Wednesday, December 30, 2015
A Creative Way to Witness
I have a creative witnessing idea for any that are interested. Your mission, should you chose to accept it, is to make dozens and dozens of Jesus packets lol :) You have now been activated. But no seriously, I have been making something I like to call Jesus packets since last Christmas. I used to wrap them up like little presents but now I put them in cellophane gift bags because that is faster. Currently I put peanut butter oatmeal cookies in them that I make, a candy cane and a Bible tract. I have been putting them in mail boxes around my neighborhood. I talked to the mail man about it. It's not entirely illegal. Technically they want you to pay a fee at the post office to do so. Or you can leave them in front of people's doors. Apartment complexes are the easiest and fastest place to deliver them to, because you can distribute about 100 packets very quickly.
My new current idea is to make hundreds of packets to take into schools, elementary, junior high and high school. Please pray for me about this. They may not be able to pass them out to the kids, since there are laws about religions material now, but they might be able to leave them in a box in the office or the library and children can pick them up as they want.
The cost isn't that much. You can buy 100 tracts on Amazon for $6 and there are many great tracts to choose from. You can buy 200 cellophane clear bags for $5. Candy canes are the cheapest and easiest candy but you can put whatever candy you want in it, if you want to put candy in. There are book marks with inspirational Bible verses on Amazon 100 for $10. Another good idea is glow sticks or glow bracelets which you can get 100 for $10 also. There are Christian pencils on Amazon, 100 for $10. And also Christian fish erasers that are cool. There are also Christian bracelets with saying on them like "God loves you" also 100 for $10. You can use your tithe money for this if you want, but some would debate that. I personally think tithe money should be used to spread the gospel, but everyone has their own view on that.
Anyways, if you have extra time on your hands consider doing. Everyone does have extra time. The time that you use to watch TV every day could be time to put these packets together. One has eternal signficance and one does not. Your decision. Anyways, God bless and take care ya'll! :)
On Porn and Sexual Addiction
Sexual Addiction: My Dad's Very Tragic Flaw
I'm looking back at my childhood pics tonight and they make me sad really. Mainly because my dad is now in prison for molesting children. I just can't help but thinking over and over, "How the heck did he, of his own will, mess up his whole life so much?" He could have had it all. He could have had a happy and great family forever. But he let his brain get seriously messed up. So so sad. I feel very sorry for my dad.
That's why I love watching Joyce Meyer so much because she finally has nailed it on the head. Our mind is so so important and the thoughts we allow ourselves to think are so key. How we think will dictate our entire lives. We have to be very, very careful what we think about 24/7, because sin, any sin, is a very dangerous and slippery slope.
I read once that 70% of men look at porn, even Christian men. Any men out there who look at porn, stop now. You DON'T want to end up like my dad . Porn and sexual addiction can get really, really ugly. Beware. Looking at porn is a serious problem that no one should take lightly or excuse easily. Sexual addiction is a serious problem. Learn from my dad's terrible example, dear reader. My dad's fate of being in prison could be your future, if you look at porn. Any person who gets deep into porn could easily end up molesting their own kids, other kids and doing all kinds of other unspeakable disgusting things like my dad did. Don't play with fire. Don't look at porn.
May God bless you all as you seek to follow Him more and more amen!
I'm looking back at my childhood pics tonight and they make me sad really. Mainly because my dad is now in prison for molesting children. I just can't help but thinking over and over, "How the heck did he, of his own will, mess up his whole life so much?" He could have had it all. He could have had a happy and great family forever. But he let his brain get seriously messed up. So so sad. I feel very sorry for my dad.
That's why I love watching Joyce Meyer so much because she finally has nailed it on the head. Our mind is so so important and the thoughts we allow ourselves to think are so key. How we think will dictate our entire lives. We have to be very, very careful what we think about 24/7, because sin, any sin, is a very dangerous and slippery slope.
I read once that 70% of men look at porn, even Christian men. Any men out there who look at porn, stop now. You DON'T want to end up like my dad . Porn and sexual addiction can get really, really ugly. Beware. Looking at porn is a serious problem that no one should take lightly or excuse easily. Sexual addiction is a serious problem. Learn from my dad's terrible example, dear reader. My dad's fate of being in prison could be your future, if you look at porn. Any person who gets deep into porn could easily end up molesting their own kids, other kids and doing all kinds of other unspeakable disgusting things like my dad did. Don't play with fire. Don't look at porn.
May God bless you all as you seek to follow Him more and more amen!
Nice Encouragement
Here are some very nice encouraging words from a friend about my writing. :)
"Lisa, our Lord has blessed you with such wisdom. Not only does He reveal to you such simple yet profound truths, but you are able to put it into written form beautifully for instruction, and yet with a touch of encouragement. No matter the topic, your wisdom is steady and true. Your posts have been such a blessing. You have spot on discernment, the wisdom to apply it, and the pen to share it with others! Write on Lisa! You are blessing others so much! Thank you."
That was so nice to hear. :)
"Lisa, our Lord has blessed you with such wisdom. Not only does He reveal to you such simple yet profound truths, but you are able to put it into written form beautifully for instruction, and yet with a touch of encouragement. No matter the topic, your wisdom is steady and true. Your posts have been such a blessing. You have spot on discernment, the wisdom to apply it, and the pen to share it with others! Write on Lisa! You are blessing others so much! Thank you."
That was so nice to hear. :)
Monday, December 28, 2015
Cures for the 7 Deadly Sins
I have at various times struggled with each of the 7 deadly sins, as I'm sure most have. And here are some practical possible cures that helped me that you can try if you want. :)
1. Greed. The best cure for greed is giving things away. When you buy a shirt, donate a shirt. As many clothes as you buy, donate that many to Goodwill or give them to a friend etc. Periodically get rid of anything that you have not used in the last month or so to someone else who might really need it. You can give away money. My newest idea is to give a $20 to a random stranger whenever you are feeling the most greedy.
2. Envy. The best cure for envy is to genuinely be happy for other people and to have contentment. If you really love others, you will not care if they have better things than you. It won't bother you. And if you are truly content, you will not be envious that they have what you do not. Every day say about your car, "I love my car. It couldn't be better!" etc. Pastor Kenton at Mariners Church taught us to do that. Every Thanksgiving he would go through everything we have and tell us to say about it that we love it and it couldn't be better. Try doing that, out loud. Also try writing a list often of all the things you are thankful for. That will keep you from being jealous of what other people have.
3. Wrath. When you feel wrathful or angry with someone, leave the room and go sit by yourself in another room. Make yourself take a time out. :) Cool off before you say anything. Take a nap if you are tired, as that can make anger much worse. Eat if you are hungry. Call a friend to help calm you down etc. Try writing in a journal. Go for a fast walk around the block to get the energy out of your system that anger initiates. There are lots of great cures for anger. Take a hot bath. Listen to some happy music. Pray. Watch a sermon. I like Joyce Meyer a lot but everyone has their preferred teacher to listen to. Bake some cookies. Do whatever you can to get your mind off of your anger. Don't stuff it, but try to do other things so you don't let your thoughts get irrational, as they tend to when we all get angry.
4. Sloth. A great cure for sloth is to stay busy. Don't let yourself sleep excessively, as in like 14 hours a day. Find a reason to get out of bed every morning. Get a hobby like making jewelry or gardening or baking cookies etc. Go for walks every day around the neighborhood, prayer walks if you want. Don't just sit and watch TV all day. Make something for other people, like crocheting blankets or baking cookies etc. Read books to stimulate your mind. Try dancing in your living room to get your blood moving, if the weather is to bad to go outside. etc. If you don't have a job, volunteer to tutor some children etc. There are many cures for sloth really.
5. Gluttony. By far the biggest cure for gluttony is fasting. Try fasting for 24 hours and see how much it breaks the power of food over you and the thinking that you have to eat or you will die. You won't die. The body can go a very, very long time without food. Fasting teaches you to say no to your stomach, which is very important. I have fasted for 24 hour periods about 20 times in my life I think. It has helped a lot for me to not let food, or my stomach, be my master. Our stomach can be like an unruly two year old. The more we give into it, the more spoiled it gets. You have to learn to say no to yourself and your own hunger.
6. Lust. The biggest cure for lust is learning to control your thoughts. If you have almost no ability to control your thoughts, don't let your mind be idle. Constantly listen to worship music or listen to sermons. If you struggle with looking at porn, and both men and women can, put a "Net Nanny" blocking system on your computer so that bad sites are not accessible. Block any channels on your TV that are bad etc. And don't hang out with anyone else who struggles with lust a lot. They will only pull you down.
7. Pride. Whatever you are doing that makes you prideful, take a break from it. If working out at the gym and trying to achieve the perfect body makes you prideful, take a week break from working out. If making lots of money makes you prideful, take a week vacation from work etc. If your hair makes you prideful, consider dying it. When I was in college I had really cool highlights and I would straighten my hair every day. My hair looked good. But then I realized it was making me prideful, so I cut it shorter and dyed it brown. It's nice to look good, but not if it makes you get a big head. If your clothes make you prideful, try wearing less attractive clothes for a week etc. There are tons of things that can make us prideful. Ask God what it is that would help you the most.
God bless!
1. Greed. The best cure for greed is giving things away. When you buy a shirt, donate a shirt. As many clothes as you buy, donate that many to Goodwill or give them to a friend etc. Periodically get rid of anything that you have not used in the last month or so to someone else who might really need it. You can give away money. My newest idea is to give a $20 to a random stranger whenever you are feeling the most greedy.
2. Envy. The best cure for envy is to genuinely be happy for other people and to have contentment. If you really love others, you will not care if they have better things than you. It won't bother you. And if you are truly content, you will not be envious that they have what you do not. Every day say about your car, "I love my car. It couldn't be better!" etc. Pastor Kenton at Mariners Church taught us to do that. Every Thanksgiving he would go through everything we have and tell us to say about it that we love it and it couldn't be better. Try doing that, out loud. Also try writing a list often of all the things you are thankful for. That will keep you from being jealous of what other people have.
3. Wrath. When you feel wrathful or angry with someone, leave the room and go sit by yourself in another room. Make yourself take a time out. :) Cool off before you say anything. Take a nap if you are tired, as that can make anger much worse. Eat if you are hungry. Call a friend to help calm you down etc. Try writing in a journal. Go for a fast walk around the block to get the energy out of your system that anger initiates. There are lots of great cures for anger. Take a hot bath. Listen to some happy music. Pray. Watch a sermon. I like Joyce Meyer a lot but everyone has their preferred teacher to listen to. Bake some cookies. Do whatever you can to get your mind off of your anger. Don't stuff it, but try to do other things so you don't let your thoughts get irrational, as they tend to when we all get angry.
4. Sloth. A great cure for sloth is to stay busy. Don't let yourself sleep excessively, as in like 14 hours a day. Find a reason to get out of bed every morning. Get a hobby like making jewelry or gardening or baking cookies etc. Go for walks every day around the neighborhood, prayer walks if you want. Don't just sit and watch TV all day. Make something for other people, like crocheting blankets or baking cookies etc. Read books to stimulate your mind. Try dancing in your living room to get your blood moving, if the weather is to bad to go outside. etc. If you don't have a job, volunteer to tutor some children etc. There are many cures for sloth really.
