Skin Deep

I went to Florida to visit some of my family over the Christmas that just passed, and while we were there bought a sack of oranges. Ambersweets. Yum, they are the best! There were a few left when it was time to go home and I divided them with my dad and brought the rest back with me.
A day or two after getting back home (to my new home, Georgia), I was unpacking or something, and I found my baby daughter and she was chewing on a piece of paper. I don't know what her infatuation with paper is, but anytime she finds paper, business cards or notebooks within her reach, she chews it like its chewing gum. So, immediatley I take the paper from her and she cries and I feel bad, and I know I must do something to make her not feel bad for me taking away her "paper gum". And if there is anything this little girl loves as much as a fresh piece of paper, it's a fresh piece of fruit!
The Oranges!
I went and grabbed the last orange, because I had been saving it for her anyway. We sat down on the floor and as I began peeling the orange a thought occured to me. See, while I was peeling the skin off the orange the baby reached for a piece of peel to try to eat it and I had to tell her that "We don't eat the skin, baby..We eat the fruit."
It made me think how often do we as Christians, try to eat the skin of things, without considering what the flavor of the fruit inside? We see something, anything, that looks good enough to eat (with our natural eyes), and maybe it smells good enough to eat and it would make sense to eat, but if you taste it (the peel), it is bitter. And if you digest it, it would make your stomach hurt.
That is why we wait, we peel the skin off, and discard it to get to the fresh juicy chunk of fruit inside that is sweet and delicious, and oh, so worth the wait!
And so I guess sometimes it even takes Fruit of the Spirit to enjoy a piece of fruit in the natural. That is: Patience!

Speaking to the "Shooter's Mind", If bullies deserve to get shot, what does a murderer deserve as punishment?
95% of bullies were bullied themselves, usually starting in the home.
Does shooting and killing really justify your anger?
Does it really make you feel better?
Do youreally feel like you solved your problems?

Thus it was said of Old Time: When someone is rude to you, be nice to them. Kill them with Kindness. They will eventually see the meaninglessness of thier hurtful ways.

We need to teach our youth to use thier minds and thier hearts, not guns.
And we need to teach our youth to not be afraid of talking to trusted adults.
We need to Listen and Hear with our Hearts what is really going on in the world right now.

Things can change (for the better). WE have to change them. Rules don't change things. Thoughts and Actions change things.
Much Love~

Quit Dreaming, Start Living!

The alarm on my phone goes off at 6:45 am. I grab the phone and automatically slide the iPhone key so it won't go off again. It's almost bright outside and I lay there, and think "Ughh, my back and feet are achy.. Ahh, this bed is so warm and cozy, and I'm still sleepy. I can't get up yet.... ZzzZzz.."
2 hours later I wake up- It's bright, the baby is up, and she has bonked me in the head or the back with her "bobble" about 10 too many times, knowing full well that if she does it again I will get up and get her juice.

This happens every morning. I "try" at least six days out of the week of seven to set my alarm and get up at an hour that will put me ahead in the day. Yes, I do have a 14 month old, Yes I am her full time Mommy, no I do not have a job.
And yes I would like one.
Today is Sunday and I would have really liked to have made it to church this morning. Last night I faithfully set the alarm on my phone to 6:45am.. And same as always, as soon as it goes off, I reach over and then turn it off. I had set two other alarm times too, one for 7am and the last at 7:05am. When 7 came around, I bumped it to 8.

Why can't I get up in the mornings I ask myself?

Today I am rending my heart.

I realize there are far too many things in my life that I tell myself subconsciously that I "can't" do.

Like: I "can't" get up early enough in the mornings... I "can't" ever find a job good enough to buy the things I need... I "cant" do hair good enough to make a career out of it... The list doesn't go on and on, but the things that are on it are the very things that I need to deal with the most.

And maybe it has been having a baby and being a stay at home Mommy (that I am very grateful for being able to do) or moving and having to reconnect and meet new people in a new place that have made me somehow start to believe that these important things "can't" be acheived due to delay.

