GOD GAVE US LOVE by Lisa Tawn Bergren and art by Laura J. Bryant

This is a sweet little story about the meaning of love. Grandpa bear is showing his little granddaughter just how big God's love is. As she gets frustrated with those around her, Grandpa teaches her that we should love like Jesus and how Jesus gave the greatest gift of all for everyone big and small. This is such a gift to share with your child and one that can also awaken our hearts to what love really is. Grandpa shares that love ties us all together like the strings on their snowshoes, heart to heart. A wonderful lesson brought out in a beautifully colored book that will open your childs heart to God's amazing love. This book was a gift to me by Multnoma WaterBrook Press for its review.Lisa Tawn Bergren is the award-winning author of nearly thirty titles, totaling more than 1.5 million books in print. She writes in a broad range of genres, from adult fiction to devotional. God Gave Us Love follows in Lisa’s classic tradition of the best-selling God Gave Us You. She lives in Colorado, with her husband, Tim, and their children, Olivia, Emma, and Jack.http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781400074471

GOD GAVE US CHRISTMAS by Lisa Tawn Bergren and art by David Hohn

Do you love reading to your children? Do you love Christmas stories that not only are entertaining, but teaching to our children what Christmas is really all about? Here is a beautiful story of a family who is showing their children what Christmas is all about. As Momma bear and Papa bear show their children that God is everywhere, even in the places we least expect Him, He shows Himself in many different ways through the beauty of the world. If you are tired of Christmas stories that only point to Santa, this beautifully colored story is just what you and your little ones will enjoy sharing together night after night. This story takes us to the Northern Lights, down a mountain slope, to a beautiful little flower, showing that God is indeed everywhere. You can kiss your little ones goodnight and send them off with sweet dreams after reading God Gave Us Christmas.Lisa Tawn Bergren is the award-winning author of nearly thirty titles, totaling more than 1.5 million books in print. She writes in a broad range of genres, from adult fiction to devotional. God Gave Us Love follows in Lisa’s classic tradition of the best-selling God Gave Us You. She lives in Colorado, with her husband, Tim, and their children, Olivia, Emma, and Jack. This book was given to me by Multnoma WaterBrook Press for its review.http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781400071753

TREASURED by Leigh McLeroy

This is a delightful treasure in itself. Leigh has placed small treasures for us to read that are rich blessings. She shows us how the little details, the small treasures of those left behind tell overlooked surprises. She is able to bring her treasures to light, mixed with valuable treasures of the bible. It is those little things that often tell the legacy of another. I enjoyed reading Leigh McLeroy's Treasured. It makes us think about what we too might leave behind in a treasure box to tell a special story of a moment in time. This is a grab a cup of warm tea, wrap up and snuggle in a warm blanket book that will intrigue your mind and stir your heart. This book was a gift to me by Multnomah WaterBrook Press for its review.Leigh McLeroy is the author of The Beautiful Ache and The Sacred Ordinary. An avid collector and recorder of everyday moments, words, and wonders, Leigh’s keen eye for God’s presence in ordinary life infuses her writing and living with a deep, insistent joy. A frequent conference and event speaker, the author makes her home in Houston, Texas, and posts often on http://www.leighmcleroy.com/ and http://www.wednesdaywords.com/.http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781400074815

JESUS LIVES by Sarah Young

When I picked up this little treasure I knew I was in for a treat. Jesus Lives written by Sarah Young is written just as if Jesus were speaking to you and I. If you are looking to strengthen your faith, to increase your wisdom or you need a daily devotional to keep you focused on Christ, this sweet little book is for you. Each page is filled with lessons from God's word, from peace, joy, sorrow, trials, grace, hope, fear, protection, renewing your mind and overcoming temptations, to weakness, worry, worship and many more. With each one of these that we face daily there is a nugget of information to take away and think upon throughout the day. There are scripture verses to strengthen you as you are facing a trial, to lift you up as you are facing adversity, and to calm you when your fears are overwheming you. I have to say I love this little book. It is small enough to take with you anywhere, to pull out when you need a reminder of God's amazing power. To keep just for yourself, to give as a gift, or to share with a friend the wonderful hope of Jesus Christ, this is one book you too will treasure. Sarah Young faced trials in her health as she wrote this and as she listened to the Lord speak to her, she speaks to us, teaching us all that He has blessed her with. This book was a gift to me given by Thomas Nelson for its review.

anger is spoken with an arrrr...

"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." Ephesians 4:31-32 Can anger be spoken with words of love? No, anger brings out the worst in each person. Nothing good comes from anger, for all that the Lord has given us, what do we really have to be angry about? We are angry when things don't go our way, when others do not accept us, when our opinion differs from another, but in all that where is the love of Christ shining through? It cannot shine through when we are caught up in ourselves and our wishes. Just because something has not gone our way, maybe the Lord has another way that is better, we just have to open our eyes to His way. Just because one door has closed doesn't mean another will not open and be even better than before. Anger is selfish, and when we are filled with anger the Lord cannot move through us spreading His love. We may not hear the forgiveness of others, but we can learn to forgive ourselves, and to forgive others even if the words are never spoken. When we hold in anger there is no real forgiveness. As Christ forgave us, me too must forgive those who have hurt us, just as we must also forgive ourselves of our own hurts that we have brought to those we love. All peace begins with forgiveness. Jesus forgave those who placed Him on the cross and took His life, and through His forgiveness others believed. Life is not easy, it is just hard sometimes, but nothing we have gone through our Savior has not first gone through. With each hurt that touches our lives, we have the ability to hang on to it until it destroys everything good or we can choose to let it go and let God bring forth healing. Through that healing, it is His real beauty that shines through. In our daily lives we see so many walking around angry, you can see the anger on their faces, in their words and in their actions. We have the power in Christ to change our attitudes, to change the look on our faces and to think before we act. We are not able to do any of these things without the love of Jesus, so He is the beginning to all that is good. I have seen what anger can do to others, I have seen it in my own life. Holding on to anger has not gotten me anywhere but deeper in my pain, and until we are ready to let go and let God nothing is going to change, and aren't you ready for a change? Aren't you ready to feel the greatest joy ever given? Aren't you ready to laugh again, to smile until your face hurts, to just spread love everywhere you go? We can, if we will turn away from all that anger we have been holding in for years, and let Jesus bring joy into our hearts so that we may know real life. Are you ready today to take that step with me? May we take today and think upon Jesus, His love and His gifts instead of bottling up that anger and carrying it with us until we are so burdened by it we can longer smile at the smallest blessing. Don't wait one more day, spend today with Jesus, let Him show you all that He can do in your life if you just give it to Him~

can we move a little faster?