5. Gluttony. By far the biggest cure for gluttony is fasting. Try fasting for 24 hours and see how much it breaks the power of food over you and the thinking that you have to eat or you will die. You won't die. The body can go a very, very long time without food. Fasting teaches you to say no to your stomach, which is very important. I have fasted for 24 hour periods about 20 times in my life I think. It has helped a lot for me to not let food, or my stomach, be my master. Our stomach can be like an unruly two year old. The more we give into it, the more spoiled it gets. You have to learn to say no to yourself and your own hunger.
6. Lust. The biggest cure for lust is learning to control your thoughts. If you have almost no ability to control your thoughts, don't let your mind be idle. Constantly listen to worship music or listen to sermons. If you struggle with looking at porn, and both men and women can, put a "Net Nanny" blocking system on your computer so that bad sites are not accessible. Block any channels on your TV that are bad etc. And don't hang out with anyone else who struggles with lust a lot. They will only pull you down.
7. Pride. Whatever you are doing that makes you prideful, take a break from it. If working out at the gym and trying to achieve the perfect body makes you prideful, take a week break from working out. If making lots of money makes you prideful, take a week vacation from work etc. If your hair makes you prideful, consider dying it. When I was in college I had really cool highlights and I would straighten my hair every day. My hair looked good. But then I realized it was making me prideful, so I cut it shorter and dyed it brown. It's nice to look good, but not if it makes you get a big head. If your clothes make you prideful, try wearing less attractive clothes for a week etc. There are tons of things that can make us prideful. Ask God what it is that would help you the most.
God bless!
Sunday, December 27, 2015
A Cure for Greed
I have a great cure I think for greed. But this is for when you have more than enough money, not when you're struggling with money. Rick Warren says "generosity is the greatest cure for greed and materialism," so when you start to feel greedy, go give a $20 away to some totally random stranger. Not like $100, just $20, and that will help to break the grip of money and greed on your heart, like everyone struggles with from time to time. It will totally work and you will be so much happier blessing others whenever you are feeling the most selfish. Try it.
My cure for greed from buying random things on Amazon.com is making my Jesus packets. When we are too busy giving to others, we don't have time to think about ourselves and what we want and be greedy.
But if you don't have the time to, or don't want to make Jesus packets, try giving away $20 randomly to people. And have fun doing it! God loves a cheerful giver!
I would recommend giving your $20's to any person with young children, cause we all have tons of diapers to buy. :) And when you give it just say "God told me to give you this," because God tells us to always be generous and give of ourselves. "Take up your cross and follow me." Amen.
I could take that farther and recommend that you do that instead of tithing or as part of your tithe, because very little of a church tithe goes to the poor which is sad. But that's up to you. :) But just think how the world would be so different if, instead of using our money on our own selfish wants, or to build bigger church buildings, we actually gave our extra money to the poor? It would be amazing! Proverbs 21:13 says, "Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor will also cry out and not be answered."
One in five children go to school hungry every day even in America! I heard that on a commercial yesterday. Think about that. Go give a kid a $20 lol that would interesting. :)
God bless! :)
My cure for greed from buying random things on Amazon.com is making my Jesus packets. When we are too busy giving to others, we don't have time to think about ourselves and what we want and be greedy.
But if you don't have the time to, or don't want to make Jesus packets, try giving away $20 randomly to people. And have fun doing it! God loves a cheerful giver!
I would recommend giving your $20's to any person with young children, cause we all have tons of diapers to buy. :) And when you give it just say "God told me to give you this," because God tells us to always be generous and give of ourselves. "Take up your cross and follow me." Amen.
I could take that farther and recommend that you do that instead of tithing or as part of your tithe, because very little of a church tithe goes to the poor which is sad. But that's up to you. :) But just think how the world would be so different if, instead of using our money on our own selfish wants, or to build bigger church buildings, we actually gave our extra money to the poor? It would be amazing! Proverbs 21:13 says, "Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor will also cry out and not be answered."
One in five children go to school hungry every day even in America! I heard that on a commercial yesterday. Think about that. Go give a kid a $20 lol that would interesting. :)
God bless! :)
Monday, December 21, 2015
Jesus Packets
I think I've made and delivered about 100 Jesus packets so far in my neighborhood. My hope is that it will start a domino effect, like in the movie Pay It Forward. I would love it so much if each person that receives a packet then makes 50 or 100 themselves, with whatever creative thing they think to put in them, and takes them to an orphanage or to homeless people etc. That is my dream anyways, that I am starting a chain reaction that will affect all of Georgetown or maybe even all of Austin. :) Who knows. May God multiply my efforts in amazing ways, like he did with the fish. lol :) God bless!
Saturday, December 19, 2015
Addictions Kill Things
Last night I saw the movie "Everything Must Go" with Will Ferrell. It made me think about something; all addictions kill something. Drinking too much kills a person's liver. Over eating eventually kills people early if they get diabetes etc. Smoking kills a person's lungs and every organ in their body slowly really. And then there is shopping. This one seems harmless, but it can slowly kill a person's marriage. The number one reason for people getting divorced is fighting over money. That's something I should probably think about. I seem to have inherited a shopping addiction kinda. It seems to not harm me, but really it does. Sin brings death; any kind of sin. My shopping too much on Amazon is a sin because it comes from greed. Therefore it can lead to the death of a marriage, unless it gets under control. If you're reading this definitely check out the movie "Everything Must Go." It's a great movie! Two thumbs way up to Will Ferrell! :)
Money Personalities
Here is something interesting that I read about in a book once that might help some people to understand others that they know. I read it in a marriage book I think. It's about the four different ways that people can view money.
One person might view money as security. They look at a dollar bill and see security. They are very motivated to save for the future. I think this might be the phlegmatic or golden retriever personality. They have fears abou...t the future, and more fears in general then other personalities, and so saving is very, very important to them. They look to money to feel security. The more money they have saved, the less fearful they are about the future.
Another personality, and this is mine, views money as a way to communicate love. The more they love others, the more money they give them or the more things they buy them. They also feel that the more others love them the more money they will give them etc. To them money equals love. Love is a way of expressing love. This would be the sanguine or otter personality type.
Another personality type might view money as a means to feel more significant than others. This would be the choleric or lion personality. They use money to buy things that will give them a higher societal status such as gold jewelry, nicer cars, bigger houses etc. How others view them and how much they are respected is very important to them. To them money means power. They use money in a way to get power or to seem more powerful.
Then lastly there is the person that uses money almost in the same way that an alcoholic uses alcohol. It is a way to self medicate. If they are feeling stressed or depressed, they spend money to make themselves feel better. This would be the melancholic or beaver personality type.
Hopefully that helped you understand others you know more in how they view and use money. God bless! :)
Another personality type might view money as a means to feel more significant than others. This would be the choleric or lion personality. They use money to buy things that will give them a higher societal status such as gold jewelry, nicer cars, bigger houses etc. How others view them and how much they are respected is very important to them. To them money means power. They use money in a way to get power or to seem more powerful.
Then lastly there is the person that uses money almost in the same way that an alcoholic uses alcohol. It is a way to self medicate. If they are feeling stressed or depressed, they spend money to make themselves feel better. This would be the melancholic or beaver personality type.
Hopefully that helped you understand others you know more in how they view and use money. God bless! :)
Solution to Addictive Behaviors
Here is a common catch 22. Addictions begin because someone feels really badly, about themselves or a situation in life. Then they do a certain behavior to make themselves feel better, but because whatever the behavior was is bad generally, it makes them only feel worse about themselves, instead of good. Then because they feel bad again and worse then they did to start with, they do the behavior again.
What a huge lie from Satan that s...o many believe so easily. He tells us that a bad thing is good and convinces us that something that will make us feel bad, will make us feel good. And we get caught hook, line and sinker again and again.
The solution for this crazy cycle we get on with sin and regret and sinning again is to forgive ourselves, ask for God's forgiveness, and move on with a clean slate.
The Bible says that God will not forgive us if we don't forgive others. I think this can somewhat include ourselves as well. God loves us and doesn't want us to hold un-forgiveness against ourselves either. We need to confess our sins and move on. That is the solution to not getting caught up in addictive behaviors.
Let the cleansing and healing of God's forgiveness lead you to feel better, not committing the sinful act, that you know deep down will end up making you feel worse and not better. Don't believe the lie that Satan tells you that it, whatever it is, will make you feel better; it won't. Maybe for a moment it will, but regret soon follows.
This is true for believers and unbelievers, because the Bible says that God's law is written on our hearts, from birth really. Every person alive has an idea of what is right and wrong. Therefore, we are all capable of regret when we do wrong and sin.
Choose life, not death. Chose to do the right thing, and even if you do the wrong thing, forgive yourself and move on. Amen. Don't get stuck in un-forgiveness toward yourself. Let it go. Move on. And be free. God bless!
The Bible says that God will not forgive us if we don't forgive others. I think this can somewhat include ourselves as well. God loves us and doesn't want us to hold un-forgiveness against ourselves either. We need to confess our sins and move on. That is the solution to not getting caught up in addictive behaviors.
Let the cleansing and healing of God's forgiveness lead you to feel better, not committing the sinful act, that you know deep down will end up making you feel worse and not better. Don't believe the lie that Satan tells you that it, whatever it is, will make you feel better; it won't. Maybe for a moment it will, but regret soon follows.
This is true for believers and unbelievers, because the Bible says that God's law is written on our hearts, from birth really. Every person alive has an idea of what is right and wrong. Therefore, we are all capable of regret when we do wrong and sin.
Choose life, not death. Chose to do the right thing, and even if you do the wrong thing, forgive yourself and move on. Amen. Don't get stuck in un-forgiveness toward yourself. Let it go. Move on. And be free. God bless!
My Weight History
When I was in high school playing basketball tons I weighed 122. Then in college I did gain the "freshman 15" that they all warned us about and weighed 135. Mainly because I had to just sit and read so much. After college I weighed myself a few years later and I was 160. That was after working at Pizza Hut and getting tons of free food lol. Gotta watch out for that fast food junk food for sure. And now after two babies I weigh 185. Not too bad I think but oh how I would love to get back to 122 or 135 lol. Loosing weight is such a slow process though, which I guess is why most don't even try or give up too quickly. But my goal is to get back to 135, eventually lol woot! 😃 may God help me lol. God bless!
Spoiled Grapes
I was thinking how with grapes, one spoiled one can spoil all the grapes around it if it's not taken out. I think that's a good analogy for life and people; don't let yourself get too close to a spoiled grape, or you too will get spoiled, rotten and die too. Oh dear. :( God bless!
On Depression and Forgiveness
I think the main thing that causes depression for people is feelings of guilt and condemnation. I think why I am generally happier than most people I know is because I know that I know I'm forgiven. If I ever feel depressed it's usually over how many people aren't saved yet because wide is the road that leads to destruction and that makes me sad. Or people can stay depressed due to anger over how others have hurt them. Forgiveness is the key to overcoming depression. Forgive... others and move on and forgive yourself and move on. Joyce made a great point that any guilt we feel is us trying to pay for our sins, trying to pay penance. But then we think we can save ourselves by works, the works of beating ourselves up, rather than faith. Catholic monks used to literally beat themselves with boards for their sins, but Jesus was whipped and beat for our sins already right? Yes. So stop or don't beat yourself up, God says. :) Jesus took the punishment for our sins so we don't need at all to punish ourselves for our own sins. "He who the son sets free is free indeed." And "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!" Amen! Believe it, fully. You are free, dear reader. God bless!
