It's Off to a New Home

• Proverbs 3:27 - "Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it."
• Proverbs 22:9 - "He who is generous will be blessed, for he gives some of his food to the poor."
• Deuteronomy 15:10 - "Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to."

• 2 Corinthians 9:7 -"Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. "

I am so excited to send out my Elfster exchange Christmas present.  It's going to be traveling all across the Country until it gets to it's destination.  The gift isn't supposed to be sent until December 15th, but I just couldn't wait.  I love buying and giving presents.  It's one of lives simple pleasures.  I really hope that our pick and her husband like what Steve and I bought for them.

Travel safe Christmas present.

ETA: The got it and they really liked it. :o) I think now that she has it I can safely post what it was.

Bible Study - Grieving God's Way: Fresh Grief

Study: Fresh Grief

VOTD: Matthew 15:29-30-"Jesus...went up on a mountainside and sat down. Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them."

The Healing Process: Jesus went up a mountainside, sat down, and healed everyone who came to Him. It couldn't have been easy for the crippled and blind to journey up a mountain, but it was a necessary part of the healing process. Jesus healed those that reached out to Him, so I don't think we should be afraid to climb the mountain of despair because that is where we will find God's loving arms.

Feel free to Respond

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I like the imagery of this verse. I can just imagine all these people struggling and in pain climbing a mountain to see Jesus. I can imagine them wanting to give up because the pain was too much, but if they would have turned around when they pain got bad then they never would have received healing.

The message of the devotional is so spot on too. In the middle of grief, it's hard to hear that things will get better because you want to believe it, but it's hard to imagine feeling happy again. It's a daily journey to becoming better.

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Day 32 from Grieving God's Way:

"Those of us in grief don't need anyone to tell us the conditions of the path ahead; we don't want to know. We reject, even resent, reports of splendor down the road. "You'll be a better person," on grieving mother told me. "Who cares?" I wanted to yell. "I don't want to be a better person!" "You'll be happy again," a grieving father said. I wanted to scream, "Are you crazy? I will never be happy again!" Fresh grief is no time to find good in the bad. We don't want to know that the view is great or that wonderful things lie ahead. It's hard to see the view when you are blinded by tears. Nor should we try to sort our feelings about God and faith when we can't even determine night from day."

QOTD: What is your favorite Christmas song?

Gospel Center Cookie Exchange

Look at all these delicious cookies.  Which ones should I eat first?

Steve is going to be hurrying home from work tonight for the leftovers.

Christmas Elfster Recipe Exchange

For Christmas, my online group is going a Christmas card exchange with a recipe inside.  We use elfster.com to put the exchange together.  I picked out my recipe and the perfect card and sent it out on Friday.  Just for fun, I decided to make the recipe while Steve was at work last night. Yum!

Better Than 'Everything' Cake (We'll keep the title family friendly) 

1 German Chocolate Cake Mix
1 Jar of Caramel Ice Cream Syrup
1 Can of Condensed Milk
1 Container of Cool Whip
Nuts, Sprinkles (optional)

Directions:

First, you make the cake according to the box.

I baked my cake in a 9 X 13 casserole dish.  You can make it any cake pan.  Bake the cake according the instructions on the box.  When the cake is done, while it is still hot, poke holes all over it with the wooden spoon handle.  Spread a mixture of the caramel and milk filling up the holes.

Cool the cake, then top the cake with the Cool Whip, nuts, sprinkles, or whatever you choose.

Enjoy!

The Butterfly Story

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it had and it could go no further.
Then the man decided to help the butterfly, so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time.
Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.

What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If God allowed us to go through our life without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. And we could never fly.

Keep Looking Up

It is understood that the beauty of a rainbow
does not negate the ravages of any storm.

When a rainbow appears,
it does not mean that the storm never happened
or that we are not still dealing with its aftermath.

It means that something beautiful
and full of light has appeared in the midst
of the darkness and clouds.

Storm clouds may still hover,
but the rainbow provides a counterbalance
of color, energy and hope.

Black Friday Picture Day with Erin

I had a great Thanksgiving with Steve's family in Michigan.  He has a huge family, so it's always a blast.  Of course, the guys and a few of the ladies went out and shot clay pigeons while I kept an eye on our nieces inside.  I'm not big on shooting guns, but Steve enjoys it.  We had to rush home in the afternoon, so we could get home in time to go to bed early. 

