Katrina at Callapider Days has come up with a great idea for this fall. She's created the Fall in to Reading Challenge. I thought was a good idea. I love to read especially inspirational books. I read a lot devotional books also. I usually try to read before I go to bed if I am not too tired from work. I almost always end up catching up on the weekends on my reading. I have a book shelf by my bedside with a lot books that I still need to read. I usually end up reading several books at one time so it takes me a while to finish one. So here is my list of books to read this Fall.

Only Holy Ground
by Charles Stanley

Voices of the Faithful
by Beth Moore

Prayers that avail much for Women
by Germaine Copeland


Finding God
by John Fischer

Love Him in the Morning
by John Fischer

Grace for the Moment
by Max Lucado


One year of HOPE
by Nancy Guthrie


Women of the Bible
by Anne Spangler











Books I have finished

Your Late again Lord
by Karon Phillips Goodman

A Day with a Stranger
by David Gregory

A Women and her God
by Beth Moore

Dinner with a Perfect Stanger
by David Gregory

I love this Passage in the bible. I read it again last night in a book I am reading called Finding God by John Fischer. This passage seems to keep finding its way to me. I love the last verse in this passage. So I thought I would post it.

Luke 24:13-32 (New International Version)

On the Road to Emmaus

13Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16but they were kept from recognizing him.

17He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?"

They stood still, their faces downcast. 18One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?"

19"What things?" he asked.

"About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see."

25He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" 27And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

28As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. 29But they urged him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them.

30When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"

Friday Five Meme

Susie at A Pink Carnation in Bloom tagged me for this meme.


1)Five Minutes to yourself. How would you spend them ideally?
-I would have to say praying to God. I love having time to myself and when I do get chance to be by myself I usaually want to spend time with God. Even if it is only five minutes. Like in the mornings on my five minute drive to work.

2)Five Dollars to spend right now. How and where would you spend it?
-Probably at Cold Stone Creamery on some for coffee lovers only ice cream. I love coffee flavored ice cream from there.

3)Five Items in your house you could part with right now.
-My bedroom furniture. Acutally most of furniture we own. We still have furniture from when Doug was in college.
-Doug would say my two cats but that will never happen.
-My mixer. I would love to have a Kitchen Aid mixer.
-My coffee pot.
-My toaster. I love to cook and bake and all my kitchen appliances need to be replaced.

4)Five Items in your house you positively, absolutely could never part with.
-My violin that my dad bought me in the 5th grade.
-My pictures of my great grandmother
-My cedar chest that my mother-in-law gave me for a christmas present. I was surprised when she gave it to me. They found it at a antique store and it was painted black and she had it stripped and refinished for me. And Doug's grandpa fixed the top of it by putting some braces on the inside because the top of if was split into two peices. He does wood working anyway, he made it look nice. So it means alot to me.
-My quilts made by my grandmother and the quilt I made a few years ago. My grandmother's quilts are made out double knit fabic from the 70's and they are tied quilts.
-My bunny rabbit that was given to me when I was born. He only has one eye left now. He is 33 years old.

5)Five Words you love.
-Jesus. He is such a part of my life. He has always been there but have recently found Him again and it is so awesome to have Him in your life.
-Awesome. I use this word a lot I guess especially to describe the experience's I have had in the last several months about what has happened to me by surrendering my life to God.
-Grace. God's Grace is wonderful.
-Hope. There is always hope.
-Faith. My Faith in God has Grown so much over the last sereval months. I guess all these words means so much because of what I have been though the last year with my back and other things. I now look back and what I thought was hopeless at the time really wasn't I was just looking in all the wrong places for what I needed and what I needed was God and found Him in a very special way. And God put some very special people in my life to help me find my way.
Philippians 1:6
And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.

These are pic's from the scrapbooking retreat I went on this past weekend. I enjoyed it so much. There was sixteen women that went and it was such a good time. The log cabin was great. I love staying in log cabins. It did rain for a little bit on Saturday and it was so pretty looking at the rain thought the huge window in the cabin.

I thought this cartoon was cute and I wish sometimes my cats would just stay in bed all day too.

