2013

Well, I can't believe another year is over and gone and what we have is our memories.  I hope that those memories are good ones and I hope every day of 2013 brings wonderful recollections.  

To all of us, Happy New Year!  

And to Jesus Christ, come quickly! 

Destination Heaven

My daughter, Christina, recently wrote a book called, "Destination Heaven", this book is awesome.  With the help of the Holy Spirit, she writes about things that are so important to all of us these days.  I am adding a bit of this book below so you can get a taste of Destination Heaven.  Enjoy, then go out and get your own copy of her book on Amazon.com.

Destination Heaven
By Christina M. Beebe

Believing: Like seeing the 3D Image in the Magic Eye Design

Do you recall those Magic Eye books that were popular back in the 90's?  Did you ever try to pick out their 3D images?  You stare at the flat paper design-for seconds, minutes, or even hours-until your eyes relax just enough for you to be able to see the 3D image pop out at you.  Once you get it, you can usually move your eyes around slowly to see all around the complexity of the 3D image.  The power of belief and its role in attaining salvation is kind of like that.  

That relaxing of your eyes is like a child's humility, the flexible creativity of a mind unhampered by adulthood.  Spiritually speaking, you humble yourself, relaxing your inner eyes just enough to believe and enter into the kingdom.  The 3D image of God's kingdom now pops out at you.

What happens when you are trying to see the 3D image, but you become distracted or someone interrupts you?  You lose focus.  All your effort at seeing the image is gone.  It takes concentration to get your eyes into just that place where you can see it.  Similarly, faith requires focused humility to see God's kingdom.

In 1 Corinthians 1:21, we learn how important it is to center our attention and heart on the Bible.  There are worldly distractions all around us trying to keep us from grasping the truth and making it our own (Believing): "For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe."

Believing God's word is not to be taken lightly, nor is it meant to be an arduous ordeal.  Just like seeing the 3D image, it takes deliberate focus and attention to believe.  Jesus tells us that unless we humble ourselves and become like little children, we will never enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:3-4), and that the kingdom of heaven "belongs to such as these"  (Matthew 19:14).  Have you ever noticed that little children have no trouble believing what is told to them?  They are flexible and creative in their thinking and willing to let others lead them.  Just as the grown-up Peter Pan was not able to partake in the feast before him until he was able to believe, so we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven until we believe.  But that's just the beginning.


Now, get on line and order your copy!

My Car

My parents are the best, when my car stopped running, they helped me to buy a used car.  I don’t know what I would have done without them.  But my parents aren’t what this story is about, this time, it is about my car.

This was the first semi-new car that I ever owned, so, I was very happy and I drove that car proudly.  I guess the key word would be proudly, I looked at people driving crummy cars, like I used to have to drive, and I felt good about myself.  I can tell you now that I was having some really wrong thinking.

Being proud about driving a nice car wasn’t the only problem I was having with my Christian walk, I was also complaining, a lot.  I was complaining about everything and the more I complained, the worse I felt, physically and mentally.  So, here I am, going along thinking that I was doing fine but all the while I was a sickly, proud, woman.  God opened my eyes to this in a few ways, one of which was with that car that I was so happy to have.

Now, there is a song that I really like, and listen to a lot.  This song talks about knowing real wealth through being poor and knowing joy through hard times.  This song talks about losing everything, but gaining Jesus and how that is such a good thing.  God also used this song to talk to my soul.  

Well, I had just taken my son Elijah to school on a Thursday, we were on our way home when I slammed right into the back of the van in front of me.  I don’t know what happened, I think I got too close and then when I put on the break, it made a grinding sound so I quickly took my foot off the break and then I got confused and I hit the gas instead of the break and plowed right into the back of a woman driving a huge van.  I jumped out of the car to make sure she was okay and to say sorry, because I knew it was all my fault.  We exchanged information and I went home, shakey, sad and very depressed; I felt like giving up.  When I got home, I slid into bed, and cried.  I didn’t want to get up and the thought of driving again made me sick to my stomach, but I had to.  My husband Mark, was at dialysis, and he needed a ride home.  I couldn’t just leave him there.  

I picked Mark up, and in the next few days, I learned an important lesson.  

The front end of my car was smashed in, it looked really bad.  Surprisingly, the damages were all cosmetic.  I’ve been driving my car since the accident and it has been running fine.  

What the Lord has impressed upon me since my accident is this:
To realize that God is in complete control.  

My car, still drivable, may not look as good as it once did. But, what is more important, a good looking car, or a car that runs?  My answer; a car that runs.  

What does all of this mean when it comes to me?  It means that I have been so worried about my outside self, that I was neglecting my inside.  I needed to change my attitude. 

I thought that what others saw on the outside was the most important thing, in my car and in myself, but now I know the car doesn’t have to be beautiful to get me to my mom’s house, or to take Mark to dialysis.  And as for the complaining, I’m dealing with it on a day by day basis.  I’ve been working hard on the inside, (my soul and my spirit), and not making my focus cosmetic.

My goal is to have the thoughts, and the ways of God. I’m finding that the ways of God are so different than the ways of man.  The world is consumed with appearances. What is seen on the outside is all important, while God is concerned with our inner man, our spirit/soul.  Being a Christian sometimes means re-learning things so that we fit in when we are in God’s presence.  

In Isaiah 55:8, the Lord says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways my ways.” 

That doesn’t mean that His ways will never be our ways, it just means that I have to stop, and put my focus on the spiritual world.  Instead of trying to find joy and riches in the carnal side of life, I need to cultivate happiness, and a wealth that can’t be destroyed. This eternal satisfaction can only be found at the right hand of God.    



  




   
  

  

For Elizabeth

I pray that God comforts you
I pray He heals your heart
I pray that He will make you whole
And lend a brand new start

I pray tomorrow you will wake 
To sunshine and a smile
I pray tomorrow you will find
Strength to walk that extra mile

I pray for you to find a love
Who'll treat you like a queen
I pray that he will always give
With nothing in between

I pray you take your children's hands
And hold them in yours, tight
I pray they give their loving hearts
To cherish with all might

I know through all these trials and grief
You'll soar to heights above
Petty motives, hardened hearts
Defeated before a mother's love

So in these darkened hours
When it's dawn you're searching for
Keep your focus on Jesus Christ
He's standing right at your door

Another Christmas

“Have them take any presents that they would have given to me and have them give those presents to a little kid.”  He stressed the word, “little”, as he answered me.