On Black Friday, I had to be at work at 4am until 2pm and Steve had to work at 6am.  He is supposed to get off at 7, so he should be home soon.  We shall see if he gets off on time.  After work, I drove up Sears to see Steve and bought some presents for my Elfster exchange buddy.  I think she is really going to like them.  Now, Steve needs to decide what he wants to get her husband, so we can go shopping.  Then I went upstairs to the Photo Studio to see my sister.  She was bored and didn't have any appointments, so she took my picture.  I really like how they turned out.  I got a free 8 X 10 collage, no purchase necessary!  It was a win-win for both of us.  I got great fun pictures and my sister got a photo sit.

Bible Study - Thanksgiving Edition

Hi ladies!
My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving.  Thanksgiving is about family and being thankful for what you have.  It's so easy when things aren't going our way to focus what we don't have.  It's nice to have a time set aside every year to focus on what blessings we do have.
I would love to switch up for the format for this weeks' check-in. 

What if we just listed are favorite bible verses or song lyrics that have a thanksgiving theme or that have spoke to you this year.  You can add as many as you want.  There is no limit.   If verses are repeated, I think that's probably ok.
This has been a really tough year for many of us.  I know, for us, 2012 will go down as the hardest year of our life so far.


Psalm 145:7: "They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness." 

Psalm 31:19: "How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you."

Bible Study - Grieving God's Way: Friday Check-in

Study: Grieving God's Way

Day 12: "Almost every dieter hits wall.  Days, even weeks, go by without any noticeable loss of wieght.  It's enough to make you want to sink your teeth into the nearest candy bar.  Those of us in grief hit the same kind of wall.  We reach a point where we seem to be stuck in depression and it looks like things are never going to improve.  Whether we call this a wall or plateau, it's God's way.

The grief plateau or dieter's wall serves a useful purpose - this slowing down allows the body to adjust to the many physical and emotional changes taking place.  Whether a person shoots up a foot, loses ten pounds, or is traumatized by loss, the brain must make adjustments to accommodate the changes.

Emotions are as taxing to the body as physical exertion. Grief changes how a person breathes, behaves, and even thinks - and this is reflected in speech, movement, and outlook.  The brain can't possibly process this all at once, so we shut down.  We become more reclusive to prevent outside stimili from interfering with the work of the brain. It feels like we are buried in a hole, but in reality we are in God's protective care."

Faith comes to us in the quiet moments and healing takes time.  You may think you are making no progress and are stuck in grief, but God is preparing our body and soul for the next stage of healing.

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VOTD: Job 37:14 - "Hear this, O Job; stop and consider the wondrous works of God."

Feel free to respond.

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Question of the Day:

1) When was the last time you stopped and saw something or somewhere that can only be described as "wondrous work of God?

Bible Study - Grieving God's Way: Wednesday Check-in

Ever since I wrote a message on Facebook looking for study ideas for the Bible study that I help lead, I have had a few friends ask if they could be involved.  We start a new study every week on Wednesday, with a check-in on Wednesday, Friday, then Monday. I'll post the check-ins here, so people outside of our forum can participate if they want to.

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Hi ladies,
I got this free book in the mail yesterday called, "Grieving God's Way - The Path to lasting Hope and Healing."  I thought this week, I would share some of it and we could "read" it together.  I pulled out some things to share from what I have read so far.

Study: Grieving God's Way

VOTD: Romans 8:26 - "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness."
Feel free to respond

When a loved one dies, the body reacts with shock.  The circulation slows; we feel cold and disoriented.  Breathing is shallow. After the numbness wears, bones ache and muscles are sore.  Food holds no interest, and though we may fall exhausted into bed each night, we often can't sleep, or we sleep too much.  This is how the body grieves. Grieving God's way requires us to trust that God will lead us through the darkness, heal our pain, take away our weariness, and fill our hearts with hope, peace, and new purpose.

Day 2: "Take a deep breath. If you are grieving a loved one, chances are you haven't taken a breath for quite some time.  The physical and emotional stress of grief can do an enormous amount of harm to the mind and body. We become so caught up in our pain we literally forget to breathe." In both Greek and Hebrew, the word for breath also means spirit.

Studies have shown that deep, slow breathing can strengthen the heart, tone muscles, increase energy, etc.  Shallow breathing, the kind that is prevalent during grief , fills only the upper parts of the body with air.  The headaches, back pain, indigestion, and depression that plague us during the darkest days of grief might simply be our bodies crying out for oxygen.

