Listen to the Voice!

Listen to the Voice

One of My Heroes

                                                     Billy Graham: A Life Remembered

                                                       (click on the link to hear about his life)

                                                                     

                                                                          

                                               And be prepared to be ...

What are you Thankful for?

Being thankful makes you happy.  If you are thinking about the things that you are thankful for, then your mind is too occupied to dwell on things that bother you.

What a wonderful country we live in!  We have so many freedoms that other countries don't have the luxury to experience.  We have our needs met -  families, homes, cars, clothing, food, beds, and also things that we want (toys, fancy clothes, several pairs of shoes, make up, expensive options for cars, etc.).  We can take vacations, work where we want, worship where we want, live where we want, and the lists goes on.

We have sooooo much to be thankful for.  What are you thankful for?  I recently started asking this question of the students that I am so blessed to teach.  Every person has great, good, and not so good things going on in their lives.  It seems like there is more and more "not so happy" things going on for our youth today.  Many families are broken apart by divorce, parents too busy to spend time with their kids to properly teach them in the way they should go, neglect, physical and mental abuse....the list goes on.  My little exercise in sharing what you are thankful for has made us all a little happier and some behavior problems have subsided.  I think I will keep this little exercise going....what do you think? 😉

Try this little exercise yourself today.....
What are you thankful for today?

Win the Battle!

I heard a friend speak to a group of ladies tonight.  She is a good friend and I usually know if she is having struggles in her life because we share those things with each other.  But she shared a few things tonight that I didn't even know about.  My first response was...how did I not know about these huge struggles in her life and why didn't she share them with me?  Then I cried.  She even clarified in her talk that even some of her close friends didn't know about these things because she didn't want to talk about them.  But then I scolded myself for not reaching out to her these last several months.  I let routine set in and didn't reach out to others.


Satan uses so many things to keep us from helping others or reaching out for help.  He wants us to stay so focused on our own lives and routines of life that we don't notice that a friend may be hurting.  And sometimes we are like my friend and we don't want to share our problems with others because we may not want to bother anyone or don't want to let others know we are struggling to keep it together.  We don't want others to think we are weak.  Whatever the reason, Satan is good at keeping us from reaching out for help or keeping us from helping others.  I heard a friend say tonight...

                           Satan is good, but God is GREATER!     

Satan is working hard to keep us down, but we have to constantly remind ourselves that:
    Our God is great in our weaknesses.
    Our God is greater than he that is in this world.
    Our God is greater than anyone or anything that comes our way.
    Our God loves us so much that he sent his Son to earth to die for us.

                            Don't believe Satan's lies!

Don't believe Satan's lies that we can't let others know we are struggling or that we feel weak.
Don't believe Satan's lies that we are worthless or unloved.
Don't believe Satan's lies that God is not keeping his promises or answering our prayers.
                                           Just don't believe Satan at all!!!

                   WE ARE GOD'S BEAUTIFUL CREATIONS.  
                     WE ARE HIS MASTERPIECES!

We can live above our circumstances, but we need to keep a close relationship with God and He will help us through anything that comes our way.

If we give into these lies when we are weak or distanced from God, we can remedy it fast by reading our Bibles, praying to God, and reaching out to our friends for their help and prayers.  The closer we build our relationship with God, the more we will be strengthened to fight off the fiery darts of the devil.

            💗💜     God loves us and is there for us!!!   💓💙

                     "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you..."  James 4:8

 ★ "above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one."  Ephesians 6:16

★ "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful."   Hebrews 10:23

Just remember....Jesus has already won this battle for us.  Don't keep fighting a battle that has already been won.  Let Jesus take that burden and give you rest.

Listen:  REDEEMED - by Big Daddy Weave 

A Relationship Worth More Than Millions!

Today our Pastor spoke about the one sheep that was lost and how the shepherd left the 99 sheep safe in the corral to go find the lost one.  That is our God.  He will not stop searching until He brings YOU safely home to Him.