His words didn’t surprise me, that wasn’t it, I guess I just felt so blessed to have such a good hearted son.  I didn’t know what to say back to him after I told my son Elijah about the church that might help us out this year for Christmas.  We have never really had a Christmas like the kind you see on TV.  Decorated tree, presents for Christmas morning, lots of good food.  As long as I have been with my husband, Mark, we have struggled so Christmas has always been very lean and I have never minded taking charity, when it came to all of my kids.

If it was just for me, Christmas would be just another day.  Jesus wasn’t actually born on December 25.  There are many things that show that it couldn’t have been in the winter.  I try to thank God every day for the gift of his son, Jesus, so I don’t need one special day to do that, but I have to admit, I do get caught up in the hoopla of the season, and Elijah’s words brought be right back down to earth.

I saw a banner the other day it said, “Jesus is the reason for the season”.  What a great reminder, I would like to put that banner up in my living room, that would be all the decoration that I need.  But it just isn’t the way things are, Santa could never out shine Jesus but he tries with all of his presents and the fun stuff that he tempts all of us with.  

So for me and for this Christmas, I have put my thoughts into, “What can I do for someone else” instead of what can I do to make my own Christmas great.  My kids are one of the best presents that my Heavenly Father has ever given me, and I will spend time on Christmas morning thanking Jesus for them. It looks like my children are learning to appreciate what God has already given us, too, and that is another wonderful gift from our Father.     

    

Our Children

What is happening to our children?
What is tearing up this land?
they need someone strong to lead them
Someone's got to take a stand

There's the child afraid of living
And the one who's scared he'll die
All so different but the truth is
All have asked the question, "Why?"

babies crying cause he's lonely
The kid who's eyes have turned to hate
And the fear is running rampant
Tell me, what will be their fate?

It's nearly time for Christmas
This should be what fills small heads
Not death and dying or disaster
Love should fill their life instead

So take a hand and put it in yours
Give a hug and don't let go
Put aside your cares for this night
Let's help these little ones to grow

My Daughter

My daughter is a funny girl
She has a lovely man
Some things I want to spell right out
I hope you understand

She crochettes awesome presents
She wraps up gifts real neat
She's thin and tall, I tell you all
What can't that girl complete

Her heart is big as Texas
Her soul as sweet as pie
The love she holds, it's true I know, 
Could fill the earth and sky

Christina is a treasure
A living pot of gold
She makes my heart swell, 
A gift I do tell
I'm forever blessed, behold

The Orange Tree

When I was two years old, my family moved from Iowa to California.  My parents found a beautiful home in LA County, In the sweet little town of La Mirada.  The house was a few years old but no one had lived in it yet.  I was told that the owners did landscaping, and this house had many plants, bushes and trees that the other houses in the neighborhood didn't have.  One of those trees was an orange tree.  

Now every year that orange tree got hundreds of buds and every year, every last bud would drop off, and we never even had one orange.

Around the time I was 11, I was in the 6th grade, I became interested in this process.  I started to wonder why the orange tree didn't get any oranges and I decided that I was going to help this tree and this was going to be the year it would produce baskets full of oranges.

I really took care of that tree.  My mom told me to give it egg shells and coffee grounds for nutrients, so I gave it plenty of the tree food.  I watered it every day and I gave my new best friend pep talks.

Just as every year the orange tree was filled with blossoms and just as every year the blossoms dropped off one by one until there was only a handful of blossoms left.  I got a little discouraged but I kept watering it and one by one those blossoms turned into tiny oranges, unfortunately that is as good as it got.  Each little orange dropped off until there was one orange left.  

I'm not sure but I think God looked down on me and had pity because that tiny thing did become an orange. And one morning I got up, went into our beautifully landscaped back yard and I picked my full sized orange.

In the years to follow, my orange tree produced many, many oranges.  I guess the little tree just needed someone to love it.

The Forest

I don't understand why the things that have happened in the past two months, did happen.  I'm hoping some insight will come, in time, but for now this is a record of the wild, stormy walk down the yellow brick road through the forest of our life.  The four of us just trying to feel at home, again.

We moved into our new apartment on October 1st.  I was slightly worried about the move, but it all went very well.  It wasn't more than a few days in our new place, and the problems started.  I even mentioned to my husband and boys that I wanted to go home, this new place was strange and different and it didn't feel like home, yet.

It all started when we found some soaked boxes in my son, Elijah's room.  We thought it might be something inside the box, but it turned out to be a broken pipe in the wall between the bathroom and our two bedrooms.  Our complex was great about it, they were very nice and they came right out to fix it.  They moved all of our furniture out of the way, took down a shelf and cut a big hole in the wall.  We did the clean up after the maintenance man finished patching the wall, one problem down.

The next morning I came out into the kitchen and both sides of the sick were full to the top, with water.  I tried the disposal, but the water wouldn't budge.  Maintenance came right out and fixed that too.  Turned out to be our up stairs neighbor's clog.

A few more things that stressed us in the next weeks were, a sticking garage door, the discovery of roaches, tons of little flies all over my son, Elijah's room, and ants in our room.

Then there was the problem with the cable company.  By this time we were deep into the forest and all seemed dark.  First we couldn't get them to come out to our apartment because we didn't have phone service.  I used my mom's number, we waited all day but they didn't show up.  I borrowed several of my son's friends phones, but the cable company didn't show up.  I finally went down to their business and I talked them into meeting me out in front of our apartment, in the morning.  I only had to wait outside an hour, and then after having no phone, internet, or TV for five weeks, we had them all.

So, we were thinking that the worst was behind us, what could happen now?  Well, I will tell you, Thanksgiving morning we were up at around 2:00 am. We noticed that the floor in our bedroom was soaked, "Here we go again!"  I thought.  Thanksgiving Day, we had a big hole in our wall, another broken pipe!

A few more things that added to our frustration, were, a traffic accident, I crunched our car, about four inches of water outside our apartment door, when it rained, and our garage door got soaked with water and now would not stay open, I had to get someone to hold it every time I went somewhere.  Things were still tough but we kept going down that road.

 I have to mention that I have had bronchitis for three weeks so far, which has made everything seem so much worse.  We didn't have any money to get our car smogged or registered, so I have been driving it with expired tags, and I almost got towed, the officer just gave me a warning that time.  We needed tires badly, and I was just plain afraid to drive that car anymore.  My Mom helped us out with the tires and getting it registered.  You may think we were on our way out of the forest, but instead, the flying monkeys attacked!  We came home from the DMV to find that our phone, cable TV and our internet weren't working, again!  We spent another day trying to settle that.  It seems that the cable company didn't turn off the cable service at our old apartment the six times that I called and asked them to, and the four times that I went down to their business.  They were trying to charge us for all of that time at our old apartment that the cable should have been turned off.

