Category Archives: Christian

Jesus, I Am So In Love With You…

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Listen to:

“Let My Words Be Few”

By Phillips, Craig and Dean

Ever notice how a song can expressed your thoughts exactly…

Well, this is exactly how I feel!!

“You are God in Heaven…

And here am I on earth…

So I’ll let my words be few…

Jesus, I am so in love with You…

And I’ll stand in awe of You, Jesus…

Yes, I’ll stand in awe of You…

And I’ll let my words be few…

Jesus, I am so in love with You…

The simplest of all love songs…

I want to bring to You…

So I’ll let my words be few…

Jesus, I am so in love with You!”

I’ve Decided To Love…

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Yes!

To love you!!

Even though…

You…

My spouse, my father, my mother, my son, my daughter, my family or my friend…

Whoever you are…

Make me crazy at times…

Or annoy me with your habits…

Don’t appreciate me…

Or pay enough attention to me…

Get on my last nerve…

Or make a mess for me to clean up…

Bark orders…

Or give me the silent treatment…

Aren’t punctual…

Or snore…

Don’t call…

Or call too much…

Expect too much of me…

Or give too little of yourself…

Are too negative…

Or too needy…

Too loud…

Or too intolerant…

Whatever we disagree about…

Or however different we are…

I choose to love you…

Because God does!

I want to love like this…

As God does!

I want to live like that!

Listen to:

“Live Like That” by Sidewalk Prophets

“Sometimes I think…

What will people say of me…

When I’m only just a memory…

When I’m home where my soul belongs…

Was I love?

When no one else would show up…

Was I Jesus to the least of those…

Was my worship more than just a song…

I want to live like that!

And give it all I have…

So that everything I say and do…

Points to You…

If love is who I am

Then this is where I’ll stand…

Recklessly abandoned…

Never holding back…

I want to live like that!

Am I proof…

That You are who you say You are…

That grace can really change a heart…

Do I live like Your love is true?

People pass…

And even if they don’t know my name…

Is there evidence that I’ve been changed…

When they see me, do they see You…

I want to live like that!

I want to show the world the love You gave for me…

I’m longing for the world to know the glory of the King…

I want to live like that!”

1 Corinthians 13:4-8
“Love is patient and kind…
Love does not envy or boast…
It is not arrogant or rude…
It does not insist on its own way…
It is not irritable or resentful…
It does not rejoice at wrongdoing…
But rejoices with the truth…
Love bears all things…
Believes all things…
Hopes all things…
Endures all things…
Love never ends…”
So it’s final…
I’ve decided to love!

Okay, This Is NOT On “My Bucket List!”

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Skydiving…

Wearing thongs…

Running for political office…

Living in the past, or on past glories…

Backpacking around the country…

BASE jumping…

Being a groupie of a famous person…

Walking a tightrope, like our friend, Bello the Clown…

Being stuck in an air-conditioning vent…

Falling into a mine shaft…

Working again for my least favorite principal…

Being made to eat anything slimy…

Oh, I’m sure I could go on and on…

But, I love that many of you do want to do these things!

And I’ll pray for your “Bucket List” to be fulfilled…

But, I refuse to live without JOY everyday…

So, I do have a Prayer List…

And here’s what’s on it:

I do want to…

Write a book…

And have it published…

See my son successful in life, especially in God’s eyes…

See him married to a Godly girl, and have a family that serves the Lord…

To live healthy, so I can see my grandchildren…

And teach them to love God…

Live a peaceful life with the Lord…

But, know how to battle spiritual warfare when necessary!

Impact for Christ, all kids, young adults, and adults…

Minister and speak where God leads…

Encourage our drama team to outreach far and wide with God’s direction…

Travel to Italy to see relatives still living there…

Go to Israel to see where Jesus walked…

Serve the Lord on Earth, ’til I get to Heaven to hear…

“…well done, good and faithful servant…”

Mathew 25:23

Leave a legacy of love and encouragement…

To all those…

I’ve been blessed to come into contact with in my life on Earth…

In Jesus Name I pray…

Amen!

