PASSION!

2010-2011

This year has been a great year! We have been truly blessed by God. But I am ready for more. I am ready for something new with God. Sometimes I look back over the past year and wonder if I have really grown with God? Have I really given Him everything I could have? Have I really represented Him like I could have? And honestly, I don’t think I have! Dutch Sheets has been preaching today about how we need an awakening…to get back to our first love…to get our passion back for the Lord! And he is so right. I have lost my passion, that deep hunger, passion,  for the Lord. I just haven’t searched for Him like I want to. I have allowed the enemy to fill my time with just so much that when the day ends I think to myself…what have I done! And I honestly am tired of it! I am changing some things! I am getting my passion and zeal and love back! I love God with all my heart and soul but I know there’s more. And it starts with me! I have to get back what the devil has taken…and mostly that is my TIME! I am going to get back my time! I am going to manage it so that God is first! I want God to manage it-to manage my time! I want things to be different! I once heard a friend say, “I don’t have the luxury of not responding Godly to situations, because those watching me depend on it!” How true!!! And yet I have found myself responding in ways that I have not been proud of! I don’t have the luxury of being an impatient person because love is patient according to God’s word! I don’t have the luxury of responding with anger when the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.(Galations 5:22-23) I want Godly fruit to be all over me! I love all of the fruits but I feel like Self Control is probably one of the most important. Because if you cant control who you are and how you respond then how can you have the other 8! I just love the Lord so much! I want more passion for Him, for His spirit, for His word! So in 2011, my goal is become more passionate for the Lord! He wants to hang out with me and He desires me! He has been waiting on me and I don’t want to make Him wait anymore! I want to be such a Godly woman, wife, and mom that people cant help but feel Him! I want a deeper passion than I had November 12, 1999 when I gave my life to Him or in April of 2008 when I first attended the Ramp and felt that deep desire re-awakened! I am ready for a fresh and new encounter with God! I don’t want anything else but You Lord!!!!! Take it all!!! Just give me Jesus!!! So I will go into this new year and I will not look back! I will keep pressing onwards beyond all my fears! And I challenge you in 2011 to find out more about God. I challenge you to seek like never before! Try Him out in your daily life…not just some half hearted search or attempt but a real attempt. Pray, Fast, Read His Word, Love Him. See what happens. I don’t want to fake it til I make it and I know you don’t either! Live with real purpose ~ the purpose that God has for you! Seek Him and you shall find Him! God bless you all this new year! May it be a year of great awakenings in your heart and in your family’s hearts!!!

Below are the lyrics to a song by Rick Pino called Pioneer. It’s a great song and I just wanted to share it with you!

Pioneer by Rick Pino

Pioneer, Pioneer
Keep pressing onwards beyond your fears
And only your Father goes before you to your own frontier
You're a Pioneer

Uncharted wilderness stretches before you
And you thrive on going where no one has gone
Still it gets lonely when darkness rears
So sing by the fire until the dawn

You travel light and you travel alone
And when you arrive nobody knows
But your Father in heaven, He is glad you can go
Cause those who come after you will need the road

And what you have done, others will do
Bigger and better and faster than you
But you can't look back, you gotta keep on pressing through
There's a wilderness pathway and it's calling you

Calling you, calling you
Keep pressing onwards beyond your fears
And only your Father goes before you to your own frontier
You're a Pioneer

Christmas2010

Christmas is my favorite time of the year. Most importantly because its the birthday of the most precious baby~JESUS!  I am so Thankful that God sent his perfect son to this earth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Second, I enjoy seeing the looks on my kids faces when they receive their gifts.

Third, I enjoy wonderful fellowship with family & friends. 

And last, I enjoy the beautiful lights, smells, and decorated tree's of the season. 

We had a great Christmas! Below are some pictures. 

We woke up Christmas morning to it snowing and it was soooo beautiful!! 

Hope you enjoy the pictures!

We always take a picture after we finish decorating!

 Christmas Morning

Ethan's gifts...he also got a bow that we had hid. He was so excited, he almost cried!

Brianna's gifts!

Kara's gifts!

Jaxson's gifts!

Jaxson was so excited & half asleep...he threw the pillow pet in floor and just sat on the tractor. All we heard the rest of the day was "I love my tractor!"

