Catching The Silver Lining

~ Zig Ziglar ~ Attitude Makes All The Difference

2011-06-02T09:29:00.001-04:00

~ Coming Soon!!!! ~

2011-05-18T08:23:00.000-04:00

I am very excited to say that I have two friends that will be contributing to this blog very soon!! I can't wait for you to meet them!! I love them, their hearts and their fierce love for the Lord and people... Can't wait to see what they will write or vlog...

Stay tuned!!"

A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart, and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words."~Donna Roberts

Love,

Tracy

~Where Did THAT Come From?~

2011-05-10T08:50:00.019-04:00

Do you ever read what Jesus says in the word, and think "wow, that was harsh" or "where did that come from?" {Like something is said "out of the blue"..}

Like when He told Peter, "get behind me Satan"(Matthew 16:23), right after He had said some amazing things to him...

Or when He said to the Pharisees, "you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean." (Matthew 23:27)

The one in particular that I am talking about today baffled me when I first read it...

Matthew 12:46-50: While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, His mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to Him. Someone told Him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to You." He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" Pointing to His disciples, He said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."

Umm... Hello? Honor your mother and father? (I was confused... until I read it in Mark)..

On a side note: I LOVE the gospel of Mark! Guys just want you to say it, and not hear the whole process... Us ladies want to go on a journey with you... Mark is a man after a woman's heart, he GIVES THE DETAILS!!! Not that he put all the stories and parables in his book, but when he did, it was so much more detailed... Many "WOW!" moments for me...

I heard someone talk about how there are titles in the bible, and it makes us think that each part is a new story, or that they are not connected with what you just read. So, I started reading it as if the titles weren't there. Like in my bible, (an NIV version) it has this story in different parts. One of the titles says "Jesus and Beelzebub" and the other says "Jesus' Mother and Brothers", but THEY ARE connected, and it is all the same account. I am going to add emphasis to things that stood out to me, as I read it in his account. And I feel, it showed me why He gave the answer He did that day...

Mark 3:20-35:

Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that He and His disciples were not even able to eat. When His family heard about this, they went to take charge of Him, for they said, "He is out of His mind."

And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, "He is possessed by Beelzebub!" By the prince of demons He is driving out demons."

So Jesus called them and spoke to them in parables: "How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself it cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. In fact, no one can enter a strong man's house and carry of his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can rob his house. I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin.

He said this because they were saying, "He has an evil spirit."

{{{{then they put in the new title: "Jesus' Mother and Brothers", but it is still a continuation, not a new story.}}}}

v. 31: Then Jesus' mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call Him. A crowd was sitting around him and they told him, "Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you."

"Who are my mother and my brothers?" He asked.
Then He looked at those seated in a circle around Him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother."

See!! Isn't it awesome!! Mark, I thank you for making it clear in your gospel! And see guys, sometimes you do need to hear all the details. ;-)

Now, it makes sense! And, it also made me think that people, and sometimes even those closest to you, like your family (and maybe even those who got a visit from an angel telling about you) will not always understand what the Lord has called you too. (I know it would bother me if my kiddos were going without food, and not resting.) But when the Lord has called you to something, you just have to keep pressing forward. Even at the risk of being misunderstood by those who know and love you and are even closest to you...

Be blessed by His word!

Love,

Tracy

~Doing It Like Star Wars~ {Going back to tell the story..}

2011-05-06T08:12:00.023-04:00

To understand my title, read my last post here .

I love this pictures... To me it symbolizes this journey we are on... We go through the storms, we know what they look like, we see them in our past, but we keep moving forward... Eventually we do come through it...

I am sharing what I recently went through in hopes that it would encourage someone. To know that even when the storms of life come, that Jesus is really with you... It may be dark, and confusing right now... It may seem like the Lord is quiet, but He's there... You may be reading this and not know the Lord, that you can call out to Him or how to... but you can... He WANTS to make Himself known to you... And He does it in so many ways.

October 15, 2010:

I was attending a weekly class they were holding at church. Each week before the class would start they would have a worship time for about an hour... It is a time set aside for just you and the Lord... I would sit there and close my eye and pray or just be quiet and let the Lord speak to my heart... On this night, I felt like the Lord showed me and placed on my heart that I would get pregnant and a time frame... I know that the Lord can show us stuff and that it is not always literal, but symbolic for what is ahead... I had my journal with me and wrote down everything... In it I wrote, "Is it possible that I am going to get pregnant?" "When"... What I got made me think: "is it 3months, 3years?" I also thought maybe that I was pregnant with a future plan or purpose that He wanted to bring about... Then one of the people that was leading that night got up to speak, and the first thing she said that night was: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you".... Jeremiah 1:5 I thought that out of ALL of the scriptures in the bible, she used THAT one... I didn't believe it was a coincidence..

So, I left it alone, like I have with other things that have been placed on heart and knew that "if" it was in fact the Lord, then it would come to pass, either way.. And that He would make it clear...

A few weeks later in another time of worship, the same thing happened again... I had forgotten what happened before... I was sitting there wondering if this was really the Lord...

Just to let you know, for my husband and I, another baby was not even on our radar screen... We have 15 and 11 year old boys... I did want more babies before, but we could never get on the same page about it, so I just let the dream go... But I felt soooooo blessed with what I had. I wasn't sad, things were so good for us, and I would literally cry at times in my quiet time with the Lord because He has blessed us soooo much, and restored... so... much...

Then one day in early December, my husband and I were out running errands together... We were at Half~Price Books and he points out some baby stuff and I noticed that he had been pointing out baby stuff lately... {not even thinking about those nights, and what the Lord placed on my heart.} I asked him why he kept on pointing out all that stuff when he didn't want anymore kiddos... He said, "we can have a baby." and I was like WHAT?!?!? He said, "let's have a baby."

You don't understand, FOR YEARS that is what I wanted sooooo bad... Even a couple of years back I wrote about it and put it in my prayer box. I put: "the best Christmas present my husband could ever give me, is to say that he wants to have a baby." But he never did, and we were getting older... Then the Lord started to restore things in our lives and in our marriage, and I gave that dream to the Lord... I told Him that if it was His will that I would welcome it with open arms, but if not, then I that was ok too, and I finally let it go... totally...

Then, in DECEMBER, my husband is saying this! But, it is two years later, and WE ARE OLDER, and moving on to another phase in our lives...

I would lay awake at night and go over and over this, still not thinking about those nights in October and November... I would think, "do we want to start all over?", "Can I do this?" And then I would think, "but I prayed for this, and I also said that it would best Christmas gift my husband could ever give me, and IT IS HAPPENING, only we are older!" I couldn't believe it, but I WAS SCARED... (maybe part of it was that my desire was potentially coming to pass, but what if it didn't and I had to let it go again...) I thought and prayed about it the rest of December. We decided at the beginning of January that we would try to get pregnant: January, February, March, April, and if it didn't happen, we would be fine with that and just move forward...

On February 15, 2011 we found out that we were expecting a baby... I was shaking, I was so excited... We couldn't believe it!!! Then, those nights in October and November came flooding back to me... I ran to get my journal and flipped back to see exactly what I wrote... I saw where I had asked the Lord, {based on what He had shown me about the time frame} 3months, 3years, and it was 3 MONTHS from that first time He placed it on my heart!!!! I just couldn't believe it!! He was speaking to me about this!!

I started telling family and friends and they were all so excited... This was the first time in my life that when I told people I was pregnant, everyone was excited... It was such a blessing... I prayed for our little baby everyday...

This pregnancy was different though... I felt sooooo sick and sooooo emotional... It was tough... I thought for sure I must be having a girl, because I didn't feel this way with my boys... It was really hard because I was scared a lot... I went from doing everything for my family, to doing nothing... So on top of being so sick, I felt like a failure as a wife and mom because I couldn't do anything... My husband was sooooo amazing and understanding through this time. I totally fell in love with him in a whole other way... He would say stuff about having other kids and I would tell him and the Lord, "I am NOT doing this again." I could do it once, by the grace of God, but not again...

Fast forward to March 11th... I found out that I lost a good friend in a car accident... Then on March 14th we went in for our 1st ultrasound. I was nervous but I knew that once I saw the baby, I would feel so much better... I was even thinking that once we found out the sex and if it was a girl, we might give her my friends middle name... I was 8wks. pregnant.. When they did the ultrasound, the tech said that the baby didn't develop like it was suppose to.. It was devastating... As we were waiting for the doctor to come in, I said, "would you want to try again, or was it too much for you?" and he said, "it wasn't too much for me..." {i feel like the Lord placed destiny in my heart and even though I said I wouldn't do it again, something in me rose up and knew that we would probably try again...}

So many things were swirling in my head, "i have to call everyone", "we have to tell the boys", "what happens now", "what about what the Lord showed me", "what does this mean?".....

The doctor came in and said that people usually have a DNC at this point... I didn't know what that was, she explained, and asked her if I could just let things progress naturally... She said I could wait a little longer, and for me to come in the following week to see if everything was decompressing, then at that point we would decide..

We made our phone calls and let the boys know. I just was trying to process ALL of what was going on... {My friend Melissa dying and now our baby...} What in the world is going on???

Tuesday, I woke up from a nap, and the thought crossed my mind that we could pray for a miracle... Medically, it is impossible, but with God, all things are possible... So my husband and I prayed: "Lord, we are going to love You and follow You no matter how You choose to answer, but we are praying for a miracle for this baby.." I told some people and they were standing with us in prayer... I wrote on my stomach some stuff and one of those was: "you shall live and not die and declare the works of the Lord!" I called prayer lines and they prayed with me...

We went back a week later and nothing had changed... The doctors said that because we were about to go out-of-town for a week, they wanted me to have the surgery a week before I left... They were concerned that if I did this on my own, that I might run into complications and be 1100 miles away.

So, I went in to have the DNC on March 23rd... The "silver lining" that day was the doctor and anesthesiologist... The doctor came in to talk with me before the procedure and asked my friend if she was my sister. My friend replied "sister in Christ"... Then the doctor grabbed both of our hands and prayed with us! It was amazing!!! Before she walked out she said that the anesthesiologist was a Christian too... It really is the little things (although it felt like a big thing to me.) that you have to look for even in the midst of it all...

On a side note, I was reading in the word one morning (probably looking for some kind of answer) and something very interesting caught my attention.

Matthew 8:18: When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. {then after He gave the orders some people were talking to Him}

Matthew 8:23-25: Then He got into the boat and His disciples {{followed Him}}. Without warning a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat.

The interesting thing about this is, Jesus gave the orders to get in the boat, and the disciples obeyed, and then it says: "Without warning a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat." So, I thought: "Wow, they were following Jesus, doing what they were told, and this storm just comes up." Which I think we all know this in our mind, but if you are like me, you wonder if you did something to cause the storm... But after I read this, it was like I knew I was on the right path, doing what I was told to do, but here comes the storm... And it was His question to them, that has me thinking...

Matthew 8:26: “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” {why are you so afraid?} {why am I so afraid??}

These storms that I just went through, allowed all this stuff to rise to the surface that, I either didn't know was there, or had shoved down... Storms have a way of stirring stuff up, to where you have no energy to keep them down, "pulling yourself by your boot straps" and "putting on a brave face just wont cut it"...

So yeah Jesus, why am I so afraid? Help me get to the root.... Loss is hard, and no one wants to lose someone they love, but I am talking about all the other stuff that rose to the top....

I will continue with this story at later dates, and will also be blogging about other stuff along the way...

Blessings to you out there, and praying that the Lord makes Himself known to you and that you know how much you are truly loved..

Love,

Tracy

~ Darkness ~

2011-05-04T10:01:00.008-04:00

What do you do when everything seems to go dark....

I know when people hear March 11th, they think of the earthquake in Japan.. Earlier that day, that is what it meant to me too..

I got up that day and heard about the earthquake, and it just seemed so unreal and like you just can't even imagine it, because it is soooo far away.. But you commit to pray for them and go about your day... Although, this day, the month of March and even for 5-6wks after, have been unlike any that I have ever had...

I won't go into all the details because it can be hard for some to read..

I felt so much unrest within that day, so it was nice that we had a house full of kiddos later that day and night... It is like they bring so much joy and life to our home... I was 7almost 8wks. pregnant at that time, so I was extremely tired and was going to bed every night so early... I had gone up to bed around 8pm and left my phone downstairs.. (i even fell asleep with all the noise going on!)

My oldest son came up about 30 minutes after I had fallen asleep, because my mom was trying to get ahold of me. She couldn't reach me on my cell, so she called his phone... She called to tell me that everyone was trying to call me to tell me that a good friend of mine had just passed away in a car accident... All I could do was moan... I have no words for the agony.. I couldn't even cry... No one wanted me to see it on Facebook and find out that way b/c of the pregnancy... I stayed up most of the night with the Lord...

That was Friday night...

Monday morning I went in for my first ultrasound, and we got bad news again: "the baby did not develop like it was suppose to.... The doctor suggested that I have a DNC... But I needed time to think about everything...

I will give you a list of what has happened in April.. The dryer started going out, hot water heater started leaking, sump pump went out, something on computer went out, pipe started leaking in roof, my cell phone started acting weird and when we took it in they said that they had never heard one do that before, my sons glasses broke, and my car starter went out...

I am doing this like how Star Wars did their movies... Giving you what has happened now, and will go back to tell the history of how things led up to this in different posts... I didn't realize how even writing this would affect me, so I will try to write at least every other day, to give the history... And to share what the Lord has shown and is showing me along the way...

Isaiah 45:3: I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.

Don't give up, even if things seem dark... We are all on this journey {together}!

Love,
Tracy

~STORMS~

2011-04-29T08:07:00.004-04:00

This is for everyone who has gone through a loss... I just lost two loved ones in the last six weeks... And now I am thinking of those who lost their loved ones in these recent tornados... In the storms of life ~ keep breathing.... Love~Tracy

~LOGOS~

2011-04-28T06:34:00.010-04:00

OH MY GOSH, I LOVE HIS WORD AND I LOVE HOW HE CAN AND WILL ANSWER THROUGH IT!! I literally feel like I am high right now because of what I found!! Yay, Thank You Lord!!!!!!!!

I have been wondering and reading and asking the Lord about healing... The word says that He healed everyone that He encountered, except for when He went to His hometown. It says that He couldn't heal very many because of their unbelief... Matthew 13:54-58: He returned to Nazareth, his hometown. When he taught there in the synagogue, everyone was amazed and said, "Where does He get this wisdom and the power to do miracles?" Then they scoffed, "He's just the carpenter's son, and we know Mary, His mother, and His brothers--James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas. All His sisters live right here among us. Where did He learn all these things?" And they were deeply offended and refused to believe in Him. Then Jesus told them, "A prophet is honored everywhere except in His own hometown and among His own family." And so He did only a few miracles there because of their unbelief.

So as I have been talking to the Lord about healing, I have been thinking on people who have been healed and haven't... I have walked in both of those shoes and one very recently... I tell Him that I believe as much as I can or even understand, so what is the deal... I know that part of the answer is: true intimacy with Him... But, I think I came across another part of the answer this morning... I was reading in Matthew, but I will use some of the same story out of Mark. I like how they both tell the story...

The Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13)

1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that He got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then He told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

10 The disciples came to Him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”
11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:
“Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.

14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. 15 For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’

**Ok, I have read this before, many times, but there is something that I NEVER SAW... He tells them that the secrets to the kingdom of heaven has been given to them {the disciples} but not to the other people that He was talking to... The disciples are given the secrets {understanding}... So Jesus says, "whoever has will be given more, whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken away... MEANING: whoever has understanding will be given more, and whoever does not, it will be taken away... That does not seem fair, especially if you don't understand!!! But then I saw the reason why they do not have understanding in the next few verses.

vs. 14b: “‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

{{Why don't they hear and why don't they see?? The next verse gives the answers...}}

vs, 15: "For this people’s heart has become calloused;

The rest of the verse says: ~they hardly hear with their ears, and (they) have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts and turn {{which means repent}}, and I would heal them.

I think it is sooooooooo interesting that Jesus all of the sudden brings healing into this whole conversation.. What in the world?? So, then I wondered, "how did the people's hearts become calloused?" Jesus gives the answer in the meaning of the sower.. {I will use both Matthew & Mark's account at different times because one might explain or give clearer picture to what Jesus was saying.}

Matthew 13:18: Listen to what the parable of the sower means: vs.19: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches it away what was sown in his heart. {{then Jesus gives an explanation of the ground that the seed is sown. (the ground is our hearts & condition of them) that is how the enemy can take the seed of the word away.}}

vs. 19b: This is the seed sown along the path.

vs. 20: The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. vs. 21: But since he has no root, he last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. {{notice that trouble and persecution come because of the word.. Not sure how the trouble and persecution come, it could be that the person hears the truth, but lets others talk him out of that truth or cause him to doubt the word, or give him a hard time because he believes... He has not no root in the word, so he is not able to stand, so he quickly falls away... so the enemy is able to steal the seed...}}

vs. 22: The one who received the seed that feel among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.