If I had a second chance



If I had a second chance
I'd stop looking and start seeing
If I had a second chance
I'd treat everyone as a human being

I'd stop talking and start giving
Stop hiding and start living
I'd do more listening and a lot less talking
Enjoy the world and do more walking

If I had a second chance
I'd take my eyes off my watch
And watch with my eyes
To notice the trees and the beautiful sky

I'd stop criticizing and show more love
Be less forgetful to give thanks to the One above
I'd be less angry and give up my pride
And share with the world what I have inside

I'd stop hating and be more kind
And give a little more of my precious time
I'd give more encouragement and a lot more praise
And do a lot less judging, for I too have lost my way

I'd get my priorities in order and straight
Better now than never... I'm just a little late
I'd stop chasing hopelessly after the wind
From this point on, a new I begin

I'd find my way back to GOD'S Grace
And hope to never again lose my place
I'd change my life and make a stance
Oh, GOD, what I wouldn't give for a second chance

It's not the destination that counts in life
But the journey with the people we love
That's all that really matters...

Such a simple truth so easily forgotten...

Sabotaging a witness
by John Fischer

A lot of Christians stay relatively quiet about their faith when in the company of those who don’t know Christ. There are probably lots of reasons for this, but the one I hear most frequently is the feeling of not being good enough. “Who am I to tell someone about Jesus,” the rationale goes, “when my own life is in such a mess?”

There is an improper assumption that goes along with this kind of thinking, that in order to witness for Christ you have to have a close to impeccable life. There’s a certain standard one has to live up to before being in a position to tell someone about Jesus. Otherwise, people will point the finger at you and spot your own inconsistencies.

The absurdity in this kind of thinking is the fact that no one, not even Christians, will ever have it all together in this life. Instead of being an excuse not to witness, the fact that we aren’t good enough should be the whole point. We tell people about Jesus because we know, better than anyone, how much we need him. When people throw our own inconsistencies up in our faces that is just another opportunity to tell our own story of how Christ has forgiven us on the cross and how much we need his salvation every day. So instead of being a threat to our witness, our faults and shortcomings are the very things upon which our witness hangs. If we were perfect, we wouldn’t need Jesus.

When I think of the essence of our statement as Christians to those who don’t know Christ, I always think of the blind man that Jesus healed by covering his eyes with mud and telling him to go wash in the pool of Siloam. (John 9:1-34) When the Jewish religious leaders got wind of it, they started to question the man extensively – wanting to know who healed him, how it happened, where the man who healed him was now, and even asking his parents to verify whether their son was in fact born blind. When they came back to the man and pressed him with questions a second time, accusing Jesus of being a sinner for doing work on the Sabbath, the man replied, “I don’t know whether he is a sinner … But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!” (John 9:25 NLT)

There’s our message: “I was blind, and now I can see; I was lost, and now I am found; I was guilty, and now I’m forgiven; I was alone, and now I have a friend.” It doesn’t take a perfect life to spread that message – just a saved one. So what’s keeping you from telling your story?

These are my two cats snowflake and socks. They are so silly. They love to sit by the window and get in the basket. Yes they are very big cats. Snowflake is right at 20lbs and socks is 14lbs. They are like my children. Snowflake is so demanding. He won't leave you alone until he gets what he wants and socks is more timid. He gets scared so easily. He is deathly afriad of the vacum cleaner. All I have to do is just move it and he is gone. Snowflake on the other hand he is deaf. Nothing bothers him. You have to move him out of the way of the vacum cleaner.

