Struck Down, but Not Destroyed!

It's a drizzly, cold, Sunday afternoon and my heart is heavy.  I'm sad, frustrated, angry, and a million other adjectives I don't want to take the time to type.  Being a christian isn't hard.  Being a christian who wants to impact the Kingdom, is though.  It's one of the toughest things I've ever undergone.

The Lord doesn't promise us it will be easy.  He promises us we will be blessed if we endure.
"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the victor's crown, the life God has promised to those who love him."  James 1:12

It's not the non-believers who frustrate me.  That's like getting angry with a democrat for not being a Republican.  They simply don't know any better :) (I couldn't resist the political metaphor).

The believers are the one's who test my patience, try my soul, and push me to the edge of a veritable insanity.  Why?  In a nutshell, lack of commitment.  Commitment to God and His Body of believers anyway. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I was taught that your word was a sign of your integrity.  If you said you were going to do something, you did it.  Yet I'm perpetually surrounded by people who apparently did not grow up with this same teaching.  Sure they tell me with their mouths that they'll be responsible and dedicated, yet their actions say differently.

The natural man in me wants to grab them around the throat and scream, "You made a commitment.  WHY is it so difficult for you to follow through?  If you didn't honestly want to take on the job, why did you tell me you would?"  But the Still Small Voice encourages me to simply reply, "It's all right if you can't be there.  We will be glad to have you on the days you are available."

And then I walk away, and I'm bitter, and I lash out......or write a blog post :)

So to my believing friends and family who read my blog (all 3 of you), please be in prayer for me.  I feel like I'm fighting an uphill battle and I know it's a spiritual battle.  The harder I try to guide my children in the Lord, homeschool because of Godly convictions, and serve in leadership capacities within the church, the more I feel beat down by the devil.  I know I should take heart though.......

.....we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.  2 Corinthians 4:7-10

Not Forsaking the Assembling...

I began attending church when I was about two weeks old.  Yes, you read that correctly, two weeks.  My parents faithfully took me to church each week on Sunday and Wednesday, and pretty much any other time there was anything else going on.  I went to Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, GA's (Girls in Action), Acteens (for teen girls), Centrifuge, youth choir, youth play practice, church training (from the time it was called training union), Sunday evening services, Wednesday Prayer meeting, Revival meetings (even once when I was deathly ill with bronchitis - the speaker was THAT captivating), Sunday morning worship service, children's church, visitation, and the list goes on.

I went when I was well and I went when I was mildly sick.  I went in good weather, bad weather, and was even in church on May 18, 1980 when mysterious ash started raining down on us during worship service.  (We would later learn that Mt. St. Helens had erupted on the other side of the state.)  I went when family came to town to visit, I went on holidays, I went on pretty much any day the doors were open.  And they were open a LOT.

I was never allowed to attend Brownies, or Girl Scouts, or play sports because all of those things involved practices, meetings, and games on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Does this make me a better person?  Absolutely NOT.  But it does make me someone who had parents who knew the value of the church and our amazing God, and did not for one second, want me to miss anything that might edify my knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  I know my mom firmly believed that I could fill my time with things of the world, or I could fill my time with things of the Lord, and in her wisdom, she directed me toward the things of the Lord.  And while I didn't understand it so much as a child, I definitely understand it as a mom.  As a mom, I want nothing more for my children than for them to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  I want them to hide God's Word in their hearts, and I want them to know that if they died tonight, Christ is not going to be concerned with how many equations they can solve, how well they can kick a ball, or how proficient they were on the debate team.  He's going to be concerned with their heart.  ".....Man sees what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart" 1 Samuel 16:7.

Nearly 70% of evangelicals walk away from the church after high school and only half return roughly a decade later.  That statistic came from a website I read, however, I have formulated my own ideas as to why it happens:

To put it bluntly, we (Christians) are not making God important.  Ouch!  We're not making him an integral part of our daily lives.  Instead, we're making Him a Sunday or Wednesday thing, if that.  We're making Him convenient when it suits our schedule for school, sports, extra curricular activities, and when Christmas doesn't fall on a Sunday.  Instead of making God our life, we're making Him a part of it, and only a small part at that.  Deuteronomy 6:6-9 instructs us, “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."  The Word is telling us to teach our children to know and love God daily, not just when it works for us.

