Tuesday's Together in the Word!

Welcome to Tuesday's Together in the Word... We are a group of women reading through the New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs using the same reading plan and holding each other accountable. On Tuesdays we share what we have gleaned from our time of study in the Word. To join us and to read what others have to share visit DeeDee, we would love for you to join us! You can find a link to our reading plan on my sidebar.

This past week we have been reading in Titus, Philemon, and Psalms. I want to share what jumped out at me from the Psalms... I have noticed it before, and it always speaks to me and ministers to me in such a precious way...

Psalm 32:8
"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye."

Psalm 33:18
"Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine."

These verses then led me to the following...

Job 36:7
"He does not withhold His eyes from the righteous;"

Psalm 34:15
"The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry."

Have you ever really thought about the eyes of the Lord? What color are they? What shape? Does He have a penetrating gaze? Does He have long beautiful eye lashes?

I imagine that His eyes are absolutely beautiful with colors we have never even imagined before... I imagine His gaze is powerful, one that can reach to your innermost being...

And just think, the eyes of the Almighty God, the Creator of the Universe, the God of all gods and the King of all kings are on you and are on me... He guides us with His eyes! That means He looks straight at us! Think of how you guide a child with your eyes, your eyes are on his and his are on you... to think that Almighty God guides us with His eyes is just amazing! And to make it even better, in Job it states that "He does not withhold His eyes from the righteous"... He does not withhold His eyes from us!

What a comfort that is, to know that God is always guiding us with His eyes, and that He never withholds his eyes from us, His gaze is always towards us...

Thank you Father God for Your eyes! Thank You that You are always watching for and over us, that with Your eyes You guide us, and that no matter what, You do not withhold your eyes from us! What comfort that speaks to my soul! In Jesus' name, Amen.

The Body...

Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
Romans 12:4-5

Last week I fell, on the hard black asphalt, while out for my morning run on Tuesday, and scraped up both palms and my left knee pretty bad. My injuries have made me realize how important every single part of our body is. I never really thought much about my palms until this past week... but now I have come to truly appreciate and be thankful for this part of my hands that I hardly ever paid attention to before. We use our hands all day long, and whether or not you realize it, your palms are extremely useful... you should be thankful for them!

I have been very much aware of the tasks that typically involve my palms, because now those tasks cause me pain... washing the dishes, carrying and balancing things in my hands, bathing my children, cooking dinner, drying and curling my hair, even hugging my husband and kids, and picking up my kids... things I would normally do without even thinking, now require more thought and effort because I am trying to think of a way to do it without causing further pain to my injuries.

I also am doctoring my injuries daily in an attempt to help them to heal quicker... I pay more attention to the injured part of my body... my physical body.

This prompted me to think about the body of Christ... we are all members of one body, the body of Christ, and when one of us is hurting or injured, it should effect the rest of us. It should cause us to pay that member of the body more attention, in prayer, in ministry, in reaching out and showing we care, in helping that member through their time of hurt and pain, and eventually to aid in their healing. But how often do we do this...

I think all too often we hear of or see someone hurting and we turn our heads or go in the other direction. Why? Maybe because their hurt or pain makes us uncomfortable, maybe because we do not want to be bothered, maybe we just do not know what to say or do... But I think the best thing we can do is to at least show that member that we care, take some extra time to go out of your way to minister to them... in word, deed, and/or thought...

I know personally that sometimes I just want to know that others care. I recently experienced the very unexpected death of a loved one, I was hurting deeply, and I wanted badly to know that others cared. I did not keep silent, I shared my hurt and my pain, and I went to church the Sunday after it happened, expecting and needing words of comfort and compassion, heartfelt hugs, and just love from the family of God... but I left church that day even more broken and hurt, because it seemed that everyone stayed away from us... we received no kind and compassionate words, no hugs...

I went back to church that night, still very much hurting and needing to know that someone cared; and God graciously sent two precious ladies across my path to hug on me and talk to me, to minister to me... they did not say or do anything profound or grand, they just hugged me and let me know they cared and they were hurting with me. They may not even remember it, but I do...

I share all of this just to say, ask God to open your eyes, as I have asked Him to open mine, to those hurting in the body of Christ. I dare to say there are countless ones who are hurting right now, for many different reasons, and they long to know that someone within the body of Christ cares. Take that extra 5 minutes to stop and speak to them, to give them a hug, to send them a card, or pick up the phone and call them. It may seem like a little thing to you, but I promise it will be huge to them, and to God. God uses His people to administer comfort and love to those in His flock, allow Him to work through you to touch those hurting in your path...

