Amazing Salvation

At Work

2012-01-23T09:09:00.000-08:00

Thanks for the guest post by Donn Schroeder

The other day I was at work and logged onto http://www.satellitestarinternet.com/hughesnet_compare_to_dialup.html to look into getting internet at our house. I usually never take care of personal things at work because I am so busy and it is against company policy, but I had finished almost all of my work early and decided to do a little internet surfing while I had the chance. I was on the internet looking into getting satellite internet for about five minutes when the computer froze. The internet browser wouldn’t close. The computer wouldn’t even turn off! I was stuck and caught red handed. I had to get my boss and explain the situation that my computer had frozen. It was pretty difficult for me to explain why I was looking into satellite internet when we already have hard wired internet at the office, which I was on! Luckily, my boss was gracious and gave me an easy way out in front of my coworkers. He told me,” thanks for looking into getting me internet at the hunting camp!” Whew. I was relieved.

It's Hard To Find A Christian Man!

2012-01-17T09:50:00.000-08:00

Next month I will be celebrating twenty-three (23) years of marriage... Although there have been some ups and downs in our "Happily Ever After", I know the reason and the only reason we have stuck to each other is because of our faith in God... In our belief that a marriage is a relationship designed by God.

Mark 10 6-9 But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Christian Dating is not easy now a days. We live in a world that is not the same as it was when I was dating and looking for a husband... I know many young and older adults that are very frustrated on how difficult it is to find a like minded follower of Christ... When I read about ChristianCrush.com - I had to share the site with my single Christian friends.

One of the great things about Christian Crush is that it has video profiles. I personally think that this should be a MUST (Christian Crush is the only Christian on line dating service that offers this)- you can learn so much about a person by the way they smile... by the way they talk.. by their presence... Not only does this Christian Dating service have video profiles it is privately owned by a Bible based organization and is not affiliated with companies that are not Bible based.. I like that!

If you are looking for a Christian Man (or Christian Woman) or knows someone that is - Tell them about Christian Crush..

I've Become My Mother!: A Video Interview With My 13 Year Old Daughter

2011-11-09T09:09:00.000-08:00

I've Become My Mother!: A Video Interview With My 13 Year Old Daughter

I've Become My Mother!: Not Wanting To Let Go....

2011-11-07T14:14:00.000-08:00

I've Become My Mother!: Not Wanting To Let Go....

I've Become My Mother!: Urgent - A Miracle and Hope Is Needed

2011-11-01T11:33:00.000-07:00

I've Become My Mother!: Urgent - A Miracle and Hope Is Needed

I've Become My Mother!: Found - Stolen IPod.. Problem - A Classmate Has It...

2011-10-26T10:49:00.000-07:00

I've Become My Mother!: Found - Stolen IPod.. Problem - A Classmate Has It...

I've Become My Mother!: Courageous - A Must See For Every Dad and Mom

2011-10-23T13:36:00.000-07:00

I've Become My Mother!: Courageous - A Must See For Every Dad and Mom

I've Become My Mother!: I Planned For The Wedding... But Not The Marriage

2011-10-19T11:02:00.000-07:00

I've Become My Mother!: I Planned For The Wedding... But Not The Marriage

I've Become My Mother!: A Day In My Teenage Daughter's Life

2011-10-10T10:32:00.000-07:00

I've Become My Mother!: A Day In My Teenage Daughter's Life

I've Become My Mother!: Am I Being Unreasonable - Seeking Wise Mom Thoughts

2011-10-05T08:47:00.000-07:00

I've Become My Mother!: Am I Being Unreasonable - Seeking Wise Mom Thoughts

I've Become My Mother!: My Top 10 Marriage Saving Ideas....

2011-09-28T12:35:00.000-07:00

I've Become My Mother!: My Top 10 Marriage Saving Ideas....

I've Become My Mother!: Wish There Was An Exception Clause...

2011-09-26T10:21:00.000-07:00

I've Become My Mother!: Wish There Was An Exception Clause...

I've Become My Mother!: I Need To Love My Husband Today

2011-09-19T11:38:00.000-07:00

I've Become My Mother!: I Need To Love My Husband Today

I've Become My Mother!: A Call To Action - Anyone Can Say They Are A Christian

2011-08-26T13:39:00.000-07:00

I've Become My Mother!: A Call To Action - Anyone Can Say They Are A Christian

I've Become My Mother!: Please Pray for Haley Today.... She's In ICU

2011-08-24T15:19:00.000-07:00

I've Become My Mother!: Please Pray for Haley Today.... She's In ICU

I've Become My Mother!: Bone Marrow Testing Kits Available

2011-06-01T15:45:00.000-07:00

I've Become My Mother!: Bone Marrow Testing Kits Available

I've Become My Mother!: Have Faith - Miracles Can Just Happen....

2011-05-29T21:17:00.000-07:00

I've Become My Mother!: Have Faith - Miracles Can Just Happen....

I've Become My Mother!: Bone Marrow Drive In The Works!

2011-05-27T11:05:00.000-07:00

I've Become My Mother!: Bone Marrow Drive In The Works!

I've Become My Mother!: Be A Donor - Save A Life - An Urgent Request

2011-05-25T13:48:00.000-07:00

I've Become My Mother!: Be A Donor - Save A Life - An Urgent Request

I've Become My Mother!: Help Save A Child - URGENT REQUEST

2011-05-23T16:56:00.000-07:00

I've Become My Mother!: Help Save A Child - URGENT REQUEST

Is The Rapture This Saturday - May 21, 2011?

2011-05-18T09:23:00.000-07:00

Harold Camping, a Christian radio broadcaster made this prediction a while back. He believes he can use mathematical predictions applied to the Bible to predict dates for the end of the World. His current prediction is May 21, 2011.... This is his 2nd attempt at predicting the Rapture.. His first prediction was September 1994... Kind of reminds me how Jehovah Witnesses have predicted the end times... Many times... Now they believe Jesus showed up invisibly or something like that in 1914...

Since the moment Jesus left His disciples and went back to Heaven - people have been predicting His 2nd coming.. I personally believe this to be arrogant... The Bible addresses this...
Mark 13:32-33 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.."

This is what I believe... I believe there will be a Rapture...(pre-trib, mid-trib- post trib, I don't know.. would prefer pre-trib...) I know many people do not believe this to be true and that's okay... The Rapture has nothing to do with my relationship with Christ.. It's an event that may or may not take place... I believe ALL followers of Christ do believe that there is a 2nd coming and that we will have eternal life with Jesus Christ... We believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died so that we can be forgiven and live forever with Him.. This is the foundation of our faith... But we can not just rest on the foundation - we need to move forward..

Faith and our relationship is not an one time event... It's not a "I accepted Him" and now I can go back to my life... Faith and our walk is a life time thing... It's a moving forward kind of thing.. We need to continue to moving toward God as best as we can... We may fail but the main thing is to turn back towards Him... Following Him.. This is so much more important than trying to predict when He is coming back... When we follow Him... He is already with us....

Phil. 3:13-14 "Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus...."

I've Become My Mother!: The Ten Commandments Of A Healthy Relationship

2011-05-17T23:40:00.000-07:00

I've Become My Mother!: The Ten Commandments Of A Healthy Relationship

I've Become My Mother!: Do Your Kids Believe In God?... Do You?

2011-05-12T09:35:00.000-07:00

I've Become My Mother!: Do Your Kids Believe In God?... Do You?

I've Become My Mother!: My Daughters and I - Are Going Historical Part III

2011-05-10T12:06:00.000-07:00

I've Become My Mother!: My Daughters and I - Are Going Historical Part III

I've Become My Mother!: My Daughters and I - Are Going Historical! Part II

2011-05-03T12:50:00.000-07:00

I've Become My Mother!: My Daughters and I - Are Going Historical! Part II

I've Become My Mother!: My Daughters and I - Are Going Historical! Part I

2011-04-29T09:57:00.000-07:00

I've Become My Mother!: My Daughters and I - Are Going Historical! Part I

I've Become My Mother!: I Have To Say This....

2011-03-29T12:10:00.000-07:00

I've Become My Mother!: I Have To Say This....

Kelly's Ideas: We Will Sit At The Table And Have Conversation..

2011-03-28T11:58:00.000-07:00

Kelly's Ideas: We Will Sit At The Table And Have Conversation..

I've Become My Mother!: Seeking Advice For the Unhappily Married Mom

2011-03-25T10:39:00.000-07:00

I've Become My Mother!: Seeking Advice For the Unhappily Married Mom

I've Become My Mother!: Struggling with kids and electronics.....

2011-03-23T12:20:00.000-07:00

I've Become My Mother!: Struggling with kids and electronics.....

I've Become My Mother!: John Hopkins Update - Cancer...

2011-03-22T10:36:00.000-07:00

I've Become My Mother!: John Hopkins Update - Cancer...

