Monday, June 30, 2014
Hobby Lobby Needs Our Prayers!
In a world where money seems to be everything, I was astounded to when I heard the Hobby Lobby was not letting money or anything else rule them but rather following God's rule. It truly makes me believe that America is not all lost, not yet. There are still so many willing and being shining examples of what as Americans and Christians stand for.
Today the supreme court will be making their final decision on the lawsuit. Though Hobby Lobby seems confident they'll make it, I strong believe in prayer and they need our support! So before you head out to work today, while you're driving down the road or perhaps when your talking with a friend, get together and say a fervent prayer for Hobby Lobby.
I want to give a starter prayer:
Lord, we know this is just an attack from Satan, trying to separate your loved ones from you. I don't mean just Hobby Lobby, but the people fighting against them. Let this stand Hobby Lobby, and everyone working for them and on their behalf, has taken for you be a shining light to the blind in our world who so desperately need you. Continue to protect and work through Hobby Lobby, because Lord we know you haven't left them. You are always there with us.
In Jesus name I pray, AMEN.
God bless.
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Tyndale Rewards!
I was visiting another bloggers website and came across this badge "Tyndale Rewards" and I thought since I'm already in their book blogging program, why not check out their rewards program as well! I am so glad I did! Because I signed up with that bloggers link, I earned a whopping 25 points out the gate! It also gives the blogger 10 points for each person who uses their link. After you collect so many points you can redeem Tyndale products, books, bibles, and audio books! Free!
It doesn't cost you a thing, except maybe two minutes of your time to sign up! After wards it really isn't that difficult to earn points either. I honestly think it will be worth it! You can click the Tyndale Rewards picture above or on the side bar (to your right) to start your rewards today! And to help me earn some more points as well!
God bless!
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Lord, You Don't Need Us?
Lord, You Want Us!
I was rummaging through some YouTube videos that I had saved on my watch for later list and came across a song I had never heard before. I instantly liked it, a lot! I'm not into rap music, it's just not my cup of milk, but this one I really really liked!
As I was listening to the lyrics again last night something caught my attention.
Did you get it? Great! So here were my thoughts.
The part that really stood out to me:
God didn't sacrifice his son because he needed us.
Jesus didn't give up his life on the cross because he needed us.
He did it all because he WANTED us.
He wanted to save us, not for personal gain but that his love for us was so strong he wanted to take our place. He didn't want to stand and let us die and be apart from Him forever.
If you knew a friend, spouse, family, was about to die, one you were close to and truly loved with all your heart, would you stand by and watch or would you be thinking and willing to give up your life for their's? Jesus is that one true best friend!
RESCUER
SAVIOR
BEST FRIEND
JESUS: THE HERO
I was rummaging through some YouTube videos that I had saved on my watch for later list and came across a song I had never heard before. I instantly liked it, a lot! I'm not into rap music, it's just not my cup of milk, but this one I really really liked!
As I was listening to the lyrics again last night something caught my attention.
"Redeemed us, He cleaned us, purchased and then freed us,
All this work but Lord, you don't need us."What stands out to you in this chorus? I'm going to try something new today. Take a piece of paper and pen or open a document/note. Now think about and write down your answer and your thoughts on that answer before I continue.
Did you get it? Great! So here were my thoughts.
The part that really stood out to me:
"All this work but Lord, you don't need us."
God didn't sacrifice his son because he needed us.
Jesus didn't give up his life on the cross because he needed us.
He did it all because he WANTED us.
He wanted to save us, not for personal gain but that his love for us was so strong he wanted to take our place. He didn't want to stand and let us die and be apart from Him forever.
If you knew a friend, spouse, family, was about to die, one you were close to and truly loved with all your heart, would you stand by and watch or would you be thinking and willing to give up your life for their's? Jesus is that one true best friend!
"There is no greater love than to give ones life for one's friends." ~John 15:13 (NLT)Heroes sacrifice their lives for ours, right? Like Captain America! Okay, okay, we'll be a little more realistic. Firefighters, police men, soldiers! Well, Jesus is that hero we all long so desperately for in our lives. Whether its because you're going through hard times or maybe everything is fine but you're lonely though your standing in a crowded room. Maybe you grew up without that hero figure to look up to, but guess what? Just look up.
RESCUER
SAVIOR
BEST FRIEND
JESUS: THE HERO
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Spoken For by Robin J. Gunn & Allyssa J. Bethke
Cover Description
Say Yes to the Love Story of Your Life
A great romance was set in motion before you were born. A relentless Lover is pursuing you, and He has made His intentions clear. He wants you to be His forever. How will you respond to the One who longs for you to be His with your whole heart?