I also want to encourage you to not let your hurts keep you from being a part of the body of Christ. I could have easily decided not to go back to church after my heart was wounded, and I would have missed out on the blessing of being loved on by those 2 ladies, and countless blessings since then... The church is made of imperfect people, who do not always do what is right, myself included, but we worship and serve a perfect God and Savior! Let's get our eyes off of ourselves and onto our Savior and allow Him to direct our gaze and our hearts to those He would have us to minister to...

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort." 2 Corinthians 1:3-7

She Speaks Conference Scholarship...

She Speaks... I had never heard of this conference until last year when I heard some girlfriends talking about it and then read LOTS of blogs of ladies who went and were so very blessed by being there. And I wondered if I would ever go...

Then earlier this week I was visiting with Tiffany over at her blog and noticed that she was applying to win a scholarship to the next She Speaks Conference... and that it was open to anyone with a blog who wanted to apply! I began to pray about whether I should even attempt to apply, as there are many ladies whose blogs I read who I feel are much more qualified to go than me... but I have truly felt the prompting of the Lord to take a step of faith and try, who knows what may happen!

Below is a description from the She Speaks Conference website describing what this conference is all about:

"She Speaks is a life-changing conference for women of every generation seeking to explore the tug on her heart to reach out to the world for Jesus. Through She Speaks, Proverbs 31 Ministries encourages and equips women who are called by God to share our mission to bring God’s peace, perspective and purpose to today’s busy woman. Sharing God’s truth with love is not only a holy calling but a remarkable responsibility. We believe by equipping women to become more effective at sharing the Word of God, we multiply our efforts to reach a hurting world with the life-transforming hope of Jesus."

Why would I like the opportunity to win the scholarship to attend the She Speaks Conference....

1. First of all, because I love Jesus passionately with all my heart and desire to share His love with other women... and to encourage and motivate them to pursue Christ Jesus with all their hearts, souls, and minds!
2. Secondly, because I teach youth girls Bible studies and ladies Bible studies at our church and would love to have training to make my teaching more effective and more beneficial to the ladies and young girls who attend my classes.
3. I love to blog, and since I am a SAHM of 5 year old twin boys, this is one of the ways I can reach out to the world from my little corner cluttered with legos, lincoln logs, trucks and tractors. I would love to learn ways to connect better with my followers and how to use my little part of the internet to make a bigger impact for His Kingdom. I blog solely to glorify Him, as the title of my blog states, "It is All About Him!" Jesus Christ has done so much for me during my life that I desire to live in a way that brings honor and glory to Him and draws others to Him.
4. I also think that I have a book in me... it may be a way off before I ever tackle that, when my kids get a bit older, but I would love to hear about how to get started in that direction!
5. Another reason I would love to win the scholarship is because finances are tight and there is no other way I could attend without having a scholarship...
6. And for a purely selfish reason, a few days away from the normal mommy routine sounds heavenly!!

If you are also interested in applying for this scholarship, you can head on over to Lysa's blog to get all the details... today is the deadline, so do not delay!

I can not wait to see who God has chosen to bless with this wonderful opportunity!

Thankful Thursday

"Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done. Sing to Him, sing praise to Him; tell of all His wonderful acts." Psalm 105:1

Today I am giving thanks for:

• Times of refreshing that come from spending time with my Lord and Savior...
• The refreshing rain that has fallen and hopefully washed lots of the pollen away...
• The treat of being able to sleep in this morning on a rainy day! What a blessing that was!
• The peace that fills my house right now! Praise and worship music is playing, the kids are playing quietly and happily, and I am thoroughly enjoying it!
• The fact that my children take pride in helping me clean the house... I just looked down in the den (we have a loft area upstairs) and David is diligently cleaning the windows on the door in our kitchen... what a sweetie he is!
• Unexpected hugs and kisses from my children...
• The fact that my husband has been able to come home early from work almost every night this week!
• The wonderful way my husband loves me, takes care of me, and helps me...
• The sound of my children singing when they do not know I am listening...
• For this life, this family, and this day that the Lord has so graciously given me. This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it!!

What are you thankful for today? I really would encourage you to take the time to stop and think about what you have to be thankful for. This has become one of my favorite posts of the week to do, all because it causes me to stop and reflect on the goodness of the Lord in my life and all the many blessings, big and little, that I have to be thankful for. So stop and take the time to make your own thankful list!

