Do I Care?

While we were working out at the gym today, I noticed someone's t-shirt that read

I used to care. But now I take a pill for that.

On a t-shirt or a bumper sticker that little saying makes us smile. After all, I did make a silent chuckle when I read it. Obviously there is not really a pill that keeps us from caring. But what does keep us from caring?

As I was treading away on the treadmill and thinking about what I read, the thought did occur to me that many of us.... Christians, that is.... have stopped caring.

We've stopped caring about what Bible we carry.
We've stopped caring about how we dress.
We've stopped caring about the language we use.
We've stopped caring about what we put in front of our eyes.
We've stopped caring about the music we listen to.
We've stopped caring about whether or not our children are involved in their youth activities.
We've stopped caring about whether or not our families are in Sunday school and church services.
We've stopped caring about whether or not the alters are full.
We've stopped caring about souls being saved.
We've. stopped. caring.

Sometimes I think we become oblivious to our carelessness. But we need to be aware of it because it damages the cause of Christ.
It chokes the Word of God, gluts the soul, obstructs the Gospel, hinders the work of Christ, and manifests unbelief.

I have been guilty of carelessness in my Christian walk. And as I pondered these things, I was overwhelmed with guilt at the thought of causing others to fall because of it.

Referring to the "pill" mentioned on the t-shirt, I guess you could say that spiritually, the pill of carelessness is a poison. But there is an antidote for that poison, if we are sure to care about the things of God.

First of all, we have God's protection. Psalm 37: 4-11 tells us to delight ourselves in Him, commit our ways, trust in Him, rest in Him, and when we do these things, He will bring to pass the promises of those things He only gives his children. Such as the desires of our hearts, righteousness and judgment, inheritance of the earth, and peace.

Secondly, we have God's provision. Matthew 6:25-34, we hear it straight from the LORD, that He will take care of our needs. We don't have to worry about where our next meal is coming from or whether or not we'll be clothed. We are compared to "...the fowls of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. ARE YE NOT MUCH BETTER THAN THEY?" Again, we are compared to the lilies, "...how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." And in verse 33 we are told, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." When we stop caring about His kingdom and His righteousness, we begin to forfeit the gifts He has in store for us.

And thirdly, when we care about the things of God, we have God's promises. Philippians 4:6-7 says, "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Everything we do should be entered into with earnest prayer. Christians that do not care do not have much of a prayer life, if any at all. Much less an earnest one. Christians that care, pray. When we are earnest in prayer life, we'll be earnest in our daily life. And when we are earnest in those things, we are Christians, caring for the things of God, resting in the assurance of His promises.

I don't want to stand before the Lord, guilty of not caring. So I have to ask myself...

"Do I Care?"

Our First Love

As I was waiting for Bruce to come out of the men's locker room today, I glanced up at the many tvs hanging from the ceiling. One of them was showing the Jerry Springer show, which was just coming on. Why anyone in their right mind would watch that absolute garbage and filth is beyond me. Although I could not hear without headphones, the title of the episode popped up on the screen and my first thoughts when I saw it were of being thankful. My next thought was of this verse:
Revelation 2:4 "Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love."

When I think of this verse, I immediately think of my relationship with Jesus Christ. The flesh of the Saint is prone to leave our First Love. We deny Him the thing He desires most from us and that is our praise, our worship, and our loyalty. He never betrays us, but we betray Him often. Daily.

It is easy to betray Him when we become so down and tired in our Christian walk. When things don't go our way, or when we feel everything around us is falling apart. Maybe you've become burned out in your service or weary in your well doing. Maybe you're discouraged from someone's gossip. Or you feel you have been working in your ministry all alone, for far too long.

James 1:12 says, "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him."

There are many things that tempt us into betraying our First Love. Being tired, weary, and discouraged can be a temptation to laying everything down and walking away. But hang in there! Your First Love will be your strength, He will lift you up, and He will encourage you in His Word. And at the end of your journey, you will receive that crown of life!

And what girl doesn't desire her own crown?

Chili Recipe

As we were leaving the gym today, I had to stop at the store and pick up a couple items for supper. I thought a pot of chili would be good tonight. Not to mention it would be there tomorrow night, which means NO COOKING tomorrow! :) And since date night is Saturday evenings now, that's two days in a row. I loooooooove cooking, don't get me wrong. But come on... even Martha Stewart would like this plan. Anyway, I shared my recipe for Taco Pie with you yesterday and thought I'd share this recipe also. It's really not a recipe. Just more an "add a little bit-o-this and a little-bit-o that" kind of thing.
I use the large bag of pinto beans when making my pot of chili. Especially if I want it to go a couple of days. You can add a jar of kidney beans and/or stewed tomatoes too. I love those, but my family, not so much.
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1 bag pinto beans
2 lbs of ground beef (try ground turkey or even shredded chicken if your family isn't opposed those)
1 jar of medium to hot salsa
1 medium jar of vegetable juice. V8 Spicy is good if you want a little more spice and today I used the low sodium.
Hot Mexican chili powder, to taste
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Cook pintos to tender
drain most, if not all, of the water out of the beans
Add cooked meat, salsa, vegetable juice, and chili powder to taste
Simmer for about thirty minutes to an hour
Top with chopped onions, saltines, a blend of Mexican cheese, and sour cream.
Makes a hearty meal for all!
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And for those of you who have trouble getting your family to eat leftovers, a tip I read in Women's Day magazine a long time ago said to spray muffin pans with cooking spray, spoon in the chili, and freeze. Then pop 'em out, place them in a gallon zip lock baggie and put them back in the freezer for a cup of chili anytime you want, during the upcoming winter days. I've done this before and it worked great. Bruce would grab a couple of them from the freezer, place them in a tupperware bowl and take them to work. By lunch time, all he had to do was heat it up and chow down. Of course this works for any soup. So enjoy!
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And last but not least.... Today's workout was the thirty minute circuit plus thirty minute cardio. The thirty minute circuit is thirty minutes of alternating between step aerobics and weight machines. There's a green light/red light you watch on this one. You begin with step aerobics when the light turns green. When it turns red, you move back to a weight machine and begin working it when the light turns green again. When it turns red, you quickly clean the machine and move back to the step again. It's fast paced and works both upper and lower body muscles. We like it. And then we followed it up with thirty minutes on the bicycle and treadmill.

