Opening Day



Still my joy? I don't think so!

Wow!  What a busy day! 

Last week, my office got a brand new server.  Out with the old and in with the new.  However, some of the old was "supposed" to be transferred over. 

I do the book keeping and when I went to reconcile bank statements and pay some bills today, the past three months of Quick Books was gone.  All gone!  They stopped at May. 

At first I was so mad that I had to re-enter everything.  But then I remembered that this is life.  I didn't let the devil steal my joy.  I didn't let the devil convince my that this had ruin my day, when all my hard work had to be done again. 

What a blessing that I have a job.  What an even bigger blessing that I have a brain and the knowledge to fix the problem. Yes, I had to re-enter everything.  But what else did I really have to do today.  Usually, not much.  So, today was a little busier than most.  Big deal. This was a minor problem that didn't need a major fix.   Thank you Lord for helping me get through it, and thank you for dwelling within me and allowing me to realize that.

No temper tantrum, here.  Yea me! 

James 1:2-4  ---When all kinds of trials and temptations crowd into your lives, don't resent them as intruders, but welcome them as friends! Realize that they come to test your faith and to produce in you the quality of endurance.

12 Ways to Defeat the Devil

Twelve ways to defeat the devil with Joyce Meyers.  Love her!  Enjoy!


http://youtu.be/cRYhu4l3QuE

and

http://youtu.be/8i_fdYECeME

and

http://youtu.be/grFKzuNDeEA

and lastly

http://youtu.be/LfCrx0J8Qd8

Proverbs of Finance

(Article by : Derek Clark)

The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair; for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young- let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance- for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise. Proverbs 1:1-6

If you want to get a good start on understanding the principles of personal finance, sit down and read Proverbs. If you are looking for it, it is full of sound advice on money and life. Over the next few posts I’m going to share the main principles I’ve taken from it. There are many more, but these are the top principles I think you need to understand and follow.

Dishonest Scales – This is a phrase used throughout Proverbs, and it is very important. The point is you have to be honest in business and in life. If you are cheating it will catch up with you eventually. If you want to succeed you have to have integrity. The Lord abhors dishonest scales, but accurate weights are his delight. Proverbs 11:1

Co-signing – Co-signing for a loan is something that is talked about specifically in Proverbs. You should not ever do it, but the biggest reason isn’t that you’ll have to pay the loan. The biggest reason is that your relationship will be ruined when you have to pay the loan. This is very similar to not loaning money to friends or family. If you have the money and you want to give it to them that is fine, but don’t loan it and don’t co-sign. A man lacking in judgment strikes hands in pledge and puts up security for his neighbor. Proverbs 17:18

Debt – Simply put, don’t go into debt. It was the cause of this financial crisis, and it was the cause of many personal crises in families across the country. If you are in debt fight to get out, and if you are out stay that way. The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. Proverbs 22:7

Laziness – Laziness will not get you anywhere. Right now we have more people than ever living off the government. Help in bad times is one thing, laziness is another. You have to actually work hard to succeed. Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless man goes hungry. Proverbs 19:15

Diligence – Working hard and consistently will help you succeed. Life is hard, and everything won’t be given to you. But if you keep at you will make it. Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. Proverbs 10:4

Plans / Advisors – You can’t do it all yourself, and you can’t just “wing it.” Seek help from people who have more experience than you, and let them help you plan your future. Make a budget, save for retirement. If you wing it, forty years from now you’ll be reading 73 ways to prepare Spam and love it. Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisors they succeed. Proverbs 15:22 The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty. Proverbs 21:5

Generosity – It really is better to give than to receive. This is the cornerstone that keeps everything together. The best part about creating wealth is having the ability to help those around you that have been less fortunate. One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. Proverbs 11:24-25

If you follow these 7 principles of personal finance and the many others found in Proverbs you will find success, and you will be blessed.

Sharing the Word

 

It’s the reason we are here.  It’s our job.  We are to share the Word. 