Question of the Day:

1) How does grief affect you physically and emotionally?

Divine Appointments

My former pastor called Divine Appointments those times when God brings people together in surprising ways to meet a need.  Have you ever met someone and they said or did the exact right thing that you needed at that moment?  You knew that God had to be in it.  Time and time again God leads Christians and sometimes non-Christians together to cross another person's path and great things happen.  My last year has been filled with Divine Appointments.

I have always loved the month of November because it's a month to give thanks.  This year I find myself thanking God for my loving husband, my amazing friends, and an online group of ladies that I have never met in person.  This Spring I stepped out of my comfort zone and joined an online group.  I'm usually a pretty private person, so getting my story out there was hard.  I have found nothing but love and support from this group and I hope that I have given love and support back.

Today, I logged in to the group and what I found did not surprise me.  This year has been hard. 2012 will be a year that we will always remember.  We have not been very open about why today is significant in our lives, but of the few people that do know no one remembered, but this group did.

Here are just a few of the messages that I got today.

• "This am as I was driving the little girl I nanny for to school I saw a sign that said Wycliffe (I think it was the subdivision) and it made me think of you. On the way back to their house after dropping her off I had the sense that I was supposed to pray for you. So while driving I started to pray for you!"
   
  
• Extra ((((HUGS)))) for you today.
   
•  I have been thinking and praying for you extra this week, especially today. I hope that the day is kind to you. I am sending you so many (((hugs)).
  
• More here, honey! Big, huge, squishy HUGS!
  
• Extra hugs to you today dear! I hope the day is kind to you.
  
• Even more bigger hugs your way!  *hugs Bethelgal extra tight*

I believe in Divine Appointments.  I believe these wonderful ladies were brought into my life at the exact time that I needed them.  This is not a group that you volunteer to join, but it's a group that is a god-send and we were all brought together at the perfect time. 

Our Date Night

I can't believe this year is almost over.  It's been quite a year of ups and downs.  Today, we are remembering what could have been if things turned out differently earlier this year.  Last night, we needed a date night, since Steve works tonight.  He said that we could go anywhere that I wanted to.  I wanted to try Cheddars.  We hadn't been there yet and I had heard pretty good reviews of it.

The biscuits that came with the salad were absolutely delicious.  Steve got the Braised Beef with mashed potatoes.  The mashed potatoes were heavenly.  The beef was good too.  I wanted to get the Chicken Pot Pie, but they were all out so I got a sandwich...very tasty.

Our food came out really fast, but our server was a little slow with our drinks.  They were pretty busy though.  She was really friendly.

After dinner, we went to the dollar theater to see Hope Springs.  It's a movie about a couple that has been married for 32 years and they go on a week long marriage enrichment trip.  It was actually pretty funny.  It's not a movie to bring kids too.  It's rated PG 13 for a reason, but it's tastefully done.  Marriage was portrayed in a positive light as something worth fighting for and not something you just throw away.  I liked that since so many movies nowadays try and portray marriage as something negative that should be avoided.  It was an honest movie with some humor thrown in.

Book Review: Going Deep By Gordon MacDonald

Going Deep: Becoming A Person of Influence
By Gordon MacDonald

I ordered Going Deep: Becoming A Person of Influence back in January and admittedly it has taken me this long to read it, not because it was a bad book but because it's been a very stressful year.  It was very much a book written for pastors and church leaders.  Too many churches are content with reaching people where they and then letting them stay there.  My pastor has says, "God loves you where you are, but He loves you too much to leave you there."  This book is the story of a pastor that wanted to take his church deeper.  He had a passion for seeing lives changed and had a vision to train up leaders to do that.  What do you think churches in America would look like if they are started living like they really believe what they are teaching?

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Heat Things Up

84 percent of Americans owned on average more than one Bible and we have access to many different English translations.  When we open up our Bibles, we can read the words on the pages in a language we understand.

For a few million people around the world, when they open their Bible (if they even have access to on) they have to read it in someone else's language. Wycliffe believe that every person deserves to have the opportunity to open up the Bible and understand fully what God is saying them in their heart language.  That's why we are going.

