Wedded Wednesday

I have to admit I have really been slacking on my blog.  I didn't even ask anyone to write for Wedded Wednesday...ooopppsss!  So today, I have a video to share with you.  The video is of  3 couples.  Each of them has been married for over 40 years.  This is their marriage advice!  Love it!

Hope y'all have a great day!

Love Letter!

I was reading through some of my favorite homeschooling blogs, and I came across the picture above.  I love this quote!  I immediately thought, "I pray that this is true of my life.  I hope that I give my Lord the freedom to write whatever He wants, not just what I hope to see." 

I hope that I am holding on to my children's unsteady hands, training them to write neatly and with correct form.  The only way I can do that is to exercise this everyday until they are ready to allow the Spirit of God to give them direction for what will be written through their lives.

Our children's character and their belief in our Lord Jesus Christ and His word is seen in how they obey and respect their parents.  If they believe the Word, they will know that even though they don't understand everything about the Word and Faith, if they Honor their Father and Mother, they are serving God.

I have found that when I start seeing a disrespectful attitude start to rear its ugly head, that I need to work on winning back my child's heart.  If they don't respect me, how will they ever learn submission to God or to the others that will have spiritual authority in their lives. 

Parenthood is all about the display of who God is to our children when they are young.  He is authority, but He is also mercy.  He instructs us, yet He blesses us.  He tests our faithfulness by giving us tasks to see if we are ready, and then He also knows when we need to stay in the same place for a little longer.  God is our defender and our protection.

Something that is not tolerated in my house is laziness.  I think that if children get to be lazy when they are young, they will be lazy as adults.  Not only is that hard for those who have to go to work, but more importantly it makes them apathetic in the Kingdom of God.  Lazy people are always waiting to see if someone else will do what is needed.  There is no time for that when the fields are ripe and the laborers are few. (Matt.9:37)  We need people with a desire to work and to do all as unto the Lord. (Col. 3:23)

My prayer is, that as parents, we will begin to see the task of raising our children with such great importance.  If you want your children to be loving and serving Jesus with a passion and zeal when they are adults, you better put the time in now.  Don't let Nick Jr. raise your kids.  Read the Bible to them everyday, and help them memorize scripture.  Don't give them the option to volunteer at church or with mission, use those times as training for the rest of their lives. 

Most importantly, don't try to train your kids to be something you are NOT!  If you don't put God first in your life, your kids won't.  If you don't get planted in a church and be involved in the vision and mission of the church, don't think that your kids will want to, or that they will when they are grown.  If you don't serve others, your children will want to be selfish too.  Be what the Word of God says, live it out before your children, and teach them to do the same!  

Get In Your Place!

Friday night I had a dream that I was sitting on the floor at my Pastor's wife's feet.  (Yes, she happens to be my mother-in-law too, but her role in ministry is significant to my dream.)  There were other ladies who are in leadership in our church sitting there as well.  She was teaching us.  As she would speak, crumbs would fly out of her mouth.  (She wasn't eating while she was talking!)  Each one of us on the floor had a tiny little brush and dust pan.  We would rush, trying to beat any of the other ladies, to get that crumb and put it safely away.  I woke up and thought, "Wow....that was really the dumbest and grossest dream I have ever had!"  Seriously!

That morning, I was reading 1 Kings 19.  In this chapter Elijah was running from Jezebel.  She had threatened to kill him because Elijah had killed somewhere around 450 prophets of Baal.  He went out into the wilderness and found a cave.......pretty much he was having a pity party before the Lord!  Then, we get to verse 11-12.  (I LOVE THESE VERSES!)

Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain

before the Lord.”

And behold, the Lord passed by,

and a great and strong wind tore into

 the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord,

but the Lord was not in the wind;

and after the wind an earthquake,

but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 

¹² and after the earthquake a fire,

but the Lord was not in the fire;

and after the fire a still small voice.

 

The Lord gives Elijah instruction in that still small voice to go back the way he came, THROUGH THE WILDERNESS, and anoint his successor.  I love that he also told him in verse 18, that indeed Elijah was not alone like he thought.  There were 7,000 in Israel, all whose knees had not bowed to Baal!  God always has a remnant....WE BETTER ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT! 

 

So Elijah, goes out back through the wilderness.  He finds Elisha who is plowing.  GET THIS.....ELISHA IS THE TWELFTH TEAM AND HE IS BEHIND TWELVE OXEN!  That will be significant in a minute.  Elijah passes by him and throws his mantle (or coat or shawl) and Elisha follows him.  Elisha is plowing one minute, then he is becoming successor to one of the greatest prophets who ever lived the next.  Eventually,  Elisha gets a double portion of Elijah's anointing because He won't leave Elijah. (2 Kings 2)  I LOVE ELISHA!

As I was reading this story Saturday morning, I knew what my dream meant as the Holy Spirit gave me revelation.  Those crumbs were Sister Julia's mantle, her words of wisdom, instruction, direction, correction, etc. that she was passing to us who are being raised up to be after her.  We would be wise to gather up as much as possible!  I would say that the majority of women who serve under her would say that we hope we are just like her one day!

The other thing the Lord showed me in this passage is about being in the place that the Lord has for us, being faithful, and waiting for his timing for our appointments.  If you remember, Elisha was way in the back plowing.  He was in the back of the back of the back....you get it.  A lot of times, Christians want to start out their service in the front.  IT DOESN'T WORK LIKE THAT!  What if Elisha had decided he didn't like plowing that day, or that he wanted to be in the front.  What if he thought man it is too hot, the work is too hard, and I am really meant to be leading these teams instead of dragging in the rear.  If he wouldn't have been "IN PLACE"  he might have missed his opportunity.

