Worship In Spirit And Truth...

Time to move....

2007-10-19T07:58:00.001-07:00

Ok, folks.....I'm moving this weekend to here. See ya on Monday and have a blessed weekend!

I'm comin back into circulation...LOL

2007-10-16T12:07:00.000-07:00

Hello friends, just wanted to let you all know that I will back up after transferring over to Wordpress with a lil' help from my friends. I should be ready to go on Monday...in the meantime, here's a little food for thought...

Paul Harvey says:

I don't believe in Santa Claus, but I'm not going to sue somebody for singing a Ho-Ho-Ho song in December. I don't agree with Darwin , but I didn't go out and hire a lawyer when my high school teacher taught his Theory of Evolution.

Life, liberty or your pursuit of happiness will not be endangered because someone says a 30-second prayer before a football game.

So what's the big deal? It's not like somebody is up there reading the entire book of Acts. They're just talking to a God they believe in and asking him to grant safety to the players on the field and the fans going home from the game.

But it's a Christian prayer, some will argue.

Yes, and this is the United States of America , a country founded on Christian principles. According to our very own phone book, Christian churches outnumber all others better than 200-to-1. So what would you expect -- somebody chanting Hare Krishna?

If I went to a football game in Jerusalem , I would expect to hear a Jewish prayer.

If I went to a soccer game in Baghdad , I would expect to hear a Muslim prayer.

If I went to a ping pong match in China , I would expect to hear someone pray to Buddha.

And I wouldn't be offended.

It wouldn't bother me one bit.
When in Rome ..

But what about the atheists? Is another argument.
What about them?
Nobody is asking them to be baptized. We're not going to pass the collection plate. Just humor us for 30 seconds. If that's asking too much, bring a Walkman or a pair of ear plugs. Go to the bathroom. Visit the concession stand. Call your lawyer!

Unfortunately, one or two will make that call. One or two will tell thousands what they can and cannot do. I don't think a short prayer at a football game is going to shake the world's foundations.

Christians are just sick and tired of turning the other cheek while our courts strip us of all our rights. Our parents and grandparents taught us to pray before eating; to pray before we go to sleep.

Our Bible tells us to pray without ceasing. Now a handful of people and their lawyers are telling us to cease praying.
God, help us.

And if that last sentence offends you, well . just sue me.

The silent majority has been silent too long. It's time we let that one or two who scream loud enough to be heard that the vast majority don't care what they want. It is time the majority rules! It's time we tell them, you don't have to pray; you don't have to say the pledge of allegiance; you don't have to believe in God or attend services that honor Him. That is your right, and we will honor your right .. But by golly, you are no longer going to take our rights away. We are fighting back
and we WILL WIN!

God bless us one and all ... especially those who denounce Him , God bless America, despite all her faults. She is still the greatest nation of all.

God bless our service men who are fighting to protect our right to pray and worship God.
2007 will be the year the silent majority is heard and we put God back as the foundation of our families and institutions... and our Military come home from all the wars.

Just a thought...see ya Monday ;)

2007-10-08T10:42:00.000-07:00

Hi there friends,

Just a short not to let you know I’ve decided to lay my blog to rest for a bit. I’ll still be stopping in and saying howdy now and then, and I’m sure FC will continue to be a source of blogging frenzy, but I need to focus on other areas right now. Love you guys, and I will be reading and contributing on occasion…..You guys have been quite the blessing in my life….blog on!!!!!

Love you,
Deborah

Oh the things that make me smile.....

2007-10-05T11:27:00.000-07:00

There were Five country churches in a small TEXAS town: The Presbyterian Church, the BaptistChurch, the Methodist Church, the Catholic Church and the Jewish Synagogue.

Each church and Synagogue was overrun with pesky squirrels. One day, the Presbyterian Churchcalled a meeting to decide what to do about the squirrels.After much prayer and consideration they determined that the squirrels were predestined to be there and they shouldn't interfere with God's divine will..

In The BAPTIST CHURCH the squirrels had taken up habitation in the baptistery. The deacons met and decided to put a cover on the baptistery and drown the squirrels in it. The squirrels escaped somehow and there were twice as many there the next week.

The Methodist Church got together and decided that they were not in a position to harm any of God's creation. So, they humanely trapped the Squirrels and set them free a few miles outside of town. Three days later, the squirrels were back.

But -- The Catholic CHURCHcame up with the best and most effective solution. They baptized the squirrels and registered them as members of the church. Now they only see them on Christmas and Easter.

Not much was heard about the Jewish Synagogue, but they took one squirrel and had a short service with him called circumcision and they haven't seen a squirrel on the property since.

Meme, I'm in love.......

2007-10-05T05:48:00.000-07:00

My blogging bud Darla, tagged me....so happy Friday and here we go!

1. Who is your man? Jerry
2. How long and you been together? 15 years in November. 12 1/2 married....
3. How long did you date? We went on our first date February 14, 1993, married on May 20th 1995.
4. How old is your man? 49
5. Who eats more? Since he tends to cycle with me, I think we're even...LOL
6. Who said I love you first? He did, we were on a drive in the country, he said he needed to relieve himself, so afterward he asked me out of the car to "watch the stars" we had our first kiss and then he said it. Of course I immediately replied the same..... :)
7. Who is taller? Jerry
8. Who sings better? Jer doesn't sing alot, and he can carry a tune, but I think me!
9. Who is smarter? He is....very wise about things!
10. Whose temper is worse? mine
11. Who does the laundry? Both
12. Who takes out the trash? Jer
13. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Jer
14. Who pays the bills? Both
15. Who is better with the computer? Me
16. Who mows the lawn? The lambs
17. Who cooks dinner? both
18. Who drives when you are together? Jer
19. Who is the most stubborn? Me, me, me, me.....
20. Whose parents do you like the most? Wow, that's a trick question...We both love both sets...we're blessed
21. Who kissed who first? Uh, we both leaned and went for it at the same time....
22. Who asked out who? Jer asked me....after I begged him....LOL
23. Who proposed? He did, up at the Lake, on one knee, on a picnic with the whole family....very romantic!
24. Who has more friends? Friends? What are friends....kidding, I'd say pretty much equal, we spend most all of our time together, with couples etc.
25. Who has more siblings? Me, I have 2 brothers and a sister, he has one of each....

Ok, anyone who has a significant other, consider yourself tagged!!! Have a wonderful weekend!

Daddy.....

2007-10-04T04:16:00.001-07:00

InWorship's latest blog got me thinking about my own Daddy. He will be turning 79 on the 15th, and I have truly been blessed in my life. I remember looking up to him and telling him I wanted to dance. We would go around the room for what seemed like hours with me on his feet. He was and is my hero. I know alot of people didn't have a good experience growing up with their Fathers, but being blessed with one like my Daddy, it wasn't a huge step for me knowing the love of my Heavenly Father. But I know for some, when your earthly parents don't treat you well, or if you don't experience the attributes of God in people, it's hard to image them from a loving God. I thank you Jesus for your patience with us. I've spent alot of time on FC the last few weeks. The Lord is impressing more and more on my heart the burden of people who don't know Him. But there are many who call themselves Christians, who don't know Him. It can become so overwhelming, we choose to do nothing. There are times when I am literally on my knees or even lying face down before the Lord and crying out on their behalf. I know the broken heart I feel is nothing compared to His, but then I realize there is nothing He can do, until they ask. I will still pray tho, I will still ask on their behalf.

I pray for each of you as well who may not have had the best relationship, or are carrying a burden today. Lay it at His feet, only then will you be able to take His outstretched hands, step on , and dance. Thank you Abba.

2007-10-01T13:07:00.000-07:00

AHHHHH…..Happy Monday! My hubby loves to restore antique tractors…..it’s one of those things that if he gets the chance, he’ll spend the whole day outside…..til it runs. He says he never worries about what they look like, only that they run by the end of the day. We spent this weekend at the Harvest Fair locally, and it was just an old fashioned kick in the pants. There were crafts, food, tractor pulls, everything simple and old time.

I started to think of how the simplicity of the weekend made me relax. We were so busy, going from booth to booth, and an old fashioned church service outside in the arena. But something about going back in time a bit, and just enjoying the old things, made us relax. It was a memory worth repeating and looking forward to next year. Of course a lot of my thinking was about God, and how He takes us and doesn’t worry so much about the cosmetics of the outside as He does getting us to run right on the inside. You can put coat, after coat of paint on something, yet if it doesn’t run or realize it’s strength, it’s just still a piece of pretty junk. Getting the inside in line with Gods Word, will make the outside shine, regardless of how we feel.

