Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Day 60: My Favorite Post For February...

Here are my five personal favorite post I did for this month... Thanks to all who followed me this month and left kind words here and on Facebook.

Day 39: Dying for Love... The truth behind Valentines Day...

Day 40: A new look at the opposite of Love...


Day 42: Rooted Deep in Love...


Day 43: To break a spell you need True Love: Part One...


Day 47: Love in action... Overcoming evil with good...



What were your favorites this month? (All post can easily be found on the right hand sidebar) See you all tomorrow.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Favorite Blogs/Websites Of February...

Today I would like to share a few of my favorite blog/websites. I will be doing this every month on the second to last day. Here were my favorite sites for January . I won't be sharing as many today, as I did last month, just because I really want you to visit the sites I share and I'll be doing this at the end of every month now... so I have a lot of chances to share my favorites.

Reflections
This is a newer blog I came across. Lisa writes very beautiful and thoughtful post! Take a look at her blog and read a few of her writings... even some older ones.

Help Vinnie Home...Our Adoption Journey
I did a  post on this blog a few days ago. This blog is from a beautiful family that is sharing their journey of adopting a baby boy in Russia with Ds. Currently they are doing a giveaway to help raise funds for the very very expensive adoption fees. Please visit their blog and share their story and if you feel lead to help please do.

What are some of your favorites blogs/ websites? Please share, even if it's your blog/website... I always enjoy finding new sites.

Monday, February 27, 2012

Day 58: Keep Guard Of Your Heart...

Today will be my last post for February. Tomorrow I will post on a few of my favorite blogs/websites, something I will do on the second to last day of every month. On the very last day I will post my five favorite blog post of the month... what were your favorites?

Today I would like to share with you something my mom read to me a few weeks back. She read it to me because it reminded her of one of my book characters from my book, The Realm of Hearts. One of my characters doesn't keep guard on their heart against a very dangerous lie. Of course he doesn't realize at the time it's a lie, due to the deceitful words that are promised to him... isn't that the way it often happens when we listen to Satan? We think we are getting something great, when all we are getting is something horrible.

Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life. ~Proverbs 4:23

Proverbs 4:23 exhorts us to guard our hearts " with all vigilance." Practically, that means we need to examine our attitudes and our thoughts on a regular basis and make adjustments as needed.

Many people are deceived into believing they cannot help what they think, but we can choose our thoughts. We need to think about what we have been thinking about. When we do that, it doesn't take very long to discover the root cause of a bad attitude.

Satan will always try to fill our minds with wrong thinking, but we do not have to receive everything he tries to give us. I would not take a spoonful of poison just because someone offered it to me, and neither would you. If we are smart enough not to swallow poison, we should also be smart enough not to allow Satan to poison our minds, attitudes, and, ultimately, our lives.

Guard your heart aggressively. Let your thoughts be good thoughts. Think about things that are honorable and true, and watch your heart attitude change. ~Joyce Meyer

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Day 57: Help Bring Vinnie Home...

Help the Sheffield family bring Vinnie home. They are wanting to adopt a beautiful little boy from Russia through Reece's Rainbow an organization with a mission to rescue orphans with Down Syndrome through the gift of adoption. To raise awareness for all the children who are waiting in 25 countries around the world, and to help raise funds as adoption grants that help adoptive families afford the high cost of adopting these beautiful children.
The cost for his adoption is very expensive. The Sheffield family have put together a great giveaway to help them raise funds for their little Vinnie. Please consider giving them a gift, even if it's just a little... every bit helps. Also please tell your friends and family about this. Thank you.



Who is Vinnie:
DOB: December 2007
Vinnie is delayed in all areas of his development. He can roll over, sit up and walks in a walker.  He responds to adult interactions, smiles and maintains eye contact. He plays briefly with toys, transfers them from hand to hand and throws them. He makes sounds and says basic syllables such as “ma-ma”.  Many of his delays are likely due to a lack of opportunity! His report indicates a need for physical and speech therapy.
Update on Vinne:
Vinnie was very social and active during the visit. He sought out physical touch and babbled (says "ma-ma"). The caretakers say that when a child starts to say "ma-ma" then they will be adopted.  He can stand up on his own, he crawls, and he walks well when he is holding somebody's hands. He eats from a spoon and drinks from a cup. He is growing slowly, but steadily and is a good eater. He reacts to lactose by becoming constipated, but with massaging his tummy and drinking pear juice, it is easily resolved. They cannot make him food individually without lactose.  His heart condition, which was described to us as a mild condition, showed that it had completely resolved at the most recent echo-cardiogram.  He is allergic to a cold medicine, but I can't remember what it is called. ~http://reecesrainbow.org/10663/vinnie-21-6




Grab This!

