the world from 5'3"

little i

2010-08-20T07:54:00.002-05:00

Seems that lately my eyes keep being pried open to see me for who I am apart from Christ. Realization of this self is not a fun process and often, for me anyway, it is a reminder that no matter how hard I try to be different, to some they will only ever see me as the inglorious representation of humanity I once was. Trust me, I know how heinous my sins were. They are things I abhor, not things that bring me delight or joy even at the mere memory of them. I am sincerely indebted to Christ not only for salvation from eternal separation from Him due to my sinfulness, but also because He has and continues to chip away at my life to make me someone beautiful inwardly.

It is written, "He (Christ) must become greater, I must become less." This is found in John's gospel chapter 3 verse 30. Why must I, Naomi, become less?

1. If there is not less of me, I cannot be filled with more of Him.

2. Without Him I would not, and could not, be a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).

3. More of me means I place more reliance on self than on Christ and, well, that just shouldn't be.

So, even through these humbling moments, I am grateful for the grace of Christ. It is because of His grace that I did not have to stay unchanged and can live knowing that my sinfulness, even in plain sight of others, can be forgiven and in His eyes forgotten. And for that I am eternally thankful! I want to gladly become less, no matter how painful.

The Story of Samuel

2010-06-03T19:33:00.001-05:00

I've always loved children. For as long as I can remember I've enjoyed being around them and even helping to take care of them. I had hoped that if God allowed me to marry then one day he would bless that union with children. Anthony came into my life and in January 2004 we married! That was the most precious day of my life. Then in September 2007, God blessed Anthony and I with our first son, Andrew. The last 2 1/2 years have been unbelievable. I can't imagine my life without that little fellow. He has such an outgoing, fun personality that it is hard not to fall in love with him - much like his Daddy! And now, Samuel. After 2 years of desiring another child and no pregnancies, I cried out to God one afternoon and pleaded for another son. My heart was hurting because I so loved being a mom that selfishly I wanted to be a mom again. I told the Lord that if He would bless Anthony & I with another son, we would name him Samuel. Samuel, in Hebrew, means asked of the Lord. One day, Drew came home from daycare talking about Baby Sam. I asked the daycare and there were no "Sam's" at Drew's school. For a month Drew talked about this baby. Then the end of October I realized, we were expecting our second child. And not only were we expecting, we would later find out the Lord had heard my cry and we were having another boy! As I type this out, I am in a hospital bed preparing to deliver my Samuel at 36 weeks. Not exactly when or how I had envisioned this playing out. I only know that he is here not just because I asked for him but because there is a purpose for his life that is greater than I can even understand. My prayer for both my boys is that they would love the Lord God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength, to love their neighbor as they do themselves and to truly know Christ and make him known. So as Samuel, unprepared as he may be, enters this world, his story is truly just beginning!

The Heart of a Child

2010-04-28T09:22:00.001-05:00

Being a mom is one thing I enjoy most. As Drew grows we are encountering new battles - sometimes almost daily! Last night was a lesson in and of itself, if for no one else, for me. We had a late dinner - and I mean late...after 8 PM - and Drew was to the "I'm so tired I'll fuss about everything" stage. Anthony was gracious enough to volunteer to bathe Drew and get him ready for bed. I was cleaning the kitchen when Anthony got Drew down from the table to take him to the bath. Immediately, Drew ran into the kitchen and began to cry because he did not want to go with Anthony. Finally, with a red face and tears streaming down his cheeks, he huffed off down the hall with his dad. As I unloaded and reloaded the dishwasher, I could hear the interaction between father and son. My very patient husband was lovingly trying to move Drew toward the bathroom when he darted back into the living room. It was at that point I turned to see Anthony standing in the hallway and Drew facing him from the living room. Anthony did not raise his voice, he did not physically touch Drew. He calmly told him it was time for a bath. At that Drew went into meltdown mode. The strangest part to me was not that Drew was screaming and crying but that through his meltdown, he obeyed his father. I stopped what I was doing and thought to myself, "Was that a picture of true obedience?"

