A shout out to the amazing husbands out there!

5 years ago my husband was hit by a car on his motorcycle and suffered some pretty major injuries that required 2 reconstructive surgeries. Doctors told him he only had 50% chance of walking unassisted again and that he'd be in near constant pain for the rest of his life.

Not very encouraging and most guys would have just given up right then and there. But not my guy. He was walking unassisted 4 months after the accident and while he's in pain much of the time, he continues to work and does his best to enjoy his life. He works so hard and takes good care of his family and most importantly he keeps God at the forefront of all he does.

I probably don't tell him or show him often enough how much I appreciate him an all he does for us. After 21 years of marriage I cannot imagine my life without him. He's been a part of my life for more than half of my life. He's supported me, encouraged me, and loved me when I was feeling completely unlovable.

He's my hero and I love him dearly. Thank you, sweetie, for all you do.

And thank you to all the husbands out there who treat their wives with dignity and respect, who love their wives and kids with every breath, who take 1 Corinthians 13 literally.

1 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part,10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Be His voice, His hands, His feet...His love

Six months ago my cousin, and one of my dearest friends, passed away from a terrible illness. And while I knew she was sick, her death was sudden and unexpected and a shocking tragic loss that still leaves me reeling six months later. She and I spoke on the phone nearly every day and we spoke the day before she was life flighted to the hospital, two days before she died. I grew up with her, the daughter of one of my mom's younger sisters, and we were buddies. I miss her every single day and sometimes still expect to see her name pop up on my phone when it rings.

A few days after she passed away, I heard a song on the radio that reduced me to a sobbing mess. Unfortunately I was in the car, but thankfully my daughter was driving so we were okay. But the song- Beautiful by Mercy Me- was a song that my cousin needed to hear while she was alive, a song that maybe would have encouraged her, and reminded her that she was loved by her Maker even when she was feeling unloved by those around her. The song hit me so hard I had to find a copy of the album it was on so I could listen to it when I was thinking of her and I could cry and grieve and remember her for the beautiful soul she was.

Well, also on this same album is a song that I've been listening to a lot lately. It's called Won't You Be My Love. And this song goes hand in hand with the other one in that our world is so full of desperately hurting, desperately sick people who need Jesus and they need to be reminded of His love for them. And we, as God's children, need to be the voice of Christ telling the hurting that He loves them. We need to be His hands healing them. We need to be His feet walking to a broken world. We've been charged with THE Great Commission. The greatest task anyone can be given- GO into all the world and spread the message of God's love, Christ's sacrifice, His redemption. GO. Jesus didn't say sit and pray about it- although prayer is important for knowing where He wants us- but Jesus said GO! Get up off your backside and GO!

GO to your neighbor's house. GO across town and witness to a lonely old person in the nursing home. GO to the jail or prison and be a friend to the friendless. GO 3 states over and help a tornado hit community. GO overseas and be a blessing to someone who has never heard the name of Jesus before.

GO!

Beautiful by Mercy Me

Won't You Be My Love by Mercy Me

This one's for you Lizzie- my sweet cousin. You are beautiful, you are loved, you are missed.

Commander in Chief with no military experience?

Each of different branches of our armed forces has a level of ranks that can be achieved through various methods. Each higher rank requires the member to prove certain skills or ability to lead those placed under his/her command. While EARNING those ranks the members learn valuable disciplines as well as the ability to read a situation or person so that they can quickly ascertain the best way to act or react for the best possible outcome for everyone involved. They learn things that civilians are not regularly taught. They learn things that most civilians have no desire to learn and that's why the military would NEVER promote a regular joe civilian to the rank of captain, colonel, or admiral of the armed forces.

So, please, tell me why we, the people of the United States of America, find it acceptable to promote a regular joe off the street civilian to the rank of COMMANDER IN CHIEF. Why are we willing to put someone who has NEVER served in the military, in command of the military?

Barack Obama has never served in the military in any capacity. Never went through boot camp, never learned to follow orders, never learned the discipline necessary to lead in the military. Yet here he is 'leading' our troops into a potential disaster and possibly in the process of triggering World War 3.

George Bush Junior was a First Lieutenant in the Air National Guard and served during Vietnam.

