bars at the top of this jail cell you are in. But no sooner did you feel the warmth before it disappears once again. You are made to live off of hope and the belief of a better tomorrow. Your only food is the memories of the promises made to you so long ago. Your sustenance is your reference point that occurred so long ago. Your strength must come from somewhere other than on this world. What do you do? If you continue to examine your situation it just becomes more dreadful. The more you cry out, the more you want out of your situation. The longer you see the damp, dark walls, the less you can see why you may be in the place your in.

Joseph was in an actual prison, for something he did not do. He had no control over his circumstances. Imagine with me what would have become of him had he, curled up in a corner in self pity and pouted his days away. If he had sulked himself to sleep during the endless days and nights, would he have heard the baker and the cup bearers dreams? If he would have been so self absorbed, would he have been able to hear God giving him the translation to these dreams? Would Joseph have died in that prison, before he was able to fulfill what God had planned for his life? What would have happened to Joseph if he had been so distraught over his imprisonment that he was unable to help those around him? Who would God have used to save Egypt and the people from the 7 years of famine?!

Paul and Silos were also in a prison. Now, they had been beaten. I am sure they were in a lot of pain. Confused. They were doing the work of the Lord and now they were bleeding and in prison. What would have become of them had they cried out in despair, "poor me"?! They may have rotted and died in there. What would have become of these men? They were not distracted by their circumstances. They may have glanced around them, took note of how dreary things were, and then looked at each other and started to sing.

They realized along with Joseph that no matter what they did there was nothing they could do to change the situation they were in. They did all they could. As they praised God and waited on Him, things took place. If Joseph had been too distracted by how bad things were and kept his mind on that he may have missed his opportunity of escaping this trial. If Paul and Silos had not sent up their praise to the Lord but instead saw their pain and given up, they may have missed their way of escape. Another thing I gather from these two situations, they were not alone in the prison. I mean God was with them of course but in both situations they were accompanied by someone else with a need. So, not only were they in a situation that they had no control over but they were in there with another individual who had needs of their own. They had to look past the circumstances of their own trial to help the other person who was in the trial with them.

It is easy to look around you and see all the bad, but we must learn to look past that, and see the person or situation that we can help in the midst of our own battle. Our selfishness states to us how bad it is, our spirit reminds us that we all are fighting some sort of a battle, and we can help each other. The person in there with you may by your way of escaping your situation. Help them and they may help you without even knowing it themselves.

My mind is made up to serve the Lord!

2008-05-22T09:55:00.000-07:00

Today is a beautiful day. The sun is out and shining bright. The wind is blowing through the air. The temperature is just right for most people, of course if you know me, I could use a little more heat. What a wonderful day. Preaching last night was about serving God by choice and not being forced into it. Isaac and Ishmael. Sarah and Hagar. The child of the contract and the child of being forced into the situation. When you choose to serve the Lord and give to Him all of you then you can have access to all of heaven's supply. You inherit from the Lord's kingdom. You truly are a child of God. It is a choice that God gave to us: human will. Doesn't it mean so much more to you when your child comes to you and does something on their own because they wanted to vs. being forced to do it. Constantly I nag on my kids: clean your room, be nice to your sibling etc. It is so much the better when I come home and my kids have cleaned their rooms because they wanted to please me. Or they did something nice for each other because they actually wanted to. I am sure God feels the same way about us. I think alot can be compared to the relationship with our children as God's relationship to His children: us.

God gave us kids so we could know what it felt like to love unconditionally, because that is how He loves us. We dont have to earn His love, we just have to accept it. Our children can be an excellent lesson for us. Think of your ideal relationship with your children or with your parents. What would you do more of to strengthen it. Communication?!Now try to develop that relationship with the Lord - who is your heavenly father. God is good all the time, no matter what our circumstances bring. God is good, never changing. Remember this and it will bring you through anything. We change, but God never changes! He is the same yesterday, today and forever. God knows all but he wants to hear it from us. When my daughter drew on the wall (this is an excellent lesson for many reasons) I knew she did it ( moms know all) but I wanted to hear her tell me she did it. I know my children love me but I want to hear them tell me. Your husband or wife know (or they should know) how much you love them but they still need to hear it. God knows are feelings and actions etc but we still need to open up that communication to Him and speak to Him on a daily basis at a minimum. He is a friend that is at your side day and night. He is always available to listen to you. But you can't listen to somebody when they never speak to you.

