Shine On

     I have wanted to write this blog for some time now but have waited for the right caption to go with the story.
     My friend's mother, Paula, found out that her neighbor was in desperate need of a kidney transplant.  Paula wanted to do whatever she could to help her so she participated by signing up on the organ donor list.  She didn't know how or who it would help.  Well the Cleveland Clinic found several matches, 8 I think, where it would work like a chain reaction.  On Feb. 14, 2012, Paula's kidney went to someone in California but as part of the swap, her neighbor got a kidney too.
      I asked Paula how she could literally give so much of her self to someone else?  She said she felt blessed with good health from God and that He would protect her in wherever it took her.  She also realized He might call her home sooner by doing this but that was okay too if this brought Him glory.
     What an example of light to others in this dark world of selfishness.  I hope the organ donation story has/will touch so many people thru all of its duration as an example of 'love your neighbor as thyself' to the n-th degree. 
     May you be a shining example today in whatever you do to help someone else out....shine on!

A Desire for More

     This past Monday night we completed our women's Bible study on the Book of Revelation.  I can tell you alot of it surpassed my mind but it did reassure me that God does have a plan and it will all come to be one day.
     We ended with combining both Rev 21 and 22, which both relate to what heaven will be like.  Rev 21;1  ''Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.''  Rev 21;3-4  '' And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.  ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
     As the caption implies, there is so much more to put our hope and trust in that this world cannot begin to give.  I think of us like a baby in the womb.  We are created for so much more but in His timing only will he push us into that new realm.  He does give us a taste thru the Word of a preview of what is to come.  Isn't it exciting?  'This world is not my home, I'm just a passing thru.'  As I look ahead, I trust He's got my back.

Not Forgotten

     Have you ever felt forgotten?  I call it the 'back burner syndrome' when everything you want to do gets put on the back burner till later but then it's forgotten. 
     Sometimes our relationships can take this road, especially long distance ones.  Keeping in touch is not easy and takes work.  Before I moved back here, I made sure to bring with me some of my forget-me-not plants from my yard that one of my friends had given me.  We planted them here and remind me of my friendships that I cherish from Springfield.
     God never forgets us.  We are the ones that need reminded of Him by prayer and His Word.  We ask Him to draw near to us and yet we are the ones that pull away.  If our plea truly is to have a closer walk with Thee, then we must recognize His ever presence with us, His unfailing love for us and His good plan/will for us.
     ''Our total being--mind, will, emotions, personality, and physical body--are to be turned over to our heavenly Father (James 4:7a). Submitting ourselves to the Lord requires a definite decision to give Him control and a daily commitment to remain under His authority. By surrendering to Him, we will position ourselves for godly living.''  from intouch.org

Way Back Wednesday-----3rd Grade Art

    

     Well I have blogged before about Mrs. Bowen's third grade class but here the picture is included.  Mrs. Bowen was a great teacher because she had love and discipline balanced perfectly.  That means she was full of praise and patience but didn't take any crap.
     I remember most from her class, two art projects.  One was using butter lids to make coasters or pot holders.  We glued different types of beans onto the underside of the lid in a concentric pattern.  The other project was gluing different colors of rice onto an 11x12 piece of wood that had an animal traced onto it.  My project was a bald eagle.  It was a tedious task using a toothpick to line the rice up to make it look like smooth feathers but it was fun.
      They say the Earth without 'art' is just 'Eh.'  I think Mrs. Bowen instilled an appreciation for art in me.  The projects also taught me to finish a project,  especially ones that take a long time to complete.

