My Testimony

All this writing and I have never shared my testimony.We all have them,but do we really share them with everyone?I think if we made the effort to share more,more people would realize they were not the only ones in a situation or have a past they are not so proud of. As I was growing up I was never in a church.I didn't grow up knowing Christ.I did know there was a God,that He made the earth,and that there was a heaven,even Christmas was His birthday,but never did anyone reach out to me and show me how to find Christ. Now as I am 42,I can look back on my life and see that the Lord was always there,protecting me,trying to lead me,and loving me all the way.I can see His hand upon my life,even though I didn't know Him.I searched many places looking for love, for comfort,for someone to love me,and they were not the best places to be searching. I did alot of things friends were doing to try to fit in,and have a relationship.I was trying so hard to find myself,I was looking in all the wrong places. I caused my parents much heartache growing up,as I was trying to "find myself".Its funny now I can look back and see all the places I was trying to go to really feel safe,and just searching for something to satisfy me,giving me happiness. It wasn't until I was in my 20's that I met my husband.As we were dating he was teaching me little bits of Jesus, never preaching to me,but slowly showing me who Jesus was,and after we were married he took me to church,the church that we belong to now,that I call home. It was there that I found Jesus,as I was sitting in the pew, holding my baby son,that the Lord reached out and touched me,and my feet just moved forward until I was face to face with Bro. Ben,who shared the words with me that I needed to say to Jesus to have Him be Savior of my life. Being a christian wasnt't easy at first.It's not like your saved and boom,this change happens over night.The Lord didn't make me come to Him cleaned up,He did this all on His own,and in His timing.I am still learning today,I am still growing,and I pray I will keep growing until I take my last breath to be with my Savior.I wasn't always a good girl,and still am not worthy of God's love,but He chose me,and I answered.I am so thankful my husband shared with me what He grew up with,and for my Pastor to show me the way,and lead me in a prayer I had never heard of before. Today as I sit in church I know my bible,scripture,and the songs we sing are in my heart.I would have never known the love of Jesus,and His changing power without someone sharing it with me.I am not the same person I was 17 years ago when I became a christian.The Lord has molded me,brought me through heartache,lifted me,and forgiven me. He has placed joy in my heart,and I will forever praise Him for that.

Blogs

Since I have began blogging,it has been an amazing journey,and still is.To hit those keys with your fingers and just watch them move totally amazes me still as I sit here today. I will write something,sit back and check it,and say,"Wow,where did that come from?" It's like watching someone else work,and your looking over their shoulder. I give all that glory to God.If I don't come to my blog and write for a couple days,I will sit back and read my own stuff,and its like for the first time.You Know that is God moving when that happens.When a friend will point out to you,Um,go read this one from you blog,at it will help you out of this rut.I'm not naming any names,but she knows who she is! I started looking at other blogs,and I have been amazed at how beautiful they are,and how the words just touch you in a special way. I found a site that gave many christian blogs,so I began looking,and wow,there are alot out there,and so many words spoken of Christ and what He is doing in the lives of so many people.I have been blessed to read them,to be encouraged by them,and to learn from them.God speaks through others. If we pay attention,we can see Him everywhere. So I want to say thank you to those who read my blog,I would love to know who all of you are. I want to say thank you for all those others who have been writing,and sharing with everyone,you have touched my heart many times. I am thankful for writing,for words,for getting to share Jesus with others. I hope there never comes a time when we are not able to share and learn from each other for uttering Gods name. It is awesome to be part of such an amazing adventure with others who love to do the same....Blessings

Why do we let things shake us?

In Psalm 16:7-8 it says,"I will praise the Lord,who councils me; even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me.Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken."Wow,does that say alot! Why do we allow ourselves to be shaken? Why does it just take something little,to shake us? Many times big things enter our lives,they are scary things,but why are we shaken? Do we not really have faith? I know in my life there have been many times when I thought I could not go one,even take a step forward.Many times the pain seems like it takes each breath away,but we don't have to allow ourselves to be shaken,God is right there,He is at our right hand.He never leaves us,we leave Him. We tend to leave Him,and try things on our own,which never works.Why does it take us so long to learn this? We are His children,we are children of the King,does that not have a nice ring to it? To be called His children,we should know our Father will never leave us,and He is always in control.He doesn't want us to be shaken.If we build our foundation upon Him,it is going to withstand all things to come.So the question is,where have you built your foundation? What is it made of? Whatever comes to us,never touches us without first touching Him,and He will not let us be shaken if we turn to Him and trust Him with all we have.So the next time something enters your life and throws you off balance,turn to God,allow Him to be our level,and He will make sure all is stable within Him.

Its not our deeds that save us

In Romans 3:23 it says,"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". One verse that says so very much.No matter how hard we try,no matter what we do,we will always fall short.Its what is in our hearts,and having faith in Christ and asking His forgiveness and for Him to come into our hearts that saves us. Believing in Him,saves us,not the things we do.In this "Me" world we live in where everyone is trying to climb to the top,have the biggest house,the fanciest car,make more money than your neighbor,putting labels on who we are by the things we have is the wrong attitude to have.None of those things matter to Jesus.It doesn't matter to Him that we are the head of our company,that we wrote the best seller,or that we have the most amazing house in the most amazing neighborhood,its all what we do with out hearts. Its not if we go to church,sing in the choir,teach Sunday school,teach Awana,and the things just keep coming. We sometimes think we can never say no,because we have to be doing everything.A wise,loving friend helped me see,its okay to say no.Its not all the things or groups we are involved in,it is simply our hearts and where they are pointing to,and focusing on.We can get so caught up in all the things we are doing,we lose focus of our purpose here on earth,Christ.The verse is right there for us to see.We will always fall short when it comes to Christ,He is our Savior,our Rock,our God.He deserves all the praise for all we have,and for all we are.If we focus on Him,nothing compares to His love,and we don't have to work ourselves to death to try to get it,He gives it to us freely,it is our choice if we accept it.

Why are we still sitting down?

If you know me,you know I love to read,and I never leave the house without a book.That could be why my purse is so big.I am now reading "Heaven",by Randy Alcorn.I am not even to the fifth chapter,and this book along with the workbook is already changing my life.Once you start reading,you just cannot stop,each chapter is so full of amazing truths that we are not familar with,or we just have not been focusing on enough,and for be,it has been both.You can see by the title,it is about heaven.How much do we really know about heaven?How much do we really think about heaven?These were some hard questions I had to answer in doing this book. Did you know that Jesus speaks about heaven more than any other subject in the bible?I didn't know that. I know that there will be no more tears,pain,hurting,sickness,or sin in heaven,I know the streets are paved in gold,the gates are of pearl,we will walk with Jesus,praise Him,but there is so much more to be excited about,and so much more to learn.I have had a great time learning about heaven.Its where our Savior wants us to go,and spend all eternity.Can we really grasp eternity?When we are going through a difficult time,it seems like eternity,when we are in labor,at least for some of us,it seems like eternity before that little one comes. All these things are but for a moment compared to eternity.Here is a statisic that floored me,and this comes right from the book. 3 people die every second,180 every minute,and nearly 11,000 every hour.So more than 250,000 people die every day. After I read this I was just speachless,and for me,thats hard to do.I just sat for moments thinking. That is a large number,and the question is do we really care? I do care,but I haven't been doing what God has called me to do,"Go and Tell". Of all those 250,000 how many will go to heaven? Just how many will go to hell because no one reached out to them? This thought brings tears to my eyes,to think I am still sitting here,and I am not going to doors to knock on them, I am not saying anything to those I might see in Walmart,or at the country store,at the games we go to.Every day we come in contact with people who are dieing and going to hell,unless they accept Christ as their Savior.I need to get up and do something about that.I was blessed to have my husband,then boyfriend tell me about Jesus,no one before him had.I was given the gift of life from my Lord and Savior.I dont think it was meant for me to keep it a secret. We all will die one day,our friends,our family,others that we see and know,what are we doing to touch them with Gods word? For me,I know I am not doing enough,many times my walk doesnt even show Christ in my life,nor does my speach or the choices I make everyday.Things have to change,and they need to begin with me. I have a neighbor that has lived by me for two years,and I have never went over and invited them to church,much less Jesus.That is sad,and I am so ashamed that I am not doing what the Lord has asked of me to do.What are we so afraid of? All anyone can do is say,go away,I dont care to hear it,or just simply shut the door is our face.Isn't is worth a try? If your neighbors house was on fire,and you knew they were in there,wouldn't you call 911,well Jesus is 911 to our lives.Wouldn't you go help as much as you could to get them out of that burning house? Jesus is the answer to that question.So many houses are on fire,so many people are hurting,why am I still sitting here? Ask yourself that question,and think how blessed you are that someone told you about Jesus,don't we want to do the same for others? Every day we have 24 hours,thats lots of time to be sharing Christ with others ,no matter the cost.What is the cost to you? I need change in my life and to focus on heaven,to read about heaven,I urge you to get this awesome book,and learn with me,about where Christ is building a home for us right now,if we have our R.S.V.P's ready,lets go out and try to send out as many as we can.

