The Tender Touch

The Little Blue Care Bear

2012-01-17T23:59:00.000-08:00

I have a collection of knick knacks (I know I sound like anold lady) that I can’t seem to discard because each one holds a special memoryto me. I don’t especially like the idea of knick-knacks, they are dustcollectors, they are small, they can be easily broken, etc. but, each one that I have was given to me bysomeone special for a specific reason…and they hold a special place In myheart.

In my parent’s home there is a very special little memento. For the last 25 years when I have visited myparents I have always found a very precious little Care Bear that proudly sitson my dad’s nightstand. It was given tohim on the occasion of his 50^th birthday by my daughter Kellie. She was four years old at the time and thatwas her very precious and sacrificial gift to her grandpa.

I remember the evening so clearly. We were celebrating my dad’s birthday at myhouse. We had everyone over for dinner,and traditionally I made cioppino. Formy dad’s 50^th birthday gift we all went in together and purchased him atiger eye ring. After we sang “HappyBirthday” and had our cake, Dad opened his one gift from all of us. I will never forget the disappointed look onKellie’s face when she asked, “Grandpa, is that all you got, just one present?” I remember my dad smiling and saying, “Yes,it is a very nice gift.”

I don’t think anyone noticed when Kellie slipped away untila few moments later when she returned with a little gift that she managed to wrapwith all the love, paper, and tape that a 4-year old could muster. We all watched as she presented her favorite Care Bear to her grandpa so he could have more than just one gift.

As I was remembering this event I couldn’t help but think thatthe Lord must treasure the gifts that we lovingly offer, even if the gift itself is not the biggest, most expensive, or most useful to Him. I thought of the widow and her two mites andhow the Lord said she gave more than the others that had given out of theirabundance while she gave all she had. Certainly God didn't NEED her 2 mites, but He appreciated them all the more because of the love, dedication, and sacrifice with which she gave them.

“And he looked up,and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. And he saw also acertain poor widow casting in thither two mites. And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, thatthis poor widow hath cast in more than they all: For all these have of theirabundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast inall the living that she had.” Luke21:1-4

While I know these verses deal with monetary giving, Ithought also of the other things we give to God…our time, our service, ourdedication, and I pondered these questions… are we giving God our all, or our sparetime? Are we serving Him when it isconvenient, or because serving Him means more than perhaps other things thatmay be for our own pleasure? Are wededicated to going to church, having daily devotions and prayer time – or dothose things only fit in after our dedication to job, hobbies, and activitieswith friends?

I would love to be the child that realizes that there shouldbe more to give …and the one that is willing to give all, however little thatmay be, to please my Heavenly Father…wouldn’t you?

Have a wonderful day!

3 Games of Uno

2011-12-08T23:05:00.000-08:00

One of life’s greatest joys is having grandchildren. The Bible says in Proverbs17:6, “Children’s children are the crown of old men; and the glory of childrenare their fathers.” I am so veryprivileged to have 12 crowns named (in order) Mark, Micah, Brooklynn, Alexis,Dominic, Corban, Ethan, Marissa, Haylie, Jaclynn, Gianna, and Jaydon…whew! One of the definitions of a crown is a distinction orreward for achievement – I would like to liken having grandchildren it to the icing on acake. I had the wonderful privilege ofbeing a mother, (that's the cake part) enduring the pregnancies, labor, sleepless nights, teething,illnesses, disciplining, and teenagers! Thankfully I have also enjoyed the immense pleasure of seeing themsaved, grow in grace, develop a walk with God, get married, and become parents…givingme my grandkids - the “crowns” mentioned in Proverbs 17.

Oneof the blessings in being a grandparent that I did not anticipate is how much Icould learn from those precious little munchkins. Most recently the Lord gave me a greatpicture of how much the Lord enjoys our coming to His presence through myoldest grandson Mark. Markis 7 ½ years old and loves to play games (or should I say “win” games?). When we go to visit he always likes to haveus play a board game, a video game, or perhaps one of his favorite games - Uno.

On a recent visit he wanted to play a game ofUno, but we were unable to play because it was just too late. He had to go to bed, and we were set to leaveearly in the morning. Mark was sodisappointed and pleaded and pleaded with us to please stay long enough to playa game. That was not possible as we hadobligations and had to be home at an appointed time; so being the nice Grammythat I am I told him that if he got up early enough I would play with him inthe morning. That seemed to suffice andhe went to bed for the evening.

WhatI did not expect was the precious sight we found in the morning…you see Mark, wanting to be sure that he did not miss the opportunity to play a game with megot up sometime in the middle of the night and camped right outside our bedroomdoor! When my husband got up at 5:00there he found Mark all curled up in a blanket on the floor in the hallway –is thatnot the most heartwarming compliment? He wanted so badly to be able to play a gamewith me before we left that he sacrificed his comfort, and even his sleep! So, at 5:00 am through burning eyes I satwith my grandson and played 3 games of Uno. We both had fun, and he won 2 of the 3 games we played.

So,what lesson did I learn? Well, the Lord reminded of Proverbs 8:17 which says, “I love them that love me; and those thatseek me early shall find me.” The Lordpromises that when we seek Him early we shall find Him. I love spending any time I can with all of mygrandbabies, and I especially love when they want to spend time with me! On that day Mark and I were able to spend a little extra time together becausehe sought me early – and the fact that he sought to spend that time with me made me feel all themore loved and pretty special. Now, mychallenge is this: how often do Isacrifice sleep and comfort to get up extra early just so I can spend extratime with the Lord? How often do weearnestly seek Him early? It seems that more often we seek Him “at ourearliest convenience” instead of early.

Lord,thank you for this precious and practical lesson you’ve taught me through thelove of my grandson and thank you for letting me not only seek you, but findyou. I pray that perhaps all of us canlearn from the simple lesson and that we’ll all be encouraged to seek our Lordearly and enjoy the time we are able to have with Him when we do.

Havea wonderful day!

The Pink Camouflage Tent

2011-12-01T16:45:00.000-08:00

It has been such a long while since I have written a new “Tender Touch.” I have been very busy studying for my Ladies’ Sunday school class, Ladies’ Bible Study, and for our Wednesday night Bible Pals. This morning I have been considering how great it feels to be able to give, and also the importance of seeking, so that you’ll find.

I am sure you’ve all probably figured out the reason those thoughts are flooding my mind is because it is December and Christmas is upon us! I love this time of year. I especially love being able to spend extra time with my family – I love my kids and grandkids so much, they are all so precious to me. We were able to have 3 of our married children and their families with us for Thanksgiving. We had a great time together on Thanksgiving, and then on Friday we went to cut down the Christmas tree…all 18 of us went to cut down one Christmas tree! (How many Italians does it take to get a Christmas tree?)

On Saturday, as the kids were on their way out of town we went to Bass Pro Shop and had the kids’ pictures taken with Santa. Now, this is probably going to sound ridiculous to you, but one of the things that especially warmed my heart was seeing our granddaughter Brooklynn, (she is 6) hand deliver her letter to Santa. I didn’t know she had written a letter, and here she was all prepared for her visit with her letter in hand. For some reason when I saw her handing her letter to Santa it brought tears to my eyes – she is so cute. After they had their pictures taken I asked Brooklynn what she had asked Santa for and she responded mostly with what you would expect – except then she went on to add that she had also said, “and for my Dom, can you please bring him… because he would really like that, and for my little Jaclynn, she would really like…” I was so moved that she included in her letter things she would like for her brother and sister to receive.

While we were at Bass, Brooklynn spotted a pink camouflage tent that came with a sleeping bag, compass, and a flashlight! She was so excited about it, and was really hoping she could get it. Because Brooklynn was with them, her parents did not buy the tent, and asked if we could go back and get it a little later – and of course, sadly they were out of stock. The tent was not available on line, and so I began looking and found some other pink tents that might work – but they were not camouflage, and they did not include the other goodies – they were not THE tent. I called the store again, (even though they already told us we couldn’t get it from them, or order it online), and I asked where the nearest store was. Now, as a Grammy, of course I would go to nearly any extreme to get something, but the nearest store is 360 miles away! So, I called to find out if they could deliver the tent to my son’s home and success- they could do that…the tent was available and the deal was done! I am sure it sounds silly to some of you, but I was so happy that I was able to locate and get that pink camouflage tent for our little Bookie – so, the lesson is…

Luke 11:9-13 "And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"

Now, the gift will be from “Santa” (daddy and mommy), so I had to check with my son to see about paying the extra shipping charges. When I talked to him his response was, “yes, get it – she has her heart set on it.” The extra cost of $15 is really minimal compared to the joy she’ll have when receives the gift she really wants. So, how much more does our heavenly Father want to give us gifts when we ask Him? It made me so happy to have a part in helping my son to get his daughter the gift she wanted and I am so thankful to know, or at least have a glimpse of how much God wants to give me the things I ask Him for– aren’t you?

Have a wonderful day!

Good Success

2011-09-17T15:24:00.000-07:00

One of my greatest desires and concerns as a young mother was to see my children grow to fulfill God’s will for their lives. I always wanted to be as good a mother as I could possibly be – my children are my heart – no matter how grown up they are, they are constantly on my mind and in my prayers.

Now I am not a young mother – I have eight adult children and 12 precious grandchildren. As I write this my eyes are welling overcome with love for each one of them. I want so desperately for each one to have “good success.” There is only one verse in the Bible that promises just that…good success. It is in Joshua 1:8 which says, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”

I can’t say I’ve arrived, but I am happy to say that it looks like we’re on the right path. A few weeks ago my husband and I had the joy of spending a few days with 6 of our grandchildren. On one of the days we took the kids to park. They had a great time playing together, and they began to make new friends with the other children that were playing in the park. As I sat watching them interact with the other children, I began to reminisce in my mind of when my own children were little and how so often they would end up giving the other children gospel tracts.

It seems that I no sooner had that thought/memory when our oldest grandson came over and asked if we had a tract that he could give to one of the kids he met as he had just invited him to church! Praisalujah! I was one happy grammie! At that point my grandkids changed their focus from playing to soulwinning. In fact they began to look at all the people in the park and wanted to make sure that each one received an invitation to church! I found it so precious when my granddaughter looked at the nearby school (whose yard was right by the park separated by a chain link fence) and said, "Grammie, what about all those kids - we need to ask them too!"

I know that I was far from being a perfect mom, but I sincerely tried to do my best to follow the Lord as I was raising my children. I sincerely pray to do my best now as the mom of adult children and as a grammie. On that day I saw God’s mercy on my imperfections and found such joy as I witnessed my children’s children reaching out to the other kids at the park. "But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children." Psalm 103:17

Thank you Lord for your precious Word and your loving mercy. Have a wonderful day!

It's How We "Role"

2011-08-05T02:24:00.000-07:00

Recently my husband and I had the joy of keeping 3 of our precious grandchildren with us for a few days while our son and his wife went to a conference. We had a lot of fun with the kids, and of course as grandparents we wanted to spoil our grandkids.

On one of the days we decided we would take the kids to Chuck E Cheese for lunch and most especially to play the games. We had to run a few errands to complete a few church related tasks. Well, the boys started to get restless – they were so excited that they just had a hard time containing themselves. After being warned a few times, my husband finally resorted to warning them that if they would not behave they would not be able to go to Chuck E Cheese’s. Unfortunately the boys committed the final act that forced my husband to keep his word.

When I got in the car, (I promise I was only in the store for 10 minutes – tops), my husband informed me that we were not going. I felt badly, but honestly he felt worse! He then told me that what he was most troubled about was the fact that the kids were not sorry for their dastardly deeds.

We then went to make one last stop before going home and I was left in the car with kids. As soon as my husband got out of the car I spoke with kids and asked them if they knew they had misbehaved, to which they replied, “Yes.” I reminded them that their Papa loved them very much and felt badly that they had disobeyed him. I didn’t say anything else about the matter – and I didn’t need to.

When my husband got back in the car – the first thing the kids did was apologize for their behavior. He was barely in the car when they were telling their Papa just how sorry they were for their actions and they asked him to forgive them. At that point my husband was very relieved and happily

let them know that because they had apologized and asked his forgiveness he would go ahead and take them to Chuck E Cheese. Then everyone was happy and we had a great time!

I thought about the whole matter and realized we had just enacted a perfect example of the work of the Father and the Holy Spirit in the lives of Christians. Our Heavenly Father wants to give us those things that will bring us joy, but we often miss out on the joys that He has for us because we fail to submit to His will and plan for us. When we disobey our Father, He is most disappointed and desires that we seek His forgiveness. The Holy Spirit, our comforter and teacher reminds us of our sins and convicts us so that we’ll get things right with God. When we admit we've done wrong and ask forgiveness, God hears us and will bless us according to His good pleasure.

It works like this: Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. "
Jeremiah 18:10, “If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.”
John 14:26, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
Psalms 66:18, 19, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.”

I’m so happy that it all worked out – we went the full cycle, and each one of us represented our proper roles…my husband as the father, me as the comforter, and my grandkids as the children that sinned and then received forgiveness…and thus we all got what we wanted! What a wonderful reminder that was to me – and I hope to you as well.

Have a wonderful day!

Are You Seeking?

2011-05-11T15:20:00.000-07:00

On May 5, I had the tremendous privilege and blessing of having my daughter be our guest speaker for the Mother’s Day Banquet. Our Theme was “Will you Say I Do?” The evening was much like a wedding. We had 4 ladies in the church model wedding gowns, we had special music, and then we had special and touching moments that brought tears to our eyes. Through tears I reminded the ladies that just like a wedding we were shedding tears at the ceremony and then we would have fun and games at the reception. We enjoyed a delicious dinner, played the "Newlymet" Game (like the Newlywed Game)...and topped it all off with a wedding cake. We had a wonderful turn out and a lot of fun!

My daughter, in keeping with the bridal theme, gave us some beauty tips – TRUE beauty tips. As she was speaking she used an illustration that has stuck with me. She likened allowing the Word of God to enhance our beauty by responding to the instructions found in the Bible. She gave the analogy that if someone were to tell you that you had a broccoli floweret stuck in your teeth, you wouldn’t just leave it there – you would make sure to take care of it; so, for enhanced beauty we should respond the same way when we read from the Bible. What a clear picture!

This morning in my Bible reading I caught just a little statement that I would like to share with you today. I Chronicles 28:8 says, “Now therefore in the sight of all Israel the congregation of the Lord, and in the audience of our God, keep and seek for all the commandments of the Lord your God: that ye may possess this good land, and leave it for an inheritance for your children, after you for ever.” As I read that verse I thought that part of the problem we have in making the changes that God shows us we need in our lives is that we are not seeking for all the commandments. I then thought of the verse that says, “For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.” James 1:23, 24 That’s what we tend to do – we see ourselves and the areas in our lives where we need to grow and improve upon when we read the Bible, but because we are not really “seeking” for them – we read it, see it, and then walk away and forgot what we saw. It’s because we are reading the Bible as an exercise instead of earnestly “keeping and seeking" God's commandments.

Ladies, when we are getting ourselves ready for the day – we use the mirror to make sure that there is nothing in our teeth, no goo in the eyes, that our make-up is applied properly, that every hair is in place, and then normally before we leave we take a good look at the finished product to make sure that everything looks the way we want them to look. We use the mirror to seek for error, hoping for “perfection;” but if we see a problem we most definitely fix it – we wouldn’t walk out the door with a gaping hole in the back, or an unsightly stain! The same should hold true with our Bible reading – we should as we read earnestly seek God’s commandments so that we can fix ourselves spiritually!

It is my heart’s desire to “possess” everything God has for me – and He promises just that if I will keep and seek for all the commandments of the Lord my God. Ladies – when you read your Bible today – will you do so not as an exercise, but as a way of seeking to grow and improve in your walk with God? Earnestly seek for any little broccoli floweret to remove – if you do you’ll be much more confident when you smile:)

Have a wonderful day!

Mysterious?...Not so much

2011-03-26T15:16:00.000-07:00

We have all heard the saying, “The Lord moves in mysterious ways.” That is not in the Bible verbatim, but the idea or concept is definitely true. God has His way of getting things done – and of course His ways are not our ways, His thoughts are not our thoughts, and His ways are higher than ours. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:9 One thing I do know is that I am amazed at the way the Lord works things out – especially when we’re so often afraid of the very things that become our greatest blessings!

Today my husband is performing the first wedding at Lighthouse Baptist Church since its inception on February 21, 2010. The circumstances that led to this day are very unusual to say the least. We received a call from a lady that we met while out door knocking before the church began. That in itself is a pretty amazing story because when we knocked on her door, she was in her house with a group of ladies praying for the new start-up church in town…ours! She attended our first service and we never saw her again. She had her own church she was attending and continued going to her home church.

Now, let’s fast forward one-year. This same lady had car trouble and was unable to go to her home church, so she decided to visit us again. The Lord has since led her to continue to attend our church, our Ladies Bible Study on Tuesday mornings, and even to host one of the tables at our banquet last week! On Thursday we received a call from her because a couple dear to her was planning to get married in Tahoe – but because of the terrible weather they had to cancel their wedding! Needless to say they were very disappointed; she wanted to know if there was any way they could have the wedding at our church, and if my husband would be willing to perform the wedding.

Within one hour, my husband met with them and as is his custom, he talked to them about their salvation – though they both believed in God neither of them knew the Lord as their personal Savior so my husband had the privilege of seeing them gloriously saved! So now this precious couple not only had a church to get married in – they were doing so as God’s precious newborn babes!

They were afraid they weren’t going to be able to have their wedding – instead they were able to get married in an adorable little country church – they used many of the church’s decorations, they had a fellowship hall to use for their reception, and most of those planning to attend lived in or near our town so more of their loved ones were able to attend than if they had gone to Tahoe!

Bad weather mysterious? …not so much; after all it isn’t the first time God sent hail and thunder to save His children! ((Exodus 9:23, I Samuel 2:10, 7:10)

Have a wonderful day!

Prayer and a Little Chocolate

2011-03-24T15:10:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we held our first banquet! It was exciting for many reasons – it was our first, we had a lady in our church organizing the entire event, we had a couple that are new Christians cooking the meal, and every table was being decorated according to a different theme by the host and hostess of each table. That took such a huge load off me…I thought:)

As the week progressed I found out that we were having an overnight guest – the speaker staying at our home – after having 6 of our grandkids stay with us for a few days during spring break. Now – really that was not an issue, but it did add a little work. We also decided to keep 3 of our grandchildren with us through Sunday as we were planning to be at their house for our grandson’s special Grandparent’s day at school on Monday…so on Sunday in addition to having the house ready for lunch for 7 guests, and taking all the table decorations to church to set my table after the morning service, I did also have to make sure the kids were ready in time to pick up a very special lady I bring to church every Sunday morning.

Well, whew! I had everyone and everything ready by 9:40! I was doing great…until I realized that my husband had taken the car keys to church with him – I was stranded at home. In the meantime – I began getting phone calls from all the people that were calling to let us know they weren’t going to be able to make it to church…not a good thing for a pastor’s wife to hear on Sunday morning – especially on the very special morning of our first banquet. Then I tried to call my hubby to get the keys, but he wasn’t answering his phone. I proceeded to call everyone whose cell number I had in the church and none of them answered their phones! By now it was 9:56 and I still was stranded at home! Here I had worked so hard to be organized, on time …all together, you know ready and handling everything just fine – now I was late and frazzled because I couldn’t get in touch with anyone. As a last ditch effort I texted everyone at once to let them know I was stranded at home, and that Pastor had the car keys! At last – success! My husband called to let me know he was on his way with the keys…yeah!

My husband was able to make it back to the church on time, but I was late picking up my dear Mrs. Farmer (she is 94), and by the time I got in to Sunday school it was 10:15…only to discover that I had left the bulletins at home…ugh! I picked myself up, walked back to the car out in the rain, and rushed home to get the bulletins. As I was home I was praying, “Lord, please help me I am totally stressing and I really could use a little help, and please can I have just a bite of chocolate? – I think it would help right about now.” I checked my candy dish - it was Nanna’s and I use it to store seasonal candy (just like she did), and of course after having 6 grandchildren with me – all of my mint chocolate (green) candy kisses were gone (no surprise there:). As I was rushing out the door, the Lord reminded me that I had a few Valentine candy’s left (if my husband hadn’t eaten them) and so I hurriedly checked and voila…chocolate! I thanked the Lord as I enjoyed my little pleasure and realized that if He cared enough to give me chocolate for my stressful moment – surely He had the rest of the day fully under control!

We had a wonderfully successful banquet with an amazing attendance of 117, a great spirit – truly a blessed evening. So, when you find yourself stressing and looking for that little bite of comfort that you need, remember to pray – God answers even the little ones – after all He helped me through with prayer and a little chocolate.

“My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste: So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off.” Psalm 24:13, 14

Have a wonderful day!

What Mean These Stones?

2011-03-14T20:06:00.000-07:00

I am a very sentimental person – for that reason I find myself doing certain things, holding on to certain possessions, and even practicing traditions that some would consider silly or frivolous. “Why?” you might ask and this morning in my Bible reading I found an answer that helped to see why these things might mean so much to me.

“And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel: That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.” Joshua 4:5-7

Throughout the Bible we see the Lord commanding certain things to be done “as a memorial” or in some cases as proof of wonderful and miraculous things that happened for the next generation to behold and therefore believe.

I am not by any means a hoarder, but I can’t throw away a card written to me by my loved ones. I have a files of drawings and notes from our kids when they were young – I have baby books for each of my children that hold my “young mother” memories, pictures, and statistics of their growth and speech patterns – they are all so precious to me.

For me, writing the Tender Touch is a way to leave something for my kids – a glimpse of my heart and how the Lord speaks to me…hope you all don’t mind my sharing in this way – but I have heard that once something is on the “net” it never goes away! So here is a list of "stones" that you can leave for your children in time to come.

1. Write your prayer requests, and then mark the date when they’re answered! This weekend while cleaning and re-organizing my husband found a prayer sheet from the time we knew the Lord wanted us to plant Lighthouse Baptist Church in Oakdale. We had listed specific items – church meeting place, financial needs, size and rent for home, etc. about 14 items – and in every case the Lord gave us exactly what we prayed for – or more!
2. Tell your kids and grandkids stories about your life growing up and memories of your heart – when you’re gone they will become more precious.
3. Take lots of pictures and label them – date, time, occasion (you’ll forget otherwise)
4. If you have things that carry sentimental value – tell your kids what they mean to you, and why.
5. Write your kids notes. Keep a diary of sorts for them for after you’re gone.

This past Christmas a dear lady in our church gave me a journal for a mom to leave for her kids. Her mom passed away a few years ago and she said that anytime she finds anything her mom wrote it is so precious – so she gave it to me to leave for my children. Of course there are many things that people do to remember their loved ones, but I believe that writing is one of the best “stones” we can leave for our children.

The Lord gave us His Word; remember He first wrote the commandments on the two tables of stones, as His love letter to us. Through His written Word we have many great and precious promises; we have the truth, answers to life's questions, the place learn wisdom, knowlege, success, prosperity, and most importantly a way to know Him and the way He has provided our salvation.

“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” I John 5:13

“And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.” I John 1:4

From Moses to Moms II

2011-03-12T18:05:00.001-08:00

In continuing with pondering what moms can learn from Moses – I feel I must first qualify why I would even compare Moses’ role to that of a mother – he is a man of God, BUT – he was the one leading the children under the direction of God, the Father! So, with the relationship being the “go between” from the Father to the children of Israel – the natural connection is to that of a mother.

In considering the things mothers can learn from Moses I saw several lessons that I find not only insightful, but really helpful – even for mothers like me that no longer have young children to train.

In my last posting I left off really at the beginning – making sure that a mom realizes that she should instill the ordinances, rules, behavior, and responsibilities she expects from her children. I would like to interject that Moses listened to the counsel he received from his father-in-law – he really could have been proud and said something like, “look, I spend a lot of time with God – and He is leading – and He hasn’t said anything about that – so I think I’m good.” Moses was a humble man – a meek man, (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.) Number 12:3.

The next progression I see is the need then to train children to understand that they should follow the authorities that you place over them. “Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens: And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.” Exodus 18:21, 22.

Many children are trained to obey their parents, but feel very comfortable coming up against anyone that does anything slightly different than their parents – in other words they have not learned to be respectful of their elders, or other authorities. Now, I want you to notice that I am very careful to state that you should train your children to follow the authorities that YOU place over them. Obviously, we must obey the law and so forth – but my intent in this is to state that you must be careful about who you allow to influence your children, from the babysitter to their teachers. It is for this reason that I personally believe that a Christian educator is your only choice! Notice the list of qualifications: they must fear God, be truthful (evolution?), hating covetousness…in other words they should be godly. I am not trying to slam those of you that put your children in the public school system, BUT that is not something I personally felt comfortable doing…and I worked at a public school! Psalm 1:1 says, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” It is entirely possible that your child could be trained (or counseled by) an ungodly teacher – or a system that teaches ideas and philosophies that differ from the Bible! I will also say that there are some godly teachers that work in the public school and do so for the sake of the children that have no other option.

So, we have gone from training at home, to now working on the training they get outside the home; in this I see that Moses went before the Lord for the wisdom he needed. Mom you won’t need to contend with as many children as Moses did, but it is vital that you go to the Lord in prayer so you’ll know what you need to teach your children. We are fortunate today in that we have the complete Word of God – but do you pray and seek the Lord and His Word for the answers and help you need? Moses was an intercessor – he went before the Lord on behalf of the “children.” He did so on many occasions.

1. He went before the Lord and received guidance. Exodus 19:3 says, “And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel;”
2. He obeyed the Lord and instructed the children accordingly. “And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him.” Exodus 19:7
3. He was angry with the children when they were disobedient to the Father Exodus 32:19, “And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses’ anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.”
4. He disciplined the children for their own good, as God commanded. "And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.” Exodus 32:20
5. He helped them to get things right so they could be blessed – like a mom he wanted what was best for them so they could be happy. “For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves to day to the LORD, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day.”
6. He was willing to die in the children’s place. Exodus 32: 31-32 says, “And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written."
7. He prayed for his children according to their personal strengths, weaknesses, and their specific needs fully trusting that God would answer his prayer – he had FAITH! Deuteronomy 33
8. Moses, before he died, sought earnestly to prepare Joshua with all that had to give. He wanted to make sure that the next generation had a prepared leader. “And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him:” Deuteronomy 34:9

In truth Moses is a wonderful picture of our Saviour, our intercessor who was not only willing to die for our sin, but indeed died for our sin and our salvation; but I find so many helpful applications that I believe will help us as mothers in our endeavor to see our children reach their full potential…fulfilling God’s perfect will for their lives! It is my prayer that the Lord will bless you! Have a wonderful day!

To Moms from Moses

2011-03-10T13:02:00.000-08:00

As I sit to write today’s blog posting I realize that it has been such a long time since I have posted. I have been praying about today’s posting for several weeks and the true prayer of my heart is that it will be of help and a blessing to the ladies the Lord leads to read this. If for no one else, I pray it will be something my own children and grandchildren will one day read and find a glimpse of the thoughts that cross my heart as I read from God’s precious Word.

Every year I read my Bible cover to cover – at least once and many years I read it at least twice. I always follow a schedule of sorts – a number of pages a day (right now its 10) and sometimes I read it in alphabetical order (Acts to Zephaniah); this year I am reading it in order of “types” of books… Epistles, The Law, History, Psalms, Poetry, Prophecy, Gospels. Interjected with that I have been doing a study on Proverbs 31 – so I am reading that every day. I find amazing the different things I have learned simply by reading my Bible not only daily, but also in different sequences – I have found it to offer different prospective to my meditation and in the instruction I gain.

Anyway, I said all of that to say that this year in my reading I have seen a lesson that I believe is helpful to all women that work with children, but most especially to mothers. For many years my husband taught an adult Sunday school class, “The HomeBuilders” that was geared to young married couples. We loved working with the wonderful people God brought to us, and have kept in contact with so many of them through these last 21 years since the class started! Now I’m a grandma 12 times over and my own children are the ages of the couples we taught and worked with back then…I’m old!

In reading through the Law portion of the Bible I see Moses and the children of Israel and I find so many patterns that I believe are not only a lesson to moms, but also a picture of the progression raising children should follow.

In Exodus I see the travail of the birth (of the nation of Israel) – I see the difficulty of “getting them out” and then the victory when they go through the Red Sea! I picture that as the actual birth – think mom of the difficulties that plaque you throughout your pregnancy and then when it’s time to birth the baby they have to exit the water (amniotic fluid – ie Red Sea) to be released to their home! Initially the birth is said to be very traumatic for babies, which is why God very graciously does not allow us to remember it! At birth the babies cry without realizing that we, as parents will provide their needs…just like the children of Israel!

