Quote - Foundation

"Hem your blessings with thankfulness so they don't unravel."

~ Unknown

This is a good picture of why it's good to have a strong foundation.  A hem keeps each thread in place otherwise a shirt would start to fall apart and be a useless pile of fabric.  Having a solid foundation is key to living a life as a Christian.  Matthew 7:24-25 Jesus speaks about having a foundation based on solid rock instead of one built on sand.  If you have a weak foundation then everything else you put on top or find value in will not hold up when the storms of life come.  There will not be strength to stand and the result will always be dismal.

If you have your foundation set on The Rock then everything you build above it will be solid.  We worry, stress and cope in harmful ways = foundation built on sand.  When something bad happens and we focus on Jesus and set our life up in a way that will glorify Him no matter what = foundation built on rock.  This foundation will be tested in times of sorrow, trouble, anger, jealously, etc.  Only then will we see what we put our faith in.  

Nahum 3:1-6

v. 1-6 "Woe to the city of blood,
full of lies,
full of plunder,
never without victims!
The crack of whips,
the clatter of wheels,
galloping horses
and jolting chariots!
Charging cavalry,
flashing swords
and glittering spears!
Many casualties,
piles of dead,
bodies without number,
people stumbling over the corpses-
all because of the wanton lust of a harlot,
alluring, the mistress of sorceries,
who enslaved nations by her prostitution
and peoples by her witchcraft.

'I am against you,' declares the Lord Almighty.
'I will lift your skirts over your face.
I will show the nations your nakedness
and the kingdoms your shame.
I will pelt you with filth,
I will treat you with contempt
and make you a spectacle.'"

OK, I have been away from this for awhile.  I guess doing Jonah and Nahum back to back made me burned out on the evil of it all.  

The city of blood seems to be a fitting name.  This is a war bulletin from the Assyrians which was during this time frame.

"I destroyed, I demolished, I burned.  I took their warriors prisoner and impaled them on stakes before their cities. ...flayed the nobles, as many as had rebelled, and spread their skins out on the piles [of dead corpses] ... many of the captives I burned in a fire.  Many I took alive; from some I cut off their hands to the write, from other I cut off their noses, ears and fingers; I put out the eyes of many of the soldiers."

"I slew two hundred and sixty fighting men; I cut off their heads and made pyramids thereof.  I slew one of every two.  I built a wall before the great gates of the city; I flayed the chief men of the rebels, and I covered the wall with their skins.  Some of them were enclosed alive in the bricks of the wall, some of them were crucified on stakes along the wall; I caused a great multitude of them to be flayed in my presence, and I covered the wall with their skins.  I gathered together the heads in the form of  crowns, and their pierced bodies in the form of garlands."  (TimeFrame 1500-600 BC by Time Life Books) Assyrian War Bulletin

The "bodies without number" is hard to imagine.  The closest that I can think of would be all the people killed in World War II.  The National WW II Museum in New Orleans, LA estimates that 50 million people died during the war from 40 different countries.  It is extremely difficult to grasp the enormity of what happened.

OK, right now I would like to be working on one of those cute DIY, cooking or crafting blogs.  Although this is what I do, so back to the solemn task at hand.

Several times sin is represented as female in the Bible, this does not mean that God hates women.  Wisdom is represented as a woman (Proverbs 1:20-21).  I can't imagine how many times in history that women have been labeled as wicked sinners and held to a different standard than men and suffered greatly because of it.  I think that the lure of Nineveh was great to other countries, they were very powerful and wealthy.  Seduction is usually referenced as female, this shows that there must have been a strong pull towards Nineveh.  Strong's Concordance says that "your skirts" is a masculine noun.  Remember everyone wore robes back then.  This would have targeted their honor and pride.

"Beautiful and impressive on the outside, Nineveh was vicious and deceitful on the inside.  Beneath attractive facades sometimes lie seduction and death."  NIV notes

Quote - Awareness

"I wonder how many people I've looked at all my life and never seen."

~ John Steinbeck

This is a great example of our hectic busy life and how we miss so many things.  Many of us look at a phone or tablet while the world rushes by.  How many times do we go the same route for years then after awhile we notice someone or something that has been there the entire time.  I think we would be amazed to find out all we have missed during our lifetime.

Quote - Time

"Time is free, but it's priceless.  You can't own it, but you can use it.  You can't keep it, but you can spend it.  Once you've lost it you can never get it back."

