Keeping My Faith in Tact!

Why God? It is what is circling through my mind right now. The spiritual battle today has been relentless but it shouldn't surprise me at all. In fact, far too many times I go about my day forgetting it's a battlefield and not a playground. Yet I find myself caught off guard when it seems like you're at the beach dodging one wave only to get pummeled by another one. 

So as a believer in Christ it is logical to question what's up? Is there any guidance to be gleaned? My first thought is prayer first, and then wait and listen to see what God has to say. 

I got a phone call today in the midst of a hard day already. Trying to deal with so many family issues that are all raging out of control today and all happening one after the other. Today, I am trying to remain in control of the one thing I can and that's my faith. 

It's my go to when things like today happen. My dad, almost 81 years old was scheduled for hernia surgery today and we prayed together last night that no matter what happened it would be a win-win situation as a believer. He would either have a successful surgery or he would go immediately into heaven and be 100% restored again and living a wonderful life til we get together again. 

Only neither of those were the outcome. During the midst of his surgery, his heart began to act up and both the doctor and his anesthesiologist decided to stop before risking his life. Not even sure how far or even if they started his surgery. All I know is he is in recovery and they are waiting for him to wake up. Was God getting ready to take him home? Not sure, but at least He decided my dad's time here on earth wasn't done yet. He still has a plan and a purpose for this right now. He was needed here. 

I am praying that God will give him some sort of peace in the midst of this. He had been looking forward to hanging out with his military honor guard friends again that he volunteers with and with the onset of this hernia, he hasn't been able to participate due to the pain. Will God heal him in spite of a failed surgery? 

These are the questions rolling through my mind as I sit here once again taking up blogging to give myself some sort of outlet for all the things. I wait to hear from him and see what he has to say when he wakes up. I pray that he won't lose his faith. He may question it all after this, but I pray God will be there with him and give him a sense of purpose again. I am thankful he is still here. 

Is there another answer for what has happened to his heart during his surgery? We have to wait for more answers when he meets with his doctor. What I am grateful for at this time, is I can feel God's presence with me. I feel a strength that isn't my own. I feel Him holding me. 

So now I wait for more answers, both from God and from my Dad. But the one thing I won't give up on is my faith. I may not know the Why, but I do know God and I am trying to stay in His presence. That is here I can find peace and strength. 

How do you handle those tough days? 

When You Became a Christian, How Did Your Life Change?

I think it's important to leave a lasting legacy. For some that might include passing down family history, items of importance, money, or even a home or car. Some might argue, that these worldly things are not necessary and while I can agree to some extent, I think there are ones that are more priceless than anything money can buy.

These are the things that make up who we are, things like our kindness, our love, the way we teach what we have learned to those who need instruction. In fact, the one thing my family loves is that they have all my YouTube videos to reflect back on if something should happen to me. It conveys who I am underneath my outside exterior.

So as a part of this legacy, I want to capture those moments that one may never have the opportunity to ask. I found a book called "A Family Legacy for Your Children" and in this case, its for Moms to write down your story in your own words, so I am putting mine out there for the entire world to see and hope you'll consider doing the same.

Today's question for reflection is simply, "When You Became A Christian, How Did Your Life Change?"

For me, I can easily remember that one day when I realized that a relationship with Jesus was so much more than my Catholic upbringing and all the required classes that went with it could ever teach me. I started attending a "Christian" church with my ex-husband. It was during a youth group teaching that I really started to make the connection that God was something more, than a script you read each time you attended. It was more than all the kneeling, standing and sitting repetition I only knew from the rare times our family did attend church, which was like the CEO session. It means Christmas and Easter Only. That was my mom to a "T."

Yet the basis for the faith types are still the same foundations. A belief in Jesus as God's only Son, that He died for our sins, and was resurrected and now lives in heaven waiting to welcome us home. Its just all the religious ceremonies that stand in the way of that personal relationship with our Savior.

When I found that personal connection, I knew this is something so profound and deep I desperately wanted it. So when the pastor asked if we wanted to accept Christ into our life, I knew I wanted to run to get there as fast as possible. I spent my time at the front of church, on my knees sobbing for the opportunity that presented itself that day. I guess when I look back and to this day, I am still someone who cries in church, but for all the right reasons. I cry when someone gets that same opportunity that I did, because I know how much it will change things for them. I cry when I stand in the dark during worship service listening to the voice of other believers singing with me, like a fore-shadowing of what is to come, when I get to heaven.

What happened at that moment, when I asked God into my life? Besides the overwhelming feeling of a love I had never experience, I don't think anyone is prepared for those moments that follow. That not everyone will welcome that joyful experience. I remember my joy at wanting to share that with as many people as possible, was not something my mom was even remotely thrilled with. I think she was beyond upset, thinking I had joined some religious cult, but no matter what I tried to tell her, she wasn't buying.

From talking to others, that is what so many experience as well. Long traditions of growing up in the "Church" now replaced for a more simple faith. One not of religious ceremonies but that one on one connection we experience in the quietness of a simple prayer when we talk to God. I think most new believers face that very same opposition, and its so sad. I guess most don't understand the concepts of their faith, and don't realize that we all have to make that personal choice for ourselves.

Some people I have talked with, not even have that overwhelming emotional moment I had at the front of the church. Some people don't have any emotional response at all, and that can be scary. I think people are looking for that magical moment that for some, doesn't happen at all. It doesn't mean anything hasn't changed on the inside, but over time, I find things happen as the Holy Spirit goes to work in your life, like cleaning a house out one room, one closet or one drawer at a time. So I want to encourage you if you didn't have an emotional moment when you gave your life to God, that He is still at work in your life. Often times you will find you can no longer "do" the things you once did. It might mean, no more swearing, no more lying, no more desiring to go out and enjoy the worldly pleasures like you once did. You sense a deep conviction when asked to participate in things you know God doesn't want you to, and for some, you might just pass that feeling off as good intentions of your own heart, without acknowledging that this comes from the Spirit now living inside you, that is causing you to rethink thing differently now.

Go with that feeling. In fact, I would encourage you to find other believers and a great teaching church to get involved with. I have to say that while I found some bits of learning here and there, it wasn't until a couple years ago, that I found a great church in Chino Hills and I can say without a doubt, I have learned more in the short time there, then in my entire Christian life as a believer. I think that is important for us in our Christian growth.

We need that in our lives. A connection with others to strengthen and encourage us in a world that day by day grows darker. We need that infusion of faith and hope in our lives and church does that. It helps you get through the days when you simply feel that spiritual battle wages on. The great thing is that with the advancement of technology, we can benefit from those teaching sessions through LIVE streaming or even recorded replays for when we can't get to church, or the churches we find are just not "feeding our souls" well enough. I have that link below for Pastor Jack Hibbs of Calvary Chapel of Chino Hills. He is a man with the heart after God's and isn't afraid to apply the Bible to our lives today and how we as believers should respond to what's happening in the world and for me, this is what I have needed so desperately in my life for so long.

