Tuesday, June 25, 2013

June 25, 2013

Good morning all-

I took a peak at the stats counter and saw women from all over the world are beginning to hit this blog and all I could say is praise Jesus!  If you just started reading then you may not know that this blog began out of the pain of losing my mom.  I talked to her every morning at 6 am central standard for my entire adult life.  She filled 7 days a week with her warm voice and her great advice and then on December 20th she left me with such grief I wasn't sure I would go on and then, two years later he took my dad.  I felt like I was drowning so I turned to my best friend, whose name is Jesus.  He came to me and  took my passion of writing and my need to do something bigger than myself and showed me that I could write a blog. So here I am writing and wondering how I got so lucky to be in a place where women all over the world are praising Jesus together.  I am truly blessed.

Yesterday, I talked about faithfulness and I would like to stay on that topic today.  We so struggle with being faithful, don't we?  Some might think it's just men but I can guarantee there are women that give up when the road is too difficult.  I did once and yet, amazingly, Jesus waited and when I was ready He opened His arms and let me back in.  I think it's part of finding faithfulness and even then we still struggle to stay the course.

Often when I'm thinking about faithfulness, I wonder why God is so faithful.  The Israelites started making a golden calf at the bottom of the mountain Moses was watching God carve the 10 commandments.  The Israelites doubted so much that they had to wander in the desert and the generation that started never got to see Israel.  David who struck down a giant when no adult could eventually had an affair that had many consequences and then there was Abraham, who let Sarah convince him to take their maid and make a son.  How amazingly unfaithful we are, wouldn't you agree?  And yet, beyond the stupidity of humanity lies a God that loves His people.  He waits for us and shows us love no matter how dumb we truly get.  His faithfulness began from the beginning and His greatest gift was Jesus.

I often think about the gift He gave me.  I wasn't worthy and still can't proclaim that I am and yet, the Savior loves me anyway.  I can flounder, sin, walk away and still have Jesus sitting on His throne waiting for me to say two words, "Forgive me."  Wow!  Have you thought about that lately.  We hold people far more accountable than that.  How many times have you walked away from a close friend because they did you wrong?  You don't have to answer that out loud but really think about it.

We are harsher here on earth than our Father is.  He welcomes us in even when we are despicable. What did we do to deserve that kind of faithfulness? Nothing.  That's the clue to salvation.  We don't have to do anything except come to Him when He calls.  It's the best easy button ever invented and yet, many of us choose not to go there.  I can't imagine why but then, I'm one not to question love and devotion.  I believe in it and I thank Jesus every day for dying on that cross.

My word of encouragement stands today around the Lord's act of faithfulness.  We have the rainbow as a sign of everlasting faithfulness, we have the cross as the greatest sign of all.  In order to be faithful we must be in prayer, walk with Jesus and repent.  Our faithfulness depends on our dedication to our friendship with Jesus.  He knows we can't do it in our own strength so depend on Him today and see how faithful He is.  May you all be well today and thank you for taking the time to hit this blog.  I hope it blesses you as much as it blesses me.

Matthew 24:35 NIV:

    Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

Acts 14:22 NIV:

    strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith.  "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God, " they said.

My prayer today:

O, Lord, come before Your children today and help us be faithful.  We see the stars, the moon and the sky.  We watch for storms and look for rainbows but at the end of every day all we want is to know You are near.  I am a sinner, lost and often unfaithful.  I come before You today, crying out and asking You to bring the Holy Spirit into us to help guide us and to give us courage for the day.  We are no different then the men and women that came before, be with us and remind us that You have been faithful from the beginning.  Thank You Jesus for pouring Your spirit into the souls of the lost.  In Jesus Name, AMEN

Until tomorrow...

Monday, June 24, 2013

June 24,2013

Good morning all-

Yesterday, my family celebrated the birth of my two brothers.  One was born on the 12th the other on the 21st.  I had a great cake made for them that represented what they loved and what my dad loved.  It was fitting since he's gone and they are still here sharing in his legacy.

The lunch was interesting for many reasons.  I think the first was that my youngest brother and I have struggled over the last couple of years.  He isn't always very nice and he continues to do things that just aren't right.  But some things are changing.  He's going to church and learning the Bible.  The lunch made me think back to two years ago when the three of us went to lunch.  Dad was dying and for some reason, I chose that time to share my faith.  He didn't want to live his life for Jesus, if there was one.  So I began to depict what Jesus meant to me.  Dean interjected too and although my passion is great; I think Dean's logical mind met Spencer right where he was.

