Monday Manna: Kiddie Conversation

My boys hold some very interesting conversations amongst themselves.  It's pretty funny listening to them.  Until the conversation goes something like this:

Ian:  Jesus is everywhere.  He even lives in our heart.

Me:  That's right Ian.  That means that you should believe in Jesus with your whole heart.

Evan: Well...what if someone reaches in your chest and takes out your heart.  Where would Jesus live then?

Me:  Umm..... Well....Hopefully that never happens!

Romans 10:9-10 (NIV)

⁹ If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

Menu Planning Monday 1/31-2/6

Monday: Leftover buffet

Tuesday: Slow Cooker Pork Chops with macaroni and cheese (didn't get around to this one last week because we ate meatloaf leftovers for a couple of days!


Wednesday: Southern Fried Catfish and fries

Thursday: Breakfast for dinner!


Friday: Sunday Chicken Dinner in the Crock Pot (I know it's Friday...but I don't cook on weekends...yet!)

Monday Manna

I've mentioned before on this blog how I am utterly amazed by the depth of some people's faith.  Almost envious (way to go Shanita, coveting someone elses faith...geez!) Anyway, it is no secret that I am a Christian who believes that Jesus died on the cross in order to pardon our sins and rose again on the third day and is chillin' by the right hand of God up in that glorious place called Heaven.  I know that God is all powerful and all knowing. He is our comforter, a mother to the motherless, a father to the fatherless, a lawyer in a courtroom and a doctor in a sick room.  He will grant us peace, mercy, favor and He is above all else...Love!

But I'll just be honest and hope I don't sound boastful but I've had a pretty good life.  A few detours and bobbles but I haven't known grief so thick that it paralyzes you.  My children are healthy.  I'm healthy. All of my basic needs are always met and then some.  My husband is pretty amazing.  I have friends and loved ones who love me.  A wonderful church home where I am fed the word of God (when I attend...geez!)  Neither am I downplaying all of the blessings God has bestowed on me because there have been instances in my life where I made it through only by the Grace of God.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that it's easier to believe when your perfect little world stays perfect.  Don't get me wrong...I'm in no hurry for God to throw a bunch of tests and trials my way! Those that I have experienced are good enough for me.  I've just seen both extremes.  People who say they believe in God with their whole heart and soul who later turn on God when they go through extreme trials.  And those who go through the same trials and find that their faith in God increases. 

What does it all come down to?  Well, I'm sure there are several factors I could touch on but the main issue is that we can't just say we believe in God with our words.  We have to show it with our actions.  Prayer, reading the Bible, meditating on God's Word, learning all we can about the God we serve, worshipping and praising God, making God truly the center of our lives.  It's hard to turn on God when He's truly a part of our heart, our core existence.  It would be like ripping out our heart or our liver (hey...I'm a nurse, so you get analogies using body organs) We would cease to exist without Him once we make Him our everything!

So that is my goal.  To continue to allow God to be my everything.  I have a pretty good life but none of it would be possible without God.  And if by chance, my pretty good life hits a snag, I wouldn't be able to make it through the storm without God.  Mama always said.. "Trouble don't last always!"  It just seems like it does when you're going through! So if ever you see me just about at my wits end please email me this blog post or summarize it for me  in order to reinforce my hope in God.  You never know when you'll need a little reminder of God's goodness!

Monday Manna-My Alter Ego

I have an alter ego.  Seriously!  It’s like I have an angel, shall we call her Angelica,  on one shoulder telling me all the right things to do and say and then there’s a little devil, shall we call him Damion,  on the other shoulder telling me the exact opposite of what Angelica tells me to do.   It’s tiring.  The bad part is that I really have to focus and make sure I’m listening to Angelica and not Damion.  It’s just that Damion is so doggone loud sometimes that it makes focusing very difficult.

Here are some examples of my internal war:

I would love to have a little more money flowing through our bank accounts BUT I also know that all of my needs are met and then some and things could be much worse so I should be thankful for that.