I am curious though, when you became a Christian, how did your life change?

I'd love to hear your story and hope you found some value in mine as well.

If You Are Faithful...

There is a verse in the Bible that has been part of what I'm working on in my own personal walk of faith lately. It is from the Book of Matthew 25:21, and it says, "His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much." 

This has been the precedent over my entire business and personal life, when I can remember it. When I first started out in launching my business, I knew I wanted it to be centered on my faith. Sure there are those that take a beating when they mention their faith, but I wanted my to not be hidden, to shine like a light on a hill, not something covered up so I could possibly profit even more. I was determined that God would be the focus on what I am doing, and if anyone could make it succeed, the Creator of Heavens and the Earth would be a great foundation to build upon. 

I'm not saying it doesn't take a whole lot of work, but I find if I take time for God first, He will take care of the rest. So each day, I start with God first, and try to end it with Him as well. I want my faith to be front and center and it has always been a dream of mine to have a faith based business, and to be able to use my talents to encourage and help others to achieve their own level of success by building on the same character traits I hope to drive home. 

It has been a true blessing to help women to take a role in their own successes, to help encourage them in their efforts and most of all to step aside when it is their moment to shine. I believe that is what God has called me to do and for now, the business side of things is all up to Him. I simply use my creative talents to show others what is possible and along the way offer up prayer to those who need it. Without God at the center of this, I don't want any part of it. I can simply go back to quietly reading books and reviewing them as well as products. Until that happens, I will continue to walk in faith and give all the glory and honor to my Father in Heaven. I just need to continue to faithful in everything I do and keep working at it one step at a time. 

If Nothing Changes, Nothing Changes

Being a corporate trainer for more than 10 years has led me through many changes both with the customers I worked with, the company I worked for and the employees I had the chance to encourage during my time there. It was one of my favorite jobs in my work history. It also led me through changes, some I was fine with and others that challenged me not to rebel but to move through them so things would settle down again.

Change is like trying to resist the waves. No matter how hard you try, it's still going to happen. You can try as hard as you like, but more than likely, you'll eventually find yourself tossed back to the shore. You're goal in life is to find the positive in that change. Whether it is the lose of a job that brings you to the point of wondering how it will all work out without money coming in, a medical diagnosis that brings you to your knees and to tears, the loss of a close family member, friend or pet, life is going to happen whether you join in or not.

One of the things that people who are close to me, hear me say a lot, when faced with that change is that, 'if nothing changes, nothing changes." I guess I remember hearing a message from Joyce Meyers that conveyed the Israelite's journey in the wilderness for 40 years. Did you know that it was only a 40-day journey to get to where they were eventually going to go? So why the longevity of a journey? Didn't someone ask,"Hey, haven't we been here before?" What was the point of such a long detour?

It's because they weren't willing to accept the changes God had in store for them. Sure they were all ready to give up a live of slavery in Egypt, and embrace that promise of a land filled with milk and honey, but it was because their hearts weren't in the right place. After all they had seen God do during that time of wandering, they still begged to question, "Why God?" Wouldn't life had been better in Egypt where things were comfortable, normal, no change to face. We knew what was expected, even though we hated it, still all they seemed to do is complain.

So that long detour is what we all face when we come across a change we're not ready for. I call them Life Tests from God. If you don't rise up to the challenge and figure out a way through that challenge, God sends you back on another journey round the desert again, until you finally stop your complaining and move through the test. God never leaves you, He is always by your side even when you can't feel it. Just like He never left His people in the desert. They walked away from Him.

So if you are facing an uncertainty in your life right now, I would ask you, how can you get through this with God's help? Have you prayed about it? Where is God in your day? Are you hoping to get through your 'To Do" list to finally set aside some time to pray and maybe read your devotions? Carve out just 15-minutes of your mornings and pray, read your Bible and see if your day doesn't go better. See if your attitude needs its own adjustment and remember what I say, "If nothing changes, NOTHING Changes!"

Prayer Request

People always pass around the comment, "Will you pray for me?"

Often times we say we will, but why don't we pray for them right when they ask? Are we too embarrassed, too busy or honestly believe by the end of the day we might remember? I wonder if it isn't a ploy by the enemy to keep us so distracted and busy, that opportunities to unleash the power of prayer is wasted by the busyness of this world.

Prayer has so much potential we don't even see, that when we simply stop and do it, it changes everything we may not see happening. Perhaps it is providing for protection for our loved ones on their travels to work or home. Perhaps it is to give them discernment regarding a decision that may not be what God wants in their life. Perhaps it is the reinforcements that are called to action in the spiritual realm that all they need is that one quick prayer to change the outcome in someone's life or offer that miracle we all seek to have.

The Bible is clear that the prayers of the saints, are keeping in a golden bowl in heaven. Not one is wasted. So why mention this unless prayer has a lot more power than we ever hoped to believe it does. Sometimes I believe our prayers are half-hearted, like we simply don't believe anything will change so our hearts lack the faith to believe that prayer will change anything. Perhaps you've been praying for the salvation of someone, a miracle from healing of cancer, or a thousand things I can't even think of, why do you doubt your prayer has any affect? Is it because you don't see those changes you want to happen right now, like praying for that person who has battled back cancer only to have it come back worse than ever? So why bother praying for it?

I know that God will always answer prayer in one of three ways, Yes! No. Or wait. We all hate the word No, from the time we were infants to even now, the word No is not one we want to accept. Yes is always the favored response, but then again God is not our genie in a bottle just waiting around for our wishes to be requested. Wait is even harder than No. At least with No, you can move on, but we all want to know just how long we will have to wait for that Yes or No. Sometimes it's til the end of the day, or for others it may not be until the other side of heaven for us to see, but one thing the Bible tells us is to not give up praying.

My pastor said it best when asked to pray for a dying man. While the family wanted a miracle, our pastor asked if he was saved. Not knowing the absolute answer to that question, he simply asked God for an opportunity to be able to share the gospel with this man before he died. Now that might seem harsh since that isn't what the family asked for, but we have to understand and know this, that nothing that robs us of the physical body transfers over to heaven, if we are saved through our faith in Christ. It stays behind in that physical suit we've been wearing called our body. But it is the condition of our souls that is the most important. Where we will be spending an eternity that matters most!!! So that should always be our first response to pray for the soul, then the body. We want to know when we breathe our last breath here, that our next breath will be in heaven free from everything that held us back on earth, like cancer, a permanent disability, age, you name it.

I'm asking for you to pray for two very important people, women I've never met, but know them through Facebook, and both going through difficult times, I wouldn't wish on anyone. Pray for my dear friend Sharon, who has been given news that her husband is not expected to live through the week. Also pray for my dear friend Lyndee who is to undergo surgery on March 20 for her heart, and that fear that always accompanies the unknown. I also ask for prayer for my dear friend Niki, who is undergoing her fourth battle against cancer and is going through chemo again. I pray that she will not suffer through any of the complications from chemo and that she will be strengthen to win this battle once and for all.

