The General Store

As our country was being established and people began pioneering into undeveloped territories they didn't have Walmart nearby in which to shop. When enough people settled in a certain area they would build a town and establish a general store. The name says it all. It was a store that carried everything that was needed for every day living in general. This was where you went to get oil lamps or cloth to make your clothes or curtains, flour and coffee and thread and penny candy. It was diverse and yet it didn't carry a lot of frivolties.  Money was scarce and you might have an account that you paid when you received payment from your harvests or you may have traded eggs and butter for flour and thread. If the general store didn't carry it then you probably didn't really need it. Some things that were bigger or more difficult or expensive you might have ordered from a catalog. The General Store pretty much met your basic needs of things that you couldn't provide for yourself at your own homestead.

When I saw this it drew my mind to God's Word or the Bible. It contains everything in it that we need to follow in order to live a godly life while here on earth one day at a time.

We first have to acknowledge we are all sinners and in need of a Savior.

Romans 3:23

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,"

Then we ask for forgiveness and accept the gift of eternal life given to us by Jesus Christ, who died on a cross to take our sin upon Him.

Romans 6:23

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

John 3:16

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

Then we can read many different passages that help us learn how to live a godly life and strive to be more like Christ as we wait for His return.

Romans 12:1-2

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

Titus 2:12-14

"teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,  looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works."

2 Peter 1:2-8

"Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness,  to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.  For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

This is just a sampling of the many verses that God has given us. Take some time to do a study for yourself and see what verses can help you draw closer to God and live a godly life for Him. He is all we need and if you have Him as your Lord and Savior then you don't need anything else!

Night in Lights

Across the road from our home is an entrance to another neighborhood that decorates for Christmas. The trees and building are beautifully lit and shine quite brightly every night. Tonight the sight was even more beautiful with the moon right over the trees. My picture doe not do it justice in capturing it. Lights are frequently used as great object lessons.

As a Christians, as we live one day at a time we constantly deal with light vs. darkness. Our human nature is more comfortable in the darkness. Yet once we turn our lives over to Christ and allow Him to be in control we should live in the light.

Ephesians 5:8-14

"for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true),  and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.  Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.  For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret.  But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible,  for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,

“Awake, O sleeper,

    and arise from the dead,

and Christ will shine on you.”

When you are in the dark you cannot see where you are going. Yet, light takes away the darkness.

Isaiah 42:16

"I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them."

Psalm 18:28

"You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light."

John 3:19-21

"And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.  For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.  But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

We need to be willing to shine for Christ. When we shine then those that come in contact with us will see something different. We should be the ones to point them to Christ. Share the gospel and the love of God so that those we know and love will also receive the gift of eternal life so that we will be together for eternity rejoicing and worshiping Him-the one true Light!

Revelation 22:5

"There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign forever and ever."

Ornamental Decorations

Most of us decorate a Christmas tree. When we decorate our tree we hang all of our ornaments that have been collected over the years. I looked up the definition of an ornament and it talks about how it is a decoration that is normally made of wood, glass, metal or ceramic and used to "festoon" a Christmas tree. Some people will buy a lot of one kind of ornament to have a themed tree. I love to hang a conglomeration of all the ornaments that we have either bought for special memories or given to us as gifts. We also have some ornaments that have been passed down to us from our parents and grandparents.

It's fun to remember who gave it to us and when while I am hanging them on the tree. And they are nice to look at each day when we turn the tree on. Most of the time ornaments don't have any special purpose other than just looking nice and holding special memories.

As I live one day at a time I sometimes wonder if we aren't guilty of living our Christian life as an ornament. We carry our Bibles only to church where everyone can see us and never open them during the rest of the week. We wear nice outfits on Sunday and clean up our language for that one day. But the rest of the week it's put into a box. Sometimes we follow 'tradition's only because it was what our parents and grandparents used to do but we don't believe that anymore.

As an ornament I want to be remembered for following Christ, loving Him with all my heart, sharing the gospel with those I come in contact with, and living my life the same 24/7. I want to be more than just something that gets brought out and enjoyed for a few weeks and then is stored away the rest of the year. I want to be someone that could be hung on a hook and enjoyed every day, no matter what I was doing. But I don't want to just be nice to look at but also be substantial. As an ornament I want to be something that compliments Christ though-not stand out and take away from His glory.

I Peter 3:3-4

"Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— 4 rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God."

Colossians 3:17

"And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Do You Let the Grinch Steal Your Christmas?

