WHAT HAS CHICK-FIL-A DONE NOW??? A LINK FOR YOU.....

I do love Chick-Fil-A, and here is another reason to give them all the business I can!! I just wish there was one of their restaurants closer to me!! http://madworldnews.com/guess-what-chick-fil-a-is-forcing-on-people-now/

Why does God allow suffering?

http://simplewordsofachristianmom.wordpress.com/2014/01/29/why-does-god-allow-suffering/

Joel Osteen Preaches Universalism

Joel Osteen is pastor of one of the largest churches in our country, Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. He has written numerous books, travels all over the world speaking and 'preaching'. There is a website for his church, as well as his personal blog/web page. Whomever his publicist is, is a creative, blinded, genius! Osteen has been marketed in such a way that he has become a multi-millionaire while preaching the 'prosperity' message.

According to http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/3059879/posts ... Osteen has recently decided that the Bible has errors in it and that the apostles Paul, Peter, and John are mistaken about some things, and they should be corrected and rebuked! I will let you read the article for yourself! When you finish reading it, please leave a comment sharing your thoughts on this article. I am very interested to see how others interpret what has been said by Osteen. 

HERE IS THE ARTICLE....

Joel Osteen Rebukes Apostles Paul, Peter, and John
United for Awakening ^ | 8/27/13 | Peter Michael Martinez 
Posted on 8/28/2013 2:22:54 PM by Sopater
According to Joel Osteen – Pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, these first century apostles are wrong and outdated and he has come out boldly to infer indirectly that Apostles Paul, Peter, and John whom wrote much of the New Testament were wrong and need to be corrected and rebuked.
When asked directly if people whom are openly practicing homosexuals are accepted into the Kingdom, Joel Osteen responded with “Absolutely, anybody is.”
We all need to listen carefully to the words that this “man of God” speaks as he goes on interviews so we too can find the errors in the preaching of the first century apostles.
Joel does acknowledge that some things are “sin” but says, “I don’t address these things from the pulpit. They only come up in interviews.” When asked if openly practicing gay/homosexual people will be accepted into heaven, Joel Osteen responded, “I believe they will.”
He makes no mention of the need for repentance.

Joel Osteen Brings Us Universalism

The doctrine of universalism is the belief that all people are “saved” no matter who you are or what you’ve done.
This is a new version of the “good news” that is MUCH BETTER than the message the Jesus and the Apostles preached 2,ooo years ago which was far too narrow according to the way Joel Osteen explains his “message.”
“I’m for everybody” says Joel Osteen, “I’m not into excluding people. Jesus can reveal himself to anybody.”
The idea is that since no one would be accepted if we are called to be “holy” then all have to be accepted. So goes this logic. This doctrine also believes that all roads lead to heaven so there is no one “way, truth, and life that leads to the father.”
According to Joel, “sin means to miss the mark” which, while technically correct, stands in contrast to the teachings of many writers of the Bible that teach that sin is violation of God’s Holy Laws so if by missing the mark Joel means violating God’s ways, then yes, sin is missing the mark.
According to the out of date writers of the Bible, the “wages of sin is death” for which blood is required and for which a sacrifice was presented.
It sounds a lot more harsh to say SIN is TREASON punishable by death than to say it is “missing the mark” which is a bit incomplete. Sin is also “to incur guilt, incur penalty” which according to the scripture is death.

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

When asked about people who live in open sin, Joel smilingly said, “I’m not going to bash those people. I’m not going to be against those people. They’re good people.”
So by contrast, Apostle Jude is “bashing people” when he said:

Jude 1:14-16 “And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.”

Joel’s wife recently said to Piers Morgan. “It’s the people that we’re after. We’re not trying to judge their sin. We want to encourage them and love them. You’re only going to win people by reaching out to them.”
Isn’t that so awesome! They are all about the people! They want you and I be accepted without having to discuss anything like repentance or righteousness. These are “judgmental” subjects that we just don’t need.
These modern day ministry giants have gone on national television to essentially correct Apostles Peter, John, and Paul to say … they are wrong … if you listen to Joel Osteen. So many across the nation are so proud of this Pastor and his courage in confronting the church fathers!
According to Joel Osteen, Apostle Paul erroneously stated to the Corinthians …

1 Corinthians 6:8-10 “Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”

In saying this, according to Joel Osteen, Apostle Paul is being “exclusionary” and should be rebuked and corrected. He is obviously wrong and should never have said these things to the Corinthian church.
Corinth was known for its sexual openness and promiscuity so for Paul to “condemn” all these “good people” was completely out of order and he needs to be rebuked.
When Paul wrote to the Romans he also was in complete error in stating the following in the first chapter of his letter, according to Joel Osteen.

“And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.”

According to Joel Osteen, Paul was absolutely incorrect and to state that being a homosexual is a sin is being “judgmental” and should not be tolerated. It is just wrong according to Joel Osteen. Many people agree with Joel Osteen today and so, Apostle Paul is apparently misguided and incorrect in his letter.
Joel goes on to point out the additional errors in the words Apostle Paul wrote.
“Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” Paul went on to write in the first chapter of Romans, which according to the words of Joel Osteen, he is deeply misguided and mistaken.
Apostle Paul should repent for saying such things according to Joel Osteen. A growing number of people in America agree with Joel that Apostle Paul should be rebuked for ever saying such things because Paul isn’t accepting of people like Joel Osteen is.
Equally misguided and incorrect according to Joel Osteen is Paul’s words to the Galatian church. In his writings, Apostle Paul made stunning comments that were clearly exclusionary statements concerning the Kingdom and those whom are accepted, and in so doing has made grave error according to Joel Osteen.
See if you can detect the absolutely false statements that Apostle Paul made to the Galatian church according to the stated doctrine of Joel Osteen.

Galatians 5:19-21 “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.“

You can clearly see what has Joel Osteen so unhappy that he’s gone on national television to correct this! It is this type of rhetoric, according to Joel Osteen, that is completely false and misrepresents the God he serves.
Joel Osteen’s God loves everybody and there are no exclusions because then, according to Joel, “none of us would be saved.” So again, Apostle Paul was completely incorrect and should never have written such harsh and insensitive words to the Galatian church according to Joel.
I imagine Joel Osteen would say “shame on Apostle Paul for ever writing such hateful words!”
Now, not only is Joel out to correct the misguided Apostle Paul, but Apostle Peter was also brought into serious question for clearly being exclusionary when he wrote these words.

1 Peter 1:14-16 “As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”

According to the doctrine Joel Osteen has now shared with us all as “his message,” being clearly more evolved and enlightened than the archaic Apostle Peter, no one can be holy. We are left to conclude that Peter is misguided and is being judgmental. What a terrible yoke and condemnation Apostle Peter is trying to put on the good people he is writing to.
Additionally, Apostle Peter goes on to say things that are completely against the Lakewood Church Pastor’s God when he stated the following.

