Shine Like Stars

"This Little Light of Mine"

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:02:00 +0000

Typically this sweet little song is sung by children, but have you ever thought about the word and how applicable they are to all Christians of any age? Here is chorus in the song:

This little light of mine,

I'm gonna let it shine.

This little light of mine,

I'm gonna let it shine.

This little light of mine,

I'm gonna let it shine.

Let it shine.

In our busy, and sometimes crazy lives, it's easy to get so wrapped up in the "stuff" of life and forget what it is all about - eternity.....specifically eternal life in heaven for those who are saved. We get down, depressed, stressed, tired, grumpy, grouchy and all kinds of things that aren't always appealing to the outside world. It's in those hard and difficult times that, instead of looking and turning inward, caving in to the pressure that is weighing down on us, we should let our lights shine even brighter. That is when our faith should be evident even more. If we're not trusting in God during those times, as well as during the good times, it's as if we are telling God that we don't believe Him. It's like we don't believe He will do what He has said He would do. It's like saying we are all alone, without any higher power to give guidance and support.

So.....when you're troubled....let your light shine!

When you are sad....let your light shine!

When you are worried....let your light shine!

When you are lonely....let your light shine!

When you are grieving....let your light shine!

When you are scared.....let your light shine!

When you are stressed...let your light shine!

When all is good....let your light shine!

Whatever you are and whatever you are doing....let your light shine!

Why? Because in doing so, you are advancing Christ and to advance the gospel (The gospel is the good news: The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus!). (Read how Paul advanced Christ here.) You may be the only light that someone sees today! You may be the only example of Jesus someone sees today. And maybe, because of that example, someone will decide that they need Jesus, too.

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:14-16

Shine brightly, friends! SHINE LIKE STARS!

Are You a Fan or a Fanatic?

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:33:00 +0000

Every year at this time, our family is busy going to basketball games five out of seven nights. Thankfully, in our part of the state, Wednesday night basketball hasn't become part of the schedule like it has in many places, and Sunday's are still free from games.

With the many, many games each year, comes a variety of scenarios and outcomes with each game. However, without exception, fans show up and cheer on the team. Some fans cheer with every "do right". Some fans yell with every thing that was "done wrong". Some fans just sit quietly, while others choose to make the referee the bad guy(s) by pointing out everything they miss. Something interesting that I've noticed is that if a call is charged against us, it's the wrong call or if they miss something the other team did wrong and don't call it, they're wrong, but if is the other way around - where we foul and it's not called or we mess up (walk, double dribble, etc.) and it's not called, we don't seem to notice. Why is that??! (As a side note: My husband likes to use this true statement: "Until you have made 100% of your shots, and until you have 0% turnovers, then it is NEVER the refs fault for anything." So true! )

Thinking about the word "fan", I decided to look at the definition. Here it is: A person who has a strong interest in or admiration for a particular sport, art or entertainment form, or famous person. So, by the definition, a true fan has a strong interest in or admiration for whatever it is. Interesting.

In comparing the fan of a sports team to being a fan of Jesus, I began to wonder just why it was that it was acceptable for people to be HUGE sports fans, but if you are a HUGE Jesus/God fan, you're labeled a fanatic. Why do you suppose that is the way it is? I looked up the word fanatic. Here's the definition: A person filled with excessive and single-minded zeal, esp. for an extreme religious or political cause.

So, I see now that the word fanatic is a single-minded zeal and that is the difference. A fanatic is a much stronger word, isn't it? A fan might like one team one year, but then the next year, the fan might like another team. It might still be the same sport, but not the same team. It could be the same team, but maybe the teammates have changed.

In your Christian walk, are you a fan or a fanatic? I believe God wants us to be FANATICS! He wants us to have a single-minded zeal for Him and His Son, Jesus, and His church! If we are only a fan, we might not be totally devoted to His cause. We might be really into the "game" one month, then not so much the next. Just like there are seasons/times for sports, maybe we only worship God or rely on God during certain seasons of our life. Or maybe you're a fan who once was a fan of Christianity, but now you no longer are part of that team. What happened to your zeal? Were you ever a fanatic for Jesus?

Have a single-minded zeal is being Christ focused. He is your motivation for living the life God wants you to live. Be zealous for Him! Be zealous for the church He died for! Be zealous to help win others to Christ!

BE A FANATIC! God's team is the best team to "cheer" for!

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

Romans 12:11

Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may be zealous for them. It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always and not just when I am with you.

Galatians 4:170-18

The Chronicles of Biscuit - The 1st Tee

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 05:50:00 +0000

If you haven't seen the movie, "Seven Days in Utopia", you must. Really. It is a great movie with a good message and a Godly message. My husband bought the movie for us during Christmas break and we've watched a few times. Today Biscuit used one of the lessons of the movie to help him in his own life.

January is FULL of basketball. Four to six games a week with Biscuit's three siblings. Thankfully Biscuit decided not to play city league basketball this winter or there would be even more.

Biscuit doesn't like going to all of his siblings games. He would rather be home. I can't blame him for wanting to be home playing, but I also want our family to be together, so I make them go to each other's games almost all of the time.

Today when Biscuit got in the car after school, I told him we would go home for a little bit, but that we needed to be at the gym at 4:00 p.m. for a ballgame. That only left time for some of his homework and a quick snack. No time for playing at all.

Biscuit wasn't very happy; however, just as he started complaining, he said he needed to go to "The 1st Tee". I wasn't sure what he meant, but he explained it to me:

In the movie, "Seven Days in Utopia", the young man, Luke, learns several life lessons through golf lessons from a rancher named Johnny. "The 1st Tee". Biscuit said that "The 1st Tee" was "controlling your emotions". Wow! Here is a nine year old little boy who realizes that his attitude needs adjusting....that it needs controlling!! Now, I'm not "braggin' or nothin' as Biscuit would say, but truthfully, I have to admit that even I - as a 40+ year old woman - don't always realize I have a problem, so I'm very proud that the youngest member of our family can recognize this fact!

Any self-help book (or the Bibile) will tell you that the first step in dealing with a problem is recognizing a problem. In Biscuit's case, he was disappointed/angry/upset that he had to go to (yet another) basketball game. In realizing he needed to go to "The 1st Tee", he realized that he wasn't controlling his emotions and that it was going to get him in trouble.

Maybe we all need to go to "The 1st Tee" before we act or react to any situation. Thanks for the wise advice, Biscuit! I am grateful for your wisdom some times, even at a young age. I am grateful, too, that God is willing and able to guide us to that "1st Tee" and that He will help us grow to be better equipped at controlling our emotions.

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

Encountering Jesus

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 06:36:00 +0000

* Note from Lori: This is a very good article by Alan Smith who writes "Thought For the Day". It is used by permission from Mr. Smith. Be sure and read more about the video at the end of Alan Smith's name and information.

*** A number of years ago, there was a woman in Kansas City who walked into a Haagen-Dazs ice cream shop. While she was waiting in line, she turned around to find actor Paul Newman standing behind her. He was in town filming the movie Mr. & Mrs. Bridge, and he didn’t realize it, but he was standing behind one of his biggest fans.

Paul Newman smiled at her and said "hello." She took one look at those blue eyes and her knees almost buckled. She tried to speak, but nothing came out. Mortified, she turned back around, paid for her ice cream, then quickly walked out of the store.

When she was outside, she sat down on a bench and took a moment to catch her breath. As she calmed down, she realized she didn't have her ice cream cone. She was getting ready to walk back in to get it when Paul Newman walked out. He asked her, "Are you looking for your ice cream cone?" She was still speechless but she nodded. He said, "You put it in your purse with your change."