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Day 56: This One's For You Austan...

"There is no more beautiful sight than a young woman who glows with the light of the Spirit, who is confident and courageous because she is virtuous" ~Elaine S. Dalton

I would like to dedicate this post to a young lady that I’m blessed to have in my family. Austan Amanda, you are so beautiful inside and out. You are brave and at times a little crazy, yet always a joy to be around. Loving and never mean. Scary smart and a very hard worker.

I pray your 19th year is a very special year, filled with new growth in our loving Lord and may happiness always be in your heart. Keep shining!
Love you tons~

Friday, February 24, 2012

Day 55: Having Jesus In The Center... Of Marriage...

"Marriage today is struggling. Divorces, adultery, misconceptions, etc are plaguing not only the marriage itself but products of those marriages (my generation and the next). My hope in this poem is to highlight the most frequent and problematic issues marriages face today while also pointing to Jesus as the ultimate healer, redeemer, and restorer of every marriage. Whether single or married, my intention would be that this poem would allow you to look more deeply to Jesus to either better your current marriage, or prepare for your future marriage."

This is a view on sex and marriage that everyone needs to see. We shouldn't expect it to be a fairy tale and we should always keep Christ in the center of it. Listen to these words, they're very powerful. (Remember to pause my purple music box on the right sidebar. The bottom middle button will pause it)
 


Watch Christian Videos and Read the Online Bible at GodVine.com


Thursday, February 23, 2012

Day 54: Remember The Persecuted...

It's so easy to forget that Christians in different parts of our world are greatly being persecuted  for their beliefs. We Americans are so blessed to have freedom of religion. To not fear having a Bible in our own homes. To freely walk out of our door and go to a house of worship. To pray in public.

Sure we can sometimes get into arguments with others for our beliefs, might even get teased by peers, but I wouldn't call that persecution.

A Christian pastor from Iran named Youcef Nadarkhani, who is 34 years old, married with two young children, was arrested over two years ago on charges of apostasy. A trial court in Iran has issued its final verdict, ordering the Christian pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, to be put to death for leaving Islam and converting to Christianity.

I am ashamed to say that I had forgotten about this man, until I read new news about his verdict today via
http://www.christopherhopper.com/2012/02/iranian-pastor-sentenced-to-death/
blog post... please also read his post. It's has some more information, that I won't post here.

You might be saying what can little me do? I ask that you pray for this man and his family. Prayer is very powerful and one of the mightiest weapons we have. And I ask that you share his story with your friends and family. Post his story on your facebook, twitter, email, and if you have a blog/ website make a post about his story.  Feel free to copy my post. Let his name not be forgotten!

You can also help by sending a message to your US Representative here...
http://www.votervoice.net/core.aspx?aid=365&issueid=27605&siteid=0&app=GAC&ftfrecipientemail=ncarmichael05%40yahoo.com&isvisited=false

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Day 53: To What Lies Ahead...

 
I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward.
 ~Philippians 3:13-14

Today I lost a beloved childhood memory keeper. In a way it's bittersweet, yet in another it's something grand. I am no longer a child, haven't been for the last several years, yet the memories of being one are very fresh in my mind.