My Review
I was excited to read this book. I love listening to people's love stories and inspiring tales. It gives me hope for my future.
"If God can do that for them then I know he can do it for me!"
Little did I really know just how much he will do for me and why. Robin Gunn and Alyssa Bethke really helped open my eyes to what God sees in me rather than how others see me. To see him as the pursuer of my life and love, because of the love he has for me, brought a new sense of wholeness. Verses from Genesis all the way to Revelations showcase just exactly what God thinks of us. In chapter two there is a list of them in "What God Says About You", which I loved. Be sure to bookmark that page, you'll be making a few trips back to it throughout the book.
At the end of each chapter there are 5 questions called "What do you think?" which I found very helpful and revealing. In a good way! In the beginning, I wasn't sure I was going to do anything more than read and mentally answer the questions, but God told me I needed to write them down, that this was going to be a growing experience. So I prayed for that I might me completely open and honest with my answers. I learned a lot about myself and about God when I answered all those questions and wrote all those notes in between. Like that though I believed God loved me there was still some hesitation deep inside. Yes I believed God loved me, but did I truly deeply believe it? I believed the words that said he loved me but I didn't understand how he valued and saw me for me. I've always been a strong person, but not perfect. I've let people who were close to me hurt me with their words and views of me and believed what they said was true. Even though I knew God loved me, for the reasons most of us know: We are his children, He created us, etc,. But thanks to Robin and Alyssa, I found out so much more!
I understand better now how God loves us and truly wants us! He's invited us to the wedding feast and will one day come to pick us up on a white horse and carry us away like a fairy tale love story. But this is no fairy tale, it is real!
Both Alyssa and Robin were very relatable. One chapter I found really got to me. The end of chapter 8, one of the questions was "What lies do you currently believe about yourself?" My answer was: "That I'll be alone, no friends, no husband, no family. Everyone will leave me. I'll be alone because no one wants me." And with my track record of friends abandoning me over the years that lie has slowly rooted itself inside my heart. Despite how much I've said and tried to believe otherwise. I put the book down for a couple hours and when I came back to read chapter 9 I found a nice surprise. Robin tells a story about a time when she was so sad she couldn't do anything but sob on the floor. She too had insecurities that held no truth to them even after she was married for years but when her husband came and comforted and covered her, that when I learned something:
My insecurities are lies to hold me back from Him. And what I really loved was how Robin's husband loved his wife as Christ tells every man to do. It made me believe more that there is someone out there for me that will love me as Robin's husband loves her and show that same affection and patience that Christ shows me everyday and I pray Christ's light shines through Him just as brightly.
I wish I had this book when I was in my teens, but then, to be honest, I wouldn't have been able to relate to it as I do now. Or draw so much insight and encouragement from it. I believe this is a great book for any young or old woman. To see God and his pursuit of us as a love/romance story is uplifting and inspiring to any woman. Maybe the husbands of Robin and Alyssa should write a male version companion to this book *hint hint*
I highly recommend this book for yourself or perhaps you have a sister or friend. This would make a lovely gift!
I received this book for free from the publisher’s in exchange for this honest and unbiased review as part of their Blogging For Books program.
Say Yes to the Love Story of Your LifeA great romance was set in motion before you were born. A relentless Lover is pursuing you, and He has made His intentions clear. He wants you to be His forever. How will you respond to the One who longs for you to be His with your whole heart?
In Spoken For, Robin Jones Gunn and Alyssa Joy Bethke speak to your heart about what it means for you to belong to Christ, who you are because of His love, and how that affects the way you live. Drawing on biblical promises and their personal experiences, these two friends share what it’s like to live out God’s unfolding love story.
You are not up for grabs. You are spoken for.
My Review
I was excited to read this book. I love listening to people's love stories and inspiring tales. It gives me hope for my future.
"If God can do that for them then I know he can do it for me!"
Little did I really know just how much he will do for me and why. Robin Gunn and Alyssa Bethke really helped open my eyes to what God sees in me rather than how others see me. To see him as the pursuer of my life and love, because of the love he has for me, brought a new sense of wholeness. Verses from Genesis all the way to Revelations showcase just exactly what God thinks of us. In chapter two there is a list of them in "What God Says About You", which I loved. Be sure to bookmark that page, you'll be making a few trips back to it throughout the book.
