The Christmas connection

Well It's just a couple of days after Christmas. The kids stayed up very late last night so I have some time alone. They had a blast with all of their new things. But I have missed my quiet time, so here it goes.
I knew this Christmas would be different, I knew my kids would enjoy it, they always do. You know the excitement you see on a child's face and the anticipation of presents and playing and enjoying them with their siblings there's just nothing like it. Well but I didn't know that God was going to allow me to have a very special Christmas and in this way enrich my understanding of what Christmas really is.
I'm going to start with our house. We were so busy this year I thought it was never going to get decorated, with the cheer float we built here for a week and a half and the parade, then we had Birthdays and Basketball games. Anyways next year I will be the crazy person decorating after halloween and I will enjoy my house the entire month of December, but this year was different.
Finally about two weeks before Christmas I got the playroom/sunroom where we put up our tree where I thought it looked "Christmasy". We have this huge bucket of toys in the playroom and I couldn't find anything to do with them they didn't match or fit anywhere and thus ruined the appearance of my Christmas room. When finally it hit me, I could stuff the basket with Christmas animals,which I had a huge rubber maid tote of and I was wondering where I could put them. So I called the kids in to help, "run all over the house and bring me whatever Christmas animals you have, and we will stuff them in this basket." They too were excited and went running Christopher brought me his "1998 Christmas bear" his daddy gave him the year he was born, Grace brought out penguins and her snow bears and reindeer webkinz in it's cute Santa suit, then Joey my four year old brings a big huge easter bunny. Okay first of all the easter bunny doesn't fit in my basket and second this is Christmas, not Easter!! Well he ran his huge easter bunny back to his room and then returned with a smaller pale yellow easter bunny, He placed it in the basket, and then it hit me The gift God gave us at Christmas 2000 plus yrs. ago was the promise for Easter. Without Easter there would be no Christmas and without Christmas there would be no Easter. Now most people comprehend that God sent his son to live and die for our sins. But this was just a revelation to me that "Easter was our Christmas present from God. And Christmas is our Easter present from God because without Christmas there would be no Easter. "Isn't that awesome!!!" and God showed me this through a little child trying to make room for his Easter bunny in a Christmas basket.
This vs may or may not be appropriate here but I like it.

Mark 10:14-16
"Let the Children come unto me. For the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn't receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it."
Then He took them into his arms , placed his hands on thier heads and blessed them.

Well my beautiful children are now up and going, but I thank God for what he has revealed to me this Christmas and I will have to share more later.

"Merry Christmas!!"
in your heart all year long.

Shields of Faith Needed.....

In this world God promises us we will have problems and adversaries, but he also says take heart because I have overcome the world. Sometimes when we are at war with our life, we tend to forget that the battle is not ours alone. God never meant for us to fight alone, thats why he sent Jesus to conquer all sin and how great full I am for that gift. He has overcome all of the sin in this terrible world.
However the war still rages for our testimony for Christ, Satan has lost the battle for us as Christians but he keeps up the fight to keep us from sharing with others.
So I want to ask you to stand in faith with me and pray for my situation.
A couple weeks ago in Sunday School our lesson was on the "Armor of God". It was a very good lesson, but what stuck with me the most was the "Shield of Faith". I did not know the kind of shield that God was talking about. My thoughts were of a small shield that you would have to wave around in order to protect yourself. But the Roman armor was different it was heavy and solid and the roman shield was almost as tall as the soldier. He could prop his shield up and hide behind it, and when at war soldiers would stand side-by-side with their shields to barricade them from the enemy, but they also would stand in a box so that they could shield the enemy from all sides even overhead.
When we are at war with our enemy Satan the more shields of Faith we can raise up in prayer the safer we are from the enemy. I strongly believe in the power of prayer. I want to ask a strong group of believers to pray for Russell, the children and I and the life that God has us to lead and live for him. Will you please join me with your shield of Faith to pray for our family.
I have posted a picture of the roman shields put together to barricade from the enemy.
Please reply and let me know if you will be holding up your shield of Faith for us. We appreciate all the friends God has orchestrated into our lives and the way he has placed us on so many hearts to pray for.

