Acceptable In Thy Sight

Best Shopping Trip So Far

2011-03-05T11:43:00.002-05:00

So, last summer I ventured into the wonderful world of couponing. I will definitely be posting some wonderful shopping trips here in the future and wanted to start with this amazing trip I had at CVS this week.

I got everything pictured for just $9.72 out of pocket.

Here's the breakdown:

1st Trasaction -
Bought 2 Crest Toothpastes
Used 2 $1 off coupons
Used $4 ECB from last week
Paid $1.04 out of pocket.
Got back $6.58 ECB as advertised (Still had $6 ECB from last week and got a suprise $5 ECB printed out as well)

2nd Transaction -
Bought everything else
Used coupons totaling $6.20 of savings
Used remaining $6 ECB from last week
Used $6.58 ECB I got from the 1st transaction as well as the $5 surprise ECB
Paid $8.68 out of pocket
Got back $10 ECB and i also have a $3 off $15 to use next time, as well.

I love couponing!!

Blog Re-Vamp

2011-03-05T11:12:00.003-05:00

For those of you who happen to stumble upon this blog or are still among the followers listed and actually see this post come up in your feed, I am in the process of changing some things. There will soon be regular posts and I am working out a schedule.

Tentatively what can be expected:

Monday Meditations - a devotional thought to start the week. God should be first in our life and I would like to start out the week here talking about Him and what He is showing me from His Word.

Book Worm Wednesday - I love to read! So, each Wednesday I will be posting a new book review or maybe a teaser section from a book I'm reading or just something general about reading/writing. These will most often be linked to my book blog - One Rainy Afternoon.

Friday is the day I can't fully decide what to do with. I like the idea of a Frugal Friday and posting either deals I have gotten that week or something I may have seen that I would like to pass on. However, I'm not sure that I want that restriction. So, I am also thinking about just making it a Fun Friday and posting something fun that happened that week, which could include a great shopping trip, a craft with my daughter, something we did around the house, a movie we watched, etc. If you have any thoughts/suggestions about this day please leave a comment below. Thanks!

As always I want everything posted here to be acceptable in the sight of God, our Father and it is my goal to glorify Him through this.

I hope to 'see' some of you here often, especially once all of the changes are officially in place. I expect that to happen in the next week, maybe two.

Talk About Lessons from the Darkness

2010-01-20T12:07:00.003-05:00

I had no idea when I wrote my last post what the Lord had in store for us that week.

That night we had a pipe burst under our driveway. We didn't know it was under the driveway at first, but after a week and a half of digging and insanely high estimates from plumbers we figured out that we needed to just replace our waterline in a new place. My wonderful husband and some family and friends were able to run the line into the house via a different route, so that none of the pipe is under concrete now.

So, after staying with friends for a week and a half we have running water again with no leaks. A few things in our lives were delayed due to this, but God was so good to us along the way. Friendships grew and some were reestablished.

Praise the Lord!!

Lessons in the Darkness

2010-01-05T10:47:00.001-05:00

"God says there is no darkness in Him, and while I don't know completely what that means, I'm reminded of what Scripture says in Isaiah 45:3, "I will give you the treasures of darkness." Could this be what God means when He says that the darkness is as light? Could it mean that sometimes the lessons we learn in the dark are the truest and the brightest lights of revelation of who Jesus truly is? I do know that the lessons I've learned in the dark this year have enlightened me and have allowed me to know Jesus in a new way."

I read this this morning on a blog and wanted to share it with my friends. It seems like there has been so much darkness in people's lives lately. So much sorrow, grief, disappointment, and the list goes on. I hope that when those things have happened in your life that you have seen The Light of the World shining through.

Pay close attention to the part that is highlighted in red. I think that is very true. I think when we are in our darkest moments Christ's light shines even brighter. Light seems brightest when there is total darkness as its backdrop. In those times we are not trying to fix the problem on our own because we've most likely given up. And it is at those moments we can rest assured that it is truly and purely Christ shining. Step back and stop trying to figure things out on your own. God knows the way.

Jer 29:11-14
'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.'Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.'You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. 'I will be found by you,' declares the LORD, 'and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,' declares the LORD, 'and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.'"

Are you allowing Christ to fully shine in your darkest moments and following that light to greater and better things? Or are you sitting back and cowering in the corners too afraid of what may lie ahead?

Take the hand of the Savior and follow His light. "I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness. " John 12:46

Gingerbread House

2010-01-05T06:00:00.003-05:00

Ok, so I thought it would be fun to make a gingerbread house with Emma this year. Keep in mind that she is not quite 3 and not much help. I think in the future I will be waiting until she can be of more assistance. My hand hurt so bad by the end. I think I made my icing too hard, which was good for sticking things, but horrible for my hands. It was the first one I'd ever done, so I am hoping for better results in the future.

However, Emma loved it and keeps showing everyone that comes over 'her house'.

Getting started:

The goodies:

Finished product:

Finished product with Emma (you can tell by her face what she was helping with) =)

All in all it was an exhausting 2 1/2 hours, but well spent. It's a cute little house and I had a great time with my little muncher.

Cookie Day

2010-01-04T06:00:00.002-05:00

This year we had our 2nd annual Cookie Day. A friend and I get together and bake for hours upon hours and make containers of cookies to give away to people at our church. This year we baked for approximately 15 hours total. Lots of yummy cookies were made as well as some fond memories. My friend's sister calls us the Julie Rae Show. I look forward to many more years of Cookie Days.

Here are some picture highlights from our day:

My little helper rolling the Snickerdoodles:

(this might be half of what we did that day)

And finally, the finished product:

I hope you've been inspired to make some cookies. They're such a fun, easy gift to give to friends and I haven't met someone who doesn't like Christmas cookies, so they're sure to be a hit!

A Christmas Tour

2010-01-01T22:39:00.010-05:00

I can't believe the holidays have been here and gone already. I'm just now finding the time to sit down and share some of our Christmas traditions and decorations with you, so bear with me.

First, here is a little tour of my Christmas decorations:

Starting with the star of the season ~ our tree: (not the best picture of it, but I love it anyway)

The next best part ~ the mantle:

Some of my snowmen friends for you all to meet:

(I love this one, but it came out a little blurry, so I changed it to b&w)

This is one of my new guys this year:

Our new family ornament this year:

Emma's new ornament this year (I painted it for her):

I hope you enjoyed the little tour of my Christmas decorations. On to posts about cookies and gingerbread houses and such. See you soon!

Catching Up

2009-12-10T20:52:00.011-05:00

Since I last posted so much has happened. First, I have the pictures from the farm we went to last month. A week after our trip to the farm I lost my job. I was hoping to have more time to spend on here, but that has not happened yet. My family and I are doing well. It is, of course, very tight here, but the Lord was preparing me for this with the Trust Me post and events that happened shortly before. I have been LOVING the time with my daughter. My husband wants me to stay at home, so I am trying my hand at a few things while looking for a part time job through online companies. Please be praying for us through this difficult, yet wonderful, time in our lives. God is so good and certainly hasn't given us more than we can handle. He has shown Himself to be in control of the situation over and over again.

So, here are the pictures from the farm:

My daughter:

She was very hesitant to touch any of the animals at the petting zoo.

This is my favorite:

Emma went down the big slide with her daddy.

We went to a nearby town for the afternoon and got some great photos in their town square. I love small towns!!

(this one was an accident cause she refused to smile - we thought it was cute anyway)

And for those of you who may have been wondering what we all look like:

I hope you enjoyed our pictures. We had a great time. If you're ever in the North Georgia mountains area I highly recommend the little town of Dahlonega. A lot of cute little shops (a great old book store) and a great hole-in-the-wall pizza place (literally - it's in a store and only has 3 tables).

I'll be back soon with some Christmas posts.