There are some people who hold such great significance in our lives, that meeting them affects us in a powerful way. But if a celebrity or an athlete can have that kind of effect on people, just imagine how much difference it would make in a person’s life to come face-to-face with Jesus Christ!

Think of the difference made in the lives of the Samaritan woman, the man possessed by a multitude of demons, Zaccheus, James and John, the lame man by the pool of Bethesda, the paralytic lowered by his four friends, Saul (later known as Paul), the woman caught in adultery, the blind man, the leper, the thief on the cross, and countless others.

There's a popular video making the rounds on Youtube this week (with over 14 million hits!) entitled, "Why I Hate Religion But Love Jesus". There is much I like about the video and some that I don't like. Religion is not the problem; false religion (hypocrisy) is. Many people fail to realize that Jesus was a religious person himself! But, it is true that religion (in and of itself) cannot save us; Jesus can. Religion cannot change our hearts; Jesus can. Religion cannot empower us to live holy lives; Jesus can.

Our goal as Christians should not be to get people to follow a religion. Our goal should be to bring people to Jesus, to let them see him for themselves, and to allow that encounter to change their lives. Perhaps the most powerful thing we can say to people is what Philip said to Nathaniel (John 1:46) and what the Samaritan woman said to the villagers (John 4:29): "Come and meet Jesus for yourself."

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Helen Street Church of Christ
Fayetteville, North Carolina

*Note from Lori: Sadly, the video made by Mr. Betke is being used as a way for some to bash the church, so he has this quote on his Facebook wall:

"If you are using my video to bash "the church" be careful. I was in no way intending to do that. My heart came from trying to highlight and expose legalism and hypocrisy. The Church is Jesus' bride so be careful how you speak of His wife. If a normal dude has right to get pissed when you bash His wife, it makes me tremble to think how great the weight is when we do it to Jesus' wife. The church is His vehicle to reach a lost word. A hospital for sinners. Saying you love Jesus but hate the Church, is like a fiancé saying he loves his future bride, but hates her kids. We are all under grace. Look to Him." -Jefferson Bethke

Too Good To Be True

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:24:00 +0000

We've been looking for our daughter a car for several months. Yesterday I searched through Craigslist and found a model we were interested in, for a super-great price. I emailed my husband and he immediately wrote the seller. Later, when he hadn't heard from the seller, he had me email....just in case he hadn't copied the address right.

Late last night, we were so excited! We both received identical emails from the seller. The too-good-to-be-true price WAS right and she was selling the car because she was being deployed. It sounded believable. We wrote the lady back and told her we wanted the car.

My husband was a little wary, but I just knew it was true. Why would someone lie about a car like that, anyway? Just to be sure, he wanted to check on some things. We googled the lady's name....searched on Facebook, etc. Nothing strange. After looking a while, I happened to remember that the person I emailed wasn't the same address who emailed us back. I typed in that name in the search and all kinds of things came up, linking this person to car/boat SCAMS! What a let down! And to think that this person does this all of the time and that so many actually end up giving him/her money!

I'm not sure what we're going to do when we get the reply email. I would like to show up with law enforcement, but something tells me we'll never meet this person in person. I think he/she will request the money to be wired or some of the information suggested that the person uses payment through eBay. Either way, it's fraud! So sad that someone would do this kind of thing....and continue it over and over and over. So many have already lost money to this kind of thing. Be careful, people!

The moral of the story is this: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is! Probably. There might be times when it really is a terrific deal. In fact, I know there are times when it is!

Think about this: God planned for His Son, Jesus Christ, to be born. He planned for Him to live for 33 years, teaching many people along the way about salvation. The Jesus died on the cross to serve as the atoning sacrifice - once and for all - for our sins! For the sins of people from that day on - until the end of the world! TALK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE! This is the ultimate "too good to be true" deal, isn't it???!!! But, it's not! It's not just a sounds-good-deal! It is TRUE! It is REAL! There are no hidden messages, gimmicks, or lies. It's just as good as it appears to be!

Thank you, God, for this "deal".....for this plan of salvation you have given to us and to all people. The ironic thing is that this good deal is even available to those who try to swindle others. They need the message just as much as anyone. So, yes, I pray that this person gets caught so that no one else loses money, but also, I pray that this person finds about about God and Jesus and turns from the world of deceit and lies. Salvation is for everyone. It's the best "TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE" deal of all time!

This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time.

1 Timothy 2:3-6

Heirloom Burlap Pillow

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Pin It

I wanted to share one of the home-made gifts my mom made for my sister and I this Christmas. She saw a similar pillow at one of her very favorite stores in Oklahoma City. This gave her the idea to do this for us. She used pictures of she and Dad, plus pictures of our grandparents and great-grandparents.

To do the pillow, she had my dad scan and print each picture onto a wallet size photo.

The doilies on the two corners were hard to find because she wanted them to look a certain way and they were going to be cut in triangle shapes.

She found the vintage-looking brooches at Hobby Lobby.

The pillow form was stuffed into a burlap machine sewn pillow form, then the ribbons were tacked on and tied to each pictures.

Just to let you know--- The pillow that she saw had a price tag over $100.00. This one cost about $12.00! That's quite a difference, isn't it?!

Thanks, Mom! It is a great keepsake and neat to show my own children pictures of their grandparents and great-grandparents....many they never knew.

Mirror, Mirror On the Wall

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 07:07:00 +0000

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

James 1:19-25

Ever so often, we need to take a good, long look at ourselves in a mirror, so to speak. This mirror is different than a typical mirror we might use. This mirror is God's Word....the Bible....and the reflection we should see of ourselves should be the image of Jesus.

The passage above gives us a checklist of what we should be seeing. There are other checklists we could use throughout the Bible, but today we will just look at this small passage. Take the time to reflect on your image today. Ask yourself these questions:

#1: Am I quick to listen?

#2: Am I slow to become angry?

#3: Have I gotten rid of all moral filth?

#4: Is there any evil in my life?

#5: Have I accepted the word that has been planted in me? (Have I submitted my life to God/Jesus? Have I obeyed the gospel? (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; 1 Peter 4:17)

#6: Or have I heard the Word of God, but not done anything about it?

#7: Am I doing what God's Word says to do, or am I deceiving myself?

#8: Am I remembering what God has done for me?

#9: Am I recognizing the fact that the blessings in my life are from God?

A small passage and a checklist, but what questions are raised through these verses! Don't forget to check yourself in the mirror from time to time. Not your own mirror - but God's mirror. The mirror of His Word.

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

1 Corinthians 13:11-12

He Wants You!

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 02:24:00 +0000

No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. ¹⁰ This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.

1 John 3:9-11

What if you found out that there was someone trying to get you? What if that someone could be everywhere you were and could come in ways that you might not recognize? How would you feel? What would you do differently? Would you be more aware of your surroundings?

There is someone that is trying to get you....and me. This "person" is actively seeking ways to get you to do things, say things, and think things that are wrong....even evil. This person is like God, in that he, too, can be everywhere, but this person, unlike God, is only interested in what is bad and evil. He is not interested in what is good at all. He only has power because God has given it to him.

Who is this mysterious person? The devil - Satan! He wants you on his side. He doesn't want you to be one of God's children. He believes that if he can just get you to his side on one little thing, that he can continue to turn you to his side - the side of darkness.

