~Testimony Tuesday~

If you are new to Testimony Tuesday you can click here if you would like to read how this got started and what it is about...

My Testimony for this week...

I was reminded of this story yesterday when I was in my eight year old's room cleaning... (He needs help.. )

I found this baggy with a paper towel in it.. I was just going to throw it away, but I opened the paper towel to see if anything was in it.. I found all these tiny shells that were purple on the inside (my favorite color), and I remembered that we found those in Hilton Head a couple of summers ago... And then it reminded me of how God showed up big in my oldest son's (Trent) life...

A couple of summers ago we were in Hilton Head, SC on vacation... And I wanted to spend some alone time with Trent, so I asked him if he wanted to go on a walk down the beach..

We were walking and talking and finding neat shells on the beach... When the boys find anything purple, they give it to me because they know it is my favorite color.. (That is how I had that bag of purple shells...)

Trent found a shell and it looked like it had a lion head on it and I said something about the Lion of Judah... We talked about the Lord some and continued on our search for treasure..

He made the comment that he wished that he could take a horseshoe crab home with him..

They get up to about 2ft. in length and can weigh as much as 10lbs...!!!

We would find some dead and washed ashore, and he would want to take it back to the beach house and let it dry out and take it home... But they were big and they would start to stink I am sure, so I told him that we could not...

He said that he wished he could take the tail of one home... In the two years we had been to Hilton Head, we had only seen whole horseshoe crabs...

I told him that we could pray and specifically ask the Lord for a horseshoe crab tail.. We prayed and continued walking...

A littl while later I wanted to turn around and walk back, but Trent asked if we could walk a little further.. So, we walked a little further and guess what we found?!?!?! A Horseshoe Crab TAIL!!!! Trent was so excited!!!

We had the best conversation about the Lord on the way back and I felt so blessed that HE would make HIMSELF known to my child like that! Thank You Lord! And thank YOU for helping me remember that story yesterday!


So, now it is your turn! How did the Lord save you or how does HE make HIMSELF known to you, in your everyday life! I would love to hear your testimonies!

The Potter's Hand

Hold On for Another Day!

I did not plan on writing this today... I read a tragic story earlier in an email that I got, and it made me sad, and then mad..

I won't go into great detail about what happened, because that is not what I want to focus on here.. But, this person took their own lives.. They were desperate and hopeless... I have been there too..



So, I went on a walk and started thinking... I started thinking about the times of my desperation and how there are people out there right now, who feel hopeless, maybe it is you, maybe it is someone you know and maybe someone that you would not even think it was... I am so tired of the enemy bullying people around.. To where we get in a place of hopelessness... WE ARE NOT WITHOUT HOPE! It is a lie!


I guess I just wanted to write this in hopes that someone who needs to read this, will... To tell you that it is NOT HOPELESS! Things always change. Whatever you are going through right now, will not always be going on... And, if you feel so desperate that you want to end it... DON'T! Just give it one more day, and after that, one more day.. There were times when all I could think about was holding on for one more minute, that is how bad it was... I would cry out to the Lord... I would call someone to pray with me, and just try to find someone to confide in.. Sometimes you feel like no one wants to hear your stuff, and when I felt that way I would find another avenue... I have called many, many, many prayer lines, sometimes the same ones, in the same day.. I have emailed tons of prayer requests to many ministries... JUST DON'T GIVE UP! EVER! Things will turn around, they always do...


I would like to post some prayer-line numbers and ministry web addresses that you can call or go to with your prayer request..

CBN: 800.759.0700 or click here to go online and submit a prayer request..

Daystar: 800.329.0029 or click here to go online and submit a prayer request.

MH Ministry: 888.637.4545 or click here to go online and submit a prayer request.

TBN: 888.731.1000 or click here to go online and submit a prayer request.

I would love to pray for you too... I have been there, so I know... (2 Corinthians 1:4:He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.) And it is only through my Lord and Savior that I made it through, and through the different avenues and people that He has used to help me... You can either leave a prayer request through the comments or email me...

My email address is: tracy062304@yahoo.com

Isaiah 40:31: But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

You might be thinking after you read that scripture that you don't trust anyone... All you have to do is be honest with the Lord about how you feel.. He already knows anyway... He will do for you, what you can't do for yourself...

If you are someone that is reading this and all this prayer, and Lord stuff is new to you, you can read here about how the Lord got my attention...

