"Therefore say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "None of My words will be delayed any longer. Whatever word I speak will be performed,"'" declares the Lord GOD. Ez 12:28
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"And Jesus said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure things new and old." ~ Matthew 13:52 (NASB)
"Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. Therefore, if a man cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. Now flee from youthful lusts, and pursue righteousness, faith, love {and} peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart." ~ 2 Tim 2:20-22
Homeschool Brings FAITH Back Into Education!
Homeschooling by Faith... is believing that God will provide what your children need to learn. Stepping out in Faith, asking Him for a schedule... asking Him what subjects to teach... asking Him what shall my kids learn today...
Well here we go again.... I have not written much lately because of what we are trying to accomplish.
We got word from our landlord they are putting the house up on the market. Since they have place the sign in our yard we have had people DAILY looking at our house! We have made the decision to be moving to Wisconsin.
I knew something was up when the Lord told me to "deplete and prepare"... I am sure there is more to this message as He has already revealed the next step to us. I have sold and bless many families with our homeschool books, and many household items. We have depleted over 1/2 of our Library and school books. We are depleting to bare nothings, or at least to what I call bare nothings....
We are having a yard sale this weekend to actually sell our furniture. We are keeping our dining room table, chairs, and hutch. My daughter's bedroom set.... a Broyhill 6 piece wooden set and also a two piece wooden poster bed for me and my desk. Everything else mus go. I simply don't have room.
Thus far, we have raised about 60% of the money we need to move. But God is Faithful to provide MORE than what we need. That is just the way He is. He is our provider!!
I am not sure what Wisconsin holds for us as a family, but God promises to go before me and He is my rearguard.
I don't know exactly when I am moving. We are on a month-to-month lease with a 30 day vacate notice. I do believe it will be in October/November that we leave, but this what I am feeling so I am not 100% positive on this.
I love my God!!! As I am writing this, I am getting excited about what He has in store for us!! LOL.
I love reading your comments. They are so encouraging. Your comments allow me to get to know you better and feel a sense of relationship. Please remember to use your manners. If you do not have something nice to say, do not say it at all. Comments that are rude/critical in nature will be erased. Thanks, friends!
I keep hearing the Lord tell me to "PREPARE" and to "DEPLETE."
Deplete.... Deplete.... Deplete. I am so amazed at how much "stuff" I have collected thus far living where I do. If you have been following my blog, you know then I moved approximately 10 months ago. In those few months, I have collected many, many items!
Hearing to deplete is nothing new to me or my daughters. I believe our job here is done, and the Lord is preparing us to move onto another location. I am not sure where we are going, but my daughter and I are getting the same unction.
In the past, the Lord has spoken to me to "bless His people He send my way..." and I did just that. After that was done, I only had my rocker, kitchen table & chairs, and few other misc items. We even got rid of our beds and dressers. I remember seeing a corner in my daughters room piled of clothes... we were like this for a few months. Looking back, the Lord was removing the vain idles in my life, those that I could get rid of anyway. Before too long, we were moving..... a new location, a new start. (Don't get me wrong.... the blessings are HUGE once we settle!!! The Lord will furnish my house for FREE, or next to nothing)
Another time, the Lord told me to sell my things. Then, I did. The money was used to move long distance. Again, I had very few pieces of furniture.
The the next time, He just told me to move. I didn't collect anything during that stay.... LOL.
Every time the Lord has moved me, it has been to begin a Ministry for Him and then hand it off to the one who steps up into their Authority. My God is so wonderful!! Better yet, my daughters are getting a wealth of experience that they can use as well. I believe one of the important things we can teach our children is to be flexible with the Lord. Not to put Him in a box, but more importantly don't put OURSELVES in a box!!!
I do not know what I am doing this time. The Lord is telling me to prepare, to stock up on food and water and to prepare.... and to deplete. And that is what I am doing. I posted an email of FREE home school books I am giving away. I did post some stuff on Ebay so I can raise money for something the Lord is telling me I need.
I love my Lord. He gives me the thrills, romance and adventure that makes our lives very exciting!!
I love reading your comments. They are so encouraging. Your comments allow me to get to know you better and feel a sense of relationship. Please remember to use your manners. If you do not have something nice to say, do not say it at all. Comments that are rude/critical in nature will be erased. Thanks, friends!
"What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a rilghteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith." - Philippians 3:8-9 NIV
There are numerous things in our day that scream for our attention. These things ranges from spouse to children, extended family, worldly pleasures, ministry, commitments, etc... The list can go on and on. The fact is that each day you have a number of things you can chase after. Yet, there is only ONE thing that truly really matters... there is only ONE thing that fulfills you... there is only ONE thing that deserves first place. That ONE thing is intimacy with the Lord.