Gentleness

     ''You're being too rough with me!''   I've heard it, thought it, and said it before.  I think this is how impatience shows its ugly head.  It's not an easy thing to be at the mercy of the hands of someone else. Have you ever played that game where you fall backwards into someone else's arms?  It's supposed to teach you trust but sometimes we aren't given the choice.  We have to trust and hope they're gentle.   Sometimes we think we can make a square peg go thru a round hole, if we just force it a little more. 
      I think the caption above uses a cat as a prime example of gentleness.  Have you ever tried to catch a cat?  It does take a gentle touch with a patient hand.  They are quick and know when you're up to something. When we share the Word with others, we must use gentleness in our approach or the listener may too run off.   Donald Gee, gave another illustration I like. ''A guide was taking a group of visitors through a factory. One of the things he showed them was a giant steam hammer capable of flattening an automobile. Then the guide put down a walnut and had the hammer break the shell without hurting the meat of the nut. What an illustration of gentleness as power under perfect control!''
     Gentleness is one of the fruits of the Spirit.  Therefore, it should play out in all areas of our lives.  Gentle words, gentle actions and gentle thoughts.  Philippians 4:5  ''Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.'' 
     ''In our daily lives we cannot help coming into situations that bring conflicts with people. It is easy for us in the natural to react with violence or anger, especially if we feel insecure in our position. But when we accept the reality of who we are in Christ and trust the Holy Spirit to help us, we can be gentle, whatever conflicts may arise.''

Colossians 3:12  ''Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.''

Happy Mother's Day

      HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to my Mom and all the other mothers who read this.  I thought this picture was appropriate to show my mom at what she does best.  I'm not skinny because of her cooking, that's for sure.  Love you Mom!

Changes

     We are all a work in progress.  Are you being tranformed into something better?  I think this caption gives good examples of how time and pressure can be of huge benefit.  We often think of everyday pressures as strife and yet they are useful to our spiritual and personal growth.  We also tend to just associate time with getting older but it should also bring wisdom. 
      For those of us with a few more miles, aren't you glad you're not the same as at age 20?  I guess that's where the phrase 'I wish I knew then, what I know now' comes from. 
      How gritty as sand and dirty as coal are we without His love and discipline to change our image into one like His?



Romans 12:2  ''Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.''

2 Corinthians 3:18  ''And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.''

The New Rude

     I'm sure you've heard of the 'new math' [yea I don't know what that means either], but this caption makes me think of the 'new rude' from people.  I am a big advocate of eye contact.  Of course, most people need to look at me to understand what I'm saying but I think it should be done with everyone.
     This reminds me of a story back when there were no cell phones.  For a couple of years, The Villa had a location here in Sherwood.  I went on a date there with a guy named Larry.  I didn't pay attention to our seating arrangement until a few minutes into the date.  The tv was in his line of sight over my head.  This does not leave a good impression.
      So now days, the ante of how rude can you be has been raised.  A large majority of people are hog-tied to their cell phones by which I mean they cannot move or function without it.  Emergencies are one thing, the rest can wait. Pay attention to who you're with or they will leave you there alone with just you and your phone.....or at least they should.

Routine

       This caption is so me!  I am a creature of habit and like to stick to a routine.  I like to rise at the same time, eat on schedule and do things a certain way.  I do like to mix it up a little with a change every now and then, like a vacation, but I do like to get back to the familiarity of things.  Some may think it's a sign of age but I think I've always been this way.
        One of our preachers brought up the topic of routine in his sermon the other day.  Traditionalism is what he called it.  Why do we do the things we do?  Are we going to church to worship with a seeking heart or going with a heart of habit?  Do we give donations to missionaries because it's that Sunday of the month or with a 'love thy neighbor as thyself' mentality?  We should do things not out of duty but out of the heart.
       I am not against traditions.  I think some family traditions are very important and have a special meaning to them.  I'm just warning about how some things can become rituals without any thought to or behind them.

Way Back Wednesday---Kindergarten Grad

     k

      Well I didn't know until now that I had a doctorate degree.  You can now start calling me Dr. Angie...lol..just kidding.  This was my first of three diplomas in my life. 
      We lived on Flagstone Street off of Kiehl Avenue back then, that's one street west of the skating rink.  I went to a private school called Lil People School for kindergarten and first grade.  I loved it.  They stayed open until 6pm to give parents time to get there after work to pick kids up.  They offered a variety of different after school classes.  I was first put into dance class with ballet and tap.  Well after discovering I had two left feet and no rhythm, I moved into baton class. You might notice in the picture that my shoes, that later became fashionable, were not a stylish statement by me.  These were corrective shoes that were a precursor to my braces.
       I think it's important to make education an important aspect in a child's life at an early age.  A lil graduation for a lil people group makes it fun and special.  Getting a good start to a hopefully long road of education is priceless.

