Wonderific Wednesday! ( a day late-OOPS)

I was just having a conversation the other night with my family about words that people make up that can be so annoying....For example, mixing the words flustered and frustrated into flustrated.....UGH!!!
But then out of the clear blue came this AWESOME title for my blog: WONDERIFIC!!!! Haha 
So, I hope this mixed up word doesn't bug you too much & you may even be asking yourself what it means? It's a combo of wonderful and terrific. I believe Wednesdays can be pretty boring and mundane since they're smack dab in the middle of the week and you may already be burnt out with whatever it is you've been doing for the past two days. 
So, I have some ideas that might cheer you up to make your day WONDERIFIC:

Of course, you have to do something out of the ordinary to WAKE UP and get yourself moving to a brighter side. I believe if you switch up these ideas your life will become more interesting quicker than you can say "when pigs fly."

1.  Instead of having your same old coffee the same old way-try a new flavored creamer or put some sugar in it! (haha) My answer for everything is to put more sugar in it!!!

2.  Make an effort to call someone or show some level of concern for a coworker, long lost family member, etc. By doing this you will be pulling yourself out of all the trappings of the day and focusing on someone else is a very kind gesture that will make you feel good all over! (kinda like sugar)

3.  Listen to your favorite motivational person/read a daily devotional to encourage yourself. 

4. (This is a little insert from my youngest daughter that she really wanted me to add)
    Pray, that makes u feel better. i love god. and have a cup of tea. i love tea. i drink it all the time. im ava grace- wendys daughter and shes a very good mom and i have a sister and another sister. ugh. im 8 in seven days cool, right? and i have a dad and he likes to build stuff.  so ya, go by my moms tricks and u will feel better already. yay! good bye to me. :-) have a good day. god bless u. 
(She's precious)

5.  Listen to your music LOUDLY and enjoy it!!!

6.  Reflect....Take a minute to reflect on your day/future;  think about what you liked or would do differently....Journal what you've reflected on...

7.  Light a good smelling candle-the aromatherapy will do  you WONDERS and gazing into the flicker of the candle is so soothing.

8.  Drive a different route to work, create a new recipe, print out the pics that are still on your camera and put them into a special frame....

9.  Take time to read a favorite magazine.

10.  Better yet,  give to a disaster relief fund like Joyce Meyer Ministries since there have been so many people devastated by bad weather.


So is your day WONDERIFIC yet??? 

Big Hugs!!!

This morning I was thinking about what I would look like if my outward demeanor matched what I felt on the inside.  I feel much joy and peace MOST of the time-simply knowing I'm a christian and that Jesus has died for me, taken away my sin, and given me life eternal. BUT I have to ask myself why so many times when I look in the mirror, I don't see that reflection!?  I remember when I was younger-say high school age....I didn't want to show my true feelings or happiness for fear I would be made fun of...You know how teenagers are, the more you act "cool" or neutral-the more people will like you...The ones who were daring enough to be themselves, put themselves at more risk for being made fun of & that was NOT going to happen to me!!!

I wanted to be safe, because I had enough problems in my life, let alone feeling like an outcast at school. Those traits though somehow stick with us, don't they? We find ourselves still playing it "cool" through adulthood....Adults still trying to compete for the bigger audience or trying to find their self worth in other ways besides finding true freedom that only comes through JESUS CHRIST!

No one likes to admit that they feel like they don't measure up.  Especially if you've been hurt.  Theres a search that goes on in so many of us and we find ourselves keeping very busy. Honestly, very few seem to want to slow down and DEAL. Its a hard thing to come to terms with; the reality of our sin and the sin of others....but 1 day God asked me that very thing. He said, "Wendy, can you deal with it?" like even though your a christian and you know MY love and all the good that I have to offer, can you deal w/ the fact that NO ONE else in this world is going to be able to offer you that? Can you deal with that? It kind of took me by surprise and relieved me of the pressures I had to be perfect. And I've been able to let go of the expectations I had of others too.... How grateful I am today to have a Father and Best Friend who has forgiven me & loves me unconditionally!!!! No one else's love can ever come compare to that!!!

Can you believe the picture above is Fanny Crosby-the lady who wrote the song, "Redeemed, How I Love to Proclaim It"  Redeemed -- How I love to proclaim it! Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb; Redeemed thro' His infinite mercy, His child, and forever, I am"   

Ha,ha!!!  I guess you can't always judge what you see on the outside..... & that's why I love Jesus even more!!!! 

Look Closely....

     I am so thankful to be able to be writing again on my blog. I have missed it immensely! The subject I am so extremely passionate about and want to encourage you with today is on LIES we are believing. Do you ever catch yourself listening to your own self talk and what goes on in your head? Do you believe every thought or take it "captive" like the Bible says in
2 Corinthians 10:5 "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."        
     This is saying, anything that goes against the KNOWLEDGE of GOD (His Word) we are to take that thought and for example (if the thought is "you will never measure up"-compare that with God's Word which says, "The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;" Lamentations 3:25)
So, all you have to do is put your HOPE in Jesus Christ and seek Him and The Lord will be good to you! Which means, if you can measure up to God, what else is there that you have to be concerned about!?
     I struggled many, many years with believing that this was not TRUE. I was trying to please people instead of God. I allowed others and their actions to manipulate how I felt or acted. It was like being tossed back and forth by the waves of an ocean. I was not CLEAR on what or who I was...My purpose was grounded in whoever's purpose I was around. I didn't TRUST what God's Word said and definitely wasn't GROUNDED in that!
     All I can say is it is a good thing to realize that we have AUTHORITY in Jesus Name!!! There is NO other name on heaven or on earth that we can be saved. (Acts 4:12)  So why do we look to anything other than Him to give us what we need or desire?!
     Who are YOU looking too today? What are you looking for? Appreciation, Respect, Power or Prestige, Admiration, , Understanding, Promotion, Honesty???  Can someone give that to you in the exact measure that you need it? Will it be enough? Are you ever content?
     IF you are lacking in any way-SEEK the One who made you....If you are sincere and humble yourself before Him-He will hear you and do AMAZING things that you could never imagine!
     Simple & TRUE....HIS Word is where you will find the truth to combat ANY and EVERY lie. When you are desperate enough.....That is when you will find him, my friend!

Redeeming Love Journal Contest~I've been redeemed~VOTE for me!!! IT starts w/ "I have tears in my eyes..."