Swimming Upstream

2011-03-21T10:53:00.000-07:00

"If life is a river, then pursuing Christ requires swimming upstream. When we stop swimming, or actively following Him, we automatically begin to be swept downstream" Francis Chan - Crazy Love

This statement is so true....

Like any relationship if we don't work at it - it starts to lose its strength... its meaning... The love and fire you once had will soon lose its radiant glow....

We need to actively pursue God and Let Him in and stay there!

My Thankful List

2011-03-20T11:08:00.000-07:00

I am thankful that my mom is now cancer-free!

I am thankful that my daughters continue to be healthy.

I am thankful that my husband has a job he loves..

I am thankful for my sisters..

I am thankful for a warm home..

I am thankful that I am watching the rain from my bedroom window cozy in my bed..

I am thankful that all my needs and wants are continually met.

I am thankful that I have excellent insurance and doctors..

I am thankful that Christ is my Savior and I know all good things come from Him..

I am thankful that I live in a part of the world that is not suffering from war.. from famine, from the damages of earthquakes and tsunamis..

And Jesus answered and said to them; "Take heed that no one deceives you, For many will come in My name, saying 'I am the Christ' and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pas, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.. Matthew 24:4-8

I've Become My Mother!: Making A little Extra Money From Blogging

2011-03-18T08:37:00.000-07:00

I've Become My Mother!: Making A little Extra Money From Blogging

What Does "Amen" Mean?

2011-03-17T09:36:00.001-07:00

Whenever we pray to God.. to Jesus... We end our prayer by saying "Amen"... But what does Amen really mean?? I always thought it meant - A Man... not sure why... maybe because of the spelling? In my study today... I finally learned what it meant....

Amen comes from a Hebrew word meaning "trustworthy" or "true". Therefore, saying amen means that you agree with what was prayed and that God is trustworthy to answer the prayer. Sometimes Jesus even begins his teaching by saying, "Amen, amen," which means, in essence, "you can take what I'm about to say to the bank."

Thought this was pretty cool and wanted to share....

**photo from Flickr

Not Trusting Enough.. again

2011-03-15T10:45:00.000-07:00

A friend called me yesterday on the phone... She had seen that I called her cell earlier that day and did not leave a message... She thought that I may have called her about my mom and her recent surgery... I had called her because I wanted to talk to my friend...

As we talked about what's been going on in my life lately - she asked if she could pray with me... So she prayed for me over the phone....

In her prayer she said that I trusted God to take care of me.. My mom.. my children.. my marriage... And in that prayer I realized that I had stopped trusting Him... I was taking control again.. And I realized in that moment that I had to let go..... again..

** thank you Roxanna for calling me.. praying with me.. and knowing my heart..

Psalm 40:1-2 I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.

John 16:33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on Earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have over the World.

Romans 5:3-4 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us - they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character...

1 Peter 1:8 Though you do not see him, you trust him; and even now you are happy.

Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, whose thoughts are fixed on you!

I've Become My Mother!: Facebook Daggers and Other Comments....

2011-03-13T17:43:00.000-07:00

I've Become My Mother!: Facebook Daggers and Other Comments....

Fasting from Snacks...

2011-03-09T09:35:00.000-08:00

My church recently had a 40 day fast... I did not participate.. My youngest daughter did - She did not fast from "food" - she fasted from candy... She fasted from her favorite thing.. She did this because she wanted to give God her best... and she did... On day 41.... She was tearing down the candy aisle.. My husband fasted from wine and all other liquors and salt.. On day 41 - he made himself a diet coke and Myers Rum.... My oldest decided she would fast from her electronics.. that lasted a day.... maybe 2.. (Today - both of my kids are fasting from their electronics - you can read about it here)

I am not Catholic so I do not participate in Ash Wednesday or Lent. But I do believe it is important to give God our Best.. Lent reminds us of Jesus' 40 day fast in the wilderness... Lent is a time to let go of an Earthy desire until Easter time...

I love to snack... whether it's my diet bars... ice chips (yep that's a favorite snack of mine) or a jar of chocolate frosting... I will not snack period.. I will eat my 3 meals and that's it... I know this is pretty small but God knows my heart and I know he likes it...

How about you?

Kelly's Ideas: Guess What I'm Getting Today???

2011-03-09T09:13:00.001-08:00

Kelly's Ideas: Guess What I'm Getting Today???

I've Become My Mother!: To My Mom...

2011-03-09T09:13:00.000-08:00

I've Become My Mother!: To My Mom...

One Day I Will See His Face....

2011-03-07T11:34:00.000-08:00

Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now; you believe in him and are filled with inexpressible and glorious joy. 1 Peter 8

This was a verse from yesterday's sermon.... This verse made me think of a child in our womb.. We do not see the child but we love them... Even before we felt the first kick..... We are filled with joy....

Just because we do not see Jesus.. (yet) does not take away the joy and love I feel everyday from Him..... and I know that one day...... I will see His face and stand in Awe in His presence.....

Struggling With Work.. Family.. Time...

2011-03-05T14:35:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe a year ago this month - my husband was laid off... He was home for six months.... During that six month time - I worked more than I had ever worked... By the grace of God - I was able to support our family during this time. My small business took flight and I had more clients than I could handle...... It was a difficult time for me mentally... physically... I was working 7 days a week.. Over 12 hours a day... I refused to turn down business - I was on over-drive... I was too busy thinking about me... poor me... No time for me... I was too selfish to see God in the middle of this... I was too blind to see that my husband was struggling... I was too stressed to see my kids suffering from lack of attention from me and from my husband... All I saw was I was making money and we needed money and that was that.... And today - thinking about that time... I am ashamed..... God provided for our needs... He was there.... I tried to take control away from Him.. and in that power struggle - I missed out on a summer with my kids... I missed out on spending some good one on one time with my husband.. He was home... He had time for me... And I blew it!

Today - I tried to talk to the husband. It's tough at times... His main focus now is work.. He loves his job - but it's a really busy job... Taking him away from home every week... And when he is home - he is still working..... And when he isn't working -he wants to relax.. His relaxation is golf... watching sports... browsing Ebay... He does not want to get into conversations about the day to day trials of raising strong minded teenagers.. He does not want to hear his wife nag.. He wants his family "happy" - He wants everything in its place... And to tell you the truth - it pisses me off! I want my husband's attention.. I want him to be a part of our family.... I miss my husband.. and my kids miss their dad....

My point is not to throw my husband under the bus.. He is a good man.. He is a good father.. He is a good provider... My point is that like me -He has become blind to what's around him... He is self focused... and I am not doing a good job of turning his focus towards me.. towards us.... Getting in his face about his lack of attention and time ~~does~~ will not work.. I need to turn to God... I need to give Him control... I need to allow God to turn this around...

God's original design for the family will not be destroyed. Right now we may be struggling with our relationships - We live in a sinful world.. But God does promise us that He will wipe away every tear... All through the Bible there is so much encouragement... Reading Ephesians is a good thing for me to read today....

I have no doubt that all will turn around.. I believe in my man... and I know without a doubt that God is in Control and is on our side.....

I've Become My Mother!: And The Band Played On - Give Away

2011-03-04T09:43:00.000-08:00

I've Become My Mother!: And The Band Played On - Give Away

A Prayer Request For My Mom....

2011-03-03T11:05:00.000-08:00

On March 10th at 7 in the morning my mom is going into the hospital... She is going to say goodbye to both of her breasts... Her surgery is scheduled for 8 AM...

This is my prayer request... This is my prayer...

Father God - Please let your presence be known to my mom... Let your love comfort her. Please guide the surgeons' hands to remove all of the cancer... I pray that the cancer has not spread.. I pray that her recovery will be fast... I pray that she will feel no fear... but only peace... Father - I also pray for my sisters - I pray that they too will feel peace... and no fear... She is our mom and we love her... She is the only parent we have left and we want her to be happy... healthy... fear-free....

Thank you Father for loving us....

I've Become My Mother!: "Mom - You Are Over Protective"

2011-03-01T20:29:00.000-08:00

I've Become My Mother!: "Mom - You Are Over Protective"

Knowing About and Knowing Him

2011-02-25T10:50:00.000-08:00

I cannot remember a time when I did not believe in God... I have always believed He existed... I have always believed that Jesus was His Son and that he died on the cross for my sins... I have always known this... I have not doubted it (at least not often)... But knowing about Jesus and knowing Him are not one and the same... Is it?

One thing I am struggling with is helping my kids to find and develop that working and loving relationship with Jesus... I want them to feel His love... I want to feel His love.. It is difficult to do at times... Especially when you are not into His Word... When you are not actively talking to Him... Having a relationship with Christ is much like any other relationship that is worth keeping.. It takes time... work... love... quiet.. communication... learning.. faith.. listening..consistency...