I love that there are those who choose to share via the social network.  Surely, someone is being made more curious by words of the Lord that are left there for everyone to see.  How great would it be to introduce someone you may never see to the Savior. 

There are at least seven posts on my Facebook page (starting from around 6:00 am to 9:00 am)  sharing Gods word.  I post my blog on there everyday in hopes that it will lead someone to Christ. Or lift someone up.  There is NO one that will ever be there for you more than Jesus.  Jesus will never leave you or forsake you.  Depend on him and he will see you through no matter how big your troubles may be.

His Word is awesome.  Below are the posts from my Facebook friends  from this morning ……

·         ----"It would be devastating if life on earth was the end. But for the believer, there is no period at the end of our life, only a comma."

·        ---- Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another-showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God's way.

·        ---- God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again.

·         ----Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture:

·         ----Workouts in the gym are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever.

·        ---- "Then spoke Jesus again to them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."

·        ----    By submitting yourself to God’s will and recognizing your need to know more, you avail yourself of an open mind with endless opportunities. When you have an open mind, you are no longer bound by the opinions of others, and your success is inevitable. By learning to trust God, you will turn your fears into faith, and dispel all limitations!

The Bridge to the Father is His Son



Potty Mouth

Matthew 15:11: "Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man."

What is profanity? The word profane literally means “outside the temple.”

 

I admit it.  I curse sometimes. It's in the heat of the moment, usually when I've had it up to here (hand over my head).  I feel bad about it the moment it leaves my mouth.

Not naming any names, but I am around someone on an almost daily basis that has a neverending flow of curse words.  I cringe.  Its horrible, its dirty, its vulgar, its so uuuhhhh!  I once gave this person a challenge to go a whole day without cursing. Did it work,....nope! 

Swearing and cursing are a problem in my life sometimes and of those around me, so I ask the Lord to forgive me and deliver me so that my words may be good and loving words full of grace and truth. I know He will help me overcome this problem through His power.

Psalm 19:14: "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer."

There is actually a wedsite on how to stop cursing!  MAYBE...this someone will read this today.  I really hope so....

Instructions   (from ehow.com)

1. • 1
     Think before you speak and refrain from using curse words. It may seem difficult, but monitoring your thoughts will help you catch yourself from saying something vulgar and offensive. It will take practice, but thinking before you speak is essential if you want to stop cursing.
   • 2
     Practice meditation. One form of meditation is prayer. Other forms of meditation include yoga, falun gong or continued thought and reflection. Meditation is usually done in a quiet place. Take a moment to reflect.
   • 3
     Keep your mouth shut. As difficult as it may seem, silence works. Practicing silence shows that you are in control of yourself and your emotions. Many people have a problem in this area. They tend to rant and rave as soon as a situation arises. With a little bit of practice and self-control, you can learn to listen to what someone is saying or analyze a situation without cursing.
   • 4
     Use a thesaurus. If you are seriously trying to stop your habit of cursing, be proactive in choosing your words. Various thesaurus websites are available to guide you in the use of words that can better describe your feelings.
   • 5
     Put money in a jar every time you curse for extra motivation. This money must be given away to charity, and it must be taken away from you for it to be motivation. Put a dollar in the jar for every curse word you say. You'll be amazed at how fast you stop cursing.

Back to School Blessing

Dear Lord,
As my children leave for school,
I pray that you will keep them in your care.
Send your Spirit to open their minds
to all that is true and beautiful and good.
Help them to see the gifts and talents
you have given them and to use them well.
Help them to grow in knowledge and wisdom.
Help them to be kind to others
and lead others be kind to them.
Give their teachers patience and understanding
and help them teach what is just and true.
Send your angels to guide and guard my children
and to keep them from all harm.
Open their young hearts to your presence
and enfold them in your peace and protection.
Hold them in the palm of your hand
and bring them home safely at day's end.
Amen

Jump up, Lets get crazy!