What is obedience? Is it obedient actions without a willing heart or is it a willing heart followed by obedient actions? I was thrown for a loop. Realizing that we often learn by example, I wonder what example am I setting for my children. Demanding obedience is easier than exemplifying it. However, I want my children to obey out of a willing heart rather than a fear of punishment. How often do I exemplify this in my relationship with Christ? Am I obedient to his commands because I fear hell or because I love Christ? Are Anthony and I modeling mutual submission for our children? Not as a form of domination or enslavement to one another, but as a form of love and care for each others needs.

1 Samuel 15, Samuel relays to Saul that God is more pleased with obedience to His commands than with actions that contradict the law that God had laid before His people. Saul knew the sin he had committed and tried to regain God's favor knowing that he was not truly willing to obey God. God would rather I obey Him than religious rules/laws established by man. So how does this relate to a 2 year old? I choose to raise my children by God's word. Not as a demand they obey but as an example they can learn from. I want my heart to be that of a child willingly obeying her Father and I want my boys to see that in my actions. Must say, I love the lessons I learn through my Drew...and soon through my Sam too! God is gracious to use those He entrusted to me as tools in order to teach me His lessons.

Lessons from a Love Story

2010-04-19T09:56:00.001-05:00

I am not much of a reader. I've never been one to be labeled a book worm. I'm not accused of spending too much time in the library. However, over the past year I've found myself picking up books much more often - partly thanks to a coworker who has a passion for reading good books! Recently I finished the Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers. Her work impresses me. Not only because her stories are believable, but you can tell she researches her story before she writes the first sentence. Grant it, they are works of fiction but contain a great deal of historical accuracy.

The Mark of the Lion is a three book series about lives of individuals and families that are affected by conquests of the Roman Empire under the reign of Vespasian. The first two books are wonderful reads about a young Jewess and the family she serves after being taken captive from Jerusalem. The third book - happened to be my favorite - was about the life of a young German warrior and his journey home, physically and spiritually. Reminder: These books are works of fiction! However, I found myself caught up in the plights of the characters as they journeyed. Here are a few things that stood out to me.

1. Stand for Truth. It isn't easy standing alone or even not knowing the outcome. However, to dismiss Truth for convenience or security is harmful and could be very costly in the long run.

2. Serve Others. Be willing to lay your own desires and wants aside to invest in the lives of others. I'm not talking about giving up on self to serve others but giving of self to serve others.

3. Seek God... no matter the circumstance, personal feelings or obstacles that seem to appear out of no where! Because when we seek the Lord with all our heart we will find Him (Jer. 29:13)!

Though these books were a great read, they reminded me of what it really means to fulfill the two Greatest Commandments - first, Love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength; and second, love your neighbor as yourself (Matt. 22:36-40)! On a scale of 1 to 10, I need improvement on fulfilling these commandments. I just wonder, how many Christians honestly stand for Truth, serve others and seek God. If we did, how would our lives be different and how would the lives of those around us be affected?

being mommie...

2010-04-05T12:39:00.000-05:00

My sweet 2 1/2 year old informed me this morning that I am his mommie. I enjoy his enthusiasm as he tells me these things. I listen, often thinking to myself, "I already know this!" But for him, it is a learning process. He hears and sees things we say and do, but for him to make the connection is beautiful. We joyfully sponsor a child through Compassion International and each night we pray for this child and his family in Kenya. Over the past few days, as Drew prays he has started - on his own - thanking God for our sponsored child. My sweet boy, he amazes me! As his mommie, there are so many things I want him to understand. So much I want to teach him and even more I want to shelter him from. However, I know that some things he will learn by his own mistakes and trials and much of what I want to shelter him from is as much for his benefit as it is my own.

As I reflect on the relationship I have with my son, I am reminded of my relationship with Almighty God. He is my Abba Father, my daddie. So often when I come before Him and share things with Him, He must think, "I already know this child!" Yet He listens, enjoying my enthusiasm at what I've learned - sometimes through His teachings and sometimes through my own mistakes. My prayer is that as I "grow up" spiritually, that I will not stop seeing God as my daddie. Our relationship will deepen and change in subtle ways, just like with my children. But just as I will never stop being their mommie, God will never stop being my daddie!

