Friday, December 25, 2009

Home for Christmas


This month has been very busy and exhausting with Jason's grandmother passing, Sam being sick, gearing up for the holidays,etc. Max got his camo-blue belt last week after doing his do-san form and completing a traditional side kick board break in karate. Sam was sick and I missed seeing the karate test (Jason took Max) since I was with Sam at the urgent care clinic for five hours getting him rehydrated. He got sick with a virus that went around his daycare on Thursday (12-17-09). He had to go back to the urgent care clinic the next day (Sunday) to make sure his kidneys, glucose level and hydration was back to normal. Saturday night Jason stayed up all night, setting an alarm every 90 minutes to get up and make Sam drink 4 oz. of pediayte. Wednesday I had to take him back again for more blood work since he was still sick. Ugh. Poor guy. By Thursday he seemed perfectly fine and woke me up jumping on my bed saying he was Staaaarving and to get up and make him some breakfast NOW!!!
The hardest part of the week was that later Wednesday afternoon, our beloved pet Moses passed away. He had the sweetest spirit and was great with the kids. I have had him since I was single and on my own. We even have a stocking for him hung up with our own. I am still trying to cope. I know it sounds silly, but his going is an even bigger hole in my heart than I imagined it would be. I am still finding myself crying at odd moments. I keep looking for him under my feet and getting up to let him out to potty or feed him. I truly feel and have always felt, since the moment I got him, that he was a gift from God, sent to help me. And he did! He gave nothing but love in his quiet, sweet way.
If I was sick, he used to jump up on the couch and lay on my feet until they warmed up and then layed down on the floor by the couch. If I got up he followed me everywhere I went. He knew I was going into labor before I did. I just thought it was cramping, but he kept following me and when I stood still, he looked up at me and put his paw on my foot each time to make sure I was ok. When the babies came home, he laid down flat as he could on his belly and slowly over a period of five minutes scooted up close to them and just watched them in awe. If they were sleeping and woke up crying, he would run to me and whine to make sure I knew until I got up and went in to check on them. He was so patient with the kids, letting them put hats, eye patches, etc. on him and sitting on him like a horse. He was such a blessing. It is amazing the blessing that animals can be in our lives. They truly are a gift from God.
Yes, I will eventually get another dog. I just need some time. The kids are already talking about it and thinking of names. But I can't imagine a dog better than Moses. From his first vet appointment at three months of age, the vet told me that he had severe allergies. They usually can't tell (the symptoms don't show) until three years of age, but his were already bad at three months. The day he passed, the vet told me that only Moses and one other dog, had she ever seen in her twenty years of practicing, that were as bad as they were. She had never seen any other cases like them. He lived a long life when you take into account his health issues. He was miserable physically, his entire life, yet he still had such a sweet, giving, loving spirit. He was unbelievable.
Sorry to be so sappy, but he was such a big part of my life. He was a member of our family and the hole he left is deeply felt. I will never forget him. I hope there are animals in heaven. I think there will be. I can't wait to see Moses there when it is my time to go. I know he will be wagging his tail and flipping my hand up ontop of his head to pet him.
The kids have been amazing with it. They keep sitting on my lap and kissing and hugging me. They both have told me several times that Moses is in a better place. He is in heaven with God and Jesus and G.G. and other loved ones we have lost and that he has a new, better body that doesn't stink. Oh the truth and honesty of kids. They make me laugh and remind me of the truth. God is still good. The kids have also reminded me that this is not our home...heaven is and that Moses is now home. We will see him when it is our time to to home. Yes, Moses is home for Christmas and so is Great Grandma Lucille. Hope you all are having a great party!!!

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Christ-Mas

I was helping Max and Sam spell the word Christmas the other day. I explained to them that it spelled Christ-mas, that the first half of the word spelled Jesus Christ's name because the holiday was about Jesus Christ's birthday. Max has also caught me spelling it with an X as in Xmas. I always feel guilty doing this to save time. I hate taking Christ out of Christmas. It seems the whole world is trying to take Christ and God out of everything. Sometimes I want to shout and battle about it, and then I realize that I can't change others, but I can keep Christ the center of my life and be a witness. That helps me.

I don't have to and can't change the world. I can't even change my neighbor, friend or even husband or son's opinion...only God and Jesus can. My job isn't to change hearts. That is God's job. All I need to do is faithfully follow him and seek him and tell others about him. The rest is up to God. Now that is reassuring.

This year for Christ-mas I need to remember to make Jesus' birthday cake for Christmas eve with my family. I actually forgot to do it last year in all the busy rush. I felt horrible. If you haven't done it before, try it. You can let your kids help make and decorate the cake and Christmas eve light the candles and sing happy birthday to Jesus to remember the reason for the holiday and all the gift giving. Remind your family of the greatest gift we have been given, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

I was listening to a Steven Curtis Chapman song about Jesus as a baby then a boy then a man ("This Baby Was Jesus"). I talks about how he was ordinary and grew up with his mom and dad like other boys do, learning how to walk, getting scraped knees, learning how to do carpentry, getting blemishes and going through puberty. But at the same time he was God in human form. He was human and holy at the same time. It is an oxymoron. Only Jesus could be that for us.

I thought about what God had to go through to give up his only son for us. I can't imagine doing that. I remember when I was pregnant with my boys and prayed daily for their health and development in me. I prayed about their future and for them to grow up knowing God and Jesus and serving them. Although I prayed for health, I also struggled and eventually prayed for God to make them whoever he wanted them to be, with whatever faults, frailties, struggles, however long or short their life would be. It was hard to say and pray. But in the end they really belong to him, their maker and father. However God wants to use them, I must be open to it and let them.

But could I let them be handed over for sacrifice? I could hand over myself, but not my boys. That is exactly what God did for us. Unbelievable isn't it?! His love knows no bounds. He will go to any lengths to save us. Don't go this Christmas season forgetting that. Remember how deep and wide the love of God and Christ is. Christmas isn't just about cheer and celebration. It is a season of sacrifice. It was the beginning of our salvation. Now that is something to celebrate!!!

Sunday, December 6, 2009

FEAR NOT

This last Friday, Jason's grandmother, Lucille passed away. It is sad. It makes me think of my own mortality and my family's. In a way it is good. It reminds me to make each day count because this life is short compared to eternity. But it can also lead to worry. This route I have to guard against.

When I told my kids about Lucille's death they said they were sad. I asked if they understood that they wouldn't see her again. (They have already experienced the death of a relative; they attended my grandmother's funeral several years ago and their grandparents on Jason's side have been dead since before they were both born, but we talk about them.) Little Sammy corrected me and said, "No, no mom. We will see her again. We will see her in heaven when we go there." He was happy about it and so sincere. Oh what a blessings my boys are. They always remind me of the simple truths and of God's goodness. They always find a blessing in things. Their vision isn't as clouded as mine by scepticism, bitterness, anxiety. Even as a child, I was plagued by these things. but not my boys. It is a miracle.

It is hard not to worry about them. I know it is a part of parenting, but it can be taken to the extremes by over protecting our children or by being too permissive for fear of losing their love or stifling them. Both are perversions of our protective instincts. We must learn what to do with fear and anxiety. This is a constant issue in my life...in all things, unfortunately. Over the years I have improved, but it will always be an issue I have to fight for balance in.

I have asked God time and time again what to do about my fears. The answer is always something I am not good at doing...PRAYER. When we fear we are to pray. Jesus always let children come to him, in fact he scolded his disciples for keeping children from him and said to specifically not keep them from him. Bring your child to him. Time and time again, parents brought their child to Jesus to heal and always Jesus healed and helped them. When parents pray Jesus responds.

The bible does not comment much about parenting issues. Instead, it leads us to pray. Pray about all things. If something is worth worrying about, it is worth praying about. Be a doer and not a stew-er. I don't know about you, but I tend to forget to pray and instead stew on things over and over until my anxiety increases. Thinking about every possible case scenario to prepare myself only turns me inward so that I cannot think of the needs of others or notice God's leading in something. Fear can dampen our patience and compassion. It squeezes the generosity and trust from us. Our only weapon against it is to pray. Prayer isn't my first instinct, but I want to make it so.

Lamentations 2:19 "Pour our your heart like water before the face of the Lord. Lift your hands toward Him for the life of your young children."

Learning about death has not frightened my children. In fact it has made them more secure. They understand that this life is short and that a better life is waiting for us in heaven. They have both made the decision to accept Christ into their hearts and know that they are going to heaven and that mom and dad are going there too someday. We will eventually all be there together and have new bodies that are better, super hero bodies as they call them, that aren't limited like the ones we have now. They know that heaven is soo much better than this life and look forward to it.

My boys aren't so focused on this life that they forget where their real home is. They talk about the relatives they will get to meet for the first time and those they get to see again on that day. They look forward to it and rejoice that they need not fear death. This allows them to be freed up to enjoy this life and be grateful for its blessings that God and Jesus give them daily. They can't wait to meet God and Jesus facet to face. I can't either.