2 Peter 2:6-8 “And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)”

According to Joel Osteen’s public comments, one could conclude that Apostle Peter was in complete error and deceived when he wrote such things. What a terrible condemnation. He clearly did not know the doctrine that Joel Osteen preaches or he would never have said such awful and critical things.
Joel Osteen indirectly implies (subtly) that these apostles were false and were critical and judgmental and should NOT be listened to in America today. We all need to listen instead to Joel Osteen and Oprah Winfrey.
Now Apostle John made even greater errors if the benchmark is Joel Osteen’s “message” when he stated some of the thing that he wrote which, according to Joel Osteen, is just plain and simply not true.
It takes a lot of courage for Joel to stand against these writings but he believes strongly in his “uplifting and encouraging” doctrine that does not endorse such harsh and judgmental statements as written by these ancient Apostles.

We should all pray for Joel Osteen because he needs our prayers if he’s going to continue to champion the cause of those oppressed and condemned by the writings and statements of Apostles like Paul, Peter and John.

Revelation 21:8 “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

You see, according to Joel Osteen in a recent interview, “God doesn’t see any sin as worse than another” and all are going to heaven. Apparently in Joel Osteen’s bible, he has redacted the unpardonable sin. So if you’re a follower of Joel Osteen’s then this statement by Apostle John must seem just plain wrong.
Apostle John doesn’t know what he’s talking about and we need to listen to the wisdom of Joel Osteen. Apostle John clearly was in error and should be rebuked for suggesting that people who tell lies are going to have their part in the lake of fire.
What was Apostle John thinking writing such judgmental things???
That’s a terrible thing to say and no one, certainly not Apostle John, should be allowed to say such things. As Joel says, “there’s enough condemnation in the world” and we don’t need anymore.
Additionally, in his letter, Apostle John says things like …

1 John 3:8-10 “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.”

Now according to Joel Osteen and the thousands that agree with his “message,” this entire passage should be removed from the pages of the bible and no one should be saying such things. In fact, Joel goes on to share that it is this exact kind of preaching that will hinder “church growth.”
Apostles Paul, Peter, and John listen up. Joel Osteen rebukes you all.
Now listen, Joel Osteen and his ministry in Houston are all about people. He is standing up for your rights! He is taking a REALLY BIG RISK because … if he’s wrong, and Apostle Paul is right … then he stands to be cursed! So he needs your support in prayer NOW!

Galatians 1:9 “As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”

Instead, you all need to listen to his message of universal acceptance and lawless living without any condemnation so we can all “lift our spirits” and be “encouraging and loving” to all people no matter what lifestyle or choices they make. After all, according to Joel, God loves us all and everyone is going to heaven so lighten up!
There is no exclusive path to the Kingdom. According to Joel Osteen, we need to hear this message because it’s the right message and anyone that says that there is an exclusive path to God is wrong.
Joel would know, look at the size of his church! He is clearly telling you the truth more than anyone in history.

John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

Exactly how much error is too much?

Sources:

• Overview of Joel Osteen/Oprah deceptions:http://youtu.be/weEWl52wevI
• Joel Osteen meets with Larry King … Here’s the link: http://youtu.be/KwL1DThtxYg
• Joel Osteen meets with Piers Morgan … Here’s the link: http://youtu.be/tgCpRNfBzys
  • To his credit, in this interview Joel does call out sin, however, he softens it and backs away from talking about repentance … and when he is asked “what would you say” his comment is that he doesn’t understand. You’re leading the largest church in America and you don’t understand REPENTANCE?

The quotes are taken right from what Joel himself has spoken. He positions himself on his own without being told how to answer. On the one hand he wants to appease his Christian followers by saying “the bible says” but on the other he clearly fellowships with darkness and facilitates those whom deny the power thereof.
2 Timothy 3:1-7 “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

As I said I am very interested in your opinions of what you have just read. So please, leave a comment and let's have a calm and focused discussion!
To be fair, I did go to Osteen's webpage and do a little reading. I don't know if the website just needs to be updated to correlate with what Osteen has said he believes, or if the article above is completely false. I do know that something is stinky in Houston though!!
I will let you discern for yourself. Here is a link to Osteen's webpage and a description of what their beliefs are, or were!  http://www.joelosteen.com/Pages/WhatWeBelieve.aspx

So I guess my question comes down to, just what is Joel Osteen up to? 

But God, I can't handle all of this!!

How many times have you heard the phrase, “God will never give you more than you can handle” and wondered why He thought you could handle so much? I know I have tons of times!

I know the people telling me that when I am going through a tough time or some hardship all mean well, but I have to remind myself that they must not be studying their Bible very closely if they truly believe that! Why? Because it just isn't true! 

You see, I know that God DOES give us more than we can handle, on our own. There is something key in that last statement, 'on our own'. It did take me a very long time to realize this, but now that I have, it seems like those tough times have gotten a little easier. I

know that no matter what I am going through, if I will put all my trust in God to get me through it, He WILL! The reason He lets us go through difficulties is so that we will pull closer to Him. Maybe not always, but most of the time, when He allows something that we feel we just can't handle to come into our lives, it is because we have made the decision to distance ourselves from Him. Remember, God will NEVER leave us nor forsake us, but we are always leaving Him. There is always some area of our lives that we just don't want God 'butting into'! Right? 

If we will turn to the scriptures when we are feeling overwhelmed, we will find exactly what God has in store for us! We can search and search for the scripture that tells us He won't give us more than we can handle, but we will never find it. It just does not exist!

The scriptures never say that the Lord won’t give you more than you can handle. In 1 Corinthians 10:13 it does speak of God giving us an escape from temptations so that it’s not too much to bear. But, when we have to deal with pain, trials, heartache, and burdens– not once does it say it won’t be more than we can bear. Instead, it beautifully says this instead:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 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. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matt. 11: 28-30)

The words struck my heart, as you can imagine. Christ is speaking to those of us who are carrying burdens much too heavy for our own shoulders. And in that one verse he simply states the reason why we are given more than we can handle: It’s so we can come to him. It’s so we can trust him enough to hand over our heavy, crippling burdens and let him carry the load.

You might be heavy laden right now, searching for some kind of relief. You are probably full of questions. Maybe you are wondering why you have to be full of sadness or drowning in debt, why did that person at church say that to you, why are you stuck raising your children all alone? Perhaps you have recently discovered that you are not able to have biological children, or an adoption you had your heart set on has fallen through, and you know that as a result, the child or children you were planning to give a loving home to, will continue to suffer. Someone you know and love, or maybe yourself, is dealing with a terminal illness and you question what is going to happen to the children or spouse when the inevitable happens. You know that you need someone to help you through these difficult times, but you really just don't want to depend on someone that you cannot see or hear or touch. You know that you should have faith that God will do what He has said He will, but it is so hard to blindly trust! He does promise that He will carry us through those difficult times, so why can't we trust Him to do what He promises? 

Maybe it’s because of pride that we believe we can do it our self. We know we are strong and tough and that we always help others through their difficulties while keeping our own hidden from sight. However, when we become overwhelmed we realize that we are so totally wrong with this way of thinking!

