The Dark Knight Rises

I know at some point in all of our lives, we've all been afraid of the dark. In the dark, things aren't what they should be, things are hidden, and our minds play with our imaginations so much that suddenly life is breathed into fear. So where does this fear come from? Is it simply a lack of knowledge, an overactive imagination, or perhaps its an unveiling waiting to take place. Darkness isn't even real, it is simply the absence of light. No matter how much darkness prevails, all it takes is but a little light and it flees from it. Darkness can not put out the light. Just like evil can not outweigh goodness. There will also be a light in this world and that light is the love of God.

This is why on the day of Jesus Christ's crucifixion, that darkness was allowed to dwell for a time, the light for a moment in time, had gone out. Disbelief, sadness, despair, fear and grief was not present in the lives of those that lived with Christ. All hope was lost, despite Jesus' words that He would return on the third day. But during that time, darkness had a field day. Much like it still is ever since sin came into the world when Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate of fruit of the tree of knowledge. Notice they didn't get a chance in all their time in the Garden of Eden to sample any of the fruit from the Tree of Life? The stage had been set for a time of man's conscience choice. Man would chose wrong and the consequences would be felt by all even if we didn't commit the original sin. Life was forever changed.

Just like last night when a masked man, entered a darkened theater. He was covered and he entered the darkness. He didn't want to be seen and what he had planned to do was pure and utter evil, and thus the need for darkness to hide him. He took the lives of innocent people and wounded many others. For every single person in the theater that day and even afterward, darkness wanted to have it's time and push out the light and now their lives will never be the same again. Yet light can still push out that darkness. We can't let what one person did, outweigh the lasting effects of God's love. The enemy would love for us to dwell upon all the what ifs, what is that had been our family, why did that happen if God really cares, and why should this man be allowed to live despite the lives of some many that didn't have a choice?

It goes back to the darkness against light. The enemy would have us now, cower in our homes, afraid to send our family out anymore to prevent this type of thing from happening again. To begin to question every single person that is around us now. Life was renewed in fear again last night, but it doesn't have to stay that way. We serve a greater God than the enemy.

We serve a God whose light shines before men, but those who do not know Him can't seem to understand it. They run from it because it exposes them for what they want to hide. This is why our world is falling apart, because the darkness is threatening to overtake the light. We cast blame, look the other way when we should be shining the light of what God is doing in our lives. We need to immerse ourselves with those that are in need, the sick, the hungry, the lost and bring them into the light of God's eternal love.

How much do we have to hate someone for us to withhold the great news that eternal life awaits anyone who asks for it? Why do we only associate ourselves with other Christians, see only Christian movies, listen only to Christian music, and build up the walls around us, so we can keep the darkness out? God has called us for something more. He didn't come here to save us so we would keep the information a secret. He came so we might all who know Him, would tell every single person about Him. We, as Christians, need more than ever to take a stand, and let His light shine before ALL men, not just the ones we want to see enter heaven. More than ever, this world needs the love, mercy and grace of God. Each one of us that is saved now has a responsibility to share the Love of God with the lost and unbelievers. The light we are to shine is not our own, it is God.

This is the reason that the Jews missed their calling. They failed to understand their purpose in bringing the light into the darkness from the Old Testament. Let not this generation fall into a spiritual sleep like the generations of old. God came so we would know Him. It's time to rise up, and address our lost culture.

When was the last time you cried?

When was the last time you cried for the people who are lost that don't know Christ? Isn't it about time for us to soften our hearts towards the lost instead of ganging up on them in a Us versus Them mentality? Our testimony's hold the greatest power to change lives. It is the power of Christ living in us that has completely transformed us through the renewing of our minds, our thoughts, and our bodies and we need to share what God living in us has done for us. Just look at what William Booth, the founder/creator of the Salvation Army had to say on this:

"Not called!' did you say? 'Not heard the call,' I think you should say. Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. Put your ear down to the burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help. Go stand by the gates of hell, and hear the damned entreat you to go to their father's house and bid their brothers and sisters, and servants and masters not to come there. And then look Christ in the face, whose mercy you have professed to obey, and tell him whether you will join heart and soul and body and circumstances in the march to publish his mercy to the world."

Our greatest treasure in life is the gift of salvation and shouldn't everyone have an opportunity to share in it? Even David Wilkerson had this to say, "Today, some Christians are content to merely exist until they die. They don't want to risk anything, to believe God, to grow or mature. They refuse to believe his Word, and have become hardened in their unbelief. Now they're living just to die."