The next progression I find that again reminds me of working with and developing children is when Moses is spending his whole day counseling the children of Israel. I have pictured this as the new mom being at her baby’s beck and call all day and all night!! Now, when they’re newborns that is to be expected and mom’s job is to get the baby on a schedule of sleeping at night, being awake during the day, and eating on a healthy schedule. The problem I find is the same one that Moses encountered and that was not knowing when to go the next step – when to expect them to know what to do!

Moses father-in-law saw what was going on and counseled Moses that what he was doing was not a good thing! Mom – the same is true for you – you should not spend your day undoing your children’s mishaps for years on end! You should be training them right from the beginning. When they begin to crawl, stop them from touching things they should not be touching. Train them to eat properly! All kids go through putting food in their hair, throwing food on the floor, not wanting to sit in the high chair, etc. BUT your job is to train them! Moses was wearing himself out! “When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws. And Moses’ father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good.” Exodus 18:16, 17 In other words, he was waiting until they did something and then judging the matter – they had no rules to begin with!

The next bit of advice that Jethro gave to Moses was this: “Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God: And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.” Exodus 18:19-20.

Mom – that is your job! You can start this when are even just months old! 2 years old is too late to begin training your children. Start with their schedule, then with how to behave when you feed them, how to behave in the stroller, what not to touch as well as what they can touch, where not to go and where they are free to play – and with that make sure you are constantly doing so because you love them and while showing your love for them – your goal is to train them to be obedient, individual, strong, independent, and responsible children. Notice that they needed to learn ordinances: the proper order – and WHO in charge of the orders, laws: rules; the way wherein they must walk: how to behave; and work: responsibility!

Too many moms are pulling their hair and spinning their wheels all day because they are just allowing their children to do what they will and then correct the problem instead of establishing ordinances, laws, proper behavior, and responsibilities! Being a mom is a 24/7 job, BUT I find none other that may bring more to our next generation! They are tough days – but stick with it…and the earlier you begin working on the ordinances, laws, behavior, and responsibility – the better it will be for all of you! It is much easier to spank a 2 year old than a 10 year old – and you will get much better results in the long run!

There is much more on this lesson from Moses to Mom – but I’ll save that for another day! For today ladies I pray you’ll have a wonderful day!

I Didn't Get the Email

2011-01-10T22:55:00.000-08:00

I didn’t get the email…but God gave me the message. This past Saturday there was a baby shower given for my daughter-in-law Mary celebrating the coming birth of my 12th grandchild. He will make the score an even 6 boys to 6 girls! It was a very nice intimate shower held at the Olive Garden, and all 12 of us ladies enjoyed our time together.

After we finished eating I overheard my daughter-in-law’s sister and mother discussing who would speak first. I really didn’t know what they were talking about and then when they looked at me I realized that they were expecting both moms to give a few words of encouragement and wisdom to Mary. When they noticed my dumbfounded look Elizabeth (Mary’s sister) said, “Didn’t you get my email?” Now, here is the funny part. Earlier in the week Elaine (my daughter-in-law’s mother) told me that she wanted to ask me something and that she would be sending me an email, and I suspected that she might ask me to give a devotion, but when I received a message asking for contact information for other family members I asked the Lord to forgive my pride in thinking they would want me to speak and gave them the needed information.

Now, even though I knew I was wrong in thinking they were asking me to speak, I still found myself pondering what I would say to Mary – in fact that morning before the shower I even almost wrote it down “just in case.” Funny thing was I kept thinking I was being ridiculous and even proud – when all along it was the Lord relating the message from the email to me, and giving me thoughts of what to say to Mary. So, when all was said and done – even though I didn’t get the email – I did get the message:) I was able to share the thoughts the Lord had laid on my heart with Mary – and while I thought I was being ridiculous – He was making me prepared!

And so…Mary (here it is in written form)

When I was a young mother of 24 (I had 2 children at the time) we were probably suffering through the most terrible recession I had ever experienced. My husband was self-employed in construction and people were not having anything done to their homes with 17% interest rates. During that year (1982) the Lord surprised us with the coming of another child! Wow – what a surprise! We were broke and my baby was only 8 months old when I made the discovery of our coming child. While others thought I was being careless, I felt that God was giving us a child to show us that He had a plan to take care of us - it gave me hope. Thankfully, that was the case and by the time our precious daughter Kellie was born (on my actual 25th birthday), business had turned around and we were able to purchase a parcel to begin to build our dream home! I have seen the same miracle happen with you and Jason. Mary – during this year in preparation to plant a church the Lord has seen fit to give you a precious child – and as He did with us, He given you manifold blessings in your lives this year as you have lived by faith. We know the miracles we have seen God perform this year- He has a special way of blessing us and showing us that He will provide for us – often in the form of a child.

So, now here you are ready to have your 4th child, and you’re a pastor’s wife in a new church and I know that you want to be the best you can be in all you do – so here are a few thoughts to remember.

1. There is no “job description” for the pastor’s wife. You are a wife that is married to a pastor. Do not try to fit in the mold of someone else you have seen because you think that is your job – your job is to be a help meet for your husband. You walk with God and let Him lead you to be what you need to be for your husband.

2. Let your kids be kids. Again, seek the Lord and let Him lead you in raising your children – don’t create unrealistic expectations for them simply because they are the pastor’s kids. Again, they are children whose dad is a pastor. Don’t let worries about appearances alter what God wants for your children.

3. None of us will be perfect wives or parents, but thankfully God looks on the heart and He knows that you’re trying to raise your children for His glory – He will bless you as you do your best to follow Him.

I am reminded of the verse in Luke that says, "And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost.." Luke 2:26 because though I didn’t get the email – God still gave me the message - and in raising children God will reveal to you by the Holy Ghost what He wants you to do. We serve an amazing God who is able to do all things!

I love you very much.

Mom

Ladies, hope you don't mind my sharing this personal note...hope it's a blessing.

Have a wonderful day!

It's Okay to be a Child

2011-01-07T00:55:00.000-08:00

On New Year’s Eve we spent the evening with the family at my daughter’s house, but we actually slept at my in-law’s home. Our son Jon and his family stayed there with us as well. They of course had their children with them – Corban, 4 (on December 26) and Marissa 2. When we left my daughter’s house the kids were sleeping and slept the whole ride home and did not even wake up when we got to the house. Jon and Rachel put the kids to bed in the guest room that was set up for them. A couple hours later in the dark of the night we heard Corban calling out to his dad (a few times), “Daddy, Daddy, where are you? I’m here in the room.” The kids had never spent the night there and so were not familiar with their surroundings – I was so pleased that he did not cry because it told me that he was secure - he knew that his dad was within the sound of his voice. I am sure he must have been at least a little afraid; it was dark, he didn’t know where he was, and he couldn’t see where his parents were. As I thought of my precious little grandson, the Lord gave me the following thoughts.

I started thinking about the times we find ourselves in places we’ve never been before. Maybe you've found yourself in a situation that you never thought you would experience – a place where all you can see is darkness with no idea how you got there or where you'll end up. I recall a few times like that in my life – like when I was at the hospital listening to the doctor telling me there was a “mass” that had overtaken my daughter’s kidney; or the time our family was in the waiting room after my brother’s surgery and the doctor came out and told us that my brother’s cancer was inoperable – times like that are numbing, frightening, and lonely; and if you’ve ever been “there” you know how helpless that feels.

I am reminded of the song “Lean on Me” that says, “when you get to the place that I’m all you have, then you’ll find I’m all you need;” not only a great song, but a tremendous truth. It is during those times that we realize we really are children, and truly what a wonderful realization that becomes. We all have times that we wish we could return to the simplicity of childhood – and I am here to remind you that we can live that simply every day!

Here are a few thoughts to consider...

“But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.” Mark 9:14-16 God wants us to come to Him as children, calling out KNOWING that He will hear, and will come and help – just like my grandson called his dad.

“Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:4

So the next time you feel lost and alone, in the dark and frightened – call unto your Heavenly Father- He will come to you, He will help you, and He will comfort you! “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” Jeremiah 33:3

Remember you are not alone! “…lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” –Jesus (Matthew 28:20).

You don't have to be in the dark. "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." John 8:12

Don't be afraid. "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom." Luke 12:32

It is my prayer that this simple reminder will help you to remember it's okay to be a child, in fact it's a good thing. Have a wonderful day!

To Grammie's House We Go!

2010-12-18T12:13:00.000-08:00

Christmas time is here! My husband and I have been reminiscing over all the Lord has done and we are truly amazed at His grace, His mercy, and His marvelous provision. I have also been hustling and bustling around my house because this year all my kids are coming over! My husband has been laughing at me as I have been preparing and getting little goodies and things for the grandkids to do. He asked me a question that caused me to think – and that is what I am sharing with you all today.

The other morning as I was telling my husband some of my plans for while the kids are here he smiled and looked at me and said, “you’re so excited that the kids are coming, aren’t you?” I replied to him that I was indeed and told him that I knew he was too! He is the one that has everyday written down, all the places he hopes to go with the kids, and a schedule of various things to do (and he was laughing at me). We are both so thrilled to have them “come” here.

When my husband asked me that question instantly I was reminded of our Lord and His plea for us to come to Him. As I pondered over the idea of how much we as parents like to have our children come to us –I realized that perhaps we have that desire to teach us and give us a glimpse of what it means to our Lord when we “come” to Him.

When I was younger I can always remember my grandparent’s first question to me when I called them was “when are you coming?” My parents, when they moved out of state purchased a large home to accommodate our family to ensure that we would “come” to visit them. Well, now our children are all grown, we are grandparents, and now its our turn – we now understand just how much it means to have our children want to come to see us.

In reality all parents like it when their children come to them – even when they’re babies. It is so precious especially that first time they extend their arms to us wanting to be held. Parents will make promises “if you come to Mommy (when they’re learning to walk), I’ll give you a cookie.” Sometimes the great lengths parents go to in order to have their children “come” to them is almost comical. The truth is, we as parents all like to have our children want to come to see us, to spend time with us because we love them so much and desire their company. This morning my daughter was telling me that my granddaughter Haylie (2 years old) got dressed, put on her sweater and her shoes and then told her that she was coming to Grammie’s house and that she was going to hold my hand…how precious is that?

And so today I would like to remind you that our God, our Saviour wants us to “come” to Him.

He tells us that we can come unto Him as children, “Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.” Luke 18:16

When we’re thirsty He says, “…If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.” John 7:37

When we’re burdened He says, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

In our times of need, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

And most especially He is the only One we can go to for salvation. He came to us because we needed a Saviour, and He did His part in dying on the cross to save us from our sin so that we can “ever be with the Lord'” (again showing His desire for us to "come" to Him.) When thinking about going to great lengths consider that “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

And today He invites us to come…

“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. ” Revelation 22:17

It’s Christmas I truly hope that you’ll… “come to Jesus;” He is the reason for this wonderful season!

Merry Christmas and have a wonderful day!

Figs, Figs

2010-12-01T12:35:00.000-08:00

This morning I was reading from the Book of Jeremiah. This book of the Bible holds a special place in my heart each time I read it because I am reminded of a very specific promise that God gave to me during the most difficult time in my life.

The specific promise to me was that God would hear me and answer my prayer, and show me great and mighty things…and that He would heal my daughter. It was shortly after my daughter had been diagnosed with cancer – in fact just a little over a week after her diagnosis she suddenly developed excruciating pain and my husband had to take her to the hospital in the middle of the night…again. I honestly feared for her life and as I prayed the Lord gently directed me to Jeremiah 33 where I read 2 verses that helped me then, and have continued to help me since that time. Jeremiah 33:3 which says, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” As I continued reading verse six of the same chapter said, “Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth.” I was amazed that God would answer me so directly and personally – even as I remember the evening and re-read these verses I continue to be amazed by His grace!

This morning I did not read those verses, but I found a truth that I would like to share with you today. I read from Jeremiah 24 – the sign of the figs. As I was reading I saw something that I had never noticed before – I saw the Lord telling His people that He was removing them from their home land, and putting them in to captivity for their good. He was giving them a promise that He would be their God and would one day return them to their homes and that He would build and plant them. I also noticed that he said because of their captivity they would return to God with their whole hearts and would be His people and He would be their God. This was God’s action towards the good figs – those that were willing to be carried away and trust God through their captivity (i.e. difficult time).

To the evil figs – those that would not trust God, those that were turning to other sources to avoid the captivity – to them He “promised” that they would never return home – they would be cursed. He likened their lack of trust to idolatry – to turning to other Gods.

We live in uncertain times where many folks are really struggling and are being tempted as the evil figs to devise plans, use men’s devices, dream up schemes, and deceive themselves because of desperation. Jeremiah 23:23, 24, “Am I a God at hand, saith the Lord, and not a God afar off? Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? Saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? Saith the Lord.” When facing trouble, those that reject God's plan view God as being far away and are in essence forgetting that God is near, or able to see.

In reality what we really need to be doing is wholeheartedly trusting the Lord; seeking Him in earnest and relying fully on Him because of what the Lord tells us Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

Will you be willing to trust the Lord and let Him take you to where He wants you to go…for your own good, or will you turn away from Him and dream, devise, and deceive yourself into believing you know best? This is a tough one, I know – but I have learned by experience “…after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.” Remember Psalm 27:14, "Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD."

The difference between the good figs and the bad figs?

The Good figs fulfilled Jeremiah 22:3-4, “Thus saith the LORD; Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place. For if ye do this thing indeed, then shall there enter in by the gates of this house kings sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, he, and his servants, and his people.” These verses are instructing us to Trust and Obey God …do what has been judged as “right,” witness to the unsaved, be ye kind one to another, and don’t discourage anyone from turning to God for salvation by your actions; and then promises by these we’ll be blessed.

The Bad Figs = Jeremiah 22:5, “But if ye will not hear these words, I swear by myself, saith the LORD, that this house shall become a desolation.” In other words if you Trust in yourself and refuse to follow the instruction given then you will face certain destruction.

There are many times throughout our lives when we’ll face hard times, and with them comes hard choices. When we make our choices and decisions based on the Word of God – we have confidence because as John 17:17 says, “...thy word is truth.”

Are you struggling with a decision today? Are you afraid of where your journey may lead you? Place yourself amongst the good figs – God will provide and that is His promise to you!

I love you ladies, and pray that God will use these verses to help you today!

Painted, Powdered, and Perfumed

2010-11-19T00:49:00.000-08:00

When I was a little girl – I was, from every account I have heard, very precocious! I have heard wonderful stories of many of the adventures I had as a young child from my parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents.

I know that I was adventurous because at 18 months old I braved the wide outdoors to sneak out of the house and cross 2 streets to visit my grandmother Nanny!

I know that I was a hostess in the making because at the full age of 2, I served my mother’s friends “tea” in my own tea set. My mother wondered where I was getting the water for my tea – and to her horror discovered that I was serving her friends water fresh from the toilet!

I also know that I was very interested in my appearance because the one story they all told me about was of my insatiable desire to wear my aunt’s make up!

My grandparent’s owned a home that was a multiple dwelling – with 2 upper levels and a basement. My grandparents, my parents, and my aunt and uncle each lived on one of the levels of the home – so we were very close. My aunt had a beautiful vanity where she kept her make-up and perfume, and I kept a keen eye on the door that led to her room so that I could get into it at any chance possible. Once I figured out how to open the door, they had to purchase a gate to keep me out. I grew up hearing the stories of my determination to get to that make up – and of their horror when they discovered that someone had forgotten to close the gate KNOWING they would find “Terrie the Terror” in her room fully painted, powdered, and perfumed!

I was reminded of these wonderful stories the other day when my husband and I were reminiscing of when we were new Christians – and how in our desire to know the Lord we would grasp for anything that seemed remotely Christian! We listened to all kinds of radio programs; we were enamored with any song that said Jesus’ name. The problem with these choices was that in many cases the biblical application of these radio programs and songs was not doctrinally sound.

I thought of how as a child I really wanted to look beautiful and smell nice just like the ladies I loved in my family, I just didn’t yet know how to apply it all. As new Christians we wanted to get the full dose of Christianity, but being babes in Christ, we didn’t know how to apply the truths of the Bible to our lives. I am thankful that in the fullness of time I learned how to apply my make-up and perfume; and I am thankful that we have through the years been taught to apply our hearts unto wisdom.

You know, as Terrie the Terror I painted my face with make-up, sealed that make-up with powder, and then powerfully perfumed myself because I wanted the right things, I just didn’t know how to apply them. I was a child and so as I Corinthians 13:11 says, “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child…” I am thankful that today I am painted by the shed blood of Christ for the remission of my sins. I am thankful that because I received Christ as my Saviour, I am powdered or sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise; and I praise the Lord that I am perfumed… “For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ…”

Perhaps you have a precocious child that is like me, wanting the right things at the wrong time. Maybe you know a new Christian that is making the same childish mistakes I made because they want the right things; but they don’t know how to properly apply them. In both cases, pray for them, and lovingly train or disciple them, and remember the wisdom from Isaiah 28:9 “Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little.” It takes time and maturity – don’t expect too much. After all, being painted, powdered, and perfumed is good thing - when it is done the right way at the right time!

Have a wonderful day!

Mom, Be Diligent!

2010-11-13T10:46:00.000-08:00

“The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want.” Proverbs 21:5

While reading this verse I began to think of the role of a mother. What an awesome responsibility we have to train up our children for God! If we try to rush through teaching our children to learn or understand something – we’re going to keep wanting them to learn it…but if we are diligent, we will continue to think of ways to help them understand what they need to know.

By the grace of God, my husband and I have raised four children that today are all living for the Lord, they love the Lord, and they are serving the Lord with their lives. They are all married and have children that they are now raising up for the glory of God. As I am sure every mother has noticed – all children are different – each child is an individual. As a young of mother of 4 (I was 27 when my 4th child was born) I discovered early that what worked for one child did not always work for the next.

My oldest son was very content to learn by listening. I could read to him, speak with him, watch an educational type program with him and he would soak it all up and begin to use the knowledge. When my second son came along – he had no interest in listening…he was a hands-on type of guy. When I sat with him to read a story, he was more interested in doing whatever the characters in the book were doing in the pictures! He didn't want to watch what the characters on the educational show were doing - he wanted to DO what they were doing! My 3rd child, my only daughter, learned in a very quiet way. She would sit and listen to stories…but she really was an observer – she knew the routine of my day, she knew what we were going to do next, she knew where everything belonged (not that she always put things away:) but, she observed her mommy and imitated me. This made her very independent so she tried to do everything herself…which is why she is the one that got lost in Santa Cruz at the beach at 2 years old, and why she got burned in the shower at 4 years old when she tried to “help mommy” by getting herself all ready for church. Our youngest son was a question asker, a direction reader; in many ways self-taught. He is the one that did the cool science projects like making a hover board in our garage that really hovered! He is the one I would find quietly doing his homework in his room without being asked.

Now, if you’ll notice one learned by listening, one by doing, another by watching, and yet another by inquiring – and somehow in our role as parents we needed to make sure that they all learned the same principles, the same concepts, proper manners and behavior, and the quality traits of good character. We had to make sure they understood that we loved them individually – and that we expected them to always do their best and to trust God for the rest!

Now, the natural question is “how do I do that when they're all so different?” That’s where the verse I quoted above comes in…you must be diligent and constantly think of ways to reach your children! You can’t rush through one set or plan of instructions and expect them to all learn the same way. You need to watch your children closely and observe them to see how they learn and then think of ways to get the message through to them. Jesus did that when he used parables to teach about the Kingdom of Heaven. Look at all the different examples he used:

The Kingdom of Heaven is likened unto…

A man which sowed good seed in a field
A grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field
A net that was cast into the sea and gathered of every kind
Leaven which a woman took and hid in 3 measure of meal
A treasure hid in a field
A merchant man seeking goodly pearls
A man that is a householder
A certain king
10 virgins which took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom
A man travelling into a far country

Jesus covered every type of person in every walk of life so they could understand what the Kingdom of Heaven was like. He then expounded that in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, we must become as little children – fully dependent on Jesus as our Saviour!

Mom, earnestly pray and ask the Lord to help you to teach your children and to help them understand what they need to know. Be diligent in training your children – keep thinking of ways to reach them, remember it’s the "thoughts" of the diligent that tend to plenteousness (yielding abundantly, fruitful) – don’t rush things, don’t be hasty – and don’t give up!

Today our #1 son is a Christian school administrator, an author, and a college professor. Our second son pastors a church and is witnessing God’s miracles and blessing. Our daughter is fulfilling God’s will for her life at home as she is raising her 3 children, and serves the Lord teaching and singing for His glory. And our youngest son is an assistant pastor, he has written over 50 songs, plays 4 or 5 musical instruments (though we only provided lessons for 2). And all of our children have a passion to reach the lost for Christ - to God be all the glory!

I am so thankful that our children are intelligent, thoughtful, and by the grace of God are really awesome adults! I am truly blessed and thank the Lord for His work in their lives; He is deserving of all the glory. I am just a mom that by the grace of God sought earnestly to raise our children for the glory of God. We certainly don’t have all the answers, but we have a source that does– go to Him, ask Him; He’ll lead you, He’ll answer you, and He will help you.

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed." James 1:5, 6

Have a wonderful day!

Be Very Sure

2010-11-03T14:23:00.000-07:00

Recently I was at Macy’s seeking to purchase new face powder. I know that is an expensive place to shop, but I have found that most make-ups cause me to get rashes and make my eyes water, so I have to spend a little extra to get something that will work for me. I normally use Estee Lauder powder, but the Clinique counter was having a special gift offer, so I thought I would try it and see if it would work for me. I had a very unusual encounter with the sales girl that caused me to think…and I will share that with you today.

When I approached the counter I asked the girl for a powder that would set my make up, explaining that I wanted something that would last all day. The girl said, “No, we don’t have anything like that – if you buy our powder you will have to reapply your powder all day long…it won’t last all day.” I spotted some mineral powders (loose powder) and asked about them and again she gave me a similar response saying, “You have to keep putting the powder on all day if you want your make-up to stay on.” I was surprised and as I was making sure I understood her properly repeating what she had said, another sales girl came along and said, “this powder will set your make-up and work well for what you want; if you want to make sure your nose doesn’t get shiny you can also get a compact powder to reapply throughout the day.” After that sales girl walked away, (hoping that I still might be able to get the special gift of lipstick and eye shadow), I asked the first sales girl I was working with how long the powder would last and again I was very surprised by her response when she said, “nobody knows, you have to twist the container for the powder to come up and the only way you know its gone is when the powder doesn’t come up any more.” As I continued asking her approximately how many weeks or months it might last, she simply “there is no way to know for sure.”

I decided to go the Estee Lauder counter and purchase my regular powder. When I spoke with the sales girl there she was very helpful. She assured me that the powder would do what I needed and when I asked how long it would last her answer was, “well, there is no way to tell you definitely because it depends on how often and how much you apply – but I have had mine for nearly a year.” She gave a much better and more knowledgeable answer, assuring me that my needs would be met, and she offered me some hope of how long the powder would last; I ended up making a sizable purchase at that counter. What a difference!

Now, you may be asking what in the world that has to do with anything… ok, since you asked I’ll tell you:)

Both of these sales girls were representatives. As Christians we too are representatives – now it may seem a little far fetched to compare the two, but for comparison purposes, I believe this experience can teach us some things.

1. A representative should be sure. The first sales girl didn’t seem too sure about anything. The second girl was confident! “And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.” John 6:69

2. A representative must know the facts. The first girl didn’t know she had a product that would work for me; the second girl did. “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” II Timothy 2:15

3. A representative must offer hope. The first girl offered me no hope – if I used her product I would have to constantly keep applying the powder all day, and would have no idea how long it would be before I had to make another purchase. The second girl assured me that my needs would be met, and gave me hope that my powder might last almost a year! “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear” I Peter 3:15

Now obviously, we are representing Christ and not trying to sell something as trivial as face powder, but in reality as representatives for Christ if you want to be able to reach the lost for Christ you must…

KNOW that you are saved – be sure of your salvation. “Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.” John 4:22

KNOW the facts. Study the Word of God, know why you believe the things you believe and be ready to give an answer.

KNOW the Reason for your Hope – Sanctify the Lord in your heart – your heart being the deep seated place of your true feelings, beliefs, and emotions, meaning that Christ is at the helm of all you believe, feel, and express – He is ever present with you…through it all!

That first sales girl was a very poor representative because she was unsure, misinformed, and offered no hope! I liked the second girl – she offered security, had the answers and gave me hope!

I like this song:

In times like these you need a Savior
In times like these you need an anchor;
Be very sure, be very sure
Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!

Chorus
This Rock is Jesus, Yes, He's the One;
This Rock is Jesus, the only One!
Be very sure, be very sure
Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!

In times like these you need the Bible,
In times like these O be not idle;
Be very sure, be very sure
Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!

In times like these I have a Savior,
In times like these I have an anchor;
I'm very sure, I'm very sure
My anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!

Ladies, I hope that you are very sure. May we all represent Him well today.

Have a wonderful day!

Don’t Take it Out on God!

2010-11-01T15:28:00.000-07:00

"My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah. Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity." Psalm 62:5-9

It seems that almost daily we meet people that refuse to go to church, refuse to listen to the Bible, or refuse to trust in God because of the mistakes that Christians (actual or “so-called”) have made. Many times the mistakes they are blaming for their decision are so trivial - like something said to a family member that may have been unkind; or perhaps the preacher or Christian layperson has a family member that is not holding as high a standard as the preacher - so somehow that makes them all hypocrites. Often people simply judge a preacher by his actions without knowing all the circumstances, and sometimes the preacher really has messed up and become immoral or caught doing something that proves his walk with God was not real…in any case, if and/or when any of these things happen – don’t take it out on God! In the second part of verse 9 quoted above, if we were to use a balance to weigh men against vanity – whether of low or high degree, men are lighter - lighter than vanity. To put it simply – men are just sinners – sinners with an opportunity to be saved by grace if they so choose.

We tend to put too high of an expectation on men. We look at great athletes, or actors, or people that have a lot of money, and somehow think that their talent or ability makes them better people; we look at preachers of large churches and think that means they are somehow better than other men. We expect more from them – and rightly so – they are in positions of leadership. They will ask you to follow them as they follow God, and we make many decisions based on messages we hear these men preach – however, we must also remember that they are just flesh and blood and we should not put our confidence in them! I would also add this – God too expects more from them because He says in Luke 12:48, “…For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required…” If God puts you in a position of leadership then more is expected of you, and you should take that responsibility as a privilege and be all the more careful to keep yourself right with God. When people that are following you see you mess up or turn away from God they may take it out on God and become tempted to undo all the good things you put in their lives.

If you are in the "follower" or church member position, when you see someone that is in a “higher” position do something that you do not agree with, or if they actually fall– it is not wise, nor is it fair to take it out on God! When people you admire or look up to fail you, it is normal to be hurt or disappointed – perhaps even to become disillusioned – but do not make it a license to turn away from your God, drop your standards, mire in depression, and burden your life with bitterness – that will not undo what they did wrong, it will only hurt you further!

How can we prevent this?

1. Make sure that you have your own walk with God

2. Make sure the decisions you make are biblically based, and if you make a vow to God – be sure to keep it! “When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.” Ecclesiastes 5:4 – in other words if you make a decision because of a message you heard preached and make a promise to God – you have no excuse to “undo” it just because the preacher that preached it messed up…if he messed up quit following him, don’t follow him to turn away from God too!

3. Forgive. You may ask what that has to do with it, but in reality often the reason people blame God is because they have not forgiven the one that caused the pain or hurt they felt when their preacher disappointed them. Forgiveness is vital! Matthew 6:14 & 15 teaches us this, “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

4. Serve God, not men

5. Expect things from God, not from men

6. Remember that God is your salvation, your glory, your rock of strength, and your refuge is in God.

7. Trust God at all times and pour your heart out to Him! Pray for those people that have hurt you and not only will they be helped, you will be healed.

So many people are hurting because of hurting people – but please don’t take it out on God – He loves you! He gave His only begotten Son for you and “…he ever liveth to make intercession for” you. That means that Jesus pleads on your behalf, he prays for you!

I am praying this may help you! I love you and hope you have a wonderful day!

Timeless

2010-10-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

When my husband and I were dating waaayyy back in the 70s, I wore an Avon perfume, Timeless. I was very impressed with my then future husband and I took great care to make sure I looked and smelled my best. I never wanted to smell like the office building where I worked with avid smokers – so I carried my perfume with me at all times. I kept the bottle in my purse and would be sure to give myself an extra spritz before we would go out.

