Month: November 2014

Thanksgiving is tomorrow and I would have to say honestly that I am very blessed. When I think of my blessings I think about this Bible verse;

• 1 Thessalonians 5:18 – Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

God has placed a great deal of importance on Thanksgiving. I believe we are called to be thankful in all that we do, no matter what  circumstances may be at the moment.  Many think of Thanksgiving as a time for spending with friends and families, which is correct. In the Bible it talks about more than being thankful for the things and loved ones we have been given. It talks about having an attitude of thanksgiving towards the Lord and what He has done for us.

On a personal level I have found that even though I have had many struggles in my life health-wise and in other areas that God is there with me through them all.  He is there when I hear bad news from my Dr’s. He is there though my losses, joy and the realities of life. I give thanks because no matter what He doesn’t bale on me. Even when life becomes clouded and difficult I will see God.

Over the years I have had my moments where I try to figure out what why things are happening in my life. There are times when I have questioned certain toxic people that I have allowed in my life and my family in Arizona. Sometimes people comes into our lives to wreck havoc. But, I am thankful at the same time because I have had to learn to trust God more during those storms.

The Lord understands and knows what we are going through even though we may not fully understand. Sometimes the circumstances we face may be grim and God may not say yes to our questions and pleas, but over time I realize that God is present in more ways  that I could have ever imagined. There are many verses in the Bible that discuss being thankful. One of the verses that gives me hope is 1 Chronicles 16:34 “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.”

God doesn’t owe me anything. In reality I  don’t deserve the things He has blessed me with. I owe God everything I have and He deserves our thanks and praise!  When I consider  all those blessings in my life that God has blessed me with I am humbled and grateful. I believe that every day should be a day of giving thanks—a thanksgiving day.

When I think of all the things I am thankful for, I find my list is long. Yesterday at my Dr’s office I found myself feeling bad for my Dr. He doesn’t like to be the bearer of bad news. He has a heart of gold and is filled with compassion. I find myself witnessing to him and offered to pray for him and his upcoming surgery. I love to strike up conversations about God and His love for others.

There are some countries like Iraq and Pakistan where I would be hung or stoned to death for doing that. I am thankful that I can go into the lions den and share the good news with others that don’t know who God really is. I am thankful I live in a country that allows me to pray openly and to worship God the way that I have chosen. For me, this is one of the most important things when I think of how thankful I am. Not everyone can say that.

God has blessed me with two of the best daughters that have turned into Godly women and mothers. Both of my daughters have children that are believers in Christ. God has blessed me with the best grandsons and a grand daughter. My husband and I have been married for 34 yrs. We got married when I was 17. While I made many bad mistakes at the time. God blessed me and made my mistakes into something beautiful (my daughters).

In closing I would like to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving. My prayers are that you all enjoy the day. I would also like to ask you all to pray for those Christians who are being persecuted, imprisoned and being put to death. I have been praying for the release of Asia Bibi that has a death sentence in Pakistan because she is a Christian woman who drank a cup of water that belonged to a Muslim. Then there is Pastor Saeed who is an American citizen that has been jailed in Iraq. Keep the innocent children and people who are being kidnapped,  beheaded and tortured by ISIS. I am extremely thankful and I am saddened that so many are suffering needlessly. For more information about those who are being persecuted and what you can do, click here and it will take you to Voice of the Martyrs.

I don’t get the whole thing going on in Ferguson, Mo. The reason I say this is because while a young man lost his life, I wonder when the violence is going to stop. I don’t know who is to blame, but why would the parents, family and Al Sharpten want to encourage all the fighting. Then the whole thing with Nancy Grace drives me nuts. If she would stop commenting and fueling the fire, maybe things can calm down.

While, I would be really upset over my child being killed. I don’t see where the rationale is when it comes to businesses, property and lives being destroyed. I’m all for making a statement and peaceful protests. I have been in a number of them in my life. There has to be a better way to handle this. What kind of a message are we sending to those around the world. If anyone wants to see the horrible images that are posted on a yahoo site, Click Here…

I want to know what these businesses did to the protestors. Why did they have to destroy car-lots and places that people worked their entire lives to have? There was complete chaos and violence that happened in August, just after this young mans death.  Protesters started fires at dozens of businesses and for the most part they resulted in total losses. This reminds me of the scenes from third world countries. Some of them act like savages and to me this is what it looks like right now. I know many say it is racial oriented and I don’t know. All I know is that I feel bad for the family of this young mans family and I feel for those who have to deal with the violence and destruction. Nancy Grace isn’t doing anything to help with calming the storm.

