A Praying Child

Once last week and once this week, Dasia prayed out loud asking God what we should do when faced with two alternatives to two different issues.  I was surprised both times at her boldness to pray on her own about what we were facing.  Both times, when she finished praying, she immediately stated what she believed God had answered.  I am thankful that she is learning to talk to God so openly and learning how to walk with God.  I was encouraged by hearing her prayers!

Scripture Sunday

  

 I am not controlled by what people think of me.  As long as God is satisfied with me, I am satisfied.  

1 Corinthians 4:3-4

God has been reminding me of this scripture a lot this week.  This is one of the verses that I selected to write on an index card and tape to my refrigerator.  It is important to remember that you only need to be concerned with what God wants you to be.  Isn't it nice to know that it doesn't really matter what other people think?  They can have their opinions, but the only opinion that matters is God's.

It is Day 16 of my reading thru the Bible in a year plan.  If you would like to read thru the Bible this year, try One Year Bible OnLine.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”   Matthew 11:28-30

A walk with God is like a breath of fresh air.  Let Him carry your burdens!

A God Hug

Yesterday, after a little bit of a rough day, I got a great big hug from God.  I love His hugs.  I could feel His presence all over me and could hear His encouraging words very clear.  His "hugs" as I like to call them come with a wonderful feeling of peace.  The presence of God is an amazing thing.

Read Thru the Bible with Me

Welcome to Day 15 of reading thru the Bible in a year.  The plan I selected to use is One Year Bible OnLine.  If you would like to start a one year reading plan, then check out the link above.  You can enter the date that you want to start reading and the plan will be customized so that you can start reading at the beginning of the plan.  You can also choose which translation you would like to read. 

Pee and Presents

After several hours of shopping, the kids and I went to Target looking for good deals on some birthday presents for two parties coming up in the next two weeks.  Dylan was getting very sleepy and asked for something to lay on.  I picked up a pillow and settled him in the back of the cart.  Since he took up all of the room, I put the birthday presents and other things we were going to buy under the cart.  We were headed to check out when Dylan woke up and said, "I need to pee."  I looked down at him and noticed his pants were wet, too wet to keep them on.  I didn't bring any extra clothes in with me because he hasn't been having accidents.  So, I quickly picked out a new shirt and pair of shorts and we headed to the bathroom.  I put him on the toilet, but he wasn't able to go anymore.  I thought that was odd.  I got his clothes changed and we got in line to check out.  I started to put the items on the counter and realized that some of the presents were wet, not a little wet, really wet.  I then realized why he couldn't go anymore earlier.  Pee was all over everything!  I even had to pour it out of the box of a Chuck Truck Race Set.  Oh well, at least I kept my cool and didn't get upset!  Looks like Dylan is getting a Chuck toy for his birthday now.  He's very excited about it!

Read Thru the Bible with Me

 

My day started and continued to be very busy, so I am just now getting to my Bible reading for the day.  This is Day 14 of the One Year Bible OnLine reading plan that I selected.

 Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding. For wisdom is more profitable than silver, and her wages are better than gold. Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.   Proverbs 3:13-15

Loving Your Husband

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This year for Valentine's Day, I gave my husband a few ideas on some things that I would like for a present.  I suggested pajamas from Target or a purse.  I would have been happy with just some new pajamas, but he did much better than that.  He gave me a purse which he said I could exchange for a different one and some workout pants and matching shirt.  I told him I was going to exchange the purse.  He said the receipt was on my nightstand.  When I picked up the receipt the total was much more than I would have spent.  Immediately, I thought about saying something and taking some of it back.  However, God spoke to me and said that I should not say anything.  Dale had picked out the gifts and I was not to complain about the price.  And, I loved the pants and shirt that he picked out!  I chose to obey God and enjoy the gifts from my husband.  Sometimes loving your spouse can be as simple as enjoying something that they give you and not offering unnecessary opinions!


                                                        

Read Thru the Bible with Me

Welcome to Day 13 of reading thru the Bible.  You can read along with me using the reading plan at One Year Bible OnLine.

The passage today from Genesis is where Isaac blessed Jacob and then sent him to Paddan-aram to find a wife.  Have you ever thought about blessing your children?