I love Dr. Seuss! I love Christmas! And I love to watch "The Grinch that Stole Christmas"! Tonight was the long awaited night-the first time that it was on TV for the Christmas holiday season.

It is animated and rhymes and is only 30 minutes long. But I enjoy watching it again and again each year.

A condensed version? A mean looking creature can't stand that the town below him loves Christmas and celebrates it in a big way with decorations and food and friends. He thought that by taking away all of the things he would be happy and they would be sad. Only, they showed him that the true meaning of Christmas to them wasn't dependent on the 'things'.

We are coming off a month of thankfulness. As we live one day at a time we struggle to live our lives content with what we have. We are now entering in the Christmas season where the schedule picks up speed and starts snowballing down a hill at a fast clip. We are invited to parties and have family get-togethers and gift exchanges and dinners and shopping and gift wrapping and many other fun activities. But sometimes our schedules get so busy and our lives get so cluttered that we weary quickly and lose our focus on the main thing-Christ.

We weren't there but we have a great record in God's Word on the celebration of the first Christmas.

Luke 2:8-20

"Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

 “Glory to God in the highest,

And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.  And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them."

Can you imagine the wonder of it all? It would have been so quiet out in the fields with just the stars and the sheep, until the choir of angels sang out in harmony-amazing!

Then can you hear the animals softly mooing and neighing and baaing in the dark barn with a little baby wrapped and laying in the straw?

It wasn't commercialized. It was just God! As you head into this Christmas season-enjoy the fun times with family and friends but don't let it overwhelm you or take precedent over the true meaning of the season-Jesus! He came to earth as a baby born of a virgin so that He could die on a cross later to take all of our sins so that we could have the greatest gift of all-Eternal Life with Him! If you haven't already, accept His gift of salvation!

Murphy's Law

If I believed in certain adages then today would have been one of those days. Murphy's Law states that whatever can go wrong will do wrong.

I got home late last night from a nice long weekend away celebrating as a family with our daughter at college. I chose to take a vacation day today so that I could decorate the house for Christmas and relax and enjoy the day.

Well, my son ended up staying home because his jaw was swollen and sore. I called the doctor, twice, and finally got him in around 3:30 p.m. and found out he has an infection under the skin in the socket. We went home with a prescription for antibiotics and being told that if it doesn't go down by Wednesday then we will have to go back in to have it treated.

I couldn't put up the tree because the boxes were too high up in storage so I did all of the other decorating. But even when I got it done it just doesn't feel the same and I don't know why.

I had to catch up on laundry. I saved the white load for last. When we got the dress shirts out of the dryer we found two big black marks where it got caught in the dryer-ugh! I got most of it out by scrubbing it with oxi-clean. 

I had to go get groceries and had a tight budget to stick too-only went over 19 cents! But the cashier put my cold meat under my hot prepared rotisserie chicken-unbelievable-it would have been cooked by the time I got home if I hadn't repacked.

I had to go to a board meeting so while I was gone my husband put the tree up-yay!! But, putting the tree up was as far as it got. My husband threw the lights away last year and thinks that he bought new ones. I didn't remember any but then again sometimes I can't remember what I had to lunch yesterday. Well, we didn't buy  any other lights so the tree is standing in the corner...dark.

But, it's alright. I mean, it does bother me a little (I like everything to run smoothly on schedule) but I am learning that as I live one day at a time sometimes you have to learn to roll with the punches. My tree isn't completed yet but it will be by the end of this week.  The rest of the house is done. Groceries are bought for the week. Laundry is done (for at least the afternoon anyways). J.W. is on an antibiotic. Dinner is over and the meeting is done. (I even got my new knobs on my bathroom cabinets!) I do have to go back to work tomorrow but today was a great day to be at home, enjoying my home and spending time with my son & our little dog. I enjoyed today, as it went along, glitches and all. 

Matthew 6:34

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.“ 

All Good Things...

This weekend we were able to go and spend Thanksgiving with our daughter in college. We had so much fun!! We attended a championship soccer tournament where the guy that our daughter is dating played in and won! We watched 4 of 'our girls' play in a intercollegiate volleyball tournament and come in second! We had Thanksgiving dinner together and went to a operetta and spent a day in Alabama shopping at the outlets, having lunch and just talking and laughing. It was a wonderful weekend that left us with wonderful memories. But as the saying goes, 'All good things must come to an end'. And so this trip did too. We traveled back home this afternoon and after 9 hours in heavy and sometimes slow traffic we made it to our home sweet home. But another 'good things' thought also came to my mind.

James 1:17

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."

