dear God

dear God,

Hi. It's me. I am having a bad day today. I am tired, grumpy and just want to put on my pjs and eat ice cream and watch I love Lucy ALL day. Please, I ask that you give me Your strength right now. Give me Your guidance. I'm scared that I wont pass my test and that my paper that I stayed up till 3:30 am to finish wont be any good. Help me to trust in You and only You. Help me to love You with all my heart, mind and soul. I know that I should be more strong, more like Daniel. He was in the lion's den and he wasn't scared! Because Daniel trusted You and only You. Help me be like Daniel right now. I can't say today, because today I didn't start like Daniel. and I know You make all things new. I love you God. Okay, for now I guess that's it. Thank you.

Love,

Carol

"a penny a day, makes millions a yr!"

I don't really know exactly when this happen to me, or when it finally hit me, but I have become somewhat of a penny pincher lately! And for those who know me, this is NOT like me! I like to buy myself things, lots of things, pretty things. But lately, I haven't! And today, It just hit me, that I rather throw on my beige Crocs then go out and get a much needed pedicure, because NOW i can't wear my FAVORITE rainbows. And I am OKAY with it! In my Bible is says we must be content with whatever God has for us. "Keep you lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you." Hebrews 13:5 (NIV) See, that's just it! The more we worry about buying things, then we have more money issues (more money more problems!) God's will in our lives is to gives us a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11) and that amazing hope is JESUS! I just wish I was more like this before. But we all do learn from our mistakes, no?! When I do go "shopping" now I say to myself, "Now do I really need this, or just want this?" I just recently walked in to the apple store at the mall the other day. I haven't been inside this new apple store yet because I know me, and I really WANT the ipad! Like really, really want one! But, see back in February I made such a great purchase with my Kindle and last September I got myself my Hp mini netbook. So I ask you, do I really NEED the ipad? No, I guess not. So stayed there, and played with it then I forced myself to not even start asking the apple geeks anything about it! I already know that I LOVE it, so they don't need to sell me on it! Its so awesome! but I know that I will feel so guilty if I buy it. So I just put it down and looked for itouch covers instead (the original reason I was even there!) I walked out feeling very satisfied and very proud of myself :)

Jesus is MY boyfriend :)

Its September 1 and I want to start this month off by blogging my little heart out! I know I have been missing a couple of blogs here and there, but hey all that matters is that I'm HERE now! right?! Seriously, I know I have been gone ALL summer without the slightest little sentence to check in. Its not like I was actually gone this summer! No way! I didn't do much this summer. This summer was blah. My only little highlight was my bday and it was awesome! The family and I went to the Disneyland and had ourselves a fabulous time. I was cool that everyone was wishing me a "Happy Birthday Carol"! At first, I thought hey how do they know its my bday?! Hello, I got my little button to show my day :) I didn't even get my tan on this summer, nope! I always go to the beach in the summer and spend hrs tanning and reading, but not this summer. But you know that was okay, since I am a year older I kinda don't want to put more sun expose to my body. So God has been showing me so many amazing things to me this summer. I know I said, I really didn't do anything special this summer, but honestly being with God my entire summer, it was special. I am discovering God in everything now. I mean everything. From picking that parking spot so i wont be late to my class, to scheduling me with the the people that DO work and not slack off. He is everywhere. He knows when I had such a LONG day/night at work and speaks to my heart to let me know He is in charge of the day, not me. Jesus is my boyfriend! He cares for me, and this is what takes my breath away! That he cares about ME, down to the insignificant things in my life, but are important in His eyes. I am important in His eyes. To me and my heart, this is romantic. I see Him in all the little things in my life and all the big things in my life. And, finally today is just Sept 1. After 6 years, its just Wednesday Sept 1. You know why? Because of Jesus. He is in my heart, my mind, my soul. Six years ago this very day my life was kinda turned upside down( more on that in later blogs) I didn't know my true Love, yet. And to me this means, I am growing and falling more and more in love with my creator. Such an awesome feeling! So, yeah, Jesus is MY boyfriend :) so cool!!

"You shall Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength." Deuteronomy 6:5

"As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you: abide in My love." John 15:9

p.s. I am SO getting that sweater if i find it somewhere!!

will God remember you?