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Our September 2012 Newsletter

Our December 2012 Newsletter

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The Anchor Holds

Ray Boltz - The Anchor Holds

I have journeyed
Through the long, dark night
Out on the open sea
By faith alone
Sight unknown
And yet His eyes were watching me 

CHORUS:
The anchor holds
Though the ship is battered
The anchor holds
Though the sails are torn

I have fallen on my knees
As I faced the raging seas
The anchor holds
In spite of the storm

Ive had visions
Ive had dreams
Ive even held them in my hand
But I never knew
They would slip right through
Like they were only grains of sand 

CHORUS
I have been young
But I am older now
And there has been beauty
That these eyes have seen
But it was in the night
Through the storms of my life
Oh, that's where God proved
His love to me
CHORUS (repeat) 

The Maid of the Mist

I took a video while we were on the boat.  It was absolutely amazing. I had to stop shooting the second video when the water raining down us got too hard for my phone.  Enjoy the view.



The first video is a better, but the second has a really clear picture of the rainbow.

God's Glorious Creation - All Lit Up

They light up the Falls at 7pm from the Canadian side every night.

That is alot of water pouring over the falls.  All the mist is where we were earlier today.  The water going over the Falls is only 50% of the water that was in the river because half of the water is stopped and redirected to be used in the New York power plant.  How cool is that? Niagara Falls generates enough power to power New York City, the surrounding area, and all of Ontario, Canada.

Breathtaking Beauty

I took this picture from the Maid of the Mist.  It's a beautiful day.  I have always loved rainbows, but this year they hold a whole new meaning.  They were all over and very visible while "driving" into the falls. We got really wet, but it was so worth it.  We even saw a double rainbow.

Our Retreat: Niagara Falls

Steve and I are taking a few days away.  It's been a very stress filled year, so this should be a rejuvenating trip.  Steve has never been to Niagara Falls and he found a Groupon online to get a great deal on a hotel here, so here we are.  We arrived last night after an 8-9 hour drive.  It was a fairly easy drive. We are staying at the Four Points Sheridan here in Niagara Falls, NY.  At first glance, it looks really fancy and the $8 bowl of oatmeal for breakfast proves that.  I bet it's really good bowl of oatmeal though.  I don't think we will be splurging for it though.

The picture is our view from our room.  It's a very peaceful view of the Niagara River.

When my world is shaking, Heaven stands

Your Hands by JJ Heller





I have unanswered prayers
I have trouble I wish wasn't there
And I have asked a thousand ways
That you would take my pain away
You would take my pain away

I am trying to understand
How to walk this weary land
Make straight the paths that crooked lie
Oh Lord, before these feet of mine
Oh Lord, before these feet of mine

When my world is shaking, heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave your hands

When you walked upon the earth
You healed the broken, lost and hurt
I know you hate to see me cry
One day you will set all things right
Yeah, one day you will set all things right

When my world is shaking, heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave your hands

Your hands that shaped the world
Are holding me
They hold me still
Your hands that shaped the world
Are holding me
They hold me still

When my world is shaking, heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave you
When my world is shaking, heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave
I never leave your hands
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/j/jj_heller/your_hands.html ]

My Life's Soundtrack

 

What songs are included on the soundtrack of your life?

1. Someone Like You by Jamie Slocum
   
   

   This is my ministry song.  As Steve and I make the journey to serve God full time with Wycliffe Bible Translators, this song comes to mind.  God can use someone like us to bring His word to the people that still need it.

2. Hurt and Healer by Mercy Me
   
   

   I am so thankful that God has brought us through this last year.  This song has been a big blessing this year.

3. Wait for Me by Rebecca St. James
   
   

   I am thankful that I have a husband that loved me, before he even knew me, enough to "wait for me."

4. Tomorrow from Annie
   
   

   I grew up watching this movie.  No matter what happens the sun will come up tomorrow.

5. I Will Be Here by Steven Curtis Chapman
   
   

   This song is for my amazing husband.

Let Your Light Shine

Let your light shine out
make it big and bright
Let your light shine out
deep into the night.
Let Your Light Shine

Let your light shine out
for the whole world to see,
like a flower as pretty as can be.

Yes, let your light shine out
making it spread about
to every creature & everyone
making it a happier place under the sun.

Written by Sue Chevalier on August 3,1996

October: A Month for Women and Hope

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month
On October 25, 1988, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed that October would be Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month.

• Approximately 1 in 4 pregnancies worldwide will end in miscarriage.  
• Approximately 75% of all miscarriages occur in the first trimester.
• An estimated 19% of the adult population has experienced the death of a child (this includes miscarriages through adult-aged children).
  