When we are in a moment in time we either want it to last forever or we want it to speed up. Just as when we are sitting in a great movie, watching each moment, living each part we want to stay right there forever in the beauty of the moment. Now, if it is a scary movie, we might want it to hurry up and get past that part, not wanting to see it we close our eyes, hold our ears and wait until we can open them again to a new scene. Life is no different. We want to hurry through the hard parts and stay forever in the sweet ones. We cannot change time, we cannot make it move faster and we cannot slow it down. God is the Father of time and all things happen in His timing not ours. We have those situations when we are praying ceasingly, we are asking for a miracle, we are asking for more time, we are asking God to interviene on our behalf, and it seems as though time is standing still as we are waiting for those prayers to be answered. I know when I am in the midst of a migraine, the pain is overwhelming and can last for weeks, only to bring me to my lowest point of just wanting it to end. I beg for God to take it away. There are those times when they come and go, but in those times they seem to last I know the Lord is right there with me, taking each breath with me and He is giving me the strength to get through, and not just to get through but to overcome. Time is something none of us can quite understand.We have the birth of a beautiful life, and we have the death of loved ones, but there can be beauty in that moment also if we have accepted Christ as our Savior, for in that moment of our last breath we are with Jesus. I remember being a teenager wanting time to go so fast so I could be on my own, but then as my daddy was dieing of cancer I was begging for time to stand still, for time to not move, but just let us be in that moment forever, to let me see his smile and his laugh forever. I now wish I could go back in time, just one more day, one more hour, one more minute to make right all the things I did wrong, but time doesn't work like that. We are not time travelers, we cannot make the world turn faster, or slow it down. We must learn to take each and every moment for what it is, see each moment of life as a blessing no matter where we are or what we are doing. For God is the only One who understands time. For He placed time in the bible, our whole timing system is built on Him,His life and death. but we try so hard to turn that around and build it upon how we want things to work and to move. He is the hands on our clock, He is the creator of all, for all the good things come from Him, and in the bad, He is able to use every situation for His glory and honor. There are those days I wish I was still in the back yard playing with my kids when all seemed to be perfect, to see the look in my daughters eyes over something that brought great joy, to see my son get excited for every holiday to come only now to have lost that joy. To see the beauty in the eyes of my step daughter as she walked down the aisle, only to walk away from my daughter as she took those very steps. In time mistakes come but we cannot go back in time and correct each one, for we must learn to move with the time, not taking it for granit, but enjoying each moment given by God, by His grace. So as we move forward with time, we must release the past, we must move from those mistakes with the grace that our Lord Jesus has given us. I have another daughter who is going to walk down that aisle, I want to be there to see her in all her beauty. I wish my mother could go back in time and have her sight, her health, but even though those things have passed, her beauty is even brighter than before. God has a purpose and a plan for us all, in His time. We must learn to stop fighting time, stop fighting was has been and what is to come for with the grace of God we can enjoy every moment if we will just learn to let go of our own selfish desires, if we can learn to accept those we love, not be afraid to show the love we so have in our hearts. I am ready Lord to move forward, I am ready to let go, but I need You to lead the way, to set the pace and to place me on Your course, giving me Your compass and Your sweet Spirit to guide me through with love and forgiveness. Today is a new day, a bright sunny day, so Lord what shall it be? Whatever You have for me Lord, I want to take each moment and live it for You, bringing You glory and honor in all I do~

Johnny Raincloud

Yesterday was not the best of days I have had, but through my fear came my stress, my tears and I was Johnny Raincloud, unable to see the sunshine through the clouds. I believe I was my own little cloud, for we may not be able to change each situation,but we have the power of the Lord to overcome anything. There is no storm bigger than He that He cannot calm. He may calm the storm, or He may choose to calm me in the storm. When it rains, oh how it seems to pour. You know those days, those days where the tears are right there on the breaking point, just one more word, one more thought, the tears are going to fall and never stop. Do we really get anywhere being Johnny Raincloud? Through each storm, through each hard rain, there is a beautiful bright rainbow. It didn't just get there by chance, it doesn't come everyday, it must rain first before the beauty shines through. Even though we may not see it now in the midst of a rain, but there is beauty in the rain too. For the rain washes away all the dirt, it cleans the earth, the sound can bring peace, and that rain quenches the thirst of all that God has created. I remember being small, ever so small in my little yellow rain boots, my rain coat, and splashing in the puddles, laughing through it all. I wish I was that little girl laughing through the rain today. I feel as though I have been in the rain, and the mud is knee deep, and I am stuck, trying to get out, but I have learned I am trying to hard. When we are stuck in the mud we can't fight our way out, we have to take each movement with thought, with ease, we cannot rush out, for we will only sink in deeper. When I was a kid we lived right by the river. My best friend and I would go down and walk the edge of the river banks. One day after a storm, it was too muddy, we shouldn't have been there that day, for the mud almost sucked us in. We were up to our hips in mud, and going deeper. But my best friend, he said,"Hold on, don't panic and we will be just fine." I still remember that day, his words and listening to him, being calm, we got out of that deep mud. I think God uses everything in our lives to teach us and to mold us. He knew some thirty years later I would remember that moment and really learn from it. Sometimes it takes time for us to learn all that God has for us, we cannot just see through the clouds in one day, but after the hard rain, after we have seen the glimpe of the Son, He shows us just what needs to be seen to lead us through storm. If you are in a storm today, don't be Johnny Raincloud, don't let the fear of the thunder scare you. Put on your boots, grab your raincoat, and let those drops of rain wash all your worries away as you will begin to see that beautiful rainbow~

sweep it under the rug?

Have you ever had the feeling there was an elephant in the room? Maybe you were walking on egg shells? So many times we put on face, we try to move forward pretending all that is there isn't. We smile, we hug, but between those is the biggest fear of letting go. We try so hard to sweep things under the rug, we sweep and we sweep, but pretty soon, we trip right over the rug that has been hiding all that is so real. We cannot move forward and pretend there is not pain there. To bring healing we must face the elephant in the room. We have to let go of our fear to have peace. There cannot be peace if we are still holding onto pain, anger and bitterness. Many things are misunderstandings, miscommunications, and those things left unspoken have a way of coming up out of the water and pulling you in. Not just in, but under, and into the deep where that riptide is trying to force you out further and further, but you can't escape until you find a new way out, calm down and release the fear you are holding onto. How do I know? Because that is my life right now. I try so hard to hide under the smiles and the sunshine, but the pain is still raw and satan knows just how to creep up and steel away what blessings you have found and try his best to turn them into something ugly. I have relationships with those I love that just when I think we are beginning to skate through the ice, it shatters and in we fall, to the icy cold beneath us. Pain is something we all go through, just in different ways, there are times we can take pain relievers, but they just mask the pain, the cause is still there. So how must we get rid of the pain? We go to the Great Physican, the Great Healer, and we fight all our battles on our knees. We pray until we have no words left, until the Lord takes over with His groanings. He knows just where we are and how deep we are in. The hardest part of any relationship is letting go. For me, that is where I seem to be. I cannot ignore the elephant in the room any longer. However big all my hurts are, I have to give them to the Lord. I must ask Him for strength, and pray for His wisdom. I did that all night long, asking for His blessings, asking Him to wash over me, and I felt His sweet presence with me, telling me to hold on sweet daughter. Sometimes we know others better than they themselves do. Sometimes things must be said, although the truth may hurt, the truth will set us free of the past, of the pain and let us move on to a better way, a better day. I am praying for a way to remove that elephant from my family's life. I am trusting in God that He will make a way, that He will move in us, but it must be all in His time, not mine. We cannot force healing, just as we cannot ignore pain. I know when I had wrist surgery. It was the most painful surgery I have ever had, infact I had two of them within two years. I had to go to re-hab, I had to work so hard to move though the pain to get to the healing. As the tears fell at each visit, my therapist pushed me, she knew exactly how bad it hurt, but she also knew to be able to use my wrist again I had to go through such pain first. God works in our lives this way, through our trials, through the pain He creates in us His work of art. We do not get perfection without going through the fire. Heaven will be our perfection, earth is our fire and through those flames God is going to shine, His glory is going to be known to all, we just have to trust in Him, take that broom out of our hands, and place our faith in Him. There is healing in forgiveness, for we must let go of the weight of our pain so we can begin to spead our wings and fly~

