The B-I-B-L-E, yes that’s the Book for me!!
Posted on April 25, 2011so, i was convicted yesterday that i really need to read my Bible more. i am ashamed to say that there have been days when i haven’t read it at all…
there have been days i have prayed and done good and went to church when i was supposed to, but didn’t read my Bible. that, of course, doesn’t mean i am going to hell or anything, but it’s not good!!
the Christian life is all about good balance. and if i’m not reading my Bible i cannot have good balance!! with all the junk on tv, on the radio, in the newspaper, and just in life in general, i really need to be in the Word!!!
in my quest to start daily Bible reading, i am starting out slow, always a good idea, as to not get overwhelmed and quit, which is quite common for me, i must admit. that is one of my many faults, but God is still working on me!!! 
so, i have decided to read the books of the Bible in chronological order (the order in which they were written) and i will read at least one chapter a day. some days i will probably read more, but like i said, if i start out slow and don’t try to race through it and set too high of expectations, i will be more likely to stick with it and i will also get more out of it!!
i was going to read them in alphabetical order so i read acts 1 today, tomorrow will be genesis 1!!!
There really is a “Hell” and it’s HOT!!
Posted on April 18, 2011Why is it so hard for people to believe that a loving God would allow people to go to hell??
Think about it…God sent His PERFECT son, whom he loved more than anything, to suffer and die a cruel death, so that we could have a home in heaven.
Why is it so hard to believe that he would allow people who are NOT PERFECT to go to hell for denying Him and not accepting the PERFECT Son He sent here to die for them??
My pastor made mention of this while preaching yesterday and it makes a lot of sense when you think about it!!!
IFB is not a bad thing!
Posted on April 09, 2011I watched a 20/20 special last night on TV and I have to say, I was a little, OK, a lot, disturbed by what I saw/heard.
It was about “IFB (Independent Fundamental Baptist) Cult Survivors”. And it was all about people (mostly girls, from what I saw) that have suffered sexual/physical/spiritual abuse at the hands of either parents who are IFB or IFB Pastors/Deacons/members.
As I sat there and listened to these women talk about their abuse, I wondered each time, what does this have to do with Independent Fundamental Baptist Churches?? I mean, as a whole.
How many IFB Churches are there in this country and how many have had things like this happen in them? Now take the number of Methodist “Churches” out there. How many of those have had things like this happen in them? Catholic “Churches”? Lutheran “Churches”? Bible “Churches”? I could go on and on…I doubt that IFB Churches corner the market on sexual predators, or physically abusive parents for that matter!!
I have a hard time with people who want to lump all of one type of anything together, let alone INDEPENDENT Churches. Independent Fundamental Churches are just what they say they are.
**Independent, meaning they are self governing, not associated or linked with any other, not part of any “conference” and not accountable to anyone but GOD. This gives them the freedom to preach and teach whatever the Pastor gets from God. They are funded by what their people give.
**Fundamental, a my understanding is, simply means they preach and teach principles and doctrine of the Word of God from THE WORD OF GOD. They believe that the King James Bible is THE preserved Word of God, written by man, but God inspired.
**Baptist, now that’s a little harder to put into words. I believe this pertains to specific doctrinal beliefs that set the IFB’s apart from other “denomonations”. Baptism being one, if not the most important, but also including dress, dating, separation and other standards.
I heard someone say on this 20/20 program that IFB’s think their standards make them superior to others. I cannot speak for anyone but myself, but I do not think myself superior to ANYONE. I do have standards, probably higher than some, but most definitely lower than most (IFB’s). I am an Independent Fundamental Baptist, but I am not better than anyone else. I struggle with sin everyday, just like everyone else. I am a sinner saved by grace.
Then there was the whole women shouldn’t be have to be subordinate and spanking=beating and all that…I believe this is the reason the world is the way it is today…people have gotten so far from God’s orginal plan that no one knows whats right anymore, or we just don’t care…
darkness…
Posted on February 25, 2011as i sat here this afternoon a wave of emotion washed over me. i wouldn’t say a bad wave, but it did make me cry. i thought about all the people in my life who have tried to help me. all the people in the treatment centers i was in that helped me. the people who worked in the psych wards i was in. the people who made it their job to make sure i was okay.
some of the people in my life actually did help me. they helped me see past my own sad little self to see the bigger picture. after all, the world really doesn’t revolve around me. and some of them really didn’t help me. they belittled me and degraded me, made me feel bad about who i am. i guess, in a way, they did help me. they helped me realize what and who i DID NOT WANT to be. showed me that i wanted to go in the opposite direction that they went.
