Notice!!!!!!!

Hey guys, I was doing some work on the blog and somehow messed up the template, making it look crazy as you can see. I will be starting another blog, because this one is beyond my control, I have no idea how to fix it. I will post the link here when I get it set up! Thanks and God bless!

Big changes for the blog!

For the past few days I've felt that the Lord was leading me into a different direction for this blog. I have had a strong desire to make this blog not just about me, but to shape it into a ministry. That's what I'm doing now. I will be deleting all of my other blog posts that are not ministry related. For the most part this blog has been about my life, updates, and important stuff related to me. But, I am changing the face of this "ministry" to be more focused on outreach and encouragement.
Stay tuned for exciting changes!

Isn't That A Little Extreme?

The Prov. 31 woman did her husband good, and not evil all the days of her life. So even before she met him, she honored him.
This is my way of honoring my guy. I've dated guys before, but a kiss was meaningless, and it was often just a fleshly desire being made manifest, that at the time, I didn't stop. So, this is my chance to get it right, because Jesus' blood covers all my sins, and all my failures. I have failed more times than I can count, but see God has forgiven me. I'm not perfect but I'm forgiven.
I'm doing this to honor the Lord, because any man who loves the Lord will see the value in my decision. He will understand that God is, and will always be, first. I can't let my flesh get in the way of honoring God, I can't let my desires overule what God says.
I don't mind waiting for my man of  God, I know he is out there, but my focus isn't on finding a guy, or dating. My focus is on Christ, and the all consuming love that our savior poured out on the Cross. My fufillment is the promises that were made in God's Word.  My attention is on things of a spiritual nature, not of a carnal nature.
If God desires for me to marry, then a very blessed man will one day have my hand marriage. I love him even though I don't know him, and this is my way of showing him that I am soley his, forever.

Thanks for reading, God bless.
-Jess

This couple from Nashville saved their first kiss for marriage, and so yes it's possible. So inspiring & encouraging! :)

Mentoring Younger Girls

I've said it once, I've said it a million times.
If you are a young woman, like myself, find a mentor!!!!! Or if your like me and you are in college, find a high school-jr high girl (or girls in my case and mentor them!)
I have several "older women' who mentor me, and you will not believe the impact this has on your heart, and soul.
They are like your mother, and for me, that is a blessing since my mom passed away 4 years ago. They can teach you, and help you through the difficult times. The best part though, they are prayer warriors. The women who I have in my life don't hesitate to stop and pray for someone....amazing!
Did I mention they have some mean cooking skills? :)
Titus 2 outlines this perfectly, and it is a great chapter on young women learning to love their husbands and submit, as well as the behavior of believers in general.

Apples of Gold
I came across this ministry after listening to Daughters of Joy on my way to church on day. I started using it with a mentor of mine and has done wonders to prepare me for the future!
AMAZING! I highly recommend it! :)
here's the link to learn more:http://www.applesofgold.org/

Thank you for stopping by :)

To whoever may read my blog:
I am very sorry that I don't update this often enough.....I will be posting several things today, to make up for my lack of posting in the past month. So it is my prayer that you are blessed and encouraged!! :)

The World's Influences On Our Children

While at my mentor, Carla Long's house today, I realized just how much the world (and society in general)
influence children these days. And, as if to reinterate this fact, my four year old (tomorrow she turns 4!!) niece stated tonight that she "is gonna go phone textings Trevor".....
Our children are not meant to be puppets of this world. They were, just like everyone else, created in the very image of God. Yet, it seems to me that the world has taken hold of our children's innocence and refused to give it back.
I encourage parents to monitor what their children, see, hear, and read. Make sure it is Biblical!

On a different note, I'm starting to edit photos on the side. I am going to take a photography class here soon as well.

We had Maya's 4th birthday party Saturday.....she was a true princess & we enjoyed the fun, food and fellowship with friends!