{{ I like the way Mark says i}}t: v. 19: but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. {{again the enemy can steal the word from us, making it not work for us, because of all the things we worry about in this life.. **that is one I struggle with**... the enemy can also steal it because we can be deceived by riches and the desire to get/buy things.... so, the answer is coming to Him instead of using "retail therapy" to try and fill that void.}}

{{I like how Mark conveys the last part of the parable.} v. 20: Others like the seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it and produce a crop-thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown." {{the key to the people with the good soil is, they hear the word AND ACCEPT IT (they believe it & understand it. Why, because their hearts aren't calloused, they haven't closed their eyes, & ears... There roots go down deep in the word, so persecution and trouble may come, but they aren't swayed. Worries may come and money may come and go, but they know Who they can go to and focus on, but they are not swayed)..}}

These are things that popped into my head and that the word says to me, and that I am saying to myself: {Will I close my eyes and ears or will I hear and accept?}

{Jesus is the only way.} 1 John 2:23 Anyone who denies the Son doesn’t have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. ~ close your eyes and ears or HEAR IT & ACCEPT IT...

{Love your enemies.} Matthew 5:43-44:43 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! ~close your eyes and ears or HEAR IT & ACCEPT IT...

{{He is the Lord that heals you.}} 3 John 1:2: Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. Exodus 15:26b: "For I am the LORD who heals you." ~close your eyes and ears or HEAR IT AND ACCEPT IT...

Luke 6:37-38:37 “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” ~close your eyes and ears or HEAR IT AND ACCEPT IT...

Mark 16:16-18: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” ~close your eyes and ears or HEAR AND ACCEPT IT...

Could you imagine what would happen if we totally surrendered and totally believed Him and the word... Became doers and not hearers only... Hmmmmm....

Blessings, Peace & Courage to you!

Love,

Tracy

SOS Searching for the Silver Lining!!!

2011-04-15T16:52:00.004-04:00

Wow, is all I have to say about the last month and a half... It is like my whole world went crazy, and not sure even where to start, but figured blogging would be a good and healing way to do it...

I have learned sooooooooooooooooo many things about myself, the Lord and others....

So, I will be popping in to share on a regular basis, once I figure out where to start! :-)

I know that the Lord is good and He is faithful!!

I hope all is well in blogging land!!

Blessings to all of you!!

~ Happy Valentine's Day! ~

2011-02-14T09:05:00.001-05:00

~ Excellent Wife?! WHAT~EVER!!

2011-02-03T10:12:00.005-05:00

A few years ago we had just moved to Indiana and I joined a Ladies Bible Study... They said that we would be doing The Excellent Wife study...

I am thinking: WHAT?!?! Pffft...tt.. What~ever! and "When is He going to take something on being an Excellent Husband??? Why is it always me trying to get better.. I go to Bible Study, Church, listen to Christian Radio {Pharisee!}, do devotions with the kids, pick up after him, feed him, when is HE going to try?".. I do everything I am suppose to do!{I know, it is so obvious that he is the one that needs the help.. ;-) }

Of course I would have never said anything like that out loud, but it had crossed my mind a time or two..

Anyway~ that was a little over three years ago, and we were in a really bad place and HE needed to do A LOT of changing or so I thought...

I was laying in bed this morning and thinking about a conversation I had with a friend of mine a couple days ago regarding her marriage... And then I was thinking about what all the Lord had done in my own marriage, and what I have learned {so far in 14years} along the way...

I have either said some of these things or heard some of these things:
~ he does not lift a finger to help me.
~ he works all the time.
~ he cares more about sports than he does me.
~ we are like roommates.
~ he is a slob.
~ he doesn't go to church with us.
~ he is not the spiritual leader of our home.
~ he never plans a night out for just us.
~ he doesn't know me.
~ he has no idea about my hopes and dreams.
~ all he does is joke around, he can never be serious.
~ he will spend a whole day playing golf with his brother, but wont set aside time for me.

These are just some examples, but I know that there are soooo many more...

We both did not know if our marriage was going to make it, and we knew how the Lord felt about divorce.. {By the way: been there (with him), done that, bought the t~shirt, the hat and the foam finger~ that says: "I'm #1!"} So, no condemnation to anyone from me. The Lord restored our marriage. Praise God! {but that does not mean it has been easy} {we still had so much healing to do from our pasts}... With all that in mind, I just started praying "Lord, give us Your heart for each other, and make our marriage one that glorifies You." {Ouch! that prayer hurts. But I have to say, IT IS SO WORTH IT!}

I realized that I was doing everything I was "suppose" to do, but had the wrong heart attitude about it... I was not doing it in love.. 1 Corinthians 13

I realized that I {me, myself & I}, was actually in the Lord's way... And trying to be Lord, and Holy Spirit in my husband's life.. And it was backfiring... I felt like I was going about things the right way, but underneath it all, I was really just trying to control the situation, or trying to make my husband fill a place in me, that was not his to fill... So, the Lord thwarted my efforts.. {He is so awesome, His ways are so much better! However, I was NOT singing that tune initially!}

When I gave everything over to the Lord {again, and again, and again..}i.e.:my marriage, my husband, me, my expectations of what a husband should do and be, control, etc., THEN things started to change... I prayed for my husband, but I said to the Lord, "he's Your kid, You do something with him.".. And that is the thing, the Lord loves him so much more then I ever could, HE cares about how my husband's life turns out, AND HE SEES all that my husband is going to be... And knows just how to get him there...

The Lord helped {is helping ;-) } me to get over myself, and focus on the wonderful things about my husband. Philippians 4:8: Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

So I did, and at first all I got was:
~ he is the most amazing father.
~ he is hilarious.
~ and when I like him, he is cute...

Instead of giving him the cold~shoulder when he couldn't "READ MY MIND!" I tried something like: "shared what I was feeling"! without making him think that he was responsible for those feelings. {something else I had to learn.} And I had to TELL HIM what I needed. {"well, he should know what I need, I shouldn't have to tell him."} Well, they don't know ladies.. And we don't always know either... I just point blank told him {without tears, or condemnation} what I needed. AND HE HEARD ME! I couldn't believe it, because this was someone that you just couldn't talk to... {Or so I thought..} The other thing I let him know was, that I was on his team... I think sometimes we think we are on opposite teams, and need to let each other know that we are fighting "for" not "against" each other...

Now: {because of the Lord.. and b/c I got out of the way.}
~ my husband is the spiritual leader of our home.
~ I have chilled out and learned so much from him.
~ there is laughter in our home.
~ we still fight sometimes, but for each other and we get over it faster..
~ the level of respect has shot straight up..
~ we pray together.
~ we do devotions (sometimes) as a family..
~ there is more intimacy and I can truly say he is my best friend.

It has been so hard at times, so good and amazing at times, and STILL a work in progress, BUT SO WORTH IT!!! I am thankful for God's grace and patience... He will do what we cannot do and then some!

SO:
~ pray
~ get out of the way.
~ read great books that are out there regarding marriage.
~ go to counseling.. {God can make a way.. My husband said he would never go either, but he did.
~ find 1 or 2 people who will speak the truth in love and not tell you what you want to hear and are committed to pray and stand with you in your marriage.

~ ask the Lord to bring godly men into his life.

~ let him come up with things to do at church.. {and if he doesn't, don't get frustrated... the Lord will move.}

*On a serious note: I had to (chose to) give up some things at church, so I could spend more time with my family. Our families are our FIRST ministry, you do not have to get over involved, or feel guilty b/c you feel like you "should be doing more"...{Get rid of your "should" and "ought" list. Be led by the Lord..} *Learn how to say "NO"... If someone has to {continually} help you do what the Lord has given you to do {i.e. like with your kiddos or family, or you are so tired and cranky and have no patience with your family {because} you have over committed yourself for the Lord, then I would get alone with the Lord and ask Him if it really is Him that has you doing all this.} {They can all be good things and EVEN God things, but not necessarily what He has for you to do..} The Lord will show you what He wants you to do... If you feel guilty for saying no, then that is not from the Lord.. Ask the Lord what irons He wants in the fire...

~ praise God in the big and little steps that are taken!

Oh and as it turns out, I needed a whole lotta changin' myself!! {who knew? I know your shocked too..}

The Lord is amazing!

Blessings to you and your marriage! NEVER GIVE UP!!

P.S.: I did not cover abuse of any sort or habitual adultery.. I would never tell anyone to stay in that situation nor am I saying that the Lord would want you in that situation either. If you or your children are being verbally or physically abused, seek out help as soon as possible.

~ Great Poem! ~

2011-01-29T10:20:00.001-05:00

{A friend of mine sent me this poem... I thought it was great and wanted to share!}

I was shocked, confused, bewildered As I entered Heaven's door, Not by the beauty of it all, Nor the lights or its decor.

But it was the folks in Heaven Who made me sputter and gasp-- The thieves, the liars, the sinners,The alcoholics and the trash.

There stood the kid from seventh grade Who swiped my lunch money twice. Next to him was my old neighbor Who never said anything nice.

Bob, who I always thought Was rotting away in hell, Was sitting pretty on cloud nine, Looking incredibly well.

I nudged Jesus, 'What's the deal? I would love to hear Your take. How'd all these sinners get up here? God must've made a mistake.

'And why is everyone so quiet, So somber - give me a clue.' 'Hush, child,' He said,'They’re all in shock. No one thought they'd be seeing you.'

JUDGE NOT!!

Remember...Just going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car.

Every saint has a PAST... Every sinner has a FUTURE!

Life without God is like an unsharpened pencil -It has no point!

~ Take The Lord Out of The Box ~

2011-01-07T08:49:00.009-05:00

Do you have the Lord, the way He does things and church wrapped in a neat pretty box?

Sometimes things with Jesus can be messy... I heard someone talking about child birth and the way that the Lord chose to do it... It is His will, it is in order, and yet it is messy..

Would you let Jesus spit in your eyes?

Mark 8:23-25: So Jesus took the blind man's hand and led him out of the village. Then he spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on the man and asked, "Can you see now?" The man looked up and said, "Yes, I see people, but they look like trees walking around." Again Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then the man opened his eyes wide and they were healed, and he was able to see everything clearly.

What if He wants to do things that are out of your comfort zone and nontraditional for you or in your church?

Will you let Him or will you miss what He wants to do in your life?

Just pondering what I was reading this morning and asking the Lord to show me where I may have Him in a box!

Take me out of my comfort zone Lord!!!

And I am letting You out of the box!

~1.1.11~

2011-01-01T19:54:00.001-05:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

~What Did You Learn In 2010 & What Are Your Dreams in 2011?~

2010-12-27T14:05:00.002-05:00

1. What were the most profound words or thing you heard, read, saw this year? What impact did it have on your life?:

~ a friend of mine said to me "stay committed." It impacted me that day and continues to impact me on so many levels.. I am thankful for the truth spoken in love..

2. Did you learn something new about friendships? If so, what?:

~{That I really should follow my gut.} And cherish the true friendships that the Lord has given me.. {and that I can't please everyone..} that some friendships are really just for a season {which I hate, but am thankful for, and wouldn't be who I am without them.} and aside from that, if it is a true friendship, you don't let it go by the wayside, and that you tell each other the truth in love, and you let the other person tell you the truth, in love... <3

3. Did you learn something new about people? If so, what?:

~Everyone out there is struggling with something, whether they admit it or not, whether they know it or not...

4. Did you learn something new about yourself? What is it?:

~That I am stronger than I think... That it is ok to be misunderstood {although it is hard}... That I can overcome things I thought I never could.. And that the Lord.... really.... does.... delight in me...

5. Were you challenged in any way or were you stretched as a person this year? {and even if it was hard, how did it help you grow and you were better for it?}:

~YES! {but who wasn't?!} I was challenged in relationships... It was crazy, hard, wonderful and rewarding.. I would have never learned what I did had I not gone through it... I have learned what forgiveness is and is not... I learned how to put my heart out there when I was scared to. Also: stepping up to challenges that I was scared to do, but were so rewarding, and b/c of it met some amazing people...

6. Do you feel like you are doing in life what you were created for? If not, what steps will you take in 2011 to get the ball rolling?:

~I feel like I am on the way to where I am going ;-)... The steps I will take in 2011 are to not freak out when I am asked to step out and do what He has called me to do! {by His grace!}

7. What is the one thing or things you want to leave behind in 2010?:

~I am leaving behind: People pleasing, hurt and anger and FEAR! yay!

8. What is your prayer for your family in 2011?:

~That we ALL, near and far, know the Lord more than we do now and in a more intimate way! And that blessing will overtake them!!

9. Can you tell me of a prayer that was answered this year? {Please feel free to write as many as you want..}:

~I have so many.. Big and small.. Thank You Lord.. The Lord has restored in so many ways... HE HAS RESTORED MY FAMILY {and even in that has answered so many other prayers.}, He has restored relationships, He has given me more of a desire to know Him and His word...

10. What is "your" New Year's "DECLARATION"?:

~My declaration is to live life in Him to the fullest, to treat my body as His temple, to slow down and enjoy those around me, to find something {but probably many things} to be thankful for on a daily basis, that my eyes would be open to those who are hurting and do something about it {there is always something we can do, and prayer is #1! :-) }

There is so much that we can learn from each other! Thank you for sharing! Love you and blessings to you in the New Year!

~ Becoming Unoffendable ~

2010-12-19T10:52:00.002-05:00

Becoming Unoffendable
by Francis Frangipane

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stonefrom your flesh and give you a heart of flesh" (Ezek. 36:26).

God has a new heart for us that cannot be offended, an "unoffendable" heart. Beloved, possessing an unoffendable heart is not an option or a luxury; it's not a little thing. Consider: Jesus warns that, as we near the end of the age, a majority of people will be offended to such a degree that they fall away from the faith. Listen carefully to His warning:Then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another?and because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

Matthew 24:10-12 KJV"Many" will be offended; the love of "many" will grow cold. My prayer is that we will hear His words with holy fear.

When we allow an offense to remain in our hearts, it causes serious spiritual consequences. In the above verse, Jesus named three dangerous results: betrayal, hatred, and cold love. When we are offended with someone, even someone we care for, we must go to them. Otherwise, we begin to betray that relationship, talking maliciously behind their back to others, exposing their weaknesses and sins. We may mask our betrayal by saying we are just looking for advice or counsel, but when we look back, we see we have spoken negatively to far too many people. Our real goal was not to get spiritual help for ourselves but to seek revenge toward the one who offended us. How is such an action not a manifestation of hatred? For an offended soul, cold love, betrayal and hatred go hand-in-hand.

People don't usually stumble over boulders; they stumble over stones, relatively small things. It may be that the personality of someone in authority bothers us and soon we are offended. Or, a friend or family member fails to meet our expectations, and we take an offense into our soul. Beloved, if we will "endure to the end," we will have to confront the things that bother us.

When Jesus warns that we need endurance, He is saying that it is easier to begin the race than finish it. Between now and the day you die, there will be major times of offense that you will need to overcome. You might be in such a time right now. Do not minimize the danger of harboring an offense.

No one plans on falling away; no one ever says, "Today, I think I'll try to develop a hardened, cold heart." Such things enter our souls through stealth and it is only naiveté that assumes it couldn't happen to us. I know many people who consistently become offended about one thing or another. Instead of dealing with the offenses, these people carry them until the weight disables their walk with God. You may be doing fine today, but I guarantee you, tomorrow something will happen that will inevitably disappoint or wound you; some injustice will strike you, demanding you retaliate in the flesh.

THE ROOT OF OFFENSE
An offense can strike at our virtues or sins, our values or our pride. It can penetrate and wound any dimension of the soul, both good and evil. I once brought a series of messages about gossip. Most people saw their sin and repented, but a core group of gossips were greatly offended and ultimately left the church. When the Holy Spirit exposes sin in someone's soul, if we refuse the opportunity to repent, we often become offended at the person who brought the teaching. Instead of humbling our hearts, we are outraged at the pastor or teachers in the church. Truthfully, most of the time, I have no idea who specifically needs to hear what I'm teaching, but God knows.

Paul told Timothy to "reprove, rebuke, exhort" (see 2 Tim. 4:2). He didn't say, "exhort, exhort, exhort," but exhortation is what we receive in most churches. Certainly, we need to be encouraged, but there are also times, beloved, when we need to be reproved and rebuked. Today, there are preachers who are afraid to preach truth for fear people will react and leave the church. The end result is a church of easily offended people who cannot grow beyond their inability to accept correction.People don't change by exhortation alone. There are areas in all of us that need to be confronted and disciplined. The pastor who refuses to discipline and correct those in sin is in disobedience to God. He is unable to lead people into any truly transforming changes in their lives; they will not "endure to the end" if they cannot be corrected (see Matt. 24).