I am so thankful for all the gifts that God has given me here on earth as we live one day at a time. He has blessed me beyond measure and it would take more than just one day out of the year to list and thank God for all the blessings and yes even the events and circumstances that God allows into my life that may not seem "perfect" at the time.

But, the other thought that came to my mind about good things coming to an end was the fact that, yes, while here on earth a lot of good things will come to an end, but for those of us that are Christians, one day that will change. Christ is coming back! And when He does come back to take home all of those that have accepted Him as their personal Savior will be taken home to heaven to be with Him and we will spend eternity praising and worshiping Him-a wonderfully perfect and good thing that will NEVER end!

Revelation 21:1-4

"Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

Lamp Lighting Ceremony

Today we were thrilled to be able to be present for our daughters' Lamp lighting Ceremony'. 

She is a sophomore in college and is in the nursing program. This ceremony represents the beginning of her practical nursing. She is working toward a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. This ceremony was very nice. It wasn't long but it was full of symbolism. The lamps that they held and lit during the ceremony represented the history of Florence Nightingale. She was known for her nursing skills and was called 'the lady of the lamp'. Although the doctors swear by a Hippocratic oath there wasn't really anything for nurses so there is a nurses' pledge that they recited after lighting their lights.

"I solemnly pledge myself before God and in the presence of this assembly:

To pass my life in purity and to practice my profession faithfully;

I will abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous and will not take or knowingly administer any harmful drug;

I will do all in my power to maintain and elevate the standard of my profession, and will hold in confidence all personal matters committed to my keeping and all family affairs coming to my knowledge in the practice of my calling;

With loyalty will I endeavor to aid the physician in his work, and devote myself to the welfare of those committed to my care."

The college states that the lights symbolize more than just representing being a light in the medical field like Florence Nightingale but to also be a light to the world as a witness for Christ.

Even though I am not a nurse I could easily take this pledge and live my life one day at a time by these guidelines.

Matthew 5:14

"“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden."

God tells us to be a light. Our lamp lighting ceremony could be when we have accepted Christ as our Savior. He would then give us our light and we in turn would light the world around us. It doesn't come naturally. It takes work and practice and studying God's Word. Just like a nurse will have her practicals and put what she learns into practice, so too should we put all of the principles and guidelines that God has given us in His Word.

Black Friday!

Today is the day after Thanksgiving! It means a lot of different things to different people. Some look at it as a day of being able to be off work and relax and eat a lot of wonderful leftovers. Others enjoy it as another day of visiting with relatives. Some put all of the fall decorations away and put up their Christmas tree and lights. And there are still others that count the minutes for the 'Black Friday' sales to begin. They have watching the store ads and scouring the coupons and figuring out which stores open at what time and then mapping out their strategies for driving from store to store and running in to get which special and standing in line. I am all for saving money and I admit that I have gone to some stores because they have had amazing sales on items that family members have asked for for Christmas, but I am not a die-hard black Friday shopper! There are stories told of people that have pick-pocketed others while shopping, shop lifters have been arrested, there are people that have very little patience and run into others with their carts or cut others off with their vehicles.

It is supposed to be the start to a 'holly, jolly season', but there is very little "jolly" in a lot of places. It is sad that many people take more time planning what and how they will buy their gifts than thinking about where they might be spending eternity.

We are all sinners and our hearts are as 'black as sin'. I learned a song when I was just a child:

"My heart was dark with sin, Until the Savior came in;"

 His precious blood I know, Has washed me"

 white as snow"

 And in God's Word I'm told I'll walk the streets of gold;"

 To grow in Christ each day,

  I read my Bible and pray."

As we celebrate the Christmas Season people will be more open to listening to the true "Christmas Story"-how Christ came to earth human-born of a virgin-and after His ministry on earth was completed, He died on the cross for our sins.

Matthew 1:18-21

" Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

Take every opportunity that you are given as you live one day at a time and share a gift that won't cost a penny and yet will be the most valuable one they have ever gotten.

Happy Thanksgiving

Praise God from whom all blessing flow!

Praise Him all creatures here below!

Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts!

Praise Father, Son, & Holy Ghost!

Psalm 150

"Praise the Lord!

Praise God in His sanctuary;

Praise Him in His mighty firmament!

Praise Him for His mighty acts;

Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!

 Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;

Praise Him with the lute and harp!

 Praise Him with the timbrel and dance;

Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!

 Praise Him with loud cymbals;

Praise Him with clashing cymbals!

 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord!

