Edify, Encourage and Build

Surviving The Parched Times In Your Life.

2012-01-27T14:24:00.001-06:00

~ Isaiah 61:3, "To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified"

I found it interesting that word Zion means "parched Place". It is used also when referring to Jerusalem in Biblical times. But, for a moment think about it in the terms of "parched place". When we think of parched, we think of something dry, dehydrated and drained. We have all been at a place like...a place that leaves us feeling dry, dehydrated and drained either physically, emotionally or spiritually. But, it is so encouraging to know that during those times, God has a relief for us.

Beauty for ashes. Ashes in this verse is define in the Hebrew Lexicon as “worthlessness”. Have you ever had the feeling that you are worthless? Or, That you are useless or not capable of being used for Him? In Biblical times, it was common to put on a sackcloth during a times of mourning or deep repentance and humility. And, they would dust ashes on their head to symbolize the feeling of distress of mind caused by humiliation, disappointment, or failure that they felt. But, in times of rejoicing and joy, it was also common for them to wear an ornamental headdress and dance. God wants to take the feelings/thoughts or worthlessness and uselessness from your thinking and replace them with joy and rejoicing.

Oil of joy for mourning. In Biblical times, oil was often used for anointing. God wants to anoint you with a joy and rejoicing that washes away the sorrow, sadness and mental pain.

Garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. During those times when your heart is heavy and darkness tries to surround you. God wants to wrap you in a spirit of praise and thanksgiving that shines through the darkness and pierces through he fog of heaviness.

That they might be called trees of righteousness. When we see a mighty. strong tree, the things that come to mind is that its root system runs deep. That root system runs deep not only to keep it strong and firmly in place but so that it can seek out a source of water. During the times that we are feeling parched in our bodies, spirit or mind He steps in and does all these things for us so that we can become strong, firmly rooted and grounded in Him. That way, we can begin to grow and flourish producing good fruit.

The planting of the Lord. He has planted us in a particular place for a purpose. And, that purpose is so that we can grow stronger and be used for His glory. I read a saying the other day that said, “My life may not be going the way I want it to go, BUT, it is going exactly how God wants it to go.” Our plans are so different from His. In Isaiah 55:9, God says, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” His thoughts and ways extend a great distance upward compared to our thoughts and ways. His plans and purpose for our life will take us up higher than if we did things our own way.

That He might be glorified. In 1 Peter 1:7-9it says, “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth , though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen , ye love ; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing , ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.” The trials or parched times that we go through are perfecting and purifying our faith. So that we can come forth shining like gold and He will get the glory, honor and praise. In Matthew 5:1, it says, “Let your light so shine before men that they might see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” When God helps you to have the beauty, oil of joy and garment praise, not only is it making you stronger and allowing your faith to grow, it is allowing Him to shine through you so that it can be testimony of His great power. Others will see this and want what you have! What an awesome opportunity to make a difference the lives around you!

I am SO thankful that God has planted me right where He wants me to be. And, that He is there to helps grow strong like a mighty tree and that His power rehydrates me during those parched times. What an AWESOME God I serve! ♥

I Shall Not Be Moved!

2012-01-26T14:34:00.001-06:00

Psalm 1:3 KJV, “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

I read this verse and I was reminded of the old hymn that we often sang when I was a kid growing up in a little North Dakota city.

Jesus is my Savior, I shall not be moved;
In His love and favor, I shall not be moved,
Just like a tree that's planted by the waters,
Lord, I shall not be moved.

In my Christ abiding, I shall not be moved;
In His love I'm hiding, I shall not be moved,
Just like a tree that's planted by the waters,
Lord, I shall not be moved.

If I trust Him ever, I shall not be moved;
He will fail me never, I shall not be moved,
Just like a tree that's planted by the waters,
Lord, I shall not be moved.

On His word I'm feeding, I shall not be moved;
He's the One that's leading, I shall not be moved,
Just like a tree that's planted by the waters,
Lord, I shall not be moved.

Chorus
I shall not be, I shall not be moved;
I shall not be, I shall not be moved;
Just like a tree that's planted by the waters,
Lord, I shall not be moved.

~ I want to be rooted and grounded next to the” rivers of water” that provide all the spiritual nourishment I need to become the kind of “tree” that Jesus wants to be… Flourishing and having abundant “fruit”….being profitable and making a difference in those around me. I will not allow this world or the unfavorable circumstances that come my way to uproot me. I shall not be moved…I shall not relocate…I shall not budge. I will remain steadfastly right where He has planted me. ♥

Trials...Testimony

2012-01-25T10:44:00.001-06:00

He’s Calling Us To Praise…

2012-01-25T10:36:00.001-06:00

Psalm 107:8, "Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!" In this chapter, this verse is repeated another three times. I would venture to say that God wants to make sure that we know that He is calling men and women to praise Him. And, not only praise Him from our hearts, but with everything that is within us. Put some "umph" in your praise. Praise is the key to unlocking the power of God in your situation. If you want to see wonderful and extraordinary things to begin happening your life, try having an attitude of praise and thanksgiving on an every day basis. ♥

Fear & Intimidation, Hit The Road...I’m Moving Forward!

2012-01-20T11:14:00.001-06:00

~ One of my many favorite verse is Isaiah 41:10, "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed ; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."

Fear and intimidation can be very real for some people. It can immobilize a person spiritually. It can hinder us from moving forward and doing God's will. And, it can detour us from completely trusting God. The Merriam-Webster defines fear as: to be afraid or apprehensive. It defines intimidation as: to make timid or fearful. Fear & intimidation can cause us to be filled with anxiety, nervousness and worry. It is a toll that the devil will use to keep us from performing that tasks that God has for us. John 10:10 KJV says, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal , and to kill , and to destroy : I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” The devil is the thief that comes to steal our joy and boldness. He comes to kill us spiritually so that we can not obtain have an abundant life. He will use whatever tactic he can use to completely destroy our faith in God. We can not allow Him to do that. We can not allow Him to use fear and intimidation to keep us down.

No matter what we may be faced with, we must remember that as a Child of God, fear does not have to control us. Because the mighty, all-powerful God is right beside us the whole time. In Matthew 28:18, Jesus said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” So, We do not have to be dismayed or intimidated, because He is on our side. In Isaiah, it said, do not be dismayed for I am thy God. He is OUR God. In Matthew 19:26, Jesus said, “With men this is impossible; but with God ALL things are possible.” The God with whom ALL things are possible is our God. That makes it personal or individualized. Psalm 139:13 NIRV says, “You created the deepest parts of my being. You put me together inside my mother's body.” And, Matthew 10:30 KJV says, “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” He knows everything that there is to know about you. Our relationship with Him becomes individualized. He know the things that cause fear and intimidation in us. And, He has the individualized answer for each of us.

Also, He has promised to strengthen and help us. Which means that he will assist us and give us the strength, courage and boldness we need to make it through whatever we are facing. Sometimes, the fear and intimidation that we face keeps us from boldly doing the tasks God has for us. Boldness is more than not being timid. It is about being adventuresome…what else does God have for me in the days, months and years to come. It is about being confident…Philippians 1:6 KJV, “ Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” It is being courageous…having the fortitude and backbone to venture forward no matter what you are face with. It is being determined…Romans 8:38-39, “For I am persuaded , that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers,nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” If He promised to give us the strength, courage and boldness we need, then you can count on it…He’ll give it to you.

And, His righteous right hand of power will grasp a hold of us and be the strong foundation we need to be able to withstand whatever we are facing. A strong, firm foundation is important. We have to have something solid and dependable to stand on. Otherwise, our strength will become shaky and fail us when we need it the most. A house built upon a unsure and weak foundation will tumble and fall the moment a strong gust of wind come along. But, a house built on a strong, sure foundation will withstand the storms that come. We need His right hand of power in our lives to keep us a sure foundation.

Sometimes, even though we may read verses like this often, we need to be reminded that we do not have to be afraid and intimidated. We do not have to face things alone. God is right by our side every step of the way. I guess this verse came to my mind today when I begin to think about some things that I am faced with. I needed that reminder that God is going to help me be what I need to be and do what I need to do. He is a great great & mighty God. And, I am SO thankful for the Word of God to help me from day to day remain focused on Him. ♥

Building A Strong Wall

2012-01-17T10:27:00.001-06:00

‎The first part of Ecclesiastes 3:5 says, "A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together."

Over time, brick or stone walls begin to falls apart and crumble for various reasons. It may be because of weather erosion, or by fault or error of mankind. Which ever it is, those bricks or stones need to be removed and replaced to make sure that wall stays strong.

Overtime, there will be times in our lives that we need to remove some stones. Stones can be degraded by various things. Some erosion is cause by circumstances we face and some by those around us who have hurt us in one way or another. Which ever it may be, the deterioration that is caused is very real to us. These stones begin to deteriorate that spiritual wall of protection in our lives...Stones of depression, discontentment, discouragement, sin, and intimidation. We have to cast away those stones and begin to gather stone that will fortify that wall... Stones of hope, contentment, joy, courage, strength, righteousness and peace.

With our church having a week of fasting, it has been a good time to look at my life and see what stones need to be cast away and start gathering stones that will build a strong wall. Our focus this week has been about become vessels that can be filled up with the anointing of God to overflowing so that we can be poured out to others. And, in order for my vessel to be filled up, the walls of my vessel must be strong enough to retain that anointing.

Today, my prayer is that I can have a humble spirit so that I can see the things that need to be removed and replace them with things that will help become a better person. I really desire to make a difference in the lives around me. ♥

Just How Deep Do You Want To Go?

2012-01-12T13:20:00.001-06:00

Our Pastor said something last night that really has stuck with me. "God controls the length of our life, but we control the depth of our relationship with Him." I began to think, Just how deep into His Word do I want to go? How deep into His love? How deep into His power and anointing? I may not have control over how long I may live. But I CAN control just how close to Him I am. How dedicated and consecrated do I want to be?! It reminded me of an only hymn:

Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
More of grace to know.

Refrain:
Oh, deeper yet, I pray,
And higher every day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In Thy precious, holy Word.

Deeper, deeper, blessed Holy Spirit,
Take me deeper still,
Till my life is wholly lost in Jesus,
And His perfect will.

Deeper, deeper! though it cost hard trials,
Deeper let me go!
Rooted in the holy love of Jesus,
Let me fruitful grow.

Deeper, higher, every day in Jesus,
Till all conflict past,
Finds me conqu’ror, and in His own image
Perfected at last.

Deeper, deeper in the faith of Jesus,
Holy faith and true;
In His pow’r and soul exulting wisdom
Let me peace pursue.

I'm Giving Thanks & Singing Praises!

2012-01-12T13:13:00.002-06:00

~ Psalm 92:1-2 (MSG), "What a beautiful thing, God, to give thanks, to sing an anthem to you, the High God! To announce your love each daybreak, sing your faithful presence all through the night." When we take time to give thanks, even for the the little things in our life, and to sing praises to Him, it is beautiful. His mercies, love and compassion are new every morning. Each day is a new opportunity to give Him thanks and praise. And, through the darkness of night, He remains faithful. No matter how dark our situations and circumstances may seem, He is still faithful to be right by our side to give us the strength to move forward.

There Is Nothing Too Hard For Him - He Is Still God!

2012-01-10T14:40:00.000-06:00

~ Jeremiah 32:27 (NIRV), "I am the Lord. I am the God of all people. Is anything too hard for me?"

I know of friends and acquaintances who are faced with things that I am sure they never thought they would have to face. Whether it is a life threatening disease or cancer, there is NOTHING too hard for God. Yes, your future may seem uncertain from your point of view. But, God knows exactly what He is doing. Don't give up trusting in Him. He has a plan. He sees the bigger picture, while we only see one piece at a time. And, whatever the outcome may be, He is with you every step of the way. And, you have a friend in me. ♥

What Is He To You?

2012-01-10T14:36:00.001-06:00

♪♫ He's Jehovah's Jireh...God is my provider. He's my strong tower. He's got all the power. I don't know who He is to you. But, I know who He is to me. He's an AWESOME God!

This song has become one of my favorites to listen to lately. It is sung by the Pentecostals of Katy in Katy, TX. And, as I begin to think about everything that He is to me, the various names of God come to mind.

Adonai-Jehovah -- The Lord our Sovereign
El-Elyon -- The Lord Most High
El-Olam -- The Everlasting God
El-Shaddai -- The God Who is Sufficient for the Needs of His People
Jehovah-Elohim -- The Eternal Creator
Jehovah-Jireh -- The Lord our Provider
Jehovah-Nissi -- The Lord our Banner (or Victory)
Jehovah-Ropheka -- The Lord our Healer
Jehovah-Shalom -- The Lord our Peace
Jehovah-Tsidkenu -- The Lord our Righteousness
Jehovah-Mekaddishkem -- The Lord our Sanctifier
Jehovah-Sabaoth -- The Lord of Hosts
Jehovah-Shammah -- The Lord is Present
Jehovah-Rohi -- The Lord our Shepherd
Jehovah-Hoseenu -- The Lord our Maker
Jehovah-Eloheenu -- The Lord our God

It is an awesome thing to know that whatever my need is, He has the answer. He is everything to me. And, I am thankful that He is all these things and more to me. ♥

Hear The Calling…Adjust Your Life Accordingly

2012-01-06T11:16:00.001-06:00

Ephesians 4:1 (MSG), “In light of all this, here's what I want you to do. While I'm locked up here, a prisoner for the Master, I want you to get out there and walk - better yet, run! - on the road God called you to travel. I don't want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don't want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere.”

The NIRV says, “I am a prisoner because of the Lord. So I am asking you to live a life worthy of what God chose you for.”

Either translation brings across the thought that we should walk in a manner that is worthy of the calling of God on our lives. God has plan for each of our lives. Whatever the calling is on our lives, we must reverberate God in every way possible. Our lives must shine so that people will be led to Him. That means that our actions must be commendable. Our speech would need to be appropriate and “clean”. What we read or watched would have to reflect pure, godly intentions. The way we dress should be modest and follow godly principles.

If God has called or is calling you to do something for Him, step out in faith and get out there and do it. Don’t just casually stroll down the path He has chosen for you. Run…with passion. The path He has chosen for you will not always be easy…but it will be worthy it! ♥

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T11:18:00.002-06:00

You Still Can Be What God Wants You To Be!

2011-12-30T12:28:00.001-06:00

‎~ "It is never too late to be what you might have been." - George Eliot

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIRV) says. "I know the plans I have for you, announces the Lord. I want you to enjoy success. I do not plan to harm you. I will give you hope for the years to come."

Sometimes we get off track and change things in our life. I mean, lets face it, we are human and sometimes we can be stubborn and really mess things up. Sometimes, our wants and desires may not completely line up with the plans God has for us. We have tendency to to do things our way.

But, God's plan for us never changes. He still has great expectations and plans for us even when we do things our own way. All it takes for us to do is to yield or submit to His will. That means that we may have to set aside what we want to do for the time being. You see, God sees the bigger picture of our lives. We only see the immediate future. But, He sees the things for come for years in advance. And, He really has our best interest at heart. His plans for us will give us the hope for years to come. And besides, when we get back to His plan for our lives, we are much happier and content.

So, if you’ve wandered away from where God wants you to be…it is not too late to get back on track and follow His plan for your life. Psalm 106:1 says, “Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.” And, 2 Thessalonians 2:16 says that He “hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,” There is a song that says, “Your grace and mercy brought me through. I’m living this moment because of you. I want to thank you. And praise you too. Because your grace and mercy, brought me through.” It is not too late…let his grace and mercy bring you through and back into His will and plan for your life. I guarantee it, you will not be sorry you did! ♥

The New Year…New Beginnings.

2011-12-29T09:57:00.001-06:00

As we get closer and move into the new year, I wanted to change the look of my blog a little bit. I looked up the meaning of flowers, having a certain definition in mind. And, I came across the daffodil. The daffodil symbolizes rebirth and new beginnings and is virtually synonymous with Spring. When we bought our home in September 2010, the people that lived here before us had planted several perennials. Though they took most of them with them, a few has roots left in the ground started coming up this past Spring. I think the daffodils had to be the prettiest. some where all yellow and some were yellow and white. Looking out the window and seeing them was such a beautiful sight.

After knowing the meaning, I thought it appropriate to change my blog “décor” to daffodils to start the new year.. I am sure that I will change it again as the new year progresses. But, for now, I want to focus on the hope that a new year can bring. It is a time to start over. I time for new beginning and a rebirth or revival. I am looking forward to the new year and to what God has in store for us as a family and to what He has in store for our church. He is great and mighty God and He has never disappointed me. He always has great things in store for the righteous. Psalm 5:12 (KJV) says, “For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.”

So, if you want the blessing and favor of God in your life, maybe it’s time to start a new beginning. Maybe you need a revival and rebirth in your heart that jump starts you into great things in Him. ♥

Let Go And Let God…

2011-12-29T09:31:00.001-06:00

Song of Solomon 2:11-13a (KJV), “For, lo, the winter is past , the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come , and the voice of the turtle (turtledove) is heard in our land; The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell.”

I love the changing of the seasons throughout the year. Though the Texas heat in the Summer is not my favorite, I can tolerate it. And, for most, Winter is not a favorite. I don’t like the cold but we have a fire stove to keep us extra warm. And, if we are lucky enough to get snow in this part of Texas, I love going out and playing it with the kids. But in some parts of the country, winter tends to be a cold, dreary and gray skies kind of season.

Life tends to bring disappointments along the way. Those are the Winter seasons of our lives. They can sometimes leave a lasting impression that is hard to forget or get past. But just as the Winter season shall pass and bring forth Spring, the Winter seasons in our lives will pass and bring forth a time of renewal and “Spring”.

T.D. Jakes posted this on his Facebook page the other day: “We often limit Him and what He is able to do because our heart dwells in past disappointments. Don’t let what you went through define who you are and what God will ultimately do.”

Disappointments are those things in life that leave us feeling depressed or low in spirits, joyless and unhappy, discontent and/or oppressed. We all have times like these. But, if we continue to dwell on them even once we are past them, they can eat away at us spiritually and eventually drag us away from what God has called us to do.

But just as the hope of the Spring season brings an expectancy of things to come, letting go of past disappointments opens us up to greater things in Him. The “birds” will sing again…that song will be back in our heart. Things will begin to start blooming in your life again. And, just as the sweet smell of grapes captivate your senses, the sweet presence of God will surround you taking up to a higher dimension of His glory.

I have been in place where I allowed past disappointments eat at me to the point that I stepped back from what God was calling me to do. Once I began to put those things in the hands of Jesus and let them go, I was able to move forward again. It is not worth the stress and oppression it brings into your life when you hold onto those past disappointments. It is so much better to let it go and let God go great things in your life. He has such big plans for each of us. Jeremiah 29:11 (NIRV) says, I know the plans I have for you," announces the Lord. "I want you to enjoy success. I do not plan to harm you. I will give you hope for the years to come.” He wants to give us the hope that “Spring” brings. That time of renewal and revival. ♥

New Beginnings 2012

2011-12-28T16:49:00.001-06:00

It is hard to believe that 2011 is almost over with and that 2012 is just around the corner! This year has flown by so quickly. And, as I look over this past year, I have SO much to be thankful for. And, with the new year coming, I may not know every thing that it holds for me, but I am anticipating it and trusting that the Lord will give me another great year. I don’t think that I can say that I’ve ever had a “bad year”. I have may have faced some pretty rough trials in years past, but through it all God had His hand on me the whole time. He has never let me down. He has never failed me. He has never turned me away nor turned away from me. He is a great and might God and I give Him ALL the glory, honor and praise for the blessings past and also for the ones to come. How do I know that there are blessing to come?

Proverbs 28:20 KJV, “A faithful man shall abound with blessings…” I intend to be be faithful to Him in the coming year. I want to be firmly planted in His Word. And, I want to be more steadfast in prayer and reading the Word. If I do these things, the Word promises me that I will abound with blessings. That means that the blessings will be abundant, great and strong (according to the Hebrew Lexicon).

Knowing all this, just encourages me to work harder this next year at being a better child of God. And, to work harder as making a difference in the lives around me. He has done so many great things for me and He deserves the best that I can give. ♥

Thankfulness: 28th–30th

2011-12-01T10:23:00.001-06:00

~ Nov. 28th - Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIRV), "Trust in the LORD with all your heart. Do not depend on your own understanding. In all your ways remember him. Then he will make your paths smooth and straight." Today, I am thankful that I can trust God to be there for me and to take care of my needs. I am thankful that I can trust His plans for my life. My own understanding and interpretation of things can get clouded by distracts and frustrations...but He sees the big picture of what is going on and what I can become. If I can remember and acknowledge Him in everything that I do, He will make those crooked, bumpy paths straight and smooth. I will face obstacles in my life. But, it is a whole lot easier to deal with them when I have a great & mighty God on my side with whom ALL things are possible. ♥

~ Nov. 29th - Thankful for cool Autumn mornings, fire in the fire stove and Pumpkin spice Coffee. The sounds of Christmas music is playing the background and the kids are diligently working. Yes...this is my typical day...love the life that God has blessed me with. ♥

~ Nov. 30th - Today I am thankful for a month of thanks. When I took the time out to thank God for at least one thing different each day, I realized once again just how blessed I am. My God has supplied ALL my needs and so much more. I don't have any reason to complain or be discontent...because I have everything that I need and more. ♥

Thankfulness - 27th

2011-11-27T08:53:00.001-06:00

‎~ Jeremiah 33:3, "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things , which thou knowest not."

Today I am thankful that no matter if I am having a great day or my day is going just right that I can call out to Jesus and He WILL answer and respond. I don't have to take a number and wait until He is available. I don't have to worry about being put on hold. He is ready to answer the moment I call out His name. And, when He answers, He doesn't do it half-way. He blesses and demonstrates His power is such an ample and prominent way. It will leave a lasting impression. ♥

I Am A Sheep…

2011-11-26T18:40:00.001-06:00

John 10:1-7 (KJV), "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold , but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth ; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep byname, and leadeth them out . And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow , but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you , I am the door of the sheep.”

The Message Translation says, “"Let me set this before you as plainly as I can. If a person climbs over or through the fence of a sheep pen instead of going through the gate, you know he's up to no good - a sheep rustler! The shepherd walks right up to the gate. The gatekeeper opens the gate to him and the sheep recognize his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he gets them all out, he leads them and they follow because they are familiar with his voice. They won't follow a stranger's voice but will scatter because they aren't used to the sound of it." Jesus told this simple story, but they had no idea what he was talking about. So he tried again. "I'll be explicit, then. I am the Gate for the sheep.”

It is an interesting comparison here. The shepherd that takes such care and concern for his sheep that even the way he talks to them allows those sheep to become familiar to his voice and to be at ease and calm with it. And, the fact that he goes before his sheep to prevent any mischief or danger that might meet them. They follow him and are safe. They become so familiar and accustom to the voice of the shepherd that even a strange voice will send them running and scattering.

That is how we should be with God. He takes such care for us and provides for our every need according to His riches in glory. The love He has for us is unconditional. The plans He has for us are plans of hope and a future in Him. He knows exactly what to say to us, though His Word or a man/woman of God, that is exactly what we need in the situation we are facing. He goes before us to make sure that we are safe from the wiles of the devil and his demons. We need to become so accustom to HIS voice that at the sound of any other voice we are sent running to Him, our strong tower and refuge of strength.

