His Personal Possession Ours

this has been an encouragement to me for quite some time. It is from a lovely devotional by Frances Ridley Havergal, the great Hymn writer who wrote "Take my life and let it be".

Here is the entry for November 24

His Personal Possession Ours

My peace I give unto you. John 14:27

"Peace I leave with you" is much; "My peace I give unto you" is more. The added word tells the fathomless marvel of the gift--"My peace."  Not merely "peace with God"; Christ has make that by the blood of His cross, and being justified by faith we have it through Him. But after we are thus reconciled, the enmity and the separation being ended, Jesus has a gift for us from His own treasures; and this is its special and wonderful value, that it is His very own.  How we value a gift which was the giver's own possession!  What a special token of intimate friendship we feel it to be!  To others we give what we have made or purchased; it is only to very near and dear ones that we give what has been our own personal enjoyment or use. And so Jesus gives us not only peace made and peace purchased, but a share in His very own peace--divine, eternal, incomprehensible peace--which dwells in His own heart as God, and which shone in splendor of calmness through His life as man. No wonder that it "passeth all understanding."

Thy reign is perfect peace;

Not mine, but Thine!--

A stream that cannot cease.

For its fountain is Thy heart. O depth unknown!

Thou givest of Thine own,

Pouring from Thine and filling mine.

The "noise of war" hath passed away;

God's peace is on the throne,

Ruling with undisputed sway.

-Frances Ridley Havergal

Lord, it is with a sincere heart that i thank You for giving me Your very own peace. this day has been a trial, yet You are always there, assuring me and loving me! thanks. For Your glory, Amen

The Sounds Of Trumpets

I am on facebook. No shock there, who isn't, right? Anyway, i am still amazed at the number of people who list every little thing that they are doing for the Lord as their status.

Our Lord Jesus said to not even let your right hand know what your left hand is doing.

"Thus, whenever you give to the poor, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites in the synagogues and in the streets like to do, that they may be recognized and honored and praised by men. Truly I tell you, they have their reward in full already. But when you give to charity, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, So that your deeds of charity may be in secret; and your Father Who sees in secret will reward you openly." MT. 6:2-4

I guess if you want people to know how great you are and be praised by men for all your service that is supposedly to the Lord, it is your loss in the end. I am not saying we can never talk about what we are doing, but for pete's sake, when status updates are telling everyone how you took your kids to Feed My Starving Children or you went shopping for Oper. Christmas Child cuz you are doing 5 boxes, or maybe you gave $10 to a homeless person, it just seems like you are boasting. What then is the motive of your service? what is your motive in telling everyone?

From what i can tell, i am not supposed to blare my good deeds. if Jesus said it, I believe it, and that settles it.

Family

YAY! I finally got the "new look" for the blog, and i am SO happy with it...hopefully you will enjoy it as well, if there is anybody left reading ;-)

I have been thinking about family, or lack thereof, and the church. For those of us with a family-of-origin that is a bit challenging, the church (the Body of Christ), becomes family. And i believe that the church has no idea how important that role is. The set of holidays that is currently upon us, Thanksgiving and Christmas, can be extremely painful for some people. Holidays present a unique opportunity for the Church to really step up and meet a tangible, felt need. How? Glad you asked!!

For those who have no one to spend Thanksgiving with, they could offer a Thanksgiving meal, ON THANKSGIVING DAY. Allow the people who are coming to eat to help prepare the food, or bring a dish to share. Then they are not alone, and they are able to participate in a meal with others. What an opportunity for community. New friendships may even be developed!! I know that we can bring people into our homes as well, but a large-scale meal at the church could be really fun.

Christmas can be very painful for some. I am not quite sure what the solution is to that, but we can be aware of those who may be experiencing a first Christmas alone, and invite them over to our homes for dessert or dinner. Maybe a spouse has passed away, or they are away from family (out of state). Maybe their extended family is very dysfunctional or hurtful, or maybe they have no one left. We, as the Body of Christ, need to be sensitive to these people.

One thing we can all do for sure is to pray for those whom we know are alone or hurting. we can love those we come across. we can meet them for coffee, or have them over to our homes for an hour. we can be Christ with skin on for them.