How are you doing? Have you been redeemed? I woke up this morning and found that the book I had just read, Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers, was offering a contest for anyone who had been touched by the book. I can't begin to express the emotions I felt reading this book....I had to write something...to let others know how God has restored and redeemed my life. He is a powerful and loving God, all rolled up into one. I never felt like I was living in a story....not in the sense that I was a character but that I was so involved myself and intrigued with every detail that I wanted to "stay" in the story and not put the book down... I realized the longing that is in my soul for a love like Michael Hosea's. It's in all of our souls-to be loved unconditionally. The tenderness of a touch or look, the fighting for and determination to have her and not let her go, the forgiveness, the sensitivity to her spirit and needs, the longing He had to be close to her, the ability to let her go when she needed to find the Lord above all else & make Him Lord of her life-when he could have chosen to be idolized by her instead....I am amazed and humbled that the Lord loves us tenderly-just like this! The depth of His love is what I long for....Every day it's a fight for that & who or what's going to win out....My love for Him OR anything else. I choose you Jesus! Hallowed be your name-I pray your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give me today my daily bread & forgive me my debts as I forgive others their debts against me-lead me not into temptation but deliver me from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power & the glory forever. Amen!
Please leave a comment-if you have anything to say about Redeeming Love-If you have experienced it, or have doubts about it....It's worth the time....

Look at the Bright Side....

Look at the bright side....what does that mean to you? To me, it means being thankful for the good things! The Bible says, Every good and perfect gift comes from God! No matter how we feel or what's going on at the moment, we can still think about the GOOD things.....To tell you the truth it's not so easy for me to always think about the GOOD things...It seems like it's easier for me to be angry about something than to feel good ....sometimes I feel like I could run 100 miles and then maybe I would feel better and all the exhaustion of that anger would finally be lifted off & I could finally get to the bright side...ha! But really breaking through anger or whatever other feelings that are difficult can only be overcome by talking through those feelings and being honest with yourself and others & God!!!! I have probably read every self help book out there & let me tell you as a teenager, those books really helped because I wanted so badly to be healthy and free.....I could read all I wanted though and that alone wouldn't have changed anything. I had to decide (and still do) that I would forgive and pray for those people who have hurt me and let it go....It's a daily thing b/c old "schemas" or ways of thinking/feeling are hard to change....BUT with The Word of God they CAN be changed....

I've found that most people don't give too much thought to the way they live-they just ARE......The Word of God tells me that's not good enough- Jesus Christ is the Standard & He's the One I'm trying to be like & I'm so proud of that!!!...It's not acceptable for me to say-that's just the way I am-so deal with it!!!! I want to be more like HIM. I was made in His Image and I'm so THANKFUL for JESUS-I'm glad the Lord sees Jesus instead of me-since I have accepted Him as my Savior!

On a side note-then why are there so many parents who accept this kind of behavior from their children...God doesn't accept it from His??????

I've definitely had my share of struggles....My life has been hard, sad, painful (physically & emotionally), fearful, and lonely....& I've had alot of reason to search to find "true happiness" ......BUT Praise God, even when the devil tried to steal & lie to me, my heart already believed the truth!!!! I am just now getting that the sum total of my life is not dependent on the things I've been through but how I've handled them....I am not SPECIAL because of a ministry TITLE but the fact that I'm His!!!! No matter what I'm tempted with....He will ALWAYS be there to help me OVERCOME!!!! So that one day I can TRULY see the BRIGHT SIDE!!!!! I hope this helps and encourages you in some way that you too can OVERCOME! Because there is POWER in the blood of Jesus!!!!

Do you HATE waiting?

If you know anything about me, you know that I am NOT the most patient person in the world....It makes sense & it's the right thing to do, but it's not easy for me! If people were patient then there wouldn't be so many car accidents, rude comments to others, or people not following through with the task at hand.

Psalm 37:7-9 says, "Be Still in the presense of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act. Don't worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes. Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper, it only leads to harm. For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who TRUST IN THE LORD will possess the land."

I was just telling my 9 year old daughter yesterday, who is being tempted lately, to realize that satan, who is our enemy, tempts christians! He will tempt us in any way he can...BUT if we set our mind on the Word of GOD-then that is the right way to live! Any other thought that comes into our mind is WRONG!!! IF our thoughts do not line up w/ God's Word-FOR ANY REASON!!!! We are not choosing wisely! I told her when I was younger, I struggled with negative thoughts...I just accepted those thoughts and didn't realize that I could CHOOSE my thoughts! Half the time, I wasn't aware of what I was thinking about and dwelled on things or did things based out of fear! Once, we start becoming aware of what "pops" into our heads, we can evaluate those thoughts & see the deception for what it is!

Psalm 41 says, "I waited patiently for the Lord & He heard my cry"

We have to be patient with ourselves when make mistakes. And we have to be patiently waiting on the Lord & realize that He NEVER gives up on us! We give up on ourselves & Him sometimes, but HE doesn't give up on us! He is ALWAYS loving & true! I had to remind her, that she was not a BAD person because she had a thought to look on her sister's paper-what's wrong is if we take that deception from the enemy & give in to it-knowing that it's wrong. We have to quickly go to God & ask Him for strength-b/c our flesh is weak! We may even need to put up some barriers between us and that temptation!

Isaiah 43:1- " But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength, they will mount up with wings as eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not faint."

Some of the best times I've ever had in life came from being still before the Lord and waiting on Him, in prayer! He truly gave me feelings that no one else could give-I felt peace, hope, joy, strength, & love that I never felt before! It really is AMAZING!!! We get distracted so easily and this world is pretty enticing BUT anything this world has to offer falls short of what we can get from God!
I went through many years though where I had experienced so MANY wonderful times with the Lord, but just took them for granted! I kept looking to see if I could find anything else that could compare to HIM.....Why do we have to keep looking and waiting????
Jesus Christ is EVERYTHING we need-there's nothing more to say or that needs to be added to that statement!!!!!!!!!

It's such a good combo! He gives us salvation-which no one else can give, but then we get to praise and worship Him for that... Worship is so incredible-b/c you feel so much better when you're able to get your eyes off of yourself & others and just focus on Him! I'm sure the Lord enjoys it though more than we do-b/c that's why we were created in the first place!!!

Psalm 86:15- "But You, oh Lord are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger & abounding in Love and faithfulness."
We don't deserve anything from God! He is the ONE who deserves for us to bow down to Him! He is compassionate toward us-which means He feels our pain & will take action on our behalf! He is gracious, when we screw up and do the wrong thing-he gives us a second chance! Slow to Anger-now there's a NEW concept! ha,ha! That melts my heart-it's hard to believe that a powerful God who could wipe us out any second for our sin-is slow to Anger....SUCH LOVE! He is faithful-always there!
This verse alone leads my desire to get to know Him better!
Romans 12:12 says, "Be joyful in Hope, patient in affliction, and fervent in prayer."
1 Thes. 5:14- "And we urge you brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, and be patient with EVERYONE"
So to sum it all up....If God is PATIENT with us, we need to be patient with ourselves and others!

Do you take yourself too seriously? Or not serious enough?

