1 more reason to hug your little one.

Please pray for Chris and Amanda Thorne in the homegoing of their precious little 4 month old boy, Logan. You can check out their story at Every Little Heartbeat. They have been through a lot and will have to go through much more in the days to come. 

It hurts to see all these dear people hurting. This was Amanda's last blog... Our sweet baby went home to be with Jesus this morning..we are so confused and hurting so badly, but.we know a peace and comfort that is beyond understanding. Thank you for all your prayers we will.covet them now more than ever.

Logan is still a miracle and he is where there is no more pain. And.he now has a whole heart. Though I am sure he is just as high maintenance as ever. Jesus is going to have his hands full!!!!
God is good, and we will get through this leaning on him one step at a time" 


Please lift them in your prayers and go hug your family members. You never know if this is that last present you will have with them.  XOXO

Inedible cakes

Ok...My creative juices are flowing. I saw this idea for an AWESOME teacher gift and I had to blog about it. As a teacher, I would have loved to get one of these.  You could use tissue boxes in the center, also you could use dry erasers, pens, candles for the classroom and much more.

 

Here are some other adorable gift cakes ...

This picture is of the actual cake I was given at my baby shower. I was actually given 2 different ones at 2 different showers and they were both absolutely amazing. Thanks again Brandy and Marcelle! You inspire me!!

I also have a few different links on how to make a Diaper Cake and pictures of Diaper Cakes. Also there is an awesome how-to slide show and video tutorial. This was one of my favorite gifts. It's fun and reusable!

Towel Cakes...

Along the same line, towel cakes are great for bridal showers or as housewarming gifts. I found this pretty Bridal Shower Towel Cake and other beautiful ones. 

In fact, there are so many different kinds that you can get overwhelmed very easily.  
So I picked a video on Youtube that seemed adorable BUT YET easy. Hope you enjoy! If you have any more ideas, leave us a note. THANKS!

Daddy's Love

When Avery was 2 weeks old. We were blessed by a friend, who gave us the gift of a photo shoot. Her daughter happened to be a professional photographer and so she was able to pulls some strings. The pictures turned out beautifully and I already have a lot of them in frames around the house. 
Today I was looking through them before I emailed them to my mom. A few pictures sung out a message and that was, our love for baby Avery. 
I love this picture of Jeremy and his baby boy. This picture shows how much daddy adores Avery and how Avery feels love and protected by daddy. 
Recently, a young girl in our youth group lost her father. He's been out of her life for a while but it hurts her that she hasn't had the opportunity to have him in her life and now she never will. This morning she wept on my shoulder as I held her close. I felt like there were not words to give her, but then this thought and verse came to mind. Psalms 27:10 says "When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up"
Yes, she doesn't have an earthly father but she has a heavenly father that will be her daddy. Her heavenly father never makes mistakes. He will love her unconditionally. He will always know what to do in every situation. He's not only great but He is good. He is never to busy for her and He will never leave her or forsake her. The list goes on. Wow, what promises. 
My wonderful husband is an amazing daddy but he is not perfect and neither am I. We love Avery as much as we can and I feel sometimes that my heart could burst from it. Now think how much more God loves us. Daddy loves me! 

Blessed...

"And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:19

Earlier today I was blessed AGAIN by a family member and I thought about how God doesn't just provide for my needs but for my wants. Then later I saw this picture and I just knew that I had to brag on my heavenly father. As you might know, my hubby is in the ministry and even though our pastor and church is EXTREMELY generous, we don't make the "big bucks." *gasp* I know you must be shocked :-)  Jeremy and I have always tried to be "smart" with the money God gave us and so we learned to live off of his income and put mine in savings. When we bought our house earlier this year, the down payment drained our savings. Then I quit working outside the house due to the baby arriving. I realized that I wasn't going to be able to go on "shopping sprees" or enjoy a luxurious vacation but it didn't matter because I got to stay home with my baby and help and support Jeremy in the ministry God gave him.

God could have stopped there with his blessings and we would have been spoiled BUT he contines to bless us. When I was "with child" :-) I was blessed with 3 showers. God knew we were not going to be able to get much other then what people gave us so he gave us EVERYTHING and I mean everything (I even got a video monitor) and I have so many diapers that I believe I will be covered for the first year. 
In fact, we were given so much stuff that recently I sent some extra stuff to those "flood victims" on the east cost of FL.

