I printed this off and am using it as a dry erase board for me and the hubs. It sits in our bathroom Too many days pass without us thinking to speak lovingly to each other. Just to walk into the bathroom and see something the other one wrote feels wonderful. I love you today because.....It could be something that I did not know he even recognized, but he shows me he did! Love has to be spoken, intentional, with effort.
  Me and the kids are studying the fruits of the spirit. We have learned that love perceived by the world is strictly based on emotion, or what we feel. I'm sorry, but there are times when I don't feel like loving. God's love is not based on a gushy feeling, it is a choice. He chose to love us as we are. We too have to chose to love others.  We are choosing to love, even when we may be unlovable. It is these simple acts of being intentional with our words and actions to each other.

1 Corinthians 13 (The Message version)

The Way of Love

 ¹ If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. ²If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. ^3-7If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.

   Love never gives up.
   Love cares more for others than for self.
   Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
   Love doesn't strut,
   Doesn't have a swelled head,
   Doesn't force itself on others,
   Isn't always "me first,"
   Doesn't fly off the handle,
   Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
   Doesn't revel when others grovel,
   Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
   Puts up with anything,
   Trusts God always,
   Always looks for the best,
   Never looks back,
   But keeps going to the end.
 ^8-10Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled.

We are called to be Radical...

I just read a blog entry by a sweet lady. She is reading "Radical" by David Platt. We read this with our small group but I may have to reread it. God is using David's book as a huge conviction and blessing in the lives of Christians all over. It is good to have our toes stepped on. That is the only way to see where change is needed.
     Personally, my family and I are no longer content to sit comfortable and keep the wonderful message of the Gospel to ourselves. Fire insurance is not enough! He has blessed us to bless and share with others, not to sit on and enjoy ourselves. We as Christians will do more harm than good when we live for ourselves. It is my prayer that more and more Christians rise up and step out of the normal flow of this world, pick up our crosses and follow Christ. We have to not only read the Word, but know and apply it to our lives. Forget the "American dream" of self-indulgence. Start living the sacrificial lives we are called to live in Christ. We can and should indulge in Him alone.

“The price is certainly high for people who don’t know Christ and who live in a world where Christians shrink back from self-denying faith and settle into self-indulging faith. While Christians choose to spend their lives fulfilling the American dream instead of giving their lives to proclaiming the kingdom of God, literally billions in need of the Gospel remain in the dark” 


~David Platt~

Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.

~Philippians 2:5 The message version


These things are all a part of the Christian life to which you have been called. Christ suffered for us. This shows us we are to follow in His steps.

~1 Peter 2:21 NLV

This is the kind of life you've been invited into, the kind of life Christ lived. He suffered everything that came his way so you would know that it could be done, and also know how to do it, step-by-step.  He never did one thing wrong,
Not once said anything amiss.
They called him every name in the book and he said nothing back. He suffered in silence, content to let God set things right. He used his servant body to carry our sins to the Cross so we could be rid of sin, free to live the right way. His wounds became your healing. You were lost sheep with no idea who you were or where you were going. Now you're named and kept for good by the Shepherd of your souls.

~ 1 Peter 2:21 Message Version

For the Son of Man came not to be cared for. He came to care for others. He came to give His life so that many could be bought by His blood and made free from the punishment of sin.”

~ Matthew 20:28 NLV

When the ten others heard about this, they lost their tempers, thoroughly disgusted with the two brothers. So Jesus got them together to settle things down. He said, "You've observed how godless rulers throw their weight around, how quickly a little power goes to their heads. It's not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for the many who are held hostage."

~ Matthew 20:28 The Message

photo that speaks for itself...

I came across this picture today. This should rock our world! When are we going to get it?

  “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne.  All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.  He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
    “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,  I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
    “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
    “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
    “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.  For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,  I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
    “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
    “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
    “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
~Matthew 25:31-46

Daily prayer...cont..

So, I printed out my daily prayer. I read it aloud to my kids. Haylee had the biggest grin on her face as I read it to them. I then signed it and set it on the counter till I find a frame for it. Richie came home late that night and read it. The next morning, as I was about to wake the kids to get ready to start school, I stopped to read it and to my surprise noticed a second signature above mine. It was my husband's signature! We are in this together.

My daily prayer...

A recent display of my own selfishness in front of my children, later caused me to go into deep prayer of forgiveness and guidance with my Heavenly Father. I have had a problem with anger, selfishness and a quick tongue for a long time. While it has gotten better, I am not satisfied with that. My children(nor my husband) are getting any younger and I don't want them to look back and remember me this way. I want them to remember a LOVING mother AND wife to their father.  I stood still in the amazingly peaceful presence of a merciful and LOVING God and poured my heart out. I realized it is NEVER too late. Afterward, I wanted something to actually print out and be able to read each and every morning to remind myself of the promises that I have made to them and myself. I want the following to be my focus on a daily basis. I may even sign it in the presence of my family and frame it!

“This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.”

                         Psalm 118:24

~ I will give this day to the Lord. I will give Him my first fruits.

~ I will put my mood aside and show Love.

~ I will remember that life is but a mist, here today and gone tomorrow.

~ I will create memories of Love and Laughter, not of anger and hurt.

~ I will model Love for my children.

~ I will model a loving wife and mother for our daughter. She too will one day be a wife and mother.

~ I will model a loving wife and mother for my son. He will one day choose a wife and be a father.

~ I will strive to create a relaxed atmosphere.

~ I will make my home a warm refuge for the family.

~ I will be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger.

~ I will Trust the Lord. His love will flow through me no matter what my circumstances may be.

                                        This is my daily prayer.

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.  It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.  Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
~ 1 Corinthians 18:4-8

Didn't you know?...

Ok, so this my favorite Christmas time song of all time. Just wanted to share. Soak in the words.....

Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy would one day walk on water?
Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy would save our sons and daughters?
Did you know
that your Baby Boy has come to make you new?
This Child that you delivered will soon deliver you.

Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy will calm the storm with His hand?
Did you know
that your Baby Boy has walked where angels trod?
When you kiss your little Baby you kissed the face of God?

Mary did you know..

The blind will see.
The deaf will hear.
The dead will live again.
The lame will leap.
The dumb will speak
The praises of The Lamb.

Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy would one day rule the nations?
Did you know
that your Baby Boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
The sleeping Child you're holding is the Great, I Am.

WOW!! Amen.

In a thought....

Thank you O Lord for your Word! I am blessed and my eyes and heart are opened every time I open and read Your love letter. I am so glad You got me passed looking at the Bible as just a story book. Your truths and promises are so rich and ALIVE. As my heart has been stirring and a little heavy thinking about all the STUFF we have filled this precious time of year with.......

What to buy the kids....
What treats to buy and fix...
What to get the parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, sisters, brothers, step-brothers, step-sisters, step-moms, step-dads, brother-in-laws, sister-in-laws, best friends, friends, acquaintances, neighbors, teachers or even our pets...
How many decorations to put up....
What size tree to get....
Cash or credit card....

I do not think these things are all bad. While some of these things are fine in moderation, they have now become the focus of Christmas. We are running ourselves rugged after these things that we have created Christmas to be. I personally don't want my children, nor myself to lose sight of what this time of year is really about. Actually, what every time of year should be about.

We have already been given the most priceless gift imaginable! That is the gift we are to share with others.

"Come all who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and YOUR LABOR on what does NOT SATISFY?"
~ISAIAH 55:1-2