Life

"Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting out hearts on evil things as they did....We should not test that Lord, as some of them did...And do not grumble, as some of them did...These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warning for us...So if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall. No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." 1 Corinthians 10: 6-12
These are various verses I got from 1 Corinthians Chapter 10. Let's break it down...
Does it say anywhere in their that we are NOT going to have trials? Does it say anywhere in there that we are NOT going to be tempted? Does it say anywhere in that we were NOT warned of these things? NO!!! SO, why do people feel the need to complain about their lives and the things that aren't going "their way"? Why do people feel the need to ask "Why?" when something goes wrong? It's like some expect their lives to be perfect. It's like some expect to have it all work out the way "they want". I don't get it!! I have spoked to and come in contact with many people and heard those questions, comments, and seen their anger and frustration when something is not going right with their lives. I used to be like that. I used to think that I didn't "deserve it". I used to question what I was doing wrong to derserve the trials. Well, Job didn't do anything to deserve his trials and he got 'em anyway. NOWHERE in God's Word does He say that He will not give us trials or temptations! EVERYWHERE it states that we ARE going to be tempted! Man is sinful and because of that, we are going to be made to make choices. God is not going to hand us the answers to life's tests. He wants us to CHOOSE to follow Him. He will not take our hand and lead us if we drag our feet, stomp our feet, and refuse to go with Him. It takes TRUST and FAITH! STOP EXPECTED YOUR LIFE TO BE PERFECT OR GO THE WAY YOU PLAN IT! You can plan all you want - GOD IS IN CONTROL! Proverbs 16:9 "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines His steps." IT'S NOT UP TO US!! We plan and hope and expect better things in life. That's ok. But be prepared when they don't go that way! Don't grumble and complain!! Don't act surpised as if you weren't warned!
Also, there is light at the end of the tunnel! God tells us He will see us through it. AMEN! Why try to control your steps and take over? God is in control - not you! Let Him lead you! It  may not be in the direction you would have chosen. It may not be what you wanted. But it will be BETTER cause it will be what God wants! We can not fathom what God has in store for us. We can not predict our future. We can only TRUST and have FAITH.  We should not expect the answers cause they are not going to be given to us. We were not put here on this earth to live for ourselves. We were placed here to live for Christ! Maybe your reward won't be while you are alive. Have you read the Bible? Have you heard what Heaven is like? If not - do it!!! Perfect peace! Perfect love! Perfect harmony! PERFECT!! If it's perfection you are striving for... LOOK TO HEAVEN!! It may seem unfair. It may seem cruel. It may even seem worthless. But it only seems that way because you are thinking of the world. You are thinking about how the world sees perfection; not how God see's it! Get out of the worldly thoughts and jump into God's! Trust me - they are much better!! It's not easy. It is a long road. It is a rough road. You are not given clear directions. BUT IT IS WORTH IT!!
Please, if you are trying hard to make your life work out the way you want it to... STOP! Allow your Heavenly Father to make it the way HE wants it!!
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" John 3:16
"The Lord your God is with you, he is mightly to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17
"We love because he first loved us.: 1 John 4:19

You can be a carpenter!!

When we think of a carpenter, we think of someone who can build homes, buildings, work with wood, etc...We may even think of Jesus, as a boy, growing up a carpenter's son. I have to say though, I think of something a bit different.
I think that we can be carpenters even if we don't know how to build anything physically. I mean, I TRY to build stuff all the time and or FIX things in my home; doesn't usually turn out like it is suppose to, but hey - I try. LOL  I think that we can be carpenters when it comes to buidling each others' spirits. We can encourage others in their faith and encourage those that are lost and show them the way. Christ came to earth to show us the way (isn't what that one song says, lol), why shouldn't we show others as well. Why allow Christ's mission to stop with Him. We can help others build foundations to Christ. We can help build someone's self-esteem. We can help build character is those around us by showing good character ourselves. We can build our own lives by reading God's Word.
There are thousands of ways we can build each other up, build a better future for us and our family, or even build someone's spirit. Being a builder, or a carpenter, can be done and should be done. We should want to build up others and show them the way. We were put here on earth to do just that! I were placed here to help spread God's Word. We were asked by our Creator, our Carpenter, to go out into the world and preach My Word. I don't know about you all, but I happen to love my boss and want to keep Him happy. I would hate to get fired from be a Carpenter for Christ!! Working for the other "boss" would suck!! (sorry, it would)
Think about why you were placed here! Think about what your Savior has asked of you! BUT - don't just "think", DO!!! BE A CARPENTER FOR CHRIST!!

