Happy Birthday Baby Jesus!

So this Christmas season went well. Christmas Eve we spent with my sisters and my dad and his fiance and ate alot of delicious foods! We had a great lunch with my in-laws and a great dinner with my mom and step-dad. Bella was in overload with all the new toys she got! She kept calling it a birthday party, so we told her it was a birthday party for Baby Jesus, so it's so cute now she talks about baby Jesus and his birthday. She's still too young to quite understand the Jesus-died-for-us concept. But at least she's acknowledging there IS a Jesus. I can be happy with that. Of course she loved everything she got and she told everybody thank you, but it's a struggle trying to find the balance between giving her what she needs and wants. I don't ever want her to be without. She will never be without. But I want her to grow up and understand that it's not about the gifts, the stuff she wants. It's all about Jesus. Our whole life. Our purpose here is to please him, to live for him. We are so consumed with stuff. I know I've been writing about this for a while but it's so important. Stuff won't make us happy. It won't save our souls. It won't get us into heaven. Stuff gets in the way with our walk with Jesus.

Anything and everything can be stuff; our jobs, cars, relationships, toys, food. We are so greedy and it makes us blind to whats important. New cars are a big thing. Everyone wants to have a nice car, top of the line, most expensive, leather interior. It's nice. It makes us happy. But does it really? How long will that car make you happy? You save up and make payments then gripe about how great the newer model is. My mom had nice cars, acuras, hondas, nice cars. We kept them for a short time, then got new ones. My first car was an Acura Mdx. A very nice car. I loved it, but I couldn't wait until I could get a black one. A newer one. I have been through my share of cars, my newest car is an old minivan. We bought it $6,000 cash. No payments.Its great! I love my old beat up minivan- I don't have a cd player and sometimes my windows won't roll up, but I love it. I don't need anything else. I have more than I need. A car that holds a big family, it runs, I have no payments, and best if all it's mine! I still have my wants in other areas, I love to shop and buy new clothes, but not-wanting something is so freeing. I'm not worrying about making payments, I'm not worried about what anybody thinks of it. I love my minivan. And it's one less thing I let get in my way of Jesus. We spend so much of our time trying to get the best, GIMME GIMME GIMME.

I'm hoping I can find that balance for Bella. Help to to be grateful for what she gets, while being able to provide her with more than what she needs. I see alot of service projects in our future! I am happy to say I've made it through another Christmas without being disappointed. I have what I need and want. *We are here to serve God by serving his children in need.*    So again: Happy Birthday Jesus- you have given me everything I need and given me people who graciously have given me everything I want! 

CHRISTmas to those in need

It is getting close to CHRISTmas, only 4 more long days to go then we will be laying our heads down and waiting for Santa! Wait, Santa? Is Santa really the reason for the season*? For kids maybe, but they'll grow up and know better, right? Maybe not. If we force feed Santa and gifts into their heads that is what they'll know- I'm thinking about ruining Santa for Bella early just so she will know what CHRISTmas is about. Give her a head start in learning about Jesus and what he's done for us. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE presents, but I'm not going to base my happiness of CHRISTmas day on what I get or how much I get. I want to see my family together, I want to see happy healthy hearts for Christ. We are so fortunate to have so much to look forward to on CHRISTmas day. We have our ham, turkey, presents, pies, family. Some people have nothing. They will drink the same dirty water, from the same dirty river, they will be hungry, with nothing to satisfy their need. If they are lucky they will get a pair of shoes, too small or to big, that will be theirs and that's all that will matter. As I explained how much we have to be grateful for and how little people actually had, it struck me how ignorant people can be, he told me that there were no people like that around us!! Really? There's nobody in need in Highlands County? At my Church we used to deliver food and presents to needy families in our area, there's alot! He blew off everything I said like that kind of stuff only happens in other countries, and it wasn't our problem! That Idea is so WRONG. Are we not all God's people? He calls us to give everything we have to the poor. And while nowa-days it seems crazy to be without our essentials; cell phone, computer, wii, ipad, we really place too much value on these things. Some people get excited to have one pair of knock-off brand tennis shoes that may not fit properly, or that are not in style. It really makes me question how I have spent my time and I'm lucky to come to all these realizations soon rather than later so I can make a change in my life. In my families life. IN OTHERS LIVES. I may not have an extraordinary amount of income, but I was sure to fill shoe boxes to be sent to kids who usually don't get anything. And while we should help out everyone, why not help out those in our own neighborhoods, schools, etc with their everyday needs?!

Be a Santa* to the needy- but let them, through you actions, see the face of Christ.

Being Selfish

Selfishness is self-destruction. I put this on my facebook this morning and got a couple of "likes". It really got to me last night while we were eating dinner, you see my sister-in-law is in college out of town. She doesn't get to come home much, she's busy with work and school, friends, normal college-kid things. She will not be here for Christmas and she refuses to stop by and her grandmother and grandfather. They have asked to see her before she leaves and it will only be 10 min out of her way, but really. What is more important than family? (Especially during the Holidays) She claims to be "more mature" than the average 19 yr old but she really isn't. She goes out to clubs and bars to "hang out". How is that any different than any other college student? When you are so obsessed with self satisfaction and greed it ruins your life. Temporary happiness. Happy for a minute and quickly realizes that you need something else, and so consumed with yourself that you deserve it. Everyone likes getting presents, it makes you feel valued, good.  But when you flat out are nasty that you "better get this". It's disgusting. As kids and teens we all can have selfish moments, then we grow up. My sister-in-law is not the only selfish person out there. But it really makes me step back and look at my parenting. I give Bella whatever she wants (almost, I do say No) and though she's only two I still have time to instill value in her life, to teach her about giving not getting. But I would feel like a total failure as a parent, and totally disgusted if I saw her act the way I have seen people act in the past few months. You don't deserve anything. In life you work for what you want. *The only gift we need is Jesus and He's the only gift we don't have to work for.*  So step back, is it really mature to be selfish? No. It's childish. Makeup and clothes don't make the adult. Heart and character make the adult. But don't worry selfish teens of the world, you still have time.


A stingy man is eager to get rich and is unaware that poverty awaits him. Proverbs 28:22

Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless. Ecclesiastes 5:10





* Sorry if this blog sounds like venting- IT IS. I am so disgusted with the way people act over STUFF. Everybody wants STUFF> its great to have STUFF- this stuff won't get you to heaven. Remember what this life is about.

The Rich Young Man

Matthew 19: 16-30

A rich man came to Jesus and asked him what good things he must do to earn eternal life, Jesus explains that there is only one who is good and we must obey his commandments. Which ones? Jesus lists a few and the man says he has kept all these.

Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." 

Then the man went away sad. 

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." 