My dad ended up dying 2 weeks later and as we sat recanting memories for the minister; I looked at my brother and told him that I would never be silent again.  So in the service, I told the story of a daughter sitting by her dad's hospital bed praying that Christ would come to him in a dream.  I read and read my Bible asking God to do a miracle for my family and take my dad home.  As I prayed, I began to hear him mumble, his hands folded and he began to point upward.  It's the only sign I ever had that he had accepted Jesus.  As I looked upon what was left of my family yesterday, I again prayed that God would keep us whole and that the legacy of my parents would live on.

So in order to show them how much I loved them, I wrote a personal note in their cards.  It's so easy to go and buy a card today and sometimes it says what you want it to but many times it's just an easy way out.  I wanted their cards to represent my heart and I hope they did.  The cake was just something cool i could do for them and I'm glad I did it because my baby brother posted it on Facebook.  I guess that means it was really great!

God is great too!  He gives us hope when we are hopeless.  He loves the lost probably more than He loves us and He continues to show me daily never to give up on those that seem hopeless.  If you had asked me two years ago if my brother would be going to church, I would have told you, now way!  Flash forward to today and he goes every Sunday.  I'm not sure he's saved yet but he's on his way and when he gets there I will know it was Christ that did it.

I guess that brings me to my point today.  Before I went to the lunch, I sat at church hearing my pastor preach on faithfulness.  At the end of the day, that's really where we are at.  Will we be faithful to the end?  He talked about Luke and Acts and how they intertwined into a positive story of faithfulness.  It wasn't just the walks of Peter and Paul; it was the faithfulness of God.  Christ rose in a different body.  A body that was able to eat with the disciples.  A man who was God.  The point that most hit home is that the path to the cross would not have been stopped.  The journey began and ended exactly as God intended it too.  No man could have gotten between what must be completed.  Only God knew the time, the hour and the way.  So one man, born God, took the sins of all of us and landed on a cross to be sacrificed in front of all.  He bore the sin so that man could know eternity.

The story made me think of my dad and my brothers.  We must be faithful to run the race and not get weary.  There will be times when we want to cave into defeat.  I pray that will not happen.  Be strong, be courageous and remember that your Father died so that you could spend eternity with Him.  Jesus was our Savior and no matter how many times people say He wasn't; He was!

I'm running out of time and will have to finish this later.  I love you all dearly.  May God show you how blessed you are to be His.  I will try to finish this later tonight.  Many blessings my sisters!

Sunday, June 23, 2013

June 23, 2013

Good morning all-

Well yesterday was full of basketball.  I got to watch my son play in 3 games and he did great once he got over his attitude.  He also took a major spill and now I'm waiting to see if he needs to have an x-ray on his arm.  It's weird when you see a 6'7" person fall to the ground, it looks like a tree falling, literally.

The first game was interesting.  He had never played with most of the kids on this team and he wasn't sure he would even get the ball.  I watched my son moment by moment become frustrated and lose his passion.  After the game I asked him what was going on.  He said, "I told you I wouldn't get the ball." I asked him what did that matter.  He said, "I get mad and I'm not going for rebounds if I can't shoot."  We talked about it over our dinner and I told him that shouldn't matter and that he needed to play hard no matter what.  I think it's the reason he struggles sometimes.  He gets mad and gives up.  Not a great way to live your life.  So I encouraged him to go out there and play and if he had to yell for the ball, then yell.

Amazingly, I watched as the team transformed.  They began to use all their players and out of it came a win of over 35 points.  He did score and he did rebound.  Basically, he played his part and earned the respect of his fellow basketball players.  They weren't yelling at him anymore they were cheering him.

It's amazing how our attitude directs our coarse.  When we become sour and think what we do doesn't matter, all kinds of things happen.  The worst thing is we begin to reflect what's in our heart and everyone can see it.  It's not hard to look at a person and see what's in their heart.  Spend time with them and you will begin to see a complainer or worse someone that doesn't care about anything.  I know of people like that and I try to encourage them to be better than themselves.  I want to reflect Christ at all times and although I have floundered, if I center myself in Him, I come back putting Him first and not me.

A team can not function with individuals.  Although it is made up of different personalities and different styles a team can only be a team when those things come together for the good.  The same goes for Christians.  If we only have one or two out there and none of us are taking our talents to the streets, what then?  I can tell you what, nothing gets done.  That's why we are a body of believers.  There is no "I" in team, right?

Just like my son learned a valuable lesson yesterday, so must we.  To be on Christ's team means we must pool our resources, our talents and our hearts to be His body, to persuade His people and to be His!  Many stand out and we can name them right now, like Beth Moore and Anne Lott but they aren't just individuals they are women using their talents for the best team ever!