Not In, Today

     Don't you hate it when you go somewhere for something specific and they are out of it? I wonder how far this little girl and her dog in the caption walked in the cold only to be disappointed.
     I've gone to Whole Hog Bbq for one of their pork loaded potatoes and found out that they had run out of them. What? No potatoes? That's what I had my heart set on and now nothing on the menu is going to taste as good.
     Another example is finding white jeans.  I think there are about two weeks in a year when you can find white jeans.  Why is that?  Apparently I missed it this year and am going to have to wait till next spring.
     How disappointed is God with us when He comes to us for something specific and we claim to just not have it in us that day?  Will He not give us the strength and provisions to do what He asks of us?  We can only blame our being 'out' on ourselves.  We each have so much to give that could bless someone else's life and to just keep it, is to waste it. 
     ''You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result.''

A Rebel?

     Do you consider yourself a rebel?  For the most part I don't but I certainly have my rebellious areas.  I would define a rebel as one who thinks they have it under control, know best and reject authority's instruction.  An example of my rebel nature is definetely behind the wheel.  When I started driving to high school-- North Pulaski, my parents told me to take Kellogg road all the way to Hwy 107.  They didn't want me to take the shorter route, Oakdale road, because of the limited line of sight on the south side.  Well I don't remember going the long route one time because I was usually short on time.  Now most rebellious stories end with punishment but grace must have been with me because my secret never came to light or caused a problem.  I was probably extra cautious to make sure I didn't get caught.
      The Bible has many stories on rebellion to teach us to submit to His authority thru examples.  Surely the most well-known story is that of the Israelites.  God led them, protected them, and provided for them but they still questioned and disobeyed Him.  Rebellious? Most definetely.  Am I feeling more like a rebel in His eyes?  Most definetely. 
     Hopefully as I have progressed thru my journey here on earth, I've learned to become more submissive and less rebellious in my thoughts and ways.  The Israelites felt the consequences and so have I.  ''The rebel can never find peace. He knows what is good and, despite himself, does evil.'' 

     1 Samuel 15:23  ''For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king.”

Leap for Joy

     Frogs are in the air this weekend.  In Conway, Toad Suck Daze is kicking off the beginning of summer festivals here in Arkansas.  A relative's son won his preliminary round in the frog jumping contest yesterday when his frog crossed the finish line with two jumps.
     Do you remember playing leapfrog as a child?  We too can leap over obstacles in our lives with trusting God as our strength and shield.  I know my heart was leaping with joy yesterday when I was out yesterday for a good while without having to come home to cough.
     One way to give my thanks in song is by learning the new song, 'The Love of God,'  I got yesterday during my music lessons.  His love is measureless and pure.
     I'm going to toad-lly leave you with a hip-hoppin good day.

Ready for the Weekend

     Are you ready for the weekend?  When I worked, I just looked forward to some rest on the weekends.  Now, I look forward to it as a change of pace.  Maybe the chance to go out and do something different.  I always look forward to my friend that comes over on weekends, when she can.  I also have music lessons on Saturday mornings which is a joy to anticipate.  Of course, there is church on Sundays that can refuel me for the week ahead.
     A quote I love is  'Why is Monday so far from Friday, and Friday so near to Monday?'  You know the feeling.  The week when it drags on slower than a snail's pace and yet the weekend flies by faster than a F-14 plane.
     I hope you don't have to work this weekend and can do and enjoy the things you want to do.   HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

Common Sense

     Has common sense not only left the building, but the Earth too?  Have you found it to be a scarce commodity too?  I read that it's so rare these days that it should be considered a superpower.
     Last night after church, we went to Tutti Fruitti to get my frozen yogurt fix.  [The coffee flavor is to die for..yum]  Anyways, it is in a strip mall along with a fitness gym.  As we drove past the gym, there were two ladies out there smoking after their workout.  Seriously?  Are you gasping for air from the workout or from the toxic fumes you're purposefully inhaling?  I'd bet on the smoke killing them faster than the fat.  I wonder if I am the look they are going for, skinny with a mask?  I don't recommend it.
     Another common sense question I personally get is 'does that go backwards?'  If I had a dollar for everytime I've driven my scooter on an elevator and been asked that..lol.  Of course I'm polite and say yes.
What I'm thinking tho is 'no, I'm gonna ride up and down for hours and wait for a miracle to get me out of here.'  Aren't you glad I don't say everything I think? lol
     The folks with the least amount of common sense are those who say there is no God. Even the devil knows that God exists.  His evidence surrounds us.  There is no where you can go without proof that He exists and created what's in front of you.  Psalm 89:8  ''Who is like you, LORD God Almighty? You, LORD, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.''

