What kind of God IS God?

I am constantly reminded of what an awesome, wonderful, amazing God we serve.  By now everyone has heard story after story about the tragic Colorado shooting.  I'm sure we would all agree that it was a sickening thing that someone could have so much hatred in their heart and a soul that seems to be hardened by pure evil.  And when the nation first heard about the attack I'm sure everyone felt equally stunned.  Sometimes I feel so overwhelmed being so connected to the world via technology.  There are so many news apps and websites, and of course you have Facebook and Twitter.  So there's always a daily dose of bad news.  At times it's just, plain and simple, too much. And I'm not sure about others, but it really starts to affect my way of thinking.  It affects my mood, my general outlook on life, and quite frankly it disrupts my spiritual life in negative way.  Sometimes thoughts creep in that why  a God so good could create so much evil.  Allow so much evil and hatred among the people He created.

But God didn't create evil.  God created goodness.  ONLY goodness.  Yet He created people and He wanted his people to have free will.  Without the presence of goodness, as in, if a person rejects God and His goodness, then their hearts become hardened by sin and corrupted by evil.  Therefore evil exists because even though man was created in God's image, man was given the ability to choose all things good, or reject goodness. But I'm sort of digressing here. 

If you have kept up with any of the survivor's stories after the shooting, then you have been amazed, just as I have been, at the goodness that has come out of this.  What Satan intended for evil, God is using for His glory.  This was not a surprise to God.  He knew this event was going to take place.  And it could have been just another tragic story with a tragic ending and everyone's ability to see any goodness in God could have been clouded.  Yet, the simple fact that this young man had SO many rounds of ammunition and had his entire apartment rigged to blow up half of the building, and only twelve people lost their lives, (and please, don't think I'm making light of these 12 deaths--- my heart breaks for these families and friends) should speak volumes that God is still  a good God. 

God is definitely using this situation to draw people to Him.  I had sort of been going through a spiritual valley and feeling very down and not being as prayerful as I should have been.  I was getting caught up in just going through the motions and being consumed with everyday, ordinary life as we all do from time to time.  Then this happened and my heart broke for the tragic outcome of lives lost.  But I can assure you if one soul is eternally saved from all of this, if one person brings glory and honor to God because of this, then God's will has been accomplished.  Yet, I feel that possibly HUNDREDS of souls will be changed eternally and THOUSANDS of people are going to bring glory to God because of this. 

God is still such a mystery to us.  The Bible is His inerrant, infallible Word.  From Genesis to Revelation He reveals Himself to us as much as He ever wants us to know this side of Heaven.  He even gives us a glimpse of the future in Revelation.  His ways are bigger, more purposeful, and more glorious than we can ever, EVER understand.  If we understood God and all of His ways, then we would be God's equal.  And we are certainly not His equal. 

Satan knows the end of the story and he intends to take down as many souls with him as he can.  He knows his eventual demise.
 Evil exists because people reject the goodness of God.  Evil has always and will always exist on this earth.  I know it seems impossible, but James Holmes needs prayers.  His heart is full of evil and hatred.  And even though we would never even fathom the idea of trying to take innocent lives, Jame's Holmes is still God's creation.  God wants to use him for His purpose.  But he chose to reject God.  But just as we have all sinned, continue to sin, and struggle with the what the world wants us to believe, those of us who have come to God on our knees in repentance have been forgiven.  God loves each of us.  Including James Holmes.  He is in need of a Savior just like us.  He is no different from us in that fact.  He needs forgiveness and he needs to find Jesus.   He needs to find God's goodness and love.  We are clearly instructed to pray for our enemies.  Including the ones who seem so evil that we think they deserve eternity in hell.  But we are not the judge.  And it's a good thing.  Because I would not be so forgiving.  Yet, that's just how good God is.  He offers forgiveness and freedom from those who will just truly ask Him for it.  My sin may be different than that of James Holmes', but my sin is still sin.  Sin can harden hearts and cause a lot of heartache to others if you allow it to.  But today, and everyday, I'm going to choose goodness.  I'm going to choose GOD'S goodness.  And if you still need proof that God is in the miracle business and is bringing glory out of this situation, you don't have to take my word for it. 

You can read one incredibly amazing story here.

To Whom it May Concern

I really try not to get involved with politics on Facebook.  I want FB to be a happy place.  Not mud-slinging.  So, I come to my own personal space to vent.  And vent I shall.   If you don't agree with me, then please, kindly keep your comments to yourself.  This is MY space to say what I like.