I believe there are very few things that we need to take serious, but in the big scheme of things-for me, taking the Word of God to heart and applying it to my everyday life is SERIOUS! That sums up a lot of things right there! Showing LOVE like I've been shown from my GOD is huge! There are people who will accept your love and those who won't-I have learned to not waste my energy on those who won't....You can try for only so long & that could lead to insanity-The greatest love you can give-I feel, is the LOVE you give yourself! LOVE is so beautiful-it makes you want to sing, smile, relax, face fears, warms your heart, is patient w/ weaknesses, forgives, understands, respects, cares for-

It has taken me a while to get to this place-but it feels really good!!! It wasn't like I didn't have any reasons before to love myself-because I did-I just couldn't see that it was okay for me....I thought in some way I was being selfish if I loved myself. I actually ended up neglecting many things about me and mistreated myself- It went under the rug as blame on others and in my own mind, I thought it was others who made me feel the way I did! I didn't take responsibility for not caring for MYSELF! I felt sorry for myself and I didn't realize it was ME who held the keys to my happiness! I had to take the reigns and steer myself in the direction I wanted to go! I didn't have to please anyone or change me-I just needed to realize that all I had to do was LOVE me! I accepted that I was loved by God-but I didn't accept love from myself!

It has been a huge blessing to realize that I can smile and be proud of who God has made me to be. NO GUILT or condemnation or expectations that are out of reach....I LOVE this feeling! It's new to me....It's a miracle that I am able to experience new life like I never knew before! Some people live and die and may never experience what I'm talking about! Its freedom-and it's something I gave myself and can keep giving every day-it doesn't have to change based on where I move or who I meet....It's from within!

You may think all of this sounds strange and you may have never dealt with issues that have to do with self esteem....BUT I find that many people "put on" and inside feel very differently than what they portray!

I ask you today to join me in getting in touch w/ your heart of hearts and promise yourself that you will NO longer hurt yourself-in any SENSE of the word....whether it be by overeating, not standing up for yourself or saying NO, living in the past, drugs/alcohol, pills, NOT facing the truth-believing lies, neglecting things that are important to you, ANY kind of vanity...

If I did not have Jesus Christ, I would be SO lost...Because people can never give you enough, and life can not give you enough good days, there's always a desire for more.....

Having peace and security which comes from the Giver of Life is the greatest TREASURE anyone could ask for!

I have been screwed by those closest to me & it couldn't get any worse-so for me to be where I'm at is a testimony of where my source of love comes from-if I wanted to, I could've ended my own life b/c I didn't care about myself-My attitude was "if other's didn't care about me, why should I?" BUT when lies are exposed-everything changes!

I am able to appreciate the beautiful family God has given me and enjoy the simple little things everyday that some people may take for granted! I realize that although I am not & will never be perfect-There is no one else like me in this whole world! And I deserve LOVE just like anybody else....No one has to do anything special to deserve love-

Focused Intensity

This week God has put the idea of "focused intensity" into my brain...It's something that is right on for me right now as I tend to be kind of comfortable in my daily routine...If I give myself enough time to think about all that I'm doing and why I'm doing it, I have to ask myself how God is involved in the equation...What am I doing on a day to day basis that is making an IMPACT for the kingdom of God? Taking care of my children and husband is HUGE-first and foremost!!! I wouldn't want to be "busy about my Father's business" and neglecting them, that's for sure! But how can I do both?

If God has a call on our lives, what is it that He requires of us? I believe more than anything He wants us to spend time with Him... To be close to Him, and love on Him and allow Him to love on us! It's out of that relationship that we will shine and have something to give others! When people are kind-it makes you feel so good BUT if there is no basis to back that up, then it's just for kindness sake....It's HIS kindness that leads us to REPENTANCE-which means that the kindness of Jesus Christ causes us to go deeper. We have to be focused and intent on telling others where our kindness comes from! One of my favorite songs is "The Only Thing That's Good In Me is Jesus"

What is it about a worship song that speaks to a person's heart? Is it the lyrics or the music? It is the Spirit behind that song-right?.....Some people call it the anointing. What does that mean? It means there is purpose behind the song-there was prayer involved and people that are sought out to be ministered to, and there is faith involved that lives will be changed by the power of the Holy Spirit through that song-Jesus Christ does the Supernatural work! All we can do is be an open vessel.

I remember many times seeing my Mom "give in" to alcohol or "SPIRITS" as some call it...People do it everyday-they surrender to that drink or drug in hopes that it will calm then down and relax them and change their mood. Why can't Christians surrender in that same way to Jesus Christ? I can picture her face as she poked the needle into her veins, and then all of a sudden there was relief....

Can we give God that same allegiance? Can we surrender like that to him and fall out in relief? Some of you need to do that! You need to give GOD all your inhibitions...You need to let go of the steering wheel and just SURRENDER to Him and let Him take the drivers seat! He has way more than just a high to offer you that you have to come down from-only to realize that the "trip" is over and pretty soon you'll need to do it again! Serving God is that PURE high that you're looking for that never has to end! It is having confidence in a friend that never changes-

Out of our love for Him, we owe it to Him to be focused and intentional with what we're doing EVERYDAY! A high or drunk person can not be focused-but a SAVED, REDEEMED, LOVED, & Forgiven Child of THE King can be focused!!!

What can you do today? How about memorize something from God's Word!!!

Psalm 119-9-11, "How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with ALL my heart. Do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you!"

Give it Away!

Everyone needs a helping hand... Do you believe that's true? Why is it so easy sometimes to do for others but yet so difficult to receive??? I believe it has a lot to do with pride! If we're on the giving side then we can feel better about ourselves. BUT we miss out on the love and kindness that the Lord may be wanting for us to receive from others. I believe in order to be truly happy and healthy- we need both! We need to be able to give and receive!

When I was younger, I had no other choice but to be in a position of having others "give" to me....so it really wasn't very difficult for me to accept and even still, I appreciate it!!! Now though, my husband and I are able to give to others and it FEELS so good!

I'll never forget, one time Dave called me and told me he had just been hit by a drunk driver. She ended up driving pretty far and finally stopped in a parking lot. Dave followed her and called the police, of course. He went up to see what was going on & found her with blood on her face and when she got out of the car, not only was she drunk-she was pregnant. The cops came and gave her a ticket, but then they left....they didn't even realize she was drunk.

Dave decided to call me because he didn't know what to do-he felt torn! He wanted to come home, but also wanted to make sure she was okay. When he called me and told me what had happened, immediately I wanted him to put her on the phone...I talked to her and she told me she was in a pretty bad dilemma. She was in a relationship with some bozo who didn't really care what she did. She also told me her Mom was an alcoholic, so she didn't really know any other way to live....My heart broke for this gal as I talked to her. I told her we forgave her and I asked her if I could pray with her- while I was praying, she broke down and cried her heart out....I remember afterwards telling her about my Mother. I told her if God could keep me from becoming an alcoholic-he could do it for her! I told her that we can rely on a God who doesn't change! I told her about His grace and mercy and that He did not want her to be living that way & that there was HOPE!!!

We tried to get her to go to a shelter for the night, but she would not agree! Dave hid out for a while because she told him she was gonna try to sober up, but finally he saw her take off again....Such a tragedy!

