Once upon a time, just after I met and married my hubby I had the awesome opportunity to work for a Naturopathic midwife. In that one short year of my life, I learned countless ways to combat many illnesses without having to run to urgent care or the family doctor. MOST of my family members enjoy poking fun at me for it........ Usually, they are all rallied about by my misguided hubby. However, since we moved far away from that 'fuel' that kindled his fire, he no longer mocks it anymore and just takes whatever I put in front of him. What I learned and what I continue to learn about are basically using herbs, homeopathic and vitamins to help the body do what God designed it to do.
Illnesses and viruses are usually shorter in duration and frequency at our house for 2 reasons. Preventative measures and boosting immunity. I WISH it had more to do with impeccable hygiene habits but, that would DEFINITELY not be keeping it real!
So I have started a new label under posts called natural remedies. This is in no way, shape, or form, medical advice that takes precedence over a real doctor. If in doubt please seek medical attention but what I am going to do is just post things that we go through, what I did to treat it and how it worked.
It am NOT a 'trained professional'! Just a mom that likes to study about weird stuff and has some information that works for my family! Hope it works for yours too if you choose to use any of them!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Saturday, December 5, 2009
The hunt continues
As many of you know from reading my last post we have begun house hunting. There in lies the premise for this post.
Just last week we literally stumbled on the ‘perfect house’. It basically had all of our heart’s desires in a home AND then some. It wasn’t in perfect condition, however, with some new paint and TLC it would be ‘perfect’ to suit all of our needs. (It even had one room that had Seattle Seahawk colors on the wall with SEAHAWKS written on the wall; who knew bad taste in football teams traveled THAT far away! YIKES. John shook his head in shame telling me that was the first room to get painted!) LOL! It was built in 2001, so this meant is was new enough to have a lower insurance premium, but not new enough to have the possibility of Chinese drywall! COOL! We had seen another home that was still in the back of our minds as a possibility but it was much older and missing several things things that this home had. Like a bigger yard, fence, pool, quiet street, ect. It seemed as though this one was the whole package and our search was over!
As John and I spent time with the Lord to ask Him if HE concurred with our thoughts neither of us got scripture about it being ‘the house’. John got scripture about going and dwelling in the Land again. Basically I got scriptures stating I needed to have faith. Maybe I am just a bit picky, but I asked the Lord for specifics. I wanted something along the lines of having the subject of a HOUSE in the scripture? Nothing, but we thought maybe John’s scripture was enough and that I just needed to have faith in the fact that God wants us to have this sweet treasure? To be honest, I got discouraged and basically gave up seeking to get confirmation. John felt like he got confirmation on a price/offer so we placed an offer on the home and the seller to pay a 6% concession. There was no peace as a result of that offer on my part because I knew I stopped seeking. I began praying for God to PLEASE protect us if we stepped out on our own and not under His direction. The bank countered our offer with only paying a 3% concession and we knew right away that this was above the offer John had peace with. We pretty much walked away from the offer all together and put it in the Lord’s hands. If we are to have it then God will make it clear to us through more scriptural confirmation AND the bank will accept our previous offer.
All the while God kept bringing to mind another property we had looked at, but fairly quickly dismissed. It was no longer even a caditate for consideration as far as John and I were concerned. However, the realestate agent kept asking our agent if we were still interested? It was owned by a church and they used it as house for recovering addicts and possibly visitors to their church. It was older, not well cared for, smelled of cigarettes, needed A LOT of work, not in the best part of town and NOT even in Lehigh but a little north of it (East Fort Myers to be exact). However, the home was much bigger than the others we had seen for the same price. It could accommodate an extra family and visitors to stay with us. It also had plenty of room for bible studies. So I felt the Lord tugging at my heart asking WHY we are here? Is it to have the nice house, huge yard, pool , in an acceptable part of town? OUCH! I know that we can accomplish both things in either home, but only God knows where we will have the biggest impact and what we will need, long term for what He is calling us to do. Oh, how our ‘hearts desires’ can sometimes be so short sighted looking only to the immediate need/wants rather than the fact that God has a LONG term plan going on. So we are continuing to seek more confirmation from the Lord. I am well aware that we NEVER “surprised God” by making a choice using our moderate understanding of what God thinks is best for us. However it is quite similar to old adage “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade”. However, we are the ones providing the Lemons for GOD to make Lemonade! Settling, not His first and foremost plan for us but He will make due with the effort we have given. Handing God ‘lemons’ and HIM orchestrating all those affected by our mess…….. We never make decisions in a vacuum and there are always casualties of decisions made without Christ. However, God is a God of redemption. It is God’s pleasure to have us submit to Him and give Him ALL our messes repentantly. Repentance is the key to getting our hearts back in line with the Lords desires for us.