This memory keeper was bound to go someday, there was no way for me to keep it. Physically that was, because all those dear memories are stored in my brain. Some of them I had forgotten until today. My mom and I were laughing over some of the crazy memories we had. Here is what she cleverly posted on Facebook...
"Good-bye Jeep! Thanks for the memories. We've shared so many. You've held my children safely inside you when they were still in their baby seats. You've taken our family of four, plus two dogs (one being over 150 lbs.) on trips to grandmas house and even down to the Grand Canyon once. We've camped out with you and stuffed you to the brim with Costco trips and groceries. We had a lot of fun with you in the snow! Who knew with you being a Jeep and all, that you liked to do 360's down Hwy 4, oh AND play dead in the ditch! Yes you were quite the little rascal at times... We treated you pretty harshly, forgetting to change your oil, and never once giving you premium gas. Alas your poor little engine with it's 250,000 plus miles just gave out, and now we must part. NO, NO don't worry we're not parting YOU out, we're trading you in for something that will save us from the evil powers that be, that are raising our gas prices to unimaginable rates. Hopefully our newer car will be as great as you've been to us all these years....We will miss you....Good-bye."
Ha,ha,  I know, maybe a little crazy and far fetched for the lesson I'm trying to share with you. So here it is all wrapped up in a nice sized paragraph... and for those of you that might not get my humor.
 
The past is gone, the present is here, and the future is calling. Look forward to it... Hold those dear memories close, but don't be afraid to step out and make new ones. Who knows, they might even end up being better ones. After all God has a grand plan for all of us and I don't think I've reached mine, yet. 

Monday, February 20, 2012

Day 51: He Won't Relent...


Set me like a seal upon your heart, like a seal upon your arm; for love is as strong as death, jealousy is as hard and cruel as Sheol (the place of the dead). Its flashes are flashes of fire, a most vehement flame [the very flame of the Lord]!Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man would offer all the goods of his house for love, he would be utterly scorned and despised. 
~Song of Solomon 8:6-7

One of my all time favorite songs is, You Won't Relent by Jesus Culture. The lyrics are so beautiful and touching that I could listen to it fifty times in a row.

I did not know, until today, that it was written from the book Song of Solomon. I have gone over that book a few times, yet never saw this connection until today. I love how you keep finding new things in the Bible, no matter how many times you read it.

This love can not be destroyed, no matter how hard anything tries to take it away. It can not be changed, though we constantly try to change it to our own way. It can not be hidden, not matter if there are a thousand storms around you. I have set Him like a seal upon my heart and His love will never depart from me. It is His promise. The promise of this love. Thank you Jesus for your love, my heart is yours.

Please read the lyrics below and turn up your volume to hear my music player on the right hand sidebar. It is the second song that plays and one that is well worth listening to.


You Won't Relent
 By
 Jesus Culture 

You won't relent until You, have it all  
My heart is Yours  
You won't relent until You, have it all  
My heart is Yours
 
I'll set You as a seal upon my heart  
As a seal upon my arm  
For there is love that is as strong as death  
Jealousy demanding as the grave 
And many waters cannot quench this love  

Come be the fire inside of me  
Come be the flame upon my heart  
Come be the fire inside of me 
Until You and I are One
 
I don't want to talk about You  
Like You're not in the room  
I want to look right at You 
I want to sing right to You

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Day 50: Loving Isn't Always Easy...

 Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily.
It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. 
~1 Corinthians 13:4-5

It seems like I was tested a lot on this today. From an e-mail I received this morning that just really bugged me, and a phone call from a friend to do something I really rather not be part of, nor do. The truth is Love isn't always easy, especially when it comes to do with patients, kindness and most of all wrongs done to you.

My first reaction to this email this morning was, “Are you kidding me, I'm trying my best, give me a break. Just because I can't work as hard as others right now, doesn't mean I want to quit. What would make you think that? This is the beginning stages of it, give me some time, after all I have until the middle of this summer.”

Then that little voice that we all have, whispered, Ryan, remember this is something that is important for this person. He's trying his best on putting together something that isn't easy to do. This person isn't out to get you and more than likely he sent this email out to everyone, after all it didn't have your name in it.

I turned this into something it really shouldn't have been turned into. Sometimes we are so quick at turning what we think are things against us, when they could not be. Don't be quick at thinking harm, for it could turn something that is no big deal, into something ugly.

When a friend of mine called today and asked for help on putting together something, I of course said yes, but ended up regretting it when I found out what it was. Instead of dreading it like I am, I should see that helping others is usually rewarding.

I hope this post had a lesson in it for you, not just me ranting. If so, I am sorry about that and will try not to whine tomorrow. :-) Love endures long and is patient and kind.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Day 49: Love, Sex, and Purity...

Since I've dedicated the whole month of February on Love... I thought it might be good to look at the value of love, sex, and purity.