When I fear, I remind myself that the worst thing that can happen is death and that has its blessings too. So FEAR NOT! Isn't that what Jesus, God and the angels say time and time again in the bible? If is important enough to be said so many times, by such important people, then I must do it and so must you. Lets FEAR NOT!

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Thank God for Family


Thanksgiving was great this year. I loved spending time with my family. There is nothing better. It is such a great reminder of how good God is. Whenever I doubt God's goodness and his love for me, I look at my joy boys and my family and friends and realize just how blessed I am. It puts everything back into perspective. What a good God we have indeed.
This year we have an extra member of the family to enjoy. Max saved up his points/money he earns each week. He saved them all summer long because he wanted to get a guinea pig. I thought he would forget, give up and get tired of the idea before he earned enough points to pay for it. But nooooo. He was so determined and patient. He even saved up points for the cage and things inside (but a nice friend donated her old cage to us and it saved us money). Anyway, eventually we had to follow through and get the critter.
We got the guinea pig at the end of September. Max picked her out and we let him pick the name. He wanted help, so we offered suggestions, but had him decide. I went online and googled "guinea pig baby names" and was surprised to find a massive list of names people have used for their guinea pigs. Yes, the internet has EVERYTHING!!! Max made a list of names he liked and narrowed it down until he chose "Coco". He thought it described her coloring well.
Our dog is named Moses and is affectionately called "Mosey Mo" often. So now Coco's nickname is "Cocomo". So now we have Mosey Mo and Cocomo and the crazy pretend "turkey dog" (it says bargle bargle) the kids have as a pet. You have to love the creativity.
Well lets thank God for our family and friends and for the creativity He has in all the wonderful people God made and put into our lives. What would we do without them? What would we do without God? I think I would turn into a turkey dog without Him! Happy Turkey Dog Day!! Bargle Bargle.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

My Little Turkeys!




Tonight my nephew Sawyer is spending the night with my boys. They are having so much fun. As you can see they made turkey cookies. These are a hit for the season of Thanksgiving (Thanks Sharon, for the idea). Anyway, being with the boys reminds me of so many things I am thankful for. My boys are at the top of the list of course.
I had a really rough week at work and needed some cheer which God provided through these precious smiles. Yes, they are my joy boys. I thought about making a list of things I am thankful for, but it would just be too long, it would go on and on and on.
Some days, like this week, it takes more effort to look and find something to be thankful for. Life can be so difficult. But even in the dark days the blessings are there. Our blessing, our Beloved, our God and Savior are always there.
It is amazing to remember that all we are and all we have to be thankful for, come from our Father. Thank God for our families and friends, our homes, our provisions, our health, our salvation, our future...Thank God for God!...all he is, all he does, the Trinity is our Treasure. So lets all say THANKS! Gobble Gobble. Oh, and eat some cookies!

Saturday, November 14, 2009

The Tooth Fairy


My little Max lost his first tooth last weekend. He has been waiting for this a long time and was so proud. He is reportedly the last one in his first grade class to loose a tooth. Most of his classmates lost thier first one last year in Kindergarten. In fact he wanted it to happent so bad that he kept knocking his teeth on things on purpose, softly of course so it didn't hurt. I remember doing that as a kid. Mine came out really late also. Poor kid.


Yes the toothfairy came. Max asked me during the day when he lost it, how much the tooth fairy would bring him. He thought that the first tooth must be worth more than the rest so he wondered if he would get $500 dollars for it. I told him no, that the tooth fairy had a lot of kids to give to, each kid had a lot of teeth in thier mouth so that added up to a lot of money for the tooth fairy. She has to make sure she has enought for all the kids. He seemed to accept that well, since it made sense to him. And yes, he actually believes in the tooth fairy and it wasn't an actual ploy to get more money out of his parents.


Max explained to Sam that the tooth fairy paid to get your tooth since she collects them. He wondered what she did with them. He thought she made things with them like maybe she puts them in a pencil sharpener and makes them sharp so that they are made into needles to sew. Jason said that she grinds them up into a powder and makes calcium supplements with them. Yeah, Max liked that idea that she made medicine out of them. Anyway, it has been fun for everyone. I just thought that my kids couldn't get any cuter, but what is cuter than a kid smiling with a tooth missing? Hugh? Adorable.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

My Little Pumpkins!



My Little Pumpkins!!! I love the way they attacked the pumpkins at the pumpkin patch. I wish I engaged life this way. What an attitude. These two little pumpkins are my joy boys. Let me show you just one of the many reasons why. My oldest, Max has been telling me for two or three weeks now that he can't wait for school! He wants me to hurry so he can get there. He says this year is even better than last year. He loves first grade! He told me that he likes to work hard and that the more work he is given at school, the more fun it is. Yeah!!! Just keep hold of that attitude cutie. We talk about how if we never learned anything new or never worked hard at something then life would be boring. That is what makes life interesting, exciting, fun and worthwhile.
This is the way God and Jesus want us to engage life. I admit I often fail miserably at this. I tend to worry and look for all the things that could go wrong, as if this could prepare me or change anything. Anyway, I learn daily from my little guys how to carpe diem and make the most of each day, each moment. They help me see the little blessings all around us all the time. We do have such a good God. My boys tell me that often. Oh, how I love to hear those words coming out of those sweet little mouths. They can speak God's truth much more eloquently and clearly than I ever can.
Look for God's blessings today and thank him for all he has done and continues to do for us. His mercies and grace are never ceasing.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

The Death of Complacency

One of the hardest things to do in our Christian walk is to fight against complacency. Life gets so busy and hectic that it is easy to lose sight of our goals in the juggling of all the demands thrown at us. Many times I have thought how wonderful it must be for monks and nuns. Thier only demand is to serve God. I feel like I am serving God and all the rest of mankind...(my husband, kids, extended family, friends, clients at work, the list goes on and on.) I fear God and Jesus get lost in the shuffle. There is an urgent and important battle between our priorities.

We must realize that the good often becomes the enemy of the best. We must constantly ask ourselves not if something is good, because there are sooooo many good things out there for us to do, even with the right heart and attitude, but if it isn't the BEST, the Thing that God has called us to do, then it is a distraction and that can be deadly to the cause of Christ. It can also be damaging to our walk.

We wonder why we are so worn out, tired, frustrated and burned out. It is because we have committed to more than God has asked us to do. We must be wise as serpents with the gift of free will and choices. We must excercise the word NO more often, not to God or Jesus, but to ourselves and others. This is part of the sacrifice involved in following Him.

Think of an athlete training for the olympics. They have to give up a lot of things, many of them good, in order to devote enough time to accomplish thier goal set before them. We must remember to do the same. Don't forget the goal or plan God has for you in the furthering of his kingdom. If we have nothing worth dying for then we have nothing worth living for. Jim Elliott said that, "He is no fool who gives up that which he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." How wise these words are.

Part of our call as Christians is to die to ourselves, mainly our old nature. Only then can we be transformed. If we want to stop struggling with complacency we must die to ourselves and live each day for Christ's plan and not our own selfish desires. I cannot place God and Jesus into a safe little box that doesn't touch the rest of my life. No, it must permeate and transform every part of my life and all that I do. I can no longer be the boss, I must give that role up to one much more worthy.

One of my biggest fears is to find out at the end of my life that I didn't fulfill that plan which God had for me. I don't want to dissappoint him or myself. To think of my life wasted. I want to live a life that shines for Him and blesses others. Don't we all want to do great things?! But we also don't want to give up things/sacrifice in order to make that happen. Why does sacrifice have to be such a dirty word? I wish I could embrace it more often by realizing what it can accomplish.

William Barclay said it well, "The Christian must realize that he is given life, not to keep it for himslef, but to spend it for others; not to husband its flame, but to burn himslef out for Christ and men." An anonymos quote says, "If we don't find something greater than ourselves to serve, we will end up serving ourselves." That would be a tragic end to our lives.

Remember that even Jesus struggled with sacrifice when he prayed in the garden of Gesthemene and asked, "Lord, if it is possible, take this cup from me, nevertheless, not my will, but thine." We all struggle. This is part of working out our salvation with fear and trembling. Just don't give up the good fight. It is worth it. Fight on!!!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

What Is Your Super Power or Not-So Spiritual Gift?


My kids are getting all geared up for Halloween. Every since October 1st they have been drawing pictures to tape on our front window. Now we have officially covered every space possible. They each picked a pumpkin out, went to the Pumpkin patch, played in the hay maze, fed animals and rode a camel. They are so excited about the costumes they picked out--themselves!!! Sam is Robin from Teen Titans. He loves the Japanese song they sing. Max is Obi Wan Kenobi...I am sure I didn't spell it right...I have no idea. Anyways, Halloween is ON! We spent last night driving around on a mission to find any homes with Halloween decorations. They went ballistic and yelled out everything they could spot, kind of like a lets find Waldo version of looking at Christmas lights.