Well, I was a teenager at the time (I was only 17, a senior in high school) when we began to date, so I probably wasn’t as careful with my things as I would be today. I am sure that I was somewhat careless with my purse and where I placed it, so of course in time the cap on my bottle of Timeless broke. To my wonderful advantage, it broke in my husband’s car leaving the broken cap hiding under the seat of his car. I say it was to my advantage because everyday when he drove his car he thought of me because he could smell my perfume...the pleasant odour filled the air in his car.

The other day my husband (now we’ve been married for 32 years) was preaching from II Corinthians 12:7 – 9, “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” In this passage of Scripture Paul is talking about a weakness he was suffering. As my husband was preaching he talked about how Paul could have been considered to be broken, and how that his brokenness revealed what and who he was on the inside. The end result is that Paul discovered that in his weakness he was strong in Christ. He chose to glory in his weakness so that Christ could be exalted.

As I pondered the message throughout the day and actually weeks to follow I thought of how that when things break it reveals the contents. Just as my perfume cap breaking revealed the scent of my perfume in my husband’s car – when we have a break in any area of our life that’s when who we are is really revealed. Now, my question to you ladies is – who are you really? When something in your life is not going your way – when something breaks what is your reaction? Do you pout, do you retreat from others, do you give up, or do you hold on to it and allow bitterness to grow? I would hope not because if you are a Christian you have the Holy Spirit living within you – the Comforter that is there to help you!

When Mary voluntarily broke her most valuable treasure to the Lord the Bible says that the house was filled with the odour. “Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.” John 12:3. Ladies, when you are broken your insides will be revealed, and the odour will fill the house – it can be a pleasant odour that glorifies the Saviour and helps others to see the love of God working in you, or it can be a stench that is born of bitterness nurtured when you refuse to accept the will of God and comfort of the Holy Spirit.

There are three reasons we endure heart breaking circumstances.

1. Because of sin – caused by direct disobedience to the Savior on your part, or on the part of someone you love.

2. Because of Satan – as in the case of Job where Satan was trying to break him to turn him away from God.

3. Because of the Saviour – as in Paul’s case so that God’s strength could be revealed through his weakness.

In every case we can receive grace from our precious Savior.

When you realize that your life is broken because of sin – turn to the Saviour. “He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.”

When Satan throws things your way to break you down, “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” Psalm 34:18

And when you are suffering for the cause of Christ, or perhaps enduring broken health remember when you are weak in your flesh you must rely on God's strength which will bring glory to Him. “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

When my perfume bottle broke the essence filled the air and caused my husband to think of me. Won’t you allow your breaks to remind those around of what a great and mighty God you serve, and show them the wonderful comfort His love can fulfill?

Perhaps my "Timeless" perfume break in causing my then boyfriend to think of me had a part in our relationship growing into a wonderful love that has endurd the test of time. The Love God has for you is far greater and is indeed Timeless even endless – nothing can separate you from the Love of God.

“Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:37 – 39

I love you ladies – have a wonderful day!

Free Indeed!

2010-08-25T12:24:00.000-07:00

This week my husband and I have had the joy and privilege of having 6 of our grandchildren with us. Before they arrived we set a plan for each day as well as some ground rules. We gave them certain boundaries for their own protection.

When I was growing up the entire society practiced those same beliefs. We had dress standards at school, and believe me if we didn’t meet those standards we were sent home! Girls were required to wear a dress or skirt – they had to be long enough and modest…not too tight. The boys had to wear collared shirts (tucked in) and pants with a belt. I recall girls being sent home if their dresses were too short – they held strictly to their rules. The truth is that as long as we stayed within the boundaries we were free to wear what we wanted.

Sometime in the early 70’s a boy fought for “freedom” to dress as he pleased – claiming his constitutional right to have freedom of speech (or expression) – he won the case and the dress standards went away; to many folks that seemed like a great victory – now everyone had “freedom.”

Now let’s fast forward a few years…today most schools require students to wear a uniform to school. Students have NO FREEDOM to dress as they please – they must wear a specific color, type of shirt and pant. I believe this is the perfect example of the fact that boundaries and standards give us freedom and are not a form of bondage as many folks believe.

There seems to be a new generation of Christians that believe that standards are crippling their freedom to express their hearts. Christians have liberty – that is true – however those that believe liberty means no boundaries, or living just like the world are of the same mindset as those that led to the bondage of uniforms in the public school system. “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.” I Corinthians 10:23, 24 In other words – as a Christian I certainly can do whatever I please – I will not lose my salvation, I will remain a child of God, and still be able to go to Heaven, however just because I CAN do things, doesn’t mean that in doing them I am doing what is best for myself or more importantly the very lost souls I am here to try to reach for Christ.

It is better for the world to see that there is a difference between the lost and the saved! And quite frankly as Christians our lives should reflect our Saviour. We should understand that we are free from the desire for those things that are not in our best interest, or that would cause the lost to stumble at our actions or behavior. It is a funny thing how that people that are not Christians always seem to know how Christians should behave!

The truth is true freedom is only found when there are boundaries and protection from harm. Think of babies – would any good parent simply allow their baby to just go outside with no restrictions at all? CPS would remove a child from the home that maintained that type of practice towards their children…so why is it questioned when the pastor wants to encourage a safe environment for the members of the church God has called him to oversee? Jesus said in John 8:31, 32, 36, “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” In the Book of Psalms we see that we can be free what we seek God’s Word… “And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts.” Psalm 119:45 Our freedom is promised when we continue in God’s Word…that in itself indicates that freedom is always found when there are safeguards or boundaries that will protect us from danger!

I had this thought the other as I passed a yard with a dog that was on a chain along with another dog that had no chain. There was a fence around the yard to keep the dogs in, and to keep passers by safe! (I have not had the best experiences with dogs - bitten 3 times!). The owner said that the dogs were free to roam the yard, however the one with the chain was not content to stay within the set boundaries – so he had to be chained so that he would not jump the fence and face the certain danger of the traffic like one of his previous dogs had done that was killed by a car.

Of course we know this is true with the law, we are free to live within the law – but if we break the law we are judged and become in bondage (or imprisoned). As Christians we are free from the bondage of sin – we are free from the penalty of sin, and the boundaries that God sets forth in His Word are for our protection to keep us free from the bondage that sin will certainly bring.

“But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” I Corinthians 9:27

Thank God I am free, free, free
From this world of sin.
I've been washed in the blood of Jesus,
I’ve been born again.
Hallelujah, I’m saved, saved, saved
By His wonderful grace.
I’m so glad that I found out
He could bring me out
And show me the way.

Ladies, let’s remember that freedom is not found in the world’s view of freedom – life with no boundaries, but rather freedom is granted when we follow the way God has shown us to live!

Have a wonderful day!

Curious? Ok – well here it is for the record.

2010-07-14T16:19:00.000-07:00

For 25 years I have been a Christian. I received the Lord on May 9, 1985. From that day to today there have been many changes in me and in my life style. There are many things I do and don’t do because of what and how the Lord has worked in my life, and lately I have had several ladies asking me questions because they were curious – so here are my answers…for the record. I will be answering one question a day as this article would be too long to give all my answers in one day!

Do I always ONLY wear dresses (skirts) and why?

Yes, I always only wear a dress or skirt because the Lord placed that conviction on my heart shortly after I got saved. You see when I first became a Christian I heard that all the answers I needed in my life could be found in the Bible. To my thinking I imagined then that the Bible was somewhat like a cookbook. I could look something up and find the “recipe.” Well, as a young mother (I was 27 at the time with 4 children ages 5 and under) I wanted the “recipe” for being a good mother; I wanted to know how to raise my children.

As I began my quest I started looking in the index of my new Bible (concordance) and couldn’t quite find a specific recipe that said, “How to raise kids.” The Lord did however lead me to several different verses and one of them was Deuteronomy 22:5 which says, “The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.”

Now, when I read that verse the first thought that came to my mind was, “oh no! That means God doesn’t want me to wear pants.” I was not excited with that news especially as I had a closet full of pants! The next morning as I was getting dressed I tried to convince myself that I had surely misunderstood what the Bible said, after all I was a new Christian and almost all women wear pants all the time. Well, as I got dressed every time I saw myself in my mirror filled room (we had mirrored closet doors on one wall, my dresser with a mirror on it on another wall, and a vanity with a mirror above the sink on yet another wall) in my heart the Lord was saying “look at you, you know that is not how I want you to dress – are you really going to just ignore what you read last night?” Well after a 20 minute struggle I gave in and told the Lord I would submit to what He wanted for me. I changed my clothes and have not worn pants since that time.

I have had many women say that the pants they wear were not made for men; they are “women’s” pants, and therefore women’s clothing. I suppose that is possible however God did deal with my heart specifically and from His Word – so even if that is the case I believe that I should stand on the conviction God placed on my heart from His Word instead of moving away from it because of someone else’s beliefs. I am not being mean spirited, legalistic, or judgmental – I am just obeying what God placed on my heart. I know for a fact that God does not want me to wear pants.

I would also say that there are other reasons I believe a woman should be careful about pants, first because of what the Bible says in Deuteronomy 22:5, but then also because of various ads and articles I’ve read about pants. For the designers pants are all about making the woman’s rear look good. I have seen full page articles about how a woman’s rear is her temple; how that a woman should try on every pair of pants before making the purchase and doing various “rear” tests to make sure it shows off the shape while walking, dancing, trying to allure men, etc. To my thinking – this doesn’t sound like anything I am aiming for so why would I consider them as anything I would put on my body – which the Bible says is the temple of the Holy Spirit!

I can quote Scripture after Scripture about why I believe God wants women and men to dress differently from each other, and why He wants Christian women to dress differently from unsaved women – but the bottom line to me is that God dealt with my heart specifically and so for me it would be wrong to wear pants.

I also believe that to lower the standard of dress is an expression of what is on the inside. (The King’s daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold.) If I love the Lord with all my heart, mind, and soul – and if “whatsoever I do” is to be for the glory of God – I don’t want my choice of clothing to be excluded from those decisions. That lowering of the standard makes a statement to those that have been watching and it says, “see, it was that church, or that religion that was forcing her to dress that way – now she’s “back to normal.” Lowering my dress standard may negate my testimony to those I have been witnessing to for (in some cases) 25 years! The change God made in me is real – it wasn’t manufactured, it wasn’t forced upon me by someone I admired – it is the working of the Holy Spirit in me as I seek to “be more like Him.”

The second part of this question would then naturally be if I hold it against or look down upon women that wear pants…and my answer would be “no.” I don’t believe a woman should be made to feel guilty and forced to my standard, or made to dress a certain way “because of rules.” Oh, I believe that a pastor has every right to require worker’s to follow specific guidelines – after all even McDonald’s requires their employees to wear a uniform at work, as do airlines which not only require them while on duty, but any time they fly! Our choices and decisions for what we do for God must come from the heart. “Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:” Ephesians 6:6, 7

Ladies, what you wear and how you choose to dress is between you and God – but really make it between you and God – ask the Lord in earnest how He wants you to dress, “That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;” God will let you know what He wants for you and then you can with joy and full assurance know that you are “doing the will of God from the heart.”

I love you and pray that you will have a wonderful day!

Will You Be a Ruth?

2010-07-11T23:55:00.000-07:00

I have been heavy hearted and praying for someone that is very dear to me as she is struggling with discouragement, depression, and even leaning towards bitterness. In my prayer for her the Lord brought the book of Ruth to my mind. I began to think of Naomi who suffered through financial reversal that caused her to leave her home land. She then lost her husband, and both of her sons!

Naomi was so distraught she didn’t even want people to call her by her given name which means “pleasantness;” and requested that people instead call her Mara which means “bitter.” On one hand I can understand why she felt that way, but as a Christian we know that the bitterness she felt could do nothing to help or heal her broken heart – she probably didn’t really want to be healed, she wanted her life to be the way she wanted it – with her husband, sons, money…with everything that made her happy and met her needs.

God had a different plan for Naomi, and He brought her exactly what she needed…Ruth. Since I started looking at the meaning of names – Ruth means friend. When Naomi was struggling, God sent her a friend. Now, Ruth was Naomi’s daughter-in-law, but she was the friend she needed at the most trying time of her life.

I would like to look at what Ruth did for Naomi that made all the difference.

1. She didn’t give in to Naomi’s self-destructive requests. Because Naomi was depressed and bitter, she didn’t want anyone around her – she was sending her daughters-in-law away from her so that she could be alone to bask in her depression. Ruth refused to leave and what she said to her is one of the most quoted verses in weddings, “And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.” These words were spoken to let Naomi know that she was truly loved! Ruth was indeed a true friend to Naomi.

2. She took care of her and supported her. When Ruth left her own family and religion behind and moved to Naomi’s homeland she got a job so that she could take care of her.

3. She did not lose respect for Naomi. Even though Naomi was struggling with depression and bitterness – Ruth still honoured and respected her; she followed her advice about where to get a job, and how to behave towards her new boss.

4. Ruth was used of God to breathe new life in Naomi as she followed her counsel and saw that there was hope for a future family.

5. After Ruth remarried and had a child, God was praised for the outcome, and others reminded Naomi that God blessed her and took care of her. “And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel. And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him. And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it. And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.” Ruth 4:14-17
Naomi thought that she would never have a family and God allowed her to be a grandma and nurse to King David's grandfather!

It is my prayer that I may be used to be a Ruth to someone in need. Ladies, won’t you pray and ask God to use you as well to be such a friend that will help someone’s bitterness return to pleasantness. As Christians we know that we have such a Friend in Jesus, but we also know that God wants us to give that same help to those in need. II Corinthians 1:3-4, “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.”

If you are struggling like Naomi, trying to understand why things haven’t turned out as you've hoped – please consider the end of the Naomi’s story…and if I may I’ll pray that God sends you a “Ruth.”

I love you and want you to know that God loves even more!

Spare the Rice!

2010-07-09T23:47:00.000-07:00

Its summer time! I remember as a child being so excited for summer – not having to go to school, no homework, being able to stay up later at night and sleep a little longer in the morning –but after about 2 weeks the excitement wore off. We all do better when we’re on a “planned” schedule than when we are just loafing and wandering through each day. Pretty soon the day seems too long, and well it’s easy to get in trouble when we are not occupied!

As the oldest of five children, and the only girl – I was rarely not occupied:) My brothers on the other hand were younger and had less responsibility than I did, so they definitely had too much time on their hands. This reminds me of the parable in Matthew 19. Verses 13 and 14 say, “And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.” In other words they didn’t want to submit to who and what was given and expected of them.

I recall one time in particular when my grandparents were staying with us and my brothers began to complain about being bored. Now, they had plenty of things to do – they could clean their rooms, they could play in the backyard, play games, read a book – numerous things…but they didn’t want to do any of those things – they chose instead to whine – bad move! My grandfather very wisely invented something to keep them occupied…he grabbed a bag of long grained rice and emptied the contents on the carpet and then said, “so, you’re bored, well this will keep you busy – pick up all the rice!”

I suppose to some of you that may sound a little harsh or at the very least wasteful – but it taught all of us some very valuable lessons.

1. If you’ve got something to do – do it!

2. Don’t complain or whine about the task at hand – you could be given a less desirable task.

3. It is better to learn to enjoy doing what you can do than to murmur and complain…you just might spend your life doing menial tasks to keep you occupied instead of accomplishing something worthwhile.

So moms, if you’ve got school aged kids at home – help them (and yourself) by making a schedule (not too rigid).

1. Have a getting up and going to bed “no later than” time. (Sometimes kids get up earlier than we wish – but don’t let them stay in bed too late in the morning.)

2. Have your meals at the same time every day

3. Read to your younger children every day – especially before nap time if they still nap, or after lunch for a cooling down time.

4. Include outside time – running around and burning all their energy! (This can be at home in the yard, going to the park, or going for a walk in the neighborhood.)

5. Give your kids incentives to get the “work” done. (for example: if you clean your room well, we will go to the park; set a timer and let them know it must be done within that time)

6. Have happy music playing and sing with your kids – while your cooking and they’re playing with “sit down in the house” toys.

7. Have Bible time and pray with your kids every day – let them hear you pray for them the things that are on your heart – and when they begin to behave in answer to your prayer – let them know how pleased you are!

Occupy - yes, be occupied and teach your kids to stay occupied…it’s a whole lot better than spending your time picking up all those grains of rice!

Have a wonderful day!

Has Yours Been Recorded?

2010-07-05T12:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the 4th of July – the day we celebrate the birth of our nation. We call it Independence Day because on that day we became a nation “independent” from the Kingdom of Great Britain. A great price was paid for our freedom by the founders of this great country. Our independence is recorded in the Declaration of Independence which we celebrate each year on the 4th of July.

Yesterday, I received a call from my 5-year old granddaughter Brooklynn letting me know that she got saved – meaning that she had received Christ as her personal Saviour. According to the Bible, yesterday was the day she was “born again” (John 3:3, “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”) Tears of joy streamed down my eyes as I heard my precious little granddaughter tell me of her great decision.

As I spoke with my son he told me all that had transpired, how that Brooklynn had told her mom in the afternoon that she wanted to get saved. Before leaving church she told her pastor that she was going to get saved when she got home. As her mom spoke with her and made sure she fully understood what she was doing and detailed the plan of salvation, my son recorded his first born daughter praying and asking the Lord to save her, trusting Him as her Saviour.

Here is the web page where you view the recording of Miss Brookie (as my husband affectionately calls her) praying with her mom; it is a special treasure for me to behold. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=radb-HSAX2I&feature=youtube_gdata As my husband and I were talking about how rare it is that someone would have their salvation “recorded” it struck me that truly there is a recording of everyone who gets saved…in heaven.

The Bible assures us that God records our lives in many ways...

“Also now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high.” Job 16:19

“But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” Job 23:10

“Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?” Psalms 56:8

“And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” Revelations 20:12

Clearly every event in our life in “recorded,” but the most important recording is of the time when a person receives Christ and has their name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” Revelations 20:15

The Lord is patiently waiting for you to come to Him, to turn from your unbelief in His ability to save you to believing that indeed He is just as He said in John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us–ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2Peter 3:9

I began to ponder and realized that just as our country celebrates her birth as a nation and her freedom, our granddaughter too has been made free - free from sin. "But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin..." And just as our country's freedom was purchased with a price, great sacrifice - so the freedom from sin was purchased with great price - the blood of Christ our Saviour!

We have such joy in hearts knowing that our granddaughter had her name “recorded” in the Lamb’s Book of Life, in fact there has been quite a celebration going on. “Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” I am praying that if your name hasn’t yet been recorded or written in the Lamb’s Book of Life that today would be YOUR day- your independence day! If you make that decision, please let me know so that we may share in that joy!

Have a wonderful day!

Because, Because, Because

2010-06-17T16:00:00.000-07:00

Because God loves me…

He sent His only Son to shed His blood, die on the cross, pay my sin debt, and purchase my pardon so that I could have eternal life!

He sealed my salvation with the Holy Spirit – that dwells in me to comfort me, teach me, prompt me, interpret my prayers to God on my behalf, fill me so that I can be used of God.

He gave me the Word of God – a love letter from God Himself! A guide map to show me the way I should go, and which ways I should avoid and the history lessons that help me to learn from other’s triumphs and mistakes.

He gives me love, joy, peace, understanding, wisdom, knowledge, strength, health, air to breathe, water to drink, a means to get food to eat, to earn money, basically – He Gave and continues to give Everything!

Because I love God…

I want to spend time with Him – in His Word, in prayer, in His house!

I show my appreciation to Him for all He has done for me

He died for me, I live for Him

I try as best I can to do what pleases Him

Because I love you…

I want you to be able to have the salvation that Jesus purchased for you

I want you to experience the joy, love, peace, blessed hope and assurance that God has for you.

I want you to have everlasting life – not everlasting death…here’s how:

The Bible Way to Heaven

First, realize God loves you. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” The Bible teaches that regardless of your background, age, race, or any other factor, God loves you and desires a genuine, personal relationship with you.

Second, realize everyone is a sinner. The Bible says in Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” No one is perfect. We have all broken God’s commandments. This is called sin, and it separates us from God.

Third, realize sin has a price that must be paid. Romans 6:23 tells us, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” The “wage” or payment for our sin is death, which according to the Bible is eternal separation from God in a place called Hell.

Fourth, realize Jesus Christ died to pay the price for your sin. Romans 5:8 says, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” If we choose to accept Christ, we do not have to pay the price of death and Hell for our sins because Jesus paid for our sins when He died on the cross and rose again three days later!

Finally, pray and ask Jesus Christ to be your Saviour, and claim His promise of eternal life. In Romans 10:13 the Bible says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” That is a promise directly from God that if you will pray to Him, confess that you are a sinner, ask Him to forgive your sins, and accept Him as your Saviour; He promises to save you and give you the free gift of eternal life.

There is no requirement for “religion” it is an offer to receive the gift Christ purchased on the cross. If you’ll notice in John 3:16 the only “condition” is to believe in Him, not to simply believe that He exists. That means to trust Christ to receive everlasting life. There is no mention of sacraments or steps to take – it is an offer that you can accept or reject. My prayer is that you will accept His offer and His provision…John 14:6 says, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” God offered it to “whosoever believeth” because He loves us. I love Him because He first loved me; and because I love you I want you to receive His gift as well. Won’t you trust Christ today? You never have to tell me, but it would be a blessing if you did. I hope to see you in heaven. I love you.

This is Done Because...

2010-06-09T20:09:00.000-07:00

On May 9, I celebrated the 25th anniversary of my salvation date. I remember that day so clearly – I remember the fear I felt when my friend started telling me about what the Bible says, and then the calm that came over me as “a still, small voice said, “its okay to listen Terrie, it’s the Bible.” I remember the “joy unspeakable” I felt as I was driving home from my friend’s house KNOWING I was on my way to heaven. So much has happened since that time – so many changes have occurred in my life and my family.

Some of the changes that have occurred obviously would have happened anyway because of time; but there are so many changes that happened specifically because of what Christ did in my life. Some of the changes the Lord has made in me – some things I have changed by decision after being convicted by the Holy Spirit. The Lord has worked and created a new heart in me; He has made me a new creature in Christ.

This morning as I was reading my Bible I read the following verse, “And thou shalt shew thy son in that day, saying, This is done because of that which the LORD did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt.” Exodus 13:8. After reading from that verse I thought of the many times I have been asked about why I live the way I do, why I dress the way I dress, and why I avoid things that many people embrace…and I have given the answer that I live the way I live because of what the Lord has done for me over and over through the years.

Egypt is symbolic of the “world” and when the Lord brought them out of Egypt it is a picture of salvation. God provided the salvation and those that did not believe could not enter the Promised Land, but instead wandered in the wilderness until they died. “But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.” Hebrews 3:17-19. These people were all saved out of Egypt (from the world), but they refused to trust God enough to rest in Him.

Similarly today, salvation has been purchased by the blood of Christ, and those that truly believe are saved as were the children of Israel when God brought them out of Egypt. The ones that could not enter "into His rest" didn’t believe God enough to allow Him to make changes in their lives. They were the ones that didn’t trust God to give them the victory; they murmured when they couldn’t see an easy answer to their problems…they had no faith and it was evidenced by their lack of trust in God. They had just witnessed all the miracles God had done in Egypt, at the Red Sea, and yet they wanted to go back to being slaves because of the food they enjoyed and the security they had in their jobs and homes. They didn’t like the changes; they were “uncomfortable.”

Many new Christians fear the changes that Salvation may bring because they are just like the children of Israel – they want to hold on to things they have enjoyed even if it means they are in bondage. If that is you, may I say that in Christ there is fulness of joy. I don’t regret a single change that the Lord has made in our lives – I have peace that passes understanding and yes, joy unspeakable, I can rest in God's promises. I can guarantee that living a life resting in God is much more pleasant than wandering in a wilderness.

So my question and challenge to you today ladies, is what things in your life is the Lord asking you to change? What changes in your life will you say, “This is done because of that which the Lord did unto me…?” Ladies, I love you and desire that you may enjoy all that God has for you. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Jeremiah 29:11

Have a wonderful day!

Feel Cool or Be Full

2010-06-08T18:00:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago we were able to visit with one of our sons on the occasion of his son’s K5 graduation, as well as our son’s birthday. While visiting we were treated to a day of fun at Disneyland! We were not exactly prepared for that type of day trip so we did not have the right kind of shoes for a day of walking. We tried as best we could to rush to the store and get what we needed so that we could be on our way.

On our way out of town we stopped to get gas for the 1.5 hour drive. We waited in the car while my husband was filling the tank. After a couple of moments he opened the door of the car to grab a Gospel tract, and then a minute later he grabbed another – this did not surprise me as my husband is an avid soulwinner:) Several moments later we watched as my husband lead the woman at the gas station to bow her head and heart in prayer asking the Lord to save her soul – Praise the Lord!

When my husband got back in the car we discussed the transaction that was made and he said that the woman told him she had heard of salvation, and wanted to know how to be saved, but that no one had taken the time to tell her. She had visited churches and had been “hungry” for the truth – and yet never satisfied:(

Today in my Bible reading I read Matthew 21:18 which says, “Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered. And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.” After reading that I thought of the woman at the gas station and realized that perhaps she had gone to many “fig trees” due to hunger and kept finding “nothing but leaves.” All too often we get too busy going about our own business and forget to consider those that are hungry and needy. We make sure we look good, and may even work at making people feel cool about themselves, but in fact that offers nothing that truly satisfies.

As I pondered that idea I decided to look up some facts about fig trees to see what would make the difference between a fig tree that produces fruit and one that has nothing but leaves; I can’t say I found a definitive answer or solution, but I did find one snippet of information that is very interesting.

“Figs are well suited to containers, which restrict their root growth and, in turn, make them more fruitful. In containers, figs will experience less vegetative growth and have more energy for the production of fruit. They will need to be watered more often though.”

So, what does that teach me? I’m glad you asked:)

1. Figs will produce more fruit when they are grown in an atmosphere with boundaries. To me this translates to mean that if we want to produce fruit we should live a holy, consecrated life.

2. These boundaries will restrict root growth (the root is a part of the body of a plant that develops, anchoring the plant and absorbing nutriment and moisture). Growth in a controlled environment hinders the outward (worldly) growth and secures what nutrients and moisture are being absorbed to anchor the plant. As Christians we do better when we are absorbing the nutrients within a holy and consecrated environment.

3. When the vegetative growth is hindered there is more energy to produce fruit. “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16

4. Growing to produce fruit in a controlled environment requires more frequent watering. As Christians we should be “watered” with the Word of God daily so that we will be holy. “That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.” Ephesians 5:26

Sure having leaves may provide shade, (make people feel cool) but bearing fruit sustains life (be full)! Ladies, today why not make sure that you are keeping yourself in an environment that gives you more energy to produce fruit - you might just meet someone that is hungry today!

Have a wonderful day!

Hallelujah Anyhow!

2010-06-07T13:54:00.000-07:00

Today as I sit to write this blog, I am praying that I may be able to convey to everyone that might read this all that God has placed in my heart. As you know this past six months has been indeed a life changing experience for me...and I am not talking about the "change" that occurs to women in my age group. I am talking about this wonderful adventure that we are experiencing by the grace of God.

My husband was called to plant a church in Oakdale, CA, and so here we are! We moved here believing that God would take care of us and meet our needs and He has miraculously provided exceeding, abundantly ABOVE ALL that we have asked or even thought He would do!

Right now I am sitting in my new home - at the time of my last writing I knew that God was going to provide it - at the right time - and He certainly did...without a minute to lose! We moved on a Friday morning - and as of the Thursday morning before our move, the house we hoped for (and also the only one available at the time we needed to move) was not secured. The landlord was unsure if she wanted to rent her home to a pastor that had a church of less than 3 months old. I must admit I went through a grueling afternoon on Thursday, crying and asking God what I was supposed to do...and He wasn't giving me an answer...(which was His answer)"do nothing; wait!" Finally after 5:00 pm on Thursday afternoon we received the call that the house was ours! Praise the Lord!

Yesterday we held a baptism service and we had 14 potential people that had agreed to be baptized; perhaps it was a lack of faith on my part, but I was praying that God would bless us and give us 7 baptisms (I already knew of a few folks that were unable to get baptized yesterday), and 40 in attendance for our morning service. Well, we had 35 in attendance and 1 baptism...so does that mean God didn't answer my prayer? I don't think so, and here's why.

Well, let me first start by telling you a little about the day yesterday. It started off with the phone ringing...for those of you in the ministry I am sure you know that when the phone rings on a Sunday morning - it is not usually good news:) It is normally someone letting you know that they can't be in church - discouraging to say the least. Then ladies, you'll be able to understand the "pain" I suffered when after doing one side of my hair - my flat iron died! I have very curly, frizzy, hair - and my flat iron died! on Sunday morning...ugh! Fortunately, I had an old flat iron that worked well enough to finish my hair - though it did not turn out quite as I would have liked. To top that off the hose that leads to the water softener in our garage slipped out of the pipe and flooded the garage! Satan was definitely camping out on our doorstep. Well after all those things we recognized who was attacking us, praised the Lord singing "Hallelujah Anyhow...I never let my troubles get me down; When the trials come my way, I hold my head up high and say, "Hallelujah Anyhow!"