Lord, we pray for these three wonderful women who have been challenged to face their own challenges in this world in very different ways. We pray for them first of all that You would make Yourself very present in their lives right now. I ask for unprecedented favor in both their lives, for strength to get them through the day physical and not give up. I pray for protection against the enemy, that you would surround them with spiritual protection from thoughts that betray Your plans for them, to cast fear, worry and doubt aside. I ask that friends and family be rallied to help them in any physical way to act as Your hands and feet today. I ask for the peace that surpasses all understanding to fill them from the inside out with a warmth, every single time someone joins in agreement to pray for them. Fortify them in your strength and power Lord. Let them know that You love them so much during their difficulties and You stand ready with them through every single step. Let their faith best tested, so that it will be a faith that is trusted Lord and may their worries cease when they call on Your name for help, in Jesus Name, AMEN!!

If you have need of prayer, and would like us to pray for you, please leave a comment below and will be praying for you and your needs.

A Very Busy Life

To say that I am busy in any one particular day might be an understatement.

I often lie awake in bed unable to sleep with such a large "To Do" list looming ahead of me for the following day. When Steve is out traveling for work, then all of the daily things needing to be done, fall on my shoulders. It makes me wonder just how much sleep can I skip out on, and still get it all done. I find myself staying up later trying to cram it all in, in hopes that tomorrow might have less things needing to get done in it.

Starting a small home based business can be fun, but it is a lot of hard work. You have to not only make the product, but market it, post about it, and get it sold if you can really say you have a home based business. You have to sell quite a bit to get it from simply being a hobby, to being a business as well. So you have to also become a part time accountant. You need to know if you are really turning a profit or merely trading supplies from one project to the next.

You also have to stay up with the latest trends because business now a days are not run like they used to be. Everything I am discovering is that it is all online driven, so you also have to be your own shipping and receiving as well as Customer Service department as well. I can't wait to be able to hire those who are really good at what they do from handing operating and maintaining a website, obtaining more supplies, production, marketing, oh you can see where this is going on top of spending some time learning about the business trends of a home based business.

Doing it in your mid-50's isn't hard, it just is mastering where your proficiencies are. Good luck with that. Plus there are so many variables you don't consider in doing that. You have to put in an 8-hour day if you hope to make this a full time business. For me, it is keeping it fresh and fun, while still using the talents and time God has given you to keep things interesting. So when I am not running my small business, I am still reviewing books, even though I have cut it back by 200%. No longer reading them every single day, I have scaled it back to 2 per week, but even that can seem difficult as well.

You want to be great at it all, but some days just seem a bit overwhelming. Like yesterday, I had gotten so far behind on my devotions and reading my Bible, that it was going to take some time. It was something I didn't want to stop doing, and found there is blessings when you are obedient to God over your own wants and needs. He can help you to manage your schedule, to help build your business and thankfully use the talents and resources He has provided to help you move forward just a bit day by day.

So remember, if you feel down in the dumps or overwhelmed, grab your Bible, spend some time with God first, and see how much better your day can go. 

Proof That God Exists!

We've all heard those scoffers who try to riddle Christians with one of two arguments against the existence of God. "If God can do anything, can He make a rock He can't lift?" and "If God is real, who created Him?"

Psalm 14:1 ~ "The fool says in his heart, "There is no God."(NIV).

Wouldn't you love to know just how to answer these skeptics, atheists or scoffers who claim that there is No God? I am going to share with you 5 reasons that prove that God exists. If you don't believe me, I encourage you to research them for yourself.

Is it Reasonable to believe in God? I would say that without a doubt it is. Here are those 5 evidences for the existence of God.

Roman 1:20 ~ "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." (NIV)

This is the perfect scripture from the Bible to provide to people who wonder what happens to the people who have never seen a Bile or the Word of God. God's evidence of who He is, is everywhere we look.

1. The Cosmos itself testifies to a Creator. 

Psalm 19:1-4 ~ "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heaven's he has pitched a tent for the sun." (NIV).

The cosmos demands a Creator. Do you believe that the cosmos exists? Meaning the stars in the night sky?

There are 3 possibilities to explain the existence of the universe or cosmos. If you agree it does in fact exist, which I am 100% certain, people can agree with.

1. It has always existed (It's eternal).
2. It created itself.
3. It was created by something or someone.

So let's break down these arguments.

1. It has always existed. 

The scientific evidence has demolished this theory with such proof as Background Radiation Echos, the Second Law of Thermodynamics and others which prove that the Universe began to exist. Even reputable Stephen Hawking believes the universe had a beginning. Even 3000 years after Moses penned the words found in Genesis 1:1

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."

Even famed astrophysicist Dr. Arno Penzias quote in an article in the New York Times in March of 1978,

"The best data we have [concerning the Big Bang] are exactly what I would have predicted, had I nothing to go on but the five books of Moses, the Psalms, the bible as a whole."

So based on these two notables among many others, we can throw that theory out that the Universe has always existed. Science has verified that is not true.

2. It created itself. 

That anything could create itself, it would have to exist and not exist. It is irrational to believe this. In fact if you ask most of those who believe in the Big Bang theory, what existed before that, they will tell you nothing. So what does nothing look like:

Exactly that. Even the dictionary defined nothing as No Thing. Nothing, therefore, can not do something. It can not see, smell, hear or create anything. Nothing can't create something. It doesn't make sense to anyone rational person, so that throws out that argument.

That only leaves,

3. It was created by someone or something. It was created by God based on reason and evidence. 

So to answer that first challenging question, "Who made God?" the answer is nobody. God has always existed. He is eternal and therefore, does not need to be created.

Psalm 90:2 ~ "Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God." (NIV).

Something or someone must have always existed. The universe does require a creator as we have already proven.

If you look at any painting, such as the one pictured below:

What evidence needs to exist to prove that a painter painted this picture?

2. The Conditions for Life.

In order for any life to exist on this planet, things have to have been fine tuned to such precise details to support life.

Stephen Hawking argues this perfectly, "“ You cannot understand the glories of the universe without believing there is some Supreme Power behind it.”

There are 40 physical features that define for the perfect balance to happen on this planet to support life, from the speed of light, force of gravity, mass of an electron, or energy in a carbon atom. If just one of those things were just slightly out of balance the planet could not sustain life. Dr. Donald Page of Princeton calculated the odds of the universe randomly being created are

1 in 10,000,000,000 to the 124th power.

Atheists would argue that not only is there life on this planet but on multiple planets known quite simply as the multiverse theory. But there is no scientific evidence to support the multi-verse theory that humans just happened upon the world we live on when it was created. If they can't explain this one, how can they possibly try to explain multiple universes?

3. The Complexity of Life

Intelligent design is not hard to recognize. Therefore, an intelligent designer must exist. To consider all the things that are in and on this planet, screams evidence of a designer. But we will just look at the human body, whom atheists argue just happened from nothing or even evolved into what we are today.