Some food for thought for the Thanksgiving/Christmas season.

Working it out

i am still in the process of reworking this blog. can’t seem to put my finger on what i want it to look like. thinking. thinking. thinking. i need something that is easy to keep updated. that is for sure!! 

Change is in the Air

been thinking about this blog, and about making a few tweaks to it, as i wanna get back into it. i miss it, but the kids have been time-consuming. i do love to write, so i think i am gonna revamp this blog, and see what can get done....

i am loving posting videos here!! there are so many great ones right now.

Francesca Battistelli

one of my fav's....and i DO have a couple dents in my fender!!

Mafia Wars

Facebook has games. Fine. Lots of games. Great. Some games that i am convinced Christians ought NOT to be playing.

Mafia Wars is just one of a few games that fb offers. It is all about getting people to join your ring, so that you can successfully execute the jobs you are offered, such as: taking out someone at a bank, killing another person who is going to the airport, robbing someone...on and on it goes.

Why do i have a problem with it? because i am seeing people who are "devoted" Christians get sucked in to it. really, why do you want to glorify the Mafia of all things?? and then there is the issue of life being precious. is it really glorifying to God to play a game where you are getting people together to help you kill people?

The arguement, "but it is just a game" doesn't fly either. I am tired of it. maybe i am "old-fashioned" in my stand, but life is a gift, and one of the commandments is "Thou shalt not kill." Plain and simple. doesn't matter if it is pretend. Jesus said that if you even look on your brother with animosity, you have murdered in your heart. how much more if you are entertaining yourself with murdering?

something to think about. i don't think we'd play those games if Jesus was sitting next to us, and guess what, HE IS ALWAYS WITH US!

You Are by Mark Roach

this song has ministered to the depths of my soul. it is all we can say of our amazing God. HE alone, is EVERY question's answer. Hallelujah, He IS!

a work in progress

have a devotional page due for our church on friday on the verse in Nehemiah about the joy of the Lord being our strength, Neh. 8:10. boy, you have to read it in context in order to write about it, and i am definitely getting challenged myself about the source of my joy. it is not feelings based, but fact based. true joy comes from the knowledge that Christ has forgiven us, and also the fact that we will be with Him forever. not from mamsy-pamsy feelings that come and go. Joy is not happiness, although joy is expressed that way at times.

but what about when things are hard. when we walk through the valley of the shadow? is there joy then? i would have to say that there ought to be. because joy is not circumstance based. it is Christ based. any thoughts???

One Body?

it grieves me how divided the body of Christ can become. We need to be very careful what we are presenting to the world. honestly, why would someone want to become a Christian after reading some of the divisiveness on fb? the hypocrisy on fb? the blatant sinning on fb? what incentive is there for them to turn to Christ, if they don't have to change? what incentive is there for them to want to turn to Christ, when there is so much division amongst the Christians?

There is a desparate need for us to be the salt and the light. not the bitterness and the sour. Let us focus on what IS the center for us all: Jesus Christ and Him crucified and risen from the dead. Let us show ourselves loving towards each other, instead of biting and attacking.

Lord help us to be exhibitors of the fruit of Your Spirit. Forgive us for being so culterally relevant that we are no heavenly good.

amazing

It is amazing to me how much our past still affects our present. i am just gonna keep telling myself that i am a loved, chosen, child of the King! He is the only place our sense of security and safety can really come. we try so many other things or relationships, but Jesus Christ is the only sure thing. Thanks, Lord for being so safe and faithful.

new blog

this is not a spiritual post at all! just wanted to spread the word...i started a gardening blog. it is one of my passions to play in the dirt. i LOVE gardening in all its forms. so, i have started a gardening club with the help of a friend, and am now the head of it. it is all VERY exciting for me, and it is very energizing. so, if you feel so inclined, you can now check out Graceful Gardening.

not just changed, but exchanged

so a couple weeks ago we had Dr. Clive Calver speak at our church. an englishman pastoring a church onthe east coast and a published author (21 books). He used to lead world vision for 7 years. anyway...