And, if you are wondering how to have a relationship with the Lord... Just pray to God, and ask Him to make Himself known to you... To show you that HE is really there and that HE knows what you are going through... HE will! Just tell Him that you are tired of doing things your own way, and that you have sinned against HIM and tell HIM what you have done.. It is so freeing to get everything out in the light... And tell HIM you want Jesus to come in your life and be Lord of your life... Don't worry about saying anything wrong, just speak from your heart to HIM like you would to a very good friend...

If you do that and want to know what to do next, I would go to one of the ministries above and tell them that you just asked Jesus to be your Lord and Savior and they have free stuff that they will give you, that tells you how to walk out this new life..

Don't give up!!!

~Testimony Tuesday~

Right before Christmas, my neighbor called and said that I needed to come over and see what they were doing and join in...

I went over and my neighbor and her mom had been painting ornaments.. Her mom was painting these BEAUTIFUL birds on the ornaments... She would just look at a picture of them and free hand it... It was crazy! It is not like she does this for a living or anything... I don't even know if she realized how beautiful they really were..

I saw that she had painted a red bird (Cardinal) on one and it immediately made me think of my mother-n-law.. She loves red birds and so do I... They remind her of her mom and they remind me of the Lord... Every time I see one, it is just the right time and usually confirmation for something..

I said how much my mother-n-law loved them and asked if she could make one for her and I would pay her... But, I told her that only to do it if she got the chance, and not to worry about it if she could not...

I never heard anything else about it...

Last year I looked up what the red bird symbolizes and found this: Christened the Christmas bird for its spectacular red color, the cardinal has become a symbol of the beauty and warmth of the holiday season. A glimpse of this brilliant bird brings cheer, hope and inspiration on a gray, wintry day. As natures reminder for us to focus on our faith, the cardinals scarlet plumage represents the blood of Christ shed for the redemption of mankind.

Then a day or two before Christmas my neighbor shows up with a bag... I opened it and it was an ornament... And the awesome God thing about it was, it had TWO red birds on it.. One for her mom and ONE for my Lord!!! Thank YOU Lord!!

One more thing... I got up this morning, and was talking to the Lord about something that I feel like HE has asked me to do... He has already confirmed, but then I thought that maybe it really was not confirmation, otherwise why would I be going through such a tough time, so I asked HIM to PLEASE confirm it, if it was REALLY HIM..

I sat down to do this blog, and my son says something to me from downstairs, and as I look that way to speak to him, I look out the window and there is a red bird all by itself, sitting on a branch.. If Drake would not have said anything, I would have been typing away and wouldn't have seen it... So, there was my confirmation again! Thank You Lord!!

If you would like to share your testimony or how the Lord makes Himself known to you, just add your link below! I would love to read them! Thank you and have a blessed day!

A Picture Tag

I have been tagged by my friend Edie at Rich Gifts for a picture tag..

The instructions say to go to your picture files, pick the fourth folder and the fourth picture in that folder and explain it!

In my pictues files the fourth folder is family, and the fourth picture is this:

This is my beautiful, little sister, Ashley Marie... If you are a fan of Project Runway, then you may remember her as "Marie"... In her modeling agency she goes by Marie, because there are two other Ashleys... I think this might be her on the runway at Fashion Week in New York... I like this picture, she looks like a rocker...

I think it is fun to look at people's pictures and see what their family looks like, so here is some more of mine from my "Family" folder..

My mom and PawPaw

Ashley and Trent when she was about 13 or 14 and Trent was 11months.

The day after Trent was born!! With Mimi (my mom) and Grannie..

Ashley "Marie" on Project Runway......

I think this is Fashion Week in New York...

Clay my cute, cute, cute nephew!!!

Ashley and I when she was 8 or 9yrs. and I was 16 or 17yrs.


Drake getting baptized.....

Brother-n-law and family at Colt's Game......

Ashley......

My mom, Trent and Bevo in Hunt, Texas..........

My mom, Trent and I at Encourager Church, my church home in Texas...

Trent and Pawpaw, in Hunt, Texas....

Trent and Pawpaw, in Hunt, Texas............

Our Christmas picture 2007.....

Steve, Drake and I.....

PawPaw, Parker (nephew) and Trent-man!

I am tagging:

Kellie at The Myers5

and

Deborah at Pray.Trust.Live

Drakester The Tough Guy..

OH MY GOSH THIS KID CRACKS ME UP!

Tonight after dinner Drake for some reason starts looking for these 2 2liter bottles, that I found in his room and threw away...