God can and will raise up misfits to use to get His word out. We need to stop feeling like what we have to say doesn't matter. We need to share every day what God's love and power is doing in us. We need to rise up and become bearers of the Light. Let us not, allow what has happened in the world around us, to make us bitter and angry. Let us instead rise up and put an end to the darkness that is trying to prevail in the word. All it takes is one speck of light in a enormous darkness to make a difference. I challenge you to be the difference today.

That is why the world around us is spiraling out of control, unbelievers are blind, they can't see what is happening right in front of them, but we can. This is why we can see the evil but there are those that can't. They remain in the darkness until we can help them "see" with the power of God's love what has been in front of them the whole time. No amount of reasoning can help someone see in the darkness if there is no light.

Matthew 5:14 "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light (God's power) shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

Pick and Choose?

Lately there seems to be a great debate among Christians and non-Christians especially when it comes to politics and the next presidential candidate. It even seems like people can't voice their opinion in less it's in favor of what others think without receiving a bashing like you wouldn't believe. You can't even post things on your own Social Media network without opening what I would call a can of worms and the war of words begins. I have even seen this happen on my own page from something as innocent as me choosing to home school my kids to where I may be casting my vote in November or what I think of the latest health care program our president is putting before us all.

I realize, one of the best blessings about being able to live in the United States is my freedoms. The freedom to not agree with what some people think, my freedom to voice my concerns as well as my freedom to support my beliefs. I often wonder where all this bashing and verbal wars come from when people launch their tirades on you via your Social Media network. Are they voicing their opinion as well, trying to get you to change your mind and consider their opinion or it is simply they don't really have a valid argument, they are just mad. Mad at everything and everyone. It's easier to find someone to blame rather than work together to try and change things.

Then today I came across the quote that I listed above this post and I thought, that is what most Christians attempt to do so why does our message seem to not get through. I had a revelation from God like I do from time to time and felt burdened to share it with you. It may just resonate something you hadn't considered and hopefully for some, it may change the way you think about Christians.

First of all we believe, without a shadow of a doubt, that there is a God. There is only one! This world did not just create itself from a cosmic speck of dust in space or anything loud noise. For those of you that argue that it did, where did the cosmic dust or loud noise come from? It all has to start somewhere and for Christian's that is God. He created everything and everyone. Even atheists believe in something. They simply believe that God doesn't exist but they believe.

Second, we believe that the Bible is the living word of God and it is our guidebook to help us through this life until we die and return to our eternal home. We believe it all! We don't randomly pick what parts we will chose to believe and which parts we won't. There is two parts to the Bible, the Old Testament and the New Testament. The old is based on the creation of everything, the fall of man and when sin entered the world, and how life existed for believers and non believers until Jesus was born. There are those that would choose to take parts of the old testament and hold them up as valid truths while ignoring the New Testament, what happened and how things changed for all of us through the power of Jesus' life here until he was crucified; how life went on with believers and non believers and ultimately where this world is headed and how it will all end.

Third, we believe in Jesus Christ, that He was the Son of God, was born, lived and died for us, to save us all from every sin man would do past, present and future forever. It is through that belief in Jesus that we can be "Saved" and thus have an assurance that when our physical body dies in this world, we will go to be with Him in Heaven with all the other believers until Judgement Day.

We don't have an organized religion, we have a relationship, not only with Jesus Christ but also with God our Father. We choose to live a life as close to Jesus as possible. We are not perfect. Never claim to be, and try to do what Jesus would want until we breath our last breath. There are some that claim that there are some things you can do that are so terrible, God could never forgive you, but the Bible speaks against that. Nothing you have done, if you confess of your sins, turn away from them and follow Jesus, will keep you from entering heaven. Look at the example of the thief on the cross, who was the worst murderer at the time, yet when he turned to Jesus and asked him to remember him when Jesus went to his kingdom, Jesus instantly forgave him and said, that the thief would be with Him in paradise. That's pretty powerful stuff and it's the truth.

I think more Christians need to love people instead of merely quoting scripture to one another. Love and live your life as though you truly believe what Jesus and God taught. I feel that people can be won that way more than attempting to get into a verbal war with them. It leaves bad feelings and thoughts for non believers about what being a "Christian" really is.

My reason behind this post it simply this, you can't pick and choose the parts of the Bible that work with you. This isn't a create your own Bible version if you will, you either choose to believe it all or none of it. I would caution you as well to understand the unique differences between the Old and New Testaments. You can't live like people in the Old Testament and think there are no consequences, that way of life in regards to the sinful things has changed because of who Jesus is and what He did. People who sinned in the Old Testament had to offer up sacrifices to God, through priests for their sins to be forgiven, now we simply ask it in Jesus' name because His was the ultimate sacrifice. It is His blood that washes us clean not a lamb or other sacrifice.