Prayer: Your Powerful Priority
September 11, 2006
Key Passage: Luke 9:28-36
Topic: Prayer
About eight days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John to a mountain to pray. (Luke 9:28, NLT)
September 11, 2001--the nation looked on as the New York skyline and our lives were forever changed. Lives were lost, fear and anger gripped the nation…and people prayed.
In the face of tragedy, people cry out to God. We look to Him for guidance, for strength, for deliverance, for miracles. Five years ago today, it seemed like nearly everyone in America was praying.
But what about five and a half years ago? Six months before the attack--what happened then? I don't know. But who was praying then? We're quick to pray when things are hard. But when things are going well, we tend to ignore God. Let's take a new look at a few passages we've already seen in Luke that touch on prayer: "As he was praying" (3:21, NLT), "Jesus often withdrew…for prayer" (5:16, NLT), "he prayed to God all night" (6:12, NLT), "asked God's blessing" (9:16, NLT), "Jesus was alone, praying; (9:18, NLT). It's easy for us to get hung up looking at the more glamorous parts of Jesus ministry. We love the stories about His miracles; we pour over His teachings for wisdom. But we overlook Him praying. Jesus was always going off to pray. He made it a priority. These weren't quick little "God-bless-my-burger" prayers. He spent time praying--pouring out His heart and listening for words from His Father."

Let's take a new look at a few passages we've already seen in Luke that touch on prayer: "As he was praying" (3:21, NLT), "Jesus often withdrew…for prayer" (5:16, NLT), "he prayed to God all night" (6:12, NLT), "asked God's blessing" (9:16, NLT), "Jesus was alone, praying; (9:18, NLT).
It's easy for us to get hung up looking at the more glamorous parts of Jesus' ministry. We love the stories about His miracles; we pour over His teachings for wisdom. But we overlook Him praying.
Jesus was always going off to pray. He made it a priority. These weren't quick little "God-bless-my-burger" prayers. He spent time praying--pouring out His heart and listening for words from His Father.


If Jesus made it a common practice to spend time in prayer, what makes us think that we can go a day without praying?
"Prayer does not prepare us for the great work; prayer is the great work." --Oswald Chambers

Just thinking about 9/11 today. I remember I was driving to work in Memphis, TN and not thinking what I was hearing on the radio was real but I soon found out when I got to work it was very real. My heart just sunk. It was the worst feeling. We watched T.V. at work all day and had alot of patients cancel their procedures. Again today they had the T.V.'s on at work with all the memorial services going on for all the people who lost their lives that day. I could not believe what I was seeing that day. I never thought that anything like that could happen here. I was just in disbelief. I pray for all the people in the Armed services serving our country and to the people that lost their lives that day and their families. My heart goes out to all of them.

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing songs to God as the other prisoners listened. ACTS 16:25

Great acts of faith are seldom born out of calm calculation. It wasn't logic that caused Moses to raise his staff on the bank of the Red Sea...And it wasn't a confident committee that prayed in a small room in Jerusalem for Peter's release from prison. It was a fearful, desperate, band of backed-into-a-corner believers. It was a church with no options...And never were they stronger. At the beginning of every act of faith, there is often a seed of fear.

I read this a couple of weeks ago and I could identify with what it said. Thought I would share it. I am not a morning person and it seems no matter how hard I try to get up earlier to try to spend time with God it never seems to happen now that I am back at work. I often find myself spending time with God on my five minute drive to work in the morning and saying a quick pray before I get there. Anyway, I thought this was a good article and the story that is at the end of this article I thought was beautiful and well said.




I have a hard time worshiping God on Monday mornings. For some reason the inspiration I had on Sunday starts to fade as soon as I begin the slow grind of the week. It's not that my cup is never filled; it often overflows. But I think it's leaky!

On Sunday night I have no troulbe worshiping God. On Sunday night, I'm on top of the world, relaxed from the weekend. With the message from chruch still fresh in my mind, I'm inspired to live enthusiastically for Christ. The fellowship of friends has encouraged and refreshed me. This week, I tell myself, will be different. This week I will be more joyful. This week I will stay foused on my walk. Every day will begin with prayer and devotion.

Then Monday morning comes. For starters, I'm not really a morning person. In fact I'm not really even a person in the morning! Of course, it's not my fault. As a teen I believed this problem was the result of a serious disease. I had heard of something called morning sickness and thought I must have it. My mother assured me that I couldn't get it; instead, she diagnosed my condition as L.S.S.(Lazy Slob Syndrome). The disease not only ravaged my body in the days of my youth, but it also continues to be a problem.

So how can I keep focused on God as I battle this brutal condition? I have difficulty matching my socks in the morning, let alone comprehending the Trinity!