Now, after such a morning it would seem that by not having the attendance I hoped for both in the service and in the baptism tank that I would be discouraged and even charge God for not answering the way I hoped...but that is not the case at all. Philippians 4:4-7 says, "Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

Perhaps I didn't get the exact "number" I was praying for, but I had asked that God bless us, and that He did! I am rejoicing in the Lord - He blessed us yesterday with a great service, a sweet spirit, visitors, and a baptism. If you'll notice the commandment is to rejoice, show moderation (meaning calm, patience, temperance), then we are reminded that God is "at hand," so...don't worry about anything, pray letting God know you will be thankful with the outcome He gives, and then He will give you peace to accept what you get. I am rejoicing in the many blessings He has provided, and He has given me tremendous peace:)

Some might call it a "Pollyanna" attitude, but I believe that we should pray and then trust that God's outcome is best regardless of what we think...Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Haven't discovered what good will come out of a broken flat iron yet, but I'll keep you posted...but as the song says, when your troubles come your way, hold your head us high and say, "hallelujah anyhow!" love you ladies!

Have a wonderful day!

Exceeding Abundantly

2010-05-12T01:44:00.000-07:00

On November 14, 2009, we packed our belongings and moved to Oakdale, CA, where God was sending us to begin a new work for His Glory. We left behind our children, grandchildren, parents, other relatives, church family, and friends in answer to God’s call. We had no promise of income, no idea of where our new church would meet, and did not know a soul – yet, we went knowing that this is what God wanted us to do, and where He wanted us to go.

As we began to attend local churches in the area (within an hour) before our Grand Opening service, we found that many folks had been praying that a church would start in Oakdale – in fact one church had nearly started a work here, but God closed that door at the time...He had it all planned for us to come to Oakdale before we had any idea.

Little by little we began to be amazed at God’s mighty provision – He provided a home in the country free of rent or utility fees for 6 months! We began hearing nearly daily from pastors of the many churches we had contacted asking for support, and we began to see souls saved…lots of them!

We had our Grand Opening service with 39 in attendance. We have had a high day of 69 on Easter Sunday, and 56 on Mother’s Day – we have seen 88 souls trust Christ as their personal Saviour since January 1, 2010; we’ve had 11 souls follow in Believer’s Baptism, and the Lord has been blessing the ministry.

On May 3, 2010, we received a phone call from our landlord informing us that on May 17, there was a group coming to stay at the house where we have been living, and that we would need to be out by May 14, (17 days sooner than expected); my husband and I were surprised, but we had complete peace that God was in control and that He would provide. We had been praying for $2500 that would be required for rent and deposit for a “new” home, but we had not received anything…yet.

Fully trusting God for His outcome and provision we began to see His hand at work to miraculously meet this need! We received a love offering (unexpected) – woo-hoo – Praise the Lord! Then we received another check from a church whose pastor we do not know! (marked “housing for pastor”); on Easter Sunday we received an email informing us of another church that would begin to support us…on top of that we had a blessed day in church with a sense that God was moving in an unusual way! On Monday, we received 2 more support checks, plus a another check for housing – now it was adding up – we had nearly half the amount we had been praying for when we realized that we would need at the very least a refrigerator, plus a washer and drier…and now down to 4 days before we must move out – and still not enough cash on hand, nor the place to “move,” yet KNOWING that God would provide and that He had it all taken care of.

We received a phone call from a college tour group asking if they could come to our church for a Tuesday night – but of course with our new ministry we could not have a service because our meeting place is booked every night; so they offered to come soul winning with us and asked if we would be willing to feed the group – by the end of the conversation my husband had promised to go soulwinning, house and feed the tour group in our “new home” and we still don’t know where that is going to be…and we have no refrigerator! (Are we nuts? Maybe, but we really believe that God is going to provide).

This morning we prayed especially that God would give us an answer before my parents (who were in town visiting) left, and as we were loading the car my husband received a phone call letting him know that we would be receiving a sizable check that would more than cover the immediate need!!! So, now we have the money for the housing, the refrigerator, the washer and dryer!! God has miraculously answered our prayers. Now, we still do not have a confirmed answer from the landlord of the house we wish to rent – but we trust the Lord and know that He has it all worked out!

We are humbled and honored that God would allow us to testify of His mighty power, and that we have the privilege to bring Glory and Honor to our Savior as we tell of His great love and provision…we are unworthy, but so very grateful.

“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20, 21

God is so good - trust Him and have a wonderful day!

Moments of Grace

2010-05-09T00:24:00.000-07:00

Today I spoke at a Mother/Daughter Banquet. I thank the Lord for the privilege and opportunity to share with others the truths He places on my heart. The theme was “Moments of Grace.” As I pondered and prayed asking the Lord what He would have me bring to the ladies, I was blessed by the awesome realization that every moment we breathe is by the grace of God.

Grace – I have heard of several meanings for that word – the acrostic

God’s
Riches
At
Christ’s
Expense

Grace: getting something good that we don’t deserve as opposed to mercy which is not getting something bad that we do deserve

Grace is the influence or spirit of God operating in humans to regenerate or strengthen them.
It is a virtue or excellence of divine origin: the Christian graces.
It is moral strength: the grace to perform a duty.

In Ephesians 3, (3:1-13) Paul is talking to the church about the grace God had given him…the grace to learn, the grace to teach, the grace to serve, the grace to preach, the grace to make men see (another form of teaching – getting people to understand), the grace to suffer for the sake or good of others – and because of that he prayed…

Ephesians 3:14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

The many graces God gave Paul led him to desire the most important thing we would need - to know the love of Christ so that we might be filled with the fullness of God. The way to get to that love was to be strengthened by His Spirit…or the Holy Ghost.

John 14:26 "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."

Now you may be wondering what any of that has to do with a mother, or Mother’s Day, but the truth is there is a very close connection to the role of the mother and that of the Holy Spirit.

Isa 66:13 "As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem."

The role of the mother is likened to that of the Holy Spirit – or the comforter.
God gives mothers grace… so that we will raise our children to desire the most important thing…to know the love of Christ so that they might be filled with the fullness of God. As mothers we desire to strengthen our children (as the Holy Ghost does) so they’ll get an understanding of love - our love for them, and ultimately God's love for them. We receive this grace (God’s riches at Christ’s expense) which helps us to get a glimpse of the love of God.

As mothers God give us grace…

To learn –and perhaps begin to understand, or get a glimpse of the love of God when we become mothers. As children we don’t understand love in that same way. We love our parents and are dependent on them, but we don’t comprehend their sacrificial love, their unconditional love, their tough love…as mothers by God’s grace we learn of God’s love in a new way.

To teach – as mothers we become our children’s first teacher. We teach our children whether we try to or not, because they learn by observation – so you can teach them on purpose or not – either way we are our children’s first teachers.

To serve – as mothers God gives us the grace to serve our children – we feed them, we bathe them, we change their diapers, we rearrange our schedules; and quite frankly mothers will serve their children as much as they can all their days. I am 52 years old, and my mother will still do what she can to help me – my children are 30, 28, 27 & 25 years old and I would be willing to do anything I could to serve or help them – by the grace of God being a mother has taught me to serve, and to understand what God is willing to do for me!

To preach – now I know, women are not to be pastors – but the commandment is given to preach the gospel to every creature – preaching is by definition giving earnest advice on religious or moral truths, right conduct. Every mother preaches to her kids – mother is the first one to teach her children about God – how important God is (that is dependent on how important He is to you). I can attest to this personally – I was saved when I was 27 years old – my youngest son was only 2 months old when I was saved. As the mother of 4 children and as a new Christian, I found that the best time I could read my Bible was when I was feeding the baby – with 4 little ones aged 5 and under, you can imagine that I was quite busy caring for my home and kids – so sitting and reading was not something I had in my schedule. I recall one time in particular that I sat to feed Jon and my Bible was in the other room, so I wasn’t able to read my Bible – and when my 2 ½ year old Kellie noticed, she ran into the other room and brought me my Bible…I had not even been saved 3 months and she already knew! That taught me a lesson – I had preached the importance of reading my Bible to my daughter without even saying a word!

To Make Men See…as a mother we experience the joy of seeing our children begin to understand – they understand our expressions, they understand they are safe when we hold them and rock them, when we comfort them. They understand the meaning of words as we speak to them, they understand right from wrong as we train and discipline them…these are moments of grace - and these moments help us to realize that sometimes the difficult things we endure "help us to see" God's love and plan for our lives.

All of these graces – these times we experience God’s riches are moments of grace.

There is yet one more grace…

To suffer – as mothers we willingly suffer for our children. We will go without so that our children won’t have to be without. Of course we endure the suffering of labor and delivery (unless of course you are like me who really didn’t have much pain to speak of – 11 hours of labor for all four children combined!). However, as mothers we suffer anytime our children are hurting, we suffer when our children are broken-hearted, sick, sad; troubled…all of these things we suffer with them, and would willingly suffer for them or in their place if we could. We then can better understand the love of God and the fact that He willingly suffered and died for us on the cross – because as mothers we would do the same for our children; we would die for them. When God saw that we were dead in our sins – He came to earth in the form of a man – and Jesus died for us!

Ephesians 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

You know as mothers the only way a child is ours is if it is born to us – no child can work their way to become our children – they are either born to us, or adopted by us, but the children can’t work their way into becoming “ours.” Now remember that the role of the mother is likened to that of the Holy Spirit – so, just as our children must be born or adopted by us, Christians too must be born of the Spirit of God…

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint–heirs with Christ;” Romans 8:14-17

Perhaps you aren’t sure if you have been saved by grace – if you have received the Spirit of adoption, meaning that you have been born again into the family of God, or if you have been saved by grace, but you can be today. You can know the love of God, receive forgiveness of your sin, and receive the gift of eternal life through Christ – because when we were dead in our sin – he paid our sin debt “the wages of sin is death…but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Wouldn’t you like to be joint heirs with Christ and inherit the riches of glory – won’t you receive Him today?

All of these graces lead us to desire that our children would be strengthened in His Spirit, to know, to understand, to comprehend the love of God – so that they may know His fulness.

Moments of Grace in Motherhood – what a privilege we have to experience and truly understand the love of God – by His grace. Moms let appreciate these moments as we experience God’s riches at Christ expense – Happy Mother’s Day!

Have a wonderful day!

Lift 'em Up!

2010-04-14T18:56:00.001-07:00

I have always been considered by my husband (and children) to be on the picky side when it comes to restaurants, hotels, or even general places we would go for entertainment. It would not be unusual for me to go to a restaurant, perhaps get seated, and then determine that the establishment was below my "standard" for "acceptable." I always think that if I am going to pay for something, than it should be worth the time and investment.

The thing about "standards" is that they are individual because what may be acceptable to one is not acceptable to another. For example, I am not comfortable with most restaurants that have the name "pit" in them. Not because of the name, but because most of the ones I have visited have been just that "pits." My husband on the other hand usually looks around and says, "I don't see anything wrong with it." Is he wrong? No. Am I wrong? No. We have our own standards and there is no law that says that when it comes to restaurants only one standard is acceptable.

The word standard has a lot of different meanings. It can mean the customary size of something (like a standard bed - meaning double), or it can mean a rule or principle used as a basis for judgment; and it means morals, ethics, or habits established by authority. Standard is a sticky word for a lot of people because they don't want someone else's standards imposed on them. If a church has standards for its workers often the church is labeled as "legalistic." But the truth is we all have standards - whether of our own choosing, or by those that have been authority figures in our lives.

Standard has one other meaning that I especially like - and that is "a flag or emblematic figure" - the reason I like that one is because that is akin to the word "banner" and the Bible teaches us in Song of Solomon 2:4, "He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love." That is a picture of when we are at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb - we will have a banner over us stating that the reason we are there is because the Lord loves us! That is a very pleasant picture in my mind, and one I look forward to beholding one day.

This morning in my Bible reading I was reading from Numbers and I found the word "standard" several times. In fact I read it 6 times in three chapters! The one verse especially that caught my attention was Numbers 2:2 "Every man of the children of Israel shall pitch by his own standard, with the ensign of their father’s house: far off about the tabernacle of the congregation shall they pitch." This verse was saying that every person was to pitch their tent by their own standard (banner or flag)with the ensign of their Father's house. As I read this I thought of the tent as being their temporary home, like this world is for us (you know..."this world is not my home, I'm just a passing through, my treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue..."). I further thought of the ensign of their Father, and I thought that where they lived should show who they are, and who their daddy was.

After pondering that verse I thought really that means then that a home should be set up by standards that show who the Father is...now that is where the two standards meet together - the banner type of standard,(something set up) and also the standard that is established by my authority (my heavenly Father) - in other words I should set up my standards so that people know I am a Christian; that God is my Father! I would like to have a banner over my house that says, "I love my Father and I am trying to live in a manner that brings glory and honour to Him!"

I can't tell you what your standards should be, but I can tell you that your standards tell others who you are, and whether or not you are willing to let others know Who your Father is! Whatever standards you hold for your life - one thing is sure...we are only ever commanded to set up or lift up a standard...so ladies don't lower your standards - lift 'em up!

Have a wonderful day!

Family

2010-04-02T12:44:00.001-07:00

Today is Good Friday - Easter is this Sunday, and it will be the first time since 1979 that we haven't had any of our children with us for the holiday. We are spending the day today with our oldest son and his family, and then on Monday we will spend time with them again, as as well as with our daughter and her family; we're making the best of it:) One of the things that has been on my mind is making sure that our kids are taken care of for the holiday...I know, I know they are all grown, married, and have their own children - but a mom never stops being a mom! Thankfully the two that live close to each other are spending Easter Day together.

Yesterday I read a "tweet" from one of my sons as he was happy that one of his converts had been baptized, has been faithfully attending church, and has begun attending a discipleship class. I was blessed as I read it, and then further blessed when I saw that our other son responded to his tweet expressing his shared happiness and encouragement to his brother...truly my soul was blessed. I started thinking about how much it means to us moms to have our children love each other, get along with each other, and really share a close relationship together. I am very thankful that our children are close and though 2 of them are separated by many miles from the other 2, our children all still talk with each other, and keep a close relationship.

I am convinced that this desire is one placed on our hearts by our Heavenly Father as He too desires that we, His children, love one another. I Thessalonians 4:9 says, "But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another." On the other side of this, God says that if we don't love our brethren, we don't love God...that is a very strong statement. It is very painful to God when His children do not love one another - and I believe that parents hold that same sentiment - it is heartbreaking when siblings don't get along.

"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore." Psalm 133:1-3

Thank you Danny, Genny, Jason, Mary, Kellie, Dan, Jon, & Rachel for loving each other; it is a blessing to us and joy to our family! Happy Easter!

Today's song: God's Family

And sometimes we laugh together
Sometimes we cry
Sometimes we share together
Heartaches and sighs
Sometimes we dream together
Of how it will be
When we all get to heaven, God's family

Yes, this Easter we can't all be together, but one day we'll all be together forever! Have a wonderful day!

P's in the Wilderness

2010-04-01T14:10:00.000-07:00

This morning in my Bible reading I read Luke 5:16 which says, “And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.” It caught my attention because yesterday I saw how that the Holy Spirit led Jesus to the wilderness – today Jesus withdrew Himself to pray there. I started thinking about “wilderness” and as I mentioned yesterday – I thought of a barren place, a lonely place, a sad place.

Today, I saw it differently – I saw it as a place of refreshing – a place to get alone with God…and it didn’t sound so bad; after all when I get alone with God and know that I have been in His presence I am strengthened and refreshed; I have joy and peace. (play on words intentional = p's in the wilderness:).

I looked up the word wilderness in the Bible and saw that it is there 294 times! The wilderness is by definition a barren dessert – but it is also a place suitable for pasturing sheep – aha…that’s why I found it for so many applications – “Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” Psalm 100:3 The wilderness is place where God can shepherd us because when we think we have nowhere to go or no one to turn to…we finally turn to God and realize that He is all we need.

Here are some of the applications I found in the “wilderness.”

Punished in the wilderness – Numbers 14:33
Pit in the wilderness – Genesis 37:22 (Genesis 50:20)
Piloted in the wilderness –Nehemiah 9:19
Preaching in the wilderness – Matthew 3:1
Proven in the wilderness – Matthew 4:1, Luke 4
Praying in the wilderness – Luke 5:16
Pushed to the wilderness – Luke 8:29
Provision in the wilderness – Exodus 16:32
Protection in the wilderness – Deuteronomy 1:31
Place in the wilderness – Revelation 12:6
Perils in the wilderness – II Corinthians 11:26
Power in the wilderness – Psalm 106:9
Presence in the wilderness – Genesis 21:20, Exodus 16:10

“And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live. Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years. Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the LORD thy God chasteneth thee. Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him." Exodus 8:2-6

Today’s Song: My Lord Knows the Way through the Wilderness

My Lord knows the way through the wilderness,
All I have to do is follow
Strength for today is mine always
And all that I need for tomorrow.
My Lord knows the way through the wilderness
All I have to do is follow

The wilderness feels like a lonely and barren place; it is a place that looks like “nowhere...” hopeless. If that is where you are today – you may even be tempted to think there is no hope…but in every application, in every example there is hope because God is present in every situation – whether to punish, prove, or provide…He is all we need. If you are in the wilderness, you are in a suitable pasture for God to nurture you. Follow Him and He will lead you safely through!

Have a wonderful day!

Food, Fame, and Faith

2010-03-31T18:06:00.000-07:00

When I think of the wilderness so many things come to my mind. I think of being alone, and nowhere...it seems sad. I think of the children of Israel and how they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years because they did not believe or trust God. Today in my Bible reading I read Luke 4:1, which says, "And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness."

The first thing I thought about after reading that verse was that Jesus was led to the wilderness by the Holy Spirit. The other day my husband and I were talking about trials, and how that after having gone through various and difficult trials we have realized that God entrusted us with those trials so that we might bring Glory and Honour to Him. I say entrusted because during these "wilderness" times or trials, we have the opportunity to experience the grace of God, and grow our faith. II Peter 5:10 says, "But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you."

The Holy Spirit will lead us to the wilderness so that we can mature, become established in our beliefs, be strengthened in our faith, and have our questions answered - get matters of faith settled. The key to going through a trial is to fully rely on God - and not allow Satan to trip you up and cause you to wander in the wilderness. Satan will try all kinds of ways to turn you away from God - just like he did to Jesus.

Food: When Jesus was in the wilderness the Bible says He did not eat for 40 days - and that he was hungry. "And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread." Luke 4:3 Satan was tempting Jesus in His area of weakness. Jesus was hungry, Satan tempted Him with food. Jesus answered, "And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God." Luke 4:4

Fame & Finances: After that Satan tried to appeal to Jesus by offering Him fame and riches - can you imagine the audacity Satan add to try to tempt the King of Kings? Luke 4:5-7 says, "And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine." Of course Jesus did not succumb to Satan.

Faith: When that didn't work Satan tried Jesus in the area of His faith. "And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." Luke 4:9-12

During those fearful times in the wilderness Satan will do the same things to you - but remember to keep these thoughts:

1. Stay in the Word of God - make sure you're eating good food!

2. "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." Luke 4:8 Keep giving your tithes, and keep serving the Lord - make sure your're working on giving Jesus "fame" and not yourself.

3. Trust the Lord - He is faithful.

The song on my heart today: He's Been Faithful To Me

In my moments of fear, through every doubt, every tear
there's a God whose been faithful to me
When my strength was all gone, and my heart had no song
even then He was faithful to me
Every word He's promised is true, and what I thought seemed impossible
I've seen my God do

He's been faithful, faithful to me
in my life, His tender mercies I see
though at times I have questioned, even failed to believe
still He's been faithful, faithful to me.

Yes through the years we have endured many trials and God has used each one to teach us, grow us, and most importantly allow us to fully realiz His love, grace, and peace...He's been so faithful to me. Have a wonderful day!

Pictures

2010-03-30T14:21:00.000-07:00

I love my family! We are so blessed to have such a wonderful, loving, and fun family! This past Thanksgiving we all got together and enjoyed a great time together. We were able to have our pictures taken and each time I look at them (there were literally hundreds of pictures taken) I am reminded of the time we shared together.

Pictures are a wonderful way to remember special times and special people. Through pictures we can see what people we have only heard about look like - like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, relatives that have passed on before we were born - people that have made a difference in our lives. As I was thinking about how pictures can mean so much, take us back to places we've been, remember joyous occasions, and allow us to see things we would never see otherwise - I thought of how we paint a picture - a portrait of sorts of Christ.

We have never seen God, yet we are made in His image. We know Him through His Word, and by what we see in His awesome creation - and to the lost and dying world Christians present a picture of Christ. We are the light of the world, and while we are commanded to shine, it is a fact that we are the light - so the world has only the light that we bring to it. Everywhere we go we represent Christ, and bring light - either a stadium beam, or a night light that is flickering...either way We (Christians) are the light.

"Now then we are ambassadors for Christ..." II Corinthians 5:20; an ambassador is a diplomat that represents his country. We are here to represent the Kingdom of Heaven while we’re here on earth. What an awesome responsibility! I started thinking about all the people that I have invited to church that have decided they don’t want to go to church because of something someone they knew had done; and whatever it was – it painted a picture that was not a true image of our loving Saviour!

As a Christian I am a picture of Christ; perhaps the only one many will ever see. However, if I don’t ever mention the fact that I am a Christian, or if I never testify of all that God has done in my life– people won’t make the connection. I can do my best to be a good testimony and do nice things, but if I don’t take the time to tell them Who I represent – I have missed an opportunity. What good does it do to represent Christ and not let anyone know that I am a Christian? If I am kind and thoughtful; if I go out of my way to do good things for others, when I help them, they’ll just think that I am a nice person and if that is all I have done, than I have failed! If I am indeed representing Christ – then I should do as He did, “to seek and to save that which is lost.”

As an ambassador, I want others to know of the Blessed Hope, to realize that there is a God that loves them, that gave His only begotten Son for them – it is my job to bring glory and honour to God! In I Corinthians 10:31 we are commanded to do all to the glory of God – “Whether therefore ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” Our testimony as Christians should bring glory and honour to God – but with that testimony, be sure to testify of what great things He hath done!

Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord!
Let the earth hear His voice
Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord!
Let the people rejoice
Oh come to the Father through Jesus the Son
And give Him the glory, great things He hath done!

You'll find joy in singing, praising, and testifying of the great things He hath done! Have a wonderful day:)

Unfailing Love

2010-03-29T12:59:00.000-07:00

On March 28, 1998 my brother Rick went home to be with the Lord after battling cancer for 13 months. Yesterday marked 12 years since I have seen my brother, since I have been able to have a conversation with him, or since our family has been able to get together and have “everybody” present.

This past week in my Bible reading I came upon the following statement, “Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee…” These words were spoken to Hezekiah after he prayed and asked the Lord to extend his life. As I pondered those words, I thought of all the times I have prayed and cried to the Lord, and received a definite answer and assurance that God indeed heard my prayers, saw my tears, and met my needs…hallelujah!

You might wonder how those two points in my life meet together, because surely we had prayed that God would let Rick live longer, certainly we had prayed and cried to the Lord for his health, and yet the cancer took him. I can say with full assurance that indeed the Lord heard our prayers, saw our tears, and healed my brother. You see today Rick is living in the presence of God because we know that “whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord…We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” We have the promise of God as quoted in Revelation 21:3-5, “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.”

I miss my brother everyday, yet I know that since the day he breathed his last breath here on earth and entered into the presence of God he has never shed a tear or felt the pain his cancer caused him; he is alive forever and in the presence of our Heavenly Father because of the salvation he received that is available to all of us through Jesus Christ! I rejoice as I write these words today because they are true and faithful.

Today the song on my heart is one of my brother’s favorite songs, “Unfailing Love.”

Unfailing love flows from His heart and heals my soul
In spite of who I am He loves and makes me whole
I almost can’t believe its true – “unfailing love”
And yet I know He gave His life to give to me unfailing love

Ladies, if you are going through a trial right now, I pray that you will know that God sees your tears, He hears your prayers, and He has an unfailing love for you.

Have a wonderful day!

Completer or Finisher?

2010-03-25T13:11:00.000-07:00

In my reading this morning I saw again how important the influence of a wife can be on her husband in II Kings 8:18, “And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab: for the daughter of Ahab was his wife: and he did evil in the sight of the LORD.” This is speaking of Jehoram, and then I also thought of Solomon and how the many women he loved turned Him away from God! “For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.” I Kings 11:4 God had appeared to Solomon twice, He had given him wisdom above all men, and yet his wives were able to turn his heart away from God.

The role of the wife is that of an help meet for her husband. That means that the wife should help her husband, and be meet or proper and fitting for him. In Genesis the first time we see that God says anything about His creation is not good, is when He said “And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” Genesis 2:18 in other words man needed a wife to complete him.

The wife has tremendous influence over her husband. I remember hearing through the years that the husband is the head, but the wife is neck that turns the head. As a mom of three sons I know that in raising our boys we put all that we could into them so that when they were grown we could turn out mature, responsible, God-fearing men that would be ready to contribute to the next generation – we did all we could for them, and then when they got married their wife’s position is to help them, to complete them.

Now there are two ways a wife can influence her husband – she can either be a completer or a finisher. Both of those words have similar meanings, but they really are quite different. Complete means: lacking nothing; whole; entire; full; finished may mean completed, but it also means: condemned, doomed, or in the process of extinction. In the case of Jehoram and Solomon, they were finished!

Ladies, you have power! You can make the difference in what your husband does with his life. You can be a completer so that he is entire and wanting nothing…or you can be a finisher and be the end of him. You choose, you can influence him to live for you, or you can follow God’s plan and love him, pray for him, and have a husband that is complete. He can have the testimony that he was evil because of his wife, or he can be known in the gates as is the case of the virtuous woman whose end is recorded…” Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.” Proverbs 31:28

The wives that think they’re going to win by influencing their husbands for their own gain lose because they finish their man – but the wife that completes her husband is loved and respected by her children, she is happy (blessed) and gains his praise! So ladies – make him complete, don’t finish him off!

Have a wonderful day!

To Be Used of God

2010-03-24T10:42:00.000-07:00

This morning I was continuing in reading from the Book of II Kings and read about the Naaman. He was a captain that God had used to bring deliverance to Syria, but he was also a leper. There was a captive of Israel, a little maid that made all the difference in the life of Naaman. In II Kings 5:2-4 it says, "And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman’s wife. And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy. And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel."

As I read those verses I thought about how that she was unnamed, a captive, described as a "little maid," and despite all those things her assurance and hope in what God could do through man of God to help Naaman led "one" to and tell the king all that she said. What amazed me even more was that because of that the king sent money and a letter to the king of Israel! As the story goes, Naaman went to Israel and was healed of his leprosy! Before he left for home "... he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel:..." II Kings 5:15.

I remember years ago when my children we all still pretty young, that my husband took our youngest son out soulwinning for a Big Day - that was the event at church - our goal was to try to get as many people in church so they could hear the Gospel and be saved. Jon was about 6 years old and dressed in a clown costume to attract the attention of children so he could invite them to church. One of the homes they visited was that of a man whose wife was a Christian, but he had refused to leave his religious beliefs and trust only in Jesus as His Saviour. Jon, a six-year old (adorable boy if I do say so myself), explained to this man the simple difference between trusting in the Lord or his religion, and the huge difference in where he would spend eternity - in heaven or hell. At the end of the conversation that man trusted the Lord as His Saviour! His wife was so happy and exclaimed how amazing it was that God used a six-year old boy dressed in a clown's costume to finally reach her husband!

The Holy Spirit spoke to my heart through my reading this morning, that God can use anybody, of any age to bring hope to a lost and dying people. The ingredients for being used are simple.

1. Present your sincerity - Those around you should be able to see that you are real-that your relationship with God is real, and that you walk your talk.

2. Possess compassion - The little maid showed her compassion (that she cared) by the fact that she said, "Would God" indicating it was a prayer of her heart. Jon showed his compassion by going out door to door - you won't do that if you don't care.

3. Proclaim the Hope - both Jon and the Little Maid spoke up - they knew the answers and were not afraid to tell others.

The blessing in these truths is that you don't have to be rich, you don't have to live in a big house, you don't have to "have" anything...you can be and do these things no matter where you are in your walk of life.

My song for today: To be used of God, to sing, to speak, to pray. To be used of God to show someone the way. Oh I long so much to feel the touch of His consuming fire. To be used of God is my desire.