Lastly, if you need prayer for anything, please leave me a comment or email me. I'd be more than happy to pray for you or add you to my prayer requests! God loves you, just remember that and He wants you to spend eternity with Him. I hope you make a decision today and choose life!

"This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person's failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him. " ~ John 3:16 (The Message)

Happy Birthday Mom!

Too often we take for granted that our parents will always be here and we don't take the time to let them know how much they have impacted our lives until too often, it's too late. Well today I wanted to celebrate my mom's life in the last 70 seventy years and wish her not only a Beautiful and Blessed Birthday, but to share with all of you what makes my mom, unique!

Looking at that number, 70 makes it hard to believe all my mother has seen in her young lifetime so far and how much trials and struggles she has had to watch and endure to make her the wonderful mom and woman she is today. At a very young age, she was left with only a father to raise her in the difficult coal mining years. Her mother died young and so she was left to grow up with only her two older sisters and brother to help fill in the gaps. Along with her Aunt who soon moved into the family leaving her a widow as well, they did what they could to make it work with two families merging together.

In fact some of my best family memories of being with my mom, is visiting her old family home in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania and seeing her three story home and the smells from my grandfather's old pipe filling the air. We didn't have much growing up, but it was more than what my mom and her siblings had. It was the sense of family that my mom instilled in me over my own 48 years. That as long as you have family, it's enough.

My mother served in the Navy working in the chaplain's office as a secretary working through the difficult war years and it's there she met my father. Even though their marriage didn't last, I never saw my mom deal with anything less than grace. She is well-loved by all who know her and no one has ever had an unkind word to say about her. She worked two jobs to make ends meet raising my brother and myself being a single parent and even though we didn't see her much, she showed me what sacrifice looked like. She never asked for much and tried her best to do what she could for us. I remember all her days spent waitressing, she would put her change in mason jars and when they were filled gave one to both my brother and myself to spend going to the movies or at times, a trip to Disneyland.

I learned so much from my mom that when I went through my own divorce and wondered how I could make it as a single parent, I looked back to what I learned watching my own mother do it with so much less and one more child. I knew then, that my mom had left me with some vital tools to help me grow as the mom, wife, sister, daughter and friend I am today. Now that she has retired, I can only hope that my mom will look back at my life and see that the legacy she has started in my life will only continue to grow in the lives of my own daughters.

I just wanted to take the time to thank my mother for all those times, you did without, so we could do with a little bit more. Your own sacrifice has taught me it is possible to move through whatever difficulties life throws our way and we can handle it all without complaint and with so much grace that those around us can only learn by watching us deal with it all and rise above.

I can only wish that the remaining days of your life, will be filled with abundant blessings, smiles, wonderful memories of your children and grandchildren and know that you did more than enough to raise an amazing family who loves and adores you! Happy Birthday to the most beautiful lady in the world. Happy Birthday Mom!

Discouraged? Depressed? Try God's Cure!

Oh this week, our family has been hit with a series of what I would call spiritual arrows aimed straight at our heart. While I can't go into specifics, we are trying to keep our proverbial heads above the raising waters. So what do I do in the midst of this? Well first of all, I pray. I pray because after enduring so many of these trials, I've learned that is what I need to do first. Then I ask all my fellow Christians to add me and my family to their prayer lists and to pray for us. We hold fast to the truth that where two or more are gathered in His name, God is with us! How wonderful is that statement alone. God is meeting us in the midst of our struggle.

Do you wonder what some of the signs are of being discouraged? See if any of these apply to the current situation you may find yourself in and then I will provide God's cure to help you see things differently. I don't guarantee that overnight all your problems will vanish, but I hope this may change your outlook on them today, until they do.

1. Lack of energy: We literally feel like we don't have the strength or power to endure this storm we are in. We'd rather find a way to head on back to bed, pull the covers over our eyes and pray that somehow it will be different in the morning.

2. Losing touch with reality: Ever heard these words or thoughts? No one cared that I am going through this? No one cares? Why, God am I going through this by myself while everyone else is so happy in their lives? We can't even comprehend that God cares about us. We have lost touch with what makes sense and yet those around us, can see perfectly clear that this is not the end of the world even though to us it seems like it is.

3. Losing our memory: We forget how many times we have endured trials or struggles in the past and now find ourselves consumed by worry, anxiety, and are literally stressing ourselves out so bad that we are making ourselves sick. We know that in the end, we will make it through, but we can't seem to find a way to get through one day at a time.