Plain Pursuit - A Love Story

2010-01-22T10:16:00.000-06:00

How many of us struggle in the area of relationships – with family, friends and with God? Beth Wiseman has written a true to life story that touches the heart of the reader - a story of love, hurt and forgiveness. As I read through my complimentary copy of Plain Pursuit provided to me by Thomas Nelson publishers, I realized that I could easily place myself in Carley’s shoes. We all experience pain and suffering in one form or another. Carley experiences the loss of her mother and the reality that one of her deepest longings will never be fulfilled. As she is struggling through this emotional time, she finds herself visiting with a friend in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Lillian and Samuel are a part of the Amish community and have agreed to allow Carley to visit in their home. Just when Carley thinks she will be able to find peace in place of her hurt, she finds herself in the middle of an Amish family’s struggle. Though Samuel and Noah are brothers by birth, Samuel is full of bitterness toward Noah and his past decisions. It is Noah, however, that brings much needed healing to Samuel and his family. As Noah and Carley are placed in this awkward relationship, they find that God has given them strength to heal through the encouragement of each other. What they didn’t expect to find was the unconditional love of God and each other!

what's today...

2009-10-23T10:38:00.000-05:00

This morning, on my way in to work, I was listening to a local Birmingham radio show. They were briefly sharing about thankfulness. I know that we set aside one day a year (Thanksgiving Day) specifically for that. But do we really use that day to express our thankfulness or do we just stuff ourselves with unnecessary amounts of food and lay around watching parades and football? It is so easy for me to get in my own little world and lose sight of what I am thankful for. So today I want to begin sharing some of those things.

I am so thankful for my husband, Anthony. He is an amazing man who has a tremendous love for his family and for Christ. He is devoted to our marriage and to being a great father! He helps me in so many ways. He is the laid back side of me. He takes care of Drew when I am trying to get ready in the morning. He even cooks! There is so much more I can't even begin to tell. He shows his love for me when he wraps his arms around me and holds me close to him, when he gently kisses my forehead and when he plays with my hair as I'm drifting off to sleep. What an amazing man...and he is mine! So much to be thankful for!
For the provisions that God has made for my family. He sees our needs and meets them, not always in the ways I am looking for but always in ways that are glorifying to Him. I know that the plan he has for the house in Fairhope to sell will bring him all the honor and glory and will (and is) reminding me that I don't have to be in control all the time - that's His job!
For our family - blood and by the blood! Just knowing how much their friendship and love means to our family. I am thankful that I can call my mom and she will talk with me as a mother and a friend. I'm thankful that I have a sister, brother and sister-in-law who get along and we are close to - no matter the miles that seperate us. I am thankful that I have a mother-in-law that I love as my own mother and that loves me too. And to know that we have a church family that accepts us as we are and loves us.
Thankful for a job I enjoy that's close to home and co-workers who are easy to get along with.

These are just a very few in a long list of things I'm thankful for. What are you thankful for?

the baby blues...

2009-10-19T11:42:00.004-05:00

Well, I guess today I officially have the baby blues. So many friends experiencing parenthood lately. Makes me think about when we had our sweet boy. Today that sweet boy is at school, a strong-willed yet compassionate two year old. Although he didn't want mommy to leave this morning and cried as I walked out the door - and mommy almost did too - I can't help but sometimes wish he was a little baby again. When I could hold him all day long. Now it is "no mommy" and " I do it". They sure do grow fast! I was thinking as I left the daycare this morning about what it would be like to have another one. The house in Fairhope needs to sell before we could "afford" another one...if that is how it works! So, I guess until that day comes, I'll just keep hoping and starting praying that we can have another one! As for today...if only I could have the day off, my precious boy and I would play and have some great mommie son time!

crime and punishment...

2009-10-07T15:35:00.001-05:00

Today I have found myself reading various articles on moral/ethical issues. One topic really caught my attention. It is a highly debated argument regarding the sanctity of human life. Capital Punishment – the death penalty. As a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, I must be honest in that I haven’t (until now) put much thought or study into this. I had formed an opinion (which I will not state) and presumed it to be correct. Here are some of my thoughts...

