Category: Life

Life, Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality

A Very Bumpy Bus Ride – My Lesson in Humility

I take so much for granted. I admit it. Sometimes I forget how far the Lord has brought me. How much He has blesssed me. I had a lesson in humility this past week. The brakes went out on my truck. I made it home, thank you Lord. But the light was on and no matter how much brake fluid I added, it leaked right out by the back tire.

My husband, God bless him, said he wanted to fix it instead of taking it in. He had done the front brakes earlier this year. So the fun begins. He took the tire off and it was drum brakes. Lots of springs and little pieces. Looked liked a nightmare to me, but he was game.

That was last Monday. Let’s say, there were parts to be bought, tools that were needed. And one very stubborn husband who was determined to get the job done. I admit it, I would have not even attempted it – way too many parts!

In order to get to work, my husband took me and dropped me off this past week. I forgot what a blessing having a running vehicle was. I took it for granted that it would always work and I could go where I wanted to go.

There was one night he got stuck at a job over 2 1/2 hours away. I got off at 5 and went outside. Then what? Here I sit. Most of my coworkers had left at 4:30 so I couldn’t ask them for a ride. I thought about flagging a car down, but hey, I never did do the hitchhiking thing.

So I sat for a moment. There was that initial moment of panic when I thought, “Oh no, I am going to be stuck here all night.” No Diana, you are not staying here all night. Then you run through your kids and your friends and wonder who can I call to come get me? I texted a few – all still at work. Ugghhh.

Then Holy Spirit opened up my mind. My work is on a bus route. I hadn’t ridden a bus in years. The last time was when I was living in a violent relationship and my husband at the time wouldn’t let me have my own car. It was a very troubling time in my life. But hey, a bus? Why not? I walked over to the bus stop about a block down. I called the number on the sign and asked when the next bus was coming by. Guess what? There was one in 10 minutes! Yeah!

The bus pulled up and I got out my wallet. I thought hey, I’ll go to the mall until my husband could come get me. I had no idea how much it was. I asked the driver – only $1.50 but I would have to get a transfer to get to the mall. Ok, here I go.

I sit down in the seat and look around. Across from me is a visually impared woman with a service dog.  The dog was laying down quietly at her feet and had a doggie jacket on that said, “Don’t pet me, I’m working.”  I smiled. The driver took off and as we drove through the city I thought, “Hey this isn’t so bad.” I can get accross town and not even have a car! I looked back at the woman. She was sitting quitetly enjoying the ride.

And then it hit me. I can’t imagine the hardship this woman went through to even get on the bus without her sight. Just trying to get to the store, or work, or wherever was so much harder for her than me. My heart dropped. Here I was all upset I didn’t have my truck and yet this same bus is how she got around everyday. Forgive me and my pride Lord. humility 2

The bus hit a bump, I grabbed for the rail. It seemed like we were going so fast.  This bus is so bumpy! We rode to the bus station and she got off. She walked over to the next bus as she was transferring too. Turns out it was the bus to the mall.

I followed her in as she sat down. This time I sat behind her and prayed that God would restore her sight. I thanked God for the lesson in humility and learning to be grateful for what I do have. And I asked God to bless her.

We arrived at the mall together. She got off and the dog tried to go back to the air conditioned bus. It was one of those 90 degree days. She stopped him, and they walked in together to the mall. The same place I went to hang out for an hour until my husband could get me.

Life lesson learned – things are not as bad as they seem. There are always others who have much more to deal with on a daily basis. Life is good, God is good, and I had a very enjoyable bumpy bus ride!

humility

 

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Anxiety, Healing, Hope, Life, Mental Illness, Religion and Spirituality, teens, Uncategorized

Mom-xiety – When You Don’t Know What is Going On and You Panic

It was a normal Saturday. Our teens were out doing their thing as my husband and I focused on house stuff – well and Netflix too. A great relaxing day. Then I texted one of my kids. Just checking in, mom stuff – you know. No answer. I brushed it off, no big deal.