  "When a child loses his parent, they are called an orphan. When a spouse loses her or his partner, they are called a widow or widower. When parents lose their child, there isn’t a word to describe them." - Ronald Reagan

Domestic Violence Awareness Month
This year, YWCA Week Without Violence is October 14-20, 2012.

• One in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime.
•  85% of domestic violence victims are women.
• Historically, females have been most often victimized by someone they knew.
• Boys who witness domestic violence are twice as likely to abuse their own partners and children when they become adults.
• 30% to 60% of perpetrators of intimate partner violence also abuse children in the household.

 Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Bible Study: Psalm 139

Verse 1: You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.

Verses 7-10:  
7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,
    your right hand will hold me fast.

God, I need you to search me and know me.  I know that there is nowhere that I can go to flee from your presence.  You are always near me, even when I feel so alone. 
Nothing and no one can escape your concern.

Verses 13-16:
13 For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.

God, I know you created all life and you love each and every child,
even the children that leave us way too soon.
You knit me together in our mother's womb.  
You made me special and you called me wonderful.
You have never forsaken me.
You saw everyday of my life and wrote my name in your book of life.

Verses 13-16:
23 Search me, God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting.

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

Online Recipes Exchange: Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

My online group decided to do a recipe exchange.  I've had a lot of fun picking out my recipe for the person chosen for me.  I plan on putting mine together tonight and getting it sent out tomorrow.

I got recipes in the mail today after work.  The recipe was for Pumpkin Spice Pancakes and for Fall Veggie Casserole.  Steve and I love having breakfast for dinner and Steve loves anything with pumpkin.  Steve insisted that we have it for dinner tonight.  So after a quick trip to the store to get some things we didn't have, I made some Pumpkin Spice Pancakes and they were so good.

 Steve said they tasted like he was eating little pieces of pumpkin pie.  While Steve was making the scrambled eggs, he decided that he wanted to put some pumpkin puree in the eggs.  Pumpkin scrambled eggs are interesting, but good.

Thank you, Smash2009 for recipes and the nice card.  You are awesome.

Egg Breakfast Casserole in Muffin Tins

We got to bring snack to small group at church today.  These were so easy to make.

We made a dozen Veggie "muffins" with cheese, mushrooms, spinach, and bell peppers.

We made a dozen Meat "muffins" with cheese, spinach, ham, and chicken.

This recipes makes about 24.

1 lb of ham (or sausage or chicken)

6 eggs

1 cup of Bisquick

2 cups of milk

Salt and pepper

1 cup of cheese

1) Lightly grease muffin pan

2) Mix all ingredients together and spoon into pan.

3) Top with cheese

4) Bake for 25 minutes @ 350 degrees.

I made them the night before and put them in the oven this morning. Yum!

Curb Appeal

After work today, with the help of my mom, I finished working on the garden in the front yard. I think it makes the front yard look much better.  Hopefully, this will help the curb appeal on our house enough for when we are ready to put it on the market.  The plan is to have it on the market by the first of October.  Now if we can just get the grass where the tree was to grow.   

This first picture is our front yard before we cut down the tree.

This is the front yard with the garden done.

 

Here is a close up of the garden.  They are perennials, so that means that they will come back every year.  :o)  The purple flowers are Mums.  The two yellow flowers are daisies.  There are some Lilies too but they haven't bloomed yet.  The flower pot has yellow Begonias.  I got them on Mother's Day. I can't believe they are still alive. 

Bible Study: Psalm 37

"Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.  Trust in the Lord and do good dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." (Psalm 37:1-4) 

 This verse says to me that if we love the Lord then He will give us the desires of our hearts.  It's his promise to us.  God promises that when we take pleasure in Him, then he will give Himself to us.  It's easy to get discouraged when you really want something and you really believe that the desire comes from God and it's taken from you.  It's easy to become broken and start doubting that God's promises are real.  

"I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging for bread." (Psalm 37:35) 

This Sunday in small group, our leader talked about Luke chapter 7.  John the Baptist is in jail and he sends back a messenger to Jesus asking, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?”  Jesus responded saying, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.”

