Matthew 26:36-46

I am proud to have 4 beautiful young women, Jordan Balla, Stevie Balla, April Justice, and Savannah Justice, writing the Bible study today.  All of the girls have been members of Freedom Fellowship since birth and volunteer in the church nursery and Vacation Bible School.  Savannah is a member of the youth praise team.  Jordan and April are members of the homeschool co-op.  The girls are active in the GSF Athletics program and attend Lantana Christian Academy (Kristi Balla's house).

Please read through Matthew 26:36-46!  You can read it online HERE!!!!

In Matthew 26 : 40-41 it clearly shows how we are unwilling to do so little when Jesus is willing to do anything for us.  Jesus knew what was about to happen and he did it even though they couldn't stay awake.  We need to prioritize.  I don't think I'd be motivated to go die for people who can't stay awake and pray for an hour. In Matthew 26: 39, you can see that Jesus didn't want to do it.  But, in Matthew 26: 42 He chose to.

     Whenever your praying in deep prayer, maybe its a noise you hear, or maybe its the subject your praying about that distracts you.  You stop praying and start thinking about something totally different.  It's really hard to start over, so eventually you forget about prayer and fall asleep.  The disciples tried to pray with Jesus, but kept falling asleep, knowing their leader would be persecuted the next day.  It happens to us all, whether we have something big or small going on in our lives.  We need to make time to pray and worship Jesus.  He is the reason we are here.  It's time to get our priorities straight and focus on what's important, and not the things of this world.

 

     The spirit wants us to stay up and pray.  But, our flesh is weak, and gets distracted.  It's so easy to fall asleep praying.  In Matthew 26: 38, You can see that Jesus was very sad and deeply grieved.  He was almost dying of sorrow.   He couldn't even get his disciples to stay awake and pray for one hour.  Imagine the sorrow he felt.

 

     The answer is simple, the Lord calls all of us for something.  We need to be obedient when He calls.

Matthew 6:1-15

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***Week 3 Memory Verse***

 

In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
 And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

Amen.

Matthew 6:9-13

 

 

Read Matthew 6:1-15!

 

Matthew begins chapter 6 with an instruction given by Jesus on how to pray and the motives behind the prayer. By showing us how we to pray, He has also given us a way to enter into relationship to the Father through Him, Jesus.

If you do good deeds to get a pat on the back by your peers then that is your reward, leaving you no reward with the Father.

But by doing what is right in “secret” and humble ourselves before the Lord will not go unnoticed by the father because He sees all things and brings all things to light.

We should not pray in vain repetition but God wants us to pray from our heart. We should never think we are educating him on things that are happening down here. He already knows. But he wants to have a personal, one on one relationship with us.

You don’t have you use words that you have to look up to find its definition. It’s not how elaborate or how extensive your vocabulary is in a prayer. God talk to you in a way you can understand. It’s not a theatrical play for all to see. To pray is going into your secret place, your prayer closet, a place you can get alone with God.

We are to go into our inner room, and pray to our Father who is in secret, and our Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. This is how we build a relationship with the Father.

Jesus then gives us an outline on how to pray.

Our Father

1.       The person – we are to pray specifically to Him. To identify Him you and you to Him.  We come into his presence as a child of his, and not on the basis of our condition that day, but as the position we are in to Him. The word “our” would indicate that I’m not an only child, but an heir with Jesus Christ and His church. Father is a vertical line directly to Him, but adding “our” is a horizontal line and encompasses the church and creates a cross, a crucified life.

Who is in Heaven

2.       The position – You are locating his sovereign judicial authority. Heaven is His throne and the earth is his footstool. It means that He reigns. He is omniscient, He is omnipresent, and He is omnipotent. There is no one or thing higher than He is. Everything is up under his authority and nothing is beyond His authority. His ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts.

Hallowed be Your name

3.       Praise – His name is so holy that devout Jews would not even say His name in fear of taking it in vain. How holy is just His name alone. A man’s name is embodied by his character. Just His name alone shows me that He is my provider, my banner, my healer, my refuge, and my fortress. The name of the Lord is a strong tower where the righteous run into it and they are safe. Start looking at who God is to you, and speaking it so your own ears can hear it. Faith comes by hearing, hearing by the word of God. So praise his name to access the presence of God.

