He Delights in YOU!

"The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing."  Zephaniah 3:17

God takes great delight in you. He rejoices over you with singing. 

Let that sink in your heart and consume your thoughts. The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. The Great I Am, takes delight in YOU. He sings over YOU.

Oh brethren you are dearly loved, so lift up your head, take a deep breath in, and walk in that amazing promise and truth. 

There Is Not A Greater Moment Than This

"Daddy what is your purpose in this life?" 

"To make sure you and your sisters go to heaven."

This was a discussion I remember having with my dad when I was younger. I remember the impact it had on me. I thought about it the rest of the day and I still think about it today; especially as a mommy. 

Tonight, my greatest role, purpose and calling as a mommy, came to be, when Dax prayed the most precious prayer, had the most precious discussion with our Pastor. 

Then hearing Avery tell his story, of when Jesus came into his heart. The details that he shared, are forever embedded within me. 

I share this precious news with you, because I know what comes now. I know how much they need you, the Body to pray for them, over them, and with them. I know how important each and everyday from here on out will be, as they grow in their faith.

I know how much they will need to be surrounded by others who seek to honor and please the Lord. I also know now that they belong to Christ and there is nothing that can or will ever separate them from Him. 

I was able to get some amazing pictures of this special moment, and I am so grateful that our Pastor and his wife shared this amazing idea with us. It is something our boys and we will have and remember forever. It will be so very special when they are grown and get to share their story with their children. 

My sweetest boys, as you grow in your relationship with Christ, I pray your love for Him will grow and flourish in a way that only He can do. I pray you will listen to His promises and use them when you need strength, encouragement, help, guidance, and wisdom. They will protect you, always! You are His now and forever. There is nothing that can separate His love from you or for you. Seek His will at all times. Keep your eyes upon Him. Let His Words penetrate deep within you for they will give you a long life and radiant health. Always, be mindful; always be on guard, alert, prayerful, and thankful. Understand that you now join the Body of Christ and together that bond is stronger than any bond. Always be clothed in the Armor of Christ, because Satan is relentless, but he will never be victorious. Christ won the battle, sweet things, and you are covered in His precious blood. May you always walk in His truth, live in grace, love and forgiveness, and may your love and desire for Him be greater than anything or anyone. May your relationship with Christ be the greatest relationship of your life, and one that grows and grows, and produces a bond and love like that fulfills you in everyway.  You are and will always be His. Your daddy and I are so proud of you, and we look forward to serving and sharing Jesus with you. But more than that, we are beyond thrilled to spend eternity in heaven with you forever.

Living It Out By His Grace and Help Alone

I am a firm believer in, if I am going to talk about it and encourage it, then I should be living it.

If I am going to encourage you to strengthen and deepen your relationship with Christ, then I must also be daily strengthening and deepening my relationship.

If I am going to encourage you to be obedient to Him and His Word, then I must also be obedient.

In teaching and writing, the biggest impact that can be made, is when the writer or teacher is actually living out what they are teaching and writing.

Have you ever met someone who talked as though they were such and such, maybe they were a follower of Christ, and they really could be, but their actions never matched their words?

Maybe they spoke on having a godly marriage, yet theirs was completely falling apart.

Maybe they always talked about being healthy, yet their body showed their secret eating habits.

Brethren, it is very easy to fall into the temptation of saying what we "want" to be, to do, or live, yet our actions speak something completely different.

I never want to fall into that trap.

As I always say, I never want anyone to see more of me than what I really am, which is a sinner.

As we continue this process of cleaning out the excess I wanted to share and show you that I am daily doing this. That though you can't see me, you can trust that I am doing the very thing I am encouraging you to do, and that I too struggle.

So, as far as cleaning out the excess in my heart.

This is what I try, always Lord-willing, to do.

1. I cover myself in the Word and always try to memorize a passage a day.
2. I stay fessed' up! This is huge for me, because I fail often.
3. I try to be mindful of my actions, thoughts, and words. This is another hard area for me, especially when things become chaotic or messy.
4. I pray and pray and pray and pray.
5. I take God's grace that He lays out for me daily!!

Cleaning out the excess in my thoughts

This is HARD!

1. I always ask myself, is this a God filled thought or a self focused thought. (This helps me tremendously)
2. I am always grabbing Scripture the Lord has stored within me and saying it over and over.
3. I surround myself with people and things that encourage Godly thinking, and push me closer to the things above and the Cross than the things here on earth.
4. I claim Philippians 4:8-9, like crazy!
5. I take every thought captive and place them under the microscope and light of God's Word and promises.