Well Max had to tell me what his super power was the other night. It was very confidential. I probably shouldn't share this in case any arch enemies are listening in, but here goes...His super power is his Awesomeness. Yes, you heard it. He can beat all his enemies with his Awesomeness. Huh, wasn't expecting that one. But really, we have been talking about what makes a real super hero. My kids know that there aren't real super heroes with super powers. We talk about being God's super heros by helping others and doing God's work. Our power comes from our prayers and most importantly from loving God. The more we love God and Jesus the more of him we have in our hearts and the more of His power he gives us. It is not something earned. It is all about us accessing the power and gifts He gives us freely as our inheritance. We are children of God.

We are grafted into the family and given these gifts. Even though our gene pool is different, we are made, transformed into His likeness, His sons and daughters. But we must accept this gift just like we must accept the salvation offered us. God is always waiting to bless us, we just aren't always looking and waiting with open arms. So what is YOUR super power? What is your spiritual gift? I joke that mine is making everyone around me feel tall. It definitely isn't my faith, though I wish it was. So take up your cloak, dawn your boots and take the leap of faith. Ask God to show you your spiritual gifts and talents. Ask him how he wants to use you each day. Be God's super hero. There are never enough of them. Besides, I know you've always wanted to. Seize the day for Christ and God!

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Not a Safe God

I am currently reading another good book, "Not A Safe God" by Tim Riter. It talks about the fact that we tend to think of God as safe, soft, comforting, our father to run to, our provider, our refuge and strength. Yes God is good, but he is more than that. He is also not safe. The bible also refers to him as an all consuming fire, jealous for us. "The Lord will judge his people. It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (Hebrews 10:30-31). God will come into our lives and disrupt it in order to transform us and use us. His laws are absolutes, not warm fuzzy suggestions representing good things to strive for. They are not overstatements used to grab our attention to make a point. They are also not legalistic requirements designed for us to struggle with in vain. I know I cannot reach them.

Sometimes it is frustrating. Did God give us these impossible rules to sabotoge us, tease us and set us up for failure? He knew we couldn't keep them. That is why he sent Jesus to bail us out and save us from our sin. So why the rules at all? Even just trying to attain them causes us to turn inward, focusing more on perfecting ourselves than on following God and helping others. This is what the Pharisees did. Aaagghh!

I think God gives us these rules to teach us how impossible it is to save ourselves, how much we need him. They are also targets for us to put into action our faith. With God's help we can attain some, but not all. But it still doesn't mean we shouldn't try. Our transforming and perfecting doesn't stop here, it is a continous process until we get to heaven. We can't earn our salvation. It was already done for us. We just have to accept it gratefully and live out each day in a way to honor God out of love for him.

Our life here isn't about us, it is about HIM! God and Jesus aren't here to help Us achieve Our goals and ambitions. We are here to serve Him and His will, His purposes. That is the first thing we must get into our heads and hearts. I admit it is a hard thing to remember. Life gets busy and closes in on us and it is easy to lose perspective. That is why we must always keep looking to Him.

So we know that we have a good God, a demanding God, and a God who is not safe. But he is also a God who will never leave us nor forsake us. Don't let your faith falter because of a vision of God that is incomplete and false. Look at ALL that he is. He is marvelous and He will astound you. Oh the dreadful wonderful love of God!!!

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Remember just who the Word of God Comes From

Oswals Chambers said that "we should never interpret the word of God apart from the one who uttered them." I need to keep this in mind. All too often I get irritated when reading God's word. Yes, I know that sounds awful. I should be inspired and in a holy, otherworldly state reading it, but reality isn't always pretty. Yes the word of god is powerful and inspiring, encouraging, but MY SINFULNESS isn't. How I recieve the word (and how much truth and help I get from it) is all dependent on my state of mind and spirit reading it. God has already done his part in giving the word (His tools) to us. It is my part to prepare my spirit to recieve it. UGHHH!!! Can you hear me slapping my forehead again and again? It takes a lot to get through it. It seems like a duh, no contest info. but it is soooo hard to remember and do.

Even if my spirit isn't in the right place, though, I should still prod on, obedient to seeking God. It is these times we develope patience, steadfastness of spirit. Eventually the word will speak to us again. I have had times where I couldn't even pray. I just had to sit still and allow the Holy Spirit to speak for me, praying for me with groanings too deep for words. Oh we have a good God, even if we don't always feel like it. God understands and provides for us in all circumstances. Just remember in the good times that if we aren't hearing from Him and we feel dry, it may be that we aren't coming seeking Him or his will.

There are always going to be dry times. I just pray that the dryness will not matter nor affect me. I can't become stuck by it, overwhwelmed and use it as an opportunity to be dissappointed with God. God is God not matter what the circumstance. We may not understand Him or his ways, we may not see him, but just like the mountain top covered by clouds, he is still there as majestic and powerful and present as ever.

God's word says to obey his rules. Oswald Chambers said that "God never insists on obedience. He tell us what we ought to do, but ne never takes means to make us do it...The Lord does not give me rules, He makes His standard very clear, and if my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without any hesitation." It is a matter of trusting God, that what he says is best because he only wants to protect us and give us the best. If we love him we will trust and want to please him. That is why He says "IF" so often in the bible. "If ye love me ye will keep my commandments" (jon 14:15) "If any man will become my disciple let him deny himself. (Luke 14:26).

His word also says that, "All things are permissible for me, but not all things are beneficial." That is why God wants us to listen to him, just like a parent raising their child. A parent doesn't try to squealch a child's fun. A parent just tries to keep a healthy boundary of protection using good judgment. Yes other parents and kids may be doing something, but it is not best so they don't give you permission. It is done out of love, despite the parent knowing the grief of pouting and tantrums they will probably elicit by it. Still, protecting you and giving you the best is worth it. Don't we act like children to God in response to his direction? I do, time and time again. Thank goodness (Godness) that He loves us so much to put up with us.

So remember each time you read the word of God, that it is coming from a God who loves you so passionately that he would die for you to save you and give you his inheritance, his best. Don't get frustrated, remember who is speaking the words. Then it is much easier to keep the proper spirit and perspective to recieve it. His word always is spoken to us in love. Recieve it in love. And only speak it to others in love.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Fear? Fear Not? What should we fear?

It can be confusing. Actually confusion tends to be a continual state with me. I can go round and round and confuse myself with just about anything. I ask too many questions, instead of just listening and beleiving....TRUSTING!

But really, doesn't the bible say to not fear? We are supposed to put our trust in God and Jesus and they will take care of the rest (Matthew 6:25-34). "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life...look at the birds of the air...and the lilies of the field...will he (God)not much more clothe (and feed) you O men of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?', or 'What shall we drink?', or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be yours as well. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day's own trouble be sufficient for the day."

But on the same hand, there are even more verses that deal with the fact that we should fear God. (Proverbs 9:10) "The fear of the Lord is the beginnig of wisdom." (Proverbs 19:23) "The fear of the Lord leads to life". So is fear good or bad? should we fear or should we not fear?

I think the question is not IF we should fear, but WHAT we should fear. Fear is a response in nature, given to us by God. It serves a function to protect us. But we should be careful about how we let it lead us. It is a warning for us to stop and prayerfully take a look at our life, our circumstances...is this thing healthy for me? Is it dangerous? Use it with wisdom. We should not fear the world or worry about our provisions. This does not mean we don't work. But God will provide through us.

Rather we should fear God and worry about whether we are pleasing him, seeking him...or are we being led astray, hardening our hearts to him? I like this next verse and find it very helpful. (Luke 12:4-12) "I tell you, my frieds, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear; fear him who, after he has killed, has the power to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows. And I tell you everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of man also will acknowledge before the angels of God; but he who denies me before men wil be denied before the angels of God. And everyone who speaks a word against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious how or what you are to answer or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."

Aaahh. We can relax. We don't have to worry and agonize over every little thing in this life. We just need to keep it simple and fear God (worry/concentrate on following him) and not Man or the things of this Life. If we fear God (By this I mean having a healthy respect for him and his authority over us) then we need not fear anything else. How freeing is that!!!

Not only is it freeing, it opens us up to more of his work in our life. If we wonder (which I admit I do often since I obviously struggle with this) why I don't seem to hear God's voice or sense his leading in my life, then I need to look at simplifying my life. Everytime I falter in my walk it is because I think I know more than God or Jesus. I do not seek them or let the Spirit guide me. My PRIDE is my downfall. Was this not the first origional deadly sin that led to Lucifers downfall and to Adam and Eve's...and on to all mankind's downfall? It destroys our relationship with God. It kicks our hineys and kicked us all out of paradise.

If we are humble and keep life simple, we will see God, hear him, and be able to follow and not be confused and distracted. Simpleness isn't a curse, but a gift. It keeps us in a right relationship with God. I work with kids with disabilities and if you notice those who seem to have a simpler mind (we tend to call "challenged"), they always seem to be happier and to see the truth more easily. They state the truth so well. I am always lifted by them and led back to God. We complicated, sophisticated ones are the cursed ones..."challenged" as we are by our distractions.

So don't worry about this life. Don't question, just concentrate on Him and what He has put before you. That is the simple path to victory.

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Why can't we see God or Jesus?