Today has been set aside as a national holiday in our country. Thanksgiving should not just be a day when we list all we are thankful for but when we remember why we have all that we have. God has been gracious and merciful. The Pilgrims came over from Europe and persevered so that we could have a free country. Free to worship as we please. Free to celebrate all of the blessings that God has bestowed on us. But, even if we did not live in a free country, or have a good job, or a church to worship freely in, or a roof over our heads-God is still God and has given us a gift worth more than anything else we could ask or think-His Son sent to earth to die on the cross for our sins so that we can have everlasting life. This is enough to be thankful for even if we didn't have any of the other blessings. 

As we live one day at a time, we tend to lose our focus. We get caught up in the drama of life. Don't.

Jude 24-25

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,
And to present you faultless
Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
To God our Savior,
Who alone is wise,
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,
Both now and forever.
Amen.
(I am having some problems with attaching pictures due to storage-I am working on it but it may be 24hrs before I can add-and I'm hoping I didn't delete pics out of my other posts! Thanks for being patient!)

First Responders

Every morning on my way to work I pass a fire station. Each morning at 720 a.m. they have all three engines and the ambulance out front freshly washed. I have been trying to stop and get a picture so that I can write this blog for awhile and it hasn't cooperated until this morning. I stopped in the middle of the road and took my shot!

I love fire trucks! They are an awesome machine that provides a wonderful service. When I was a junior in high school I was class president and I was able to get our local fire station to bring a truck to school for our class picture. I held the captains' hat! They have all kinds of equipment on board that are constantly checked and kept in pristine condition so that when the alarm is sounded-they are ready to go in a moment's notice!

They are the first responders. When 911 is dialed and a fire or accident has been reported, they suit up, load up, and drive out with their lights and sirens blaring.

They are always on call. Firefighters are always in the station. Some of them sleep their overnight on their shifts so that they can protect us when needed. They don't know when a fire will start or an accident will happen. But you can count on the fact that their uniforms are ready to slip on, the trucks are prepared, and they can leave within minutes of getting the information.

As we live one day at a time, are you ready? For what you may ask? Well, firstly, have you accepted Christ as your Savior? Do you know for certain that if you were to die you would go to spend eternity with God in heaven? If not, then what are you waiting for? We are not guaranteed anything. You may not take another breath tomorrow morning. We don't know when Christ will return. There is no time like the present. Acknowledge you are a sinner, confess your sins. Accept that Christ died on the cross to save your sins and that through His blood you have remission. 

Then, if you are saved then secondly, what are you doing for Him today? We should strive to serve Him. He placed us here for a purpose. Are you living your life with purpose or just drifting by. Don't drift-you can achieve and be so much more when you live for Him. He loves you and you were made for Him. Share His Good News with all of those you come in contact with-family and friends.

Matthew 25:1-13

"“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

 “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.

 “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’

“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."

We may not know what the future holds, but we know who holds the future. You don't know what opportunities God will place in front of you, but you can know how to respond to those situations. Respond with the Good Word that Christ has given us.

I Peter 3:15

"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;"

Harvest Time is Almost Here!

I pass by this field each morning on my way to work. This morning was a beautiful sunrise that highlighted all of these hay bales that have been rolled and waiting to be picked up and taken to where it will be stored and used over the next few months.

It reminded me of a verse in the Bible:

John 4:35

"Say not, There are yet four months, and then comes harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest"

The disciples were looking for a tangible crop but Christ was talking about people.

As we are living one day at a time, each day brings us one day closer to the time that Christ will return for His bride-the church. I don't believe that it will be very long until He comes. Prophecies are being fulfilled and I truly believe that we are in the 'end times'. I do believe that there are some things that still have to happen and one of them will be that we as Christians may have some of our freedoms stripped. It may not always be popular or easy to witness. How will you react? There are still souls out there that need saving. We still have a job to do. We must continue to share the gospel of Christ and His power to save through the blood. People are searching for something to fill the holes in their lives. They need to know that Christ is the only ONE that can fill that hole. 

God has said that whosoever will call upon His name WILL be saved. 

Once the harvest is complete then Christ will return for us, but until then we are to be busy doing the work that He has given us to do. Each person has a part. Are you doing your part?

Which "Dog" Will You Feed?

This past weekend at our fall festival they had a cute game called 'feeding time'.

You had to throw a bean bag and try to get it through the small hole-"feeding the animal".