I wish I could tell you that we HAVE confirmation on 'the house' God wants us to own, but so far we keep on seeking until our hearts are in line with scripture and attain the peace that only comes from making a decision based on the Lord's will for our lives. If you think about it please pray for us to get that confirmation! Love you all!
Just last week we literally stumbled on the ‘perfect house’. It basically had all of our heart’s desires in a home AND then some. It wasn’t in perfect condition, however, with some new paint and TLC it would be ‘perfect’ to suit all of our needs. (It even had one room that had Seattle Seahawk colors on the wall with SEAHAWKS written on the wall; who knew bad taste in football teams traveled THAT far away! YIKES. John shook his head in shame telling me that was the first room to get painted!) LOL! It was built in 2001, so this meant is was new enough to have a lower insurance premium, but not new enough to have the possibility of Chinese drywall! COOL! We had seen another home that was still in the back of our minds as a possibility but it was much older and missing several things things that this home had. Like a bigger yard, fence, pool, quiet street, ect. It seemed as though this one was the whole package and our search was over!
As John and I spent time with the Lord to ask Him if HE concurred with our thoughts neither of us got scripture about it being ‘the house’. John got scripture about going and dwelling in the Land again. Basically I got scriptures stating I needed to have faith. Maybe I am just a bit picky, but I asked the Lord for specifics. I wanted something along the lines of having the subject of a HOUSE in the scripture? Nothing, but we thought maybe John’s scripture was enough and that I just needed to have faith in the fact that God wants us to have this sweet treasure? To be honest, I got discouraged and basically gave up seeking to get confirmation. John felt like he got confirmation on a price/offer so we placed an offer on the home and the seller to pay a 6% concession. There was no peace as a result of that offer on my part because I knew I stopped seeking. I began praying for God to PLEASE protect us if we stepped out on our own and not under His direction. The bank countered our offer with only paying a 3% concession and we knew right away that this was above the offer John had peace with. We pretty much walked away from the offer all together and put it in the Lord’s hands. If we are to have it then God will make it clear to us through more scriptural confirmation AND the bank will accept our previous offer.
All the while God kept bringing to mind another property we had looked at, but fairly quickly dismissed. It was no longer even a caditate for consideration as far as John and I were concerned. However, the realestate agent kept asking our agent if we were still interested? It was owned by a church and they used it as house for recovering addicts and possibly visitors to their church. It was older, not well cared for, smelled of cigarettes, needed A LOT of work, not in the best part of town and NOT even in Lehigh but a little north of it (East Fort Myers to be exact). However, the home was much bigger than the others we had seen for the same price. It could accommodate an extra family and visitors to stay with us. It also had plenty of room for bible studies. So I felt the Lord tugging at my heart asking WHY we are here? Is it to have the nice house, huge yard, pool , in an acceptable part of town? OUCH! I know that we can accomplish both things in either home, but only God knows where we will have the biggest impact and what we will need, long term for what He is calling us to do. Oh, how our ‘hearts desires’ can sometimes be so short sighted looking only to the immediate need/wants rather than the fact that God has a LONG term plan going on. So we are continuing to seek more confirmation from the Lord. I am well aware that we NEVER “surprised God” by making a choice using our moderate understanding of what God thinks is best for us. However it is quite similar to old adage “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade”. However, we are the ones providing the Lemons for GOD to make Lemonade! Settling, not His first and foremost plan for us but He will make due with the effort we have given. Handing God ‘lemons’ and HIM orchestrating all those affected by our mess…….. We never make decisions in a vacuum and there are always casualties of decisions made without Christ. However, God is a God of redemption. It is God’s pleasure to have us submit to Him and give Him ALL our messes repentantly. Repentance is the key to getting our hearts back in line with the Lords desires for us.
I wish I could tell you that we HAVE confirmation on 'the house' God wants us to own, but so far we keep on seeking until our hearts are in line with scripture and attain the peace that only comes from making a decision based on the Lord's will for our lives. If you think about it please pray for us to get that confirmation! Love you all!
Saturday, November 28, 2009
My Thankful List
Being that quite a few things have transpired since my last post I figured, in order to keep you from snoozing through a post I would keep it short and sweet…….. Never done that before so I suppose we will see how that goes!