The song I woke up to this morning.....Jump up, lets get crazy, Jump up, lets get crazy.....

listen here..... http://youtu.be/cfsaSHjoFUo

It's from my Zumba class. I must have done zumba in my dreams last night.  I'm still sore from Wednesdays class! 

Starting on Monday, I am going have a CRAZY schedule.  School starts on Monday! Yikes! It finally hit me last night that I have a 5th grader and a 2nd grader.  Where does the time go? My babies are growing up way too fast.

Here's my schedule for this weekend.  Its a little CRAZY too....

Friday:

Get off work at 5:00, go get the kids from Mimi's, go home and make Nate some carbs (pasta), get Nate to football by 6:00.  Practice from 6-8.  Promised the kids IHOP for dinner. 

Saturday: 

Get both boys up, feed them and get them to practice by 8:00 (yes, A.M.) , Get home around 10:30, clean house until 12:00, make lunch, do laundry, go to Stonebriar Mall and get school clothes (tax free weekend, heeey!), go to Hannahs 3rd birthday party in Dallas at 4:00.

Sunday:

Church, then I think the lake (we havent decided yet), come home cook dinner and get the boys ready for school on Monday.

Whew!

And for the next several months....

Monday

- work then zumba

Tuesday

- work then Nates Football practice from 7-9

Wednesday

- work, then zumba, Jakes football practice from 6-8

Thursday

- work, then Nates football practice from 7-9

Friday

- work, then NOTHING!  Thank you Lord.

Saturday

- laundry, clean house, 2 football games at different times and sometimes different locations.

Sunday

- church, finish laundry, and getting ready to start all over again!



Lord, I lay all my responsibilities at Your feet. I am now yielding my heart, mind and strength to your awesome power and glory. I desperately need You. Open my eyes, ears, heart and soul so that I'm not too busy to hear You. Teach me to walk, live and be in the center of Your will for my life. Use me as a blessing in the lives of my children, dear Lord.  Lord, starting today, fill me with the fruit of the Spirit: patience, kindness, humility, and gentleness. Make me a woman who is not easily angered; guard me from being rude or selfish. Fill me with the strength to endure all things necessary. Your perfect love never fails. I praise you, and I thank you for saving me.        Amen.

Childrens Prayer

We pray for the children who put chocolate fingers on everything, who love to be tickled, who stomp in puddles and ruin new pants, who eat candy before supper and who can never find their shoes in the morning.

And we also pray for those who stare at photographers from behind barbed wire, who have never bound down the street in a new pair of shoes, who never played "one potato, two potatoes," and who are born in places that we would not be caught dead in and they will be.

We pray for the children who give us sticky kisses and fistfuls of dandelions, who sleeps with their dog and who bury their goldfish, who hug us so tightly and who forget their lunch money, who squeeze toothpaste all over the sink, who watch their fathers shave, and who slurp their soup.

And we pray for those who will never get dessert, who have no favorite blanket to drag around behind them, who watch their fathers suffer, who cannot find any bread to steal, who do not have any rooms to clean up, whose pictures are on milk cartons instead of on dressers, and whose monsters are real.

We pray for the children who spend all their allowance by Tuesday, who pick at their food, who love ghost stories, who shove their dirty clothes under the bed and never rinse the bathtub, who love visits from the Tooth Fairy, even after they find out who it really is, who do not like to be kissed in front of the school bus, and who squirm during services.

And we also pray for those children whose nightmares occur in the daytime, who will eat anything, who have never seen a dentist, who are not spoiled by anyone, who go to bed hungry and wake up hungry, who live and move and have no address.

We pray for those children who like to be carried and for those children who have to be carried. for those who give up and for those who never give up, for those who will grab the hand of anyone kind enough to offer it and for those who find no hand to grab.

For all these children, we pray today, for they are ALL so precious.

------Ina J. Hughs



JoJo - So ugly, she's cute!

(JoJo- 7 mo.'s - Snorkie)



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.