My sister gave me all of her pregnancy clothes and so I only bought one piece of clothing the whole time I was pregnant (a jean skirt) This was HUGE because I would not have been able to buy a whole new wardrobe.
Then my parents came down and spoiled us by helping us with multiple projects as well as helped us start a garden all the while caring for me after birth.
(Outside of Christ, This is probably my biggest blessings in life: My hubby, my parents and of course baby Avery)
Our house needed a lot of help when we moved and Jeremy's family helped alot with painting, peeling wallpaper and on and on. Jeremy's Aunt and Uncle came into town yesterday and are helping us lay tile. The list just goes on of how family member after family member have donated time and energy into our house.
We have also been blessed with lots of presents and stuff: Just recently, we have been given, carpet, house and garden tools, a lawn mower, serving platers, cookbooks, food, a beautiful wooden entry table, baby clothes, a new computer for work (Jeremy) and much more.

This week alone, the Lord laid it on a dear lady's heart to give me some money so that I could go shopping and get a new outfit for Avery's dedication. Wow, talk about SPOILED! ...And finally today, Jeremy's Aunt showed up with a beautiful vintage clock for our house. She had had the same one at her house and I had complemented because I really liked it. So she called around to Kirkland's and finally found one an hour away. Then she drove all the way to Palm Bay to buy me the same one.

Friends I could go on and on and on. The Lord continues to bless me with "extra's" I am sooooooooo very blessed. I don't deserve any of what I get, but I am thankful to be spoiled by my Lord. THANK YOU FATHER for going above and beyond all my needs!  - Rejoicing in all my presents. :-)

The Power of the Cross

Do you truly know the power of the cross? I just LOVE this song and hope it encourages you like it encouraged me. :-)

-Rejoicinginthepresent xoxo

Trash into Treasures

Last year, before my husband and I moved into our new house. I totally redid our kitchen dinning room set. I sanded it down, stained the table and painted the chairs.
It now looks new and we have gotten more then one compliment on it. So when I saw this picture post yesterday on someone who had turned this old TV stand into a little girls kitchen set, I got super exited!
I started exploring around for some ideas on taking old furniture and making them into something new and unique.
Check out what I discovered...

 

Click on Katie's blog and see how she turned this old dresser into a child's kitchen set.

This guy had some modern furniture restorations. This was my fav...

 

This last website had a lot of really cute ideas. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did...

I just wanted to end by saying that, if we let Him. This is what God can do in our lives. He takes "trash" and makes us into treasures for him. Ecclesiastes 3:11 "He hath made every thing beautiful in his time" God  can use anything or any one to fulfill His will. We just have to be a willing vessel

Cord Awareness!

Attention all mom's with babies!

I was on facebook the other day when I saw this blog of a family who lost one of their babies to a window blind cord. The mom had come into the nursery and saw the cord wrapped around her babies neck. The baby must have been playing with the cord and got wrapped up in it. I went back to find the blog today but couldn't. I did find this website from another family that lost a toddler.

The reason I decided to blog about it was that it hit home to me. I have video monitor in Avery's room and he recently started sleeping in his crib. I had set the little monitor in his bed and it seemed to be a wonderful aid but I had not thought about the fact that it had a cord on it. One day I went into his room to move the monitor since he must have moved it with his restling around. When I did that I noticed to my horror that the cord was right above his head within reaching distance and his hand was grazing it. Praise the Lord that Avery does not have grasping skills AND did not happen to grasp it but he very easily could have been wrapped in it. So let this be a warning to us all that it's not just window blinds, it can be any kind of cords.

Under His Wings

My husband and I took Avery to the beach for the first time the other day. It was very exciting and we took lots of pictures. It was great except for one thing. The sun was beating down and I had forgotten his hat. We went later at night, around 7pm but it was still very bright out and Avery is extremly fair and I didn't want him to get any sun damage. Well daddy had a Colts hat, so we "stole" that from him and Avery was protected.
We also have chinese exchange students staying with us, so while Jer and our girls were splashing each other with water, I sat down with  my back against the sun. I was sheilding baby Avery from the sun when this verse came to mind. Psalms 91:4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

It really made a mental image in my mind. Just as I was trying to protect Avery from getting a sun burn, God left us truth so that we wouldn't get a sin-burn. I love the thought of His feathers spread covering us. What love!




I am reminded of a story that was told to me as a child about a mother hen. The story is told of a man who was looking over the charred remains of his farm after a terrible fire. He noticed a lump of something in the barnyard that was still moving. He kicked it and from underneath came a little chick. That mother hen had faced the fire and gave her life to protect the chick.  How much more does God protect us.

GIGO

What does GIGO have to do with relationships?

