Laughter really is the best medicine!

Did you know that God has a sense of humor? I mean, after all, He created everything and we have laughter and fun, don't we? I was looking through the Scriptures and came across this in Genesis. I think it is funny.

Genesis 21: 5-7 says, "5 Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born.

6 And Sarah declared, “God has brought me laughter. All who hear about this will laugh with me. 7 Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse a baby? Yet I have given Abraham a son in his old age!”

One of my really good friends made a beautiful canvas and special ordered me a bracelet with a Scripture on it about laughing. She is someone who I laugh with a lot every time we are together. She is so much fun to hang out with. Laughter can drive away fear and worries. Proverbs 31: 5 says, is "She clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future."

In Luke 6:21 Jesus is talking to His disciples about life. He tells them that life can be difficult, and if they are having a hard time now, to hold on, things will get better. One of those returning things will be laughter. "God blesses you who are hungry now, for you will be satisfied. God blesses you who weep now, for in due time you will laugh."

Know this, whatever is going on in your life right now, God cares. He loves you and He is not the one hurting you. If things are bad, get on You Tube or Vine and find some funny videos. Watch a funny movie. Do something to laugh. I promise it will lift your spirit and help you feel better. Hang on, because God always has a way of working things out for our good.

Do NOT miss anything today!

My sense of smell is one thing I do not take for granted. There is something about my personality where my 5 senses are just really special to me. I'm sure you are thinking, "Well mine are to me too."

This is different. I tend to live and learn through my senses. Everyone learns differently.

This quote of taking time to stop and smell the roses, is actually about slowing down. I would like to take it to another level, and say that you should actually smell the roses! 

I like the soft touch of a silky shirt, the smell of Snuggle fabric softener in my house and on my blankets, the warmth of those blankets coming out of the dryer. I LOVE music. I enjoy hearing all types and styles. And food, oh man, don't even get me started with food. I will gladly be a taste tester for you any day. If you've seen my post of my pictures, it is obvious that I love beautiful sights. Sunsets are my favorite and I've been known to get in the car and drive just to get a picture! 

God designed us the way He did so that we would enjoy life. He puts things in our path on a daily basis so that we will look, touch, smell, hear and taste what He has created. 

Psalm 34: 8a says this, "Taste and see that the Lord is good."

Good is good, and so is His creation. (Which includes you, by the way.) Take some extra time today and do something you've never done. Notice things around you. Take in the smells, sights, feelings, and tastes! You won't regret it!

Humility = Low Self Esteem?

Keeping with the Romans 12 message series, our Youth Pastor brought the message this past Sunday. He hit on a subject that I personally have struggled with most of my life.

Romans 12: 3 says this, "3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you."

Ok, so we aren't supposed to "think of ourselves more highly", which is pride. I think most people understand that part.

We are supposed to be humble. But sometimes we confuse what humility is.

Josh said, "Avoid false humility - it has nothing to do with being aware of your mistakes- we do not have to have a low self esteem."

This really hit me because I have had a low self esteem most of my life. I based my opinion on myself from lies that I believed. Lies that were either spoke over me or to myself.


Here is a HUGE statement Josh said, write this down, "You CAN NOT put yourself down and think God is being glorified!"

I'm currently 40 years old, and I can honestly whole heartedly say, I like me. I do not struggle with thinking I'm fat. I do not struggle with being a stay at home mom who chose that over a career. I do not struggle with the fact that I've been to college twice and didn't get my degree. 

Several of my choices are based on my children's needs. If that makes me bad, then so be it. Acknowledging your strengths and weakness' is humility. It's knowing who you are.

We are all different. We were gifted differently and put here to do different things. Josh said that statement of "You can do anything you set your mind to." really isn't true. You can do anything you are GIFTED for. 

Therefore, when you try to do something you aren't gifted for, it does not work out. Which then, leads to us putting ourselves down. Do you see the cycle here?

Find your true value in the God who made you. Ephesians 2:10 says this, "10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."

Walk a Mile in My Shoes? (Personal post)

It has been almost a year since my now ex husband left me and our kids. I have been amazed at how fast time goes by and how much change can happen in a year. 

Some people in my life seem to struggle with the changes that have taken place in me. 

I can not help what I have gone through. One thing is for sure, I am not the same woman he left.

I was starting to come out of religion and legalism through the things I learn at church. But, what really pulled me full force out of it was my divorce. I am enjoying life more now.