The human body is comprised of so many different systems from the circulatory system, skeletal system, digestive system, respiratory system, nervous system and more along with the uncanny ability to heal itself and fight off disease.

That is like saying if you take a solid sheet of bedrock in the middle of the woods, and allow wind, rain, erosion and the formation of atoms over time, you would create Mount Rushmore, right ?

The human brain alone holds enough information to fill twenty million books. The human heart pumps 50,000 gallons of blood every month and it's only the size of your fist. The human eye contains over 2 million parts. The human cell is the smallest matter in the universe and just 1 cell is more complex than the entire city of New York, and more advanced than any super computer ever created. There are over 100 trillion cells in your human body.

DNA alone is enough to argue that things just didn't randomly occur from nothing. The 6 feet of DNA code coiled up in one cell tells your body specifically what to do. It is essentially the software for your body. Even people understand that computer software doesn't create itself without a programmer, and the odds are against DNA coming into being randomly were calculated by Francis Click at 1:10 to the 2,000,000,000 power. DNA didn't just come to be.

Antony Flew once the largest atheist proponate who argued against their being a creator, who has spent the last 50 years defending the theory against the evidence for a God, changed his mind in December of 2004, where he concluded that God must exist, based on the overwhelming evidence on DNA alone. He even wrote a book called, There is A (NO) God. The word No is crossed out.

For more scientific experts who have made the same conclusion as Antony Flew, visit www.DissentFromDarwin.org

4. The Canon of Scripture

Which simply means the collections of Books found within the Bible. The enormous evidence that can be found in the Bible including over 100s of fulfilled prophecies and archaeological discoveries that confirm what is written in the Bible is true, including the Dead Sea Scrolls.

5. Christ, Himself. 

In order for God to exist, he must be sinless, holy, speak the greatest words every recorded, manifest the love of God, perform supernatural dealings, exert a profound power of human personalities. Hmm, did such a person exist? Yes, in Jesus Christ, the ONLY one to fulfill all the criteria people would expect a God to exhibit and the books of the New Testament substantiate the deity of Jesus.

So you can see, without using the Bible, we can conclude with rational and intelligent minds that God does in fact exist based on the evidence. I would challenge you to research these claims for yourself and see if God does exist. People have been trying forever to prove that He doesn't exist, but this clearly shows that He does. He is the perfect God who has always been, is the Creator and will always be. He exists outside the limits of time and is eternal. With that, you certainly can't argue that He doesn't exist. One will simply have to much faith to believe that too be true. 

 
 

Father-Filtered Faith

There isn't one person who doesn't go through their life, without some degree of difficulty. Perhaps it's a health issue, a financial issue, a job loss, the loss of a family member, at the proverbial end of our rope. I can't imagine how people who don't have faith in Jesus make it, when the difficulties come. They either turn to alcohol or drugs to medicate so they can temporarily forget their issues, but it is still waiting for them when they finish the effects of their drugs or alcohol use.

Some fall into deep despair and others try to take their own lives or even the lives of others as things spiral so out of control, they loss all sense of rational thought. Their emotions begin to flood them with all kinds of thoughts, that they simply can't handle them all at once. It becomes beyond overwhelming.

But to the believer in Jesus Christ, it is different for us. Those same circumstances will come, but we don't lose control like they do. When we have Jesus in our life, we will have peace. In the moment of difficulty, our faith is put to the ultimate test. Just reading the Bible to people who are troubled, or are in pain, can be such a healing balm, that their pain seems to subside, and peace comes upon them. If you stop reading it, they will often tell you to keep reading it. It can't be explained why that happens, but it does.

It is much easier to be a believer now, than to wait for more difficult times to come. Trust me, you don't want to wait until after the Rapture of the church to become a believer in Jesus Christ. Escape that moment that will come to those who waited. We have such promises from God that when difficulties in this life come, God will not leave us. We have hope in Jesus.

John 11:25 (NIV) ~ " Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

John 6:40 (NIV) ~ "For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."

Matthew 28:20b (NIV) ~ "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Psalm 139:7-10 (NIV) ~ "Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast."

We can be confident living in difficult and troubling times.

John 6:51 (NIV) ~ "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."

2 Corinthians 5:7-8 (NIV) ~ "We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord."

John 14:1-2 (NIV) ~ "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you."

How would you fare if your faith is called into account?

As believers we have the blessed assurance that God will help us endure it right to the end. Tribulations or trials in this life can feel like being crushed or being under immense pressure. But we need to rejoice because it is all Father-filtered!!! Nothing that happens in the life of a believer does so without God being 100% aware of it.

Philippians 3:10-11 (NIV) ~ "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead."

God at times, specifically engineers difficulties in our life. He tailor makes them so that the Word that we have been hearing gets knocked down from our heads into our hearts. We can know this, if God created it, He knows we will get through it with victory.

We will prosper based on what we are going through. It may not be money, if you are dealing with health issues, you'd be thrilled to get well. While someone who is struggling in their marriage would rather have restoration and reconciliation over money. Don't be fooled, money is never the answer to what is ailing us. God is.

Matthew 16:26 (NIV) ~ "What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

We should be taking a different look at our trials and realize if we are believers in Jesus, God knows what we are going through, we will be victorious when we get to the end, because this difficulty has been "God-filtered." It will make us stronger in our faith, stronger to persevere in our next trial and we continue to grow ever closer to that day when Christ will complete that work in us and call us home. Let us rejoice through our trials!

Are You Really a Christian?

I guess the biggest ploy the devil uses against people is to question whether they are really believers in Christ. To get them to question whether or not they are saved. Think about how great that ploy would work?

In most cases when a new believer gives their heart to Jesus, they don't feel anything. Sometimes they do, but in most cases nothing. They might have shed some tears when their recited the sinner's prayer and really meant in their heart but other than that really nothing has changed.

I guess they are looking for some notable change on the outside, but it's on the inside where the change has actually occurred. If Satan can keep them guessing, just like when he enticed Eve to eat of the fruit in Eden, he responded with," Did God really say you shouldn't eat of the fruit?" he makes us second guess ourselves and our faith in God.

Then we often times keep giving our lives to God each time an altar call is given, because we want to make certain, we really gave our lives to God. Don't want to die and realize, "Nope, your not saved, but you almost made it."

God's not like that. My youngest daughter asks me that question all the time, and my best answer for her, is "Do you feel convicted when you did something you know you're not supposed to?" She'll usually respond, "Yes." That is the Holy Spirit dwelling within you, helping you to know sin from what isn't sin. If you're convicted in a big way, guilt is just riding you til you can't deal with things anymore, and you've given your life to God, THAT is the proof you're looking for!

Now keep in mind, you don't want to quench the Holy Spirit either. Wait what? What is that? It means to keep on sinning, knowing your sinning and you basically tell him, thanks but no thanks to the feeling of repentance or turning away from your sin and confessing it to God.

