By the power of Jesus's name!

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12 (NKJ) When we walk with God and live our lives the way God wants us to it makes satan angry. When he is angry he attacks us in every way he can, from a water heater breaking to nothing going right in a day....I will not sit here and list what can go wrong but, I will list what can go right. When satan attacks we have authority over him by the power of Jesus's name we can stomp on him and defeat him. You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 1 John 4:4 (NKJ) With Jesus in us we can defeat the enemy. With God on our side we can and will walk through our trials, we can know, that no matter what happens, God is there to surround us with His love, peace and comfort. The devil is a thief....pure and simply a thief....Jesus says "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." John 10:10 (NKJ) I know it is not easy to have things just pile on us trust me, I know it very well. In my journey to seek God and walk more closely with Him, I am finding that God is never far away when we need Him. He would really like us to need Him everyday not just when trials come our way. God is an everyday God!!!!! Not just a once in a while God. He loves and watches us every single day, all we have to do is reach out to Him. The devil is nothing but a bully but, he is one bully we can defeat.

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

to trick or treat...or not

Last night I was driving to go pick my kids up from the youth program they were at and I saw....I am so excited...I saw a house with CHRISTMAS lights on. It made me so giddy and if I had not been driving I just may have done a little happy dance. With halloween coming, people are starting to put up decorations and get ready for the spooky night. I used to but, a few years ago I was looking at decorations in a store and a spirit of unease settled on me, that was when I decided maybe decorating for halloween is not a good idea. When we moved I tossed all of my halloween things and replaced them with fall decorations. Now we still carve pumpkins and I take my kids out and, maybe I shouldn't. This year however I am taking them to a Church party for their fun. It made me smile to see Christmas lights on this early, my lights go up on halloween but, this year they just may go up on Sunday and I just may light them on halloween. It is important to keep God first in our lives even for the seemingly innocent things like the night of trick or treats. Honestly God is not in that night what so ever (my opinion here) so why celebrate it? The Church I grew up in did Harvest parties that was fun they had a potluck and everyone dressed up, there were games for the kids it was safe and God was there. As an example to my kids I need to walk the way God wants me to so they can see it. I am responsible to show them what God wants and what He does not want, and if it does not line up with the Bible then I need to guide them away. When they become adults I will have no control but, with the guidance I gave to them as kids maybe they will know which direction to go. So as far as halloween is concerned MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone!


That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

Who do you want to meet?

I am sitting here just listening....I hear the long, slow, lonely almost sorrowful plea of the fog horns from the ships passing by. The horn sounds like it is calling out for help, or comfort. As people we tend to send out cries for help but, they are not nearly as obvious as a fog horn...the fog horn says HEY watch out, I am here, Hello, I am coming are you listening? We send out more subtle messages and sometimes they go unnoticed. When we walk through our life feeling unnoticed, unappreciated, unrecognized or flat out ignored it can be a lonely road to be on. The over whelming urge to run and hide is almost impossible (I know I said impossible is not a word just a reason for someone not to try but, I said ALMOST) to resist. I know, I have been there many times in my life, it is not a good place to be but, with someone to talk to (God freely gives out His direct number to anyone) and prayer the lighthouse will appear and you can find your way through the fog of loneliness, sadness and all the other not so good feelings to the comfort and peaceful arms of our Father God. When we see someone reaching out, God (my opinion here) wants us to reach back to them and pray, listen and help them to get on the path towards the lighthouse, towards hope, peace, love most importantly God. Loneliness is a very lonely place to be, does that sound weird to you? That's ok it may sound weird but, it is very much true. When loneliness is present so is satan to lie, and deceive and try to cheat you out of your life, it is his playground. We as Gods People the ministers to the world need to step out and stomp on the devil and tell him to leave our friends, family, neighbors and all the people we do not know alone because, God is the CHAMPION and the devil is NOT!!!! My prayer is this God show me the lonely, show me how to minister to them and help me to help them to see YOU so they will know that they are NOT alone AMEN! If I could meet just one person in the whole world....I would want to meet someone that was unsaved so, I could tell them about Jesus and lead them to Him.....if I could meet two I would like to meet Mark Lowry....but, since the likelihood of that happening is next to nothing, I will stick to the unsaved. When they get to Heaven they can meet Mark Lowry themselves since that is where he is going...for that matter so am I!!!

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

Are you 31 enough?

I am later in starting this morning because, I had to pray and ask God to give me what He wanted me to say, anything I came up with on my own I did not like. 31 came to mind and I thought oh ya, today is my 31st post I could do something about that. No that was not the point but, 31 kept coming to mind and I was struggling to figure out what when, TA-DA a light bulb lit in my head....Woman.....more specifically the Proverbs 31 woman. Growing up that has been a scripture that I have dearly loved to read, when I went to college that was the woman I wanted to become . The woman described in that passage (my opinion here) is strong, charming, giving, diligent, loving, kind, observant, compassionate, creative, full of grace and willing to give of herself. Today as we walk in our life how many of us can say those things about ourselves? I have questioned myself a few times. Then I read the prayer I wrote in my Bible (yes I write in my Bible) it was very simple...Lord make me like the woman in this Proverb. I want to be a woman that takes good care of ALL of those in her household this is my prayer...Amen. Looking back I can see that God has given me a heart for others, I am a giving person and I cry easily for those that are hurting. I am not going to say I am completely like the Proberbs 31 woman but, I am thinking that God is still working on me. There is a lesson in this passage for all of us men included, the person described here should be how ALL God's children strive to be.....ok ok guys I am not saying you need to act like a woman I am saying the characteristics of this passage we need to take on as our own.....We live our lives in a very desperate world and the world needs to know that there are people who care and are genuinely kind. There is so much hate in the world today it makes our job a little harder but, we have something GREATER, STRONGER and more POWERFUL than anything this world can throw at us and His name is JESUS......I present you a challenge today.....go out into all the world (or your neighborhood, town,or where ever you can) and proclaim the Love of God with kindness, giving, compassion and God's grace......are you 31 enough???