4. We lose heart: We fail to seek God to help us through our struggles and instead turn to ourselves which ultimately and almost always leaves us lacking in so many areas, instead of being filled with God's fullness.

All these signs combined lead to one thing: Losing Hope!

If any of you have planted any time of tree when it's young, you know that you need to stake it so that the winds and storms will not blow it over while it's trying to establish it's roots. However, if you never take the stake out, the tree will also fail to grow roots deep enough to prevent it from blowing over in a bad storm.

We know the winds of trials will try to blow us over, and that is why it's important for us to grow our roots strong. We need to dig deep into God's word through prayer and reading the Bible and even encouragement from believers to help us establish our roots. We have to learn to grow our own roots through each storm we have to endure. We will weather through it. We will bend and not break when our faith is strong. Hold fast to God and you will get through it.

Do you build your faith on sand or rocks? What happens then when the storms of life come? If your faith is on yourself, the world, money or other things (sand), you will be swayed by your feelings and emotions. However if you have your faith in God (rock) you simply need to exercise your faith and put your trust in God instead of your feelings.

We need to rest in this simple assurance as believers.

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably, abundantly, exceedingly more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us." ~ Ephesians 3:20.

We need to know that whatever difficulty we are faced with, we need to bring it God, daily if needed, and ask simply what He wants you to do. Remember these 4 steps:

1. Power: Ask for God's strength and power to do what you feel you can't do. When you feel like you don't have the strength to get through it, ask God for help through prayer.

2. Provision: Remember that God cares for you. You are precious and valuable to Him. Just like you wouldn't let your children struggle if you could help, neither does God and He can do ALL things to help you. Just ask.

3. Presence: God will never ask you to endure something beyond what you can bear and He will never let you go it alone. Remember even though there will be valleys and dark times, there will also come mountain tops and light once we get through it all. Then looking back down, we will see it wasn't so bad as when we were knee deep in it.

4. Protection: What can God do? He can do anything, beyond our ability to measure it, more than we could ever expect or imagine and He's waiting for us to simply ask. We need to walk through it all humbly, with gentleness, being patient that God is bring us through it and He knows when it will end, and bearing with one another in love.

Our lives, the way we live, how we endure these times, are a testimony to what God is doing in our lives. These are powerful tools to remember. The enemy loves division in the midst of struggles, to divide family's, husband against wife, parent against child, and division in our communities. So remember to come together in prayer is the strongest weapon we wage against the enemy.

If your joy is missing or lost, you've let the enemy discourage you. We need to remember through these storms to TRUST GOD!

Don't lose heart, and remember God's got a plan! He will bring your through it.

Today I Will Make A Difference

Such wisdom can be found reading any of Max Lucado's books and I got this via email today. I had to share it because I believe someone else needs to hear it besides me. Enjoy!

Today I Will Make a Difference

Today I will make a difference. I will begin by controlling my thoughts. A person is the product of his thoughts. I want to be happy and hopeful. Therefore, I will have thoughts that are happy and hopeful. I refuse to be victimized by my circumstances. I will not let petty inconveniences such as stoplights, long lines, and traffic jams be my masters. I will avoid negativism and gossip. Optimism will be my companion, and victory will be my hallmark. Today I will make a difference.

I will be grateful for the twenty-four hours that are before me. Time is a precious commodity. I refuse to allow what little time I have to be contaminated by self-pity, anxiety, or boredom. I will face this day with the joy of a child and the courage of a giant. I will drink each minute as though it is my last. When tomorrow comes, today will be gone forever. While it is here, I will use it for loving and giving. Today I will make a difference.

I will not let past failures haunt me. Even though my life is scarred with mistakes, I refuse to rummage through my trash heap of failures. I will admit them. I will correct them. I will press on. Victoriously. No failure is fatal. It’s OK to stumble… . I will get up. It’s OK to fail… . I will rise again. Today I will make a difference.

I will spend time with those I love. My spouse, my children, my family. A man can own the world but be poor for the lack of love. A man can own nothing and yet be wealthy in relationships. Today I will spend at least five minutes with the significant people in my world. Five quality minutes of talking or hugging or thanking or listening. Five undiluted minutes with my mate, children, and friends.

Today I will make a difference.

Pinterest? Are you interested?

OK, yet again there is another Social Media app that has taken me by storm and it's called Pinterest. Have any of you heard about it?

It's basically pictures of things you like, can make, recipes, you name it, that you can "pin" to a board you create. I mean how many times have you found an amazing recipe and forgot to book mark it or perhaps didn't save it when you should and now you are frantically trying to remember where you saw it. Forgot it, if you saw it on one of your Facebook feeds, it's probably long gone. But Pinterest enables you to create your own bulletin boards of fun stuff you want to keep.