Four hours later, I texted again. Still no answer. Another hour later – still no answer. That’s it – that was all my imagination needed to get off to the races. My anxiety started to rise. My heartbeat increased. My mind was going a thousand miles an hour.

What it they were kidnapped?

What if someone did something to them?

What if they are hurt and can’t call me?

What if they don’t want to talk to me?

What if they got a ticket and are in jail?

What if they are dead somewhere on the side of the road and can’t call?

Yeah, you know.

“Mom-xiety – when you don’t know what is going on and you panic.” – Diana Rasmussen

I busied myself most of the day. Then went to try to go to sleep. Texted again, still no worry and faithanswer. Well that was it – I was off to the races again. I couldn’t fall asleep. The pictures in my mind kept getting worse and worse.

Why do we always think the worst?

I was up every 2 hours last night, checking my phone. Not wanting to make a big deal, I didn’t call them or their friends. I thought about it though.

I could have hunted them down like an animal. I could have gotten in my car and went and made a fool of myself, I didn’t. I stayed home and worried. Yeah I prayed – “God you take care of them, so I don’t kill them for not getting back to me.”

I woke up early Sunday morning, 5:00 am. By 5:30 am I couldn’t take it anymore. I texted their friend. Still no answer. I was pacing the floor by this point. This Mom-xiety is awful!  I hate that feeling of being out of control and not knowing what is going on. That’s the truth.

It was about 7 when I got a text from my child. All was well. They had gone boating and had not brought their phone. I didn’t know wheter to laugh or cry from releif! I didn’t lose it and bite their head off. They were out living life and having fun, and being responsible. I was the nutcase yesterday.

Some days I have it together, and other days I just lose it. I wish I wasn’t so up and down. Anxiety sucks. Yeah, I take meds. Yeah, I pray. But when your heart is pounding out of your chest and your brian is a tornado and you can’t breath – then what?

Do I have faith. Yes I do.  Somedays, I guess I just forget to use it.

bible verses for anxiety

 

 

God, Life, Quotes, Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality

Quotes About New Birth and New Beginnings

Everybody loves a new baby. Just the act of bringing forth a new life into the world is a miracle. New babies are so adorable. Life is so precious. Totally helpless, the new baby  depends on their parernt(s) or adopted parent(s) to feed them, to hold them, to love them. Babies aren’t picky. Anyone will do. All babies need someone to help.

The same is true for the Church. New babies in Christ are born all the time. They need spiritual mommies and daddies to care for them, to feed them, to hold them, and to love them. Let us be the hands and feet of Jesus and not only look forward or to our own needs, but let us  look beside us to feed the new babies Lord.

Babies remind us that we can all begin again. We can always make a new choice and start over. God is patitent with us. He is not willing than anyone should perish. God is FOR us, not against us. Let us start today – with our new life and a new beginning with Jesus. Your story is not over yet – it is just beginning!

born again

Quotes About New Birth and New Beginnings

 

  • “God’s Word is the living seed that brings new birth. It is the milk that nurtures the new life of a young Christian and the meat that builds the muscle of a mature believer.” ― Colin S. Smith
  • “As a newborn baby breathes and cries, so the signs of life in a newborn Christian are faith and repentance, inhaling the love of God and exhaling an initial cry of distress. And at that point what God provides, exactly as for a newborn infant, is the comfort, protection, and nurturing promise of a mother.
    “If God is our father, the church is our mother.” The words are those of the Swiss Reformer John Calvin … it is as impossible, unnecessary, and undesirable to be a Christian all by yourself as it is to be a newborn baby all by yourself.” ― N.T. Wright
  • “A son or daughter in any human family is either born to or adopted by the parents. By definition, a child can’t be both. But with God we’re both born of Him and adopted by Him.” ― Jerry Bridges
  • “Faith is the evidence of new birth, not the cause of it.” – John Piper
  • “The gospel is absurd and the life of Jesus is meaningless unless we believe that He lived, died, and rose again with but one purpose in mind: to make brand-new creation. Not to make people with better morals but to create a community of prophets and professional lovers, men and women who would surrender to the mystery of the fire of the Spirit that burns within, who would live in ever greater fidelity to the omnipresent Word of God, who would enter into the center of it all, the very heart and mystery of Christ, into the center of the flame that consumes, purifies, and sets everything aglow with peace, joy, boldness, and extravagant, furious love. This, my friend, is what it really means to be a Christian.” ― Brennan Manning
  • “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” – 2 Corinthians 5:17
  • “Eternal life is not a peculiar feeling inside! It is not your ultimate destination, to which you will go when you are dead. If you are born again, eternal life is that quality of life that you possess right now.” – Major Ian Thomas
  • “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” 1 Peter 1:3
  • “The gospel declares that no matter how dutiful or prayerful we are, we can’t save ourselves. What Jesus did was sufficient.” ― Brennan Manning, The Ragamuffin Gospel: Good News for the Bedraggled, Beat-Up, and Burnt Out
  • “A transformed life is the greatest of all miracles. Every time a person is “born again” by repentance of sin and faith in Jesus Christ, the miracle of regeneration is performed.” ― Billy Graham

