Thinking of the New Year

I love to study my Bible. The hard part for is WHAT to study. Over the last several weeks I have been praying about that issue ~~ what to study. The Bible says:

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

After discussing this with Jeff and getting his input I have finally got a plan of action. Beginning in January I am going to dive deep into the heart of Proverbs. I will spend one month in each chapter - meaning I should have about 2 1/2 years worth of indepth studying ahead of me.

I love the thought of going verse by verse and spending time on each verse to see what God has to show me there.

Do you have a method to your studies. If so, share it with me. I love to hear what others do, too!!!

Our Star

Have you seen any of those commercials for Onstar, or other similiar navigational aids? It's a little weird to know that someone can know exactly where you are every second you are in your car - and know exactly what is wrong with that car, what direction you're heading, ect.

But, if you are a saved child of God you have your own Star that is guiding you. Look at how the Bible describes our personal navigation system:

Isaiah 58:11 And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

Isaiah 58:12 And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.

Isaiah 58:13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:

Isaiah 58:14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

Take time today to make sure He is the One directing your path. I promise you ~~~~ but even more importantly ~~~~ He promises you, He will never lead you in the wrong direction!!

The Bible in Every Day Life

Our children has grown up hearing the Bible and attending church since they were born. But every now and then they say something that catches me completely off guard and reminds me that the Bible and the things of Bible are definitely a part of their every day life and their thought process.

Last night, after dinner, we all settled in to watch the Monday Night Football game. We are all big sports fans, so this was a fun family activity. As the game started Jeff was asking who everyone who cheering for. I didn't need to say because my whole family knows I have been a Chicago Bears Fan for well over twenty years.

What made me laugh was Elisabeth's reply...."I'm going for the Vikings." she said. When her dad asked why she didn't even hesitate in her answer..."Because the BEARS ATE THE CHILDREN!!!!"

2 Kings 2:23-24 And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.

Just another example of the Bible in Every Day life.

Proverbs 17:22 A merry heart doeth good like a medicine....

22 Years

26 Years ago I met my best friend and the love of my life. 4 your later we got married.

That was 22 years ago today. I cannot believe how fast the years have gone by. We have definitely been through a lot over those years ~~ but two things have remained constant:

Through it all we have grown closer to each other and closer to the Lord. My husband is still my best friend in the whole world ~ and our joy is centered on the love we have for the Lord.

I can't imagine what my life would have been like without him ~ and I don't even try. God blessed me abundantly the day he brought this man into my life!!!

Happy Anniversary, Honey!! I love you more today than I did 22 years ago - and I'll love you more tomorrow than today. What could be better than serving the Lord with your best friend and the man I plan to grow old with!!

What a thought

"And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive." Genesis 50:19-20

The phrase "but God" is used 44 times throughout our Bible. I won't go through all of them here ~ but if you want an interesting study take the time to read them sometime.

We are totally depraved sinners who cannot earn or merit in any way, a right relationship with God. Before I became a Christian, I was "dead in trespasses and sins" (Eph. 2:1).

I "walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now working in the children of disobedience" (v. 2).

I too lived "in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others." (v. 3)

Isn't that an ugly picture? It is, but it is an honest picture of my life before Christ ~ just as it is an honest portrayal of everyon'es life without Chirst.

It is the sad state of every person outside of Christ. We have each failed in the eyes of a holy and righteous God. We are sinners. Our lives do not bring glory to God. Because we are sinners, we cannot please Him with our self-righteousness and religious works, no matter how good our motives or our works.

But wait.....then there are the two simple words ~~ "But God."

Yes, "but God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us" (v. 4).

That same holy and righteous God had "mercy" on us. The word means loving kindness, help in the time of need. It is God’s active intervention to help. He is the Helper of the helpless.

"But God . . . loved us" (John 3:16; Rom. 5:6, 8).

"But God . . . loved us, even when we were dead in sins" (Eph. 2:5).

"But God . . . made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus" (v. 6).

That is grace! We have a completely new relationship with God because of His rich love, mercy and grace.

Dead in transgressions? Dead in sin? YES, WE WERE!!! But God performs resurrections. He reaches down to where ruined, miserable trapped sinners are living, and brings them to spiritual life again. He calls them; and His voice, which quickens the dead brings them running to that which beforehand they both shunned and feared."

No one can take the credit but God alone. It is God’s Sovereign, free grace that makes us right with God.