We got her address and sent her some cute clothes, diapers, and whatever else....but that's all we could do... I pray she will remember that experience and that the Lord will remind her of HIS love! People need LOVE!

I'm telling this story because it's TRUE! I'm also telling it to remind myself that it was about a year ago or so...There needs to be more stories like this one.....Are you praying for God to bring people into your life to minister to? He will! I know not every thing we do is HUGE like that, but as long as there is some sort of GIVING, that's what counts. And not just for "charity's" sake...

We have to share the purpose of why we're giving- because we've been given so much ourselves!!! There is no greater hope than salvation in Jesus Christ! It really will make others feel good if we are kind, but feeling good-isn't enough!!! They need to be changed by HIS love and everything that goes along with that! Maybe the reason you can't give, is because you feel you have nothing to give....I've been there before too! I realize now that nothing I do can "make" me in right standing with Jesus Christ! It's all because of HIS grace and mercy, I can come boldly into His presence.

We can't wait until we feel WORTHY enough to give. But if the reason you're not giving, is because you don't have enough time, or your just into "YOUR" family, or you are not wise with your money, so there's never anything left- I'm sorry- but those are pathetic reasons!!! As US citizens, we should always have something to give! If that's the mindset-then there will be something to give....If the mindset is confusion, fear, selfishness, etc ...or anything else that doesn't line up with God's word-then we need to get to know the LORD a little better, to know what we have in HIM!!! "IN HIM WE LIVE AND MOVE AND HAVE OUR BEING" Acts 17:28

I pray for all those who read this today, that you will ask God how you can be a GENUINE blessing to someone else-other than for yourself to feel good- BUT to see GOD move in a powerful way so THAT person can be changed by the power of God! OR for YOU to swallow your pride and be able to RECEIVE something from someone else that you may need!

Remember we were MADE 2 LOVE!!!!

GREEN pastures

These last 2 weeks have been just plain awful....& you can say that again! There has been sickness and more sickness and things just are not going the way I would like them to...I guess you could say the grass looks GREENER on the other side...BUT if I were on the other side~I'm sure there are those having sickness over there too!

Today is St. Patty's Day and it's usually a big hit around here because my husband is Irish and my girls are (obviously) Irish! We like to have corned beef sandwiches and make GREEN shakes and I even buy them a Green Shamrock T-shirt every year!!! But this year, I think we're settling on Cracker Barrel and getting our corned beef from them! I hope it's as good as what I make! ha,ha! JUST KIDDING!!! I find it so amazing how God gives me the words to put into this blog every time I reach out to do this...I entitled this blog "Green Pastures" because it's March 17th but also it's fitting for another reason~

I'm so grateful to have Jesus as my shepherd, are you? Psalm 23 says-since he is our shepherd, he will take care of everything we need...When you look at that picture-doesn't it just make you want to lie down in it? I do-I would want to roll all over that field!

It says, "he makes us lie down in GREEN PASTURES"-which is food for a sheep and then HE leads them to still waters for a drink! So as the Shepherd, it's HIS job to take care of us and the Bible says He will! "he restores my soul"-that means not ONLY will He take care of our physical needs but He will nourish our soul as well-spiritually and emotionally! His loving care puts our minds at ease so we can rest peacefully in Him. To be restored means to be refreshed and strengthened!!! Doesn't that sound wonderful?

I'll be honest I have believed in the past that Jesus can't really meet ALL my needs and that I can't be TOTALLY satisfied with Him...but the longer I'm alive, the more I realize that HE CAN and I need to give Him that chance to BE EVERYTHING!!! For some reason we tend to think that there is a "place" for God but I've finally come to the point where I realize He HAS TO BE EVERYTHING~ there's no other way to be truly happy!!!

"he guides us in paths of righteousness for HIS name sake"- and when we follow Him, we get to know Him better and have that assurance deep inside that we're doing His will, which brings Him glory.

"even though I walk through the valley of the SHADOW of death, I will fear NO evil"- we WILL have to go through valleys in our lives, but there is only a SHADOW of death & we have nothing to fear if we are God's children!

"your rod and staff, they comfort me"- which means Our shepherd carries that to protect us and as His sheep, it brings us comfort!

"you prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies"- We can feast in safety and security even though we may have enemies all around us!

"you anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows"- In Bible times, they would anoint someone's head prior to eating with them.

"surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever"-

It's really pretty simple-we need to be true to our God and follow Him-He knows the BEST way and has the power to meet our every need! If we simply read his Word, talk to Him, and do what He says-GOODNESS AND LOVE will follow us ALL the days of our lives!

Are you gonna pick up that needle?

Today I dropped a pin needle on the floor while I was cleaning and in such a hurry...Do you know how long it could take me to find that tiny little thing on my hardwood floor? So, I thought for a minute that I really didn't have time to look for it & that maybe if I remember later, I'd get to it! But THEN, I thought about one of my daughters coming downstairs and finding it in one of their cute little feet!UGH.....What do you think I did? All of a sudden I was on a MISSION to find it! And surprise, surprise in 2 seconds I found it! I guess the reason I'm telling you this story in my blog is because it made me think...Do you suppose there are people out there who would leave it there anyway, even knowing they could get a needle stuck in their foot later? I know there is because it reminded me of a REAL life story I read yesterday in 2 Chronicles. It was about a king named Jotham. He was a wonderful King who was good to his people and was courageous and won many battles. He sought the Lord even though He became powerful (unlike his father, Ussiah). He did just about everything right EXCEPT He didn't want to offend the people~ so he let THEM make their "own" decisions about the HIGH PLACES. See, the high places actually needed to be torn down because alot of idol worship and pagan activities took place there....Jotham was the KING and therefore could have done that~BUT he DIDN'T.....and because of that decision, his own son fell victim to the sin & enticements there!!! He allowed the needle to stay on the floor! OUCH!!!!

That made me so sad when I read that because I would never want to be a CAUSE in my children's hardships in life. Granted- everyone makes their own choices, but to know that I had a part in their problems or pain would grieve me so bad, I don't think I could stand it!

This blog is simply a reminder to pick up your needles! And if you have neglected to do so at one point or another (because truly-none of us are perfect & sometimes we miss them or didn't see them fall in the first place) then commit yourself to prayer TODAY and ask GOD to forgive you & make you more AWARE & concerned for your loved ones!!!

You gotta have heart!

Just sitting in my office this morning thinking about all the things I've had a "heart" for...Wow! The list could go on and on...From toys, to boys, to clothes, and friends, and family, and places, and things, and of course my Savior! We start out at a young age and naturally have a heart for certain things...I remember really enjoying singing. In fact, while watching t.v., I used to sing every commercial between shows~you know that had to be annoying! ha,ha! I also had a heart for people, I remember at a young age sitting in the backseat when my Dad was driving & passing people on the street that looked sad and it would make me cry! I enjoyed playing Ms. Pacman and playing "school". I also liked to preach and even made a tape! ha,ha!!

