Extended Family

So often when someone talks of extended family they are referring to cousins, aunts, uncles, in-laws, etc. We tend not to consider friends as extended family, but in so many cases they are just that. When you have known someone for 30 years, been friends with them, been to dinners, prayed with them, had them preach at relatives funerals, had them marry your children, then I think you become extended family.

Last week we lost a very dear member of our extended family. You see, my husband and I met Thomas Brown and his wife Jean on our wedding day! From that day on, they were members of our family, and I always have felt that they were members of our family. I had the special priviledge of becoming friends with both of their daughters, Vicki and Liz, and later son Paul. As the time passed I met other members of their family and each and every one always treated me as if I had been a member of their family my entire life. I never had anyone in that family treat me with anything less than love, grace, and compassion.

I have learned so much about love and grace and compassion from each and every member of the Brown family. Anytime that you see any of them, be ready because they have a hug ready for you! They are always ready and willing to pray with you, or for you. If you ever had a need in your life, whether for you or a family member, or even just someone you knew, whether it was a physical, mental, or financial need, they were ready to do whatever they could to help.

As owners of the Christian Book & Supply Store in Jasper, I can’t begin to tell you how many Bibles I saw Bro. or Sis. Brown give to whomever the customer might be. Or in many cases, they would hear a story of someone in need, someone struggling and their first response would be to give…whether it was a Bible they would give or some other material item, or even a financial gift, they gave. They gave because they knew that God had already given them so much and they delighted in sharing their blessings. They truly enjoyed helping someone in need and it didn’t matter to them what color someone’s skin was, or where they grew up. It didn’t matter to them what someone’s address was. All that mattered to them was if the person had a need and God led them to help.

You see, unlike so many of us, this family listened to the Holy Spirit. In each and every thing that they did, every decision they made, every gift they gave, they listened to what God told them. They would always pray and listen. So many of us fail to do that and then we wonder why our decisions or our actions don’t go the way we think they should.

We pray, oh BOY do we pray! We ask God to give us this or do that for us. We rarely ask what we can do for someone else or how we can do something for someone else. If we would simply pray with our hearts and ears open, pray humbly, and pray seeking God’s will, we would see that things would turn around and be so much better for all around us.

That is what the Brown family does. When they pray, they trust that God is going to answer. They don’t know if God’s answer is going to be yes, no, or not right now, but they knew WITHOUT A DOUBT that God was going to answer. And they knew that He was going to answer in His own time, not in our time. The faith that family has is so inspiring and encouraging to me.

Oh, they have had their difficulties, their downs and disappointments, but through them all they maintained their faith. They always KNEW that God was going to take care of things. They KNEW that He was going to supply what was needed, open the hearts that they encountered, and they had no doubt that “All things are possible with God.”

And, because of the beautiful and wonderful Brown family, I also know that “With God, all things are possible.” I will always, always love each and every member of that beautiful family, and I am so eternally grateful that God introduced us almost 30 years ago.

Brother Thomas Edgar Brown, Jr., I will always love you and miss you. You now know what a profound affect you have had on my life, on the lives of all my family members, and on the lives of all those you have touched in one way or another. You have had a hand in leading so many to come to know and accept Jesus, too many to count! But God knows, and that is what is important. You are now there in Heaven walking the streets of gold, enjoying reunions with family and friends that have gone before you, but most importantly, you are in the presence of Jesus! I am so thrilled for you! Yes, we miss you here on this cold, hard-hearted earth, but we look forward to the day when we can celebrate with you there with Jesus. Until that time, thank you for being a guardian angel for me, and the many others that you are. We love you so very much!

Here it is!!

Well, here is my story in the local paper, as well the regional paper! I can’t express how excited I am about having my name under the title of  a story that I wrote! It is just the most incredible feeling and I am still just as giddy and happy about it as a teenager who just got asked to prom by her “dream date”!

I’m already working on another story an praying that it will get accepted to run in the paper as well. Hopefully, these stories will lead to my getting paid to write! That is my ultimate goal!! Wish me luck and all prayers are greatly appreciated! Thank you all as well, for the kind compliments. They mean so very much to me!

Judy

My Story

Writing has been something that I have always loved! I have dreamed of being a “star” reporter since I was very small. Now, I just dream of being able to write and have it published. I don’t care if I never get to be a “star” so long as  get to do what  love, which is write and have others enjoy reading my piece! I do hope though, that I will eventually earn a paid writing position, either with our local newspaper, regional paper, or even a magazine. Being able to write on a regular basis, and get paid for it would just be amazing and such a blessing!

I have been asking God for a while now, what it is that He wants me to do for His kingdom. I know there is something special that He has in mind for me, but figuring it out has been difficult. We all have special gifts that God has given us to use for His glory and honor. Many people have more than one gift! Sometimes it takes a while to figure out what the gift is and how God wants us to use it.