In Philippians 3:8-9, Paul knew about the power of passionately pursuing Christ. Everything was worthless in comparison to knowing Christ intimately. King David also knew the priceless privilege of being in God's presence. He proclaimed, " ps 27:2 AMP
Here are some promises to ponder:
"When you come looking for me, you'll find me. "Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I'll make sure you won't be disappointed." God's Decree." - Jeremiah 29:13 The Message
"But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides." - Matthew 6:33 AMP
"You have said, Seek My face [inquire for and require My presence as your vital need]. My heart says to You, Your face (Your presence), Lord, will I seek, inquire for, and require [of necessity and on the authority of Your Word]." - Psalm 27:8 AMP
Throughout Scripture, God has stated many times the importance of putting Him first and spending time with Him. He loves you intesely and deepl;y desires to be welcomed in every area of your life. James 4:5 says, "The Spirit Whom He has caused to dwell in us yearns over us and He yearns for the Spirit [to be welcome] with a jealous love!" AMP
I love reading your comments. They are so encouraging. Your comments allow me to get to know you better and feel a sense of relationship. Please remember to use your manners. If you do not have something nice to say, do not say it at all. Comments that are rude/critical in nature will be erased. Thanks, friends!
Dad...so many images come to mind
whenever I speak your name;
It seems without you in my life
things have never been the same.
What happened to those lazy days
when I was just a child;
When my life was consumed in you
in your love, and in your smile.
What happened to all those times
when I always looked to you;
No matter what happened in my life
you could make my gray skies blue.
Dad, some days I hear your voice
and turn to see your face;
Yet in my turning...it seems
the sound has been erased.
Oh, Dad, if I could turn back time
and once more hear your voice;
I'd tell you that out of all the dads
you would still be my choice.
Please always know we love you
and no one can take your place;
Years may come and go
but your memory will never be erased.
Today, Jesus, as You are listening
in your home above;
Would you go and find my dad
and give him all our love.
~ Author Unknown by me
I love reading your comments. They are so encouraging. Your comments allow me to get to know you better and feel a sense of relationship. Please remember to use your manners. If you do not have something nice to say, do not say it at all. Comments that are rude/critical in nature will be erased. Thanks, friends!
Our library don't support homeschoolers very well. I am told that many of the schools have better libraries than the county.... They also stopped inter-loans with the next county. I can get a library from that county being a non-resident and pay $50 per card. This next county does have several of the books we need for the year, so there is justification for paying the $50.
With this in mind, I have about 15 books that we need that can not be found in our library system. I can piece purchase them but still I am paying shipping charges with a higher rate of used books if purchased thorugh individuals. I have tried, with no avail. This avenue is not an option for me for my current booklist w/ the current available options.
I purchase many books from Amazon individualy... here and there and never in a large lot as I am this year. In the past years, I have had an awesome Library (before moving) that supported Christian-view homeschooling. Then all I had to do is to purchase used books a month or two in advance, usually one or two at a time. That never really bothered me before.
However this year is totally different. I don't have AS good of Library support as before. After taking it to the Lord, I just knew there had to be a book store that held many of my books and would give me a break on shipping.
I was told that http://www3.addall.com/ was the best place to go. It is a great site. It is a marketplace we I can compare prices and services from 41 different on-line bookstores. An awesome resource! However, in my hunt this wasn't going to work for me. The website says that some vendors do give discounts on multiple items. After searching for the books from the same vendors, I came up with three vendors to sell majority of my books on my list. One place was going to charge $9 in shipping for three books... books of 64 pages each. I thought that was too steep and not much of a break. I understand that AddAl can not control that.
I did recognize that Addal cheapest seller for the books I was looking for was Amazon as the cheapest seller... no discount on multiple items.
Thank you so much for http://www.biblio.com/. This is another reat resource! I like this website because of the layout of the website. It is very user-friendly. It is a marketplace also for venders to post to them. Biblio is in comparison to Amazon where individual people can post to sell books just as bookstores can. Therefore, there is more likely to find a used book here when you couldn't find it in one of your usual used book stores. This is a valuable tool to keep!
Through "Addal" I found another booksstore. I felt led, lol, to find this bookstore online, and I did. If I order directly from them, there is no shipping!! I just purchased 4 books off of my list that came to 18.36. If I order these books from Addal.... which led to Amazon (in this case), the shipping alone would've cost me $15.96!!
http://www.betterworldbooks.com/
The only drawback is.... the price of the used books are a little higher than those found on Amazon, and etc.
When it was all said and done, and I saved close to $4 off my overall total. Was it really worth my trouble? Humm....
Where do you go to purchase used books?