Your kingdom come

4.       The power – To want His power to come, His authority, His auspicious reign. To pray for divine godly leadership to come down. It is our hedge of protection against of principalities that trespass into our life. It’s the way you want to pray when you want God’s presence to soar into your situation. Pray with a strategy, a war posture, and not out of frustrations and whining.

Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven

5.       Purpose - To humble ourselves before the Lord and be obedient and submissive to his will. To be still and know His word is absolute truth. That the plans he has for you, since he created you, is better than any plan you’ve made.

 Give us this day our daily bread

6.       The provision – For whatever is released in heaven to be released on earth. He is the supplier of all of our needs.

The word “give” implies that we know He already has what we need or want. “This day”

And forgive us of our debts as we forgive our debtors

7.       Prerequisites – In proportion to how we forgive, God will forgive us. If we give conditional forgiveness, we cannot expect God to give us Unconditional forgiveness. Conditional forgiveness is when you refuse to give forgiveness because the other party hasn’t met your “conditions”. For example, refusing to forgive because no apology has been given to you. Forgiveness does not mean reconciliation nor does it mean that you are endorsing what happened. Setting conditions to forgiveness means you’ve put the ball in the other party’s court. But unconditional forgiveness means you have placed the ball in God’s hands and you trust Him to take care of the situation instead of handling it yourself. Don’t hold on to unforgiveness like it’s a life boat.  It’s like piling wet sand bags on your back filled with resentment, bitterness, and hate. It is a prideful sin. Let it go, and forgive!

And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil

8.       Penitence – A penitent heart. A deep sadness of knowing we’ve done something wrong. We are asking Him not to let us walk into something we cannot handle, and if He sees us walking into something we cannot handle to deliver us from it. If we are being tempted there is a way of an escape so that we are able to bear it.

For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever, amen.

9.       Credit - But let everything be according to His will. He holds all the power and deserves the credit. We have received His help, leadership, protection, bread, and forgiveness, our cup runs over.

 

TIME OF REFLECTION:

       Start a relationship today with the Father through Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit. Get away by yourself and talk to Him. He knows who we are better than we do ourselves, but He also wants us to know Him. Read your bible as often as you can. Ask for understanding of His word and it shall be revealed to you by Him.  

 

  

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: ASHLEY WHISNEANT is the wife of 8 years to Josh, and a home schooling mom of 3 children. She and her husband are serving as Associate Pastors of Trinity Church since February 2014 and have an evangelical ministry called Intense Ministries since 2010.

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Loving Your Pastors' Wives

Until yesterday, I did not realize how many friends I have whose husbands are in the ministry.  Children's Pastors, Youth Pastors, Worship Pastors, College Pastors, Senior Pastors, and missionaries- I am friends with at least one of each.  Full time, part time, interim, in the field, and on furlough all over the world.  I did not just happen to take a friendship inventory, most of these friends were sharing this article (on Facebook)below called Nine Secrets Your Pastor's Wife Wishes You Knew by Christina Stolaas. 

Nine Secrets Your Pastor's Wife Wishes You Knew

Of course I had to read it as it was taking up my newsfeed.  I know that every wife of a minister does not necessarily face all of these issues, but I would imagine that this list is pretty accurate.  I really do believe that the congregation has no idea the sacrifices that our Pastors, ministers, missionaries and their families have made.  Yes, this is a willing sacrifice that is for their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, but each of our lives have been touched by their sacrifices.  We should honor these faithful men and women of God! 

I pray specifically for my Pastor, Bro. Shannon Kilpatrick, everyday, but I have been feeling really inspired to spend focused prayer time for our Pastors' wives each day as well.  How can we as the body of Christ leave the ministry of the pastor’s wife unattended, and ignored?  You can bless your pastors by being a blessing to their wives.  Sometimes we may not know what to pray,  this is when we lean on Romans 8:26. "And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words."

The attacks on Pastors Wives lives from the enemy are disguised in many faces, and she is in constant warfare for her husband, children, marriage, and church. 

