Heal our Land

As I previously said, I am studying the lives of the Old Testament Kings. The King I am studying now is Hezekiah. He was a really godly king and thus we can learn alot from him.


Hezekiah realized that his country men were sinning against God and so he decided to clean up that sin. In II Chronicles 30, Hezy sends out a letter "that they should come to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, to keep the passover unto the Lord God of Israel." - (This was an OT tradition)

In the letter he writes these words that are so appropriate for today.

And be not ye like your fathers, and like your brethren, which trespassed against the Lord God of their fathers, who therefore gave them up to desolation, as ye see. ⁸ Now be ye not stiffnecked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the Lord, and enter into his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever: and serve the Lord your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you.⁹ For if ye turn again unto the Lord, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they shall come again into this land: for the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him.

So we see this beautiful plea for the nation of Israel and, while reading, we consider that our country needs to do these same things:

1. Humble yourself
2. Yield yourself
3. Get back into his presence. (through a personal walk, going to church to worship...)
4. Serve the Lord

Then we see the awesome promise of God: for the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him.

Like today's crowd many scoffed at the Lord:
¹⁰ So the posts passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh even unto Zebulun: but they laughed them to scorn, and mocked them.

BUT YET...there is hope...
¹¹ Nevertheless divers of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem. ¹² Also in Judah the hand of God was to give them one heart to do the commandment of the king and of the princes, by the word of the Lord. ¹³ And there assembled at Jerusalem much people to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month, a very great congregation.


This is the result of getting back into His presence...
¹⁴ And they arose and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars for incense took they away, and cast them into the brook Kidron.
These altars were not used to worship God but other idols in their life. Think to yourself, what altar do I need to get rid of?  What idol do I have in my life that comes before God?  Is it my friends?  Popularity?  The Media?  Having to have the newest thing? My time? Money?
Before you even get back into His presence, before you sacrifice and worship to Him, get rid of those other altars.
¹⁵ Then they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the second month: and the priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought in the burnt offerings into the house of the Lord.¹⁶ And they stood in their place after their manner, according to the law of Moses the man of God: the priests sprinkled the blood, which they received of the hand of the Levites.

The END RESULT...
²⁰ And the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people. - AMEN AND AMEN!!!

If we want God to heal our nation; do the above. First get it right in your life and then pray for the others who will not humble themselves...
¹⁸ For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet did they eat the passover otherwise than it was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good Lord pardon every one

                                                                                           -rejoicing in the present

Making Daddy the Hero

Yesterday afternoon, while I was feeding Avery, I noticed that he was staring at my computer screen so I said, "Is that Daddy?" Immediately he started jerking his head around trying to find his "daddy." I tried putting him back in front of the screen to show him "daddy" but he wanted none of it. He wanted his daddy. It was so sweet to see how much he wants and loves his daddy. Avery is only 2 1/2 months old but yet he knows his daddy. Why? It's because Jeremy has taken the time to love on and care for his baby.

Tonight after Jeremy got home, I relayed the story to him and I know it really encouraged him. This is very important for Jeremy and Avery's relationship. As a mother and wife I need to be doing everything to make my children's dad, their hero.

A while back I read an article about making your husband a hero to the kids. I tried to find the exact one again but I couldn't. I did find a few others that were all on the same line. A few suggestions are as following...

1. DO NOT criticize daddy to the children (EVER). If you have something you don't like, go to him privately. I never saw my parents disagree until I was WAY older. When my parents wanted to discuss something, they would go into the bathroom that was in their bedroom and discuss where we could not hear.

2. Encourage daddy to spend time with the children. Do not nag, just suggest. "Buddy, has a baseball game on Friday, he would love to eat afterwards and have some daddy and son time." "Sally has a recital, she would love it for you to take her to the store to pick out a dress. Sometimes daddy's are busy and forget how important this is. That is why suggestions are the best..