And there ya have it!
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Colossians 4:6 "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with
salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man."

Growing Up the Bible Way

So a few days ago a I was informed that someone thought we were fuddy-duddy and fanatics and because we home schooled, our children would not know how to function in society. We're a cult, don't you know? Apparently, they've thought this for years. Because of who the person is, I wasn't really surprised by this. However, it did still hurt my heart. I cried a little, vented a little, got mad a little, and then this morning I read this verse:
"My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up." Psalm 5:3 Did crying and venting help me? No. It wasn't until I could pray about it and LOOK UP to the Lord that I was able to reason this out in my heart.

My children have grown up the Bible way. There is no rhyme or reason to raising children and it doesn't have to be hard. If you stick to basic Bible principles and standards, you should be ok. When they grow older and begin making life decisions of their own, you should be able to stand back and know you did your best, the Bible way, and hope they make the right decisions, based on those same teachings. You can never, ever go wrong the Bible way. It is impossible to take the Bible way and fail.

Building a strong and confident Christian doesn't mean you're brainwashing your child. It means you are preparing them for the world and what it has to offer compared to Christ and what He has to offer. And what He has to offer is so much more than the world's offering.

I think the most critical point of any child's life, but more specifically a Christian child's life, is when they go from childhood to young adult. The college and career age. At this point in their lives they are making decisions that we wish we could make for them. But now is the time when we have to start loosening and cutting the apron strings and watch them fly. Will they fall to the ground and wobble around? Yes, they will. But they won't stay there. If they've been saved and raised the Bible way, they will get up and try again and eventually we will see them soar. "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6 This verse is not a promise that they will always live right and do right. But it lets us know that if we teach them the Bible way, it will always be in their hearts and minds. Even when they're not living right, they'll know it and won't be able to stay there long.

When I look at families that are doing their best, the Bible way, it seems that they have troubles in life, but not with their children. Not that the children are perfect, because they're not. Especially, and including, my own. Point being, life has it's ups and downs and they're a lot easier to face without having to deal with spoiled, rotten children, who think only of themselves and cause strife and unrest in the home.

Am I a fuddy-duddy? A Jesus fanatic? Yes, I suppose to the eyes of worldly man I am. Do my children function normal in society? I suppose that depends on how you define "normal." If normal means raising children with lude behavior, disrespectful to those in authority over them, greedy, prideful, brawlers, etc... then no, they do not function normally. But if you define "normal" as the Bible way....if normal is meek and quiet, seeking the hidden treasures God has for them in this life....if normal is hiding Scripture in their hearts, reaching out to others in need, sharing Christ with others....if normal is feeling and knowing compassion to those who need it most, obeying and submitting to those in authority over them...if normal is learning to do things on their own and working hard to set and achieve goals... then yes, they are learning to function normally.

And I pray, as they grow and become men and women in society, that the Bible way isn't just something they grew up in, but something they look at and know is the only way to truly function in this world. I don't believe there is one person that can say the Bible way has brought them misery and strife. It is the world's way that brings those things.

Blessings Upon Blessings

Today was full of blessings. Brother Eddie Davis is preaching our revival and preached the BEST sermon, There is a River. I cried off and on through that whole sermon. Many people were touched through the preaching of the Word this morning. And if you're in the area, we'll be having service tonight at 6:00 and each night, through Wednesday, at 7:00. Come join us.
There is a family that has been coming to church. I have watched these people and can really see the Lord on their lives. They are a sweet story. The mom just got saved a few weeks ago. And the daughter came forward to get saved this morning, before the preaching got underway. If you knew their story, you'd be crying like I did when I saw that daddy walk behind his daughter to the alter with his Bible in hand. It was just precious!
Having a baptism after services tonight. I really can't wait to see what the Lord is going to do.
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My mother was in attendance this Sunday. She's been sick with bronchitis this past week. She was in Virginia with her sisters for several weeks before that, so it was nice having her back in the services today. And I'm glad to have celebrated her sixty-third birthday with her, this past Friday. Bruce and I took her to her choice of restaurants, then back to our house for cake and ice cream. After that, she took Hannah and Harry to her house, where Justin joined them after he got off work. And when I was done doing my Friday errands, I joined them all at her house for a hot dog supper and a movie. We had a great day with her and hope she enjoyed our company as much as we enjoyed hers.
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Justin had an agility test at a fire department this past Friday. He did good and they called him back for an interview this coming Tuesday. So proud of him. It's a part time position, but it's definitely a foot in the door and I know if it's the Lord's will, then God will open that door a little wider at just the right time.
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Someone very dear to our hearts bought mom a new washer and dryer for her birthday. It was a tremendous blessing to her and she is so excited to know that it will be delivered this week. I'm happy for her. My dryer still dried clothes great, but it was old as the hills and made the LOUDEST noise while drying. So she gave us her dryer. It was like night and day when I dried clothes in it yesterday. LOL Earlier this year, the Lord gave us a practically brand new washing machine. So this year, the Lord gave us a "new to us" washer and dryer set. And that's a blessing to us.
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Harrison is doing GREAT with his new curriculum this year. He's up and hitting the books at 6:00am. He'll do three subjects, check his work, make corrections, and then go back to bed for an hour or so. He'll get back up, do his chores, finish his last two subjects, and he's done by or just shortly after 1:00. He's doing great. He's struggling in Math, but only because he needs to master some things. So we've stopped everything until he's done that. No point in going on until he has the knowledge to move on. That's another reason I love homeschooling. You can stop and concentrate on what's important. Bless his heart, he hates math. But I'll be honest, he gets it honestly. It was never, EVER my favorite subject!
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Hannah is doing great also. Sometimes I just watch her working away and can't believe that she has one more year of high school left. It can be a little depressing when I think about it, but I am so proud of her and the young lady she has become. She is so independent and I know that she is going to do good, in whatever the Lord leads her in doing.
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Bruce's job is still going strong. He's been working six days since January. Since he's been on second, it has been a great blessing for family time in the morning/afternoon hours. We are still praying the Lord will open that first shift position for him and we believe He will in the near future. I have enjoyed having him home at night. He worked third for so long, it's been different having him to curl up to at night. But I have gotten some great sleep and am actually on a normal sleep schedule, which I didn't have for the last few years. I have to say, I like it!!
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Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in
Christ:

Ephesians 1:3

R & R

Bruce and I took Hannah and Harry on a weekend trip to Myrtle Beach. We love this time of year. For one thing, all the kids are back in school and everything seems so deserted. The weather is getting cool it's just a great time to go. This was our first family get away where Justin could not be with us because he had to work. We are so very thankful he has a job, but we sure did miss him on this trip.
Bruce was doing his "Uncle Rico" impression here. LOL Anyway... we enjoyed some good eats.

And, of course, what trip isn't complete until you stop at a Krispy Kreme?? You know what the red light means!!

This is the front view of our hotel. We stay here everytime we go and we are never disappointed.

This was the view from our balcony.

Despite the cool winds that first night, the children still enjoyed some swim time.

Although I love the ocean and the beauty of it, I don't usually put my feet in. If I do, I don't go far. Bruce and Hannah, on the other hand, love to body surf. So they did a lot of that while Harrison hunted shells and sharks teeth.

We woke up to beautiful sunrises...

Watched gorgeous sunsets...

And were simply amazed at how bright the moon shone down on the ocean. It was just lovely!

So glad we were able to get away and enjoy a few days of solitude. With Bruce working six days a week all year, he really needed it and I'm glad he was able to go and just chill for a while. He has recently gone to second shift and I really couldn't be happier. His goal is to get to first, but that may be way down the road from now. Right now we're happy he's on second. I have to admit that I've been sleeping so much better now that he's home at night. He's worked third for so many years, I had no idea how bad my sleep habits were until he went to second. LOL

We officially begin our homeschool year on Wednesday. I'm looking forward to it and I think the kids are ready to hit the books again, too.

I have two photo shoots going on this weekend. One is for some high school senior pictures and the other is a charity event for cancer patients. I'm looking forward to both.

My business cards came in while we were on vacation. They turned out super! I was so glad. I made them at Vistaprints.com. They are really great.

So that's about all there is to say today. I actually have tons more, just don't have time to say it. So... there ya have it.

Hope y'all have a great week!

Psalm 69:34 "Let the heaven and earth praise Him, the seas, and everything
that moveth therein."

Personal Requirements of Prayer

Prayer is a very powerful force when done the right way. Benny Beckum is one of my favorite preacher/evangelists. He goes all over the country preaching about prayer. If you have never heard him, he will reveal things that will totally change your prayer life. If you're in the Greenville area, he'll be holding a Prayer Conference at Tabernacle Baptist Church October 3 - October 6. You do NOT want to miss it! I haven't heard the other speakers for that conference, but if you get a chance to hear Brother Beckum, you will be blessed.

Studying prayer, however, will also reveal things. The Bible tells us to study the Word. And in studying about prayer, there are personal requirements we need to be aware of.

Purity of heart
Believing
Praying in Christ's name
Praying According to God's will

Purity of heart is important for prayer and it is a must. Psalm 66: 18, 19 "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the LORD WILL NOT HEAR ME; But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer." If we have unconfessed sins in our lives, God will not hear our prayers. If we are to be good prayer warriors, we must ask God's forgiveness of our own sins and remove those things that will hinder our prayers being heard. He is faithful and just to forgive us those sins. And when He does, He will hear our prayers.

We must believe when we pray. Many times I have prayed and my faith was lacking. I wonder how many prayers have not been answered the way I hoped because of my lack of faith. Matthew 21:22 "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, BELIEVING, ye shall receive."

We must pray in Christ's name. How many prayers have gone unanswered because we do not pray in His name. We know who we're praying to. Christ knows who we're praying to. But He still expects us to call on HIM. For one thing, we show other believers that we are His child too. And for another thing, non believers will know who we are praying to. For all they know, we're praying to Budah. And if we're not praying in Christ's name, we might as well be praying to Budah. But when we pray in Christ's name, we open opportunity for God to be glorified. John 14:13, "And whatsoever ye shall ask IN MY NAME, that will I do, that the FATHER MAY BE GLORIFIED IN THE SON."

We also need to ask according to His will. This is a difficult one for me because I want things done my way. That's my flesh. If it's done my way, then I feel that I'm in control. But the truth is, God is in control of all things, and whatever His will is for my life, it will be far better for me in the long run. If we're just spouting off all the things we want and desire, or praying for healing, or whatever burden we might have, never asking Him according to His will, we might as well just stop praying all together. I John 5:14 "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, IF WE ASK ANYTHING ACCORDING TO HIS WILL, HE HEARETH US:"

These are important keys to prayer, that we often forget. They help unlock the doors of Heaven so that God will hear us when we pray.