Fun in the sun

2008-05-19T06:56:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful last few days I have had. Well to start my mom came over for a few days and the last day she was here, we went to the lake. We have a seadoo and decided it was hot enough to take it out for a spin (literally!) I can't believe it but I actually got my mom to get on it. I thought for sure we would tip it because she had never rode one before and it was very choppy water. She was great though. We even caught some air...I made her scream a couple times, LOL. Then we took her home and went golfing in Chico! Fun filled day. So, Sunday after church my husband gathers a group of people to come to the lake again. We took the seadoo out with a couple boys and they had a blast. Then the girls showed up! In church clothes! Wanting a ride! Ha Ha, so we took them. First off I took Kadee out, I was tempted to throw her in the water, atleast take her for a wild ride but I was kind. You see, when she drives, Oh My, she is very bodacious to say the least. She has me holding on for my life! I brought her back nice and somewhat dry. Then Sunshine wanted to go, so I took her out. She had never been on one before, so I tried to be kind, though we did hit some waves. Finally, I took Tala out. She enjoyed it too. It was a real blast! I got to relax by the waves too and just...rest, while the kids enjoyed the water. What a nice weekend. Hopefully we will do it again sometime. You know you don't have to spend alot of money to have an enjoyable time. It is the simple family and friend stuff that brings real joy to your life. We tend to think well if we had more money we could do... or this.. or that... But in reality, all you need to make is time. I recently read something that really impacted me. When you spend time with someone that is something you will never get back. If you spend your money on a gift, you just work harder and make that money back. But with time, once spent, there is no making it up. "When you give someone your time, you are giving them a portion of your life, you will never get back." It truly is an invaluable gift, if spent wisely! We need to spend more time, and spend less money!

Our enemy - his name is "I'm too busy"

2008-05-13T09:09:00.000-07:00

We are just too busy all the time. How many times in a day do we use this phrase? How many joys of life do we pass up because we are too busy? How many times throughout the day does God try and talk to us but we are too busy to hear His still small voice? We have so much to do, so many places to go, so many people to talk to. When will we not be too busy anymore. Tomorrow, next week, next month, or maybe next year. That will be too late for the time right now. What are we missing out on because we are just too busy? Today, my little girl wants me to play with her and blow bubbles with her. Will she desire that tomorrow, or next week, or even next year. Today, my oldest wants me to braid her hair. Will she still ask tomorrow or next week. My boy really wants a water fight. When he is older will he still want this. This may be the last time I am ever asked to do these simple tasks, do I want my final words to be "sorry, I am too busy". Life was not meant to rule us like we let it. But you see it goes further than that. There is an acronym for busy: Bound Under Satans Yoke. See if he keeps us busy, when do we have time for family or church activities or God himself. If we are constantly running around trying to get all the tasks of life done, do we have time for completing the tasks God wants us to complete. What is the meaning of life...to work so you can pay bills...so you can have the gas to drive around ... to get the errands done... like shop for food... so you have to go back to work...to pay the bills...etc... It is a spiral effect that is heading in the opposite direction God wants us to go. God is to be our priority, Family comes next, Friends...these are the important things in life. I am having to search deeply to understand all this myself. When I find myself to busy, I must realize what it is I am doing that does not need to be done. Does it improve my relationship with my Creator? Is it helping me grow with my family? How am I being productive in my task right now? Am I bringing my God praise with my activities? Our lives are so full because we think we have to do things that really can either be put off until later or we are just trying to fit too much into our short lives.

