As I went to write my post for Monday Memories, I drew a blank. I couldn't think up anything to write about that sounded entertaining. So, I Googled "memories" which led me to a post about childhood memories. That's when I started thinking about what kind of memories do I want for my children. Parents can help provide good memories for their kids. So, after thinking, these are some of the good memories my kids will have and some of the memories I want them to have.
- listening to Dad's stories about when he was a naughty boy
- watching Little House on the Prairie DVDs over and over
- playing lots of card games
- family road trips
- having "snack food" dinners
- doing our family Christmas traditions
- trying to raise chickens
- going to the County Fair during the summer
- doing evangelism and ministry projects as a family
- watching their parents get more involved in church
- trying to live a more simplified life - in the country, on a lake, chopping wood, playing in the trees
- Mom reading chapter books aloud to the kids
- going on a summer mission trip as a teen (this one is still to come)
Do you have any neat "building memories" ideas that you want to share?
I've never done the Friday Fill-Ins meme before, but it looked like it would make for a good, lighthearted post. My last five posts have been quite serious. The "black writing" is part of the writing prompt. The "orange writing" is the personal part that I had to fill in.1. Traveling to new places makes me happy.2. I would like it to be 60* warmer (than 10* F) please.3. My husband's homemade Fettuccine tastes SO good! 4. Sunday is my favorite day of the week because the whole family goes to church and youth group, for some worship and some fellowship.5. My curly hair is my best feature. (however, I hated it as a kid when straight hair was "in".)6. We could learn so much from The Bible, if we studied it on a daily basis.7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to reading a novel (The Shack) that my parents sent to me, tomorrow my plans include taking my kids swimming 2 more times in the hotel's pool, and Sunday, I want to rush back home in time to get the family to Youth Group!
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Healing is a Choice (book) The power to heal-physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually-is in God’s hands. But the choice to be healed is yours. The author outlines ten choices crucial to receiving healing and ten lies that can prevent you from making them.
Laughing in the Dark: A Comedian's Journey Through Depression (book) Each chapter includes a look into Chonda Pierce's personal journey, insights learned while laughing in the dark,and expert advice from a psychotherapist for those struggling with depression.
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I thought that my eternal life was going to start when I die. But, it actually started when I was a little girl and asked Jesus into my life. I've wanted to know more about eternal life (living forever) so I listened to a sermon on SermonAudio.com
Here are Some Evidences of Having Eternal Life:
- You've changed inwardly, walking in righteous and godliness.
- You enjoy fellowshipping with God, knowing God.
- You love other Christians (it's not perfect, but your love is growing, 1John 5:1)
- You aren't in bondage to sin anymore (have many victories over temptations, 1John 5:4)
- The Holy Spirit is now living in you. (at the moment of becoming a Christian)
- You totally believe and trust in Jesus.
- You'll have a certainty that you are saved from your sins and saved from hell.
How to Have Eternal LifeSome people think that you have to follow certain rules to have eternal life. Some people think all you have to do is say a "special prayer" and it will work like a magic formula bringing eternal life? This is what 1 John 5:13 says:
"I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life." - You must believe in Jesus, and that He is your Savior. (to the point that you are certain, totally convinced that this is the truth)
- It's an attitude of the heart, not the words that you say.
- It's completely trusting in Him - that He saved you and forgave you of your sins.
- It's deciding to repent. (turn from sinning)
There is no special ticket to heaven, no magic words to say.Salvation is a free gift. He paid the price when He died on the cross. There is nothing that we have to do and nothing we can do to pay for our sins. Just tell Him that you trust in Him alone and that you want to accept His gift of salvation, and that you want to live for Jesus,
Would you like to listen to the online sermon that I heard? It is called How to Know You Have Eternal Life?
We need to hope in God's promise - of being molded into the image of Christ.
God wants us to accept ourselves, as He made us. He gave each one of us - a personality, abilities, and talents for His purpose. He wants to teach us more and have us grow more Christlike - into the image of Christ. That way, when the people in our life look at us, they will see Christ.We should let Him use each of us as He decides best. It is for our own good. When we are following God's will, we will feel valued, and have peace in our heart.
Lyrics: Change My Heart, Oh God
Change my heart oh God, make it ever true.
Change my heart oh God, may I be like You.You are the potter, I am the clay,Mold me and make me,
This is what I pray.
© 1982, Mercy / Vineyard Publishing Words and Music by Eddie Espinosa
I have a January memory of a trip that took place 18 years ago.
