They Heard of Their Faith

Let’s take a look at Colossians 1:3-14 starting with asking…..Why do they always thank God … when they pray?

If you keep reading you will see it’s because ‘they heard of their faith….and of the love they have for all the saints.’

Let’s take a look at the word ‘faith’ in the Greek.

 Faith (4102/pistis) is always a gift from God, and never something that can be produced by people. In short, for the believer is "God's divine persuasion" – and therefore distinct from human belief (confidence), yet involving it. The Lord continuously births faith in the yielded believer so they can know what He prefers, i.e. the persuasion of His will (1 Jn 5:4).

So they lived in a way that this gift from God was showing. They were persuaded, they yielded themselves to Him and knew His will.

And they had a love for the saints. I can only assume if they were known for this love it was because they were walking the way of the Lord. They were a light for Christ, showing and living forgiveness, teaching the Truth in love, seeking God for themselves-yielding themselves to Him so they knew what their next step should be. They confessed their sins, prayed for each other….I’m sure you can add to this.

Now let me ask you; are you a light in and outside the church? 

Do people see God when they ‘hear’ about the things you are doing? Are you talking bad about a Pastor-the ones we are called to share the Gospel, ones anointed by God --------(Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe.  He said to his men, "The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord's anointed, or lift my hand against him; for he is the the anointed of the Lord." with these words David rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. I Samuel 24:5-7) Did you notice even though Saul was in the wrong, out of God's will and trying to kill David; that David still called Saul 'the Lord's anointed'?  

Do you talk about other believers – heck even non-believers (gossip)….. Are you full of pride….only doing things so you can buddy up with people you think have 'position'? Do you have your own little circle and forget you are to be a light in this world? Are you spending time with the Lord so you know His ways or just giving him a few minutes or an hour a day?

We should be living in a way that will draw others to Christ, will wake up the pew sitters and strengthen us in our walk so we are not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ.

We want people to say this about us, about the church (believers on His vine). They should be thanking God for who He is in us and what He does through us. (Col. 1:3)

Let’s look at ‘fruit’.

Our ‘fruit’ Fruit 2592 - bring forth, deeds: thus of men who show their knowledge of religion by their conduct  - fruit acceptable to Him – 
our lives, the knowledge we have of God should show in our conduct and it should be acceptable to our  Father.

And our fruit should continue to grow. If we stop growing, our fruit will begin to rot. We don’t just accept Christ and then stop searching His Word, stop talking, praying and studying His Word alone and with others. I like what ‘increasing’ means – key to authentic discipleship and it’s continual. We should never think we have all the answers and it’s our way only. We will have some Truth to share with others but some Truth will come from others that may have gone through a revelation (a learning experience) that we haven’t. For example, Joyce Meyer can share the revelation God has given her on being sexually molested because she went through it and walked through her healing and forgiveness using the Word of God. Someone that has not been through this will not have the revelation she has. We are branches on the vine, each of us has something to share and should share about what the Lord has and is doing in our lives.

Increasing - 837 auksánō – properly, grow (increase); become greater in size (maturity, etc.).  ("to grow") is key to authentic discipleship. Indeed, the Lord requires non-stop progress (development) in the life of faith.

And they ‘learned’ –

You learned - 3129 manthánō ( "a disciple") – properly, learning key facts; gaining "fact-knowledge as someone learns from experience, often with the implication of reflection – 'come to realize' "

As you read on and see what they are praying for them you will see endurance, patience and joy.

To grow and have people hearing and praying for us, it will take endurance and patience. We are in a body and have fleshly desires and emotions that can get in the way. Satan knows how to get our attention on ourselves, to make us selfish and prideful.

We need endurance and it comes from God, so that’s another reason to know Him and who we are in Him.

Endurance 5281 - properly, remaining under, endurance; steadfastness, especially as God enables the believer to "remain (endure) under" the challenges He allots in life.

Then there is patience. We will be tempted to scream at some people…you’re going to hell…..or to compromise our values because we don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings, we begin to tell ‘white’ lies. When we go through things like this an improper anger can arise – this will put out your light.

Patience - 3115 makrothymía  – properly, long-passion, i.e. waiting sufficient time before expressing anger. This avoids the premature use of force (retribution) that rises out of improper anger (a personal reaction).

