Coffee Punch
1 quart of strong coffee (32oz. in 1 qt.)
1/2 cup sugar
1 pint whipped whipping cream
1 pint vanilla icecream
nutmeg
After coffee is made add sugar, cool in refrigerator overnight. Right before guests arrive, put cooled coffee in punch bowl. Cut icecream into small pieces. Add icecream and whipping cream to bowl. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Make 1/2 gallon.
Courtesy of Heather F.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Finally
Kelley emailed this to me and gave me permission to post it to share with all of you. It takes a special person to share with the world their intimate experiences with Christ. Don't you think that He is proud? Thanks Kelley!
I am a very open person but wanted to share a very private and special experience I had. As you know, I went to the Ladies Retreat this past weekend. It was absolutely wonderful and filled my heart and soul with Christ's love for us that I was about to burst! I knew that it would be emotional but the most emotional thing happened to me yesterday when Emily and I were driving to my dad's for lunch.
I was listening to my "Fergie" cd (only the last few songs because they don't have swear words for Emily to pick up and sing). Her new song "Finally" came on. I have heard it on the radio and American Idol Gives Back. I really liked the music and the way she sang. So I listened to it again. I had chills and started to cry (thank goodness I was at a stoplight). This song was my relationship with God in the past, present and future. My destiny can begin as long as I have him and love him - I "finally" got it!
Here are the lyrics - I don't know who she wrote the song for - but I know that everytime I hear it I will think of how much God loves us and how I "finally" know what it like to give yourself completely to the Lord.
Finally lyrics
MMMMMMMMMM
Ever since I was a baby girl I had a dream
Cinderella theme
Crazy as it seems
Always knew that deep inside that there would come that day
But I would have to wait
Make so many mistakes
I couldn't comprehend
As I watched it unfold
This classic story told
I left it in the cold
Walking through an open door that led me back to you
Each one unlocking more of the truth
I finally stopped tripping on my youth
I finally got lost inside of you
I finally know that I needed to grow
And finally my mate has met my soul
[chorus]
Finally
Now my destiny can begin
Though we will have our differences
Something strange and new is happening
Finally
Now my life doesn't seem so bad
It's the best that I've ever had
Give my love to him finally
MMMMMMMM
I remember the beginning you already knew
I acted like a fool
Just trying to be cool
Fronting like it didn't matter
I just ran away
And on another phase
Was lost in my own space
Found what its like to hurt selfishly
Scared to give of me
Afraid to just believe
I was in a jealous, insecure, pathetic place
Stumbled through the mess that I have made
Finally got out of my own way
I've Finally started living for today
I finally know that I needed to grow
And finally my mate has met my soul
[chorus]
Finally
Now my destiny can begin
Though we will have a our differences
Something strange and new is happening
Finally
Now my life doesn't seem so bad
It's the best that I've ever had
Gave my love to him
Finally
MMMMMMMM
Finally, Finally
Finally
Now my destiny can begin
Though we will have our differences
Something beautiful is happening, happening
Finally
Now my life doesn't seem so bad
It's the best that I've ever had
Give my love to him finally
Ohhhhhhh, Finally, Finally, finally
Kelley
Watch Fergie perform the song with John Legend on the Idol Gives Back show.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1DKfUC5q8Q
I am a very open person but wanted to share a very private and special experience I had. As you know, I went to the Ladies Retreat this past weekend. It was absolutely wonderful and filled my heart and soul with Christ's love for us that I was about to burst! I knew that it would be emotional but the most emotional thing happened to me yesterday when Emily and I were driving to my dad's for lunch.
I was listening to my "Fergie" cd (only the last few songs because they don't have swear words for Emily to pick up and sing). Her new song "Finally" came on. I have heard it on the radio and American Idol Gives Back. I really liked the music and the way she sang. So I listened to it again. I had chills and started to cry (thank goodness I was at a stoplight). This song was my relationship with God in the past, present and future. My destiny can begin as long as I have him and love him - I "finally" got it!
Here are the lyrics - I don't know who she wrote the song for - but I know that everytime I hear it I will think of how much God loves us and how I "finally" know what it like to give yourself completely to the Lord.