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

1 Peter 5:8

How does it make you feel to realize that Satan wants you? It makes me angry! It also makes me even more aware of how I act, how I react, and how I think. If Satan is capable of using others to get to me, then instead of getting aggravated at others when things go wrong, maybe I need to direct my anger towards Satan and sin, right? I don't have to or need to get mad at others because Satan is the root of the problem - not the person he is using. They may not even be aware they are being used. And, if/when he uses me, I may not be aware that I am being used, either.

The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.

1 John 3:8

Directing our emotions of pain, sorrow, and disappointment at Satan does two things: 1. It directs our disgust towards the ultimate root of the problem and gets it away from another human being. 2. It directs our attention and reliance more towards God - the only One who can really help us with any of our problems. So, if we use the situation to make us more aware of the devil's schemes and more towards the direction of God, we are much, much better off, and growing as God's child in the process. Resisting the devil will cause him to flee from us! Instead of trying harder to get us, when we submit to God, the devil will go pick on someone else. He gets discouraged by our submission to God!

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

James 4:7

Yes, he - the devil - does want you, and that is a true fact. But, even truer, is the fact that God wants you even more! Isn't that a wonderful feeling! Where would you rather spend eternity? With the devil or with God? The decisions you make or don't make in this life will determine where you will spend eternity. God won't make you follow him or serve him. He will give you a choice.

So, get your armor on, brothers and sisters! Let the war begin!

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Ephesians 6:10-12

The Day the Squirrel Went Berserk (and cost me $659.00!)

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 05:28:00 +0000

Have you ever seen the Ray Stevens' song, The Mississippi Squirrel Revival? If not, go to YouTube and watch the video. I think that squirrel is visiting southwest Oklahoma!

Evidence:

#1: 2 months ago we were in the process of adding on to our house. There was a hole in the outside edge of the roof (for electricity, I think). One day I went out of the garage and saw this squirrel coming out from that hole. I ran to the hole, afraid if it was a girl squirrel, she might have been trying to have babies in the new attic, or maybe it was a boy or girl and was trying to store up nuts for the winter. Either way, squirrel wasn't welcome and I threw something to scare it away. It scurried down the house and up a tree, but it only scurried half way up the small tree. Unusual for a squirrel...they usually go all the way up. The SQUIRREL STARED ME DOWN AND WOULDN'T MOVE! After a few seconds, I realized that the squirrel was wanting back in that hole for some reason. I didn't want to leave it open, but was in a rush to get somewhere at the time. I had a water bottle in my hand that was about half empty. I stuffed that water bottle in the hole.

Score: Me: 1 Squirrel: 0 (BooYahhhh!)

#2: Six weeks ago, I was out in the new addition of our house. The wall between the new addition and the existing house hadn't been taken down yet. The side door of the house was open just a tiny bit to allow a pipe to run from our existing laundry room to the outside. As I was cleaning up construction materials, I looked up to see that crazy squirrel again!! It ran towards me and up the ladder that was right by me. I screamed and it took off into one of the new bedrooms in the addition. I was afraid if I went to the door of the room, the squirrel might jump on me, so I just pounded on the wall to scare squirrel away. I yelled to my boys to run around the house and open the side door all the way. Thankfully the squirrel finally found the open door!

Score: Me: 1 Squirrel: 1 - Tied this round, I would say, so total: Me: 2 Squirrel: 1

#3: A few minutes after that I yelled for my oldest son to come to the house from the field. He came and I told him to get his BB gun. After several minutes of chasing the squirrel from tree to tree, my son gave up. He got away! (By the way, if the fact we were trying to shoot the squirrel bothers you, you are WELCOME to come rescue him!! Let me know when you'll be here.)

Score: Me: 0 Squirrel: 1

Total: Me: 2 Squirrel: 2 (BOOOOOOO!!!!)

#4: A few days ago the battery light came on in our Expedition. My husband made an appointment and took it in to be fixed, but they had to order another part and scheduled another appointment for today. The guys replaced the part and found that the wires in that area had been chewed in half!!! The squirrel had eaten right through the plastic and wires resulting in a total bill of $659....and 24 cents, to be exact!!!! OHHHHHHHHHHH, I am angry at that squirrel!!!! He is in BIG trouble for causing such a problem! And, by the way, after it is all fixed and repaired, the battery light is still on! Not good! Not good at all!

Score: Me: 0 Squirrel: 1

Total: Me: 2 Squirrel: 3 .....Dislike :(

By the way, in case you are interested, the man at the Ford dealership said an old farmer had given them some advice in getting rid of squirrels eating up vehicle wires: Take cotton balls and soak them in fox urine (Oh, yes, that is readily available, isn't it????!!! Can you buy it at Walmart??? Actually he said maybe at a farmer's co-op, but I worked at a co-op when my dad was a manager and we didn't have that in stock! Maybe some do, though.) After soaking the cotton balls, put them in a zip top baggie. Poke holes in the baggie and put it in a safe spot under the vehicle hood. Easy as pie!

Well, the next best place to learn good information is Facebook, right? Almost as good as "googling" it. A friend said to use dryer sheets and stuff them under the hood. She tried it after having trouble with a squirrel (Probably the same one. He probably stopped at her house when he was coming from Mississippi to southwest Oklahoma!) It's a pretty safe assumption that dryer sheets are easier to come by than the other suggestion, don't ya think!

So, for now, squirrel, you are winning - BIG TIME! But, you haven't seen the last of me. I will win this war! (And remember, for any of you extreme animal lovers, you are MORE THAN WELCOME to rescue the crazed creature!!)

There is a possibility that our crazed squirrel has left our residence and has headed across town, to my husband's bosses' house. Yesterday a squirrel was in the pipe that goes from their stove or oven up the roof. When the guys were trying to get him out, the squirrel jumped and basically attacked one of the men, bit his finger....taking off the nail....and jumped in the air through the laundry room!!! I can't remember the rest of the story, but I think the squirrel is on the run. He may be headed to your place. If so, I'm sorry!

There's No "I" in TEAM, But There is "U" in CHURCH

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 05:44:00 +0000

One of the best things to see when it comes to team sports, is when individual players learn and decide to play as a team, instead of trying to do things all on their own. Sometimes it happens naturally. Sometimes it must be stressed by a coach. Sometimes it comes quickly. Sometimes it takes months or even years.

Teammates who learn to work together as a team have much, much greater success in their respective sports' seasons. They also may find that their records become greater in the win column as they begin to work together to achieve a common. Success comes from working together. That's a fact.

Each individual player is important in a team, of course, but there is no way that one individual can do everything on their own. They must have teammates to help them accomplish their goals as individuals and also as a team. There is no other way to accomplish those goals, than by working together to accomplish the task. No other way.

The team also needs a coach. Someone has to be in charge. There has to be someone to make the plays, call the plays, and someone who can guide/teach when needed. They coach must also encourage and inspire his or her players. A coach without encouragement won't get a lot out of his/her players.

Now let's look at this whole "team" thing in a spiritual sense. All of us, both Christians and non-Christians are going to be judged individually by God on judgement day. Our parent's faith will not be a ticket into heaven. Our spouses faith will not be your ticket into heaven. Our friends' faith won't. Our children's faith won't. No one elses faith but YOUR own and MY own will matter on that day.

There is a common misconception throughout the world today that the church is not important to God. Sadly, many in the world, and even many who claim to be Christians, believe that the church is not important to God. They want to take "U" (YOU) out of church and say it doesn't matter. If that is so, why would God have sent His Son on the cross for His church???