Dear Mr. Obama (I find it a little sickening to add "President" in front of your name because quite frankly I find you make a terrible one) and all of the other liberal, left-wing morons who are running this country into the ground,

I am concerned.  I'm worried.  And I am sick to my stomach.  Mr. Obama, never, ever has a President stirred quite so much controversy and divided a nation quite like you have. And it has NOTHING to do with the color of your skin.  And for the record, I'm really tired of people waving the race card!    From the moment I first laid eyes on you in the media 5 years ago, I could sniff a rat from thousands of miles away.  I only hoped that the rumors were not true.  That you would NOT be running for president.  But much (and I mean MUCH) to my dismay, the rumors were true.  Then I hoped that this nation would not be stupid enough to vote for you.  I realize that people were tired of the war and Republicans and people wanted a fresh new agenda after George W. (and for the record, I was not one of those people. I love and adore George W., who has class, integrity, and above all else Jesus in his heart). But every time I saw your face on television, I saw arrogance, swelling pride, and a nose stuck so high in the air I was afraid you might risk drowning the next time it rained.

And let's be honest with how you really got voted into office:  You were a black man with a fresh new motto: "Hope and change".  So then the blacks in this country who hadn't voted since they were legally old enough started coming out of the woodwork.  Suddenly, there's a "black" man running for President.  Wouldn't Martin Luther King, Jr. and Medgar Evers be ecstatic?!  I imagine so.  But, from the moment you announced your run, you become controversial.  You have been associated with a Muslim background.  You sat in the pews of Rev. Jeremiah Wright, one of the most RACIST preachers of modern days, who does not preach the love of Christ, but from the pulpit said "God damn America". He preaches how the white man still owes the black man.  He preaches HATE.  Not love.  And certainly not the love of Christ or fellow man.  But even your own BIRTH CERTIFICATE has been controversial.  How much does that say about you, Mr. Obama?  You stepped on all the right toes and shook the right hands and did what you had to to climb your way to the top.  You even wrote your own autobiography when you were 31 years old.  I mean, REALLY?! Who does that?

Then there's this infamous healthcare bill.  Hey, I've got some ocean front property in Arizona that I want to sell you, but you have to buy it first, then I'll show you what it really looks like.  And after that I'll tell you that it's not really ocean front property after all, but it's still a really great piece of property.  But it can be really hard to maintain, and you might not ever be able to pay it off, or explain how all the holes got there in the ground, and people may trip and fall from all the uneven property, and eventually they'll end up suing you.  And then there's those pesky booby traps that you can't see right off, but after time, when you come to one, well, you're just going to be screwed. And the taxes on the land will double each year until eventually your grandchildren will be hard pressed to benefit from any part of it. Doesn't really sound like a great piece of property.  But hey, I've got the ocean front property and people stupid enough to buy it. 

And then there's this business about small business.  What was it you said again? Oh yes, "If you have  a small business, you didn't build that.  Somebody else did that."  How un-American can you be?  So let me ask you this question, Mr. Obama, SIR.  My husband owes a very, VERY great deal in student loans.  We are in debt because of his education.  He has a small business on the side that he is trying to grow little by little.  We receive no government assistance, even when his monthly loan payments exceed what we have in our checking account.  Everything we own  is ours.  Bought because we are both hardworking individuals and make decent money.  But since you think the government is the reason that small businesses even operate successfully, can I hold out my hand and ask the government for a $55,000 check to bail my husband out of his student loans, so that he can in turn can honestly say the the government is the only reason he is successful as an accountant?!  I mean, it would make better sense, if the government has actually HELPED us in any way as he tries to get a small business going.  But instead, WE give BACK to our government.  It sickens me when I'm at the grocery store sweating over how much my total is going to be and if we have enough to cover it, yet the lady in front of me, with her new acrylic nails and new hairdo, reaches into her Louis Vuitton handbag and pays for her groceries with foodstamps.  And then I see her pull out the keys to her $60,000 Cadillac Escalade.  Yet, that's the people who have the mentality to vote for you.  That's the "hope and change" they like to see.  Everyone thinks this world owes them something.  Well, that's part of this nation's problem, and you, sir, are contributing to that mentality.  Fueling it on.

