Save the Date~

We received this sharp looking piece of mail this week. One remark that has come out of my daughter's mouth has been, "I am so excited! This will be the event of the year!"  Two young people that I have had the privilege to watch grow up and fall in love will be married at the end of the year. It is exciting to hear about the details in the preparation for this big event! There are a lot of different aspects that have to be thought about and decided on. I'm sure there are lists that are being made and even compromises that will be discussed and worked out. It takes time to plan an event such as a wedding. It can be stressful but it should be fun! As I thought about this event I thought about another event that will be coming in the future-Christ's return for His bride.

It is shared with us in a parable in Matthew 25: 1-13

   "Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

   And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

   They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:

   But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

   While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

   And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

   Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

   And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.

   But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.

   And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

   Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.

   But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

   Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh."

We have been given an invitation. All of us that have accepted Christ as our Savior are told that He is coming back for us so that we can be with Him in heaven for eternity. The unknown is the actual date. We are told to be ready.

Matthew 24:44  

"Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh."

There are things that we are to be doing while we are waiting for that exciting day. We need to be in His Word, learning more about Him and striving to be like Him in all that we do. We should strive to keep sin out of our lives. Keep current with God on all accounts-asking for forgiveness when we have sinned.

Our responsibility is also to be sharing the gospel with all we come in contact with, telling them about Christ and His love and salvation.

Mark 16:15  

"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."

What is the gospel? It is explained to us in I Corinthians 15:3-4:

 "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

   And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures."

We aren't placed here on earth to be content with where we are. We should be longing for Heaven and Christ. It can be difficult because we are human and this life is all we have known. Our desire can be fed by being in His Word-the Bible-and spending as much time in prayer with him as we can. As we continue here living one day at a time may our prayer be as that of John in 

 Revelation 22:20:

"He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus." 

Hands Folded in Prayer

(Guest photo credit to Austin G.)

Who do you talk to when things aren't going right? Who do you turn to when you are overwhelmed or tired or in pain? Who is the first one you tell exciting news to? You may have answered...your spouse or your best friend or sister or brother or parent. Those are good answers but the best answer would have been...God.

May I introduce you to my very best friend. He has never left me or forsaken me...just like He promised.

Hebrews 13:5b

"...for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

He is always there to listen to me. It doesn't matter what time of day or where I am.

 Psalm 17:6  

"I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: "

Psalm 5:3  

"My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up."

God wants to hear about everything-it doesn't matter how big or how small. It is all important to Him.  

God is the one who has blessed us with all that we have. We would be nothing without Him. He created us and placed us here and has blessed us with our material blessings-homes, cars, jobs, and family-just to name a few. 

Ephesians 1:3  

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:"

I love to listen to children pray. They don't have preconceived notions. They pray from their heart. I strive to continue to be like that with my God.

We are told in I Thessalonians 5:18-"Pray without ceasing."

I look at it as an open phone line all the time. I can stop and talk to Him about anything-it can be short or long and involved. He is always there to hear-morning or night. 

Psalm 55:17  

"Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice." 

He never misses a word and He always cares.

1 Peter 5:7  

"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you."

It thrills my heart to have this assurance because there are times when my heart feels so heavy and I can't share with anyone else-He is there and cares. There are times when I am so excited and no one is around to hear me-He is there and hears.

Psalm 54:2  

"Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth." 

Don't ever take it for granted or let it become a rarity for you. Pray so often that it becomes totally natural for you to stop and talk to God-telling Him whatever is on  your heart as you live one day at a time.

The first prayer He hears is your salvation prayer-acknowledging your sin ,asking for forgiveness, and believing that He has saved you! After that, if there is unconfessed sin in your life, it has caused static over your prayer line and you need to confess it and clear it up so the phone line is open for communication between you & God again. He desires to hear from you. He talks about that in the Bible when He was talking about Israel in 2 Chronicles 7:14:

"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

It is the same for us today.  I never grow tired of talking to my God. I love to sing to Him, pray scripture back to Him, and just sit and commune with Him. The greatest privilege is when someone asks me to pray for them. Have you taken the time today to pray?

Calm in the Storm

This past week the area that I live in went through a long and large storm. It involved days of rain and wind that caused some ares of flooding and downed trees. We live close to the Gulf and saw many pictures of the beach and waves. It is amazing how the waves crash in higher and farther up the beach. What can look calm and clear one day can be wild and dangerous the next.