I would love to take a little vacation from my parental responsibilities BUT I know that there are parents out there who have lost their children and would do anything to get the chance to spend a little more time with them. Plus they grow up so fast and when they are older I know I’ll be practically begging them to spend time with dear old mama.

I would love for my husband to help with some of the domestic duties around the house because I feel like I’m the only one who ever cleans around this camp BUT I know that the hubs works hard, he’s an awesome dad, he’s loyal, he’s genuinely kind and honest, so why complain about him not folding a load of laundry or two or three!

My job sometimes drives me crazy BUT I’m thankful that I have a great group of coworkers and that I get to work in a field that I love and I’m oh so thankful that I at least have a job.

I won’t even discuss how many times a day I have to edit what I say because Damion really wants me to tell it like it is BUT Angelica knows that: He who guards his mouth and his tongue,Guards his soul from troubles. Proverbs 21:23

I know what you’re thinking…. She should just shut up and focus on the positives!  Believe me, I try.  That’s my daily struggle.  To shut Damion up (when he magnifies that pile of bills, that sink full of dishes, those times when my kids are disobedient and those hard to please coworkers) and try to focus on how blessed I am. God has given me grace beyond measure yet I still sometimes complain about piddly things, magnifying them into mountains when they are just molehills. 

So please note that I am trying.  I am a work in progress.  Hopefully you never catch me when Damion has gotten the best of me.  I’m usually able to ignore him, but sometimes my defenses are down! Trust me when I tell you that life is so much easier when I listen to Angelica!  There’s always a battle raging inside me but my little angel won’t go down without a fight!

Monday Manna: Off my game

 

I can tell when I’m off of my spiritual game…

I allow days or even weeks pass by without opening my bible. and prayer comes only when my back is against the wall.

I hardly ever open my mouth to give God praise or thank Him for all of the many blessings He has bestowed in my life and man there are many. 

I am easily frustrated and I find myself wanting to rake peoples face on a regular basis.

I doubt my ability to be a good mom, wife, friend. In fact, I’d rather check out and not have to deal with being a mom, wife, and friend.  I find fault in everyone when it’s really just me (most of the time).

I have no desire to make the sacrifice to attend church after working all night and feel no guilt when I’m asleep and my family is at church praising the Lord without me.

My actions and attitude don’t portray me as a child of God: my frustrations and doubts and worries are amplified to the nth degree and people notice the change in me.  And I’m sure they are thinking….”she’s a preacher’s wife?” or “she’s a saved, sanctified, holy ghost filled,water baptized child of God?” I mean really….when was the last time you heard a preacher’s wife wanting to rake somebody’s face?

So once again Lord, I am surrendering my all to You.  Take over my mind,  take over my heart, line the desires of my heart with Your will.  Life is so much easier when I allow You to be in control.  Allow me to decrease so that You may increase in my life.  Whatever it takes…I’m ready and willing!

Monday Manna

We say we trust God but do we really? When push comes to shove and the rubber meets the road...ok, no more cliches...where does our trust really lie? Is it in our own ability? Is it in others? Is it in our financial resources or our connections? Or do we just give up? Or do we drive ourselves crazy with coulda shoulda wouldas and what if scenarios?

I am so guilty of all of the above. In times of crucial conflict, I tend to save God as my trump card and only pull Him out when I've exhausted all of the other possibilities. I rely on my own know how and resources and stress myself out trying to figure things out on my own. In the back of my mind I think that God had bigger fish to fry and I hate to bombard him with my issues. I feel lazy letting Him take care of everything when I haven't tried to use every last one of my own resources. In the front of my head I can recite all of the things that we've learned about God. He cares about each and every one of us. He's there when we we need Him. He knows the desires of our hearts. etc, etc. But in the thick of it, I still try to tackle things by myself.

How many times have I messed things up? Umm....too many to count. How many times have I stressed myself out trying to fix things when God has everything in control. He just wants us to trust Him and lay all of our burdens at His feet. Let go and let God. He's has given us all free will and He won't step on our toes and rush in and fix things until we ask. But the key to all of this is that we have to be willing to go along with God's plan 100%. We may think things should be handled one way but He may have other plans. We have to be willing to trust Him completely. Without doubt. Haven't we learned that He knows whats best for us. He is God. Enough said!