I learned something yesterday too.  Don't give up.  I watched as my son found himself and the confidence he needed to play with an all African-American team.  He was the only white one and believe me he stood out.  He also stood out because he towered over all of them.  But for me, the greatest reason he stood out is because he played not as an individual but as part of the body and the result was two more wins.  I don't know if we will win on everything we do as a body but I do know that when we ban together for the good, great things happen.  Ban with me today and call upon the Holy Spirit.  Fill your minds with the team mentality and let Christ shine through you.  We are one in Him and He is one in us and that makes for a solid team.

Go out today knowing that you are counted amongst the greatest team to ever hit this earth.  We are on the winning team and although it gets tough, through Jesus all things are possible.  May God bless you and keep you today as you find your "I" is now part of the greatest team of all time!

I love you all and I'm praying that your attitude would show the fullness of our Father.  Take each day and ask Him to come into your heart.  We get hit on all sides and it takes Him to right our path.  Just like it did for my son and if you could say a little prayer for Hunter today.  The arm he fell on was the elbow he broke in 1st grade.  I'm praying he didn't break it again.  Take care my friends and know I am praying that God continues to grow us into the greatest team yet to come.

1 Corinthians 12: 14 NIV:

     Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

Ephesians 4:12 NIV:

     to equip His people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

My prayer today:

O, Lord, thank You for the body.  The older this world gets the more independent it becomes.  Most people try to rely on their own strength, their own power and their own wisdom.  We get down when situations are tough.  Our attitude sours and we become lonely individuals with no passion and no character.  And then You come into our lives and give us a sense of hope for tomorrow.  You feed us Your word and You help us diagnose our hearts and then, we find You.  We must shed the falsehood of individualism and put on the cloak of righteousness.  There is no "I" in team.  You made it that way. You want us to be part of something greater than ourselves and You want us to spread the word.  We ask today that You would watch over our hearts and create an attitude in the world of service for Your glory.  Today, we come before You and praise You for creating us to be not one, but many.  Take our hands, guide our feet and make us souls that love You.  There is no greater honor than to be on Your team.  Thank You for putting our talents, our hearts and our souls into one body that glorifies You.  In Jesus name, AMEN.

Until tomorrow...

Saturday, June 22, 2013

June 19, 2013

Good morning all-

Sorry I haven't been on in a couple of days, lots going on at work.  Actually, my story today will be about my job and God's faithfulness.   Have you ever had a time in your life you made a really bad decision and the consequences were high?  I have and I'm sure many of you have too.  Well, my boss made a strategic move several years ago that cost him his company.  His partners were dirty and wanted the money more than the business.  Because he believed in them and the decisions he was making, he lost everything.

Two years later, he started his own business.  He had saved his former company in a lawsuit and then decided to start a competing company.  I was told by the management that he was stupid, didn't know what he was doing and would never be a success.  Fast forward to today, he has the smartest tech from his old company, the best salesman and a wonderful project manager.  He treats people well and they follow.

I prayed a lot before I went with him.  This is a small company and it's hard to say what direction it will go.  My former company had great benefits but just didn't offer the challenge.  I knew the risk would be my reward and yesterday, I watched as God helped my boss and showed him that He was real.  We were able not to lose a huge client, I got a deal with one of my old customers and soon  I will get more and I even have a crack at another customer.  It was a really good day.  I leaned over to my boss and said,"You better thank God because He's done all of this for you."  He agreed.  I called him after I got off the elevator and he said he felt like crying.  I told him that God is faithful and when he leads well God will be there helping him.  That's exactly what happened.  He got on his knees last night and thanked God for the blessings.  See, we're not sure we're going to make it.  Small companies come and go, but yesterday, I knew we were and that God was leading the charge.

We aren't always going to be blessed.  We aren't going to understand why God does what He does?  And more than likely, we won't know we've been blessed until it happens.  I don't wait to see God's hand, I pray and ask His will to come and for Him to direct me.  I have been praying for this company before it ever got started.  I have been asking God to help my boss since the day everything came crashing down.  I have hoped beyond hope that this business would become a great success because the man leading the company saved my former company.  He didn't do it for the new owner or for all the management that left him, he did it for his employees and because they had stood behind him when the crisis began.  I admire that kind of leadership and now I'm seeing it unfold right before my eyes. We won't get everything we touch but we will get some things we touch and for every deal that comes in, I know who to thank.  Jesus has been there from the beginning, working behind the scenes, orchestrating this business and as long as Christ goes before me, I know my path will be set.

