abandoned to Christ.

What does it mean for us to "walk in love"? Does it mean that we should all walk around as if we were floating on cloud 9, filled with romantic and idealistic thoughts about our lives and relationships? What does it mean for us to be a "fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."? Does it mean that we are to abstain from anything and everything that brings us pleasure; wear drab clothes and a permanent expression on our faces that tell the world how miserable we are being children of the Most High God, living in a sin infested world? Short answer to both these questions are assuredly in Christ - NO! When I read Ephesians 5:1-2, one of the first things that come to mind is the tabernacle and the altar of incense that was placed on the west side of the Holy Place, and stood in front of the curtain/veil of the Most Holy Place (or the Holy of Holies). The LORD said to Moses, "Take sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum, sweet spices with pure frankince...

We all want beautiful feet. As women, we love to show off our newest pedicures with cute little sandals in the summer and bright, pretty colors that adorn our toenails. We might even put on a little ring that dangles around our little pinky toe, or a ankle bracelet that sparkles in the light. We consider these things, the things that make our feet beautiful. And we look forward to the pampering of our feet and sigh with satisfaction as we leave the beauty shop or spa with our beautifully dressed-up feet. But what does God say about beautiful feet? What does the Maker of heaven and earth consider is the proper adornment of our feet that would make them look beautiful in His sight? God is awesome. Just so we would never have to wonder, He made it perfectly clear to us what He considers -beautiful feet. Are your feet beautiful to God? You left Your glory Your seat upon the throne And You exchanged it For a Cross In a place that was not Your Home. Master, You took my scorn My...

He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake. ~ Psalm 23:3 One of the things I love most about God and His word is that He never gets old! He makes all things new, just like He's making me new every day! Like many of you, I've read Psalm 23 in its entirety, probably about a hundred fifty million times (as you know by now, I like using LARGE numbers ☺ ). But today, God showed me something new that I had never seen. Before today, I've always looked at this particular verse as looking to God for rest, my hiding place, my source of comfort when I am weary, discouraged or afraid. As I meditated on this Scripture today, I realized I didn't fully understand what the word restore means. This is what I found on Dictionary.com: restore v. 1) to bring back into existence, use, or the like; reestablish: to restore order. 2) to bring back to a former, original, or normal condition, as a building, statue, or painting. 3) to bring b...

Here's the picture of all the elements (Valentine's tract, candy & crinkle paper) as well as the picture of our family's Valentine's Neighborhood Evangelism Gift bags. Please feel free to share this idea with anyone and everyone you know that loves our Lord Jesus Christ and who deeply desires this to be said about them: "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus ." Acts 4:13 (NKJV) Some interesting facts about our life. The average person dies at 70 years old. IF YOU ARE: YOU HAVE: 20 years old 2,600 weekends left 30 years old 2,080 weekends left 40 years old 1,560 weekends left 50 years old 1,040 weekends left 60 years old 520 weekends left According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 150,000 people die every 24 hours. According to this chart, and as of next month, I only have 1,560 weekends left. That'...

for more inspiration from God's word today please visit Amydeanne at:

"Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few.” ♥ Ecclesiastes 5:3 ♥

What an incredible promise from our Father God - for those who have repented and have trusted in the name of Jesus Christ alone, will forever be remembered; will forever remain with our Sovereign Creator, the Great I Am! Today is a beautiful day to give thanks to our great and awesome God! But then again, isn't every day? As I looked at all three of these pictures, I couldn't choose which one to use because I felt as if they all described the meditations of my heart: My heart overflows with the well-spring of Life found only in Jesus Christ our Lord. ( Acts 4:11-12 ) My continual prayer is that I reflect the brilliant beauty of our Savior. ( 2 Corinthians 4:6 ) I remember the Lord said that one day, He will right all the wrongs and will come with His winnowing fork to separate the chaff from the wheat; and all temporal sufferings will pass as those called by His name will enter His presence forever. ( Luke 3:17 ) And I pray that I be like this tree, growing in the kn...