On Feeling Like Santa
I think the story of Santa is so popular because everyone likes the idea that there is someone somewhere working really hard to try to make them and their family happy. I actually feel a bit like my Jesus packets are a Santa type thing. (I make something that I call "Jesus Packets." I started making them last Christmas with a necklace that I made, a Bible tract and candy. This year I am putting baked goods in them instead of a necklace.) I am hoping the packets will make people happy. I am baking a bunch and working somewhat hard to try to cheer people up.
On another note, Jesus ministered to physical needs before spiritual needs. So now my packets have cookies or brownies, which meet a physical need of hunger, and the Bible tracts which reach spiritual needs.
More about Santa; I deliver the packets at night like Santa, because it's much easier and kinder I think to try to witness in discreet ways. I don't invade people's fireplaces but I do invade their mail boxes lol. And my tummy is starting to look like Santa haha not really but kinda. Thanks to having two children. They are worth it though. And hey that's partly why I like doing my Jesus packets cause it gets me outside walking around more so I can loose some more weight yay! lol God bless ya'll! :)
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Addictive Behavior Solution
Here is a common catch 22. Addictions begin because someone feels really badly, about themselves or a situation in life. Then they do a certain behavior to make themselves feel better, but because whatever the behavior was is bad generally, it makes them only feel worse about themselves, instead of good. Then because they feel bad again and worse then they did to start with, they do the behavior again.
What a huge lie from Satan that so many believe so easily. He tells us that a bad thing is good and convinces us that something that will make us feel bad, will make us feel good. And we get caught hook, line and sinker again and again.
The solution for this crazy cycle we get on with sin and regret and sinning again is to forgive ourselves, ask for God's forgiveness, and move on with a clean slate.
The Bible says that God will not forgive us if we don't forgive others. I think this can somewhat include ourselves as well. God loves us and doesn't want us to hold un-forgiveness against ourselves either. We need to confess our sins and move on. That is the solution to not getting caught up in addictive behaviors.
Let the cleansing and healing of God's forgiveness lead you to feel better, not committing the sinful act, that you know deep down will end up making you feel worse and not better. Don't believe the lie that Satan tells you that it, whatever it is, will make you feel better; it won't. Maybe for a moment it will, but regret soon follows.
This is true for believers and unbelievers, because the Bible says that God's law is written on our hearts, from birth really. Every person alive has an idea of what is right and wrong. Therefore, we are all capable of regret when we do wrong and sin.
Choose life, not death. Chose to do the right thing, and even if you do the wrong thing, forgive yourself and move on. Amen. Don't get stuck in un-forgiveness toward yourself. Let it go. Move on. And be free. God bless!
What a huge lie from Satan that so many believe so easily. He tells us that a bad thing is good and convinces us that something that will make us feel bad, will make us feel good. And we get caught hook, line and sinker again and again.
The solution for this crazy cycle we get on with sin and regret and sinning again is to forgive ourselves, ask for God's forgiveness, and move on with a clean slate.
The Bible says that God will not forgive us if we don't forgive others. I think this can somewhat include ourselves as well. God loves us and doesn't want us to hold un-forgiveness against ourselves either. We need to confess our sins and move on. That is the solution to not getting caught up in addictive behaviors.
Let the cleansing and healing of God's forgiveness lead you to feel better, not committing the sinful act, that you know deep down will end up making you feel worse and not better. Don't believe the lie that Satan tells you that it, whatever it is, will make you feel better; it won't. Maybe for a moment it will, but regret soon follows.
This is true for believers and unbelievers, because the Bible says that God's law is written on our hearts, from birth really. Every person alive has an idea of what is right and wrong. Therefore, we are all capable of regret when we do wrong and sin.
Choose life, not death. Chose to do the right thing, and even if you do the wrong thing, forgive yourself and move on. Amen. Don't get stuck in un-forgiveness toward yourself. Let it go. Move on. And be free. God bless!
Money Personalities
Here is something interesting that I read about in a book once that might help some people to understand others that they know. I read it in a marriage book I think. It's about the four different ways that people can view money.
One person might view money as security. They look at a dollar bill and see security. They are very motivated to save for the future. I think this might be the phlegmatic or golden retriever personality. They have fears about the future, and more fears in general then other personalities, and so saving is very, very important to them. They look to money to feel security. The more money they have saved, the less fearful they are about the future.
Another personality, and this is mine, views money as a way to communicate love. The more they love others, the more money they give them or the more things they buy them. They also feel that the more others love them the more money they will give them etc. To them money equals love. Love is a way of expressing love. This would be the sanguine or otter personality type.
Another personality type might view money as a means to feel more significant than others. This would be the choleric or lion personality. They use money to buy things that will give them a higher societal status such as gold jewelry, nicer cars, bigger houses etc. How others view them and how much they are respected is very important to them. To them money means power. They use money in a way to get power or to seem more powerful.
Then lastly there is the person that uses money almost in the same way that an alcoholic uses alcohol. It is a way to self medicate. If they are feeling stressed or depressed, they spend money to make themselves feel better. This would be the melancholic or beaver personality type.
Hopefully that helped you understand others you know more in how they view and use money. God bless! :)
One person might view money as security. They look at a dollar bill and see security. They are very motivated to save for the future. I think this might be the phlegmatic or golden retriever personality. They have fears about the future, and more fears in general then other personalities, and so saving is very, very important to them. They look to money to feel security. The more money they have saved, the less fearful they are about the future.
Another personality, and this is mine, views money as a way to communicate love. The more they love others, the more money they give them or the more things they buy them. They also feel that the more others love them the more money they will give them etc. To them money equals love. Love is a way of expressing love. This would be the sanguine or otter personality type.
Another personality type might view money as a means to feel more significant than others. This would be the choleric or lion personality. They use money to buy things that will give them a higher societal status such as gold jewelry, nicer cars, bigger houses etc. How others view them and how much they are respected is very important to them. To them money means power. They use money in a way to get power or to seem more powerful.
Then lastly there is the person that uses money almost in the same way that an alcoholic uses alcohol. It is a way to self medicate. If they are feeling stressed or depressed, they spend money to make themselves feel better. This would be the melancholic or beaver personality type.
Hopefully that helped you understand others you know more in how they view and use money. God bless! :)
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Overly Needy and Controlling Parents
Here's a common dysfunction in families today, parents needing their children too much. Children can need their parents, but parents should never need their children. Not in a clingy sort of way.
When parents need their children too much it can even turn into slavery. When a parent cannot handle it if you don't answer the phone when they call, that is slavery. When a parent tries to control what you eat, where you live, and who you talk to, that is slavery.
Don't let your parents overly control you. When anyone lets their parents overly control them, then their parents are God to them and not God. Only God should dictate a person's every action, not other people, never other people.
Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And where the spirit of control is, there is Satan.
Satan loves to control people, and Satan inspires others to try to control you. Why? Because if other people are controlling you, then God's Holy Spirit cannot control you. Then you have idolatry rather than a worship of God. Then you worship people and their thoughts and opinions rather than God.
If Satan can get you to worship people rather than God, he will, any time.
If you ever feel that someone is trying to control what you do, unless it is something that is actually healthy and good for you, that is inspired by Satan. Resist any person's attempts to overly control you.
Don't be completely un-submissive to good people, but don't be a slave to bad people either. Don't let yourself submit to the wrong people; people who don't love you and who only want to control you. If someone clearly just wants what they want, no matter what's best for you, then they are not a good person. Distance yourself from such people.
If someone, anyone, demands that you answer the phone every single time they call, don't. That is then you saying that you don't have to come to their every beck and call. You are not their slave. You are your own person.
If someone tries to tell you what to do, don't do it. Then they get the message that they can't control you. You can make your own decisions. Don't let other people make your decisions for you.
The more we cater to people that are trying to control us and the more we let them control us, the more controlling they will BECOME.
We create our own monsters. We treat people how to treat us. If you let yourself be someone else's puppet, then they will expect you to remain that lifeless and easily controllable puppet forever.
Don't be a puppet; be a person. Stand up for yourself!
Don't let other people try to tell you how to live your life, how to raise your kids, what food to eat etc. Make your own decisions!
Let God make your decisions and not other people. Don't let people be your God. Make sure God is your God. Amen.
May God bless you!
When parents need their children too much it can even turn into slavery. When a parent cannot handle it if you don't answer the phone when they call, that is slavery. When a parent tries to control what you eat, where you live, and who you talk to, that is slavery.
Don't let your parents overly control you. When anyone lets their parents overly control them, then their parents are God to them and not God. Only God should dictate a person's every action, not other people, never other people.
Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And where the spirit of control is, there is Satan.
Satan loves to control people, and Satan inspires others to try to control you. Why? Because if other people are controlling you, then God's Holy Spirit cannot control you. Then you have idolatry rather than a worship of God. Then you worship people and their thoughts and opinions rather than God.
If Satan can get you to worship people rather than God, he will, any time.
If you ever feel that someone is trying to control what you do, unless it is something that is actually healthy and good for you, that is inspired by Satan. Resist any person's attempts to overly control you.
Don't be completely un-submissive to good people, but don't be a slave to bad people either. Don't let yourself submit to the wrong people; people who don't love you and who only want to control you. If someone clearly just wants what they want, no matter what's best for you, then they are not a good person. Distance yourself from such people.
If someone, anyone, demands that you answer the phone every single time they call, don't. That is then you saying that you don't have to come to their every beck and call. You are not their slave. You are your own person.
If someone tries to tell you what to do, don't do it. Then they get the message that they can't control you. You can make your own decisions. Don't let other people make your decisions for you.
The more we cater to people that are trying to control us and the more we let them control us, the more controlling they will BECOME.
We create our own monsters. We treat people how to treat us. If you let yourself be someone else's puppet, then they will expect you to remain that lifeless and easily controllable puppet forever.
Don't be a puppet; be a person. Stand up for yourself!
Don't let other people try to tell you how to live your life, how to raise your kids, what food to eat etc. Make your own decisions!
Let God make your decisions and not other people. Don't let people be your God. Make sure God is your God. Amen.
May God bless you!
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Eyes to See
One thing I used to always pray in high school for people that I thought might not be saved was that God would "soften their hearts" and "give them eyes to see and ears to hear." Regarding a soft heart, in the Old Testament God says that when someone gets saved He will take out a person's heart of stone and give them a new heart, one that is soft. This makes sense too in relation to the parable of the seeds. The hard ground did not receive the gospel. But the soft soil did and it bore much fruit. :)
So it seems to be a combination of us softening our own hearts in order to really receive the gospel and God softening our hearts. All things in the Christian walk, from initiation to the end, are this partnership of us doing part of it and God doing part of it, the work of saving and sanctifying us. It is not all us and it is not all God; it is both of us working together. Amen. We can't get lazy and think that God will do everything, like make us WANT to read our Bibles etc. But we can't get overly stressed and think it's all on us either. It's a partnership. :)
The second phrase is one that Jesus said over and over at the end of his parables. He meant that yes we all have eyes, but many of us don't REALLY see. And we all have ears, but many of us don't REALLY hear. As in we don't see and hear spiritual things; we can't really perceive them, because God has not opened our eyes. The Bible says that Satan blinds the minds of unbelievers.
I personally have never experienced this, because since I was about two it seems I knew and understood the message of the Bible. But there are testimonies of people who could not understand the gospel or the Bible at all, and then God one day opened their eyes to see it all and understand it. Praise God!
May God give us all eyes and ears that can understand spiritual matters fully. Amen! (I was reading the story of how the candy cane was meant to be a witnessing tool about Jesus and thought about all that. : )
God bless!