He Is Our Everything

In Psalm 28:6-7 "Praise be to the Lord,for he has heard my cry for mercy.The Lord is my strength,and my shield; my heart trusts in Him,and I am helped.My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song." How many times do we wonder if God hears our cry? How many times do we turn other ways trying to find strength?What do we really put our trust in?Many times ourselves,and I know from experience that doesn't work out for God's glory.We also live our lives trying to find happiness.This verse touched my heart as I read it today.In this verse we can see with our own eyes that He does hear our cries.He is our strength and our shield in this evil world we live in,no one can protect us or sustain us like Christ can.The last part of this verse I sometimes struggle with.That we should have joy in our hearts,and give thanks for everything to Him in song.It doesn't say only the good things,or the happy things,it says all things,even those struggles,those days where we think the load is too heavy,those temptations,those days where the tears just seem to fall.We are to be joyful in ALL. Happiness is a feeling,that changes with our circumstances,but joy is placed in our hearts by God.We can still have joy,no matter what the situation,knowing that nothing touches us,without first touching Christ,who strengthens us.He is our strength on those days that seem like there is no end in sight,He can get us through if we allow Him to,and stop trying to count on ourselves or our husbands to make things better.He is also our shield,for those harsh words that come against us,for those lies told about us,for all the evil that satan tries to through our way to discourage us and turn us away from Christ.He has a purpose and a plan for everything in our lives,we just need to turn to Him to find out what it is,and stop trying to figure it all out on our own.I need Him to be my strength and my shield.I need His mercy and also His grace that He so freely gives.I try each day to rejoice in Him,and to give Him praise for all that touches me,and if I am honest,when I do trust in Him,and allow Him to cover me,I am so blessed and feel His peace in my heart.I have had those days where I didn't think I would make it through,and I did,with God's love and for the prayers of others around me.Jesus is what it is all about.I cannot imagine my life without Him.I wouldn't want to be here without Him,and even on those days where things are falling apart,I am learning to give praise to Him,and sing a joyful song,because through it all I have grown closer to Him,and I have learned so much.He wants to dwell in our hearts,to lead us,and be our everything.So lets turn our eyes upon Him,and praise Him each day for all that enters our lives,for He has a reason,we just have to look to Him to find out what it is.

A Special Time With My Son

Each morning before my son and I do school we read our bible together.I have been blessed to do this with all my children as they too were homeschooled.Even after,we would read together,and it was always a special time just between us.When they were young,I would read to them,and they would sit wide eyed as they learned of the truths about David,Goliath,Joseph,and the many stories that just stuck in their little minds,wanting to learn more.As my son is getting older now,will soon be seventeen,I cherish these times to study with him,to learn with him as we each grow and want so much to be a light for Christ.As we sit in my bed with old,wonderful quilts and do school,read Gods word,we also pray together.At times,hearing my son pray brings tears to my eyes,knowing that he loves Jesus so very much.My prayer is that as my children all leave home and go out on their own,they will still spend that special time with the Lord,and remember our special times together.I pray that as that seed was planted,they too will share this special time with their children. I have to be honest and say,I never spent these special times with my mother or father,for I didn't learn about Jesus at home,I learned about Him from my husband.At times we forget about God's word,we get too busy,and bogged down,and put it off,but for me,I know when I do put it off,my day is not the same.When we start each day with Jesus and His word,no matter what touches us in our lives that day,will be better with God's word surrounding it.My son and I do many things together,and I love spending time with him,but I have to say the times we are reading God's word,or talking about Christ,those are the most special,and I am so thankful my husband shared with me,so I could share with others.

SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS

Ephesians 1:3-8 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ,in accordance with his pleasure and will to the praise of his glorious grace,which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood,the forgiveness of sins,in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding." Are these not amazing verses before us? Just in these verses God tells us,He has blessed us,chose us,adopted us,has given redemption,the forgiveness of our sins, and He has given us all the wisdom and knowledge we need.We so long to be loved,but here it tells us that He first loved us,and with His love and through His blood we have his forgiveness,that we still don't have with others here with us,and to give us all wisdom and knowledge,what a gift. Some search their whole lives for knowledge,some gain knowledge,and can be some of the smartest people in the world,but knowledge without God's wisdom is useless.Living our lives everyday we get so caught up in our diffucult situations,where do we turn? Some turn totally away from Christ,others seek friends advice,Dr.Phil.or even goodness,Oprah the god of television.We should be seeking God first above all. He has given us so much freely for us to take,but as we take we should also be giving.What is knowledge or wisdom if it is not being shared and shone through our lives? God has given us all gifts for His glory,we should use each one for Him,not for our own gain,or to get a pat on the back,or even to be acknowledged,because all good that comes from us,is really God shining through.In His word,He shows us His will, His way for us to live,and with that comes blessings,that do not just reach us,but touch everyone we touch.He has given us Heaven,a place we can learn about in His word.It is not a secret,all is right there for us to see,if we can just take our eyes off of us,and move out of our little box,He will give us glimpes of Heaven and what is to come.We should be thinking upon Heaven,and Jesus,not wasting our time with earthly "things" that will not matter in Heaven. If I allow Him to,He opens my eyes to His glory everyday,He teaches me,and gives me,His child,all I need to know,and loves me beyond words.No other can love us like our Father in Heaven,so why not today,live it like it our last,get into His word,learn more about Him who loves us,and about Heaven,the special place He is preparing for us.Our walk here on earth is a short one,and on this road if we choose to follow Him,He will show us the way,not just around the corner,or down the road a peice,but He will show us,just how to get where He wants us to be.

Colossians 3:2

"Set your mind on things above, not on things of this earth." How precious is this verse to us? This verse should set us free.Lets not waste our time concerning ourselves with all the things of this world that do not matter one bit,and let us focus on what is true and right,Jesus Christ.If we set our minds on Christ and Him alone,all the other things will follow in place.Why let our minds wander,why let ourseves get caught up in the worldly things? Christ even tells us to focus on Him,not the things of this world.How many things of the world get us into trouble,and we are way out there fighting temptations,and falling into sin?If we turn our minds towards Christ,and open our hearts,eyes,and ears to His word,we will be blessed.Knowing God is asking us to do this,should bring us peace in our hearts.Trash in, trash out.Whatever we allow to enter our minds,stays there,it doesn't go away so easily.We need to clean up what we allow into our hearts,and put all our trust in Him,and setting our minds upon who Christ is,what Christ has done for us,what He is going to do for us,and what we need to be doing for Him.That way it totally takes us out of the picture,our wants,the me in all of us,and turns it around to where it should be,Christ,and Christ alone.

Out of Our Control

In our lives we are just born fixers.If I see something broken,be a table,glass,or a heart,I want to fix it.But you know what?There are just some things in our lives that are out of our control.We might be able to control the temperature in our homes,what we watch on television,or what we wear today,but trying to control other situations in our lives,only brings more pain.We can't control who likes us,who loves us,or what others do,just like the whether.The only thing in this lifetime we can really control is our relationship with Christ,the rest is plainly God's job.If we are always in the way trying to fix things how we think they should go,we get in His way of doing things.If you think about it,giving all control over to God is hard at times,but just imagine how freeing it is.To not have to worry about anything will add so much joy in our hearts,and its giving God the glory everyday,by putting our trust in Him.

A Voice

I am pretty knew to all our new technology.Just got texting a few months ago,we havent even had our computer that long,and the internet is just amazing.With facebook we are able to keep in touch with others,with texting we can send a little love note to someone,and with the click of a key we can send an email to anywhere.All of this is great stuff,and fun,but for me,I miss my phone ringing,I miss hearing the voice of family and friends.Although a letter is good to send love,nothing is better than hearing the voice of your husband,daughter,son,and friends on the other side.You can hear the emotion in their voice,hear the laughter in our hearts,and with each word spoken they aren't misunderstood,but with texting,facebook and emails,you just dont get that,and many times our notes can be mistaken for harse words or laughing at someone,because you cannot hear how they are feeling.My phone rang today for the first time in many days.I love to hear my ringtones,and even more I love hearing someone say on the other end,"I love you",or "how are you doing?" So as we are moving forward with technology,I hope we don't forget to know how to speak to someone,and share the voice of Love.

A little Sunshine for the day

A few days ago I was really having a bad day,just struggling with life.You know,those rainy days,when your wondering if the sun is going to shine again? Those days when the wind is blowing in hard,and your not quite sure if you can stand against the wind,its just so strong.Those days when its pouring,and your not sure when its going to stop.When those tornados of life hit out of nowhere,and you have no warning its coming,and you get hit hard.I think we all have those days when we are shivering because the rain is so cold.Thats the kind of day I was having,until a little bit of sunshine came upon me,with a beautiful rainbow to help.The hard rain started to cease,the clouds parted,and the Son was shining upon me.He came to me with the blessing of a friend,who with her love gave me a wonderful gift,that brought tears just opening up the bag.God may not make the storm stop,or the waves to slow,but He will calm us through our storms in life,by His love,and touching us with loving people around us.On the other hand He may choose to stop the storm,either way we need to praise Him,weather we are in the storm or He has stopped it.It is in the moments that we think we are alone,that He reaches out a hand,and holds us,and steadys us until we are able to stand.When your afraid the sun isnt going to shine anymore,dont give up hope,because the Son will always shine down upon us,even through a little shower.