The Blessed Angel Came

In my search to get my paws on "Christmas" I had to start at the beginning to really reflect on the events that led up to the First Christmas. My children and I started doing this 7 day Christmas gift "Nativity" called "What God wants for Christmas". The very first box that we opened was the Angel. We read in Luke how God sent Gabriel the Angel to Mary to tell her about Jesus. The angel came from heaven to earth to tell about Jesus who was also coming from heaven to earth. God did not want Mary to find out about her child in a way that expressed normality. She could've found out by morning sickness or the way most of us find out when our monthly visitor just decides not to visit. HaHa!!! But this was not a normal Birth, it was the birth of God's only son.
But What God is showing me now is that this was also the first encounter of accepting Jesus, and Mary had to be prepared to accept Jesus not to fear the angel and to have faith to believe in what she could not see. This is the beginning of Salvation Our hearts must be prepared to hear and accept the Gospel she had to be given the faith just as God gives us the faith for salvation and she had to be given the peace and assurance that it was not what she had don but what God had done in placing this very Savior in her womb.

Paws at the Manger

There are only five days left until Christmas which is definitely my favorite holiday, but it just seemed to come so quickly this year. Christmas is always special, as a Christian we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Without a Birth there would've been no death, and without a death, there would be no Savior, and without a Savior there would be no eternal life, no heaven, no hope, nothing to have faith in, no Joy to be found, no peace, and ultimately no love. Oh!! How terrible that would be.
This Christmas I'm sure will be special, but it was supposed to be a very special Christmas, you see this was supposed to be my first Christmas as a couple united as "one" with God. Looking back I couldn't have been happier with my vision of this Christmas. I thought this time next year, I'll be married, we'll do family things like put up the tree, go to Christmas parties, take the kids to Christmas activities, cuddle up around the fireplace with cocoa and have advent devotions as a family. looking for our new home together, Go to church and praise Jesus thanking Him for the Victory of our "family"
As you can see I had some high but not outrageously impossible expectations of "my Christmas" this year. It couldn't be more opposite, what I live from where I sit this year, I am still not married
, my fiance is in jail, we put up the tree spiratically in three days, I've gone to all Christmas parties alone, taken the kids to their activities and parties, the fireplace hasn't turned on all winter, if you call the 60-70 degree weather we are having winter, but one thing is the same I will go and praise God for the "victory" he has already won, by sending his sweet son(light) to this dark world on Christmas night over 2000 yrs. ago
As this Christmas hasn't been what I expected, I have wanted so much to see Christmas through God's eyes, not completely as we could never under stand it like Him. But just a glimpse of understanding of this perfectly formed sequence orchestrated by God himself.
I feel like there is so much to absorb, and I'm like a tiny sponge that just can't get it all but I want to.
I bought my children the cutest advent count-down calendar Its called "Paws at the Manger"
There are animals around Jesus and they are dressed like the shepherds and wise men. But I'm sure the maker of this calendar saw the twist of "Paw's" and "Pause". I feel like for me, I want to get my paws around the manger, I want to understand it's simplicity in a more complex way. But in order for me to more fully understand "Christmas", I must pause p-a-u-s-e- at the Manger. God has opened up allot to me I believe. I believe everyday God wants to show us something in our commune with Him but because of our hurried life and overly full scheduled days we miss out on that blessing. So I'm trying to learn to "Pause" at the manger.
That must be why Psalms 46;10 says Be still and know that I am God Amen

"God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman"

Leading Light

Last night my father and I put up our Christmas lights, on the tallest peak of our house. It began to get dark and of course, since he was over 25' up high on our roof, I thought it would be better to stop and continue this project tomorrow. However he wanted to finish so we stood outside in the dark and continued to adorn our house. The neat part was every time we hooked in another strand of the lights we had enough light to make it to the next strand.
As I watched him from the bottom of the ladder, I thought thats kind of how God works in our life. When we are praying for his will and trying to walk in his will, yet we do not know his will completely, he reveals enough light to keep us going in the right direction.
Since Russell the father of my 3 beautiful children is currently incarcerated in middle Tn. I am a single mom trying to raise these children and living with my parents. I could make my life sound really dark, but because the Lord continues to show me positives that shine light in to my dark path, I can continue to go on.
Let me tell you of the light God has recently set in front of me to lead me on. Although he's incarcerated and has been for almost three months, He has started a bible study. It started with another guy and him then grew to four then twelve, and now last week he led his first person to the Lord. who says God can't shine in the darkness. I believe his light shines the brightest in the darkness. his shows me an example of how God works all things together for good to those who have been called according to his purpose.
Roman 8:28

Who loves more? He who has been forgiven little, or he who has been forgiven much??