what an awesome gift we have

1 John 5:13 "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God." Do you see the gift we have here? It is nothing we have done, it is all Jesus. If we just believe in Him we may have eternal life. His grace and mercy are so good. What is it to believe? Is it just knowing there is a God? No, even satan knows there is a God. It is more than knowing Him, its trusting in Him, its walking with Him, it is giving up your life so He can live in you. It is having a relationship with Him,not just going through motions, but sharing a life with Him, making Him the focus of our life. There is nothing sweeter than spending time with Jesus, just me and Him talking, me listening to all He has to say, and as He fills me with His joy my life takes on a whole new meaning. I understand my life is just not my own, but it is His to live through me. Salvation is accepting Him as my Savior. He saved me from death, He took my cross and He bore my pain and suffering. Confessing to Him, is opening my heart and understanding that I am a sinner, I haven't done any good, the good that has come from my life, is all Jesus. Believing is knowing that you know that you know He is Jesus! He is the Son of God, He is our Savior who has come to give us hope, to give a new way of life, to show us we can overcome this evil world with His strength and power living in us. My life changed forever when I accepted Him into my heart. At the moment I knew I was lost, I grabbed ahold of the One I knew who could save me and would save me. I am a daughter of the King. I am not the old person I used to be, although it still tries to creep up on me, Jesus made me new, He created in me a new person which He has a great plan and a purpose for. I want to bring Him glory, I want to shine for Him in my life. I want my life to reflect back to Him and all He has done for me. If you don't know Jesus as your Savior today, don't wait another day, seek Him now as He is knocking. Answer His call and see all He has for you. This life leads no where without Jesus. But with Jesus this life leads us to the greatest life we can have through Him~

finding His trust

Psalm 34:8 " Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him." The Lord is just speaking to me today, showing me everything I need to hear. I am one who is not always trusting, I spend time worrying, thinking about things that I cannot change. The more time I spend worrying the more time I am spending away from my Savior who is seeking my trust. There is no other to trust more, He is there and He knows each trouble we face, each trial, and even though we feel as though we are moving through a whirwind, He is standing still, standing firm, not moving. I seem to be the one who moves away from Him, trying to find another way, a better way, and there just isn't one. I want to taste all He has for me. I want His blessings He has hand crafted just for me, but to do that I must follow Him with all my heart, not just a piece, not just a sliver, but with my whole heart. He has so much to give us, not just His love, but His knowledge, His wisdom, and oh, how sweet His grace is. In my life as I place my trust in Him with all that is around me, He will wash me with His peace. As I move toward Him with my trust, others will see, they will see I'm not worried, they will see the peace in my heart and they too will find Jesus, they will see that there is a better way. Trust is a hard thing, especially when you are a mother, a daugher and a wife, when your child is wayward, when your child is sick, when your husband is struggling, when your own mother is losing her sight, when all seems to be crashing down around us we get scared of what is to come. As women we seem to carry such burdens, as a mercy I seem to carry many just as you do. We have no control over others, their choices are their own, and there is nothing about tomorrow we can change except how we react to it. We may not see all that the Lord is doing, but He is always at work in us and around us, and in those we love. We just have to place our trust in the One who loves us so. I don't know what is worrying you today, but just as me, may we lay it down, open our hands to Him and trust Him with all He has given us~

scavenger hunt

Psalm 139:23-24 "Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." You know one of the definisions of scavenger is a garbage collector, or a junk collector. I have gone on savenger hunts with my kids and they are alot of fun when you are looking for great little trinkets, little surprises along the way, with all the little hints to lead you right to them. In this verse, when I read it, I think of God going on a scavenger hunt in my mind, body and soul, looking for all the junk and garbage I have collected and am living in. I want Him to find it all, every last one, show me just where they are, what they are and give me the strength to overcome them and throw them out of my life, never letting them enter it again. We have a way of doing that don't we? We seem to collect so much stuff, stuff that we don't need that just takes up space of blessings that we could enjoy from God. We see those people who hoard things, they collect so much junk, it overcomes their lives. They lose so much joy because they are so caught up in all the junk. Our hearts can be the same way. We need to allow the Lord to cleanse our hearts, minds and spirits so that He can live there without all the clutter taking our focus off Him. Another meaning of savenger is to clean away dirt or refuse from. I need to clean out my heart, make sure there is nothing evil or bitter there, only love and joy. We can have fun going on a scavenger hunt with the bible, just as we play the game with our kids, looking for treasures to bless us, to place a smile on our face. We can search God's word, find His purpose for us, and find so much joy just searching all He has for us. I pray you can cleanse your heart just as I need to, getting out all of the clutter we seem to pack up like little rats. I think I just might need to do some early spring cleaning, how about yourself? Lord, show us the way, give us Your word, and teach us Your ways to make our walk even more sweeter, to clear our paths, so that we can find Yours~

are ya singing?

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." Colossians 3:16 We are to lift one another up, teach one another, raise each other up in the name of Jesus. We are to sing with a happy heart, we are to sing songs of praise to His name. What a beautiful praise we can give to the Lord for all He does for us. I love to hear people sing with a melody from their heart. Singing is more than just letting the words come out, but it is letting His Spirit flow outward to reach others with an impact to lift them up, to touch their hearts, to bring joy to their soul. I should always be singing a tune for the Lord, my speech, my actions, my life should be a song worthy of His praise. But if I am to be honest, my life is not always a sweet melody. Instead of singing a wonderful tune, I can have my foot in my mouth within a matter of seconds. Why is it we always speak before we think? We allow anger to overtake us, we allow our feelings to get the best of us, and then Wham, it hits, we sit back and we know the Lord is not happy with what just took place. I should be so focused on Him, so in tune with His melody, that my harmony blends in and others hear a beautiful sound of His love streaming through me. Satan knows just how to push us, he knows just what song Jesus wants us to sing, only satan throws in his own melody, his own course, and if we are not careful to what we are listening to, we will begin to sing the wrong chorus, and we will be off beat. The Lord gives us so much, He is right there in our hearts, why can't I just get this right? My flesh is always at war with my spirit. I can wake up hearing the birds singing a little melody, feeling God's Spirit move through me, and then an hour later the birds have stopped and I am coming up with my own tune, and from there until I come back to the Lord, until I humble myself before Him, making things right, satan is going to continue having a day of fun with all that the Lord had in store for me, for the glory of His kingdom. May we learn to sing with Him, instead of trying to sing aloud by the beat of our own drum. Lord, help me to know when I am off beat, help me to stay in tune with your will and way. Lord, fill me with Your Spirit and with Your love. May the words that come from my lips bring You glory and not shame~

baking pies

Baking pies and cakes is just so fun. All the time it takes to prepare, to mix, to bake, and then after all your hard work, after the effort you have given, you have created something beautiful. I have a lovely friend who enjoys any kind of cooking, I think she would bake all day if she had the time. The thing that makes her beautiful is that she does everything with her heart. When you sit down to dive into her homemade carrot cake, it just doesn't taste good, it is special because she put so much love into it. When we place our pies out for everyone to see, we get out the serving knife, and stand back with a proud feeling,not one of boasting, but one of I did this with love and with my hands for those I care so greatly about. It feels good to have blessed others with such love, such giving. It always takes much more time to prepare the pie than it does for it to be eaten in our home, but the smiles are all worth it. Shouldn't our walk be the same? We have to prepare by spending time with the Lord, we have to add all the right ingredients,like scripture to help us in our daily walk and serve with love, the same love that Christ has shown us. If we have not prepared, if we have left out the special ingredients such as love, kindness, sharing, and mercy, then are others really going to enjoy what we are dishing out for them to take? For everything we do, we should do it with all our hearts, not grudgingly, but with a joy that is contagious. When we are dishing out love, when we are serving with all we have, what a blessing it is for all those who receive. Its not just about giving, but how we give. Its not what we give, but why. Why do we give? Is it to bring glory to ourselves, is to show others our service, or is it we are following our calling? Is it that we are giving for grace was given to us? Whether you are the one giving or receiving, at one time or another you will be on the opposite end of each gift, for it is a blessing to give and to receive. Giving goes hand in hand with love. For those who give with love you see such a grace about them, you see Jesus through them. Jesus was our greatest gift ever, He gave all there was to give, He gave His life so that we would have life. We owe that to our Savior, everything we have we owe to Him, for He is the Creator, He is the One who first showed us how to love, how to create with our hands, and how to serve the gifts that our Father has bestowed us with~2 Corinthians 9:7-8 "So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work."

