What kind of church member are you?

I Am a Church Member

by Thom S. Rainer on Friday, April 26, 2013

This article is an excerpt adapted from I Am a Church Member by Thom S. Rainer.

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When Michael and Liam began meeting for Monday morning breakfast at 6 a.m. more than five months ago, they originally thought it would be a one-time event. They met in a couples' Bible study group in their church. For many reasons, they hit it off and were becoming good friends. The two men enjoyed their time together so much that the one-time event became a weekly event.
Still, Michael was caught off guard on that particular Monday morning. Liam loved the poached eggs in the little restaurant; it was his regular order. But on this Monday morning, he hadn't touched them. He was barely sipping his coffee.
Liam didn't take long to get to the point. "Michael," he began, "Lana and I have decided to leave the church." The pause seemed to last minutes. Neither of the men knew who should speak next. Michael took the initiative and spoke softly yet deliberately. "You want to tell me about it?" Michael inquired. He honestly didn't know if Liam wanted to say any more about it. His friend seemed resolute. Nevertheless, Liam began to explain his feelings and decision.
"Lana and I went to the church to learn deep truths about the Bible," Liam offered. "But Pastor Robert is just not feeding us. We're not getting anything out of his messages. Sitting in the service on Sunday morning is a waste of our time."
Michael didn't respond but could tell that Liam had more to say.
"There are several great people in the church," Liam continued. "You and Karen are the best, and there are a few more like you." He paused and his facial expression became even more serious. "But, honestly, Michael, our church is full of hypocrites. Did you hear Jim at the kids' basketball game? He embarrassed me the way he was calling out the refs. What kind of testimony is that for a Christian? And of course, everyone knows about Neal. He was supposedly this pillar of the church, and we found out he's been cheating on his wife for more than a year. What kind of church is this with these kinds of people?"
Liam was angry but controlled as he continued to vent. "Look, Pastor Robert acts like he cares for us, but I'm not sure he does. I told him that Lana's dad was in the hospital for hernia surgery, and he never visited him."
Michael knew that Lana's father was not a church member, and he lived 50 miles away. He also knew that Pastor Robert called him and prayed with him. But he also knew that any rebuttal would not be timely at the moment. Michael held his tongue.
It seemed that Liam's mild rant was winding down. Liam seemed exhausted, ready to bring the conversation to a close. He did, however, offer a few pointed comments and two insightful questions.
"Michael," Liam began softly. "I really like you and Karen and your kids. All of you are a class act." He paused briefly. "But you seem enthused about the church. You keep serving and contributing. Don't get me wrong, but I wonder at times if you are blind to all the problems in the church."
Then Liam offered a closing that spoke more than he realized. "We are two different types of church members," he stated. "Why is that? Why do we have such different perspectives?"

The difference

Nine out of 10 churches in America are declining or growing at a slower pace than that of their communities. Simply stated, churches are losing ground in their own backyards.
Another way of looking at it is generationally. About two-thirds of the Builder generation, those born before 1946, are Christians. However, only 15 percent of Millennials, those born between 1980 and 2000, are Christians. Millennials are the largest generation in America's history with almost 80 million members.
And we have all but lost that generation.
We can blame it on the secular culture. And we often do.
We can blame on the godless politics of our nation. We do that as well.
We can even blame it on the churches, the hypocritical members, and the uncaring pastors. Lots of Christians do that.
I'm proposing that we who are church members need to look in the mirror. I'm suggesting that congregations across America are weak because many of us church members have lost the biblical understanding of what it means to be a part of the body of Christ.
We join our churches expecting others to serve us, to feed us, and to care for us.
We don't like the hypocrites in the church, but we fail to see our own hypocrisies.
God didn't give us local churches to become country clubs where membership means we have privileges and perks.
He placed us in churches to serve, to care for others, to pray for leaders, to learn, to teach, to give, and, in some cases, to die for the sake of the gospel.
Many churches are weak because we have members who have turned the meaning of membership upside down. It's time to get it right. It's time to become church members as God intended. It's time to give instead of being entitled.

A new path

Though it's a small step, I'm suggesting that church members consider a new path. There are six steps we should carefully and prayerfully take. Let's consider each of these steps to be the type of church member God called us to be.

First, let's note the metaphor of membership.

It's not membership as in a civic organization or a country club. It's the kind of membership given to us in 1 Corinthians 12:27, "Now you are the body of Christ and individual members of it." Because I'm a member of the body of Christ, I must be a functioning member, whether I'm an "eye," an "ear," or a "hand." As a functioning member, I will give. I will serve. I will minister. I will evangelize. I will study. I will seek to be a blessing to others.

Second, I will strive to be a source of unity in the church.

I know there are no perfect pastors, staff, or other church members. But I'm not perfect either. I won't be a source of gossip or dissension. One of the greatest contributions I can make is to do all I can in God's power to help keep the church in unity for the sake of the gospel.

Third, I will not let my church be about my preferences and desires; that's self-serving.

I'm in this church to serve others and to serve Christ. My Savior went to the cross for me. I can deal with any inconveniences and matters that aren't my preference or style.

Fourth, I will pray for my pastor every day. His work is never-ending.

His days are filled with constant demands for his time, with the need to prepare sermons, with those who are rejoicing in births, with those who are traveling through the valley of the shadow of death, with critics, with the hurts and hopes of others, and with the need to be a husband and a father. My pastor cannot serve our church in his own power.

Fifth, I will lead my family to be good members of this church as well.

We will pray together for our church. We will worship together in our church. We will serve together in our church. And we will ask Christ to help us fall deeper in love with this church because He gave His life for her.
This article is an excerpt adapted from I Am a Church Member by Thom S. Rainer.