I believe you are a disgrace to this country and you have turned the most powerful position in the world into a joke.  You have made an ass of yourself and in turn made an ass of this entire country.  And so have your left-wing leftists.  How you sleep at night is beyond me.  But I guess when your morals are so low on the agenda, then you have to have a heart of stone.  May God have mercy on this country and turning our backs on Him.

Sincerely,

Worried for my Children

Toddlers and Tiaras......

I am ashamed to say that I wasted an hour of my life and a billion and one brain cells watching "Toddlers and Tiaras" last night.  I only watched it because it was filmed in Mississippi and I recognized 2 people on the show.  But I am still floored at the way parents behave and allow their children to behave.  Come on people, this is the future of America!  And these parents are in a salon with their 3 year old girl having her hair colored, yet crying because her baby is growing up too fast.  And you allow your child to dress like Marilyn Monroe, and strip down to a bikini, not just on a stage, but on national television.  What is wrong with people?! And then there was that sweet little girl who had a total meltdown and threw her crown because she didn't win overall.  I'm sorry, but did you just allow your child to have an all out tantrum because she didn't get the biggest crown?!  Come here, and I will show you where you can stuff the crown.  I'm sorry, but I would think that these over-the-top pageant parents who parade their children around like pieces of meat should be just as guilty of child abuse as the parents who mistreat their children in other inappropriate ways.  What are you trying to teach your children exactly?  That certainly isn't glorifying to God.  You bleach their teeth at ridiculously young ages, or give them bleach-white fake teeth,  bleach their hair, send them to tanning salons, and teach them to flaunt themselves for a trophy.  You feed them sugar, sugar, and more sugar so they can "perform".  You allow them to yell, throw themselves on the floor, and mistreat others when something insignificant doesn't go their way.  Wow, I would love to know what life lessons these parents think they are actually teaching these precious gifts from God.  I will never watch that show again.  I can't even believe that these people are allowed that kind of  attention.   In 20 years I hope this same network will do a show called "Toddlers and Tiaras: Where are they Now?". 

A Mama and Her Babies....

My joys.......

The only thing that stays the same is everything changes.....

Well, there have been a lot of celebrations/changes in our family.  I'm not always a big fan of change.  Quite frankly, I HATE change.  Most of the time anyway.  Sometimes change can be a good thing and is needed.  While our celebration/changes have been good ones, it still makes this Mama a little sad.  Okay, a LOT sad.

Friday was our 10 year wedding anniversary.  Not really a change, although we are maturing in our marriage each year that passes.  So, that was a happy celebration.  So as I posted on Facebook, here is the way I felt Friday:

Ten years ago,  I married my best friend. Literally. They say if you can survive the first year of marriage, then you can survive THE marriage. I disagree. If you can survive the first TEN years, then you can survive. The first year is just full of petty things like getting used to your new roommate and learning how many times a day they do things like brush their teeth. Chad and I have never been caught up in pure wedded bliss. Our marriage has not been easy or perfect. We've had a lot of bad times. But we've also had equally wonderful times. Once we learned to put Christ first, things got much easier. Christ is now the center of our family. So, to the true love of my life, soulmate, and the father of my beautiful children, happy ten years! May God fill our lives with many more adventures, good times, and even the bad ones--- so that we can remain humble in Christ. I love you, Chadwick. Look forward to the next ten years.

But then I cried on the way to our dinner date Friday.  Why?  Because I was so emotional about all the things that the month of May brings us.  The day after our anniversary was Brennan's birthday.  Then his last day of second grade was Tuesday.  And then tomorrow, it will be the one year "anniversary" of my grandfather's death.  I miss him SO much.

So Brennan is now officially a third grader. I'm not going to sit here and brag and brag about all the good grades he got (just thought I'd slip that one in) and I'm not going to get too emotional or sappy here.  But, if you're a parent, you know how fast our precious babies grow up.  How sometimes you find yourself wishing them out of a certain stage in their life, only to find yourself missing them in that same stage you found yourself getting worn out from.  


I'm convinced that somewhere in that stage of life between getting married and having your last kid, that you wake up one morning and realize that life really is short and fleeting.  And then we realize that we're all going to leave this earth one day. And then once you realize those things, once it clicks inside the brain that our kids are aren't going to be little forever, our parents aren't going to be around forever, and we are now the same age that our parents once were, but we still tend to think of them as our age, then that's when life seems to take on a speed that seems to almost be overwhelming.  You can pray for SO many things every single day, but the power to control time, or stop time, or even slow it down, that is something we aren't allowed.  