 Does Jesus mean that anyone with money will not go to heaven? I don't think so. But he was emphasizing that we do not need to hold onto money, we tend to use money as an idol, that's what we put first, that's what we work so hard for. So why if money cannot get us into heaven do we store it up, being greedy? Jesus calls us to give it to the poor. Use your wealth for the benefit of showing God's love and grace. It's all about using your gifts. If having money is your gift, use it! Give it away. I can relate to having no money and I still like to give it away. I'm pretty good at spending so when Christmas time comes around and their are kids who need presents, just say the word God, my money is your money. It's something that we should do year round, not just holidays though. Give fully and freely from your heart. Work for Jesus, because He is the only way to eternal life. Let go of money, show good faith and he will provide. Anything you give, give with an open heart and open mind.

So those of you with great wealth and those with no wealth, don't use money as an idol. Tithe and give to the poor. Shine with the light of grace, let them feel the hope. Give it all away.

Love others as ourselves

Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14

Make every effort to live in peace with ALL men! Not then "men" that are your friends or family, but especially the "men" that no one likes or no one knows. 

Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by doing so some people have entertained angels with out knowing it. Hebrews 13:1-2

Most people know either what it is to bully or be bullied. Little sarcastic comments that degrade people, pushing, laughing, excluding. Why do we treat God's children this way? Because of the way they look? How they dress? What they sound like? What their parents do? NONE of this matters. We are called to serve God by doing his will. Which INCLUDES showing kindness to our brothers.



This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. Dear Children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 1 John 3:16,18


Over and over again, the Bible tells us to love everyone as brothers in Christ. We are to serve them (not to be confused with worshiping idols) we should serve their needs. Take care of the humbled and poor. Take from your own wealth and share with the needy. Give all you have to help someone else.

Whoever loves God must also love his brother. 1 John 4:21

We get greedy with our affections. We choose who we will be nice to, who we like. Why do we do this when we are ALL God's children? He loves us all. He chose us all. We should want to please God, share his love with others so that they may choose him. If we never show his love to the "unloved" how will they ever know our God? They know the angry, jealous God. But what about the God that loved us so much he sent his son to die? He wants us to be saved. Reach out to your neighbors near and far, share the love of Jesus, he loved us first. Let us love him back. Love him by sharing the love.

One man gives freely, yet gains even more. Proverbs 11:24

He who despises his neighbor sins, but blessed is he who is kind to the needy. Proverbs 14:21

We are the body of Christ, we are to use our hands, our feet, our mouths to do his will and what is pleasing to him. Give up your idols, whatever it may be, follow him. For we were sinners and now we are saved. He has washed us clean with the blood. Why do we get comfy? We get into our routines and do what is pleasing to us or the world. We loose ourselves. We loose our purpose. (this is for me) Why do we sit doing nothing when the rest of the world is hungry, cold, sick? We need to reach out these arms of Christ use our feet to travel to them, arms to hold them, words to comfort them. Let our actions reflect our faith. Let us be active not lazy in serving God's people; all the people of the world. turn from evil and do good. Psalm 37:27

  

So why do we believe?

So when there is dead time at work and the phones aren't ringing, I tend to spend some of my time on facebook, not not just facebook, but studying about different world religions. I printed out a Big Religion Chart off of religionfacts.com. I'm not sure how accurate it may all be but it seems right on for what I have learned in school. This is a collective overview, of a couple religions, from the religion chart and other sources.

Atheism
origins & history: Appears throughout history but especially after the Enlightenment (19 century)
"members": appx 1.1 billion
beliefs in God(s) and universe: There is no God or divine being. (beliefs are usually based on recent scientific findings)
life's purpose: No afterlife. Only humans can help themselves and each other solve the world's problems.
afterlife: None.
practices: None.
Texts: influenced by Marx, Freud, Feuerbach and Voltaire. (modern authors): Richard Dawkins and Carl Sagan
*To me this seems like a sad "belief" system. If there is no God then there is no real purpose in life. If there is no afterlife then there is really any reason to be a good person, we wouldn't have morals or a conscience.

Christianity (including Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox):
origins and history: Founded by Jesus Christ in 30 AD, Israel.
"members": 2 billion
beliefs in God(s) and universe: One God who is a Trinity of Father, Son, Holy Spirit
life's purpose: All have sinned and are separated from God. Salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ, and for some sacraments and good works.
afterlife: eternal Heaven or Hell
practices: prayer, Bible study, baptism, Eucharist (communion), church on Sundays, numerous Holidays
texts: The Bible, Old and New Testaments

Judaism 
origins and history: religion of the Hebrews, 1300 BC
"members": 14 million
beliefs in God(s) and universe: One God, Yaweh
life's purpose: obey God's commandments, live ethically, their focus is on this life not the afterlife
afterlife: beliefs vary from no afterlife to a shadowy existence to the World to Come.
practices: circumcision, bar/bat mitzvah, synagogue services on Saturdays, no pork or other non-kosher foods. Holidays related to historical events
texts: Bible (Tanakh)-old testament, Talmud
*from other things I've read about Judaism, it's kind of sad. They think that Jesus was a prophet but do not believe he was the Messiah. They are still waiting for "a king". As Christians we are able to praise Jesus and through him we have eternal life in Heaven, Jews spend their lives waiting and waiting for the Messiah. They will be waiting an eternity. (God recognizes the Jews as his chosen people in the Bible)

Mormonism (Church of the Latter- Day Saints)
origins and history: Joseph Smith, 1830 New York, USA
"members": 12.2 million
beliefs in God(s) and universe: God the Father, the Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost are 3 separate beings.
life's purpose: humans existed as spirits before this life, salvation is returning to God. Salvation by faith in Christ, good works, ordinances and evangelism
afterlife: all return to spirit world. no Hell, only 3 stages of Heaven
practices: abstinence from tobacco, alcohol, coffee and tea. Baptism for the dead, eternal marriage, temple garments under daily clothes, active evangelism.
texts: Christian Bible, Book of Mormon, doctrine of Covenants and Pearl of Great Price
*They believe they are the first "real" Church. They do not recognize any other church


Most "religions" are based on books. Some, like the Bible, can be traced back thousands of years to actual historical events. Some are based on books someone wrote. Scientology is based on science-fiction novels written by L. Ron Hubbard(1954). Science-fiction books!  There is no evidence to support these "beliefs".

(sorry, just venting)


I accepted Jesus at a young age so I don't really remember all the details, but one thing remained the same throughout the years when people were getting saved or when I would "re-dedicate" my life to Christ: It was for selfish reasons. I didn't want to go to Hell. I didn't want the pain, I was scared. Who wants to spend eternity burning? Be tortured and punished for all the bad things you did or good things you didn't do? It's a fact: people do not want to face Hell. I think it's a major reason people "get saved". The more I read the Bible I understand more and I have come to realize that I was wanting to be saved for the wrong reason. Sure I don't want to go to Hell, I want to spend eternity in Heaven, but God is my heavenly father. He created us. He spoke to Noah and Moses, he saved his people. He sent Jesus Christ to die to save us from our sins, to save us from Hell. I thought about this when I was reading a print out on Judaism. They really don't have a belief in the afterlife. What if we had no idea or belief in the afterlife? What purpose would there be from getting "saved". What would we be saved from? Yes, Jesus died to save us from our sins, he died, so he must want us to be in Heaven. But why did he die? Because God the Father told him to, kinda, sorta, yea, but because he created us and loves us no matter what we do. We are forgiven, clean in his sight. HE LOVED US FIRST. It is our turn to LOVE HIM BACK. Love him. Trust that what he says he does. What he told us to do and not to do is for our best interest. We will never be perfect. We will never be able to follow all the rules. Just live for him. Treat him with the love he showed for us by sending Jesus to die for us. Live for him because he died for us.