PRAYER WARRIORS AND FACEBOOK POSTS

Praying for each other is something we often take for granted. We pray for those closest to us, those mentioned in a  church service, or maybe someone expresses a need for prayer in a grocery store conversation or on a facebook post, and we promise to pray for them. Then, life gets in the way, and though we don't intend to, we get too busy, or forgetful, and we fail to fulfill or duty to pray.
I know sometimes it seems everywhere you turn, you feel bombarded with prayer requests. Have you ever considered there might be a reason for that?
It is my OPINION that God gives tasks to those He knows will complete them. I did not say 'could' complete them, but 'will'. I believe He gives us tasks that He knows we want to do to bring Him honor and glory. I believe He lead me to create a page on facebook just for that purpose.
A couple of weeks ago, I created a page, led by the Holy Spirit I believe, to join people together to pray for a little girl, 9 months old, with a severe and life threatening lung condition. A condition so serious that she is now awaiting lung transplant. I wanted a way to contact as many people as possible when the call came that she was going to be getting her lungs, with a goal through those contacts of having as many people as possible to meet at my home church, Peachtree Baptist Church in Jasper, TX, for a prayer vigil (meeting, gathering, whatever) for this baby and her family as they prepared for what could possibly be the best, or worst day of their lives. So, again, I feel I was led either by the Holy Spirit or God Himself, to create this page, Jasper, Texas area Prayer Warriors. This was after the first notice we received that lungs had become available for tiny Parson Blue. After attempting to notify as many people as possible at 10:00 on a Saturday night, 5 of us met at our church, and joined in prayer for this baby and her family. Unfortunately, because of an infection she had in her PICC line (basically an IV that goes into a vein usually through the upper chest area and takes a surgical procedure itself for insertion). But it was very shortly after meeting these other women at our church to pray that I started thinking there has to be a better way of notifying more people at one time to be praying "in on accord", and the Jasper Texas Area Prayer Warrior page was born.
Since it's beginning, that page has been used to pray for many others, as well as for our precious Parson Blue. I say 'our' because she feels like family to our entire community! In the less than two weeks of the page existence, already, prayers have been answered. I KNOW there is power in prayer, and I KNOW there are thousands of PRAYER WARRIORS out there. So I am trying every possible avenue I can come up with to bring as many of those warriors together in prayer for the same subject at the same time.
I believe God gives each of us a gift, a spiritual gift. I believe that because, as the children's song goes,  "the BIBLE tells me so". I'm not a Biblical scholar by any definition of the word so I'm not going to try to quote scripture to you, (though I will look it up on Bible Gateway!).

1 CORINTHIANS 12 (yep! entire chapter, but please read it! All emphasis is mine)

Concerning Spiritual Gifts

12 Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. ² You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. ³ Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

⁴ There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. ⁵ There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. ⁶ There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

⁷ Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. ⁸ To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, ¹⁰ to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,^[a] and to still another the interpretation of tongues.^[b] 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

Unity and Diversity in the Body

¹² Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³ For we were all baptized by^[c] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. ¹⁴ Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

¹⁵ Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸ But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. ¹⁹ If they were all one part, where would the body be? ²⁰ As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” ²² On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, ²⁴ while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, ²⁵ so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. ²⁶ If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. ²⁸ And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. ²⁹ Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰ Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues^[d]? Do all interpret? ³¹ Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.

Love Is Indispensable

And yet I will show you the most excellent way.

You see? God gives each of us a special, spiritual gift and He expects us to use that gift. I don't know if I have a gift of prayer, I don't think so. But I do not let that stop me from praying. But we all have gifts OF SOME KIND, whether we understand what those gifts are or not.
Look at verse 27 again. "Now you are the body of Christ, and each of you is a part of it." As my pastor has told us in many different sermons, some may be the head, some the big toe, and some may be the left or right kidney. Without any of these, the body does not function properly! So, without each of you using your spiritual gifts, whatever they may be, our body, our church bodies, THE BODY OF CHRIST, cannot function properly.
Whether you have the gift of prayer or not, we are still all commanded to pray for each other. THAT is what all of this is about. We NEED each other, whether through prayer (which we all can do), or the gift of healing or guidance, or whatever. We need each other. Let's use the one gift that we all have at least a small portion of, PRAYER, and join each other as needed to pray especially for a certain individual or situation.
Included in this entry is the post I put on the facebook page of Jasper Texas Area Prayer Warriors. Part of that post is a plea to share the post and page with friends and asking them to do the same. This is a public page. You do not have to have special permissions to 'join' the page. But please do join! Give the page a 'like' and then watch for posts asking for prayer. When a request comes, if possible, meet with other prayer warriors somewhere, anywhere, and PRAY! That's what it is all about, praying for each other, so let's do just that! PRAY FOR EACH OTHER!!
Thank you all for reading this and I ask you to also please feel free to repost this. Let's work together to involve as many of God's people, His prayer warriors, in meeting a special need of prayer for each other.
God bless you all and it is my prayer right now that you each have a blessed day!

Facebook post:
This page is about sharing our need for prayer, praying for each other, and sharing the answers to those prayers. I would love to have all of you and your friends to join us by simply 'liking' the page and joining us in prayer. Started to inform people of prayers and vigils for one tiny little girl, this page, in 2 very short weeks, has been used to pray for SO many different people, all over our great country. It has significantly changed my personal prayer life from being about me and issues directly around me, to praying for people I have never met, but they, or someone for them, voiced a need or request for prayer, so I prayed. I know there are many of you out there who have also joined me in prayer for various individuals, situations, or events. I hope that you will share this page with others who would also join us in prayer. As we all know, there is power in prayer and the more warriors you have on the front lines, the better chance you have of defeating the enemy. Our enemy is satan and his worldly ways. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, stands at the right hand of God giving Him our requests as we give them to Him. Please share this page with your church family, your prayer groups, friends, and anyone that you believe might be in need of prayer in a mighty way. Ask them to join our group. "Membership" is easy. Simply liking the page and then praying when a request comes along is all it takes. You DO NOT have to live in, or be from, the Jasper, Texas area to join us or submit a request. 
As you hear of a request or need for prayer, please, post that request on the page. If you have difficulty posting it to this page for any reason, then please send that request to my personal page, Scrappinmama2533, and I will be sure to post it on this page.
Feel free to copy and paste this request, or write one of your own, and send it to all of your friends and ask them to do the same. Facebook has been used in the past to cause a great deal of harm to some. I want to use it now for good, for GOD'S work. Please join me. 

