Wordless Wednesday 12-11-08

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for Friends and I pray they all have a Merry Christmas!


Christian One Liners

Don't let your worries get theBest of you; remember, Moses startedOut as a basket case.
Some people are kind, polite, and Sweet-spirited until you try to sit in their pews.
Many folks want to serve God,But only as advisors.
It is easier to preach ten sermons Than it is to live one.
The good Lord didn't create anything Without a purpose, but mosquitoes come close.
When you get to your wit's end, You'll find God lives there.
People are funny; they want the front Of the bus, the middle of the road, and The back of the church.
Opportunity may knock once, but temptation Bangs on your front door forever.
Quit griping about your church; If it was perfect, you couldn't belong.
If the church wants a better preacher, It only needs to pray for the one it has.
God Himself does not propose to judge A man until he is dead. So why should you?
Some minds are like concrete Thoroughly mixed up and permanently set.
Peace starts with a smile.
I don't know why some people Change churches; what difference does It make which one you stay home from?
A lot of church members who are singing 'Standing on the Promises' Are just sitting on the premises.
We were called to be witnesses, Not lawyers or judges.
Be ye fishers of men. You catch Them - He'll clean them.
Coincidence is when God Chooses to remain anonymous.
Don't put a question mark Where God put a period.
Don't wait for 6 strong men To take you to church.
Forbidden fruits create many jams.
God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.
God grades on the cross, not the curve.
God loves everyone, but probably prefers 'fruit of the spirit' over a 'religious nut!'
God promises a safe landing, Not a calm passage.
He who angers you, controls you!
If God is your Co-pilot - swap seats!
Prayer: Don't give God instructions -- just report for duty!
The task ahead of us is never as Great as the Power behind us.
The Will of God never takes you to Where the Grace of God will not protect you.
We don't change the message, The message changes us.
You can tell how big a person is By what it takes to discourage him.
The best mathematical equation I have ever seen: 1 cross + 3 nails = 4 given.

If this e-mail blessed you in a profound Way today my Dear Friend, PLEASE pass This along to bless them today, Tomorrow and ALWAYS! May God and His Son bless you From today on out! I bet someone will LOVE it Just as much as you did.

Wordless Wednesday 12-3-08

Topic Tuesday 12-2-08

Today's topic is PRAYER. I think a lot of people struggle with PRAYER, how to say them, when to say them and on and on. I once was told that PRAYER is just simply having a converstation with God - like you would have with one another, only here you might find yourself saying "Father", "God", "Lord", and "Jesus" - which is fine they are all names of the almighty. So with that thought in mind I find PRAYER a lot easier than it used to be. I talk to God all the time. Let me give you some examples:

• while doing dishes
• while sewing
• while driving (you don't have to have your eyes closed)
• while laying down in bed
• at dinner
• while vacumming
• while emailing (some emails recieved require immediate prayer)
• while walking - anywhere, nature trail or through walmart
• when you put your kids to bed
• when your taking out the trash
• when you get rained on and completely soaked
• when your scared
• when your happy

So you see before you know it you'll be talking to God all day long - it will become as natural to you as breathing.

The defination of PRAYER is this:

1.a devout petition to God or an object of worship.
2.a spiritual communion with God or an object of worship, as in supplication, thanksgiving, adoration, or confession.
3.the act or practice of praying to God or an object of worship.
4.a formula or sequence of words used in or appointed for praying: the Lord's Prayer.
5.prayers, a religious observance, either public or private, consisting wholly or mainly of prayer.
6.that which is prayed for.
7.a petition; entreaty.
8.the section of a bill in equity, or of a petition, that sets forth the complaint or the action desired.
9.a negligible hope or chance: Do you think he has a prayer of getting that job?