Shh, Don't Sing the Words

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Words are powerful!  It's true that your life is greatly affected by the words that you speak.  Yes, you can harm or encourage others by the words spoken to them and about them, but your words can also affect the direction of your life.  In the scripture below, your tongue is compared to the bit in a horse's mouth.  The bit is used to change the direction of the horse.  Therefore, your tongue is used to change your direction.  Try it!  Speak forth positively in areas where you normally speak negatively and see what happens!

When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.  Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.  Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. James 3:3-6

When I began paying attention to what I was saying, I became aware of a song that we often sang at church.  I really like the song, but refuse to sing the first two lines.  After a while of me purposely not singing the first two lines of this song, Dale finally joined in.  We sit quietly until the 3rd line and then join in. Following is the first verse so you can see what I am talking about.  

I'm satisfied with just a cottage below,
A little silver and a little gold;
But in that city where the ransomed will shine,
I want a gold one that's silver-lined. 

I don't want just a cottage and a little money here on earth.  I want to be blessed and live life abundantly!    

Making Easter Special

This year in order to make Easter more memorable for my children, I have decided to do several things that represent Easter during the weeks before the holiday.  We put up a few Easter decorations last week.  We were at the mall Friday and waved at the Easter bunny.  Dylan covered his face with his hands at first, but told me later that he waved when we were leaving.  We have been reading Easter books in the evenings before bed and reading the Bible stories in our children's Bibles about Jesus being crucified and rising from the dead.  Today, we made Easter cupcakes - purple cupcakes with pink icing and Easter sprinkles.  Do you do anything special to recognize the wonderful miracle of Easter?

Money and My Walk with God

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I believe that in order to truly walk with God, you need to give Him every area of your life.  This takes time and as we grow closer to God, we are able to turn over more areas to His control.  As you've probably heard before, God mentions money many times in the Bible.  Since I began truly walking with God when I graduated from college, I began to tithe.  Dale and I have continued to tithe since that time.  We also believe that God has asked us to give to a few ministries on a monthly basis in addition to tithing to our local church.  Throughout this time, God has always provided us for us financially.  We have not always had a great abundance, but all of our bills get paid, we have everything we "need" and we have been able to do fun things with our family.

However, we are not living in the overflow blessing that we believe God has for us.  We are believing and praying that God will put us in a financial position that we will have an abundance to meet needs when He shows us where to give. 

Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce.   Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine.  Proverbs 3:9-10

This past year we have done a lot of remodeling to our home which has resulted in some financial "emotional" stress.  As of January, we had acquired three 0% interest balances on credit cards that would be due this summer.  Realizing that we were not in the financial position that God has called us to be, we began to pray that He would show us what to do to get these bills paid off and that He would provide favor to do it quickly.  We are asking God to place us in the position of overflow in order to bless others and give glory to Him.  As of this month, two of those bills are gone and one remains.  Praise God!  

I want to encourage you to invite God into your financial matters.  He cares and has great plans for you. 

Read Thru the Bible with Me

 

Welcome to Day 12 of reading thru the Bible.  You can read along with me at One Year Bible OnLine.  I pray that God blesses your life as you study His Word.  

Honor the Lord with your wealth
    and with the best part of everything you produce.

Then he will fill your barns with grain,
    and your vats will overflow with good wine.   Proverbs 3:9-10 

Read Thru the Bible with Me

It is Day 11 in the Bible reading plan.  You can join me in reading the Bible in a year at One Year Bible OnLine.

Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom.
    Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. 

 Then you will have healing for your body
    and strength for your bones.   Proverbs 3:7-8

Do You Ever Lose It?

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I used to lose it every single day and often every few hours or so it seemed.  Over the past year, the Lord has changed me (and still is, praise God!).  But, on occasion, I lose it!  Friday, Saturday, and today, nothing seemed to go as planned.  We had unexpected difficulties getting groceries, a couple unexpected drop ins on Saturday, an extra shift at work for Dale and a birthday party right after church this morning.  While we were at the birthday party, Dylan (my 2 year old), accidentally peed on me while he was using the toilet.  Anyway, when we finally arrived home today, both of my kids wanted to play outside.  I stayed outside to watch them while Dale went in to take a nap. 

I asked the kids if they were ready to go inside and of course they said no.  I greatly desired to go in the house and do some house work.  Well, we stayed outside.  Dylan then had a potty accident.  As I was helping him take off his clothes, I lost it.  I complained that the kids had stayed outside too long (but I permitted it), I was mad that they had mud on their shoes (but I didn't make them change into their old shoes when we got home) and just irritated in general.  After awhile, I gained control of my mouth and apologized to my little sweethearts explaining that mommy should have made them come inside earlier knowing that I needed some time in the house. 