Looking back, I'm so thankful my mom didn't let me miss out on church.  I'm thankful she didn't let me miss out on knowing God.  Just as she didn't let me choose whether or not to go to school, she didn't let me choose whether or not to go to church.  She made church, and having a relationship with Christ, fundamental and integral as part of my upbringing.  What seemed at times as something I HAD to do, became something I long to do.  I want to be in the company of others who believe similarly.  I want to be surrounded by those who will encourage, support, and pray for me, and I want to follow the Word when it says, "Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together as the manner of some is, but exhort one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching" Hebrews 10:25.

Will my children always remain in the church?  I don't know.  Will they always long for a relationship with Christ?  I cannot say.  Free will is a powerful choice God equipped us with, and just as we're not His puppets, my children are not my puppets.  I will do everything in my power to instill in them a love for the Lord, and I will continually pray for God to handle the details and draw them to Him.

Easter Sunday 2013

Family photo on Easter Sunday at Cory's parent's house!  After an incredible worship service with our church family, we spent the afternoon with Cory's family.

On Saturday the girls and I baked cookies for all the local cousins!

Riddle cookies :)

Christie cookies :)

We took a couple of plastic eggs and filled them with Chuck's treats.  He loved them.  Here he is on Easter morning, watching the girls open their eggs!

Cayla's Easter basket and Vera Bradley backpack in Viva La Vera!

Autumn's Easter basket and Vera Bradley backpack in Doodle Daisy!

 We know it's more than baskets, and eggs, and cookies.  It's about Jesus, and the debt He paid for us.  In the Easter Sunday sermon this morning, our pastor presented us with the following (loosely translated), extremely poignant thought:

Pastor:  "What if you received a legitimate letter from your mortgage company informing you your debt had been paid in full?  Regardless of how much you had left to pay, it was covered.  You didn't owe a single penny anymore.  Would you rip up the letter, throw it away, and continue to pay your mortgage every month?"

Then why do so many people throw away the "Paid in Full" notice that Christ offers?  There is no sin that Christ can't redeem.  We can't sin too much, or too big.  His death on the cross covered ALL sin, and our debt was paid.

What an incredible gift.  How can anyone turn it down?

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 6:23

Easter Egg Event 2013!

I have to admit, St. Patrick's Day is a little too close to Easter this year for my liking.  It's kind of cramped my decorating style because I felt some compulsion to decorate for St. Patrick's Day.  But after tomorrow, all the St. Patrick's Day decor will come down and it will be full on Easter!

Actually it's been Easter for the past month, we just combined a little St. Pat's in with it :)

Tonight we dyed eggs as a family (and then watched Duck Dynasty, but that's a whole other post).  We usually wait until just a couple of days before Easter, but we thought it might be fun to enjoy the eggs prior to the holiday this year, instead of dealing with them for days on end afterward.

Below is just a sampling of our Easter dyeing evening:

I've been completely obsessed with wheat grass (as decor, not to eat) lately, so when I saw it in my grocery store I knew it was coming home with me.  I love it!  I know, it has nothing to do with dyeing eggs, but it IS grass, and it IS where eggs are often hidden, so in a way, it kind of fits into the post.  Besides, I think it's cute and wanted to show it off :)

Since last Easter I've been eyeing this adorable porcelain egg tray at TJ Maxx, and I finally broke down and bought it.  The eggs inside are a few that Cory and I dyed.  Unlike the girls, who love to make their eggs 'artful', I like mine to be simple, and deeply dyed.

Autumn with her first egg of the season :)

As usual, Cayla got creative and wrote cute and/or funny things on her eggs.  This one has spots!

Some of Autumn's creations!

A few of our plain ones.