For more TT posts visit our host, Lynn.

Urgent Prayer Request

Please be in prayer for a friend of mine from our neighborhood...

Stacey called me earlier today from the hospital... 

She was admitted to the hospital last night with stroke-like symptoms. 
 
She had an MRI this morning but has not gotten any results as of yet...
 
She has 3 children, is a stay at home mom, and home schools her kids...  her 
husband works but has been home with the kids today...  

Please join me in praying for her complete healing...
and for every need that their family has to be graciously meet by our Father...

I will post updates as I get them on my prayer blog,... thanks so much for the prayers...

Praying...

Word-Filled Wednesday

Oh the goodness of God! He has stored up His goodness for those who fear Him, for those who take refuge in Him. He hides them in the secret place of His presence... He hides them from the conspiracies of men, and from the strife of tongues. Do you fear God? Do you take refuge in Him? If so you can rejoice in His goodness that He has stored up for YOU! Isn't that wonderful!

For more WFW posts visit 160acrewoods.

Wordless Wednesday

Tuesday's Together in the Word!

Welcome to Tuesday's Together in the Word... We are a group of women reading through the New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs using the same reading plan and holding each other accountable. On Tuesdays we share what we have gleaned from our time of study in the Word. To join us and to read what others have to share visit DeeDee, we would love for you to join us! You can find a link to our reading plan on my sidebar.

This past week we were reading in 2 Timothy... it ALL was so good and spoke to me about so many different aspects of life that I can not possibly share everything that spoke to me. So... I am going to try to share several "nuggets" today.

Let's start with 2 Timothy 2:3-4

Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. ⁴No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. (emphasis mine)

Which led me to 2 Peter 2:20

For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. ²¹For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. (emphasis mine)

As a child of God, I am an active soldier in His service... I am not to get entangled in the things of everyday life. I am not to be drawn back into the things of the flesh or of the world... my mind and my life are to be focused solely on Him and how I may please Him.

Father God, I ask that you please show me any areas of my life where I may be or are in danger of becoming entangled in the things of this world, of everyday life, and please help me to get my focus back on You and serving You so that I please You rather than get entangled. In Jesus name, Amen.


Now let's move along to 2 Timothy 2:7:

Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

That is just a good nugget to have in your mind, and to use in prayer when you need understanding... He has said He will give us understanding in everything! How wonderful is that!!

Go down just a bit further in 2 Timothy to verses 9-13:

for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not imprisoned.

¹⁰For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.

¹¹It is a trustworthy statement:
For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him;
¹²If we endure, we will also reign with Him;
If we deny Him, He also will deny us;
¹³If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.

(emphasis mine)

More good stuff... the Word of God is not imprisoned, another translation I read said it is not chained... Nothing can bind or prevent the Word of God from going forth and doing what God sent it forth to do... that is so encouraging to me!

And for that very reason Paul endures all things, so that others may obtain salvation. And then he gives us a trustworthy statement... if we die with Christ, we WILL live with Him! If we endure, we WILL reign with Him! If we deny Him... He will also deny us... And even if we are without faith, He always is faithful! More wonderful truths to cling tight too...

And just a few more...

2 Timothy 4:16-18:

At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them.

¹⁷But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was rescued out of the lion's mouth.

¹⁸The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

These verses are just precious to me... I went through an experience approximately about a year ago where I had to stand up for the Lord and for righteousness, and I felt I was standing all alone... until the Lord showed me this verse. And I can truly say that He did stand with me and strengthen me... He is so very faithful, and He takes care of His own.

And just one more passage, Psalm 31:19-20, 23-24

How great is Your goodness,
Which You have stored up for those who fear You,
Which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You,
Before the sons of men!
²⁰You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the conspiracies of man;
You keep them secretly in a shelter from the strife of tongues.

Oh the goodness of God! He has stored up His goodness for those who fear Him, for those who take refuge in Him. He hides them in the secret place of His presence... He hides them from the conspiracies of men, and from the strife of tongues. Do you fear God? Do you take refuge in Him? If so you can rejoice in His goodness that He has stored up for YOU! Isn't that wonderful!

And I want to close with these verses from Psalm 31:23-24:

O love the LORD, all you His godly ones!
The LORD preserves the faithful
And fully recompenses the proud doer.
²⁴Be strong and let your heart take courage,
All you who hope in the LORD.