Romans 6:1-7

"What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means!"
Is it ok for us to go on sinning and say "Well, I'm only human" or "God's grace will save me" or "I will ask for forgivness later"?? This clearly states that it is NOT!  I have heard these comments from other so many times. I have to admit, honestly, I have used the excusses myself as well. If we know it is a sin and we do it anyway, we MAY NOT BE FORGIVEN! If we are not forgiven, then we are not saved!! If you know something is a sin and you do it anyway, knowingly, just because you think God's grace will save you - you are wrong! Playing with that kind of chance is not smart!
"We died to sin; how, can we live in it longer?"
"For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin - because anyone who has died has been freed from sin."
We are FREE from sin!! AMEN!! Sin no longer holds to us and controls us! When we are baptized and freed from slavery of sin, we can enjoy the freedom that comes through Christ! Does all this mean we can sin no more? NO! We are human, unfortunately, and we will make mistakes. However, there is a difference between making a mistake and doing something that we KNOW is wrong when we don't have to. Don't take God's grace and forgivness for granted or it may not be available to you anymore!!

Capturing the Moment

We all like to take pictures with our cameras. We take them to almost every special event and we "click away".  Then we bring those pictures home to be developed, or downloaded, so that we may share them with others. We post pictures to our webistes, Facebook, or we email them to friends and family. Some of us still do it "the old-fashioned way" and actually place them into an albumn. Then we may set that albumn out for all those who stop by to view. The point is, we all like to keep those memories for years to come and we want to share them with others. These may be pictures of special events, family gatherings, fun times with friends, or simply a special moment. We want to treasure those moments and keep them forever.
I want to share with you pictures that I keep in my mind daily. They may not be downloaded on my website, placed in an albumn on my coffee table, or placed in my purse. They are, however, implanted in my heart and there they will stay forever.
Psalm 23:4-5 - My Father holding my hand
Revelations 7:15-17 - My eternal resting place
Matthew 27: 27-31 - My Savior being beaten
Matthew 27: 45, 46 - My Savior's loneliness
Luke 24: 1-8 - The Resurrection
These are images that I see as I awake. I remind myself daily that The King of Kings is always with me to help defend me from my enemies. I will never forget the trials and pain that my Savior went through by being beaten, mocked, and crucified by those He came to save. And, when all seems lost, I remember the victory Christ had over death and I know that no matter what - He has already WON!

When we stop to think...

Most of the time we wonder through life half in a daze. The other portion of our lives we run around as if we were in a race and just had to win. Is there ever time to just stop and think? So often we will discover that we have missed out on so much. We may have thought that we were accomplishing a lot, then in the end found out that what we accomplished really wasn't what mattered most.
Be careful that what you are accomplishing glorifies the Lord and not satan  - or yourself!

Life - or something like it

Is today really today? Will tomorrow really be tomorrow? Is up, up and down, down?
Ya I know, what the heck am I talking about!! I don't know!
I guess that's my way of saying that sometimes we don't know where we are going or where we have been. I feel like most of us live life blindly. We worry so much about what isn't there, that we forget what is. The old saying, "stop and smell the roses" really does apply. If we do not take the time to realize what is right in front of us, we will be missing out on life - or something like it!

Money Money Money....

"Money is to root of all evil."  We have all heard this before. But is it true?
In my opinion, it is very much truth! I know that we, as a society, have come to depend on it. We have come to convince ourselves that we need money to survive. Now, don't get me wrong. We do need money to a certain degree. Pay the house bills, food, and clothing. But even all of that can become extra if taken too far. The problem is that so many people have crossed that line where a "desire" becomes and "need". When that line is crossed, money becomes something that we desire, not need. We may think that we just have to have something, when in acutality we don't need it at all. "Oh honey, we are always at the beach. You and the kids are there every day. Geting a boat would be a wonderful thing to do. It would be convenient as well. Just think of the quality time we could spend together on the boat." Sound familiar? Or how about this one... "Dear, I have had these clothes for years now. They are the same clothes I wore 3 years ago. I really need something different for a change." Oh, and my personal favorite, "I don't want our kids to be the only ones who don't have __________ (you fill in the blank)." All of these things that we have been told are good things to have are NOT necessities. General rule of thumb, if you can survive without it, you don't need it!
Would that survival be easy? No Way! You will be thought of as different, and in some cases laughed at. You won't be very popular I'm sure. And there will be some days when you find yourself wishing you could have those things. But, you will survive! You know the old saying, "You can't take it with you". Well, you can't. So why get it? Your time here on earth is so short that you don't need to waiste the time on things that don't matter. Well, they may matter to others here on earth, but they do not matter to the Lord. As I have stated before, it is much easier to please God than it is to please others. God doesn't care if you have name brand clothes. God doesn't care if you have a boat to go out on every weekend. God doesn't care if your child is popular or not. God wants YOU and ONLY YOU! Nothing else matters to Him.
Besides, think about it... You get a new boat, then pretty soon you'll need equipment for the boat. Oh, and Johnny has a really cool cover so you have to get one too. The list goes on and on and on. Once you cross that line, you are stuck! The wanting never ends! There will always be something else that someone else has that you "want'. What kind of lesson is that teaching your children? What are we teaching our youth of today when we tell them it's ok to go after your desires? What if their desires are sinful and wrong? What then? In all acutality folks - that money you so eagerly desire, it isn't yours to have in the first place. God gave you the talent for the job that you have. God allows you to wake each morning and work. God allows you to keep that job. That money is NOT yours it is GOD'S!