Finally lyrics
MMMMMMMMMM
Ever since I was a baby girl I had a dream
Cinderella theme
Crazy as it seems
Always knew that deep inside that there would come that day
But I would have to wait
Make so many mistakes
I couldn't comprehend
As I watched it unfold
This classic story told
I left it in the cold
Walking through an open door that led me back to you
Each one unlocking more of the truth
I finally stopped tripping on my youth
I finally got lost inside of you
I finally know that I needed to grow
And finally my mate has met my soul
[chorus]
Finally
Now my destiny can begin
Though we will have our differences
Something strange and new is happening
Finally
Now my life doesn't seem so bad
It's the best that I've ever had
Give my love to him finally
MMMMMMMM
I remember the beginning you already knew
I acted like a fool
Just trying to be cool
Fronting like it didn't matter
I just ran away
And on another phase
Was lost in my own space
Found what its like to hurt selfishly
Scared to give of me
Afraid to just believe
I was in a jealous, insecure, pathetic place
Stumbled through the mess that I have made
Finally got out of my own way
I've Finally started living for today
I finally know that I needed to grow
And finally my mate has met my soul
[chorus]
Finally
Now my destiny can begin
Though we will have a our differences
Something strange and new is happening
Finally
Now my life doesn't seem so bad
It's the best that I've ever had
Gave my love to him
Finally
MMMMMMMM
Finally, Finally
Finally
Now my destiny can begin
Though we will have our differences
Something beautiful is happening, happening
Finally
Now my life doesn't seem so bad
It's the best that I've ever had
Give my love to him finally
Ohhhhhhh, Finally, Finally, finally
Kelley
Watch Fergie perform the song with John Legend on the Idol Gives Back show.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1DKfUC5q8Q
Friday, April 25, 2008
Raise It Up
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwWvBcOW5G4&feature=related
I like the song. It is from the movie August Rush. I hope you enjoy it!
I like the song. It is from the movie August Rush. I hope you enjoy it!
The First Beatitude
The First Beatitude
Blessed are the poor in spirit,for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
The meaning of the word "poor" in Greek means one who has nothing and is completely empty. Was Jesus saying the economically poor are blessed? No, for there is no spirituality in poverty. Poverty in itself is not blessed, because the poor can be as arrogant and as ungodly and as lost as the rich. So what does it mean to be poor in spirit? It means that the poor are those who realize that they can never achieve salvation on their own and instead put their complete faith and trust in Jesus Christ.
The poor in spirit are those who are not self-assertive, self-reliant, self-confident, self-centered, or self-sufficient. The poor in spirit are not baptized in the waters of self-esteem. They do not boast in their God given characteristics such as their birth, their family, their nationality, their education, their physical looks, their race, their wealth, or their culture. None of that matters. The poor in spirit are those who are conscious of their sins and know in their hearts that they are completely unworthy of the grace that a most holy and loving God pours down upon them. They realize that all their righteousness is, as Isaiah said, like filthy rags before a holy God.
So poor in spirit means that we come to God, conscious of our sins and our utter lack of righteousness. It means that we profess that we are totally unqualified to commune with, and have fellowship with God, and that we do not deserve any of the gifts that God is trying to bestow upon us. The poor in spirit realize that all our assets are actually liabilities before God, and that we should view these assets as Paul viewed them--as loss, as garbage, as rubbish.
It means that we have absolutely no hope of salvation without Jesus Christ. It means to realize that we are full of sin and in desperate need of God's grace and righteousness, and the poor in spirit realize that these can only be obtained by faith in Jesus Christ.
In Luke 15 we see how the prodigal son became poor in spirit. In his pride and arrogance he left his father's house, wasted his inheritance and fell into great need in some far away country. During a severe famine, this son had no job and nothing to eat. At that point, the text says, he came to himself. He went back to his father and said, "I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son" (Luke 15:21). That is being poor in spirit.
We also see an example of being poor in spirit illustrated again in Luke 18 in the account of the Pharisee and the tax collector. It is the story of a man who was confident of his own righteousness and who looked down on everybody else. Jesus told this parable: Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed this about himself: God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of what I get.
The tax collector stood at a distance. He felt he wasn't even worthy to look up to heaven, so keeping his eyes on the floor he said, "God, please have mercy on me, for I am nothing but a lowly sinner." (Luke 18:9-14). That is being poor in spirit. What was the result of the prayers of these men? The Pharisee went home condemned, while the tax collector went home justified.
Only the poor in spirit will enter into the kingdom of God. Why? Because they come to God having full knowledge of their own lostness and their own sinfulness. They readily confess that they are full of guilt and are totally unqualified to enter into the kingdom of God. The poor in spirit are the ones who have put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ.
Blessed are the poor in spirit,for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
The meaning of the word "poor" in Greek means one who has nothing and is completely empty. Was Jesus saying the economically poor are blessed? No, for there is no spirituality in poverty. Poverty in itself is not blessed, because the poor can be as arrogant and as ungodly and as lost as the rich. So what does it mean to be poor in spirit? It means that the poor are those who realize that they can never achieve salvation on their own and instead put their complete faith and trust in Jesus Christ.