i thought about the choices i have made and the directions i decided to go in. i know there are people out there who think i am a waste of the time and effort they “put into me”… they have written me off as a “lost cause”, someone who will never be a good person. and i wonder, are they right? was i worth it?? am i ever going to be a good enough? then you have the ones who told me none of us are good, we can’t be cause we are dirty rotten sinners (which is true). so i guess i have my answer…
i know God has a purpose for everyone and everything…blah blah blah…i wonder, though, was my purpose to make people realize that there are just some things in life that are not worth putting your time and effort into?? was i put on this planet to make sure that those who crossed my path would learn that no matter how hard you try, some people are always just going to let you down??
my adoptive parents have said (on more than one occasion, mind you) that they wish they had never adopted me. that says a lot to me about how they feel about me. and really, they raised me, lived with me, know me the best, so they should know me better than anyone, right?
but then there are people in my life who say they love me and act like they love me…maybe this is because they feel sorry for me?? like, dude, she is really screwed up and no one really wants her, so let’s be nice to her…
i don’t know, i really don’t. but i can’t help how i feel and right now this is it. i want to be happy and upbeat and i want to be all “God is good” and all that but right now, i really just don’t have it in me…
please Lord, help me in my time of need…help me to seek the Light in the darkness, before the darkness consumes me…
Back To The Spanking Discussion…
Posted on February 17, 2011Why is it that people are so against biblical discipline? The Bible says some very direct things about spanking children to correct them. I think if more people took their parenting advice from the Bible and/or godly counsel, we would have a lot less problems with our kids today…
(Proverbs 13:24, 22:15, 23:13-14, 29:15)
Children who are not disciplined in the correct manner more often than not, turn out to be rebellious, having no respect for authority and since they cannot submit to their “earthly” authority, they often have difficulty submitting to their ultimate authority, God.
Someone recently made a comment about adults (spouses) being brought up on charges for such behavior…PLEASE!! Spanking a child and physically abusing your spouse are two very different things!!! And spanking your child should be very different than physically abusing them!!! Also it was said that spanking creates anger and anger gets in the way of learning…both my children were spanked as young children and both of them are very well behaved and very smart so I’m not sure that is accurate.
Let me make it clear that I do not think a teacher should be allowed to spank a child, especially in a public school! But I think it’s every parent’s God given right to spank their child.
I’ve said it before and I will say it again, if done CORRECTLY this can be a very effective way of correcting unwanted/bad behaviour. If done incorrectly, it can lead to a bad attitude, anger and disrespect. Spanking should never be done as way to vent or take out frustration.
Here is something I read online and I agree with whole-heartedly …”Discipline is used to correct and train people to go in the right way. No discipline is pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11)
”God’s discipline is loving, as should it be between parent and child. Physical discipline should never be used to cause lasting physical harm or pain. Physical punishment should always be followed immediately by comforting the child with assurance that he/she is loved. These moments are the perfect time to teach a child that God disciplines us because He loves us and that, as parents, we do the same for our children.”
Now, that being said… other forms of discipline, such as “time-outs,” can be used instead of physical discipline. Parents often find that their children do not respond well to spankings . Some parents find that “time-outs,” grounding, and/or taking something away from the child can be more effective in encouraging behavioral change. If that is the case, a parent should employ the best methods for the needed behavioral change. While the Bible undeniably advocates spanking, I think God is more concerned with the goal of building godly character than the particular method used.
I asked my daughter if she thought she or her brother were abused in any way (they were both spanked when needed when young children) and she said no way. I asked her if she thought she would spank her kids if and when she has them and she said absolutely, no question. My son wrote letters to me, Buster and Pumpkin_seed the night before he died (he was 10 when he was killed in an auto-accident) and he actually thanked Buster for spanking him when he needed it!!! A 10 year old boy said that!! I think that says it all right there…he didn’t feel angry or upset or abused, he was THANKFUL!!!
quotes KJV Bible and this source
J-O-B
Posted on June 12, 2010Thanks to our somewhat secure “jobs” here at camp (as long as we are being led to stay here by God, I can’t see us leaving, unless they KICK.US. OUT LOL), Buster and I don’t have to worry about such things as seeking employment. I get a little nervous when I think about all the employment screening companies have to do these days. My hubby , when seeking employment after he lost his job with the USPS, heard such things as…
You are over-qualified for this job!
You don’t have enough experience on this machine for this job!
Do you have a background in this field?
It was terrible!! I am so thankful God has put us here at camp and that we can served Him here and all our needs will be met because we are in His will!! If only everyone could say that!