Monday Manna - Stress

Matthew 6:25-27

 

25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

 

Worry.  Stress. Anxiety.  We've all felt one or more of those emotions.   Some folks are worse off than others because these emotions consume them. Some people choose to take one particular issue and chew on it for a while.  Others tend to take a more global approach and worry about everything or multiple issues at one time.  No matter how you do it... the effect on a person is the same.  Anxiety has absolutely no positive outcome.  Physically it causes a stress response in our body that makes us release the hormone cortisol which leads to weight gain.  Emotionally it can cause depression and interfere with relationships.  Mentally it causes us to not focus on the things we should be focused on.  Spiritually it separates us from God because if we worry then we are pretty much telling God that we don't trust him to work it out!

 

So when we worry, what are we doing?  We are basically taking a particular situation and focusing on the negative aspects of it.

Example: A person who just lost their job may think...

• I'm not going to be able to pay my bills
• My family is going to be homeless
• I don't have the skills to do anything else
• What did I do to deserve this
• I'll never find another job in this economy, etc. etc.

 Phillipians 4:8

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.

 

Sooo...Instead of thinking of all of the negative things that could happen, what if that same person turned it around and focused on the positives.

Example: A person who just lost their job may think...

• I finally get to spend more time with my family
• Now I can go back to school to work in the career of my dreams
• It's going to be financially tight around here but we'll figure out a way to make it work
• We have family and other resources available to make this right
• This is only temporary

Now doesn't focusing on the positives sound a lot better!?  Well I say whenever that bad habit of worry threatens to consume you. Try looking at it in a positive light.  Things are usually not as bad as we make them seem.  God knows all of ours wants and needs.  Even if we've never spoken them aloud.  He knows! God is a loving God.  He made it so easy for us.  If we need something...we just have to ask.

 

Phillipians 4:6-7
6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 

 

 

Monday Manna: Next Phase

I am moving on to the next phase in my life and it's pretty darn sad. My oldest son has started school and is now a kindergartner. I now have a school aged child. The first of my flock to start his educational career that will last 13+ years. Our lives are no longer our own. Everything will revolve around his school schedule. He will have the enormous responsibility of acquiring knowledge. His future is predicated on this acquisition of knowledge. He can't fail! Success is the only option. What a responsibility for a 5 yr old kid (and his mommy). Hopefully we have trained him right thus far. Time to let go and let God take care of the rest!

Here are a some throwback pictures of my Evan...






Here he is on his 1st day of kindergarten...

Check out those skinny legs...

I didn't want to let go

Yeah! I don't have to pack a lunch.  Check out my big boy writing his name!

    Umm....BYE Mommy!

Evan has personal space issues: Look at him all up under the teachers arm pit. Geesh!

Ian was so excited to see his big brother after 7 hours of being stuck alone with mommy!

School day number one was a success!

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."

Proverbs 22:6 (NIV)

Monday Manna

I do not believe in luck or in happenstance or even in coincidence. I also don't believe that any possession that I have or anything that I have accomplished has been obtained by my own devices.  I believe that God has had a hand in all of it!  I believe that everything that happens whether big or small, good or bad, is a part of God's plan for our life.  I think one of my last Monday Mannas pointed out the fact that all things that happen in your life may not be good, but they work together for good (Romans 8:28).

This may be hard for a lot of people to grasp.  Especially those who don't believe in divine intervention.  Or those who believe in God but choose to think that He just sits on a throne somewhere high above, not caring about the little things that happen in our lives.  Or for those who have suffered a major loss or catastrophic event in their lives.  Or those who look at all of the violence, crime, wars, etc. and wonder....Where is God in all of this and how could He allow this to happen?

I think an important thing to remember is that God has given us free will.  The choices that we choose to make in life affect not only us but everyone around us in some degree whether in a a negative or in a positive way. God mourns our bad choices but He also doesn't stop us from making them. 