Hope everyone has a fantastic week, don't get too hot out there basking in the sunshine :)
(Its supposed to rain all this week here, an end to the drought)

Matthew 5:16
Be blessed and encouraged :)

He is jealous for me....
He loves me.The One who set the stars into place, makes the flowers grow in spring, and makes the Earth go 'round, rejoices in me. He desires for me to love Him. He wants me to put Him above all else.
He desires for me to love Him more than I could anything, or anyone else. So is He first?
Yes, He is.
I fail, I don't always do things right, I stumble, I am tempted and tried, yet I strive to praise Him. Everyday, in every way. He is everything. How can I say I am a Christ follower, yet neglect Him knocking on the doors of my heart. He wants me to desire Him. When I put Him first, everything else falls into place. God is opening up so many doors, and He does these things out of love for me. Little me, He yearns to know. Wow.
He desires that I give Him everything. It has always been difficult for me to trust anyone. So trusting God with circumstances that I wish to control, is very difficult. I sometimes find myself wanting to snatch something back that I've laid down at the foot of the Cross. But, I just have to submit everything to Him. He will provide. He is everything, He is my heart's desire!

We will serve the LORD

While doing research for my last entry here, I came across a song by the same guy, John Waller, who wrote a song from the movie Fireproof. It's called "As For Me & My House"
The song is based upon the scripture Joshua 24:14-16

Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.

 ¹⁵And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

 ¹⁶And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods;

"as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."........Yes.

We must choose, both for our family's sake, and our own personal sakes, whom we will serve. Will we allow earthly idols to envelope our lives? Will we worship materialistic things? Will we put things, or people before God?
It's a choice. And Joshua (like we should) chose to serve the Lord, and ONLY serve the Lord. He chose to worship God, not the ever-present idols of his time.


In Exodus, we read the 10 Commandments: The FIRST commandment, is:

"Thou shalt have no other gods before me" (ch. 20 v. 3)

I believe that this is the first commandment, because we as humans, are so often tempted to put things before the Almighty. We seek to give Him glory, but only after those things, yet God desires to be FIRST in our lives and in our hearts.

Do we really serve Him? I can say with absolute (not boastful) certainty that "me and my house" serve only one God, the Father.
That's what I desire for my future....a house that serves, reveres, loves, and worships Him, and only Him. I want to have a marriage that gives glory to God in every way. I want children who call me blessed (see Prov. 30: 28).

Let it be said of me, that I was a Godly daughter, sister, niece, wife, mother, and that I served the Lord.

God gets all the glory. He is worthy of infinitely more praise, honor, and worship than I could ever pour out of my merely human body.

God has plans for my life, and while He has revealed some of them to me, that by no means, means that I should sit around doing nothing, just waiting for the future. No, I should serve the Lord, by preparing in every way I can, for the future that God has ordained for me.

I want to further His Kingdom, not be a hindrance to it.

It may be painful to wait, it may not be easy, but I'm taking every step in obedience, and faithfully, patiently, I will wait for the Lord. (Ps. 37:38)

I will serve Him, only Him.

My Identity is in Him. He is my Savior, my light, my salvation. He will forever have my heart!!

I was wrestling with the kids, when Isaac grabbed a duster that has a long metal handle, and hit me with it. In my attempts to not get hurt, I covered my face with my hands. So I have an aching head and very swollen ring finger. He was disciplined, but we had a good night other than that!
So, I'm typing (trying to) with one hand.
Anyways, I want to talk about identity in Christ
We as humans are materialistic, selfish, and self-seeking. We think that if we have a good job, nice car, and an extravagant home, we will be happy.
No.
Happiness is an emotion. JOY is "a source or cause of keen pleasure or delight; something or someone greatly valued or appreciated." We find Joy in the Word. We find delight in the Lord, and only Him. We will never be truly "happy" on earth. We can try to pursue money, but that isn't the source of real joy. Stuff can't quench our desire for something more, for joy.
Only a relaionship with God, and a joy, delight, and hunger for His Son, will quench our hunger and thirst for "something more".
Look to the Cross. True sacrifice, humility. There is joy in His death, there is a saving grace, there is a relationship so personal, so deep, so fufilling, that only God could supply it. This world will never be able to provide the kind of identity that we, as followers of Christ, find in Him.
Seek Him, I promise He will reveal Himself to you. He will show you His majesty. Pray. Delight yourself in Him, and in the things that He delights in. I promise, your reward will not only be eternal life through a Savior who gave it all, but it will be a fufillment on Earth, that nothing on Earth can provide.
He costs everything, He is worth the cost.