I recently read a wonderful post on Love, Sex and Purity at:
 http://www.christopherhopper.com/2012/02/sex/

Please read his entire PDF... and feel free to share it with your friends.

I was fortunate to be raised in a really good home that has taught me wonderful values on this topic, yet I see too many of my friends and peers throughout the years, that are not open to talking about it with their parents, nor their parents being open to talk about it to them.

Please also know this has a great section on learning to become pure again. None of us are perfect, we all do things we regret and it is never too late to learn to value yourself. You are valued way more than you know. Stand against what the world is telling you and push back the pressure of what others may be telling you... You are worth more and loved by your creator so very much!

Friday, February 17, 2012

Day 48: Sisterly Love...

Having a sister is like having a best friend you can't get rid of.  You know whatever you do, they'll still be there.  
~Amy Li
 


Today my sister and I had a fun, just ourselves, day together. We don't really get a chance to do this so much anymore in our busy lives... growing up can stink sometimes ;-) I consider my sister to be one of my best and closest friends. I can't remember a day in my life without a memory of her.

Siblings are truly a beautiful gift from God, yet sometimes we don't see it that way. A sibling can be the greatest friend you could ever have. God handpicked my sister for me. No one on this earth has, nor ever will, have DNA that matches mine, like my sister, not even my mom or my dad... how cool is that?

My relationship with my sister isn't always perfect, we fight like normal siblings do, but we enjoy being friends more.


Go do something fun, with your sibling(s) today. Take a new look at your brother(s) and/ or sister(s). Enjoy and love them! They are a handpicked gift for you.


Sibling relationships - and 80 percent of Americans have at least one - outlast marriages, survive the death of parents, resurface after quarrels that would sink any friendship.  They flourish in a thousand incarnations of closeness and distance, warmth, loyalty and distrust.  ~Erica E. Goode, "The Secret World of Siblings," U.S. News & World Report, 10 January 1994

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Day 47: Love in Action... Overcoming Evil With Good.

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.  Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.  Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”says the Lord. On the contrary:
   “If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
   if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good
~ Romans 12:9-21

Have you seen the movie, The Count of Monte Cristo? It's one that most people really enjoy. I've seen it a few times and considered it a pretty good movie, even recommended it, yet one thing has always been sort of a downer for me, something that I rooted for in the movie, but shouldn't have. In case you haven't seen the movie here is a short synopsis on it...

The Count of Monte Cristo' is a remake of the Alexander Dumas tale by the same name. Dantes, a sailor who is falsely accused of treason by his best friend Fernand, who wants Dantes' girlfriend Mercedes for himself. Dantes is imprisoned on the island prison of Chateau d'If for 13 years, where he plots revenge against those who betrayed him. With the help of another prisoner, he escapes the island and proceeds to transform himself into the wealthy Count of Monte Cristo as part of his plan to exact revenge.

The entire movie is about betrayal and exacting revenge. During the time that Dantes is in prison there are five words carved on his prison cell walls, "God Will Give Me Justice " He carves them in deeper during the 13 years he stayed in this horrible prison as if he were etching them into his brain, yet sadly he didn't understand them.

Dantes gets everything he could ever want when he becomes the Count of Monte Cristo, yet he is not pleased until he kills his friend that betrayed him.

We all have been betrayed by someone in our life that we trusted and loved. I was homeschooled during my High-school years, yet I went through some painful high-school drama from a girl that said some mean lies about my family and I. Too many people believed her lies and it greatly hurt. I wanted revenge against this pain. She had taken friends away from me and made me and my family into something we were not. This was a trying time, yet as crazy as this might sound, I am glad for it all. I learned to overcome evil, with good. This girl was a sad and miserable person... I didn't want to become like her. So I treated her with kindness. 
When we exact revenge we become like the ones who gave it... nothing good comes out it... only more sorrow.

Joyce Meyer says it in a nice way, "'But you don't know what was done to me," people say when trying to excuse their bitterness, resentment, and unforgiveness. Based on what the Bible says, it really does not matter how great the offense was. We serve a God Who is greater, and if we will handle the offense in the right way, He will bring us justice and recompense when we allow Him to do so.