Carry On!! =)
Home, Eternally Speaking…
Posted on June 03, 2010DO YOU KNOW FOR SURE HEAVEN WILL BE YOUR HOME??
Did you know you COULD know for sure…many don’t!! There are just a few things you need to do in order to know that!! The actual work has already been done, but you must accept what has been done!! Let me show you…
- First, you must realize that God loves you. ~ John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosever believeth in Him should not perish , but have everlasting life.” Whosoever means anyone and everyone who believes!!
- Secondly, you must realize that everyone is a sinner. ~ Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” All means every single person!!
- Thirdly, you must realize that sin has a price that must be paid. ~ Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.” When you have a job, you earn a wage (money)…when you sin you earn a wage (death or separation from God in hell) .
- Fourthly, you must realize that Jesus Christ died and rose from the dead to pay your sin debt for you. ~ Romans 5:8 “But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
- Finally, you must pray, ask Jesus Christ to be your Saviour, and claim His promise of eternal life. ~ Romans 10:9, 13 “Thas if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him form the dead, thou shalt be saved…For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
If you have already accepted Christ as your Saviour, Congratulations!! IF you are saved and on your way to heaven and you haven’t yet gotten into good, Bible believing, Bible preaching Church, I would do so as soon as you can and find out how you can serve those in your community.
If you have just asked Jesus Christ as you Saviour as a result of reading this , please leave me a comment so I can pray for you. You should get into a good, Bible believing, Bible preaching Church just as soon as you can and find out how you can serve those in your community. I would also suggest you talk to someone about scriptural Baptism. If you have questions about that, I can help you, just let me know!!
If you know anyone who isn’t sure they would go to heaven when they die, please share this important information with them. I know it can be a daunting task, but isn’t it worth it to be secure in where you/they will spend eternity? Because, hey , we WILL ALL have to spend eternity SOMEWHERE!! I prefer HEAVEN!!
My Eli
Posted on May 26, 2010Every year, since he went to heaven, we go and plant flowers at my sons grave site. We take “the girl” (my daughter) out of school and we go with my mother-in-law, my husbands grandma, his sister and some cousins of his and we all go down to the cemetery to plant flowers. Several other family members are buried in this same cemetery so, we visit all of the grave sites and put flowers on all of them.
We don’t visit Eli’s grave very often because it makes us sad to be there and because we know it’s only his earthly body there. He (his soul, his spirit, all that made him him) is in heaven where we will join him someday when we are done with this earthly life.
Why God chose to take my son home at the tender age of 10, I may never know, but I trust that He has a reason and that He is in control. Nothing happens in my life that doesn’t have His stamp of approval on it. Anyway, I thought I would share these photos with you …
In the first one, you can actually see all four of us!! (Eli’s picture is engraved in the stone) =)
We have faith that our son is in heaven with his Saviour, Jesus Christ…Do you know where you are going when you die?? You can!! Leave me a comment if you don’t know or to tell me why you do!!
and as always…
my heart…
Posted on May 19, 2010today i write for me….not because i have a deadline or a certain meme i want to link up with, but for me. this week i haven’t joined in on the weekly memes i usually do and i did that on purpose. i needed a break, i needed to be free from my “obligations”, if you will. and before i get comments and e-mails saying i don’t have to link up every week….i know that, really i do…but today i blog because i want to, because i need to, for myself…
i find that blogging gets my thoughts out of my head where they can be dangerous and gloomy and threatening and it puts them out somewhere where i can look at them in a different way and deal with them in a healthier way….it kind of separates them from me. it probably doesn’t make sense to some, but it works for me!! =)
believe it or not, and some of you will not, and that’s OK. but, believe it or not, i have a good heart (as good as a sinful, but saved by grace, human being can have anyway). i think all people should be treated equally, regardless of race, sex, sexual orientation, wealth and anything else that can separate one group of people from another. that’s not to say i agree with everything a particular group does or doesn’t do, but they should be treated with respect and dignity. they should be prayed for and loved just like anyone else.
i try my very hardest to find the good in everyone, no matter how long or hard i have to look. and up until recently, i thought that everyone possessed at least some good in them. i felt that God makes people and God would never make something that didn’t have at least some redeeming value in it, right? i have recently realized that some people have taken the good God gave them and either destroyed it completely or buried it so deep that it can’t get out anymore. i have found that some people have let the devil take over their lives and given him the place that God should have had. they lie, steal, cheat, manipulate, cast blame, and just in general are not nice people. they are selfish and bitter and lash out to hurt others. and as a part of that, they don’t see this in themselves but seem to project it onto others and claim to see it in their lives. it is so very sad to me that they can’t even see that they are like this. the devil has tricked them into thinking they are right and anyone who isn’t like them is wrong or bad.
