Never Alone

                  Isn't it good to know we are NEVER alone?  We are to recognize and acknowledge His ever presence with us. Psalm 79;6  ''Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the kingdoms that do not call on your name.''  We must not let the anxiety this world can cause undermine our trust in His care for us.  Proverbs 3;25-26  ''Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the Lord will be at your side and will keep your foot from being snared.''
                 God knows what you're going through and what lies ahead.  He will give you sufficient strength thru His grace and mercy for you.  'His love endures forever' is a promise like no other.  He may not calm the storm as fast as we'd like, but His love should calm us inside.

Should Have or Not?

         The Lord says 'vengeance is mine' but we often want to return a jab for a jab.  Do you think later when it's too late, I should have said this or that.  No, we weren't looking to say something worthy but rather spiteful.  Too many of us won't walk away from an argument invite but instead jump in feet first and insist on having the last word.  Is it better to be nice than right, in their eyes?
         I have a pillow that says 'You can agree with me or you can be wrong'.  It's kind of a joke of truth to me. We must pick and choose our battles because not all battles are worth fighting.
        The best payback we can try to return to someone is to pray for them.  Who can turn hearts from evil to good but God?  Who can direct our paths to more righteous ones but God?  When we try to do good, God is glorified.  When evil is doubled, Satan profits from it.

Foto Friday

Betsy and kids, and Gloria visiting

Where did the cats go?

Cathy's surprise birthday party
at Santo Coyote LR

Cathy with husband, Phil,
and son, David

'You sure fooled me' look

'Oh my gosh' look

My chili dog that
I won from Scoopdog

Follow?

''It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him.''  Deuteronomy 13;4

             There have been times in my life where I loved the need for speed feeling, like driving, but then there were times for the slowness of a snail's pace, like walking.  No matter what our speed is, if we are going in the wrong direction, we are still lost.
             I think there are those with map skills and those who just need to use it as a tablecloth in the car.  The map and navigation by the passenger can be a catalyst to road rage, so beware and turn on the GPS.
            Who is your guide in life?  The Bible is our map with directions.  We often want to trust ourselves, but that is foolishness in action.  We need to slow down and see if our thoughts are in agreement with His Word.  Many of our mistakes are due to our rush to respond without thinking it thru first.
            May we all consider not only where we are headed, but where we have been.

Who's In Charge?

            I read a disturbing article on people.com about a 29yr old woman with brain cancer who has moved to Oregon specifically to end her life through legally doctor prescribed drugs.  The sugar coated term for this is 'dying with dignity.'
           I'm not here to judge her, but rather to express my opposition to the idea of taking charge of your own death.  It is one thing to not choose medical intervention and let life run its course, but to take life ending drugs is a form of suicide.  Since God formed us in the womb and gave us life at conception, who then gave us the shift in power to end His plan for us?
           Our lives have both impact and influence on others and our feeling comfortable is not always a priority of God's plan.  There are MANY things I would have chosen not to endure, but that wasn't within my realm of options.  'Those who sow in tears will reap in joy of songs.'
           People often say 'if I just had 5 more minutes or 1 more day with them' but yet people want to legalize cutting short what days God had numbered for them.  As for myself, God will take me home when He sees fit and He will sustain me until that time.

One Way

"Godliness is so excellent that the worst men would like to have it, after they die. Though at present godliness is despised and under a cloud, yet at death all would like to be godly. A philosopher asked a young man whether he would like to be rich Croesus or virtuous Socrates. He answered that he would like to live with Croesus and die with Socrates. So men would like to live with the wicked in pleasure but die with the godly: "Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!" (Numb. 23:10). If, then, godliness is so desirable at death, why should we not pursue it now?" - Thomas Watson


          It is true, we want our cake and eat it too.  So many people think they are 'entitled' to heaven for various false reasons.  After death, it is too late to be redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.  Isaiah 55;6   'Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.'
         Life is a journey, a path of transforming your heart, mind and soul hopefully into who God intended you to be.  Is godliness a priority in your life?  When will 'less of me and more of Jesus' be a life goal of ours?
         If your life ambitions are not selfless and God-centered, they are worthless.  Our lives are to be the fulfillment of His plans and purposes through us.  Our eternal rewards await us because of our belief in Jesus as our Savior and not in any other way or means.

Foto Friday

My friend, Cathy, visited

The best homemade cinnamon
roll that you can't buy

The Humble Crumb crew with me
Saturday afternoons at
Hwy 107 and Woodruff

Kristy with me and the
RESPECTable frog she brought me

Kristy and Tamisha
brought over Myles and Maliyah
to visit

The Process of Surrendering

              This blog is going to be a little different, as it will be a challenge to participate in.  John 21;18  ''Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.”  Are you ready for this?  Not all, but many will face this dilemma either on the giving or receiving end.
             We all look forward to becoming adults so we can do what we want and do things our way.  Well as Christians, we learn thru trials that our way needs to be led by Jesus.  Our lives are a process of surrendering and sanctification.  Will our surrender be one of a willing nature or a hard fought battle?  In what ways will God teach me to rely on Him and not myself or this body?
            ''Often God’s blessings result from our compliance with seemingly insignificant requests. Though we prefer He ask us to perform great tasks that will impact large crowds, obedience in small matters is our proving ground. If we refuse His prompting to perform some minor action, what reason have we given Him to trust us with a more important responsibility?''
           Okay so my challenge to you will make you and your spouse, best friend or whoever you choose uncomfortable, but it'll be a preview of how you'll surrender to the aging process.  The challenge is for you to let someone else brush your teeth and vice versa.  Please comment on your experience via here, facebook, or email.