"But God . . . . That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus."(v. 7).

Through out all eternity the redeemed will sing, "Saved by Grace." We are trophies of God’s saving grace and will be to His honor and glory alone through out eternity (Rev. 4:8-11; 5:9-17).

"But God" rich in mercy, loved us, with His great love, saved us by His grace and made us alive with Him, raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in a vital union with Him and "Apart from the quickening voice of God there would be no hope for anyone.

" But God" out of the great love with which He loved us had mercy upon us. We were dead, and dead men do not rise, but God made us alive with Christ.

We were slaves, . . . and powerless, but God has raised us up with Christ and set us at His own right hand, in a position of honor and power."

I cannot take credit for this short devotional above. It was sent to me in an email and the author is unknown ~~ but the words and thought touched my heart. Just to think ~ But for God, where would we be??

My prayer for everone who reads this today is that you have a day filled with the presence of God. Take time today to thanks Him for all He has blessed you with. One thing I always thank Him for ~ my friends in Christ, those I have met - and those I have not....because I will be spending eternity with them all.

HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE!!!!

It is FINISHED!!!!!

This semester of my college courses, that is!! I finished the last final at 9:06 last night. I was so thrilled. Now I done unitl January 14th!!

When I came out of my room and mad the announcement that I was FINISHED, I told Jeff that wasthe word I was going to study about this morning - FINISHED.

Did you know the word is used 43 imes in the King James Bible - and most of them are in connection to Solomon. The verses that really spoke to my heart the most were:

John 17:4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.

If we can say that at the end of each day...that we have finished the work that the Lord had for u that day....them we have accomplished a good work.

2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:

Keep fighting - finish the course before you - and most importantly, keep the faith!!

And beginning today the kids and I are going to begin a winter project.....a gingerbread village!! We are all so excited.

Anybody else have any projects they are undertaking this winter??

Good Morning!!!!

I laid in bed for 2 extra hours today (I was still up by 5:20am) even though I really wanted to get up and start my day. I don't know why I was so excited, but I was. Maybe it's because I have almost finished my classes for this semester and I'm thinking about all that EXTRA time I'll have on my hands.

Ephesians 5:16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Colossians 4:5 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.

I marvel at how fast time seems to fly by - and many times I feel I have wasted the precious time God has given me. I am working on redeeming the time I presently have, because unlike when we were kids playing a game....the are no DO OVERS.

Over this next week my children and I are going to be making a gingerbread village. That is one way I plan to redeem the time ~~ by making memories that will last a lifetime.

How about you? What are you doing to redeem the time?

Introducing......

Braden Lee

Isn't he absolutely adorable?!?!?!? Okay, I admit that I am a little biased, but every time I look at that little face I can't help but smile.

Psalms 5:11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.

What is there in your life that ~ no matter what the circumstances ~ can bring a smile to your face? Do you have the kind of relationship with the Lord that even during the hard times you can find joy in His Word? I pray you do.

Do you know the best way to find joy in on a day when it seems hard to find??? Go do something for someone else. The smile that they give you, the laughter you hear, is bound to lift our spirits. Years ago I learned an acronym for joy:

J ~~~~ Jesus

O ~~~~ Others

Y ~~~~ Yourself

Live your life in such a way that Jesus is always first and others come next and you will find joy. By putting your focus is on Jesus and others - not on self - you will find JOY UNSPEAKABLE.

1 Peter 1:8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

It Won't Last Forever

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

How many times has you gone through something in your life and you felt like it would never end? I know it ha happened to me several times. but I am thankful for God's Word (and wisdom that comes with age.)

God's Word tells me that my affliction is but for a moment. How comforting is that to know?!?!? Time doesn't stand still for anything. No matter what that clock will still keep going and with each minute, each hour, each day we are moving through that affliction - whatever it may be.

Psalms 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

See, God may has us walking THROUGH a valley - but He never leaves us IN the valley. Just like the song says...."this world is not my home, I'm just PASSING THROUGH."

As I was helping Andrea when see was in labor on Wednesday, with each contraction I reminded her she was one step closer to be through. She had a goal during that time ~ a precious baby boy. We have a goal too ~~~ an eternity of peace and joy in Heaven with our Saviour.

If you're going through a trying time right know remember : THIS TOO SHALL PASS.

The affliction, the pain, the valley you may be walking through is BUT FOR A MOMENT and God is with you each step of the way.