My new husband (of 2 months) got some camping equipment for Christmas. A few days after Christmas, we got this great idea to go camping. However, it was 34*F outside. So, we got an even better idea to drive to Southern California where it was warm enough to camp.
We both took vacation time off from work, packed the car and were off. It was very spontaneous, and I could never do that now. But being spontaneous was part of the fun.
When we got to LA, we went to Disneyland - just the 2 of us, no kids yet. We even found a campground about 45 min. from Disneyland, next to the Pacific Ocean. I remember cooking canned chili on a single propane burner and finding a huge, exotic looking insect under our tent.
A lot of the memories of this trip are fuzzy. But, it was a special trip that we took together. Maybe when the kids have grown up, we will be able to be spontaneous again - after I pick up my prescriptions, get someone to water the plants, put a hold on the mall, wash the clothes that we will be taking, prepare food for the trip, and lose 10 pounds.
I'm going to try something new - Manic Monday. There are only 3 questions; I can do that.If you had to be named after one of the 50 states, which would it be?
Since I can choose any state, I'll have to say Hawaii. It's warm, beautiful, exotic, and it smells great - the perfect state to be named after.
Where do you go for advice?
It depends on what advice I am looking for. For some things, I research the topic on the Internet. I listen to June Hunt on the radio for good mental health advice. If the advice that I am looking for is Biblical, then I go to SermonAudio and type the topic into the search box. Then, I listen to one of the sermons that comes up in the search results.
What is the sickest you've ever been?
When I was 18, I was pretty sick. My boyfriend (now husband) came over to see how I was doing. Well, I was so "out of it" that I was laughing at my stupid jokes and wearing a stainless steel bowl on my head. Fortunately, the bowl hadn't been used yet.
Sunday Seven Meme
Dad's been out of town working for a few weeks and we were missing him. So, we did 7 Fun Activities to lift our spirits.
- Watched some of our Little House on the Prairie and The Walton's DVDs
- Played our favorite card games: Dutch Blitz and 9 Square
- Looked at old photos from when the kids were little
- Made Monkey Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Played Chicken Foot (with dominoes)
- Had a slumber party in the living room
- Called Grandma and Grandpa on the phone
I'm the kind of woman that loves getting involved in ministry and volunteer projects. But, I have to remind myself that my kids are my first ministry. It is my responsibility to help them grow as Christians, to help them through their childhood, and to show them my love.
Romans 8:28 - And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.Most of us have heard this verse. But, what does it mean? I listened to a sermon by Pastor Henry Mahan and took notes. This is what I learned:
And we know - This is true because God says so in His Word.
that all things - The things on earth, in heaven, in the universe, in time, in eternity, in my life - past, present, and future.
work together - The good and bad, success and failure, poverty and plenty, sickness and health - are set in motion by God and actively work together. (We don't understand things in our life if we look at each thing separately.)
for good - It's not the pleasurable feeling that we want to have right now. It's for our spiritual good, for eternity - not just here on earth. Whatever it takes to bring us to Him, is considered good.
to them that love God - This promise isn't for everybody. It's only for true Christian believers that love the true living God - the God who created us, loved us first, and died on the cross for our sins.
to them who are the called according to His purpose - For those He foreknew and choose, to be in the image of Christ. He called us out of darkness, made us righteous by the shedding of His blood, pardoned and forgave our sins, gave us life eternal, and glorified us.
We need to seek after Him and know Him. He loves us and He knows what is best for us. He has a plan for our spiritual good.
The writing prompt for Sunday Scribblings this week is "Fellow Travelers". Through out my traveling, I have met some very interesting people, enough people to fill a book. However, one woman quickly comes to my mind - the woman at the travel plaza. (Travel plazas are service centers along the interstate turnpikes with restaurants, restrooms, and gasoline pumps.)
About 8 years ago, our family made a major move to the East Coast. We drove 3000 miles to a home and town that we had never seen. It was adventurous, but also scary. Moving is expensive and we didn't have much money. So, we planned to keep the travel expenses as low as possible. To save on food and lodging costs, we decided to drive straight through sleeping in the car and buying our food at grocery stores. However, we didn't understand the reality of the facilities available along the turnpikes. There aren't very many towns along the interstates. Instead, motorists stop at travel plazas for food and gas. The prices at travel plazas were higher then we had expected to pay. This added much stress to our trip.