We need to become a people who say, "Lord, show me what needs to change in me." I'm talking about growing up. A wise man will receive a rebuke and he will prosper. But a fool rejects his father's discipline (see Prov. 15:5).

PERSONAL OFFENSE
An offense can wound our pride when we are not recognized for our good works or ministry. This happened to my wife and I long ago while in California. We were young pastors at a conference when the main leader decided to personally greet each minister and wife. He greeted the couple on our right and then turned to his staff to ask a question. A moment later he returned, but passed us by and went to the couple on our left. Everyone around us saw we were bypassed. We were embarrassed and offended. But my wife wisely observed that we could allow this thing to hurt us or we could see it as an investment in sensitivity toward other people's feelings. The offense taught us how others feel when they are ignored. Do you see this? You must make that offense become an opportunity to become more Christ-like.

The occasions for taking offense are practically endless. Indeed, we are daily given the opportunity to either be offended by something or to possess an unoffendable heart. The Lord's promise is that He's given us a new heart: a soft, entreatable heart that can be filled with His Spirit and abound with His love.

Lord, forgive me for being so easily offended and for carrying offenses. Father, my heart is foolish and weak. Grant me the unoffendable heart of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Nothing Causes Them to Stumble"Then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another?and because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold" (Matt. 24:10-12 KJV).

In the last section we looked at the lethal effect an offended spirit has upon our lives. We discussed how the only way to not be permanently offended was to attain the unoffendable heart of Jesus Christ.

Attaining Christ's heart is not a minor issue. Remember, Jesus warned that, in the last days, "many" would be offended. There is a difference between being wounded and being offended. We will frequently be wounded by an insensitive remark or injustice that occurs. But a "wounded spirit" is not the same thing as an "offended spirit." An offended spirit occurs when we do not process our wounds in a Christlike manner. Indeed, an offended spirit, left unattended and brooding in our minds, will soon manifest as betrayal, hatred, and cold love. Jesus said offenses would be the ultimate cause that would lead many to fall from faith. Listen well: Jesus linked the real cause of apostasy not to wrong doctrines, but wrong reactions.

Aren't right doctrines important? Of course, but we can have right information and still have a wrong response. Doctrinal information can be upgraded and refined, but Proverbs warns that someone "offended is harder to be won than a strong city"; and "contentions" between people "are like the bars of a castle" (see Prov. 18:19).Yes, beware of false leaders, but more deceitful than false prophets or teachers are our own hearts when they are offended (see Jer. 17:9). Are you living with an offended heart? If so, you are gradually slipping away from true Christianity, which is known for its agape love.Thus, dealing with an offended heart is vital in maintaining ongoing spiritual maturity. For this reason, we need to look again at the things which offend us.

FALSE EXPECTATIONS
Sometimes offenses come because we expect people to fulfill our lives rather than God. Unrealistic or exaggerated expectations inevitably will cause others to fall short and offend us. Some desire their spouse or pastor or friends to meet their every need. God may, indeed, use people to help us. However, at the deepest level, our soul was created to find its security in God, not man. When the Almighty truly becomes our security, our peace flows from His love, wisdom, and unlimited capabilities, and we can live comfortably with imperfect people around us.

Still, the very power of our expectations can choke out the sweetness of a personal relationship. Suppose that, instead of burdening people with our expectations, we simply learned to appreciate them for themselves - no strings attached. The fact is, our loved ones are not under any obligation to fulfill our desires. If they do fulfill them, it is their free choice, not our demands, that makes for a loving relationship.

Part of our problem is the affluent world we live in. We are served by hundreds of nonhuman "slaves," remarkable mechanical devices created just to serve us. Our slaves do laundry, clean dishes, figure bookkeeping and entertain us. They carry us across town and country - and for all they do, we are offended if their service does not meet or exceed our expectations.

Yet, your spouse, friends, or pastor aren't your slaves. Our loved ones didn't come with money-back guarantees. We didn't buy them and we can't trade them for newer models. This may come as a shock, but we don't own our loved ones.

Some act as though they signed a contract with their spouse, such as they would with a carpenter or plumber - do such and such or you won't be paid. If you are an employer, a teacher, or one who trains and holds people accountable, certain expectations are reasonable, but personal relationships are different. What I'm saying is this: What if, instead of expecting my spouse to love and serve me, I put the demand upon myself to love and serve her, no strings attached?

You say, 'But we said vows together. I expect my spouse to fulfill what was promised.' What if she is fulfilling her vows to the best of her ability, but you can't even discern her efforts because you are looking for something else? I'm not saying there shouldn't be times when we openly and honestly talk about our relationships. Certainly, open communication would be helpful, but what if we put the weight of the burden to change upon ourselves instead of our spouse?
Jesus said the greatest among us would be servant of all. We, in our modern world, have things reversed - we are the ones who are supposed to be the slaves. It is only our pride that thinks otherwise.

Suppose that a husband, instead of expecting a full course dinner from his wife each night, learned to appreciate whatever she was able to offer him? Then, instead of his failed expectations becoming an offense, there would be a living, sincere appreciation for the food his wife prepared. I know we have arrangements by common consent, but in reality, a wife is under no obligation to cook special meals or do housekeeping. You did not marry her to be your housekeeper, but to become one with her.

Or imagine a husband who works at a long, tiring job. However, his wife expects that he will work another two hours at home or go shopping with her or listen attentively about her problems. What if, instead, she welcomed him at the door and sincerely thanked him for daily giving himself to support their family? What if she met him, not with demands, but with appreciation? Maybe she would even rub his shoulders when he came home and, because of love, prepare his favorite meal.You see, expectations can seem to be legitimate parts of a relationship, but they can also cause us to be offended and disappointed when people fall short. We should approach personal relationships with only one expectation: to serve - a demand we should put upon ourselves, not others. Let us expect of ourselves to always show love and thanksgiving for whatever we receive from our loved ones.

The psalmist wrote, "Those who love Thy law have great peace, and nothing causes them to stumble" (Psalm 119:165). There is a place in God where, as we mature, we can possess Christ's perfect response to all things. If we, as pastors and congregations, put away false, unrealistic expectations and focus on becoming Christ-like to one another, we will have great peace. Beloved, nothing will cause us to stumble.

~TESTIMONY TUESDAY~

2010-11-30T14:06:00.006-05:00

So thankful to the Lord and for prayers.. Left the house this morning feeling aweful!! A friend prayed with me on the phone and I have felt better the rest of the day!! Thank You Lord!!!

Matthew 12:15b: A large crowd followed Him, and He healed {all} who were ill. {emphasis added :-)}

~ You Fail Us Not ~

2010-11-29T09:47:00.000-05:00

~ PSALM 116 ~

2010-11-29T09:38:00.001-05:00

Psalm 116

I love God because he listened to me, listened as I begged for mercy.
He listened so intently
as I laid out my case before Him.

Death stared me in the face,
hell was hard on my heels.'

Up against it, I didn't know which way to turn;
then I called out to God for help:
"Please, God!" I cried out.
"Save my life!"

God is gracious—it is He who makes things right,
our most compassionate God.

God takes the side of the helpless;
when I was at the end of my rope, he saved me.

I said to myself, "Relax and rest.
God has showered you with blessings.
Soul, you've been rescued from death;
Eye, you've been rescued from tears;
And you, Foot, were kept from stumbling."

I'm striding in the presence of God,
alive in the land of the living!

I stayed faithful, though bedeviled,
and despite a ton of bad luck,
Despite giving up on the human race,
saying, "They're all liars and cheats."

What can I give back to God
for the blessings he's poured out on me?

I'll lift high the cup of salvation—a toast to God!
I'll pray in the name of God;
I'll complete what I promised God I'd do,
and I'll do it together with his people.

When they arrive at the gates of death,
God welcomes those who love him.

Oh, God, here I am, your servant,
your faithful servant: set me free for your service!

I'm ready to offer the thanksgiving sacrifice
and pray in the name of God.

I'll complete what I promised God I'd do,
and I'll do it in company with his people,
In the place of worship, in God's house,
in Jerusalem, God's city.

Hallelujah!

~ Happy Fall Y'all! ;-) ~

2010-10-26T09:14:00.006-04:00

I love this time of the year! I love how crisp it gets outside, and how the colors change!! I took some pictures recently and just thought I would share... I hope you have a wonderful day... Blessings to you..

~You're Not Alone~

2010-10-17T19:29:00.013-04:00

This video is for a new little friend of mine.. We'll call her "O"...

"O" this song is for you... I hope you know that you are NEVER alone, and that you are so loved...

HE sees you, HE knows you, HE knows the very number of hairs on your head... He planned you, and has a destiny for you...

You are a blessing and a treasure and a beautiful child made in His image... What the Lord says about you is true and anything that anyone has ever said about you,(including yourself)that contradicts that, is a lie... You are precious!

Blessings to you "Little Lady"... XOXOXO

{SIDE NOTE: GO DOWN AND TURN OFF PLAYER, UNDER MUSIC I LOVE, SO YOU CAN HEAR THIS SONG.}

The Lyrics for You're Not Alone:

I search for love, when the night came, and it closed in, I was alone, but You found me, where I was hiding, and now I'll never ever be same, it was the sweetest voice, that called my name sayin

You're not alone, For I am here, let me wipe away your every fear, My love I've never left your side, I have seen you through the darkest night, And I'm the One that who's loved you all your life, All of your life

You cry your self to sleep, cause the hurt is real, and the pain cuts deep, all hope seems lost, with heart ache your closest friend, and everyone else long gone, you've had to face the music on your own, but there is a sweeter song that calls you home, saying

You're not alone, For I am here, let me wipe away your every tear, My love I've never left your side, I have seen you through the darkest nights, And I'm the One who's love you all your life, All your life

Faithful and true... Forever, For My love will carry you...

You're not alone, for I... I am here, let Me wipe away your every fear... Oh yeah, My love I've never left your side, I have seen you through your darkest night,

Your darkest nights, And I'm the One that's loved you all your life,
All of your life.......

~GIFTING & CHARACTER BY: DON FINTO~

2010-10-12T14:39:00.003-04:00

We are again experiencing the disappointment and even disillusionment that comes when perceived servants of God fail. This is a dangerous time for us. How will we respond? Will we privately rejoice because we saw flaws and cautions that others did not see? Do we discount those who were healed, who came to faith or who experienced the move of God? Are we to assume that everything was a farce? Was there never any real hunger for God? Was it all sham and hypocrisy?

Years ago when a prominent television evangelist's moral failure was exposed, another television evangelist was publicly harsh and judgmental in his assessment. The Lord laid on my heart to write that television evangelist a letter. "Brother, be careful. ‘Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you (Matt. 7:1-2).'" A few weeks later the sexual failure of the man who had done the judging was paraded before the American public. Most of us would affirm the gifting that was in both these men, but their character did not match their gifting.

Character and gifting are different. This is why we can sometimes see extremely gifted-of-God men and women who fail morally.

Remember the mightily gifted Samson whose character never matched the gifting. Do not forget David, the murderer-adulterer. Was David anointed? Yes. Gifted? Yes. Did he fall? Yes. Was he restored? Yes. Were there consequences of his failure? Yes. Yet God later described him as "a man after my own heart (Acts 13:20)."

Have we considered the fact that Peter lied three times on the night of Jesus' betrayal, but 50 days later was God's chosen spokesperson to call the nation to repentance? I wonder if that young servant girl to whom Peter had lied was in the crowd that Pentecost day. If so, how difficult was it for her to hear the gospel through Peter's flawed, yet restored lips?

Sometimes, when we sin, we are restored to our ministry and destiny. At other times, according to God's own choosing, we forfeit a portion of our inheritance. This was true of Moses who, in that moment of pride said, "Must we bring you water from this rock (Num. 20:10)?" Because of his sin, Moses never entered the land of his inheritance. He was still the leader, but his time was cut short.

It is appropriate for us to "test the spirits to see whether they are from God" (1 John 4:1), while at the same time realizing that we all are works-in-progress. We cannot only affirm as gifted those whose walk is perfect, yet "if someone is caught in a sin, [we] who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted" (Gal. 6:1).

May this recent exposure call forth an examination of our own lives! What about our own marriages? Are we loving our husbands, our wives? Are we walking in pride? Are we accountable?

As you examine your heart, pray this prayer, asking God to do His refining and strengthening work in you:

"Lord, have mercy upon us! Turn our propensity for judgment into mercy and intercession. May the disappointment and disillusionment that is ours through the sin of another work in us a radical pursuit of You, Lord; of Your Presence and Your gifts! May Godly character be worked in all of us! And may we be so open to Your will in our lives that when the fire and glory of God descend upon us, we will not disintegrate, but will be ignited with Holy Spirit power for the glory of God the Father and Jesus our Messiah and soon-returning King!"

~Encouragement: Breakthrough Does Come!~

2010-10-01T10:01:00.014-04:00

I just wanted to encourage someone today to NOT GIVE UP!

You may have been praying for something for days, weeks, months or YEARS and feel like nothing is happening, that everything is still the same!!.... But the Lord is working behind the scenes...

Then, one... day... it... just... happens... A breakthrough! You think that it just suddenly happened, but He has been working the whole time...

And all that time that you have been waiting, will seem like no time at all... {I know it sounds weird, but it is true...}

I pray that whoever reads this will keep pressing in, and rest in Him all at the same time....

Breakthrough is coming...

~ SERVE WHEREVER YOU ARE ~

2010-09-15T11:41:00.006-04:00

A few weeks ago, my mom was in town visiting us from Texas... One afternoon she and I went out to eat for lunch... It was a B E A U T I F U L day so we decided to eat outside...

While we were sitting there enjoying each other's company, we hear a *CRASH* and my mom freaked out because someone had just run into my car... So, I got my purse and walked over there to get the whole process started..

This lady who is probably in her 60's asked a person walking by if it was their car, and I said, "No, it is mine." We looked at the back of my car and the fender was dented in pretty good, but not a big deal... She just keep saying over and over again how sorry she was and was visibly VERY upset... And I am thinking "There is more to this than just this little crash." She started crying and I said, "it is okay!" I grabbed her arms and said it again, to reassure her... She cried harder and we embraced in a tight hug... All I could do was hold her and let her cry...

She finally started to tell me her story... She had been in town caring for her sister who was in hospice... They said it would not be long, and she decided to go home and rest for a few days and come back.. She said that she saw the bakery that we were eating at and stopped because she knew her husband would enjoy the cookies... She got the cookies and was backing out to head home {2.5-3hrs. away} when she crashed into my car... She said, "this is the first time I have let myself cry". And I said, "it is ok.."

We embraced again and I asked her if I could pray for her, and she let me...

After we did everything we needed to do, she said, "I know the Lord let me hit you." And I knew He did too... The Lord knows what we need when we need it, and she needed to cry and have SOMEONE listen to her and hold her, and HE did... {We are His hands and feet.}

I looked at the dent later and said to my mom, "look it is shaped like a heart!".... {I wish I had gotten a picture of it!}

I have had people ask me at different times, "Are you serving?" Because they do not know if I am or not... And my response is, "I serve, you just don't know about it.." I serve as the Lord leads... But, I think that sometimes people think that you have to serve in the four walls of the church to be serving... I disagree... I say "SERVE WHERE YOU ARE...!"

~ Attitude is Everything ~

2010-08-12T09:45:00.000-04:00

Philippians 4:11b, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances…

”There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and noticed she had only three hairs on her head.

Well," she said, "I think I'll braid my hair today." So she did and she had a wonderful day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that she had only two hairs on her head.

"H-M-M," she said, "I think I'll part my hair down the middle today." So she did and she had a grand day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only one hair on her head.

"Well," she said, "today I'm going to wear my hair in a pony tail." So she did and she had a fun, fun day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that there wasn't a single hair on her head.

"YEA!" she exclaimed, "I don't have to fix my hair today!"

{The road you are traveling may be difficult and even heartbreaking. These seasons of life are inevitable. Yet, how we respond makes a tremendous difference. We can ask for God’s strength to help us. We can choose the attitudes we live by, even on our darkest day.~Leslie Snyder}

* The Normal Christian Life *

2010-08-10T16:59:00.000-04:00

"For the Kingdom of God is not in word, but in power."
1 Cor. 4:20 NKJV

It is abnormal for a Christian not to have an appetite for the impossible. It has been written into our spiritual DNA to hunger for the impossibilities around us to bow at the name of Jesus.

The lack of miracles isn't because it is not in God's will for us. The problem exists between our ears. As a result, a transformation, a renewing of the mind, is needed, and it's only possible through a work of the Holy Spirit that typically comes upon desperate people.

Stories of the impossible are becoming the norm, and the company of people who have joined this quest for an authentic gospel, the gospel of the Kingdom, is increasing. Loving God and His people is an honor. We will no longer make up excuses for powerlessness because powerlessness is inexcusable. Our mandate is simple: raise up a generation that can openly display the raw power of God.