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

Change how do I.....

I am seriously sitting here with a blank mind....well ok not blank because, I am thinking, I cant think of anything to write. So the question that comes to my mind is how am I going to fill my screen with words and not sit staring mesmerized by the blinking cursor?....Then it hits me....WooHoo I have something to say but, where do I start? Well I guess I can start here....No one likes changes....pure and simple. I know I fight changes even at times the ones I ask God to do, because change is uncomfortable. We get ourselves to where we are in a comfort zone that we tend go with our flow and when something interrupts that flow well, we get a tad...discombobulated. Changes need to happen so we can grow and mature in God. If we stay the same we would go no where in life, in relationships or in our growth with God. From where I am sitting I can tell you there are changes happening all over some we are going to like and, some we are going to very much DISlike. Like I said change is uncomfortable but, it is necessary we have to be willing to let God change our hearts so our lives will be productive in what God has planned for us. If change were easy I think (there I go thinking again) life would be dull. I mean it is not like changing our socks....hey I am need of a change could you please grab some out of the closet for me? The way we change well, sinner nature can be a doozy. If we decide to go in the opposite direction God wants then, the changes He wants take that much longer but, when we turn around and start to head in the right direction we will go with new lessons learned. When we change we learn, when we learn we grow and when we grow....we blossom into something beautiful.

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

How does your garden grow?

we talked about sowing and reaping at our Ladies brunch yesterday and I kinda want to explore that a little today. I look at my life and I can see where what was sowed made the reaping  not pleasant. I can also see where there was good sowing and the reaping was sweet. I look at my kids lives and I can see a mixture of really good sowing and some really NOT so good sowing. I am becoming more and more aware of the mistakes I make and I am asking God to help me with those. With God I can start sowing all good and seeing the best. Now I am not saying this is all for our benefit oh no, God will bless us and provide what we need, I am talking about what we sow in others people's lives. What we reap is not always ours.....Do not be deceived  God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows in the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. Galatians 6:7-10 (NKJ) Our showing others God and helping them, praying for them, sowing good seeds in them is all part of going out into the world and preaching the Gospel. When we plant a garden we cultivate the ground first to make sure it is good soil then we plant and we watch, we wait (some more impatiently then others) and we get excited about the growth we see...(contrary to what some may think gardens do not grow fully over night) in the lives of people we sow seeds in, we need to do the same. They need Love, Prayer, encouragement and Gods word to grow they need the SON like our plants need the sun. In our lives we need to be nurtured, encouraged, loved and cared for too or, we will have the nasty weeds we all dislike growing up and choking out our life and robbing us of what we need....Let me tell you the Bible is a great weed killer...But I say: He who sows sparingly will reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully  will reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 1 Corinthians 9: 6-7 (NKJ) Giving of ourselves does not mean money it means anything we can give, volunteering in a school, or at an animal shelter or going and cleaning up the side of the road that is great sowing and cheerful giving (in my opinion). Mary Mary not quite contrary how does your garden grow? With lots of love and the Son of God and all of our friends in a row......


That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

Can you see?

Good Morning all there are 92 days until Christmas....

I love early mornings it is my time to sit and think (which can get me into trouble), Pray and be quiet. As I sit her drinking my cup of coffee I wonder what I am going to write. I write from my heart, sometimes I wake up with an idea and other times it just pops in to my head and I sit and just write then there are times that I am unsure and I start to ramble and something kinda cool comes from it. As I have said before I try to live my life the way God wants me to but, my sinner nature wants to take over and I have battles with it. I call it sinner nature instead of human nature because in my opinion that is what it is. we are human yes but, we are bigger sinners and it is sin that drives humans in this life. I want God to drive me and I want people to see Him in me and when a person is hurting I want to hug them and protect them but, sometimes the best I can do is pray and let the one who is BIGGER than any hurt take over. When my kids hurt I hurt when my friends cry I cry with them. I found the best thing I can do is pray, listen and love. I have a knack of attracting (for lack of a better word) people that need me to help them they lean on me and need my attention....it can wear on a person and unfortunately sometimes I pull away. I believe God puts them in my life for a reason and I pray for them and help them the best I can and I know I can only do so much but, my God is greater, stronger and more than capable of doing wondrous things in their lives. When I step back God lets me know I need to step forward again I am unsure how or why but, He does. My desire to serve my Savior is so strong that I know I fail to see the opportunity to minister right in front of me. I seek God in what He wants me to do and sometimes what He wants me to do is knocking on my door. My lesson in all of this I guess is when seeking God for what He wants us to do we need to make sure we are seeing what He wants us to do.

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

His strength is perfect!