~Harvey MacKay

The one thing that keeps ticking away no matter what we do to try to speed it up or slow it down.  It is a priceless commodity that is often overlooked by people too busy to see it's true value.  Like I said before time is different for me after my concussion.  I know that I waste too much time normally, right now with a broken ankle I have all the time to get caught up with TV, emails, books, etc.  Although I will be glad when I can walk again!  Time is a valuable tool that can work for us or against us.  Use it wisely.

Prayer request

I fell down the garage steps this weekend and now have a fractured ankle.  I would love prayer for a speedy recovery.  It is no fun to twist an ankle so bad that I can't walk on it.  I guess now I have a matching set of bad ankles since I did the same thing to my left foot about 12 years ago.  Thank you in advance for prayers.

Quote - Faith

"Faith dares the soul to go farther than it can see."

~ William Clark

Quote - Rosa Parks

"You must never be fearful about what you are doing, when it is right."

~ Rosa Parks

Hope in Easter

I hope you all had a good Easter with loved ones.  My kids asked me why it's called Good Friday when Jesus died and that was sad.  I told them that it was because God made a way for everyone to be in His family.  His sacrifice was for all people.  It didn't seem like it was good until Jesus had risen.  I think we often forget what this all means and the focus gets put on a bunny hiding eggs with chocolate inside, but there is so much more to it.

This afternoon I read that dozens of Christians mostly women and children were killed by terrorist in Pakistan at a park.  They were Christians who gathered for the Easter holiday.  Also with the news of what happened in Belgium.  There is such evil in this world, yet it is not new.  Satan has been at work for centuries trying to separate us from God.  Every generation the faces change, but the goal is the same - permanent separation and eternal condemnation.  This is when we are to have strong faith, these families have going through such loss.  I hope you will join me in praying daily for our brothers and sisters around the world.  We think it's tough to be a Christian in America or some other countries around the world.  Many of us will never know what it's like to live daily with the thought that terrorism is not an idea, it's a reality.  With all the attacks on people lately it is easy to get down and feel hopeless yet what is beyond this world is pure and beautiful.

Heaven will have no tears or pain, how amazing is that!  Have faith my friend because Love wins, God is watching all the wrong done to His people and He has the final say.  We won't understand His timing.  We just need to have faith that His timing is coming just like the Son.  I am thankful that God made the sacrifice of being separated from His son that I can join His family for eternity.  Jesus is sitting next to the Father and when He returns all will see.

There is hope in the Resurrection even in the darkest of days.

Quote - Perseverance

"It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer."

~ Albert Einstein

OK, Einstein was extremely smart and apparently humble too.  This is a great quote for perseverance.  He was thought to be strange because he didn't speak until he was 4 and his teachers didn't think he would amount to much.

Imagine all the things that might have never happened or been delayed for decades except someone tried one more time.

Thomas Edison's teacher said he was too stupid to learn anything, he failed 1,000 times trying to invent the light bulb.

One of my favorite actors, Sidney Poitier was told he was wasting his time at auditions.

Lucille Ball was told that she should choose another profession.

Louis Pasteur's teacher said his theory of germs is ridiculous fiction.

Henry Ford went broke five times before he succeeded.

Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper for lack of imagination.

Robin Williams, another of my favorite actors, was voted "least likely to succeed" in high school.

Decca Records turned down the Beatles because they didn't like their sound.

Elvis Presley was fired after a show and told he should be driving a truck instead.

Beethoven was told he would be hopeless as a composer.

Leo Tolstoy was told that he was unable to learn.

J.K. Rowling was rejected twelve times for the first Harry Potter book.

Dr. Seuss was rejected be twenty seven publishers for his first book.

Each of these people decided to not let the world pen their story, they did not accept defeat.

Even if everything around them pointed otherwise.

If they had we would never know their names.

We may never be on this list, but that does not mean that we should give up when faced with failure.  Who knows what each one of us could do if we did not let our failures define us and instead we let them show us the way to where we were meant to be after all.

Each failure is a stepping stone to our future, it's just that through the fog we can not see the place the stones are leading us to.  The other side of the river is there whether or not we decide to step out in faith.  

To read about these and more amazing people check out this list from the University of Kentucky, click Here.

Quote - Responsibility

"Do not ask God to guide your footsteps if you are not willing to move your feet."

~ Unknown

I saw this quote from an email from Brook Noel, a pro at organizing and motivating people to live their best life.  I am often guilty of praying big, but not actually doing any steps that would get me to my goal.  We are creatures of habit and it is difficult to get out of a rut.  I know better when I'm praying and probably shouldn't even pray certain prayers if I am unwilling to take action.  I know I'm not the only one with this struggle, right?  Hopefully we all can pray then act on what God is leading us to do.  Sure God can do anything, but we also need to take responsibility for our part of the relationship with Him.  To grow in God means we are to have faith in Him, but we also should be using the gifts and abilities He has given us.