"God remembered Noah"! I was reading this last night before I went to bed and it just spoke to my little heart. It's funny, I have read this scripture tons of times before but it didn't speak to me the way it did last night. Let's back up a little. To Genesis 6:9-13 " This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generation. Noah walked with God. The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupted their way on the earth. And God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth.God was very serious. Men were hurting and killing and robbing and stealing and lying and sinning continually. Only Noah was seeking the Lord. How disappointing. God made man and loved man, but man hated God and His ways. Therefore, God decided to destroy the unrighteous by bringing the biggest flood in the history of the world! Noah build the biggest and coolest ark ever and his family went into the ark along with all these animals that God told Noah to put in the ark. The rain was for forty days and nights. It flooded the earth for one hundred and fifty days! And every living creature on the face of the earth was wiped out! When the waters finally receded, the ark came to rest on the mountains. Noah and his family continue to wait in the ark for eight months while the surface of the earth dried. Finally, after an entire year God remembered Noah and his family and let them out of the ark. Noah built an alter and worshiped the Lord! God was pleased with the burnt offering of clean animals and promised to never destroy the living creatures He had just done.

You see God's purpose of the flood was not to destroy the people, to destroy the wickedness and sin. But no matter how sinful and wicked those people were, Noah and his family stayed sinless and walked with God. Noah didn't care what others thought about him or how he was ridiculed for following God and His righteousness. He loved God with all his heart. Noah obeyed God. And yes, God did remember Noah! Will God remember you?

who is your GIANT?

I was listening to that Casting Crows song this morning while I was totally rushing out the door to get to work...but the lyrics were just in my heart so much I wanted to blog about it."Oh, what I would do to have the kind of strength it takes To stand before a giant with just a sling and a stone Surrounded by the sound of a thousand warriors shaking in their armor Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand But the giant's calling out my name and he laughs at me Reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed The giant keeps on telling me time and time again "Boy you'll never win, you'll never win."But the voice of truth tells me a different story the Voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"and the Voice of truth says "this is for My glory"Out of all the voices calling out to me I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of truth!"

This is from the one of my favorite Bible stories, In 1 Samuel 17: 1-58, the story of David and Goliath. Goliath was a nine foot tall soldier from Gath, he would brag and say he can beat any Israelite soldier who would fight him. But all the Israelite soldiers were afraid to fight him! And David was young shepherd who believed in God. He said, "The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." David took his sling and five smooth stones from the brook. Then he went to fight Goliath. King Saul wanted to put his heavy armor and helmet on David. He also tried to give David a big sword, but David said he could not wear them. He knew that his strength and protection came from God. Goliath cursed the boy coming out to fight him. David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin; but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied." David threw a stone with his sling at Goliath. It hit Goliath in the forehead and the giant fell face down. Without a sword in his hand he struck down the giant and killed him. David believed in God, and God helped him win over the giant. The giant fell when stone hit him. Then David used the giant's own sword to kill him.
I used this Bible story a lot in my life! it reminds me that the God we serve is always there to help us fight that GIANT in our life!

My mommy

Mom, you are a such a wonderful mother.

You are so kind and gentle, yet you are such a strong hard working mom.

The simple ways you care for all of us.

You always put your wants and needs last.

You always make me feel so loved and cared for.

You always know the right words to say when I am feeling down.

You know me better than anyone else.

You give guidance when I ask.

You support me and always encourage me.

You have taught me to be such a strong dependable women.

You love your Jesus and you trust in Him with all you heart, and it shows.

I Love you more than you know.

Your not just my mom, you are my best friend.

Thank you mom for all that you do.

And thank you Jesus, for blessing me with such an amazing and wonderful mommy.

My Season

"To everything there is a season, time for every purpose under heaven.." (Ecclesiastes 3:1) Every time I read that verse it always brings me back to all the different seasons that God has taken me in and taken me out of. I sometimes wonder if this is the season the Lord has me, or is it the season I have ME in? I made a promise to myself and to you, whoever you are reading my blogs that I will keep it simple, real, and honest. Maybe this is why it takes me a while to actually "publish" my blogs, because I go over them, and think who on earth would want to read this mess? However, this simple blog, is something that I look forward to and enjoy to write, and I like sharing my thoughts and my ideas about My Jesus. About His Love. To answer my own question, I do believe that this is the season the Lord has me. To sit more and more at His feet. To learn more about Him. To share more about Him. To fall more in love with Him. To come back to My first Love.