Parts of Prayer

Prayer Request: I have a heavy heart for a friend who just lost her husband to cancer. They were only married a year and so young. Such a heartbreak for the wife, but I know that God will see her through this. I have been amazed how they both handled the last several months with such faith and trust in God. Please remember Bridget in your prayers over these next few days and months to come.
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I am enjoying this little study on prayer. We all know there are different parts of speech in the English language. But there are parts of prayer too!
Adoration
Confession
Supplication
Intercession
Thanksgiving

Who doesn't like adoration? I love to be told by my husband and my family how much they love me and how much I mean to them. Our Heavenly Father is the same way. He loves it when we adore Him in worship and in prayer.
Daniel 4:34, 35 "And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?
First of all, Nebuchadnezzar was very proud of himself for what he had done in Babylon according to "...my might..." and for "...my majesty." But when he stopped looking at himself and looked to Heaven toward God, he said his understanding returned to him and he began to proclaim adoration to God. There is nothing WE do in our lives that deserves adoration. Everything we do, everything we accomplish, is because God allowed it. He deserves our praise and honor.
After we give him praise and honor, we need to confess our sins. There is nothing more precious to me than when my children confess their faults to me with a humble spirit. It's the same with the Lord. When we humble ourselves, remove the pride, and confess our sins and faults to our Heavenly Father, He is faithful to forgive us. I John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." There is NOTHING we can do that He will not forgive. We just need to confess it to Him.
The next part is supplication. That's one of those words you hear off and on throughout Christianity and you never really know the meaning of it. Supplication is a humble prayer, entreaty, or petition. I Timothy 2:1-3, "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour. It is very difficult to pray for those in leadership, isn't it? Sometimes I want God to just remove them from office, never to be seen or heard from again. That's human nature, I suppose. But you know, they really do need our humble prayers. It is our civic responsibility to be involved, but it is our Spiritual responsibility to pray with a humble heart. We also need to pray for those in other areas of authority in our lives. Our boss men/women, our Pastors, husbands, parents, teachers...whoever God places in authority over us, they need our prayers. All we have to do is call their names.
Intercession. This is the part I think we do the most. There are so many people in need of prayer. James 5:14, 15, "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him." We were in some revival meetings last week and twice, there were people at that church that requested being anointed with oil and prayed for. When our prayer life is right with God, we can pray for those in need, and trust that He will do according to His will.
And last, but certainly not least, Thanksgiving. Philippians 4:6, "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." God wants a thankful heart when we pray. Even when things aren't going the way we've hoped or the way we've planned, we should be thankful that God knows what is best for us and that He has it all under control. There's a song that the trio I sing in is learning and one of the lines of that song says, My wants and God's desires don't always agree. But I lean on His will, for He always knows what's best for me. I've learned that lesson the hard way. There is no prayer that goes unanswered. He either says yes, no, or stand still until he tells us one way or the other. I've learned to be thankful for him answering prayers the way I wanted Him to and thankful for Him answering prayers the way I didn't want Him to. And I've even learned to be thankful for the times when He wants me to stand still. Which for me, seems to always be the hardest to do. But His answers are always good. And His answers are always right.

Kinds of Prayer

It seems there are so many people standing in the need of prayer this week. Last night our Associate Pastor preached from Acts 12. Something he pointed out was the meaning of Rhoda's name, which is Rose. Several thoughts came to mind when he told us that. One thought, was that we pray to the Rose of Sharon. Another thought is that our prayers are as a sweet smelling savor to the Lord.
I started thinking about prayer and the importance of it. Too often we say we'll pray about something and then life gets in the way and we forget or we just don't take the time to pray as we should. Or maybe we have thing in our lives that stand in the way of our prayers being heard.
There are many stipulations to prayer. And as I went over them I thought it would make a good Bible study, which would also make a good blog series.
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Prayer is a request to God. There are four types of prayer I can think of:
1. Secret prayer
2. Family prayer
3. Group prayer
4. Public prayer
There is the secret prayer mentioned in Matthew 6:6 "But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." When I was little I thought this meant we actually had to get in the closet. Since I was little and afraid of the dark, I didn't do much secret praying. But the truth of the matter is, we just need a quiet place. A place with no distraction. A place where we are totally alone, just us and God.
I thought it was interesting that in the verse above, it does not say "...and thy Father which 'heareth' in secret..." but rather "...and our Father which 'seeth' in secret..." God not only hears us in our secret place, but He is right there with us. Listening and watching His children as they lay their burdens and petitions at His feet. Isn't that a sweet image of the Father? That He takes time, not only to listen to us, but to visit with us too.
Family prayer is important also. Acts 10:2-30 tells the story of Cornelius. Verse 2 says that he was "A devout man, and one that feared God with ALL HIS HOUSE, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway." In this story, it is obvious that his whole family loved and served God. I would imagine they were much in prayer about matters. And after several days of praying, the Lord heard and answered. I know that for our own family, we need more family time together in prayer. Sadly, I am sure there are many Christian families that don't have the family prayer time they need together. And maybe we would see the Lord answer more prayers for us if we would take the time and pray together as a family unit.
Matthew 18:20 "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." I love that verse. As a family unit or as fellow believers draw together in prayer, it is a sweet thing to know that Christ is right there in the middle of it all. That every word spoken is heard clearly and that He is working on each little detail of each prayer.
And last, but not least, is the public prayer. Matthew 6:5 says, "But when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward." I'm sure we have all been somewhere at sometime or another and heard flowery prayers. Praying with adoration and thanking God for His goodness, is not flowery. But when we stand there reaching for big words, and praying for things that will impress those we are praying in front of, God is not impressed. Whether we pray in our closet or pray in public, God desires to hear the things on our hearts. Ironically, our prayers reveal to Him exactly what is in our hearts.
I wonder.... do my prayers stink? Or are they a sweet smelling savor to Him?