Fall for Jesus and Live to fall.
Lately my Family and I have been looking to purchase a high definition T.V. This has been an exhausting journey in itself. With so many to choose from and so many different technologies, which way do you go? As anyone else would you want to get the best for your money. While searching for a t.v. I entered a room with indelible surround sound. Captivated, and since this was the only room all three of my beautiful children would be still in I joined them. Suddenly on this 56" LCD or plasma TV we were on top of a beautiful Canyon, In high definition you felt as if you were there. These people wearing what appeared to be a backpack climbed up to the top of the cliff, looking down you could see a beautiful river and the gorgeous rock the canyon was made of. My heart began to race when I realized they were going to jump. As they stood on the cliff and looked down It looked far but not nearly as far as it was. As they leaned over the cliff one by one and jumped they didn't appear to be falling in the air but rather floating. They free fell a half min. before ever ripping open the parachute attached to their backs. Can you imagine?? Falling a whole 30 secs totally trusting in nothing but gravity, acceleration, and the man made parachute on your back. But as these men fell because it was so far down and took so long to reach there destination they appeared to be floating they were all smiling and even I believe I saw one of them doing flips in the air. They were free falling without a worry in the world.
I believe that is where God wants us to be with him. We are brought into this world without an inkling of an idea what our plan is, who made us, and where we are going. We later realize there has to be more to this life. We search and as Christians we believe we were created to commune with God,our creator. We come in this world ready to begin our fall for God but not knowing it. When things happen in our lives that don't seem right, we learn to believe in him, as acceleration picks up, we learn to look at him and not our circumstances, and as we begin to trust in him we begin to see ourselves floating freely through the air of life, Now that we trust in him we can relax and enjoy the fall and without realizing the laws of gravity, the law of this world and the momentum that we have picked up as we hurl towards the ground, The parachute that God has a timing release on opens up gently and peacefully landing us on the ground. Because He is always faithful.
Well these guys who I watched jump on the high def. tv ,their parachute opened and they landed had a group hug and said "Let's go again" They live to fall and after watching them I myself was ready to jump. But what they live for is the fall, knowing physically what there body is doing but the trust they have, the floating feeling gives them a high they have to go back for. As Christians when we start to free fall, trust in Jesus, so you can defy the gravity of this world. When the world see's you fixing to crash but you feel like your floating. Your falling for Jesus and when he brings you safely down. You'll want to climb back up and jump again. So go ahead. Fall for Jesus and live for the fall.

"Let us not become weary in doing good, at the proper time, we will reap a harvest, if we don't give up.

I chose this verse from Galatians 6:9 to share with you because I believe, not only will God bless us abundantly if we don't give up, but he finds pleasure in blessing our sowing. Let me explain.
I know I have already spoken of this crazy doll my daughter loves and wants soo.. badly.
Well it's now about 1 and 1/2 mos from her Birthday when I will give her this beloved doll. I will give her this package with the utmost of joy in my heart knowing she's going to love it, and it is just what she wanted, only God himself knows how much she deserves this doll. She has expressed faith unbelievable from the eyes of a child, not even seven. She continues to save everything from headbands to clothes for this doll. Tonight as I sponge rolled her hair she said "Mama when I get my American Doll I am going to roll her hair like this. She mentions this doll at least 3 -4 times a day. Not in sadness and sorrow from loosing the first one, but in faith. So I know she deserves the doll, but part of me is going to be sad as I make her dream come true. You see the doll she so desires and loves, has become a desire of mine to give it to her. Because I love her, It is my desire to reward her, but the common bond waiting on the doll, day-dreaming, and living her dream with her and watching her faith has brought us so close that she has even told me" Mama I know why you don't want an American Doll because You have a real one." talking about her. In my heart I pray "Ohhh. God, I want to make her dream come true but Lord please help us still to share that common bond, and help her never to forget where that doll came from. No I am not jealous of the doll I just want to continue the relationship we were able to build through the waiting.
Thats when it hit me. I believe God is wanting to give me my miracle with Russell just as much as I am looking forward to giving Gracelyn this doll. But this situation has brought me so close to the Lord, sharing my dream with him, believeing in him, building my faith, giving me strength to act as if God had already conquered it,knowing he had that I myself want nothing to come between this relationship he's built over the past 17 or so years with me. Just as I want Gracelyn to remember where her doll came from, I'm positive God wants me to remember where my miracle came from, so that I may Glorify him. And I pray I will never forget the faith he built within me and the relationship he created through out the waiting years and I will never look at Russell without seeing the love of Jesus and saying Thankyou!! Help us to bring joy to you Lord through the gifts that you give Amen