I hope you are staying with me through our Pleasing God/Relationships Devotional. We are on part 3. Click the above relationship tab to read my purity discussion. There are some more parts to come, so hang in there. :-)

Relationship Series

I am teaching a teen-girls, class on purity and so I will be blogging about what I am teaching. This will be a series and so it will be written over so many days. So keep checking back for more thought-provoking blogs
FYI, I will be blogging under the relationship tab so that it will be more organized for future viewers. You can click the relationship tab above or click this: God is Love 

Lost and Found

I am on the Missions Team at our Church and we are already planning for our upcoming missions conference. I was looking for some songs on youtube when I came across this video.
I want you to watch this clip before you read the rest of my blog. I'm not endorsing the man who does this video because I do not know anything about him, however, this movie really makes you think and I like what it says... Please take the time to watch this...it will help you think more about what I am trying to say...

If you are a born again believer, you know that you are found. What an AWESOME knowledge that we worship the one and only GOD. While I was watching this video I was thinking. We have the only true God, the one who created us, not a false god that we created. YET, do we have this devotion that these who are following a false god do?
As I watched this video I saw how devoted these people were in worshipping their gods. As a missions minded person, I have been on missions trip and watched movies and it amazes me over over the devotion that these people have for false gods. Shouldn't we, who have the real God be even more devoted? Watch the clip again and think about it.

Teen Activity Ideas...

One of my husband's many hats is the youth pastor at our church. We have lots of fun with them especially during the summer. In fact, we try to have an activity every Friday night. This keeps them "off the streets" and  having good clean fun.

Last summer we had an open house for the majority if the summer. The teens would come over and we would play games, eat piazza and so on. This summer we decided to change it up and we have been having a blast coming up with things to do. Below is a list of ideas of things that we have done or are planning to do. This is also a great list of ideas if you are having a birthday party or even a get together with some adults. (They like to be crazy to sometimes...:-) )

1. Shopping and Make-Over (For Ladies) - Take the girls to a makeup counter to get makeovers and then go shopping. Finish with a nicer restaurant.
2. Fishing (For the boys)  - Self-explaining
3. Scavenger Video Hunt - This is a competition where you have a list of crazy things that each group has to do around town in a certain amount of town, while you are video taping them. Usually the list is to big to do everything. For instance, the group would go to the YMCA and doing the YMCA song in front of the building or goes to Walmart and sing "You are my sunshine" at the top of their lungs (extra points for the loudest team), OR they have to do snow angels at an area park. When they are all done then the teams come back and watch the videos together. It lots of laughs and 
4.  Crazy Game Night - There are all sorts of websites that have crazy fun games. This is a night where you have 2 teams competing in different crazy games all night. This is a great website for crazy games and all other sorts of ideas: YouthPastor.com
5. Bigger and Better  - This activity is a competition between (#) teams. The teams are given a paperclip to start out with. They have to go door to door and trade that paperclip for something bigger and better. They keep trading things until the time is up and then they bring those things back to the church. We have had people come back with a car before.
6. Sports Games - We took our teens to a minor league baseball game. In general the games aren't a ton of fun but it's the hanging out part that is. My husband also put together a scavenger trivia hunt contest at the baseball game about the teams. We had a lot of fun with that. You can also take your teens to basketball, hockey, football or any other sports games. Food is expensive so you might want to eat ahead of time. (Bowling is also a good activity as well)
7. Hometown  activites. (The Holy Land Experience) We live near Orlando so we have a multitude of places that we can take the teens. One of the places we took them this last year was The Holy Land Experience. They really enjoyed how this place brought the life of Christ alive.
8. BBQ and Ranch Night - We have a church family that has horses, 4wheelers, a pool, volleyball and so on. This is a great place for the kids to come out, hang out and enjoy a vast amount of activities.
9. CAMP - Our kids LOVE LOVE LOVE to take a week and go to camp. Our favorite camp to take them too is the The WILDs. They have great games, food, competition and best of all great Bible Preaching. It's a little pricey, so you may have to have sponsors and do fundraisers like car washes and so on.
10. Pamping / Camping - One weekend, Jeremy and some men take the boys camping, while some ladies and I have the girls over to our house for some pamping. The boys fish and camp and do all the stuff that comes with it, while the ladies doing each others nails, facials, massages and pamper each other. It's alot of fun and during the night we also have a devotional about purity.
11. Drama Night - Teens are divided up into groups where they have to come up with the best skit. Then they have to perform it in front of the group. You can give them a variety of kinds: serious skit, funny skit, doing a commercial, short movie, Bible story and on it goes.  