1 Peter 2.jpg

 

 

 

 

faith, God, Life, Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality

The Power of Light and Reflection in our Everyday Lives

I had the window open the other day.  The sun was shining and it hit my funky salt lamp light. All of a sudden the ceiling of my living room was full of reflected light. There were dancing little circles everywhere. All the while the salt lamp just sparkled in the sun. It was beautiful. Such a small thing, but it opened my eyes to the power light and reflection.

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So what does that mean in normal everyday life for us? Is there really power in light and reflection?

First I did my homework and went to the dictionary. After all, there is always more to the story.

LIGHT 

  • the natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible – “the light of the sun”
  • understanding of a problem or mystery; enlightenment – “she saw light dawn on the woman’s face”
  • provide with light or lighting; illuminate – “the room was lighted by a number of small lamps”
  • make (something) start burning; ignite – “Allen gathered sticks and lit a fire”

So, without light – things would not be visible.  Dark is lifeliess, boring, blah. It’s hard to see anything without light.

Darkness used to cover the Earth. Until God spoke:

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was[a] on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.  And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.” – Genesis 1:1-5 NKJV

Now we know there are lights and there are LIGHTS. I’m not talking about a candle light. How about the sunlight that fills the sky and the Earth with brightness. Not everything that gives light is the TRUE LIGHT.  Just because it lights up doesn’t mean it is real.

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Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” – John 8:12 NKJV

light of the world 2

What about reflection? I love how the light shines off all kinds of stuff and then it shows us somewhere else.

REFLECTION

  • an instance of reflecting; especially : the return of light or sound waves from a surface
  • the production of an image by or as if by a mirror

So with a refelction – it comes from the source. It produces an image of what the source is. Have you seen those beautiful mountain and lake pictures where the mountain is reflected in the lake? There really isn’t another mountain in the lake. The light hits the mountain and the water reflects it.

mountain and lake

Thoughts to Ponder:

What would happen if instead of trying to create our own light in the world, we just reflected God’s light?

What if we were just His vessels to carry the His light into the world?

Kind of like a pitcher carries water. We carry light – God’s light!

What if we looked at the SON like we look at the SUN?

Wouldn’t we just REFLECT His light?

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” – 1 Peter 2:9 NKJV

shine

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” – matthew 5:14-16 NKJV

faith, God, Hope, Life, Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality

Stand Strong in the Storms of Life

Life can be a storm sometimes. Sometimes it seems like storms come for no good reason. Life doesn’t always make sense. I have had one of those months. I had the flu and was out of work for 4 days. One of my kids was in an accident due to the winter road conditions and my truck got totaled. They were ok, thank God. God protects His kids, that’s for sure. But not the vehicle. Total loss is what they said. The GAP insurance I thought I had didn’t carry over when we changed insurance companies. Ouch. And hey, I just got a bill for the telephone pole that was broken in half, ugh… it’s been a month.