A reverent petition made to God, a god, or another object of worship.
The act of making a reverent petition to God, a god, or another object of worship.
A fervent request: Her prayer for rain was granted at last.
The thing requested: His safe arrival was their only prayer.
The request of a complainant, as stated in a complaint or in equity, that the court grant the aid or relief solicited.
The section of the complaint or bill that contains this request.
An act of communion with God, a god, or another object of worship, such as in devotion, confession, praise, or thanksgiving: One evening a week, the family would join together in prayer.
A specially worded form used to address God, a god, or another object of worship.
prayers A religious observance in which praying predominates: morning prayers.
A fervent request: Her prayer for rain was granted at last.
The thing requested: His safe arrival was their only prayer.
The request of a complainant, as stated in a complaint or in equity, that the court grant the aid or relief solicited.
The section of the complaint or bill that contains this request.
The slightest chance or hope: In a storm the mountain climbers won't have a prayer.
Law
The request of a complainant, as stated in a complaint or in equity, that the court grant the aid or relief solicited.
The section of the complaint or bill that contains this request.

1. the act of communicating with a deity (especially as a petition or in adoration or contrition or thanksgiving); "the priest sank to his knees in prayer"
2. reverent petition to a deity
3. earnest or urgent request; "an entreaty to stop the fighting"; "an appeal for help"; "an appeal to the public to keep calm"
4. a fixed text used in praying
5. someone who prays to God

1. The act of praying, or of asking a favor; earnest request or entreaty; hence, a petition or memorial addressed to a court or a legislative body. "Their meek preyere." --Chaucer
2. The act of addressing supplication to a divinity, especially to the true God; the offering of adoration, confession, supplication, and thanksgiving to the Supreme Being; as, public prayer; secret prayer.
As he is famed for mildness, peace, and prayer. --Shak.
3. The form of words used in praying; a formula of supplication; an expressed petition; especially, a supplication addressed to God; as, a written or extemporaneous prayer; to repeat one's prayers.
He made those excellent prayers which were published immediately after his death. --Bp. Fell.
Prayer book, a book containing devotional prayers.
Prayer meeting, a meeting or gathering for prayer to God.