The poor in spirit are those who are not self-assertive, self-reliant, self-confident, self-centered, or self-sufficient. The poor in spirit are not baptized in the waters of self-esteem. They do not boast in their God given characteristics such as their birth, their family, their nationality, their education, their physical looks, their race, their wealth, or their culture. None of that matters. The poor in spirit are those who are conscious of their sins and know in their hearts that they are completely unworthy of the grace that a most holy and loving God pours down upon them. They realize that all their righteousness is, as Isaiah said, like filthy rags before a holy God.
So poor in spirit means that we come to God, conscious of our sins and our utter lack of righteousness. It means that we profess that we are totally unqualified to commune with, and have fellowship with God, and that we do not deserve any of the gifts that God is trying to bestow upon us. The poor in spirit realize that all our assets are actually liabilities before God, and that we should view these assets as Paul viewed them--as loss, as garbage, as rubbish.
It means that we have absolutely no hope of salvation without Jesus Christ. It means to realize that we are full of sin and in desperate need of God's grace and righteousness, and the poor in spirit realize that these can only be obtained by faith in Jesus Christ.
In Luke 15 we see how the prodigal son became poor in spirit. In his pride and arrogance he left his father's house, wasted his inheritance and fell into great need in some far away country. During a severe famine, this son had no job and nothing to eat. At that point, the text says, he came to himself. He went back to his father and said, "I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son" (Luke 15:21). That is being poor in spirit.
We also see an example of being poor in spirit illustrated again in Luke 18 in the account of the Pharisee and the tax collector. It is the story of a man who was confident of his own righteousness and who looked down on everybody else. Jesus told this parable: Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed this about himself: God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of what I get.
The tax collector stood at a distance. He felt he wasn't even worthy to look up to heaven, so keeping his eyes on the floor he said, "God, please have mercy on me, for I am nothing but a lowly sinner." (Luke 18:9-14). That is being poor in spirit. What was the result of the prayers of these men? The Pharisee went home condemned, while the tax collector went home justified.
Only the poor in spirit will enter into the kingdom of God. Why? Because they come to God having full knowledge of their own lostness and their own sinfulness. They readily confess that they are full of guilt and are totally unqualified to enter into the kingdom of God. The poor in spirit are the ones who have put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ.
Ice Cream
Baskin Robbins is honoring America ’s Firefighters by selling ice cream for $.31 cents per scoop on Wednesday, April 30th between 5 and 10 pm. Grab your friends, and/or the kids and have a cool one! This fundraiser for the firefighters is an important one for them, so let's go out and have ice cream and support a great cause.
http://www.baskinro bbins.com/ Promotion/ 31cent.aspx
Note that there is a 10 scoop per person limit.
http://www.baskinro bbins.com/ Promotion/ 31cent.aspx
Note that there is a 10 scoop per person limit.
Self Defense Class
Ladies,
Please join us on Tuesday, April 29th at 7:00PM in the Uth House. A self defense expert will be teaching us what to do in certain situations and how to defend ourselves.
All ages welcome - feel free to bring your teenage daughters! Please wear everyday clothes excluding skirts and dresses.
A love offering will be accepted for the instructor and XFC Training. Please contact me with any questions.
Blessings,
Corey
Please join us on Tuesday, April 29th at 7:00PM in the Uth House. A self defense expert will be teaching us what to do in certain situations and how to defend ourselves.
All ages welcome - feel free to bring your teenage daughters! Please wear everyday clothes excluding skirts and dresses.
A love offering will be accepted for the instructor and XFC Training. Please contact me with any questions.
Blessings,
Corey
Monday, April 21, 2008
Beatitudes
This is just a follow-up to the sermon from yesterday. I really enjoyed it! It encouraged me to come home and read the bible. If you are like me, I learned about this when I was younger but I need to revisit it so that I can teach it to my children! It is good for me too, of course!
Sermon on the Mount: This is the greatest sermon Jesus ever preached. The Lord's prayer, the beatitudes, and the golden rule are in this sermon.
Where was Jesus? Jesus delivered this sermon on a mountain near Capernaum. Tradition ascribes the site to an extinct volcano named Karne Hittim. Jesus sat while delivering the Sermon on the Mount. Sitting connotated authority, so rabbi's often sat while teaching.
Beatitudes - Teachings that begin with "blessed." The Latin word for blessed is beatus, from which we get the word beatitude. The beatitudes are found in Matthew 5: 3-12.