Isaiah 51:11 Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.

The Wait Is Over

Psalms 126:5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.

Yesterday morning there were a lot of tears - but they were tears of joy. Bradan Lee made his entrance into the world at 6:21 am ~~~ pictures are coming!!

It is incomprehensible to truly understand the love of God. God created man, knowing that they would turn away from Him, but He loved us enough to do it anyway. He sent His Son to die for people who cursed him, beat him, and rejected him ~ but He did that out of LOVE.

Do you have a personal relationship with the Lord? Can you say ~ beyond a shadow of a doubt ~ that when you die you will spend an eternity with the Lord? If you can say Yes to those questions, you know about the love of God.

Romans 8:39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Take time today and thank Him for loving you...even when you were unlovable.

IMPATIENTLY WAITING...

Usually I am a patient person....but not today (or yesterday for that matter.) I am waiting for a phone call ~ a call that will say "Mom, it's time to come to the hospital and meet your new grandson.

Now, technically, he's not my biological Grandson ~ but he is MINE in my heart! So ~ with all that said ~ my Bible study today was on "newness of life."

Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Every day is a new day, with a new opportunity to serve the Lord and bring Him glory. Old things are past away....

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

How many times do we carry the old things with us - not allowing ourselves the fresh start God gives us with each new day? I know I've done it!!

Today - start fresh. Let today be a brand new day, with the cares of the past left in the past. Start the day by thanking the Lord for another day to serve Him ~~ then find ways to make this the best day you've had in a very lng time!!!

Me......I'll still being waiting for that phone to ring (but I'll be waiting with a smile on my face!!)

How's Your Attitude?

Are You A Christian With A Bad Attitude?

If you are, let me tell you....there is a Biblical solution to your problem...Go Make Someone Happy!!!!

We all know people in our lives who are just plain "moody" constantly. You just know when you see them that they will try to bring you down. You don't want to even ask them, "How are you?" because you know the answer will depress you.

Well, I did some studying and here are some BIBLICAL ways to help a person who has no joy. The answer to their problem is the Lord.

1John 1:3 "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ."

1John 1:4 "And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full."

John 16:24 "Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full."

The only way a person can have TRUE JOY in their life is if Christ is in their heart and life. If our relationship with Christ is not right, we will not find joy. In every circumstance we go through, we are to hope in God.

Throughout every day we are to walk in Him. We are to repent of our sins. We are to spend time in prayer-- knowing that God is able to meet our needs and trusting Him to do so. We are to spend time in His Word, knowing that He will speak to our hearts as we read the Bible.

If you lack peace, seek the Lord who will quiet your storms. If you are depressed, seek the Lord who is the One who will lift you up. Do not wake up with a bad attitude and dump your misery on someone else.

Ephesians 4:32 "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."

Christians should not walk around in gloom. We walk in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus and we have peace with God through Him. When life gets you down, LOOK UP-- ask the Lord to lift you up out of your circumstance. He most certainly will.

And most importantly....find a way to be a blessing to others. Ask the Lord to enable you. Repent of the bad attitude of your heart. A bad attitude is a "heart condition". When one is right with God, when their heart is right, they become a blessing to all around them.

Someone once said, "Happiness is a state of mind..." I would go a step further and say that joy is a state of the heart. It flows from the heart and touches every person that comes in contact with it-- for Jesus dwells within.

Psalm 42:6 "O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar."

A bad attitude reflects the condition of one's heart. A lousy attitude displeases God and hurts others exposed to it. Those who live in constant state of complaining and a lousy disposition must repent-- which means to turn from their sin. Yes, a bad attitude is a sin! It is Selfishness-- not to think about making someone else happy.

Many have chosen a bad attitude because it gets people's attention. This is wrong!! Many people carry their bad attitude as a way of life-- they know no other way. Yet it is a "Me" selfish attitude that grabs the attention by making others uncomfortable.

Those in Christ Jesus must cast off the works of darkness. The attitude of pride, rebellion, discontentment has no place in the Christian's life. Some have prayed, "Lord, I give you my bad attitude" only to pick it right back up again once the prayer is over.

James 1:6-7 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

Those who refuse to allow God to change their attitude do not love the Lord, nor the people around them.

Luke 6:45 "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh."

Proverb 16:24 "Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones."

There are Christian families who cannot even get along with each other but the Bible says that those who love God are also to love one another.