Well a couple of weeks ago, I really was not thinking anything about writing, or becoming a journalist, but one night as I lay in bed, trying to go to sleep, I realized the reason I was unable to sleep was because God was trying to speak to me. So, I crawled out of the bed and headed to the living room where I just started praying and asking God what it was that He wanted me to know. After a short period of time, I heard a very small, quiet voice telling me “tell the story” and “write”.  I wasn’t sure if I had heard that correctly or not, so I asked God if He was telling me to write and if so, what story was he referring to. I heard again, “write” and “you have to tell the story”. So, I decided that I better figure out what He wanted me to write about and what story He was referring to!

When I signed on to my computer and checked my facebook page, there was post by a very excited grandmother about her grandson winning the state bullriding title, and he lives right here in my hometown. I felt like God was leading me to write this story. So, I made contact with the grandmother and asked if she thought the young man might be interested in giving me an interview. I explained to her that I was brand new to this and that I would basically be practicing with him, and that I had no idea if it would even get published, but she agreed to chck with him. The next morning I received a phone call from the young man’s mother, and an interview was set up! At that moment, I knew this was the direction that God was leading me!

So, now I am searching for other stories, especially positive stories, that somehow relate to my home town. We have some very bad things going on in our town right now and I just feel like God is telling me to bring attention to the good and positive things of this community, and that by doing as He tells me, it could help in the healing and peacemaking process our community needs so badly.

This brings me to a very special request of all of you. I ask you to pray for our community as we go through some very difficult times and we begin the peace making process, may it be successful and the people of this community be closer than ever before, no matter what their differences may be. I also ask that you pray for me; that I am able to find the stories that need to be written, and then write them and get them published. Prayers that through my work/words, someone may decide that Jasper, TX is not such a bad place after all, and with a little work, it can once again be known as “The Jewel of the Forest“. We need forgiveness, peace, harmony, understanding, and tolerance so badly in this community. Please join me in prayer for my home of Jasper, Texas, as our leaders.

How would you like to be a very special blessing to a new mother?

Hey folks! I have an awesome opportunity for you to be a tremendous blessing to a new mother! The East Texas Pregnancy Help Center will be hosting a class this summer for new mothers to create a scrapbook of their new babies. You can help by sponsoring one or more mothers. For just $50 your sponsorship will provide all the necessary supplies for a mother to create a beautiful album filled with decorated pages and photos of her baby. Won’t you share the love of Jesus with these young ladies and help make this class a success?

Here is the info:

WHAT:     Scrapbooking Class for East Texas Pregnancy Help Center Clients

WHEN:    June 14-July 26, 2012

WHY:       Mothers who have limited resources deserve the opportunity to showcase their memories. The clients of ETPHC work very hard to earn points to obtain necessities for their new babies. I would like to provide them with something fun to do, that costs them nothing. This will also be a wonderful opportunity to share the love of Jesus with them in such a way that they are not being pressured to make a decision right at that moment. I believe that if someone sees and feels the love of Jesus Christ through something as simple as the gift of a memory album in which they are also taught how to create such an album on a shoestring budget, they will see that Jesus, nor His followers, is not something or someone to be frightened of, or resistant to. When presented in a loving, non-judgmental manner, the Good News of Jesus Christ is much more readily accepted! You can help me to share Christ and His love with these young mothers by helping with the expense of supplies. This initial class will be offered for 10 participants at an estimated cost of $50-$75 per person, for a total cost of $500-$750. I realize that sounds expensive, but the cost includes an album and all supplies to complete a minimum of 20 pages in that album. Also, if donations exceed total cost of materials for this class, anything extra will be donated directly to ETPHC for other programs.

SCRAPBOOK SUPPLIES CAN BE DONATED AS WELL, IF YOU SO CHOOSE. ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED!

If you, or someone you know, would like to assist with the cost of this class, please contact myself, Judy Hall @ 409-382-2775 – jlhall1107@gmail.com – Facebook @ scrappinmama2533; OR you can contact East Texas Pregnancy Help Center @ 409-381-8600. If you cannot assist with the cost of the class, please keep myself and the clients and staff of ETPHC in your prayers. Thank you so much for considering this request! PLEASE!!! GET YOUR CHURCH INVOLVED!!! LET’S SPONSOR 15 GIRLS!!! I CHALLENGE YOU!

Thursday thoughts

If Christ returned right now, what would He find you doing? Would you be one that needs to go “shopping for supplies” in order to be ready to meet Him? If so, you better get your shopping done NOW!!

Noone knows, and I did say NOONE, when He is going to return. Only God knows, and I kinda of think that maybe He hasn’t decided yet when that will be. That’s a guess on my part, who knows? Only God does.

The point is, ARE YOU READY TO MEET HIM? If not, why not? If you have not placed your trust and faith in Jesus Christ, I would love to talk to you about why it is so important for you to do so! If you don’t talk with me about it, find someone, your pastor preferably, and talk with them! Get your life in order! Stop trying to DIY your eternity!! Only God can insure your eternity. You have to have faith in Him and know that He wants what is best for you!!