Wait upon the Lord be strong and take heart

The verse I have chosen to share to day is found in Psalms 27:14 . The Psalms are very meaningful since they are songs turned to poems in the Bible. They are all praises or prayers to God. God Inhabits his praise so therefore he is glorified through the Psalms.
I love Gods sense of humor. I know God gave me kids in order to show me how he loved me. Tonight he chose to use my sweet daughter Gracelyn. You see my daughter got this doll for Christmas three yrs. ago. She calls it an American doll, even though it really was a my twin doll that I had made to look just like her. But, after about two months she lost it by leaving it in a basket at a department store.
Ever since then she has missed that doll, cried over that doll and also prayed to miraculously find this doll. She saves clothes I find that were hers at a younger age and says "I am saving this for my American doll!". She asked Santa last year for another doll. But with no prevail Santa did not deliver the doll. But my daughter did not give up on her doll. Well recently I ordered one of these dolls one night while she was asleep, and tonight the doll arrived in a huge box. Soon after I ordered this doll she said, "I feel like Gods telling me I'm gonna get my American doll." I put the box away and Gracelyn never saw the doll. Just before bed time she came to me crying "Mama, I want my American doll". I said Why now?? She said, "I've waited for a long time and I don't think I'm going to get her". I asked her if she was giving up or she was going to keep believing. With tears in her eyes she said "I still believe, I won't give up."
As I dried and brushed her hair I thought about the doll only 100 ft. away in the closet, and I began to think of how much I wanted to bring the doll out and give it to her. How she had waited so very long and really she did deserve it. How she by faith had prepared for the doll, by saving clothes for a yr. or two now. She has been so patient and excited about this doll.
Then I began to think, Isn't that how God feels with us. When we are unjustly persecuted for whatever reason, and we cry out to him because we are hurt or because we begin to doubt a promise God has made because it's not our time. God has our blessing in his hand, and loving us so much he sent his son to die for us. I can imagine even God wanting to make our dreams come true, mend our relationship, or immediately change our circumstance. But he doesn't. Why?? because he's God. He knows more. He knows the right timing and what we need to learn along the way and I honestly believe he wants to spend that waiting time with us. After all we were created for his enjoyment, to commune with him and have a relationship with him. Does that mean I will wait forever as many of my friends and family will tell you. No!! And neither will my daughter. I will give her doll to her for her Birthday, when the time is right and her face will shine, and all her friends will be there to see, and then I hope she smiles at me. throws her arms around me hugs me tight and screams "Thank you mom!!" and she will show it to her friends and hopefully she will share the doll with them and they can all go home to their parents and scream"I want what Gracie has." For those of you who have children who are friends with mine , I'll share my doll secrets. J/k
Anyways I know all of this may sound silly or even a bit selfish or proud on my part maybe even a little jealous,but actually its very biblical. You see just as i am waiting on the right time to give Gracie her doll, God is waiting on the right time to fulfill his plan in my life, just as I want my daughters face to shine, God wants mine to shine because of believing in his promise and putting my faith in him. God wants people to see him in me, just as I want all her friends to be there God wants every one to see what he's done. Yes, God is a little jealous he wants to receive all the glory for the things he does. Just as I want to see my daughter's smile, God wants me to smile and give him total thanks for the victory he's already won. I want my daughter to throw her arms around me and scream thank you!! God wants me to throw my arms around him confirming I know he's the one and give him praise for what he's done, and last but not least I want my daughter to show and share her doll with her friends so they may go home to beg for a couple years for a doll too j/k. God wants me to share what he's done for me, so that others may believe and desire his will for their life too.
Yes tonight I could've gone to the closet and taken the doll out and watched the tears leave and a smile appear on my daughters face but Hey!! the glory comes from waiting, so I didn't!!
If you are waiting on God or in a hard spot as I find myself in, just know Your doll is in God's closet and your Birthday is around the corner.