 Judy

Where is God when bad things happen?

As I sit outside on this gorgeous day, looking over my meditation garden I am reminded of just how fragile life is. Whether you are talking about human life, the life of a beloved pet or farm animal, or the life of a beautiful plant, they were all created by THE one and only, The alpha and omega, THE GOD of all. Isn't that kind of cool? To think th the same God who created me, created the little lizard I am currently watching run across the ground hoping to escape my dog!! I'm listening to birds sing, bees buzz, the breeze blowing through the trees. Talk about peace and tranquility  This spot has it. With a few more blooming flowers, it will be almost perfect!

I am reminded though, just how fragile and unpredictable life is. You wake up each morning ready to get your day going, as you normally do. You get your coffee drank, everyone dressed and sent off to wherever their day may take them, and then you start your day. Everything in our perfect lives is, well, perfect. We have no major ordeals to overcome, no obstacles in our way. Yet we take all that we have for granted. It could be gone in an instant. Reminds me of an old hymn, "I know who holds tomorrow". 

"Many things about tomorrow, I don't seem to understand. But I know who holds tomorrow, and I know who holds my hand." 

We all go throughout our lives and moan and groan about our aches and pains, about the fact that something didn't go the way WE wanted it to, or the fact that we are having a bad hair day. But stop for a minute and think about those who don't know if they even have a tomorrow, or if someone they love dearly has a tomorrow. Oh, we all claim to have faith that God will get us through whatever trials He sends our way, but do we really? How would you handle it if you got a phone call telling you that your spouse has been in a terrible accident, your mother/sister/cousin/best friend has just been told they have cancer, or your child is ill with what you think is a really bad cold so you go to your pediatrician to get it taken care of and get your baby to feeling better. 

But at that doctor appointment things don't go as you had planned. The doctor doesn't like something so he runs numerous tests and you wait, and wait, and wait for the results. Finally, the doctor comes in the room with a nurse, social worker, and who knows who else with him. Instantly you know something serious is going on.

As he begins to speak, telling you that he has no clue what is going on with your baby and he doesn't know how to help her feel better, so he is referring you elsewhere. But the referral is not a typical referral. He's not sending you to a larger city to a more specialized physician. No. You are being referred to THE children's facility, the best in the country, and to one of the best physicians in the country, to treat YOUR child for whatever ailment she has. Now is when your faith really begins to be tested. What is your response? 

I know what mine would be. Tears, anger, confusion would be some of the emotions I would freely express. The first thing I would do? Call my husband, of course. After all the confusion of the day somewhat settles down, then, and only then, I would finally remember to talk to my Father. Finally, at the end of one of the worst days of my life I would remember to pray. Is that true faith? If I wait to talk to God about what has me so upset until the end of the day. Am I really trusting that He is going to help me get through this? I don't think so. 

I should have stopped as soon as the doctor finished telling me his wonderful news,  got down on my knees right there in that doctor office, and thanked God for giving me the beautiful child that I have had for a few years, few months, few days. We should be thankful ALWAYS for the wonderful gifts God gives us, but are we? No. We are too busy being selfish, wanting to feel better, wanting everything to be fixed and we believe it is up to us to fix it, so we trust only in ourselves. 

That is not the case for a young couple in my community. I don't know the details of that first fateful doctor visit. I don’t know how they were told or how they reacted immediately following the relaying of the news. But I do know what I have seen since the beginning of a rather horrendous journey this family has had to endure. And it’s not over yet.

As is the norm for our Sunday school class, and I’m sure many others as well, we start our class time off with a prayer list. Everyone has an opportunity to place someone’s name on the prayer list and this typically involves a brief explanation of the reason for the prayer request. When Ms. Emily spoke up and began to tell our class about little Parson, an infant barely three months old, if that, it became very difficult for anyone to keep the tears from falling.

We heard of breathing difficulties, lung infections, abnormalities, doctors being baffled, and the fact that there have only been 5 other children with this disorder treated at Texas Children’s Hospital. We also were told of the possibility of this tiny baby needing a lung transplant. There was not a dry eye in our classroom.

Then something amazing happened. We began hearing of the faith of this young family. Even in what some would consider the darkest hour of their lives, this young couple turned their eyes up. I’m sure there were tears, but through those tears, they thanked God for the gift of Parson in their lives. The thanked God for the doctors they had been sent to. They told anyone who asked about their situation that God was going to get them through it. They shared their faith every chance they had. They gained strength through their faith in Jesus Christ.

Through all of the sorrow and heartache, fear and uncertainty, this couple is still maintaining strength through their faith in Jesus Christ, the Great Physician. Because of the faith this family has shown, many more people in our community have had their faith strengthened. Even through times when they have to watch their young infant struggle to breathe, or be placed on a ventilator to breathe for her, through surgery for placement of a feeding tube or IV lines, they maintain their faith. They continue to thank God, even through the hard times.

Most of us are grateful to God for all the good things He give us, all the wonderful gifts He gives us, our family, our children, our homes, cars, etc. But how many times do we stop and thank God for the difficulties He allows us to endure? More likely, we are blaming God for our difficult times. We accuse Him of turning His back on us, leaving us alone to deal with whatever we are going through. We are always asking where is God or where was God when tragedy strikes. When 9/11 happened there were people everywhere asking why God wasn’t on those planes, or where was He when the few attempted to regain control of their plane.

Questions were asked recently after the horrible school shooting in Newtown, CT where numerous children lost their lives and even more witnessed the evil as it happened.

Where was God? He was right there. God has a plan for everything. We have no clue what that plan is, and if we knew the plan, we would never be able to understand it. Consider the complexity of mapping out a plan for billions of people, all at one time!! I’m going crazy just trying to plan a vacation for two people, for five days! God has mapped out a plan for every man, woman, and child, for their entire lives!! Think about that!! If that doesn’t make your jaw drop in awe of His amazing power, I don’t know what will.