What a joy rings in my heart as I see those that God has used, and realize that I too can be used of God!

Have a wonderful day!

My Story

2010-03-23T13:37:00.000-07:00

This morning I was reading from the book of I Kings, beginning in chapter 10. In my reading I began to notice the same phrases repeated over and over. In fact in I and II Kings this same phrase is repeated 34 times! "Now the rest of the acts of (name of person)...are they not written, (or they are written)..." I began thinking about how that every person mentioned had their acts (or actions) recorded in writing. I began thinking about all those books and I was reminded of Revelations 20:12, "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works." I was immediately thankful once again that my name is recorded in the Book of Life, especially after reading verse 15, "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."

In my prayer and devotion time today I was reminded of the fact that my life, my acts are writing the story of my life. What we do is being recorded. Every choice we make, our responses to what God wants us to do, what we do for God, what we do for ourselves - all of it is being recorded! What a scary truth!

But wait - stress not! We can ask God to blot out our iniquities, "Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities." Psalm 51:9. We also have the promise "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust." Psalm 103:12-14 Whew! that is GREAT news!

One day my life really will be an open book...I want to make sure that what is written is pleasing to the Lord so that I can hear the words, "Well done thou good and faithful servant." I know that I have sinned and there are things I have done for which I am ashamed, but I can ask for forgiveness and have them blotted out of my story that is recorded in the books; I can claim the promise that through Christ my transgressions have been removed. Today, I can plan what I hope will be written and avoid doing things that will make me ashamed. The prayer of my heart is singing...

This is my story, this is my song, praising my Saviour, all the day long!

Only those that have trusted the Lord as their personal Saviour have their names recorded in the Book of Life - so if you have not been born again, or if you're not sure - get that settled today. You can post a comment and I can email God's plan of Salvation to you. If you have been saved, today won't you join me in making the story of your life "praising" your Saviour all the day long?

Have a wonderful day.

The Faith of a Daughter

2010-03-11T23:08:00.000-08:00

The other day I had the privilege of meeting a young mom named Carolyn. In the course of our conversation we realized that we were both "first generation" Christians meaning that we were both the first in our families to personally trust Christ for salvation full and free. I had been raised going to church, but I was placing my trust in my religion and my own good works to get to Heaven; I will say though that I was raised with good morals and many godly principles were instilled in me as I was growing up.

Carolyn was encouraged to learn the testimony of my family after my nearly 25 years of salvation - you see she is much younger than I am (the longer I live that seems to happen to me more and more). I am sure there are many "first generation" Christians that would have the same question as Carolyn did - "what did you do?" I wish I had a simple answer, I have wondered what answer I could give - and the best I can say is what my parents have told me through the years - "stay faithful; let your family see that your relationship with Christ is real."

This morning I was reading about Rahab, the harlot from the Book of Joshua. As I was reading, I realized that she too was a "first generation" Christian. In fact she was the only one in her whole town that believed God! When the men that Joshua sent to spy out the land lodged at Rahab's house she said, "And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land," she also said, "for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath." As the story goes she made a deal with the men that she would hide them if they would spare her and her family when God gave them the land. Then I saw the following verse: "And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father’s household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day..." The family was saved because of the faith of the daughter Rahab!

What a wonderful testimony of faith - even though she was a harlot; she believed God, and God used her! She was the first in her generation that believed God...and her future generations? Let me name them for you..."And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse" Matthew 1:5. "And Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed, And Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David." Ruth 4:21, 22. In other words Rahab married Salmon, they had Boaz, who married Ruth and they had Obed, and Obed was Jesse's father - and Jesse was the father of David! Rahab is related to Jesus - a great, great, (how ever many generations) grandmother to Jesus! God blessed her faith for every generation!

Rahab was a daughter that had faith, saw her family saved, and was able to see many future generations serve the Lord as well. Certainly that should give tremendous hope to all of us "first generationers" as well as to those that have a "past." It is my prayer that my faith will allow many generations to come live for the Lord as well! God can and will use you if you stand on your faith in Christ!

I thrill as I see my family today - my parents are both saved, (my dad is a deacon), by brothers and their families have all trusted the Lord, my youngest brother is a pastor, our children are all living for the Lord and serving Him with their lives, and so far 2 of our 11 grandchildren have received Christ as their Saviour! I praise the Lord for His goodness and thank Him for blessing the faith of a daughter.

Ladies, if you're a woman - you're a daughter...take that step of faith, and stand on it - God will bless you!

Have a wonderful day!

Faith, Grace, and Mercy

2010-03-08T16:55:00.000-08:00

Yesterday after the morning service my husband and I had the privilege of visiting a church where my husband would be preaching the evening service. We got there a little early and I met a gal that I was able to sit and chat with for nearly an hour! In the course of our conversation we got on the subject of cancer, and so I began to tell her about my daughter that is a cancer survivor.

As a cancer patient, my daughter had many years of doctor's appointments that lasted beyond the 18 months that she was on chemotherapy. For the first several years she had check-ups that included chest x-rays, ct scans, and blood tests. I remember one time in particular that we went in for her testing and I was especially anxious. I was weak and fearful. As we were getting ready to leave, I prayed and asked the Lord if He could please just let me know everything was ok, because I really didn't think I could take the waiting for a phone call. As we were walking out the door Kellie's surgeon happened to pass by and asked how we were doing and how things were going, and I answered him telling him what tests she had just taken and so forth...anyway, a few seconds later the doctor came back and said, "Mrs. Azzarello, I just went and looked at her tests - congratulations everything is fine." I weep even now as I remember the flood of relief I felt, and the overwhelming joy at God's grace, and mercy being extended to us.

God is so good - He didn't have to answer my prayer immediately, especially since shortly after Kellie's surgery in answer to a prayer I received a verse I claim to this day. You see a week after Kellie's cancer surgery we had to take her back to the hospital because of severe pain. That evening while I was home with our sons, and my husband was at the hospital with our daughter I truly feared that she was not going to live through the night. I cried and prayed, and begged God for His help. He led me to Jeremiah 33:3, "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." As I continued reading I came to verse 6 which says, "Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth." When I read that verse I felt peace and a comfort from the Holy Spirit that indeed God was going to cure Kellie from her cancer.

The next time Kellie had her test I began to get fearful again, and prayed as I had the time before that God would give me an immediate answer, but the answer I received that time was an admonishment in my heart - that still small voice that said, "Terrie, I have already promised to give her health and cure - trust me." I realized that my fearfulness was wavering faith and asked the Lord for His forgiveness. That experience stretched my faith - and while I certainly wouldn't want to relive it, I am thankful for all that God did in our lives as a result.

John 9:41 says, "Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth." When I read that I remembered how when I didn't understand that my anxiety over Kellie's test was showing a lack of faith and trust in God's promise to me, I was blind, but once God showed me and I saw it - when I was no longer blind, then it was a sin.

I am thankful for the reminder this morning. Our Heavenly Father is worthy of all of faith - He is an almighty God that we can believe in and stand sure upon His Word! I thank you Lord, for your grace and your mercy that You have extended to all that believe. Ladies, I pray for all of you that are struggling with difficulties today that as you read this you will be reminded that you can really trust God - He will keep His Word! Have faith - He will extend His grace and His mercy to you!

Have a wonderful day!

Don't Be a Bird Brain

2010-03-04T13:43:00.000-08:00

Currently my husband and I are living in a home in the country. We have an orchard out our front door, and a meadow behind us...it is beautiful. On the back of the house there is an enclosed patio that was recently added on by the owner for summer dining for the many church groups that stay here for their summer retreats. It is a nice big room with many windows and sliding glass doors. There does seem to be a glitch in the tie in with the original roof that allows birds to get in the patio.

Now, it may not sound like a big deal to have a bird or two get in to the patio room, except for the fact that since the room is enclosed, they can't get out! On almost a daily basis we check our "atrium" to make sure that there are no birds trapped in the room. You see, the problem is that since the room has so many windows, the birds "think" they can simply go out...and end up diving head on to the window and then crashing back on the ground! It makes quite a noise, and sadly one of these little flying fellows has perished with a broken neck. The other problem is that though we try to help them out...they don't want our help! We try to usher the birds in the direction of the open doors or windows, and they just keep diving into the closed ones!

The other evening my husband and I were in the living room when a large bird began crashing into the window toward the house. I imagine it was because the light was on inside and since it was dark outside; the bird was flying towards the light. My husband went out to the patio and opened the sliding door and used a broom to "encourage" the bird to go out the door. I chuckled as I watched him chasing the bird in an effort to free it and save its life; only to have the bird crash into our same window over and over again. I began to laugh as my husband was then not only using the broom but also trying to coax the bird in Italian, calling it "testardo" (meaning stubborn). The bird finally flew out the door and the episode was over.

I started thinking about the bird, and thought that the slang term, "bird brain" meaning silly, or a person with confused ideas, was probably invented by someone that had the same experience with birds as we have been enjoying of late. Then I thought that really we are so often bird brained. You see, we have a Heavenly Father that knows and sees everything, that has left us His Book of instructions, guidance, love, and direction - and we too often make choices based on what we see instead of by following the Lord, and end up beating our heads against a hard surface!

That evening as I was watching my husband striving to "shepherd" that bird to safety I was reminded of the 23rd Psalm.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

The Lord is our shepherd - trust Him and follow His leading - don't be a bird brain!

Have a wonderful day!

Daddy's Girl

2010-02-11T21:42:00.001-08:00

I am oldest of 5 children, the only girl with 4 younger brothers. I guess you could say that I was spoiled, but I also bore a great deal of responsibility as the oldest child - and with being the only girl I was expected to do all the things that girls do in the home...you know helping with dishes, laundry, cleaning, etc... so, while I was spoiled, I also was held responsible for my younger siblings.

I never was bothered about being the only girl, and I didn't mind not having a sister while I was growing up because I was able to share a special relationship with each of my parents. For my mom I was her only girl - so I was able to become the recipient of all the adorable things that moms like to get for their daughters. For my dad - well, I was a daddy's girl, and to a certain extent though I am in my 50's and have been married for nearly 32 years, I still am.

Today is my dad's birthday. I was thinking about my dad this morning and as I pondered the wonderful relationship that we have enjoyed I bowed my heart in prayer to the Lord and thanked Him for giving me my father. I thought of really all the wonderful attributes that he has – he has always been very loving, honest, hard working, faithful, fair, and overall a great man. I believe that all those qualities I saw in him helped me to know what to look for in a husband, and how thankful I am for that!

I also thought about the fact that God is our Heavenly Father, and how much importance that puts on the fact that Dad is called father. I believe when we as children, or even as adults hear "Father" we think of our earthly fathers. Wow, what an awesome responsibility that carries for the man that is called father - because forever in the hearts of their children when they think of God they will see an image of their dad.

With that thought in mind, I believe it is so important for you mom to help your husband with this task. I don’t mean to nag him or even to tell him how to be a father, but rather gently let him know when you believe your children need special “daddy” time. I remember when we were raising our children there were just some times that I felt it was important or would be helpful to our children if they had a special outing with their dad. I firmly believe this helped their relationship, and worked to foster a better relationship our adult children now have with their heavenly Father.

Here are three examples I find that teach special times when children should be encouraged to go to dad, and likewise when you mom should encourage dad to help the kids.

1. “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” Matthew 7:11 Children usually find it easier to ask mom for things – when they do encourage them to go to dad (and let him know in advance that you have done so, so that you agree together the answer – you don’t want your kids pitting you against each other.)

2. “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.” Psalm 103:13 When your children are hurting, of course as a mom you are the comforter – but be sure to share with your husband your children’s heartaches and allow him to sometimes be the one that does something special to help them feel better. (Like taking them out for an ice cream or to do something special)- I remember asking my husband to spend special time with our children from time to time just because – it was always a blessing for both of them.

3. “For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.” Proverbs 3:12 This is a tough one especially on dad, but especially for boys it really seems to work better if dad is the main one doing the disciplining.

So Dad thanks for being such a truly wonderful father to me and my brothers – we all love you and think the world of you. And to my hubby, thank you for being a great dad to our children. Ladies – help your husbands by encouraging them to be a good dad you'll be glad you did - and so will your childen.

Have a wonderful day!

Fire it UP!

2010-02-06T15:37:00.000-08:00

We live in a “me” generation, by that I mean most people ask “what can I get?” instead of “what can I do?” We can all be so selfish, even on the Ruffles chips bag, it says, “Get your own bag;” in days gone by, it was the "family pass around pack." We used to be encouraged to share, now it’s “get your own” - it sounds silly, but it’s just subtle and constant enough to affect the way we think.

We all expect something for ourselves - “What’s in it for me?” is a very common question. People that are consumed with serving themselves will not muster up the strength or energy to serve God or work on the things that God has given them. "And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee..." Isaiah 64:7 I would like to encourage you to “stir yourself up” and “keep the fire burning” in your marriage! God instituted marriage; it is a holy union that will be blessed as your keep Christ in the center.

Too many wives complain about what their husband is not doing and sit back and look at what they’re getting out of it instead of looking for ways to fire it up and keep it going. Have you ever noticed that if you leave a fire unattended it will go out, but if you stir it up a little and get the embers glowing and feed it some more wood, it will get burning?

Stir yourself up to keep it burning - Fire it up!

1. Pay attention- be attentive, attend to it. Give your marriage your attention, don’t let it just happen, you have to work it. Appreciate it, don’t take it for granted, remember when you were dating, and how much you wanted to get married? How sweet and polite you were? How you dressed to impress him fixing your hair, wearing make-up and jewelry, perfume- you always made sure your teeth were brushed and your breath was sweet. You would never have wanted him to come over to your house and see it a mess- why should that change? You need the same ingredients to keep a fire going as it took to start it. It’s the same in your marriage. Of course, there are times you won’t have make-up on (in the morning when you wake up) and every house needs to be cleaned, it won’t always be 100% perfect, but your husband should not come home from work to a messy, dirty house or a sloppy looking wife. Show your husband you appreciate him.

2. Build him. “Every wise woman buildeth her house…” Let him know you appreciate him, and that you are following him. He has a God-given position to lead; it gets lonely in front all alone. Let him know you are behind him. You are commanded to be submissive, (not just if you think he deserves it). God will honor your faith and obedience.

3. Be affectionate. Remember before you were married, you wanted to hold his hand, hug him, kiss, or be close to him? Men physically need that. They are made that way. Make it romantic- soft music, candles, nice dinner, look nice, and be sweet. If you have kids, occasionally farm them out or wait until they go to bed. Think about it, if your husband came home to that kind of scene how it would encourage him to know that you would do that for him. Now if you’re a stay at home mom at the very least your husband deserves a clean house, a nice meal waiting for him and a wife that is dressed and made up for him. You would do that much for friends; you should be willing to do more for your husband.

4. Give 100% Realize the fact that marriages are falling apart because everyone expects the other half to do the stirring.

I don’t think any of you want a dead marriage, don’t sit there and let it happen. Stir it up; create some excitement in your marriage. Your husband is the purpose God created you for- that to me makes him pretty important. Too many wives, Christians, fail to stir themselves up to take hold of God and to take care of their marriages. God has so many wonderful things prepared for us, if we’ll wait on Him. That means do it His way. "For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him. Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways..." Isaiah 64:4, 5

Too many of us stir things up alright, but we need to stir ourselves up to take hold of Him and then you'll see the joy that God has in store for you. "Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." Psalm 16:11

Have a wonderful day!

Built by a Break

2010-02-03T00:35:00.000-08:00

For a mother there aren't many things capable of bringing sheer joy, or a broken heart like the actions of her children. It seems that our hearts are completely enveloped by the lives of our children. Even now that my children are grown as I think of them throughout the day I bring them before the throne of grace. When I see my children fulfill a goal or accomplish something new I want to be the first one to cheer them on, or let them know how proud I am of them. When any of my children face a trial, while I know that I can't prevent it or be there to make everything all better as I did when they were young, I carry it in my heart and go through it with them, and pray it through.

I have been thinking of an account of a mother whose heart was broken by the acts of one of her children. She was attending an event over which one of her children was presiding. She was so proud of this great accomplishment, the sessions being taught, and the respect with which her child was being received - she made sure to sit front and center. Perhaps she was being a little proud, but what mother wouldn't be proud of such an accomplishment by one of her children? In the course of the day her child introduced with great pride the woman that he said was "like a mother" to him, and proceeded to list all the wonderful attributes of this woman. Now, there was nothing wrong with what was done, but the "real" mom felt slighted. She didn't expect to be introduced, she just felt that if her child was going to say someone was like a mother, the fact that the real mom was there should have been at least mentioned. For the balance of the event she sat in the back - her heart was broken.

She never told her child how she felt or how she cried many days over the fact that she felt another woman had taken her place in the heart of one of her children. Being a Christian woman she prayed about her feelings and asked the Lord to help her with her broken heart. God answered her with a reminder that He knew exactly how she felt. You see everyday people fail to give God the glory due only Him. Through this heartbreaking experience she learned some things that helped her to grow closer to the Lord. "But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you." I Peter 5:10. From this verse in Scripture we learn that the things we suffer make us "perfect" (meaning mature), strong, and settled (in our faith - less likely to be drawn away).

What did she learn?

1. She learned to understand "...thou shalt have no other gods before me." For the first time she realized just how painful it must be for the Lord when we give people, chance, or luck credit for things that God does.

2. She learned the importance of showing her appreciation to the Lord for the things He does and for the influences He allowed in her life that caused her to grow and progress.

3. She learned that suffering in this way helped her in her Christian walk. She came to the conclusion that her child probably did not mean to hurt her, but that perhaps the Lord used that event to help her to get a glimpse of the heart of God, for which she remains thankful.

Ladies, moms, we will all face difficulties that will cause us to feel broken hearted. This mom was built by a break-it is my prayer that as Christians when we experience the pain of being broken hearted we will go to the Lord for help and allow Him to minister to us through His Word.

Have a wonderful day!

Don't Puff Them Up, Build Them UP!

2010-01-28T14:21:00.000-08:00

Encouragement. That is such an important part of a parent's role in training and raising up children. You know, you need to encourage your kids to try to do things they are convinced they can't do on their own - like walking, going potty, talking, reading, obeying. There are so many ways we can encourage our children, sometimes it can be a kind word, a smile, cheering, coaxing, even disciplining is a form of encouragement if done properly and used appropriately.

We all want to make sure that we instill a good dose of confidence in our children so that they will be willing to try to do the hard things. The important thing is to make sure we are building them up to prepare them for their futures, and not just puffing them up by making them think they can do something they are not prepared to do. I Corinthians 8:1 teaches, "Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth." We may fill our children’s heads and make them think they can do something because they have a head knowledge, but if we truly love our kids, we will edify or build them by making sure they understand what they are being taught.

If we love our children we will work at edifying them, and not puffing them up. Knowledge is a good thing but it must be presented so that there is a clear understanding - that means teaching children what they need to know at the right time, when they are mature enough to understand and apply it to their lives. When you love your kids, you want to make sure they understand what you are trying to teach them because when they understand what they are being taught they can build on it. If they simply "know" something without understanding - they will have a false sense of security in that knowledge, and when their puffed up egos deflate they will become insecure.

There is a big difference between being puffed up and being edified. Imagine the difference between a play house constructed with a foundation, framed walls, a roof, and a floor - and compare that with an inflatable building. The inflatable building may go up quicker, but once it is unplugged from the force that is inflating it, or if it gets punctured it will fall flat. A constructed building may require more work to get it built, but it will outlast an oversized balloon! Moms, I know that you love your children - take the time to edify them - and it does take time! Don't puff 'em up - build 'em up; you'll be glad you did, and so will your children.

Have a wonderful day.

For Glory and for Beauty

2010-01-27T08:06:00.000-08:00

I am a Christian. On May 9, 1985 I bowed my head and my heart and personally trusted the Lord as my Saviour! So many things changed about my life on that day - for one I thing I became conscious of the Lord in every part of my life - I thought about Him all the time. I was grateful for my gift of salvation and of the sacrifice that was made for my soul...and I found myself wanting to please Him.

I hadn't been saved too long before I realized that the way I was dressing was probably not especially pleasing to the Lord. Now I know many women get a mental picture that the Lord wants you to look like the old school nuns, but that is not the case at all! I was reminded of that fact again this morning as I was reading my Bible. I was reading from Exodus 28:1-2 which says, "And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons.And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty." I know this is from the Old Testament and refers to the way the priests should dress, but in the New Testament, II Peter 2:9, we learn that as Christians we become priests ourselves! "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:"

Clearly God wants us to dress in such a way that brings Glory to Him, peculiar (not weird), and for beauty. I remember when I was first going to church I invited my then unsaved mother to a ladies event; I was so excited that she was willing to come to something at my new church...what I didn't anticipate was that she was checking things out to see who was influencing her daughter. We hadn't been there too long before my mother very discreetly whispered and said, "I hope that you don't start dressing like some of these ladies!" Ouch!!! No woman wants to be viewed as someone "not to dress like." My mom was referring to a few ladies that had determined that being holy meant being sure that everything is too loose and too long, with "comfortable" shoes - or even to those that feel safe as long as their style matches the 50's! Dressing like the 50's is fun for an activity, but would probably look weird for everyday dress.

Psalm 45:13 teaches us how to dress as daughter's of the King of Kings - "The king’s daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold." The way we dress is a reflection of what is in our hearts. As we choose our clothing, we are in essence stating who we wish to emulate. This is especially evident in teens, you can always tell who they admire by who they imitate in their dress, actions, and even their choice of slang. You know, there are the gothics, the skaters, those that like Hannah Montana, and so on - you can tell who they like by how they dress. Not too long ago of my granddaughters told her daddy that she wanted her hair cut like the girl on the cartoon Bolt and she is only 4 years old! See, we decide who we like and then we begin to try to look like that person.

Ladies, as Christians let's look like daughters of the King of Kings - as royalty and yes, like priests - they were the first ones that God said should dress for glory and for beauty. Everywhere you go you should be "shewing forth the praises" of God. Remember "He hath made every thing beautiful in his time..." Ecclesiastes 3:11 It is not wrong to strive to dress beautifully, just make sure you remember that with that you should bring glory to God.

Today as your plan what to wear, remember to dress for glory AND for beauty...sorry ladies I don't find a verse particularly telling us to make sure we dress for comfort - but certainly when your clothes actually fit you, they will feel comfortable, and when you know you have done your best to dress for glory and for beauty you will feel much better than if you just throw on whatever and then hope no one sees you. Let the world see all the glory and beauty that the Lord has placed in your heart! Have a wonderful day!

Yuck! Dinner Disasters #3

2010-01-11T15:46:00.000-08:00

Today's post will complete my trio of meal mess-ups. The other two posts regarding dinner have not really been my fault - with one of the meals just being not one of my husband's favorites, and the other being spewed upon. This meal mess-up was indeed my fault. I have mentioned how much I enjoy cooking, and that I even like to try to create my own version of recipes after tasting something I like at a restaurant. This dinner disaster was a result of one of those attempts.

I LOVE Chinese food! Hands down it is one of my favorite types of food - a comfort food for me indeed. My husband knows me well enough to know that if I am feeling under the weather I will probably want Wor Won Ton Soup. For many years I lived in San Jose and had a neighbor that has become a life long friend. She introduced me to several recipes of foods I love, and some I had never tasted. One of the foods she introduced me to is Curry, tomato, beef chow mein - its kinda like spicy, Chinese spaghetti - so delicious as long as you get it at the right place. I decided to try to make my own version of this meal - and well, let's just say it didn't quite turn out the way I envisioned. Oh, it looked and smelled good - but, as soon as we tasted it...you guessed it, we both said "yuck!"

I felt so bad, but really it was completely unpalatable - there was no way I could even bring myself to eat it, much less my poor husband! I had tasted it along the way as I was cooking and it tasted pretty good, but I thought it needed just a little more spice; by making what seemed like such a small addition to the recipe it completely ruined the flavor! Once again my wonderful hubby came to the rescue - he took me out to eat (his choice since I messed up).

This experience reminds me of the fact that there are just some things you do not add to - namely and most importantly The Word of God! "What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it." Deuteronomy 12:32 God has created us and has given us our Instruction Manual - when we add to God's Word, or if we take away from what He has commanded, we are in essence ceasing from following the Lord and rather choosing another influence. Sometimes a minor addition or omission seems inconsequential, but everything we do has some type of effect and will make a change in the outcome.

As you are reading God's Word, (and I hope that you are doing so daily), realize that He put every commandment there for your good because He loves you and wants things to go well for you. "Observe and hear all these words which I command thee, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee for ever, when thou doest that which is good and right in the sight of the LORD thy God." Believe me, life tastes much better when we have all and only the right ingredients!

Have a wonderful day!

Now What?

2010-01-09T12:10:00.000-08:00

In yesterday’s blog I mentioned that there had been a few times when dinner just didn’t happen the way I had intended. As I was thinking about my dinner fiascos I remembered one evening in particular. One of the joys that we share when our family is all together is humor – we all like a good laugh – but in truth when my kids are all together they are hilarious. On the evening that I am remembering we were all sitting at the table for dinner. In our home we always had our meals together, sitting at the table with the table set, and the food set on the table “family” style…well, I had just set our supper on the table, when my kids starting “cutting up;” our oldest son had just taken a drink of water when one of his brothers caught him off guard with something funny that he said, and as he laughed he choked on his water and it came spewing out of his mouth (and nose) all over our meal!

As I viewed our ruined dinner I thought, "now what?" and then had a rush of emotions from anger to shock and then I joined the rest of our family and began to laugh – what else could we do? It was “one of those things.” At first everyone was shocked, dropped jaws and all - but in truth it was pretty comical looking – they looked for my reaction as I was the one that had worked so hard to prepare the meal, but it was no one’s fault and there was no point in getting angry – it was far better to appreciate the humor of the situation and laugh together as a family. My husband had compassion on me and took us all out to eat – my choice since my hard work was destroyed.

"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones." Proverbs 17:22 I imagine I could have pitched a fit and complained to my kids that their shenanigans destroyed our dinner, cost us extra money, made unnecessary work for me, etc. breaking everyone's spirits; but instead we enjoyed a nice evening together as a family filled with merry hearts and love.

I am thankful that we can laugh together, and I am especially thankful for my husband and his wonderful fun-loving spirit that led the way!

Have a wonderful day!

What is This?

2010-01-08T22:10:00.000-08:00

From the time I was a young girl I enjoyed cooking. I remember a few occasions when my meal either didn’t turn out right, or was ruined, or just wasn’t what was expected. I remember as a newlywed bride I prepared a meal for my new husband that had been a favorite in my home as I was growing up. It was an Irish version of macaroni and cheese made with Velveeta – I love it to this day – but it is NOT one of my husband’s favorites.

The recipe for this macaroni and cheese was one of my grandmother’s and since it had bacon and tomatoes, it was served as a casserole or stand alone meal. I grew up with four brothers that had very healthy appetites, and so I always made a 9 x 13 pan and served them a plate full; when I set the plate of what I had typically served my brothers my husband looked at me and asked “what is this?” He quickly informed me that macaroni and cheese was a side dish – not the main meal! I was disappointed but I never served it to him that way again until my children were older and my husband realized that it was a great budget meal for a family of 6. I never realized that perhaps that was why it was served that way in my home – I always considered it a treat!

I never realized that some of the things my parents did when I was growing up was because it was more cost efficient until I was a parent myself and had too much month at the end of the paycheck! Often we don’t realize why people do things because we don’t know their circumstances and since we have never walked in their shoes we can’t understand the steps they are taking.

Children often complain about their parents being too strict because they simply cannot see that their parents are ruling out of necessity or what they believe to be in their best interest. I remember explaining to my children that they could not understand me because they had never been in my position – but that I could clearly understand their situation because I had been their age at one time.

As children of God we can be that same way – we are tempted to complain when circumstances seem difficult, or when it seems that things are not going the way we want or expect, instead of trusting that our God knows the steps that we take, and allows trials in our life for our own good. Just as my husband didn’t like the mac’n cheese as a main dish until he was able to appreciate that it was best for our family, we too may not understand why God wants us to do the things He does, or why He may not want us to do certain things... this I do know – He understands all about us – and He wants what is best for each one of us individually. “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are…” Hebrews 4:15

So when we have to face the hard things and become tempted to murmur or complain remember that there is a God in Heaven that understands all about it; He allows things in our lives for our own good that will help us in the long run. “…and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper…” Hebrews 13:5-6

Have a wonderful day!

It's a Wonderful Life

2010-01-05T19:14:00.000-08:00

It's a Wonderful Life is one of my favorite movies. I know it is old and my kids always thought it seemed depressing...poor George Bailey never got to fulfill his dreams, he was falsely accused of misappropriating funds, his absent minded uncle "lost" their tax money and he was going to be stuck paying for it; his house was a constant "work in progress" with the ever agitating loose finial on the handrail - what a life! I see it from a whole different prospective - he had a wife that loved him, a job that made a difference in his community, and in spite of the fact that he was falsely accused - we see that God knew the truth and made sure that all of his needs were met.