God needs us to embrace the place that he has us.  Whether we are Sunday School teachers, clean toilets at the church, organize the food pantry, work in the nursery, serve in Africa as a missionary, or speak to thousands of people about Christ......if it is where God told you to be, he has not forgot about you.  He knows where you are.  He is waiting to see that you will be faithful with a little so he can catapult you to the next level.  Serve him joyfully where you are.  Don't decide that you want to do something else more or decide there are more opportunities at a church down the road.  Don't get angry and think no one recognizes your talent or giftings.  Wait on the Lord!  Don't get out of place!

We will all have our Elisha moments where we will be in the wilderness working and along comes an Elijah to pass on his mantle to us.  Where we step up to the next level in service to our Lord and anointing in our life. 

Believers, I have two things that I encourage you to do today.  First, glean as much wisdom from your spiritual authority as you can.  Accept instruction and correction without anger.  If you don't, you might find yourself displaced instead of in your place because of your anger.  Secondly, GET IN YOUR PLACE!  The body of Christ is one body.  It can not function without every organ, bone, tendon, etc.  Get there!  Be faithful!  Be patient!  The Lord knows when you are ready to go to the next level!      

Catch Your Breath!

Today's post is by Naomi Chance!  I don't have to brag on her to y'all, because if you know her, you love her as much as I do!  Sometimes I wonder how I am so blessed to be friends with such a giving, caring, compassionate woman of God!  I know, I know....you get it.....I love this lady! 

Naomi Chance

If your heart is broken, you’ll find God right there; if you’re kicked in the gut, he’ll help you catch your breath. ~Psalm 34:18 (The Message)

 

Have you ever had a hurt so deep you felt like you couldn’t catch your breath? Have you ever had heartache so brutal you thought you couldn’t possibly make it through another day? I know I have. God’s Word promises over and over to bring healing.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They ARE new every morning; great is thy faithfulness. ~Lamentations 3:22-23

I love, love, love this scripture!! It gives me hope in every storm that comes into my life. He sees ME! My innermost! There isn’t a sorrow felt, a tear shed or a groan uttered that my Jesus doesn’t know about. I will never be consumed by my circumstances!

As a believer I have 2 of the most powerful tools EVER!

#1 is The Word of God!

 

For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. ~Hebrews 4:12 (NLT)

The Word cleanses our minds and our hearts. I don’t know about you, but I am a work in progress. He’s changing me from glory to glory every day! My mind and heart need cleansing daily. God’s Word is also POWERFUL! When a trouble comes it is what keeps my eyes fixed on the Savior. If Jesus can use it when being tempted by Satan then so can I!

 

#2 is Prayer

 

And when you pray, you are not to be as the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners, in order to be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will repay you. And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition, as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need, before you ask Him. ~Matthew 6:5-8

Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s not about religion….it’s about relationship.”  It is so true. We can SAY we’re a believer all day long but there is so much more to be had.  There is a Savior who wants your all (even in the storms of this life). He wants to take you onto Holy Ground! How can He do that if we don’t know Him or His will for us? A relationship is built on communication and quality time.

Time spent in The Word and prayer is NEVER time wasted…..EVER!

My Pastor says all the time, “Bad things happen to good people.”  Sounds so simple, but how true it is. Life isn't fair. But I am learning to always, always, always remember there is a greater picture I don’t see. Praise Him in your storm! There is a light at the end of the tunnel. You don’t know what He’s preparing for you. He may need you to encourage someone who is going through the same thing one day.

 

Wise men lay up knowledge ~Proverbs 10:15

 

He that gathereth in summer is a wise son ~Proverbs 10:5 

Gather wisdom and knowledge through your heartache. God wants to use you for His mighty glory! He will turn you mourning into dancing! (Psalm 30:11)

 

 

Wedded Wednesday:Forgive How Many Times?

I asked Melinda Stanton to post for me on Wedded Wednesday, but she has so many great posts on her blog that I am sharing one of those!  If you are interested in working on your marriage, no matter how good or bad it is right now, you will find a lot of great teaching on Melinda's blog, Auntie Em's guide! 

Melinda and Randy Stanton

 Forgive How Many Times?

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?”  Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy times seven.” Matthew 18:21-22

 

Then Jesus begins the parable of the servants who owed money to their master; and the one who owed a huge amount was forgiven the debt; after which he choked and imprisoned someone who owed him a pittance. I’m right there in the cheap seats, cheering when the master called him back in, tortured and imprisoned him till he could repay the original debt. Yeah! You deserve it, jerk!

But then– you know what I’m going to say, don’t you? God whispers. “Ahem…. ahem… I forgave you a huge debt. Remember? Shouldn’t you forgive the pittance that you think you are owed?”

 

Finish reading this article at Auntie Em's Guide!

 

 

Your Light Shall Break Forth!

 Where in the world has the last week gone to?  I have been a busy little bee.....but trust me, I have loved every single minute of it. (Well, except maybe the part I made 2 trips to the girls' dentist office an hour away!)  Anyway!  It's a fantabulous Tuesday afternoon and I am loving the weather!  I have a big pot of stew simmering on the stove and just a bit of time to spend with you before I have to get back on the road again to head to guitar/piano lessons.