These were meant to comfort suffering believers. They are simply stated, but are profound in meaning. They guide. They point. They teach. They show us the values that Christ cares about. These values if followed, can not only bring a believer into a state of peace and happiness, but also right into the Kingdom of God after our journey on this earth is over.
Setting: When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying...
Beatitudes
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Sermon on the Mount: This is the greatest sermon Jesus ever preached. The Lord's prayer, the beatitudes, and the golden rule are in this sermon.
Where was Jesus? Jesus delivered this sermon on a mountain near Capernaum. Tradition ascribes the site to an extinct volcano named Karne Hittim. Jesus sat while delivering the Sermon on the Mount. Sitting connotated authority, so rabbi's often sat while teaching.
Beatitudes - Teachings that begin with "blessed." The Latin word for blessed is beatus, from which we get the word beatitude. The beatitudes are found in Matthew 5: 3-12.
These were meant to comfort suffering believers. They are simply stated, but are profound in meaning. They guide. They point. They teach. They show us the values that Christ cares about. These values if followed, can not only bring a believer into a state of peace and happiness, but also right into the Kingdom of God after our journey on this earth is over.
Setting: When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying...
Beatitudes
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Our Mission
We have decided on a mission that our mom's bible study is going to support. It is Operation Christmas Child.
Operation Christmas Child brings joy and hope to children in desperate situations around the world through gift-filled shoe boxes and the Good News of God's love. This program provides an opportunity for people of all ages to be involved in a simple, hands—on missions project while focusing on the true meaning of Christmas—Jesus Christ. If you missed the video on Friday, here is a link to view it: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/OCC_About.asp?OCCPath=1
Basically, we are filling a shoe box with toys and goodies as a present to go to a child in a third world country. That child may have never had a present in their entire life!
To find out more about packing the shoe box, click here: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/OCC_PackAShoeBox.asp?OCCPath=1 Amanda showed us a sample of a shoebox that she already put together. She enclosed a Christmas card with her kids names and ages and that it is from Tampa, Florida.
We want to collect them by May 16th, our final bible study class. You can do one box or one box from each of your children- that is up to you. We are just excited to participate in this wonderful mission together!
Operation Christmas Child brings joy and hope to children in desperate situations around the world through gift-filled shoe boxes and the Good News of God's love. This program provides an opportunity for people of all ages to be involved in a simple, hands—on missions project while focusing on the true meaning of Christmas—Jesus Christ. If you missed the video on Friday, here is a link to view it: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/OCC_About.asp?OCCPath=1
Basically, we are filling a shoe box with toys and goodies as a present to go to a child in a third world country. That child may have never had a present in their entire life!
To find out more about packing the shoe box, click here: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/OCC_PackAShoeBox.asp?OCCPath=1 Amanda showed us a sample of a shoebox that she already put together. She enclosed a Christmas card with her kids names and ages and that it is from Tampa, Florida.
We want to collect them by May 16th, our final bible study class. You can do one box or one box from each of your children- that is up to you. We are just excited to participate in this wonderful mission together!
Friday, April 18, 2008
Holy Spirit 101
Who or What is the Holy Spirit?
By Billy Graham, Tribune Media Services
Q: Who or what is the Holy Spirit? I'm a new Christian, and I hope you won't think I'm stupid for asking this. There are a lot of things I don't understand, but I really do want to learn what the Bible says. -- Mrs. N.McF. A:
A: I'm thankful you have recently given your life to Jesus, and I'm thankful also for your desire to understand God's Word. Nothing is more important than your spiritual growth; the Bible says, "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18). The Holy Spirit is God Himself (which is why we should never refer to Him as a thing or as "it"). When God works in the world, He does so by His Spirit. In other words, the Holy Spirit is God in action! In the very beginning, for example, the Bible says that "the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters" (Genesis 1:2). Then God spoke, and by the power of His Spirit the world came into being.
But the most important work of the Holy Spirit is in our lives. By His Spirit, God convicts us of our sins, and He draws us to Himself. By His Spirit, He also gives us new life. Jesus said, "No one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit" (John 3:5). And by His Spirit, God comes to live within us and helps us when we open our hearts and lives to Christ.
Thank God that He doesn't live in some far-off part of the universe but is with us by His Holy Spirit. Ask God to control you and guide you by His Spirit every day, and draw you closer to Himself.