There are over 55 verses about restoration……my favorite has to be

Hosea: 6:2 In just a short time, He will restore us so we can live in his presence. (NLT)

What a wonderful day that will be!

Frogs and the wisdom of women......LOL

2007-09-28T12:20:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd leave ya with a couple smiles for the weekend....................

A point of view... Barbara Walters of Television's 20/20 did a story on gender roles in Kabul, Afghanistan, several years before the Afghan conflict.. She noted that women customarily walked 5 paces behind their husbands. She recently returned to Kabul and observed that women still walk behind their husbands. From Miss Walter's vantage point, despite the overthrow of the oppressive Taliban regime, the women now seem to walk even further back behind their husbands and are happy to maintain the old custom. Miss Walters approached one of the Afghani women and asked, "Why do you now seem happy with the old custom that you once tried so desperately to change?" The woman looked Miss Walters straight in the eyes, and without hesitation, said, "Land Mines." MORAL OF THE STORY: BEHIND EVERY MAN IS A SMART WOMAN.

Just some thoughts.....

2007-09-28T10:21:00.000-07:00

Some thoughts to ponder.....have a blessed weekend!

"Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?"
-Abraham Lincoln

"Character is doing the right thing when nobody's looking. There are too many people who think that the only thing that's right is to get by, and the only thing that's wrong is to get caught."
-J. C. Watts

"Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be."
-Thomas a Kempis

"When the passions become masters, they are vices."
-Blaise Pascal

"Never let your head hang down. Never give up and sit down and grieve. Find another way. And don't pray when it rains if you don't pray when the sun shines."
-Satchel Paige

"In the struggle against evil, there is no shame in defeat -- only in not fighting."
-Steven Hart

"Anything that is given can be at once taken away. We have to learn never to expect anything, and when it comes it's no more than a gift on loan."
-John McGahern

"To wisdom belongs the intellectual apprehension of things eternal; to knowledge, the rational apprehension of things temporal."
-Saint Augustine

"He who angers you conquers you."
-Elizabeth Kenny

"Joy shared is twice the joy. Sorrow shared is half the sorrow."
-unknown

"When the well's dry, we know the worth of water."
-Benjamin Franklin

"It is the property of fools, to be always judging."
-Thomas Fuller

Three days of cold+ FC =

2007-09-25T13:12:00.000-07:00

Between the flu bug, and FC, all I can do right now is post goofy pictures.....and say, our battle is in the spiritual, not the flesh....I'm gonna Ephesians 6 myself a bit now!!!!

I'm such a goofball....

2007-09-24T10:01:00.000-07:00

Don't ask me....I'm sure mine do this.......I'm blaming everything today on mass quanities of cold medicine.......

BLT Friday!

2007-09-21T08:22:00.000-07:00

If only I could touch the garmet of Jesus, If only I could see His glorious face, If only I could touch the garment of Jesus, I would worhsip Him forever, in this place....

The Lord has been dealing with different things in my life lately, and has had the woman who touched his robe on my mind. She had issues....we all have issues, but I for one am going to give her huge hugs when I see her.....the stigma that went along with those issues must have been equally difficult. She was a cast out, people had formed their opinion, decided what was acceptable, and what wasn't and cast her out. I love that her Jesus was more important than man's opinion. I love that she was willing to fight the crowds.....and that she had the faith to touch His clothing, the heart to believe what He said. I love that He healed her without saying a word, so many times he healed with a word, this time He chose to heal without saying anything. I went to sleep last night asking Him why? I woke up this morning with John 1:1 on my mind......
Be blessed today!

Makin' me smile........

2007-09-20T10:50:00.000-07:00

SO....my blogging buddy Ang tagged me for 25 things that make me smile.......so here we go.....

1. This picture

2. Burping either direction (sorry, it's true)

3. A quiet evening with my hubby....

4. Any night with my hubby.......

5. Going shopping with my boys.....(this is worthy of its own blog)

6. Electrical air before a good storm

7. Leaves blowing off the trees on a warm fall day

8. Landing a 30 pound Salmon.

9. An awesome worship service with no time limit....

10. Getting lost in God's pressence....

11. Writing a good worship song...

12. Leading people to the throne room of grace.....

13. Rafting the river

14. Huge holiday dinners

15. Young kids that smile and wave in the shopping carts ahead of me

16. My blogging buddies

17. Watching a friend go through the process of being healed from a dibilitating disease...

18. My hubby leaving me love notes

19. Getting a letter from our boy in the military

20. Taking a walk with my Daddy

21. DISNEYLAND!!!!

22. Holding a new born...

23. Seeing someone "get it" that never has before...

24. Little kids that come into my office and yell out "NEMO!!!!"

25. Rasberry, chocolate mocha.......ahhhhh

This may offend some, sorry in advance.......

2007-09-19T09:03:00.000-07:00

Just curious that the general consensus is on Holiday extravaganza......Halloween is coming up and there is usually quite the controversy over Christianity and Halloween. My hubby and I have always chosen the "Harvest" celebration approach, but that doesn't mean we don't have fun. My husband, Jer, has quite the eye for chain saw carvings and such and can look at a picture and see it in reverse. He'll carve that image on the pumpkin which looks like nothing until you light it, then it becomes a picture....I know about all the evil spirit yadayada that goes on, but do you think it is possible to have fun and still honor God during this time? Just wanting some input here and different views......Blessings!!!

Ok, I am adding to my post for a couple of reasons.....the first being that I found a picture that truly expresses our views of Halloween, I debated but my nutty side won out, so here ya go!

Secondly I read on FC (AHEM!!!!) that Tam & B's daughter Kassidy is having some medical issues....please keep the family in prayer, especially Kass. Thanks guys!!!!

God can do what????

2007-09-17T11:52:00.000-07:00

Ever been a witness to a “real” healing? My hubby and I have, and yes we believe. Thinking back on that, my attitude was I suppose you could say, not the best. It was a mixture of fear, and skepticism, but in these times it is common when it comes to the subject of God’s healing. I’ve been diving in lately for very personal reasons, to understand what the Bible says about healing. The more I find, the more I believe that we should expect God to heal miraculously today. Yes, He does use the medical profession to heal as well, but He is all you truly need.

In the Old Testament, there are promises from God to bring healing and health to His people through obedience. (Exodus 23:25-26, Deuteronomy 28, Psalm 41……) In Exodus 15:26, He says “I am the Lord who heals you”. There are also examples of miraculous healing, (1 Kings 13:6, 2 Kings 4:8-37, Isaiah 38)

There is a present aspect to the kingdom of God in the teaching and activity of Jesus. In Luke 17:20-21, Jesus told the Pharisees, “The kingdom of God is among you”. In Matthew 13:44-46, Jesus suggests that the kingdom is something which can be discovered and experienced in this age. In the synagogue at Nazareth, Jesus read the prophecy from Isaiah 61:1-2 and said, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” Luke 4:21. Then He went on to demonstrate this present reality of the kingdom by all that He did during His ministry, forgiveness of sin, suppression of evil and healing of the sick.

A quarter of the Gospels is concerned with healing. God commissioned the twelve disciples to do the same, first the twelve (Matthew 4:23), then looking at Luke 10:9, there was then a group of 72 which He told them to go and heal the sick, and tell them the kingdom of God is near you. (Luke 10:9) They returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name!!” (vs.17)

But it doesn’t stop there… Jesus told His disciples to go and make disciples of all nations….teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you (Matthew 28:18-20) He did NOT say “Everything except of course you know, the healing bit”.

It’s clear the early church understood Jesus’ instruction in Mark 16:15-20. Jesus says, these signs will accompany those who believe, I take that to say those who believe in Jesus Christ……us.

The same is in John 14:12. I can’t find anywhere in the Bible, where it says that healing was confined to any particular period of history. Healing is one of the signs of the kingdom which were set by Jesus and continue to this day. I expect God to continue to heal miraculously today, it is part of His Kingdom activity, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done.

I’m writing about all of this because my dear friend Tam needs healing. I believe in Him for this, not just because it’s something that has come into my mind, but something He has put in my heart. I want to ask for prayer from all of you, believing as well, so I have given you a little background on why I believe the way I do. I’m not one to sit and read God’s word and say, that was great for then….if He is truly the same yesterday, today and always, I believe in the modern miracle, and I’m claiming it in Jesus name, for Tam. I challenge you guys, to begin walking in the authority that God has given each of us to further His kingdom and glorify His name. Healings are just a small part. I‘d love to pray for any needs….I’ love you guys.