I love reading your comments. They are so encouraging. Your comments allow me to get to know you better and feel a sense of relationship. Please remember to use your manners. If you do not have something nice to say, do not say it at all. Comments that are rude/critical in nature will be erased. Thanks, friends!
In Luke 13, there's a story of a daughter of Abraham, who was more then a Jew, but a believer who was bound by Satan and had a spirit (demon) of infirmity.
Luke 13:10-16, "And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?"
How do we know that this woman, being a daughter of Abraham a TRUE believer?
In Luke 19:9-10, states, "And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." Jesus made it VERY clear that merely being a physical Jew was NOT enough to be a child of Abraham.
For in John 8:39, "They answered and said to Him, "Abraham is our father " Jesus said to them, "If you are Abraham's children, do the deeds of Abraham." Therefore, Jesus NEVER considered somebody a true child of Abraham unless they were an obvious believer (like Zaccheus).
Think about this... the woman was in the church listening to Jesus teach on the sabbath, so I would call her a 'churchgoer.' When Jesus saw her, He stopped preaching and called her to Him. He laid hands on her, and she was set free and made whole and right before the eyes of the congregation.
Out of honor, Jesus said she was a daughter of Abraham. She was much more than a Jew in Jesus' eyes. He regarded her to be worthy to be called a "child of Abraham!"
I love reading your comments. They are so encouraging. Your comments allow me to get to know you better and feel a sense of relationship. Please remember to use your manners. If you do not have something nice to say, do not say it at all. Comments that are rude/critical in nature will be erased. Thanks, friends!
"To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord ..." (1 Corinthians 1:2)
Sanctification is a process that involves learning how to develop right thinking in our thought process and working with the power of the Holy Spirit to develop us into the kind of person God wants us to become in Him.
God wants all of us to enter into a sanctification process with Him so that He can begin the process of molding, shaping and transforming us into the express image of His Son Jesus Christ. He wants to make us into a better and more holy people. He wants to transform us by the renewing of our minds. He wants to put right thinking into our thought process.
But now, O LORD, You are our Father, We are the clay, and You our potter; And all of us are the work of Your hand. ~ Isaiah 64:8
Although it is the Holy Spirit that develops us, we still have a part in the sanctification process. We have to be a willing piece of clay to "put on" the positive qualities that God will want to instill in our personality and "put away" all of the negative qualities that He does not want operating in our personality. This means that God will start to transmit and impart His love, His peace and His kindness (fruit of the Spirit) into our personalities.
We make a mess of things when we become our own potters. But, when we allow God the Father to become our Potter, He will transform us into a beautiful piece just for Him.
A good prayer to pray is Psalm 19:12-13, "...Cleanse Thou me from [hidden or] secret faults...Let them not have dominion over me...." Also, Psalm 139:23-24, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: Try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting."
I love reading your comments. They are so encouraging. Your comments allow me to get to know you better and feel a sense of relationship. Please remember to use your manners. If you do not have something nice to say, do not say it at all. Comments that are rude/critical in nature will be erased. Thanks, friends!
Feb. 15, 2009 - Challenge: Don't Talk About Father Like That!
I challenge you the next time someone curses God in front of you, then tell them not to talk about your Father like that....
I don't know why I never done it before. It's not like God needs me to stick up for Him, but it's not about that... it is about standing your ground in what you believe in.
This challenge is not only for YOU but for ME too.
I love reading your comments. They are so encouraging. Your comments allow me to get to know you better and feel a sense of relationship. Please remember to use your manners. If you do not have something nice to say, do not say it at all. Comments that are rude/critical in nature will be erased. Thanks, friends!
I have been down with no computer for close to two weeks. My computer caught a virus, trojan, and some other deadly things. My Norton's did not work although it is current version.
I felt that I had to back up my pictures and files, and I did. I am so grateful to my Lord for given me an uption to do so. When my computer shut down, the only thing I lost was the current day stuff. I stored all our pictures, not to mention four years worth of lapbooks from Hands of a Child, and other purchases made via online.
At first I was furious! Until, I turned inwardly. The Holy Spirit told me that I was being tested. How am I going to react? In the scope of things, was what I lost THAT important? Praise God!! I don't understand it, but there are things that I am not made to understand. If this is not one of those things, then God will reveal it me. I know my God has a better plan for His purpose!!
I wanted to share this with you all because I haven't been actively online. I have spent the last couple of days working on my other blogs. In the middle of all of this, I lost the html codes (previously stored in wordpad) that are the back up of my digital online yearbook. Therefore, I had to spend some time in rebuilding that blog.
I love reading your comments. They are so encouraging. Your comments allow me to get to know you better and feel a sense of relationship. Please remember to use your manners. If you do not have something nice to say, do not say it at all. Comments that are rude/critical in nature will be erased. Thanks, friends!