This apartment is also about half the size of our old place, so we spent days and days deciding what goes and what stays, then making many trips to the dumpster.  We don't have a couch or a dining room set, yet.  We all worked so hard but this wasn't fun or exciting, it was discouraging.

I know that I shouldn't be trying to read God's mind, but I feel pretty sure that God is trying to get me to trust Him.  Not just in the good and happy times, but also when I come up against something wicked in my life.  Until I get this message into my heart and soul, I might stay trapped in this forest.  I know everyone has problems, once in a while, but what we have been going through has been unbelievable.  Don't count me out just yet though, I do plan on finishing this and coming out the other end, better for this experience.

Be Still

My family has been in the process of moving from the apartment that we have lived in for the last 12 years, to a new apartment.  So far, this process has taken two and one half months.  We started packing in the middle of July.  We boxed up everything that we wouldn't be needing for the next month, but that we would eventually need.  We all cleaned as we packed, patching nail holes and washing everything from walls to knick-knacks.

Another part of this job was to throw out anything that we couldn't use, because this new apartment is about half the size of our old place, and we just wouldn't have room for everything.  I had to do a lot of serous thinking and planning and when all of that failed, I guessed what we would need in each new room.  I painted the furniture from each room in a different color.  In my room, I decided that we would need two night stands, two dressers, and some shelves.  I painted those things black with gray drawers and then I splashed a little pink, green and yellow across the gray for a bit of bright color.  In the kitchen I decided on light green for a closet and a little table and I added dark green ivy.  And for the living room I picked a bright blue, for a basket that would double as a seat and a big book shelf.  I threw away so much junk that we had accumulated, furniture, books and clothes and so much more.

When we finally got into our new apartment, I started unpacking and found that all of that planning and guessing was not as much of a help as I thought it would be.  We ended up throwing away a lot of stuff that I was sure we would need and kept things that I thought might end up in the dumpster.  How could I have known.  There I was playing fortune teller, and getting it all wrong.

The second night in our new place, I put our son Elijah in charge and we all listened as he told us where to put each thing and what would end up in the trash.

Elijah did a good job, but what the heck was I doing?  Why didn't I just ask God?  Why didn't I stop and listen, I would have been better off.  I was getting very sick of this whole process.  And I can't tell you when things were this bad.  Not only should I have prayed for God's guidance, I should have been still to here God's voice, I could have saved a lot of time and trouble.  I thought I had learned this lesson already, but there I was in the middle of a mess, and trying to solve these problems myself.

Not only did I mess up when it came to what was staying and what was going, I was messing up other things.  An example; we needed internet, cable TV and a working phone.  I called the cable company and I got an appointment for service.  They said that I needed a phone number, that they could get a hold of me when they arrive, I didn't have one (That was what I was trying to get)  So they said that they couldn't come out.  I gave them my moms number, they didn't show up.  I borrowed a phone and I made three more appointments, all failed, they never showed up.

Another example; My son Michael needed to start school, I had filled out all the paper work for him to attend a school program called access.  Everything was fine before the move, but after the move, I could not get a hold of anyone.  There was an answering machine each time I would call and I didn't have a phone for them to call me back!  I left many messages, but they did no good.

After struggling for two and a half months with these problems, I decided that I needed a refresher course.  I looked up Psalm 46, it starts out, "God is our refuge and strength an ever present help in trouble, therefore we will not fear though the earth give way."

Now this scripture talks about some heavy duty problems, like mountains falling into the sea, and nations being in an uproar.  God can certainly take care of my puny problems, if He can end wars and lift mountains.

Psalm 46:10 goes on to say, "Be still and know that I am God."

Psalm 46:11 ends with, "The Lord almighty is with us, the God of Jacob is our fortress."

What peace there is in that powerful scripture!  And all I have to do is ask, be still and listen.  Then the biggest thing is to let go of these problems and let God do His work.  Seems so easy, and it could be, but it does take practice.

We have been in our new place for a while now and we are still struggling, the difference being, I don't have to worry about it anymore, I put it in God's hands!

It's Time

I know the time is
   Almost here
When all re-born
   Will disappear
Into the Heavens
   We will meet
With Jesus Christ;
   Good news complete

Quakes round the world
   Are the signs
Of birth pains for
   A dire time
Storms that devastate
   Good lives
Will kill, destroy
   And divide

Seas uproar
   Mountains abate
God only knows 
   Your coming fate
Sickness, pests are
   Running wild
Can be acute
   Can be mild

Infants born
   To evil men
Surrounded by all kinds
   Of sin
Growing up uncertain
   Measure
But for us
   Heaven stores treasure

The book is open
   God will proclaim
The names he's stored
   The burning flame
The Trinity
   The coming wrath
The death the life
   The narrow path

We are the Christians
   We behold
We did the things
   That we were told
Lift up your prayers
   Down on your knees
Open heart and eyes
   And you will see

New Place

We got all moved into our new apartment and it has been a real trial.  I'll fill you in tomorrow with a story that I wrote a few days ago.

Connie

One Week

Well, I have been packing boxes full of all of our belongings for the past month and a half.  70 boxes later, I am almost done.  We will be moving on October 1, and I can't wait to get it done.  Our new apartment is smaller than our present apartment by about half, but it is a nice complex.  

I have learned a lot about patience and waiting on the Lord, in these past weeks and I will share it all with you as soon as I get moved in and settled.  Thank you for waiting on me!  I will write soon.

Connie

Rapture

The dictionary definition of rapture is: the state of being carried away with joy, love etc... ecstasy.
The dictionary definition of tribulation is: great misery or distress as from oppression.


I want you to know that what I am writing is just my opinion from reading and studying that I've done.  I'm open to hearing other opinions.  I would love to hear what you think, so please leave me a note.

This is what I believe; 2 Peter 2:5 says, "If He did not spare the ancient world when He brought the flood on it, ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness and seven others; if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if He rescued Lot a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by lawless deeds he saw and heard)"  Peter went on to say, "If this is so then the Lord knows how to rescue Godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment while continuing their punishment."

Out of that scripture I got that God protected or, in other words, guarded, Noah; that is He took care of Noah and his family while they went through the flood.

On the other hand, He rescued Lot or delivered Lot (To set free or save from evil) out of the city before He burned them down.

Peter goes on to say, "God will rescue us from the coming wrath."  Not protect us through it, but rescue us from it.  Wrath also means punishment.

Paul also confirms this in 1 Thessalonians 1:10, "And to wait for His son from Heaven, whom He raised from the dead-Jesus who rescues us from the coming wrath."  Again, Jesus will rescue us, not protect us through the wrath.