Work is a must for all of us. We have to work in order to earn an income and provide the essentials for our family. Church activities are a priority. We must continually fellowship with others and reach out to our community and be a light in dark times. Family time is so important. I was rushing around the house today trying to get ready for work and suddenly here comes my little one. She jumps down from her chair, runs to me, grabs my leg and wraps her little arms around me. I pause, look down at her, and ask her what she needs. She gently speaks, " I just wanted to give you a hug, that's all." She reminded me to take some time out of my busyness to enjoy one of the simple pleasures of life...Love. I most of all have to learn to slow down and pay attention to those little moments, because you never know if they will repeat themselves again. Don't miss out on what is important in life, simply because you were to BUSY! I guarantee you will never look at being busy the same if you remember the acronym.

One of the best ways to experience love firsthand, is to be loved by a child. God's love and a child's love are so similar. OK that is another post...stay tuned.

Lighthearted Monday

2008-05-12T06:44:00.000-07:00

I know I post some serious blogs. No, I am not that serious all the time, I promise. Actually, my weekend will prove it. Friday night, we had a marriage class out in Lincoln, with several other couples. About an hour or so into it, someone rings the doorbell. We are clueless as to who it could have been, everyone was already here. Well less than a minute later we are told we should all check our vehicles? Yes, the youth must have been bored and had nothing better to do with excess toilet paper then to decorated our vehicles. ha Ha great! Well you know if you are away from your home and they were willing to drive 20+ minutes away to TP your car that your house was done too.

On the way home, hubby and me decide it is a Friday night, and the kids dont have to go to bed early and we happen to have all this extra TP in our front yard as well. So we decide to share with our close friends the Sullivans. The main target however, was who we believed to be the get away driver, guess we were wrong, but owell! So, Tylers truck got it real good. Then this lovely white car happened to be there too belonging to Kandyce, so since it was so conveniently parked there it got some decoration too!

Then we got caught but we escaped. Ha Ha the fun continues. Saturday came, got up nice and early for a yard sale and car wash. Then, Jessica had her last basketball game for the season. My mother and sister in law came for a visit. Sunday came and water fights broke out, golfing event took place, and more water fights.

Yes, it was an exciting weekend. God is good, no matter what life brings, God is good all the time.

This week is going to be exciting as well because my mom is coming for 4 days. This will be a good time.

Scars

2008-05-08T13:34:00.000-07:00

I was thinking some last night, dangerous as it is, about life in general. Dan and I were discussing scars. If you are hurt in someway, and it is bad enough, it leaves a scar on your body. Then if it is in a visible area, someone will ask you about it and it leads you to a story of some sort. Now if that scar is something very dreadful...and you still have pain associated with it, you may just brush it off as nothing. This is because it is too painful to even talk about. If it was something you learned from, then you are more than happy to share. You may see a scar as an ugly sight, so you choose plastic surgery to cover it up. You can also view it as a part of your childhood. A funny incident. Something you did that was heroic and you are proud of the scar you received from it.

Life leaves scars on us too but not just physically, they are on our soul. So it means we were hurt in someway. Everyone has scars from life, some are larger than others, and some are less in quantity than others. Do you hide those scars so no one knows you have been hurt? Do you try and make people think that your life has been so perfect that you have not received any scars? Do you have some soul plastic surgery done so your scars don't show? Do you ever ponder the reason of receiving that scar? Was it for someones benefit? If you tell them how you received that scar could it benefit their life? Or do you let pride come before compassion and decide to keep your scars concealed while they pour out their heart to you? If they show me the hurt they have had and I can sympathize with them by showing them my scar then it connects us like no other way.

Jesus put himself on Earth to experience human life. To see our hurts and worries. He received scars. Why did He do this? He did not experience all this toil and trouble to keep it hidden but to let His light shine through out the world. So, He could sympathize with us as we live our lives. He knows our hurts because He experienced them for Himself! We are not better than Jesus. We are not expected to go through this life and not receive any offenses or hurts, are we? But we are not meant to receive these scars and just hide them. They may be there so we can touch a life who may be experiencing something similar. So it is just as important for us to overcome the hurt of this scar and be able to talk about it and share with others. If you never overcome the initial hurt then you can't be expected to help anyone else in that circumstance.