Excerpts from When Heaven Invades Earth chapter 1
by Bill Johnson
Destiny Image Publishers

~ Real Life Chronicles ~ {I Stand in Awe}

2010-07-09T20:50:00.009-04:00

{Holding my precious 1st born in August 1995}

I don't even know where to begin... I am in complete and utter awe today... The Lord has just blessed me more than I could even ever wish for or deserve...

I am getting another second chance...

If you have followed my blog at all you know that I have written about how the Lord delivered me from drugs and alcohol in June 2004...

Some months before that my son's father came back into his life, after being gone for 3 years.

When his dad came back, I let them see each other... I let his dad have another chance with Trent...

In February 2004 Trent was 7 years old and was not happy about me disciplining him, and told me he wanted to go live with his dad.. I was a functioning alcoholic at that point, but when Trent left, I went ahead and hit bottom... Bad...

Then in June, four months later the Lord saved and delivered me from drugs and alcohol.. You can read about it HERE

It has been a hard, hard, hard, gut-wrentching road not having my baby with me on a daily basis... All I ever wanted was to have a family and be a mommy... It has been humbling, and I even now see how the Lord was restoring time to his dad, even when he did not deserve it... I judged him for being out of the picture, and judged my parents for the things they did. I learned how to forgive him and my parents...

I thought on Thursday that I was going to be sending him back off to Texas, but everything changed... Trent told me that he wanted to move here, and start school here in the fall...

So we talked about it, and talked to his dad and the decision has been made...

He is coming home...

I don't even know what to say... I get another second chance... I don't deserve it, but I am going to receive this blessing, and soak it up... I am in awe... The Lord has taught me so much in this time... 7 years is a long season, but it is over and a new one is beginning... I am humbled and overjoyed, and so... in... awe...

Thank You Father... thank You...

Joel 2:25: And I will restore or replace for you the years that the locust has eaten--the hopping locust, the stripping locust, and the crawling locust.....

Psalm 103:1~5: Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits- who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

~ History Makers ~ By Kris Vallotton

2010-07-05T08:37:00.001-04:00

Every so often in the course of history there are individuals born who defy common reason and statistical explanation. These are the great ones, who break the tether of their generation’s expectations and rise to the high call that seems to echo from somewhere beyond the grave.

The prophets of old peered into the future and spoke of these violent ones who would force their way into the Kingdom, take hold of Heaven and pull it down to earth. These reigning saints refuse to have their exploits be a mere reflection of the past, but instead break the gravitational barriers of naysayers and doubters, and journey far beyond the boundaries of reason into places where no one has ever gone before. Ultimately they capture the prize of the upward call of God that lies in Christ Jesus. These are God’s history makers, the Lord’s chosen people, His mighty men, His holy nation.

Many of us can feel the vacuum of this vortex drawing our hearts into this divine destiny. We find our inner man longing, stirring, and burning for the great adventure. Live or die, we must press through the walls of mediocrity and find the Promised Land of our souls. We live with a passion to be numbered among those who have gained fame in the halls of Heaven and are feared among the prison guards of hell. If we are going to walk as God’s ruling royalty, we have to:

➢ Pray unceasingly

➢ Give sacrificially

➢ Dream unreasonably

➢ Serve wholeheartedly

➢ Love unashamedly

➢ Walk innocently

➢ Believe undoubtingly

➢ Live powerfully

These are the qualities of the Bride of Christ in all of her glory. She is called to be the most creative force on the face of the earth. Therefore, we must not allow ourselves to become known for our boxes, that is, famous for what we don’t do because of our “righteous”constrictions. Abraham Lincoln, George Washington and Benjamin Franklin had certain moral values that restrained their behavior, but they were famous for what they did, not for what they didn’t do! It would be tragic if the most creative people on the face of the earth allowed themselves to be reduced to rent-a-cops guarding a box (The Ark of the Covenant) that God vacated 2,000 years ago.

The truth is that if we don’t take our rightful place in the earth, we will relegate sinners, void of the mind of Christ, barred from the wisdom of the ages, and wandering in utter darkness, to being the most brilliant minds of our time! If the brightest light in this world belonged to those locked in darkness, how great would the darkness be in our world? Something is fundamentally wrong with this picture, but this is our brain on religion. Religion is like kryptonite to Superman. Religion can conform the most righteous, reigning saints into mindless zombies, puppets repeating someone else’s convictions they don’t even understand themselves.

Attack Of The Clones

I am convinced that religion is the father of genetic cloning. Religion invented cloning long before the world ever thought of it. Religion has a way of sucking the most powerful people on the planet into a spiritual look-a-like contest, calling it discipleship. True discipleship is meant to empower people to be transformed into the image of their Creator, but religion redefines the terms, conforming people into replicas of their leaders. Religion takes God’s mighty men and makes them artifacts in a museum.

Religious people, like the Pharisees of old, have the hardest time reaching out to folks who think “outside of the box” and don’t behave inside their hopeless shackles. Part of the struggle comes from what they have done to the Savior of the world. They have sterilized the gospel. Jesus took water and turned it to wine, but 2,000 years later, today’s Pharisees have diluted it to grape juice. Religion has reduced the supernatural power of God to a history lesson about serving the dead body of a helpless Christ who, still nailed to the Cross, is incapable of rocking their sacred boat. They emphasize the drowning of baptism, arguing over how people should get wet and what should be said over them during their dipping. Religious people have lost touch with the fact that the bold print of baptism is not on the descent but on the ascension. The death of Christ paid for our sins, but it was His resurrection that gave life to our mortal bodies. Religion embraces death sadistically and moves the risen Christ out of the garden and back to the tomb. Religious people pray things like “God, kill me,” not realizing that even the One who came to give His life as a ransom for us all prayed, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup (of death) from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42). Jesus did not want to die; He wanted to do His Father’s will. If religion had its way, it would rewrite Mary’s proclamation to read, “He is in the tomb just where we laid Him!” We have lost sight of the fact that the Cross was for the old man not the new man, and that the true Christian life is not about dying for Christ, but living in the life He purchased for us to establish His Kingdom on earth! The Church must shake off the shackles of religion and embrace our supernatural destiny.

Our Commission

The world is crying out in distress, and we must not miss this kairos moment, the opportunity of the ages. In the late sixties, the Beatles took America by storm. In a few short years, four boys from Liverpool altered the course of our nation’s history. Soon after, the world was swept into the wake of their anointing—all while they were singing “Yeah, yeah, yeah.” But it wasn’t long before the Fab Four started to experience a crisis in their own souls. They began to cry out in desperation, singing,

Help, I need somebody
Help, not just anybody
Help, you know I need someone, help

When I was younger, so much younger than today,
I never needed anybody’s help in any way.
But now those days are gone, I’m not so self-assured
Now I find I’ve changed my mind and opened up the doors

Help me if you can, I’m feeling down
And I do appreciate you being ‘round
Help me get my feet back on the ground.
Won’t you please, please help me
Help me, help me, ooh.

But their cry for help fell on deaf ears in the sanctuary of hope, and soon they were calling Hare Krishna their “sweet lord.” The Church can’t afford to fall asleep in the harvest today as we have done so many times in the past. We are not supposed to reflect our culture; we are commissioned to transform it.

We are called to disciple all the nations of the world. Discipling nations means submerging them in God—not religion—and “teaching them all I commanded you” (Matthew 28:20). Teaching nations how to think is the transformational catalyst to changing cultures. But as long as Christians aren’t valued in society, they will have no influence in the world. (You only have as much influence in people’s lives as they have value for you. Anytime you try to have more influence than someone has value for you, you will manipulate them.) It is imperative that we become kings who understand the ways royal people influence authority. Otherwise, we will reduce ourselves to social begging, hoping that the BIG, powerful people feel compassion for us and help our cause. This poisonous poverty mindset reduces the Christian message to a cry for help instead of a call for leadership. We don’t need nations to change for our sake. We have a living, abiding, unshakable Kingdom that dwells within us and prospers under all circumstances. We need the nations to change for the sake of those still lost in darkness. They need the culture around them to create a safe environment for them until they get the Kingdom within them.

This cultural begging has relegated the Kingdom of God to a subculture. God never intended Christianity to be a subculture. Subcultures are those cultures that are subservient to a more powerful culture. The world’s commentary on the first century Church reflects the true influence we are meant to have in society. They proclaimed, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too” (Acts 17:6 NKJV). We are called to turn the world around and set it back on its feet again. We are to be counter-culture until the mindset of the nations begins to take on the attitude of the Kingdom. Christians are not subservient to the world because God has assigned us the highest level of authority that exists on this planet. When Christians lose their desire and courage to confront the evils of our day honorably, we begin to be influenced by the lying principalities that are also commissioned to disciple the nations, but with an antichrist agenda. These demonic forces work to dethrone the Prince of Peace, who is the rightful prince of the principles that make societies prosper, and instead enthrone the prince of darkness. Consequently, the enabling principles of a culture become demonically inspired instead of Kingdom in-Spirited. This dark prince works to establish evil thinking that leads to destructive behaviors. But when Jesus rules, He enables the principles of the King to transform the culture through the mind of Christ. In other words, people in a nation governed by the Kingdom begin to think like God!

However, it is important that we learn how to carry His power and authority. If we believers become combative instead of honorably confronting, we will reduce our influence to the small pond of the church and render ourselves powerless in the ocean of humanity. We are to carry God’s authority into the lives of people and nations through invitation, not through intrusion or invasion. Although we are called to be combative to the powers of darkness, we are to be honorably confronting to people, demonstrating the benefits and rewards of a superior Kingdom.

~ Leaving a Legacy ~

2010-05-12T09:41:00.008-04:00

The other day my husband was going to work out in the yard. My youngest Drake asks: "Can I help?" Steve says: "Sure buddy.."

So they got out there and started working away... together...

I grabbed my camera and took some pictures of the process, and thought about how sweet it was to see them working together... Here are a few shots...

*

*

I did not think much of it, but then the next day Drake asks if there is anything that he could help his dad do in the yard again.. Then he says: "I am an outdoor kinda guy.."

They go outside again, then Drake decides he wants to build something. He grabs some wood, nails and a hammer... And asks his dad for some help... Steve stopped the work he was doing to go help Drakester.. I am washing the dishes and could see what was going on, and thinking how precious it is to see my husband and my son working on something together {they are best friends so this is nothing new, just so precious to my heart}... I felt like the Lord whispered to my heart: "He is building a legacy.."

{I grew up without a dad, and Steve had a dad, but his dad was not really there in a way that children need their daddy's...}

There were so many things that ran through my heart and mind... Steve could be doing so many other things but he was investing time and building intimacy with his son, but not only that, I knew that this investment of time would affect our grandchildren and great grandchildren and so on... He is building a legacy and it will affect generations, that I believe can affect the culture... And it has to start at home...

I started to cry thinking about how the Lord has redeemed so much in our lives, and how very thankful I am... I prayed for any future boys in our family, that they would leave a legacy for their children in that way too...

Steve and I grew up without the Lord in our lives or our families lives, but He is so faithful and captured our hearts...

The picture below made me think of how the Lord got a hold of us, and we stood up and said "yes" to the Lord... And how because of Jesus and what He did on the cross and Him giving us the love and tools we need, ~the old, dead roots of the past are being pulled up!

Isaiah 58:12: Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

Isaiah 61:4: They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.

Nehemiah 2:18: I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said to me. They replied, "Let us start rebuilding." So they began this good work.

The Breaking Process by Jentzen Franklin

2010-04-18T10:37:00.000-04:00

"Your kingdom come. Your will be done." Mt 6:10 NKJV

In the breaking process God's intention is not to destroy your will, but redirect it; not to rob you of self-worth, but to let you see that He is the source of your worth. Gideon's three hundred soldiers had to break their pitchers, which made them vulnerable to attack, before the light within them could shine out and the enemy be defeated (See Jdg 7). Elisha had to break his plow, which represented his financial security, before he could qualify for a double portion of God's Spirit (See 1Ki 19:19-21). Mary had to break her alabaster box, which represented her dowry and hope for marriage, in order to receive Christ's highest commendation (See Mk 14:3-9). Brokenness is costly; it happens in stages. Stage 1: Repentance. After his affair with Bathsheba David prayed, "The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit" (Ps 51:17 NLT). Stage 2: Discipline. "I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified" (1Co 9:27 NKJV). Stage 3: Intimacy. You love prayer and God's Word because you "connect" with Him through them. But you'll have to fight the distractions around you to get to the place of intimacy, and fight the carnality within you to stay there. The real issue in brokenness is-submitting to God's control. Dick Rasanen writes: "Dear God, I find it so easy to try to be the one in charge. I find it so painful to realize that I am not the one in control. Help me to know when saying ‘I just work here' it's a confession, and not just a way of evading responsibility."

~ Testimony Tuesday ~

2010-03-02T16:53:00.005-05:00

I have not done one of these in awhile... And there are soooo many testimonies lately that I could do... I love hearing people's testimonies.. It builds my faith soooo much... PLUS: {Revelation 12:11 They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony}...

Anyway~ The Lord has really been speaking to me about something over and over and over... It is crazy, because I feel like: "Lord, do I even dare to dream that this could happen?" This something has to do with Texas, and He has been placing it on my heart for a month to 2 months... I have gone back and forth, cried, doubted, gotten excited, etc...

So fast forward to February 17th... A friend of mine who is also my neighbor went with me to Texas for a girls weekend getaway... We wanted to get out of the snow and into some warmer weather, so we made plans to meet up at my parents and with my best girlfriends from Texas...

Anyone who knows me, knows that flying is NOT one of my favorite things to do, BUT in this season in my life, I find myself flying A L O T! {The Lord has a funny way of helping you get over your fears.}

Well my friend and I were playing Farkle on the plane, and then she got up to go to the restroom.. {which I didn't really like.. I hate it when people get up and walk around.. I feel like everyone needs to stay in their seats and NOT ROCK THE PLANE! OK?! :-) J/K kinda..}

Anyway, after she left I decided to look out the window and could not believe what I saw... I grabbed my camera and only had enough battery to capture the one shot {which I am so thankful for}, but wish I could have gotten more because it got bigger!

Here is what I saw~

It is kind of hard to see but it is a perfect circle rainbow!!! I did not even know that they existed.. It was soooo amazing and it got bigger too.. It was so beautiful! The sun was not even shining on that side of the plane..

When I got to TEXAS I looked it up on the Internet to see if anyone knew what this was, because I did not know anyone that had ever seen this.. I came across a website that gives you reasons, scientifically, why these happen... {I didn't care about that part because I knew the Lord meant for me to see it...} The name of these circle rainbows is amazing. They are called: "Glories"...

This circle rainbow has so many meanings for me: God's promises, things coming full circle regarding Texas, etc... It blessed me that He would just be in my face like that...

I love You Lord... Thank You...

P.S. I would love for you to add some way that the Lord has made Himself known to you or confirmed things to you lately...

~ HEALING ~

2010-02-06T11:30:00.010-05:00

Jeremiah 30:17: But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,' declares the LORD...

Jeremiah 33:6: 'Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security.

The Cleansing Stream

O now I see the crimson wave,

The fountain deep and wide;

The blood which Christ so freely gave,

Which all our sins will hide.

CHORUS

The cleansing stream,

I see! I see!

And now by faith it cleanseth me.

O, praise the Lord, it cleanseth me!

It cleanseth me, yes, cleanseth me!

~ NEW BEGINNINGS ~

2010-01-31T10:02:00.003-05:00

I have a dear friend that is starting a new chapter in her ministry life... I met her 2007 after answering an ad...

In the ad in my neighborhood news letter, it said that they were offering a "Post Abortive" Bible Study at a nearby church... I was in SHOCK!! I knew that the Lord forgave me for going through abortion, but I had NO IDEA He wanted to actually heal me from it...

Up to that point, I had been in and out of depression... I didn't know why. I had been saved for three years, and knew I was forgiven {but probably only in my mind.. I guess my heart did not know yet..}. But after meeting Yvonne and going through the Bible Study, I realized I had not grieved my loss... And I really did not know before then that the Lord didn't want me to hold on to that..

I can't tell you the how much freedom I have had since then... Thank You Lord...

And I think that one of the things that has shocked me the most is that He would not only heal me from something I did, but that He would use it to help someone else...

I shared what I went through at my church and they decided to hold the Bible Study there and five women within this tiny church came forward.. {so many suffer in silence..}

I was also asked to share my testimony in a women's prison in Indianapolis, Indiana... The ministry that asked me to share, had been told that they were not aloud to address abortion with the women. I was told that since it was my testimony, then I could share... It was amazing... The Lord knows our struggles, He knew that there were many women in that room who had gone through the same thing I did, and they were hurting. He wanted to bring healing that day, and I believe He did...

I can't tell you how much the Lord healed me through a Post Abortive Bible Study and blessed me through the friendship I have with Yvonne...

