.

New Arrival

2012-01-28T20:50:00.000-05:00

I went to London to visit one of the newest members to my family today. His name is Brayden Drew and he was born on the 27th. He weighed in a 8 lbs 1 oz. God is good!

It's Real!!!!

2012-01-27T22:18:00.001-05:00

Nothing Magic about my Eternal Kingdom.

I Will Wait... Continued from Banner Inspiration

2012-01-27T10:29:00.003-05:00

We’ve got instant soup… Instant grits… Instant rice… Instant cash withdrawal from the ATM… So-called instant love… That leads to instant marriages… And results in instant divorces…! We want everything quick, fast, and in a hurry…! But how many of you know that good things come to those who wait…? For Paul tells us in Galatians 6:9 to “Not grow weary in our well doing…” Don’t grow weary while you’re waiting… Don’t give up while your yet waiting… “For in due season we shall reap… IF we faint not…!”

Likewise, the prophet Isaiah lets us know that “They that wait upon the Lord, SHALL renew their strength… They shall mount up like eagles… They shall run and not be weary… They shall walk and not faint…!”

But while we’re yet waiting… What do we do…? What do we do… Between the time God gave us a vision… Gave us a promise… Until we reach that next level…That expected end… The fruition of that promise… The manifestation of that vision…? Let me suggest to you this morning that we need to learn how to WAIT on God…! (Repeat) Why? Because there is danger in not waiting on God…. Our text shows us three examples of the danger of not waiting on God… We’ve got to learn how to move and operate on His schedule, realizing that He knows what’s best for us… There is a danger in not waiting on God… Understand today that not waiting on God will cause you to…

I. BLAME GOD FOR YOUR SITUATION

· Sarah blamed God for her predicament
· She implies that God had not been good to her
· Not only do we blame God, but we often blame others for our misfortune
· We must understand that God knows what’s best for us

Your impatience to wait on God will cause you to Blame God For Your Situation… And secondly, it will cause you to…

II. OPERATE IN FLESH NOT FAITH (16:2)

· Sarah turns to the world to solve her problems
· Whenever we get impatient we turn to the world for a remedy
· This brings on the works of the flesh (Gal 5: 16-26)
· When you operate in the flesh, God is not obligated to respond: He didn’t recognize their marriage (when we sleep with someone, that’s marriage… that’s covenant…!)

The danger in not waiting on God will cause you to Blame God For Your Situation… Operate In Flesh Not Faith… But most of all, it will cause you to…

III. REGRET THE RESULTS

· Hagar despised Sarah; Hagar thought she was better than Sarah… Sarah’s eyes were opened to what she had done…
· Impatience is sin: (Phil 4:6) Sin will cause your eyes to be opened after the fact… Adam & Eve, Prodigal Son, Priests, Scribes & Soldiers @ Calvary
· Because of her disrespect, Sarah took drastic measures to get rid of Hagar… (v 5-6)
·The consequences (results) of your sin may not necessarily be favorable…

Learn how to wait on God… But why is it so important to wait on God…? Waiting increases your faith… (Is 40:31)

God wants us to live by faith… (15:6) Because faith is what pleases God… Hebrews (11:6, 11-12) If Heb 11:6 is true and I want to please God… The question is… How do I get faith…? How do I increase my faith…? How do I operate in faith and not flesh…?

Romans 10:17… You need the Word of God…! That’s the only way to increase your faith…

They Really Are....

2012-01-27T10:28:00.002-05:00

In The Hand of the Weaver

2012-01-26T12:55:00.000-05:00

See As God Would See

2012-01-26T12:53:00.000-05:00

The Presence of God

2012-01-26T12:41:00.002-05:00

Where You Are...

2012-01-26T12:40:00.002-05:00

He Will Never Forsake Us...

2012-01-26T12:39:00.000-05:00

Trading Pebbles for Jewels

2012-01-26T12:36:00.000-05:00

Don't Forget

2012-01-26T12:34:00.002-05:00

When I Think Of You

2012-01-25T09:15:00.002-05:00

Always

2012-01-25T09:10:00.002-05:00

Beauty From Inside

2012-01-25T09:09:00.002-05:00

Losing Myself

2012-01-25T09:07:00.002-05:00

Let Go!

2012-01-25T09:05:00.000-05:00

My 7:40 Shot Today...

2012-01-25T08:59:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday Pam Asher!

2012-01-24T09:41:00.003-05:00

If

2012-01-24T09:33:00.002-05:00

Look It Up! lol

2012-01-24T09:28:00.000-05:00

Our Help Comes From Above

2012-01-24T09:15:00.000-05:00

I Am

2012-01-24T09:12:00.002-05:00

Do Everything With Love

2012-01-24T09:11:00.002-05:00

What We Give...