Lord, Thanks For Giving!

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Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Psalm 69:30  “I will Praise the Name of God with Song, And shall Magnify Him with Thanksgiving.”

Gracious Heavenly Father…

Thanks for Giving Me…

All Your Promises…

Your Precious Word to Guide Me through this Life…

Your Beloved Son to Give Me New Life…

And Your Holy Spirit to Teach me all Truth!

For my Parents who Brought Me Up to Love You…

For my Husband who Works to keep us Safe…

For my Son who never ceases to be the Delight of my Life…

For Our Precious Siberian who Gives us Unconditional Love and Affection every Day!

For my Siblings, Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins who Know How to Pray…

For Good Friends wherever we have Lived and Worked…

For Caring Believers wherever we have Worshiped…

For Helpful Acquaintances along the Path of Life…

For our Jobs over the years that have been Blessings from You…

For the Safety and Protection of our Home, Cars, and Finances…

For our Health in Body, Mind, and Spirit…

For Your Gift of allowing us to Retire to the Town and Neighborhood of our Dreams…

For Teaching us to Delight in You…

To Love Others…

And to see Everyone as You see Them…

To Minister with Grace and Encouragement for Your Kingdom!

I Pray Your Blessing on this Blog, to be a Powerful Ministry for You…

And that I Always Know how Very Blessed I Am…

In Knowing Who You Are!

Lord, Thanks for Giving…

I Welcome You Into My Life Always, Lord!

Train Up!

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“Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

Proverbs 22:6

Train Up:

To teach and form by practice; to educate; to exercise; to discipline; to form by instruction; to bring up…

Hey, wait a minute that sounds like hard work…

Day in and day out work…

Lifetime work…

No wonder we’re all tired!

Raising kids is tough!

Hey, God…

We need some help here!!

Parents…

Are you ready for this?

Are you prepared for all this training up???

Better get ready fast!

I always tell new Parents, or Parents-To-Be…

Being a parent is great…

As long as you know…

The ONLY thing you get done after you have kids is taking care of the kids…

And sometimes, not even that very well!!

If you start out thinking that…
Then when you actually start having time for yourselves again…
You’ll feel really blessed!  Ha!!
I’ve always believed that raising a kid you like to be around, is the best reward there is!

Take the time needed to do it God’s way…
It’s worth it!
I just read this great article on Christian Growth Network, by Pierre Eade, called “In The Way They Should Go.”
Here’s what he said in the article:  “Train Up, if translated literally means:  Narrow the way in which your kids go.  The idea here is that you are bringing your child down a narrow path of life, not letting them go off to be wild and reckless on a path of destruction.  This concept is very similar to the teachings of Jesus.
 
Enter in by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter in by it. How narrow is the gate, and restricted is the way that leads to life! Few are those who find it. (Matthew 7:13-14)
 
It is our obligation as parents to guide our children in ways that are right, true, noble and good.  We are at the same time to keep our children from ways that are destructive, harmful, false and evil.  We cannot delegate this responsibility to the Sunday school teacher, church or any other institution.  God calls us as parents to perform this function.  We also cannot expect our children to know the way to go or figure it out on their own.  Children must be taught and even trained to live a godly lifestyle.
The word “child” in the Hebrew covers the ages of infancy to adolescence.  The training and molding of our children begins at a young age.  In the youngest years children are most impressionable providing us as parents a prime opportunity for developing their ways of thinking and behavior.  Obviously, the training and development of our children does not stop after their toddler years, but the idea here is that we are to start young and continue on throughout their adolescence.
 
Some Bible scholars have suggested that training a child in ‘the way he should go’ implies that each child has been given by God a unique set of gifts, talents, traits, abilities and personality that we as parents must be sensitive to guide them in following individually.  Any parent with more than one child understands that no two children are alike in temperament or skills, so it would only make sense to guide and encourage our children to flourish in their God-given abilities.
 