We don't really understand exactly what God is capable of until we totally trust Him to get us through whatever we are dealing with, when we have no other choice. Knowing that He will get us through when we have no other avenue for help, why don't we just trust in Him from the beginning? Why do we insist on making everything much more difficult than it has to be?

Did Daniel hesitate to trust in God when he was placed in the lion's den? Did Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednego hesitate when they were placed in the fiery furnace? We have these examples, and many more, to look at and compare our present circumstances to, so why are we still so hard headed?

We need to stop and remember that, no matter how difficult life gets, God is always right there with us. He is always ready, willing, and able to help us through. He just wants us to trust Him. 

Friendships really can last a lifetime

Over recent days and weeks, I have been reminded of just how valuable really good friendships can be, as well as just how easy it is to take these friendships for granted. I know the usual school of thought is that a truly good friendship just happens, does not require any work.  However, I believe that just isn't true. Much like vegetables in a garden, friendships must be fertilized, watered, and tended to so they can grow and flourish! Unfortunately, sometimes those friendships have to be pruned from your life as well.
Over the past couple of years, I have been very fortunate to rekindle some dear friendships, some from as far back as over 30 years ago! Talk about a real blessing!! The person I have always felt was my very best friend ever, I had not seen or talked to since I graduated high school!
I am so thankful that I found her one day, several years ago, as I was surfing through facebook posts. When I found her name and realized that it was truly HER, I was beside myself! I was so excited that I had found her, even though she wasn't actually lost - except by me! I found her shortly before she was going to be married, and as luck would have it, I was unable to attend her wedding. I was, however, able to go and spend some time with her not too long after that horrible marriage ended!
You see, this wonderful friend of mine has had to deal with feelings very similar to my own over the years, of inadequacy and insecurity. We have both had times over the years of not being good enough for the people we loved the most, feeling as if we were not loved by our family or friends unless they found themselves in need of something we had. Feelings like that are not only sad, but also very but lonely as well. Even though we may have tons of people around us at any given moment, we could never feel that closeness with others. When the friendship was rekindled though, we both began to bloom once again!
Now, we still do not get to see each other as often as we would like, but we each know that if we are ever in need, the other is only a phone call or text message away. Even if I cannot physically go to be at her side, I can still make sure that she is reminded of just how much I truly love her, and how badly I want to be there with her, to help her through a difficult time. I know that she would do the same for me in a heartbeat!
To say I am thankful for this precious friendship would be an understatement! Simple words of thanks just do not do the feelings and good times that we have shared any justice.
When we were reunited, the smiles could not be burned from our faces and the laughs could not be stopped! Of course, we shed a great number of tears as well, but we were there to hug each other, and give that comforting message of "I'll always be there for you and you will never have to feel that lonely feeling ever again!"
As I said, we don't get to be together very often because we live a distance apart. However, each of us knows that the other is ready and willing to drop everything and come running to be by her side if the need is there. I know that I can call her at 2:00 am on any given day and she will wake up and talk to me. She may not be happy about being woken up at that hour, but she will still make herself available, and I will never hear her complain about my waking her up!! It would be the same if the roles were reversed.
To have a friend like that is absolutely priceless! I cannot show enough gratitude for this precious gift God has chosen to give me through this friendship. All I can do, is to continue to work hard for the Lord and keep sharing Him with her. The most beautiful part of that statement is that I know she is doing the same for me!

I love you Rhonda and I am so glad that God pulled us back together to share our 'golden years'! LOL

ALL MY BLOGS......

I have more than just this blog that I SHOULD be writing on. I always have good intentions of keeping my writing up and then something happens and I just let it go. I am going to attempt to be much better at keeping at least this one up this year! With that in mind, I am going to provide a link to my other blogs, both in this post as well as a more permanent location on one of my sidebars!
I have so many different things that I like to talk about that I easily confuse myself! With that in mind, I think I will attempt to keep each blog going, and have each one with a certain topic 'focus'. For example, this one would be more about the aspect of my life related to any kind of work or job.
Now, since I am presently unemployed, I will have to be creative with this. I won't be including only discussion about a job in which I am being paid! (Although, if that does occur, I will most certainly be telling you all about it!) I have a couple of things in the works so hopefully you will be seeing, and enjoying, more written works from me in the very near future!
In the mean time, I invite you to take a look at my other blogs as well! Please, feel free to like or follow each one! I can certainly use all the followers I can get!! Isn't that one of the reasons that bloggers write in the first place? So people can read their words?? I know it is for me. I do hope you enjoy them and will provide me with some feedback through the comments!!

I will be sharing stories of my family life on http://fghallfamily.wordpress.com/ . Please, check us out and, yes, you can go ahead and tell me just how crazy you think my family truly is!! Trust me. I already know this!!

My walk of faith and belief in Jesus Christ will be documented (for the most part) here: http://simplewordsofachristianmom.wordpress.com/ .  I am most certainly not a Biblical scholar, in fact I consider myself a mere infant when it comes to Biblical knowledge, but I do have bits and pieces that I have learned that I like to share. I am also typically very anxious to share when I learn something new! So, beware!! LOL I am always excited to read other people's opinions or interpretations of  God's word. However, I will NEVER tolerate anyone bashing my Christian beliefs. While I do believe in religious freedom, to me that means that if you do not believe in Jesus Christ, you are free to express that fact elsewhere other than on MY blog! Thank you very much!!

One of my hobbies is scrapbooking. I love to document special moments and occasions through the decorated pages that hold my precious photos! I also love to share those pages and ideas. Of course, I am also always looking for new ideas! So feel free to let me know what you think about what I am presently working on, as well as to share your ideas on http://msjsscrappin.wordpress.com/ . If you visit this blog today, you will notice that it is in dire need of work! In fact, it is in need of more than just a title!! Please check back, or subscribe, so that you will know as soon as I get some stuff posted there!!

You may be asking what is going to happen to this blog, other than to be a relay site for my others. Well, this blog will be my 'everything else' blog. I have always wanted to write, (and preferably be paid for it!), so hopefully something that I write about, or say here will be noticed by someone in the publishing world, or even just a small paper or magazine! Who knows? It sure doesn't hurt to dream now does it? Please leave words of encouragement, advice, or just share bits of your dreams here. I truly don't mind. But know that if you get selected to be published through my blog, I will expect an autographed copy of whatever you have published!!

So, with all that being said, I look forward to staying busy with these various blogs in different aspects of my life. Will all these blogs have new posts each day, or week? I honestly don't know! That depends on what I have to say, and how busy I am in other areas of my life. Just know that if I haven't posted on your favorite recently, you are welcome to respond on my most recent post on one of the others and let me know that you miss me!! Trust me. You won't hurt my feelings telling me that!!

God bless and have a beautifully blessed day!!