Gossip

Why do we gossip?Is it to make ourselves feel better to put others down?Is it to make ourselves feel powerful?What is the real point of gossip? We have all done it at some point or another,and soon enough we get our hearts broken by those who look us in the eye,smile,and greet us with love,then behind our backs,they go and tell things,stories of what they think they know.Then it spreads like wildfire to all the surrounding areas.That fire burns rapidly,and just the heat of the fire destroys people,their reputations,others opinions of you that havent even met you long enough to know you,and after the gossip train rolls in,they may not want to know you.I have lately had gossip spread about myself and my family.It hurts very much to know the very people you see at church on Sunday choose to go behind their brother or sisters back and speak of them,instead of coming to you first.Our Pastor has a saying,"If your not part of the problem or the solution,dont even speak about it."Some tend to think they have to be in the know all of everyones lives,I believe that is called a busy body,and as christians thats not what we are too do,we should pray for those we know are hurting,not cut them down even more.We are not to judge others for any reason at all.You never know about the situation until you too are in it,and you cannot say,well that was wrong and I would have done this,well folks, you never know what you will do,until you too are in that situation,and going through pain,pain that others have no idea about.I was really hurt by the gossip I knew was being said about me,and I too know who those people are,which hurts even more,but after wise friends who really love me gave me advice,I really started thinking,why should I give one minute of my precious time for those who choose to gossip?Me giving my time over to them,is taking my time away from Christ.What I need to do is just crawl upon His lap,and pray for those who are gossiping,and turn away from it,and consentrate on Jesus.Allowing others to hurt us with their words is a waste of our time.Time is so special,and we need to live each moment like it is our last,if I only had one day left here on this earth,I certainly wouldn't want it wasted on thinking of the words someone chose to say about me.Why do we worry anyway?We know who we are,the Lord knows our hearts,and we know the truth,and the greatest blessing is that we have family and friends who really love us and support us through everything.If someone basis their life on gossip,and chose to speak badly of me,well atleast they are leaving another alone for that time.God knows all and He hears all.We cannot change those who gossip about us,but we can change how we respond to them.We can love them like Christ would,the way they too should be loving us.

Just a Thought

This afternoon I ate pizza with my son and we watched 50 First Dates.It is one of my favorite movies,and ofcourse at the end I always cry,even though I already know whats going to happen,unlike she does in the movie.As I sit and relate to this movie about a girl that had an accident,now has only a long time memory,and cannot remember day to day,she just starts over each day,and wishes she could remember each day so she could go forward. I think I am the opposite in my life somedays. I wish I could just go back in time and relive a day that brought so much happiness and all my family was together.If I could relive that each day for the rest of my life I think I would be one happy girl. Instead I remember how beautiful the past was,and how it gave me so much joy,I see the present day that gives me so much heartache,but I cannot see the future and what it is going to bring. See, I have two beautiful girls,and they really are beautiful,but they aren't in my life any longer.Each day I wake without them brings more pain.No one can really understand until they too have walked this road.I don't know why God has allowed it,maybe to teach us, maybe to bring us closer to Him.I certainly have done that.I couldn't walk this road without Him,He is my strength,and gives me grace that I am so undeserving of each day.He walks with me through my hurt,and there are days that He has to carry me,because I just cannot walk alone.I know He has heard my prayers,I pray each day all throughout the day,but I am still waiting on Him.I have learned what patience is.It is knowing God is in control,knowing nothing comes to me without first going through Him,and knowing that God isnt my genie in a bottle.I cannot snap my fingers and have Him grant my wishes.He isn't a shooting star,that I can make a wish upon and wow,heres my gift.He is my Savior,my Father.He answers prayer according to His will and His time,not mine,He knows what is best,He also knows the past,present,and future.He knows the hearts of us all,and He knows what my heart desires.He gives what we need,not what we want,and He doesn't always explain this or that of a situation.We just have to choose to follow,and love Him,knowing that He first loved me. My daughters are very special,and they are so talented,and they have huge hearts,that hurt also.It is like when you fall and scrape your knee,it has to heal from the outside first,and as that scab covers to protect the inside that is still injured,it takes time to heal,its not a one day process.If your not careful,you can get on the bike too soon and there you go falling again and opening that old wound,and now it has to start the healing process over again.We must make sure we care for our wound,protect it,apply medicine,and wrap it up tight to keep all the germs out,and so you won't injure it again. See,we all made mistakes,my daughters,and I too.They spread their wings just a little to soon,and while trying to do that,they made mistakes that hurt.As they too were making mistakes,I made a few of my own.No one is blameless,and its not really us.It is satan destroying what God had built for His glory.Satan sneaks in and steals right before your eyes.Then the things that you loved most in this world are gone within a moment.You can say a thousand sorry's,but does it really ever heal?If we truelly forgive,are we not also to forget? When we are hurting,you would think we have it all figured out by now,but instead we just keep making mistakes.Hurt people,hurt people they love sometimes,not meaning to.I can open up all my pictures,watch movies of our girls,get out all my cards,and sit with a glass of tea,and just be at peace for just a moment,but then I have to put all those things away,and start a new day.Hoping that this will be the day when God opens our eyes,and allows our hearts to heal.I am still waiting upon that day,for I will never give up hope. I wish our hearts could all just forget,and move forward into a new day,but until then I will hang on to my hope that the Lord has placed in my heart,for He knows how much I love my daughters,and He even loves them more.I will praise His name everyday for the moments I have shared with them,and carry the guilt I have for the days I have not. I hope one day the Son will shine upon us, and all that we have been through will be for Gods glory.

POEM BY FANNY CROSBY

All the Way My Saviour Leads Me
All the way my Saviour leads me;
What have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt His tender mercy,
Who thro' life has been my guide?
Heav'nly peace, divinest comfort,
Here by faith in Him to dwell!
For I know whate'er befall me.
Jesus doeth all things well.
All the way my Saviour leads me,
Cheers each winding path I tread,
Gives me grace for ev'ry trial,
Feeds me with the living bread.
Tho' my weary steps may falter.
And my soul athirst may be,
Gushing from the Rock before me.
Lo! a spring of joy I see.
All the way my Saviour leads me;
Oh,the fulness of His love!
Perfect rest to me is promis'd
In my father's house above;
When my spirit,cloth'd immortal,
Wings its flight to realms of day.
This my song thro' endless ages;
Jesus led me all the way.

POEM BY FANNY CROSBY

MORE LIKE JESUS WOULD I BE
More like Jesus would I be,
Let my Saviour dwell in me;
Fill my soul with peace and love,
Make me gentle like a dove;
More like Jesus,while I do,
Pilgrim in this world below;
Poor in spirit would I be;
Let my Saviour dwell in me.
If He hears the raven's cry,
If His ever-watchful eye
Marks the sparrows when they fall,
Surely He will hear my call;
He will teach me how to live,
All my sinful thoughts forgive;
Pure in heart I still would be;
Let my Saviour dwell in me.
More like Jesus when I pray,
More like Jesus day by day,
May I rest me by His side,
where the tranquil waters glide;
born of Him,through grace renewed,
By His love my will subdued,
Rich in faith I still would be;
Let my Saviour dwell in me.

Knowing God is in control

John 14:27 says: "Peace I leave with you,My peace I give to you not as the world gives do I give to you.Let not your heart be troubled,neither let it be afraid."Within this verse holds a promise that God is giving us His peace,and we don't have to be afraid of anything that comes our way.My husband has been layed off for many,many months now.He will most likely not have a job to go back to.This usually happens every year,the first year,it scared us to death,not knowing what to do,but the Lord knew and took care of us.Year after year this happened,and the Lord was always there to provide and guide us through.This time with the economy the way it is,it was much harder.He had never been layed off this long before.So here we are without insurance,and my goodness do I always have to go to the doctor,and have much medications,but we are not fearful,we have our faith,and God always provides every need we have.We may not always have the things we want,but we have the things we need,and a few of those wants that the Lord is able to bless us with.When hard times come our way,we never have to fear.The Lord knows what is going to happen before we ever see it coming.He provides a way,sends a check from out of the blue,and works all things out for His glory.This has brought us closer together,and we have learned to have a lot or too have a little,as long as we have the Lord and each other we are blessed beyond words.Each day we can have joy and we can share in laughter knowing that the Lord loves us,and cares for our every need.I Love this verse,and what it carries.To never be troubled with anything,and do not worry.Worrying never added one day onto our lives,it only takes those precious days away.I am thankful for each and everything we have,and for my husband and all his sacrifices,for the Lord has blessed us well.