-Please understand, these are daily choices I choose. Whatever works best for you and the Lord, stick to it!

Cleaning out the excess in my body.

I have never really struggled with junk food, to much caffeine, etc. All due to the problems I have with my tummy. But I do have occasions when I eat more junk than I do healthy. So here are a few of the things that work for me.

1. I pray to have a distaste for things that are not pleasing to the Lord
2. I stick to a pretty regular diet for my GERD (It's VERY BLAND!)
3. I exercise 3 to 4 days a week. Whether running or circuit training. (I literally prayed that God would give me a desire and the ability to run and get stronger. I pray through every workout-NOT KIDDING.)
4. I constantly speak Matthew 4:4 "People need more than bread for their life; they must feed on the very word of God." This is my power verse, my daily snack, and one that I firmly believe in. So I feed myself the Word as much as I can, and still fulfill the other God given roles He has given me.
5. I firmly believe in being the best I can be for the Lord, so I know that taking care of my Temple is extremely important. If I don't, I will be of little use, and I want God to use me to the fullest, so that when He takes me home I will have fulfilled His purpose to the fullest. (This is a daily work in progress, but one I truly desire)

I would love to hear what you do, have done or are doing. What is the Lord teaching you as you clean out the excess in your thoughts, hearts, and bodies?

Be blessed sweet ones! You are loved and adored beyond measure.

It's Not Up To Me To Know, God Knows and They Know!

"He said to them, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them." Mark 10:14-16

How do you know when your babies are really ready for Baptism?

This is a subject my husband and I have often. We want this decision to be completely theirs. Nothing forced, just complete love for Jesus, and their desire to be obedient.

Recently, our now 5 year old, hollered from the backseat. "Mama, I want to get baptized right now!"

Of course I was shocked because it was so random, so raw, so real.

I of course being the mom I am said, "Well baby that is fabulous! But we can't do it right now. We need to go home and visit with daddy, and then visit with our Pastor. Okay?"

"Why mama, why can't you just do it?"

I laughed and said, "It just doesn't work like that."

"Well who baptized you?"

"My daddy baptized me."

"Papaw is a Pastor? I didn't know that."

I laughed!!

So of course we preceded to discuss what baptism means, why we do it, and the importance of being baptized.

I asked some tough questions, some deep questions, and not to confuse him, but to see if he really understood the meaning. To see if his heart belonged to Christ.

And to my surprise he says, "Mommy, I know I am a sinner, I sin all the time, and I have asked Jesus in my heart and I know He is there?"

How do you know Jesus is in your heart, I asked?

And Dax said "He just went knock knock, I opened the door and He came in."

SIGHHHHHHHHHHH

 I would have given anything to have been able to record that comment so I could play it over and over and over.

The simplicity God gave us to be saved, yet how often we make it so difficult.

I don't know, but I would say this mama needs to get out of the way and let God keep doin' what He's doin'.

I believe my baby is ready?

"He said to them, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them." Mark 10:14-16

When the Government is in Turmoil..

Remember it is ran by man.

Remember it puts its confidence in man.

Remember it looks to self rather than Christ.

Remember to not fear, though their decisions affect us, God is still and will always be in control.

Remember to pray.

Remember to look to Christ.

Remember to trust in God's promises.

Remember to not slander, just because they slander.

Remember to pray more for their souls to be saved.

Remember that Christ is our leader, our King, our Protector, our Financial provider, our Hope, our Daily Bread.

And finally, remember that Christ is all-knowing, all-seeing, all-sufficient, all-powerful, and is EVERYWHERE.

He knows every thought of the President, He knows every decision he will make. He knows who he serves. He knows every thought of every individual that makes up our Government. He knows their hearts, their every move, their every motive, everything.

Christ knows His children. He knows what we need, what we fear, what we think, what's in our hearts, our motives, etc. And He will always take care of us.

Remember what Paul told Timothy, well the same applies to us today, regardless of how we feel. Let's be obedient.

"I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.  For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time." 1 Timothy 2:1-6

Letting Go Of The Things That Perish

Do you want to give all you have and all you are to the Lord but your afraid?

Are you afraid of the unknown?

Are you afraid you won't have fun if you live a life completely devoted to Christ?

Are you afraid of suffering for His name sake?

Are you afraid of failing?

Are you afraid of losing everything?

Are you afraid you will be left standing alone?

What is it that keeps you from giving your life completely to Christ?