When My Heart Is Overwhelmed

Meetin' got on at church last night. Many were at the alter getting their hearts mended and receiving strength from the Lord when they so desperately need it. We have a couple in our church whose eighteen year old grandson was placed in Hospice yesterday because of cancer. Their hearts are very heavy and they need much prayer. Several others with heavy burdens needing exactly what God gave them last night.
Pastor had a sermon prepared, but his sermon took another direction and he ended up preaching from Psalm 61:1-5, "Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah. For thou, O God, hast heard my vows: thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name."
What a wonderful passage of Scripture for hurting hearts and restless minds! When our hearts are so overwhelmed with whatever trial we happen to be going through, we have a God that will attend to our very need. He will shelter us from the things that will bring us down and He will deliver us in our hour of need.

Be Ye Holy

I Peter 1:15&16 "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, BE YE HOLY; FOR I AM HOLY."

Reading in I Peter this morning, I was actually doing a little personal study on being kept by the power of God. But I ran across the verses above and could not pull myself away from them.

Several years ago, when Justin was a little guy and Hannah was just a thought, I was floundering around in Christianity. Straddling the fence, if you will. My conversation was not the same as it is today and I was not striving to live that holy and separated life as a child of God.

Looking back from where I was to where I am today, there are people that God placed in my life to help shape my heart and guide me toward Him.

It took me much too long to get to "this place" in my relationship with Him. And I still have a very long way to go. Don't we all? But how does one become holy as HE is holy? When do we reach holiness as HIS holiness? Well, obviously when we live like Him and live by His Word.

When I think of the word, holy, the word, perfect, immediately comes to mind. However, as I was looking up the meaning of the word, holy, I realized that my outlook on being holy was all wrong. It's not about striving to live a perfect life. You know why? Because we can't. And God knows that. We are wrapped up in too much flesh and bones to be perfect. I'm not saying we should not strive to be perfect as He is perfect because His life was lived as prime example as how we should live. But to live a holy life means we should be living a life that inspires other believers to live for Him.

Are we setting an example to the believers around us? Do they look at us and admire us for our stand, or roll their eyes and think to themselves, "Yeah, they profess Christianity, but if they can go to those kinds of parties..." or "...but if they can wear those clothes..." or "...but if they can listen and quotes lyrics to that music" then I can too.

How are we inspiring holiness?

When I look at that verse, "Be ye holy; for I am holy" I can't get away from that word for. It doesn't say for us to be holy "AS" I am holy. But FOR I am holy. He wants us to live just like Him. We can't do that and live for the world. God is not the author of confusion, and yet His children are doing a great job confusing the world.

Be ye holy is a commandment in this verse. FOR I AM HOLY is the reason why. He wants us to live our lives as He lived His life, to inspire other Christians to live like Him also.

If Christians would live a holy life, inspiring each other to live for Him, we would see a change in our own lives, our homes, our churches, and our world.

Of Busy Weekends and EMT Pinnings

It's going to be a busy weekend!
The children are at mom's house today. Harrison is going to hang out with her while Justin takes Hannah on some errands. I'm doing laundry and getting ready to run to the post office to mail tests and other things.
Oh yes, tests....Hannah and Harrison finished their testing and so we now have a high school junior and a sixth grader. AHhhhh
Tomorrow, I will, most likely, be helping set up for the SIGMA Banquet, which is this Saturday, then a trip to Clover with my friend, Rebecca, and then a graduation in Blacksburg, which I totally forgot about until I was typing this. Shhh, don't tell her. It's going to be a run-run day tomorrow!! lol
Friday is packed with my usual Friday things. Groceries, gassing up the car, running errands.... And then Saturday we'll be cleaning house and getting ready for the banquet.
On Sunday, we will be attending the homecoming at our former church, Liberty. We're looking forward to seeing the people there and having a time of fellowship with them. Then Sunday night is our graduation service. We take time to honor our graduates before the preaching. It's always a great service. And then we'll have a reception for the high school graduates with the youth group.
Congratulations, Raven, Clayton, and James. We look forward to seeing what you do next!
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Justin was pinned last night for his EMT. I didn't get to go. But someone took pictures, so here's a few.

Good job, Justin! Keep up the hard work. :)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It looks like some doors are opening for him to do something for the Lord this summer. We're praying about it with him. He's been praying about it for a year or so now. He "laid out his fleece" for June 6th. So keep him in your prayers and we'll see what happens.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Judges 6:37-40, "Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if
the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then
shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said. And it
was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and
wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water. And Gideon said unto
God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let
me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only
upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew. And God did so that
night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the
ground."

Lest We Forget

We had a great Memorial Day weekend.
*Spent some time around the lake on Saturday.
*Took a meal and visited with a friend who just had major surgery.
*Enjoyed a graduation party for a young man in our church.
*Two great services at church on Sunday, followed by a meal at Don's Italian with mom.
*And for Memorial Day, we grilled out hamburgers and spent the day just being a family. It was so nice just chillin' at home with the kids and my hubby. Bruce had to go to work Monday night, but we were able to spend the day together and it was a blessing. We just kicked back and enjoyed each other's company. It was a lazy day, really.

Our Pastor took a few days vacation with his family last week so Brother Johnny filled the pulpit. He is a fantastic Associate Pastor and I love to hear him preach.