In the past, I would have "fits" like this and had a difficult time stopping and didn't understand why I was so upset.  However, the Lord has revealed to me that I am in charge of my life.  I can decline invitations if I need to in order to keep my peace.  Just because someone suggests I go somewhere, does not mean that I have to attend.  Being a mommy has helped open up my eyes to this problem area in my life.  Many times, I let the kids do something because they insist and then I am frustrated afterwards because I really needed to do something different in order to keep my sanity (or peace).  Knowing why I got upset, makes it a lot easier to calm down and to make better decisions in the future.  I praise God that although I lost it today, He is setting me free by revealing the truth as to why I "lose" it sometimes.

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”   John 8:31-32

Read Thru the Bible with Me

Welcome to Day 10 of reading thru the Bible in a year.  If you are interested in reading the whole Bible in a year and would like some encouragement and reminders, join me!  I am praying that God increases my faith and yours as we read thru the Bible this year.

⁵ When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer^[b] came and pleaded with him, ⁶ “Lord, my young servant^[c] lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.”

⁷ Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.”
⁸ But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. ⁹ I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.”  Matthew 8:5-9


Did you catch what the Roman officer said to Jesus in the verses above?  He said that he knew his servant would be healed if Jesus only said the word.  But what I found interesting was his explanation that followed.  He understood authority and chains of command.  Jesus is over all.  The sickness would leave the man based on the authority of Jesus.  It had to go. 
 

Read Thru the Bible with Me

Welcome to day 9 of reading thru the Bible.  The plan I am using is One Year Bible OnLine.  Following is a part of the reading for today.
  
Building on a Solid Foundation

²⁴ “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. ²⁵ Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. ²⁶ But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. ²⁷ When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”   Matthew 7:24-27

When life gets tough, I take comfort in Jesus.  He will not leave me!  It helps me so much to know that I am loved by God and not alone no matter how alone I may feel.  The scripture above is very important in my walk with God.  My life is very different since I have started "building on a solid foundation". 

Applying Scripture in My Walk with God

The scripture reading for today included the following verse:

 “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.  Matthew 7:12

I took Dasia and Dylan to a gymnastics play date this morning.  I try to watch Dylan closely because I am just not sure how well he will treat the other kids.  Sometimes he can be a little rough.  Just a little while after we arrived, I was standing pretty close to Dylan, but not looking at him and I hear a pretty loud and scary roar.  Immediately, a little boy starts crying pretty hard.  This is a wonderful application for the verse above.  We should all treat others as we would like to be treated.  (not as Dylan did!) 

Read Thru the Bible with Me

Good morning and welcome to day 8 of reading thru the bible.  The reading plan that I am using is One Year Bible OnLine.  I pray that the Word today speaks to your heart!

Hearing God

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I started what I would call really walking with God when I was 22.  I struggled with hearing God talk to me, but I definitely could hear Satan.  Almost every time that I was in the car, Satan would talk to me.  I would hear in my head, "just run off the road and then it will be over, no more troubles".  As I studied the Word by reading the Bible, reading Christian Living books and listening to teaching tapes, God's voice became stronger than Satan's.  Eventually, Satan stopped telling me to run off the road.  After listening to Satan put me down for all those years, I was surprised when I had a "good thought".  I remember being in my kitchen one morning and I thought "something good is going to happen to me".  It was strange since I had lived with bad thoughts for so long, but I was excited.  God was changing me by changing my thinking.  He would love to help you too!

Read Thru the Bible with Me

Have you ever read all the way thru the Bible?  I have started a few times, but never finished it.  If you would like a daily reminder and encouragement that you are not reading alone, join me to read thru the Bible in a year.  The reading plan that I am using is One Year Bible OnLine.  Today's reading is Day 7 (Jan 7).  The scripture I would like to share from today's reading is Matthew 6:22-23.

²² “Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. ²³ But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!

Did you notice that it says that you could think you have light, but that it may actually be darkness?  It is important to be aware that Satan could have you deceived in some areas in your life.  For me, I believe there are areas where I do not see things the way they actually are.  As I walk with God, I ask Him to change me and make me aware of areas where I need to grow in Him.   