This morning, the girls and I volunteered at the Hope Women's Resource Clinic.  We worked in the "Boutique" organizing and sorting baby clothes, blanket, and bottles.  They gave us a tour of the whole facility, and we got to meet all the staff.  They were beyond wonderful!  I just can't wait to go back.  As time will allow, I hope that maybe I will be able to become more a part of what they do there.  I was invited to come and train to do some one-on-one counseling, so hopefully after the first of the year I can. There are so many opportunities for volunteers there!  The picture below was taken with my phone, so it is terrible quality, but you can still see how excited my girls were just to be there!

 

Tomorrow morning, we were invited to lead worship for the Chapel service at First Baptist Academy.  There is something so sincere about watching little ones worship Jesus!  They don't know how to fake it or put on a show!  Eeeekkkk!  Busy, Busy, Busy!   

 

An update on the fundraiser (bake sale) that Naomi Chance and I did for Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes.......wait for it..............we raised $515.00.  Wow!  I would just like to say THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone who ordered our baked goodies and donated to this great cause.  There is nothing more moving than watching the videos of children opening their shoe boxes and getting to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I will try to remember to post pictures of our finished boxes on here. (And yes, just typing that, I started crying!  Thank you again!)

 

So today, in my time with the Lord, I read Isaiah 58.  Do you have a few more minutes to spend with me?  I hope so!

 

⁶ “Is this not the fast that I have chosen:

To loose the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the heavy burdens,
To let the oppressed go free,
And that you break every yoke?

⁷ Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out;
When you see the naked, that you cover him,
And not hide yourself from your own flesh?

⁸ Then your light shall break forth like the morning,
Your healing shall spring forth speedily,
And your righteousness shall go before you;
The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.

⁹ Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’

“If you take away the yoke from your midst,
The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,

¹⁰ If you extend your soul to the hungry
And satisfy the afflicted soul,
Then your light shall dawn in the darkness,

And your darkness shall be as the noonday.

 

¹¹ The Lord will guide you continually,
And satisfy your soul in drought,
And strengthen your bones;
You shall be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

¹² Those from among you
Shall build the old waste places;
You shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach,
The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.

 

This is what I am learning: If you want to move the heart of our Great God, become an advocate for justice and mercy.  If you want righteousness to go before you and the GLORY of the LORD to follow, be His hands and feet on this earth to those in need.  When you are saved, God has taken up residence inside of you.....thank you Holy Spirit!  If you stir up the Holy Spirit inside you, a little bit of service to God is never enough.  You start getting hungry for more.  You want to be in action.  Your life, your things, your time becomes easy to sacrifice when you are following hard after Him!

 

I want to be like the woman in Matthew 26 with the Alabaster Jar, the costly perfume, that she willingly poured out all over Jesus!  The disciples saw waste, but oh, Jesus saw love and worship from a sincere and grateful heart.

 

May my life be like that perfume as I pour it out before my Savior!  May no possession be more valuable than Him.  God let my heart be willing to make any sacrifice that will bring me closer to your feet.  Oh God, guide me continually and satisfy my soul.  Let the Light of Christ break forth like the morning every where I go! 

Father, increase your power and anointing on those who follow hard after You because with You, all things are possible.

 

 

That's My King!

Happy Thursday, my friends!  Have I told you lately how very thankful I am for each one of you!?!  I have about 2 seconds to blog because I have a crazy day ahead of me!  Naomi and I are baking this morning, all of my girls have dentist appointments this afternoon, then Ladies Fellowship tonight at 6!  I love my CRAZY, BUSY life!

This morning I was reading one of my favorite scripture passages!  It is so good it's worth sharing no matter how many of y'all know it by memory.

  Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,

⁶ who, being in the form of God, did not consider it

robbery to be equal with God,

 ⁷ but made Himself of no reputation, taking the

form of a bondservant,

and coming in the likeness of men. 

⁸ And being found in appearance as a man,

He humbled Himself and

became obedient to the point of death,

even the death of the cross. 

⁹ Therefore God also has highly exalted Him

and given Him the name which is above every name, 

¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

of those in heaven, and of those on earth,

and of those under the earth, 

 ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ

is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

Philippians 2:5-11 NKJV

 

 

That's My King!

 

 

I pray that each of us have the opportunity to share the Good News with someone today!  May the Holy Spirit fill us with all boldness to fulfill the Great Commission!



Wedded Wednesday:My Lover-My Friend!

Today's post is by Josie Mathis.  Josie has been married to her husband, Michael, for 10 years.  Together, they Pastor the Jr. High Student Ministry.  Josie also sings on the Praise Team!  I love, love, love both of these wonderful people.  (I am pretty sure Josie gives the best hugs and it is always right when you need one!)  As a side note, you can read Michael's blog at Life is Sweet!  And I almost forgot, they are the co-owners of Mathis Family Farms.....THE BEST HONEY IN TEXAS!  If you haven't tried any yet, you are missing out.

Michael and Josie Mathis

Since I was asked to write, last week, for Wedded Wednesday, I have thought of a mirad of marital aspects. I told Tera I wanted to pray about what God would have me say, and I have, though my own mind continued to try to come up with a plan of its own. Lol. I must say, I find this is how most of my writings are. I plan for one idea and the Holy Spirit takes a different approach. So here goes...