I'm Still Here

2009-11-12T10:07:00.003-05:00

I haven't been on much lately, but have a few posts floating around in my head which I hope to share this weekend. For now, I wanted to share the best sign I have ever seen:

I absolutely LOVE chocolate dipped strawberries and enjoyed the one my husband bought for me from this wonderful little shop in Dahlonega - Paul Thomas Chocolates. More pictures to come from our trip to the North Georgia mountains last Friday. We had a blast!!

Trust Me

2009-11-05T08:14:00.004-05:00

Disclaimer - I am not sharing this for pity, just wanting to share some background to get to the lessons I am learning right now. Our God IS Great!

Some of you know of the struggles I have had over the last few years that kind of peaked this summer. For those of you who don't - here is a "brief" synopsis:

Almost 4 1/2 years ago I found out I was pregnant with our first child. At my first appointment I found out I had had a missed miscarriage and needed to have a D & C. 5 months later I found out I was pregnant again. Once again I had a missed miscarriage and needed another D & C. Decided to take a break on trying and focus on figuring out what was wrong with my body that it couldn't sustain pregnancies. That is when I was diagnosed with PCOS and started to be treated with medication. 7 months later I found out I was pregnant again. With much fear and trembling we proceeded. I had to take hormones for the first trimester b/c part of the problem we have definitely figured out is that my body does not produce enough progesterone on its own. After the first trimester I'm good to go. Anyway, on with the journey. 7 months into the pregnancy I was put on bedrest due to high blood pressure (this I believe was totally caused by job-related stress, cause it was back down by the time she was born). At that time we also found out she was breech and we started to plan for a c-section. A week before the scheduled c-section she turned around, but could not 'engage', so we proceeded with the c-section. 2 months after she was born I started my medication again and continued on my journey. Things were quiet for about a year and a half and then I started having bad cramping and pain every month. My doctor suspected endometriosis and suggested we start trying to get pregnant again. After trying for about 6 months and with the pain getting worse and worse he decided to do laprascopic surgery to take a look and ended up removing some endometriosis. A month later i was pregnant again. At 7 1/2 weeks I had a spontaneous miscarriage - this time twins. I had already miscarried some and went to the dr - he did an ultrasound and found that there was still a baby there, but 2 days later I miscarried that one as well. That was in July of this year. And now we are at the present.

I have struggled so much over the last couple of months. Mainly with fear. Fear of getting pregnant. Fear of not getting pregnant. Fear of endometriosis returning. Just plain fear. As a result of this fear I have at times been distant from my God, my husband, my friends, and the list goes on. Its been an up and down struggle. Every time I think I've gotten 'there' (wherever that might be) I realize I am still afraid and have picked up the burden that I thought was at the foot of the cross.

This weekend I found out 3 of my friends are pregnant and spent an evening with someone who talked a lot about abortion, at times lumping miscarriages in with it. I was so sick to my stomach I didn't eat but 2 bites of the $20 meal I was paying for. That is when I realized I had picked up my burden again.

Searching for some encouragement the Lord kept leading me back to Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." I've heard these verses so many times before and often quoted them to others, but hadn't thought to apply them to this situation. In the Proverbs 31 devotional yesterday, When Healing Never Comes, Wendy Blight described her inward battle as their family deals with her daughter having scoliosis. In that devotional, she paraphrased these verses and personalized them to their situation. Here is mine:

Julie, trust Me with all of your heart. Do not depend on the knowledge of doctors, pharmacists, friends, or even yourself. Do not lean on your fears. Acknowledge Me. Depend on Me, Julie. My Timing. My Power. My Omniscience. My Strength. My Love. I promised to direct your path, and I have. This is the path I have led you to follow. Trust Me. [bold taken directly from Wendy's paraphrase]

It's the part that reads "This is the path I have led you to follow" that I struggle with the most and begin to ask "Why?". Why would you do this to someone, Lord? And then I hear His gentle voice reminding me that that isn't for me to know right now. It's just part of His perfect plan. Trust Me. Such a simple phrase, but I can almost audibly hear God whispering that in my ear.

I encourage anyone who might be reading this to also paraphrase these verses. As I wrote that I could almost feel the peace wash over me. God is in control.

I am also taken back to Philippians 4:6-8:
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

When we leave our problems at the foot of the cross, according to these verses, God will guard your heart and your mind. The definition of guard is to keep safe from harm or danger; protect; watch over. He will protect you. Sometimes being protected means not having all the answers. Allow God to protect you by not taking back what should be left at the foot of the cross. Let Him keep control and watch over you.

Well, this post seems to be plenty long, so I won't keep your attention any longer. If anyone reading this has something similar that I could be praying for, please leave a comment. If you don't want your story to be public, just put a note at the beginning that you don't wish for it to be published.

God loves you, my friend. Lean into His everlasting arms and relinquish control of whatever your holding on to.

Trust Me.

I just found another. . .

2009-11-02T11:10:00.003-05:00

GIVEAWAY!!!

This one is a wonderful Thanksgiving giveaway. Here's a picture of what you could win.

Go visit Melissa's Heart & Home.

Another Giveaway!!

2009-10-29T11:59:00.002-04:00

There's a great giveaway going on at Bella Casa. She just received a $100 room makeover from HomeGoods and decided to do her half bath. Check out her cute makeover here. She is giving away a $100 giftcard to HomeGoods.

Here's how to enter:

Leave a comment telling me what you think of my makeover (one entry).
Leave a comment telling me how to get the gunky sticker stuff off of my mirror (one comment).
Leave a comment telling me what room you'd like to makeover (one entry).
Blog about this giveaway on your blog ( 4 entries, leave 4 comments, provide link).
Tweet about this giveaway on twitter (1 entry, provide link).

Good Luck!

Another Giveaway!!

2009-10-21T16:30:00.002-04:00

Visit Tracy at Beneath My Heart for a wonderful giveaway! Just follow this link and leave a comment. Below is a picture of what you can win. These look so good! I wish I had official office space at home to decorate. . .

Good Luck!

Creations by Kara

2009-10-21T15:35:00.002-04:00

If you love Autumn/Fall Decorations check out a fun Linky party at Creations by Kara. There is also a giveaway if you enter by Friday. Here is a picture of what you can win - how cute!!

Check out my Autumn Decorations post if you haven't had a chance to yet. I will be finishing another pumpkin post in just a little bit. Please come back to see the cute pumpkins I made.

Happy Autumn!

I've Joined the Bandwagon!

2009-10-19T14:14:00.006-04:00

After reading this post at Shanty2Chic I decided I really wanted to make these pumpkins myself. So, I got the supplies I lacked and got started. Mine are a little different, cause the only pumpkins I could find at Wal-mart had a beaded texture, so I had to improvise.

If the pumpkins have a beaded texture, you can't just spray paint them, it runs right off. So, I was bummed and trying to think of a different way. I walked past the table that still had my daughters paints on it and a light bulb went on - I thought I would try brushing on some Acrylic paint instead. Worked like a charm. Makes it hard to distress, though, cause you can't just wipe paint off the textured surface. It didn't really need it as long as some of the orange was still peeking through - so I skipped that step.

Oops!!! I forgot to take a picture of me doing the twine step. (My back went out Saturday night so I finished these on Sunday in my lap - a very tricky thing to do with a hot glue gun, but i survived.)

So, here are the pictures of my finished product. I love my new pumpkins! I think I may be developing an obsession with twine. What a great way to embelish!

I hope you will also be inspired to make some new pumpkin decorations, too. I had a lot of fun and love looking at them!

A Wonderful Evening

2009-10-15T13:10:00.007-04:00

Ok. So yesterday was not one of my best days, but last night was wonderful! A nice relaxing evening at home with the family - unfortunately something rare in our house, but extremely treasured.

We started our evening with a delicious dinner prepared by my husband - chicken, stuffing, and veggies. Since I still have not finished my chairs for the dining room (thank you lots of rain and busy schedule!) we are having our meals in the living room for now. So while we dined we enjoyed the entertainment of:

After dinner I got to work in the kitchen and baked some DELICIOUS muffins and mini-loaves with my freshly made pumpkin puree.
Check out the recipe: Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffins

I decided to give some away to some friends. and packaged them nice and neat with some fall-colored ribbon.