he talked about dying to live. it was so very powerful. one sentence that has pierced me is " CHrist didn't come simply to change your life, but so you could exchange it." meaning that we have to DIE. the old man has to die, and then Christ can resurrect us to NEW LIFE in Him. Christ wants to live His life THROUGH us. i am gonna tell you a hearty AMEN to that.

i have realized that i HAVE to change the way i am handling my own anger (yucky sin) or i am really gonna affect my children. i already see them throwing fits, and let's just say i am pretty good at doing that. i type before you today a very humbled woman. my husband asked me what i needed after i stopped in to his word after a particularily difficult counseling session. all i could choke out was: "i need a new temperment. I just need Christ."

so, my goal: to not yell, or raise my voice past a 4 (a 5 at our house is an outside voice) when dealing with the children. it has been a week, and by God's strength, i have done well. i am keeping this as my goal for another week, as well as working on "Love is NOT rude" from 1 Corinthians 13. anyone else wanna join?? :)

God's strength is made perfect in my weakness.

Facebook

i am just like the rest of the world and enjoy facebook (fb). i have been on it for over a year now, and have reconnected with some wonderful old friends. also, some people i didn't really expect to ever hear from again. but i have a couple bones to pick with fb.

*it starts to feel like highschool again if you let it. lemme tell you, i don't need to go back to those days! so you become friends w/ people, who are friends with other friends of yours, but they don't talk to you...only to your friends in common. see what i mean? it just gets dumb. so what? so, i am done with the dumb stuff. i am gonna talk and chat with the people i am FRIENDS with. i am gonna get to know some people i really want to know, like mama n. . man, i love that woman, and i have never met her personally! just a light. just a lot of love that she gives out. would love to know her more. i am just gonna stop trying to "fit" with people that i don't fit with. and ya know what? it is okay, and i feel great making that decision!!

*my other bone to pick with fb-ers...there are plenty of christians on fb. that is a fact. what is driving me nuts is the amount of hypocrisy that i read in people's statuses. are we ANY different than the world? why are we finding humor in raunchy posts, pictures, or stats? why do we embark on dangerous waters, playing some games that are very questionable. i am willing to be called a puritan i guess, if it means standing up for the Bible, and living what it says. i am tired of reading about one person's great revival one second, and then about them wanting whiskey for pain the next. if fb is all about showcasing what we are doing and how great WE are, isn't that directly against 1 corinthians 13 ... "Love does not parade itself"? and then the next status has to do with getting drunk to avoid pain, or watching an awful show....isn't that against so many things biblically? okay.

alright. off of my soap box now. i just had to get that out. whew. so, what is my solution? just be free to be me and not try to fit in to any silly clique on the web, and also to just be a real Christian and be willing to look like a dork in the name of the Lord. i tow a hard line, i know this. i am seemingly extreme in my views on many things, but to me the integrity of my walk with Christ, and the Word of God are my top priority.

so, for now, this puritan is signing off....

thanks

thanks for all of your encouragement and suggestions. i had a friend (dear sister) email me her response and it cut me to the quick. "faithful are the wounds of a friend." she asked me about an issue i struggle with personally....anger. i did some searching and realized that yes, there was anger there. i was internally angry cuz my kids weren't acting like this other families kids. they have 6 and are the most amazing, compliant, obedient kids i have ever seen. i thought that my little yorkies should be little carbon copies of them. O Lord, forgive me for my sin!! my dearest sister also reminded me, yet again, that they are NOT little adults. hubby and i learned about that years ago, but i needed a reminder. man. ouch.

last night, i sat on my living room floor while the girls were in bed and the boys were downstairs playing a game with dad and i just prayed. i asked God to forgive me for comparing my kids to others. i asked Him to forgive me for harboring anger and resentments. I thanked Him for my faithful friend. i thanked Him for you all who shared your hearts with me. and mostly, i thanked Him for each one of my children. for their: vivacity, life, creativity, craziness, silliness, and their love. I thank God for the gift of my children. they are unique little lives. i wouldn't trade them for anything. they make me smile and laugh, and just surprise me with the love that they have for me and daddy.

