Your Actions When No One Is Looking

My daughter grabbed the second telephone while I was discussing some details with my doctor. Trying to listen and ask my questions I hear my daughter also joining in on the conversation. Not a fun way to get through these kind of calls.

My daughter knew she was wrong because when I went to retrieve the phone her door was locked. If I was not on the phone and she had done this with something else I am sure I would have screamed at her and threatened her until she obeyed me. This type of behavior is unacceptable to me.

However, since I knew I was on the phone with the office and knew someone was listening I restrained myself. It got me to thinking. Why would I handle a situation differently when I know someone is listening or watching? God sees all the time. I should always be mindful of Him.

*****I do not yell and scream at my children at all times. I really do not like yelling but sometimes that is what some episodes turn into. I am a work in progress.

First Day Of School!

My baby-starting Kindergarten. Oh how the time flies!
My oldest loving school back in session! In case you are curious that is My Father's World curriculum you are seeing them work on.
A view of our school room.

Rejection Time-Refresh My Soul Weekly Devotional

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven”
~Ecclesiastes 3:1

I love God’s timing. His timing is always perfect. There are no mistakes in His plans. He knows exactly every detail of our lives. He knows when we need things at just their proper time.

Yet with that knowledge can come some disappointment on our end. We want that job promotion. We want that baby. We need that raise now. You get my point. But God does not let the thing work out the way we decided we wanted it to work out. Now why is that?

Read the rest here.

An Award For Me?

Sweet Amy at Signs, Miracles, and Wonders AND Mariel at Growing in godliness gave me this reward called the Art Y Pico award. This award is given to those who inspire others with their creative energy and talents in writing, artwork, design or contributions to the blogging community. It originated here. I don't know how creative I am, but I am honored that someone feels I've made a contribution to the blogging community.

I think this is so sweet of them to give this out. To think that I can inspire others with my blog is humbling. So, I am going to pass this on to five of you who inspire me. You all do but I can only pick five.

Kay at Thrive Christians
Kay has so many thought provoking posts. Always something to inspire. She is a new friend I met at She Speaks and I am so blessed because of it.

Micca at Reflections
Micca is a real life friend who never ceases to inspire me. I love to read her blog and insights.

Sanya at Beams of Light Ministries
Sanya is also a real life friend. I met her at the She Speaks conference last year. She is a great inspiration. I love to read her thoughts and insights into things.

Jodi at Fruit Inspection
I have not met Jodi in person but I love her spirit. She is such a sweet and real woman of God. Her writings about her children inspire me and make me appreciate being a mom.

Nikki at Three Girly Girlz
Nikki is another real life friend. I met her at She Speaks this year. She has such a passion for Jesus. I just love reading about her journey on her blog. She inspires me too.

Okay now please pass it on ladies!

Prayer Initiative

I just wanted to throw this out there to see what interest there may be. My husband and I are thinking about getting a server that would host up to 50 people where we could talk to one another. All we would need to do is download the software and use a headset attached to the computer.

I thought this would be a great idea. We could use it for our studies so we could discuss the stuff we are learning live. We could have a prayer night where we pray together which I would love to start once a month. So many possibilities.

So my question is are you interested???

Abundant Grace Week Three Discussion Questions

How wonderful it is to be diligent in the study of God's word. I know we are each growing closer to God because of it. May God give you a new passion for His word this week.

Regarding Rahab, Boaz, Ruth, and David;

1-Name some things that made these people ordinary.

2-What were their main challenges?

3-What stood out the most to you this week?

4-Can you see how God uses anyone who is willing?

5-Have you asked Jesus to be Lord of your life? Share your personal testimony with the group. If you have never asked the Lord into your life now is a good time. You just need to ask and He will come.

6-Did you realize that such scandal was in the lineage of Jesus? What are your thoughts? Can you relate to this in your heritage?

7-What did you learn from Rahab? Is any sin too big for God to forgive?

8-What did you learn from Ruth and Boaz?

9-What did you learn from David?

10-David was a man after God’s own heart and still messed up so big; does that give you hope in your life? How?

Some Sad News

I have bittersweet feelings about this post. The Starbucks that is near me is closing. There are around 600 stores closing. You can read about it on their site here.