At the end of each chapter there are 5 questions called "What do you think?" which I found very helpful and revealing. In a good way! In the beginning, I wasn't sure I was going to do anything more than read and mentally answer the questions, but God told me I needed to write them down, that this was going to be a growing experience. So I prayed for that I might me completely open and honest with my answers. I learned a lot about myself and about God when I answered all those questions and wrote all those notes in between. Like that though I believed God loved me there was still some hesitation deep inside. Yes I believed God loved me, but did I truly deeply believe it? I believed the words that said he loved me but I didn't understand how he valued and saw me for me. I've always been a strong person, but not perfect. I've let people who were close to me hurt me with their words and views of me and believed what they said was true. Even though I knew God loved me, for the reasons most of us know: We are his children, He created us, etc,. But thanks to Robin and Alyssa, I found out so much more!
- I am of great value
- He knows everything about me and familiar with all my ways
- He has given me nicknames: Peculiar Treasure, Beloved,
- He will never stop being good to me: Loving, Providing, Sheltering and Comforting, Peace,
- He delights in me because I am His
I understand better now how God loves us and truly wants us! He's invited us to the wedding feast and will one day come to pick us up on a white horse and carry us away like a fairy tale love story. But this is no fairy tale, it is real!
Both Alyssa and Robin were very relatable. One chapter I found really got to me. The end of chapter 8, one of the questions was "What lies do you currently believe about yourself?" My answer was: "That I'll be alone, no friends, no husband, no family. Everyone will leave me. I'll be alone because no one wants me." And with my track record of friends abandoning me over the years that lie has slowly rooted itself inside my heart. Despite how much I've said and tried to believe otherwise. I put the book down for a couple hours and when I came back to read chapter 9 I found a nice surprise. Robin tells a story about a time when she was so sad she couldn't do anything but sob on the floor. She too had insecurities that held no truth to them even after she was married for years but when her husband came and comforted and covered her, that when I learned something:
- GOD HAS ME COVERED!
My insecurities are lies to hold me back from Him. And what I really loved was how Robin's husband loved his wife as Christ tells every man to do. It made me believe more that there is someone out there for me that will love me as Robin's husband loves her and show that same affection and patience that Christ shows me everyday and I pray Christ's light shines through Him just as brightly.
I wish I had this book when I was in my teens, but then, to be honest, I wouldn't have been able to relate to it as I do now. Or draw so much insight and encouragement from it. I believe this is a great book for any young or old woman. To see God and his pursuit of us as a love/romance story is uplifting and inspiring to any woman. Maybe the husbands of Robin and Alyssa should write a male version companion to this book *hint hint*
I highly recommend this book for yourself or perhaps you have a sister or friend. This would make a lovely gift!
I received this book for free from the publisher’s in exchange for this honest and unbiased review as part of their Blogging For Books program.
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Happy 25th Anniversary!
My parents celebrated their 25th Wedding Anniversary yesterday! Original plans were for them to set out for the beach for a couple days, but God had other plans. The weather turned out bad, the water heater sprung a leak, and turns out the beach is closed due to a bacteria levels (because of all the rain). I'd say God was protecting them! They stayed home and celebrated with us!
It's hard to believe its already been 25 years! God has blessed me with amazing parents. My sisters and I could not have been shown more than or cared for as much as they have. They've shown us the love of Jesus and shared that love with us. Guiding us through our walks and trials in life. Teaching us everything from the moment we were born, from talking to reading and writing. Making friends and being a friend. Sharing and loving others.
All the things the Lord calls us to be my parents have taught me. I couldn't be more grateful to them for that and showing me Love.
As we were out eating lunch today, the waitress heard that it was my parents 25th Anniversary and you know what she said?
"That is just wonderful!" A real awe in her voice and sincerity. "You don't hear that much anymore in this day. People come here to celebrate their 5th or 10th, but their much older and it be their 2nd or 3rd marriage. Congratulations!"
That really touched my heart to hear yesterday. I know my parents will be together until God takes one or both of them home or comes to take us all home. But until then, they'll keep celebrating each year for the next 25 years until the end. I love my parents for setting such a great example for me and others out there that marriage is not easy but with Jesus as their center they can walk hand in hand all the way to the end!
| Dad, the Romantic |
All the things the Lord calls us to be my parents have taught me. I couldn't be more grateful to them for that and showing me Love.
As we were out eating lunch today, the waitress heard that it was my parents 25th Anniversary and you know what she said?
"That is just wonderful!" A real awe in her voice and sincerity. "You don't hear that much anymore in this day. People come here to celebrate their 5th or 10th, but their much older and it be their 2nd or 3rd marriage. Congratulations!"
That really touched my heart to hear yesterday. I know my parents will be together until God takes one or both of them home or comes to take us all home. But until then, they'll keep celebrating each year for the next 25 years until the end. I love my parents for setting such a great example for me and others out there that marriage is not easy but with Jesus as their center they can walk hand in hand all the way to the end!
| Until The End |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)