This got me thinking about my kids and grandkids.  I know that they know about God's love for them and how He wants them to choose Him.  He wants them to receive that free gift of salvation that only He has provided through the death of His son.  I know they have the knowledge in their heads since we taught them at home from the Bible and were taught at church and Sunday School.  They also went to Vacation Bible School, Good News Club, Awana, etc.  They know... but is it in their heart?  It is between them and God as to the status of their relationship with Him.  I cannot be the judge of that fact.  Sometimes I see the Godly behavior in them and other times not so much.

Here is what I want to share with my family and anyone else God brings to this blog.

When we are born, we have no desire to follow God.  The Bible says that we have ALL gone our own way (Isaiah 53:6) because we are ALL sinners (Romans 3:23)....and the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23).

While we were doing our own thing, which leads to death, God made a plan to save us from that death (eternity without God).  We were not even aware of our horrible future, so we were not seeking God or His solution.

           But I am so glad that God sought me out!!!

  God made sure that my closest friends were Christians who were leading me in the right direction toward Him.  I went to church with them and learned of God's love for me.  I learned that God loved ME so much that He sent his Son to die for me (John 3:16).  I had the head knowledge but really didn't have a relationship with God.

One day after school, on a public high school bus, a Christian friend asked me if I ever prayed to God asking Him to save me from the wages of sin (Hell - eternity without God) and make Him Lord of my life?  I had never done that.  I knew God loved me, but I hadn't actually asked Him to save me and be the Lord of my life.  My friend led me in a prayer where I admitted that I was a sinner and asked forgiveness for my sins.  I then asked God to save me and be the Lord of my Life.  I wanted God to guide me on the narrow path to a Godly life and to a home in Heaven with Him someday.

          My eternity was settled that day!

My path changed from a horrendous forever in Hell to a peaceful happiness in Heaven

I hadn't been a bad person.  I didn't drink, do drugs, or do any other major sinful things.  The worst I did was make life miserable for my immediate family when I threw my tantrums.  And I am not talking about the terrible two's.  I am talking about the teenage tantrums.  I was not a nice person during that time.  When I prayed that prayer on the bus, things drastically changed for the better.

           God did a miracle in me!  

My tantrums stopped and I tried to make amends with those closest to me.  They noticed the change in me, but it took awhile before my sisters would trust that I truly had changed.  I had hurt them with my meanness.  My parents had been extremely frustrated since they didn't know how to help me.

Then God gave me a desire for Him and for what He had planned for my future.  A future where I didn't have to hate myself for being such a mean person.  I felt a peace and freedom I had never experienced before.  I was free to let Jesus' light shine through me.

Whenever I wonder if I truly am saved and headed on a path to Heaven, I think back to that day on the bus and how my life changed.  I have a desire for God and have a better understanding of the Bible.  God opens our eyes and hearts to Him when we choose to follow Him.

I am eternally thankful for God's love for me!!!

God loves You just as much and wants 
                 a relationship with YOU!     

Our time on earth is so minute compared to our time in eternity.  
The choices we make here on earth will effect the quality of our eternity.

*** This post is getting long.  I will share more on this topic later this week.

This Jesus is Mine!

We sang this song in church a couple Sundays ago and I realized it has the plan of salvation in a nutshell all in one song.  I pray that the Holy Spirit prepares the heart for whoever reads these words.  Only God can open the ears, eyes, and heart of the reader.

                One Day    

                         ONE DAY

One day when Heaven was filled with His praises,
One day when sin was as black as could be,
Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin,
Dwelt among men, my Example is He!

Refrain

Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me;
Buried, He carried my sins far away;
Rising, He justified freely forever;
One day He’s coming—O glorious day!

One day they led Him up Calvary’s mountain,
One day they nailed Him to die on the tree;
Suffering anguish, despised and rejected:
Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He!

Refrain

One day they left Him alone in the garden,
One day He rested, from suffering free;
Angels came down o’er His tomb to keep vigil;
Hope of the hopeless, my Savior is He!

Refrain

One day the grave could conceal Him no longer,
One day the stone rolled away from the door;
Then He arose, over death He had conquered;
Now is ascended, my Lord evermore!

Refrain

One day the trumpet will sound for His coming,
One day the skies with His glories will shine;
Wonderful day, my belovèd ones bringing;
Glorious Savior, this Jesus is mine!