Apirl 20th,the day I will never forget

Today is the anniversary of my dads death twenty-three years ago today.It is a day that still seems like yesterday to me.It is strange that twenty-three years have passed and I could repeat everything moment by moment that happened that day.It was a beautiful day,the sun was shining,just a bit of a breeze blowing,and you could smell the spring flowers,and see all the new things blooming.It was a time for all new things to grow.This year was amazing in the fact that we had had beautiful weather.The last day I had seen my dad was Easter Sunday.Today brings such memories and opens the floodgates for all my different emotions.Hurt,to see my daddy suffer so,anger,to know what was happening to him,and a peace,knowing my daddy wouldn't have to suffer anymore,he wouldn't have to struggle for every breath or be loaded up on morphine drips.I can see the sights,hear the words,and smell all the different smells of that day.Sometimes I feel cheated,that I didn't have much time with my daddy,he would never walk me down the aisle,he would never see his grandaughters,or teach his grandsons to fish.He would never have a conversation with my husband,nor would we ever share in a football game again.He wouldn't be here to protect me,and I wouldn't see my daddy come in the door from work anymore.We would not celebrate anymore holidays together,the most special to us was Christmas.He would always let me open one presant,then he would open one,and I would say lets do one more,and he would agree.Soon all of our presants were opened the night before Christmas.The last gift I gave to him was a gold watch,I was so proud of,that I worked and bought it myself.He loved it,and would wear it everyday.He was proud that I cut hair,and would always cut my daddy's hair,soon though all his hair was gone,and never to grow back again.He wouldn't be there for my mom anymore,and we wouldn't share in laughter or listen to him sing.I feel I had lost so very much.To a girl,no matter what age,her daddy is still daddy,and he was mine. He wasn't a hugging person or even one to say I love you.But I knew I was daddy's girl,I felt his love from all his sacrifices,and the smiles that he gave.I would no longer get to fish with my dad,nor have him untangle my line when I casted off in the weeds.No one realizes how special their parents are until they are gone.Its then when it hits you,just how much you really did love them,and will no longer get to hear them say your name with love.This day has effected my life more than any,it was the day I stopped taking everything in life for granit.This was the day I didn't get to say goodbye,and never again say hello daddy. This day forever will stay with my heart,and each year never gets easier, you just learn how to live without.The last thing my daddy had me promise,was that I would take care of my mom.In my childhood I always heard him tell me he was proud of me,for now,I so long to hear those words from him.To know he would be proud of me now,of the person I became,being a mom,and a wife,living for Christ now.I can only hope he would be proud of me,and of the road I have taken.I am thankful for my daddy,and the time that we had together.If only there could be one more day,just one to say all the things I didn't say,and to hear all the things I so yearn to hear now.We all have those days in our lives that seem to impact us the most,and as I look back in time,that day took and gave me the most,for on that day my life took a turn,and in that direction God overheard.He made a way for me to meet my husband to be,and share with me the love of Christ that would carry me through the rough days of my past.

1 Peter 3:8-12

"Finally,all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers,be tenderhearted,be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling,but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this,that you may inherit a blessing.For He who whould love life and see good days, Let him refreain his tongue from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it.For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."Here we are encouraged to love each other,do not repay evil for evil.Its so hard at times when you know someone is speaking badly of you,or judging you for things they do not know about,or just being unkind,but we must listen to Christ as He teaches us to love those against us,for if we give in to our worldly thoughts they can take us places we dont want to go,and can lead us to destruction just by following the evil coming our way.Its hard to let things slide at times,when you know whats going on is wrong.But better than fight about those things,just turn to Christ in that moment and let Him cover you with His love and protection.We are to walk as Jesus would,thats not always easy,but He never said it would be.When we have those who are hurting us,instead of us hurting them back through our pain,we need to pray for them,and us,that we can let the Lord speak to us and move us to peace within ourselves,knowing that He has all under control.It hurts to be hurt,and it hurts to have others say things about you,I know this from my own struggles with life.But,when we put it in perspective,and know that God has gone through all that we have,and He is faithful to us,gives us hope,and should give us peace in our hearts.Situations may not change over night,but they can begin with Christ,and in our own hearts.We may not be able to change our attackers,but we can change us,and let God take care of those who are attacking,He tells us that is not our job to attack back,but trust in Him to care for everything in our lives,big and small.

A VERSE THAT GIVES US HOPE

When I opened my bible this morning I came across this verse and boy did the Lord speak to me.Isn't wonderful that no matter what time of day,the Lord always wants to spend time with us?We have a Savior who not only loves us uncondisionally,but He really wants to have a one on one relationship with Him.To walk with Him for just a little while will give us understanding of who we are and where we need to be.Its not always where we think we should be,or what we think we should be doing.We really have to listen,cast our ears upon Him,and He will give us all we need.He gives us such hope for each moment and each day.He is the best direction giver of anyone.He is our compass in this world we live in,that we are attacked daily by satan,and some are so blinded they cannot see that it is satan who is at work,not the person who is struggling each day.We cannot allow satan to take one minute of our lives.WE must be watchful,and know what is around us.Attacks can change us into souls that are far from where God wants us to be.Listen at this verse.1 Peter 5:6-11."Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God,that He may exalt you in due time,casting all your care upon Him,for He cares for you.Be sober,be vigilant;because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion,seeking whom he may devour.Resist him,steadfast in the faith,knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus,after you have suffered a while,perfect,establish,strengthen,and settle you.To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever.Amen." When our lives are broken,God will come and mend them with His love and touch us,healing us from our hearts first,if we will only allow Him too.If we put our trust in Him,he will deliver us out of our bondage and from the attacks from satan.If we build our foundation upon Him,He will be steadfast and strengthen us through all circumstances we face.We don't have to fear this world,our enemies,even satan.We know him by the attacks he brings and the devistation in our families.We don't have to make room for him,make more room for Christ,and let Him fight our battles,for we are blessed to know that our trials last for only a little while,and we are told,He loves us.Nothing has touched us that has not touched Him first.As we cast a fishing line,as far out as we can,hoping to catch something big,we too can cast all our cares upon Christ,and know that we are going to real in something special,and we wont have to struggle like we are pulling in a big fish,He will come to us with just a whisper.

What would we do without friends?

Just when things are confusing,just when you think things are falling apart,just when you think you cant handle one more day,a little note from a friend always pops up.I usually don't name names in my blog,but this one I have to.She is one of my bestest friends.She is there with me through thick and thin.Good days when we share laughter,and the bad ones when tears just keep falling.Who is this amazing friend?Tami.The Lord sent her in my life as a blessing.She is the pure version of a friend,she's true to herself,talented,and amazingly beautiful.She gives Godly advice just at the right time.I can be going through a horrible day,and there on my phone is a little note of love from her.She is a giver,and has given me some of the best gifts of my life.She knows when to talk,and just when to listen.She can see you and know if something is waying on your heart.The Lord shines through her,and touches everyone she knows.She is a wonderful example of the virtous woman.Although she is humble and might disagree,those who know her,know its true.Is she perfect,nope,and she will be the first to say.But she follows the Lord with her whole heart,and blesses others just by her grace.She really isn't my mercy friend,she is more kick ya in the behind,and move on girlfriend.She is my compass on days when I am lost,she is the laughter that fills my heart,and she is the sweetness that others dream of.She is an awesome mom,her children will call her blessed as they grow and get older,for they are blessed to have such a loving mom.I am blessed to call her friend,she has laughed with me,cried with me,and prayed with me.When a friend knows all about you,and loves you anyway,that is a true friend.She is not only my friend,but my sister.She fills my heart,and is my encourager,the one who tells me never to give up,and keep trying,as she is praying along for me.I have felt her prayers,and know that they are from a woman who puts herself last,and chooses to put others first.I am not sure where I would be today without her,for I am forever blessed each day the Lord allows our friendship to grow.I pray we get to grow very old together,and with our fancy friend we can all wear those silly red hats.As long as I have her by my side,I know everything is going to be okay.

Poem by Anne Bradstreet

HERE FOLLOWS SOME VERSES UPON THE BURNING OF OUR HOUSE JULY10TH,1666.COPIED OUT OF A LOOSE PAPER
In silent night when rest I took
For sorrow near I did not look.
I wakened was with thund'ring noise
And pieous shrieks of dreadful voice.
That fearful sound of "Fire!" and "Fire!"
Let no man know is my desire.
I, startingup,the light did spy,
And to my God my heart did cry
To strengthen me in my distress
And not to leave me succorless.
Then, coming out, beheld a space
The flame consume my dwelling place.
And when I could no longer look,
I blest His name that gave and took,
That laid my goods now in the dust.
Yea,so it was, and so 'twas just.
It was His own,it was not mine,
Far be it that I should repine.
He might of all justly bereft
but yet sufficient for us left.
When by the ruins oft I past
My sorrowing eyes aside did cast,
And here and there the places spy
where oft I sat and long did lie:
Here stood that trunk, and there that chest,
there lay that store I counted best.
My pleasant thinks in ashes lie,
And them behold no more shall I.
Under my roof no guest sall sit,
Nor at thy table eat a bit.
No pleasant tale shall e'er be told,
Nor things recounted done of old.
No candle e'er shall shine in thee,
Nor bridegroom's voice e'er heard shall be.
In silence ever shall thou lie,
Adieu,Adieu,all's vanity.
Then straight I 'gin my heart to chide,
And did thy wealth on earth abide?
Didst fix thy hope on mold'ring dust?
The arm of flesh didst make thy trust.
Raise up thy thought abouve the sky
That dunghill away may fly.
THou hast an house on high erect,
framed by that mighty Architect,
With glory richly furnished,
Stands permanent though this be fled.
It's purchased and paid for too
By Him who hath enough to do.
A price so vast as is unknown
Yet by His gift is made thine own;
There's wealth enough, I need no more,
Farewell, my pelf, farewell my store.
the world no longer let me love,
My hope and treasure lies above.