Today, a small, precious, always smiling infant was placed on a waiting list to receive a double lung transplant. Thank God for that, but at the same time, I am saddened by it. For this precious child to receive her lungs which will enable her to prayerfully be able to live a little more normal life, for her to be able to do that, another child has to die. Another family, probably totally unsuspecting at this moment, will face the most horrendous of trials in their lives. They will be asked to say goodbye to their precious child, and then they will be asked about donating organs. They will be horrified at first, but after a few moments of serious thought, they will agree, and Parson’s new lungs will be on the way to her.

It’s not really that simple, but I think you get the idea. While one family rejoices at the fact that their child will be receiving a chance at life, another will be grieving the loss of their child.

It is my prayer that the donor family will have even a small portion of the faith that Jennifer and Rodney have, to help them through the most difficult task of their lives. As you consider the pain that family is going to feel, imagine the pain God feels when we turn our back on Him, or we fail to thank Him for our lives, for the very air we breathe, for everything! Imagine the pain God feels when one of His children takes His name in vain, or worships some silly idol. Imagine the pain and disappointment God feels each and every day when we climb out of our comfortable bed and head to the coffee pot, because we don’t function well without our coffee each morning. But then, one thing leads to another and before you know it you are climbing back into that bed for a night of rest before you do it all again the next day. Only we left out the most important part of our day, the most important task we left undone. We got the laundry done, we made dinner. We made phone calls or attended a church service. But we forgot to include God in any of it. Imagine how that hurts Him when we do that each and every day, numerous times each day.

I have been so guilty of this myself but at this time I am making myself a promise to do my very best to speak to God before I ever climb out of that bed, and then to sit and have coffee WITH God as we plan out my day. I am going to do my very best to be sure to spend much, much more time with God and thank Him for all the things in my life, good or bad. Because I know He has a reason for sending me the trials as well as the triumphs.

Stop right now and pray for Parson and her family. Pray for the family that will become her lung donors. Pray for the medical personnel involved in every aspect of the donation process and the care of Parson and her family as well as the donors family. Pray for all those people that we come into contact with each and every day that do not know Jesus as their personal savior. Pray for yourself to have the courage and the words to speak when you speak to a non-believer. Pray for opportunities to speak to someone about Jesus.

Most importantly, live your life in such a way that everyone who sees you knows you are a child of God and there is something special about you. Make them want to know what is so special and to have the desire to be special as well.

I know this post has been all over the place but I had a lot on my mind and I felt it needed to be said. I felt God leading me to write at least 75% or more of this.

God bless you all and kiss your children and grandchildren. Thank God for them. Remember, we are not promised tomorrow, or even 10 minutes from now. A very smart man told me not long ago that every time he tells someone goodbye, he does it as if it is the last chance he will have to do so. He makes sure that those he is telling goodbye know that he loves them, EVERY TIME! Let’s all make a conscious effort to do just that. 

Go visit the blog of Jennifer Herrington and learn about the mountain her family is climbing. See for yourself how strong their faith is. You will be glad that you did. 

http://blueclark756.blogspot.com/?m=1

Losing weight versus getting healthy

I have fought with my weight since I was in high school. I was always the chunky girl who dressed like a boy because that was usually the only size clothing my mom would buy me. It was easier to find boys clothes to fit me than to search for girls clothes. So, I usually ended up with boys jeans, maybe I would get to pick out some girls shirts, and then there were the shoes.
My sophomore year of high school I wanted a pair of heels to wear with the jeans like all the girls were doing So we went to a mall where my parents sat down on one of those benches outside the stores and I went from store to store to try on shoes. The deal was, when I found some that fit me, I would go get them to come pay for the shoes. After trying shoes on at virtually every store in the mall, I found none, My feet were just too big and wide! When we ran into this problem with tennis shoes or even boots, I always ended up with boys shoes because they tended to run a little different and they had wide sizes! So, I usually got boys tennis shoes, and eventually, boys boots.
I could never wear the cute things the girls in school wore! hey could put on a pair of jeans, nice blouse, and really cute shoes and they looked amazing!! Not me. I always looked like the frumpy, poor girl who couldn't afford nice clothes. Which was partially true.
You see, my parents did not like spending money on my for new school clothes or anything, I always got a couple pair of jeans, in boys style, and these were expected to last me all yea Then we would go to Kmart and get a couple shirts, underwear and bras. It was never a fun shopping trip.
I remember going to the material store at one time to buy what I needed for my home ec class. We were making a clothing item and later found out that we would be wearing this clothing item to school!!
I found a pattern that I really liked, some material and all the other stuff I was going to need for this project. The material I bought was a terry cloth knit. I was making a swimsuit cover up, romper type thing. Why the teacher allowed me to make such a thing is beyond me. I made it, even if I thought it looked like crap and I wore it to school, only  to be told I would have to change because it was too revealing. I said ok and went to change in the girls locker room or the restroom, I don't remember which. I just know that I was humiliated at having to take off my home made project and lose the points for wearing it to school.
Then there was the time to go prom dress shopping with the girls, Everyone except me, found beautiful dresses. I went home empty handed. So, when I got home, I was informed that my brothers friend was sending over a dress for me to try on and I would wear it if it fit, which it did, But it was an ugly, plain yellow dress. There was just nothing possible to add any bling to or to make it look more like a high school girls dress!
You  see, I was large than all the other girls so it was hard for me to find, Needless to say, I was devastated!
Then came purchasing cheer uniforms. Just having to tell them my size was horrifying enough, but I had to try it on for everyone!!! That lead to what I now have which is an aversion to trying on clothes! I would rather uy what I think fits, bring it home and try it on in private. Problem there is that I have no one to give me an honest opinion!! So, I typically buy t-shirts and blouses in a size that I know I can wear, my jeans I buy a variety of sizes.
I guess on thing lead to another and I ended up, after marrying and having a child, with weight that just would not go away! I finally almost got rid of it when I ended up pregnant again!! This time I gained quite a bit and had no time to lose it after he was born before I found out I was pregnant once more, with  TWINS!!! After the birth of my twins, with an 18 month old and a 5 year old in the house, there was just no way for me to lose weight.
This saga will continue tomorrow...............

