Isaiah 2:5 O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.

It has been a long time since I have posted anything. That doesn't mean I haven't been reading the Word though. It also doesn't mean I haven't been getting anything from the Word. It just means I have been to busy to do much more than to read and pray.

I have ugly feet...my husband will be the first to say it and I would be the first to admit it. I have A LOT of problems with them. I have psoriatic arthritis and neuropathy. The PA was making it so that I didn't realize that I was getting neuropathy. (Peripheral nerves carry information to and from the brain. Peripheral neuropathy means these nerves don't work properly. Peripheral neuropathy may be damage to a single nerve or to a nerve group). As a result of my physical condition, about a year and a half to two years ago I became acutely aware of my feet. In looking at my feet I started thinking, "Wow I wonder how many steps my feet have taken" so far in my life? Then I think how many of those steps were away from the direction that the Lord was leading. When I think of how bad my feet hurt me at times physically, I can't help but to think of how much more they have hurt me spiritually.

Job 34:3 For the ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meat.

Job 34:3 For the ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meat.

Not everything we eat is good for us. Even though it might taste good.

Sweets
We could eat a big pan of tres leches cake and though it would be very yummy it would not be the best thing for our bodies. To much sweets can cause a problem now and in the future.

Sour
If you eat a jar of pickles it can cause problems because of the high acidic concentrate. This can interact with you stomach acids.

Bitter
Too much bitter foods will cause stomach problems.

Salty
Too much can cause heart problems.

Umami
Savory taste...too much makes food boring.

Healthy diet
Is a well balance of all the foods...in moderation.

When is comes to what we want to hear I would say sweet is probably at the top of our list. If that is all we ever hear it will cause problems now and in the future.  Of course it isn't good to listen to someone who is always bitter or sour. I really feel that someone who only has savory of the meat to feed you isn't balanced either. So what we need is a healthy diet of it all.

When I was a bus captain in Ohio one of the bus girls came to me one day and asked me a question. She told me that she had committed to doing this play at school but she would have to miss a Wednesday night service to do so. I didn't ask her any questions I just said well you want to be a person of your word, I was a fairly new Christian. Come to find out she had already asked our bus director and his wife...she didn't like their answer and was going to keep asking people until she got the answer she wanted. Also had I had more info...it was a musical with bad songs and dancing.

As we hear the Word or Godly counsel, it is like meat in our mouth....we taste it to see if we like it. If we don't like it we spit it out. Sometimes we listen to ungodly counsel and it's what we want so we eat it anyways or listen to it...and it proves to be bad for us...making us sick.

It is like this verse we keep looking for what we want to hear. We really just need to listen to the Lord... Oh taste and see that the Lord is good. PS. 34:8a

For all things are for your sakes, II Cor. 4:15

II Cor. 4:15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

We go through so much in our lives and we don't understand why, for what purpose. We look at situations and say "okay, now what"? When really it is about others. It was about others for Christ. He didn't die for Himself. He died for others. He also lived for others, for us. What more could we do for Him. He saw that it was important to not only die for us but to show us how to live. If salvation was all it was about then the Bible would be mighty thin. Things that happen to us, God uses for His honor if we allow it. I had the opportunity to speak with a gentleman today. He came over to take a look at what we are getting rid of, it is like a “pre-estate” sale. Anyhow, I was able to talk to him about the Lord and found out that he was already saved. He had gotten away from the Lord and was battling with the things of this world. There is not one person that is above reproach in this life. Boy, but when we see Jesus we won't ever worry about failing Him again. I love the boldness that the Holy Spirit gives us when we surrender to it. It always amazes me how the Lord uses His Word through us. I don't know how many times I have said, “I was just reading this verse in the Bible...” and it would relate to the person I am talking to.

For all things are for your sakes (He uses it and blesses us for it)

that the abundant GRACE (Gods Riches At Christ Expense)

might through the thanksgiving (the expression of gratitude)

of many redound (contribute greatly to a persons credit)

to the Glory of God (Heaven)

I love sharing God's Word!

We always talk about Jesus died for us...but let's not forget He first lived for us.

Pro 22:2 The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all.

It really is sad for me to watch those that have look down on those who have not.

It's really sad for me to watch those that have not, not even try. Then it becomes a case of entitlement. I won't give money to someone standing on a corner with a sign. I have seen people standing there with their signs and the McDonald's behind them has a sign too...says now hiring. I'm sorry, you just spent 8 hours today on a corner with a sign...not job hunting?