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

Ephesians 5:25-27

The problem is not the church. Not at all. People are rejecting organized religion because people have gotten in the way of the relationship Christians are supposed to have with their Lord and Savior! The problem is that men and women have taken their thoughts and ideas of what they believe the church should be and turned it (in many cases) into something that doesn't resemble the church of the New Testament at all. That is the church Jesus died for. He didn't die for a man-made religion! Christ died for His church, and when God's people turn away from His church and make some sort of man-made religion, then God's will is certainly not being done.

So, just what did the New Testament church look like? What did that first "team" look like over 2,000 years ago?? Well, first of all, if you read all of the book of Acts in the New Testament part of the Holy Bible, you will see that the word church is never talking about the building. It is always the people. A group of people. The believers. The followers. There wasn't just one single person. It was PEOPLE. The church is plural every time it is used in the Bible.

And, those people...the church...work together to be the body of Christ. Each person within the body is important, just as each player on a team is important. Without the "U" in church, something is missing: CH_RCH. See!!??

The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

Now the body is not made up of one part but of many.
1 Corinthians 12:12-14

Jesus is the head of the church. He's the coach of a team! And, He wants U on His team. What do you say? Are you ready to suit up? Are you ready to be a part of the team?

And he is the head of the body, the church....

Colossians 1:18

There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:4-6

Who Knew Bologna Was Such A Treat??

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 05:11:00 +0000

Yesterday afternoon my husband had gone to a nearby town to get a few things. I called him while he was on the way. I called him and asked him to pick up a few extra things. One of those things was bologna, which we never buy, but our children enjoy when they are at finger-food church meals or when visiting their grandparents.

Our three boys were busy moving two of the boys to their new bedrooms. The youngest, Tyler, (aka Biscuit from The Chronicles of Biscuit series I post about often) wasn't working very hard and the two older ones were getting a little aggravated at him. Finally, after hearing too many "discussions" coming from the bedroom, I hollered (yes, that's how we do it around here :) for Tyler to come to the kitchen.

When he got to the kitchen, I said, "Tyler, if you don't start helping your brothers, you're not going to get the special treat your daddy is bringing you home from Frederick!" He asked what it was. I said, "Bologna!" His eyes got big and he was soooooo excited! So were the other boys when they found out! It was so funny just how excited they got about something so simple as a package of lunch meat! It helped that we also had another rare "treat" in their eyes: white bread! And it was Wonder, my childhood favorite. We usually eat only 100% whole wheat!

So, since the boys were so excited, I told them that after worship Sunday night, I would make them fried bologna sandwiches. I made a big deal about it. I told them my dad would make them when I was little and how it was cooked a special way and all.....really played it up to be big. One of the boys even asked if I would be breading it....like chicken fried steak!!! (Wishful thinking on his part :).

I got a huge kick out of showing them how to slit the bologna, so it wouldn't puff up too much in the middle. I nicknamed the bologna PacMan, since it looked like the PacMan on the game. I made them their fried bologna sandwiches (and also one for my husband and daughter), then called my dad to tell him the good news about his grand kids enjoying one of his still-to-this-day favorite treats! Dad said to tell them they were enjoying a delicacy. Who knew a fried bologna sandwich was a delicacy???!

Isn't it neat how the minds of children are sometimes? A small, little (and yes, not really healthy) thing provided joy to my children last night....especially to the youngest (and I think my husband enjoyed it quite a bit, too!). Maybe we need to be more like children sometimes: excited about the little things in life.

*FYI: I don't eat bologna.

On this GRATITUESDAY, I am grateful for the little things. They mean a lot and sometimes even provide great family times together that will result in special memories for you and your children.

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

Top 5 Ways to Stop School (or any) Drama

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 05:50:00 +0000

*Note from Lori: This post was written last March, but I thought it might be good to post it again. Unfortunately, many people (young people, old people, and in-between) seem to thrive on drama. This post is directed towards the younger population, but it also is for people my age because WE are the PARENTS. We're the ones responsible for the youngsters. We're the ones who are supposed to be teaching them right from wrong. We're the ones who are supposed to be the examples. So, parents....be INVOLVED in your child's life - every aspect of it. They NEED you and they NEED you to be the adult and example in their lives!

***
Drama is most likely in every school - with some schools worse than others, with some classes worse than others, and yes, with some students worse than others. With raging hormones, life changes, and peer pressure, (and, okay teens, I'll throw in the overwhelming-at-times-homework for you! :) the drama often escalates to record highs in no time.

So, how is it possible for someone to rid their lives of the drama? Well, here is my top five list to do just that:

1. Don't Gossip
All drama - no matter what and without exception - would be completely done away with if everyone would watch the words they say. Sounds simple, doesn't it? But, we all know that it's not. The tongue is one of the hardest things to control. The Bible says so! In fact, the Bible says we can't control it on our own. That's where God's Spirit comes in. We have to have His help to stop the tongue.

Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue.

James 3:5-8

2. Limit Texting/Facebook/etc.
Now, before you scream out at me, "YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING!!! I COULD NEVER DO THAT!", please hear me out (and remember, if you scream, I can't hear you, anyway :). I'm not saying to never text...never be on Facebook. If I did, I would be a hypocrite. What I'm saying is this: Make up your mind that you will NEVER, EVER, EVER text or talk about someone else via any form of social media, or phone, or computer. Decide that you will never use those devices to talk about anyone else again.

Think of all of the conversations you've had with others, just today. What were they about? What did you think about? What was in your heart? Now, would you want your parents to read your texts? (some parents do keep tabs in that way and good for them!) Would you want your grandparents to see your chats on Facebook? Well, someone more important than any of those people sees and knows everything you send, take pictures of, look at pictures of....everything you think. That person is God. He knows all and sees all.

Remember the old saying, "If you can't say something nice, don't say it at all"? Keep that saying in your mind, along with the scriptures below.

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Hebrews 4:12-13

3. Pray
Every day, take the time to pray. Actually, many times during the day, take the time to pray. But, at least once a day, pray for those who you don't really like. The Bible tells us to love one another. That means everyone - as hard as that may seem. But, sometimes we don't like other people. Maybe we secretly want them to fail. Maybe we want them to suffer. Well, think about it this way. What if someone wants you to fail? What if someone wants you to suffer? How would that make you feel? I wouldn't like it, would you!? So, make up your mind, first of all, to pray for that one person - or maybe there is a whole group of people - you need to pray for. Pray for them. Pray specifically. It's even okay to pray like this: "God, please help me to like so and so." God will listen! He's ready to listen!

Secondly, pray for yourself. Pray that God will soften your heart, and that He will help you will find something good in that person. Pray that you will be kinder to them or that you will not be mean to them.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:43-44

4. Obey Your Parents
Okay. I know what you're thinking. "How does obeying my parents stop school drama?" I'm so glad you asked! By obeying your parents, you are submitting to them. Submission is yielding your will to the will of someone else. In other words, instead of you getting your way and you getting to do what you want to do, you will be doing exactly what your parents want you to do - without complaining (yep, there's the catch.).

So, how does this obeying help drama? By learning submission to your parents - in the home - you are actually learning an even bigger lesson. You are learning to obey those in authority - such as teachers, principles, other adults, but you are also learning to submit to others your own age...such as classmates and siblings.

Maybe you do obey your parents. Maybe you just need to work on obeying the other adult authorities in your life. Then start there. When an adult - such as a teacher, principal, maybe a guardian - tells you something. Make it a point to be quite. Just listen to them. Don't talk back. Don't argue. Don't complain. That's what's going to (or should) get you in trouble and add to the drama in your life. Learn to zip your lips! :) Trust me. It will make your life a lot less drama-full!

Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

Colossians 3:20

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Ephesians 5:21 (this is talking about in the home)

Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account.

