Women Of The Word

Women's Meeting Aug. 16th

2009-08-14T09:18:00.001-07:00

You are all encouraged and invited to attend our Women's Ministry Meeting @ MCC on Sunday, August 16 @ 5:00pm. God has spoken to Pastor Cheryl about taking a new direction in our ministry to women @ MCC! Don't miss this fun night as we reveal the new face of our Women's Ministry!!Bring finger foods and an excited and open heart!!For more information, contact Pastor Cheryl

Captivity To Freedom ~ Norma

2009-08-14T09:16:00.001-07:00

Captivity to Freedom -- Victim to Survivor
Last night was a milestone for me in my ministry, my first client returned to Buffalo to speak to the Support Groups, Advocates and women who have a passion for our ministry. Her message was how she moved form the mentality of a victim to that of a Survivor, from captivity to freedom !! Do you know how ? She allowed Jesus Christ to become not only her Savior, but Lord of her life. Giving everything over to Him and allowing Him to take control and move her away from, out of and through to the plan that He had designed for her life. Refer to Jer. 29 v 11 & 12, God has a future and a plan of good and not of evil for each of us. Our part is to get into position where He can begin the process. As Tami was speaking I thought of the broken woman who sat on my couch 7 years ago and cried out for help. Today she is confident and self assured that she is in the position that He wants for her at this season of her life. She is serving with the Friendships Ministry home based in Lake Charles ,La,( www.friendships.org ), they are a disaster relief organization traveling world wide wherever there is a need. You may be reading this and do not know the plan that God has for your life, you may or may not have been or still are a victim and ask where do I start ? How do I find the plan that God has for my life ?.
#1 (John 3v16) You must know Jesus as Savior, ask him for forgiveness of sin and turn away from the past and look to Him.
#2 (Luke 11v 9-12) Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with His Love for people and His power to minister that Love.
#3 (Rom. 12 v2 ) Renew your mind daily to the Word of God and He will become Lord of your life.
Listening to Tami last night brought back to my mind a Bible Study I heard in 1995, this study was a turning point in my life, to begin moving from Jesus as Savior to Jesus as Lord of my life. I found the outline this morning and want to share it with you.
Let The Past Be The Past
I Cor. 5v17 / Phil 3v13-15 / I Peter 4v3
1. The Past is to LEARN from, Not to LIVE in .
2 . God does not consult your PAST to determine your FUTURE
3. Conquer Your PAST by focusing on your FUTURE
4. STOP looking at where you have been ! LOOK at where you are going!
5 . STOP looking at what you do not have, LOOK at what you do have !
6. Your FUTURE begins with whatever is in your hands TODAY !
7. DON'T always believe what others SAY about you, BELIEVE GOD !
8. Those who created past PAIN, do not CONTROL your FUTURE !
9. You can become BITTER or GET BETTER, You CHOOSE !
10 You may STUMBLE and FALL, But WINNERS GET UP !
This is a process and will not come about overnight, but the diligent seeker WILL find the way with direction and wisdom from,
God the Father, Jesus the Son and The Holy Spirit .
Until next time, "KEEP YOUR EYES ON JESUS, HE HAS ALL THE ANSWERS !!"

NORMA

Jesus said, "Without ME YOU can do NOTHING !"

Women's Meeting!!

2009-08-12T07:59:00.000-07:00

You are all encouraged and invited to attend our Women's Ministry Meeting @ MCC on Sunday, August 16 @ 5:00pm.
God has spoken to Pastor Cheryl about taking a new direction in our ministry to women @ MCC! Don't miss this fun night as we reveal the new face of our Women's Ministry!!
Bring finger foods and an excited and open heart!!
For more information, contact Pastor Cheryl

Boundaries, When to Say Yes,When to Say No ~ Norma

2009-07-24T07:57:00.000-07:00

My advanced Support Group is finishing a book by Henry Cloud and John Townsend on setting Boundaries, I have learned so much from this book. I have been a person who has said yes too many times when I should have said no. Never wanting to have someone mad at me or hurt their feelings. This book uses Bible principles to instruct on how and when to set boundaries for every area of your life. Spouse, Children, Parents, Friends, and Work. I wish I would have had this book when I was raising my children, in this area I probably said no too many times at the wrong time. Having too much freedom as a teen, I tended to be too strict on my children as they were growing up. It goes from birth through teen years giving instruction on how to help your children begin on a foundation that will produce an adult that will be an asset not only for society, but especially an adult that can hear from God and then obey. I encourage you to get this book and read it slowly from front to back.' I have the Workbook but it is very repetitive, unless you want to do an in depth study and answer the questions at the end of each chapter. I am also reading the book on the Dugger family, "20 and Counting". I watch their show on TV and have been fascinated by how they manage to raise such a large family without Government assistance. God has truly blessed them and I believe their plan has worked for them. I do not believe it is for everyone, God does have a plan for each of our lives and we have only to find that place in Him and follow the path He lays before us. Just as He does not call everyone to be a Missionary in Africa, I do not believe He calls every family to have18 children. Their story is interesting and in the coming years we will see if their way works as their children grow up and leave home. For myself 4 was good and I love each one of them, I was not Harriet Nelson or Bever's Mom and know I could have been a much better Mom than I was, but we can not go back and do it over, I love my children and have asked them to forgive me for my poor parenting. This book has been a real eye opener for me and much of it I can put into practice in my life now. If you are reading this and have small children at home, I encourage you to get this book, not just for you but for your children. Until next time, "Keep You Eyes On Jesus"

Satisfaction ~ Norma

2009-07-15T06:59:00.001-07:00

Satisfaction
I have a daily reading called,"For Women Who Do Too Much," which I do not always get to read and I am at the present a month behind, maybe I am trying to do too much.The daily reading for June 10 really spoke to me and I want to share it with you, this can apply to men as well as women. Satisfaction with one's life is like being anointed with warm oil. It is so peaceful to read the words of someone who is content. Often we equate contentment and satisfaction with stagnation. They are anything but that ! True satisfaction with ones life is an acceptance of what is, continuing to prepare for what can be, while letting go of what we thought needed to be. Satisfaction is a quiet place of quietude, a busy place of stillness. Satisfaction is a place of relief rarely felt be people who do too much. Satisfaction is the soul breathing a sigh of relief. By Anne Wilson Schaef
I meditated on this and I thought of when Paul said he was content no matter what state he found himself in. Phil. 4v11. He had learned how to be content and satisfied because he knew God was in control and would give him the strength to carry out God's plan for his life, Phil. 4v13. The warm oil refers to the Holy Spirit, He is our Comforter and our Peace. So my prayer for myself and for you who are reading this is to be satisfied where I am now, continue to look forward to what God's plan for my life is, and release what I think is needed. Let God have His way in my life, find that place of quiet and dwell there, for that is where He will be found. To be busy with His work, listening for His voice and follow Him, for there is where I will find the peace and contentment that I seek.
Till next time,"Keep Your Eyes On Jesus".

Family Matters ~ Cheryl

2009-07-09T07:15:00.000-07:00

I know this is really big news for some of the young parents of today, but did you know that it is a good thing to sometimes say “NO” to your children! Being around some children today, you wonder if they have ever even heard that word! Some parents think that when a child is disobeying, that the thing to do is try to reason, divert, or distract.
There is nothing wrong with those methods sometimes. But, there are times that no amount of “reasoning” will get the point across. Children must learn to deal with the word “NO”, and parents need to not be afraid to use it.
One good reason for that is for their own safety. If a young child is about to run into the street, or touch a hot stove, they need to be taught ahead of time to immediately respond to the word”no”.
Children desperately need to learn that a parents “NO” means “NO”, even if you throw a fit ! If you say “no” to your child, they pitch a fit, and then you relent, what are you teaching them? I can guarantee you there are a lot more fits in store for that parent!
It is the same for older children. Teens or preteens may not throw themselves on the floor and kick and scream but they can sure throw some fits!
It is a proven fact that children do better with rules and regulations. It causes them to feel more secure and valued. Actually a child who calls all the shots in a home will begin to feel insecure and devalued. Kids need parents to say what they mean and mean what they say and stick to their word!

God's Cake

2009-06-11T08:25:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we wonder, why certain difficult things happen in our life.
Here is a wonderful way to look at it!
A daughter is telling her mother how everything is going wrong:
She's failing algebra.
Her boyfriend broke up with her.
AND her best friend is moving away.
Meanwhile, her Mother is baking a cake and asks her daughter
if she would like a snack, and the daughter says,
"Absolutely, Mom, I love your cake."
"Here, have some cooking oil," her Mother offers.
"Yuck," says her daughter.
"How about a couple raw eggs?"
"Gross, Mom!"
"Would you like some flour then? Or maybe baking soda?"
"Mom, those are all yucky!"

To which the mother replies:
"Yes, all those things seem bad by themselves.
But when they are put together in the right way,
they make a wonderfully delicious cake.

God works much in the same way.
Even when we are going through yucky, difficult times,
God can take all these things and turn them out for our good!
We just have to trust Him and, eventually,
He can make something wonderful out of us!

Verbal Affirmation

2009-05-29T08:03:00.000-07:00

Miracle Christian Center
Family Matters
Cheryl Lane

The Word of God tells us that we are to train our children up in the way they should go. One of the most important things we can all do for our children & family is to give them continual encouragement and support through verbal affirmation. That will build a confidence in them that will become a great asset in their life. Every child and adult needs to feel that they are important.

I recently read a story telling about the world famous boxer, Muhammad Ali. His renowned trainer, Angelo Dundee, at every boxing match, would write a number on a small piece of paper and place it inside Ali's glove. The number was the round that Dundee was predicting Ali would knock out his opponent. He had such confidence that Ali would win that he would also predict when he would win. Ali of course knew of his trainers great confidence in him. Even though it was just a little piece of paper, it was actually much more than that. When we verbally affirm our confidence in our loved ones it in turn builds a great confidence in them.

We all know that Ali did not lack when it came to confidence in his own ability. He made that very plain in the intimidating antics he would recite to his opponents. Ali surely had others encouraging him, but it is when those closest to us do it that affects us the most. I know that when my husband ministers, everyone in the church may tell him it was a great sermon, but he still wants to know what I thought about it, and I am the same way with him.

As I mentioned earlier, this is something everyone of us has the ability to do. We can uplift and encourage our loved ones. Don't worry about “giving them the big head”, because believe me, their will be plenty of people out in the world telling them what they can't do!

Calling All Married Couples!!!

2009-05-21T16:40:00.000-07:00

Beginning next Sunday May 31st @ 9:30 a.m.
Don't Miss This New Video Series In The Young Adult Sunday School Class:
"Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage" -Complete DVD Seminar
with Pastor Mark Gungor
First series entitled, "The Tale of Two Brains1"
For more info. call: 903-322-2300
Or e-mail Pastor Cheryl

Family Matters ~ Cheryl

2009-05-18T08:43:00.001-07:00

The world may not care a whole lot today about the marriage relationship, but according to the Word of God, He does! Marriage was His idea in the first place. He created male and female to be together in the garden of Eden. In Genesis 2:18, He even said it was not good for man to be alone. He intended for us to be there for each other through whatever life brings our way.

We should see ourselves as a team, working together against all odds. We are to “complete” each other, not “compete” against each other. Many couples I know are so busy trying to get everything they can out of the other person, and never consider that they may need to be giving something in order to complete their spouse. It really doesn't matter who spends the most time doing things for the kids, it's all about working together with the same, common goal. Many times instead of working together to see what we want accomplished, we waste our time pushing against each other.

God intends for us to be a strong unit, as husband and wife. Ready to stand against the enemy, and stand behind each other. We need to show our children that we are on the same page and let them know they cannot put one against the other.
God even sees us as one flesh! I wonder what kind of relationships we could all have if we always treated the other person in the same way that we want to be treated? Huuum! Food for thought!