I am sitting here waiting for my VERY early morning cup of coffee to kick in and, i'm wondering where my ramblings will lead me today. My virtual travels have taken me all over, I have met people from different countries and several from this one. My physical travels have taken me as far as the Dallas/Fortworth area and oh boy I had a BLAST!!! I have been seeking God as to where He wants me to go and, what He wants me to do. I have been tugged towards Houston, Texas. I am not sure why but, maybe for the sole reason of saying Houston you have a problem and its ME!!! For now I stay put until I really know what God wants me to do. I continue to seek His will for my life and practice my patience while I am at it. I have to say where I am at today is only by the grace of God, plain and simple, with out God I could have gone down a much different path. I do not remember much of my childhood I blocked a lot out (except the bad memories). I remember my mom telling me how I became saved. I was 5 years old I was a curious child I guess. I refused to accept Jesus until ALL of my questions had been answered and when they were I said come on God its you and me. I have had my struggles over the years and my Tug Of Wars with God and my strong will....(hey that is where my daughter gets it from hmmm) I have witnessed on the streets of  my hometown as a teen, I went on mission trips to Hays, Montana yet, I still struggled. This I believe is why....at the age of 7 I was molested by the man I was named after my Uncle....I felt so ashamed and all alone and scared, I felt I had done something so bad that I DESERVED it. I did NOT tell my parents, I was afraid to. I was afraid they would blame me, or punish me, or think it was my fault so I kept quiet. I got afraid of being alone with my dad he never did anything to me...(except call the nurse a liar when she said he had another girl, and treat me like I was a disappointment to him). From 7 to 11 is a blur to me but, at 11 I met my best friend Reese we were inseparable (well almost). My life started looking up I had a friend and we did so much together yet, I never said a word. I had a paper route when I was a kid...remember those? where kids could actually go out and make money delivering newspapers? I was 12 and it happened again, different person but, it affected me the same way I kept my mouth shut. I was listening to Kenneth Copeland sing He touched me on my cassette walkman (wow I feel old) to this day, I have not been able to listen to that song again. All the old fears and guilt and shame reared their ugly head and I felt lost all over again. When I started High School we had an assembly and it was about sexual abuse. They said 1 in every 4 girls will have been abused by the age of I think it was 12..( I can not quite remember that part) so the row I was in, the girls counted guess who got number 4? They asked, I said oh no not me it has to be one of you...(yes I lied) I did not want them to know how bad I was to deserve it. I just could not say anything.....all the memories popped into my head and well....ALL of them and I relived it again. I changed that day but, my parents did not notice anything was wrong...as usual I put on my strong face and dealt with it like I had my whole life. This time was different though, I had to tell someone, I could NOT keep going...so I told a friend and she suggested I tell our Youth Pastors wife. I did but, I made her promise NOT to tell my parents....she didn't, however, she did say You did nothing wrong, it is not your fault, you did not deserve this. All of that helped, I felt some relief but, the healing did not start. My parents got divorced when I was a Sophomore I felt betrayed by them, lied to by them especially my dad. He had promised that there was NOTHING so big that could not get worked through....he said we will NEVER get divorced.....he left (actually my mom did but...he moved out of state) and did not look back....until years later (give or take a few). I went off to college the one I picked....ok side note here...when anyone told me I HAD to do something...I did the complete opposite. I was told I HAD to take a marriage and family class in High School by my sister, I took Psychology instead...I was told by the same sister, I HAD to Apply at Portland Bible College...I applied to one out of State and got in. so off to Seattle I went....I had never felt more alone in my life yet I had tons of friends....I wanted to die and I tried....something stopped me, I could not end my life (God has a real knack of getting His way). It was sometime in that year of college that my roommate found me on my bed, curled up in a ball, crying please don't touch me, I am sorry, I don't know what I did but, PLEASE don't touch me. I had fallen asleep and dreamed both events ALL over again I felt and heard it ALL! She told me I needed to get counseling, to call my Pastor and talk to him....so I did. He told me the next time I come home, to come see him. When I went home I did go see him, he prayed with me, talked to me, gave me a book called No Longer A Victim and said the words I dreaded to hear...You HAVE GOT to tell your parents....I was 18...I had this secret I have lived with for 11 years and he wanted me to tell my parents?...my Pastor said your healing can not ever be complete if you don't...you kept it from them, it will be a release for you to tell them....He also said you did NOTHING wrong, this is NOT your fault, you did NOTHING to deserve this. I went home and wrote my mom the most heart wrenching letter I had to ever write. Telling her what her brother did to me and what the other guy did to me and all of my feelings and why I said nothing....I also told her I would never talk to her about it, ever because, I just couldn't and DON'T tell dad! I told her to wait until I was gone to read it and I left. I went to my Youth Pastors house and stayed there....mom being mom tracked me down but, I refused to talk to her about it....He was right I felt released it felt good..it got easier to talk about, I started to heal. as the years went on my relationship with my dad began to heal and I finally told him about it. Over the years of my life I have been told on several occasions I had to be strong for the ones around me so, my fears and weaknesses got put on the back burner and bottled up. I had to be strong for everyone else and me too...I am that way in my life now but, I get my strength from someone who will NEVER fail me. God is my strength He will always be there for me in my time of need...The Lord is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; My father's God, and I will exalt Him. Exodus 15:2 (NKJ). People will fail and disappoint but, God is unfailing. No matter what you do His strength is perfect when ours is gone and when we are expected to be strong for everyone around us we can just lean on God and He will lead us in His perfect strength...Let God be your strength...He is mine.

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

Lessons in disguise...

I am working on fundraising for a Relay for Life team I am co-captain of and, I have been trying to see if I can get a Christian artist to come and do a benefit concert. As a team (and any one of us personally) there is NO money to pay this person or group for their time. What I am running across is, Artists, Christian or otherwise seem to be UNtouchable! I understand they have busy schedules and probably TONS of people asking the same thing of them. I imagine it is a bit overwhelming  for them so, I get the "NO" (I promise I am getting to the point). However Jesus was TOUCHABLE!!! yes, He went places to get away but, He still let people get close to Him. We as believers (my opinion here) should be the same way, Famous or Not! We represent Christ to others but, our actions will show them whether or not we are truly representing Him or just doing it for show. Our intentions may be good but, it only takes one brush off to make someone not want to seek God. I am sure  (again its confession time) I am guilty of that myself. I know sometimes we are busy, tired, frustrated  and down right not in the mood but, we are God's Customer Service Reps. We need to serve with a smile and show them God and His love for them, even if we don't want to (now we still need to take time for us so God can feed our spirits). I want to be the best CSR for God I can be so, I have to look at myself and ask am I untouchable? or, can people get close enough to me to see God's light shining through? In all of this as frustrating as it has been, I have found a lesson in disguise. I learned that as a believer I need to show myself as who I am and allow people to touch me. The woman who touched Jesus's robe she thought, if I could only touch it I will be healed (paraphrasing here). Jesus felt it, He knew someone had touched Him. I am not saying I can heal people but, I want to be touchable like Jesus was. I value the lessons God has taught me (and at times He has to reteach me). I want to continue to learn and grow so I can teach others about Him. So I leave you with this question...Are you Touchable or UNtouchable?