Now 2 Peter also talks about trials and in Revelations 3:10, Jesus says, "Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth."

We are to be taken out, or rescued from the wrath, or trial that will be coming, which is the tribulation.

If you have any other information confirming this or against what I have written please let me know.

Elijah The Prophet

I love the story of Elijah the prophet.  I heard it many years ago and I even named my son after the Bible account.  But being in a situation like Elijah's isn't what I wanted.

In the story of Elijah, in 1 Kings 17, God sent Elijah to a woman's house.  This woman was just getting ready to prepare the last of her food for her son and herself and then they were going to prepare to die.  Elijah told the woman to fix a cake of bread for him first.  She had faith and she did as he asked.  Elijah ate and the woman and boy ate too.  Now God didn't fill up the jar of flour and the jug of oil, but each day there was just enough in that jar and jug to feed the three of them.  God didn't want them to put their faith in the jar and jug, but in Him.

I know this feeling.  My family has had to live by faith for the last 22 years.  There is never enough money to supply all our needs but some how we make it through each month.  I would love to have an endless supply of money.  At times our life is very hard, but there is peace in knowing that I am not the one in charge.

This scripture helps me when I start counting out how many days of food we have left in the freezer, at the end of the month.  Jesus said in Matthew 6:25-27, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.  Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air, they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they?  Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"

Some people are looking for a God that they can make fit into their life style, it seems like that would make life so much easier.  But God wants our life style made to fit into Him.  And that is what Elijah did, he followed God the way God wanted to be followed.  Seems simple but we all really have to work at letting go, and letting God handle things.  

Body Parts

This poem is written by my friend, Bary Bennett

The tongue is like a rudder
Be careful what you utter
It can take you places
You don't want to go
It is wise to keep it humble
Lest you say something and stumble
I know because the
Bible tells me so
The heart is like a vessel
Where the spirit comes to wrestle
It's where the victor stores
What he loves best
If it's sin that he's professing
And not love that he's confessing
Then come judgment day
He'll never pass the test
The eye is the deceiver
To the sinner and believer
Wisdom is required
When we see
Although vision is its duty
It misleads us from true beauty
The beauty that God teaches
"Sets us free"

The Artist

Sunrise, vibrant yellow, red
As the morning breaks
The sun slowly rises
And I awake
Green trees, green grass
Envelope the land
covered as a velvet coat
Created by Gods hand
Abundance of flowers, opening
Pink, yellow, white, orange
Ever with His canvas
His brush covering every inch
Baby blue shy above
Billowing white puffs, floating by
As far as the eye can see
Dots across the sky
Hills, valleys, planes of
Brown and grey
Reflecting light waves of color
Burst through this day
And people, multi colored
Reflecting bits of light
Rushing around, things to do
While day is bright
Then the circle comes fully around
Red and yellow, an amazing sight
Blue, black, fills the expanse
With a stroke of His brush
The artist bids, "Goodnight"

Anticipation

I was doing dishes tonight, when a thought popped into my head.  This thought was about shopping.  The first of August is in a few days and I would like to buy a few things.  Not really a bad thought to think, but the feelings that went along with that thought wasn't to good.  You see, along with that thought, I felt joy, an anticipatory joy.  I told myself, "I can't wait to shop!"

You may ask, "What is wrong with that?"  What I felt, only took a few seconds, the first thought was; shopping, then the anticipation, the joy, and then guilt.  I know myself a bit and I know that I don't always feel that same joy when I have to study the Bible, or go to Church.  A lot of the time, I feel that the study time is my duty as a Christian, also going to Church and spending time with the Lord.

After the sequence of thoughts, ending in guilt, I had another thought, "How does God feel about what I am focusing on?"  I need to get my thoughts and feelings in line with the Bible, I need to feel that same anticipation and joy for God!  So I looked up what the Bible said on the subject.

In Luke 12:22, Jesus said to his disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or your body, what you will wear.  Life is more important than food, and the body more than clothes."  Jesus says it again in Luke 12:29, "Do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it, for the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them.  But seek his kingdom and these things will be given to you as well."

I want to be in right standfing with God, so instead of feeling joy when I am able to buy myself clothes or food, I will feel joy and anticipation when I am near God.  Collossians 3:12, 'Therefore as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience."  And as the Holy Spirit does it's work in me, I will feel that joy when I am clothed with these things, not with things of this world.

It is hard at times learning to love an invisible God, but we can know Him and we can love Him.  1 Peter 1:8 says about Jesus, "Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious Joy."  I want my joy to be in Jesus Christ, our Lord, in my God.

In The Desert

"Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil."  Matthew 4:1


God was pleased when Jesus was baptized.  Matthew 3:16, "As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water.  At that moment heaven was opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on Him.  And a voice from heaven said, 'this is my son whom I love; with Him I am well pleased."  But right after He was baptized, God sent Him into the wilderness to be tested.


I don't understand why this happens, but it does.  We do something good, in Gods eyes, then we are taken into an emptiness, or depression.  Maybe it's so we don't get prideful, I'm not sure.  Some of the best things that I have done have been followed by depression, or by testing, and if I don't remember this, the testing is very hard to get through.


In Matthew 4:2, the Bible says that Jesus was hungry from fasting for 40 days and 40 nights.  And when He was weak, Satan came to tempt Him.  Satan offered Jesus several ways out of His chosen path, but Jesus fought back with scripture, with the word of God.


It is so important to learn scripture, and the Holy Spirit will bring that scripture to mind when we are in need of it, but first we have to get it into our minds, study and memorize, and be ready for the ambush.


Tips for getting ready to battle:


1. Pick out scriptures that mean something to you.


2. On Paper, print out several scriptures then cut each scripture out.


3. Tape the scriptures up anywhere you spend a lot of time.


4. Every time a scripture is in front of you, repeat it, and repeat it often.


Then: Pray and refocus


Also: Learn songs, it's easier for a melody to come in to your head.


The adversary is waiting to attack.  We have to be ready for conflict, so yes, study and memorize scriptures.

The Gift Of Parents

Parents are a true gift from God and they should be treated as so.

I was not the best teenager.  I suffered from anxiety and depression from as young as I can remember.  I had my first taste of alcohol when I was in the sixth grade, and I loved it.  It made me feel bold and out going.  I drank off and on through the next five years.

Between the 6th and the 8th grade, I could sneak wine or whiskey from my parents cupboard.  When I got into high school, I would ask people outside the liquor store in our town, to buy alcohol for me.  Getting the alcohol wasn't the problem, the big problem was how alcohol changed my personality.  I went from being a shy sweet girl, to a brat with a bad attitude.  Because of my attitude change, things changed in my home.  I had been very close to my parents, but drinking brought out all of my bad feelings, and I treated my parents horribly.  There was one time in those ten years that I will never forget.