 I don’t know about you but I would love for Christ’s Light in me, the way I live my life, to have others  thank God and  pray for me because they ‘heard of my faith and the love I have for all saints’.

To have them pray for God to fill me with the knowledge of His will with spiritual wisdom and understanding…..so I can live a life worthy of the Lord, please Him in every way, bear fruit, grow in the knowledge of God, strengthened with all power, have great endurance and patience and joyfully give thanks to the Father…….’

I want to live the life God has for me, one that will draw people to Him no matter how far away they live.

What about you?

Colossians 1:3-14

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints— the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth. You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Is a Bowl Covering Your Light?

Are you a light?

 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.  I John 1:5-7

COVERGIRL Blastflipstick Review

This is an amazing product that I was able to try for FREE as a BzzAgent.

I have not worn lipstick for years nor do I feel like I have the lips for it. So I was excited to have the opportunity to try the Blastflipstick from Covergirl.

I have always favored Covergirl products.

They were very generous and sent three different samples: Minx #855; stunner #840 and vixen #820

Stunner - one side was too red for me but I loved the, what I would call copper, opposite side. So this one I would use for when I work in the office.

Minx - both sides too dark for me mainly because I don't have lips to make it look good.

Vixen - I like both sides and this is the one I carry with me.

Thank you Covergirl and Bzz for giving me the opportunity to try these.

From the Inside Out

This is an awesome song. My husband and I met at the 'Outside Inn', a bar and we now have a saying....."God had us meet at the 'Outside Inn' so He could change us from the 'Inside Out'. So for me this is an awesome song. Thanking God for cleansing us and saving us from a certain death.

Because of God's faithfulness my husband and I have been together for 30 years, married 27 1/2 !!!!
What a testimony we have.......are still working on.

Private Selection Products BzzAgent Report

I'm hooked !!

As a BzzAgent I was able to try a few products 'Private Selection' and it's not a product I would have normally purchased.......until I tried it and now I'm hooked.

The Blue cheese stuffed olives were a big hit - even with a person that does not like olives. He could not quit eating them.

I enjoyed the Classic Water Crisps and the Costa Rican Tarrazu Coffee!!!

I plan on buying their cheese, crackers and olives for our New Years celebration!

I suggest you give this brand a try, you will be pleasantly surprised.

It has also spurred me on to try other Private Selection items!

Do You Think You Are The Only One That Has the Answers?

Salvation – that is where it starts and that is where we should be leading people. Not in words alone but in our actions! How we are living, what we are speaking. Does it line up with the Word of God?

When a person accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour they are babes drinking milk, not ready for meat yet.
There are people in the church that have the gift and desire to share with strong Christians that are eating meat, but some of these issues non-believers or new Christians are not ready for. Things in the Bible that is debatable because there are so many views one can take on the issue. These issues do not keep you out of heaven once you are saved by God’s grace but nonetheless they are things we are to study and learn from as we grow in our walk with the Lord. However they are not to be things that divide us.  To everyone's list of gifts, maybe a little discretion and discernment should be added?

Ephesians 4:32 Amplified   And become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you.

Are you being kind when someone disagrees with you, are you inflexible, is there nothing else God can teach you on the subject? I think this is something we ALL need to take a look at, myself included.

Again – salvation, bring people to God, helping them learn who He is and what  God has to say about  them and Himself …that should be our goal because it’s God’s commandment.

So how do we, as believers, come to grips with this inside the ‘church’ (within the members?)– the place you go to worship and be taught?
Are we to challenge and get angry – if you don’t believe as I do in this area (not salvation) then you are all wrong ….. I’m leaving; I’m not tithing, or whatever you would do out of spite

Or should we seek the Lord, keep our mouths shut until He provides an opportunity for us to share what He has put into our hearts? Is there a better way to share our opinion on what God’s Word says in certain circumstances? We all know it’s God’s Word that matters, not our opinion.

I know for myself it can take a day, a week or many years for me to understand something just to find out in one area I still don’t have all the answers, does that mean I’m wrong? I don't think so but I do think I'm wrong when I believe I'm the only one that has the answer. (It is very possible that a prophet has a word from God that no one else has considered!)

Fellowship – encourage, correct, each other – isn't that how we are to learn and grow and be one on His vine?