PRAYER - is converse with God; the intercourse of the soul with God, not in contemplation or meditation, but in direct address to him. Prayer may be oral or mental, occasional or constant, ejaculatory or formal. It is a "beseeching the Lord" (Ex. 32:11); "pouring out the soul before the Lord" (1 Sam. 1:15); "praying and crying to heaven" (2 Chr. 32:20); "seeking unto God and making supplication" (Job 8:5); "drawing near to God" (Ps. 73:28); "bowing the knees" (Eph. 3:14). Prayer presupposes a belief in the personality of God, his ability and willingness to hold intercourse with us, his personal control of all things and of all his creatures and all their actions. Acceptable prayer must be sincere (Heb. 10:22), offered with reverence and godly fear, with a humble sense of our own insignificance as creatures and of our own unworthiness as sinners, with earnest importunity, and with unhesitating submission to the divine will. Prayer must also be offered in the faith that God is, and is the hearer and answerer of prayer, and that he will fulfil his word, "Ask, and ye shall receive" (Matt. 7:7, 8; 21:22; Mark 11:24; John 14:13, 14), and in the name of Christ (16:23, 24; 15:16; Eph. 2:18; 5:20; Col. 3:17; 1 Pet. 2:5). Prayer is of different kinds, secret (Matt. 6:6); social, as family prayers, and in social worship; and public, in the service of the sanctuary. Intercessory prayer is enjoined (Num. 6:23; Job 42:8; Isa. 62:6; Ps. 122:6; 1 Tim. 2:1; James 5:14), and there are many instances on record of answers having been given to such prayers, e.g., of Abraham (Gen. 17:18, 20; 18:23-32; 20:7, 17, 18), of Moses for Pharaoh (Ex. 8:12, 13, 30, 31; Ex. 9:33), for the Israelites (Ex. 17:11, 13; 32:11-14, 31-34; Num. 21:7, 8; Deut. 9:18, 19, 25), for Miriam (Num. 12:13), for Aaron (Deut. 9:20), of Samuel (1 Sam. 7:5-12), of Solomon (1 Kings 8; 2 Chr. 6), Elijah (1 Kings 17:20-23), Elisha (2 Kings 4:33-36), Isaiah (2 Kings 19), Jeremiah (42:2-10), Peter (Acts 9:40), the church (12:5-12), Paul (28:8). No rules are anywhere in Scripture laid down for the manner of prayer or the attitude to be assumed by the suppliant. There is mention made of kneeling in prayer (1 Kings 8:54; 2 Chr. 6:13; Ps. 95:6; Isa. 45:23; Luke 22:41; Acts 7:60; 9:40; Eph. 3:14, etc.); of bowing and falling prostrate (Gen. 24:26, 52; Ex. 4:31; 12:27; Matt. 26:39; Mark 14:35, etc.); of spreading out the hands (1 Kings 8:22, 38, 54; Ps. 28:2; 63:4; 88:9; 1 Tim. 2:8, etc.); and of standing (1 Sam. 1:26; 1 Kings 8:14, 55; 2 Chr. 20:9; Mark 11:25; Luke 18:11, 13). If we except the "Lord's Prayer" (Matt. 6:9-13), which is, however, rather a model or pattern of prayer than a set prayer to be offered up, we have no special form of prayer for general use given us in Scripture. Prayer is frequently enjoined in Scripture (Ex. 22:23, 27; 1 Kings 3:5; 2 Chr. 7:14; Ps. 37:4; Isa. 55:6; Joel 2:32; Ezek. 36:37, etc.), and we have very many testimonies that it has been answered (Ps. 3:4; 4:1; 6:8; 18:6; 28:6; 30:2; 34:4; 118:5; James 5:16-18, etc.). "Abraham's servant prayed to God, and God directed him to the person who should be wife to his master's son and heir (Gen. 24:10-20). "Jacob prayed to God, and God inclined the heart of his irritated brother, so that they met in peace and friendship (Gen. 32:24-30; 33:1-4). "Samson prayed to God, and God showed him a well where he quenched his burning thirst, and so lived to judge Israel (Judg. 15:18-20). "David prayed, and God defeated the counsel of Ahithophel (2 Sam. 15:31; 16:20-23; 17:14-23). "Daniel prayed, and God enabled him both to tell Nebuchadnezzar his dream and to give the interpretation of it (Dan. 2: 16-23). "Nehemiah prayed, and God inclined the heart of the king of Persia to grant him leave of absence to visit and rebuild Jerusalem (Neh. 1:11; 2:1-6). "Esther and Mordecai prayed, and God defeated the purpose of Haman, and saved the Jews from destruction (Esther 4:15-17; 6:7, 8). "The believers in Jerusalem prayed, and God opened the prison doors and set Peter at liberty, when Herod had resolved upon his death (Acts 12:1-12). "Paul prayed that the thorn in the flesh might be removed, and his prayer brought a large increase of spiritual strength, while the thorn perhaps remained (2 Cor. 12:7-10). "Prayer is like the dove that Noah sent forth, which blessed him not only when it returned with an olive-leaf in its mouth, but when it never returned at all.", Robinson's Job.

How do you prayer?

How often?

Do you struggle with prayer?

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=gArr7gyiMBY

Praying for you today,

Mom & Me

Musical Moday 12-1-08

If My People Pray: Remember to pray, I know it seems like that's all you do, or that's all you can do, but God hears you, he loves you, and you never know how many people need those prayers - so don't forget to say them.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=fjiELFBlTCc

I will Testify to love: Just an all around good song
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=9qv0SUCF1fY

Lifehouse Drama: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=0GwdTg9l_bI
I first saw this when a Mom from the Mom2Mom Ministry emailed it to me. Later serving with the youth I witnessed our youth perform it, the video is powerful, but seeing it live will bring you to your knees and tears to your eyes! Especially if you witness YOUTH doing it.

I Don't Wanna Go: This song is near and dear to me as I started hearing it over and over and over prior to my move to England. I loved Ohio, I loved my Church, my friends, and it wasn't easy leaving. It was the one place I had a hard time walking away from. I learned so much there, I grew in ways unimaginable to me, and I became so much closer to God. I feared leaving, I feared not finding a Church, not having friends, and most of all I feared falling into failure. Then I started hearing this song and I realized God is everywhere, all the time, and so I could go to England knowing God was and is with me. I began to not fear but to look forward to the move, to the new adventure, to the things I am going to get to see, and before time to leave I was ready. I was ready to go...God had helped me, he had prepaired me for this, and I was able to do it peacefully, and excitedly. God ironed out all the wrinkles. I don't have a Church yet, and I'm curious as to God's plan for me here as so few of this country attend Church - the Churches with open doors are few. However, I do not doubt that there is a reason that God has me here and I look forward to that. I do have a few friends, and I am content. I am actually at more peace right than I have been in my whole life and I have God to thank for that.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=KLsBoyI9HVc