My Dad was the most gentle, loving man that I have ever known, and my actions and my attitude never changed how he felt for me.

I was in the 9th grade.  I was drinking almost every day, self medicating.  My parents didn't know that I was drinking, they just knew that I wasn't acting like my old self.  This caused great friction between my Mom, Dad and me.  I started caring more for alcohol, then for my parents.  And then to top it off, I ran away from home.  I spent three days on the road.  I made it to the beach and that is where I got caught.  I got taken first to the police department, and then home.  I really didn't understand how much I was hurting my family, and at that time I didn't care.

While I was away, my dad, in an effort to find me, went to a hang out of mine.  He talked to some of my friends for the first time.  And after coming home from my adventure, I found out just how much my dad loved me.

I was in my bedroom when my dad came in and closed the door.  He had a serious look on his face.  He said, "How could you?"  I wasn't sure what he was talking about.  Then he explained that one of my friends had told him that I was adopted.  It was just a joke to me.  I thought it was funny to make up a story about not having any family.  What could it hurt.  Apparently, it hurt my father, deeply.  He started to cry.  I had never seen him cry before.  Even in the state that my heart was in from drinking, I was touched.  I had no idea that my father loved me so much.  I never meant to hurt that man.

I would like to tell you that I changed at that moment, but I didn't.  I continued to drink for two more years.  But the Bible tells us to, "Train a child in the way he should go and he will not depart."  Proverbs 22:6.  I did come back to the Faith and I did change.

Ephesians 6:1 says, "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  Honor your father and mother which is the first commandment with a promise- that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy a long life on the Earth."

Three years ago, my dad became bed ridden.  He had so many health problems.  I had the opportunity to take care of him for his last six months of life.  I thank God for giving me that time with him.  I was able to show my dad just how much I loved him, he was a true gift from God.

T.V.

Ok, once in a while I just like to write something different


Why is this darn T.V.on
24 hours a day
Does anyone care what I think?
Or what I have to say?

Sit-coms, old movies, the sifi chanel
They all make me sick
And now it's time for Maury
He's giving me a tick

Is this really life?
This fake life passing by?
Keeping up with the Kardashians
I need a moment...sigh

Where have our minds gone
When we have no where to go?
Help, I'm being sucked up
Into this T.V. show!

Turn it off, just turn it off
And open up a book
But it's not all mindless chatter
I'm learning how to cook

ABC, NBC, CBS
What shall I choose?
Today I might watch Opra
What have I got to loose?

And I hate those happy endings
All that kissing and mushy stuff
It makes my stomach turn
I tell you, I've had enough

I should take a walk now
I'll turn off this T.V.
Oh, but E news is on!
Okay, just one more show you'll see!

Father-Teacher

My Dad, a Father, a teacher
Knowledge he earned through the years
I can smile as I think back
Then I blink away a few tears

Three years since he's passed
Into Heaven to wait
We will be together again
God only knows the time or the date

We really had a house full
Seven at home, when I was small
He taught me so many things
Though I wasn't the best child of all

Dad, older and wiser than me
Just knows the best way to teach
For him it came so natural
Though I was a little hard to reach

His hands were worn by years of work
I noticed as he pointed to the lawn mower motor
Fingers that are rough but strong
He said, "This is a spark plug, this is a rotor

His stature, tall and slim
He had my full attention
He said, "It works the same
As most any car engine"

Auto mechanics is one thing he taught
As Dad explained this working engine
I think of his dark hair, dark eyes
Then he pointed out the piston

The Lord made us in His image
Myself and my Dad, who I am a part of
I will always be his child
And filled with his undying love

The teacher with a huge heart
Is one more memory for me to hold
I pray for the happiness he possessed
As each new day unfolds

Authority

My oldest daughter, Christina, has a giving heart.  She also loves kids, so she volunteered to help out in the nursery on Sunday mornings, at Church.  She was young at the time, maybe fifteen, so she didn't have much experience with young kids.  I came to watch how she was doing, one Sunday morning.  What I noticed was that she was given the authority, by the Church, to take control of the kids, but she wasn't very good at exercising that authority.  She would say to them, "Everyone, please sit down and listen."  Or, "Please don't run, or climb on the tables."  But the kids did as they pleased, ignoring Christina, as they did what they wanted.  I watched as she stood in the middle of the commotion, trying her best to get them to listen.  She didn't stand her ground, she was unsure of herself, and the kids could sense that.  She didn't fully understand the authority that she had been given, and the kids ran around her, taking advantage of the situation.

A boy, Nicholas, the same age as Christina, was also given authority over the class.  I noticed that when Nicholas told the kids to do something, they listened and responded to him.  Nicholas exercised his authority by standing his ground with those kids.  Even though these kids were to young to understand respect, they gave this boy their attention, and did the things that he asked them to do.

Both Nicholas and Christina had equal authority, but these kids listened to the boy and not to Christina.  This situation got me thinking about Jesus, and the authority that He gave us as believers.  Like Christina, some of us are timid in using that authority, because we don't fully understand it.

In Matthew 10:1, Jesus called his twelve disciples to Him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits, also the authority to heal every disease and sickness, in His name.  In Matthew 18:18 and 19, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in Heaven.  Again I tell you, that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my father in Heaven.  For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."

It's been many years and Christina has graduated Collage, now.  Even though she lacked the cofidence to control her kids in the nursery, she has taken the time to develop the skills that she needed to control and teach a class of kids.  Nicholas, the boy in the nursery, understood and used the authority he had been given, in the same way some believers understand and use the authority Jesus has given us.  And like Christina, in the nursery, some believers have to learn and mature so they too can use the authority given them by Jesus.

After collage, Christina took a job at a day care facility.  She also worked there with young kids, the difference being she learned and understood the authority that she held, and she exercised that authority over the kids, and they did listen.

Matthew 28:18-20, "Then Jesus came to them and said, 'all authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everyone I have commanded you.  And surly I am with you always to the very end of the age." 

One Small Pie

I mashed the dough between my small fingers, and my mom reminded me, "Connie, don't play with that dough to much, it will make the crust tough."  So I shaped the dough into a ball, kind of, and I put it on a floured surface.  Mom helped me to hold the old heavy wooden rolling pin and made the ball into a smooth flat circle.  We somehow we got the flat circle into a little ceramic dish.