So what? What does it matter? Well it does. The Holy Spirit is something Jesus sent to be with us as a helper to get through life when He left to go to Heaven to prepare it for us.

"When the Counselor (Helper) comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of through who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me." ~John 15:26

It is here to keep us on track. But we can grieve it so much it becomes hard to hear the truth any more. This is the path of the prodigal child, you wander away from God, by your own choosing, He doesn't leave you. He stays with you despite all the things you choose to do. Constantly trying to tell you what you're doing is wrong.

"And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption." ~ Ephesians 4:30. 

This is where you find power in the Holy Spirit, He comes to you in songs that stay in your head from church, often hearing them when you wake in the middle of the night, or that message at church that you feel is meant just for you, you're so blown away that it feels like you've been discovered; that what you are going through right at that moment is exactly what your pastor is speaking on. Isn't He truly wonderful?

Here are 5 great ways to confirm that what you believe makes you a true believer in Jesus.

1. You believe in the deity of Jesus Christ. 

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God." ~ John 1:1 (NIV).

"Thomas said to him, 'My Lord and my God." ~ John 20:28 (NIV).

"But about the Son he says 'Your throne, O God, will last forever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of  your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you about your companions by anointing you will the oil of joy." ~ Hebrews 1: 8-9 (NIV).

2. You believe in the virgin birth. 

"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." ~ Isaiah 7:14 (NIV).

"The virgin will be with child and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel - which means, "God with us." ~ Matthew 1:23 (NIV).

"to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary." Luke 1:27 (NIV).

3. You believe in the blood atonement of Jesus Christ for our sins.

"God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished - " ~ Romans 3:25 (NIV).

"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace." ~ Ephesians 1:7 (NIV).

"He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God." ~ Hebrews 9:12-14 (NIV).

4. You believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ, that He rose from the dead.

" Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, “Peace to you.”But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit.And He said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts?Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, “Have you any food here?”So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb.And He took it and ate in their presence.Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.”And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, " ~ Luke 24: 36-46 (NKJV)

"Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures," ~ 1 Corinthians 1-4 (NIV)

"And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised." ~ 1 Corinthians 15:14-15 (NIV).

5. You believe in the Inerrancy of the Scriptures; God's Word is True. 

" And the words of the Lord are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times. " Psalm 12:6 (NIV)

"For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." ~ Romans 15:4 (NIV).

""All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for the teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV).

"Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophets own interpretation." ~ 2 Peter 1:20 (NIV).

 If you can answer yes, to all of those statements, than stand true in the Word of God that you are saved through your belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that he became flesh through the birth of the virgin Mary to dwell among us, and that only through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ's death on the cross as the perfect atonement for our sins, and that He rose as promised on the third day and now lives in heaven, leaving behind the perfect Word of God as a map for our lives, that we will not perish but have everlasting life.

That is 100% absolute truth that you can rest in the peace that when this life ends, your last breath here, that you will go immediately into the presence of Jesus and take your first breath there and will never have to face death again. For a believer is born twice and dies once, while an unbeliever is born once, but dies twice. 

If you wonder what its like to be a child of God and rest in the peace that when this physical life ends, that you will have an eternal home with Jesus, then pray this prayer with your heart. 

Father, I come to You, confessing my sin and asking for Your forgiveness. I thank you, Lord, for You have promised that if I will confess my sins, You will be faithful to forgive me and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. I want to turn from my sins and live in Your will. I ask that You give me the power through Your Holy Spirit to live the right way.

I thank You that Jesus Christ died on the cross, paying the price for my sins, and then rose from the dead. I accept Him now as my Savior, my Lord, and my Friend. Thank You for giving me new life in Christ. I surrender myself to You; make me what You want me to be. In Jesus' name. Amen!

If you have prayed that prayer from the bottom of your heart, then friend, I'd love to welcome you to the family of believers in Jesus Christ! Now it's time to get busy and get plugged into a church, pick up the Bible and begin reading it, and see how wonderful the changes are going to be in your life as a Christian!

Remember just because you go to church doesn't make you a Christian, anymore than sitting in a garage doesn't make you a car! It has to be your choice, God won't force His way in, He's waiting for an invitation from you, one He can't wait to accept as long as it comes from you!

Can You Miss Heaven by 18 Inches?

Let's say you're at the beach with your Golden Retriever, throwing the ball out to him in the waves and suddenly you see him begin to drown. At the same time you look over and see a human being drowning as well. Who do you save?

Tough question I know, one tugs on our emotions and feelings and the other impacts our values. It is possible to miss heaven by 18 inches. That is the approximate distance from your brain to your heart. We have to make sure the decisions we make in life are not based on emotions or feelings but what we know is true. 100% true.

What we do, see, and hear needs to be grounded and based on Biblical doctrine otherwise we begin to make small compromises as believers. Don't believe me look at the state of the America from the foundation of the country to where we are now. I believe quite a bit of the blame is the fault of pastors, church leaders and the church. We began to make small changes and allow compromises so people wouldn't be offended by what they hear as the absolute truth. People need absolute truth, it's a part of who they are on the inside, they just internally argue with their brain, what they will believe in their heart, logic or feelings.

We are not here by accident, or some cosmic speck in the universe.

Psalm 19: 1-3 spells it out quite clearly, "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hand. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard."

It surprises me at what people believe anymore. If you ask people where do you think you came from, not Mom or Dad but your origin of creation, you will likely get one of three answers. (1) God, (2) Evolution and (3) Aliens.

It is sad when you consider the believability of the final two. The Bible speaks of this truth in 1 Timothy 4: 1, "The Spirit clearly says that in the later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons."

It's funny when you think about how humans evolved. At what point did we stop? When our eyeballs wound up in just the right place? Evolution is meaningless. Everything that is, wound up as an accident. So why when we want to create a car for example, don't we blow up a junkyard and see what happens? If you want a watch, why not take a stick of dynamite and some metal, stick out your arm and see if a watch appears on it.

Psalm 14:1 "The fool says in his heart, There is no God."

Your heart speaks what you believe, because if you used your brain, you would have to believe in the existence of God. It isn't an intellectual issue, it's a heart issue.

Romans 1: 18-20, "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be know about God is plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - His eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."

Gods love, his promises and His Word, The Bible, never changes. It is the world now that is changing God's Word to be relevant and change with the times. Churches are even now beginning to break away from the traditional teachings of the church in an effort to be more acceptable with today's culture and generation.

The church is not to shape itself to a culture and what the culture says, even if they have to stand alone. The church needs to be the ones to stand without apology on the doctrines of God, people need to be convicted by God, and the truth of God's Word.

We certainly don't want people to come to church because they want to feel good about the sinful life their living, being accepted and told it's okay to continue to live that way, that we accept you anyway. While they are being patted on the back by the church, they are being led to hell, just so they can feel better about their lifestyle choices. There are no homosexual Christians, just like there are no pedophile Christians, no Christian murderer, adulterers or liars. If we are true Christians, we repent of those ways and we hold onto to God's truth and we are forever changed. It doesn't mean we won't still be tempted or struggle in those areas, but we no longer have to walk freely in them and do as we please thinking there is no accountability there.