Let's talk about sex

Sex. Just saying it makes us blush. Sex. What is it for? What is it really meant for? God created sex, so don't think he doesn't want us to have it, but like all things there are some rules. God created sex for one man and one woman. Not just one man and one woman, but for one man married to one woman. For our society to continue we have to have sex. For it to continue and for it to prosper and get better instead of worse we need to know when to have sex. We are so pressured by our corrupt society we think we need to have sex to be accepted. It's not the truth. It is causing us to have sex younger and in return makes us have more babies younger. Our teenage bodies aren't ready to have little babies of our own.
 Teen Pregnancy
I got pregnant my senior year of high school, I was 17. At that time my parents were in the middle of a divorce and I was living with my boyfriends grandmother. I was focused on graduating and getting out of this small town. I was worried about colleges and what I was going to be after school.  Of course we had planned on getting married and having kids, but not while we were still kids. Bella has been the biggest blessing in my life. Kyle and I love her to death, she is our pride and joy. We both graduated high school and since then Kyle has got his associates degree. And back in March of this year, not even 5 days after my 20th birthday, we got married. We have had a happier ending to our teen-pregnancy story then most of the others. Yes, I said others. You see, I wasn't the only one to get pregnant my senior year, or any year. When I was a sophomore I had a close friend of mine get pregnant and drop out of school. She is not with her "baby's daddy" now is is married to another man with a another baby. (that's the thing about teenage pregnancies, it seems like after you've had a baby with one guy and it doesn't work out you move on to another guy, and you have another baby.) 3 Other girls, that I know, got pregnant in our senior year. They all 3 have TWO babies now. 1 of them is married to her original "baby's daddy" the others have new men in their lives. And whether or not they are married or happy it doesn't change everything they had to go through being a pregnant teen. It's hard! You think society would accept you since they force sex on you through TV and music. Not only do you have to go through with telling your parents, you have to go through almost 10 months of pain then a LIFE of living for someone else. As teens, we are very self-centered. I thought I was down to earth, but until you have another person to care for, you are pretty much selfish. You clean up after yourself, you bathe yourself, you feed yourself, you sleep. You do what YOU want to do. After having a baby there is no sleep. Babies are born backwards, they sleep all day and are up all night. They poop and pee more than animals. They get sick, throw up, and scream. Bella had colic for months! She would cry all night long and nothing soothed her. It was the most stressful year of my life. I loved her, but at times I would get so angry, "why doesn't she shut up? why does she always scream!" My health and relationship with Kyle deteriorated drastically. I gained more weight and we always fought. There is so much more I could tell you about how hard it is to pay for a baby. There's diapers and insurance, car seats, clothes, food, bottles, medicine, etc. The list goes on. And if you think your parents are going to have the time or want to help take care of your baby, your sadly mistaken. It's a burden on them too. Financially and emotionally.

Emotionally
Don't think that it's only your parents emotions that are effected from a baby, your emotions are effected from having sex young, period. Whether or not you acknowledge your emotions after sex is up to you. People have sex because they are "In Love". Well let me tell you how many guys have said they "love" me. Between 5-9. I have not slept with those guys, thankfully. Just one. I am shamed to say I had sex before I was married, but the good Lord blesses me, I have only had sex with the man I am married to. That doesn't happen very often anymore, if you don't wait until you're married to have sex. When you have sex, that person takes a part of you. A part of you meant for the person you were to one day marry. It's a piece of you that you cannot get back. You're ashamed, scared, paranoid. Ashamed because that's God telling you did something wrong. Scared your parents will find out and paranoid you'll get pregnant.

Well your hearing all this thinking okay, that's what you think. What does God say about sex? It's not something your parents came up with to keep you from having fun, God wants sex to be between a man and his wife.

1 Corinthians 7:2-3     But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband.

Hebrews 13: 4    Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage be kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.

1 Corinthians 6: 13    The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.     The Lord's will is good for your body-what the Lord wants will satisfy you, if you give it a chance.


I will be called a hypocrite for this but that's not the case. Sex was definitely my short fall with sin (not my only sin) I wish I would have waited to have sex until I was married. I didn't. I'm giving you my personal opinion and the opinion of God, I'm telling you from experience.

(don't worry more to come)

The Christmas Story

In the Gospels there are a couple different versions of the Christmas story, not different versions, more like told from different points of view. This is the version as seen in Luke; straight from my Bible, NIV.

The Birth Of Jesus Foretold
1:26) In the Sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27) to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28) The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." 29) Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30) But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31) You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32) He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33) and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." 34) "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" 35) The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36) Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who has said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37) For nothing is impossible with God."


The Birth of Jesus 
2 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2) (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3) And everyone went to his own town to register. 4) So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5) He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6) While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7) and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

The Shepherds and the Angels
8) And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9) An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10) But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. 11) Today in the town of David a savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12) This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." 


16) So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.


Now imagine how hard it was for Joseph to understand that his fiance, a woman whom with "had never been laid with" was having a baby. In Matthew it explains a part of the story not mentioned in Luke. Joseph was going to divorce Mary but an angel came to him in a dream assuring Joseph to stay with Mary that she was a virgin and she was going to have the Son of God.

Also, in Matthew, it tells the story of king Herod. After Jesus was born he sent the Magi to find Jesus, he claimed he wanted to go and worship him, yet they were warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they went home another way.
After Jesus was born the angel of the Lord came back to Joseph and told him to go to Egypt, Herod was going to search the baby and kill him. After Herod died, the angel appeared again to Joseph in a dream telling him to go back to Israel. Hearing the Herod's son was still ruling in Judea, they went the Nazareth.


Matthew 2:23      So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: "He will be called a Nazarene."



If this doesn't prove that God is on control of all situations I don't know what will. He was able to send prophets hundreds of years in advance to tell the coming of his son, and it was as the prophets said.

This is the meaning of Christmas. God sent his son to us. We are to celebrate the greatest gift: Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. He was born to the virgin Mary, and he died for to save us from an eternal hell. He provides us with the eternal life we do not deserve nor can we earn. Nothing we do will ever make us worthy. All he asks is that we ask for forgiveness from our sins. Trust in him and do his will. Not just to save your soul- but because he is our heavenly Father and he created us. He created the way to save us.