It makes me sick when I hear of all the stuff going on there in MO and around the country. I hope during the press conference the family addresses all this violence. I wonder how many of these protestors are going to be complaining that they can’t find a job or have to file bankruptcy because they decided to burn half the town down. I can’t blame the firemen or the police for not going into the areas where this is going on. I’m just shocked that this is going on here in the United States. Here is an article that is on the riots too. Click Here.

Lastly, I just want to say is where are all these rioters and protestors when innocent children are murdered by parents, rapists and pedophiles. What about rioting when a gang member decides to kill little Laylah Peterson who was only 5-year-old. She was shot last week when a suspect or suspects opened fire on her grandparent’s house. They say the gunman targeted the wrong home. Really? Tell that to the family that is burying their daughter and donated her heart so someone else could live. She deserves a riot too I would think. Thankfully her parents and grandparents are fueling the fire. Innocent lives are killed everyday. Could you imagine if everyone acted like they did in Ferguson, MO. The United States would be a War Zone like the Middle East. I’m done with this post, it is ticking me off.

I don’t know about anyone else, but I do know that I have certain fears in my life. A few of my fears would be those creepy crawly things that many call spiders. I also have a great fear over snakes.

I got thinking about something our pastor said during last weeks sermon. While there are hundreds of Bible verses about fear and anxiety, the verse Pastor Ray mentioned was Philippians 4:6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

What stands out to me about this particular Bible verse is about that we can find peace in God when our worries become to much for us to bear and overwhelm me. Even though I don’t know what is going to happen, I know that I can trust that God will be there during times of trouble and make things easier to deal with.

I help home-school my grandsons and we have been discussing Thanksgiving and what it was like on the first thanksgiving.

What we have been learning about is how In 1621, how the pilgrims and the Native Americans praised God for what they have been given and they had a special day of thanksgiving to praise the Lord for a bountiful harvest. During their first year in the new world they went from having 102 Puritans to 46. They could have given up since so many have died due to sickness and extreme cold. However they were thankful for God’s grace, His provision and His mercy!

What I have found is that even though there are things that could cause me to be fearful and worry, I can look to God and be thankful for all He has done for me. Even though I have fears, the one thing I never fear is that I am alone. God is always there and God loved me so much that He sent His Son to die for me. Love is the most powerful and fear reducing emotion that we can experience.

Love has become a generic term for most people. When it comes to the kind of love God has for us it is the most effective way when it comes to conquering our fears…

If you turn to 1 John 4:18 it says; “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”

In my life I would say that the more I love God, the less fear I have. In my bedroom I have a couple papers that I printed up that have verses about trusting God. When I have those moments where I let fear and anxiety get the best of me, I read them and I am reminded just how much God loves me.

I know that I can’t rely on myself when it comes to overcoming my fears and worries. I do know that I have to trust God. God will take care of me and He is there for me, even when I make stupid choices. Knowing He is there relieves any kind fear more than any Dr or medication could ever do. God has always provided for me and He will provide for anyone who asks.

I also realize that the more I love others the less fear I have. Love is the most potent remedy for fear.

There are a number of things that I keep in mind when I love others. In my life, I have to keep in mind that Satan has a way of using my fears and anxieties against me. He has no problem using my past sins and failures against me. Satan is the greatest deceiver of all time. He thrives on our fears. He wants nothing more than to have us turn away from God. While I have my moments, God is always there.

I have had some people ask me if I was afraid of dying. I can honestly say I’m not. Of course there is that fear of not knowing how it will be in those final moments. But it isn’t actually a fear, it is just not knowing. Life is full of not knowing what the future holds. When it comes to my faith, I do know what my future holds. That future is with Christ. If I didn’t have my faith and a personal relationship with Christ, I would be very fearful. But, I’m not.

As a Christian and believer in Christ, I know that I am only passing through this world. This is not my home. My home is with Christ alone and only through Christ can we have life. In Cor 5:8 it says; “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” Because of this and hundreds of other verses I know that I can apply this verse to each and every fear I may come across. Because of Christ I have no fear. Well, I still have a fear of spiders and snakes, lol.

Our household has changed a bit because of pets.

We were told by the city that we can only have 2 dogs. We had three. We had Patsy our Boxer, Jasper our Pug and Parker our Pug/Pekingnese. Since we live in a duplex and have a smaller back yard, my good friend Lisa took Patsy over to her house. Which is working out great. Patsy needed more room and I have the two smaller dogs are over zealous when it comes to the wanting to hump anything in sight. So, Patsy has been getting more exercise and she hasn’t had the other two trying to do what boy dogs do best. Even though I thought if they were fixed, they would loose that urge. Parker didn’t get the memo.

But today, we added a cat to the mixture. It is actually a little kitten. We have a family of mice that thinks it needs to be in the wall and run amuck. We haven’t named the kitten yet, but we will be doing that.