When my back when out last week, I was miserable! Boy was I hurting. But, that ugly time has gotten me closer to my Jesus. My hours at work, aren't that much right now, (thank you Lord for that!) and yes I have to take some summer school classes to make up the ones I had to drop, and yes I know I will probably be in the only the 40 year old lady in my classes, but hey at least, I'm not giving up! ( I don't think I would look like I'm 40 when it happens...got good genes) and I still haven't called my best friend since 4th grade to tell her I love her and I miss her and that I think about her and her family everyday. But God is working on that. (we do text here and there) And that I am back on the weight watcher wagon and this time, not gonna drop it. (already lost 5 pounds this wk!!) and yes, today I laughed until I cried, danced like Beyonce and finally sat at the feet of my Jesus once more. Thank you for taking this little journey with me, once again. Sorry I have been absent for a while, but I am BACK!!!

Love and blessings to each of you =)

Flower Child

When I was younger, I use to always dress like a hippie for Halloween. It was fun and it gave me a chance to write on my jeans and rip them up like the hippies. I use to sport the tie-dye shirt with my leather vest. And of course my flip flops! It was the coolest! You know it was something about the hippies that always got my attention. Not to mention that my dad use to be a hippie or flower child. The web definition of hippie is someone who rejects the established culture; advocates extreme liberalism in politics and lifestyle. Crazy huh?!! So you are probably wondering why on earth I'm I blogging about hippies right? Well, you see on Wednesday evening, I went to church and they had this cool, worship band that use to perform back in the hippie days. LoveSong. I honestly, have never heard of them. Maybe one or two songs before. But that night, I saw the many faces of my brothers and sisters in Christ and they were so excited and singing to all the words. Just like my friends and I would if it was Chris Tomlin or Mercy Me on stage!! Some of those people were there when the movement was taking place.

The Jesus people movement. It was in 1967 many of those formerly involved in the counterculture began to proclaim that their lives had undergone a radical spiritual transformation. Many hippie addicts spoke of freedom from drugs. Testimony services revealed that something extraordinary was happening, the experience of faith in Jesus Christ among the hippies. The Jesus People Movement was a revival! And many of the world's church leaders of Calvary Chapel are now senior Pastors that were there at that time! Amazing! I really believe that no matter what era, what place, or what you look like to others, God will use you! I bet none of these hippies woke up one day and thought, "Oh hey, I'm going to church today and ask Jesus to be my Savior!" No way! they wanted some sort of peace and transformation. And that only comes from Jesus. The hippies didn't want to belong to some "religion" they just wanted to be in a loving relationship. And that is what they got! With Jesus! You always see hippies with there love posters or with there peace signs. In Matthew 22:37, Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. Hippies just wanted someone to love them. They sure found it, with Jesus their Lord and Savior!

quotes and poems =)

Quotes:

" One can give without loving, but one cannot love without giving" -Amy Carmichael

"The fact that I am a woman does not make me a different kind of Christian, But the fact that I am a Christian does make me a different kind of woman". -Elizabeth Elliot

"God never witholds from His child that which His love and wisdom call good. God's refusals are always merciful- "severe mercies" at times but mercies all the same. God never denies us our hearts desire except to give us something better." -Elizabeth Elliot

"Blessed are the single-hearted, for they shall enjoy much peace. If you refuse to be hurried and pressed, if you stay your soul on God, nothing can keep you from that clearness of spirit which is life and peace. In that stillness you will know what His will is." -Amy Carmichael

“Though our feelings come and go, God’s love for us does not.”-C.S. Lewis

"God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing." -C.S. Lewis

Poems:

"Phenomenal Woman" by Maya Angelou

Pretty woman wonder where my secret lies.

I'm not cute or built to fit a fashion model's size

But when I start to tell them,

They think I'm telling lies.

I say,

It's in the reach of my arms

The span of my hips

The stride of my step,

The curl of my lips.

