Word Filled Wednesday...love

03.03.12 is the day these two will become man and wife! I am pretty excited for this upcoming wedding of my oldest daughter! Thank you Lord of bringing these two together.

That Thankful Time of the Year...

When the kids were little they would pray and thank Jesus for so many things, not just big things, but little things. It could Jesus, thank you for my doll, thank you for juice, thank you for my owie (and the cool bandaid). They had this way of praying from the heart and at that age they didn't take things for granted. Their prayers contained no flowery words, just the facts. One of the kids would pray for Brian like this; Jesus, Daddy, Amen! Maybe we need to be more direct in our praying as well.

Each year before we eat our Thanksgiving dinner we do the ABCs of gratitude. Let me tell you some of the letters its a stretch to find things, we are often thankful for zippers or zebras, xrays and xylophones.  The key is being thankful for all things, the big and the little. God provides it all and therefore he should be thanked for it all. So what little things are you thankful for?

Thanksgiving in the Psalms


Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. Psalm 95:2


Enter His courts with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. Psalm 100:2


Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; his love endures forever. Psalm 106:1


Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; his love endures forever. Psalm 118:1



hmmm...those last two seem pretty similar! God trying to tell us something?


Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
            His love endures forever. 
Give thanks to the God of gods.
            His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
            His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of heaven.
            His love endures forever.
Psalm 136:1-3, 26



As you prepare for this Thanksgiving, don't get so wrapped up in the details that you forget to be thankful!

5 Minute Friday...Grow

Today I once again join Gypsy Mama in 5 minute Friday. Five minutes to write about whatever comes to mind...no editing...just writing.



Today's word is: Grow

Begin:

I can't say he was ever really little.

He started life at 10 and 1/2 pounds!

And he did nothing but grow from there.

His first major goal was to get taller than his oldest sister...he did.

Then he has me in sights...no problem, he passed me up without even batting an eye.

Next was his other sister...and finally with excitement he passed up his dad!!

My son has been busy for 17 years growing. 

Now that he is close to 6' 4".

I believe he is done...growing physically that is.

Lately, the growth I see in him is even more exciting.

He is growing in wisdom, in his faith and in his relationship with Jesus!

My quiet, intellectual boy is making his faith his own and that is so exciting to see.

He gets into debates where he defends his faith. 

He is a thinker and makes some excellent points.

I would not want to go up against him!! 

In 6 months he graduates and in 9 months he is off to college.

How exciting it will be to see the growth that will happen to him then!!

Stop

My girls literally look up to their "big" little brother!

 

My prayer has been for Caleb to be like Christ:

And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, 

and in favor with God and men. Luke 2:52

Have you ever been hurt by people...CHURCH people???

I was trying to decide what to share today and then  I read what Beth over at My Destiny wrote. It is really good and pretty powerful. I think we have all hurt or been hurt by someone in the church. Please hope over to her blog and check it out....you will find out why its not good to walk around with bird poop on your sweater!

IDOP...

Sunday, November 13th is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church.

In March my daughter Abby and I were blessed to get to attend a regional conference for the Voice of the Martyrs. Walking into the building we were met with a wall of martyrs. What  a sobering way to begin our journey, with a solemn reminder of why we were there.

The verse engraved along the bottom says:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Hebrews 12:1

Every 5 Minutes a Christian is killed for his faith!
There is not enough room on the VOM wall of martyrs for every name.  Daily the list grows longer. 


What can you do?
PRAY
Not just on November 13th, but daily. 


This video contains several ways to be praying for the Persecuted Church, it also contains statistics that literally made me cry as I watched this video. I am thankful that I am not in a country where my faith puts my life in danger everyday. I wonder if I would be strong enough to withstand all that the persecuted church does. These Christians are true examples of living out faith. May we not only pray for them, but be inspired by them as well!

Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. Hebrews 13:3

Here are some websites that give even more information on the Persecuted Church.

Voice of the Martyrs

One with Them

INcontext Ministries

5 Minute Friday...Remember

Today I am once again linking up with Gypsy Mama for 5 Minute Friday. Five minutes, one word, and no editing. Today's word is Remember. When you are done reading mine be sure to "remember" to head over to Gypsy Mama for more posts on the word remember.

When life seems crazy...Remember.

When you feel down....Remember.

When you feel overwhelmed...Remember.

When things don't go your way...Remember.

When sickness plagues you too often...Remember.

Remember that the LORD your God is with you.

Remember that He has plans for you.

Remember that He has always been there for you. 

Remember that you can do all things through Him who strengthens you.

Remember you plus God equals a majority.

Remember that God is always the same, He has never changed, He is faithful!

Remember what life was like before you knew Him.

Remember all the that He has save you from.

Remember to thank Him today!!!

So no matter what this day has in store for you....REMEMBER!