Proverb 11:29 "He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart."

Proverb 16:27 "An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire."

A Bad attitude or one of indifference hurts those around them. Most who have a bad attitude are usually unhappy with themselves. Rather than learning from their mistakes and having a teachable spirit, they have grown accustomed to sulking and giving off a lousy attitude.

Rather than saying, "I am going to be a blessing to someone else...with the Lord's help, I will walk in joy...", they would rather be miserable for that is what they are comfortable with.

There are many excuses of why people are just in bad moods:"I have a lot on my mind..." ~~

Philippians 2:5 "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:"

2Timothy 1:7 "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

"I have troubles at work ~~~

"Psalm 25:17 "The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my distresses.

"Psalm 34:17 "The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles."

" I am just having a bad day" ~~~

1Peter 5:7 "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you."

Psalm 23:6 "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever."

Psalm 90:12 "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom."

Eph 5:16 "Redeeming the time, because the days are evil."

"You don't know what I have been through..." ~~~

Philippians 3:13 "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,"

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 is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."

If you have a bad attitude or are "moody", your bad attitude affects everyone else you talk to. If you are born again, if you know Jesus as personal Lord and Savior, then how could you ever be an affective witness with a disposition? The joy of the LORD should be your strength. (Neh 8:10)

Where is the joy of the Lord in your life? Holding on to a bad attitude is not only irritating to those who come in contact with you but it grieves the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."

A lousy attitude is also a HUGE stumbling block for the unsaved. Here you are supposed to be the "salt of the earth" yet the people that know you don't even want to be near you. How will they see Jesus in you if you are depressing to be around?

Romans 14:13 "Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way."

Matt 5:16 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

1Thessalonians 5:5 "Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness."

Repent today.

Ask the Lord to give you joy. Jesus is the joy of our salvation. Ask the Lord to change you for He is the only one who can. Give all things over to Him; He will help you. Attitude problems must be given over to the Lord.

1John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

John 10:10, "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

Proverbs 27:1

I admit it, I am a planner. I use lists for everything - down to what I'll be cleaning and when. I love FlyLady and one of my favorite blogs to read is "I'm An Organizing Junkie," BECAUSE I AM TOO.

But....I have learned to not let those lists be carved in stone. My lists are more like suggestions, guidelines, or goals. They are things I would like to accomplish ~~ but if the Lord have other ideas for my day, He comes first. The lists can wait!!!

I strongly suggest to everyone ~ make Him the center of your life. We don't know what tomorrow may bring....we don't even know what tonight holds. So, take what the Lord have given you - this moment in time - and do all you can to have a day that focuses on Him. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

Psalm 46:10

(As the mom of 5 boys....I fully understand that comic!!)

Ephesians 5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

In my personal Bible reading this morning, I spent time thinking about the verse above.

Paul was pretty straight forward when he told us how to walk - "walk as children of the light." He may have said it almost 2000 years ago, but it is still just as relevant today as it was then.

So, how do you know if your walking as a child of the light? Ask yourself this question...."Will what I say or what I do reflect negatively or positively on my claim to be a follower of Jesus Christ?" Just be God-conscious during your daily walk, and you will walk in the light.

We need not be paranoid about our behavior. Just live a reasonable life with Eph. 5:8 in the back of your mind. Don't try to be so Heavenly that you are no earthly good. Be reasonable and normal in your Christian walk, and others will begin to want what you have.

Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth. ~~ Proverbs 26:20

PSALM OF THE DAY

I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever. ~~ Psalm 45:17

It's been a while.....

I honestly don't remember the last time I was here - but I can say I've missed it. I love to journal and it doesn't even matter if anyone reads this or not. I am going to try to get back to doing the things I love (and using my blog to as a journal of my Bible Reading and studying is one thing I love.)

Over the last couple of days I have been studying a little phrase in the Bible ~~ "but God". It is used 44 different times. It is an amazing study. Because BUT FOR GOD where would we be???

I know God has blessed me beyond anything I could ever deserve. I was a lost sinner, BUT GOD sent His Son for me. I was dying in my trespasses and sins, BUT GOD shows His mercy on me each and every day. I could go on and on.

I look forward to spending time sharing my thoughts and my heart here again. I've missed this!!

Strength.....

What Makes You Strong??

How would you answer that question? Would you say working out and building up your muscles will make you strong? Or maybe you think that wisdom and knowledge is what makes you strong. Well, God’s Word says that FAITH makes us strong.