My Beautiful Sunday School Teacher

I love Sunday School.It is part of the week that I look forward to.I am blessed to have a wonderful teacher.Her name is Joy,and her name says it all.She has a beauty that shines from within.She has such grace,and she is humble before the Lord.She has a laugh that is contagious,and her giggle,will make your day.She walks with a grace,that has come with time.As she teaches,its just not from a booklet,or a study guide,its from her heart.Its from her life,and how she has experienced life with and without Christ.She doesn't think she's beautiful,she doesn't think she is worthy of praise,but she is. She is one of those women you want to have lunch with,that you want to take a long walk with,one that you would pick for your mother-in-law.She is our sister in Christ,and she allows Him to move through her each Sunday while she is teaching,and each day of her life. She spends one day a week with her mother,that is a beautiful heart.She is giving,and would give the shirt off her back for another.You cannot spend much time with her without falling in love with her.She has a special quality that is rare.She has faced hardship,and loss.She has had much joy in her life also.She shares so much of herself,that through her struggles and achievments you can see Christ shine forth. I will be honored if I can be just a little like her someday.Jesus looks good on her.She is the best teacher I have ever had,and I am blessed to call her my sister,my friend.

Glimmering Friends

I am blessed to have awesome friends.I have a couple who love sparkles,and glimmer.They are just as cute as can be,they wear all the sparkles,and shimmer.They just glow everywhere they go.Yes,they love bright colors,and they wear them so well.It is just their personalities to glimmer.You have seen them,I'm sure.They are the ones who stand out in a crowd,and you take a peek at them,and you think wow,they wear that glimmer well.With my two friends who love shimmer,its not the jewelry that makes them shine,its their relationship with Christ.They each have their own unique personality,and they shine before everyone with their hearts for Christ.They just give off sparkle just by being near them.Like when you have picked up something with glitter on it,and for some reason when you walk away,you too now have glitter all over you!Thats them!!!It is contagious.A love of christ shinning through them that just gets on you and sticks.It is wonderful to be around people like them,who let Jesus shine in all His glory.They are just themselves,with open hearts.I am blessed to be with them,and they give so much just by being honest.I am glad I have glimmering friends,because I just can't stand next to them without getting a little on me.

Looking up

When we need information where do we go?We may ask a friend,we may search the web,we might even use the yellow pages.I tend to go everywhere before I look up.We often want others opinions,and well,just let me say,I have learned some just don't give great opinions.We tend to go to others to lift us up,when first we should look up.Whenever the weather changes,and a storm is coming we always look up to see whats coming.If we are sitting at a game watching softball,someone may say,"Heads up!"Why then is it so hard for us to look up when we really need direction?If there was a shop and they had purses on sale,and I didn't know where it was,you bet I'd look it up to see exactly where the shop is.If there was a new book store and it was the grand opening with half off,I'd be wondering where it was,so me and my girlfriends who love to read could go. We look up for everything,except for the most important.If I would just wake every morning and look up to my Savior before my day ever starts,I believe He would send blessings,and guide me in the path that I should be walking.Kind of like when your children get a new pair of shoes,(it also happens to me!!)they start walking,but they are looking down at their new shoes,and soon fall,because they weren't looking up every once in awhile!We too will fall flat on our faces,if we are not looking up to see where He wants us to go.So, instead of looking all around us for direction,lets look up to see what direction He is leading.

Hiding Behind a Face

Do we show the real us,or do we hide behind a happy face?As women,mothers,and wives we have so many emotions going on daily,its hard to have a joyful attitude every moment.Some days clearly the Son is shining through us,and others well,we feel like we are going crazy in a world that just keeps spinning around whether we are ready or not.As the world is spining,just as if the merry-go-round is going to fast,its hard if not impossible to jump off without getting skinned up knees.I think many times we are just trying to make too many people happy at once,when the one we should be focused on is Christ.We have to learn to say no to others when things are rough enough.We have to learn that we just cannot spread ourselves too thin,because when we do,we are letting something important suffer,our hearts.We are daughters of the King,we are from a royal blue blood,we are treasured beyond words.We don't have to worry about what others think,only Christ,and we must stop hiding behind a face,and just be ourselves.If we have to cry,cry and get it out when a friend says,"How are you?"If we cannot be honest with ourselves,how can we be honest with others?We are to bare one anothers burdens,and pray for one another.Before we can do that,we must open our hearts to Christ.We don't have to be giddy with laughter all the time,we don't have to be dressed with the best daily,and we don't have to put on a show for anyone.As women we are so special,and God gave us the gifts to use for His glory.He gave us emotions to share and let others know they are not by themselves.We often think we are the only ones going through a difficult time,we think no one will understand,and often we feel ashamed that we are feeling so poorly on the inside.We have nothing to hide,and nothing to fear.We must not keep things inside,for we have to let them out to breath.We are women who have so much to give,lets start sharing those emotions inside,and let us learn not to hide behind anything,because when we are hiding,Christ cannot be shining.

Change

Change happens every day for us,sometimes every minute.Are we really ever ready for change?Change can be good or it can be bad.With each choice we make,brings about circumstances that effects our lives and those around us forever.As the seasons change,so too do we.When we are babies we can't be left unattended,we need that care to survive,when we get a little older we learn to ride on our own without training wheels,as we get to the teen years,who doesn't think they know it all,and have figured it all out,then in the twenties we just want to have fun,then the thirties hit and you start waking up,but still concerned with me,then bang,you hit your forties,and now its about everyone else,but you.You now know who you are,you are content with yourself,and you have a joy in your heart that grew there over time.It doesn't seem to matter as much if other people get you,you get you.You can stand alone and know where you are.Only,we didn't get there without change.It is because of all those changes that took place in our lives that make us who we are.Change is kind of scary,it happens right before our eyes.We cannot stop change,and we cannot change other people,only ourselves,and that too can be minute by minute.When we stop fearing change,and accept it,we can then learn to really live,and live each day like there is no tomorrow.God allowed change,He even changed right before His parents eyes.The song,"Mary,did you know" is one of my favorites.When did Mary know her child would be the Savior of the world?He still cried,cut teeth,learned to crawl and then walk,and soon He was walking on His own,right up to the cross,where He gave His life for you and me.When our children change,its not easy,we watch them grow right before our eyes,and soon like Jesus,they too are walking.They learn to walk on their own,with their own minds,and start making their own decisions,they are changing and so are we as parents.We are not needed as much anymore,at least we feel so.We start missing them more and more as they grow and make their own lives,leaving the fold of their parents and into the arms of another that they are promising their love to. We can't be afraid of change,if we do not embrace it,we will lose so much,and many things we can never get back.For just like when water changes into vapor,it cannot be changed back into water,therefore our changes can not be undone.The Lord did not mean for us to stay the same,nor for life to stay on the same path,without those changes life just wouldn't be the same,nor would we.Our country even voted for a man that stated "CHANGE"everywhere he went.No one wants the same over and over,we want to see good change,but what about bad? It's in those moments that we call upon Christ and need Him,He gives us strength through change,and just as one person changes,we too can learn from their change too.It is a domino effect,what reaches us,somehow reaches those we touch.So, when change touches you,reach out for the Lord,and embrace every moment,knowing that He is with us every step of the way.

Dandelions

Today as my son came in the house he brought me a gift from his childhood,dandelions.When my children were all young,I must have been given thousands of these little yellow beauties.They would happily go out and pick a handful and bring them in and place them in a small mason jar just for me. These are the same little gifts of love that I picked for my Mother.What is a weed to some,was a gift of love to me.Some get big bouqets of flowers on Mothers day,and all throughout the year,and I too have gotten some amazingly beautiful flowers,but the best of all,the most meaningful are those little yellow ones,picked by hand and carried to me by my little ones.They come to you with such a look of love,that only a child can have for their momma.I wish I could have saved them all,for the joy they brought to my heart.Even though they cannot be saved,I carry them all in my heart,where all of my gifts live. When your child comes to you with a open hand,and says,"Here mommy,I picked these just for you," nothing can be more precious. You know you are loved when you are handed a gift of little love flowers.

The Crown

I love the book of James.It is in your face truth of the things we should be doing and the things we shouldn't be doing.It is a short book with lots of information compiled within its pages.We know as we work for the Lord there are little jewels He places in our crowns,that one day we will lay at His feet.I hope my gift to Him is completly full and running over with beauty. But as we live each day are we working towards our gift to Christ or for ourselves?At times I think we all work for something just for us,since the world teaches that we are so deserving of all,when as christians we have to remind ourselves we are worthy of nothing,for without Christ we would be nothing.Can we have faith without works,or works without faith?I dont think so,they go hand in hand with living a christian life.If we have faith we will be working for Christ giving all we have,if we have works,we are doing those works for Christ through faith. Are we making our own crown,so they we might be glorified by people,or are we working towards a crown to glorify Christ? Sometimes that can be a hard question.In todays world we are self-seekers,in God's world we should be Christ-seekers,and dying to our self needs,and working towards using the gifts He gave us for His glory. In James 2:18-26 says this,"But someone will say,"You have faith,and I have works. Show me your faith without works,and I will show you my faith by my works.You believe that there is one God.You do well.Even the demons believe-and tremble!But do you want to know,O foolish man,that faith without works is dead?Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?Do you see that faith was working together with his works,and by works faith was made perfect?And the scripture was fulfilled which says,Abraham believed God,and it was accounted to him for rightiousness.And he was called the friend of God.You see then that a man is justified by works,and not by faith only.Likewise,was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?For as the body without the spirit is dead,so faith without works is dead also." We can't have one without the other.They work together for Christ.So the question is do we think we have faith just by going to church and sitting in the pew,not doing any works for Christ?Or with our works,do we think that we are showing good faith? We must put them together,or we have nothing. So what kind of crown do we want to lay at the feet of Jesus,the one that is full to bring glory to Him,or just our crown to wear here on earth so others can see it?