... a God-ordained and an unplanned adult event that happens around you giving you the opportunity to talk with your children.
One of the most important skills that we have as parents is the ability to recognize and capture "teachable moments" in everyday life. These moments can happen anywhere - at the park, reading a book about evolution, at the grocery store, etc. One of the most common teachable moments happens every time you drive your car with your kids inside. Think of all the life lessons they are learning. your children leant about personal responsibility and self-respect when they put on their seat belt. They learn mutual respect when you allow someone into your lane on the highway. Your children also learn about being a good citizen when they see you put money in the meter, stop at a stop sign and obey traffic rules. Oh, just think of the lesson in caring behavior and ethics they'd learn if they saw you put money in a stranger's parking meter, or pay the tolls for the next driver behind you.
A good way to teach the importance of social responsibility to take your child along with you when you drop off clothes to the shelters, or donations to the food bank, or volunteer for community charity event (such as a bell ringer for Salvation Army). Home, church, work, and play are all fruitful areas discovering teachable moments.
I love reading your comments. They are so encouraging. Your comments allow me to get to know you better and feel a sense of relationship. Please remember to use your manners. If you do not have something nice to say, do not say it at all. Comments that are rude/critical in nature will be erased. Thanks, friends!
Do you like this tag? Yes, it's short and sweet.? Yes,
Do you want it to be longer or shorter? longer
Who will you tag?...................I have no clue!
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I was surfing the net in my down time and noticed someone took a spice quiz with a link. I went to link and decided to take the quiz myself. Normally, I never induldge myself in these kind of things, but today I thought.... "why not?"
I am charming, funny, witty, and smart.
I love to party - and people love to party with you.
I am always friendly and warm. I am able to help people get along.
This is really funny! I have been told of these things so many times before by those who are close to me!
What spice are you? Take the quiz and find out.
I love reading your comments. They are so encouraging. Your comments allow me to get to know you better and feel a sense of relationship. Please remember to use your manners. If you do not have something nice to say, do not say it at all. Comments that are rude/critical in nature will be erased. Thanks, friends!
After many years, we are getting TV back into our home. Actually, it's Sky Angel.
I have wanted Sky Angel for many years now. At first, we lived where a satellite wouldn't work, due to the trees. Then, in Tennessee I lived on a big mountain (Floridians would call a mountain, lol) where satellite would work, but Sky Angel changed their format. They have done away with satellite (unless you already had one on contract), and replaced it with cable.
Now where I am, I have DSL Cable so I am NOW eligible to have SKY ANGEL!! I am so excited. Praises be to the King on High!
Top it off, right now they have a special. If you subscribe right now (limited time offer) you will get the box-top for FREE when signing a 18-month contract. The monthly payment options are: Faith channel for 14.95, Family for 19.95 or both for 24.95.
We will be able to get the following channels:
Animal Planet
Blue Highways TV
CBS College Sports
Discovery Channel
Discovery Kids
Fox Business Network
Fox News Channel
Hallmark Channel
Hallmark Movie Channel
ION Life
Military Channel
NASA TV
NFL Network
Outdoor Channel
Pentagon Channel
Planet Green
qubo Channel
QVC
The Sportsman Channel
Tennis Channel
The Weather Channel
Almavision
Angel One
Angel Two
CatholicTV
CTN
The Church Channel
Cornerstone TeleVision Network
Credo TV
EWTN (English)
EWTN (Spanish)
Faith TV
FamilyNet
God TV
Golden Eagle Broadcasting
Gospel Music Channel
Gospel Music Television Network
Guardian Television Network
JCTV
KTV - Kids and Teens Television
Liberty Channel
The Miracle Channel
SafeTV Channel
Smile of a Child TV
Spirit Television Network
TBN Enlace USA
Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN)
TCT
Total Living Network (TLN)
TVU Music Television
World Harvest Television
The Worship Network
My girls and are very excited!! We have been watching movies when we can, but now we can watch GodTV, Discovery, Hallmark, and a nature channel.
We'll also have a weather channel so we can now FREAK out over the hurricanes coming, LOL. Actually NOT. That is one thing I am very grateful for is not having the weather channel. It did build my trust deeper in the Lord. There was no panic feelings when they actually came for visits... knocking my door type hurricanes.
To find out more information about Sky Angel, I encourage you to visit their website: click here.
I love reading your comments. They are so encouraging. Your comments allow me to get to know you better and feel a sense of relationship. Please remember to use your manners. If you do not have something nice to say, do not say it at all. Comments that are rude/critical in nature will be erased. Thanks, friends!