Jesus....THE ultimate Christmas gift

Putting away my Christmas decorations every year always makes me a little sad, and yet a little excited as well!
I love Christmas and everything that it represents, at least, what it represents to me. I know the Christmas holiday and season means something different for lots of people. To me, Christmas is all about the birth of Jesus, the chance at eternal life for all mankind, and unconditional love. Unfortunately, for many folks, Christmas is all about the presents, decorations, food, where to go for a Christmas vacation, who's house to go to for Christmas dinner, and where to go for Christmas eve, which family are you going to upset this year by not going to their house, and so on. So many lose the pure joy and excitement that Christmas can bring!
I think it is safe to say that I have been in the later category in some recent years, unfortunately! I can remember a time when gift buying (and receiving!) was more important than remembering and celebrating a savior! I know I am not alone when I reminisce about times that I fretted over whose parents home we would visit this year, and what food we would cook at our house or take elsewhere. I can remember agonizing over the names I had drawn for gifts and trying to choose the perfect, and inexpensive, gift for them! Then the agonizing would continue until way after the opening of gifts because I would be questioning my choice, wondering if the recipient even liked what they had gotten! I drove myself crazy at times over things like this!! Boy am I glad those days are behind me!
The past few years I have discovered what the most important thing about Christmas is to me. That would be remembering and celebrating what a precious gift was given to me, and anyone else who chooses to accept it, one very cold, lonely night a couple of thousand years ago. This gift is one that so many people choose to deny or forget about that I just cannot understand. There are tons of folks who profess to love the Lord Jesus Christ, yet when it comes to Christmas they become like crazed maniacs in search of the 'perfect' gift, or planning the latest, greatest vacation, or any number of other things so way off base of what Christmas is all about that I begin to wonder if they will ever find their way back!
Every year I read any number of emails, or Facebook posts, written by someone who wishes to argue the point that Jesus was not born on December 25 and that Christmas is just a holiday that was created by pagan business owners to increase their sales revenue!
Well, I'm going to be honest with you. I don't know if Jesus was born on December 25, 26, or April 15! I have grandchildren that have rarely, if ever, had their birthday celebrated, at least by the entire family and a host of friends, on the actual date of their birth! What matters is the celebration, the remembrance. Don't you think?
If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, who is the main character in our 'text book'? How do you honor and remember him? Don't you think that remembering His birth on the same day every year makes more sense than for every person alive to choose their own date to celebrate? Well, I do. Even at that though, there are still people who do celebrate Christmas at different times, or on different days. What about the times you have attended a Christmas party with friends? Wasn't that a celebration of the birth of Christ? Or office/school parties? Christmas with the in-laws? You see where I'm going with this?
My point is that it really doesn't matter exactly what date Jesus was born on. What matters is the state of our hearts!
Are you celebrating Christmas just because everyone around you is? Maybe it's time that you consider what many other folks know, that Jesus, the Son of God, was born to a virgin, lived a sinless life, then was tried and convicted of crimes He did not commit, crucified on a cross, and rose on the third day from that grave! He did this to provide you and I with a means of salvation from our sinful lives!
Why not accept such an awesome gift?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Wishing everyone a very Happy New Year! 
My hubby and I are bringing in the new year sitting at home, watching TV, and will be going to bed early as well. Honestly, other than having family together, with a bonfire going, I can't think of a better way to celebrate the coming of a new year.
By not going out we are beginning on some of our goals for the coming year. We are saving money, avoiding drama, and will be rested up tomorrow rather than exhausted and trying to cook a good New Years Day dinner! We don't have to worry about other drivers who have had too much to drink. 
I am actually looking forward to 2014 and all that it holds for me a d my family! I know that God is going to richly bless all of us in more ways than we can even begin to count. He has already blessed us tremendously with a fantastic church family, giving us brothers and sisters who will lovingly correct us when we make mistakes. We have many 'siblings' that we can turn to in a time of need, as well as us being available to help any of them should they need it. I can't begin to describe the feeling of comfort just knowing that we never have to face this thing we call life alone. If for some reason we should separate from our church family, even if we were to turn away from God for some stupid reason, we will still never be alone, because we know that God will never turn away from us. He will always be there, ready and waiting for us to call upon Him. He has promised us that He will never leave us or forsake us. He also assures us that He will always love us. He has proven that already!
I am always saddened when someone chooses to deny the existence of God. I truly do not understand how anyone can believe that God does not exist! Without even getting the Bible involved you can see, hear, feel, taste, and smell God's existence! Just look outside at any given time. Look around you as you maneuver your way around outside. Look at the wildlife, flowers, the beautiful clouds in the sky! The beautiful gifts that God gives us each and every day are amazing in themselves! Just the fact that we breathe is a miracle! How can anyone deny that?
I will get off my soapbox now and go enjoy the last few hours of 2013 before going to bed early!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

Happy New Year! Resolutions or goals?

NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS…

  Do you make them? Did you make any for 2013? If you did, how did you do? Did you manage to keep them? Have you ever made resolutions and managed to finish the year with the resolutions still intact? What about resolutions for 2014? Do you plan to make any?

Perhaps you are one of many who prefer to set goals rather than resolutions. What are your goals for 2014? Setting goals is the avenue I have decided to travel through 2014. I just feel that setting goals is so much better than resolutions because with goals, you significantly decrease your failure rate!  

Some of the most common New Year’s resolutions are as follows:

·        Lose Weight

·        Volunteer to Help Others

·        Quit Smoking

·        Get a Better Education

·        Get a Better Job

·        Save Money

·        Get Fit

·        Eat Healthy Food

·        Manage Stress

·        Manage Debt

·        Take a Trip

·        Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

·        Drink Less Alcohol

Here goes my list.....
I think just about everyone I ask is resolving to lose that weight this year! I know that is one of my goals. Notice I said ‘goals’.

I’m not setting a goal to volunteer to help someone. I’m making that a habit! Over the past couple of years I have volunteered in several different capacities and I have found that I receive a tremendous blessing when I volunteer somewhere. Why would I want to give up receiving a blessing?

Next on the list is to quit smoking. I accomplished that one 6 years ago! Praise the Lord!!

Others on this list that I am applying to my life in some way include education, health, saving money, manage stress, and taking a trip.  

The only way I’ll drink less alcohol is if I drink absolutely none at all, and that’s no big deal to me! I have an occasional glass of wine and I really don’t care to stop that totally.

Also on my list of goals, or bucket list for 2014, is to write more. I love to write and I haven’t done much over the past few years so I am going to change that. Who knows? Maybe if I am consistent with writing posts for my blog, maybe I will get more followers! I believe that the majority of people who write because they enjoy it also like to have readers for what they have written. I know I do. I like to know that something I have written has touched someone other than myself and caused them to think about the subject that particular post is about. Also, there is no denying that positive feedback is a pretty good ego booster!

Moving on down my list for 2014... I plan to de-clutter, reorganize, and finish cosmetic projects throughout my house. I have plans for painting, finishing our guest bathroom remodel, throwing out possibly a garbage truck full of old papers and various items that I no longer use, and would not be of any use to anyone else either! I have goals for my scrapbooking and other crafts; for improving my personal Bible study and reading; and to fill shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child throughout the year.