Do I worry about the future?  Amazingly, no.  I think that for the first time in my life; I'm giving it to Jesus.  Before I would give part of my direction, part of my mind, part of my commitment and then I would take the rest, worry, fear and walk on pins until I could see the outcome.  It's crazy as I write it but it's true.  I have to keep reminding myself that I didn't get here overnight and that this business is God's.  I continue to try to be a light in my company.  It's hard to be a leader.  You have to do things you don't want to do.  You have to be strong when you want to fall apart and you have to be in control when things don't look in control.  My boss is good at it.  We were facing a financial crisis with the mistake that happened and through prayer, I could see Christ comforting Him.

My goal today is just to be with Jesus.  I have missed writing this week and every time I sat down, I had to go to a meeting.  I worked 15 hour days and loved it. My only problem is this blog got pushed aside and as you know when this gets pushed aside, so does Christ.  I love Jesus and I want to give Him the time He deserves.  While waiting on clients, I was able to read some Scripture and because prayer is such a big part of my life, I read the words in Matthew 6.  I don't think people realize how important prayer is.  Long before we had the Word, we had prayer.  Adam and Eve walked in the Garden of Eden with God and the disciples walked with Jesus but the rest of us only have one way to walk with God, that's through prayer.  Our communion, even in busy times, relies on prayer.  So in my hotel room, I prayed when I got up and I prayed when I went to bed.  I heard the words of Jesus and I stayed faithful in prayer.  My Father and I are one and when I come to Him, He is near.

I pray that your faithfulness has been good this week and although I didn't write that you spent time with Christ.  I know you did because every time I strike a key, I feel your presence and ask God to bless and keep you.  I've missed you this week my sisters and I hope you missed me too.  Write if you feel like it, I would love to hear how God is moving in your hearts.

Matthew 6:5-6 NIV

     "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others.  Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.  But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.  Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

My prayer today:

O, Lord, You are mighty!  My words are few today but they are full of praise and worship.  Thank You for being near when I am lost.  Thank You for guiding me when I'm confused.  Thank You for washing peace over me when I am anxious.  Thank You for listening in the dark and providing light the next day.  Thank You for taking me by still waters and for fortifying my soul.  Thank You for wanting to be in relationship and for giving me the Holy Spirit.  Thank You for standing beside me in times of trouble and for healing my heart. Thank You for being faithful when I'm faithless.  Thank You for just being You.  In my heart, You are the way, the truth, the light.  Keep guiding me, Jesus, through all my days.  I give my sisters to You today.  They live in every nation and the one thing we have in common is the cross.  Continue to make us strong in You and give us the tools to be Your mighty warriors.  In Jesus name, AMEN

Until tomorrow...

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

June 10, 2013

Good morning all-

It was a good and weary weekend.  I helped my husband purge his garage, got all my laundry done, washed blankets and comforters, and cleaned many places that haven't seen my hand in a while.  I am not a perfectionist when it comes to house cleaning and my children are definitely more messy than neat, so I guess I get overwhelmed with the day to day chores and sometimes I have to admit, I give up.  I could hear that same frustration in my husband's voice on Friday night.  He just didn't know where to start and then again on Saturday afternoon.  So, without hesitation, I knew I had to start cleaning the garage for him and everything else would come together.

It's hard to start on a major project when everything looks overwhelming.  How many people quit before they even get started?  If you've lost your job you know what I'm talking about.  Frustration sets in, inadequacy, loss, and defeat are all you can see and then if you have verve, you keep plugging away until you achieve something, it might be an application or an interview but at least you keep going until you do one thing.

That's what the people of the Bible did.  Do you think they had it easy?  The disciples didn't even have a house to take care of or a trade.  They roamed with Jesus staying in strangers houses, talking about something most didn't understand and fighting for a cause many didn't want.  I'm sure they were overwhelmed at times and from the stories we can hear some of their frustrations.  It couldn't have been easy to be on the sea when the wind picked up and tossed the boat.  It definitely couldn't have been easy when thousands were hungry and needed food and it wasn't easy watching the one person that made life right, die on a cross for a crime He didn't commit.