"Captivating"

I wanted to share a little more from the book that I am reading.  It is Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge.  This is the first book that I have read by either one of the authors.  I am really enjoying the things that I am learning from them.  They are bringing a fresh perspective to some things in the Bible.  The following is what I wanted to share with you today.

From Captivating:
            There is an initial step, the first step of this, which we call salvation.  We hear Christ knocking and we open our hearts to him as Savior.  It is the first turning.  But the principle of this "knocking and waiting for permission to come in" remains true well into our Christian life.
            You see, we all pretty much handle our brokenness in the same way-we mishandle it.  It hurts too much to go there.  So we shut the door to that room in our hearts, and we throw away the key......But that does not bring healing.....
            In order to experience his healing, we must also give him permission to come in to the places we have so long shut to anyone........Give him permission.  Give him access to your broken heart.  Ask him to come to these places. 


I know it can be difficult to face things that have hurt you in the past, but God really wants to heal your broken heart.  The result of his healing is a much better life for you. 

Read Thru the Bible with Me

Good morning!  It is Day 6 of the read thru the Bible reading plan.  May God use His Word to change your life.  Here is the link for Day 6 (January 6) if you would like to read along with me this year.  One Year Bible OnLine

And Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD counted him as righteous because of his faith. Genesis 15:6

Let's believe the Lord, as Abram did and stand amazed at the changes God will make in your life!

Use Your Head

I was planning on posting another excerpt from the book "Captivating" but I misplaced it somewhere in our house.  After two days of looking, I decided to use my head and think through where else I could have laid it.  I found it! 

Read Thru the Bible with Me

Day 5 of reading thru the Bible in a year.  Here is the link to today's scripture readings at One Year Bible OnLine.  As you read thru the scripture each day, ask God to reveal His truth to you and become even more real in your life.  Here is one of the verses from today's readings, "God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs."  Matthew 5:3.  This is why I love the Word of God.  It is so powerful!  The point that speaks to me today in this verse is those who realize their need for God.  If you don't realize your need for God, there isn't much He can do to help you.  And, He does WANT to help you!

Know Your Weaknesses

My mind has been full of things that I wanted to share with you over the past few days.  But right now, I am exhausted.  The kids are too, so I think we have been a little too busy lately.  One of my weaknesses is being tired.  When I am very tired, the "grouch" comes out (as my little girl puts it).  So, it is best that I give up and rest at that point.  Know your weak areas because Satan already knows them and he loves to use them against you!

Read Thru the Bible with Me

Day #4 of my first year to successfully read all the way thru the Bible.  Praying that God opens up my eyes and heart to things that I need to let Him change in me.  If you would like some encouragement and reminders for daily Bible reading, join me as I read thru the Bible and enjoy my walk with God.

Psalm 4
⁶ Many people say, “Who will show us better times?”
      Let your face smile on us, LORD.
 ⁷ You have given me greater joy
      than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine.
 ⁸ In peace I will lie down and sleep,
      for you alone, O LORD, will keep me safe.

Let Me Take Care of That

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While driving to my parent's house after church today, I asked my husband, Dale, if he had decided anything about homeschooling or if God had spoken to him yet.  He said that he had thought about it and was concerned about the children having friends if they were home schooled.  I start presenting my arguments and in the midst of that I heard God say that it was not my responsibility to convince Dale, let Me take care of that.  Whatever the decision ends up being, I take comfort in the fact that God will take care of us.  Just sharing my walk with God with you!

Read Thru the Bible With Me

 

This is Day 3 of my reading thru the Bible plan.  If you would like to join me in reading thru the Bible this year, the plan I am following is One Year Bible OnLine.  The passage I would like to mention from today's reading was Matthew4 - The Temptation of Jesus.  Jesus was a great example to us in this scripture of the necessity of speaking back to Satan.  It is extremely important to not listen to Satan and instead to fight him with the Word.  Speak the truth!

My Absolute Favorite Fiction Author

Over the past year, I have become hooked on Karen Kingsbury books.  I love the stories that she writes.  It is so easy to get caught up in each book and I've read several!  But, what I wanted to share today is one of my favorite parts of the books she writes.  At the beginning of each book, Karen writes a Dedication section.  When I first started reading her books, I cried all the way through the Dedication pages.  In that section, she writes a letter to her husband and each of her children.  She writes a little about the activities they are involved in, but she talks mostly about their hearts for God and how proud she is of them.  I definitely can't do it justice, but I feel in my heart that this is very important.  I am planning on doing this for my children.  I thought I would write letters to them and keep them in their Baby Books for when they are older.  I have not started, but I will do it.  At least, one per year, but possibly more.  If you are looking for some different books to read, check out Karen Kingsbury.  In every book, the characters demonstrate their own walk with God.  I love the lifting of my faith that happens as I read through the books.