thankful

During this time of year many are thankful, and many find sadness. The holidays is a time of year that brings mixed feelings to so many. If we have all of our family and we share in a big celebration we find joy, but if we have suffered loss, if we are missing those we love so dearly, the holidays can be bittersweet. No matter where we are, or what we are doing, if we are with lots of family or just a few friends, we can find a blessed assurance in Jesus. We have so much to be thankful for just in Him alone. Things are so hard across our country right now, but it is often those hard times that bring us closer as families, and closer to Jesus. I remember being home with my parents as a child and feeling the sense of safety. My mom worked tirelessly cooking our favorites and making sure everything was just right, now as she is older and not in good health, she cannot cook as she once did. I miss that, I miss watching football with my dad. I remember getting so excited watching the parades, and that was as a teen too! There is something special about cooking for your family, about gathering with friends, about sharing a meal and laughing of past times. Each Thanksgiving I try to sneak away, sometimes I have taken a walk in the back of our field, just me and Jesus, telling Him just how thankful I am. I am so thankful for my husband, who is sacrificing more than anyone really knows. He is working so hard to take care of us, and it is all because he loves us. I am thankful for each of my children, from the oldest to the youngest, each one is so unique and special. Our table has always been crowed with all of our children during this time of year, but as things change, as things happen, they are not always here to share this day, as will be this year. One will be working tirelessly, for she is one who learned that from her daddy, three will be here, and one will be missing from our table, but I am not giving up, I am praying that one day she will be at our table again, and with a renewed spirit, but she will always know she is loved with all my heart. Its funny really, this time of year is always so thought provoking, isn't it? We remember the past, we think about our dreams and we tend to think of each thing we are thankful for. It is a time we reflect on our lives, giving, receiving, and sharing joy. Bringing dishes into our homes, filling each room with smells and laughter. We come together with family, some we haven't seen in awhile. I love this time of year, the cool air, the geese flying over, and the birds coming to eat. Everything seems to have a more special meaning.This year I had a special friend invite me and my son to her home to celebrate with her huge family. See, it could happen that my husband will still be out working, so just incase she opened her heart to me. This was such a wonderful blessing to me, to feel so loved, to know her family was opening their home to welcome us is such a gift, such a friend to be thankful for. I am thankful for all of my sweet friends who hold a special place in my heart. I have met some amazing people this past year that have brought such blessings to my heart. I have been blessed with writing, not just for me, but for Jesus, spreading His word. I have learned so much, grown as a christian, and I am so thankful for my faith, for my Savior who gave me this day to celebrate. This day is special, but we should not just wait one day to think upon all we are thankful for, this should be something we give to the Lord daily in our prayer time. From the big to the smallest treasure we have, Jesus is at the center of it all, for He is the One who gives, He is the One who blesses us, His children. I pray each of you will have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day, I pray you enjoy each moment no matter how big or small, and know that all that goodness comes straight from our Father. Psalm 136:1 "Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever." 1 Thessalonians 5:18 "In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." To my family and to my sweet friends I say thank you for all you have brought into my life, for all we have shared over this year, to You Jesus, there are not enough words to speak the thankful feelings you have placed in my heart~

Divorce

I learned how to spell this word when I was very young. My mom was a big Tammy Wynette fan, she sang this song all time, other than singing Loretta Lynn songs in the kitchen. I am not a child of divorce, but I know the pain of divorce, for I was in that situation when I was only 20. My marriage only lasted for about six months. The worst mistake of my life, one that I will carry with me my whole life. I'm not talking of the divorce but the marriage. Every little girl dreams of getting married, wearing a gown, having a party, going through all the motions, thinking life will be perfect. My mistake was that I got involved with the wrong man, one that I should not have been involved with that hurt me very much. We all learn from our mistakes, and some of those are so hard, not just on us, but those around us, those who love us. As I know the pain of divorce, I now see my children going through the same. It is heartbreaking to watch your children face such pain. We see it everywhere now. If we are not a child of divorce, we know someone who is. I have watched my husband go through so much with his two children from his first marriage. I too have my daughters who are from another relationship. To have your children go through so much, watching them as you are fighting with the other, as you do not agree with the other, as holidays come and you are trying to make everything work for everyone. Your children hear stories about their daddy, or their mommy, their ears are always listening, and the words they hear hurt them so badly. I am not sure if a child really ever recovers from a divorce, I think somewhere that pain follows them. Being a step parent, I have seen the pain from both sides. When divorce happens, we must put our children first, their feelings, their lives, and their safety. The safety of knowing their daddy is always there, or their momma is close by always. Divorce is so ugly. Today, we have plans in place just incase marriage fails and divorce comes. We have contracts we sign, and somehow the words,"Well, just in case this doesn't work out." Are those words to begin a marriage with? How can a marriage stand beginning with those words or beginning with lies? It cannot, but one thing we must remember, marriage is sacred, its pure, its a sacrifice and it is the hardest job outside of being a parent. Our marriage should be the focus, and when it is, our children find peace, they find safety, and they build their relationships on what they know. It is God's plan for one woman, and one man to be married, to be entwined in God's love, having Him the center of their lives, and building on His love. When we become married we become one. That old life we had is gone, its time to grow up, its time to stop being selfish, and its time to share all we have. Today, it is so easy to divorce, its just a natural thing, if Hollywood can glamorize it, then we all want to do it, why not? If I get bored, if I become unhappy, if I want a change, if I want something new, if I am having a hard time "Finding myself", if I want to do other things, do you hear all those "I's" in there? Marriage isn't "I", it is "We". It is just so easy to give up today, so easy to walk out, so easy to just pack a bag and say,"See ya", not realizing the damage we are doing not just to us, but to each other. Decisions are made without thinking about the consequences, decisions are made without the wisdom of counciling, without prayer, without honesty. Marriages are taking place while people are too young, while people are not mature, and for something to just make us feel better. The only reason to marry someone is love, wanting to spend the rest of your life with that one person who God has chosen for you. I made that mistake, I wish I could go back, I wish I could have been with my husband now, and He would have been my first love, but God has brought us together after failed marriages, He has blessed us now for almost 19 years. God does not like divorce, He is against divorce, but He also forgives, He guides us at moving on, maturing, at making Him our focus and blessing us. I know the Lord brought my husband into my life, it wasn't by chance, or by some fate, those things are not real, it was by His love. Our marriage has not always been an easy one, those bad days have come, at some points early on it was rough, but God brought us through and made us stronger, He matured both of us, as we are still growing today. I am blessed beyond words to have my husband. I am so thankful for him, his love and his sacrifices he makes for our family. He just as I make mistakes, say the wrong things, but there is forgiveness, there is grace, that same grace God gives us so freely, we should have that same forgiveness and grace that God has for us. More thought should go into marriage, it should be the man or woman God has chosen for you, and it should be the right time. We should never go into marriage for the sake of not being lonely, or to share with someone to make us feel better, or just to go through the motions of a beautiful wedding, showered with gifts only to have it fall apart a year later. When I married my first time, I now realize I was just escaping the pain of my dad's cancer, I was escaping all the scary feelings I did not understand. I was swept off my feet with roses, with fancy dinners, with flowery words that in the end only carried an emptiness. There was not love there to begin with, it was me wanting to feel safe, me wanting to ignore my surroundings. Life is hard enough, and when we choose to take on marriage, it becomes harder in the sence that we have to work hard at it, we can't just give up, we can't just walk away from the vows we spoke before God. We need to fight for the love we began with, we need to step back and breath, be honest, be willing to go the extra mile for that one you exchanged rings with. That ring symbolizes a circle of love,a never ending love. What made you fall in love with that person to begin with? Divorce is something selfish. To avoid divorce, we need to place a higher standard, a higher meaning upon marriage. We cannot seek a man just to bring us happiness and complete us, only God completes us, and that man or woman cannot bring you all you desire. We have so many material things we hold more dear to us than the vows we chose to say. I am a living example of how not to begin your young life, but God redeemed my life with someone special who will be with me to the end. When we marry our lives change, there is no more me, but now you are together as partners. When we chose to do it right, when we chose to make God the god of our lives, and listen to His wisdom and knowledge, He will never lead us to the wrong one. Its when we go off on our own, making our own way, thinking of just me, thats when our choices have consequences to follow. There are those times of seperation when there is abuse, when you are in danger, but I am not speaking of those horrible circumstances, I am speaking of selfish ambition, I am speaking of letting go of our childish ways, and coming forward with everything we have to fight for what is good and right. This world doesn't even teach of marriage anymore, its a great thing to just live together first, and if you marry and your not satisfied, then you just get those papers out and send them off for that quicky divorce. We all make mistakes in our lives, we all learn from the choices we have made, but wouldn't it be so much better if we just followed Christ? If we just waited on Him to show us the right young man, to lead us in the path of His choosing? If you have been through the pain of divorce you know what I am speaking of, divorce seems to touch us all in some way or another. If you are thinking of marriage, go to Christ and ask Him for His wisdom and be ready to listen, if He is telling you that young woman is not the one, you have the strength to walk away before you too are facing those words of divorce. If you are married and you are thinking of divorce, take the time to receive counciling, take the same time you did to prepare for your marriage before you decide to walk away. The most important things in this world are worth fighting for, don't take the easy way out and regret for the rest of your life, but allow God to heal your pain and bring joy back into your relationship. 1 Corinthians 7:3 "Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband." 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 "Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