If you or anyone you know has gone through an abortion, I think you would really be blessed by checking out her blog at: NEW BEGINNINGS. {And if you happen to live in the West Houston/Katy/Sugarland/Brookshire/Fulsher area, and need the kind of healing I am talking about go to: http://www.newbeginnings-katy.org/}

~LOVE GOD & LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR~

2010-01-29T11:12:00.002-05:00

Matthew 22: 34-40: Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together.

One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"

Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'

This is the first and greatest commandment.

And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'

All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
(emphasis added.)

~The Irresistible Revolution~

2010-01-27T10:09:00.003-05:00

I "stumbled" across this book the other day... There are some books that I would suggest that people need to read as they go on their journey with the Lord, and this is another one!! It is so amazing and so real and has opened up the word to me!

I am excited for what the Lord is doing! Thank You Lord!!!

I highly recommend this book!!

Have a blessed day!!!

~The Gospel~

2010-01-25T15:25:00.002-05:00

in a world of doubt i will have faith

in a world of hate i will love

in a world of selfishness i will forget myself

in a world of those who give up i will persevere

in a world of greed i will give, and give again

in a world of lies i will tell the truth

in a world of fear i will have courage

in a world of lust i will have self-control

in a world of jealousy i will be content

in a world of those who want more i will be thankful

in a world of thieves i will give up and give

in a world of apathy i will be compassionate

in a world of negativity i will hope

in a world of brutality i will have mercy

in a world of independence i will join hands with others

in a world of confusion i will be understanding

in a world of bitterness i will forgive

in a world of backstabbers i will be trustworthy

in a world of pain i will bring healing

in a world of sorrow i will bring joy

in a world of loneliness i will be a friend

in a world of anger i will bring peace

in a world of violence i will give a hug

in a world of distaster i will bring laughter

in a world of disappointment i will tell good news

in a world of rulers i will serve

in a world of inconsistency i will stand on your foundation

in a world of destructive words i will speak encouragement

in a world of perversion i will be set apart and pure

in a world of fakes i will be genuine, real, and transparent

in a world of self-righteousness i will confess my guilt

in a world of death i will receive God’s love

in a world of foolishness i will be lead by the Holy Spirit

in a world of dissipation i will be transformed

in a world of comfort i will suffer

in a world of entitlement and possession i will sacrifice

in a world of rights i will be wronged

in a world of rebellion and defiance i will obey

in a world of injustice i will do what is right

in a world of strength i will be meek

in a world of rudeness i will be considerate

in a world of “wisdom” i will be foolish

in a world of distraction i will focus

in a world of people who know everything i will learn

in a world of people quick to speak i will be ready to listen

Copied from DatHouse website

Check it out! It Begins Sunday Evening...

2009-12-30T18:27:00.000-05:00

http://www.40daysofthat.com/

Never, Never, Never Give Up! By Wendy Griffith

2009-12-11T18:59:00.000-05:00

Wendy Griffith:

Never, Never, Never Give Up!
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.—Galatians 6:9 (King James Version)

As much as we look forward to the holidays, it can also be one of the toughest times of the year. For me, I often look back at the year and ask, Did I accomplish my goals for this year? Did the things I was believing God for happen this year? If they didn't, it's tempting to let disappointment and despair come in. But, the good news is: God has an answer! Don't give up! Don't lose hope! Don't lose your confidence! The thing you're believing God for could be closer than you think.

God has an appointed time, and He says in Galatians 6:9 (AMP): "And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage..."

The NIV Bible says it like this: "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we WILL reap a harvest if we do not give up."

My friends, that is a promise you can take to the bank. God has an appointed time to bless you. You may think it's long overdue, but God says, "If you don't give up and throw in the towel...I promise...I am going to bless you."

God is Not a Slacker

In 2 Peter 3:9 the Lord says, "I am not slack in the promises I have made toward you, as some men count slackness," but He is "longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

I love the definition of slack: moving slowly; sluggish; lacking in activity, not busy, loose, not tense or taut, lacking in diligence or due care or concern; negligent as in a slack worker or a slacker.

Friends, God is not a slacker. Especially when it comes to those things that He has promised you. You may be one more hour, one more prayer, one more step of obedience away from your promise. God is faithful! Resist the temptation to doubt, resist the temptation to think the Lord has forgotten you—because deep down inside, you know you are closer than it may look or feel.

Then (Jesus) spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart.—Luke 18:1

I want to remind you about a woman in the Bible who knew how to pray and refused to give up until she got her promise. Her name is Hannah, and she was married to a man named Elkanah and He had another wife named Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.

In 1 Samuel, Chapter One, it says Hannah was a woman of sorrowful spirit. In fact, it goes on to say she was at the point of grief and bitterness of soul. The other wife had tormented her constantly because of her barrenness, and she just couldn't take it anymore. Maybe you can relate. Maybe you feel you are just hanging on by a thread. Well, hang on brother or sister! This story and your story have a happy ending.

The Bible was clear, Hannah was deeply grieved. 1 Samuel 1:7 says, "She wept and did not eat." Fortunately, Hannah knew what to do. The Bible says she went to church and she prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish. Then she made a vow and said, "O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head."

Now, because of her grief, Hannah prayed in her heart, only her lips moved but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli the priest thought she was drunk and said to her, "'How long will you be drunk? Put your wine away from you!' But Hannah answered and said, 'No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord. Do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken until now.' Then Eli answered and said, 'Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him.' And she said, 'Let your maidservant find favor in your sight.' So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad."

The Waiting is Not in Vain

Did Hannah have her baby yet? No! But the Bible says she was no longer sad. She hadn't conceived the baby in the natural yet, but she had conceived the baby in the spirit. She had the word of the Lord, and she knew that baby was on the way.

Here's the lesson: whatever the burden, whatever that thing is that you've been asking the Lord for year after year after year, be like Hannah. Call on the God of the Universe! Call on the One who can take your barrenness away and give you new life! The One who can give you the desires of your heart. Maybe, like Hannah, you're crying out for a baby; or a husband, a wife, a job, a ministry, a loved one to get saved, or for a healing. God remembered Hannah and at the appointed time, He will remember you too!

Hannah wanted a son, but God wanted a prophet to Israel. Her waiting was not in vain. God had to get her to the point of desperation where she was not only crying out to the Lord for a child, but she was willing to give him up for the Lord's service. She wanted a son, but God needed a prophet. God had to get her to the point where she wanted what God wanted. See, God has a purpose in your waiting.

And here we are, three thousand years later, and we're still talking about Hannah's son Samuel. Hannah's determination, her willingness to never give up, to press in and get her promise, is what makes her still a hero today. God remembered Hannah, my friend. Today, I believe God is remembering you, too. He has a set time, an appointed time.

In Psalm 102:13 God says, "You will arise and have compassion on Zion (put your name here): for the time to favor her, yes, the set time, has come."

Wendy Griffith, Senior Reporter
CBN News

~Quote & Scripture~

2009-11-23T06:44:00.006-05:00

We can't obey the Word of the Lord if we don't know the Word of the Lord. ~James Goll

> Colossians 1:11&12{The Message}: As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work. We pray that you'll have the strenth to stick it out over the long haul - not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that He has for us.

Going To Meet Sarah Palin!

2009-11-19T13:08:00.007-05:00

Me and thousands of other very excited people will be waiting in line, in the cold, later today, to meet Sarah Palin! She will be at Borders Bookstore 5mins. from my house! Yay!!

So Exciting!!

~Testimony Tuesday~

2009-08-18T19:37:00.004-04:00

Oh gosh where do I start..... So much has happened since the last "Testimony Tuesday"...

I have to give a little history here.. We moved to Indiana two years ago.

Before that we were members at an amazing non-denominational church in Houston, Texas... That is one of the things I have missed soooooooo much! I do not have ANYTHING against denominational churches, I used to go to one before we changed to the non-denominational one...

ANYWAY~ To make a long story short we ended up at two different denominational churches... The last one we went to for a year... I LOVED the people there... They were so welcoming!

However, my husband and I felt like it was time to move on, like it was a new season... It was hard on us and some others for us to leave, and I may have actually lost some friends, which is really sad, because I love them so much... But, we had to follow the Lord's lead...

I can't tell you how dry I have been for many, many, many months... I have been in a valley... But, I realize you learn a lot in the valley..

So, I started looking at churches.. And came across one that reminds me so much of the one in Houston... I found that they had a couple different prayer and worship services during the week!!!!!! And I was so excited! So, I ended up going to one of the prayer and worship services just to see, before we visited on Sunday...

When I pulled up on Friday, I prayed and asked the Lord for confirmation if I was suppose to be there.. Then I said "never mind" and thanked Him for letting me be there...

It was such a HUGE blessing to be with other believers that were passionate and on fire for the Lord! You could cut the peace in that place with a knife... That is how peaceful it was in there... You could not deny that the presence of the Lord was there..

Before I went in to pray with this group, I had called my mom in Texas, and she told me to call her when I was done and let her know how it was...

I called her afterwards to tell her about it, and in that two hour period of time, my mom had unexpectantly gone to the hospital for some test.. (she is fine.. PRAISE GOD!)

She said that she went in and was waiting for them to do the test and on the front page of the religious section of this small Texas towns paper, was the VERY name of the group I was meeting with THAT DAY!!!! We were amazed!!!

He gave me the confirmation in such an amazing way... Only He could do that!!

On a side note: We went to the service on Sunday, and it was amazing! The worship was alive, it was multi-cultural, and you could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit... There were people raising their hands, grown men on their knees before the Lord, it was just beautiful, and we were blessed to be a part of it...

I have been waiting for TWO years and it was worth it...

Bless You Lord!!!!!

GO CHECK OUT ~ 40 DAYS OF THAT!

2009-08-13T08:53:00.002-04:00

It does not matter when you start, just check it out!

40 DAYS OF THAT!!!

~First Day of School~

2009-08-12T11:25:00.007-04:00

Today is the first day of school!! My big 3rd Grader!!!

~Testimony Tuesday~

2009-01-27T07:22:00.016-05:00

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

2009-01-24T13:17:00.001-05:00

Hold On for Another Day!

2009-01-20T14:44:00.022-05:00

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~

2009-01-20T08:18:00.017-05:00

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

2009-01-17T21:26:00.025-05:00

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..

2009-01-15T18:26:00.007-05:00

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

2009-01-14T13:34:00.002-05:00

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

2009-01-14T09:14:00.001-05:00

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~

2009-01-13T08:20:00.012-05:00

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!

2009-01-12T15:41:00.000-05:00

Controlling Toxic Thoughts and Emotions ~with Dr. Caroline Leaf

2009-01-11T13:38:00.004-05:00

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

2009-01-09T09:14:00.002-05:00

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."

2009-01-08T09:41:00.012-05:00

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?

2009-01-08T09:10:00.004-05:00

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!!!!~

2009-01-07T11:19:00.004-05:00

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~

2009-01-05T18:55:00.007-05:00

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!~

2009-01-05T12:06:00.002-05:00

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.. :-)

2009-01-05T09:22:00.003-05:00

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.

Things that I am Leaving Behind in 2008...

2008-12-31T14:41:00.017-05:00

I am declaring the things that I want to leave behind.. I can't take these things with me into 2009... I can't... I won't...

I am leaving behind.... fear of rejection, fear of abandonment, fear of man, and the loss in my life...

Instead, in 2009, I am going to do as the Serenity Prayer says: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; Courage to change the things "I Can", and the wisdom to know the difference...

There are some things in my life that have not changed, and for whatever reason, the Lord has not changed them... But, I know He has a greater purpose in it or HE would have already done it... I do believe that... There are also some amazing things HE has done.. And I am so thankful for them... I know it all serves HIS greater purpose...

I want my greatest desire to be HIM... I lay down my dreams and desires at His feet (again), and trust that whatever HE wants for my life will happen... I am going to accept it, and live this life...

I am going to get totally healthy: mentally, physically, and spiritually... I want to stay committed to that...

And I am going to start speaking LIFE over my life.... Psalm 118:17: I will not die; instead, I will live to tell what the Lord has done. The boys and I end our prayer time at night with me speaking life and a blessing over their lives.. I say: You are a mighty man of God, Soldier for the Lord, a Blessing, Obedient and an Overcomer...

I think that we feel weird sometimes declaring positive things (TRUTH) about ourselves and over our lives, especially when we don't "FEEL" it, but I am going to start.. I am a mighty woman of God, a Soldier for the Lord, a Blessing, Obedient, and an Overcomer! It does not matter if I feel it or not, I will speak it by faith... Proverbs 18:21 Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit—you choose.

I choose to believe it "for myself" that I REALLY AM FORGIVEN, and I am going to LIVE LIKE IT! No more religion... A whole lot more relationship... And love..., freely given, and freely accepted...

~Testimony Tuesday~

2008-12-30T09:17:00.015-05:00

When I found out that we were moving to Indiana, I knew that I was REALLY going to have to lean on the Lord, and REALLY learn how to trust Him...

I do love it here, but some things were happening that I did not quit understand... And I wondered what the Lord was trying to teach me in all of it..

Two months after we moved here, some kids (teenagers) wrapped and egged our house, they also wrote horrible things on our driveway and ON OUR HOUSE... Without going into the whole story, they thought someone else lived at our house, and were taking their frustrations out on it... They got the wrong house... But, the Lord kept us safe... And, the people never came back...

Then, in April I woke one morning to the bed shaking... My body was moving side-to-side like when you are being wheeled into surgery.. I said: "Lord?" Because, I thought maybe He was coming back... But, then I went and checked on Drake and he was still here, so I figured the rapture had not occurred..(hee hee) We found out right after that, that there had been an earthquake...!!! HELLO! But, the Lord kept us..

Then at the end of May, and into June we had horrible storms... Parts of Indiana were flooding so bad... I have never heard wind, like I have heard it here.. I have never seen storms, like I have seen them here.. The news would tell us about tornadoes, and to get into our basements... One time a tornado was heading on a path toward our town... I called a friend of mine from Texas and she prayed, she spoke and told the tornado to go no further and it changed directions.. (I do not remember the date of that, but I am sure you can find it in some weather archive for the Indianapolis area..) The Lord kept us...

Then, late, late June 3rd and in the early morning hours of June 4th we had three storms come through.. I slept on the couch because I wanted to be prepared for anything... I prayed that night, and asked the Lord to please surround us with His warring and ministering angels, and I plead the blood of Jesus over us and our house... I woke up each time a storm would come through... When the third one came through, it was loud, and I turned on the Weather Channel and they said that it got here later than they had said it would on an earlier forecast.. I figured, I would stay up until it past. Then BOOM/CRACK, I heard the loudest sound I had ever heard. Two of my neighbors said that their teenagers woke up, and one of them can sleep through ANYTHING...

I smelled smoke right after that, and thought maybe lightning had hit one of our trees.. I tried to see but could not.. Then, I went upstairs and Steve and Drake were both awake... I could smell smoke in our bedroom too. I was shaking, and picked up Drake to go get him dressed. Steve got upset with me, because he thought I was over reacting and getting Drake upset... He wanted to do some investigating first.. Everything within me was telling me that we needed to get moving... We went downstairs and went into the laundry room and saw smoke rising... I think I got Drake dressed then, we were both shaking, and scared... Steve went down in the basement and I walked toward the front door with Drake in my arms and was praying.. I prayed for His wisdom and protection.. As, I walked to the front door, I smelled gas...

Steve came up from the basement with a very serious look on his face... He said, "Grab whatever you need, because we have to get out of here." I said, "I AM NOT GRABBING ANYTHING, I WANT TO GET OUT OF HERE!" He did not tell me what was going on, he just got us out of there.

He opened the garage, and pulled the car out, and we got in. It was still storming really bad. He went inside and grabbed some things and came back out to the car and pulled away from the house, but to where we could still see it... He called 911 and said: " I think our house was struck by lightning and went into the whole ordeal...

He was telling me what happened.. He said that when he went down into the basement to check it out, he opened one of our storage room closets and flipped on the lights... Then, he heard a hissing sound and looked up.. He said the ceiling of our basement was on fire and the gas line had a hole in it... He got the fire out and that is when he walked upstairs and got us out...

We later found out all the details.. Lightning struck our house and hit the gas-line in two places and then caught out house on fire... We had several people working on our house the next day and no one could figure out why our house did not blow up!!! I knew why...

We had this one particular guy that was there ALL DAY, poor thing... We found out that he was a Christian, and that he was leaving in two weeks to go on a missions trip... I thought it was neat that the Lord placed a Christian in our house that we got to fellowship with the whole day... And, his name was Joel... I love what words mean, so I looked up the meaning of Joel's name. It means: "The Lord is God." Amen to that!!

The Lord kept us again... People may think that I don't doubt, but I still get afraid, and do doubt.. Trust is a big issue for me... Maybe that is why I want to do Testimony Tuesday, to remind myself, that He is faithful, and I can trust Him... Even in the storms and trials...

I would love to hear your testimonies!

