Friday, December 10, 2010

What I Love, Today!

10 Things I Love, Today!

1. My Vanilla Frappuccino Starbucks Coffee.

2. The Fact that it's Friday!

3. Going to Schewels tomorrow to get a new piece of furniture for my Christmas gift... thanks Mary!

4. Thinking about hoe much God loves me even though I totally do not deserve it.

5. Time spent alone with Camden (my son) yesterday.

6. I love having a dream to encourage women.

7. Above all that my husband and I have been through, he is the cherry on the top of a Sundae to me.

8. Getting a gift everyday from a secret person at work counting down the days to Christmas.

9. Thinking about all the fun activities that happen during the Christmas Holiday.

10. That Ethan (my Kindergartner) has proven to everyone just how intelligent he really is.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

I just joined E-Mealz.com

I am planning to save tons of money! And this makes me excited since we are starting a new budget! My meals for 7 days for 4-6 people (which means leftovers for lunches) will only cost me $75-$80 a week. I don't have time to plan so this is perfect. I have picked Kroger as my store to shop. E-Mealz takes a look at the sale items that next week and hooks me up with meals that go along with the sales. Awesome huh? For real, and it is only $1.25 a week. That is so worth my money! Woo hoo!

http://e-mealz.com/amember/go.php?r=165389&i=l0

Easy and Delicious Dinner Plans

E-mealz will simplify your life,
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Makeover your mealtime &
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Do you have idols in your life?

Do not turn to idols or make metal gods for yourselves. I am the LORD your God. Leviticus 19:4

When we make something into an idol, here’s what we do: We inflate its function. Something becomes an idol when you give it more function than it was designed to have. It starts to function as a god in your life. It’s something that you start to worship and obey, and you will not violate the commands of your idol. It’s functioning like a god. It drives us with warnings and promises. We have to have it. It leads us to shame. Our life feels wrong if we don’t attain our idol.

So how can you tell if something has become an idol in your life? There’s a difference between a desire and an idol. How can you tell if you’ve moved from a desire to an idol?

Well, David Powlison has asked a number of questions that I find good and helpful. They’re penetrating questions on this subject. So let me ask you a few of these questions.

You see, there are three places where we get tripped up. We face the onslaught of the world, the flesh, and the devil. The world gives us cultural lies. The flesh gives us those carnal impulses, and the devil takes both of those and just pumps them up. That’s why we have to renew our minds with biblical thinking.

* What do you organize your life around? Do you organize your life around anything or anyone? If so, they may have become idols.
* What do you want or crave or wish for? What do you obsess over? What preoccupies your thinking? What do you find your mind instinctively drifting toward? What fills your conversation?
* What are you willing to sacrifice an inordinate amount of time or money to obtain? That may be an idol in your life.
* What do you fear losing? What is it, that if you lost it, you would lose your desire to live because all of the meaning would be sucked out of your life, all desire to move forward would be lost? That’s an idol.
* What do you rejoice over? What present or hoped-for things bring you great pleasure or delight? That could be an idol.
* What makes you angry or frustrated?
* What can cause anxiety or great stress?
* How do you define success or failure? How do you weigh your significance or insignificance?
* How do you define yourself?


These are helpful questions to help you think about: Has something taken on the proportion of an idol in your life?

Ask these questions when you see there’s an idol, a potential idol, you ask the questions, and these idols will appear.

At the root of all of our sin is idolatry. Someone has said, “Idols are cruel masters holding out false promises and making unreasonable demands of your life. They require that you sacrifice for them, and yet they make no sacrifices for you.”

How do you deal with idols in your life? You deal with them this way:

* First of all, you identify them.
* Secondly, you confess that they’re idols.
* Third, you turn from them. You repent. That’s what repent means—to turn from.
* And then, here’s the key thing: You have to replace the idol with God.

Do you have idols in your life? It is a very dangerous thing to not know about yourself. This subject is worth the time to figure out. Find a friend to confide in and pray with you. This will make you accountable for the wrong idols in your life. Pray , repent of your wrong ways and you will find freedom from bondage as God works immediately to restore your life to the fullest. After your time of trial and suffering, take the time to thank God for bringing you out of the pit and rejoice in His goodness with your Sisters in Christ. It will inspire them as they hear of how you have overcome struggles in your life!

Monday, December 6, 2010

Let Not Mine Emotions Take Over...



Depression, anxiety, indifference, confusion, fear, torment, angriness, weariness…. Struggles of today’s world!
Psalm 13:2 How long O Lord must I wrestle with my thoughts and everyday have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?

When I was younger, my friend and I use to sing this song in harmony with each other…. And it means even more to me this day as I read it today in Psalm. Words are too small to explain!



Wow! What incredible lyrics for us to remember.
Psalm 18: 1-3 I love you, LORD, my strength.
 2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
   my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
   my shield[b] and the horn[c] of my salvation, my stronghold.

 3 I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
   and I have been saved from my enemies.


The enemy prowls around you, watching waiting for you to let your guard down and then he attacks when you are weak.
Psalm 18: 4-5 4The cords of death encompassed me, And the torrents of ungodliness terrified me. (5)The cords of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me.
1 Peter 5:8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
Psalm 17:12 They are like a lion hungry for prey,
   like a fierce lion crouching in cover.
  Be alert focus and sober your mind, seek the One True God.
Psalm 14:2 The LORD looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.

He will lift you up, lift your thoughts, and bring you clarity in the midst of the torment. Satan will run the moment God raises His mighty hand.
Psalm 17:14 By your hand save me from such people, LORD, from those of this world whose reward is in this life.
Psalm 17:7 Show me the wonders of your great love,
   you who save by your right hand
   those who take refuge in you from their foes.