Stability can only come from standing on the truth, that God never changes. Don't follow your heart on spiritual matters, follow God, the absolute truth!

Greater Sins?

I remember growing up, I heard my parents use the words "little, white lie." They used them when they tried to justify their actions that they believed were necessary in order to avoid some sort of conflict, like not telling someone the answer to "So what did you get me for my birthday or where were you today?" and they would reply with a vague answer that was a lie of sorts.

A lie is still a lie.

A better way to have handled those situations would have been to disclose, I can't tell you because it would ruin your birthday, you'll have to wait. Or I can't tell you where I was because you will ruin the surprise I have for you and if I tell you where I was, then you will know what it might be.

However the Bible does speak of greater sins. But before we get to that, let me clarify that sin is sin.  The Bible is very clear that breaking any of the 10 commandments is sin and even goes a bit further to explain them. Also it does say if we break one, we have in a sense broken them all. When we sin, we are sinners.

We can confess that sin to God in sincerity and repent from it. As believers in Jesus Christ, who by faith believe in Him for salvation once we do that, and agree to attempt to not do it again, we are forgiven as though it never happened no matter how great that sin is. Even murder can be forgiven. Not necessarily forgotten but forgiven by a repentant heart who knows Jesus.

But in regards to greater sins, for believers and those of us that know what we are doing is just plain wrong, and do it anyway. We are held accountable for a greater sin.

2 Corinthians 7:1 makes it quite clear. It is the sins of the Spirit that we need to be concerned with. "Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates the body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God." NIV

Jesus also answered this in John 19:11, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin."

This was Jesus' response when He was questioned by Pilate over Jesus' claims of being the Son of God and Pilate telling him that he had the power to set him free.

So even Jesus was acknowledging greater sin whether he was referring to Caiaphas or Judas since both men were responsible for handing Jesus over to be arrested and yet they both knew that what they were doing went against what was true and right. To knowingly go against what is true, defines greater sin.

Anytime we sin, knowing we shouldn't do it, but do it anyway, especially as believers in Christ, we are all guilty of a greater sin. Knowledge brings responsibility.

Don't think because you have suffered from the consequences of your sin, that God is lenient or condoning your behavior. God's justice is delayed not denied. Just because God hasn't acted yet is not His approval of what you are doing. God will respond by He is simply giving us the time, by cutting us some slack to repent, stop sinning and return to the fold.

The Bible's response? "The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." ~ 2 Peter 3:9 NIV

So just remember that when you are trying to justify your actions and wonder what God thinks. I know for me, I am convicted much more to act accordingly because I don't want to be accused of a greater sin in God's eyes. As Christians, we simply know better. We are held to much higher standards than the world. so be careful of the example you are letting others see in your life.

Do You Validate?

I just wonder if any of you when you pull into a parking garage actually stop somewhere just to get your parking ticket validated? I mean sometimes they will validate the whole time you are there, but most times it's only for a specified time. I saw the cutest YouTube video that a friend sent me! You really should see it! It's called "Validation" and you can search for it on You Tube! It's about people that stop in a parking garage, and seek out the validation person to have their parking tickets validated so their parking will be FREE!

What they get when they arrive is "validation". They receive the most sincerest compliments from the person who marks their tickets, but only after he provides them with just the right compliments they need for the day.

I find this so true, especially being a stay at home mom and sometimes wife whose hubby is gone for weeks at a time. He is usually home for a couple days and then leaves for another 3-5 week stint. Let's just say I could use some validation. My kids need rides to school, sports activities, the malls, friends house, church, youth group, last minute things at the store. Can you relate?

Well it's amazing how much a sincere compliment can completely change your attitude and change your day. Too often though we put some faith in wanting those compliments from people, when the only person who will give them to you all day long without waiting is God. "I am with you always." Jesus promises in Matthew 28:20. God's compliments are not only sincere but they are filled with love, joy and hope. It's because God always sees the best in us, believes in us not matter how many times we fail and will never forsake us no matter how many times we push him aside.

Tonight we shared a dinner with hubby while he was passing through town and we were discussing just how important it is to let people know honestly what you think of them. Just the good however! At least for now. I was explaining how I took the time today to send along a quick email to my home school teacher to thank her for supporting me, always being quick to respond to my issues as a home school parent, and just glad that we have her when I hear from my friends that they don't like their kids teachers. I took the time not only to write it but to be sincere in my compliments.

A few minutes later I received the nicest email of thanks from her saying just how important that email came at a really difficult time in her day and just by reading it, it changed her day. Sincerity in it's purest form. Today at dinner, my oldest daughter was telling us how irritating our waitress was because she would ask if we needed anything, and we would tell her we were OK, she would thank us. Caitlyn said why does she say thank you so much, and I informed her that she was displaying good manners in how she was responding to us, her customers.

By the end of dinner, Caitlyn expressed that our waitress really went out of her way to make sure our drinks were always filled, if we needed more bread, took away all our empty plates when we were finished and genuinely cared about us. We discussed that perhaps someone should know about her outstanding service, since too often you don't get that kind of attention anymore. My hubby did stop on our way out and asked to speak with the manager to let her know just how good our waitress Vanessa was! She said she would be heading back to talk to her since she was going that way.

It is now our families goal to validate someone each day in a genuine and sincere manner. We are hoping it will make a difference in their day and bring a true smile to their face and a bounce in their step.

I feel we all need to feel validated every day in some small way, we know that some days we just need to feel like we count, and I pray that each of you that reads this post will be encouraged by the Holy Spirit each day that God created you and has kept you right where you are because you are serving His special purpose! Nothing happens that doesn't filter through His hands and without His knowledge. You mean everything to God! Your ticket is now validated!

Is a Happy Marriage Possible?

So many of my friends have commented about the ongoing relationship I share with my husband Steve going over 16 years of marriage now but having dated and been friends for almost 19 years. Often times we can see the condition of our own marriage through the eyes of others, especially non believers. Often times we can think things are going along perfectly but when looked at through someone else's eyes the picture is completely different.

While sitting in church last night, the question was raised to husbands what would happen if you were asked to write a list of the things your wife loves the most, what makes her happy. How accurate do you think you'd be?

Then he asked, what if we asked your wife to grade your paper, how well do you think you'd be then?

Most men when challenged probably think they have a pretty good understanding to what makes their wife happy. In fact, it was overheard in a conversation some time ago, that if you want to make your wife happy, agree with her. Let her always be right.

I would have to disagree.

Wives don't want to be right, at least not all the time, and definitely when we are not right. That would be lying right?

So how can you truly find a way to make your marriage last not just exist?

I believe the first step is where our foundations are being built. If your marriage isn't founded on Jesus Christ, good luck in the odds of that working out for you both.

I'd take my chances with God over anything else anyone could ever promise me, including my own husband. You know why?