These are the times I have to stand strong and believe that God is with me during the storm, in the waves of trouble and turbulence. Just stand Diana, God knows, God sees, and He will make a way where there seems to be no way. One of my friends made a generous offer for us to buy her deceased husband’s truck. A man I played music with for over 10 years. She is such a blessing to me. My best friend, I love her.

These are the days I have to trust God and believe what He says, even if I don’t see it yet. Guess it’s time to use this faith muscle I have and trust God. I struggle with trust. I have been betrayed, cheated on, rejected…we all have. Trust is a choice. I have chosen to trust the wrong people in my past. I was so naive. I trusted everyone and got hurt. Time and wisdom teaches you to test the spirits. Not everyone should be trusted. There are a lot of liars out there.

But what about God? Truthfully, I am still learning to trust Him. It’s new. He is faithful, that is new. He is honest, that is new. He is truthful, that is new. Yeah, kinda blows my mind sometimes! I am learning to stand on His Word, just cause He said it.

What about you? How do you learn to trust God and stand strong?

Bible Verses About Standing Strong

“Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.” – Ephesians 6:11

“Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” -1 Peter 5:5-11 NKJV

“Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love.” 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 NJKV

“Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” – Hebrews 4:14-16 NKJV

“Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved.” – Philippians 4:1 NKJV

“Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” – Hebrews 10:19-25 NKJV

“But those who wait on the Lord

Shall renew their strength;

They shall mount up with wings like eagles,

They shall run and not be weary,

They shall walk and not faint.” – Isaiah 40:31 NKJV

God, Healing, Life, Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality, Women

Life is too Short to Sweat the Small Stuff

I have known 5 people who passed from this life and into the next over the past few months. It’s humbling. We always think we have more time here on planet Earth. I am learning how to let go of the negative people in my life and not to sweat the small stuff. It hasn’t been easy. It’s not a natural thing either, that’s for sure.

I had a disagreement with my boss this past week. I feel what she did was wrong. She doesn’t think so. I haven’t pursued it. I bit my tongue and didn’t say anything. But it affected me. I woke up at 4 AM four times is past week after having dreams I was fighting with her. It’s exhausting. At this point, it really doesn’t matter who was right and who wasn’t. It’s not a contest. I guess there will always be times that workers and management do not see eye to eye.

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Then I had to ask myself:

“How important is it Diana?”

“Will it really matter a year from now?” No.

“Does her option of me define me?” No.

“Does she want to help me succeed?” No.

“Do I have to let her opinion affect me?” No.

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I read this great story on a blog that helped me put it in perspective. It was a Buddha story, so don’t get all freaked out ok?

Buddha was well known for his ability to respond to evil with good.  There was a man who knew about his reputation and he traveled miles and miles and miles to test Buddha. When he arrived and stood before Buddha, he verbally abused him constantly; he insulted him; he challenged him; he did everything he could to offend Buddha.

Buddha was unmoved, he simply turned to the man and said, “May I ask you a question?”

The man responded with, “Well, what?”

Buddha said, “If someone offers you a gift and you decline to accept it, to whom then does it belong?”

The man said, “Then it belongs to the person who offered it.”

Buddha smiled, “That is correct.  So if I decline to accept your abuse, does it not then still belong to you?”

The man was speechless and walked away.

Source: https://personalexcellence.co/blog/critical-people/

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How I am Learning to not Sweat the Small Stuff:

  • I don’t have to attend every argument I am invited to.
  • I don’t have to let the negativity of others in.
  • I can agree to disagree.
  • It’s a job, not who I am.
  • I don’t have to prove myself to everyone. I can just be me.
  • I can accept that not everyone will agree with me or even like me, that’s ok. We are each entitled to our own thoughts and opinions. Life would be boring if we were all the same.
  • God knows and God sees. He knows the truth. I can be free from the opinion of others. I can choose to trust Him to deal with the ‘sandpaper people in my life.
  • We all reap what we sow. I’m gonna plant my own seeds and take care of my own garden. I want good fruit, fruit that will last. I’ll plant kindness and peace, and hope.
  • God will repay her for her false accusations. I don’t have to.
  • I’ll pray for her. God says to pray for those who persecute you. Do I want to? No. But I know the only way I will be free of this is if I let go of it and let God take care of it. I trust God. He is faithful. He is true.
  • I’m going to refocus on the things I am grateful for, not the things I am not. If you have ever used a magnifying glass you know it magnifies what you look at. I am going to magnify the good things, not the bad.