He starts asking if we know where the Ginger Ale and Root beer bottles are... I did not say anything because I knew I threw them away... tee hee..

He keeps on asking and then Steve finally says: "They are probably in the trash.."

Then, Drake jokingly says: "If I find them in the trash, I am going to kick you.." He was trying to sound tough...

So, after us all going back and forth about how he was not going to kick anyone, (you know, you just have to say it to your kids, even though you know they aren't going to do it... because we are mom's and we just have to be saying something all the time it seems..) hee hee..

Anyway - after Drake does his tough guy thing he comes right over to me and says: "Mom, can you walk me up stairs, because it's dark..."

We just started cracking up, because he was talking so tough just a minute before... Too FUNNY!!!!!!!!

As you can tell by the pictures above that he is constantly joking around... He is a funny mess!!

I am gonna have to have my mom pull out some pictues, because I made some of those same faces...

Be blessed!

Very Interesting Article By J. Lee Grady

Four Ways Our Culture Is Brainwashing Us

Forces in our culture want to rip the foundations of Christian faith right out from under America. Here are four lies we must challenge.

This past week I spent four days preaching at Emmanuel College, a Christian liberal arts school in northeast Georgia. I love speaking to college students because they are spiritually hungry, they love passionate worship and I don’t have to wear a tie.

On the third night (after a young man got saved and delivered of drug addiction—yeah God!) I told the kids I needed to get brutally honest. They gave me permission to shoot straight. Because I genuinely care about them—and because they will be spiritual leaders before too long—I warned them about four lies they must confront.

Every Christian in this country must learn to dissect these lies using the Word of God. The devil is working overtime today to gain control of our nation’s soul. We are in a life-and-death struggle. This is not a time for Christians to be squishy in their faith or spineless in their convictions. We must plant our feet on the bedrock principles of the Bible and oppose each of these lies:
"We must start preaching about hell again instead of worrying about who might leave our church or how it might affect our TV ratings."

1. Hell does not exist. Jesus preached about hell more than anyone in the Bible. His words dripped with love, but He didn’t soft-pedal when addressing the eternal consequences of sin. When He began His ministry, he read from the book of Isaiah, announcing that He had come not only to “proclaim the favorable year of the Lord” but also “the day of vengeance of our God” (Is. 61:2, NASB).

The real gospel is a double-edged sword that offers both the “kindness and severity of God” (Rom. 11:22, emphasis added). That’s why hell is one four-letter word we should use more often—not to condemn people in mean-spirited judgment but to warn them that mercy has a time limit.

The world rejects the concept of hell because it’s too exclusive. Our Oprah-ized culture insists that everyone deserves a warm and fuzzy life free of consequences. “How can a loving God send anyone to hell?” people ask. If we truly love them we will explain that hell is not a metaphor—it is a real place of dreadful separation from God that sinners choose when they reject Him. We must start preaching about hell again instead of worrying about who might leave our church or how our unpopular message might affect our TV ratings.

2. God didn’t create the world. 2009 is the 150th anniversary of the publication of Charles Darwin’s The Origin of Species, so you can be sure the scientific community will bombard us this year with more “proof” of this sketchy theory. The mainstream media and academia insist that evolution is pure fact. Anyone who dares to challenge it is considered a religious idiot.

What people don’t realize is that Darwinism, besides being laughably lacking in scientific basis, has roots in spiritualism. Welsh naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace shared many of Darwin’s beliefs and encouraged him to publish his book. Wallace believed in spirit guides, participated in séances and was intrigued by all things paranormal. He promoted the “science” of evolution because it supported his anti-God views. Is it any wonder, then, that this doctrine he and Darwin propagated has been used to undermine Christianity ever since?

The world does not want to believe in a Creator because if He is real, then He has ultimate authority over His creation. On the flip side, man has no moral responsibility if he crawled out of a primordial soup, grew fins, then legs, and then became a talking ape. Evolution is not really about science at all—it is about rebellion against God’s rule over us.

3. All religions lead to God. This isn’t a new lie, but it is enjoying a revival today. President Bush has obviously flirted with the idea, since he has told reporters that Muslims and Christians worship the same God. Barack Obama attended a church for 20 years that teaches that Jesus is not the only way to salvation—and he has publicly acknowledged that he believes this.