I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me.

I walk into a room

Just as cool as you please,

And to a man,

The fellows stand or

Fall down on their knees.

They swarm around me,

A hive of honey bees.

I say,

It's the fire in my eyes,

And the flash of my teeth,

The swing in my waist,

And the joy in my feet.

I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me.

Men themselves have wondered

What they see in me.

They try so much

But they can't touch

My inner mystery.

When I try to show them,

They say they still can't see.

I say,

It's the arch of my back

The sun in my smile,

The ride of my breasts,

The grace of my style.

I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me.

Now you understand

Just why my head's not bowed.

I don't shout or jump about

Or have to talk real loud.

When you see me passing,

I ought to make you proud

I say,

It's the click of my heals,

The bend of my hair,

The need for my care.

'Cause I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me

Hope is the thing by Emily Dickinson

Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul, And sings the tune without the words, And never stops at all,  And sweetest in the gale is heard; And sore must be the storm That could abash the little bird That kept so many warm.  I've heard it in the chillest land, And on the strangest sea; Yet, never, in extremity, It asked a crumb of me.

Who do you say that I am?

"Men, you have been with me sometime now. Yet you are still unsure who I am, and what
my work is. Who do men say that I am?" They quickly answered, "Some say you are
John the Baptist, others say you are Elijah, and others say you are Jeremiah or one of the prophets." Jesus then looked at them intently and asked, "But who do you say that I am?" In typical aggressive style, Peter immediately replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus looked at Peter and said, "How blessed you are for having this truth revealed to you without the aid of religion. (Matthew 16:13-16) Isn't that just awesome?! WOW!! See, back in the Jesus days they didn't have the New Testament, only the Old Testament. So how did Peter know that this was Jesus the Messiah?!! The Son of the Living God!! His Truth. His Word. It was all there and Peter couldn't do anything but to just believe in it. When Jesus said "who do YOU say that I am? He doesn't care what others say about Him. He cares about what YOU say about Him. One of the greatest Christian writers, C.S.Lewis has said, "I gave in and admitted, that God was God."

"Saturated in the Word"

I believe it was Charles Spurgeon that said “I want to be so saturated with the Bible that if you were to cut me, I would bleed Scripture.” We need to be more saturated with Scripture so that our thinking is in line with what the Bible teaches. Everywhere we go, in our society, our culture, it totally saturates us with NON-Biblical thinking. Believe me, this has got to stop! There is no way I can go with my day and not go to scripture or to just ask God to help me and give me His wisdom and His guidance. The choices I have at school and work will affect everything if I don't have that foundation of the Truth. I want to be that strong witness, that caring and loving daughter and sister. And I cannot be all those things if I don't "bleed Scripture"! can I get an AMEN!!

"The Word of the Lord endures forever." 1 Peter 1:25

I surrender ALL!

I woke up this morning and I wanted to share this song that I have been listening to. One of my favorites..."I surrender all" the lyrics are so beautiful. When I first came to the Lord, five years ago, I heard this song, I must have listen to it like 10 times in that first hour! I was in tears, because it says everything I was feeling about my Jesus. Here are the lyrics:

All to Jesus, I surrender;
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

I surrender all, I surrender all,
All to Thee, my blessèd Savior,
I surrender all.

All to Jesus I surrender;
Humbly at His feet I bow,
Worldly pleasures all forsaken;
Take me, Jesus, take me now.

All to Jesus, I surrender;
Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
Let me feel the Holy Spirit,
Truly know that Thou art mine.

All to Jesus, I surrender;
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power;
Let Thy blessing fall on me.

All to Jesus I surrender;
Now I feel the sacred flame.
O the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory, to His Name!

My prayer today is we do surrender all to Jesus and let Him be our first love again. I put Him above everything else. Our concerns, our worries, our faults, our failures, everything! And remember He will comfort us. And sustain us in everything. If we just learn to trust in Him. And love Him, because He loved us first.

"In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." John 16:33

Why I need Jesus

I'm not a happy person all the time.

I sometimes say not so nice things in my head about others.

I don't always listen to my parents.

I sometimes covet things that others have.

I sometimes take more breaks at work than I should.