A storm can be exciting to watch if you know that you are safely inside and no harm will come to you. But a storm can also be terrifying. It all depends on your location. This is all in regards to the weather but I can't help but compare this also to "storms" in our lives, situations that take place and you aren't sure you know what to do. It may be a little storm with a small upset that unsettles you. Or it may be a hurricane that totally rocks your foundation and brings some huge waves. I think of the song that says sometimes God doesn't calm the storm but He calms His child. I think that is one of the hardest things to wrap my mind around. Humanly speaking, I am selfish. I don't want to go through sadness, upsets, disappointments, anger, or grief. I want God to take it for me, but He doesn't always do that. He works through these situations to glorify Himself and to bring us closer to Him. 

Job 23:10:

   "But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold."

As long as we live on earth, where sin reigns, then we will go through storms. I remember my pastor once saying, "Most Christians are either going through a trial, have just come out of one or are just going into one."

How we react to them tells a lot about our relationship with God.

Psalm 37:7  

"Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him"

Sometimes all we need to do is just wait and rest in Him. Waiting and Resting-two difficult things for most of us to do. I am the type of person that wants to fix it. I want to be working on it-doing something. But there are times that I should just sit still, learn patience, and listen for God to speak to me. There are other times that God will bring someone into my life during a low or difficult time that will be able to encourage me or help me see the correct perspective.

Zephaniah 3:17 

"The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing."

The God of creation is all powerful and never allows anything to happen to His children that He will not be there to help you through one day at a time. He can stop the storm. He is always in control and watches over us with love.

Luke 8:24-25

"And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm. 

And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him." 

How will you react to the next storm that enters into your life? Allow Him to be the calm in your storm.

Fun with Kids!

This week is Vacation Bible School at our church and I have the privilege of running the program. I have an entire team of people who have willingly been serving and teaching to a group of children! We are in "Incrediworld" and learning about the 6 days of creation! 

We have had fun singing, playing games,

completing crafts,

 eating snacks, and enjoying bible time!

It has been a 3 fun days so far and has shown me again that first:

You can teach children all the way from age 2 and they can sit and listen and learn one day at a time. There were 7 today that said their verse to me who were only 3.

second:  learning about the Bible can be fun! We have had a blast learning about all the things that God has created, including a lot of extreme bugs and animals! 

Genesis 1:1

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."

It's also great that there are programs like Answers in Genesis that teach truth-the Bible-and tell the truth about how the World came about-God created it by speaking it into being in only 6 days-not million of years!

Colossians 3:16  

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." 

My prayer is that each of the children that have come this week will remember what they have been taught and that each of them will accept Christ as their Savior if they haven't already done so.

Goodbye, Farewell, Au Revoir

Any way you say it, it isn't easy. We say goodbye to people all the time. This week I had to say goodbye to SJ, who is like another daughter to me. She is going to be away for three months. I am so excited for her because she is going to Israel to minister but humanly speaking it hurts my heart to say goodbye.

 Can you think of a situation that was more difficult for you than others to say goodbye?

The first time I can remember how goodbye affected me was when I was a little girl. My Graw lived about 7 hours away from us and we would go there in the summer on vacation. Her farm was on a big hill. When it was time to leave my dad would drive our station wagon down the hill and a little ways down the road and then my mom would get out of the car and wave back to my Graw, who was standing at the top of the hill. When she would get back into the car she would be quietly crying. As a child, it hurt me to see my mom crying but I didn't totally understand it...until I was an adult and moved 1200 miles away from my parents and had to say goodbye.  I have now had to say goodbye to my daughter 2 times this past year as she went off to college and it hurts my heart. God has given us hearts and feelings to love and care and show emotions. But there are still times when we have to say goodbye. There are times we say goodbye to someone and we know that we won't see each other again. I am so thankful for the times that God has allowed my paths to cross with other Christians and friendships are formed, even if for only a little while. But we have a bond that lasts longer than this life. If we are Christians then we know that we will see each other again and rejoice together in eternity.

While we may not see someone every day, we have ways of keeping in touch-telephones, letters, and pictures. It is a way to have a part of that person with us one day at a time, even in absence. But it is comforting to know that there IS someone who will never leave us. Christ came to earth in human form and dwelt here among us for about 33 years, so that He could die on the cross and take our sins for us. But, when He left, He promised to leave the Holy Spirit with us.