The doctrine of universalism—which states that all people will ultimately gain salvation and enjoy heaven—has become the religion of the masses. Even some charismatic and Pentecostal preachers such as Carlton Pearson of Oklahoma and D.E. Paulk of Atlanta have abandoned biblical orthodoxy to embrace this heresy. They are now on a crusade to rewrite Christian theology—and they have allies in some mainline denominations (such as the Episcopal Church) where the authority of Scripture is denied.

Christians who embrace universalism are like the prophets of Baal in Jezebel’s court who had been neutered. They preach a powerless message that cannot change anyone. We must arise in the spirit of Elijah to confront this deception and prove to the world that the one true God answers by fire.

4. Man can redefine morality. This is perhaps the most deadly lie of all. Everywhere we look today, leaders in media, politics, education and entertainment are plotting the virtual overthrow of conventional morals. They want a hedonistic world with no rules and no guilt. This was most obvious last month when Newsweek published a cover story brazenly claiming that the Bible approves of same-sex marriage.

A lying spirit has invaded many mainline churches and is convincing weak Christians to change their views about homosexuality, abortion and fornication. Evil is called good while those who stand for the biblical values of purity and traditional marriage are labeled bigots.

If we ignore these lies they will engulf us. We need a zero-tolerance policy for spiritual compromise. While we must demonstrate overwhelming compassion and love for sinners, God requires us to oppose cultural brainwashing. We cannot be silent on the issues the devil is attacking.

If you are wavering in your faith on any of these four fundamentals, get honest about your doubts, repent of your lukewarmness and dig in God’s Word until your mind is renewed. Don’t become a brainwash victim.

J. Lee Grady is editor of Charisma.

Discuss this article Visit fireinmybones.com

God Loving Us Perfectly~ by JON WALKER

2009/01/14


God Loving Us Perfectly
by Jon Walker


For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ …. Colossians 2:9-10 (NIV)


*** *** *** ***


Today’s guest devotional is provided by Jon Walker –


Perfect love desires communion, the sharing of life together, and so it cannot be expressed from a distance. God so perfectly loved the world that he came up close in Christ, stepping into the brokenness of our lives (1 John 1:1-3):


· Into our emptiness, Jesus brings fullness and completion (Colossians 2:9-10).

· Into our deficit, Jesus brings supply (Philippians 4:19).

· Into our death, Jesus brings life (Ephesians 2:1, 5).

· Into our separation, Jesus brings reconciliation (Romans 5:10-11).

· Into our imperfect love, Jesus brings his perfect love (1 John 4:10).


When we know, and believe, that God is determined to love us perfectly, we can stop being self-absorbed and we can start being conformed to Christ (Romans 12:2). When we don’t believe God is determined to love us perfectly, we end up living like our best choice is to take care of ourselves.


And then, we become so busy taking care of ourselves that we have little time for authentic, transparent, loving community with others.

© 2008 Purpose Driven Life. All rights reserved.
Rick Warren is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., one of America's largest and best-known churches. In addition, Rick is author of the New York Times bestseller The Purpose Driven Life and The Purpose Driven Church, which was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the 20th Century. He is also founder of Pastors.com, a global Internet community for ministers.

~Testimony Tuesday~

I would just like to explain a little,what this is about, (although the title says it all) for those of you who are new to "Testimony Tuesday".

About a month ago it popped into my head about doing "Testimony Tuesday"... The scripture that comes to mind is Revelation 12:11a: And they have overcome (conquered) him (Satan) by means of the blood of the Lamb and by the utterance of their testimony.

I thought that it would be good to think on the things the Lord has done in the past.. I love hearing other people's testimony too... We all have our testimony of when the Lord saved us. We also have testimonies of how the Lord shows up in our everyday lives to make Himself known... Some people think it is a coincidence, but it is not, IT'S HIM! :-)

So, that is what I want to hear about! Share how HE saved you, how HE speaks to you, and/or how HE makes Himself known in your everyday life!

Also: I just want to say THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to Edie from http://richgifts.blogspot.com/ for making the beautiful blog button at the top of this page!!! Thank you so much Edie, for working so hard on this, and redoing and redoing for me, and for putting up with me! I love you!

My Testimony This Week:
Sometimes the Lord wakes me up with a word, that sometimes I have no clue is even a word or how it is used... This has happened 5 times in 12 years...

In December 2004, I woke up early, early with a word in my brain, going over and over... It was "clysmic"... I sat there in bed trying to wake-up and figure out what it was... I thought, "Is that even a word?" I knew it was part of a word,cataclysmic and it FREAKED ME OUT! I thought maybe the Lord was telling me something bad was going to happen, so what do I do? I try to ignore it...