Way Back Wednesday---Golden Retrievers

     When I was a teenager, my idea to earn money was to raise golden retriever puppies.  So one Christmas morning I got a puppy that I named Wendy.  She kept my parents up most of that Christmas eve night.  She was a very good dog and turned out to be a great mother. She loved to be petted more than anything.  We later got another female, Misha, who wasn't a very loving mother so Wendy took care of those puppies too.
The puppy business worked out pretty well for me.  My parents did most of the work and I did most of the loving of  Wendy and the pups, then I got the loot after they were sold.  Even though we found good homes for the puppies, I hated and avoided the times when they left.
      Wendy passed away at an old age for dogs in June of 2001 right before I came back in August.  God's timing is always right and it made it easier on me to be far away. 

FBF PRAYER REQUESTS FOR MAY

FBF PRAYER REQUESTS FOR MAY 2012

  

DENNY NORRIS AND FAMILY........CANNON BEACH

1.        In our most recent update we asked you to pray for  Leonard, the husband of Sara.  We are grateful that he has been studying the Bible with me now for 2 months.  Two weeks ago, he had a birthday and his “friends” invited him to have a drink after work.  Since that time, he has been coming home late from work.  While we missed one week of Bible study, we are back on track.  But I sense that he is now struggling more to understand the gospel.  (We are currently doing a study in the gospel of John.)  Please pray that Leonard would be released from the dominion of Satan and be transferred to the kingdom of God’s Son (Acts 26:18; Col 1:13).  Sara and her 4 children had been encouraged to see him receive a bible study, but these last weeks daunted some of their hope.  Pray for them that God would give them encouragement and a good testimony with Leonard.

2.        Please continue to pray for the Jr. High and High-school Youth.    We now meet each Thursday morning before school at a Bagel & Coffee shop.  They are memorizing Scripture and we are studying the book of John.  Sometimes we can barely get to the Bible study because they have so many questions.  Pray that God will give them:  (1) a desire to live holy lives;  (2) that they would not being conformed to this world; and (3), that they would be faithfully reading God’s word (Rom. 12:1-2; I Pet 2:2).  These kids all go to public schools where they are surrounded by immorality and bombarded by worldly philosophy.   Some of them do not have the support of Christian parents and others have parents that are new in the faith. 

3.       We have 3 events coming up in our church where we will have the opportunity to give the gospel to unbelievers.  Please pray with us concerning the following events:  (1)  May 9, wedding of Misael & Reina;  (2)  June 9,  Sand Castle Weekend in Cannon Beach.  Our church will be entering the Sand Sculpturing event, passing out tracts, etc.;  and  (3),  June 29-30,  Evidence for  Creation Conference with Steve Hudgik (I’ll be translating into Spanish).

TED AND PRISCILLA CLARK

You may remember, many years ago, we asked prayer for doña Mari, an older woman in our village who is very hardened

and closed to the truth. She has threatened and prohibited her many grown children living nearby, from having anything to do

with us (spiritually).  In spite of this, one daughter, Josefina, has been listening and opening up more and more throughout the years. She attends

church quite frequently now, and we believe that she and one of her sons, Quico, have trusted Christ for salvation. She

recently asked prayer for her mother, who is discouraged and not feeling well. She has become a confirmed alcoholic. Pray

that the Lord would give us wisdom to reach out to her, and that the Holy Spirit would be at work in her heart, convicting her

of sin and pointing her to the Savior.

We also need prayer for the Lord’s wisdom and guidance as we have begun work on some major changes to the camp

 facilities, and are contemplating other big projects as well.  Our goal is to accommodate more people for the family

camps, as the current facilities cannot easily handle the 400 plus people who are eagerly signing up for these

camps. (This, in spite of the fact that around half of them stay in tents on the camp property!) We hate to turn

people away, but have been obligated to do so, several times, due to lack of space. This year, the Lord allowed

 us to expand the women’s bathroom in time for the Easter camp. The 4 toilets were increased to 10. We hope to

have four additional showers done by the next camp. Thank you for your prayers for us,

as we proceed with these projects in the coming months.