I hope you have a blessed day!

May you increase to thousands upon thousands and may you and your descendants posses the gates of your enemies!

Francis Frangipane:"Shout Grace!"

2008-12-25T19:13:00.001-05:00

We sing Amazing Grace, but I don't think we realize how amazing grace actually is. Grace is God's power, motivated by His mercy, working to fulfill His compassion.

We are saved by grace, but what culminates in a "day of salvation" experience is actually months and even years of God quietly, yet powerfully, working in our hearts. Recall: Jesus said, "No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him" (John 6:44a). Do you remember that drawing power? Before we knew God, divine power was working invisibly within our hearts, drawing and wooing us to Christ.

Yet let me take this miracle of grace further, for after Jesus spoke of the Father's drawing power, He then said, "and I will raise him up on the last day" (John 6:44b). This is the power and commitment of our Father's love: from the days of our sin and rebellion even to the days long after we die, grace continues working to unite our hearts with God's. From our utterly helpless beginnings to our utterly helpless end, from being dead in sin to being dead in the grave, grace carries us to the arms of God.

Unlocking the Power of Grace

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus, in order that, in the ages to come, He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:4-8).

Paul says that grace saved us "through faith." Faith unlocks the power of grace and releases it to function in our world-and faith itself is another gift of God. The difference between both gifts is, the grace-gift must be activated by the faith-gift. We must believe that God is "rich in mercy." We must accept as true that God loves us with "great love." We must not doubt He atoned for "our transgressions." We must be confident we are "alive together with Christ."

Grace works through faith. Believing the words of grace unlocks the power of grace; the power of grace to fully transform us comes through faith. As it is written, "For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace" (John 1:16). The true stride of a Christian's walk is "grace upon grace." The same grace that turned our hearts toward Christ continues to work in us, transforming even our sufferings and trials into virtue and power.

Are you in a battle? Are you struggling with finances, health, righteousness or relationships? Your grace-miracle has already been created. But you must believe that not only has God created a grace-provision for you, but Christ is motivated by love and actually desires to show you favor.

You may feel like a loser, a sinner, a person others routinely reject - and perhaps you are! The purpose of redemption was so that, in the ages to come, God might display through us "the surpassing riches of His grace." You may be poor in this world, but you can become rich in the transforming grace of God. Believe Him. A day will come in the future world of God when He will point to you and I, once fallen and depraved, filthy and isolated creatures, and display us before Heaven and Earth as radiant, transformed beings - a glory to His workmanship and love. And it will come to pass because we believed in the grace of God to change us.

Who cares what other people think of you? God says He loves you! Indeed, His grace is working to set you free. God knows you have been struggling with desperate issues; that's one reason why He has inspired this message. His grace is reaching to you to deliver you. The means to your victory is not more prayer or more Bible study, but faith-activated grace. Of course, I strongly believe in both prayer and study, but the power to release each of us is a free gift of grace. Don't postpone your breakthrough. Believe that God's grace is here to release you!

What We Cannot Do On Our Own

We've been taught that grace is God's unmerited favor, which of course, it is. Yet unmerited favor is only one aspect of grace. In reality, grace is God's promise to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.

The Bible says that "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness" (Romans 4:3). It doesn't mean that Abraham believed there was a God. No. demons believe in one God and tremble! When Abraham "believed God" it meant that he believed what God had promised would come to pass. God promised to do for Abraham what Abraham and Sarah could not fulfill on their own.

The Lord had promised Abraham he'd be a father of many nations. This is the glory of God's grace: it accomplishes what is otherwise impossible for us. You see, grace not only chooses me, saves me eternally and blankets my life with mercy, but grace also works in me realities unattainable without divine help.

Consider Zechariah and the story about Zerubbabel, who was governor of Israel. The Jews had been held in Babylonian captivity for seventy years. Now, they were being restored to Jerusalem. It was Zerubbabel's task to oversee the restoration of the city. In the struggle of the battle, weariness settled on the governor. So, the Lord gave Zechariah a promise for Zerubbabel. He said,

"'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the Lord of hosts" (Zechariah 4:6).

God was saying, in effect, "You have labored, your enemies are many and they are strong, but this work I've set before you isn't about your abilities; it's about what I can do working through you." Likewise, our salvation isn't about our works or power. It's about believing in the Holy Spirit's power and the grace of God.

Then the Lord gave Zerubbabel an important word. He said,

"What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain; and he will bring forth the top stone with shouts of 'Grace, grace to it!'" (Zechariah 4:7).

Zerubbabel had mountains in his life that were too much for him. He had a task that was beyond his abilities. Yet God promised His Spirit would help, and when it was done, multitudes would be shouting "Grace, grace" at the finished work.

Listen, my friends, don't run from the mountains in your life; face them with faith - and then shout "Grace, grace" to them. Let God make your mountains into "a plain."

Let's not mutter an unbelieving whisper about grace, but shout it out loud. It doesn't say, think about grace, but release your faith and shout, "Grace, grace!" God's unmerited favor has been poured out upon you. Now speak to that mountain of discouragement, sickness or financial need - GRACE, GRACE!

Let's Pray: Blessed God, You have drawn me to Yourself and have sheltered my life in the impenetrable stronghold of Your grace. Forgive me for drifting back into trusting in my works or abilities. Lord, I believe in Your grace! I shout "Grace, grace!" to the mountains that stand before me! In Jesus' name!

Francis Frangipane
Ministries of Francis Frangipane

~Testimony Tuesday~

2008-12-23T10:24:00.007-05:00

When the Lord saved and delivered me one of the things that was placed on my heart was tithing... I really did not know that much about it, but started making it a habit..

I feel like the Lord placed that on my heart even before I had a job..

Literally right after the Lord saved and delivered me, a friend of mine called and told me about a job that was about to become open... I didn't even tell anyone I needed a job. I really was not talking to anyone at that time... This is like a week after the Lord delivered me, so I am sure that everyone thought this was temporary...

So, I get a job that I am not qualified for, making more money than I have ever made... In that first week, I moved back in with my parents. I was suppose to be saving money so that I could get back on my feet again.... I only worked part-time, so right off the top came my tithe, then I payed for child-care which was very expensive, my car payment, gas, etc. After paying all that, there was not much left over...

My parents bought a house in the Hill Country and put their house on the market, and they said that I could live there until it sold... Without going into all the details a situation arouse that would have not been good for my boys and I to be in or around... So, I knew I needed to move out soon.. The problem was: #1: I only had $200 saved and #2: I had horrible credit. I knew that someone else was going to be moving in to my parents home by the weekend, and live there with us until the house sold.

I was driving to work and talking to the Lord and crying... I said: "Lord, I have no money to move out, and my credit is horrible.. I can't imagine that You want the boys to be in a situation like this, when that is just what You got us out of... I need You to be my Husband, and help the boys and I."

I get to work and my boss wants to have a meeting... He tells me that he thinks that he would like to move his office out to Richmond, and was asking me where I was going to be living.. I told him that I did not know, but that I needed to figure that out soon... He said that he and his wife owned two homes out in Pecan Grove, and one of them had been vacant for about a year and a half... He knew I was a single-mom and that I was living with my parents... He said that I could move into their extra house out there, and live there the first six months for free!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was sooooo shocked!!! I did not say anything to my boss, and the Lord took care of it!

We moved out the weekend the other people were moving in... We did not even stay there one night in the same house...

HE is never late..

I would love to hear your testimonies!

~Testimony Tuesday~

2008-12-16T09:24:00.006-05:00

I wanted to start sharing the different ways the Lord has made Himself known to me and share my testimonies... I love all of them, but I will start with this one!

A couple days after Christmas we went to Texas to visit family and friends. One morning I woke up (at Shannon's house) with Jeremiah 33:3 in my brain. I did not know what it said... It says: Call upon Me, and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things you do not know... I thought that was really cool!

Fastforward to April 2008. Shannon came in to visit for a week and we decided to start out our visit in Chicago.. So, we went to Chicago the day after she got here.. We were all excited, and then I got a phone call on the way there that really confused and upset me. It made me question some things... I literally questioned the Lord about something that He had delivered me from, and I could not imagine that He was saying that it was ok now.. Besides, it is part of my testimony and what HE has done.. When we first drove into Chicago there was this building that someone had painted scripture real big on. It said: For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23..

Not that I needed a sign, but that totally confirmed what I already knew in my heart... PLUS 6-23 is the day that the Lord delivered me...

Unfortunately, I thought about this phone conversation the whole time and was very sad and scared about what might be up ahead on our path in life, in my home...

I did not sleep well and I woke up early the next morning and went in to take a bath and cry, I did not want Shannon to hear me... I was crying out to the Lord to please speak to me, and that I needed some answers..

We left later that morning and were headed back to Indiana..

In all the places in the world we could have been, this car pulls up right next to us...

Shannon and I looked at each other because we could not believe it! She said: Well, there is your answer girl...

God, does not HAVE TO do what HE does, but HE still does sometimes... Sometimes, HE is so right in your face... Did everything just get fixed right then? No, but He was letting me know that HE was right there and KNOWS everything that is going on and for me to call upon HIM...

I am so excited about this, and I can't wait until next Tuesday...

PLEASE, share your testimonies of how the Lord makes Himself known to you... I would love to hear it!

~Tighty Whities ~

2008-12-14T14:06:00.009-05:00

I love it when kids get their words mixed up!!! It can be HILARIOUS!!! For example Drake used to say: Our-chuther instead of each other... This weekend he did it again with another word, and it was tooooo funny!!!!!

Friday night we had a full house... Drake had a friend stay over and Grandma stayed over too...

Drake and his friend were cleaning up his room so we could get them ready for bed, and I was in Trent's room getting the bed ready for Grandma.

I could hear the boys talking in the other room. I hear Drake tell his friend: "I don't wear white-n-tighties, some 8 year olds do, but I don't." (cracked me up!)

Starting Next Week: "Testimony Tuesday!"

2008-12-10T15:17:00.004-05:00

I have seen several blogs that do "Thankful Thursday"... I think that is a neat idea!

I was sharing with my mother-n-law different ways that the Lord shows up in my life and makes Himself known to me...

It does something when we testify about Him, and it builds my faith up when I share.. So, I thought that I would like to start "Testimony Tuesday" :-) I would just like to share a story each Tuesday about how the Lord has shown up in my life and let me know that He was right there, even in the times when I could not "feel" His presence...

I would love to hear other testimonies as well!!

Revelation 12:11a:

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony

Am I Like: The Priest, The Levite or The Samaritan?

2008-12-09T07:32:00.007-05:00

The Sunday before I went to Texas, I stayed home instead of going to church.. I was flipping back and forth between two Christian channels, and on one heard a Pastor mention the Good Samaritan... I don't really know what else he said, because I started thinking about the story, and proceeded to look it up. (Luke 10:25-37)

Anyway - I have been praying and asking the Lord to show me some things, and as I read this and looked some things up on the internet, I just saw the story in a different light... I am sure that other people have seen it this way too, but the ligth bulb went off for me, for the first time regarding this story..

If you have not read the story it is this:

Luke 10:25-37
The Parable of the Good Samaritan
25On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
26"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"

27He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'[a]; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[b]"

28"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."

29But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

30In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35The next day he took out two silver coins[c] and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'

36"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"

37The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."
Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

What caught my attention was that TWO men of God: a priest, and a Levite passed him by..

Notes:(Levites are the descendants of Levi, one of the Tribes Of Israel, the Children Of Jacob (Genesis 29:34). The term is generally used, from the perspective of The Bible, to identify the part of the tribe that was set apart for the secondary duties of the sanctuary service (1 Kings 8:4, Ezra 2:70), as assistants to the priests, who were also Levites. Although all priests were Levites, not all Levites were priests.)

I know not all Levites were priests but I believe that both men in the story ( a parable, that Jesus made up) were men of God, otherwise why wouldn't HE say another tribe or person? I think He is making a point here..

The priest, a man of God, passed him by.
The Levite, a man of God, set apart for the secondary duties of the sanctuary service, as assistants to the priests, passed him by...

A little history from my bible in 2 Kings: The king of Assyria imported foreign captives to inhabit the "towns of Samaria" in order to destory any remaining nationalism. Intermarriage between Israelites not taken to Assyria and foreginers brought to the land of Israel produced people called the "Samaritans." The result was mixture of foreign religious and cultural traditions with Hebrew customs and faith. (They were pagans..)

I think it is interesting that the Lord uses someone that is a pagan, not a religious person in the church to help this person, who is in desperate need... The Samaritan goes to him and helps him in his need.. It does not say he preached to him, or anything like that, he just had compassion and helped his immediate need, and told the person that he took him to, that he would cover any other needs that may come up..

(I read these notes from my Bible today:)
This parable emphasizes that inherent in true saving faith and obedience is compassion for those in need. The call to love God is a call to love others. The new life and grace that Christ gives to those who accept Him will produce love, mercy and compassion for thise who are distressed and afflicted. It is the responsibility of all believers to act on the Holy Spirit's love within them and not to harden their hearts by being insensitive to the suffering and needs of others. Our neighbors are those who we need us when it is in our power to help them..

I think sometimes, I want to try and fix whatever is wrong.. I am thinking: "Hey, the answer is Jesus", but sometimes, I think He just wants me to keep my mouth shut and LOVE THEM, and help HEAL THEIR WOUNDS, and help with IMMEDIATE NEEDS... Be a listening ear and shoulder to cry on and keep my "Religion to myself".... Be... Not do and fix... That is His job, not mine...

I swear, I sound spiritually bi polar on my blog... But, I am learning, what can I say... I don't have all the anwers, but I know one of the main answers is to love them like Jesus...

~MY RESIGNATION~

2008-12-08T10:47:00.020-05:00

This is my official "Resignation Letter" to whom it may concern...

I have served this position faithfully for the last 10 years... I stumbled upon this position, and quickly rose to the top... I have served this position with tenacity, hard work, long hours, and great effort, all on my own... I take full credit and will not let anyone share it with me, because I have needed no one other than myself to maintain this position..

But, after 10 years of serving this position faithfully, and after much reflection, I have decided that there are many others who could and want to serve this position and some even better than I. So, it is time for me to step down...

It is time for me to choose a position that is more humble and less seen by the world... I have been called to something else...

Today, December 8, 2008, I, Tracy K. Roberts, am stepping down from the position of:
President of the Land of Whiners and Complainers.

I no longer want to be in this position, I leave it to the media, and who ever else wants to be negative, whine and complain... (I am not talking about true, hurtful, desperate places that we all come to in our lives, i.e. the valleys..) I am just talking about being aware of what is in my heart and mind and what comes out of my mouth...

Philippians 4:4-8

4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. 6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. 8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

You may ask why I have this down for all to see, my answer is:

Habakkuk 2: 2-3 Write the vision, and make it plain upon tablets, that he may run that readeth it. 3For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

Though this new position is not a highly visible one, I feel called and compelled to answer the call. This position, I can't do on my own.. It calls for my death (daily), and I will need all the help I can get.... I have been on the throne of my heart too long, and I am stepping down...

Here is a poem I found: (I do not know who wrote it..)

When you are forgotten, or neglected,
or purposely set at naught, and you
don't sting or hurt with the insult or
the oversight, but your heart is happy,
being counted worthy to suffer for YAHSHUA,
THAT IS DYING TO SELF.

When your good is evil spoken of,
when your wishes are misunderstood
your advise disregarded, your opinions
ridiculed, and you refuse to let anger
rise in your heart, or even defend
yourself, but take it all in patient, loving silence,
THAT IS DYING TO SELF.

When you lovingly and patiently bear
any disorder, any irregularity, any
unpunctuality, or any annoyance; when
you stand face to face with waste, folly,
extravagance, spiritual insensibility-
and endure it as YAHSHUA endured,
THAT IS DYING TO SELF.

When you are content with any food,
any offering, any climate, any society,
any raiment, any interruption
by the will of YAHWEH,
THAT IS DYING TO SELF.

When you never care to refer to your-
self in conversation, or to record your
own good works, or itch after commendations,
when you can truly love to be unknown,
THAT IS DYING TO SELF.

When you can see your brother prosper
and have his needs met and can honestly
rejoice with him in spirit and feel no envy,
nor question YAHWEH while your own
needs are greater and in desperate circumstances,
THAT IS DYING TO SELF.

When you can receive correction and
reproof from one of less stature than your-
self and can humbly submit inwardly as
well as outwardly, finding no rebellion
or resentment rising up within your heart,
THAT IS DYING TO SELF.

Are you dead yet?
In these last days, the Spirit would bring us
to the stake "That I may know HIM, and the
power of HIS resurrection, and the fellowship
of HIS sufferings, being made conformable
unto HIS death."Philippians 3:10

P.S. I know someone from: "The Land of Never Takes Anything Seriously", that will be dancing and leaping and shouting for joy because of this.. ;-) (You know who you are..)

I laughed a lot while writing this!!