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

To judge....OR NOT!

Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgement you judge, you will be judged; and with the same measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck out of your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother's eye. Matthew 7:1-5 (NKJ)
This has been weighing on my heart A lot lately, I am guilty of judging others. In my experience I have outright judged and then sometimes my thoughts about someone are judgmental. I know it is wrong unfortunately sinner nature is like that. God is working on me with this and I believe  He is doing a great job with me, every once in a while I catch myself thinking judgmental thoughts and I check myself. God is the only judge around it is not my place nor do I want it to be. Being judgmental is hurtful, the saying don't judge a book by it's cover is so true. When we look at someone what do we see? What do we think? What is our first impression of them? with out taking the time to get to know someone we automatically JUDGE them.....they may be the sweetest person in the world but, if we do not like the way they look or sound when they talk we tend to write them off.  It is sinner nature..what we need is JESUS NATURE...I am not saying throw caution to the wind because sometimes our instincts are right but, don't just assume someone is a bad egg because we do not like what we see. God sees our hearts, He knows our thoughts, He knows when we judge, we can not get away with it, when God is our parent. We need to take care of our issues before we can "take care" of someone else's, frankly I have enough issues of my own I am a bit busy to worry about someone else's speck but, I can pray for them and love them like I should and keep my judgmental thoughts away. I have met 2 friends on Twitter they both live in different States and I am excited to get to know them through email and messages I love making new friends. Getting to know someone even through an email is so much better than just writing them off.

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

Co-Pilot or Pilot?

I noticed the other day on my walk the leaves are starting to change and the vibrant colors are starting to say hey look at me I am here. Fall is rapidly approaching and with it a whole new feeling is in the air, the smell of firewood burning, the air becoming crisp and refreshing it is oh so nice. With Fall becoming more evident it also means people start getting more busy, with sports, school activities, planning for the upcoming Holidays, Bazaars (that one I really do love) and so much more. So many things in fact that time becomes an issue, I have this, this this and this to do, oh my where has the time gone??? I know in the past I have gotten so busy, that I have cut things that take up my time and unfortunately (confession time here) God, Prayer and Church have been what I tended to ummmm leave out.......When I did my life went south for the winter and I stayed North. God stayed with me but, I was not relying on Him I did it all on my own which meant, I was not a happy camper, I would snap at the kids, I would fall into the blues...(trust me I would rather have purple) and I would get so unhappy it was horrible. My family suffered, I suffered and all I had to do is turn to God. When I lean on God and I give control back to Him, I am a much different person. I saw a bumper sticker once that said Jesus is my co-pilot well I say Jesus is NOT my co-pilot...He IS MY PILOT......I am co-dependent on God yes Ladies and Gents I said it...Hi my name is Billie and I am addicted to God and I am proud of it. We will still have our trials and the road is not an easy one but, with God it is a happier one...Please keep that in mind with this hectic season rapidly approaching.

That's my though for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

Breathe in Breathe out!

The Bible says to pray without ceasing I have often wondered how do I do that? well I can tell you....I don't know. I have often gone through a day just having brief talks with God while driving down the road or walking down a hall so, I am thinking that maybe that is what it is meant by pray with out ceasing.....maybe. I find that when  I have my brain working a million miles a minute (well it seems like it) I find it hard to focus, be still and pray. I have to admit I do not like it when this happens....I like having my prayer time and to have it interrupted by thinking is well.....GRR. All the thoughts of my life....did I pick this up at the store? My child is sick better take her to the Dr., bills and so on. I am not the most organized person but, I do not like my brain cluttered when I am trying to talk to God. Romans 8:26 says Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought,  but the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which can not be uttered. (NKJ) I know that life is life but, God can and will give peace of mind we just need to ask Him. I guess to pray with out ceasing or to pray when my mind is all cluttered and I do not know where or how to start, I should just find a quiet place and ask for help. God is not here to confuse us no that is the devils job. God is here to love us and to help us. Again, all we need to do is ask so, breathe in Gods love and peace and breathe out the clutter.

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

Got Grace?

I have been researching grace. I have been raised that God has grace for us and we should have grace for others. What does grace really mean? The Merriam-Webster dictionary says grace is 1. a. unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification. b. a virtue coming from God. 2. a. Approval, Favor b. Mercy, Pardon c. privilege. d. disposition to or an act or instance of kindness, courtesy, or clemency. e. temporary exemption..


Wow that seems like a lot to live up to. Now if God has all of that (and more of course) then we should have it for others as well. God gives us grace everyday, He showed that when He sent His son Jesus, to die for us the lowly sinner on this hunk of rock we call earth. When we deal with the people in our lives, how do we do it? Do we get annoyed, upset, frustrated and just want to be left alone? I know I do (with my kids a lot). Unfortunately I have not learned grace at least not the way God has it for us. It is a work in progress but, now that I have recognized it I am hoping that with God's help I can learn it. Living the Christian life is like being in school all over again, we have lessons we have to learn and, if we don't learn them we have to do them over and over again. We keep learning until we get a "passing" grade but, even then we still have to practice what we learn and use it otherwise, we will have to start all over again. I do not know about you but, it has been 19 years since I have been in school and I really do not want to repeat it. When God shows us grace He does not have to frankly, I would not blame Him if He did not show us grace but, He wants to (huge difference). When dealing  with our kids it is so important to try and show them grace, not because we have to but, because we want to. Our desire to be like God (I did not say to be God just keep that clear please) should be present and we should want to show grace. If God can and does show us (the ones who sin more then kids annoy the parents) grace how much more should we show it to others? Lord teach me how to show grace to others Amen...


