It takes strength to NOT grumble.

Hello there my dear friends. I know, I know...I am a terrible blogger. My last post was months ago. Well, I have my feet back here on earth and I once again promise to do my best to blog regularly. I feel as if God is moving BIG TIME and I love to share all that He is doing in my life.

Where to start!!

Well, I want to be sure to keep my blogs short cause I have a tendency to drag them on. Ya see, I love to talk. As a matter of fact I think I just love to hear my own voice. Now this voice I hear is usually in my head. Any sister know what I am talking about? By mid morning I am tired of talking and I have not said a word out loud. Good grief! Don't we just get to thinking too much of ourselves? This girl does for sure. God MUST be powerful cause He decided to take on the task of humbling me. He does so every day. (there I go again....dragging on!)

Ok....heard a great little tidbit on the radio today. It was about grumbling. I used to be a grumbler. By the grace of God, I am no longer that person. I am a new creature. My kids and my hubby are especially happy about that. Every once in a while I slip back into my "old skins" and do some grumbling. It feels so nature. So easy. Right? Yep. Well, that is called human nature. It is against our very being to not grumble. ( big shout out to Adam and Eve for THAT!) When the complaining starts, either from your own mouth or from those around you, you can be sure of one thing....God in not running the show. I know, I know...that is harsh but it is true. I don't mean to say that God is not in you. I just mean to say that the enemy has won that moments battle. When our enemy is running the show, our flesh rises up and takes over. The God in us gets pushed aside or under. The easier thing to do is go with the negative. It takes great strength to rise up again and again against our own flesh. I have found that the longer I walk with God, the more I surround myself with like-minded people, the easier it is to walk in that strength. The Godly strength that is required to ward off that grumbling of my flesh.

In conclusion, I have to be sure to take note of my "grumble level". Is my flesh and my enemy getting the upper hand? Is God front and center? Self checks are invaluable to me. No matter how strong my faith is, our fallen world has a tendency to cling to me at times. It brings me down and causes me to grumble. Ask yourself...are you letting the enemy win or is God ruling in your day?

Did you read the book that was assigned?

The following is just my thoughts on a possible scenario. My little brains thoughts only. Think about this for a moment.... you have died and you stand before the Creator. If you have accepted Christ you get to hang out for eternity. Great!! But....the Creator asks you this simple question....

"My dear child, did you read the Book I gave you?"

Oh boy!! Let's say this happens. What are you going to say to the One that made everything? The one that gave you life. The one that allows you to be with him forever because of the suffering and acceptance of his only son. Yikes. Immediately I think of good ol' Cliff! You know, Cliff Notes. The age old cheat books for those of us not with it enough to read the assigned literary masterpieces assigned during our HS years. You know who you are!!

Well, a dear friend posed this very question to me not too long ago and being a very compliant person, I took it to heart. What if! What if I get inside the pearly gates and God asks me if I read His book? What will my answer be!! Will I be standing there saying, "uuummmm. Well, I read some of it." (gulp) Now, I know enough of what scripture has to say to know that this "not reading of the Good Book" will certainly not get me kicked out but it sure would be a smart thing to have done while I had the chance.

So...this post is an encouraging message to all who read it and all those who touch your lives. Why not read the Book from cover to cover. Soak it all in. Take your time and get through every word our Creator has to say to us. Each word is so significant or He would not have wasted his time giving it to us. I believe this with all my heart.