It is also important to know that we may not always be privy to God's bigger plan in our lives. Take for example the mother who loses her child in an accident involving a drunk driver.  That mother in turn chooses to be a spokes person for M.A.D.D. and speaks at a high school about her loss and ways to keep in from happening to others.  Later that night, a kid who heard the lecture chooses not to drink and drive at a party he attends.  Maybe her loss prevented others from experiences that same loss.  Maybe God knew she could handle such a tragedy and turn it around for good.  Who knows?

God is too awesome and omnipotent to just allow luck to control our lives.  He knows the exact number of hairs on our head (Matthew 10:30) and He has planned our lives from the womb (Jeremiah 1:5). 

I say all of this because I know a few people who have given up on God or who are angry with God because of something terrible that has happened in their life.  I want to challenge them to look at the bigger picture instead of the here and now.  I know it's hard when you are in the thick of it to think past your current state of emotion but this is where real faith kicks in.  It's knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that God has your back.  God wants to know that you not only love Him when everything is going your way and life is just peachy.  He wants your love and trust through thick and thin. So don't give up on God because He hasn't given up on you!

Monday Mana

I've been thinking a lot about a person I know that has chosen not to believe in the awesome God I serve.  Tons of emotions have been rearing their ugly heads in my brain. 

First, I felt shock.  How could anyone not believe in God?  Every breath you breathe is because He allows it to be so.  You can see God's handiwork in all things.  Even in the bad times... we can be thankful that God has kept us through it all.  I think that people who get upset with God because things don't go their way are a bit selfish.  God never promised that things would always be good.  He did promise that all things work together for good to them that love God. Romans 8:28  Meaning that their truly is a silver lining to every cloud as long as we are totally sold out for God and are committted to Him. 

Next, I felt a bit of anger.  Almost like I took it personally that he didn't believe in God.  Who does he think is responsible for this magnificent thing we call life?   How do you explain miracles or deja vu or that feeling of contentment you get from knowing that He has your back?

Then, I felt sad.  What kind of life does he lead? Is their always an underlying feeling of despair?  Where does he get true joy? What kind of standard does he live by?  What does he do in times of trouble or sadness?  How do you explain that 'spark' inside of each one of us that longs to be united with our heavenly Father one day.  Some things can't be explained or rationalized.  True belief in our Heavenly Father requres a faith that surpassess all understanding.  You can't comprehend it with our limited frame of reference.  God is too big for that.  You just have to believe.  And if you don't believe in God then what do you believe in?  How can you believe that this life here on earth is it for us? 

Then I felt inspired.  This gave me a whole lot of conversation (a.k.a. prayer) material to talk to God about.  For once, I can stop going on and on about the new house that I want and the raise I'd like at work and for a little help losing a few pounds.  I geniunely have some deep stuff to lay at the Lord's feet.  Because I think that praying for a soul that could potentially be lost is a pretty big deal. 

I think about how my life was before I came to Christ and I compare it to how my life is now.  Umm....I ain't going back! Even on my worst of days, the peace that I have now is 100 times better than all of my good days put together before I gave my life to Him!  Man...that's deep. 

So, to my wonderful friend, please know that I'm praying for ya.  I'm not giving up on you yet... and neither has God! 

Monday Manna - What About Your Friends?

My pastor always says that in any friendship one person is always being influenced by the other.  And since we are either influencing others or being influenced then we as Christians should make sure that we are not swayed into doing things that are not pleasing in the eyes of God. 

You know that old saying: "Birds of a feather flock together"  Well, as a kid I hated when my parents used that saying to get me to stop hanging around friends that they thought were wayward.  I would always argue that just because so and so does such and such doesn't mean that I'm going to do it too.  But occasionally their actions would rub off on me and I would start behaving the way they did. Good and bad.  It was a gradual influence but an influence none the less. 