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(all images from Pinterest)

Life, Quotes, Soldiers, Spirituality

5 Quotes to Honor our Fallen Soldiers – Remembering Ethan Barclay-Weberpal

Sometimes there are no words to express how we feel when one of our own dies. It’s hard. We recently lost one of our hometown Soldiers to a senseless act of violence. Yes, Ethan Barclay-Weberpal was killed Jan. 16 at Camp Pendleton was from Janesville, WI. Our city mourns him. It’s not right. He just graduated boot camp and was killed by a fellow Marine. Stabbed to death by a peer. He was a Marine. What happened to Semper Fidelis?

“Semper Fidelis” or “Semper Fi” signifies the dedication that individual Marines have to “Corps and country,” and to their fellow Marines. It means “always faithful” and it’s the Motto of the Marine Corps. What happened?

Not much is being released in the News, just that the other Marine was arrested.  I didn’t know Ethan, but my friend did.  I can’t imagine the pain that Ethan’s family is going through. It is so wrong.

According to USMClife.com:

Messages also came from Marines who knew the private first class, “saying what a great guy he was, sharing pictures, offering to help in any way they can while they are hurting themselves,” Casey said.

One of those Marines described Ethan as an “amazing” young man who brought a smile to everyone who knew him, and one of the few who continued to go to church.

The Marine said the pastor once invited anyone who knew the songs to lead them, and Ethan knew all the words.

“He led a lot of people to God,” Casey said.

“Those are messages that make you say, …” Scott said, hesitating.

“They make you ask why,” Casey said, finishing the thought.

Dear Lord, comfort Ethan’s family and friends. Flood them with your love and your comfort. And bring justice to this situation, in Jesus Name!

You can donate to Ethan’s family here:

https://www.gofundme.com/marine-pfc-ethan-barclay-weberpal

Ethan

5 Quotes to Remember Our Fallen Soldiers

  1.  “We do not know one promise these men made, one pledge they gave, one word they spoke; but we do know they summed up and perfected, by one supreme act, the highest virtues of men and citizens. For love of country they accepted death, and thus resolved all doubts, and made immortal their patriotism and their virtue.” – James A. Garfield
  2.  “It doesn’t take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle.” – H. Norman Schwarzkopf
  3.  “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter the words, but to live by them.” – John F. Kennedy
  4.  “And they who for their country die shall fill an honored grave, for glory lights the soldier’s tomb, and beauty weeps the brave.” – Joseph Rodman Drake
  5.  “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.” – Joseph Campbell

 

 

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Life, Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality

How Thankfulness Changes the Atmosphere and Stops Negative Thoughts

Be thankful. Sometimes easier said then done. Yet I have found when I purpose in my heart to be thankful the atmosphere changes. My focus changes, my heart changes, and my mood changes.

I must admit the first thought in my head may not be the most positive thing. I think the Enemy knows that and when I’m not quite up yet, the self condemning thoughts try to start. I won’t repeat them, just know that they are not good.

I have found the secret to get the bad thoughts to stop – start thanking God. It doesn’t matter for what – anything.

“Thank You Lord for a new day. ”

“Thank You Lord for keeping me and my family safe.”

“Thank You Lord for your grace and mercy.”

These are just a few of my ‘go to’ thank yous. And instantly the condemning thoughts stop!

I don’t think the Enemy can live in the place of praise!

pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit.

1 Thessalonians 5:17-19 NKJV

Thankfulness changes the atmosphere and stops negative thoughts!

Life, Spirituality

Are You Freaking Serious?