Bill Clinton agreed to serve then changed his mind and never did.

George Bush Senior was a Lieutenant and served during WWII.

Ronald Reagan was a Captain and served during WWII.

And the list goes on. Only 11 of our 43 presidents in the history of our country didn't serve in the military in some capacity or another.

I truly believe that anyone hoping to lead this country should be required to have served in the military before they can be elected President of the United States of America. How can they effectively lead our military if they've never served in it?

What are your thoughts on this issue? Please share with me.

What's 'good' for the people isn't good for Congress?

It was recently announced that 100% of our congressmen and women declined to participate in ObamaCare. Not a single one of them will be forced to participate in the monstrous bill that they passed and are forcing the rest of us to obey! If this new law is so great...why don't they want to be part of it?

After some quick research I found that there are a lot of laws that Congress passes that they don't have to follow. Why are they passing laws that they are exempt from? If these laws are so good for the people, why are they above the law? They are citizens of this country the same as you and me but they don't have to follow the same laws we do! That doesn't sit well with me. So I've started a petition at the White House website to try and end this horrible double standard. I'll post the link below after the partial list of laws that Congress has exempted themselves from:

* The Freedom of Information Act.

* Investigatory subpoenas to obtain information for safety and health probes.

* Protections against retaliation for whistleblowers.

* Having to post notices of worker rights in offices.

* Prosecution for retaliating against employees who report safety and health hazards.

* Having to train employees about workplace rights and legal remedies.

* Record-keeping requirements for workplace injuries and illnesses.

In 1995, Congress did pass the Congressional Accountability Act, which applied these provisions to Congress:

* The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967.

* The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

* Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

* The Employee Polygraph Protection Act of 1988.

* The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938.

* The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993.

* The Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute that allows collective bargaining by some federal workers.

* Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970.

* The Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

* Veterans' Employment and Re-employment Rights Act of 1994

* The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act of 1989, which requires employers to provide notice 60 days in advance of covered plant closings and covered mass layoffs.

* Provisions of the Veterans Employment Opportunity Act, which gives veterans a preference for federal jobs.

Make Congress Follow the law

Impeach Obama

Please take a few minutes to sign these petitions. Let's stand up and take our nation back! 

What would our founding fathers say?

Considering the state of things in our country, I can't help but wonder what George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and the others, would think of the way things are going in this once great country they helped create.

I, personally, believe they'd be ashamed. They'd be heartbroken and would, if possible, changes the constitution to be more clear so that it would be impossible to misinterpret it the way that the governments over the ages have done. The Constitution of the United States means something completely today than it did 237 years ago. Instead of making the people free and putting the power of the nation into the hands of the people, it's been reinterpreted to say the complete opposite. The power has been stripped away from the people and placed into the hands and pockets of lifetime bureaucrats. I truly don't believe that the founding fathers intended for politicians to remain in office for decades. And yes, I know they continue to be reelected over and over by the people- by people who are too busy to pay attention to what their representatives are doing.

I don't typically mention movies on here- especially not rated R ones but there's a movie that I saw years ago called The Distinguished Gentleman with Eddie Murphy in it and it's a perfect example of what goes on in Washington D.C. There's some language in it but if I recall it correctly there's no nudity or violence to speak of. It's a very close representation of how I imagine things being done behind the closed doors that our current president promised would remain open and transparent in his administration.

But we all know that this administration has been far more secretive than any in history. Full of lies, full of deceit and scandal. There's no transparency there unless Obama thinks tar is transparent!

Perfect example: I've started a petition on Whitehouse.gov. A petition to impeach Obama. But the White house has hidden it. The only way it can be found is by using the link I saved when I started the petition. I'll share it here and I hope you will consider signing it. You must register at Whitehouse.gov in order to sign any petitions so do that first then click on this link so you're able to sign.

Impeach Obama

So far there are only 3 signatures on it and two of those are mine and my husbands. I know for certain that there would be more if people could actually see it.

I know our Lord in Heaven is sickened by the depths to which this country has fallen. Abortion at an all time high, a president who insists this is not a Christian nation yet he supports the Muslim Brotherhood with our tax dollars, Murder, Lying media, scheming lying government who do what they want instead of what the people want. This is not a nation deserving of God's blessings. This is a nation more like Sodom and Gomorrah or the world when Noah built the ark.