One final point. A scar is what is left of a healed hurt. The key word is healed. A hurt cannot heal if it is constantly being picked at and reopened. It can become infected and cause body wide sickness: bitterness. So, it is very imperative that when you are hurt, it will happen, you allow the proper healing to come. God will help you heal that wound, and the scar can form. It becomes no longer painful for you and now you can help someone else that is in need. It seems to me one of many circles that God allows us to go through. Notice I use the word allow not make!

Yes, we all have been hurt. But ask yourself this: Did you allow God to heal you and form a scar over that hurt? or Did you pick at this hurt, and allow a body wide infection (bitterness) to occur ? Do you want to use your scars to witness to someone and remain humble? or Would you rather stay proud and pretend you have never had any blemish come to your life?

Remember, Jesus received scars, and He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Alpha and Omega, omnipotent, powerful, almighty GOD! He received His scars for you and me.

In the arms of God

2008-05-05T08:01:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I just wonder what heaven will be like. Will you constantly have those goosebumps, you feel when God's spirit enters a room? Will you feel His presence by your side no matter where you go in heaven? Will you always be able to see God from every part of heaven? Will you walk constantly with a smile? Will we walk or fly? Will there be real mansions for us or will we even need them? What questions would I like to ask of all the christians of old? Will I even care anymore then about what I would question them about now?

Well one day sometime ago, I feel I caught a glimpse to one of my questions above. During a very dark time in my life. When the storms were raging. In the late night hours, I sat alone. My family nicely tucked in their beds, peacefully sleeping. I sat, awake, wondering what my next move would be. I prayed to the Lord to give me some direction and comfort. I felt just so alone in my despair. Noone to call on for help...Noone to give me any guidance at this hour of need. Suddenly, I felt those goosebumps come over me. From somewhere above me I felt Him. His presence was warm and very comforting. It was like His arms just wrapped around me and held me. Suddenly I felt the comfort I so longed for. The wind died down in my mind, just for a few moments in my life. For a short time, everything stood still. Like His words..."Peace, be still." I was able to experience those words in my life, directly from my heavenly father. With only his presence, He comforted me. That was my glimpse of heaven. No, I did not have a vision, I did not hear any words spoken from above. What I experienced was much more than any of that. I felt Him.

Whenever life gets too rough, I just return back to that moment of time. God took time out to spend just a few but important moments with his child. To reassure her that everything would be okay. What an awesome God I serve! I felt I was truly in the arms of GOD.

When you sacrifice... God will provide

2008-04-30T05:56:00.000-07:00

Luk 22:42
Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

Luk 22:43
And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.

Luk 22:44
And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

Agony- a struggle for victory. Jesus struggled to overcome the situation at hand. His flesh did not want to sacrifice His life. His flesh did not want to be beaten and mocked. But his spirit knew this was what must come to pass, so He states not my will, but thine. He was praying for something to come to pass that the flesh did not desire to occur. He gave himself as a sacrifice for us, as undeserving as we are. Notice though, after He prayed not my will, but thine, God sent an angel to strengthen him! But the trial did not end there. Jesus was still in agony or struggling for victory. So much that He sweat blood!

So as we journey through our personal trials, we must pray not for what we want to see happen but for God's will in our life. Then He will send strength our way, but don't be fooled, He may not take that trial away. For these trials we must see them to the end. He is strengthening you to overcome your fleshly desire for it to end. He wants us to endure until His will is accomplished. When we turn our desires over to God as a sacrifice, He sends strength. When we offer to God what our hearts desire, He sends us strength. Abraham had to go to the point that he would offer his most treasured thing in all the world, Isaac, his son. And look what God did. God provided. He did not provide another route though in the beginning, did He? He did not allow Abraham to just get to the mountain and then turn him back assuring Abraham of his faithfulness. No, he took him to the very brink of his trial, within seconds of Abraham fulfilling the trial with his own hand, God provided the solution. God provided the sacrifice for Abraham.