Our leader went on to say that even John doubted some while he was in jail. Sometimes, when all we can see are our “prison walls,” we need our brothers and sisters in Christ to share what God is doing.  John never lost faith. He just needed confirmation and his faith was rewarded, right?  God saw John’s faith and brokenness and sent his deliverance and rescued him from jail, right?  No, if you know the story John was beheaded.  What does this teach us: God’s love for you is not defined His response to your brokenness.  That was a powerful message for me because I know this year I have been broken.  It’s easy to lose sight of God’s goodness and love when you are broken.

"I have seen the wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a green tree in it's native soil, but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found." (Psalsm 37: 35-36)

"The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; he is their stronghold in times of trouble." (Psalm 37: 39)

Psalm 37 ponders the question, "Is life fair?" "Why does it seem like the wicked are always successful."  It's basic conclusion: The success of the wicked won't last, while in the long run the righteous will flourish.  Our reward is in Heaven.  Through a lifetime of troubles and anxieties the righteous are never abandoned by God.

I Will Carry You: Michael W Smith

I Will Carry You: Michael W Smith

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Sometimes I wonder if my beating heart has a reason
The thought of breathing only takes my breath away
I've spent so many nights wrestling with this feeling
Do I have the strength to make it through the day
But I was never meant
To walk this road alone
I can always trust you
When you say

I will carry you
Be your strength
And pull you through
Reach for me
And take my hand
We will pray
And we will stand
In a world
Crying out for peace
Let your heart be strong
For when I am weak
You will carry me

Sometimes You wonder if the road you're on has a reason
It's hard to go on, when you just don't know
We can shoulder all the weight of life between us
Until the fear of what we cannot see is gone
Cause we were never meant
To walk this road alone
We are bound together
When we say...

Philippians 3:14 - Pressing on Toward the Goal

I'm co-leading an online Bible study with the always amazing, HopingForChange.  I'm really enjoying our study of Philippians.  This is what I posted for the lovely ladies today.

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VOTD: Philippians 3:14: “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

QOTD: Paul sees the Christian walk as a race with a prize at the end. He says that he will continue to run the race towards the goal because he believes that God called him. Although we may never achieve perfection in this world, it should still be our goal. What is the prize at the end of the race? I believe that Heaven is the prize at the end. This road we are running on is going to have bumps and detours along the way, no doubt, but ultimately if we stay on the path and press on, then we will win the prize.

1) Do you think to this point you have been giving all your strength to achieve the goal Paul is talking about here? What changes can you make?

I thought that I had been giving all my strength to winning the prize, but this year, I think, have proved that I have a lot of growing to do. I think I had a shallow faith because I never really had any huge hardships. Now, I'm being forced to live out the lessons that I have always taught my students and I'm learning that this journey is really hard. I know the prize is worth it at the end. I just wish the journey wasn't so hard.

I know there are changes I need to make in my life. I need to bring joy back into my life. I used to be known as the encourager and a positive role model. I have let depression rule my attitude for long enough. That needs to change.

2) Why is it important to forget what is behind? How could not forgetting the past hinder future service to God?

I think it's easy to get stuck in the past. I don't ever want to forget our past hurts, but I can learn to let go of the hurt and anger. I think that's part of what Paul was talking about when he said "press on." I don't want to stay here. It's hurts here.

Wycliffe: Reaching the Last Languages

Ancient words, ever true
changing me and changing you,
we have come with open hearts,
oh let the ancient words impart.
~Michael W Smith

10 Things Tuesday

It's still Tuesday, so it counts.

1. I went to the World Pulse Festival on Saturday with my one of my best friends, Shere and her gorgeous girls.  We got in free with VIP parking and food.

2. We had to go after I got off work, so we only got to see Need to Breathe and MercyMe. They were both great shows.

3. After the concert, us girls had a girls night in. We ordered a pizza with my 50% off coupon and played Scategorries.  Marcos pizza was yummy and the fun was even better.

4. I had Sunday off work, but Steve had to work. I got some of the house cleaned, the went shopping at Sears because it was Friends and Family Night and Steve was there.

5. I was really excited this weekend to see that the grass we planted is starting to grow.

6. Steve and I, after doing some math, realized that we are almost 4% of the way to raising our monthly support goal.

7. We need to be at at least 50% before we can register for GIAL, the school in Dallas. We have a ways to go, but I know God will provide.

8. We won at trivia tonight. Go team!

9. We met with a Realtor last week to find out what we need to do in order to sell our house.  We have some work to do, but nothing too major. Just a lot of de-cluttering and some painting.