He gives us free will and we choose daily what are the most important things in our life.  Let our actions match our best intentions.  

United Together

I trimmed a bouquet of flowers and decided to put them into a smaller vase.  OK, don't bash on my mad flower arrangement skills:)  When I started to put the flowers in the vase they kept falling out.  The vase is short and wide so there was nothing for the flowers to hold on to, but when I put enough flowers and greenery in they started to stay put.  The flowers could not stand on their own, but found support in the other flowers that surrounded them.  I look for lessons in everyday life that I can use so I can understand and learn more about God.  I think we often do not see some of the simple things He is trying to teach us.  God does not intend for us to do life alone.  After the IF:Gathering this past weekend this was a fitting example of community.  Many are often afraid to ask for help or to reach out.  We are called to be a light for those who do not believe, but also for our sisters during the dark times.  To help each other is a blessing because sometimes we are on the needy end and other times we help those in need.  This is a beautiful way to show God's love.

IF:Gathering 2016 Livestream

In case you were not able to watch the IF:Gathering 2016 this weekend there is still time to watch.  Here is the link to watch the four sessions.  http://livestream.com/ifgathering  You will have until this Monday night at midnight to watch for free.  The leaders were some of the best from around the world and it will be just about the best use of your time for the entire year.  So please watch the sessions and if you are feeling God moving you then go to where He is calling you.  The world has not seen yet what women can do if we unite together locally and globally to do God's work without us getting in our own way and being over run by fear.  Ladies we can be one of the most powerful forces on the planet.  I will be watching again this weekend because the amount of information is overwhelming.  Hope you will enjoy, grow, be challenged and take action.

IF:Gathering 2016 Women's Event

I wanted to let you ladies know about an event that will be taking place around the world on Feb. 5th & 6th.  This is the third year for the IF:Gathering event out of Austin, Texas.  I am on the planning team that will be showing this simulcast at one of the local churches in my town.  There are local simulcasts in churches and homes around the world.  Here is the link to try to find a gathering near you IF:Local (if you unclick the private tab then it should show the map).  If you can't find a local event then I believe you have a couple of days to watch online, but grab some friends to watch with you.  After watching this last year I am glad to help put this on for the women in my community.  The speakers are powerful and the worship music is really good.  Last year a very powerful part was a discussion on race and how we should get to know other women from other races, we all should be a support system for each other.  I believe this is vital because the enemy wants to keep us apart and this is a sore issue in America and probably around the world.  This event is a time to gather with other women and grow into who God is calling us to be so we can go out into the world for Him.  I hope you will be able to see this amazing event and be changed for the better.

Quote - Be Yourself

"Be yourself, everyone else is taken."

~ Oscar Wilde

How you see this quote will depend on your outlook.  If you love yourself then you might think that it's not too bad, you are different and special.  If you don't like yourself then you probably won't think this is helpful.  God created each of us to be unique in His eyes, He did not care to get any input from a single person on making you.  God does not let popular consensus dictate how He should make us.  Our beating ourselves up mentally I would think might make God sad.  To create something that you love so dearly only to see it constantly tearing itself apart must be heartbreaking.

YOU are a beautiful creation; no matter what you look like, where you live, your education, your circumstances or even if you don't believe in God (He believes in you).  The creator does not void any of His creation, He brings to life many who may never know Him, but to those who acknowledge it must be sweet to His soul.  He waits and waits for us to really see His love, He never leaves what He created. Never.

Concussion Update

It has been over two years since I got a concussion, it seems like it has only been a couple of months.  The neurologist said that I should have no problem getting back to normal, but I'm not sure that I will ever be exactly the same as before my concussion.  So far it isn't anything big, just small things that are annoying.  I will be writing and I will add another letter or change a letter to a word so I erase a lot or I will ask a question that I asked a little while ago and not remember asking the first time, sorry to my family:)  The biggest thing that I have noticed is that time is different.  I'm not sure if I can explain exactly, but I will try.  Some days time will pass and I believe it has only been a short period of time and it has been hours or vice versa.  Time has become something else ever so slightly different than before, but it is different.  It is almost tangible.  I know that probably sounds weird, but that's all I got.  So nothing major, just annoying things.  I do feel like if I don't do something then it may get worse.  I need to write more often and I should read more than watch TV, paint, use my left hand more than my right.  Those are all good for my brain so I need to make that a priority this coming year.  I know this is nothing compared to what some people I know are going through right now (miscarriage, brain cancer, little child in wheelchair with a ventilator no knowing if she will be her old self again, marriages falling apart).  So forgive me if my spelling is wrong or if my sentences do not make any sense.  Give grace and it will be given to you.