I have learned that going to Church when the doors are open.. Attending every Church event... Belonging to Bible studies - Having my kids go to a Christian school and Christian camp doesn't make me/us a follower of Christ ... Yes, corporate worship is good BUT we have to have that relationship with Christ... We have to live in His word and not just when the church doors are open.. It has to be a 24/7 kind of thing.... It has to be who we are... Not necessarily what we do.....

When I am in His word.. When I am living with Him in me... When I talk with Him... I feel peace... I feel love.. I feel joy... regardless of what my worldly circumstances are... When I am with Him - He comforts me... I need to stay in His Word... and my kids (and others) will see that reflection of His love from me and they just might want some of that......

God's word is alive and working and is sharper than a double-edged sword. It cuts all the way into us, where the soul and spirit are joined, to the center of our joints and bones. And it judges the thoughts and feelings in our hearts. Hebrews 4:12

The Bible is an invitation to connect with God in a personal way - and to learn more about yourself in the process.. *excerpt from 100 favorite Bible verses

The Ben Hooper Story - Who's Your Daddy?

2011-02-23T13:28:00.000-08:00

I received this story in an email today... I loved it... Many times we will receive inspiring "true" stories only to learn that they were "inspired" by someone's imagination and not by true events... After I read this story - I checked on Snopes.... and it is true... Imagine that!

A seminary professor was vacationing with his wife in Gatlinburg , TN. One
morning, they were eating breakfast at a little restaurant, hoping to enjoy
a quiet, family meal. While they were waiting for their food, they noticed
a distinguished looking, white-haired man moving from table to table,
visiting with the guests. The professor leaned over and whispered to his
wife, 'I hope he doesn't come over here.' But sure enough, the man did come
over to their table.

'Where are you folks from?' he asked in a friendly voice.
' Oklahoma ,' they answered.
'Great to have you here in Tennessee ,' the stranger said.. 'What do you do
for a living?'
'I teach at a seminary,' he replied.

'Oh, so you teach preachers how to preach, do you? Well, I've got a really
great story for you.' And with that, the gentleman pulled up a chair and
sat down at the table with the couple.

The professor groaned and thought to himself, 'Great .. Just what I need ..
.another preacher story!'

The man started, 'See that mountain over there? (pointing out the
restaurant window). Not far from the base of that mountain, there was a boy
born to an unwed mother. He had a hard time growing up, because every place
he went, he was always asked the same question, 'Hey boy, Who's your daddy?
Whether he was at school, in the grocery store or drug store, people would
ask the same question, 'Who's your daddy?'

He would hide at recess and lunch time from other students. He would avoid
going in to stores because that question hurt him so bad. 'When he was
about 12 years old, a new preacher came to his church. He would always go
in late and slip out early to avoid hearing the question, 'Who's your
daddy?'
But one day, the new preacher said the benediction so fast that he got
caught and had to walk out with the crowd.

Just about the time he got to the back door, the new preacher, not knowing
anything about him, put his hand on his shoulder and asked him, 'Son, who's
your daddy?'

The whole church got deathly quiet. He could feel every eye in the church
looking at him Now everyone would finally know the answer to the question,
Who's your daddy?'

'This new preacher, though, sensed the situation around him and using
discernment that only the Holy Spirit could give, said the following to
that scared little boy.. 'Wait a minute! I know who you are! I see the
family resemblance now, You are a child of God.'
With that he patted the boy on his shoulder and said, 'Boy, you've got a
great inheritance. Go and claim it.'

'With that, the boy smiled for the first time in a long time and walked out
the door a changed person. He was never the same again. Whenever anybody
asked him, 'Who's your Daddy?' he'd just tell them , 'I'm a Child of God..'

The distinguished gentleman got up from the table and said, 'Isn't that a
great story?'
The professor responded that it really was a great story!

As the man turned to leave, he said, 'You know, if that new preacher hadn't
told me that I was one of God's children, I probably never would have
amounted to anything!' And he walked away..

The seminary professor and his wife were stunned. He called the waitress
over & asked her, 'Do you know who that man was -- the one who just left
that was sitting at our table?'

The waitress grinned and said, 'Of course. Everybody here knows him. That's
Ben Hooper. He's governor of Tennessee !'

* picture from Picture history
**thank you Aunt Rita for emailing to me today

A Quote From C. S. Lewis

2011-02-15T10:49:00.000-08:00

Letting Go is something that challenges me.. I am a C.S. Lewis fan and found this quote today - I felt it was worth sharing...

The maternal instinct is a Gift-love, but one that needs to give; therefore needs to be needed. But the proper aim of giving is to put the recipient in a state where he no longer needs our gift. We feed children in order that they may soon be able to feed themselves; we teach them in order that they may soon not need our teaching. Thus a heavy task is laid upon this Gift-love. It must work towards its own abdication. We must aim at making ourselves superfluous. The hour when we say "They need me no longer" should be our reward. But the instinct, simply in its own nature, has no power to fulfill this law. The instinct desires the good of its object, but not simply; only the good it can itself give. A much higher love - a love which desires the good of the object as such, from whatever source that good comes - must step in and help or tame the instinct before it can make the abdication..

excerpt from The Four Loves

I've Become My Mother!: The Love Test....

2011-02-14T14:54:00.000-08:00

I've Become My Mother!: The Love Test....

I've Become My Mother!: My Name Is Kelly And I Am A Control Freak!

2011-02-12T10:40:00.000-08:00

I've Become My Mother!: My Name Is Kelly And I Am A Control Freak!

I've Been Married How LONG????

2011-02-11T13:36:00.000-08:00

It's hard for me to believe that this picture is me on our wedding day Twenty-two years ago today... I remember feeling so fearful... Not knowing how my life would be.... Right before I walked down the aisle to my future husband - my dad said... "I have the car in front - we can make a getaway if you changed your mind.." Thinking back on that offer - I think my dad may have been half serious.. half kidding.. I was the baby..

Marriage has been tough... Most of the years it has been plain awful... And if I want to be honest... a lot of the pain and unhappiness would have to be laid at my feet... I did not know how to love... I did not know how to be a wife... and after 22 years - I am still trying...

Watching the movie Fireproof was a big turning point for me... I saw me in the characters - and I did not like it.. The book in the movie The Love Dare (English and English Edition) - has helped me on my journey... I started it a couple of years ago and if I practice the concepts.. things are great... It really is amazing.. but when I don't... well it's not so good... Today - I choose to love....

Love is a choice, not a feeling. It is an initiated action, not a knee-jerk reaction. Excerpt from The Love Dare...

You can give undeserved love to your spouse because God gave undeserved love to you...

I've Become My Mother!: Cancer Is Attacking My Mom!!!!!

2011-02-03T17:41:00.000-08:00

I've Become My Mother!: Cancer Is Attacking My Mom!!!!!

I've Become My Mother!: Getting Ready For Independent Study #1

2011-01-27T17:50:00.000-08:00

I've Become My Mother!: Getting Ready For Independent Study #1

I've Become My Mother!: On line School - The Wave of the Future?

2011-01-10T16:52:00.000-08:00

I've Become My Mother!: On line School - The Wave of the Future?

What Happened To My Sweet Baby?

2011-01-04T13:54:00.000-08:00

Today my daughter wore black.... Black pants... black shirt... black jacket... black boots.. and black eyeliner.. On her face is a permanent scowl... She wants to spread her wings... much more than a 14 year old child should... and because I am a 'Mama Bear' she is not happy....

I will not allow her to lie.... When she is caught (unfortunately this is a common occurrence lately) - there are consequences...

I will not allow her date - I do not think her maturity level is there and I also do not believe a 14 year old should date... There is time for that later...

When I say she can have "x" amount of something... whatever it may be - money, diet coke, extra time on her computer.. phone.. - I mean that amount - not 500% more of whatever it is....

I will not allow her to curse in front of me... I cannot control what she does when I am not around - and I hope... I pray that she will be pleasing to God... to others.

Peer pressure just sucks.... I can't think of any other way to put it... High school has definitely brought our share of "peer pressure drama"... I often hear things like: "Everyone has this or that..." or "She used to cut herself... but she stopped" or "She called me a loser - flipped me off... and by the way I ~~gave~~ loaned her $5.."

Talking and texting about sex is common place nowadays... I have lost count of the times I have taken the phone away for long periods of time... only to have her back at it.... As a parent - I reserve the right to check emails, computer histories, and texting whenever or wherever I feel necessary... and When I give my words of encouragement, wisdom and experience - it goes in one ear and out the next... As a parent who has been there... done that.... can write the book about it..... I know nothing...

A friend of mine once said that I need to give my concerns and worries for my kids to God... She said I need to be in constant prayer..... This is a hard thing for me to do... I trust God in so many areas of my life.... I would be lying if I said I give it all to Him - all the time... But to let go of my kids and give them to God... that is a Big leap of faith, isn't it? So today - I am going to pray... I am going to give a little at a time to God... so I say... so I need to do..