Thank you Father God, that You preserve those who are Yours. Thank You that we can be strong in You, and that in You are hearts can take courage. And thank You for that hope that can be found in You! Thank You for Your Word, what a mighty and priceless treasure it is! In Jesus name, Amen!

The Lost Son...

Last week I took my children to the zoo, we had a wonderful time... all the animals were active and performing. We even found 2 baby turtles out crawling around that the boys got to hold for a few minutes, letting them crawl in their hands and up their arms. We had a nice picnic and enjoyed laying on a blanket in the sunshine.

All was fine until we were ready to leave. We were walking back towards the entrance and David was running ahead of me. He knew our rule, which is that he can go ahead of me as long as I can still see him. However, he decided to not abide by the rules, his way was more fun at the moment. So he ran on ahead, rounded a curve, which we rounded about 30 seconds later, and he was NO WHERE to be seen. I stayed calm, I thought he was just in front of us and we would see him when we took a quick left to go to the entrance. We took that left and he was still NO WHERE TO BE SEEN... panic began to set in, but I stayed outwardly calm because I did not want to get Paul upset... he had already said, "Mommy, I am worried about my brother."

We looked for him for about 10 to 15 minutes and I could not find him anywhere... then I began to panic, because I had no idea which direction I should go in. I was heading to the gift shop to ask if they could get someone to help me search for him when I see him walking with a stranger, holding his hand... the stranger said, "Is this your mommy?" David very calmly replied yes... he did not appear to be the least bit afraid!

I thanked the stranger profusely and asked where he had found him. He told me he had found David in the parking lot sitting on a curb! He had walked out of the entrance to the zoo, across the street, and into the parking lot!

We had a long talk about all the things that could have happened:

• He could have gotten hit or run over by a car
• He could have been taken by a stranger and never seen Mommy, Daddy, or Paul again
• The stranger could have hurt him badly, and on and on...

I wanted him to understand the seriousness of the situation... which I still do not think he has grasped yet...


As I think back over this, the parable of the lost sheep keeps coming to my mind... It is from Luke 15:1-7

Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. ²Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them." ³So He told them this parable, saying, ⁴"What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it. ⁵"When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. ⁶"And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!' 7"I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

What I keep pondering is did the sheep even know it was lost? It had once been part of the herd, but now it was no longer with the herd, it was missing. I do not think David realized he was lost or missing... He did not even comprehend that he was in danger. I find it interesting what the footnote in my Bible stated about this portion of scripture:

"...the shepherd who loses his sheep, does not give up the right of ownership. In the same manner, God is presented as still claiming His right of ownership even of those who are lost. When they are reclaimed, it is not He who becomes their Father or their rightful owner, but they become His again."

This brings me much comfort and encouragement... because I have friends and family members who have prodigals in their lives. Prodigals who were brought up in the church, who made professions of faith, and who at some point in their lives served God. My prayer is that they would allow God to find them, the God that is still their Father; that they would stop running from Him, and possibly even allow a stranger to lead them home... where they will become His again, hopefully to never stray again. When that happens there will be much rejoicing in Heaven and here on earth among friends and family... as I have rejoiced over finding my lost son!


Any thoughts... I would love to hear from you!

Ultimate Blog Party!!

Welcome to the Ultimate Blog Party! The Ultimate Blog Party is sponsored by 5 Minutes for Mom, and it is all about meeting and making new blogging friends. I participated last year, and was a fairly new blogger, and made several good blogging friends that I still visit today... and their friendship has become such a blessing to me!

So, if you are here from the Ultimate Blog Party, WELCOME to "It's All About Him!" I am a wife to a wonderful Godly man and a stay at home mom to a couple of energetic and rambunctious 5 year old twin boys. Boy do they keep me busy, and there really is never a dull moment around our house...

The purpose of my blog is to share the love of Christ with "whosoever" happens to stumble across my little part of the internet. Jesus is my reason for living, my life is "All About Him," for He has done so very much for me and has transformed my life in amazing ways, and He can do the same for you! For this season of my life, when I am swamped with kids and kid stuff, this is my way to touch the world around me for Him... to share what He has taught me, what He is teaching me, and what He will teach me. It is a place that I hope will make you thirsty for the Word of God and for your very own intimate and personal relationship with Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior.

So make yourself at home, browse around, and let me know that you have been here! Leave a comment and I will do my best to pop over to your place for a visit!