What is capital punishment? According to Wikipedia, “Capital punishment, or the death penalty, is the execution of a person by judicial process as a punishment for an offense.”

Is capital punishment biblical? Yes. In Exodus 20 and going forward, we find the account where Moses tells the people of God’s commandments and laws. There are multiple offenses that are punishable by death. Examples are: if a person deliberately kills another, kidnappers, those who curse their parents, if a person hits a pregnant woman and causes her to miscarry ending in the death of the prematurely born child and also anyone who practices sorcery. Let me set this straight though. There are limitations on this penalty that must be followed. Leviticus 19:15 says, “Do not twist justice in legal matters by favoring the poor or being partial to the rich and powerful. Always judge people fairly.” Deuteronomy 17:6 and Numbers 35:30 tell us that a person should not be put to death on the testimony of only one witness; there must be two or more witnesses.

If capital punishment is biblical, is it only limited to the Jews? No. Deuteronomy 1:15 – 18, “So I took the leading men of your tribes, wise and respected men, and appointed them to have authority over you—as commanders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens and as tribal officials. And I charged your judges at that time: Hear the disputes between your brothers and judge fairly, whether the case is between brother Israelites or between one of them and an alien. Do not show partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be afraid of any man, for judgment belongs to God. Bring me any case too hard for you, and I will hear it. And at that time I told you everything you were to do.”

If Christ came, didn’t he do away with the law and thus capital punishment also? No. Matthew 5:17-18 records the words of Christ saying, “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the Law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved.”

What is the purpose of the Law of Moses? Romans 3:19-20 gives us that purpose, “Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.” Galatians 3:23 – 25, “Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed. Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian.” Please understand that Galatians 3:25 is not saying that we do not need the law; it is saying that it is no longer our guardian because Christ has come. Check out Romans 5:14-16, “Still, everyone died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come. But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins.”

Now you are getting religious. Not so, as Baptists, Catholics, Lutherans, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and every other denomination or religion is made up of people. When we, people – all humanity, try to make our own way to God that is religion no matter what “religious” affiliation we are, if any. However, God himself made a way for us. Unlike any other religious belief, Christianity believes that no one can or will ever be good enough on our own to go to heaven, in fact we all deserve death and hell. We also believe that because of Christ’s sacrifice and risen life, we – all humanity – can be made right with God. However, Christ is the only way we can be made right with God because He is the way that God gave us.

What does this have to do with Capital Punishment? Laws are in place to keep us doing the “right” things. Does that mean we always do? Not even close. Are there penalties and punishments when we break the law? Oh yeah. Why do we even need laws? They were established – even the Law of Moses – as a standard for us to meet. Do we meet those standards all the time? No way. Do we deserve the penalties and punishments when we don’t meet the standards of the law? Yes, we don’t always like it but we deserve it. If the penalty for taking a life is a life – that is what is deserved for the crime committed.

My last thought on this... as I thought about Christ and his “endorsement” for capital punishment; I was drawn back to a familiar story. Check out the account in Luke 23 - 24. Jesus is now before Pilate, the Roman governor, and Pilate, acting as the judge in this instance, found no reason to sentence Jesus to death. Yet the voices of Jesus’ own people grew louder and louder as they insisted he die by capital punishment. So Pilate gave in to the crowd and ordered Barabbas, a murderer – who according to the law deserved capital punishment, freed and Jesus to die in Barabbas’ place. Did he have to; no. Did he deserve it; no. He took the death penalty for my sin…so that I could be set free because of His sacrifice and risen life. I think we need to take a step back and realize that all human life is sacred to God because we are made in His own image by His own will and for His glory alone. The penalty we deserve…we don’t have to get – because of grace. For us to obey God’s call to live for Him is better than to sacrifice our eternal security for hell.

who are we...