Ps 40:17 But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.

You know the saying “God helps those who help themselves.” It is not in the Bible...but the principle is.

Proverbs 6:6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
They work and build and clean house. They are busy, busy, busy!

I have been poor myself. I grew up poor...but my mom worked hard to make things better for me. Since I have been married we have not always had a bunch of extra money to waste. We just kept doing what we were suppose to do and God just blessed. When we lived in NC we really didn't have money in the bank to balance so we just did what we could and left it up to God. For me I really didn't worry...it's like an onion...one peel at a time. When we moved back to Texas (AMEN!) we got our W2's in the mail. When we looked at them and knowing what our bills had been it didn't add up. God paid our bills is the only answer.

One of the most honoring things my daughter has ever said to me was about when we were in Bible college....

We both worked full time. John took a full load at school. We had three kids in Christian school. And ministry work. We always found time to do things with our kids. FREE things to do with our kids. The zoo back then was free, the rose garden still is. We bought season passes for six flags (that year it was just a few dollars more per person per ticket to get a pass) and went many times in Arlington and San Antonio. When would stay in a hotel for a weekend trip somewhere...we took a crock pot and rice steamer and made dinner in the hotel room. We would play games and have birthday parties for the kids...planned well in advance so I could buy things on clearance. We found museums that had free admission...We would drive around and look at Christmas lights with a packed thermos of hot chocolate and a Christmas CD to listen to. I did couponing and comp adding...there were times we as a family of five would sit down to a meal that cost 1.25 for the whole thing.

….After my daughter was grown, she looked back over it all and said, "Momma I never realized how poor we were. You never let us know." We never wanted our children to worry about the finances. We didn't discuss it in front of them. They knew we were teaching them that we could have a great time without spending a great amount of money.

Me personally I never looked at that time as being poor...we were very rich indeed!!

Family pictures 2013

 

Some would say as hard as we worked during that season of our lives we have nothing to show for it. I strongly disagree. We have the best memories of laughing and spending time as a family.

1 Corinthians 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening Spirit.

1 Corinthians 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening Spirit.

Another "wow" verse. I was reading my Bible and came across this.

The first man Adam was made a living soul

        -The first Adam of course was the one part of the Adam and Eve couple. It says here when God made, him, his soul was living. When Adam and Eve sinned...that part of them died. I wonder, did it physically hurt? We know they were aware right away of their sin condition, because they hid themselves. I once heard a preacher say that he believed when a little child starts becoming modest and aware of being naked that that is when they become accountable. There is a lot of logic to that.

 the last Adam was made a quickening Spirit.

          - This is the Lord, this last Adam. Quicken means to spring to life. Jesus was able to bring us to life...but only through His death. We know it hurt when He died on the cross. The physical pain...the Spiritual pain of taking our sin upon Him...The Familial pain of God seeing His perfect son, who knew no sin, nailed to the cross of shame...meant for the worst of sinner. It was so bad that God turned His back on the scene for a span of three hours. 
             BUT because He loved me....For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16
             BUT you can't just believe. James 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God, thou doest well; the devils also believe, and tremble. The devil is never going to call heaven is home again.
             BUT I am a sinner and that sin keeps me out of heaven, and if I can't go to heaven because of my sin then there is only one place to go....Hell. Romans 3:10 As it is written their is none righteous, no not one. Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Romans 6:23a The wages of sin is death.... a wage is a payment...what you get for what you've done. This death is referring to the second death found in Rev.21:8...Jesus never sinned so He didn't have to die. He volunteered to take my place. He hung on the cross with my sin upon Him. He gave up the ghost and descended into hell to take my sin there. In doing so He became victorious over death because He didn't stay in that grave...He rose again.
            BUT the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23b. It is a gift I cannot earn it, work for it, or loose it. If I lost it, it would have to be paid for again.
1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.
Ephesians 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
            BUT God made a way. Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. He wants us to go to heaven
            BUT only in His way.Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6
             DON'T put it off. James 4:14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth.

Job 13:27b my feet also in the stocks,

Job 13:27 Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks, and lookest narrowly unto all my paths; thou settest a print upon the heels of my feet. This verse today was awesome for me.

Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks,

Why would God put my feet into stocks or Job's for that matter? Wikipedia had some interesting things to say about stocks. One thing it refers to a physical restraint. I know during times of captivity they are used to slow down the one wearing them.