5K RUN/WALK FOR EAST TEXAS PREGNANCY HELP CENTER MARCH 16

How would you all like an opportunity to give to a very worthy ministry? I would be happy to give you that chance. Visit my fundraising page for East Texas Pregnancy Help Center's 5K Run/Walk for their lives, here...
http://www.ministrysync.com/event/website/?m=1264354

The ETPHC is a ministry focusing on pregnant women and their unborn children. Services are provided to the mother, father, and siblings of an unborn child which may include pregnancy testing, ultrasound, parenting classes, maternal classes, Bible study classes, anger management, chemical dependency, PTSD classes, provision of necessities such as cribs, car seats, clothing, formula, bathing items, and counseling services by peer counselors. All services are provided at no charge, ever. ETPHC is a non-profit organization. A donation of any amount is greatly appreciated. Please, go take a look at the page for this fundraiser that will culminate tomorrow with a 5K run or walk. (I'm not a runner so I will be walking!) Please give from your heart. Thank you so very much!!

Changing my negative views to positives

In my mind, I have some very good reasons for feeling the way I do about certain things and people. In my mind. But, I want my life to be one that people will comment on when I'm gone and say things like, "she was a Godly woman", "she loved the Lord", "she always had something good to say no matter what", "you could always count on her to make you feel loved and uplifted". I don't think that is too much to hope for. But, in order for that to happen, I have to make some changes in my life, changes for the greater good. So, I am making a promise to myself to be much more positive in all areas of my life and I plan to do everything I can to get away from all the negativity. But I know I can't do it alone.
Phillipians 4:13 NIV says "I can do all things through Him who gives me strength." Do I believe that? You better believe I do! I know that with God as my shepherd, my pilot, my everything, I can do anything He wants me to. Without Him, I would lead a miserable and lonely life.
Notice I said I can do anything HE wants me to. Why would I say that? It's very simple actually. If I try to do something that God does not want me to do, I may accomplish the task but it will not be without great difficulty and trial. It will not be worth the fight when I finally complete the task. However, if what I am attempting is in line with God's plan for me, I simply cannot fail! Not all obstacles will be removed, but the major ones will. I will still have hurdles to get over, but God will provide the means for me to do so. I will never be alone in my endeavors. God will show me the path to take and He will lead me down that path, as He is doing now.
I rededicated my life to Christ about 3 years ago and my life has been a whirlwind ever since. There have been lots of struggles and difficulties that I wish I had not had to go through or witness. But, looking back, I can see how God used those struggles to teach me, to pull me closer to Him. That is something that is extremely hard to do as the struggle is occurring, to draw closer to God. But that is what He tells us to do, isn't it?
Have you ever been in a situation where peace was the one thing you needed to get you through? I have. At the time of the situation, I didn't think I would ever feel at peace again, but I have found that peace. The "peace that surpasses all understanding, (Phil. 4:7)" that comes from a close relationship with God is the peace that I am referring to. Without it, you are miserable, but with it, you can't be defeated or beaten down, EVER! Once you have that peace all of the things that previously caused you such pain and misery, are rendered ineffective.
Yes, you can still feel pain. Yes, you will still have hard times and difficult situations. But through those times and situations, you will have such a sense of peace that you will have no doubt the situation will end soon and you will survive it! You just KNOW! How? Easy actually. The Holy Spirit dwells within you, bringing you that peaceful feeling, that's how.
I am just now realizing how powerful my faith in Jesus Christ can be. I am so thankful that I am finally realizing it, but I wish it had come a little sooner. God's timing is perfect though. He knows what I would have done if I had found this power sooner, so He kept it from me until I was ready. How's that for love? He loves me so much that He protects me not only from outside sources, but from myself as well! I don't know about anyone else, but that makes me feel pretty special!!

I praise you Lord, for the many things that you do each and every day that I, or anyone else, may forget to thank you for. I praise you for the many times you pulled me through a situation kicking and screaming because I was too frightened to take myself through. I praise you Lord, for the difficulties you allow me to endure, allowing me to learn from mistakes made and to pull closer to you as a result. Lord, I thank you for never turning your back on me, even when I turned mine on you. I thank you for loving me even when I was the most unlovable person ever! I thank you Lord for showing me that everyone can be lovable if we look for the good in them and stop focusing on the bad. I thank you Lord for the lessons you have taught me about positive versus negative, good versus bad, love versus hate. I thank you Lord for the forgiveness you give to me each and every day, each and every hour, even though I do not deserve it. I ask you now Lord for guidance in doing the same for those I have had only negative feelings for in the past. Help me to have the forgiving spirit, help me to see the good and ignore the negative. Thank you Father for the gift of salvation you so generously give to anyone who calls out to you and trusts in you. Thank you for unconditional love. I love you Lord. Amen