All day at work "clysmic" would pop into my head, so I was afraid all day and trying to work...

Finally, at the end of the day I decided to see if "it" was even a word...

It was definitely a word, and the Lord was definitely trying to tell me something, and I was shocked at the definition...

Clys´mic
a. 1. Washing; cleansing.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, published 1913 by C. & G. Merriam Co.

It was so amazing that HE would choose to tell me what He was doing in my life, in that way... He could have just said it... But, then I could have thought, like we do sometimes, "Did I just make that up, or what that the Lord, or was that the enemy?"

Am I the only one who does that?

No, HE did it in a way that only HE could get the glory, and I would never doubt that it was HIM!!! HE IS SOOOOO AWESOME!!!

I did not know which testimony I was going to post today, but early this morning I had a word in my head that I did not know, and it made me think about this time.. He is sooo funny!

Early, early this morning I had the word "Serge" in head, so I went and looked it up. It means: "servant"...

I am not sure what HE is saying to me, but I am sure HE will tell me... My favorite scripture right now is Jeremiah 33:3: "Call upon Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things you do not know." So, I will be asking HIM about this "Serge" thing...

~I Love This Song~ I am Letting Go Lord!

Controlling Toxic Thoughts and Emotions ~with Dr. Caroline Leaf

Daily Devotion: ******by Dr. Caroline Leaf*******
"We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:5b)

How many times have you replayed a conversation in your head until it stirred emotional pain or stress in your life? Did you know that stress is the reaction your body has to your thoughts?

Researchers say that 87% of the illnesses that plague us today are a direct result of our thought life. What we think affects us physically and emotionally. We are in an epidemic of toxic emotions and that is why I teach people about the anatomy of thought in my book Who Switched off My Brain?

Your brain speaks to your body and your body speaks to your brain. The mind-body link is an ongoing symphony of chemicals playing through your body 24 hours a day. And the way in which we think will affect the functioning of that whole electrical-chemical cycle.

God has built an incredible mechanism into our brain that gives us the free will to accept or reject information. We have the option to reject negative information from our thoughts before it gets the support of damaging attitudes and emotions.

There are two groups of emotions that are polar opposites: positive, faith-based emotions and negative, fear-based emotions. Each has its own set of molecules and performs as spiritual forces with chemical and electrical representation in the body.
Faith-based emotions are love, joy, peace, happiness, kindness, gentleness, self-control, forgiveness and patience. These produce good attitudes and thoughts.

Fear-based emotions include hate, anxiety, anger, hostility, resentment, frustration, impatience and irritation. These produce toxic attitudes and create a chemical reaction in the body that can alter behavior.

Fear is the root of stress. Scripture says, “God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and love and of a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7). Fear-based thinking blocks the flow of healthy chemicals and releases toxic chemicals that put you into stress.

When your thoughts move you into stress, your emotions attempt to rule. Emotional perceptions are designed to create alertness to guide but not rule, because they misinterpret truth. Stage one of stress is the protective alarm that guides and helps you deal with dangerous, threatening situations. It creates a sweaty palm, quickened heart rate, adrenaline rush and a fight-or-flight emotional and biological response.

Once the alert stressor is gone, your accelerated heart rate (through narrowing of the arteries and increased blood volume) begins to return to normal. However, if your body stays under the constant barrage of negative stimulation, toxic waste begins to build up. An uncontrolled thought life will create fear-based emotional and physical conditions for illness.

In the second stage you enter acute long-term stress. Your mind and body start feeling as if they belong to someone else. The chemicals pump at will and in sequence through your body, and the first area they attack is your cardiovascular system.

If the chaotic thoughts are not controlled at this point, your stress hormones and chemicals never stop reacting. They move to a cellular level where your body experiences tissue damage and system breakdown. Internalizing wounded emotions at this point will eventually create a volcanic buildup in your body allowing a seething mix of anger, hostility and resentment. Suppressed emotional pain can also cause lingering physical pain.

Hosea 4:6 demonstrates wisdom and insight about this toxic pathway. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” If you understand something, you can begin to control it instead of letting it control you. Knowledge and understanding give you the tools. With the Holy Spirit’s power to remind you of God’s truth, you can begin to consciously control your thought life and deal with harmful emotions.