It’s a very simple concept, really. God loves you. He loves you so much that even though you (and I) remain sinners, He sent His SON, Jesus Christ (who lived a sinless life) to DIE a horrific death on a cross at Calvary to pay the price for all sin! HIS ONLY SON!!

“The wages of sin is death”…in other words, if you sin (and you do, as do I) you do NOT deserve eternal life in heaven with God! But, because God loves us so much He sent His son to die for US! Jesus paid the price for OUR DEBT!! Our debt is PAID IN FULL!!

All you have to do to cash in is believe in Jesus! Know and understand that He was born of a virgin (the reason we celebrate Christmas), lived a sinless life, and died on a cross at Calvary, was buried and resurrected on the third day (the reason we celebrate Easter) and ascended into Heaven! He now sits at the right hand of God, interceding for us! It is a fact!! This story is told in the inspired Word of God, The Holy Bible. Read it!!

God wants us to be happy, healthy, and prosperous. But He wants us to trust in Him more! If we try to do things all of our own accord, we are turning our back on Him! How do you feel when someone turns their back on you? Think about that for a minute. That is how God feels when we turn our backs on Him, yet He is ready, willing, and able to FORGIVE us! All we have to do is repent. Ask His forgiveness and do our very best to not repeat the same mistakes!!

Notice I said “do our very best”. I said that because we are human, far from perfect! We are going to mess up, we will sin! But that is what is so beautiful about God’s love for us! He loves us so much that He is willing to forgive us again and again, as long as we are sincere in our repentance!

It’s really very simple. Trust in God. Have faith in Jesus. BELIEVE!! I know Jesus lives. I have faith that He is interceding for me with God! I am so grateful for that fact because I have messed up ROYALLY on numerous occasions! Yet, He forgives me, every single time that I ask for forgiveness, He forgives me. He is faithful to answer my prayers.

He will do the same for you!

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 NIV

Day 21…..To continue? Or not?

Today is the 21st day of my Daniel Fast. I stepped on the Wii about an hour ago and I was down another 0.7 pounds since last Thursday! So far, over the past 20 days, I have lost about 12 pounds! I am so excited about that!!

To be able to pull a pair of jeans out of my closet that 30 days ago, I couldn’t even get my legs in, but today they just slide right on and zip and are NOT uncomfortable! What a great feeling!

But more importantly, I have grown in my relationship with God over this past 20 days. I feel my faith is stronger now. I am spending more time reading His Word, though still not as much as I should!!

I just feel better about myself and who do I have to thank for that??? GOD!! I haven’t done anything special to lose this weight. I just ate what He told me to eat, right there in the book of Daniel. Chapter 1: 8-16

⁸ But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. ⁹ Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel, ¹⁰ but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your^[c]food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.”

¹¹ Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, ¹² “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. ¹³ Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” ¹⁴So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.

¹⁵ At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. ¹⁶ So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.

Now, I haven’t been eating just vegetables. I have also had some fruit, whole wheat, lots of water! The things I have done without include my coffee, tea, MEAT, FATS, sugar, flour. How did I have a meal? Well, God has given us so many wonderful things, first being a mind so that I could understand what items were bad and thus excluded! Such as anything that has been processed, sugar added, caffeine, etc. Secondly, eyes, so that I could read the labels and ingredients on packages! And third, God placed it in my heart that I should do this. He asked me to! Trust me, when God says “I want you to do this” it’s not optional!! You don’t tell God, “nah….don’t feel like it right now”! You say, “Yes Lord, thank you!”

So now, as I come to the close of this 21 days, I have to ask, do I continue on or do I stop my fast? Well, simple answer is, I haven’t reached my goal weight, so I’m not throwing in the towel! I don’t expect to keep up the pace of nearly a pound a day, but I do plan to do what I have to in order to continue with my weight loss, and I believe that includes some form of the Daniel Fast!

I am also not where I want to be with my knowledge and understanding of God’s Word, so I will continue working on that as well. And, again, I believe that includes some form of the Daniel Fast! My prayer life is not what it should be, so I will continue to work on that, thanks to Daniel and my wonderful, loving Lord, Jesus Christ!!

Jesus went for 40 days without ANY food or water!! I can make it without overstuffing myself and engorging myself with sweets and junk, surely! Yes, of that I have no doubt!!

My plan for continuing my quest for a healthier temple for, and greater relationship with Christ, is to continue on with the Daniel Fast, but with a few alterations from time to time. I am going to allow myself some meat a couple of times a week. I may even indulge in something sweet, but only once a week.

I have discovered that there are a lot of things that I thought I could not do without, but I can! Such as my morning coffee. Oh, how I love a good cup of coffee in the mornings with some french vanilla creamer in it! Or, even better, when I manage to get by a Starbucks and get a Venti White Chocolate Mocha Cappucino! (sigh) Fortunately for me, the nearest Starbucks is about 60 miles away!