Yes. I have started reading the bible from the beginning to the end. What have I learned so far? Well, I am only in the first chapter of Joshua but so far the things I have come to realize are amazing. Sure, Leviticus put me to sleep several times, Numbers made me want to poke by eyes out at times but I truly am getting a beautiful, more complete picture of God. Here are just a few bullet points of what I have come to realize...
1. Genesis is full of the word US. Several times, the term us is used instead of me or I. Us refers to the trinity. Just amazing to realize how all three were spoken of from the very beginning.
2. There was a man named Enoch that scripture says "did not die". Wow! Really?! He was just "taken away by God".
3. I realized yet another term/word used today that has it's roots in scripture. To babble. You know the word..."she just babbled away." Definition: to speak incoherently. (sadly, I think I might do this often) Read Gen 11:5-10. This term came from here!
4. I learned that even when things are horrible...you are down and out...God will still make you fruitful. He did this for Joseph. Gen 41:52
5. In Exodus, I learned that God will always be compassionate. I knew this but to see it in scripture...in His own words...Huge!
6. I learned that in Exodus, he tells us that when he calls us to do something, he will equip us to fulfill it. Boy, does that help with my parenting!! Amen?
7. Leviticus is painfully specific!! Painful I tell you. BUT...oh boy. Does this ever demonstrate how God cares for and sees every single one of us. It all matters to Him. Even lil' ol' me.
8. God will not accept leftovers! He wants our best
9. Even way back in Leviticus, God tells us how he is walking with us, he is with us and he will never turn away.
10. I always correlate peace as the one thing Jesus left us. This is scripture. But way back in Numbers, God tell us he is giving us his peace.
11. The last one I will mention is...while still in Leviticus, God was STILL soooo merciful with His people. They messed up time and time again. Just like I do....time and time again!! Yet, we serve a merciful God who wants us to love him as he loves us. He asks for our devotion and even when we decide that our agenda is far more important than his, he is forgiving, loving and merciful. Praise God!!

Again, I encourage all my brothers and sisters in Christ to read this ever amazing Book. THE book. It will only bring you revelation, encouragement and comfort.
(Beth...thanks for encouraging me....needed to get back to this...it had been too long! xoxo)

2012

Ok....if you have a pulse you probably have been hearing lots about the year 2012 and how some experts say it is when cataclysmic happenings will begin. Basically, the end of the world. I was chatting with a new friend the other day who watched a show on the History Channel about this very topic. This girl was honest enough to share with me how anxiety ridden she was over seeing this program. She was unable to sleep well and could not get the program off her mind. Well, this got me thinking. This new friend of mine is a church goer and more importantly, a believer. Why does she even give this kind of "stuff" a second thought? Why is she churned up over something that the History Channel tells the viewers is going to happen or might happen? What is that all about. This is how I see it....

As believers, it is sooooooo important that we KNOW WHAT WE KNOW! Know what I mean? If we confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord, then we must....must....come to know what His word has to say to us. Just ONE of the reasons for knowing the word of God is to know how to deal with this "scary" stuff that the world would like us to get caught up in. If we are a people, walking around all caught up in fear, bogged down by worry and anxiety, what good are we to His kingdom? Amen?! I praise God as I write this and think back on that conversation I had we my new friend. I was able to give her a few words that comforted her. What an honor! The only reason I had anything firm to say to her was because I am familiar with what God has told us. His comforting messages didn't just jump into my brain. I gobbled them up! I have stored them in my heart for times when either I need them for myself or someone else. I think it is important for you to know that I too get kind of caught up in those History Channel or Discover Channel shows that talk about the end times or prophetic teachings (Nostradamus type stuff). They are so captivating aren't they!! Well, the more familiar I have become with the Word of God, the quicker I am able to spot a lie when I see it/hear it. In a totally wrong, twisted kind of way, I think I might still get caught up in watching these shows so I can watch how often they actually say things that are counter to what the word of God says. Yeah, I should not do that but it is so fun! So, let me finish with some verses that come to mind whenever our enemy tries to get me all stirred up with anxiety about how the world is going to end.

First off, God tells us to be careful with what we allow our hearts to soak up..

Prov 4:23
Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

(once that yuck is in there....you can't get it out!)

Here is a quick, must know, go-to verse...
Phil 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (emphasis added)

Here are some very specific verses regarding what Jesus has

to say about the end of the world as we know it...

Matt 35-42
35 Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.
36 “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself.* Only the Father knows.
37 “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. 38 In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. 39 People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes.
40 “Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left.
42 “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming.

So........if you believe the very words of Jesus, then just go back to the Phil verse!!

No worries!

Peace out, girl scout!!

The Christian walk summed up in TWO words.