He should be called Love Bug because he is super cute and you don’t even have to pet him for him to start purring and he has the foot action going. He gets super excited. Now, I have to figure out how to train him to catch mice. Some cats are better at it than others. I think this little guy is going to be good. As soon as I brought him in and I put him in our bathroom, he went to check out a mouse hole. That’s a good sign.

He has been treated for a cold and is on medications for that. And we have to introduce him to the dogs. He showed no interest in our bird and my bearded dragon. Which is awesome. Since he is young, he will be having to get use to them. Even though I’m not going to totally trust him with Fred my bearded dragon. Fred’s top will have to be locked and secured. But it should be interesting around here while kitty is being trained.

I’m glad I got the little guy. We haven’t had a cat in a long time. It’s been about 13 yrs. I just hope and pray the kitty gets the idea that the bird and Fred are not for eating, lol. This weekend my hubby will have a honey do list to make sure all is safe and secure for all involved, except the mouse.

I would like to add that if anyone that reads this and is looking for a pet to add to the family. We got our little guy at the Ivin’s Animal Shelter in Ivin’s Utah. Please don’t buy a kitten or dog. There are so many animals that are in need of a good home. Ivin’s Animal Shelter is a no kill shelter. But most aren’t. When we picked up our new family member, there had to have been 25-30 cats that are in need of a home. It is sad to see how many are in need. I also want to say that you can save lives by spaying or nuetering your pets. Animals are put down all the time because there is no room at the shelters.

I have been rescuing dogs for a long time. Some shelters only give animals a few days to find a place. Most dogs are sweet and need someone to love them. If people would get their pets fixed, that means that there are less homeless animals being put down. One of the shelters in Phoenix on the average puts down a couple hundred pets a month. Most of the time they are out down because the owners can no longer take care of them or they have to move to a place where pets aren’t allowed. For me, if we move, we move where they can go. I don’t understand why people have to turn their pets into high kill shelters. Most never make it out alive. So,please be responsible pet owners.

With Christmas coming up, many will want to buy their children or loved ones a cute little puppy or kitten. Please remember that they grow up. They won’t be puppies forever. If you want to get a pet, do some research and make sure they are a good match. The newness wears off fast and the one that has to pay the price is the pet.

October and November are my favorite months of the year. The weather is cooling down, leaves are changing and the air is fresh and crisp.

Thanksgiving is in November and I personally get a tad bit upset that it is passed over so easily. In many ways, Thanksgiving is the beginning of the Christmas season, at-least from the business world. I know many that have no problem shopping early, but I do. If people want to shop on Thanksgiving, that is up to them and they can choose for themselves I guess. For me, Thanksgiving is important in so many ways.

It seems over the past number of years that Thanksgiving Day has become the lost or forgotten holiday. We are already hearing about how stores will be open on Thanksgiving and lists are being made. Of course if you have one of those lists and you go to Black Friday that actually begins on Thanksgiving, you risk life and limb. I guess it is the forgotten holiday because we don’t put an importance on being thankful and giving thanks to God. The almighty dollar is taking over the day of thanks. Don’t ya think that if it is Thanksgiving, we should be offering thanks?

One of the things I enjoyed when I went to church at the Nazarene Church is that on Wednesday evening, we would have church and we would give thanks. We would sing songs, offer prayers and share what we are thankful for. It seemed very appropriate to be at church to offer our thanks and thank God for our blessings. Now days that doesn’t happen. Instead people are lined up at Wal-Mart, Kmart, Kohl’s and whatever other store that may be offering the prized gift. Giving thanks must not a big money-maker.

There are many things we can be thankful for. We have freedoms that many countries doesn’t. We have the freedom to gather together and hear Pastor Ray preach freely. I’m pretty sure that my pastor is thankful that he can share his faith and what the Bible says without being persecuted or have to have it approved.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is the most important thing in the world. I’m thankful that God loved me so much that He sent His son to die for me and everyone else. We are told in John 3:16 that God loves us and that even means He loves Americans and those from any other country, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all.”

This year I hope that we can focus on the blessings we have. There is so many horrible things going on in the world. I think of Pastor Saeed that is still in prison for sharing his faith. Asia Bibi is on death row for drinking from a cup in Pakistan. I’m thankful that I have the freedom to pray for those who are persecuted and on death row. I’m thankful that I can pray for our president and our government. I don’t have to agree with what they do, but I do think that no matter what, prayer is the only way to make a difference.

I do want to touch on Christmas though on this post. Thanksgiving is very important to me because it comes before Christmas. I am thankful that Jesus Christ was born. I’m thankful that Jesus died for my sins on the cross so I could live. He paid the penalty for my sins and for the sins of the world. As a Christian, I would say that Thanksgiving and Christmas goes hand in hand.

My students need a document camera to help view document and an interactive board to help display information/documents for all students to view.