While I know that this was a fictional story- there are many truths that we should all learn from this timeless film.

1. Do not judge others based on appearances - things are not always as they appear. The evidence against George Bailey definitely looked convicting, but he was not guilty at all. "Judge not, that ye be not judged." Matthew 7:1

2. Often those that judge you are guilty of the very things they are judging you for! George's main accuser "old man Potter" was kind of like Satan - he was in fact guilty; he stole the money from Georgie's uncle, he even called the authorities to have George arrested! "And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?" Romans 2:3

3. When you judge someone based on here say, you may very well believe a lie! George's accusers were guilty of believing a lie - when you believe a lie you are being influenced by Satan himself. "...for he is a liar, and the father of it." John 8:44

4. Those that love you will not judge you - they will believe in the one they love. George Bailey's family and friends got behind George and supported him even after he had caused his wife and children to cry because of the pressures he was facing - they still stood behind him. "Charity suffereth long, and is kind...
is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil" I Corinthians 13:4-5

5. God, the true Judge knows everything! While we all say we know that God is omniscient (all knowing), omnipotent (all powerful), and omnipresent (everywhere), often we forget that He really does see and know everything that we think, say, and do!

All of us are simply trying to live our lives, and Lord willing as Christians we are trying to fulfill what God has called us to do. We should be concerned about being sure we are right with God, not with passing judgment on others. We are not called to be judges, we are commanded to be witnesses for the Lord, Jesus Christ. In the story about George Bailey we see a man that was simply trying is best to do what he believed was right, and became discouraged to the point of despair because he was falsely accused - until an angel came to show him that he really did have a wonderful life.

Perhaps today you are discouraged, maybe you are even being falsely accused and judged by others that believe something about you that is not true - may I serve as the angel did for George Bailey - God knows the truth and He is the Judge - don't worry He'll take good care of you. Live for Him today and let Him guide you along the way. He knows everything about you and has a plan for your life. "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." Jeremiah 29:11

God wants you to have a wonderful life! Have a wonderful day.

The True Prize

2009-12-31T11:55:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year - almost! Today is the last day of 2009 - it is the last day of the first decade of the 2000's - a new century; and what a decade it has been. As I ponder all that has transpired in these last ten years I am amazed at all that the Lord has done in my own life and in the lives of my family members. In the past ten years I have witnessed the weddings of all four of our children; we have experienced the joy of the birth of 11 grandchildren; we have celebrated our 25th & 30th wedding anniversaries - and we have beheld the glory of God - breathtaking!

Today as we embark on the beginning of a new year and a new decade we can forge ahead with plans, hopes, and dreams for a bright future filled with promise at God's hand, or we can tread cautiously fearing the unknown; in reality we will probably do a little of both having a desire for the promise, but stepping hesitantly at times because of fear - that can be okay as long as we turn our fear into faith. "What time I am afraid I will trust in thee." Psalm 56:3

We have often heard the saying "when God closes a door somewhere He opens a window;" I have also heard it phrased "when God closes one door He opens another, but sometimes we stare at the closed door so long that we fail to see the open one." Some folks will spend today pondering all the difficulties they have faced in 2009 and fail to see that there is a new door opening in 2010. It reminds me of when we dropped our kids off to school for the first day of Kindergarten - some kids were excited to begin and kissed their moms goodbye ready to enjoy their new adventure - others clung to their moms and took days or weeks to acclimate to their new environment; both adjusted to the change, but some kept looking back at being home with mom making things more difficult for themselves while the others began their journey with joy.

Today we are opening the door to 2010 and leaving 2009 as a door that is closed behind us - let us face the future and not stare at what is past. Oh, to be sure we will carry the lessons that we have learned, the memories we have treasured and some we would rather forget. 2009 will always be a part of who and what we have become...but don't stop here! Don't stand looking at the closed door behind us, turn around and behold the wonderful future ahead! "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13, 14

Today as many folks will set goals, make plans, and New Year's resolutions - let's not forget to realize that the true prize is fulfilling our high calling in Christ Jesus!

Happy New Year! Have a wonderful day!

Presents!

2009-12-24T06:56:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas Eve! As a child I always remember being so excited on Christmas Eve because that meant that soon I would be getting presents! I thrilled as the wrapped gifts mounted under the tree and I would find myself nearly beside myself with anticipation over what I would soon receive. I am sure that most of you can remember how hard it was going to sleep on Christmas Eve because you just couldn't wait to wake up and have it be Christmas.

I remember when my children were young the many Christmases that my husband and I would stay up into the wee hours of the morning wrapping presents for our children. It became a tradition that after the children went to bed we would watch "It's a Wonderful Life" and wrap gifts. It seemed that we no sooner pillowed our heads when our children would be knocking on our door asking if it was time to get up yet. Those are precious memories to me - what a joy it was to see their huge smiles as they opened their gifts.

My favorite present at Christmas time is being able to be in the presence of my family. When it is my birthday while it is nice to get gifts - my favorite gift is to have my children and grandchildren all around me. At Christmas we are celebrating Jesus' birthday - I believe that perhaps for Him a great gift would be to have us, those He came here to seek and to save, "come before His presence with singing." Today if you want to experience the real joy of Christmas be sure to spend time in His presence. I promise you there is no sweeter time than the time spent in the presence of God. "Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." Psalm 16:11

While children have such joy because of the presents - the real gift of Christmas is His presence. It is the fact that we are celebrating the birth of Christ that makes Christmas the special Holyday (I know how I spelled it - it should be a Holy day, not just a holiday). It was His presence that made that night so special so long ago.

As you enjoy the time opening presents and watching those you love open the gifts that you lovingly purchased for them, remember the gift that God gave us on Christmas - His Son; remember that the real joy of Christmas is not the presents, it's His Presence!

"Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations." Psalm 100

Merry Christmas! Have a wonderful day

Its Always a Miracle

2009-12-21T10:09:00.000-08:00

This week it is Christmas! In my desire to carry the heart of Christmas I have determined to read the Christmas story through a different portion of Scripture each day. I have often tried to put myself in Mary’s place and imagine what it must have been like for her. As I was thinking about all that happened to Mary, I saw some things that I believe every mother can learn from the Christmas story.

1. "And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee:" Luke 1:28

As a Christian mom I am so comforted to know that the Lord is with me – he promised before He left when he said, “lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

2."And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." Luke 1:31-33

Now, I know that not a one of us will ever be as Mary was – but from these verses I see that God determines when a mother will conceive, the gender of the child, and that He has a plan for the children even before they are born – He knows their beginning and their end, and all their accomplishments in between.

I also see an example of the attitude that we as mothers should hold so that we don’t get in the way of God’s plan.

Mary said in Luke 1:38 “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.” Mary submitted to God knowing that the circumstances would be difficult and that she would face possible judgdment by others.

She further praised the Lord saying, “My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour...For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name...He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath holpen his servant Israel... Luke 1:46-54

Mary realized what a Great and Mighty God was performing this miracle in her life. Moms, I say to you, to all of us – every birth is a miracle. We of course will not be the mother of Jesus, but we as mothers should strive to raise our children to honor Christ. We should realize that our job is to seek to raise our children to glorify God. Let’s learn from the Christmas story the attitude that allowed Mary to be used of God.

1. Allow God’s will to be done in your life and submit to Him regardless of the circumstances
2. Seek to magnify the Lord
3. Praise the Lord
4. Give Him Glory for the great things He has done

Let's remember that motherhood is always miracle and that every child is a precious gift from God. It is my prayer that this Christmas we will all remember the wonder of it all - the love that God sent to us and the privilege that we have to honor and glorify Him. Merry Christmas and have a wonderful day!

It’s a Celebration!

2009-12-18T11:50:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! It is hard to believe that Christmas is just one week from today. This morning I have been thinking about Christmas as I have 90% of my shopping yet undone. The word Christmas itself means to celebrate Christ – so I began thinking about celebrating. To celebrate means:

1. To observe (a day or event) with ceremonies of respect, festivity, or rejoicing.
2. To perform (a religious ceremony)
3. To extol or praise: a sonnet that celebrates love.
4. To make widely known; display

I love celebrating! I believe that we should celebrate life everyday that we wake up breathing! As Christians we should celebrate Christ everyday through our actions by observing those things that are important to our Saviour – make reading your Bible and praying a daily ceremony with rejoicing for all that God has done for you; make singing to the Lord as much a part of your shower as cleaning your body and most importantly make all that Christ hath done for you widely known!

I don’t know about you, but when we celebrate an occasion like a birthday I tell everybody. As I shop for the gifts I tell the person at the register that my purchase is a gift; I tell the checker at the grocery store about the meal I am preparing for the celebration and how happy I am to be able to celebrate another year of life for my loved ones – and if it is for my husband, kids, or one of my grandkids then of course I have to tell them how special, brilliant, talented, and precious my family is to me. Now they may not particularly care about my family – but the joy is contagious and I usually find the checker smiling and sending me off with well wishes for the celebration. Shouldn't we all the more spread that joy about our Saviour? Let’s make the joy of Christ widely known – it's Christmas let’s celebrate Christ! "And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth." Luke 1:14

Merry Christmas! Have a wonderful day.

Its CHRISTmas - really!

2009-12-16T22:15:00.000-08:00

This year as we began the Holiday season at Thanksgiving, I must admit I did so with concern that with everyone living in different homes, and especially with "Mom and Dad" (me and my hubby) living out of the area that things just wouldn't feel the same. Well, that is true, it did not feel the same; but that doesn't mean that it wasn't special. I feared that without having all of my decorations up or having the kids come to my house for Christmas that I wouldn't enjoy my holidays...sounds so shallow even as I type it, so I determined that if Jesus could be born in a manger, certainly I could have one year without all my decorations and traditions .

Now, I know that I said that, but in my heart I was still carrying a "poor, pitiful me" attitude until I really got a glimpse of Christmas. Our family went to Bethlehem where they did a re-enactment of the Christmas story. I enjoyed the time with my kids and grandkids and thought it was so neat to see the camels and the other animals - I enjoyed walking around the "town" and seeing the various folks in costume - but when I saw a very pregnant Mary riding on a donkey and Joseph going from inn to inn to no avail I got a glimpse of the lonliness they must have felt.

I saw a young married couple that knew God was doing something extraordinarily miraculous facing rejection. I saw a young mother frightened at the prospect of having a baby with no place to go, a man that couldn't provide his best for his wife and coming child...and then considered that what God provided for the place of the birth of His only begotten Son was a lowly manger amongst animals in the cold, dark night. I saw a picture of God's greatest gift of love and realized that the most precious things can come in the most meager of circumstances. I realized that for His love He was willing do without what most people take for granted.

I bawled like baby as I heard "Oh Holy Night," and as my mind and heart pondered all of these things I felt so convicted over the things I was concerned about- Christmas isn't the decorations or the tree - it is the fact that God so loved us that He gave His only begotten Son; it is the joy and peace that we receive through the love of God - when we receive His only begotten Son as He is indeed - our Saviour!

As I enjoy my country home and see the majestic showing of stars each evening I am reminded of that Holy Night and the Star that led the Wise men to Christ - as I sense the presence of God through the Holy Spirit when I pray and read my Bible each day I have the joy and peace that was promised on that night so long ago in Luke 2:9-14, "And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

I am so thankful that though things are not as they have been in years gone by, Christmas has new meaning - or maybe I should say "True" meaning - the celebration of the birth of our Saviour! I pray that you will with me marvel at the miraculous gift of love God has sent to us - wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. Merry Christmas to you! Have a wonderful day!

Do You Know the Way?

2009-12-10T13:22:00.000-08:00

I have always enjoyed reading. I like to read all kinds of books and I have quite an extensive library of my own. One thing that I don't read well is maps! I guess you could say that I am "directionally" challenged. I get turned around very easily - in fact if I am shopping in a mall I have to determine the direction I am heading by the surrounding stores before I go into a store or I will not know which way to go when I exit the shop!

I am normally not a ditsy type, but for some reason I just am not good with directions. One good thing that has come as a result of my "weakness" is that I pay very close attention to detail when I travel, so if I am willing to give you directions I will be able to tell you not only the street names but all the landmarks that will help you to find your way. Of course as I mentioned before that is only if I know the way - if I have to check a map I am definitely not the person you want in charge of giving directions...my family can attest to that!

For as many years as I can remember our family has always travelled together to cut down our Christmas tree. While the tradition has been to cut down the tree, we have through the years tried out different tree farms. I recall one year we went to Groveland (near Yosemite) and it snowed while we were cutting down the tree - that is a special memory to me. The time I am thinking about today in particular is one year when we went up towards Colefax - we had never been to that area and all we had was a map - and for some reason I was the one holding the map as the navigator. BIG MISTAKE! Anyway, I kept directing my husband to different areas to find the many tree farms in the area (or so I thought) - finally as we kept turning up empty my husband decided to ask me how I knew where the tree farms were and I told him that I was following the little green triangles that were on the map - oops. I thought that since they looked like Christmas trees it meant that we could find Christmas Tree Farms in those locations. Now, just so you know typically a triangle on a map stands for a US Mineral or Location Monument.

I was falsely leading my family because I didn't understand what I was reading. Had I taken the time to read the legend I would not have mislead my family to waste so much time driving to the places where there were no Christmas Tree farms. As I was chuckling at the memory of my "gaff" I was reminded of how important it is that we understand, truly understand what we are reading - especially if we are going to try to lead someone else to follow our interpretation; that is what is so dangerous about listening to TV or radio preachers - they are often misinterpreting the Scriptures and misleading their listeners.

I am reminded of I Corinthians 2:12-14 which says, "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." The key to understanding the Bible is to be taught by the Holy Spirit which God gives as a seal to those that receive Him as their personal Savior. (Ephesians 1:12-14, "That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.")

Without realizing the purpose of the map legend my lack of knowledge led us in circles; don't let that be you especially when it comes to God's Holy Word! If you don't know for sure if you have trusted Christ and been sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise - please let me know and I will happy to show you the way!

Needless to say my husband doesn't ask me to be the one to navigate using a map any more, but fortunately now I can google the map WITH directions before we leave for our destination. I am thankful that I know the Word of truth, the gospel of my salvation and that I know the way to heaven! I pray you do as well.

Have a wonderful day!

Whose Making You?

2009-12-09T15:21:00.000-08:00

As long as I can remember, I have always loved to cook and bake. I remember being a nine year old girl and cooking dinner for my family - not that I was forced to do so, but because I wanted to prepare the food. One thing that I especially enjoy doing is tasting something, guessing the ingredients, and then preparing it for myself. For the most part I have been pretty successful, but there have been a few times when I just couldn't quite get the right flavor. When that happens I look up several recipes and then assemble what I believe my husband will best enjoy eating.

I guess you could say that when it comes to cooking I like to be able to make meals that are not only nutritious, or something used to fill our tummies, but also something that is made well and enjoyable to eat. When I begin to cook I always imagine the flavor I expect for the meal I am making to produce. I have thought alot about making things and how that in order for most anything to be made you must follow a plan, a recipe, an idea, or even your tastebuds!

For the last several weeks I have had a verse on my heart that Jesus spoke in Matthew 4:19, he said, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." In Mark 1:17, He is quoted as saying, "Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men." I know that we are commanded to "go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature;" but not everyone is obeying that commandment. As I pondered the verses quoted above and thought of the Great Commission, I realized that if we were really following Jesus - He would make us to be fishers of men - if we haven't been made thus its because we aren't following!

God promised to make us...

* Fishers of men" - if we follow Him (Matthew 4:19)
* Free - when we know the truth (John 8:32)
* "...to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men" - by faith (I Thessalonians 3:6-12)
* "...perfect in every good work to do his will..." - through the blood of His everlasting convenant (Hebrews 13:20-21)
* "...perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you." - after you have suffered a while (I Peter 5:10)
* "...that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." - as we grow in grace (II Peter 4:1-8)

I would love to be made all of these things for my Savior and what a joy to know that I can be by following Him and His Holy Word! I don't want to follow the wrong recipe and be made into something that is not savory or undesirable. It is my prayer that I will follow the Lord and let Him make me - after all He is the potter and I am the clay. I believe our greatest joy is found when we fulfill the purpose for which we were created - and become what we were made to be. May your joy be full and may you become all that God has intended for your life!

Have a wonderfu day!

My Cup Runneth Over

2009-12-06T23:15:00.000-08:00

The empty nest sounds like such a sad transition – it has even been named as a syndrome for when parents experience sadness and emptiness when their children leave home. We have had an empty nest for several years now as our youngest child has been married 4 ½ years now – however we have always had all our children living near to us – in fact for a short while 3 of our 4 children all lived on the same block with us! So now that we are living away from all of our children our nest really seems empty.

One of the best ways to prepare for the time when your children are living away from home is to make sure that you and your husband share time together as a couple not just parents. Be sure that you make time to be sweethearts; go on dates with just the two of you; and work at being best friends with each other. I am so glad that my husband and I always considered the fact that one day it would be just the two of us again – and now here we are. I will say though that we look forward to any time we can spend with our children! It is a special treat for us to spend time with our kids and now grandkids as well.

This morning as I was reading my Bible I read Psalm 65:11 which says, “Thou crownest the year with thy goodness.” As I read that verse I thought of the wonderful time we were able to enjoy for Thanksgiving as we had all of our children and grandchildren together – all 21 of us! Though we planned various activities for the week we were together to me it didn’t matter what we did, it was just being together that made the time special. Now, if anyone were to view the video that was taken of the craziness that transpires when 11 children aged 5 and under are all together they may not agree with my sentiment; but to me it was sheer bliss.

As I see our children all happily married, serving the Lord and raising their children to the glory of God I say - Thank you Lord for crowning my year with goodness; I am so thankful for our family and for the time You gave us to spend together – I don’t feel empty at all – in fact I can say as David did in Psalm 23:5-6, “my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”

During this Holiday Season especially please keep Christ at the center “…for consider how great things he hath done for you.” I Samuel 12:24

Have a wonderful day!

Good Byes

2009-11-24T11:07:00.001-08:00

Nobody likes to say Good Byes. One of the things we all look forward to in heaven is that we will never have to say good bye. Last September our youngest son and his wife and their 2 children moved to the other side of the country...I did not want to say good bye; I wanted them to stay with us, but God had another plan and He is using them for His service where they have moved.

This past Sunday we had to say a most difficult good bye as after nine years of pastoring the Redwood Baptist Church we had our last service with the church family that we love so dearly. My husband has always been burdened about church planting, and about 16 months ago God dealt with his heart and that burden became a call. It has been such an emotional time for me personally - you know women like to nest; we like to feel secure about where we are and that we'll be able to cozy in and call it home forever...that has not been the case with me.

I remember when we were at our previous ministry I really struggled with leaving when my husband was called to the pastorate. In fact, I down right fought him! I was unwilling and disobedient. Our pastor knew I was struggling and very pointedly "suggested" that I get alone with God and figure it all out. I remember spending an afternoon in prayer and I read from the Book of Isaiah - from chapter one to 36! The Lord dealth with my heart and gave me my answer in the first chapter, but I battled Him until I finished reading chapter 36. My fear was that if we moved I wouldn't be able to be with my kids in church, I would miss out on what I was accustomed to doing with my family and in my church. God's answer to me was Isaiah 1:18-20 which says, "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it."

I learned that if I was willing and obedient to the Lord I would enjoy good at His Hand. As it turned out, 3 of our 4 children served with us in the ministry for 8 years! This past year God began moving us one by one. When my husband told me how God was dealing with Him, as difficult as I knew it would be heart breaking to say good bye - I learned by experience that I will be much better off by being willing and obedient - as my daughter reminded me when she moved away I used to tell her after she was cured from cancer that I would be happy to have her anywhere God used her to serve Him because it would be closer than heaven.

Through tears and a broken heart I hugged the dear ladies of our church and said "if I don't see you here, I'll see you there." I have learned that being willing and obedient to God will allow us to see good. Good bye comes from "God be with ye" and so while I close this chapter and say "God be with ye," (goodbye) I look forward with great anticipation to see what God will do as we willingly and obediently answer His call to Oakdale, CA, and planting the Lighthouse Baptist Church. Please pray for us. I will keep you posted and will continue posting the Tender Touch as God leads.

Have a wonderful day!

Swallow and Follow

2009-11-20T02:03:00.000-08:00

Swallowing took on a whole new meaning for me recently when I underwent an endoscopy - that is a test where the patient (me) must swallow a tube with a small camera at the end so that the doctor can see all the way to the stomach. I knew I needed to take the test because of family history - but I was okay with it because I thought I was going to be asleep during the procedure. A few days before my appointment the nurse called to give me last minute instructions; I became apprehensive when she said I would have to be awake to swallow this tube! In fact I told her that it sounded like a panic situation to me...I did not want to do it so I fretted and stewed about having to swallow that tube for the rest of the week (that was a lot of help); but the truth is the only way I could get the results was by swallowing that horrifying tube. Thankfully I indeed was asleep during the procedure and so all that panicking was for nothing - Praise the Lord!

That word swallow is an interesting word because it has so many meanings other than just to take food from your mouth to your stomach. Another meaning is to accept without question or suspicion. I believe that is the kind of swallowing we should use when it comes to the Bible. Psalm 34:8 says, "O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him." When it comes to the Bible we should swallow and follow - accept the Word of God without question or suspicion - and then do it!

Ladies,when God calls your husband to take that step of faith - though it may seem difficult and perhaps even frightening - just swallow and follow. This will be much easier if your bathe your husband in prayer and trust that God is leading your husband to lead your family. Every mighty miracle that we read about in the Bible started with a step of faith (that's the swallowing part - believing), but as James said in James 2:18 "...I will shew thee my faith by my works." In other words when you believe something your actions will prove it.

Ladies, I encourage you to take the Word of God to heart today - swallow and follow - as you do you will indeed experience Psalm 34:8 - you will see that the Lord is good and you will be blessed as you trust in Him.

Have a wonderful day!

Two are Better Than One

2009-11-09T09:52:00.000-08:00

This past Friday I underwent a health test that required my having an empty stomach. I was instructed to have nothing to eat or drink after 7:30 in the morning but the actual test was not until 4:45 pm - so I had to fast all day. My husband woke me up a little earlier than usual to invite me out to breakfast - we finished our last bite and sip of coffee by 7:25. We spent the rest of the morning at the church getting some things done, and then we ran a few other errands before going back home for the afternoon. I was able to nap (to kill time and not think about being thirsty) and when I woke up my mouth was pretty dry - but I couldn't have any water. I didn't say anything about it - its not really a big deal, but my husband came downstairs to check on me and wanted to let me know that he was with me - that he too had determined that he wouldn't eat or drink anything either. Maybe that's not a huge deal, and I wouldn't have minded if he had wanted to eat and drink - he had no reason not to; but it was a loving gesture on his part to let me know that he would "suffer" with me.

"Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken." Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

In the 31 years that we have been married as I look back, all my memories include my wonderful husband because we became one flesh - two separate people joined to form a holy union and as such the two of us together is better than one of us alone. In your marriage be two together forming one, not two fighting to see which one will get their way. Here are points to remember.

1. The two of you together is better than one of you alone because your labor together will give you a good reward. You'll be able to look back on your lives and see what you have built together - the home you have built (not house), the children you have raised, the work you have accomplished.

2. When you go through a hard time together one of you will be able to help the other. There have been many times that I have been down, either because of health or discouragement and my husband has been there to hold my hand to encourage me. By the grace of God I have been able to do the same for him.

3. On a cold winter night its nice to be able to snuggle with my husband for warmth, but it also a blessing to receive a warm reception from the man I love. There are times when have been at gatherings where we have received "the cold shoulder," but when we're together we can provide warmth for each other.

3. When you face opposition together you can stand, and most especially if Christ is at the center of your marriage - He makes the third fold of the cord that will not be quickly broken. Recently my husband had a conversation with a man that greatly discouraged him - probably as low as I have ever seen him. Please note that my husband did not come crying to me, but rather began apologizing for his shortcomings. I couldn't understand why he felt the need to apologize, nor did I agree with what he was stating were his failures. I tried to encourage him from my point of view, but then as we then prayed together the Lord brought so many illustrations from His Word to our hearts that soon we realized that the discouragement and oppression were simply distorted views from Satan. Praise the Lord for His Word and for His comfort!

Years ago I remember watching an old 40's movie (for some reason that era seems to be when many of my favorite movies were made); in the movie a young gal was getting married and her father said to her, "well honey, now the two of you are one, but remember for you he is the one!" I know it was just a line from an old movie, but I think we would all be wise to consider our other half as the one we should put first. I'm glad that we enjoy that type of relationship - and I know that every married person would be happy to enjoy a marriage like the one God has given to me. I am a blessed lady indeed - thank you Lord for giving me such a wonderful husband that follows your Word, and for a marriage that by Your grace earnestly seeks Your Word as our model.

Have a wonderful day and may God bless you and your marriage!

The Eye of the Beholder

2009-11-07T04:23:00.000-08:00

"Beauty is bought by judgment of the eye." -Shakespeare 1588
"Beauty, like supreme dominion is but supported by opinion." -Benjamin Franklin 1741
"Beauty in things exists merely in the mind which contemplates them." -David Humes Essays, Moral and Political, 1742
"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" as we quote it today is a line from the book Molly Bawn written by Margaret Wolf Hungerford in 1878. The same sentiment expressed throughout history in these quotes is this - beauty is a matter of opinion.

I remember when my first child was born I thought he was the most beautiful child, so you can imagine my utter surprise when one of my sisters-in-law came by and saw him and said, "oh look, now he is getting cute." In my mind I thought, "Getting? What do you mean getting? He has always been very cute!" She had her opinion and I had mine - to me he was always beautiful and to her he was now getting cute (at least she had the good sense to know that he was cute, right?). The fact is that beauty really is determined by the one that is looking, and is subject to each person's opinion.

As a wife the opinion that matters most to me is that of my husband's. I want to be beautiful in his eyes - so I try to dress to impress him, I fix my hair in ways that he finds attractive, and so on. To be honest though I would probably put up a fuss about it if he had ridiculous ideas (like if he wanted me to wear my hair the same way I did in the 80's, or if he had strange ideas about having me wear totally outdated fashions) - thankfully he appreciates my choices, but he will let me know if I choose something that he doesn't like and when that happens I respect his opinion and get rid of what he doesn't like.

As a Christian the only opinion that matters is God's. I want to be beautiful to my Lord. I believe that holiness before the Lord is what He finds beautiful. There are five verses in the Bible that teach us that truth and within them I find also a recipe for holiness.

A Recipe for Holiness

1. Give glory to God. "Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness." I Chronicles 16:29

2. Praise the Lord. "And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever." II Chronicles 20:21

3. Worship the Lord. "Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness." Psalm 29:2

4. Fear the Lord. "O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth." Psalm 96:9

5. Be willing to do what God wants you to do. "Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth." Psalm 110:3

I am thankful that I can be beautiful to the Lord in spite of my looks. I am thankful that I can be beautiful to the Lord though I have sinned because of the forgiveness I have received through His blood according to the riches of his grace. It is my prayer today that I may be found beautiful in the Eyes of my Beholder.
"The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good." Proverbs 15:3

"Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy." I Peter 1:16

Have a wonderful day!

Would Your Son Share His Lunch?

2009-11-03T10:02:00.000-08:00

On Sunday morning my husband preached a message about the feeding of the 5000. As he was preaching he mentioned the "lad" that had food to share. I have often thought of that lad as I have read my Bible and so many thoughts have flooded my mind about that situation...here is the account of what happened.

"When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him, There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost." John 6:5-12

Now, the things that intrigued me (as a mother) is the fact that of all the people there (5000 men plus women and children) there appeared to be just one boy that either had a lunch or the very least was willing to share his lunch. I have pondered several things about this boy and would like to share with you today.

1. He must have had a very good mother - she made sure and packed her son a lunch, so she took care of him.

2. He must have had a spiritual mother because she sent him (or allowed him) to go to Jesus.

3. He must have had a mother that taught him manners because he was willing to share his lunch with everybody even when there was obviously not enough to go around.

4. He must have had a mother that taught him to pay attention to the needs of his authorities and spiritual leaders - because it was the apostles that knew about the lad.

5. He must have been taught to speak with and respond to his authorities - so many children today would not have spoken up to say anything. This speaks to the fact that he must have had a measure of confidence (something a mother can foster or squelch in her children).

Now I know that I am attributing all of these things to his mother, but in truth it is the mother that would do all of those things.