Refrain

Romans 3:23   "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

Romans 6:23   "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

John 3:16    "For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

            *** Accept this free gift.  It is yours if you will only receive it. ***

Something to Remember....

PLEASE LISTEN TO THESE SONGS AND GET A TISSUE READY....
           

 

"Gethsemane"   by Claire Ryann Crosby

 "Peace in Christ" by Claire Ryann Crosby & her dad

***** A job well done, Mr & Mrs Crosby! *****

Come As You Are

Listen to the song:  "Come As You Are"               

                               by David Crowder

 Listen to the song: "How He Love Us"

                               by David Crowder                                                 

No matter what we have done, God wants us to come as we are.  Come to the foot of the cross and lay your burdens down.  Let God wash those heavy burdensome sins away.  Jesus died on the cross for us even though we hated Him.  Even when we were the ones who nailed him there.  

            Thank you Jesus for loving me that much!

                         There's hope for the hopeless

                                     There's rest for the weary

                                            Rest that endures

                                                                             

                                                     Oh.....how He loves us!

I Am Redeemed

          Listen to the song:
"Redeemed"   by Big Daddy Weave

Seems like all I can see was the struggle
Haunted by ghosts that lived in my past
Bound up in shackles of all my failures
Wondering how long is this gonna last
Then You look at this prisoner and say to me "son
Stop fighting a fight that's already been won"

I am redeemed, You set me free
So I'll shake off theses heavy chains
And wipe away every stain now I'm not who I used to be
I am redeemed
I'm redeemed

All my life I have been called unworthy
Named by the voice of my shame and regret
But when I hear You whisper, "Child lift up your head"
I remember oh God, You're not done with me yet

I am redeemed, You set me free
So I'll shake off theses heavy chains
And wipe away every stain now I'm not who I used to be
Because I don't have to be the old man inside of me
'Cause his day is long dead and gone
Because I've got a new name, a new life I'm not the same
And a hope that will carry me home

I am redeemed, You set me free
So I'll shake off theses heavy chains
And wipe away every stain now I'm not who I used to be

I am redeemed, You set me free
So I'll shake off theses heavy chains
And wipe away every stain now I'm not who I used to be

Oh God I'm not who I used to be
Jesus I'm not who I used to be

'Cause I am redeemed
Thank God, redeemed

 ********************

Give it all to God....He has won the spiritual war and we don't have to fight that fight that has already been won for us.  If you have admitted you are a sinner and asked Jesus to forgive you of those sins, then your spiritual battle has been fought and won.  Don't fall into the trap that you still need to fight to win your battles....Jesus loves you and took care of it for you.  You are redeemed and set free from the weight of sin.  Jesus loved us this much: 

                                                             WE ARE FREE!!!
                                    We can soar like eagles above all our circumstances. 

Isaiah 40:31

but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Words of Wisdom

Make Somebody's Day!

Always be Kind

Bravely Run the Race

You know God is speaking to you when the song you sing in church brings you to tears and just touches your inner soul.  I think this song was meant for more than just me.  If you are going through some struggles today, listen for God's message to you in this song.  I emphasized the verse that grabbed my heart.  God is just a prayer away.

SONG:  When We See Christ -  by The Browns

It Will Be Worth It All
When We See Christ

Sometimes the day seems long,

our trials hard to bear,

We're tempted to complain,

to murmur and despair,

But Christ will soon appear

to catch his bride away!

All tears forever over

in God's eternal day!

CHORUS:

It will be worth it all

when we see Jesus!

Life’s trials will seem so small

when we see Christ.

One glimpse of his dear face,

all sorrow will erase.

So, bravely run the race

till we see Christ.

Some times the sky seems dark,

with not a ray of light;

We’re tossed and driven on,

no human help in sight.

But there is One in heaven,

who knows our deepest care;

Let Jesus solve our problems,

just go to him in prayer.

Life’s day will soon be o’re

all storms forever past;

We’ll cross that great divide

to Glory, safe at last!

We’ll share the joys of heaven:

a harp, a home, a crown;

The tempter will be banished,

We’ll lay our burdens down.

Funny Bone!

Laughs for your Wednesday....