In Isaiah 61: 7 the Lord promises us, "Instead of your {former} shame you shall have a twofold recompense." A recompense is a reward. It is a payback for past hurts. It is like worker's compensation. The Lord once told me, "Joyce, you work for Me, and as long as you do, if you get hurt on the job, I will pay you back."

Jesus taught us that we are to forgive those who hurt us, pray for those who spitefully use us, and bless those who curse us . That is hard. But there is something harder: being full of hatred, bitterness, and resentment."
 
 

God will give you justice. It might not be what you expect, but in the end it will be better than you could of imagined.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Day 46: Happy Birthday To The First Guy That Has Always Loved Me...

Today I would like to dedicate my post to someone very special in my life.

Someone that has taught me love, loved me every day of my life, no matter what I have done, and would literally do anything for me.

~*~Happy 46th Birthday Dad~*~

Thank you for being such a special person. I am blessed beyond words to have someone like you in my life and to be able to call you dad.God sure did give me a wonderful daddy!

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Day 45: Fall in Love With My Valentine...

 
I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine.
 ~ Song of Solomon 6:3

Valentine's can be a bitter and sad holiday. Love is something that many of us don't understand or we use poorly. My Valentine is the sweetest lover of all. He will not leave nor forsake you. He did not promise to be with you for just a short time or a lifetime, but eternity. My Valentine isn't just mine to have, but can also be yours... that is if you ask.

Thank you Jesus for being my valentine. Thank you for calling me your beloved. And thank you for giving me true love.

This is a really pretty song. A love song from my Valentine.(Remember to pause my purple music box on the right sidebar. The bottom middle button will pause it. Enjoy~)

Monday, February 13, 2012

Day 44: To Break a Curse You Need True Love: Part Two...

Yesterdays post Part One,  I talked about how true love breaks most curses in fairy tales and how a great prince came to break our curse... the greatest curse of all. No we don't live in a fairy tale, but yes we all had been under a grave curse.

This great prince goes by many names, but his most well known name would be Jesus. If you are reading this and don't believe in Jesus the great prince that came and saved us, I can imagine what you must be thinking. Here's another crazy person for Jesus. You are absolutely right on that. I am pretty crazy for Jesus and I think you would be too... if you truly got to know him.

Here are the two reasons that I see for many of us not wanting Jesus... feel free to call me what you want, but I hope it touches you and perhaps changes your heart and mind on Him.

Reason One: Some of us feel so undeserving of His love, afraid of rejection and failure. We bury ourselves in our pain of unwant and ignore the words of hope that echo in our heart. We eat our pain and flee from His love and everything good.

Reason Two: Some of us are cowards. We are so afraid of losing what we consider our own power and self worth . We are terrified that we will lose everything, for nothing. Because like reason number one we feel undeserving of His love, or we even kid ourselves that we don't need it.

The simple truth in all of this is that we all are undeserving of His love. So undeserving that there is nothing we can do to repay it or take the fall for this curse to save ourselves. The debt over us from this curse is so heavy that is took pure love to break it.

Jesus freely died for us. He freely took the fall and paid for our debt. He did not tell us to pay Him in return for it. He did not do it for just a few special people. He did it for every single soul that has walked and will walk in this world. He did it for you and I and He did it for free. You will lose nothing but the debt that is over you and you will gain more than you could ever dream.

Let go of your pain and reach out to the one that loves you so much. He has made you worthy.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Day 43:To Break a Curse You Need True Love: Part One...

In most fairy tales it takes love to break a curse. When Snow White ate the poisonous apple and was declared dead, her true love kissed her and broke the curse. Sleeping Beauty, was cursed in a deep sleep forever unless her true love was found and kissed her. A great, yet ugly hearted prince was cursed to look just like his heart, and told that only true love could return his beauty or he would forever be cursed to look like a beast. These are just a few examples of True Love breaking curses in fairy tales.

What does this have to do in the real world? Will you see, we too had a great and horrible curse over us. A curse that could only be broken by... True Love. Our curse was much more grave than these fairy tales. We were doomed to an eternal death and there was nothing we could do about it.

But a King in a far away land knew of this curse and he was greatly hurt by it, for he loved us beyond words. He told his only son to go and break the curse, but this curse was not going to be easily broken... a simply kiss would not do it. It would take something much greater than that. The Kings Son who was innocent of this curse, took it all upon him and sacrificed his life for us. He took our curse of eternal death and restored unto us eternal life.