By Billy Graham, Tribune Media Services
Q: Who or what is the Holy Spirit? I'm a new Christian, and I hope you won't think I'm stupid for asking this. There are a lot of things I don't understand, but I really do want to learn what the Bible says. -- Mrs. N.McF. A:
A: I'm thankful you have recently given your life to Jesus, and I'm thankful also for your desire to understand God's Word. Nothing is more important than your spiritual growth; the Bible says, "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18). The Holy Spirit is God Himself (which is why we should never refer to Him as a thing or as "it"). When God works in the world, He does so by His Spirit. In other words, the Holy Spirit is God in action! In the very beginning, for example, the Bible says that "the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters" (Genesis 1:2). Then God spoke, and by the power of His Spirit the world came into being.
But the most important work of the Holy Spirit is in our lives. By His Spirit, God convicts us of our sins, and He draws us to Himself. By His Spirit, He also gives us new life. Jesus said, "No one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit" (John 3:5). And by His Spirit, God comes to live within us and helps us when we open our hearts and lives to Christ.
Thank God that He doesn't live in some far-off part of the universe but is with us by His Holy Spirit. Ask God to control you and guide you by His Spirit every day, and draw you closer to Himself.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Third Day
You have to listen to this song. I love it. The message is wonderful. The music is great. Please give it a chance. I think that Third Day might be my favorite Christian group. They rock. I would say that they are "Rockin' like Dokken" but Dokken isn't very Christian and many of you don't know Dokken- or do you? Heehee! (They are from the 80's so I might be showing my age!) Do you have a favorite song that you would like to share? Email the name and we will feature it!
Mirage
This hit home with me today. I have been complaining to myself (and God hears me) about the difficulties of being stuck at home up with a child that hasn't slept well because of her recent surgery. If only she were better already, if only I had a full time cleaning person, laundry person, personal chef, etc. I might be exaggerating but you get the point.
Mirage
Sharon Jaynes
Today's Truth
"For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened" (Romans 1:21 NIV emphasis added).
Friend to Friend
Flutter. Flutter. Bang! Flutter. Flutter. Bang! Momma and Papa Bluebird danced in front of our sunroom windows, trying frantically to break through the glass barrier. Time and time again, they banged their feathered heads against the panes. What were they pursuing? Where were they trying to go? What had caught their eye? Why were they so persistent? I wanted desperately to help them solve their dilemma, but I couldn't figure out what the dilemma was.
After three days of this featherbrained, frenzied activity, I decided to put myself in their position, get a bird's eye view, and examine the situation from their perspective. I stepped out onto the patio, stood in front of the windows, and there it was. In the reflection of the glass was mirrored their birdhouse, some thirty feet behind me.
Mr. and Mrs. Bluebird's lovely cedar shingled home with decorative finial, sat on a tall pole nestled under the protective branches of an old oak tree. Their bed and breakfast came equipped with an adjoining spa - a concrete birdbath surrounded by fragrant rose bushes, bursting with red blossoms and a carpet of white annuals. But instead of being satisfied with their high rise estate, they were banging their heads against the pane, striving for a mirage, a mere reflection.
Amazingly, a few times they turned around, soared to their home, and crawled through its opening for a reprieve. However, before long, they were dive bombing into the glass again, trying to gain entrance into an illusion of something better.
This made me think of my own life and the many times I go flutter, flutter, bang- flutter, flutter, bang, striving for something that is just a cheap imitation of God's perfect provision for my life. Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans that I have for you, to prosper you, and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope."
Yet I argue, "Yeah, I know that God. I know you've provided me with this home and this job and with these particular gifts. But, well, I don't mean to sound ungrateful or anything, but I reaaaaly would be happy if you'd give me a house like Mary's over there. And you know Beth, well I reaaaaly would be happy if you made me a Bible teacher like she is. And you know Teresa? If I could just be as sweet as she is, I'd be satisfied. Then there's Laura. Now God, she has the prettiest blond silky hair. Could I just have hair like hers? Don't get me wrong, Lord. I do appreciate what you given me, but if I could just have................"
Well, you get the picture.
Flutter. Flutter. Bang! Flutter. Flutter. Bang!
The banging birds may have knocked themselves silly, but they also knocked some sense into my hard head. God has provided me with everything I need. As David, the psalmist wrote, The Lord is my Shepherd, I don't need anything! I can flutter about looking at the mirage of happiness in other people's windows, or I can nestle down in contentment and not get my feathers ruffled trying to get more. The way to keep from fluttering around from one mirage of happiness to the other is to stay close to home and be satisfied with my own nest, feathers, and chicks. I've learned that I'm most content when I'm at home in the Father's will, I'm nestled in His protective Branches, perched on the pole of His standard, nurtured by the Living water of His fountain, cleansed in the laver of the Holy Spirit, and beautified by the fragrance of the Rose of Sharon. And as Dorothy of Kansas once said, "There's no place like home."