I can go all week and not talk to my neighbors. (but to be fair, I don't usually see them)

I don't call my friends all the time. (but I do text)

I am not perfect.

I am a wretch that is saved by Grace!

and this is Why I need my Jesus!!

I'm sure I have MORE, but for now that is all =)

Tired of feeling bad about feeling bad!

I am grateful for everything in my life!! EVERYTHING! But, here is the BUT...I wasn't so grateful this past week! And I felt bad every time I felt bad..does that make sense? I was upset, frustrated, depress, anxious, you name it I had it! It was one of those weeks that you just wish you could stay in bed and NOT get up at all!! See, then you do get up and see how beautiful the day is and you feel bad for feeling bad! Sad huh? I honestly think feeling all these sad emotions are really draining for me. I mean, this is why when people suffer from depression they get so tired that there body aches. And you know it eventually goes away. It does. It may take time, but it does. In my devotion it says, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Romans 12:2 No matter what you are going through, God is bigger than anything you have! ANY problem, ANY debt, ANYthing! To be in God's perfect will is amazing! My payer today is that we are lead by the Holy Spirit in everything we do. That we listen to God and shut off the world! That we see others the way God sees them. I listed the few things I am grateful for: my awesome parents that support me in anything I do, my beautiful friends that will drop anything to stop and pray for me when I ask them, my job it pays the bills and I can shine God's love and light there, my health. my aunt that pray for me when I am @ work so late at night. Sometimes, we just have to stop and think about all the wonderful things God has in our life. We need to stop eating worms and start realizing the God has a perfect plan for us and most important. He loves us so much! Thanks for taking the time to read my blog! Praying for you all!

"Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ" 2 Thessalonians 3:5

Mount of Thy redeeming love

I have been listening to this old Hymn for a couple of days now and I just LOVE it!! The story behind this beautiful song, was written by Robert Robinson (1735-1790). He was eight years old at the time of his father's death. He was a very bright, headstrong boy who became increasingly more difficult for his mother to handle. When Robert turned 14, she sent him to London for an apprenticeship with a barber. Robert proceeded to get into even more trouble, taking on a life of drinking and gambling. At 17, Robert and some of his drinking buddies decided to attend an evangelistic meeting, with a plan to make fun of the proceedings. When George Whitfield began to preach, Robert felt as if the sermon was just for him. He did not respond to the altar call that night, but the words of the evangelist would haunt him for the next three years. On Dec. 10, 1755, at age 20, Robert finally yielded his life to Christ, and very soon thereafter answered a call to the ministry. Three years later, as he was preparing to preach a sermon at the Calvinist Methodist Chapel in Norfolk, England, Robert wrote Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing to complement his sermon. The music for the hymn was composed by Asahel Nettleton in 1813.

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.

Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Here by Thy great help I've come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

O that day when freed from sinning,
I shall see Thy lovely face;
Clothed then in blood washed linen
How I'll sing Thy sovereign grace;
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,
Take my ransomed soul away;
Send thine angels now to carry
Me to realms of endless day.

Psalm 29

Shiny Happy People

Do you remember that song from R.E.M, "Shiny Happy People"? I was listening to my Ipod the other day and I found that song! I totally forgot about that song. Then I listen to the to the lyrics, I mean, I know this song so well, but I never really listened to the lyrics until recently:

Shiny happy people laughing
Meet me in the crowd
People people
Throw your love around
Love me love me
Take it into town
Happy happy
Put it in the ground
Where the flowers grow
Gold and silver shine