Hebrews 13:7 (this was written to the early church and speaking of their leaders)

5. Serve Others
Find a way, each and every day, to do something good for someone else. (I don't mean do someone elses homework or let them copy it off of you, okay??!) Do something nice. Be polite. Be friendly. Show each other that you care. If someone drops something - any of them, not just certain ones - help them pick it up.

Offer to help the teacher. Not to become the teacher's pet, but to truly help them. Write a note, email or text (NO, NOT IN SCHOOL! You're not supposed to have your phone in school, remember???? Yeah, I thought so!) telling someone they did a good job. Or even better - TELL them FACE to FACE in PERSON that they did a good job! Bring the school secretary, the principal, the cooks, the cleaning ladies, the teachers a little gift to show that you appreciate them. Not that they need a gift or even want one, but that just to show that you care enough to show them and to tell them.

Jesus was the greatest person and the only perfect person to live on this earth. He was the Son of God. People made fun of him. People spit on him. People beat him. Then people killed him. I'm fairly certain that nothing you will go through in school will compare to that. Yes, something could happen that was bad. Of course, that is possible, but, Jesus humbly obeyed His Father and willingly died on the cross for YOU. But, even with all of that and actually, even in all that - Jesus was being a servant. He was doing for others. Make up your mind to do for others, as well. Every day of our life.

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Mark 10:45

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.

Galatians 5:13

So, what do you think? Do you think these things would work? What else would you add to the list?

Why not give it a try?

Pet Peeves

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:15:00 +0000

Do you have any pet peeves? I have a few. I'll share one with you: failure to acknowledge....such in emails, phone messages, Facebook messages/posts. Now, of course there is always the possibility that someone doesn't ever actually get the message from me, but a lot of times, it's just that there is no acknowledgement or reply. Sometimes that is probably an oversight, but sometimes it's probably on purpose. I don't take it personally, just want a reply to know an answer or thought about something. No big deal.

Just out of curiosity, I looked up the definition of pet peeve. Here it is: an opportunity for complaint that is seldom missed. Maybe I should have looked that up earlier because as Christians, we're not to complain, right? Right. So, if a pet peeve is an opportunity for complaint (that is seldom missed) doesn't it make it sound like I'm the one with the problem? It kind of does, doesn't it???!!

However, since I already had this post in mind before I looked up that definition, I'm going to go with it! Suppose God had a pet peeve. What would His be? Any ideas? I think one of His just might be the same as mind: failure to acknowledge. Just think: He has a letter....a book of letters and writings.....that He has sent to us, yet sometimes we fail to acknowledge it. That's right. He gave us the Bible to help us learn more about Him, to learn how to become His child, to learn how to live a holy life, and some choose to ignore it, don't they? Maybe I don't acknowledge it in some areas like I should. I'm sure we could all do better in acknowledging God. We could all thank Him more for what He has done for us. We could all acknowledge Him more by striving to do His will more consistently.
Although I have that pet peeve, I don't hold it against anyone. I try to always give people the benefit of the doubt. Sometimes that's hard, but I must forgive them because they have no intention to bother me, I'm sure.

God will forgive us for our failure to acknowledge Him at times, too. We get careless in our walk some times. The only time it will be too late to acknowledge God, is if we fail to ever acknowledge Him and fail to obey His word and His gospel. We won't want to leave this earthly life without ever having acknowledged God and become one of His children. On the last day....when Jesus comes, we will want Him to know that we have acknowledged Him.
Acknowledge Him today! And....if you need to acknowledge others in your life.....take the time to do that, too!

And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. ²⁹ They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips,³⁰ slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, ³¹foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.

Romans 1:28-31 (ESV)

Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other. ⁴⁰Keep his decrees and commands, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and your children after you and that you may live long in the land the LORD your God gives you for all time.

Deuteronomy 4:38-40 (NIV 1984)

Set Apart

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 14:59:00 +0000

There's a battle going on. The battle is between God and Satan. It's between good and evil. It's between Christians and the world. Who is going to win? Well, between God and Satan, God will win. Between good and evil, good will win. Between Christians and the world? I hope and pray that Christians will win. Many Christians will, we know, because the Bible tells us so. But many won't, because the Bible tells us so. Unfortunately, many people.....even those who believe there is a God and may even believe that Jesus was born to save His people.....don't turn their lives away from sin. They don't desire to live a holy life. (Not a perfect life, but striving to live a holy life.)

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²² Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ ²³ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

Matthew 7:21-23

We are to be holy. Holy means to be set apart. As God's children, we are to be set apart from the world....different from the world.....and more like God. We should become more and more like our Savior, Jesus, each and every day. We should look like Him and less like the world.

Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. ¹⁴ As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. ¹⁵ But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; ¹⁶ for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

¹⁷ Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. ¹⁸ For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. ²⁰ He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. ²¹ Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

1 Peter 1:13-21

So, examine your life. How do you look? How do you look to others....to your friends, your coworkers, your family? Now, how do you look to God? Do you look like someone who is set apart or you just blending in with the world?

It Has Happened.....

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:53:00 +0000

Our second oldest child, and oldest son, has grown to be the tallest in the family! He was the biggest baby, so I've always assumed he would be the biggest child. He seems to think every once in a while that with his higher height comes higher control within our family. Not so, big boy! :)

Really, it's just amazing how big they all are. I've already started thinking about getting mentally prepared for them to leave home. I pray about that time, because I know already that it will be difficult for me. That's what is supposed to happen, I know, but it still is hard.

Our youngest, Tyler, said a few days ago that he wasn't going to play any sports in high school. Coming from a HUGE sports fan, that was quite a statement. He said that he wanted to quit all of them so that he could spend more time with us....his parents....before he left home for college. Isn't that sweet?! He is a sweet boy who loves to be home and loves to be with us. I'm thankful that he does. (Note: However, they all have been warned that they can't live at home past age 22 or 23!)

When I think of my children leaving home, it hurts my heart. But then my thoughts go to Jesus hanging on the cross and think of what His Father must have felt. God willingly gave His Son for us. What a sacrifice!

Thank you, God!

The Chronicles of Biscuit - Keeping them Clean

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

The Chronicles of Biscuit - Stories about our youngest son, Tyler, whose nickname is Biscuit.

For Christmas, our boys got new golf balls from their dad that had their name on them. Biscuit also bought some golf balls with a gift card he got from a cousin, so he had a lot of new balls he could use. So, imagine my husband's surprise when the next time he took the boys golfing, Biscuit didn't take his new golf balls to play with! When they got to the course, Biscuit asked his daddy if he could use some of his balls. When asked why he wasn't using some of his new ones, Biscuit replied, "I don't want to get the new ones dirty!".

Isn't that funny?!! What Biscuit got for Christmas to use for a sport he really enjoys, he was too afraid to even use! Afraid to get them dirty!

I remember being a new Christian. I remember being afraid that I was going to do something wrong. I was afraid to sin.....afraid to get dirty. It didn't take long at all before I recognized that I had sinned.....I had gotten dirty. But you know what? That dirty feeling didn't stay long! Praise God! Because of the sacrifice Jesus was willing to go through for each of us, when a child of God sins and asks for forgiveness from those sins, Jesus' blood continues to cleanse us and make us clean and new! It's that wonderful!!

...and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood....

Revelation 1:5

We are going to get dirty. We are going to sin....the Bible tells us so. The difference is that as a baptized believer, we can be made clean again and again because of Jesus.

On this Gratituesday, I am GRATEFUL for the sacrifice and blood of Jesus. Aren't you?