Acts 3:16 And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

I find that so comforting. Even when I am an old, out of shape, weakling (we won’t mention I already am two of those things) I can be STRONG.....because of my faith.

What a great thought to start my week off with!!

Are you glad???

Psalms 122:1 <> I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.

I pray that all of you reading my little blurb here today had the same feelings as David did in the verse above – that you were glad when it was time to go into the house of the LORD.

Too many times I have heard people say, “I HAD to go to church today.” NO – you didn’t HAVE to......you GOT to!!!! What a privilege, honor, and joy it is to be able to go to church. There are people in other parts of the world that risk their lives for something that many others take for granted or consider a burden.

Personally, I have no reason to do anything but be glad.....I am saved, I have a wonderful husband and family, and I have been blessed with a church family that I can serve the Lord with, and through it all God is with me each and every day.

Have a wonderful day......I know I am!!!!!

What a week!!!!

Talk about a week of change!!!! I started a new job this week.....on top of wife, mom, and preacher's wife......I am working for a worldwide company by the name of Unisys (and I think I'm going to really enjoy it.) The best part of the job is that I am home before 1pm every day!!!

I love that I can help contribute financially to our families needs, yet still spend most of the day at home taking care of my family. Since my family doesn't even usually get up until 9 or 10am it feels like I'm not really missing anything. Dad does breakfast and the kids get their rooms done and within an hour after that I am home. I can't believe that God blessed me with such a great opportunity!!!

Other changes in our home is that my oldest son (almost 21) has moved out on his own. (Okay, so he only moved two blocks away, but it's a start.) Now ~ although he has moved, I haven't seen a change in our grocery bill.......maybe that's because he is currently taking the lasagna out of the oven as I'm typing this!!! I don't think he's missed a dinner here since he moved.

I must say I feel truly blessed. It doesn't matter how hard times get, or what may be going on around us, God always lets me know He is right there directing my path. How wonderful is that?!?!?!?!?!?!?

I could go on and on with Praises to God (and we all should do that every day) ~~ but dinner is done and I must close for now.

Pray for me when you think about it. I'm having to do some schedule adjusting mainly with getting myself to bed at an earlier time to be into work by 4:45am. I'm a morning type person, so it isn't too bad, but I just need to work out a couple of changes to have everything flow smoothly.

DON'T GET STUCK

Hebrews 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

As I was reading a book last night, Hebrews 6:1 was mentioned in it. God really spoke to my heart about the phrase “let us go on” used in this verse.

As Christians, God does not want us to stay in one spot regarding our relationship with Him. He expects us to get a firm foundation ~ built on the doctrine of Christ. But that isn’t our final goal. That is just our beginning.

Have you ever seen a house built? The first thing they build in the foundation. Could you imagine a homeowner telling the contractor, “That’s good enough. We’ll just live on the foundation, we don’t need the rest of the house.” Over course not, that would be crazy.

The same should be for us though. Once we have the firm foundation....LET US GO ON UNTO PERFECTION. Don’t ever stop improving upon and building upon your faith. Our life is a journey and a journey involves motion...that “going on” to the next thing that God have for us to draw us closer to Him.

Who Is Your Favorite?

Take a minute to think about all the people in the Bible. Now take a minute and think about one that you might consider your favorite – the one you’re most interested in, or drawn to.....outside of the God and the Lord. Who would that be in your life....and why??

For me, it has always been Peter. In so many ways I can find similarities between my walk with the Lord and with Peter’s. In Peter’s early days of following the Lord he was always quick to speak or react, but not so quick to take time to think before doing that.

Over my years of serving the Lord I have found myself doing those same kinds of things.
I feel like there have been so many times that the Lord has had to reign me in and tell me to take some time and think a situation through but acting on it.

Even when Peter denied the Lord three times, he never completely turned away from Him. No, he followed from a distance; knowing the sin in his own heart, but still so drawn to the Lord that he couldn’t completely leave him. I have been there too.

And when I read the passage in John (my favorite passage in the entire Bible) I can feel the emotion of Peter as he had that conversation with the Lord.

John 21:15-19 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
(16) He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. (17) He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
(18) Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.
(19) This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.

I could go on and on about this topic ~ but today I want to hear from others ~ so share with me, either by leaving a comment, or posting it on your own blog for others to read too. If you do that, drop me a comment to let me know so I can read what you have to say.