There are so many more ideas. Go online and google...just remember you have to be a little crazy to work with youth. :-)

Getting a good bargain!

Last night, the ladies from our church had a get together. We ate dinner out and then headed to Target, which was almost next door. At Target we were told to find the best bargain (percentage wise). I jokingly got some toilet paper from the bathroom (it's free right?)  We did find some free cell phones, but because of the contract/upgrade didn't think it would work, but that is actually what won.Our group came up with some funny different suggestions and were all a bit crazy but got some great laughs out if it.  All in all it was fun! At the end our Pastor's wife, read from Proverbs 31 and encouraged the ladies to bargain shop. So today I thought I would go through this passage a little bit. Let's think about this together...

Pro 31:10-23  Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. (1) The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life. (2) She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. (3) She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar....  She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night. (4) She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.(5) She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet. 


Many of you know this passage but I want to point out a few things. 1. Her husband trusts her. Can you husband trust you when you go shopping or is he worried about how much you are going to spend? (2) Sometimes the best deal is making it yourself. Do you try to improve your skills whether is making something crafty, making food or just improving your home. There are SO many ideas on the internet and even video clips on how to make things. (3) Usually you have to shop around for a good deal. It's not normally going to be all in one store. Are you a 1 store shopping? If so it's going to be harder to find GREAT bargains. You can, but it's harder. Try to add more then 1 store to your shopping, it will help you to save! (4) How do you think she is able to help the poor? For me, I usually have extra's in my stock pile so when there is a need I can give from my stock and it doesn't hurt my family. In fact, having the extra encourages me to be able to use it to help others.(5) Bargain shopping is about being prepared! Clothes are normally on sale at the end of a season, so you shop for your children and self ahead of time. You already have bought your winter jacket last season. When you do this, you can save lots of money.

Ask your self a few questions: Do you consider yourself a good bargain shopper?  Do you take the time to go through adds and find the best deals? OR Do you wait until the last minute and then buy whatever you need? 

Here are few websites that might help you:

Best Time of Year to Buy... There are different times a year that different items are cheaper. For instance, you should buy cameras and bicycles in January and wedding dresses in December. For a list of items and months, click the above link. 

Southern Savers The best blog for couponing
Money Saving Mom - This is also great also for couponing and other tips for budgeting.

Peace in the midst of a storm

Storms surround us, some we cause, others we are thrown into. Today was a really interesting day. It was pouring and raining all day, in fact in front of our door and where the car was parked were deep puddles. This afternoon, I was finally able to get to my devotions and  I was reading as I was feeding the baby but He kept interrupting me. I decided to do them a little later while I was eating. Later I turned back to the passage I thought I had been on to read the following.

Psalms 93:1-5  The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved. Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting. The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves. The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea. Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh thine house, O LORD, for ever. 


Since it was "flooding" outside this got my attention. I love where it says "the LORD on high is mightier then the noise of many waters." I love how God is stronger and more powerful then ANYTHING we can and will face. Friends, He is our peace in the midst of the storm. When a tornado rips apart your family or your life, HANG IN THERE! We have peace that God is in control. Later I was also reading Psalms 91:4  "He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler." I just feel so loved and protected!


I stumbled onto this picture Peace in the midst of a storm while writing this blog today. If you look closely or clink on the link above you will see something really beautiful. Take the time!
Joh 16:33  These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. 


God is in control, RELAX!!! ...and rejoice in the present

REJOICING!

"This is the day that the Lord hath made, I will rejoice and be glad in it" 

Another day to enjoy your family and friends, another day to serve our Lord, another day to glorify our King, another day to Praise Him. SMILE and enjoy this video.

The Greatest Day of Your Life

Imagine with me. The day has finally come, you get all pampered up. Your hair is perfect, your dress is perfect, everything is just right. The candles are lit, and the music is playing as your father guides you down the aisle. The handsome man at the end of the aisle waiting for you, grins and throws you a wink. You heart is raising, THIS IS THE DAY. The day I marry my love. The day our relationship is made one for ever.
You enjoy the ceremony, you get a bite and only a bite at the reception because everyone wants to talk to you. Everything turns out wonderful and the next morning you get up and go back to your single life. Never again to talk to the man you love except when your in a crisis and need him to help you out. Well and every anniversary you faithfully meet him for an hour or as long as you can stand to sit.
Ok, I know, you think I'm talking crazy and I am! However, this is how many people treat their relationship with Christ. They fall in love with Jesus and decid to finally give their life to him so that they can be saved from Hell. Then they never talk to Him again. They might go to church on Easter or Christmas and they pray when they get in a crisis but they don't take their relationship seriously. Even if you go on Sunday Morning or to every service this is not enough. Think, if you only talked to your husband once a week, would you have any type of relationship? How do you treat God? Do you have a relationship with Him or did you leave Him at the Wedding?