When it coines to mornings, I wish I could identify with the psalmist when he wrote, "In the morning my prayer meets You" (Ps. 88:13). Often in my nighttime excitement I have promised God I will do just that, only to slap the snooze button and sleep through the seeking.

Maybe you're different. Maybe you belong to that annoying segment of the population known as "The Morning People." As the day winds down, so do you. But when it starts up again, you're as chipper as a ground squirrel.

Well, no matter what time of the day we are at our best or what mood we find ourselves in, as Christians we all have a similar calling. We are called to live in the light of eternal truths.

I have to admit that on Monday mornings God doesn't feel very real to me. I look at my to-do list.This is what is real, I think to myself. Phone calls, tasks, and deadlines. God seems so far away.

But I remind myself that I am not a Christian because of some passing feeling. My faith is based on the truth of God's Word and my relationship with His Son, Jesus. As a result I am a member of a kingdom that Jesus Himself warned is "not of this world" (John 18:36).

As members of this invisible kingdom, we have a difficult calling-to set our sights above the things we can see. We strive to behold a supernatural kingdom while still living in this world.

This is not an easy task. Many times we drown out the voice of God with the loudness of our lives. Yes, Jesus is in our hearts, but the world is in our faces. As a result, it takes time and attention to search for God. But I've found that it is well worth it, for He is a God who waits to reveal Himself!

I was reminded of this truth in a story I read recently about a young girl. The girl with deep blue eyes had been blind since birth. When she was 12, doctors were able to perform a new type of surgery would give her the gift of sight if it was successful. After the bandages were removed, her eyes had to be protected from the light for several days. So she sat in darkness, waiting.

The mother spent long hours answering her daughter's questions about what things looked like and what she should expect. They both were so excited about the possibility of her being able to see that neither of them slept much. Over and over they talked about every lovely thing they could imagine-colors, shapes, beauty of every kind.

Finally the moment came when the young girl's eyes could endure enough light for her to look out the window. She stood there for a long time without saying a word. Outside, the spring day was ideal-bright and warm with fluffy, white clouds decorating the blue sky. Lacy blossoms stirred the cherry trees. Yellow crocuses lined the brick walkway that wound across the grass.

When the girl turned back to her mother, tears were streaming down her cheeks. "Oh mother, why didn't you tell me it would be so beautiful?"

This story mirrors our relationship to the eternal realm. We have heard the descriptions of what our eyes will one day see. We have read about the wonders of God and heaven. Yet when we get to heaven, I wonder if we will have the same question for God that the little girl had for her mother, "Oh, why didn't You tell me it would be so beautiful?"

I know that heaven holds beauty that far surpasses any description. That is an exciting truth.Yet my excitement fades when I realize that in this world all too often we live with bandages still tightly wrapped around our eyes. Barely any light any light gets though. But instead of accepting darkness, we can let Jesus gently unravel our bandages and flood our lives with His light, power, and love.

If we focus on Him, we will have lives that transcend what our earthly eyes can see. The Father of Light longs to dispel our darkness and heal our sin-scarred eyes, even in the morning.

Storms of Life

The Bible uses the storm as a picture of hard times in our lives. These “life storms” may include danger, sickness, persecution or the death of a loved one. When hard times come, people sometimes feel as if their circumstances, like giant waves or howling winds, are about to destroy them.

David experienced these feelings many times. One time, as he ran for his life, he felt especially desperate. “The waves of death swirled about me,” he later said. “The torrents of destruction overwhelmed me” (2 Samuel 22:5).

But in the midst of terrible danger, David made an important discovery: God was nearby, ready to save him. David called out for help and God answered.

“He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me” (2 Samuel 22:17-18). David not only escaped death, he later became Israel's king.

Just as God uses physical storms to accomplish His purposes, He may use difficult times in your life to strengthen your faith or draw you closer to Him. Like Jonah, Paul and David, you also have an important place in God's plan.

No matter how big the storm is, God is right beside you. Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” The Lord offers His children protection from life's storms.

Next time you hear thunder, feel the driving wind or watch ocean waves crash against the rocks, remember that God controls every storm—just as He controls your life.