I was talking with my four year old today. He started telling me that Jesus was greater than anyone and that people are not perfect. He heard a song on the radio that talked about the fact that there are no perfect people. He started mentioning the fact that nobody could see God or Jesus. I asked him why that was (mainly because he has asked me that question himself in the past and I wanted to find out what he had understood and retained---nosey mom that I am).

He didn't remember why to my chagrin, but we just talked about that we can't see them with our human eyes, because they are weak and not perfect. But when we die and go to heaven we will get new bodies with eyes that can see God and Jesus, glorious bodies that will never get hurt or sick or sad.

That is the easiest was I know of explaining it to children. It is the same with the Holy Spirit. I use the example of the wind, how we can't see it, but we can see its effects when it blows our hair, a leaf, trees,etc. If little ones, or even big ones of us, have trouble believing in a God and Lord that are not visible, try this example to explain it. At some point it must come down to faith. It is a hard concept for adults to grasp (and to find faith in), let alone children with limited knowledge. Anyway, I hope that example helps you when your children ask about the spiritual vs. physical.

John 20:29 "Because you have seen you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe."

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Confessions of a Hand Lifter in Praise

Yes, I confess it. I have become one of those persons who lift thier hands in praise during worship. Over a month ago I told my dad that I had something to confess and I knew he would be dissappointed in me (honestly, he would be...is, he dislikes that sort of thing, anything that shows emotion during church). He laughed because he knew it was true. If he was standing next to me in church he would be mortified and frustrated because I would be embarrassing him. Even just seeing strangers in church do it embarrasses him, and here I am his own daughter. So see my point? Yeah. It is a good thing we go to different churches in different towns so we can worship as we each feel led. This is how church should be. But I don't think we have to go to different churches to do it. Can't we do it and tolerate each other. I mean as long as we believe in the same God, Jesus, and stick to the word of God and fundamental beliefs? Yes.

I used to be very uncomfortable with outward displays of worship. I would sing quietly since I cannot carry a tune to save my life and stand stiff as a board ready for the music to finish, not even able to enjoy it. Well, I got tired of that. I also felt like I wasn't honoring God. I was caring more about what others might think, how I might look...than what God thought. I felt stiffled, chained and restricted. I wondered why I didn't hear from God (which I still struggle with, but have heard from him at times). I wanted joy in my worship and only freedom would allow me that.

Jesus died to give me freedom. If I bound myself with the chains of this world (which is something only we can do to ourselves...it is a choice we make)then what is that saying to the cost that Jesus paid to free me? It is a slap in his face, saying that what he did on that cross wasn't enough. He isn't enough. Others matter more than him. Wasn't that proving to be true in my life? Ouch! The truth hurts, but it is necessary for change, positive change!

I finally decided to learn the art of worshipping Him. And yes it is an art. It doesn't come easy to many of us. It is hard to let go of pride and fear, distractions and just pare the focus down to you and your savior. That is when you truly spend time with him and hear his voice, experience him in his glory and grace, gain the knowledge of how unconditionally you are loved. It is a peeling off of the world around us. It is a constant process for the world leaves its layer of film on us. Allow the Holy one to cleanse you. Feel the freedom. It is empowering.

It reminds me of how King David danced and sang in the streets in jubilation praising God. He didn't care what others thought. His own wife ridiculed him for this because she was embarrassed by it. But David pleased God, not his wife (and yes she was stricken barren for this). Let's focus on pleasing God and not man. Learn the art of worship. Now you don't have to raise your hands and dance to do this. Just be free to worship as you feel led.

Galatians 1:10 "Am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still pleasing men, I shold not be a servant of Christ Jesus."

2 Samuel 6:14-16 and 6:20-23 "And David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of the horn. As the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window, and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart....And David returned to bless his household. But Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, 'How the king of Israel honored himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants' maids, as one of the vulgar fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!' And David said to Michal, 'It was before the Lord, who chose me above your father, and above all his house, to apoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the Lord---and I will make merry before the Lord. I will make myself yet more contemptible than this, and I will be abased in your eyes; but the maids of whom you have spoken, by them I shall be held in honor.' And Michanl the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death."

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Where's Waldo?/Where's Jesus?

At my Sunday school class today, the teacher challenged us all to something I hadn't ever thought about. He said that every chapter in the bible has Jesus' fingerprints on it. The challenge was for us to read the bible, each of its chapters looking for Jesus. It made me think of a "Where's Waldo?" game.

Well, I have been needing to come up with a new plan for spending scripture reading time so I guess I will call it the "Where's Jesus?" mission. I think it will be really cool. I have never thought about doing this before. Nor have I realized or thought about the fact that Jesus and God's saving plan is a constant theme found throughout the entire bible, from beginning to end.

So go from Genesis to Revelation and take up the challenge to find Jesus. He is there. I know in doing so I will find an even bigger blessing from the gift of God's word. If you decide to join me in the mission, let me know how it is going! I would love the feedback.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

A Passion for Pride or People?

I have had so much fun this weekend (despite the fussing and fighting mixed into the giggling and smiles---because you know the two always have to go together at the age of 4 and 6.). Oh what joy to see my two boy joys playing together. They have been making tents together and even making sure Moses, our dog joins into the adventure of their make believe play world. They are hilarious, so much fun to watch. Oh to be so honest, open, joyful and uninhibited by the world. Why do we have to grow up?

Ok, we do need to grow up. But in the process we need not leave behind our joy and openness. The world seems to press down on us with its expectations, but some of them are incorrect. We need to look to God and Jesus for what really matters. Did Jesus care what others thought of him? I don't think so. He was ridiculed for eating with and hanging out with sinners. Hmmm, wouldn't that include all of us? Who could he hang out with who wasn't a sinner? Only himself and he wasn't a lone ranger.

No he included others in his life, love, ministry. He took time to pour himself out into the lives of his disciples so that they could carry on his work and help others...all the world. He let them spit on him, beat him, scourge him, mock him, torture him and kill him. Why? To honor God, obey his will and save others. There is no room for pride in following God. I have to remind myself daily. It doesn't matter what man thinks, only what God thinks. If I follow the world/man/others, then I am not following God. I must let go of every hinderance in running the race set before me. And oh what a hinderance and weight the requirements of the world are to us. We can never meet them. So why not stop trying? Just focus on serving and following God.

Still, this is not an easy task. We will fail and falter...often. But there is grace in his path. He knows our frailties and humanness and has already covered our mistakes with his blood, grace and provided help along the way. He will never leave us nor forsake us, unlike the world. So let go of pride. The goal of a perfect image is unattainable. The goal of being perfect is unattainable. It only exists for one...Jesus, our savior. So seek after him, be aware of your faults, don't hide them or be ashamed, but walk in his grace and forgive yourself and others. Then continue the race. If you hide behind false pretenses of pride, you are not living in reality. Let go. Give it up. Free youself of the pointless pursuit.

Pride is the ultimate sin. It leads us to all the other sinful paths we can find ourselves on. Remember what Satan was ruined by? He was the highest ranked angel, the most beautiful and gifted, but still, his pride got ahold of him, ate away at his peace and caused him to become the enemy of God. He decided he wanted to become God and take over his place. Sound familiar? It is scary to think that, that is what we do in our own little ways everyday. Don't we want to be in control and tell God what to do? Eeeek. The truth hurts...but it is helpful for change. Pride is evil and insidious. It creeps in subtly at first and them tightens its grip on us. We have a passion for pride, bitterness and anger, but not a passion for people. We must have a passion for loving others. Pride inhibits that. It narrows our world down to just us. Expand your vision and in doing so break the bonds of pride. Stop looking at yourself and keep refocusing your vision on others and God.

In bending our knees to serve others we are not becoming thier slaves or servants. It is not demeaning, but uplifting. It adds character, meaning, depth to our lives that nothing else can. Living for ourselves is living for nothing. Live for God and serve others as an outpouring of that love. You will be amazed at the results. It is a daily struggle, but it is worth it.

So give, love, laugh freely. Extend yourself to others and join in the play. It is a joyful work to serve God and others. Our God is very creative and powerful. Let him use you in his amazing plan of serving others. It is the best ride ever! Even though we grow up we are still His children...children of God. So live and give joyfully. God loves to see us that way.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Messy Mastepeices

This is sort of a continuation on the theme of Divine Difficulties I guess. Can you tell I used to be obsessed with perfectionism? I was a little OCD as a child and would actually get up in the middle of the night one or more times to remake my bed with hospital bed corners because it would drive my crazy if it wasn't perfectly neat. When did I do this? From elementary school and on up until college. Yes, my messy roomates in college were divinely chosen for me to help me let go of my issues. God has a way of doing this for us. (At least for me, it is a theme. I am trying not to take it the wrong way. Huh. What does that say about me? Oh well.)

This week my son Max has made a tie dye t-shirt and Sam has painted some pictures at thier daycares. Max continued the artistic theme by finding a web site on cartoon network where he made spin art. It was so cute and fun. He made them for his great granda and his Mimi (grandma).

I love the art my kids make and frequently frame them. I have many framed pictures they have painted hanging in their rooms. It is so cute. There are a few favorites that I will keep to hang up in the rest of the house when they grow up and don't want them in their rooms. I am amazed at how much I treasure these. I can't get enough of their creations.