If you feel inclined to join me in this, I would like you to make a list of the Pastors' wives in your church (staffed or lay men) and commit yourself to pray for them everyday.  Ask the Lord to show you how and when to pray. 

Here is my list of Pastors' wives that I am committed to pray for:
Julia, wife of Senior Pastor, Bro. Shannon Kilpatrick
Etta, wife of Executive Pastor, Bro. Ken Rose
Judy, wife of Associate Pastor, Bro. Phillip Hammers
Kayla, wife of High School/Young Adults Pastor, Bro. Buddy Buckner
Josie, wife of Jr. High Pastor, Bro. Michael Mathis  

I apologize if I have left anyone out!  I love these ladies with all my heart.  Each one of them is an encouragement and a blessing to me.

Would you pray this prayer from The Unveiled Wife over your Pastors' wives with me!

Dear Heavenly Father,

 

Thank you for the position you have given to Pastor’s all around the world.  Thank you for trusting them with your Word.  Thank you for their wives, who support them, love them, and serve them.  I pray that you would strengthen their marriages everyday.  I pray for each pastor's wife right now. May your Holy Spirit empower her to continue sowing, to continue doing good.  Bless her Lord. Equip her to do your will.  I pray against any temptation that would come to tear her down or hold her in bondage.  I pray against the schemes of the enemy and I pray against his attack on marriage. May you send people to encourage her today and every day.  Remind her daily of her value and the love you have for her.  Reveal to her the purpose for why she is where she is.  Refine her and fill her with your wisdom.  May your peace and joy abound in her heart in Jesus name, AMEN!



*****There are only 21 sleeps (as my kids would say) until the Proverbs Bible Study begins on July 1st.  If you are planning on following along each day, I recommend subscribing to Passionate with a Purpose!  There is a box in the right margin titled Follow by Email. Every day the post will automatically be sent straight to your email address and you won't have to search for it!

If you are a reader like me, here are some great articles about Pastors' Wives.

7 Ways to Love Your Pastor's Wife Well

What Not To Say To Your Pastor's Wife  (I thought this one was funny because I say dumb things all the time so I can relate to the women who might have said a few of these!) 

10 Things Every Young Pastors Wife Should Know  (This is by friend, Kristy, who blogs @ Little Natural Cottage.  Her husband is a full time pastor, and she is the homeschooling momma to 5.  I have shared this one before, but it is so good, I thought I would share it again!)


 

The Praying Wife!

"I used to pray that God would feed the hungry, or do this or that, but now I pray that he will guide me to do whatever I'm supposed to do, what I can do. I used to pray for answers, but now I'm praying for strength. I used to believe that prayer changes things, but now I know that prayer changes us and we change things." Mother Teresa

 

Prayer changes us.  I have heard several women give testimonies that they were praying for their husband's attitude or decision to change about a situation, and the wife realized she was the one who needed to change.  The Holy Spirit did an amazing work in their heart and the marriage was better for it!  It is amazing how God reveals His will to us when we are humbled in prayer.

 

 

 

Wives, there are tough decisions our husbands will face (jobs, finances, etc.), and they need our prayers a lot more than they need our advice.  This is especially hard for me because by nature I am a doer and fixer, as I assume most wives are.  My greatest joy in life is helping my husband, but sometimes, the greatest help I can give him is to withhold my opinions and advice and get on my knees and ask God to reveal His will and His plan to my husband.  (I know how hard this is, but it is possible!)

 

The task God has set before our men is not easy.  They are to love, lead, protect, and teach our families the statutes of God.  They are to provide and be good stewards of all that the Lord has given them.  They are to know God's will for our family and direct us.  What a responsibility has been placed on them!  But I believe this, God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Cor. 1:9) He will lead our husbands if we will get out of the way and let Him!

 

Here are some scriptures to pray over our husbands.  These are helpful to me when I am not sure what direction to pray, and when I simply don't have the words.  I originally found this list about 6 months ago at Unveiled Wife.  This is a great website that has a lot of great resources for wives!