I remember being in a travel plaza in Pennsylvania. My husband and I were anxiously discussing which fast food we should buy for our family. We walked between the different menu boards in the food court, comparing prices. Well, there was a woman who was watching us. She came up to me and handed me $20. She said that she was traveling with a group of women from her church. She noticed the size of our family and knew that traveling could be expensive. She felt like God wanted her to come offer this money to us. I quietly said a thank you. Then she smiled and rushed away. I stood there with my mouth hanging open. Nothing like that had ever happed to me before. Hoping to thank her again, I looked around the crowded room. But, she was already gone.
So, I'd like to express my appreciation to this woman. I'll probably never know your name or see you again. God prompted you to do something and you obeyed Him. You showed my family kindness, in a respectful way. You made a positive impact on me that will effect the rest of my life.
Some may call this a random act of kindness. Some will call this Christian charity. I call it a message from God. He was reminding me that I didn't need to worry about our current situation or the ones we may face in the future. God would always provide for my family.
I heard a really good sermon about Jeremiah 29:13 - "If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord.
We seek the things that we really want , such as - wealth, an education, a career, good health, relationships. We spend our time going after the things that we want. If we really desire to know God, then we need to seek Him.
To seek the Lord is:
- admitting that by nature we do not know the living God. (this is where it starts)
- to really, sincerely desire to know Him and fellowship with Him. (not to feel an emotional way, but to truly know Him)
- to be willing to seek Him and to be accepted on His terms. (being repentant in our heart and having faith in Jesus and His ways, leaving our ways behind.)
- to be willing to get rid of anything or anyone that keeps us from full fellowship with Him. (He wants to be Lord of all, not a religious thing on the side.
Knowing God is walking with Him, loving Him, loving His Word, being identified with His Gospel and His people, seeking Him with all your heart - continually.
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us." - Hebrews 12:1
Some of the weights that hinder us in running our race (God's plan for us) are: - hanging out with the wrong people
- wrong ambitions
- bad attitudes
- addictions
- some social events that we attend
- some business deals
- some investment opportunities
The Bible tells us to get rid of these things. They need to be laid aside, along with the sin of unbelief. We can trust Jesus and wait on Him, even through our hard times.
We have to keep looking to Jesus for strength - not trusting in ourself, our profession, our experiences, or other people.
"We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith." Hebrews 12:2a
We have a race to run - His plan for us. We have to receive His strength and keep going. Men like Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses kept running their race and looking to God for guidance and strength. The Lord was able to use them in mighty ways. (the witnesses mentioned in Hebrews 11)
And when we feel like giving up, verse 3 tells us to consider Him. We haven't really had to suffer or go through anything as bad as Jesus did. They spat on Him, accused Him, called Him names, hated Him, killed Him.
"Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up." Hebrews 12:3
God puts things and challenges in our lives that make us become better Christian disciples. Correction and discipline are not always punishments. When we've been disciplined by the Lord, it is for our own good and part of His plan for us. God is wise and still on the throne. He chooses what is best for us. And He will give us the strength to endure the race He planned for us. (from Hebrews 12:5-12)
In order to run my race better, I need to get rid of some weights: bitterness, worry, impatience, eating for emotional reasons. These things are just weighting me down and keeping me from serving God better.
How about you?
Are there any weights that you need to lay aside? Have you been experiencing the Lord's discipline in your own life?
Do you feel inadequate or insecure? Do you second guess your ability or feel like you don't measure up? Many of us feel this way, because of the critical words we have heard during our lives. Those negative voices, of the past or present, tell us that we can't do it. That we aren't valuable.
Why do we listen to those negative voices? They are lies. God's Word tells us the truth. John 8:32 says - And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. We might say:- I can't do anything right. - but Philippians 4:13 says: For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
- I don't have the inner strength to do it. - but 2 Corinthians 12:9 says: My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness. So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.
- I don't think anyone could love me. - but Jeremiah 31:3 says: I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love.With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself. And 1 John 3:1 says: See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are.
- I should never have been born. - but Jeremiah1:5 says: I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.
- My future is hopeless. - but Jeremiah 29:11 says: For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
Actually, all of us are weak in some areas, and we need Him to help us. If we could do everything for ourselves, we wouldn't need to rely on God. He will strengthen us so that we can do what He has called us to do. Why would he show us His will for our lives and then leave us hanging?
Ephesians 4:1 says - Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.
As I went to write my post for Monday Memories, I drew a blank. I couldn't think up anything to write about that sounded entertaining. So, I Googled "memories" which led me to a post about childhood memories. That's when I started thinking about what kind of memories do I want for my children. Parents can help provide good memories for their kids. So, after thinking, these are some of the good memories my kids will have and some of the memories I want them to have.