Extreme Faith? Yes

Recently, I was charged with having too extreme of a faith in the Lord. Yes, I have faith, and I'm not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. I'm not afraid to go to the ends of the earth for Him, to preach the Word to a people who have never been able to hear the Good News, or to a place where Christians are persecuted daily for their beliefs. I am not afraid of dying for Him. Why, you ask?

I know there is gain, in death. (Phil. 1:21) We have ETERNAL life, in Him. We are the reason He was crucified. Us, in our sinless, unworthy state, are seen as perfect and holy by God, because of Jesus.
 Yet God DID NOT send His Son out of Love. (Don't get me wrong He does love us, and this is one of the reasons He sent Jesus, but stay with me) God sent His son, to prove His majesty.

As David Platt says "Biblical Christianity is 'God loves me so that I might make Him--His ways, His salvation, his glory, and His greatness --known to among all nations.'''

He saves us to prove Himself. How amazing.
So, why aren't there more missionaries proclaiming Christ to the masses?
Because, in America, we make Christianity about us, not about Him. "God loves me!", But if God loves you is the message of Christianity then who is the object of Christianity?
Me.
Therefore we choose what parts of the Gospel are for us, and what parts we will ignore, we choose what church we will attend based on how radical they are, how they present the Gospel. Because God forbid they would actually tell people to live out the gospel message.
No, pastors would never do that.
Not many would, but David Platt is. And that is why I like his book so much.
There are no exceptions when it comes to the gospel, you either believe it or not, you either live it out, or you forsake it's teachings. No grey area, just plain old black and white.
We take the Gospel and decide which parts of it we will accept.
For example, in Luke 9 we read of 3 men, who all wanted to follow Jesus.
To one he says to expect homelessness (v.58), to another He says don't bury your father, there are more important things to do (v.60) and finally to the last man He says don't say goodbye to your family, just come, follow me, don't look back.
Radical? Yes, I think so.
There are many who would say "well missions isn't for everyone."
Well, isn't it? We like the message of the Gospel, a Holy God sending His only Son to die for us, and all we have to do is believe in Him and repent. Yet, we don't like the calling of the Gospel to go teach it to all the nations (Matt. 28:19). We don't like the idea of having to abandon everything for Him. Many won't even consider giving it all up. But what they don't realize is, there is eternal life, and eternal life in Heaven is better than their flat screen TV's, Toyota's, and clothes from the mall.
 God is so much more than anything we could dream up. So why do people manipulate His Word? They want the reward, without the sacrifice.
"For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall
be much required:" (Luke 12:48. God gave us everything. So He expects us to do much (what is required of the Gospel) and go teach it to a world that is hungry for Him. Yet, we are too busy watching American Idol to think about those who are being persecuted in Asia for even saying God's name.
My faith is extreme, but my God is extreme. He requires radical obedience. He is worth everything this world has to offer, and so much more!

I understand in every human relationship there will be frustration at some point. One person will get aggrivated, or annoyed at the other. That is understandable, we all have moments like that, but the key is not to let the feelings we have at the moment turn into bitterness.

God shows us in His Word, that marriage is honorable above all. Yet, some treat it like a relationship that doesn't have to be worked at. I understand that I'm not married yet, and honestly I don't have much experience (thankfully) on dating. But, I do understand God's Word. He calls wives to submit to their husbands, and husbands to honor their wives. Yet, some "Christians" don't live by His Word, and His plans. His plan for marriage is sacred, and it is to be cherished. Biblical marriage (and womanhood and manhood) is better than the world's alternative. God desires to bless us, but when we don't obey His Word, He can't bless us, but oh how He wants to.

Just a reminder to all you single ladies: Don't date, because then YOU are choosing who you think God has for you, instead of submitting everything to Him in prayer (Phil. 4:6). Allow God to write your love story, and "be anxious for nothing"  because God has a plan. His plans are so much better than ours!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

What if His People Prayed?

How much do you pray to the Lord God Almighty?