Here's a picture of one of the muffins on my favorite leaf plate.

I hope your mouth is now watering and that you are inspired to make some of these muffins yourself. I will now say goodbye with a picture of my favorite part of the evening compliments of my wonderful husband.

Our first fire in the fireplace this year.

Have a great day filled with thoughts of warmth and pumpkins!!

A Giveaway!

2009-10-15T12:42:00.002-04:00

Vist 4 Reluctant Entertainers for a wonderful giveaway to celebrate 3 years of blogging. Check out the blog and leave a comment for chance to win this:

Good Luck!

Painting Pumpkins

2009-10-09T09:02:00.013-04:00

My sweetpea is 2 1/2 this year and so I thought we would start doing some more crafty things. I thought we could start at this time of year with painting pumpkins. I LOVE pumpkins!! We had such a good time! Below are some pictures of my beautiful daughter's beautiful creation.

First we went to Michael's to get the paint and brushes since I had none in the house.

Then we went to Wal-mart for the pumpkins.

Then we went home, ate dinner, and got started. Note: this is the first time I have gotten her to smile for the camera for a LONG time.

She was taking it soo seriously. It was so cute!!

This is her 'smiley face':

Our finished products and my cute little one:

We had a blast!!

Autumn Decorations

2009-10-01T11:38:00.009-04:00

I absolutely LOVE Autumn!!!!

Below are some pictures of autumn decorating I have done around the house. I hope you enjoy!!

My front door:I love this daily reminder to be thankful.

A close-up of the top. It was too blah for me, so I added this little swag.

Some fun pumpkins and leaves from the table and mantle.

This is a delicious candle I picked up at Wal-mart last year. Paula Deen's Pumpkin Pie. Yummy!!

I hope you enjoyed my little taste of Autumn. I am LOVING the fact that we are actually having fall weather here in GA this year.

Thanks for stopping by!

Scripture Memory

2009-10-01T09:01:00.005-04:00

I don't know about you, Scripture memory is something I always struggle with. Earlier this year I was following the LPM blog and keeping up with their scripture memory plan for the year. 2 verses/passages a month for the entire year. 24 verses/passages tucked away by the end of the year. Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened. I 'tucked away' my verse cards and haven't touched them for quite a while. I saw the reminder that it was time to pick verse 19 and definitely feel the need to join in again. So, I will be picking a new verse today and 'untucking' my verse cards for some regular use.

I'm memorizing I Corinthians 1:26
"For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble;"
I chose this verse because this whole passage (v.26-31) really meant a lot to me from Monday night's Bible study - Esther. I plan to memorize the whole passage verse by verse.

If you already participate, or would like to join me, please leave a comment and let me know what verse you're memorizing.

Sneak Peak

2009-09-24T12:33:00.001-04:00

Here is a sneak peak of some furniture I am working on. I got this whole set for $125 - dining table, 6 chairs, hutch.

Ok, so right now it isn't the most attractive furniture you've ever seen, but it will be soon.

Stay tuned...

Scrapbooking

2009-09-22T11:11:00.011-04:00

Scrapbooking is something I've always been interested in, but life is always so busy. For years I would pass by my black bag of scrapbook stuff and hear the paper and pens and embellishments calling to me. Unfortunately, I rarely found the time to listen.

Well, thanks to a friend of mine (that you can find at Carrie's Alley) I have finally gotten [back] into it again. I have also found many helpful blogs for making layouts and cards (you can find those by going to my profile and seeing who I follow).

Due to the inspiration from others I made the following birthday cards for some friends earlier this month.

Here are both of the cards I made. Similar in design with their own personal touches.

To personalize them I went with the initial of the first friend and age of the second.

Here is a close-up of the second.
(the stamp hit the paper sooner than I expected on this one - oops!)

I'll be posting some recent layouts soon. I meet with some friends once a month now and I'm actually getting some stuff done.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you'll be back!

Coming Back

2009-09-17T10:18:00.003-04:00

Ok. So I've been gone from here for quite some time, but I am planning a come-back.

There are so many things I want to share that I've gotten overwhelmed and only stuck with devotionals. That's not all of who I am. I plan to start including some references to my book blog, One Rainy Afternoon, and pictures of pages I've created for scrapbooks and card I've made. If I find a good deal, I plan to share it with you, too.

There are many things that have kept me from accomplishing this goal, but the Lord used a devotional about envy to snap me out of it. I don't have to be super-skilled in one of these areas and have a separate blog with hundreds of followers, I can be me and share who I am. Just for fun.

I hope you'll join me!

Having a Mary Spirit

2009-05-17T00:26:00.007-04:00

Having a Mary Spirit
By: Joanna Weaver

This is another wonderful book by Joanna Weaver. I just love her writing style - she is so easy to read! Her transparency is refreshing! This book has been a wonderful source of encouragement and conviction. Joanna starts off the book with a very serious prayers asking God to change us to be more like Him. And that is exactly her goal as you read the pages you can tell that the prayer of her heart is to help others become more like Christ.

In order to be more like Christ we must be changed from the inside. Deep inside. Things must be faced that we have repressed and stuffed deep down, thinking we would never have to deal with them again. Once we start to change the hidden places of our heart our actions follow. People can't help but see Christ in our lives.

I highly recommend this book as a great resource for those who are seeking a closer walk with God. In my opinion this book is best read before her first book. Once you have taken care of your heart you are more likely to have the desire for the living room intimacy she speaks of in her first book, Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World.

Back of the Book:
"Lord whatever it takes, make me like You!"
You long to serve God with grace and strength, to reflect Christ in every word and action. Yet you find yourself continually struggling to bring that vision to life in your daily walk.

At our very core, every one of us is a 'twisted sister' within whom the flesh and spirit battle constantly for control. We are afflicted with spiritual schizophrenia, the disconnect between our good-girl desire to put Jesus first and our bad-girl realities that crowd our thoughts and push him out of the way.

In this life-changing book, Joanna Weaver, author of the perennial bestseller, Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World, directs your gaze past your own shortcomings to the God who stands ready, willing, and able to make a new woman out of you. She equips you with biblical insights and practical tools to partner with Christ, inviting him into the hidden places of your soul and giving him full permission to redeem and renovate.

Drawing on the stories of the biblical Mary's (Mary, mother of Jesus; Mary, sister of Martha; Mary Magdalene) and others whose experience with God transformed their lives, Joanna shows you how you can find what you long for: hope, healing, wholeness, and joy. Having a Mary Spirit will launch you toward lasting personal transformation: soul-deep change that results in a complete makeover - from the inside out.

Keep Me Sweet, Lord

2009-04-20T15:04:00.003-04:00

This prayer was in my Bible study book this week. The 3rd paragraph really spoke to me as I have been consumed lately with some pain that I have been feeling. God is in control of that situation no matter what the outcome is and if you would, please pray for me tomorrow at 11 while I am at the doctor. If there is someone reading this with some pain of your own, I would be happy to pray for you and lift you up to Jehovah-Rapha (also spelled Rophi and Rophe ~ God who heals). Just leave me a comment.

We all have someone we admire who has an exceptionally sweet spirit. Let's pray for the Lord to use us in that way to others.

Keep Me Sweet, Lord

Lord, you know better than I know myself that I am growing older and will someday be old. Keep me from getting talkative, particularly from the fatal habit of thinking that I must say something on every subject and on every occasion.

Release me from craving to straighten out everybody's affairs. Make me thoughtful, but not moody; helpful, but not bossy. With my vast store of wisdom it seems a pity not to use it all, but you know, Lord, that I want a few friends at the end. Keep my mind from the recital of endless details - give me wings to come to the point.

I ask for grace enough to listen to the tales of others' pains. Seal my lips on my own aches and pains - they are increasing, and my love of rehearsing them is bocoming sweeter as the years go by. Help me to endure them with patience.