The same thing happens when we are older.  We find ourselves influenced by those around us.  Of course it's good if we choose to be like our friend who is a hard worker, a good parent, a good spouse, and who is living a life pleasing to God.  Not so good if we are influenced to be like our friend who is selfish, rude, adulterous, etc.  I know these are extremes but you get my point. 

Now understand that no one is perfect so don't go judging all of your friends by a single action or personality trait.  Look at the big picture.  Are those close to you shining a positive light in your life or are they sucking the life out of you.  Overall, Is being friends with that person a positive experience or a negative one.  Does that person make you want to be a better person or are they constantly dragging you down. 

I believe that the friends I have in my life are a God send.  I have made an effort over the years to trim away all of the toxic relationships in my life in order to make room for those people who truly make my life better. I know it's hard sometimes to be honest with yourself and decide who in your life should get the boot.  Maybe it's a best friend, a significant other, a coworker, a neighbor, or a church member.  Life is too short to be bogged down with negativity.  So choose your friends carefully!

Proverbs 18:24
NIV:A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Message: Friends come and friends go, but a true friend sticks by you like family.
CEV: Some friends don't help, but a true friend is closer than your own family.

Monday Manna

When I first decided to give my life to Christ it was exciting and scary and overwhelming.  I spent a lot of time thinking that I would never be good enough for God to love me and provide for me and care for me the way He did for Moses or David or my grandmother or my pastor.  I felt like I was too 'bad' and every time I didn't do something right, I beat myself up over it and felt guilt even after I'd asked for forgiveness.  Sometimes I even contemplated throwing in the towel on the whole Christianity thing.  Kind of like going on a diet.  When you have a bad week and gain a few pounds you are tempted to give up because you feel like you've failed anyway so you might as well enjoy your quarter pounder with cheese and banana splits since you've screwed everything up anyway. 

I also compared myself with other people a lot.  I would look at my First Lady and say, man...I'm not even close to being as refined and holy as she is.  Or I would look at our District Missionary and think...she is so sweet.  No one would ever say that about me.  I would even look at my husband and become jealous because he grew up with parents who taught him about God and who were excellent role models for how to live holy.  And I could not understand how he could keep his composure during the most trying of times when I so easily went off the deep end over minor things. 

I've come to realize that nobody is perfect and so striving for perfection will always leave me feeling like a failure.  As long as we completely sell out to God... meaning that we totally give our lives to Him... and obey His word (the Bible) then He will teach us and guide us and slowly peel away the layers of doubt, shame, bad habits, addictions, personality flaws and all the things in our lives that are unpleasing in His sight.  We can't do it on our own.  If we could then we wouldn't need a Saviour to begin with right?

So do your best and let God do the rest.  That seems like an appropriate motto to live by.  And when you fall short (and you will) just stop what you are doing, repent, and rededicate yourself to living for The Lord.  God does not want us to fail.  He's not standing in heaven looking down on us ready to punish us the moment we mess up (although all sin does have a price).  He is a just and forgiving God who loves us so much that He sent His son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins so that we can have a relationship with Him. 

What more do you need?  God has given us everything we need to be successful in our Christian walk.  We just have to be smart enough to take advantage of what's in front of us!

Monday Manna

It is so easy to get caught up in the sin cycle.  One sin sets off a slippery slope of more sin and before we know it, we are lost in our sin.  Take the story of David & Bathsheba found in 2 Samuel 11.

David was a "man after God's own heart" and he loved The Lord.  Unfortunately, David sinned and instead of immediately confessing his sin and turning away from it, he got caught up in the sin cycle where one sin led to another and another. 

God dealt with David and his sin harshly.  Even though God really loved David, he was not lenient with him.  This story tells us that all sin has a price. Although David was very remorseful for what he had done and he repented for his actions, there were still consequences that he had to endure.  This story also shows us how sin separates us from God and how displeased God is with our sin but we have the hope of forgiveness if we repent to God and turn away from our sin.