For example: there are some songs that I would never listen to before that I really like now. The lyrics might not be talking about the best thing in the world, but the beat is good to me. Instead of being legalistic and not listening, I listen but do not let it get in my heart. (By the way, I still have few artists that I just full on refuse to listen to.) 

There are a few movies I have watched that I would not have watched before. (I have different reasons on movies.) Psalm 101:3 says this, "I will not look with approval on anything that is vile. I hate what faithless people do. I will have no part in it." Who determines what is vile and who is faithless? That's not my place!

As a Christian, I am not supposed to look or listen to things that are bad. Right? Well, who decides what is bad or good? There is no list in the Bible.

There are some Pastors who will throw a Super Bowl party at the church, others will tell you they are watching it that night too, but then others will tell you they are praying for your TV to blow up if you stay home to watch it. So, you can not rely on your Pastor to tell you what is right for you! I believe, every individual has to determine what is right for themselves. 

People judge. I USED to judge!! I do not do that any more. You never know what someone is walking through... and if you have not lived through what they are dealing with, you have NO IDEA how you would handle it. 

God looks at our hearts. (1 Samuel 16:7) He does not look at our actions. You can do something with the wrong motives and humans wouldn't have a clue, but God knows. How about come along side someone you know is going through a rough time, instead of judging them? You could help instead of hurt them more. 

Why Do We Believe Everything We Hear?

At one time or other in our lives, we've heard someone say this quote. 

Did you know it was from Ben Franklin?

I bet you heard a pastor say it from the pulpit.

I bet he was even referring to the people at the corners with their cardboard signs

 asking for help. 

I bet a pastor even told you not to help people who approach you in a parking lot for help because if you give them money, "They will just go buy liquor with it."

This quote from Ben Franklin is NOT from the Bible.

God has never said this.

If you are out and feel a tug on your heart to help someone. DO IT!

What they do with it is not your responsibility.

You listening and doing what your heart or God tells you to do is what is right.

 God can handle the rest.

Sometimes people need a hand. Sometimes life has hit them hard and they do not know what else to do. If you are able to help, why don't you?

I believe God helps anyone who asks. He does not play favorites. 

People get knocked down by life. Maybe their parents never believed in them and encouraged them, so they didn't use the talents and skills God gave them. Maybe they had a good job, but due to the economy, the company had to close. 

You never know someone's story until you ask. And, you are not in a place to judge. 

That's just simply not our job.

If you can, help someone today who can not repay you. I know you will be blessed!

One Of My Character Flaws

This quote really sums up what I've been doing wrong. (By the way, Jim Elliot was a missionary who went to another country to tell people about Jesus. He was killed by tribal people there because they didn't understand. His wife and others stayed and the people learned about God.)

I'm not ALL here sometimes. 

I'm in my head. I'm planning stuff too far in advance and reading into things.

I am very thankful for one of my cousins and two of my best friends who have helped me realize this character flaw. I am the type of person that wants to be the best I can be. If I'm doing something wrong, I do not mind someone pointing it out to me. I want to change.

How do I go about this change?

So glad you asked.

My plan is to keep my mind focused on each day. Individually.

I will take what is said and done at face value. I will think on good things.

Philippians 4:8 says, "8 Finally, my brothers and sisters, always think about what is true. Think about what is noble, right and pure. Think about what is lovely and worthy of respect. If anything is excellent or worthy of praise, think about those kinds of things."

If I'm in my head, and making up something, it's not true!

This type of reflection on one's self isn't easy, but it is necessary sometimes. 

Is there anything that you feel like you should work on? I highly recommend you do it. Life, for me, will be much easier. I bet it would be for you too.

What are you passionate about?

Since I've been writing my blog, I have figured out that I am passionate about helping people break out of religion and legalism. Those two things are man made. 

God is interested in a relationship with us. You do not have to jump through hoops, read your Bible every day for hours, pray everyday for hours and go to church every time the doors are open for God to love you. He sent Jesus as a sacrifice and first firsts offering in our place. He will never pour out wrath on you because He took care of that on the cross.

I have a friends who are passionate about ending abortion, animal rights, poverty, adoption, and helping others become healthy.

My 16 year old son is very passionate about helping people who self harm themselves, and who might be considering suicide. He has also become a good writer. (Takes after me, I guess.) I wanted to share something he wrote.