Be Kind

I think there is a majority of kind people in this world, but there are an abundance of unkind mean people as well.  Sometimes it is unintentional.  When we are so preoccupied with our own activities (TV, cell phone, homework, work brought home, hobbies, etc.) we might neglect our children, friends, or co-workers.  We might be short with them or shoo them away.  We might even raise our voices when they "bother" us.   Our words (or lack of words) can hurt their little spirits.

Sometimes it is intentional.  Someone might be different from us and we ignore them or make fun of them.  Sometimes we get angry at someone and lash out with hurtful words.



We never know what people are going through and we can either make or break their day.

After going through some major struggles of my own over the years, I can emotionally relate to those who are now going through life-changing struggles.  I know my words can either help them get through their day or possibly cause them to go into a deeper depression.  Traumatized people are so consumed with their struggle that they are not processing reality in the normal routine way they used to do.  I always compare it to a merry-go-round.  I felt like we were forced off the merry-go-round that everyone else was on and our world stood still.  Our world had stopped while everyone else was going on with their routine day-to-day life.  It felt so good when someone on the merry-go-round took time to call, send a card, or visit to see how we were doing.  It can make your day!  Actually, it meant more than making our day.  It helped us on our road leading back to the merry-go-round.

Words can build you up or words can break you down....start a fire in your heart or put it out.

                                                       SONG:  Words - by Hawk Nelson
   

     Be careful what is in your heart.  What is
in your heart is what will come out of your mouth.

 "The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."       Luke 6:45

SONG:  Speak Life - by tobyMac

Funny Bone!

A little laugh for your Monday!

Have a GREAT week!

Funny Bone!

When you have two kids but only 17 cookies left and can't have them fighting about unfair distribution, so you eat all 17 cookies because you're a good parent.  

LOL

Don't Let Satan Win!

This post is a bit different than the rest.  This is inspired by a song I came across a couple years ago by accident while listening to other songs online.  It was not what I would normally listen to, but I am so thankful I heard it at that moment.  It hit home for me since someone close to me was going through a spiritual battle with addiction.  It is a very POWERFUL song!

If you are going through an addiction yourself or helplessly watching a loved one go through it, this song will hit home....for sure! 

To the addicted:  Don't let addiction consume you!  PLEASE don't let it destroy you!  Your family and friends are there for you....let them help you get the help you need.  They want to keep you around to love and hug!  Addiction doesn't just effect the addicted; it effects everyone around you.  Addiction doesn't just destroy the addicted; it destroys the lives of the ones who love you.  I pray that God will help you see that before it is too late.  😢

Here is the song:
How Could You Leave Us? - by NF

1 Peter 5:8
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."


DON'T LET SATAN WIN!



P. S.  My loved one got the help they needed and is on the road of recovery.  It was by the grace of God that they are doing so well.  Many people were praying and God answered!  It was a true miracle since most people are not able to break free from their addictions on their own.  God is the answer!

The first place to get help is God.  God is the one who made you and He can help and heal you from anything!!!

If you need help ending your addiction, these links may help as well:

Western Michigan Teen Challenge

Adult and Teen Challenge USA

Western Michigan Comprehensive Treatment Center: Methadone & Suboxone Clinic

Pine Rest - Grand Rapids, MI

                                                            PLEASE WANT TO!
                                                      DON'T LET SATAN WIN!!!

Trust God

Do you truly trust God?  Would you give your situation over to God to handle?  Completely over to Him?  Let me repeat that.....COMPLETELY over to God.   Most Christians would say yes.  But it is easier said then done.   We want to hold on to part of the situation and have some control.  I know there were times I thought I had given situations completely over to God, but it wasn't until I truly and genuinely given my situation COMPLETELY over to God that I realized I hadn't really handed it all over to God ever before.  I hope that made sense?

I like the saying, "Sometimes God lets you hit rock bottom so that you will discover that He is the rock at the bottom."

There were two times in my life where I truly gave my situation to God completely.  The first time it was a total surrender of our finances to God to take care of our family when we couldn't  There was no other choice but to give it to God.  One of our teenage sons was in a terrible accident and was in the hospital for an extended period of time.  I knew I needed to work in order to financially stay afloat since the type of job I had did not have paid vacation or sick days as a benefit.  We needed that paycheck or we would be in severe trouble.  The accident happened on a Sunday and I planned to go to work on Monday, until my friend helped  me to see what was important.  I agreed to stay at the hospital on Monday but would come back to work on Tuesday.  Our son just needed to rest and heal and I could go to work and come visit at night.  That would have to do since we couldn't afford me missing work.