Life is overwhelming.  Anyone that says it isn't, I would love to meet.  There are times when we must look at it one bite at a time.  When you feel out of sorts, feel like giving up, you have to ask yourself this one question, "What will tomorrow bring?"  We don't have that answer do we but then our forefather's knew if they hung on, they might see a miracle or show someone the love of Christ.  Every day was not easy, the path was treacherous.  As a matter of fact, most of the disciples lost their lives for the cause.  Being disciples, being Christians, will never be easy.  We know that but either is it easy living with no hope, no future, and no eternity.  I can't believe how many people think this is it.  I cringe at the thought.  Really?  This is all we get, a life of overwhelming events and nothing to show for it, that would just be a sad day.  But we don't just have that, we have a God that purges our hearts, who forgives our sins and who shows us how to get up every morning.  We have a God that loves us even though we don't deserve it.  We have a God that gave His life for us.  That's a life I want to live, don't you?

I hope today finds you well my sisters.  I hope that God shows you that being overwhelmed today could be the next step to finding Him more clearly.  Like my husband and the garage, it just takes one step, choose Jesus and your path will be clear.

Matthew 6:34 NIV

     Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.

My prayer today:

O, Lord, bless us and keep us in today.  Show us the wonders of who You are.  Day by day, show us Your will for our life and never let us go.  Take us through today with joy, cause and a sense of passion for You.  Give us the ability to be strong and courageous and always mold us to be more like You. Tomorrow will come and there will be challenges in that moment.  Be with all my sisters today and show them the power of following You!  In Jesus name, AMEN

Until tomorrow...

Sunday, June 9, 2013

June 9, 2013

Good morning all-

Yesterday, I went to a funeral of a 91 year old woman, she was the grandma of one of my co-workers.  I have been to many funerals and this one by far touched my heart.  No one in my family has lived past their 60's, so it was quite an honor to hear one woman's story of love and devotion through WWI all the way to 2013.

This woman did not have an easy life.  She raised two young boys while her husband was at war.  She couldn't pay the milkman so she put them in the closet and told them not to make a sound, that is until her oldest told him to go away because his mom couldn't pay him.  We all laughed at that comment but what I realized is her funeral was going to be full of love, joy and a sense of what I want my life to end like.

She was a woman devout to Christ and to the men and women he brought to her.  She cooked, told stories and was known as someone that would tell you her mind.  They labeled her feisty.  One of her dearest friends sat next to me and told me story after story of how much this woman meant to her and others.  They had lost their husbands just a year apart and Lois's grandson, the man I work with, was born the same year as this precious ladies grandson was.  There lives had intertwined so deep that she knew what her yard looked like, who mowed it and how much she loved her family. She was sad but I could tell she was glad her friend suffered no more.

There were many people at the funeral with sadness in their heart but also they had smiles on their faces because they knew that Heaven opened and welcomed in one of the great soldiers.  She was a woman who believed that God was present, that He was her rock and that His love was her love.  I admired her, even though I didn't know her.  That's who I want to be at the end of my life, don't you?

I want to serve people and love them.  I want to show my grandchildren and hopefully my great-grandchildren what it's like to be with Jesus.  I want them to know what a legacy is and how you fulfill it.  I want them to know that the blood of Jesus runs through my veins and theirs.  I am a work-in-progress and I guess what comforts me is that she was too.  Her heart and soul poured out to strangers, to family and to friends and if I have to live on this earth, that's what I want mine to do too.

I don't believe in coincidences.  I believe that God orchestrates this life and we are given time to be perfected.  I believe that our days are numbered and although we don't know the date that things will end, I do know that we have a mission to fulfill.  Whether it's taking meals to someone that is poor or sick, or filling a money jar for a cause, we must take our passion which is the love of Christ, to His people.  We aren't in control of the events that happen all around us but we are in control of loving Him and spreading love, not just at home but all around the world.

I have my faults and so did she but they didn't talk about her faults, they talked about the joy she had baking people cookies, introducing her grandchildren to fudge and her love that showed in the dedication of her boys as they sat by her side for weeks trying to figure out what was wrong.  She was in a lot of pain when she died, so much so, that they had to up her pain medicine and force her into a drug induced coma.  She had challenges just like we do but she faced them and knew where she would end up, right in Jesus's arms.  That's what it's meant to leave a legacy.  It's not the treasures we store here or the possessions we can amass; it's the love of one woman that showed on anyone that touched her life.

I hope this story brings gladness to your heart.  It did to mine.  I will remain thinking about it for days.  And just for kicks, I'm taking her grandson peanut butter cups and fudge tomorrow.  Why?  Because at the end of her life, that's the memory he wrote on a piece of paper, to recant her love and devotion to him. 

May today find you well and may God find favor on us as we turn toward Him.  Be blessed today and make someone a memory that will last a lifetime!  The following passage was read at her funeral and it is precious to me.

