Morning Music

Jesus, He can move the mountains.

My God is mighty to save,

Yes, He's might to save.

Author of salvation,

He rose and conquered the grave,

Yes, He conquered the grave.

This is the song I woke up to this morning.  I always wake up to a song playing in my head.  95% of the time it is a song about our Almighty Father. What a blessing! From the moment I open my eyes, I am reminded of His glory and grace.  An abundance of thanksgiving is in my first thoughts! Thank you Jesus!

Shine your light and let the whole world see,

We're singing for the glory of the risen king...

This Sundays message was about letting the light of Christ shine through you. 

1 Collosians 1:9-12

 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,  being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,  and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.

You see the part where Paul is talking about knowing Gods will with wisdom and understanding.  Whats the difference? Well, its one thing to know the word of God, but you also have to understand it to use it in your life. I could quote every scripture in the Bible but if I don't understand its meaning how can I put to use to serve others. And if I understand and but don't use it for good works and to grow in my walk with the Lord, then I cannot enjoy -nor do I qualify- for the inheritance that has been given to me.

Use me O'God !  Let my light shine! I want to be your servant. 

Give me endurance and patience to serve others through You.

Amen.

Testimony

This christian comidian was at our church awhile back to give his testimony. 

It's a little lengthy but well worth it.

Enjoy!

Part I



http://youtu.be/GefXjCaNEB0

Part II

http://youtu.be/PIEsbZVYhek

Part III

http://youtu.be/UfUZva3TyzU

Anyway

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God;
It was never between you and them anyway.

                                                                       --Mother Teresa

Love One Another

1 Corinthians 13:4-11,13

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.

 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.  When I was a child, I spoke like a child; I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways..  So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Leviticus 19:18

You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

Romans 18:3

Owe no owe anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves one another has fulfilled the law.

2 Corinthians 13:11

Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.

It's that time of year......



Letter from Nana

My mom had a house fire a few years back.  The very few things that survived are so very special to her. She found this other day. This is a letter that she wrote to her oldest grandson (my oldest nephew), Jordan, when he was just a baby.  She now has four grandsons and this letter applies to all of them. Thanks for sharing Mom.

Dear Grandson,

You are everything I ever dreamed of in a grandson.  Everyday you become more precious to me.  I look foward to seeing you grow to be a little boy, climbing trees, playing with trucks and pulling little girls' pigtails!  I can only hope your teenage years are as uneventful as your mama's.  She was a very good girl and seldom gave me any reason for unhappiness or disapointment in her.


Grandson, be grateful for wonderful parents and enjoy your life, using good judgment and never being reluctant to ask for advice - or to follow through with the advice of your elders.  We were young once and know "growing pains" as you will experience.


I pray you will come to know Jesus as your Lord and Savior and follow Him all the days of your life.  Your elders advice will be of great value, but nothing compared to the all-powerful strength you can know from Him.

I love you, my little man.

Nana

Our boys!

Jordan- 14



Nathaniel - 10




Jakob- 7 1/2



Blake - 3 1/2



You don't raise heroes, you raise sons.  And if you treat them like sons,
 they'll turn out to be heroes, even if it's just in your own eyes. 
~Walter M. Schirra, Sr.



Oh boy, oh boy!

  Yep, I have two of them.  I spent my entire day yesterday cleaning their rooms. I got one done and one half way done.  You wouldn't believe the number of dishes I found under their beds. Or the bath towels! I have been ranting for a month about where all the towels have gone.  I was so aggravated with them yesterday. And I lost my temper several times.  Yelling does no good, I know this.  But I wanted them to HEAR me. I wanted them to help me.  After all I didn't make this mess.  I found clean clothes that they were supposed to have put away stuffed under their beds and even in one of their desks. I filled 3 trash bags. It was utterly ridiculous!

By 10:30 last night, the feeling of guilt had overwhelmed me.  I spent the entire day nagging my children.  Don't get me wrong I think they know better, and should have been punished for not cleaning up after themselves but I handled it wrong.  I could have done things differently. 

Children are a blessing from the Lord.

“Lord, when I am bothered by things that my children do,  help me see them as a blessed gift from your gracious hand. Give me patience and understanding.  They are little curious minds with active (and hungry) bodies.  They are exploring this world.  Help me to guide them properly and not ruin this one and only childhood they will ever have. Help me endure lifes daily inconveniences and let them be a lesson to me and my children.  I never want my babies to ever feel unwanted or feel that they are a bother.  Help me control my temper, Lord.  Help me to be a better teacher to them. And, Lord, please forgive me. These little beings are yours in my care.  Thank you for them.  I am so in love with them. They are the second best thing you have ever given me. Amen."

Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord; and the fruit of the womb is His reward.  Psalms 127:3

What Every Mom Needs

Copied from We're THAT Family blog....  It's a good one!  

What Every Mom Needs

In my past eleven years of parenting, there have been moments when I’ve been absolutely desperate for a nod of approval from a family member or a friend or both-you know one that says, “it’s going to be okay, you’re doing a good job.” Just that simple act can brighten a mom’s day when she feels inadequate, exhausted, and is currently wearing the lovely shade of spit-up.

I guarantee there’s a mom in your life right now–a daughter-in-law, a friend, new neighbor with a baby on her hip and one in her belly, or you’re own reflection in the mirror–who needs a nod today.

What Every Mom Needs

Honesty

• It’s okay, really. My kids argued constantly. You will survive this phase. This is normal.
• I had a picky eater also. Once for a week, she only ate marshmallows and glue.
• I lost my temper, too. That doesn’t make you a bad mother, only human (in need of chocolate).
• Don’t be so hard on yourself. Every mother gets a year or so behind on well child checkups (RIGHT??)

Not-Too-Much-Honesty

• No, that’s never happened to me. My baby slept 8 hours each night since birth and was perfect. Something must be wrong with you.
• It took me seven years to lose the baby fat, too. It might take you eight (pats flabby arm)
• My kids never acted that way in public.  Are you giving them red dye?
• What is wrong with your child? <——–Don’t ever say that to a Mom.

Every mom needs to know:

——————————THEY ARE NOT ALONE————————————

Every mom needs to feel:

————————–LOVED WITHOUT EXPECTATIONS————————-

Every mom needs to be told:

——————————-THEY ARE APPRECIATED——————————

Every mom needs to believe:

———————————THEY ARE ENOUGH——————————–

Every mom needs to remember:

———————HE IS ENOUGH, WHEN THEY AREN’T———————-

John 16:21 When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.



Clever Attractions

The pun-laden signs you see outside churches have always intrigued me. "Seven days without prayer makes one weak." "Forbidden fruit creates many jams." "We have a prophet-sharing plan."  It's hard to tell whether they're intended primarily to amuse regular church goers, or to attract soul-searching passers-by.

Here are a few clever ones.  And if you’re one of the soul searching passer by-ers, well, I pray we see you Sunday!

GOD SENT YOU A TEXT MESSAGE YEARS AGO - IT'S CALLED YOUR BIBLE!

LIFEGUARD ON DUTY - OURS WALKS ON WATER

THE BEST VITAMIN FOR A CHRISTIAN IS "B1"

"READ MY BEST SELLER  -GOD"

PREACH THE GOSPEL AT ALL TIMES, USE WORDS IF NECESSARY

WE NEED TO TALK - LOVE, -GOD

GOD HAS A BIG ERASER

SIGN BROKEN - MESSAGE INSIDE SUNDAY

GOD ANSWERS KNEEMAIL

YOU THINK IT'S HOT HERE?   -GOD

STOP, DROP AND ROLL - WON'T WORK IN HELL

"FREE TRIP TO HEAVEN - DETAILS INSIDE

TRY JESUS. IF YOU DON'T LIKE HIM, THE DEVIL WILL ALWAYS TAKE YOU BACK

JESUS DIED FOR "MY SPACE" IN HEAVEN

SATAN SUBTRACTS AND DIVIDES - GOD ADDS AND MULTIPLIES

DON'T GIVE UP. MOSES WAS ONCE A BASKET CASE

IT'S HARD TO STUMBLE WHEN YOU'RE DOWN ON YOUR KNEES

THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH, REPENT BEFORE PAYDAY

IF GOD SEEMS FAR AWAY - WHO MOVED?" 

HOW WILL YOU SPEND ETERNITY—SMOKING OR NON-SMOKING?

LET’S MEET AT MY HOUSE BEFORE THE BIG GAME.  --GOD

THE KEY TO HEAVEN WAS HUNG ON A NAIL.

READ THE BIBLE – IT WILL SCARE THE HELL OUT OF YOU.

GOD’S LAST NAME ISN'T “DAMN”.

THE ATHEIST AND THE BELIEVER

Author Unknown

There's a little old Christian lady living next door to an atheist. Every morning the lady comes out onto her front porch and shouts "Praise the Lord!".

The atheist yells back, "There is no God".

She does this every morning with the same result. As time goes on the lady runs into financial difficulties and has trouble buying food. She goes out onto the porch and asks God for help with groceries, then says "Praise the Lord".