We all run into those situations. Where someone does something so ridiculously crazy you stop and ask yourself, “Are you freaking serious?” You don’t know whether to laugh out loud or beat them with a stick. Seriously.

We all have our own point of view. It’s the filter we look through to see our world. Then there are those who challenge us – just because they are still talking. Whether it’s family, work, friends, it really doesn’t matter. We all have “sandpaper people” in our lives who rub us the wrong way. It’s irritating. It’s uncomfortable. I don’t like it one bit.

What do you do when they come along and mess us your world?

Do you “scratch” back and say the first thought that comes in your head?

I tried that. It really is an easy way to start World War 3.

The older I get, the more I am willing to brush it off. Maybe it’s age, maybe it’s wisdom. I’ve learned not to say the first thing that comes to mind. That doesn’t work. Learned the hard way. Too many times I opened my mouth and regretted it later.

What about you? How do you deal with people who drive you crazy?

God, Kingdom Authority, Life, motivational, Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality

Breaking the Spirit of Poverty

I have been poor. I have been homeless. It was not fun. I thought at that time that God was mad at me and I had earned my poverty. I was wrong.  I believed the lies of the Enemy for a long time – and stayed broke. It was not fun, not one bit.

God does not give us a spirit of poverty. We were made to be blessed. We are the most blessed poeple on the Earth. God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind. I had to reject the lies that I had believed and embrace the Truth. God did not make his kids to be broke and wanting. God is a good, good Father and desires to bless us.

 “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” –  1 Timothy 1:7 KJV

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Jesus has already paid the price to destroy the works and lies of the Devil. It is finished. Reject the lies. God does not want you to live in want. He desires to give you the desires of your heart. God is for you, not against you.

“He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” – 1 John 3:8 KJV

God made you to have life, and life more abundantly. He made you to bless you and to prosper you. Our Daddy is not broke and He does not withold any good thing for his kids!

 “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” – 3 John 1:2 KJV

Don’t abuse the blessing. Don’t start asking people for money and airplanes. Stand on the Word and watch what God will do. One thing I have learned is that you don’t have to chase the blessings. They will come to you – because God desires to bless you!

“Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth.  And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God:

 “Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country.

“Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.

“Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.

“Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you bewhen you go out.

“The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.

“The Lord will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.

“The Lord will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in His ways.  Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you.  And the Lord will grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground, in the land of which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you.  The Lord will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow.  And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them.  So you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right or the left, to go after other gods to serve them.” – Deuteronomy 28: 1-14 KJV

 

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God, Life, Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality

Thankful Quotes for Thanksgiving

Thank you Lord, for family.  Thank you for your peace and your presence and the gift of life. Thank you for love and joy and laughter. Thank you for all the blessings you have given us this Thanksgiving and forever.  What a mighty God we serve! He’s a Good, Good Father!

thanks and giving

 

Thankful Quotes for Thanksgiving

  • “It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness.” – Charles Spurgeon
  • “Genuine thankfulness is an act of the heart’s affections, not an act of the lips’ muscles.” –John Piper
  • “We pray for the big things and forget to give thanks for the ordinary, small (and yet really not small) gifts.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer
  • “Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise Give thanks to Him, bless His name. For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations.” – Psalm 100:5
  • “Those blessings are sweetest that are won with prayer and worn with thanks.” – Thomas Goodwin
  • . “A thankful heart is one of the primary identifying characteristics of a believer. It stands in stark contrast to pride, selfishness, and worry. And it helps fortify the believer’s trust in the Lord and reliance of His provision, even in the toughest times. No matter how choppy the seas become, a believer’s heart is buoyed by constant praise and gratefulness to the Lord.” –John MacArthur
  • “Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples.” – 1 Chronicles 16:8
  • “If I do not feel a sense of joy in God’s creation, if I forget to offer the world back to God with thankfulness, I have advanced very little upon the Way. I have not yet learnt to be truly human. For it is only through thanksgiving that I can become myself.” – Kallistos Ware
  • “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. Give thanks to the God of gods, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. Give thanks to the Lord of lords, For His lovingkindness is everlasting.” – Psalm 136:1-3gratitude
  • “Joy is thankfulness, and when we are joyful, that is the best expression of thanks we can offer the Lord, Who delivers us from sorrow and sin.” – Thaddeus of Vitovnica
  • “In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:18
  • “A spirit of thankfulness is one of the most distinctive marks of a Christian whose heart is attuned to the Lord. Thank God in the midst of trials and every persecution.” –Billy Graham