The Vine- Grower ~ Norma

2009-05-12T07:16:00.000-07:00

God the Father is a vine-grower whose intention is to produce good wine. God the Father plants a vine. That vine is Jesus, Our Lord. That vine, like all grapevines, is composed of roots, stalk, branches, leaves, and ultimately, grapes We are the branches; we have been made a part of this vine through our being born again, which brings us into relationship with Jesus. If we remain remain in relationship with Christ, we will produce fruit. If our relationshipo in Christ is healthy as He intends, we will produce grapes abundantly, those grapes will be full of juice. At the right time, those grapes which we produce will be harvested and pressed. Their abundant juice will ferment into good wine which will, as scripture says of wine, bring joy to the heart – not only our heart - but the hearts of others .So, according to this metaphor, God our Father is the origin of the good wine which is holiness and human perfection. Jesus his Son is the vine which the Father plants. We are the branches which the Vine produces by its internal power. Drawing from the vitality of the vine, we branches produce grapes, meaning the good works of virtue, filled with the juice of human accomplishment and perfection. Following our natural inclination as a vine follows its vegetable tendency, we will produce more shoots and leaves than are necessary for a good grape harvest. So the Father will come with his pruning hook or knife and cut away that which He doesn't want so as to direct our vitality into the clusters of grapes that He does want. This pruning may be frustrating and painful, but it is necessary to make us really productive and not just good to look at. Then comes the harvest, the cutting of the clusters, the pressing of the grapes in a winepress, the collecting of the juice in containers, and then the fermentation into wine, which is what the Divine Vinegrower has intended all along. Let us try to remain closely, intimately incorporated into the Vine which is Jesus our Lord, so that He may produce in us what His Father wants, and we may bear the fruit of virtue and become authentic disciples of Our Lord.

Happy Mother's Day ~ Cheryl

2009-05-08T09:15:00.001-07:00

I want to say Happy Mother’s Day to all of the ladies today! Being a mother is one of the hardest jobs in the world. That is what I wanted from the time I was a little girl, to be a mommy. I have such a great example in my very own mother. I have always known that my brother and I were her priority in life, no matter what else was going on with her. Even being grown and on our own, we still know that she would do anything she possibly could for us that we needed.

Let me say, there is not a mother alive that has not made mistakes, we all have. But, I believe our children are a gift from God and we should place our mothering job at a high priority. God expects us to do everything in our power to love & nuture our children to adulthood. He also expects us to teach them to love, serve, and trust Him. It is our responsibility to train them so that they know they can call on God in every situation they have to face in life. As our children get older, we are not always able to fix their problems, but if we have done our job, they will know to call on our God who can!

Let me give a special Happy Mother’s day to my mom, Billie Hearn, my mother-in-law, Madeline Lane & my two daughters, who have made wonderful mothers themselves, Amy Gaskins and Stacy Morris. I love you all!

Conference Sucess!!!

2009-04-30T09:39:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful time at our 2009 Spring Conference!! Check out some pics from the event HERE

Are You Allowing Fear To Rule? ~Norma

2009-04-07T06:48:00.000-07:00

It has been too long since I have posted due to several factors, warmweather means more time spent outdoors as I have a large yard and too manyflower beds! What seemed like a good idea 11 years ago when we moved here now looks like toooo much work! On to more important things, I want to share with you something that the Holy Spirit has been showing me these past few months.
Too many people,Christians, as well as the worldly are allowing fear to rule in their lives. Everywhere we turn we are bombarded by doom and gloom. Starting with the media all the way to the White House. I want to share a few things that fear does to us, I am writing to Born Again, BloodWashed Believers!
Fear Distorts Reality: It causes us to lose sight of what is real in our lives, The Word of God.
Fear Victimizes : It causes us to feel sorry for ourselves, have pity-parties
Fear Puts Stress On The Body: Causes high blood pressure, headaches, bodyaches
Fear Alienates the Truth of the Word: We begin to question God
Fear Imobilizes, Freezes and Cripples: Emotionally, Physically, Spiritually and Mentally
Fear Replaces Faith: Fear and Faith can not and will not operate in the sameplace
Fear Tells Us We are Failures: We will not see success in our life when ruled by fear
Fear Fills The Heart With Disspare: We lose hope that life will ever be peaceful
Fear Destroys From The Inside Out: Fear steals the joy and blessings of God
Fear Brings Disappointment: We see everything from a negative instead ofpositive
I pray as you read this you will see if you have allowed fear to come in and steal your joy and peace in the Lord. We are going to face hard times, Jesus said we would, BUT we must place our trust in The Living God who has a future and a hope for each of us, just as he did for Jeremiah. The government does not have our best interests at heart, they will not and cannot take care of us. Our only hope of survival in the coming days is to fall on our knees and pray that Jesus will intercede on our behalf. He looks to the heart and only asked that we love Him and are obedient to the guidelines He left us for an Abundant Life in Him. I thank Him daily that He is a God of Grace and Mercy, and will never leave me. If you are reading this and do not know this man Jesus I speak of, He is but a breath away, waiting on you to callout and repent. Seek, Ask, Receive Today !Until next time, "KEEP YOU EYES ON JESUS !!"
~NORMA~
Jesus said, "Without ME YOU can do NOTHING !"

$50.00 ~ Wanda

2009-02-25T07:32:00.000-08:00

A man came home from work late, tired and irritated, to find his 5-year old son waiting for him at the door.

SON: 'Daddy! , may I ask you a question?'

DAD: 'Yeah sure, what is it?' replied the man.

SON: 'Daddy, how much do you make an hour?'

DAD: 'That's none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?' the man said angrily.

SON: 'I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?'

DAD: 'If you must know, I make $50 an hour.'

SON: 'Oh,' the little boy replied, with his head down.

SON: 'Daddy, may I please borrow $25?'

The father was furious, 'If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you are being so selfish. I don't work hard everyday for such childish frivolity's.'

The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door.
The man sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy's questions. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money?

After! about an hour or so, the m an had calmed down , and started to think:
Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $25.00 and he really didn't ask for money very often The man went to the door of the little boy's room and opened the door.

'Are you asleep, son?' He asked.

'No daddy, I'm awake,' replied the boy.

'I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier' said the man. 'It's been a long day and I took out my aggravation on you. Here's the $25 you asked for.'
The little boy sat straight up, smiling. 'Oh, thank you daddy!' he yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled up bills.

The man saw that the boy already had money, started to get angry again.
The little boy slowly counted out his money, and then looked up at his father.
'Why do you want more money if you already have some?' the father grumbled.

'Because I didn't have enough, but now I do,' the little boy replied.
' Daddy, I have $50 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you.'

The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little son, and he begged for his forgiveness.

This is just a short reminder to all of us working so hard in life. We should not let time slip through our fingers without having spent some time with those who really matter to us, those close to our hearts. Do remember to share that $50 worth of your time with someone you love.

Family Matters ~ Cheryl

2009-02-19T09:43:00.000-08:00

There is one thing for sure…there are not any of us who can say that we have never made a mistake in our relationships with our spouses and children. The good news is that there is always an opportunity to change things. Edmunde Burke said, “The past should be a springboard, not a hammock.”

In other words, don’t plan your future by your past! Don’t sit back & look at your mistakes and think it is too late to do anything about it, so I will just settle for the way things are. The Apostle Paul said, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead…” (Phil.3: 13-14)

Let’s all take the opportunity to get past the wrong things we have done and said in our relationships and make the effort to get past them. It may require asking for, or, accepting an apology, but the desire to move forward could be the springboard to get us into a more peaceful and loving family life.

Refuse to continue dwelling on the past mistakes of yourself or others. None of us can walk backward into the future!

Selling Bibles ~ Wanda

2009-02-19T08:28:00.000-08:00

A pastor concluded
that his church was getting into very
serious financial troubles. While
checking the church storeroom, he
discovered several cartons of new bibles
that had never been opened and distributed.

So at his Sunday
sermon, he asked for three volunteers from
the congregation who would be
willing to sell the bibles door-to-door for
$10 each to raise the
desperately needed money for the church.

Jack, Paul and Louie all
raised their hands to volunteer for the
task.

The minister knew
that Jack and Paul earned their living as
salesmen and were likely capable
of selling some bibles. But he had serious
doubts about
Louie who was a local farmer, who had
always kept to himself
because he was embarrassed by his speech
impediment.

Poor
Louie stuttered badly. But, NOT WANTING TO
discourage Louie, the
minister decided to let him try anyway.

He sent the three of
them away with the back seat of their cars
stacked with bibles. He asked
them to meet with him and report the
results of their door-to-door selling
efforts the following Sunday.

Anxious to find out how
successful they were, the minister
immediately asked Jack, 'Well, Jack,
how did you make out selling our bibles
last week?'

Proudly handing
the reverend an envelope, Jack replied,
'Using my sales prowess, I was
able to sell 20 bibles, and here's the
$200 I collected on behalf of the
church.'

'Fine job, Jack!' The minister said, vigorously
shaking his hand... 'You are indeed a fine
salesman and the Church is indebted to
you.'

Turning to Paul, 'And Paul, how many
bibles did you sell for
the Church last week?'

Paul, smiling and sticking out his chest,
confidently replied, 'I am a
professional salesman. I sold 28 bibles on
behalf of the church, and here's $280 I
collected.'

The minister
responded, 'That's absolutely
splendid, Paul. You are truly a professional
salesman and the church is indebted to you.'

Apprehensively, the
minister turned to Louie and said, 'And
Louie, did you manage to sell any
bibles last week?' Louie silently
offered the minister a large
envelope.

The minister opened it and counted the
contents. 'What is
this?' the minister exclaimed.
'Louie, there's $3200 in here!
Are you suggesting that you sold 320 bibles
for the church, door to door,
in just one week?'

Louie just nodded. That's
impossible!' both Jack
and Paul said in unison. 'We are
professional salesmen, yet you claim to
have sold 10 times as many bibles as we
could.'

'Yes, this
does seem unlikely,' the minister!
agreed. 'I think you'd better explain
how you managed to accomplish this,
Louie.'

Louie shrugged.. 'I-I-I
re-re-really do-do-don't kn-kn-know
f-f-f-for sh-sh-sh-sure,'
he stammered.

Impatiently, Peter interrupted. 'For
crying out
loud, Louie, just tell us what you said to
them when they answered the
door!'

'A-a-a-all I-I-I s-s-said
wa-wa-was,' Louis replied,
'W-w-w-w-would y-y-y-you l-l-l-l-l-like
t-t-to b-b-b-buy th-th-th-this
b-b-b-b-bible F -f-for t-t-ten b-b-b-bucks
---o-o-o-or--- wo-wo-would
yo-you j-j-j-just l-like m-m-me t-t-to
st-st-stand h-h-here and
r-r-r-r-r-read it t-to y-y-you??'

Hope For The Future

2009-02-04T09:07:00.001-08:00

Regardless of where you are in life today , there is always hope for the future!

Jer. 29:11 “For I know the thoughts and plans I have for you says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace, not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.”

Thank God for that Word! If you are not where you desire to be in relationships, in your health, financially, or whatever, keep your hope and faith for a better future. God wants good for us, regardless of what our nations economy is, or what the DR.says, or how others treat us. Our job is, and has always been, to continue to trust HIM!

Henry Ward Beecher said, “Every tomorrow has two handles. We can take hold of it with the handle of anxiety or the handle of faith.”

The choice is ours to make in every situation that arises in our life. We have to stay hopeful and agree with what God says about our future. Expect good things to happen every day! Keep a positive attitude about every area of your life. We only get one chance at this life. Why spend it staying down and depressed? Why not make a decision to live life to the fullest and stand firmly on what God says about our future?

Anyone can be positive when everything is going good! But I think God wants us, even in the hard times, to keep our focus and our faith on Him! Lets make the choice to believe and expect good and not evil, to give us hope in our final outcome.

The road to success.... ~ Norma

2008-12-13T13:32:00.000-08:00

The road to success is not straight. There is a curve called Failure, a loop called Confusion, speed bumps called Friends, red lights called Enemies, caution lights called Family. You will have flats called Jobs. But, if you have a spare called Determination, an engine called Perseverance, insurance called Faith, a driver called Jesus, you will make it to a place called Success.

God determines who walks into your life....it's up to you to decide who you let walk away, who you let stay, and who you refuse to let go."When there is nothing left but God, that is when you find out that God is all you need.

"Happiness keeps You Sweet, Trials keep You Strong, Sorrows keep You Human, Failures keeps You Humble, Success keeps You Glowing, But Only God keeps You Going

Joy In The Journey #5

2008-12-03T07:52:00.000-08:00

It is so good to know that we as Christians serve a God who loves us and wants us to have a joyful, abundant filled life! Our part in this is for us to make God a priority in our lives so that we can receive the direction & wisdom from Him that we need in order to make the right choices that will lead us to His goodness. When God first created man & woman, He said they were to “Be fruitful, subdue the earth, & have dominion.” We are to strive to do the same.

In our busy society today it sometimes seems that, “Life is living us instead of us living life.” I believe that busyness is one of the enemies main tactics to keep us from enjoying the blessings of God, and also of our family and loved ones.
I have heard it said many times, “If you are too busy for God, then you are too busy.” I think we could say the same about our family relationships.