But I remind myself of the Word that Jesus Christ Himself spoke, and said, "ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE IF YOU BELIEVE" and I am fully convinced that I CAN do the things that I need to do in order to be happy, healthy, wealthy and whole.
I just need to start telling myself, what Jesus already told me!

I am up for the challenge, because I do believe. And I have already decided to change all those "can'ts" in life, to "cans", because Jesus said I can!



Matthew 19:26
But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

John 6:63
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.

Psalm 119:89
Forever, O Lord,
Your word is settled in heaven.

From the Message @ Church Today

Do I want to let God make me the woman that He wants me to be? Do I want to be "The Woman" He wants me to be?
Yes, yes I do! Thank You for Loving me so much LORD JESUS!
amen ;)

Answers From God

I have come to tell you today, That God can be Found!
I really believe there are people who think that God does not exist, or that He is not real or that for whatever reason He doesn't love them enough to "talk" to them, and that people who believe in His Word are "crazy" for thinking that they actually can hear and understand a Living God.

The Holy Bible says this, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."
In Jeremiah 29:13

This is God, speaking through the Prophet Jeremiah. Now when I say "speaking through", I mean Jeremiah is "saying for God".

That is what a Prophet does. They speak for God. If your mom tells you to go tell little Timmy to come inside and wash his hands because dinner is ready, and if you know that Momma wont let anyone eat until Little Timmy is sitting down at the dinner table with clean hands and your hungry- What are you going to do? You're going to go outside and tell Little Timmy to get off his bicycle and come inside and get cleaned up, and as quick as he can because you're hungry! You don't want to wait! You are being a prophet for your mom.. a MESSENGER of sorts. A Prophet is a MESSENGER for the LORD.

Now that we have that settled I want to point something out. There are people who tell me, they have never heard the voice of God. They have never read the Bible and had it "say something" to "them".
My opinion here, and I think this is true, is one of four things is going on for this to be happening. Here they are:

1. They think they are inferior to other people. They believe they are not like everybody (or anybody) else. And there fore not "worthy" to hear from God--- Like "other" Christians.

2.They think they are better than everybody else. They think they are superiour, and do not need to hear from God.

3. They are scared of hearing from God.

4. They do not want to hear from God.

Now then. The first two are easy. God created every human being the same as each other. Even if someone is born with a physical or mental "flaw", each individual person comes with a brain, a heart, a soul, a spirit and a body. Every human being has the potential to live, to have purpose and meaning, and ultimately, to love, to know Him. Things like money, social status, appearance(good looking or not good looking), education, are not what make a person valuable in God's Sight.

Now, #3. If you are scared of hearing from God, I would only sggest that you ask anyone else who says they have heard from Him, if He is scary or not... and then go from there. I am sure they will tell you ... He is the Most Loving One you can ever Communicate with!!

#4. Now... This is a big one. The person who does not want to hear from the Lord, already knows the answer. They already have the answers that they might seek. They are usually angry with God, because of something happening not to thier particular desire, and therefore they think God doesn't exsist, because He didn't serve thier wants. These people need to learn the art of acceptance. The art of Grace.

See... no one gets what they want, all the time. In fact, we are called to do HIS will, and NOT our own!
Can someone say "Self- Denial", or in other words, "SELF CONTROL"?
What is "self control" anyway?

It is the ability to control one's self. This does not mean, to just simply avoid temptation,. or to have some magical strength over things like sexual lust, craving for foods or abstaining from alcohol.

It is more like a map and a compass if you will.. or a ship at sea.

You thoughtfully and intelligently make choices instead of being lead by impulses.

Your "self" is more than a body. It is also a mind, a heart, a spirit and a soul.

Now then, One other reason, a person might not be "Hearing" from God, is because they aren't "Seeking Him with ALL their HEART".

This might include fasting, crying, screaming, praying, reading, writing, talking, listening.. Yes listening ....

If you really want to hear Him, you will hear Him. If you still are having trouble, I suggest checking your own self, church, The Cross, and counseling.