I am so thankful that He is my shepherd…I am His sheep. And, I am safe as long as I listen and heed to His voice and stay within the fold. ♥

Thankfulness – 16th - 26th

2011-11-26T18:07:00.001-06:00

~ Nov. 16th - Today I am thankful for the opportunity to Homeschool. We are able to work around my husband's nocturnal schedule for work. His days off, we take off for family time. When the kids are sick it is not a big deal to take time off and catch up when they are better. They don't have to wait on teacher to make time for them for questions and assistance with their work. We are all about making school fun. We have more field trips. Their breakfasts and lunches are healthy and home-cooked. And, best of all...I can teach them godly principles and have prayer in school and not have worry about someone telling me that I can't do that in school. I thankful for this freedom and opportunity...it is something that I love to do...and I try to take every opportunity and circumstance they face to make a learning experience out of it...and, I love investing time, love and care into my kids. They are a treasure to me. ♥

‎~ Nov. 17th - I am thankful for the Autumn. I love the cooler cooler weather. It is one of my favorite seasons. I love to see the leaves changing colors. I picture in my mind God painting them into beautiful masterpiece. Of course, Autumn brings Thanksgiving. And, being I love to cook and bake, I love all the fun that fixing a Thanksgiving Dinner involves. Then, of course, Autumn comes before my favorite season of all...Winter. I love the snow, the icicles and the "cold" weather. When the temperatures get colder, that just means I get to use my fire stove more. But, along with winter, brings my favorite holiday of the year...Christmas. I love everything about Christmas. The baking, decorating, giving, love, joy and Christmas songs. And, it is a time to reflect on the reason for the season, my God and Savior, Jesus Christ. ♥

‎~ Nov. 18th - Today I am thankful for the opportunity to go to church and not have worry whether the government is going to come in and intervene on my freedom of religion. I can worship wherever and whenever I want to do so. And, tonight, we have to privilege of having Bro. Matt Maddix preaching tonight at LWC. We are excited and looking for a great move of God and some awesome things to happen in our service. We serve a GREAT & MIGHTY God! ♥

‎~ Nov. 19th - I am thankful for my health and the health of my family. Though we face occasional allergies and normal cold/flu sickness, we have been blessed that we have not had any serious illness. I am thankful that we have placed our faith and trust in the GREAT Physician...Jesus! ♥

‎~ Nov. 20th - Thankful for those that are sensitive to the leading of the Lord. We have had an awesome weekend of preaching and fellowship. It is an awesome thing to know that you are right exactly where God wants you to be and that He is fixin' to do great and mighty things in your life and in the lives of those around you! ♥

‎~ Nov. 21st - James 5:15 NIRV says, "...Pray for one another so that you might be healed. The prayer of a godly person is powerful. It makes things happen." I am thankful for the power of prayer. I am thankful for that connection to God that gets results. They may not always be the results that I think they should be...but I trust and have complete faith in God that He knows exactly what He is doing in my life. The word "healed" in this verse goes beyond just being made whole or cured. It brings about salvation. It brings protection, deliverance, defense, preservation and redemption. There is NOTHING too hard for God to do. And, all we have to do it connect ourselves to the power source of His almighty power through prayer. ♪♫ There is no problem too big, God cannot solve it. There is no mountain too tall, He cannot move it. There is not storm too dark, God cannot calm it. There is no sorrow too deep, He cannot soothe it. ♥

‎~ Nov. 22nd - 1 Peter 1:7-9 NIRV says, "Your troubles have come in order to prove that your faith is real. It is worth more than gold. Gold can pass away even though fire has made it pure. Your faith is meant to bring praise, honor and glory to God. That will happen when Jesus Christ returns. Even though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not see him now, you believe in him. You are filled with a glorious joy that can't be put into words. You are receiving the salvation of your souls. It is the result of your faith." Today, I am thankful that even though I may have troubles and trials from time to time that my faith in Jesus is real. And, that it is worth more than gold. My faith is meant to bring praise, honor and glory to Him. And, even though I have not seen Him with my physical eyes...I believe in Him and His abilities! And, I love Him with all my heart, soul and mind. That is why I can be filled with glorious joy when I face troubles and trials...I am receiving that salvation for my soul as a result of ‎my faith in Almighty God! ♥

~ Nov. 23rd - I know that we hear this verse of scripture quoted often, but it just seems fitting today. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIRV), "Give thanks no matter what happens. God wants you to thank him because you believe in Christ Jesus." I am thankful that I woke up this morning. I have eyes to see and observe things around me. I have arms, hands and fingers that help me accomplish what I need to do for my family on a daily basis. I have two legs that get me where I need to go. And, my mind that works, on most days ;o) , so that I can think and comprehend the things around me and act accordingly. God wants me to be thank because I believe in WHO He is and WHAT He is capable of doing my life. Yeah, my life may not always go the way that I want it to...but you see, God sees the bigger picture of my life...the finished product. And the plans He has will benefit me a whole ton more than any plans I may have for myself. In the end, His plans will bring me completeness in Him, contentment in all things, friends to share my life with, soundness in mind and body and an expectation of an outcome that will give me hope. ♥

‎~ Nov 24th - Today I am thankful for another year to celebrate Thanksgiving. I have SO much to be thankful for and I am extremely grateful for another year to share it with the ones I love so dearly and hold close to my heart. And to those family members that I cannot be with today, I am thankful for you, love you and you are in my thoughts today! ♥

~ Nov 25th - Thankful that my husband went out to the Black Friday Sale last night to pick up a couple of things. The kids will be SO excited! ♥

‎~ Nov. 26th - Thankful for a nice, dependable vehicle. The kids and I are driving to go see my Mom to spend the day with her. I am also thankful that I am within driving distance to see her and not half-way across the country.

Did You Eat Enough Today?!

2011-11-17T11:59:00.001-06:00

Deuteronomy 8:1-4 KJV, “(1) All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do , that ye may live , and multiply , and go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers. (2) And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. (3) And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger , and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know ; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live . (4) Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell , these forty years.”

The Children of Israel had to face a lot when they wandered in the wilderness for forty years. But, after reading the above scriptures, you will notice that even though they faced hardships, God provided their EVERY need. And, the scriptures says that He led them in the wilderness. Plus, He allowed them to go through all that to humble them, to know what was in their hearts, to prove or test them and help them be stronger, spiritually. Some didn’t pass the test. But, those that did saw the provision of the Lord all the way through to the promised land. Think about it though, for forty years their clothes and shoes didn’t wear out nor did their feet even swell from all the walking. God knows how to take care of His people!

But, the verse that I want to focus on is the last part of verse 3, “that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.” This scripture is also quoted again in Matthew 4:4 when satan was tempting Jesus, “But he answered and said , It is written , Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

When it comes to physical eating, we need that food every day to sustain us and keep us healthy. It is important to eat from all the food groups and get the proper portions each day. Eating right gives your body the strength and energy it needs from day to day. And, we usually make sure that we eat every day (unless of course you are fasting). But, both Deuteronomy 8:3 and Matthew 4:4 says that we don’t live by bread (food) alone…but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 KJV says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” The MSG translation says, “Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another - showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God's way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.” The Word of God is “every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” that these scriptures are talking about. The Word of God is our spiritual food that helps sustain us, spiritually. It helps us to grow in God and be spiritually healthy. It gives strength to our hearts and minds. It gives us the spiritually energy we need to fight the spiritual battles we face from day to day. It is also there to correct our mistakes, expose our rebellion, train us to live righteously, show us truths to live by…it helps keep us together an shape us into something useful for God. We NEED that spiritual food every day just as we need food physically every day.

So must question that I am posing for you today is…Did you “eat” enough today? No, I am not talking about food for your physical body. But, did you eat enough “spiritual food” today? Taking time out every day to read and study the Word of God is very important. Just as you don’t neglect your physical need for food…don’t neglect your spiritual need for the Word of God. ♥

Don’t Worry…God Has A Purpose For Everything That He Is Doing.

2011-11-16T13:41:00.001-06:00

Philippians 2:9-16 KJV, “(9) Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: (10)That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow , of things in heaven, and things in earth,and things under the earth; (11) And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (12) Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed , not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. (13) For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. (14) Do all things without murmurings and disputings: (15) That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; (16)Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain,neither laboured in vain.”

There is a song that says, “Jesus, the most beautiful name that I know. You’re the exalted One. Jesus, You have the power alone. You lift the lonely one, Jesus.” This is the song that came to my mind when I read verses 9-11. Jesus is the name above all names. It is a name that is all powerful. And, every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord of all. And when I think of all these things that He is and so much more, it excites me. Because that is the God the I serve! He is WELL able to provide for ALL my needs. And He IS faithful to complete the work or plans He has started in my life. What an AWESOME God I serve!

Verse 12 the MSG translations says, “What I'm getting at, friends, is that you should simply keep on doing what you've done from the beginning. When I was living among you, you lived in responsive obedience. Now that I'm separated from you, keep it up. Better yet, redouble your efforts. Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God.” Now matter where we are, or what we are doing, we must be obedient to God and His Word. Do what you need to do to get the results of deliverance, preservation, safety, salvation in your life. And when you do it, do it with a reverence for God and Hid Word and do it to the BEST of your abilities. Like our Pastor recently preached, when you have done all you can, keep at it and keep ding your best.

Why should we do our best? Verse 13 says basically, for that reason God will put forth His power and operate with a purpose in mind and work His perfect, complete will in your life. He has plan! And, His plan with bring spiritual benefits into your life that are beyond your comprehension. And, His plan will give you hope and a future that His bright and full of His glory.

Verse 14 is probably a verse that we all have needed to hear at one time or another. Do ALL things without murmurings and disputings. We need to quit our grumbling and complain, whether secretly or openly. Quit deliberating, questioning about what is true and what God’s purpose and design is for your life. Sometimes things come our way and we begin to complain and grumble…then we begin to question whether or not God knows what He is doing. The question we may ask ourselves is “WHY?” One thing that I know is that God has a reason for EVERYTHING that we face! He DOES NOT make mistakes. Complaining, grumbling and questioning is not going to make the situations go away…it will not make them magically get better…it only cause more frustration and stress. Which can create a domino effect to cause health problems. So, it not worth it to complain, grumble and question what God is doing in your life. He know what is best…trust Him and everything will work out for good.

Another reason that we don’t complain, grumble and question is like it says in verse 15, That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world. Or, as the MSG translation says, “ Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night.” We need to be a light to those around us. We can’t be that light is we are corrupted attitudes of complain, grumbling and questioning.

Don’t stop obey God and His Word…Apply godly biblical principles to your life, daily…give attention to every little detail of your life and situations that you don’t complain, grumble and question God…and as it says in verse 16, hold forth the Word that brings absolute fullness of life. I found it interesting that the Merriam Webster define hold or hold forth as follows, 1) to have possession or ownership of or have at one's disposal; 2) to have as a mark of distinction; 3) to have or maintain in the grasp; 4) to speak at length about a subject. We need to get into the habit of hiding the Word of God in our hearts. So we can possession and have ownership of it’s promises…let it make the mark of distinction on our lives…and grasp the understanding of who God is, what He can do, and what He has planned for us. And, so that we can speak the Word of to those around us and edify, encourage and build them up. The things of this life will pass away and they will fail us. But as it says in Isaiah 40:8 KJV, “The grass withereth , the flower fadeth : but the word of our God shall stand for ever.” Hold onto it and cherish it…for within the pages…within the words that are God-breathed…is life. It brings vibrancy, vitality, soundness, power and passion into our lives.

What Are You Thankful For?

2011-11-15T22:53:00.001-06:00

You know, I try to make sure that I find time every day of the year to be thankful. We really are blessed in so many ways. But, the month I wanted to focus on it because of Thanksgiving. We take so much for granted sometimes.

My question for you is...What are you thankful for today...and tomorrow...and the day after that? Have you taken the time to verbally express that thanks to God...or the loved one...of friend...or colleague? If you would tale that time every day, what a difference it would make in your life and attitude. Who knows whose life you would make a difference in and how you could turn their day around.It may sound crazy, but when I go to the store I make sure I thank the checkout person. My goal is to make a difference in the lives around me. An I figured expressing thanks and gratitude is a good place to start. <3 y

Thankfulness 9th-15th

2011-11-15T19:03:00.001-06:00

~ Nov. 9 - Today, I am thankful for good uplifting music and the fact that I love to sing. Because there are days when I may hear a song or one comes to my mind and it can make difference in the situation that I am facing or make my day go so much sweeter. "Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." (-Berthold Auerbach) Psalm 135:5 KJV says, "Praise the LORD; for the LORD is good: sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant." And, Psalm 147:1 KJV says, "Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely." Singing praises to God not only is pleasant to the heart, soul and mind, but it is comely or beautiful. When we begin to sing praises, it creates a domino effect and ushers in the presence of God in our lives and circumstances. He loves to hear us praise and worship Him. It is just another one of the many ways to express our love and thankfulness to Him. ♥

‎~ Nov. 10th - Today, I want to give thanks for my home. It is more than just a house sitting on a concrete slab. It is a HOME. A place that is full of love, laughter and God. It is an answer to prayer (When we were looking for a house to buy, I asked God to help us find one with lots of trees, a big yard for the kids and about the same size we were living in at the time...He answered.) It provides the shelter and comfort we need. It has a nice wood burning stove to provide warmth (Which I am using this morning.) Yes, it is an older house and may have its "issues"...but it is everything that we need and I love it. ♥

‎~ Nov. 11th - Today I am thankful for our Veteran's. Our great country was founded on the belief of freedoms. So, from the beginning, there were men and women who gave their lives for the cause of freedom for the United States...and many who were disabled as a result of their injuries. We can't go back in time and thank those in centuries past, but we can take time to thank a Veteran today. I am thankful for those who had/have a passion to fight for our freedoms. And for the soldiers who still do it today on an every day basis. We are a blessed nation. Don't take your freedoms for granted...Be thankful for even the little freedoms you have the privilege of experiencing.

‎~ Nov. 12th - "Some friends come and go like a season. Others are arranged in our lives for good reason." (Author Unknown) Today, I am thankful for my many friends. Friends come and go and some stay and become friends of the heart. But, whether they come and go or stay, each has an important part in my life. “We Learn . . .10% of what we read, 20% of what we hear, 30% of what we see, 50% of what we see and hear, 70% of what we discuss, 80% of what we experience, 95% of what we teach others.” (William Glasser) No matter what kind of interaction we have with our friends, we learn from them. I am thankful for the friends God has placed in my life and the ‎things that I have learned from them :o)

~ Nov. 13th - I am thankful for technology that has advanced to the point that when my kiddos are home sick and we can't make it to church that we can find a live church service to listen to on the internet. We really dislike having to miss church this morning. We like to be at church every time the doors are open. Like my son says, "for another opportunity to praise Jesus." But, since we can't make it this morning, I am thankful that I have a good dependable computer, internet connection and lots of choices for live church services this morning. ♥

‎~ Nov. 14th - Nine years ago today, we left The Labor of Love Birthing Center in Terrell, TX with a precious gift from God. His energy keeps me on my toes...his cute little antics keeps a laughter in my heart...his sensitive, thoughtful side makes me beam with pride...I treasure the fact that he loves God, loves to pray and read the Word of God...his personality brings joy to our home...he adequately has been dubbed my little monkey because of his love for climbing. I am thankful for my son. ♪♫ Happy Birthday, “little monkey”! ♥

‎~ Nov. 15th - A month from today, it will be 11 year ago that we brought our beautiful little baby girl home from The Labor of Love Birthing Center. She has been a tremendous a little helper to me in so many ways since she was a toddler...her beautiful singing voice is like a songbird that brings peace...her heart is full of so much love and giving that it touches every one she meets...I love the way her eyes sparkle when she smiles...I am so proud of the young lady she is becoming...And, it excites me that she also loves God, praying and reading the Word. My world would not be the same with out my kids...they bring me such joy. But today, I want to be specifically thankful for my "little" girl...My precious “little girl,, your are a treasure to me and I love you! ♥

The Highway Of Holiness

2011-11-13T19:29:00.001-06:00

Isaiah 35:8-9 KJV, “(8) And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men , though fools, shall not err therein. (9) No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there”

I can picture in my mind a highway. A highway that is sure. It is safe from danger or harm and free from any doubt as to where it leads. The scripture says that even wayfaring men (or people who are unsettled and spiritually unstable) wouldn’t get lost on this highway. It also states that even fools (or quarrelsome people who despise wisdom) will not get lost on it. But only the redeemed will make it on this highway. Those that are unclean and impure will not pass by on this highway. The Hebrew Lexicon references “redeemed” to the “kinsman-redeemer”. “A kinsman- redeemer was a male relative who, according to various laws found in the Pentateuch, had the privilege or responsibility to act for a relative who was in trouble, danger, or need of vindication. The unique emphasis of the redemption/salvation/vindication associated with the kinsman-redeemer is the fact that this action is carried out by a kinsman on behalf of a near relative in need. This idea is most clearly illustrated in the Book of Ruth.”^ain our case, Jesus is our kinsman-redeemer. He stepped in and took care of our debt of sin so that we could have the privilege of traveling on the Highway of Holiness.

Holiness in this verse (according to the Hebrew Lexicon) is defined as apartness, sacredness, separateness. 2 Corinthians 6:17-18 KJV says, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate , saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” In verses 14-16 of this same chapter, it talks about being unequally yoked or keeping company with those who are unbelievers or as the Hebrew Lexicon says, “deceitful, untrustworthy, unfaithful, unbelieving and faithless.”

Now the Merriam-Webster defines “holiness” as “the quality or state of being holy.” 1 Peter 1:15-16 says, “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” The conversation in this verse means more than just how we speak. It means that everything that we do…the way we speak, act, dress…should reflect holiness. I once heard a definition of holiness that said: “Holiness is conforming to the will and nature of God”. And, I have also heard it said that “Holiness is an outward expression of an inward experience.” Holiness is all these and more.

Now as elementary as it may sound, what is a highway? The Merriam-Webster defines it as “a main direct road”. Think about it! The Highway of Holiness is a main direct road of living a dedicated, holy, pure lifestyle that reflects the holiness of God in everything that we do.

And for those who may think that holiness is not all that important in this area or that area of their life…Hebrews 12:14 states that without holiness, no man shall see the Lord. And, in Isaiah 35, it states that the unclean (or unholy) shall not pass over the Highway of Holiness. There is no by-pass or detour to make it to heaven. We MUST travel the Highway of Holiness to get there. We stow away on someone else’s holiness…we have to have it down in our own heart. And, it has to overflow from inside our heart to the outside. We wouldn’t think twice about drinking from a cup that is caked with dirt on the inside and out. No, we would wash the inside out and let the water and soap overflow and cleanse the outside too. We have to get holiness deep down into our hearts and let it begin to overflow and cleanse us on the outside also.

Hebrews 12:9-17 KJV, “(9) Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? (10) For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure ; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. (11) Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby (12) Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; (13) And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. (14) Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: (15) Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; (16) Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. (17) For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected : for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.”

Sometimes, the Word of God, our Pastors and Men/Women of God may bring forth words that chasten us. Just as when you were a child, your parents had to chasten you to obey. God uses these to chasten you to obey. God chastens us out of love and a desire to see us prosper and be a part of the redeemed that travel on the Highway of Holiness. Yeah, it may not be joyous and seemingly grievous or painful, but, when all is said and done it will produce the fruit of righteousness in our lives. Like it says in the NIRV (verses 12-13), “So lift your sagging arms. Strengthen your weak knees. Make level paths for your feet to walk on.” You don’t want to be as Esau…selling out for just a lousy morsel when you could have so much more. Verse 17 states that afterward, Esau could have inherited a blessing but was rejected. And he found no place of repentance…though he sought it carefully with tears. Esau craved to have that blessing. But, because he didn’t take his birthright seriously in the first place, he lost out on the blessing. The redeemed are by spiritual birth the children of God. We need to take that birthright seriously. Don’t lose out on the opportunity to travel on the Highway of Holiness by throwing away your birthright for the little morsel that the world offers…That little morsel that only brings you pleasure and happiness for a season. But when that season is over…it will leave you lonely and traveling down the dusty dirt road of despair.

Day 8 of Thankfulness…

2011-11-08T09:57:00.001-06:00

‎~ Nov. 8th - I heard this on the radio this morning..."In heaven there is no doubt who Jesus (God) is or what He can do. But, here on earth is where the confusion begins." Today, I am thankful that I can say that I know who Jesus is and what He can do. And, that I can pass that knowledge and understanding onto my children. So, that their faith can be rooted and grounded in truth and something that will last the test of time. Deuteronomy 6:4-5 KJV , "Hear , O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might." There is only one God and we should love Him ALL our heart, soul and might. In Ephesians 4:6 KJV it says, "One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." He rules over all, works through all and is in all things that surround us. 1 Timothy 2:5-6 KJV, "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." There is only ONE God, His name is Jesus. He served as the mediator or the one that would bring us the opportunity to go to heaven and experience a sin-less and victorious life. When we get to heaven, we are not going to see father, son, and holy ghost. Those are titles used to describe the ONE God, who has ALL power. And, His name is Jesus. In heaven, there is no doubt that God has a name and that He has all power...JESUS. But, here on earth is where the confusion begins to cloud our thinking and understanding. But, I am thankful that I can go to the Word of God and read about who God is and what He can do! I am thankful that I have no doubt about it...Jesus is God and He has all power. ♥

‎~ My "little man" turns 9 years old in 6 days. And, he is SO excited that after he turns 9 he gets to be a Junior Usher at Church. It excites me to see him so geared up about being used for God. Also, the past couple days, my sons allergies and asthma has been going "haywire". This morning he went and got his Bible and asked me help him find that scriptures about "by His stripes we are healed". So, we looked up Isaiah 53:5 (KJV), "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." And, 1 Peter 2:24 (KJV), "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we , being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed." My son started reading these verses and we prayed and his symptoms begin to subside. :o) This old hymn comes to my mind...♪♫ My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.

Thankfulness Day #7

2011-11-07T07:06:00.001-06:00

‎~ Nov. 7th - God has placed some great preachers and pastors in our lives over the years. Each one blessed us in many ways during a particular season in our lives. And, I am thankful for each and every one of them. For, their fingerprints have left lasting impressions on our hearts. And, during the season of life that we are in now, God has blessed us with a great Pastor and Wife (Lucas McManus and Nancy Luna McManus). I am thankful that they are not afraid to preach/teach the truth of the Word of God. They are not afraid to be transparent. And, God is using them to lead and guide us to higher heights in Him. The kindness, love and caring they show our family is greatly cherished. I am thankful and proud that I can call them my Pastor and Wife, and that they are great friends. ♥

2 Timothy 4:2 KJV says, “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove , rebuke , exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”

The NIRV says, “Preach the word. Be ready to serve God in good times and bad. Correct people's mistakes. Warn them. Cheer them up with words of hope. Be very patient as you do these things. Teach them carefully.”

And, the MSG says, “so proclaim the Message with intensity; keep on your watch. Challenge, warn, and urge your people. Don't ever quit. Just keep it simple.”

No matter how this verse is read in various translations, they each describe our Pastor and Wife. I feel so fortunate, blessed and thankful for them being a part of our lives. For it is my desire is to be the best Wife, Mother, Teacher and Child of God that I can be. And, under their leadership, I have already grown spiritually over the last several months and I am looking forward to what God has in store for us in the days, months and years to come. I am excited to be a part of Living Word Church and about what God is doing and going to do in our lives and in our church!

Thankfulness Days 5 & 6 and More…

2011-11-06T15:40:00.001-06:00

‎~ Nov. 5th - I am thankful for my friends. You are cherished as a blessing from above. So many of you are such an inspiration to me. ♥

‎~ Nov. 6th - I am thankful for the Word of God. I have often referred to it as my road map, guidebook and instruction book. As it says in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIRV, "God has breathed life into all of Scripture. It is useful for teaching us what is true. It is useful for correcting our mistakes. It is useful for making our lives whole again. It is useful for training us to do what is right. By using Scripture, a man of God can be completely prepared to do every good thing." No matter I face in life, my answer can be found in the words breathed by God. And, His Word can be trusted. Psalm 18:30 NIRV, says, "God's way is perfect. The word of the LORD doesn't have any flaws. He is like a shield to all who go to him for safety." It boost my faith. Romans 10:17 KJV, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." During any trials I face, His Word comforts, sustains and revives me. Psalm 119:50m KJV, "This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me." His Word lights my path and directs me in the way that I should go. Psalm 119:105 KJV, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." I can hide it in my heart and it will keep me. Psalm 119:11 KJV, "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." I guess to sum it up, I like what Psalm 119:162 NLT says , "I rejoice in your word like one who finds a great treasure." And as Psalm 119:140 KJV says, "Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it." ♥

❀ ✿ ❁ ✾ ✽ ❃ ❋

‎~ I woke up excited in my heart this morning. I just felt that something exciting was going to happen. And, of course, God did not disappoint me! Brother Pitts did and awesome job this morning in the Adult class...make sure we are moored to the right anchor points. And, then a man that a friend and I had met at Wal-Mart several weeks ago came to church this morning along with his wife! I am expecting God to perform some great things in their lives! And, then Pastor Lucas McManus as usual brought forth the Word so greatly...Doing our very, very best for God. And, cleaning out our temple, rebuilding altars, reinstating worship in our lives, making daily sacrifices and making new covenants and commitments. ╰☆╮ It is SO awesome to be reminded that when we come expecting a blessing...God WILL NOT disappoint us! He has never failed to provide my EVERY need. No matter if that need is material, physical or spiritual. He is faithful! ♥

November–A Month Of Thanks

2011-11-04T08:58:00.001-05:00

Once November gets here, we always start thinking about Thanksgiving. And, I thought that I would post something each day this month that I am thankful for. Though, I always take time thought any day of the year to be thankful. But, I though it would be fun to post something different each day. I have been posting it on my Facebook status, but I forgot to post here on my blog. So, here are the first 4 days.