I don’t think there will ever be a person who will get to the end of their life and say, “I wish I had not given so much of my life to God” or “I wish I had not spent so much time & effort on loving my family.” That is not going to happen! However, I am sure there are plenty who get to the end of their life & wish they had done more for God & family.

Well there is nothing we can do about the past, but there is definitely something we can do about our own future. Maybe we should all take a look at how we are spending our valuable time & see if we could make some changes that will be more beneficial for God, us, and our families. I know I could!

Don't Worry ~ Norma

2008-11-18T08:27:00.001-08:00

It has been a long day of phone calls. A couple of times I was on the phone, call waiting was beeping and the call phone was ringing. This was one of those days when I want to cry out,"Lord, why did you call me to be a goodlistener ?? During the day God gave me a message, seems so many are WORRIED !! Losing jobs, too many bills, not enough money to go round, Obama is President, what will happen ??
Jesus admonished us to not worry, he even said it was a sin. At one time in my life worry consumed me, I would become worried if I was not worrying about something.
When we worry God can not help us, as worry is a condition of the mind and does not mix with faith. How did I condition myself to not worry ? It was a time of learning to trust Him.
One day as I was reading Rom. 12 v 2, Paul talks about renewing our mind to the Word and not being conformed to this world. I had a Holy Ghost moment and saw clearly that as long as I was always worried my mind could not become renewed to His Word.
I have heard it said many times 90% of worry never happens and the 10% that does we could not stop or change the situation. It is our attitude and how we react that will weaken or strengthen us. I want to share a couple of things that I have used that have helped me to overcome worry.

1. Take worry apart, do not let your thoughts run away.
Find scriptures for the worrisome thoughts, memorize them, when you worry attack it with the verse, use it consistently, you will begin to see the thought fade away and come less often. This becomes a lifestyle and over time you will become victorious in this area.

2. There is no worry/problem/situation/trial bigger than God and His Word unless you allow it to be so.
The Word is the TRUTH and the TRUTH sets us FREE !!
3. Rise above the worry by using Bible principles, apply Scripture to your problems. Worry will lose its power over you. If you dwell on the problem too long you will become confused.

4. This is a process, as you make it a lifestyle it becomes easier to apply, you will begin to see your life take a turn, where you where you were once full of fear and worry you will now be able to find a place in the Word to fit your problem, pray and know the He is able to see you through no matter what it looks like in the natural.

God works in the Supernatural !! "Jesus said,"Without Me you can do nothing". It took me years to realize how true these Words are. My prayer is you will learn to attack worry with the truth of the Word.

Jesus said, "Without ME YOU can do NOTHING !"

Before they call........~ Althea

2008-11-12T08:55:00.000-08:00

This is a beautiful story was written by a doctor who worked in South Africa .
One night I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite of all we could do, she died, leaving us with a tiny, premature baby and a crying two-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive; as we had no incubator (we had no electricity to run an incubator).

We also had no special feeding facilities. Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts. One student midwife went for the box we had for such babies and the cotton wool that the baby would be wrapped in.
Another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly in distress to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst (rubber perishes easily in tropical climates).. 'And it is our last hot water bottle!' she exclaimed. As in the West, it is no good crying over spilled milk, so in Central Africa it might be considered no good crying over burst water bottles. They do not grow on trees, and there are no drugstores down forest pathways.

'All right,' I said, 'put the baby as near the fire as you safely can, and sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts Your job is to keep the baby warm.'

The following noon, as I did most days, I went to have prayers with any of the orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave the youngsters various suggestions of things to pray about and told them about the tiny baby. I explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough,mentioning the hot water bottle, and that the baby could so easily die if it got chills. I also told them of the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother had died.

During prayer time, one ten -year-old girl, Ruth, prayed with the usual blunt conciseness of our African children. 'Please, God' she prayed, 'Send us a hot water bottle today. It'll be no good tomorrow, God, as the baby will be dead, so please send it this afternoon.'While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added, 'And while You are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so she'll know You really love her?'

As often with children's prayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly say 'Amen?' I just did not believe that God could do this.Oh, yes, I know that He can do everything; the Bible says so. But there are limits, aren't there? The only way God could answer this particular prayer would be by sending me a parcel from the homeland.

I had been in Africa for almost four years at that time, and I had never, ever, received a parcel from home.Anyway, if anyone did send me a parcel, who would put in a hot water bottle? I lived on the equator!

Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses' training school, a message was sent that there was a car at my front door. By the time I reached home, the car had gone, but there on the verandah was a large 22-pound parcel. I felt tears pricking my eyes. I could not open the parcel alone, so I sent for the orphanage children. Together we pulled off the string, carefully undoing each knot. We folded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly Excitement was mounting. Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box.

From the top, I lifted out brightly-colored, knitted jerseys. Eyes sparkled as I gave them out. Then there were the knitted bandages for the leprosy patients, and the children looked a little bored.. Then came a box of mixed raisins and sultanas - that would make a batch of buns for the weekend.Then, as I put my hand in again, I felt the.....could it really be?I grasped it and pulled it out. Yes, a brand new, rubber hot water bottle. I cried.I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could.

Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out, 'If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly, too!'Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully-dressed dolly. Her eyes shone! She had never doubted!

Looking up at me, she asked, 'Can I go over with you and give this dolly to that little girl, so she'll know that Jesus really loves her?'
'Of course,' I replied!

That parcel had been on the way for five whole months, packed up by my former Sunday school class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God's prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator.

And one of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child - five months before, in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it 'that afternoon.'

'Before they call, I will answer.' (Isaiah 65:24)

Joy In The Journey #4

2008-11-11T07:31:00.001-08:00

I have been sharing in this article from a teaching I have been doing entitled, “Joy In The Journey.” Today I want to talk about a very key element in living the abundant life that God wants us to live. That element is FAITH! The Word of God lets us know that, “the just shall live by faith.” Faith is the way that we are able to receive the things we have need of from God to help us in this life. I am thankful for the gift of faith, which we have all been given.

We need faith in God to raise our children, to help in our relationships, to manage our finances, and in every area of our lives. When we exercise faith, God has the supernatural ability to meet our needs, solve our problems, get us out of troubling situations, open doors of opportunity, and give us divine direction. That all leads to a more abundant, joyful life!

The older I get the more I realize just how limited my own ability is! But, with God nothing is impossible. Colossians 1:4 in the amplified bible says this in talking about faith, “[the leaning of your entire human personality on Him in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness.]” We all need to learn more about leaning everything in our lives on Him! In fact, Heb 11:6 tells us, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him.”

He wants us to trust in His power, His wisdom & His goodness! Make a decision to exercise faith right in the middle of whatever you may be going through. When we do that, then He has the opportunity to show Himself strong on our behalf! Living a life of faith may not always be easy but, it will definitely help us to find “Joy In The Journey!!”

Joy In The Journey #3 ~ Cheryl

2008-11-04T07:35:00.001-08:00

I have been talking about “Joy In The Journey.” I think it is important for us to realize that God loves us so much that He doesn’t want us to just struggle through life depressed & down & out. In fact Jesus came that we might have life AND have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) I love that the Amplified bible says, “…Live life to the fullest, till it overflows.” That is not just talking about financially, but physically, spiritually & in every way.

The last 2 weeks I have said that in order for us to enjoy our life we must, make a choice to enjoy it, even in the routine, everyday times and also in the difficult times. I also said that we must not look at others lives & judge our own. Everyone has their own problems & weaknesses whether we see them or not.

Today I want to share what I feel is the most important aspect. That is to be sure to involve God in your everyday life! God never intended for us to struggle through life with only our own abilities & talents. He wants to be involved! He has strengths that we cannot possibly have on our own. My possibilities are so limited, but with God nothing is imposible!

When we involve Him daily through prayer & bible study, He can help us to have the wisdom to raise our children & handle our finances. He can give us the direction we need for our lives, and also the peace & strength we need to get through difficult situations. He will instruct us in making better choices. Better choices results in less regrets. There is no way to have true joy in our life without Him. He is the source of our joy!

Let me encourage you to ask God daily to be involved inyour life. Ps. 25:1 says, “Unto you O Lord , do I bring my life.” In John 15:11 Jesus says, “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” He never told us we would have a perfect life, in fact he told us in John 16:33, “ These things I have spoken to you that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Praise the Lord for that!

A Merry Heart ~ Janet

2008-11-03T07:21:00.001-08:00

INNOCENCE IS PRICELESS…

One Sunday morning, the pastor noticed little Alex standing in the foyer of the church staring up at a large plaque. It was covered with names and small American flags mounted on either side of it. The six-year old had been staring at the plaque for some time, so the pastor walked up, stood beside the little boy, and said quietly, 'Good morning Alex.'

'Good morning Pastor,' he replied, still focused on the plaque. 'Pastor, what is this? The pastor said, 'Well son, it's a memorial to all the young men and women who died in the service.' Soberly, they just stood together, staring at the large plaque.

Finally, little Alex's voice, barely audible and trembling with fear asked, 'Which service, the 8:30 or the 10:45?'

Joy In The Journey #2 ~ Cheryl

2008-10-31T08:07:00.000-07:00

I want to continue sharing from a teaching I entitled, “Joy In The Journey!”Last week I was talking about how we must make a decision to find joy in every day. Even when it is a routine day, or a difficult day, we can find something good about it. MOST of life is just everyday routine. If we are always waiting for the next vacation, the next bonus, the kids to get grown, or our spouse to change, we could find that life is passing us by without us enjoying it. We have got to learn to do what Joyce Meyer says, “Learn to embrace the ordinary.”

Start the day out with a determination to enjoy your day! Abraham Lincoln said, “Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”

Another mistake we can make that causes us to not enjoy our days, is when we compare our life with the life of others. The truth is that NO ONE has the perfect life!! Every life has its good & bad, ups & downs, strengths & weaknesses. It may look like the grass is greener on the other side but it could just be that is where the septic line is!
Every person has their problems, whether we see them or not. When we are spending our time wishing we had something someone else has, we are wasting what we ourselves have been blessed with! So don’t look at the life others lead & spend valuable time wishing you were them.

Remember your life is the ONLY life you can live! Decide to live it to the fullest & enjoy whatever you have to face for the day!

Regroup, Refresh & Relax ~ Norma

2008-10-31T08:04:00.000-07:00

In reflecting on my last posting I have been seeking for some spiritual answers to the our response
when all seems to be spinning out of control. I will share with you the what the Holy Spirit has been
showing me. We need more 3 R's in our life and I am not speaking on the old adage,"Readin,
Ritten, and Rithmetic". God spoke these 3 R's into my spirit, REGROUP, REFRESH, and RELAX.

REGROUP -- Get my priorities into proper perspective. Pray before I commit myself to projects. Just because
it is a Good idea does not mean it is a God idea. I do not have to say YES to everything asked of me.
I can be too busy ministering that I may miss the ministers plan for me is. Do not feel guilty if I can not do it all.
When I take on a project that He has not chosen for me I am most likely taking it away from the person He planned to do it.
REFRESH -- Take time out to renew my spirit daily, do not wait until I am in a dry place and then ask ,
"Where Are You God ?" I can not give out what I do not have. Set aside a time for prayer, praise, and study.
Seek out women who are uplifting and know how to come into agreement with me when I have special
needs. Always be available to pray : anytime, anywhere, anyplace. Be prepared for those HOLY GHOST
moments, to help another in their time of need. Always remember, "IT IS NOT ALL ABOUT ME !!"
RELAX -- When I am walking in His will and doing what I know He has called me to there will be
peace in my spirit. This does not mean everything will be ,"Coming Up Roses ",
I am still living life which brings brings all kinds of trials and tests, without them I will never GROW
to my fullest potential in HIM. I can relax in Him knowing when I walk through the trials and tests,
Keeping My Eyes on Jesus I will come out the Victor, giving Him the honor and glory.
So, at the present time I am activating these 3 principles into my life.

Regroup and check out my commitments, making sure they are ordained of God.
Refresh myself daily in taking time out to seek His perfect will for me in this season of my life.
Relax in the comfort of knowing I am not out of control, because I am giving my all to Him.
Until next time, LOOK TO JESUS !! He has ALL the answers you need.

White Chili Recipe

2008-10-24T09:26:00.000-07:00

Here's a new one for ya! I'm making this for dinner tonight.... my family loves it when the weather starts cooling off!
White Chili
You will need:
1 lb Ground Turkey
1 lb Chicken Breast (bite size pieces)
1 cup Chopped Onion
2 tbsp butter
Dash of Worcestershire
1 tbsp Dry Italian Salad Dressing
1 Clove Chopped Garlic
1 tsp Oregano
2 tbsp Ground Cumin
4 oz can Chopped Green Chilis
2 16 oz cans of Great Northern Beans
1 can Chicken Broth

In large skillet, brown onions & chicken in butter, worcestershire & dry Italian dressing. After onions start to turn transparent, add turkey and brown. In crockpot, add all other ingredients then stir in meat mixture. Simmer in crockpot for 4 hours or longer.... you can also cook this on the stove if you need a quicker meal.