This does not fit my perfectionistic impulse. But the rule does not apply to my kids, nor to art. If a piece of art is too perfect it is not interesting. The slight imperfections make them unique and special and interesting. They add more character to the piece. They add the human touch. I don't want a piece of art work done by a computer/robot/machine. I want it done by a person. That way it is personal and special.

I am daily reminded that, that is how God sees us. Our frailties, weaknesses, imperfections are still beautiful in his eyes. They do not diminish the glory and love he sees and feels for us. Do we not feel the same about our own loved ones he has given us? How much more so with God!

Now don't get me wrong. It is not that God loves sin or sickness or weakness. But he still loves us and sees beauty in us. He can also use anything for his good and still create a work of art out of us. He does make beauty from ashes. so don't despair of your imperfections. Accept them and make the best of them. Allow God to still use you...all of you, strengths and weaknesses. Let go of your pride. God has not given you a spirit of timidity, but of power, love and self-control. Rejoice in the person God made you to be.

Don't shy back from him using you due to fear of failure or shame over weakness and imperfections. God is not looking for perfect people. If he was, he would be very lonely. He knows us well and our imperfections. That is why he sent Jesus and paid such a high price for our salvation. He knows very well who we really are and still loves us fiercely. Rejoice in that truth and let it free you. Isn't it great to be His messy masterpiece!!!

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Grumbling Israelites

Yes, I am living with the grumbling Israelites. My kids have been very fussy this week, well, for the last month to be honest. My patience is wearing thin. But as always, one good thing can come out of our trials. Every time my kids start fussing, it reminds me of the Israelites grumbling in the desert and how God must have felt. He provided for them, saved them, guided them and made them his own special people (Family), but still they were not satisfied. Aren't we the same? Are we ever satisfied? If we aren't, then we are'nt spending enough time with God in his presence in prayer, His word, and worship.

I admit, I am the biggest grumbler of all. Why? Ugh. It is the core of my sinful nature. How quickly I forget how good my God is. How many times have I made him cringe with the sound of my fussing? How many times have I brought tears to his eyes? But thank goodness he is tireless, forgiving, loving and patient. God knows our tendencies to sin. That is why he sent his son Jesus to save us. Thank goodness for his God-ness, his nature, who he is, the great "I am". What would we do if he was anything less than who he was?

So, if---(oops), "when" you are frustrated with your kid's (or co-worker's, or spouse's, etc.) fussing, use it as an opportunity to praise God and remember how good he is. It is a quick reality check, reminding us how we all behave at times...too often. So carpe diem, seize the day for Christ and find a way to make every frustration and trial an opportunity to draw close to God or help others. Turn your fussing into praises and save the day!

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Hiya!!!

Sometimes I am hit afresh with how powerful the word of God is. I was at Max's Karate class today and saw his teacher using his nerf sword to get kids to watch and move fast. They had so much fun jumping and ducking to dodge the foam sword. It made me think of God's word and this verse. I kept thinking of it on the way home with little "Hiyas!" peppered in periodically and I liked it.

(Hebrews 4:12)
"The word of God is living and active,(Hiha!)sharper than any two-edged sword, (Hiya!)Piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, (Hiya!)and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hiya!)."

Awesome huh?! Here are some more...

(Isaiah 55:11)
"So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; (Hiya!)it shall not return to me empty, (Hiya!) but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, (Hiya!)and prosper in the thing for which I sent it (Hiya!)."

(Psalms 33:4-9)
"For the word of the Lord is upright; and his work is done in faithfulness, (Hiya!) He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord (Hiya!). By the work of the Lord the heavens were made, and all thier host by the breath of his mouth, (Hiya!) He gathered the waters of the sea as in a bottle; he put the deeps in storehouses (Hiya!). Let all the earth fear the Lord, let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him (Hiya!)! For he spoke and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood forth (Hiya!)."

How great is our God! How powerful his words! Rejoice in them, treasure them, feast on them. They are our comfort and defense, our joy and our prick of truth. We need this sword! Pick yours up today and use it...Hiya!

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Divine Difficulties

I don't know about the rest of you, but my week has been pretty hectic and challenging. My mother fell and broke her femer. Recuperating has been tricky for her since she has previous injuries (many!) which already diminish her strength and balance. She is so frustrated and discouraged it breaks my heart. I wish I could do more for her. It is hard. Life can be hard.

I was talking to my dad about this at the hospital and he was expressing his frustration that God doesn't seem to protect us. It makes us feel like he is weak, impotent and uncaring at times, but that is not the truth. I am not down on my dad for expressing this thought/feeling. I certainly have struggled with it many times. We all do on a daily basis. Let's get real here, no pretenses or false super-faith. No posers allowed.

I appreciate my dad for being honest and bold enough to speak truthfully about his feelings. But our feelings are not fact. Faith is not based on feelings. The truth is the truth and it never changes. Jesus is the truth and He never changes. There are no good days for God or bad days when he is asleep at the wheel. God never sleeps. He always cares and He is always powerful...more than we could ever imagine. Thank God that He is also always patient, forgiving and slow to anger.

With that stated, why do we endure hardships if we have a good, powerful God who loves us? Well, for one thing "Free Will" comes up again. He loves us enough to give us a choice of free will. Love is a choice, not a feeling. Without a choice we cannot love. We would just be robots. No, God loves us enough to give us a choice so that we can truly love him if we choose to do so. We can follow him and his ways or follow our own. There are always consequences involved. These consequences of our sin affect not just ourselves, but everyone around us. The fall out and damage it leaves behind is like a ripple affect that keeps moving out in ever widening circles.

But my mom's accident, for example, wasn't due to anyone's sin or carelessness. She was being careful and it wasn't anyone's fault. Sometimes things just happen. Why? I don't really know. Only God knows. I don't believe he causes them to happen, just like he doesn't cause sin to happen either. But he does promise to use everything for His good purposes, to bring good out of it and to be with us every step of the way. He will never leave us or forsake us. Even Jesus, the prophets and the great heros of the bible endured hardships and death. Why would we be excluded?

Why would God allow bad things to happen? We may never get an answer to that. Not until heaven at least. But do believe that He will use them. Not one of our tears is wasted or forgotten. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I would not be the person I am if life hadn't involved some struggles. If life was always easy what would I learn? How would I grow? When would I ever notice that I need God and Jesus? When would I ever be motivated enough to move out of myself and my little comfort zone, my shallow, small, self-involved little world? Never. Not on my own. I would never be in need or have the opportunities to experience miracles. I would totally miss seeing blessings and provision. My God would be me. SCARY!

No, I have to say that I have never grown in times of plenty (well, maybe physically...putting on a few pounds, but not spiritually). I can only become the person God made me to be by working through the difficulties that come with life. Without divine difficulties we would all be stagnant and stagnant water is not healthy and can be dangerous, even deadly. God knows this. He knows us well, better than we know ourselves.

Besides that, living life all safe (which I admit I live for security with my anxiety prone cycles)would make us comotose. Would that really be living? We have to know pain in order to know pleasure. As much as I hate to say it, pain can be a blessing. It wakes us up, signals danger and motivates us to change and do something...to move.

So, in our times of struggle, let's not struggle with God. Reach out to him and cling to him. He is there and waiting. Let him walk through the desert with you, carry you if needed. Don't doubt his goodness and love for a minute. If you feel yourself waning, read his word, his promises and speak the truth. Drown out the lies of the enemy. Drown out your fears and replace them with His Truth. Nothing can stand up to His Truth, not our fears, not lies, not doubts, not anything. Our God is good and he loves us. That is always true!!!

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Be Prepared

READ AND JUST PASS IT ON.


Juval Aviv was the Israeli Agent upon whom the movie ' Munich ' was
based. He was Golda Meir's bodyguard -- she appointed him to track down
and bring to justice the Palestinian terrorists who took the Israeli
athletes hostage and killed them during the Munich Olympic Games.

In a lecture in New York City a few weeks ago, he shared information
that EVERY American needs to know -- but that our government has not
yet shared with us.

He predicted the London subway bombing on the Bill O'Reilly show on Fox
News stating publicly that it would happen within a week. At the time,
O'Reilly laughed and mocked him saying that in a week he wanted him
back on the show. But, unfortunately, within a week the terrorist
attack had occurred.

Juval Aviv gave intelligence (via what he had gathered in Israel and
the Middle East ) to the Bush Administration about 9/11 a month before
it occurred. His report specifically said they would use planes as
bombs and target high profile buildings and monuments. Congress has
since hired him as a security consultant.

Now for his future predictions. He predicts the next terrorist attack
on the U.S. Will occur within the next few months.

Forget hijacking airplanes, because he says terrorists will NEVER try
and hijack a plane again as they know the people onboard will never go
down quietly again. Aviv believes our airport security is a joke --
that we have been reactionary rather than proactive in developing
strategies that are truly effective.

For example:

1) Our airport technology is outdated. We look for metal, and the new
explosives are made of plastic..