God is in Control: Let's face it, like it or not, no matter how much you or I think it, we are not the ones in Control. We like to think we are, oh I know, but we're just fooling ourselves, because ultimately God is the one in Control
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=82-84EKIaqE

All the songs listed today are Avalon, excluding the Lifehouse Drama. I really like Avalon, they're a good group. I've been listening to their cd.

So come on tell us of a good song, new or old that you like, that speaks to you, touches you. There are so many different artists and songs out there - we might be missing out on a really good song, so please come and share.

May God Bless you today.

Me

Feature Friday

I don't have a blogger to feature again this week, but I do have a feature of sorts. It's a book. It's called, "God in the Bath, Relaxing in the everywhere presence of God" by Stephen Mitchell.

My landlord James, lent me this book to read. We'd been talking about Christian books and other things and he told me a friend of his wrote a very good book and I should read it.

So last night I started it, it's a little harder to read as some of the British words differ from the American words. However, I am intreguied by it and was startled by some of the statistics listed. Did you know this:

• From 1979-1989, attendance in churches of all denominations within the UK dropped by 13%.
• The following decaded it dropped even more, 22%!
• The amount of people who believe in a God, dropped from 43% in the 1950s to 31% in the 1990's.
• Britons espousing atheism rocketed from 2% to 27%!
• And the headline of the London Daily read "CHURCH DEAD AND BURIED BY 2040"

The author writes this in his book and now I can see why all these big beautiful Churches are sitting empty! Our Landlord had said less that 10% of the country goes to Church...wow! So right. Some Radical Christians really need to step up to the plate out here and get these Church doors open.

The author also wrote a poem that really hit me as I read it, I want you to read it. I hope it's okay that I post it, I am giving him the credit, I did not write this.

Harken, O ye peoples.

Hear the word of the Lord.

Woe to faith, and woe to the people of faith.

Faith has fled into the bathroom,

embarrassed herself and hiddne herself away.

She stares at herself in the mirror,

too shy to show her face,

Through her tears she repairs her face in vain.

What can restore her beauty?

How can she hold her head up high in the house where she was once its head?

No one comforts her.

No one misses her.

She is forgotten

and has forgotten her own name.

Woe to faith and woe to the people of faith.

How sad is that?! Oh, it just squeezes my heart in a painful way. How often do we forget about Faith, the faith we say we have? How often do we just step out on a leap of faith? Not often, cause we've forgotten the faith we so claim to have. There are many Churches in England, many big and beautiful Churches, with their doors closed, not enough attendees to keep her open, to restore her.

This weeks topic has been about DISCOURAGEMENT and it is so easy to get discouraged when life is rough, things get us down, and even easier when we've completely forgotten our Faith. Today, I want to challenge you as a Radical Christian, to remind Faith of her name, and tell someone, anyone, that God loves them, don't run and hide in the bathroom.

I just can not imagine life without God, or a Church in which to learn and have fellowship...as Christians we need to step up to the plate and hit some home runs for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It's the least we can do, for the man who carried the cross & died just for us.

Thankful Thursday

This is mom of mom and me.

Today is Thankful Thursday. But not just any thankful thursday it is the day america as a country celebrates all the wonderful things that God has done for them.