According to the word of God, which is more accurate than medical science, controlling your thought life brings health to your body. You can live most of your life in a passive mental state or you can choose to battle for your mind. It seems like an unfair battle because you can’t see what’s happening, yet you can’t escape the battle. The frontline of the war is the toxic thought. It usually enters through the five senses and if it is unchecked, it can become a mental stronghold of the enemy. The finish line is the final battle cry of victory when you take captive and overturn your toxic thoughts.

This Week: Jesus knows your thoughts. “But Jesus, knowing (seeing) their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil and harbor malice in your hearts?” (Matt. 9:4, Amplified) Acknowledge what Jesus sees and renew your mind with God’s Truth as you bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. (2 Cor.10:5)

Prayer:“Lord, thank you for revealing how my negative and destructive thoughts are controlling me. I understand now how the enemy works with my thoughts to make me live in fear and stress. I choose to live in faith as you help me renew my mind with truth.”

Watch Dr. Leaf this week on LIFE Today as a part of the series "Your Body, His Temple."

Daily Devotion BY: Rick Warren

Spiritual Growth Must Be Intentional (****by Rick Warren****)
Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Philippians 2:12-13 (NLT)
*** *** *** ***

The truth is that growth in the human soul requires a commitment to grow. A person must want to grow, decide to grow, and make an effort to grow.

Spiritual growth begins with a decision. It doesn’t have to be a complex decision, but it does have to be sincere. When Jesus’ followers decided to choose his way, they didn’t understand all the implications of their decision. They simply expressed a desire to follow him, and that was the beginning of an exciting journey of the soul. Jesus took that simple but sincere decision and built on it.

In Philippians 2:12-13, Paul offers insight into spiritual growth while speaking to people who already believe: “... continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose” (NIV).

Notice that it says “work out” – not “work on” – your salvation. There is nothing you can do to save yourself spiritually; Christ took care of that by his life, death, and resurrection. The important thing to note is that God has a part in our growth – but so do we. We must make an intentional effort to grow.

© 2008 Purpose Driven Life. All rights reserved. Rick Warren is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., one of America's largest and best-known churches. In addition, Rick is author of the New York Times bestseller The Purpose Driven Life and The Purpose Driven Church, which was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the 20th Century. He is also founder of Pastors.com, a global Internet community for ministers.
Click HERE for a free subscription to The Purpose Driven Life Daily Devotional, your daily inspiration via email.

DON'T LOOK BACK! - by Chip Brogden."

I just got this in an email after my post this morning and thought it was VERY GOOD and something that I needed to hear! So I figured I would share it with y'all!!

Don't Look Back: (****THIS WAS WRITTEN BY CHIP BROGDEN******)

He who puts his hand to the plow, and looks back, is not fit for the Kingdom of God" (Lk. 9:62)

I want to share an experience with you that taught me to never go backward, never compromise with what God has shown you. I think it has some prophetic significance for you as well.

A few years ago I was briefly involved with a television ministry. I say briefly because six months after they hired me to coordinate their discipleship program and lead their fellowship they decided they had made a mistake and I was the wrong person for this job.They started out saying this was not a religious thing but in the end it turned out to be a religious thing, and putting me in a religious thing is like trying to mix oil and water.

Well, to make a long story short, after six months I said you know, I believe we are at a crossroads here, and I suggest we take a week to just fast and pray and seek God about what our next steps should be. That was Sunday. On Wednesday the owner called me in and fired me. So it didn't even take a week and I had my answer, although it wasn't the answer I expected.

So I spent the rest of that week, not seeking direction, but coming to terms with the direction we had received. We lived at the beach and I went to one of the parks at the beach so I could walk the paths and be alone with the Lord. I selected the longest trail loop I could find and began to hike and to pray.

It was early in the morning, but if you know anything about July in North Carolina then you know it starts out hot and humid in the morning and just gets worse during the day.

So I was walking through the brush and swamps and creeks and it was hot and humid and sandy and not a breath of air was stirring, which is unusual for the beach.

Well, after a period of time I reached the halfway point in my prayer walk. I had been talking with the Lord about the situation. Once again, I had lost my job, lost my home, lost relationships with people we thought were friends, and so on. All because I refused to be religious, I refused to do all the things religious people expected, and I refused to compromise the simplicity of Christ and get legalistic and businesslike.