In speaking with my worship pastor, he really nailed what I believe and I am going to quote him on this.....I believe it is how the Lord works through us:

"Gifts of the Spirit are biblically not anything that we have or do. Gifts of the Spirit are things that God does through us. We are used by him to be...in a sense...Him manifesting Himself through our physical bodies. We can’t heal, but His Spirit through us can. We don’t have the power, ever, but God may choose to use us to release his power to others. This is one of those areas that people like Benny Hinn is criticized for. He claims to have been given the power of God. He doesn’t claim it is God’s power through him. This is key. Here is a great verse.1 Corinthians 12:10-11 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.Some translations say in verse 11 he gives to each one what he wants to give and when he wants to give. God is always in control over what we do with His Spirit. We cannot randomly heal or speak in tongues a part from the Spirit deciding we can. This is what keeps us connected to His glory and also keeps us humble in the use of our gifts."

Thanks, InWorship!!! Sorry this is so long, but again, it's sooooo important to understand who we are in Him in these times today....

Huh...

2007-09-14T12:22:00.000-07:00

A PRE-SCHOOL TEST FOR YOU

Which way is the bus below traveling?
To the left or to the right?

Can't make up your mind?

Look carefully at the picture again. Still don't know?

Pre-schoolers all over the United States were shown this picture asked the same question.90% of the pre-schooler's gave this answer."The bus is traveling to the left." When asked, "Why do you think the bus is traveling to the left?" They answered: "Because you can't see the door to get on the bus."

How do you feel now ???I know, me too.

BLT DAY!!!!

2007-09-14T05:58:00.001-07:00

Before I ask this weeks BLT, Nerdiah asked about my testimony so I'll give a little summation of how I came to know the Lord. I grew up "religious", Methodist actually, and was faithful to go to church every Sunday. I sat through the flannel board lessons and tried to"be good" and said empty prayers to a God that I felt was so far away, I just didn't get it. There were some abuses toward me while I was growing up, and my ways of thinking were not the most productive for a teenage girl. When I turned 18, I got my CMA license and worked as a Geriatric Medical Assistant. My charge nurse was a strong Christian woman and for the next 9 months or so gently witnessed Christ to me without hardly saying a word. She new I was hurting, and I was seeking. Right before my 19th birthday, I asked her how I could know her God, she seemed so dang happy all the time, nothing got to her. We sat on the side of the bed of one of my favorite Christians, Lois Pittman, and she prayed and cried with me that night. My life was not instantly changed by any means, but I felt Him, and His peace and found a non-denominational church and started to dig into His word. The more I sought Him out, the more He showed me, but I still resisted letting everything go to Him, in fact that didn't happen until I was 26. Which leads me to this weeks BLT. While some people when they give their lives to the Lord, are able to surrender it all at once, I do believe, mainly because I am one of them, that sometimes it takes awhile. How was it for you? Have you completely surrendered everything to Him yet, or do you still struggle with holding on to something that "you can handle"? What's He asking you to give to Him today? Blessings on your Spirit filled day!!!!

I LOVE KIDS!!!

2007-09-13T08:25:00.000-07:00

First of all, I need to apologize to anyone who was offended for the recent posts and blog entries... Some of FC had carried over, and after alot of prayer and searching, I refuse to have God slandered on this blog. SO for those of you who love and honor Christ, I apologize as I haven't had the moderation on, it's on now.....there are atheists out there tho, like Hover, who can comment respectfully and I fully intend on continuing to post his questions and comments. Others, I won't. Anyway, I will be a fool for Christ any day, with that said, a friend emailed this to me....

It was written by an 8-year-old named Danny Dutton, who lives in Chula Vista,CA. He wrote it for his third grade homework assignment, to "explain God" I wonder if any of us could have done as well ? Enjoy!!!

[ .... and he had such an assignment, in California, and someone published it, I guess miracles do happen ! .. ]

EXPLANATION OF GOD:
"One of God's main jobs is making people. He makes them to replace the ones that die, so there will be enough people to take care of things on earth. He doesn't make grownups, just babies. I think because they are smaller and easier to make. That way he doesn't have to take up his valuable time teaching them to talk and walk. He can just leave that to mothers and fathers."

"God's second most important job is listening to prayers. An awful lot of this goes on, since some people, like preachers and things, pray at times beside bedtime. God doesn't have time to listen to the radio or TV because of this. Because he hears everything, there must be a terrible lot of noise in his ears, unless he has thought of a way to turn it off."

"God sees everything and hears everything and is everywhere which keeps Him pretty busy. So you shouldn't go wasting his time by going over your mom and dad's head asking for something they said you couldn't have."

"Atheists are people who don't believe in God. I don't think there are any inChula Vista. At least there aren't any who come to our church."
"Jesus is God's Son. He used to do all the hard work, like walking on water and performing miracles and trying to teach the people who didn't want to learn about God. They finally got tired of him preaching to them and they crucified him But he was good and kind, like his father, and he told his father that they didn't know what they were doing and to forgive them and God said O.K."

"His dad (God) appreciated everything that he had done and all his hard work on earth so he told him he didn't have to go out on the road anymore. He could stay in heaven. So he did. And now he helps his dad out by listening to prayers and seeing things which are important for God to take care of and which ones he can take care of himself without having to bother God. Like a secretary, only more important."

"You can pray anytime you want and they are sure to help you because they got it worked out so one of them is on duty all the time."
"You should always go to church on Sunday because it makes God happy, and if there's anybody you want to make happy, it's God!

Don't skip church to do something you think will be more fun like going to
the beach. This is wrong. And besides the sun doesn't come out at the beach
until noon anyway."

"If you don't believe in God, besides being an atheist, you will be very
lonely, because your parents can't go everywhere with you, like to camp, but
God can. It is good to know He's around you when you're scared, in the dark
or when you can't swim and you get thrown into real deep water by big kids."

"But...you shouldn't just always think of what God can do for you. I figure
God put me here and he can take me back anytime he pleases.

And...that's why I believe in God."

Dark has zero power over light...

2007-09-12T14:18:00.001-07:00

About believing in spite of the darkness…in my devotional time today, the Lord really spoke to me from Acts about how while there is darkness all around, it can never penetrate the light, His light....

Acts 7:59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep. (NIV)

Although Christ died, He came back on the third day and defeated the darkness of death. What joy is there when we believe on Him and the Hope He brings.......When Stephen asked God to forgive the sin of those who were stoning him to death, (ever felt that way???) Stephen called down the light into the darkness taking his life. To believe in spite of the darkness, no matter what kind of darkness we face, we must have a clear understanding of the power struggle between the light and the darkness. The darkness depends upon our being blind, and tries to exert power over us while we are in it. When Stephen died as a result of being stoned, one would think the darkness had won out over Stephen's life. However, in Christ, we know Christ won out over Stephen's life because Stephen died only in the body and not in the spirit. In every battle we face with the darkness, in all its forms and in all its ways of hurting us, we have to see the truth. The truth is Christ and His light are always victorious forever.

Just a thought......

Less Brain Pain, More remembering and Glory to God...

2007-09-11T13:17:00.000-07:00

Some ask where was God at 9/11?

He was discouraging people from taking those four flights. Together they could accommodate more than 1,000 passengers, yet there were only 266 aboard. He was on those four flights giving the terrified passengers the ability to stay calm. Not one of the people who was called by a loved one on one of the hijacked planes mentioned that passengers were panicked, nor was there any screaming in the background. And on one of the flights, God gave strength to the passengers to overcome the hijackers.God was also busy creating obstacles to prevent people who worked in the WTC from getting to work on time. The work day had begun, more than 50,000 people worked in the two towers, yet only 20,000 were at their desks. On that beautiful morning, God created scores of unexpected traffic delays, subway delays, and commuter train delays. A PATH train packed with commuters was stopped at a signal just short of the WTC and was able to return to Jersey City. And far more meetings were scheduled elsewhere than was usual.God held up each of the two mighty towers for a half hour so that the people on the lower floors could get out. And when He finally let go, He caused the towers to fall inward rather than to topple over, which would have killed so many more people. The foundations of six surrounding buildings were demolished by the fall of the towers, but God held them up for many hours until all the occupants were safely evacuated.And when the WTC and Pentagon buildings went down, my God picked up almost 3,500 of His children and carried them to their home for all eternity. He also sat down and cried that 19 of His children could have so much hate in their hearts, that they did not choose him, but another god that doesn't exist, and now they are lost forever.He sent people trained in dealing with earthly disasters to save those that were injured. And he sent in thousands of others to help in any way they were needed. And He brought people together across the world in a way that moved thousands to tears and hundreds of thousands to prayer—and caused millions to turn to the one true living God.He still isn't finished. Every day He comforts those who lost loved ones. He is encouraging others to reach out to those who don't know Him or believe in Him. He is giving the leaders of our great nation the strength and conviction to do the right thing, to follow His will, not a popular poll.So if anyone ever asks, "Where was your God on 9/11?" you can say, "He was everywhere! And, in fact, he is everywhere today and every day." Without a doubt, this was the worst catastrophe most of us have ever seen. I can't imagine getting through such a difficult time without God at my side. Without God, life would be hopeless.

