What if Jesus had a blog!

I was pondering this yesterday morning. I don't know if it's for someone that needs encouragement or not but I interrupt this normally senseless, quirky blog to bring you what's on my heart today.

Well first off, If Jesus had a blog His follower list would make mine look like what a grain of sand looks like on the beach. He wouldn't need spell check or a thesaurus to make Him look smarter. He would simply be who He is, Jesus. We'd love Him for that reason. He would write from His heart. He wouldn't worry about what people think.
Would it make you laugh? Cry? Think? Would you visit it everyday?
Well in a way, Jesus DOES have a blog. In fact He has several. It's us. We Christians who glorify Him in some way on OUR blogs. The church is a body. Some of us are the legs, some the arms, some the feet, etc. Just like some blogs make you think, some laugh, and some cry.
We all blog for different reasons. God made us all different, with different personalities, likes and dislikes.
I know for a fact that the Lord turned my blog into something that I hadn't intended it to be but from what I can see by your comments, it's blessing you.
Don't compare your blog to my blog. We are all going to attract different people for different reasons.
The point is we ALL bring something to this virtual table we call blogland. Don't get discouraged because you only have 3 followers and give up. You are important to those 3 followers and you may be used to encourage them in some way. Who knows? Don't let it be about numbers. If He has called you to blog then just blog from YOUR heart and it'll reach who it needs to reach. Just leave that part up to Him!


I love you my bloggy buddies!!

Doing some weeding!

I'm sure when you read the blog post title you thought you were going to find me up to my knees in dirt somewhere in the front yard huh? Well I can tell you that that would have been a lot easier then writing this post. This post is a confession of sorts and letting you know what the Lord is doing in our lives right now.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, my husband and daughter went on a Father/Daughter retreat to Callaway Gardens in Georgia, put on by Vision Forum. They had a marvelous time. What I didn't expect is how they would come home feeling. My daughter was completely renewed and refreshed in her walk with the Lord. She quickly isolated movies and took music off her MP3 player that she knew didn't completely glorify the Lord. My husband was ready for change as well and was setting up for a reformation of our family. Me? I was scared to death, at first. It was very overwhelming coming all at once but slowly the Lord started to show me what He had shown them at this retreat.
Let me give you a little background on us as a family. We love the Lord and thought we were putting Him first in our life. We went to church on Sunday, I'd have my devotions in the morning and my husband would have his and then we'd be on our merry way. The Lord convicted my husband about sharing the word diligently with his family and worshiping the Lord as a family. We had been slacking on that and sin started to creep slowly into our house. In what form? Well for the most part in the form of movies we watched. Even before the Lord revealed this to us you wouldn't have found a movie over a PG in our house. But after looking at a lot of these movies with new eyes, things became more evident to us and they were not sitting well with us any more. We used to justify buying a movie if it only misused the Lord's name one or two times because we would just mute or fast forward over it. See how you start compromising? We did this for years. But for us it's time to change.
Now this post isn't about me trying to convict you or change you. That's not my job. This is about what the Lord is doing in our family. I am just being real. I love you gals and you know it. I'm not going to come to your house and do an inventory. LOL! This was not easy by any means for me. I enjoyed these movies for many many years and some for only months. I will be more than happy to explain why we got rid of any one movie if you have a question. I'm sure you will find most of these in households across America, but they will no longer be viewed by ours.


Sin is like weeds, if you ignore it for too long it will start to take over and before you know it you are overtaken with it. Weeding isn't fun work but in order to keep your spirit from getting smothered by it you need to do an inventory of what's in the garden of your heart.
The bible tells us this:

Romans 12:2 (New King James Version)

² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

It's not easy living in a world where you are surrounded by sin. Sin is tempting and alluring. Sin is fun and adventurous. That's why we constantly need to put on the armor of God each and every day.

Ephesians 6:13-15 (New International Version)

¹³Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

Here are a couple of great resources for checking out what a movie has in it before you see it or buy it. It goes into details so you aren't taken by surprise.

Plugged in Online and Kids in Mind

Are you still with me? I hope so!
If you've made it this far, thank you for sticking it out. For the next 3 days I will be sharing a few Spring Decorating ideas. So come back and join me. No more heavy stuff for a while! LOL.

Economic Encouragement!

Let's admit it. Times are shaky in our country. Layoffs and unemployment are at an all time high and it doesn't look like it's going to be getting any better in the near future. I don't even have that much comfort in our government and the decisions they are making to "help". (Hold on the encouragement is coming!) So what do you do?

