Age... is it a number or a state of mind?

Someone once said on their 40th birthday that they were glad to be turning 40 and that the 30's were the hardest years of their lives. Imagine my suprise, at the time I wasnt even close to 30. I pondered this thought because I've always looked forward to being another year older. For me ,you see, it was a number in hopes to finally match what I felt inside. From a young age, I was told I had an 'old soul', I never " fit in" with those my age. Aside from my few high school friends, everyone was older. Each year that passed, I failed to realize that those older friends too would be embracing age also. Their children finishing high school, as mine were awaiting to be born. Now their children are moving away and mine should be starting school. They are celebrating 20+ year marriages to my upcoming 10. Is age a number, a mindset, or a life event? I wish I knew, I just pray one day everyone can be accepted for who they are and not what their age or their life situation.

Friends dont let friends die without Jesus!

I saw this saying on a church marquee today. It got me thinking. We are advocates for or against so many things:
Drinking and driving
Texting and driving
Drugs
Breastfeeding
Healthcare
Smoking

So many things we support proudly without hesitatation. Do we support Jesus with the same Passion? To whom without dying for us we could not/ would not be free.I'm not saying its bad, I'm just saying that I know many people who can boast and vent or passionately defend many organizations but turn a blind eye to the word of God. I know how someone feels about our President before I know their religious views. Why do we hide behind things of this world when its only a temporary place. I'm all for making this life safe and enjoyable, but do it to bring God glory and not because you think its gonna right a wrong. It's not and its not our responsibility to do so. Everyone will have a day of judgement and its not the one sitting on a stand waiting for a group of peers to say guilty. It's not the guilt one has that makes them do unthinkable things. No its the one when we see Jesus and he says, " Come, you who are blessed" or " Depart from me, you who are cursed."
( Matthew 25:34&41)
Our responsibility is to choose what words we want to hear and why we do the things we do. For our glory or His....
With all this said know I have many friends who stand on the side of not knowing God and even if you don't want it I pray daily for your salvation. It's never to late and nothing you have done is beyond Gods grace and he will forgive you if you ask. Know that Jesus died for your sins so that you may live. There is no other way into heaven except Jesus. When you accept Him into your heart, the old is wiped clean and you are new. You might not feel it right away but you know how a place in heaven and an open line of communication has been established between you and God.Use it. God bless.

Failure

Something Pastor Dale says frequently has been hanging on me the past couple of days. When we tell our kids negative things like ," you won't amount to anything" then in fact we are setting them up for exactly that. I'm completly paraphrasing here. However what has stuck with me more is a message on discouragement by Charles Stanley.( once again paraphrasing to explain what God spoke over my life).
We do the same things to ourselves. We think we are saving ourselves from being disappointed, but in reality we are discouraging ourselves.
" I won't get the job, I'm not qualified enough."
" What can happen now?"
" He/she is to good for me."
" I don't deserve this."

The list could go on and on. In my life I had a motto to expect the worse and be suprised over the best. This was me keeping myself from disappointments. Boy was I wrong. If we continue to keep our minds in the negative then it will manifest in our lives. When we accept Christ he changes our hearts and our minds. Some people feel this instantly and others it takes a while. Personally I got it instantly but as life events occurred and I grew further away from God in my walk self took over "protecting" and my mind once again became filled with negative. The enemy had snuck in when I wasn't paying attention. Honestly at the time I didn't care. I was saved, new I was saved, and that's all that mattered right? Ouch... yes I once felt that way... Thank God He had mercy on me, that He loved me and believed in me enough to show me the error of my ways. To fill my heart and make his PRESENCE be known to me in my life.

lets get this party started!

Here we go. Hop in and join my life. My thoughts, my deepest desires and probably a few secrets will be shared along the ride. Be rest assured it will to the best of my knowledge be the truth. The good the bad and the ugly. Here it will lie. My heart and soul for everyone to read. The kids ups and downs and life in general. Those that thought they knew me will see things a little different. My vow is to no longer hide so don't think I'm hiding behind words on a screen. This is me and if you don't believe me ask me face to face and I'll tell you the same.


Tonight was liberating... Praise and worship was like no other. I hardly recongized myself, hands reaching out to God, waving for His Glory. Saying here I am Lord. Use me! I love you Lord, no longer will I stand idol. I am yours. Feet that couldn't stand still. Yes it was magnificent! No other words to describe it. Liberating and magnificent. No longer caring what my voice sounds like or if I'm in pitch, the right octive, or holding back for fear of someone hearing. I LOVE to sing and have hidden to long...

Allowing God to speak to me in a way that only I can hear( yes i know I'm stubborn and hard headed and downright hard of hearing.) No more...... all week I've been getting messages of pride and strength. Let me say I prided myself on my pride and my strength to do it.all... all the way to allowing myself and family to fall flat our faces because of MY pride.
"When King Uzziah had become powerful, he also became proud, which led to his downfall." 2 Chronicles 26:16
Selflishness sure as long as I was giving and giving and giving some more. Yet what I did was take away and take some more. Take away what you ask. Power from God to allow him to work through me.
" I will bless you and you will be a blessing to others." Genesis 12:2
I was taking away Blessings from others that wanted to help. Those that I knew of and those that were to afraid to even offer because they knew I'd say No... I let that go tonight. I will trust God and not just say it. I will believe it and listen for Him to point out the right things to do..

My next step is now that I understand more about baptism and the Holy Spirit, next Sunday is my turn. It's been oh 14-15 years ago. It's time to get it right. To do it because I understand and not because thats just what you do next... Holy spirit fill me. My old self is no more. Thank you Jesus for dying on the cross so that I may live and not only live but live abundantly... does that mean I am to do more than just scrape by each day and wait to die or for Jesus return? YES IT DOES!!!! To enjoy life, being a Christian doesn't mean turning into a prude. No. I have more fun now than I ever did. Just think all this fun and no hugging a toilet,hangovers or little green men. Yes I can fun and it is rewarding. To laugh and cry and laugh again then not know why. Singing and dancing for God... Yes being a Christian is fun... I am excited.:-)