Why I don't believe in evolution...

2007-09-11T11:50:00.000-07:00

After doing some digging, I found evidences to back up the reasons I don’t believe in evolution and also am giving the links that explain the reasoning…….After reading this document, I just gave all the more glory to God, He is SO amazing….here’s the proof…This is just one of many I have found and left everything in quotes because while it is everything I believe these are from an article and not written by me.......I'm not this brainy!!!! LOL

“There are no transitional links and intermediate forms in either the fossil record or the modern world. Therefore, there is no actual evidence that evolution has occurred either in the past or present.” http://emporium.turnpike.net/C/cs/evid1.htm

“Natural selection (the supposed evolution mechanism, along with mutations) is incapable of advancing an organism to a “higher order”. http://emporium.turnpike.net/C/cs/evid2.htm

“Although evolutionists state that life resulted from the non-life, matter resulted from nothing, and humans resulted from animals, each of these is an impossibility of science and the natural world.” http://emporium.turnpike.net/C/cs/evid3.htm

“The supposed hominids (creatures in-between ape and human that evolutionists believe used to exist) bones and skull record used by evolutionists often consists of ‘finds’ which are thoroughly unrevealing and inconsistent. They are neither clear nor conclusive even though evolutionists present them as if they were.” http://emporium.turnpike.net/C/cs/evid4.htm

“Nine of the twelve popularly supposed hominids are actually extinct apes/monkeys and not part human at all.” http://emporium.turnpike.net/C/cs/evid5.htm

“The final three supposed hominids put forth by evolutionists are actually modern human beings and not part monkey/ape at all. Therefore, all twelve of the supposed hominids can be explained as being either fully monkey/ape or fully modern human but not as something in between.” http://emporium.turnpike.net/C/cs/evid6.htm

“Natural selection can be seen to have insurmountable social and practical inconsistencies, as well as severe logical inconsistencies.” http://emporium.turnpike.net/C/cs/evid7.htm, http://emporium.turnpike.net/C/cs/evid8.htm

“The rock strata finds (layers of buried fossils) are better explained by a universal flood than evolution.” http://emporium.turnpike.net/C/cs/evid9.htm

Beyond these are many others, and tomorrow I will be posting about proof of Creation…
Give your family an extra hug tonight as we remember those who gave their lives 6 years ago. Remember to take the time and thank God for all that He’s done in spite of the evil and ignorant choices of man. The words of one of my favorite worship tunes speaks of my heart today:

I just want to sit at Your feet, drink from the cup in Your hands,
Lay back against You and breathe, feel Your heart beat,
This Love is so deep, it’s more than I can stand,
I melt in Your peace, You’re overwhelming me….

I don't believe it.....

2007-09-10T08:39:00.000-07:00

They say, I don’t believe in God, I say, I don’t believe in the Atheist…..here’s why.

What if I were to say, there is no gold in Oregon. For me to prove that is true, I would need absolute and total knowledge. I would need to know that there is no gold in any rock, in any river, in the ground, no stores or rings….in all of Oregon. I would need absolute knowledge before I could make an absolute statement like that. For me to say, there is gold in Oregon, I wouldn’t need all knowledge, only one speck and my statement would be true.

To say there is no God is making an absolute statement. For the statement to be true, I must know for certain that there is no God in the entire universe. Since NO human being has all knowledge, none of us is able to truthfully make this assertion.

If they insist on disbelieving in God, what they have to say is “Having the limited knowledge I have right now, I believe that there is no God.” Having that lack of knowledge, they don’t know if God exists, so they can not be atheist. The only one that could actually qualify that statement is the One who has absolute knowledge, and He would not deny His own existence…..

I believe atheists to be agnostic…people who claim they don’t know if God exists. The Latin equivalent for the Greek word is “ignoramus.” The Bible tells us that this ignorance is “willful” (Psalm 10:4). It’s not that a person can not find God, it’s that he won’t. It has been rightly said that the “atheist” can’t find God for the same reason a thief can’t find a policeman. He knows that if he admits that there is a God he is admitting that he is ultimately responsible to Him. This doesn’t set well with some people.
I watched the history channel this weekend and a little clip on Mussolini. He stood up one time and cried, “God, if you are there, strike me dead!” When God didn’t immediately bow to his demand, he concluded there was no God. But, his prayer was answered eventually.....

BLT day!!!

2007-09-07T06:55:00.000-07:00

Yes, folks....we're keepin the BLT's lite.....I'd like you guys to share when you get a minute the first time that God was real to you...not just because your mom and dad said so, but a time when that one on one relationship started and you knew He was there by your own accord.....

Love you guys and have a super charged weekend! Cyber smoochies....

Predestination vs. Free Will...

2007-09-06T11:35:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don’t know, Hover is my favorite Atheist…..and I do say that respectfully. He has utmost respect for our beliefs and a knack of sharing his without making me feel defensive or slamming God, so this blog is in response to his answer yesterday. That being said, trying to explain the mind of God is impossible. I have read many commentaries on this topic in my own search for answers, and some things are just accepted by Christians because He says so…..similar to when a child wants to argue either for lack of understanding or because they don’t want to do something and we resort to “Because I said so”…..so for what it’s worth here are my opinions on predestination vs. free will….

First of all, I like a quote I found, although there was no name attached:

“The difference between predestination and free will is: “Predestination is the hand you were dealt; free will is what you do with that hand.”

I’ve seen debate on this being an either or situation, and can’t help but consider how it applied to Jesus Himself. His fate according to Isaiah 53:5 was predetermined, God knew what would happen and gave that information to the prophets, such as Isaiah, centuries in advance---still Jesus had the free will to sacrifice himself on the cross according to John 10:18.

I don’t agree that man can choose God. Since it is His will that none should perish, I believe that man can only choose to reject God. His heart is for all to come to know Him, so the predestination part is that He died (willingly) to pave the way for all to know Him.

This is what I know:

1) The work has already been done at the Cross
2) God left us His helper when He ascended, the Spirit
3) He is already among men, the choice is whether or not you are going to deny Him

God will not force man to repent and believe because man can resist and suppress the grace and salvation that has been offered.

That being said Hov, there are scripture that refer to Judas and the condition of his heart. Could it be possible that an all-knowing God knows that one will choose to not to choose Christ and give Him the liberty of using evil for His glory as well? I say yes.

Again, with Adam & Eve, I’m sure God knew their choice, therefore also paved the way to make a bridge between Him and humanity because His desire to save humanity is stronger than His grief over their poor choices. In perfect love there has to be free will…

As far as the 911 bombers are concerned, the god they chose to serve led them down that path. I don’t want to get off topic by going into how they would be able to choose Christ because of their geographical location…..another time, another blog……but I do believe every man hears the truth, every man is given the choice.

I’m going to end with a quote from Thomas Oden, who wrote The Living God:

“Human reasoning begins with a fundamental trust in it’s own power of reasoning. Although at times the senses may deceive, the only way we can grasp those deceptions is on the basis of the larger assumption of the intelligibility of things and the trustworthiness of the inquiring mind in seeing deception. Descartes rightly reasoned that the one thing he could not possibly doubt was that he had the capacity to doubt. If I can doubt my own thoughts, I must be able to think, to inquire, to examine, to criticize…..and these functions could not work without both an intelligible world and a perceiving intelligence.”

Rational people have the sense of right and wrong, which to me is an indication that the Holy Spirit is among them. Even when you look and barbarians and nomads you see signs of morality come into play when they leave previous uncivilized customs for more peaceful means…..When that happens, I believe the Holy Spirit is at work and has gained a victory over sin in His mission to draw all men to Himself.

FC Inspiration...

2007-09-05T10:49:00.001-07:00

Sitting here in awe of FC once again, this is about how I feel. I was looking at the calendar, realizing that 9/11 is coming up….I’m going to warn in advance, this may be a little long, so pull up a chair. Most of the time when I answer on FC, I respond to what was said, and have little time to really think, so I wanted to answer a couple of thing on my blog that have been brought up there….more to think through things than anything.