‎~ November 1st: A month of thanks...Today I am thankful for a good Dentist. Today during my root canal a rare thing for him happened...the file separated while he was cleaning out my last root. He said he has never had that happen to him. But, believe it or not, it is a common thing that happens. So, tomorrow, I go to a root canal specialist to get it out and get the root canal finished. And, then on Friday I go back to my dentist to have the permanent crown put on. ~ Through it all, I must say that this is the best dentist I have had. As an added thank you, I am thankful for nitrate gas, 2X the numbing "stuff" and my iPod to keep me relaxed. :o)

‎~ Nov. 2nd: I am SO thankful for my family. God has bless me with a great husband. And He blessed me with a beautiful, talented daughter. And, has blessed me with a handsome, helpful son. I am blessed that both my kids love the Lord, love serving Him and love going to the house of God. And, I have been blessed with great in-laws. No Mother-in-law horror stories...yet. ;o) And, I am blessed that my parents raised me to love God and do what it is right. (I ♥ y'all...Jack Maloy, Vickie Flanagan Maloy, Dennis Maloy, Karen Campbell, Nelson E. Campbell Jr.)

~ Nov 3rd: I am thankful that "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven." (Ecclesiastes 3:1) No matter what I face or what season I am going through in life, God has a reason and purpose for the experiences that I face. That is one thing that He has kept reminding me of this week as I go through this saga of my root canal. I may not understand all the obstacles or the why's, but He has a reason and purpose for this. Somehow, I believe that He can make something good out of all of it. So, I am thankful that I have placed my life in the hands of an All-mighty God with whom there are infinite possibilities. ♪♫ My life is in your hands. My heart is in your keeping. I'm never without hope. Not when my future is with you.

‎~ Nov, 4th: I am thankful that God has given my husband a good dependably job that He loves. In this economy where people are having trouble finding and keeping jobs, it is a God-send. Yes, it is highly probable that he will face danger every time he gets in that squad car and heads out. But the kids and I pray and claim this verse over him every day (along with the other Officers)..."For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways." Psalm 91:11 God's Word does not lie. And if it says that God will appoint Angels to guard and protect us, then He will do it. It is awesome to try to comprehend this promise. If only we could see it like Elisha's servant did...2 Kings 6:15-17, "And when the servant of the man of God was risen early , and gone forth , behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? And he answered , Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed , and said , LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see . And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw : and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha." So, I guess I am also thankful that God has appointed an Angel to guard and protect my husband on the job that He gave him. ♥

Really and truly, we all have so much to be thankful for in our lives. Sometimes we need to take time to count those blessings. Like the old hymn says, “Count your blessings, name them one by one, Count your blessings, see what God hath done!” If we took the time every day to find at least one thing to Thank God for, we would see how blessed we are and realize that we have more than one thing a day for which to be thankful.

That is one characteristic of many that I want to possess…an attitude of thankfulness. If I can be thankful in the little things, God will continue to bless me with more little things. And, eventually, those little things come together to make big blessings in my life. What a faithful, great and mighty God I serve! ♥

Bless The Lord, O My Soul…

2011-10-20T12:58:00.001-05:00

Psalm 103:1-3 KJV says, “Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's”

The Message translation says, “O my soul, bless God. From head to toe, I'll bless his holy name! O my soul, bless God, don't forget a single blessing! He forgives your sins - every one. He heals your diseases - every one. He redeems you from hell - saves your life! He crowns you with love and mercy - a paradise crown. He wraps you in goodness - beauty eternal. He renews your youth - you're always young in his presence.”

The NIRV says, “I will praise the Lord. Deep down inside me, I will praise him. I will praise him, because his name is holy. I will praise the Lord. I won't forget anything he does for me. He forgives all my sins. He heals all my sicknesses. He saves my life from going down into the grave. His faithful and tender love makes me feel like a king. He satisfies me with the good things I long for. Then I feel young and strong again, just like an eagle.”

I like how each of these translations bring out a different understanding of what we should bless or magnify and worship the Lord for in our lives.

First of all it starts out that our soul or everything from our head to our toe should worship or magnify the Lord. And, to worship and magnify His name because He is holy. To worship God, requires action on our part. To worship is to perform an act of glorification, love and adoration to God. To put is short and sweet, worship is showing God glory, love and adoration with our whole being from head to toe.

So, what are the thing we can worship God for? 1) For all His benefits. Don’t forget to thank and praise Him for a single blessing! Our lives are full of blessings. Take time to worship Him for them. 2) He forgives our ALL iniquities or sins. We are all guilty of sin and deserve punishment. But, He forgives ALL our sins and wipes the slate clean. 3) He heals ALL diseases and sicknesses. When we think of disease and sickness, we normally think of anything that disrupts the body from functioning normally. Which, He is capable of healing all disease and sickness of the body. But, spiritually we can have diseases and sicknesses of the heart/mind…He heals all of those also. 4) He redeems our lives from destruction or hell. To redeem means to “to free from captivity or punishment by paying a price”. This means, He paid the price so that we can be free and avoid the penalty of our sins. 5) He crowns us with loving kindness and tender mercies. He surrounds and reward us with His love, goodness and mercy. Psalm 23:6, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life…” 6) He satisfies our mouth with good things. The word mouth in this set of scriptures is translated from the Hebrew as ornaments or trappings. A trapping is an outward decoration or dress. He wraps and adorns our life with good things. 7) He renews and repairs us to a state of youthfulness. I found it interesting that the Hebrew word youth in this verse originates from a word that also means servant. He renews and repairs our lives so that we can have the heart of a servant once again.

We have SO much to worship Him for…we need to take time today to truly worship Him for these things. He deserves our worship…and not half-heartedly…but a worship that involves our whole being! ♥

The Prayer of Jabez…

2011-10-12T12:02:00.001-05:00

1 Chronicles 4:10 KJV, “And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying , Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed , and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.”

I have not read the popular book written about the prayer of Jabez recorded in this verse of scripture. I have read various view here and there about what exactly this prayer means and how to apply it to us today. This morning I read on a friend’s Facebook page that he was teaching his son how to pray and using the prayer of Jabez as an example. That spurred my curiosity to study the prayer.

From what I read, the prayer can be broken down into four parts. He prays that 1) God would bless him. 2) That God would enlarge his coast. 3) That God’s hand would be with him. 4) That God would keep him from evil and that it would not grieve him. And, the scripture says that God granted him that which he requested. It doesn’t say go into detail as to how God did it, but that He DID grant him his requests. In Luke 11:9 KJV, it says, “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek , and ye shall find ; knock , and it shall be opened unto you.” And, in James 4:3 KJV, it says, “Ye ask , and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” When we pray, God will answer…when we have the right purpose and motive. Just keep in mind though, that the answer may not be as we expect it to be. He always answers in a way that is best for us during that season in our lives.

1) Jabez prayed that God would bless him. What he prayed for was for God to freely empower, equip and prosper Him. We can pray that God would empower us to do great things for His glory. And, we can pray that God would equip us with the necessary attributes to do a work for Him. Also, we can pray that God would help us to prosper in whatever we do, giving Him glory in the process.

2) Jabez prayed that God would enlarge his coast. Well, the word “enlarge” is translated as “be or become great, be or become many, be or become much, be or become numerous”. And the word “coast” is translated from the Hebrew as “border, territory”. This is the part of the verse that I have read so much controversy over. What did it mean by coast? Some say that he prayed for more land. Some say that it meant to pray for more responsibility. A border is the outer edge the marks the outer limits of something. A territory can refer to a geographical location, BUT, it can also refer to the field of knowledge and interest. We can pray that God expands our knowledge. Helping us to learn more of Him and His Word so that we can be better equipped to reach those around us. We can pray that God helps us go beyond the normal limits and be extra-ordinary for Him.

3) Jabez prayed that God’s hand would be with him. The word hand signifies His strength and power. We need to pray every day that His strength and power be with us. In our own strength and power, we can not fight the spiritual battles we face from day to day. But, with God, there are infinite possibilities on what He can do in any situation in our lives. 1 Corinthians 10:4 MSG says, “The weapons I fight with are not the weapons the world uses. In fact, it is just the opposite. My weapons have the power of God to destroy the camps of the enemy.” We need the power of God to fight the enemy of our soul.

4) Jabez prayed that God would keep him from evil and that it would not grieve him. What he was praying was that he wanted God to work with him, ordain, prepare and make Him into something useful for Him…and that the evil would not mentally hurt him to the point that he was shaped into something not usable. The devil loves to cause mental pain and distress. Because he can then get you so distracted off of the will of God that you can not be useful for anything. We need to ask God to ordain our steps…work with us and mold us in a useful vessel that can pour out His love and power to those around us…prepare us for the trials that come our way so that we can be strong and do His will.

I may not be some great philosopher or “Doctor” on the subject of Biblical studies, but that is what I got out of the prayer of Jabez and how I can apply it to my life. I want to be able to teach my children the importance of prayer…how that the effectual, fervent prayers of the righteous gets results…how we can go to God with anything in our lives, with the right purpose/motive, and He will answer according to what is best for us and according to His riches in glory. I serve a great & might God with whom there are infinite possibilities! ♥

♪♫ He’s The Only Reason I Live…

2011-10-07T10:54:00.001-05:00

The following song has been on my mind this morning:

I've been blessed with so many things, God's been good to me
I have family and friends who share in all I do
But if I lose it all and I am left with nothing
If I have the Lord I know I'll make it through
Chorus:
He's the only reason I live, but oh, what a reason
He's the only reason I live, but oh, what a reason
There's nothing in this world worth living for
It only leaves you empty and longing for more
Oh, He's the only reason I live, but oh, what a reason
Verse:
Now you may have tried a lot of things to find real happiness
But if you've looked very long, then you know it can't be found
Until you find the Lord, in the power of His Spirit
Jesus will be your reason to live and He'll never let you down

I have truly been blessed with so many things. His goodness is really difficult to explain is just a few words. First of all, I woke up this morning to another day of opportunities to be a blessing to someone. And, I have a nice home, a beautiful SUV, a great husband, awesome kids, great in-laws, a wonderful church and church family…I could go on and on. But even more than that, I have great God who has supplied ALL my needs according to His riches in glory. If it were not for Him, my life would be in shambles. I would have no peace, joy or contentment. He is everything to me. I don’t even want to try to live my life without Him. I want the Word to be my guide and map to this journey in Life. And, I want adhere to what it says…not to just the part that I like and discard the rest. But, to apply it all to my life…striving to the best I can be fore Him. So that I can live my life and have it more abundantly in Him!

The devil will try to make us believe that this world has so much to offer…compromise our standards…change a little here or there. Oh, it may bring us satisfaction for a while…but in the end, it will leave us empty and longing for more. With Jesus, continual peace and contentment is available knowing that He is in control and that He will always be there whenever we need Him. He will not fail us nor forsake us.

I guess today is one of those days that I am overwhelmed in my heart with praise and thanks for all that God has done in my life. And, the fact that He isn’t even done yet! He has so much more He is going to do! He has a plan and purpose for me that is full of infinite possibilities! I am excited about living for God and I am going to bloom where He has planted me! ♥

Don’t Tune Out God…

2011-10-05T11:10:00.001-05:00

"It’s true that life today is complicated, exhausting and often heartbreaking. But ducking life through distractions with hours of mind-numbing and morally questionable TV is not the solution. Rather than making time for reading and prayer, we see what’s happening on Facebook. Instead of helping with the dishes, we check our email. After all, what could be more important than email? Instead of interactions we choose distractions. Why do you watch that junk they put on television? Is it really just an innocent distraction or is it a convenient way to duck out of the demands of life, including God's call upon you for growth, service and sacrifice, for loving Him and caring about others?” - Chuck Colson, “Turning On the TV, Tuning Out Life”

I read this excerpt from an article on Crosswalk.com this morning. It kind made me do a little re-evaluating. I know that I have been guilty of some of these same distractions. And, I can attest that they do draw you away from God and what He has for our lives. Sometimes, we need to step back and re-evaluate. How much emphasis are we putting on prayer and reading the Word? Are there thing in our life that are demanding our time in such a way that we are not being all we can be for God? Are we showing the love to others that we need to be showing? We have to remain focused on Him. We have to keep on praying…keep on reading/studying the Word…keep on loving as He would love. We can’t quit…not only do we need to make it, but there are others around us that need the love and encouragement to keep moving forward so that they can make it to Heaven also.

Galatians 6:9 MSG, “So let's not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don't give up, or quit.” Don’t allow things to distract you or wear your down. If you keep moving forward, you will see results in time. A crop of wheat doesn’t spring up overnight. It takes, cultivation, weeding, sunlight, water and patience. So it is with our walk with God. Our hearts need to be cultivated…”weeds” need to be removed…His light needs to shine on us, illuminating the darkness…His spirit needs to fill our hearts and overflow…and we need to learn to endure without complaining or resentment. Don’t worry, He has a plan and purpose. And, when the time is right, you will reap. ♥

My Life Is In His Hands…

2011-10-04T08:56:00.001-05:00

♪♫ My life is in your hands. My heart is in your keeping. I'm never without hope. Not when my future is with you. ~ Song by Kathy Troccoli

Life can bring its shares of heartache and pain. And, not to mention its disappointments. But, it is so reassuring that when we place our lives in His hands that it is safe and we have a hope and a future. Which reminds me of one of my favorite verses that I quote often and that has seemed to be my focus lately: Jeremiah 29:11.

KJV, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

NIRV, "I know the plans I have for you," announces the Lord. "I want you to enjoy success. I do not plan to harm you. I will give you hope for the years to come.”

MSG, “I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out - plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.”

NLT, “For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

I am SO thankful that my God has it all planned out. That the plan He has for my life is a plan of success, peace and good. He will take care of me. And, He has faithfully given me hope time and time again. And, my future is safe in His hands. No matter what comes my way…He will give me the strength, comfort and boldness I need to keep pressing on. What an AWESOME God I serve! ♥

God Wants To Hear From Us…

2011-10-03T13:48:00.001-05:00

♪♫ Who’s on the Lord’s side shout for joy. ~ That is the only line of the song that I can remember. But, the thought is still the same. I would much rather side with the one who has all power…than with the one who’s destiny is to eternally be a in a lake of fire. And to be on His side, I have to connect with Him daily. That way I can understand and follow His Word and His will for my life. And, I can teach my kids the truths of the Word of God.

This morning, I read “The Seeds of Jochebed” devotion to the kids before school started. The title of the devotion was “God Wants to Talk with Us”. It brought out that just as God had a desire to talk and walk with Adam & Eve in the Garden of Eden, He wants the same for us today. We shouldn’t let a day go by without talking to the Lord. As usual, we had a discussion afterwards. I brought out that even if we mess up or fail, He still wants to talk and walk with us. I used the examples of Jonah (which is still fresh on my mind from yesterday). Jonah ran from God, did his own thing and went against the will of God for his life. BUT, despite all that, God still wanted to use him. He still wanted Jonah to walk and talk with Him and do His will. I brought out that God has a plan for us. And even though we mess up and fail, His mercy endures forever. We can’t let the devil deceive us into thinking that because of our failures, God doesn’t want to hear from us and that we are no good. God’s love for us in unfathomable. And, when we turn from our ways and look to Him and consecrate ourselves to HIS ways, the possibilities of what He does in our lives is infinite!

So, take time to talk with God today. Even if it is in your thoughts. I reminded the kids today that God knows our every thought. So, when you pray in your mind, He still hears and knows. And, God in His faithfulness, will answer. Just talking about all this makes me want to take time to pray. He is such a great & might God…and I love Him so much. There is not enough words in my vocabulary to say about what He means to me. He truly is my everything.

As an added note, I want to say that I am so thankful for His Word. And I am thankful for those He has placed in my life to encourage me and help me stay focused on Him. Some of you may not even realize what an inspiration you are to me. But, I read various status updates on Facebook and so often they encourage me and inspire me. Which I often turn around and share with my kids to encourage them. The power of words – they can have such an impact on those around you. That is truly the reason why I choose “Edify, Encourage & Build” as a tile for my blog. Because, words that are encouraging and uplifting can make a difference is someone’s life…even my own. ♥

Excited & Encouraged–What a day!

2011-10-02T18:43:00.001-05:00

I always have so much to talk about, so, you’d think I’d be posting something on here every day. But, I guess I have been staying busy and learning how to manage my time better. I’ll squeeze in some blogging time this next week more often. We have a busy week ahead, besides homeschooling, we have a field trip and a camping trip coming up.

I am so excited and geared up with everything that is coming up. One, is that Matt Maddix is going to be at our church in November for a Soul Winning Rally! I am SO excited that there really is no other words to say than just that…”I am SO excited!” We are ready to take our city for Jesus Christ! It reminds me of the song by Mark Condon, “To the East we profess, to West we confess, the enemy and his kingdom must come down. To the North we cry out, to the South we will shout, the enemy and his kingdom must come down. We cannot be silent. We cannot sit by. We must take this city for the cause of Jesus Christ. We are bold, we are strong, we are ready to march on, through Christ, we will take this city.”

And, our services have been so great and uplifting. I am excited what God is doing my life and my kids. This morning, Brother Pitts taught about Jonah based on a book titles “Chased” by Pastor Rodney Shaw. It was So insightful! I learned some new things about that I never knew. The Bible talks about how the people of Nineveh we are wicked people. But, it was brought out this morning about some the rituals and practice of the people of Nineveh. No wonder Jonah didn’t want to go. There were so many good points brought out in the lesson. Jonah decided to run from God. He took the complete opposite direction, thinking that everything was going fine and dandy – his way. But, when God is not through with you, you are not finished. God used others and the methods of others to get Jonah’s attention, to wake him up…even though Jonah made some wrong decisions against the will of God…God still wanted to use him. You know, we do not think well when we are not consecrated to God or we are running from Him. We can make the wrong decisions and some of those may be life changing decisions that may alter things along the way…BUT, God is not through yet, He still wants to use you. We were made to serve and please God. And, when we begin to run from Him, our lives take a down-ward descent.

And, Pastor Lucas McManus once again preached an awesome, encouraging message. He talks about how we serve a God with infinite possibilities. God agenda for our lives differs from ours. We have all made mistakes and sinned. But, when we line ourselves up with God and let Him work in our lives, the possibilities of what He can do with us become infinite. If we trust in Him and cast our cares on to Him, He will do something great – He will restore us! We have to get our foot standing firm on the “Rock” and make up our minds on whether or not we are going to do things God’s way or our way. Yes, this may mean we need to step out of our comfort zone…but, with God, the possibilities or infinite! We must be willing to set everything aside and follow Him. In Mark 12:41-44, the widow gave her last mite. The Word of God says that she gave everything she had. Meaning, she gave everything that she possessed. It didn’t matter to her that she was left with nothing material. We need to have the same mind-set…what are we willing to let go of to be everything that we need to be for Him? We look at things and see the impossibilities and question what is going on. But, with God there are infinite possibilities! There is no limits to what He can do! The possibilities are endless, inexhaustible, immeasurable and fathomless! What an AWESOME God we serve!

I just love it when we can start the week off after service like this. God knows exactly what we need to hear. I am encouraged and excited about what God is doing. ♥

All My Praise & Worship

2011-09-28T12:25:00.001-05:00

We can get in a rut sometimes in our walk with God. We come to church Wednesdays and Sundays…we pay our tithes and offering…we praise Him and clap our hands. But, do we truly worship Him? We have the opportunity to move out of the “basement level” and into the upper rooms of His power and anointing. All we have to do is put Him first, trust Him to take control and begin to praise and worship with everything that is within us.

Praise is proclaiming how thankful you are for what God has done. Praise involves the words that we say. Praising God can be the easier part. Expressing with our words how thankful we are comes naturally for most people. But, learning to praise and thankful Him in everything can be more challenging. But, when you make it a habit, it becomes instinct after a while.

Now worship, on the other hand, involves our actions. Worship involves our whole being. And, for some people, stepping out and being bold in worship is more challenging. The devil will use insecurity and intimidation to keep them from worshipping God. Telling them that someone will laugh at them, be embarrassed by them or even that they will look ridiculous. I know this, because I have been in those shoes. And, one day, God spoke to me and told me that I need to worship and live for Him no matter if any one else around me did or not. It took me stepping out of my comfort zone and giving Him completely control to be able to boldly worship Him. So, what is worship? Worship is offering up honor and respect for who He is. It is magnifying and exalting Him above all else in our lives. It involves a passion, devotion and reverence for Him. It is showing Him how much we treasure, love and cherish Him. A couple examples of worship: In 2 Samuel 6:14-15, David danced before the Lord with all his might. And, He and the house of Israel began to shout for joy and blow the trumpets when the ark was brought back home. And, in Exodus 15:20-21, Miriam and the other women began to play the timbrel or tambourine and dance when they were saved from Pharaoh and his army.

It doesn’t matter what those around you are doing. Praise and worship Him anyways. Yeah, there may be some days that you have to step out and praise and worship when you don’t feel like it. But, if you take that step to do it anyways, God will bless you and you will begin feeling better about yourself and the situations you are facing. Saying that reminds me of a sermon I heard years ago in North Dakota Campmeeting. The title of it was “If you will, God will”. If we begin to make the step towards God, He will take the steps to us and meet us where we are. Yes, He already knows what you are facing…and, He already knows how you are feeling. But, He is not going to force you to worship Him. He will patiently wait for you to make that step. And, when you do, He already has showers of blessings waiting for you.

I don’t want to miss out on a chance to give Him the praise and worship He deserves. I don’t want to miss out on the blessings He has waiting for me. He is a GREAT & MIGHTY God and He deserves all my praise and worship and I am going to give it to Him. ♥

♪♫

In the secret place of the most high
That’s where I hide, that’s where I hide
More and more I long to be by Your side
That’s where I abide, that’s where I abide
I desire You in all I do,
My soul thirst for You,
I give my all to you forever
All my worship, all my praise I give my all, I give my all

Your Trial Has A Purpose!

2011-09-26T00:03:00.001-05:00

In 1 Peter 4:12-13 KJV it says, “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice , inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” The Merriam-Webster defines “fiery” as something that is liable to catch fire or explode; or easily provoked. The word “trial” is defined as: “a test of faith, patience, or stamina through subjection to suffering or temptation; broadly : a source of vexation or annoyance”. We have all been through fiery trials, and if you haven’t you will at some point in your life. It is those times that your faith is tested…it tried your patience…it can be an annoyance and very irritating to the point you feel like you are gong to explode. The Word of God says that we shouldn’t think it strange when we face these times. In other words, quit standing there wondering why on earth this is happening to you at this time in your life when everything was seemingly going perfect. Sometimes, the source of our trials is because of some fault of our own. Sometimes, the devil brings them our way with permission by God. (Job for example.) And, sometimes they comes from God by divine appointment to mold and shape us in His plan for our lives. No matter what the reason for your trial, it is important to understand that God IS still in control. God can use the circumstances and trials we face to reach other people. And another thing to also remember is that your trial you are facing is happening to you during this season in your life because God has plan for your life. And, His plan will bring hope, joy and a future in Him. Believe it or not, but God knows exactly what He is doing your life. We will never know the true beauty and victory of overcoming until we understand these things about the trials in our life. The best part of a trials is the results that take place when we overcome.