Free Slurpee

Free Slurpee @ 7-11 on 7-11 

7-11 is giving away a free Slurpee to everyone on July 11th from 11-7pm. Stop by and pick yours up!

Marriage

Check out my marriage post under the relationship tab

Devotional Ideas

Yesterday I blogged about the importance of reading your Bible and having a daily walk. I know many people struggle because they don't know where to start. I didn't want to leave you hanging, so I made a list of ideas and great books that can be a bonus to your devotions. 
A word of caution: Do not substitute the Bible for other inspirational or good devotional books. They should only be an added bonus to help you start out with your walk.

Ideas: Here are some books or subjects you can study through in the Bible.

First off I would encourage you to keep a notebook (Bible Journal) and write down every day what you learned that day. This will keep you accountable to yourself and it will be a great tool to go back and look through when you need something to encourage you. This will also help you remember what you studied.

1. Read a Psalm a day (Highlight or write down all the characteristics of God) Get to know who your God really is. Not just who you think He is. 
2. Read one Proverb every day of the month (31 Proverbs) So today July 7th I would read Proverbs 7
3. Read through the gospels, you can study the miracles of Jesus, the words of Jesus (usually in red), the parable of Jesus (Keep a notebook and right down what you learn
4. Read through Philippians and study about joy.
5. Read the old testament books and learn about some of the Bible Hero's 
6. Study Song of Solomon, I Corinthians 13 and the Cross to learn about Love
7. Study different woman in the Bible: Eve, Sarah, Rebekah, Ruth, Esther, Mary, Lydia...the list goes on.
8. Study the life of Jesus.
9. Track the ministry of Paul (Start with Acts and then move through the epistles that he wrote)
10. Study the End Times (Revelations and parts of Daniel)
11. Read through the whole Bible in a year.
12. Study the doctrine of the Bible. 
13. The list doesn't stop here. There are tons of other great studies. What do you want to know about the Bible? Pray and ask the Lord to show Himself to you as you read. 

Devotional Books and Helps: 

The following links are to different christian websites, I wanted to give you an idea of some useful website where you can buy christian books.

1. What do I know about my God - This book was written by Mardi Collier and is a lot like suggestion #1. It helps guide through a study of getting to know who God is by reading through the Bible. This is a really neat study and I recommend it highly! 
2. Pursuing Godliness- Elizabeth George also has a lot of other devotional guides. This is one of many neat devotionals she has.
3. My Utmost for His Highest - This is a short but deep devotional you can do everyday. My husband and I did this together at night for a while as a devotional together.
4. A Family Devotional Guide - This is written by Clarence Sexton, the president of Crown College of the Bible. This is written for the family to do devotional together. It can also be good for the individual if he/she wants to study through the bible. 
5. God and I Time and other devotionals - The WILDS Christian Camp in Brevard, NC has a great store full of wonderful devotionals. There God and I Time devotionals are treasures. Check out there store by clicking on the link above.

Devotions are important not only to the individual but also to the family as a unit. It is super important to get the whole family together to read and worship the Lord together. My family, growing up, made a point of doing this together every night after dinner. It wasn't my favorite thing, at that age, but looking back I see how important it really was. I'm ending this blog with another link to an article on the Family Altar. Take the time to read it. There are also some other great suggestions for devotions. Enjoy and remember to REJOICE IN THE PRESENT! 

The B-I-B-L-E

"The B-I-B-L-E, yes that's the book for me, I stand alone on the Word of God, The B-I-B-L-E. How many of us have sang that song, over and over again, but are we living it? Going to church and hearing the Bible or listening to or watching a preacher is great! However, that every day walk with the Lord is what feeds us spiritually.
 If we ate food only on Sunday mornings or even Sunday Mornings, Sunday Nights and Wednesday Nights, we would get physically weak really quick! This is also true in our spiritual lives, we can't just feed on the Word, once or twice a week. We must daily fill ourselves.
Many of you have young children and so you don't have any alone time. Courtney from Woman Living Well wrote as a guest for another blog, The Better Mom. Check it out for ideas on how to get time with the Lord even as a young mom. 
Maybe you have a hard time doing them, because you don't have any idea where to start. Read a Psalms and praise the Lord, Read a Proverb for wisdom, Go through the gospel and read, especially paying attention to the Words of Jesus. Don't forget to pray and ask the Lord to give you something before you even start reading. 
Right now for my devotions, I read when I'm feeding Avery. I read a Psalms aloud with Avery, praising the Lord, then I pray and finish up by reading a few chapters. I am currently reading through II Samuel and reading about the life of David.
Speaking of David, David, in the book of Psalms, addresses his spiritual hunger for the Lord.  Psa 63:1-2  "A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary." 