My Lover - My Friend 

People marry for various reasons be it attraction, money, to get out of a bad situation, loneliness, and hopefully love. I married my best friend! And oh what a wonderful friend indeed! I am reminded of Song of Solomon-

 

The watchmen stopped me as they made their rounds, and I asked,

“Have you seen the one I love?”

Then scarcely had I left them when I found my love!

I caught and held him tightly...  

(Song of Songs 3:3, 4 NLT)

 

Michael and I have been married for 10 years and I can't imagine a sweeter friendship. I hold tightly to our friendship and the treasure God has given me.

 

Some wise women have taught me over the years, and this stays with me... Do not forsake your husband for the needs of others, including your children; because when you are old it is his love and friendship that will be with you.

 

How does one treat a friend? To have a friend you must spend time with one another, share interests, invest in one another. Friends support each other through good times, bad times, and all things in between. If we want our relationship with our husband to be strong we must nurture it. What are some ways to nurture that relationship, that Friendship?  I will share some of my own experience. 

 

As most, if not all, of you know, I have a very loud personality. However, my sweet husband, is quite mild mannered for the most part. In keeping with Tera's comments from last week- Do not think in any way that means he is not strong or does not have an opinion. He is most definitely assertive and strong willed when necessary. However, as his helper- and yes his friend, it is my responsibility and Joy to help him in any way I can. I believe as a wife we do have great power of persuasion in our husbands decisions, because they love us and cherish our opinions. But as their friend, we must not take advantage of that love and trust.

 

I know with my girlfriends, if I am shopping and see some treasure that reminds me of them, I'll buy it for a surprise for them. Why should we do any less for our best friend? I know we women like getting the little extras, but so do our men. (Even though some don't admit it! Lol) 

 

So I challenge you, find ways to show your husband how very special he is to you, especially in those times he is working extra hard for you and your family. Sometimes it is just the smallest kindness such as a little extra treat in their lunch, having their work clothes clean (and not still in the dryer- haha!), or maybe fixing their favorite dinner.

 

Most of all seek the one your heart loves! Continue daily, striving to win his heart again and anew. Be his best friend!! 

 

Of course I could go on forever,  but I leave you with this... Let this be Your testimony with Your best friend...

 

(Song of Songs 5:16 NLT)

His mouth is sweetness itself; he is desirable in every way.

Such, O women of Jerusalem, is my lover, my friend.

The Persecuted Church

Last night, I was reading an article about the U.S. Army telling troops that American Family Association should be classified as a "domestic hate group".  This basically means that to them, people who hold to Biblical Christian values and "Traditional family values" fall under the same category as the K.K.K., Black Panthers, and Islamic extremists.  Is anyone really surprised that under this Administration we are seeing this?

You will not find this post to be all about politics, I promise.  First of all, I am not near intelligent enough to debate politics.  Secondly, I have one passion and His Name is Jesus!  He governs everything anyway!  I don't need to wait and see how this unfolds because I know the end of the story.....JESUS WINS!

The thing I want to talk about is the fact that I saw someone post on Facebook that the Church in America is under such persecution.  REALLY?  Apparently, the "American Church" has no idea what persecution looks like. 

In the world, there are approximately 60-65 restricted countries/states.  This means that these places have a government restriction on the Gospel of Jesus Christ being shared.  Of the 60-65, 2 of them are in Mexico and 2 are in South America.  The rest are found in the eastern hemisphere.  THE CHURCH IN THESE PLACES ARE BEING PERSECUTED.  What might that look like?  Believers are being skinned alive, burned alive, tortured, and made to watch their spouses and children tortured and killed.  If they are lucky to escape with their life, they are left with no shelter and no belongings.  Most of these believers meet in what is called secret church.  Most of them walk for hours in the middle of the night to meet in a secluded place to hear someone share the precious Words of the Gospel.  Some of these secret churches are lucky to have a Bible, while others have one page of the gospel that they tore out of a Bible before it was burned.  Real people smuggle in Bibles and provision to help the persecuted church.  There are people martyred every day!

These believers have made up their mind that at all cost they will not deny their Savior.  They are my heroes!  They can read the words of Paul and actually know what he was going through. 

I see a line in the sand for the American Church.  For far too long, Christianity has cost us hardly anything.  We have churches on every corner.  Some of them are much like attending a concert and listening to a feel good "talk" so we can have our "Best Life Now."  Very few believers are ever made fun of, much less persecuted, for their belief because the evidence is not there to prove that they might actually be a Christian.  It is time for the church to rise up in boldness and say, "No matter the cost, I will proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ." 

Oh that we would have the courage to say, " For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." (Phil. 1:21)  Get these words in the context they were written.  Paul was in prison in Rome.  (His first Roman imprisonment.)  He wasn't sitting in a McDonalds eating a Big Mac with his favorite soda or preaching to a large congregation in a state of the art, Billion dollar building.   

Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come

and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit,

with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, 

²⁸ and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition,

but to you of salvation, and that from God. 

²⁹ For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him,

but also to suffer for His sake,

  ³⁰ having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me. 

Philippians 1:27-30 

If you are interested in learning more about the Persecuted church, check out Voice of the Martyrs and Open Doors International. 


 

Slave or Heir?

Yesterday morning, someone at church said to me, "Something has changed about you.  When you lead worship, you are different."  They are right.  Something has changed.  My perspective has shifted.  I used to serve God like I was always walking on egg shells.  I thought that I might make one wrong move and He would lift the anointing off my life and not use me for His kingdom.  I had a "slave" mentality. 