GPS

As my husband began driving again, he bought himself a GPS unit for his truck. Although he hardly ever gets lost, this is a great tool for him. As he enters the big cities, as the roads take detours, this little device helps him to get right where he is going. Even speaks to him, gives him the road, the miles, and just where to turn. So now he without a doubt has no excuse to get lost. He has begun to love this little gadget so much he wants me to have one also. We have a GPS so we will never get lost, its God's word, the bible. Just as my husbands speaks to him, God also speaks to us, straight to our hearts. When we begin to get off track, when we lose our way, when we are not sure which road to travel, He is there to lead us, if we will just tune Him in and use the wisdom He has given us. So often we think we can find our way without asking for directions, and along the way we get off on one of those side roads that does not look too good, its dark, its raining, the roads are wet and we can take a slide and crash before we know it. We have no excuse to get lost, only our own selfish pride, and our stubburness. We know just where those traits lead us, right to humble street if we are blessed, sometimes those roads lead us to places that never take us back home. There is nothing wrong with asking for directions. We weren't meant to drive this journey all by ourselves, thats why God gave us His amazing word. It is jammed pack full of wisdom and knowledge, love and virtue. He created us, He loves us, so who better to listen to? The advice we get from strangers at times can lead us further into a land we have no idea how to get out of, and our friends, well, unless they are wise christian friends, sometimes they too can lead us right to the desert where we will continue to thirst. I have been there on that road of stubburness and pride. There are times in our lives where we just think we need to prove ourselves, but we don't need to prove anything to anyone. The only one we will answer to is our Father in heaven. Our family and friends are not going to be standing at the gate of heaven allowing our entrance, our co-workers and acquantances are not going to hold the key to our enternal future in heaven, and isn't that our destination anyway? Are we not trying to get to where our home with Jesus is? Heaven may be our final destination, but the road there is a straight one. We cannot get off on our own trail, thinking we can find our way and build our own life. He knows our past, He knows what road we are on right now, and what road He wants us to be on in the future. Are you lost today? Are you trying to find your way out of the forest, but you cannot see beyond the trees? Sometimes we are the very one who is blocking our vision. Get out your GPS today, open it up, search the maps and let It speak to you~ Proverbs 13:10 "By pride comes nothing but strife, but with well-advised is wisdom." Proverbs 13:20 "He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed." Psalm 25:4-5 "Show me Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day."

material world

"Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out." 1 Timothy 6:6-7 When you have been brought up to have everything at your beck and call. When you have been daddies girl, and all you had to do was smile, contentment is not an easy thing to learn. We are living in a world that the more things we have the better people we are. The more things we have the more popular we are. The more we have the more we want. As my son hears others speak about Christmas he gets angry. He says, "Here are teenagers who all they have to talk about is what I am getting for Christmas. He says, "Its not about what you get but what you give." Christmas isn't about running up your credit card to buy gifts with money you do not have that will take you all year to pay for. Christmas is about Jesus Christ our Savior. Its not about Santa Claus, there is no such thing. When I was little I remember sitting on Santa's lap thinking he was so real, until one year I sat on the knee of a woman. Her hair was sticking out and I knew she was not Santa. My heart was broken as a child, not so much because Santa wasn't real, but because my parents had told me he was. So as I had children we never did Santa Claus, we watched the Christmas cartoons, but they knew there was no Santa, that our gifts, our real gifts come from Jesus. For me, I lie to my child about Santa, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny and as they get older and realize I lied to them, what is to make them believe me when I speak of Jesus and His love? We have commercialized Christmas to where it not about Jesus anymore, it is all about getting great gifts, the more the better. For our children, it has almost always been that their father was layed off from Thanksgiving to a few months into the year, so presents were not big. Our presents came from our hearts and meant something special, we had a great dinner together, went outside and played football or built a snowman, maybe even playing a game they got for Christmas. So much of the meaning is gone now. We are such material people. We base our value as a person on the things we have. We came into this world with nothing, and we will go out with nothing. Love comes from the heart, love is meaningful, and real without all the glitz and diamonds. It is not how many pairs of shoes we have, or how many purses, how new our truck is, and if our new boat is bigger than the neighbors. The things of this world fade away, now Jesus, He is here forever. If I am to be honest, I love gifts just as much as I love to give them. I love to make gifts for others, for I know my hands made them with the gifts that God gave me. Anyone can run out and buy a sweater, but when you hold in your hand a sweater that someone took the time to make you, it takes on a whole new meaning. As we watch all the jewelry commercials during the holiday season, as we see the stores with their big sales, can you find Jesus in the mix of the bustle and hustle? We can celebrate Christmas with any giving of a gift at all, but by sharing time together, sharing stories of the past, and praising our Savior for His birth. Its a time to reflect on Him, not us. And it has become to where the reflection is taken off of Him and placed on which gift do I want to right on my list. For me, I am learning to put the material things down. I know for my son, if at Christmas all he had got to do was go to church, and then spend the whole day with his brother and sisters, having them home, seeing his dad smile and his momma let the tears flow in joy, would be one great Christmas for him. Jesus is the reason for the season, have you seen this everywhere? It is a true statement, one that is being hidden by the commercialism of just what you deserve for Christmas. So this Christmas, think upon what is real and true, think about giving as Jesus gave, not just what am I getting. May we realize we really deserve nothing, but realizing just all that Jesus gave so we could live, so we could laugh and enjoy the life that was given to us so freely~ Hebrews 12:2 " Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Attitude does not begin with a small "a"