II Timothy 3:16  Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God’s will in thought, purpose, and action),

Matthew 6:34  So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble.

When you sense anger rising in you, or when you get irate because someone disagrees with your viewpoint on a topic in Scripture you have elevated that topic beyond being important, it is now worry!  It may even be entering the area of idolatry. It certainly destroys unity and fellowship.

I John 1:3 That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.

Love, Do Good, Be Merciful?

“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ lend to ‘sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Luke 6:32-36

I wonder how many were loving to people at the mad sales tonight/tomorrow, if they really checked their hearts and watched their words.

I wonder how many of us exclude those that need our love the most because we see them as 'sinners' not worthy to receive our love until they repent......when Jesus walked the earth He loved them, went to their place ate and drank with them. He did not stay in 'safe' places, only Christians around Him all the time.
How can we do this? show our love for them, Christ's love for them, when we tend to keep to our own 'circles' ?

We have gotten so use to those we 'hang' with that we forget to reach out to others. We forget where we came from (I know some had a Christian background so they've always been 'saved'). It's something the Lord needs to give us/me revelation on.
God has been bringing to my mind just how lost I was and what my lifestyle was like.....what Christian in their right mind would want to spend any time with me??!!
But you know what, there were some that did just that, they were so sound in their walk with Christ that they were able to love me in the midst of my sin.....it was their love for God and their taking time to talk to me (to my hubby and me--living together at the time).....that peaked my interest, stirred my soul.

"because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."

Because of my past, I know that some, if not most of those that seem ungrateful and wicked or hateful are really hurting on the inside, they are scared, alone, unsure of who they can trust. Shouldn't we me merciful as our Father is merciful? Shouldn't we be kind?

I don't really know where this came from tonight, I was just sitting her talking to the Lord and this came out. My hearts desire is to reach people by showing them the love of Jesus, not to condemn them. I believe when they see how I,- how my husband and I live- (even the part where we need to repent because we sinned--we will not reach perfection until the day we enter Heaven but because of our robe of righteousness the Father sees Jesus when He looks at us) that it will give hope and later conviction to someone who will in turn begin to seek the Lord and learn His ways.

Why would the Bible say to confess our sins to one another if we never sinned after accepting the Lord and being baptized? He shed His blood, died a horrible death on the cross so our sins would be covered. He knew it would be a journey and the neat thing is He knows our HEART. He knows if it's just lip service. Are we saying 'don't do .......' and then we turn around and do it? My point here is......we have all sinned, so why do we see our sins of less consequence over those that are still in the world? How many Christians have lusted with their eyes? or told a lie? .....

I've been praying the Lord will show me where He wants me and that He will reveal to me How he walked, sat with, ate with and was merciful to the 'sinners'. He said --  "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

Show me Lord, how and what you said and did to open the eyes of the lost; to bring hope to the hopeless; how You stayed strong in the midst of the 'sinners' you sat with. I'm sure they did not watch how they talked, dressed or acted and yet there You were in their midst, Your heart so full of love for them, longing for them to accept Your Truth. How do You want me to show Your love to them today? Where do you want me to go? I desire to be Your Light to a dying world.

      In Jesus Name I Pray........Amen

Alexia Food

As a BzzAgent I get to try products and give my opinion.

I love to try food products !!

These are 3 of the Alexia products I had the pleasure of eating!!  I did share them with my husband even though I could have eaten the Sweet Potatoes all by myself

The bread was the hardest to find. I finally found it at Meijer

All products were good but my favorite was the baked Seasoned Sweet Potato Fries. 

The bread was good and it came in a size that was good for my husband and I - you get 2 loaves and that was used for 2 different dinners for us.

I would suggest having these items handy for those unexpected dinner guests as they are quick, easy and delicious.

You can click on this link to find out what groceries in your area carry these products.

ALEXIA FOODS

Negative, Fearful

The message the Lord gave me to share at our church this past Sunday.

My Husband is so Wise

Every morning my husband and I have our cup of coffee, read God's Word, discuss things and pray. It's a wonderful way to start our day.

This morning I had all kinds of questions but one main question kept coming up. It's something the Lord has been talking to me about and I've been asking Him for wisdom on. Well the Lord spoke through my husband this morning.