1 John 3:1-2 NIV:

     See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!  And that is what we are!  The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.  Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known, but we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

My prayer today:

O, Lord, God in Heaven, how we pray to You to make us woman like Lois.  I want to be a woman that hears Your call and moves forward.  I want to be a woman that loves her family and anyone that touches my life.  I want to be a woman that at the end, You welcome with open arms and say, "Good job my servant."  I know that I have my flaws.  I flounder in certain circumstances; I worry way to much and I fear the unknown.  You continue to work on me, perfecting me to the end and I cherish You for it.  I know that my blood is Your blood.  I know that I don't deserve You but You love me anyway.  I know that at the end of my life there will be things I didn't do right but that's where forgiveness steps in.  I love You Lord with all the fiber in my being.  When I miss a day with You my spirit feels it.  You are my rock and I need to be beside it every day.  You ground me when the world could take over. You show me my faults and I repent.  You lead me by still waters and provide peace where there isn't any to find and You love me unconditionally.  For all that and more, Thank YOU!  I pray that the family that lost their loved one this week will have many memories of her faithfulness to You.  I pray that they will see her legacy and continue it for all time.  I know that one woman's life can change a generation and I hope that this generation will continue her passion for You, her love for her family and the ability to love others as if they were her own.  Thank You for a woman like Lois.  Her funeral made me think of how I want to be in my last days on earth and it made me smile to know that souls are scattered all around the world just like her.  Be with us today and help us see Your will for our lives.  Be with us and bring people to us that need love!  In Jesus name, AMEN

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

June 5, 2013

Good morning all-

Today I want to really encourage you to send in your prayers.  I have a burden for God's people and I really want to be able to pray for women all over the world.  It seems to me that we need prayer now, more than any other time in History.  We are becoming creatures of our own doing and in doing so we lose Christ.  I love to hear from you and it blesses me, but more than that, I want to pray for your needs.

Prayer is an essential part of my life.  I find myself praying at work, praying on my ride home, praying when I get a message and of course, praying when life just isn't going my way.  The message today is pray, pray, pray without ceasing.

Most people don't understand why this is so important.  Reading and understanding the Bible is sometimes more important to people then getting on our knees and praying.  During Jesus's time there wasn't a Bible at hand.  He was the word and that word went to a desert, climbed a mountain and secluded Himself on a regular basis to be one with His Father.  How did He do that?  By praying.  He taught His disciples to pray for the multitudes, to pray with the Gentiles, to walk miles and pray for the lost, the hungry, the broken and the leper.  He didn't differentiate between the ones He thought were good, they were to pray without ceasing and help the lost find Him.

All through the Bible, we see great warriors of God praying.  Sometimes they ranted, cried, asked questions, and sometimes they saw Him in dreams.  But however people communicated with God, they eventually ended up praying.

If prayer is not a staple in your day then you haven't given Christ His due.  Basically, you have run around in a religion and forgotten the key component of Christianity which is relationship.  You may know Scripture better than I do.  You might have studied theology and be able to tell me the principles behind a certain religion but if you don't pray and work on your relationship with Jesus, all the knowledge in the world is useless.

You must connect with the Spirit in order to know the King.  You must put Him first in Your day and ask Him to lead You.  You must give up religion for a relationship.  I have known a lot of religious people and the religion wraps them in pride.  But those that pray, and seek only One, you will find in their heart lies the secret to life.  For as you pray, Christ becomes one in you.  He abides in you and you begin to have His heart.  Your sins are still there but you know them and you repent of them and that's what we are called to do.

Would I love to be an expert at the Bible?  Absolutely.  But at the end of the day, I want people to see my relationship with Jesus.  People respond to hope, joy and love.  All three of these are within Christ.  We need it to sustain life and without it we are nothing.  So take some time today and pray.  Pray for yourself or even better pray for someone else. You'll be surprised at how much empathy you have for another person the minute you quit praying.  Part of trusting someone is being in relationship with them.   If you aren't in relationship, how will you ever trust?  Something to chew on today ladies!

May God bless you and keep you all of your days.  Your hits to this blog are my inspiration and I hope that today you become closer to God and to me through prayer.  I can't see your face but I can feel your spirit every time I type a word.  Be faithful to yourself and shred the cloak of religion.  Become one with Jesus by stepping into His Holy space and praying for your families, your countries and the world.  It's amazing how one heart can expand to love the world.  Jesus did!

Proverbs 15:29 NIV:

     The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.

Luke 22:45 NIV:

    When He rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, He found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow.