I am a simple girl. Well, not really cause I often make a mountain out of a mole hill and need my peeps to bring me back to reality. I was listening to the radio and the talk show was about the basics of being a Christian. This really hit home for me. Here is how it went...

If you consider yourself a Christian, your walk can really be summed up in two words.
Trust and Obedience.

Yep. Those two words really have it in a nut shell.
1. Do you trust God at His word?
2. And are you obedient to it?

I either trust God and believe what He tells me is in fact true OR I don't. The answer to that determines my actions and reactions to everything in life. Also, am I being obedient or disobedient? This is the question I can and should ask myself in regards to EVERYTHING that happens in my life. It is either one or the other. Ouch. The closer I get to God, the more I KNOW Him, the more I realize I am being disobedient and not trusting of Him at his word. Again, ouch!! Being a Christian is not for the faint of heart. No sir. It is the most painful, heart wrenching, pride-breaking, joyous, glorious, amazing thing I have done or will ever do. I will conclude by saying,I truly am....a pile of poo! But, the God of creation loves me anyway!! Why? Just cause! Thank you Jesus! Gotta love that.

Here we go again...I am back at His feet!

It is Monday....my children are back at school after a 5 day break for Thanksgiving. I love my children dearly. I really do. I would jump in front of a bus for them. I would trade my life for theirs in a heartbeat. They are the reason I get up in the morning. Having said that.....boy, can they shut....me.....down! This blog is actually being done in order to spare my dearest friends about a hour of venting. For those of you with children...I know you hear me. As my children age, it seems I am aging twice as fast. Can I get an Amen?! I totally understand and hold tight to the fact that the goal in parenting is to love them and raise them to be loving, God fearing, productive individuals. I get that but good grief....can I pick a different goal cause that one seems too hard sometimes. How about this for a goal... get them to smile or walk or hug or speak?? How about a goal of getting them to fuss or cry? Ooooo. Ooooo...how about, the goal in parenting is to get them to go to the potty! Now, that is one I can achieve.

Ok...seriously. Raising children is so tough. More accurately, it is impossible without the loving kindness and words of wisdom from God. After a meer 5 days with my children, I am graveling at His feet for scraps of something to lift my spirits. I need Him to remind me that the goal will be accomplished (if I don't give up). Gal 6:9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Without Him, I would feel so discouraged. Discouraged in what? Well, how about this for just one example. I have been a parent for 11 1/2 years and I just learned that one of my children has not changed underwear in 4 days. Seriously. I can't even teach them the basics. This is where my head goes. What on earth did I do wrong? What am I not doing that I should be doing? Well, God assures me that He is with me. He says to me, don't be discouraged. ( Even in the dirty underwear part of my life. ) Deut 31:8 The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

I have learned that keeping a healthy sense of humor is very VERY important when parenting. Without it, things get very gloomy very quick! I have a child...who is sitting in school...right now....with underwear that have been on the same tush since Thursday!!!! (this is being posted on a Monday!) If I am not able to find the humor in that...I think I have lost the ability to laugh. (out of respect for my children, I will not mention which one it is but just so you know, all three of them are old enough to change their own undies!)

As a mom...a fallen, sinful creature. A mom that truly wants to do the best I can do...these are the things in my head this morning. I am kind of all in a fuss over some minor family "things" that occurred over Thanksgiving, I am still fighting off a virus that won't quite, my husband is AWOL cause he prefers the company of men dressed in camo and bright orange over me, I have a very messy house, loads of laundry, empty cupboards, a bare frig, a house decorated in fall pumpkins and a faux lighted Christmas tree with no decorations yet. I have science projects to supervise, Nativity scene projects to guide, spelling words to help with, presents to get, presents to wrap, bills to pay, animals to care for...and oh yeah....I need to make sure I put together an unforgettable Christmas season filled with warm fuzzies memories. I also need to remember to try and make it snow ever-so-slightly on Christmas Eve. (Can't forget that!)