 

25 Verses To Pray Over Your Husband

1. That he lives in accordance with God’s plan for his life {Ephesians 4:1-2}
2. That he would continue to lead and that God would be glorified in our marriage {Ephesians 5:25-29}
3. That the Lord would bless his work {Proverbs 22:29}
4. That he would lean on Christ in his trials {Psalm 46:1}
5. His integrity {Proverbs 11:3}
6. His temptations {1 Corinthians 10:13}
7. That he would have a giving heart {Proverbs 28:27}
8. For discernment in handling finances {Luke 16:13}
9. That he would trust in God’s plan, not his own { Jeremiah 29:11}
10. That he would give everything to the Lord in Prayer {1 Thessalonians 5:17}
11. That he would seek wisdom {James 1:5}
12. That God would give him discernment {Philippians 1:9-10}
13. That the Lord would teach him how to be a good husband & likewise me a good wife {Ephesians 5:22-33}
14. That he would submit his fears to God {Psalm 118:6}
15. That he would fully grasp his purpose in Christ {Romans 8:28}
16. For his health {1 Corinthians 6:12}
17. For strength {Psalm 28:7}
18. That he would be surrounded by people who bring him up {Proverbs 13:20}
19. That he would boldly declare the Truth of the Gospel {Acts 28:31}
20. That he would grow spiritually through reading, studying and prayer {2 Peter 3:18}
21. That he would have a humble, teachable spirit {Proverbs 15:33}
22. That he would be full of patience and peace {Romans 14:19}
23. That he would be quick to forgive {1 Corinthians 13 , Ephesians 4:32}
24. His Heart {Proverbs 4:23}
25. His Future {Psalm 119: 105}

 

 

My Hope is in You!

I woke up this morning feeling like someone really needed encouragement.  The Lord did not give me a specific person to contact, so I'm going to share this here in hopes that the person who needs this will be reading today.

 

 

 

A few weeks ago, I went through a time of discouragement.  I have been praying about something very personal and dear to my heart for about a year, and I just began to have this overwhelming feeling of doubt that God was listening or would answer, let alone give me the desires of my heart. (Ps. 37:4)   

 

It came out of nowhere and hit me like a ton of bricks.  I needed encouragement, and not just a "I'm sorry you're feeling this way", but a "Where is your faith?  Pull yourself together, and trust in God!"

 

I wrote a precious friend of mine, one I consider to be a Titus 2 mentor to me, and she had some encouraging words for me.  Here is just a excerpt from her email.

 

 

There are hard places in life where we have to fight for contentment, when God answers "no"

to our heart's desire.  And while we can't always know or understand why He has withheld something that seems so *right* we can still trust in his goodness.  We can know He WILL work out His purposes and plan for our lives.  You may be in one of those places.  But God may be using your circumstances to display his glory and power in a way that you would not think about.

        Praying you will delight yourself in The Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart...and that you will find contentment in the circumstances he places you in.

 

 

Sometimes we just need to be reminded that God is in control.  It is His plans and His purposes that are at work in our lives.  He sees the "whole" picture and knows what will bring Him the most glory. 

 

How desperately I needed this reminder.  God knows every desire of my heart.  He knew me before I was formed (Jer. 1:5) and knit me together (PS. 139:13) in my mother's womb.  He fashioned my days before there were any (Ps. 139:16) and knows my thoughts. (Ps. 139:2) 

 

Our God hears our prayers (1 John 5:14).  He is faithful(1 Cor. 1:9) and all His ways are just(Deut. 32:4).  He is more compassionate than any of could ever hope to be (Ex.34:6).  He is a loving Father and longs to give us good gifts. (Matt. 7:11)

 

We just have to trust Him and know He is always at work in our lives!

 

Thank you, Wonderful Savior, for being patient with me, as I learn to "lean not on my understanding, but in all my ways acknowledge You, as You direct my path!" (Prov. 3:5-6)  Lord, my hope is in you! 

 

 

“We should ask God to increase our hope when it is small, awaken it when it is dormant, confirm it when it is wavering, strengthen it when it is weak, and raise it up when it is overthrown.” 