Sad because I love me some Starbucks Cafe Mocha. Happy because I spend way too much on these drinks.

***************Update-So I made a trip out to our Starbucks today for a last time drink and well I was told they would not be closing only the one on Hwy 58 (for those of you who know where that is). YEAH but now I realize I just need to have some self control.

Some interesting conversation while in pursuit.
H-Mom, I am going to be late.
Mom-For what baby?
H-My sleepover and we are going to have brownies.
Mom-Okay well where is it?
H-I don't know.
Mom-Okay well, whose party is it?
H-I forgot her name.
Mom-Well then I guess we will not be able to get there honey.
H-I did know her name but I forgot(still not getting why we cannot go.)
Conversation got changed so all is well! This is the second or third time this has been brought up this week. The mystery party it must be a top secret list! :)

My Favorite Magazine

I just love Pray magazine. I have been a subscriber for over a year now and have been so moved by it. I just wanted to share something from this months issue that I liked and wanted to implement as a prayer idea.

Since we wait in so many lines the idea was to pull out your cell phone and look at your contacts. Lift each name up in prayer as you wait.

What a simple yet brilliant idea. In prayer I feel like I forget so much or so many people but I am going to start this.

If you want more info on pray magazine you can go here.

Abundant Grace Week Two Discussion Questions

Wow-I am so proud of you all persevering in diligent study of the Word of God! May God richly bless your efforts to know Him better. I am loving all that we are learning together. Feel free to come back and post as often as you like. Let's get a discussion started together.

Regarding Jacob, Judah, and Tamar;

1-What are some things that made them ordinary?

2-What were their main challenges?

3-Deception continues to run rampant in this family. Do you know any families like this? Share your example with the group, for confidentiality purposes don’t share their names.

4-When God blesses His servants it spills over onto everything they do. Like Jacob, Laban prospered because of God’s blessing on Jacob. With that blessing often comes jealousy from others. Can you see and example of this in your church? Again, for confidentiality purposes don’t share names.

5-Despite our sinful condition, God does work all things for the good of those who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). Can you give an example that you have seen of this in your life.

6-Friendships based on God are so important. Can you say this is true for your friendships? Explain.

I am not saying at all not to be friendly to non-believers. This is one way to reach out to them by living your faith so they can see it. Hanging out with them while they do non-believer things is not wise. By doing this it is very likely you will fall into temptation.

7-Have you ever seen an example of this happening in someone’s life?

Congrats to Book Winner

Yeah Cindi! You won the book Act Two! I emailed you about it.
Thanks to all who entered.

A Story I Have To Share

I have a fear. It is a realistic fear yet irrational in nature. I have a hard time going outside and walking in the woods and grass. I want my children to experience this but it was these experiences that robbed me of a normal life.

At one point in my past I was infected with the Lyme disease bacteria. When it started to attack my body my health declined swiftly. I was unsure of what was happening. My test results kept coming back fine. I was told it was in my head. Yet I continued to decline in health.

God lead me to a doctor who treated Lyme disease in Missouri. God used him to start a treatment that saved my life. A few times I thought I was losing the battle and really wished I did but God had other plans. After seven years of battle God miraculously took it away overnight. It was a wonderful miracle. This past June I celebrated my three year mark of being Lyme free. Yet the one problem I suffer is that since then my full strength has never truly returned.

God is good though and reminds me everyday that I need to cast those cares on Him. His grace is sufficient for me. He will never leave or forsake me.

I need to share my story because this is a VERY serious illness and though not all ticks carry the bacteria, some do. Please pray for these patients and the doctors brave enough to treat them. I wanted to share with you a CNN news story on this issue that can be viewed here.

Also, this is a great video worth watching to help explain this horrible illness. I am sure you probably know someone going through it or someone who is sick but no one knows what is going on with them.

A New Walmart Moment

So all of you that keep up with my blog know that I do not like going to Walmart. I have such crazy experiences there and well today when I decided to go after quite a while I had another one of these experiences!

I was running a few errands and Walmart is a must because my daughter who loves chocolate milk but refuses to drink any brand but Walmart. Believe me I have tried to trick her with every other brand there is out there-I know that is not so spiritual. Bear with me.

On my drive I was listening to Beth Moore CD on the fruit of the Spirit and this ones was patience. It spoke about bearing with one another so I was asking God to let me be a light on this experience to those around me. An example of Him.