My question - my desire - I want to know when God tells me something, how do I know if it's really from God especially if I 'sense' He has told me something and it does not come to pass.
Here was my husbands reply:

God speaks to our spirit and our spirit informs our mind but what happens is our mind tries to make sense of what the spirit is saying and it adds it's own information out of it's experience and knowledge.

Example - Our mind receives information from the physical world through our physical senses, you touch a hot stove and it could inform your brain that stoves are bad but the brain has misinterpreted the information. The same thing can happen with our spirits, God can tell our spirits 'receive my peace' our brains misinterpret that to mean things are going to go the way "I" want it to go. Even when things don't go your way it does not mean that we have any reason to lose our peace because God's spirit always says receive my peace.

What I had done was to take what God had told me and took it a step further, I added what that meant to me...what I thought should take place when all God told me was trust, it will be okay. I added, well if God told me to have peace in this area....then it must mean that.....this and this will happen.
When it didn't happen the way I thought it should I began to question hearing from God.
One thing I learned in my quiet time with God is that for me when the boldness comes, the boldness that lets me stand on the Word of God and not back down, that is when I know God has shown me the outcome. But when it's just an assurance I am not to add 'my' desired outcome to it. God will reveal the next step when it is time. My responsibility is to continue in my relationship with Him, in prayer, asking, waiting for His answer, obeying, knowing His Word so I can make sure it's God I heard from and just keep walking with Him, in peace.

Believe in God - Don't Believe in God??

Why Do People That Don’t Believe In God …..

……….hate Him; feel like they have to bash those that do believe; need to feel superior; and the list goes on……….

In my opinion and this is just my opinion

………..they are angry about something that has happened in their lives; they are hurt and deep inside there is fear, they may not even recognize the fear yet. Maybe they have gotten themselves so deep into a relationship/lifestyle that they do not know how to get out, their pride gets in the way.

I’m sure there are other reasons.

What I don’t understand is they want us to listen to them BUT they don’t want to listen to us – what are they afraid of? Maybe their spirit is crying out and they don’t like that feeling…..I really don’t know on that one.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now for those of us that call ourselves  ‘Christians’ – do you really put Christ first, do you have a relationship or a religion?

I can tell you in today’s world it’s very easy to have a religion, especially when you are first learning about God. Too much of the world has come into the churches – my daughters tried to tell me this early on in our walk but I thought they just wanted out of the ‘Sunday School’ program. Most children are only going to Sunday School (which I do not believe is in the Bible, it’s something the world started with schools, separating ages) because they want the treats and play time. Some people go to church for the ‘fellowship’ only, not to hear what God is saying through the Pastor; not to make the changes they need to make in their lives; they want it to be about them or they go to church so they feel better about themselves kind of ease their conscience from a wild week. From my past experiences with church it’s a Sunday religion – you only need to fill up on Sundays then go back and live like you were. This is not what God teaches us in His Word.

He tells us there will be tests and trials.

I have had to let one of our daughters go and trust God with the situation, it was a decision she and her husband made after the birth of their first baby. This baby was born with health problems, we do not know anymore as the day after she was born is when they made a demand we could not accept. That was almost 3 years ago. They told us to not contact them and we have honored that request, there have been many times I wanted to knock on their door but at that would just cause more anger in them – is this painful – you bet cha!!  But through this God has shown me who He really is. I trust Him to protect our daughter and her family. And we pray for them daily. I post on my Facebook – Happy Birthday’s, Anniversary, etc. Because I hope they will see there is no animosity only love.

I say all that to let you know we’ve been through our fair share of pain and still have our faith in God. We are still seeing Him move in our lives. I had to take my eyes off what the world says and what my flesh wants and really learn who God is and take Him at His Word (faith). That is another testimony in itself and I hope to get the opportunity to share it soon, just waiting on Kenneth and Gloria Copeland or Joyce Meyer, etc to send me an invite  ;-)   dream big – you bet I am because I know there are others that need to hear what I’ve been through and how God has always been there even when I looked down instead of up – that pit was awfully dark.

Ok off topic…..sort of…..but that’s me ;-)  I begin to write and my brain goes down other avenues, then comes back and takes off again….there’s just so much to share.