And because you are sons, God has sent forth the

Spirit of His Son into your hearts,

crying out, “Abba, Father!”   

Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son,

and if a son,

then an heir of God through Christ.

Galatians 4:6-7 NKJV

 

This is the shift: I am an heir, a child of God.  He is my Father and He loves me with the fiercest of loves.  He pursued me, in my sin and selfishness, because He knit me together in my mother's womb for the purpose of fellowship with Him.  The very God who spoke ALL THINGS into being lives right inside of me.  HE IS RIGHT HERE INSIDE OF ME!  I belong to Him!  He is my Father! 

 

I was thinking about this last night.  If you have children, you will relate.  Everything I have, my children thinks it belongs to them also.  That would explain why, even though my girls each have their own hairbrush, MINE is always missing.  My pillows, earrings, and socks seem to be fair game around here!  Do I share?  Yes!  Why?  Because these little beauties running around here aren't strangers, THEY ARE MINE.  THEY BELONG TO ME.  If I have something good, I share with them.  There is nothing that I own, no ability that I have, that holds any value that can be compared to the value of my children.  I will do whatever it takes to make sure their needs are met.  I make every effort within my ability to make sure that they know that I love them.  God, our Father, is like this, except His love is higher than any mountain, deeper than any ocean, unconditional, and far reaching beyond what our human minds can ever comprehend.  All the good things that He has, we can have it.  We get to share with him because he is our Daddy!

 

God doesn't use certain people because they won the Holy Ghost ticket.  He uses people because their eyes have shifted off of what they can't do, and on to their Father who holds the power to make all things possible.  The desires of their heart are taken over by the desires of the God who rules their heart.  Their limited vision is enlarged because the Father sees and knows all things, and they talk to Him all day long.  The Word of God is alive in them because the very one who inspired it, is in them as they read it, giving understanding and life.  If we want to be like these people, we have to grasp this.  All of God, all of His presence that we want to experience on the earth, all boldness, anointing, gifting, and strength is there for us to have!  We just need to step into our roles as Sons and Daughters of the King of the Kingdom.   

 

My prayer today is that we will see ourselves as God intended us to. We are heirs, sons and daughter, of the King who has already conquered death, hell, and the grave!  We are royalty!  We have Destiny! We have been set free..........................It is time for us to shake History!

 

   

 

     

Thankful Day Giveaway!

Tuesday morning, my girls and I were doing school when we heard a knock at the door.  It was a precious lady from our church, Mrs. Virginia Gray.  (She is a widow and so special to us.  As a matter of fact, we live on her parents old homestead.)  She said that every Tuesday is her "Thankful Day!"  She brought us some Monkey bread just to tell us she was thankful for us.  Seriously, I almost cried.  So kind and considerate!  I thought it was pretty interesting seeing as just that morning I had been talking about James 1:27 and how WE should be taking care of widows, and here she was blessing us!

Kera, Kat, and Kelanie about to eat up the monkey bread!



So today is Thankful day.  I am thankful to God for salvation and mercy.  I am thankful for the many blessings in my life.  I am thankful for the many people in my life.  I am thankful that you spend time with me everyday!  LET'S HAVE A GIVEAWAY!!!!  I just want to tell you that everything in this giveaway was donated to me by Dale and Naomi Chance (aren't they the best EVER!)!  The prizes are below.

You can not tell by the pic, but this book is really thick.  It is collection of Naomi's favorite recipes that they
had printed and bound just for you.  They are yummy.

I could not make this picture turn to save my life!  Sorry I am computer illiterate.
Anyway, this is a beautiful wall cross with PS. 46:10 on it!

This is a cupcake recipe book with 500 recipes and a Sharing Plate.

All you have to do is follow the directions on the Rafflecopter to enter.  The giveaway ends tonight at midnight! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!  Ephesians 5:20 

Wedded Wednesday: Offense



 ^....looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled.  Hebrews 12:15

Today's blog might be a little different for a Wedded Wednesday post.  I would like to talk about something I have experienced myself, and what I see becoming a common attack on marriage.  It's this little thing called "OFFENSE". 

Years ago, someone in the leadership of the church said something to me that really, I mean REALLY, offended me.  It began to cause a great deal of bitterness in me.  It affected everything I did.  IT WAS EATING ME ALIVE!  There was not a moment that went by that I wasn't thinking about it some way or another.  It overflowed into my marriage.  All I did all the time was spew ugliness about the situation. 

Finally, the situation really came to a head.  Some couples even left the church.  You want to know why?  Because the wives had been offended also.  Do you see a common factor hear?  WOMEN GET OFFENDED AND IT OVERFLOWS TO THEIR HUSBAND!  It happens all the time.

One of my friend's told me this and it will stick with me for the rest of my life.  I hope it might for you as well!

O F F E N S E-

 

 "SNARE OF THE DEVIL"

 



It is a trap....a deadly trap.  If the devil can get you offended, he renders you useless for the Kingdom of God, BUT TRUST ME, you are very useful to the powers of darkness.

Women, we have got to realize the influence we have on our husbands.  Since the Garden, women have had influence.  Don't get me wrong, Billy Joe does not allow me to lead him around like a puppy.  He is a smart, Godly man and the spiritual leader of our home, but we do life together as a team.  He values my input and ideas.  We do ministry together.  If I am mad or offended, I hold the power to ask God to heal my wound, or to sway my husband to feel the same way I do.  