Read Thru the Bible with Me

Day 2 of reading thru the Bible.  Here's the link to the reading plan I selected if you want to read thru the Bible in one year with me.  One Year Bible OnLine  Praying that everyone who decides to read thru the Bible will be changed powerfully by the Word of God!

Read Thru the Bible with Me

As I felt God leading me to start this blog, I believed that He was asking me to be very open.  I am to share what it is like for me to walk with God.  That includes the things that I do right and wrong.  That being said, I have never read all the way thru the Bible.  I also drink too much Diet Coke and eat an abnormal amount of chocolate chips!

I believe it is very important to know the Word of God.  How can you fight Satan without it?  My favorite thing to do is read Christian Living books from Joyce Meyer and other Christian authors, such as Neil Anderson and Beth Moore.  I definitely learn the Word from those books, however, it is time to finally read all the way thru the Bible.

I am going to start my reading plan today and if you want to read along with me for encouragement and support, here is the link to the plan I selected. One Year Bible OnLine  Remember, spending time in the Word is important in your walk with God.

Enjoy the Little Things

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Years ago, I felt stressed every day and was unable to enjoy life very much.  I rarely, if at all, noticed the little things that God did for me.  Today, one of the things that God has blessed with me is the ability to get very excited about little things and to take great enjoyment with things others may consider silly (coupons, hair bows, great deals, etc.).  Anyway,  yesterday the kids and I walked in the door to the Kidsignment sale to drop off clothes for the sale.  When I walked in the door, a lady asked if I wanted her to help me put my clothes on the racks.  I said, "You want to help me?!  Yes, I'll take some help!"  I was overjoyed for the help!  Actually, I did not have to put anything away at all.  Usually, it takes about 30 minutes to lay out the shoes and hang up the clothes and keep my two little ones happy.  I felt very loved by God to have been given an extra 30 minutes in my day!  I'm so thankful for the changes God has made in me as I have traveled on my walk with God.

You Are Important to God

I had a wonderful day with my two children.  We spent an hour or so enjoying the weather at a park in town.  The kids loved it.  There were only three other children there when we first arrived.  After a few minutes, Dasia introduced herself to the other children.  They listened to her for a few minutes and then went to the equipment on the other side of the park.  She and Dylan followed a few minutes later and again tried to be friendly to the kids and join in playing with them.  Again, the other children quickly went to the other side of the park.  I told Dasia I was proud of her for being friendly to the other kids.  I told her I noticed that they kept leaving.  She said, "And I followed them."  I felt like she didn't catch on that they were trying to avoid her, which I am glad.  It saddens me to realize how adults and children treat each other.  But, it just makes me more thankful that God loves each of us and desires to spend time with us.  He would never walk to the other side of the park to avoid you!

I believe that in order for faith and dependence on God to be passed on from parents to children, it is important that the children are able to see the parent's faith.  We all know that children watch how their parents behave and hear the words they speak.  Here are a few ideas for sharing a visible faith with your children.

Pray out loud with your children.  I have found that if someone calls me asking for prayer or mentioning a need of someone else, it is a good opportunity to have Dasia and Dylan immediately pray with me.  To me, that is faith in action and something visible that the children can see.  I also try to remember to pray out loud sometimes during the day for the things God lays on my heart.

Read your Bible when the children can see you reading it. 

When the children get upset or hurt, pray with them.

Dasia noticed the scripture cards I had placed in the bathroom the other day and asked me what it was.  What a great moment to share my walk with God with her!

Thankful for the Husband God Gave Me

It seems that over the past year, God has changed many things in me that I did not even realize were there.  A little over a year ago, God made a way for me to become a full-time stay at home mom.  I love it.  It is a dream come true to get to be home with my little sweethearts.  What I did not expect, was that by staying at home God would be able to change me more than He did when I was working.  I was so wrapped up in being busy and blaming circumstances for being rushed and upset, that I could not see that the problem was within me.  Anyway, when I did not have anything to blame for being upset, I could clearly see that the problem was me.  As I asked God to change me admitted that the problem was me, I have been filled with so much peace and joy.  In the midst of that, I have been able to see what a wonderful husband God provided to me almost nine years ago.  I cannot stress enough the importance of asking God to change you.  Your life and walk with God will be so much better.