Let's Pray
Dear Heavenly Father, forgive me when I complain about what I don't have and when I am not thankful for what I do have. Help me not to be like the people mentioned in Romans chapter one who "did not give thanks." I do thank you for all the blessings You have poured out in my life. I love you so much.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
Mirage
Sharon Jaynes
Today's Truth
"For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened" (Romans 1:21 NIV emphasis added).
Friend to Friend
Flutter. Flutter. Bang! Flutter. Flutter. Bang! Momma and Papa Bluebird danced in front of our sunroom windows, trying frantically to break through the glass barrier. Time and time again, they banged their feathered heads against the panes. What were they pursuing? Where were they trying to go? What had caught their eye? Why were they so persistent? I wanted desperately to help them solve their dilemma, but I couldn't figure out what the dilemma was.
After three days of this featherbrained, frenzied activity, I decided to put myself in their position, get a bird's eye view, and examine the situation from their perspective. I stepped out onto the patio, stood in front of the windows, and there it was. In the reflection of the glass was mirrored their birdhouse, some thirty feet behind me.
Mr. and Mrs. Bluebird's lovely cedar shingled home with decorative finial, sat on a tall pole nestled under the protective branches of an old oak tree. Their bed and breakfast came equipped with an adjoining spa - a concrete birdbath surrounded by fragrant rose bushes, bursting with red blossoms and a carpet of white annuals. But instead of being satisfied with their high rise estate, they were banging their heads against the pane, striving for a mirage, a mere reflection.
Amazingly, a few times they turned around, soared to their home, and crawled through its opening for a reprieve. However, before long, they were dive bombing into the glass again, trying to gain entrance into an illusion of something better.
This made me think of my own life and the many times I go flutter, flutter, bang- flutter, flutter, bang, striving for something that is just a cheap imitation of God's perfect provision for my life. Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans that I have for you, to prosper you, and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope."
Yet I argue, "Yeah, I know that God. I know you've provided me with this home and this job and with these particular gifts. But, well, I don't mean to sound ungrateful or anything, but I reaaaaly would be happy if you'd give me a house like Mary's over there. And you know Beth, well I reaaaaly would be happy if you made me a Bible teacher like she is. And you know Teresa? If I could just be as sweet as she is, I'd be satisfied. Then there's Laura. Now God, she has the prettiest blond silky hair. Could I just have hair like hers? Don't get me wrong, Lord. I do appreciate what you given me, but if I could just have................"
Well, you get the picture.
Flutter. Flutter. Bang! Flutter. Flutter. Bang!
The banging birds may have knocked themselves silly, but they also knocked some sense into my hard head. God has provided me with everything I need. As David, the psalmist wrote, The Lord is my Shepherd, I don't need anything! I can flutter about looking at the mirage of happiness in other people's windows, or I can nestle down in contentment and not get my feathers ruffled trying to get more. The way to keep from fluttering around from one mirage of happiness to the other is to stay close to home and be satisfied with my own nest, feathers, and chicks. I've learned that I'm most content when I'm at home in the Father's will, I'm nestled in His protective Branches, perched on the pole of His standard, nurtured by the Living water of His fountain, cleansed in the laver of the Holy Spirit, and beautified by the fragrance of the Rose of Sharon. And as Dorothy of Kansas once said, "There's no place like home."
Let's Pray
Dear Heavenly Father, forgive me when I complain about what I don't have and when I am not thankful for what I do have. Help me not to be like the people mentioned in Romans chapter one who "did not give thanks." I do thank you for all the blessings You have poured out in my life. I love you so much.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
Saturday, April 12, 2008
God Gives Us Strength
More from Godtube. This might make you cry so don't view without a tissue. Our Redeemer Lives!
"What a help you are to the weak! How you have saved the arm without strength!"
Job 26:2 NASB
Friday, April 4, 2008
SuperChix (That's us-right?!)
Check out this video! I love the song! It is catching. I heard it on the way to school and I couldn't stop singing it.
http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=70f274e6775d4d60496d
Happy Friday!
http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=70f274e6775d4d60496d
Happy Friday!
Thursday, April 3, 2008
A Changed Life
A Changed Life
Sharon Jaynes
Today's Truth
"They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony" (Revelation 12:11 NIV)
Friend to Friend
I have so many stories of how prayer has changed men's lives, but I have chosen to tell you about a man named Allan. Allan was raised by a single mother with five other siblings in eastern North Carolina . His own father died when he was five-years-old, and his country mother had the daunting task of raising her six children during the final years of the Great Depression.