Have a great day everyone!!!!

My Whole Heart

Below here is a list of 13 verses that show a good, important point ~~ that point is God wants our WHOLE HEART. Not just part of it, half of it, almost all of it – but ALL OF IT!!

A person can’t live with only part of their heart; God didn’t design us that way. And a person can’t truly serve the Lord with only part of their heart. If that were the case, the remaining part of the heart would be serving something else and God says in Matthew 6:24 ~ No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Ladies, take time today to make sure you are giving God your whole heart – and serve Him with all diligence.


Psalms 9:1 <> I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.

Psalms 111:1 Praise ye the LORD. I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation.

Psalms 119:2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.

Psalms 119:10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.

Psalms 119:34 Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.

Psalms 119:58 I intreated thy favour with my whole heart: be merciful unto me according to thy word.

Psalms 119:69 The proud have forged a lie against me: but I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart.

Psalms 119:145 KOPH. I cried with my whole heart; hear me, O LORD: I will keep thy statutes.

Psalms 138:1 <> I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.

Isaiah 1:5 Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.

Jeremiah 3:10 And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD.

Jeremiah 24:7 And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.

Jeremiah 32:41 Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul.

Where Did February Go?

To my few readers, I apologize for dropping off the face of the earth last month. I won't even begin to go into the month I had - but I will say that God is so good, even when I don't deserve it. He stands beside me, holds me up, and give me exactly what I need, exactly when I need it.

One thing I will say is that February was a time for me to admit that I am NOT Superwoman. I cannot do it all, fix it all, and control it all...no matter how much my mind says I can. I have used these last few weeks to remind myself that God is the only one Who can do all those things and that I was wrong to even try to do His job.

I have apologized to those I needed to apologize to, I have repented and asked the Lord to forgive me, and most importantly...HE DID.

Now I am moving forward with a new purpose; and purpose I thought I had before but didn't really because I wouldn't let God be the One in control - that purpose is to TRULY follow the Lord, submit to Him in all ways, and set a good example to all those around me. That means to take each day and give it completely to the Lord, follow His will, and not worry when things don't go as I had planned for them to go.

Superwoman is gone now - and all that is left is the Lady that God intents for me to be. I can't even put into words how freeing that is. I am no longer in bondage!!!

Galatians 4:3-7 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:

(4) But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

(5) To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

(6)And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

(7)Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Preparing My Heart

Ezra 7:10 For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.

As I was reading through the book of Ezra yesterday, this verse kept coming back to my mind. How many times have I sat down to read, study, or instruct my children and not taken the time to prepare my heart?

According to this verse, Ezra prepared his heart to do three things:

1. To SEEK the law of the Lord
2. To DO it
3. To TEACH it

I should be doing the same. I need to prepare my heart so that I can LEARN what God would have for me, DO what I have learned, and TEACH what I have learned to others.

How about you ~~ have you taken time to prepare your heart today for what God wants you to do?? If not, stop right now, and PREPARE. It will make the rest of your day so much better!!!

Fruit Inspector

I got this in an email today – and thought it was too good not to share. I am going to be sharing this with my children today also.

Fruit Inspectors

"Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." (Matthew 7:16-20)

When choosing friends and entering relationships we need discernment. The wrong friends can lead us down the wrong path. In choosing friends watch their actions and listen to their words. Do their words build people up or tear people down? Do their actions show a kind and loving heart or a hateful and selfish heart? To help you walk down the right path choose friends and relationships with people who demonstrate righteousness and the love of God

I've Been Quiet

I’ve been awfully quiet lately, haven’t I?!?!?!? I don’t know why – just a lot going on and a lot on my mind – and not enough time to put it all out on print.

The Lord have really been working on my heart over some things ~ nothing bad, nothing serious…just things that have I’ve been thinking on over the last couple of weeks and God have helped me put into perspective.

January tends to be a busy month for me too. It seems by mid-month tax season is in full swing and people are lining up wanting to have their taxes done. I also have a few companies that need their year end and quarterly reports due. It keeps me busy – but I love the work.

I will post my menu for the week – mainly because I need to get back on track with several things and getting back into my old routine will help with that.

