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 :)
Monday, June 20, 2011
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
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!
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!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
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.
"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:
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 will serve Him, only Him.
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.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
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.
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.
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