Hearing all these points this morning in the Adult Class, helped me to realize once again that God has purpose and plan. Even when I am faced with trials that leave me wondering what is going on. He DOES have it all under control. I am SO thankful for the trials I have faced and am facing and will face in the future. Why? Because that just means that God has BIG plans for me. And, He is shaping me into something beautiful for His glory, honor and praise! ♥

The Little Details Do Matter…

2011-09-21T13:41:00.001-05:00

I have a habit of watching and observing people. I guess it amuses and interests me how different people react to different circumstances. Have you ever noticed how people act or react when they are stuck with the “dirty jobs/tasks” or the unwanted jobs/tasks? For example a garbage man. That may be a job that most people would not want. But, there are some people out there who have that job either by choice or by necessity. A couple of weeks ago, we had a substitute trash guy. After he dumped the trash into the Garbage Truck, he very carefully set the trash can back where he picked it up and then took the time to put the lid back on neatly. Now, our normal trash guy usually picks up our and our neighbors across the street at the same time. He picks up the trash cans, throwing the lids down, dumps them and then what he does next drives my kids crazy. He sets ours back in the general vicinity of where he picked it up and leaves the lid laying on the ground. BUT, the neighbors trash can, he just tosses it back into her drive way and then drives off. My kids always ask me, “Why does he do that to her trash can and not ours?” My answer is simply, “I have no clue.” I am not a psychologist…so I really can not analyze his actions and come up with a good reason. But it amuses me how two people can act so differently about a job such as trash collecting. One takes the time to make an impression and for the other it is not a big deal…it’s just trash anyways.

Take my musings into another direction, it really does make a difference in how we act or react in even the little seemingly insignificant tasks. Who knows who may be watching and observing how you act in any given situation. I know as a Mother, my kids watch everything that I do. Especially since they are homeschooled and my husband works rotating nights, they spend more time with me than anyone else. So, I have come to realize just how important it is to watch everything that I say and do.

I heard a joke on a kids radio program the other day that said, “Why can’t you tell secrets in a garden? Because the potatoes have eyes, the corn has ears and the celery, stalks.” Our homes are like a garden. Our children have eyes and ears to see and hear everything that we say and do. And, they follow you and mimic everything that you say and do. So, we need to keep our garden (home) cultivated and free of weeds (sin). And, make sure that good fruit (fruit of the spirit) grows bountifully. ♥

Not My Will…But His. ♥

2011-09-20T16:08:00.001-05:00

I heard this song on the radio this afternoon. It had such a message to it that I thought I’d share it. When we try to do things our own way, we can really mess things up. But, when we hand Him the brush of our will…He makes a beautiful masterpiece.

♪♫♪♫♪♫

Life started out like a canvas

And God started painting on me

But I took the paintbrush from Jesus

And painted what I wished to see

The colors I painted kept running

And the objects were all out of size

I had made a mess of my painting

My way now seemed so unwise

So I brought my painting to Jesus

All the colors, the pieces so wrong

In the markets of earth it was worthless

But His blood made my painting belong

He worked with no condemnation

Never mentioned the mess I had made

Then He dipped His brush in the rainbow

And He signed it, the price has been paid.

When I gave the brush back to Jesus,

When I gave the brush back to Him

He started all over life’s canvas to fill

When I gave to Jesus the brush of my will

He worked with no condemnation

Never mentioned the mess I had made

Then He dipped His brush in the rainbow

And He signed it, the price has been paid.

He Has A Plan & I Am Running Forward!

2011-09-19T12:25:00.001-05:00

Jeremiah 29:11 KJV, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” This is one of my favorite scriptures. Life has a way of throwing us through a loop. Leaving us dazed, confused and wondering. But, this scripture reassures us that when we put our lives in HIS capable hands, He will work it all out. Life doesn’t always go the way we want it to go. And, sometimes, we make decisions that may steer us away from the the will of God. And, sometimes, those decisions are life changing. But, when we get to the point that we are determined to live for God, no matter what…even if we made the wrong decisions in the past…God still has a plan for our lives.

In this verse, the Lord says, “I know the thoughts that I think toward you”. He has a plan and a purpose that He has considered for our lives. Yes, we may make decisions that alters the plan along the way because we are not in tune with Him like we should be…but, if we get back on track with Him, the end result will still be the same. The plan and purpose He has for our life will still be a plan/purpose of peace (not evil) and it will still give us an expected end.

What does it means when it says “thoughts of peace and not of evil”. According to the Hebrew Lexicon, the plan/purpose He has for each of us is of completeness, soundness, safety, health, prosperity, tranquility and contentment. Not unhappiness, misery, distress, incompleteness and injury. God didn’t plan for our lives to be filled with those things. But, when we do not follow His leading and His will those things can become very prevalent in our lives. But, becoming consecrated and dedicated to Him and doing His will will bring peace and all the benefits of peace into our lives.

His plan/purpose for our lives will give us an expected end. This means that what He has planned and purposed for our lives will yield and produce hope and expectation of great things in our future. What is it that you hope to see happen in your life? What are the things that you think about when it comes to where you want to be in your walk with God in the future? Philippians 4:8 KJV says, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Surround your hopes and expectation around thoughts like these and you will soar to new ands greater heights in Him in your future.

I am thankful for the mercies of God that endure. Even when we have made decisions in the past that didn’t line up with His will, He can still take that plan/purpose He has and reapply it to our lives, making us into something great for Him. As I have mentioned a lot lately, I have this driving desire to be more dedicated and consecrated to Him than ever before. I want my thoughts and actions to line up with His Word and His will. I am excited about where he is leading me and I am not going to let distractions get me off track. I am running this race to the finish.

With that last thought in mind, I want to end this post with a couple scriptures and part of the lyrics to a song we sang in church yesterday:

Hebrews 12:1-2, “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” I want to lay aside the things that distract me, setting my eyes on the goal. And, run with endurance without resentment and complaining of the trials and hardships I may face along the way. But, I want to keep looking forward to Jesus, the one who originated this faith and desire in my heart and He is going to be the One who will perfect or complete it in me.

Philippians 3:14 KJV, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” I want to keep running toward the goal in the distance. Yes, some days it may seem that the goal line is further away than the day before, but I must keep running. There is a reward waiting for me at the finish line with my name on it…I must keep pressing forward no matter what obstacles I face along the way.

These lyrics seem like a good way to end this post…”I am running, running after You. You’ve become my soul’s delight. I am running, running after You. Here with you I find my life.” ♥

Sunday Recap…

2011-09-18T18:38:00.001-05:00

You know, there is something powerful about the blood in our body. Without it, there is no life in our body. So it is with the Blood of Jesus. There is such power in the blood. He died and shed His blood so that we can have remission of our sins. It is because of the blood of the Lamb of God that became a sacrifice in our place that we have eternal life.

Hebrews 9:22 NIRV, “In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be made clean with blood. Without the spilling of blood, no one can be forgiven.” I like what our Pastor said in his message this morning about his text, “Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin, without the cross there is no salvation, and without the Lamb of God there is no hope.” I am So thankful for the blood that washes our sins away and makes us clean, white as snow. I am thankful for the cross that paved the way of salvation for me and you. And, because Jesus became that sacrificial lamb, the Lamb of God, we have hope!

2 Kings 3:16-18;21-22 NIRV, “Elisha announced, "The LORD says, 'Dig a lot of ditches in this valley.'Do it because the LORD says, 'You will not see wind or rain. But this valley will be filled with water. Then you, your cattle and your other animals will have water to drink.'"That's an easy thing for the LORD to do. He will also hand Moab over to you…Now all of the people of Moab had heard that the kings had come to fight against them. So Moab sent for all of its fighting men. It didn't matter whether they were young or old. They sent for everyone who could carry a weapon. All of them were stationed at the border. They got up early in the morning. The sun was already shining on the water. Across the way, the water looked red to the men of Moab. It looked like blood.” When the Moabites got up in the morning, thinking that they were going to fight them and win, all those ditches that the Lord filled up with water, looked like ditches of blood. If you read on in the chapter, you will find that this illusion caused them to act in haste and the Israelites ended up defeating them. The Blood of Jesus saves us…it is our strength and our salvation.

One verse that was mentioned this morning that has been on my mind all this past week and that is Isaiah 53":5, “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” What a promise! That He took the punishment, bruising and pain so that you and I can have salvation and healing. Oh, what love the Savior has for you and I! ♥

My Happiness Is In Him

2011-09-16T08:57:00.001-05:00

As I opened my Bible this morning, sitting on the porch enjoying the cool breeze on this beautiful Texas morning, I began to read Psalm 146 (NKJV): “Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! While I live I will praise the Lord; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. Do not put your trust in princes, Nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help. His spirit departs, he returns to his earth; In that very day his plans perish. Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the Lord his God, Who made heaven and earth, The sea, and all that is in them; Who keeps truth forever, Who executes justice for the oppressed, Who gives food to the hungry. The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners. The Lord opens the eyes of the blind; The Lord raises those who are bowed down; The Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the strangers; He relieves the fatherless and widow; But the way of the wicked He turns upside down. The Lord shall reign forever-- Your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the Lord!”

As I read this, tears began to come to my eyes…remembering once again what an awesome God I serve. He is capable of doing anything. The only thing that God can not do is fail. When we put our trust in people and their abilities, we will be let down and disappointed. But, when we trust in God and His abilities…we will continually be amazed at what He is capable of doing in our lives. This same God who made the heavens and the earth and everything that is within them, loves us with such a great unfathomable love. And, this morning, I was overwhelming with that thought. Happiness is found when we seek His help and guidance…He provides us with everything that we need…He frees us…He opens our eyes…He raises us up when we are bowed down low…He watches over not only us but those that do not know Him like we do…He restores the fatherless and widows. What an awesome God we serve!

This song sums up my thoughts today. Jesus, is the reason I live. He has blessed me with so many things, for which I am thankful. And, my desire to be continually dedicated and consecrated to Him. ♪♫ He’s the only reason I live. But oh what a reason. He’s the only reason I live. But oh what a reason. There’s nothing in this world worth living for. It only leaves you empty and longing for more. He’s the only reason I live But oh what a reason. ♥

Desire & Determination

2011-09-15T11:06:00.001-05:00

I just love it when God has been dealing with me on something and inspiring me in a certain area and He confirms it through the preaching of the Word! I have had such a burning desire to become more dedicated and consecrated to God. And, last night, our Pastor used John 4:31-34 as his text. With John 4:34 being his focus, “Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.” He talked about how the driving motivation (desire) and determination in Jesus’ life was to do the will of God. That is the kind of desire and determination that I want to have. And, as our Pastor pointed out last night, I want to have in these areas of my life: 1) A life full of scripture, 2) a life full of His spirit, anointing and power, 3) a life full of the power of prayer, 4) a life full of faith; Walking by faith and not by sight, 5) a life full of living in obedience to Him and His Word. And, I want to have an attitude of thankfulness. And in addition to all that, I want to have the kind of predetermined determination that will change my situations I am facing.

The things that I desire, should line up with the Word of God. And, that includes what I talk about. Which is something that I have read a lot about on Facebook lately. Watching what we say and making sure that the words that come from our mouth are pleasing to God and are edifying and encouraging. My desires should also reflect the will of God in my schedule. How do I spend my time? How much time do I take out for God each day? There are 96 - fifteen (15) minute segments in each day. Subtracting the amount I need for sleep, how many of those am I dedicating to God? I must keep in mind that I am not my own to do with my time how ever I want…I was bought with a price and I belong to God. Using my time wisely is a requirement for me, as a child of God.

If God is going to be God of anything in my life, He has to be God of EVERYTHING. That means I may have to make some changes here and there…and let Him into the hidden areas of my heart. But, letting Him have complete control of my life will bring true happiness, joy and blessing that can not be compared to anything this world has to offer. He is an extra-ordinary God and He has extra-ordinary plans for me! ♥

Something In The Air…

2011-09-14T13:15:00.001-05:00

I grew up in a Pentecostal home in the 70’s during a time that the Lanny Wolfe Trio was prominent part of Pentecostal music. I used to listen to the records we had over and over again. I knew some of them by heart. One of them came to mind today and I thought that I would share it. My son tells me almost every day, “Mommy, may be today Jesus will come and take us to heaven.” or “Mommy, today may be Jesus will have Gabriel blow the trumpet.” This song reflects that anticipation.

Verse 1

The whispering winds seem to softly say, there’s something different about today. I wonder what can it be? The flowers lift their heads so high. As if to see something in the sky. I wonder what can it be? There’s something in the air. I can feel it everywhere. I know that there’s something in the air.

Chorus

Could it be that this would be the day that starts eternity the day that we’ve been waiting for so long. Could it be that yet today, the King of kings would turn and say, pick up that trumpet, blow it loud and strong. Could it be the soul in me and sense that soon it will be free, is that my soul that’s telling me, to look up in the sky and see. There’s something in the air. I can feel it everywhere. I know there’s something in the air.