We, the people, the Christians of this nation, need to stand up and be heard. Fight!

The Pope

I'm not Catholic, never have been, never will be...but I've been following the news of the new Pope since his election to see how he'd do in his first days and thus far I'd have to say that I'm impressed.

He seems to be a very humble man with a heart for Jesus and a heart for people. His refusal to live in opulence while others live in poverty was the first thing that impressed me. Then his comment about the church, how it should be poor because it's using its assets to help those in need. He more or less condemned the church for hoarding wealth while the people are starving. His heart seems to be truly where it should be and I have to say that it's a relief to finally have someone in a place of power who doesn't appear to want to abuse that power.

I know it's not good to place our hope in a person- and I'm not- but it gives me a little bit of reassurance that God hasn't left us completely to our own evil devices just yet...that there is still hope in our Savior and it's being expressed through those who are willing to give up all for the Kingdom.

Pope Francis made some comments in Rio this morning that were bold and probably upset many in the Catholic community. He told the Church to watch the young- that the youth were the future of the church, that the church needs the energy and joy of the young to shake things up. He said the church needs to stop following the status-quo, to get out of our comfort zones, to reach the lost and get back to a more simple Gospel that ordinary people can relate to. A gospel based on love, grace, mercy, and above all else, truth.

I believe that he's right. The church as a whole has dropped the ball, lost its connection with people. The church also seems to have forgotten that the WHOLE CHURCH is the army of God. We need to set aside our differences and work together as one, united for the cause of Christ. It shouldn't matter what building we gather in each week for worship, or what pastor leads us, or what name is on the front of that building. If we are Bible believing, God fearing, Jesus loving Christians then we need to be willing to work with others to lead the lost to the fold and stop worrying about unimportant doctrinal differences that we may have. What matters in the end is Jesus...plain and simple.

Reach the lost for Jesus, not for the Baptist, the Protestant, the Catholic, the Methodist, or any other denomination...it's ALL about Jesus!

It's time to STAND UP!!

To my friends, family, and random readers...

Our world is in sad shape, as I'm sure many of you have noticed. It would seem that God has been kicked so fully out of our society that He's gone completely and has left us to our evil devices.

Our government is full to brimming over with deceitful, scheming, lying, Godless people and WE the people put them there. They've corrupted their positions and forsaken the Constitution they swore to uphold. They're slowly stripping away our rights and freedoms and it won't be long until we're no better off than those trapped in concentration camps during WWII!

Our religious liberties are being stolen at an alarming rate and those of us who claim to be true Christians are standing silently by, allowing it to happen. We don't go out and vote, we don't attend rallies, we don't write or call our reps to make our voices heard! Would Jesus stand silently by and do nothing to try to change things?

NO, He absolutely would not! He went to the temple and turned over the tables of the cheating money changers. He booted them out of His house and we, the people, should do no less!

Get out and vote! Write letters, make phone calls, talk to those who are voting for those who are corrupt and destroying our nation! We the people need to Stand up for Jesus, for God, for our nation. It's desperate out there and we need to fight for what's right.

Icing or cake?

It has occurred to me recently that many new believers are leaving the church. They come in and hear a few sermons about salvation, heaven and hell, they profess their faith, get baptized and a few weeks or months later they stop attending church. When asked why they've stopped attending, they respond with many versions of the same reason: I wasn't ready for that kind of commitment. I wasn't prepared for what church really was. I guess I didn't know what I was getting into.

If you ask someone- believer or not- if they'd rather go to heaven or to hell...of course they'll say heaven. So it's like a sales job. Sell Heaven to the un-reached masses. Everyone who believes there is a heaven or hell wants to go to heaven.

But is that right? Shouldn't we be 'selling' Jesus instead? I know that sounds crass- we shouldn't be selling Jesus at all- but it's the best way I could find to get my thought across. Being a born again believer should be about Jesus and what He's already done for us, not what He's going to do for us in the future. Heaven is in the future. The cross is already here. We should be teaching new believers why they should serve Jesus for what He's already done for us, not because He's our ticket to heaven. I, personally, would love and serve Jesus even without the promise of heaven...that's just icing on the cake. I want the cake...the substance...and that's Jesus and the cross.