Psalms 130:5
I wait upon the Lord. My soul waits and in His word I put my hope.

"In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to his plan who works out everything in comformity with the purpose of his will"

This verse comes from Ephesians 1:11. I chose to share it with you because this is what God has made real to me in my life. I would like to share with you bits and pieces of my life so you can understand the dark tunnel in which I feel I have been led, And why I believe God is my light.
First, let me explain why it is so dark right now. I was scheduled to be married on March 17th to the man , I honestly feel God has said will be my husband. Russell and I have known each other since we were 11. We have three beautiful children together. We both love the outdoors, spending time with our children,cooking out, fishing, camping, and good family fun. We have practically grown up together and we've experienced every stage of life with each other. If you added up the years we've known each other, we have known each other 17 yrs. That's a long time. It hasn't been easy but God has granted us his mercy and grace to keep going with out giving up.
In this 17 years God has given me the strength to stand beside this man through approx five rehabs, countless sentences in jail , drug and alcohol addiction and many adversaries,including three canceled weddings. I don't want to be negative, but I don't want to sugar coat what is not sweet. There have been moments when I questioned God for allowing this pain in my life. One thing he has always shown me is with every adversary my love only grew stronger. When this is the opposite of what the world teaches, the opposite of what our human heart desires. I was raised in church. I was raised to love everyone, but to keep away from trouble. But for some God forbidden reason I was drawn to Russell. I loved him!! I knew it!
Thats just like Gods love for us. He loves the unlovely. He loves the unlovable. He loves those that persecuted him, He loves us all even with our short-comings. I started to find comfort in the fact that "God gave me this love for Russell" and it must be for a reason, maybe to fulfill his purpose in my life. And just maybe he wanted me to experience first hand the sacrificial love of Christ. I knew I would experience some pain, but as long as God chose to leave this love in my heart I agreed not to fight it.
I realized it is actually a privilege to have a problem in life which, forces you to walk hand in hand with Jesus, to lean on his side, and experience true love in his power. As children of God we share in his sufferings so that we also may share in his Glory!!

"My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness"

The verse I chose to start my blog with is found in 2nd Corinthians 12:9. Not only does this verse have everything to do with my whole life,but I am feeling very weak right now as I know nothing about what I am doing. I have never set up a page like this before in my life. However, I feel God has given me a life to share. I had planned on keeping a journal, but after exploring other blog spots I decided it would be neat to keep a blog to share with close friends and family. If you happen to stumble across my spot and I don't know you consider it a "God Thing"!!
Today I am drawing a line, making a mark in the sand of my life. This is a beginning of something new for me. Since I was seventeen, I have known God has a ministry out here for me, for Him. Many ideas and opportunity's have come and gone throughout my life. No mistake they were from Him, but I was not ready. Yesterday, God showed me during my quiet time that he was going to prepare me and make my time if I would be willing to begin. As I got up I uttered to the Lord "Today, my Ministry will Begin." Why today??? I began to ask, Is this the day I got pregnant with one of my children, or the day I was baptized, the day I met Russell, what is today??? God.
God said, "What's the date??" The date is 10-11-07, tomorrow is 10-12- 07. This day,10-12-07, 24 yrs ago I made the best decision of my life, to follow Christ and accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior, at the ripe age of four. As I tried to process all of this information, I knew I must begin. So join me on the rest of my journey through this tunnell, I'll try to catch you up on what you've missed. It's a dark place in here , but thats when "Gods light" shines the brightest. And remember He always leaves enough light to make the next step.