Case for Christ part 2

IF                                                      THEN
Jesus is the son of God.....                  his teachings are more than just good ideas from a wise teacher;
                                                          they are God's own insights- on which I can confidently build my life

Jesus sets the standard for mortality...  I can have an inchanging foundation for my choices and decisions,
                                                           rather than basing them on the values of what seems to get me ahead
                                                           in a particular situation

Jesus did rise from the dead....             he's still alove today and available for me to encounter on personal
                                                           basis

Jesus conquered death...                      he can open the door of eternal life for me, too

Jesus has divine power....                    he has the supernatural ability to guide me and transform
                                                          me as I follow him

Jesus personally knows the pain
of loss and suffering...                         he can comfort and encourage me when things so wrong

Jesus loves me as he says...                he has my best interests at heart. That means I have nothing to loose
                                                         and everything to gain by committing myself to him

Jesus is who he claims to be....          as my Creator he deserves my obedience and worship

The Case for Christ

SO I found this book in my closet, actually it's my sister-in-laws old closet and its her book, but anyways, I started reading it, it's called the Case for Christ by Lee Strobel (student edition). Strobel grew up going to church but not really believing or having the faith. He went through the motions until he graduated high school and he went on with his life, going to college and getting married. Anyways, a long story short, his wife became a Christian and he wanted to have some "evidence" that the Bible was truth. Strobel was a journalist so he found the "evidence" he needed to believe that the Bible held actual historical events and his faith was restored in Jesus Christ.  I'm going to use this blog-post to cite some interesting points he brought up in his book. ( It's a great book and a short read, student edition is only 115 pages. I plan on getting the longer version soon.)

Did Jesus really think he was God?

"When I decided to test the claims of Christianity, right off the bat I figured that Christians made a tactical error. Other religions believe in all kinds of invisible gods-sort of like monster wave story- that's kind of hard to pin down one way or the other. But Christians were basing their religion on the alleged teachings and miracles of someone they claim is an actual historical person- Jesus Christ- who, they say, is God. 


Who did Jesus say he was?

The gospel of John in the New Testament opens with a majestic claim that Jesus, here called "the Word," is God.
 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made....The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:1-3, 14, NIV

Some of the Jewish leaders gathered around Jesus and said, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." Jesus responded, "I did tell you, but you do not believe... I and the Father are one."
 Attributes of God                                  Claims about Jesus
 omniscience                                         In John 16:30 the apostle John affirms of Jesus, "Now we can
(all knowing)                                          see that you know all things."

omnipresence                                      Jesus said in Matthew 28:20, "Surely I am with you always,
(everywhere present)                            to the very end of age."

omnipotence                                         "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me,"
(all powerful)                                          Jesus said in Matthew 28:18

eternality                                               John1:1 declares of Jesus, "In the beginning was the Word, and the
(no beginning or end)                             Word was with God, and the Word was God."

immutability                                          Hebrews 13:8 says, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today
(unchanging)                                         and forever."

"You believe because you see me. Those who believe without seeing me will be truly happy" John 20:29, NCV

Some people suggest that Jesus was a great moral teacher, but he wasn't God. The argument just won't work. Great moral teachers don't lie and say that they are God. But Jesus did claim that he was God.

Would somebody be willing to die for a claim he knew was a lie?
Was he willing to die because he believed he was telling the truth?

Other religions are based on people doing something to earn favor of God. Christianity is based on what Christ has already done on the cross. No body can do anything to earn God's favor, rather, Jesus offers forgiveness and eternal life as a gift. 

I had alot of beautiful ceremonies and traditions, but our God was a distant God who said, "Here are the rules- you live by them, you'll be ok. None of it made sense; none of it was satisfying.

Scholars have concluded that no archaeological evidence found to date flat-out contradicts the Bible. Archaeology can uncover evidence that confirms what the Bible says.




No one has uncovered any of the cities mentioned in the Book of Mormon.
No one has uncovered any artifacts related to the Book of Mormon.
No one has found any inscriptions confirming the Book of Mormon.
No one has identified any person, place, nation, or name mentioned in the Book of Mormon.

If you find yourself wondering whether archaeology can be used to substantiate the claims of just about any religious belief, you're not alone.
I wrote to the Smithsonian Institute and asked whether any evidence supported the claims of the Mormonism and the Book of Mormon. They told me in unequivocal terms that archaeologists see "no direct connection between the archaeology of the New World and the subject matter of the book." (above is what one expert wrote on the topic.)



(dont worry, theres more of the book to come! -allie)

CHRISTmas time!

The meaning of Christmas has been altered greatly throughout the years. What used to be and should be a celebration of Christ's birth is now all about Santa Claus and presents. And while it's great to have a time of year to share with others, to give generously the whole reason we are to be glad and happy to give gifts is because God has given us the greatest gift. Some might call it a "get out of jail free" card but it's so much more. God loved us so much that he created us. He gives us water, the sky, the earth and animals. We are sinful by nature but that does not give us an excuse to ignore him. He gave us Jesus Christ so that he would die for our sins. Not just die, but be crucified, for us. For every evil thought and action. For every bad word and gossip. For every sin. Jesus has already paid our price. Whether we choose to accept him is our choice. A gift of our choice. He chose us, but do we choose him? Christmas is a time to celebrate Jesus' birth. He was born for us. He is the greatest gift we will ever receive. And he is the greatest gift we can pass on.

Matthew 1: 21 "She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

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

Luke 2: 11 "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. (12) This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths lying in a manger." 

Bible and world timeline

So we were watching tv last night and it was a show on 10,000 BC, the paleolithic era- ice age/stone age.  Something that has always made me wonder is what is happening in the Bible during these different eras, where were the dinosaurs? Did Moses live through the ice age? I don't know if it's the way me brain works or what, but I just cannot comprehend the timelines. I found a website this morning but I don't know if it's right, I don't really understand it. http://wyler.net/timeline.html  This is what it says:

10,000- people were hunters/gatherers/

appx 10,000 - 4000 BC neolithic era/ late stone age

4,000 BC  Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden of eden.

So were Adam and Eve alive in 10,000 BC, were the alive all that time before Eve ate the forbidden fruit?


3,800 BC- Noah and the Ark, the flood

appx 1450-1208 BC- Moses and the exodus from Egypt

429-322 BC - Socrates, Aristotle, Plato

73 BC- Julius Ceasar, Mark Anthony, Cleopatra

25 BC- Augustus Ceasar (Octavius)

0 BC/AD - Birth of Christ

There's alot more to this timeline that I left out, check out the website if you want to see more. It'sry  very interesting to see what was happening around the world. I don't how creidble the website is but it's something.

