How's The World Treating You?

This was the question I was asked at Logan's basketball game lastnight. I answered it with some quick typical response and walked off. But as was watching his game, the question kept poping back up in my mind. How is the world treating me? It then came to me, not to well. But why should it? I am not of this world. (Phil. 3:20) In this world I will have troubles! (John 16:33) The world Hates me! (John 15:18-19) In knowing this, I feel a sense of peace.
Oh, I needed to be reminded of that today! It is funny how things happen and continue to happen in our lives... the pains and sufferings of just everyday things or disapiontments... and though they happen they can loose thier sting as you come to the understanding of it... It looses it power!!! Awsome!!!
Again, His Word has proven to me to be Just and true! A constant reminder to me of the importance of staying in it!! He has given me the strength I needed, and with it all the gifts of the Spirit. (Gal. 5:22) And the power that comes with that is more than words can discribe!!! FREEDOM!!!!
Freedom in Christ!! I am heading for my bible and reading Galatians 5-6!!!
Praise be to God!!
My love for Him continues to grow!! And He continues to prove over and over again and again His faithfulness to me!!! As He does all His Children!!!

Who to pray for?

My heart was laid heavy with thoughts and prayers for many people yesterday, by the time I got home and relaxed and started just focusing on 'home' I realized it was 9:30pm and Logan was not home yet... I had forgotten, he had a game... I can't always make it to his games, but I do keep him in my thoughts and prayers as the day goes on... Today I had got so caught up in things... I just let it slip my mind. So I just quickly made a mental sigh, asking God to forgive me and ask that God was with him and hoped he played well. It was after 10 when Logan walked in the door. I could see on his face things had not gone well... after waiting awhile for him to say something, I finally asked him how things went. He didn't even look up "I didn't get to play." Oh, my heart just dropped. All the sudden things that had been happening in his life over the last few weeks all played out in my mind. A still small voice just simply stated "He needs your prayers now, he has stuggles that need your prayers too." Ouch!! Here come my tears... Logan does so well... I gave him to God a few years ago when I realized if I didn't I would loose him too... Everyone see him, and knows God has plans for him... He just goes along so strong that I forget to look and see how things are going... Now here I look over and see my son... hurting and struggling... How could I have missed all the happenings of the last few weeks... This last year Logan has made even grander stands in his faith, he has become bolder in his walk, even standing up with his words and actions. Even in the small town 'christian community' we are from, his boldness is more than they feel comfortable with. He once was favored and played oftened, now he is punished because he has to cut practice early on Wednesdays for youth group (Coach says his mom needs to get a different church, LOL! The youth group he goes to isn't even at our church, he goes to it because he want too!) He tells some of his 'christian' teamates that he would like to pray before the game (They tell him, no we will if we make it to state. LOL! Yea, right!). Coach finally tells him in can play in JV game on Saturday, he tells coach, can't I have "Way of the Master". Whats that? Coach asks. It's a evangelist course I am taking. (Don't need to go into coaches response there... lastnights game said it all.) My son who is making a stand... And I am sooo proud!!! He is making a stand for Jesus... And he is stuggling because of it... Oh my heart aches to see him have to go through this... but I am filled with such joy to see him make the right choices!! Father, please watch over and protect him... I know he is Yours, but he is my son...Thy will be done...
The Lord said to my Lord
"Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies
under your feet."
Matt.22:44

No More Death

"And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.'" Rev. 21:3-4
No more death!! Can you imagine that? Death is so much apart of our lives. Here on this earth there is no one who can escape death. To really grasp ahold of a time without death... can we really do that? Yet the earthly death that comes to us all, brings such pain and sorrow~ no one escapes it. How awsome it will be to have a day when there will be no more death!! To even think about it just boggles my mind! It is such a grand idea but with no example to follow... It is now just left up to faith... "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Heb. 11:1
NO MORE DEATH!!! I am sure there is going to come a day that there will be no more death!! Until then I with live by faith and saved by His grace!

A time to die

This last week has definately had it's earthly ups and downs. One being the earthly death of a son and brother of some of my sisters in Christ. A part of life that we all face at some time or another is death, and it is always a struggle for the living. What can be said or done to bring comfort to the loved ones still here? I don't think there is, not by our own means anyway. But it seems like we always try and attempt too anyway. We end up saying or doing so many ... well just plan stupid things. "He lived a good long life." How does that comfort her when she was married to him for 65 years and she is still here? "Well at least he didn't suffer long." Where were you when he was having his 3rd set of treatments of kimo in the last 6 months, that seemed like years? "At least he isn't suffering anymore." I know the thoughts of these comments are to try and ease some of the pain, but having heard them when I was one of the loved ones still here... I have come to a deep sense or need of being caring and careful about saying or doing anything in these matters. What can I say or do? Absolutely nothing!! But I know Who can!! And I also know that I must be 'in tune' with Him if He is going to use me. My heart has to be in the right place! I know the ones that helped me with my loses were the ones that didn't say anything to try and 'ease' the pain, they just cried with me when I cried, smiled with me when I smiled, and even laughed with me when I laughed... with that I truly saw the face of God through them. I want to be used that way by God! Less of me and MORE OF HIM!! He is the one who brings comfort! He is the one who can ease the pain! Him not me, but He can and will use me, if I let Him!! To Him be all the glory and power! Ohh sweet, sweet child how He longs to be your comfort and strength! After the beating of my 18 month old grandson, resolting in his death in March 2009 I know, I KNOW that the only true peace you can have is through God and His grace. I have Him my broken, BROKEN heart, and He now holds it!! There is a joy that comes to you when you let God hold your heart. It doesn't mean your pain goes away, but joy comes... joy comes in knowing... He has got you!!

Back again!

As I look at my past 3-5 years I am just amazed at all the things God has seen me through! There is never a day, or hardly even a moment that goes by where I don't thank Him for the grace He has given me! Even on the days that I don't feel like... well when I just feel blawh... I come to a point where I am just so blawh... and just to plain tired to fight, I can find myself stuggling less and less to come to that 'laying down of my burdens'. I am even learning to like those days, because of that lack of energy to fight... Praise God!! I think about this, if God would just allow things to let up a little... But then I realize that if things did I would become once again dependent on myself and my own strength. So I have to take a step back and really look at the happenings of my life as just as what is needed, God knows just what it will take for me to continue to lay everything down, to be facedown... at all moments... I can't even imagine how I could have made it without Him. And I praise Him during the stuggles, knowing He is with me always!!!

O.K. Here I am starting my own Blog... Wow! Where to start? Well to be honest, I put so much effort into getting it done I really don't know where to start with it! So... I am going to start with this: "'I tell you, her sins~ and they are many~ have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love' Then Jesus said to the woman, 'Your sins are forgiven.'" Luke 7:47-48 I have been forgiven! I want more than anything to share with any and every one who will hear, that Christ Jesus did this for me and He will do this for you!! I am going to attempt to share my thought s with you as much as possible. That is of course if I can figure out how I got here to write on this blog. LOL
Your sister in Christ Jesus,
Shelly