I found myself in Sunday School, listening to our teacher, who is just a peach! She is the sweetest, most beautiful lady. She has such grace, and carries joy with her everywhere she goes. She is such a mercy, she knows just when something is wrong. As I sat there, she asked me,"Are you okay, have you had a migraine?" All I could do was nod my head yes. It had been a really hard week. The holidays are always hard now. I use to love this time of year, I could sing Christmas songs all day, but now the holidays just do not have the same sweetness as they did when all of our kids were here for the day. So as I try to keep going, there are those days where I gotta pull myself out of the pit, wipe away those tears and smile knowing God is good, and He blesses us daily. As Ms. Joy was teaching, she brought about the saying,"There is no little "a" in attitude." She is so right. Our days are all about our attitudes towards people, towards our family, and every task we must do. So as I knew today was a busy day, I got started, after taking almost two hours to get out of bed. When I am in such pain, its hard at times to have a smile on my face. Showered, put my clothes on, and realized I had put on a t-shirt that says,"I don't need any of your attitude, I have enough of my own!" Just wait, its gets better. As I was making my way through the crowded, and rude Walmart, a man almost hit me with his cart. My mouth opened and just as it did I looked over and there was a poster! Not just any poster, but one that said,"Attitude" with a big "A"! God saw me and He saw my attitude and knew just what I needed to hear in my heart. I just stood back, breathed in all that I knew God was showing me and attitude with the big "A" went away as peace washed over me. I'm so glad we have a God who knows me by name, who reaches out to me, and humbles me with love. So am I attitude free? Most likely not, but now God has planted His words in my heart, so that I can remember, so I can look to Him and know He is there in every situation. We cannot always change the situation that we are in, but we can change our attitude. We can just about find any excuse for our attitudes to? Think about that. When we treat someone wrong, we can say,"Well, I just don't feel good", or "I have really had a rotten day", or "I didn't get any sleep last night". No matter what we are going through, no matter if I have a migraine, or I am in so much pain I can barely take it, it gives me no excuse not to treat someone with love. Just as easy, we can blame our attitudes on others. Have you ever played the blame game? We cannot walk around hurting others, being bitter, being angry just because things have not turned out the way we wish. Things did not turn out so wonderful for Jesus as He was being beaten, as He was placed on the cross, and endured the pain of the nails, as He knew His last breath was coming. He still had love, He still showed others what sacrifice is, what compassion is, and what it is to give. Have you ever had your kids roll their eyes at you? Maybe shake their head with an attitude? We may not roll our eyes, we may have a smile on our face, but inside our hearts, we can have the worst attitude of all. We don't want to force a smile, we want to have so much joy, it is just a natural reaction to do. The next time you begin to open your mouth, the next time someone isn't so nice to you, remember you have the power in you from the Holy Spirit to do the right thing. We can lose our attitudes with a big "A", and place on God's love, with a big "L". Philippians 4:4-5 "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand."

first love

When was your first love? When was it that you thought you couldn't live without that young man? For me I thought I fell in love when I was only 15. At 15 do we really know what love is, or are we in love with what we think love should be? As it turned out for me, I was in love with the idea of love. At 15 we want to believe when someone tells us they love us. We like getting stuffed animals, and hearing sweet words, we like the idea of being able to say,"He is my boyfriend". When we think we are in love, we begin to change, we lose all sense of what love really is, because at 15, we don't know what the love of a man really is. Its not until you are grown, its not until that real man comes into your life and sweeps you off your feet that you realize just what love is. Love is not a teenage, flirtsy, call me when ya get home kind of love. Its a love that sacrifices, its a love that is there when your at your worst and your best. On those days when your sick, and on those days when nothing seems to go right. Its those stay at home nights, its those little notes you find, its not having enough money to go to dinner, its realizing life doesn't not circle around you. Love is giving, not just taking. When I was a teenager I believed those stories of,"You would if you loved me", only to not love myself the next day. Being a teenager is so hard, girls and boys see so much that is not true, from television, to music, to video's. They hear stories from friends, they think life is all about being cool, having someone attached to your hip, and many do not find out its not until its too late. As women our pasts at times can come back to haunt us, we cannot forget those mistakes, those lies we believed that changed our lives forever. I am blessed to have a husband to who loves me, who sacrifices for me, who gives until he has nothing left to give. A teenage boy know nothing about love, love is not just a feeling. Love is a verb, love is action, its putting those words into your life, its sharing, and its not something that comes and goes. In marriage we have those good days and bad days, but the love never dies, it is there to stay, its not breaking up for another, its not leaving you while they go out and have a good time. My daughters did not listen to my wisdom and advice, just as I did not listen to my mother when she tried to tell me a boy was no good for me. I was so stubborn, and my choices did not bring blessings, but only heartache. The heartache of our teenage years sometimes takes us a lifetime to overcome. Its okay to say,"No", its okay to say,"I'm waiting", its okay to be yourself, to stand up, and be different! Being popular, being in the in crowd is not all its cracked up to be. Those friends soon leave, time changes and at times we feel as though we are left alone with the decisions we have made. I am here to tell you love happens, love comes, it comes when the Lord sends you the right young man who will love you as he loves no other. I am here to tell you the mistakes of your past are forgiven, you don't have to hold on to them any longer. When we have made the mistake we often feel as though there is no return, but there is. There is a Savior who is waiting for you, waiting to love you, to show you what real love is, to forgive you, and to change your life for the better. He is there to take the sting of your past away and fill it with a joy only He can give. There is no one who can complete you but Jesus Christ. You are a daughter of the King, you are precious in His sight, and you are special, for He gave His life for you. You don't have to hold on to the past anymore, let it go and let God heal all your hurts. Let Him wipe your tears away. Staying pure is a choice, it is a way of life, and it is the best choice to make. Don't ask your girlfriends who have a boy on their hip, but you ask women, women who have lived with hauntings of their pasts, lived with the hurts of those who said they loved you. Dare to be different, don't be afraid just to be you, and never give something of yourself your not ready to give. God meant for that to be special, to be with the one who will love you forever, the one He has sent to you. Love is a gift from our Lord, He is our example of what love is. We may not of all had the best examples of what a man is in our lives, our fathers may not have shared special moments with us teaching us about what a young man really is, what love really is. We so often come from broken homes, that it is hard to teach our children what real love is, but we can begin by teaching them about Jesus, we can be there for them, we can listen and not just talk. As women we need to stand, we need to teach our young girls how special they are, they need to hear I love you, they need to feel love and know that you are there. My daddy never told me he loved me until he was sick with his cancer. He told me just a few days before he died. I grew up knowing I was loved, but those words were not spoken in our home, so I made sure I told my children daily how much I loved them, whether they were loving me at the moment or not, they knew their mom loved them. Jesus is waiting for you to come to Him today, His arms have waiting for you for a long time now. He can take whatever you need to tell Him and He will forever show you love. You might be a woman now, a woman who has not forgiven herself for her past, a woman who has held so much in. You don't have to. Jesus is ready to set you free from the pain of your past, you just have to give it to Him. He will release all the chains that have been holding you down from really enjoying life. If you are a young girl who has made the wrong choices, its not too late to begin again. Today can be the day you learn to forgive and to learn to love yourself again. I always taught my children they didn't need a boy or a girl to make them feel special. They are special just who they are, just being them makes them special. If your a mom and your wondering about your daughter, don't let another day go by without speaking to them, without sharing with them. When we open our hearts they can see just how real we are. May we point our children to Christ, and teach them He is all they need, and may they be strong enough to follow Him and not their hearts, not their feelings, but gain strength from the Savior to lead them in the pure path of life. Jesus is our first love~ 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 "Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." 1 Timothy 5:22 "Do not lay hands on anyone hastily, nor share in other people's sins; keep yourself pure." Psalm 25:4-5 "Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day." Love is sweet when its the real thing, when we have waited on the one God has sent to us, with wisdom we cannot go wrong and Jesus will never lead us down a path that will hurt us, can you say that about one your with?