1. I am thankful that I have a pretty amazing husband, 3 great kids that the Lord has blessed us with and an extended family that has been grafted into our clan through adoption.
2. I am so thankful for my sustained health and the fact that everyone else in our family is healthy! I have been seizure free for many years now, thanks to the Lord’s sweet provision and the ability to pay for the medication necessary to keep me well!
3. John, not only has a job in this uncertain economy, but it is a job that is truly a gift from God. He has had several opportunities to witness; mostly through acts of kindness, but those are rare between inmate and officer so they speak volumes. It also gives him time/energy to pour more into our family! This is just awesome to see the fruit from this happening as we become more knit together and indivisible for the work that God has called us to!
4. God is providing for us and continues to take care of us above all that we could ask or think!
5. I am so THANKFUL the kids and I got to go home and visit/recharge with my relatives and Calvary Chapel Tri-Cities church family back in August. Also, very grateful for opportunities to eat food (mostly ice cream and ranch dressing) that we can’t find here in Florida.
6. We seem to have some direction about the WHY behind being here in Florida. (To be disclosed when we have more evidence/direction)
7. A family from our church in the Tri-cities will be moving down, possibly within a year, to come alongside us in what the Lord has planned! We are prettyhappy ELATED/AMAZED about this! It will be so wonderful to have fellowship for our family as we encourage each other to follow the path that God has laid out for each of us here!
8. As per the Lord’s direction, we have been house hunting again in an area that is about 45 minutes, yet only 20 miles, SouthEast of our current location. The town we are looking in/ around is called Lehigh acres.
9. The housing market is still pretty affordable here, but prices are slowly rising because investors are saturating the market. It has also been a bit tricky to navigate this market for these reasons:
~Foreclosures that have been ‘invisibly’ or visibly trashed. Some people are so upset they are losing their homes that they pour cement down the drains & toilets to make sure whoever buys the house has to “pay” for taking it away from them. They get back at the bank by selling off all light fixtures, pool equipment, AC/HVAC systems, kitchen cabinets, ect.
~Short sales: a term that basically says “I am trying to avoid foreclosure with my dignity and credit in tact. PLEASE buy my house for less than what I paid for it. However, since I really don’t want to HAVE to sell it to you, don’t expect me to let you see my house or negotiate a price for 1/3 of what I paid.”
~ Chinese drywall, which the government says is perfectly safe to inhale inert Strontium isotopes that stink like rotten eggs? It is in many of the homes on the market but is not disclosed since it is ‘safe’. Many of the homes built between the years of 2004 to 2006 are effected and since this was a time when there was a huge housing boom it is hard to know what is and is not a home with that drywall. It is so sad to see that people had to go into foreclosure on their ‘dream homes’ because they were unlivable. Even if you have one sheet of this stuff in your home it will cause BIG problems. It breaks down appliances, AC units and damages copper wiring within the year. People who have lived in these homes have the same health problems, however, even though the complaints are the same it is unrelated to the drywall? No worries though……. Obama will LOAN you upwards of 100,000 to ‘fix’ your unrepairable home. Many are struggling to afford their mortgages ‘as is’ and are then forced to foreclose. GRRRRR!
With all these obstacles in our path we are SO GRATEFUL we are seeking the Lord for direction. Only He knows what house we should have so when He says NO, it is easy to walk away KNOWING HE has our best interests at heart.
10. Ever since we realized that my seizure disorder would not be able to sustain another pregnancy, I knew that God gave me a hope that we would adopt to complete our family. John half-heartily agreed with this notion because, he saw howupseting devastating it was, for me. To have the desire to physically bear more children, but submitting that desire to the Lord, KNOWING it was time to let my body be done. However, adoption was MY hearts desire, not John's. After 6 years of praying for my husband to let the Lord speak to his heart on this matter, God has come thorugh. WE will be pursuing adoption once we get settled into the home God has for us here in Florida. The kids are VERY excited and pray daily for their new sibling(s) and that God would keep them safe till we meet him/her/them.