Mom cut the pealed apples into thin sections.  I picked each piece of apple gently up and delicately placed each piece into the dough covered dish.  Mom sprinkled some sugar and cinnamon on top of my creation, then she placed the mini apple pie into the hot oven along side two full sized pies that she put in before mine.

I wanted to plop down in front of the oven to watch my pie cook, but Mom told me to go out side while she cleaned up.  "I'll call you when it is done,"  Mom said.

I ran out into our patio to play with my dolls, but who could play at a time like this? I've never baked an apple pie before, I've never baked anything!  But today I just thought I would ask,"Mom can I help?"  I asked, and to my surprise, she brought out a stool for me to stand on and she handed me a bit of dough to actually make my own little apple pie.

I will never forget this, I thought to myself as I dressed my doll in a casual outfit that she could bake a pie in.  Then I re-enacted the baking scene with my mother doll and my half sized five year old doll.

"It's done!"  Mom called after what seemed like hours.  "Here it is,"  she stood holding my pie, dark hair, dark eyes, a beauty with a wide smile, and she was smiling at me.  I touched the pie, it was a little bit warm.  "It's been cooling,"  Mom said, then added, "It's almost time to eat dinner."

I made it through the baking time, now I just have to make it through dinner.  I could hardly stand it, I felt so excited.

Dinner seemed to lag on.  When it was done, we cleared the dishes before dessert.  I thought to myself that it was almost time!  I remember feeling such happiness, I could have been shining!

I walked over, picked up my little pie, the thing that I was so proud of, the thing that took up so much of my thoughts, today.

The little pie, it smelled so sweet, I cradled it in my small hands as I walked to the table and placed it in front of my mom and dad.  "I made this for you,"  I exclaimed.  They looked surprised, then delighted!  And me, I felt warm and satisfied.  The feeling of giving, there is nothing like it.  That is what I learned that day.

Acts 20:35, "Remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive'"

Every Possible Hardship

By Elizabeth Bien

Just like my mom told me, all our struggles are because God loves us.

You know for a really long time, I was really angry about the hard times I have gone through.  I felt like every possible hardship that a person could have, got thrown right in front of me!  I was so mad and I hated my life.  I felt like it just wasn't fair!  Most people go through one big hardship in their lives, but I was getting hit with everything!

Then I started realizing that I was able to help others through their tough times because I had gone through it myself.  As well, I was noticing people came to me when they were struggling and I could help them.

It took me a long time to accept that I have absolutely no talent, until I saw that helping people is my talent.  I would much rather be able to make others feel better and help them find a reason to smile and be positive again, than some other things that I might have had.

I think that anytime a person can help someone through a tough time it heals the soul!  I feel blessed that I can understand and help a few extra people in my life!

Thank God We Have Jesus Waiting At The Other end

By Bary Bennett

When I was just a baby and life was all brand new
My mommy and my daddy were there to help me through
They knew when I was hungry, they knew when I was wet
Though too young to remember, I never will forget
They taught me about Jesus, and what He means to me
I knew He was a good man, because He gave me my family
I grew to be a young man, with the spoils this world gives
My decisions took their toll on me, then I remembered "Jesus lives"
All the wasted time I lived through, the times that I fell on my face
It was then I was reminded of "Gods amazing grace"
Now I stand before you, a little wiser than before
My Mom and Dad still love me, but Jesus loves me more
So now I say in closing, to you my special friend...
"I thank God that we have Jesus waiting at the other end."

Making Cheese

Jesus said that we can have what ever we want, if we have enough faith.  And it doesn't take a whole lot, just faith the size of a mustard seed is enough to move a mountain.  How do we get that faith?

Romans 10:17, "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ." NIV

The word of Christ is the Bible.  We read the Bible and we will receive, and build faith.

When I first became a believer, I was on fire for God!  I read the Bible every day, watched Christian shows, rented Christian movies, listened to Christian music and read all of the books I could get my hands on.  One day, our van broke down.  Now, we needed that van to get to our sign jobs and we relied on that van for our income.  We weren't making a lot of money so the van not running was a very bad thing.

The first thing we did after trying to start the van was to pray.  My husband, Mark, and I said a long powerful prayer.  The next thing we did was walk around the van seven times, still praying, like Joshua did around the walls of jericho.  We must have looked silly out in the back alley of our apartment complex, walking around our van, hands in the air, but we didn't care.  Yet to our dismay, the van didn't start.

The van did eventually get fixed but not in the supernatural way we had been hoping for.  I'm still not sure what we did wrong, or should I say, what we didn't do right.

A couple of months ago, Mark and I studied some articles on how to make Mozzarella cheese.  It sounded a bit complicated but we were up for a challenge.  We got the items that we needed to make the cheese, over a week.  Then we got a couple of gallons of milk the day we were going to make our cheese.  We mixed everything together, just as the recipe said to do, we brought the milk to the right temperature, we had bought a thermometer just for this occasion.  We used the right kind of pot, the right kind of milk, the right ingredients, we followed the instructions, every one of them.  we waited, we checked the milk and it still wasn't cheese, we failed!  We never did find out what we did wrong, but we haven't given up.  We are planning to try again after doing more studying.

You know, the same goes with faith.  Walking around the van seven times and praying wasn't enough to get our van running, and I'm certain there are people that have tried to move a mountain with their faith, fail or not, I don't know.  What I do know is that we should never stop trying.  And what I also know is there are people that make cheese every day, for them it might seem simple.  Mark and I just couldn't do it on our first try.  Whether it is faith or cheese, or getting our van running, learning should not stop until we reach the finish line and win our prize of everlasting life with our Lord.  

The New Job

Change can be exciting, it can also be difficult or frightening.  My friend, Lyn, was about to start a new job.  She was excited as she told me that the new job was going to pay more than her old job.  It was a desk job so she wouldn't have to be on her feet all day.  She also liked the idea of dressing up instead of wearing a uniform. 

I saw Lyn, a few weeks after she started her new job.  I asked her how it was going.  She was really down.  She said that the new job was a lot harder than she thought it would be.  She had made a few mistakes and she felt so bad about them, that she was ready to quit.  I asked her, "Didn't you make any mistakes when you started your old job?  "Oh yeah, lots of them."  She replied

It's easy to get comfortable with routine things.  Even if they aren't perfect, they are familiar.  Who knows what things will be like if we make a change.  Change can look like a wonderful thing.  But in the middle of a change, it's easy to feel uncomfortable, inadequate and alone.

When I was a kid, there was a popular show called, "Let's make a deal."  Toward the end of the show, the big winner of the day got a chance to keep the prize that they had already won during the show, or to trade the prize to win something even better.  They got a choice of three doors to pick from, behind the right door could be something wonderful.  But if you picked the wrong door, you would find out that you now own a pig or some joke prize.  Picking the right door would mean winning the grand prize always something wonderful.