A Different Book Meme

A Different Book Meme

Okay, I found another fun meme at Susie's site and I wanted to join in too. Here is how it works.

1. Grab the book you are currently reading. (which is hard if you are like me and are reading several at a time- which I don't recommend)
2. Turn to page 123.
3. Scroll down to the 5th sentence.
4. Post the text of the next 3 sentences, the name of the book and the author.













You must listen and follow, like the sheep for their shepherd, without question.
"And when (the shepherd) brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice" (John 10:4).
What a comfort--to have the Lord go out before me so that I can follow in complete trust, with my heart.

This is so weird that this happened to be the three sentences. What this says is so close to my heart and what is going on in my life right now. So I am glad I decided to do this. I actually just got through reading this book. And I have not started another book yet.

Your disappointments too heavy? Read the story of the Emmaus-bound disciples. The savior they thought was dead now walked beside them. He entered their house and sat at their table. And something happened in their hearts. "It felt like a fire burning in us when Jesus talked to us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us" (Luke 24:32). Next time you're disappointed don't panic.
Don't give up. Just be patient and let the God remind you he's still in control.

Let us hold firmly to the hope that we have confessed, because we can trust God to do what he promised. Hebrews 10:23

Here are a few pic's from the mission trip from this weekend. It was a great weekend and a awesome experience. God just seems to show me more everytime I go. This is my second trip here and it such a blessing to help the needs of the people there. I plan on trying to learn spanish so I can commuicate with the people better. I feel that God has put it on my heart to learn the language. So I will be spending my time now trying to do that. It is so awesome to be able to serve in this way. I know that this is what I am suppose to do. It is in my heart and God is in my heart and this is where he is taking me. I am excited for what the future holds for me in missions.

Your heart will be where your treasure is. Matthew 6:21

The most powerful life is the life that knows where its going, that knows where the source of strength is, and the life that stays free of clutter and happenstance and hurriedness. Being busy is not a sin. Jesus was busy. Paul was busy. Peter was busy. Nothing of significance is achieved without effort and hard work and weariness....But being busy in an endless pursuit of things that leave us empty and hollow and broken inside that cannot be pleasing to God.

Monday 8/28/2006

You will keep on guiding me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. Psalm 73:24

I found these questions on another friends blog that I like to read.

What was your favorite thing about being a kid?
Playing outside. We always played outside we never wanted to go inside. We would play till dark. My sister and I liked to ride our pink banana seat bicycle's, jumping on our trampoline, playing on a tire swing, and we would always make houses out of the pine needles that would fall from the tree. We had no worries. I also remember trying to catch lighting bugs with our Dad. We stayed outside as much as we could.

What was your favorite subject in school?
I really hated school. I really did not have a favorite subject. I know that sounds awful.

Who was your best friend when you were ten?
My friend Kristy. We always played after school while waiting on our moms to pick us up. I actually ran into her again a couple of years ago and had dinner with her but we are different people now.

If you could be any animal what would you be?
A cat of course.

What would you change about your school, occupation, or life right now?
I would not change what I do really. I am a nurse and nursing is a fast paced job and you never have enough help. I enjoy helping people getting through whatever they are dealing with. If I could do anything else and not have to worry about money or anything else I think I would like to be in full time missons somewhere in a differnet country.


What is your favorite color?
Pink and Red

What is your favorite crust and your favorite pizza topping?
Thin crust pizza from pizza hut with pork sausage and pineapple. I know that sounds weird but I tend to like weird things anyway.

I really like how this word cloud works. It pretty much sums up my life in one little box.

