I Don't Like Colds!

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

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

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.

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!!

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...

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

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...

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!

Paula Deen's Pumpkin Pie

* 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
* 2 cups canned pumpkin, mashed
* 1 cup sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
* 1 cup half-and-half
* 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, optional
* 1 piece pre-made pie dough
* Whipped cream, for topping

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place 1 piece of pre-made pie dough down into a (9-inch) pie pan and press down along the bottom and all sides. Pinch and crimp the edges together to make a pretty pattern. Put the pie shell back into the freezer for 1 hour to firm up. Fit a piece of aluminum foil to cover the inside of the shell completely. Fill the shell up to the edges with pie weights or dried beans (about 2 pounds) and place it in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, remove the foil and pie weights and bake for another 10 minutes or until the crust is dried out and beginning to color.

For the filling, in a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer. Add the pumpkin and beat until combined. Add the sugar and salt, and beat until combined. Add the eggs mixed with the yolks, half-and-half, and melted butter, and beat until combined. Finally, add the vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger, if using, and beat until incorporated.

Pour the filling into the warm prepared pie crust and bake for 50 minutes, or until the center is set. Place the pie on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Cut into slices and top each piece with a generous amount of whipped cream.

I Love This Song!

I love this song!! Trent and I use to sing it all the time when he was little!!! Good Times! I miss my baby!

YAY!!!! By His Grace... I DID IT!

Ok!!!! I prayed again and asked the Lord to please help me to do it.... And.... I ran 2 MILES!!! YAY!!!!!

This just kicked off Week 3 of training... 5 More to go!!!

Thank You Lord!!!!

She can laugh at the days to come... I want to be her!

Is Jesus Enough?

by Lysa TerKeurst

“That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.”
2 Timothy 1:12 (NIV)

Devotion:

I stopped in my tracks the other day as I was mindlessly singing a beautiful praise song. I say mindlessly not because I wasn't focusing on God. I was definitely lifting up my heart to Him. But the mindlessly part came when I realized I had no clue of the weight of the words in this song. Did I really mean what I was singing? The song said this to Jesus: "You're all I want. You're all I ever needed."

Really? Did I really mean those words? Is my Jesus enough? Ultimately the question should be: Is my relationship with Jesus in such a place that if He was truly all I had today, would I still stand and sing those powerful song lyrics?

The economy is shaky, funds are tight, prices at the gas pumps and grocery store keep rising. Am I going to let my heart be drawn into a place of worry and fear over all this instability? Or will I quiet my soul and calmly proclaim, “Jesus is my Provider and He is enough.”

Today my son Jackson, who just got his driver's license, will be driving to a friend's house to watch the football game. His friend lives less than five miles from our house. But statistics show that most car accidents happen on the roads we are most familiar with, those closest to our homes. Will I be able to smile, tell him to be careful and let him drive down our driveway with full confidence that no matter what, Jesus is enough?

I don't know what kinds of twists and turns might come during my life journey. But, I know the only way to travel with a joyful peace is to settle in my heart the answer to this question once and for all. So, today, I declare Jesus is enough. Before I even know in what way this declaration will be tested, I've made the decision to say it, believe it and settle it.

Jesus is enough.

I think this is why Proverbs 31 is my favorite portrait of a godly woman. Proverbs 31:25 reminds us, "she can laugh at the days to come.”

She was filled with such incredible joy not because life was perfect but simply because she had decided to make laughter, peace, and truth the hallmarks of her life. Proverbs 31:30 goes on to say this was a woman to be praised because she so reverenced God in the shrine of her heart. She knew without a doubt, He was - and still is - enough.

Dear Lord, Thank You that in this world we don’t have to live consumed with fear of the unknown. For You know all things. Nothing will happen to us that does not first pass through Your hands. May I find peace in Your love, which is so consuming for us that You only have our best interests in mind. Help us to believe and trust in that truth no matter what. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Psalm 37

1 Don’t worry about the wicked
or envy those who do wrong.

2 For like grass, they soon fade away.
Like spring flowers, they soon wither.

3 Trust in the Lord and do good.
Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.

4 Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you your heart’s desires.

5 Commit everything you do to the Lord.
Trust him, and he will help you.

6 He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn,
and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.

7 Be still in the presence of the Lord,
and wait patiently for him to act.

Don’t worry about evil people who prosper
or fret about their wicked schemes.

8 Stop being angry!
Turn from your rage!
Do not lose your temper—
it only leads to harm.

9 For the wicked will be destroyed,
but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land.

10 Soon the wicked will disappear.
Though you look for them, they will be gone.

11 The lowly will possess the land
and will live in peace and prosperity.

12 The wicked plot against the godly;
they snarl at them in defiance.

13 But the Lord just laughs,
for he sees their day of judgment coming.

14 The wicked draw their swords
and string their bows
to kill the poor and the oppressed,
to slaughter those who do right.

