The Search is Over. The Good is found in His Word.

"If you search for good, you will find favor; but if you search for evil, it will find you!" Proverbs 11:27

It seems today, not many look for that which is good. Rather we hear and focus on our problems. 

In doing this we fill ourselves with things that tear us down, frustrate us, consume us and even destroy us. 

God says if we search for good we will find favor. 

I want that favor, but more so I want to focus and be filled with that which is good, life giving, hopeful, joyful, and promising. 

All those things are found in God's Word. He is good. His Word is good! His love is good! His promises are good! His mercy is good! His forgiveness is good! 

I want my life to reflect His goodness, so in return others will desire His goodness. 

Altar Sunday

It doesn't matter where you are at, at this very moment, God is present. He has never left your side. Take time to praise Him right where you are. Take time to worship Him and be with Him.

God just wants your attention and love. You don't have to be inside the Church walls to spend time with Jesus.

God made that possible when He gave you Jesus.

Brought to Life

"But blessed are those who trust in The Lord and have made The Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit." Jeremiah 17:7-8

I was instantly reminded of this the other day when I saw these two trees. 

How perfectly they described this passage. I love it when The Lord brings Scripture to life through His creation. 

What passage has Jesus brought to life for you this week? 

Spring Break Get Away!

This is one thing my hubs and I LOVE doing. Fishing. And competing while we fish. 

I won't mention who won...ME! Not by the number of fish caught, he smoked me on that. But I smoked him on size. 7lbs!!! That fish is not pictured! 

Pops came in third, and did it gracefully. G got his love for fishing from his dad. And all three of us always have a blast. 

How Do You Make Use of Your Time?

How do you make use of the time, money, gifts, and abilities God has given you?

Do you use them wisely or foolishly?

Jesus knew how you would use all He gave you before you were ever born. "You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed." Psalm 139:16

What's so great about Christ, is He gives us the opportunity to make wiser decisions with what we have been given. But we first must know Him. We must also have a desire to please to Him. "While we live, we live to please the Lord." Romans 14:8

 Moses says in Psalm 90:12-"Teach us to make the most of our time, so that we may grow in wisdom." The more we grow in wisdom the better we will be at using our time, money, gifts and abilities wisely.

We can get a good glimpse of how we use these things by evaluating our lifestyle.

The Beauty We Seek?

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears The Lord will be greatly praised." Proverbs 31:30

A woman's beauty is found in the image of Christ.

The more Christ is seen within her the more beautiful she is.

The more she clothes herself with His Word, the more radiant she becomes.

She is aware that her physical beauty will disappear, being remembered no more. So she seeks to leave the lasting beauty of Him, His love, His joy. For those she knows will last forever.

Which beauty are you seeking to obtain? That of the worlds or that of Christ?

Your time, actions, focus, speech and investments will reveal the truth of the beauty you seek. 

To See as You See

37 

"Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word." 

Psalm 119:37

These eyes don't see as You see. 

You see His blood. You see perfection through Him. You see a soul You love, have rescued and belongs to You. 

You see things with a wider lens. You see with compassion and gentleness.

Your eyes never grow weak, they never close. 

These eyes, let them see what You see. 

Fill them with the same vision of Your Son.

May they not focus on anything other than You, Your Word, Your truth, Your promises, Your love. 

Change the vision in these eyes to see the lost as You do. To see the broken as You do. To see the widowed and orphaned as You do. To see those in slavery as You do. 

Change the vision in these eyes to see me as You see me, loved, saved, valued and adored. 

I Am Yours

"I am yours; save me! For I have applied myself to obey your commandments." Psalm 119:94

Jesus teach me to let go of me, so I can be filled with You. 

Teach me true surrender. 

Teach me how to lay my willpower down and pick up the power of the Holy Spirit.

Let Your work of transformation begin within me.

Purify me. Cleanse me. Revive me. Fill me. Use me. Shape me. Mold me. 

Jesus I want nothing more than for You to have complete control, for then I can know for sure that my every move, every thought, every action and reaction, and every spoken word will point and reflect You. 

Make even my blood flow with godliness, truth and love. 

Jesus I am Yours! 

Altar Sunday

Go to church to be changed, not just for a pep talk. 

Live a life "That is"

What if...more people liked me?

What if....I was prettier?

What if....I was thinner?

What if....I was more godly?

What if...I read my Bible more?

What if...my marriage was better?

What if...I was married?

What if...I had more money?

What if...I had a better job?

What if...I fit in more?

If I could be more like her/him, then I would...

If I could just have more money, then I would...

If I could just look like that, then I would...

If I could get my kids to be more like theirs, then I would...

If I...