EXPOSER by Brandilyn Collins

Danger is following Kaycee, or is it her imagination? Is everything what it seems to be, is she really being stalked? Kaycee writes a newspaper column about her fears, and just how to overcome the fears that we face everyday. Everything is changing in Kaycee's world as she experiences things she cannot explain. She is seeing things that others are not. We find that it's not all in Kaycee's mind, things are happening, things forgotten, things from the past are coming alive to haunt Kaycee. Will she fall into her fears or will she overcome them, facing them head on? I loved this book. It is another one from Brandilyn Collins that makes you hang on to the edge of your seat for the ride, not knowing where it is going. Thats what I love about Brandilyn, she is talented, and every book keeps you wanting more, and never finding out what happens until the end. If you love thrillers, if you enjoy suspense, Brandilyn is your girl to take you for a ride that always brings you right to the Savior, engaging you in your faith.

be ready

Why are we always amazed when satan attacks? Isn't that what he does? He isn't here to spread love and joy, he is here to take it away peice by peice. He begins when we are not looking, then he sits on our shoulder whispering all kinds of evil waiting for us to believe it. He knows who and what is most important to us, he knows who we love, who we spend time with, and who the Lord is going to use with us to bring glory and honor to Him. He knows every place to attack, just like a great warrior, he is sneaky and deceiving. The moment we think all is good, he comes in for the kill, to snatch away the joy that is so precious to us. He may have power, but his power is no match for that of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus has written the story, He knows chapter by chaper, word for word, and He knows exactly how the story ends. It ends with a victory for Jesus, and we as His children are victors too. We must not let satan steal an inch from us, we must keep our eyes open, watching and waiting for his strike. We must prepare ourselves with the Word of God, to cover ourselves with the armor of God, and stay close to our Father who will provide shelter, strength and comfort. He will provide us with all we need to fight the battle. Although the war has already been one, he is still going to attack trying to destroy all that is good, all who love the Lord with all their hearts. He doesn't have to worry about those who are not following, for they are on a path of destruction, but he does want to destroy those working for God, who are on the move for God, those who are going to make a difference for God. We don't have to be fearful, there is no faith in fear, no fear in faith. We must trust, believe and hope in the King of Kings. So many times satan has tried to destroy not only the people I love, but me. He knows all about me, and he knows just how to hurt me, but he has no power over me, I am the only one who can give him power over my life! We must stand, we must fight the good fight. I heard someone say that satan only attacks one person at a time. That is an untruth, we are attacked daily, minute by minute, but when we know how to fight, when we have our gear for battle ready, he cannot break through God's strength He places in us. When we are walking with God, He builds a fortress around us, He places a hedge of protection around us. Our Father is not going to allow satan to destroy His children. He is there to fight for us and with us, we just have to call out His name. In the name of Jesus we call out to protect us, to heal us, to strengthen us and to provide a shelter for us in the midst of the storms. Satan has nothing on us we are not willing to give him. He may attack, but we know how to fight him, in the name of Jesus Christ~Ephesians 6:11-13 "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spirtual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." Psalm 61:3-4 "For You have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings."

are you just a little shortsighted?

When we choose the behavior, we then in reality choose our consequence also. For every action has a reaction, just as we learned cause and effect in grade school. Why can we not seem to understand this now? I have made some bad choices in my lifetime so far, my behavior was not always pleasing to God and I have seen the effects of my choices. Sometimes our behavior although it doesn't seem so bad at the time, we later in life see just how far Christ has brought us. Each day we make choices right when our feet hit the floor until we close our eyes at night. Everything is a choice, our behavior is either a direct response to our choice or was the beginning of the choices we have made. We often think our choices are ours to make, as long as we are happy what does it really matter? Every choice we make effects those around us. Everytime we act, there is a direct reaction, and our choices are either good or they are bad. We often do not see the effects or consequences of our choices until later on when things begin to fall apart. When we choose to get in a car after drinking, our action is not only causing consequences to us, but may just cause them to another family or even your family. When we choose to leave the one who loves us for another, we may think we are okay for that moment, but those consequences will come. It is often through those consequences that we learn, that we wake up. It can even be the lack of consequences that shakes us into reality, for we know just what could have happened if we were caught. But whether we are caught or not, we still must live with our actions. We sometimes don't feel the pain of our choices until we too have children and we are watching them hurt, its then that we remember just how much pain we too caused our parents. In 2 Peter 1:5-11 it says; "But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will not stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." We are responsible for our actions, for the circumstances that follow. For us to mature as christians, we must realize we have stumbled, and humbly go to the Lord, for He will cover us with His love. Many times we are only concerned with life right at this minute. Every teenager faces that head on. As we are only thinking about life right now, right at this minute, we are not thinking just how are actions affect everything about our lives to come.The choice we make one moment may bring glory to God or it can bring shame to our name. We must stop thinking selfishly, thinking of only right now in this minute. I have seen so much pain from those kinds of choices, and it takes much longer getting over the pain of a choice than it did to make it. Wherever you are today in your walk, know that the Lord is there for you. May we choose Him daily, may we walk with Him every minute and asking Him for the wisdom about our decisions. We can either choose to live for Christ or we can choose to make our own path. I pray we choose to follow Him daily in our choices. How we choose to live right now will effect the blessings and riches that God gives to those who choose to follow Him. Our reward will be greater in heaven if have walked with Him here on earth making right choices. We don't have to look back, we can begin today with the right choices~

Do you have it all figured out?

One of my downfalls is that I try to understand others, I try to figure out others, and it can never be done. I am one of those who always reaches out, tries hard to be a friend, and when I do I give my all to whatever I am doing. Its those times when I reach out to others, and they are not reaching back is what really hurts, its what I cannot figure out. This isn't just in friendships, but also in family, it can be anyone in your life. Do you ever feel that way? When I am reaching out to someone if I have offended them in some way, if they do not want to be part of my life, or a friend, I would rather them just be honest and say so, than say nothing at all. Its that nothing at all that is wrong, its that no response that hurts. In Proverbs 27:6 it says this; "Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." I want my relationships with others to be honest, I would rather them be honest with me than to act as if nothing is wrong, be nice to my face and walk away knowing they do not like me. If I have faltered in any way I want a friend or family member to be real with me. Many times we do not know we hurt another until we speak the truth. When you have tried so many times to connect with someone, you feel as though you should just walk away. But in my heart I cannot do that, its not who I am, I still try, I still reach, but I also know that no one can give me the joy and friendship that Jesus can. I don't have to worry about Him walking away from me, not reaching back, or not being a part of all I do, He is there, He loves me and He is my best friend. Just as we try to figure out why people do the things they do, those answers at times never come for we can never understand someone else's actions, for we do not know their childhood, which affects us in our adult lives, and we do not know the circumstances of their everyday life unless they are open and share those things with us. For my husband its easy, he can reach out to someone, share love with them, and if they choose not to reach back, he is okay with that. I don't think I have made it to that point yet. In being a mercy, you love others with your whole heart, you wanna give all you have, you feel their pain, you feel their hurt and you want to make it better. Everyone is not a mercy, so if you are not then you most likely do not understand where I am coming from. I have a longtime friend who is not a mercy at all, but she is prophet, she sees things pretty well black and white. If I am down, she kicks me in my behind and tells me to keep moving, but when hurt began to come her way, she too then knew exactly how I felt, it was at that moment she realized the pain I too was feeling, and I believe she is more of mercy than she thinks, for she is always there for others, she reaches out and loves, never giving up. There are those days we are filled with laughter, those days that bring a smile, and we have those to where you just don't understand what is happening. I have grown so much, and I have met so many wonderful women who are showing me the way, but I think I still have a way to go, praise Jesus He isn't finished with me yet. Just when you think you have it all figured out, here comes a curve ball out of left field. Even though I don't understand all, and never will there is a God who does, who sees, and who is always there, never giving up, always having hope. He knows my past, my present and my future, and really that is all I need to trust in, trusting in Him and leaving all the details for Him is much better than living trying to figure it all out. In Isaiah 55:8-9 says; "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." We are not meant to know all, to see all, and to understand all, only our Heavenly Father can do that. So as I grow as His child, He is forever teaching me just how small I am and how big He is. I can't fix everything, everyone is not going to be my friend, and everyone is just not going to like me. That is lesson I think that takes a lifetime to really fathom. For we all want to be loved, we all want to be accepted, but many times it just doesn't happen with people, but it does happen with the Lord.