Autumn and Chuck.  The smell drove Chuck crazy.  He drooled the entire time hoping an egg would fall on the floor :)

The designers!  I hope they always love to dye eggs as much as I do!

Happy Easter!

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life....."
John 11:25a

AWANA Bible Quizzing!

On Saturday the 16th, Cayla participated in AWANA Bible Quizzing.  It was her first time to participate and she was VERY nervous.  She did a great job though, and even placed 4th in her quiz category.  We were so incredibly proud.

The next Saturday, my niece participated in the high school quizzing, and while her team didn't place she was pure joy to watch.  Kelly was assertive, confident, and respectful when she delivered her answers.

My favorite thing about quizzing wasn't the competing, or the winning.  It was watching the girls knowing they were answering with confidence, Godly things that were hidden in their hearts.  Unlike a sport, or a talent, memorizing the Word is work for anyone who attempts it.  It's not something they're born with; it's not something they have a natural inclination toward; it's something that must be taught, and practiced.  And as a Christian mom, nothing makes me more proud than watching my children (yes, nieces and nephews too) grow in the knowledge and grace of Christ.

".....grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen."  2 Peter 3:18

Cayla, receiving her award for participating and placing.

Cayla and Cory after the competition.  I think they're both beaming :)

Scary Scarring!

While at the mall today, my mom and I saw a lady walk past us with a fairly large, visible scar that was clearly a type of 'branding' of the skin.  Apparently I live in a cave because I've never seen this before, but I have heard of it.  After 30 seconds of research I learned that body-branding is referred to as scarification.  I listed the Wikipedia definition below, but it coincides with Webster's definition as well.

Scarifying involves scratching, etching, burning, or superficially cutting designs, pictures, or words into the skin as a permanent body modification.^[1] In the process of body scarification, scars are formed by cutting or branding the skin. Scarification is sometimes called cicatrization (from the French equivalent).

Needless to say, I am not a fan of body "art" whether it's branding, tattoos or bizarre piercings just to name a few.  So, what's my point?  Because I do have one.  After seeing the woman at the mall something occurred to me that I shared with my mom.

With societies' acceptance of body alterations such as those shown here, it's no wonder people are going to so easily accept the mark of the beast and worship him.  When things become second nature, common place and an every day occurrence, they definitely lose their shock value. I honestly don't think the group who accepts the mark will have any difficulty doing so.  It won't be a second thought to them despite the fact that it will mean permanently altering their body (and their eternity) to accept it.

Upon seeing this woman's scar, two verses came to mind and it sent chills down my spine:

"A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb."   Revelation 14:9-10

"Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD."  Leviticus 19:28

Just to note, the red is NOT ink, it's blood where the skin has been etched away so that when it heals up, the scar tissue resembles the picture that was etched in the skin.

This is the same photo as above after it has healed up.  As scar tissue forms, collagen builds up, forming keloids, which can be painful,  can become infected, cause constricted movement, and can grow beyond their boundaries.  All of that sounds just lovely!

Easter 2012!

We had such a blessed Easter.  It started with my mom coming for a visit, followed by egg hunts, family dinners and celebrating Jesus, risen from the dead.

"He is not here, for He is risen, just as He said.  Come and see the place where the Lord lay."  Matthew 28:6

Lisa and Mom

Lisa, Mom and Me

Cayla, Autumn, Mark and Luke post egg-hunting

Chuck, hanging out with the kids while they open their eggs and count their findings.  He was hoping for a stray jelly bean or a loose swedish fish.  He's not picky!

Kelly, Katy and LisaDawn - Yes, they dyed eggs too!

Egg dyeing stations

Lisa, with her selection of colorful eggs.  Do you like the candy corn apron?  We're into mixing holidays around here!

Luke and Cayla took their egg dyeing seriously!

Just a few of the nearly 10 dozen eggs we dyed!

Quick pic of the girls' Easter baskets.  Angry birds and the risen Savior....yeah, there's no connection.