"Captivating"

Something I thought I would share from the book I am currently reading.

From "Captivating - Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul" by John and Stasi Eldridge -

"You really won't understand your life as a woman until you understand this:
          You are passionately loved by the God of the universe.
          You are passionately hated by his Enemy.

And so, dear heart, it is time for your restoration.  For there is One greater than your Enemy.  One who has sought you out from the beginning of time.  He has come to heal your broken heart and restore your feminine soul.  Let us turn to him now. "


I'm very thankful for the restoration power of God.  I'm amazed at the changes He can make in people's lives when they are willing to receive Him.  Praying that you find this restoration in your life as you walk with God.

Scripture Index Cards

Here are the scriptures I have written on index cards to put up in our bathroom and kitchen to help us keep the Word in our hearts. 

Whatever is not of faith is sin.   Romans 14:23

My faith does not rest in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.  1 Corinthians 2:5

Whoever says to this mountain be lifted up and thrown into the sea and does not doubt at all in his heart but believes that what he says will take place, it will be done for him.   Mark 11:23

I am not controlled by what people think of me.  As long as God is satisfied with me, I am satisfied. 
1 Corinthians 4:3-4

Words - Powerful or Not?

I hear people say or write often that basically actions speak louder than words.  While I completely agree that if you say something positive, but do not follow through with actions, your words are meaningless.  However, in the process of emphasizing the importance of your actions, I wonder if we sometimes lessen the importance of words. 

Words are powerful, whether the words are positive, negative, spoken or written.  In the technological age that we live in, it appears that written words are becoming a large part of our communication system.  (ie. email, texting, blogging, Facebook, etc.)  Words have the power to create life and death.  Just take a look at the first book of the Bible, Genesis.  God did some amazing things with the words that he spoke. 

We all need to be conscious of the words that we speak to others.  You have the power to speak life to someone, to lift them up, to encourage them and to bring forth good things in their lives by the positive words that you speak forth. I am praying that God guards my mouth and teaches me to speak forth life to others everyday as I travel onward on my walk with God.


The power of life and death are in the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it.  Proverbs 18:21

A word fitly spoken and in due season is like apples of gold in settings of silver.  Proverbs 25:11

Out of the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.  The good man from his inner good treasure flings forth good things, and the evil man out of his inner evil storehouse flings forth evil things.  Matthew 12:34-35

A few weeks ago, I felt God leading me to write scripture on index cards and place in high traffic areas around our home to help me keep the Word in my heart.  I have done this in the past, but not presently.  This is a great way to help you memorize scripture and hold yourself accountable.  It is hard to avoid when you see it all the time!  I will be doing this over the weekend to encourage my walk with God.

God's Love for You

As I watch my children grow and begin to do more things on their own, I feel my heart swell with emotion.  I feel a lot of joy and a little sadness that the baby days are ending.  But I am reminded of the love that God has for His children and the joy that He feels as He watches them grow and take steps toward the life that He desires for them.

 I woke up this morning to rain and lots of it. I really wished that we did not have to go grocery shopping.  I was a little aggravated with myself that I had not checked the weather and went earlier in the week.  I considered skipping it today and going tomorrow, but we were going to run out of milk and Diet Coke.  And that could spell disaster for this little family.  In the past, I would have loaded up my little sweethearts and went shopping although I would have done it in a bad mood.  Thanks to my wonderful Savior, today I had a different attitude.  Realizing that cold and rain together could cause bad moods to flair, I asked God to give us a good day and great deals.  I also purposed in my mind to have a good attitude.  Choosing before we went that I would be joyful. 

 “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!  Deuteronomy 30:19 (NLT)

Captivating - John and Stasi Eldridge

As I mentioned earlier, I'm currently reading "Captivating, Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul" by John and Stasi Eldridge.  The book is about the hurts that women face during their lives which cause them to become something other than what God desired for them to be.  The authors describe some types of women and I can see myself in one of them.  Here's an excerpt from the book:

Like Eve after she tasted the forbidden fruit, we women hide.......We will not risk rejection or looking like a fool.  We have spoken in the past and and been met with blank stares and mocking guffaws.  We will not do it again.  We hide because we are afraid.   We have been wounded and wounded deeply.  ......To hide means to remain safe, to hurt less.  At least that's what we think......And it has never occurred to us that in all our hiding, something precious is also lost-something the world needs from us very, very much.