And for those who give out the prizes, I am interested in prize #s - 19, 21, 22, 26, 91, 118, 123.

Have a great weekend, and enjoy the party!

Thankful Thursday

"...Freely you have received, freely give." Matthew 10:8

Today I am giving thanks for:

• The gift of forgiveness... from my Lord and from those in my life who I unintentionally hurt...
• David being found yesterday and God's hand of protection upon him! I lost him for about 15 minutes at the zoo yesterday... he was found by an honest and helpful stranger who helped him find his way back to me...
• The beautiful weather we have had this week... I am about to join my boys out back with a blanket and a book while they play, can't wait!!
• Fresh strawberries! We are so enjoying the fresh strawberries that have been on sale at the grocery store lately... we can't wait until they are ready to pick around here so we can go get a big basket or 2!
• The Esther Bible study by Beth Moore that we are doing at church... it is so good and God is speaking to me through it...
• Modern conveniences... my dishwasher and washing machine are both working for me right now!
• Continuing to be able to run... I am planning to do another 5K in April... anyone want to join me?
• For God's provisions for our family...
• For friends who pray for and with me..
• For nice, cold glasses of sweet tea... my favorite!

So what are you thankful for today?

I have to admit... I was in a bad mood this morning, and I was not a very nice person, and I even thought at one point that I would not do this post today. But then I realized that today of all days I really needed to, because my attitude needed to be changed, and what better way to change it than to focus on what I have to be thankful for rather than on what was bothering me... so even if you do not feel like being thankful today, make yourself be thankful and see if it helps your attitude to improve. It has helped mine!

For more TT posts visit our host Lynn.

Tuesday's Together in the Word!

Welcome to Tuesday's Together in the Word... We are a group of women reading through the New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs using the same reading plan and holding each other accountable. On Tuesdays we share what we have gleaned from our time of study in the Word. To join us and to read what others have to share visit DeeDee, we would love for you to join us! You can find a link to our reading plan on my sidebar.

Sorry I am late posting today...

We have been to the eye doctor, I have a blood vessel to burst in my eye and had to get it checked... all is well, nothing to worry about.

We went to eat lunch at Chick-Fil-A...

Then went to visit a friend my boys were begging me to visit as they were dying to see her dog! It was a good visit with a good friend!

So now I am home, the boys are playing out back, and I am finally getting some time to do this post!

Let's take a look at 1 Timothy, Chapter 1...

Christ is MY HOPE!!

In 1 Timothy 1, Paul urges Timothy to remain in Ephesus for the purpose of instructing "certain men not to teach strange doctrines, nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies," the result of which gives rise to speculation rather than furthering the kingdom of God. (verses 3, 4)

He tells Timothy that the goal of their instruction is "love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith." (verse 5)

He states that some of the men have turned aside from teaching sound doctrine - "wanting to be teachers of the law" yet not understanding what they are trying to teach. (verses 6, 7)

He begins to talk about the law - that it is good when used lawfully and that it was not made for the righteous but for sinners- "for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching," (verses 9,10)

The law is for ANYTHING contrary to sound teaching... sound teaching is so very important!

And Paul states, in verses 13-14, that he...

• who was a blasphemer,
• a persecutor,
• a violent aggressor-

He...

• was shown mercy
• received abundant grace from the Lord along with faith and love (verse 14)
• was strengthened by Christ Jesus - and why was he strengthened? Because Christ considered him faithful and put him into service in spite of his past! (verse 12) In spite of his past... how wonderful is the mercy and redemption of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Therefore, because of what Christ has done for Paul, he says, "It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners..." (verse 15) In Paul, who was the foremost of all sinners - Jesus was able to "demonstrate His perfect patience, as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life." (verse 16)

What a reason to have HOPE! What a reason to strive to see that sound doctrine is taught! So that those who are blinded and led astray by the lawless can receive the same mercy and grace as Paul did and live a life completely changed and transformed, which will point others to:

"The King Eternal, immortal, invisible, the ONLY God!

