Feel Good Wednesday #28

Everlasting God

Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
Wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord

Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
Wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord
Our God You reign forever
Our Hope our strong Deliverer

You are the everlasting God
The everlasting God
You do not faint
You won't grow weary
You're the defender of the weak
You comfort those in need
You lift us up on wings like eagles

You are the everlasting God
The everlasting God
The everlasting God
The everlasting

I am posting this early because I can't get the feature on here to work that let's you type something early and have it post later. Sooooo......

The reason I am posting early is I will be taking my mom in for surgery at 5:30 in the morning and she will be having surgery at 7:30 a.m. Please keep her in your prayers. Our God is an everlasting God. He will lift us up on wings like eagles.

Emergency Room Visit

What did my weekend consist of?

1) Working a merchandise booth for the local hockey team while my throat continued to get scratchier and scratchier. (Is scratchier even a word?...it is now.)

2) Made homemade pancakes from scratch. This was the FIRST time I had ever made pancakes....did you read that...FIRST time. And I did it all from scratch. No Bisquick box in site. Thank you very much. Yummmm Some of you may be thinking that this is pathetic that I think this is a big deal. But people, I have come a LONG way since I first got married (almost 7 years ago). I used to cook spaghetti out of a box for goodness sake. My friend Summer still gives me a hard time about that one. But no more, in fact spaghetti is one of my husband's favorite foods I cook.


3) Mom called, feeling weak.....hasn't had any energy for 1 1/2 weeks. So I proceeded to take my mom to the emergency room. All who will lose their last meal at the talk of blood, please leave blog now. Ok, gone? Alright, the rest of you who may be ok with the talk of blood let me tell you what happened with my mom. All women will go through it eventually. The dreadful word...here it comes...menopause. Yep, mom is going through it now. Bless her heart. She has had abnormal bleeding now for 2 months. She was extremely weak because of it. She was SO weak that just walking a few steps made her want to sit down fast and would almost make her faint. So we sat in the hospital's emergency room from 2 in the afternoon till 8 that night. Fun. Let me tell you. Especially with flu season here. I don't know how many times I covered my hands in antibacterial. Mom ended up having to have a blood transfusion...2 pints. I would have taken a picture of this fun episode but I am sure my mom would not want her beautiful face to be shown on this blog going through something like that so I refrained. To give you a quick run down, she is at home still feeling weak but will be going to have a D&C procedure on Wednesday morning to help eventually find out what's causing all the bleeding. So please, say a quick prayer for mom.

4) I am sick with a cold.

BUT

I am blessed. I have a mom that is back at home. If all I have to fight with today is a cold, I have nothing to complain about. I am thankful for my family. I am thankful for my health. I am thankful for friends that will give me a good laugh while waiting at the hospital....Summer, that's for you. Loved the comment about the boys and roller derby.

Feel Good Wednesday #27

I want ALL those who are reading this to know that in your sorrow, in your pain, in your questions of life, in your seasons.....all you have to do is cry out to Jesus and He will come!

Friend, you know who you are,......if you are reading this know that I am praying for you. I'm praying that you cry out to Jesus. I'm praying that He will guide your steps. I'm praying that I have done and said the right things to you. I'm praying that whatever you do, you will find your place with God again....and have peace. And then eventually, you will understand that all I have said and done is out of love.

Kutless - All Who Are Thirsty

All who are thirsty
All who are weak
Just come to the fountain
Dip your heart in the stream of life
Let the pain and the sorrow
Be washed away
In the waves of his mercy
As the deep cries out to deep (we sing)

Come Lord Jesus come

To Move Forward, I Must Trust the Lord With All My Heart

Dear friends I am about to share with you Sunday's church message my pastor preached. God is so good! I love what He is giving Clifton to preach lately. Below are my notes. This was too good not to share. I've been meaning to write these as a post all week but kept forgetting my notes at home.