               -maybe to slow me down so I don't get ahead of myself. Or worse get ahead of God. I would say that is what has happened over the past several years. I really like to have things planned out way in advance. I start organizing my holidays at the end of October. I do not like running by the seat of my skirt. I feel very out of control. Maybe that's God saying He doesn't want me in control anymore. Not that I ever really am. It is how we teach our children....right. We let them think they are making the choices...but we orchestrate the whole thing...to keep them safe at let them learn the best way.
 

lookest narrowly unto all my paths.

This has been a source of disagreement with people over the years. I, by far, am not the smartest person in the world...but I do take God's Word at face value. ( a gift is a gift, hell is hell, free will is free will) "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:5-6, KJV

               -Paths plural...He looks at each choice we are going to make. He sees the outcome of each of those choices. He implores us to go the narrow way...the straight way. The way that is best. Do we always chose right? No! I really believe God knows all...He knows the end of each path that I might take...and when I am standing at the cross road...He is cheering me to go down the perfect path. It is my choice. I believe He gets GLORY when we choose the right way. I am not God, could be wrong, probably am wrong. Will it keep me from Heaven? No. So I believe God only lets Himself know what the outcome could be if we chose right, then on to the next crossroad.

thou settest a print upon the heels of my feet.

                 -First let me say WOW! My path is for ME to go down. My print is mine and mine alone...it is unique to me. People can see which way I have chosen. WOW again...they can see where I have gone off the path...stopped and hem hawed around. It also shows when I have taken my time and when I have been in a hurry, maybe broke into a full run. Others can follow me through my tracks. How many times have I led someone off the pathway because of sin. I can think of one that always comes to mind.

                Jeff B. - He was an old boyfriend of mine. My mom introduced me to him...he was tall...I was 5'11” he was MUCH taller. I thought doesn't she see his long hair and the earring in his ear??? Mind you I was a “church girl” I went to the Christian school. I attended all the youth activities...and I was one of the worst teens in our youth department...I won't go into my sin...but I led others to a wicked lifestyle. The adults never saw that though...I was a “good girl”. My mom had told Jeff I could go skating with him (I know...he loved skating) if he came to church with me. Well he got my number off the check that my dad had used to by my boots, he was the salesman. So he called and we went to a youth rally. We “dated” for about six months. I would tell him you know Jeff you need to get saved and he would say, “Why?” I would tell him it was so he wouldn't go to hell. He would say to me why was it that I was going to heaven and he wasn't. I would reply because I am “saved” (not so sure now if I was then) he would just act confused and say that we were the same...there was no difference between us. I would cry and plead with him. He just couldn't wrap his head around it. He would talk about plans for his future...what he was going to do...like when his folks died he would get the house (an only child). I would say Jeff you could die before your folks...you need to get saved...and the whole thing would start all over. Jeff started getting serious with me...always a perfect gentleman...he started saying he loved me...bought a bracelet with love Jeff inscribed on the back. I told him I didn't feel the same...we ended up splitting as friends. I saw him at a store about a year later...he was doing good. Saw him again at the ER, he was with a girl, waiting on someone...I thought...better not say hi. I didn't want to cause any problems. The next time I saw him was on the front page of the paper...He and his fiancée's friend (fiancée had to work) had went to a concert in Cleveland, OH. Driving home, a drunk driver came around a curve towards them on the divided highway. Jeff had no where to go there was concrete on both sides of the road, and hit Jeff head-on with enough force to push the engine in to the passenger compartment. It killed the girl instantly. Jeff lived long enough to tell the paramedics his name and number. That night at 3 am his parents got a phone call...their only child had just stepped into eternity...I never knew...his parents were saved. They knew Jeff wasn't...they had been praying for him. His mom was a complete basket case at the funeral. That has been close to 30 years ago. I have no way to make it up to Jeff...how do you take back hell. I have had pastors tell me that Jeff made the choice to not except Christ. I look at it as Jeff made a choice to follow me...my foot prints...instead of Christ.

Your walk talks, and your talk talks, but your walk talks louder than your talk talks. I just pray that Jeff got saved before he died...The only thing I can do is to tell people about Christ...and try to walk the talk!

I Corinthians 13:13 ...but the greatest of these is charity.

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

God has many times showed this to me...As undeserving as I am, He still loves me and in His love He shows it.

My husband is very deserving of my love...he is the best husband I ever could have been blessed with. Is he perfect....? Of course not...and I wouldn't want him if he was because it would just show how terrible I really am.