Luke 7:11-17
When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. "Don't cry!" He said (Luke 7:13, NLT).
The scene in today's passage finds a mother preparing to bury her only son. She's already lost her husband, and now her child. If you've ever lost a loved one, you're familiar with the grief and sorrow this woman must have been suffering.
Know what? So was Jesus.
The Bible says that Jesus' "heart overflowed with compassion" when He saw the grieving mother. He was moved emotionally to see her heartbroken--that's amazing! I mean, Jesus knew He could walk over and bring the young man back to life with just a touch or a word. He knew this woman wouldn't have to grieve for long. Still, He not only saw her pain, He felt it as well.
Did you know the same is true with you? When you hurt, when you cry, when life gets really tough and you think no one understands what you're going through, think again.
Jesus loves you more than you can even begin to fathom. He wants to walk with you through the dark moments and cry with you when your tears begin to fall. Yeah, He may know that everything's going to be OK in the end and He may understand things you don't, but that doesn't keep Him from hurting when you do.
It's so cool that we have a God who's not distant or cold-hearted, who just shouts out a bunch of "thou shalt nots" and cracks the whip when we get out of line.
We have a God who's full of love and compassion, who can relate to us and comfort us when all we can do is throw ourselves at His feet and cry.

An Outsider's Faith
August 26, 2006
Jesus; Faith
Luke 7:1-10

When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to the crowd, he said, "I tell you, I haven't seen faith like this in all the land of Israel!" (Luke 7:9, NLT).

This passage may not seem so astounding at first glance, but read it again and look at who showed faith in Jesus. You may be as amazed as Jesus was.

A Roman officer asked this Jewish teacher, Jesus, to come to his house and heal his servant. Typically the Romans were political and religious enemies of the Jewish people. But this Roman wasn't like other Romans; he was kind to the Jews.

But more important than his kindness was his faith in God.

When he heard that Jesus was in the neighborhood, he asked some Jewish friends to go talk to Him. But his great example of faith came when he sent a second group to tell Jesus that He didn't need to come to his house. The officer knew that if Jesus spoke from where He was, his servant would be healed. He recognized Jesus had great authority. And that was something he was familiar with since he told Roman soldiers what to do all day.

You may think that you have to be in church or deep in prayer for God to touch your life. That you have to "feel" God close to you.

But feeling doesn't come before faith. You could be miles away from church, and maybe feel miles away from God, but if you ask Him to speak from where He is, you know that He will hear and do whatever you ask of Him.

When you recognize God as Creator, you will admire him. When you recognize his wisdom, you will learn from him. When you discover his strength, you will rely on him. But only when he saves you will you worship him...Before your rescue, you could easily keep God at a distance....Then came the storm....Despair fell like a fog....In your heart, you knew there was no exit....Suddenly you are left with one option: God

These two devotionals were sent to me today. I get a couple of them sent to me in my email everyday and they always seem to have something I need to hear. And these two are about something I have been dealing with the last couple of weeks.

Love Without Refunds
August 22, 2006
Jesus; Love; Christian Living/Situational
Luke 6:27-36
"Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you…Pray for those who hurt you" (Luke 6:27-28, NLT).
We all have enemies. We all make them, we all hold grudges, we may have even gotten into a few fights in our lifetime. If someone hits us in the face, we'd like to return the favor.
But Jesus had different ideas concerning our enemies. He told us to love them.
Love them?! Is He serious?
Of course He is. If someone insults us, we shouldn't respond with similar behavior. We should get on our knees and pray for them. If we practice the same behavior they do, we aren't expressing God's love and forgiveness.
Jesus tells us to give freely what we have, not worrying about whether we get something in return. God lovingly offers the gift of eternal life, knowing that some people will never give Him anything back in return, namely their lives. We must "be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate" (Luke 6:36, NLT). We should hold ourselves to God's standards--to express love as an action, not just an emotion.

Jesus tells us to give freely what we have, not worrying about whether we get something in return. God lovingly offers the gift of eternal life, knowing that some people will never give Him anything back in return, namely their lives.
We must "be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate" (Luke 6:36, NLT). We should hold ourselves to God's standards--to express love as an action, not just an emotion.

If I have no love
by John Fischer

In his book The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren makes a very radical statement: “If I have no love for others, no desire to serve others, I should question whether Christ is really in my life.”This bold assertion comes from something John said in his first letter: “If we love our Christian brothers and sisters, it proves that we have passed from death to eternal life. But a person who has no love is still dead.” (1 John 3:14)

The presence of love in your heart for others and the realization of what you can do to serve them is evidence that you have been born again and Christ is in your
heart.The absence of any such sensitivity suggests that you may still be the center of your universe. It may all still be about you.