2) He talked about how some idiot tried to light his shoe on fire.
Because of that, now everyone has to take off their shoes. A group of
idiots tried to bring aboard liquid explosives. Now we can't bring
liquids on board. He says he's waiting for some suicidal maniac to
pour liquid explosive on his underwear; at which point, security will
have us all traveling naked! Every strategy we have is reactionary.

3) We only focus on security when people are heading to the gates.

Aviv says that if a terrorist attack targets airports in the future,
they will target busy times on the front end of the airport when/where
people are checking in. It would be easy for someone to take two
suitcases of explosives, walk up to a busy check-in line, ask a person
next to them to watch their bags for a minute while they run to the
restroom or get a Dr
ink, and then detonate the bags BEFORE security even gets involved.

In Israel , security checks bags BEFORE people can even ENTER the airport.

Aviv says the next terrorist attack here in America is imminent and
will involve suicide bombers and non-suicide bombers in places where
large groups of people congregate. (I. E., Disneyland, Las Vegas
casinos, big cities (New York, San Francisco, Chicago, etc..) and that
it will also include shopping malls, subways in rush hour, train
stations, etc., as well as rural America this time (Wyoming, Montana,
etc.).

The attack will be characterized by simultaneous detonations around the
country (terrorists like big impact), involving at least 5-8 cities,
including rural areas.

Aviv says terrorists won't need to use suicide bombers in many of the
larger cities, because at places like the MGM Grand in Las Vegas ,
they can simply valet park a car loaded with explosives and walk away.

Aviv says all of the above is well known in intelligence circles, but
that our U. S. Government does not want to 'alarm American citizens'
with the facts. The world is quickly going to become 'a different
place', and issues like 'global warming' and political correctness will
become totally irrelevant.

On an encouraging note, he says that Americans don't have to be
concerned about being nuked. Aviv says the terrorists who want to
destroy America will not use sophisticated weapons. They like
to use suicide as a front-line approach.. It's cheap, it's easy, it's
effective; and they have an infinite abundance of young militants more
than willing to 'meet their destiny'.

He also says the next level of terrorists, over which America should
be most concerned, will not be coming from abroad. But will be,
instead, 'homegrown' -- having attended and been educated in our own
schools and universities right here in the U.. S. He says to look for
'students' who frequently travel back and forth to the Middle East .
These young terrorists will be most dangerous because they will know
our language and will fully understand the habits of Americans; but
that we Americans won't know/understand a thing about them.

Aviv says that, as a people, Americans are unaware and uneducated about
the terrorist threats we will, inevitably, face. America still has only
have a handful of Arabic and Farsi speaking people in our intelligence
networks, and Aviv says it is critical that we change that fact SOON.

So, what can America do to protect itself? From an intelligence
perspective, Aviv says the U.S. needs to stop relying on satellites and
technology for intelligence.. We need to, instead, follow Israel 's,
Ireland 's and England 's hands-on examples of human intelligence, both
from an infiltration perspective as well as to trust 'aware' citizens
to help. We need to engage and educate ourselves as citizens; however,
our U. S. government continues to treat us, its citizens, 'like
babies'. Our government thinks we 'can't handle the truth' and are
concerned that we'll panic if we understand the realities of terrorism.
Aviv says this is a deadly mistake.

Aviv recently created/executed a security test for our Congress, by
placing an empty briefcase in five well-traveled spots in five major
cities. The results? Not one person called 911 or sought a policeman to
check it out. In fact, in Chicago , someone tried to steal the briefcase!

In comparison, Aviv says that citizens of Israel are so well 'trained'
that an unattended bag or package would be reported in seconds by
citizen(s) who know to publicly shout, 'Unattended Bag!' The area would
be quickly & calmly cleared by the citizens themselves. But,
unfortunately, America hasn't been yet 'hurt enough' by terrorism for
their government to fully understand the need to educate its citizens
or for the government to understand that it's their citizens who are,
inevitably, the best first-line of defense against terrorism.

Aviv also was concerned about the high number of children here in
America who were in preschool and kindergarten after 9/11, who were
'lost' without parents being able to pick them up, and about our
schools that had no plan in place to best care for the students until
parents could get there. (In New York City , this was days, in some
cases!)

He stresses the importance of having a plan, that's agreed upon within
your family, to respond to in the event of a terrorist emergency. He
urges parents to contact their children's schools and demand that the
schools, too, develop plans of actions, as they do in Israel .

Does your family know what to do if you can't contact one another by
phone? Where would you gather in an emergency? He says we should all
have a plan that is easy enough for even our youngest children to
remember and follow.

Aviv says that the U. S. government has in force a plan that, in the
event of another terrorist attack, will immediately cut-off EVERYONE's
ability to use cell phones, blackberries, etc., as this is the
preferred communication source used by terrorists and is often the way
that their bombs are detonated.

How will you communicate with your loved ones in the event you cannot
speak? You need to have a plan.


If you believe what you have just read, then you must feel compelled to
send to every concerned parent or guardian, grandparents, uncles,
aunts, whatever and whomever. Nothing will happen if you choose not to
do so, but in the event it does happen, this particular email will
haunt you..."I should have sent this to..... ", but I didn't believe it
and just deleted it as so much trash from old Bill Jones!!!

_________________________________________________________________________________
Ok,you can think I'm crazy if you want to. (Not that you didn't think that already). Anyway, I saw this e-mail and it hit a nerve in me. I have heard of several people getting stocked up on items in case the bird flue, swine flue or something happened. Then I have a close friend I trust inheritantly who has been feeling compelled to do the same, but for another reason. She has sensed God has been warning and preparing her for a national catastrophe. She didn't know what and was embarrased to tell people she knew. she finally overcame her fear and reluctance after almost a year of this directing. She is a woman of God who prayerfully seeks God's guidance. This is definitely not a silly notion or idea she got in her head. This dramatic information is not in her nature or history. She is as solid as a rock.

Recently she has heard from a few sources she trusts that they have had visions of fires in all the major cities in America and provision sources cut off. This was a confirmation to her. Then, I recieved this e-mail. So, whether you think I am crazy or not, I am relaying the message. Better safe than sorry. Better prepared than not. It can't hurt.

At first I felt scared and freaked out by this. But I have to remind myself that there is only so much I can do. The rest is in God's hands and if needed he will provide. I don't mean to sound all Doomsday-ish, but God did warn Noah didn't he? Anyway, only God knows his plans. It is not for me to worry about, nor for you to worry about, just to listen and be prepared for whatever if anything happens. Our God is in control. He is bigger than anything!

I find myself singing to myself the song, "My God is so big, so strong and so mighty there's nothing my God cannot do". Remember his goodness and "have no anxiety about anything for He cares for you" (Philippians 4:6). "My God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19). So have no fear beloved. Just keep your eyes open and be prepeared, always and rest in the father's hands.

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Wonderfully Made Mess

I think everyone struggles with their self image. We see ourselves through our own eyes, as well as the eyes of the world around us. That is the problem. We shouldn't look at what the world says, we are in the world, but not of it. We are His! We are the adopted children of god, formed and fashioned by his own hand, with works prepared in advance for us to do, every day planned and laid out for us, known by him...fearfully and wonderfully made! Amazing! But why is it so hard to believe, grasp? The world around us is so loud. It is intrusive, pushing its way in and taunting us with what it thinks we should be, which is almost always the opposite of what God says. The more you read His word, the more clear it becomes. This is why we need to spend more time in it. Sigh, yes I struggle with that I admit.

It reminds me of Max being teased about being little. At his yound 2 year old age (when it started, believe it or not)he and his peers thought that the only rule was that Bigger was always Better. Max struggled with this and even used to root for the giant Goliath when he watched the movie or read the story of David and Goliath. It took a long time of repeatedly talking to him about what is really important, which is being big on the inside...which he definintely is! The reality and truth of his struggle saddened me. It is all of our struggle. Whether it is power,size, money, beauty, image, influence...it is all the same...a passing gift only of importance in the fact that it can be used by God if allowed, just like all of our undeserved gifts. The only one true thing that is powerful, beautiful, big, important...is our Lord and God...and Him in us. The more of him we have in us, guiding us, empowering us, walking with us,the bigger we are on the inside.

Anyway, this is what God says is important and worthy. "God does not see what man sees. Man looks at the outer appearance, but God looks at the heart." "Our beauty should not come from outward appearances, such as the braiding of hair or the wearing of gold and fine jewelry. It should come from the inner self, the unfading beauty of a quiet and gentle spirit Which Is Of Great Worth In God's Sight."

Growing up I used to be very shy. My twin sister did all of the socializing for me. I just tagged along. This verse was one I memorized and clung to. It carried me and saved me. Our Lord and His word tends to do that if we let it. Did I tell you that I need to spend more time in his word? Yeah right. The truth hurts and helps.

The other side of this problem of self image is that at the same time that we belittle ourselves and God's good work in us, we also struggle with the sin of seeing ourselves as better, more deserving than we are. What is up with that? That is what causes us to not trust God. It is a sort of pschizophrenic faith. "Our nature wars with itself so that we do not do what we want to do." Does this all sound familiar? It should. It is God's word and He, who created us, knows us so well...so well!