AND THE WINNER IS

Wow, again the winner for my book give-a-way is Ms. Bobbie Boyer! You have won yourself two amazing books. "Thirsty" by Tracy Bateman and "Touched by a Vampire" by Beth Felker Jones". I hope you enjoy them both, and have a happy time reading my friend.

ya wanna hear Him laugh?

If you would like to hear the Lord laugh, just tell Him what you have planned! You know He has to have a sense of humor, right? Just who do we really think we are making our own plans, even making plans for tomorrow? We try to do our own thing, make our own way without even thinking twice about asking Him for direction, for His purpose and plan for us. Then when all fails, things just don't go as planned we tend to get mad, throw a pity party of sorts and wonder just why it didn't work out. Well, it didn't work out because it was not in His plan for us, and we didn't go to Him first. Why oh why to we try as might to make a success of things without consulting Him first? When God created us He made a plan for our lives, He breathed life into us, and His purpose was for us to bring glory to His name. I see plans failing all around me, I see others not following Christ and it is so sad, for the time they are trying to find their own way, the time being wasted on selfish gain, desires of the heart, just think what we could achieve if we totally surrendered to Him, gave all to Him and trusted our lives with Him? Just think of the glory we could bring if we just stopped trying to make it on our own, and allowed Him to live in us, move in us and do His will and way in us? How long does it take for us to realize life is not life without living it for Him? Some come to Christ as children and live their whole lives for Him, some come later in life as I did, some come when they are old and gray, and some never come at all. Jesus gave us a free will, He doesn't force Himself on us, but He so desires for us to come to Him and allow Him to give us real life, not just life but abundant life. For those prodigals that are being prayed for, that Christ is seeking and knocking, its time to turn away from the world, turn away from the fleshly desires that attack us, and turn to the loving God who gave all for us. He didn't just die for one, He died for all. His blood was shed for His love for us. His Father had to turn away from His Son on the cross because He was covered with our sin, the sin that His blood covered once and for all. He was the sacrifice so that we could have life. Who are we to say just how we want to live our lives? Who are we to have a choice? When He calls we should answer, when He sends we should go, and when He speaks we should listen. We were bought with a price, that price was Christ's blood. Our debt is paid in full by the One who loves more than any other. We live our lives so selfishly, we live wanting things not to be hard, but to be easy. We want everything to be so easy, and we want it right now. Life doesn't work that way. Sometimes life is hard, sometimes trials come, tragedy falls, but life is not over when we have Christ in our hearts, when we totally sell ourselves out for Him. Those trials mold us, they teach us, they shape us into who He has created us to be. We try our best to get our way, and sometimes at a cost that will last a lifetime. I remember being small and asking my daddy for something, if he didn't say yes right away, I begged and pleaded with him until yes, I got my wish, my way, but ya know what? Most of the time it wasn't worth it. I didn't need the things I was asking for, I just wanted them to fit in, to feel better and to say,"Look what my daddy did for me." Our heavenly Father did something so great for us, we didn't have to beg or plead for it, He gave us life with grace. My heavenly Father has given me the greatest gift of all, His love doesn't come with a price, it is free and full of mercy. He doesn't give us all we want and desire, He instead gives us all we need right when we need it. When He says no, instead of having a pity party, we need to look at it as He has something so much greater for us. He has blessings for us that we cannot fathom, blessings that we do not deserve, but He loves us so much He wants to bring us joy, real lasting joy, not short lived fun, not wishful ideas that are going to hurt us in the end, but longlasting joy that is overflowing straight from His heart. I don't know where you are today, but its time we begin looking at Him for our plan and purpose, not our sister or brother, friend or neighbor, but listen to our Father who loves us so much, that He not only gave His life, but planned out just the perfect life for us, one that will not only bring Him glory, but will bring us joy and peace. Are you tired of searching for your way in this world? Don't search your heart, don't try to find what will bring you happiness, that only lasts a short while, but seek our Lord and Savior, He will guide you in the right path~ Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." Psalm 25:4-5 "Show me Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day." Psalm 16:11 "You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."

how loud do you speak?

In Proverbs 15:1 it says; "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." It goes on in 15:2 to say;"The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, but the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness." It has taken me a long time to get to the point where I can think before I speak, pray before I act and keep my mouth quiet not saying foolish things. Now, I struggle with this daily, there are those times where things just pop out and I think,"Oh, Lord, where did that come from?" But I am learning I don't always have to have the last word, I don't always have to "Win" a discussion, and it is always safer to just hush up and let God do the talking. Many times its not so much what we say, but how we say it. We don't have to be the loudest person in the room, we don't have to share all of our opinions. It has been years now since a sweet friend shared this verse with me when I was in a position I could have made much worse, but with these words, the Lord just filled me with His peace, He gave me the wisdom to know when to speak and what to say, making the situation better, and having me walking away knowing I followed the Lord in having my answers be quiet, not overreacting, not getting angry, but speaking straight from my heart. It isn't always easy is it? Sometimes we just want to shout out and say,"What is wrong with you?" We want to shake someone to their senses, make them see what is right. But that is not always where we are to be. The Lord cannot do His will and way if we are always in the way with our mouths. And giving someone an answer full of anger and bitterness never makes a situation better, it brings strife, it brings harsh words and people walking away more angry than before. How do I know this? I have been there, I have been on both sides, hearing the harsh words that are like ak knife in your heart, and spilling out words of anger before thinking. Hindsight is 20/20 right? After we have spilled blood with our words, we sit back and ask ourselves,why? If only I would have not said those words, if only I would have listened more, if only can go on and on and on, but when we trust in the Lord, when we are walking in His Spirit, when we make the effort, the choice to think before we speak, to pray before we go to someone, it brings peace to our hearts and for those we are talking to, it allows them to see how much we love them, not condemn them. Words can either bring people closer to Christ or take them further away. We can't push someone to Christ, they must get there by listening to the Holy Spirit. Words should always be spoken with love, and if we are angry wait, pray and come together when you can speak without talking over one another. Words hurt, words can bring us to tears, or they can bring joy and bring us to laughter, the choice is ours when we open our mouths. Proverbs 15:18 also adds; "A wrathful man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger allays contention."Nothing good can come of anger, nothing good comes from hurtful words except hurt. When we want to make a situation better we aren't going to get there with fiery words. Where are you today? Are you the one who has had harsh words spoken to you? If so, forgive, let go and let God heal the situation. Hanging on to anger only tears you apart. If you are the one who has spoken hurtful words, go back to the one you hurt and humbly say you are sorry for the words you have spoken. Its amazing what being humble can bring, it takes two people to argue. If one is speaking kind words, if one is showing love, the other will have nothing to fight against. The Lord gave us the gift of language, and He knew just how much trouble we would have with our gift. For the next time you are in a situation where words are flying and hitting you like a shotgun, stand back, pray and ask the Lord to help you bring peace with your tongue~