"If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin"

1 John 1:7

And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. ¹³ Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. ¹⁴ For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.

Hebrews 13:12-14

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
⁹ Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!
Romans 5:8-9

"He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins."

Colossians 1:13-14

Join us for GRATITUESDAY at Heavenly Homemakers!

5 Reasons I Don't Make New Year's Resolutions

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 03:26:00 +0000

Every year as talk New Year's resolutions appear at the end of December, I think this very same thing: I don't like resolutions! That may seem strange for many people, and I totally understand that it might. But, just for a moment, let me explain myself.

I woke up this morning (New Year's Day) and began to get ready for Bible class and worship, just like I always do on Sunday morning. This thought came to me and I posted it as my status on Facebook:

Happy New Year! I resolve to not make any resolutions in this new year, but to continue to strive daily to live a more excellent life spiritually, physically,

emotionally, and mentally....all to His glory and not my own.

So....back to my 5 reasons:

#1: It's not all about me!

The word resolution means, "A firm decision to do or not to do something." Making a resolution implies that I am going to do something or not do something all on my own. There is no way that I can do anything at all totally on my own.

#2 I need a higher power!

Resolutions have more to do with what I "think" I should do or what I "believe" to be "right" instead of what I really desire and need to do. God knows what we need and He may feel like you need to change in different ways that what you and I might think. I can try to do something or not do something and might succeed for a while, but ultimately, I need a higher power. I need God's help in everything. When I turn that resolution to not what "I" can do or what "I" will not do, but rather turn my commitment to live a more excellent life (continually) for God, then HE will be making changes in me because of my submission to His will and not because of me and my will.

#3 Statistics say I will fail!

To me, resolutions only set people up for failure. That seems harsh, but I believe it to be true. Statistics say that most people do not keep their resolutions. In fact 88% of people who make them do fail, so when I hear that, I'm already questioning if I can keep it at all, so I'm already thinking negatively about my new resolution.

And here's an example: Perhaps you resolved to give up sweets at midnight. You do good at breakfast New Year's Day, but then at lunch you attend a family dinner, and one of your family members made your favorite pie/cake/dessert. You give in and have a bite....or two.....or maybe a whole piece. Now how do you feel??? Defeated! You failed! You BROKE your resolution! When resolutions are broken there is a sense of failure and defect that isn't easy to overcome. When you strive for excellence more every day, you will see victories in little things. Maybe you did eat some dessert. But maybe before you would have eaten two pieces and this time you only ate one. And maybe tomorrow you'll cut that down. Maybe (hopefully) you pray before heading to that family meal that God will strengthen you and your desire to eat too much. Now, do you see how the "ME" is changed to "HIM"??? See how it's not your will on your own, but through what God can do in your life?

#4 Every day is a new day!

Let's just face the facts: you and I are going to goof up....we're going to fall......we're going to fail. But guess what? There is GREAT news! If you are a child of God, He will forgive you when you ask Him to do so! Isn't that wonderful??!! It really is! The problem is that some time we have a hard time forgiving ourselves. We have a hard time forgetting. We want to punish ourselves because we believe we deserve it, but Jesus' sacrifice continues to purify us. We can wake up every day and say, "Today's a new day! Today I will strive to live a more excellent life!"

#5 Excellence is worth striving for!

I wrote the definition of a resolution, but here is the definition of excellence: The quality of being outstanding or extremely good. An outstanding feature or quality. Do you notice the difference? The resolution definition is just a firm decision. Your decision might hold, but it might not. Striving for excellence in all areas of life (spiritually, physically, emotionally, and mentally) is a life-changing experience. It's not here one day, gone the next. It's not going to change with every new year like a decision might. Being committed to excellence is a continual growth and a continual reliance on God and what He can do through you and through the blood of Jesus. It's all about His will and not ours. It's all about Him being glorified and not at all about me.

Come on! Join me! Be COMMITTED TO EXCELLENCE in 2012!

Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:13-14

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

2 Corinthians 5:17

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 06:12:00 +0000

Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

Why the Wise Men Were Really, Really Wise

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 06:37:00 +0000

Contrary to most nativity scenes that are displayed and for sale during this time of year, the wise men (or Magi) didn't visit baby Jesus at the manger. (By the way, the Bible also never says there were three men, but three gifts.....so we really don't know how many there were.) But the past few days, I've been thinking about just how wise those wise men were.

Think with me for a little bit about the things that made the wise men really, really wise:

The wise men saw the star that appeared when Jesus was born and they left the "East" to go find Him. Where was the "East"? How far was it from the "east" to Bethlehem? How long did it take them? We don't know. The Bible doesn't say. What it does say is that they went to Bethlehem for a very important reason. They went to worship Jesus. What wisdom!

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”

Matthew 2:1-2

King Herod wasn't too thrilled about this news about this new king being born, was he? He questioned the wise men to find out exactly when the star had appeared and more about where the child was to be born. He instructed the wise men to go to Bethlehem and search for the child so that he could go and worship him, too.

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

Matthew 2:7-8

In my research I found that the distance between the two towns was six miles, so not too far - even if on foot or by camel or donkey. However, what makes the wise men even more wise is #1 that they continued to search for Jesus, #2 that they continued following the star, and #3 that they knew that they couldn't trust King Herod, but could only trust God. It seems apparent that God was guiding the wise men, doesn't it? It certainly does, but just like with us, the wise men could have gone against the will of God. They could have stopped following the star. They could have given up on the search of Jesus. They could have believed King Herod and gone back to him with the information he was seeking, but they didn't. The were really, really wise, and after they arrived at the house (house....not manger) and worshipped Jesus and gave Him their gifts, they went back to their country using a different route. What wisdom!

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

Matthew 2:9-12

That is the last time we hear of the wise men, but all of these years later, they are still showing their faith and trust in God as an example to us because of what we read in God's Word. We can see for ourselves just how wise they were.

When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.

Matthew 2:13-16

So, what can we learn from these wise men? How can we be really, really wise? By doing what they did!

#1 - By continuing to search for Jesus and when we find him, to continue to seek Him. Seek Him with all of our hearts for all of our lives.

#2 - By continuing to follow the star....Jesus.....the light of the world!

#3 - By trusting in God in all things. Not letting the ways of men or the ways of the world get in the way of trusting and following him.

Merry Christmas, everyone! Be WISE!

A Surprise Wedding!

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 03:06:00 +0000

December 21 was my maternal grandparents anniversary date. If they were both still living, this year they would be celebrating their 72nd anniversary. They did have 51 years together, which was a blessing. Actually, all of our children's great-grandparents were married around 50 years. Only death kept them from reaching more years.

Grandpa Gene and Grandma Sibyl had an interested wedding, that I thought you might enjoy hearing about. They were engaged to be married on January 14, 1940, but the town of Hollis, Oklahoma, was hosting a special event to pick a surprise couple to be married on December 21, 1939. My grandparents were selected as the winning couple!

Here's part of the newspaper article about my grandparents' special day: (Notice how many people were at their wedding!)

Nearly 6,000 residents of the Hollis trade territory jammed city streets Thursday night for the climaxing even of a Christmas season packed "to the brim" - a secret wedding, which became a secret no more when Eugene Francis and Sibyl Nell were revealed as the bridegroom and bride.

The couple first appeared before the crowd in masks. Exclamations of surprise burst from the audience, indicating the "secret" had been well kept by the few persons handling arrangements for the event. Vows were read publicly by A.D. Tweedy, minister of the church of Christ at Hollis.