When we have real animals we have to feed them in order for them to grow. We all know what would happen if we didn't feed them. They would grow weak and smaller and eventually they would die from starvation. It reminded me of an illustration that I once heard,

An old American Indian tale recounts the story of a chief who was telling a gathering of young braves about the struggle within. "It is like two dogs fighting inside of us," the chief told them. "There is one good dog who wants to do the right and the other dog always wants to do the wrong. Sometimes the good dog seems stronger and is winning the fight. But sometimes the bad dog is stronger and wrong is winning the fight."

"Who is going to win in the end?" a young brave asks.

The chief answered "The one you feed."

This is so true. As we live one day at a time, we will have choices put before us continually. How we choose tells a lot about ourselves. When we accept Christ as our personal Savior we have made a choice. We become a 'new man' and we are supposed to change from the 'old man'.

Colossians 3:9-10

" Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him."

Ephesians 4:22-24

"that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness."

It doesn't happen automatically and there isn't anything magic about it. It takes commitment and consistency.

Whatever we "feed" grows stronger. So, if we live for ourselves and focus on earthly things then that is what will be important to us. If we want to live for Christ then dwell in His Word and spend time in prayer.

Philippians 4:8

"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things."

Matthew 16:26

For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?

Seek the Lord and 'feed the new man' so that you will grow to be more like Christ.

Matthew 6:33

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."

Let's Sit and Have a Chat

Back in our history, when towns were small, people gathered around the General Store. It would be the place where you came to get most of your homegoods that you didn't raise or make yourself. Cloth was bought to make clothes, lanterns were bought to light their homes, and your basic food supplies like flour and coffee were purchased here. Men would gather and catch up on the news that was happening around the country. Travel happened in wagons and horses and long distance travel took place on stagecoach and then trains.Life was lived at a slightly slower pace. Most homesteads had large crops and animals to take care of so their days started early and were very busy. Trips into town weren't done on a daily basis. But when you got together with family and neighbors you caught up on all the happenings. Time together enjoyable-spent talking and laughing. When you made the weekly trip to church you would enjoy time worshiping together with other believers-then most of the time you had lunch on the grounds and a time of fellowship.

Sitting and chatting.

When was the last time you took the time to actually sit and talk to someone? More than just walking by and saying hello, how are you? A time to talk that actually took a little of your time. As we live one day at a time, we live a busy life. We get up early, stay up late, and go go go the entire time in between. But, here is a little question-how much of what you do will count for eternity. Don't get me wrong-if you are working-you still need to be the best employee possible. If you are raising a family-you need to be the best parent possible. BUT, there are many choices that have to be made each day-are you making the best choice possible? There are good, better, and best. It sometimes mean sacrifices have to be made. It also may mean that you have to say no to some things. Going to every single activity and being so busy that you have no time to enjoy your home with your family there with you-isn't the best.

Slow down. We are entering a very busy time of year-Thanksgiving and Christmas. Calendars will fill up and schedules will get busy. Take the time to sit and chat. Show people that you care by be willing to stop and listen. You may have to forgo baking the homemade cookies this year or you may not make every single party, but your holiday time can be so much sweeter with many more opportunities to sit and talk-witnessing to unsaved family members and friends or sharing blessings of how God has worked in our lives.

Colossians 4:5-6

"Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one."

Ephesians 5:15-16 

"Be very careful, then, how you live-not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil."

Time-it's a precious commodity. You can't add more hours to your day but you can make the ones you have count.

Psalm 39:4-5 

"Show me, O LORD, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a breath."

Get in the Boat

I love to read the stories in the Bible that talk about Christ and His disciples. Some of His disciples were fishermen by trade. There are stories that tell about how one night they went fishing and hadn't caught anything. Christ told them to let the net down on the other side-when they believed and did as they were told their nets were so full they started breaking as they pulled them in the boat. 

Luke 5:3-10

" And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.

 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.

And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.

And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.

And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.

When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.

For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:

And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men."

They knew their job and how to do it but Christ had come along and was leading them to another vocation-one that was even more important. They had to get into the boat in order to go out in the lake and catch the fish.  It is the same with us. As we live one day at a time-we have to "get into the boat" or go out into the world and interact with all those around us so that we can share the gospel. You have to take the first step. Be in God's Word daily reading and memorizing and meditating on it so that you can understand and be able to share the gospel with anyone who asks.

1 Peter 3:15

"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:"

As you share, God will open hearts and save souls. Then they too can "get into the boat" so that they too can share with others.

