Prayer request

Please pray for Grayson Eli Whitlock. He is 2 weeks old and was born at 26 weeks. He is doing good but needs prayer for his lungs so he can come off the ventilator. He weights 2lbs and as you can see his feet are the size of your car key! His parents have prayed for him for a long time and he an answered prayer and gift from God! Please lift him and his parents, Stephen and Tracy Whitlock, up in your prayers! I will keep you posted on how he is! Thanks!

tiny toes

The Cross

I once read a story that now stays with me everyday.
There were these two boys, Jake and Matt, who were best friends all their lives. Jake grew up in a Godly home and was saved. Matt had a terrible home life and lived ungodly. But Jake and Matt always hung out. They played ball together, went fishing together, turned 16 together. One night, Matt was out partying with some other friends and on their home, the car crashed and Matt died. Jake knew he wasn't saved. And he knew he never shared with him. One day Jake received a letter. As he opened it and began to read it, he realized it was from Matt...
Dear Jake,
As I sit here, I get madder and madder by the minute. We spent our whole lives with each other and not once did you ever tell me about this horrible place. Not once did you tell me about Hell! Its terrible here! Why didnt you tell me? Why didnt you tell me that all I had to do was give my life to the Lord and I could missed this place. I could have went to heaven. Why?
Your friend,
Matt

Wow! Everyday we have the opportunity to share the good news of Jesus Christ with those around us and we don't. I am guilty of this. Its that fear that maybe they will be mad, or they will think I am crazy. But over the past few months, this has really been an issue on my heart to make sure that people know. We, as children of God, cant live our lives everyday the best we can and hope that just by that, people will get saved! We have to reach out to those around us and make sure that when that time comes, they have made the right choice or at least had the opportunity to.

Today, I am reminded of what my Savior did over 2000 yrs ago.

JOHN 19
16...So they took Jesus away. ¹⁷ Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the place called Place of the Skull (in Hebrew, Golgotha). ¹⁸ There they nailed him to the cross. Two others were crucified with him, one on either side, with Jesus between them. ¹⁹ And Pilate posted a sign over him that read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” ²⁰ The place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, so that many people could read it.

²¹ Then the leading priests objected and said to Pilate, “Change it from ‘The King of the Jews’ to ‘He said, I am King of the Jews.’”

²² Pilate replied, “No, what I have written, I have written.”

²³ When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided his clothes among the four of them. They also took his robe, but it was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. ²⁴ So they said, “Rather than tearing it apart, let’s throw dice for it.” This fulfilled the Scripture that says, “They divided my garments among themselves and threw dice for my clothing.” So that is what they did.

²⁵ Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene. ²⁶ When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, “Dear woman, here is your son.” ²⁷ And he said to this disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from then on this disciple took her into his home.

The Death of Jesus

²⁸ Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, “I am thirsty.” ²⁹ A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. ³⁰ When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and released his spirit.

³¹ It was the day of preparation, and the Jewish leaders didn’t want the bodies hanging there the next day, which was the Sabbath (and a very special Sabbath, because it was the Passover). So they asked Pilate to hasten their deaths by ordering that their legs be broken. Then their bodies could be taken down. ³² So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the two men crucified with Jesus. ³³ But when they came to Jesus, they saw that he was already dead, so they didn’t break his legs. ³⁴ One of the soldiers, however, pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out. ³⁵ (This report is from an eyewitness giving an accurate account. He speaks the truth so that you also can believe.) ³⁶ These things happened in fulfillment of the Scriptures that say, “Not one of his bones will be broken,” ³⁷ and “They will look on the one they pierced.”

He gave His life for me! He died a horrible death just for me. His blood, on that day, covered every sin that you and I could ever commit. It doesn't matter what we have done, all we have to do is ask for forgiveness.

John 3: 16-17~16"For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him."

The great and wonderful news is that Jesus rose from the dead!

So today I am asking you...ARE YOU SAVED? You may think, well what exactly does it mean to be saved. To become a child of God, means to realize that God made a way for you to escape the horribleness of Hell. Why? Because He loves you that much!!! He made way through His son who was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on the cross, and rose from the dead. The blood that He shed for us washes away every sin ever committed "if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9) After becoming a child of God, you then live your life through the Word, The Bible. Once you make the decision to truly change your life, you strive live a life that is sinless.