2012-01-24T09:09:00.002-05:00

He Hears...

2012-01-24T09:07:00.002-05:00

Look After Each Other

2012-01-22T07:53:00.000-05:00

One and Only

2012-01-22T07:51:00.002-05:00

Speak Peace Into My Soul

2012-01-21T10:03:00.000-05:00

Amen!

2012-01-21T10:01:00.002-05:00

Smile

2012-01-21T09:58:00.002-05:00

Hope Sees...

2012-01-21T09:57:00.000-05:00

All Doors

2012-01-21T09:55:00.002-05:00

You Are the Only You

2012-01-20T09:38:00.003-05:00

Your life is no accident, it is no fluke of nature. God thought of you long before time began. It was not by luck, chance, or coincidence–it’s for His purpose and glory that you exist. Every natural talent, personality trait, and passion you possess was given to you by God for a specific reason. As the Bible says: “For you created me in my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that fully well.” Psalm 139:13-14. God’s motive for creating you was His love. The reason for creating the world was because of you. Everything in the world was fine-tuned just to make life on earth possible. God doesn’t just show love or possess love for you–He is love! Love is the essence of God’s character. God didn’t need to create you, He had perfect fellowship and love within the Trinity. But He wanted to make you in order to express His love. This is where our identity begins, knowing that God loves us and has a plan for our lives! “He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created.” (James 1:18)
You are a masterpiece created by the Grand Master of the universe whose attention to detail and interest in His creation far outweigh any artist you will ever meet. The Bible states, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.” (Ephesians 2:10, NLT). Self-help books say to look within to discover the life you were meant to live, but the key to this discovery is not looking within, but looking to God. Once you discover who you are, it is only then that you can discover what you were meant to do. Christian artist Steven Curtis Chapman captured God’s heart for us in his song “Treasure of You” which states: ”So take a look in the mirror in the light of the truth, Oh, yes it’s true , See there’s nothing more you can say or do, God loves the way He created you!” You are a masterpiece, a divine work of art, a treasure waiting to be discovered! One more thing we need to keep in mind concerning our identity is this:
One of the greatest lies propagated by our society is this: “You can be anything you want to be.” If God made you uniquely–the one and only you–can you really be anything you want to be? If you’re reserved in nature, can you become a public speaker? If you aren’t fast, can you become a Olympic track runner? If you don’t have an appreciation for kids, can you really become a kindergarten teacher? Maybe, but you will have to work much harder, deal with much frustration, and perhaps be left with an incredible sense of dissatisfaction with what you’re doing. Instead, the question we should ask ourselves is this: Can I be everything God wants me to be? The answer of course is–Yes! Erik Rees, author of S.H.A.P.E. states this in regards to why we were created: “You were not created to conform. You were not created to compare. You were not created to compete. You were not created to compromise. You were created to contribute to God’s kingdom and make a significant difference with your life. You were created to just be you!” So, be the best "you" that you can be, because you’re the only "you" the world will ever see!

All My Life

2012-01-19T08:02:00.002-05:00

Project 7:40 AM

2012-01-19T07:51:00.003-05:00

At the beginning of this year I started a new photography project that I have named Project 7:40 AM. Each morning for a whole year I will aim my camera in the same direction at 7:40 AM. I know I'll miss some days but I've already been pretty inspired by all the differences I've seen. The canvas of the world we live in is constantly changing. God paints us a new picture everyday.

The following pics are from the first three days.

Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Vicki!

2012-01-18T22:50:00.001-05:00

Living the Love Language/By Glenda Harris

2012-01-18T22:06:00.000-05:00

Living The Love Language

Jesus truly knows and understands us. We can tell by His language (actions). It’s the language of love. In 1Corinthians 13:5 Paul says love has good manners -- Love is not rude, it is not self-seeking, not easily angered and doesn’t keep a record of wrongs (holds grudges). Just think of the many times the Lord addressed the women he encountered -- you can see love speaking! He would say “daughter”, “little girl”, “daughter of Abraham” -- all these salutations were respectful. In the days of Jesus, women were treated horribly. John 3:8-11 tells of a woman who was pulled in front of Jesus after having been caught in adultery. It doesn’t really tell us, but Jesus probably kept her from being stoned to death -- But, he then dealt with her firmly without being rough and rude.