"He who has prepared for us this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So that we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil." ~ 2 Corinthians 5:5-10 Therefore let us all live as if it were everyone's last day and redeem the time we have left here on earth. Let us compassionately do the work of an evangelist and preach the Gospel of Christ to the utter ends of the earth, while it is still Day. (this is as picture of my wonderful husband and fabulous youngest son, at their first "target "shoot" together) For more comfort and exhortation from the Word of God, visit:

This is a picture of our youngest son, joyfully looking forward to his first Christmas! He was eight months old when this picture was taken. Time has flown, and he will be fourteen years old, in just five more months. We've been witnessing to our sons and teaching them the ways of God, pretty much since they were conceived. We'd pray for them, read Scripture to them and tell them how much God loves them. I don't believe it's ever too early to teach our children about God, His saving grace and His merciful love, fully demonstrated in Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus said in Matthew 18:2-4 "And calling to Him a child, He put him in the midst of them and said, 'Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.' " So often we all want to feel like we matter, like we have purpose and like we're special. Althou...

Regardless of who you voted for, as Christians we have the privilege to honor our Lord God, not only with our lips, but with our abandoned hearts, to pray for our new President God raised up - and allowed to take office. "Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; He reveals deep and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him ." ~ Daniel 2:20-22 God's word does not return to Him void, but surely accomplishes the purpose in which He sent it. And we trust in the LORD God Almighty; not in personal comforts, fears, anger, disappointment or the opinions of men. But in all things, as children of the Most High God, we are confident , no matter our circumstances, for our lives are not held by the decisions of mere men, but only by the good and sovereign will o...

This is a picture I took of my boys last week. Michael, my oldest, just got home from Cross Country practice and was tired. In this picture Michael and his precious little brother (Kevin) who is his best friend, are lying on the floor just sharing with one another all that happened during their day at school. I wanted to share this picture today because this has been a daily occurrence since the day Kevin was born. My oldest son, whom I love dearly....well, is quite a handful to say the least. He's the child who put the word "strong" in strong-willed. I didn't know much about having children before I had them and all the people around me at the time, who had kids, only had girls. So I just assumed that only boys were so demanding, time-consuming and just, well...a mighty challenge. When we found out we were having another son, I literally had a panic attack, right there in the doctors' office. The first thought that ran through my mind was that there w...

Happy Word-Filled Wednesday everyone! May the Lord our God bless you as you fervently seek Him, and live only for His pleasure! For more blessings today in God's Word, visit Amydeanne at the 160 Acre Woods !

(This is an aerial view from the aircraft my husband was traveling in during his tour in Iraq.) "...and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter said to Jesus, 'Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for You and one for Moses and one for Elijah.' For he did not know what to say , for they were terrified. And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, 'This is my beloved Son; listen to Him.' And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only. And as they were coming down the mountain , He charged them to tell no one of what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead." ~ Mark 9:3-9 (emphasis added) I know the picture I chose to share today is not of a mountain (as the Scripture I chose to share refers to)...or rather, it doesn...

I've recently been thanking God constantly for the special relationship He has granted my boys. They've been best friends since the day our youngest was born and they're convinced they will be until the day they die. We believe them! The middle picture is our youngest son's first day of Kindergarten and our oldest son's first day of 2 nd grade. Big brother was so proud to have his little brother finally attending school with him. And little brother was just as proud and excited to be going to the same school as his really cool, big brother! This picture was taken eight years ago and their not so little anymore. The two pictures on the side were taken from our trip to CO a couple of summers ago. We'd have more recent photos, but I'm just not really quick with the camera and very rarely remember to bring one anywhere I go. Our wonderful sons are now 13 1/2 and almost 16 years old. My how time flies when we're having fun....and we sure are! We rejo...