Lyn, took a job that sounded better than the job that she already had.  Her mistakes made her feel like she picked the wrong door.  Becoming a Christian may feel like taking a hard new job at times, you may feel like won a joke prize.  But sticking with it is like winning the grand prize.

In Philippians 3:12,  Paul said, "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.  Brothers I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.  But one thing I do:  Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

The Tongue

By Mark Cameron

"The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit."  Proverbs 18:21

Here in lies wisdom, the ability to control the tongue.  How brutal, or how lovely the words can be that are formed and set into motion via one small muscular organ.  Sometimes I think, then I realize my tongue has already spoken.  And as my brain realizes what I've said, I find, though less often having learned some degree of control, that the damage has already been done.  My wife can attest to the fact that I have frequently suffered from, "foot in mouth disease."

Although I don't consider myself a religious man, I do feel close to God.  What I have learned in my life is the tongue has great power.  A passage in the Bible compares it to the rudder of a great ship; such a small thing can steer the course of a huge vessel.  What we say can steer the course of our lives.

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that one should be aware that the tongue releases the contents of the speaker, and has the capability to do great harm, or great good, it is something to be mastered.

In The Desert

"Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil."  Matthew 4:1.

God was pleased when Jesus was baptized.  Matthew 3:16, "As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up and out of the water.  At that moment Heaven was opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on Him.  And a voice from Heaven said, 'this is my son whom I love; with Him I am well pleased."  But right after He was baptized, God sent Him into the wilderness to be tested.

I don't understand why this happens, but it does.  We do something good, in Gods eyes, then we are taken into an emptiness, or depression.  Maybe it's so we don't get pridful, I'm not sure, but I do know that it does happen.  Some of the best things that I have done have been followed by depression, or by testing, and if I don't remember this, the testing is very hard to get through.

In Matthew 4:2, the Bible says that Jesus was hungry from fasting for 40 days and 40 nights.  And when He was weak, Satan came to tempt Him.  Satan offered Jesus several ways out of His chosen path, but Jesus fought back with scripture, with the word of God.

It is so important to learn scripture, and the Holy Spirit will bring that scripture to mind when we are in need of it, but first we have to get it into our minds, study, memorize and be ready for the ambush.

Tips for getting ready to battle:

1. Pick out scriptures that mean something to you.

2. On paper, print out several scriptures then cut each scripture out.

3. Tape the scriptures up anywhere you spend a lot of time.

4. Every time a scripture is in front of you, repeat it, and repeat it often

Then:

Pray and refocus

Also:

Learn songs, it's easier for a melody to come in to your head.

The adversary is waiting to attack.  We have to be ready for conflict, so yes, study but also memorize scriptures.

With These Hands

By Bary Bennett

With these hands I've offered comfort
With these hands I've given pain
With these hands I've helped my neighbor
With these hands I've eased their strain
With these hands I've fought your battles
With these hands I've fought through mine
With these hands I've fed the hungry
With these hands I've helped light shine
With these hands I've healed divisions
With these hands I say my grace
With these hands I reach toward heaven
With these hands I touch Gods face
With these hands I offer friendship
With these hands I draw your gaze
With these hands I keep my distance
With these hands I give God praise

Elijah And The Toothbrush

My husband Mark and I wanted our little boy, Elijah, to start brushing his teeth.  He didn't like the idea.  He didn't want to do it himself and he wouldn't let me do it for him.  So his teeth were going un-brushed.  Elijah's doctor said that he was getting some build up and that he needed to start brushing.  Mark and I decided to hold on to Elijah and brush them for him, big mistake.  After that there was no possible way he was going to brush his teeth by himself.  He ended up hating something that only would be good for him.  After a week of hearing Elijah scream every time we would show him a toothbrush, we gave up for a while.

Then, we tried something new.  Elijah loves juice.  First thing every morning, he wants his juice.  This particular morning, we said, "sorry baby, no juice until you take the toothbrush and touch it to your teeth."  He took the toothbrush, and he threw the tooth brush.  I gave it to him again, and he threw it again.  I gave it back to him and he took it and hid it.  He was so stuborn, he went most of the day drinking only water.  He would ask for juice and I would say, "Yes, you can have juice, as soon as you touch the toothbrush to your teeth."  And the last thing he did was, he cried for his juice.

Then it happened, having that juice meant more to Elijah than having his own way.  He found his toothbrush where he hid it earlier, in the living room.  He brought it to me, and he said, "Brush teeth?"  Then he did it, he touched that toothbrush to his teeth.  I clapped and hugged him.  Then I gave Elijah the juice, that I had ready and waiting for him.  All he had to do was get what he wanted in line with what I wanted for him.  The next morning he fought brushing his teeth again, but he did end up brushing his teeth too.

This taught me something about prayer.  I used to think that I needed to talk God into things with my prayers.  I realized that I was wrong.  1 Samuel, is the story of Hanna.  She wanted a child.  The longer she prayed and didn't get one, the more desperate she got for a child.  She finally got down and cried before God.  She said, "God if you just give me a son, I will give him to you."  That was it, that was what God wanted all along.  He was ready and waiting to give her that baby.  He just wanted Hanna to do one thing, promise that baby to Him.  She didn't persuade God to do anything, God gently persuaded her to give Him something that they both wanted.  When her heart was ready, He gave her what He had planned for her from the beginning of time.

I love Elijah.  I want the best for him, but forcing him to do what would be good for him, only made him hate it.  Bringing him to to a place where he would change his feelings about something he didn't want, so that he could have something he did want, worked.  Now on his own, Elijah brushes his teeth. 

God sets it up so that we get to a place that we desire what He already wants for us.  Then we cry out to God, "Please give us what we desire."  And when our desires and our hearts are in line with his will and His desire for us, He says, "Yes."

Psalm 145:19, "He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him, He also hears their cry and saves them."

Teach Me

Worn by years of work
He pointed to the lawn mower motor
His hands rough and strong
"This is a spark plug, this is a rotor"

Standing tall and slim
And with my full attention
He said, "It works the same
As a basic car engine"

Dad, older and wiser
Knows how to teach
Someone like me
A little hard to reach

He gave his knowledge
Hard earned through the years
I smiled as I remembered
And blinked back the tears

It's been three years since he's passed
into Heaven to wait
I'll see him again
Someday at the gate

The Burden

Matthew 11:29-30, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden light."