As I finished the unpacking, I came across my old Bible notebook. In it is where I had written out sermon notes along with verses and Scriptures for various topics.
WINNING SOULS FOR JESUS
ALL HAVE SINNED!
“as it is written, "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;” ~ Romans 3:10
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” ~ Romans 3:23
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” ~ Romans 6:23
“All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.” Isa 53:6
“Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins.” ~ Ec 7:20
GOD LOVES SINNERS
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” ~ John 3:16
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” ~ Romans 5:8
YOU CANNOT SAVE YOURSELF
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” ~ Eph. 2:8-9
“He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit” ~ Titus 3:5
“For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; and all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.” ~ Isa. 64:6
“And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God.” ~ Luke 16:15
WHO CAN SAVE YOU?
“Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” ~ John 14:6
"And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." ~ Acts 4:12
NOW IS THE TIME TO BE SAVED
“Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.” ~ James 4:14
“Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.” ~ Pro. 27:1
“for He says, "AT THE ACCEPTABLE TIME I LISTENED TO YOU, AND ON THE DAY OF SALVATION I HELPED YOU." Behold, now is "THE ACCEPTABLE TIME," behold, now is "THE DAY OF SALVATION"~ II Cor. 6:2
RECEIVE CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR
“And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.” ~ I John 5:11-12
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name” ~ John 1:12
CONFESS HIM AS LORD
“"Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.” ~ Mat. 10:32-33
“that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” ~ Rom. 10:9-10
I love reading your comments. They are so encouraging. Your comments allow me to get to know you better and feel a sense of relationship. Please remember to use your manners. If you do not have something nice to say, do not say it at all. Comments that are rude/critical in nature will be erased. Thanks, friends!
I had a comment posted asking for an update about my Jack Rat (Jack Russell and Rat Terror mix). She has finished her 4-days of deflametories, and now we are on the regiment of every other day.
As of today, five days later, she is great. She still shivers (doc says pain) every once in the while, especially when she gets too active and plays to hard. For this, I have been keeping her in her cage. I do let her out to play, an hour at a time, then back into cage she goes. Also, when company comes over I can't have her out because she wants to hop up and down which is not very healthy for her right now.
We will be taking her back for X-Rays in a week to make sure everything is alright with her.
Thank you so much for asking. Please forgive me for being inconsiderate of not keeping you all updated.
I love reading your comments. They are so encouraging. Your comments allow me to get to know you better and feel a sense of relationship. Please remember to use your manners. If you do not have something nice to say, do not say it at all. Comments that are rude/critical in nature will be erased. Thanks, friends!
Just yesterday, I received notice that I was the "Blogger of the Week." I am so thrilled to have people come by to visit me. I just made a comment a couple of days about what to do to get more traffic to my site.... to get out there because I believe many things on my site could be a blessing to so many home school moms. I created my blog originally to be a blessing to other home school moms. It is kinda "scarey" to myself on the front page when I go to log into home school blogger. LOL.
It is such a blessing to me to be used by the Lord. An old friend called me today, and the Lord ministered to her through me in some of the things I had said. We spoke, I guess, close to three hours today. I tell you it was a real "pick-me-upper" to see a familiar phone number come across the caller ID...
This morning, I signed onto my bank account to find it overdrawn. I simply forgot about the automatic withdraw for the security system and the automatic charges from GoDaddy through my PayPal account that evident taken from my checking, which threw my balance into the RED. Instead of GoDaddy charges me one invoice, instead they put through several charges. I did call them to cancel the account, and they did refund the money but that isn't going to pay the overdraft charges.
The money taken out of my account was for gas to fill up my truck. So, I prayed and asked God about not going to Church this week since I didn't have the funds for gas. My daughter shows up this evening, and told me that the Lord told her on the trip to my house to fill out my truck for me. Once again, the Lord blessed me through my daughter.
I can still remember when I lived my life without knowing Jesus and how rough it really was.... living in the world... living in the pigpen, without Him. I am so grateful that He has chosen me out of my family to hold the torch... to be the light.
It is such an uplifting feeling to me to know that my daughter listens and obeys God. It is a relief to know that He has her in His hands. I can remember not so long ago that He didn't. Thank you Jesus!!
I can't imagine my life without Him!!
I love reading your comments. They are so encouraging. Your comments allow me to get to know you better and feel a sense of relationship. Please remember to use your manners. If you do not have something nice to say, do not say it at all. Comments that are rude/critical in nature will be erased. Thanks, friends!
I have tell you of my past struggles i have had. Before I came to know Jesus as my Savior, I was "Ms. Corporate America" who owned and ran her own business that included two handfuls of employees to boot. While contending for the TITLE, I carried around my "day planner." It was my "bible." (Please forgive me Lord). I couldn't start my day without looking at my schedule. I had every minute I could possibly squeeze out of a day accounted for. Things from drive time to telephone time.