Church notes:
Title: To Move Forward, I Must Trust the Lord With All My Heart

Proverbs 3:6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

The christian is not a tourist returning to the start every night, but a pilgrim traveling forward continuously. The Christian strives to make it further. My goal is to become closer to Christ today than I was yesterday. There is a constant continuous moving forward to getting to the goal. The goal is to be the likeness of Christ. Ephesians 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.
I can't lean on my own thinking. I must trust the Lord and ALWAYS acknowledge Him. Zachariah 4:6 ...Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of Hosts.

We are on a journey with trials, tests, valleys, & mountains....and in this journey we have to be trusting in the Lord always!

We are running the race. So many times we begin to pick up things we really don't need to pick up, or take on things we really don't need to take on.

At this point in the message, Clifton began to use an illustration. He had Jered (a college student) go to the front of the church and walk back and forth. It was easy. He had nothing he was holding onto. Then Clifton gave a suitcase to hold and walk with. Jered took on a "burden" and the walk was more difficult.

Often times we take on events and the journey gets more difficult because we have taken on these things that God never intended for us to take on. We let things get in the way, let people/family/home life get the best of us. We let life weigh us down. Psalms 127 Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it..

When difficulties come, go to God!

Jered now takes on more "things". Clifton makes him add to his load by holding song books, a picture frame, and a hammer.

We let the process of life weigh us down. The journey was meant to be easy and light but we take on too many things. The entertainment and joys of life start pulling us from devotion time, prayer time, and begin to weigh us down. (Amen, brother!) Then we're not attending worship, not spending time in the Word. (Amen, brother!) All these things will begin to tie us to the enemy.

Clifton ties a rope to Jered's arm and Clifton pulls on the rope.

We are being pulled away from God. The weights of life are holding us down. (Can you imagine Jered holding onto all the "things" and being tied up?) While we are being held back, we can't get into the presence of God like we used to. Then we begin to get tired and the enemy will have a hold on us. Then the next time we will want to go to God's presence it will be more difficult.

Jered's hands are now full. He can't catch a ball that is thrown at him. He can't hold onto one more thing.

When our hands are full that's when it is so easy for the enemy to come in. Whoever holds the rope, holds the life. The enemy will use us as a trophy and try to influence our peers.

We shuffle and juggle life to try to catch other things. The devil will try to keep offering more and more things.

Jered is becoming weak as he keeps from dropping everything.

God never intended for us to be bound. Never intended for us to have limitations. Matthew 11:28-30 Come to Me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

All you have to do is go to God aand all the weights will be lifted and removed. You don't have to worry about your family. Ephesians 6:10-11 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

You do not have to carry these burdens. Jesus will do the work. When He took on the cross, He took up all man's grief, burdens, trials, weight, & sorrows.

Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart!

We may be carrying on weights (not sins) that we shouldn't be carrying.

Some things are precious, we have a hard time letting go and giving them to God. God is saying, "Just give it to me, it will be ok, I can handle the load."

Has God ever failed you? Let these things go and commit them to Him.

Proverbs 3:6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

An amazing testimony

I was reading a fellow blogger's post this morning and she had included this link for all of us who are desperately waiting for a baby or even a husband. If you have a dream that you are waiting to be fulfilled you need to hear this testimony by Ann Kiemel. I was moved to tears this morning. You may not be dreaming of a child, but know that your dream can be fulfilled with God's help.

Please click on the link below.

http://www.listen.family.org/daily/A000002160.cfm

In the middle of the page you will see a title How Can I Change? with an air date of September 16, 2009. You will need to click on Listen Now to hear this message. And have kleenex's ready.

Feel Good Wednesday #26

In just about a month I will be going to a concert. A concert with one of my favorite artists...and a couple of others. But the main person I can't wait to see is Francesca Battistelli! Woohoo! In one month I will be sitting feet away, singing to the top of my lungs, with Francesca Battistelli-Brandon Heath-& Leeland! I can't wait. So in honor of this concert, I'm using one of my favorite songs from Francesca....Free to Be Me. The words fit me to a -T-. God has already made the great plans for me. It may be hard for me to be patient and wait for those plans at times but it will be worth it in the end. My dents in my fender for me would be my impatience, my jealousy at times, my anger at times, and of course my loss of my baby. But God picks me up and helps repair the dents and puts me up on His shoulders to see....that life could be so much worse....and that He has it all planned out for me.