I need His help.... and your prayers....

1 Corinthians 15:33 - Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character."

I've Become My Mother!: Copying Other Parents....

2011-01-02T16:41:00.000-08:00

I've Become My Mother!: Copying Other Parents....

Our White Christmas | I've Become My Mother!

2010-12-31T11:23:00.000-08:00

Our White Christmas | I've Become My Mother!

A Small Little Peek Into Our Christmas | I've Become My Mother!

2010-12-21T19:07:00.000-08:00

A Small Little Peek Into Our Christmas | I've Become My Mother!

I Am NOT a People Pleaser... | I've Become My Mother!

2010-12-20T17:50:00.000-08:00

I Am NOT a People Pleaser... | I've Become My Mother!

The World Is Pro-Abortion?

2010-12-09T13:31:00.000-08:00

Yesterday as I was driving my girls home from school - my oldest Nikki said this.... "My biology teacher said that the world (evolution) is pro-abortion." As I have shared a couple of times before - her biology teacher is very big on evolution and at every given opportunity tries to swing any topic into an evolution discussion... I believe when he said that the world is pro-abortion he meant that evolution is based on survival of the fittest...(the ability to survive and reproduce in a particular environment)....

I do not believe that the world is Pro -abortion.... I believe that miscarriages happen when there is something wrong.... But I do not see that as an abortion.. The teacher also stated that the woman who miscarries will most likely go to the doctor and get an 'abortion' to remove the excess tissue to avoid dying.... hmmm - okay.. I'm thinking the teacher does not know the difference between an abortion and a D & C... Or is he trying to teach our children to believe that a baby in the womb is not a child but "tissue"?

Many years ago - I did have a miscarriage and I developed a fever - the doctor believed that I may have had tissue left over and performed a D & C (Dilation and Curettage).. This is by no means an abortion!!!!! An abortion is intentionally removing a child from the womb not removing tissue that was left over from a miscarriage... Planned Parenthood would love for all us to believe an abortion is removing 'tissue' but that is not the case.... Abortion - there's a baby.... D & C - there's no baby but there's left over tissue that may need to be removed...

I am a Pro-choice/Pro-life mother... I choose to believe that a child is created at conception... I choose to believe that a child is a blessing.... I choose to not accept abortion as an option... Will I go out and judge and condemn people who choose abortion - absolutely not... and I expect those who choose abortion to not judge and condemn me because my Choice is different than theirs... After all doesn't Pro Choice... mean there's a choice and the choice can be to choose life...

As you can see this is a subject that I have very strong feelings about... I know we live in a 'Free thought - anything goes" society and I pray that the values and beliefs I teach in our home will carry on in our children....

Psalm 136 13-16
¹³ For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

Merry Christmas vs Happy Holidays

2010-12-08T16:11:00.000-08:00

During the Christmas season - I get many forwarded emails complaining about people saying "Happy Holidays" rather than "Merry Christmas"... Many of the emails are down right nasty... What upsets me about this is that the emails are from people who should be showing grace and love... People who should be setting an example of Christ's love... but what they are showing with these numerous emails and Face Book posts is exactly what turns so many people away from God..... "Christian" - Judgment.... hypocrisy.... anger...

Last year a wise friend of mine said this.... "Don't get angry when someone says "Happy Holidays" rather than "Merry Christmas"... because chances are that person may not know Christ.." For example... My birthday is November 2nd.... to me that is a special day.. But I don't get angry at the cashier at Albertson's for saying "Have a nice day" rather than "Happy Birthday"... She doesn't know me.... so she wouldn't know....

We need to look at "Happy Holidays" as an opportunity to show God's love.. Sending emails... posting Face Book anti "Happy Holidays" posts isn't going to shine for God... It only turns off the ones who may have been seeking Him...

And for the record - The White House has NEVER called the Christmas tree a holiday tree - this is another lie to get people all riled up... Don't let this happen to you... Spread Joy, Peace, and Love..... Snopes - Christmas Tree

Merry Christmas to you..

Something From Nothing?

2010-11-17T14:04:00.000-08:00

Questions:

If Evolution is True and everything was created by one cell and the earth was formed over 4.6 billion years ago and because the earth did not have any oxygen - it made it favorable for the first organic compounds to be formed - the beginning of the aerobic photosynthesizing bacteria that eventually (after a couple of billion years) created that one cell that created all creatures and living things.

How did the Earth Form? How was something created from nothing? Where did the molecules come from? Did nothing suddenly become something? How did photosynthesis occur without something thrown in? And where did that something come from? Where did that bacteria come from? Something or Someone must have "created" it - Don't you think?

I think the only logical answer would be:

In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth... I'm thinking that may have been when that BIG BANG was heard... When something came from nothing.. Don't you?

Reach Out And Don't Give Up!

2010-11-16T13:45:00.000-08:00

When do you stop reaching out to a loved one?? When do you give up? Should you give up? Have you ever reach out to someone and the olive branch that you tried to give was rejected? Do you leave it up to them to reach out to you next? I know that it hurts when your love is not accepted or returned.. It feels awful - but we cannot give up...

Can you imagine giving up on your teenager when they treat you like the enemy? Or your baby that cries and refuses to be comforted? No, we do not... We may become frustrated.. angry - but we don't give up because we love our children unconditionally.... and as followers of Christ are we not told to love our enemies? Are we not told to give mercy?... What does mercy really mean anyway???? To forgive when it is not deserved.

"Love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men" Luke 6:35

You can and should give undeserved love (reaching out) to your loved ones because God gave undeserved love to you and to me... Love is often expressed the most to those who deserve it the least...

Keep reaching - You might be surprised one day....

Going To The Dermatologist Today | I've Become My Mother!

2010-11-04T09:58:00.000-07:00

Going To The Dermatologist Today | I've Become My Mother!

My Husband - "Mr. Fix It"

2010-11-03T12:16:00.000-07:00

My husband is a Professional Manager at work and at life.... We often have discussions about what happened in my day with my business... with the kids. I would share a few things that may have disturbed me - a client not paying his bill on time... one or both of the kids acting out.. a disagreement I may have had with a lender or borrower... Usually when I get around to telling him the story of my day - it's already been "handled" but he can't help but advise me on what I should have said or done... It's not as if I could go back and have a re-do... My husband wants to fix the problem I am having (had) or give a solution or advise on what I should have done or will do in the future... "What can I do for you?" is a standard question.... I hear from him... Many times I do not need him to fix it - many times it cannot be fixed.... And maybe I just don't want it fixed... I just want him to listen to me..

Managers like my husband are natural problem-solvers. Every challenge is an opportunity to be met quickly. With marriage and relationships - problem-solvers are suddenly faced with a challenge that cannot be easily solved or it cannot be solved at all. Dusty (my husband) wants to fix things when they are broken - he wants things to always run smoothly - "well managed" but life - love - marriage is messy... We have definitely called on each others patience and we have learned that patience in marriage works a lot like faith... Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1. Dusty may want to fix it - but he is learning that listening to me.. having patience with me may be all the fixing something needs... I am learning that - I should listen to Dusty's advise (he is a very smart man) and who knows I just might gain more knowledge and/or wisdom the next time I have a conflict...

The longer we are married the more practice we are getting - soon we will be reaching the Twenty-two years of marriage mark - hard to believe.. I'm thinking we may be closer to "perfection" in another twenty-two years - What do you think?

*Picture from Picasa

He Never Left Me.

2010-10-19T16:51:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I posted on Amazing Salvation - I stopped blogging because my life was on overload and I was losing control... I refused to trust God... I refused to go to Him... I refused to talk to Him.. I was trying to control things from my end without His help... Without Him Period.... I was so angry at Him... I refused to go to church.. I refused to participate in the ministry that I loved for so long... But - I know that He never left me... Through my anger - He loved me... He waited.. and I found comfort in that... I know I was not forever lost...

I am humbled by His continued Presence....

He Loved Me - Even When I Was Mad At Him...

2010-06-06T14:27:00.000-07:00

What do you do - When you love God but you're also so mad at Him - that you want to back away from Him? You are so angry - that you back away from church - your core group of Christian friends - your devotionals? This is where I have been the past three (3) weeks... I'm angry... But even through my anger - He made His presence and His love known to me.....

We have been going through our first serious trials of being a parent to a teen - A teen that decided she knew best... A teen that created such a mess that she could not find her way out... Instead of seeking help from us her parents - she decided to take out her anger on us.... She covered her fear and lack of control by being rebellious and disrespectful....

Before things started to spiral out of control - my daughter had left a message with the dean of girls at her school... She wanted to talk to her about something... Due to the busyness of the end of the year school activities - the dean did not get back to her for over a week...