Checkin out all the gifts! (Yes the clock on the wall is right, it was 6:15AM!)

Its snowing on Christmas!!!!

Ethan loves his Jamz Guitar!!!

So did Jaxson~he actually cried because he wanted one!

It was coming down outside!

After about 4-5 hours of snowing, it looked like this. It was beautiful!!

I had to take a picture of the kids! They loved the snow!

The back yard!

Across the street at the two duck ponds!

Duck Pond and the ducks were actually in the water! Crazy ducks!(you cant see them in this picture)

This barn sits off the road as you leave Hamilton and it was so beautiful with the snow!

HML Photography

I got to do another photo shoot! It was lots of fun. I took some engagement pictures for a cousin and her fiance. I will also be doing their wedding in January. I am very excited. I love to take pictures! Here are a few of the pictures from the shoot!

Boys Birthday!!!!

We celebrated the boys birthdays on December 4th. Jaxson turned 3 on December 12th and Ethan turned 7 on December 18th. Its hard to believe they have grown so much. Ethan wanted a hunting cake...he did not know that I had made the hunting house. So he was very excited to get to see it when I was done. He thought it was so cool.

Jaxson loves John Deere. He gets so excited when he see's a tractor. When he saw his cake, he was so happy. He kept saying thank you mommy for my cake. Below are a few pictures! They both had a great birthday!

Ethan's "Hunting cake" complete with shooting house and buck

Its hard to believe they are already 3 & 7!!! Growing too fast!

Jaxson's "John Deere Cake"

1st Shoot

I have always loved to take pictures! And about two weeks ago, I was able to do my first photo shoot! I am very excited about starting on this new adventure that God is opening doors for! Here are some of the pictures that I took of a wonderful family. I look forward to do more and this becoming more than just a hobby! 

*ENJOY*

Photo's by: 

HML Photography

Heidi Ledbetter

HMLPhotography@aol.com

 

Psalm 119:105
"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

Just Because

I love God with all my heart! And I love worship with Him. I have encountered lots of people here recently that don't understand the worship that I do. They think its too extravagant or unnecessary and that's ok. I remember being there at one time. I remember thinking that its not really necessary to raise one's hand, or dance, or sing at the top of my lungs. But then I had an encounter with this God would changed my life. November 12, 1999, I gave my life to Him. Completely! I had always believed in Him but there was a hunger for more, for something deeper. I was 17 when I gave my life to Him. And 11 years later, not one single day, hour, minute, or second do I regret it! He became a father I had never really encountered...He healed wounds that had been so deep, I wasn't sure they could be...He showed me a love that I had never experienced...He gave me a life full of joy, peace, security, happiness, forgiveness...and so much more. Kim Walker sings it best in "I have found."

The lyrics...
I have found a peace that plows on through the storm.
I have found a joy that jumps over sadness.
I have found a love that lights up every room.
I have found, I've found You!

Chorus:
You are all I want, You are all I need,
Everything my heart could hope for.
We are longing for, the Glory of the Lord,
Cause we know there's so much more!

Verse 2:
I have found a trust that teaches how to rest.
I have found a grace that guides me by the hand.
I have found a strength that stands like a mountain.
And I have found, I've found You!

When I found the Lord and began a real and true relationship with Him, I found life! So when I worship, I want Him to know how much I love Him. Not saying that this is only way to worship and show Him that I love Him but its the way I choose. If I can cheer on Alabama with jumping, yelling and cheering...God is worth so much more! So I raise my hands as a sign of surrender to Him...that during the time of worship I give my all to Him for Him to have His way. I have just recently felt the release to dance and jump(small jump...lol). I enjoy the freedom to Love Him! I love to Love Him and tell Him how awesome He is. I really enjoy those moments when the music is slow and we dance...yep we dance. I can feel Him there with me and we just dance. In my visions, its like ball room dancing and I am doing all the talking...telling Him how awesome He is and how much I love Him! Sometimes I cry at just the though of how much He loves me and that He desires me! I just love to be in His presence!!!

I love Him Just because! Just because He is God almighty! He is my provider, my comforter, my healer, my best friend, my Father who never leaves me, He is God! I love His presence and His love for me. I am not worthy but to Him...I am worth it all...He gave His life for me! Just because...just because He loves me!