The Little Ant

Proverbs 6:6-11 Go to the ant,you sluggard!Consider her ways and be wise,Which,having no captian, Overseer,or ruler,Provides her supplies in the summer,and gathers her food in the harvest.How long will you slumber,O sluggard?When will you rise from your sleep?A little sleep,a little slumber,a little folding of the hands to sleep-So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler,and your need like an armed man. This is one of my favorite stories I always read to my kids,and I even read it over and over.This is just such an amazing profile of we want we should be,and not be.Here you have this little humble ant.The size of a pinhead,and he works mightingly day and night.He isn't worried about what others ants are saying.(Just stay with me,theres a point here.) He strives to do his best,he knows his job,and he doesnt give up when things are too hard.They are working together for the greater good,because without each one doing as they should their house will crumble,and they will go hungry.He is just busy with himself,not what all the other ants are doing.He is not in competition with the other ants,but does his job 100% whole heartedly.This little ant can pick things up ten times his size,he isn't discouraged by life,and he is a hard worker,not just for himself but for those around him.He doesn't waste his time sleeping and grumbling about what he has to do.So we can look to this little ant,that even God calls us to follow in their ways.We spend too much time being lazy,we spend too much time thinking of what others will think of us,we are not ready to work for the greater good of all,unless others are pitching in.We want others to notice what we are doing,and we really just dont want to work that hard.If we are not giving 100% to christ,then our time spent is for us,and no one else.We have to stop looking around at what others are doing,and start looking in our hearts to make sure we are doing what we need to get done.I'm sure these little ants have fun working,and joke with one another,but they get down to the matter of things and don't give up until they are finished.The Lord doesn't give us what we cannot handle,we gain our strength from Him.With Him all things are possible,even living like the little ant.

approval

As I write I always wonder what others think,has it blessed them?Did they learn something new?Did they like it at all?So many questions to add to what do others really think.I had asked many to read my blog,since I so love to write.Many speakers,and writers have read it,and most gave wonderful comments,some were not encouraging.I would love to write a novel or a devotional some day,but I wonder can I really do it.Thats why I started asking advice from others.One writer told me,"Just because you can write in a blog,doesn't mean you can write a novel." Ouch,but she was honest.Why is it that we always seek the approval of others?I have been seeking God and asking which way do I go and how am I going to get there.Then I started really thinking.I am already writing.I may not be writing a novel,but I write whats upon my heart.It may not be read by thousands,but those who share in it with me are blessed.I may not recieve thousands of dollars,but thats not what I was after.I just wanted to write,share from my heart,and touch other people,and allow the Lord to use me.Yesterday was my eye opening moment,where God kinda hit me on the head and said do you see what you are doing already? Thats when I realized I am following the Lord,and doing His will,sharing my heart,and getting to write.I don't have to seek the approval of man,all I need to seek is the approval of my Savior.We go through life trying so hard to meet the approval of others,when we may never get it.We just don't need the world's approval,we won't face them at judgment day,we will we face our Savior,and the only approving words I want to hear are,"well done,my good and faithful servant."

Our Day at the Zoo

Today my son and I woke and decided to go to the zoo.We love the zoo,and can't wait to go each year.Many times we go quite often.We spent time at the zoo and seen everything,except the penguines.It was a beautiful day,the sun was shining,the breeze was blowing softly,and laughter was everywhere.Babies were everywhere in sight,with their mommas holding them,while the little ones following close in hand.We took funny pictures,shared laughs,and saw all of Gods creation in one place.The beauty of flowers all around,the swans,elephants,tigers,snakes,birds,ect..and the people with joy on their faces was great.Its always a wonderful time with my son at the zoo.God blesses us each time we go.After seeing everything at the zoo we went into the park,spread out our blanket and ate our packed lunch,which for some reason just always tastes great.We relaxed for a while then traveled on over to the art museum,and saw beautiful works of art.I am amazed at art,and how talented those artists are.They have a talent that the Lord gave them,and then to share with the world.It is awesome how everything always comes back to God,and what He has done for us.No matter where I am,I can see the Lords hand in everything.How each stripe on the zebra,and giraffe are all different,none the same.Just like our fingerprints,or the snowflakes that fall in the winter.God made each animal and person unique,with His loving hands to give Him glory for all.We love those days at the zoo,each moment is priceless with my son,and to share all of Gods wonder with him,just makes it even more so.

Practice

Last night we had our first softball practice.I have to say it was so much fun.After I had surgery twice on my wrist from a softball injury,I haven't been able to play for almost three years.I have missed it so very much.Its one of those summer time things you just cannot wait for.So here I am playing catch with one of my friends,and he doesn't give slack just because your a girl,and I love that.Its awesome to play with men,women,and teens.Some churches have so much competion on their brains that they cannot even enjoy themselves,to them its all about winnning.With us at Bethel,winning is great,we even won first place last year,but having fun comes first.We laugh at one another,laugh at ourselves,but we also encourage one another.Softball is just part of you,if like me you have played all your life.I grew up playing,even coached my daughters team when she was young,watched our girls and boys play,and at church the great thing was that we all got to play together and share that moment of fun.Oh,my goodness,was I sore when I came home,walking was not easy.I think I used muscles that I havent used in almost three years,but the pain felt great,kind of like after a workout.It was fun,and you know the exercise is good for you.After I got home I started thinking about how much we put into softball,the practices,and giving the time.How much time do I give the Lord,and am I putting in enough practice?We tend to put in the time for fun things,and for ourselves,and leave the Lord out of the picture until we need Him.Like having different seasons for God also,theres the happy times we rejoice with Him,the sad times we ask for prayer,and the difficult times we ask for strength,but what about having a daily,living relationship with Him first and formost before we do all the stuff we want to do? As much as I have been looking forward for softball,I should be looking forward even more to spending time with my Savior.All the practice days,and hours put in to make sure we are doing great,and have a winning team,I should be spending even more time with Christ practicing my christianity,and growing in Him. Our lives are so full of stuff,but if I learn to put Him first,all the other falls into place,and I do have time for everything once I have given time to Christ first.We try so hard at other things,whether it be sports,writing,crafting,working,and our homelives.If we gave the full time Christ deserves all the other areas in our life wouldn't be falling apart.So as I am starting our softball season,I pray I too can start a new season with Christ,giving Him my all.

Softball Season

It is again softball season,my favorite time of year.I love softball,playing,and just being with all your friends. When I was little I played each year.My dad had taught me to play baseball!I was his only child,and just happened to be a girl.He said softball is for girls(Um,hello,I said,I am a girl..),you are going to learn with a baseball.Oh,did I learn.He didn't give any slack for being a "girl",he threw so hard you wondered if you had on a glove at all. I was learning really fast to catch the ball coming my way,if I didn't I'd have to chase it down and throw it back his way.One Saturday morning we were practicing,and he threw the ball when I happened not to be paying attention.When I heard him say,"Get your glove up",I was hit smack in the nose with the ball.I didn't cry,but wanted to ball.Blood was everywhere,and my mom was terrified.Yes,my nose was broken,but to my dads dismay,we still practiced every single day.I know this sounds like torture to some,but to me its great memories of a dad who shared with me. Now I play on our church team,with big men,and women.The younger kids play too.It is so much fun to play again,and laugh with everyone.I haven't played for almost three years from a wrist injury,two surgeries later,and lots of therapy its still not the same.I hurt my wrist sliding into base,so this year there will not be any sliding into any bases for me.I havent thrown a ball since I hurt my wrist and all,so I am hoping at practice tonight I will be just fine.I will wrap it up good,and protect it from more pain,but in all this fun,nothing can compare to the memories of dad teaching me how to play,with a proud look upon his face,he would enjoy today.

The Gift of My Race Car

Every year at church we have the "Grand Prix",a race with all our Awana kids.They are cars made from a block of wood,and become many unique and special cars once all the hard work has come together.My children and I have raced for many years with the hard work of my husband.We would all draw our designs,and think of our color,then my husband would get to work cutting them with his special tools.We would sand them,paint them,and add our own touch,and wow some of them were dandies and won many first place races.It is always such fun,and would bring us together.But this year I just didn't seem to have time with so much going on.My husband went on Saturday to help with the cars,for thats when everyone comes to turn them all in.I stayed at home,and had much to do,while my son was also turning in his car that he was hoping for a win.So,Wed. was the race.I went to cheer on my son and all my little kindergardeners,when my husband is looking through the paper with everyones names listed and the number of their car.To my astonishment I happened to look,and saw my name and number 42. I said there has to be a mistake,he just smiled at me and said nope,just a surprise for you.He and a friend worked Saturday to make me a car to race.It was orange with a heart on top.At that moment I could have cried,knowing they cared so much to give me such a gift.I know to some your thinking its just a car,but as much as I love to race,it was much more than a car,it spoke volumes of love.As friends joked and said,"If you win with a car you didn't even know you had I will just die."My little orange car came in 1st in 4 races.Although I didn't place for a trophy,I came in 4th,with a car that gave me great joy.For my husband to surprise me blessed my heart.He is my very best friend and I hope we are never apart.He knows just when to lift me up,and when my heart is blue,he knows just what to do.I will treasure that car with all my others,others that came in first place,but this one is more special for it came in with much love.