This great Kings Son's name is Jesus Christ and he is no fairy tale, but indeed our savior! Tune in for my next post to find out more about our Savior.

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Day 42: Rooted Deep In Love...

May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the [Holy] Spirit [Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality].
May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love,
That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God's devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it];
[That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]! ~Ephesians 3:16-19

I live very close to a place know for some of the biggest trees in the world. The picture above has not been Photoshopped and  isn't even close to one of the biggest trees in this beautiful and amazing park.
It's one of my all time favorite places to visit in the summer and I never loose the awe of what my eyes look upon. This place holds something special, something I have a hard time putting into words. It almost feels like you walk into another world. Your mind has a hard time wrapping around, that what you are seeing... is real.

Wouldn't it be amazing to be so rooted in love like these strong, tall, trees? These trees are so strong that even great fires, wind, and lightning have a had time destroying them. God's love can not be measured, nor counted. It is beyond our ability to sum it up, yet always within our reach, to grab, hold, and have...

Friday, February 10, 2012

Day 41: Some Quotes On Love...



"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart."
~Helen Keller

Love and kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference.
~ Barbara De Angelis


Thursday, February 9, 2012

Day 40: A New Look At The Opposite Of Love...

My mom read this to me this morning, during her Bible study and I was touched by it. Hate was a word that was never allowed in my house when I was younger. I was never allowed to say, " I hate you" to my sister if I got in a little fight with her. My parents knew it was an ugly word and I learned it was an ugly thing to say to others. Now that I am older though, I have caught myself using it in a different way, the way this message below shares it. Wow... thank you again mom, for teaching me to stay away from this ugly word.

And you say, How I hated instruction and discipline, and my heart despised reproof! ~Proverbs 5:12

As believers, you and I should not hate instruction as we read about in Proverbs 5:12, but we should be teachable. If we ever get to the point where we think we know everything, then we can be assured that we know nothing! We need to stop hating and despising things-- even little things. People use the words hate and despise quite casually, making comments such as: "I hate going to the grocery store," or "I hate traffic." or "I despise my job." We are not supposed to hate anything but sin.

We all are tempted to hate certain things, just as we are prone to dread certain things. God has taught me that dread is a close relative of fear. We do not need to dread doing the dishes, getting up, going to work, exercising, or anything else. Satan uses those feelings of dread and our feelings of hatred to deceive us. We simply are not to have hearts that despise anyone or anything. If you have hatred in your heart, repent and then ask God to replace your despising attitude with His love and grace.

The words above were written by Joyce Meyer's. I hope you have a different opinion on, hate. May God's great love only fill your heart and hate stay far away. I choose to never say this word again and I hope you do too, unless of course it's directed towards sin.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Day 39: Dying For Love.... The Truth Behind Valentine's Day...

 I recently found this wonderful post by someone on facebook and it's too good to not share. I never knew the story of Saint Valentine. I have a much different look for this holiday and won't ever forget the touching  beautiful story behind it all.

As we approach valentines day let us see where God and His Love fits in to it!

I wonder how many of you remember the story behind the origins of Valentine’s Day. You know, it is called Saint Valentine’s Day for a reason.

Approximately 250 years after Jesus was born in Bethlehem, there was a priest by the name of Valentine. He lived in Rome during the reign of Emperor Claudius, who was committed to rebuilding the once-great Roman army. However, he believed it was important for men to volunteer for armed service, rather than drafting men into service against their will. But, given a choice, most young men in the Roman Empire refused to serve. They’d rather stay at home with their wives and children than go off into battle.

Claudius came to believe that only single men would volunteer for service, so he issued a royal edict that banned all further marriages. He actually outlawed weddings in the Roman Empire, earning himself the nick-name Claudius the Cruel.

Valentine thought it was ridiculous! One of his favorite duties as a priest was to marry people. So after Emperor Claudius passed his law, Valentine secretly continued performing marriage ceremonies. He would whisper the words of the ceremony, while listening for soldiers on the steps outside.