The Lord wants us to be a giving person with our love for people. To show our love for others without thought of self. To look at others the way Christ does.

Psalms 36:1b there is no fear of God before his eyes.

Ps 36:1 The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.

People have always done that which is right in their own eyes. Proverb 12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.

Do I have a fear of God? Is it evident in my life and my daily walk? Do I follow the commands that God gives us because I love Him, or fear Him? I know with my children that I wanted them to obey because of love...and when that failed then I needed to bring about the fear of mamma. So, I think I need to obey because I love Him and be afraid not to obey Him. It sort of goes hand in hand.

I want to obey the Lord in my role as a help meet to my husband. What we need to realize is that the Lord means business in this life He has given us and that He expect us to treat it the way He has set before us. I need help from Him to be the wife He wants for me to be so that I may bring honor to my husband everyday and not shame.

Contentious Soul that I am! Proverbs 21:19

Proverbs 21:19 It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman.

WILDERNESS

An uncultivated, uninhabited, and inhospitable region. A neglected or abandoned area of a garden or town.   CONTENTIOUS 1. Given to angry debate 2. Quarrelsome   CONTENT, a. quiet; having a mind at peace; satisfied, so as not to oppose.    CONTENT, v. To satisfy the mind; to make quiet, so as to stop complaint or opposition

I do not want my husband to prefer to spend time in the "wilderness". I want him to desire to come home. There was a time in my life where I fought all the time with him and my poor children. I just don't have the angriness (I know not really a word) in me anymore. I think it is because I am content. Amazing how that word is part of contentious but is the exact opposite.

Don't get me wrong, I will fight when there is a cause....against those that need fighting.

But.....

I rather enjoy spending loving time with my husband and family now. I want to be an encouragement to them...Lord knows the world tears at them all the day.

I  definitely DO NOT want my home to be a wilderness because of me.

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Lord, help me today and everyday to be content...content with all you have done in our lives and to look forward to what you are going to do next. Let 'me' be a place that my husband wants to come home to. Please help me to never visit or invite my husband to join me in the wilderness again.

Proverbs 21:23 Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.

Proverbs 21:23 "Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles." I like the period at the end of that statement. There is no argument over this point. This is one of the first things I have had to change in me. SHUT my mouth and BITE my tongue. Amazing how much more you hear when you're not talking. If you think about the tongue there are some very interesting things to learn. There are four common tastes that the tongue can detect. They are sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. A fifth taste, called umami, comes from tasting glutamate (present in MSG, used as a preservatives). The tongue has many nerves that help detect and transmit taste signals to the brain. Think before you speak...the best way to keep my tongue. All parts of the tongue can detect these four common tastes; the commonly described “taste map”of the tongue doesn’t really exist. So maybe no matter how you say something or how you mean it, it doesn't really make it any less sour or bitter.

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Help me Lord to keep my mouth and tongue and not let Satan use it to hurt your work or the ministry that you have given us.

April and Mimi making "Pizza Puffs" Love cooking with her...

this picture because they are so yummy!!

 

In the beginning....

This is the beginning....

Well here goes something. What that is, I am not sure. I wanted to start this blog really for myself. If anyone stops by and takes a peek, I am okay with that. If someone wants to follow me....be careful I might not always be headed the right way....but I try. Please do not look at my spelling and grammer to be perfect...I hated English in school...but I will try!! My plan for this space is to study the Word of God and post what I find...as a help to me and in return, I hope it will be a help to my husband. My prayer is as I draw closer to the Lord, I will become a better help meet to him.

There are so many times in our lives that I have noticed a beginning...
1. beginning life
2. beginning school
3. beginning marriage and motherhood
4. beginning church and learning what it is all about
5. beginning answering His call
6. beginning our childrens beginnings in life
7. beginning our "just us" years
8. beginning being Mimi and Opa
9. beginning with what is next....and the excitement to see what the Lord has planned!!

For me it has been dark and sad, as well as great and glad. The first part of my life was more of the dark and sad. I look back now and see how it really has shaped me into who I am. Not blaming, just saying that I learned alot about life back then...and how I do not want to live it.

The great and glad has been since I found a saving grace that is like nothing else in the world. The Lord has saved my marriage, gave me a best friend to share this life with, blessed me through my children, has given me the wonderful joy of knowing my grand-children, and opened my eyes to His love and what He wants for our lives. I am SO excited at this next beginning...

Psalm 118:23 This is the LORD'S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.