Verse 2

Why do my feet feel so light today. As if they want to fly away. I wonder what can it be. My heart is light and my soul is gay. Just like a bride on her wedding day. I wonder what can it be. There’s something in the air. I can feel it everywhere. I know there’s something in the air.

~~~~~~~

We have heard it for years…Jesus is coming. And yet, we have been lulled to sleep by time. We get so used to living our lives day in and day out without that anticipation of Him coming back. The Word of God says that we do not know the day nor the hour when He will come…BUT, we know that He WILL come. I teach my kids that we need to live our lives every day as if we are expecting Him to come back at any moment. I want to be ready…waiting with anticipation and excitement. Can you feel it? There is a change in the air! There is just something different….Jesus is coming soon! ♥

Boundaries…

2011-09-13T13:46:00.001-05:00

“Boundaries are not restrictive fences meant to keep us from enjoying life, but gifts from a God who cares about our well-being.” I read this today and begin to think about the boundaries God has set for us as Christians. Then, I read the following set of scriptures. Which was talking about the state of Israel. The “hedges and boundaries” had been removed and they needed God’s mercy and grace to help them get back on track. Psalm 80:7-14 NIRV, “God of the angel armies, come back! Smile your blessing smile: That will be our salvation. Remember how you brought a young vine from Egypt, cleared out the brambles and briers and planted your very own vineyard? You prepared the good earth, you planted her roots deep; the vineyard filled the land. Your vine soared high and shaded the mountains, even dwarfing the giant cedars. Your vine ranged west to the Sea, east to the River. So why do you no longer protect your vine? Trespassers pick its grapes at will; Wild pigs crash through and crush it, and the mice nibble away at what's left. God of the angel armies, turn our way! Take a good look at what's happened and attend to this vine.” Here, Israel is asking God, why are you not protecting us?! Sometimes, we ask God the same things. “God, Why? Where are the protective hedges and boundaries you promises me?!” But, God is gently telling us…”They are not there, because you took them down.” He calls many to Him; to serve Him with their whole heart, to stay within the boundaries He has set, to repair those hedges so that they remain strong and to keep the hedges there. But, some chose not to do those things. Instead they are so anxious to see what is on the other side of that hedge of protection. They want to participate in what is going on the other side. And, they want to be a part of the “in-crowd” on the other side. So, after removing that boundary bit by bit, they are vulnerable to the things that brings happiness for only a season. These are things that will eventually pick them apart, crush them and nibble away at what little faith in God they have left.

You know, the Word of God is a precious gift. It is full of “boundary lines” that are meant to protect us from the things of the world and meant to keep us from the one who steals, kills & destroys. Those boundaries are there to keep us in a place where we can grow and flourish in Him and bear the fruit of spirit. And, there is no other place I’d rather be…safe within the boundaries that He set for me. ♥

Another Answered Prayer!

2011-09-13T12:10:00.001-05:00

Matthew 6:33, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." What kind of things shall work to your advantage and be placed in your life? Your NEEDS...not necessarily your wants (though He blesses you with some of those too)...but, in abundance, the things you need. What blessings come into your life and work to your advantage when you put HIM first!

Sometimes things happen and we get so stressed out and/or frustrated. We fail to stop, take a deep breath and take it to God before we worry and freak out. But, if we can just remember to praise and thank Him no matter what we are faced with, great things begin to take place in your our lives. And go to Him and let Him work in our situation rather than us trying to figure what we are going to do and how we are going to do it. This is something that I have heard preached all my life at church. Sang the song in church: What a friend we have in Jesus; Just a little talk with Jesus; God answers prayer; There is power in Blood, etc. But, God has opened my eyes to see these concepts in a whole new light and level. Over the last few months, God has tested me on this. Through the various things I have faced, I immediately went to Him and placed it in His hands and began to praise Him in advance and thank Him in all things. Yesterday was one of those such days. The weather had been cool last week, so I had turned the A/C off and didn’t need to use it. Sunday evening I turned it on because it was starting to get hot again. I woke up Monday morning and when I went outside, It smelled like something was getting hot. Not long afterwards, I realized that the smell was coming from the outside A/C unit. It had tried running all night and was not working properly. I knew it was going to be close to or over a 100 degrees on Monday. But the first thing that came to my mind was, “Thank you, Jesus that this happened now and not when it was 115.” Following, are the Facebook Statuses I posted…

~ One thing is for sure...we will save money on the Electric bill with the Air Conditioner out. I am thankful that it went out now than in the middle of Summer when it was 115 degrees outside. Ecclesiastes 3:1, "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven." STILL trusting God during this season. ♥ (Monday Morning)

~ I will bless (praise) the Lord at all times...not just when things are favorable or comfortable for me...but at ALL times. And, in everything I will give thanks...yes, it may be a little toasty in my home without an A/C...But, I am thankful that it went out now and not when it was 115. (Monday Afternoon)

‎~ I am thankful for the people that God has placed in our lives. One of the Officers came over this morning and fixed our A/C. It feels so nice & cool in the house now! ♥ (Tuesday Morning)

When we put Him first and seek after His righteousness, He will take care of our EVERY NEED. There is nothing too hard for Him. And, He loves to take care of His children. I serve a GREAT & MIGHTY God…and I give Him All the glory , honor and praise for the things he has done, is doing and is going to do in my life. Theirs is no other place I’d rather be right now, than living for God with every ounce of strength that I have. My desire to be completely dedicated and consecrated to Him. ♥

Prayers Requested For Texas…

2011-09-09T20:29:00.001-05:00

In Isaiah 41:18, it says, “I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.” This is my prayer…that the Lord grants this promise from His Word for the State of Texas. Many have lost homes, some have lost loved ones and others their fields destroyed because of all these grass fires.

So, I am asking all my friends from all over to help us pray that we get a lot of rain. Yes, I know that weather man and Farmer’s Almanac may say that there is no rain in sight. BUT, we serve a GREAT & MIGHTY God with whom ALL things are possible. And, when the children of God bind to together and pray in one accord…things began to happen! Thank you in advance for the thoughts and prayers for us here in the State of Texas.

Live Wisely!

2011-09-08T19:50:00.002-05:00

Ephesians 5:15-17 KJV, “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.”

The Greek Lexicon defines circumspectly as: “exactly, accurately, diligently; careful.” And, the Merriam Webster lists these words as synonyms for the word: “attentive, observant, vigilant, ultra-careful, ultra-cautious, prudent”. This tells me that we need to live our lives in such a way that we are accurately following the Word of God and being observant and careful on how we speak, act and dress…so that we do not give a false impression about how a child of God should live. We should live our lives like a fool (lacking good sense and judgment; unwise), but we should live our lives wisely…being discreet discerning, insightful, and prudent.

We need to redeem the time or make wise and sacred use of every opportunity and moment for doing good. Why? Because the times we live in are evil. There are filled with sin and immorality. We need to live our lives according to the Word of God so that we can let our lights shine brightly enough to show others the paths that they need to take to make it Heaven.

This means we should not be without reason or without reflecting on what the consequences of our actions would be and we should not act rashly. But, we should take time to understand what the will of the Lord is for our lives. He has big plans for each of us. But, we must take and interest and take the time to want to understand what that plan is…He isn’t going to force us to do what is right.

I have noticed more and more that sometime as Christians, we don’t think before we speak, act or maybe we don’t check our clothes in the mirror before we walk out the door. We are Children of God…we need to speak, act and dress like we are Children of the King. We are human, we are going to make mistakes. But, we need to strive to live our lives wisely.

What sparked my thoughts on this are some of the pictures I have seen on Facebook that some of my Christian friends post. They take pictures of themselves in provocative and unchristian-like manners and post them for all to see. They really are not doing themselves a favor. It saddens me to see Christians selling themselves short like that. Like the song says, “You’ve got to be in the “ship” or out. There’s no room to leave for doubt.” We need to take the time to ask ourselves, “If I say this…act like this or dress like this, is Jesus going to be smiling down on me?” Or what the popular saying was for a while, “What would Jesus Do?”

My deepest desire has become to be so consecrated and committed to Him that I can make a difference in the lives around me…that my light can shine so brightly for Him that it leads people to Him…He is the ONLY one who can heal every hurt, sickness and pain…calm every fear… and save the sin sick soul and make them clean and whole. Oh, I am going to make mistakes…let’s face it, I am only human. But, like Micah 7:8 says, “Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy : when I fall , I shall arise ; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me.” ♥

Growing Up In Him…

2011-09-08T09:43:00.001-05:00

I heard a quote on the radio yesterday that said, “You’re one young once, but you can stay immature all your life.” It is possible to “live for God “ all your life and be spiritually immature.

The Merriam-Webster defines immature as follows: lacking complete growth, differentiation, or development; unfinished; unknowing, unseasoned, untrained. God has given us His Word and Men/Women dedicated to Him to help us to grow spiritually, to understand His principles and develop in the talents He has given us. When we refuse that instruction or choose to do things our own way, we become unknowing (lacking wisdom & judgment), unseasoned (not empowered, strengthened and equipped) and untrained (diverted, misled & darkened). When we remain immature spiritually, we remain an unfinished product. God has such big plans for each of lives. But, sometimes we get diverted, misled and our hearts are darkened by circumstances. In 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 it says, "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen , but at the things which are not seen : for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." The things we tangibly see or the circumstances we face from day to day are only temporal. The things of this world will pass away and fade someday. But, the Word of God and the spiritually things of the “unseen world” will remain eternally. So, we shouldn’t let the circumstances we face hold us back from growing…but instead, use them as a stepping stones and a learning experiences. God uses our circumstances for that reason. Everything that we go through has a purpose. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” This means that there is set time for everything and a purpose for everything that we experience. I know that when I personally have looked over my past experiences I realize that they were there to make me stronger…not to hinder me or drag me down. And, sometimes we face certain things so that later on down the road we can help someone else.

Mandisa sings a song that I love to listen to named “Stronger”:

Hey, heard you were up all night
Thinking about how your world ain't right
And you wonder if things will ever get better
And you're asking why is it always raining on you
When all you want is just a little good news
Instead of standing there stuck out in the weather

Oh, don't hang your head
It's gonna end
God's right there
Even if it's hard to see Him
I promise you that He still cares

When the waves are taking you under
Hold on just a little bit longer
He knows that this is gonna make you stronger, stronger
The pain ain't gonna last forever
And things can only get better
Believe me
This is gonna make you stronger
Gonna make you stronger, stronger, stronger
Believe me, this is gonna make you ...

Try and do the best you can
Hold on and let Him hold your hand
And go on and fall into the arms of Jesus
Oh, lift your head it's gonna end
God's right there
Even when you just can't feel Him
I promise you that He still cares

'Cause if He started this work in your life
He will be faithful to complete it
If only you believe it
He knows how much it hurts
And I'm sure that He's gonna help you get through this

When the waves are taking you under
Hold on just a little bit longer
He knows that this is gonna make you stronger, stronger
The pain ain't gonna last forever
In time it's gonna get better
Believe me
This is gonna make you stronger

Words…They Have Such A Huge Impact.

2011-09-05T23:47:00.001-05:00

Proverbs 16:24 KJV, “Pleasant words are as an honeycomb , sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.”

The words that come from our mouth, should be pleasant. Meaning, they should be filled with encouragement, kindness, comforting, personable and full of love. These pleasant words should be as an honeycomb. I think that that is an interesting analogy. The consistency of honey is gummy or sticky. Our words should have a stick-to-it-ness. They should stick with a person and make such an impression that reverberates or reflects Jesus.

Our words should be sweet to the soul. Some synonyms of the word sweet are: cheery, gentle, kind, sociable, thoughtful and polite. Our words need to have those characteristics. So that they can be refreshing to the souls/people we come in contact with from day to day.

And, our words should be health to the bones. The very substance and structure of our words should be full of strength, liveliness of the Spirit, wholesomeness and cleanliness.

We have heard it said, that there is such a thing as the power of words. Proverbs 18:21 MSG says, “Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit - you choose.” We need to strive to make sure that our words are pleasant, sweet and healthful. That is just one of many ways that we can reach our world and make a difference in the lives around us. People have to deal with negativity every day…at home, at the office and sometimes even at church. We need to be the ones to make a difference. ♥

Called According To His Purpose

2011-09-05T14:42:00.001-05:00

Romans 8:28 KJV says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” I know that this is a familiar verse of scripture that most of us has memorized it. But, lately, I have been hearing and reading a lot about living to your potential in your calling and purpose. How so many us fall short of that potential, living only half of the dream of what we want and can be for God. It all goes along well with the book I just finished reading by Joy Haney (one of my favorite authors), Behold the Nazarite Woman. It really makes me think that God is wanting me to step up and be prepared for Him to take me to a higher dimension in Him. It is my deepest desire to be consecrated and dedicated to Him, withholding nothing. Like the old song says, “Withholding nothing, I give myself to you, Withholding nothing, to do the things you’d have me do. To live the way that you would live…Withholding nothing, I give myself to you.” I have been raised in the church, I was dedicated as baby, my Dad was a minister in North Dakota and Pastored a church in New Mexico for a few years and I have “lived for God” my whole life. BUT, my desire to live for Him has become so much more intense over the last few years. I have known that God has a plan and special purpose for my life. That is why I started this blog a few years ago. Got has given me the desire to study His Word and it is my desire to share it with everyone. But, lately, there is this “driving force” behind my desire that is pushing me forward. I am SO excited about the things ahead and I am determined to be what God wants me to be no matter what others may say or how they may act toward me because of it. God is calling me to a higher dimension and who am I to tell Him no. Why would I want to neglect the anointing and blessing He has for me?! Yes, there may be some opposition and some trials and tests ahead. But, as it says in Philippians 1:6 (NIRV), “I am sure that the One who began a good work in you (me) will carry it on until it is completed. That will be on the day Christ Jesus returns.”

The Merriam-Webster defines purpose as follows: “the action for which a person or thing is specially fitted or used or for which a thing exists; a function or calling” God has specially fitted us for a purpose. It is the very reason we exist. Beside the fact that we were created to worship and praise Him with our very being, He has a plan for each of our lives that gives us hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). And, when He calls us to His purpose and we heed to that call, we are promised that ALL things are going to work together for good. That means that no matter what we face, we are guaranteed that He is going to work everything out and turn it around for good. The life of Joseph in the Old Testament is a perfect example. God called him to purpose. His brothers sought to do him evil. But, in the end, God turned it around for good. God had His hand on Joseph’s life the whole time! In Genesis 50:20, Joseph tells his brothers, “You planned to harm me. But God planned it for good. He planned to do what is now being done. He wanted to save many lives.”

I don’t ever want to get to the place where I am satisfied where I am with God. I want to maintain a hunger and desire for His righteousness and strive to be in His will in every area of my life. I want to be more consecrated to Him than I have ever been before! ♥

Being Bold In Jesus Name…

2011-09-04T05:54:00.001-05:00

In Acts 14:3 KJV, it says this about Paul and Barnabas, “Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands.”

You read a lot about Paul in the New Testament. From his days as Saul, who persecuted the Christians to his conversion and then becoming Paul the bold Apostle. Over and over you read of his boldness. To be bold is to to freely speak, growing confident and showing assurance is that which you speak of. In other words, when Saul had his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus to persecute the Christians, He encounter something that He never had before in his life. And, it made such a HUGE difference in his life that He had no doubt in his mind the power of God Almighty. He grew more confident each day of what God could do in the lives of people. Why? Because Paul had been on the other side of this…He called himself the chief of sinners. He was killing Christians every chance he could when God got a hold of his life and changed him completely. So, he took his ability to be bold and began to use it for the Lord. Paul plugged himself into the power source of God’s power and glory and began to illuminate the paths of those around him. And, God used him to make a difference in the lives of many. He used him to many signs and wonders. You know, we serve the same God today. He has not changed. May be it is about times that the Children of God began to pray that God gives us the boldness of Paul. To be able to go and reach people making a difference.

Another great Apostle that comes to my mind this morning is Peter. Peter loved Jesus…but yet he denied even knowing Him when He was crucified. But, Peter realized the error of his ways and repented. And, from that point he remained connected to God. God used him to preach on the day of Pentecost. That was the turning point for the church. The power of God was poured out and ignited the soul of Peter. Peter became on fire for God and set out to reach those around him. In Acts 5:14-16, it tells of what a day in the life of Peter was like, “And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women. Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.” People lined the streets hoping that even his shadow would fall on them and they would be healed. The would come to him by the multitudes and every one of them were healed! Talk about being connected with the power of God!

Men like these knew the power of prayer in Jesus name. They knew that there was no other name under heaven that could save the people. The knew without a shadow of doubt that God was capable and willing to heal and touch the lives of those around them. And, they boldly went forth in Jesus name and made a difference! The only way something like this is possible is to remain connected to the power source. You have to have that connection to allow the current to flow. And, being completely dedicated and consecrated to God in every area of your life is the key to maintaining a powerful prayer life. It has to be all or nothing. You can’t be “patty cake Christians”…coming to church n Sunday morning and maybe on Wednesday to “play patty cake” with Jesus. You have to be dedicated and consecrated completely.

My desire is to make a difference in the lives around me. God puts people in our path every day that need Him. And, if we are in tune with Him…we will know who they are and He will gives us the boldness and the words to say to reach them You may say, but I am shy and I can’t just walk up to someone and talk to them. No, maybe YOU can’t…but God can. Let HIM be yours hands, feet and your mouthpiece. When we become so dedicated and consecrated to the point that a holy boldness comes over us…we will be used to many signs and wonders just as Paul and Peter were used. ♥

I Am A Masterpiece!

2011-09-02T19:29:00.001-05:00

“Be the person God created you to be--don't try to be like someone else. You are a unique one of a kind You so fulfill YOUR divine purpose and reach your God-ordained destiny. We are each fearfully and wonderfully made--a masterpiece of Divine Design!” – Ruth Harvey

Psalm 139:14 KJV, “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made : marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” The NIRV says, “How you made me is amazing and wonderful. I praise you for that. What you have done is wonderful. I know that very well.”

One thing I have said over and over is that God does not make mistakes. He has not made a wrong judgment of what character and abilities you are capable of. He has not made a blunder in the choices He has made for your life. He has not miscalculated the amount blessings or trials you encounter. He has not made an oversight and given you the wrong talents. He has not fumbled or lacked the skill in making plans of hope and a future for you. Need I go on? No matter what you are faced with…never allow the enemy to get you to believe the lies that God made a mistake in your calling and in the plans for your life. As a child of God, everything that you encounter has been for a reason. Every blessing AND every trial has a purpose behind it. And,sometimes we have to look a little harder to see what that purpose may be.

When you stand in front of the mirror, what do you see? Do you see all the things that you cannot be? As humans, we are going to make mistakes…BUT God does not. If He has called you to do something , He knows what He is doing. He wants to create a masterpiece in you with your divine purpose. Everything about you is fearfully and wonderfully made by God Almighty…you are His Masterpiece. He took tremendous care and exceeding thought into every aspect of your life. You are unique…you are one of a kind, extra-ordinary and phenomenal. How can I say all that? Because you were created by an extra-ordinary and phenomenal God who does not make mistakes.

So, next time you look in the mirror, think of what you CAN be for Him. You are a masterpiece of Divine Design. Step out in faith and fulfill your divine purpose. Be who God created YOU to be. ♥

Autumn!

2011-09-01T14:31:00.001-05:00

Autumn technically does not begin until September 23rd. But, it seems that I get the mind-set of Autumn once September 1st rolls around. Time to go up into the attic and get all my Autumn decorations down and redo all the floral arrangements around the house to reflect my love fore the colors of leaves in Autumn.

I have always loved the changing of the leaves in the Autumn. The beautiful green leaves change into various shades of red, yellow and brown. But, in actuality, the leaves are changing colors because they are dying. Then they fall to the ground. And, at our home, we have A LOT of trees. So, stay busy raking leaves.

But, you know, there IS a spiritual way to look at Autumn. As we grow in Christ, we go through seasons. Now they do not always comes in the order of Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, but they will come at some point in our walk with God. There are times we go through a time of renewal and growth…I think of these times as Spring. There are times that our we are maturing…this is our Summer season. Then, there are the times that we have to examine our lives and removed the “dead” things or the things that are hindering us and causing us to be sluggish and dormant in our walk with God…this is our Autumn. And, then there are those times that we are using our talents for God, use our time idly and become spiritually lifeless…this is our Winter season. No, matter what season you are in…remember, God is still there. Our Winter season, spiritually, seems to be the most difficult. Because, you begin to realize that you are not working to the capacity that God has planned for you. Frustration, depression and oppression can set in and make you feel like you are at your lowest point. Winter doesn’t last forever…Spring is right around the corner and there will be that time of renewal and growth. I came out of “Winter Season” not too long ago. I had allowed hurts and frustrations to get to me to the point that I withdrew and quit using my talents God had given me. But, there came that time of “Spring” when God opened up my eyes and helped me to realize that I need to let Him work and allow me to bloom once again.

But, as Autumn is sneaking up on us, I began to think…”What things in my life to I need to change? What things could hinder me from moving forward and cause me to be sluggish and dormant in my walk with God?” I want to be ready and willing for the change that God wants to bring. Yeah I may lose those “pretty green leaves” that look so vibrant”, but I will have glorious shades of “red, yellow and brown” as I allow Him to work through my life and remove the “dead things” so that I can once again go through a “Spring” time in the near future. ♥

The Meek Shall Inherit The Earth

2011-09-01T12:31:00.001-05:00

Matthew 5:5 (KJV), “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.”

Happy are those that are meek. The Greek Lexicon defines meek as: mildness of disposition, gentleness of spirit, meekness. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines it as: enduring injury with patience and without resentment. So, if you endure your circumstances with Patience (the habit of bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint), without resentment and with a gentle spirit you will come out on the other side of this circumstance enjoying happiness.

But, there is another added benefit to meekness. The verse says that those that are meek will inherit the earth. I like what Message translation says about inheriting the earth…”That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought.” There are so many promises and blessings that are available to us as Children of God. Those that are meek, inherit those things. It is like our birthright.

Don’t make the same mistake that Esua, in the Old Testament made. He sold his birthright during a time he thought he’d died of hunger for a measly bowl of lentil soup. That birthright gave him the right to the land, money, possessions and authority of his father when his father died. He gave up all that for a bowl of soup that would only satisfy him for a short time. So, why would we want to give up our birthright in Jesus for the anger, strife and discontentment this world has to offer? Oh, the devil will “pretty it all up” and make it look good and enticing…but the end thereof will bring destruction in your life. Our birthright in Jesus gives us access to His power, blessings, promises and wealth in having our needs supplied. He already paid the price with His death on the cross…those things are available to us now.

I am SO thankful for the Word of God and the encouragement it brings from day to day. My prayer today is Lord, help me to endure through my circumstances with patience, without resentment and with a gentle spirit. I want to inherit those things that can not be bought…those things that bring a lastly happiness that this world can not give. ♥

Look Up, Here Comes Your Miracle!

2011-08-31T10:25:00.001-05:00

"You face your greatest opposition when your closest to your biggest miracle." -T.D. Jakes

After I read that quote, the following song came to my mind:

Have you felt like giving up lately?
Is your head hung toward the ground?
Your so tired of fighting the pressures that are all around
Rejoice in the Lord, for it's times like these
You can rest assured, a great miracle's about to occur

Look up, here comes your miracle, the storm is almost over now
Lean back and rest in Jesus arms, for here comes your miracle

Child of God, you know the devil's gonna fight
Anybody who's serving God with all of their might
But don't you worry, for greater is He that is in you
And there's no power that can stop
The answer, and the miracle God has for you

Come on child of God, don't you despair
Lift up your head, here comes your miracle
Here comes your miracle!

~ You know, sometimes we can be faced with temptations and situations that we never dreamed we would have to deal with. They seemingly come from out of the blue. You may sit and wonder, “what on earth is going on?” But, when you are getting closer to the miracle God wants to perform in your life, the devil is going to try his hardest to get you off track. But, remain committed to God and trusting in Him and just watch as He begins to unfold a great miracle before you. He has a plan for each of our lives…a plan that brings hope and future in Him! ♥

Beyond imagination…

2011-08-30T17:44:00.001-05:00

Luke 1:27 (KJV), “For with God nothing shall be impossible.”

Ephesians 3:20 (KJV), “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think , according to the power that worketh in us.” The Message translation says, “God can do anything, you know - far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.”

This picture was posted on a friend’s FB page. And, it made me think that It just goes to show that when we think something isn't possible...He shows us that it is. Common sense would tell us that through all the dirt, sand, rock and asphalt, nothing could grow...but our God doesn't work on a common sense basis. He goes beyond what we ask and think and beyond our comprehension to show us what a GREAT God He is! It makes me think of a song…”Above and beyond…He is able to do exceeding abundantly more than we could think. Beyond our expectations and beyond imagination…by His power working in us…He is able to do above and beyond.” Our great faith in HIS abilities can trigger a chain reaction of His power to work in our situations like we have never seen before.

What an AWESOME God we serve! ♥

The Journey IS Revealing!

2011-08-26T12:50:00.001-05:00

I read a status update on a friend’s Facebook page this morning that said…”The journey is revealing…”. It made me ask my self, “What is my journey revealing to me?” In 1 Corinthians 13:2 MSG, it says, “If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing.” As I share my thoughts & ramblings, and share scriptures and do what I do is must be done in love. One thing that my journey has been revealing to me over the last several months and years is that an unconditional love is so important. Another, is to be thankful in all things.

This journey in life brings its ups and downs and its twists and turns. There are days you soar like an eagle and other days you feel like your feet are dragging along the deepest part of the ocean floor. But, no matter how your day is going, there is always room to be thankful and to love unconditionally. When we become selfless and pour ourselves out to thankfulness for even the littlest things and to loving others unconditionally, there is a joy that springs up within our soul. And, that joy overflows and helps us get through the tough days and helps us to soar through the good days.

I have often wondered, how do people make it from day to day with God being such an important part of their lives? They take no thought of who gave them the breath they breathe…they fail to stop long enough to see the beauty in the bee collecting pollen and transferring it to the flowers so that they can bloom in such a beautiful array of colors…or that the roof over their head, or the vehicle they drive and the food on their table comes from the One who loves them with such an unfathomable love. I try to take time every day to see these things. I have learned to cherish my God and His Word. For without them, I would have given up on life a long time ago. Jesus is the Constant in my life. What He is capable of doing and who He is will never change! He will always be the all powerful, loving, merciful God. He will always be right there for me every step of my journey.

I am SO thankful for God and His Word…and I am SO thankful for the opportunity to love others unconditionally as He would love them. My prayer is that the Lord helps me to continue to encourage others to be all that they can be for God. He is such a great & mighty God…and He has such great & mighty plans for each of our lives. We may look at our lives as average and not so special…but God doesn’t make mistakes…He is an extraordinary God…and He has extra-ordinary and above average plans for us! ♥

P.F.R.: Pray, Fast & Read the Word

2011-08-25T10:56:00.001-05:00

I am sure some of you have heard of the Christian group called PFR…aka Pray For Rain. I was thinking about that last night and I thought of another use for that acronym. P.F.R.”Pray, Fast, Read the Word. In order to be successful in our walk with God, these are the things we need practice daily. Great things begin to happen in the lives of those who take time to pray, fast and read/study the Word of God on an every day basis. Because, the closer you get to God, the more power that begins to work in your life to mold you and make you into a useful vessel for Him.

