On Shelves Next Wednesday

I'm sure you've seen this article...

This book will be on shelves next Wednesday!

I would hate to be one of those 50 scholars!

FOR I TESTIFY UNTO EVERY MAN THAT HEARETH THE WORDS OF THE PROPHECY OF THIS BOOK, IF ANY MAN SHALL ADD UNTO THESE THINGS, GOD SHALL ADD UNTO HIM THE PLAGUES THAT ARE WRITTEN IN THIS BOOK: AND IF ANY MAN SHALL TAKE AWAY FROM THE WORDS OF THE BOOK OF THIS PROPHECY, GOD SHALL TAKE AWAY HIS PART OUT OF THE BOOK OF LIFE, AND OUT OF THE HOLY CITY, AND FROM THE THINGS WHICH ARE WRITTEN IN THIS BOOK. Revelation 22:18,19 KJV

Forgiveness

1 John 4:20 - If any man say, I love God, and hateth

his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his

brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God

whom he hath not seen?

Over my lifetime...I have spent alot of time with

people who claim to be Christians...I'm not talking

about just a generic label...I'm talking about folks

who claim to be saved, born-again believers.

Some of the most hateful, unforgiving people I

have met...I have met in church. Someone does

something to wrong another. It doesn’t matter how

silly or meaningless it all is, it just takes one thing

to set some people off and cause them to

hate and be unforgiving for the rest of their

lives.

They forgot that God gave the ultimate sacrifice

for us...and undeservedly so.

You can tell by the way they treat others...

You can't hide when you have anger or hatred towards

someone...it's going to come out some how.

Like hubby always says, "What's on the inside

comes out!" And it sure enough will......even when

you don't think anyone can tell.

Maybe with a hateful word whispered under

breath, a roll of the eyes...a tone in your voice...

believe it or not, body language says alot and

will usually tell on you...and lost people
are watching and listening.

...Or maybe you're one of those people who doesn't

care if people know how you feel about them...

What if that person isn't saved?

What if you think they are...but they're not?

What if they are looking to you for an example

of how a saved, sanctified, born-again believer 

should forgive as Christ forgave them?

Something to think about isn't it?

Some of us need to practice some forgiveness.

The word "forgive" means to pardon one for their

trespasses. To excuse a person from the things they

have done against you...to absolve them from any

punishment....to renounce your anger at that

person, and not to hold it against them.

You cannot forgive someone, and still be angry

at them for what they have done. You cannot forgive

someone, and still hold a grudge...that wouldn't

be true forgiveness...

God tells us to forgive others as HE has

forgiven us...

Ask yourself...what has this person done to me 

that I cannot forgive them when Christ forgave

me after all of my sins.

Christ asked His Father to forgive the very people

who were crucifying Him.

Don't let your anger get the best of you
and allow it to grow into hate...

We cannot hate our brother and claim to love God. 

Atheist Inspired Billboards

This is terrible!

I saw this on the Yahoo home page-

Does anyone have them around where they live?

I haven't seen them around here...yet. 

Reasonable since 1963 they say??

Won't they be shocked when they close their

eyes in death and open them in hell?!

So sad!

~Be Careful Little Mouth What You Say~

Unless we are in for some bad weather...I rarely watch the news. So, unless it's made the Yahoo front page...I more than likely never see it.

Seriously? Who would want to? It's so depressing. Murders-robberies-kidnappings-

This morning there was a story of a celebrity who was in the spotlight---It seems this person said some very damaging things during a heated disagreement and someone got it on tape. Apparently is wasn’t the first time this person had hurled a verbal grenade that made the media rounds. The reporter didn’t hold out much hope for a bright future in the entertainment business for this one.

I thought about how foolish it all was. If that celebrity had just taken a moment to take a deep breath and think about the consequences of her words, the outcome might have been very different. Words are very powerful things and once spoken we can never get them back.
It reminds me of a song my Aunt Bernice use to sing to the kids at church.

“Be careful little mouth what you say.
  Be careful little mouth what you say.
  For the Father up above is looking down in love,
  So be careful little mouth what you say.”

A Father up above – One who not only hears every word we speak but knows what they will be before we utter one syllable. Every word of anger, hatred, gossip, criticism, lies– He hears them all. He even knows our  intentions when we speak them-whether we mean them in anger, hatred, gossip, criticism or lies-You may fool others...but not Him.