10. This week in our Bible study, we are reading Philippians 2. It should be a great study of Philippians.

Grow Grass Grow

After a week of faithful watering, the grass in the front yard is growing. Grow grass, grow. You can do it.  We will probably need to get more seed and fill in some spots, but it's a great start.

The Potter and the Clay

Isaiah 64:8 "But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand."

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The Potter Knows the Clay by The Perrys

I know you are going through the fire
Its getting hard to stand the heat
But even harder is the wondering
Is God’s hand still on me
Its lonely in the flames
When you’re counting days of pain

Chorus
But the Potter knows the clay
How much pressure it can take
How many times around the wheel
‘Til there’s submission to His will
he’s planned a beautiful design
but it’ll take some fire and time
its gonna be okay
‘cause the Potter knows the clay

Friend I just came through that fire
Not too very long ago
And looking back I can see why
And that my God was in control
But on the hottest days I'd cry
Oh Lord, isn't it about time

Psalm 73: Why does it seem like the wicked prosper?

Why do bad things seem to happen to good people and the wicked prosper?  It doesn't seem fair.  All around us we see people living in sin that seem to have such an easier time at life than us.  As Christians we are called to be "set apart from the world", but why does it seems like the blessings always go to those living "in the world."  It's so easy to let anger and bitterness determine our next step.  It reminds me of Job.  He was considered the richest man in the land. He had everything and in one day lost it all.  He could have got angry and cursed God.  He had every right to, right?  He didn't have the Bible to read the story about himself and see that God didn't cause his suffering or that God was going to bless him in the end.  No, Job sat down, tore his clothes, and worshiped.  I think knew something that we don't know. 

Romans 5:3-4: "Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Sufferings are how we get hope? It doesn't very pleasant does it?  Sometimes things don't make sense and we don't understand.  What do you do when you experience a loss so heartbreaking that you can't imagine life going on?  God has a plan.  Do I believe it?  I have to hold on hope, because some days that is all I have left.  It's really easy to look at others getting the blessings that you want so badly and get angry because you did every thing "right" and they didn't.  Why do they get blessed and not you?  It's easy for us to miss the big picture.  What bigger and better blessing does God have in store for us?  God promised in His word that He gives His children the desires of their heart.  It just might not look like what you think it will or come when you want it to.

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Psalm 73 (The Message)

An Asaph Psalm

 ^1-5 No doubt about it! God is good— good to good people, good to the good-hearted.
   But I nearly missed it, missed seeing his goodness.
   I was looking the other way, looking up to the people
   At the top, envying the wicked who have it made,
   Who have nothing to worry about, not a care in the whole wide world.  

^6-10 Pretentious with arrogance, they wear the latest fashions in violence,
   Pampered and overfed, decked out in silk bows of silliness.
   They jeer, using words to kill; they bully their way with words.
   They're full of hot air, loudmouths disturbing the peace.
   People actually listen to them—can you believe it?
      Like thirsty puppies, they lap up their words.

 ^11-14 What's going on here? Is God out to lunch?
      Nobody's tending the store.
   The wicked get by with everything;
      they have it made, piling up riches.
   I've been stupid to play by the rules;
      what has it gotten me?
   A long run of bad luck, that's what—
      a slap in the face every time I walk out the door.

 ^15-20 If I'd have given in and talked like this,
      I would have betrayed your dear children.
   Still, when I tried to figure it out,
      all I got was a splitting headache . . .
   Until I entered the sanctuary of God.
      Then I saw the whole picture:
   The slippery road you've put them on,
      with a final crash in a ditch of delusions.
   In the blink of an eye, disaster!
      A blind curve in the dark, and—nightmare!
   We wake up and rub our eyes....Nothing.
      There's nothing to them. And there never was.

 ^21-24 When I was beleaguered and bitter,
      totally consumed by envy,
   I was totally ignorant, a dumb ox
      in your very presence.
   I'm still in your presence,
      but you've taken my hand.
   You wisely and tenderly lead me,
      and then you bless me.

 ^25-28 You're all I want in heaven!
      You're all I want on earth!
   When my skin sags and my bones get brittle,
      God is rock-firm and faithful.
   Look! Those who left you are falling apart!
      Deserters, they'll never be heard from again.
   But I'm in the very presence of God—
      oh, how refreshing it is!
   I've made Lord God my home.
      God, I'm telling the world what you do!