John 14:16

"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;"

Although God is not physically here with me, I can be assured that He is still with me. He gave us the Bible-His love letter-and told us that He would always be there for me.

Hebrews 13:5

"and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

And as I have been teaching the kids in Vacation Bible School this week-The Bible says it, and that settles it.

We can rest in the fact that although goodbyes will always be part of our human time lines, God will never leave us. It should also motivate us to witness to all of those around us so that we can know that we will all be able to rejoice together forever once we are heaven-'goodbye' won't be in our vocabulary.

Clean & Ready for Occupancy

This picture reminds me of an illustration of what my heart might look like when Christ knocked and I opened for Him to come in.

This is the rental house we manage for friends. The past renters just moved out and so we had to go in and be sure it was cleaned for new renter to move in. We had the entire inside repainted and it gives such a fresh look. We made sure all the appliances are cleaned and mopped the floors-clean and ready for occupancy.

I love looking at a home when it is like this because I could picture how it would look decorated. When it is clean it's appealing and says-'I'm ready for you-move in.' 

When I was unsaved my heart was considered "dark with sin". Then, when I confessed my sin and asked Christ to be my Savior, He washed it "white as snow" and it was clean and ready for occupancy.

When we have sin in our lives, Christ can't have fellowship with us. There is a wall, as such, between us.

1 Samuel 15:25 

"Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD."

I cannot stand living in a dirty house. I like to have my rooms straightened, my dishes washed, and my floors swept. I like to have clean clothes to wear and clean sheets on my bed and clean towels for my shower.  Yet, sometimes we let sin creep into our lives and start to take over and we let it. We become complacent in our devotion life and don't spend the time we need to praying. We may think that it isn't anything that will affect us but don't be fooled-it WILL!! It may start off subtly but it will eventually take over and change you. There is no such thing as one little sin. Sin is sin is sin-no degree or little white vs. big black lie!

Romans 6:1-2

"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

   God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?"

We don't have to live in sin. Christ has given us the ultimate sacrifice and we can overcome!

1 John 4:4  

"Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world."

Life is so much better definitely a joy when it is lived one day at a time as God intended.

Light in a Dark Place

My husband loves to go to Home Improvement Stores and walk the aisles! Owning a home normally means there is some sort of project that needs to be done so he is there to buy a necessary item. I love to go and just look and get ideas! The other night I was wandering around just taking pictures. I saw this light display and took a shot. Here is what I was thinking when I saw them.

Isn't this a nice display of lights? They are serving two purposes. They are giving light and they look good!

Sometimes we are led to believe, as Christians, we can't look good and still be a good witness. I disagree.

I believe that God wants us to look our best (that means taking care of our personal hygiene). We can have an attractive hair cut and style. We can be dressed in beautiful clothes. Here's where the hitch is: We need to be modest in our clothing and it should not consume us. Our outward appearance should not be the most important. God is more concerned about our heart. We need to be concerned with the spiritual conditions of those around us. Men walk in darkness until they have accepted Christ as their Savior.

John 8:12 

"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." 

1 Samuel 16:7 

"But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart."

1 Peter 3:1-4

   "Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;

   While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.

   Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;

   But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price."

Our looks will change over the years but our heart can grow sweeter and be one that can continue to draw closer to God as we grow older one day at a time. 

I think that our outward appearance could hinder us in 2 different aspects. If we were so consumed with our looks and that was evident when we went to witness to someone, I think it would distract from our message. We are telling people, 'look at ME!' Or if we didn't take any time at all on our outward appearance it could cause the same type of response-it would distract someone by drawing attention to ourselves instead of being able to listen and focus on the message of salvation.

It is a fine line that we need to walk. You can be trendy and classy without compromising your modesty. I look to the example of the Proverbs 31 woman. We are not told that she was beautiful and yet I think that she was-because of all that she accomplished. And yet according to verse 30- "Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised." So, strive to be like the lights in my photo-one that looks great and still serves it purpose-driving out the darkness around it.

Recipe for Life

Today I heard a line where a character said, "I wish there was a cookbook for life, full of recipes on how to live life."

I love cookbooks! I have a shelf full of them. Ones that have a wide variety of recipes while others are specialized on a specific type of food-low fat, cupcakes, or southern-just to name a few.