i do have to say though, that we have instituted some dinnertime things, and they are working. thanks for all the ideas! i DID need some help in that department! we decided that if they don't eat some dinner, no dessert. and if they say they are hungry later, we will take the plate out of the fridge and heat it up for them. we also verbalize what we expect from them before we are at the dinner table. it is working, Praise The Lord!

many blessings to you all.

kids

so, how in the world do you get your kids to get along? to stop bickering with each other over petty things? to talk nicely to each other? to love each other, respect each other, and listen to each other? these are questions that are floating through my mind this morning. i am at my wit's end trying to figure this out. i had one sister. if we acted the way my kids do at times, we would just get the crap beat out of us. of course, that is not an option. but man, did we listen after that! my mom didn't make 3 different meals at supper. what we got is what we got. we had to eat. my kids hardly touch their food, and i even make meals to pander to them! then i feel so bad if they go away from the table hungry. so i offer fruit bars or granola bars. when does it all end???? i am just at the end of my proverbial rope with this. i simply want kids who love each other and show it in their actions. who eat the food in front of them without tears and screams. who speak respectfully. who don't throw tantrums when you ask them to take a potty break. is that too much to ask???? please help with any suggestions, rules, consequences you have. we are very much a biblically based parenting style, and do not accept disrespect toward us. we expect obedience. but this sibling stuff is driving me nuts, as are meal times. HELP!!

Part 2 for whoever's reading

so i was out gardening one day, and to make a long story short, a neighbor overheard mr. dealer say that he was gonna get in to our building and start cracking some heads open, specifically mine. nice huh? so we called the police, and to show you that the department knows who they are dealing with, they sent out 5 squads and blocked the entrance. yep. no formal charges could be pressed, because it was an indirect threat. we finally started looking for a new place to live, as did my freind and neighbor christina. fast forward 3 weeks, to the weekend of our anniversary, and we were out looking at a townhome. christina was shutting the windows to her apt. so that she could turn the air on, and there was a big guy with empty bags on his shoulders going up the back steps to our apt to break in.

yep. felt violated and angry. hurt. confused. that was a friday night. Sunday i went to church, to our sunday school class, and finally told them what had been going on for the past month. Monday we were moved out of our apartment and staying in a safe place. then we found a twin home to rent monthly til we could get a home. now, 5 months later i sit here at my computer in our new home that God gave to us. SOLE DEO GLORIA! there are so many details in this story, as i am sure you can imagine, but lemme just say that God is so faithful to provide physically, financially, spiritually, and emotionally. there are no words to express the thanks that we feel towards everyone who has helped us during this time. may God pour out His abundant blessings on you all.

so now, i am back to blogging, and hope to blog blog blog my way through the rest of my journey here.

Testimony of God's healing over the past months in song

Faith in the Dark...Part 1

"Have faith in God" Mark 11:22

In the catacombs, we are told, explorers take a thread with them through all the dark passages and tortutous windings, and by this thread find their way back again to the light. There is such a thread running through all the dark corridors which we tread; and if we simply,
practically trust in God we shall steer past every peril and land in the world of light. This is the counsel to remember in all the perplexities of our actual life. There is an answer to every questioning "Why." It is this: Have faith in God.

Have faith that He knows all, sympathizes with all, can rectify what is amiss in all! Have faith in the outworking of His beneficent purpose, that the ruin will become a magnificent pile: close to Him--His side, His will--and He will teach us the true thing, the right way. Have faith that God knows, and that we shall know by and by, why things are as
they are.
-- excerpt from Spring in the Valley (Jan. 6 entry)

Let me testify to the truth of trusting in the darkness. Having faith when you can't see or understand is hard, but worth it. God always does more that we can imagine, and in HIS time, not ours. In HIS ways, not ours. According to HIS Word, not ours. Here is PART 1 of our story of the last 5 months. I trust that through all of this, you will see the hand of God at work in our lives.