So what should we do...give up? Never! Continue fighting the good fight. Regularly go to God in prayer, confess your sins so that you can see yourself honestly and get rid of any barrier between you and God. Then you are in a position to hear His voice. He will tell you the truth and remind you as many times as he needs to (for eternity) Who you are, Whose you are and How much you are worth. You are precious to Him, loved and forgiven. That is all we need to know. That truth alone, even when whispered to us as he quietly sings over us, is louder than any lies of the enemy or the world around us.

Fight on beloved! Stand in the truth of who you are and walk boldly everyday in whatever work he has called you to do for the moment. We are only as strong as the amount of power and provision we are willing to receive from our Lord. He is waiting to give it to you daily, just open up your clenched little fist and receive.
"As a man thinks in his heart, so is he (Proverbs 23:7) Believe the truth. Don't get your vision from the world, get it from the one who made you. You can do all things through Christ. Nothing is impossible with God.

I challenge you to read Psalm 139 to yourself every day this week or month, or more if needed. Can you tell I read it alot? Yeah, I need it too. Anyway, this has always been a favorite for me too, and helped me a lot. Try also reading it by inserting your name it it. Believe it and see the truth in it. If you do you will be amazed at how good our God is. Never forget that you are Fearfully and Wonderfully Made! Yes I am a fearfully and wonderfully made mess at times, yet wonderfully all the less!

Monday, May 11, 2009

Let God Move!

This last week I have felt like God was nudging me to let Him move in my life. I need to give him room to move. I have the tendency to squeeze Him out with the business and concerns of the day. My natural instict is to take control, or at least try to, as flimsy and inadequate as my abilities are. Anyway, I am trying to be more open for God to work. This takes flexibility, keeping our eyes on him and asking His guidance often. Most of the time I just go around in a fog, overly focused on the next job to do, I am too busy for God I am ashamed to admit.

If I want to see miracles at work and for God to make changes, to catch glimpses of my heavenly father and savior, taste and see of them...then I must give them room. I must put myself in a position (no matter how vulnerable it may be or feel)to need and receive. I must increase my awareness of how big God is, how good He is, how perfect He is. And yes, I must increase my awareness of how little, sinful and imperfect, weak, needy...etc. (I could go on forever)I am. There must be that truth, that honest, proper perspective for our eyes to be open to His work. We have to be in a right position ro receive, otherwise we will miss it. We won't see the opportunity or gift or else we will assume that it occured because of our abilities and effort and not God. I don't want to even think of the number of times I have probably missed it. Our God and Savior are gentlemen. They give us free will and never force themselves or their way on us.

Another barrier is unforgiveness of others, even ourselves. We have to forgive since He first forgave us. Who are we to do any less? It is not just for others, but even more for ourselves that we must forgive. God wants to unlock, unclog the barriers of unforgiveness and sin that keep Him at a distance from us. He longs to draw close if we would but let him. We must be aware of our faults and sins, but not be overwhelmed by them so that they don't paralyze us, but instead propel us towards our Lord. We are not defined by power, money, beauty, intelligence, status...none of these last. Everything fades, but the love of God and Jesus. That is how we need to define ourselves every day. We are forgiven, loved, his children, his beloved and we belong to the Great "I AM"! Trust Him enough to give him room to move in your life. Let down your guard today and be open to new things He may bring, work he may want you to do (prepared for you in advance). Walk in faith, confidence, boldness never letting timidity get in the way. He has great plans for you...Do them! Don't miss out.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Graham Cooke

Below is a video from Graham Cooke. He is an awesome preacher I recently found, yesterday actually, from none other than my hair dresser, Barb Giordano. Like I have said before, she has all the hook-ups and info. If you go to U-tube you can see many other videos from him. They are great. He is full of the Spirit, real, and speaks the word in truth. I hope the videos bless you as much as they have blessed me.

Beloved, this video reminded and inspired me to spend more time resting in God's love and grace. There is nothing better for us and nothing that pleases Him more. Yes, we are loved by a great, good and relentless God, not because of anything we have done, but because of who He is. It is his nature to love. He cannot help but love us. Anything else is contrary to His nature. And He never changes. We may change, but he doesn't. He cannot love us any more or less than He does right now. His ability to love can't increase, decrease or change in any way. Only our ability to receive His love can change. Open up and recieve. We are his beloved. That is something to rejoice about!

Graham Cooke's Inheritance

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Bible=Boring?

Do you or your children think that the bible is boring? A lot of people do. But I think that is because they don't know enough about it. The words boring and Bible don't go together. Our God is mysterious, huge, bigger than life, bigger than anything. No one can fathom his ways. His word is alive with the truth. It is a double edged sword piercing to the division of joints and marrow, soul and spirit. God's word is so powerful that he formed the universe with only a word. He speaks and it is done. So does that sound boring?

The bible is full of stories about passion, lust, murder, intrigue, lies, heros saving the day, wars, apocolypse...you name it. And it isn't even fiction! It is true, every word God speaks. For the little ones (like my boys) you can emphasize the gross out parts of the bible: cutting off a giant's head, being thrown into a furnace or into a den of lions or being eaten by a whale and ending up in its stomach then vomitted out. And what about Jesus? He was pretty controversial. He spit into dirt and put the mud on a blind man's eyes to heal him...ewww. He touched the diseased skin of the leppers. He stuck his spit laden fingers into the ears of a deaf man to heal him. He spit into his hand and touched the mute man's tongue. He sure did like to swap spit a lot!

For the teenagers, you can look back at the controversial behavior of Jesus that enraged the Jews. He ate, hung out and partied with sinners...the worst of the worst low lifes. He worked on the sabbath picking grain to eat, healing people and preaching. He refused to perform miracles in his own home town and refused to argue and fight for his freedom. He went against the popular, powerful people and stuck up for the poor and unlovely.

What about the heroes of the bible...the heroes of the faith? Every one of them showed faith and were used by God, yet the still sinned just as much if not more than the rest of us. They were human like us, yet used greatly.

So is there any way to think of the bible as boring? No, it is an oxymoron. That is why it is still the most popular and most read book in the world. What else would you expect from "GOD'S WORD"?

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Little Lamb

Here is one of my favorite poems. It is "Little Lamb Who Made Thee" by William Blake.

Little lamb who made thee
Dost thou know who made thee
Gave thee life and bid thee feed.
By the stream and o'er the mead;
Gave thee clothing of delight
Softest clothing wooley bright;
Gave thee such a tender voice,
Making all the vales rejoice!

Little lamb who made thee
Dost thou know who made thee

Little lamb I'll tell thee,
Little lamb I'll tell thee!
He is called by thy name,
For he calls himself a Lamb:
His is meek and he is mild,
He became a little child:
I a child and thou a lamb,
We are called by his name.

Little Lamb God bless thee.
Little Lamb God bless thee.


Isn't it wonderful! Do you know who made you? I hope you do. I hope you know the wonderful creator, Father God and his son, our savior Jesus Christ. If you don't know them then you are missing out on life itself. Just ask Him and He will reveal himself to you. He is waiting little lamb. Go spend some time with the shepherd and rest in his care.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Carpe Diem

I have recently been in the habit of telling my son, Max to "Carpe Diem" on the way to school. He is in Kindergarten (almost age 6 as he likes to let everyone know). I know the saying is cliche and corny. I have never liked to use it before, but I do like the message it gives for all of us. I had a talk today about how Max could "seize the day". We talked about the fact that no matter what the day holds, whether it is full of accidents, mistakes or others treating us wrong, no matter how good or bad the day may be, we can still seize it for Christ. We all have a choice to live for our Lord or for ourselves.

I asked Max what he could do if he had a bad day and still wanted to seize it for Christ. He didn't know, so I suggested that he could do something nice for someone. If no one is nice to us and things go wrong, we still have the power to change the day and seize it for Christ. Our actions, with God's power, can have a powerful affect, not just on others, but on ourselves as well. By the way...this makes Satan and his demons scream and run from us. They can't stand it. So if you feel under attack or just in a slump...praise God and seize the day, do a random act of kindness, bless and serve others. This is the key to true joy and success.

This choice to seize the day is part of our free will, the gift of God given to us. We shouldn't ignore it. He paid a high price for it so that we could use it to do His good will on this earth and in heaven. So what do you say? Let's seize the day!

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Giving up Chocolate

I recently received this email - if you haven't seen it, I think you'll like it . . .


I was walking down the street when I was accosted by a particularly dirty and shabby-looking homeless woman who asked me for a couple of dollars for dinner. I took out my wallet, got out ten dollars and asked, 'If I give you this money, will you buy chocolate with it instead of dinner?' 'No, I had to stop eating chocolate years ago', the homeless woman told me.'Will you use it to go shopping instead of buying food?' I asked.'No, I don't waste time shopping,' the homeless woman said. 'I need to spend all my time trying to stay alive.''Will you spend this on a beauty salon instead of food?' I asked.'Are you NUTS!' replied the homeless woman. I haven't had my hair done in 20 years!''Well, I said, 'I'm not going to give you the money. Instead, I'm going to take you out for dinner with my husband and me tonight.'The homeless Woman was shocked. 'Won't your husband be furious with you for doing that? I know I'm dirty, and I probably smell pretty disgusting.' I said, 'That's okay. It's important for him to see what a woman looks like after she has given up shopping, hair appointments, and chocolate.' I just know you're laughing!You're gonna send it on - aren't you?