It goes on and on. It's a vicious cycle. 

And one I believe Satan likes a little too much. 

He loves that we question our worth. He loves that we compare ourselves to others. He loves that we are believing his lies.

He loves to hear us doubt God's promises and truths.

Satan loves what if's. 

Jesus on the other hand loves those who walk confidently in His truths and turns all those what if's into actions.

Your beauty is found within.

Your health is founded on God's strength, not your own willpower to be healthy or thin. 

Your godliness is found in your obedience to Christ.

Your desire or lack of reading God's Word is a reflection of your relationship with Him. When that grows so will your desire to read the Word.

Your marriage is a reflection of your marriage with Christ. If He comes first so will your marriage.

Richness is found in Christ. There will never be a greater or longer lasting wealth.

Your job is the one you do for Christ, not man.

Don't desire to fit in, desire to be different. 

Let Jesus set you free from the what if's. Start living a life that is. 

"Jesus said to the people who believed in him, You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:32

Stern

Sometimes being stern comes across harsh, mean and unlovable. And yes, sometimes if our intentions are just that, then yes it encompasses all three of those things.

BUT. When our sternness is done out of sincere love and to teach, then I believe it expresses love.

Jesus was stern. His yes meant yes and His no meant no. His rules were His rules. His laws were His laws, and when those were broken or misconstrued, He meant business. His rebuking and teaching was stern, not because He demanded His way, but because He loved us and loves us. He wants the best for us and from us. His sternness is intended to purify, cleanse, renew, remind, and redirect us from that which is sinful, wrong and displease the Father.

The Pharisees and Sadducee's displayed the opposite kind of sternness. They were harsh, mean and unloving. Their intentions were always selfish.

When times call for sternness, be sure your heart's intentions are aligned with the Word of God and the leading of the Spirit.

It's never easy to give or receive, but if we will allow it, it will teach us and help us grow.

So as you study God's Word today, remember this, "For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child." Hebrews 12:6

Food for the Soul

Are you seeking healthy, life long nourishment that feeds your soul?

If so, seek to be filled with kindness. Kindness that not only nourishes you, but nourishes all those around you.

"Your own should is nourished when you are kind, but you destroy yourself when you are cruel." Proverbs 11:17

Jesus clothe us in kindness. May we pour it out just as You have poured it out upon us. Amen

May They Become the Desire of His Heart

We pulled up to the house and Dax said, "Mommy, do our neighbors go to Church?"

Me, "I am not sure baby, we should invite them."

Dax, "Ya, because they might not know Jesus, and that is not good!"

May his heart grow more and more with a passion to share Jesus. May the lost become the desire of his heart. 

Be Different than the Norm!

Ladies, if there is anything we can learn from the Word of God, it's that true beauty is found within. All to often we compare ourselves and envy women who we see as prettier, smarter, more put together, etc. But the truth is, that prettier, smarter, more put together woman, could be an absolute disaster on the inside. She could have a heart of stone, yet is able to portray a false outward appearance. She could be the most broken woman, but hides behind her physical appearance, success, or earthly possessions.

We have all known women that we believed had it all together, until we really got to know them. Their actions and speech revealed something quite different.  We have also know some very beautiful women who had worldly hearts, and we have all known woman whose love for Jesus makes them radiate with indescribable beauty.

As women, who claim to be "true" followers of Christ, let's not pretend to be more than what we really are, sinners saved by grace, daily in need of Jesus.

Let's be women who are found beautiful inside because of the love of Jesus in us, not the love of the world and physical appearance.

Wouldn't you rather be known as the woman who reflected Christ, loved others, was real and honest, rather than a woman who reflected the world, was fake, broken, and pretended to be someone God never intended her to be in the first place.

Ladies, God has entrusted us with the opportunity to set a Godly example for young women. Don't lead them astray, or lead them to believe their physical appearance is greater than their heart for God. Tell them, that though this has become the norm for women today, for those in Christ, its not the norm. Encourage them to have a relationship with Christ. Encourage them to clothe themselves in His Word, His truths, His promises, for then they will truly be clothed in beauty.

Let's be women who encourage and build one another up, who challenge one another to be all they can be for Christ, and who hold one another accountable because of our desire to honor and please the Lord.

If you find yourself constantly comparing, constantly feeling insecure, constantly striving to look pretty outwardly rather than inwardly, constantly finding yourself jealous of others. Run to God's Word and let Him remind you who you are in Him. Let Him wrap His truths and promises around you and let Him remind you it's about what He thinks, not what another man or woman thinks.  Stop letting Satan convince you and fill you with lies.