Breakdown of the Bible

The Old Testament
       First 5 books
             Genesis: creation
             Exodus: Jews leaving Eqypt
             Leviticus: God's laws
             Numbers:
             Deuteronomy:
    History Books:
              Joshua
              Judges
              Ruth
              1 Samuel
             2 Samuel
             1 Kings
             2 Kings
             1 Chronicles
             2 Chronicles
             Ezra
             Nehemiah
             Esther
      Books Of Poetry"
               Job: Why do people suffer?
               Psalms: prayers and hymns
               Proverbs: advice on life
               Ecclesiastes: life without God is meaningless
              Song of Songs: celebrates romantic love
      Books of Prophets: (a prophet is someone who speaks for God)
                Isaiah: look to a future messiah
                Jeremiah:
                Lamentations: records five poems of sorrow for the fallen city
                Ezekiel:
                Daniel:
                Hosea:
                Joel:
                Amos:
                Obadiah:
                Jonah:
                Micah:
                Nahum:
                Habakkuk:
                Zephaniah:
                Haggai:
                Zechariah:
                Malachi:
The New Testament:
      History Books (first 4 books called Gospels meaning "good news") consists of 4 accounts of the life of     Jesus and the good news he brought to earth.
                   Matthew:
                   Mark:
                   Luke:
                   John:
                   Acts:
       The Letters:
            (Paul's Letters Romans through Philemon)
                    Romans:
                    1 Corinthians:
                    2 Corinthians:
                    Galations:
                    Ephesians:
                    Colossians:
                    1 Thessalonians:
                    2 Thessalonians:
                    1 Timothy:
                    2 Timothy:
                     Titus:
                     Philemon:
              Other Letters:
                     Hebrews:
                     James:
                     1 Peter:
                     2 Peter:
                     1 John:
                     2 John:
                     3 John:
                     Jude:
                     Revelation: visions and symbols, only new testament book that concentrates on prophecy

Reading the Bible Daily

I've come to realize you have to work everyday in your faith to keep it strong. I went this weekend without opening my Bible once and so quickly I fall. Judgments about people, anger, wordy-dirds (dirty words) all come back. I've been trying so hard to stay in the word and to practice what God teaches and it all goes downhill when you stop trying, when you stop reaching for your goal. I didn't have any major blow-outs that I'm infamous for, but I sure was having a hard time controlling my emotions. If you want a close personal relationship with God it takes work and it takes time. You can't read the Bible once and expect to know it all, you have to study it every day and pray, make it your goal in life to be a close personal friend of Jesus Christ. Don't let others read the Bible to you, when I make posts on here look it up. Make sure what I am saying is what is written. Don't let someone drag you astray because you are too lazy.

Thankful for the little things. Thankful for family.

I have been ungrateful in my life. Growing up when you're given whatever you want and get away with whatever you want you really cannot help it. As I got older I was much more appreciative for the things I had. All except my family. Sure I was thankful to have a mom and a dad, sometimes thankful for the two little pains I called my sisters. But I was never truly thankful to have a family together. And now more than ever I am thankful to have them all, I wish I could say I have them all together, but I don't.

I have a wonderful husband that I love and a daughter that means the world to me, along with a whole new family of in-laws, this will be my first holiday with their last name, kinda special. I do have a step dad that maybe one day we can have a close relationship, we are not there yet, but we'll get there. I have new half-brother that I love, Bella loves him too! My two sisters I appreciate more than I ever would have guessed; when you get older and move out, it seems you want to be home more than ever. Newly to my family I have a wonderful almost-step-mom, if that makes any sense, she makes my dad happy and that makes me happy. We've been able to have a good close relationship that I'm thankful for. Along with her, I have an almost-step-brother and an almost-step-sister. We all get along pretty well which is something to be thankful for if you've ever had step-family you didn't get along with.

It gets hard during the holidays to separate your time between 3 families. Someone will always feel left out or hurt, I'm hoping the Lord plans on giving me many more years on this earth to make up for what a pain I have been and to be more of a blessing to people around me that I love. And don't get me wrong, I would love to get everybody in my family together to have a big Thanksgiving or Christmas together, but unfortunately we cannot all get along always. I used to have a big part in that but everyday the Lord draws me near and dear to him and I am learning to forgive, myself and others.

Christmas gets hard, my husband and I work full time but we both make barely over minimum wage, so buying Christmas gifts for everyone gets hard. I know it's not about all the presents, but it's nice to let people know they mean a lot to you, and that you appreciate them.  I'm hoping no one is upset with the way Christmas plays out. But then think about all of the kids in orphanages, they will not get anything this holiday season, or even all year. I encourage everyone to get together with your church and donate food, clothes and toys, or anything you can to help out. It will make your more grateful and thankful, it will help your kids be more thankful, and it will show God's love to people who do not know him.

So in this season let us be thankful for the family and friends we have, and let us be thankful to the one who is behind every thing that we have. 

Psalm 100: 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

Psalms 118: 29 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Prayer

Prayer is an all-powerful thing. You pray for good health and safety, for good grades and happiness. Sometimes we pray for a winning game or a homeless man on the street. I hope we pray to give thanks.  No matter what we are praying for God hears us. We think God can only answers "yes" and that's not reality. God says "no" and he also says "in time you will see the plans I have for you".

2 Chronicles 7: (14) If my people, who are called by name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (15) Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. 

Psalm 4: (1) Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer.


Matthew 6: (5) "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. (6) But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (7) And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. (8) Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him."

We should turn to prayer daily. Not only to ask for what we want but the give thanks and praise his name for the grace he has given.


What do we pray about? Is it selfish wants? Is it cursing others for our pain? Is it wishing pain on others? Is it praise and worship prayers? Do we pray for guidance and grace? Do we pray for the leaders of our country?

What should we pray about?




"Lord, I give all the glory to you, if it weren't for you I would be condemned to an eternal death. Through your son I am saved and I thank you for your eternal grace. I pray the leaders of our country will be guided by your hands and will make decisions that will reflect your law and compassion in every way."

Wisdom

Proverbs 2: (1) My son, if you accept my words and store up  my commands within you, (2) turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, (5) then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. (6) For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. (9) Then you will understand what is right and just and fair- every good path. (10) For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. (11) Discretion will protect you, and understanding will gaurd you.

Solomon asks for wisdom:
When David knew he was about to die he called to his son Solomon, he told him to live faithfuly and obey all of commands God's so that God would keep his promise to him and there would always be a descendent of David on the throne of Israel.
Solomon went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, there God appeared to him and said,
1 King 3: (5) "Ask for whatever you want me to give you." 
Solomon replied
(9) "So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?" (10) The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. (11) So God said to him, "Since you have not asked for this and not for a long life or wealth for yourself, nor have you asked for the deaths of your enemies but for discerninment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. (13) Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for- both riches and honor- so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. (14) And if you walk in my ways and obey my statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life."

God is pleased by wisdom and faith. He will reward you for being a follower of him and making him your God above all gods. God blessed Solomon with defeat after defeat of all his enemies. I like to think if we ask God for wisdom and we follow his commands he will help us defeat the devil, and the desire to do evil. The Bible has many verses on wisdom, here's a few more.

Proverbs 3: (1) My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, (2) for they will prolong your life many years and bring your life prosperity.

Proverbs 16: (16) How much better to get wisdom than gold, to choose understanding than silver!

Proverbs 19: (20) Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise.
(27) Stop listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.

Proverbs 23: (19) Listen, my son, and be wise, and keep your heart on the right path.

SO as you can see, God puts a big emphasis on being wise and listening to his commands. We will be eternally rewarded for doing his works and being wise in our ways and spreading his love and following his commands.

Job 5

Accepting correction and discipline from the Lord.

Job 1: (11) "But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face."