Do we long to be with our Father? Has he made a difference in your life? Do you know what He can do for you? Do you truly know?

We have the opportunity to talk to the most amazing, wonderful, good, pure, righteous, and loving God. He knows the future, He is the best guide for your life. Are you wasting your opportunity? Take time today! The B-I-B-L-E YES IT'S THE ONLY BOOK FOR YOU!

Southern Savers

Do you coupon? I do! In Fact, I love to coupon so much I would be tempted to blog about it everyday BUT there are lots of different blogs and websites out there. So I would rather just point you in the right direction instead of starting the153rd. :-) 
My favorite website would have to be Southern Savers. This website has everything from tutorials to a coupon database and daily updates on the sales. It is SO simple. 
You just have to click on the store that you want to go to and then go down the list checking off the deals you want. Then at the end it prints out a shopping list. Also it matches the coupons to the item you want and tells you where you can get it.
The Video is of Jenny from Southern Savers. Go check her out. If your not saving money on your groceries you can today.

Also I have friend from college and former co-worker who just started a blog about saving money. Check out her website as well.The Economical Homemaker

Happy 4th of July

What "Lies" in your life?

What does the God see that you are hiding from the world. I watched this video by Francis Chan and was really convicted by what he was saying. Many times we portray a whole different image to the world then we really are. Take the time to watch this.

God is good ALL THE TIME

Ok, so if you read the ABOUT section of my blog you would know that I started this blog to help us all be reminded that life is short and we need to rejoice in every day that the Lord has made. 

This morning was a little rough. In fact the last couple have been a little hard. We changed Avery's schedule up by an hour and he really got off wack. We also had a lot of visitors and people holding him, which as aware as my baby is, IS LOTS of stimulation. When he gets too tired, he can't sleep at all. So it's been a rough couple nights of him not really sleeping well. 
I had a headache as well last night which didn't help anything. This morning was pretty normal, I woke took a shower, got dressed for the day then woke Avery, changed him and then fed him. 
While I was feeding him, he pooped and I felt a bit warm. I looked down and he had exploded on my clothes. I changed him, changed me and went back to feeding and he pooped again. Really Avery? Atleast this time he didn't get me. 
Later I was on facebook and I noticed a post. Another family had lost their little baby. I read the article with tears streaming down my face. God, my baby is fussy and pooping but I get to enjoy him for another day. I'm thankful for another reminder of how precious my baby is. Enjoy your present!

Please remember to keep this family in your prayers. - Ingram Family

ATTENTION STARUCKS FANS

I love me some coffee!! ...and all Target - Starbucks are offering BOGO  Frappuccinos. This is good through tommorow (MONDAY). So take a friend or a date and go enjoy a free Frappuccino, when you buy one.

Not Willing

2Pe 3:9  "The Lord is ... not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."  

This promise filled my heart with the overwhelming feeling of being loved. During our SS at church this morning as my husband was preaching, he brought up a statement about this truth.
Do you ever wonder why the Lord has not returned? Timing? Yes, but also this verse above. The Lord hasn't returned because their are still people that have not been saved (This doesn't mean that he won't return until the whole world is saved, It just means he still has grace toward us.) 
On the radio this morning I was listening to an area church that had an evangelistic outreach this weekend, and OVER 200 people got saved from going out witnessing. If the Lord had come 2 days ago those people would have died and gone to Hell. He keeps on giving us chances.
 If you look at the time of Noah, God gave 120 years of grace to those people. He gave them year after year of chances to get on the boat. He really loves us this much, that he keeps giving us time to come back to Him. HE DOESN'T OWE YOU AN HOUR. He could come this next second.
Now let's apply this to our lives. This is where it hits home for me. Am I willing to let anyone perish? Am I devoted to winning souls and not letting anyone not know? What is important to me? Is it things? Is it treasures? Or is it God and souls? 

Take the time to watch this clip...and think about it. Eric Ludy - God or Gold