It is important how we talk to people. The Lord always said the right things in just the right ways. I encounter people everyday who take no thought what-so-ever before they speak or act. Some people are rude and bossy period. Then, given any room at all, they will be bossing with the word RESPECT completely deleted from their language (actions). God really does understand us!! I believe that is why we have choices. He doesn’t boss us -- He asks us. He knew we’d rather be asked, not told. He is a perfect gentleman.

Love begins with an attitude, which in turn leads to acts of service. Today is a good day to express love -- love starts with family and then spreads outward.

Let us be zealous to walk in His footsteps so we’ll be successful in living love -- not just lip service. So, let’s take control of our actions and use manners by saying please, thank you, do you mind, etc… *Remember we can show love by being silent when the time warrants.

My prayer:

“Father, you made it clear that loving you and loving others is the most important thing I can do. Please help me make that a priority. Let me show Christ-like love to those in my life today and everyday”

Be.....

2012-01-18T11:05:00.002-05:00

Cleaning Supplies

2012-01-18T10:47:00.000-05:00

I've asked the ladies to choose from a list of cleaning supplies in which they will commit to purchasing on a monthly basis. I have a few of them left and will have them with me tonight. I made a "reminder" for each item and how much they should purchase. Just see me at church. Vicki

Valentine Banquet

2012-01-18T10:13:00.001-05:00

The message below is from Sister Vicki.

The theme for this year's Valentine Banquet is "Heartbreakers Wear Red." You may wear what you want, but are asked to wear the color red in one item, like red shoes, red hat, red scarf, red tennis shoes, red handkerchief, etc. At the banquet, everyone will be asked to make up a question or riddle to present to the group which should have "red" in the answer or question, which pertains to the color red. For example, "What body of water did the children of Israel cross to escape from Pharoah?" Answer: The Red Sea. Another example is, "Who was the famous red-headed, female comedian who had her own television show in the 50's and 60's?" Answer: Lucille Ball. The Valentine Banquet will be held Saturday, February 11, at 5:00 p.m. I am asking for volunteers to help decorate.

Without You

2012-01-18T08:38:00.002-05:00

Greater Love

2012-01-17T20:35:00.002-05:00

John 4:14

2012-01-17T20:34:00.002-05:00

Family Rules

2012-01-17T20:33:00.002-05:00

Renew

2012-01-17T11:31:00.000-05:00

Get in the Word

2012-01-17T11:29:00.002-05:00

What Is Right...

2012-01-17T10:40:00.000-05:00

His Grace

2012-01-16T21:29:00.000-05:00

In Remembrance

2012-01-16T11:26:00.003-05:00

Forgiveness

2012-01-16T11:23:00.000-05:00

Walk By Faith

2012-01-16T11:21:00.002-05:00

The Best Decision

2012-01-16T11:20:00.002-05:00

You Are God's

2012-01-14T18:51:00.002-05:00

Give It To Him

2012-01-14T18:50:00.000-05:00

I Am He..

2012-01-14T18:31:00.000-05:00

The King

2012-01-14T18:29:00.000-05:00

Give Me More

2012-01-14T18:24:00.002-05:00

Every Day

2012-01-14T09:30:00.002-05:00

Amen

2012-01-13T23:26:00.003-05:00

A Sound Mind

2012-01-13T21:13:00.000-05:00

Make a Change

2012-01-13T21:11:00.000-05:00

Set a Goal...You Can Do It!

2012-01-13T14:21:00.000-05:00

It's the time of year that we all start making new resolutions. We start out with good intentions but eventually as time wears on we begin to fall back into that old routine. I heard that our Pastor had requested that we all take a 10 day challenge of some sort. Give or take maybe a bit more or less. I think it's important that we strive to learn new things as well.

This year I've decided to step out of my box so to speak and learn something different.

I want to learn to play the violin. Yes, I said violin. lol

So here's to keeping a resolution, accomplishing your challenge and learning something new.

Good luck at whatever it is you choose to do.

Peace

2012-01-12T19:53:00.002-05:00

When In Doubt

2012-01-12T19:50:00.002-05:00

Focus

2012-01-12T19:46:00.002-05:00

Move On

2012-01-12T18:31:00.000-05:00

Ashley is here staying with me tonight and wanted to help me blog. She helped me pick our first encouragment pic tonight. I think she wants to get to snowed in with me.

Proper Place

2012-01-11T23:12:00.002-05:00

Relying on God..

2012-01-11T23:09:00.000-05:00

Over and Over...