These "passions" of our heart never go away!!! If we are encouraged and those things are noticed then we have a good chance at being fulfilled in life. However, if these things are made fun of, overlooked, or rejected then we will wander away from them and end up doing things that are totally meaningless to us! Some people will be strong enough and courageous enough to find their way back to those passions. Some will live a resentful life and live day in and day out doing things they can "accept" but not "cherish" and talk themselves into believing everything's okay....

I've never been one that has been satisfied with "okay"...I have always wanted to be true to the passions and purposes God has placed inside of me but sometimes because of the way things have turned out in my life (things out of my control) I learned it was easier to NOT fight and just settle!!! Even though it's NOT at all what I wanted to do! What do you do when that passion is so strong in you but you just don't know how to MAKE it a reality??? When I get really ANGRY, I can make a change! But how do you make that change last? How do you stick to something when you haven't had a lot of support in the first place....I know, give up!!! ha,ha! I truly do believe if you have HEART you can accomplish what it is you have a heart for! I know a TON of people that have settled...but know very few that have actually accomplished what they have desired out of life....My cousin recently started going back to school to be a hair stylist & I'm so proud of her because that is something she has LOVED her whole life & so for her to find her passion even in her 30's is so AWESOME to me!!! God puts those things inside of us~ there's no telling how many people she can minister to while she's cutting their hair, if she so chooses!!!

Lately, I've had the opportunity to be using my voice at church...I feel so blessed and privileged every time, but I also get nervous b/c of those old "tapes" that play in the back of my mind where I remember being criticized for not being "confident" enough...It's so funny though-how could I have been confident? What was invested in me to make me confident? Voice lessons? NO, Security? NO a Role Model (like a Mom?) NO, a stage? NO...See~ this is where the resentment can come in.....BUT I refuse to let that dictate who I am or what I will become for Jesus Christ!!!! I will continue to get up and sing ANYWAY!!! After all these years of singing those tapes are wearing out though and barely work anymore....Praise God!!!

What do you need to do with your heart today? I say, FOLLOW IT!!!!! I don't care how old or young you may be, how secure or insecure you are....There will always be excuses or lies for you to believe! Live your life on purpose today & with courage! God will order your steps as you are seeking Him and trusting Him!

Deuteronomy 30:16-18

"For I command You today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commands, decrees, and laws; then You will live and increase and the Lord your God will bless You in the land you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you are disobedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess."

Just like He just ordered my steps by leading me to that verse!!! YAY!!! I get it....I am being COMMANDED to LOVE MY GOD and OBEY HIM-(his laws which are clear in His Word) BUT if my HEART is drawn to other gods (which can be people pleasing/status/accomplishments/education/money/ANYTHING other than Jesus Christ etc...etc...) and I choose to BOW DOWN to them than I am NOT BOWING DOWN TO GOD...because I CAN'T bow down to BOTH!!! Some PEOPLE want to be like little "mini-God's", they want to control others, get their own way, & have you bow down to them~ It is Vanity. Solomon talks about that in Proverbs and how the wayward women is so smooth and her words drip with honey but where does she lead a man? To Death! We can not continue to be "drawn in" by these type of "idols" in our life that are so smooth!!! I do NOT want to be destroyed, do you? My life has been destroyed enough because I didn't have enough HEART to stay away from Idols! If someone is smooth talking~ stay away from them!!!!

This verse is my new verse to live by: Isaiah 57:13 "When you cry out for help, let your COLLECTION OF IDOLS save you! The wind will carry all of them off, a mere breath will blow them away. BUT the man who makes ME his refuge will inherit the land and possess my holy mountain."

I've been there, I thought my little collection of idols could save me~ but guess what? They couldn't....to be honest, as I look back over my life, I can see how the Lord has guided me & how He was proving to me that HE ALONE was my REFUGE....and let me tell you, (WITH CONFIDENCE!!!!) HE is enough! I sooo love my Jesus-He is not like any man I've ever known!

Prov. 4:23 "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the WELLSPRING of Life"

I love you too~whoever you are reading this today!!!

Why does Love always feel like a battlefield?

It must be a good saying if it's worthy to be put on a tshirt! Ha!!! Lately, when I'm in my car and flipping through stations I've heard this song "Why does love always feel like a battlefield" by Jordin Sparks. It's a pretty catchy song & next thing ya know, you're singing along...(a battlefield, a battlefield...) If your SOLD OUT to this notion then you might as well get the tshirt & the c.d.! But seriously, why would we need to ask ourselves that?

What does it mean? If LOVE is so great, why is there a battle? Why do so many people seem to be at odds with one other? Marriages are thrown away today like trash, friendships, families are torn apart- How does this happen? Is there any way it can be stopped or is it just random acts of stupidness?

I believe the easiest way to sum it up is IGNORANCE....You're probably wondering how it could be ignorance when people know exactly what they're doing when they choose to make bad choices and hurt others. Yes, people are making bad choices for a wide variety of reasons-such as: selfishness, anger, hurt, frustration, low self esteem, poor examples, etc.etc...Mainly, all those things boil down to FEAR.

So why would I say Love is a battlefield because of IGNORANCE? I mean, can't you just picture a bunch of us "ants" who crawl around on this planet, out on a field in a battle and beating the tar out of each other and saying all kinds of hateful spues and keeping an account of all the things the other person did to us and how they hurt us so bad and how we were going to make them pay...Why? Do we think we can whip them into shape and teach them that is not how we would've liked to have been treated? Can we really go to battle and force someone to love us and MAKE them surrender? The obvious answer is NO!!!!! NO!!!! NO!!!!!

So, we IGNORANTLY are involved in a battle we were never meant to be in! How many people are involved with other people who constantly are hurting them? This is a sign that you are in an unhealthy relationship and there is no LOVE! The reason so many relationships are failing is because we don't know what LOVE is...We are IGNORANT about LOVE!!!! LOVE is about giving and receiving-but it doesn't start with us. It all started with HIM- JESUS CHRIST! Not Muhammad, or Buddha, or Humanism, or Oprah (The Secret), or on & on & on... We can NOT know Love unless we know JC!

Don't get me wrong, there are MANY people who have been married for years who love one another and do not know Jesus Christ! We can love people that love us back-that's pretty easy to do...(Matt. 5:46 says, "For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the Pharisees do that?") BUT the odds of finding "Mr. or Mrs. Right" are not so good. That's why people want to start over again and again because they are gamblers and they believe they can beat the odds. In this rat race called LIFE-we have so much going on and part of that process for a great majority of people is searching and searching for that LOVE they've been looking for their whole life!

The point I'm trying to make is this- Jesus Christ came into my life as a young girl & changed my heart! He was REAL! He put a faith inside of me to believe that there was something better for me! And that something was Him. Along the way, there have been many "offers", illusions, and deceptions, but once you find what is real, you can see the counterfeit! I am not saying I am a perfect person with a perfect marriage, family, etc...But I move a lot quicker when my Savior speaks to me than I did when I first met him- I don't stay down so long listening to the lies of the enemy like I used to-I ALLOW my Omniscient, Omnipotent, Omnipresent friend, father, and LOVER of my SOUL to speak to me through His word to heal me and LOVE me & to help me recognize the devil's lies.