15 But their swords will stab their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.

16 It is better to be godly and have little
than to be evil and rich.

17 For the strength of the wicked will be shattered,
but the Lord takes care of the godly.

18 Day by day the Lord takes care of the innocent,
and they will receive an inheritance that lasts forever.

19 They will not be disgraced in hard times;
even in famine they will have more than enough.

20 But the wicked will die.
The Lord’s enemies are like flowers in a field—
they will disappear like smoke.

21 The wicked borrow and never repay,
but the godly are generous givers.

22 Those the Lord blesses will possess the land,
but those he curses will die.

23 The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
He delights in every detail of their lives.

24 Though they stumble, they will never fall,
for the Lord holds them by the hand.

25 Once I was young, and now I am old.
Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned
or their children begging for bread.

26 The godly always give generous loans to others,
and their children are a blessing.

27 Turn from evil and do good,
and you will live in the land forever.

28 For the Lord loves justice,
and he will never abandon the godly.
He will keep them safe forever,
but the children of the wicked will die.

29 The godly will possess the land
and will live there forever.

30 The godly offer good counsel;
they teach right from wrong.

31 They have made God’s law their own,
so they will never slip from his path.

32 The wicked wait in ambush for the godly,
looking for an excuse to kill them.

33 But the Lord will not let the wicked succeed
or let the godly be condemned when they are put on trial.

34 Put your hope in the Lord.
Travel steadily along his path.
He will honor you by giving you the land.
You will see the wicked destroyed.

35 I have seen wicked and ruthless people
flourishing like a tree in its native soil.

36 But when I looked again, they were gone!
Though I searched for them, I could not find them!

37 Look at those who are honest and good,
for a wonderful future awaits those who love peace.

38 But the rebellious will be destroyed;
they have no future.

39 The Lord rescues the godly;
he is their fortress in times of trouble.

40 The Lord helps them,
rescuing them from the wicked.
He saves them,and they find shelter in him.

HOW THINGS ARE SAID REALLY DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Need A Good Laugh??

Deliverance from the Black Hole

I read this devotion below, and know so many who are going through this...

Deliverance from the Black Hole
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 2, by Os Hillman
09-30-2008

"As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Joshua 1:5b).

A black hole is a place of total nothingness. It's a time in our life when God removes the resources and supports that we normally rely on to feel secure - our careers, finances, friends, family, health and so forth. It is a preparation time.

When you find yourself in a black hole experience, don't just sit and brood. Take stock of your life. Take a look at your relationship with God.

First, ask God if there are any sins, habits, or attitudes that He might be judging in your life. It's important to discern whether the trial we face is the result of God's discipline for our sin?or if it is preparing us for a future leadership role.

Second, when you enter a black hole, don't trust your feelings. Trust God. Your feelings will tell you, "God has rejected you. Abandon hope. He has left you utterly alone." Feelings change; God never changes. Feelings come and go; God is always with us.

Third, remember that your black hole experience is not only intended to refine and define you; it's also intended to influence and change the lives of hundreds or even thousands of other people. Our adversity is not just for us, but others in our sphere of influence.

Fourth, don't try to hurry the black hole process along. Remember, when Joseph was in the depths of the pit, there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn't climb out, jump out, levitate out, or talk his way out. All he could do was pray and wait upon the Lord.

Fifth, lean on God. Even when you don't feel like praying, pray. Even when you don't feel like reading His Word, read. Even when you don't feel like singing songs of faith, sing. When you pray, don't just talk; listen. Be silent before Him and listen for His still, quiet voice.

Sixth, be alert to new truths and new perspectives. During a black hole experience, God often leads us to amazing new discoveries. A black hole can be a storehouse of unexpected riches for the soul.

Quotes For The Day

It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.
Theodore Roosevelt

Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.
William Shakespeare

Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.
Thomas Jefferson

In prosperity, our friends know us; in adversity, we know our friends.
John Churton Collins

The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man be perfected without trials.
Danish Proverb

Rest

Take off the mask!!!

I guess I have a lot to share today....

Does anyone else get confused in their "Walk".... I just want to be me and be who God created me to be... But I am still trying to figure out who that is...

I hate "playing house" and "playing church".... But sometimes I still feel like I do... Like I have to have it all together!! Philippians 1:6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

There is a song that I absolutely LOVE by Casting Crowns:

Stained Glass Masquerade

Is there anyone that fails
Is there anyone that falls
Am I the only one in church today feelin' so small

Cause when I take a look around
Everybody seems so strong
I know they'll soon discover
That I don't belong

So I tuck it all away, like everything's okay
If I make them all believe it, maybe I'll believe it too
So with a painted grin, I play the part again
So everyone will see me the way that I see them

Are we happy plastic people
Under shiny plastic steeples
With walls around our weakness
And smiles to hide our pain
But if the invitation's open
To every heart that has been broken
Maybe then we close the curtain
On our stained glass masquerade

Is there anyone who's been there
Are there any hands to raise
Am I the only one who's traded
In the altar for a stage

The performance is convincing
And we know every line by heart
Only when no one is watching
Can we really fall apart

But would it set me free
If I dared to let you see
The truth behind the person
That you imagine me to be

Would your arms be open
Or would you walk away
Would the love of Jesus
Be enough to make you stay

THIS IS GOOD STUFF: Enjoy this article by J. Lee Grady

Don't Let the Devil Eat Your Lunch!