- John Calvin 

 



 





With My Whole Heart! Ps. 119

It is the simple things in life that make me so happy in the mornings!  Like fresh eggs for breakfast....best ever!  And using my Rao's coffee scoop that my sweet and thoughtful friend, Jessie Cowart, picked up for me.  I am extremely sentimental.  This coffee scoop will probably stick with me forever just because she gave it to me. ☺ And last but not least, my Bible that Billy Joe got for me.  It will never be replaceable.  It has been with me our whole marriage!  Even when the pages are worn and falling out, I will keep it as a reminder of all the marvelous works God has done in my life and in my marriage! 

 

When I got up this morning, I just could not get Psalms 119 out of my mind.  Since I like to start my day out with the Word and prayer, it was great to have a fresh direction!  And just as a side note, these verses motivate me to make this morning quiet time a priority.

*O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch. Psalms 5:3
*Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Psalm 90:14
*And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. Mark 1:35

If Jesus thought it was important to have this alone time with the Father in the morning, I believe it is even more vital for me!

Will you read this passage with me? Pretty please with sugar on top! ☺

Psalms 119

Blessed are the undefiled in the way,
Who walk in the law of the Lord!
² Blessed are those who keep His testimonies,
Who seek Him with the whole heart!
³ They also do no iniquity;
They walk in His ways.
⁴ You have commanded us
To keep Your precepts diligently.
⁵ Oh, that my ways were directed
To keep Your statutes!
⁶ Then I would not be ashamed,
When I look into all Your commandments.
⁷ I will praise You with uprightness of heart,
When I learn Your righteous judgments.
⁸ I will keep Your statutes;
Oh, do not forsake me utterly!

⁹ How can a young man cleanse his way?
By taking heed according to Your word.
¹⁰ With my whole heart I have sought You;
Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!
¹¹ Your word I have hidden in my heart,
That I might not sin against You.
¹² Blessed are You, O Lord!
Teach me Your statutes.
¹³ With my lips I have declared
All the judgments of Your mouth.
¹⁴ I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies,
As much as in all riches.
¹⁵ I will meditate on Your precepts,
And contemplate Your ways.
¹⁶ I will delight myself in Your statutes;
I will not forget Your word.

¹⁷ Deal bountifully with Your servant,
That I may live and keep Your word.
¹⁸ Open my eyes, that I may see
Wondrous things from Your law.
¹⁹ I am a stranger in the earth;
Do not hide Your commandments from me.

 

Here is the key to a blessed and happy Christian walk: The Law, Testimony, Commandments, Statutes, The Word, His Ways, Judgments, and Precepts.  It is so simple!

 

I will never forget when my children were very young, a well meaning person told me that God understood that I did not get much sleep with a new baby and that He understands that mothers do not have time to spend in the Word and prayer.  Yet, I had time to pile up on the couch and watch a movie or read a book.  Hmmm......it was an easy out for me, and as ashamed as I am to admit it, I took it.  Now, I was no longer required to sacrifice getting up just a little bit earlier, or take some time out of my day to spend with my Savior. 

 

Let me tell you what I know now.  Especially when you have small children, you need time with the Lord.  The joy of the Lord is your strength.  When you are tired after nursing sick children for a week, he gives you rest.  When you feel overwhelmed at the tasks ahead of you, you need the Word to refresh you.  When you think you can not do what the Holy Spirit is leading you to do, you find courage from His statutes. 

 

At every stage in our life, we should be like the Psalmist.  With my whole heart I have sought you; Oh let me not wonder from Your commandments!  (vs.10)  Open my eyes that I may see wondrous things from Your Law. (vs.18)

There are days when I wake up late, and we are racing to get somewhere on time, and I miss this precious time.  It effects my whole day.  No, I do not think the Holy Spirit is punishing me for not having quiet time!  I just needed to refuel.  Just like our bodies need food to keep going, our souls need to be fed to keep it strong!  Matthew 4:4 says, But He answered and said, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'"

God's words are life-giving!  I promise you will never regret time spent with Him.  Whether it be 5 minutes or an hour, let me encourage you to just meet with Him every day. 

And I'm off.....school, dentist appointments for all four girlies, and music lessons.  It is a crazy hectic day, but I am ready to face it!  Have a great day, my friends! 

 

 

My VBAC Journey!