Shiny happy people holding hands
Shiny happy people laughing

Ahh!! Don't you just hear that song in your head right now?! Go ahead get up and dance a little, I just did! Come on you know you want to. That song usually makes me feel, um I don't know, HAPPY!! You know why? Because I AM. A SHINY HAPPY PERSON!! ha! Well, at least I try to be. I wish I was like this ALL the time, but the sad thing is, when I let the cares and worries of this world take the wheel of my life. I get the opposite of being a SHINY HAPPY person.
In my devotion this morning, I was reading in Proverbs 3:13 "Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding." Finds wisdom? Really? Then I was thinking, wait if all I need is some wisdom, then I can do this! But see the thing is, I was trying to use MY wisdom to "fix" things. And not the Lord's wisdom. And in Jeremiah 29:11" For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." Did you read that last word? A hope. And when we have the Hope of Jesus and the certainty that He will never leave us or forsake us, then why on earth can't we all be SHINY HAPPY people? In Psalm 144:15 it says, "Happy are the people whose God is the Lord!" Who is your god? I think when we put other things in front of God and we expect them to give us that happiness and hope. But they never do. Being happy is an act of our own will. God can't make us happy. We are not puppets on a string. We all have things in our lives that make us unhappy. But the best thing is, we have that power through Christ to make it out! One of my favorite scriptures is in Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Having that true peace of God will guard our hearts and minds and from all the anxieties, worries, cares of this world. When we feel His presence, it creates a strong bond that this world can never take away! That is such an awesome feeling! To walk in the the Spirit. To believe that God will get us through anything, and that He does not give us more that we can handle. I pray, today that we all walk in His love, and seek His wisdom and knowledge in all we do. I pray that no matter what obstacles and worries this week has for us, we will call out to God, and that we put no other god in His place and that we walk in Spirit and let our Shiny light shine so bright! After all, we are all Shiny, happy People =)

"Once I was blind and now I see"

It was a beautiful spring Sunday morning, and I just felt different. Not different in a bad way, but I felt nervous and excited. Like I was going to take a test or a job interview, I was wearing my jeans and a long sleeve pink Hollister collar shirt w/my flip flops and I was on my way to church. As I walked in, I wanted to sit in the front this time. The place was getting packed, but all I can think of was, "Why I'm I so nervous?" I didn't know what was wrong with me. I was restless in my seat. My stomach ached and I can feel it grumbling. The worship started and it was the BEST worship that morning. Each song was just hitting my heart. It felt like my heart was peeling the layers it had. The layers, of sadness, broken heart, resentment, anger, frustration, loneliness. All those layers where just being lifted from my heart! I was a mess already, and the message hadn't even started. Then, after the message. When my pastor asked if anyone wanted to come up and give their life to Jesus Christ that He has forgiven you of all your sins and that you accept Him in your life as your personal Lord and Savior. I wanted to run up to the alter! I knew that I needed to get up to that alter and I needed Jesus! I made my way up, and I was crying but I felt like such a huge weight was lifted. It was the best feeling ever! I just knew that Jesus was in my heart now and He has taken away all my sins. He has delivered me! The Bible says, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature." 2 Corinthians 5:17. And this is exactly what I was now! I new creature! And I totally felt it! I came rushing home to tell my parents the BEST news ever! I was saved! I was saved and redeemed and delivered. Thank you Jesus for coming into my heart 5 years ago today!!

Just Believe...

"Do not be afraid; only believe." Mark 5:36

Is it really that hard to just believe?
To believe that God will use us today.
To believe that we are making a difference in people's life by just witnessing and showing them the Love of Jesus.
To believe that our loved ones and friends will get saved.
To believe in His perfect will for our lives.
To believe that God is in control of everything, and to stop worrying.
To believe that we live in victory through Jesus.
To believe that God will comfort your heart, if we just let Him.
To believe that by reading and praying God will speak to you.
To believe that His plans are better that your plans.
To believe that no matter what, God will always love you if you seek Him.

"Seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13

"Arms Open Wide"

I have lots of things on my mind right now to blog about it, but I gotta do my reading so I wanted to share these lyrics with you guys for now. It's this song from Hillsong. And I have been listening to it for like two weeks in a row like at least 4 times a day! Seriously, the words just speak to me!
Hillsong United Arms Open Wide lyrics:

Take my life I lay it down
At the cross where I am found
All I have I give to You oh God

Take my hands and make them clean
Keep my heart in purity
That I may walk in all You have for me

Oh here I stand
Arms open wide
Oh I am Yours
And You are mine

Take my moments and my days
Let each breath that I take
Be ever only for You oh God

My whole life is Yours
I give it all
Surrendered to Your Name
And forever I will pray

Have Your Way, Have Your Way

This is really just my heart for Jesus! I pray that this song encourages you!

in the dark....turn on the LIGHT!!

