When you throw your stone …

I see at my new work place by just taking a listen at break time, lunch, etc that many are so quick to judge others, make assumptions without really knowing someone.  How can you know someone else’s life if you just met them?  And to then turn yourself away from them because of these assumptions?  Pushing them away, dismissing them yet you really have no idea what is in that person.

Blessings from Grandmas House

Grandparents are special people with wisdom and pride.
They are always offering love and kindness and are always there to guide.
They often make you feel so confident and strong.
Their arms are always open, no matter what you did wrong.
They try to help out in every way that they can.
They love all their grandchildren the same whether you're a child, woman, or man.
They are always there to listen and to lend a helping hand.
They show you respect and they try to understand.
They give their love, devotion, and so much more, that's easy to see.
Grandparents, what perfect examples of the kind of person that we should be!

~ By Stacy Smith ~

Dark Seasons

We all walk through times when we don’t understand what’s happening, why its happening. We feel overwhelmed, we just want to quit, all seems lost and we feel helpless.

Sometimes we have troubles in our relationship, our finances, maybe its grief for our children, lost jobs, ill health and maybe even a death.  Through all these times, as dark as they may be, we can trust that God is with us. 

In 1 Col Peter says: He has rescued us from the domain of Darkness (sin)

We has believers no longer walk IN darkness but we will all go through times of difficulty, hardship and pain in our lives, sometimes this is short-lived, other times it will be prolonged why? We don’t understand and we pray and pray for God to take it away.

God has chosen us

We had a great Fellowship day at church worshiping our Lord and a meal afterward. For the last few weeks we have been talking about the call to service.

We are talking about Elisha. God chose Elisha, and God does not make any mistakes when He calls His servants.

He has called us all, every one of us, and we are all small compared to those who have gone before, serving the Lord, but there is something for us all to do in our generation.

I can do all things...

I have been taking a break from being online for a bit.  I have had a lot going on with job searching, reading, worshiping and Raychele is going into her final year of high school!  She is growing up so fast and into a fine young lady. 

This verse has been on my mind and in my prayers the last few weeks…

Beware of Pride

When self-importance reaches the point of making a person self-centered and uncharitable, it’s a destructive force against our spirit.  It is the self-prideful attitude that is dangerous. We have seen it in the actions of dictators and kings who acquire such great power and believe they are gods. It is when arrogance makes them lose all compassion and caring for their people and make foolish decisions that are harmful to themselves and others, but they often don't see it until it's too late.

This week at church I was in a different Sunday school group and learned a bit about Pride.  This class was studying in the book of Esther, specifically the pride of Haman and his downfall because of it.

A Friend I can Trust

I have not posted this week as our family has been busy visiting with my son who is visiting from Texas, however, I did want to share some blessings.

I have been blessed by some that read this blog and have been contacting me. I have a part of some emails I want to share, please feel free to comment below to help and encourage our new friends.

Dear Friend...

Dear Friend,

I know this is a lengthy letter. This is the longest letter I have ever sent. If the topic wasn't so important, I wouldn't have sent a piece of such length.

This poem triggered the thought that I need to write this letter sooner rather than later.

My Friend

My friend I stand in judgment now, and feel that you’re to blame somehow. On earth I walked with you day by day, and never did you point the way.

You knew the Lord in truth and glory, but never did you tell me the story. My knowledge then was dim; you could have led me straight to Him.

Though we lived together on earth, you never told me of the second birth. And now I stand condemned this day, Because of what you failed to say.

You taught me many things, which are true; I called you friend and trusted you. Now I learn it’s too late, but you could have saved me from this fate.

We walked by day and talked by night, and yet you showed me not the light. You let me live and die, though you knew I’d never live on high.

Yes, I called you friend in life, and laughed with you through joy and strife and yet on coming to the end

 ...  I cannot call you my friend!          -Author, Unknown

"If you saw my house was on fire would you try to save me?

Just as you would attempt to save me from fire, I want to help save your soul from eternal torment.

Would you take a moment to allow me to?"

A Welcome Home

In truth a family is what you make it. 

It is made strong, not by number of heads counted at the dinner table, 

but by the rituals you help family members create, by the memories you share, 

by the commitment of time, caring,and love you show to one another, 

and by the hopes for the future you have as individuals and as a unit.

Love Is....

I have been reading this awesome book called Crazy Love by Francis Chan
It is all about how our Awesome God, maker of the entire universe, loves US!