Thansgiving Day 5K Turkey Dash ~ Katy, Texas

2008-12-04T09:03:00.010-05:00

Thanksgiving Day: Kellie, Trent and I ran the Turkey Dash 5K in Katy, Texas! WOO HOO!! That was so much fun and exciting!!! I loved running with them! We had a blast!! (Y'ALL DID AWESOME!!)

I started training for it about 8 wks. before the race, and only trained up to 2 miles, so I was not sure if I would be able to run the whole way... But, when we got there we prayed and asked the Lord to be with us and help us..

I was so nervous because I did not know what to expect, because I had never run a race before... At first Trent (my 13yr. old) was going to run at the front of the group, but then he came back there to run with us.. (We were almost at the very end of the group..)

Anyway - we started running, and I wanted to video a little with my phone, so Trent helped me with that and I captured a little of our run... Then one of my friends from Indiana texted me while we were running.. And guess what, you can text and run at the same time!! (Not very well, but it can be done! hee hee!)

One of my favorite parts of the race was at the half way mark.. They had cups of water for the runners! That was so exciting for many of us first time runners, BECAUSE you got to drink the water they gave you and THROW DOWN the cup like you always see in marathons!! We felt like "for real runners" and wish we had gotten it on film!

My most favorite part was: That Trent and I got to do this together... Trent can run a lot faster than me, but he chose to stay with me the whole time... I told them at the beginning, that I was not trying to win this race, I just wanted to complete it, and my goal was to run the whole time.. So, I ran at a slow and steady pace... For a 13 yr. old competitive boy, that was amazing that he chose to run with me instead of compete! It was amazing!

As we were running one of my shoes came untied!! I was told that I should stop and tie it... I said: "If Lance Bass can dance with one shoe, I can run with my shoe untied!" (I love Dancing with the Stars!) Plus, I just felt like it was a distraction from the enemy to stop or his way of making me take my mind off of my goal! Nope, I kept on running and I prayed too, so the Lord got me through it! Thank You Lord!

It was so very foggy, and as we were getting closer, you could not tell.. We did not know how much farther we had to go, but then..... People were on each side of the street yelling: "Keep going, you don't have much farther!" "It is just right around the corner.." "Good job, don't stop!" They were just very encouraging! They did not even know us, but they stood out there and encouraged us, and we could not even see with our own eyes the end, but they knew and came along side and gave us words of encouragement...

I just started thinking about the Lord and the body of Christ and how we can't always see, but there are others who can, that we may not even know, but somehow they show up on our path and encourage us and cheer us on... Everyone in that race ran/walked it differently... We all had the same goal... Some walk/ran, some ran fast, some slow:), some ran half, and walked the rest.. We even saw one person laying down on the side.. I pray that she is ok...

Everyone runs their "race" differently... Some are slow, some just get it and never seem to struggle, but we all need encouragement and we all need to run together! When I was running with this big group of people it was so much easier than running by myself... I had to fight through thoughts of doubt that I could run the whole way, when I was by myself... When you "run" with others, it makes you feel stronger!

We ran the whole way, we only slowed down to get the water!!! It was awesome!!!

1 Corinthians 9:24-27: 24 Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 26 So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. 27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should.

Funny Story on the Airplane..

2008-12-02T20:35:00.003-05:00

I just got back from 8 days in Texas! It was so much fun getting to see Trent, my mom and friends!!! I miss them so much!

I guess most of my blogs this week will be about my trip... But, I have to tell a funny little story about getting on the plane to go to Texas...

I think EVERYONE knows from Texas to Indiana, to Scotland, to CBN (Christian Broadcasting Network Prayer Line) that: I DO NOT LIKE TO FLY!! I usually stress and fret and CRY a few days leading up to it... Anyway, God is so good and He always brings me through it, and sometimes HE uses humor too... I am starting to think He has more of a sense of humor than I originally thought..

Ok, so I get on the airplane.. There are two seats on one side and one seat on the other (It is a little airplane - Continental Express).. My seat assignment was the seat by itself. I sit down in my seat and then this girl gets on and gets situated in her seat... She gets on her cell while we are waiting and starts talking to someone... I can't help but overhear her funny conversation.

She says to who ever she is talking to, in a very loud voice: "I DON'T KNOW WHAT I AM ON!!! I THINK IT IS A CROP DUSTER AND I NEED A XANAX!!!

Anyway, just thought I would share!!

Have a blessed day! And I will be adding more later!

Spiritual Lessons Learned at the Orthodontist & Beyond...

2008-11-19T09:50:00.015-05:00

Yesterday was a very trying day, but there were some lessons learned...

My youngest son Drake got Braces, an expander and these "mound-thinggys" put on his teeth so that he can't totally bite down...

Anyway - I was in there during most of the 2hr. appointment... They got to the point of putting the wires into the brackets.. They clipped the ends to make it fit, then they burned the ends of the wire... I wondered why they did that, but I did not want to ask, because I was taking pictures of the whole process and did not want them to think I was psyhco.. :) But, right after I thought: "I wonder why they do that", the orthodontist assistant asked me if anyone told me why they did that... I said no.. (Thank You Lord!) She proceeded to tell me that the wire has memory in it, and showed me that you can bend it any way you want, but it goes right back to the way it was.. But, when you put fire to it, it erases the memory and it is more pliable and will do what you want it to... WOW!

It made me think of the Refiner's fire and how the Lord takes us through things or allows things to come into our lives that are trying, but the trial or fire allows what needs to be dealt with to come up... It makes my heart softer, it makes me more pliable in His hands, and causes me to rely on Him and not myself..

1 Peter 1:6-7:So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while. 7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

(Malachi 3:2b-3:)

For he will be like a blazing fire that refines metal, or like a strong soap that bleaches clothes. 3 He will sit like a refiner of silver, burning away the dross. He will purify the Levites, refining them like gold and silver, so that they may once again offer acceptable sacrifices to the Lord.

Then we got home and it was a huge ordeal.. Drake could barely swallow his saliva much less eat or drink... (He is 8 years old so keep that in mind..)

Anyway - We were both in tears plenty of times yesterday and last night... I called everyone I could think of from Indiana to Texas.. And could not find anyone who had all three of these things at once in their mouth..

He was so angry and scared... It was so hard for me, because all I wanted to do was help, and he did not want to listen, he just wanted the stuff out of his mouth and wanted all this to stop! I tried to be helpful and love on him, and I even ended up yelling because he was so freaked out and would not let me help him... (I made everything I could think of for him to eat or drink..)

While we are in the midst of an uproar, I finally tell him that I can't help him until he is ready to listen.. I thought that this is how a parent must feel when their child is hurting and on drugs or alcohol and they are so angry but they don't know what to do with those feelings and they just take it out on the parents... (I have been that child..) Now I am on the other side of the anger, but I am thankful that it is only because of braces and other appliances.. But, I still could not do a thing for him until his strong will let down and he was ready to listen..

I know that I am like that with the Lord when something brings pain into my life.. My will rises up and I fight! I want it to STOP! And, all He is asking me to do is surrender, listen for His still small voice, and BE STILL!

Psalm 46:10a: Be still and know that I Am God;

Even in the hard places He is working out of me or something in me for the glory of His Kingdom..

Thank You Lord! I praise Your Holy name...

YAY!! I am sooo EXCITED!

2008-11-18T08:49:00.003-05:00

I am going to Texas in 6 Days!!! I get to see my baby, my mom and my friends!!!

Being Willing To Listen....

2008-11-17T08:24:00.007-05:00

A warning given by an experienced person to someone willing to listen is more valuable than … jewelry made of the finest gold.” (Proverbs 25:12 TEV)

I guess I am at a new place of learning in my walk... It is so interesting that there are a couple of people that have taken offense to what I have posted on here or facebook... I think they think I am judging... When they KNOW where I came from, and what the Lord has done in my life... I am not judging... I guess the scripture above says it all "SOMEONE WILLING TO LISTEN"...

I asked the Lord if I was not walking in love and was I supposed to keep my mouth shut?... Then I went to my Bible and opened it up to a random page and it opened to Matthew 10..

21-23"When people realize it is the living God you are presenting and not some idol that makes them feel good, they are going to turn on you, even people in your own family. There is a great irony here: proclaiming so much love, experiencing so much hate! But don't quit. Don't cave in. It is all well worth it in the end. It is not success you are after in such times but survival. Be survivors! Before you've run out of options, the Son of Man will have arrived. (Matthew 10:21-23)

26-27"Don't be intimidated. Eventually everything is going to be out in the open, and everyone will know how things really are. So don't hesitate to go public now.
28"Don't be bluffed into silence by the threats of bullies. There's nothing they can do to your soul, your core being. Save your fear for God, who holds your entire life—body and soul—in his hands. (Matthew 10:26-28)

32-33"Stand up for me against world opinion and I'll stand up for you before my Father in heaven. If you turn tail and run, do you think I'll cover for you? (Matthew 32-33)

It would be SOOO MUCH easier NOT TO SAY A THING.. I don't want to be at odds with anyone.. I would love to be friends with everyone and never have one person mad at me.. But, I feel compelled...

(Jeremiah 20:9)
But if I say, "Forget it!
No more God-Messages from me!"
The words are fire in my belly,
a burning in my bones.
I'm worn out trying to hold it in.
I can't do it any longer!

Galatians 1:10 For am I now trying to win the favor of people, or God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ.

The Lord saved and delivered me from SO MUCH... I did HORRIBLE VILE things, and HE still had mercy on me, when I deserved NOTHING... I tremble at the thought of the times I could have died, but somehow HE did not let that happen.. I would have died without Him.. For all eternity... That is what I think about when I post most things... Someone dying without Him for all eternity.. It is not because I don't want someone to be happy, or that I don't accept them... (I like my quite life, I don't need drama..) But, it is not about me, is it?

Ezek. 3:10-11 Then he said, "Son of man, get all these words that I'm giving you inside you. Listen to them obediently. Make them your own. And now go. Go to the exiles, your people, and speak. Tell them, 'This is the Message of God, the Master.' Speak your piece, whether they listen or not."

Ezek. 3:17-19Whenever you hear me say something, warn them for me. If I say to the wicked, 'You are going to die,' and you don't sound the alarm warning them that it's a matter of life or death, they will die and it will be your fault. I'll hold you responsible. But if you warn the wicked and they keep right on sinning anyway, they'll most certainly die for their sin, but you won't die. You'll have saved your life.

Ezek. 3: 20-21 "And if the righteous turn back from living righteously and take up with evil when I step in and put them in a hard place, they'll die. If you haven't warned them, they'll die because of their sins, and none of the right things they've done will count for anything—and I'll hold you responsible. But if you warn these righteous people not to sin and they listen to you, they'll live because they took the warning—and again, you'll have saved your life."

Let The Church Be The Church by James Robison

2008-11-16T13:59:00.004-05:00

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you;and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judeaand Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8)

People often ask questions when difficult circumstances overcome our world. With the crumbling economy, multiple wars and new direction in political leadership, Christians must understand the proper role of the church to impact our world.

Though Christians can and should be involved in the political process, the church was never meant to be a partisan power base. Our role transcends earthly structures. We are to lift up the light of the world, Jesus Christ, not the hatchet of the political party. When the church attempts to play the role of the government, it tends to corrupt one or both of the institutions. Even Israel failed as a theocracy. Modern theocratic regimes are actually controlled by mullahs and similar men who claim the divine mantle, but frequently abuse it for personal gain. Likewise, when the government attempts to supplant the role of the church, it becomes a perverse imitation of the real thing, mocking prosperity, peace and the principles of God.

For example, the Christian concept of charity involves a sacrificial giving in order to help meet the needs of someone else. But when the government forces you to take what you’ve earned and give it to the poor, it is vastly different. God loves a cheerful giver, not a cheerful taxer! Without a connection of love and concern between the giver and the recipient, the meaning of charity is lost. Instead, it is man’s counterfeit, which we call socialism. The church must demonstrate to the world how God’s principles work, so that they can witness the power of His ways.

Christians should seek to penetrate society, not polarize it. There will be a level of polarization when we stand up for what we believe those who were not “for” Jesus were “against” him and crucified Him for it but if you receive the love that Jesus offers, your life has the power to transform the world. Light penetrates darkness. When the church is a light, it dispels darkness. Changed people change the world, so we must first allow God’s light to drive the darkness out of our own lives before we can shine His love into the lives of those around us.

Our country will only change when the people change. Government does not legislate morality so much as it reflects the morality of the people. Right now, our government desperately needs change. So does the media, Wall Street, Hollywood and everywhere in between. But practices and policies will only change when people change. That is the role of the church.

I am not suggesting that Christians stay out of political matters, but understand that politics are meaningless without a transformation of the heart, mind and spirit. We can make every form of abortion illegal, but it won’t go away until every pregnant woman values the life of her child. Government focuses on people’s actions, but God focuses on people’s hearts. In the same way, the church should move beyond legislating people’s actions and strive to transform their hearts and inspire them to respect and value all life.

The model for the modern church is found in the book of Acts. When Jesus appeared after his death and resurrection, he appeared to His followers in Jerusalem. They asked, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"

Isn’t this typical of people in the church? After everything they had heard and seen, they wanted Jesus to set up an earthly kingdom. If Jesus lived in the flesh today, we’d probably want Him to run for president! But we could have a perfect president and as long as we still have rotten, rebellious people, we will have problems. Jesus’ purpose was and is beyond such earthly things. Instead, he told them to wait until the Holy Spirit empowered them so that they could be witnesses all over the world. They wanted to conquer Jerusalem with force, but Jesus wants to envelop the earth with love, joy and peace.

This is still His desire. Our world will never be perfect until He comes, but he can perfect His will in our individual lives, if we will allow it. So ask the Holy Spirit to empower you to care about others, reach out, be involved and pray…in essence, be the church.

This Week

Be the church. Set aside political battles and engage in spiritual warfare. Focus not on others, but on yourself. A light does not have to be forced to shine; simply allow yourself to be filled with God’s light, then release it.

Prayer

“Father, fill me with your spirit so that I can be your witness on this earth.”

AM I READY?

2008-11-14T09:00:00.017-05:00

ACTS 21:13

12-13When we heard that, we and everyone there that day begged Paul not to be stubborn and persist in going to Jerusalem. But Paul wouldn't budge: "Why all this hysteria? Why do you insist on making a scene and making it even harder for me? You're looking at this backward. The issue in Jerusalem is not what they do to me, whether arrest or murder, but what the Master Jesus does through my obedience. Can't you see that?"

I have to admit, I do not think that I am there yet... I wonder if you asked God, if HE could make this the cry of your heart? I wonder if that is a prayer that He answers or if there is something that I need to do about it..?

I think that it is going to start being harder to be a Christian.. I am not freaking out, I just want to be ready and stand my ground, in love..

I was talking to the Lord yesterday about all this, because I was thinking about how people were going to some churches in New York and protesting... And how they actually went into a church and were shouting and spewing foul language from the pulpit at the people.. There will be another protest on Saturday.. I pray that the scales FALL FROM THEIR EYES, in Jesus' name, and a hedge of protection over the churches that they go to...

So, I was talking to Him about the possibility of going to prison one day for standing for what I believe... If that happened, I could not see my kids, or husband for who knows how long... It is a sobering thought.. I don't think WE are there yet, but it is a very real possibility... Am I ready? I don't know, but I pray that the Lord does a mighty work in my heart, so that if that is what it came to, I could count it all joy..

2 Corinthians 12:10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong...

I like the Message's translations of Acts 5:41:

That convinced them. They called the apostles back in. After giving them a thorough whipping, they warned them not to speak in Jesus' name and sent them off. The apostles went out of the High Council overjoyed because they had been given the honor of being dishonored on account of the Name. Every day they were in the Temple and homes, teaching and preaching Christ Jesus, not letting up for a minute.

Have a blessed day!

~MY NEW PAGE~

2008-11-13T15:33:00.007-05:00

Just FYI: I have another blog page that I just started.. It is http://histreasuretrove.blogspot.com/

I find the neatest stuff on my treasure hunts... So, I hope you like it and ENJOY!

Thessalonians 4:9 (MSG)

2008-11-13T07:50:00.001-05:00

Regarding life together and getting along with each other, you don’t need me to tell you what to do. You’re God-taught in these matters. Just love one another! 1

Rebuilding Racial Bridges in a Divided Church

2008-11-13T07:43:00.002-05:00

THIS IS AN ARTICLE WRITTEN BY J. LEE GRADY

Now that the historic 2008 election is over, we need to get busy with the work of reconciliation.

During the seemingly endless 2008 presidential campaign, scalding rhetoric spewed like hydrochloric acid from both sides. The harsh words from both Republicans and Democrats were often vicious. Hillary Clinton attacked Barack Obama. John McCain took shots at Clinton. Everybody and their grandmother went after George W. Bush.