I dare not ask for improved memory, but for a growing humility and a lessening cocksureness when my memory seems to clash with the memories of others. Teach me the glorious lesson that occasionally it is possible that I may be mistaken.

Keep me resonably sweet. I do not want to be a saint - some of them are so hard to live with - but a sour old woman is one of the crowning works of the devil.

Give me the ability to see good things in unexpected places, and talents in unexpected people. And give me, O Lord, the grace to tell them so.

-Written by an anonymouse seventeenth-century nun

James 4 / Praise the Lord!!

2009-04-17T11:03:00.001-04:00

This is a really long passage to post with some mixed commentary, but its something that's been on my heart for a while, so please read.

James 4

"What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members?" So often our own selfishness gets in the way of our relationships with other Christians. Too often with those that love and care about us the most (and vise versa). Don't look to the problems in others to solve a conflict - examine your own heart. Make sure you are right with God and let Him take care of everyone else.

"You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask." Keep reading - this isn't some magical sentence that gives us a big Santa in the sky. Our heart must be in the right place in order for what we ask to be part of God's plan, not our selfish desires. It is very sad to hear so many Christians take this out of context.

"You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures." Always keep in mind the simple children's acronym - JOY: Jesus, others, you - in that order.

"You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." If you find yourself wanting to be more and more like the people you know that don't have God, you're in trouble. We all need to examine our hearts constantly and constantly check our motives for what we want and what we want to do. The more we look like the world the more our hearts change to be like the world. BE CAREFUL!

"Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: "He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us"?" God is a jealous and according to the Bible He always wins. Personally, I would not want to be on the losing side of that battle.

"But He gives a greater grace Therefore it says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.""

"Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom." Repentance. Praise the Lord for his unfailing, always available, forgiveness! When we put ourselves under God's authority and turn away from the lies Satan feeds us, we can such an amazing peace in our lives. God blesses those who obey Him. Resisting the devil is not something we can do on our own. We need God's help. Memorize scripture in areas that you struggle with; read God's Word everyday; pray for His help to resist the temptations you easily succumb to; be careful with what you watch/listen to and make sure it is pleasing to God. It all must be genuine. God will punish those who don't keep their hearts pure before Him.

"Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you." As there is punishment/consequences for wrong-doing there are also rewards for right behavior. Not always getting something you want, but blessings.

"Do not speak against one another, brethren He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor?" We are never to play God. We are just as sinful as the next person. Who are we to put someone down b/c of their sin when we all sin every day? And our sins don't have levels in God's eyes. My disobedience is just as bad as someone who has committed murder. Don't put yourself on a pedestal and certainly be careful of saying that you would never do something. That is a vulnerable area that Satan is sure to attack. "Guard your heart with all diligence" (Proverbs 4:23)

"Come now, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit. Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that." Take advantage of every moment God gives you. I am the world's worst procrastinator and am trying to work on that. Make the most of life - I've heard many times, "Live each day like it is your last". If we all did that we would be much more prepared to meet the Lord than most of us are today. (I hope that makes sense)

But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. Not much more to add to that. Don't put yourself on a pedestal for anything.

Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin. The Holy Spirit convicts all of us of different things along our walk. Follow the Holy Spirits prompting and only worry about yourself.

I know this ended up being a running commentary, but I hope it was an encouragement to those who read it. God's Word is the best place to go - not man's words.

Have a great day!!

Children are Blessings

2009-03-10T12:47:00.013-04:00

This weekend we celebrated our little one's 2nd birthday.
I can't believe she is 2 already!!

Last year she wasn't so interested in the whole cake thing. She screamed and screamed during the whole song and didn't want to get her hands dirty at all. I don't think she even took a bite of the cake. She was not happy again until she was back to sitting in the chair her grandparents gave her.

This year, however, she really enjoyed being the center of attention except when being sung to. She was a little overwhelmed with that, but otherwise she loved it!! She ate some of her cupcake and cookie and is really liking the whole idea of 'pesents'. She has something to get today, but after that I think she will be seriously not happy that they don't happen to come to her every day.

In the busyness of getting ready for parties I was reminded of what a blessing children are and that she is our little gift from God. Children are definitely a great responsibility, but such a joy! I love watching her discover new things. God is so gracious to give us these little blessings to raise for His glory. Yes, it gets overwhelming at times and is a great responsibility, but it is so much fun!! Babies are very cute, but it is a lot more fun when you can interact and do things with them. I am loving getting to know this little person with a very big personality.

"Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward." Psalm 127:3

Finances

2009-03-04T10:50:00.006-05:00

Finances.

What first pops into your mind? . . . Numbers? Security? Fear? Trust?

My guess is that especially in today's economic times most of us immediately think fear. My husband and I have been struggling a bit for the last 2 years. Until recently fear is exactly what I thought of. After losing a total of 3 jobs and some bad decisions in between, along with having a baby, we have definitely been thinking fear.

We recently started the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University and are in the process of getting Baby Step 1 accomplished.

Let me start by saying that my husband has been a Dave Ramsey fan for a couple of years, but I was hesitant to jump on board. Mostly because I manage the finances and who was he to try to tell me how to do it? So, I never listened. I never read the book. I realize he was trying to help and appreciate the effort, I really do (especially now). I also didn't do it because from what he showed me it was way too complicated and I had my system (I still kinda think that, but know it is going to be well worth the effort).

Now my system is in the process of transforming to Dave's system. I am budgeting and somewhat using the envelope system and most importantly I am starting to change from thinking fear to secure. The more money that gets saved, the more secure I feel. Amazing, huh?

The change that is taking place is not just in our bank account, but also in my heart. I am learning more about trusting the Lord. He truly meant what He said about "supply[ing] all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 4:19) The key phrase in that verse is 'according to His'. So often we take verses like this out of context and assume that whatever we think we need we will have - like the Prayer of Jabez fad. That is not the case.

God knows what we need. Sometimes we need a big fat 'NO!'.

Paul says earlier in that passage that he "know[s] how to get along with humble means, and [he] also know[s] how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance [he has] learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." (vv.12-13) God was with him in all of those circumstances. He didn't leave him when he had humble means - He taught him lessons and grew Paul's faith.

We need to learn to do the same thing. After a time of abundance are we truly thankful when a time of 'humble means' comes along? When we are 'suffering need'? We need to be.

Take the opportunity to open your eyes and learn what God has for you to learn. Pray about just what he would have you do with your finances right now and take the opportunity to grow closer to your God and your family.

You can purchase the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University Kit here.

My Wonderful Husband

2009-02-11T08:47:00.004-05:00

This morning on the radio I was reminded that my husband is a hero. The radio guy was sharing a story about a man he met who was working 2 jobs. He commented that that guy was a true hero because he was willing to do whatever it took to support his family.

So often I don't appreciate my husband enough. For almost a year and a half now he has been working 2 jobs to support our family. Lately, I have been so consumed with schedules not working out and insurance information being wrong that I haven't stop to tell him how much I appreciate what he is doing for us.

My husband is my hero.

Who is yours? What amazing every day person is making a difference in your life right now? Be sure to let them know how much they mean to you.

Trusting God

2009-02-10T09:32:00.004-05:00

Today I am having a lot of trouble with this particular topic.

Has God provided for me in the past? Yes!
Has God always been there for me and brought the right people when needed? Of course!

So, why am I having so much trouble believing that He will do it again?

Today I am going to post a bunch of verses on this topic as a reminder to us all that we need God. Period. Nothing else can satisfy us. People and things will always fail us.

Dueteronomy 1:29-32
"Then I said to you, 'Do not be shocked, nor fear them. The LORD your God who goes before you will Himself fight on your behalf, just as He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, and in the wilderness where you saw how the LORD your God carried you, just as a man carries his son, in all the way which you have walked until you came to this place.' But for all this, you did not trust the LORD your God,"
As Moses pointed out to the Israelites, we need to remember what God has done for us and believe (trust) that He will take care of us even still.