Job was a man rich with blessings from God. He had 7 sons and 3 daughters, he owned several thousand sheep, many camels and donkeys, oxen and servants. He was almost sinless. He lived in fear of the Lord and he detested evil. He had a morning ritual that consisted of a burned sacrifice just in case on of his had sinned. Satan came before the Lord and wanted him to test Job. He said that Job would surely curse his name if things were not going so well. During the first test a messenger came 4 times; once to tell Job that Sabeans had taken his oxen and donkey, the next messenger told him that fire came from the sky and  burned all of his sheep and servants, the next messenger told him the Chaldeans came and swept down to carry away all his camels. Yet another messenger came to tell Job that a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the house all of his children were in and they were all dead.

Job 1: (20) At this, Job got up and tore off his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship (21) and said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave me and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised." (22) In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing. 

Again Satan came to the Lord;
Job 2: (4) "Skin for skin!" Satan replied. "A man will give all he has for his own life. (5) But reach out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face."

The Lord let Satan take Job into his hands, with the exception he must spare Job's life.  Satan went and afflicted Job with painful sores that covered his body. Job scratched them with a piece of broken pottery.

Job 2 (9) His wife said to him, "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!" (10) He replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept God, and not trouble?" In all this, Job did not sin in what he said. 

Job had three friends that came to visit him, Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar. When ever they saw him from a distance they cried, for they could see his suffering. They sat with him for a week and all said nothing. When Job finally spoke he cursed every day of life from birth.
Job 3: (26) "I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil."

Then his friend Eliphaz spoke:

Job 4: (3) Think how you have instructed many, how you have strengthened feeble hands. (4) Your words have supported those who stumbled; you have strengthened faltering knees. But now trouble comes to you, and you are discouraged; it strikes you, and you are dismayed. (7) Consider now: Who, being innocent, has ever perished?
Job 5: (1) Call if you will, but who will answer you? To which of the holy ones will you turn? (2) Resentment kills a foll, and envy enslaves the simple. (6) For hardship does not spring from the soil, nor does trouble sprout from the ground. (7) Yet a man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upwards. (9) He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted. (17) Blessed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. (27) We have examined this, and it is true. So hear it and apply it to yourself.


Job again speaks and Bildad answer. Job speaks again:

Job 9: (2) Indeed, I know that this is true. But how can a mortal be righteous before God? (4) His wisdom is profound, his power is vast. (6) He shakes the earth from it's place and makes its pillars tremble. (7) He speaks to the sun and it does not shine; he seals off the light of the stars. (8) He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea. (10) He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted. (14) How can I dispute with him? How can I find words to argue with him?

The book of Job is a very long discussion that continues between Job and his three friends, then God enters the conversation. At the end of Job God makes it known he is angry with Job's three friends because they do not speak of him like Job does. He makes Job pray for them and the three friends have to make a very large sacrifice.

Job Epilogue: (10) After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before.(12) The Lord blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the first. 


I'm not saying we should purposely not curse God for the hardships in our life expecting to get more in return. But we should know that he knows all and he knows what is best. If we trust in him and do as he says we will be blessed in his name. Maybe not on earth like Job was, but in heaven. We have so much more to receive in heaven than we could ever fathom here on earth. We need to take everything that happens in our life as a correction, or as discipline. None of us are blameless or without sin. We deserve every hardship we get plus some. Luckily for us, Jesus died on the cross so that we would not have to pay for our sins. He already has. 

In the End

Ecclesiastes 9:5 For the living know they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even the memory of them is forgotten. Their love, their hate and their jealousy have long since vanished; never again will they have part in anything that happens under the sun. (7) .... for it is now that God favors what you do. (9) Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun-all your meaningless days. (12) Moreover, no man knows when his hour will come: As fish are caught in a cruel net, or birds are taken in a snare, so men are trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them.

Make your life meaningful, do what you are called to do. Praise the Lord, God your father. Obey his commands and we shall be his people and forever have life. Not just life but a perfect life. Everything bad and evil will be forgotten, we will be perfect and new. New without sin. And we will stand by God the Father for ever more.

Don't let your life be wasted. Meaningless. Without purpose. Make today a fresh start. Make today a new day. Start your life over, it's only too late after your dead.

Living the Life

2 Corinthians 5: 1 Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. (2) Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, (3) because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. (4) For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. (5) Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. (6) Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. (7) We live by faith, not by sight. (8) We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. (9) So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. (10) For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

On Wednesday I learned this passage tells us 2 important pieces of information: 1) You will die. 2) You will be judged. Andy (the pastor in the video) thinks that during this judgment we will either be rewarded or overlooked for our faithfulness or unfaithfulness. I tend to disagree a bit, I don't think God will hand out gold stars to the people who pleased him the most, I think he will be overjoyed to have us up there in heaven with him. We will all have to give accounts on our lives and why we did what we did. God already knows what we did, he knows it before we can think to do it, so it's not going to be of any surprise to him. He wants us to *look beyond this life* that we have on earth, it doesn't end here. Our beginning starts when our time here ends. He doesn't want us to look back and *see the opportunity we missed*. We shouldn't look at our time spent on this earth serving God as a *sacrifice, but an investment*.

Matthew 6: 20 "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. (21) For where your treasure is, there is your heat also."

Discussion questions: ( from our small group)
1) Do you live for today or with the end in mind?
2) How often do you think about how you should live?
3) How do you feel about the account you will give for your life?
4) How should your life change since you will give an account for everything you do?

I want to be able to stand before God and all his angels and say after this day, I lived my life for you, the way you have called me to, because your are my heavenly father, my creator and my savior. I lived for you!

My Control Issues

(I decided since this is my blog, I would write about my life and life experiences.) I have been having a good couple months, but this weekend my emotions got the best of me. My husband will soon be taking the air traffic controller test, I am having a hard time letting God control this situation. I feel like if I'm not in control, he won't pass the test, which then will mean I cannot go back to school. I don't know if it's because the test is coming up so soon that I'm turning into an irrational, emotional wreck I've been crying about money, him going away for training for three months, will I ever finish school? will i ever go back to school? how long will we have to live at my in-laws? will we ever get to stand on our own feet?

Proverbs 16:3 Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.


Why is it so hard to let go. Will we fail sometimes? YES! Will we win sometimes? I HOPE SO! All I want is to be a great mom and wife. I want to be a volunteer at school and at church. I want to be a role model for those who have none. For those who have no hope. No Love. No choice. No chance. I feel like this job is my only way for my plans to work out. I keep thinking my my my. Not yours yours yours. God let your will be done! I only want you to use me for the good of all people, your people.

Getting myself upset over the situation isn't going to make it happen any faster or any better. So why do I worry? We have no backup plan if he doesn't pass this test, so I'm praying we really won't need a backup plan. God is my backup plan. I pray that his will be done and that it may be clear to me what I am to do. 

Why do we Sin?

So let us start from the begining. The begining of the Bible, the begining of sin. In Genesis God created man in his own image, then he created woman from man's rib. He named them Adam and Eve, and they were perfect. They were blameless and without sin. God  put a tree in the middle of eden, it was the tree of knowledge of good and evil. God told man "you are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."