11. I am so thankful that the Lord has chosen this time of isolation for our family. Weird I know, but it has caused John & I to take a very good look at the fact that “you are going to get out of your children, exactly what you put into them”. Yes, we homeschool, yes we use Christian curriculum, yes, we talk about what the Lord is doing for us as a family and how He relates to us. However, how much of this is just scratching the surface? How much of this really cultivates a relationship with us AND more importantly, Jesus? Meaning if they only hear about the Lord through quaint little stories at church and via a short devotional in the morning before school, are they really equipped or are they starving spiritually! Since this has been brought to our attention, we have been doing family devotions in the evening. Just going through the word, reading and answering questions. I only wish we had started doing this earlier as it allows them to ask us questions without shame for not knowing. It gives us opportunities to diffuse all the worlds influences that creep to tempt their hearts. A place in our children’s hearts needs to be cultivated more proactively in the world we live in. The bonus is getting to see them grow in the Lord more fervently, turn to Him when they struggle in their sin AND, most importantly, get victory over those areas they give to the Lord.
12. This year we got to have someone over for Thanksgiving that we know from back home! A former co-worker of John’s moved here to Cape Coral about a couple months ago. We have gotten together a couple times to share our ‘confusion’ with the new culture here in Florida and swapping stories from back home. John and she also had a nice time swapping work stories of their time spent at Benton county as well as being so THANKFUL each of them no longer work there.
I know this is longer than I promised so I will stop there! I am thankful for more than just these things but I know you are already probably thinking “I don’t really care whatever else you are thankful for because you are so long winded” and ready to move along to check your Facebook page. Please just don't post a status update of that you now "need a nap because Theresa's blog is so long"! I will still chose to love you even if you do this but I may send you a poopy diaper in the mail. I work in the church nursery! :o) For those of you naysayers like Ryan, I, just want to let you know, there are 3 separate posts I started along these lines and never got finished because they were a bit too long individually. So, in a way this really is LONG STORY SHORT! He He! Hope you all are well and enjoying getting ready for your Christmas celebration! BIG CHRISTMAS HUGS SENT FROM FLORIDA! Especially because I am not sure if we will get Christmas pics out this year! Anyone want to come celebrate Christmas on the beach with us? Just let me know!
1. I am thankful that I have a pretty amazing husband, 3 great kids that the Lord has blessed us with and an extended family that has been grafted into our clan through adoption.
2. I am so thankful for my sustained health and the fact that everyone else in our family is healthy! I have been seizure free for many years now, thanks to the Lord’s sweet provision and the ability to pay for the medication necessary to keep me well!
3. John, not only has a job in this uncertain economy, but it is a job that is truly a gift from God. He has had several opportunities to witness; mostly through acts of kindness, but those are rare between inmate and officer so they speak volumes. It also gives him time/energy to pour more into our family! This is just awesome to see the fruit from this happening as we become more knit together and indivisible for the work that God has called us to!
4. God is providing for us and continues to take care of us above all that we could ask or think!
5. I am so THANKFUL the kids and I got to go home and visit/recharge with my relatives and Calvary Chapel Tri-Cities church family back in August. Also, very grateful for opportunities to eat food (mostly ice cream and ranch dressing) that we can’t find here in Florida.
6. We seem to have some direction about the WHY behind being here in Florida. (To be disclosed when we have more evidence/direction)
7. A family from our church in the Tri-cities will be moving down, possibly within a year, to come alongside us in what the Lord has planned! We are pretty
8. As per the Lord’s direction, we have been house hunting again in an area that is about 45 minutes, yet only 20 miles, SouthEast of our current location. The town we are looking in/ around is called Lehigh acres.
9. The housing market is still pretty affordable here, but prices are slowly rising because investors are saturating the market. It has also been a bit tricky to navigate this market for these reasons:
~Foreclosures that have been ‘invisibly’ or visibly trashed. Some people are so upset they are losing their homes that they pour cement down the drains & toilets to make sure whoever buys the house has to “pay” for taking it away from them. They get back at the bank by selling off all light fixtures, pool equipment, AC/HVAC systems, kitchen cabinets, ect.
~Short sales: a term that basically says “I am trying to avoid foreclosure with my dignity and credit in tact. PLEASE buy my house for less than what I paid for it. However, since I really don’t want to HAVE to sell it to you, don’t expect me to let you see my house or negotiate a price for 1/3 of what I paid.”
~ Chinese drywall, which the government says is perfectly safe to inhale inert Strontium isotopes that stink like rotten eggs? It is in many of the homes on the market but is not disclosed since it is ‘safe’. Many of the homes built between the years of 2004 to 2006 are effected and since this was a time when there was a huge housing boom it is hard to know what is and is not a home with that drywall. It is so sad to see that people had to go into foreclosure on their ‘dream homes’ because they were unlivable. Even if you have one sheet of this stuff in your home it will cause BIG problems. It breaks down appliances, AC units and damages copper wiring within the year. People who have lived in these homes have the same health problems, however, even though the complaints are the same it is unrelated to the drywall? No worries though……. Obama will LOAN you upwards of 100,000 to ‘fix’ your unrepairable home. Many are struggling to afford their mortgages ‘as is’ and are then forced to foreclose. GRRRRR!