I will also start exercising! Yep, I have not been exercising and still lost nearly a pound a day! Imagine if I had been exercising what I could have done! But, I’m not going to dwell on what could have been. I am going to learn from that and use that knowledge to help me as I continue on my journey!

I know God wants me to continue on this path of getting healthy. I know that because He is the One who led me to this fast! I have tried so many diet programs over the years I could do a commercial! And, I lost weight with some of them, but I always ended up gaining all that weight back, many times with a few extra pounds thrown in.

When I had to take certain medications over the past 2.5 years for my back, I didn’t know that one of them  would cause significant weight gain! But I don’t think it would have mattered. I was in pain and needed the medication. My medication use now, PRAISE THE LORD, is only occasional, and the days I need it are fewer and farther between! God is helping me to heal my back!

God has done so many wonderful things for me, just over the past 20 days, so much more than I deserve! But, He loves me! He wants me to be healthy, so He is helping me!

He has given me the wonderful opportunity to volunteer at a new ministry in our local area, the East Texas Pregnancy Help Center. This is a place where young women, some still merely girls, can come when they find themselves unexpectedly pregnant and dealing with issues of self doubt, low self esteem, and just needing someone to genuinely love them! Many of them have never met Jesus! The opportunity that God chose me for, to be a part of this ministry, just humbles me! Who am I that God would want me to be in a place where I am trying to help young ladies learn to love themselves and most importantly, to know the love of God! I don’t know, but God sees something and wants me to use it, so I plan to do just that! I am going to work to reach as many as possible and share the love of Jesus with whomever will listen. That is my main personal goal for the next 30 days.

I have a couple of goals for the next 30 days, or actually I will say the end of February. As I said, I want to work as hard as I can to reach as many as possible and share the love of Jesus with them. I want to become more faithful in reading God’s word and in my prayer life. I want to learn more about my heavenly Father! I want to have a better understanding of what path God wants me to be on, and I want to make sure that I am on that path! And of course, I want to lose more weight.

With God in my corner, I cannot fail!

Thank you Father, for what you have done for me over the past few weeks and for what you are going to do for me and in me over the next few months and on! Lord, I know my success with this fast has only been because of You. You told me I needed to do something and then You showed me what to do! I thank you Father! I ask you to continue to guide me in my decisions and choices I make. Help me to make the right ones. Help me Father as I work at the Center, to follow Your will, listen to Your voice, and to let Your Spirit teach me and lead me! Help me Father to know the right words to use at the appropriate time, help me to be diligent and conscientious about not saying anything that might turn someone away from you! I pray Lord for the young ladies that come to the center seeking help, that you may open their eyes, their hearts, and their minds, to be receptive to hearing about You! I pray you just fill me with the Holy Spirit and that I let the Holy Spirit take full control. Not just when I am at the center, but at all times in my life! Father, I pray that I am following your will for my life and I ask You to please continue to lead and guide me in the ways that You would have me to go. Father God, I thank you for the wonderful things you have shown me over the past couple of weeks! You have given me strength when I was feeling weak. You have opened my eyes to things I didn’t want to see or admit. You have forgiven me of ALL of my sins. You gave Your life so that I could be saved. Simply saying the words “thank you” just doesn’t cut it! I want to honor you God, with my life, my body, my soul, and my spirit! In Jesus’ name, Amen

 

http://seg.sharethis.com/getSegment.php?purl=http%3A%2F%2Fsimplewordsofachristianmom.wordpress.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost-new.php%3Fpost_type%3Dpost&jsref=&rnd=1327232473484

Family

Some people have no idea just how fortunate they are to have been raised in families who stressed the importance of LOVE and FAMILY, and being together every chance you get, because you never know if you will have another.

I didn’t grow up in a family like that. To my parents, getting together with other family was just something that happened on occasion, holidays were never a very big deal, you never woke up to a big deal on your birthday. There just wasn’t that demonstration of love. I believe there was some love there, just a lack of understanding on how to demonstrate that love. I don’t ever remember hearing “I love you” until my first serious boyfriend!!

I have tried to do things differently with my kids and let them know that they are loved, more than anything in this world. Sometimes I think I did a fairly good job, and others…not so good. But, I believe my kids know I love them, and they know how important to me (and their dad) that they are. They all know that we will do anything we can to help them out at any time. They know how important it is to us for us all to get together from time to time. I pray they never forget that.

This comes up tonight for me because of a loss of a family member. My cousin lost his ex-wife today, the mother of his sons. I have never been really close with any of my cousins, but there are some that I have managed to keep in contact with, and actually see from time to time. It has been a very long time since seeing most though.

I believe God is telling me that I need to make some changes in my life regarding my family. There are some reconciliations to be made, some forgiveness to give and request, hurts to be healed. But I know that God can facilitate all of that.