9/11 reminds me, that we really do live in a tragic world. This is a result of living in a fallen world…no one is exempt from it, even the most Godly. Paul was one of the most effective and dedicated workers in history, yet his life was full of tragedies until it ended under the blade of a Roman executioner.

Paul suffered at least as many heartaches and hardships as any of us ever will, and yet their painful occurrence never shook his confidence in a good and loving God. Why not?

Paul didn’t see tragedy as evidence against the existence of a compassionate heavenly Father. In fact, he wrote, “for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10) He delighted in them not because he enjoyed pain, but when life overwhelmed him, he knew God would step into help. I delight in my weaknesses because it is in that weakness that God has the opportunity to display to the world His own strength, for that I am grateful!!!

Jesus himself told us to expect pain and difficulties in this life. John 16:33….I thank God tho that this isn’t where it ends for the believer.

God is in control even when it doesn’t feel like it. We don’t understand how this can be when we face tragedy, but our lack of understanding doesn’t destroy the truth, nor diminish it. Before we were born, God knew exactly how long we would live and how we would die. “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be,” the psalmist said to God in Psalm 139:16 – that will remain true for all time.

God has a purpose for what He allows even if we don’t know what it is. From our perspective, tragedies look meaningless and senseless and chaotic, but God knows how to take even tragedies and bring good out of them.. When we get home to heaven, we will finally see His purposes even in the tragedies of life. Sometimes it is a wakeup call… CS Lewis wrote once that “pain is God’s megaphone to a deaf world.” Sometimes that’s what it takes for spiritually dead people to wake up. Thank God that He would allow that, but what a shame it would take such a wake-up-call to open the eyes of some…

We can find hope in tragedy…..this world in not our home. We were created for eternity.

I worship You oh God....

2007-09-02T18:37:00.000-07:00

At the cross I bow my knee, where Your blood was shed for me, there's no greater love than this, You have overcome the grave, Your glory fills the highest place, what can separate me now.....

There is just something that has been in my mind and heart for days now, I'm really asking for input. Why corporately do hold back when we worship? I am really reaching a point in my walk that if I am in church, and in the presence of God, I don't want to have to care what people are thinking if I want to kneel, clap, raise may hands etc. before the Lord. I really don't mean for that to sound harsh...but I've been looking up scripture lately, and here is what I'm finding.

Standing-They will stand in awe of the God of Israel...Isaiah 29:23

Singing - I will be glad and exalt in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. Psalm 9:2

Shouting: My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to You; and my soul, which You have redeemed Psalm 71:23

Sitting - Then David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said, "Who am I, O Lord God... 2Samuel 7:18

Clapping - O clap your hands, all peoples; shout to God with the voice of joy Psalm 47:1

Bowing - Moses made haste to bow low toward the earth and worship Exodus 34:8

Praying - In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch. Psalm 5:3

Laying Prostrate - And Jesus went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed... Matthew 26:39

Dancing - Let them praise His name with dancing...Psalm 149:3

The list goes on......I'm not blaming other people for feeling like.. if I lay before God right now someone may see me..I just hate the hesitancy in me that puts that before what I'm being prompted to do by the Spirit. I'm finding myself struggling with the fine line of completely open worship, and not being offensive to someone or making them standoffish. If it 's in the Word and His Word is our example...should that be our practice? I'm just searching.....again, this is something I struggle with internally, not because anyone has said...you need to change...

Miss Kate

2007-09-01T19:23:00.001-07:00

A beautiful friend of ours was in town last night....if you have never heard of Kate White.....you need to go here. My husband and I are great fans of Celtic Music, Celtic worship is one of the most soul piercing and worshipful music there is to us. My hubby was part of a CD project for the last 6 months with his fiddle and Kate, and they did their launch off concert last night. There are really no words to describe what the Lord did last night, outside under the stars, with about 300 others. It was a powerful night of worship. We stood and prayed until the lights were turned off and it was just one of those sweet times in the Lord. If you really want to be blessed, go to her prayer room....make sure you have a little time..and a box of Kleenex.....you will be blessed. Love you guys!

Blessings........

2007-08-31T12:36:00.000-07:00

I have been asked by Wornoutwoman to list my seven blessings for the day....ahhh...being one that always does what she's told (no snickering) here goes...

1. I have been blessed with a wonderful husband who really accepts me for who I am and has a knack for telling me I'm beautiful to him when I need it the most.

2. Our children....we have faith that Em will come back when she is done living her testimony, and be part of us again. Steve and Mike keep us smiling and hopeful...

3. The ability to worhsip freely the Most High God 24/7.

4. I still have both of my parents, and my mom-in-law who is nothing less than a saint!

5. My blogging babes & buffs!!!!!!! Life just isn't the same anymore...sigh....

6. My church which has taught me that there really are people who love unconditionally!!!!

7. It's FRIDAY!!!!!!!!

Thanks ww....it's great to keep focused on the positive!!!!!

What has the Lord been blessing you with lately???

BLT #3

2007-08-31T08:20:00.000-07:00

OK, I'm lightening up on the BLT info..... I really want to get to know you guys better, so, I'll be asking 3 questions a week about you or your walk....I'm still calling them BLT's because Brent still loves Tammy......probably more than when I started these if that's possible!!!!! ;)

1. How did you come to know the Lord?
2. What is your favorite scripture and why?
3. When was the last time you led someone to the Lord and what were the circumstances?

Easy? YAY!!!!!
I'll answer at the end of the day.....be blessed, I love you guys!!!!!

Is our faith an illusion?

2007-08-29T08:13:00.001-07:00

If you guys have never seen the works of Julian Beever, you need to go here.

I have a few samples of his art here. These are some of his sidewalk drawing that he has done in chalk....yes they are flat on the ground...amazing!

Don't worry about my title, I'm not losing it, it stems from some interesting conversation that some of us have had over at FC.

I was asked during one discussion about my beliefs in the supernatural....

It's been interesting to say the least, but we know our God is a living God, and He longs to get involved in people's lives. For some reason, God has chosen to use us, His people, to be the agents through whom He will reach out and touch the world. Everything has been provided for us to overcome satanic oppression and enjoy God's favor- such as provision, healing, relationships...

The world, obviously is crying out for something more. They are seeking satisfaction for their souls through many things, without understanding that only God can give it. They need the Lord, but instead deny Him, but don't see Him as real.

Paul said his message and preaching were not with the persuasive words of human wisdom, but with the demonstration of the Spirit and power, that our faith may not rest in the wisdom of men but the power of God..(I Corint. 2:1-4) Instead I find that people (I'm not omitting myself here) rest their faith in the wisdom of the pastor or teachers and rarely experience the power of God promised by the Scripture. I believe this to be part of the problem with the people on FC, as they are resting on and intellectual approach to faith. Peter, Paul and the early apostles demonstrated the power and authority of the Lord rather than try to provide people with philosophy, which makes sense to me when the root of someones problem is spiritual to begin with, not intelligence. For me to represent the Lord to the people on FC I have to witness to them in the supernatural, as Jesus spoke in John 14:12 - "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to my Father." I truly want my witness to be effective for these people.... not just another illusion, there is plenty of that in today's society.

Mom

2007-08-27T10:33:00.000-07:00

We went to see Mom after Church yesterday......what an awesome service it was. To get a little background on Mom, go here.....she looked better than Friday when we stopped in to say howdy. We are praying continually that we would be in a position soon that would allow her to come home and stay with us, til the Lord brings her home. Until now, she has only been able to babble, we're sure she knows what she's saying, but the words are still hard to understand. Every time she sees Jer, she starts saying baby...which is accurate.....so knowing this we decided to bring her some baby pictures. Of course, knowing our sense of humor, we also brought this one..

which in turn brought a bout of hysterical laughter.... it was so good to hear her laugh. After our lunch and visit, Jerry just held her, (it amazed me that she has now become the child needing the taking care of) and talked with her of many memories. I remember asking her one time how long she had been walking with the Lord....her answer was that she was born walking with the Lord. Almost 90 years worth in her....my heart longs for her to tell me one of her stories again. Before we left, we kssed her and told her we loved her....Jerry asked her if she had anything else she wanted to say....Jesus was her reply. It was the sweetest word spoken the whole afternoon.....from the very deepest part of her heart.

BLT #2 cont.....