Sunday morning he preached "Lest We Forget." His text was from Mark 14:1-9. Unless there is a memorial, there will be no Independence. Freedom is cherished by those who have it and coveted by those who do not.
A memorial is that which preserves the memory of something and there are five things we must remember and do....
1) We must remember the sacrifice that was sufficient. Soldiers gave their lives for this country. Christ gave His life as the ultimate, eternal sacrifice.
2) We must respond to the summons that was sent. A military draft, a call, a command, was or is sent out to soldiers to fight for this country. While we, as Christians, are also drafted, called, and commanded to be soldiers for the cross.
3) We must renounce "self" and surrender to Him. We need to break the box of our pride and selfish will.
4) We must remain in the service that is satisfying. You may not be able to do it all, but you can always do all that you can do.
When we make a memorial for what Christ has done, He will make a memorial for what we have done.

What Day of the Week Do You Worship?

Before I forget, I put the wrong link up for Hannah's birthday pictures. You can click here, hopefully, and should be able to view them now. Sorry 'bout that. And now on to today's post...

I read a question the other day asking who changed the Sabbath? I really don't know the answer to that question. However, that question got my mind to wondering if worshiping on Sunday is wrong and whether or not God is pleased or displeased with Sunday worship.
I honestly don't know when we, Christians, went from worshiping on Saturday to worshiping on Sunday, but I've been reading about Jewish law and came to the conclusion that no, God is not displeased with Sunday worship. Here is why I think this...
There were/are two types of Jewish law. Moral and ceremonial.
If it is RIGHT or WRONG and is the law written on the heart and conscience of man, then it's considered moral law.
If it's an arbitrary matter without being RIGHT nor WRONG, but a good object lesson on a ceremony, then it's considered ceremonial law.
In Exodus 20, "Thou shalt not steal" is something written on the heart and conscience of man. However, the part about the Sabbath and the kind of altar to be used for sacrifice is ceremonial.
You can't go by just the Old Testament. You have to rightly divide the Scripture, Old Testament and New Testament alike. In the New Testament, there are commandments represented from the Old Testament. These are the ones that are written on our hearts and minds and these are the moral Law. These are the law that God expects us to still adhere to today.
Most people will take for granted that the ten commandments are all moral law. We've taken them out of their original context and memorized them in church settings, such as Sunday school, but the truth is, the ten commandments are a summary of the Mosaic law, both ceremonial and moral. Truth be told, the Bible does not tell us that the ten commandments are any more inspired than any rest of the Old Testament. The entire Bible is the WORD of God and is equally inspired from Genesis to Revelation. To use something someone else pointed out, "The rest of Exodus 20 is as much the Word of God as that part of the chapter which states the ten commandments."
The ceremonial laws had spiritual meaning. They were given to help Jews separate from other people. They had important symbolism, but were given as arbitrary command.
Romans 2:1-16 says that God will judge the heathen who have never heard the Gospel, on the basis of their own consciousness of sin against the moral law, their own conscience bearing witness. They won't know or have a conscience about not observing the Sabbath or eating pork, or circumcising their sons. But the moral law of not killing, stealing, honoring their parents, etc, are written on their hearts and conscience and deep inside of them they'll know they are doing wrong if they do those things.
Those laws that are equally enforced in the New Testament as they are enforced in the Old Testament are moral law and God's morals never change. When you see in the NT where they list all these sins mentioned in the OT also, the sabbath is never mentioned. Why? Because it was ceremonial law, not moral law. God wanted us to take a day out of the week and put everything else aside to do nothing but worship Him. He said to remember it. Too many times we forget the things of God and what brought us to where we are today. We allow life in general to get in the way of a day set apart to just worship Him. Even some modern churches have shut down their evening services for more "family time." The day set apart to God is HIS time. We should be serving Him through that day as a family. That's the best family time there is.
I prefer the Sunday worship, myself. It's what I've always known and there's nothing wrong with that. The majority of Christian churches will have their services on Sunday and I feel better being in His house with His people at my designated time and place.
Another reason I know God is not displeased with Sunday worship is because I worship on Sunday and He is there in a very real and very powerful way. I have felt His Holy Spirit move in our services and have seen Him convict and win lost souls. If Sunday worship were wrong, I don't think He would bother showing up to meet us there.

Colossians 2:16-23 "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath day. Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God. Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom, in will, worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body: not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh."

Friendly

Click here for pictures from Hannah's Sweet Sixteen. We had a great time. Thank you, to everyone that made her night special.

Friendly:

"A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there
is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."

Proverbs 18:24

Only God Knows

ATTITUDE

"He that hath no rule over his own spirit is
like a city that is broken down, and without walls."

Proverbs 25:28

Mom gave Harrison some laminated cards on a key ring that belonged to daddy. Each one has a different word with a verse that goes with it. So he's been studying and learning those words and verses. I thought I'd start sharing them with y'all too.

We've had a good week so far. Hannah's party went well this past Saturday. There were eighty-three people that showed up and we had a really good time! I have pictures, but to be honest, I haven't even looked at them on my camera, much less loaded them to my computer. I've been so busy editing senior pics for James I just haven't had time. But now since I'm through with that I'll post her party pictures soon. We had plenty of food and drinks and I loved Hannah's music playlist. I love that she enjoys Godly singing and instrumentals.

Today is her actual birthday. She and I spent most of the morning and afternoon shopping. We had lunch at Fatz and then did a little more shopping before heading home. She found some cute things and so did I.

Brother Ben Mayo and his family were at our church again tonight. They've visited a few times recently and they are always a blessing. Pastor always gets him to sing and tonight was no different, except that his son and daughter sang with him. They were so good and we received a blessing from them. I hope we see more of them.