Sunday, December 6, 2015
We All Struggle with Something
Lots of people like to think that they don't have an addiction. They might like to say, "Those people that struggle with a drug or alcohol addiction" but don't even think to look at their own addictions.
Gluttony is the most overlooked one. People in church have their potlucks and think nothing of indulging in food but then want to point the finger at people that struggle with drugs etc. Over eating is just as much of a struggle and a sin as drugs can be. It's all the same in God's eyes. One is not better or worse than the other. In both cases, idolatry is happening. A person either thinks drugs or the food will make them happy instead of looking to God.
I have always felt everyone struggles with one of the 7 deadly sins. My recurring one is probably pride. It can be just confidence but often times it turns ugly and becomes pride. Because I can do so many things it's easy for things to go to my head. I never struggled academically in school. I was always good in sports. I had lots of friends etc. So it's easy for me to think too highly of myself.
Others struggle with sloth and being lazy. Others with Vanity and focusing on their physical appearance way too much. Others struggle with food, which would be gluttony of course. Others with Envy etc.
Jesus said we need to take the spec out of our own eye before we can even THINK of taking the plank out of other people's eyes. Hopefully we can all get better at that. Before thinking about judging someone else for their sin, take a look in the mirror at your own. Amen.
May God bless you all!
Gluttony is the most overlooked one. People in church have their potlucks and think nothing of indulging in food but then want to point the finger at people that struggle with drugs etc. Over eating is just as much of a struggle and a sin as drugs can be. It's all the same in God's eyes. One is not better or worse than the other. In both cases, idolatry is happening. A person either thinks drugs or the food will make them happy instead of looking to God.
I have always felt everyone struggles with one of the 7 deadly sins. My recurring one is probably pride. It can be just confidence but often times it turns ugly and becomes pride. Because I can do so many things it's easy for things to go to my head. I never struggled academically in school. I was always good in sports. I had lots of friends etc. So it's easy for me to think too highly of myself.
Others struggle with sloth and being lazy. Others with Vanity and focusing on their physical appearance way too much. Others struggle with food, which would be gluttony of course. Others with Envy etc.
Jesus said we need to take the spec out of our own eye before we can even THINK of taking the plank out of other people's eyes. Hopefully we can all get better at that. Before thinking about judging someone else for their sin, take a look in the mirror at your own. Amen.
May God bless you all!
Cards to People in Recovery
My mom was assigned at her church to write two Christmas cards to people in a recovery home like for drug and alcohol rehab. So I wrote them for her lol :) Here's my cards to them...
Card #1
May God bless you this season! I know it's hard doing recovery. I am still recovering from something in my childhood. One things that has helped me a ton is watching Joyce Meyer sermons. She had to overcome a lot in her life and she has come a long way. Maybe you can get a lot out of watching her too on youtube or from her books. God loves you! God bless! -Lisa
Card #2
I pray God will bring a great friend and mentor into your life. I have had tons of wonderful mentors in my life over the years. I had hard events in my childhood but by the grace of God I stayed on a relatively good path. :) And thanks to my grandma! May God bless you with great Christian mentors. Amen! God loves you! God bless. :)
Card #1
May God bless you this season! I know it's hard doing recovery. I am still recovering from something in my childhood. One things that has helped me a ton is watching Joyce Meyer sermons. She had to overcome a lot in her life and she has come a long way. Maybe you can get a lot out of watching her too on youtube or from her books. God loves you! God bless! -Lisa
Card #2
I pray God will bring a great friend and mentor into your life. I have had tons of wonderful mentors in my life over the years. I had hard events in my childhood but by the grace of God I stayed on a relatively good path. :) And thanks to my grandma! May God bless you with great Christian mentors. Amen! God loves you! God bless. :)
Published Books
For those who might be interested I have about 20 self-published books on Amazon. They are all not too long, about 60 to 100 pages each. Check them out if you like. :) God bless!
(And if you have a book that you have written I highly recommend that you self-publish it through Amazon. It's free and pretty easy to do. If you need help or have questions about how to feel free to email me ...angel28oc@gmail.com)
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=lisa+bedrick+books
(And if you have a book that you have written I highly recommend that you self-publish it through Amazon. It's free and pretty easy to do. If you need help or have questions about how to feel free to email me ...angel28oc@gmail.com)
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=lisa+bedrick+books
My Wonderful Family
Feel free to follow me on Facebook, dear reader. Lisa Bedrick and I'm listed in Austin, TX. But here are some pictures of my wonderful family so you can know more about me if you like. :)
Here is me and my two daughters. That's pretty much what I look like every day lol. I used to do my hair but there's no use when just being a stay at home mom. :) Babies tend to pull hair a lot. And Joy and Serenity don't look too happy but they are. lol. :)
Cuteness...
My hubby out on a walk with me and the girls yay! :)
My mom with my little baby girl Joy, only about two months old now....
My mom and step dad with our two girls yay!
Here's the best pic I have of my hubby with our girls...
This is the best picture I have ever taken of my little girl Serenity, who is almost two now. :)
Fishing on a lake by my mom's house with my hubby....
Me and baby Joy....
The cutest pic I have of Joy. I just love her little Mohawk lol
And that's my life right now. Hope you enjoyed seeing more of it. May God bless you all!
Here is me and my two daughters. That's pretty much what I look like every day lol. I used to do my hair but there's no use when just being a stay at home mom. :) Babies tend to pull hair a lot. And Joy and Serenity don't look too happy but they are. lol. :)
Cuteness...
My hubby out on a walk with me and the girls yay! :)
My mom with my little baby girl Joy, only about two months old now....
My mom and step dad with our two girls yay!
Here's the best pic I have of my hubby with our girls...
This is the best picture I have ever taken of my little girl Serenity, who is almost two now. :)
Fishing on a lake by my mom's house with my hubby....
Me and baby Joy....
The cutest pic I have of Joy. I just love her little Mohawk lol
And that's my life right now. Hope you enjoyed seeing more of it. May God bless you all!
Saturday, December 5, 2015
Personal Life Trials
Almost every time I watch a Joyce Meyer sermon I am inspired to write something. She is very good at empowering people I think, and she greatly encourages people to spend time meditating on God's word. She probably talks about that more than anything else, which is great! Praise God for her!
Sometimes I have a hard time knowing what to write about. It helps if I look up what the verse of the day is on my YouVersion Bible app on my phone, and then I get an idea. The verse for today is James 1:2-3, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance."
I will now write not so much my thoughts on this verse, but a story of the trials I have had to go through in my own life, for any interested:
I have much to say about trials. I have written my story several times but I'll write it again for those who haven't read my writing much yet. When I was 6 I was molested by my dad. He was then in jail for a time, which was very hard on me and my brother and my mom I'm sure. Even though he did wrong I still loved him very much. I missed him when he was gone. That was a very hard time in my life and I cried in school a lot. That was 4th grade for me and we were living in Upland, California at the time. Luckily I had a very caring teaching, Mr. Hernandez, that would hold me when I cried. Not in an odd way; he was just a very, very nice person. Perhaps that is one reason why I've always wanted to teach, because he helped me greatly in that seriously painful time in my life.
Then when I was 10 my parents divorced. It was partly because of what happened but also for other reasons. My dad started drinking more etc. But I missed him a lot. He was very sad and depressed about not getting to see us much and that made me sad.
Then my dad married my step mom. She might as well have been an army drill sergeant, with how she was regarding cleanliness. I owe to her my ability now to be a clean person, but it was hard training that's for sure. She was very legalistic about things, like where we put our shoes etc. I never felt like she loved me and she was very hard on me. It was very clear to us that she didn't want kids so we felt quite unwanted by her.
Then when I was 14 my mom moved me back to California. This was kind of hard. We watched the movie recently called "Inside Out." That was kind of how I felt about the move at first. I missed all my old friends. I didn't want to be in California. I was mad that I had to move out there. I didn't seem to fit in with the popular and cool California kids. My clothes were Nebraska clothes etc lol. I just was more of a Nebraska person than I was a California person, even though I had only been in Nebraska for about 5 years and 0 to 9 I was in California.
Also, my dad broke down crying when we pulled away after I told him we were moving to California. That was probably the hardest thing I have ever seen in my life. He was totally heart broken. However, one reason we were moving was because neither my mom nor I really trusted that he would never try something again with me. It's a good thing we did move too because he has since then molested other children. Some people never change. So it's good I got that distance from him for sure.
High school was the happiest time in my life though. I made a lot of friends. I was very successful in my classes and was on the principle's honor roll every year etc. I was in choir, MUN, ASB etc. I absolutely loved high school. I had an amazing youth pastor and youth group. I absolutely loved life in high school.
Then I went to Biola University for college. This was actually the hardest time in my life. I was generally unhappy the whole time I was at Biola. I'm not entirely sure why. It could have been all the pressure I felt to perform well in my classes. I also didn't feel that I fit in with the kids because of my past and my family. They all seemed to have come from perfect families and they all seemed to be very rich. I grew up not rich at all, so it seemed hard for me to fit in. I still regret going there actually, because I think I would have been much happier at a community college. But oh well. Maybe I would be a totally different person if I hadn't gone there. Maybe I wouldn't care about God as much and sharing the gospel and writing this blog etc. Who knows.
Then I dated a bit. That was not fun at all. Dating sucks lol. For any singles out there, I feel your pain. I am SO glad I'm not in that stage in life anymore. Wondering if someone else loves you or not and if you're wasting your time with someone etc. It's quite painful and hard really. I fell in love with about 12 different guys over the course of 14 years before my husband, but most of them didn't love me back, which was sad. Either they weren't able to love or we just weren't a good fit, who knows. All I know is life certainly gets much happier when you finally find "the one" and settle down. Much, much happier. Praise God for my awesome husband! Amen.
Also one guy I dated, I got engaged to but then he died about two years later. He was on about 5 different medications and went out drinking one night and that's all it took. His body just couldn't handle that many meds with the alcohol. That's one reason why I'm very anti medication now, any kind of medications, but that's another subject.
Other than those things though I have been very blessed. I got to work on a cruise ship with kids for awhile on Mexico and Alaska cruises. I have two beautiful and sweet daughters. My mom and step dad are great and my husband is the sweetest guy in the world! :) So praise God for his blessings, but the hard times were definitely hard.
And lastly here is my application of my life to the verse: I suppose all the trials were God testing my faith. Like with Job, God allowed me to be tested and tried by Satan to test my faith. For what purpose? For perseverance. I am a much stronger person today now because of all I have gone through, I know that. And my faith is much stronger. I know that if I could overcome all that, I can overcome ANYTHING! woohoo! lol Also, I can now empathize with a greater number of people and their pain because of what I have gone through. I care more about helping other people because I know what it's like to be in the fires of life. I've been there. I've grieved a very, very hard death. I've had an evil and somewhat crazy parent. I had a hard childhood etc.
I know God will use my pain and my hard times to help me minister to others and to be a blessing and a witness for Him and His kingdom. And there is no greater thing than that. Amen. :) God allows us to go through things so that we can then comfort others. As 2 Cor. 1:4 says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." Amen!