Did you notice I said healed? See, I have been scarred on that battlefield of Love. I've been hurt so stinking bad by those who loved me that I had a hard time understanding what love really was! I feel things very deeply and that's why I hurt so bad-but after a while you learn how to toughen up BUT not in my spirit man! -There were times in my life when I wanted to die the pain was so intense but the spirit of God inside of me would not let me go!!! I would never trade ANYTHING for my God!

His word tells us in 1 Corinthians what Love is-It's patient and kind, it doesn't boast, it is not proud, it does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth, it is not self seeking, it is not rude, it always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres, Love NEVER fails! Doesn't that sound like the kind of love you would like to have? Those words came from The Bible- not Joseph Smith or yada yada!

I pray that the Holy Spirit will take blinders off of your eyes! That you will see simply, that the LOVE your looking for can only come from Jesus. All of those other "ants" I was talking about earlier-are just as clueless as you and me! We can only know/feel/experience Love when we have a relationship with The Master-the one who made us FOR HIMSELF in the first place! His LOVE is ALL we need!

2010: The Year to Become a Follower!

This New Year I would like you to become a "follower" of my blog....I will be updating it much more often and am including information regarding: current events, fashion, issues relating to girls/women, fun & quirky topics where you can chime in with your own comments.... Please look to the right side of my blog and become a follower by clicking on the appropriate buttons! Let me know if you have any difficulties through my facebook page- Friend me at Wendy Neely & I will be glad to help! I look forward to this new, exciting year the Lord has given us!

Christmas is the Best Time of the Year!

Merry Christmas Family & Friends!

First of all, we pray that ALL of you will have a healthy and happy Christmas! Every year we get another chance at this time to think about our Savior and how empty and lost we would be without Him! There are a million things we could share with you that are funny, heart-warming, charming, sad, exciting, frustrating, etc...etc....but those things happen on a daily basis and I'm sure you don't have time for 365 days worth of that! That being said, We had a GOOD year! We serve a GOOD GOD and we all have been healthy enough to enjoy everything He's given to us!

In a nutshell-Dave works long hours every day....leaves home by 5:30 and gets home by 5pm. I homeschool the girls: Savannah (5th), Makayla (3rd) and Ava Grace is in Pre-K. We start our day with devotions, prayer, worship, and memorizing chunks of scripture at a time...(honestly, this is my favorite part of the day) then we go on from there to their subjects.

We do Language Arts, Writing, & Math daily and History & Science 2 x a week. The girls are hard workers and it's amazing what they recall. We also do a lot of crafts and take field trips that are comparable to what we are studying. Friday is TEST day and they look forward to that b/c the day goes by quickest!!! We have homeschool friends that we hook up with from time to time.

The girls also take piano lessons and do recitals every 6 months. They play soccer-indoor & outdoor. We also do relay runs/races locally in our area. Its great exercise for them and fun for the whole family! :)

We have started a new church that we ABSOLUTELY LOVE!!! We are meeting lots of great people and the girls are finally meeting some new friends! Dave and I are learning alot in Sunday School and are getting involved! My Dad & I recently were in the Christmas performance together and it was a total blast! He did a wonderful job as "Mr. Franks" and we received many compliments! There were a total of almost 6,000 people in attendance-what an honor to be chosen to sing a duet! (not with my Dad) LOL! I LOVED IT!!!

We also had a wonderful year with our family business "SisterlyLoveDesigns". We traveled all over Georgia to fairs/festivals selling the girls' creations. They did pretty well monetarily and also learned alot of new skills!

This new year will be a year of pressing deeper into what God has for us- listening closer and acting faster! There are so many things that bring us joy on earth but OUR conviction is to be more concerned about what brings our Savior joy! Our Family is striving to be GOD pleasers MORE than man pleasers!!! We will not be compared to anyone when we stand before GOD we will only be accountable for our OWN life. I hope whoever you are reading this Christmas year end note- will realize there is a lot of work that needs to be done for the kingdom of God! Let's be committed to praying for one another and LOVING each other GREATER, BIGGER, STRONGER, MUCHER-(that's an AVA word) :) than ever before!!! If any of you ever need prayer-please let us know because we would love to pray for you! Looking forward to another GOOD year!

Be STILL & know that He IS God!
Merry Christmas- We love you!
The N. family

Where is Your Head?

The Bible says in Matthew 7:13-14 "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it." So what this is saying is there is some distinction between who will enter heaven and who will not. I thought anyone who called on the name of the Lord would be saved-so in my mind that means, those are on one track and those who don't are on the other track...

So why would any distinction need to be made about how wide or narrow the "tracks" were??? To be honest, I know it's pretty SIMPLE the plan that Jesus had for us! We didn't choose him(Adam & Eve), He chose us (sent His son to die) and then gave us a second chance through Jesus' Resurrection and all we have to do is confess our sins & our need for him & humbly accept His plan for us...It can't get any simpler than that!

So how do things get complicated? Well, there obviously is another force at work-that we struggle with on a daily basis. We make choices every day- whether they're thought out and planned, or spur of the moment with no thought. We even make choices based on what other's would want us to do....

The reason I'm talking about this today is because I want to remind you that you are not aimlessly and nonchalantly going through this life without making choices for whatever reason... You ARE making choices every day! Have you ever thought about Why? Why are you doing what you're doing? WHY???? What is the purpose or point? I think you should examine all of the things that really "count" in your life and ask yourself WHY???? Some things you will see are motivated by fear, others by love...most by selfish reasons, some by selfless but what are you doing for Jesus Christ?

If you truly Love Jesus Christ then you will be doing anything you can to be close to him and stay close to him on a daily basis! You will be seeking Him first and His kingdom! You will be shining His light for others to see...You will be giving to the poor and helping widows and orphans. You will have FAITH in a Savior you can't see and your faith, although at times may become weak, will not cease because you are CONVINCED of his faithfulness-b/c you have put Him to the test and He has proved Himself to be TRUE to you!

You will sacrifice ANYTHING for Him! You will give up anything- just to be like Him and to be accepted by Him. You will fear Him and reverence Him and out of humility do WHATEVER he tells you to do! You might even "be hated by all because of His name, but it is the one who endures to the end who will be saved" Matt. 10:22

Is this the salvation that you have? The kind that will last throughout to THE END??? Or is it the kind of salvation that makes you look good in front of your pastor at church on Sundays-but not on Friday nights? Is it the kind of salvation that comes through when you need him- like when you got out of a court sentence when you thought you were gonna "really get it"- or is it the kind of salvation that works because it's your "occupation"....