Whatever each one of us has to live with or go through, God is enough, even if we do not understand the reason.

Quote - Faith & Fear

"Let your faith be bigger than your fears."

~ quote from a sign online

Easy to say, hard to apply sometimes.  When we let fear take over we often forget about God, He get pushed to the side so that our fears take center stage.  Fear gets magnified and we will spend too much time with it when we should give it to God.  Fear is not meant to be our friend, it does not comfort or protect us.  We can not have both faith and fear for very long.  One will ultimately grow stronger while the other shrinks away.  They are opposing forces, both demand to have our entire attention.

Fear seems stronger than faith in certain situations, but faith is always there waiting on us to let it work.  Faith can cause waves that crush into fear so that it is something in the distance that we thought we knew, but can't remember anymore.  To live without fear would be wonderful.  Our enemy uses fear to separate us from God, faith is the only thing that dispels fear.  Building faith takes practice over the years, trusting God and reading His word will help us fight.  No matter what the situation, we have a choice to make.  Faith or fear.  It is up to us to choose wisely.

Quote - World Peace

"What can you do to promote world peace?  Go home and love your family."

~ Mother Teresa

Seems so simple doesn't it?

Many are not called to go to the other side of the world.  Sometimes we think that our mission is not big or important enough.  I know many stay at home mom's that think they are not doing anything "important" in God's kingdom.  God has them exactly where He wants them and He has you exactly where He wants you, even if it is the last place you want to be.  You may not think that your mission is valued against others working for God, but if you choose to follow God then you will be right where He can use you the most.  No one else could ever be you doing what God has gifted you with.  So we should start at home, this can be difficult when kids or your spouse pulls your strings and irritates you to no end.  I have trouble with this, it's not a natural instinct for me to be the nurturing mom when I'm getting disrespect from my kids.  I try to do the best I can with what I've got.  If every child felt loved in this world then there probably would be less violence, murders, hatred or even wars.  The children who are abandoned, neglected and abused will be the ones who will be responsible for making and enforcing our laws, teaching children and running our government and businesses.  The impact of our actions may not be known for decades.  Why would we leave it to chance?

God DOES NOT call everyone to be a missionary, open a food bank, travel to war zones, house refugees, adopt a child or give away most of their possessions to help a charity.

God does call EVERY ONE to care for the poor, show love to the unloved, tell people about our amazing Father and be a light on a hill in the darkness so that a weary traveler may find rest in a safe place.

Quote - Live Life

"It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy that makes happiness."

~ Charles Spurgeon

Quote - Intention

"What you do every day matters more than what you do every once in awhile."

~ Charles Duhigg

This quote is simple yet I find it difficult to put into practice what is the most important to me on a daily basis.  Why?  I think we are creatures of habit and often our habits are not the ones we want to be known for.  Saying and doing are two completely different things and it is hard to find the right balance.  I like to write so maybe the key for me and for you is to write down what really matters in our lives, what do we want to pass on to our children, friends, coworkers, etc.  I guess it would be like writing what sums us up.  We have a very brief time on this earth to impact ourselves and those around us.  Many, including myself, tend to squander time on things that don't matter and when the end of the day comes we have wasted another day when we could have done so much more.  I think I will write things down that I think are important and hang it up somewhere so I can see it everyday.  Hope we all can live simply doing the things we love that will create the most good in us and the world.

Quote - Identity

"Your struggle is not your identity."

~ Quote on a sign online

How many of us hold onto our struggles or carry our past with us?  The weight of carrying such burdens is too much for our soul.  If our identity is in anything else besides God then it will be a struggle.  What ever we have been through should not complete our story, there has to be room for healing and what comes next.

Last week I got news that someone I went to high school with had killed his wife then killed himself.  He was a veteran and suicide is prevalent in people that have served in the military in America.  There was a problem, maybe he didn't even realize what it was.  By the comments from his close friends online it sounds like he never mentioned any problems to them.  At any moment he could have turned to a friend to get help.  We are not our sorrow, struggle, pain, anger, etc.  At least we should not choose that path because it will only pull us down so far that it is nearly impossible to see any light what so ever.