As Christians we are called to never cease in prayer! Prayer is such a gift, and few Christians really relish the quiet time they have, to rejoice in the name of the Savior. Prayer heals, saves, comforts, seeks, defeats the Enemy. We as Christians sometimes dread prayer, so we do it quickly, thinking that that will do. But, no. God wants us to seek Him, He wants us to know Him, and He desires to seek us, in a way that we have never been sought after. His love and adoration for His Children is something that will never be found through earthly love ad possessions. He is the author of the greatest love story ever, yet we neglect it as boring, and irrelevant. Yet how false that is! The love that He has is more amazing and fulfilling than I can even begin to write. When we seek after Him, He delights in us, when we PRAY to Him, He gives us the desires of our hearts; and when we run to the Cross of Salvation and Righteousness, we learn that we NEED Him. We need Him, and His grace, mercy, patience, and love.

God blesses us when we love Him, and only Him.

 When we SEEK Him, really SEEK after Jesus, we find abundent blessings, that before we probably overlooked.

Matt. 13:45-46

1) There is a pearl of great price.
2)  We are to seek it.
3) We are commanded to purchase it.
4) It costs us everything.
5) It is worth the price

God costs everything. He is worth the price!

I pray to the Heavenly Father, that everyone who comes across my blog, be blessed and encouraged, to seek the Lord, and to truly know Him!

Proverbs 24

A year ago, I began reading a chapter in the book of Proverbs everyday. So for example today is the 24th of May, so I read Proverb 24

My Bible is very unique in that it is color coded, and the words of the Trinity are underlined. Yellow highlighted and in bold means that in the particular verse God/Jesus/Holy Spirit is speaking of Family (This could mean the verse is about children, parenting, marriage, roles within church & home, discipline

of children, grandparents, family lines of characters in the Bible).

Well verse 3 and 4 which I will be talking about, are in yellow, but not underlined, so they were spoken or written by man (believed to be Solomon)

Here's verse 3&4

"Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches ."

 These two verse provide alot of knowledge, both implied and explicitly stated.

 "Through wisdom a house is builded" is explicitly stated in that you have to have wisdom to know how to build a house, unless you want it to have a leaky roof, cracked foundation, and a bounty of other issues. Yet, implied, the statement can take on a whole different light.

In raising a family, (building a house) one has to have wisdom, that only comes from the Lord, and this verse teaches that we as future (or present) mothers, fathers, wives, husbands, etc. must attain wisdom, in order to teach our children in the ways they should go (Prov. 22:6). So I encourage everyone who may stumble across my blog to attain wisdom from the Lord, because earthly wisdom will fall away, but God's wisdom, will forever be useful. 

Study the Bible, learn what it says about a wide range of topics, so that if anyone ever does criticize or mock you, you can say "The Word of the Living and Holy God, says this  '.........' about this '.......'." Also, learn a wide variety of trades, that you may teach your children, to better equip God's kingdom. For wisdom, is attainable, many just choose not to seek it.

"and by understanding it is established".......

A house (both literal, and implied) are established by understanding. One must understand the logistics of construction, plumbing, electricity, and many other things, in order to build a house. And parents must understand not only God's Word, but their children, in establishing their house. For example, I teach my niece Bible verses, she's almost 4, and I understand that she can sit with me while I read, and we can memorize God's Word together. I wouldn't do this with Isaac, who doesn't yet have the self control to sit and listen to my voice. Yes, he does catch Maya and I's conversation and occassionally says "sheepherd" or "Sheep" or "sing". Teaching children God's Word is not only important for their eternity, but it is also a bonding tool. And a very powerful one at that. She listens to me because she loves me, and I listen to Him, who loves me, and I am teaching her that He loves her too, and that she is special and loved by Him.

"And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all the precious and pleasant riches."

Knowledge is power, and power is money. Yet we as Christians aren't called to be millionaires. We are called to be debt free (Romans 13:8) but if we are fortunate enough to have the blessing of money, we should not use it to advance ourselves, but to advance the Kingdom of God. For this, will bring us happiness. The Lord does promise to give us the desires of our hearts if we delight ourselves in Him (Psalm 37:4) but He will not do so, if He knows what we are asking for will destroy us. He always wants the best for us.

An awesome story!