So may God give you this perspective on your own painful times in your past. May you find someone to help, rather than possibly being bitter for why God allowed whatever happened to you to happen. Try to figure out why he let it happen, and go be a blessing to other people today! Don't focus on your own pain; focus on what you can do to help someone else with their pain. And that will then help you to forget your own pain. Amen. May God bless you all! :)
.....And here's a great song for you to listen to, dear reader. :) This guy was actually the worship leader in my amazing high school youth group. Pretty awesome huh. For sure! You're awesome Tim Timmons! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBIZ-hshln8
God bless!
Sometimes I have a hard time knowing what to write about. It helps if I look up what the verse of the day is on my YouVersion Bible app on my phone, and then I get an idea. The verse for today is James 1:2-3, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance."
I will now write not so much my thoughts on this verse, but a story of the trials I have had to go through in my own life, for any interested:
I have much to say about trials. I have written my story several times but I'll write it again for those who haven't read my writing much yet. When I was 6 I was molested by my dad. He was then in jail for a time, which was very hard on me and my brother and my mom I'm sure. Even though he did wrong I still loved him very much. I missed him when he was gone. That was a very hard time in my life and I cried in school a lot. That was 4th grade for me and we were living in Upland, California at the time. Luckily I had a very caring teaching, Mr. Hernandez, that would hold me when I cried. Not in an odd way; he was just a very, very nice person. Perhaps that is one reason why I've always wanted to teach, because he helped me greatly in that seriously painful time in my life.
Then when I was 10 my parents divorced. It was partly because of what happened but also for other reasons. My dad started drinking more etc. But I missed him a lot. He was very sad and depressed about not getting to see us much and that made me sad.
Then my dad married my step mom. She might as well have been an army drill sergeant, with how she was regarding cleanliness. I owe to her my ability now to be a clean person, but it was hard training that's for sure. She was very legalistic about things, like where we put our shoes etc. I never felt like she loved me and she was very hard on me. It was very clear to us that she didn't want kids so we felt quite unwanted by her.
Then when I was 14 my mom moved me back to California. This was kind of hard. We watched the movie recently called "Inside Out." That was kind of how I felt about the move at first. I missed all my old friends. I didn't want to be in California. I was mad that I had to move out there. I didn't seem to fit in with the popular and cool California kids. My clothes were Nebraska clothes etc lol. I just was more of a Nebraska person than I was a California person, even though I had only been in Nebraska for about 5 years and 0 to 9 I was in California.
Also, my dad broke down crying when we pulled away after I told him we were moving to California. That was probably the hardest thing I have ever seen in my life. He was totally heart broken. However, one reason we were moving was because neither my mom nor I really trusted that he would never try something again with me. It's a good thing we did move too because he has since then molested other children. Some people never change. So it's good I got that distance from him for sure.
High school was the happiest time in my life though. I made a lot of friends. I was very successful in my classes and was on the principle's honor roll every year etc. I was in choir, MUN, ASB etc. I absolutely loved high school. I had an amazing youth pastor and youth group. I absolutely loved life in high school.
Then I went to Biola University for college. This was actually the hardest time in my life. I was generally unhappy the whole time I was at Biola. I'm not entirely sure why. It could have been all the pressure I felt to perform well in my classes. I also didn't feel that I fit in with the kids because of my past and my family. They all seemed to have come from perfect families and they all seemed to be very rich. I grew up not rich at all, so it seemed hard for me to fit in. I still regret going there actually, because I think I would have been much happier at a community college. But oh well. Maybe I would be a totally different person if I hadn't gone there. Maybe I wouldn't care about God as much and sharing the gospel and writing this blog etc. Who knows.
Then I dated a bit. That was not fun at all. Dating sucks lol. For any singles out there, I feel your pain. I am SO glad I'm not in that stage in life anymore. Wondering if someone else loves you or not and if you're wasting your time with someone etc. It's quite painful and hard really. I fell in love with about 12 different guys over the course of 14 years before my husband, but most of them didn't love me back, which was sad. Either they weren't able to love or we just weren't a good fit, who knows. All I know is life certainly gets much happier when you finally find "the one" and settle down. Much, much happier. Praise God for my awesome husband! Amen.
Also one guy I dated, I got engaged to but then he died about two years later. He was on about 5 different medications and went out drinking one night and that's all it took. His body just couldn't handle that many meds with the alcohol. That's one reason why I'm very anti medication now, any kind of medications, but that's another subject.
Other than those things though I have been very blessed. I got to work on a cruise ship with kids for awhile on Mexico and Alaska cruises. I have two beautiful and sweet daughters. My mom and step dad are great and my husband is the sweetest guy in the world! :) So praise God for his blessings, but the hard times were definitely hard.
And lastly here is my application of my life to the verse: I suppose all the trials were God testing my faith. Like with Job, God allowed me to be tested and tried by Satan to test my faith. For what purpose? For perseverance. I am a much stronger person today now because of all I have gone through, I know that. And my faith is much stronger. I know that if I could overcome all that, I can overcome ANYTHING! woohoo! lol Also, I can now empathize with a greater number of people and their pain because of what I have gone through. I care more about helping other people because I know what it's like to be in the fires of life. I've been there. I've grieved a very, very hard death. I've had an evil and somewhat crazy parent. I had a hard childhood etc.
I know God will use my pain and my hard times to help me minister to others and to be a blessing and a witness for Him and His kingdom. And there is no greater thing than that. Amen. :) God allows us to go through things so that we can then comfort others. As 2 Cor. 1:4 says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." Amen!
So may God give you this perspective on your own painful times in your past. May you find someone to help, rather than possibly being bitter for why God allowed whatever happened to you to happen. Try to figure out why he let it happen, and go be a blessing to other people today! Don't focus on your own pain; focus on what you can do to help someone else with their pain. And that will then help you to forget your own pain. Amen. May God bless you all! :)
.....And here's a great song for you to listen to, dear reader. :) This guy was actually the worship leader in my amazing high school youth group. Pretty awesome huh. For sure! You're awesome Tim Timmons! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBIZ-hshln8
God bless!
Joyce Meyer
Here is a great sermon by Joyce Meyer! My favorite line from it is when Joyce says, "I didn't know I wasn't supposed to be doing what I'm doing because I'm a woman. I wasn't smart enough to realize women "shouldn't" be doing this. Don't think yourself out of your dreams." Amen Joyce! One of my dreams is to do what she is currently doing, maybe not on such a big scale, but something like what she is doing. Lord willing maybe I will. God bless! Check out this sermon. It's great! :)
What is Your Mental Condition?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3v5rfdWs4o
What is Your Mental Condition?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3v5rfdWs4o
Saturday, November 28, 2015
God Gives Us Freedom
My favorite verse is a tie between "If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation." And "He who the son sets free is free indeed." And another favorite "Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom." Praise God for freedom!
Why are these my favorite?
I love the fact that when someone gets saved God transforms them into a completely different person. God takes away their heart of stone and gives them a heart of flesh.
I love hearing testimonies from people of how there was a very noticeable difference in their life when they got saved. Anyone who needs proof that there is a God, just listen to some amazing testimonies on youtube. There are several. My favorite is of a guy who used to be into Santeria etc.
But we do become a totally new creation once we are in Christ. There is still an element of our flesh there but we are free. We are not bound by sin. And there is God's peace with us that passes understanding.
Also I love the fact that God brings freedom. Praise God! People often think that God's laws are binding of human beings, but they actually set us free. What binds us is sin and deceit from Satan. What sets us free is God's laws and truth. "The Truth shall set you free." Amen!
The more you follow God's ways, the more free you are.
I know it seems counter intuitive. We think the more we follow our own ways, the most free we are. But the opposite is true. We put ourselves in slavery to sin when we follow our own ways. But when we follow God, we are free and we find life and peace. Why? Because our natural bent is toward sin, and sin enslaves us.
For example, our natural bent might be to shop more, which puts us in major bondage to creditors. Or our natural bent might be to drink or to eat too much, which puts us in bondage to doctors eventually.
Or our natural bent might be to work more, which also puts us in bondage to doctors because we can work ourselves to death.
Sin and addictions lead to death, but God's law leads to life and peace. Chose God's law. Chose freedom; not sin. God says "godliness with contentment is great gain." God says, "Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit so honor God with your body." God says, "It is in vain that you stay up late and rise early for God grants his beloved rest." Amen. Follow God's ways, not your own. "There is a way that seems right to a man but in the end it leads to death." Choose life, not death. Submit to God, and you will live and have peace. Amen.
God bless! :)
Why are these my favorite?
I love the fact that when someone gets saved God transforms them into a completely different person. God takes away their heart of stone and gives them a heart of flesh.
I love hearing testimonies from people of how there was a very noticeable difference in their life when they got saved. Anyone who needs proof that there is a God, just listen to some amazing testimonies on youtube. There are several. My favorite is of a guy who used to be into Santeria etc.
But we do become a totally new creation once we are in Christ. There is still an element of our flesh there but we are free. We are not bound by sin. And there is God's peace with us that passes understanding.
Also I love the fact that God brings freedom. Praise God! People often think that God's laws are binding of human beings, but they actually set us free. What binds us is sin and deceit from Satan. What sets us free is God's laws and truth. "The Truth shall set you free." Amen!
The more you follow God's ways, the more free you are.
I know it seems counter intuitive. We think the more we follow our own ways, the most free we are. But the opposite is true. We put ourselves in slavery to sin when we follow our own ways. But when we follow God, we are free and we find life and peace. Why? Because our natural bent is toward sin, and sin enslaves us.
For example, our natural bent might be to shop more, which puts us in major bondage to creditors. Or our natural bent might be to drink or to eat too much, which puts us in bondage to doctors eventually.
Or our natural bent might be to work more, which also puts us in bondage to doctors because we can work ourselves to death.
Sin and addictions lead to death, but God's law leads to life and peace. Chose God's law. Chose freedom; not sin. God says "godliness with contentment is great gain." God says, "Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit so honor God with your body." God says, "It is in vain that you stay up late and rise early for God grants his beloved rest." Amen. Follow God's ways, not your own. "There is a way that seems right to a man but in the end it leads to death." Choose life, not death. Submit to God, and you will live and have peace. Amen.
God bless! :)
How to Avoid Abuse
Forgiveness isn't saying kick me again, it's just not holding a grudge.
In any situation in life, if you don't want to get hurt again, get yourself out of the situation. Don't just stand there and let someone keep kicking you. Walk away. And forgive and forget about it. But as long as the person is still kicking you it's almost impossible to forgive and forget. You have to walk away.
On a Lack of Empathy
Sometimes we as people have a hard sympathizing with the pain of others because we don't allow ourselves to feel our own pain. We might tell ourselves "get over it" and so we send the same message to others to just "get over it."
Repercussions of Parenting
The way parents are now toward their children will inevitably affect their futures and lives forever, because a mom and dad's fingerprints or imprints are all over their children permanently, for good and bad. That's just the affect a father and mother have on their kids. Like it or not, what you choose to do now in regards to your kids will echo into their futures, like ripples when a stone is thrown into a lake. There will be effects.
On American Parents
This seems to be the current condition of America, everyone seems to have rich loving parents who care about them very much but don't do a very good job of showing it. And I mean rich in comparison to the rest of the world. But parents, don't just show your kids you love them with your money, show it with your words. Spend time with your kids, don't avoid them. Tell them they are special etc. encourage them.
God bless!
God bless!