For many years I have avoided all of the above, but I realize tonight that I have to stop avoiding them. I have to do what God wants me to do, because there may not be much time left, and I certainly don’t want to live the rest of my life with regrets. All I can do is try to make amends with those who have “beefs” with me. It is up to them to receive my apology and give forgiveness if they choose. I know God forgives me, because I have asked Him to.

So, tonight, or whenever you are reading this, make sure those closest to you know how you feel about them. And if there is a distance between you and any family member other than just miles, an argument between you or something else, see if you can make amends. It may not be fun, may even be painful, but in the end, you will feel so much better. It will do your heart good. And God will be smiling.

I love you Billy, Dustin, Jeffery, Donna, Elaine, Kim, Bobby, Mike, Lisa, Lucille, Chris, Kane, Emily, Melissa, Stephanie, John, Johnny, David, Aunt Cynthia and Uncle Frank, Aunt Alice and Uncle Skeeter, Mom, and yes, even my brothers Robert and Lewis, and so many other cousins, (I would be here for a LONG time).

Father, I pray for your strength as I do what I need to do over the next few days. Lord, you know the circumstances in some of these relationships and you know how difficult some of the conversations will be, but I just ask for your guidance. Give me the words to say and help me to approach the subjects in a way that they will be accepted by those who need to hear the words. Father, I just ask for your blessing on those that are hurting right now. Give them peace and comfort. Wrap your loving arms around them tonight so that they might get some rest. Father, those who hold a grudge, I just ask that you lay it upon there heart to prepare to release that grudge or anger. Let forgiveness and love flow freely between family members. I ask you father for more opportunities to see and visit with each other on happier occasions. I ask you Lord to remove any roadblocks that may prevent any of the family from attending a reunion this summer. Bring us all together and let us all enjoy each other’s company! Thank you so much Father. You have blessed me beyond measure and I cannot thank you enough. I thank you for your son, whom you sent to die on the cross at Calvary so that I, and all who believe in you and your son, may have everlasting life with you in heaven. I love you Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Friday, the 13th

Today is Friday the 13th. To many people that is a very bad thing! It is a Friday and to be the 13th, OH NO!!! Bad things will happen to all who are not VERY careful and do not fear the unknown!! HAHAHAHA!!!

Friday the 13th is just a day that follows the 12th and comes before the 14th. It is a day that God has made just for us! If we truly believe bad things are going to happen, then there is that possibility; but if you go into this day expecting great things, appreciative to God for this glorious day, then guess what? Great things can happen!! You do not have to fear the unknown when you ask God to walk beside you through your day!

Such a simple thought, yet so many ignore it! WHY? Why do so many professed christians fail to begin their day with a simple conversation with our wonderful, almighty God? There are several reasons that I know of…

1. They forget— Now, how do you forget if you are truly a faithful follower of Jesus Christ? Easy,  you aren’t as faithful as you should be. You have not taken the time or made the committment to make your day begin and end with a conversation with our Lord! It takes approximately 21 days to create a habit according to some researchers. So here is challenge #1 for you. If you do not already, make it a point of talking to God EVERY SINGLE DAY, BEFORE YOU GET OUT OF BED!!! And then talk to Him again, every night, BEFORE LAYING DOWN TO SLEEP! EVERY DAY for 21 days. Then see what happens on the 22nd day. I bet you don’t even think about it. You will just lay there awake and have your morning conversation with God.

2. Laziness — We are too afraid of getting lazy by sitting for any amount of time and praying, talking to God, so we get busy with our day and tell ourselves that we will pray later. RIGHT!!! Usually does not happen. Again, start your day with a conversation with God!! HE WANTS YOU TO!! 21 days…..

3. Too busy — We jump out of bed and get our day started and before you know it, supper time has come and gone, you are exhausted from all you have done in the course of your day, and you have not once spoken with God. Stop right there. Consider this. How would you feel, if someone you loved dearly, spouse, child, friend, etc., went an entire day without speaking to you, AT ALL!! Not very good huh? Maybe like they didn’t really love you so much after all? Well, how do you think God feels when we don’t take the time to spend with Him? We leave Him out of everything! He is like the poor little wallflower at the school dance, just standing off to theirself, noone paying them any attention. And they go home feeling lonely and unwanted. Let God know you love Him!! TALK TO HIM!! 21 days….