I am really excited to be sharing today's post by my sweet sister-in-love, Helen, Sumner.  I have had a lot of requests asking me to tell my story and give my advice on birth and homebirthing.  As of yet, I have not taken the time to do that, but today, Helen will share with you her encouraging story of having a natural birth after having a C-section.  She will also give great tools and advice for pregnant women. 

Helen Sumner

I first started researching VBACs (vaginal birth after cesarean) when my first baby was about six weeks old.  When I went to my six week check up with my OB, I asked him about a natural birth next time, and he told me that it was too risky, my baby was just to big for my body, and he didn’t want to have to be waiting around the hospital the entire time I was in labor. (It’s a law that a Dr has to be at the hospital the entire time his patient is laboring during a VBAC.)

So I left feeling a little sad, but hey it’s what my Dr said, and we have to listen to everything our Doctors say because they are the ones who went to medical school, and they have our best interests in mind, right?

 

A few weeks later I couldn’t stop thinking about it, so I did a quick google search, and found out that there are a lot of other women who do not want to be forced into another c/section.  I found an amazing vbac support group, and I started asking everyone I knew who had had a cesarean if they were considering a vbac next time?  A lot of responses were “what is that?”  I heard the stories of why people who had multiple C/Sections went that route.  “Well because that’s what their Doctors said to do.”  Honestly, a lot of ladies think they have no other choice - “Once a C/section always a C/section.”   That’s what I had always thought too.

 

I’m going to back track a little because if I could give first time moms any advice it would be do not go into your birthing experience feeling like the Doctor has your best interest in mind.  Do not go to the hospital trusting the system.  Do your research.  If I had done just that, I am positive that my c/section could have been prevented, but that’s another story for another time.  Oh and by the way, I’m sure you’ve figured this out, but in case sarcasm is lost on you, I do NOT think we always have to listen to our Drs.

 

So when I realized that other people did have babies naturally after a C/section, I started researching the risks.  I’m not going to get into all of the statistics and studies.  I’ll provide links to some great information though. What I found was surprising!  There are risks, but they are smaller than I thought.  I’m not going to say that everyone should have a vbac, I think it’s a very personal decision that you should research, and pray about.   There are risks to which ever you choose, you just have to decide which risk is right for you.  We decided that vbac was the right risk for us.  It took a little bit to convince James, but once he saw the research he was convinced.  It also took a little bit to convince a few of my friends and family I heard “please just don’t risk it” a few times, but I think I bored them with enough evidence that it was a safe option, to hush them up.

 

So once everyone was on board, I started trying to figure out where I could actually have a vbac!  I quickly discovered it was not going to be in Beaumont, no Doctors will do vbacs (I wasn’t pregnant at this time, just wanted to be prepared.)  I starting thinking I was going to have to drive to Houston.   At this point, I had decided I didn’t want another hospital birth, and I had started trying to find a birthing center.  Then I heard about a birthing center in Orange!  I called and asked if they take vbac patients and they did!  I talked to my midwife for a few minutes and told her my first birth story.  I think I was dancing a jig while I talked to her.  She said I sounded like a good vbac candidate.  I told her I wasn’t pregnant, but would be giving her a call when I was.  I felt so happy to have found a provider. James still wanted to go the hospital route, but said he would meet her. When I was about 1 month pregnant with Benjamin, we went to Orange to meet my midwife.  After that first meeting James was convinced.  She put us both at ease, and we realized that I would be in very capable hands.

 

I was ten days late when I had Benjamin.  My midwife realized that I was worrying so much that I wasn’t letting myself go into labor, so I made a list of all of my fears, and then put a bible verse to go with that fear.  I had so many people praying for me, I knew deep down that the Lord was with me. When I was on my way to the birthing center, I was crying for joy because I had so much peace and could feel the presence of the Lord!

 

 

Natural birth was the biggest adventure I’ve ever been on; don’t let the fear of pain keep you from a natural birth.  There is nothing like the feeling of pushing your baby out, and then pulling them into your arms.  Birth isn’t something we should fear, it’s what we were made for.  It’s what our bodies are designed to do, and there is something amazingly powerful about being able to do it all on your own.

 



 



If you are considering a vbac, or have already decided you want one, then get a little determination!  I had decided that if I did end up having a C/section, I wanted to be able to look back and say without a doubt I had done everything to make my vbac possible.