How we should love Him with the same ‘Crazy Love’ as he loves us

He loves us No Matter What!!  All throughout the Bible his people come to Him for deliverance, then go off and disobey, worship false gods and continue to sin, yet our God hears them when they are calling out in weakness and makes them strong again.

Humility and Happiness

Even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God, So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.  Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. 

Hold that Idea!

Is there a vision or an idea that keeps coming back to you time and again?

Does it seem crazy?

Does it seem impossible?

Does it just seem unlike you?

Hold on!

Before you discard it, what if that idea is from God?

God is the ultimate source of ideas. Every fiber of His being and doing displays His creativity; and as we are made in His image, creativity should lay inherent within us. 1 Corinthians 2:16b says: “We have the mind of Christ”. Therefore no child of His can say that he is lacking in the ‘Ideas Department’.

I have had many ideas and one of them was this blog page. At first, I was contemplating it to be a journal for myself. My journey, what I learn along the way and remembrances of the important times in my life that I knew God was working in me and others.  As I started documenting my studies and other thoughts on what I read on other blogs and devotional book I kept feeling the ‘nudge’ to ‘publish’.

Walk in Love

Love is a very familiar word to us. We use it freely. Someone might say, "I love hot dogs, or I love my dog or my truck, or I love my husband, or I love God."

Do we love our dog in the same way as we love our husband? Is there a difference in the way we love hot dogs and the way we love God?

Our culture uses the word love to mean just about everything except what the Bible means by it.  We are easily misled into thinking love is primarily a feeling, or an emotion. We associate it with lust or sex; we talk about "making" love. The word "love" used here to describe erotic love, sensual love; what you feel when you "fall in love," a passionate attraction to another person. That kind of love is not even mentioned in the Word of God, though it is a common form of love today. In all of Scripture, love is first of all an action.

It can be a challenge to walk in love as Christ loved us when we’re surrounded with people who have turned their backs to God and are living in and promoting sin. When we are faced with the pressures of the economic crunch along with the wickedness of immorality and the deceptive minds, it feels like an impossible task. 

Gods Love

God's love is the greatest thing in the universe. The Bible speaks of this great, great love.

God loves his people so much and throughout history we continue to disobey him, run from him and his Word. Yet he continues to pursue and woo us with his love, mercy and grace.

That is such an incredible thought.  The one God of the universe, Creator of all things.  Creator of the plants, the animals, the stars, sun and moon LOVES US.  He wants us to walk with him.

The purpose of everything

Everything that happens, good or bad, has only one real purpose: to provide an opportunity for you to be of service to God; an opportunity to do well and to be of humble service to life itself.

I was talking with some people today and they were playing games on the computer.  We all know how addicting these can be at times and they just suck up all your time.

I said well what do you do? How does it work? And they just spin their wheels and get these coins. So I ask what do you do with all the coins?  Nothing.  Ok, so what’s the point?  Several responses  all the same..t here isn’t one.

Does everything you do have to have a point to it. Does it really matter?

Hmmm..  *thinking**   My answer is Yes it does, it does matter!

I am not saying we should not have some play time but I do believe that Everything we do everything we say it all has to point to Jesus.  Thank him for the time you have to yourself and mediate on him. To live as Christ is to Glorifying God in each and everything we do and say.  He commands this from every believer.

It does not have to be something earth shattering, just being you every day.  God does call some to teach, preach and travel to minister to others. Some are called to happily serve.

On the way home in the car I had on Klove radio and this song came on and it goes perfectly with this thought.

 I truly believe that God created us all. We are not an accident. God has a plan for each and every one of us. We all have a purpose in life. 

We are created to Know God through Jesus Christ.

I tell you the truth; no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again (John 3:3).

I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6).

We are created for God's glory.

Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth—everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made (Isaiah 43:6-7).

We are created to praise and Worship God.

I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever (Psalm 86:12).

We are created to grow the fruit of the Spirit. The type of person we become is more important than your successes and failures in the world.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

We are created to spread the Gospel and tell others about Jesus’ love for them

Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples (Psalm 96:3).<-p>

Make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted (Isaiah 12:4).

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you (Matthew 28:19-20).

We are created to use and develop the gifts God has given to us.

Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully (Romans 12:4-8).

Do not minimize your role in Life. 

All Christians collectively form the body of Christ. The body is formed of many different parts (Romans 12:4-8 and 1 Corinthians 12:12-27). All are important. It does not matter what part of the body you are.

May the Lord Bless you,

Tracy