As a young man, Allan worked at a small town lumber company driving a delivery truck. He graduated from High School at seventeen, became a soldier in the Korean War at eighteen, became a husband at nineteen, and became a father at twenty. Over the next thirty years, Allan moved from driving a delivery truck to managing a prosperous building supply company. He and his wife, Louise, had another child when he was twenty-five and then another when he was twenty-eight.
Financially, life was moving along quite well for Allan and Louise, however, there was a secret in their household that very few knew. Allan had a severe drinking problem. He didn't drink everyday, but when he did, the alcohol consumed him and transformed him into a vicious man. Most of the time, his violent outbursts were aimed at his wife. Unfortunately, his children watched in terror as he broke furniture into pieces, hit their mother with his fist, and cut the family to pieces with harsh and cruel words.
But something amazing happened as Allan approached forty. His fourteen-year-old daughter befriended a woman in her neighborhood who introduced her to Jesus Christ. His teenage daughter fell in love with Jesus. He wasn't quite sure what to think about her new found faith. "Oh, it's a phase," he told her. "I'm sure it will pass. Just don't go overboard."
Louise became intrigued with her daughter's new found faith but had a difficult time trusting in a God who had allowed such heartache in her own life. Their daughter began to pray for both parents to come to know Christ as their Savior and after two years, it seemed her mom's cold heart was beginning to melt.
God did answer the young girl's prayer and her mom accepted Jesus as her personal Lord and Savior. This is where I want to bring you dear friends. Yes, God intervened in a young girl's life. Yes, He saved her mother as well. But could God get hold of Allan's heart? A drinker, carouser, womanizer, gambler, just to name a few of his more colorful attributes? Could God do that?
Louise and her daughter began to pray that God would soften Allan's hardened heart. For years, they prayed and little by little, they witnessed God chisel away at his tough exterior. "I'll stop drinkin'," Allan said one night, "but I cannot become a Christian. I've done some terrible things in my life and I don't think God could ever forgive me. I could never be good enough."
"Oh, daddy," the young girl replied. "God will forgive you just as soon as you ask. Besides, we can never be good enough. If we could, Jesus wouldn't have had to die for our sins on the cross."
As God began to soften Allan's heart, he did indeed stop drinking -- cold turkey. That in itself was a miracle. But a volcano of anger always seemed to rumble just below the surface, and Louise never knew when that anger would erupt and spew the lava of hatred and bitterness in their lives. She continued to pray for her husband and believed God for a miracle.
Three years after Louise had given her life to the Lord and begun her journey of praying for her husband, Allan experienced a symphony of twists and turns that only God could have orchestrated. Buckling under the pressure, Allan was heading towards a nervous breakdown and total loss of control.
Now God had him just where he wanted him. He hit rock bottom and the only place to go was to reach up. He met a pastor who was building his church in the woods. He had a hammer in his hand and Jesus in his heart.
"I need you to pray for me," Allan explained with tears running down his weathered face.
So for several hours, Allan sat on a log with a fellow builder and told him all he had ever done. Amazingly, the very things Allan had felt God could never forgive him of, this pastor had done as well. Therefore, after five years of a young girl's prayers for her daddy and three years of a wife's prayers for her husband, Allan knelt in the woods and asked God to forgive him of all his sins, and received Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior. That day, Allan became a new creation in Christ -- and it all began with prayer.
Later he explained. "I told that man all I had ever done and he said he had done the same things. I figured that if God could forgive him, and even let him be a preacher, then he could forgive me too."
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound.
For me, this is a sweet story. It is a miraculous memory. Allan was my daddy.
Let's Pray
Dear Lord, help me never forget all that you have done in my life and those around me. And for those in my family that do not know you as Savior and Lord, I continue to pray for them and believe. This is the most important prayer I can pray...a prayer that those I love will come to saving faith.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
This was taken from a devotional called Girlfriends in God from http://www.crosswalk.com/
Sharon Jaynes
Today's Truth
"They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony" (Revelation 12:11 NIV)
Friend to Friend
I have so many stories of how prayer has changed men's lives, but I have chosen to tell you about a man named Allan. Allan was raised by a single mother with five other siblings in eastern North Carolina . His own father died when he was five-years-old, and his country mother had the daunting task of raising her six children during the final years of the Great Depression.
As a young man, Allan worked at a small town lumber company driving a delivery truck. He graduated from High School at seventeen, became a soldier in the Korean War at eighteen, became a husband at nineteen, and became a father at twenty. Over the next thirty years, Allan moved from driving a delivery truck to managing a prosperous building supply company. He and his wife, Louise, had another child when he was twenty-five and then another when he was twenty-eight.