The more you know Christ, the more you will desire to please Him, to be your best for Him, to honor Him and serve Him. The more your relationship with Christ grows, the less it will be about you and the more it will be about Him.

Who are you investing more in, Christ or yourself? Who are you trying to impress, Christ or man? Who are you comparing yourself to, Christ or others? What are you trying to fill your emptiness and void with, Christ or the world? Let these questions help guide you daily as you do all that you do.

Ladies, be the woman that stands apart from the rest. Be the woman that allows Christ to be seen. Be the woman that clothes herself with the beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit. Be the woman that exudes honesty, humbleness, and selflessness.

Be the one that lives out, believes, and clings to the promises of God. Be different than the norm! 

"Don't be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. This is how the holy women of old made themselves beautiful. They trusted God and accepted the authority of their husbands." 1 Peter 3:3-5

Altar Sunday

Spiritually there are many of us having an affair. Who or what are you cheating on Christ with?

Today you have the oppurtunity, better yet everyday God gives you the oppurtunity to return to Him. 

Will you give your heart back to Him?

It's An Extra Special Day

This truly is my greatest joy, waking up and meeting Jesus. Today is extra special for many reasons. 

1. I can see His Word and make out the words. 

2. I get to spend extra time with Him while the boys play and G works in the yard. 

3. I get to prepare lessons for the sweetest group of women in West Texas. 

4. Today is one day closer to Jesus.

5. Today His mercies start fresh. (Thank You Jesus!)

What is Jesus allowing you to do today that is extra special?

Dax Update

For many of you who know Dax's story, know it hasn't been the easiest five years of his life, but it hasn't been the worst either. 

A couple of weeks ago Dax had some more testing done. 

Allergy testing to see where he was, simply because his poor skin, nose and headaches were not getting any better no matter what meds he took. Those results showed his allergies have doubled  since 2012. 

He was such a trooper. Here are a few pictures. He is such a big boy.

This is just a hint of how bad his skin is. This has been all over his body.

His other arm. :(

These popped up not even a minute after they applied them. 

I failed to get a finale pic of his back after the 25 minutes due to his discomfort and severe itching.

We now carry an EPI pen, and will begin allergy shots twice a week for the next five years. 

We also had his MRI done due to the headaches. This went great. The cyst has not changed, it's not gone but it's not growing. Praise The Lord!

We now can confirm the headaches are all sinus related. 

He had his blood tested again, we do this every six months to see if his IGA is coming up any. Unfortunately they are not, and his vitamin D is extremely low. 

Though we were disappointed about those results we are thankful and feel like we are finally moving in a good direction with this sweet little guy of ours. 

He is so strong, sweet, funny, hyper, busy, smart and challenges us daily with his questions. 

I just couldn't love these three boys of mine anymore than I do. My heart often feels like erupting because I love them so much. 

They humble me, teach me things about myself that I desire to change to be better for them, and their love for me, well, there is nothing greater.

👀

Hello Sweet Ones,

I have missed each of you so much and am so thankful for all the prayers. They were very, very needed, as my eye surgery turned out to be a lot more painful than I ever intended. 

I am doing much better and actually get the bandages off this morning. Due to the complications in my left eye it is extremely blurry so I am depending more on my right eye. 

But it will get better and I am so thankful. I have learned how much I have taken my sight for granted, not just physically but spiritually as well. 

This is the longest I have gone in 33 years without being able to read and study God's Word. I have been able to listen which I am so grateful for, but reading it and writing it is my passion, so I look forward to being able to see His Word soon.

My husband and Avery have been a true blessing, reading your emails and texts and replying for me. 

I am truly blessed to have such a sweet and caring family. My mom and dad came and stayed and helped with the boys which is always a treat. 

I hope God has filled you with amazing new glimpses of His presence and truth. 

Is He found in You?

"Love does no wrong to others."  The Lord said. 

I sat there and listened as He spoke those words over and over to me this morning. 

Jesus, I know this and desire this but there is so much hurt in this world. There are so many broken families, broken people, lost people, hurtful words, anger and violence.

"Because there is so little of Me found in man. I am love." Jesus replied

Will you be love today? 

Don't Be Fooled

"Riches won't help on the day of judgment, but right living can save you from death." Proverbs 11:4

Need the Lord clarify anymore? Riches, nor popularity, nor fame, nor believable speech or outwardly put together appearance help you on the day of judgement. 

Rather it's an obedient and loving heart that matters most to Him. 

It's the one who seeks to please Him, honor Him and tell others of Him.

Most importantly it's having a personal relationship with Him. 

When you have that, you will have a heart that desires to live a godly life for the One whom you love more than breath itself. 

Don't be fooled by the worlds standards. Trust in the Word of God.