"Here was sovereignty. Impatient spirits may fret and fume, because they are not called to the highest places in the ministry; but reader be it thine to rejoice that Jesus calleth whom He wills. If He shall leave me to be a doorkeeper in His house, I will cheerfully bless Him for His grace in permitting me to do anything in His service. The call of Christ's servants comes from above. Jesus stands on the mountain, evermore above the world in holiness, earnestness, love and power. Those whom He calls must go up the mountain to Him, they must seek to rise to His level by living in constant communion with Him . They may not be able to mount to classic honours, or attain scholastic eminence, but they must like Moses go up into the mount of God and have familiar intercourse with the unseen God, or they will never be fitted to proclaim the Gospel of peace. Jesus went apart to hold high fellowship with the Father, and we must enter into the same divine companionship if we would ble...

The first thing I thought when I saw this picture was, "Wow, although all the jars are beautiful and uniquely made, the jars that have the light within them really stand out!" Then I thought about us, God's children. Are we like these jars...the one's that have the light within them that make them stand out? Do we live such abandoned lives to Christ that truly His light shines through that it causes the world to think, "Hmmm...they look just like me. But there's just something about them. Something I can't put my finger on. They just kind of...well, glow!" This is how I want to be. I want to live with such devotion to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that while on the outside I may have similar features as another person, wonderfully and uniquely made - that the light of Christ so shines through me, others can see Him....just as easily as we can see the light through these jars! Please head on over to the 160 Acre Woods for more encouragement from:...

(thank you Meri for taking this beautiful picture for me to use today!) "Then Boaz said to Ruth, 'Now, listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women. Let your eyes be on the field that they are reaping, and go after them. Have I not charged the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink what the young men have drawn.' Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, 'Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?' " ~ Ruth 2:8-10 The Lord recently brought me to this passage again. Yes, like many of us, I've read the book of Ruth about a million times. And a million times, the Lord opens my eyes to truth He desires to reveal to me as I come to feast at His table. As I studied and meditated on what Boaz had done and what Ruth's response was, God asked me, "Would you, dear one, have ...

(this picture was taken by my husband during his tour in Iraq 2 years ago) " 'Now therefore why should we die? For this great fire will consume us. If we hear the voice of the LORD our God any more, we shall die. For who is there of all flesh, that has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of fire as we have, and has still lived? Go near and hear all that the LORD our God will say and speak to us all that the LORD our God will speak to you, and we will hear and do it.' And the LORD heard your words, when you spoke to me. And the LORD said to me, 'I have heard the words of this people, which they have spoken to you. They are right in all that they have spoken. Oh that they had such a mind as this always , to fear Me and to keep all My commandments , that it might go well with them and with their descendants forever!' " ~ Deuteronomy 5:25-29 (emphasis added) My sister-in-law has this fabulous plaque over her kitchen window. It says, "...

I am so thankful for my salvation! I am so grateful to our great Lord and God, Jesus Christ for having compassion on me, yet while I was still a sinner - in enmity with God the Father. In view of God's mercy upon me, I desire to lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and run with endurance the race that is set before me, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of my faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. ( Hebrews 12:1-2 ) Will you join me today and follow hard after Christ Jesus our Lord? Get on your mark. Get set. GO!!! Don't forget to make your way over to the 160 Acre Woods for more encouragements in God's Word today! Forever His, and forever grateful!

Welcome to Word-Filled Wednesdays! Amydeanne hosts this at 160 Acre Woods . Please visit her site to see others who've shared a Word from the Lord today to encourage you, bless you and exhort you to seek hard after our Heavenly Father! When I think I'm so smart and so spiritual, I know that's when I need to stop in my tracks and consider James 3:17-18. Wisdom from God is not the kind that tells another person "Sit down, shut up and listen to me because I'm more spiritually mature than you." According to James 3:14-15 although this kind of "wisdom" is spiritual, it's not from God, it's from the devil. YIKES! James 3:17-18 helps me to remember that my love needs to be genuine - that is, holding the other person's interest genuinely above my own before I ever counsel anyone. Not according to what I feel they need, but through prayer and by the power of the Holy Spirit, according to what God says they need. May you be blessed today as you pr...