To serve, spoon into bowl and add a spoon full of sour cream & top with grated cheese! Yummy!!
~AMY

Joy In The Journey ~Cheryl

2008-10-22T07:46:00.000-07:00

Last week I began a teaching I entitled, “Joy In The Journey!” Many people spend their life looking for the next vacation, the next bonus, the kids to get grown, or even the next relationship, in order to have something enjoyable in life.
The fact is, that most of life is just everyday routine, just doing the things we have to do on a regular basis. You know, going to work, cleaning the house, cooking the meals, paying the bills and taking care of the kids. So, if we only enjoy the fun times, we will not have very much joy in our life.
What we have to do is make a decision that I am going to enjoy my day! Even in doing the mundane, routine things I have to do. The way to do that is to decide to look at the good things we have in our life instead of grumbling about the bad. We can always find someone who is worse off than us and, I believe we can always find some good in any situation.
Be thankful you have the ability to go to that job you may not really be happy with! Be thankful for that house you have got to clean! Find SOMETHING good about the spouse that is really not treating you like you want to be treated! Take some time to enjoy the children in your life!
This is the life you have, decide to enjoy it to the fullest!

Words of Wisdom, For a Peace and Joy Filled Life ~ Norma

2008-10-13T06:56:00.000-07:00

Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.
A sharp tongue can cut my own throat.
If I want my dreams to come true, I mustn't oversleep.
Of all the things I wear, my expression is the most important.
The best vitamin for making friends..... B1.
The happiness of my life depends on the quality of my thoughts.
The heaviest thing I can carry is a grudge.
One thing I can give and still keep...is my word.
I lie the loudest when I lie to myself.
If I lack the courage to start, I have already finished.
One thing I can't recycle is wasted time.
Ideas won't work unless ' I ' do.
My mind is like a parachute...it functions only when open.
The 10 commandments are not a multiple choice.
The pursuit t of happiness is the chase of a lifetime!
It is never too late to become what I might have been.

Life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who
treat you right.. Forget about the one's who don't.
Believe everything happens for a reason
If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands.
If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy,
they just promised it would be worth it
Friends are like balloons; once you let them go, you might not get them back.
Sometimes we get so busy with our own lives and problems
that we may not even notice that we've let them fly away.
Sometimes we are so caught up in who's right and who's wrong that we forgetwhat's right and wrong.
Sometimes we just don't realize what real friendship means until it is too late.
I don't want to let that happen so I'm gonna tie you to my heart so I never lose you.

Godly Women Will Multiply ~ Wanda

2008-09-27T08:23:00.000-07:00

'Whatever you give a woman, she's going to multiply.
If you give her a house, she'll give you a home.
If you give her groceries, she'll give you a meal.
If you give her a smile, she'll give you her heart.
She multiplies and enlarges what is given to her.'

Hairbrush Experience ~Jodi

2008-09-26T07:43:00.000-07:00

For those of you who do not know Beth Moore, she is an outstanding speaker and
Bible teacher, and the author of several excellent Bible studies. She and her
husband of a number of years live in Texas and have two grown daughters.

This is one of her experiences:

April 20, 2005, at the Airport in Knoxville , waiting to board the plane, I
had the Bible on my lap and was very intent upon what I was doing. I'd had a
marvelous morning with the Lord. I say this because I want to tell you it is a
scary thing to have the Spirit of God really working in you. You could end up
doing some things you never would have done otherwise. Life in the Spirit can be
dangerous for a thousand reasons not the least of which is your ego.

I tr ied to keep from staring, but he was such a strange sight. Humped over in
a wheelchair, he was skin and bones, dressed in clothes that obviously fit when
he was at least twenty pounds heavier. His knees protruded from his trousers,
and his shoulders looked like the coat hanger was still in his shirt. His hands
looked like tangled masses of veins and bones.

The strangest part of him was his hair and nails. Stringy, gray hair hung well
over his shoulders and down part of his back. His fingernails were long, clean
but strangely out of place on an old man.

I looked down at my Bible as fast as I could, discomfort burning my face. As I
tried to imagine what his story might have been, I found myself wondering if
I'd just had a Howard Hughes sighting. Then, I remembered that he was dead.
So this man in the airport....an impersonator maybe? Was a camera on us
somewhere? There I sat; trying to concen trate on the Word to keep from being
concerned about a thin slice
of humanity served on a wheelchair only a few seats from me. All the while, my
heart was growing more and more overwhelmed with a feeling for him.

Let's admit it. Curiosity is a heap more comfortable than true concern,
and suddenly I was awash with aching emotion for this bizarre-looking old man.

I had walked with God long enough to see the handwriting on the wall.
I've learned that when I begin to feel what God feels, something so contrary
to my natural feelings, something dramatic is bound to happen. And it may be
embarrassing.

I immediately began to resist because I could feel God working on my spirit
and I started arguing with God in my mind. "Oh, no, God, please, no."
I looked up at the ceiling as if I could stare straight through it into heaven
and said, "Don't make me witness to this man. Not right here and now.
Please. I'll do anything. Put me on the same plane, but don't make me
get up here and witness to this man in front of this gawking audience. Please, Lord!"

There I sat in the blue vinyl chair begging His Highness, "Please
don't make me witness to this man. Not now. I'll do it on the
plane." Then I heard it... "I don't want you to witness to him.
I want you to brush his hair."

The words were so clear, my heart leapt into my throat, and my thoughts spun
like a top. Do I witness to the man or brush his hair? No-brainier. I looked
straight back up at the ceiling and said, "God, as I live and breathe, I
want you to know I am ready to witness to this man. I'm on this Lord.
I'm your girl! You've never seen a woman witness to a
man faster in your life. What difference does it make if his hair is a mess if
he is not redeemed? I am going to witness to this man."

Again as clearly as I've ever heard an audible word, God seemed to write
this statement across the wall of my mind. "That is not what I said,=2
0Beth. I don't want you to witness to him. I want you to go brush his
hair."

I looked up at God and quipped, "I don't have a hairbrush. It's
in my suitcase on the plane. How am I supposed to brush his hair without a
hairbrush?" God was so insistent that I almost involuntarily began to walk
toward him as these thoughts came to me from God's word: "I will
thoroughly furnish you unto all good works." (2 Timothy 3:17)

I stumbled over to the wheelchair thinking I could use one myself. Even as I
retell this story, my pulse quickens and I feel those same butterflies. I knelt
down in front of the man and asked as demurely as possible, "Sir, may I
have the pleasure of brushing your hair?"

He looked back at me and said, "What did you say?"

"May I have the pleasure of brushing your hair?"

To which he responded in volume ten, "Little lady, if you expect me to
hear you, you're going to have to talk louder than that."

At this point, I took a deep breath and blurted out, "SIR , MAY I HAVE
THE PLEASURE OF BRUSHING YOUR HAIR?"

At which point every eye in the place darted right at me. I was the only thing
in the room looking more peculiar than old Mr. Longlocks. Face crimson and
forehead breaking out in a sweat, I watched him look up at me with absolute
shock on his face, and say, "If you really want to."
Are you kidding? Of course I didn't want to. But God didn't seem
interested in my personal preference right about then. He pressed on my heart
until I could utter the words, "Yes, sir, I would be pleased. But I have
one little problem. I don't have a hairbrush." "I have one in my
bag, "he responded.

I went around to the back of that wheelchair, and I got on my hands and knees
and unzipped the stranger's old carry-on, hardly believing what I was doing.
I stood up and started brushing the old man's hair. It was perfectly clean,
but it was tangled and matted. I don't do many things well, but20must admit
I've had notable experience untangling knotted hair mothering two little
girls. Like I'd done with either Amanda or Melissa in such a condition, I
began brushing at the very bottom of the strands, remembering to take my time not to pull.

A miraculous thing happened to me as I started brushing that old man's
hair. Everybody else in the room disappeared. There was no one alive for those
moments except that old man and me. I brushed and I brushed and I brushed until
every tangle was out of that hair I know this sounds so strange, but I've never
felt that kind of love for another soul in my
entire life. I believe with all my heart, I - for that few minutes - felt a
portion of the very love of God. That He had overtaken my heart for a little
while like someone renting a room and making Himself at home for a short while.

The emotions were so strong and so pure that I knew they had to be God's.
His hair was finally as soft and smooth as an infant's. I slipped the brush
back in the bag and went around the chair to face him. I got back down on my
knees, put my hands on his knees and said, "Sir, do you know my
Jesus?"

He said, "Yes, I do." Well, that figures, I thought.

He explained, "I've known Him since I married my bride. She
wouldn't marry me until I got to know the Savior." He said, "You
see, the problem is, I haven't seen my bride in months. I've had
open-heart surgery, and she's been too ill to come see me. I was sitting
here thinking to myself, what a mess I must be for my bride."

Only God knows how often He allows us to be part of a divine moment when
we're completely unaware of the significance. This, on the other hand, was
one of those rare encounters when I knew God had intervened in details only He
could have known. It was a God moment, and I'll neverforget it.
Our time came to board, and we were not on the same plane. I was
deeply ashamed of how I'd acted earlier and would have been so proud to have
accompanied him on that aircraft.

I still had a few minutes, and as I gathered my things to board, the airline
hostess returned from the corridor, tears streaming down her cheeks. She said,
"That old man's sitting on the plane, sobbing. Why did you do that? Wh
at made you do that?"

I said, "Do you know Jesus? He can be the bossiest thing!"

And we got to share.

I learned something about God that day. He knows if you're exhausted,
you're hungry, you're serving in the wrong place or it is time to move
on but you feel too responsible to budge. He knows if you're hurting or
feeling rejected. He knows if you're sick or drowning under a wave of
temptation. Or He knows if you just need your hair brushed. He sees you
as an individual. Tell Him your need!

I got on my own flight, sobs choking my throat, wondering how many
opportunities just like that one had I missed along the way. . . all because I
didn't want people to think I was strange. God didn't send me to that
old man. He sent that old man to me.

John 1:14 "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We Have
seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of
grace and truth."

Life shouldn't be a
journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and
well-preserved body, but rather, to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up,
totally worn out, and loudly shouting, "Wow! What a ride! Thank You,
Lord!"

Don't tell God how big your troubles are - tell your troubles HOW BIG your
GOD is!

Our Daily Walk ~ Norma

2008-09-24T16:03:00.000-07:00

Our daily walk with Jesus is about the journey and not just the destination.
Recently I have felt like I am crawling and not walking and certainly not running as Paul so
aptly likened called our journey to a race. I see Christians in every phase of their journey
going through a major trial/test of one kind or another. My prayer time is
spent in praying for physical healing and emotional restoration for those I love.
We have been studying on Psalm 91 for several weeks on Wednesday evening and in light of
the turmoil in our lives in the natural I know Pastor is RIGHT on track with his teaching.
I am learning that God has provided protection for us no matter what trial/test pops
up in my life. It is not so much the trial/test as to how I react to them. My response, I believe can extend the situation or bring about a testimony of God's power in my life.
I often think HOW would I react to these trials/tests, IF I did not have a personal relationship
with Jesus? I only need to look at a world spinning out of control on most every level in the natural and
see how those who do not know Jesus react to what they hear and see on a daily basis.
So whether you are crawling, walking, or running in this journey of life, "KEEP YOUR EYES ON JESUS".
Paul said those who finish the race are the victors, so I will see you at the finish line.

My Top 10 ~ Norma

2008-09-17T06:44:00.000-07:00

No Matter Who Wins the Election all of this will still hold true ...

1. The Bible will still have all the answers.

2. Prayer will still work.

3. The Holy Spirit will still move.

4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.

5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.

6. There will still be singing of praise to God.

7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.

8. There will still be room at the Cross.

9. Jesus will still love you.

10. Jesus will still save the lost.

ISN'T IT GREAT TO KNOW WHO IS STILL AND ALWAYS IN CONTROL ... AMEN !!

Our Father's GPS!! ~Cheryl

2008-09-10T08:45:00.000-07:00

A couple of years ago we purchased a GPS system. We had flown to California & rented a car that had one. It was such a help to us to find the directions we needed, and also to find the shopping & eating places we wanted to find. So…when we returned, we just had to have one!