2009-10-01T11:19:00.001-05:00

Last night Anthony and I were talking - not that we don't talk any other time- about something near and dear to us...our call to ministry. He is in the process of completing his Masters of Divinity through New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS). Several months back he came home and handed me a piece of paper. On that paper was information about classes offered for wives of current NOBTS students. After weeks of trying to decide if it was worth it, I decided to jump in. So here I am in week 6 of my first 8 week course. Studying about "What Baptist Believe".

During the last few weeks I have really began to feel the press of the Holy Spirit on me, reminding me that I too am called to ministry. There are days it feels that my heart has turned in my chest...anxious over what He is telling me. Lately my focus has been on the church - it was our study focus in class last week. What is "church"? This word is often misunderstood. My sweet little 2 year old always points and says "church" when we pass by the building where our church meets. Is the building the church? Not quite. My perception of "church" has been a little out of sort also. For several years, I too had the same idea as my 2 year old. Church is just a building where we go to worship God. After the first few years of full-time ministry, I caught myself thinking, "Well, this is just where God has us for now." Because of that attitude I did not allowed myself to function within the "church" as is necessary.

What is "church"? 1 Corinthians 12:12-13a, "The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body." The church is the body of Christ - those who've been identified with Christ through salvation and baptism. Now, there may be people who attend worship services, fellowships and Bible studies who have never accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior - they are not part of the church. The church is an extension of Christ on earth. We follow His leading - prompting through the Holy Spirit who lives within the believer directing them back to Christ. Just like hands and feet have their function within the body, so every believer has their function within Christ's body. It is our responsibility as the church to reach those who do not know or believe and share Christ's love and salvation with them.

The church is not a democratic body. Just like my hands and feet have no say (and can't vote) on what my head tells them to do, the church has no say on what Christ has commanded them to do! We must live out His commands - they are loving and not demanding. We must take care of other believers within our local fellowships. It is so easy to become social groups within the fellowship that we leave others out - this is not what Christ would have us do or be! It is easy to allow 20% of the fellowship to do 100% of the "work". Again, not how Christ has set it before us - we ALL have a function, every believer has a function!

Within the body we must be reaching out to nonbelievers, supporting the ministries of the fellowship, educating each other in Biblical truth, and taking care of the needs (physical, emotional, spiritual) of the fellowship. So, who are we? The church or just a building...

an assignment from class...

2009-09-24T12:34:00.002-05:00

So, I decided to post one of my assignments from class for review. Here it goes!

If an unsaved person asked you how to be saved, what would you say? Write some ideas about each subject on a separate sheet of paper. Write at least one Scripture reference beside each point in the outline. Practice sharing your outline with a family member of a friend. Ask God to give you opportunities to share His salvation with lost persons.

· Sin
· The cross
· Repentance
· God’s love
· Faith

Sin - The one disease that plagues all humanity.
Romans 5:12 – “When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.
Romans 3:23 – “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.”
Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Sin requires a cure that could only be made by Jesus Christ.
Leviticus 7:1-7 – Describe the requirement for the sin/guilt offering.
Romans 3:25b – “For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood.”
Hebrews 9:11-28 – Outlines Christ’s sacrifice
Hebrews 9:22 – “In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.”
Hebrews 9:27-28 – “And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ died once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.”

The Cross
a. Where the payment was made for sin and humanity was given the opportunity to have fellowship with God through Jesus Christ
Deuteronomy 21:22-23 – This passage tells us that anyone hung on a tree is cursed in the sight of God.
Galatians 3:13 – “But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree”.”
Colossians 1:19-22 – “For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.”

Repentance
a. Is required of us. It is realizing that we don’t live up to God’s standards, turning away from our sin, confessing that we need a Savior and accepting Christ as Lord and Savior.
Hosea 6:1-3 – “Come; let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces; now he will heal us.He has injured us; now he will bandage our wounds. In just a short time he will restore us, so that we may live in his presence. Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.”
Hosea 14:1-2 – “Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for your sins have brought you down. Bring your confessions, and return to the Lord. Say to him, forgive all our sins and graciously receive us, so that we may offer you our praises.”
Romans 10:9-10 – “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.”