thankful

Activism, Life

To Stand or Not to Stand for the National Anthem

I am werary of hearing whether you should stand or kneel during the National Anthem. It is all over social media these days. Everyone has an opionion. I am sure you have read all about it too. To stand or not to stand for the National Anthem – that is the question.

So what do you think? Stand or kneel for the National Anthem?

I looked up some history on the National Anthem in the US – The Star Spangeld Banner. The National Anthem was written in 1814 by Francis Scott Key. President Herbert Hoover signed the bill that made the song the national anthem in 1931.

According to Wikipedia the custom for when people sing the National Anthem is:

Customs

 

Plaque detailing how the custom of standing during the Anthem came about in Tacoma, Washington, on October 18, 1893, in the Bostwick building

United States Code, 36 U.S.C. § 301, states that during a rendition of the national anthem, when the flag is displayed, all present except those in uniform should stand at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart; Members of the Armed Forces and veterans who are present and not in uniform may render the military salute; men not in uniform should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold the headdress at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart; and individuals in uniform should give the military salute at the first note of the anthem and maintain that position until the last note; and when the flag is not displayed, all present should face toward the music and act in the same manner they would if the flag were displayed. Military law requires all vehicles on the installation to stop when the song is played and all individuals outside to stand at attention and face the direction of the music and either salute, in uniform, or place the right hand over the heart, if out of uniform. A law passed in 2008 allows military veterans to salute out of uniform, as well.  However, this statutory suggestion does not have any penalty associated with violations. 36 U.S.C. § 301

This behavioral requirement for the national anthem is subject to the same First Amendment controversies that surround the Pledge of Allegiance. For example, Jehovah’s Witnesses do not sing the national anthem, though they are taught that standing is an “ethical decision” that individual believers must make based on their “conscience.”

I am in the camp that STANDS when the National Anthem is played. I STAND during the Pledge of Allegiance too. It’s all about honoring our fallen heros for me.  It’s about taking a moment of time and saying thank you. It’s not about wheter things are hunky dorie for everyone everywhere – we know that isn’t true in this world.

The National Anthem is a time for me to honor those who have died for my freedom. There is nothing to protest in my book – they died. It’s about them and their sacrifice, not about me or my thoughts on things. To make it a protest for this or that is plain disrespectful in my book.

My husband is a Veteran. My father in law and his brother is a Veteran. My deceased grandfather is a Veteran. Even my ex-husband is a Veteran. I stand for the Veterans and fallen heros in our land.

Here are the original lyrics:

Complete version of “The Star-Spangled Banner” showing spelling and punctuation
from Francis Scott Key’s manuscript in the Maryland Historical Society collection.

O say can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hail’d at the twilight’s last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight
O’er the ramparts we watch’d were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket’s red glare, the bomb bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there,
O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep
Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream,
‘Tis the star-spangled banner – O long may it wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore,
That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion
A home and a Country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wash’d out their foul footstep’s pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O thus be it ever when freemen shall stand
Between their lov’d home and the war’s desolation!
Blest with vict’ry and peace may the heav’n rescued land
Praise the power that hath made and preserv’d us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto – “In God is our trust,”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

 

Here is a great sound byte on the Issue by Michael Morris – definatly worth the listen:

Levin: NFL Kneeling Protest ‘Isn’t About Free Speech’

 

Billionaires and millionaires linking arms and taking knees in unity for what? There are brave men and women in real uniforms but you won’t find them on the football field. You’ll find them in the military and law enforcement. They’re not famous. They’re not rich. But they’re our very best. They put their lives on the line everyday. And they’re being disrespected. – Mark Levin