I woke up on Saturday morning, a little more tired than usual. But It's okay. The family is home this morning so we can all have our Saturday morning breakfast together. I got up, went to pray and then I hear the rain the outside my window. Love to hear the rain! Well, after and hour of our usual Saturday morning stuff, all of a sudden it starts to pour! Like crazy hail rain with loud thunder and lighting! It was awesome! My mom didn't like it much, she kinda got a little scarred. So then, our power went out for like a couple of seconds then they came back on! "what a relief"! My mom says, "I hope we don't lose our lights again"! I kinda had that feeling that we were going to lose our power because it was coming down again! And sure enough the lights when out...again! But this time for like the entire day! It wasn't to bad for me, because I had to work later on that evening and I didn't come home till after 11 that night. So, I got to thinking before I was saved. I was so in the dark all the time. I didn't realize how my actions or my way of life was affecting not just me but my family. I mean, I wasn't never really into the drinking and doing drugs thing, but I just didn't care much about this family that God has blessed me with. I never wanted to spend time at home, or I just wanted to do my thing and simply be selfish. When God came into my heart and life, He open my eyes, He took me out of the dark and into the Light. In Matthew 5:13-15 Jesus' followers are described as the "light of the world." Just as it would be pointless to turn on a light and then cover it up, it would be foolish if we accepted Christ and then made no effort to do his work in the world. Christians are to spread the light of truth on the world around them. This is amazing!! Also, in John's account of the Gospel, Jesus tells us that He is the light of the world. He tells us that if we follow him we will never walk in the darkness, but will always have the light of life. (John 8:12) And Christians are to be "salt and light" to the world. Both salt and light stand out from their environment, and improve the world around them for others. When I got home from work later that night, my entire house and neighborhood were completely in the dark! It was kinda scary walking from my car to my front porch last night. My mom had left one of those camping lanterns by our hallway for me when I got inside that Light was shinning so bright that I felt very much at peace. Before I went to sleep, I read my Bible with little light, I was just praying and thanking God for getting me out of the darkness and for opening my eyes to His Love, His Truth. Then I kid you not...our lights came back on!! It was so cool! Since, they went off @ like 12 in the afternoon we had all the lights on and tvs all turned on! It was like if God said in Genesis 1:3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. AMEN to that!!

Once upon a time...

Hey guys, sorry I haven't blogged in a while. LONG while! I need to really get on this and just blog my little heart out! And share whatever I the Lord has me sharing with you. So, I have been reading a lot lately. I mean a lot! It's great! Because I LOVE to read! Well, since I got myself the amazon Kindle, I'm seriously thinking this is the BEST investment I have ever spend my hard working money on! I mean, don't know if you guys are familiar with the Kindle. First of all, I have LOTS of books, and not enough room for all of them. So, I would either stack them on the floor, or put them in another book shelf in the living room. (which I don't like, I like MY books in MY room with me) but with the Kindle, I can download up to 1,500 books with this little device!! I know!! amazing huh?! Don't you just love technology? Someone once said “Print is dead”. They just may be right. With today’s technologies and wireless networks, you no longer have to own a printed book in order to read it. E-books are a good way to enjoy reading while not having to worry about owning several boxes full of books. The Kindle is compact and lightweight so it is easy to handle. Just think of it as a conveniently portable television for your books. You can even download magazines, newspapers, and blogs! Okay, so you are probably asking yourself, "wow! this is to good to be true, right?" It's NOT! For instance, a book on the latest New York Times bestsellers list can be purchased for $10.(or more!) Other titles will cost you around $1.99, which is significantly cheaper than a printed book, even in paperback. Books that are public domain can be downloaded for free. Since, I purchase books from Borders or Amazon.com those books tend to get expensive over time, but with Kindle they are at least 30 to 40% cheaper! So, in the long run I will be able to save money as well as space on the purchase of books. Okay, seriously I am NOT getting paid by amazon for the kudos I just gave the Kindle. I just really, really, like it! And I wanted to share with all of you. And if you are an avid reader and are running out of room to keep all your books. Then maybe, just maybe the kindle is good for you. When It first came out last year, it was expensive so I waited. Now it's $259. Not bad for all the money I am saving on the books. And like I mention, they have a lot of FREE books and the other books, if you are interesting in buying them then you can sample them for free like 2 or 3 chapters. Totally works if you are not sure you would like this book or not. Okay, so that is enough of my nerd talk =) and now off to to some reading! I will be posting some of my ALL time favorite books on here, I just have to make it a good top 10 list, but it's kinda hard when I have like a top 500+list!

is it really Gossip?