Now the serpent came to Eve and tempted her with the fruit of the tree of knowledge. He convinced her that she would be more like God if she ate of the tree. Eve took the bait and and the fruit. Then she took the fruit to Adam and he ate of it as well. Immediately sin was born and they saw that they were naked.

When God realized that they had eaten from the tree of knowledge of good and evil he cursed the serpent, the woman and the man. (you can read this in Genesis 3)

Psalm 51:5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

So now comes the question, Why do we sin? Now you've heard the beginning, and here's what come next: after Adam and Eve ate from the forbiden tree, we are born sinners. We have no choice, it comes naturally to us.  *When you look at a mother, does she have to teach her child to disobey or sin?* Our job is to learn how to resist and avoid temptations from the world. Why the world, you ask? Because the world influences us everyday. The world is full of sins and it lies.

I posted this question on my facebook to see if any of my friends would respond and this is what they said:

"I sin because it's easier than walking the path of the straight and narrow."

"It's easier to be selfish with my time rather than generous and doing what's right. We get tempted and sometimes we fall."

"Sometimes temptation gets the best of me."

"I don't like to sin but sometimes the temptation gets the better of me and I become weak and I give in."

We sin bcause it's our nature. We sin because we are tempted everyday and sometimes we are not strong enough to resist. Sometimes it feels easier, or we are so scared and pressured into it. Sometimes we follow others, follow the world, we are lied to when the world says "follow me, i know the way". If we retreat to God's word evryday he will give us the tools and the strength to stand up to do what is right.

Proverbs 23: 19 Listen, my son, and be wise, and keep your heart on the right path. (20) Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor and drowsiness clothes them in rags.

Jeremiah 7: 23 but I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people.

Galations 5: 16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. (19) The actsof the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; (20) idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions (21) and envy; drunkeness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

I don't want anyone to read this and think I'm placing blame and not taking responsibilty of my actions. I have not always kept the commandments like I should. But I am not perfect and I am ready to actively use my faith!

Suffering

In this day and age I don't know why anyone would be ashamed of being a Christian. Muslims are willing to kill themselves to be with Allah. Jehovah Witnesses go door to door trying to convert you into believers. It seems to me like a majority of Christians cannot share their faith. Why are we so reluctant to save other with the Grace of God. Do we suffer more persecution? Do non-believers laugh? What makes it so hard? We are called to share the love and grace of God with our neighbors and we tend to be so shy. Is it fear of suffering? No one wants to suffer. To suffer is to feel something bad or unpleasant. Do we not suffer to have children? Or suffer for beauty or health? Do we not suffer because we are sinners and our sins cause us pain? We are going to feel suffering. We need to take a stand and let God lead us. He will direct you where you need to go. Pray that he gives you the words to say. We have so much more to offer than non-believers know. We need to take a stand. Step out in our faith. Let it be known that Jesus saves. Being school aged can be difficult when trying to share your faith, you are pressured into "fitting in" and "being cool". But is it really cool to die? Is it really cool to suffer for all eternity because you wanted someone, someone that doesn't matter, to like you?

1 Peter 4:12 But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. (16) However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. (18) If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner? (19) So then, those who suffer accordingly to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

1 Peter 5: 2 Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers- not because you must but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve. (10) And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will make himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast. 

1 Peter 3: 13 Who is gong to harm you if you are eager to do good? (14) But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed.  (15) Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. (17) It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing for evil.

Grace

The Lord's Grace to Paul

1 Timothy 1:12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. (13) Even though I was once a blasphemer and a person and a prosecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. (14) The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. (15) Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners- of whom I am the worst.

I am a sinner. I am not the worst. I am definitely not the least. I am guilty of hurting myself and others with my actions and things I say. I have hurt my self with placing judgment on others and impure thoughts. I am so lucky because I have accepted Jesus into my life and I have the grace of God.  He can take murders and adulterers and make them new again. Not everyone can forgive, and no one can forget. But it gives you such peace to know that you have the grace of God and that it doesn't matter what I or anyone says, you can know that you are saved. Jesus loved you, and you can have eternal life with him in heaven.

1 Peter 5:10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast.

Dealing with Difficult People

Difficult people come in all shapes and forms and in all walks of life. Difficult people can interfere with you and your walk with Jesus. We need to learn how to identify the difficult people and what we can do to maintain "our cool" because I will be the first to tell you I easily loose my cool. I think partly it from the way I grew up, a lot of yelling and fits of anger. I adapted this as my way to retaliate when someone hurt me or made me angry, or when I didn't understand. I use past tense because that's what I am determined to do. Put those actions in my past. I am trying every day to be slower to anger. I'm trying to remain calm and not retaliate. And it's hard, Oh, it's so hard. When I hear something I don't agree with I want to yell and tell that person how stupid I think what they are saying is, and most of the time it's not my part, or my business to interfere. But my nature is telling me I need to be in control, I know what is best, why won't this person listen to me! In my head and heart and screaming but on the outside I'm keeping my composure (now). I've learned it's no use arguing. There's no point in trying to control the situation, because no matter what, God is on control. God does not tempt us. God allows us to be tempted by sin. He wants us to use the tools he has given us to make the right choices, to overcome sin.  When we are dealing with difficult people we need peace, patience and holiness. We need prayer and we need to understand that we cannot control anyone but ourselves, we need to keep our composure and act morally as God would have us do.

1 Samuel 24:12 May the Lord judge between you and me. And may the Lord avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you. (13) As the old saying goes, 'From evil doers comes evil deeds,' so my hand will not touch you.

Romans 12:9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.(14) Bless those who curse prosecute you. Bless and do not curse. (16) Live in harmony with one another. (17) Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. (18) If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

We can loose our temper or we can remain calm. We cannot control the difficult people nor can we change them.

Using Your Gifts + Living for God

We are called to use our gifts to glorify God.

1 Peter 4:7 Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. (8) Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. (10) Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering  God's grace in its various forms. (11) If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

1 Timothy 4:14 Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you. (15) Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.

Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God- this is your spiritual act of worship. (6) We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. (7) If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; (8) if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

I have always been one to give or help out. When the angel tree would come around for Christmas that was my calling. I would shop til I dropped for others! I would deliver food for Thanksgiving.That is what I've always been good at. I always say I wish I could be a professional volunteer. To know that I'm giving a parent the opportunity to feed their kids and give them gifts through the holiday season is what makes my life. It is so fulfilling to know you have helped someone. Some people are natural born leaders. They can lead a group in discussion and prayer, give advice to follow Christ. They will go where the Lord calls them to go and they will do it with quick feet. Some people can lead praise and worship that reaches out to Christians and non Christians and could change their life. The Joy Fm reaches people all over and helps me stay encouraged. If we waste our gift we do not give glory to God. Your gift is your way to preach to others about God's love and his gift for us. Your gift could be what someone sees that will bring their life to Christ. To God be the glory, Amen.