I don't know what kind of salvation you think you have BUT when God truly saves a person-YOU ARE NO LONGER THE SAME!!!!! 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creature; the old things have passed away, behold-NEW things have come" You have accepted the forgiveness of your sins being paid-Old value systems, priorities, beliefs, loves, and plans are GONE!!! Evil and sin is still a threat BUT you see it, in a different light! THEY NO LONGER CONTROL YOU!!!

This transformation is a faith that produces works and You are no longer the same!!! I encourage you to SCREW YOUR HEAD ON STRAIGHT today!!! Give some thought today to WHY you're doing what you're doing and if your head and your heart are not in the same place- make whatever changes you have to make in order to please your Heavenly Father who loves you more than you could ever imagine! Who are we to think we have an automatic "pass" because we have memorized 5 Bible verses and accepted Jesus as our Savior as a child, and talk to him when all of a sudden we "need" him???? What kind of relationship is that?

He tells us what is GOOD enough for HIM and what He expects from US! We need to know for ourselves-by reading His words to us! We may get away with a lot of "laziness" from people- BUT that same laziness may keep us out of Heaven! Have you ever thought about that? He's looking straight into our hearts & He is a HOLY GOD- THE ONE and ONLY!!!! The road is narrow, my friend! His GRACE and MERCY are for those on the narrow road-Everything He has is for HIS children-not for Everyone! He chooses and so do we!

The Rest is Still Unwritten

It gives me so much pleasure to write a blog once a week. I am considering writing more because I enjoy it so much! The title "The Rest is Still Unwritten" also gives me pleasure and hope. What about you? Do you feel like there is so much ahead of you, that you can't even imagine what God has in store for you or how He's going to use your life to be a blessing to others?
What would "the rest" say? What do you want it to say? The only way it's going to happen is if you have a plan or desire. God will take your life and work out all the details if you know which direction your headed. That's the hard part sometimes. We have to start in 1 direction and continue on that course. If we're all over the place, how can we see results or "fruit" of what we're doing?
God wants to accomplish GREAT and MIGHTY works through YOU! He said in His word that He is faithful to complete the work He started in YOU! What did He start in you? Do you ever remember a time, where you felt "called" or led to do something? What is it that fills your heart so full of emotion? Is it a certain cause, is it teaching, or music? Whatever it is, THAT is what you need to be doing for God!
The cry of my heart is to worship my Savior with my life! There are so many things I enjoy...but for me personally-it's always been so strong to tell people about Jesus and to make sure that I can share the truth of God's love, so people can escape Hell. I don't ever want to think about anyone that I've known, that has passed away and have any regrets that I didn't talk to them about Jesus!
He is the WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE. His word is Life and it has KEPT me. We need to hide ourselves in The Word of God. His word is so powerful and we don't give it enough credit! If we could allow the Words of God to touch our lives-our minds, our emotions, etc...then we could write "our story" the way we wanted to. We would believe that we are stronger and more powerful than we think we are.
The Bible says, "The same spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in us." God is the one who has our destiny in His hands, so His Will will come to pass, no matter what! Do you choose to work with your Savior today to have his Greatest plans accomplished through you? Open your eyes and your hearts to Him. I encourage you to read His story and know that He is with you and you don't have to face ANY circumstance alone. You know what will make our "stories" so wonderful? Simply, Jesus!

An Old Friend

I don't have a lot of time this morning, but I want to make my point short and sweet! Just recently, since I've found facebook, I've had the opportunity to get in touch with a bunch of friends that were once pretty dear to me! Just yesterday, one of those friends, was so kind as to ask me, how I was doing in light of all the flooding here in Georgia. She told me she was thinking about me and praying for us...I told her the weather was getting better but I wasn't so sure God was hearing her prayers...Obviously, that wasn't something she was expecting me to say. And I know she felt hurt by that statement. However, that wasn't my intention. My intention is always to speak the truth and most of the time, I've found that's not what people want to hear... See, this girl was one of my friends from my Christian High School. Her Dad was a pastor and she knows the truth of God's word. Now, she is a lesbian and because she is getting LOVED the way she desires, she thinks somehow God should be happy for her and can overlook her sin. My heart breaks for her and I told her that "With GOD ALL things are possible" and that I would not stop praying for her. Our conversation ended on a good note and I know she knows that I truly care about her!!! Anyway, that sparked me to take out my Bible and look up verses on this subject. Does God hear the prayers of sinners or not? I know there have been plenty of times in my life, when I was not close to God and actually had a rebellious heart toward Him. At that time, I felt like anything could've happened to me because I wasn't under his protection. I was out on my own, doing things MY way. I always felt unsettled though, because I knew the truth in my heart. Jesus wanted ALL of me or NONE of me...He never wants luke warm christians but we have to decide when we're ready to surrender to Him. Here are some of the verses I found: (quite a few)
"For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, And his ears unto their supplication: But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. " (1Peter 3:12, KJV) "He (any man) that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, Even his prayer is an abomination." (Proverbs 28:9, KJV)
"When terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you, Then they (people) will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me. " (Proverbs 1:27-28, ASV)
"Because I have called (people) and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded. " (Proverbs 1:24, KJV)
"Because they (people) hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD." (Proverbs 1:24, KJV)
""Surely God will not hear an empty cry, neither will the Almighty regard it. " (Job 35:13, ASV)
Thee following verses describe the results of not listening to God and obeying His laws and commandments.
"Because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof. I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you, . . . therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices." (Proverbs 1:25-26, 31, ASV)
"Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts." (James 4:3, ASV)
"As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth. Therefore hath the LORD watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the LORD our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice." (Daniel 9:13-14, ASV)
Yet God shows mercy to thousands who call on his name for his ways are right:
"For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. " (Psalms 86:5, ASV)
Let's take a look at King David's example:
"Give ear, O LORD, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications. In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou (GOD) wilt answer me. " (Psalms 86:6-7, KJV)
God also says:
"For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. " (Isaiah 66:2, KJV)
How can we tremble at His word and what does that mean? Paul says, "But declared both to them of Damascus first and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judaea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance. " (Acts 26:20, ASV)
"Works of repentance" means to change our ways to God's ways. When God sees someone who is truly sincere He listens to them and will answer their prayers:
"And Peter said to them, 'Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (through which God helps us). For the promise (of helping us) is for you and your children, and for all those who are far off, as many as the Lord shall call unto Himself.' " (Acts 2:38-39, ASV)
Christ said:
"I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. (meaning to change one's life)." (Luke 5:32, ASV)
"Even so, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth." (Luke 15:10, ASV)
And when one changes their life and listens to God and begins to do the things which God requires of us, all for our own good, THEN God hears us and answers us!
Anyone can find themselves at a time in their life where God does not hear them. However, we can be heard and have our prayers answered when we pray in the right frame of mind. We need to become submissive to God and choose his ways which reap good results in our life rather than continue in the wrong ways of living which bring on disastrous results. When we "get right with God" He provides us with confidence, hope and assurance that He will hear and answer our prayers, and provides us the answers and help us to live a better way of life.
"And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. " (1John 5:14-15, ASV)
" Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, that will I do. If ye love me, ye will keep my commandments. " (John 14:11, 13-15, ASV)
And finally,
"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth unto his own flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth unto the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap eternal life. " (Galatians 6:7-8, ASV)
"We know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and do his will, him he heareth. " (John 9:31, ASV)
God loves each and every human being. In the book of Revelation Chapter 3 God says,
"As many as I love I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore and repent. Behold I stand at the door and knock . . . " (Revelation 3:19-20, ASV)

Why is it as soon as we start reading Bible verses, something inside us wants to hurry up and get it over with? Our flesh is turned off to the Word of God- We want to be entertained and not have to deal with truth! But it's strange because we need that truth so desperately...We seek for love in so many places but TRUE love comes from Jesus Christ! His love is pure and not based on any conditions. It washes us and forgives us of all of our sins and no one or nothing else can give that to us!!!