Power Supply

Today I took a trip to a location in my town that has been preserved for history. I think that I would have enjoyed living in this time period-it would have been hard and a lot slower but it would have been fulfilling. We look back now and think-we have come so far there isn't any way we would go back. But if were still living that type of lifestyle I believe that families would be closer because they would all be working together to accomplish all of the chores that need to be done in order to just live one day at a time-tending a garden in order to have food-raising livestock so that the animals can provide by products for daily living as well-laundry that had to be done by hand and required more time-and many other aspects that we take for granted nowadays with all of the technology that we now have.

Most farms and home each had to provide their own power supply. We now flip switches and the power is there immediately. Back then they had wells for water that had to be drawn and wind that supplied power for other purposes.

A windmill was a means of power.

We as Christians have also been given an unlimited supply of power to live our lives. We are to live "in His power".

Phil 4:13

 "I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me."

Ephesians 6:10

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might."

Zephaniah 3:17

"The LORD your God is in your midst,

a mighty one who will save;

he will rejoice over you with gladness;

he will quiet you by his love;

he will exult over you with loud singing."

It's a wonderful promise to know that God is always there for us and will give us strength and power to live a triumphant Christian life. It will be challenging and there will be bumps along the way but if we turn to God and ask He will give us the strength to carry on. Go to the One who has the unlimited supply of power and trust in Him-singing His mighty power.

I Sing the Mighty Power of God by Isaac Watts

I sing the mighty power of God, that made the mountains rise,

[or I sing th'almighty power of God...]

That spread the flowing seas abroad, and built the lofty skies.

I sing the wisdom that ordained the sun to rule the day;

The moon shines full at God's command, and all the stars obey.

I sing the goodness of the Lord, who filled the earth with food,

Who formed the creatures through the Word, and then pronounced them good.

Lord, how Thy wonders are displayed, where'er I turn my eye,

If I survey the ground I tread, or gaze upon the sky.

There's not a plant or flower below, but makes Thy glories known,

And clouds arise, and tempests blow, by order from Thy throne;

While all that borrows life from Thee is ever in Thy care;

And everywhere that we can be, Thou, God art present there.

The Lesson Learned Through an Egg

This object lesson is not original by me but when I read it I thought I would paraphrase it, add my own twist to it, add some scripture, and share it in here.

I love object lessons. I believe when you share an object lesson it doesn't matter what age you are, you can understand it and apply it to some level in your own life. This lesson is applicable to both children and adults.

Take a raw egg and look at it. From the outside it looks smooth, good, and solid. When we choose to live our life in our own power then we may think that we can handle whatever comes our way.

(Crack the egg)

But we can 'break' pretty easily from difficult circumstances that may come into our lives. When we become saved, Christ becomes our strong tower and strength.

Psalm 61:3

"for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy."

But, even though Christ is always with us and gives us strength to live one day at a time, there will trials that come into our lives-God may bring 'a little heat'.

(Heat up a skillet and put the egg in it)

What happens to the egg when it is put under heat? It changes. When the egg starts off-it's clear and runny-not much there-like our life before Christ. As it heats up it starts to change color-as we let God work in our life He will give us sustenance and color so that we can be used by Him.

Psalm 46:1-3

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging."

(The egg is now sunny-side up)

As we look at the egg the yolk is in the middle. This is how Christ should be in our life. He should be the center of our life. It also is an example that we should be 'sunny' or have the joy of the Lord in our life-no matter what.

Nehemiah 8:10 b

"for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Now it is fully cooked. The heat has made us strong. We can now go and serve God with our lives.

Are you more like the raw egg or have you been 'fully cooked'?!

The Telephone Game

Have you ever played the 'telephone game'?  It is a fun party game where everyone sits in a circle. You start off with one phrase and have one person whisper it to the person next to them until you progress around the circle until you hear what phrase comes out at the end. It can be quite humorous and also very different from the beginning phrase. Some people talk fast while others talk too softly to hear every word and so you repeat what you think you heard.

What lesson can be pulled from a simple game of fun? We need to be very careful with information that we are given when telling it to others. Tell only facts and try not to elaborate. Words misconstrued turn into gossip when they go from a person who was involved in the situation to another person and then go farther down the ladder to more people that weren't there or had any idea what truly happened. I saw a quote that said if you aren't part of the problem or solution then it is gossip.

Hollywood is full of gossip. There are so many stories about the world's "famous people" that those of us who aren't related to those people have no clue what is true and what is false spread to sell stories. But Hollywood isn't the only place where gossip takes place. It is something that is prevalent in every circle-sadly, even among Christians. It is something that can take on a life of its own. It can cause great harm by spreading information that isn't even true about someone and hurting not only their feelings but ruining reputations. But if you don't pass it on-it stops. Refuse to fuel the fire and the fire will die out.