MARTIN AND HANSY TUOHY

1. Hansy is fighting a painful breast infection. Please pray she'll be able to nurse Markus successfully.

2. Our Mexican sister, Yuri, is traveling to Denmark today to help us out with the children for 7 weeks! Please pray for a spiritually fruitful time while she is here.

 

PHILIP AND SANDRA PRIME

 

1. Javier and his wife Josefina came to us by accident...his. A little more than 3 months ago he was struck by a car while crossing the road  and ended up in the emergency room. Josefina was desperate and looking for spiritual help when she began to talk to a Gudelia, who goes to our church and whose daughter-in-law was also in the emergency room. She took down the directions and ended up in our church the next Sunday morning. I began studying with them and it appears that they have come to faith in Christ. The prayer request has to do with the surgery on his fractured leg; it appears that they did a poor job setting it with the rod and screws (all exterior). He needs a second surgery but can't get anyone in the hospital where they have their insurance to do it. The bar and screws have been there for 3 1/2 months and counting. Pray that the Lord would use this injury for His glory and their good and that soon he could get the necessary/proper attention.

2. This Saturday evening the youth will be in our home for Bible study. We have also invited Chava and Nancy Vera and their 3 kids from Puruandiro to spend the weekend with us for fellowship and encouragement. Pray for Chava as he will share his testimony with the youth on Saturday and bring the message to our church on Sunday.

 

Lalalalala

     Who out there has not done this at some point?  haha.  I've done it when somebody is talking about a movie I want to see and I don't want it spoiled for me.  I've done it in my head when overhearing chronic complaining.  It can be a useful tool in a never ending, no win arguement. I've sang the lala's in songs when the writer of it was clearly at a loss for words.
     Maybe the 'lala' method would irritate the person who is using unpleasant words as much as their words bother us.  There is so much in this world that we should avoid hearing.
     Many people shut their ears like this to the gospel but it is not a wise decision.  It's just a way of ignoring and refusing to submit to His Word. Romans 10;17-18  'Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did: “Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”'   Some people choose to 'lala' thru parts of the Bible too instead of accepting all of it.  You can't pick and choose what you like or don't like.  Deuteronomy 12:32  ''See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it.''
     I'll wrap this up not with a bunch of lala's but I prefer 'nananana hey heyyyyyy goodbye.'

I Gota Wear Shades

     Well this picture of Snoopy reminded me of a song from the 80's called 'My Future's So Bright, I Gota Wear Shades' by Timbuk3.  [ heres the link, http://youtu.be/8qrriKcwvlY ]  The song has been popular with graduations even tho the song is really about the threat of nuclear war.  As you know, graduation season is upon us next month.  I hope those that are graduating and moving on to their next phase in life have a plan in place with a guided sense of direction. 
     We can get caught up in the fear of war, earthquakes, or famine but the Bible tells us these things must happen before the end of times.  Luke 21;9-11  '' When you hear of wars and uprisings, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away. Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.''  Believers have The Hope in their futures from the promises of God.  'I go to prepare a place for you.'  We should look forward without fear because our futures are too bright, even for RayBans, to shade it out. 
     Be sure before you graduate from this earth, that your heavenly plan is in place with His direction.

Be Soft

     It is easy to get caught up in the disappointments of this world.  A friend was talking today about how someone else had let them down by their actions.  They at first had the attitude to be done with them but soon recognized forgiveness was a better response.  People 'will' disappoint you in life, it's practicly guaranteed, but God 'never' will.  Without forgiveness, this would be a cold, uncaring, cruel world.  If we would recognize our own faults first before we point the finger, we'd be more tolerant and forgiving of others. Matthew 6:15 ''But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.''  The ultimate forgiveness is given to believers thru the blood on the cross when Jesus bore our sins in a once and for all sacrifice.  Acts 13:38  ''“Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.''
     Despite the trials and strife of life, there is always a positive, beautiful aspect to be seen.  Be better, not bitter. Be sweeter, not sour.  Be gentler, not harsher.  Be brighter, not darker.  May your focus be on all that is good in your world today and not the bad.