God’s Love
a. Is evident through Jesus Christ.
John 3:16 – “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”
John 1:17 – “For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ.”
b. Gives us the opportunity to be his children.
1 John 3:1 – “See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him.”
Romans 8:15-17 – “So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.”

Faith
a. Is required for belief.
Romans 3:26b-28 – “God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus. Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. 28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.
Hebrews 11:1 – “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.”

my next thirty years...

2009-09-23T16:39:00.005-05:00

Have you ever felt out of the loop? Well, that is what I've noticed lately about my own life. I'm taking a Bible class and the things I'm studying I feel like I've just read for the first time in my life! Why is that? I accepted Christ as Lord and Savior when I was 10 years old. Though I've not always lived like a believer, I have read His word. Today, my 30th birthday by the way, I reread for the 2nd time this week Matthew 24:42-44.

Matthew 24:42-44 (New Living Translation)
“So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.

What am I prepared for? What should I be prepared for? I'm learning how important it is to be prepared for eternity. I have realized how fearful I've been of sharing my faith with those who don't believe or who say they believe but have no fruit to show. What can man do to me that will affect my eternity...NOTHING! So what will my next thirty years look like...I am praying that they will look very different from the first thirty. My desire is to know Christ more and to make Him known!

1 Peter 3:15-17 (New Living Translation)
"Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!"

I want to live in such a way that my life reflects my relationship with Christ. That others can see a difference in my life and in the way I live when they look at me compared to society's standard. But not only me, my family. It is becoming more and more important to me that the lifestyle my family chooses reflects that of Christ. For me, He (Jesus Christ) must become greater and I must become less (John 3:30)!

when can a person be saved...

2009-09-11T23:32:00.001-05:00

I believe that a person must acknowledge that they are sinful by nature, see their need for salvation, turn from their sin, accept and follow Christ wholeheartedly in order to be saved. Take these examples:

· A Good Man – Matthew 19:16-22; Here we find the rich, young ruler has approached Jesus and asked him, “What good deed must I do to have eternal life.” Jesus responded to him in verse 21 by saying, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” Basically it amounted to the ruler understanding that nothing was greater and could come before his commit to Christ. Unfortunately, the ruler rejected Christ’s gift.

· A Bad Man – Luke 23:39-43; As Jesus hung suffering on the cross, a criminal who had also been crucified made the acknowledgement, “We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong. Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” At the point of death, this man made the confession that Christ was who he said he was and accepted the sacrifice Christ was making. All heaven rejoices over one sinner who repents (Luke 15:7)!

· A Religious Man – Acts 9:1-18; Paul, who was circumcised when he was eight days old, a pure-blood citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin – a real Hebrew, a Pharisee, so zealous that he harshly persecuted the church, and obeyed the law without fault (Philippians 3:4-6), was converted on the road to Damascus, where he was going to “kill the Lord’s followers”. Here he has an encounter with the Living God and it changed his life forever!

· I believe that we each have a story, a testimony of salvation that is unique. I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior when I was 10 years old. I was at a children’s activity where we were sending invitations to heaven to family members who didn’t know Christ. It was then that I realized that because of my sinful nature I would be eternally separated from God without Christ in my life. I remember praying and asking Christ to come into my life and be my Lord and Savior. It wasn’t long after that I followed in baptism – my unspoken testimony of my personal commitment to Christ.

I believe that the Bible is God’s written instructions of His plan of salvation. Christ provided the salvation that we read about in God’s written word. And Christ alone is sufficient for our salvation. He is the one that paid the ultimate sacrifice so that we, sinful man, may have eternal life. Hebrews 2:9 says, “What we do see is Jesus, who was given a position ‘a little lower than the angels’; and because he suffered death for us, he is now ‘crowned with glory and honor’. Yes, by God’s grace, Jesus tasted death for everyone.” “So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself,” Hebrews 2:3a.

Fortunately for us, we cannot convict of sin and we cannot make someone “be saved,” this is part of the work of the Holy Spirit (John 16:8-9). A person’s salvation experience will be the work of the Holy Spirit convicting them of their need for the Savior, Jesus Christ. It is our responsibility as workers to “pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest (Matt. 9:37)”. Pray for workers, pray for souls. The Spirit of God intercedes for us but we are also to pray for one another (James 5:16). For someone, today is the day of their salvation! What about yours?