That's my thought for the day,


Crazy for Christmas

Give a flower...give a smile

We are at 99 days Yay for being below 100!

Do you remember the last time you were down and someone made you smile? How about when you felt like no one cared and someone showed you different? When we are in need God provides, He provides people to show us we are indeed thought of. When we give of ourselves I believe we are giving God and that is a really cool thing in my opinion. It is important to teach our kids to give of themselves and not to be selfish and think the world revolves around them. I know it sounds a bit harsh but, its true. I am telling you in this world of chaos there is a sense of kindness and love and giving, unfortunately they seem to be in the minority right now and I want to change that. Yesterday I taught my kids to give, I started operation give a flower we took flowers and went to a local nursing home and visited with the residents and gave them a flower. To watch their faces light up and to hear the staff tell us how much they enjoyed it was so wonderful. The important thing is my kids gave of themselves and enjoyed it. They learned that there are people out there that need a smile or a flower and they gave it to them. God has such great ways to help us teach our children important lessons and I am truly thankful for that. As a parent we must learn and teach sacrifice as well because there will be a time in their life they will have to sacrifice something. I want them to know that there is no sacrifice greater than what our Heavenly Father sacrificed for us, so that we may spend eternity with Him. It is not an easy thing to do but a necessary  one to teach these lessons to our kids. God trusted us with the task and I know I am not perfect but, with Gods help I think my kids will turn out ok.


That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

Life is like a box of chocolates.

There are 100 days until Christmas!!! WooHoo just had to share.


Forrest Gump said "Life is like a box of chocolate you never know what your gonna get". Whether you get, caramel, raspberry, orange or some funkified flavor no on wants to guess at, you take a bite (at least I do) of every single one to see what they are. Then if you are like me you save the best for last. These days they do have a flavor guide to make it easy for you. With life being like a box of chocolates, we actually have more of a box of temptation with no flavor guide to tell us which ones are the "good" ones. The master of temptation himself is satan, he can twist and manipulate things to look oh so good and not oh so bad. We know right from wrong but, when the devil is involved he will lie and do everything in his power to get you to do it. I guess it is kind of like hardcore "peer pressure". We convince ourselves that one time wont hurt, who will know?, it is not that bad, I am a good person so what harm will it do? you think no one will know? YOU WILL!! Let us not forget that God knows...He sees everything, knows everything, hears everything I can keep going but, I think you get the point. One of the awesome things about God is...He may see everything we do but, He loves us just the same. God will also forgive us if we ask Him. 1 John 1:9 says If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (NKJ) Now this does not mean you can just go out and deliberately start sinning. God wants us to walk with Him in everything we do. Psalm 1:1-3 says Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither, And whatever he does shall prosper. (NKJ) In our lives if we can recognize that box of chocolates and refuse to eat of them then we have defeated satan and his attempts to defeat us. God has something much better than chocolate and that is what I want......

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

Take the blindfold off...

I see a blank page before me and I am unsure of how to fill it with words. I have so many thoughts running through my brain I can not seem to just pick one. I seriously feel like a tug of war is happening with in my cranium. It keeps building and building until something is gonna give, and maybe the words will start to flow. I feel that way in my life sometimes, where I have my moments when I am stalled in life, in faith, in trust and it keeps pulling me in circles. I am pulling back and the tugs are getting stronger until something breaks. Either me, or the rope either way, I usually end up flying through the air and it hits me, my tears fall and I scream and yell and shout and praise Gods name all at the same time. As I am flying I do not consider where I am gonna land, I could land in a brier patch and have to struggle to get out but, usually when the dam breaks I land in the arms of God. He carries me through what ever I need Him to. In big decisions or small I know in the end I can trust God to help me through it. Trusting God on things you can not see the outcome to is kinda like having a blind fold on and trusting people to guide you through an obstacle course with out running into things (which usually does happen) but, you trust your friends to do that so why not trust God to help you? It is easy to hear the voices of your friends but you have to listen a little more to hear Gods voice in His guidance. I will be honest trust is hard for me to do, when it comes to trusting God I struggle and fight and I get in that tug of war with God. My will against His and I ALWAYS end up in the mud but, as I continue to grow and walk with Him I am learning more and more when to give my will up for His. As sinners we want what we want and when we don't always get it we throw fits and stomp our feet but, in the end it is just so simple. I AM A SINNER!!!! but, my God FORGIVES....when trust is an issue remember, God will wait, and wait and...ok you get it until we can trust. It just might happen a little sooner if, the trust you have in your friends to guide you blindfolded you would place in God.....


That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

Who am I?

I live in Oregon I like living here (for the most part) and I have lived here my entire life. In my part of the state we do not really see the four different seasons really just two...Rain or Rain...ok it is not that bad but, we do get a lot of rain here. Our Summer starts when school does or so it seems and lasts a couple of weeks then we see Fall. The days get shorter the leaves turn colors and start to fall it is so pretty....even with the rain. Soon we see what is supposed to be Winter (we do not get much snow on the west side of the Cascades)  my favorite time of year because, the leaves are gone and everything is bare, naked and striped of it's protective covering. Have you looked at a tree with no leaves? I mean really looked at it? The branches twist, turn and curl in so many directions that it creates a magnificent work of art just standing there. No tree is the same everyone of them is different and unique. In the Spring when the leaves grow it takes on a whole new look and with it's new shape it is transformed into something so awe inspiring it gives me a new appreciation of the beauty surrounding me. People are the same way, we are all different. If striped of everything to show who we really are including our many imperfections then, we could show who God made us to be. With all of the things swirling around us, we think our image is important and we cover ourselves and, hide at times who we really are. We make ourselves into something so different that we lose touch with who God made us to be. With God we can have a makeover, starting from our striped down form God can transform our lives into something so beautiful, we wont need to cover anything up because, we are made in God's image and God does not make mistakes. I am a work in progress and I always will be. God will always mold me and shape me into who He wants me to be. I should not want to cover up who I am, when the perfect Creator made me who I am. Let God do an extreme makeover on your life and I bet you will love what you see....God does.