"If you hurt yourself I'm here
If you've burnt yourself I'll be there
If you want to die I'll tell you it's a lie
If you can't stand your body I'll show you how beautiful you are 

God has GREAT and WONDERFUL things planned for you
Stay true to you and you'll get the clue of what's truly real

The truth and what's real is the small and undeniable truth that you have a great purpose you have a job here no one else can do so stop listening to the lies satan is whispering in your ear."

What makes you sad, mad, or glad?

That's probably your passion. 

Are you doing anything about it?

How to Impact The People in Your Life

This is another part of my Pastor's message from Sunday. Life is about what we do with the 24 hours every day that God has given us.

We are here for a purpose: Jeremiah 29:11 says, "11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

God is FOR you! Not against you!

Therefore, let's impact our sphere of influence in these 4 ways:

1. Prayer: Words to God about them 
One of the most powerful things you can do for someone is pray for someone. Right when they ask. Don't say you will, because you might forget. Be bold. Take their need before God right then.

2. Encouragement: Words to them about them
Say something nice everyday to someone! You can cripple people with your words. It takes 12 encouraging words to take the sting out of one negative word.

3. Actions: Do what you can to turn towards you.
Line up your actions with your words. If God tells you to do something, do it, do not worry about what that person will do with what you gave them. (Like the guy on the side of the road with a cardboard sign.)

4. Serving: Actions towards others that you care about
What you make happen for other people, God will make happen for you. 
Do something for someone who can not pay you back!

Start small... pray, encourage, turn towards people, serve others. We CAN and WILL impact this world in a profound way!

Your life is important!

My Pastor started a new message series on Sunday. It is based on Romans 12: verses 1 and 2. The Message translation of these is very easy to understand:
"12 1-2 So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you."

God wants to do something in and through us so that we can help spread the Gospel.

Merge ALL of who you are.

See, some folks, try to put their life in compartments. They have a work life over here, a family life over there, friendships in this space, and church life on Sundays. That's not how we are supposed to live. It's all ONE life. 

You do not have to be perfect. None of us are and never will be.

It is about being real and authentic in the relationships you have. 

If you are a different person during work hours than you are at home, you've got a problem. It means you are being fake at one of those places.

We need to live real and authentically so that we can impact the lives of the people God has put around us. You are important. You are here for a reason, and the people in your life are there for a reason.

Some of my pictures

I am going to post some pictures this afternoon instead of my usual blog post. 

I took all of these myself with my phone. I hope you enjoy them. I can't help but stop when I see something that looks beautiful to me.

These look like angels to me!

Hope you enjoyed these!

Give HOPE & LOVE

Life can be hard. People we love pass away, accidents happen, unexpected bills pop up, etc. 

I think something we can do to help is spread hope & love.

There are many who do not know that they are loved by God and that He has ways to help them through their difficult days.

Maybe today is the day for you to tell someone how much they are loved and how much they are valued. That one person is hanging on the end of their rope with just a few strings left.... instead of saying something negative to push them off, say something positive. Give them hope and love.

Here are a few things: 

Tell them that NOTHING they could ever do or have ever done will make God love them any less.

If a loved one has passed away tell them that Jesus said in Matthew 5:4, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."

If they aren't sure of their future tell them what Jeremiah 29:11 says, "11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

If they are afraid, Isaiah 41:10 says, "So, do not fear, for I am with you: do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Someone close to me got a fortune cookie this week that said, "Correction does much, but encouragement everything."

Isn't that true? 

Hebrews 3: 13 says, "13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness."

People do not need to always hear how they are doing stuff wrong. Take a minute and encourage them, it will make a huge difference!

Guess what? God gave "first fruits" too!

I know a lot of people think God is this old bearded white man who sits in heaven waiting for us to mess up so He can send down a lightening bolt to strike us.

Some think He has this rule book open and every time you break one He is writing it down and keeping a list of your wrongs.

Those things are so far from the truth.

In fact, the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13: 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs." 

God IS love, so He doesn't keep a record of our wrong doings.

You don't have to read your Bible every day, go to church every time the doors are open and pray for 4 hours a day for God to love you!

When God tells us to do something, more than likely, He has done it too. 

The post from yesterday mentions giving God our "first fruits". 

When God sent Jesus down here, Jesus became the sin sacrifice for us, as well as He was God's first fruits offering.