3. When daddy does make a mistake or is not able to make a special event...encourage the children to see the positive. "Daddy would have loved to been here, but he is working so that we can do fun things like this."

Here is some more ideas from Girl Meets Paper

How could you make your husband a hero this Father’s Day?

• Encourage him to take the kids the kids to the library and pick out some new bedtime stories to read together. Mom, stay home and get the popcorn ready.
• Invite him to participate in bedtime if he usually doesn’t, especially during prayer time.
• Plan a surprise for your kids and let dad announce it.
• Schedule some daddy-daughter or daddy-son dates for him and let him be the shining knight to his kids.
• Go out of your way to praise your children’s father in front of others…and do so often.
• Help your kids write gratitude letters to daddy this Father’s Day. Offer some prompts so they can better articulate how special their daddy is to each of them.

-rejoicing in the present

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE VOTE!!!!

This article was forwarded to me by a friend, please take the time to read this.

IF YOU DON'T LIKE MITT, HERE'S SOMETHING TO CONSIDER
Columnist Andrew McCarthy gives us what probably is the most important question regarding the upcoming presidential election. I will enthusiastically support Mitt's candidacy. For my friends who have hesitation on that score, I'd just ask you to keep four things in mind:

1.. Justice Scalia just turned 78
2.. Justice Kennedy will turn 78 later this year
3.. Justice Breyer will be 76 in August
4.. Justice Ginsburg turned 81 about a week ago

We wish them all well, of course, but the brutal fact is that whoever we elect as president in November is almost certainly going to choose at least one and maybe more new members of the Supreme Court - in addition to hundreds of other life-tenured federal judges, all of whom will be making momentous decisions about our lives for decades to come. If you don't think it matters whether the guy making those calls is Mitt Romney or Barack Obama, I think you're smokin' something funky. So for anybody who is thinking of not voting because your favorite didn't get nominated, or writing in a candidate who can't win... Imagine this: SUPREME COURT JUSTICE ERIC HOLDER...

I don't want our current president picking out the Supreme Court Judges. Did you know that once these judges are picked, that these position are lifetime. So what happens if you get 4 more liberal judges in there? Please take the time and vote. Every vote IS important. My baby is only 2 1/2 months old. He has a lifetime in this world. Please Vote!

Broken Crayons

Do you have leftover broken crayons? Here is a cute idea on how to reuse them. This would also be a cute idea for a little girl's birthday party as a party favor. Little cupcake crayons...

Also Crayon Art is becoming quite popular. If you have extra crayons, you can always melt them and make a crayon drawing. There are quite a few DIY videos on youtube if you need more instruction. Here are a few cute pictures...

                         

    What I love about reusing crayons is the process. They  have to be melted and refined to become a new and beautiful gift. Well that is also what the Lord has to do with us.  Sometimes to get us to where He can use us for His glory and honor, He has to put us through the Refiner's fire.

Zechariah 13:9 "And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God."

                                                             -Rejoicing in the present!

Don't mess with me, my Daddy is God

I think that if there is an overall message the Lord has been giving me lately, it would be that our GOD is great, and oh-so powerful, but yet that He is good and He takes care of us. He loves His children.
We often know these facts but yet we follow our own intuitions instead of trusting our Heavenly Father. This is what happened to King Hezekiah. Previously, the kingdom had been in bondage to Assyria and had to pay a tribute to them to leave Judah alone. When Hezekiah came into power, he stopped paying this tribute. Thus when Assyria came after him, he became very nervous.
He saw his terrible enemy, Sennacherib (King of Assyria) defeat foe after foe. Thus when King Sen. came up against King Hezy, He got very nervous. He didn't call out to God; His first reaction was a "I can do this myself" reaction. In fact this is what happened...

Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did Sennacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fenced cities of Judah, and took them.¹⁴ And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying, I have offended; return from me: that which thou puttest on me will I bear. And the king of Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.¹⁵ And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasures of the king's house.