God's timing is Perfect!!!! This is what the dean said when she called me after her discussion with my kid... This is what happened:

The dean finally called my daughter in to talk and my kid was mad...The first thing my daughter said is this, "I know why you called me in here - I don't know why my mom can't stay out of my business!" The dean advised my daughter she had no idea what she was talking about... She said that she called my daughter in because she had left a note that she wanted to talk.... My kid was shocked.... The dean asked her if she wanted to talk about what she meant... At first my kid said no and then all of a sudden everything came out... This huge weight was lifted off my kid's shoulders... The secret burdens she was hiding were freed and when my daughter came home and we talked - we cried together... and the healing started.....

You see - if the dean had called my kid in earlier - it would not have helped what had happened later... I was at a loss - I was so fearful for my daughter.... But God - opened that door of communication.. He knew I was desperate .... He knew my kid needed me.... He showed me He loved me regardless of how I was feeling about Him.... He is much bigger than my human emotions.. .. His love is far greater than I could ever imagine... I am in awe... I am humbled..

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. if I rise on the wings of dawn if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. Psalm 139:7-9

Listen Fast

2010-05-19T07:47:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine e-mailed this to me the other day.... It's awesome... I talk fast but I do NOT hold a candle to this lady....

Today I Will Wallow - Tomorrow I Will Move On... | I've Become My Mother!

2010-05-16T18:55:00.000-07:00

Today I Will Wallow - Tomorrow I Will Move On... | I've Become My Mother!

Running Around Like A Chicken | I've Become My Mother!

2010-05-15T11:07:00.000-07:00

Running Around Like A Chicken | I've Become My Mother!

Saying I'm Sorry

2010-05-13T13:11:00.000-07:00

There have been times in my life when my ugly pride had gotten in the way of saying I'm sorry.. Why is it so difficult at times to show the one you promised your life to that you love him? That you are so sorry for treating him like he did not matter... It took me twenty (20) years of marriage to get it... To realize that I made a commitment to this man... to God.... One of the best books I have read is theThe Love Dare - there is so much wisdom in this book.... Completely Bible based...

I had spent years blasting my husband for the minor mistakes he made... or the lack of attention he gave me... I was too busy pointing the finger in his direction - I never bothered to look in the mirror.... and in reality my sins were far more greater....

When a husband puts his interests, desires, and priorities in front of his wife, that's a sign of selfishness. When a wife constantly complains about the time and energy she spends meeting the needs of her husband, that's a sign of selfishness... Basically - it's the pot calling the kettle black...

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves. Philippians 2:3

This is a quote that I totally agree with from The Love Dare: "If you're thinking that your spouse - not you - is the one who needs work, you're likely suffering from a bad case of ignorance, with a secondary condition of selfishness. Remember, love is not rude but lifts you to a higher standard..."

This is a scene from the movie Fireproof- it's the most humbling apology from a husband... I think every married couple could learn something from it... I know I did...

Saying No To The Tempter...

2010-05-12T17:26:00.000-07:00

Saying "No" is often times hard... Not only for my kids but also for me.... for everyone I think... There are many tempters in our world.... Many times temptation comes in the form of over indulging in a favorite dessert..... or skipping a class with a friend.... or flirting with an old boyfriend/girlfriend on Facebook... Temptation is everywhere.... At first it may appear to be innocent but that little voice in the back of your mind is probably telling you - "Say No!!! - This is not right - back away... - GET OUT"... We need to listen.. We need to step back... and many times we may need to terminate a relationship that involves a tempter..... a temptation...

It is really sad to me how lost our society has become... Marriage is not taken as seriously.... Monogamy is rarely practiced - just ask Elin Woods - how she felt when she discovered her husband.. the father to her two (2) beautiful babies had slept with 120 women... Or the single mom dropping off her kids at school - how she feels raising a family on her own - without the support of a husband.... Our morals... our beliefs.... our convictions are no longer driven by what is right... but rather they are driven by what feels good... whether it is right... or it is wrong rarely matters any longer...

As followers of Christ we need to live our lives UNCOMMONLY... We need to maintain our beliefs... We need to set an example for our children and for those around us... Not by judgment but by example... We are not of this world... We are for His world....

But each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. James 1:14.

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for heirs is the kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in Heaven. Matthew 5:10-12

Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.. Galatians 6:1

There are so many verses talking about fleeing the tempter... that I am thinking that it's a very important thing to do... What do you think?

Archaeological Evidence - The Parting Of The Red Sea

2010-05-10T19:05:00.000-07:00

My belief in God is based on Faith... I believe that the Bible is the Word of God.... I do not need physical proof of His existence.... But.....

I do have to admit that I love when archaeological evidence supports the Bible... These two videos are incredible - They show actual proof (in my opinion) of locations in the Bible that support - Moses crossing the Red Sea - Mount Sinai- the alter for the golden calf - and more... What do you think?

Chariot Wheels..

The Power Of Prayer

2010-05-06T19:32:00.000-07:00

There have been many times in my life when I have stood witness to God showing off - Performing such incredible miracles just because He can... Just because He loves me and mine....

A few years back - my youngest had a MRI done - the technician told me that he saw something he did not like - a man with 25 years experience... I called my church and asked for urgent prayer requests... The following Sunday - my daughter wanted to go pray at the alter during the invitational prayer time - When we were done praying to God for answers and healing - we stood up and behind us and around us were several members on their knees praying along with us.... That Monday - the doctor's office called and said her brain was normal (there was a cyst or something there and it disappeared)... I believe a miracle occurred...

Many years ago I was in renal (kidney) failure and was on dialysis... I was at the lowest point in my faith and hope... My husband I decided to go to church one Sunday (we were not church going folks at the time) I remember the pastor telling us that God does not want us to worry.. God wants us to give Him our worries and concerns... He wants us to rely on Him... The pastor said to just go into a room and say "God take this worry away from - I'm tired of worrying" So when I got home - I went into another room (so my husband would not think I completely lost it) and said "God take this worry from me... I cannot do this anymore" and I laid down on the bed and went to sleep..... That night - I woke up with an 105 fever... I was rushed to the emergency room - the doctor came in and said - I have some good news and some bad news.... the bad news is the dialysis shunt has a staph infection and the good news is your kidneys are working and you are off dialysis..... Again God answered my prayers.... He gave me a miracle... By the way, that was 15 years ago and my kidneys are still working.....

There have been many more times when God showed His mercy and love. I love that I can talk with Him anytime.... anywhere.. I am thankful that He will always be there when I call Him... Today - many people celebrated National Prayer Day -Let's not stop at just one day of National Prayer... but let's keep it going Every Day....

The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. Romans 8:26

Do You Know What It Is????? | I've Become My Mother!

2010-05-04T13:25:00.000-07:00

Do You Know What It Is????? | I've Become My Mother!

Well Done Good And Faithful Servant...

2010-05-02T19:34:00.000-07:00

Tonight one on the questions in my Bible study was this....

"If the Lord was to take you home tonight, would you be able to say that you did not waste your life, but lived it for God's kingdom?"

This question is a really tough to answer - don't you think?

You know the saying - "Good intentions pave your way to hell"? If I am going to be honest here - I have to say that I do have good intentions... I will get very fired up and somewhere along the way I lose steam and often times fall back into my lazy ways....

In our round table discussion we talked about how to get and stay passionate about Jesus... The main answer was to love one another... To love the unlovable.... To stop judging.... What God requires of His Followers is basically simple... He wants us to love and honor His children and to love Him with all our heart, all our soul, and all our mind....

Romans 14:10-12 But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God." So then each of us shall give account to himself to God.

We I need to live my life honoring Christ... I need to reach out to the unloved and love... I need to humble myself... I need to get out of this comfort zone I have created and get uncomfortable... Because when I go home to my Father - I want to be able to say....

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. And God will reply.... "Well Done, good and faithful servant."

** image from yahoo images

To My Sisters - I Carry Your Heart...

2010-04-26T21:03:00.000-07:00

I Carry Your Heart With Me
E. E. Cummings

I carry your heart with me(I carry it in
my heart) I am never without it(anywhere
I go you go,my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)

I fear no fate(for you are my fate, my sweet) I want
no world(for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

Here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

I carry your heart (I carry it in my heart)

A Difficult Movie To Watch.....

2010-04-24T22:09:00.000-07:00

Preview of Movie Below

Today I watched a movie with my daughters... It was probably the most difficult movie I have ever watched... it was called 'The Stoning of Soraya M".... It was based on the true story of an Iranian woman whose husband wanted another woman... a child bride really.. He was a vile man who decided that he wanted his current wife dead so he would not have to support her and could marry another... He tried to convince the village where they lived that his wife was unfaithful.... The village knew better but they chose to act on the husband's accusations.. In Iran - adultery is punishable by death....

This wife.... mother.... friend... niece was stoned to death... Her name was Soraya M... This story was told by Soraya's aunt - who met with a French reporter secretly and told him the story... There is so much more to the story that I highly recommend it as a must watch movie... It's heartbreaking and eye opening....