The next morning she goes out onto the porch and there's the groceries she's asked for, of course she says "Praise the Lord".

The atheist jumps out from behind a bush and says, "Ha, I bought those groceries - there is no God".

The lady looks at him and smiles, she shouts "Praise the Lord --- not only did you provide for me Lord, you made Satan pay for the groceries!"



It is Him, not me...



We are dead spiritually; we are fit for nothing but wrath; we were rebels and in bondage to sin and Satan.  In the midst of that condition, God saved us.  We exercised faith, which is itself a gift of God, (John 6:44-47), and God blessed us with the greatest possible gift –eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord! (John 5:24; 6:37-40)

You might ask, “If this is all a work of God, where do I fit in the process?”  The answer is you must believe, you must exercise faith in Christ for salvation.  This exercise is not a work, however, because it involves no ability on our part and no effort on our part.  That is the hard thing to understand about faith—it is not an action, it is surrender, a throwing up of the hands and saying “I can do nothing by myself”.

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

It was Peter that said, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect.  No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. (2 Corinthians 15:10)

This is not a flagrant statement that is meant to excuse character flaws.  Peter knew he was a sinner who Jesus Christ came into the world to save.  And he knew it was the powerful grace of God that was the source of work in his life.

It is by God’s grace that he was called to be an apostle and it is only by God’s grace that he was strengthened to labor in the mission field harder than the others.  Paul wants us to understand that not only is he a man who totally sold out to God, but he is a man who works and acts totally at the good pleasure of God.  There is not one success that he can lay claim to.  He labored in the field, but God did the work.

All too often we are quick to accept the credit for our successes in life.  How wonderful would it be if everyone would acknowledge it was God working in them and with them?  Everything is given by him.  Nothing can be achieved without him.

Anything good you see in me is because of Jesus Christ.

And anything bad, well, I’m working on it with His help!



Dancing in the Minefields

  

I was nineteen, you were twenty-one
The year we got engaged
Everyone said we were much too young
But we did it anyway

We bought our rings for forty each
From a pawn shop down the road
We made our vows and took the leap
Now fifteen years ago

We went dancing in the minefields
We went sailing in the storm
And it was harder than we dreamed
But I believe that's what the promise is for

"I do" are the two most famous last words
The beginning of the end
But to lose your life for another I've heard
Is a good place to begin 

'Cause the only way to find your life
Is to lay your own life down
And I believe it's an easy price
For the life that we have found

And we're dancing in the minefields
We're sailing in the storm
This is harder than we dreamed
But I believe that's what the promise is for

So when I lose my way, find me
When I lose love's chains, bind me
At the end of all my faith, till the end of all my days
When I forget my name, remind me

'Cause we bear the light of the Son of Man
So there's nothing left to fear
So I'll walk with you in the shadow lands
Till the shadows disappear

'Cause he promised not to leave us
And his promises are true
So in the face of all this chaos, baby,
I can dance with you

And we're dancing in the minefields
we’re sailing in the storm
This is harder than we dreamed
But I believe that's what the promise is for.

No song has reminded me more of my marriage than this one.  It’s the one playing in the background.  It’s the one I wake up to playing in my head so often it’s kind of weird.  I think it’s the Lords reminder to keep forging on.  Life isn’t always easy or fun.  But it is the gift I have been given. And I cherish it. 

Joshua can be such a pain in the butt sometimes!  I guess so can I, (maybe)?   But I LOVE him.  I love him so much I can barely breathe sometimes.  I’m also scared to death that some day it will all end.  This is just an insecurity that I have because I also know that it never will.  A little conflicting, but it is what it is.  Thank you Babe for dancing in the minefields with me.  I love you!



Consider it a JOY

These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold – and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.1 Peter 1:7

Consider it nothing but joy when you fall into all sorts of trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect effect, so that you will be perfect and compete, not deficient in anything.”  James 1:2-3

And so how do we count it all joy when we encounter various trials'?

• By trusting Him through them –

Psalm 56:3-4 - When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.  In God, whose word I praise— in God I trust and am not afraid.    What can mere mortals do to me?

• By keeping His word –

 Rev. 3:8, 10 -I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.

• By keeping our faith alive with hope in Him –

Rev. 2:10 - Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.

• By praying for those who have been critical –

Job 42:10- After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before.

God will strengthen, He will comfort, He will provide, He will help to see you through. Then when you pass the test, you will have proven the power of God to be victorious over Satan and his schemes to destroy. You will experience joy beyond measure from the endurance of your faith.

The joy comes from deep, abiding faith and in due time, the reward. Praise Him.

“…Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” Rev. 2:10