2007-08-24T06:07:00.000-07:00

OK, this is a chicken.....don't be one....we are going to continue from last week....if you need to find out what a BLT is, go here. Last week I posed a question about being born again. Is the three fold part of a believer born again, or is it just the spirit part? I think we are essentially spirit beings and that is the part that is re-born. This week I'll talk a little about why I believe why the mind (or soul) needs constant refurbishing according to scripture and why I don't believe it is automatically renewed. Again, I welcome any and all feedback. This is ONLY my interpretation through some meditation and prayer......

Renewing of the mind....scripture reference. Here are some scripture references that I have found in areas of the mind that need to be renewed.....Romans 1:28, Romans 8:5,7, Romans 12:16, II Corinth. 4:4 , II Corinth. 11:3, Eph. 2:3 Eph. 4:17, Phil. 3:19, Col. 1:21, Col. 2:18 Titus 1:15, these all deal with areas of the mind that we struggle with.

The Lord calls for us to be transformed by the renewing of our mind, Rom. 12:2 and says it happens by the renewing by the Holy Spirit, Titus 3:5. The reason I suppose that I am feeling so strongly lately is that in order for me to be successful in the ministry the Lord is directing me to, it is becoming more and more apparent how important it is to have all three of our created parts to be in line with each other. It's a given that our physical bodies will decrease and eventually die, but why not keep it to the best of health possible? It's a mission we are on lately that we have neglected horribly, and although it's not easy it is becoming very beneficial to drop some weight and live a healthier lifestyle. With all of the garbage that is out there to fill our minds, it so important to renew and freshen it daily with Gods Word, and our spirit needs exercising as well. There is true power when all three are working in the same direction for the same purpose. It does little good if I'm physically fit, yet fill my mind with garbage. OR if I'm really full of God's spirit, yet so sluggish from my eating that I can't go out to minister... I just want to encourage people to take that time, and spend time in His word in prayer and worship. Take the time to let Him minister to your spirit, beyond anything else that may seem more important at the time......wow what a difference it makes.

Can't live in the bubble folks......

2007-08-23T08:44:00.000-07:00

If you guys have not visited Friendly Christian.....I think you should...for what it's worth. This brother, Bill, has pretty much taken on the athiest world with his blog asking some very difficult questions. I have a pretty bold personality, especially when it comes to witnessing about Christ. And after four days of blogging with these people, it's a little exhausting...but well worth it. This is our purpose, this is what we are called to do. The last few months, the Lord has been taking me to a different level along with my wonderful hubby!! He's opening doors to go out more which is exactly what our church teaches us to do and prepares us for. But I'm finding, once you get out of the "saved people" bubble it gets a little rough. I've gone to church for so long, yes there is the occasional unsaved that attend and we witness and love on them....but wow what an eye opener to do something like street evangalizing in Springfield, OR. (Something the Lord has recently blessed me with) And to actually see someone in a drug induced frenzy, cry out the Living God and have a life change right before your eyes. I went home at the end of that day and sobbed. All I could do was sob, partly because I realized I had been avoiding the very people that needed Christ the most, and partly because I had become very comfortable around the saved people, and plain didn't want to be around the unsaved to that capacity. But the Lord calls us to this and gives us the words and strength at the very time we need it. It's why we're here...to seek and save the LOST, not the "on the verge of coming to Christ" but the lost, and the lost don't always look so pretty. Once I composed my self a little bit, He gave me scripture from Corinthians 2:1-5 where Paul is addressing the heart of Christian witness.

"And I brethren when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God."

We really need little more than our salvation and God's Word, just a willing heart to break our bubble and reach out.....Please don't mistake my boldness in Christ for being pompous, after rereading this it almost sounds that way, but I'm letting the post stand as is. I think it's important to leave the comfort zone....start by stopping by FC and giving him an atta boy.....love you guys with all my heart!

Niceness......

2007-08-22T09:27:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'm all warm and fuzzy thanks to my blogging buddy Princess Darla.....wow, she zapped me twice!!!!! I know Tam's been tagged but I'm doin it again, along with hubby Brent (sorry B, I tried to find a more manly award....) and my newst blogging buddy Shonda!!!! Love you guys! Be blessed!!! ;)

Something with a little less brain strain

2007-08-20T12:00:00.000-07:00

Are you a fern or bamboo?

One day I decided to quit.... I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality..... I wanted to quit my life. I went to the woods to
have one last talk with God.

"God", I said. "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?" His
answer surprised me...
"Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?"
"Yes",I replied.
"When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good
care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water. The fern quickly
grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing
came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.

In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And
again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo".
He said. "In the third year, there was still nothing from the Bamboo
seed. But I would not quit.
In the fourth year, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed.
But I would not quit.
He said. "Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the Earth

Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant. But
just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall. It had
spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and
gave it what it needed to survive.

I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not
handle."
He said to me. "Did you know, my child, that all this time you have
been struggling, you have actually been growing roots.
I would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you.
Don't compare yourself to others."
He said. "The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern, yet, they
both make the forest beautiful." "Your time will come, "God said to
me. " You will rise high!"
"How high should I rise?" I asked.
"How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return.
"As high as it can?" I questioned.
"Yes." He said, "Give me glory by rising as high as you can!!"

Beginning BLT #2 answer...

2007-08-18T18:03:00.000-07:00

Ok, I started to answer this and it began to get so long i thought I had better break it up a bit...so to begin with, I'm going to start by saying that after reading Hosea, verse 4:6 really stood out to me, I'll let you look that one up, but it drove the point home to me that our Lord takes is serious about whether or not we actually know Him....personally....so that is why I really began to dig in scripture, trying to find out who I am as far as my makeup and created image and why it is so important when speaking to or worshipping my Lord. I'm just going to relay a few things that He has seared into my heart the last couple of weeks...hopefully answering my own question... I'll start with some basics....In 1 Thess. 5:23...this scripture identifies our makeup, in order. Spirit, Soul and Body.

The Spirit, and soul are the ones that go to be with the Lord when we die. This earthound tent we are in is only temporal. From going through God's word the way I understand it, the spirit is the eternal life part of us, we contact God through our spirit. The soul, has three parts, it's our mind, will and emotions. We use it for intelect and take it with us as well. Our body, or flesh are the five senses that we learned about in grade school, :) and the "tent" that allows us to dwell here...that being said, I believe the part of us that is "born again" is the spirit...yes I'll give you scriptures, and continue with my answer.....any questions yet?

BLT's YAY!!!!!

2007-08-17T17:58:00.001-07:00

HEY!!!!! Sorry folks, I've been on a road trip with the Lord....awesome time!!!! Problem is I'm wiped....I wanted to be faithful tho and post my BLT for this evening....since I'm so late with it I will be catching up on blogville tomorrow and through out the weekend so this will kind of be an extended one.....

anyway, here it is....we are a three part being...right? right! we are body soul and spirit.....so my question is, do all three parts get "born again" when we are "born again?" I realize this is a loaded topic and question, but I also feel like it's so important when trying to minister to others. This will probably carry over to next week because it's pretty involved but it's a place to start...so

Happy blogging!!!! I'll start writing my opinions tomorrow....love you guys! Deb

Hey, I wanted to add, to please refer to scripture when writing your answers....THANKS!!!!

Have you ever.....

2007-08-13T19:56:00.001-07:00

Seen something that just plain made you smile?????

And as for Friday's questions....

2007-08-13T10:01:00.000-07:00

OK, thank you for your answers B & T, Darla girl!!!!! What'd ya find out???? I have had a little time to look through some commentaries, and have a little different take on the Isaiah scripture.....First of all thanks B for the history lesson...you seemed to have jarred some long lost memories on our ancestors! As far as the scripture itself, I am leaning toward a couple of commentaries I read. They basically stated that God (as we know) is in command of all creatures, all of heaven and earth. He has residence in Heaven for His glory, and then also dominion over the earth, which in turn also brings Him glory. While He is here working in us, through us, establishing His kingdom, He is still "stretching out the heavens, His power and providence keep them still stretched out, and will do so till the day comes they will be rolled together like a scroll." ahhhhh i like that.....so what I'm saying is I believe it is a representation of His power, dominion and control over the universe, Heaven and earth, all for His glory alone.

The second scripture I tend to lean toward the position of this being the glory of God Himself, THE Light, and as much as I've tried have not found any scripture referring to light and darkness ever being one to be separated in the first place...This made me think of the New Jerusalem where there will not be a need a need of sun or moon, the Glory of God will be sufficiant. In 2 Co 4:6 it says, God commanded the light to shine out of darkness. The light, in which any darkness is unable to exist, were separated and are never to be joined again, for what fellowship has light with darkness? 2 Co 6:14.