1 Corinthians 15: 22-24 says this, "22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, 24 then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power."

God is smart. He loves us all so much that He GAVE. 

Are you giving? Why not?

Ever heard of Terumah? Yeah, me either!

Today I am going to get to the Jewish part of Shane's message. In case you aren't aware, the Jewish people are some of the wealthiest. It is because they live according to the way of life in the Old Testament. (Or Torah, as they call it.)

There are many Scriptures that talk about "tithes" and "first fruits". Both are plural. I never knew why until Shane's message.

The three types of giving are this:
1. First Fruits
2. Tithes
3. Offerings

There are actually 4 types of tithes:

1. Terumah- 1/40th goes to your Pastor
2. Masser Rishon- 1/10th to your church
3. Masser Sheni- 1/10th to yourself
4. Masser Ani- 1/10th to the poor, this was given every third week.

When you live inside your circle, like I said yesterday, this is how to you use your money.

1/40th is a small amount. Terumah is actually the holiest tithe and the smallest.

There are 87 terumah Scriptures in the Bible which is actually three more times than tithing is mentioned.

Here is a quick list of some of the Scriptures: Exodus 25:2, Numbers 31:47, Ezekiel 44:30, Ezekiel 48:10, Proverbs 3: 9-10 and Romans 11:16.

Shane said, "God is just as interested in you saving money as you are in giving. Bless your Pastor, your church, yourself and the poor before you bless anything or anyone else."

Living Inside a Circle

The "church" is actually here on earth to help people. We shouldn't have welfare and food stamps. It is not the government's job to care for widows and orphans, that's what we Christians are called to do.

In Bible times, one way God told His people to care for others is by leaving the corners of their fields. Leviticus 23:22 says this, "22 “‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and for the foreigner residing among you. I am the Lord your God.’”

This circle within a square is an illustration of how they might have left the edges of their fields for others to gather. This means they were living off of the middle of their crops.

Most people are good. You do not have to be a Christian to be a good person. Some times, we do not help others like we should though. If you haven't done anything in the last 30 days to make someone else's life better, why not?

What can happen is life gets busy and we have "white noise" as Shane called it. This matter here is more important, that situation over there needs to be handled, and we end up not helping anyone because we are bogged down in other stuff.

When you live within your circle, you are helping others. Shane asked a math person to come up with a percentage of how much is in the circle. It's 79%. So, living off of 79% should be enough. I will go into more detail tomorrow on this.

Today, help someone! Do something nice. Maybe even a random act of kindness. It just might make the day of a person who is struggling. Live in your circle. Notice people around you and don't let the white noise keep you busy.

Are you "Crazy Generous"?

There are 2,106 Scriptures in the Bible about righteousness and generosity. The Hebrew word that is used in place of those two is "terumah". 

We should be developing a generous spirit within ourselves. When we needed something, God did it for us, so we need to do for someone who can't pay us back.

Psalm 37: 25 & 26 says this, "I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.

26 

They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be a blessing."

Paul wrote this section in 2 Corinthians 9: 6-8 about being generous:

"Generosity Encouraged:

6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."

(You can look up 9-11, it's good too.)

I am at a place in life that I can not be very generous with my money. Being on a fixed income prevents me from helping others locally. However, I do have a child I sponsor through Compassion International. He lives in India. $38 a month is not much to provide food, water, and him hearing about God's love for him.

How generous are you?

 Do you live in a way that others can see God through you?

8 things you NEED to consider!

We had a guest speaker at church yesterday. He comes to visit us once a year. He is really good friends with our Pastor. His ministry is global and amazing! His name is Shane Willard. Here is a link to his website: http://www.shanewillardministries.org/main/ 


Here are a few points that Shane gave in his message that I think are the most important things people need to consider.

1.No matter what you do, God is not mad at you.

2. Any attempt to cause shame, guilt or manipulate you is not from God.

3. 1/3rd of our world population is starving, that's 2 Billion people, but as Christians, we are more consumed with hell and less than 1% of the world's sexual behavior. (homosexuality)

4. Do not treat people by how they deserve things - treat people by their WORTH! 

5. Who's life is better because you are in it?

6. In the past 30 days, what have you done to make someone's life better?

7. If you are a child of God, your job is to look around and make someone's life better.

8. At the end of the week, look back and see if you helped someone. 

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!