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.

Is that hard for you? To let the Lord take control?
My husband works at Cape Canaveral. In the 13 years he's worked there for one company to the next, layoffs were always a threat. See at the Cape it's not your performance that keeps you there, it's the seniority. My hubby unfortunately has always been near the bottom of the totem pole and therefor when the word layoff is said, we again think, here we go again. Although, by the grace of God, 90% of the time he dodged them, but he did actually get laid off 2 years ago for a whole year. It was a time of pruning and growing and trusting in the Lord for all our provisions. Did we ever go without food? No. Electricity? No. We had everything we needed and the Lord provided it all. My husband got called back to the Cape and has been there for 2 years now. But once again layoffs are in the near future and he is at the very BOTTOM of the totem pole this time. But we know that the Lord is good and He will provide. Does it always come in the form that we expect? No. This is what has happened recently. A job opening came up within the same company that my husband currently works for. My husband wasn't sure about it at first because it's not a job in his trade. He's an electrician and this job would have nothing to do with being an electrician. But knowing that the job would be more secure he took the step to apply. See you can't sit around and think the Lord is going to drag you to your next destination, you need to take a step and with each step it becomes more clear to either advance or retreat. As it did with this job. With each step we both felt better and better about it. When they actually offered it to him we both felt it was the Lord's way of keeping hubby out there in a more "secure" position. The miraculous part? My husband doesn't have a bachelors degree or anything. He went to trade school for 2 years to become an electrician. But this lowly ol' country boy will be in what they call the Pentagon of the Cape. In fact he walked right past the General on his way in.

Proverbs 22:29
Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before unknown men.

We serve a BIG God! See layoffs probably won't touch him now for the rest of the contract which is another 6 years. Is this something my husband would have sought out on his own? No. My husband starts the day out on his knees and asks the Lord for wisdom and guidance. He is good about giving it to those who ask. So my point today is.Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. Many of you have husbands that have been laid off or are in the process. Don't be afraid to take steps in new directions as the Lord guides you. Ask Him for wisdom and discernment. In these shaky times you just might find yourself doing something you never thought you would. Don't be afraid to take chances when the Lord is prompting you. Where the Lord guides He provides. Most of all ladies, support and build up our husbands. Let them know we have their back and are there for them. So much responsibility rests on the shoulders of our men. They don't need nagging wives to deal with either. Let's do our part and love and support them unconditionally!
I hope this was able to encourage you. It's been on my heart and I know that sometimes we go through things to be an encouragement to others, so I hope you were able to walk away with something.
Have a most excellent day and thanks for sticking it out with me on this longer than usual post!
BIG Hugs!

The Comfort Zone

The Comfort Zone

It annoys me sometimes when I wake up in the middle of the night with a thought provoking post. Last night was one of those nights. 1:30 am rolls around and WHAMO, I'm wide awake and the brain is in high gear. I had promised to leave these kind of posts to Laura Lee lol. They come so much more easily for her and it just makes more sense coming from her mouth lol. But here we go anyway.
We are having company tonight for dinner. Now I love to entertain but for some reason when my "comfort zone" is interrupted I start to panic. I don't know what to make for dinner, my house seems messier then normal, the dog needs a bath, I need to pave the driveway, the lawn is an inch to long, the house is the wrong color....etc...Then I realize (I need to get out more) that Satan would love for me to give into my fears and just say forget it. But not only would that family not be blessed but I would miss the blessing of serving them and being a servant of Christ.

Romans 12:13 it says, "Share with God's people who are in need, Practice hospitality."
Now I could do this but with a bad attitude and it would mean nothing.
1 Peter 4:9 says," Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling"
I admit, I love my little bubble I call my home. I could go days without leaving and be just fine. This however is very noticeable to anyone I come in contact with soon thereafter. Because in general I am a very outgoing person. I love to make people laugh (DUH!). So a few days of pent up comedic energy has a tendency to maybe, I don't know, "overwhelm" the first person that sees me, so I do try to get out more often. It's either that or my kids start hiding from the crazy lady lol. Just kidding!
So why is coming out of our comfort zone so hard? Are we worried about what others may think? That's probably my biggest fear. What if they didn't like my cooking or my table setting. What if they see a wad of dog hair tumble across the floor. All of these are excuses that the enemy would love for us to use. Your house will never be big enough, or clean enough. Your Corelle plates will be just fine. Paper napkins are okay. Use what God has given you. I often think," but groceries are so expensive now adays how can we afford to entertain?"Well I know for a fact that God is bigger than any grocery chain in America, so I had to stop thinking that way. My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches and glory.
What is God asking you to do that entails coming out of your comfort zone? Don't miss your blessing because of the lies that are thrown at you. Step out in faith and see what God does!
I'm stepping out tonight and I'm serving CHICKEN by golly!
I hope this post didn't hurt anyone mentally today!LOL! I do want to challenge you today to do that thing that the Lord has been bugging you about because sooner or later He'll find someone to do it and they will be the ones getting the blessings. Let that person be you!
Blessings my friends.