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

God is our lighthouse

I have often said that I think I was born in the wrong era...but, I am learning that I was not, I am right where I should be. Even though I have tons of things I could complain about and sometimes I do, I am where God put me. We do not get a choice where, when or to whom we are born but, God placed us here on purpose.  As I journey through my life walking through the experiences I have, learning sometimes much needed life lessons I have to admit that sometimes my faith waivers...never intentionally but, it does. In those times I have to remember where my focus is even if at that time I can not see it. Mark Lowry says (yes here I go again...gotta love it He has such a way with words...they are Markisms) "My faith is like a flickering light, I just got to remember in the dark what I saw in the light".  I do not know about you but, I do not like memory games much because, I am no good at them. I do like a challenge though and remembering in the dark what I saw in the light is something I am looking forward to. Something else to keep in mind, even though we may have dark times God is always there with us. God is holding a flashlight to lead us home again. The AMAZING thing about God is He is AMAZING!!! No matter where we are in our lives and what we are dealing with God is there. God is our Lighthouse in any storm shining so bright so we can come home to His loving arms. Wherever you are in your life God wants YOU to come home.


That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

Ever feel like Gumby???

The last few weeks I have to say I have been pulled and stretched in so many directions. I really wanted to yell I CAN ONLY STRETCH ONE WAY, so give me my arms back....please but, I didn't I was a good girl. I have one direction I can go and that my friends is toward God....or so I thought.....I was reminded yesterday from someone at Church that being like Gumby may not be so bad after all. He Said "a person that can bend won't break" (Wow so feeling like the pretzels they served at their house warming party is a good thing I guess.). The thing is I am only human but, God is ALWAYS God and whatever we are going through in our lives He can see what has, is and will happen and, He will bring people into our lives that we as His children need to minister to or, be ministered to whether we realize it or not. I am not saying breaking is an awful thing (well it is not pleasant) but, as sinners we do need to break in places such as our will, stubbornness, sinful nature, impatience we have for waiting on God and so on. Once we break we should then be moldable and stretchable and bendable like GUMBY!!! God can and will work through us if we can and will bend the way He wants us to. I really want to figure out what God wants me to do...I want to minister in some way I just do not know where so, maybe being pulled in what felt like a gazillion different directions was a good thing and today I say God I am willing...use me, stretch me, and bend me where you need me.....Anyone know how to give a good back massage????


That's my though for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

Today is a day of remembrance...

I prayed for our Nation today. I prayed for the children that lost their parents and for the ones that never got to see their dad's and I prayed for the parents who lost a child. I wept today for the families who had to deal with so much tragedy in their lives 10 years ago. Today as we remember, we move forward some with mixed feelings, some with sadness and some with a heart of worship. God was there that day He held all those people in His arms and today He will hold their families. Even through all of this with our hearts in different places remember this...God is always there He never fails or turns away. God knows our hearts, He sees into the very depths of our being and can bring peace. Today is a day of remembrance but, lets not do it with mourning lets do it with joy and thanksgiving. Psalm 100 says Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations. (NKJ) We will never forget that day but, neither will God. As we go about our day, say a prayer for all of the families who lost someone that day. I have a feeling that the ones who lost their lives would want a day of celebrating them, not mourning their deaths. For those who lost someone, I do not know who you are but, today I prayed for you, I prayed peace, comfort and joy. Remember the ones you loved for why you loved them, As we remember you.


That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

Who's Birthday is it?

Hello I am writing this after only 3 1/2 hours of sleep lets see what I can come up with today......I find that when I say how many days until Christmas most people groan...(By the way there is 106 days until The GREATEST BIRTHDAY EVER!!!!!) and if you need to know what it means exactly here you go...Websters Dictionary says groan means (1) to utter a deep moan indicative of pain, grief or annoyance. Since I am sure it is the last of the three that makes people groan it brings a question to my mind. Do people (and I do mean PEOPLE as in everyone including believers) immediately think of spending money, the dinner and stress BEFORE Jesus when they hear Christmas? If so WHY???? Yes there was a St. Nicholas a long time ago that helped people who needed it but, he was NOT why we have Christmas.....Jesus is. When I think of Christmas I think of the most precious gift anyone could give us...so why groan when you hear a reference to it...(or in my case I tell you how many days are left). I love Christmas...I LOVE looking at the lights and decorations and oh boy when the store gets it all set up I just get giddy!!!!! really I do!! BUT, (and that is a big one) I always keep in mind why we have it. Yes I shop for Christmas.....all year long so it is not a stress fest and I LOVE black Friday. My decor includes (if I am correct) about 6 nativity scenes and 3 are up year round. I tell my kids the real reason we have Christmas the birth of Jesus. I do add some fun to it too, with a Christmas key that we hang outside by the front door since we do not have a chimney for a certain someone to get in and leave gifts (all wrapped in different paper) and he leaves (actually me) the key on the tree where the kids will totally see it. I have no problem with that as long as they know that it is JESUS not Santa that makes Christmas what it is. The ENTIRE spirit surrounding Christmas the love, joy, peace, kindness, giving of one self and just giving, thinking of others, and even helping people out.....should be something we do everyday not just a week or two. We celebrate Jesus everyday and tell the world about Him (at least we are supposed to) so my question to you is WHY??? Why do people groan when they hear Christmas??? Well maybe they are not celebrating Christmas because of Christ.....Christ is (or should be) the center of Christmas just like He should be the center of your life all year long....