I will begin my painting projects with the front door, travel through the kitchen and stop long enough to paint the cabinets, and conclude with having my sons paint the outside of my house. (They don’t know that yet so don’t spoil the surprise please!) Finishing the guest bathroom that we started remodeling about 5 years ago will be such a blessing! We don’t have much left to do to it, and if we are finishing it then I can no longer use that room for storage! Therefore, I have to de-clutter and reorganize the stuff (go ahead and input your word of choice here…junk, crap, etc.) that is presently stored in there! I will post before and after pics of some of these projects so that someone reading this can help to hold me accountable for actually following through with these goals!  

My scrapbooking has pretty much been pushed aside for the past few years because of health and other issues, so I have a lot of catching up to do with my grandchildren’s albums! My goal for this is to complete 1-2 pages per grandchild, per month. With six grandchildren, that means I have to do 12 pages per month, not including any extras for a special events. I’m also going to be helping a friend develop a ministry which involves creating scrapbooks for foster children! (Another blessing!!)

Operation Christmas Child is a world-wide ministry led by Samaritan’s Purse that was created by Franklin Graham, you know, Billy's boy. This ministry involves filling a shoe box, or similarly sized container, with small Christmas gifts and hygiene items, for children all over the world that otherwise probably would not receive anything. The majority of these gifts are distributed to children in countries that have been devastated by war, natural disasters, and poverty. The shoe boxes are often given to children in orphanages. 2013 was the second year for my husband and I to fill shoe boxes for OCC, and the first year for our church to serve as a Relay Center for the ministry. This meant we would be collecting shoe boxes from our area churches and then relaying them to a larger Collection Center. Our church, with an average worship service attendance between 75-100, collected 150 shoe boxes this year! In 2012 we collected less than 100. My goal, or challenge, for my fellow church members is for us to collect at least 250 shoe boxes for 2014! I also have an ultimate goal with OCC to make a trip with a distribution team and have the privilege of placing the shoe boxes directly in the children’s hands! I get so excited just thinking about that! 
This year we were able to set our donated shoe boxes up to be tracked so we could follow where they went. When I received the email telling me that my shoe boxes had been shipped to Colombia, I felt like I was receiving the greatest Christmas gift ever! I was, and still am, very excited!! This is a ministry that I know God is in full control of, and that He has called me to be a part of! How do I know that? Well, quite simply, it just feels right! I know I won't be able to be on one of the planes delivering the boxes in 2014, but I can be preparing for the time that God opens that door! So, my next step is to go to the processing center in Dallas to assist with processing the boxes this next year, and maybe make some connections to find out what steps I need to take to be one that is chosen to be a part of one of the distribution teams. It may seem like a long shot, but I know that nothing is impossible for my God to do! If He has plans for me to do this, He will open the right doors for me. Now, back to my goals for 2014! 

My Bible study and reading time is an area that I have been very lazy about in the past. I don’t like admitting that, but I have to. I have finally realized that it is absolutely crucial to my spiritual growth, and I want that spiritual growth more than I ever have in my life! So, if I have to get up earlier each day to spend 30 minutes to an hour reading and studying my Bible, then I will be doing just that! I know the benefits that I will reap from this one goal will be so incredible! Today I will decide on a definite reading plan to read through my Bible in one year. I have also already made plans to facilitate a ladies Bible study group at my church! I know the ladies will keep me accountable for my Bible study, which I can't do without reading my Bible, so! Two birds, one stone!! HA!!

Another really big goal for me is to stay off of facebook on Sundays. Now, anyone who knows me, knows what a big deal that is for me! There for a while I believe I was addicted to facebook! I was on that site almost constantly! I have significantly decreased my time on facebook over the past few months, but I want to make the commitment to dedicate every Sunday to only doing things that will strengthen my faith and improve my spiritual life. Believe me, facebook does NOT do that!

So, now it’s your turn. Are you setting some goals for yourself for the upcoming year? Please share some of your goals and let’s help each other to keep these goals. Let’s partner up to encourage one another and hold one another accountable!

See you next year!

If you are interested in finding out more about the Operation Christmas Child ministry or Samaritan's Purse, here is a link!  http://www.samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/