Blurred Vision

How many times have you started something with great enthusiasm only to have it end up sitting in a closet somewhere unfinished? I have a closet full of partially finished projects.
I love to craft. I love to sew, paint, draw, make things etc., but I could never understand why I didn't seem to have enough time to do all these things. The harder I tried the less time I seemed to have and ultimately it would end up with me being frustrated. Well to begin with I have 3 children ages 14, 6 and 3 and a wonderful husband. I homeschool and have a house to run. At the time this wasn't my "first" priority. My busyness was. It was allaboutme.com lol. Now don't get me wrong all the things I was trying to do weren't bad in any sense but they should not have been my top priority. I went to the Lord with my dilemma. Slowly but surely a change of heart started to come about. My focus became much clearer on what I as a wife and mother was supposed to do. "Lord" I said, "it can't be this simple." But the more I focused on my task as wife and mother and made that my top priority the more my life became more and more simplified and fulfilling. I gave up trying to do things for myself and truly became a servant to my family. I know that there is a season for everything, the bible says so in Ecclesiastes 3: 1 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven.
The Lord showed me that in this season of my life I was to focus my attention on my family. My children are not going to be here forever. So that's what I did. I focused my attention and my heart toward my family. I can't tell you the difference it has made. My husband and I were just commenting on how awesome our marriage has become. I couldn't even imagine it getting better but it has. My attitude toward homeschooling has changed too. It's not drudgery anymore because it's no longer about me and what I want to do. I've spent the last month revamping my entire homeschool frame of mind and I am actually excited about this year. Something I haven't been in a long time. (I'm going to share that in another post) .
Mothers, wives, I challenge you to refocus your heart on what's important. Invest your time into your family and not your own personal interests. There will be plenty of time for that. I personally get up extra early just so I have a little "me" time. After doing devotions I actually have a little time to accomplish something that I want to do.It may be writing, reading, sewing etc. But I've made it a point to let it go as soon as the family starts to wake. Go to the Lord with the struggles you have right now concerning this area in your life. This verse pretty much sums it up. Proverbs 31:28 (New King James Version) 28 Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her.
You have great influence as a wife and mother. You can either influence in a positive or in a negative. You choose. You can have peace in your home starting today. Let's go before the Lord in prayer.

Lord, I lift this day up to you. Thank you that Your mercies are new every morning. Lord I pray for every wife and mother who longs to be what you want them to be. Give them the change of heart needed to fulfill their role as wife and mother. Give them the strength today to make that change. Fill them with you spirit and guide them. Take away those selfish desires and fill them with a servants heart. Bless their marriage and their children. I ask this in your precious name Jesus, Amen!

Breakfast for the Soul

Well I wasn't sure whether to put this under Devotionals or Recipes. But this is what I woke up to this morning. The devotionals I put on here are directly related to what the Lord puts on my heart at any given moment. I know this blog doesn't get a lot of exposure yet but the Lord knows what one person may need to read something that "He" has written. I enjoy being the vessel that He uses.

What's the first thing you do in the morning? After maybe getting dressed or having coffee it's probably eat breakfast. Does anyone need to tell you to eat? They don't have to tell me. My body tells me that I need something in order to function throughout the day. Especially in the morning, just to get started. Think about your Spirit for a moment. Do you feed it? First thing in the morning? I know when I am reluctant to read my bible or pray before my day starts it affects how my day goes. I can feel myself trying to do everything in my own strength. I get tired and weary. I get snappy with my kids. I lose focus on what's important. Isaiah 40:31 (New King James Version) says, "But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint." Do you wait upon the Lord? Believe me I know life is hard and some days it doesn't feel like there are enough hours in the day but I know when I've taken the time to stop and pray or read a verse in the bible, my day goes way better then when I don't take the time. And just like eating, you don't eat once and then expect to be satisfied for the rest of the day. You need to continually feed your Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (New King James Version) says "Rejoice always,pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. As a housewife and mother you may think, " I don't have time to "stop" and pray throughout the day." One thing I have learned to do is to pray as I'm doing chores. While I fold laundry I might pray for the person in whom I'm folding their laundry. As I vacuum I might thank the Lord for a house to vacuum. You can find tidbits of time to pray. The Lord hears you as you rejoice in what you are doing. Colossians 3:23 (New King James Version) says"And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,"