With all these obstacles in our path we are SO GRATEFUL we are seeking the Lord for direction. Only He knows what house we should have so when He says NO, it is easy to walk away KNOWING HE has our best interests at heart.
10. Ever since we realized that my seizure disorder would not be able to sustain another pregnancy, I knew that God gave me a hope that we would adopt to complete our family. John half-heartily agreed with this notion because, he saw how
11. I am so thankful that the Lord has chosen this time of isolation for our family. Weird I know, but it has caused John & I to take a very good look at the fact that “you are going to get out of your children, exactly what you put into them”. Yes, we homeschool, yes we use Christian curriculum, yes, we talk about what the Lord is doing for us as a family and how He relates to us. However, how much of this is just scratching the surface? How much of this really cultivates a relationship with us AND more importantly, Jesus? Meaning if they only hear about the Lord through quaint little stories at church and via a short devotional in the morning before school, are they really equipped or are they starving spiritually! Since this has been brought to our attention, we have been doing family devotions in the evening. Just going through the word, reading and answering questions. I only wish we had started doing this earlier as it allows them to ask us questions without shame for not knowing. It gives us opportunities to diffuse all the worlds influences that creep to tempt their hearts. A place in our children’s hearts needs to be cultivated more proactively in the world we live in. The bonus is getting to see them grow in the Lord more fervently, turn to Him when they struggle in their sin AND, most importantly, get victory over those areas they give to the Lord.
12. This year we got to have someone over for Thanksgiving that we know from back home! A former co-worker of John’s moved here to Cape Coral about a couple months ago. We have gotten together a couple times to share our ‘confusion’ with the new culture here in Florida and swapping stories from back home. John and she also had a nice time swapping work stories of their time spent at Benton county as well as being so THANKFUL each of them no longer work there.
I know this is longer than I promised so I will stop there! I am thankful for more than just these things but I know you are already probably thinking “I don’t really care whatever else you are thankful for because you are so long winded” and ready to move along to check your Facebook page. Please just don't post a status update of that you now "need a nap because Theresa's blog is so long"! I will still chose to love you even if you do this but I may send you a poopy diaper in the mail. I work in the church nursery! :o) For those of you naysayers like Ryan, I, just want to let you know, there are 3 separate posts I started along these lines and never got finished because they were a bit too long individually. So, in a way this really is LONG STORY SHORT! He He! Hope you all are well and enjoying getting ready for your Christmas celebration! BIG CHRISTMAS HUGS SENT FROM FLORIDA! Especially because I am not sure if we will get Christmas pics out this year! Anyone want to come celebrate Christmas on the beach with us? Just let me know!
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Pleasing the Lord
I pray that when I grow up, God will guide my tongue in the manner that displays that He really can bridle the tongue enough to allow some smart things out when I am not in the way! :o) Until then I will share things from others who have mastered the art enough to be remembered for it!
Love this quote:
Teach me. O God, to use all the circumstances of my life to-day that they may bring forth in me the fruits of holiness rather than the fruits of sin. Let me use disappointment as material for patience: Let me use success as material for thankfulness: Let me use suspence as material for perseverance: Let me use danger as material for courage: Let me use reproach as material for longsuffering: Let me use praise as material for humility: Let me use pleasures as material for temperance: Let me use pains as material for endurance.
John Baillie
I came accross this devotional today and while there is a lot going on, we are seeking after the Lord and He says it is not time to share quite yet. .
Anywho, enjoy this perspective which is oddly enough very close to what we are studying at women's bible study right now...... If we would only just live to please the Lord, how much easier our lives would be!
Written BY: Bob Hoekstra
More on Enoch's Pleasing Walk with God, by Faith
By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death...for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:5-6)
Before Enoch was taken to heaven, he walked with God in a manner that pleased the Lord. Enoch's faith in God is what was pleasing unto Him. "Before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please Him." Pleasing God, as Enoch did, should be our desire. Many people waste their lives by aiming to please themselves. Their lives are choked with self-indulgence. "And the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity" (Luke 8:14). They have ignored the fact that pleasing self cannot lead to spiritual growth and Christlikeness. "We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves... For even Christ did not please Himself" (Romans 15:1, 3).