After the party conventions the media declared open season on Sarah Palin while McCain accused Obama of being a celebrity without leadership skills. That prompted Paris Hilton to describe McCain as “that wrinkly, white-haired guy.” Obama, meanwhile, criticized rural voters for clinging to guns and religion. The mudslinging got nasty.

I’m still sore—and almost deaf—from the noisy political ruckus we witnessed this year. Sometimes the constant shouting matches between pundits on Fox News and CNN forced me to turn off the television—especially when Joy Behar of The View suggested that McCain might suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. I’ll admit that woman put me over the edge a few times.

"I am concerned that an ugly breach has occurred within the evangelical church. This divisive election took its toll on us."

Because I voiced my opinions during the campaign, some people got mad at me too. Some called me a racist because I raised questions about Obama’s views on moral issues. Others condemned me to hell because I applauded Palin’s faith.

Thankfully the contest is over. The national mood became more civil after the votes were counted. Obama became our 44th president and delivered a historic speech in Chicago that moved our nation to tears—especially civil rights leaders who never thought they’d live to see this day. McCain was humble in his concession speech and President Bush was a true Texas gentleman when he offered Obama and his wife a tour of the White House a few days later.

We can all be proud, not only that our country has put a person of color in the White House but also that the transition of power from one leader to another was this peaceful.

The verbal bombings have stopped, at least for now. All of us, in both red states and blue, have calmed down a bit and are looking for some common ground. More people are smiling on the evening news shows, partly because they are actually getting some sleep.

But I am concerned that an ugly breach has occurred within the evangelical church. This divisive election took its toll on us. Bridges that had been built between racial groups are in shambles. They collapsed under the strain of this election.

We are like good friends who stopped speaking to each other after a heated argument. Communication is strained. Grudges are festering. We don’t understand each other. We viewed this election through different lenses.

Many African-American Christians saw Barack Obama’s candidacy as a chance to right the racial wrongs of the past. They felt his victory on Nov. 4 was a direct fulfillment of the dream Martin Luther King Jr. proclaimed 45 years ago. And they believe that his commitment to help the poor is an embodiment of Christian principles of justice.

Many white evangelicals, on the other hand, couldn’t embrace Obama because of their commitment to a pro-life agenda. They feared that Obama would appoint pro-abortion justices to the Supreme Court and actively push for gay marriage. They also worried that Obama’s ties to a liberal Democratic agenda might invite terrorism or encourage socialist economic policies.

What do we do now? Do black Christians gloat while white conservatives lick their wounds? Do we just keep our distance? Do we keep Sunday morning segregated?

The Bible is clear that God does not encourage sulking or segregation. He calls those who are offended to go to their brothers and make things right. He expects us to work out our differences with sensitivity and mutual understanding. He has given us “the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:18, NASB).

He commands us in Matthew 5:23-24: "Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering” (NASB).

Reconciliation is intentional. We don’t wait for the offended party to come to us—we go to them. Right now there are serious offenses on both sides of this political rift. The temptation is to justify our own positions. We say to ourselves, “I’m right; he’s wrong—this is his fault and I am waiting for him to apologize.”

But God is not concerned about who had the right political opinion. His burden is for our reconciliation. If we allow racial or political walls to divide us, then all of us are grieving the Holy Spirit.

I am begging black, white and Hispanic leaders today: Let’s come to the table. Let’s be more intentional than ever before about understanding each other, walking in each other’s shoes and enjoying true fellowship. Let’s resist the spirit of offense. This could be our greatest hour if we will link arms, wash feet, share our hearts, worship together and pray in unity.

J. Lee Grady is editor of Charisma.

Kid's Say The Funniest Things..

2008-11-11T09:00:00.009-05:00

Last night Drake-ster and I were just hanging out together and talking... I mentioned to him that Fletcher (our male cat) was going to have surgery today... He asked me what for, and I said, "So he does not get a Mama cat pregnant..

His eyes got big and he said, "FLETCHER IS GETTING MARRIED?!?"...

Oh my gosh, he cracks me up!!!!

Do You Have Anyone Asking You The Tough Questions?

2008-11-07T07:34:00.017-05:00

I have been struggling over the past few days...

After Obama won, my thoughts went to someone in my family that was so passionate that he win... Because they have a certain way that they want to live, and McCain/Palin were against it..

I e-mailed this person asking: "When you get everything you think you want from this: is it going to fill that empty place inside of you? Will it heal the hurts that really only you and the Lord know the truth about?"

I also asked: "What about everything that you learned about the Lord? What about the prayer of Salvation?" (That they prayed).... I said that I was not judging, and I am not... I live in a glass house too, and am not perfect... IT IS ONLY BY HIS BLOOD..

But, I don't think anyone has asked those questions to this person... Because, we don't want to offend anyone? WELL, OFFEND ME PLEASE! Ask me the tough questions... Speak the truth to me please, if you see me going down the wrong path! Don't coddle me and hold my hand all the way to Hell...

I wish I did have a mentor who asked me the tough questions.. Eye to eye, knee to knee, straight talk because they love the Lord and they love me... That is TRUE love... Reconciliation..

When I was going through my rebellion, living however I wanted to live because I was so hurt, and acted as if: "The world owes me!" I was just patted on the back and told: "It is ok.." It is? To live like that? And destroy my life and whoever was around me? I don't agree...

Healing is a process, (it has been a long process for me in some ways) and Jesus had compassion of everyone, but HE still spoke the Truth to them...

Are we coming to a place that we will get in trouble for speaking the Truth now...?

Proverbs 27:6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

I am adding more to this post b/c after I wrote this, I checked my email and found this daily devotional... It is good! Please feel free to answer the questions at the bottom! I would love to glean any wisdom that I can from you! Have a blessed day!

Who’s Advising You? by Rick Warren
Counsel in the heart of man is like water in a deep well, but a man of understanding draws it out. Proverbs 20:5 (AMP)
*** *** *** ***
We all need mentors – people who personally coach us in our walk with God.

When I am with a mentor, I ask questions. Asking questions adds to the quality of your life: “Counsel in the heart of man is like water in a deep well, but a man of understanding draws it out” (Proverbs 20:5 AMP).

Every person has a reservoir of knowledge, skills, and experience to share and you’re wise if you learn to draw them out.

In fact, you don’t have to limit asking questions to just a single mentor who you meet with on a regular basis. You can meet a “mentor” anywhere.

My suggestions is to keep a 3x5 card with you that has a list of standard questions you can ask whenever you meet someone you can learn from; you then pull out your card and ask questions like:

· How do you handle stress?

· What have been the greatest successes in your life?

· What do you think contributed to that success?

· What did you learn from the greatest failure of your life?

· What would you do differently if you could start over?

· What kind of books do you read?

· How do you manage your time?

· How do you manage your money?

· What have been the greatest lessons you’ve learned?

· What have been the greatest surprises in your life?

JEREMIAH 22:3

2008-11-07T07:23:00.002-05:00

This is what the Lord says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the alien, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place.

TEN WAYS TO PRAY FOR BARACK OBAMA

2008-11-05T17:44:00.006-05:00

10 Ways to Pray for Barack Obama
(Written by J. Lee Grady)

Whether you are happy about this week’s election results or not, all Christians must unite in prayer for our new president. Please don’t forsake this responsibility.

It’s over. We’ve reached the end of the longest, angriest and most nerve-wracking presidential campaign in American history. Finally the “I approved this message” ads have ceased. The endless robot phone calls have stopped ringing. The debates, and the annoying post-debate comments from “experts,” are history—until the next election cycle.

More than half the nation is celebrating today while others are mourning. We are a divided nation, split into unhappy fragments by abortion, gay marriage, global warming, a failed economy and an unpopular war. Those who voted for Barack Obama have claimed a historic victory; some on McCain’s side are already looking for scapegoats. Politics is politics.

But when I got up this morning, I turned all my attention to the fact that Jesus Christ is still on the throne. His government is what is most important. Regardless of who sits in the Oval Office, the Bible says “the nations are like a drop from a bucket” to God (Is. 40:15, NASB). That includes the United States. We may boast about being “the greatest nation on earth,” but He who sits in heaven has a different perspective. Let’s take a big sigh of relief now and remember that God is sovereign.

"But when I got up this morning, I turned all my attention to the fact that Jesus Christ is still on the throne. His government is what is most important."

I’ll admit this election did not turn out as I had hoped. I supported McCain primarily because I am pro-life and I prefer his small-government mindset. But now that the election is over, I’m not going to harbor bitterness toward Obama supporters or go into attack mode. Obama has been elected president of this country, and that means I have a biblical responsibility to support him in prayer—even if I challenge his policies.

Whether you voted for Obama or not, you need to pray for him. Here are 10 ways I plan to intercede for him regularly:

1. Pray for Obama’s protection. We already know that some weird, neo-Nazi fanatics in Tennessee plotted to kill Sen. Obama during his campaign. Let’s pray that racist hatred is not allowed to spread. Let’s cancel every assassin’s bullet in the name of Jesus. May civility triumph over bigotry.

2. Cover his wife and daughters in prayer. It is not easy to live under constant media scrutiny. Pray for Obama’s wife, Michelle, and their two daughters, Malia and Natasha, as they face invasive cameras, nosy reporters, maniacal fans and dangerous enemies. Obama is not only a politician but also a husband and a father.

3. Pray that Obama will govern with God’s wisdom. God rewarded Solomon because he asked for wisdom instead of wealth, long life or vengeance on his enemies (see 1 Kings 3:11-12). Pray that Obama will order his priorities like that. Despite Solomon’s tragic character flaws, his legacy was wisdom. We can ask God to give our president the same grace.

4. Ask God to keep our president humble. Many great American leaders became corrupt after they moved to Washington. The fatal attraction of fame, wealth and power proved irresistible. The only thing that will guard a man or woman from this pitfall is humility. May God deliver President Obama from the curse of pride.

5. Pray for wise and righteous advisers to surround him. Godly leaders cannot do their job alone. Even the best leaders have failed because they trusted the wrong people. Pray that Obama will not select his counselors based on party, race, pedigree or political cronyism but on godly character and proven wisdom. Pray also that he will not allow secret traitors into his inner circle.

6. Ask for the spirit of reconciliation. Some segments of our deeply divided society want nothing to do with Obama now that he has won the presidency. Even some Christians will be tempted to harbor resentment and nurse political grudges throughout his term in office. Pray that God will grant forgiveness and healing so that leaders on all political levels can have constructive dialogue.

7. Pray that Obama will adopt pro-life convictions. Many politicians have changed their views on key issues while in office. In the 1800s some leaders who favored slavery later denounced it. In the 1950s some who opposed racial integration later became champions of it. Even though Obama won approval from many voters because he sanctions abortion, God could soften and change his heart.

8. Bind all evil forces assigned to manipulate our president. The specter of Islamic terrorism looms over the United States, and dark forces are ready to infiltrate. Our only hope lies in prayer to the God who is able to expose and outwit the schemes of the wicked. This is truly a time for spiritual warfare, and intercessors must not come off the wall in this hour! Pray that no foreign government, terrorist organization or demonic principality will use Obama as a tool. We must stand strong against the spirit of antichrist that promotes dictatorship, persecution of Christians and hostility toward Israel.

9. Pray that Obama’s door will remain open to the church. The loudest voices of secular culture—from Bill Maher in Hollywood to atheists in academia—would be happy if religion were removed from public life. Pray that Obama, who claims to have a personal faith in Jesus Christ, will unapologetically welcome Christian leaders into his company and seek their counsel. And pray that false religious leaders (who claim to know Christ but deny His power) will not have his ear.

10. Pray that our nation will enjoy God’s peace and blessing during the Obama administration. The apostle Paul instructed early believers to pray for all in authority “so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity” (1 Tim. 2:2, NASB). God’s will is for America to experience peace and prosperity so that we can continue to export the gospel to the nations. This must happen whether a Democrat or a Republican is in the White House. As we cry out for God’s mercy on our wayward nation, pray that He will allow us to be a light to the world as we finance global missions, feed and heal the world’s poor and share Christ’s love at home and abroad.

I Don't Like Colds!

2008-10-28T10:27:00.005-04:00

A lot of people have colds, and I just got it... Yuck! They say they are not contagious, but I am not too sure... Anyway - I feel like dodo... So, I am going to curl up in bed with some soup and take a nap...

Have a great day!

ISAIAH 58

2008-10-26T09:38:00.003-04:00

Isaiah 58

True Fasting

1 "Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet.

Declare to my people their rebellion and to the house of Jacob their sins.

2 For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God. They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them.

3 'Why have we fasted,' they say, 'and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?' "Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers.

4 Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high.

5 Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for a man to humble himself? Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed and for lying on sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD ?

6 "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?

7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness [a] will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. "If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.

11 The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

13 "If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD's holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,

14 then you will find your joy in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob." The mouth of the LORD has spoken.

A BUTTERFLY'S STRUGGLE

2008-10-24T09:41:00.001-04:00

A man found a butterfly's cocoon. There was a little hole in the cocoon and so he looked inside. He saw the butterfly's head start to push through the hole, but the hole was too small. The butterfly struggled and struggled to get out, but he couldn't. It was agonizing for him to watch the butterfly's painful struggle of trying to fit his body through the tiny opening. It seemed that the butterfly was trapped.

So the kind man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and carefully enlarged the opening in the cocoon and so the young butterfly came out easily. And the man smiled as he waited for the young butterfly to flutter off into the garden.But the butterfly wasn't happy. He stumbled along on the ground and then fell. He had a swollen body and small, shriveled up wings. The man kept waiting for the butterfly to rise up into the air, but tragically, the delicate butterfly spent its last few days in misery flopping around on the ground. He was never able to fly.

The man was so sad to see the butterfly die this way. The butterfly's wings never unfurled their beauty. The garden missed a beautiful fluttering creature of God's. Many flowers didn't receive the pollinating they needed.

What the man did not realize was that in his haste to release the butterfly from his painful struggle to get out of his cocoon, he had actually stunted his growth process. He thought he was being kind, but he had killed him.

The butterfly's struggle through the small opening was actually God's way of forcing fluid from his body to his wings. Yes, it was painful and tiring for the butterfly to work at freeing himself from the cocoon, but the struggle strengthened its delicate wings for flying.

It's the same for you and I. Growth is painful. There are no shortcuts in the spiritual life. Beautiful dreams from God take flight only through faith and struggle.

2008-10-24T08:15:00.001-04:00

A friend sent this to me through e-mail... I thought it was so good that I wanted to put it in a blog...

I Get To See My BABY!!

2008-10-21T15:46:00.003-04:00

I am so excited! I am going to Texas for Thanksgiving and I get to see my Trent-man!!! He is getting so big... He is 13! Last year when we moved here I saw him every two months... Now, by the time I see him, it will have been 4... That is too long and too much to take! BUT - thank You Lord, we have the funds to go, even among all the braces and everything! The Lord has provided a way...

Thank you Shannon for opening your house to us, and spending your Thanksgiving with us! Mom, thank you for sending spending money for Trent and I! I know we are going to have a blast! And part of that blast is running the Turkey Day run together!!! I hope we get to see Mimi too...

Anyway - I am blessed and just wanted to share! Thank You Lord!

Healthy Does Not Have To Be Expensive...

2008-10-20T20:21:00.007-04:00

I would rather my family eat Organic, but the prices have always been so high... Now, it seems that everything has gone up at the grocery store... So...

Well, I went into the store the other day and the store had a discount section for their meat... Laura's Lean Beef is organic. The ground beef usually sells between $5-$6.00 a pound..

I bought 6 lbs. of the Organic meat the discount section.. I got it for $1.99/lb. HUGE SAVINGS!!

So, the deal is... You go into your store and look at the dates of the organic meats.. When it is getting close to those date (about 2 days out) go in and buy it for the discounted price.. Even if it has the same date on it as the day you go in, all you have to do is cook it that day or freeze it!

You can feed your family healthy food, and it is cheaper than regular meat!

Thank You Lord for wisdom on how and where to spend our money!

Out Of The Mouths Of Babes

2008-10-19T12:34:00.004-04:00

After we left church today, we decided to go get Qudoba.. I love that place! Anyway -

Drakester is in the backseat and he flips open his Bible and starts looking at it.. Just a few minutes later he says: "Mom, is "Palms" (and he said it just like that..) "is "Palms" in the New CONTESTANT and Old?"

OH MY Gosh that was HILARIOUS, but we did not correct him on it because it is just too cute!!

It was not that long ago that he used to say, "ourchother" instead of "each other".... But, someone must have told him, because he does not say it anymore... It was too funny!!

Taking A Break...

2008-10-11T19:25:00.007-04:00

I have decided to take a break from the computer, for about a week... I really need to because I am on this thing soooo much!

It will be interesting to see what all I get done...

I seriously might go through withdraw because I love to check other peoples blogs and my facebook... Please say a prayer! ;-) Just kidding!

Isaiah 30:15 For thus says the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel: "In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.

Have a blessed week!