I love the way David lays it all out before The Lord in Psalm 51

1You are kind, God Please have pity on me. You are always merciful! Please wipe away my sins. 2Wash me clean from all of my sin and guilt. 3I know about my sins, and I cannot forget my terrible guilt. 4You are really the one I have sinned against; I have disobeyed you and have done wrong. So it is right and fair for you to correct and punish me. 5I have sinned and done wrong since the day I was born. 6But you want complete honesty, so teach me true wisdom. 7Wash me with hyssop until I am clean and whiter than snow. 8Let me be happy and joyful! You crushed my bones, now let them celebrate. 9Turn your eyes from my sin and cover my guilt. 10Create pure thoughts in me and make me faithful again. 11Don't chase me away from you or take your Holy Spirit away from me. 12Make me as happy as you did when you saved me; make me want to obey! 13I will teach sinners your Law, and they will return to you. 14Keep me from any deadly sin. Only you can save me! Then I will shout and sing about your power to save. 15Help me to speak, and I will praise you, Lord. 16Offerings and sacrifices are not what you want. 17The way to please you is to feel sorrow deep in our hearts. This is the kind of sacrifice you won't refuse. 18Please be willing, Lord, to help the city of Zion and to rebuild its walls. 19Then you will be pleased with the proper sacrifices, and we will offer bulls on your altar once again.

Monday Manna

A coworker of mine let me borrow a book entitled A Lineage of Grace by Francine Rivers.  Here’s a summary of the book from the author’s website…

The stories of the five unlikely women who changed eternity. Tamar, betrayed by the men who controlled her future, she fought for her right to believe in a loving God. Rahab, a woman with a past to whom God gave a future. Ruth, who gave up everything, expecting nothing, and God honored her. Bathsheba, whose beauty stirred the passion of a king, and whose pain moved the heart of God. Mary, who responded in simple obedience to God’s call.  Each was faced with extraordinary —even scandalous— challenges, each took great personal risk to fulfill her calling, and each was destined to play a key role in the lineage of Jesus Christ.

I have learned so much about the lineage of Christ.  I will be the first to admit that I tend to stay away from the Old Testament when I study the Bible.  When it starts talking about such and such begat such and such and naming all those names I just zone out and place the Good Book back on the nightstand and try again at a later date. 

Now it all makes a little more sense. Although it is a work of fiction, the way the author tells the story, sheds a whole new light on these five women of the Bible.  Their customs make more sense, why they did the things they did makes more sense, and why God chose these women in particular makes more sense. 

I know some of you are thinking…”Why is it so important to know the lineage of Christ?  Isn’t is just good enough to know that He’s the Messiah. Or that he is able to perform miracles and that believing in Him and living for Him can secure us a mansion in Heaven?”

Of course it’s important to know where a person comes from.  Take President Obama for example.  I think that the fact that his mother is white, his father Nigerian, his step father Asian and his wife is black explains a lot about him.  Knowing a bit about his diverse history can explain why he behaves the way he does, or makes the decisions that he does.  He is able to see things from a lot of different perspectives. The decisions that he makes and the things that he believes have been influenced by his diverse background.

My point is that this book is more than a history lesson about Christ’s ancestors.  It explains some of the ideals, beliefs, and customs of the time period leading up to Christ thus giving us a better understanding of who Christ is. 

So whether you read works of historical fiction, encyclopedias, manuscripts, or the Bible itself (the most preferred method), just make sure you take time to study God’s word so that you will know Christ for yourself.

Monday Manna

A good friend of mine recently lost her husband about 4 months ago.  She is now a widow in her early thirties left here on earth to raise her three adorable kids. That same friend was just diagnosed with breast cancer and last week underwent a double mastectomy.  She is recovering well. 

While visiting with her I asked her why she kept her diagnosis under wraps for so long.  She only let everyone in on her upcoming surgery the day before the surgery.  To me I felt like I got robbed of some praying time and uplifting time and so forth. It bothered me to think that she was going through this alone after all she's been through.

To that question she said:  I was leaning on God.