The word ‘way’ in the Hebrew means a road, and figuratively means ‘a course of life or mode of action.’ We are teaching our children the way in which they are to live, how they are to treat others, how they are to love God and interact with Him, how they are to be in character and conduct.  And what is ‘the way’ that we need to train our kids?  In the New Testament, Jesus teaches us that He is the way.
 
I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)
If we begin to get confused about the model or style of parenting we should follow, it’s always wise to default back to Jesus.  When facing a dilemma in parenting, it would be helpful to ask questions like, ‘What would Jesus think of my child’s attitude?’  ‘How would He respond?’ ‘What would it look like for my son or daughter to be more like Jesus?’ And most importantly, we need to pray to the Lord on our children’s behalf and for His guidance, help and wisdom for us as parents.
As we guide our children in the ways of Jesus, we are hopeful that they will one day choose for themselves to follow Him.   This proverb does say that ‘when (our child) is old, he will not depart from (the way)”’which at times has been used to guarantee parents of their child’s salvation or future as a Christian.  It is true that as we train and disciple our children in God’s ways, we lay the foundation for them to make the choice to follow Christ when they grow older.
 
This verse does not say that by simply being a Christian ourselves, our children will also become believers in Jesus.  Parenting is a process.  It happens day after day, night after night, year after year.  Over time, if you are consistent in living out your faith, your children will learn the way to go.
 
If we desire to maximize the impact we have on our children, we need to start by examining our own walk with God and ask the question, ‘How well am I modeling Christianity to my children in my attitude, actions and words on a daily basis?’  And when we fall short, which we inevitably and frequently do, are we willing to admit our shortcomings to our kids and ask their forgiveness.
 
The clearest commandment in the Old Testament on parenting may just about sum up all we need to do and be as parents who raise God loving children.
 
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:5-8
Our ultimate goal as parents is first to love the Lord our God.  We are to be examples to our children of what it means to live a life of loving and following God.  We are to model that love to our children everywhere we go with them.  We are to be consistent in teaching, instructing, and training our children in the love of God.   And as they observe and learn the ways of God through our lives and witness the faithfulness of God to us, they will be convinced that there is no better way to live.”

Can You Stand?

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Sunday’s message at  the church we visited while on vacation was…

“The Word Stands, So Stand On The Word!!”

The Pastor said…

“Get in the word, and let the Word get into you!

Faith=See what God promises…

See new possibilities!!

You get what you see…

And what you believe!

Don’t doubt!

Believe WHEN you pray and then get it!

Not just pray and get!

You must believe first!

All God’s promises are ‘YES’ to us!

He is the Lord who heals us!

FAITH sees only what God promises…

Not the problems!

The Word is living!

The Word is the Sword of the Spirit needed to win the battle!!”

I don’t know about you…

But I have friends and family who need miracles of healing right now as I write this…

Thank you Pastor Leonard…I was so blessed by this powerful message!

So I’m sending it along to everyone!

“Think Beyond Yourself…”

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I was listening to Dr. Charles Stanley, In Touch Ministries, on TV the other day…

His message was on “Forgiveness, Think Beyond Yourself…”

He wasn’t talking about God’s forgiveness of us…

That’s easy…

Just repent and accept it!

But, our forgiveness to others!

Ouch!

That’s hard!

We don’t want to!!

We question…

We vent…

We complain..

We state our case…

To everyone…

To God…

Do You know what he/she did to me???

Said to me???

But Dr. Stanley said, “You can do all that, but it’s still clear from Scripture that you MUST…

Forgive!

To be Forgiven…

Don’t even bother to ask, Dr. Stanley said…

“Is it God’s will for me to forgive__________(insert name!) AGAIN????”

It is His will!

Let it go!

Don’t let satan take a root…

It’s a choice you need to make!