Christmas Preparations

Well, it is the first week of December and I have only a very few Christmas decorations out. This is unusual for me because I typically have my house decorated (at least as much as it's going to be), as well as the tree up and decorated, by now.  I love decorating for Christmas! I truly do, and I am looking forward to getting it done this year! I just hope I manage to do it before Christmas actually gets here!
I have felt my Christmas decorations were inadequate since Christmas 1989. I was a student in nursing school and we were having a party at a fellow students' home. This individual REALLY decorated for Christmas!! I mean, in every corner of her house there were Christmas decorations! Everything was decorated, right down to the toilet paper in the guest bathroom!
What's that you say? Over the top, you say? YOU THINK???
Anyway, since then, partly because I proclaim to LOVE Christmas, and partly because I am just a little competitive, maybe? I want my house to look just as good as the next persons' home does. I want my tree to look just as good and be decorated so perfectly that anyone who sees it says what a glorious tree it is!!
The first problem with that is that we hardly ever have anyone come to our house and if they do, I am terrified of what they are going to think of my house, or of me because of the house I live in! (It's a small-ish double-wide mobile home, very old (made before they were actually called mobile homes!! LOL), in dire need of numerous repairs and/or renovations that we just haven't made the time to do, or finish over the 17 years we have owned this 'trailor'! I will say that it was in need of some of these repairs when we bought it....wait, that could be either good or bad, depending on how you choose to see it!
This house is old and it needed some repairs when we bought it, and we have done a few things to improve its looks such as paint, put down laminate flooring, one bedroom totally remodeled, guest bath remodel begun in 2009 and is still unfinished! We use that room more for storage than anything now! There are also several projects in progress throughout the house, that have been in progress for a while now. I refer you back to the bathroom! The master bedroom and bath, as well as the guest bedroom all have floors in desperate need of replacing or at least recovering since we pulled the carpet out years ago! My laundry room needs some revamping and my kitchen needs to be updated! Other than adding on a little more space such as for our closets and a bathroom enlargement, it's practically perfect! Ha ha!!
Don't get me wrong here. I am very appreciative for having a roof over my head when so many do not. I am grateful that God provided us with the needed funds to get this home paid off so that we actually OWN it! But, it is what it is so I have to make the best of it! After all, apparently it has been where God wanted us to be for the past 17+ years!
So, let me get back to the Christmas preparations. Usually, I have already put my tree up by now, and as much as I would love to have help putting it up, I'm very picky about my decoration of the tree, or should I say critical! I want it to look perfect and my kids could never do it to my satisfaction, so, I have always decorated the tree. There have been many times when I would let them put on a few ornaments and then it was time for them to go do something else while I finished it! Now that I have grandchildren, I have learned that it doesn't matter what the tree looks like, it's the bonding that occurs while decorating the tree! It's about the stories I tell them about each ornament as we place it on the tree, (that could be why it takes me ALL day to decorate the tree usually!). The look of pure joy in their eyes when we first light up the tree after all the ornaments are in place, makes any fussiness over where each ornament is placed, more than worth it! I realize now that my selfish act of wanting my tree to look 'just so', cost me, and my children, something that can never be returned. I caused a loss of precious memories, or actually a lack of creating those memories. I realize that now. I wish I had realized, or just plain thought of it, 30 years ago when my first child was just an infant.
Those memories will never happen because I made the choice to not include my children in the decoration of the tree. Why did I do that? Because I was a selfish woman who wanted my tree to be my way or no way basically, and I didn't think my kids could decorate it to satisfy me, so I made the wrong choice. I chose time with an artificial (sometimes real) Christmas tree and some ornaments, over time with my children decorating said tree. Please, DO NOT MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE!! Share these special times with your kids!
This year I am so excited that my husband and I have decided to put up my very tall and slim tree which I have not put up in several years!! Last year, as I decorated the front and sides only of my 6 foot tall, white tree, I was having difficulty with ornament placement! They just wouldn't all fit, at least not all of the ones that I wanted to be sure to include on the tree, and that wasn't including any solid color Christmas balls!! This year I should not have that problem!!
You see, I have a tradition that I started with the birth of my first grandchild. Every year I buy each of them a new ornament for my tree and I choose it based on something significant about the past year for each child. My plan is to continue doing this until they get to the point of decorating their own trees in their own homes, and then maybe as a Christmas gift, I will give them the set I have collected over the years for them, to decorate their own tree. The older ones have gotten to the point of wanting to know "what kind of ornament did you get for me this year, Mawmaw?", and I love it!! This is a tradition that will be continued every year as long as I live, even if I am just painting pinecones and putting a tag or something on it with each of their names! I do make sure to put the name of the child, as well as the year, on the back of each ornament. I love discussing the ornaments with the grandkids, explaining to them why I chose the one I did for them, and why one of the other kids got the ornament for them that they did. The smiles on their little faces as I explain to them that because the played soccer this year and seemed to really love it, I bought them a soccer ornament, or because she is such a diva (and a princess), one of my granddaughters' ornament is a princess ornament!
Tyler, my oldest grandchild, actually has about 6 or more ornaments from his first Christmas! Then, as others came along, I realized that it just didn't make sense to get each of them several ornaments each year, so I pick each child a special one. Each child has a 'baby's first Christmas' ornament for their first year of course, but they are all different!
When putting up my tree, the first dilemma is typically the lights, single color or multi-colored? At one time I preferred the clear lights only on my tree, while the hubs wanted multi's. I have to admit that I do enjoy watching all the different colors play off the glass of the ornaments every year, so this year will most likely be a multicolored year!
The first, and sometimes only, ornaments to go on the tree are the grandkids ornaments. Then I fill in wherever needed with icicles, snowflakes, crosses (I LOVE cross ornaments), and other ornaments that I have collected over the years. One year, when my boys were all in the military, I had a red, white, and blue tree with all patriotic or military oriented ornaments! That was one of the most beautiful trees I have ever had!
Garland...yes or no? For me it is typically no, since I have yet to find any that I truly love. But for the past two years I have used some of the decorative mesh sort of as a garland and it looks really nice!
Almost last is the tree topper. What should it be? Angel, star, bow, combination of the three? Something totally different? OH THE DECISIONS TO MAKE!!!
The very last thing I do is to put the tree skirt around the tree. That's when it hits me....the holiday blues. I LOVE the tree with all the pretty lights, but I look at how bare it is under it and it never fails to hit me that we just cannot afford to buy gifts like we have in the past! That usually brings on some depression on my part. Then I turn off all the lights in the house except for the tree lights, lay down on the floor, and crawl under the tree and look up. What an incredible site it is to look up through the lights and ornaments! Pure, peaceful beauty is the only way I can think of to describe it! I know I can, and have, lay there all night just staring up at the lights through the tree branches!! I also find it very relaxing to sit away from the tree, but with only its lights shining, and just stare into the tree. That is when I tend to do a lot of thinking and soul searching.
This year I have made a decision to make as many of the gifts as possible for a couple of reasons. First of all, to save money! But I think the most important reason to give someone a handmade gift is that it IS something you made yourself! You put a lot of thought and time into making this item! Homemade gifts are just so much more special I think! The toughest part of the homemade gifts is figuring out what to make for each person! Fortunately I already have some ideas and am ready to start on some of them!! I better get started since Christmas is only 22 days away!!!
I guess we better get busy with the decorations as well!! I hate to put all my decor up and only have the house decorated with all the beautiful decorations of the season, for just a few weeks, so I usually wait until about the second week of January to take the tree down. When the tree comes down is when all the other decorations are taken down and put away as well.
We are doing something else this year that we have not done in several years. We are decorating our yard!! That has always, for the most part, been my husbands domain. He does the outside, and I do the inside. That is exactly how it is going to be this year too! I may offer suggestions or ideas for some outside decorations, but ultimately that job is all his!
I sure hope we are able to get everything done that we want to by Christmas so that we can slow down and enjoy the holiday rather than feeling rushed constantly for the next 4 weeks!!
I was reminded at Sunday nights Bible study of something I hope to incorporate into our Christmas traditions this year, and something that will have to wait until next year. Of course, we have to remind ourselves, as well as others, to remember what Christmas is SUPPOSED to be about, and that would be JESUS! It's not about the gifts or decorations or even the food! It is all about Jesus and I want to make sure that everyone in my family remembers that this year! So, if I can get the hubby to cooperate, I want him to read the Christmas story for everyone before gifts are opened. I'm not referring to "T'was the Night Before Christmas" either. I'm referring to the story of Jesus' birth, a story that all of the children, as well as the adults, need to be reminded of.
So, that is a synopsis of the preparations I have made so far for Christmas. What have some of you done already for Christmas? Also, what are some of your family traditions for the holidays? Are you planning on doing anything new or different this year? Please share so some of us can maybe get some more ideas of things we can do with our families to make this Christmas a very special one, possibly even the best Christmas our family has ever had!!
I will post pics of the decorations and the tree when (if) I ever get them done!!
Until next time...which hopefully will not be as long as usual! Have a very blessed day, week, etc. Remember, JESUS IS THE REASON WE CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS!!

Let your light shine!