That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

Parts of the body VS God

Who do we listen to our brain or our heart??? well frankly, I think neither one when they are at war. Now don't gasp in shock, I have a reason for that one. Growing up I have been taught and trained in many things.  I am finding that as an adult some of those things I am having a real problem with. I understand it is the parents responsibility to raise the child. I get it, I am in the same place now but, I also think that sometimes parents do not know what they are doing. So after that side note back to the brain and heart...when it comes down to it I hear people say listen to your heart it will tell you what to do..........ummm no I do not think so. I believe when the two (lets see muscles, masses, functioning or not so functioning parts of the body) are at war nothing will be accomplished ever!!! God has a still small voice for a reason, He is the one you should listen to not, something pumping blood or that thinks to much. I have been reading Job I have to say I would never want to go through what he did but, in a smaller scale ( a much smaller scale) we do in our lives. Job looked to God yes he did but, I also think he yelled at Him but he NEVER cursed God or turned his back on Him, even though the people around him wanted him to. It is not easy to go through something and NOT blame God!!!! it is human nature or rather yet sinner nature. By the way I do have a point I promise. When we are at war with ourselves we tend to push God out of the picture and well that is just plain ummmmm...stupid yes Ladies and Gentlemen I said STUPID!!! God is THE problem solver, we just have to not be stubborn and LET Him solve them, not take over and do it for Him (it NEVER works when we do). Tell your heart to chill and your Brain to shut up and be still, get quiet. Empty your heart and mind and put all your focus on God and His still small voice, He will talk to you He wants to. God does speak, just not with a BIG BOOMING voice we have to be quiet enough to hear Him. It is such a beautiful experience when we can slow down long enough to let God speak to us. When it comes to our brain, heart and the people around us tell them that Psalm 46:10  says Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! (NKJ) There is no doubt about it God is the one we need to listen to.


That's my though for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

Dear Friend

Dear Friend~

I Prayed and asked God for a friend and he sent me you. Although I have never seen you God knows our hearts and He knows what we need when we need it. I believe that God can and will take anyone and use them (I think that is another Mark Lowry thing). God works in mysterious ways that is my opinion of course. If you really think about it how often is God obvious? We as Believers can tend to get wrapped up in our lives and the lives of others we are trying to help or minister to. So much in fact we fail to see what was there all along. Come on God is not all about BIG BANGS for goodness sakes...it is the still small voice that we really need to look for or rather listen for. I believe God will give gentle nudges (but if we are stubborn He may just use a 2X4 He does need to get our attention sometimes) to say I am here look to me. When we ask God for things He will always answer, in His time not ours. It may not always be the answer we were looking for But, God has a reason for that too (He just does not always tell us what it is). God has fabulous ways of blessing us,  we need to be aware of those blessings so we can thank Him for them. Blessings can come in something as wonderful as a new friendship, a well needed hug or just a cup of coffee with a friend (with tons of cream and sugar of course). We do not need big obvious blessings to know God loves us....what we really need to know is that HE JUST DOES! with no strings attached (although, I would not mind some strings then I would not have to wait to see God I could be the first in line). So my new friend, I thank God for you. I look forward to developing our friendship and even though we are states and time zones apart I think this will be something beautiful!


That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

And it came to pass

There are times life feels like a roller coaster, I mean the crazy kind. All the twists, turns and loops not knowing what is coming around the bend. Mark Lowry said (yes I know I quote him a lot) "if I could describe the Christian life in one word it would be....Interesting". How true is that?  Life definitely is not boring and I would not want it to be. What makes life interesting is a mix of really good things and well........really not so good things...( I dislike the word bad can you tell?).   When we are going through something and we are down, we ask and in some cases YELL, Why God? WHY ME?  As humans we ask a lot of questions (at least I have) and one of them being why do we see people that are not following God get tons of good things happening to them and we feel dumped on? I can not answer that question. I do not know why we see people get the good things in life or easy things only God does. I can say this God has a plan for us, and He knows what he is doing. It says in Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. (NKJ) When we ask God why? With His fabulous sense of humor I can just see Him smile and say why not? God loves us more than ANYONE we know. I know it can feel like....He does really? The answer is yes He does. I believe the things in our lives are done to mold us and shape us into who God wants us to be. He is the potter we are the clay. I love the life verse Mark Lowry has "and it came to pass" no matter what we go through the good, the bad the ugly...(yes I said bad) it came to pass. we are not on this hunk of rock forever. We are just passing through and all of our trials and joys they are not permanent....they came to pass.



That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

Do you converse with God?

Just a note before I start I have changed it to where anyone can comment on the blog now. I apologize for not checking on that sooner.

Today a new chapter begins for every child (well at least in my corner of the country)
the first day of school. As we prepare, feed and rush them out the door please take a moment to pray with them if they are scared it will calm them and give some peace. Prayer at any stage of life is so important. God wants to hear from us everyday not just once in a while. When I pray I talk to God like he is in the room with me. I hold a conversation with Him and if I listen I will hear Him talk to me. How many take the time to sit and listen? In this hurry up world real listening takes quiet and time. God has His own time and if we hurry along we may very well miss it. I Love Hearing God speak to me but, I will admit that I do hurry and miss it. God is interested in what we have to say He will listen even, if we yell at Him. Praying with our kids will teach them that God is interested in them too. So with school starting I can slow down and listen and have a beautiful conversation with God.

That's my though for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

Do you have kids JUST LIKE YOU???

~Warning~ tee hee what I am about to say is NOT intended to offend any Grandparents it offended my mom at one point in time.