Pastor Goodman preached a good message tonight and then after his message he had some things to say about this man predicting the end of the world on Saturday, May 21, at 6:00. This guy is crazy. But without going into all the things he is wrong on Scriptually, Matthew 24:36 says, "But of that day and hour knoweth NO MAN, no, not the angels of Heaven, but MY FATHER ONLY." There is nothing in the Bible that reveals the Lord's coming. But He could come tonight and He could come Thursday or even Friday.

Are you ready?

Daughters

Brother Daniel taught our Sunday School class this morning. His text was from Psalm 144:12, "That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace:"

Although this thought can be put to our sons, I wanted to focus on our daughters, in particular, about the latter part of this verse. "...that our DAUGHTERS may be as cornerstones, polished after the similitude of a palace:"

A cornerstone is a very important part of the foundation of a palace, or any structure, that is. The rest of the structure depends on the cornerstone so it must be strong. When I looked up the word, cornerstone, I found it interesting that over a period of time, the cornerstone became a ceremonial masonry. It would be put in a prominent location with an inscription on it, indicating the construction dates and the name of the master builder.

In Ephesians 2:20, Jesus Christ is the CHIEF Cornerstone. He is the foundation of His church. Without Him, the church will collapse.

I've read Psalm 144:12 many times, but for whatever reason never made the connection of our daughters being as cornerstones as Christ is the Chief Cornerstone and our daughters are to be Christ-like.

I love my daughter more than any other girl on the face of the planet. Although she and I are becoming friends as she grows older, I still have a responsibility to be her mother and teach her right from wrong. We have plenty of time to be friends when she's an adult. But right now I have to be her mom, polishing her as a cornerstone to be set in place for those around her. Those that build on to her, such as her friends, her children, her grandchildren...their spiritual well-being depends on her spiritual well-being and what I make of it. It's too late when they're grown to start teaching them. It's when they are in the crib that these lessons should begin. It should not be a question to our daughters if we're going to church on Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday prayer meeting. It should not be a question to our daughters whether or not we're going to revivals or special meetings. It should not be a question to our daughters whether or not they should go "here" or do "that." It should not be a question to our daughters whether or not they should wear "this" or have "these" friends. As Christian parents, these are things we are responsible for training our daughters very early on in their lives.

Hannah will be sixteen on Wednesday. Not quite an adult yet. But she still has some polishing left. I could allow her to start making her own decisions. She's a good girl. She has good friends. But she's still only sixteen. And she still needs guidance if she is going to be a strong cornerstone. If I left her alone and did not tend to her spiritual needs as a young girl, then when she is older it becomes too late and much more difficult for her to become a strong Christian.

There are two cornerstones that can relate to our daughters. One is dirty and smudged, cracked and broken. If it is not tended to, its palace will eventually begin to collapse around it. The other is clean and shining, with the Master Builder's name of Christ visibly seen for all who pass by. It is strong and stable and will stand the test of time for many who come to its palace.

As mothers, we should continuously be polishing our daughters and chiseling the name of the Master Builder upon their hearts.

I earnestly pray that Hannah will be a strong cornerstone and that all who witness her behavior and see her testimony will not see "her," but Christ. Anything other than Christ makes a very weak foundation.

Calvinism Is Not the True Gospel

I've "bumped" into a few people that believe in predestination and election recently. One is a blog I've been reading for a while. I don't usually "blog surf" without referrals, but when I ran across this blog I liked what I read...at first. We held the same ideas on wifely submission, home schooling, how we dress, etc. But then one day she quoted a verse from the ESV, which I knew was a preferred version of the Calvinist. Since it "just so happens" we had been discussing Calvinism in SS and the dangers of its doctrine, my antennas went straight up. Remember the old episodes of Lost in Space when we were kids? I was suddenly hearing the voice of the robot shouting, "Danger Will Robinson! Danger!!"

By the way, The King James Bible is not a "version." Something that is a version of something else is not the same. Things that are different, are not the same. Keep that in mind when you claim you're KJ"B" only. :)

Anyway, we've actually gone over the whole Calvinist thing in SS recently, and Brother Ken RIGHTLY divided the Word of God and broke it down as to why it is wrong to believe in predestination and election.

God is an all-knowing God. Of course He knew when He created man that sin would enter into the world. This did not take Him by surprise. But He wanted love and obedience to be our choice. He did not want us to be puppets on His puppeteer stage. He wanted us to love and obey and accept Him from our hearts. He knew that there would be those that would accept Him and, sadly, those that would deny Him. We are predestined to love and obey and accept Him, because that's how He made us and what He desires from us. But it is up to us whether or not we choose to love and obey and accept Him.

He also knew that the blood shed of animals would not forever atone for man's sin so He sent His Son, the spotless Lamb of God, His only BEGOTTEN Son, for a final sacrifice.

If we were already predestined and elected the way Calvinists believe, what would be the point of Christ leaving the splendor and glory of Heaven to die on the cross for ALL men? By the way, "ALL" means "all." And what would be the purpose of the Holy Ghost convicting the heart of man to salvation?

When He died, rose again, and ascended into Heaven, He left with us, His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit of God moves with compassion on the lost. Anyone who has ever been born into this world enters into a state of eternal death. They are lost and on their way to Hell. This is why it is so important to train our children and to lead them in righteousness. But it is also just as important to tell others, as we are commanded to do so.

Luke 14:23 says to "...GO out into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in, that my house may be full." Do you know what the world "compel" means? It doesn't mean to "ask nicely." It means to "force." In other words, GO out into the highways and hedges and FORCE them to come in, that my house may be full. Now, if you believe the Lord will just fall on someone and that's how it happens you've been deceived. We have to tell others about Him. They must hear the Word.
Romans 10:17, "So then faith cometh by HEARING and hearing by the WORD OF GOD."
We must also have a vision for the lost soul. Proverbs 29:18a, "Where there is no vision, the people perish."
Matthew 28:19 "GO ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." To teach is to impart knowledge, to instruct by precept, example, or experience. If it's just all up to God, why does He tell us to GO and to TEACH others?