4. Your afraid — Either you are afraid of not saying the right things, or you don’t know how to pray or you are afraid of what your family might think of you if they hear you praying. First of all, your family should KNOW you pray!! You should be praying WITH your family!! Not always, you need that alone prayer time with God, but you should definitely involve your family in your prayer life. Afraid of not saying the right things or how to pray? It’s simple. Just start talking to God, just like you would your best friend. After all, isn’t He your best friend? He should be. As you start talking to Him about what you expect from your day, ask God to lead you through this day. Thank Him for what He did for you yesterday and last night, (you slept didn’t you?) Thank Him for waking you up this morning. Thank Him for any and all things in your life, even the BAD things! Yes, I said even the bad things. Because those bad things, those trials and tribulations that we go through, are being used by God to teach us. There is always a lesson in what God takes us through. Notice I said TAKES us through and not PUTS us through. Because, everything we go through, if we ask Him, God is right there with us. But He wants you to invite Him. 21 days…

5. “I tried and nothing changed” — The problem there is that we expect immediate results. We have become a society of instant gratification. We want warm food, zap it in the microwave; need to get a message to someone, send them an IM or text message. Need to know some facts about something, google it! God doesn’t work that way! He does everything in His own time and we have to be patient and wait upon the Lord! That in itself is a lesson on patience, something we can all use a bit more of! Keep talking to Him. He is there and listening. God always answers prayer. His answers are either, yes, no, or not right now! 21 days….

Talk to your Father in heaven, about anything and everything. He already knows, but He wants to hear from you!

Thank you Lord for another beautiful day you have given us! Father you give us so much that we fail to thank you for. You are so good to us, much better than we deserve. Father I thank you for the continued blessings you give me and my family. You bless us each day with food to eat, clothes to wear, a roof over our heads, and other material things that are above and beyond what we really need. Father, YOU are my hearts desire! I pray for your guidance throughout each and every step I take. I ask you to lead me and keep me from all temptation. Forgive me Father, for the things I may have said or done that were disappointing to you. Help me Lord to forgive those who I feel have treated me badly. Help me to be the loving and forgiving person you want me to be. Lord, it is my desire to be the representative for you that you would have me to be. I want there to be no doubt when someone sees or speaks to me, that I am YOUR CHILD!! I love you Lord God, my wonderful heavenly Father! I love you so much and I thank you for all the wonderful things you have planned for me in the future. I thank you for taking me and my family through the trials of the past year and helping us to see You, Lord, at work in those trying times. I see you still working on those things and I know that all things come together for good for those who love the Lord. I know that good things are coming for my family and I thank you so very much for that! I ask you again Father to forgive me where I have failed you. Help me to be a good disciple for  you and to give you all the honor and glory Lord. Thank you Father, I love you. I pray all these things in Jesus precious name, AMEN.

21 days….. Not as difficult as you think.

2011 Year in Review

This is the time when you see all the year in review stories on various television shows or in magazines and newspapers. There are various top 10, 20, etc., lists and such. So, I decided I would try to do my own.

I have to say that I think I am the most happy to see the year 2011 gone, over and done with! To say this has been one of the worst years of my life would not quite be accurate. It has been a pretty awful year, but, if I really sit and think about it, it has actually been one of the best years of my life. I’ll explain that in a bit.

2011 started with my husband and I having high hopes and dreams concerning his job, which would positively affect every other aspect of our lives. In February, those dreams were shattered when he was bypassed for the promotion we felt he deserved, as did many people who have stopped him in the grocery store or various other locations about town to tell him just that. The expressed how they could not understand how he was bypassed, but never-the-less, he was.

Hoping and praying this was just a temporary thing, he went on with the application process for the position full-time, and again, was bypassed. We were devastated to say the least. But, we both decided that apparently, God had something different in mind for my husband and we just didn’t understand what it was yet. We were praying for understanding to come, the sooner the better.

Well, one month later, May 23 to be exact, for no apparent reason, my husband was demoted from his position as second in command to detective. He was demoted two ranks, with no reason given to him other than the statement by his supervisor of “self preservation”.  So, again, we were seriously devastated. I no longer work due to some health problems and the loss of income was really going to hurt us!

One really amazing thing happened during all of this though. I had been praying for my husband to return to church with me. I had been praying for him to turn his life back over to God, rededicate his life. He attended with me a few times but just didn’t seem ready to commit. I was struggling to keep from pressuring him, but I wasn’t. I would ask him on Sunday morning if he was going with me. Sometimes the answer would be yes, sometimes no. On April 17, 2011, he said yes, he was going with me.

At the end of the service, our pastor held a response call, inviting anyone who  wanted to pray to come to the altar and pray, if they wanted someone to pray with them, one of the deacons would be happy to pray with them, or he ( the pastor) would pray with them as well. As the music played, it had actually barely gotten started, when my wonderful husband stood up and walked up to the front of the church and prayed with our pastor. I have NEVER been more proud of him! At that time, he rededicated his life to Christ. It is for that reason that I believe God had already decided that my husband was not going to get the position he wanted so badly. God knew what was best for us in the big picture! And that position was not in that big picture!

It took me a while to figure that out, but as I look back, it makes perfect sense. Before all the turmoil started, I was rarely able to convince my husband to go to church with me, but once it started, it became a little easier to convince him to go. I made the conscious effort to avoid pressuring him to attend because I knew that would probably just push him farther away. Instead, I used the power of prayer!! I had my church family praying for him, my wonderful Sunday school class,(my YaYa’s) prayed for him regularly, and it is because of all this prayer that my husband was able to realize that he needed God back in his life. He needed to let God have control so that things could be better for him.