II Kings 19:14-20
"Then Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it, and he went up to the house of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD. Hezekiah prayed before the LORD and said, "O LORD, the God of Israel, who are enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see; and listen to the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God. Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have devastated the nations and their lands and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. So they have destroyed them. Now, O LORD our God, I pray, deliver us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, O LORD, are God." Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah saying, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Because you have prayed to Me about Sennacherib king of Assyria, I have heard you.' "
Hezekiah took the information that all these other kingdoms have been destroyed and their gods couldn't save them directly to the Lord. How often I fail to take my discouraging news to the Lord and fail to ask Him to show His greatness and His power. If you are struggling with some discouraging news, as am I, I want to challenge you to pray like Hezekiah did and watch God work in your life. The Lord will hear you.

II Chronicles 14:10-12
"So Asa went out to meet him, and they drew up in battle formation in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. Then Asa called to the LORD his God and said, "LORD, there is no one besides You to help in the battle between the powerful and those who have no strength; so help us, O LORD our God, for we trust in You, and in Your name have come against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God; let not man prevail against You." So the LORD routed the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled. "
Such complete trust in the Lord!!

Job 39:10-12
"Can you bind the wild ox in a furrow with ropes, Or will he harrow the valleys after you? Will you trust him because his strength is great And leave your labor to him? Will you have faith in him that he will return your grain And gather it from your threshing floor?"
I am often guilty of trusting in the things of the world to get me through. I trust in my job or my husband's job instead of trusting in God. We can't trust in animals . . . or people or things to sustain us. Only God can do that.

Psalm 9:9-11
"The LORD also will be a stronghold for the oppressed, A stronghold in times of trouble; And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You. Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion; Declare among the peoples His deeds. "
The Lord is the strongest of all strongholds. We need to put our trust in him when we are going through times of trouble.

Psalm 56:2-4
"My foes have trampled upon me all day long, For they are many who fight proudly against me. When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, In God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid What can mere man do to me?"
Sometimes our foes aren't literal people. What foes do you have in your life? What are you fighting against or what is fighting against you? We can and need to put our trust in God because nothing else can harm us if he is on our side. Romans 8:31

Psalm 143:7-12
"Answer me quickly, O LORD, my spirit fails; Do not hide Your face from me, Or I will become like those who go down to the pit. Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning; For I trust in You; Teach me the way in which I should walk; For to You I lift up my soul. Deliver me, O LORD, from my enemies; I take refuge in You. Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground. For the sake of Your name, O LORD, revive me In Your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble. And in Your lovingkindness, cut off my enemies And destroy all those who afflict my soul, For I am Your servant. "
A good prayer for all of us who are struggling with this issue of trust.

Jeremiah 17:6-8
"For he will be like a bush in the desert And will not see when prosperity comes, But will live in stony wastes in the wilderness, A land of salt without inhabitant. Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD And whose trust is the LORD. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, That extends its roots by a stream And will not fear when the heat comes; But its leaves will be green,
And it will not be anxious in a year of drought Nor cease to yield fruit."
I, right now, am like that bush in the desert. Ironically, my memory verses for the first half of this month are Jeremiah 17:7-8, so when this came up in my trust word study I felt like this was the Lord hitting me with a 2x4. I definitely need to learn to trust in Him completely and turn my desert into a meadow.

Ok, I think this is getting long enough. I have thoroughly 'enjoyed' my study on trust this morning. I really needed it. Thanks for joining me. I hope that these verses are as much of a blessing to you as they are to me. I purposefully stuck with the old testament because of the poetry and stories that we don't often remember when we go through tough times.

What time I am afraid. . .

2009-01-26T14:00:00.013-05:00

Psalm 56:3 "What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee."

Fear. An ugly 4 letter word that encompasses a lot of all that we do.

I have had a lot of fear in my heart lately and have not been trusting in the Lord as I should. I keep trying to find my own ways of fixing things without even considering where God is and what He would have me do.

This week my Bible study chapter is titled "Fearless Beauty" and on Friday an email devotional I get was about fear. I'm thankful for the way that God surrounds us with the resources we need at every stage of life exactly when we need them.

At the end of the Bible study chapter she mentions Jeremiah 17:7-8
"Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD
And whose trust is the LORD.
"For he will be like a tree planted by the water,
That extends its roots by a stream
And will not fear when the heat comes;
But its leaves will be green,
And it will not be anxious in a year of drought
Nor cease to yield fruit.

This passage is my memory verse for the first half of this month (The LPM Blog). The thing that I struggle most with being afraid of is the 'year of drought'. Finances seem to always be an issue in our house. I am always anxious about the possibility of the drought. According to this verse when I am anxious about that I cannot yield fruit.

Finances are not the only thing I worry about. I have also been afraid of some physical issues that have been going on lately. My previous memory verse included the phrase "who heals all your diseases"(Psalm 103:3). I chose that verse specifically to remind me to put my trust in the Lord and bless Him at all times no matter the circumstance. Only God can "pardon all our iniquities" and "heal all our diseases". "Bless the Lord, O my soul!"

Those are two of the most specific things I fear, but I also have the daily anxiety that needs to be turned over to the Lord as we are reminded about in Matthew 6:34.

Pray with me about relying on God - ALL THE TIME!! I encourage any who read this to find scripture to bring to mind when the fears of your life overcome your mind.

We can yield more fruit and be effective for the Lord when we trust Him completely.

Forgiveness

2009-01-15T11:21:00.006-05:00

This last week I was wondering why our Bible study chapter wasn't affecting me so much. It was called Mind Control, so you would have thought that I would have gleaned something from it. But, unfortunately, it seemed like there was a 'road closed' sign between God and my heart.

I was bothered by this, but didn't take the time to sit and pray and read the Bible to see what I needed to get rid of in my life to get past the road block.

On Monday night while we discussed the chapter I felt like my heart was not in it. I didn't know exactly why, but the obvious reason was there was something sinful in my life separating me from God.

On Tuesday I was talking to a friend on the phone and we started talking about something that we have both been going through. The longer we talked about it the harder the Lord hit me over the head with the knowledge of exactly what I had been doing. I was being controlling and planning to manipulate.

That evening I put my daughter to bed and sat down with my Bible and prayed and read and cried for about 30 minutes. Thank God for His amazing forgiveness that is always available. I prayed with David:

"Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness;
According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions,
And my sin is ever before me."(Psalm 51:1-3 NASB)

I continued to pray through Psalm 51 and was hit really hard when I read v. 8.
"Make me to hear joy and gladness,
Let the bones which You have broken rejoice."
What I was struggling with was in direct connection to a diagnosis I received in September. I needed to have joy and gladness and rejoice in the way God made me and what He was doing in my life through the way that I am seemingly 'broken'. That is the exact term that I have used many times to describe myself.

I continued to pray that God would
"Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation
And sustain me with a willing spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners will be converted to You." (v. 10-13)

2 weeks ago in Bible study the chapter was about having a willing spirit. I need to be willing to let God do whatever He knows is best for me. Another very powerful word in Scripture - let. 3 little letters that are so very hard to say. Especially for someone who likes to have control over every situation.

So pray with me as I continue to work on 'letting' God work in my life and giving Him complete control.

I must also say that I am very thankful for the forgiving spirit that God has graciously given my husband. He very sweetly listened, forgave and prayed with me.

Praise the Lord!!

Goals for the Future

2009-01-05T10:25:00.005-05:00

My husband showed me yesterday morning some goals that he wrote out for 2009. The format that he has followed is one suggested by Dan Miller. In Sunday school he challenged all of us to do the same. So, yesterday I sat down and wrote out the following goals. All are attainable, realistic goals.