God is God of Love. He loves each and every one of us and desires to have a relationship with us. But He will never force us to make that decision. Its up to us. We have to want it. We have to want to go to heaven, to have a life of peace and joy. Becoming a child of God doesn't mean that your life will instantly becoming problems free, but it does mean having Him fight your battles. And with Him by my side, all things are possible. And even in the hardest time, I have the faith to know that He is working things out on my behalf.

I love you all! I hope this weekend is the best of your life!
Are you saved? If you died in 5 mins, would go to heaven or would you go to hell!

Brianna is 12!!!

I can not believe Brianna turned 12 yesterday! It just doesnt seem right. Seems like just yesterday she was my 3 yr old little girl!!! But wow the beautiful, Godly, young lady she has become is awesome and I am so proud of her. I love her very much! Here are some pics from her family bday party!Brianna was so excited to get her purse!!Ethan and NoahMe and Maddie

Ready for whats next...

So I have been in this slump all week...no energy, extra tired, cranky at times for no reason, stressed, frustrated, and overwhelmed, feeling like I am at a road block in lots of areas. Wow after typing all that, I feel sorry for my family this past week.

As I logged in onto Facebook last night, Mrs. Karen says she can feel its going to be a great weekend(along with lots of others). Next was Creflo Dollar status, "God promises to come through in your life in a way that will work for you and satisfy you. When your path appears blocked, God sees a way." I've had moments this week when I have realized that God is up to something big because the enemy has been on my back, kinda like those nagging people on the back commercials. I have comlete faith in the Lord and I KNOW He has my every situation in His hand. Athough I hate times when I feel like this, I have a great anticipation and excitement with what the future holds. God's plan is always bigger and better than the enemy's and even with my uncertianty of how it will all work out, I know that it will. God can see ahead of me. So even with all this heaviness on me, I can see the beauty coming. I can feel it. I know there will be breakthrough. I just have to keep the praise coming and lifting up His name. In Acts 16, Paul and Silas were in jail, beaten and chained up, they still praised the name of the Lord. Around midnight, there was an earthquake and their chains were broken. Through their praise and faith, God made a way. And so I will know I just have to keep my head held high and know that He is God! (By the way, God is so funny. He knows what we need when we need it...this morning my devotion was "Praise your way to a Breakthrough!" Haha, I love how He works!
Sometimes the heaviness is there so that we can be truly grateful when its lifted. The gathering this weekend is going to be amazing. In my heart, I have been excited about it. Rick Pino is supposed to be here, on top of all the other great people who are with this ministry!

Jeremiah 29:11 " 'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.' " So if today you are feeling the same thing or going through something that you just cant see the end of, remember that as long as God is in control, that it will only last for moment and that it will all work out. Because He has great plans for us. He knows the future and as long as we stay on His path, His will, and let Him guide us, Everything will be ok.

Have a great day and enjoy this beautiful picture God gave me yesterday after a hail storm here at the house. :)

What is your Birthright?

What is your Birthright?

What is a birthright? **(any right or privilege to which a person is entitled by birth)
it’s a position that holds rights and benefits. What are your benefits of being a child of God, what’s your birthright in Heaven? Eternity with the most High God, forever happiness and love!!! The most joy you could ever think you could have.

What about the birthright of Hell? Eternal burning in the lake of fire, misery, sadness, depression, feeling of loss!

Esau and Jacob *Genesis 25:27-34
Jacob always wanted what Esau had…from day one….

Genesis 25:27-34 (New International Version)
27 The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was a quiet man, staying among the tents. 28 Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
29 Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. 30 He said to Jacob, "Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I'm famished!" (That is why he was also called Edom.-red )
31 Jacob replied, "First sell me your birthright."
32 "Look, I am about to die," Esau said. "What good is the birthright to me?"
33 But Jacob said, "Swear to me first." So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.
34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left.
So Esau despised his birthright.

Esau sold his birthright in the moment, without thinking ahead to the future and the consequences of his actions. He took what he could feel and let it control the moment.

Are the actions in your life affecting your future: Are you thinking about the consequences of what your actions have on your future? Are you giving up your birthright for the moment, for the thrill, for the high, for selfishness?