My Uncle Frank

We all have certain people in our lives that are very special to us for one reason or another. In my case, two of those people happen to be my aunt and uncle, Cynthia and Frank. They are two people who have had the most positive impact on my life, other than my husband and my Lord, Jesus Christ.
Aunt Cynthia, aka aunt C., and uncle Frank have always been the first to show love, express their love and concern for you, offer to help you through a situation, or just do whatever they could if and when you needed them. They both are such excellent examples of what Christians are supposed to be like.
I know I never had to live with them so I don't know first hand what home life was like in their house, but I think I can guess pretty accurately. They would have expected, faith, love, and understanding to be shared. They would most assuredly want you to be considerate of others, to be anxious to pray for someone, to share your good fortune. Yet, they would, I'm sure, also expect you to be disciplined, to do what you know is right, and avoid what you know to be wrong.
In July of 2002, my daughter was getting married. We could think of only one person that we wanted to perform the ceremony, uncle Frank. Even though he lived about 500 miles away, he made the drive and officiated for us. When the ceremony was over, we offered to have him stay at our house before heading home, but, he decided to go to his mothers to visit, just a couple hours drive away.
I had a scripture passage that was very special to me that I asked him to include in the ceremony, and he was more than happy to. Uncle Frank was always so excited to talk to anyone about Jesus. He loved sharing our Lord with anyone who would sit still long enough for him to say a few words. He was always there when anyone needed to feel that love that only Jesus himself can give. I believe that Jesus used Uncle Frank often to spread His love, to encourage others, to comfort them.
I don't think I ever saw my uncle without a smile on his face. He, and my aunt Cynthia, have both loved me unconditionally all my life. They have never turned their backs on my, ever. Even in difficult times or with extremely difficult situations looming, they both always encouraged me to find the good and to be forgiving. I have learned so much from the two of them. I have even learned about commitment from them, due in part to the fact that they recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary! Yes, I said sixty years of marriage!! Go ahead, say it. WOW!! That's a long time! And, it is! But, they meant what they said when they took their wedding vows; 'for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, through good times and bad', they knew that a marriage is not something you can easily throw away.
There have been times when they have slept in different places because one or the other was away working, hospitalized, or some other reason, but they always knew that the other was just a phone call away. Last night, Aunt C had to go to sleep by herself knowing that Uncle Frank was more than a phone call away. He went to be with Jesus yesterday. Now, a large number of family members are faced with the realization that we cannot reach out and touch him any more, at least not until we get to heaven ourselves.
Now, as arrangements are being made for Uncle Frank's final resting place and our chance to say our final goodbyes and farewells, I am faced with the heartache of losing the one man that I loved like a father, and I know he loved me like a daughter! Even though I have not seen him in several years, I know that the love was still there, is still there. How do I know? Because of the tears that keep streaming down my face. You don't cry this much for someone you don't care about or love.
Uncle Frank, I promise you that I am going to do a better job of staying in touch with Aunt C. I know that you know I love you. I can only hope you had an idea of how much and how important you have been to me and my family. I promise you that I am going to follow your example and be more 'Christ-like'.
I love you Uncle Frank. I'm sorry you had to leave us but I am so thankful that I KNOW where you are right now, you are at Jesus' side! I praise God and I thank Him for the promise that we will be together once again, one day, in eternity.
Would you do me one more favor? Ask God to give all of us still here on earth, grieving your passing, the comfort and peace to continue on with this life until He calls us home.
I love you and I miss you Uncle Frank.

Blog hop!!

Hey Folks! Hop on over and check out my other blog, http://www.msjsscrappin-stampin-stampinup.net and let's talk about some scrapbooking or card making!!

Justin is Home!!!!

First of all, I am so grateful to God for bringing Justin home to us safely. Stinker left 9 hours before we thought he did, and of course kept it a secret, but I must say, it was one of the best surprises I have ever had to wake up and see him standing in my doorway! It seemed like it had been so long since I had seen him, even though it had only been a couple of months. I guess just knowing that this time, he was home for good made it such a relief to see him standing in that door. He has done his time serving our wonderful country, putting his life in danger, and maturing quite extensively! He grew up on me. Kind of sad to think of now, the fact that he is all grown up, married, and has a 3 year old version of himself, but I am so proud of him and what he has done.
It seems like only a few months ago that we were putting him in that taxi cab to leave us for boot camp. That was such a horribly difficult day, sending my oldest son off to Ft. LeonardWood, Missouri to become an MP. Words can't describe how proud of him I was that day, and how frightened I was at the same time. We knew that at some point during his time in the Army that he would have to go to Iraq, to fight for freedom for other people, some of who didn't want it, at least didn't want our help. He was going to have to go put himself in danger, in the middle of a WAR!! Misty and I both cried so much that day, but our tears in sending him to bootcamp were so minor compared to when we sent him to Iraq! All I can say now, is Thank You Lord for looking over him and bringing him home to us and his family!!
It was fun at our house that morning, Feb. 3rd. I had just had an injection in my lower back the day before, so, as is typical after I have one of those, I had slept in my recliner that night. When he walked in the door of course my dogs were barking but I didn't think much of that because I already knew G was up so he would take care of whatever they were carrying on about. Then I heard a voice that sounded like one of my other sons' and I could not figure out why he was here that time of the morning. WHAT WAS WRONG NOW??? Then I opened my eyes, and through my early morning fog, I looked over expecting to see Brett, and instead there stood Justin. I couldn't believe it was him until he walked over to my chair and I got up and got the best hug. Then I knew it was really him!! He had come at just the right time too.
Misty was in the shower and Ethan was still asleep. So he got to surprise both of them as well. Hearing the squeal as he went into the bathroom and surprised his wife, was just wonderful! Next came waking Ethan up. I followed him in for this, camera in hand! He stood at the foot of Ethan's bed and called his name a couple of times. Finally, he pulled on the blanket a little and Ethan first pulled it back over his head. Then Justin spoke his name again and Ethan heard him! Ethan slowly crawled out from under his covers, stood up and sleepily stumbled over as I was asking him, "who's here, who came home?" As he stumbled over to where Justin was at the foot of his bed, he answered me, "my daddy!" I'm so glad I had my camera in hand. There were also tears in my eyes. That little boy was so happy to see his daddy!!! Watching him hug his daddy and cling to him was priceless!!!
That was such a wonderful day, I could not thank God enough that Justin was home! FINALLY, all my kids were close to home once again. I thought this day would never come!! But, Praise God, it did. And it proved to be a very happy day for the whole family!!
I'll have to catch you all up on what has been going on with us since that day on another posting. Let's just say, it has been wild at times, but I wouldn't trade this time for anything in this world!!