Because of what his mother had done this lad and all of those present witnessed a miracle! This lad was used of God because of the loving tender care that his mother gave him and it put him in the right place at the right time.

So, you may be wondering what all of this has to do with anything - but in fact I believe that there is a valuable lesson that can be learned and applied to every mother's mothering skills.

1. Make sure that you prepare your children for the unexpected - it is better to be over prepared than to be caught in a situation with no resources.

2. Have a personal walk with God at home. Be involved in your church, church activities, special meetings, make sure your kids know that it is important to be a part of every opportunity that God brings in your life.

3. Teach your children basic manners, be polite, share, be attentive, show respect for your elders especially those in a position of authority.

4. Encourage your children to know that they can do all things through Christ - most leaders had someone in their life that made them believe they could do what God wants them to do.

I can't say for sure - but I think this is the kind of mother that nurtured this lad - and God used His offering to perform a miracle that is recorded in the Word of God! I think this mom was pleased, and I know this lad brought glory to God! I pray for all of you moms that are raising your children for His glory that these thoughts might be a source of encouragement to you - I love you.

Have a wonderful day!

Don't Mind Her - She Cries at the Brady Bunch!

2009-10-30T20:09:00.000-07:00

When I was a young girl I remember watching The Brady Bunch with my family. Of course I always related with Marcia because she was my age. I remember one episode in particular, and perhaps some of you that used to watch the show or those that have watched reruns will remember this one. The story in this episode was about Marcia trying to enter a contest so that her dad could win "Father of the Year" award. Throughout the episode she kept sneaking to do things so that she could get her entry turned in, and each time she did she got in trouble - she even sneaked out of her room and got caught! At the end her dad won the award and he realized why she was doing what she was doing. I was very touched by the episode and my eyes filled with tears (I was relating). My brothers (all 4 of them - younger than me) could not believe that I cried at the Brady Bunch! For many years after that my brothers would dismiss my tears (especially at movies) and say things like, "never mind her - she cries at the Brady Bunch!"

What moved me about the episode of the Brady Bunch was the fact that Marcia took the false accusations so that she could honor her dad. Sometimes things people do look so evident, but we can never really know a person's intentions. As Christians people are often very quick to point their fingers at us and falsely accuse us of things that are simply not true as we are seeking to honor our Heavenly Father. Our motives are often misjudged and sadly we become the target of harsh words and misplaced blame, most especially when we take a stand for the Word of God.

While these encounters that take place from time to time in our lives are very painful, and we may be tempted to retaliate we should respond more like Marcia Brady and take it quietly. I know that was just a story that touched my heart as a "daddy's girl" but in reality our best example is the Lord. Matthew 27:12-14 says "And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly."

Jesus was being falsely accused because He was doing His Father's work here on earth. He was falsely accused, beaten, spat upon, and finally crucified but because of His love for us and because He had God's bigger picture in mind He allowed the people to say what they wanted and willingly and silently endured the pain. When it all comes down to it, we are called to do the same thing - be about our Father's business so that lost souls can be saved - and as Jesus we will be persecuted. II Timothy 2:12 says, "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."

"Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy." I Peter 4:12-13 While at times we may have our hearts broken by the very people we love, by the grace of God and Lord willing one day our stand on the Word of God and obedience to His calling will be blessed.

God Bless you as you serve Him and have a wonderful day!

Meet Grace

2009-10-27T19:41:00.000-07:00

Encouragement. Sometimes the words of kindness and support can be what makes all the difference when going through a difficult time. I can recall one of the most frightening, heartbreaking, and trying times that we ever endured was when our daughter was diagnosed with cancer. I have written a testimony about all that God did during that time and it is posted as "Surviving a Crisis."

I would like to introduce you to Grace. She is the beautiful doll that is pictured. She was given as a gift to my daughter while she was in the hospital shortly after her surgery. Grace is a reminder of just that - God's grace to us as well as a token of encouragement received when we needed it most. Grace is a porcelain doll that was made by the very special lady that gave her to my daughter.

In the letter that was given to my daughter along with Grace, Joy (the lady that gave my daughter the doll) told the story behind Grace. You see Joy had two daughters and one of them (the one with brown eyes) had somehow broken her mother's creation! After looking at the pieces of Grace, she realized that since she had made Grace to begin with, she could make her again. Joy went on to explain that just as she was able to fix the broken doll that she had made, God could fix my daughter's health. Wow! what a great example and picture she gave to us that day. I remember the tears of hope flowing down my eyes as I read her godly words of encouragement.

Jeremiah 18:6 says, "O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter‘s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel." We all have broken parts from time to time - whether it be our health, our attitudes, our spirits; and in every case we can go to our Heavenly Father and He can make us again.

I am thankful for the godly friend that gave us Grace - she was like Proverbs 27:9, "Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man’s friend by hearty counsel." I am most thankful that indeed God healed my little girl, and has made me again each time some part of me has broken.

Have a wonderful day!

You Don't Need Calgon!

2009-10-26T19:36:00.000-07:00

“In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust; let me never be put to confusion. Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me. Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress. Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man. For thou art my hope, O Lord God; thou art my trust from my youth. By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother’s bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee. I am as a wonder unto many; but thou art my strong refuge.” Psalm 71:1-7

Why would I use Scripture that starts out asking God not to let me put to confusion? As a mother, you may not wonder at all. I remember when I was a young mom with 4 children ages 5 and under...it was quite a time. I have so many wonderful memories of great times and precious moments with each of my children. I also remember having "adventures" in trying to survive each day.
I remember one day after having received a special plant as gift from a friend finding my 2 oldest sons (or should I call them fencers?) using plastic knives as swords to destroy my treasured plant! I remember another day in particular when the "natives" were restless and it seemed that no matter what I "promised" them, they would not settle down - they ended up knocking the VCR off the stand putting a hole in the wall of our brand new home! I recall countless times when I struggled to get the kids to obey resorting to calling my husband on the phone, and the kids would obey his voice over the phone more readily than mine (even with a swatting paddle in my hand!). Sometimes my days blurred into confusion as my plans changed from what I hoped to accomplish instead to following after my children and cleaning up the results of their curiosities.

As a Christian mother, people should be able to look to you and say that you are "as a wonder" to them; they should ask “How do you do it?” To keep any kind of real sanity, you have to put your trust in God. Do your child rearing His way. I like the verse that says “cause me to escape” you don’t need Calgon you need the Lord.

David (the writer of the Psalm) states that the Lord had been his trust from his youth. One day you will want your children to trust the Lord; not only for their Salvation, but for everything. You want them to trust that God’s way is right, and to use His Word as a guide for their lives. Teach your children that God held them up from your womb, and allowed them to be born. Teach them to praise God continually. To teach your children to turn to the Lord for their strength make sure that your children see that you trust the Lord.

Let your children see you read your Bible and pray. Pray with them and praise the Lord when He answers prayer. Remember on those days when life seems overwhelming (everyday, right?) to place yourself under the refuge of God’s strength. Trust in Him, He gave you the children; He will give the wherewithal to raise them for Him. When people ask you “how do you do it?” (I am as a wonder to many...vs. 7) say as David did “thou art my trust…” And as you do so, you will be teaching your children from their youth to put their trust in the Lord; so that one day they might say as did David “O God, thou hast taught me from my youth; and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.”

I am thankful for the comfort this verse gave to me and continues to supply. I may not be facing the hectic days of raising 4 young children, but throughout our lives we will face circumstances that we wish to escape...during those times resort to the Lord our Strong Habitation! By so doing you too will be "as a wonder to many." May the Lord bless you. Have a wonderful day!

Of Some Having Compassion

2009-10-24T19:51:00.000-07:00

One of the things that my husband and I sought to instill in our children is individual responsibility - in other words, accepting the consequences of their own actions without pointing the blame on someone else. One of the other traits that we worked on was that of being independent. I believe that all parents want their children to grow up to be responsible adults that will be an asset to their generation; both of the character traits I mentioned are vital - no one wants their child to be a "flake."

My daughter learned "independence" very early - maybe a little too early as she seemed to be compelled to do things on her own, even if she was too little or too young. I remember one Wednesday evening when she was just 4 years old, I was cooking dinner and we were getting ready for church. My daughter took it upon herself to shower on her own while I was cooking. Being the only girl, she was also very modest, so of course she locked the door for privacy.

At the time the house we were living in was situated so that the kitchen and bathroom were on either ends of the house...I could not hear what was going in the bathroom. When my husband got home from work he asked me who was taking a shower, and I assumed it had to be my oldest son who was 7 at the time; but my husband had just seen all the boys in the backyard, so we knew it had to be our daughter. As we walked towards the restroom we began to hear screaming "help me, I'm burning!" Our daughter who wanted to help me by getting ready all by herself had gotten in the shower with only the hot water turned on. I am sure she did that because she had watched me always turn the hot water on and wait until it was warm before turning on the cold.

We were living in an older custom home and for some reason the builder (or previous owner) had used a solid core door with a key lock for the bathroom. Normally that type of door is used for the front door - never a bathroom! We could not get that door opened! We tried telling her to turn off the water, but it was just too hot for her to even reach up to the handle. My husband tried to kick the door down, he ran outside to see if he might be able to climb in the window, and finally he had to get tools to take the door off the hinges so that we could get our daughter out of the burning water. As soon as he got the door off I went in, turned the water off, and got our daughter out of there.

I found our precious little girl crouched in the corner of the shower. She was slightly pink and a little swollen; I had been instructed to place her in a cool bathtub which I did until she was calmed down and then we took her to emergency. Praise the Lord that she did not suffer any serious burns. What a horrifying experience it was for our entire family! We were crying, and praying, and so concerned about our daughter's pain - we did not want her to burn. The kids were standing by watching and crying and I am sure they were afraid as they witnessed the panic.

When I was a little girl I had met a burn victim and because of her burns her life was never going to be normal. While I felt confident that our daughter was not going to be burned to that degree - I still did not want her to feel the pain of burning. When she was screaming and burning in the hot shower there was no question that we would do whatever it took to get her out of there. Jude 1:23 says, "And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire..."

The Book of Jude is only 25 verses, one chapter exhorting Christians to earnestly contend for the faith. The verse I quoted above is of course speaking of reaching the lost and keeping people out of hell. I believe that the Lord allowed that very frightening experience in our lives so that we could have a heartfelt understanding of the urgency in seeing souls saved.

It is always easy to find an excuse not to hand out a tract, or to go out soulwinning when there is so much to do at home, or to give the gospel to someone; but what could be more important or urgent than pulling someone out of the fire? The preceding verse in Jude says, "And of some have compassion, making a difference:” Christian won't you prayerfully, compassionately seek to make a difference? It is my prayer that I may do so...will you join me? I pray you will.

Have a wonderful day.

He Giveth More Grace

2009-10-24T18:59:00.000-07:00

I have four children, and one of the things that my husband and I sought to instill in our children is individual responsibility - in other words, accepting the consequences of their own actions without pointing the blame on someone else. One of the other traits that we worked on was that of being independent. I believe that all parents want their children to grow up to be responsible adults that will be an asset to their generation; both of the character traits I mentioned are vital - no one wants their child to be a "flake."

My daughter learned "independence" very early - maybe a little too early as she seemed to be compelled to do things on her own, even if she was too little or too young. I remember one Wednesday evening when she was just 4 years old, I was cooking dinner and we were getting ready for church. My daughter took it upon herself to

Are You "One?"

2009-10-23T04:51:00.000-07:00

Do you ever just get a “hankering” for something? I have different comfort foods that somehow make me feel better when I have different types of ailments. As a little girl when I was under the weather, I remember that my grandmother used to make rice pudding – I don’t think she made it for any particular reason other than the fact that it was delicious, but now when I have a cold I think I need to eat rice pudding. If I have an ailment with my stomach, I eat soda crackers and grape juice (my grandfather’s cure). My all time favorite comfort food is Chinese cuisine.

One day last week I had such a day, and so I texted my husband the name of a couple of food items suggesting that he bring them home for dinner. I guess I wasn’t all that surprised to have him call me a few moments later telling me that he had already made the purchases and would be home in just a few moments – we have been married for 31 years after all…he should know me by now, right? I will say that though I wasn’t surprised, I am very appreciative of such a thoughtful husband. I am so thankful that my husband is “dwelling with me according to knowledge.” He definitely knows me.

It is amazing how much we two have become one in the years we have been married – I can’t even tell the number of times I hear my husband ask the same questions, make the same comments, or express the same thoughts about things. I believe as Christians we experience this even more because of the unity of the Holy Spirit. This morning as I was praying the Lord brought a particular parable to my mind that reminded me of a situation we are facing. Later in the morning I was telling my husband that the Lord brought the parable to my mind and he stated that the Lord had brought the exact same parable to his mind…coincidence? I think not. The Lord brought the same parable to our minds individually to comfort us, and also to show us the unity of His Holy Spirit’s working in our lives.

“Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 15:5, 6

This oneness doesn’t happen simply because you have exchanged wedding vows, wear wedding rings, or because you sleep in the same bed…

1. Depend on each other – not your parents (Genesis 2:24)
2. Love and respect each other. (Ephesians 5:33)
3. Don’t be selfish – think of your mate. (Philippians 2:4)
4. Don’t argue – give in to each other. (Ephesians 5:2)1
5. Love each other (Charity) (I Corinthians 13:4-8)
6. Be filled with the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16)
7. Give your husband lots of kisses and appreciate how handsome he is. (Song of Solomon 5:16)
8. Read your Bible and pray daily
9. Talk to each other! Bare your heart.
10. Stay sweethearts - hold hands, go on dates, have fun together

It is wonderful to be good friends with each other - work on it...you'll be glad you did!

Have a wonderful day.

Amazing Grace

2009-10-21T13:57:00.000-07:00

Having your child get lost is a common nightmare that mother's share. I know that it was certainly one of my greatest fears when my children were little; especially after my daughter disappeared for 15 minutes at the Beach & Boardwalk in Santa Cruz! It was early August and we went on a mini-vacation for a few days to the beach. Our oldest son was not quite 6 years old, our baby was just 5 months old - our daughter was almost 3; really still a baby herself.

On this beautiful day at the beach we had enjoyed playing with the kids with a beach ball and building sandcastles. The 3 older kids were still building a sandcastle while I began to feed the baby. My husband was holding him as he didn't sit up by himself quite yet, and my daughter was sitting directly behind my husband so I could not see her. I remember asking him where she was and he patted her little head as she sat behind him and assured me that she was "right here." A few moments later (I told you it was a nightmare of mine to have a lost child) I asked my husband again where our daughter was, and when he went to repeat the action of patting her head - she was not there!

We asked the boys where she had gone and our second son nonchalantly answered "she went to get some water." I don't think I need to tell you that we jumped to our feet immediately and began calling out and running toward the beach to see if our daughter had gone down to the water...she was nowhere! Our next step was to go to everyone that was around the area where we were sitting to see if they had seen our daughter - and while most of them had noticed her (she was very adorable if I do say so myself) none of them had seen her leave the area. By then we were beyond panicked, crying out, running all over the place, praying out loud...anything to find our little girl! Finally a good 10-15 minutes later we finally found her; a woman that was sitting near our family on the beach found her wandering around looking for us. Our independent little girl had gone to the bathroom to get water for her sandcastle!

I don't think I ever got completely over that experience to which my children can attest; but it did help me to better understand some things that have changed my prospective.

1. Now I know how desperately God does not want us to be lost! "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." Luke 19:10

2. I learned that there is no shame in what you are willing to do find your lost loved one. We were not afraid to talk to anyone, we were not embarrassed to pray out loud in a crowd of people. We didn't care if anyone thought we were nuts, or weirdos...we had one objective - to find our lost little girl. As Chistians we should be bold about reaching the lost. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." Romans 1:16

3. I know the joy of finding someone that was lost for a time. "For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry." Luke 15:24

God, our Heavenly Father does not want anyone to be lost - He sent His own Son Jesus to seek and to save us because we were lost. He wants us to carry on that work and carry the Gospel of Jesus to a lost world. "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." Mark 16:15

I am so thankful that my daughter that once was lost was found...how much more does the Heavenly Father want to find His precious creation in His presence and not lost for all eternity! He has amazing grace - let's take it to the lost so that they too can be found.

Amazing Grace how sweet the sound
that saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but now am found
was blind but now I see

Have a wonderful day!

Making the Hard Times Count

2009-10-17T23:17:00.000-07:00

I like the old saying, “Necessity is the mother of all invention.” I believe this to be a true statement. My family enjoys a full array of recipes “invented” because of lack of either an ingredient, or necessary funds to purchase a more expensive option. In either case I have found throughout the years that the lack of something is not necessarily a bad thing.

I remember talking to Nanna about the Great Depression. We had this conversation in the early 80’s when the economy was much like it is today. At that time there was a recession, plus the interest rates were extremely high (17-18%)! I remember the stories she told of how the neighbors would all get together and have potluck and play games because they couldn’t afford to do anything else. While the times were clearly difficult, she had great memories of the unity that was formed as a result.

I remember one year in particular when things were somewhat “tight” financially, but it was the first summer after our daughter completed her chemotherapy and we wanted to be able to take the kids on a family vacation. We had originally planned to borrow a friend’s van and go camping, but at the last minute we couldn’t use the van, so we couldn’t go camping. At that time we had the “clown car” (read blog “Miracles Do Happen”) meaning that we had a car that sat only 5 people for our family of 6. Instead of being defeated my husband had another idea.

We ended up going on our 49er Trail vacation. With a car that was too small, and very limited funds we ventured on a road trip along the California 49er Trail. Each day we went to a different town, a different hotel, only one restaurant meal a day, and yet it is a trip that we all remember being a lot of fun. I don’t know if the kids even knew how tight our budget was. I remember many of our meals being “inventions” – things made in a hotel room with no stove or microwave. We enjoyed salads with interesting varieties of ingredients, lots of fruit, and snacks. The highlight of each place was the pool – the kids knew that at the end of the day they would be able to go swimming- they would have so much fun playing in the water.

You know today as we look back on the times when our funds were so limited, like Nanna I do so with fond memories. Today if your finances are tight and your bank account is empty it is not the end of the world – use these times to build memories and unity with your family and friends; you’ll be able to look back on these days with lessons learned and many of your life’s fondest memories. Please don’t worry during these times instead follow this advice.

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you…I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:6-13

Don’t worry, pray.
Think about good things
Follow the godly example of those that have gone before you
Be content
You can do it through Christ – He’ll give you strength for the journey!

Have a wonderful day!

My Best Birthday Gift

2009-10-15T00:18:00.000-07:00

Today is my birthday. It is hard to believe that I am already 52 – I remember anxiously waiting to turn 17 thinking it was such a mature sounding age...my how time flies. As I see time marching on, each year on my birthday I like to spend some time pondering my life, setting goals, and making plans for the coming year. I also always remember my special birthdays.

I remember my 16th birthday when my parents gave me an almost surprise birthday party. They planned the party for me, but on the day I was to be surprised my mom didn’t want me to not be prepared, so she told me that I was going to be surprised that evening. I always wondered if anyone believed that I was surprised when I showed up with my hair done professionally in my new dress! I also remember my 21st birthday because I was a newlywed of 1 day. We flew to Hawaii for our honeymoon and everything in life was brand new.

The birthday that I remember above any other is my 25th birthday – on that day I received the absolute best present a woman could ever receive, and that gift continues to bring me joy even today. I remember the whole day so well, as if it was yesterday.

I woke up early in the morning being 9 months and 12 days pregnant! I was expecting our 3rd child and was oh so overdue. I remember as I began working around my house that I vented my prayers to God (though I didn’t know the Lord personally at that time). I said something like… “Ok God, I am going to clean my house, do these dishes, and take my shower, and I sure hope this baby comes by then.”

My first contractions began while I was in the shower, yeah! I called my husband and told him that I was finally in labor – he was so frantic and panicking because my 2nd child was born only 23 minutes after I arrived at the hospital! Well, this little one didn’t come quite that fast – but this baby was ushered into the world to the sound of the Italian opera singer Luciano Pavarotti. The doctor that delivered the baby said, “This Italian baby is going to be born to Pavarotti!”

Though I had an ultrasound, the technicians were not able to confirm the baby’s gender. I am the only girl in my family with 4 younger brothers; my husband’s family also was 4 boys and 1 girl, so having a girl was rare in our family. I remember Nana saying, “Wouldn’t it be something if the baby was born on your birthday, and it was a girl?” Well it happened just that way and our precious daughter was born on my birthday. They sang Happy Birthday to me as soon as she was delivered.

I don’t think there is another birthday gift that can top that one! Psalm 127:3 says, “Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.” Thank you Lord for all of my children, and for every gift that You have given to me. Happy Birthday to my precious baby girl, thank you for being such a joy to me, and for being my best birthday gift. I love you very much.

Have a wonderful day!

Its Not Getting Old, Its Getting Better!

2009-10-13T21:55:00.000-07:00

When I was 17 years old, I began dating my husband. By my 18th birthday I knew I wanted to marry him - I knew that I loved him and wanted to be his wife for the rest of my life. Well, it took a while for him to get with it, but finally on the eve of my 21st birthday we were married - 31 years ago today! What a journey we have had thus far, and somehow though we have been together for so many years, we still share new dreams for our future together. Its not getting old - its getting better!

Several years ago I taught a lesson to the HomeBuilder's Ladies, "The Bride of Christ, The Church, and Your Marriage." This lesson was taken from the Book of Revelations where Jesus is writing to the Church, (the Bride of Christ) and paralleling it with man (made in God's image) and his wife. I believe that the truths I learned in preparing for that lesson helped us to build the truly marvelous marriage we enjoy today!

Here are the key points.

1. Keep your hubby #1 In Revelation 2:4,5 Jesus is telling His Bride that she has stopped doing the things she did when their love was new. "Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works..." No matter how long you have been married, keep the honeymoon in your marriage.

2. Stay by your husband through thick and thin In Revelation 2:9, Jesus is telling His Bride that though they are suffering hardships, though they may not have money, in keeping true to their vows they are indeed rich. "I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich)..." "be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." The promise is to the faithful.

3. Keep a walk with God and pray for your husband Be careful with this one, because Eve was deceived and encouraged her husband to sin. In Revelation 2:13-15, "I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, ... But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel,... So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate." This wife is not denying Christ and probably thinks she is a godly woman, but she is following the wrong leaders. She is being influenced by laity in the church instead of following the pastor; she is in danger because she is doing something God hates!

4. Don’t get sidetracked from your purpose (your husband), your goal should be to help him achieve his goal. Jesus warned His Bride in Revelation 2:20 - 23, "I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, ... And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. ...except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death..." This is serious because though this wife is saved, giving and serving and believes God; she is willing to hold hands with doctrines that God is against; this wife is not putting her husband first, and refuses to follow him. The scary thing about this is that it will ruin your children's lives unless you get it right.

5. Do what he likes and build your relationship by carefully listening to him – use what you did when dating to encourage him. "thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain"
a. To rebuild a weakened marriage, begin by strengthening what little you do have, make it better. Think of what makes your husband happy and do it.
b. Remember the things you did while dating (the way you act before you are married)
a. More attentive
b. Dress nice to impress him
c. Make him feel that you really want to be with him
d. Tell him he is handsome
e. Tell him what a great man you think he is
f. Remember the things he has told he likes and dislikes; if he likes it, do it; if he doesn’t it, don’t do it!

6. Trust and obey him (don’t fight him every time he wants to do something) "...for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name." Keep your husband’s word and confidence – this wife is obeying her husband, trusting his leadership and is earnestly trying to trust and obey

7. Be his #1 cheerleader "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth...be zealous therefore"

I am thankful that God gave me such an awesome husband and has allowed us to enjoy such a close and happy marriage together. We have been tried through every one of the downside (sickness, poorer, worse) vows; yet together as one we have endured and weathered each storm.

Of my hubby I say, "His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend." Happy Anniversary Sweetheart - I love you!

Have a wonderful day today ladies and may God bless your marriages!

Its Raining!

2009-10-13T09:27:00.000-07:00

Its raining outside. I enjoy the rain, especially if I can be inside, curled up with nice cup of hot coffee or chocolate. Its the first rain of the season and this first rain always takes me back to one of the most trying times I have ever endured, and as well to the marvelous grace that God affords during those times.

The date was September 25, 1991; my nearly 9 year old daughter had just been diagnosed with cancer, she had undergone surgery to remove her kidney, and it was the day she would begin chemotherapy. I recall sitting in the hospital room with my daughter and reading to her from the Book of Psalms, as I had determined that I would read 5 Psalms a day, hoping for comfort and claiming the promise in Proverbs 4:20-22 which says, "My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh."

On that particular day I read Psalm 68 and what a comfort it was to me as I read verse 9 that states, "Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary." The reason that verse meant so much to me on that particular day was for two reasons: 1. There had been a draught, so the first rain was a blessing in itself; and 2. because the rain (on the first day of my daughter's chemo) confirmed my inheritance. The Bible teaches that "Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord..." God was confirming that He had given me my children - He was in control.

This past Mother's Day we awarded the Mother of the Year award to a young mom in our church that has a 9 year old daughter that had been diagnosed with cancer; having lived through the same trial I know how she felt and what she was going through. I was asked to make the presentation and the Lord gave me the words to the following poem.

Dreams of a future without pain or tears
Visions of hope for a life without fears
Willing to give, to spend, and be spent
To secure that your life can be all that God meant
Sleepless nights, tireless days, lasting year after year
Is all part of the life that a mother holds dear
Desiring for you all of life’s best
Doing her part, trusting God for the rest
And when trials arise, beyond her control
Her broken heart only God can console
As she prays for your life, for all to be well
Always remember what words cannot tell
Only your mother carries you from the start
For a time at her bosom, everyday in her heart.

Today as it rains I am reminded that God has confirmed my inheritance. I am thankful for the health that my daughter enjoys living here, for the everlasting life that has been promised, and for the glorious Word of God that gives comfort in our times of trial. I am thankful for the dear young gal in our church that today is cancer free! Thank you Lord for the rain.

Have a wonderful day!

He's Watching Out for You!

2009-10-11T15:10:00.000-07:00

When my oldest son was courting his wife, at times he had to drive a great distance to visit her and her family. On one of these visits he was awarded a ticket for speeding. The amazing thing about this was the fact that he was not going any faster than any of the drivers on the road; he was just keeping up with the flow of traffic. When my son stated this to the highway patrol officer, he answered and said, "I know, but the word came from up there (pointing towards the sky where the helicopter was monitoring the traffic) that I was to issue you a ticket.

At the time my son was so frustrated and it seemed unfair - but in truth the answer was very clear - God didn't want His son driving unsafely even if the rest of the world was travelling too fast. We have often heard parents say things like, "I can't control what other kids are doing, but you are my child and I do not want you doing that!" God, our Heavenly Father has different expectations from us as His children. He makes that very clear in Deuterononmy 14:1 which says, "Ye are the children of the LORD your God: ye shall not..." While the ticket was a frustating expense, it was also an indication of God's constant care and watch over His children.

"The LORD looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men. From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth. He fashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth all their works. There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength. Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield." Psalm 33:13-20 Thank you Lord for watching over us and keeping us safe from our own mistakes...and thank you for teaching this very valuable lesson to my son; I know that you have saved his soul, thank you also for Your watchful care over his life.

Have a wonderful day!

Promises, Promises

2009-10-10T13:51:00.000-07:00

When my kids became teenagers we realized that as they were experiencing new freedoms, we had to set clear perimeters for what we would allow. One of the rules that we implemented was that our kids would not be permitted to ride in a car with other teen drivers. Well, one night after a special meeting (I think it was during Youth Conference) I spotted one of my sons in the car with a load of teens! I was in a dilemma because I did not want to embarrass my son, but I also didn't want to let him do something we had already ruled against. My son did not know for sure that I saw him, but I saw him not only in the car, but ducking down hoping I wouldn't see him. So, what did I do? Well, as much as I didn't want to embarrass him, I also knew I would never be able to live with myself if they got in a car accident - so I walked towards the car - waved my hand for them to stop - poked my head in the window and politely asked my son to get out of the car...ouch!

When my son got out of the car, I talked to him about his disobedience, apologized for embarrassing him, and let him know that he could have avoided the shame if he had just obeyed. We didn't further punish him, because being "red-faced" in front of his friends as a teenager seemed lesson enough. He also then was not able to go wherever it was that his friends were going, he came home for the evening.

Did my son get angry and become rebellious because of the stand that we took? Well, he may have been angry at the time, but today he is a preacher of the Gospel; he is a godly man, happily married, and raising three beautiful children to the glory of God! He learned a valuable lesson that we can all apply to our lives today.