Can you look at your life over the last few days and see evidence of the fact that you have cared about someone other than yourself?Can you point to some examples of how you have served a brother or a sister in some way?If you can, take heart.If you can’t, it might be a good time for some soul searching.

I have tried this little test on myself, and I must admit I don’t always do very well. Even though I spend a good deal of time serving others through my gifts of speaking and writing while I am on the road, you could also say that this is my work. This is what I’m expected to do. I do this for a living. I am “on” for these moments of ministry.But I can get very selfish with my “off” time.I isolate myself in a hotel room or an airplane seat.I make myself unavailable to the needs around me.I might not even call home, because that would only remind me of those there who need my attention.

Sometimes, I think we need to step in and serve even if we don’t feel like it. Once we do, Christ energizes us and gives us not only the strength to do this, but the desire to do it again.Ask God to open your eyes to those around you and show you ways in which you can serve them in love.That’s being obedient to what he asks and finding his power to do it all at the same time.

How about this?I’ll pray for you right now and you pray for me that God will awaken us with hearts to serve, the wisdom to see the need, and the power to follow through.

Luke 6:20-23
"God blesses you who are hated and excluded and mocked and cursed because you are identified with me, the Son of Man" (Luke 6:22, NLT).
Weird, isn't it, how it doesn't take much more than the name of Jesus to stir up controversy?
If you're having a conversation with your friends about religion, faith or spirituality, do you ever hesitate to be real about what you believe? Hey, if you answer "yes" to that, you're not alone. The truth is it can be difficult to identify with Christ. Look at Peter in Luke 22:54-62. In one evening, three different people asked if he was with Jesus, and each time he was like, "No way--I don't even know Him."
And Jesus knew--he knew Peter would deny Him, and He knew you and I would encounter some opposition as we walk with Him and identify ourselves as "Christians" or "Christ-followers."
What is it about Jesus that makes some people freak out? It could be that some feel like you're "judging" them if you talk about following Christ and that's not a choice they've made. Or they might feel like you're trying to force them to believe what you do. Still others might feel a sense of conviction, knowing that God is pursuing a relationship with them, but they keep saying "no" to Him. Whatever the situation, you can know this for sure: If you keep your eyes focused on Jesus and determine to follow Him, no matter what, you'll be rewarded for that--according to today's verse, you'll be "blessed." Maybe not today, tomorrow or even five years from now…maybe not even until you see Jesus face to face in heaven. But eventually, your commitment to Christ, especially in the face of adversity, will be rewarded. Hold on to that hope--it'll get you through the tough times.

You've been there....You've stepped away from the masses and followed the Master as he led you up the winding path to the summit....Gently your guide invites you to sit on the rock above the tree line and look out with him at the ancient peaks that will never erode. "What is necessary is still what is sure," he confides. Just remember. "You'll go nowhere that I haven't already been. Truth will still triumph...The victory is yours...."

Luke 5:1-11
Standing at her bedside, he spoke to the fever, rebuking it, and immediately her temperature returned to normal. She got up at once and prepared a meal for them. (Luke 4:39, NLT).
One of the key components of Jesus' ministry was healing the sick. Wherever he went, crowds followed Him asking to be healed. From this alone we see that Jesus was patient and compassionate. How long would you tolerate being trailed by the sick and diseased?
But Jesus never healed anyone as a magic trick saying, "Hey! Look what I can do!" Like every blessing of God, the healing Jesus provided was meant to bring a person to a place where they could serve God better than they could before.
Look at Peter's mother-in-law. (Yes, Peter was married.) As soon as she was healed she immediately went to the kitchen and made a meal. The timing tells us that she really wanted to serve Jesus. The only thing holding her back was her illness.
Peter's mother-in-law shows us that we need a heart that desires to serve God and that He is worthy to be served. Are you suffering an illness that is preventing you from giving honor to God? Ask God for His healing touch. On the other hand, God may know you're best able to serve and honor Him as you are. But don't let anything hold you back; sick or well, your life is to be lived to His glory.