Free to Be Me by Francesca Battistelli

At twenty years of age
I'm still looking for a dream
A war is already waged for my destiny
But You've already won the battle
And You've got great plans for me
Though I can't always see, 'cause...

I got a couple dents in my fender
Got a couple rips in my jeans
Try to fit the pieces together
But perfection is my enemy
And on my own I'm so clumsy
But on Your shoulders I can see
I'm free to be me

When I was just a girl
I thought I had it figured out
See my life will turn out right
And I'll make it here somehow
But things don't always come that easy
And sometimes I would doubt, 'cause...

I got a couple dents in my fender
Got a couple rips in my jeans
Try to fit the pieces together
But perfection is my enemy
And on my own I'm so clumsy
But on Your shoulders I can see
I'm free to be me
And you're free to be you

Sometimes I believe
That I can do anything
Yet other times I think
I've got nothing good to bring
But You look at my heart and you tell me
That I've got all You seek, ohhh
And it's easy to believe, even though...

I got a couple dents in my fender
Got a couple rips in my jeans
Try to fit the pieces together
But perfection is my enemy
And on my own I'm so clumsy
But on Your shoulders I can see

I got a couple dents in my fender
Got a couple rips in my jeans
Try to fit the pieces together
But perfection is my enemy
And on my own I'm so clumsy
But on Your shoulders I can see
I'm free to be me
And you're free to be you

Happy Feel Good Wednesday!
Love,

A big Whoop-T-Do

This weekend I did something I had never done before.....I took my necklaces I have been making and had a booth open at Iowa Park's Whoop-T-Do festival. They have Whoop-T-Do the Saturday after Homecoming. My friend/coworker Kathryn decided to make shirts for the event and we shared the booth. I am SO thankful for Kathryn. If it hadn't been for her I wouldn't have even been brave enough to venture out and do this. And thank heavens for her tent. It was a lifesaver. We knew there was a 70% chance of rain that day but we thought we would chance it anyways. I woke up at 5:15 Saturday morning to get ready and organized and at 7:15 we were on our way to set up our booth. It was basically just misting at this point which would have been just fine.....but it didn't stay that way. Right when the festival was beginning the mist quickly turned to a downpour. Despite the "flood" I managed to sell 3 of my necklaces and a detachable pendant and Kathryn sold around 30 shirts! So I'm thankful for that. I can say that my first experience with my booth wasn't a total "wash". Here are a few pictures I took. I really wish I would have taken a picture of the flood that was right in front of our booth. You'll just have to imagine.

This is how we felt after the first round of the downpour. Can you see that nobody is in the street? Can you see the water spots on the shirts? Can you see the umbrella? But we were troopers and God still blessed us with some paying customers. You can also see part of the shirt that Kathryn printed. It says Whoop-T-Do Iowa Park, TX. You are more than welcome to purchase one still. Kathryn is selling the leftovers for $5 each shirt. Let me know if you would like one and what size. The wording is in a green font....Iowa Park colors.

Despite the weather, I had a great time with my friend Kathryn and had a good experience as a vendor at my first festival.

Feel Good Wednesday #25

Isn't it nice to know that no matter who you are, where you are, and what you're going through you can go lay those burden's down and give them to the One who never disappoints or changes....Jesus!

Lay 'Em Down by Needtobreathe

Come down to the river
Come and let yourself in
Make good on a promise
Never heard again

If you're lost and lonely
You're broken down
Bring all of your troubles
Come lay 'em down

All you sinners
And the weak at heart
All you helpless on the boulevard
Whatever you are now
Whatever you have found
Bring all of you troubles
Come lay 'em down

We're all tied to the same old failings
Finding shelter in things we know
We're all dirty
Like corrupted small towns
Bring our troubles, bring our troubles
And lay 'em down

All you rich men
And the high above
All of those with and without love
All you burdened, broken down
Bring all of your troubles

Come lay 'em down
Come lay 'em down
Come lay 'em down
Come lay 'em down
Come lay 'em down

Have a happy Feel Good Wednesday everyone and go lay your troubles down!