My husband, Brian, and i have just come through some of the hardest 5 months of our lives together. This will only be part 1, as there is so much to tell. We lived in a small rental community nestled in a beautiful, upscale neighborhood in Burnsville, MN. A nice suburb of Mpls. In our little rental community we had drug dealers, alcoholics, abusers, etc.. The police were there on almost a daily basis, either patroling or responding to a call. Still, we felt called to live there with our 4 children. We were sacrificing buying a house in order to send our kids to a private school. We also wanted to be a light to that dark place.

(these are just a few pics from my container gardens on our decks)

The neighbor that lived across the hall from us moved out, and it was pretty quiet for a few months. Then a woman moved in who, we found out, was attached to some drug dealers in the complex. we soon discovered that she was a crack whore (for lack of a better description). the traffic was unbearable, and we had a chain lock put on our door. All hours of the night people were coming and going, and very unsafe people.

Now before all of this, my neighbor and good friend, Christina, who lived below me, was helping me gather license plates to give to the Dakota Task Force, who was investigating a few units in our area. There are 48 units in the complex, set up as follows....garages on the ground floor. you go in a security door and up 16 stairs. at that landing are 2 units. then you go up to the next floor and there are 2 more units. so each security door has 4 units to it. You know who is and who isn't supposed to be there!

We reported the activity to our residential manager, and he turned a blind eye, saying that we can't assume it is drugs. um. yeah. well, about 5 other long-term residents left the complex because of the drugs, and it was like a McDonald's drive thru, literally. but, we can't assume it is drugs. whatever.

there are a lot of details to this, but i am gonna skim over a bit. In early august things really heated up. our Res.Mgr exposed Christina and i in front of the dealers by stopping Christina and talking VERY LOUDLY saying "well, someone from your building reported our complex to the DEA." well, mr. dealer was listening to every word. there is more to it, but that is the sentence that started all the trouble. Fast forward 3 weeks, and we had our lives threatened. yep. that'll be part 2. stay tuned...

I JUST WANTED TO LET ANYONE WHO USED TO READ MY BLOGS KNOW THAT I AM BACK ONLINE. IT HAS BEEN A VERY LONG AND DIFFICULT 4 MONTHS OF CHANGE, TRIAL, TRANSITION, AND GOD'S FAITHFULNESS. i will talk about that another time. suffice it to say that i have MISSED READING ALL OF YOUR BLOGS, and i have missed blogging!! i can't wait to get back in the swing of things and catch up with all of you, if you are still plugged in to my blog.......i would love to know if you are still there.....DROP ME A COMMENT TO LET ME KNOW YOU ARE AROUND!

Conquered Foe

here is an excerpt from Springs in the Valley. i found it wonderfully comforting:


"Having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it." Colossians 2:15
Here Satan is represented as a conquered foe, and even as a degraded and disarmed antagonist. He has been "spoiled." One is reminded of the figure of a scarecrow on a farmer's field where the dead birds are hung up as warnings against other depredaters. He cannot harm us although he may alarm us. He is beaten before the battle begins. We enter the fray with the prestige of victors. Let us hold this high place as we meet our adversary. Let us treat him as a defeated enemy. Let us not honor him by our doubts and fears. It is not our valor or our victory. It is our confidence in Christ, the Victor, that wins.

"This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." Our triumph has already been won by our Leader, but we must identify ourselves with His victory. Let us never dare to doubt!

"And the hostile princes and rulers He shook off from Himself, and boldly displayed them as His conquests when by the Cross He triumphed over them. " Colossians 2:15 --Weymouth's Trans.

Says Dr. Weymouth: "Stand your grownd in the day of battle, and having fought to the end, remain victors on the field!" "Victors on the field"--I am thrilled by the inspiring word. After every temptation--the temptation which comes to me in sunshine or the temptation which comes to me in the gloom--after every fight, victors on the field, the Lord's banner flying, and the evil one and all his hosts in utter rout, and in full and dire retreat!!
---Dr. Jowett

Anxious for Nothing

On April 15th Brian's Grandpa passed away (his dad's dad). On May 19th Brian's Grandma died (his mom's mom). the morning we found out about Grandma Emma, which was May 20th, we also received a phone call that a 6 yr old boy at our son's school had died. He choked on a tack. It has been a time of immense stress, thus the inconsistency of me blogging. all of these deaths, plus many other stresses and strains, have added to a new thing for me: anxiety attacks. yuck.