My sweet sister, Tera, paid for me to have a birth photographer, and I’m so very thankful to her for that.  I will forever cherish the pictures from that morning, and I would like to share them with you all. Here’s a link to my birth pictures.

The Landon study proved that vbac is a safe option, link.

This is written by a midwife and puts the risk of vbac into perspective, link.

I think this last link is what made me decide I definitely wanted a vbac after I weighed the pros and cons of vbac or repeat C/section, link.

 

Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord:

and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

Psalm 127:3

 

 

 

 

 

Radical Prayer

It is my honor to have Sister Etta Rose as a guest writer today.  There are not enough words to tell you how much love and respect I have for her and her husband, Bro. Ken.  Bro. Ken serves as Executive Pastor at our church and together, Ken and Etta handle all the finances.  Mrs. Etta is also over our Ladies Intercessors Group that meets weekly to pray.  I have been to some of these meetings and I am telling you, the Presence of God is so strong!  There is something absolutely beautiful about the faith Mrs. Etta has that through prayer, God can and will do anything! 

 

Bro. Ken and Sis. Etta Rose

Tera asked me to write something about Prayer....RADICAL PRAYER!  My first thoughts were no way not me.....however....

I looked up the word radical & it means ...thorough; extreme.  Hmmm....thorough or extreme prayer! That sounds exciting and it stirs my soul.  So here I am doing what I thought I couldn't do....

A love for prayer and intercession is something that the Holy Spirit has placed in my spirit.
It was important to Jesus so it should be important to us!  I love to praise & I love to pray! The two go hand in hand.

The Holy Spirit is our teacher.  We are to allow him complete & total access to all that we are & all that we do.  When we are saved, we are not our own anymore. We belong to The Lord!
 

"Ye are bought with a price; be not ye

the servants of men."

1 Corinthians 7:23

So that means, our prayers are not our own either!

Ask The Lord to teach you to pray for the needs that touch His heart and to expand our prayer borders!  There are so many needs that it can seem a bit overwhelming for us, but the word says "He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we could think or ask." Ephesians 3:20

I have had to learn to get beyond praying just for me & mine.  They are important to me & they are important to the Lord, but He wants us to pray for so much more!  Our families, our communities, our nation need Jesus! We need revival in our land....

Jesus died on the cross for our sins, so that we could have the gift of salvation.  It is because of Him, and Him alone, there is hope for all of us!  He has given us the Power & the authority to go boldly before the throne of grace & lay our petitions before him.  These petitions are our prayers.

As the bride of Christ we have a call to prayer.  There is a big difference between a prayer life and a life of prayer.

What an honor & privilege it is to serve someone by praying for them.  We go before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords on their behalf...how awesome is that!!!

As we ask the Holy Spirit to pray through us & to show us how to pray, He does!  Sometimes, it is a quiet prayer, sometimes, it is a prayer that has no words, just tears or it might even be loud.  We have to trust The Lord with all of our prayers and remember that the results of these prayers are always up to The Lord!

"Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray,

and Cry aloud: and He shall hear my voice."

Psalm 55:17

There is power in prayer!  EXTREME prayer, with EXTREME power!  If we are crying out for a soul to be saved, shouldn't we be willing to go to the extreme?  If there is a need, shouldn't we be THOROUGH when we pray?  If we are crying out for one of our own family, there will be some sincere prayers lifted up, maybe even with tears.  The prayers will be EXTREME.  They will be THOROUGH as we cry out to our mighty God.  That's how we are to pray for for others.

I am praying that the Holy Spirit will teach us all to pray prayers that touch the heart of Jesus on behalf of others.  That our prayers will become RADICAL and that with our RADICAL prayers, there will be EXTREME power released bringing forth EXTREME, THOROUGH victories in our families, our communities and across our nation!

 " Jesus said, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth,

will draw all men unto me."

John 12:32

It says, He will draw ALL men if we will lift Him up.  That means the lost, the sick, the broken hearted, the bound up.....all men means ALL men!

Lift Jesus up...then watch and see what a mighty God we serve!