But Monday morning brought our world to a jolting halt.  I had actually gone home Sunday night to sleep and went back up in the morning.  My mindset was still that he just needed to rest and heal.  He didn't need me there 24/7.  I walked into the hospital room that next morning to see the doctor standing by our son's bed and a nurse off to the side.  I can still remember the emotions to this day even though this happened 14 years ago.  (I have tears in my eyes right now just thinking about it)  The doctor told me that our son was paralyzed and he wasn't sure if it was permanent or not.  What?  I remember starting to cry when the phone rang.  I don't know why I answered it when all of this was happening, but it was my best friend and co-worker calling to see how we were.  I stepped away from our son so he wouldn't see me cry and I told my friend the gut-wrenching news.  The nurse in the room saw how I was struggling with uncontrollable tears as I talked on the phone.  She grabbed my hand and held me emotionally.  She knew exactly what to do to help me at that moment.  I so appreciated that (more than words can express)!   It was at that exact moment I gave it completely to God.  I knew where I needed to be.  It didn't matter that we could lose everything...my everything was laying in that bed paralyzed.  I told my friend that I didn't know when I would be back to work.  I had no other option but to give it all to God.  I couldn't humanly do anything else.  I knew God loved me enough to have His one and only Son die for me and I knew He would take care of me now...and God did take care of us.  He worked through our church friends, our families, and my wonderful co-workers and the families of the students I worked with at the school as a paraprofessional.  As I stayed at the hospital day after day, my family at home had a hot meal every day from our loving friends.  Prayers, cards, meals,  phone calls, hospital visits, money donations, chauffeuring our kids to school, were some of the amazing ways they helped us.  It was truly AMAZING!  Let me say it again....AMAZING!!!  God did that for me and my family.  I gave it completely to God and He supplied what we needed as He said he would.  And to top that all off, the school paid me for the two and a half weeks I was off work.  I will always be humbly grateful and AMAZED in my God and my friends & family!

The second complete surrender was just a couple months ago. As I shared in the "God is So Good" post, I prayed for almost a year for guidance in what God wanted me to do.  Should I stay at the heating and cooling company or was there something else He wanted me to do.  Throughout that year my heart was tugged when I saw different groups of people cross my path.  Was I really being used of God answering phones and setting appointments?  Then a few months ago I began to pray more earnestly for a clear sign so I wouldn't have any doubt.  I was thinking God would let me know where I needed to go, but He showed me through a clear sign that I needed to leave my current job.  I waited five days before giving my notice.  I had no peace until I sat down with my manager and let her know I had to leave.   After I talked with my manager all the health symptom signs went away.  Wow, God used extreme anxiety and stress to cause me to leave that job and those signs all completely went away after they accomplished their mission!  But, where was I going to work now?  I surrendered it all over to God.  If He wanted me to leave that job, He would provide another one to take its place.  I didn't worry about it one bit, even after one job interview didn't pan out.  That just wasn't what He wanted for me.  I began to just relax and enjoy my "vacation".  I could get used to retirement! 😉 But, three weeks after I left my job of 10 years, I had another job lined up.  A friend at church let me know that the school she worked at still needed paraprofessionals so I went in and talked to the principal and was pretty much hired on the spot!  I start that new job today.  To read more about this, read my post "God is So Good".

I have given situations over to God many times, but not as completely as these two times.  I still worried during other situations when I hadn't really turned it all over to God.  Knowing God's amazing provision the first time gave me the confidence needed to give it all to Him again the second time.  We just need to trust in what God tells us in His word.  If He tells us He will provide for our needs, then we can trust in it.

The best cure for worry is trust in God!

  I Will Trust in You - by Lauren Daigle

Happy Labor Day

Enjoy your day of rest from work.

Something to think about:

"Change your thoughts and you change your world."  Norman Vincent Peale

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you  may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."  Romans 12:2