To Him be honor and glory forever and ever, Amen!" (verse 17)

Father God, Thank you for showing us through the life of Paul that no one is beyond the reach of your grace and your redeeming love. Thank you for sending Jesus into this world to save sinners, like Paul, like me, and like countless others... Thank you for demonstrating your perfect patience in my life, waiting ever so patiently for me to fall passionately in love with you, so I would be willing and eager to allow you to change my heart and my life so completely. Father God, my Hope is in You! With you the hopeless can find hope, the weak can be made strong, and those without purpose can be given great purpose as they live out their days serving and loving you! Keep us in Your Word Lord, help us to never turn aside from sound doctrine, may we be so in tune with your Spirit that the slightest deviation from the truth of Your Word would sound very loud warning bells in our hearts and minds. To You Father God, be honor and glory forever and ever! Amen!

Scripture Memory Verse

My scripture memory verse for the last half of March is a continuation of the verses from the passage I memorized the 1st half of March. I wanted to memorize this whole passage, and decided to break it down into smaller parts to make it a bit easier to do. The part in bold is what I am trying to memorize this time...

"Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of this world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of this world to shame the strong. He chose the the lowly things of this world and the despised things - and the things that are not - to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before Him."

1 Corinthians 1:26-29

And I wanted to share this excerpt from my morning devotions that really spoke to my heart today, and I think it goes well with my memory verses...

Christ is building His kingdom with the broken things of earth. People desire only the strong, successful, victorious, and unbroken things in life to build their kingdoms, but God is the God of the unsuccessful - the God of those who have failed. Heaven is being filled with earth's broken lives, and there is no "bruised reed" (Isa. 42:3) that Christ cannot take and restore to a glorious place of blessing and beauty. He can take a life crushed by pain and sorrow and make it a harp whose music will be total praise. He can lift earth's saddest failure up to heaven's glory. J. R. Miller

"Follow Me, and I will make you..."
Make you speak My words with power,
Make you vessels of My mercy,
Make you helpful every hour.

"Follow Me, and I will make you..."
Make you what you cannot be -
Make you loving, trustful, godly,
Make you even just like Me.

taken from Streams in the Dessert from March 15th

Have a wonderful day! And I encourage you to take some time to sit at His feet, soak in His Word, and let Him speak His truths into your heart and mind... you will be blessed, refreshed, and renewed if you do!

Prayer Warriors Please....

Please be in prayer today for a precious lady of God, Mrs. Mary...

She is having surgery for breast cancer which has spread to her lymph nodes...

You can read more here and from her grand-daughter here...

And for those of you who know DeeDee... this is her mom...

Thanks for the prayers!

Thankful Thursday

"But I have trusted in Thy lovingkindness; my heart shall rejoice in Thy salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me."
Psalm 13:15-16

Today I am giving thanks for:

• The lovingkindness of the Lord and that I can trust in His lovingkindness...
• For the power and privilege of prayer... our church family has seen the Lord work miracles in our midst recently, and once again we gathered around one of our own last night asking for God's healing touch upon her body...
• God meeting all our needs so graciously...
• Things to look forward to! We are looking forward to some good fellowship with friends this weekend as they travel through our area and stop to spend the night with us along their way...
• That the Lord sets the solitary in families... my husband's best friend is getting married! We are very excited for him and his bride and can't wait to go to Texas to celebrate with them!
• Lunch with a good friend at Panera...
• The wonderful weather we have had this week!
• Being able to run again! I have had that "good" kind of sore this week :)
• My family and time to spend with them...
• For God's presence in my life... I would be nothing without Him...

What are you thankful for today? I encourage you to stop and make your own list of things you are thankful for, little and big, and give God thanks for them! It will bless your heart to really take notice of the things you have to be thankful for!

For more TT posts visit Lynn.

Word-Filled Wednesday

"He is on the path of life who heeds instruction, but he who forsakes reproof goes astray."

Proverbs 10:17

Do you heed godly instruction and counsel when it is spoken to you? Do you heed it when you read it in the Word of God? This verse from Proverbs reminds us that we should, if we do not we will most definitely go astray... I do not desire to go astray, I desire to stay on the path of life. In His presence is fullness of joy... that is where I want to be and to stay.

For more WFW posts visit 160acrewoods.

Wordless Wednesday

Tuesday's Together in the Word!

Welcome to Tuesday's Together in the Word... We are a group of women reading through the New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs using the same reading plan and holding each other accountable. On Tuesdays we share what we have gleaned from our time of study in the Word. To join us and to read what others have to share visit DeeDee, we would love for you to join us! You can find a link to our reading plan on my sidebar.

Let's start today by looking at Psalm 13:5-6:

"But I have trusted in Thy lovingkindness; my heart shall rejoice in Thy salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me."

This passage led me to ask myself the following questions...