As a kid did you ever hear "I hope you have kids JUST LIKE YOU"? I did over and over and well you get the picture. Well do you have kids just like you? It's the Grandparents fault yep, I believe that firmly. They curse us with those words. So I tell my kids, I hope you have kids that are loving, do not fight, do not back talk, who are kind, obedient, willingly do the chores they have to do with no complaints and respect their parents.....that way, they can not come back and blame me, if they do have kids that turn out just like them.  I wonder if Mary ever said it to Jesus? I have to say I HOPE SO!!! I would like nothing better than to be just like Jesus. In my walk through this thing we call life being just like my Heavenly Father is something I strive to do. I know I will never completely achieve that but, if people see Gods light shining through my life then, I have done oh so good. What about when our kids grow up and become adults? Are they JUST LIKE US? Is that a good thing? Or a not so good thing? Our kids see us and how we live... we are their example and if they see us doing things that should not be done, or having behaviors that are not what God would like, then they may lean in that direction. I for one Do NOT want to be responsible for my kids going in the opposite direction from God. So in my life I need to be just like my "DAD" (the one upstairs) so hopefully when they grow up they will be just like me and I can tell my mom see I did good thanks for the curse. It holds us as parents accountable for our kids. Are we the example that God wants us to be? I really hope so.

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

What story does your puzzle tell?

I am sitting here with a cat on my lap, smelling the morning coffee and watching the sun peak through the window thinking....(like that is out of the ordinary) about puzzles. Puzzles? Why puzzles? well I will tell you. I see life like a giant puzzle ever growing and changing. Every persons life is a puzzle that has no end pieces to it.  It starts the moment they are conceived and continues throughout their lives. As they meet new people and they grow so does their puzzle. Each person we meet makes our puzzle go in a new direction connecting over and over again. I am so glad that God can see the entire puzzle because from where I sit it seems like a giant mess. But, God sees it all and I bet the picture is amazing to Him. My point is this, every person we have contact with big, small or otherwise, we make an impression on. When we are out in the world living our lives we leave pieces of ourselves...our puzzle to connect with others. How people see us living our lives may at some point in their life make them stop and think. Now, the kind of piece we leave will determine if it was a good or not so good impression. I personally want to live my life the way God wants me too. I know that as a human my selfishness (yes I said selfishness because that is what it is) can and will take over and my puzzle can get discombobulated. But, God with his gentle guidance (or sometimes a 2X4 to the head) will fix our pieces so they once again fit the way they should. Each life puzzle tells a story and I want mine to be a beautiful story. One of love, kindness, giving, showing Gods Love to others making an everlasting impression on everyone I meet. Our puzzles will always grow and change and with our last breath our final piece will be placed. Then and only then will we get to see the whole puzzle and that will be a fabulous day indeed!


That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

Do you have an Attitude of Gratitude?

Are we Grateful? Well...are we? If I think about it, I am not always grateful. I was reminded of that yesterday. I have done 5 things to be grateful for off and on for years because, I feel if we find SOMETHING to be grateful for everyday, life just might be a little easier. I heard a song called Attitude of Gratitude yesterday (on a podcast Mark Lowry did) it was written by Bill Gaither, Mark Lowry and someone else but I did not quite catch the name....Mark Lowry said "if you're grateful you're just not miserable". That statement rings so true don't you think? Anyway I love those three words Attitude of Gratitude....I want to have one ALWAYS!!!!  Websters online dictionary says Gratitude means~ A feeling of thankfulness and appreciation. Thankfulness is something we have (or should have) been taught since we were kids. The Bible has something to say about being thankful for instance. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (NKJ). So God wants us to be thankful, grateful and to have an Attitude of Gratitude in EVERYTHING we do. Even in our prayers....so whether or not we are at peace or anxious, gratitude is important. Philippians 4:6 says Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God; (NKJ). Being grateful is not always going to be easy but, if you take a moment to look around you and see the wonder of God and His creation, I am thinking there will be something you can find to be grateful for. As Mark said "if you're grateful you're just not miserable"

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

Am I Real?

While I sit here trying to rack my brain for something clever to write  I'm  listening to Christmas music. I am reminded of all the fabulous things I have heard, read and seen over the last few days since I started this blog and I am in awe. I am discovering new people to follow on Twitter....(of all things I never thought I would Tweet.) it is fun to watch what they write for the world to see and it has struck me like a ton of feathers.....Are they tweeting the real them? Or just what they think people will be interested in reading? Am I? I want to show the world Jesus and His light shining through me and if I am not "tweeting" the "real" me am I really showing the world Jesus? To be honest I want to shout from the rooftops that JESUS IS LORD!!!!!! but, I might fall and that would be no fun. So, I do it online. As I do, I want it to truly be real. God wants the real us to tell the world about Jesus, His son, that He gave for our sins so we might have eternal life. In the meantime, are we in our lives really being true and blameless (for the lack of a better word) in EVERYTHING we do? I do not have religion I have a RELATIONSHIP with the one that Loves me more than anyone, shows me Grace, Mercy and Forgiveness when I mess up. So many people have been turned against God because of "religious" people and my desire is to show them God. The REAL God and in order to do that I have to show the real me......It is a challenge....are you up for it?

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas

Impossible is not a word!

Today I have 2 months until I light up my Christmas lights I am so excited.....I just had to share that tid-bit with you.

 In the midst of the hecticness and craziness that life will bring remember (Kutless says it best) impossible is not a word it is just a reason for someone not to try.  According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary  Faith means  (1): firm belief in something for which there is no proof (2): complete trust.  The Bible says to walk by faith not by sight.....As we walk by faith and put our trust in God to provide, offer comfort, give us peace and wrap His arms around us remember that in good times and in bad to thank God for His unending Love for us. As School begins and new adventures start (for my son High School) Trust God to lead you and guide you. If you are starting a new chapter in your life embrace it with the knowledge that God will not lead you blindly because He can see EVERYTHING!!!! If you fall you will have the strength to rise because God will pick you up and dust you off and you will keep on walking hand in hand with THE ONE who will NEVER fail you.

That's my thought for the day,

Crazy for Christmas