My prayer today:

O, Lord, most high. I come before You today asking You to help the ladies that read this blog. Give them a passion for prayer and help them understand what it means to be in relationship to You.  We were given the keys to Heaven when You died on that cross but there are so many different religions and ways of thinking.  The more I ponder it; I realize that we must be committed to not only reading the Word but meditating on it. We must take that knowledge and put it into prayer.  We must seize today and become closer to You by spending time with You.  We are what we spend time on.  I can tell You that 80% of my time revolves around my career, family and friends.  Some times I'm ashamed of that because I know I need to spend more time with You.  My time with You is precious.  It happens in the shower, when I'm cooking, driving home from work, in a grocery store and in my work environment.  Basically, every time I step toward prayer I see You in a mighty way.  Help me today to put more time back into You.  Help the women of this blog get closer to You by putting You in the captains chair.  We must find time, somewhere in our day to praise You and to thank You.  May You provide that time for us so that we can become closer to You.  Thank You for every moment You give me and for every time I've needed You.  But most of all, thank You for being my Father, my Friend, my Comforter.  In Jesus name.  AMEN

Until tomorrow...

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

June 4, 2013

Good morning all-

Well today is a very special ladies birthday.  I have watched her grow over the last couple of years and she means the world to me.  She happens to mean the world to my son too so it's even more special.  Once upon a time, I met a girl and for some reason God fastened her to my heart.  She befriended an awkward boy who didn't really fit in anywhere but who had a heart of gold.  Today, she holds that heart and it has been my pleasure to watch her grow, not only in her faith, but in him.  I don't know what the future holds but I do know that for the time they have been together, she has been a blessing to my family and my son.  She actually saved me in more ways than she knows.

Isn't funny how God brings someone into your life and you think, "I'm here to help."  And then the next minute, you find yourself being helped by that person.  Life has no coincidences.  I truly believe that and I have found myself praying for strangers or asking someone if I can pray with them and they don't even know me.  I love Christ and through my love, my spirit shines through.  However, I always love to watch what Christ will do.  One minute I think I'm in a place for a reason and then He shows me it was for entirely different reason.  I continue to watch over my pride because I never want to be a Pharisee; I just want to follow Christ.

I'm sure you have all experienced situations like this and continue to look for avenues to help people.  Like you, I have responsibilities, people who need me and a husband that isn't all about me saving the world, not that I try too, but still.  He likes me at home and by his side, so volunteering a ton, having lots of outside activities beyond work and him are not part of the deal.  That's why when God gave me the idea to write the blog I knew it was Him.  I can sit home and write about Him every day, time allowing.  I can spread His word with the stroke of my keyboard and I can pray over the readers and it's content.  I can listen for His spirit and I can watch for Him right here at home.  I may never get to fulfill my dream of speaking to thousands of woman, but here at home I am anyway.

God uses us right where we are.  He helps us get out of ourselves and into others lives by following Him.  If you say your a Christian then at some point in your walk, you will begin to feel the need to minister and love others, it's all part of the plan.  I might have thought that Saras was brought into my life just to mentor her.  That wasn't completely true.  She was brought into my life to fill a part of me that was empty after my mom died.  God did that for me.  Instead of talking every morning at 6 am, I got to schedule breakfast on Saturday and love someone else.  It filled a part of me that I thought would be lost forever.  That's what Christ does.  When you least expect it, God fills you by putting you in circumstances where love never fails.  My mom used to say, "I love you more."  It got to be quite the saying around here but when she died it had more meaning than I can say.  That love, the love of one woman spans into the children she left behind.  Her grandchildren now hold the same key and it's my belief that they will spread it on.  One woman with a goal to love.  Don't get me wrong she wanted to be loved more than anyone I know but she was able to give love with nothing in return, now that's true love.

Christ is like that too.  We get mad at Him.  We cry toward Him.   We insinuate that He doesn't care, that life is unfair.  He listens, He waits and then He heals.  It's just a matter of time.  He knows us and does not hold us to our sins, He carries them.  My rock is Jesus.  He will always be the true symbol of love as long as I'm on this earth.  It's what I preach and believe me, I have bad days just like everyone else.  I have thrown tantrums, wondered why, questioned if he loved me and wondered how much longer I would have to sustain the roller coaster of life.  But at the end of me, He always shines through.  His gift to me was the precious girl I just wrote about.  See as you get older, your sons grow up and they start needing you in a different way and then your best friend meets Jesus in Heaven and you wonder how you will get through another day.  So you pray and you ask God to give you someone to care for and He does.  And at that moment, you realize this life is not about you but it's about Him.  I am most appreciative for that.