Some things in life we must sacrifice but God will not leave you void. If you sacrifice happiness God will provide joy. If you must sacrifice love, God will provide an intimate relationship with Him. Whatever, God has requested you to sacrifice, He has something much better in store for you. He won't leave you emptyhanded. He may even return to you the very thing you offered up to Him as your sacrifice, as He returned Isaac back to Abraham.

Job 1:21
And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.

Job 42:8

...in that ye have not spoken of me [the thing which is] right, like my servant Job.

Job 42:12
...So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning:

Job offered praise to God and in doing so lost everything he had, God returned to him more at the end than in the beginning before his trial.

God does provide us with strength, but we must show our faithfulness and our willingness to do His will. When we sacrifice, God will provide. Some trials can be ended earlier than others. But for those trials which must be seen through, until something comes to pass, we must obtain strength from the Lord in order to see it through.

So hang on, and pray, as hard as it may be, "Not my will but thine, be done"

A nail in his holy place

2008-04-29T06:25:00.000-07:00

Ezr 9:8
And now for a little space grace hath been [shewed] from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.

So for a small moment grace to leave us with a way of escape or deliverance and to give us a stake or a stable object in His holy place, that God may lighten our eyes or allow us to shine, and to give us some preservation or sustenance in our servitude or bondage.

This tells me that when I am going through the trials of life that God gives us small moments to allow us to see the light and he gives us a stability or something to hold fast to. He gives us a way of surviving the trial time. He is there for us when we may not be able to see Him. Like the sun on a cloudy day. We know it is there because it has always been there, and even in the darkest night hour, we know the sun is still there. The sun has not moved. We have moved. God is always there even when the storms of life cloud our view. When darkness sweeps around us we should be able to still stand tall on the promises of God, and know He is still there. Without trying times how would our faith grow. My daughter does not understand yet that even though it is dark outside, the sun still exists. This is a concept not yet understood in her young mind. But I as an adult who have lived through many days and nights, understand that it is still there. Why do I understand this because I have lived those many days and nights. As she grows and wakes each morning and lives another day and night, this concept will begin to emerge for her. It is a similar experience in the spiritual realm. Don't be so youngminded to think just because you don't see God or feel his warmth, He is not there. This is when our faith is flourishing and becoming stronger. Learn from these times. Ask God what His desire is for you to get out of this experience you are in. God expects us to mature as we expect our children to mature. You can not continue to be a babe in christ, you will go through experiences to help you grow and God will continue to bring you through these until you have the skill that he desires you to obtain from that trial.

Be thankful in these times that God is taking the time out of your life to teach you something, maybe it is a sign to you just how great a purpose you will serve for His kingdom. What great plans does He have for your life here on earth? Why is He choosing to grow your faith? There is a bigger picture to our lives than we tend to think about. It is not just about being happy. I had someone tell me a while back...Well I am sure that God does not want us to suffer, He is a loving God and He wants us to be happy doesn't He?... Sure He wants us to be happy. So be happy during your trial time. That is completely our decision. Someone who sits on top of the world can be happy or sad. So don't let the world tell you that it is not God's will for us to be depressed or sad so therefore it is not His will for you to continue in your trial. It is not for a punishment. It is to help us grow and it is our choice to be happy about it or sad.

Words from my pastor: "We make our children clean their room right?!"

Are we not the children of God? So take joy in cleaning your room! Just like life, it is not all fun and games. We have circumstances that need our attention to make us into better people. So it is your choice whether to take your life and be happy with it and continue in your way with a smile or feel that God is picking on you and "bellache" the hard times! (not that I don't do my fair share of bellyaching!) :-)

Give it all to God, He will take control of it. Be obedient to what His will is and it will all work out for the good of those who serve the Lord.