Cooking with a Twist!

 

I almost didn't want to post recipes today because I am so excited about the Week of Prayer at our church this week.  I just wanted to talk about prayer and the Power of God.  It amazes me sometimes, how we can see Our Lord do some A-MA-ZING things, yet we can still be apathetic to the prompting of His Holy Spirit.

 

John 14:13-14

"And whatever you ask in My name, that will I do,

that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

"If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it."

 

There are two people in my family who were dead....AND IN JESUS NAME.....THEY WERE RAISED TO LIFE!  I, personally, have experienced the healing power of the Blood of Jesus in my body and heard many testimonies of people being healed of all manner of disease.   

 

The countless miracles that I have seen.  How could I still be passive? 

 

1 John 5:14-15

And this is the confidence which we have before Him,

that, if we ask anything according to His will, 

He hears us.

And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask,

we know that we have the requests which we

have asked from Him. 

 

People addicted to drugs, alcohol, and perversion - set free.  Sinners saved by the grace of a loving Savior!  What a beautiful sight.....even the angels rejoice every time a sinner comes to repentance (Luke 15:10)!  Lazy Christians who have had their passion and zeal renewed and reignited by the Presence of a Consuming Fire. 

 

Oh, that the things of earth would grow strangely dim.....that the eyes of our heart would turn fully to our Savior.

 

Prayer is powerful!     

 

Psalm 145:18

The LORD is near to all who call upon Him,

To all who call upon Him in truth.

 

I encourage you, if you aren't already, make every effort to attend the Prayer Meetings at Freedom Fellowship.  Just as you spend time getting your physical body ready by getting dressed, applying makeup, and fixing your hair, spend time in prayer and worship to prepare your spirit man! 

 

We sing Hallelujah!  We sing Hallelujah!  We sing Hallelujah!  The Lamb has Overcome!   

 



Here are the recipes I promised yesterday.  I hope y'all have a great day, and I will see you back here tomorrow!



 

CHICKEN PARMESAN

1/2 c. breadcrumbs
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 eggs, beaten
Marinara sauce
Mozzarella cheese
Spaghetti
Parsley, optional

Heat oven to 400°.  Combine breadcrumbs and Parmesan in a bowl.  Put eggs in a separate bowl.  (I personally season my chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder at this point, but the recipe doesn't call for it.)  Dip chicken in egg and then in breadcrumb mixture.  Place in a large greased or sprayed pan.  Sprinkle with parsley flakes.  Bake for 35-40 minutes.  Cook spaghetti about 10 minutes before chicken is done.  Place spaghetti on a plate, chicken in center of spaghetti, and top with marinara.  Sprinkle generously with mozzarella.



MONKEY BREAD

1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
4 cans of biscuits (8 ct., skinny tubes.....Or 2 cans Grands Biscuits or any the same size.  If you use the bigger biscuits, cut them into 6 pieces instead of quarters.)
3/4 c. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. pecans, optional

Heat oven to 350°.  Spray Bundt pan thoroughly.  In a baggie, mix 1/2 c. sugar and cinnamon.  Cut each biscuit into quarters.  Put in baggie and shake to coat.  Arrange in pan.  (If adding nuts, add 1/2 biscuits, nuts, then the rest of biscuits.)

On stove melt butter, brown sugar, 1/2 c. sugar, and vanilla.  Pour mixture over biscuits.  Bake 30 minutes.  Cool in pan for 5-10 minutes. (Don't wait longer than that, or you will not be able to get the monkey bread out of the pan....not that I know from experience or anything! ;)  )  Turn upside down on to a plate or platter, and serve warm.

 

This is Kelanie and Kathleen's favorite recipe to help with!  They pretty much

can do the whole thing by themselves except get the pan out of the oven.

Here, they are quartering the biscuits.  Then they roll or shake them in cinnamon

and sugar until the floor...um, I meant, the biscuits.... are coated and put

into the greased Bundt pan.

 The biscuit quarters, prepared with sugar and cinnamon.

 Heat the butter, vanilla, and sugars just long enough to mix well.  Pour over

biscuits in the Bundt pan and bake.

 The finished product!  You are going to want some coffee to go with this!