In honor of not wanting to work today...

Let's talk about season premiere's. We do not have cable so I'm kind of clueless to the other stations. I love it when there is a show I want to watch but I can't get the channel but it's available to watch on the internet. That just makes me so happy. Anyways, I'm going to narrow my "can't WAIT till the season premiere comes on" to my top 2.

Pick #1

The Office premieres September 17 at 8:00 p.m. (CST)

I am really excited for this season. How many of you, who watch this show, think that Pam is actually pregnant? I'm thinking they just WANT us to think she is but really she won't be. I don't know. I'm torn. But I can't wait to watch and see!

Pick #2

Biggest Loser premieres September 15 at 7:00 p.m. (CST)

I really love this show. It makes me cry every year. They have some amazing stories of triumph. I just love watching their bodies transform. It is so amazing and wonderful. I don't like how they can end up stabbing each other in the back when they are playing the "game" but I guess I can understand. I like the ones that are really there to lose the pounds. I can't wait!

What about you? What are your top 2 season premiere's coming up?

Laugh

Thanks to my good friend and coworker, Kathryn, I now have an obsession with Laugh...not the kind of laugh you're thinking of but this kind of laugh...
It's a perfume from Brighton. Oh my! It smells so yummy. I bought my first bottle over the weekend.

Trust the One Who NEVER changes or disappoints

This last week has been a very sad week for me. My heart aches for a sweet friend of mine. I would never wish the pain I felt in January to anyone. But my friend is feeling the same kind of pain. God chose to take her first child, like He chose to take mine. Her pain will ease like it did for me. But we will never forget this pain. We will never forget the joy we once were so overcome with to only turn around to have so much pain in our heart.....I love you dear friend.

Yesterday morning was an awesome service I quickly text messaged my friend and come to find out our sermons were basically the same. God is SO good, ALL the time! Yesterday morning I couldn't write down notes fast enough as Pastor Clifton spoke. I wanted to write it all down so I wouldn't forget. I wrote 4 1/2 pages of notes. So I'm sharing with you all.

Notes:

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Trust defined: assured reliance on the character, the ability, the strength or the truth of someone or something

Every time we trust we have the risk of being disappointed....because we put our trust in things that are subject to change....

We can put our trust in our job, but it could change.
We can put our trust in our exercising and eating well..doing all the things doctors say will help keep us alive but we could get cancer or another disease because our bodies are subject to change.
We can put our trust in our years of marriage, but couples could drift away because they have changed.
We can put our trust in our friends, but they can disappoint because they change.

YET

There is ONE that has NEVER changed, that has stood the course of time. He was there at the beginning when the Heavens and Earth were formed. He breathed into the dirt of the Earth and made humanity. He was there at the cross pleading for me. When I draw my last breath He will still be there!

Romans 5:6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

HE DOES NOT CHANGE! And we will NEVER be disappointed.

People change, things change but with God He does not change.

James 1:18 Of his own will begat us with the word of trust, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Genesis 1:26 And God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness...."
Ephesians 5:2...we were to imitate Him.

Has anything ever defeated God? Does the scripture not say that ALL things are possible? He made me in His image.

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengthen me.
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.

Again, He does NOT change.
Malachi 3:6 For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

Sometimes it seems we can't get through, around, under, on top of life. It seems the enemy is about to destroy us. Trust in the Lord!

Romans 8:37 In all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

Sometimes we are going to have to use our own rod (Like Moses at the Red Sea) and stretch it out over life's complications and trust in the Lord. Life's complications will not get the best of us, He WILL make a way of escape!

FOR EVERY BATTLE YOU ARE IN, IT'S PREPARING YOU FOR THE NEXT.

Where sin abound, grace abound all the more.

LIFE'S GREATEST DESTRUCTION CAN NOT ABOUND ME, BECAUSE GRACE IS AROUND ME.

Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever!

Do not trust in the things of this world because they are subject to change and will disappoint....but....

TRUST IN GOD, HE WILL NEVER CHANGE, HE DOES NOT DISAPPOINT!