This morning i was reading in my devotional book "Springs in the Valley" and i had to share the entry for today. i couldn't believe how totally where i am at it was. God knows us intimately, i assure you!

here is the entry for June2nd:

"Unload on Him all your cares." (I Peter 5:7, French.)

"Hurling all your care upon Him." (Greek)

Who among us has not occasionally experienced anxiety? And yet the Bible clearly prohibits it, and as clearly provides and unfailing remedy: Blessed is the man who trusteth in Jehovah, and whose confidence Jehovah is; for he shall be like a tree...which stretcheth forth its roots by the water course, so that it shall not fear when heat cometh, but its leaf shall be verdant; which is not uneasy in the year of drought." (Spurrell.)

Not uneasy! Not uneasy in the year of drought--in a time of spiritual darkness. Not uneasy about spiritual supplies; not uneasy concerning temporal supplies--food or raiment; not uneasy concerning our lip witness--how, or what to say. Then what is there left about which we may be anxious? Nothing. For the Lord went on to say, "Why take ye thought for the rest?" And Paul further says, "Be careful for nothing," or "In nothing be anxious." And again, Peter says, "Do not begin to be anxious."

little seeds

so i have been gardening. well. not really. i have been wanting to garden! the weather here in the upper midwest has left a gardener going nutso! so, i have been growing seeds. yep. little seeds. big seeds. hard seeds. soft seeds. flower seeds. veggie seeds. all sorts.

as i have been doing this, of course many spiritual correlations have come up in my mind. i got antsy, and planted a bunch on April 3rd. so, i started hardening them off (putting them outside a few hours at a time) when we had a warm snap. silly me thought that Spring was actually coming! well, i even bought some marigolds and put them in my deck boxes. looked so pretty. my seedlings were getting ready to go outside for good, so i planted some moonflowers, morning glories, etc. i had grown these from seed. i was in love with my little seedlings. then it happened. IT SNOWED!

ok. what is the spiritual lesson? they may have looked ready to be outside and start their function, but they WEREN'T! from my perspective, it was all good. i put them out. the weather changed; they died. i lost about half of my seedlings. (yeah, i started some more!). makes me think of myself. i am NOT a seedling, i know that. God has made generous deposits in me with His Word and a teachable spirit. if i succumb to the pressures of what people think i should do or should be, i would die. i am just trying to keep afloat raising my four littles!! not sure if i am making any sense. i guess i just realize that we just need to trust in God to place us where we need to be when we need to be there. He will protect, cover, strengthen and grow us where He has placed us. He KNOWS what is coming down the road, and won't place us anywhere outside of His divine timing.

the good news with my seeds? the weather is finally getting better, so i have been hardening off my bell peppers, vines, flowers, and others. almost ready to plant them outside!!! YES!!

oh, and i do 80% of my gardening in containers, as i rent!! they have let me put a nice garden in down my our drive, but the majority of my gardening is done in containers!

To Blog or Not To Blog

Over the last month, we have had so much sickness in our home that i have hardly been able to be online! it has made me re-evaluate my time on the computer. the question i have been asking myself....why do i blog? is it to get huge numbers of people reading what i write (yah, right!)? Is it to have the prettiest blog designed by some person i don't know? is it because i think what i have to say is soooooo important? Do i blog because i have nothing better to do? (um, NO!).

I blog because i love to write. I love to write about the things of God, and about the journey i am on. I blog because maybe just one person will be encouraged by what i am learning about God, and my Lord Jesus Christ.