One night, Valentine did hear footsteps at his door. The couple he was marrying escaped, but he was caught. He was thrown in jail and sentenced to death. Valentine tried to stay cheerful. Many of the young couples he had married came to visit him in jail. They threw flowers and notes up to his window. They wanted him to know that they, too, believed in love.

One day, he received a visit from the daughter of one of the prison guards. Her father allowed her to visit him in his cell and they often sat and talked for hours. She believed he did the right thing by ignoring the Emperor and performing weddings. On the day Valentine was to die, he left her a note thanking her for her friendship and loyalty. He signed it, “Love from your Valentine.” That note started the custom of exchanging love notes on Valentine’s Day. It was written on the day he died, February 14, 269 A.D.—a day that was set aside in honor of a man who gave his life for God and for love. Now, every year on this day, people remember Saint Valentine, but most importantly, they think about love.

Everyone loves love! We want to be loved and we want to give love. The problem is—our love is lacking just like we are. It’s often conditional upon our own mood or our loved one’s actions, appearance or attitude. When it comes to love, all of us fall a little short, don’t we? Some of us are as confused about love as little five-year-old Kari who told her teacher, “Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving  cologne and they go out and smell each other.”




Next time you think of Valentines being a holiday of just giving and getting chocolates and cards, remember the truth behind it all. Love is the greatest thing we have ever been given.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Day 38: Shine His Love...

Following Christ has nothing to do with success as the world sees success. It has to do with love.
 ~ Madeleine L'Engle 

What makes believers so different from non-believers is having, Christ like love. When we show, Christ like love, something unexplainable happens. The meanest person around you, can turn nice. A sad person, becomes happy. The room brightens in your presence because of His love. The world around you notices something different and will reach and desire to have a piece of it for themselves.

Don't be afraid and hide it... open it up, let his loving light shine out of you and see what happens.

This week try doing something different to show the love of Jesus. It can be as easy as maybe paying for the person behind you in line at Starbucks. You might be surprised at how the little things can make a big impact on someones heart.

Monday, February 6, 2012

Day 37: Saying I Love You... More...

Today my mom and I had to take our puppy Wyatt, to an emergency vet visit. Poor Wyatt's eyes and face quickly swelled up at the start of today and gave us quite a scare. The vet was not able to get us in and see us until mid-afternoon. We could tell that little Wyatt was in great pain, but there was nothing we could do, but give him some comfort, with gentle words and soft petting.

If you have been following my blog, you would have read about him in my,  Prayer, Googling, and Dog Whispering...

You see, my family and I have been struggling with Wyatt for the last four months that we have had him. It's been what I thought and felt a "love and hate" relationship with him. He's full blown Australian Shepherd  ... Google that, and you'll see what we are dealing with. Too much energy, scary smarts, with a mix of... crazy.
During this scary incident today I realized how much, I loved him. How much I truly cared for him. How much sorrow filled my heart, at the thought of something really bad happening to him.

I hear too many people say how they rarely hear or say the words "I Love You" to the ones they care about. Don't let an opportunity of saying, I Love You, ever pass you by. There is no such thing of never saying it too much, but there is such a thing of saying it too little.

As for Wyatt, he is okay... just a bad allergic reaction to something he got into outside.

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Day 36: Sharing Love...

Open your Heart to the love God instills...
God loves you tenderly. 
What He gives you is not to be kept under lock and key, but to be shared. ~Mother Teresa


Today, see if you can stretch your heart and expand your love so that it touches not only those to whom you can give it easily, but also those who need it so much.  
~Daphne Rose Kingma

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Day 35: Love Is Found Again... Review On, Bridge Called Hope by Kim Meeder...

Cross Over Troubled Waters    

Hope is like the stars—always there, yet shining brightest in the blackest of nights. It is like the dawn, always rising anew. Hope is for everyone, and that includes you. This collection of more than twenty true stories from a ranch of rescued dreams unveils the heart of true strength and the character of genuine courage. Experience for yourself the kind of love and hope that change a person from the inside out. Because sometimes, just believing in someone is enough for them to start believing in themselves. It’s the galvanizing truth that no matter how deep your pain…God’s love exceeds it still.

Sometimes, just believing in someone is enough for them to start believing in themselves…

Without raising his eyes to look at me, in a voice barely clearing the horizon of a whisper, he said, “I know you don’t love me… You just say that ’cuz you’re an adult and it’s kinda like your job. But I know you don’t really love me.”