I believe I am going to work on some scripture study tonight. There has been so much tragedy to occur all over our country and all over the world lately. Lot's of things have happened right here locally in our little town of Jasper recently.
 I say that to say this....People, be praying!! Not just your laundry list of things that will make your life easier or more fun, but be praying for people you don't even know, people that maybe live just down the block, in another city, state, or even a different country from you. Christians all over the world need to be praying for each other.
Pray for the lost, that the right person with the right words will cross their path and take advantage of the opportunity that God gives them to share the GOOD NEWS OF JESUS CHRIST! And folks, if you 'feel that urge', or someone's name comes across your mind but you don't know why, do two things: PRAY for them, right at that moment!! It's easy to do no matter where you are or what you are doing. Pray silently if you have to! It's even better if you call that person, which is the second thing I was going to tell you, or go by their house and check on them. Visit with them for a short time and then PRAY WITH THEM or for them, which ever they desire.
Bottom line folks, we all need to be on our ks praying!! We need to be in constant prayer, even if those prayers need to be silent at times. That's ok!
God knows the situation better than we ever will and if we pray for His will to be done in the situation, He will answer the prayer!!! His answer may not always be what you want to hear! Because, yes, like all good and loving fathers, sometimes he has to tell us no because He knows what lies ahead if you go that route, but if you stay within the will of God, your path will be straight, and you will accomplish whatever it was God wanted you to do.
Maybe He wanted you to speak to someone, or maybe He wanted you to go to the grocery store, with all your kids in tow, simply because you need milk and bread at home. Perhaps there is someone that God knows you will cross paths with at that store who needs to see you struggle with all the kids, but you make it!
As Christians, we need to remember that we are always representing God, no matter where we are or who we are with. People who know you proclaim to be a christian' but you act like this, are going to be watching you very closely. That's why it is so important for us to live as closely to the way Christ did, handle situations as closely to the way Jesus would have, and lead our daily, hectic lives, so that a non-believer will have a chance to see Jesus THROUGH you!
Don't hide your light under a bush!! LET IT SHINE, LET IT SHINE, LET IT SHINE!!! Share the wonderful news of Jesus Christ with everyone! Even those you believe to already be saved, even if they truly are, I'm sure they will appreciate the mini Bible lesson more than you may ever know!! Remember, we are being God's hands and feet! So don't trip, and don't spill the coffee!! (sorry, had to put a little humor in there) God bless you all is my prayer tonight. May He heal those in need of healing, may He provide what is needed to ease your mind and lessen your worries as we approach the holiday season. But most of all, may God bless you and your families with the peace, comfort, and joy you so richly deserve! I also pray that we open our hearts and minds to listen to the Holy Spirit and follow His guidance in everything we do!!
Have a wonderful, restful night everyone. We can always talk some more tomorrow if needed.

How do you help someone that is in pain?

All of us have some sort of pain that we deal with on a daily basis. For some it is short-lived, but for others it is something they have been living with for a very long time. Some have physical pain, some emotional, some mental, and some spiritual pain. So, how do we get something beautiful out of all that nasty, messy, broken, ugly, pain caused by a physical injury, or from memories of some sort of abuse, whether physical, mental, or emotional, or perhaps even all of the above?

Some people will tell you that it is easy, just get over it and move on. Still others will refuse to believe that you are in as much physical pain as you are. They will consider you a hypochondriac, a faker.  Often, things are said either to the person in pain, or about them but where they can hear what is being said. Then you have your usual gossipers who love nothing more than to run around telling, and usually embellishing the story, about something you may have shared with them in confidence. This is exceptionally painful if the one you shared your confidence with was a fellow church member, someone you trusted to keep your conversation private.

So, what do you do when something like this happens to you, or to someone you love? What if it happens to someone you don’t know very well, but you have seen them at school, at church, at ladies meetings? Well, first of all, you are going to be shocked because by the look on their face you always thought they had it all together. They are always smiling and appear perfectly happy! How can they be so happy if they are really so miserable?

If you are the person who has been hurt or is currently dealing with pain of any kind, seek out someone to talk to. You may find that someone to be your spouse, a friend (though if you have been in any kind of pain for any amount of time, friends are few and far between), a fellow church member that you have no doubt you can trust, or your pastor.

There is nothing anywhere that says you have to tell them your whole story at the very start. Start slowly. Get to know the person you are talking to a bit and allow them to get to know you. Let them know that you feel you can trust them and that you have something you would like to talk to them about. If you have already been visiting for too long, make arrangements to get together again very soon, and stick to it! 

Whomever you have chosen to be your confidant, once you feel comfortable with them, let them know that you want to share something from your past in the hopes that sharing it will help you to let go of it, to get past it, and to move on. Let them know if you are seeking advice or just an ear to listen to you before you ever begin. Then, tell them your story. 

No matter what your story is, whether a story of ongoing physical pain and dependence on medications and other treatments just to be able to make it from one day to the next, or a story of abuse at some point in your life, or even possibly a story of being treated in what you feel was a very non-Christian-like manner at a previous church. Just share your story. Be sure there are tissues, plenty of them, close by! For some reason, once we begin telling our stories, no matter what the outcome has been, we will still cry about it. Sometimes the tears are joyful tears because we realize where we were and where we are now, and other times they may be tears of total sadness, fear, anger, because we don't see a way out of our situation. Tell as much detail of your story as you are comfortable with, perhaps letting your listener know that there are more details but you are just not ready to share them quite yet. 

As a listener, that is what you are to do, LISTEN! Never, ever interrupt when someone is telling you about something that has hurt them severely in the past. That could cause the to shut down and decide that you are not the person they want to share this with. When they pause in the story telling, wait before you say anything. Pray before saying a word!! Even a simple prayer said to yourself of "God, help me" can do amazing things. When the hurting person is finished with their story, you will know. They will either let you know that "that's it", or you will just be able to tell by their body language and the fact that they usually are in tears and not saying anything at all.

When it becomes your turn to speak, first and most importantly, let them know that you love them, that nothing they could say could cause you to not love them. Let them know that God loves them! If they are a Christian, help them see the way to get back on the right track and pray with them, sometimes several times in one visit! Remind them that they are continually a work in progress, clay in the Potter's hands. Remind them that we are all being molded and shaped into what God wants us to be each and every moment of every day. Remind them that sometimes that molding and shaping does hurt, but that it is highly likely God has given them this trial to go through in order to be the kind of witness He needs. Remind them that God knows what He is doing! He has had their lives planned since before the beginning of time! Pray with them. Let them know that God never leaves us nor forsakes us, that He is always there for us, to listen to us and to help us get over this hurdle or mountain we are climbing, but that we have to put all of our trust in Him. We have to have faith that He can and will take care of our situation. 

Never, ever tell them that God will take care of it for them and you will be praying for them and leave it at that! EVER!! For all they know, that was just your way of getting away from them, like so many in the past have done. First, pray with them and for them. Then offer to help them find the kind of help they need. Do they need money because they can't pay their light bill this month? Call your pastor and see what can be done. Call anyone you can think of and get this person some help. Be careful though. Don't give out their name unless they have told you that it is okay!! 

Maybe they have told you about something that happened to them many years ago and now they are dealing with depression, anxiety, possibly suicidal thoughts at one time, though not at the present time. Help them find some professional counseling, then offer to drive them to the counseling appointment if they don't have transportation. Even if they do have transportation, offer anyway! There is always the possibility that they do not have the funds for gas in their vehicle to go to the counselor, or they may just need the moral support. 