Spiritual
5 year: Be more like Christ; Overcome "Approval Addiction"; Have more Scripture memorized; Be more humble; Have read entire Bible 5 times; Share the gospel
1 year: Read Bible chronologically; LPM Scripture memory plan - 24 passages this year; Pray fervently; Have all Christ-centered relationships; Continue weekly Bible Study; Look for the opportunities around me to share the gospel with others and take advantage of them

Family
5 year: Be closer to John than ever before and for our relationship to be centered around Christ; Me at home with children; At least 2 more children; Clutter-free; Emma to love God and know Him; Have begun homeschooling Emma
1 year: Respect John unconditionally; Go on dates more frequently; Be pregnant; Emma potty trained; Organize house; Have regular 'devotions' with Emma before bed

Personal Development
5 year: Grow in Christ; Take better care of home; Be stay at home mom; Be more involved in community; Start a book (novella); Healthy weight range
1 year: Have personal devo's every day; Review books regularly; De-clutter bedroom; Read at least 6 'spiritual' books; Be open to God's will around me - serve others, help needy

Social
5 year: Christ-centered relationships; Not be jealous of others relationships; Keep in touch with far away friends; Don't get too close; Pray regularly with friends; More involved in community
1 year: Continue weekly Bible study; Take initiative to contact friends and pray with friends; Establish boundaries; Pray and eyes open for community; Grow satisfaction in Christ through prayer and bible study

Financial
5 year: Debt free; Me at home; John with only 1 job; Stability; Retirement/College savings plans in place and growing
1 year: Budget and stick to it; Start Emma's savings; Have a month in savings; Pay off 2 accounts

Physical
5 year: Be a healthy weight; Hormones under control (PCOS and Endo); Have a couple of children; Be fit - healthy heart/lungs/etc.;
1 year: Make exercise routine consistent; Eat more fresh fruit/veggies; Prepare for pregnancy; New glasses/prescription; Dentist catch up

Career
5 year: Stay at home mom who has begun homeschooling her children
1 year: Organize office; Set up in new building (haha); Catch up job evaluations; Figure out and do things to save the company money

I hope that this can be a good place for you to start in making and reaching some goals in the future and not just making resolutions. If you have some that you would like to share, I would love to see them!

It WAS a Very Special Christmas

2008-12-29T13:17:00.008-05:00

As you may have read in my post from Dec 2 I was very discouraged at the beginning of the month. We didn't have as much money for presents as we usually do and we didn't get to travel to see my family in PA, but it was such a special time for our family.

As many of us often talk about doing, this year we decided to focus on helping others. And this year we acted on the decision instead of just talking about it.

Shortly after I wrote that post I found a website that was doing a 12 days of December giveaway and they were introducing you to a different person from their ministry every day. On the 7th day at the end of the entry for that day the suggestion was made to find a family to share the '12 Days of Christmas' - they had done it the year before for a man whose wife divorced him and left him with 5 children.

So, the wheels started turning and I had 2 families in mind. I contacted our pastor to see if this was something I could contact the congregation about and he very enthusiastically said YES!!

For the 12 days leading up to Christmas the focus in our family was on making Christmas special for these 2 families who had/have emotional needs beyond our comprehension. I don't mean this in a self-centered way at all, but it was such a blessing to be able to be used by God to minister to those who were/are hurting. There were many things done including Christmas decorations, meals, and gifts.

I believe it was through the same website - possibly just linked through that website - that my husband and I chose to do a different way of giving gifts within our family this year. We only bought 3 gifts for each other and 3 gifts for our daughter. The gift of gold represents something that the person really wants; the gift of frankincense represents something spiritual; and the gift of myrrh represents something you can wear. This took away so much stress of not knowing what to buy and not spending a lot. We had a great time and have enjoyed sharing this with many friends and family members.

This Christmas meant more to me than any of the 27 I have celebrated before. It was the most Christ-focused and others-centered holiday season I have ever experienced. Praise the Lord!!!

The only regret I have is that I don't think I took enough time to listen to Christmas music. . .

God is There

2008-12-22T12:44:00.008-05:00

Through an email devotional today I was prompted to read Psalm 139 this afternoon. The author of the devotional only focused on verse 8, but I would like to focus on many of the verses in this wonderful Psalm that can only point you heavenward.

David is writing this Psalm about just how much God knows us. A comforting thought when we are right with God; a terrifying thought when we are trying to hide from Him.

There are so many times that we think we can hide from God. "Surely God would never go there" we think. However, if we have truly invited Christ in as our Savior we are the one taking Him there. When we think about it, we are taking God there because He knows our thoughts. Have you ever heard someone say, "Oh, I never thought about that"? Whatever that was, your thought planted in their mind takes them there.

God knows all of our thoughts. Verse 2 says "You understand my thought from afar."

Not only does God know our thoughts, but he knows our actions. Not only does he know about them, but he 'scrutinizes' them. He searches us out and is not only familiar with us, but He is intimately acquainted with all of our ways. Wow! Me?!?! Why? Because God sent His only Son to Calvary for me. (John 3:16-17)

David acknowledges in verse 6 that this knowledge is too much for him - with our human minds we cannot fully understand this.

Verses 7-10 :
"Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.
If I take the wings of the dawn,
If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
Even there Your hand will lead me,
And Your right hand will lay hold of me."

God is there. Right where you are. Right now. Does that encourage you or does that scare you out of your mind? Be encouraged. God is there.

Praise the Lord

2008-12-17T15:29:00.004-05:00

God is so good to answer our prayers above and beyond what we ever expect. We may not be able word everything just right or know exactly what to pray for, but He does.

Romans 8:26 "In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;"

Repitition from the Almighty

2008-12-09T10:29:00.005-05:00

It is awesome to me to see how God works in our lives. As most of you will agree he doesn't just show us something once and move on. He usually incorporates things into our lives over and over again. I had a note to start writing a blog about a certain topic and the devotional I read yesterday had a link to a blog with a story that totally went along with what I was going to write. It's also been something that the Lord is teaching me first hand how to live.

What am I talking about you may ask?

Praying with Christ "Thy will be done."

In the book Experiencing God the author talks about how God's will is happening all around us. We need to take our selfishness out of our daily lives and stop praying for God's will for us
and to pray for discernment to see His will that's happening around us everyday. If our hearts are in tune with His we will be able to join Him in His work here on earth.

The story in the blog mentioned above shows this by her response to the needy woman she met in the laundromat. It may not have been her immediate response, but she was aware of a need and allowed the Lord to use her to meet that need.

I currently have the opportunity of leading a ministry of "Christmas Blessings" to some families that have some needs this year. I am so excited to see God working in the lives of those around us.

If our hearts are in tune with God we will be able to see the needs around us and allow God to use us as He sees fit. When we take our selfishness out of the equation God is able to work in our life.

So, please join me in praying for God's will to be done. Open your spiritual eyes and see what God would have you do to further His kingdom.

Born to Die

2008-12-09T10:07:00.008-05:00

What an amazing way to think of this time of year! Christ's purpose for living was to die. He came to this awful sinful world because of the love that God has for us. His purpose in being here was to save the lost. Will you surrender to God this Christmas? Will you put aside all of the busyness of the holiday season to focus on the One who gave up the most in order to give us eternal life? Take a few minutes to meditate on the words of this song:

On the night Christ was born just before break of morn

As the stars in the sky were fading

O'er the place where He lay fell a shadow cold and grey

Of a cross that would humble a king.

Jesus knew when He came, He would suffer in shame

He could feel every pain and sorrow.

But he left Paradise with His blood He paid the price

My redemption to Jesus I owe.

From His throne Jesus came,; Laid aside Heaven's fame

In exchange for the cross of Calvary.

For my gain suffered loss, For my sin he bore the cross

He was wounded and I was set free

Dearest Lord ever more May thy Cross I adore

As I follow the path to Calvary.

Of thy death I partake; My ambition I forsake,

All my will I surrender to thee.

Chorus:

Born to die upon Calvary, Jesus suffered my sin to forgive.

Born to die upon Calvary, He was wounded that I might live.