I have seen this happen so many times in the last few years.  Women get offended or get their feelings hurt.  I'm not just talking about people who just come to church to fill a seat on Sunday morning.  I am talking about people in leadership positions.   It begins to cause bitterness.  They resist church until their husband also falls away......and then, they are gone.  Not just to another church either.  Gone... as in not serving the Lord at all......anywhere!

Then, before you know it, the devil has such a stronghold on them, and their marriage begins to fall apart.  IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME!  I feel such an urgency in my spirit to give this warning to women today!

Guard your heart!  Guard your mouth!

If you find that you feel offended, mad, or bitter, stop and ask the Lord to heal the wound in your heart.  Go to that person and GET IT RIGHT!  This little offense can become a big, ugly monster that Satan will try to use to

destroy your marriage. 

 

This video is a short clip of John Bevere preaching about his book called The Bait of Satan.  If you find that you are having an issue with the trap of offense, I highly recommend this book.

 

A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city,
And contentions are like the bars of a castle.

Proverbs 18:19

Pure Religion!

Pure and undefiled religion before
God and the Father is this:
to visit orphans
and widows in their trouble,
and to keep oneself unspotted
from the world. 

James 1:27 NKJV



 

 

Did just reading that verse make you feel convicted like it did me???  If you have been reading my blog very long, you know that whatever is in my mind gets on this blog!  (I guess that is the luxury of having one.)  I have a reason I want to share this with you.  My daughter and I were sitting in the doctor's office the other day when I was reading the information below.  I almost started crying so my daughter had to know what I was reading.  When I read it to her, she was just heartbroken!  Since that day, she has prayed for food and homes for orphans during our morning Bible time.  We can live in our perfect, little bubble sometimes and I think the Holy Spirit popped mine.   

 

Here are some startling statistics! (All of these statistics came out of the book, Interrupted by Jen Hatmaker.)

-Of the 6 billion people on the planet, 1.2 billion live on $0.23 PER DAY.

-Half of the world's population live on $2 PER DAY.

-If you make $35,000 annually, you are in the top 4 percent.  If you make $50,000 annually you are in the top 1 percent.

-Someone dies of hunger every 16 seconds......EVERY 16 SECONDS.

-27,000,000 children and adults are trapped in slavery. (Sex slaves, labor slaves, child soldiers, child slaves)

-More than 143,000,000 children in the world have been orphaned or abandoned.  (FYI: This is half the population of the U.S.)

-Roughly 1 billion people in the world do not have suitable housing, and 100 million are entirely homeless.

In the last hour:

-1,625 children were forced to the streets by the death of a parent or abuse of an adult.

-115 children became prostitutes

-66 children under the age of 15 were infected with HIV.

DO YOU FEEL LIKE CRYING YET?

What about babies who are in the mothers womb?  If the parents have decided to abort the baby, wouldn't you consider the baby an orphan, because it has no parents to care for it?

-There are approximately 300,000 abortions in the U.S.A. every year. (That would equal about 53 million since Roe v. Wade in 1973.)

If we are to be the hands and feet of Jesus, it requires more than being a good church member.  We have to take our resources, abilities, and talents and use it to bring justice and meet needs for those who can't do it themselves.  At this moment, I can't hop over to Africa or India and minister to the beautiful orphans there, but there are some things I can do locally.

Coming up shortly, my daughters and I are going to the Hope Center (Pregnancy Crisis Center) to volunteer. (My girls are ready to now!)  Samaritan's Purse is beginning this year's Operation Christmas Child, where they collect shoe boxes filled with gifts for children all over the world.  (This is probably one of our favorite projects!)  Many churches in our area collect boxes for O.C.C.  This is something any family or organization could easily do. (If you aren't familiar about any of these ministries and would like some details about how you can get involved, send me an email at terabill6@gmail.com.  I will get you some information.)

Until this week, I had forgot about our local Christian Care Center. This ministry does operate all year long, but during the Christmas season they collect gifts for needy children in our area.  A Bible is placed in every family's gift set.  (I was told by the Director of this project that they are extremely low on Bibles and gifts.)  The very cool opportunity that they offer is for volunteers to meet with the clients who come to pick up the gifts.  You get to share about Jesus, one on one, and your children are welcome to come and serve with you.  How cool is that!

I do not want to forget that James 1:27 says we must take care of widows as well.  I have seen my parents take care of both of their widowed mothers.  (One is remarried, and the other has gone to be with the Lord.)  They were so giving and selfless.  I also have great in-laws, who are also my pastors, who selflessly take care of many widows in our church.  What great examples of what James considered to be pure and undefiled religion!  Hopefully, I have learned from them.  

There are multiple things for us to do, we just need to get in action! 

       

He who oppresses the poor

reproaches his Maker,
But he who honors Him has

mercy on the needy.

Proverbs 14:31

 

 

For I was hungry and you gave Me food;

I was thirsty and you gave Me drink;

I was a stranger and you took Me in; 

I was naked and you clothed Me;

I was sick and you visited Me;

I was in prison and you came to Me.’  

“Then the righteous will answer Him,

saying, ‘Lord, when did we see

You hungry and feed You,

or thirsty and give You drink?   

When did we see You a stranger

and take You in,

or naked and clothe You?   

Or when did we see You sick, or in prison,

and come to You?’   