We hear it all the time. But, I know that I have been guilty of not praying, fasting and reading the Word enough. But, if we could only come to the realization of the Power of God that we unleash into our lives when we do these things.

A good example of the power of prayer is in James 5:17- NIRV, "Elijah was just like us. He prayed hard that it wouldn't rain. And it didn't rain on the land for three and a half years. Then he prayed again. That time it rained. And the earth produced its crops." Elijah prayed for the rain to stop and then he prayed for it to rain again. God answered his prayers. But, the thing in this verse that popped out at me was that this version says that Elijah was like us. He loved God, sought him and prayed. In James 5:16b KJV, it says, "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." Our zealous and "on fire" prayers SHALL produce the appropriate result! There is power in prayer!

Matthew 17:20-21 KJV says, “And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove ; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” The word howbeit means besides. You want to see great things happen? You want to see those walls come down and revival spring forth in your life? Pray & fast.

Luke 24:45 says, “Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures.” How did Jesus do this? He read the the Word in such a way that it helped them get their thoughts together and understand what the scriptures were telling them. That is what reading and studying the Word of God does. It helps us get our thoughts together and understand what we need to do to live for God. 2 Timothy 2:15 says, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” When you study something, you read it, you begin to grasp and comprehend it and you memorize it. Like it says in Psalm 119:11, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” Hide the Word of God deep in your heart like it is the great treasure in the world! Cherish it!

I am SO thankful for the prayer time that connects us to the ultimate power source…and for the time of fasting that breaks our will and gets us into a mind set of His will…and for the Word of God that can lead us and help us to become all that we can be for HIM! ♥

Giving…Brings Joy

2011-08-24T14:33:00.001-05:00

Acts 20:35 (NIRV), “In everything I did, I showed you that we must work hard and help the weak. We must remember the words of the Lord Jesus. He said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' "

I read a quote today that said, “Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more.” It made me think, God has blessed us with life. Our life is a gift from Him. And, we are given the privilege, opportunity and responsibility to give back to Him and to those around us. Why? So, that we can become more than just someone that exists. But, that we pour ourselves into helping, encouraging and benefiting those that we come in contact with from day to day. Really, there is such a happiness and joy in giving to others. I have found that if my day is not going like I want it to, if I take the focus off of me and my situation and help someone else…it makes a huge difference. Luke 6:38 NIRV says, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good amount will be poured into your lap. It will be pressed down, shaken together, and running over. The same amount you give will be measured out to you." When you began to give of your time and talents to others in need…you will be tremendously blessed. The joy you feel will began to overflow your life.

We live is a society that says, “gimme, gimme, gimme”. It is all about what do I get out of it if I do this or that. That kind of attitude may bring some sense of happiness or joy…but it will only last for a season before the whole cycle is repeated again. But, when you genuinely give (without expecting anything back) of your time and talents to assist others, there is a joy that floods your heart that lasts.

My prayer today is…Lord, help me to give or my time and talents, that you have blessed me with, to others. Help me to be the encourager and friend that I need to be. Let my life reverberate You in every way possible! ♥

What is going on?!

2011-08-23T14:15:00.001-05:00

So, I heard on the news that they are expecting Hurricane Irene to be a Cat 4 when it hits the East Coast. Then I read about the earthquake that hit Colorado not far from where we were a couple of weeks ago. It is the largest one felt in 40 years. Then, I heard about the earthquake that hit the east coast and was felt across several states. When I told my kids about all this, my son said, “You know what that means…Jesus is coming soon.” We have been hearing more and more stories like these. Record-breaking earthquakes and other natural disasters. Not to mention the wars and talks about wars that have been in the news. Oh and let’s not forget the droughts in many states and the unusually high Summer temps. So, the scriptures that came to mind are Matthew 24:6-8, “And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled : for all these things must come to pass , but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.”

We are definitely living in the end times. One day, Jesus is going to look over at Gabriel and tell him, “Blow that trumpet. It is time to bring my children home.” I really believe that. Why do think that churches across the World are having revival and such spirit-filled services? Acts 2:17 says that in the last days, God is going to pour out His Spirit. Great and mighty things are happening all over and this is just the “tip of the iceberg”! But, you must also realize that the devil realizes that his time is short and he going to work extra hard to steal, kill and destroy. He is wrecking havoc in the lives of adults and children alike both in the church and out. And, he is trying to infiltrate churches any way that he can to tear them apart and cause discord. So, now is that time more that ever before to seek God and pray and fast. It is time to bind together in unity.

I am so thankful for our Pastor (and his family) and for a church that is in tune with what God is doing and going to do in the days, weeks and months to come. I am excited to be a part of the unprecedented revival that is taking place in our city…I believe it and claim it in JESUS name! ♥

He has shown us what is good and required!

2011-08-22T14:19:00.001-05:00

Micah 6:8 KJV says, “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.”

God has shown us what is good and what is required of us. And that is to do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with Him. Seems simple enough to me. But, I like to break things down sometime to help me understand it even more.

First of all, He has shown us. This means that He has proclaimed, expounded on and declared it. Where? In His Word! The Word of God shows us how we must live our lives.

He has shown us what is good. The Word of God shows us the things that are appropriate and becoming for us. It also show us how to act in order for us to be happy and prosperous. It helps is have an understand in how we should speak, act and dress. It is rich in wisdom. It lays out for us what we should do to be pure, morally good and upright.

He has also shown us what is required of us. We must do justly…love mercy…and walk humbly with Him:

What does it mean to do justly? This means that we are to conform to a standard of holy living. 1 Peter 1:15-16 says, “ But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written , Be ye holy; for I am holy.” Jesus is our example. He has called us to a purpose. And just as He, who has called us is holy, we are to strive to be holy in everything that we do. All holiness is, is conforming to the will and nature of God. And, it has to start on the inside, in the heart. Once you get holiness down on the inside, it overflows to the outside.

Also, we must love mercy. In other words, we must love goodness, kindness and faithfulness. When you love something, you boast or talk it up. In Psalm 34:2, it says, “My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.” We need to fall in love with His merciful goodness, kindness and faithfulness and boast about it. Psalm 107:31 says, “ Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!” Psalm 117:2 says, “For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD.” And, Psalm 89:1 says, “I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.” Praise Him and sing of His mercy! Tell others what a great God you serve!

And last but certainly not least, walk humbly with Him. Well, to be humble means to NOT be arrogant, proud, haughty or showy. In Romans 12:3 (NIRV), it says, “…Don't think of yourself more highly than you should. Be reasonable when you think about yourself…” And, Proverbs 16:18 (KJV) says, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” And, Proverbs 13:10 (MSG) says, “Arrogant know-it-alls stir up discord, but wise men and women listen to each other's counsel.” Those that are humble are not likely to conduct themselves in a way that draws attention to themselves. The humble will endure with patience and without complaining or resentment. The humble will take correction and apply the necessary changes without grumbling and taking offence. Now, the Hebrew Lexicon defines humbly as “humble, modest”. I have already given a definition for humble, but what does it mean to be modest? To be modest is to be free from inappropriate, unreasonable, unchaste and indecent behavior. Our behavior involves more that just how we act. It involves our attitudes, manners, habits, fashion or attire, and speech. All those areas of our life need to reverberate modesty…being appropriate, reasonable, chaste and decent.

Appropriate - In proverbs 21:3 KJV it says, “To do justice and judgment is more acceptable (appropriate) to the LORD than sacrifice.” In the MSG it says, “Clean living before God and justice with our neighbors mean far more to God than religious performance.”

Chaste - I Peter 3:2 says, “While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.” People need to see that our manner or life is pure from carnality and see that it is coupled with a reverence for God.

Reasonable – Romans 12:1 (KJV) says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” I love what the MSG says, “So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life - your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life - and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.”

Decent – To be decent means to conform to a high standard or morality or virtue. Our attitudes, manners, habits, attire/fashion and speech needs to conform to a high standard or morality or virtue. It needs to be suitable, marked by graciousness, pleasing to the Lord, free from obscenity, right-minded and principled.

Now, I know that all that info may seem redundant, but in reality, the Word of God intertwines its principles. They all connect in one way or another. I guess that is why I love to study the Word of God and simplify it. I have the opportunity to see a verse differently and it always can be applied to what I may be going through at the time. I cherish the Word of God and I am SO thankful for the privilege to have it so readily available any time that I need it. ♥

My Barn Full of Hope & Treasures In My Heart…

2011-08-21T19:56:00.001-05:00

I just want to take some space here and recap (in my own words) what I got out of the services this morning.

This morning, Brother Haner taught on “A Barn Full of Hope”. His text was Haggai 2:19 (NIRV), “Are any seeds still left in your barns? Until now, your vines and fig trees have not produced any fruit. Your pomegranate and olive trees have not produced any either. " 'But from this day on I will bless you.' " You may think, that there is nothing to show for the seeds that have been planted. There are promises that God has given you and yet nothing is happening! This scriptures gives us the hope that even though there is no fruit showing yet, there is hope…He will bless us and complete the work that was started. But, you may say…I feel like I have been cut down to nothing like a tree that has been cut down, leaving nothing but a stump. Job 14:7 says, “For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down , that it will sprout again , and that the tender branch thereof will not cease .” God will complete the work that was started. Don’t allow yourself to be distracted and drawn away. And, if you have fallen by the wayside and strayed from the paths you know are right, 2 Chronicles 7:14 (KJV) says, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” Thank you, JESUS, for the hope that you give no matter where we are on this path called life!

Now, the preaching was equally as encouraging. But, then when isn’t the Word of God encouraging? Brother Hammack preached from Matthew 6:21 where it says, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” I know that we have heard this scripture quoted many times. But, stick with me for a minute and let me do what I love to do…break it down a little bit. In this verse, treasures are things that are accumulated in our hearts, like attitudes, thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes or endeavors. Our treasures determine what is in our heart and what is in our heart will eventually show itself through our communications and actions. So, our treasures need to radiate Jesus. The amount of energy we put into carefully choosing the treasures that accumulate in our heart will affect the results of how effective we are in working for Him. We have to make a choice. Who are we serving. Are we serving God or are we serving the “god of this world”. Are the treasures of this world more important to us than taking the time to pray, read the Word of God and reach out to those around us? Here’s a good example: If you go panning for gold and come up with fool's gold, what you have is something that may look good and pretty, but it is not really valuable in the end. You just have “fake gold”. But on the other hand, if you come up with real gold, you have something that is truly beautiful and valuable. Our treasures (our attitudes, thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes or endeavors) can either be a facade of good Christian or they can reflect the real deal…a life that reflects Him.

Wow! I am SO thankful for Men of God who follow the leading of the Lord and preach such encouraging messages. I serve an AWESOME God and He always knows just what things I need to hear to keep me moving forward! ♥

Success - God's Way

2011-08-20T12:50:00.001-05:00

By Mary Loudermilk

Most people would readily admit that they desire to be successful and prosperous in life. Some will attain their aspiration while others will not. What separates the average from the achiever?

The wise person plans for success by setting goals and then working to achieve those goals. This may be through education, special training, self-discipline and other means. Each one's definition of what success means to them will differ and the steps to reaching their personal goals will also differ. Whatever the objective, it is achieved through diligence and effort.

As a child of God, we desire to be successful and prosperous in our walk with Him. Like success in everyday life, spiritual goals are reached when we plan and pursue them. We focus on things that will draw us closer to our objective. In our pursuit, we will face obstacles. Spiritual growth does not come without persistence and effort.

Joshua 1:8 says, "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."

If we look at the various phrases within this verse of Scripture, we can discover steps to spiritual blessing and prosperity. They come from immersing ourselves in the Word of God.
We internalize the Word and allow it to flow from us. It becomes part of our daily speech.
We continually, day and night, meditate on the Word. We ponder its meaning, mull over it, and even mutter it softly as we think on it.
We obey the Word. We guard and protect its truths and keep them in our heart.

James 1 explains it this way: "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." The passage goes on to talk about a person who looks in a mirror, sees his image, and then forgets what he looks like as soon as he walks away. When we are hearers of the Word only, we quickly forget what kind of person we really are as soon as the sermon is finished. We deceive ourselves and remain unchanged.

The person who acts upon what he hears finds blessings and prospers in the Lord. "But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does" (James 1:25).

It is only when the Word becomes part of our very being that we prosper and find success in God.

The Blessings of Modesty

2011-08-20T12:48:00.001-05:00

By Marcia Jackson

In a culture of extremes, modesty can be a shining contrast of an abundant life. By definition, modesty is the freedom from excess or extreme, further described as purity, decency, and staying in bounds. Adhering to a standard of what is considered proper behavior brings many blessings that include God's favor, peace and security.

Freedom from excess can be applied to our everyday life - how we dress, eating habits, activities, working, sleeping, etc. Philippians 4:5 instructs us to "Let your moderation be known unto all men." We can exhibit "extreme" behavior when we overly display our body by a lack of appropriate clothing. Our body's natural balance or "homeostasis" (the maintenance of normal, internal stability), can be disrupted by too little sleep, lack of exercise, and improper dietary habits. Exposure to prolonged stress can compromise our immune system and increase our risk of disease and death. We need a balanced lifestyle to live in moderation or the "absence of extreme."

Boundaries insure our safety and security spiritually, physically, and emotionally. The Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:12-17 establish guidelines of protection. "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. Thou shalt not covet ... anything that is thy neighbour's."

To maintain an orderly environment, we must follow standards of moral conduct in the workplace, the business arena, and in the home. We are instructed to obey the laws of government (I Peter 2:13) and to obey those that have rule over us (Hebrews 13:17).

Decency refers to what is proper, respectable, fair and kind. Purity can be applied to chaste behavior, providing protection from out-of-wedlock pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, and lasting emotional scars. Titus 2: 3-5 offers these guidelines: "be discreet, chaste, and keepers at home."

Balance, or moderation, results in unlimited blessings in every area of our lives. God has promised us peace, protection, and provision as we follow His instructions.

Scars…

2011-08-19T15:49:00.001-05:00

I heard a quote the other day that has stuck with me…”Scars remind us where we've been. They don't have to dictate where we are going.” A scar is a mark left resulting from damage or wear. We all have scars in our life. Scars from faults or mistakes we’ve made…some are scars left from discouraging and distressing situations we have faced…some scars are left by the way you were treated by another person in your life. When we see these scars they remind us of the those situations and feelings all over again. BUT, those scars do not have to dictate where we are going in life. They do not have to order or direct our steps. They do not have to hold us back from being something great for God.

Psalm 37:23 says, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.” But, you may say that the scars in your life prove that you are not a good man/woman. That is where you are wrong. Those scars just show you that you have been through some situation that left a mark on your life. But, they do not determine who you are a person. Jesus had scars…on His hands and feet. And, every time He looks at those scars He is reminded of the sacrifice He made for you and me. And, to Him, it makes it worth it all. So, start looking at your scars in a different light. Those scars can be a turning point and learning time for you. How did you get those scars? How can you move forward in the direction that God is calling you to go? The words “good man” in Psalm 37:23 are translated "strong man (with the emphasis on the strength and ability to fight)”. Are you just going to sit back and allow those scars to direct and order your steps? Or, are you going to fight back the negative, degrading thoughts and allow God to order and direct your steps from this point on?

From another stand point, there are some scars that you can look at and see the God has led you down a path that has left a positive mark on your life. Those are the scars on your knees. Living a life of prayer is so beneficial. There is a saying that I am sure many of you have read at one time or another that says: “Much prayer, much power. Little prayer, little power. No prayer, no power.” That is so true. In order to have a successful life living for God, you have to be plugged into the power source. Prayer is the conductor between you and God. It allows that power to easily flow from Him to you.

I am so thankful for the “scars” in my life. It helps me to see where God has brought me from and where He is leading me. He is an awesome God that deserves our highest praise and devoted worship. ♥

After God’s Own Heart…

2011-08-18T07:34:00.001-05:00

Acts 13:22b says, “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill all my will.”

I have always heard it preached that David’s was a man after God’s own heart because he had a spirit of repentance. No matter what he was faced with and what mistakes he made, he had a repentant heart. But, I Pastor McManus brought out so much more last night during the Wednesday Night preaching. Yes, David had and heart of penitence…he was sorrowful for his sins and faults. He was ready to acknowledge when he made a mistake and didn’t pass the blame onto anyone else. He admitted his foolishness in some situations and his wickedness in others. He understood that God had mercy and he knew how to respond to it.

David was also a man of worship. He didn’t just praise God for what he had done in his life…He worshipped God for who He was. In 2 Samuel 12:20 when David heard that his child was dead (in a result of his sin), instead of blaming God or turning from God, he did the unexpected. It says that “David arose from the earth, and washed , and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped…” And, in another instance, when David wanted to build a temple for God, God told him no that his son would be the one to build it. David could have thrown a pity party. But, instead, he worshipped God. It makes you think…How do we handle it when we sin and God corrects us…or how do we handle disappointments that come our way?

David was also a servant. Acts 13:36 says that David served his generation. He rendered himself useful to others. To be a servant, you must be favorable, helpful, worthy of trust and reliance and to give respect to those that rule over you.

David realized that the goal was to fulfill the will of God and not his own. Isaiah 55:8-9 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Even though sometimes we think that we know what we are doing and what we want in this life, we must remember that God’s thoughts and ways are higher than our. What He wants for us in life is going to be so much better than what we want…and better for us in the long run. And, it is the will of God for us to go and tell the world about His love, mercy and to reach out to those that are lost and hurting. Matthew 28:19-20 says, “Go ye therefore, and teachall nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost (which is in the name of Jesus…Acts 4:12) Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo , I am with you always , even unto the end of the world.” As Mark 16:15-18 says, “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved ; but he that believeth not shall be damned .And these signs shall follow them that believe ; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” And last but not least, Matthew 5:14-16 says, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid .Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” We have a big responsibility to fulfill the will of God in our lives. Like it says in Hebrews 12:2…we need to look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Examine how He lived His life. Knowing what lay ahead of Him, the cross, the suffering and the shame…He still moved forward, enduring. Because in the end, it would be worth it all. And, as the old song says, “It will be worth it ALL when we see Jesus. Life’s trials will seem so small when we see Christ. Once glimpse of His dear face and all sorrow will erase. So let us run this race, ‘til we see Christ!” ♥

Just A Little Bit Of Faith!

2011-08-17T14:26:00.001-05:00

Matthew 17:20 KJV, "And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove ; and nothing shall be impossible unto you."

The Message translation says, "Because you're not yet taking God seriously," said Jesus. "The simple truth is that if you had a mere kernel of faith, a poppy seed, say, you would tell this mountain, 'Move!' and it would move. There is nothing you wouldn't be able to tackle."

When are some of us going to take God seriously? All power in Heaven and earth belong unto Him...All things are possible with Him. So, why do we sometimes sits idly and have our pity party with pout soup? Whatever you are faced with...whether it be financial, emotional, relationship problems...nothing is too hard for Him! Like the verse says, the simple truth is this...you just need a little bit of faith. And, you couple that faith with the powerful name of Jesus and great things can happen!

There's a song that says, "Faith, faith, faith...just a little bit of faith. You don't need a whole lot. Just use what you've got. Faith, faith, faith...just a little bit of faith." Just a little bit of faith in JESUS can go a long way!

I encourage you to find and read the book, "Great Faith" by Joy Haney. It is an awesome that can help you realize just how much a little bit of great faith can do. ♥

Setting My Love On Him!

2011-08-15T18:28:00.001-05:00

Psalm 91:14-16, "Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high , because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation."

When something is set, it is bound to something else. It is firmly secured and immovable. That is how our love for Him should be...nothing could pry us apart from Him.

When our love is set on Him, He will deliver...He gives us a way of escape and brings us into a place of security. And He will set us on high...place us in an inaccessibly high place safe from the enemy.

We can call His name and He is there to answer. Yes, it may not always be the answer we want...but it is the one that is best for us during that season in our life.

When we are troubled and in distress, He is there with us every step of the way. Distress is a general term for pain, discomfort, trial, heartache, torment, travail, etc. The list can go on and on. The point is, that no matter what it is, He IS there!

He will deliver us. In verse 16, the word deliver is translated to mean: to be equipped, to be strong, to brae up, to pull out or tear out, to rescue and/or set free. Once again, that covers a wide spectrum of what our God is capable of doing for those who set their love upon Him!

He will satisfy us. He will make sure that we are filled in excess of the things we need. He will enrich our lives beyond our comprehension.

He shows us His salvation. He guard us...He dispatches His angels to watch over us (Ps. 91:11). We have redemption. He provides us a place to recovery from the toll that sin can take on our lives.

Reading scriptures like this encourages me to keep on moving up higher...It builds me up in my spirit...and gives fuel to the fire in my heart to live for Him no matter what comes my way. What an AWESOME God we serve!

Vacation…Counting My Blessings Once Again.

2011-08-11T11:41:00.001-05:00

Vacation was great. We took a week and went to Red River, NM. We enjoyed the mountain air and temperatures. It was much cooler than Texas. The kids had a “list” of wildlife that they wanted to see while we were there. Which included elk, deer and bear. Not a big list but they wanted to see the elk and bear especially since they don’t see those in the wild in Texas. So, I said a little prayer that the Lord would allow us to see those things so that the kids would have that opportunity. And, our God, being the great & awesome God He is, allowed us to see that and more. The kiddos had the opportunity to see: Antelope, lots of Deer, Big Horn Sheep, a wild Turkey family (Daddy, Momma and 7 babies), lots of Elk (including a huge herd of about 50 or more), Chipmunks (I wanted to bring one home and call him Alvin…Lol), lots and lots of Hummingbirds (which my daughter had never seen before), Wild Horse (6 brown and one white) and as we were leaving a Black Bear! Now, how is THAT for God answering prayer?!

But, I am glad to be back home…even though is like a furnace outside here in Texas. I do count my blessings to have had the opportunity to see the mountains once again and to enjoy the cooler temperatures if only for a week. It reminded me that our God is SO great! His creation of “nature” is like a masterpiece artwork. The colors and hues are just right…the perspective and beauty are perfect. Everywhere I looked, I saw his handiwork. I felt so close to Him when I took it all in…it was all created for His pleasure…yet we have the privilege of enjoying it also. And, I know that I do not have the mountains in my backyard here in Texas. But, if I take the time, I can see the beauty, despite the heat and damage it has done to my yard. For everything He has created is beautiful…even you and I. For we are each fearfully and wonderfully made. For Psalm 139:14 (KJV) says, “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made : marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” The word fearfully means to cause astonishment and awe. We are created in such an astonishing way. It still amazes me when I study with the kids in their homeschooling how the body works. It is really an intricate and awesome thing. And, His works are marvelous. The things He does in our lives and in nature around us are really beyond our power and comprehension. Maybe I am “weird like that”, but I often think about things like that around me. The way that He created things to be and function really keeps me in awe of His greatness. Therefore, my soul knows right well…or should I say that I worship Him in adoration of the greatness of ALL He has done in me and the world around me.

I am thankful for this opportunity we had to take this vacation. And, I know that He is a GREAT & MIGHTY God and I am SO glad to be able to call Him MY God! He knows everything about me…He knows my strengths and weaknesses…and He knows just how to make everything work out for good. What an AWESOME God He is! ♥

Once Again…Reflecting.

2011-07-31T22:50:00.001-05:00

Well, I went to the Ladies Life Conference in Denison on Saturday with some ladies from the church. Our Pastor’s wife was one of the speakers and she did an awesome job. They had a session there for girls also. So, my daughter came with us. She had a blast! I am thankful for the opportunities we have to fellowship with other godly ladies and have ladies’ conferences like this one. It was definite blessing to me.

Many of us have heard the parable of the lost coin. In Luke 15:8-10 (NIRV), “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. She will light a lamp and sweep the house. She will search carefully until she finds the coin. And when she finds it, she will call her friends and neighbors together. She will say, 'Be joyful with me. I have found my lost coin.' I tell you, it is the same in heaven. There is joy in heaven over one sinner who turns away from sin.” This is what came to my mind this evening when I was reflecting on the services today. We had an awesome service this morning. As my son later said, “It was a wild one.” I went over to pray with this young lady and the power of God began to fall upon her and those that were praying for her. This was a young lady whom the devil has dragged through a lot of junk. When the power of God came over her and she began to speak in tongues, it was a beautiful sight. She received an good blessing of the Holy Ghost. I am excited to see what God is doing in Greenville! And, I am excited about God taking us to a higher dimension in Him in the process. We are going to bloom where God has planted us, in JESUS name!

Tomorrow starts another week, and what an awesome way to start out the week. I am so thankful for the many blessings in my life and for the place God has placed us during this season in our lives. I am looking forward to the week ahead and anxious to see what God has for us! ♥

Mind Renovation Underway…

2011-07-28T09:26:00.001-05:00

I know this post is quite lengthy. But once I started studying this particular verse, I realized that there was so much good info to add that I just kept going. I hope that you get as much out of it as I did. And, as usual, please forgive an typos and grammatical errors. ♥

Romans 12:2 KJV, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary has several definitions for the word “conform”. 1. to give the same shape, outline, or contour to; 2. bring into harmony or accord; 3. to be obedient or compliant; 4.to act in accordance with prevailing standards or customs. In Romans we are instructed to not conform to this world.

#1, we are not to give the appearance of the having the same shape, outline or contour of the world. A contour is a line that traces the outer edge of another object. We should be a traced image of the world and all its styles and characteristics.

#2, we should be be in harmony or accord with the world. Our lives should not be playing to the tune of the world…harmonizing with their melody. Our thoughts and attitudes should not be interwoven with theirs.

#3, we should not be obedient or compliant with the world. We should not be so ready and willing to adapt to the ways of the world. The ways of the world are not God’s ways. His ways are higher than our ways. And, we should strive to be what He wants us to be, not adapting to what the world wants us to become.

#4, We should not act in accordance with the customs and standards of this world. We should not be consistent with the practices and procedures of how the world conducts their lives. Our lives need to be consistent with the Word of God.

Next, we are to be transformed by the renewing or renovation of our mind. The word “transform” also has several definitions. 1. to change in composition or structure; 2. to change the outward form or appearance of; 3. to change in character or condition; 4. to cause (a cell) to undergo genetic transformation.

#1, we renovate our minds to the point that we change the arrangement of our thoughts. And, we change the manner in which we think. Every structure or building need some load bearing walls that are strong enough to with stand the pressure and weight put upon them. Our mind need to be the same way. We need some strong principles to be instilled into our thinking that are strong enough to withstand the things we face in our minds that have the potential to bring us down.