Suffering and blessing balance on the same high wire, each giving stability and depth to the other. The one that we feel the most…is ultimately the one that we give the most.

It was her eyes that gave her away. The conflict of her mortal illness versus her will raged behind them. Her body shouted, “I’m sick and it’s getting harder and harder to do the things I love!” while her indomitable will shouted back, “Yeah, but I’m just a little kid, and little kids should get to ride horses!”

What a relief it is when we begin to understand that it is within our hardships that truth is elevated from our hearts to our heads.

“During the darkest days I’d ever known, I was introduced to the unconditional love of a little horse and a merciful God, and my life has never been the same,” says author Kim Meeder. And her book proves that hope is not only for us to keep…but to give.

Story Behind the Book
“I was moved to write Hope Rising and Bridge Called Hope because, when I needed it the most, someone shared hope with me and it saved my life. During the darkest days I’d ever known, I was introduced to the unconditional love of a little horse and a merciful God, and my life has never been the same. Everything in our life is about choices. We cannot control our circumstances, but we can control how we choose to feel about them. The pain that we feel in this life is certain. What is equally certain is how we choose to feel about the pain. It can destroy us—or it can define us. The choice is uniquely ours.” —Kim Meeder


My Review:
Bridge Called Hope, is Kim Meeder's second book of her beautiful and incredibly touching stories, of her rescue youth ranch in, Oregon. I enjoyed this book even more than the first one and I really cherished the first one. Kim Meeder, writes her stories with unique beauty. The way she tells her stories makes them never leave your heart. Animals are so forgiving, so loving, and most of all so healing. I highly recommend, Bridge Called Hope.



For more information on this beautiful ranch, please visit their website www.crystalpeaksyouthranch.org
To purchase, A Bridge Called Hope by Kim Meeder, please go to
http://www.christianbook.com/bridge-called-stories-triumph-rescued-dreams/kim-meeder/9781590526552/pd/526554?event=AFF&p=1028518

All Pictures are from their website.

Friday, February 3, 2012

Day 34: No Greater Love...


No one has greater love [no one has shown stronger affection] than to lay down (give up) his own life for his friends.~John 15:13



When you look and read this verse you might be thinking, wow that's beautiful, but who would do that? Not many you say...

Will you see, we have many people every singly day, that do this for you and I. They are our brave men and woman that have sacrificed their lives for our freedom, our country, and our very own lives.

Our military is made up of volunteers, people that were freely welling to give up their life for at least four years. Being a normal American this can be hard to understand. We are free to do just about whatever we choose to do. Our military must follows the orders, no matter the cost. These are truly extraordinary people and ones that should never be disrespected, nor ever forgotten. 
 
Thank a military person today. Let them know that you are grateful for their love and their sacrifice. Without them, our world would be much different.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Day 33: Serving Love...


For you, brethren, were [indeed] called to freedom; only [do not let your] freedom be an incentive to your flesh and an opportunity or excuse [for selfishness], but through love you should serve one another.


Is there someone in your life that you just can't stand to be around. An annoying coworker, that peer that never says nice things to you, or perhaps a neighbor that never smiles your way? With every chance you get, you avoid them. You see we have been giving something special, something that must be shared, not hidden.
Invite that annoying coworker to lunch, say something nice to that mean peer, and give a smile to your neighbor.
Don't be afraid to reach out. Serving others in love is never a tiny task, nor is it always easy, but it's so wroth it! Give it a try...

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Day32: The Mark of 100 and Enduring Love...

 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. 
Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. 
For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
~ Psalm 100

This is my 100th post! I know 100 is not really a big number considering how many years I've had this blog, but I'm still proud to hit this mark.

This month I would like to reflect on the Love of God. In a month that is mostly known for and greatly celebrates "Love" I think it fits pretty well to talk a lot about it.

God's Love is so much different than the love we think we know. Love is a big, BIG word and much deeper than a lot of us have touched. In a culture that tosses it out like it's nothing, it's easy to see it as nothing. Love is not something that was meant to last and be felt for a short "happy" time. True love, is eternal as our God of Love so greatly shows.
For the LORD is good and his love endures forever.