I am going to be bold and say that many of you have different things that are going on in your head but it is ALL kind of the same. Right? Well, these are the words that I am resting in from our God. Phil 4:8 tells us...Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

I will close with another great verse that I will rely on and rest in...and I would urge you to do the same.

Proverbs 31:25 Strength and dignity are her clothing, And she smiles at the future.

Amen!!

While at the Football Hall of Fame...

Ok...it might be official. I am off my rocker. I admit it. I am not ashamed to say...I am completely nuts. Crazy!! Crazy for Christ that is. I spent the majority of the day helping with a field trip that my children's school went on. The 4th and 5th grades went to the Football Hall of Fame. This "iconic epicenter of all that is sacred on Sunday afternoons" happens to be about 25 minutes from the kids school so the trip itself was not that momentous of an occasion. Never the less, it was a field trip and these kids are 9, 10 and 11 years old. They could be going to dig a sewer line but if you said "field trip" to dig a sewer line they would be excited. Know what I mean? But, I am rabbit trailing again....I am crazy cause all I could think of as I walked through the "museum" was Jesus. See! Told ya! I am off my rocker. Here is what was going through my head. (read on at own risk!)

I had never been to the Football Hall of Fame and quite frankly, never intended on going...ever but I get to be a stay-at-home mom, they needed volunteers, so I volunteered to go. As we entered the parking lot, I started thinking about this three hour tour of our All-American Sport of FOOTBALL. I pondered how I actually felt about football. I grew up in the Cowboy vs. Steelers era as well as the 49ers era. My father was all about football on Sunday afternoons. The sounds of Monday night football are positive ones for me. The Super Bowl was an exciting time. The truth is, football conger's up warm-fuzzies for me. I enjoy a cozy, cold weekend when there is nothing to do but eat munchies and watch a good ball game. Now, I can't say I watch every play or even know what is going on at times but I can certainly enjoy the sport. I can appreciate the hard work and dedication it takes to play.


As I walked through the Hall of Fame I was in awe! It is a beautiful building. Everything is top of the line. Everything is so pristine!! The man who took all the parents around to give them the lay of the land as the kids were getting the 411 in another room actually used the word "artifacts" to describe sweat socks and old jerseys. ARTIFACTS! Sadly, one of the other mom's happened to be an art history major and this about shut her down. I think someone had to give her a paper bag to breathe in! Seriously. The general theme of the architect of the building was kind of a spiral. Possibly a pun on the "perfect pass". Don't know. There were very few angles in this place. It all just f l o w e d from one amazing display to another. The lighting was perfect, the acoustics were orchestra-esk, every inch was pristine. Not one drop of dust...anywhere. Much of the lighting was motion activated so when someone stepped up to a display, the lights came on. There were touch screen computer displays that gave information upon information. The coolest item...an entire "room" ( I use quotes cause it was not actually a square room as we think of rooms..it was kind of circular in shape ) that housed the Super Bowl trophy for this 2009/10 year. Kind of cool. The strangest item...well, I would have to say it was a toss up between the actual shoe of a famous kicker and a sweat stained, holey sock. Now, when I say shoe of a kicker, I should mention that it was actually 1/2 a shoe as this kicker was born with only 1/2 a right foot. Yes. I am serious. (please don't miss my satire here. I am in NO way trying to be disrespectful of this gentleman. I really do think it is rather amazing that he was able to pursue his dream in spite of his physical limitations). One of the last things we did was sit through a 24 minute long playback of the previous years Super Bowl game. At least I think it was the most recent one? Not sure. Any who, the sound system was intense, the screen was theatre size...the seating even moved during the showing. As I sat there, I was in awe by the players on screen. The passion, the motivation, the drive....remarkable. Not only from the players but the coaches, the announcers, the fans at the game. Even the other people watching what I was watching! Amazing! Truly astonishing. There were lots of other people at the Hall of Fame too. Mostly men. Most of them wearing their favorite teams jersey and carrying a camera and/or video camera. Some interesting facts that I was given while there...90 million people from the US alone, watched the 2008 Super Bowl game. They estimate that close to 1 billion world wide watched at least some of the game. That was billion with a "b"! Again, amazing.