I was thinking about that just today and it occurred to me how that we sometimes have no idea what direction we are headed in life. We don’t know which way to turn next, we don’t know how to find the place we are desiring to go! But then I thought,….. thank God that He has not left us to wander around aimlessly! He has given us our own personal GPS system, which is His Word and His precious Holy Spirit on the inside of us!!!

We all find times in our life that we just don’t know what to do next! What do we do about our marriages, our children, our career, or our finances. Let me encourage you today! God has directions for you! Get into the Word of God daily! Learn to be aware of His wonderful presence & direction by His Holy Spirit.
He so much wants to lead us in the right direction! Following Him will always lead us into blessings!!!

Family Matters

2008-09-05T11:57:00.000-07:00

Communication is a skill to be learned and practiced. It is a vital component of every relationship, especially marriage.

Prov. 15:1 says, "A soft answer turns away wrath; But a grievous word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise utters knowledge aright; But the mouth of fools pours out folly"

Have you ever just said the wrong thing at the wrong time? Or tried to say something & it just didn’t come across to the other person like you wanted it to?
If that is the case then the question is, how do we communicate effectively? Those who do research on such things as relationships and communication, tell us that a message is communicated in three ways:

1. Content measures about 7% of the total communication. The actual words of the message make up less than 10% of what we say.

2. The tone of voice measures 38% of total communication. Notice that the way we say things, i.e. tone of voice, has almost five times the impact of the actual words. One statement may be given a completely different meaning simply by changing the tone of voice.

3. Non-verbal communication is about 55% of the total communication. By far, the most important part of communication is what we call "body language." Facial expressions, hands on the hips, a cocked head give a different meaning to the actual content of the message.
It is most important that all three components match.

Suppose the message is "I love you" but the eyes are looking at the ceiling, the shoulders are slumped and the voice trails off. The content ("I love you") is fine but the overall communication says something else. If all three match, people will not only understand but will also believe what they hear us say.
Good communications skills have to be learned, so let me encourage you to study the various levels of communication and think about how you can communicate better with your spouse or loved ones.

Chicken Pot Pie Recipe

2008-09-03T14:54:00.000-07:00

Jodi Cox fixed this yummy Chicken Pot Pie recipe for our Pastors after Pastor Cheryl's surgery and they LOVED it, so.... I thought I'd share it with you ladies:

Jodi's Chicken Pot Pie
1 10 3/4 oz. can chicken broth
1 1/3 cups water, divided
1 16 oz. bag frozen veggies
1 medium chopped onion
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
1 refrigerated piecrust
2 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken

Combine broth & 1 cup water in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil & add frozen veggies. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large skillet, melt butter. Add onions & saute until softened. Stir in broth mixture. Whisk remaining water into the flour until smooth. Whisk into vegetable mixture. Bring to a boil. Stir chicken into vegetable mixture & transfer to the a baking dish. Place crust over filling. Bake about 20 minutes.

Thanks Jodi!!
~AMY

Word for the Day

2008-09-03T04:03:00.000-07:00

Read: Matthew 25: 14-30

Like in this story, we shouldn’t bury our talent. God has gifted each one of us with a particular talent. We need to use it for the benefit of the kingdom of God, so it will bless and encourage others. By allowing our talents to be utilized, not only can we have a big impact on someone else’s life, but we can also be blessed ourselves. We find great fulfilment in what we do. And we should do, for we were born for it.

Our lives shouldn’t just consist of work, sleep and the menial tasks of everyday life. We need to use the talents God has given us to make a difference in our world. Even if it’s some quirky gift we think no one would be interested in, we need to find ways in which we can use it.

As we use the talents God has given us, He brings increase. Just like the two others in this story, who went off and used the talents that were given to them, God brought increase. In both cases it was doubled. God will use us in far more ways than we ever dreamed of, and expand our borders so many people can be blessed as a result.

May we not be like the one that did nothing with the talent given him - only to hide it. Whatever it is that God has blessed you with, consider using it to glorify God. After all, He created you to be used in this way.

By M.S.Lowndes

PUMPKIN -APPLE BREAD

2008-09-03T03:55:00.000-07:00

I personally haven't made this one yet, but it sounds great for Fall!

PUMPKIN - APPLE BREAD

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 large egg
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 apple, peeled, cored and grated
1/2 cup canned pumpkin pureee
1 teaspoon of confectioner's ugar

1 - Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, spray a 9X5 inch loaf pan with non-stick spray

2 - In a large bowl, combine the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice. In a small bowl, beat the egg; add the buttermilk, apple and pumpkin. Pour over the flour mix; stir until just blended (do not overmix.)

3 - Spoon into the pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean..... 1 to 1 1/4 hours

4 - Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes, remove from the pan and cool completely on the rack. Dust with the confectioner's sugar.

Thank you for your prayers!!

2008-08-28T11:13:00.000-07:00

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has called, sent cards, & prayed for me for the last couple of weeks. I am doing well & praising God for His love, strength, & His powerful Word! This community is amazing & always willing to reach out to help & touch those who need it.

My family & church has been a constant source of love & encouragement to me, & for that I am so thankful!

Of course, going through difficult things in our life is never easy! We all wish we or our loved ones did not have to face some things that we do.
However, I do believe with all my heart that no matter what we may face in this life that it never changes God, His Word, or His will for our lives! He is the same & He is always faithful to His people.

Our job is to stay connected with Him & allow Him to strengthen & help us through the things we do have to go through. When we do that, I believe we will come out stronger on the other side of the situation. We are not responsible for God’s part! He has already done His part! We just need to do our part.
Remember this, “Life is 10% what happens to us & 90 % how we respond to what happens to us !”

Why God Made Moms

2008-08-14T07:11:00.000-07:00

Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions.

Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of ?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?
1. We're related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.

What kind of little girl w as your mom?
1. My Mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.

What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get dr unk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under th e bed.
3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What's the difference between moms & dads?
1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them
3. Dads are taller & stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.
4. Moms have magic; they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your mom perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Dye it. You know her hair. I'd dye it, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

Family Matters - Buffalo Express

2008-08-13T09:05:00.001-07:00

I am so thankful for God and His Word!! Even in times when there are troubles we are facing, God and His Word is still the same. Isaiah 26:3 says, He will keep us in perfect peace when our mind is stayed on Him.
You may be thinking, “My life is anything but peaceful right now! There are things going on in my family, in my health, in my finances and I don’t know what to do about it!“
I have flown several times when while in the air, we experienced what we call turbulence. But, praise the Lord, we didn’t crash! Remember, just because you are going through some things that may be shaking you up right now doesn’t mean you are done for!
During times when we begin to worry or fret, we need to stop, take a step back and refocus on God’s Word.
There is a way to have peace right in the middle of our storms!! God will give His perfect peace but, our part is to keep our focus on Him and His Word and continue to trust in Him regardless how shaky things may get!

Louie Giglio - Laminin {Doris}

2008-07-26T06:02:00.000-07:00

This will really bless you!

You may need to pause the music at the bottom of the page!

BEAUTIFUL CHRISTIAN SISTER

2008-07-24T07:35:00.000-07:00

BEAUTIFUL CHRISTIAN SISTER

By Maya Angelou

'A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ
that a man should have to seek Him first to find her.'

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not shouting
'I'm clean livin''
I'm whispering 'I was lost, Now I'm found and forgiven.'

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak and need His strength to carry on.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible but, God believes I am worth it.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I still feel the sting of pain..
I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not holier than thou,
I'm just a simple sinner Who received God's good grace, somehow!

A Merry Heart ~Cheryl

2008-07-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

Attending a wedding for the first time, a little girl whispered to her mother, 'Why is the bride dressed in white?''
The mother replied, 'Because white is the color of happiness, and today is the happiest day of her life.'
The child thought about this for a moment then said, 'So why is the groom wearing black?'

Family Matters ~ Cheryl

2008-07-18T07:24:00.000-07:00

I have taken some excerpts from an article from Kids Health that gives 9 steps to more effective parenting & have added my own thoughts, which I will share the last three today. Hopefully these will help us to tackle our child raising responsibilities & enjoy our children even more. The last 2 weeks we talked about steps 1-6.
#1.Nuture your child’s self esteem.
#2. Catch your child being good.
#3. Set limits & be consistent with your discipline.
#4. Make time for your children.
#5. Make communication a priority.
#6. Be a good role model.

#7. Be flexible & willing to adjust. If you find you are frequently feeling “let down” by your child’s behavior, it may be because you are having unrealistic expectations of them. Be sure you are not expecting more than they are physically or mentally capable of giving.
Also, as your child changes, you will gradually have to change your parenting style. Chances are, what works for your child now, won’t work in a year or two.

#8. Show that your love is unconditional. As a parent, you are responsible for correcting and guiding your child. But, the way you express your correction will make all the difference in how the child receives it. Avoid blaming, criticizing, or fault finding, which undermines self -esteem, and can lead to resentment. Be sure that your expectations are clear, but that they know they are loved even when they make mistakes.

#9. Be aware of your own needs and limitations as a parent. Face it! None of us are perfect parents. We all have strengths and weaknesses. You do not have to have all the answers in order to be considered a good parent. Be willing to admit that. A lot of parents don’t understand that one of the best things they can do for their children is to do things that make you happy as a person and as a couple. Focusing on your own needs at times does not make you selfish. If we are miserable people, we will likely be miserable parents. So take time to care about your own well being.

Attitude is Everything....~Janet

2008-07-09T08:28:00.001-07:00

'ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING'

Wonderful story.....

Eleven people were hanging on a rope under a
helicopter, ten men and one woman. The rope was not
strong enough to carry them all, so they decided
that one had to leave, because otherwise they were
all going to fall. They weren't able to name that
person, until the woman gave a very touching speech.

She said that she would voluntarily let go of the
rope, because, as a woman, she was used to giving up
everything for her husband and kids or for men in
general, and was used to always making sacrifices
with little in return.

As soon as she finished her speech,
all the men started clapping.

Family Matters ~ Cheryl

2008-07-03T06:56:00.000-07:00

I have taken some excerpts from an article from Kids Health that gives 9 steps to more effective parenting & have added my own thoughts, which I will share over several weeks. Hopefully these will help us to tackle our child raising responsibilities & enjoy our children even more. Last week we talked about steps 1-3.
#1.Nuture your child’s self esteem.
#2. Catch your child being good.
#3. Set limits & be consistent with your discipline.
This week I will share steps 4 - 6.
#4. Make time for your children. This is certainly a difficult thing with everyone being so busy, but it is also a very important thing. It will so be worth the effort to take time to do little things with your children. Just taking the time to have a conversation & really listening to what they are saying will mean a lot to them. Family activities give children a feeling of security. Look for ways to connect with your child. Just popping popcorn , having a meal, playing a game, or going for a walk will make great memories for them. Remember that as they get older there will be even less time with them, so use those windows of opportunity while you can. Time is attention and everyone needs attention!
#5. Make communication a priority. Take time to explain things on their level of understanding. Make expectations clear & be sure they understand the consequences of their choices & actions. Don’t ignore little problems, tackle the mole hills before they become mountains. Take time to communicate your beliefs & values to them while they are young.
#6. Be a good role model. Be constantly aware that you are being observed by your children!! Model the traits you want to see in your child: respect, friendliness, honesty, kindness, love & tolerance. Exhibit unselfish behavior. Express thanks and offer compliments. Remember children are more likely to do what you do, than do what you say!

Sisters ~ Tami Waters

2008-06-30T08:03:00.000-07:00

THIS SAYS IT ALL:

Time passes.

Life happens.

Distance separates.

Children grow up.

Jobs come and go.

Love waxes and wanes.

Men don't do what they're supposed to do.

Hearts break.

Parents die.

Colleagues forget favors.

Careers end.

BUT.........

Sisters are there,

no matter how much time and how

many miles are between you.

A girl friend is never farther away

than needing her can reach.

When you have to walk that lonesome valley and you

have to walk it by yourself, the women in your life

will be on the valley's rim, cheering you on,

praying for you, pulling for you, intervening on

your behalf, and waiting with open arms at the

valley's end.

Sometimes, they will even break the rules and walk

beside you...Or come in and carry you out.

Girlfriends, daughters, granddaughters,

daughters-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law, Mothers,

Grandmothers, aunties, nieces, cousins, and extended

family, all bless our life!

The world wouldn't be the same without women, and

neither would I. When we began this adventure called

womanhood, we had no idea of the incredible joys or

sorrows that lay ahead. Nor did we know how much we

would need each other.

Every day, we need each other still.

Family Matters ~ Cheryl

2008-06-27T08:12:00.000-07:00

Being a parent is one of the toughest yet most fulfilling jobs on earth. It is also one for which most people feel the least prepared. I have taken some excerpts from an article from Kids Health that gives 9 steps to more effective parenting which I will share over several weeks.