I found this on a Christian forum that I visit regularly:

He almost didn’t see the elderly lady, stranded on the side of the road, but even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His Pontiac was still sputtering when he approached her. Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn’t look safe; he looked poor and hungry. He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was that chill which only fear can put in you. He said, “I’m here to help you, ma’am. Why don’t you wait in the car where it’s warm? By the way, my name is Bryan Anderson.”

Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an elderly lady, that was bad enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt. As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only just passing through. She couldn’t thank him enough for coming to her rescue. Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. The lady asked how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She already imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not stopped. Bryan never thought twice about being paid. This wasn’t a job to him. This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were plenty, who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way.

He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance they needed, and Bryan added, “And think of me.” He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight. A few miles down the road the lady saw a small café. She went in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn’t erase. The lady noticed the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her attitude. She wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger.

Then she remembered Bryan. After she finished her meal, she paid with a hundred dollar bill. The waitress quickly went to get change for her hundred dollar bill, but by the time she came back the lady had slipped quietly out of the restaurant. The waitress wondered where the lady could be. Then she noticed something written on the napkin. There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote: “You don’t owe me anything. I have been there too. Somebody once helped me out, the way I’m helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you.” Under the napkin were four more $100 bills. Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through another day. That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. How could the lady have known how much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard. She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low, “Everything’s going to be all right. I love you, Bryan Anderson.”

So tonight, I watched P&P
At the end of the movie, when Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth kiss, I realized something....
(SN: the following took me a longgg time to write, but I hope God is glorified through the words, and that His name be honored)

I AM BETROTHED

I am a promised women. My fate secured from birth. My husband I do not know, have not seen, and I yet to even know his name. Yet my Father planned this all out, a union between to our two lives before time began. My betrothal signed when I surrendered my life to Christ, and closed with a Royal crest; Christ's blood as it's waxen seal.
My Love and I are perfect for one another in every way, my Father saw to that. And thought it's hard not knowing who he is, I take comfort in knowing that my Abba, my God, picked him out. I will know him in due time, just at the right age and point in life. Just at the time my Father set up for us to join together when He created us.
Though a betrothal seems hardly romantic, My Father has planned it out to be the romance of a life time. And though when I met my Love for the first time, I may not see him for who he is, love will blossom, and will be far more then what I could have imagined. Perfectly orchestrated by the creator of the universe... My Father, my Friend, my first, and forever perfect Love... my God.
And in that, knowing my God has beautifully designed every step of my romance, I will live my life simply as that- knowing I am betrothed. That my Father will bring my love to me in HIS timing. It may not be my timing, nor my loves timing, but it will be perfect timing. And when we meet, we will truly see the incredible plan that our Father has mapped out for us. And together, we will go forward, praising our Father's holy name. Better glorifying Christ together then we ever could apart.
This betrothal, my hope and future, I pray will be in the foremost of my mind, until the day I forever say "I do". I pray that with every young man I meet, and know, that instead of wondering "Could he be the one?", I simply say "I can't wait 'til my Father brings my love". Instead of always looking, keeping an eye out for my future husband, I pray that I will leave the time and place up to God, and keep my eyes on my Savior. For whats to happen if I'm looking around at other men when my Father finally points out the "one"? Would I miss him? Could I be so fixed on another, that my love walks right by me, and I never notice? God forbid! No, I'd much rather spend my time fixed on my Father. Using this time of single hood to get to know my Abba, my Daddy Father better. All every good Father wants is to spend time w/ his children. And God is no different. He wants my undivided attention. Not only so I can know Him better, and become more like Him. So when, that long awaited time comes, when my love finally arrives, I'll see him clear as day. All because my Father is pointing right at him.
So, betrothed. What a beautiful word. I am my loves, and he is mine. Even now, before we know one another. But, first and foremost, I am my God's, and it is only because of Him that I can have such a bright and beautiful future.

Being Single....

With the exception of a few guys, my life outside of family and friends is solitary. I like it this way, for now. I don't want to get hurt, or used. I'm waiting for a guy who is a Godly leader, and I know God has that man out there, I'm in no hurry to find him.
Although having a guy in my life right now would be great, I understand how detrimental this could be to my future marriage. Having a guy who is temporary, and his presence will only bring me heartache, is not my goal. I am willing to be patient, and give God my best right now, and for the rest of my life.

I know what I want, I won't settle. End of story.