So why do i feel so much pressure to have this outstanding blog that attracts hundreds and looks fancy? why do i feel like i need to follow all the little "monday's meanderings" or "thankful thursday's"? why do i feel like i have to "keep up with the blogging joneses"?

i have decided to buck the system. i am just gonna keep on doing my thing and write for the glory of my Lord. i am not going to focus on awards, or dream of being "Blog of the Month" somewhere anymore. i can't live with that kind of additional pressure anymore. i just gotta be me! and me is just what Jesus loves. just me. Not me trying to be something i am not. So, if you read this blog and hope it will get redesigned in some pretty way, or that i will start writing like all the other ones, sorry. just not gonna happen. this is me.

free to be me! so yes, i will continue to blog. i will continue to write about the journey i am on with Christ. happy reading if you decide to stay around.

we miss you

Norbert E. York

Norbert E. York, age 79 of Fairborn, passed away Tuesday April 15, 2008 in the Hospice of Dayton. He was born May 14, 1928 in Sidney, Ohio, the son of the late Roy A. and Gertrude (Magoto) York. Norbert served his country in the Ohio National Guard and followed with employment as a journeyman tool maker with Delco Products, retiring in 1984 after almost 40 years of service. His memberships include Mary Help of Christians Church and Local IUE. In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by an infant daughter; and a sister, Norma Hunter. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Imogene; four children, Steve (Rebecca) York of Fairborn, Kristine Dean of Kenton, OH, Bruce York of Fairborn, Barry Norbert York of Galloway, OH; two grandchildren, Brian (Jeanette) York, John Dean; four great-grandchildren, Hudson, Jeremiah, Magdalene, Grace; seven brothers, Gerald, Allen, Fred, David, John, Tom, Paul; three sisters, Shirley Turvene, Rosemary Buckner, Patty Prior; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and other extended family. A funeral service will be held on Saturday April 19, 2008 at 12:00 Noon in the Belton-Stroup Funeral Home, 422 E. Dayton-Yellow Springs Rd., Fairborn, Deacon Max Roadruck officiating. The family will receive friends from 11:00 A.M. until the time of services. Interment will follow in the Byron Cemetery. If desired, memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Dayton.

Prosperity Gospel Preacher's To Give Account To Congress

below is a link to National Public Radio's 5 minute story on 6 Prosperity Gospel Preacher's who have to give an account for their spending and money. It is very interesting, and very balanced. I wonder how it will all turn out??? Certainly, i am glad for accountability, as these people are under "non-profit" status, yet fly lear jets weekly and live in Penthouses! In fact, one of them has thier own airport! wow. most importantly though, is that they will have to give account to God Almighty, as we all will.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89231818

been a while

i have been down with a kidney infection since sunday night, so i have not been online. i am still loving all ya'lls blogs, but just don't have the energy to sit and look at them all. my energy should be back next week, and i will look forward to being back!
blessings to you all.

the uttermost

Hebrews 7:25 says:

"Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them." (nkjv)

"Therefore He is able also to save to the uttermost (completely, perfectly, finally, and for all time and eternity) those who come to God through Him, since He is always living to make petition to God and intercede with Him and intervene for them." (ampliphied)

I feel like i could just leave that verse up and be done. Recently I have been thinking about this passage. I have come across it a few times in my reading of Daily Light. Started me thinking: What is the uttermost? What or where is the uttermost of or in my life?

"To the uttermost." I understand that it means forever, but really, doesn't He save us to the uttermost from ourselves? I mean, I am my own worst enemy. I can shipwreck pretty quickly if left to my own devices. I can be proud, arrogant, gossiping. Back-biting, hurtful, angry. unloving, impatient, unkind. SINFUL. I keep coming back to this thought...At my best, i am a sinner saved by grace. So where is the good news? That also, at my best or my worst, I have a Saviour who ever lives to make intercession for me. He pleads to the Father on my behalf. I am so floored. He is able to save me to the uttermost. Save me from my sinful tendencies. Save me to the uttermost from myself.

He is able.

I have been thinking about others who claim the name Christian, but so lightly that you wonder if it is authentic. And you know what I realized? Yep. He is able to save them to the uttermost too.

Those people who professed faith and are now apostate? yep. them too. He is able to save them to the uttermost.

Those people in our lives who don't know Jesus? YES! HE IS ABLE!!!!

"HE IS ABLE TO SAVE TO THE UTTERMOST THOSE WHO CALL ON HIS NAME!!!"

Osteen Said What?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=di9-PebV634

This is so disturbing that i can hardly believe the heresy this man "preaches."