Others live in carnal bondage to human opinions. Their consistent priority is to please people. This was part of King Saul's downfall. "Then Saul said to Samuel, 'I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice'" (1 Samuel 15:24). We cannot aim to please man and still serve God. "Do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a servant of Christ" (Galatians 1:10). Living to please God is what we were created for. This can never happen apart from faith. "Without faith it is impossible to please Him." Coming to the Lord in true biblical faith begins with a conviction that God exists. "For he who comes to God must believe that He is." Additionally, God-pleasing faith eagerly anticipates the Lord's gracious response to all who truly seek Him. "He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." Although there are many blessings that result from pursuing the Lord, the ultimate reward is God Himself. God told this to Abraham. "After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, 'Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward'" (Genesis 15:1).
Lord God Almighty, too often I have aimed at pleasing myself. At other times, my goal was to please people. Thank You for Your patience and forgiveness. Now, my heart desires to please You in all things. By faith, I know that You exist. By faith, I seek You, anticipating the grand reward of knowing You better and better, in Jesus' name, Amen.
Love this quote:
Teach me. O God, to use all the circumstances of my life to-day that they may bring forth in me the fruits of holiness rather than the fruits of sin. Let me use disappointment as material for patience: Let me use success as material for thankfulness: Let me use suspence as material for perseverance: Let me use danger as material for courage: Let me use reproach as material for longsuffering: Let me use praise as material for humility: Let me use pleasures as material for temperance: Let me use pains as material for endurance.
John Baillie
I came accross this devotional today and while there is a lot going on, we are seeking after the Lord and He says it is not time to share quite yet. .
Anywho, enjoy this perspective which is oddly enough very close to what we are studying at women's bible study right now...... If we would only just live to please the Lord, how much easier our lives would be!
Written BY: Bob Hoekstra
More on Enoch's Pleasing Walk with God, by Faith
By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death...for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:5-6)
Before Enoch was taken to heaven, he walked with God in a manner that pleased the Lord. Enoch's faith in God is what was pleasing unto Him. "Before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please Him." Pleasing God, as Enoch did, should be our desire. Many people waste their lives by aiming to please themselves. Their lives are choked with self-indulgence. "And the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity" (Luke 8:14). They have ignored the fact that pleasing self cannot lead to spiritual growth and Christlikeness. "We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves... For even Christ did not please Himself" (Romans 15:1, 3).
Others live in carnal bondage to human opinions. Their consistent priority is to please people. This was part of King Saul's downfall. "Then Saul said to Samuel, 'I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice'" (1 Samuel 15:24). We cannot aim to please man and still serve God. "Do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a servant of Christ" (Galatians 1:10). Living to please God is what we were created for. This can never happen apart from faith. "Without faith it is impossible to please Him." Coming to the Lord in true biblical faith begins with a conviction that God exists. "For he who comes to God must believe that He is." Additionally, God-pleasing faith eagerly anticipates the Lord's gracious response to all who truly seek Him. "He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." Although there are many blessings that result from pursuing the Lord, the ultimate reward is God Himself. God told this to Abraham. "After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, 'Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward'" (Genesis 15:1).
Lord God Almighty, too often I have aimed at pleasing myself. At other times, my goal was to please people. Thank You for Your patience and forgiveness. Now, my heart desires to please You in all things. By faith, I know that You exist. By faith, I seek You, anticipating the grand reward of knowing You better and better, in Jesus' name, Amen.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
An additional puzzle piece
I mentioned a couple posts ago that I was pondering our puzzle pieces. Basically God was giving us some information to ‘sit on’. His plans get revealed to us before hand but it is only when circumstances follow that the plan actually looks feasible! One of puzzle pieces had to do with John’s job. While his job is a tremendous blessing, one thing about being a corrections officer, the hours are harder on the body as you get older. Don’t get me wrong, 12 hour shifts have their advantages and can be an amazing blessing. Only working 15 days a month is very neat, however if on the other 15 that you do work, you are present only in body, but the brain should be categorized as the ‘walking dead’, this is not so great. Also when the off days are spent recovering from the working days, many times this results in permanently working with an intellect that is a few fries short of a happy meal!