Women and Shopping
Here's how women get a shopping addiction; they buy one thing that makes them happy so then they think "oh since this one thing made me so happy so maybe the next few things I buy will make me happy." And so they go buy more. But then if they buy something they don't like then the thought is "oh well now I have to go buy something else because I don't like this." See? Now do all you men understand women and their shopping issue? Lol 😃 except then the question could be, why did they buy something they don't like? But I suppose the answer is that not all things are as good as they seem or appear at first, which is the cause of buyer's remorse for anyone. 😀
Workaholism and Shopoholism
My husband and I have a catch 22 going on; and I'm sure this represents about 80% of marriages in the U.S. The more he works, the more I spend and the more I spend, the more he works. So his addiction becomes work and my addiction becomes spending and each propels the other. It is of course a very sad cycle to be in, and contentment and love are most likely the solution.
I heard a funny quote once, "Blessed is the man who can make more than his wife can spend." But it actually isn't funny. Spending for women can almost be like an alcoholic going on a binge drinking day. Women spend to make themselves happy; to fill the void inside.
We all have a void, if we are honest enough to admit it. Some fill it with over eating, some with drinking too much, some with shopping, some with work, some with working out etc. We all have some addiction, something we do to compensate for the emptiness we all feel. Some fill it with religious addiction even and attending church every night etc.
Some say religion is a crutch, but we all have our own crutches. Religion and listening to sermons seems to be the healthiest one; because it causes the person to be nicer to others, usually. Or it might turn them into a self-righteous jerk who then points the finger at everyone else. It's hard to say really.
So what is your void filler? And why do you do it? Ever stop to think about why you do what you do? Instead of just doing it?
We all have this inner sadness and discontentment with life I think, which is understandable given the world we live in. The older we get, the more aware we become of it. We come to realize more and more that we are in a fallen world. Nothing is as it was supposed to be. We are not in the garden of Eden that we were created for. And so we try to busy ourselves in order to not think about how much the world sucks. We try to bury our heads in the sand with activity or addictions or "diversions", as someone I read once put it. The search is never ending for what will make us happy, but we never are happy. Why? Because that is just life.
Paul said, "To live is Christ and to die is gain." Why did he say that? Was he suicidal? No, he was just stating the truth. Because being alive is so hard, because our world is fallen, and if we are die, it is gain, because we no longer have to live with this ache. The ache of wondering what is wrong with the world, and what is wrong with ourselves and everyone else. We wonder why do we all seem broken? Why do we let each other down over and over again? To die means to not have to ask these questions anymore. For the Christian, death would be better than life because it means being with our Savior in eternal bliss, and leaving this broken and sad world behind finally.
But God keeps us alive for a reason, to fulfill the Great Commission and to spread the gospel. Nothing else in life matters, and nothing else will satisfy us. So go out and spread the word today! Write a blog, share Christ with a friend etc. Do something that actually means something with your time. Don't just eat another donut or drink another beer or buy another outfit. Do something that actually has eternal significance. Go be a blessing to someone else today and be a witness.
God bless! :)
I heard a funny quote once, "Blessed is the man who can make more than his wife can spend." But it actually isn't funny. Spending for women can almost be like an alcoholic going on a binge drinking day. Women spend to make themselves happy; to fill the void inside.
We all have a void, if we are honest enough to admit it. Some fill it with over eating, some with drinking too much, some with shopping, some with work, some with working out etc. We all have some addiction, something we do to compensate for the emptiness we all feel. Some fill it with religious addiction even and attending church every night etc.
Some say religion is a crutch, but we all have our own crutches. Religion and listening to sermons seems to be the healthiest one; because it causes the person to be nicer to others, usually. Or it might turn them into a self-righteous jerk who then points the finger at everyone else. It's hard to say really.
So what is your void filler? And why do you do it? Ever stop to think about why you do what you do? Instead of just doing it?
We all have this inner sadness and discontentment with life I think, which is understandable given the world we live in. The older we get, the more aware we become of it. We come to realize more and more that we are in a fallen world. Nothing is as it was supposed to be. We are not in the garden of Eden that we were created for. And so we try to busy ourselves in order to not think about how much the world sucks. We try to bury our heads in the sand with activity or addictions or "diversions", as someone I read once put it. The search is never ending for what will make us happy, but we never are happy. Why? Because that is just life.
Paul said, "To live is Christ and to die is gain." Why did he say that? Was he suicidal? No, he was just stating the truth. Because being alive is so hard, because our world is fallen, and if we are die, it is gain, because we no longer have to live with this ache. The ache of wondering what is wrong with the world, and what is wrong with ourselves and everyone else. We wonder why do we all seem broken? Why do we let each other down over and over again? To die means to not have to ask these questions anymore. For the Christian, death would be better than life because it means being with our Savior in eternal bliss, and leaving this broken and sad world behind finally.
But God keeps us alive for a reason, to fulfill the Great Commission and to spread the gospel. Nothing else in life matters, and nothing else will satisfy us. So go out and spread the word today! Write a blog, share Christ with a friend etc. Do something that actually means something with your time. Don't just eat another donut or drink another beer or buy another outfit. Do something that actually has eternal significance. Go be a blessing to someone else today and be a witness.
God bless! :)
Friday, November 20, 2015
The Dentist
I had to get four fillings today. I have now had 14 fillings in my life already. Too much coffee I guess. :( And I'm thinking the sugarless gum I chew a lot might be bad for my teeth too.
I was sitting there while getting my teeth drilled vowing to myself to never eat sugar again. No more soda, candy, ice cream etc.
That would be pretty hard to achieve though. Maybe I'll just floss more lol :)
Here's a really, really funny routine by Bill Cosby about going to the dentist. This makes me laugh super hard every time I see it. He's always so funny! There's a great one on drinking and one on drugs that he does in this same routine that you can search for on youtube too. Cosby is such a comedy genius! Check them out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBqY6cJD3CE
May God bless you all!
I was sitting there while getting my teeth drilled vowing to myself to never eat sugar again. No more soda, candy, ice cream etc.
That would be pretty hard to achieve though. Maybe I'll just floss more lol :)
Here's a really, really funny routine by Bill Cosby about going to the dentist. This makes me laugh super hard every time I see it. He's always so funny! There's a great one on drinking and one on drugs that he does in this same routine that you can search for on youtube too. Cosby is such a comedy genius! Check them out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBqY6cJD3CE
May God bless you all!
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Make Disciples
"Go and make disciples of all nations."
Mt. 28:19
This verse implies a few things. One, that someone can't be racist as a Christian. We never really think much about this verse but think about the fact that Jesus commissioned us as believers to make disciples of ALL nations, as in all people groups. We can't just witness to whoever we want to witness to; we are commanded to witness to anyone and everyone, regardless of race, gender etc.
Another key point on this is simply that we must go. You can't GO if you aren't doing anything. Like Jesus said, there is no point to light a lamp and put it under a bowl. But it can become easy as a stay at home parent to put your light under a bowl. It can become a time of a lot of hiding from the world, but it doesn't have to be. Stay at home moms can write a blog, like I do, or do part time work like waitressing to get out in the real world and still witness for Christ that way.
I recently started waitressing and love it. The pay isn't great but hopefully I am being a good light to my co-workers and the people at the tables that I serve. I got the great idea to buy special pens from Amazon that have the fruit of the Spirit on them. It's subtle but you never know what something like that might do for someone's faith. Of course then I have to be the best worker I can be and serve them well since I am trying to represent Christ.
I also work with a bunch of high school kids. Pretty much everyone I work with is 16 or 17. I feel kind of like a youth pastor in disguise. They don't realize I am like their youth pastor, but in a way I feel like one. So hopefully I can be a good mentor for all of them. :)
Pray for me in my new job please, that I would shine well and brightly for Christ. May my time at work be worth it, even though I'm not making much. I pray I am pointing people to Christ in the small things and hopefully making an impact for Jesus somehow. And I pray you all are at your jobs as well. :) God bless!
Mt. 28:19
This verse implies a few things. One, that someone can't be racist as a Christian. We never really think much about this verse but think about the fact that Jesus commissioned us as believers to make disciples of ALL nations, as in all people groups. We can't just witness to whoever we want to witness to; we are commanded to witness to anyone and everyone, regardless of race, gender etc.
Another key point on this is simply that we must go. You can't GO if you aren't doing anything. Like Jesus said, there is no point to light a lamp and put it under a bowl. But it can become easy as a stay at home parent to put your light under a bowl. It can become a time of a lot of hiding from the world, but it doesn't have to be. Stay at home moms can write a blog, like I do, or do part time work like waitressing to get out in the real world and still witness for Christ that way.
I recently started waitressing and love it. The pay isn't great but hopefully I am being a good light to my co-workers and the people at the tables that I serve. I got the great idea to buy special pens from Amazon that have the fruit of the Spirit on them. It's subtle but you never know what something like that might do for someone's faith. Of course then I have to be the best worker I can be and serve them well since I am trying to represent Christ.
I also work with a bunch of high school kids. Pretty much everyone I work with is 16 or 17. I feel kind of like a youth pastor in disguise. They don't realize I am like their youth pastor, but in a way I feel like one. So hopefully I can be a good mentor for all of them. :)
Pray for me in my new job please, that I would shine well and brightly for Christ. May my time at work be worth it, even though I'm not making much. I pray I am pointing people to Christ in the small things and hopefully making an impact for Jesus somehow. And I pray you all are at your jobs as well. :) God bless!
Sunday, November 15, 2015
How to Be Led by God
This is a great sermon! My favorite line from it...."We think hearing from God has to be some supernatural spooky thing, but it's as simple as the thought 'Maybe I need to go to bed earlier.'" lol yep!
It's always the simple things that we already know we need to do to be a nicer and more loving person but we don't do them. :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=autcAtrKXDY
It's always the simple things that we already know we need to do to be a nicer and more loving person but we don't do them. :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=autcAtrKXDY
So Thankful
Things I'm Thankful for....
In light of it being almost Thanksgiving I thought I would write what I am thankful for. :)
I just had my second daughter almost exactly one month ago, so of course I am super thankful for her! That she was/is healthy and that I am healthy. I am still alive lol praise God. You certainly think you might die when doing natural child birth. This last one was all natural for me so that was intense. I am very thankful that that is over with lol. That's for sure!
I am thankful that my mom is letting us live with her for a month or so until we can get either a house or an apartment here in Austin, TX.
We might wait on buying a house and just get an apartment again. It's much easier and I just found the most amazing apartment complex! Only $1300 for a three bedroom and it has a pool, hot tub, basketball and tennis court and even a bike trail woohoo! That would be like living in paradise lol. Everything anyone could ever want in a complex right there for a decent price. I am so glad I found it! So hopefully we will get to move there soon. :)
I'm thankful that we will be living by my mom and step dad now, yay!
I just got a job at a nice restaurant by my mom's house so I am thankful for that. So far I think I will do well there so that's good, and it's a super fun job. :) And the people there are all very nice. :) It's called Putters in Sun City/Georgetown, TX. Come check it out sometime!
I'm thankful to be in this awesome retirement community in Texas. It's an "active retirement community" so it's set up just like any other housing community which is nice. They have the most amazing indoor pools! I am so grateful that my mom can babysit so I can swim every other day and get back in shape. Praise God!