Family photo featuring the four of us in our Easter finery :)

Easter egg hunt at Grammy Barb's with Cayla, Caitlin, Autumn and Ben

Mermaid Autumn showing off the tissue paper from her Easter gift

Cayla, me and Great-Grandma

The Christmas Story!

I read it every year, usually several times.  It's beautiful, and I never tire of it.  Here it is for you to enjoy as well:

¹ And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.
² This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.
³ So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.
⁴ Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,
⁵ to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife,who was with child.


⁶ So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.
⁷ And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.
⁹ And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.
¹⁰ Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.


¹¹ For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
¹² And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” 
¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 

¹⁴ “ Glory to God in the highest, 
      And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
¹⁵ So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.”


¹⁶ And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.
¹⁷ Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.
¹⁸ And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
¹⁹ But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.
²⁰ Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.


Luke 2:1-20 NKJV

Loving the Unlovely!

My mom used to say, "It's hard to love the unlovely."  And this week has been filled with unlovely.  Everything from irritable personalities who seem to loathe my existence, to gossips and abortion supporters who purport to be believers.  My mind is frazzled and it's difficult to be Christ-like when what I really want to do is start throttling people, which of course would not be like Christ :)


As a born again believer I am overwhelmed at the onslaught of professed Christians choosing worldly ideals and having the audacity to declare them to others.  The Bible tells us in Romans 12:2, "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."  I don't think this could be any more plain, but just in case there's confusion, let me spell it out.  We're not supposed to conform to the world.  We're supposed to be set apart (thus that big word 'sanctified').  We're supposed to have the mind of Christ and we're supposed to emulate Him.  Remind me again how supporting abortion, gossiping about other believers and being openly rude aligns itself with having the mind of Christ?  Oh yeah, it doesn't!


So far I have kept quiet because I don't want to utter words I will have to eat.  But it's difficult to remain silent when I'm watching people 'step out in front of a moving train.'  I know Christ suffered frustration as well.  Remember the money changers in the temple?  But He always refuted sin with scripture, and He always loved the unlovely.  So I will think on these things:


Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.  Colossians 3:2


Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.  Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.  Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 2:3-5

Be Prepared!

I’ve heard and witnessed so many things recently that were such fallacy they blew me away. It is our job as believers to know the Word, to be prepared to given an answer, and to refute things that are unscriptural. If all we do is turn a blind eye to the things of this world, especially things that seem godly, then we’re part of the problem.

2 Timothy 4:2-5

"Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry."

1 John 4:1

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

Where Are We Headed?

Ever since the presidential election my heart has been burdened. Burdened for the church (as in the New Testament church) and specifically, for the children of the church. I think that's why I have poured myself into children's ministries in my own church. I have seen the retention rates in churches dramatically falling, and the bottom line is this: If I don't teach my children in the way of the Lord, they will not be able to teach their children in the way of the Lord and the end result will be a generation of my flesh and blood destined for hell.

"Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other." Deuteronomy 4:39.

"These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates."

Deuteronomy 6:6-9

The church has allowed itself to be saddled with pew after pew of apathetic believers (is that an oxymoron?) who do not know what the Bible says and therefore cannot relay it to others, much less their own children. We need to wake up. The church needs to wake up, or our grandchildren are going to find themselves in a completely Godless country and wonder how they got there. Don't think it can happen? Check out for yourselves the statistics below:

From Dr. Peter Hammond’s book, "Slavery, Terrorism and Islam: The Historical Roots and Contemporary Threat":

Islam is not a religion nor is it a cult. It is a complete system. Islam has religious, legal, political, economic and military components. The religious component is a beard for all the other components.

Islamization begins when there are sufficient Muslims in a country to agitate for their religious privileges. When politically correct, tolerant, and culturally diverse societies agree to Muslim demands for their religious privileges, some of the other components tend to creep in as well.