When you find a certain recipe that you want to make you have to follow specific steps. You have to be sure that you have the ingredients and then you follow the steps by adding the right amounts and mixing and cooking it or refrigerating it. A lot of times if you substitute something it won't taste the same or if you put too much of an ingredient in, it sometimes spoils the taste.

Well, there is a "cookbook" for life-it is the Bible. God gives it to us and tells us how we can live a successful life. If we follow the "recipes" He gives us you will have success. You may be saying 'I don't understand what you are saying.' Let me give you a couple of examples.

Proverbs 22:6

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. "

Joshua 1:8

"This Book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein. For then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."

If we follow His plan then we know that God is in control and the results will be what He has planned for us.

There are also plenty of examples in the Bible of what happened to people who didn't follow the "recipe" that God had given them. The one that stands out in my mind is Jonah. God told him to go to Nineveh and preach but he went his own way and ended up in a whale's belly before he acknowledged his decisions and changed his ways. As we live one day at a time then we need to be willing to read God's Bible and follow His recipes so that we can get the intended results. You can find relevant topics in His Word that include: marriage, soul winning, parenting, vocations, and everyday living. This "cookbook" should be on your shelf and it should be as "worn" out as your favorite cookbook. You should have verses memorized and pages should be creased and marked. I know my favorite recipes by heart and there are my favorite verses that I have memorized as well. They are the most important "recipes" that I will ever need.

Your View

The top three photos are ones that I was able to take from the John Hancock Observatory in Chicago. What a view!

These two pictures are taken from the 103 floor of the Willis Tower-on the other side of town in Chicago! Also an amazing view. On a clear day like that day you could see 4 states from walking around the viewing floor and looking out the windows. It's all in the perspective. You can see so many buildings and areas that you can't see from street level. When you are walking down the street you can only see so far in front of you. From up above you can see quite a large viewing area. Sometimes as humans we get lost in the perspective. We can only see so much and we don't take in the larger picture. I'm thankful that God doesn't give me the whole plan all at once or I would be overwhelmed. He only gives us as much as we can bear at the time. But how we respond to the view He gives us makes all the difference. Are your responses always negative? 

Psalm 42:5  

"Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance." 

Do you look for the bad things that might happen or are you thankful for what God has brought you through?

Psalm 35:18  

"I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people." 

 There will always be a negative side but you don't have to live your life looking at that view. God has made it so that we live our lives one day at a time and it is a lot more productive to let God have in control and know that He has my best in mind.

 Job 23:10:

   "But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold."

I also want to say that you will only see as much as you want. Not to be obtuse but what I mean is: If you are willing to lean on God and let Him lead you then your view will be amazing. He will open up a world to you where you can reach out to those around you and share the gospel. If you are self-absorbed then your view is focused on yourself and you will be sorely disappointed at the end of your life when you realize how much you lost out on. As long as you remain here on earth you have the opportunity to change your view (and I don't mean that you can change your address).  Take the opportunity!

Simply in Awe

When you woke up this morning did you take a deep breath and thank the Lord for another day to live?

When you got up and walked to the closet did you thank Him for your arms and legs that work (albeit they may creak or hurt) and for your wonderful body He created?

Psalm 139:14

"I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well."

As you opened your door and stepped outside did you thank and praise Him for the beautiful and multi-faceted world He created? The earth does.

Psalm 96:11

"Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof."

Genesis 1:31

 "And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good."

Psalm 19:1

"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork."

I am in awe of a God who has such an infinite imagination to have created so many varieties of animals-no two the same, so many different type of plants and so intricate as our human body is.

As you drove your car and maybe went to your place of employment or stayed in your home and got out your cleaning supplies to start the day did you thank Him for all the needs and wants He supplied?

Philippians 4:19

"But my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

As you sat down to eat the food He provided did you thank Him (even if it wasn't your most favorite meal?)

Matthew 6:11

"Give us this day our daily bread."

When you drove to your local church and walked in to freely worship and praise Him did you thank him for the opportunity and the freedom to do so?

Psalm 122:1

"I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD."

I could go on and on. Sometimes we are so concerned about the "BIG" things that we let the little things slip by. God is concerned about every item in our life and deserves to be included in our praise about everything one day at a time.

Psalm 40:16  

"Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified." 