A hurricane did come and visited us shortly after a couple of months bringing my daughter to and from the job to school her. This forced me home, well OK, not really because during this time the Lord was really speaking to me about being the woman that is written in Titus2. The Lord opened that door for me, and I praise Him for it. Four years later, I am still at home. Glory to Him!
So basically, the WHOLE time I have been homeschooling, I have NOT been able to keep a schedule. I struggled with this for the longest time. I would read about all these other families who had schedules and from 8-8:30 they done this and at 2 they went to the Library, then back home by 4:30 to cook dinner for hubby.... I felt I was inferior because I couldn't keep a schedule.
I would do up a schedule only to get stressed out by it. I would stress out because it look longer than 45 minutes to do Math, or longer than 10 minutes to get to the Library. Before I knew it I was losing my temper with my daughter. Totally, not what I was to do. You could say that I felt that her failures in not keeping with the schedule made me inadequate as a mom!
Back in April, the Lord smacked me in the forehead and asked me, "Who do you think you are?" It was pretty obvious who I thought I was,.... was nothing what the Lord showed me. I did not like what the Lord had showed me. I repented for my wrong notion, wrong attitude, and my wrong behavior. I repented for passing judgment upon my child. I repented for giving her unrealistic expectations and scolded her for not keeping with the schedule.
I have to say the Lord has done a mighty work within me, but He isn't even close to being done. LOL. After three years of struggling with this, the Lord has set me FREE!! The Lord released me from bondage!!
You see, I was putting myself into "bondage" by forcing ourselves onto a time schedule. The Lord revealed to me that I was just like the Isreallites. God released them from bondage, and they wasn't happy so they wanted to return to bondage. That is EXACTLY what I tried to do!!
Since my forehead smackin', I sought the Lord as what we were to do. I know it is very important to "stay on task." I also know how easy it is to get side-track and lose two hours. I really felt the Lord impress upon me to make out "To Do List."
Each morning, we will take our "To Do List" to the Lord and ask Him to remove anything we shouldn't do that day, and to allow us to do what He wants us to do. Then, we simply follow His lead. Now, this beloved is FREEDOM!!! Freedom of being in bondage; freedom from trying to go back into bondage.
You know, even the name "to Do List" gives me a sense of security and freedom! God is simply amazing!
Now ladies, if you use a time schedule, then that's awesome!! You need to do what the Lord is leading you to do for your family. Please do not let my life to discourage you in yours. I originally started this blog to be a blessing to other homeschool moms, and that is what I still strive to do.
"The LORD willguard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever." ~ Psalm 121:8 (NASB)
I love reading your comments. They are so encouraging. Your comments allow me to get to know you better and feel a sense of relationship. Please remember to use your manners. If you do not have something nice to say, do not say it at all. Comments that are rude/critical in nature will be erased. Thanks, friends!
This was first time creating a header and actually adding it properly to the blog! I am so excited that I done this...
Let me say that again, "It is only by the Grace of God that I was able to accomplish this task at hand!"
I so wanted a new look but was afraid of messing with the html. I overcame my fear! Praise God!!
Since I changed my template, I lost all my html codes. But, not before I copied and pasted them into a word document. LOL. Now I need to spend time going through all the codes to pull all the fun stuff I had added to my original blog.
I did have someone else create a header for my other blog. It was through that I traced where to change headers and such. The new blog is our school. I had that blog created so my daughter can type in things via type to teach since she doesn't have a younger sibling to teach the principals to. At the end of year, we will be printing out all the pages and binding them into our YEARBOOK!! Isn't that a cool idea! No, I didn't think of it so I am not pupping myself up. I did however find the idea somewhere in cyber space. I can not take credit for it. LOL. Please check it out, and tell me what you think:
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/livingwater
I hope to see you over their!
I love reading your comments. They are so encouraging. Your comments allow me to get to know you better and feel a sense of relationship. Please remember to use your manners. If you do not have something nice to say, do not say it at all. Comments that are rude/critical in nature will be erased. Thanks, friends!
Aug. 7, 2008 - A supernatural, eternal moment of connection between parents and children
There is a Jewish custom in which parents bless their children on Shabbat. It is a beautiful custom to bless your children every Friday night. It's a moment filled with love and meaning, especially when you understand the source behind such a tradition.
I want to speak of the Hebraic notion of speaking God's blessing upon your family whether it be spouse, children, grandchildren, or anyone else you choose to bless. The paternal blessing was the most valuable heritage that parents can give to their children.
This is a wonderful tradition because it speaks life into your family. The blessing is sure to make the child feel special and loved, boost their self-esteem, and give them fond memories of a special time together.