I am thankful for Serenity. She is my sunshine for sure! Such a little bundle of joy and cuteness. Every day she keeps me laughing all the time over how cute she is. It's so nice having little girls. :)
I got to do a line dancing class today with my mom which was lots of fun! I picked up the steps pretty fast so that was nice. Every dance feels like an IQ test lol. It's of the most challenging things you can do physically and mentally. It is a serious workout for your legs and your brain for sure! Tons of fun. They played some really fun country songs today so that was cool, and one Christian one. yay :)
And I am SO thankful that my hubby most likely just got a high paying job here so he should be able to join us here in Austin soon woohoo! Praise God! Please pray that he gets hired for sure soon. He will be hauling oil and finally using the Hazmat certification that he got. Then I might not need to work at all, but maybe I still will just for the social aspect of it. It's nice to be out in the real world again! :)
So those are all the things I am currently thankful for. God is so good to me! Amen :)
Maybe try writing up your own list. It's always fun to think about all the things that are going well and right in your life. "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things." Phil. 4:8 Amen. God bless!
In light of it being almost Thanksgiving I thought I would write what I am thankful for. :)
I just had my second daughter almost exactly one month ago, so of course I am super thankful for her! That she was/is healthy and that I am healthy. I am still alive lol praise God. You certainly think you might die when doing natural child birth. This last one was all natural for me so that was intense. I am very thankful that that is over with lol. That's for sure!
I am thankful that my mom is letting us live with her for a month or so until we can get either a house or an apartment here in Austin, TX.
We might wait on buying a house and just get an apartment again. It's much easier and I just found the most amazing apartment complex! Only $1300 for a three bedroom and it has a pool, hot tub, basketball and tennis court and even a bike trail woohoo! That would be like living in paradise lol. Everything anyone could ever want in a complex right there for a decent price. I am so glad I found it! So hopefully we will get to move there soon. :)
I'm thankful that we will be living by my mom and step dad now, yay!
I just got a job at a nice restaurant by my mom's house so I am thankful for that. So far I think I will do well there so that's good, and it's a super fun job. :) And the people there are all very nice. :) It's called Putters in Sun City/Georgetown, TX. Come check it out sometime!
I'm thankful to be in this awesome retirement community in Texas. It's an "active retirement community" so it's set up just like any other housing community which is nice. They have the most amazing indoor pools! I am so grateful that my mom can babysit so I can swim every other day and get back in shape. Praise God!
I am thankful for Serenity. She is my sunshine for sure! Such a little bundle of joy and cuteness. Every day she keeps me laughing all the time over how cute she is. It's so nice having little girls. :)
I got to do a line dancing class today with my mom which was lots of fun! I picked up the steps pretty fast so that was nice. Every dance feels like an IQ test lol. It's of the most challenging things you can do physically and mentally. It is a serious workout for your legs and your brain for sure! Tons of fun. They played some really fun country songs today so that was cool, and one Christian one. yay :)
And I am SO thankful that my hubby most likely just got a high paying job here so he should be able to join us here in Austin soon woohoo! Praise God! Please pray that he gets hired for sure soon. He will be hauling oil and finally using the Hazmat certification that he got. Then I might not need to work at all, but maybe I still will just for the social aspect of it. It's nice to be out in the real world again! :)
So those are all the things I am currently thankful for. God is so good to me! Amen :)
Maybe try writing up your own list. It's always fun to think about all the things that are going well and right in your life. "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things." Phil. 4:8 Amen. God bless!
Amazing Christmas songs
Here are some amazing versions of Christmas songs. Very talented group here! This will blow your mind lol :) God bless!
(my all time favorite Christmas song) Oh Holy Night
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MptnOJsIlyE
Mary Did You Know?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifCWN5pJGIE
Little Drummer Boy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJ_MGWio-vc
(my all time favorite Christmas song) Oh Holy Night
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MptnOJsIlyE
Mary Did You Know?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifCWN5pJGIE
Little Drummer Boy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJ_MGWio-vc
Monday, November 9, 2015
Nothing is Impossible
Here is a phrase that can totally change a person's outlook on life in general. I have heard the phrase a lot "With God all things are possible" or the verse "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." But here's a different twist on it: NOTHING is impossible, because God is with me.
I think thinking that every second of every day, as hard as that might be, can have the power to totally change a person's day. Instead of thinking that something is impossible, learn to think instead, NOTHING is impossible....because God is with me. Amen. Try it. :)
God bless!
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Mother Update
Breastfeeding isn't for everyone. Pretty much every mother has the goal to breast feed but it doesn't always work out too well.
Personally I seem to have scoliosis in my neck so any kind of looking down for too long leads to headaches and migraines for me.
Don't feel too bad if you didn't have success breast feeding as a mom. We are lucky to live in our current day where there is formula.
Of course mothers who get frustrated with breast feeding can always pump milk but it can be hard to find time to do that as well.
We all do the best we can as moms, and that is enough.
God bless!
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Super Cool Outgoing Message
Super Cool Outgoing Message
Hey whoever you are reading this, call my phone like you're gonna leave a message! Do it right now! lol I won't pick up cuz I never answer my phone lol but I think the outgoing message will encourage you. :) It's my all time favorite song by Out of Eden, and if I'm ever feeling overwhelmed or depressed, I listen to that song and I'm happy again. lol
(For the record I don't answer my phone cuz I enjoy having the freedom to not answer it. :) I don't like feeling like I'm on call like a doctor lol)
Hey whoever you are reading this, call my phone like you're gonna leave a message! Do it right now! lol I won't pick up cuz I never answer my phone lol but I think the outgoing message will encourage you. :) It's my all time favorite song by Out of Eden, and if I'm ever feeling overwhelmed or depressed, I listen to that song and I'm happy again. lol
(For the record I don't answer my phone cuz I enjoy having the freedom to not answer it. :) I don't like feeling like I'm on call like a doctor lol)
Anyways, I just recorded the coolest out going message and I'm so proud of it! lol yay....My number is 432-250-1390.
And I very much encourage you all to record your favorite Christian song on your outgoing message too! Do it right now! lol
When I worked in student loans at Nelnet about 3 years ago I was in the collections department for awhile. Yes I was one of those annoying collectors calling you lol. And I just LOVED hearing the song "I Smile" by Kirk Franklin on people's cell phone outgoing messages. It seemed literally like every 5th phone number that I called that was the song that was recorded. Pretty ironic. I guess God was really trying to speak to me through that song. lol :)
Here's the song "I Smile" for any interested, which very much relates to debt and the recession we went through, so it makes sense past due people had this as their outgoing message lol. :) So funny....May God bless you all!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8SPwT3nQZ8
And I very much encourage you all to record your favorite Christian song on your outgoing message too! Do it right now! lol
When I worked in student loans at Nelnet about 3 years ago I was in the collections department for awhile. Yes I was one of those annoying collectors calling you lol. And I just LOVED hearing the song "I Smile" by Kirk Franklin on people's cell phone outgoing messages. It seemed literally like every 5th phone number that I called that was the song that was recorded. Pretty ironic. I guess God was really trying to speak to me through that song. lol :)
Here's the song "I Smile" for any interested, which very much relates to debt and the recession we went through, so it makes sense past due people had this as their outgoing message lol. :) So funny....May God bless you all!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8SPwT3nQZ8
Moving to Jarrell
I packed up our WHOLE apartment last night and I woke up so incredibly sore it was insane! lol :) Oh well at least it's done. Now there's just the adventure of getting all our furniture out and loaded in a few days. Fun stuff! Can't wait to move though! yay :) We have our house picked out and settled and everything is pretty much complete. woohoo! Ben and I are planning to live in this house until we die. :) lol Wouldn't that be cool. yay for moving to Jarrell, TX!
Sunday, November 1, 2015
Kari Jobe
Wow! This is seriously the most amazing thing I've ever watched! lol Send this video to anyone you know! Great worship leading by Kari Jobe and a guy shares an amazing poem. God is awesome!
https://www.youtube.com/
That will knock your socks off! lol :)
That will knock your socks off! lol :)
My favorite line from that guy's poem, "Hope has a name! Joy has a name! Peace has a name! His name is Jesus Christ!" Amen! woot! Praise God! :)
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Increased Demonic Activity on Halloween
Eph.6:12, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
Tomorrow is Halloween and I think all Christian should fast and pray all day. I'm half kidding. But seriously, there is definitely an increase in demonic activity on Halloween. It's not just superstition. Ghosts, demons, etc. are not just made up stories; they are real. Ghosts are generally demons that people are seeing; they are not dead people etc.
There really is a danger also in how we choose to decorate our houses for Halloween. Something as simple as owls even can attract evil spirits. Read the book "The Bondage Breaker" for more info on that.
But demons really are more attracted to certain things, like people wearing all black. That is why people who are more mentally disturbed tend to wear all black.
They are also attracted to symbols like upside down crosses etc.
Just be careful what you wear, what your kids wear, and how your house is decorated for Halloween.
Maybe put a cross somewhere outside your house. I think that can kind of be like the Israelites putting blood over their door posts at the Passover in Egypt. Crosses might actually ward off evil spirits.
I like to put a cross and an angel in each room of my apt/house at all times, to symbolically show that each room is protected from evil spirit by the blood of the cross and a guardian angel lol. Seems silly but if it works that's great! :)
Anyways, be careful tomorrow for Halloween. I have never had anything crazy happen to me on Halloween, but my friends have. Feel free to share any stories you have heard or experienced regarding Halloween and demonic activity. I do always feel that there is something different in the air, so to speak. There just seems to be more evil out there, and there probably is. Witches are real and people really do worship Satan. There is more of this going on on Halloween I think.
So be safe and God bless! May God protect you all tomorrow from anything that Satan would try to throw at you. And may you guard against inviting any evil spirit to your home, self, or children. Amen. God bless! :)
On Student Loans
I was just thinking how the main reason I might start working in real estate would be in order to pay off my student loans. Yep, that sucks.
I'm sending my daughters to community college for sure, that's all I know!
Student loans royally suck to have. :( Such a burden on your shoulders.
Go to community college if you are young. Forget about the hype of being in a University. There really isn't much difference between the two, and the people are nicer in community colleges.
Definitely don't rack up tons of debt like I did. You will GREATLY regret it. :(
God bless!
I'm sending my daughters to community college for sure, that's all I know!
Student loans royally suck to have. :( Such a burden on your shoulders.
Go to community college if you are young. Forget about the hype of being in a University. There really isn't much difference between the two, and the people are nicer in community colleges.
Definitely don't rack up tons of debt like I did. You will GREATLY regret it. :(
God bless!
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Dream House Found
I think we have finally found the perfect home set up in Jerrell, TX. This will be our first home buying experience. I'm 30 and have just been renting up to this point. I suppose most people buy a home around 30 years old. That seems to be when adulthood really, actually begins and adolescence and immaturity finally ends. lol :)
It's a house that would only be about 15 minutes from my mom which would be great. She is retired now and can help a lot with my two girls, hopefully. :)
The house is literally only 128k and built in 2007. That is so amazing! I have never heard of such a great deal! Being from California I have definitely never heard of anything that cheap for something so... new. :)
Granted it's only 1100 sq. feet for three bedrooms but oh well. It's a really nice looking house. Can't have it all lol. Great price and a giant house. It's one or the other of course.
It's a house that would only be about 15 minutes from my mom which would be great. She is retired now and can help a lot with my two girls, hopefully. :)
The house is literally only 128k and built in 2007. That is so amazing! I have never heard of such a great deal! Being from California I have definitely never heard of anything that cheap for something so... new. :)
Granted it's only 1100 sq. feet for three bedrooms but oh well. It's a really nice looking house. Can't have it all lol. Great price and a giant house. It's one or the other of course.
But there's even a pool in the community. I'm pretty excited about it! Please pray that we can get it before anyone else does. lol
That's the tricky thing about real estate is that at any hour a house could be gone lol. That's why it's so stressful.