Until I read this book, I had never thought of myself as a "hider", but while reading this passage, I see that as part of myself.  I don't want to "hide", but to fulfill everything God has called me to do and to see others set free also.  God wants to heal you and set you free too from the past hurts that you have suffered.      

Prayer and Young Children

Over the past year, we have been encouraging Dasia, who is 4 1/2, to occasionally say the prayer over our meals.  She was hardly ever interested in praying before the meal until a few weeks ago.  The kids and I were at Lifeway and we found a DVD titled, "Milo, The Mantis Who Wouldn't Pray" by Max Lucado.  So, I bought it hoping they would like to watch it.  I believe that the DVD impacted at least Dasia because shortly after she had watched it, she began singing songs from the movie and started asking if she could say the prayer.  I highly recommend Max Lucado and Veggie Tales DVDs if you have young children.  The stories are wonderful to open up God's Word to not only children but mommies and daddies too.  I am very thankful for the Christian people who have produced the children's movies and the music that help so much to encourage a child's own walk with God.

I am a mom to two young children, ages 4 1/2 and 2 1/2.  We are in the learning process of how to teach our children about God.  I thought I would share with you the things that we do in our home with the children to encourage a walk with God.  Each night, as we prepare for bed, we read and quickly discuss a story from a children's bible.  We are currently reading two bible story books, "Little Girls Bible Storybook" and "Little Boys Bible Storybook".  My mother-in-law gave these books to our children for Christmas.  The books are wonderful.  The author included discussion ideas at the end of each story and the books are written from either the woman/girl perspective or the man/boy perspective depending on who the story is about and whether the story is in the girl or boy book.  Not only are the children learning more about Jesus, but so am I.  I love how the stories are written from different points of view.  It puts the stories in a whole new light and really helps the Bible come alive.  We also pray at each meal and encourage the children to take turns praying.  Right before we tuck them in at night, we pray together as a family.  We talk about prayer needs for others and take turns praying.  Does anyone else have anything they do to encourage their little ones to walk with God?

To Be Encouraged in my Walk with God and to Grow

I love to read!  As long as I can remember, I've spent countless hours reading books.  Since I began my own walk with God, I have read many books about Christian Living.  I love to read books that encourage me in my walk with God, that help me grow closer to God and that open my eyes to things in my life that I need to let God change.  Currently, I am reading "Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul" by John and Stasi Eldridge.  Over the next couple of weeks, I'll be sharing thoughts from the book that impact me the most. 

Trouble in Sunday School

My husband pastors a very small church in the country.  As it turns out, our two children are the only ones that attend Sunday School and so, I am their teacher.  This past Sunday, we were running late to church and I noticed on the way that the children and their mommy were all just a little grouchy.  The thought crossed my mind that Satan was playing a little with us this morning.  Once we made it to our class, Dylan, who is 2 1/2, said he wanted to go see Daddy.  I told him no since Daddy was teaching the adult class.  He was not happy with my answer and as I watched him, he tightened up his fists, gritted his teeth and his whole little body shook.  I told him if he left the room, I would take away the new toy he had just received.  He climbed in his seat, but then informed me that he hated God.  Dasia, my daughter, who is 4 1/2 said, "It's ok brother, God isn't real."  I was shocked at what was transpiring and my mind was reeling as to why Dasia would say that God wasn't real.  Quickly asking God to help me, I explained to them that God was real and asked Dasia if she was saying that God wasn't real because she could not see Him.  That appeared to be her logic.  So, we discussed how you cannot see air and that it is real and we know that as we can breathe it in.  We also talked about how grandma is real but you cannot always see her unless you go to where she lives.  Dasia seemed to accept that answer and does believe that God is real, she just cannot see Him.  I'm very thankful that she was able to speak what she was thinking about and that God provided an answer when we needed it.  One of my greatest desires is to teach my children to walk with God and to watch how He chooses to use their lives to turn hearts to Jesus.

My desire in writing this blog, is not to explain how to "walk with God" or even try to define what I mean by that phrase.  Instead, I pray that by sharing my everyday life with you, God will show you what it means to "walk with God".  And, as you and I "walk with God" in our own lives, we will have a wonderful time learning who He is and how much He loves each of us!  I look forward to sharing "my own walk with God" with you.