If the problem causing the pain is due to a problem they had at a previous church, help them to see that not all churches are the same. Not all people are the same. Explain to them the importance of being forgiving, whether to their former church as a whole, or just a certain member. If they are not currently attending a church, invite them to attend yours with you. Be prepared though when you do this for either it to take several invitations for them to actually finally take you up on your offer, or for them to be very uncomfortable when they do come to church with you. Do everything in your power to make them feel comfortable. Remember, this is all about making them feel comfortable and welcome. 

Most importantly, let the person who is hurting know that God is working on them, carrying them through whatever rough time they are having, even though it may not feel like it. Sometimes, when you are going through a difficult time, hurting for whatever reason, it can feel like everyone has left you alone, even God. Make sure that they know HE is always there. Pray with them as much as they will let you! Then continue to pray for them as often as you can. Explain to them about the potter and the clay, how we are the clay and God is the potter and he is molding and forming us into the person he wants us to be ultimately. God will frequently use our bad experiences to bring something out in us to use to help others. Help them to consider that possibility. But most importantly, just be there for them, and keep their confidence. Never, ever share ANY information they share with you without their permission first. Be the friend that they are crying out for so desperately. 

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2 NIV

Matthew 11:28 NIV

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Psalm 119:28

New International Version (NIV)

28 My soul is weary with sorrow;
    strengthen me according to your word.

Walk the walk if you are going to talk the talk!

I know it's been a while since I've been around, but I am BACK! And I have so many things I want to say and share with as many of you as possible, so be ready for numerous posts!
Earlier today I posted to Facebook how I feel about how some people love to post the "Jesus loves you" type posts that have been shared thousands of times, I've done it myself! But, my point was that there are so many that seem to think just posting things like that, or claiming to be a Christian, makes everything okay for them, for their life. My post argued with that. Here is my post....

One thing that really just drives me crazy is to see posts from people about how much they love God, "I'm a Jesus girl", etc., yet they do nothing from day to day, in the real world to show that. Their treatment of others demonstrates something other than the love of Jesus. The way they live also. If you are going to proclaim to be a Child of the King, how about you do so in such a way that there is NEVER any doubt? Live a life that shows people that you are truly serving Jesus. Be so filled with the Holy Spirit that you don't have to repost all those things telling folks what a good Christian you are. PROVE IT!! LEAVE NO DOUBT!! Don't just talk the talk, walk the walk as well!! I AM a CHILD OF THE KING! I serve a true and living God! If you have any doubt about that, come see me and let's talk.

I think most people will understand what I was saying, but for those few who may not, let me explain it a little more in-depth. I am a daughter of the KING OF KINGS, the ONE and ONLY GOD. I have been saved through my belief in the life, death, and resurrection on the third day of MY LORD AND SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST. I have been washed by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ. I do attend church with my husband, and we have our usual seat that we sit in. My reason for attending church every opportunity that I can is not just so I can be counted as present and give the appearance of having it all together. I want to know more about Jesus! I want to know Him better, be drawn closer to Him. 
 My reasons for attending church are to be 'fed', refueled, etc. I know that every day,  every minute of every day, my 'tank' of love, Holy Spirit, Christian life has some removed from it for various reasons. Whether it may be talking with someone about our similar issues that we deal with daily, helping a family member understand what needs to be done in a situation they are going through, or just plain living day to day without screaming and yelling, getting aggravated at the smallest things, or not behaving in a Christ-like manner. I have to have my tank refilled on a regular basis so that I can share the love of Christ that is within me. I need to ask the Holy Spirit to refill every molecule of my body each and every day, to the point of overflowing, so that some may splash out on others that I come in contact with.
If you are just playing the part of what you think a Christian should be, maybe you need to go back to the instruction book, aka THE HOLY BIBLE, and read what is expected of you in all situations. God plainly tells us what we are to do, how we are to behave, what our language is supposed to be like, how we are to treat others, and the fact that we are to share the Gospel of the Good News of Jesus Christ with everyone we come into contact with. We are also not to be hypocritical, living one way on Saturday night and then another on Sunday morning. 
I know from personal experience how easy it is to profess to be a Christian, but not act like one. Do you give of yourself to others, without complaining about it? Do you give to the church as you are instructed to do, with a cheerful heart or are you reluctant to give more than $20 because you don't think you will have enough to make it until payday? Do you bow your head in church as if you are praying, yet the only time you may say a prayer is if you find yourself in a crisis of some sort? Are you one that attends church regularly, but you never participate in any of the extra activities the church may have, much less volunteer to help! Do you ever tell anyone else about how they can come to know Jesus Christ and receive the gift of salvation He has for each of us?
I'm guessing there are quite a few 'no' answers to those questions. So, what do we do about it? Well, it's a fairly easy fix, but, it is also highly likely that there will be some consequences, or hurdles to leap. 
First you have to PRAY. When you pray, don't just say some rehearsed words that you have heard others say when they prayed at church. Your prayers, each and every one of them, needs to come from your heart! Keep in mind, your prayers are your conversations with God, the creator of the universe, the ONE who has known all about you since before you were born. God knew all about you even before He created the universe! God knows how many hairs are on your head, today, tomorrow, and every day! He already knows how long you will be on this earth. God, our heavenly Father, knows the day, time, and how you will leave this earth! And once you leave this earth, where will you go? Heaven you say? Are you sure? Are you absolutely, 100+% positive? How do you know this?
What have you done to deserve the opportunity to go to heaven and be with Jesus? You say you have been a good person? That's not it. You say you go to church at Christmas, Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, and maybe another time or two in there just for good measure. Nope, not it either. So, you read your Bible? Good to know, but that won't get you through those pearly gates either! So, what is it going to take for you to KNOW, without a doubt, that you will spend eternity with the One who created you? To spend eternity with the One who loves you, even though you continue to mess up, day after day? How can you be positive that you can go to be with Jesus upon your death, or at the time of the rapture, if you are still living?
It's not as difficult as we try to make it. Do you believe that Jesus is the son of a virgin named Mary, that He is GOD'S son? Do you believe that Jesus walked the earth, was arrested for a crime He did not commit, beaten savagely, nailed to a cross between two thieves, as if He were a thief Himself. Do you believe that Jesus died on that cross after pleading with His, and our, Heavenly Father to "forgive them for they know not what they do"? Do you believe Jesus was buried in a borrowed tomb and arose from that tomb on the third day? Do you believe that the ONLY reason Jesus did all this, that He went through all of that pain, was that He loves us, you and me, and everyone, so very much that He agreed to take all of our sins, ALL OF OUR SINS, even those you have not committed yet, upon Himself, so that we might have the opportunity to live with Him in heaven for all eternity? Do you believe that the only reason a sinless man, a man named Jesus, was so brutally murdered, was to cover all of our sins by His blood?
If you truly believe all of that, but have never professed it publicly, find a pastor that you feel comfortable with, one who leads a church that believes in teaching the true Gospel of Jesus, and talk with Him. 
"For God so love the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that none should perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

Now, I hope you will excuse me because I want to go and study about my wonderful Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I want to learn about Him more and more each day. I pray that you do as well. 
I will have more to say in the next few days about these posts that could be considered hypocritical. I hope you return for more!