But that requires service, selflessness...and sacrifice. People today don't seem to understand what sacrifice is, what it means, or how to go about being sacrificial. It's not enough to say you're a Christian, to put a fish sticker on your car, to go to church each time the doors are open. Being a Christian means you have a relationship with Jesus!

How do you have a relationship with someone you can't see? How did husbands and wives nurture their relationships when one or the other was far away for years at a time back when a husband left his home country to set out across the sea in search of a new home to raise his family? They wrote letters.

The Bible is full of letters given to us by our Father in Heaven to enable us to learn about Him. They're letters from His heart about His heart...Jesus. Read the Word, spend time in prayer, build a solid relationship with the Savior...and then put it to use.

Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, house the homeless, support the widows and orphans, heal the sick, love the lost. BE JESUS to them and the only way someone can BE JESUS is by knowing who Jesus is!

Being a Christian isn't about Heaven. Being a Christian is about Jesus. Loving Him in everything we do and loving others as He loves us...Sacrificially! Be willing to love until it hurts. Be willing to give all He gave you!

Undecided seekers and new believers need to be given all the facts before making their decision. This world is getting harder by the day, falling further away from what God made it by the minute. We as the children of God need to be strong, we need to stand up and fight, we need to make our voices heard! That's no easy task in this day and age.

Don't make the choice to be a Christian just so you can go to heaven. Make the choice so you can have a relationship with Jesus today and spend the rest of your days showing Him how much you appreciate the sacrifice He already made for you. Keep your eyes on Him in the here and now and don't focus on what He's promised to give you someday because someday could be a long way off. Serve Him today.

To those of you who are established in your faith, who know what it means to have a committed relationship with Jesus, who sacrifice: Make sure that you're giving those who have not yet made a choice all the facts they need to be a real Christian. Love them like Jesus and SHOW them what it means to sacrifice.

Fan or Follower?

I started reading a book recently called 'Not A Fan' by Kyle Idleman. It asks a question that upon first glance doesn't seem like a tough question to answer.

But as I continued to read that question became a little more tough to answer without really thinking about it.

Are you a follower of Jesus Christ?

That's the question. Are you a follower of Jesus Christ?

The first time I read it, I answered right away, "Of course I am."

But the more I read, the less sure I became. Am I a follower? Or am I a fan? Let me lay it out a little as the author did.

A sports fan goes to all the games, wears the jersey, the hat, the big foam finger, roots and cheers for his team. He has bumper stickers on his car, season tickets, and maybe a cell phone case with his team's logo on it. He's dedicated to his team.

But he sits in the stands. He's never on the field taking a beating, risking insult and injury for the game, protecting his teammates...making a sacrifice. He's safe up in the bleachers. He's all about his team while they're winning but what happens when they have a losing streak for 3 or 4 seasons? He quits spending money on season tickets and bumper stickers, stops talking about his team, maybe even switches allegiance to another team.

Now look at that from a Christian perspective: A fan goes to church pretty regularly, listens to Christian music, has a fish bumper sticker on his car, maybe wears a cross necklace. But what happens when things get hard, when life takes a turn for the difficult and God seems far away?

How many people let go of God because they don't have a REAL relationship with Him? How many people are really only fans of Jesus and not truly following Him?

Following Jesus requires sacrifice. What have you sacrificed for Jesus? That's a hard question for many people to answer. It's a hard one for me to answer and I'm still trying to figure it out. What have I sacrificed for Jesus?

I've lost a few friends because I refused to do things that would have compromised my values. I've taken the high road and watched others have 'fun' because their fun would have disappointed my Jesus. I guess that could be considered sacrifice but compared to Christians in other nations who are giving up or risking their very lives it's nothing. Would I be willing to give up my life for Jesus if I was asked to?

Would I be willing to give up everything for Him like Job did? Or would I cling to earthly things that I love rather than sacrifice all for the One who sacrificed all for me?

My answer?