I have shared many times on this blog that my dream is to go out into the missionary field.... This movie helped to solidify my want... my dream... I have a strong feeling it helped to open my daughters eyes.... My oldest watched as tears ran down her face... not understanding the evil in the world... She has such a heart for service... I can picture her by my side one day.... Talking to and loving others in the field.... Going to meet the unreached and telling them the Good News of Jesus Christ...

2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word of God. Be persistent, whether the time is favorable or not. Even if attitudes or circumstances are not favorable, speak out anyway, and tell about Christ's work..

A Prayer Request

2010-04-19T20:44:00.000-07:00

"Whether we win or lose this game.. we will praise Him" This is a quote from one of my favorite movies - "Facing The Giants" This is a quote that I have been telling myself everyday since last week...

You see - my husband will be interviewing for a position in the South this coming Thursday.. This can be a huge change for this Southern California family.... Going from the Pacific Ocean to Memphis, Tennessee... Can you say "WOW!"? This is something that I believe will be wonderful for my family.. for my husband... for myself on so many different levels...

I have been praying every day... all day for God to bless us with this change... I have been praying that My want would be His will... I know - God's plan for me.. for my family is perfect... And many times - when something I thought I wanted did not happen - I could look back on it and have an "aha" moment.... I do have to say that this possibility of a new life feels right.....

My prayer request is this: I pray that God will bless us with this incredible opportunity but if it's His Will not to go..... I will continue to be faithful and I will continue to praise Him.... All Good Things Come From Him.....

Thank you. Kelly

I Hope He Says "Yes" | I've Become My Mother!

2010-04-18T20:38:00.000-07:00

I Hope He Says "Yes" | I've Become My Mother!

My WOW Moment On Television

2010-04-18T00:28:00.000-07:00

When this song was sang on American Idol - I cried.... I don't know why.... It was one of the those WOW moments on television.. What do you think? Is it a WOW for you too?

Shout To The Lord

My Jesus, My Savior
Lord there is none like You
All of my days
I want to praise
The wonders of Your mighty love

My Comfort, My Shelter
Tower of refuge and strength
Let every breath
And all that I am
Never cease to worship You

Shout to the Lord
All the earth
Let us sing
Power and majesty
Praise to the King
Mountains bow down
And the seas will roar
At the sound of Your Name

I sing for joy at the work of Your hands
Forever I'll love you
Forever I'll stand
Nothing compares to the promise I have in You

My Jesus, My Saviour
Lord there is none like You
All of my days
I want to praise
The wonders of Your mighty love

My comfort
My Shelter
Tower of refuge and strength
let every breath
All that I am
Never cease to worship you

Shout to the Lord
All the earth
Let us sing
Power and majesty
Praise to the King
Mountains bow down
And the seas will roar
At the sound of Your Name

I sing for joy at the work of Your hands
Forever I'll love you
Forever I'll stand
Nothing compares to the promise I have in You

Shout to the Lord
All the earth
Let us sing
Power and majesty
Praise to the King
Mountains bow down
And the seas will roar
At the sound of Your Name

I sing for joy at the work of Your hands
Forever I'll love you
Forever I'll stand
Nothing compares to the promise I have
Nothing compares to the promise I have
Nothing compares to the promise I have in You

I Just Want To Be Happy

2010-04-13T22:34:00.000-07:00

How many times have you heard someone say - "I just want to be happy."? This statement will often follow a divorce... a separation... It will many times follow an action that may have been a huge and life changing event. I remember the day I filed for divorce... I left the attorney's office and got into my car... I called my sister on the phone and I was crying hysterically ... I remember telling her that all I wanted was to be happy... and my husband wasn't doing it.... I canceled the divorce proceedings two years later and it took a lot of soul searching and praying to learn that Dusty (my husband) was not responsible for my happiness.... I punished him for twenty years for not living up to my unrealistic expectations... and I am truly sorry for that....

I recently found a journal that I had kept when Dusty and I were dating... I had forgotten the pure joy I had with him.. The constant laughter.. I had forgotten what made me fall in love with him... Dusty could make me laugh like no other.... He would tell these stories that were so outrageous and the way he told them would keep my complete attention... He drew me in like a fly to honey..... Even to this day - Dusty is the most funny and smartest man I have ever known... and somewhere over the past 21 years - I had forgotten that...

As I have matured in my age and in my faith and in my marriage - I have learned that happiness is ever changing... My expectations are changing.... My wants and needs and the way I love have changed.... Dusty and I are no longer the very young twenty somethings from years and years ago.... thank goodness - I like who we are today... and the last few weeks - We have spent an abnormal amount of time together... and it's fun to rediscover the laughter we once had... He's a funny guy, my man....

Romans 12:10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.

Struggling With Intimacy

2010-04-11T19:28:00.000-07:00

For the last few months I have been struggling with my relationships... My relationship with my husband... with my friends... and with My God... I have found myself backing away... Wanting to be alone... Many of those who don't know me intimately probably would not notice the change... I can be subtle... But my closest friends.. Those who help to hold me accountable - see it... feel it...

I have been finding reasons not to go to church... not to journal.. not to pray.. I have been making excuses to my family... my friends.. and my God... Excuses for not being completely there... In many ways - I have been completely absent... Today - I had obligations and made myself get up and go to church and quite honestly I did not want to be there... I was going through the motions...

Today - I opened up to a friend... something I rarely do.... I shared what I have been going through... I am not angry at God... but I have been bored... I wasn't allowing Him to fill my needs any longer.. I have been seeking worldly desires... Worldly intimacies... Today - I noticed that the more I was avoiding Him... the more my joy was fleeing... The joy that I found in His word... in His presence... was just a memory.... I was not allowing myself to be intimate with Him.... Today - my friend shared that she was going through some of the same emotions..... Isn't it funny how He puts others in our path that can share and empathize with us.. Women who are also struggling in their relationships.. I think God loves us so much that He doesn't want us to be alone.. He wants us to find Him through and with others...

We are still studying Crazy Love by Francis Chan... To be perfectly honest - I had not read the chapter we were going to discuss tonight... The title of this week's chapter is 'When You're In - Love'..... The basic premise of the chapter was how to create that intimacy with our Father...I had not prepared myself for tonight's lesson - and leave it to Him to open the book to exactly what He wanted me to see....

Excerpt from Crazy Love - Chapter Six

SomeOne I Can Be Real With

If you merely pretend to enjoy God or love Him, He knows. You can't fool Him; don't even try. Instead, tell Him how you feel. Tell Him that He isn't the most important thing in this life to you, and that you're sorry for that. Tell Him that you've been lukewarm, that you've chosen (whatever it is) over Him time and again. Tell Him that you want Him to change you, that you long to genuinely enjoy Him. Tell Him how you want to experience true satisfaction and pleasure and joy in your relationship with Him. Tell Him you want to love Him more than anything on this Earth. Tell Him you want to treasure the kingdom of heaven so much that you'd willingly sell everything in order to get it. Tell Him what you like about Him, what you appreciate, and what brings you joy...

Jesus: God, Lunatic, or Evil Man...

2010-04-09T21:56:00.000-07:00

By C.S. Lewis

When we come to the Incarnation itself, I usually find that some form of aut Deus aut malus hom (either God or a bad man) can be used. The majority of them start with the idea of the "great human teacher" who was deified by his superstitious followers. It must be pointed out how very improbable this is among the Jews and how different to anything that happened with Plato, Confucius, Buddha, Mohammed. The Lord's own words and claims (of which many are quite ignorant) must be forced home..

On the one side clear, definite moral teaching. On the other, which, if not true, are those of a megalomaniac, compared with whom Hitler was the most sane and humble of men. There is no half-way house and there is no parallel in other religions. If you had gone to Buddha and asked him "Are you the son of Brahman?" he would have said, "My son, you are sill in the vale of illusion." If you had gone to Socrates and asked, "Are you Zeus?" he would have laughed at you. If you had gone to Mohamed and asked, "Are you Allah?? he would first have rent his clothes and then cut your head off. If you had asked Confucius, "Are you Heaven?" I think he would have probably replied, "Remarks which are not in accordance with nature are in bad taste." The idea of a great moral teacher saying what Christ said is out of the question. In my opinion, the only person who can say that sort of this is either God or a complete lunatic suffering from that form of delusion which undermines the whole mind of man. If you think you are a poached egg, when you are looking for a piece of toast to suit you, you may be sane, but if you think you are God, there is no chance for you. We may note in passing that He was never regarded as a mere moral teacher. He did not produce that effect on any of the people who actually met Him. he produced mainly three effects - Hatred - Terror - Adoration. There was no trace of people expressing mild approval.