All the verses listed speak to us about distress and enemy attacks under negative mindsets. God can hear your cry; He can rescue you, take hold of you and draw you out of deep waters.
Psalm 18:6 In my distress I called to the LORD;
   I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
   my cry came before him, into his ears.
Psalm 18:16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
   he drew me out of deep waters.

Sisters, if you feel like you are deep waters and are struggling to stay above water by the moment, call on Him- The One True God who can bring you out of the torment. Nothing nor nobody can do what our Heavenly Father can do!


Inspiring Verses


Psalms 40: 1-5
 1 I waited patiently for the LORD;
   he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
   out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
   and gave me a firm place to stand.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
   a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the LORD
   and put their trust in him.
 4 Blessed is the one
   who trusts in the LORD,
who does not look to the proud,
   to those who turn aside to false gods.[b]
5 Many, LORD my God,
   are the wonders you have done,
   the things you planned for us.
None can compare with you;
   were I to speak and tell of your deeds,
   they would be too many to declare.

James 1
Trials and Temptations
 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
 9 Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. 10 But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. 11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.
 12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
 13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
 16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
Listening and Doing
 19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
 22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
 26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

The Armor of God



10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Ephesians 6:10-17

Give it back already!


Today, I want to share with you something that sits deep in my heart for women of every generation...casting anxiety, casting troubles, casting everything! Dear Sister, why do we take something that is not ours? Troubles, fear, anxiety, worry, stress, they are not for us to carry.

In 1 Peter 5 6-10 "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety upon him, because he cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To him be dominion forever and ever. Amen." Do you have a whole bunch of everything on your mind? Are you carrying the load in which weighs you down to the point that you can not even walk in your faith? Please, don't carry on any longer by yourself, your body is not meant for such heaviness. Take it to the cross and lay it down at the foot. In God's timing, will be the perfect way, He can make your path of craziness turn to the path of clarity. Satan wants your life to be crazy, out of control, he wants to pull you down in the pits until you can't get up. He is waiting for that moment when you take your eyes off the Father and give in to your flesh of doing things your way. Do not let this happen, get up, take it to the cross, lay it down and leave it (repent of your sins). Know Sister, that you are not alone, we all have to take it to the cross to unload the heaviness. We to struggle with troubles, it is not any better on the other side. So today, give it back, already, to God!

You are Sew Different


For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29 11-13

After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen [and] establish you. 1 Peter 5:10 (NASB)

Have you ever wondered why you are so different? Ever wondered if the little things that you do really make up your entire personality? God created you to be a very unique person serving a very special job. He has made available to you a blanket of good and bad experiences to help you learn and a wide variety of people to influence you (good and bad). Take some time to write down some moments in your life that stand out to you. Think back from when you were a child to even the moments last week. Does anything jump out at you that may explain why you do things a certain way or why you may deal with someone different than another or situations, ever wonder about your demeanor in general. Are you thankful for who you are? You should be, even if you are dealing with a tough situation or maybe things are really great for you right now; it is all transforming to your life. The experiences you go through whether positive or negative will shape who you are. Of course, I must add that we are not perfect and must continue to want to grow in God's Word and change allow Him to mold us into an even better person. God has knitted your life together one stitch at a time, to make you different. You are a precious piece of art to Him. Know this and go in peace, that every trial and tough time you have will make you an even better person as you hold on to the truth and be transformed.
A good friend once reminded me this great quote that you can also take with you:
"Never forget in the dark what God told you in the light"!

Free Yourself!


Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment” (Matthew 22:37-38).

In this mumbo jumbo world, it is a difficult task to allow yourself to find rest. We go, go, go everyday into the night when we finally crash out of complete exhaustion. This life sisters, is not how Our Father intended us to live. Put everything aside and cast your troubles on God! His arms our open and waiting for you to come to Him, to rest your weary body on His shoulder. Come, you are worthy, no matter your situation, you are worth far more than rubies to our Father. It doesn't matter what you have going on today, no matter how busy , no matter what demands... at this moment, take it to God. He has intended for your life to be joyful, uplifted and peaceful. Free yourself! God never intended for you to be a worn out droopy-eyed woman, but a beautiful, bright eyed, life loving woman. Free yourself from you and your own expectations. You are your own stress maker. Nobody expects more from you... than YOU! Most people assume everyone else is getting a break and finding that time to "get away". But, we all have the same 24 hours a day and the same 360 days a year. How are you using it different from everyone else? You deserve to be at peace, just like the other woman standing in that greener grass. Today Sister, free yourself!

Do you Measure up?



Do you ever take the time to look at yourself? Today is the day, take note of what you do, say, listen to and watch on TV. Is it good? Do you have any feelings in your heart that might tell you something is wrong (conviction)? Taking a good thorough look at yourself, who your are and how you treat others is a very healthy thing to do. Our Father is trying to teach us many things and to do this He needs you to do your part...  pray, listen, watch, wait and pray. You might be taking a good look at yourself and may not want to see anymore or feel overwhelmed by what we see. There is no need to get ourselves worked up about our shortcomings. You most certainly do not need to hide your failures from God. He knows you and wants you to see yourself through His eyes. He wants you to be the best person you can be and He is ready to take action in your life today. Stop trying to change things and thinking you can fix everything and everybody. You should never try to take this on by yourself. Look at yourself and pray about each flaw, take little steps and be patient. Yes, I said "that" word. We will talk about this word later (patience). You already measure up to your Heavenly Father. Keep on Keeping on my Dear Sister in Christ!