Yummy, yummy!!!!

Homemade Hamburger Veggie Soup w/ Cornbread
Ledbetter style :)

Last year, Jeremy decided to make some soup and since we were low on groceries, we just kinda through together what we had in the pantry...well it turned out to be one of our favorites. That happens a lot around here. Dinner made up from the pantry with no real plan. The first time we made this soup, we didn't write down the ingredients, so tonight as we put it together I wrote it all down. And as it was the first few times we made, it was great tonight also!!! And let me say that it goes very very well with cornbread!

ENJOY!!
(ps. we make a big pot of it...big family plus you can freeze it for later too!)

Ingredients:
2 lbs hamburger meat
2 cups of uncooked elbow noodles
2 jars of spaghetti sauce (We use Bertolli)
3 cans Vegall (of course you can use whatever veggies you prefer.)
2 cans diced tomatoes or 3 fresh tomatoes
1/4 onion-chopped
6 cloves of garlic-chopped/minced
1 small can tomato sauce
4 beef bouillon cubes
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:
Brown hamburger meat & drain. Cook elbow noodles.
Combine meat, noodles, and all other ingredients and cook for about 15-20 minutes on Med-Low. (enough to heat and let flavors mix.)

And ENJOY :)

Cornbread
Oven 450
Heat skillet with grease while mixing up ingredients.
(we put just a small amount of oil in skillet, not even enough to cover bottom)
2 cups of cornmeal mix
1 1/3 cups of milk
1 tbsp of garlic salt
1/2 cup cheese (your choice)
Mix altogether and pour in skillet when hot. Cook for about 20-25 minutes or until pretty brown!

Tip: The soup is soooo good if you pour it over your piece of cornbread!
Hungry yet?

Psalm 37:3-4
"Trust in the Lord and do good;
Dwell in the land and feed on His faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart."

Do you...?

Have you ever had someone do something to you that caused hurt and pain? Maybe its way down in there and you don't know even know about it. Have you forgiven them? Do you have un-forgiveness in your heart? Maybe its an old friend, your husband, your wife, mother, father, or who ever it may be...it can be a feeling of abandonment, hurt, betrayal,...the list can go on and on. The most important thing to realize is that it is there.

A few weeks ago at the womens conference, something Mrs. Karen said has stuck with me. She said that (not in exact quotes but you get the picture) those who have hurt you, are being used as a puppet by the devil. Wow, that stuck out to me. I was hurt growing up many different ways. I was sexually abused, felt abandoned, and just very hurt. I would cling to friends only to be hurt by betrayal. And for a while, I did have un-forgiveness in my heart. But I didn't know how to release it! Not long after I got saved at 17, God healed that un-forgivness in my heart. I no longer hold a grudge or even hurt. But I had never looked at it as that those who hurt me were puppets of the enemy. He(the devil) wanted to destroy me and he used other people to do it. And the saddest thing isn't that I got hurt emotionally along the way, but that they don't even know or realize that they were being used.

She(Mrs. Karen) went on to talk about some personal things that she had gone through and how she handled them. (With God!) But God had showed her to forgive the ones who caused such hurt in her life. And when she did that, she could see them walking out of prison along with herself. When we hold un-forgiveness towards others, we keep them in our bondage of hurt along with ourselves.

With that being said, I write this to ask you...have you given forgiveness where it is due? Maybe you feel like you have every right to be mad, hurt, upset, and hate...but I can only tell you that there is no freedom in un-forgiveness. No matter the sin or the pain one caused! I know or at least I feel like I have forgiven but my prayer is that God would show me any hidden un-forgiveness in my heart. I do not want to be in bondage to the enemy, nor give him any place in my life.

Forgiveness is the act of forgiving; state of being forgiven; disposition or willingness to forgive. It is a choice that you must make. And its one that you may have to make everyday. But notice that it means the act of forgiving and the state of being forgiven. When we make the choice to forgive others, we allow ourselves to be forgiven. Wow! So to hold it inside and not forgive, can and will keep you from forgiveness. Mattew 18: 21-35 tells the parable of the unforgiving servant. We can not expect God to forgive us if we are not willing to extend the same mercies to those who have caused us pain.

²¹ Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone^i]"who sins against me? Seven times?”

²² “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!