And the King will answer and say to them,

‘Assuredly, I say to you,

inasmuch as you did it to

one of the least of these My brethren,

you did it to Me.

 

Matthew 25:35-40

I heard about Visiting Orphans on an E-course I am taking.  I love what they do and just felt like someone needed to hear about them!  If you are interested in Missions, you should definitely click on the link above and go watch their promo video.  Have a great Tuesday! 

Be Careful What You Ask For!

I don't usually post on Saturday but today I just am!  I was going to try to save this until Monday, but I want it to be fresh from my heart as the Holy Spirit gives it to me.  I hope that you have a GREAT weekend and have a great time of fellowship with other believers tomorrow.  I know I am looking forward to church!  I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the House of the Lord! Psalms 122:1
 
Matthew 14:22-33 NLT 

Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home.
²³ After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.
²⁴ Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves.
²⁵ About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water.
²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”
²⁷ But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!”
²⁸ Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”
²⁹ “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus.
³⁰ But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.
³¹ Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”
³² When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped.
³³ Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.

I love this story for so many reasons!  It resonates so much TRUTH that the Church needs to hear.  More importantly, that I need to hear. 

I have to tell you that before, when I have read this story, the emphasis was always on the fact that Peter started to sink.  Oh ye of little faith!  Why couldn't he just trust Jesus, right!?!  Today as I read, the Holy Spirit echoed in me, "AT LEAST PETER WAS WILLING TO GET OUT OF THE BOAT!"  That's right, he got out when no one else would.  He did not know the outcome.  He didn't know if He would stand on top of the water or sink.  As a matter of fact, the circumstances surrounding this calling looked pretty alarming.  All Peter knew was that Jesus called him and he had to go.

Many Believers want to be used for the Kingdom of God.  We pray that the Lord will open doors to use us or put people in our path who need us.  We ask for it.  BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU ASK FOR!  The Lord will take you at your word and call you out.  We begin to hear Jesus calling us.  We feel a tug at our heart to make a move toward Him.  It just looks too scary.  The waves are crazy.  It seems like a really long way to even get to Jesus and as far as I know, I have never been able to walk on water.  It seems impossible.  He's beckoning us out into the unknown!  Just like Peter, we're not even sure where we are headed, the vision isn't completely clear, but we are just following the voice of God for direction.  (Can you relate to this!?!  I am not sure of the entire mission Jesus has for me, I just know it's time to go forward.)

NOW HERE IS THE MESSAGE THAT REALLY CONVICTED ME!!!!!!  Step out of the boat!  Quit looking around.  Quit waiting for someone to get on this journey with you.  All the other disciples might not go with you because this is YOUR calling.  I have a habit of wanting everyone around me to be excited about what I am excited about at the time.   (I'm sorry,my friends!)  If I am dieting, I need everybody around me to be dieting. We need to talk about it, study, eat it, breathe it.......I think you get it!  I don't necessarily want to step out of the boat unless ____________ (insert friend's name) can go with me on the journey.  I think if I don't have someone along on the same ride, I can't do it.  For once in my life I get it.....I REALLY GET IT......He is ALL that I need.

We are all going to be like Peter.  We will begin to sink because we can do nothing in our own power.  They key is grabbing hold of Jesus.  His strength causes all things to be possible.  I think that is why Jesus choose the least likely men to be His disciples.  They were just real people with faults and failures who heard the call and went.  He took care of the rest!  It demonstrated Jesus' ability to use whomever He pleased for whatever He wanted to be accomplished.  He doesn't need someone with a good resume, He just wants a willing heart. 

This song is my hearts cry in a song.  I love it!  Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders. Let me walk upon the waters wherever you would call me.  Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander and my faith will be made stronger in the presence of my Savior! Yes, Lord!!!!!!!

           

Wedded Wednesday: GIVEAWAY!

Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.  The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman, ' for she was taken out of man."  For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.  Genesis 2:22-24

I agree with Melissa Powell when she said last week that marriage is her favorite thing in the whole world (next to Jesus)!  I love how God designed men and women different to compliment each other.  We serve an amazing, awesome, POWERFUL GOD! 

Yep!  It is time for another GIVEAWAY!  Are you as excited as I am!?!  Today's giveaway includes The Love Dare by Stephen and Alex Kendrick, Fireproof (The Movie), and Men are Like Waffles, Women are Like Spaghetti by Bill and Pam Farrel. 

 

 

 



This is simple!  All you have to do is follow the directions on the Rafflecopter.  The giveaway will run until midnight tonight.  Tomorrow, Rafflecopter will choose a winner and I will announce it on here and on Facebook.  If you don't live close, I will ship the prizes to you!  Good luck everyone!

 



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mawidge is a dweam wiffin a dweam. The dweam of wuv wapped wiffin the gweater dweam of everwasting west. Eternity is our fwiend, wemember that, and wuv wiw fowwow you fowever. 

-William Goldman in The Princess Bride

1..2..3...JUMP!

Where to begin?  I have not posted in a few days because the Lord gave me a specific burden that I felt like I needed to commit some time to pray for.  The few hours I get before the girls wake up is normally when I read my Bible and write on my blog.  I needed this time to pray. (I'm sure you'd never confess to it, but you enjoyed the break from me as well! LOL)  I have also had some sick kiddos.  (I hate strep!)