He literally tried to pay King Sen off by giving  him all the gold and silver in the treasuries. However, King Sen was not satisfied very long, because the next verse shows us that he sent up a great host against King Hezekiah.

And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great host against Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem.



We see Rabshakeh start trash-talking King Hezy and his God. Now this is where Rab went down hill.

And Rabshakeh said unto them, Speak ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest? ²⁰ Thou sayest, (but they are but vain words,) I have counsel and strength for the war. Now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?.

 Rab proceeds to trash His God and the ability of him to protect Judah...

²⁹ Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand: ³⁰ Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord, saying, The Lord will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria....(32)and hearken not unto Hezekiah, when he persuadeth you, saying, The Lord will deliver us

 Then Rab boasts of how no other "god" has been able to deliver their country out of the hands of Assyria.

Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? ³⁴ Where are the gods of Hamath, and of Arpad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? have they delivered Samaria out of mine hand? ³⁵ Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of mine hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand? 

Unfortunately for Rab, he never met the God of the universe who had made him and can do whatever He wants to.
So, King Hezy finally woke up and went and talked to the ONLY person who could do anything about the situation....My Heavenly Daddy.

And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the Lord. ² ....⁴ It may be the Lord thy God will hear all the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the living God; and will reprove the words which the Lord thy God hath heard: wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that are left. ⁵ So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah.



Isaiah, the prophet at this time responded with some GREAT news...

⁶ And Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall ye say to your master, Thus saith the Lord, Be not afraid of the words which thou hast heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.⁷ Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and shall return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.

And here is the end of that story...

³⁵ And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.³⁶ So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh.³⁷ And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword: and they escaped into the land of Armenia. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead.

Psalms 68 talks of God's greatness and goodness.  Vs. 35 ends the chapter with "O, God, thou are terrible out of thy holy places: the God of Israel is He that giveth strength and power unto His people. BLESSED BE GOD!!!"
Don't mess with my "Daddy". He will protect His children. My God is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO powerful but yet He is good and if those Assyrians had humbled themselves, He would have loved and protected them as well. - Rejoicing in the present AND MY HEAVENLY DADDY!!!

Easy Breakfast Quiche

Good Morning! Here is an easy Breakfast Quiche, thanks to Janelle, from Comfy in the Kitchen and Courtney, from Woman Living Well

I wanted to make this for my "mommy's" breakfast but didn't have the ingredients. I'm going to the next time, though. It looks delicious!

If you want to see pictures of how to make it click on Recipe






Ham and Cheese Quiche
1 pre-made pie shell (I recommend Marie Callender’s in your grocer’s freezer)

6 eggs

1 ½ cups heavy cream

1 cup diced ham (I purchase this in a bag in the meat section)

¼ cup diced onion

1 cup freshly shredded cheddar cheese

salt/pepper
Preheat oven to 375.
“Pam” a small pan and sauté onions with ham for approximately 5 minutes. Pour sauteed ham and onions and shredded cheese into pre-made pie shell. Beat eggs with heavy cream until well blended, add salt and pepper. Pour over top of ham mixture.  Bake 35-45 minutes until set. (When you take the quiche out of the oven, the middle of the pie should not jiggle)

ENJOY!

No "Lazy" Hair

When I used to work outside the home I would get up, get dressed, fix up my hair and look all "cutsey". Now that I'm a stay-at-home mom, I am seeing myself drift into the "jump out the shower, comb out the hair and leave it down" look. So, I decided to have an intervention on myself and look for some EASY but cute hair styles that would take me away from looking dumpy. You may not be drifting toward that "path" but may just like some new "dos".  Enjoy!

Three Twisted Buns via A Cup of Joe

Easy Twisted Buns via The Paper Mama

Braided Crown via A Cup of Joe
Side Chignon via This is Glamorous

The Boho Braid The Beauty Department

And this idea... thanks to babble.com