²³ “Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. ²⁴ In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. ²⁵ He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt.

²⁶ “But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’ ²⁷ Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt.

²⁸ “But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment.

²⁹ “His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded. ³⁰ But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full.

³¹ “When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened. ³² Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. ³³ Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ ³⁴ Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt.

³⁵ “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.”

Mark 11: 26 "But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

So spend some time today and ask God to help you with forgiveness! It will be the best thing you do for yourself today!

Jesus came and died for our sins. You were on His mind on that cross. And every sin you have ever committed has been forgiven if He lives in your heart. Extend that same forgiveness today to someone else! And if Jesus doesn't live in your heart, He is ready and willing at ANY MOMENT to release that forgiveness to you! All you have to do is call on HIM!

Have a blessed day!

Duct Tape

This was one of my devotions this morning and I wanted to share it with you.

Divine Duct Tape

Theresa Ceniccola

Have you noticed that duct tape comes in all kinds of fun colors now? There's an entire rainbow of duct tape - including some of the more outrageous designs of camouflage, tie-dyed, plaid and glow-n-the-dark. Why not? Duct tape can solve almost any problem - from fixing a leaky faucet to removing a plantar wart. Pretty much everyone can use duct tape, right? So it makes sense to choose a color you love. No matter what the color - it all works the same. Sure, we all know the power of the super adhesive, but we don't always have it with us when we need it. I own several rolls of duct tape - including one in neon pink - but I couldn't tell you where they are at the moment. Only Boy Scouts, engineers and the Sopranos actually carry duct tape with them at all times.

If you think about it, duct tape is kinda like God. Powerful, yet gentle. A miracle worker - able to fix the big problems and the small ones. Available everywhere. And once you are introduced to duct tape, you begin to think of more ways you can use it in your life.

The problem with duct tape is that if you remove it, you are left with a sticky residue. A reminder of a broken time. The residue then begins to attract dirt and dust, creating an even greater dilemma. God leaves his mark on our souls in much the same way. Once we invite him into our hearts, we are changed forever. Once we witness his incredible mercy and unconditional love, we don't want him to leave. We don't want to remove him from our lives and open ourselves up to attracting evil and despair.

And God comes in a variety of colors. He dresses in just the right color each time he appears in my life. He is the color of the spirited young teacher who just won't give up on my child, the compassionate nurse who actually holds my hand and takes the time to explain what's going on, and the stranger who patiently holds the door for me and my three kids as we argue, trip and drop stuff on our way. Yes, God comes in many colors - a pattern to suit each one of us. He makes it easy for us to find him despite his chameleon tendencies.

Like duct tape, God is always accessible - but we have to remember to use him. God can solve all problems, but we must carry him with us. So, I think I'm going to buy some funky duct tape - maybe in a leopard print - and put it in my purse to remind me to call on God when I need him. I'll put some in my car, in my office and in my laundry room, too. That way, I'll be sure to ask him to repair my life when it falls apart. Plus, I just might use the duct tape!

I wonder what would happen if I ran into Tony Soprano...me and God...Tony and his trunk full of duct tape. I have a feeling my Divine Duct Tape would be stronger.

Pictures

Well I haven't updated in a while...sorry. Been kinda busy with school and all starting. The kids started back August 9th and then Jeremy started 19th. Its been good just busy. We are all doing great. Ethan has joined Cub Scouts and Jeremy is the Den leader for his scouts! That's really cool and Ethan loves it! Kara is doing Jazz dancing. She is really catching on. Brianna is practicing for the Christmas Production at the Ramp.

Here are some Pictures from the past few months: More blog to come soon. Have lots on my mind :)

July:
The boys enjoying the skate boards. Ethan is pretty good with it.

Kara's bday
August:

1st Day of school: 7th, 5th, & 1stNew Hair for school Ledbetter Family Reunion
MowHawk Brothers :)August Ramp Baptism
September
Jeremy and Ethan with the Cub Scouts in the Homecoming ParadeThere you go...some updated pictures. More to come soon. Sorry it has taken so long.
I will be posting a new blog soon. God has been so awesome. The grace He gives us, the way He loves us, how to be a seeker and why, and allowing Him to take everything out of me that isnt of Him so He can fill me with Him. Just a few of the many thoughts in my head. Be back soon!