Anger and Happiness

Anger and happiness. Can you be angry and happy? I am a happy person. In the past I have been a bitter person, I have been an angry person, a depressed person. I have been all of these and more. I am pleased to say that in the past 2 years with all my ups and downs I am now a happy person, a content person and most importantly a person that has a life worth living. But can I possibly be angry and happy? I believe that happiness is my overall, and I go through short fits of anger. It's natural to have emotions. And as a girl, you know we have waves of uncontrollable emotions that, at times, can be hard to control. Im giulty of trying to please people, or to tame the situation. At times I keep my emotions bottled up and you know when you bottle everyhting up, everything is bound to explode! And that's exactly what I do. It is wrong of me and I'm working hard on controlling it.

James 1:20 For man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. (26) If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he decieves himself and his religion is worthless.

Proverbs 29:11 A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control. (22) An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins.

Maybe the things that  make us angry shouldn't. I think that we take-for-granted the things we have and we are easily angred because we are so spoiled and want everything our way. I can't promise I won't get angry, but I'm going to try and think about the situation thoroughly before I "flip out".

Let's pray: Lord I pray that you will give me the strength to be patient and slow to anger. I pray you will help me never to go to bed angry. I want to share in the delight of you! Amen.

Im Not Perfect! Whos with Me?

I have said it more than once and I will say it again. Im on a journey of self discovery in my walk with Jesus Christ. Im wrting this blog so that others can see what God is doing in my life or what calls them to do as well. Im not claiming that I follow all ten commandments like they are gold to my life. Im syaing I should and im going to try each day to learn more about Jesus and how he wants me to live my life. Forgiving and forgetting. Im quick to forgive, slow to forget. Someone once told me to forgive, don't forget. It's foolish to let someone attack and hurt you over again. If you forget your opening yourself up to being hurt.

Matthew 7:1 "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. (2) For in the same way you judge others, you too will be judged,"

I have judged others. I have looked at the clothes they wear or their hair and thought ," now why would they wear that," or "only if they did this they'd look soo much better." But who am I to judge how someone looks. God created that person. They have a special place in his heart and in his kingdom. Who are we to judge. What makes us so great to look at others and want to change them. It could be because of money, parents, or their own choice why they wear what they do. Does it directly affect us? Does it make my life better or worse depending on what they wear? I used to dress for attention. I had the need for people to want me or want to be me. In the end it got me no where. Now i look back and think, I could have taken a stand and dressed modestly instead of putting immoral thoughts in peoples heads. I have a husband that loves me no matter if I'm in rags or silk, whether I'm a healthy weight or overweight. So what do I care if someone doesn't like my outfit. Are they going to get me into heaven? No.

1 Timothy 2: 9  I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, (10) but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.


Everyone is a sinner whether they choose to acknowledge it or not. I have a problem holding my tongue. I can be rude and obnoxious, I have hurt people close to me while I try to save those who don't know me.

James 3:6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and itself set on fire by hell. (8) but no man can tame his tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. (9) With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness.

Now I tell you again, theses are not all my sins, but I know and God knows, I'm not perfect. I'm trying my best to better my life and walk with Jesus Christ.  Anyone who says otherwise or feels as if I am a hypocrite will be judged by the Lord.

Isaiah 54:17 no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.

Rules for Holy Living and being Thankful

So I've been reading in Ephesians, 1 Timothy, 1 &2 Thessalonians, Colossians, Philippians, and Galatians, and there is so much substance, so much worth reading. Being thankful not vengeful, prayer, living to please God and final instructions. I'm going to list out several verses I have found helpful, insightful, verses that make it worth the time to invest your life in God and to live the way he has called us to live.

Galatians 5: 19 The acts of sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; (20) idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions (21) and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Ephesians 5: 5 For this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person- such a man  an idolater- has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. (6) Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient.

This is hard to grasp. If we keep living day-to-day, sinning without being retentive, we will not go to heaven. I don't know about you, but burning in a lake of fire for all eternity doesn't sound fun. It's not even something to joke about, its serious. We do not know when Jesus will come. It could be tomorrow or the next day, it could be 400 years from now. We don't know when we will die. We do not have the time to waste being sinful. Repent. Turn your life over to God and let him show you how you are to live.

Ephesians 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. (2) Honor your father and mother- which is the first commandment with a promise- (3) that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth. (4) Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. 

This is the 1st commandment. Why is it the hardest to follow? Most kids (in Bible school) when asked if they would murder would be shocked saying that it is wrong it's breaking a commandment. So why do we break the number 1 commandment?! It's number 1, meaning it's important. I cannot cast stones because I did not obey my parents. I was strong willed and I thought they were wrong, every rule was so I would miss out and it was all against me. I still don't know why I couldn't obey all their rules. I guess it's because I never realized what it was like to be a parent. Some of their rules I still don't agree with, but it doesn't mean it was okay for me to do what I wanted anyways. It hurts them and it put a burden on our relationship and their relationship. I just hope I can raise Bella (and what other children I might have in the future) with the knowledge and understanding that its the parents way. I hope I can give her a strong Biblical upbringing.

Philippians 2: 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. (4) Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Philippians 2:14 Do everything without complaining or arguing, (15) so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.

Colossians 3: 5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.
(9) Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with it's practices (10) and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of it's Creator.
(12) Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 

1 Thessalonians 4: 7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. (8) Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.
(9) For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
(11) Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. (12) Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you,
(14) And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. (16) Be joyful always, (17) Pray continually, (18) give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.


There is just so much more I could add to this. It is obvious what the Bible is telling us to do. Be good people. Better ourselves and others. Turn away from our sinful nature and live in the light. GIVE THANKS.

Colossians 3(15) Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
(23) Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.
Colossians 4: (2) Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
(6) Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. 
Colossians  1: 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.
(14) in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness if sins.
Philippeans  4:12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. (13) I can do everything through him who gives me strength. (20) To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Kindness and Thanksgiving

So I know this person. He could be a wonderful, helpful, intelligent person. But he is so full of greed, anger and hate. To watch the way he treats people makes me cry. Not even angry. I feel so bad for him. His attitude is overwhelming and unbearable. It sickens me to see how much the devil has a hold of him. I'm hoping he reads this and instead of letting it roll off his back, I hope it holds him accountable for the way he treats people, the way he views the world. He would be much happier if he could finally accept the gift God has given him and enlighten his spirit and heart.

Ephesians 4:31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger, brawling and slander, along with every kind of malice. (32) Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as Christ God forgave you.
Ephesians 5: 1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children (2) and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us a as fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (3) But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. (4) Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. (5) For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person- such a man is an idolater- has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. (6) Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath come on those who are disobedient. 
Ephesians 5: (part of 14) "Wake up, O sleeper,
                                            rise from the dead,
                                    and Christ will shine on you."
(15) Be very careful, then, how you live- not as unwise but as wise, (16) making the most out of every opportunity, because the days are evil. (17) Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.
Ephesians 5: 19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, (20) always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

I think it's all pretty self explanatory. Love and be loved. Make the right choices by referring to Jesus. Be thankful not greedy or vengeful. We have so much in life to live for, we shouldn't waste our time being unhappy and empty. And that's what we are without Jesus. We are empty.