The couple "set sail" on their marital cruise with the blessing of the entire throng, and with $200 worth of household supplies, provided by twenty-nine city merchants, tucked away among their presents.

My grandpa wrote a letter to his oldest sister about the wedding on December 17, 1939. Here's part of it:

Dear Myrl:

I thought I would write & tell you that me & Sibyl are going to get married on the street Thursday nite at 9 o'clock thought maybe you & Sam would like to see it. It will take a lot of nerve but I can stand anything for $200.00 worth of stuff. I don't have to pay for nothing, not even a ring. It is supposed to be kept secret but I thought I would tell you all.

Well, I will close, so if you want to see me faint Thursday nite be sure & come.

Love, Eugene

***** (I can hear my grandpa's voice as I read that letter!!)

I love weddings and everything about them.....the decorations, the colors, the photographs....everything. Wouldn't it be neat to have a surprise wedding in your town???!! Maybe I should plan one for someone :).

“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”

Matthew 19:4-6

Thoughts from my daughter.....

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 05:39:00 +0000

From Lori: I got a text this afternoon. A BIG, LONG text! Good thing we have unlimited texting!! :) My daughter was waiting for her dental appointment and looked through magazines as she waited. Below she shares what she thinks about one of the articles in the magazine. She is truly a blessing in our lives. On this GRATITUESDAY, I am grateful for her example to us, to her three brothers, and to those around her. Love you, girl!

******
While waiting at the dentist, I took the time to read through a Family Circle magazine. I got to a section where mothers ask the designated magazine employee for advice on their children's problems or their concerns about their children. The problem is that the magazine employees' answers never have anything to do with God.

1st, the parents with concerns have most likely not disciplined their children effectively.

2nd, there's no advice about what God would want about the situation. It's just women stating their own OPINION. Meaning it could be right OR wrong, based on the situation.

In this crazy and corrupt world we live in, I think parents should stop and take time to think about where their children are headed. And what they need to do to better their children's 'acting up'. Teach your children about Gods love, grace, and salvation. Let them know what's right and wrong according to God.

Now, I think that kids should take into consideration the aspect of respect for ALL adults....whether you like them or not. They still have authority over you. Kids should stop and realize that life is NOT all about them and that being with their friends isn't always where they should be. Know that good comes from God and only God.

Lastly, EVERYONE needs to take into consideration that you wont be a kid very long. Spend time together with your family. Pray, sing, play games, watch movies together. Let God know that you are thankful for the times you have together.

*****
Good job, Lauren!

“Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:5-9)

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

Elementary Christmas Party - 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 04:53:00 +0000

Thursday was the elementary Christmas party for grades PK - 5th. The event is sponsored by our Parent-Teacher Organization. This year's party was a snowman theme.

During the party, students decorate homemade theme-shaped sugar cookies at one of the stations. I had bought mini chocolate chips for the snowman's eyes and mouth, but my daughter accidentally forgot about then while she was helping in that center. Oh, well, the students didn't seem to mind!

Santa stopped by the school during the party. Children had their picture taken with him and were given their pictures after the party. This is my youngest child on Santa's lap.

Of course, we couldn't forget class pictures with Mr. Claus. This is the 3rd grade class. Each class rotates through four party stations, staying at each station for 25 minutes. Pictures with Santa were one of the stations.

Each year after Christmas, I buy a lot of the supplies we will need for the next year's party. I store the boxes for the whole next year. It cuts the costs of party supplies by quite a bit. I usually wait and buy the party plates and napkins right before the party. I could buy them in advance, but it's always fun seeing the new designs for the season. These plates and napkins were from Hobby Lobby. The little snowman mug, snowman gift bags for the centerpieces, and marshmallow packs (they had the saying "Snowmen Come Unassembled") are all from Oriental Trading, as is the big snowman in the first picture.

This was one of the funnest activities we've ever had at the game station. The classes were divided in half, then the snowman making group were divided into teams. The teams selected one person to become the snowman and the others to create the snowman. Students were given two rolls of toilet paper to wrap around the person, plus they were given construction paper noses, hats, mouth and bones. *Note: Be sure to leave a space at the mouth and nose for the child to breathe.

The other group of students played a "snowball" game with cotton balls. After both groups of each class were done, they switched games. They seemed to be having a great time!

My daughter and a friend read for the book station of the party. They chose to read two or three stories from several different snowman books.

The children enjoyed hearing stories about the snowmen.

Each year the students make a homemade Christmas ornament. This year they made paint stick snowmen. I ordered plain paint sticks from an online company, that were actually a little shorter than regular paint sticks, then painted the top parts of them black and the bottom of them white.

The brim of the hat are front short tongue-depressor shaped sticks painted black. The students used glue dots to secure the brim, finishing off the snowman with Sharpie marker drawn-on eyes, mouth, nose, and buttons (Several years ago they did this same ornament, but used foam pieces for those parts. Both ways look great!). Finally, add a fleece strip of cloth around the snowman's "neck" for a scarf.

The Christmas party is one of my very favorite events of the whole school year. It's so much fun to "treat" the students to fun activities and special memory-making times.

After the party was over, a small group of junior high students came to the cafeteria to eat lunch. I had some marshmallows left over, as well as some hot chocolate. I asked them if they wanted some and they certainly did! They were really excited about it! One of them commented how he remembered those Christmas parties and how much fun they were. I thanked him for sharing his thoughts with me. That is why it's important to me for the students to have a special Christmas party each year. I want them to have those special memories, and I want them to have some special keepsakes from their childhood that they can look back at when they grow up. I want them to know that I, and all of the others who take the time to help at the party, care about them.

So.....all that's left from the party are the memories.....and a few sugar cookies :). Now.....on to thinking about next year's party theme: Gingerbread Men!

Married or not.....Read this.

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 15:06:00 +0000

This morning, I was working on a post about the elementary Christmas party. As I waited for pictures to upload, I read this story on Facebook. Needless to say, when I finished reading it, my thoughts weren't on the Christmas party photos, but on the power of this story. I had to post it to share with you. The Christmas party pictures can wait.
****
MARRIED OR NOT, you should read this.... When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, I’ve got something to tell you. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes. Suddenly I didn’t know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly. She didn’t seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why? I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, you are not a man!

That night, we didn’t talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer; she had lost my heart to Jane. I didn’t love her anymore. I just pitied her! With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company. She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for I loved Jane so dearly. Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.

The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table. I didn’t have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Jane. When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so I turned over and was asleep again. In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn’t want anything from me, but needed a month’s notice before the divorce. She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a month’s time and she didn’t want to disrupt him with our broken marriage. This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day. She requested that every day for the month’s duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door ever morning. I thought she was going crazy. Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request. I told Jane about my wife’s divorce conditions. . She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce, she said scornfully.

My wife and I hadn’t had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mommy in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly; don’t tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office. On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn’t looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I realized she was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying!

Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her. On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me. On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn’t tell Jane about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger. She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why I could carry her more easily. Suddenly it hit me… she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart. Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head. Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it’s time to carry mom out. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly; it was just like our wedding day. But her much lighter weight made me sad.

On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, I hadn’t noticed that our life lacked intimacy. I drove to office…. jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind…I walked upstairs. Jane opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Jane, I do not want the divorce anymore. She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead. Do you have a fever? She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Jane, I said, I won’t divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn’t value the details of our lives, not because we didn’t love each other anymore. Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until death do us apart. Jane seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away.