We need to constantly be in prayer everyday, for wisdom, to stand against Satan and his deception! He is the Father of Lies and there is NO TRUTH found in Him... What does it take for you to look at yourself honestly? Are you giving your best to Jesus today? Have you dealt with all the crud in your life and realized there's nothing you can do about it!? Only Jesus can deal with it and forgive it! His Love is Amazing!

One last thing, on Sunday I used some cheap hairspray and it was like 90% water and 10% hairspray- it was pathetic! After a couple sprays, I realized it was not working so I just had to throw it in the trash-even though it was brand new....And I thought, that's how it can be as a christian too. I can call myself a christian or "hairspray" in this case, but if I don't really do the job (live obediently according to the Word of God) then I'm worthless and I might as well be thrown in the trash(like the hairspray)-because I am of no use!!!

The Lord opened my eyes to see that analogy. He wants us to know we are useful when we are living the life He expects us to live accoring to His Word. Apart from Him, we are nothing! The only good in me is Jesus!!!

I don't want to be!

I don't need to be anything other than an Auto worker's daughter or a drug addict's baby girl! I don't have to be anyone other than flesh and spirit joined as one.

Part of where I'm going, is knowing where I'm coming from!!!

I don't wanna be anything other than what I've been trying to be lately...All I have to do is THINK OF ME & have peace of mind...I'm the kind of girl who wants to please the Lord and take care of this vessel he's given me!

I don't want to be anything other than me!

I'm surrounded by liars and imposters every where I turn...I'm surrounded by a Vanity Crisis, everywhere I turn...Am I the only one whose noticed... I can't be the only one whose learned?

I'm tired of looking round rooms, wondering what I've got to do, & who I'm supposed to be, I don't want to be anything Other than ME...

Can I have everyone's attention please??? If your not like "this and that", your gonna have to leave.... I came from the mountain-the crust of creation...my whole situation's made of clay turned stone and now I'm telling everybody-

I don't have to be anything other than what I've been created to be baby.. All I'm asking for is a little respect- if you could be so kind? I'm tired of trying to please you-whoever "you're" supposed to be. All I want to do is to BE FREE!!!

I know My Creator, My life's in His hands-He said He'd never leave me~

On that I take my stand!!! I don't want to be a puppet...living dreams through other's plan

I will take my testimony all throughout the land cuz'...

I don't want to be anything other than what I've been trying to be lately...All I have to do is THINK OF ME and have peace of mind.

I'm the kind of girl who wants to please the Lord and take care of this vessel He's given me, I don't want to be anything other than ME!!!!

This is taken from the song "I don't want to be" by Gavin Degraw...I "tweaked" it a little! :-)

I hope you like the way I rearranged this song, becaue I believe there are gals out there just like I was, who are looking all around for "approval" when I had it the whole time from my Savior!!!

What He wants us to be-is HIS-When you think about all the efforts and enegy you've put into serving Jesus Christ and choosing Him every day- Can you see how it's paid off? Sometimes, we don't have any energy and feel like we have nothing to give, but we're still HIS- & HIS grace STILL pays off...It's usually when we try and run our own show or try to do things "someone" else's way...that we mess up!!! Or when we continue to look for love in all the wrong places... He will lead you today through His Word-start there- that is where and how He will speak to you!

And remember what Jesus Christ says about you TRUMPS every other opinion and that is...You were Made 2 Love!!!

No Matter How Old I Get, My Brother Is Still 2 Years Younger Than Me!

I wanted to dedicate this blog to my little brother, Chad! Tomorrow is his birthday, so I wanted to take a minute and tell him how much he means to me! It's not very often in life that we find people that we share alot in common with-& I didn't have to go far to "find" him...but I'm soooo glad God chose to give him to me! We have shared an unbelievable past together and both have realized how faithful God has been to us! I can remember how sweet and innocent Chad was as a child. It was like he was so carefree and happy. I always wanted to do my best to love him, set a good example for him, and protect him! As we got older and he kept growing, and growing, and growing....I realized he didn't need too much "protection" from me any more, and it became more like he was my "protector"! Ha!

Chad is the type of brother who always wants to make sure everyone is doing well & he deeply cares and is concerned about his family! I know if I needed anything- he'd be there for me in a second & vice-versa. God has put a passion and sense of purpose inside of Him and when we were younger, things didn't make a whole lot of sense...BUT God made sense of it...and He has used the weak places in our lives to make us Strong. Because when we are weak, He is strong!

Looking back, I can see how being mistreated as a child can make a person angry...And to be honest, for many years my brother & I were angry. Chad had basketball as an outlet-Thank God! and I didn't know what to do with my anger, so I turned it inward....which I found out was called depression. Everyone does their best to live their lives, but when children don't have stable parents to lean back on...it's pretty unsettling for the kids. All parents say their doing their best-but what does that really mean? The only hope we had for a decent future was Jesus Christ!

So what do you do with an Extreme childhood? You go out and make the most of what God has given you- use your height (build), talents, and heart to pursue God's plan for your life. You don't care what anyone else is doing or says or what you "haven't" been given but you give whatever you DO have to help others. You spend countless hours on the phone, speaking to pastors, setting up opportunities to share Christ with teenagers who you know desperately NEED him. You take time to listen and respond to emails from kids who are hurting, just like you were. You become the parent you always wanted to have...You give your children endless opportunities, and get involved in their lives and care about what THEY care about! You don't rely on excuses to say, but "I'm just doing the best I can"....you actually ARE doing the BEST you can, with whatever limited insight you've been given..:-)

As far as the anger goes, it has been a process, but I can see how both of us have grown!!! There is freedom in Jesus Christ and that's why He's been our Only hope! The more time you spend with Him, the less you want any "junk" in your life!

My brother is one of my hero's. And that says a lot because other than Jesus, I don't have too many! There have been a few Key people who have let me down...unfortunately- but He's not one of them! I understand love better, because of the gift God has given me in my brother!

Thanks Chad for being so LOVING! You are Wonderful & I appreciate you to the core!

Happy Birthday!!!

Your Sis, Wendy