Beware of wolves in sheep's clothing!

pressure

CAN YOU TAKE THE PRESSURE?

okay. let's face it. we all have pressures in our lives. the question is: how do we handle the pressure? How should we handle the pressure?

Unfortunately it seems like we buzz along doing "fine" for awhile, and then BAM! it hits. It isn't out of nowhere, although I think we all tend to want to believe it is, but the top pops off, or the bottom drops out. The volcano erupts. The earth quakes. The rain pours down.

Do volcanoes erupt without any kind of warning? Do earthquakes come without warning? NO! They both show signs that they are coming. You can measure the activity of a volcanic mountain and warn the people in its path. Scientists can measure the activity of fault lines and try to forecast when an earthquake may hit. When the do strike, the devastation is awful. Lives are lost. Homes are lost. People lose everything they have. When we lose it, or blow up, the devastation can be equally as awful. we can quench the spirit of those we love. We can kill their spirits if it happens regularily. We are not showing them the love of Christ.

The question then becomes, are there signs that we can see before we lose our tops? I believe there are.

Some signs are that we start breathing more shallow or more quickly. We get a bit snappy and try to excuse it or justify it. We are quick-tempered when we are driving for no real reason. We start ignoring God's Word, the Bible. We start feeling like no one really cares: "nobody likes me, everybody hates me, I'm gonna eat some worms. Short, fat, juicy ones; long skinny slimey ones...goin' to the garden to eat worms." We begin throwing pity parties for ourselves. Tension headaches and stress in the neck and back. Stomach pains.

How can we stave off or limit these explosions or quakes? Glad you asked! Here are some of my ideas (i am working through them myself!), to help you.

First thing is to be praying daily! Pray for strength. Repent of your sins. Pray for the fruit of the Spirit to be evident in your life each day. Pray for peace. Pray for wisdom on how to handle all the little "tremors" during the day. Pray.

Next, we need to be reading God's Word every day. Even if it is just a verse in Proverbs, we need to be reading! "Good stuff in, good stuff out."


Third, let's be REAL and AUTHENTIC when we are around other women. Let's drop the mask, pull apart the facade we have built. Share our pain and grief, our joy and our victories. Cry with each other, and laugh with each other. We all know that being a wife, mom, friend, church-worker ISN'T easy, so why don't we stop pretending it is? Walk the walk and talk the talk, without hypocrisy. Be honest with ourselves, our spouses, our friends. How can we teach our kids to be honest, if we aren't real and honest with each other?

Fourthly, we can get a group of women to pray for us. People who are committed to us in prayer. Some friends who are in the trenches with us, and some women who are on "the other side." Have a friend you can call when it starts to feel like you are gonna blow. Just having someone you can call and admit it to helps, and once you have verbalized that you are about to hang your kids upside-down by their toe-nails, you suddenly realize that it is a horrible thing to do and you don't want to do it!

Fifthly, reading books can really help us. There are some great ones for women about dealing with anger, such as Julie Barnhill's EXCELLENT book She's Gonna Blow. That book gave me courage to face my anger issues, to admit the pressure I am under, and to get the help I needed. She is also a very real writer! She has been there, and wants to help you get to the other side!

Another great book for men and women is Make Anger Your Ally by Neil Clark Warren. This book recognized four or five different types of anger and how they affect those around us. It is very practical and really teaches you how to get over the anger. I loved it! When I saw


how my anger affected everyone around me, it made me weep. I saw a little of myself in each type of anger he described, and it terrified me. I was able to cry out to my heavenly Father for help, and that is what He did! I read this book in about 2000.

Yet another book that transformed my life is Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow. All I can say about this book is "wow." It taught me godly contentment, peace in the midst of chaos, deep love for my husband. It is an amazing book to read!

It is the prayer of my heart that you will take at least one of the steps listed above to help you with the many pressures I am sure you feel. Remember that God is with you, and His Holy Spirit is at work within you to conform you to the image of His Son.


If there are some books that have really helped you, please feel free to share them in the comment section! This fellow pilgrim wishes you blessings on the journey!