Now, I’m no fool and I don’t believe anyone reading this is either. Things didn’t change for us from really  horrible to really wonderful over night. They slowly got better, with tough times thrown in for good measure. Money was tight but we discussed tithing. We both agreed that we HAD to tithe. There was just no avoiding that. It was something that God told us to do, so we had to do it!! The hubby’s idea was to take the money out of his paycheck each pay period and then divide it up and give some this week and some next week, (he’s paid bi-weekly). I told him that I felt that we should just go ahead and give it all the first week, because knowing us, if the money was in the pocket, we would find something to spend it on. So, even though we already didn’t know how we were going to be able to pay all our bills on the now reduced salary, we began tithing. Guess what? The bills got paid, and we had enough left over to buy a few groceries!

Slowly, but surely, we adjusted. We cut expenses everywhere we could think of. And, by the grace of God, we made it through the year, getting our bills paid, and actually were able to buy the grandbabies Christmas gifts, which I was concerned about earlier.

Things have not improved at my husbands job, he just has learned to tolerate it. We pray for changes and we trust that God will make the necessary changes, when the time is right, according to HIS SCHEDULE!! Not ours!

During all this turmoil at his job, my husband was also having to put with me having constant back pain, frequent injections for temporary pain relief, unable to do ANYTHING around the house. So, not only was he working at a job he was really unhappy at, but he was having to come home, and then become the wife of the household with cleaning and cooking, etc. I rarely was able to do much more than sit in my recliner. Finally, in August, my dr was agreeable to go ahead with surgery since nothing else was giving me any lengthy relief.

August 19, 2011 I had surgery on my low back, two discs removed and some metal apparatus placed in there. I now have titanium in my back!!! Doc says I shouldn’t every have a problem going through any airport security because it is titanium. Since then, slowly but surely, my back has been getting better. I haven’t yet been able to really start any exercise program of any sort as of yet, but that is about to change.

Now, how do I see all this turmoil we went through, and I didn’t get into all of it!, as something positive? Well, first of all, it brought my husband back to God!! That is the best part!! Also, it has caused both of us to make some changes in our lives. Reading and studying our Bible, prayer, etc. Those are all VERY good things to have come out of something so negative! Isn’t it just amazing how God can take something we see as so horrible, unfair, and devastating, and make something so wonderful out of it, like pulling my husband back into His loving arms!

Our God is an awesome God!! Of that, I am POSITIVE!!

Please remember us in your prayers as we both are starting programs to get ourselves healthy. We are starting with eating right, or at least better, and we will be starting a simple exercise program. I am really excited to see how God is going to work through us with this change in our habits and behavior.

Have a wonderful, and very happy New Year everyone!!

 

What is our ultimate responsibility as Christians, believers in Jesus Christ?

A couple of days ago I issued a challenge to anyone reading my simple little blog. Take a portion of what you would spend on yourself or someone else for Christmas gifts, and spend that on someone in our area that is really in need. I believe as part of that challenge, you (we) should also be reaching out to any potential  lost souls and introducing them to Jesus Christ! Shouldn’t that be our ultimate goal? I personally love the idea of giving an entire Christmas to  someone who might otherwise not have one, but I believe that we need to let them know, these gifts come to them as gifts from Jesus, just like He gave us the gift of salvation! They are not really gifts from us, because Jesus gave them to us, specifically to share with others!

I have been a very materialistic person in the past. If I found something I wanted, I was going to have it, on way or another! I didn’t care who had to do without, as long as I got what I wanted!! But, it is a wonderful thing when God  makes a huge change in your heart to the point of not caring whether I get a gift or not, as long as I can share what I have with  someone less fortunate than myself! THAT, is the real gift that I receive.  Just to see, or hear, the pure joy and appreciation for what you  have done for them, just gives you  such a warm feeling. Imagine how Jesus feels when we show Him pure joy and appreciation for the gifts He gives us!!

I would like to add something to that challenge. If you know the family is in need of spiritual help or direction, give them a Bible. It doesn’t have to be a fancy one, but it does need to have the names and phone numbers of at least three different churches and pastors that they can contact for future needs. If you feel comfortable doing so, give them your phone number and invite them to call you at anytime, to talk about their spiritual health and how they might be able to improve upon it. Here, you have to remember, ‘you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.’ You can tell someone all about Jesus and the love He has for them and the sacrifice He made for each of us, but if they are not ready to hear it, your words will fall on deaf ears.

Does that mean that I am saying that if they show no interest, you should leave God out of the equation? NO WAY!!! God is the reason you are doing this after all, right? I mean, you are doing this as a simple way of sharing the love of God with a neighbor or coworker who is in need. So, no matter what, you have to pray to God to give you the opportunity to tell them about Him,  and then SHUT UP AND LISTEN!! The Holy Spirit will speak to you, guide you, and help you  with the right words to say at the right time. But, you have to be open to hearing the Holy Spirit speak to you!