A little history for you….. When my hubby and I married in 1998 he was already a corrections officer. He had a ‘specialty position’ though, working with inmates on the road crew. The reason why it is such a great position for most, is that it has normal hours of operation. Back then, he worked Tuesday through Saturday 7am-3pm. Being that I was raised by a police officer who was on rotating shiftwork, this schedule was a piece of cake! These hours meant that he still had a little energy left when he got home for us AND enough ‘spring in his step’ to maybe attend an evening service at church or go to a friends house for dinner. In all his years as a corrections officer THESE were probably the most care-free and fun for him. You see, my hubby has the gift of evangelism and when he worked this type of job, he had so many opportunities to witness to people. It wasn’t like he had a ‘captive audience’ either. He never abused his position as an officer to shove the gospel down someone’s throat. He would merely have his bible in his work van, read it during lunch breaks and just live out his relationship with Jesus in front of the people on his crew. Inmates are pretty much used to being treated with disrespect and when you do not fill this role with them, it makes a big difference. Many of them would strike up conversations about the bible. After a short while of conversation, the barriers that were standing in between them and the Lord was eradicated. Being that many of them are invariably at a pretty low point in their life, they are already ‘seeking’ something that makes a lasting change or difference in their life. Talk about my hubby being in the right place at the right time. Unfortunately, after a couple years of being a work crew officer, my hubby tested for a supervisor’s position. He always regretted making this move as it felt like ‘trading in’ his most effective ministry for career advancement. Although, God still used him in his new positions, it never felt as right as when he was really being used with his work crew. As a supervisor, he was grateful for the fact of KNOWING from experience, that career advancement isn’t all it is cracked up to be. With more responsibility, comes greater headaches that are not worth the pay increase! He never imagined that he would ever be presented with the opportunity to do this former job again until just recently.
A month ago, there were two work crew positions that came available in the department here. They seemed to take forever to post them all the while John was just chomping at the bit to apply! He figured that maybe they would have to cut the program, since budgets around here are very tight! What is very neat about the timing of the posting is that it was a month after John’s one year anniversary and annual evaluation. One of the requirements for being considered for the position was that you had to be there over a year. God is so good and His timing is always so perfect!
He put in a letter of interest for the position as soon as it was posted. There were many rumors flying around that they already had in mind who they wanted for the positions. While there were quite a few applicants, there were less than a dozen interviews. Everyone who was interviewed was sent an e-mail of when they needed to show up for their oral board interview. A few minutes after receiving the e-mail, John got a radio call from the Captain asking if he got the e-mail and was planning to make the interview. John felt his heart jump a bit but didn’t want to read too much into it. No one else on his crew received the same radio call to confirm.
The interviews were today. He called me RIGHT after his interview and said that he didn’t think he did well! He was pretty bummed thinking he must not have made it. An hour later he called me again stating that the Captain called him and offered him the job. So beginning on October 5th John will be running a work crew and working 4 ten hour shifts. Having a set schedule opens up many opportunities for ministry not only at work but for home fellowship too! This is just one more piece of the puzzle that has been revealed to us and we want to share with you all! More to come as God begins to reveal more of His plan for us here!
A little history for you….. When my hubby and I married in 1998 he was already a corrections officer. He had a ‘specialty position’ though, working with inmates on the road crew. The reason why it is such a great position for most, is that it has normal hours of operation. Back then, he worked Tuesday through Saturday 7am-3pm. Being that I was raised by a police officer who was on rotating shiftwork, this schedule was a piece of cake! These hours meant that he still had a little energy left when he got home for us AND enough ‘spring in his step’ to maybe attend an evening service at church or go to a friends house for dinner. In all his years as a corrections officer THESE were probably the most care-free and fun for him. You see, my hubby has the gift of evangelism and when he worked this type of job, he had so many opportunities to witness to people. It wasn’t like he had a ‘captive audience’ either. He never abused his position as an officer to shove the gospel down someone’s throat. He would merely have his bible in his work van, read it during lunch breaks and just live out his relationship with Jesus in front of the people on his crew. Inmates are pretty much used to being treated with disrespect and when you do not fill this role with them, it makes a big difference. Many of them would strike up conversations about the bible. After a short while of conversation, the barriers that were standing in between them and the Lord was eradicated. Being that many of them are invariably at a pretty low point in their life, they are already ‘seeking’ something that makes a lasting change or difference in their life. Talk about my hubby being in the right place at the right time. Unfortunately, after a couple years of being a work crew officer, my hubby tested for a supervisor’s position. He always regretted making this move as it felt like ‘trading in’ his most effective ministry for career advancement. Although, God still used him in his new positions, it never felt as right as when he was really being used with his work crew. As a supervisor, he was grateful for the fact of KNOWING from experience, that career advancement isn’t all it is cracked up to be. With more responsibility, comes greater headaches that are not worth the pay increase! He never imagined that he would ever be presented with the opportunity to do this former job again until just recently.