That you MUST make!

Lay it down…

With God’s power!

Here’s a tip:

Dr. Stanley says, “Pray for the other person, so that your attention won’t be on yourself!”

Ask, “What can I do for the other person?”

Get rid of your unforgiveness…

Even if your request for forgiveness is rejected…

When your unforgiveness is gone…

You won’t see  the other person in the same way…

Harsh feelings will be replaced with a new attitude…

Accept the other person as they are…

Give them time…

God’s working on them…

And on your behalf, also…

So you can understand why they act as they do…

Life is too short for you to just avoid the other person…

Or to wait for them to apologize…

Choose to Forgive today!

To be free…

And not bound by unforgiveness!

Preaching to myself!

I had to put this into practice just today!!

Matthew 6:15

But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Matthew 18:21

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy times seven.

Collide With The Healer!

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Are you hurting???

Listen to  “The Hurt & The Healer”

by MercyMe

Here are the lyrics…

“Why?
The question that is never far away…
The healing doesn’t come from the explained…
Jesus, please don’t let this go in vain…
You’re all I have…
All that remains…

So here I am…
What’s left of me…
Where glory meets my suffering…

I’m alive…
Even though a part of me has died…
You take my heart and breathe it back to life…
I’ve fallen into Your arms open wide…
When the hurt and the Healer collide…

Breathe…
Sometimes I feel it’s all that I can do…
Pain so deep that I can hardly move…
Just keep my eyes completely fixed on You…
Lord, take hold and pull me through…

So here I am…
What’s left of me…
Where glory meets my suffering…

I’m alive…
Even though a part of me has died…
You take my heart and breathe it back to life…
I’ve fallen into Your arms open wide…
When the hurt and the Healer collide…

It’s the moment when humanity…
Is overcome by majesty…
When grace is ushered in for good…
And all our scars are understood…
When mercy takes its rightful place…
And all these questions fade away…
When out of the weakness we must bow…
And hear You say ‘It’s over now!’

I’m alive…
Even though a part of me has died…
You take my heart and breathe it back to life…
I’ve fallen into Your arms open wide…
When the hurt and the Healer collide…

Jesus, come and break my fear…
Awake my heart and take my tears…
Find Your glory even here…
When the hurt and the Healer collide…”

Take your hurt…

and…

Collide with the Healer!  Amen!

My New Bank Is Stalking Me!

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I feel the need to vent!!!

I have a new bank…

Well, an old bank with a new name…

And a new way of doing business…

I think they’re super sugary sweet…

And super annoying!!

Every time I go through the drive-thru window…

They want to chat, sell me some new services, or invite me to come in and talk with one of their helpful representatives…

Duh…if I wanted to “COME IN”…

I wouldn’t have driven up to the window!!

Or, they ask about my family members…

I call that preying…

I’m always in a hurry when I need to run to the bank…

Especially after work!

Hence, the name “Drive-Thru” window…

Not…”Come-In!  Sit-And-Chat-Awhile” window!!

You’re supposed to get your business taken care of quickly, and drive on thru!!!!

Ladies, you know this is true…

I’m thinking of other things!!

My next stop,

Drama choreography,

Things I need to do when I get  home,

What am I going to eat when I get there,

When am I going to finally get to collapse and get some sleep,

How to keep my “Siberian Craziness” dog from jumping on me when I walk through the door with all my packages from Wal-Mart?????

Now, these are important questions that I need to mull over while driving…

And while waiting at the drive-thru window at the bank…

I don’t need to have a long drawn out conversation with anyone!

A teller at one of the bank branches in my town is from NJ, like me…

So you can imagine how long that conversation was…

When I was already running late to unlock the door for drama practice after work!!

Last week, one of the tellers asked me how my husband was doing…

She called him by name!!

What does that mean…

I don’t even know her!

Should I say, “Well, we had a huge argument…”

And then, go on and on about the details, ’til she says, “I have another customer…”

Should I say, “He’s wonderful!  I love him!  He does so much for me!”