The following are some things that we can now claim because Jesus was born to die:

I can be owned by God, I can have Christ as Lord, I can be In Christ, I can be a servant of Righteousness, I can walk in the Spirit, I can be saved by the power of God, I can have eternal life, I can have heaven as my home, I can enter into His rest, I can live for others, I can have spiritual vision, I can believe in my heart and be born again, I have made Him the end and scope of my life, I have sought God with my whole heart, I have decided to obey unto righteousness, I have decided to love God with all my heart, I want to love others to tell them about Him, I will hold the truth in the Word of God, I can be free from sin, I don't care if I lose my life because I will spend eternity with Him, I will repent of all my sins and give them up for the Lover of my soul, I now see my sin and how awful it was to nail Jesus to the cross and how vile and corrupt I am, I will accept Jesus with all that he is, Savior, Lord, Master, my all in all, I want to have that type of love for others as I follow Him to the cross, I don't care if I lose the World, I will be saved and live forever with Him in Heaven.

Bad Advertising

2008-12-05T12:36:00.004-05:00

The above add was to the side of a website I was viewing today. Do you see the most obvious problem with this before/after besides the obvious more than 12 lb weight loss?

An Eye Opening Experience

2008-12-03T15:33:00.009-05:00

I was catching up on some blogs today and came across this post. Starting in the 3rd paragraph the Lord really started to grip my heart. I have always struggled with allowing my husband to lead our home. I have often prayed that God would help him to be a better leader. That's the right thing to do, right? Not so much the way I was going about it. My idea of a good household leader was that he needed to be more outspoken and take charge. So, often my prayers led to my telling God that He needed to change my husband - never really crossing my mind that I was the one that needed to change. I have spent so much time criticizing him instead of being the supportive wife that God has called me to be. My husband is a very quiet man (when he's not playing with children/teenagers). He doesn't like confrontation or arguments. So, I often wrongly interpret his silence as him being a bad leader. The more I've thought about it today, the more I've thought about who he is. My husband loves to mull things over. He thinks about things for days before making decisions. I, on the other hand, often make very hasty decisions in order to not miss out on things or just plain, ugly, impatience. I am realizing that I really need to sit back and allow him to take the lead. I hear the Holy Spirit telling me to get out of the way!!

The part of her post that really gripped me was the 6th paragraph. She lists some examples of decisions that she has supported him in and even though she was scared she stepped back so he could lead. She specifically mentions job changes. We have had so much of that lately and I have always had my ideas of what he needed to do and not trusted that he could make a decision on his own. That often led to many disagreements because he of course does not like to be told what to do or be constantly checked up on. Who does? Why would I think that he wouldn't mind? That's where the problem lies - I didn't consider him in the situation. I started to worry right away and thinking about the situation from an earthly perspective forgetting the God of the Bible would take care of us.

A very ironic twist is that we have been doing the Love & Respect workbook by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs. (Maybe I should have titled my blog 'The Ironies of Life) I thought I had learned it all cause I read the book last year, but I am learning that I have so much more to learn as the crazy cycles continue. We are in week 3 of the study and I look forward to continuing with my husband on this journey to learn how to better meet each others needs.

- This is in no way a contrast to my "Peace From the Saviour" post. I know that God will take care of us, but I was not trusting Him to use my husband as the leader of our home.

The Most Special Christmas

2008-12-02T15:29:00.007-05:00

The more I have thought about the Christmas season the less I have looked forward to it. . . until now.

I was getting so bogged down with all of the financial messes we are seeing around us and in our home. For some reason I had it in my head that we had to have gifts in order to be happy at Christmas. Kind of ironic since my husband and I have talked about and decided to make Christmas more about Christ and doing more for birthdays to celebrate the life of those we know. Still, in my heart, I was carrying around a HUGE disappointment knowing that we couldn't do anything for Christmas this year. Yes, I would love to get gifts, but I really like to give gifts. So, that made my sulking ok, right? Wrong. Last night I was encouraged to find other things to give to people that don't cost money. I must admit that inside I laughed at the thought. Not so funny, though. It's actually a great idea. I plan to make a list this week and pray for the Lord to show me what I can do for those people.

The next thing that was holding me back from truly enjoying this wonderful time of year was that I had to be with my family. I was extremely disappointed when my husband lost his second job and knew we would have to use the travel money for bills and groceries. Then, my dad suggested they come down here to see us. I was SO excited about that. I have lived in GA for 6 years now and my parents have only been here twice (I'm originally from PA). I found out yesterday that they will not be able to come now due to being robbed while they were away for Thanksgiving. This could still change, but I needed that to happen to show me just how much I was relying on them to make Christmas special.

Christmas needs to be a time that we take to reflect on Christ. We all look forward to going to heaven to get away from the things of this world, yet Jesus left heaven to come to this world to save sinful souls such as mine. How humbling!!!

I encourage all who read this to challenge your family to truly focus on Christ this Christmas. Yes, the decorations are pretty, the gifts are great, and families are nice to spend time with (most of the time), BUT let's remember and take in the reverence that the wise men had for baby Jesus - the King of Kings.

Reminder

2008-12-01T10:17:00.003-05:00

I was reminded this morning in a devotional that we can look forward to a recreated earth without Satan's influence. I have been so aware of Satan's influence lately and just how sly he is. I have been struggling with trying to understand how people can fall so deeply under his spell and forget everything they know to be true in and through Christ. I have been constantly reminded by my wonderful husband that Satan is deceptive and we can very easily buy into one of his lies and multiply them by justifying our actions. We have been praying more than ever for God to protect our home.

My purpose in this was to share my excitement in looking forward to a life without Satan. Praise the Lord for this precious promise - I look forward to his return!! For some encouragement read John 14.

"O wretched (wo)man that I am!"

2008-11-24T11:04:00.016-05:00

I was reading the book for my weekly Bible study last night and was given a brand new perspective on Romans 7. The quotation that she used was from the New Living Translation. This is a great Modern English translation to help us be able to more easily understand what Paul is trying to say. It made it a lot easier for me to personalize it. Here is the text:

I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?

We have all been here with Paul. The struggle of knowing what is right, but fighting within yourself to do that because the sin looks/feels good to us. Thankfully Paul didn't leave us hanging at the end of chapter 7, but moves on in chapter 8 in the first verse to say that there is "now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." By turning to Christ we have the Spirit of God that can help us to not turn to the sins that "so easily beset us." As our pastor pointed out yesterday in his message, we don't have to sin. Sin is a choice, just as doing right is a choice. In order to not do the sins that we are so drawn to we need to set up road blocks. Remove yourself from the temptations. Romans 8:13 says "For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." Our pastors message was entitled "Mortify". We need to daily, moment by moment, be "putting to death"(NAS) the deeds/desires of our flesh. What really stuck out to me is that the dying that will take place, is not just the eternal death, but when you make fleshly choices you are killing relationships. When we are selfish and only think of ourselves and making ourselves feel good, we don't think of those we will hurt in the process.

I think the best way to end this is to quote I Corinthians 15:56-58

"The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord."

Proverbs 31

2008-11-19T15:15:00.007-05:00

I only wish that I could attain this in my lifetime. There are so many areas listed below that I fail in - sometimes daily. BUT, I am so thankful for God's forgiveness and when needed the forgiveness of my husband and friends. The problem is that I am always trying to do it in my own strength and in my time instead of God's. That is something that God is really working in my heart about. Let go and let God - so simple yet so hard!

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The Seven Principles of the Proverbs 31 Woman

The Proverbs 31 Woman...

Pursues an ongoing, personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Loves, honors, and greatly enriches the life of her husband, encouraging and supporting his leadership within his family and his church.

Nurtures the next generation, shaping and molding the children who will one day define who we are as a community and as a nation.

Creates a warm and loving environment for family and friends.

Is a faithful steward of the time and money God has entrusted to her.

Speaks with wisdom and faithful instruction as she encourages others and develops godly friendships.

Shares the love of Christ by extending her hands to help the poor and opening her arms to the needy.