In closing I urge you to start your day out by spending time with your Lord and Savior. If you don't already have Him as your Savior then you can ask Him into your heart. Just admit that you are a sinner and repent of your sins, believe that Jesus died on the cross and rose again and ask Him to come into your heart. You will be saved. Romans 10:9 (New King James Version) says "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." I've done life without Him and it's hard, very very hard. Not to say you won't have troubles as a Christian but you have the Lord for the strength.

Lord I pray for the people that stumble across this devotion today. I pray for what might be going on in their lives right now Lord that needs your help. I pray that they seek you continually in all they do. Help it to be a habit for us. Let us long for your fellowship. Be with us today and give us strength to do your will. In your awesome name I pray. Amen!

Open mouth, insert foot!

Have you ever said something and as soon as it came out of your mouth you wish you could take it back? If you answered no I'll give you time to go pray and repent about the lie you just told and come back ha ha. But seriously, when I first married my husband I had a real problem about speaking before thinking. A lot of times it was in the name of fun but it wasn't fun for anyone but me. I'm a bit of a comedian in our household and granted my family loves that but I've learned across the years that you don't want to get a laugh at someone elses expense. I've grown a lot since then and have really become aware of what I say before it comes out. But once in awhile the ugly mouth monster raises its ugly head and something will sneak out before I have a chance to process it and WHAM! Someone gets hurt. Luke 6:45 (New King James Version) says,"A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
Can you say ouch? I know that when I am constantly in the word and in prayer those episodes of speaking before thinking are very few because what's in my heart is good. Now you put talk shows, soap operas, sitcoms etc. into your heart and that same stuff is going to reflect in your speech and your attitude. A good verse to meditate on is Psalm 141:3 (New King James Version). It says, "Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips. Once something is said you can never get it back. It's gone. If you're in a situation and you want to lash out or you feel yourself getting angry, it's better to just walk away and say nothing. Don't say something you'll regret later. Retreat for awhile until you can prayerfully seek what the Lord would have you do in that situation. We've all been there, but in case someone is reading this who has never been there, please email me with your secret so I can share it with everyone else . : )
The good thing is our God is a forgiving God. His mercies are new every morning. If you've hurt someone with your words ask them for forgiveness. It doesn't matter if they choose to forgive or not, what's important is that you ask. Matthew 6:14 (New King James Version)says,"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you." So it's not only right to ask for forgiveness but to also forgive, whether that person has asked you to or not.

Lord, thank you for your mercies that are new every morning. Lord, please help us to guard our hearts and our mouths. May we think before we speak and the words be sweet has honey. Thank you for the strength you give us to overcome. I ask this in your most precious name Jesus. Amen!

Have you praised your husband today?

The websters dictionary defines the word praise as: the act of expressing approval or admiration; commendation. Is this something you do to your husband on a regular basis. This came to me this morning while I was talking to my husband. Just about every time I am about to hang up I tell he is my most excellent lover. When I greet him at the door it's with another form of admiration. This is how I truly think of my husband because I don't have to think of these things before I say them, it's how I truly feel. Do you think of your husband that way or do you only see a man who goes to work and comes home with a paycheck? Proverbs 12:4 says, "A wife of noble character is her husband's crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones.A little praise can go a long way. You may think he doesn't deserve the praise. Well that is not up to you to determine. 1 Peter 1:1-5 says,"1 Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, 2 when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. 3 Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— 4 rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. 5 For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands.. It doesn't say to wait until they get their act together or until they start treating you better. You, the wife can make a difference just through your actions. I challenge you to try this. Not just for a day but for a lifetime. If the bible says it, you won't regret it.
Men love praise, the more the better. Let it be genuine praise not half hearted off the top of your head praise. Men don't like to be toyed with . Mean what you say. Ask the Lord to see your husband in a different light.