May God bless you and keep you my sisters.  And for the angel that is Saras, Happy Birthday.  You have been a light in my darkness and I pray this year God blesses you in a whole new way.


1 John 4:10 NIV

     This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

My prayer today:

O, Lord, thank You for loving us more.  Thank You for filling the darkness with Your light.  Thank You for the sun, the moon, and the stars.  Thank You for showing us that love is not about us, it's about You.  My prayer today is that You will use me and my words to spread the Gospel.  That with each stroke I will tell the story that is You.  I pray that I will not misrepresent You or the work that You are needing us to do.  I want to show Your light to the world by being real, honest and true.  Although I have my faults, which You know well, You have continued to grow me and mold me.  Make the daughters that hold You dear, Your might warriors.  Give us a spirit to spread the word and to become mighty women of You.  Hold onto those women that are suffering and bring them light just as You have done for me so many times.  At the end of my life all I wish to say is, "I LOVE YOU MORE." May You bless and keep us today and in every event show us how to serve You better.  I love You Lord and so do the ladies that read this blog.  Please give them the keys to the kingdom and spread joy throughout the world.  In Jesus name, AMEN

Until tomorrow...

(I will check later)

Monday, June 3, 2013

June 3, 2013

Good morning all-

Much has happened in the last couple of days.  Mark and I watched our 3 year old nephew and then we had a Birthday party for Austin's girlfriend.  Life has so many dynamics.  When I look at the little girl that walked in our wedding and now see her pregnant with her 2nd and her little son, who by the way reminds me of her, it's just astounding how time and life roll on.  She suffered a huge loss last year, her mother took her own life.  It was sad and she was young.  Her father on the other hand, who is Mark's dad too, is going to celebrate 79 years this year.  He was supposed to go first but when depression steals a life we are left with the results.

It's been a time for me to reflect on the loss of my mom, because so many are suffering around me.  The difference is that they are in their 20's and I was in my 40's.  I think the hardest event in life is losing your mom, that of course is if all your children have survived.  For some reason it's the maternal spirit that guides you, loves you when no one else will and fills you with hope.  When that spirit leaves this earth, it's hard to know which way to turn.

Recently, my sons friend's mom passed away suddenly.  He had to travel half way around the world to see her hooked to hoses but he made it just in time to say good-bye.  Within 48 hours of him coming home, she was gone.  He hadn't touched her in 3 years.  His only contact was a still body where the spirit had already taken flight.  Can you imagine?  All his friends think he's being melodramatic.  I know he's not.  He constantly says the same things and worries if he can make it without her.  He lost his job two days before she died.  Basically, he has been hit with the two biggest things that can happen to a person and he must persevere.  I can't explain to his friends what it's like because you must experience the heart wrenching loss of a parent to get it.  You feel empty, lonely and in some ways you know that no one will love you like she did.

He will be in pain for a while longer.  I need him to cling to Jesus, which he really isn't doing right now.  His faith was one that waved in the wind anyway and now it's waving furiously.  I keep putting Christ in the middle because I believe his faith will become stronger through his great suffering.  Because at the end of the day, it's our faith that will propel us through hard times, not our own strength. No one gets that until they can't get out of bed in the morning.  Then an epiphany strikes and you realize that your purpose was not locked to a person, it's sealed with His blood.

I hope today finds you well my sisters and I hope that you are clinging to our Father.  His hand is near and His strength is before us.  We must continue to fight the good fight and look for Him in all circumstances.  We must do our duty as His daughters and pray for those that can't pray for themselves.  I pray today that God would favor You and keep you all of your days.  May He bless us all!


Ephesians 3:6 NIV:

    This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

Deuteronomy 20:4 NIV:

    For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.

My prayer today:

O, Lord, guide the steps of Your people.  It seems that as the world gets more selfish and evil we rely on our own strength and not Yours.  You state for us that we are Your heirs.  Heirs are taken care of, provided for, and taught how to be leaders.  We, as Your daughters, stand before You today with gladness in our hearts, for we know, that You are our strength.  Go before us today and fight for us, fight for our children and fight for those to come.  Keep us from evil and give our hearts a renewed spirit.  We see You, morning through night, because we know that Your will must be our will.  Protect the lost as they try to make sense of the challenges they face and help all of us trust You more.  I am a servant who falls just like everyone else but You are my King and You lead me by still waters.  Reign down on us and fill us with Your Holy Presence.  We cry out to You from the plains, the mountains and from every nation, be with us today Lord and bless Your people.  In Jesus name, AMEN

Until tomorrow...

(sorry, no time to proofread today)