As I type, I feel such a stirring in my Spirit.  God is moving!  I know, I know.  He's always moving.  BUT right now, he's moving in me!  I don't know about you, but when He starts shaking things, He really has a tendency TO GET ALL UP IN MY BUSINESS!  It can really be uncomfortable sometimes.  I feel like the Lord of Hosts is constantly trying to push me outside my comfort zone. (Yikes!)  I feel like I'm standing on the edge of a cliff and he's telling me, "Just jump, Tera!  I am with you.  It will be the most adventurous thing you will ever do.  Can you trust me?"   (As embarrassed as I am to admit it, I am not really the most adventurous person you've ever met!  I have a tendency to stick with safety, rather than adventure!)  While my heart is screaming a resounding "YES" to his command, somewhere inside me, a trace of fear is squeaking out a tiny, barely audible, "No, I don't think I can do this." 

I have my things that I do for the Lord that I am comfortable doing.  I play the piano and sing at church.  I home school my children and dedicate my life to nurture and disciple them.  I support my husband in His ministry.  I give financially to help causes of the church that are reaching out to hurting people like the Hope Crises Pregnancy Center, Samaritan's Ministry, Soul Winners India, and A21 (Rescuing girls from Human Trafficking).  I volunteer for VBS and work with our church's Home school Co-op.  Oh, and I blog!  I AM COMFORTABLE HERE!  These are all things that are needed.  (Except, perhaps the blogging!) For some reason I can't shake this. I keep hearing the Lord say, "Jump, Tera!"  For the last few days, I keep feeling something that I am almost scared to share.  I know that when you share, then you are accountable to your words. 

Serving in the church is needed, don't misunderstand me, but what if I use all of my resources only on the church.  If all I do is serve the church and be a blessing to those who are already blessed, when have I fulfilled the Great Commission?  If I only chose to be around those who are saved and act like good church members, I choose safety over courage.  Look at that list above!  What part of that list is not ministering inside the church?  None.  Giving to a ministry is not the same as doing ministry.  What part of that causes me to jump?  None.  What part of that requires great faith and strength from God?  Those are all things I WANT to do.  I know that I can do them, because I have the physical ability to.  Trying to live a comfortable, sheltered life just won't do.  God's mission can make life a little messy sometimes.  Are we ready?

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Because the Lord has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

Isaiah 61:1-3 NKJV

 

The one thing I hate with a passion is public speaking!  If you know me at all, you know that is so true!  Isn't it a little funny that in the last year, I have been on our platform twice to speak to our congregation.   I have a feeling that it probably won't be the last time either. God has such a great sense of humor doesn't he?!?!  There are a multitude of things like speaking that are out of my comfort zone!  For example, going to  minister at a prison.  Yet, I keep feeling a tugging at my heart to go.  It's time for me to jump! 

 

How about you?  What are you afraid of?  I could make a list a mile long of things that I hope the Lord never calls me to do.  (Like going door to door to spread the Good News of Jesus!)  I know people who have the gifting for those things, and it is NOT ME!  (It's so scary and my words get jumbled up...surely, you can relate.)  I am reminded of the song by Casting Crowns,

If we are the body why aren't his arms reaching?  Why aren't his hands healing?  Why aren't his words teaching?  And if we are the body, Why aren't his feet going?  Why is his love not showing them there is a way?

I DO NOT WANT THIS TO BE MY THEME SONG BECAUSE I WAS TOO AFRAID TO LET GOD USE ME IN A WAY THAT WAS OUTSIDE MY COMFORT ZONE!

We will not win a lost and dying world from inside the four walls of the Church.  I remember sitting in a class, probably ten years ago, taught by Buddy Buckner.  I can still see the seriousness on his face.  He said, "The only way we will reach the world is by being Jesus to the world through practical service out of love!  Service and ministry are one in the same.  You are a tract (piece of literature that Christians will pass out as a witnessing tool) in human form."  Simply brilliant, don't you think!

 

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon us!  His anointing can allow us to do things that in our own ability, knowledge, or strength would never be possible.  There is a hurting world outside the four walls of the church.  We need to go preach good news to the poor not wait until we can get them in the church so the Pastor can convince them they need Jesus.  That might look like serving food at a soup kitchen or collecting jackets for the homeless.  Who knows how God will allow us to share His good news!?!  It might not look like the way we think it will.  We are sent to seek out the brokenhearted and those bound up and point them to Jesus!  Go to that prison ministry!  Go serve at a Pregnancy Crisis Center!  Bring food to the widow.  Keep children for a single mother.  Bless someone who has found themselves in a financial mess.  WE HAVE WHAT THEY NEED and God will give us what we need when we JUMP!

It is time to plant seeds.  I don't know if you have ever planted a garden, but you can believe me when I say, IT DOES NOT LOOK LIKE THE PICTURES!  I had this fairytale dream of working in the garden to relieve stress.  You know, dressed in my beautiful 1950's Leave It to Beaver dress and apron, with perfect hair and makeup!  That it would be such a joyous occasion. Um...... I did not find that to be the case.  My knees and back ached from being bent over.  I was filthy.  I got attacked by ants multiple times.  It was not the glamorous work that I had set out for.  Working in the field of The Lord's garden is the same way.  It might be messy.  You will probably get dirty and you might get attacked.  You might get tired and sore from the labor.  Oh, but the fruit of your labor is so sweet! 

What does the Lord want you to do?  Are you willing?  Will you jump and trust Him?   

 

JUMP,
LET'S DO IT TOGETHER! 


1....2.....3  GO!