So I crossed the halfway point and right there in the path was this swarm of biting black flies. Just a cloud of them. I stopped and looked and a couple of them bit me so I took a few steps back and just looked at the cloud. And I thought, "Great. To get to the end I have to walk through this cloud of biting flies. But I'm halfway finished. It doesn't matter if I go forward or backward on this loop,it's the same distance either way. I can just retrace my steps, avoid this swarm of biting flies, and end up in the same place."

So I stood there weighing my options and going back looked really appealing. Then it seemed as if the presence of the Lord settled around me and it just seemed to me that there was something prophetic about this experience. It was as if everything came to a stop and a great cloud of witnesses was looking down on me to see if I would take the easy path backward, or if I would take the difficult path forward. And although the decision was totally up tome, I had the sense that there was something prophetic in this decision. It would reveal something about my character. It would send a message in the spirit.

Now you might think that's crazy, but that was the impression I had of that moment, and it just came upon me suddenly – the prayer walk, the path I had taken, the cloud of black flies, that moment of decision – all of it was ordered by the Lord to bring me to this point in time.

So once I understood the significance of this, the decision was easy. I gritted my teeth and went right through that cloud of biting black flies. And the curious thing is it wasn't as bad as I thought. I got some bites, and it hurt, but I didn't die. I just pushed on through it and came out and continued my prayer walk. And that was how God answered my prayers. Not by removing the black flies, but walking with me through it, giving me grace to endure it patiently.

The point of this experience was not to teach me about black flies, but to teach me about the difficulty my family was facing. He wasn't going to give me my job back, He wasn't going to change the minds of the people involved with firing me, but He would go with us through this and bring us to the place He has prepared for us. It would hurt but it wouldn't kill us. We'd come through this because of His grace. And so we did. And so will you.

The truth is you won't be killed, but you will die to some things that you need to die to. Now to those looking at this situation from a natural view point it looked like a failure - as if victory means everything goes the way you expect it to go! But it's only a failure if you fail to learn the lesson. It's only a failure if you don't come away from your experience with a deeper, more thorough understanding of the Lord and how He works. From that time forward I never again measured success in terms of outward things: numbers, dollars, ministries, etc. I gained some wisdom and understanding. I learned something about myself, and I learned something about people. Yes it was painful, but as they say in the exercise business, "No pain, no gain." If it doesn't hurt then you aren't exercising hard enough. If you never experience doubt, fear, confusion, or disappointment then you haven't gone far enough yet. Those things come, but those things go, if you keep going forward.

In the wilderness you don't follow your feelings. It says the children of Israel were led by a column of smoke by day and a pillar of fire by night. When the cloud moved then they moved. When the cloud stayed still then they stayed still. I mean it's really as simple as that. Walk in the Spirit. If you begin to be led by your feelings then you'll make the wrong decision every time. Most of the time, the right decision doesn't feel good. Doing the right thing is usually difficult. The easiest thing to do is to quit, to give up, to go back to Egypt . But I'm telling you, get to a place where going back is no longer an option - then going back is no longer a temptation.

When the Spanish explorer Cortez landed in South America he was looking for a way to make sure his men would not be tempted to quit and go back to Spain when times got hard. So as soon as they landed on shore and unloaded their supplies, he ordered them to burn their ships. There would be no going back. Either they would overcome or they would die trying.

I just wish we who are Christians, we who claim to know the Lord, would have as much faith in the Lord Jesus as those men had in Cortez. They burned their ships and followed him into the jungle and Cortez didn't have a clue where he was going or what he would find. How much more can we trust the Lord Jesus to not only lead us out of Egypt , but to lead us through the desert and into the Promised Land?

BY: by Chip Brogden

Am I Hearing and Doing?

One of the things that I wanted to REALLY do this year was read through the Bible.. CBN has a daily reading plan that will take you through the whole Bible in a year... If you would like to join, their website is www.cbn.com .

The scripture below is part of the reading that I had yesterday.... You know how you can read things and know them, but then when something is happening it is so hard to follow sometimes?

It feels so hard to do sometimes, especially when I am hurting.. Because I am scared and thinking about the "what-ifs"... But, it all boils down to me trusting the Lord.... This is an interesting journey to say the least...

Matthew 5:38-48

38 “You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’[p] 39 But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also. 40 If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too. 41 If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile,[q] carry it two miles. 42 Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow.

43 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’[r] and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies![s] Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. 46 If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. 47 If you are kind only to your friends,[t] how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. 48 But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.

James 1:22: But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.