At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote, I’ll carry you out every morning until death do us apart. That evening I arrived home, flowers in my hands, a smile on my face, I run up stairs, only to find my wife in the bed -dead. My wife had been fighting CANCER for months and I was so busy with Jane to even notice. She knew that she would die soon and she wanted to save me from the whatever negative reaction from our son, in case we push through with the divorce. — At least, in the eyes of our son—-I’m a loving husband….

The small details of your lives are what really matter in a relationship. It is not the mansion, the car, property, the money in the bank. These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in themselves. So find time to be your spouse’s friend and do those little things for each other that build intimacy. Do have a real happy marriage! If you don’t share this, nothing will happen to you. If you do, you just might save a marriage. Most of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.

Top 5 Most Important Things your Child Needs for Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 05:33:00 +0000

If you are a parent, most likely you've had a handwritten list or a verbal list of gifts your child/children would like to get for Christmas this year. I usually have just a verbal list, but as my children are getting older (and I am, too!) I asked them to write down their list this year. It's been helpful as I've purchased items off of it for the past month.

Instead of focusing on physcial gifts, I want you to imagine what a child might write down if they could concentrate only on what would be good for their emotional well-being. Of course, these are not things that children (or most of them) will recognize as something they need, but mature adults certainly will.

Here are the Top 5 Most Important things your child needs for Christmas. You'll notice that this list doesn't actually have anything to do with "things", though. It only has to do with the relationship between a child and his parents. This things might seem to be "cheap" as far as money goes. You don't have to go to a store or buy online. But, these things are priceless. There is no way to purchase them. They are gifts that parents and children give each other, but their worth is immeasurable.

1. LOVE
Children need love. Unconditional love. Love that will not change dependent on either persons' moods, struggles, or anything else. A love a parent has for his/her child, should mimic the love that God has for His children. God may be disappointed by our actions, our choices, or our behavior towards Him, but He still loves us.

As parents, we may be disappointed by the actions, choices or behavior of our children, but we should still love them. Love isn't buying gifts. Love isn't spending lots of money or going on vacations all of the time. Love is being there. Love is caring. Love is kindness to one another. Love is action.

We love because he first loved us.

1 John 4:19

Love is patient, love is kind.

1 Corinthians 13:4

2. DISCIPLINE
Almost as important as love, is discipline. That may seem strange to some, but it's true. "Why?" you may ask. Let me explain. Children only feel loved when they feel secure. A home without discipline feels insecure to a child. A child may resist the very boundaries he/she craves, but that is normal. They need the boundaries and they need those boundaries to be unmovable. Boundaries that are ever-changing and movable aren't stable. Homes without discipline aren't stable, either.

I once had a friend tell me she was always jealous of me because I had rules to follow....because I had curfews to obey. I thought that was so strange at the time, but she explained that she didn't feel loved in that way, because her parents didn't care what time she came in or have any certain guidelines about many things in her life. As a parent, I now understand what she meant. My children are thankful for the boundaries that are in place.....even when they may try to move them.

Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, he will not die. Punish him with the rod

and save his soul from death.

Proverbs 23:13-14

Whoever spares the rod hates their children,

but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.

Proverbs 13:24

3. TIME

You can't love someone like you should, without spending time with them. It's almost impossible. Of course, with today's technology, there are ways to stay connected without actually being face to face, but remember (this is extremely important!): CHILDREN NEED TO SEE YOU FACE TO FACE! THEY NEED TO TALK TO YOU FACE TO FACE! No cell phone, Facebook page, Skype chat, or anything else can take the place of face to face time. Never! Ever!

Our hectic, busy lives can leave little time for family, if we're not careful. Make plans to be together. If you are like our family, sometimes it's a treat just to all be in the car together! Sounds strange, but it's really rare! We have to work hard to have time together, but it is extremely important.

These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Deuteronomy 6:6-9

Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Deuteronomy 11:18-19

4. FAITH
Your faith in God is your own. Your faith in God....your trust in Jesus....will not get your child to Heaven. Only he or she has the ability to make those decisions on their own. However, I strongly believe that your faith - or rather your lack of faith - can have a huge role in whether your child does NOT go to Heaven. Yes, it is still up to he/she to make those decisions, but without a foundation laid by the parents, it just makes it so much harder for them to be seeking God. Sadly our society, as a whole, puts more emphasis on careers and success than it does in faith and salvation.

What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

Matthew 16:26

A child who is raised up in the "nurture and admonition of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4) knows about God. He/she has most likely been told the Good News about Jesus and been a part of His church. Children who are learning about faith from their parents are learning how to cope in trials and struggles with God's mighty hand guiding them all the way. They will be self-sufficient because of what they know they can do, but only because of Christ....not because of themselves. They have a God-confidence, not a self-confidence. They grow to have a faith that no one can destroy! What an awesome gift!

For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

I Thessalonians 2:11-12

Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. Remember the day you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, when he said to me, “Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn to revere me as long as they live in the land and may teach them to their children.”

Deuteronomy 4:9-10

5. VALUE

It's amazing the expectations some parents have for their children. So many parents expect their children to be the best player in their particular sport. Maybe they have to score a certain number of points or strike out a certain number of batters, etc. Some expect their child to be the very top in academics in their class, have straight A's, etc. It's a hard thing for parents NOT to do. I know! We've struggled as parents with some of that, too. It's not that it's bad to be the sports star or the academic whiz. There's nothing wrong with those things at all. The problem is when their are unrealistic expectations or when the parent is trying to live out their past (possibly unsuccessful past in some situations) and want their needs/desires met by their child's fame. That's when the child's value is placed on their performance rather that for who they are as a person.

It's also a problem if we care more about the fact that our preschool children can say their ABC's or read or whatever, yet care less if they know anything about the Bible - the books of the Bible, the stories (true stories!) in the Bible, or about creation of the world. What are you showing your child that you value?

Value God. Value Jesus. Value your child. Value each other. Honor each other. Praise each other - not in a superficial way, but genuine, heartfelt praise. Praise that isn't dependent on how many touchdowns he made or what score she made on an exam.

Sons are a heritage from the Lord , children a reward from him.

Psalm 127:3

So, you see.....these top five gifts of what your children need are simple. Simple, yet oftentimes hard. Hard and difficult, but very, very much worth it.

Merry Christmas to YOU!

JESUS IS THE REASON....

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 15:04:00 +0000

for EVERY SEASON!!!

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Colossians 1:15-17

Christmas is recognized as the celebration of the birth of Jesus, but do we always think about the fact that Jesus is the reason for EVERY season - not just Christmas?

The Bible actually never says when our Savior was born. Some have speculated on his actual birthdate, but it's ranged from the fall months to the spring months. So, in other words, no one is really sure! But, at least during this season of Christmas, more people have their focus on Him. We must use this time to remind them of the fact that this little sweet baby grew up and taught the world about His purpose and His Father's plan. This man went to the cross and died to be the Savior of all who will obey Him and His Father. We must remind people to not put the baby Savior back in a box on December 26 and just forget about Him the rest of the year. Use this special time of year to share Jesus with others in a way that they might not have ever heard!

So about Jesus' birth date. Does it matter when He was born? Does it matter if we know the exact date Apparently not, or the Bible would tell us "when". However, it does matter WHAT we DO with Jesus. Do we only let Him be the reason for just the Christmas season, or just the Easter season, or do we make Him a part of every season of the year? He should be the reason and the hope for every day of our lives.

In Genesis 1:26, God says, "Let us make man in our image..." Who is the "our" in this verse? God himself, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. John 1:1-3 also tells how Jesus (the Word) was with God in the beginning: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made."

Jesus has always been and will always be the reason for every season. Without Him there would be no hope of any season. Let's all do our best to recognize that fact each and every day.