2012-01-11T23:07:00.000-05:00

WINGS Meeting 1/10/2012

2012-01-11T12:18:00.000-05:00

Blessings In Disguise

2012-01-11T12:02:00.003-05:00

We all make mistakes. In fact, no one is immune. But at times it can feel like we are trapped. The solutions for our problems can sometimes seem worse than the problems themselves

And though those mistakes can lead to circumstances and troubles that seem very grim, I want to bring you a word of encouragement today. In the midst of your trouble, God understands…and He can turn your mistakes into miracles.

Perhaps you have done the wrong thing…you’ve made some wrong choices…you’ve done what you knew you shouldn’t do…and now you’re suffering the consequences of those mistakes.

Regardless of any mistake you have made…or tragedy that has come into your life…if you will turn to God, He is prepared to take your mistake, your awful circumstance, and turn it into a miracle.

A great example of how God can work in a miraculous way is recorded in the Old Testament. It is the story of Joseph (see Genesis 37-47).

Joseph’s brothers hated him and threw him into a pit. Then they sold him as a slave, and he was taken to a foreign country. People lied about him, and as a result, he was thrown into prison.

Many bad things happened to Joseph. But God took care of him through it all. And in the end he became the prime minister over all of Egypt. The Lord took all the tragedy in Joseph’s life and turned it into a fantastic miracle that not only blessed Joseph but ended up saving the lives of his family and countless others in the land of Egypt and throughout the known world.

God has not changed. He can do the same thing for you. Regardless of the circumstance you’re in, with God on your side, you can’t lose.

Blessings

2012-01-10T23:00:00.002-05:00

Celebrating Deidra's Birthday!

2012-01-10T21:12:00.000-05:00

No Good Thing

2012-01-10T21:07:00.002-05:00

To Be Ourselves

2012-01-10T21:04:00.002-05:00

Seek and You Shall Find

2012-01-10T10:00:00.000-05:00

Jeremiah 33:3

2012-01-09T19:21:00.000-05:00

DEEP WATERS

2012-01-09T18:54:00.000-05:00

2012-01-06T19:51:00.000-05:00

2012-01-04T16:13:00.000-05:00

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:1).

Are your eyes fixed on Jesus today? It’s so easy to let the distractions of the world and the cares of every day life to change your focus. And whatever you fix your eyes on, you open your spirit to. You can choose to fix your eyes on Jesus no matter what distractions of life are going on around you. You see, when you fix your eyes on Jesus, you are opening yourself to the Healer. You are opening yourself to the Deliverer. You are opening yourself to the Prince of Peace, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Provider, the Redeemer, the Strong Tower of refuge.

What do you need in your life today? Peace? Fix your eyes on Jesus. Do you need healing? Fix your eyes on Jesus. Do you need a safe retreat? Fix your eyes on Jesus. And you may have to turn off other things that you’ve been watching so that you can fix your eyes on Him. But remember, He is your source of life and the Author and Perfecter of your faith. Fix your eyes on Him and allow Him to work in your life so that you can experience the victory He has in store for you!

2012-01-04T16:10:00.000-05:00

2012-01-04T16:09:00.000-05:00

Make a Difference

2011-12-27T09:28:00.000-05:00

I Remain....

2011-12-27T09:11:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday Jesus!

2011-12-25T22:46:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas Everyone!

2011-12-25T09:29:00.002-05:00

All Things

2011-12-24T11:52:00.000-05:00

That You May.....

2011-12-24T11:51:00.000-05:00

To Do...

2011-12-24T11:50:00.002-05:00

He Cares...

2011-12-24T11:49:00.000-05:00

Slow Down

2011-12-23T10:27:00.000-05:00

Jeremiah 29:13

2011-12-23T10:14:00.002-05:00

Do not fear...

2011-12-23T10:13:00.002-05:00

Already Planned

2011-12-23T10:12:00.000-05:00

Smile

2011-12-23T10:10:00.002-05:00

Just A Piece of Clay

2011-12-22T13:30:00.000-05:00

When I was a younger more dense piece of clay, I didn’t want to be shaped in the image of anybody but myself. Like many of us I wanted to go my own way, do my own thing. Once God slows us down long enough to get a glance at the reflection inside our heart we all find the same thing… It’s not pretty.

These days the most comfortable place of peace and joy I find is in the palm of the Great Potter.

The sculpting isn’t done yet and it ain’t always pretty, but it’s getting better…

With each turn in His palm.

If God Intends it.....

2011-12-21T21:50:00.000-05:00

Realize

2011-12-21T21:49:00.002-05:00

Whatever....

2011-12-21T21:47:00.002-05:00

Create a Banner

2011-12-20T08:46:00.004-05:00

Ann Dees created this beautiful banner with just some string, scrap book paper, letters, hymnal Christmas song printouts and some glue.