Who is in your family?

Some think that family is only blood,those you are related to.Some families are huge,some are small.Some families hardly speak at all,and some gather every week.Some don't spend the holidays together,while others come together once a week.Families can argue,or they can just choose to love.Many people have definitions of what family should be.We all know there should be love,joy,forgiveness and laughter.You should always be there for one another at any moment of day or night.Some families have conflict none stop,while others gather and lift each other up.It is sad that I came from a big family,but never see them and some I have lost touch with altogether.Some choose to live separate lives,and can never see eye to eye.I think family is those special people that God brings into our lives.Its not just those who have our name,but those who love us despite our lack of fame.The lord has brought into my life special friendships to treasure for a lifetime.Each one is unique and brings something different,but we just seem to all share a bond.I have close friends that are like sisters,they know all about me,and still choose to love me.I have aunts and uncles,brothers,sisters,and have even found grandma and grandpa.Church is full of my family members all brought together with a sharing love of Christ.Those is your family choose to love,forgive,and share from their hearts.They lift you up and call just to check in to see how your doing.They are the ones who you call first,they are there in the good days and bad. They are the ones who pray with you,and never leave you for another.I can truely say I am blessed beyond measure at the family I now have.Its the family I always wanted,that I never really had in my childhood.I now have many nieces,nephews,and cousins all wrapped in one big family brought to me by God.

I SAID 'YES' TO JESUS.......by Norm Stovall

My life was full of sin and pain,
I had no peace of mind to claim,
Worldly possessions was my aim,
How could I say 'yes' to Jesus?
When things in my life were really bad,
and all that happenedmade me sad,
Sorrow and darkness was all I had
Until I said 'yes' to Jesus.
I bowed my headin lowliness
and knew my life was in distress.
How can I ever change this mess?
Unless I said 'yes' to Jesus.
He looked down on me with tenderness,
with open arems held me to His breast,
And I could feel HIs lovingness,
When I said 'yes' to Jesus.
He forgave my sins and washed them away.
It was with His blood that He did pay,
And now I'm saved and live a new way,
Since I said 'yes'to Jesus.
With all my heart I thank the Lord
Because my life is now not so hard.
The Holy Spirit abides in me as I am His ward
all because I said 'yes' to Jesus.
You too can feel Him in your heart this way,
Just open your heart to Jesus and pray.
You will feel the same as I do today,
Just say 'yes' to Jesus.

If You Just Pray...by Norm Stovall

All the things you need to do,
All the things that worry you,
All that troubles you today
Would be taken care of
If you just pray.
If you are burdened with a heavy load
If you look to teh Lord there is a way,
There is an answer if you just pray.
If you feel your back is against the wall
If there's no friend at you can call.
Have faith in the Lord today,
All you have to do is pray.
If you have a heavy heart
If fear is with you at the day's start.
For love and comfort I can say
You'll find hope if you just pray.
If you are tempted and confused,
If all you try you seem to lose.
If satan has your life at bay
Then you really need to pray.
If forgiveness is your need,
Open your Bible and start to read.
For the price Jesus did pay
So,for forgiveness you must pray.
Pray without ceasing.

Waiting on your answer to prayer?

Do you ever pray and pray,still your hearing nothing from the Lord? Waiting is the hardest thing ever.When we wait,we can sometimes wonder,"Is He hearing my prayers?" My life lately,has been like that. I feel like I am in the wilderness,walking around,not sure which direction to go.Are lives can be difficult at times. In those times we go to the Lord in prayer and we cry out to Him. There are things I have been praying for,for many years now.My heart is full,and as I walk this road,curvy,beaten,and lots of potholes,I really begin to wonder if my prayers are being heard.Then I turn to Gods word,and I keep looking up,and He finds me.Then today I came across these verses. Colossians 1:9-18,it says,"For this reason we also,since the day we heard it,do not cease to pray for you,and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;that you may walk worthy of the Lord,fully pleasing Him,being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might,according to His glorious power,for all patience and longsuffering with joy;giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,in whom we have redemption through His blood,the forgiveness of sins.He is the image of the invisible God,the firstborn over all creation.For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth,visible and invisible,whether thrones or dominions or principalites or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.And He is before all things,and in Him all things consist.And He is the head of the body,the church,who is the beginning,the firstborn form the dead,that in all things He may have the preeminence.After reading this scripture I had my answers. God created everything here on earth and in Heaven,He knows all and nothing goes through His hands without Him knowing,He gives us strength and wisdom in His knowledge.He is everything,and everything under the sun and above it is under His love.He sees all,and knows all.Whether we can see Him working,or whether it is invisible to our eyes,He is still doing a work in us,and for those we are praying for.He hears our prayers,He knows them before we speak them.He answers all prayers in His time,and in His way.I have to pray in His name for His will to be done,not my will,or how I think my prayers should be answered.If God created all,He cares for all.He hears my prayers,and He will answer them in His way.I must have patience,and be longsuffering.While I am waiting on Him to answer my prayers He is molding us,and shaping us,and those we are praying for.We must not stop praying or even get discouraged because He is with us,and not one minute goes by that He isnt seeing.I have to trust in Him,and know that He is my Lord and Savior.He hears every whisper and every name before Him.

trying hard enough

Have you ever asked yourself if you are trying hard enough at the things that are important to you?I have.I ask myself that almost everyday.I had someone tell me this week I just wasn't trying hard enough,I needed to give more.That hurts when someone tells you that,when deep in your heart you know your giving your all,and they refuse to see it.When we continue to try and we get no response what are we to do?Do we just give up,do we give it time,or do we just keep trying with all our hearts?For those that we love,I say we keep trying with all our hearts,praying that the Lord will show His will and way.It is discouraging when we keep trying and we get no response,but I think it would be more hurtful to just give up.Its kind of like if you were working with a person and every morning you said hello to them,and they heard you,but they just keep on walking.In their hearts they know you reached out to them,and weather they respond or not is on them,not you.One day you walk by them and you decide to say nothing,they stop and look at you,and say are you okay?you respond with yes,I am fine.They soon wonder,why didn't she say hello to me?See even though we aren't getting a responce,they still hear,they see you reaching out,and weather we can see it or not we are making an impact on their lives by reaching out always even when we get nothing in return.How many times did Jesus reach out to others and He didnt get a responce the first time,did He give up so easily?How many times did Jesus give of Himself and others mocked Him?He still gave,not waiting for a responce and not expecting anything in return.Jesus gave His life for us,and some still refuse to respond,but that doesnt mean they don't know the truth,or can't see what He did for them.When we take the time to plant the seed,it may take others to water it,fertilize it,and pick out all the weeds.God just doesnt use one person to touch the lives of others,He uses many,and at different times.So when you are feeling as if your trying is getting no where,and your words are just going in one ear and out the other,remember Jesus works through many just to touch one.What if we all just gave up when we didn't get a responce?Who would then plant the seed?Before it begins to grow,even obtain weeds,the seed first has to be planted before it is brought in at harvest time.

Sewing a seamless garment

The definition of seamless is,Having no seams,having no awkward transitions,interruptions,or indications of disparity,perfect.This year a wonderfully,talented friend taught me to sew.She was an amazing teacher.We were sewing garments for our Easter Walk at church.We had to make,cut out,pin(which was one of my favorites,not!),and then sew.Each step I learned one at a time.You just cannot jump in and learn everything at once,it takes time,patience,and will to learn. After I looked up the definition of seamless I was struck with the fact that the only person that is seamless is Christ.He has no flaws,no awkward transitions,and interruptions, He passed with flying colors.His only interruption was satan,and we know how that one ends! Satan has nothing on the power of Christ.I found myself thinking do we have seamless lives? I know I do not.My seams are a little bit here and a little jagged in places,some of the seams just seem to pop out of place.When my friend taught me how to sew,she said everyone makes mistakes and its okay. They add something special to the garment.They make it one of a kind.No garment is the same,or has the same stitching,its what makes us each one unique,special in its own way.The mistakes on a garment can be taken out with a little tool,but the mistakes we make in our lives can sometimes not be taken out so easily.As we cut,pin,and sew there are bound to be mistakes for the beginners.But those who have been sewing for awhile seem to ease through and make seamless garments.Like the elders of our church,they have lived their lives with Christ and have learned so much along the way,they can see so much more than we who are just starting out.It takes a long road of teaching,searching,and listening to grow in Christ.Newbies,like me to sewing,you start out with little steps,and sometimes that seamripper is used alot,but as we take time,and learn with a willing heart we get there,and when that garment is finished it takes on a beauty all its own.God is creating a masterpiece in us,and thank goodness He isnt finished with mine yet.God doesnt create junk,He takes broken pieces,pieces that are not perfect,and using His hands He creates in use a masterpiece in His own image.God was the first seamstress,and He is the best.Lets give Him our broken,split,and haggard peices,and sit back and watch Him work with His loving hands,making each peice a treasure to be loved.