On our way rejoicing...

2009-08-27T10:10:00.004-05:00

Over the past few days there has been a recurring theme in the Biblical passages I have read and heard. Worship. When I think of worship many things come to mind. Mainly corporate worship. Where the church as a local body comes together to give glory and honor to Almighty God. However, I tend to not put the "worship label" on my personal times with Christ. Even though they are times of worship!

Anthony shared with the youth last night about worship. He used a text out of Matthew 6, where it says that where our treasure is there our heart is also. I totally understand that.

However, I decided this morning to look into biblical accounts of worship (since there should be many!). I ended up in Acts in a passage that I am very familiar with. Acts 8:26-39, Phillip and the Ethiopian eunich. I was startled as read this passage. "The eunich had gone to Jerusalem to worship". He had gone to the temple as was custom. He was doing his religious duty. As he rode back to Ethiopia from Jerusalem, he sat in a chariot reading his own copy of Isaiah's book. And told Phillip, "How can I (understand), unless someone instructs me?". Wow! What a picture. Here is a man who is religious. For every practical purpose, he goes to church, reads his Bible and still has no relationship with his creator. How can we "worship" God if we do not know him?How can we know him if we do not spend time in his word?

Isaiah, what a prophet, wrote in chapter 26 verse 13, "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men". Is this how we "worship"? Really? The poor Ethiopian eunich only saw worship as a ritual. He had knowledge without understanding. That is until Phillip arrived. Phillip, doing the will of God, shared with this man. Even as religious as he was, the eunich saw his need and chose true worship. According to John 4:24, true worshippers must worship God in spirit and in truth. True worship puts us, like the eunich, on our way rejoicing!

What do you worship? Who will you serve? I echo the words of Joshua recorded in chapter 24 verse 15, "But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord".

Too much or too little...

2009-08-25T16:39:00.002-05:00

Ephesians 5:15,16
"Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil."

Lately I've been struggling with time management. My days consist of very little time for me, and I feel as though I don't have near enough time for everything/everyone else! We are given only 24 hours each day. What we do with them is up to us. So, I have posed myself this question, "What am I doing with the 24 hours given me?"

My life, like most, requires that I wear many hats. As I am a wife, mother, employee, Sunday School teacher, christian, homemaker, student, daughter, sister and friend, just to name a few! I'm quickly seeing that my days are easily eat up with "necessary" duties or responsibilities, such as cooking, cleaning, and spending time with my family. How then do I redistribute my time so that I am making the most of each and every opportunity?

Right now I get up at a decent and go to bed at a decent hour. So, what will it take for me to be consistant? Will it mean that I get up early and go to bed late? Time management, please somebody, help me!

To Know Him More...

2009-08-14T08:52:00.003-05:00

I've always heard the phrase, "How time flies!" The older I get the more I feel the effects of not having "enough time". All sorts of things seem to pack my days - my job, house work, taking care of my son, church, trips to the store, shows on TV, time with my loving, wonderful husband, etc. If only my resolve to manage my time was better than it is. How I long for time alone with Christ in the mornings. Time that would stand still and allow me to know Him more. David referenced many times in the Psalms how important his time with the Lord is in the morning.

Psalm 5:3 - "in the morning I lay my request before you"
Psalm 59:16 - "in the morning I will sing of your love"
Psalm 90:14 - "Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love"
Psalm 130:6 - "My soul waits for the Lord more than the watchmen wait for the morning"

It is no wonder that I long for time with Him in the morning. It is the only way to start my day. What to do? I must learn to be a better steward of my time for I only have 24 hours in a day and I'm not promised another day. The process of learning...may I be found obedient!

in the Beginning...

2009-08-07T21:08:00.003-05:00

So after reading many other bloggers blogs, I began to wonder, "What is it that makes someone want to share their thoughts with others?" And here I am. The answer to my own question came in my own curiosity. I may not have anything profound to say but just blurbs of my life along my journey. So, tune in for more...