Peace

Don't you love to watch little ones sleep? When most of them are awake they are so busy...talking and running and just go..go..go! But when they sleep they just look so...peaceful!

A lot of us live our lives in the fast lane, go, go, go! We always have something to do or some place to be. Are you ever just quiet and sit and meditate with and on the Lord? 

Psalm 46:10 

"Be still, and know that I am God:"

That takes time. We have to make the time. But it is so worth it when we do. My day goes so much better.

When we are quiet on a regular basis with our Lord then when things come up that are tumultuous, we can have the peace that only God can give us.

Isaiah 26:3  

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee."

Just because we are Christians doesn't mean we will have a rosy, problem-free life. But it does mean we can know that God is in control and will help us through it.

 1 Corinthians 10:13  

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

Any by having God's peace I can know that I can be content in whatever state I am in-just like Paul wrote about in Philippians 4:11:

"Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content."

1 Timothy 6:6 

"But godliness with contentment is great gain." This is something each of us can work on one day at a time and encourage each other with at the same time.

 I'll close with the words of a song that came to my mind about this by William Cornell..."Peace, peace, wonderful peace, coming down from the Father above. Sweep over my spirit, forever I pray, in fathomless billows of love."

How are you getting there?

It's amazing how many different modes of transportation are available out there for us. I decided to take some pictures of the many different ways to get around the city while we were on our trip.

By car-this one is pretty nice-but there are many different types of cars

By open air tourist bus-sitting on top where you can see it all

By taxi

By city bus-stopping along the way on predetermined routes

A relatively new way-by Segway

By bicycle

Some towns still have trolleys-either for sightseeing or like buses on a predetermined route

A horse and carriage-how romantic!

by Train

And by airplane.

These a some of the different modes of transportation. Others may include feet, helicopters, motorcycles, scooters, golf carts, skateboards, and the list goes on.

With any of these, you start in one place and the article will take you to another place, normally your destination. There may be times it fails or slows you down or doesn't show up.

How are you getting to Heaven?

Some think they are getting there by their good works. Others say because they go to church and follow the golden rule they will get into heaven. Some believe because their mom and dad were saved it is good enough for them too. Some believe if they are baptized it will be enough. Some aren't sure-they only hope whatever they are or are not doing one day at a time will be enough to get them there.

You know what? None of those reasons are good enough.

We cannot get into heaven on our own accord. We are sinners and our sin separates us from the perfect and holy God. God cannot look at sin. There is only one way to cover that sin and that is with the blood of Jesus Christ. When we acknowledge we are sinners and repent and turn from it and accept Him as our Savior then we receive admission into heaven. It's a gift and all we have to do is take it.

Ephesians 2:8 

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: "

Then, how will we get to heaven? Well, one of two ways-either we will get there when we die here on earth or Christ will come back (at the rapture) and take us home with Him

I Thessalonians 4:16-17

"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

   Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." Be sure you have used the "right mode of transportation" and are ready to meet our Lord!

Sing ♪♫♪

I love to sing! I sing when I'm driving. I sing while I'm working. I sing while I'm cooking and especially when I'm cleaning. Music is a wonderful gift that God gave us.  We are told numerous times in the Bible to sing. 

1 Chronicles 16:9 

"Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works."

Some songs are empty and the words don't mean anything. I love to sing scripture because it means that I am reciting God's Word.

1 Chronicles 16:23  

"Sing unto the LORD, all the earth; shew forth from day to day his salvation."

There are so many wonderful reasons to be able to sing and one is for the salvation that he has given.

Psalm 13:6 

"I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me. "

I have so much to sing about-God is so amazing and I am so thankful for all He has blessed me with-a wonderful, Christian husband, 2 children I love, a job that provides, a beautiful home, a wonderful church family, so many amazing friends, and the list goes on and on.

Psalm 30:12  

"To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever."

Psalm 71:23  

"My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed."

You can sing and just sing the words and not really show it in your face and it's just a song. Or you can sing from your heart and it shows through your facial expressions and the message will come through and minister to those whom you are singing.

These two pictures show just a couple of groups that sing in our church. The top is a men's group that sound amazing together. The bottom picture is our choir.