As I walked through I encountered so many people who looked so unhappy so I just smiled and prayed for each one. Then when I got all my stuff and to the check out the lady checking me out commented on my choice of Chester's Puffcorn. She said it looked good. I said it was and asked her if she wanted to try it. She said yes so much to all our surprise I opened the bag and she took a big handful and tried them. Good thing she liked them! :) I could only chuckle at what was just done. She commented on how hungry she was so God used that to bless her.

Now, I have to confess I am a germaphobe so I could not stop worrying about how clean her hands were since she was handling groceries and money and all but God took that away as I gave that to him. The lady behind me must have been thinking the same thing because her lip hit the floor at this scene and said, "that was nice." I asked her if she wanted some and she said, "no thankyou". It was so funny. My Walmart experiences never get old. I bet this does not happen anywhere other than Tennessee! :)

The funny thing about it is that we are really low on funds this month and what I bought has to last us until the end of the month. I wonder if God was testing how giving I would be because as I picked up each item I was thanking God for it and asking Him to multiply it like the fishes and loaves. We have made a commitment to debt-free living and with that comes certain sacrifices. Like the trip I wrote about a few weeks ago. I forgot to mention the best thing though-God let a donation come in today in the mail to help aid me on my Malta trip. God is so good.

Fun With Words

Some phrases thrown around the household lately.

Mom, can I put my swimsoup on? (translation: swimsuit.)
Mom, will you put the sunscream on me? (translation: sunscreen.)

Refresh My Soul Weekly Devotional

The devotional is up here.

Abundant Grace Week One Discussion Questions

I am so thrilled that we have completed a week of study together. What a blessing God's word brings us. I want us to take some of these questions that put a spark in your Spirit so that we can discuss them. They are just a guide to use. Please post any remarks or comments that you would like from the study.

Regarding Mary, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob:

1-What are some things that stood out to you that made these people ordinary?

2-What were their main challenges?

3-Like Abraham, are there any age related barriers set up against you in your life that you are currently experiencing?

4-Do you have any uncertain choices that need to be made like Abraham? Do you need to take a step of blind faith in obeying a task that God has given you? Explain.

5-If single, What is your motivation for dating? Are you waiting on God in this area of your life?

6-OR If your married are you giving proper respect to your husband? If you are a man are you showing proper love to your wife? Give examples.

7-Is there any deception or favoritism in your life that you need to deal with? Maybe with your family, friends, or a boss?

8-How are you handling this situation?

9-Are you encouraged that God can use whoever He chooses at whatever stage of life they are in? How does the fact that these men and women were hand-chosen by God to have the honor of being in the family line of Jesus bless you?

10-Do you have any doubt that you were hand chosen by God for this generation?
Why or why not?

11-What do you sense your purpose may be for your generation?

A Book Tour For Kimberly Stuart and Give Away

This tour is for a wonderful novel written by Kimberly Stuart. I was able to get a copy to read myself before posting this and after reading that book I was curious to see what else this gifted author had out there. She has two other books that look as equally interesting and ones that I would love to put on my reading list.

The wonderful news is that I have permission to give this book away to you. All you have to do is leave a comment for me and I will do a drawing next week and get it sent out to you.

Act two is about a diva from NYC who has everything going for her, or so it seems, then a move to a pig farm in the middle of Iowa ends up changing her life for the better. God had some surprises in store.

Please do go check out more on this author here.
There are interviews and more about the author.

If you would like to order your own copy of this book you can here.

Rad Revolution-Check It Out

I am over here today. Go check it out and spread the word to the young girls out there to sign up to review these wonderful devotions from Proverbs 31 ministries in their in box every Monday.

Marriage Monday-A Tribute To My Man.

A teenage bride she was to be, to a husband but who was he?
Too young to married, Yet God He did carry
us to true love, the kind that fits like a hand and glove
I love this gift God uses to sift the ugly things out of me
and the ones out of he, we were meant to be
though through a rough start God knew what He was doing
as we learned to follow His heart.
Thirteen years later we have come this far
What an adventure and we didn't even need a car.
My hubbie, my man, my best friend you have
indeed become my shooting star.
Wishes come true and they did the day we said I do.
Thanks for sticking to me like glue a task we did not have to do.
Yet we made a decision to stick it through
even when we did not really know what to do.
God has blessed especially when we made Him center
I would not change a thing. Thank you my sweet man
for everything. I thank God He gave you to me as the perfect
gift.
With all my love,
~Your adoring wife.