Do you know who else struggled with this very thing? The Rich Man

"As Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked. “Only God is truly good.  But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. You must not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother.”  “Teacher,” the man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.”  Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” At this the man’s face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!” This amazed them. But Jesus said again, “Dear children, it is very hard^[f] to enter the Kingdom of God.  In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!” Mark 10:17-25

Do you have some things in your life that you refuse to let go of? Do you struggle to clean out the excess you have stored up?

Let God heal you and cleanse you. Don't hold on to things that will perish. Store up everlasting life, God's love, His Word, Christ's forgiveness and mercy. For these things never perish, never rot, and will never destroy you, hurt you or abandon you.

Altar Sunday

As you kneel before the Lord, may His sweetness fall all over you and bring you a renewed hunger for Him.

Cleaning Out The Excess in Our Bodies-Part 4

We will be of no use for the Lord, our families, or others if we allow laziness to consume us.

6 "Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise! Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter.
9 But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up?
10 A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest— then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber." Proverbs 6:6-11

Maybe for some of us our biggest excess comes from our laziness. 

When we are lazy, it shows in our bodies, our homes, our attitudes, our jobs, etc.

Do you need to clean up the excess laziness has caused? 

If so, let this passage motivate you to get up, to take control, and to be useful, active, and productive for Jesus, your family and others.

Cleaning Out The Excess In Our Bodies-Part 3

Wisdom protects us, teaches us, guides us in all aspects of our lives. Especially when it comes to our bodies.

There is purpose in obtaining Godly Wisdom.

There is purpose in fearing The Lord-it's the beginning of knowledge.

You see the foolish, they refuse to listen to wisdom. They refuse to listen to its advice. They instead listen to the cries of their flesh that says, "Feed me more. Notice me. Give me. Love me. I need."

These things, when done by the fool only lead to more foolishness, more sin, more guilt.

But when done by those who choose to be wise, listen to that of The Lord who says, "I will feed you the very satisfying Word of God. I notice you in a wonderful and beautiful way. I will give you what you need to live, and when those wants are given, rejoice in Me. I will fill you with a love that captivates you, inspires you, drives you, overwhelms you. I am love! Your need, it will become for me, not for the world. And there is no greater need than Me."

Listen to the voice of wisdom! It's the first of many in cleaning out the excess.

His Amazing Masterpiece

Late night walks, friends, dirt mounds,  and amazing sunsets

All displays of His magnificent work.

In Times Like These...

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take." Proverbs 3:5-6

In times like these, trust in God not man.

In times like these, trust God's Word, not man's

In times like these, seek His will, not your own.

In times like these, depend on God's truth, not your own. 

In times like these, if you are saved, don't fear the future, look forward to it. It's heaven that awaits you. 

In times like these, don't complain, pray.

In times like these, when you think, "What now? How? Why?" Remember that God is all-knowing, all-powerful, in COMPLETE control and will never leave you nor forsake you. 

Brethren find joy and confidence in the Lord and His promises today. He will never lie to you, and every decision He makes is for His glory and your good.

May You Never

May you never find contentment in this place, rather find the forgiveness of Christ that will set you free from a place that has sought to kill and enslave you.

Cleaning Out the Excess Junk In Our Bodies-Part 2

The second way to honor God with our bodies, express self-control and discipline and clean out the excess junk is by…

2. The Word of God. (Never let food or anything else become a replacement for God’s Word.)

        -This is the GREATEST tool and most important one to have. 

        -The Lord says, in Matthew 4:4-"People need more than bread for their life; they must feed on every word of God." 

        -When we make this verse apart of us, meaning when we actually chew on this, swallow it and let the Holy Spirit break it down within us, we will begin to realize how much more fulfilling God is rather than the following.

a.    Food

b.    Materialistic items

c.    Money

d.    Appearance

e.    Fleshly Desires

      -Food is a natural desire for us. Food is a good thing, when used in the right way and for the right reason. Let me ask you a few questions.

•   Do you eat just to eat?

•   Do eat when you are stressed?

•   Do you eat when you’re sad?

•   Do you binge eat?

•   Do you eat to fulfill a void?

If you answered yes to any of these, what is your motive and reason behind doing what you do?

Your best results will come from getting to the root of why you do what you do. This is something you will need to visit with the Lord about. He is the only One that can show you the true reason you are do what you do. Your greatest benefit will come when you are honest before the Lord.

If food has become an idol, tell Jesus. Ask Him to help you remove the foods that have taken the place where He and His Word should be.

Ask Him to help you understand the role He created food for, which is to nourish you and supply energy. Not to become an addiction or misused gift.

One perfect example of many, is the daily supply of manna, God gave the Israelites. God provided JUST what they needed, nothing more nothing less.  But what did they do, they complained. They had tasted great food in Egypt, and longed for that, all while missing the most important point God was making. True obedience and trust that God would provide.