The Bible and Your Birthday

Did you know that the Bible has a special verse for everyone's birthday? Look up your verse now... This site is very neat, and may help you find a meaningful life verse for you or anyone special in your life.

http://www.birthverse.com/mybirthverse.cfm

Sunday, April 5, 2009

More on the Blood

I was just thinking the other day about the blood speaking to us and another thought hit me, one most of you have already thought about, but here goes...DNA. Blood does have a way of speaking to us and for us. Even the dead can have thier DNA speak for them if need be (e.g. coroner, police, etc.) So yes, the blood of Christ does speak to us and for us in more ways than one. His blood is recognized as belonging to the Son of God. When Jesus died for us and shed his blood for us, when we accept it to make the payment for our sins it cleanses us, pouring itself over us so that God recognizes us now as new. Our DNA signature is different, it is Christ's. Our sinful, ruined bodies and spirits are no longer tainted, but pure because of Jesus. His blood is seen on us, covering us, replacing ours with his purity, his inheritance, so we can be adopted as belonging to God. No longer are we enemies of God, but adopted sons and daughters. We are now children of God with his blood over us and his spirit in us, making us new. Wow!!! Talk about "Life Giving Blood"!

Only Christ's blood can do this for us. We cannot do it for ourselves. No matter how hard we try, we cannot save ourselves or anyone else for that matter. Only the blood of the sinless can suffice...and that is only found in Jesus. Thank God for his blood. We tend to think of blood as gross and dirty. We don't want to touch it or be contaminated by it. It represents hurt, death, pain. But truly it represents for the largest part-LIFE, healing, rest, refuge, comfort.........all the good God has for us. We need to rethink our opinion of blood. The blood of Christ is Beautiful beyond measure. We need a daily transfusion of it, or even more often, by spending time with him in prayer (adoration, confession, thanksgiving and supplication) and in his word. But the work of the blood for salvation/saving is already done for us. Once and for all it was shed. We just need to accept it! Hallaluiah! Like I said last week, "By his stripes we are healed," not by our blood shed but his.

Friday, March 27, 2009

The Blood of Christ

I was reading through an old bible study lesson I had attended at my church. I had saved it because it was so good. It was about the blood of Christ. It talked about how the blood speaks (Genesis 4:10, Herews 12:24, and Hebrews 9:11-15 and 21-26). It is such a cool thought that it "speaks" to us. My mind automatically went to God creating the heavens and the earth with just a word spoken and it was done. Words are powerful. Words can harm and they can heal. We must be careful with them. We alone, of God's creations (animals) have been given the gift of speech. (Yes, my writer aspirations and speech-pathology ways are seeping out of my thoughts again, sorry---I love words!) Anyway, that just struck me as powerful. That is why the blood does all the work and we don't have to, we can't/couldn't even if we tried. Salvation is a gift, bought by our precious savior. Thank you Jesus! By His stripes and by his blood we are healed. We just have to accept the gift.

Blood is the universal symbol of life and that is what Jesus gave us...His blood, His life, His standing with God as a beloved child of God, an heir. God gave His son to reconcile us. Another word is "atonement" or as you can think "at-one-ment". It makes us one with God and takes away the effects of sin that separates us from God. Now we have "at-one-ment" with Him.

Now, since Jesus has spoken for us through his blood, shouldn't we speak for him and tell others the good news? We should freely share the blessings that our Lord is doing in our life. Be not ashamed for He is not ashamed of you. In our retched state of sin He stepped in and spoke for us, died for us and saved us. Would you do the same for someone else? You don't have to shed your blood, just tell them about the one who already did!

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Little Blessings

HAPPY SPRING BREAK! I hope everyone is having a great time and enjoying the extra time with family, especially the kids. I know I am. What a blessing! Sam's latest phase is to tell me that he "changed up his mind" (changed his mind). He also likes to frequently tell me that "I'ts ok mom, it's nothing you need to worry about." He also likes to pretend to be a circus cat named FaahAaahAaah or a dog that lives in my purse (a blanket he wraps himself up in) named Freejah. Yes life is definitely entertaining.

Max, on the other hand, is having epiphanies that he explains to me. The current one occured when I was driving. An elderly person was in front of us and not driving well, as if they didn't know where they were going. Max was frustrated and wanted to know why. He hates any traffic to slow us down and complains about it. I told him that when people get older they have a harder time remembering things and sometimes forget. His face lit up with a deep understanding as it all clicked for him. Then he said "Oh, that's why daddy is so much smarter than you, because you are older than him." Yes I am 3 1/2 years older than my husband, but I didn't think that I was so, so, so "not smart". I was livid. I quickly explained that daddy was not smarter than me, that we were both smart, just in different ways. Max acted like he felt bad and told me it was ok. But that dad was always the one who had to fix things because I didn't know how. To my consternation he was right. Ugh!!! Yes my ego was shot that day. Anyway, my husband got a kick out of it. I had to admit later that it really was funny.

Sam has been asking frequently about why we can't see God and Jesus. I told him that we can't see the wind or air, but that we can see its affects when it moves things. This is how God and Jesus work. When he still kept asking, I also reminded him that our eyes don't work well, but when we die and go to heaven we get new bodies that are perfect (like superheros, which they like) and that then we will be able to see him with our new eyes. That seems to pacify him, not that he doesn't need reminders. Anyway, if you run into the same question, maybe that explanation will help.

Kids are certainly a blessing from God. They keep things interesting and they keep us hopping. Enjoy this week with your little blessings!

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

The Baby's Hand

Many of you may have seen this email which has been going around lately. In case you haven't, I wanted to share it . . .

A picture began circulating in November. It should be "The Picture of the Year," or perhaps, "Picture of the Decade." It won't be. In fact, unless you obtained a copy of the US paper which published it, you probably would never have seen it. The picture is that of a 21-week-old unborn baby named Samuel Alexander Armas, who is being operated on by surgeon named Joseph Bruner. The baby was diagnosed with spina bifida and would not survive if removed from his mother's womb.! Little Samuel's mother, Julie Armas, is an obstetrics nurse in Atlanta . & a mp;n bsp; She knew of Dr. Brun er's remarkable surgical procedure. Practicing at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, he performs these special operations while the baby is still in the womb.


During the procedure, the doctor removes the uterus via C-section and makes a small incision to operate on the baby. As Dr. Bruner completed the surgery on Samuel, the little guy reached his tiny, but fully developed hand through the incision and firmly grasped the surgeon's finger. Dr. Bruner was reported as saying that when his finger was grasped, it was the most emotional moment of his life, and that for an instant during the procedure he was just frozen, totally immobile. The photograph captures this amazing event with perfect clarity. The editors titled the picture, "Hand of Hope." The text explaining the picture begins, "The tiny hand of 21-week-old fetus Samuel Alexander Armas emerges from the mother's uterus to grasp the finger of Dr. Joseph Bruner as if thanking the doctor for the gift of life." Little Samuel's mother said they "wept for days" when they saw the picture. She said, "The photo reminds us pregnancy isn't about disability or an illness, it's about a little person." Samuel was born in perfect health, the operation 100 percent successful. Now see the actual picture, and it is awesome....incredible . and hey, pass it on. The world needs to see this one!





P.S. Don't tell me God isn't awesome!!!!!
There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. Albert Einstein

Sunday, March 8, 2009

I know what I know

I know what I know what I know. What do I know? Oh, I don't know. All I really know is that God knows and that is all that really matters. I worry so much about knowing things, being in control of things, fixing things. But really I can't do anything. All I can do for sure is trust God to know, to be in control, to fix things. He is my provision, my portion in the land of the living. In Him I find all things.

Colossians 1:16-17
"For in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities---all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."

Wow! Need to know anything else? I think not. All I need to know is HIM!!!! A friend of mine challenged me to trust God more this week. My first response was anger and fear. Not at my friend, but at God. What about past trials? Sure he got me through them, but at what cost? It was awful. I don't want to be led into that again. But if I don't trust Him, who do I trust? I certainly can't trust myself. I can't blame God for other people's sin. He doesn't cause sin, we do. He just forgives us, others, and carries us through the dark paths when we can't see or walk ourselves. My friend was right. I need to step out in faith.

I can hinder God's work and delay his blessings when I don't trust Him in obedience. Am I trusting in God's blessings or in Him? Will I trust Him before he provides or do I need proof like Thomas?

John 20:29
"Because you have seen me you have believed. But blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe."

I challenge you just as my friend challenged me---Step out in faith and trust God in a new way. You may not have seen his plan or provision, but you do KNOW...You know that He knows and He is able. He is able to do exceedingly, abundantly more than we could ever imagine. Trust and see.

I. Corinthians 2:20
"What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has for those who love him."

Remember, you may not know, but you do know that He knows. Thank God for that!