Jesus spoke about words:
"But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement."
Matthew 12:36

As humiliating as it would be to have foolish words we have spoken broadcast over the internet, how would it be to stand before the Lord to give an account of those same words? It makes me want to guard my tongue very carefully.

We cannot be perfect in all that we say, but we can ask for help to speak in a way that is pleasing to the Lord. He is gracious and merciful and understands our weakness. He readily forgives us when we fail. When our hearts are right before Him, we will speak words that edify and glorify. Jesus also said:

“...for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh."
Matt. 12:34

Like hubby says-What's on the inside always comes out.

Dear Lord---“Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer .”
Psalm 19:14

Worth Sharing!

One of our church members sent this to us today...

I thought it was worth sharing ~ Thanks Jeri!

King of Pop (Michael Jackson) is gone...

King of Comedy (Bernie Mac) is gone...

King of Soul (James Brown) is gone...

King of Rock and Roll (Elvis Presley) is gone...

But the

King of Kings lives on!

More Precious Than Gold

That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than gold that

perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto

praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

1 Peter 1:7

This is such a tender subject..
Life is so unpredictable...at times so full of heartache,
disappointment, valleys, trials...

Sometimes I feel like I spend most of my time in valleys.

I have been asked this question over and over," Why

does God allow terrible things to happen to us?"

Come to think of it...I've even asked it a few times.

One thing I am slowly learning is that there is a reason

behind every trial...even though from my perspective

it looks like the pieces of a puzzle that have been

thrown all over the floor.

Sometimes, I think we as Christians...or at least I do...

forget that God sees the whole...COMPLETE...finished

work of art. He knows how and where each piece fits in.

As my hubby once said,"He has better seats"...;o} He can

see it all from the balcony and not just a little bit here

and there like we can.

If we never know the reason for trials until we reach

Heaven, we can be certain of one thing....that God works all

things for good, for those who love Him. The Bible tells us so.

I must admit...

I am not a person who sweetly accepts my trials.

Not at all! Not even close...(picture a three year old kicking

and screaming on the floor and you may be getting close) ...

any time trials are flung at me, I have an instinct to

duck and run...I admit it...I hate trials....I hate when things

go wrong...I hate not knowing what's around the next

corner and being in control of what happens ~ I'm human. ;o}

So, when I see a trial being thrown my direction I try to ignore it,

sometimes I manage to miss it, and either it falls at my feet, or

hits me in the head with more force than it initially had to begin with.
Then, sometimes it keeps coming back at

me like a boomerang until I catch it, and am forced

to deal with it....Sometimes it comes out of the clear blue sky

with no warning and knocks me to my knees...

But I think that each throw is a test...a challenge....

an opportunity...to be the woman God wants me to be.

Maybe through my trials God is seeing what I'm really made of...

or maybe he's revealing it to me...

Hubby says, "Your reaction to the problem

determines how long you stay in the problem."

Wow~that hurts doesn't it...

Maybe God's just seeing if I am willing to be tried....

Perhaps it is a test to see how obedient I am to His

perfect wisdom and will....Maybe He's trying to mold me

and make me more like Him....chipping away the pieces that

do not reflect Christ...

Perhaps I should be grateful that He loves me enough to

work so long and hard on me!

So, my answer to the million dollar question ...

Why does God allow terrible things to happen to us?

I don't know...

But I do know that I am willing to let God be God.

He knows the reasons, and He's in control and that's

good enough for me.

With God's help, I am reaching the point where I thank Him for

everything...even the trials.

Don't misunderstand...This doesn't mean that I enjoy

or even half-way understand them...not even close!

...but I know God will see me through each and every trial....

and that He is using them to make me more like Him.

It's All About Your Attitude

I ran across this story and just had to share it with you!

There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror,

and saw that she had only three hairs on her head. “Great,”

she said, “I think I will braid my hair today.”

So she did, and had a wonderful day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror

and saw that she had only two hairs on her head. “Hmm,” she said,

“I guess I will part my hair in the middle today.”
So she did, and had a wonderful day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that

she had only one hair left on her head.“Wow,” she said, “today I get to

wear my hair in a pony tail.” So she did, and had a

wonderful, wonderful day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that

there wasn’t a single hair on her head.

“Thank God!” she exclaimed. “I was running out

of things to do with my hair!”

Wow! See how the attitude you have towards things makes such a BIG difference!