What is your birthright? Each and everyone of us was and is born a child of God, his son or his daughter!!! Psalm 139:13-16 (13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, 16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.)….tells us that God knew us before we were even formed, before I was an I, He already knew me and the path He has for me. My birthright is that of-the child of the most high God, King of kings, and Lord of lords!!! I am an heir to God and his kingdom and all that is His. He has a place for me and for you in Heaven…our own little place! Just as a prince or princess, in-line to the throne, I have a path set before me. Ephesians 2:10 (For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.)…. tells me that “we should walk in them.” Its my choice to go after that path, to go after my birthright, to be proud of it. To be so proud of it that I don’t let foolish things get in my way of obtaining it. I am running a race to obtain the prize.

Esau gave his away for some stew!!! What is your stew? What are you willing to give it up for? …sex, lust of another person or thing, drugs/alcohol…just one more high/drunk, attitude(yes even our attitude can get in the way), anger, hatred, un-forgiveness, adultery, fornication with the enemy(giving yourself to the enemy), a job, money, a friend, a boy/girlfriend…? What is your stew? What is so important that you would be willing to give up your birthright, a seat in Heaven, Eternity with the most wonderful and loving father you could ever imagine…What would you give up for your birthright? Satan knows that by taking it from you, that you have lost the best thing ever given to you. Why do you think he fights so hard for it. Jacob knew the power of Esau’s birthright…why do you think he asked for it? He could have asked for anything else…but he knew how important the power and blessings were that came with that position.

So what is your birthright? Is it important to you and what’s it worth? Will you hold on to it, or give it up in the heat of the moment?

Jacob desired the birthright of Esau…always wanted what he had from the time they were conceived…

Do you have something in you that others desire, that others long for and want? Does your relationship with God show your birthright?

From my mind to my fingers...

My mind seems to be well not blank...I actually have a lot on it but when I sit down to actually type it out, I can't seem to get it out the way it is in my head. Crazy huh. Usually when I lay down at night, I can think of everything I need to write down or want to write down. But wow at midnight, I just don't wanna get up. :) So maybe its writers block??? I have lots on my mind like "what have I learned in the past year?" and the word God gave me "What is your birthright?" along with "What are you hiding in your tent?" (from the book of Joshua) and also "Compromise"... But its like my brain and my fingers can come together to get it all out. The word about birthright is already typed up and I am going to post it, but others are just stuck. So I haven't forgotten this blog thing...I just cant seem to get my thoughts together.

Life has been good. Jaxson is so funny these days. Everything he says is in sentence form now and its just too funny to listen to him talk. Brianna is about to turn 12 and that is so hard to believe. We are half way thru March with only 9 weeks of school left before summer! Cant believe Ethan is almost a first grader and Kara a 5th grader. It just doesn't seem possible. Where did the time go.I love this picture of Brianna and Kara. We went to Nanny's this weekend and I took this there. They are just so beautiful!!!

Ethan has really gotten into this Rock Star thing! He loves his guitar Mrs. Karen gave him. He wants to wear his blazer jacket with his rock shirts, new shades, and messy hair all the time. This week, he was MAJOR ROCKSTAR(think of Alvin and the Chipmunks). :) He really gets into character too. Too funny! But very handsome!

Jaxson, well he is just cute anyway you look at it. I took lots of pictures of him out in the yard(trying to learn my camera). He was a good sport and posed for most of them. He is just so much fun right now. He always wants to say the blessing at eating time, if you ask if he is done with something, his new response is "not yet." He loves to take a shower. He loves to play outside. He can also count to 5 in Spanish and to 8 in English. Yes Dora and Diego are working. haha. It was so funny the first time he counted in Spanish. He was playing cars and just started saying quartro and then cinco. So I said Uno, he said Dos and we finished them together. Now when you ask him, if he doesn't want to say them, he says "No Uno." Very funny. I love my kids and my life!

Stay posted...more blogs to come shortly because I have a feeling its all coming to me. :)
GOD BLESS YOU ALL!

..::LOVE::..

So the #1 bible passage look up in 2009 was 1 Cor.13. This is the chapter defining love and what true love really is. But so often I think we use the "Love" out of context..."I love my car, I love you" Do we really know what true love is...

1 Cor.13 says its patient & kind, not jealous or boastful or proud or rude, does not demand its own way, is not irritable, & keeps no record of being wronged, does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins, never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.~maybe we enjoy things more than we love them...but for those that you LOVE, do you respond the way the word says we should, do we really show LOVE to one another? God spoke this to me one night and I want to make sure that I check every area in my life and I don't mis-use the word Love!

And the 2nd most searched bible passage...Psalm 23. This tells me that the world really is looking for Love and Comfort in something or someone! JESUS IS THE ANSWER!!!!