So if we are to be the light in this world, we as ‘Christians’ need to watch what we say and how we treat other people. Are we really different from non-believers? Do they see a difference in our work ethic, in the way we treat others, in the way we treat animals, in the way we treat our spouse or our children? Do you really do things for Christ to be glorified or for your own fleshly desires? If they put us in a room with a non-believer would they see and hear a difference?

I use to be a ‘fleshly desire’ Christian and it got me nowhere except into a pit of depression and lies. I was a fake……trying to find truth…..in churches that did not teach all of God’s Word. Then one day I heard the Lord ask me – if they looked at you, watched you; would they want to know Me?  Ouch, at that time I had to say – no, they would not want to know You. My life did not show victory, it did not show joy or patience or faith in the One I said I believe in.

I believe this is why some hatred is out there among ‘unbelievers’ because a lot of us don’t know God therefore we can’t live the life He has for us – a life which will show others just how much He loves us, that shows He is still a God of miracles

 Do you think one of the reasons people do not want anything to do with God is because so much of the world has entered the church and people do not see a difference – there’s child molestation, un-forgiveness, pride, divorce, adultery…..and the list goes on. If we live no differently than the world how can we expect people to want to come to church and get to know God? Why would they want to give up their Saturday night out or have to get up early on Sunday morning, that’s their only day to sleep…?

 If you have been into religion and lived like the world know this -  God is a restorer, He can take all I did wrong and make it right. All we have to do is drop our pride and tell Him we are sorry, we sinned, please forgive us and He will.

 I know God is real, no one else could have given me the peace, the healing, the forgiveness and the joy He has in these times of testing’s and trials. Learning who God is and having a relationship with Him will draw others to Him as they see the difference in your life.

We need to get back to the Word. To know it for ourselves so we are not deceived. When we, as individuals and families, know the Word of God and go into a church where the Pastor is preaching Truth and still seeking God to learn more, gain wisdom (which we all should be doing until the day we die) we have genuine ‘fellowship’ with the Father and each other. You leave the gossip, the complaining, the fear, the jealousy, etc out and truly come together as a body where we pray for each other, encourage each other, correct each other, love each other and grow up in Christ together, having testimonies of His goodness. God does require change and obedience, for some of us that is where we back off and say no way. But I can tell you He does this to improve our lives here on earth and ready us for heaven. It may be difficult and even hurt in the beginning to make some changes ….but God…..is there with you and gives you everything you need to make it to the end results which brings a joy unspeakable.

And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. Romans 5:5

Consider Abraham: "He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."  Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham.  The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed through you."  So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. Galatians 3:6-9

 "I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God.  But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God.  And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. Luke 12:8-10

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' Mark 12:30

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.  Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,  now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.  As you come to him, the living Stone--rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him--  you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. I Peter 2:1-5

If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.  Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.  I Peter 4:11-12

Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey--whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? Romans 6:16

The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him. Exodus 15:2

My Sarah Jo Angels In The Snow

This is a beautiful song of love and hope.





MY SARAH JO
In the image of love you are beautiful and wonderfully made
Mountains yet to be removed so trust and truth have place to stay
Our love yearns for a child’s touch
through distance such,
This is not our choice.
In our children we see
and we’ll always believe
and give our hopes voice.
In our hearts we watch you grow,
Oh My Sarah Jo
Some day you’ll know who
taught your mom to
make angels in the snow.
As you grow, walk and learn your path
leave your fears and shame behind.
It’s only pain if you let it last,
Let it go for the light.
As we loved to watch her sleep
so she loves just
to watch you breathe.
Be careful sweetheart
don’t pull away
In real love trust what you believe.
In our hearts we watch you grow,
Oh My Sarah Jo
Some day you’ll know who
taught your mom to
make angels in the snow.
Lyrics, Music, Vocals and Recording: Rob Hammes
Copyright: Has Breath Publishing LLC (2011)
http://robhammessongwriter.com/
http://hasbreathpublishingllc.com/

Glade Expressions Collection Review

What Does This Mean?

It means I get to sample products and give my personal opinion.

This is the first of a 2 part BzzAgent sample:

This is the Glad Expressions Starter Kit and the scent was Cotton Italian Mandarin.

For those that use aerosols it has an decorative cover so it's not the can sitting on your shelf or table. I like that idea. However, I do not like aerosols. The scent isn't bad but it doesn't last. So I would have to say no to this product.