As far as the other question posted Friday, my answer would be yes I would and have, offended for Christ. Of course it depends on the individual and how long they have been witnessed too.....but there are times when I just have to tell someone, you know the truth, now it's time to choose.....I can't allow myself to conform to ungodliness for the sake of winning someone over, or let myself get to a place where I am in a gray area with God for the purpose of salvation. There are no gray areas with God, and I believe our time is close when we will be with Him, the last thing I would want to do is NOT offend someone into an eternity without Him. Whew...ok, love you guys and as always any comments are welcome!!!

Do we dare to offend for Christ?

2007-08-10T12:57:00.000-07:00

BLT's

2007-08-09T19:58:00.000-07:00

Ok, I have been inspired here by two dear friends of ours. The first Brent has been both friend and worship pastor to my husband and I since 2000. His wife Tammy has been one of my best friends and confidant since about the day we met. You can check both of their blogs today to see what actually inspired this as well as my new blog friend Mandy, who has some awesome interaction on Wednesdays!!!! But, they were asked to answer a "meme" about marriage, and I learned that they like to debate.....or have some intense discussions.....SO....what I want to do is....start some...
Fridays will be days that I will pose a question, or questions throughout the day that come to mind, that will help us to dig in God's word and give eachother some wisdom and insight.... I encourage some thinking and research, or if you yourself have something that is puzzeling that you would like some input....you are more than welcome to ask or share. Anyone who has been around these two for longer than 30 seconds, can see they are inseperable, so we will call this time Brent Loves Tammy or BLT's. I suppose we can say it's food for thought???? So we'll begin our BLT's tomorrow...and honestly this just came to me, so I am a bit unprepared..but here are a couple thoughts to get us started....

BLT #1 - How do you think any of our ancestors could think the world was flat after reading Isaiah 40:22?

BLT #2 - God created light in Genesis 1:3 and separated it in verse 4, yet He didn't create the "light" as we know, sun, moon until verse 14....what is the separation of light and dark refering to? (I do have my own understanding on this and would love your input)

Have fun with this, and thanks to Brent & Tam for the inspiration.....Luvs!

HUH????

2007-08-09T14:29:00.000-07:00

Ok, these were just way too cute not to share....these are actual writing from kids in church, unedited......

St. Paul covorted to Christianity. He preached the holy acrimony, which is another name for marriage.

One of the oppossums was St. Matthew who was also a taximan.

The epistles were the wives of the apostles.

The people who followed the Lord were called the 12 decibels.

When the three wise guys from the east side arrived, they found Jesus in the manager.

Solomon, one of David's sons, had 300 wives and 700 porcupines.

David was a Hebrew King skilled at playing the liar. He fought with the Finklesteins, a race of people who lived in Biblical times.

The greatest miracle in the Bible is when Joshua told his son to stand still and he did......

Moses died before he ever reached Canada. Then Joshua led the Hebrews in the battle of Geritol.

The first commandment was when Eve told Adam to eat the apple.

The Egyptions were all drowned in the dessert. Afterwards, Moses went up on Mount Cyanide to get the ten ammendments.

Moses led the Hebrews to the Red Sea, where they made unleavened bread which is bread without any ingredients.

Ya just gotta love em'..........

2007-08-07T15:08:00.000-07:00

I can't find anywhere if this is one of those photos that has been retouched or not, but this kind of visual in my thoughts make it bearable when I have to fly!!!! God is soooo good!

Jesus wasn't the only one hurt by a follower of Christ.....

2007-08-07T13:48:00.000-07:00

I ran across a quote today by Elaine Ingalls Hogg....."We are not alone in the pain we feel when others hurt and betray us. Jesus shares that experience and the emotions with us. Through Him we overcome...." As a Christian sister, when I am hurt by another believer, my heart wants to forgive & forget, to rise above the situation, but at times, it just drags me down. During those times, when people choose to look the other way as our paths were crossing, or when I wake up in the middle of the night, mulling things over again in my mind, I can experience tears and even a sense of loss. But then, we're in good company when that happens....Jesus was hurt too. He was openly rejected by the world...When He was in the Garden of Gethsemane, the apostle Peter cut off the ear of Malcus. According to Luke 22:51, Jesus said, "No more of this!" Then He touched the man's ear and healed him. We can have this healing too. I don't know if we can ever really forget things completely, but the dictionary says that forgetting is leaving behind....and with God's help we can. I think if we truly are in tune with Him, we'll hear Him say "No more of this!" and in His presence feel Him reach down and bless us with His healing touch. Then we will be able to follow His word in Colossians 3:13, "Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you" Amen

Worship is the heart of it....

2007-08-06T20:13:00.000-07:00

Since January, the Lord has really freed me up in my worship. My church allows me to stand, sit, kneel or lay before my Lord, and I in return am able to enter into that place where I can let go, and ready my heart to receive God's word. While we have an outrageously gifted worship team, they will be the first to tell you that the "music" is not where the worship is, it's the heart. I have ran across a couple of people recently who stopped coming to our church because of the style or loudness of music. It breaks my heart because they aren't getting the true meaning of that time that is set aside. We have had some good conversations, and I pray they give it another chance, but I truly can't imaging the early Christians saying, "I just can't worship when we use one of David's new Psalms," or "the timbrel was so loud in worship this morning! Someone needs to to talk to Asaph about it."
Worship does not require a song, it requires a heart. Job laid in the dust. Isaiah trembled and worshipped in awe. David, well, OK I'm not THAT freed up...yet...LOL They had awesome, one on One spiritual experiences, because of the heartfelt worship, the emptying of themselves that caused it. If we could only learn to empty ourselves, our pre conceived notions of how things should be, it's then that we can experience worship without restraint, and ask our Father to just breathe His spirit into us. That's true life, the lower we bow, the higher we are lifted.

My gift of God...

2007-08-05T21:00:00.001-07:00

My husband and I decided to take his mom to church this morning. She had a severe stroke July 5th, and things just haven't been quite the same. She is in a local nursing home, trying to rehabilitate as much as possible, then we will bring her to a more private and personable setting. She never looked close to her 88 years until recently. Never been in a hospital before, only to visit and encourage others, just a jewel from God. Today we sat while the old hymns were sung and just looked around the vast room, full of people who have lived such long lives, and seem to have just been forgotten. A number of them were already worn out and sleeping after only having been up a couple hours. I clung to my Mom, and held her in her chair, listening to her soft babbling that just weeks before had been such Godly wisdom and advice. "I love you Mom," I said over and over, she smiled and held me back. A few minutes later, a woman began to cry. Jerry went to her and just held her hand. "He's all I have left" she sobbed and just laid her head on Jerry, "He's all you need" he said. Her crying stopped and she lifted her head and smiled through her tears at him. "Sometimes you just need to hear that," she said, and the four of us sat through the rest of the service just content in His presence. We took them back to their rooms and got them ready for lunch, and when we were ready to leave, our new friend stopped us and said, "He's closer than you think." We took that with us the rest of today, and promised each other, that no matter what He has for us this week, we would stand on His word, and know, He is all we need and He's closer than we think.

"Will you..."seems to run in family right now...

2007-07-30T18:43:00.000-07:00

Ok, after a brief recovery period, our eldest son decided to let us know that he too, in fact will be marrying his main squeeze......we couldn't be happier....she is a beautiful girl.

He announced this over lunch at Red Lobster, where he was pretty quiet. When I finally asked what was up, he said he was nervous because he was going to ask Lindsey to marry him. Ok, after I recovered from the fact that he didn't ask ME first, (of course I never let on) I asked why he would be nervous. Of course the obvious, she might say no. Now as a parent, the fact that someone, anyone would reject a perfect child such as your own is just not something that crosses your mind. But this was really a struggle for our Steve, so with a little reassurance and encouragement, he left his Mommy to ask his girl to be his wife. Of course she said yes and all is wonderful, but it made me stop and think. There are times when there is such insecurity in my life, and I go to the Father before a ministry, and ask Him, what if they say no? What if they don't like me....He is so faithful at wrapping His huge cosmic arms around me and just loving me into submission to the things He has called me to do. What a precious moment it was to pass that love to my nervous son......showing our kids God's love, unconditional and everlasting love...is so important. Thank you Lord, i love you.

EEK, I've been tagged!!!!!

2007-07-27T16:26:00.000-07:00

My buddy Tammers tagged me.....I'm a little worried, I don't know 5 other bloggers yet, but we'll give it a try!

5 things I wanna do before I die:

1. Help my Mom understand true forgiveness and grace.
2. Travel with my hubby and spread God's word
3. Help others live their dream
4. Feel as good about myself physically as I do Spiritually
5. Take my family someplace tropical for a couple weeks!!!!