Here’s how it works:

As long as the Muslim population remains around or under 2% in any given country, they will be for the most part be regarded as a peace-loving minority, and not as a threat to other citizens. This is the case in:

United States — Muslim 0..6% Australia — Muslim 1.5% Canada — Muslim 1.9% China — Muslim 1.8% Italy — Muslim 1.5% Norway — Muslim 1.8%

At 2% to 5%, they begin to proselytize from other ethnic minorities and disaffected groups, often with major recruiting from the jails and among street gangs. This is happening in:

Denmark — Muslim 2% Germany — Muslim 3.7% United Kingdom — Muslim 2.7% Spain — Muslim 4% Thailand — Muslim 4.6%

From 5% on, they exercise an inordinate influence in proportion to their percentage of the population. For example, they will push for the introduction of halal (clean by Islamic standards) food, thereby securing food preparation jobs for Muslims. They will increase pressure on supermarket chains to feature halal on their shelves — along with threats for failure to comply. This is occurring in:

France — Muslim 8% Philippines — 5% Sweden — Muslim 5% Switzerland — Muslim 4.3% The Netherlands — Muslim 5.5% Trinidad & Tobago — Muslim 5.8%

At this point, they will work to get the ruling government to allow them to rule themselves (within their ghettos) under Sharia, the Islamic Law. The ultimate goal of Islamists is to establish Sharia law over the entire world.

When Muslims approach 10% of the population, they tend to increase lawlessness as a means of complaint about their conditions. In Paris , we are already seeing car-burnings. Any non-Muslim action offends Islam and results in uprisings and threats, such as in Amsterdam, with opposition to Mohammed cartoons and films about Islam. Such tensions are seen daily, particularly in Muslim sections, in:

Guyana — Muslim 10% India — Muslim 13.4% Israel — Muslim 16% Kenya — Muslim 10% Russia — Muslim 15%

After reaching 20%, nations can expect hair-trigger rioting, jihad militia formations, sporadic killings, and the burnings of Christian churches and Jewish synagogues, such as in:

Ethiopia — Muslim 32.8%

At 40%, nations experience widespread massacres, chronic terror attacks, and ongoing militia warfare, such as in:

Bosnia — Muslim 40% Chad — Muslim 53.1% Lebanon — Muslim 59.7%

From 60%, nations experience unfettered persecution of non-believers of all other religions (including non-conforming Muslims), sporadic ethnic cleansing (genocide), use of Sharia Law as a weapon, and Jizya, the tax placed on infidels, such as in:

Albania — Muslim 70% Malaysia — Muslim 60.4% Qatar — Muslim 77.5% Sudan — Muslim 70%

After 80%, expect daily intimidation and violent jihad, some State-run ethnic cleansing, and even some genocide, as these nations drive out the infidels, and move toward 100% Muslim, such as has been experienced and in some ways is on-going in:

Bangladesh — Muslim 83% Egypt — Muslim 90% Gaza — Muslim 98.7% Indonesia — Muslim 86.1%

Happy Mother's Day

A wife of noble character who can find?

She is worth far more than rubies.

Her husband has full confidence in her

and lacks nothing of value.

She brings him good, not harm,

all the days of her life.

She selects wool and flax

and works with eager hands.

She is like the merchant ships,

bringing her food from afar.

She gets up while it is still dark;

she provides food for her family

and portions for her servant girls.

She considers a field and buys it;

out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

She sets about her work vigorously;

her arms are strong for her tasks.

She sees that her trading is profitable,

and her lamp does not go out at night.

In her hand she holds the distaff

and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

She opens her arms to the poor

and extends her hands to the needy.

When it snows, she has no fear for her household;

for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

She makes coverings for her bed;

she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

Her husband is respected at the city gate,

where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

She makes linen garments and sells them,

and supplies the merchants with sashes.

She is clothed with strength and dignity;

she can laugh at the days to come.

She speaks with wisdom,

and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

She watches over the affairs of her household

and does not eat the bread of idleness.

Her children arise and call her blessed;

her husband also, and he praises her:

"Many women do noble things,

but you surpass them all."

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;

but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

Give her the reward she has earned,

and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Proverbs 31:10-31