Many people, myself included, have a very difficult time discerning whether instructions or guidance is coming from the Holy Spirit or from some other source that we really should not be listening to! So, how can you tell whether what you are hearing is coming from the Holy Spirit or not? Listen carefully. Is the action you are being asked to take, the words you are being given to speak, an expression of God’s love? Are you simply sharing the love of Jesus in what you are doing or saying? If you are, then I believe you can trust that it is coming from the Holy Spirit. But, if you are simply offering a few gifts to someone to make yourself feel better, and you just really don’t want to take the time to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with this family, or person, then you need to rethink your reasoning. If you are not sharing the LOVE of Jesus Christ and demonstrating that love, then you are just feeding a man a fish dinner as opposed to teaching him to fish for his next meal!

You have to show people that you have faith and no doubt as to where your next meal is coming from. You have to prove your trust and faith in God to provide for you, but those you are offering help to have to see that in your actions. They have to see you telling them to “do as I do” and not “do as I say, not as I do.”

If you spend more than 5 minutes talking with someone at any time, there will be an opportunity to talk about Jesus with them. Once that door is opened, you must walk through it and invite the person you are speaking to, to step through that door with you. And once they step through, you must take advantage and talk to them about God and what He has done for them, and what He WANTS to do for them still!! Always have a Bible handy, even if it is on your fancy smart phone!! Always, always be prepared to share the word of God and His blessings with anyone who will sit with you for more than 5 minutes and actually listen.

Take advantage of every opportunity!! Our days on this earth are fewer every day, and we are instructed to be fishers of men, to bring more to Jesus. That is a job that NEVER stops.

So, as I challenge you to help a needy family this Christmas, go to your local Christian Book Store and purchase a Bible to include with the items for the family! Now, we don’t want to seem to be bragging about what we are doing, but, if you tell the owner or manager of the Christian Book Store what you are doing, I bet you will end up with more than a Bible to include in the gifts for the family! You may even end up with a Bible for each member of the family.

As always, be much in prayer about what you are doing. Let God lead you to the right family. Listen to the Holy Spirit for ques and openings of what to say, and when to say them. Remember, you are never alone in any part of this. Pray without ceasing!!! Pray about what to do and for whom. Pray about the needs of the family, pray about YOUR reasons for doing this. Make sure your heart is right. Remember, satan will take advantage of any opening we give him. Don’t give him any  opening!!

God bless you all, and I look forward to hearing your stories of how you answered this challenge, so please share!! I pray each of you has a blessed day  tomorrow, the Lord’s day. I hope you  enjoy a special blessing from each worship service you attend. I pray that each service you attend makes you want to attend more, and more; and then you will be inviting people to come and visit your church. When they do, it falls on your shoulders to make them feel welcome and comfortable!! DO NOT miss this opportunity!!

Remember, non-believers are constantly watching believers for failure! It will happen. They are watching you also to see how you respond to that failure or change of plans, or whatever it may be. Don’t give satan the satisfaction of messing up your chance to witness to someone. Always strive to be as much like Jesus as possible. Love each other, forgive freely.

And, that is all I have for now!! Have a great weekend!!

 

Forgiveness can be such a difficult thing to give!

Public

Judy Hall

‎”Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.   Colossians 3:12-14″

 As much as I want to fight against it, God tells me I must forgive those who have caused me grief, or sinned against me, or even those who just don’t like me for whatever reason. As difficult as it is, I do forgive you all. R.E.T., I forgive you for the way you have treated me, disrespected me and my family, and the names you have called me. R.F., I forgive you for the things you have done to attempt to damage my family, and my husband. There are many others that I need to forgive as well, and I will, just probably not going to post them!!!

You wouldn’t think something so simple as telling someone you are sorry or asking for forgiveness would be that difficult, but when someone has hurt you and/or your family so severely, it is really difficult. It is also difficult when you don’t know how the forgiveness is going to be accepted, but, at least I don’t have to worry about that. Once I have done what God has instructed me to do, and I have done it, the rest is between the individual and God.

And then there is that thing about loving everyone, even those who have sinned against you. TALK ABOUT HARD!!! That sometimes feels practically impossible!! When someone has hurt you as badly as what some have hurt me, ever loving them just seems impossible. But then I remember, God doesn’t tell me I have to be best friends with the person. I just have to love them as He loves me. Matthew 5: 43-44 tells me “⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor^[a] and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you”, and as hard as it is, God has told me to do this, so I have no choice but to be obedient and do just that!  As difficult as it is, I forgive those who have done ungodly and just MEAN things to me, or called me really bad names, accused me of some terrible things, and I could go on and on. Those people know who they are.

I am so thankful that God gives us the ability to be forgiving. If He had not done that, can you even begin to imagine where our world would be these days? I know I can’t!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!!