Today there may be some who are saying, "What do I have to be thankful for my life is a wreck and I don't think I can handle it if it gets any worse." Maybe you are wondering how you are going to handle things now. Maybe your family is at odds with one another, maybe you spouse just walked out on you, maybe you lost a loved to a accident or sickness unexpectedly. There could be a million things that people are facing today that could cause them to be a little bitter about life and maybe even have them saying things like, "I have nothing to be thankful for, I don't feel like celebrating thanks giving my life is a mess and I can't find anything to be thankful for." Well I understand that feeling really well today. One day I was in a marrage that I thought I would be in till forever. There was nothing (so I thought) that I would not be willing to workout with my husband if I had to. I could not picture my life without him in it and even though we had some tough times and we always seemed to prevail and then we were better than before the tough time. But then, a little over a week ago I witnessed something that took my breath away and I suddenly had to get out of the house so I could breathe. My brain was screaming. "NO! This can't be! There has to be a mistake! I saw wrong, I heard wrong! But I knew I hadn't. I was so close I could have reached out and touched him. There was no mistaking what I saw and heard. In my opinion it has got to be real close to the number one thing (if not number 1) that someone could do that could destroy an entire family. It was disgusting and sick and my daughter and I have got to find a way to get past it and get on with our lives. So you see within a matter of 3 minutes my entire life changed and I was left with a broken heart, broken soul and a hurting teenage daughter. It is not just the two of us that are hurt and dissallusioned by this, my adult children are having a hard time with this also, my parents and siblings all loved him. He was our family. Holly, my 22 year old and her husband came and moved me out and I am so thankful for them they were such a life savor. But then afterwards She went back over to the house to get little Hailie's things out of the back yard and she called me and it sounded like she had been crying and she says, "Mom, I walked into the backyard and I guess it hadn't hit me how much stuff youguys had for her back there but I was suddenly struck with such a heavy saddness, that house, that backyard, Tim it has all been such a big part of our lives I just can't believe it is over. Why did he have to be that way and do and say those things? My already broken heart just broke into a few more peaces listening to her pain that day. He was loved and respected by us all. He was the head of our family and he always took care of all of us. Little Hailie wants her pawpaw. She is so confused, she wants to know why nana dosen't have a backyard anymore. Everyday I face heartwrenching situations because of this. So I understand the feeling of what do I have to be thankful for? I have to make it on my own now and I am scared. I am going to have to work 2 or 3 double shifts a week just for us to be ok. I have to be sure I keep Cayenne at the top of my priority list and make sure I know what is going on with her. She is a beautiful teenage girl and I love her dearly and I have be so upset with her because of all the things she had been doing and all the acting out. But now that my eyes were opened to the truth of things it is all starting to make sense to me. Kids act out when they are trying to tell you something that is horrible. They try to get your attention on them and off whatever your attention is on so that maybe they can make you see them and their pain. My attention was on my husband, he was a full time job in himself and so he seemed to monopolize most of my attention and I thought Cayenne was just trying to be some kind of wild unruley kid. But now I have also seen how broken her heart truely is and once again when I look at that my already broken heart it breaks into a million more peaces. We are a family stuggling to deal with a very sick and ugly situation and it is hard to find the good things in our family right now.

But I have been giving this Thanksgiving thing some thought, and to my total amazment and I'm finding myself looking forward to today. Cayenne and I are going up to the nursing home my parents are in and we are taking Thanksgiving dinner to them and my son is going to meet us there and we are going to have thanksgiving in there room there at the nursing home. Then afterwards we are going to go on up to Kansas City and spend a few hours with my sister and we are planning to have a wonderful thanksgiving and spend time with some family. I have so much to be thankful for. God loves me! What has happened in my family is not to be blamed on God. I believe there has been a war going on inside of Tim between good and evil for quiet sometime now and I guess this time he chose the evil one. God gives us free will and he doesn't make our choices for us so when things go bad maybe we made some wrong choices, but we can't blame God. Anyway back to what I have to be thankful for. I have 4 beautiful children and they are all healthy and I will be spending today with two of them. I have 7 grandchildren and they are all healthy happy kids. They are so precious and I have an overflowing amont of love for all of them. I still have my parents and my siblings, I have neices and newphews, I have a church family who cares about us, I have a good steady job, I have friends, I have a roof over my head and a car to drive. If I tried to name everything that I have to be thankful for I would most likely be right here typing this blog this time next week. But that is an example of the things that are dear to my heart and important to my survival. I believe God is looking out for me and Cayenne. I haven't been to good with my prayers this past week, I have had to move and get so many things changed and it just seems like it was an impossible neverending task to just start over from scratch. I haven't been able to sleep well, my brain just won't shut down, But I slept a little tonight. I know it is 3am but I went to bed like at 7:30pm and I went right to sleep and I woke up about an hour ago and let scooter out and was going to go back to bed and decided to talk about being thankful. But I know that Tonya has been praying for us and if I know her she most likely has a whole line of people praying for us all the way from England to America.