A Productive Weekend

We are finally getting things together to sell the house.  We bought the house with the intention of one day selling it, so we could enter ministry with Wycliffe debt free.  We met with a Realtor last week to talk about what we had to do to get the best price for the house.  I'm nervously excited about the selling the house. Neither of us have ever sold a house before.  On one hand, we want to sell it quickly so we can be debt free faster, but on the other hand we can't sell it before December or we won't have a place to live.

This weekend was pretty productive.  Friday, I had to work until 7 then we went went with my parents and brother to see a Silver Hawks game for FREE!  I love free entertainment and free food.  The paint company that Steve does purchasing from for the YWCA and even some for our house, CE Lee, invited us the game for their customer appreciation day.  It was a great game.  The Silver Hawks actually won 3-2 and the fireworks afterwards were spectacular.

Saturday, I had the day off work, so I wanted to get some stuff done.  I went through all my clothes and sorted stuff that longer fit and things that I didn't wear anymore.  I put them in "throw away", "donate", and "garage sale" piles.  I finished sorting everything in the kitchen too and putting everything in it's place.  I brought some of the donate stuff to Goodwill and the rest I put aside for the YWCA.  Then I bought some grass seed and soil from McKinley Terrace Garden Center.  Everyone there was very friendly and helpful.  I definitely recommend them for your planting needs.  I planted the grass seed where the tree used to be and watered it.  Hopefully, the grass will grow so we have grass in the whole front yard.  Then I was going to pressure wash the house, but God had other plans.  He thought it should storm instead.  I wish I would have told me that before I watered the front yard...  Oh well, the yard got really, really watered. If I would have had a spray bottle for the house cleaner, I was going to spray the house with the cleaner so the rain would power wash the house, but no spray bottle could be found.

Sunday, Steve mowed the lawn and cleaned up some of the sticks in the backyard while I was at work.  After work, I helped with plant and water some more grass seed.  It was a great, but very tiring weekend.

Bible Study: "in the course of time..."

During the last two weeks our Bible study has been reading 1 Samuel 1&2.

1 Samuel 1: 19-20: "Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back into their home at Ranah. Elkanah lay with Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. (20) So in the course of time Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son."

This verse stuck out to the me, because it doesn't say that God heard her prayer and immediately answered it and she was pregnant the next month.  It was says "in the course of time" which means she may have waited a long time.  Hannah cried to God so much that those around her thought she was drunk.  In those days, if you were a women unable to have a child you thought you were cursed or being punished by God.  Often times, you were cast out as being unworthy.  It was a depressing place for Hannah to be, but she never stopped trusting in God.  She never gave up hope that one day she would have a child.

1 Samuel 21: 22:When her husband Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the Lord and to fulfill his vow, Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, “After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the Lord, and he will live there always.”

 After Samuel was born, she took the boy, she prayed so long for, to the Lord to live with him.


1 Samuel 2:1-10: 

“My heart rejoices in the Lord;
    in the Lord my horn^[a] is lifted high.
My mouth boasts over my enemies,
    for I delight in your deliverance.

Those are the first words Hannah says after she gave up her child to the Lord.  She praises God for His faithfulness. On the day she makes the biggest sacrifice she will ever make in her life, she rejoices in the Lord! Hannah's heart rejoiced, not in Samuel, but in the Lord. She looks beyond the gift, and praises the Giver.

1 Samuel 2:19-20 – ^“Each year his mother made him a little robe and took it to him when she went up with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice. Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, “May the Lord give you children by this woman to take the place of the one she prayed for and gave to the Lord.” Then they would go home.”  ->>Here Hannah's faith is tested again.  She believed that God would bless her with more children because she believed his promise. She goes home to wait... Question: Would she still believe in His goodness if He didn't?

When God answered Hannah’s prayer and gave her a son, Samuel, she poured out her joy to God as well.  Remarkably, for a woman who waited so long for a child, she took Samuel to God’s tabernacle as soon as he reached an appropriate age.  There she placed him in the priests care. Hannah certainly loved her child and never forgot him. Every year she made a garment for him – a huge expenditure in those days.  She did not hold on to her blessing any more than she hung on to her sorrows.  She gave them both to God.

My only issue with this verse is God's promise, "May the Lord give you children by this woman to take the place of the one she prayed for and gave to^[c] the Lord.” I assure you that no child will ever "take the place of" her first child.  Her first child will always hold a special place in her heart and will never be forgotten.