Hopefully these will help us to tackle our child raising responsibilities & enjoy our children even more.

#1.Nuture your child’s self esteem. Your words and actions as parents affect your child’s developing self image more than anything else in the world. Praising your child for his or her accomplishments, however small, will make them feel proud, capable, and independent. However, belittling your child or comparing them unfavorably to another child will make them feel worthless.

#2. Catch your child being good. If most of us stopped to think, we would probably realize how many times we react negatively to our children in any given day. Ask yourself if you are criticizing more than you are complimenting? Then make a point of finding something to praise your child about every day. You will find that your love, hugs, and compliments can work wonders!! Soon you may find you are “growing” the behavior you would like to see.

#3. Set limits & be consistent with your discipline. Discipline is necessary in every household. Establishing rules will help children understand your expectations and develop self control. I really believe that children feel safer & more loved when rules are established and kept. A common mistake parents make is failure to follow through with consequences when rules are broken. You can’t discipline a child for talking back one day, and ignore it the next. Being consistent teaches your child what is expected.

A prayer For You ~Doris Parker

2008-06-27T08:11:00.000-07:00

Praying for you:

May today be all you need it to be.

May the Peace of God and the freshness of the Holy Spirit rest in your thoughts, rule in your dreams tonight, and conquer all your fears.

May God manifest himself today in ways you have never experienced.

May your joys be fulfilled, your dreams be closer, and your prayers be answered.

I pray that faith enters a new height for you;

I pray that your territory is enlarged.

I pray for peace, healing, health, happiness, prosperity, joy, true and undying love for God to fill every particle of your life now and always.

In Jesus' Name, AMEN!!!!!

Word For The Day ~ Cheryl

2008-06-20T07:13:00.000-07:00

Wanted to share something with you that was in a book called God Calling which was given to me by a sweet christian lady. It really ministered to me! Think about it:

"It is not life and it's difficulties you have to conquer, only the self in you."

A Merry Heart ~ Cheryl

2008-06-20T07:12:00.000-07:00

A Florida senior citizen drove his brand new Corvette convertible out of the dealership. Taking off down the road, he pushed it to 80 mph, enjoying the wind blowing through what little hair he had left.

'Amazing,' he thought as he flew down I-75, pushing the pedal even more.

Looking in his rear view mirror, he saw the state trooper behind him, blue lights flashing and siren blaring. He floored it to 100mph, then 110, then 120.

Suddenly he thought, 'What am I doing? I'm too old for this!' and he pulled over to await the trooper's arrival.

Pulling in behind him, the trooper walked up to the Corvette, looked at his watch and said, 'Sir, my shift ends in 30 minutes. Today is Friday. If you can give me a reason for speeding that I've never heard before, I'll let you go.'

The old gentleman paused and said, 'Three years ago, my wife ran off with a Florida State Trooper. I thought you were bringing her back.'

'You have a good day, Sir,' replied the trooper.

A Merry Heart {Well Kinda} ~Cheryl

2008-06-16T07:17:00.000-07:00

The boss wondered why one of his most valued employees had not phoned in sick one day. Having an urgent problem with one of the main computers, he dialed the employee's home phone number and was greeted with a child's whisper. ' Hello ? '

'Is your daddy home?' he asked.

' Yes ,' whispered the small voice.

May I talk with him?'

The child whispered, ' No .'

Surprised and wanting to talk with an adult, the boss asked, 'Is your Mommy there?'

'Yes. '

'May I talk with her?'

Again the small voice whispered, ' No .'

Hoping there was somebody with whom he could leave a message, the boss asked, 'Is anybody else there?'

' Yes ,' whispered the child, ' a policeman '.

Wondering what a cop would be doing at his employee's home, the boss asked, 'May I speak with the policeman?'

' No, he's busy ', whispered the child.

'Busy doing what?'

' Talking to Daddy and Mommy and the Fireman ,' came the whispered answer.

Growing more worried as he heard a loud noise in the background through the earpiece on the phone, the boss asked, 'What is that noise?'

' A helicopter ' answered the whispering voice.

'What is going on there?' demanded the boss, now truly apprehensive.

Again, whispering, the child answered, ' The search team just landed a helicopter .'

Alarmed, concerned and a little frustrated the boss asked, 'What are they searching for?'

Still whispering, the young voice replied with a muffled giggle...

' ME .'

The Burning Hut ~Cheryl

2008-06-12T07:28:00.001-07:00

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming.
Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions. But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky.
The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was stunned with grief and anger.
"God, how could you do this to me!" he cried.
Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him.
"How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers.
"We saw your smoke signal," they replied.
One of the lessons of this story is for us to keep trusting God even when it looks like the very worst thing that could happen has. God can still turn around our worst situations & make them good! We probably just don’t know how He is going to do it!!

Poem by Wanda Williams

2008-06-10T07:48:00.001-07:00

A poem of peaceful thought. We as Christians need to announce to the world the message in this poem. With the understanding of these words souls can be won to Christ. The very breath of friends and neighbors saved for eternity. If we will just let them know what a wonderful, beautiful place the Kingdom of God is and will be for all those who commit to Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Heaven Is My Home
Wanda L Williams

The time is drawing nigh
For God's children to go home.

The gates of pearl are opening
As the angles sing their song.

Weep no more my children
For the streets of gold are warm.

Your house is lit with laughter
And your family feels no harm.

There will be no more suffering
As Gabriel blows his horn.

The gates of pearl are opening
For God's children to go home.

Word for the Day ~ Wanda

2008-06-03T08:12:00.000-07:00

Just a thought about how we as adults weather the storms in our life.

When lightening strikes do we look up and smile or do we cringe then run for cover.

As Christians, God's Word should never be any further than from our heart to our mouth. Prayer not fear should be the first to enter our heart and mind. With prayer comes peace and with peace a smile.

May God bless you as you weather the storms of your life and don't forget to smile. Wanda

A little girl walked to and from school daily. Though the weather that

morning was questionable and clouds were forming, she made her daily

trek to the elementary school. As the afternoon progressed, the winds

whipped up, along with thunder and lightning. The mother of the little

girl felt concerned that her daughter would be frightened as she walked

home from school and she herself feared that the electrical storm might

harm her child.

Full of concern, the mother quickly got into her car and drove along the

route to her child's school. As she did so, she saw her little girl

walking along, but at each flash of lightning, the child would stop,

look up and smile. Another and an other were to follow quickly and with

each the little girl would look at the streak of light and smile.

When the mother's car drew up beside the child she lowered the window

and called to her, 'What are you doing?' The child answered, 'I am

trying to look pretty. God keeps taking my picture.'

'Author Unknown'

Somebody Said ~Wanda

2008-05-20T08:47:00.000-07:00

SOMEBODY SAID

Somebody said that somebody said,
Trouble was caused and suspicion fed.

Somebody passed on an idle word,
Somebody repeated what somebody had heard.

There has been many a broken heart,
Many a marriage has fallen apart.

Many relationships have been changed,
Many a neighbor has been estranged.

In many a home where peace once reigned,
Affection and loyalty have been strained.

And many a life is now incomplete,
All because somebody was indiscreet.

Many a friendship has been wrecked,
Through gossip unfounded and unchecked.

Mischief was made and a rumor spread,
Because somebody said that somebody said

Two Little Boys ~ Cheryl

2008-05-15T05:09:00.000-07:00

Two little boys, ages 8 and 10, were excessively mischievous. They
were always getting into trouble and their parents knew all about it.

If any mischief occurred in their town, the two boys were probably
involved.

The boys' mother heard that a preacher in town had been successful in
disciplining children, so she asked if he would speak with her boys.

The preacher agreed, but he asked to see them individually. So the
mother sent the 8 year old first, in the morning, with the older boy
to see the preacher in the afternoon.

The preacher, a huge man with a booming voice, sat the younger boy
down and asked him sternly, 'Do you know where God is, son?'

The boy's mouth dropped open, but he made no response, sitting there
wide-eyed with his mouth hanging open.

So the preacher repeated the question in an even sterner tone, 'Where is
God?'

Again, the boy made no attempt to answer. The preacher raised his
voice even more and shook his finger in the boy's face and bellowed,
'Where is God?'

The boy screamed and bolted from the room, ran directly home and dove
into his closet, slamming the door behind him.

When his older brother found him in the closet, he asked, 'What happened?'
The younger brother, gasping for breath, replied, 'We are in BIG
trouble this time,'

'GOD is missing, and they think we did it!!!!

Happy Mothers Day! ~Cheryl

2008-05-11T04:50:00.001-07:00

The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears,
The figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair.
The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes,
Because that is the doorway to her heart, the place her love resides.
The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole,
But true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul.
It is the caring that she lovingly gives,
The passion that she shows,
And the beauty of a woman with passing years only grows!

Word For The Day ~Cheryl

2008-05-10T16:53:00.000-07:00

“Order my steps by Your word, and let no iniquity have dominion over me.” (Psalm 119:133)

So we’ve come to realize that all of us are not exactly Martha Stewarts where our homes are concerned. With church, work, soccer practices, school plays, etc., thoughts of making homemade pastry crusts for individual pot pies or growing our own herbs and spices for cooking may be somewhat on the insane side. However, as Christians our homes should be a refuge from the clamor of the outside world, both spiritually and naturally. So, how do we fit order in our daily schedules?

1. Use extra minutes wisely. Instead of sitting on the couch another 5 minutes after the evening news, allot that 5 minutes to re-organizing a drawer. If you don’t need what’s in there, throw it out. Avoid wasting time deciding what you really need and what you don’t. If it hasn’t been used in the recent past, toss it or give it away. Minutes are precious and can be lifesavers if we’ll use them wisely.

2. Do a run through of your house before going to sleep at night. One quick walk-through of picking up toys, shoes, etc. will save you an entire day’s work on the weekend. It will also help create a more welcoming environment the next morning so that your focus can be on your daily devotional rather than the things that need to be done around the house.

3. Collect donation items on an ongoing basis. Keep a small box with a lid on it where you can put things that need to be given away. If you’re in doubt, throw it out. After a little time, if you haven’t needed what’s in the box, take it to a local charity and give it away.

4. See your cleaning and organization as strategies for creating a peaceful and productive home. Messiness manifests in ongoing clutter and disorganization. Keeping a home orderly has biblical support. It can be a way of honoring your mate, creating a spiritual heritage for our children, or by allowing you to concentrate on spiritual things. Without the piles, life doesn’t seem so out of control. As a family, you’ll be able to enjoy the home and time that God has given to you.

Word For The Day ~ HoneyBee

2008-05-08T16:27:00.000-07:00

'Point ot Ponder':

Faithlessness will cause you to look at what you are going through, while faithfulness will cause you to look at what you are going to!

Word For The Day ~ Althea

2008-05-06T07:31:00.000-07:00

This was written by my son who passed away March,2007 at the age of 42.
so this is in memory of Michael who is resting in the arms of Jesus, who will forever be in my heart. He wrote this poem to all the mothers at
miracle christian center church.

Household Hint ~Norma

2008-05-05T07:43:00.000-07:00

When you go to buy bread in the grocery store, have you ever wondered which is the freshest, so you 'squeeze' for freshness or softness? Did you know that bread is delivered fresh to the stores five days a week? Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Each day has a different color twist tie. They are:
Monday = Blue,
Tuesday = Green,
Thursday = Red
Friday = White
Saturday = Yellow.
So if today was Thursday, you would want red twist tie; not white which is Fridays (almost a week old)! The colors go alphabetically by color Blue- Green - Red - White - Yellow, Monday through Saturday. Very easy to remember. I thought this was interesting. I looked in the grocery store and the bread wrappers DO have different twist ties, and even the ones with the plastic clips have different colors. You learn something new everyday! Enjoy fresh bread when you buy bread with the right color on the day you are shopping.

Intro to Christ

2008-05-05T07:33:00.000-07:00

A Merry Heart

2008-05-01T08:17:00.001-07:00

A police recruit was asked during the exam, 'What would you do if you had to arrest your own mother?'
He answered, 'Call for backup.'

Word For The Day ~ Wanda

2008-05-01T07:27:00.000-07:00

"Fears cannot survive without your full attention."

So simple but so true, once you begin to speak
to your fear by releasing the Word of God your
fear leaves.
Just a little hint ; let your faith work for you. Speak
to that mountain and it will move.
(Mat. 17:20) So Jesus said to them, "Because
of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you
have faith as a mustard see, you will say to this
mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move;
and nothing will be impossible for you."
Fear must go when it is faced with the Word of God.
Wanda

A Merry Heart ~ Cheryl

2008-04-30T07:16:00.000-07:00

A mom was concerned about her kindergarten
son walking to school. He didn't want his mother
to walk with him. She wanted to give him the
feeling that he had some independence but yet
know that he was safe.