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it, for death or life." Proverbs 18:21
Speaking blessings is not a supernatural recipe you must follow to gain God's approval. It is quite simply "the speaking of God's Word" over those you love. God, Himself, blessed Adam and Eve in the garden.
“God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth."” Genesis 1:28 (NASB)
God blessed Abraham and countless others, and God is still in the “blessing business” today!!
Not sure how to do it?
There are many variations on how the blessing is given. In some homes, the father will lay their hand upon the forehead of the child; in others, the blessing is followed by aa kiss, while in some homes the mother and father gives the blessing together while in others the mother gives a separate blessing from the father. In my home as a single-parent, I am the one who gives the blessings.
Not sure exactly what to say?
»For sons say, “May God make you like Ephraim and Menashe”
Jacob blessed his two grandsons before he died. He blessed them to become role models for the God’s people in the future.
On that day Jacob blessed them, he said, "In time to come, the people of Israel will use you as a blessing. They will say, 'May God make you like Ephraim and Menashe'." (Genesis 48:20)
Ephraim and Menashe did become role models worthy of ambition. Unlike those before them, including Cain and Abel, Isaac and Ishmael, Jacob and Esau, and Joseph and his brothers, Ephraim and Menashe were not rivals. Instead, Ephraim and Menashe were brothers joined by their drive to perform good deeds.
»For daughters say, “May God make you like Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah.”
Each of these Hebrew mothers has qualities that make them eligible to be role models. These matriarchs were strong and admirable women. They endured hardships in marriage, abduction, difficult home lives, infertility, difficult children, and envy from other woman. Through their passion and loyalty to God, these women partnered with the patriarchs and succeeded in building a nation.
Again, this wonderful custom of blessing the children is part of the Jewish tradition. What I do in my family is to bless my children daily. At first, I had done just to see if it really worked. I laid my hand on my daughters forehead and prayed. I seen a noticeable difference in her behavior within two days...
Then, I started feeling guilty because of my eldest daughter, who is 21, will not be blessed since she isn't living at home. So, I called my daughter up on her cell phone and told her of the research I had done, and asked her if she wanted me to bless her. She said, " yes." She put the cell on speaker phone and put it on her forehead and I blessed her.
The following morning, she called and ask exactly what was it I prayed. I explained to her that God would bless her by showing her purpose and destiny in her life. She proceeded to tell me of a dream that she had about her being in the mission field and how the desire is heavy within her heart to go.
It works, it really does!!!I encourage you to do the same thing with your children!
I love reading your comments. They are so encouraging. Your comments allow me to get to know you better and feel a sense of relationship. Please remember to use your manners. If you do not have something nice to say, do not say it at all. Comments that are rude/critical in nature will be erased. Thanks, friends!
This is a question that many, if not all, pet owners have asked, either quietly to themselves or aloud. For any pet owner, any discussion of pet loss comes around to this question. An ABC News poll showed that 35% of pet owners do not believe that pets go to heaven, while 47% said “yes”.
Christians tend to find this question difficult in answering. We want to base our answers to any spiritual question on the authority of God Word. As a result, most discussions of this question turn into a scripture-slinging debates, tackling the issue of whether animals have “souls”, can they be “redeemed”, and so on.
Scripture doesn’t give a definite answer to the question, “Do pets go to Heaven?” I believe there is a reason the Bible is silent on this issue; it is not God’s perverse decision to leave thousands of pet owners in the dark. But perhaps the reason the Bible is silent on this subject is because the Holy Bible is about human redemption; it’s a book about the choices humans must make.
Silence on the subject doesn’t mean a negative answer either. The Bible is silent on many matters, leaving us with vast amount of questions that we must investigate and decide using the hearts and minds that God gave us… in quest for an answer that’s embedded in reason, love, and our personal experiences with God, not in theology and doctrine.
I hope to offer you a structure within you can choose your own answer, based on your ability to reason and your understanding of God’s love.
The Christian perception of heaven is linked with the concepts of salvation, redemption, and resurrection. Christians don’t believe that “going to heaven” occurs automatically, that it’s the result of conscious faith decision made during one’s life. While the Bible is very precise about the prerequisite for human salvation, it says nothing about salvation for animals. This has led some folks to assume that, since animals can’t be “saved”, they can’t possibly go to heaven.
Another way to view the question is to remember why the Bible states that redemption is “necessary” for humans. In scriptural terms, humans are “fallen” beings (sinners). Humans have free will, and therefore the ability to choose between good and evil. Humans can choose salvation and heaven, or choose to reject both. Animals on the other hand have never “fallen.” If one has not fallen, it’s not clear that the step of redemption is necessary.