A month ago, there were two work crew positions that came available in the department here. They seemed to take forever to post them all the while John was just chomping at the bit to apply! He figured that maybe they would have to cut the program, since budgets around here are very tight! What is very neat about the timing of the posting is that it was a month after John’s one year anniversary and annual evaluation. One of the requirements for being considered for the position was that you had to be there over a year. God is so good and His timing is always so perfect!
He put in a letter of interest for the position as soon as it was posted. There were many rumors flying around that they already had in mind who they wanted for the positions. While there were quite a few applicants, there were less than a dozen interviews. Everyone who was interviewed was sent an e-mail of when they needed to show up for their oral board interview. A few minutes after receiving the e-mail, John got a radio call from the Captain asking if he got the e-mail and was planning to make the interview. John felt his heart jump a bit but didn’t want to read too much into it. No one else on his crew received the same radio call to confirm.
The interviews were today. He called me RIGHT after his interview and said that he didn’t think he did well! He was pretty bummed thinking he must not have made it. An hour later he called me again stating that the Captain called him and offered him the job. So beginning on October 5th John will be running a work crew and working 4 ten hour shifts. Having a set schedule opens up many opportunities for ministry not only at work but for home fellowship too! This is just one more piece of the puzzle that has been revealed to us and we want to share with you all! More to come as God begins to reveal more of His plan for us here!
Monday, September 21, 2009
Noteable accomplishments
Last Friday the girls recieved their yellow belts in Karate. They were actually set to recieve their yellow belts before we went on vacation, however, our plane left before they could attend the 'moving up' ceremony. Getting them to smile was quite a challenge!
They test every 5 weeks and if they have worked hard and put forth effort at home and at the studio, they recieve a stripe on their belt. I debated on posting pictures everytime they recieved a stripe and figured it was a bigger deal when they actually have more the share! The instructor offered to give them their new belts right when we got back, but we all agreed that it would be more fun to be apart of the ceremony.
It is also great for the kids to see the other people, young and old, who have worked hard to their accomplishments. Here are some pictures of their ceremony/class!
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Some new family members
We told the kids that once we returned from our trip to WA, we would look at getting another dog. This was not a new idea because the kids were told that once we got to Florida we would look at getting another dog, however, knowing that we were going to be gone for a month and not really finding what we were looking for before now, put that on hold. They had been asking for another dog for 2 reasons: 1) to give Hershey someone to play with and 2)So my younger ones will be able to snuggle with a dog. Abby and Ben are both allergic to dogs but, thankfully they are not so allergic that they can't take an allergy med. for it. I know that sounds horrible to put your kid on medications so they can have a pet, but I can't describe how relentless my kids are. For some crazy reason they got on the "I want a dog kick" a couple years ago, then got my hubby on board and despite my best arguements to say no (even threatening allergy shots) they agreed to whatever it took to get a dog in the house. Especially since where we used to live it seemed like those hypo-allergenic dogs would be very spendy! We prayed about Hershey before getting her and I am so glad that God just knew she wouldn't be hard on their allergies!
We did know that if we were to ADD to our family with animals they were going to HAVE to be a hypo-allergenic breed. I don't have the money to pay a puppy mill for a dog, nor do I care to keep them in business by buying a non-mut dog from a pet store that keeps these puppy mills in business. Since the economy is still not very good here, there are tons of animals that get surrendered for no other reason than they can no longer afford to feed them. I figured it might take a couple weeks to find what we were looking for. However, we visited all the shelters in town on Thursday and at the last one we saw these 2 sweet girls. Granted I only wanted ONE more dog, however, since this was a mom and daughter pair, the refuge didn't want to separate them. I guess their surrender was a very sad situation so they thought separating them would not go well for either of them unless they went with each other. They seemed a little scared on the first day so we went out with Hershey the next day to introduce them and see of they might click. They were a bit friendlier that day which was very neat.
Meet Curly Sue (on the bottom), she is the momma, and Permy (on the top), she is the daughter. They seem to be adjusting well, however it might take them some time to get adjusted to dog food. When they came into the shelter the people were having a hard time getting them to eat anything, so one of the employess brought some of the 'dog food' she cooks for her animals at home. This was consistent of greens, whole wheat pasta and ground beef so they got pretty used to this diet. Still not sold yet that I will cook for them so I am praying they will begin eating kibble soon?
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