Jesus told people that their sins were forgiven... This makes sense only if He really was the God whose laws are broken and whose love is wounded in every sin. I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: "I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God." That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. H would either be a lunatic - on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg - or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has left that open to us. He did not intend to.

Excerpts from God in the Dock, "what are we to make of Jesus Christ?" 1950 and Mere Christianity

A Slow Path In The Wrong Direction

2010-04-05T18:23:00.000-07:00

Today - I spoke with a friend - About three (3) months ago she had found out her husband was having an affair.... He swore that it was over... He swore that it only lasted a week or so.... Today - my friend found out the affair had been going on for six (6) years and it's NOT OVER... Six YEARS!!!! How do you overcome this? How do you heal? How do you forgive? How do you go on? What do you say to your three (3) children - ages 7, 9 and 14 - who think their daddy is a hero? How do you NOT shatter into a thousand pieces?

I once heard that things like this don't happen all of a sudden... It's a slow path... in the wrong direction... My Sunday school teacher had said once that he doesn't have any women friends - unless they are with him AND his wife... He would never go to a casual lunch/dinner... he would never call a woman on the phone to chat.... He has ONE woman in his life and that is his wife... He said he believed that casual can move in the wrong direction... I tend to believe that is true.... I have always had many platonic male friends growing up - my best friend growing up was a boy - All through junior high and all the way through to college and beyond he was the best - always platonic... never thought about anything else friend... I remember my husband (my boyfriend) at the time getting jealous that I would spend the weekend with by best friend... I did not understand why... now I do... Looking through the eyes of a much older and wiser woman...

Infidelity is a very easy trap to fall into - if you allow yourself to play with fire... My friend will be going through some very tough times in the coming days... months.. years.. Her family will suffer for it... her faith .. her love... her strength... her beliefs will all be tested... Her ability to trust again won't come easily.... it is sad to me how much damage can occur by slowing following the wrong path towards something other than what is right.....

**picture from google pictures

Forgiveness Is Not An Option

2010-04-04T22:43:00.000-07:00

The other night I watched a little bit of a movie called Amish Grace... It was based on the true story of a gunman who walked into an Amish school and shot ten (10) Amish girls and then turned the gun on himself... Several of the girls died... The father of one of the girls who had died went to go visit the widow of the gunman along with a couple of the elders. He went to tell the widow that he has forgiven her husband and that he and his family were there for her - he offered her comfort... Because God has commanded him to forgive...

I remember many years ago listening to a Priest talk about his visits to different state prisons... He told the story of a woman who's daughter was raped and killed by an inmate.. After about a year into his incarceration the mother went to go see him... and through her tears she forgave him... She and the inmate kept in touch for several years...

I don't know if I would be capable of that kind of forgiveness... How difficult it must be... In one's sorrow it would be much easier to hold onto the anger... the hatred... at least I think it would be... I pray that I never have to test that thought...

Colossians 3:12-13 "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you"

Luke 17:3-4 So watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, "I repent," forgive him.

Micah 7:18-19 Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea..

Today Is Good Friday

2010-04-02T12:48:00.000-07:00

Today is Good Friday - A day that represents the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ... Although Jesus was completely innocent of all sin, Jesus suffered the most horrible, disgraceful punishment known. But His agonizing death was not an ordinary death, for it was not the final chapter. Jesus turned this apparent defeat into the most glorious victory the world has ever known. At the Cross, He suffered for the sins of the world. Then after His resurrection from the dead three days later, Jesus empowered His disciples with a new message, the Good News that He had finally defeated the power of sin and death. Through the Cross, Jesus offers salvation to All who will believe in Him.

Today - I was thinking of when I was a little girl - I can remember my mom singing along to this song... On a hill faraway...

Fighting Dirty...

2010-03-30T22:20:00.001-07:00

Last year I embarked on a quest - a quest to fall in love with my husband... I did the Love Dare - from the movie Fireproof... I have to tell you that I indeed fell in love with Dusty all over again... I was loving in all of my ways... I was making choices to not fight... not criticize.. I was making the choice to love - in my actions and in my words... After the 40 days - others around us saw the changes... There were actual physical changes... We appeared to be more joyful... younger... more playful... A dear friend of mine called me on the phone one day - because she just wanted to tell me she loved what she saw... our pure love shining through... and she was thrilled... This particular friend was there the day - I announced that I had filed for divorce... We had been married 20 years and I was - no we were miserable... Something had to change... The Love Dare did that - God did that.... In His Word - In His Instructions - for the first time in my life I knew what love really was.... but....

A year has gone by since the Love Dare has been completed... We have been drifting away from the choices we were actively making... I was actively making... I lost sight of my responsibilities of being a Christ centered Wife... a loving wife... and because I lost focus - Dusty lost focus... I find that we are falling into some of the old habits of carelessness... and it has got to stop... I do not want to be back in the place we first started... The fighting has got to stop.. the indifference has got to stop... The drifting away has got to stop....

Today - I went back to my Love Dare book - I opened the book directly to Day 13- Love Fights Fair.... Yep - God has a way of just letting you know it... setting you right... I realized that I have been fighting dirty... That I have been so very prideful that I did not see the damage I have been inflicting... Words hurt... Actions hurt... Dirty Fighting can damage so deeply.. I could say that Dusty is guilty too - but you know - I am in charge of how I act... how I respond... and I choose to stop.... here is an excerpt from the Love Dare that just smacked me hard today...

The deepest, most heartbreaking damage you'll ever do (or have ever done) to your marriage will most likely occur in the thick of conflict. That's because this is when your pride is strongest. Your anger is hottest. You're the most selfish and judgmental. Your words contain the most venom. You make the worst decisions. A great marriage on Monday can start driving off a cliff on Tuesday if unbridled conflict takes over and neither of you has your foot on the brakes...

Love Reminds You That Your Marriage is Too Valuable To Destroy
Love Reminds You Your Spouse Is More Important Than The Fight.
Love Helps You Install Airbags and sets ups guardrails

Married couples who learn to work through conflict tend to be closer, more trusting, more intimate, and enjoy a much deeper connection afterward..

I have learned that The Love Dare should go beyond the 40 days.. It should last a lifetime... So I am back to basics... The Love Dare Day One..... Love Is Patient - Today - say NOTHING negative.....

Dear Lord - I messed Up Again..

2010-03-28T19:57:00.000-07:00

Dear Lord,

I messed up again. I disappointed others, myself, and worst of all - I disappointed you. The more I struggled with your word - the more I fail... the more I fall short.... How can you forgive me when I fail you All the time..... so many times?

Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41). Our bodies have strong desires that tempt us to sin... When I think of all the times I fall short - I am in awe of all the times you forgive me... Your word tells me that all I need to do is ask, then receive Your forgiveness... Is it really true that my all sins are gone as far as the east is from the west? It's hard for me understand... but you are God and nothing is impossible...

Tonight - I again realized that you want a relationship with me... You want me to love you with all that I am... You want my heart... Everything I do in corporate worship isn't enough - good works are not enough - especially if I do the things out of obligation and not because of my desire... You want me to worship you.. to love agape... To Desire you To embrace your uncommon grace...

Today in Crazy Love - I read this: "Are you willing to say to God that He can have whatever He wants? Do you believe that wholehearted commitment to Him is more important than any other person in your life? Do you know that nothing you do in this life will ever matter, unless it is about loving God and loving the people He has made?"

Father, I am in a work in progress - I am thankful that you love me... you forgive me and you have not given up on me.... thank you.

Friday Follow - My First Giveaway | I've Become My Mother!

2010-03-26T20:53:00.000-07:00

Friday Follow - My First Giveaway | I've Become My Mother!

Today - I am Letting Go!

2010-03-24T21:38:00.000-07:00

Today - I am letting go - I am giving up control - I'm letting Jesus take the wheel.. I've been driving too long - and I'm tired.... With me behind the wheel there have been too many detours.. too many dead ends... I realized today (again) that I cannot do it all.... I try to be everything to everyone and I am exhausted... I've put my Father, my husband, and my kids on the back burner... The most important things in my life have been upstaged by my mad desires.. My mad and crazy business... my mad and crazy need to be in control... Not trusting God to take care of me....

With me in the drivers seat - I have driven off the road... I have gotten lost... I have ended up in places that I should never have ventured to.... So picture me stepping out of the car... walking around to the passenger's door getting in... not putting on a seat belt - with Jesus driving - there is no need - He alone protects me...

The Lord will keep you from harm - he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore... Psalm 121:7-8

One Moment Of Weakness

2010-03-23T19:00:00.000-07:00

Have you ever gone on a diet.... and cheated.... And because you cheated you made yourself feel defeated.... and instead of jumping back on the diet you chose to blow it for the rest of the day... the rest of the week... the month... That one moment of weakness set you on a path of self destruction... This is what I believe happens when we sin... One sin - one moment of weakness - one indiscretion can create a domino effect of compounding our sin... to do more sin.. Until you are so buried... so caught up in what you are doing that it seems that there is no hope ... But all the time - your stomach - your heart is telling you to STOP... Have you ever felt this way?