Now, just think of all the energy, power, money, prestige, time, talent, blood, sweat and tears that go not only into each game but into each practice as well. Shoot, into the Hall of Fame itself. Almost uncountable!! I think it is safe to say that these men (along with some of the women in their lives) give all their strength and power to this game. They love every second of it. They give their ALL! Why? For the love of the game.

Now, what if we did that for our Creator? What if we did that for the one and only person who has the power to give us eternity with Him or eternity without Him full of pain and suffering. What would this fallen world look like?


I will leave you with this task, given to us by our Lord.

Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
Deuteronomy 6:5
Just something to think about. Blessings.

I have the secret to a good night sleep, EVERY NIGHT!

The ugly truth is that human beings do not have a thankful heart by nature. Nope. Some of us are more thankful in general, as a baseline frame of mind but by nature we are a selfish lot. Own it or not...that is the truth. However, being thankful, REALLY BEING thankful can become part of our everyday. It must be practiced and become a "habit". We don't get up in the morning and start cking off the things we need to do...like brush teeth, get dressed, take a shower, etc. We just do these things. Right? Well, having a heart of gratitude can be one of those automatic things you do. We must practice it though. For our country, November is a great time to get a booster shot of being thankful. I cherish the fact that I have come to this "thankful heart" realization while my kids are still young so I can train them up to be thankful. Being thankful will not be an afterthought for them like it is or was for me. Praise God!! (that is my hope anyway) Here are some interesting statistics as collected by a secular study.

Gratitude and Well-Being
A large body of recent work has suggested that people who are more grateful have higher levels of well-being. Grateful people are happier, less depressed, less stressed, and more satisfied with their lives and social relationships [18][19][20]Grateful people also have higher levels of control of their environments, personal growth, purpose in life, and self acceptance. [21]Grateful people have more positive ways of coping with the difficulties they experience in life, being more likely to seek support from other people, reinterpreted and grow from the experience, and spend more time planning how to deal with the problem.[22] Grateful people also have less negative coping strategies, being less likely to try and avoid the problem, deny there is a problem, blame themselves, or cope through substance use.[22]Grateful people sleep better, and this seems to be because they think less negative and more positive thoughts just before going to sleep[

Ok...let me highlight THIS part again... grateful people sleep better. (Thus the title of this post! Who out there doesn't want this!)

Let me conclude by saying a few things.
1. I needed to go to scripture to see what God had to say about being thankful.
2. I am so flawed that I need to practice this type of heart attitude in order for it to become part of my life. I was not raised in a grateful environment. Lots of grumbling, arguing, negativity....I don't want that for my children. I want something better!


God is clear about being thankful. He asks us to ALWAYS be thankful. Yikes. Say again? Well, in several verses, we are called to focus on being thankful for everything. Even yucky stuff. Now, God is not wanting us to be happy and thankful FOR the yuck that happens in our lives but He wants us to get our eyes off that yuck (cause it is going to be there) and look at the good. Sometimes the best thing a person is able to see in a situation is their faith. As they look around they see nothing else good. They have only their faith to cling to. Some of us have tons of wonder around us but ONE thing that is yucky will drag us down into a huge pity party. (Don't you hate that when you do that? Me too!) Wherever you fall right now, get your eyes off you...get them on Jesus and read some of His word.

Psalm 100:4-5 from the Message bible says: Enter with the password: "Thank you!" Make yourselves at home, talking praise. Thank him. Worship him. 5 For God is sheer beauty, all-generous in love, loyal always and ever.

Philippians 4:4-7 from NKJV says: Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 in the NIV says: 16Be joyful always; 17pray continually; 18give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

These are just a few verses. There are so many! This last one is a great one. Did you miss it? Verse 18 tells us what God wants for us. He wants us to be joyful, do lots of praying (cause that is how we get closer to Him so in essence He is telling us He things we rock and He wants to chat with us!!) and be thankful ALWAYS!

If the God of the universe, the creator of all things is telling me He wants me to be thankful....well, golly gee. I think I aught to make it a habit. Amen? Amen.