MONDAY ~~~ Tuna casserole & Crescent Rolls

TUESDAY ~~~ Chicken Parmesan over noodles, corn

WEDNESDAY ~~~TAKING MISSIONARIES OUT TO EAT

THURSDAY ~~~ Fish stick, mac-n-cheese, & Tater tots

FRIDAY ~~~ Patty Melts & French Fries

SATURDAY ~~~ Marinated steaks, Baked Potatoes, and Fruit

SUNDAY ~~~ Grilled Cheese Sandwiches & Chili

If you think about – whisper a prayer for me today. God is refining my heart and life in some things, drawing me closer to Him, and a few extra prayers sure would be appreciated throughout the process.

BIBLE THOUGHTS FOR TUESDAY

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Being a preacher’s wife I get all kinds of ladies that come to me wanting advice about parenting and raising our children. One statement that I have heard over and over is, “I don’t understand why they are doing (fill in the blank). I raised them in church and in a Christian home.”

Ladies, I’m no expert – and I definitely haven’t done everything right – but I do know that that isn’t enough. Our children need more than just being taken to church and told they live in a Christian home. They need to see your faith in practice each and every day. They need to see faith in ACTION, not just in word.

They also need to be trained to put their own faith into action. Too many times children try to “ride the coattails” of their parents faith – and while that may seem work when they are little, when they get older and begin going through their own trials and temptations they need to know HOW to pray, WHY to pray, and WHERE to turn to during those times.

We won’t always be there to say, “Let’s pray about it,” or “I’ll pray about this for you.” They need to have their own faith to fall back on.

They also need to know that serving the Lord brings great joy. If all they see is the “Woe is me”, “I’m such a martyr”, and the “serving God is so hard” attitude in their home they will look somewhere to find happiness.

Sometimes it is so easy to get so overloaded with the daily cares of our life that we forget to make each day fun. There needs to be love and laughter in our homes and our kids need to be a part of it. Don’t lose your kids to the world because they think it is the only place to turn to have fun and enjoy life. Help them put their own faith in action and learn to:

(1) Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.

(2) Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

(3) Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

(4) Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

(5) For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

Psalms 100:1-5

ANOTHER NEW WEEK

I can’t believe we’re already into the second week of January!! Time just seems to fly by. This week be a week of juggling the work schedules of my husband and one of my sons – and planning meals that fit around those schedules and time spent in the car dropping people off and picking them up. (Who said it got easier as they got older??)

MONDAY ~~ Chicken Alfredo, Broccoli, & Homemade bread

TUESDAY ~~ Meatloaf, Baked Potatoes, and Fruit

WEDNESDAY ~~ Fajitas, chips and salsa

THURSDAY ~~ Beef Stew and rolls (CP)

FRIDAY ~~ Swedish meatball, Rice, and veggie

SATURDAY ~~ Egg rolls & fried rice

SUNDAY ~~ Leftovers (Lunch) / Homemade Pizza

The weatherman is saying we may actually get a taste of winter here in North Dakota this week, with temperatures dropping to zero and below for a while. That means I’ll do more baking too, just because it makes the house seem more warm and cozy.

Hop on over to Laura’s Blog and check out all the other weekly menus there are there. It’s a great place to get and share ideas!!!

BECAUSE

Have you ever said (or heard someone else say), “I love the Lord because…”? I know I’ve said it and I’ve heard it said many times myself. Last night I discovered that that phrase is in the Bible too.

Psalms 116:1-2 I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.

This is the only time throughout God’s Word that this phrase is used and is says SO MUCH. I know each of us could list numerous reasons for why we love God. But, really, what it all comes down to is we love Him because He first loved us.

The Psalmist said he loved God because God heard him and heard his needs and cries. God was there when no one else was…because God loved him.

1 John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.

Revelation 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

Above and beyond anything else GOD LOVES US!!!! How great is that?!?!?!?

What's Cookin' this Week??

I know, I know - I'm a little late in posting my weekly menu..but yesterday was a busy day at our house and I never got this far.

MONDAY ~~ We had a buffet going of appetizers, finger foods, snacks, and desserts

TUESDAY ~~ Tacos

WEDNESDAY ~~ Cheeseburger casserole, apple slices, & crescent rolls

THURSDAY ~~ Spaghetti, corn, & French Bread (Crock pot)

FRIDAY ~~ Pork chops, rice, and stuffing

SATURDAY ~~ Lasagna, salad, and green beans

SUNDAY ~~ Roast, potatoes, carrots & rolls

For other great weekly menu options hop on over to Laura's!!!

Have a great week of family eating and enjoying time around the table!!