Plain and simple.  Nothing more, nothing less.  She didn't need everyone worrying about her and asking questions and casting out their negativity or feeling sorry for her or wondering what she did to deserve all that she's gone through in the past 10 months.  This was between her and God.  No matter what man said, she decided to stand strong in God's word and know that He will lead her to victory in every aspect of her life.  WOW!

Can you imagine what kind of faith it took to accept all that she's been through and just tell God... I'm leaning on you!  This is not something that I can figure out or fix.  I'm not going to lay this on anyone else but you.  You brought me to it and I know that you will bring me through it.

I went to visit her to keep her company and try to uplift and inspire her but instead she inspired and witnessed to me with her unwavering faith and peace in the midst of her storm.  I got in my car and asked myself... What can I do to pump up my faith to even a portion of  what hers is? I mean, I get all worked up and worry myself to death over minor things like being late on our mortgage or when my dad calls and says my mom is sick again or when I even think about the possibility of losing  a loved one. 

The bible speaks clearly about how God works overtime when we are at our weakest or when we are at the end of our rope and can't find the strength to go on or endure whatever it is we must endure. It's a little something called Grace.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Monday Manna - A Poem

This poem was emailed to me a while ago.  I'm not sure who wrote it or where it originated but I like it so I decided to share it with all of you.

A Poem

I was shocked, confused, bewildered

As I entered Heaven's door,

Not by the beauty of it all,

Nor the lights or its decor.

But it was the folks in Heaven

Who made me sputter and gasp--

Those I thought were thieves, liars, sinners,

 alcoholics or just plain trash.

There stood the kid from seventh grade

Who swiped my lunch money twice.

Next to him was my old neighbor

Who never said anything nice.

Herb, who I always thought

Was rotting away in hell,

Was sitting pretty on cloud nine,

Looking incredibly well.

I nudged Jesus, 'What's the deal?

I would love to hear Your take.

How'd all these sinners get up here?

God must've made a mistake.

'And why is everyone so quiet,

So somber - give me a clue.'

'Hush, child,' He said, 'they're all in shock.

No one thought they'd be seeing you.'

JUDGE NOT!!

Remember...Just going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car.

Every saint has a PAST...

Every sinner has a FUTURE!

Monday Manna

I believe that there is a heaven and a hell and that God has laid out specific instructions on what gets us into heaven and what will lead us straight to hell.  Many people feel that just being a good person is enough to get them into heaven.  They think that just because they donate to the Feed The Children fund and adopt a stray animal or they are generous and forgiving in nature and try to not break any of the Ten Commandments then they are good to go. 

Unfortunately, that's not so.  Of course our deeds are taken into consideration but you have believe in Christ and obey His word in order to even have a chance to make it into heaven.  Many people are just 'good people' but they don't believe in Christ and many people claim to believe in Christ but wallow in sin.  The good news is that God knows our hearts.  He knows those of us who are truly striving to get to know Him and obey His commands.  On the other hand, He also knows which of us are all talk and no action. So we have to have faith in Jesus Christ and turn from sin.  Pretty simple if you ask me. 

I John 2:3-6
³We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. ⁴The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. ⁵But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: ⁶Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. 

I John 3:5-6
⁵But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. ⁶No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.

Monday Manna

We all know that we are not supposed to judge others.  But are there ever times when you question someone's status as a Christian? 

I'm always bothered when people say to me "You're a preacher's wife?" when they find out that my hubs is a preacher.  Seriously, is it that hard to believe.  But it always gets me to thinkin'...What do I do or say that makes people shocked to find out that I'm a PW!?

Anyway, so what is a Christian? Glad you asked.
A Christian is someone who believes in Christ (God's son) and is on a mission to live a life like Christ (or turn from sin because Christ was sinless)

So if someone says that they believe in Christ but they live a life of sin then we are justified in questioning whether or not they are truly a Christian.

Now we all know that this is a work in progress.  And some people may think 'Man...I'll never be like Christ, He was perfect for pete's sake'  Well, that used to be my excuse but my husband told me that we can get closer to living like Christ than we think.  And he's right.  We can always do better in our walk with Christ.  But there is a difference in flat out living in sin and occassionally committing a sin. 