A Japanese Version of Psalm 23

2008-11-18T13:41:00.009-05:00

This is a Japanese version of Psalm 23 found in the book "Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World" by Joanna Weaver. A great book if you've never read it. I encourage everyone reading this to meditate on the words and look up our version of Psalm 23 as a comparison. What an amazing interpretation of the most popular Psalm.

The Lord is my pace setter…. I shall not rush

He makes me stop for quiet intervals

He provides me with images of stillness which restore my serenity

He leads me in the way of efficiency through calmness of mind and his guidance is peace

Even though I have a great many things to accomplish each day, I will not fret, for his presence is here

His timelessness, his all importance will keep me in balance

He prepares refreshment and renewal in the midst of my activity by anointing my mind with his oils of tranquility

My cup of joyous energy overflows

Truly harmony and effectiveness shall be the fruits of my hours for I shall walk in the Pace of my Lord and dwell in his house for ever.

We Need the Process

2008-11-17T12:07:00.008-05:00

In a book that I am reading for a Bible study there are a few thoughts that really meant a lot to me. There will probably be many things talked about on here in the next 3-4 months as the Lord is able to use this study to change my life.

The first thing is a prayer that she puts at the end of the first chapter. The prayer is as follows:

Lord Jesus, I give You my life.
I invite You to have Your way in me.
Take me and break me. Shake me and make me.
Fill me and spill me. Change me and rearrange me.
But whatever You do, Lord. . . don't leave me the same.
Spirit of wisdom and revelation, I welcome Your work.
Open my eyes so I can see. . . my ears so I can hear. . .
I choose truth over comfort, challenge over complacency.
Lord, make me forever Yours.
And most of all, make me like You.
Amen.

This is not an easy thing to pray, but a good model to use if you are looking for long lasting change to happen in your life. The sentence in the first two chapters of this book that stood out to me the most was: "The Lord knows that we need the process as much as we need the product." Without the process we are not changed, lessons are not learned, consequences are never there to learn from and remind you of how the Lord is changing and needs to change your life. We need to thank the Lord for the process that He puts us through in order to be changed to be more like Him, which should be every Christians ultimate goal.

A Very Important Message

2008-11-14T11:48:00.009-05:00

This was brought to my attention not too long ago by a person whose family is going through a rough time. This is a very important message for all to hear and adhere to. We need to be super careful with what we do because NOBODY is immune to the wiles of the devil and only the armor of God can help us defend ourselves in this daily spiritual battle we are fighting. Ephesians 6:10-24

Proverbs 4:23 tells us to keep our hearts "with all diligence". As this commentator points out we are to keep at a great distance - can never get far enough away - from evil.

Please pay close attention to the message of this song:

Casting Crowns - Slow Fade (Official Music Video & Lyrics)

Casting Crowns - Slow Fade (Official Music Video)

Casting Crowns - Slow Fade Lyrics

Be careful little eyes what you see
It's the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings
Be careful little feet where you go
For it's the little feet behind you that are sure to follow

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
It's a slow fade, it's a slow fade

Be careful little ears what you hear
When flattery leads to compromise, the end is always near
Be careful little lips what you say
For empty words and promises lead broken hearts astray

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day

The journey from your mind to your hands
Is shorter than you're thinking
Be careful if you think you stand
You just might be sinking

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day

Oh be careful little eyes what see
Oh be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above is looking down in love
Oh be careful little eyes what you see

Mom Myths

2008-11-13T12:25:00.003-05:00

I was listening to the radio one morning and was very interested when they said they were having a woman on as their guest who wrote an article called Top 5 Mom Myths. What mom doesn't want to be reminded that they are doing things well and don't need to be perfect? However, I must say that I didn't agree with everything she had to say (surprise, surprise).

Myth #1 is that Mom's like their children all the time. I agree that we may not like our children all the time, but she never points out that we are to love them. All children do things that are disagreeable, but I think it would have been much better had she mentioned that they all need love no matter what. I also don't agree with telling your children you don't like them. Yes, something may slip out of your mouth sometime and that doesn't make you a bad mom, but encouraging it doesn't seem like the right thing to do either.

Myth #2 is that Mom's bond with their children immediately. On this point I agree with her. It may not happen instantly, but don't give up. Many factors contribute and you need to work at this relationship from the start just like any other relationship.

Myth #3 is that Mom's balance it all. On this point I also agree with her. She quotes a Dr. Sanford who says "We’re so sure that everyone else but us is doing a great job of balancing their lives." How true is that?!?!? It's hard to schedule time for you to relax when you're taking care of so many other people, but if you don't take care of yourself you won't be able to take care of them. How many times have we all heard that? I recently bought a planner geared towards moms. It has a place to do some meal planning, a pocket to keep loose papers, stickers for certain activities so you don't have to write so much and more. I could literally feel the tension leaving my body as I wrote things down in there. Making sure there aren't too many things on your plate and keeping what you do have under control are essential. I think that everyone should evaluate their responsibilities at least once a year if not more often to make sure that everything they're doing isn't too much. Another good point made is to lean on those around you. Don't be too proud to ask for help - we all need it sometime or another.

Myth #4 is that Mom's spend a lot of time with their kids and the kids enjoy it. On this point I think that each family situation is going to be different. I also think that this starts at a very early age. It is up to you as a mom to build good relationships with your kids from the start. Don't wait until later to try to worm your way into their lives by showing up around every corner.

Myth #5 is that Mom's always get support from other moms. I can't believe that people really think that will happen when there are so many different people in the world with so many different opinions. So I agree that it doesn't exist. A good point was made that not only applies here - most people criticize others because of their own insecurities. Be careful not to get offended too easily.

Of course this wasn't a Christian article, so there are things that I don't fully agree with, but overall this can be an encouragement to mom's who try to do it all.

Logically, how do you take Christ out of Christmas?

2008-11-12T09:23:00.005-05:00

"Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness' sake"

I was reading this article that a friend sent to me this morning and was just boggled by the fact that people are really concerned with the loneliness at Christmastime for those who don't believe in God. They want to celebrate Santa, but they don't want to acknowledge where the holiday began. There would be no Christmas and no gift giving and no celebrating had Christ not been born. As someone in the article points out, goodness doesn't exist apart from God. The Bible is what defines right and wrong/good and bad.

Praise God that we rest in the fact that Jesus is coming again. Not only waiting for that - He takes care of His children and we can rest knowing that we are founded on The Rock that is Jesus Christ.

Peace From the Saviour

2008-11-11T13:42:00.002-05:00

This is something that I had recently posted as a note on my Facebook page. I thought it would be a good start for here. I don't plan on all of my posts being about this type of thing, but like I said - a good place to start.

The last couple of days I have been wondering and examining the reason that I feel such a calm right now when our lives are turning upside down. . . again. I've been wondering if I was maybe depressed again - went through a very tough time after the second miscarriage - and just suppressing all feeling all together. But instead of thinking about all of the bad things that have been happening to us I've been focusing on the fact that God is in control. Upon further examination of my heart and a devotional I read this morning I am so thankful that I can honestly say that I know it is the peace of God that passes all understanding. (Phil. 4:7) I know that it is certainly not the easiest thing in the world to do, but what a wonderful thing to fully trust that God is in control. He has always taken care of our family and we know that he will in the future, as well. My confusion also came with my reaction to the election. I certainly don't want a socialist that believes it is ok to kill innocent babies to be our president, but he will be. And I know that I need to honor him as such but don't have to agree with him. The Israelites didn't always have a king that trusted God, but God was always there to take care of them - even when they rejected Him. He still took care of those who trusted Him through the bad times. As a Christian I can rest confidently knowing that God will always be right here to take care of me even when it seems like the world around me is crumbling. I thank God for the peace that He has given me and the blessing that He is bestowing as a result. John has an interview on Monday for a part time job and a meeting next week at Kroger about management training. Praise God!!

From a devotional this morning:
The stillness in which we find God is not superficial, a mere absence of fidgeting or talking. It is a deliberate and quiet attentiveness--receptive, alert, ready. I think of what Jim Elliot wrote in his Journal: "Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God."