Don't cross the line! Don't get stuck in a world of desires! Stay on God's side. Get the rewards your Father in Heaven has waiting for you!

Fire up!

Had an excitting evening last night!
I have been craving fried green beans every since I had them at a friends house months ago. I have attempted to make them one other time and failed. I wanted to try again last night. So, got my green beans, garlic, olive oil, boulon cube, pepper, and salt all ready. Put the olive oil in the pan with the cube to warm the pan. Then I went to my room to finish folding clothes. After I folded the clothes, I continued to put them into piles for the girls to put away. Then, my nose smelled something strange...yes...smoke. I went to the kitchen and discovered that I had forgotten about the pan! As I got closer to the stove, all of a sudden, WOOSH!! FLAMES ROSE FROM THE STOVE! I panic and grabed the sprayer from my sink, yes I did! WOOSH!! BIGGER FLAMES!! I finally calmed down enough to get the flour out of the cabinet and I dumped a whole bag all over my stove and cabinets. The fire was out. Smoke and a HUGE mess was all that was left. I grabed my pan and threw it out the window. It still sits in my yard. I could still smell the burnt smell this morning. Needless to say, my determined nature, I got another pan out and proceeded to fry green beans in it. I  wanted those green beans!! The second batch were delicious!!

My poor pan :(

It's days are over

Counting my blessings...

Have you ever noticed?

Have you ever noticed how often people complain? They complain about their jobs, then they complain about NOT having a job. They complain about the weather, no matter if it is cold or hot. First they want the weather to be warmer, then they wish it were cooler. Some even complain about the friends they have, yet still continue to run around with them. With all this complaining, who could possibly be happy?!!
Contentment is something I strive on. I am not perfect at it, nor ever will be. I do complain from time to time, however, I shortly realize that what I am complaining about is either senseless or something that I could change if I wanted to. Being content means being happy! If a person is content with their lives, or anything in their lives for that matter, then they are happy. When a person is happy - they have nothing to complain about. Without anything to complain about - there is no frustration. No frustration - No stress! It is a simple maped out plan that follows itself into place.
There will always be something you are not happy about. There will always be someone who doesn't like you, or makes you uncomfortable, or angry. There will always be something to complain about in this world. However, doesn't mean you have to do so. Be content! Be happy! Be stress-free! Change what you don't like. If you can't change it, learn to live with it. Don't allow the complaints to take away the life that was inteneded for you.

Who are we pleasing?

I have often wondered why people feel the need to please everyone around them. I know a few people who, literally, cause themselves so much anxiety just by trying to please those around them. I actually used to BE one of those people.
I have a few problems with this...
1. I don't think people, in general, will ever be satisfied - so why try to please them. You can change anything you want about yourself to make someone else happy and they would still not be pleased with you. You can do everything in your power to make someone like you, but no matter what you do, they will still find fault in you.
B. While you are trying to please everyone else, you are probably loosing who you "really" are. I personally have spent most of my life trying to please others and found that I didn't even know who I was anymore.
Finally - Spending all your time and energy pleasing others will get you nowhere in God's eyes. We must not allow 'man' to decide our steps in life because, after all, 'man' does not decide our fate when we die; and death is eternal. Our time here is short-lived. We must find that line and not cross it. Stop worrying about pleasing everyone around you and start pleasing the One who will, ironically enough, accept you for who you are!
This is just my opinion and I would love to hear your feed back...