Lord on this day may we give our husbands the praise they deserve. The admiration from our hearts. For those who's husbands seem hard to love right now Lord I pray that you give these wives a submissive heart so they can love their husbands unconditionally. Give us the strength for today Lord. We give you all the praise and glory. In Jesus' powerful name, Amen.

What's on your Agenda?

What's on your agenda today? Do you ever think about how everyone has their own agenda when they wake up in the morning? We all have things that we want to accomplish in that day. How do we as mothers react when things don't go our way? Do we take it out on the kids or maybe your husband?

As a mother it's our responsibility to bring order to the household. As the old saying goes, "If Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." My mother used to say that all the time and boy is it ever true today. When I wake up in a grumpy mood it reflects all over the place. My kids get grumpy, my husband gets grumpy, all because I refused to die to myself that morning and put behind me the bad attitude. Ephesians 4:22-24 says "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

It is our nature to be selfish. We are born selfish. But when we accept Christ as Savior we are held to higher standards. To put away that selfish desire. To be like Christ. Do you think Jesus ever woke up saying things like: Ugh! I have to do laundry today or these kids are driving me crazy! I'm going to go out on a limb here and say I'm not thinking He did.

Becoming a mother for me was very hard. If you looked up selfish in the dictionary it said go see Kim and had a nice mug shot of my face. I've been a mother now for over 14 years and I still stuggle with that desire to have it all about me some days. It's not easy to die to yourself, it's just not. But when you look at the rewards it gives it is well worth it. I had to keep telling myself that each thing you go through is just a season of life and the bible says in Ecclesiastes 3:1, "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven." I constantly have to keep reminding myself that, because I have a tendency to get wrapped up in something and want to finish it like I have no other responsibilities in the world and when I can't, because I do have other responsibilities I would get upset. There will be time to do all that you want to do someday. Don't miss the here and now with your children and or husband.

It seems the older you get the faster time seems to slip away. Don't miss out on the greatest mission you have, MOTHERHOOD. Your family is your #1 priority, aside from the Lord of course. Not woman's bible studies, not volunteering at church, not tea socials. As fun as all that is it's not investing into your family. You're kids aren't going to wait for you to get done with your busyness to grow up. Before you know it they will be grown and gone. Don't look back someday and say, " I wish I would have ________," You fill in the blank. Now I'm not saying that you have to stay inside your house all day barefoot and pregnant with your hair up in a hankerchief looking worn down and tired. But I am saying to prayerfully seek the Lord before accepting anything that takes you away from the home. Let it be Him that guides you, not your selfish desire.

Dear Lord, I ask you to help us to embrace the task of motherhood. Help us to hold our families in high priority. Guide us each day as we invest our time and efforts into our children. Help us to spark their creativity and interests. Let us love and honor our husbands. Let us be an example of how a mother and wife should be. Give us strength for each day. I ask this in your precious name Jesus. Amen.

Lifes Darts

"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience." James 1: 2-3. NKJ

Noone said life would be easy. In fact it's anything but. We all go through trials. This is how the Websters dictionary defines the word.
Trial - a test of faith, patience, or stamina through subjection to suffering or temptation.
Does that sound like something you've gone through? How did you handle it? In the past I had a tendency to want to work it out all by myself. To keep it bottled up until, like a coke bottle when you shake it what happens? It explodes. Then what you have is a bigger mess on your hands then when you started. What would happen if at the beginning of that trial you took it and handed it to the Lord? Do you think he's going to sit there and shake it up until it explodes? No.
1 Peter 6-7 says," Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
Why is it so hard sometimes to humble ourselves before the Lord? If we could get it through our heads that He loves us way more than we can ever imagine and He knows our beginning to the end, we wouldn't hesitate to hand ALL our cares over to Him.
Psalm 18:32 says,"It is God who arms me with strength, And makes my way perfect.
The Lord Himself will give us the strength we need to take on lifes darts. He's not going to take them away but He will give us the armor to defend ourselves from them. It's our choice each day to use that armor.
Ephesians 6:10-18 says," Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints." NKJ.
Make sure that before those darts come that you have your armor on and are ready to go. Don't let them catch you unprepared. Don't let the armor sit in the closet until you "need" it. It's like not carrying insurance on your car until you have an accident. Well by then it's too late. Keep it on. Be encouraged. This too shall pass. The Lord's mercies are new every single morning.