Driving without a map

Can we really look forward without looking back? I don't think we can.The past is a chapter in life,many times its those decisions that we made in the past who we are today.We make mistakes along the way,and as I taught my children,they are only mistakes if we didn't learn anything from them.We have rearview mirrors in our cars so we can see whats behind us,even the little side mirrors can tell us what is behind us,and what is at our side.Many times we have blind spots,and cannot see clearly until we move in a different direction to see.Although we must move forward everyday,our past is always there.Its in those deepest tunnels and in those valleys that are the hardest to see,but when we are out of them and have taken a good look we can find our way out and climb to that mountain top to see the whole view.Have you ever been driving and it started to rain and hail?The wipers are going to fast,but you still cannot see.Sometimes its best to pull over and wait for the storm to pass,and others you know the storm is coming and going to get worse,so its better to drive on through,
slowing down knowing the sun is going to shine again soon.Have you ever been driving and when you get to where you were going,you cant remember how you got there,but you know where you came from? Is life not like that at times? We're just driving along not paying attention to where we are going,and we get lost,or dont even remember how we got to the place we are at?It happens so fast.When my husband took me to Colorado many years ago,we were just driving along,he knew exactly where we were going and what we were getting ready to see,but I didn't.As we kept driving I thought as we were coming upon a hill that is was very cloudy.The sky seemed to take on a different feature,but as we got closer to the top of the hill I saw so clearly what was infront of us.The mountains took over the skyline,and the beauty of it all took my breath away.It was a sight I had never seen before,but it took him to lead me there,and show me the way.Many times in life we are driving in circles,we dont know how to get out,but many times if we just listen to someone else,they see the whole picture and can lead us to the beauty of whats at the end of the road. So many times we take off on our own thinking we know the directions,and being confident in our instructions from ourselves,we dont take the time to stop and get a map,or ask for directions.The best direction giver is Christ,He can lead us through any storm,and take us out of it if He chooses.He can lead us in those valleys,and mud soaked roads that seem to just take us down with it. The next time your in a storm,lost,and need directions don't be afraid to humble yourselves and ask God to lead you.

Is it really my life?

When we say,or hear others say,"Its my life and I will live it how I want",is that really a statement we can make if we are christians?I have to say no.Its not our life to live how we want.Christ gave us life,He died for us,and He lives inside us.Our lives are His to give and His to take.Do we not owe our lives to Christ and live each day for Him?We get so caught up in ME,ME,ME,or I,I,I.We put alot of me's and I's in our conversations and in our lives.We need to replace those with Christ. We get so caught up with what we want and how are we going to get it,that we forget what Christ did for us.We forget the only reason we are here is because of Him.Christ bore my cross,He bore my pain,and He got on that cross because He loved me so much,He was willing to give all for me.I owe Him myself,I owe Him my life.He chose to save me,I cant do that alone.My life belongs to the Lord who gave Himself to set me free.He can't make us live for Him,or make the choices He would want us to make.We have our freewill to chose as we please,but the only reason we have that is because of Christ.We need to stop placing I and me in our sentences and replace it with Christ.He should be in our everyday conversations,He should be what our lives are all about.

Letting it go

Ephesians 31-32 says,"let all bitterness,wrath,anger,clamor,and evil speaking be put away from you,with all malice.And be kind to one another,tenderhearted,forgiving one another,even as God in Christ forgave you". The Holy Spirit should never be ignored or pushed away. Our bodies are a temple for the Holy Spirit to live.We should treat our bodies like such,not forgetting who lives inside us.Why is it that we forget that so easily when it comes to something we want? Temptation is always right there ready to eat us alive,but we have a choice to run in the other direction and flee from sin.We tend to think our lives are so complicated,and its so hard to face each day.It isn't if we put off the old man,and put on the new.If we look to Christ daily,and are truelly living for Him and putting away all these things life is much better.Why do we let ourselves get caught up in gossip,evil speaking,and bitterness?Why is it so hard to walk away and let it go? To have a life abundent in Christ we have to let it all go.If we are wearing these things,Christ cannot shine through us.All others see is the ugliness of life.We must pray each day for God to give us strength to face the day,and help us in our struggles. When temptation is staring us in the face,we must go the other way,and know that Christ is with us.The same love that Christ gives to us we must give to others.It isn't always easy,we get hurt,angry,and sometimes caught up in gossip and judging others.That takes the spotlight off us if we can just think about what others are doing,we don't have to look at our own lives and see are own sin,if we can just keep looking at others.That is the wrong attitude to have.We first must look at ourselves,and when we do,it is easier to look at others and not judge or gossip.Because if we can really see ourselves we know that we are no better than anyone else struggling in sin.We must learn to let it all go,so that Christ can live fully in us.

Seventy times seven

Colossians 3:13 says,"Bearing with one another,and forgiving one another;even as Christ forgave you,so you also must do." Matthew 18:21-22 says,"Then Peter cme to Him and said,"Lord,how often shall my brother sin against me,and I forgive him? Up to seven times? Jesus said to him,"I do not say to you,up to seven times,but up to seventy times seven." Forgiveness is marked all throughout the bible,Jesus speaks of forgiveness many times. We are told to forgive,not just once,but seventy times seven.Why is so hard to forgive others? Yes,we hurt,many times we do wrong,but Jesus died so that we may have life,He died so that we could have forgiveness. Jesus forgives us when we go to him with humble hearts.How many times have we gone to Jesus to ask Him to forgive us?We always want His forgiveness,and seek it,but why when it comes to others,why do we not do the same?In life we can't keep bringing up the past.We can't keep score,and everytime we get angry we can't bring up all the things that person has ever done wrong.Jesus doesnt do that with us.When are sins are forgiven they are forgotten,once and for all.Jesus doesnt keep score with us,praise God,my score would be pretty high.How about yours?When we have hurt someone,if we do not choose to forgive that is hurting us,we turn that hurt into pain,anger,bitterness,and we start to wear that ugly thing around our necks,and it drags us down and many times keeps us down.It turns us into people we can't even recognise.What a life is that to carry around bitterness and anger to another person?We become that anger,and it takes over our whole lives.Jesus knew this before us.Look at all the lies,hurt,the cross that Jesus endured,and He still said,"Forgive them for they do not know!" He knew pain and hurt long before us.He forgave,and we too must forgive.If we do not forgive how can there be love? Why do we hold on to it,does it give us power? Do we think we are giving in if we forgive? Or are we thinking if I forgive I am weak,and I am not letting that person take from me again? It's not about us,its about Christ and the cross.He lived and died a sinless life for us.When we refuse to let go,and forgive,what are we saying to Christ?That what He did for us was not good enough? We can't live a sinless life like Christ,but we can sin less.We can give our hearts to Him,and forgive others with the same amount of grace and mercy we want from Christ that He is so willing to give freely. So what can we do today? We can hold on to that bitterness in our hearts,and let it drown us from all the weight,or we can choose to forgive as Christ forgives us,and have life without bitterness on our backs. If Christ was able to forgive those who hurt Him,and forgive us for our sins on a daily basis,who are we to not follow and forgive seventy times seven?

Seeing Clearly

When we wake in the morning its always kind of fuzzy at first when your opening your eyes.It takes a little while to focus.You may wake to a beautiful sunrise or it may be a cloudy,stormy morning.Do we always see clearly?Our eyes were a gift from God,something precious to treasure.He also paved the way for us to see,not just the picture through our eyes,but His. He gives us a vision.He wants us to see others,situations,and love through His eyes not our own.Its hard isn't it?Many times we see only what we want to see,and others we can't see past ourselves.We just can't get ourselves out of the view long enough to see whats really there.We often judge people with our eyes.What they look like,the things they have done,the way they are living.We often dont see the whole picture,we just see glimpes,maybe what others have told us,and just maybe we see ourselves through others eyes.That one can really hurt.You can see the truth about someone in the eyes.To see clearly we have to get out of the way,take our objectives and toss them out the window.We need to see what Christ sees.We look at situations in our lives and we want others to see our way.It doesn't work that way.The only way that is true is Gods way.He will help us see clearly if we will only allow Him to.Its always easy looking at others and passing judgement about things we really dont see clearly.We dont have the whole view.When we lay down at night,when we go to Christ we have to ask Him to show us the way because He sees the path clearly,He knows the direction we are suppose to take.Its our decision if we choose to follow.Some look at the world through goggles,some look through tanted glass, some look with hurt in their hearts,some look for what they can gain,some look with condemning eyes,some look at the world like they are the center and nothing else matters except how they feel and the things they desire.Our eyes can be deceptive unless we are seeing clearly with Gods love,compassion,forgiveness,and honesty.Before we look to others we must first wake up and get all the gook out of our eyes,maybe put on your glasses,but the mirror never lies.We must first see ourselves before we can see others.Do we wake with the love and forgiveness of Christ in our hearts?Do we wake with the passion of Christ and want to see what He has in store for us?Or do we wake and just can't seem to see past ourselves?Its not about us,its not about me,its all about Christ,and seeing His vision He has placed in our hearts.To see it,we have to want to see it.We have to stop looking for what others have done or are doing,and take care of our own vision problems.Some have glasses so they can see clearly,some have surgery to correct their vision.Some turn to Christ,as we all should to see clearly.We could be blind,and the Lord could still lead us,not through our eyes,but His..Maybe thats it.We need to leave the blinders on,and stop trying to see so much through the worlds eyes,and just let Christ see for us,and take His lead.