The topic is open this month. To see what others are saying go here.

Abundant Grace - Intro

If you are participating in the study I just wanted to let you know I have sent the first week's homework out and you should receive it. If you do not get it please email me to let me know. I have had two of your email addresses fail on me. Probably my error but please let me know if you do not receive it and what your correct email address is.

I am so excited to do this with you all!
God bless.
Angela

Random Stuff-RMS Devotional, Bible Study Info, And A Funny Story

The weekly devotion is up here.

ABUNDANT GRACE STUDY DETAILS
For those of you doing the Bible study please make sure you have sent me your email address. It is not too late. There are currently 25 of us as of now. It should be so much fun! This is how it will work. I will email you the weeks worth of work on Sunday nights. Also on Sunday I will post a podcast corresponding that will be less than 10 minutes that you can listen too as well if you choose. We will do the work and on Friday night or Saturday I will post small group discussion questions that we can discuss on the blog. Also, feel free to email me anything to post if you do not have a blog. I am really hoping we will have a lot of discussion because that is how we will learn from one another. Also, please be thinking of things to help improve the study as well. My goal is for us to grow in the word and become more like Christ through it otherwise it is just a waist of time. I want it to be transforming and that is what I am praying for each one of you. Hope that helps explain everything. I will also email the instructions on Sunday to you.

THE FUNNY STORY OF HUMILITY
I have to tell you a really funny story. Or at least it was to me! :) Rather humbling. I was scheduled to get what I thought was a call from the people hosting the virtual home school conference at 4pm yesterday. When no call came in I checked my email and found I was suppose to log into their conference software so we could test it and see how it would work for the conference which has over 100 people registered thus far! Wow! Anyway, I am logging on to test the stuff and automatically my web cam which is built in decides to come on. Oh MY! Can I just tell you that I was not webcam ready in appearance. I was so embarrassed and God kept reminding me that I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Oh how I was humbled. So, I had my conversation with them and the web cam focusing on me the entire time.

Why was I not webcam ready? Well, since we did not get to travel because of cost factors our family has been having fun lazy days relaxing a nice sabbath of sorts. We had just finished swimming and I took a quick shower. Since I was seeing no one (SO I THOUGHT)-I threw on a sweatshirt and threw up my hair. I sported no make up and my glasses. What a first impression. I just love it though and how God humbles us. Again the focus was on me when it really needed to be on God. I am fearfully and wonderfully made! :)

Am I alone in this or do you have any humbling stories you can share with me?

United We Stand?

This is the the bumper sticker I saw on a car today as it drove by, "United We Stand". I pondered that thought-united we stand-It made me wonder how long it has been since our country has been united. It seems like a really long time ago. We can only stand if we are united. This wisdom comes from the Bible which states, "a house divided against itself cannot stand" (Mark 3:25).

That is why our country is in chaos. We are completely divided. Not only with these upcoming elections. We have a huge number of people in our country who even are unwilling to accept true history showing how much our founding fathers were rooted in God. Hello, our money states, In God we trust. Yet I look around and I see a lot of in me I trust. It grieves my heart.

I found a quote that states these thoughts well.
"For a people to boast in the glory of the past, and to deny the secret that made the past, is to perish."
~G. Campbell Morgan

That statement is wisdom. We will perish if we deny the "secret" that got us to where we are today. It should be no secret because it is clearly God. It is God who blesses a country and God who lets one fall. All things are in His hands. In all our chaos and self-centeredness we are in danger of a fall. We need to repent and turn to God with our whole hearts and perhaps He will heal our land like He spoke of to King Solomon (2 Chronicles 7:14).

He is willing but the question is are we? So, as we celebrate the 4th of July in this country of America. Can we seek out God with our whole hearts? I am speaking to my brothers and sisters here. Judgement will start in the house of the Lord. He is the one after all who calls for unity. We are to be the example to the world. Can we truly stand unity under the umbrella of God again? I hope so. Lord forgive us.