~AMAZING SONGS!!!!~

Hear the sound
The sound of the nations calling
Hear the sound
The sound of the fathers crying
Who will go for us
Who will shout to the corners
Of the earth
That Christ is King

CHORUS
We speak to nations
Be open
We speak to nations
FFall on your knees
We speak to nations
The kingdom is coming near to you
Oh we speak to strongholds
Be broken
Power of darkness
You have to flee
We speak to nations
The kingdom is coming near to you
We speak to you
Be free be free

Hear the sound
The sound of the nations worshipping
Hear the sound
Of sons and daughters singing
We will go for you
We will shout to the corners of the earth
That Christ is King

Rpt Chorus 2 times

Have a Blessed day!!

~Testimony Tuesday~

Before the Lord saved (or became Lord in my life) and delivered me, I still went to church sometimes and even to Bible Study...

I went to Bible Study one day and they talked about how the Lord will give you a new name...

I left Bible Study and was driving and thought, "Lord, what is my new name, and how are you going to tell me what it is?" I will not go into the theology of all that, but the Lord used it to get my attention...

Later that day, I was getting ready for work.. I was waitressing at the time... I was in the bathroom getting ready and my youngest (3yrs. old) son walked in the bathroom and said, "Mommy, your name is Jacob." I could not believe it!!!! I ran down the hall to the computer and looked up the meaning of that name... (I thank God that I got the meaning I did, because there is another one and it is not nice..) The definition that I pulled up said: "One who wrestles with God for his blessing." Wow!! I mean, the Lord just answered my prayer in such an amazing way... But, there is more...

This part is hard to tell, because I have to be very transparent.. You can tell your testimony and leave out the details, but I have to share this part BECAUSE it glorifies my Lord!

Right before the Lord delivered me, the boys were gone and I was not allowed to see them.. (I am thankful though.. That was the last straw that helped me cry out to the Lord..)I had lost everything and almost my life... But, the Lord used the name Jacob and my boys being gone to speak to me...

After the Lord delivered me, all I did was read the Bible and watch Christian T.V... One night the Lord spoke to me through His word, and it was about my situation. I was reading in Isaiah... (Note: Drake was up north and Trent was just south of us.) I was devestated because all I wanted was to see my boys again and I read this..

Isaiah 43

1 But now, this is what the LORD says—
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

2 When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.

3 For I am the LORD, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
Cush and Seba in your stead.

4 Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
and because I love you,
I will give men in exchange for you,
and people in exchange for your life.

5 Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
I will bring your children from the east
and gather you from the west.

6 I will say to the north, 'Give them up!'
and to the south, 'Do not hold them back.'
Bring my sons from afar...

Drake was home within a few days, and Trent was not held back either! Within a week and a half of delivering me and HIM becoming Lord of my life this happened... And my life has never been the same since... Thank You Lord... You are so faithful...

I was going to share another story today, but I believe that the Lord wanted me to share this one, and I really needed to remember it today... I needed to be reminded of His faithfulness, even when it seems dark...

Feel free to share your testimonies too. I would love to hear them... Just add your blog to the URL below...

~This Song Gets Me Every Time!~

In Christ alone my hope is found,

He is my light, my strength, my song;

this Cornerstone,

this solid Ground,

firm through the fiercest drought and storm.

What heights of love,

what depths of peace,

when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!

My Comforter,

my All in All,

here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone!

who took on flesh

Fulness of God in helpless babe!

This gift of love and righteousness

Scorned by the ones he came to save:

Till on that cross as Jesus died,

The wrath of God was satisfied -

For every sin on Him was laid;

Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay

Light of the world by darkness slain:

Then bursting forth in glorious Day

Up from the grave he rose again!

And as He stands in victory

Sin's curse has lost its grip on me,

For I am His and He is mine -

Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,

This is the power of Christ in me;

From life's first cry to final breath.

Jesus commands my destiny.

No power of hell,

no scheme of man,

Can ever pluck me from His hand;

Till He returns or calls me home,

Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.

Here is a video with the song... Thank You Jesus....

Stuff to Chew On.. :-)

Psalm 1:1-3
1 God blesses those people
who refuse evil advice
and won't follow sinners
or join in sneering at God.

2 Instead, the Law of the LORD
makes them happy,
and they think about it
day and night.

3 They are like trees
growing beside a stream,
trees that produce
fruit in season
and always have leaves.
Those people succeed
in everything they do.

Mathew 6:25-33 25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[a]?

28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

3 John 1:2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.