So she had an idea of how to h andle it. She asked
a neighbor if she would please follow him to school
in the mornings, staying at a distance, so he probably
wouldn't notice her.

She said that since she was up early with her
toddler anyway, it would be a good way for them
to get some exercise as well, so she agreed.

The next school day, the neighbor and her little girl
set out following behind Timmy as he walked to
school with another neighbor girl he knew. She did
this for the whole week.

As the two walked and chatted, kicking stones and
twigs, Timmy's little friend noticed the same lady was
following them as she seemed to do every day all
week.

Finally she said to Timmy, "Have you
noticed that lady following us to school all week?
Do you know her?"

Timmy nonchalantly replied,
"Yeah, I know who she is." The little girl said,
"Well,
who is she?"

"That's just Shirley Goodnest," Timmy replied, "and
her daughter Marcy."

"Shirley Goodnest? Who the heck is she and why is
she following us? "

"Well," Timmy explained, "every night my Mom
makes me say the 23rd Psalm with my prayers, 'cuz
she worries about me so much. And in the Psalm, it
says, 'Shirley Goodnest and Marcy shall follow me
all the days of my life', so I guess I'll just have to get
used to it!"

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His
face to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you; the
Lord lift His countenance upon you, and give you
peace.
May Shirley Goodnest and Marcy be with you today
and always.

Family Matters ~ Pastor Cheryl

2008-04-29T07:14:00.000-07:00

Before I was a Mom - I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby. I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous. I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom - I had never been puked on. Pooped on. Chewed on. Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts. I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom - I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots. I never looked into teary eyes and cried. I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin. I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom - I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put him down. I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt. I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much. I never knew that I could love someone so much. I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom - I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby. I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child. I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom -I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay. I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache,
the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom. I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom.

Word for the Day ~ HoneyBee

2008-04-25T05:19:00.000-07:00

Faith is not just in believing that God can, but in knowing that He will!
Have a blessed day!

A Merry Heart

2008-04-24T08:40:00.001-07:00

Red-neck Chair Swing ~ Anybody have one of these?

Word For The Day ~Cheryl

2008-04-24T08:37:00.000-07:00

I read this story & thought it would be a great lesson for us all.

“I had the meanest mother in the world.
While other kids had candy for breakfast, I had to eat my cereal, eggs and toast.
While other kids had cakes and candy for lunch, I had a sandwich.
As you can guess, my supper was different from other kids’ supper too.
My mother was so mean that she insisted on knowing where we were at all times.
You’d think we were in prison or something.
She had to know who our friends were and what we were doing.
I am ashamed to admit this, but my Mother actually had the nerve
to break the child labor laws. She made us work.
We had to wash dishes, make the beds and learn how to cook and clean.
I think my mother must have stayed awake at night
thinking of things for us kids to do.
And, she insisted that we tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
She never let me get away with anything.
By the time we were teenagers, my mother was even wiser
and our life became even more unbearable.
She would embarrass us by insisting that our friends come to the door
instead of tooting the car horn for us to come running.
And she always insisted that we be home early on school nights
and never let us stay out late on weekends like all our other friends.
On Sundays, there was no option except church.
We missed so much fun.
Mother was so mean that she refused to let us date at the mature age of 13 or 14,
like so many of our friends did. Instead, we had to wait until we were 16.
She kept telling us that there was a lot of time –
and that we needed to grow up a bit first.
Mother really raised a bunch of squares.
None of us was arrested for shoplifting or busted for drugs.
Today, I am employed, healthy, and have a relationship with God.
Who do I have to thank for this?
THE MEANEST (AND MOST WONDERFUL) MOTHER IN THE WORLD!”

Word For The Day ~ HoneyBee

2008-04-23T05:04:00.000-07:00

People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care!

Annual Spring Conference Pics.....

2008-04-21T18:41:00.000-07:00

Annual Spring Womens Conference April 18-19

2008-04-15T07:32:00.000-07:00

Resume of Jesus ~Norma

2008-04-15T07:27:00.000-07:00

My name is Jesus -The Christ. Many call me Lord! I've sent you my resume because I'm seeking the top management position in your heart. Please consider my accomplishments as set forth in my resume.

Qualifications:
I founded the earth and established the heavens, (See Proverbs 3:19) * I formed man from the dust of the ground, (See Genesis 2:7) * I breathed into man the breath of life, (See Genesis 2:7) * I redeemed man from the curse of the law, (See Galatians 3:13) * The blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant comes upon your life through me, (See Galatians 3:14)

Occupational Background:
I've only had one employer, (See Luke 2:49). * I've never been tardy, absent, disobedient, slothful or disrespectful. * My employer has nothing but rave reviews for me, (See Matthew 3:15-17)

Skills and Work Experience:
Some of my skills and work experiences include: empowering the poor to be poor no more, healing the brokenhearted, setting the captives free, healing the sick, restoring sight to the blind and setting at liberty them that are bruised, (See Luke 4:18). * I am a Wonderful Counselor, (See Isaiah 9:6). People who listen to me shall dwell safely and shall not fear evil, (See Proverbs 1:33). * Most importantly, I have the authority, ability and power to cleanse you of your sins, (See I John 1:7-9)

Educational Background and Major Accomplishments:
I was an active participant in the greatest Summit Meeting of all times, (See Genesis 1:26). * I laid down my life so that you may live, (See II Corinthians 5:15). * I defeated the archenemy of God and mankind and made a show of them openly, (See Colossians 2:15). * I've miraculously fed the poor, healed the sick and raised the dead! * There are many more major accomplishments, too many to mention here. You can read them on my website, which is located at: www dot - the BIBLE. You don't need an Internet connection or computer to access my website.

References:
Believers and followers worldwide will testify to my divine healings, salvation, deliverance, miracles, restoration and supernatural guidance
In Summation:
Now that you've read my resume, I'm confident that I'm the only candidate uniquely qualified to fill this vital position in your heart. In summation, I will properly direct your paths, (See Proverbs 3:5-6), and lead you into everlasting life, (See John 6:47). When can I start? Time is of the essence, (See Hebrews 3:15). Send this resume to everyone you know! You never know who may have an opening! Thanks for your help and may God bless you!

Annual Spring Women's Conference

2008-04-12T06:01:00.000-07:00

Don't miss our Annual Spring Women's Conference April 18-19!!!! It is going to be awesome! Our special guest minister will be Mary Jean Pidgeon from Houston!

Mary Jean Pidgeon is a wife, the mother of three grown sons and Mamé to eight grandchildren.
Mary Jean is an ordained minister with the Heritage of Faith Ministerial Association and the author of a book entitled WOMAN: Her Purpose, Position & Power. As the founder of Restoration of Women’s Virtues, a ministry to support and strengthen women, she trains women in their original purpose and power for service to the Lord Jesus Christ. A creative and refreshing teacher of God’s Word, Mary Jean reaches people from all denominations through radio, television, seminars, and Bible studies and has traveled internationally with a life-changing message from God’s Word. Her life message would be the “resurrection power of Jesus Christ”.

Married to Pastor Jack R. Pidgeon, Mary Jean works alongside her husband at West Houston Christian Center on the southwest side of Houston, Texas.

Word For The Day ~HoneyBee

2008-04-12T05:57:00.000-07:00

Thought for the day:
From my little book, God Speaks!
"If we don't communicate, you haven't got a prayer."
-God

A Merry Heart ~Ronda

2008-04-10T10:59:00.000-07:00

THREE WOMEN, TWO YOUNGER AND ONE A SENIOR CITIZEN,
WERE SITTING NAKED IN A SAUNA.

SUDDENLY THERE WAS A BEEPING SOUND. THE YOUNG WOMAN PRESSED HER FOREARM AND THE
BEEP STOPPED. THE OTHERS LOOKED AT HER QUESTIONINGLY. "THAT WAS MY PAGER ,SHE SAID. I HAVE A MICROCHIP UNDER THE SKIN OF MY ARM."

A FEW MINUTES LATER, A PHONE RANG. THE SECOND YOUNG WOMAN LIFTED HER PALM TO HER
EAR. WHEN SHE FINISHED, SHE EXPLAINED, "THAT WAS MY MOBILE PHONE ,I HAVE A
MICROCHIP IN MY HAND."

THE OLDER WOMAN FELT VERY LOW-TECH. NOT TO BE OUT DONE, SHE DECIDED SHE HAD TO DO SOMETHING JUST AS IMPRESSIVE. SHE STEPPED OUT OF THE SAUNA AND WENT TO THE BATHROOM.
SHE RETURNED WITH A PIECE OF TOILET PAPER HANGING FROM HER REAR END. THE OTHERS
RAISED THEIR EYEBROWS AND STARED AT HER. THE OLDER WOMAN FINALLY SAID......... "
WELL, WILL YOU LOOK AT THAT... I'M GETTING A FAX " !!

Word For The Day ~ Norma

2008-04-09T06:04:00.000-07:00

What SHAPE are you in?
With the arrival of spring I begin to think about getting my physical body into shape for summer.
How can I best lose those few extra pounds I picked up over the winter ?
I begin to cut back on the sugar, eat smaller portions and try to get in some walking and stretching exercises.
As I was walking one day I began to think about my spiritual shape. How do I maintain proper "Spiritual Shape?"

S ~ Spiritual Gifts / Do not allow my Spiritual gifts go unused, they may become rusty.

H ~Heart of Passion/Do not let go of my desire for the Word.

A~ Abilities/ How can my natural abilities be used for God?

P~ Personality / Do I present an attitude of peace and love to others?

E~ Experiences/ Do I turn my trials into testimonies ?

This Spring as I work to get my body back into shape.
I am also working on improving my Spiritual Shape !!
Won't you join me?

A Merry Heart

2008-04-08T05:24:00.000-07:00

Eleven people were hanging on a rope, under a helicopter.

10 men and 1 woman.

The rope was not strong enough to carry them all,
so they decided that 1 had to leave,
Because otherwise they were all going to fall.

They weren't able to choose that person,
Until the woman gave a very touching speech
She said that she would voluntarily.......... let go of the
rope,
Because, as a woman, she was used to giving up
everything for her husband and kids or for men in
general, and was used to always making sacrifices
with little in return.

As soon as she finished her speech,
.........All the men started clapping !!!!!!!!!

Word for the Day ~ Norma

2008-04-07T06:33:00.001-07:00

The Greatest Man in History . . .
Jesus had no servants, yet they called Him Master.
Had no degree, yet they called Him Teacher.
Had no medicines, yet they called Him Healer.
He had no army, yet kings feared Him.
He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world.
He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him.
He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today.

I feel honored to serve such a Leader who loves us!

Word For The Day ~ Wanda

2008-04-02T07:46:00.000-07:00

I found this in a book I was reading not long ago and it just stuck there in the brain somewhere. Thought you might like it.

"He who seeks the Father more than anything he can give, is likely to have what he asks, for he is not likely to ask amiss." 'George McDonald
Have a fruitful day and enjoy each task that He sets before you this day.
~Wanda

A Merry Heart

2008-04-01T09:15:00.000-07:00

Cute mom story....

I was out walking with my 4 year old daughter. She picked up something
off the ground and started to put it in her mouth. I took the item away
from her and I asked her not to do that. 'Why?' my daughter asked.
'Because it's been on the ground, you don't know where it's been, it's
dirty, and probably has germs' I replied. At this point, my daughter
looked at me with total admiration and asked, 'Momma, how do you know
all this stuff, you are so smart.' I was thinking quickly. 'All moms
know this stuff. It's on the Mom Test. You have to know it, or they
don't let you be a Mom.' We walked along in silence for 2 or 3 minutes,
but she was evidently pondering this new information. 'OH...I get it!'
she beamed, 'So if you don't pass the test you have to be the dad.

''Exactly' I replied back with a big smile on my face.

Word For The Day

2008-03-31T06:42:00.000-07:00

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schulz, the creator of the 'Peanuts' comic strip.
You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just read straight through, and you'll get the point.
1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

How did you do? The point is , none of us remember the headliners of yesterday.
These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields.
But the applause dies.. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten.
Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.!
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

The lesson ? :

The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials.. the most money...or the most awards.

They simply are the ones who care the most.

~Janet

Colortest - Try it!

2008-03-28T06:31:00.000-07:00

This is pretty neat! See how you do with the colors! Have fun!