HOWEVER I LOVE THIS NEXT SAMPLE FROM GLADE EXPRESSIONS

Glade Expression Oil Diffuser Starter Kit

I didn't think I would like the 'pineapple and mangosteen' aroma, but it is very refreshing to come home to. I walk in the front door and have this fresh invigorating aroma.

Very easy to assemble

and it looks good on our mantel.

We have 5 rescued cats and 1 Black Lab/Weimaraner puppy and our home smells wonderful.

I will be using a coupon they sent and buying 1 or 2 more so I can have one upstairs and one in the basement. 

You really should give this a try - hope to find some Christmas scents for the oil diffuser!

One Year Ago Today

One year ago today we welcomed Cameron into our family!!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY LENA AND CAMERON

We love you and are so proud of you!

Love the dress, Lena!!  God was so good in giving you what you wanted.

Hunger and Thirst

Review After Using Covergirl & Olay

This is my follow up report as a BzzAgent on the product - CoverGirl & Olay Tone Rehab 2 in 1 Foundation Base in Soft Honey
and
the Powder in Medium

Let's get the so so out of the way -

I've never been a 'powder' person and this product did not change my mind. I still do not like powder, not because it's not a good product - it went on smooth but I did not see any difference, it was like putting my makeup on twice.

Now for the good report -

Even though I did not see any changes in my face/skin, I still like the liquid makeup.
It has an aroma I like, fresh and invigorating; which is a great way to start my morning!

The instructions were to use one pump  - the above picture is one pump and believe it or not, it's too much for my chubby face.
Therefore I used 1/2 to 3/4 of a pump.

This makeup lasted all day, even with hot flashes !! I was very impressed with the coverage and color. However I really did not see any changes in my skin.

Here is an after pic.

so even though I nor my husband saw a difference in my skin, I did like the product and will use it again.

Covergirl and Olay

I am a BzzAgent !!

This is the kit I received today

'Covergirl and Olay have joined forces again...'
so I will be trying the Covergirl & Olay tone Rehab 2 in 1 Foundation AND Covergirl & Olay Pressed Powder.

I have NEVER been fond of using powder so this will be interesting!

Tomorrow I will begin to use the 2 in 1 Foundation -
     Will it really take just one pump of this product to cover my face?
     Will it help reduce the appearance of discolorations.....by hydrating my skin?

then I will finish this with a light layer of the Pressed Powder.

Here's my picture - no makeup.........
so we can see if it really makes a difference.......

not brave enough to do a closeup  ;-)  but I did take one so I might use it after I've tried the product....if I see a difference  lol

Offer to God a Sacrifice of Praise

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice (an official sacrifice prescribed by God; hence an offering the Lord accepts because offered on His terms. #2378 Greek)   of praise (a thank-offering, (A. V. 'sacrifice of praise'), presented to God for some benefit received #133)    —the fruit(praises, which are presented to God as a thank-offering #2590)  of lips that confess (agree ("confess"); to profess (confess) because in full agreement; to align with (endorse).#3670)   his name (the manifestation or revelation of someone's character, i.e. as distinguishing them from all others. Thus "praying in the name of Christ" means to pray as directed (authorized) by Him, bringing revelation that flows out of being in His presence. "Praying in Jesus' name" therefore is not a "religious formula" just to end prayers (or get what we want)! #3686) (NIV with Greek word studies added in)

Hebrews 13:15

Through Him, therefore, let us constantly and at all times offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, which is the fruit of lips that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify His name. (Amplified)

By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. (King James)

I find myself looking at the words – constantly and continually.

One definition of constantly is - Continually occurring; persistent.

One definition of continually is - Recurring regularly or frequently

So I am seeing that our (my) ‘sacrifice of praise’ should be frequent and persistent (Refusing to give up or let go; persevering obstinately)

And since it is ‘the fruit of our lips’ I should be audible with my praise and in the Greek praise is a thank-offering. I confess His name which means I need a revelation of His Name(s) so I can know His character.

So let me put Hebrews 13:15 in Christena’s version for my life today.

In Jesus’ Name, I, Christena, will not let anything keep me from offering up praises with my mouth to the Lord. I will open my mouth and speak of His greatness.  I say He is the Lord of my life!