• What, or who, do I trust in?
• What, or who does my heart rejoice in? Eternal things or earthly things...
• Do I recognize daily that the Lord has dealt bountifully with me and sing to Him? He has not dealt to me as I deserve - out of His great love, grace, and mercy He has dealt bountifully with me!! Now that is something to praise Him for!

Next let's move along to Acts chapters 25 and 26...

We see in these chapters that Paul has been falsely accused and has been put on trial. It dawned on me that Paul had been on both sides... he had been the accuser and now he was the accused. He was on trial for "the hope of the promise made by God." (verse 6) I was struck with his calmness and his peacefulness in answering his accusers, and in how he conducted himself throughout the whole ordeal. He considered himself fortunate to be able to make his defense before Agrippa.

He proceeds to give his testimony and tells of his vision and the purpose for which God called him and appeared to him (vs. 16-18)... "for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; ¹⁷rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, ¹⁸to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me."

Then in verse 19, he states, "... I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision."

Has God given me a vision? Has He revealed to me a purpose, a plan for my life, for this season of my life? Can I say as Paul did- that I have not proved disobedient to the heavenly vision? Some tough questions to honestly answer...


Father God, Thank you so much for the precious gift of Your Word! How it speaks to me and challenges me, how it encourages me and ministers to me! It is a priceless treasure. I pray that you would help me to remember and take notice of the countless ways you have and do deal bountifully with me, and that I would never fail to give you praise. I pray that I would receive, know and embrace the vision you have for me at this season of my life, and that by your grace I would not prove disobedient to it. Thank you for loving me! In the precious and mighty name of Jesus, Amen.

No more...

Yesterday was just a bad day...

It was one of those days where I wanted to hang up my "Mommy Button" and escape for some peace and quiet...

It was one of those days ALL DAY LONG...

So I went to bed at 8:00 last night, but right before going to bed I read a short devotion in a book that was given to me this week for my birthday, and it spoke to my heart...


I wanted to share the prayer and the verse that were at the end of the devotion:

Dear Lord: When I feel confused and out of touch with my surroundings, help me remember that my spirit is simply longing for my real home - the place you have prepared for me. I know it will be far above what I could ever imagine. I long for it. But I also know that you want me to finish my journey here on earth. Give me the strength and the courage to do that in a way that is pleasing to you, my Savior and my God. Amen

Revelation 21:4
"God will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

(the above taken from "Hope for the Weary, Soul Restoration" by Terri Blackstock)

There will be no more! Thinking of my heavenly home and what it will be like infused me with hope and peace, knowing that one day I will be there, one day there will be no more....

No more...

• Stress
• Constant fighting and bickering between my children
• Headaches
• Harsh words spoken in anger or frustration
• To do lists
• Dust to have to clean (will there be dust in Heaven, I do not think so!)
• Sickness
• Pain
• Heartache
• Disappointments
• Hurt Feelings
• and on and on and on!

So, what "no more's" are you looking forward to in Heaven? Leave me a comment and let me know, I would love to know what you think! And have a wonderful weekend, focusing on the things that really matter, eternal things, not temporal things!

Thankful Thursday

"Therefore I tell you,

whatever you ask for in prayer,

believe that you have received it,

and it will be yours."

Mark 11:24

Today I am giving thanks for:

• The power of prayer! Recently I have seen the power of prayer work in my own life and in the lives of those in my church family... the power of prayer truly is an amazing thing! What a privilege we have, that we all too often do not exercise, that we can go boldly to the throne of grace in our time of need. To join me in praying for others go here.
• God's provisions for our family... we are blessed with everything we need and lots that we want...
• The quietness and stillness of the mornings when everyone else is still asleep, and the quietness of the evenings after our little guys have gone to bed...
• Bible studies, and time spent with other ladies who are studying the Word of God...
• My husband doing the dishes twice for me this week! What a nice treat that was!
• The warmer weather and beautiful days... you would never believe that we had snow here on Sunday!
• Laughter enjoyed with my family...
• Slices of lemon in my water, so very refreshing...
• Haircuts and eyebrow waxing!
• Publix... my favorite grocery store!

What are you thankful for today? I encourage you to take some time to think about it and then make sure you tell our Lord and Savior "Thank You..."





For more TT posts visit Grace Alone.