I just think that today we should all take time to really reflect on our lives and see what is there and if we do that I think we will be surprised at how many things we realize we have in our lives like people we love and things we need etc..... that we have to be thankful for.

Lets think about this: We have life, oxygen, food, water, the abilitiy to read this blog or whatever else you want to read. God has created a beautiful world full of everything we need, air, water, beauty, amazing sunsets, millions of varieties of foods. He has giving you preciouse gifts, like your family, he made you what makes you, you. Maybe you have a great sense of humor, or a beautiful voice for singing, or maybe you can play a musical instrument, maybe you are a good leader. What are your gifts we all have them, sometimes we think we don't but everyone of us has a gift of somekind that God gave us. The Bible itself is a very special love gift from God. The Old Testament is full of stories of long sufferings and life lessons that set the scene for his son Jesus's trip to earth and humanity.

The book of psalm give many examples of praise and many good reasons to be thankful.

Give praise in all circumstances? Even in the midst of the pain and dissallusions that my family and my heart is going through right now praise is appropriate because God is keeping track of our enemies while we sleep.

Give praise in the dark times? Even in darkness God's beautiful light dawns.

Thank him for family? God will meet your needs and watch over you.

Even God's commands are to be counted as gifts because they bring us life.

Scripture doesn't promise believers a life without trials and problems, but it does promise a life of purpose. I promises that if we love and trust God we are secure. Things happen, "the old saying bad things happen to good people." Yes they do, But even though God never promised us a life without problems or heartaches he promises that if we trust him and keep our focus on him that he will bring us through it. This is a lesson I really need to work on. To many times I think, "its ok God, I got this one." WRONG! I always make a big mess of it. Everytime I took my eyes off of God and went it on my own I sunk just like peter did when he walked on water as long as he didn't look down and continued to look at Jesus he did but the minute he got distracted and looked away from Jesus he began to sink but then what did Jesus do? Peter cried out Jesus help me and there he was reaching down his hand to pull Peter out of the water. Praise God for his faithfullness. No matter that you may be sinking, stop trying to save yourself and just cry out to God for help and I think you will be shocked at how help shows up. Just give it a try. You do have to be sincere and you have to be willing to do what is necessary and sometimes that alone is hard because we think this doesn't make sense but we all have those little gut instints that tell us what to do and a lot of times (most of the time) we try to make it make sense and so since it doesn't we think we are reading it wrong. But it has been my experience (especially what is going on in my life right now) that make sense or not you had better pay attention to it because that little voice in there is God trying to lead you and in proverbs 3:5-6 it tells us to trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on you own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight. So you see maybe it doesn't make sense to us right then but we don't have to understand and maybe if we were to just follow his lead understanding would come, it usually comes anyway but maybe it would come without quiet so much heartache.

We often think of thankfullness in terms of gain. We say thank you to someone who has done a nice thing for us. or we are thankfull that our boss finally noticed us at work and gave us the recognition we deserved. You know stuff like that.

But it is mind boggling when we see people overcome with an attitude of thanksgiving during heartwrenching circumstances. Such as a seriously ill child, a natural disaster destruction, a deadly accident. Somehow families survive these things and some families do it with a lot more grace than others. But those who keep their focus on God during such times come out stronger and more at peace and can go on with there life without it being crippled by bitterness and regrets.

I challange you today to count your blessings. Once you start, my guess is that like me you will find them countless there will be just to many. Life may have thrown you a curve ball and maybe it knocked you off your course and now you are trying to figure out how to pick up the pieces and what pieces to even pick up and move on. It is hard. I know. But I will survive, I am determined to survive. But I will do it with God holding my hand and leading me through. I can't do anything right on my own and I need him and his leadership in my life.

Everything about God is worthy of praise. Do not let anyone or anything rob you of your thankful heart on this Thanksgiving day.

Lets sing with David: Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; Let them say among the nations, "The Lord reigns!" 1 Chronicles 16:31

Be Thankful and Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Mom