I would absolutely give it all. I know in the deepest part of everything I am, that I would give it all. If the work Jesus has for me requires that I be alone and he took my husband and children from me, then I, heartbroken as I'd be, would let them go because I know that no matter what, Jesus knows what's best for me. If I have to give up my house and my car and my business then that, too, would go. I can't think of a single thing on this earth that I would refuse to sacrifice for Jesus.

Because I love Him more. Because I am a follower, Not A Fan.

Make him HEAR us!

I know that many of you are as weary of the goings on in our nation's capitol as I am. I hesitate to turn on the news now days because of what I'm likely going to see or hear. Our nation is on a slippery slope headed south and the people who are going to be hurt by it the worst are the conservative Christians. Our rights are being chipped away at an alarming rate and it terrifies me to think about the world my children will inherit.

Let's look at the numbers- According to a 2012 poll by the American Religious Identification Survey, 76% of American adults identify as Christian. That's a huge number of people. I'm sure that a portion of those people aren't sincere but let's for a minute imagine that they are. 3 out of 4 people say they are Christians in this nation. If every one of those people sent a letter to the White House demanding that President Obama stop pandering to the left and listen to the people who pay his bills, it might have an impact. If even half the proclaimed Christians in this country would stand up and shout, he would have no choice but to hear!

Right now the people who have his ear is the very liberal- and loud- minority. The LGBT groups, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, The Anti Gun super pac's who are lining his pockets. The reason he isn't hearing us is because for some reason Christians seem to think that we're not allowed to get angry, we're not aloud to shout or make ourselves heard! Well listen to this: In the book of Matthew, chapter  21:12-13 it says:

12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves.
13 And He said to them, “It is written, ‘MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER’; but you are making it a ROBBERS’ DEN.

Jesus himself got angry, made a whip, and made Himself heard in order to demand righteousness! He flipped tables over in his anger!

If we, the Christian majority, are to take our nation back, we must make ourselves be heard! We must stand up and fight for what we know is right. Jesus wouldn't stand back and silently watch while these things happened in front of Him and neither should we. Simply voting is not enough. We must stand up and make our national representatives hear us. They are there to REPRESENT us...not tell us what to do! We hired them, we pay their bills, we are the employers and they are the employees! If they don't do their job, we need to fire them!

Join with me in a letter writing campaign to the White House- The People's House (the one we've recently been kicked out of because the president doesn't want to cut frivolous spending) and demand to be heard. Call the White House switchboard. Be respectful because we are representing Christ but even Christ got angry.

President Obama
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington DC 20500

Switchboard number: 202-456-1414


Stand with me and WRITE!

Christmas EVERY day!

A new year has come, the holiday decorations have been packed away for another year and the house has been cleaned up and put back in order.

But Christmas is still here. That's my New Year's Resolution. I said I wasn't going to have resolutions this year but I've changed my mind. I want to live with those feelings of celebrating my Savior and being generous and giving all year because I truly believe that's how God calls us to live- not just at Christmas time.

Jesus is everyday and should be celebrated and loved and shared every single day of the year! Why pack Him away with the holiday decorations? This year I'm not and I hope you'll join me in this effort.

My heart has been moved for the people of Asia- India specifically. My heart aches for the people there and I'm even praying about going there someday on a mission trip. A friend of mine is married to a pastor who goes to India every year so maybe I'll be able to join his team someday. What a blessing that would be! Join me in prayer for this if you will. But until the time when God paves the way, I want to do what I can from here.

So I've joined with Gospel For Asia to raise funds for Asian families in need. 100%- let me repeat that because so few charities do this- 100% of the funds you send go to their intended purpose. Those funds are not used for overhead or to line someone's pockets! How fantastic is that! 100%

That's why I've chosen Gospel for Asia because I wanted me donated dollars to count- every single one of them!

Please join me here: Christmas EVERY Day to raise money to send the word of God to Asia. And not just the word of God (that's the most important part) but things these wonderful people need to rise up out of poverty and reach out to others in their community. Things like water filters to clean the water they drink. Livestock- water buffalo, sheep, chickens, goats- that they can raise and harvest for cheese, eggs, milk, and meat to feed their families as well as to sell for income. It's a hand up, not a hand out! Teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime. What an amazing program! Please join with me in this goal. Send Jesus to Asia!


Christmas EVERY Day