More pic's of my trip home last weekend

These pic's are of me and my cousin shooting my my nephew's crossbow. That is the first time I have ever done that and I did not like the power that it had. One time shooting it was enough for me. My uncle is in the pic above. Above is the new house that my aunt and uncle are building. My Dad is in the pic above. The other pic is the gate going to the pond. This is were I spent most of my time growing up. It is a slower pace there. There is nothing to bug you much there and I am just happy just spending time on the front porch swing.

God is often more patient with us than we are with ourselves. We assume that if we fall, we aren't born again. If we stumble, then we aren't truly converted. If we have the old desires, then we must not be a new creation. If you are anxious about this, please remember, "God began a good work in you, and I am sure he will continue it until it is finished when Jesus Christ comes again. (Philippians 1:6)

These pic's are from my weekend home. I had a good time for the most part. I really did not have much trouble flying with all that that stuff going on. Thank goodness. We had a fish fry on Saturday we had a lot of fun. The fish fry was at my Aunt and uncle's house. I also gave them my cat when we moved here so I got to see her again also.
It was also my brother's birthday. The pic to the left is me, my cousin Peggy and my Aunt Betty. The pic above is my cat that I gave them. Her name is Sabrina. I do miss her but she likes it there.

I also read this today and feel I should put it on here also.

He gives power to those who are tired and worn out;
He offers strength to the weak. Isaiah 40:29

I know that what it says in Romans 8:28 is true. This was the devotion I read today when I got home.


August 8, 2006
When Bad Things Happen
By John Fischer

When bad things happen to good people we can be assured that this is God, out to make good people better.

There are so many things in life that make us cry, “Why?” “Why me?” “Why now?” I don’t think we are capable of knowing all the answers to these questions. Our lives fit into a vast and complicated tapestry that only God could unravel, because he’s the one making it. There are things that happen in our lives that are tied in an intricate domino effect to something else happening somewhere else that we may never realize in this life. I’ve heard of enough bizarre connections to know this is happening a lot more than we realize. Chalk it up to God’s amazing creativity as he weaves his will into the events of the world.

Someone gets sick, goes to the hospital, and ends up leading the person in the next bed to the Lord. Not only this, but huge growth issues were established in both of their lives when this happened, and this started a chain of events still going on today. And we want to ask “Why?” I have a feeling God might say, “You don’t have time for that answer. Besides, you haven’t lived long enough to see the end of it. Sorry, but I could never explain it all to you. You just have to trust me.”

Our job is to look at what happens in our lives and learn from what God is trying to teach us. There are no mistakes here. God doesn’t go, “Whoops!” or to the angels: “OK, what went wrong here? Which one of you guys had Fischer this time?”

Here’s the truth of the matter: “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (Romans 8:28 NLT) Which is another way of saying that God’s purpose is in everything that you and I go through, whether we are able to see it or not. And that purpose is producing something good in and through our lives, no matter what happens. Do you believe that?

We all have things in our lives in which it is hard – almost impossible – to see God’s purpose. That doesn’t mean anything except that we are shortsighted and short on faith sometimes. That’s when we need to keep on believing and knowing that God is working things out for the best.

What about you? Is something bad happening to you right now? Think back on a time when you felt like this about something that you now see God had a purpose in, and believe that he is at work, doing the same redemptive act with what you can’t see right now and believe. Don’t stop believing.

I read this today and it really spoke to me.

We also pray that you will be strengthened with his glorious power so that you will have all the patience and endurance you need. Colossians 1:11

In order to see the Rainbow, you must first endure some Rain.

Enjoy serving the Lord, and he will give you what you want. Psalm 37:4


When we submit to God's plans, we can trust our desires. Our assignment is found at the intersection of God's plan and our pleasures...Each of us has been made to serve God in a unique way...Then longings of your heart are not be ignored; they are to be consulted. As the wind turns the weather vane, so God uses your passions to turn your life. God is too gracious to ask you to do something you hate.

Beach pic's

These are some pic's from the beach yesterday. We had a good time. Went with our friends Tom and DeeDee from Doug's work. It was really nice out there yesterday. The pick above is Tom and DeeDee. They are twice our age but we get along with them very well. I guess I am being very brave by putting a pic of me in a swimsuit on here but like the pic.