Till the ground from whence you were taken

2008-04-28T07:03:00.001-07:00

Gen 2:7
And the LORD God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Gen 3:17
And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed [is] the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat [of] it all the days of thy life;

Gen 3:23
Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

Interesting, Adam was taken from the dust of the earth, and after he sinned God cursed that ground that in sorrow he would eat of it all the days of his life. Once he was sent out of God's presence he was to till the ground from where God had brought him from. He had to work at the problem that God had brought him from and produce something fruitful from it to be able to live. This is just my own thoughts but I find it interesting... Does God do this with us still? He brings us from a problem, we somehow take it into our own hands, and God allows us to return to that problem to now make something fruitful come of it. A lesson learned maybe. If we would just allow God to do his will in our life, instead of taking control ourselves, then we would not have return to that problem, time and time again, until we produce something good from it.

I think God wants to supply our every need, but we get in the way and become as gods, knowing good and evil ( we try to take control over what we think needs to happen!), so He in turn sends us right back to the same problem or circumstance that he originally brought us from. He directs us to make something fruitful from it.

For example, when my daughter drew on the wall, she knew it was wrong but did it anyway. But, instead of just turning away from it and ignoring it, I took her back to that spot and made her wash it clean. God does that to us. Takes us by the hand, walks us right back to where it all began, while standing at our side He directs us to do His will, not our will.

I thank the Lord for such fatherly care and love. He is my friend, my comforter, my prince of peace, my calm in the storm. He really cares for each and every one of His children. I am so blessed in the fact that He chose me out of millions of people to be one of His children. No matter what comes my way I know He will bring me through. His patience endures, and His love and compassion are endless.

2008-04-25T07:53:00.000-07:00

I just love the lyrics to this song. If you really think about what you are singing to the Lord, it really will touch your heart. These are some powerful words here. I vow to praise you, through the good and the bad. Think about this. Through the good and the bad. Not just when the sun is shining and everything is great and grand. But in the dark of night and in the middle of trials and tribulation. Can you honestly say this and mean it? Whether happy or sad. SO, when you are on top of the world is God on your mind and when close ones have turned their back on you or said hurtful things to make you down and depressed, do you praise the Lord during those times too?

We do owe it all to Him. We will never be worthy to give him the praise He deserves, but on the flip side of that, He is always worthy to receive it. So at all times this is what we should do is praise Him. So learn through your trials to praise the Lord, make it what you do. No circumstance will stand a chance of bringing despair upon you when you learn to praise the Lord. When life throws you bad stuff, learn to throw back praise unto the Lord because ultimately He is in control. Yes, we get down and discouraged but as soon as you can pick yourself up and Praise the Lord, and you circumstance won't stand a chance of conquering you!

Praise is what I do
When I wanna be close to you
I lift my hands in praise
Praise is who I am
I will praise you while I can
I'll bless him at all times
and I vow to praise you, Through the good and the bad
I'll praise you, whether happy or sad
I'll praise you, in all that I go through
Because praise is what I do, cause I owe it all to you
Praise is what I do even when I'm going through I've learned to worship you
No, my circumstance, doesn't even stand a chance
My peace outweighs the bad

After singing this song in our chorale practice, I was sure lifted up. It is amazing how you can change your feelings so quickly. So as easy as it is to feel down it is just as easy to feel up again. Praising the Lord through all of life's rollercoaster can help you find stability in all the emotions it brings.

People in our life

2008-04-24T13:09:00.001-07:00

You may ask yourself why God allows some people to come into your life

You may ask yourself why God allows some people to leave your life

You may ask yourself why God allows some people to stay in your life

But always know God allows everything for a reason

So the next time you ask God one of the above questions, keep in mind

God allowed you this day to do His will and that person was in your life for that reason.

Use each experience to be a learning experience for your future. Keep it in context.

People come and people go, God is with you always.

What would be your story...