I have 6 other houses that I could go for too, but this one seems like the best deal by far! woot! May God keep opening doors as he already has yay!
God bless!
That's the tricky thing about real estate is that at any hour a house could be gone lol. That's why it's so stressful.
I have 6 other houses that I could go for too, but this one seems like the best deal by far! woot! May God keep opening doors as he already has yay!
God bless!
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Poopy Diapers
Here's a good mother tip for all you other moms out there, :) when you change your baby's diaper, try to scrape off as much of the poop as you can with the actual diaper. Then you won't have to wipe up as much with wet wipes. yay!
I actually have thought of writing about that for literally two years now, but no one likes to think about poop. lol But for every mom, poop is a very big part of our daily lives. lol :)
May God bless all you other moms and give you the endurance and patience you need every day! Amen! :)
On Providing for Children
My ultimate goal is to be a parent like the parents in the movie my Big Fat Greek Wedding, when they gave their daughter a full on house at her wedding! I want to be in such a position that I am able to buy Joy and Serenity both their own house someday. Lord willing that will happen and Ben and I will be able to do that. Amen!
That's why maybe we will buy several mobile homes and rent them out. And if we get a couple acres of land my goal is to plant a small apple orchard on it, which is the most profitable crop you can plant. And I hope to breed dogs, possibly Pomeranians. Awe....cuz they are the cutest dog I think! And since they are small they will be great for any family with kids. Yay.
God Bless!
How Wives Can Help Their Husbands Out
Women are always complaining if their husband's don't help them with their housework, but what do women do to help their husbands with their jobs?
Since I met and married Ben, I've probably applied for around 40 different jobs for him. lol I'm always looking for the BEST job for him. Because he deserves the best!
If your husband is stressed all the time and hates his job, try applying for other jobs for him. Don't expect him to help you around the house if he is overly stressed from work. Fix the problem first. Get him a job that is less stressful, and then you might get the help you are wanting. It's not all about you, the wife, it's about the both of you and what can make you both happy. Figure out what he needs to be happy, rather than just thinking of what would make you more happy. Paul said, "Each of you should look out for the interests of others and not just your own interests."
And the biggest thing that makes husbands happy is....well all wives know. Do what they would like, within reason. :) They provide for you, if they are the bread winner, and they deserve to be rewarded. Stop depriving your husband of sex ladies! Christian women are the worst at this, as if sex is still bad in marriage or something. Women need to talk and converse and cuddle etc. and men just need sex. That's just the basic truth. Watch the movie "The Ugly Truth" if you haven't already. It's hilarious! So give your husband sex ladies. Once or twice a week should be good enough but every guy is different.
And the biggest thing that makes husbands happy is....well all wives know. Do what they would like, within reason. :) They provide for you, if they are the bread winner, and they deserve to be rewarded. Stop depriving your husband of sex ladies! Christian women are the worst at this, as if sex is still bad in marriage or something. Women need to talk and converse and cuddle etc. and men just need sex. That's just the basic truth. Watch the movie "The Ugly Truth" if you haven't already. It's hilarious! So give your husband sex ladies. Once or twice a week should be good enough but every guy is different.
God bless!
On Spouses Sleeping Separately
So my hubby Ben and I sleep separately in separate rooms. We have pretty much all along after the first 6 months of marriage. After the honeymoon phase and glow wore off, and it does for everyone, I was like "Ah I need to sleep alone like I did when I was single!" It's very freeing actually. He snores, I snore. Who says married couples have to sleep in the same bed? You don't, and if you are married and can't sleep cuz your spouse snores, just sleep in separate rooms and separate beds. God will not be mad at you lol and hopefully your spouse won't either. You gotta get good sleep for sure! Or else you are MIA for everything else in life, work or kids. You can find other time and other ways to do "the marital thing." Don't have to sleep in the same bed to do that. lol
God bless!
Bugs and Bleach
So we had some crazy bug issue for a VERY long 4 months or so awhile back. They seemed to come in from outside, like whenever I had any windows open they would flood in through the screens I was guessing.
I had and still have no idea what the bug was cuz I couldn't see it. I could feel them big time though! Mainly just when I laid down to go to sleep. So whatever it was, they loved blankets and sheets. I would wash the sheets and they seemed to get on t...hem just hours later from the air or who knows where they were hiding. They were NOT bed bugs. Bed bugs you can see. These little demon bugs were invisible or too small to see. lol And demons they certainly seemed to be because they poked and tormented me for a very long time.
Anyways, I think what fixed it finally was one, the weather getting colder, praise God! And me spraying bleach water allllll over all the time; on any carpet or rugs, the mattresses etc. Bleach really does kill every evil thing yay! Of course it's best to spray a room down, turn a fan on and shut the door. Try to not get yourself high on bleach lol cuz you can.
So if you have any kind of bug issue, seriously FORGET all the retarded bug sprays that really don't work anyways. Just spray bleach water all over. woot! yay for bleach!
On a spiritual note: I asked God why he was letting us be tortured by the tiny bugs the way he was. Even my daughter Serenity got bug bites sometimes; little red bumps all over her body that drove me nuts! I told God if I was suicidal that would make me want to kill myself. Good thing I'm not and I love being alive. But the answer I felt that I heard back from God was, "So that you will grow in wisdom." So now I have more wisdom on bug killing! That's good I guess. lol Hope this can help a lot of you out there if you have bug issues. This too shall pass. Just hang in there. And KEEP CLEANING! lol :)
God bless!
So if you have any kind of bug issue, seriously FORGET all the retarded bug sprays that really don't work anyways. Just spray bleach water all over. woot! yay for bleach!
On a spiritual note: I asked God why he was letting us be tortured by the tiny bugs the way he was. Even my daughter Serenity got bug bites sometimes; little red bumps all over her body that drove me nuts! I told God if I was suicidal that would make me want to kill myself. Good thing I'm not and I love being alive. But the answer I felt that I heard back from God was, "So that you will grow in wisdom." So now I have more wisdom on bug killing! That's good I guess. lol Hope this can help a lot of you out there if you have bug issues. This too shall pass. Just hang in there. And KEEP CLEANING! lol :)
God bless!
On Bottle Propping
I know lots of moms don't approve of this, but it really takes a load off if you prop a baby's bottle up on a blanket sometimes. If you have tons of chores to do it can save you some time. And if you have a crazy pinched nerve in your neck like I do from holding your baby so much, try laying her down, but make sure at a raised incline, and prop a bottle on a blanket for her to drink, formula or pumped breast milk. The baby will turn away from the bottle naturally when he/she is done and full. Make sure you keep the baby where you can always see him or her when doing this though. And then pick the baby up to burp him or her or he/she will get hiccups for awhile. Just a tip to help other moms out there not be so stressed and take a load off. God bless!
Monday, October 26, 2015
Housing Update
Well we just might end up changing our mind ten times before we settle on something lol. Our current thoughts is that we should still rent an apartment but out by my mom in Georgetown. It doesn't make any logical sense for us to buy anything anywhere until we get our tax return, because then we will be getting another 8k or so that we can use for a down pmt. Every parent gets about 4k back per child that they report for their taxes. Praise God for our government actually caring about the cost of raising children, like diapers and formula! lol We easily blew over $2,000 just on formula for Serenity this past year. Kids really are expensive my goodness!
Anyways, so an apartment again it is. And then hopefully with the money from selling our two cars and our tax return in about 6 months we can buy a super cool house that has a pool in the community in Austin TX. And maybe some tennis courts and basketball courts too.
I used to live in Woodbridge in Irvine, CA and we had everything and anything there. Man I loved living there! The community had about 6 different pools, hot tubs, 15 tennis courts, a couple of basketball courts, and a lake even! See that's how California people always stay in such great shape! lol
The lake had paddle boats and kayaks AND canoes. I was certainly spoiled getting to live there! It was like heaven on earth! I lived with my parents there in that house from age 22 to 25. Best three years of my life I would say! Hands down! Very little bills, very little stress. I only dated about 3 guys in that whole time period cause I had almost no desire to move out on my own lol.
I was so happy living there in Irvine. I would ride my bike around once a week and see beautiful scenery, lakes, ducks, turtles etc. It was awesome! :) Thanks David, my step dad, for buying that house in Irvine! Those were the happiest years of my life!
So a set up like that is what would be ideal to me. Ben wants a mobile home on land in the country. But I, being a city girl always, want a nice house in the middle of the city. lol That's California vs. Texas for you I guess. I like new things, Ben likes old things. Ben likes brown and wood, I like metal things and black and white. haha Fun stuff. :)
Anyways, may God open doors at the best and safest and coolest apartment complex for us by my mom! May we be patient in regards to buying a house and just wait. And may we get the best house possible when the timing is right. Amen!
Hope you get to buy an awesome house too someday, whoever you are reading this. :)
May God bless you!
Sunday, October 25, 2015
I love 90's Music!
I think the 90's was the most intelligent era for music. It just seems that the lyrics are more deep than any other era of music. Like the songs by Alanis Morsette for example, Matchbox 20, Third Eye Blind. :) Great music!
It's almost therapeutic for me to listen to the 90's station on our cable, because it takes me back to my junior high years. I was greatly influence by music then and I think hearing the music again makes me realize why I did some of the things I did or thought the things I thought, about the world, life, love etc. That was a very powerful time in my life. Well in most people's lives, the junior high years are the formative years, the coming of age years.
Anyways, I love 90's music. It's so fun to hear songs that you haven't heard for like 20 years. Ah, I'm so old lol :)
God bless!
Vicks Vapo Rub
Vicks Vapo Rub is a Miracle Cure!
Vicks Vapo Rub is by far your one stop shop for any cure on the face of the planet! lol It kills athletes foot and any other kind of fungus or bacteria you might have on your skin.
I actually used it to heal my labor stitches and they are healed almost 100% already thanks to Vicks Vapo Rub.
It works great on sore muscles! Just as good as icy hot but it doesn't burn like icy hot can. It literally instantly stops any pain that you might have. Well, depending on the severity of the pain. :)
It smells great! I love the smell anyways.
It clears up any sinus headaches you might have and decreases your mucus, especially if you rub it directly on your forehead and nose.
It helps you cough less.
It cools you off.
It helps any rashes you might have on your skin.
And I'm sure there are many other benefits that someone could find for it.
God bless!
Vicks Vapo Rub is by far your one stop shop for any cure on the face of the planet! lol It kills athletes foot and any other kind of fungus or bacteria you might have on your skin.
I actually used it to heal my labor stitches and they are healed almost 100% already thanks to Vicks Vapo Rub.
It works great on sore muscles! Just as good as icy hot but it doesn't burn like icy hot can. It literally instantly stops any pain that you might have. Well, depending on the severity of the pain. :)
It smells great! I love the smell anyways.
It clears up any sinus headaches you might have and decreases your mucus, especially if you rub it directly on your forehead and nose.
It helps you cough less.
It cools you off.
It helps any rashes you might have on your skin.
And I'm sure there are many other benefits that someone could find for it.
God bless!
Saturday, October 24, 2015
The Season of Fall
I love October and November!
I love the new smells of fireplaces burning all over and the crisp coolness of the air!
I love that I feel like I can breath pure, fresh air again outside.
I love the cooler nights and the sunny cool days.
Fall is wonderful! :)
Fall is my favorite season!
(and that is my poem tribute to fall lol)
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