Word-Filled Wednesday

"Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it."
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

I have recently started reading "Holiness, the Heart God Purifies" by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. I wanted to share a prayer she shares at the beginning of this book:

Oh, God,
Show me more of Your holiness.
Show me more of my sinfulness.
Help me to hate sin and to love righteousness as You do.
Grant me a deeper conviction of sin
and a more thorough spirit of repentance.
And make me holy as You are holy.

She challenges us to commit to pray this prayer for 30 days... and see what God does in our hearts. I am committing to do this. If you would like to join me in praying this prayer for 3o days please leave me a comment and let me know... I would love for you to join me in this journey towards holiness, radical holiness. As Nancy states, "To be holy is to be wholly satisfied with Christ." That is something I want, how about you?

And for more WFW posts visit 160acrewoods!

Wordless Wednesday

Tuesday's Together in the Word!

Welcome to Tuesday's Together in the Word... We are a group of women reading through the New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs using the same reading plan and holding each other accountable. On Tuesdays we share what we have gleaned from our time of study in the Word. To join us and to read what others have to share visit DeeDee, we would love for you to join us!


Let's look at Acts 20:24-38, These were Paul's last words to the Ephesians...

²⁴"But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.

²⁵"And now, behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will no longer see my face. ²⁶"Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. ²⁷"For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.

²⁸"Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. ²⁹"I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; ³⁰and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.

³¹"Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears. ³²"And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

³³"I have coveted no one's silver or gold or clothes. ³⁴"You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my own needs and to the men who were with me. ³⁵"In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

³⁶When he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. ³⁷And they began to weep aloud and embraced Paul, and repeatedly kissed him, ³⁸grieving especially over the word which he had spoken, that they would not see his face again And they were accompanying him to the ship.

Paul knew, by the Holy Spirit, that he would not see the believers in Ephesus again, and his parting words to them would be well to be heeded by us today...

In verse 28 he tells them to "be on guard for yourselves and for ALL the flock." Why does he tell them to be on guard? We find that answer in verse 29, for "savage wolves will come in among you not sparing the flock," and in verse 30 he tells them that "from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them." Has this and is this not happening in our world today? I have seen this first hand in my very own family - and it is devastatingly heartbreaking.


In verse 31 Paul warns again, "Therefore be on the alert", and he "commends us to God and to the Word of His grace which is able to build us up", not tear us down, and "to give us an inheritance among all those who are sanctified" (verse 32).

After encouraging the Ephesians and us to be on guard and to be alert, he encourages us, through his example, not to covet but to help the weak and needy; and he reminds us of Jesus' words - "It is more blessed to give than to receive."

Realizing these are Paul's last words to people he loves makes me stop and think, "What would my last words be to someone whom I love dearly that I would most likely never see again?" I would want them to count, to exhort, to encourage, to point that one to Jesus and the Word - because nothing, absolutely nothing and no one, can build-up, save, deliver, rescue, love, or sanctify us like the unadulterated Word of God and the pure and holy love of Christ.


This has been a very timely revelation from the scriptures for me, words which I needed to hear and let sink in; as it speaks to a situation in my life currently, for which I would appreciate your prayers.


Father God, I pray that you would help me to always be alert and be on guard against the savage wolves and against those who speak and teach perverse things to draw your precious ones away from your flock. I pray for discernment and for a deep understanding of your truth, and I pray that your Holy Spirit would instantly alert me when those "savage wolves" and false teachers come my way. I also pray that You would put Your words in my mouth to speak to those you bring across my path, words that would point others to You, to Jesus, and to the Word of Your grace, which is able to build them up. Thank You for Your precious presence in my life and for the gift of Your Word. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Scripture Memory Verse

Here is my 1st scripture memory verse for March. This verse spoke volumes to me recently during a Beth Moore Bible study I am in, so I have decided to commit it and several after it to memory. It is from 1 Corinthians...

1 Corinthians 1:26-28

"Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong."

Are you joining us in memorizing scripture? If so I would love to know what scripture you are memorizing. You can head on over to LPM to see what LOTS of other women are memorizing!

I also want to encourage you to go over to my prayer blog and pray for the many people who need our prayers right now. I have recently added some people and some updates, and if you are committed to pray for these people I would love for you to follow me, you can do that on my side bar. I would love to see who all is praying with me for these precious people! Thanks!

Snow in the South!!

We awoke today to a blanket of snow!! The boys were very excited to say the least! We played before going to church and after we got back from church... most of the snow is gone now, but we enjoyed it while it was here! Just thought I would share a few pics....