And risk nauseating her?

Should I tell her,  “He’s outside doing lawn work in our front yard and complaining because there’s so much work, and it’s hot and humid here in FL!”

I just don’t know the “Bank-Teller-Sharing-Confidential-Friends-Only-Information” Policy!!

I don’t even know if there is such a policy!

This is my first run-in with this!!

Also, my husband complains about them because he has to show his driver’s license at the window every time he drives thru…

I don’t know if they give him the 3rd degree about me when he’s there…

But, if they know him so well, why does he need to show his driver’s license????

Does anyone else out there in blogger’s land feel this way???

Before the “Take-Over,” and name change at my bank…

I loved my bank!

They were friendly, helpful, and knew their place in my life….

Now, I have a bank that wants to come right in, and dwell in my life…

Only Jesus gets to do that!!

Don’t get me wrong…

Before my wonderful bank changed its name…

And the bank with the new name started stalking me…

My husband and I had a great rapport with our banker!

He was young, knowledgeable, and spoke “banking” in a way we could understand!!

Amen and Hallelujah!!

We loved him, and still keep in contact with him…

He’s at another bank!

My son and husband even played golf with him, and his Dad!

Where they could talk all day if they wanted…

I might have to change banks!

Folks, is church the same way?

Sugary sweet for the purpose of selling people something?

Selling them our wonderful programs???

Selling them on Jesus?

He needs no selling…

Just let people  feel the moving of His Holy Spirit in their lives…

And God will take it from there…

Are we welcoming or pushy??

No stalking, please!

There’s a fine line, Church…

“Hi!  Welcome to our church…Thanks for visiting…We have church tonight, come on back…Monday night we’re off, so you can enjoy your family at home…Tuesday is game night…Wednesday is family night…Thursday is choir practice…Friday night is youth group…Saturday night is pot luck…Sign up for the Bible study…Men’s meeting…Ladies outreach…

And, Oh, yes, the missions trip to Haiti is in two weeks!!

Do all of your family members go to church?  We have  Kids church, a Toddler class, a Nursery, a media center, a playground……………..etc.

And also, a group for the senior citizens!!”

You get the point!

I love all these programs…

But, it’s not about them…

It’s about Jesus!

Be sincere!!

Show them God’s love…

Point them to Jesus…

Welcome them into the Family of God…

Not just into your church!

Love the people…

Care for their needs…

Not just inviting them to the great ministries you provide…

People can spot sugary sweet a mile away…

I know I can!

Yes, You Can Change!

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I just heard a new contemporary Christian song…

“Who You Are” by Unspoken

Go…Listen to it!

It’s Awesome!

Here are the lyrics…

“I know that look you’re givin’ like you got something to prove…
‘Cause I have walked for miles and miles in that same pair of shoes…
You refuse forgiveness like it’s something to be earned…
But sometimes pain’s the only way that we can learn…

You can never fall too hard, so fast, so far…
That you can’t get back, when you’ve lost where you are…
It’s never too late, so bad
So much, that you can’t change who you are!

You can change who you are!

You believe in freedom, but you don’t know how to choose…
You gotta step out of your feelings that you’re so afraid to lose…
Everyday, yeah, you put your feet on the floor…
You gotta walk through the door, it’s never gonna be easy…
But it’s all worth fighting for…

You can never fall too hard, so fast, so far…
That you can’t get back when you’ve lost where you are
It’s never too late, so bad
So much, that you can’t change who you are...

You can change who you are!

So let the ashes fall wherever they land…
Come back from wherever you’ve been…
To the foot of the cross, to the feet of Jesus…
The feet of Jesus!

You can never fall too hard, so fast, so far…
That you can’t get back when you’ve lost where you are…
It’s never too late, so bad…
So much, that you can’t change who you are...

At the foot of the cross you change who you are!

You can change!”