2008-04-23T06:33:00.000-07:00

A thought for today. In the "Bible days", did the people that are written about know they would have their stories published in Gods holy word? Did they live their life thinking that someday someone would read all about them? My guess is no. Their strengths and weaknesses, their failures and victories. David and his love for the Lord or his desire for ungodly things. Abraham and his faith or his anger with the israelites. Joseph in his despair in the prison or when he reigned with Pharoah. The woman with the issue of blood, grabbing at the hem of His garment for healing, or the woman who spent a lifetime of savings and blessed Jesus with her alabaster box then used her own hair to wipe His feet. They did not do these things knowing that someday someone would read their story and it would be used in such great ways. They lived their life as they thought it should be lived. Yes, some had more defeats then others and some had more wisdom etc. But my point is they had no way of knowing that us in 2008 would be reading about their journey with the Lord! So now I pose my question....what would be your story? If someone would write about your journey with the Lord what would they say?

My hope is that they could say something like...
2Ch 17:3
And the LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David... That is my desire.. or
Gen 39:2
And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man;

Mar 14:8
She hath done what she could...

Mar 14:9
Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, [this] also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.

If God chose someone to write my life story than I would certainly hope they could put those verses in there. I desire for my life for the Lord to be with me every step of the way. This by no means makes me perfect. As everyone else even the ones that had their stories in Gods word had their pitfalls and mistakes, they more abundantly had the Lord at their side.

So as you live today, take into consideration, what would your story be? What kind of legacy are you going to leave behind? What would the Lord say about you if He were going to tell your life story?

Jos 24:15
...but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

Philipians 4:7 Peace

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And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." He keeps our minds or protects them against the things of this world that may destroy our mind. It is a hedge He will build up to protect you. His peace is beyond all understanding....in other words we can not understand at moments in life when we should be all upset or stressed over a situation that we are at peace. When the sea should be stormy because of the weather it is calmed by the words of God "...peace be still..."and " that even the wind and the sea obey him?" Yes, for sure we have our days when it all seems to come unraveled and we just are not going to make it, like when Peter began to sink in the water but look at the simple task he had to do in order to make it and keep his head above water...

Mat 14:30
But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

Mat 14:31
And immediately Jesus stretched forth [his] hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

Mat 14:32
And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.

The important words to remember he cried and immediately.. What did Jesus do, He immediately stretched forth his hand!

All Peter had to do was cry out to the Lord and He was there to reach for him, and the wind ceased. When troubles come and it just looks like you are sinking, cry out to the Lord, He will hear you and immediately stretch forth his hand. The winds may still be strong, the rains may still pour down but eventually you will come into the ship and the wind will cease.

Keep God close to you, dont let your eyes get off Him because you need Him close so you can call upon his comforting words to send forth peace in your life and situation.

There was a moment in my life, my reference point, when storms were all around me and I cried out to the Lord, He immediately heard my cry and I felt His warm, comforting arms just encompass me with his peace. When life gets so rough I don't think I can go on, I remember that peace I felt and it helps me to continue on my journey. God is everywhere, He knows all your troubles and thoughts, so why not just share them with Him and let Him send down His peace and comfort to your situation.

II Corinthians 12:9 Strength

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"for my strength is made perfect in weakness..." That says it all. How else can we see the Lords strength if not through our weakness. He uses us to show is capabilities to those who are in need of such. We are His witnesses of His strength and love. Life is not meant to be an easy road where everything is simple with no complications or worries. If it were so then we would not ever look for anything more to life. Instead of complaining why a situation is so difficult we should turn our eyes upward and see that it is for a reason if not for our own but maybe for someone watching the situation that needs to see the example of how we react to this hard time.

Yes good things happen to good and bad people so why should not bad things happen to good and bad people the same. It rains on the just and the unjust but it is our attitude and our spiritual walks that set us apart. God is always by our side He is our faithful friend. He will guide us through what ever comes our way. We are never alone! Never!

Today I thank my creator. My best friend. My prince of peace. He is my shepard and He has always been right beside me since a young child and He has never left me. Take comfort in your refuge, the Lord. He has indeed made me fruitful and my prayer is that He continues to do so.