#2, we need to renovate our mind to the point that is changes our outward appearance. When someone looks at us, they should be able to tell who we are as a Child of God. When you see someone dress in “fatigues”, combat boots, etc, you assume that they are in the military. When people look at us, who do they see? Our outward appearance not only involves our attire, but demeanor. Our actions cans speak volumes over any words we may say. How we portray ourselves in our attitude also needs to go through a renovation sometimes.

#3, Our minds needs to renovated in character and condition. Our character distinguishes who we are as a person. It involves our reputation and our position on moral and spiritual matters. The condition of our mind can greatly impact not only our lives, but the lives around us.

#4, Our body is made up cells. Cells comes together to form tissue…tissue comes together to create organs…organs help the body function and live. Our minds need to undergo a renovation and change to the point that the thoughts we think helps us to grow spiritually and live a godly lifestyle. You see, our thoughts come together to form attitudes…our attitudes cause to act in certain ways…those actions can make a huge impact on us and those around us. When we talk about genetics, we talk about the origin of something. The origin of our thoughts need to transformed and changed. Our thoughts should reverberate His ways…not the ways of the world.

Why do need to this in our lives? Because we need to prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. The word “prove” in this verse is translated ‘to see if something is genuine or not’. It originates from the word “dokimos” that describes money that was acceptable. One commentary says this about the word” In the ancient world there was no banking system as we know it today, and no paper money. All money was made from metal, heated until liquid, poured into moulds and allowed to cool. When the coins were cooled, it was necessary to smooth off the uneven edges. The coins were comparatively soft and of course many people shaved them closely. In one century, more than eighty laws were passed in Athens, to stop the practice of shaving down the coins then in circulation. But some money changers were men of integrity, who would accept no counterfeit money. They were men of honour who put only genuine full weighted money into circulation. Such men were called "dokimos" or "approved".” So, what mold are we made from? Are molded after the world and its ways. OR, are we molded after Jesus and His ways? Our mind needs to undergo a transformation in order to be molded after Him. So that people can look at us and realize that this Jesus we serve is genuine. And that His ways or His will is good, acceptable and perfect. His will is upright, well-pleasing and complete, wanting nothing.

Lord, help me renovate my mind. Help me to restore it to a better state…help me to continually restore is to a revived state in You. Open up my eyes and help me to see the things I need to change so that people can see you in me. That others can see that you are genuine…you are the real-deal…you are the only thing that can make someone complete, wanting nothing.

Thanking, Praising, Blessing His Name!

2011-07-27T11:06:00.001-05:00

Psalm 100:4, "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name."

When we pass through the doors of the church, hymns of thanksgiving should be on our lips. And, when we enter into the sanctuary, hymns of praise should be on our hearts. Worshipping Him with songs/hymns of thanksgiving and praise can usher in a awesome, powerful presence into the service.

Be thankful...that word thankful means to give thanks. But, it comes from the word that means strength and powerful. Giving thanks to Him brings strength and power!

And, bless His name. We need to bless, praise and salute His name. The word "name" can be translated in this verse as a memorial or monument. His name should be a monument in our life. An identifying mark in our life that serves as a remembrance of His greatness and mercy. His name is greater than any other name. There is power in the name of Jesus. All power in heaven and in earth belong to that name. All things are possible through that name.

What an AWESOME God we serve...and His name is JESUS! ♥

Praisin’ Him For Another Day!

2011-07-24T08:20:00.001-05:00

Psalm 118:19-29, KJV, “Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD: This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter . I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation. The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. This is the LORD'S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. This is the day which the LORD hath made ; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity . Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD. God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light : bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar. Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”

I started out just posting vs. 24. The one we all quote often…”This is the day that the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” But when I read the context of that verse, I just had to post more. These few verses speak volumes in praise toward our GREAT God. He has does marvelous things in each of our lives. It is good to take out time each day to find them…even if they may seems like small things. Because He is SO worthy of our praise. Many of us would not be where we are if it were not for the grace, mercy and love of God. We need to make our lives a living sacrifice each day to Him. Offering up praises for the many things He has done.

Today is Sunday. A day we go to church and sit on a pew and hear the Word of God preached. But, it should be SO much more than that. It is another day that we have the privilege and opportunity to praise Him all over again. For the light He has shown us…for the gates of righteousness He has opened unto us…for becoming our salvation (our deliverance, prosperity, saving power, healing and so much more)….for His goodness and mercy. The list could go on and on. If you look over your day and think you can’t find anything to praise Him for, just remember, who gave you the opportunity to have breath in your lungs this day. Even the little things that we so often take for granted give us the opportunity to praise Him over and over again. So, when you walk through the doors of the your church this morning, be determined in your heart that you are going to give Him the glory, honor and praise He deserves today. Worship Him with everything that is within you. For you have MUCH to be thankful for in your life. ♥

A Night To Remember…

2011-07-21T12:20:00.001-05:00

I have been very proud of my husband as a Police Officer. Two years in March he started the process of applying for the job he now has. This has always been a dream of his and he does with all his heart. For him, it is all of nothing when it comes to his job. I admire his love and dedication to his sworn duty. Last night, after church, we went out to Pizza Hut. As we were getting ready to leave, he got a call from one of the other officers concerning a Domestic Violence call he had been at the night before. An lady had been assaulted by her ex-husband. Well, last night in anger he was following her. As she was driving with her 3 and 2 years olds in the car she called the Police, in fear that he would hurt her in some way. As the Officer pulled up to the two cars, the ex-husband pulled out a gun and shot the lady and drove off. To make a long story short, my husband in our POV with us in the car stepped up and helped out by taking some of the family members (the Lady’s mother and 15 year-old son) to the ER where she was taken. The lady, unfortunately did not make it and died leaving behind 3 kids. My heart felt like it could break from the burden for this mother and the lady’s children. Yet, I was so proud of my husband to step in like that and make a difference in those lives. Seeing him so calm and handling the situation so well and see first hand how he does his job, just made me so proud and appreciative of Him.

So, with all this so fresh on my mind, I keep thinking about it all. Sin and anger can destroy a life. It is those things that drove this man to do such a tragic thing. My son said it well this morning….He said that he was going to pray for that man that God forgive him and help him come to truth so that he can make it to heaven some day. I told him that there is absolutely nothing wrong with praying for someone who has done things like that. So many times, we get upset and say things like “I hope the got to prison for the rest of their lives.” or “I hope that they rot in prison for what they’ve done.” Yes, justice needs to be served for the crime he has committed…I agree. BUT, this man has a soul that needs saving from the pits of hell. My prayer for this man is that somewhere, someone can touch his life and show him the truth and that this man can truly find a place of repentance. At the same times, my prayers go out to the family of this lady. I pray that they can have the comfort that they need in this time. And, that bitterness doesn’t set in and destroy them also.

This experience has left a lasting impression on my heart. My heart is filled with a desire and compassion to see souls saved from the grasp the devil has on them. A scripture comes to my mind: Acts 10:34 MSG, “Peter fairly exploded with his good news: "It's God's own truth, nothing could be plainer: God plays no favorites!“ The NIRV says it this way, “Then Peter began to speak. "I now realize how true it is that God treats everyone the same," he said.” God doesn’t think more highly of those who have followed the plan of salvation as laid out in Acts 2:38-39. In His eyes those that are saved and those that are lost are treated equally with the same amount of love, compassion, mercy and grace. So, why should we be any different. We are to follow HIS example and love as He would love.

On a different note, church last night was great as usual. We have been having a church-wide three day fast and we had prayer last night. There was such an awesome and sweet presence of God there. I have no doubt in my mind that God has us in this city and in this church for a reason. And, I am excited about the things that God is fixin’ to do and unleash not only in our church but upon our city. We are going to see revival like this city has never seen…I believe it and claim it, in JESUS name. ♥

Shining, Good Works And Glorifying Him.

2011-07-18T14:37:00.001-05:00

We have read the verse many times, but I want to break it down a little. Matthew 5:16 KJV, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

First of all, 1 John 1:5 KJV says, “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” When we receive the Holy Ghost, that is God living inside of us. And when we allow Him to, His light is reflected through us to reach others. It is possible for us to quench or hide that light. But, as the children’s Sunday School song says, “Hide it under a bush, OH NO! I am going to let it shine.” So, the first part of Matthew 5:16 tells us, Let that light of yours shine for men to see. Why? So that they can see what an awesome person you are? No, so that they can see the good works that God works through you and glorify Him also.

Next, we do not get good to get God. We get God to get good. Right?! So, we in ourselves are not good by nature. For all of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. But, when we get the Holy Ghost and start striving to live a godly and holy life, God begins to clean up our act and work some mighty things through us. We do good works. Basically, good works are things that we do that are any of the following: beautiful in nature, useful, commendable, excellent in character, genuine, kind, full of love, give praise to Him, noble, honorable, affecting the mind in a positive manner, confirming the Word of God, morally pure and competent.

Our light should illuminate those around us to think about, praise, celebrate, honor and magnify HIM. The things we do from day to day should point others in the direction of the one who gave us the talents and blessings we have in our life. The credits for those things do not belong to us. There is absolutely nothing wrong with verbally giving Him the credit when someone showers you with praise for something you have done. It is okay to say, Oh, thank you, but God gave me the ability to do this or that. He deserves the praise or glory. Sometimes we can inadvertently overlook those things. It doesn’t matter how small you think the talent or blessing may be…it would not be in your life if it wasn’t for Him.

My prayer to day is that the Lord, helps me to stay on track…letting my light shine as brightly as possible for Him. That every good work, every talent and every blessing that is a part of my life can give Him the glory and honor. For, it is Him who has led me to this point in my life. He deserves ALL the glory, honor and praise for the talents I possess and for every blessing in my life. ♥

He Didn’t Throw Clay Away.

2011-07-17T08:53:00.001-05:00

Empty and Broken, I came Back to Him
A Vessel Unworthy, so scarred from Sin.
But He did not Despair... He Started over again
And I Bless the Day, He didn't Throw the Clay Away.

Over and Over, He Molds Me and Makes Me,
Into His likeness, He fashions the clay.
A vessel of Honor, I Am today,
All because Jesus Didn't Throw The Clay Away.

He is the Potter... I am the Clay
And Molded in His Image, HE wants me to Stay.
Oh, but when I Stumble...
And I Fall... Andn My Vessel Breaks,
He just Picks up those Pieces,
He does not Throw the Clay Away...

Over and Over, He Molds Me and Makes Me,
Into His Likeness, He Fashions the Clay.
A Vessel of Honor, I Am Today,
All Because Jesus Didn't Throw The Clay Away.

Who’s In The Drivers’ Seat On Your Road Trip?

2011-07-15T14:44:00.001-05:00

Roads. They go up and down. They can be curved or straight. They can twist in, out and around the landscape in many ways. They can be smooth and then they can be extremely bumpy or with potholes. That is what this road of life is like. Sometimes the road trip of life feel like you have cruising’ on smooth open road ahead. Nothing in the way and the wind blowing through your hair. But, then, you come to a bumpy or pothole filled part of the road. Or, maybe it begins to twist and turn. Or, maybe it sends you through a long dark tunnel. Life can be VERY unpredictable. BUT, I like what Psalm 1:6a says in the Message Translation, “God charts the road you take.” That just reassures me that the road that is set before me, He has charted. He has carefully planned it all out. And the awesome thing about it all is that when we allow Him to have complete control over our lives, He is in the drivers’ seat. We are just the passenger.

Sure, the road can treacherous and maybe even scary at times. But, if we completely trust Him as the driver, then we have nothing to fear. Job is a classic example. He literally lost everything. His road trip was a tough one. But look what he says in Job 23:10, “But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” God charted his road. He knew that Job would trust Him to lead him down the right roads. Look at Joseph, his brothers sold him as a slave to Egypt! Talk about a rough road trip! But, Joseph kept trusting God and allowing God to use him…even when he was falsely accused and throw in prison. Yet, in the end Joseph knew that God had charted his road from the beginning. Genesis 45:4-5 says, “And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near . And he said , I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. Now therefore be not grieved , nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.” Can you imagine to go through all that Joseph had and yet still he said, “God sent me before you to preserve your life.”

So, there is no need to stress out in life over the road before you. Just slide over to the passenger seat and let Jesus take the wheel. He charted the road for you. So, He knows exactly how to handle it. Like the well known song says, “Jesus, take the wheel. Take it from my hands. ‘Cause I can’t do this on my own. I am letting go, so give me one more chance, to save me from this road I’m on.”

You know we think of the word save as “deliver”. God, change this road. Deliver me from this road I’m on. But, in some cases, He won’t deliver you from it. He will just preserve you while you travel it. Some of the synonyms of the word “save” are: reclaim, reform; forgive, pardon, remit, shrive; bless, hallow; consecrate, purify, sanctify. So, the next time you ask God to save you from something and you think He didn’t answer, think about it. He still saved you in your situation, He just may not have delivered you.

I am SO thankful that God has charted my road and that He is in the drivers’ seat on my road trip through life. ♥

Don’t Get Diverted…Keep At It

2011-07-12T09:09:00.001-05:00

1 Timothy 4:6-16

6 You've been raised on the Message of the faith and have followed sound teaching. Now pass on this counsel to the Christians there, and you'll be a good servant of Jesus.

7 Stay clear of silly stories that get dressed up as religion. Exercise daily in God - no spiritual flabbiness, please!

8 Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever.

9 You can count on this. Take it to heart.

10 This is why we've thrown ourselves into this venture so totally. We're banking on the living God, Savior of all men and women, especially believers.

11 Get the word out. Teach all these things.

12 And don't let anyone put you down because you're young. Teach believers with your life: by word, by demeanor, by love, by faith, by integrity.

13 Stay at your post reading Scripture, giving counsel, teaching.

14 And that special gift of ministry you were given when the leaders of the church laid hands on you and prayed - keep that dusted off and in use.

15 Cultivate these things. Immerse yourself in them. The people will all see you mature right before their eyes!

16 Keep a firm grasp on both your character and your teaching. Don't be diverted. Just keep at it. Both you and those who hear you will experience salvation.

Broken Ground & Must Needs

2011-07-07T13:05:00.001-05:00

Just thought I’d share some thoughts from the past couple of services we have had at The Living Word Church.

Thomas Jefferson said, “Cultivators of the earth are the most valuable citizens.” This past Sunday morning in the Adult Sunday School class, Brother Haner talked about how if we are going to move forward, we need to break up the fallow ground. And, how you just can’t take off the top of the “weeds”, you need to dig down and remove them from the roots. After we “plow” our hearts, we need to be careful what seeds we plant.

Wednesday night, Brother Lucas McManus preached about must needs. If you read in John 4:4, it says, “And he must needs go through Samaria.” Jesus was leaving Judea and said had to stop by Samaria on the way to where he was going. Why? Because someone there needed Him. He must stop by Samaria because of the needs of the people there. That is how it is in our lives. There are things that God has been dealing with us that we must do….because the need that follows it. For example: We must follow the Word of God because we need to go to Heaven. Sometimes we are faced with the “musts” in our life and fear them. We have to do this and we have to do that. But, look at it from the stand point that we must do those things because we NEED this or that in our lives. For every must in our lives, there is a need that follows.

My prayer today is Lord, help me change the things that I must because of the needs that follow. And, help me to break up the fallow ground of my heart…to cultivate it. Teach me to plant Godly seeds so that good fruit can grow and I can make a difference in the lives around me. Help me to continue to dig out the weeds and keep my heart as a fertile garden. ♥

Happy Independence Day!

2011-07-04T10:39:00.001-05:00

I want to take time to wish all my friends and family a wonderful and safe 4th of July. And, as we take time to celebrate our freedom here in America, Don’t forget to thank the one who paid the ultimate price for our freedom from sin. If it were not for HIM we would not have the opportunity to live a life free from sin. We have traded those shackles of sin for freedom and liberty in Him. ♥

Great Advice To Live By…

2011-07-01T15:36:00.001-05:00

1 Corinthians 16:13-14 MSG, "Keep your eyes open, hold tight to your convictions, give it all you've got, be resolute, and love without stopping."

What awesome advice!

*Keep your eyes open (be on alert). The devil is like like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. The devil will use whatever and whomever he can to trip us and cause us to fall. But remember what Micah 7:8 says, “Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy : when I fall , I shall arise ; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me.”

*Hold tight to your convictions. Hold tight to the principles in the Word of God that guide us from day to day. Keep them close to your heart. Psalm 119:11 KJV, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” When we have the Word of God hid in heart, we will follow principles of God more easily. Psalm 119:2 MSG, “You're blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find him.”

*Give it all you've got. Living for God has to be all (with-holding nothing) or nothing. Give yourself to Him 110%. Why would you wish to be anywhere else but in the safe hands of an Almighty God…With whom ALL things are possible?

*Be resolute. Be fully committed to God and fully committed to doing His will. Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” In all things acknowledge Him…be fully committed to including His in everything that you do.

*Love without stopping. Love one another with an undying, unconditional love. We are repeatedly reminded in the scriptures to “love one another, as I have loved you”. He loved with an undying, unconditional love. He didn’t have limitations on how much He loved or who He loved. Or, that He only loved those in a certain “class or clique” of people. He loved and died for all. We should have this same type of love for one another…it is a commandment for us to do so.

Don't you just love how the Word of God lays it all out for us? It is our map for this journey in life! ♥

Lord, I Need You!

2011-06-29T14:31:00.001-05:00

Sister Pitts led us in worship on Sunday with this song (below) and I have not been able to get it out of my head all week. I wake up with the song on my mind. As I look back over my life, I am in awe and wonder of His goodness and mercy. He has been so amazing in so many ways. I am so thankful for Him. I love living for God and I am so grateful that my kids have a desire to live for Him also.

♪♫

Lord You are so amazing (repeat)
Lord You are strong and Mighty (repeat)
Lord You are full of mercy (repeat)
Lord Your name above all others (repeat)

And I can not imagine
What my life would be without You
I know I would be hopeless
I'm a wretch undone without You

(Chorus)
That's why I
Can't be without You
And I
Won't last without You
I need You
I need You
I'm so lost without You
I know that I would fail alone
I need You
I need You

Lord You are so amazing (repeat)
Lord You are a strong tower (repeat)
Lord You are pure and holy (repeat)
Lord You are the very air I breathe (repeat)

And I cannot imagine
what my life would be without You
I know I would be hopeless
I'm a wretch undone without You

(Chorus)
That's why I
Can't be without You
And I
Won't last without You
I need You
I need You
I'm so lost without You
I know that I would fail alone
I need You
I need You

Oh Oh Oh Oh
Oh Oh Oh Oh
I need you (repeat)

And I can not imagine
what my life would be
without you

Bloom Where You Are Planted!

2011-06-25T13:44:00.001-05:00

Psalm 1:1-3 NRIV, “Blessed is the one who obeys the law of the Lord. He doesn't follow the advice of evil people. He doesn't make a habit of doing what sinners do. He doesn't join those who make fun of the LORD and his law. Instead, he takes delight in the law of the Lord. He thinks about his law day and night. He is like a tree that is planted near a stream of water. It always bears its fruit at the right time. Its leaves don't dry up. Everything godly people do turns out well.”

The MSG translation says, “How well God must like you - you don't hang out at Sin Saloon, you don't slink along Dead-End Road, you don't go to Smart-Mouth College. Instead you thrill to God's Word, you chew on Scripture day and night. You're a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month, Never dropping a leaf, always in blossom.”

God plants us in certain places at specific times in our lives. What we do during those times is up to us. Are we going to allow circumstances drag us down and keep us down? Or, are we going to continually seek God and His Word to help lift us up?

Those who have been keeping up with my blog, know the situation with our home flooding. For the most part, I have been able to keep my head up…knowing that God is in control. Every so often those thoughts of doubt try to creep in and drag me down. But, I keep turning to Him. For me to sit and worry about this situation is not going to make it any better. But, when I continually place it in HIS hands, He is able to work miracles. I stand by what I have said before. God has planted us in this city for a reason. And, while we are planted here, I want to bloom for Him. I want to bear good fruit. I want to make a difference in the lives around me for His glory! ♥

No Doubt…I’m Shining!

2011-06-23T09:50:00.002-05:00

Isaiah 60:1-2 KJV says, “Arise , shine ; for thy light is come , and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.” Pastor L. McManus read this last night and it just encouraged me so much. Especially with everything that we have been faced with the flooding in the house. It made me think how the darkness of doubt can sneak into our minds and try to through us off the path. With this scripture going through my mind at prayer last night, the Lord began to speak to me. He said, “Do you doubt that I gave Jack this job in this city?” I said, “No.” He then asked, “Do you doubt that I gave you your house?” I said, “No.” Then He said, “Then do not doubt my reasoning for why this has happened. I have it in my hands.” I began to rejoice and thought, this is an opportunity to see how God is going to turn this around and once again show us His greatness and power. It WILL be for the glory of God. I may not see it with my physical eyes…but, with spiritual eyes and faith I can see that something great will become of this. For He has NEVER failed us yet and He has always been faithful. He does not make mistakes. If He gave Jack this job here in this city for reason, then I will step forward into what He has for us. If you gave us this house, an answer to prayer, then I will take whatever He deals me. I may only see one piece of the puzzle at a time, but He sees the whole picture puzzle. He who started this work in our lives, is FAITHFUL to COMPLETE it. In Matthew 5:14-16, it says, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” I am not going to hide behind my situation and sulk about my carpet, linoleum and seemingly destroyed house. I am going to arise & shine…for my light has come. In JESUS name, my situation is being illuminated by His power and grace. And, something is going to become of this that we allow people to see that we see a GREAT & MIGHTY God with whom ALL things are possible! And, His name will be glorified in this! ♥

Important To God…

2011-06-20T10:30:00.001-05:00

This morning, I am reminded of the scripture in Matthew 29:29-31. When a sparrow falls, God sees it and takes care of it. We are more important than many sparrows. We are so important that He knows the exact number of hairs on our heads. That just boosts my faith, knowing that no matter what we face, He is there to take care of it.

Here are the lyrics to the hymn “His Eye Is On The Sparrow”:

Why should I feel discouraged. Why should the shadows come. Why should my heart be lonely. And long for heaven and home. When Jesus is my portion. My constant friend is He. His eye is on the sparrow. And I know He watches me. His eye is on the sparrow. And I know He watches me.

Chorus: I sing because I'm happy. I sing because I'm free. For His eye is on the sparrow. And I know He watches me.

Let not your heart be troubled. His tender word I hear. And resting on His goodness. I lose my doubts and fears. I draw Thee closer to me. A constant friend is He. His eye is on the sparrow. And I know He watches me. His eye is on the sparrow. And I know He watches me.

Tried…But Stronger!

2011-06-19T21:45:00.001-05:00

Well, the kids finished their showers earlier this evening and I went into the Master Bath to find that it was flooded. Along with a small part of the Master Bedroom. When I ran to get some extra towels, I found that it was going under the walls and into my kitchen area. My first thoughts were…thank the Lord for Homeowners Insurance. And, as I begin to ponder it all. I thought…Lord, you gave us this house (it’s an answer to prayer)…and we are here for a reason. So, whatever reason it is that this is happening, I completely trust you. It is in Your hands and You have it under control. Then the following set of scriptures came to my mind.

James 1:2-4 NIRV, “My brothers and sisters, you will face all kinds of trouble. When you do, think of it as pure joy. Your faith will be put to the test. You know that when that happens it will produce in you the strength to continue. The strength to keep going must be allowed to finish its work. Then you will be all you should be. You will have everything you need.”

We had an awesome service this morning and it encouraged me to step it up and not be ashamed or afraid to be what God has called me to be. (Thank you, Brother Lucas McManus for following the leading of the Lord for service this morning!) And, tonight that faith of mine is being tried. But, I believe that God doesn’t make mistakes. He is allowing us to go through this for a reason and I trust that when will come out on the other side of this situation .stronger. ♥

The Beauty Of Holiness

2011-06-19T00:11:00.001-05:00

Psalm 29:2 KJV, “Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.”

Taking out time to give God the glory, honor and reverence He deserves is an important part of the Christian lifestyle. For most, praising Him comes very easily.

But, the second half of Psalm 29:2 involves more than just praise. It says we are to worship Him in the beauty of holiness. The word beauty in this verse is define in the Hebrew as “adornment”. The word holiness in this particular verse is defined as “set-apartness, separateness “. To worship in this verse means “to bow down”. In other words, to worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness is going to take some action on our part. It is more than just praise, like mentioned in the first part of the verse. It is worshipping Him in our adornment (outward appearance) by being set apart from the world. 2 Corinthians 6:17 KJV says, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate , saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.” The Message translation says it this way, “So leave the corruption and compromise; leave it for good, says God. Don't link up with those who will pollute you. I want you all for myself.” The corruption that is in our world can influence us. We then will begin to compromise and let down a standard here or there. And, then before too long, we are polluted, spiritually speaking. We were created to praise and worship Him. And, we cannot do so if we are following after every new fad or style we see in the stores, in the media or in the latest fashion magazine. God has set guidelines for His people to follow. They are not there to hinder us, but to protect us from the corruption and pollution in the world.

My prayer is that I not only continue to praise God on a daily basis, but that I can worship Him in the beauty of holiness. An outward appearance that shows one is set apart from the world really truly is a beautiful thing. ♥

The Power Within

2011-06-17T11:51:00.001-05:00

Luke 24:49 MSG, “What comes next is very important: I am sending what my Father promised to you, so stay here in the city until he arrives, until you're equipped with power from on high."

Acts 1:8 NIRV, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. Then you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem. You will be my witnesses in all Judea and Samaria. And you will be my witnesses from one end of the earth to the other."

Acts 2:1-4 KJV, “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come , they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting . And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

Acts 2:38-40 KJV, “Then Peter said unto them, Repent , and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off , even as many as the Lord our God shall call . And with many other words did he testify and exhort , saying , Save yourselves from this untoward generation.”

The Disciples were told that they would receive a promise from God. It was a promise that empower them. The Holy Ghost/Spirit was that promise. 1 Timothy 3:16 says that God was manifest in the flesh (Jesus) and justified (declared) in the Spirit. To declare means to to make known openly or publicly. In the book of Acts, Jesus made known openly His Spirit. By filling them with the Holy Ghost and power of His name. That same promise is available to us today. And when we are filled with the Holy Ghost by evidence of speaking in tongues, we also receive power through Him.

That power give us the authority to do great things in HIS name and for HIS glory. Mark 16:17-18 NIRV, “Here are the miraculous signs that those who believe will do. In my name they will drive out demons. They will speak in languages they had not known before (the Holy Ghost/Spirit). They will pick up snakes with their hands (Read Acts 28:1-10, Paul did this.). And when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all. They will place their hands on sick people. And the people will get well." When we couple that power that He has given us in HIS name with the faith and belief that ALL power is in that name, mighty things can be done for HIS glory. There is nothing that we face that can not be handled by His power within us. No sickness, no trial, no hardship, no trick that the enemy throws our way to trip us up. There is a song that I woke up singing this morning: “I’ve God power that you can’t see. God is living inside of me. I can face any enemy. For God & I become a majority.” With God on our side, we do not have to fear what comes our way. For ALL power belongs to Him and with Him living inside of our hearts, we can make it through anything! Isaiah 54:17 KJV says, “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper ; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn . This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.” They enemy will come at you from all sides, He will use whatever and whomever he can to bring you down. But, armed with the Power of God, Faith in Him and covered with the Armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-16) we can do mighty things for His glory in His name, Jesus!