Financially, life was moving along quite well for Allan and Louise, however, there was a secret in their household that very few knew. Allan had a severe drinking problem. He didn't drink everyday, but when he did, the alcohol consumed him and transformed him into a vicious man. Most of the time, his violent outbursts were aimed at his wife. Unfortunately, his children watched in terror as he broke furniture into pieces, hit their mother with his fist, and cut the family to pieces with harsh and cruel words.
But something amazing happened as Allan approached forty. His fourteen-year-old daughter befriended a woman in her neighborhood who introduced her to Jesus Christ. His teenage daughter fell in love with Jesus. He wasn't quite sure what to think about her new found faith. "Oh, it's a phase," he told her. "I'm sure it will pass. Just don't go overboard."
Louise became intrigued with her daughter's new found faith but had a difficult time trusting in a God who had allowed such heartache in her own life. Their daughter began to pray for both parents to come to know Christ as their Savior and after two years, it seemed her mom's cold heart was beginning to melt.
God did answer the young girl's prayer and her mom accepted Jesus as her personal Lord and Savior. This is where I want to bring you dear friends. Yes, God intervened in a young girl's life. Yes, He saved her mother as well. But could God get hold of Allan's heart? A drinker, carouser, womanizer, gambler, just to name a few of his more colorful attributes? Could God do that?
Louise and her daughter began to pray that God would soften Allan's hardened heart. For years, they prayed and little by little, they witnessed God chisel away at his tough exterior. "I'll stop drinkin'," Allan said one night, "but I cannot become a Christian. I've done some terrible things in my life and I don't think God could ever forgive me. I could never be good enough."
"Oh, daddy," the young girl replied. "God will forgive you just as soon as you ask. Besides, we can never be good enough. If we could, Jesus wouldn't have had to die for our sins on the cross."
As God began to soften Allan's heart, he did indeed stop drinking -- cold turkey. That in itself was a miracle. But a volcano of anger always seemed to rumble just below the surface, and Louise never knew when that anger would erupt and spew the lava of hatred and bitterness in their lives. She continued to pray for her husband and believed God for a miracle.
Three years after Louise had given her life to the Lord and begun her journey of praying for her husband, Allan experienced a symphony of twists and turns that only God could have orchestrated. Buckling under the pressure, Allan was heading towards a nervous breakdown and total loss of control.
Now God had him just where he wanted him. He hit rock bottom and the only place to go was to reach up. He met a pastor who was building his church in the woods. He had a hammer in his hand and Jesus in his heart.
"I need you to pray for me," Allan explained with tears running down his weathered face.
So for several hours, Allan sat on a log with a fellow builder and told him all he had ever done. Amazingly, the very things Allan had felt God could never forgive him of, this pastor had done as well. Therefore, after five years of a young girl's prayers for her daddy and three years of a wife's prayers for her husband, Allan knelt in the woods and asked God to forgive him of all his sins, and received Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior. That day, Allan became a new creation in Christ -- and it all began with prayer.
Later he explained. "I told that man all I had ever done and he said he had done the same things. I figured that if God could forgive him, and even let him be a preacher, then he could forgive me too."
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound.
For me, this is a sweet story. It is a miraculous memory. Allan was my daddy.
Let's Pray
Dear Lord, help me never forget all that you have done in my life and those around me. And for those in my family that do not know you as Savior and Lord, I continue to pray for them and believe. This is the most important prayer I can pray...a prayer that those I love will come to saving faith.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
This was taken from a devotional called Girlfriends in God from http://www.crosswalk.com/
Websites of Interest
http://www.positivemom.com/ This is the website from Karol Ladd, the author of our book Power of a Positive Mom. Check it out. She even has daily inspirational messages! (Input courtesy of Kelley!)
On to a even sweeter note....
Wanna host a chocolate party at your house April 25, 26, or 27? Hershey's Bliss is hosting 10,000 chocolate parties in homes across America. http://www.houseparty.com/hersheysbliss
(Input courtesy of Sarah)
Check out http://www.emanna.com/ to receive daily email devotionals. (Input courtesy of Jody)
On to a even sweeter note....
Wanna host a chocolate party at your house April 25, 26, or 27? Hershey's Bliss is hosting 10,000 chocolate parties in homes across America. http://www.houseparty.com/hersheysbliss
(Input courtesy of Sarah)
Check out http://www.emanna.com/ to receive daily email devotionals. (Input courtesy of Jody)
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