Let’s be grateful for the things God has given us instead of complaining about the things He hasn't.

Don't Be Bulled!

Have you ever read any of Aesop's Fables?

I ran across one today about four bulls who were best friends. They always kept close to each other so that in the event they were ever in danger, they would face it together. They traveled together, grazed together, and huddled together at night to sleep.

One day, a hungry lion spotted the four friends and became determined to catch one. He was no match for all four of them at once, so he followed them and watched carefully, hoping to catch one alone. Every time he saw one lagging the least bit behind, he would sneak up and whisper to him that the others had been saying unkind things about him. This, he did with each bull until finally all four began to feel suspicious and uneasy around one another. Each thought that the other three were plotting against him.
When the lion succeeded in breaking the trust among them, the bulls

went their separate ways……. and one by one,

the lion devoured them.

I’m sure you can see the analogy here.

Our enemy (Satan) would love nothing more than to divide us and break the trust among us in the body of Christ. He knows full well that if he can just get us separated.....that he can come in for the kill!

Let’s not allow the devil to play out his wicked scheme!
Be on guard!
Don’t gossip - overlook offenses - pray with and for one another...Don't go around looking to be offended or looking for faults in others.....because we are all human....we all make mistakes....plus, there is a 100% chance you will find what you are looking for....Satan will make sure of it.

Don't under estimate his ability.

Be determined to stick together.....so that we may accomplish great and mighty things for God.

~I Can Only Imagine~

Imagine with me for a second....

How do you think it would affect you if your father tried to kill you?

No, contrary to popular opinion - I haven't lost my mind....

I was thinking about it the other day while teaching about the story of

Abraham and Isaac in children's church.

Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son, even though, I am sure it didn't

make much sense to him. We always think about the faith it took for

Abraham to be willing to sacrifice his son, but what about the faith it took

for Isaac to be willing to be that sacrifice?

Notice, he didn't try to run away. He didn't rebel against being placed on the

altar. I think that just as Abraham trusted God when the Lord told

him to sacrifice his son, Isaac not only trusted God but he also

trusted his own father Abraham. That's quite a big thing and in

the end, it was a trust well founded....because just before

the knife fell on Isaac....

~ God stopped it. ~

Some people may call that blind faith....but I would say there

was nothing blind about it....they both trusted the greatness and power

of God and simply believed that His promises were true ~they had faith.

Abraham trusted that God knew what he was doing and his job was to obey.

Their trust was not in vain.

Don't you think that incident was important to the rest of Isaac's life?

It wasn't God's way of playing a cruel joke on Isaac....or just seeing

how far he could push Abraham....

Through it, God's promises were passed down through

generations.

Even though we may not realize it, there is a portion of faith inside

each of us - enough to prepare us to believe and trust.

In my case - small things, I didn't notice at the time were

influencing me to look up to God....to trust him more....

Many different things have played a part and God's hand was

tending my "measure" of faith for when I really needed it....

Maybe for now.....during this time of sickness with my father....

maybe for those times when I am doubting my faith.....maybe for later....

I don't know.....but I do know that if you are called on to

trust God in a big way, expect a BIG outcome.

I'm Sorry!

Psalms 51:10 Create in me a clean
heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
I find myself continually talking to the kids about being truly sorry.
When one wrongs the other I say, 'Tell your brother or sister you

are sorry.'......just to hear them murmur a fake, half pronounced - sorry.

Then I find myself saying, 'Say it like you mean it.'

Then they say an ever so rehearsed - sorry, just to please mom

and go on about their business as if they are off the hook.....

I thought of a common scenario and had to ask myself. What would I feel like if one day my kids realized that they could consistently disobey me and rationalize that “It’s ok, no matter what I do, mom will always love and forgive me”. I can tell you, I think it would probably really hurt. We want our kids to be loving and honest and behave well toward us and others....not just because they should....but because they want to.

How much more must our heavenly Father want these things from us?

How must He feel when we consistently allow ourselves to behave badly

because we know He’s a loving and forgiving Father?

I don’t know about you, but I need a radical change of heart today.

I need the Lord to perform some open-heart surgery.

We need to be the kind of children who yearn to love the Lord and

put Him and His will above every other desire.

There’s so much work to be done!

Spiritual Gifts

On Sunday Nights Bro. Jeremy (my dear hubby) has been teaching about

spiritual gifts. As you can see on Mindy's blog, it has our curiosity up as to

just exactly what our gifts are. If you are curious too, you can

find the test here. I have taken this test before,

but just for fun.... I thought I'd take it again.