In this season of spiritual shaking and financial uncertainty, we must press into the secret place of praise in order to overcome discouragement.

I’m a big fan of newspapers, but I haven’t enjoyed reading mine lately. The news has been intensely negative for the last few months. Plus, the number of advertising pages is shrinking because of the economic crisis. So when I picked up my very thin copy of the Orlando Sentinel today, I had to search hard to find anything positive. (I am happy, of course, that the Florida Gators crushed the Tennessee Volunteers over the weekend!)

On today’s front page, one article explained how the economic downturn is affecting kids. Psychologists are warning parents not to talk about job loss, foreclosures or high gas prices in front of their children because they may internalize fears, causing them to lose sleep or fail classes. Experts call this phenomenon “trickle down anxiety.

“I believe the book of Psalms is in the middle of the Bible because praise must be at the core of the Christian life.”

When discouragement hits me, I know I must fight back immediately. If I wallow in my sorrow or entertain my fears, the devil steals my joy and robs me of the strength I need to serve God faithfully. I’ve made a list of the seven most common things that tend to drag us down:

1. Difficulties. When circumstances don’t go our way, our emotional reaction to the pressure can cause severe stress and even sickness. Whether it’s a devastating hurricane, a family conflict, a wayward teenager or a bankruptcy, a trial can break us if we allow it to.

2. Disappointment. Many Christians become discouraged when they struggle unsuccessfully to overcome sinful habits. The enemy of our souls whispers, “You’ll never stop doing that.” Then he throws more temptation our way and lures us into defeat.

3. Dismay. The dictionary defines this as “a sudden and complete loss of courage because of danger or trouble.” Fear is the greatest enemy of faith. It has the power to paralyze.

4. Death. I have two friends, both ministers, who lost their sons recently in car accidents. Both young men were strong Christians, so their parents at least have the assurance that their boys are with the Lord. But this does not take away the grief. Often, the death of a loved one can trap us in depression.

5. Delays. God gave me some promises a long time ago that have not been fulfilled. As birthdays tick by, I’m tempted to think He’s playing tricks on me. When promises elude us or expectations dry up, we question if God really promised anything or if He changed His mind.

6. Daggers. I get lots of angry letters from people who don’t like something I wrote. Last we
ek, in fact, a person who identified himself as a Christian said he hoped I would “roast in hell” and then described my spiritual condition in profane terms. Normally those kinds of off-the-wall comments don’t affect me, since I know hate mail is part of my job. But if I’m fighting discouragement on some other level and my guard is down, toxic criticism feels like a kick in the groin.

7. Darkness. Demonic opposition is invisible, but it is real. In August I preached in a city in Bolivia where the people practice witchcraft and worship frogs. When my friends and I arrived we were greeted by a row of 10 huge sculptures of the devil, all on proud display along the main avenue. The images didn’t scare me, but there was a heavy blanket of oppression over the entire place that made me feel like catching the next plane home. Thankfully I ignored the feelings and preached anyway—and several people became Christians that night.

So how do we resist discouragement?

I believe we must learn King David’s strategy. We must run to the secret place.

When David returned to Ziklag and discovered that the Amalekites had raided his camp and kidnapped all the women and children, he was probably tempted to give up. He had lost everything—and his own men were threatening to stone him. Yet the Bible says: “But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God” (1 Sam. 30:6, NASB).

How did he do that? We only need to turn to the middle of our Bibles—the book of Psalms—to read what David did when he spent time with God.

I believe the book of Psalms is in the middle of the Bible because praise is at the core of the Christian life. Praise was certainly at the heart of who David was. God’s presence was the “one thing” he sought above all else (see Ps. 27:4).

David wrote: “For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; in the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock” (Ps. 27:5). To effectively encourage yourself in God, you must find the secret place, shut the door to all distractions and speak to God until the heaviness has lifted.

David was not reserved when He shut himself away with God. He prayed, sang, shouted, clapped his hands and danced. And he talked to himself. He said with confidence: “Though a host encamp against me, my heart will not fear; though war arise against me, in spite of this I will be confident” (27:3).

We normally think it strange when someone talks to himself. But the Bible actually encourages us to do so when we are praising the Lord. If you are fighting discouragement, one of the best things you can do is hide yourself in a room and begin to tell God how awesome He is. If you can’t sing well, put on some lively praise music and follow along. The important thing is that you open your mouth and speak—because by doing so you are canceling the enemy’s lies.

Many Christians only praise God in church once a week. No wonder so many of us are spiritually frail. We’ve also lost the art of true biblical confession. When our souls have been overwhelmed by bad news, we must counteract by declaring our faith out loud.

After David spent time in the secret place, he said confidently: “And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, and I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy” (27:6). Praise, when it is uninhibited, has incredible power. It paves the way for breakthrough. It cuts the cords of fear and anxiety. It unleashes holy joy and pulls us out of the pit of depression. It scatters demonic darkness.

Don’t give the devil an advantage in this day of adversity. If you are facing difficulties, disappointments, delays or any other discouraging circumstances, remember the priority of praise.

J. Lee Grady is the editor of Charisma.