“Oh, that we were back in Egypt, they moaned. It would have been better if the Lord had killed us there! At least there we had plenty to eat. But now you have brought us into this desert to starve us to death. Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Look, I’m going to rain down food from heaven for you. The people can go out each day and pick up as much food as they need for that day. I will test them in this to see whether they will follow my instructions. Tell them to pick up twice as much as usual on the sixth day of each week...And the Lord said to Moses, I have heard the people’s complaints. Now tell them, in the evening you will have meat to eat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God. That evening vast numbers of quail arrived and covered the camp. The next morning the desert all around the camp was wet with dew. When the dew disappeared later in the morning, thin flakes, white like frost, covered the ground. The Israelites were puzzled whey they saw it. What is it? They asked. And Moses told them, it is the food the Lord has given you. The Lord says that each household should gather as much as it needs. Pick up two quarts for each person. So the people of Israel went out and gathered this food-some getting more, and some getting less. By gathering two quarts for each person, everyone had just enough. Those who gathered a lot had nothing left over, and those who gathered only a little had enough. Each family had just what it needed.” Exodus 16:3-5; 11-18 (To know more-re-read all of 16 in its entirety.)

What is the point of all this?

1.   God always provides our daily needs, especially when it comes to food.
2.   We must be obedient with how and what we eat.
3.   We should not over-indulge ourselves.
4.   We need to pay attention to the details of His Word when it comes to food.
5.   We need to be thankful for our daily bread, and remember that all these extras, they are luxuries that are not to be misused. (I.E. Candy, cheesecake, ice-cream, fast-food, etc.)
6.   Remember you are a reflection of Christ.
7.   God should be your go-to for comfort not food or anything else for that matter.
8.   Resist the temptation to eat unhealthy when stressed, in a hurry, to tired to cook, etc.
9.   Just as God gave the Israelites specific amounts to eat, He also gives us those same specific guidelines.

   10.   Remember this, “Yes, I am the bread of life! Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. However, the bread from heaven gives eternal life to everyone who eats it. I am the living bread that came down out of heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; this bread is my flesh, offered so the world may live.” John 6:48-51-Jesus is your daily bread. He is fulfilling and satisfying. Seek Him first.

Altar Sunday

Do you need to fuel the fire God started in you?

If so, the altar is the perfect place to re-fuel.

Reflecting on the Last 5 Years

Where does the time go? It flies by so fast, that when you finally slow down and look up you realize your babies are bigger, older, and becoming little men.

It's the night before his 5th birthday and my heart can't help but to wonder how we have gotten here so fast.

It hasn't been the easiest 5 years of his life. Sickness has been such a huge part of it, and though small improvements have been made, there is still battles to fight.

Oh, yes it could be so much worse. How well we know that. We are thankful. We are grateful in the greatest sense.

As I look back on these last 5 years, I have seen the hand of God upon him, us, and the lessons we have learned and are still learning.

He has been given the sweetest heart. One that is rare when you battle sickness. He has more energy than the energizer bunny. There is not a place or a person that he does not leave an impression on.

He is smarter and wiser beyond his years, all of which I pray for daily.

He makes us laugh, he melts our hearts, he surprises us with his wittiness and he keeps us on our toes.

Just this week, Dax and I were having a picnic outside, when out of nowhere he said, "This is such a blessing. It's the best day ever, mama. Jesus loves us so much."

It's in those moments that I savor, I love, I cherish. To hear your baby give Jesus praise is the greatest blessing and gift G and I could ever ask for.

Jesus thank You for these 5 precious years. Thank You for filling Dax with Your Holy Spirit, love, protection, healing, comfort, and joy. Thank You for finding favor in G and I and blessing us with this precious gift. May He always seek You, praise You, honor You, and reflect You. Fill him with wisdom beyond his years. Give him discernment and guidance as he grows. We are honored Jesus to be his parents. We thank You for every lesson, every trial. We know there is a purpose and none of it has ever been meaningless. Even in times our hearts break because we feel so helpless, our hearts also rejoice because of Your love and presence that is upon him daily. Thank You for his energy, his love and his sweetness. Thank You that he can walk, talk, run, laugh, hear, see, smell, taste, speak, learn and grow. Jesus we ask that in Your will, his day tomorrow will be filled with You, with joy and so much love. Amen

Be Wise

Complacency and foolishness with our bodies can destroy us.

Maybe not immediately, but later on down the road. Don't choose foolishness today, and say you will change later. 

There might not be a later. 

"Or don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20