Here are my four highest scores:

• Discernment - 14
• Faith - 16
• Helps/Serving/Ministering - 18
• Mercy - 18
  

As usual, mercy is at the top....my husband says I am a sucker for a sob story. I think he's just jealous because mercy is one of his lowest scores!

~Excuses~

Children can be so funny, especially when they are trying to

be just the opposite.

Children's Church sometimes lasts a little longer than expected, and to

keep the kids occupied we play games....like

hang man, Bible Pictionary, etc.

During a game of Bible Pictionary this past Sunday.....I noticed that two

little girls had disappeared under the pew. I called them by name

and asked them to please sit back in their seats.

One of the girls, age 7, came up to me and proceeded to tell me why she must stay under the pew.

She told me that she had been to the doctor

and he told her that she was to stay out of the light as much as possible.

Of'course I knew better. On one hand I knew that she was simply trying to get out of doing what she was told..... on the other, I couldn't help but laugh at her coming up with such a clever excuse. :o}

I have been thinking about her excuse all week.

What was so utterly ridiculous to me...made complete sense to her.

Do my excuses sound that ridiculous to God?

....but God, I had too much to do.....

....but God, I didn't have any extra money this week...

....but God, I was sooo tired....

....but God, I was scared....

......but God, you know I worked all week....

....but

.....but

....but

....but God, If you only knew what I had to put up with.....

God could have given a million excuses instead of sending

His Son to die for me......

...but He didn't....

I Have an Anchor

Jeremy has been preaching revival at Miston Baptist church this week. Tonight his sermon was about having an anchor in the time of storms. He has a saying, "You are either going into a storm, in a storm, or are coming out of a storm." That is so true. One minute things seem to be going fine and then BOOM! The devil camps out on your doorstep. Being a child of God doesn't exempt you from the storms that come your way....but it will give you peace in knowing that you are anchored in Jesus Christ. So let the storms come, the rains fall and the winds blow! Because God is bigger than my problems, bigger than my burdens, bigger than any storm.

The Role of the Pastor's Wife

I am married to a wonderful man. He is my favorite preacher of all time. I love and adore him with all of my heart.

When we were married-he had already been called to preach. I had always wanted to marry a preacher. (Boy, Oh boy....I didn't have a clue did I! lol) J/k....I realy do love being a pastor's wife. It isn't easy, if that's what your thinking. I wasn't aware of how lonely and difficult being a pastor's wife could be at times. If allowed to, the constant scrutiny your under can give you a sense of never being good enough....at anything....

As I think back to our first church, I recall being approached by an older woman who introduced herself to me. She shared how excited she was that our family was there at her church. Then she bagan to ask me questions. (to which all of my answers seemed to be wrong) Do you play the piano? No. Do you play the organ? No. Do you play any instrument? No. Do you teach women's Bible study? Well...No...I haven't yet. After several more questions, I felt more and more inadequate to fill the role as a pastor's wife. I had no idea that it came with a 'job description'. An ever changing one at that.

I remember my pastor's wife from when I was younger. She seemed to be so graceful and had so much to offer. At times...now...I still find myself asking, "what do I have to offer?"

I am still learning that there isn't a set mold for being a pastor's wife. Even though I cannot play an instrument, do not enjoy public speaking and tend to be an introvert at times....God still placed me in this position. Not to be fit into a mold and formed into everyone's perception of what I should be. Instead, to be formed and molded by Him to be used for His glory.

I read on the web an article about 'pedastal syndrome'. Can you believe it? They have a label for everything these days. It’s the belief by some church members that the pastor’s wife (& family) is, or should be, perfect. They’re shocked to discover that my husband and I may have disagreements... struggle spiritually ... can’t do or don’t know everything. Pedestals are lonely places. When church members put you on a pedastal they tend to even forget that you are human. They forget you have feelings, make mistakes, and have needs just like they do.

The truth is I love being a pastor's wife. I love the people of our church. Granted, there have been times when I wanted to kill an occasional member and tell God they died. Fortunately, reason and God have always prevailed and I have not done that.....yet. ;o}

My prayer is that God will use me in spite of myself to bring glory and honor to Him.

So, next time you see your pastor's wife, be sure to offer her some words of encouragement. She may need them more than you know.