Always Joyful

              Can we all agree that it has been a rough week filled with sadness, sickness and anxiety for many around us?  Through all of our trials, we must remember to look to the One who sustains us with His peace that surpasses all understanding.  John 16;33  ''I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.''
             The world is watching you as your faith is being tested.  Yes, Christians get angry, frustrated, and fearful but God is our refuge and shelter in the time of storms.  There is joy that can be found in His everlasting arms.
            Romans 12;12  ''Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.''  These three things we need reminded of often because fear, impatience, and worry try to override what God instructs us to do.
            'Always be joyful' doesn't mean to always be happy, but instead to always trust in God's purposes for your circumstances and maintain your hope in Him.

Why?

         My 5 year old friend, Makenzie, is in the hospital with pneumonia.  No, we don't understand why such a sweet girl with a heart for the Lord is suffering right now.  As someone who has been a patient of Arkansas Children's Hospital, I understand the heartache of this scary place to a young child.
        God uses us for His purposes in ways that we sometimes don't like.  Makenzie is helping us now to pray more and turn to the Healer of all of her circumstances.  We are learning to put 'love one another' into action by helping this family in need.  We are building our trust in God to provide for all the care and wisdom through the doctors to heal Makenzie.
        May the Lord be glorified in this time of sickness and healing as we all draw near to Him in prayer for Makenzie.

FROG Advice

              Well the best advice from a frog is Fully Rely On God.  After that you can start with these little life lessons from a frog's point of view.
              Make a splash....... Let yourself be known to others.  ''For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.''
              Look before you leap...... There are consequences to everything, good or bad, so don't live your life without forethought.
              Don't jump to conclusions... We worry most about things that never happen.  Let God direct your future, He knows what lies ahead.
             Enjoy a good swim..... When you take care of yourself, you are able to fulfill your purposes in life even better.  Take time to relax.
             Stretch your legs often.... A body in motion tends to stay in motion.  We are given two legs to be mobile, not statutory.  Put one foot in front of the other and keep it moving.
             Spend time at your pad..... ''Be still and know I'm God.''  Take time alone to meditate on God's word.  Our house should be a home, where we feel safe and comfortable.
             Hop to it.... Don't delay or grow weary in doing good.  ''The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.''

Foto Friday

To Be Wiser

               I've had this caption for about a week and today the quote showed up on Our Daily Bread's website.  Here's what they had to say...''There is a connection between wisdom and limiting what we say. Proverbs 10:19 says, “In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise.”  We are wise to be careful about what we say or how much we say in certain situations. It makes sense to guard our words when we are angry. James urged his fellow believers, “Be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath” (James 1:19). Restraining our words can also show reverence for God. Solomon said, “God is in heaven, and you on earth; therefore let your words be few” (Eccl. 5:2). When others are grieving, our silent presence may help more than abundant expressions of sympathy: “No one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great” (Job 2:13).''
             ''Let your speech be better than silence, otherwise be silent.''  Oh if we could only remember that quote and use it as our filter.  Some just have to have the last word, whether it is beneficial or not.  Romans 14;19  ''Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.''  We are to use our words to encourage one another towards a godly way of life.   We don't have to be harsh about it either.  Proverbs 15;1  ''A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.''
            Sure we all want to have our say in things, but is what we have to say more important than what we've heard?  I'm sure we would all benefit from a 5 second pause to process what we've heard before we reply.  I know, it'd be tough for me too.  Sometimes our reply is ready before the other is even finished, huh?
           May we all remember that our words spoken can never be taken back so let's be careful what we let go of off our tongues.

Example

        Okay, I admit that I am opinionated but I hope that I back it up with a strong and good example. What I believe in, does not mean I have mastered.  I am a work in progress.
        Hypocrites are those who say one thing, yet do otherwise.  We lead others more by our actions than our words.  Our greatest example is when God became flesh in Jesus.  Who better to follow?
       'We keep waiting on the world to change' but change begins with each of us and our example.  Go ahead and make a difference... be the salt and the light.

Your Fruit Basket?

           None of us will ever master this caption, but is it even a goal of ours to try to?  A lot of people are walking around with empty or artificial fruit baskets.  Is the Spirit of God being smothered by the spirit of self, therefore producing any Fruit is never achieved?
          Many people can recite what the Fruit of the Spirit are....love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self control.. but living out those qualities is hardly ever a thought.
         ''God wants all of us to enter into a true sanctification process with Him so that He can begin the process of molding, shaping, and transforming us into the express image of His Son Jesus Christ. He wants to make us into a better and more holy people. He wants to transform us by the renewing of our minds. He wants to put right thinking into our thought process.  Think about the ramifications of this – that God the Father Himself is allowing us to share in a part of His divine nature by allowing His Holy Spirit to transmit and impart these nine divine qualities right up into our soul and personality!''
        ''Jesus is coming back for a Bride that will be without spot or blemish. He is calling His Church to clean up their act and allow His Holy Spirit to begin this deeper sanctifying work in their lives. However, the choice is up to each individual believer. Sanctification is not something that can be forced upon anyone. God really respects everyone’s free will and He will never force His will or His ways on anyone.  Though some of this may be a bit painful at times, since none of us likes to admit that we have anything that needs to be changed, let the Holy Spirit take you as far as He will want to go with you in this realm – and I guarantee you that your life and your state of well-being will all be changed for the better – much better!''  [www.bible-knowledge.com]
          Check your own basket, not others, and see what fruits you are in short supply of.

Friends Foto Friday