people who “suffer” in this way often blame it on something that happened to them in their childhood and/or a condition they have. someone molested them or beat them or hurt them in some other way. or they suffer from a mental disorder. that is a cop-out!! i can say that because i had a very tough childhood and i am also diagnosed with and documented to have bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder (among other things). my parents were separated and/or divorced either just before i was born or just after, i am not sure which but i know they were not together when i was taken from my mother at 18 months old for neglect because then i was placed in my father’s care for several years after that and was taken from him for physical and sexual abuse. from there i went to a “foster” home and the woman who took care of me there ended up adopting me. at 17 i left home after enduring years and years of physical and emotional abuse.
i am NOT in a any way shape or form saying i was a perfect child or teen(or that i am perfect now, for that matter, because i wasn’t, am not,and never will be while i am here on this earth)!!! i was naughty just like everyone else. and because of everything i went through as a child, i did have a lot of issues to deal with through counseling and therapy and such. and i did have to have therapy and medications and counseling and things like that for the “mental issues” i have. and yes, i got rude with my parents just like EVERY child does at one time or another. i didn’t do what i was told to do from time to time, just like EVERY other child does!! i lied to my parents occasionally, just like EVERY other child does (for the most part). i am ashamed to say it, but i did have a problem with stealing as a child and a teen but i have admitted it, repented and asked for forgiveness for it, which is all i can do now. BUT, considering where i came from and what i went through, it could have been a lot worse. i didn’t drink and party and and sleep around and do drugs, or any of those kinds of things. although, i did not have a good grasp on the difference between right and wrong, lies and truth, good and bad. i had been taught by example that lies were OK, that in a lot of cases bad was good and wrong was right. and i thought that the way i was brought up was normal. it was hard to keep everything straight.
then through some good relationships i slowly learned that lying is wrong and that i don’t have to lie to make and keep friends, in fact that is a good way to LOSE friends!! i learned that lesson the hard way in high school, unfortunately. but i learned it nonetheless. and i am so thankful i did, because now i have so many healthy relationships. i learned that there are people who will love me unconditionally, faults and all. that i don’t have to be perfect to be loved. i learned that everything good in my life comes from God and that He has allowed everything that has happened for a reason. i have learned that God doesn’t make mistakes and He is always in control, even though i may not always understand. i learned that with God’s help i can be different than those that hurt me, so i don’t have to repeat that cycle. i learned that i can forgive those who hurt me and not let that hurt and pain define who i am. i can CHOOSE to let my past hurt me and prevent me from doing God’s will for my life by being bitter and mad and depressed and feeling sorry for myself or i can allow God’s love and grace to wash all that away and I can live my life for Him. that is what i choose!! because being bitter and depressed and feeling sorry for myself only hurts me, it only makes my life miserable, and it gives satan reason to rejoice because i can’t effectively live my life for God if i live that way! and personally, i don’t want to give satan glory, i want to give God glory!!!
thanks for stopping by, sorry you didn’t find my “normal” posts this week about random things like weight loss and recipes, but fear not, i will likely be back in the swing of things next week!! thanks for “listening” to my ramblings. please vote on my new poll and let me know what you think…
and as always…
“Witness Wednesday”
Posted on April 21, 2010I have been “witnessing” the same way every time since I started on my blog. Today I thought I would do something a little different. When I was 11 years old, we had an evangelist come to our Church and show us movies about the end times. You know, after Jesus comes back (which HE WILL) what happens to all those left behind. As soon as I saw it, I knew I needed to have Jesus Christ as my Savior!! I wanted nothing to do with what happens after He comes back!!
How you come to Christ isn’t really as important as making sure YOU DO!!! Here are the things you need to realize in order to do just that…I could quote a bunch of scriptures from the Bible to cement the points I am making, but I’m not going to. I’m going to be short and to the point.
1. We are all sinners. Every one of us!!
2. We all deserve hell. Every one of us!!
3. God, the One who made us , loved us so much that He sent His Son to pay that hell debt for us when He died on the cross some 2,000 + years ago, because He was the only one who could!!
4. We have to accept that He is the one and only way to get to heaven. We have to believe in our hearts that only taking Jesus as our Savior can get us to heaven.
Folks, it’s just that easy!! A God who loves us as much as ours wouldn’t make something so important difficult for us to do!!! Church can’t get ya there, baptism can’t get ya there, your good works can’t get ya there, ONLY JESUS can get you to heaven!! IF you believe everything I just told you, please take a moment to repeat this sinners prayer, asking Jesus to take you to heaven some day when you die.