My Father died about 3 and one half years ago.  Since then, I have been spending a lot of time with my Mom.  We watch TV, go for walks in the park, and sometimes we shop.  We do laundry together and I pick up groceries when she needs them.  I also take her dog, Sunny, to the groomer and the vet for her.  These are not extra ordinary things but my Mom believes that she is a burden to me.  As much as I try to persuade her that she's not, she insists that she is.

The definition of burden is; anything carried or endured, a very heavy load; whatever is hard to bear.

That is the definition, and she is none of those things under the definition of a burden, just as children are not a burden to me, they are joys in my life, my family is my life.

In a letter written by Paul, the Bible says, "Children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right.  Honor your Father and Mother, which is the first commandment with a promise that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy a long life on earth."

My Mom has always been there for me.  Let me share a few of the things she has done for me.  I have never been to well off financially and she helps when ever I ask, no questions.  I went through one of my difficult times after I gave birth to my two boys.  I had a hard time keeping up with everything in my home so my Mom would gather my laundry once a week, wash it, fold it and deliver it back to me.  Also after my son Elijah was born, she and my Dad took care of Elijah three days a week so I could work, what a help that was.

My Mom and I had some bad times when I was in High School.  I was a terrible kid, always getting into trouble.  My Mom could have disconnected like so many Mothers do these days, but instead, she bought books to learn how to deal with my behavior, she went to counselors and the Church, to get help dealing with me, and she never gave up on me even when I gave up on myself.

My Mom has also been a big encouragement to me, in my life.  I can still remember bringing home a drawing that I did in High School, I put it next to the front door so that I could take it out to the trash, but before I could throw it away, she saw it and she took it.  She bought a frame for it and hung it in our home.  I really got passionate about art because of that.

1 timothy 5:3, "Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need.  But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God.

I love my Mom deeply.  I want to repay all she has done for me, but I know I could never do enough.  I also want to please God by helping my Mom.  My Mom is not a burden and even if she would become one, Jesus takes our burdens and makes our yoke light, as in Matthew 11:29-30.  So if she was going to pick one thing to remember, in her life, I hope that she remembers how much she means to me.

Rescue Me

I feel an emptiness inside
Fall on my knees and pray
Has Jesus left me all alone
Can't get through another day

I hear whispering inside my head
I'm so confused that I can't see
I keep fighting but I'm growing weak
I cry out, please rescue me

I'm only made of flesh and blood
Withoug your love I would be lost
But Jesus saved me from myself
With His life He paid the cost

With His love, He healed my wounds
I feel Him lift me from my sorrow
With joyful praise, I give Him thanks
With rightousness I face tomorrow

Lead me guide me take my hand
Your will not mine be done
You take my darkness and you give me light
In Jesus name, this war is won

Those Sneaky Pests

I hate to admit it, but years ago, we had roaches.  We lived in a fairly clean apartment, but I have been told that when you live in an apartment, it doesn't matter how clean your palce is, you can still have roaches if your neighbors have roaches.

I didn't like the sprays that they have to get rid of the roaches because We had two little babies and a little dog, and those sprays were strong smelling.  I hated those pests, I smashed every one that I could find.  It sounds crazy, but I would even come out in the middle of the night and turn on the lights to catch even more of them.  I also kept all the food in air tight containers, and we did the dishes as soon as possible so those awful bugs wouldn't have any food.

All of my hard work and it didn't even seem to make a difference, we had roaches.

What I didn't realize was that they would nest in dark areas, cupboards that I didn't go into much.  They would pass through the clean light areas of the kitchen but they liked the dark.  We had them taken care of professionally at times but soon after, they would be back, they nested in my neighbors place and then they spilled over into our place, and then we would have roaches again.  We lived there ten years and almost always had roaches.  After we moved we haven't had any in twelve years.

What I ended up doing was cleaning out cupboards that I normally didn't use.  If I opened up cupboards that I only stored things in, and I let the light shine in, those roaches would run from the light.  We also had someone come in and professionally get rid of them.  We finally got control over that problem.

This whole experence made me think about how demons operate.  I try to keep my spiritual house clean.  That is, I have the Holy Spirit in me.  Jesus gives examples of how demons operate in Matthew 12:43, "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through places seeking rest and does not find it.  Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.'  When it arives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order.  Then it goes and it takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and then go in and live there.  And the final condition of that man is worse than the first."

Jesus said this to show us that you can't just get rid of a demon with out replacing it with the Holy Spirit.  If you do, it will come back with more evil spirits.  But just like roaches, demons hate the light, that is, the Holy Spirit, light.  They will not come in and nest where there is light.

So we need to be concerned with our own body, our own mind, but we should also be concerned with our neighbors house, or mind.  If my house is clesn, and I don't let anything nest in the dark spots, I can keep my house free from pests, but if I allow my neighbors house to become filled with dregs, those nasty things could spill out into more and more dark areas and might end up in my house again.

What can I do?  Pray.  I can pray for my neighbors.  I can talk to them and share the gospel with them.  I can have faith that God will show them the light, that the Holy Spirit will occupy their dark places.  And the more we are concerned with our neighbors house, the less room there will be for those sneaky pests to get into our homes.

Rapture

The dictionary definition of rapture is:  the state of being carried away with joy, love etc...ecstasy.

The dictionary definition of tribulation is:  Great misery or distress as from oppression.

I want you to know that what I am writing is just my oppinion from reading and studying that I've done.  I am open to hearing other opinions.  I would love to hear what you think.  So drop me a line.

This is what I believe;  2 peter 2:5 says, "If He did not spare the ancient world when He brought the flood on it, ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness and seven others;  If he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;  and if He rescued Lot a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by lawless deeds he saw and heard)"  Peter went on to say, "If this is so then the Lord knows how to rescue Godly men from trials and to hold the unrightous for the day of judgment while continuing their punishment."

Out of that scripture I got that God protected or, in other words, guarded, Noah; that is He took care of Noah and his family while they went through the flood. 

On the other hand, He rescued Lot or delivered Lot (To set free or save from evil)  out of the city before He burned it down.

Peter goes on to say, "God will rescue us from the coming wrath."  Not protect us through it, but rescue us from it.  Wrath also means punishment.

Paul also confirms this in 1 Thessalonians 1:10, "And to wait for His son from Heaven, whom He raised from the dead- Jesus who rescues us from the coming wrath."  Again, Jesus will rescue us, not protect us through the wrath.

Now 2 Peter also talks about trials and in Revelations 3:10, Jesus says, "Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth."

We are to be taken out or rescued from the wrath, or trial that will be coming, which is the tribulation.

If you have any other information confirming this or against what I have written, please let me know.  Thank you.