1. Obedience in the first place will prevent embarrassment later on. "...shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction..." Proverbs 13:18

2. Kids need to see that Mom and Dad are a team, they are one therefore they should not be divided; if Dad gives instructions to the kids, it is up to Mom to make sure they are followed (even in his absence). "My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother." Proverbs 1:8

3. Keep your promises. If you can't keep it, don't speak it; and if you're gonna break it, don't make it! "But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation." James 5:12

Your children should grow up knowing that you do what you say you're going to do whether it is a promise for a special treat, or a promise that they will be disciplined (never give your children threats - give them promises)...don't give cause for your children to doubt what you say - you are the one they are looking to for security. I am secure knowing that the Word of my Heavenly Father will not change. "For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven." Psalm 119:89

Have a wonderful day!

Got Talent?

2009-10-08T22:31:00.000-07:00

When I was a young girl in the 6th grade I was very involved in the various activities my school had to offer. I was in the choir - and even was asked to sing solo parts at times; I was involved in athletics and was normally the fastest runner (amongst the girls) in my class. I was basically a straight A student and didn't face a lot of competition...that is until the new girl came to school.

This new girl named Bonnie came to school and as our class sang - she had the most beautiful and clear singing voice I had ever heard! She had an amazing talent that of course I soon envied. To make matters worse when we went to PE, she was the fastest runner (even beating out many of the boys!), I was doomed; no matter how hard I tried to beat her, I simply could not out run this girl. With Bonnie's presence in my life I realized that there were others that were far better than I was at what I thought were my best attributes. I was so disappointed at first, but it taught me a valuable lesson. I learned that it is a fact of life that there is always someone smarter, prettier, more popular, more talented, etc. than I am, but that's okay, I don't have to be the best, I just need to strive to do my best and God will help me with the rest.

"Use hospitality one to another without grudging. As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." Each one of us has a purpose and God has given us specific talents and gifts so that we may fulfill the purpose for which we were created. So, if you aren't the absolute best in the world - it is because you don't need to be to fulfill your purpose. I believe in good, healthy competition, but it is not healthy to expect that no one will be as good or talented as you are. Remember that God gave you the measure of talents and gifts you have according to what He knows you need; use them to the best of your ability. I am not saying you should not try to improve your skills or talents, I believe that we should all strive to grow in every area. One of my favorite verses is Psalm 17:15, "As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness." In other words I won't be satisfied until I am like Christ...that means working at improving until the day I wake up in heaven.

So, today if you have a gift or talent that God has given you, use it today, it will bring you joy and glory to God if you use it properly. You may not have control over being the best - but it is within your power to do your best! Remember James 1:17 says, " Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."

Have a wonderful day!

This is the Day Which the Lord Hath Made

2009-10-07T12:23:00.000-07:00

Have you ever tried to do something that you thought was going to be a good thing only to have it wreak havoc in your day? I remember a day many years ago when my oldest son was in kindergarten, and I was expecting my 4th child. I received a call from the school nurse because my son apparently had the stomach flu - so I had to go pick him up from school. This meant I had to load up my other 2 children, and my 7 month pregnant self into the car so I could bring him home. On the ride home I thought it would be a good idea to stop and get a video for the kids to watch since one of them was sick...bad idea!

I stopped at a small local shop to get the video, and since the shop was small and the car was parked literally in front of the door I had the kids wait in the car for the 2 minutes it would take to get the cartoon. Well, I am sure that it was the longest or definitely most eventful 2 minutes of my life! First my oldest son ran in to tell me that my other son had to use the restroom, so I had him get back to the car so that he could be strapped in and ready to go; but as soon as he got back to the car, he realized that my other son (not wanting to wet himself or the car stepped out of the car and used a tree!), so he ran back in as I was finished paying to tell me what his brother had done; but then his stomach flu kicked in and he vomited all over the floor of the store! I had to first make sure my second son was back in the car, help my sick son get cleaned up and back in the car; and then the young store clerk looked at me (quite disgusted) and handed me a mop and a roll of paper towels! What a mess, here I was 7 months pregnant on my hands and knees cleaning the floor in a store as my sick and impatient children were (now honking the horn) waiting in the car! It sounds comical now, and actually I remember my sisters-in-law laughing as I told them all that befell me on that day...all because I was trying to do something I thought would be a nice gesture for my kids.

What can you say about a day like that? Well, I could think of Job 30:26, "When I looked for good, then evil came unto me..." or Psalm 35:12, "They rewarded me evil for good..." But the truth is the things that happened, happened not because I wanted to do a good thing, or because my kids wanted to do evil - those were the events of my day and from them I did learn a few things.

1. I should have taken my sick son right home!
2. While I was totally stressed out at the time, really other than having the unpleasant task of cleaning up after my son - no one was hurt...it wasn't the end of the world.
3. In retrospect most things aren't as traumatic as they seem at the time - and are often comical; so instead of panicking just tell yourself that in a few years you'll be able to laugh at the situation.
4. Remember "This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

Have a wonderful day!

Story Time

2009-10-06T09:27:00.000-07:00

I am convinced that I had the most adorable grandfather in the world. My little grandpa was such a great man. He worked hard and provided for his family. He was innovative, intelligent, and funny. He was a barber by trade, and a successful one at that! In fact we had newspaper articles of his barber shop in Central America because he had come up with the idea of installing special "ride" type seats for children to sit on while getting their hair cut. Instead of having the ever intimidating barber seats for the kids, he had one seat that looked like a car, and one that was like riding on a horse. His idea worked and he had a very successful business.

One of the things I remember especially about my grandpa was that he would tell stories. He would often tell hilarious stories of things that happened when he was young, and he would get to laughing so hard that he could barely talk; this in turn would get all of us laughing without even knowing the whole story. Sometimes his laughter was in fact funnier than the story - but we had a great time listening to him tell his stories.

Grandpa would also tell made up stories to us kids (me, my brothers, and my cousins) in an effort to teach us lessons. One that I am sure all of my relatives will remember was about a man he called "Catchafu." He was a very skinny man that would capture and imprison children that disobeyed their parents. He would go into great detail telling us of the dangers of disobedience in an effort to help us realize that we would be much better off if we obeyed.

As an adult, he continued to use his story telling to teach me lessons about my marriage and raising my children. I remember when my oldest son was getting one of his first haircuts from my personal barber (Grandpa), he was frightened, he didn't want to sit still, he began crying and fighting against my grandfather as he was trying to cut his hair. My grandfather then told me a story of a family; they were from Germany, and the man was so hard on his son - in fact when his son fought getting a haircut - he removed him from the barber chair, took his son into the restroom, and promptly disciplined the young child. Well, I got the message and took my son in the other room and disciplined him. When I put him back in the chair for his haircut, he sat still and the job was finished in no time. Then I remember my grandfather as he looked at me and said, "you know, I guess that German man knew what he was doing."

My grandfather knew the thing for me to do was to discipline my son, but he didn't want to flat out tell me - "go discipline your son;" he wanted me to understand it for myself. Telling a story is wonderful way to teach a truth to a child, a lesson to an adult, or to convey a message to someone in a way that they'll understand. The Bible says that Jesus used parables (parable means: a short allegorical story designed to illustrate or teach some truth, religious principle, or moral lesson. 2. a statement or comment that conveys a meaning indirectly by the use of comparison, analogy, or the like). Matthew 4:1-2a says, "And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land. And he taught them many things by parables..."

Moms, teachers, Sunday school teachers - why not follow the example of our Lord and help your children to really understand what you are trying to teach them by telling them stories. Children love to hear stories about things that happen to other children. I am thankful that I had a grandfather that was a story teller - he used his stories to teach me so many things.

Have a wonderful day!

I'm a Priest and I'm Married to An Angel

2009-10-02T10:39:00.000-07:00

Crazy title - but believe it or not it is the truth! According to the Bible, the pastor is an angel, meaning God's messenger - so I really am married to an angel. The Bible also says in I Peter 2:9, "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:" So, I am also a priest - meaning that I can go boldly to the Throne of Grace (I don't have to go through the priest to get my prayers heard, or to confess my sins, I can go right to the Heavenly Father)!

The thing about being a priest is that there is a lot of responsibility that goes along with it such as:

1. Be holy (be separated from the world to God)
2. Be peculiar (not weird, just different from the world)
3. Show forth the praises of Jesus (or bring Glory to God)

Now when the first priests were called out from among the others to serve the Lord, it is kind of interesting to see what the Bible instructs for them. In Exodus 28:1 & 2 the Bible says, "And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons. And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty." The first thing mentioned is what they should wear! According to this verse we, as priests should dress to bring glory to God, AND for beauty. I am very happy about that because I really like to try to look my best.

We live in a day where people really don't seem to care how they dress at all. I see people walk around in their pajamas, unkempt hair, slippers, no make-up...and I guess if that's what they want to do, it's up to the individual. Christians on the other hand should not follow the path of sloppiness, (which is laziness), instead think about the fact that everywhere you go you are representing the Lord, Jesus (even at the grocery store). Now, I am not saying that you have to look like the ladies we see on some of these Christian tv networks with painted faces, big hair, and huge flashy jewelry; I am saying that our clothing, what we wear on the outside, should match what God is doing on the inside - that would be clean, without spot or wrinkle, nicely scented, and beautiful. You know most women feel better when they know they have tried to look their best. Please understand, I am not talking about vain beauty - you're not dressing for your own glory so that people will praise you - you should be dressing so that you bring Glory to God!

Today, when you are ready to walk out the door ask yourself, "if I run into someone, will I want to hide?" or "if I have the opportunity to witness to someone, what impression will they have of what my Savior has done for me?" If you don't like your answer, go change your clothes, you'll feel much better.

Have a wonderful day today ladies...I love you.

The Things We Don't See

2009-09-30T16:13:00.000-07:00

When I was young girl, probably about 9 years old, I remember a situation that occured about which I had no understanding until many years later. Most of you probably won't remember this store, but there was a store called White Front that was similar to Target or Walmart back in the 60's. I recall going shopping with one of my best friends, her mom, and 2 older sisters. I was fascinated at the many items they were purchasing for my friend before school started. Wow! I know I was kind of spoiled and my parents tried to make sure I had all I needed and more, but this was like nothing I had ever seen.

We had so much fun that day - first they took us to eat at the little cafe that was located in the store, then the shopping began. As I said before I had never seen anything like it; they must have had at least 30 outfits for just my friend! As the day wore on, we were growing tired so my friend's mom suggested that we go and wait in the van while they stood in line to pay for their purchases.

When I got home I began to tell my parents of our excursion - the great lunch, and all the clothes. I then began to describe the outfits. Now, you may not be like me, but I tend to use my hands when I talk. In fact my family often uses sound effects, and hand motions (I am sure because of me) when talking and especially when we are explaining or describing something. As I was describing the many outfits, my father noticed that I was reaching to my side and then raising my hands as though I was showing the dress; I then proceeded to describe the outfit. My father asked me why I was motioning my hands in that way and I explained that the girls (my friends sisters) had done the same thing as they showed me the outfits they were pulling out of their coats. To my father's horror, he realized that I was in the company of shoplifters! At my young age and innocence, I never had a clue of what was going on; but my father understood immediately what had happened.

The next day my father spoke with me and without giving me an explanation or reason, he told me that I was no longer allowed to keep company with my friend. You could imagine my disappointment as she was one of my best friends! In fact I disobeyed my dad and snuck to my friends house once when my grandparents were babysitting us, but as I was sneaking home my parents drove by just as I was walking out her front door...I was caught! When I got home I received the one and only spanking that my father ever gave me; but I learned my lesson. Years later (I know, I was so naive) it finally dawned on me what had happened and why my dad didn't allow me to keep company with that girl - he saw something I couldn't see, and he was protecting me.

"And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha." II Kings 6:17

Throughout our lives God protects us. We may not always see or understand why we can't do or have something, or why we can't go somewhere, or even why there is a hold up in traffic; but perhaps God is trying to protect us from something we can't see. In the verse I quoted above, the young man was afraid because he couldn't see God's army protecting him, but Elisha, the man of God saw them, and knew when it was safe to proceed, and when it was time to stop. I am glad that I had such a loving protective father in my life, and I am even more thankful that the Heavenly Father loves and protects me in ways I can't even see.

Have a strict dad, or man of God in your life? Praise the Lord - he sees things you can't and he is protecting you!

Have a wonderful day!

The Ride of Your Life!

2009-09-28T17:50:00.000-07:00

I love to ride roller coasters! I remember as a teen going to Santa Cruz Beach and Boardwalk, and riding that roller coaster - we would raise our arms and scream as we went soaring downward on the Big Dipper! My husband on the other hand is not especially a huge fan of roller coasters - he'll ride them to accompany me, but they are not his favorite.

I was talking with one of my sons the other night and he was reminding me of the time I convinced him to ride on Space Mountain at Disneyland when he was just 4 years old. He didn't want to go on the ride, but I convinced him it would be a lot of fun. Well, as it turned out, this particular son takes more after his dad in the roller coaster department - and in his memory it was one of the most horrifying moments of his life! I know, you are all thinking that I was a cruel mom, forcing my young son to do something he didn't want to do, and I did feel bad that he was so frightened on the ride,(he has ridden them many times since); but there is a truth that can be learned from this experience.

When my son rode on that ride, he did so for one reason - he believed whatI told him, so, you could say he did so by faith. As Christians we are called upon to live a life of faith. We can only please God by exercising faith in Him, and in His Word. Hebrews 11:6 says, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

In Hebrews 11 we find all the things that God, our Heavenly Father asked His children to do by faith. "By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went." Hebrews 11:7-8 Noah had never even heard of rain, yet he moved with fear and as a result his family was saved through the flood. Abraham was called to go to a place -without even knowing where he was going. I am sure there had to be a measure of fear involved in that move, yet he obeyed.

Obedience is the true evidence of faith - when you believe something you do it; even if you're afraid. Because we are human I am sure that every first step of faith is mixed with fear. Think of going to the doctor to have surgery - you put your faith in a doctor, and though you may feel fear, you go in to surgery because you believe it will help heal or fix the problem. Even though we feel fear when we exercise faith - that is okay, as long as we do it! Obedience is the very best way to show that you believe.

Want the ride of life? Live by faith in God; you will find "... the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil." II Thessalonians 3:3

Have a wonderful day! I love you and have prayed for you today.

For Thy Pleasure They Are and Were Created

2009-09-26T22:49:00.000-07:00

Some of my fondest memories of when my children were young are of the times we spent doing the simplest things. Many times our finances determined what we were able to enjoy, but I am glad that we took the time to enjoy playing with our kids. For years we went camping because it was affordable. A few times we were able to go to Disneyland and what a time we had; and then there were many times we just went to the park to play. In any case we took the time to make fond memories together as a family.I remember one time, we were playing baseball at a park, and I slid into base and broke my youngest son's finger...I felt so bad; but when our family plays we don't mess around. We are somewhat competitive even to this day, but what fun is it to play if you're not going to play to win, right?

Probably one of the most enjoyable memories of fun time was "family night." This was normally on a Friday night. I would make a dinner like hamburgers, french fries (made from real potatoes - not frozen), and milkshakes - real ones made in the blender with love, ice cream, milk, and chocolate syrup. After dinner and cleanup time we would get our pjs on, get out the sleeping bags, and watch a video together, with popcorn, and of course "zerts" (dessert that is). We would talk, and laugh, and enjoy the film, and then we would all sleep out in the family room in our sleeping bags. It became a family tradition for us, and I believe that my kids have begun their own version of "family night" with their own families. Was it a big deal? Maybe not, but it was a time of fun - a time we made to play together.

So often we focus on the importance of disciplining children. We stress the importance of reading the Word of God and having prayer with our children. Playing with our children is an important part of child rearing that is too often ignored. Your children see everything you do; clean house, talk on the phone, read the Bible, watch TV, etc. They need to see that in your busy schedule they are not only included because you have to take care of them, but also that they have a major part in the time you spend enjoying yourselves. If you’ll take the time to notice, children have so much more fun playing a game or with a toy if mom or dad takes the time to play with them.

Let your children know that you enjoy doing fun things with them and seeing them have fun. So Mom, play with your kids! "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
" Revelations 4:11

Have a wonderful day and go have some fun with your family!

The Secret Garden - My Testimony

2009-09-23T22:37:00.000-07:00

I am the oldest of 5 children, the only girl (and yes, I was spoiled…somewhat). I grew up going to church for most of my life, but I did not have a real relationship with the Lord until I was 27 years old…and I will explain that in a few moments. I married my high school sweetheart in 1978, the day before my 21st birthday. In 2008 we celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary, and I will say that I have the most wonderful husband; he is my best friend, my sweetheart, and my pastor. We have 4 children, 3 boys and 1 girl. They are all married and I am very blessed and praise the Lord as I say that they are all serving the Lord. We have 11 grandchildren. Whew! Christmas is expensive, and when our family gets together it is pretty wild, but I love every chaotic moment. So, I am a Christian, wife, Mom, and grandmother, and truly I treasure what makes me what I am…my husband, my kids, and my grandkids. My most precious treasure is my salvation that I received on May 9, 1985 when I trusted Christ as my Savior.

In May 2008 I spoke at a Mother/Daughter Tea for Mother’s Day. I gave my testimony using the story of the Secret Garden (the Tea theme) I hope won’t mind taking a journey with me to the day I found The Secret Garden…

As I mentioned earlier, I grew up going to church every Sunday. We went to Catecism and I learned many wonderful truths that I still believe today. I learned of God, the heavenly Father, Jesus, the Son and the Savior, and of the Holy Spirit. I learned that for our sins and salvation Jesus died on the cross, was buried and rose again on the 3rd day in fulfillment of the Scriptures. I knew all of these things from my childhood, and I believed them and I still believe them today. The problem was though I believed all of these truths, I had merely head knowledge, and it was just something I knew. The Bible says that the devil believes – and he certainly is not going to heaven. That was what I didn’t know; that I could be sure that Heaven was my home. I certainly hoped to go to heaven, I wanted to go to heaven, but I just wasn’t sure about it. I didn’t know you could know for sure… until May 9, 1985.

Of the large circle of friends I had from high school, there was one girl in particular that I kept in contact with. Suddenly, I noticed a change in my friend, she started inviting me to church (which I thought was nice of her, but I had no intention of going to her church – I would give her an excuse, but never planned to really go with her). I was glad that she was going to church. At the same time, my husband’s grandmother – who was a born again Christian was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and began desperately praying for our salvation. What I didn’t realize was that my friend had also been “born again” and was also praying for my salvation. I began to become very curious about being born again. I remember asking Nana what it meant to be born again, she replied that I needed to accept Christ as my Savior. I thought about what she said and I came to the conclusion that since I knew Jesus was the Savior that I must have accepted Him.

On May 9, 1985 I went to my friend’s house for lunch and asked her about a book she had been reading that told about the end times; she went to go get it and came back with her husband. He said I could borrow his grandmother’s book, but he wanted me to know it was a story about what the Bible says, but that it was a story, not actual events. He then began to quote Scripture verses to me. Whoa! I was afraid, I wanted to run away; I literally considered grabbing my babies and running out the door! Then it came to me that what he telling was from the Bible, I could certainly listen to the Bible.

That day I found the secret! Romans16:25-27 says, “Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.

Yes, I found the secret of knowing I could go to heaven…through the Bible – the obedience of faith – through Jesus Christ. All the right things I knew before were still right, but I never connected them. Though I knew that Jesus was the Savior, I wasn’t trusting in what He did on the cross to get me to heaven, I was still trying to do “things.” Then I saw in the Bible that God wants us to know that we have eternal life. 1John 5:13 “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”

Yippee!!! I found the secret… “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

So the secret was knowing I could have the assurance of heaven as my home by trusting in Jesus; realizing that the payment that God requires for our sins was paid for by the shed blood of Jesus at Calvary. Leviticus 17:11 says, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.”
Hebrews 10:10-12 says, “…By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;" On the cross, Jesus said, “It is finished! The job of paying for our sin debt is done!

In the Secret Garden, the girl had to find a key before she could enter the garden…she knew it existed, because she found the gate, but without the key she was not able to get in. In Revelation 3:7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;” (that is Jesus) Jesus is the One that has the key…he opens the door to the Garden, the Secret Garden – the place of being in the presence of the God.

The day I was saved, I received the key so that the door to heaven would be opened to me and no man could close it…and only Jesus could open the pearly gates. “And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

So, what is the final outcome?

I recall that just before I left my friend’s house she asked if I was going to tell my husband…I replied of course, I want my husband to go to heaven with me. Then when I got home, something miraculous (to me) happened. I received a call from Nana. Remember that she was dying of cancer – she died July 19, 1985, and this was May 9. When I answered the phone, Nana told me that she had been feeling pretty good that day and wanted me to know that she went shopping and bought me a Bible! Can you believe that? How could she have known? She didn’t, but God knew.

When my husband came home from work and after the kids went to bed I went in to his office and told him, “Honey, I did something today.” He put down his pencil and turned around and had that Ricky Ricardo look on his face when asked “What?” Then I proceeded to tell him that I had trusted Christ as my Savior. For 3 weeks I tried to witness to him and he was curious, he never got angry with me, but I couldn’t get him to understand the difference between believing in his head and trusting in his heart. I finally had my friend and her husband over for dinner and on June 1, my husband trusted Christ as his Savior! He led us to North Valley Baptist Church where we stayed for 15 years until God called my husband to Redwood Baptist Church in 2000.

The Secret Garden? In the book everybody was happiest when it was no longer a secret.

Christian, we have access to the Garden of prayer everyday 24/7.

Ladies, today we have learned of the Secret Garden. We have seen the gates of pearl, we have been offered the key that will unlock the gate, the question I have for you is will you take it? Will you ask Jesus into your heart and trust in Him as your only source for salvation? Will you spend time in the Garden of Prayer where there is joy and gladness and thanksgiving and the voice of melody? (singing - do you have a song in your heart?) I pray that if you have not already done so, that today you will...if you do, please let me know; I am praying for you.

Have a wonderful day!

What's it Worth?

2009-09-21T09:57:00.000-07:00

I live in California - a beautiful state. The weather is perfect, (in my city whose motto is "Climate is best by government test") the average year-round temperature is 72 degrees. Within a short drive I can go to the ocean, to mountains, to the snow (during winter of course), so we don't have to travel very far to enjoy any of the seasons and there are so many great vacation spots.

We have visited Columbia several times (in California - I don't even have a passport) where there is a beautiful park with a lot of attractions like horseback riding, picnicking, candy stores, panning for gold, nice big trees, and great weather. About 20 years ago on one of our family vacations we went to Columbia to the park and we were having a great time - we had gone horseback riding, we brought our picnic lunch, we bought candy and as we were checking out the gold panning area - we were watching as people were at various stations along the water actually panning for gold. Our youngest son (4 years old at the time) was also intrigued with what the people were doing, and so he walked up to see what they were getting out of the water, when he spotted a little glass vial (filled with water and gold specks that resembled glitter), which he quickly picked up and before we could stop him, he dumped it back into the water...oops! The man's jaw dropped, he was perturbed (to say the least) and let us know that it had taken him 1 1/2 hours to pan that gold! We apologized and then sped away (we were glad he didn't try to make us pay him the $$ the gold was worth)!

While watching the news the other day, they showed a video of a man that caught a foul ball at a professional baseball game whose daughter in turn got the ball and threw it back! Just like my son, she had no idea of the value or potential worth of this professional baseball. It was a ball, so the natural thing was to throw it - and what a good girl - she was giving it back. My son had no idea that there was gold in the vial - he was watching as the people panning for gold were filling and emptying water - so he did the same thing - not knowing its worth.

These children of course were completely innocent in their actions - but how often do we discard things of great worth because they just aren't worth anything to us or because we simply do not realize their worth? Most people are willing to pay the price if something is worth getting. We have all heard the saying "one man's junk is another man's treasure," but the truth is we should all make sure we know and prioritize our treasures. There are some things that just can't be replaced - sure that man at the baseball game may never catch another foul ball at a baseball game, but with all the publicity he received the ball team may have given him another ball; and that man whose gold my son spilled out could have stayed and panned for more gold - and found it...but what about the real treasures?

Time - once a moment has passed you can never get it back; treasure your time (and the time you give and take from others). "But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day..." Hebrews 3:13

Stages of your life - I will never be a child, teen, young wife, young mother, or new Christian again in my life; so if that is the stage of your life right now - make the most of it, because this is your only opportunity.

Stages of your children's lives - my children are now 30, 28, 27 (almost) & 24 years old - they will never be babies requiring my time and attention again; they will never be toddlers that need to trained in every area, nor desire for me to sit and play puzzles with them again - so enjoy it. They'll not ask me to carry them or hold their hands when they are scared or tired; or for help with their homework, or even to drive them to their practices, games, activities, or to chaperon their dates - we've passed through all of those stages. I am blessed with the memories, and thankful that I tried to enjoy each stage, because all too fast that stage of life is gone... I don't regret one moment.

People - people are not dispensable as some would like to think. Every person is a soul for which God sent His only Son to save by dying in their stead on the cross. People are valuable, and no matter how old they are, how long or short of a time we have known and loved them - we don't like to lose them. Please don't toss people aside or decide that they are of no more value - I know that there are some people that may hurt us, or do things with which we don't agree; pray for those people because whatever caused their actions is probably hurting them, and holding on to bad feelings towards people that have hurt you, will just continue to hurt you until you let it go and forgive them. "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows." Matthew 10:29-31 "Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven." Matthew 18:21, 22

Things you do for God - the things you do for God from your heart are sent ahead to heaven - those are treasures that are the best investments. "But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:" Matthew 6:20

Salvation - We should treasure the Salvation that Jesus purchased with His own blood. How sad it is when Christian's neglect their Salvation - it is our highest and most valuable treasure - I could go on and on and quote verse after verse about our great salvation and all that it affords, but at least consider this: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." John 10:27, 28 "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13

We may not all have money, but we all have treasures - if you are reading this, you have time (you are alive and breathing), you have this stage of your life - enjoy it; enjoy every stage of your children's lives, one day they will be only memories; treasure the people in your life - they won't be here forever; and if you have trusted Christ as your Saviour, you have your Salvation - the one treasure you will never lose!

Have a wonderful day!

Hear the Whole Matter

2009-09-20T15:02:00.000-07:00

Several years ago when my kids were teens we went to Disneyland for a family vacation. We had a lot of fun riding on the various rides and at the various attractions. That particular year there was a new attraction in the World of Tomorrow. It was pretty interesting and the way it worked was kind of like the Discovery Museum where you can walk around to each attraction and participate.

While in that section I saw an attraction that looked fun. It was one of those simulation type of rides - it was a motorcycle with an attached pair of binoculars that viewed a screen. The screen showed the various roads, hills, and curves, and the motorcycle simulated the motion. I walked into the attraction, climbed on a motorcycle and enjoyed the ride...no big deal, right?

Well, no - it was a big deal because apparently this particular ride was one for which people were waiting in line - and the attendant at the ride was supposed to make sure that every rider was safely secured on the ride. When the ride was over the attendant came up to me and scolded me (which was my first clue that I had done anything wrong) and told me that my actions put his job on the line! Wow, I felt bad, but I had no idea.

At the same time, my husband and kids were all in line waiting to ride on the ride I had just trespassed. They were not watching the ride, but apparently there were others in line that were and they started laughing, pointing, and saying things like, "oh no! do you see that lady - she is just getting on the ride from the exit!" "What in the world is that lady doing? did she just go in from the exit?" Needless to say, when my family looked they were embarrassed and not ready to admit they were with me.

When I got off the ride and met up with my family, they told me all that had happened. I was ready to go and wait in line and tried to encourage them to do the same, as it was a fun ride, but they wanted to get as far away from there as possible. People had just witnessed my behavior and had deemed that I was a zany lady, entering a Disneyland ride from the exit and doing my own thing. In fact I am pretty sure that some people were staring at me for my behavior. I promise I was completely innocent!

Now I told every side of the story to show how differently things can be viewed. To me, I just entered an attraction and participated as I had with all the other attractions in that area. To the attendant I was a defiant lady that wanted to do my own thing even if I got someone fired from their job, and to the people waiting in line I was just a zany lady. Too often we make decisions or judgments without hearing the whole story. Mom's rashly punish their children without hearing both sides (or if you have more kids there may be more than 2 sides), teacher's assume that the class clown is always guilty, people make judgments without knowing all the facts. We can avoid this if we'll take heed to Ecclesiastes 12:13 which says, "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:"

I know that there were times that I punished the wrong child because I didn't know all the facts - and mom if that happens, be sure to apologize to your child and seek their forgiveness - that will help your children in the future to admit when they are wrong. Before you pass judgment, or make decisions, hear the conclusion of the whole matter. It'll save you from doing the wrong thing.

For our lives this verse continues and gives us the conclusion of the whole matter..."Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man."

Have a wonderful day!