It takes an average of 5 tries to get to 100%. Follow the directions!

It's harder than it seems, as it should be!

Click here: http://www.humorsphere.com/fun/8787/colortest.swf

Comment & let us know how you did!!!!!

Awesome Pics!!!!!

2008-03-26T07:38:00.000-07:00

Makes you think of how awesome God is!

Ways to Reduce Stress

2008-03-25T07:01:00.000-07:00

1. Pray

2. Go to bed on time.

3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.

4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.

5. Delegate tasks to capable others.

6. Simplify and unclutter your life.

7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)

8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.

9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together

10. Take one day at a time.

11. Separate worries from concerns . If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety . If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it.

12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.

13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.

14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.

15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday.

16. Carry a Bible in your purse or briefcase to read while waiting in line.

17 Get enough rest.

18. Eat right.

19 Get organized so everything has its place.

20. Listen to an inspirational cd while driving that can help improve your quality of life.

21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.

22. Every day, find time to be alone.

23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray.

24. Make friends with Godly people.

25. Keep a tablet or 3X5 card of favorite scriptures on hand.

26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good 'Thank you Jesus.'

27. Laugh.

28. Laugh some more!

29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.

30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).

31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).

32. Sit on your ego.

33 Talk less; listen more.

34. Slow down.

35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.

36 . Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before.

GOD HAS A WAY OF TURNING THINGS AROUND FOR YOU.
'If God is for us, who can be against us?'
(Romans 8:31)

A Merry Heart

2008-03-24T07:11:00.000-07:00

A Bunny Story

Once upon a time there was a man who was peacefully driving
down a windy road. Suddenly, a bunny skipped across the road
and the man couldn't stop. He hit the bunny head on. The man
quickly jumped out of his car to check the scene. There, lying
lifeless in the middle of the road, was the Easter Bunny.

The man cried out, "Oh no! I have committed a terrible crime!
I have run over the Easter Bunny!"

The man started sobbing quite hard and then he heard another
car approaching. It was a blonde in a red convertible. The
woman stopped and asked what the problem was. The man
explained,
I have done something horribly sad. I have run over the
Easter Bunny. Now there will be no one to deliver eggs on
Easter, and it's all my fault."

The woman ran back to her car. A moment later, she came back
carrying a spray bottle. She ran over to the motionless bunny
and sprayed it. The bunny immediately sprang up, ran toward the
woods, stopped, and waved back at the man and woman. Then it
ran another 10 feet, stopped, and waved. It then ran another
10 feet, stopped, and waved again. It did this over and over
and over again until the man and the woman could no longer see
the bunny.
Once out of sight, the man exclaimed, "What is that stuff in that bottle?"
The woman replied, "Harespray. It revitalizes hare and adds permanent wave."

Plan now to attend....

2008-03-24T05:49:00.000-07:00

Mark your calendars now!!! Our annual Spring Women's conference will be April 18 - 19th. Our special guest speaker will Pastor Mary Jean Pidgeon. More details will come soon!!!!

Family Matters

2008-03-24T05:47:00.001-07:00

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Matt. 7:24
Even though you can’t see the foundation of a house, it is actually the most important part of the structure of the home. The same is true as far as our family is concerned. It doesn’t really matter what it may look like on the outside, if the foundation is not firm, it can fall!
I have seen marriages fall apart & everyone being shocked because they thought they had a “perfect” marriage. The truth is that there are no perfect marriages, because there are no perfect people, and a marriage is only as strong as the two people in it. Instead of trying to make our family life “appear” to be great, maybe we should reconsider the foundation of it & be sure it is strong.
The most important thing is to be sure that our foundation is the Lord Jesus Christ. He must be the center of our family. He is the “ROCK” of our foundation! When we are founded on Him, even when the storms of life come, our family can continue to stand.
You may say, “ my family is not really interested in serving God.” Well, it has to start somewhere! What about with you? You make the decision to go to church, pray & read the Word. Every time you do, you are making your foundation stronger! God really wants to help our family life!
~P.Cheryl

Because He Lives...

2008-03-23T04:55:00.001-07:00

A man said he lives by these 4 rules...

2008-03-22T06:34:00.000-07:00

A man said he lives by these 4 rules everyday:
Drink, Steal, Swear, & Lie.

So here they are :

1.. "Drink" from the "everlasting cup" every day.
2.. "Steal" a moment to help someone that is in worse shape than you are.
3. "Swear" that you will be a better person today than yesterday.
4. And last, but not least, when you "lie" down at night thank God for the day!
~Wanda

Recipe

2008-03-20T06:47:00.000-07:00

Angel Lush With Pineapple

1 hr 15 min.
Makes:10 servings, one piece each
~1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
~1 can (20 oz.) DOLE Crushed Pineapple in Juice, undrained
~1 cup thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping
~1 prepared round angel food cake (10 oz.)
~10 fresh strawberries
MIX dry pudding mix and pineapple in medium bowl.
Gently stir in whipped topping.

CUT cake horizontally into three layers. Place bottom cake layer on serving plate; top with one-third of the pudding mixture. Repeat layers two times.

REFRIGERATE at least 1 hour. Top with strawberries just before serving. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Substitute: Prepare as directed, using JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Fat Free Sugar Free Instant Reduced Calorie Pudding & Pie Filling and COOL WHIP LITE Whipped Topping.
How to Cut Cake: Use toothpicks to mark cake into three layers. Use a serrated knife in a sawing motion to easily cut layers.
Variation: Lemon Berry Lush with PineapplePrepare as directed, using JELL-O Lemon Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling.

Household Hints

2008-03-19T05:26:00.001-07:00

To really make scrambled eggs or omelets rich add a couple of spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream in and then beat them up.

For a cool brownie treat, make brownies as directed. Melt Andes mints in double broiler and pour over warm brownies. Let set for a wonderful minty frosting.

Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste of garlic and at the end of the recipe if your want a stronger taste of garlic.

Leftover snickers bars make a delicious dessert. Simple chop them up with the food chopper. Peel, core and slice a few apples. Place them in a baking dish and sprinkle the chopped candy bars over the apples. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes!!! Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream.

Word For The Day

2008-03-18T04:50:00.000-07:00

~From Norma...
Spring is just around the corner, this is my favorite time of year.
It must also be God's for He out does Himself during this time.
So many lovely flowers, trees budding and the birds singing, who can see all
this splendor and not believe there is a God. Then of course there are those
pesky weeds that seem to come from nowhere. This got me to thinking how often my life is likened to Spring. God shows me something new and exciting from His Word
and I begin to apply it to my life and sure enough something will pop up to
give me an opportunity to put my new found knowledge to work.
Just as I apply Round-Up to the weeds in my lawn and garden, I must use the
Word against whatever it is that is attempting to overtake my joy in what I
have gleaned from the Bible. I have found that unlike Round-Up that kills in 24-48 hours I must be diligent in several applications of Scripture to kill the thoughts,ideas and/or suggestions
that seem to come from who knows where ?? So while I enjoy Spring and
prepare my lawn for another growing season,I am also preparing my Spirit for a New Season in God.
No matter what the season in the natural or the spiritual I will praise Him
and give Him Glory.
My favorite Scripture says,(John 15:4&5) Jesus speaking ,"I am the vine, you
are the branches.
He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can
do nothing."
It is my prayer that each of us remain attached and bear much fruit for the
Kingdom.

A Merry Heart

2008-03-18T04:47:00.000-07:00

The Rabbit and the Blonde

A man is driving along a highway
and sees a rabbit jump out
across the middle of the road.
He swerves to avoid hitting it,
but unfortunately the rabbit jumps
right in front of the car. The driver,
a sensitive man as well as an animal
lover, pulls over and gets out to see
what has become of the rabbit.
Much to his dismay, the rabbit is dead.
The driver feels so awful that he begins to cry.

A beautiful blonde woman driving down
the highway sees a man crying on the
side of the road and pulls over. She steps
out of the car and asks the man what's wrong.
'I feel terrible,' he explains, 'I accidentally hit
this rabbit and killed it.' The blonde says,
'Don't worry.' She runs to her car and pulls
out a spray can. She walks over to the limp,
dead rabbit, bends down, and sprays the
contents onto the rabbit. The rabbit jumps up,
waves its paw at the two of them and hops
off down the road. Ten feet away the rabbit stops,
turns around and waves again, he hops down the
road another 10 feet, turns and waves, hops
another ten feet, turns and waves, and repeats
this again and again and again, until he hops out
of sight.

The man is astonished. He runs over to the woman
and demands, 'What is in that can? What did you
spray on that rabbit?' The woman turns the can around
so that the man can read the label.
It says..

(Are you ready for this?)

(Are you sure?)

(This is bad!)

(It's definitely a Blonde Joke!)

(You know you could just click off
and not read the punch line....)

(You know you're gonna be sorry)

(Last chance)

(OK, here it is)

It says,
"Hair Spray -
Restores life to dead hair,
and adds permanent wave."

Family Matters

2008-03-17T05:04:00.000-07:00

There are many people who are very unsatisfied with where their life is today. They look at their life and wonder what happened to all my goals & dreams of what life would be. It is o.k. to realize that things are not what you wanted them to be, but it is not o.k. to stay there. Instead of getting into depression about your life and the turns it has taken, make a decision to change things.
We usually can’t change our life overnight, but we usually can change some things it if we try. “Rome wasn’t built in a day”, as they say, but it was built a little at a time. Get motivated to begin making changes in whatever area of life you are not happy with. If your marriage is not where you want it to be, start thinking about how you could make the relationship better.

Take tiny steps to improve your relationships, your finances, your physical body,……whatever it is that you think is causing your unhappiness. Keep running in the race one step at a time and one day you may just find that you are where you wanted to be.
“Life is not about having everything we think will make us happy, it’s about finding a way to be happy with everything we have.”
~P. Cheryl

Remember to live & love...

2008-03-14T21:10:00.000-07:00

In order to hear this, you will need to mash pause on the playlist at the bottom of the page. Just scroll down.....then come back up & mash play & enjoy!

This Will Brighten Your Day!!

2008-03-13T11:52:00.000-07:00

I found this very entertaining today, since I've been stuck at home with sick kiddos!! Thought it would give you a chuckle!!

THE NEXT SURVIVOR SERIES

Six married men will be dropped on an island with one car and 3 kids each for six weeks.
Each kid will play two sports and either take music or dance classes.
There is no fast food.
Each man must take care of his 3 kids; keep his assigned house clean, correct all homework, complete science projects, cook, do laundry, and pay a list of 'pretend' bills with not enough money.
In addition, each man will have to budget in money for groceries each week.
Each man must remember the birthdays of all their friends and relatives, and send cards out on time.
Each man must also take each child to a doctor's appointment, a dentist appointment and a haircut appointment . He must make one unscheduled and inconvenient visit per child to the Urgent Care (weekend, evening, on a holiday or right when they're about to leave for vacation). He must also make cookies or cupcakes for a social function.
Each man will be responsible for decorating his own assigned house, planting flowers outside and keeping it presentable at all times.
The men will only have access to television when the kids are asleep and all chores are done.
Each father will be required to know all of the words to every stupid song that comes on TV and the name of each and every character on cartoons.
Each man will have to make an Indian hut model with six toothpicks, a tortilla and one marker; and get a 4 year old to eat a serving of peas.
Each man must adorn himself with jewelry, wear uncomfortable yet stylish shoes, keep their nails polished and eyebrows groomed. The men must try to get through each day without snot, spit-up or barf on their clothing.
During one of the six weeks, the men will have to endure severe abdominal cramps, back aches, and have extreme, unexplained mood swings but never once complain or slow down from other duties. They must try to explain what a tampon is for when the 6-yr old boy finds it in the purse.
They must attend weekly school meetings, church, and find time at least once to spend the afternoon at the park or a similar setting.
He will need to read a book to the children each night without falling asleep, and then feed them, dress them, brush their teeth and comb their hair each morning by 7:00. They must leave the home with no food on their face or clothes.
A test will be given at the end of the six weeks, and each father will be required to know all of the following information: each child's birthday, height, weight, shoe size, clothes size and doctor's name. Also the child's weight at birth, length, time of birth, and length of labor, each child's favo rite color, middle name, favorite snack, favorite song, favorite drink, favorite toy, biggest fear and what they want to be when they grow up.
They must clean up after their sick children at 2:00 a.m. And then spend the remainder of the day tending to that child and waiting on them hand and foot until they are better.
They must have a loving, age appropriate reply to, 'You're not the boss of me'.
The kids vote them off the island based on performance. The last man wins only if...he still has enough energy to be intimate with his spouse at a moment's notice.
~AMY~