Think of all the things you do and say that you know would not be pleasing in the eyes of God. Yeah, He isn't pleased when we lose our temper and yell at our kids. Or when we laugh at that quirky coworker when she shows up at work in what we think is the worst outfit known to man. Or when we cuss out the guy in the next lane for cutting us off in traffic.

A lot of people think that since they are not lieing, cheating, stealing, and murdering then they are doing OK.  But being a Christian is so much more than that...

• Children of God believe in His son...Jesus
• They show that they trust God by obeying His commands
• They show love to others
• They talk to others about their belief that Jesus died on the cross to take our punishment for sin and that He rose from the grave to defeat sin and satan forever.

So I'm now on a mission to make sure that nobody can question my status as a Christian. How 'bout you?

Monday Manna

FLORIDA COURT SETS ATHEIST HOLY DAY


In Florida , an atheist created a case against the upcoming Easter and Passover Holy days. He hired an attorney to bring a discrimination case against Christians and Jews and observances of their holy days... The argument was that it was unfair that atheists had no such recognized days.

The case was brought before a judge. After listening to the passionate presentation by the lawyer, the judge banged his gavel declaring, "Case dismissed!"

The lawyer immediately stood objecting to the ruling saying, "Your honor, How can you possibly dismiss this case? The Christians have Christmas, Easter and others. The Jews have Passover, Yom Kippur and Hanukkah, yet my client and all other atheists have no such holidays..".

The judge leaned forward in his chair saying, "But you do. Your client, counsel, is woefully ignorant."

The lawyer said, "Your Honor, we are unaware of any special observance or holiday for atheists."

The judge said, "The calendar says April 1st is April Fools Day. Psalm 14:1 states, 'The fool says in his heart, there is no God.' Thus, it is the opinion of this court, that, if your client says there is no God, then he is a fool. Therefore, April 1st is his day. Court is adjourned."

You gotta love a Judge that knows his scripture!

Monday Manna

I have a bit of an issue with how we observe our Christian holidays.  It's kind of disrespectful in a way to use a tree and an overweight man in a red suit to represent the birth of Christ, and an easter bunny to celebrate His death, burial and resurrection.  Sure it's a cute way to get kids excited about the holiday but isn't the true meaning of these holidays enough to get excited about? It's just another clever ploy to get us to take the focus off of Jesus and get us to drain our pocket books buying our kids unnecessary stuff.

Am I going to succumb to this madness this year?  Of course.  I will fill plastic eggs with candy and let them participate in easter egg hunts so that they won't feel left out at school. I'm not that mean. I know, it's hypocritical.  But I will make sure that above all else, they know the true meaning of this Easter holiday.  It's not bunnies and chocolate eggs.  It's Christ's passion.  The whole reason we are able to reconciled back with God.  It's our saving grace.  It's Jesus' death, burial and resurrection.

This really bothers me because of the following conversation I had with Evan:
Evan: You know the easter bunny lays eggs at easter time and we have to find them
Me: actually, the easter bunny is not real.  He's kind of like a cartoon character
Evan: No...he's really real
Me: you know how Santa isn't real, it's the same with the easter bunny
Evan: Santa is real.  You just have to believe, just like with Jesus.
Me:  Jesus is real.  Santa and the easter bunny are not.  They are just for fun.
Evan: Oh

Sure, the kid is only 5 yrs old and I probably didn't need to burst his bubble in such an uncaring way.  I just didn't know how else to state the facts.  It frightens me to think that in his mind, Jesus and the easter bunny are in the same boat.  For those who are wondering... he doesn't seem traumatized by these facts.  He was asking for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and picking on his brother the next second. 

Anyway, I just wanted to remind everyone to not forget the real reason for this upcoming Easter holiday. Read The Gospels in the New Testament to refresh your mind and meditate on the magnitude of this holiday if you need a little refresher.  If that's too much for you to fit into your schedule then don some fancy new clothes and load up the family and head to church this Sunday to hear someone else talk about it.  Whatever works.