"Because with God ALL things are possible to those who believe." ~ Mark 9:23. (  Not just some things, ALL things. Who better to keep things together than the Creator who designed and blesses marriages!

God is the one who designed marriage to work and thus the one who will keep it together as long as we are willing to do our part. We can't sit back and expect it to grow without work. It takes a joint effort too, not just one person while the other sits back and enjoys the benefits.

God's Word pretty much helps us understand the work involved and He's pretty clear on what each of us needs to do to make it last.

1. "Husbands are to love their wives like Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word, that He might present the church to Himself in glorious splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such things [that she might be holy and faultless] Even so husbands should love their wives as [being in a sense] their own bodies. He who loves his own wives loves himself. For no man ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and carefully protects and cherishes it, as Christ does the church." ~ (Ephesians 5:25-29 Amplified)

What does this mean? Willing to do whatever it takes to ensure success and growth, even willing to die for her if necessary. It means putting her needs ahead of yours. There is no selfish motives within and he's not working to please her just so he can get brownie points either. It is the unconditional sacrifice of doing, expecting NOTHING in return. If we expect our efforts to be noticed, then our motives are wrong and selfish. Not honoring God in the process. Husbands are asked to go first, because according to God's law they are the leaders of their house, their wives are much more likely to follow suit if they set the example. Again without expecting ANYTHING in return for their efforts. Their hearts have to line up with God's.

2. "Wives are submit to their husbands. (Ephesians 5:33b) "and let the wife see that she respects and reverences her husband [that she notices him, regards him, honors him, prefers him, venerates, and esteems him, praises him, and loves and admires him exceedingly.]". Amplified Bible.

There's that word submit. Some husbands interpret that to mean to be slave like and that is NOT what the Bible means. It means if the husband is being the spiritual leader in the house, loving his wife like is explained above, what wife wouldn't want to be lead to do things in the same way for her husband? Wives were never meant to be treated like doormats to walked on, stepped on and mistreated. They were meant to be cherished, nurtured and protected as well as loved.

Once these guidelines are willing to be filled by both the husband and wife, establishing a solid Christ foundation as their base, then the marriage will be on solid ground. But the minute one of us falls to the way side, the balance shifts. Think of it like a triangle with God being at the top of the triangle and the husband and wife and the bottom two corners. The more that each work towards their own relationship with God, the closer they each come to one another as they move up the triangle towards God. When one or both falls away from God, they fall further away from one another.

If you are struggling in your own marriage, these might be a great time to examine where you find either yourself or your spouse in relation to that triangle. Are you moving towards God or away from God, if so is it any wonder why the marriage is less than happy or problems are creeping in, conflicts are happening?

The solution is simple. Move back towards your right relationship with God.

There is a reason our marriage has stood the test of time. We both have committed our lives personally and together with God being our center. Without God, we will struggle like everyone else. We may even wonder if marriage is worth it, worth trying to hold on to in this rapidly disposable world where if you don't like things, change them.

I caution you if that is where you find yourself now. GOD CAN change anything and ANYONE, if you are willing to do YOUR part. God can restore marriages! He can restore right relationships! He can work in your life if you are willing to commit your relationship and marriage to God. Even if you are the only one willing, I've seen God restore marriages on the brink of divorce and even bring them back after divorce. But it takes faith and strength to walk the walk.

If you need prayer in this area, or want to talk, please send me an email and I'd be happy to pray for you in any way. I believe marriages can be better than all the fairy tales we've ever read about because I serve a God that created them. 

Oh and just in case your wondering, Yes! That is my official wedding picture from February 9, 1998! I love my husband more now that I did that day and I can't wait to spend an eternity with Jesus and him!

God loves Math!

I have noticed when it comes to math I need a calculator. It seems the older I get the harder it is for me to remain focused and all those things I committed to memory so long ago is taking me longer to load. That is why having a calculator is handy.

Once thing I noticed quite awhile ago is that God is present in math. He especially loves to add and multiply while the world tends to focus on subtracting and dividing even all the way down to negative numbers if need be. It even makes sense if you look at things from a different perspective. God is absolute. In Algebra whenever you deal with an absolute negative number it is also converted to the positive aspect of it. For example, |-9| is converted to 9. That is its absolute. God never deals with negative anything unless it is to convert it to a positive when asked. God is our absolute restorer.

It even works that way in our relationships. We should be focusing on the aspects of first of all making sure any of our relationships is founded with God. If it's not, we are seriously asking for trouble. So if it is founded with God as our foundational component, then He is at will to work in multiplying and adding to our lives and those of us that are involved in it.

Take Genesis for example when God created man, He saw that it was not good and decided he needed a helper so he ADDED to the man providing him a woman and saw that it was good. Even when Abraham asked about his descendants, God told him He would increase the numbers to Abraham household so that they would outnumber even the stars in the sky.

When you look at all of Jesus' miracles, from the feeding of the 5000, Jesus prayed to God and He multiplied the loaves and fishes. So much so, that there was more than plenty left over after starting with just a few fishes and a couple loaves of bread.

Even when the storms of life arrive, as long as we remain faithful to God in our endeavors, He if faithful to us. Even when great loss comes God loves to deal with adding and multiplying in our lives. It is the enemy that loves to take us away or subtract us from God. His favorite is division. The more he can cause division among the members of God's family, the more he wins.

So whenever we are faced with uncertainty we should look at our math and see if it adds up. If it doesn't perhaps it isn't in God's plan for our lives if it involves subtracting and dividing. Then again we have to be diligent to make sure we are not the ones adding and multiplying in our own lives of our own accord and to the desires of our own heart.

Usually when we are told to give something up it is for our benefit, like giving up a sin filled life. God's not taking anything away from us, but removing what should have never been there in the first place when man first sinned.

It is interesting to see things from this perspective and to truly see how God really is involved in every aspect our of lives. I don't know about you but I like the adding and multiplying that God does more than the ones I do, and I definitely see that areas where division and subtraction are areas for concern. It makes me look and make sure that I am lined up in God's will in my life. I often find that when those times come, I have simply walked too far from God's will in my life.

Ultimately remember that when those times of struggle come, God is always there. He is your absolute variable. He remains constant and unchanging even if the world isn't. I don't know about you, but I love God's math in my life!!!

"Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming".~  Peter 1:13 NIV

Disposable Relationships?

I love it when things that I see day in and day out suddenly have new meaning. God's once again blessed me in the quiet of my morning watering today and I have to share what He showed me. During a recent storm we had and knew was coming a few days in advance, my hubby and I knew the winds were expected to be around 55-70 mph so of course that meant taking our plants off our pot shelves so they wouldn't tip over. There are two morning glory plants we have been blessed to grow this year that we couldn't take down because they have wound their vines along our porch pillars. My hubby suggested in taking some velcro and securing them around the pots to the posts. Sounds great right?