Unfortunately, we can become complacent. We become so sure of ourselves. We are a Christian…we’ve been baptized and filled with the Holy Ghost/Spirit and life is good. No worries. But, the devil will spiritually lull you to sleep with complacency. There are spiritual battles that need to fought daily. And, we cannot fight them if we are just sitting back thinking it is all just a pretty bed of roses. Even roses have thorns. There will be days that you have to fight harder than others. But, remember what it says in 2 Corinthians 10:4 KJV, “(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)” Just what are these weapons? The armor of God as it is listed in Ephesians 6:10-16 and prayer (that is our connection to the power source).

I am SO thankful for the Word of God and that it is our guidebook to lead us in the right direction in this life. I am thankful for the power of God in our lives to help us fight our battles and to be a useful tool for His glory.

The Banner Of Holiness

2011-06-08T14:43:00.001-05:00

Psalm 60:4 KJV, “Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah.”

A banner was a ensign flag lifted up upon a pole during battles that pointed out who they were. And often times, the sight of the flag encouraged them to fight with all their might against the enemy.

God has bestowed upon us a banner to those that worship and respect His Word by following it daily. That banner is called holiness. It is what distinguishes us from everyone else. It is the thing that encourages us to strive forward from day to day. Any doubt disappears of who we belong to when it is applied to our lives.

The second part of this verse, “that it may be displayed because of the truth”, takes on an interesting meaning when you break it down word by word from the Hebrew. The word displayed translates: depart, disappear. The word because: face, surface . And, the word truth: truth, balanced verity. Which leads me to think that the doubt that may arise of just who we belong to disappears when someone sees our appearance (face, surface) because of the balance of verify (balance of our devotion to the truth in the Word of God).

2 Corinthians 6:17 NIRV says, “So come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch anything that is not pure and clean. Then I will receive you.” Holiness is something that starts in the heart and overflows to the outer appearance. 1 Peter 1:15 says, “ But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation”. The conversation is translated to mean manner of life. So basically we should strive to be holy in everything that we do. Why? Well, 1 Peter 1:16 gives us a perfectly good reason, “Because it is written , Be ye holy; for I am holy.” Why should we strive to be holy in ALL that we do? Because the Bible tells us so. Like the song says, “Jesus loves me this I know, for the bible tells me so.” If it is within the pages of the Word of God, then we should heed to what it says. It is our guidebook for this life on earth.

People know the difference of those that are truly living for God with all their heart and those that careless walk along that line of separation. How? By their appearance and the outward actions. My desire is to strive harder each day to live a life that is pleasing to Him. Living a life of holiness like He would have done. This banner of holiness that He has so graciously given me, I want it to fly high and unfurled (not folded or hidden) in my life. So, that others may see that I am HIS child. ♥

Boldly A.S.K.; It’s God’s Way

2011-06-08T10:54:00.001-05:00

Hebrews 4:16 KJV, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

Isaiah 7:11 NIRV, "I am the LORD your God. Ask me to give you a miraculous sign. It can be anything in the deepest grave or in the highest heaven."

To be bold means to be fearless in the face of danger and to prominently stand out. Some synonyms to boldly are: courageously, determinedly and uncompromisingly.

In Luke chapter 11 verse 5, Jesus tells the story of the man who knocked on his neighbors door in the middle of the to ask him if he could lend him three loaves of bread. He had a guest coming and he didn’t have any more bread. The neighbor told him to leave him alone. He said his children were in bed and he could not rise up to help him. But, the man was persistent. He boldly kept knocking and asking. Verse 8 in the NIRV says, "I tell you, that person will not get up. And he won't give the man bread just because he is his friend. But because the man keeps on asking, he will get up. He will give him as much as he needs.” If we read on to verses 9-10, it says, “So here is what I say to you. Ask, and it will be given to you. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. Everyone who asks will receive. He who searches will find. And the door will be opened to the one who knocks.” Our prayers should be much the same way. We must come boldly to God with our needs. And, to specifically pray for what we need. A good example of this, it when we were looking to buy a house. I prayed that if God wanted us to find a house in the area, I would like to have one that was about the same size we were in, on a lot that was a big enough for the kids to have lots of room to play, with trees for the birds and critters that we love to watch and with a payment less than what we were paying. You may say, isn’t that an odd way to pray? Asking God for so much? I don’t think so…God gave us exactly what I prayed for. He already knows what we have need of in our lives. But, He wants us to come boldly before Him and ask, seek and knock.

In Isaiah 7:11 the Lord says to ask for a miraculous sign. Let’s read a little more about that verse. Verse 10-14 Isaiah writes: “The LORD spoke to Ahaz through me again. He said, "I am the LORD your God. Ask me to give you a miraculous sign. It can be anything in the deepest grave or in the highest heaven." But Ahaz said, "I won't ask. I won't put the LORD to the test." Then I said, "Listen, you members of the royal family of Ahaz! Isn't it enough for you to test the patience of men? Are you also going to test the patience of my God? The LORD himself will give you a miraculous sign. The virgin is going to have a baby. She will give birth to a son. And he will be called Immanuel.” Ahaz didn’t want to ask God for a miraculous sign. I am sure his thoughts were who am I to ask God of such a great thing? But, God said, Do you know what, I am going to give you a sign anyway. Sure, God is able to meet your needs without you even asking. But, when we boldly come to Him and ask we obtain (to gain or attain usually by planned action or effort) mercy and grace to help us through those times of need. There is a song that Mississippi Mass Choir sings that says, “Your grace and mercy brought me through. I am living this moment because of You. I want to thank You and praise You too. Your grace & mercy brought me through.

My prayer today is that we can learn to come boldly before Him with our needs. Pray specifically. Learn to A.S.K…ask, seek and knock. When we ask, we will get an answer. When we seek, we will find. And, when we knock on the door before us, it will be opened. He has such great and awesome plans for His people. We just have to boldly step forward into that great & awesome plan. He is not going to get behind us and push us forward into it. We have to boldly step out in faith into it. ♥

For Such A Time As This…

2011-06-06T11:22:00.001-05:00

The story of Esther is one that I love to hear/read over and over. God had big plans for this simple, beautiful Israelite girl. She was unsure of herself. But, Mordecai encouraged her to be bold and step forth to do what God was calling her to do. In Esther 4:14 (NLT) Mordecai tells her, “If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. What's more, who can say but that you have been elevated to the palace for just such a time as this?" God elevated her to that position in the palace so that she could be there to save her people.

Maybe you are faced with decisions that you are unsure you can make. You know what the right thing to do is…yet, the boldness is not there it push you forward. I have been there often times before and I am sure that I will be faced with times I need to do it again. Making the decision to move closer to where my husband worked was one of those decisions for our family. Even though we are only 45 minutes down the road, leaving friends and a good church was difficult to do. But, at the same time, knowing that God had brought us to this time in our life for a reason. I look forward to all that God has for us here. He doesn’t make mistakes. His judgment on what is right for us is never off target. He knows exactly what we need and when. And, He is always right on time.

Over the last several weeks, God has confirmed to me over and over through the preaching/teaching the things that I have felt impressed to write about. Things that encouraged me to start this blog a few years ago. It is so encouraging to know that we are right where God wants us to be for such a time as this. I pray that God helps me get the boldness I need to stand up and move forward into the things He has for me and my family. God has a plan…and His plan ensures that we will have hope and a future in Him!

My One Desire

2011-06-05T08:30:00.001-05:00

Psalm 27:4 KJV, “One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.”

If there is any one thing that I desired more that anything, it would be that I remain in church all my life. I want that desire to drive to me to continually seek His word and live my life according to His plan for me. I want to see His kindness and favor. I want to seek Him. I want to worship Him with everything that is within me, withholding nothing. I want to go to church expecting to hear from Him and expecting to be touched by His grace, mercy & power.

There is nothing is this world that can satisfy the hunger of a soul. For only He can touch your heart and make you whole. He gives unfathomable peace…joy unspeakable…and life everlasting. There is no place I’d rather be than in the will of God. Oh, I’ve made mistakes. Regretted a few decisions I have made here and there. But, by His grace and mercy, I am moving forward. With His and anointing and blessing, I will continue on in the paths He shows me. Because, one day, it will be worth every heartache and trial when I see Him face to face. When I can fall down on my knees before Him and thank Him for such wondrous love, grace and power.

I am looking forward to going to church this morning and I am expecting for God to once again speak to me and encourage me to move forward. ♥

Do Not Fear…

2011-05-25T11:31:00.001-05:00

Last night at Ladies Meeting, we watched a service from Ladies’ Conference. Sister Ruth Harvey preached, “Get The Job Done.” She talked about how the enemy will torment you with his lies to drag you down and keep you from going forward in God. We need to destroy the enemy completely so we can do what we are called to do. It was just what I needed to hear. The devil is liar. He will whisper those tormenting lies trying to convince us to stray and pull us away from God and the plan He has for us. But, the devil so easily forgets that he CANNOT do that! God has a plan for our lives and God will prevail over the devil every time. We cannot allow the devil to win in out situations. The devil’s intentions are to steal our joy, kill our desire to live for God and destroy us so that we cannot be what God wants us to be. God has given each of us gifts that the devil will do whatever he can to steal them from us. But, we need to take notice and realize that the devil has no right to do that! And, in the name of JESUS we have to power and authority to resist Him and tell him to leave us alone.

Matthew 16:17-18 KJV says, “And these signs shall follow them that believe ; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” Think about it! We hear it preached. But do we really realize the authority we have in powerful name of Jesus. James 2:19 says that the devils believes in one God and they tremble. Why? Because they know what the power of God can do. And, it scares them to death!

Sister Ruth Harvey mentioned that the spirit of fear is one of the most crippling things that devil will use. If you have ever dealt with the spirit of fear, you can understand how crippling it can be. The fear of getting up in front of people, the fear of what other will say or do if you stand up and do what you feel God wants you to do, the fear of taking that leap of faith, the fear of failure, etc. It can grip you so tight that you literally feel like you are going to get sick. Deuteronomy 3:22 says, “Ye shall not fear them: for the LORD your God he shall fight for you.” And, Deuteronomy 31:6, “Be strong and of a good courage , fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” Throughout the Word of God, God continually reminds His people, do not fear. Why? Because the devil uses the spirit of fear over and over to cripple the people of God from moving forward.

My prayer today is Psalm 27, “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked , even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear : though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple. For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing , yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD. Hear , O LORD, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek .”

What Should We Do?

2011-05-21T08:41:00.001-05:00

Matthew 24:36-37 KJV, “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”

Many are going to come and say they are Christ or say that He is coming on this day or that day. Jesus admonishes us…Be careful, don’t let them fool you. In Matthew 24:4-14 it says, “Jesus answered, "Keep watch! Be careful that no one fools you. Many will come in my name. They will claim, 'I am the Christ!' They will fool many people. "You will hear about wars. You will also hear people talking about future wars. Don't be alarmed. Those things must happen. But the end still isn't here. Nation will fight against nation. Kingdom will fight against kingdom. People will go hungry. There will be earthquakes in many places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. "Then people will hand you over to be treated badly and killed. All nations will hate you because of me. At that time, many will turn away from their faith. They will hate each other. They will hand each other over to their enemies. Many false prophets will appear. They will fool many people. Because evil will grow, most people's love will grow cold. But the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. This good news of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world. It will be a witness to all nations. Then the end will come.” We have seen these things coming to pass in our generation!

There will be a time of suffering. There will be more people trying to deceive true believers. But, once again, don’t be fooled. In verses 21-28 it says, “There will be terrible suffering in those days. It will be worse than any other from the beginning of the world until now. And there will never be anything like it again. If the time had not been cut short, no one would live. But because of God's chosen people, it will be shortened. "At that time someone may say to you, 'Look! Here is the Christ!' Or, 'There he is!' Do not believe it. False Christs and false prophets will appear. They will do great signs and miracles. They will try to fool God's chosen people if possible. See, I have told you ahead of time. "So if anyone tells you, 'He is far out in the desert,' do not go out there. Or if anyone says, 'He is deep inside the house,' do not believe it. Lightning that comes from the east can be seen in the west. It will be the same when the Son of Man comes. The vultures will gather wherever there is a dead body.”

In verses 29-35 it says, “Right after the terrible suffering of those days, The sun will be darkened. The moon will not shine. The stars will fall from the sky. The heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. All the nations on earth will be sad. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky. He will come with power and great glory. He will send his angels with a loud trumpet call. They will gather his chosen people from all four directions. They will bring them from one end of the heavens to the other. Learn a lesson from the fig tree. As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see all those things happening, you know that the end is near. It is right at the door. What I'm about to tell you is true. The people living at that time will certainly not pass away until all those things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away. But my words will never pass away.” These words that Jesus spoke will not pass away. These things will take place just as he said. Don’t be disheartened by the things that are happening and are going to be happening. Endure and it will all be worth it when we see Jesus face to face in ALL of His glory!

In Verse 36-39 it says, “"No one knows about that day or hour. Not even the angels in heaven know. The Son does not know. Only the Father knows. Remember how it was in the days of Noah. It will be the same when the Son of Man comes. In the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking. They were getting married. They were giving their daughters to be married. They did all those things right up to the day Noah entered the ark. They knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be when the Son of Man comes.” In the days of Noah, the world was a wicked place, evil abounded everywhere. So shall it be in the last days. The day and hour we live in, the world has become acclimated to sin…sin is not sin anymore. Read Romans 1:18-32. These are the things that we deal with in this world. But, just as in the days of Noah, they decided not to heed to what Noah warned them about. They were not ready when God shut the door (of the ark) and the rain began to fall. That is how it will be when Jesus comes back. There will be those who have failed to listen and will not be ready when Jesus comes to take His people “home”. Verses 40-42 describes it well, “"Two men will be in the field. One will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill. One will be taken and the other left. So keep watch. You do not know on what day your Lord will come.”

So think about it. Are you ready? What do you need to do to be ready? What the Apostle Peter preached in Acts 2, still stands true today. Acts 2:37 says, “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?” They knew in their hearts that there was something that they had to do to be ready. The asked, What do we need to do? Verse 38 is Peter’s response, “ Then Peter said unto them, Repent , and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” We have heard it said, but that is not for us today. Read on to verse 39, “For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off , even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” This promise was for them…it was for their children and for many generations to come after that. It IS for us today. And it IS what we need to do to be ready for His coming. ♥

Have A Need? Pour Yourself Out To Others.

2011-05-20T13:09:00.001-05:00

Isaiah 58:8-12 NIRV

8 Then the light of my blessing will shine on you like the rising sun. I will heal you quickly. I will march out ahead of you. And my glory will follow behind you and guard you. That is because I always do what is right.

9 You will call out to me for help. And I will answer you. You will cry out. And I will say, 'Here I am.' "Get rid of the chains you use to hold others down. Stop pointing your finger at others as if they had done something wrong. Stop saying harmful things about them.

10 Work hard to feed hungry people. Satisfy the needs of those who are crushed. Then my blessing will light up your darkness. And the night of your suffering will become as bright as the noonday sun.

11 I will always guide you. I will satisfy your needs in a land that is baked by the sun. I will make you stronger. You will be like a garden that has plenty of water. You will be like a spring whose water never runs dry.

12 Your people will rebuild the cities that were destroyed long ago. And you will build again on the old foundations. You will be called The One Who Repairs Broken Walls. You will be called The One Who Makes City Streets Like New Again.

I have found that if you have a need in your life physically, emotionally or spiritually…pour yourself out to helping others. Whether you you are tangibly helping them or praying an intercessory prayer for them…when we make a sincere effort to help others, God will bless us abundantly.

I find it interesting that he starts out in verse 9 by saying, “Get rid of the chains you use to hold others down. Stop pointing your finger at others as if they had done something wrong. Stop saying harmful things about them.” The King James Version says, “If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity.” A fault-finding spirit can ruin you. It become a yoke around your neck, restraining you from freely being what God wants you to be and it restrains you from freely worshipping.

Verse 10 goes on to list the things you can do to help others. Feed the hungry. Minister, encourage and satisfy the needs of those who are crushing in spirit. Psalm 34:18 NIRV, “The LORD is close to those whose hearts have been broken. He saves those whose spirits have been crushed.” Sometimes, we just need to be there to remind some one that the Lord is there and He can mend the broken hearts and save those whose spirit has been crushed.

When we make the effort to help others, we can guarantee that His blessing will light up our darkness…Our dark times of suffering will be illuminated…He will guide us…He will satisfy our needs when it seems that circumstances seem bleak…He will make us stronger…He will water our hearts and we will grow…Spiritually, we will not run dry…we will be able to rebuild foundations, relationships and walls of security. He will use us to help others rebuild the walls that the enemy has torn down…and to repair the paths of righteousness that have become ever grown with “weeds”.

We need to be there for each other to encourage and build one another. 2 Timothy 3:1 KJV says, “In the last days perilous times will come.” In these last days, we will face things that are hard to bear, spiritually dangerous and troublesome. NOW, is the time that we need each other more than ever before to encourage and build each other so that we can hold on until the Lord tells Gabriel to blow that trumpet and call us home. Like the song says, “People get ready. Jesus is coming. Soon well be going home . People get ready. Jesus is coming. To take from the world His own .” We have been hearing it for years, but the signs of the times prove that His coming is closer than we realize. Hebrews 10:24 NIRV says, “Let us consider how we can stir up one another to love. Let us help one another to do good works.” We need to observe, focus our mind’s eye and understand that we need to encourage one another to love and to do good works for His glory. ♥

I Am So Thankful!

2011-05-13T13:16:00.001-05:00

Psalm 103:1-6 (NIRV) says, “I will praise the Lord. Deep down inside me, I will praise him. I will praise him, because his name is holy. I will praise the Lord. I won't forget anything he does for me. He forgives all my sins. He heals all my sicknesses. He saves my life from going down into the grave. His faithful and tender love makes me feel like a king. He satisfies me with the good things I long for. Then I feel young and strong again, just like an eagle. The LORD does what is right and fair for all who are beaten down.”

And, Psalm 34:1-3 (NIRV) says, "I will thank the LORD at all times. My lips will always praise him. I will honor the Lord. Let those who are hurting hear and be joyful. Join me in giving glory to the Lord. Let us honor him together."

My heart is full of such a thankfulness and praise today. He has blessed my family and I in so many ways. He has picked me up when I was down…healed my sicknesses…restored me when I faltered on the paths of righteousness…opened my eyes to new things in Him…given me a gift that I want to use for His glory…and he has given me the opportunity to be the best Wife, Mother and Homeschool Teacher that I can be from day to day. I do want to take out time to give Him all the glory, honor & praise for each and every blessing. He is a great God and deserves the highest praise that I can give. ♥

Making The Clean Break.

2011-05-13T12:30:00.001-05:00

2 Corinthians 7:1 MSG, “With promises like this to pull us on, dear friends, let's make a clean break with everything that defiles or distracts us, both within and without. Let's make our entire lives fit and holy temples for the worship of God. More Passionate, More Responsible.”

Look back at Chapter 6: 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 NIRV, “Do not be joined to unbelievers. What do right and wrong have in common? Can light and darkness be friends? How can Christ and Satan agree? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? How can the temple of the true God and the statues of other gods agree? We are the temple of the living God. God has said, I will live with them. I will walk among them. I will be their God. And they will be my people. So come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch anything that is not pure and clean. Then I will receive you. I will be your Father. You will be my sons and daughters,says the Lord who rules over all.”

The kind of promises that can pull us on are the ones that remind us that separating ourselves from the world will bring blessing and favor into our lives. Because, we will be called the sons and daughters of God Almighty! He rules over all. All power in heaven and earth belongs to Him. And, with Him, nothing shall be impossible.

So, remembering that, it should give us that extra boost we need to make a clean break from the things that defile and distract us within and without. Just what does it means within and without? It means to make a clean break from the things that will defile or distract our hearts and minds (within) and also from the things that defile or distract us to be immodest and inappropriate in our outward appearance (without). We need to come out from among those that are ungodly and who distract us from following that ways of God. Sometimes that means you have to make a few choices on who you hang out with and who you get close to from day to day. We need to surround ourselves with godly people; so that we can be strong enough to reach out to those that are not following the will of God for their lives.

We need to strive to make our lives a fit and holy place for the Spirit of God to dwell. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 KJV, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.” How do we glorify God in our body and spirit? As it says in 1 Peter 1:15 KJV, “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation.” That is how we do it. We strive to be holy inside and out, just as our example, Jesus, was holy.

We need to strive to be more passionate. I don’t want the following verse to be said of me. Revelation 3:15-16 KJV, “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.16So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.” The Message translation puts it very bluntly, “I know you inside and out, and find little to my liking. You're not cold, you're not hot - far better to be either cold or hot! You're stale. You're stagnant. You make me want to vomit.” When some one is passionate, they are fiery and on-fire about what they believe in. We need to strive to be on-fire and passionate about the things of God.

We need to strive to be more responsible. What does it take to be more responsible? I think that 1 Corinthians 15:58 (KJV) sums it up, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” When someone is responsible they are reliable, steady and trustworthy. And, when we remain steadfast and unmovable in our walk with God, always striving to to the extra mile for Him, we will responsible.

Help us, Jesus, to make that clean break and strive consistently each day to be all that require for us to be. ♥

Being Content With What You Have…

2011-05-12T09:26:00.000-05:00

Hebrews 13:5 (KJV), “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have : for he hath said , I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

Let your conversation be without covetousness. The word conversation in this verse is translated to mean “manner of life, fashion, character”. The word covetousness means “not avaricious or not materialistic". The way we will live our life in word, deed and attire should be be preoccupied with material things rather than spiritual things. Sometimes we can get so absorbed in getting more “stuff” rather than getting more spiritual. Having an excess amount of “stuff” rather than being content with what you have in moderation. One good example is the a conversation my daughter and I had the other day. She asked why we didn’t have a big two story house. I explained to her that while I love two story houses, especially Victorian style, I don’t NEED a two story house. I am happy with having a house that is just the right size and not too big. We have friends who have two story houses and that is fine for them…it fits their needs. But as for me, I prefer the size I have. It is the same with anything that we have in this life. Sometimes we get so caught up in having more of this or more of that when it is really not things that we need. It is okay to have extra wants, but in moderation. As generations have past, we always want more and more stuff. Years ago, the pioneers of this country were content to live with a whole lot less than we do today. It makes a person think about where their priorities lie.

We need to be content with what we have and not try to go overboard or keep up with the Jones’. For Jesus said, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” In other words, He is saying I am right here with you. I am not going to let you sink into poverty…I am not going to give up on you and leave you high and dry. I am not going to totally abandon you. I am not going to leave you helpless. Matthew 10:29-31 (NIRV) says, “Aren't two sparrows sold for only a penny? But not one of them falls to the ground without your Father knowing it. He even counts every hair on your head! So don't be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows.” Jesus knows the exact number of hairs on your head. And, when a sparrow falls to the ground, He sees and takes care of it. So, don’t you think that He would take the time to take care of your needs? If He has taken the time to count the hairs on your head…it is safe to say that He will make sure you have every thing that you need from day to day. As Philippians 4:19 (KJV) says, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” He will liberally furnish and supply all your necessities!

So what are your needs and necessities? In Matthew 6:25-30 (NIRV) it says, “"I tell you, do not worry. Don't worry about your life and what you will eat or drink. And don't worry about your body and what you will wear. Isn't there more to life than eating? Aren't there more important things for the body than clothes? "Look at the birds of the air. They don't plant or gather crops. They don't put away crops in storerooms. But your Father who is in heaven feeds them. Aren't you worth much more than they are? "Can you add even one hour to your life by worrying? "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the wild flowers grow. They don't work or make clothing. But here is what I tell you. Not even Solomon in all of his glory was dressed like one of those flowers. "If that is how God dresses the wild grass, won't he dress you even better? After all, the grass is here only today. Tomorrow it is thrown into the fire. Your faith is so small!” God will supply you with a roof over your head, food on your table and clothes on your back, etc. I remember a time when my kids were 3 and 1 years old. My husband had lost his job. We had not told anyone. One of the ladies in the church stopped by and said she was at the store and bought more than she needed and felt impressed to stop by and give us the extras. She had no clue what we were facing, but God did. And, he provided our necessities for that moment in time.

I also believe that we have needs and necessities in our spiritual life. And, God is always ready to supply those as well. Have you ever been going through a time when you felt you needed a word of encouragement and then out of the blue, someone says something to you that was just the thing you needed to hear to up lift you? Having you ever been praying for a spiritual need in your life and though you had not told anyone about it, the Pastor gets up and preaches the answer to your prayer? Those things happen because God cares about your spiritual life also. 2 Peter 3:9 (KJV), “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish , but that all should come to repentance.” He has promised to supply your needs…He WILL do it. And, spiritually, He wants us to make it. He doesn’t want us to be lost for eternity. He waits patiently for us to change our minds and hearts to conform to His nature and will. 1 Peter 1:15-16 (KJV) says, “ But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written , Be ye holy; for I am holy” To be holy is to conform to the will and nature of God. Or, to be completely devoted to goodness and righteousness and following the Word of God. It is striving to be like Jesus in every aspect of our lives.

There is more to being a Child of God than coming to church and praying and being good. It involves following the Word of God. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (MSG) says, “Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another - showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God's way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.” Sometimes, the Word of God is going to “step on our toes”…showing us things we need to correct. But, it is our guide book or map for this life. So that we can put us together and shape us into what He wants us to be. For he has a task for each of us to do…we need to be thoroughly trained and equipped for each task. And, if we are so absorbed with obtaining more “stuff”, we can not remain focused on being what He needs us to be…we can not reach those we need to reach if we are always trying to live beyond our means. I do not believe that it is the will of God for us to be maxed out on credit cards nor to live off of credit cards. He provides us with jobs that are sufficient for what we need. Living beyond that by charging this or that because we want it is not what he intended for us to do.

Lord, help us to trust you to supply our every need. Help us to live modestly and within our means. I thank you that you have a purpose and reason for everything that we are faced with from day to day. And, I thank you that you have an answer for those things we face. Teach us to be good stewards with the things you have given us and to be content with what we have. Help us not to want excess but desire things in moderation. I thank you for supplying or every need. And, we give you all the glory, honor and praise for the many blessings we have in our lives. In JESUS name, Amen – So be it!