Psalm 92:1  

"IT IS A GOOD THING TO GIVE THANKS UNTO THE LORD, AND TO SING PRAISES UNTO THY NAME, O MOST HIGH: "

Even when your heart is heavy or when your day may not being going quite as you planned...Sing!! It can change your attitude and mood-especially if you are singing praise to God! Take the focus off of yourself  and sing to Him!!

Some can't sing quite on key-that's ok-sing anyways!!

Psalm 98:4  

"Make a joyful noise (it doesn't say it has to be on key) unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise."

We are told to praise God and we can do that in song because if we don't the very rocks will cry out!

Luke 19:38-40:

 shouting:

   “BLESSED IS THE KING WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; 

Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

He deserves our songs! He is worthy of what we can sing and so much more!

   Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” But Jesus answered, “I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!” 

So, sing, sing, sing-keep a song in your heart one day at a time!!

Ephesians 5:19  

"Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;"

What's in a Father?

Today's holiday  that we celebrate is Father's Day!  It is a day set aside to honor the men in our lives who are our fathers. Everyone has a father, whether they are present in their life or not, but not every father is a Dad. God placed the father as the head of the household. He answers to God for the family that God has placed below him. He is to take care of his wife and children. He is to be the godly example and influence to those who are part of his family. A Dad is someone who shows love to his family. He is someone who cares what his family is doing and strives to discipline in love and lead his family with godly values-being in the Word individually and as a family, following Christ's example. 

I have a father is a wonderful Dad! He loves the Lord with his whole heart and lives Christ out in his life. He loves my mom and has been a wonderful example of a loving and faithful husband for the last 45 years. He led our family and was involved in our lives. I remember having family devotions and I know that my parents still have devotions and prayer time together each morning.

Because of how my dad was and still is  has helped form my thoughts on the type of man that I wanted to marry. My husband has the same great qualities. He loves me and he loves his children. He strives to be a godly example. He spends time with us and cares. 

I'm sure there are men in your lives that you can say the same about-whether in your family or close friends that you know. We should encourage each other and help the men in our lives to strive to be like Christ.  We have the ultimate example and the guide book to follow one day at a time.

No matter how our father may be to us here on earth, God tells us that we should honor them.

Matthew 15:4  

"For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: "

But we do have the availability of having a perfect Father.

Matthew 5:48 

"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."  

John 15:9 

"As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love."

He can be the father that you go to for anything and everything. He is available all the time and will always listen. He cares and loves us no matter what we have done. If we accept Him as our Savior then we can call Him Father.

Romans 8:15 

"For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father."

  2 Corinthians 6:18:

   "And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."

So, if you still have your father here then let him know you love him-if you are estranged do what you can to mend the situation, with the Lord's help. If your father is no longer here then rest in the love of our Heavenly Father and know that His arms are around you all the time. He wants to love you with an everlasting love.

In The Shadow

You know how you know the meaning of a word but you can't write an actual definition for it? That's how it was for me today with the title. I know what a shadow is and my picture shows one but I have never honestly sat down and thought how to write exactly what a shadow is, until I googled it!

A shadow comes about when an object is blocking the sunlight. It becomes an opaque shape of whatever is blocking it.

Did you ever "dance" with your shadow when you were young? Or make shadow animals-those are fun and keep children's attention!

A shadow's length changes during during the day depending on where the sun is. When it is overcast or raining and the sun is absent, there is no shadows.

A shadow isn't a tangible item. You can't touch it. It moves where you move and is only changed when you change it. It got me to think about where shadows are talked about in the Bible. Ever do a word search or take some time and look into a topic? It is interesting and you can learn a lot.

Shadows are mentioned quite a few times.  One time is in the book of Job.

Job speaks about our lives and the time on earth and compares them to shadows. Our lives are here for a time and then it is over.

Job 8:9  

"For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because our days upon earth are a shadow"

The Psalmist also talks about a shadow, or the perils in life-the darkest valley, in the 23rd Psalm

Psalm 23:4 

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 

Shadows can be a good thing. They give shade and coolness from the sun. 

The word shadow is sometimes used when we speak about "standing in someone else's shadow". There are different perspectives of looking at this but in my case I want to take a positive spin on it.

You can be in the shadow of the Almighty. He will protect you. It is a place of comfort.

Psalm 91:1 

"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty."

If I am in his shadow then I am close enough to know Christ and be able to follow Him. To stay in His shadow I have to remain close one day at a time. It requires being in the Bible and speaking with Him on a regular basis. So the next time you see a shadow or step out of the sun to stand in a shadow think of Christ and how we can remain in His shadow.