Scrapping/Stampin on another blog

Hello everyone! If you are currently following me on this blog with interest in my paper crafting, Stampin' Up!, scrapbooking, or cardmaking, I have a different blog for that now. If you would like to follow me on http://www.msjsscrappin-stampin-stampinup.blogspot.com/ I would greatly appreciate it! If you see something you like please leave me a comment. If you have suggestions to make things better, please feel free to do so! I am open minded and not resistant to suggestions!
Have a great day and God Bless you all!
Judy

Followers

Hello and Happy New Year everyone!!! I hope you have had a wonderful holiday season and are as excited as I am about getting 2011 started!! I am going to have quite a few changes going on in the near future, one of which is a change of my CRAFTING, CARD MAKING, SCRAPBOOKING blog address. I will still maintain Pink Daisies, but it will be more of a personal journal type blog. If you want to follow my paper crafting blog it is http://msjsscrappin-stampin-stampinup.blogspot.com/ Come on over there and take a look! There isn't much there yet, but as I work to get it set up with most of my Stampin' Up! info I may have some questions for you fellow SU'er's!!
If you would like to take a look at my Stampin' Up! website, go to http://www.msjsscrappin-stampin-stampinup.net/ I look forward to seeing you all around  and visiting with you and learning new things and getting inspiration and ideas from you all!!
God Bless You all!
Judy

Oh me, oh my

So much I need to do and just don't feel well enough to get out of bed, much less actually DO anything!! I need to update my blog to include some examples of my projects so you can see some of my work! 
I am so anxious to get started doing my workshops and classes and clubs, but at the same time I realize that I still have a great deal to learn! I don't want to rush and do a poor job for someone. All of my customers deserve my best! So, some of my projects may take a little longer than originally planned, but at least it will be work I can be proud of! My "official" crafting blog is still under construction, but you can sign up to follow it if you like and see the work as it happens. http://msjsscrappin-stampin-stampinup.blogspot.com/  I can't thank you all enough for your support!
I pray everyone has a very happy New Year and you and your family stay safe!!

What Christmas means to me....

Christmas is fast approaching and I haven't bought the first present! I hate it when we end up waiting until the last minute, but there have been times that we have found some of the best things at the last minute. Why do we put such importance on presents at Christmas? For so many people, the importance of Christmas lies in the perfect decorations, perfect tree, and of course, the perfect presents. So many people seem to have forgotten the real reason we celebrate Christmas.
Christmas is the time of year we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I am so excited about what Peachtree Baptist Church is doing to celebrate our Lord's birth. We are having an actual birthday party for Jesus!! Even though we get to enjoy the precious gift God gave us, and we will be enjoying the refreshements, I think God knows we are actually celebrating is birth!
That is what Christmas is all about to me. The enjoyment and celebration of Jesus' birth, sharing this time with family and friends, and what better time to share the story of Jesus with someone than to tell them about his birth! HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS!!!!!!!!!!

Glue Arts: We're Counting Down Till Halloween!!

Glue Arts: We're Counting Down Till Halloween!!: We are counting down the days as well but for a couple of different reasons. Of course the kids can't wait to put on costumes and go trick or treating! But on the 29th I get to have surgery done on my c-spine (neck) to remove a ruptured disc and put in a plate. Thankfully, we have plenty of people to trick or treat with, so I will be at home!

Blogging

Believe it or not, I am relatively new to blogging and haven't quite figured it all out yet. I guess if I would stop with some of my other things, such as scrapping or going to church or just surfing, I could take the time to figure it out.
For example, I haven't figured out yet how to "share" my blog with others. I know I need to send them a link, but it has to be the right one. I will get that one figured out TODAY!!!
I enjoy blogging because I enjoy writing, but there are also so many other things I could be doing with my time. I need to be scrapbooking, and will, later today. I now have 2 clients I am scrapping for. The first is a little girl, well her mom is the client, but she is the cutest little thing! And I am having a really good time scrapping her growing up, especially since we haven't had many girl things around here to scrap about, until recently.
My second "client" is my church. We are in the process of building a new Family Life Center and I have been given the honor of scrapbooking it. If only there were more Christian things out there to use in scrapbooking. It is difficult to find the right papers and embellishments from a Christian standpoint. But, that's okay. Because I know God is going to lead me in the right direction and He and I will make an awesome album for Peachtree Baptist Church of Jasper.
This is going to be a short post, as I need to get busy actually doing some scrapping and I haven't even gotten dressed yet today!!!
I have several things around the house I need to try to get done. I will explain why I say try in another entry, maybe later today.
Everyone have a blessed day and all prayers for me and my family are greatly appreciated.
Love in Christ,
Judy

Thoughts of the early morning hours

I have so many different things running through my head right now. My kids and their situations, my wonderful church family and the strong desire I have for my husband to go with me on Sunday and fall in love with them as I have, projects that I need to complete so that I can be paid which in turn will allow me to work on another project.
I am also working on getting my daily planner set up in such a way and with tabs that are actually useful to me. It is so aggravating that I purchased this really nice pink planner last year for my scrapbooking. It was supposed to help me plan pages and such as that. However I don't think I can recall over 3-4 times that I used it. So, now I want a planner that I can integrate all my projects into. I prefer to have them all in one place. That can be difficult when you have a typical sized planner, but enough projects to fill about 3 of them!!! I'm just going to have to cut down on the amount of paper behind each divider I guess.
Now, I am going to be doing the scrapbook for the church's building of the Family Life Center. It is a wonderful building already and it is just metal outside walls and some 2x4 walls. But I tell you, it is such a blessing to walk inside that building and have a small inkling of an idea how much love has gone into what has been done so far.
I watched the men working the other day for a short time and those guys were doing the kind of work, working together in such a way that any contractor in this area should bring his crew to watch and see how they work together. These men truly have teamwork down. But, I believe they are all putting God first, even in their work on this building. These are truly some Godly men and Peachtree is very fortunate to have them as members. I know that I feel blessed to call them part of my church family, even if I haven't learned all their names yet!
This is also the first time I have ever gone to a church that I look so forward to the next time we are going to meet. I do believe if I could, I would go to church every day, that is how enjoyable it is. From the first day I walked in the front doors with my daughter and her family, even though she and I were having differences at the time, I felt comfort. It was like a small voice on my shoulder telling me "welcome home, Judy". I felt at home finally too. I would do anything for this church. They have asked me to do the scrapbook of the raising of the new building. I feel so honored that they asked me so naturally I want to get started quickly! I want this to be an album I can be proud of and that I can say, "God led me in the creation of this album." So, every time I start to work on it, I plan to pray and ask God to come and craft with me for a while and let's make a creation that HE would be proud of. This may be an album for the church, but ultimately it is God's album and I want to create it in such a way that God is pleased. I'm not doing this to please anyone but my God, my Jesus. If I can do that, I know I will be more than happy.