Proverbs 26:20-22

 "For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases.  As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife. The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body."

Psalms 141:3

"Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!"

It takes a conscious effort and practice.

James 1:19

"So then, my beloved brethren. Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath"

 Proverb 25:11

"A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings silver." 

When we speak to others it should not be about others. Speak the truth in love only. Don't add what you think or what you think you heard. 

As we live one day at a time we do a lot of talking and listening in our lifetime. God gave us one mouth and two ears-listen first before talking or as the saying goes, we should listen twice as much as we speak. But be sure to only listen to what the type of conversations that are talked about in Philippians 4:8

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

Pop goes the Kernel

Popcorn is a unique and fun snack. Popcorn is a type of corn that expands from the kernel and turns into puffed corn when it is put under heat. 

I love to eat popcorn. There are different ways to cook it. When we were growing up we used to love to put it in a saucepan with some hot oil and shake it around until it all popped. We have also used an airpopper which gives you popcorn that would be a little healthier without the oil. Jiffy Pop was a self-contained tin that would puff up as you popped it on the stove-it was fun to watch it 'grow'. Different people put different toppings on their popcorn-salt, pepper, butter, caramel, and cheese.

Rumors have it that the Indians brought popcorn to the Thanksgiving feast with the Pilgrims a long time ago.

I like the fact that the corn changes it appearance and becomes something good to eat when put under heat.

When we are living one day at a time and following God's will for our lives we will have trials that come our way. I think that the ultimate example in the Bible of someone who literally went through the fire and came out a true testimony for God were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They continued to follow the one true God and were thrown in a fiery furnace only to emerge unscathed.

When gold and silver are refined they are put in a fire and melted down. It comes out in a pure form. 

Zechariah 13:9 

"And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It [is] my people: and they shall say, The LORD [is] my God."

Job 23:10

"but He knows the way that I take, and when He has tried me I shall come forth as gold."

I Peter 1:7-8

"That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see [him] not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:"

I realize that in order to be perfected, I have to be put under some heat. It won't be a pleasurable experience but I should desire to have it done so that the end result will make me more like Christ. I would rather be more like a fully puffed piece of popcorn rather than a dud kernel that failed to pop when put under the heat.

A Dozen Reasons To Be Thankful on the 12th Day of the Month

We are almost halfway through the month of November-the Season of Thanksgiving. 

1 Thessalonians 5:18

" In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

I have so much for which to be thankful and as I live one day at a time I find that it isn't difficult to come up with 12 for the first 12 days of the month so far.

I am thankful firstly for my salvation. God is a gracious God in showing His mercy and grace and extending His free gift of salvation to me.

I am thankful for my parents and the godly heritage they gave me-for their testimony and wonderful example of love for the last 46 years as well as the faithfulness to our local church and teaching us God's Word in our home and sending me to a Christian School.

Proverbs 1:8-9 

 "Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching, for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck."

Deuteronomy 11:19 

 "You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise."

I am thankful for my husband and his love and faithfulness to me for the past 22 years-for what a wonderful father he is to our children and great provider for our family.

Proverbs 20:6-7

"Many a man claims to have unfailing love, but a faithful man who can find?  The righteous man leads a blameless life; blessed are his children after him."

I am thankful for my two children God blessed me with and the wonderful young adults they are growing up to be and how they have been involved in our local church in different ministries even at a young age.

3 John 4

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth."

I am thankful for a Bible believing conservative local church that preaches God Word as well as supports missions and has a real "family feel" congregation as we fellowship and worship with brothers and sisters in Christ.

I am thankful for a beautiful home in a wonderful neighborhood with great neighbors where we can take the opportunity to witness with those around us. God is good and gave us a home that we can use as a ministry.

I am thankful for my health. I take it for granted a lot of times. I wake up each morning with very few aches and pains.

I am thankful for providing a job for both me and my husband that not only pays the bills but covers our extras. He gave us jobs close to our home. He gave me a position that I love with a Christian boss.

I am thankful for the beautiful world that God created for us to live in and enjoy. He created such a wonderful variety including the animals and nature.

Genesis 1:31

"Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day."

I am thankful for the gift of song. 

Psalms 66:4

  "All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name.” Selah

Psalms 150 

"Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!"

I am thankful for prayer. Knowing that I can talk to God whenever and wherever about everything.

Colossians 4:2

 "Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;"

1 Thessalonians 5:17

 "Pray without ceasing."