For example, I have a recipes board, one for things to make, school ideas, bucket list items I may want to see some day, ideas for my Dream Home, photography ideas, and of course Household tips.

But the real question is how do these fair? Are the recipes really easy? Do they taste good? Would you really want to keep them? So I thought I would dedicate a day to testing out ideas to see whether that are Keepers or Trash.

If you're a Facebook follower of mine, you caught my dessert last night that so many of you wanted me to share and here it is. It's labeled under Banana Wafer Pudding but this variation is so easy, no bake and tastes so heavenly I am already thinking of different applications for it, such as cupcake filling for Banana Nut cupcakes, to a pie done in a different way. So here it is:

What You'll Need:

2 small boxes of Instant French Vanilla Pudding Mix
3 Cups of cold milk
1 - 14oz can of Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 - 8oz package of cream cheese
1 - 12oz container of Cool Whip
1 - Box of Nilla Wafers cookies
4 - Medium size bananas

Directions:

1. In a 13 x 9 baking dish or container, place a single layer of Nilla Wafer Cookies along the bottom of the pan.

2. Next slice up the 4 bananas and layer them on top of the cookies.

3. Mix together boxes of pudding with 3 Cups cold milk for 2 minutes with a hand mixer.

4. In a separate bowl mix together cream cheese, and condensed milk. Once blended together, fold in container of Cool Whip.

5. Add pudding mixture to cream cheese mixture and stir until blended. (Taste it and you'll be in heaven already!)

6. Pour the mixture over the bananas and wafers and smooth out. - Wait you're not done yet.

7. Add a layer of Nilla Wafers to the top. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.

Hope you made plenty because in my house, EVERYONE wanted seconds. This is the perfect pot luck dessert because it's so simple. Would love to have your comments if you've made it too! Come back here next week for Chicken and Dumplings in the Crock Pot that taste heavenly!

Moment of Truth - Giveaway

As a Christian, I know I will have eternal life, a life without end, without tears, aging, illness or any more death. Yet it doesn't stop me from time to time, wondering and sometimes afraid of when it actually happens. Will it hurt? Will I be carried by angels to my heavenly home? What will it be like in heaven? What will I look like?

I guess it's pretty natural considering not many people have made it there and back and lived to tell their tales. Most Christian believers that have had a near death experience really didn't make it into heaven but got glimpses of what it might be like, they were sent back instead of proceeding forward. It simply wasn't there time. I for one, hope it happens quick. I have a huge fear of pain, and I would hate for it to be long and drawn out, like with a terminal illness. I think it would grieve me to watch my family members and friends have to deal with saying goodbye.

I have found comfort in what God's Word, the Bible, has to say regarding some of my greatest fears, from 1 Corinthians 15:55 "“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” Sounds like for us, it won't hurt, or perhaps like childbirth, its simply a pain that is forgettable. We remember it hurts, but it doesn't last.

We know how this will all end, in one of two paths, the road to heaven for believers and the road to hell for those that don't. We've read the book so we know how it all ends. If you don't perhaps you should read Revelations. I can tell you it's quite eye-opening. I, for one, know it won't be like what I heard in high school, that hell is a place for partying with all your friends, doing everything you're not supposed to be doing here. It will be a place for eternal suffering, and torment. Think of the worst pain imaginable and think of that, never ending but only way worse.

Yet heaven awaits for believers of Jesus Christ. The Bible is quite clear on that point, especially if you believe in the word of God, the Bible, is true!

John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." That means to my understand, not through Buddha, Mohammed, Confucius, or any other Higher Power but Jesus. Without a belief in Him, what He did for all of mankind and what He represents, we can not enter heaven. We shouldn't think we have time to wait either. How many times do you hear of someone who died so suddenly, no one even had the opportunity to say goodbye. Yet I have so many friends who believe they will make it to their death bed and make their confession there. That, my friends, isn't a risk I would ever want to take. The odds aren't in their favor, but it could happen.

So I am curious and thus the reason for this post, what do you really believe happens when we die?
Do we fall asleep or are we instantly transported to heaven? What is heaven going to be like? What will we be like? Will we have any memories of this life in heaven? Will their be pets in heaven?

I am curious and would LOVE to hear your thoughts. If you leave your thoughts below in the comment box, I will be having a giveaway for the book by Joe Beam and Lee Wilson, called The True Heaven. Simply share with me what you think and if you can, your email address so I have a way of contacting you if you're the lucky winner. This giveaway will be going on until August 10th, so please share your thoughts. I'd love to know what you think heaven will be like.