Jolee's Stickers

You know you love them, right? You can't walk in the craft store, or scrap store without picking up at least one package, right? Well then follow me right on over to Expressions of Faith. They have some fantastic deals on Jolee's and the staff is wonderful!! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Buffalo-NY/ExpressionsOfFaithetsycom/245190970514?v=app_2373072738 Seriously folks, go give them a check out!!! Tell them Judy sent you, trust me they will know who you are talking about!!!

Father's Day

Growing up, we never made much of a deal of Father's Day, or Mother's Day for that matter. They were usually pretty much the same as any other weekend day. Most birthdays were like that too, but that's a whole different blog! LOL
Well, I have always pretty much left it to our kids to make the day special for my husband. I mean I would give them suggestions or $$ when they needed it to get daddy something, but now that they are out on their own, I no longer give them $$ for a gift, shouldn't have to, and the suggestions have really slowed down quite a bit.
I will usually try to prepare a meal that my hubby asks for but this year that was different too. He had all his top teeth pulled about two years ago and dentures made. Well, since it was my work insurance that paid for it, I left work before he had a chance to get his bottom ones done. So, he had a couple of teeth bothering him. On top of that, he found out he is diabetic a few months back so the meal had to be one that he could eat and still stay within his allocated carb count. He stays between 40-60 carbs per meal, which really isn't that difficult until you add pasta, or some of the sweeter fruits, or processed foods. So he does try to stay away from those.
So, yesterday was Father's Day. My hubby spoke with or visited with three of our 4 children. The 4th is 21 and angry, what more can I say! But the highlight of hubbies day were the phone call from 2 year old Ethan who is at Ft Bragg with his mom and dad (my son). They spoke a lot of jibberish and then Ethan told him "ok I done." and hung up the phone!! LOL Then we also were visited by my youngest son who has his first child on the way but he also has a 6 year old step daughter. He loves that girl as if she were his own. I am so proud of him for the way he has just sort of jumped into fatherhood without thinking twice. He's doing a great job too!
And then finally, we got a visit from our daughter, SIL, 3 grandsons, and the newest grand baby, our first granddaughter, Abby. She is a month old now so she is staying awake for slightly longer periods of time, but she sat there with her Pawpaw and took picture after picture after picture. He has problems with his arm so I offered to take her from him and he was thankful as he had to go to the bathroom!!! I asked why he hadn't said anything? But the answer came from the bathroom and we were in the living room so I didn't hear it.

So, I got some playing, and cooing, and smoochy time in with Abby. She is absolutley the most beautiful baby I have ever seen. I know I have said that before, but she is. Everything about her is perfect! We have prayed and prayed that this one would be a girl. My daughter has wanted a little girl of her own since she could talk! She always loved changing their clothes and playing dress up with them. Well, now she has the perfect little doll to play dress up with! Meet Ms. Abigail Faye:

Abby, Mawmaw and Pawpaw love you so very much. You are so precious to us and absolutely the most beautiful baby we have ever seen!

Just Stuff

I am truly amazed by the affect a newborn baby can have on people, myself included. I was priviledged to sit and rock and love on Abby last night for a while and that was the most relaxed I have been in a long time. It's like God took all the cares and worries off my mind for that period of time. Thank you God, for the precious gift of Abby.
Also, it seems that my relationship with my daughter is on the mend. We are talking more like we used to now and it just feels better to me. I have told her and everyone else, that things that happened in the past, are just that, in the past. We need to forget those things and move on. So far seems like everyone agrees. We have had no cross words or hard feelings during the birth or visitation of Crystal and Abby. In fact, we have been able to converse very kindly. I'm no fool. I know things won't ever be perfect, but if we can maintain like we are going now, that is good enough for me! It is also less stressful on Crystal and Brian, so I am all for that!
Abby is the most precious baby, she is the most beautiful newborn I have ever seen! I could be a little partial, but everyone says the same. Now, don't mistake me, all of my grandchildren have been beautiful babies, but Abby is our first girl and she just has that dainty little girl look about her. To sit and hold her and rock or just lay back in the recliner is so wonderful. The little sounds she makes, the way she looks around trying to take in the world and figure it out! Just to watch all of the growth going on with her, inside and out, is truly amazing. I am in awe of the power of God every time I look at her! God is so good!!!
I have taken probably about 300+ pictures of her already. I will be posting them on my FB page later and then you can all see what a beauty she is. I have to get busy scrapping!!!
I have a dr appointment in Beaumont today, but when I get home from that, I will be in my scrap room, most likely. I will be working on pages for Lauren, as well as getting ideas for Abby's pages! I am so looking forward to that. I want to be able to stay in my scrap room for hours just scrapping! I am my happiest when that's where I am and that is what I am doing.
Well, everyone, I know this post hasn't had much to do with scrapping, but I hope you enjoyed reading it anyway. And, I realize it is shorter than usual, I promise to get back in the groove soon. But for now, this is it. I have to get ready to go for my appt,.
Please, don't hesitate to comment on any of my posts. I would love to see what you have to say, or what your thoughts are. Also, invite your friends to follow me! I promise, these posts will be worth while very soon!