I am also thankful for friends. Thankful for those that are there for me in the good times as well as the bad.

John 15:12-15

 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you."

Are you thankful?

Freedom is Not Free

Today is a day that our country has set aside as Veteran's Day. This day was originally known as Armistice Day, one that celebrated the living veterans from WWI. We have since broadened the day to celebrate all veterans from all branches of of our military branches and wars.

My maternal grandfather served in the Army during the Korean war. I now have his picture and the flag given to my grandmother at his burial. My paternal grandfather was a merchant marine during WWII. My father was an only child and did not have to serve in the armed forces, but I do have an uncle who was in the Army. I come from a family who has had members who proudly served our country during time of war. I now have many friends who proudly serve our country in all of the different branches and for that fact I am thankful beyond words. Our country has had to fight to maintain our borders and remain a free country over the years. All of those that have gone into the armed forces have had to give something and some of them have given the ultimate by losing their lives while serving our country. We must never forget what sacrifice has been made for us as a whole to remain free. Freedom is not free and it has cost us plenty. It has cost many families the ultimate where lives were lost. But there are many other losses as well-mentally and emotionally and physically. 

One of the freedoms that we are privileged to have is the freedom of religion and speech.

It was placed in our Constitution as the first Amendment:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

There are many countries that have not and still do not have the freedom to worship as they please. We as Christians have to continue to be thankful as we live one day at a time and we are able to read our Bible and pray in public and go to church without the fear of being arrested or even put to death for our beliefs.

 But, our freedoms are not guaranteed, and as we continue down the road we are traveling with our government we need to take each opportunity to share the gospel with all of those we come in contact with so that many souls can be saved. I do not believe that our lives will end here on earth. I believe that upon my death, my soul will leave my body, and since I have accepted Christ as my personal Savior, I will spend eternity with Him in heaven. That is the ultimate freedom.

But I know that this freedom was not free. It cost God His only Son. 

John 3:16

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

John 8:31-32

" To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

Romans 8:1-4

" There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit."

It's wonderful to live in a free country but it is much more wonderful to have the ultimate freedom of salvation and know that I have eternal security and a home in heaven. I need to be willing to share the gospel and know that to have spiritual freedom is worth more than physical freedom. I may have to put up with verbal abuse or even a little persecution, but it doesn't even compare to what my Christ went through while He was here on earth.

John 15:18-20

"If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours."

If you are reading this and have served or are currently serving in the Armed Forces to protect our country then my hat off to you and my personal thanks for your sacrifice. But if you are reading this and you have never experienced the ultimate freedom of eternal life then please contact me-I would love to share the plan of salvation with you so that you can know true Peace and freedom.

Showing Love...Sharing Blessings

My husband teaches a college & career Sunday School class and we try to be involved in their lives. We love "our kids".  It has been exciting to see how God has worked. We have 4 that have gone off to college and are involved in many different and exciting activities-ensembles, collegiate soccer, choir, drama, and baseball-just to name a few. Those that are at home with us are also involved in many different ministries in our local church as well as going to college and working full-time jobs. I love to spend time with them-listening to them and sharing with them and just plain loving on them. This age is an amazing age. They have matured throughout their teen years. They don't have to come to church-they come because they want to. They ask great questions and they have a lot to say on many different topics-willing to share what they believe and have studied and learned. They are at an age where they are developing relationships. We have one young married couple and we now have two couples that are engaged. The first couple will be married at the end of this year and we are excited, happy, and sad for them. It is a wonderful time in their lives and for that we are excited and happy, but they are moving out of state for him to finish his college education and for that we are sad.

Today the ladies of our church family got together to shower her with love and blessings and marriage advice and gifts for them to start their marriage together.

We believe that marriage is ordained of God and is for one man and one woman. Andrew and Madeline are for each other.

Genesis 2:22-24

"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."

Matthew 19:4-6

"Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,'  and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh' ?  So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."

Marriage isn't easy. It takes work, communication, listening, compromise, and making a choice to love one day at a time. It is not a 50/50 relationship-it is 100/100. 

1 Corinthians 13:4-13  "

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never ends."

Our marriages should mirror the picture and relationship of Christ and his 'bride' the church.

Ephesians 5:22-25

"Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,"

Remembering that everything we do should be done to honor and glorify God because only what's done for Christ will last. As we love each other we should have Christ as the center of our relationship and then we will strive to serve Him and please Him with our lives together.

I'm excited to see what God is going to continue to do in the lives of 'our kids' as they love Him and love each other and continue to seek and serve Christ-what a blessing they are to me!