5 things I can do:

1. Make people laugh
2. Worship from the heart
3. Type 73 WPM
4. Talk my way out of speeding tickets...
5. Put others needs before mine

5 things I cannot do:

1. Take excuses when there needs to be accountability
2. Be intimidated to not share my faith
3. Watch someone I love hurt...I have to fix it!!!
4. A triple summersault on the trampoline....
5. Sleep during the day

5 things that make a man attractive to me:

1. His love and commitment to the Lord
2. Big bear hugs!!!!!
3. Awesome sense of humor
4. Laughing eyes
5. Encourager

5 celebrities I crush on:

Hmmmmmm Celebrity: a famous or celebrated person. I celebrate my hubby and never consider crushing on other men.....so Jerry, Jerry, Jerry, Jerry, Jerry. He is my everything!!!!

WOW...ok, now five tags...I don't know 5 other tags that haven't done this...so if you happen to stop by, have fun!!!

Thanks Tammers

Happy Birthday to YOOOOUUUUU!!!!

2007-07-26T16:59:00.000-07:00

WOW!!! I'm pretty glad right now that Mikey doesn't get a lot of computer access, he would probably be on the phone as soon as this is posted. But today we are celebrating!!!! Our "baby" turns 19 today, and it's the first birthday that we won't be able to spoil him rotten and tell him face to face how much we love him. He is a priceless treasure in our lives and has brought us alot of joy over the years. Right now he is stationed at Fort Polk, Louisiana with his bride of 41 days Miss Katie. Jer & I have gone from Mom & Dad to Ma & Pop and he'll tell you there is no better food than fried pickles and sweet tea... When you talk to him, he'll be the first to tell you how he felt called by the Lord to be a warrior, and it's in Him that he trusts for all things. Any parent who reads this knows how that will make your heart soar...

Today has been hard, alot of memories, alot of "where has the time gone" thoughts, and unashamed tears while missing our boy. Today is our day to celebrate his life, so I wanted to share that with you. His favorite scripture is Psalm 144:1&2, "Blessed be the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle - My lovingkindness and my fortress, my high tower and my deliverer, my shield and the One in whom I take refuge, who subdues my people under me." If you think of him, please pray for him, and all of our soldiers. We love you son, Happy Birthday!!! Love, Ma

The heart of a servant...

2007-07-25T08:27:00.000-07:00

My husband and I just had a wonderful couple of days with some Lovin the Lord cowboys in California. My husband plays the fiddle and I love to lead worship, so the Lord has blessed us with an incredible ministry with a great group of people. My flavor of music is more modern, Hillsongish type worship, but somehow we seem to balance eachother out!!!!! And the cowboys are likin it!

Anyway, we learned the importance of having the heart of a servant, we've all heard this, but I guess it never meant so much to me as this time of teaching. We focused on the Cana wedding..the water into wine. Have you ever been asked to do something just totally off the wall? How is your servants heart when that happens. There have been times when I just let someone else deal with something, or not stay after to help clean up etc. and those are the times that you can really miss out! If you really want to get to know a pastor, spend time with them when they aren't "on". That's the real blessing...our purpose when we are around another brother or sister, regardless of their gifting, should be to lift them up andto help them be the best they can be, in whatever situation they are in. That usually means menial tasks or grunt work, but look at the wedding story. In John 2:1-11 the story reveals that it was the servants that Jesus spoke to. It says the first of His miraculous signs, Jesus performed and thus revealed His Glory and the disciples put their faith in Him. The people who came away most blessed and witnessed God's glory were the servants. It's gotten me back to thinking about how many times I've been just helping out, and prayed with someone, or listened to a fear, or caught a piece of equipment that would have fallen. So much opportunity comes with a servants heart. I just want to encourage you today, to be the servant, not worry about being noticed, you can be certain that you are being noticed by the One that matters most. Even if you never hear a thank you here, when we get home, we'll hear "Well done, good and faithful servant".

Yes, we love to laugh....

2007-07-20T18:40:00.000-07:00

Ok, so sometime witnessing becomes confusion when you just can't understand how people can arrive where they are in their thought process.....today's hurdle, Christians are boring and don't know how to laugh or have fun.......that statement itself made me break into hysterical laughter....our home is filled with laughter, practical jokes and lots of smiles. We know by looking at the Platypus and the fact that men have nipples that God DOES have a sense of humor!!!! For all of you who haven't laughed in awhile, here's a story for ya....
A minister decided to do something a little different one Sunday, and told the congregation that when he said a word to start singing a worship song that came to mind. First word was cross.....it didn't take long before people broke out in The Old Rugged Cross, next word, grace....of course Amazing Grace broke out in no time, then he shocked his congregation by saying "sex". Everyone began to squirm in their seat and a good 5 minutes passed before an elderly couple stood up in the back and began singing Precious Memories.....

Ok, now that's funny!!!! When we learn to laugh at ourselves we'll be able to help others laugh as well....Christians don't have fun? Not where I come from...

I've been inspired.....

2007-07-19T13:39:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you just have to wait and be inspired to write something....I've had fun keeping up with a couple friends the last couple of days, so I haven't been too faithful at writing.....but a new blogging friend, Mandy, got me to thinking about beauty, real beauty.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "The age of a woman doesn't mean a thing. The best tunes are played on the oldest fiddles." Considering my husband plays the fiddle, I could really relate.....and that's great if your strings aren't springing from all the wrong places or your tailpiece isn't hanging too low.

Didn't God create us to be beautiful on the inside? How do we get so wrapped up in the fleshy stuff that the world ( which we are suppose to be in but not part of) says is beauty. Yes, I know, we are suppose to take care of the "temple" that we have been entrusted, and recently my son freshly out of boot-camp has more than inspired his Dad and I to get in shape. Join the gym? Possibly, but personally I find the showers and their postage stamp towel size to be a humiliating experience of peek-a-boo. It's kind of like Tommy the Towelmaker made towels with a bunch of pygmy adolescents suffering from eating disorders..... AND I usually spend my short walk from the shower to the locker doing a spastic dance with my towel snapping around me.

Anyway, I have reached a point in my walk with the Lord, that He has shown me that He loves me regardless of if I have the latest style of hair, perfect weight, trendy clothes, but also that He would love for me to be the best the He has created me to be. Spiritually, my husband and I are in a good place, and yes we are beginning a no sugar, healthy eating regime, as well as walking etc. We just had to wait for the Lord's timing to get us there.....just like anything else. I'll let you know how it's going......

You get what you expect.....

2007-07-16T21:04:00.000-07:00

How many times do we go to church expecting God to do a work in us? Honestly, this last weekend was one of those times, and I got what I came for. My husband and I attend Table Rock Fellowship and I can honestly say we never come away from there regretting the decision to attend. The thing that was convicting to me was when Pastor Tom began to ask if we believed what we actually read in the paper......we all felt very proud of ourselves, no hands were raised. "OK," he asked, "how about on TV, do any of you believe what you see on TV?" Again, no brainer......hands stayed down. Next question, "Radio? Anyone believe what you hear on the radio?" OK, people are beginning to feel a set up, squirmy behinds filled the room, still no hands went up......Then, he held up the Bible. "How about this?"he asked. "Anyone believe what is in this?" Harmless question, everyone smiled nodded and hands went up everywhere. "Why then, do we spend so much time with things we don't even believe, and little time with the one thing we say we completely believe in?" Immediate eye opening experience....one of those life lessons that will stick with me for a very long time to come. God wants to come first in all things.....I don't always do that, but am so much more aware of how valuable our time is together.....

It's so good to have a Lord who isn't sitting there with a big stick when He wants our attention, He's so quick to forgive our shortcomings, when He just gently steers us where He wants us to go.

I just love Him so......

Monkey see monkey do........

2007-07-14T18:51:00.001-07:00

Ok, so I do have a slight sense of humor.......for some reason this just got my funny bone. I really don't have anything spectacular to write, except the fact that God just continues to amaze me every day with His unconditional love and the vastness of his patience and understanding. I suppose if I had to list a reason for this blog, first and foremost is to bring God glory...so my hope is that it is viewed by the believer and non-believer alike. I believe God is bigger than any problem or circumstance you may be facing right now and yes, He is a know-it-all and has ALL of the answers. I encourage anyone who doesn't know Him yet to have a chat with Him and begin your new adventure with the One who created you. He loves you right where you are, and enough to not leave you there. For those brothers and sisters who DO know Him, just praise Him.