Guilt is a very powerful negative emotion... I believe it is God's way of telling us to STOP!

Everyday is a new day... a new opportunity to do what is right... We can break away from sin... The decision is ours....

Hold Fast to what is right.. Hold Fast to your Father... Hold Fast to Love... Hold Fast... Don't give up...

May the God of hope fill you with joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.. Psalm 51:10

There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. Romans 8:1-3

Jesus said, "Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. John 16:24

Lukewarm People

2010-03-22T19:31:00.000-07:00

Let's just say I DO NOT LIKE A MIRROR IN MY FACE!!! A mirror that is telling me the truths of where I am... where I am headed... where I have been.. and what I am doing wrong.....

There's a quote in Crazy Love - that hit home and it was hard to accept...but the more I think about it - the more I believe it to be true

"The goals of American Christianity are often a nice-marriage, children who don't swear, and good church attendance. Taking the words of Christ literally and seriously is rarely considered. That's for the "radicals" who are "unbalance" and who go "overboard". Most of us want a balanced life that we can control, that is safe, and that does not involve suffering.."

According to Francis Chan author of Crazy Love - this is one of the many definitions of the lukewarm Christian... It's not that we are not saved... It's not that we don't love God... It's we don't give our life to Him.... the control to Him... We are not picking up our crosses and following Him....

"Lukewarm people don't really want to be saved from their sin; they want only to be saved from the penalty of their sin. They don't generally hate sin and are not truly sorry for it; they're merely sorry because God is going to punish them. Lukewarm people don't really believe that this new life Jesus offers is better than the old sinful one." Quote from Crazy Love...

"I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" John 10:10

"What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Romans 6:1-2..

Food for thought? I know I have my work cut out for me... How about you?

I Had A Camera and There You Go.. | Kelly's Ideas

2010-03-20T13:52:00.000-07:00

I Had A Camera and There You Go.. | Kelly's Ideas

Are You Ready?

2010-03-18T15:57:00.000-07:00

When I was a little girl, my sisters would tell me about the Rapture - I remember saying that I wanted God to wait.... I wanted to get married and have kids first... My daughters have both come to me at different times and told me that they hoped God would wait because they wanted to get married and have kids too... The cycles we go through... Today, I would welcome the Rapture - I would welcome the pure and complete love - comfort - joy - peace..

I don't know if the Rapture will happen in my life... For the past 2000 years or so - every generation believed it would happen.. There are signs... there are many signs that the time is drawing near. The Bible states that He will come as a thief in the night... although we do not know the date nor the time, Paul does tell us in 1 Thessalonians 5 - that we are not in the darkness - when they say peace and safety - then comes sudden destruction... Basically saying - it won't be a surprise when it does come to pass.

Will the Rapture precede the tribulation? I don't know for sure - I believe it will - I pray that it will.. There are many verses in the Bible that talk about how God will save us from wrath - "Pray always, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."

I saw this video and it really made me think - is this the way it's going to be?.. What do you think? And are you ready?

The Facts About The Crucifixion

2010-03-16T19:26:00.000-07:00

Warning: Details of the crucifixion may be too graphic for some

As followers of Christ - we know that God sent his only Son to die on the cross for our sins (John 3:16).. We know - that Jesus Christ was the lamb of God (John 1:29).... We know that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).. But do we think about His sacrifice for us...? Do we ever think about the cross? The real actual pain... fear - that Jesus bore for us.... Do you think about the time that Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane before he was betrayed....? Do you think about how He prayed to God - asking God if there was a chance to take this cup away...? Do you think about how he prayed so hard that His sweat became like great drops of blood? (Luke 22:44)

Last Sunday - a friend of mine read a passage out of a book she was reading.... It was the story of the crucifixion... What was a crucifixion - where did it come from... What did it mean? The details were hard to hear.... Many of us listening had tears in our eyes... One woman covered her ears...

Where did the practice of crucifixion come from? The first known practice was by the Persians.

What is the practice of crucifixion? Torture and execution by fixation to a cross.

Who perfected this torture? The Romans - they were very efficient and skillful.

Most common form? Was the Tau cross shaped like a "T" There is archeological evidence that supports that this is the type of cross that Jesus was crucified on.

Before the prisoner carries his 110 lb cross to his execution - he is scourged. The definition is: inflicting severe punishment.. severe pain...

What happened when Pilate condemned Jesus to scourging and crucifixion?

Scourging happens when the prisoner (Jesus) is stripped of His clothing and His hands tied to a post about His head. A short whip that has several heavy, leather thongs with two small balls of lead attached near the ends of each strap. This very heavy whip is brought down full force again and again across the shoulders.... the legs... the back... At first the straps bruise... then the skin breaks apart and then the whips hit muscle - causing massive blood loss...

When Jesus was untied the soldiers continued to mock Him - calling Him the king of the Jews... They threw a robe over his bleeding shoulders and made a crown of thorns and pressed it into His scalp - when they tired to this game - they ripped off the robe causing the wounds to open more and His pain to increase...

After the torture... suffering from blood loss and dehydration - Jesus was to carry His cross. He could not do it and Simon of Cyrene was ordered to carry it for Jesus...

Once He arrived at the execution spot - the guards quickly threw Jesus backward with His shoulders against the wood. Large, heavy, square, wrought-iron nails were hammered into His wrists into the wood - each wrist was nailed to the cross - they were careful not to pull the arms to tightly - they had to allow for some movement... The left foot is now pressed against the right foot, and with both feet extended, toes down, a nail is driven though the arch of each - leaving the knees a little flexed... Jesus is now crucified.

As the body sags and more weight is on the nails the wrists are in pain - then to try to get away from the pain of the wrists.. the full weight is brought on his feet and more painful agony... As the arms get more tired - great waves of cramps sweep over the muscles - the cramps make it almost impossible to push Himself up - hanging in this manner causes the pectoral muscles to paralyze and the inter-costal muscles are unable to act - making it difficult to exhale air from the lungs.... Hours of unbelieving pain - cramping, partial asphyxiation, the heart being compressed and causing the heart to stop beating... Most die from either heart failure or loss of oxygen... Jesus is believed to have died from heart failure...

The common practice of crucifixion was to break the bones of the legs to prevent the victim from pushing himself up to help him breath... They did not have to do this to Jesus he was dead.. and to make doubly sure He was dead - a soldier drove a sword through His side and immediately blood and water came out....

I challenge you to look up to Him and thank Him this coming Good Friday - April 2nd... Thank Him for loving us... thank Him for his suffering so that we can be forgiven. The wages of sin is death..... and He died so that We could Live......

I Need To Wait... Patiently

2010-03-15T20:23:00.000-07:00

I have shared many times that I am not a patient person... I am always in a hurry of some sort and having to wait at times... drives me INSANE... and as I shared last week, my husband was laid off and needs to find a new job... Granted I am not worried - I know the right job will come along... We have always been frugal and I am sure that all will be good... It's just that I hate waiting....

Hate waiting to find out where... when... what.....

I also am having a hard time sharing my space... I know that sounds awful.... But - the husband is also driving me insane.... I don't think he means to. I know he is doing what he needs to do. But when I get into a rhythm at work - I don't want someone looking over my shoulder... or asking me to explain what I am doing and why... Granted - he wants to know more about what I do and I should have the patience to explain to him - but focus on paragraph one... I am NOT a patient person...

Thankfully - we are not fighting about this... yet.... I was reminded yesterday that God's timing is perfect... always.. and I need to wait on Him - throughout the Bible - God tells us to wait... Why? So we can trust in Him.... and know that He is in control...

Psalms 37:7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way.

Lamentation 3:25 The Lord is good to those that wait on Him, to the person that seeks Him.

image from Yahoo pictures.

Hallelujah On American Idol - Tim Urban

2010-03-11T19:41:00.000-08:00

Listening to Tim Urban singing Hallelujah on American Idol last night gave me chills... Love it!

And so did the judges!

What do you think?

Effective Immediately.... | I've Become My Mother!

2010-03-09T21:04:00.000-08:00

Effective Immediately.... | I've Become My Mother!

What I Read Today

2010-03-06T20:02:00.000-08:00

Today - I went to my Bible looking for answers... looking for inspiration... looking for God.... Don't you just love it when you open the bible to any random page and your eyes drift to exactly what you need to read? Here are the verses I read today... Do you see any common denominator? The verses were read in this order.

Exodus 23:2 Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd...

Ephesians 5:23-28 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing of water through the word.

Isaiah 43:18-19 Forget the former things: so not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.

1 John 4:12 No one has ever see God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

Philippians 1:9-11 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ - to he glory and praise of God.

Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing, and perfect will..

I'm guessing - He has a lot to say to me today...