Dear Jesus,
I am a sinner deserving hell. I know you died on the cross, paying my hell debt for me. Please take me to heaven some day when I die. I believe you are my one and only way to get there. Thank you saving me from hell…. Amen
Now, let me clarify, saying this prayer does not get you to heaven, believing it in your heart is what gets you to heaven!! If you have already accepted Christ as your Savior, congratulations!! If you have not or know someone who has not, please take a moment to read this or read it to that someone.
“Witness Wednesday”
Posted on April 14, 2010I have been “witnessing” the same way every time since I started on my blog. Today I thought I would do something a little different. When I was 11 years old, we had an evangelist come to our Church and show us movies about the end times. You know, after Jesus comes back (which HE WILL) what happens to all those left behind. As soon as I saw it, I knew I needed to have Jesus Christ as my Savior!! I wanted nothing to do with what happens after He comes back!!
How you come to Christ isn’t really as important as making sure YOU DO!!! Here are the things you need to realize in order to do just that…I could quote a bunch of scriptures from the Bible to cement the points I am making, but I’m not going to. I’m going to be short and to the point.
1. We are all sinners. Every one of us!!
2. We all deserve hell. Every one of us!!
3. God, the One who made us , loved us so much that He sent His Son to pay that hell debt for us when He died on the cross some 2,000 + years ago, because He was the only one who could!!
4. We have to accept that He is the one and only way to get to heaven. We have to believe in our hearts that only taking Jesus as our Savior can get us to heaven.
Folks, it’s just that easy!! A God who loves us as much as ours wouldn’t make something so important difficult for us to do!!! Church can’t get ya there, baptism can’t get ya there, your good works can’t get ya there, ONLY JESUS can get you to heaven!! IF you believe everything I just told you, please take a moment to repeat this sinners prayer, asking Jesus to take you to heaven some day when you die.
Dear Jesus,
I am a sinner deserving hell. I know you died on the cross, paying my hell debt for me. Please take me to heaven some day when I die. I believe you are my one and only way to get there. Thank you saving me from hell…. Amen
Now, let me clarify, saying this prayer does not get you to heaven, believing it in your heart is what gets you to heaven!! If you have already accepted Christ as your Savior, congratulations!! If you have not or know someone who has not, please take a moment to read this or read it to that someone.
For Gordy…
Posted on March 26, 2010After hearing what I did yesterday, I need to get this off my chest. I am sorry if this offends anyone, that is not my intention, but if I don’t get this out of my head and off my heart, it will continue to plague me with anger and hurt and depression. This is to all the bullies out there that think that they can just push people around and make fun of people and dog other people for whatever reason they do it. Are you trying to make yourself look good? Ease your own pain? Just make someone else miserable?? It isn’t necessary and it’s very destructive!!! God says we are to love others, build them up and help them along the way, not hate those that are a little different, tear each other down, and be a stumbling block!!
There was a young boy in our Church youth group. A funny but quiet boy. A shy boy. A boy with a ton of potential to do great things for the Lord. A boy who, when overwhelmed by them, took the problems in his life and turned them inward toward himself. A boy who was preyed upon by those around him. They saw his strengths and weaknesses and instead of focusing on his strengths and building him up with those, they chose to focus on his weaknesses and magnify them. They saw that he was different and instead of embracing his uniqueness and encouraging him in his endeavors, they tore him down and made him feel bad for it.
To those of you who bullied this shy, quiet, potential- filled, young man~ WHAT HAPPENED IS NOT YOUR FAULT. He made the choice he made, not you, BUT that being said, YOU SHOULD FEEL VERY ASHAMED!! Did you pick on him because he was a Christian? Because he wore glasses? Because he didn’t swear, smoke and do immoral things? Why did you feel the need to bully him? To make him feel unworthy to be your friend or to just be a normal kid enjoying his first year of high school??? WHY??
I think this hits a nerve with me because I too, was bullied in school. I was teased because I am adopted. I was teased because I wear glasses. I was teased because I was different. What’s wrong with being different?? If everyone was the same, do you know how boring that would be? Our differences are what make us unique and special, they should be celebrated, not picked on and ridiculed!! People felt like they could push me around and make me feel inferior because I was different.
This message is for all those out there still going through their personal pain and hurt…
THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH BEING DIFFERENT!!! God made each and everyone of us and God doesn’t make mistakes!! He is perfect and knows everything and He fearfully and wonderfully made you, the Bible says so!! So, the next time someone picks on you, tell them that you hope they find Jesus and that you hope He will save them and lift them up so that they don’t have to knock others down to lift themselves up!!!!