Animals can’t choose between good and evil; when animals behave badly in our homes, it is generally because of a controversy between their God-given natures and our human requirements. Animals have no need to be saved because they aren’t considered “sinners.”
Now this doesn’t mean that we can automatically assume that because animals have no “sin” they’re automatically received in to heaven. What it does mean is that the whole issue of “redemption” doesn’t apply. The question of “redemption” is not the foundation for letting animals into heaven- or keeping them out.
Another familiar argument against the concept that pets go to heaven is that “animals don’t have souls.” Again, the Bible isn’t exactly clear on this, so the question is not answerable on a strictly scriptural basis.
For a moment, let’s consider heaven. What do you believe heaven is like? Many people would describe it as a place of paradise, with a glorious garden, filled with beautiful trees and radiant flowers, with sparking waters and soft breezes. I personally don’t know anyone who thinks heaven is a gigantic parking lot with no life. We base our image of heaven on the beautiful creation we live in now on earth. Just as I can’t imagine a heaven without plants, neither can I imagine one without animals. Whether or not animals have souls, I believe there are animals in heaven. After all, God created all the creatures of the earth on the fifth and sixth days of creation, before the creation of humanity.
Just as God created humans with a purpose, I believe He created animals with a purpose. I believe that purpose for animals is to teach us about God’s love and faithfulness. I know one thing I can count on when I come home is being greeted excited by my dog Anna Bell with her licks of love.
We also learn mercy, compassion, patience, and understanding from our pets. We also learn what it means to receive unconditional love. If we are taught about love from our pets, must we assume that once we have learned the lesson, we’re forced to lose that love forever?
Are we to assume that God, the author of love, has so little compassion for us that He gives us pets to love and pets to love us only later to day, “Sorry, I know you love that little dog (cat, etc.) that I sent your way, but rules are rules, you won’t see them again”? I really don’t think so. God is a God of love and he wouldn’t give us love one day, only to take it away forever the next.
Our pets live in the now, not in the next week; they deal with what is, not what might be, or could be, or should be. Pets don't ask, "What comes next?" This is a human question, based on human grief. I firmly believe that God takes care of all His creation including the animals.
Would heaven be a wonderful place -- would it truly be "paradise" -- if our pets weren't there? For many, the answer is "no" -- and obviously, God knows this! Putting restrictions on what can or can't be in heaven is a fruitless exercise, much like arguing how a camel can go through the eye of a needle; no one has brought back a report of what's in heaven, and sooner or later we're all going to find out anyway. In the mean time, on the issue of whether pets go to heaven or not, we are free to believe what we choose, based on our understanding of God and God’s love.
If we choose to believe that animals do go to heaven, and we find out otherwise then there is no penalty. Such a belief is not the basis of going to hell; it’s not a salvation issue. Nor are we at risk of leading someone else “astray” if we allow them to hold onto such a belief.
The last thing I want to do is to lead my children astray. When we had a death of my daughter’s guinea pig, I was faced with this same question. I went to the Lord for an answer, a way that I console my daughter.
The Lord spoke to me in Bible Study that day. He led me to Acts 10, where Peter saw a vision while in a trance. This vision was of a sheet that was held by four corners that descended from heaven. When the sheet opened it was all kinds of animals… That was my answer.
I gave her both sides of the issue, those who don’t believe and those who do believe. I told her what the Lord showed me that day, and we then read the following verses and told her what I believed. (This was a "teachable" moment... for both of us).
My daughter received great comfort that day from her Father in Heaven.
“Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, thou preservest man and beast.” ~ Psalm 36:6 (KJV)
"the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God, because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God." Romans 8:19-21 (KJV)
“And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'" Luke 3:6 (NKJ)
“Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.” Acts 3:21 (KJV)
“And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.” Rev 21:5 (KJV)
“Man's fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath, man has no advantage over the animal. Everything is meaningless. All go to the same place; all come from dust and to dust all return.” Ecclesiastes 3:19-20 (NIV)
I love reading your comments. They are so encouraging. Your comments allow me to get to know you better and feel a sense of relationship. Please remember to use your manners. If you do not have something nice to say, do not say it at all. Comments that are rude/critical in nature will be erased. Thanks, friends!
KarensKorner is a place to find the resources that will encourage, educate, equip and energize you in finding freedom, fullness and fruitfulness in Christ! I pray you will find just what you need as you seek to draw closer to the heart of God: strength for today and hope for tomorrow.
EQUIPPING THE NEXT GENERATION
To reach the children of this generation with the true power of the living God to satisfy their natural hunger for the supernatural life before the enemy gives them a false satisfaction of being lovers of pleasure and not lovers of God.
"Tell your children about it, let your children tell their children." Joel 1:3.
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