Only problem with a great idea is when you don't implement it. Not sure where we got busy but that great idea never materialized and of course that evening as the winds picked up their speed. Things look pretty great. But evil happens in the darkness when we sleep and that is just what happened. When we woke up and opened our blinds from our bedroom that overlooked our back porch, my hubby said, one of the morning glories didn't make it.

Not understanding his point, I asked him to clarify his statement. He pointed out that one of the morning glories had blown off.

"I thought we were going to put velcro on that? Didn't you do it?"

"No, but it's too late now. I think it's gone."

When we rushed out back, (I  know for a plant right?) but if you understood my new admiration for this beauties, you'd get my point with the concern.

There hanging by the vines were the morning glory plants still wrapped around the post but the pot and the soil were on the ground.

Not sure how long that poor plant hung in there but the roots were void of all remaining soil and the poor thing looked so bad.

We immediately went into rescue mode and got a bag of soil and the pot and began trying to re-pot this plant and water it. We secured the plant's pot to the post and while the leaves hung limp from the post, no new blooms were present that day.

To understand the importance of morning glories blooms are that they only bloom in the morning and are gone by mid-day. So to not see it bloom at all was downright disheartening. We prayed for the best since this was our best plant out of the two.

After two days of waiting, my hubby said he thinks the poor thing isn't going to make it. It went through too much. I wanted to believe in miracles and asked God to restore my plant if it was according to His will. I know God can literally do anything, even bring that poor lifeless plant back from the dead.

So this morning while I am watering it, I notice the leaves are still drooping and browning. The poor thing looks so miserable. I wondered if it was worth continuing my efforts. It would be so much easier to simply grab more seeds and begin replanting before the frost is due in. Ready for the eye opener now?

When I glanced up, I noticed on the plant, that two blooms have opened. Are you as excited as I was? I mean here I was, considering simply scrapping the poor thing and putting it out of its misery when despite all appearances it was making a come back! Two blooms is something to get excited for! It means despite everything on the outside, it was slowly working its way back to being a healthy plant again.

See where this is going? God moment!!

God showed me that too often we look at the relationships in our life as being like that plant. Sometimes they are vital and thriving, beneficial even! Then at other times, they look like my poor plant, dying a slow death. Even despite all the best intentions to nurse it back to health, it looks easier to put it out of its misery and replant it. How easy relationships become disposable when they no longer serve our purpose. They might not look the way we want them too, they might not be producing anything that is nice to look at any longer, or even they aren't simply worth the extra effort they need to thrive and survive. We are simply to busy to invest the time to bring them back and restore them.

What about you? Are you doing the same thing in your own relationships? How invaluable have people become in your life when they no longer do what you want or need them to do? How far are you willing to go to heal them? Are they even worth it?

This could be the relationship you have with your spouse. Suddenly things don't look as vibrant as beautiful as it did when you married. Stress has eaten its way into the very leaves of your plant, causing them to shrivel up and die. Perhaps it no longer looks as beautiful as it did when it first started growing. Perhaps the leaves are yellowing and falling off, perhaps it isn't producing new blooms. But deep down inside, life still grows. As long as you are willing to try, God is able to make ALL things new again. He is the great restorer and redeemer of life. We aren't meant to go through this life alone, thus the reason for my plants vine to intertwine and enable it to grow stronger in order to move forward.

Even the tiniest of vines need help to grow and move forward.

Isn't it worth the time and effort to try and save it rather than simply taking the approach of most and simply throw in the towel, and find or grow a new plant?

People are the most valuable thing in our lives. They are worth it and need our time and energy in order to thrive again. They are simply waiting for you to take notice and not give up no matter how long it takes. Trust in God and believe and like me, soon you'll look up and see life growing again. I encourage you today, before it's too late, take some time and work on those relationships. Pray over them and trust God to make a positive change in them.

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:  If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?Though one may be overpowered,  two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to heed a warning." ~ Ecclesiastes 4: 9-13

There is simply a life within us all wanting to shine!

Seeing the World Through God's Eyes!

Being a parent has been such an incredible experience. Not only for the joy of watching our children grow into adults and able to hopefully begin a journey of their own, but it also gives one the very amazing and often unexpected insight into how God views us and our relationship with Him.

People often think that only those that have children are able to see things from that unique perspective, but I would beg to differ. I believe just being a part of a family allows you to see those very same things, if we are only willing to look for them. You don't have to be a parent of a child, I believe you can even gain that insight just with working with kids, as a teacher, counselor or even a church volunteer. Here's what God showed me through a conversation that literally sliced me through the heart this morning. Thanks Mike for being the one to shine the light in that dark place!

My brother and I talk on the phone quite a bit. We live some distance from one another so getting together with busy schedules often makes that a challenge, so we talk on the phone at least once a week. We were able to talk more during the summer but now that is taking a bit of a back seat to other priorities like work and home school. We were talking about what his son that just turned 21 over the weekend did for his birthday. You'd think he would have been in a hurry to head to a bar or possibly Vegas now that he has the legal right to do some things now, but he didn't. He instead got together with friends, went to a place and had dinner, he did order a beer just to see how it felt to get "carded" and hung out there playing video games and pool. I am sure his dad is breathing a sigh of relief he wasn't like most worldly young adults who take that day and make some foolish choices. He's a pretty grounded teen and loves the Lord with all his heart. But he still has to make his own personal choices on his own without parental guidance when he heads out for the night.

God is like that. He doesn't force His way into our lives. He waits patiently for us to seek Him. He is closer than we ever know, just waiting. Waiting for us to call out to Him.

We talked more about what my oldest daughter is up to these days, knowing that while our kids are still young, but now adults on their own, they occasionally ask for help. He asked if I had her talked to her lately and I commented that most times I only hear from her when she needs something. He laughed because we can both relate to that statement, but it was his comment that really shock me to the core. He said, "Kinda like how we talk to God huh?"

I had to stop and think about it for a moment, before I said, "Wow! You are so right! I mean how many times do we get up and as we rise, we thank God just for the opportunity to be here another day. That perhaps that headache or pain we prayed about is now gone, but we fail to mention it to God." I thanked my brother as well as God for that brief moment in time where I received a wonderful revelation from God I had to share with you through this post.

Friends and Family, I would encourage you to not only run and pray to God when the going gets rough, but also to take the time to not take God for granted when everything is going right in your life. The weather may be perfect, your finances are more than enough to get you through the day, you have enough food in your home to make it til the end of the day and if you can stay in the present and just think on today, thanking God for everything, it might just give you a different perspective. Maybe you will get that revelation that I got today.

That God patiently waits not only for us to ask for His help when the going gets tough, but He longs to connect with us and let Him know how the day is going. Try to see things from that perspective today and help give your relationship with your heavenly Father a much needed boost today. He's so willing to hear from you that He'll stop whatever He's doing just to give you His undivided attention. He cares and loves you that much that everything that happens in your life, good and bad, matter to Him.

Here's hoping you have a wonderful and truly blessed day.

Philippians 4:11-13, "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. ¹³I can do all this through him who gives me strength."