It's a Journey

So, today is the end of our trip and a wonderful week in Chicago! I go to see all of the highlights and walked   many miles! The weather was beautiful and we enjoyed good hotels and food. But now it is time to go home. In order to do that you have to take the journey. My husband first had it put to him this way when he was traveling home from India. His host asked him if he was ready for his journey. He hadn't thought of it in that sense but it is true. In order to get to our destination there were a few steps that had to be taken. We had to pack all of our belongings that had traveled with us. We then had to check out of our hotel. Our choice of transportation back to the hotel was the local transit system (CTA) so we had to walk a few blocks to our station and then scan our transit pass and wait for our train. We had an enjoyable 45 minute ride that brought us up in the airport. 

We then had to check-in and give the airline our baggage. After proceeding through security we had to find our gate. Then it's a waiting game. You wait for the plane to come to the gate.

 You wait to be called to board the plane. You wait for take-off. You wait for landing. You wait for the doors to open and being able to deplane. 

You wait at your next gate and do it all over again. And then you wait for your baggage to be placed on the belt, so that you can find yours and remove it. 

This is how life is in general. We are living our journey one day at a time. It is a lot of waiting. But you know what? It is worth it if you are a Christian. I have heard a lot of different things said about life and journeys and destinations but my take is this: 

It does matter how we live our lives in this journey. We are put here for a purpose. We are to tell others about Christ. Keep life in perspective. We are to obey and fear God. But we are only here temporarily. Only what's done for Christ while on earth will last.

I Thessalonians 4:16-18

"For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
   For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
   While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."

But, the destination of this journey is also important. Some believe that there isn't anything after this life but I disagree. Christ has told us that there is life after death-it can be with Him in Heaven if we have trusted Him as our Savior or it will be in Hell without Him.

John 14:3

 "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."

We may only see a small bit of the picture but God will reveal it all to us in His timing. And it will be worth it!

So enjoy your journey and let God be your pilot! It wouldn't work any other way!

What are you known for?

So I am on my third day in the Windy City and it has definitely been a memorable trip! The weather has been gorgeous and I have enjoyed all of the sights. The city is clean and friendly and I have felt very safe while walking. This morning we took the rental car back to the airport and rode the train into the city to our hotel. We are staying at the Chicago Hilton on Michigan Avenue!

This hotel was put on the map when Harrison Ford filmed part of the Fugitive here. As soon as we checked in we went downstairs and took a tour of the Grand Ballroom-yep-that’s where the scene was shot! It is a beautiful room!

After settling in, we got our walking shoes on and proceeded down Michigan Avenue to spend the afternoon. Bill had not been down the Magnificent Mile in about 14 years so I was able to share where I had visited yesterday. We had a nice leisurely time. We spent some time in Grant Park, eating our hotdogs that we got for lunch, listening to the free music in the amphitheater behind us, and people watching. This is also the location of the famous “Bean”. So we took a few pictures.

As we continued down the street we came upon a group of cameras and a girl who appeared to be a model. I told Bill maybe she was modeling for Nordstrom, the store across the street. Who knows, maybe we will see her in an ad or on television.

We saw some famous things today that Chicago is known for…the Bean statue, the shopping strand, and the hotel we are staying and I wondered…what am I known for? If people say my name to someone else what comes to their mind? Am I known for kindness and helpfulness? Is my testimony one that is untarnished? Am I a go-getter and organized and willing to take on a project from start to finish. I hope that all of these things and more can be said of me. I want to be one that emulates Christ. I want to be known as one that cares and takes the time to listen and pray and help where I can. I want to be known as a cheerful worker and giver and God lover!

God’s Word tells us that we shall be known by our works.

I Corinthians 3:13 tells us that one day “Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.”

 As we live one day at a time, what are you known for? Are they godly character qualities or are they ones that you would be embarrassed about it someone actually pointed them out to you? You can change. God gives us the Holy Spirit to dwell in us so that He can guide us. He also gives us His Word-

Psalm 119:105-“The Word is a lamp unto my feet and I light unto my path.”

Psalm 119:11-“Thy Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee.”

My prayer is that my life and yours as well, will be ones that will be known for godly things while we are still here on earth and after we are gone.