There I was sitting in my hair dresser's chair reading one of my books that I'm just in love with right now, "A Table for One" (more on why I like this book so much later) Well, I was sitting there minding my own business when I just realized I have been reading page 27 for like 20 minutes and I have no clue what I just read! You see my hair stylist and two other stylist were all talking about someone that did something to someone yesterday. This certain person is not working today so this is why they are talking so freely about them. Then I started thinking about this person. I honestly, don't have any idea who this person is! I felt really bad for this person. The fact that their co-workers were saying things behind their back. So this is what Gossip is? And this is why this particular blog has taken me THIS long to actually write. Because I feel so convicted about doing the same thing! Gossip! plain, ugly gossip. In The Hebrew word translated “gossip” in the Old Testament is defined as “one who reveals secrets, one who goes about as a talebearer or scandal-monger.” A gossiper is a person who has privileged information about people and proceeds to reveal that information to those who have no business knowing it. Is this me? A scandal-monger?! In the Book Of Ephesians Paul writes, "Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers." (Ephesians 3:9-10) Instead of asking what is gossip? Or maybe a better question is what is really sinful in God's eyes? I'd suppose the basis for the matter of gossip is the commandment to not "bear false witness against your neighbor". Granted I'm not conducting proper exegesis, but it makes sense. Biblically - there are verses I wouldn't know how to look for at the moment (hey-I'm sleep deprived!) that say first of all to say something to your neighbor if you see that he is "sinning". God told Ezekial that he was to warn people of their sinfulness, whether they listened or not, because if he didn't speak the other person's sin was "on Ezekial's head". Most important though is that God looks upon the heart. God KNOWS who is truly upright and who is not. From that aspect - I'd say that if you're trying to find out enough about a "leader" to know whether or not he is trustworthy, or trying to warn someone of a leader that you know is NOT trustworthy, motive is what counts. I am going to stick to what I have been told since I was in pre-school. If you don't have anything nice to say about someone then don't say it at all!

is LOVE really in the air?

In December, I walked (okay ran) into my near by Target in search of some last minute Christmas wrapping paper. Going down the aisles I stop to see the clearance section, and BAM!! I see it, and end cap of big, red, hearts....everywhere! What! NO!! Christmas is not even here, and they already have Valentine's Day things! I know that our retail industry just thinks way ahead of each and every holiday and tries to rush it out as soon as they can. But seriously, I don't think it was the fact that Target did this right in between two other holidays. (Christmas and New Years) It is more about that particular day that got me thinking about Valentine's Day.

In Wikipedia it says that, "Saint Valentine's Day or Valentine's Day is a holiday celebrated on February 14 by many people throughout the world. In the English-speaking countries, it is the traditional day on which lovers express their love for each other by sending Valentine's cards, presenting flowers, or offering candy". The holiday is named after two Early Christian martyrs named Valentine. When I was younger I use to love to get Valentine "grams" at school. And see who got more grams and from whom. Or who was your "secret crush". In the my Bible it says the greatest gift is Love.In 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 says "Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails." I do know what Paul told the Corinthians in the famous Love chapter. Love never fails. Love’s greatest expression may be when it is not reciprocated. Think about it. Paul wrote: But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 There is a different territory of love found in loving when it is not reciprocated, when it is not readily returned. To love when being loved is a deeply gratifying experience but if that is all there is to my love then it ultimately is only as deep as the other person’s gratification of my needs. I think God wants more for us. To discover the meaning of loving when not being gratified can be a deeply spiritual experience as well as a deeply meaningful relational experience.It is certainly not an easy thing, to love when it is not being returned, but it is a good thing. Loving even when not loved in return may be a miracle all its own. For when we love in the circumstance of waiting, we are loving in a way that God is intimately familiar with. We are loving, like He loved us. So, this year for Valentine's Day let us love others like Jesus did. But I still can't wait for some Valentine grams!!