Again...Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

More craft time and school spirit

I decided to have a little more craft time this week. This is a shirt that I ironed on fabric and glued on rhinestones to add a little sparkle to it. I wanted to support our local school's team but I didn't want it to just be for volleyball, or football....I wanted to be able to wear it to any Iowa Park sporting event. Go Hawks! (Our colors are green and black, if you can't tell. Ha!) The camera changes the shades of green in the fabric.

And what's even better than a t-shirt...a necklace to go right along with it. I know it looks like the shirt and the necklace doesn't match...but they do. It's the camera, people.


If you haven't been over to my sister site, you're missing out. Check out all the necklaces I have been making. Click here. Spread the word.

I have step-by-step instructions on how to make the IPHS t-shirt. If you would like to know the details, comment me and I'll make a post on here with the step-by-step instructions.

Feel Good Wednesday #24

I give up! I can't find the story in the Bible. I know it's there. So if I give you the run-down of it and you know where it's found, will you PLEASE leave a comment or email me and let me know. I will be sure and mark it in my Bible.

The run-down (my version going from an awful memory):
Jesus goes to woman's home, dressed as a beggar so she won't know it's really Him. He knocks on the door and is trying to see if she will let Him in and how she will treat Him. Again, that's my story. But what I get from this is Jesus wants us to not look on the outward appearances of people and to not judge people just by how they look, dress, or their physical handicaps.

This year, especially, I think God is really trying to make me think about this. About how I can judge people too quickly. What if the man on the street corner was Jesus asking for money? Would we stop, then, and not only give him our last dime but we would put him in our car and take Him home with us? What if the visitor sitting on the back pew of our church that smelled like they hadn't bathed, stained clothes, holes in his/her clothes.....what IF this person was really Jesus? What if the person outside your office building with his bicycle propped against the bench while he looked for leftover cigarette buds was really Jesus? These are the thoughts I have been thinking as I see people that do not look like the "average Joe" out in the world. We all need to have a lot more compassion for each other and those not-so-average Joe's out there. We need to bear more fruit. We say we are the body and drink of the wine....but do we try to reach the harvest?

Matthew 7:1-5 "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."

John 15:12 "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you."

The Twenty-first Time

by Monk & Neagle

Nowhere to live

Nowhere to fall

He used to have money

But he’s wasted it all

His face is a photograph burned in my mind

But I pretend not to see him for the twenty-first time

He sleeps under stars, it’s all he can afford

His blanket’s an old coat he’s had since the war

He stands on the corner of Carter and Vine

But I pretend not to see him for the twenty-first time

He may be a drifter who’s grown old and gray

But what if it’s Jesus and I walk away

I say I’m the body and drink of the wine

But I pretend not to see him for the twenty-first time

She’s 29 but she feels 48

She can’t raise three kids on minimum wage

She’s crying in back of the welfare line

But I pretend not to see her for the twenty-first time

She may be a stranger trying to get through the day

But what if it’s Jesus and I walk away

I say I’m the body and drink of the wine

But I pretend not to see her for the twenty-first time

This is a call for a change in my heart

I realize that I’ve not been doing my part

When I needed a Savior, I found it in Him

He gave to me, now I’ll give back to them

Drifter or stranger, daughter or son

I’ll look for Jesus in everyone

‘Cause I am the body and drink of the wine

And I’m thankful there’s more than the twenty-first time

I hope you can stop yourself next time you start having judging thoughts about someone you see. Just because they're not you, doesn't mean they don't have Jesus. Or maybe they don't have Jesus and He is trying to see if you will be compassionate to them. We're not perfect, but we can start trying to be more like Jesus, can't we?

I hope you have a Happy Feel Good Wednesday.

Frustration

If you are wondering where the Feel Good Wednesday post is...well it's coming. I'm just frustrated because I want to use a story in the Bible and I can't find it anywhere! I know it's in there and I want to give you all the correct information. Do you ever get frustrated when you want to learn the Bible more but you don't know where to start? That's how I feel right now. So just be patient because I really want to include this story in my post today.