Why are we to compel (force) them and why are we to teach (impart knowledge to) them?
2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness: but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that ANY should perish, but that ALL should come to repentance. Again, "any" means "any" and "all" means "all."
"Repentance", meaning a turning away from their sin. When we are walking in darkness and turn away from the darkness to the Light, we walk straight into the arms of the Savior.

The Calvinist doctrine, in my opinion, is a very egotistical and arrogant doctrine, and one that is sending many people to Hell.

A clear presentation of the gospel is simply to follow the Roman's Road to salvation.

Romans 3:23 "For ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God." None of us are better than anyone else. Even if we have lived a "good life" according to man's standards, we are still under the bondage of sin and fall short of God's glory.

Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Sin entered the world in the garden, and for that sin, man was sentence to an eternal death. But a gift from God was given to us when Jesus Christ died on the cross. He was HOLY and SINLESS and shed His blood as a sacrifice for our sin, taking upon Himself the sin of the world so that we could escape eternal death and enter into eternal life, upon accepting Him as our Savior and King.

Romans 5:8 "But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." When Christ died on the cross, He paid for ALL sin. When He paid for that sin, He made a way for us to be free from the bondage of sin and death.

Romans 10:13 "For WHOSOEVER shall call upon the name of the Lord, SHALL BE SAVED." There is not one person on the face of this earth that is worthy of salvation. However, God made us worthy and no matter who we are or where we are, if we will call upon Him, He will save us.

Romans 10:9&10 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth, the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made known unto salvation." The first step is to admit you're a sinner. The second step is to know in your heart and believe that Christ is the only way to Heaven and the third step is to simply confess to Him that you believe that He is the only Christ and the only way to Heaven and ask Him to save you.

Jesus said, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock. If ANY man hear my voice, AND OPEN THE DOOR, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." The Holy Spirit will knock on the door of our hearts. It is up to us whether or not we will open that door for Him. If we choose to keep the door shut, we will spend eternity in Hell. If we choose to open the door and allow Him entrance, we will spend time with Him in fellowship and eternity with Him in Heaven.

1. Believe in Him






2. Ask Him to come into your heart, by faith






3. Read the gospel of John and what God says about Jesus, about you, and about being born again.






4. Look for a local church where God's WORD is preached. When we get saved, we are like newborn babies desiring the milk of its mother. And the only way we will grow is by being fed the Word of God.






5. Be baptized. Baptism does not determine salvation, but it is a public profession of your decision to follow Christ. It is an act of obedience and a symbol of commitment.

John 1:12 "But as many as received Him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.

Just for Laughs and a Little Thought Too

I must admit that I was not as fascinated with the Royal Wedding as others have been seen to be and had no intention of posting anything about it, but then I saw this and got a little tickled. Thought y'all might like it too.

I'm part of a Royal Family. I'm the daughter of a King and I'm married to a prince. One of my friends said that the other day and I just had to use it for myself. Because it's true!!

Another friend, Mrs. Reva T, said this: The Real Royal Wedding, "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteous of saints" Revelation 19:7-8

We may not have been invited to the Royal Wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, but there is another Royal Wedding we are invited to attend. Upon accepting this invitation, we are changed from our unworthy attire that is dirty and stained from sin, into fine linen and washed clean and white by the precious blood of the spotless Lamb.

I'll not only be invited to attend, but I will be part of the bride!

Weekend Blessings

Before we left for the youth meeting at Zion Hill this past Friday night I was praying for that meeting, but also for the meeting going on with Crossroad's Rescue Mission and that the Lord would certainly show Himself there as well as Zion Hill.

We had such a good time going up to Zion Hill. The kids talked about all the youth meetings they've been submerged in, their favorite preachers, and they sang all the way up. Sang while we were at the youth meeting, testified, glorified, and praised the Lord. They enjoyed a time of fellowship after the meeting and then it was an even better ride home. They were still singing, they were still praising the Lord, and they were still talking about their favorite preachers. Only this time, they had added one to the list, which was Brother Spears that preached that night. He certainly made an impact on them. Another blessing I got was, we have spent a LOT of time in youth meetings and revivals lately. We haven't done a lot of "fun" things with the youth this year. But Pastor Goodman asked them if they had anything fun they wanted to do and their answer was to go back to the cabins and have our own little camp meetings. Last year it was unbelievable the things that happened at the cabins. And it blessed my heart to hear them say they wanted to do that again. They could have said putt putt, bowling, hiking, anything...but they want to have camp meeting time at the cabins. Now that's a blessing!

When we were at the Mother Daughter banquet last night I found out just how good the meeting at Crossroad's Jubilee went too. It was one of those things you hear and wish you could have been in both places at one time. The preacher that was preaching that night preached on servitude. Then brought Brother Rocky up, had him sit down, and washed his feet. Next thing you knew there were other preachers standing in line to do the same. They said Brother Rocky cried like a baby and they were shoutin' the tent down! What a way to end this year's jubilee!! When others turned their backs on him and the mission based on their opinion and not the WORD OF GOD, God turned it around and told Brother Rocky, "I'm not finished with you yet!" Praise the LORD!

Someone had quoted a verse the other day and it's kind of been the theme verse in my head for the mission all week. Acts 5:38-39 "And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God."

I have never heard or seen of God losing any fight. And He is certainly not losing this one. Praise the LORD!