No matter what I may be going through – be it a daughter that has walked away from her family; loss of a close friend; an unexpected bill; a lie spoken about me; a negative report from a doctor – or things that are positive – a prodigal returns; a new friend is made; the bill is covered; truth prevails; body is healed ------

I will give praise, I will give thanks through all of this, knowing He is my Yahweh Jireh (God will provide); Yahweh Shalom (Lord of peace); Jehovah Rapha (Healer) – and the list goes on.

It took me awhile to realize the power of praise and thanksgiving. Once you get a revelation of  who God is you begin to praise and thank Him constantly and at all times because you know His Word is Truth, God does not lie.

I challenge you to get your Bible out and begin to do a study on the names of God. Use biblos.com or biblegateway.com to help you look up the Greek or Hebrew meanings of His Name.

As you do this, begin to praise and thank Him for being your Healer, Peace, Provider…..you will find yourself going through your day and your spirit will recognize a Name of God you have learned and out of your mouth will come  --  I thank and praise You Father, I needed peace and You are Yahweh Shalom!

Don’t feel intimidated with the Greek or Hebrew pronunciation , praise Him in your language-tell Him how awesome He is and that He is the Lord of your life, He is your Healer, Provider, Redeemer, Father and Protector.  Give Him a sacrifice of praise for the strength He gives you to get through each day; for the hope you have in your prodigal returning; for the promise of healing and how our body is obeying it’s maker right now and all sickness is leaving; for being the peace that you needed in a time of test and trail.

If you have been having trouble in this area, ask yourself – am I really walking with the Lord or am I  saying….well, I went to church today, now it’s up to God to blah blah blah so I’ll just kick back this week and watch some tv, play some games, check out my neighbors wife/husband…….God expects us to know Him and obey Him, He is not Santa Claus or a magical fairy.

So if you are tired of being in the same place day in and day out – if you are doing the same thing over and over don’t expect different results – you either believe or you don’t and if you believe, you WILL hunger and thirst after God, your desire will be to know Him and then you begin to desire to change, as you change you see His Word is true and you seek more from His Word -  then you begin to live in joy and peace, even when those times of trials knock on your door, you find you stand tall in the armor of God and know the victory is yours through Jesus Christ.

For in the day of trouble

he will keep me safe in his dwelling;

he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle

and set me high upon a rock.

Then my head will be exalted

above the enemies who surround me;

at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy;

I will sing and make music to the Lord.

Psalm 27:5-6

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.

Worship the Lord with gladness;

come before him with joyful songs.

Know that the Lord is God.

It is he who made us, and we are his;

we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving

and his courts with praise;

give thanks to him and praise his name.

For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;

his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Psalm 100

Praise and Worship Music

This is off the 'Faith Has A Voice' CD - it will be available for churches to use via CCLI sometime in August 2012.



You can purchase this song on Amazon.com, iTunes.com
or visit Rob Hammes Songwriter on ReverbNation
by clicking here  -  Faith Has A Voice

Lies Something to Think About

This is an older video but I felt the Lord wanted me to post it - so I'm obeying.
I hope it blesses you, helps you repent and return to your family or friend - that it shows you love conquers all. Or that it gives you hope to hang in there while you wait for the person to see how much forgiveness and love really is in your heart. I know we are waiting on someone to return to the family and it's not always been easy but our love has never died!

These Are Better Than Potato Chips

I purchased these from Kroger from their markdown isle - 99 cents !!

I cut them in fourths 

On my first try I dipped both sides in Olive Oil

then placed them on a baking sheet

this was a little too messy for me and I realized I didn't need to use as much oil

so I started using Olive Oil spray

and they came out crisp and the spices stayed nicely on them.

I spiced my first batch with garlic power, as my husband and I love garlic on everything!

This is how they came out after baking at 325 for 15 minutes

Once the oven and stoneware heats up I lessen the cook time. 

If you want them a little chewy, bake for 11 - 12 minutes.

I played around with all kinds of spices and believe it or not my husband and I enjoyed the Cilantro.

Second would be Cajun

Other spices used - 

steak spice (was too salty for me)

no salt seasoning

crushed red pepper

lite salt 

and others

They store well and we will be taking these on our long road trips and/or camping.