Last night, as I was turning on to my street to come home, I noticed one of my neighbor's already has their big trash can out by the road.

To some, this might not mean much. 

They changed our pick up day from Tuesday mornings, to Monday mornings.

Most of us put the can out there at some point on Sunday.

I do not know those neighbors very well. I tried to be nice and get to know them when they first moved in, but I don't know... just never stayed friends. I believe they attend church. A very traditional one that is very fundamental in some of it's beliefs.

So, their trash can being out on Saturday night made me wonder... "Are they not wanting to "work" on Sunday?"

God made the world in 6 days, and on the 7th day He rested. In Exodus 20:8 it says, "8 “Remember to keep the Sabbath day holy."

Sabbath, is a day of rest. The Jewish people do not "work" on the Sabbath, and they have a ton of crazy rules, like they can only walk so far on the Sabbath, then they can sit and wait a little while, then get up and walk more. 

The real Sabbath isn't Sunday anyway.

If God has called the millions of Preachers in this world to spread His message of Good News, do you think He punishes them because they "work" on Sunday? (I used to work at a church, and believe me, Sunday is a work day for church staff.) Let me answer for you... NO!

We all need a day of rest. We live in a fast paced busy world. But if you take your trash can to the road on Sunday for an early morning Monday pick up, God is ok with that. Guess what? If you work retail and you actually WORK on Sunday, God is ok with that too. 

He loves us, He instructed us to rest because we need it. Not because He is some rule maker that is just waiting for us to fail so He can strike us down with lightening. He is not like that at all!

Helping Others

There are several people in my life who are dealing with issues. They are serious life issues. Some are not being treated right, or taken care of. Others are dealing with major changes within their family and some fear is there.

I believe we are here for community. We are here for relationships with others. Being real about what's going on is the first step to get help and support. (Which one of my friends has done.)

However, you've got to be willing to do something yourself sometimes. Sitting around and being negative is not helping anyone. Fear can torment people if they let it. Realize this, God is on your side. He has you.

2 Timothy 1:7 says this, "7 God didn’t give us a spirit that makes us weak and fearful. He gave us a spirit that gives us power and love. It helps us control ourselves."

Stop living in fear! I know the unknown is scary. God has you though and He will see you through. As a friend, it is my place to pray for and be here for people who are dealing with this. 

Here is my main point: People who are trying to help can only take so much. You can not be choosy and picky about what they are trying to do for you. That's wrong. 

Also, family members NEED to step in when necessary! The Bible even talks about that.

1 Timothy 5: 8 says, "8 Everyone should provide for his own relatives. Most of all, everyone should take care of his own family. If he doesn’t, he has left the faith. He is worse than someone who doesn’t believe."

Do you have family members in need but you aren't helping? Why aren't you doing something?

Helping others is important. There does come a time where we can not continue helping though. And there comes a time when we might be hindering the person or the family who should be helping! Use wisdom and ask God to help you do the right thing when you are helping. 

Cloudy with a chance of meatballs?!

This is a picture from my front yard this morning. As you can see, it's cloudy. But what really spoke to me, was that little glimpse of blue sky peaking through.

You might be going through a cloudy season in your life. Things look bleak. Nothing seems to be going just like you thought it should.

Remember this, the sky is ALWAYS blue behind the clouds!

I like to translate that into "God is always there."

Deuteronomy 31: 6 says this, 

“Be strong and brave. Don’t be afraid of them. Don’t be terrified because of them. The Lord your God will go with you. He will never leave you. He’ll never desert you.”

And in Hebrews 13:5 it is mentioned again and references this passage:

5 Don’t be controlled by love for money. Be happy with what you have.

 God has said,

“I will never leave you.

    I will never desert you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)

There might be dark clouds all around your life right now. Honestly, sometimes, we cause stuff to happen. If you are in a situation that is not healthy for you and people have repeatedly told you to get out, listen to them! 

If you are having things done to you that are out of your control, know that God is NOT causing that to happen to you and He IS there to see you through. God doesn't want us hurting. And He can not give us something that He doesn't already have. (For example, please don't tell a cancer patient that God gave them cancer. That's just not possible.)

The clouds will leave. I promise! It will not stay cloudy in your life forever. If you are in this season, think of these Scriptures and just to lighten the mood... maybe it's just cloudy with a chance of meatballs for that day! LOL You can get through it! God is there to help.