So it doesn't always work, but when I'm tripping over toys or saying dirty words about the never-ending pile of laundry, I sometimes have to stop myself and take a few deep breaths and envision no toys scattered from one end of the house to the other, no little baby clothes to wash, no tiny pajamas to wash, no dirty "Thomas the Train" plates piled in the sink and then I relax just a little.  Because I do understand that I am the age of my parents when I was little and thought they were "old" and that my children will be gone before I can soak up every single moment of the happy times.  If I could just bottle up their smells, their laughter, and sometimes (I can't believe I'm about to say this!) their bickering.  Because they really do love each other.  And one day that may be on opposite ends of the planet.  So yes, they drive me CRAZY.  And yes, I still cherish their bedtimes so that I can have some peace and quiet as temporary as it may be.  But while the days are very long, the years are passing too quickly.  


May is always a time of big change for us.  I don't really like the month of May.  It sort of puts me in a very melancholy mood.  But no use in having a pity party.  I just have to enjoy the moments.  For they only last just that---- a moment. 

That's not just any lady....... It's Supermom!!!!!!

In honor of Mother's Day, here is a tribute to all of us mothers everywhere:

You remember the intro to the comicstrip "Superman"--- Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.......

Well, to mom's everywhere:

Faster than a speeding mini-van, more powerful than a dose of Prozac, able to leap the soccer field in a single bound, known as the Woman of Strength..... It's SUPERMOM.

What other creature on earth can gently nurture little babies, wipe away tears, and kiss away boo-boos while being the pillar of strength for her family?  Simultaneously clean up vomit while cooking dinner, checking homework, and folding a pile of laundry without even breaking a sweat?  Drive down the road and swat at her misbehaving child, answer 1,001 questions, silence a ringing cellphone and without for a moment taking her eyes off the road?  What other creature can boldly and confidently say,  "I told you so" at least a million times a week? What other creature takes pride in the shine of clean toilet bowls and clean floors and perfectly baked cookies for the PTO?

No other creature but us MOM'S, that's who!

But above all else, Mothers can pray for their children like nobody else can.  They can fervently beg and plead with God to just give us the strength, the wisdom, and ability to just do this one thing right.  If we fail at all else in our lives, please, God, let us raise happy, healthy children who have their eyes set on things above.  Let us raise children who will be salt of the earth. We pray for our children to be a beacon of light for His glory in this ever darkening world of evil and faith that is continually being watered-down.  Let our children and their lives be used for God's glory while His hand of protection and safety go before them.  We beg and plead for our children to make wise choices, make the right friends, and despise sinful acts.  We beg and plead for future spouses of our children to be God-fearing, God-loving spouses who will treat our children the way husbands and wives should--- under the authority of God.  We even pray for our grandchildren in the distant, not-so-far-away future.  That as a mom, our legacy will last for generations.  We beg God that our entire family tree will all be together in Heaven bowing down to the loving Savior that showed so much mercy and grace.  If I can't get anything else right here in my time on earth, I just fervently pray that I can at least raise my children right.  Not what the world deems right.  But what my GOD says is right.  I pray that I can teach my children to give God all the glory and honor in every last thing they do for their entire lives.  If I never pray for any other thing in life, that would be my prayer.  God give me the wisdom to be the mom that YOU created me to be, to these priceless gifts you've loaned me for just a short time.  Let me just get this right.  Three little souls depend on it.   Amen.

Counting Blessings....

There is a saying that goes something like this:  "What if you woke up tomorrow with only the things you thanked God for today?"  Yes, chew on that for just a minute. So in my praying this morning, it occurred to me that things in life seemed to be okay.  I was not having to pray urgently for anything in particular (except for my children, which I pray for like a mad woman!).  So then I started naming my blessings and thanking God for each of them.  It is then that I realized just how many blessings have been so generously poured out onto my family and me.  I urge you to stop and pray.  But without asking God for anything.  Just stop and start listing off your blessings and thanking God for each one of them.  I promise, you will feel l00 pounds lighter afterwards.

When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will keep singing as the days go by.

Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
Count your many blessings. Wealth can never buy
Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.

Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

So, amid the conflict whether great or small,
Do not be disheartened, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.

Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

"Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,"

Ephesians 5:20 ESV

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV

"Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!"

Psalm 107:1 ESV

"Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!"

Psalm 105:1 ESV