Author: Sandie D

When I was little, I always had a vision of being a missionary. At my church in Willcox, we had a missionary come to town. The stories he told fascinated me. There were also books that Pastor Harry wanted us to read. He challenged us to read about missionaries from all over the world. I can’t remember exactly how the challenge went, but I was ready to learn more about what missionaries the were doing. The great adventures and life changing events spoke to my inner self. I was bent on being a missionary in Africa. Nothing would stop me, or so it seemed. God had other plans and Africa was not in them.

I never did make it to Africa to save the people. There were many ups and downs when it came to struggles in my life. I was disappointed that I never got to go out to win people over for Christ. As a Christian, I felt that needed to go out and proclaim to anyone and everyone that Jesus Christ is the only way to have eternal life.  We are told in Matthew 28:19 that we are to reach out to “all the nations”. I felt I was a failure when it came to reaching those who have never heard about Jesus Christ.

I live in Utah and this is a place I never ever thought about moving to. In my mind everyone that lives in Utah are Mormons and they all practice polygamy. I wanted no part in this strange and unusual place. My husbands work asked us to come and check it out. We were planning on moving to Texas when he got hired, NOT UTAH. We humored his new boss by checking the area and I have to say that we feel in love with it.

We did end up moving to Utah and we have been here for over 20 years. We attend the same church and have made many Mormon friends. The reason I am bringing up the whole living in Utah and it being a Mormon (LDS) state is because of how they are known by sending out missionaries to other countries. They were doing what I have always dreamed of doing. The positives that I have learned and observed about the Mormon Missionaries is that any place is a mission field. They young men and women are going out two by two into the world. There are some who have stayed close to home and others are being sent out to all parts of the world.

These young people from other countries are sent to Utah to reach out and share their faith. They see my town and area as a mission field. Many years ago while I was observing, it became apparent that reaching out to “all the nations” didn’t mean that I had to hop on a jet and go to Africa, and raise my hands in the air and giving a shout out that I am here to save the day. He was referring to groups of people  who have never heard the Gospel. I have found that many of those around me have never read the Bible, which means that they have no idea who their Lord and Savior is. How is it that someone can make a decision about what is the truth when they have never heard or been exposed to the Bible.

We live in the worlds biggest mission field here in the good old USA. I am the Missions and Outreach Team Leader at my church. We are in the beginning stages of reaching out to students at  Dixie State University in St. George, Utah. As my helpers and myself hand out invitations and bottled water, it became apparent that I live right in the middle of a much-needed missions field. These young adults need to know that they are loved. We have to do more than just preaching at them, we need to share the message of salvation of Jesus Christ. We must show them that Jesus lives.

On our grand opening, we met young adult students from all over the world. Those who come from places such as Turkey, Ethiopia, Germany, China and the USA needs to feel loved and safe. My church is directly across the street from the University. When we talked to those from other countries, they were more receptive o the love of Jesus Christ.  It is important to remember that God loves each and every one of us and He loves them. We are given the perfect opportunity to be living examples of Christs love.

We are called to share the Gospel with all nations. This is our calling. You don’t have to take off to another country in order to reach out to others. We have the responsibility to show the love of Jesus Christ. By doing this we are showing those who don’t know Jesus that the Holy Spirit transforms us more and more into the image of Jesus.

My heart was set on going to Africa. My church supports a number of foreign ministries like Craig and Allison Fowler with CMF. They started up around 15 churches in Ethiopia. Allison is a nurse and runs a clinic among the Gumuz Tribe. Even though we aren’t there physically serving, we are faithfully supporting those who go out and reach the unreachable. Each and every one of us are missionaries. All Christians should be sharing Christ to those in our homes, our friends and our community.

We are told in Mark 16:15 by Jesus Christ that we are to go into all the world and preach the gospel to ever creature. I would love to go on a mission trip to another country like Africa. I would love to be there when water wells are pumping clean water, or be the one who is feeding the hungry. But, it is important to remember that we live in the mission field, no matter where you live. The mission field can be next door, in schools, universities and so forth. The bible says, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” (Matthew 10:37).

With all the horrible things going on in the world, many are in need of hope and love. As I have been working on reaching out to the students at Dixie State University and our community, it’s easy to see how lost people really are. As Christians it’s our calling to spread hope and love to our nation.

Our mission is talking to others and sharing the gospel of Christ. This is not a one man or woman job. We can’t do it alone. ultimately the results have come from Jesus Christ. Jesus gives is the strength and desire to witness to others.

Christians have a responsibility to learn and study the Bible and to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Before moving to Utah, I would bear my testimony and witness to others. I don’t think I fully grasped what was going on. Since moving here, I have found that I need to always be prepared and ready to defend my faith. I have never had any issues with the LDS people. Some of my best friends are LDS. I have a great deal of respect for them.

You would think that in America, most have heard the gospel. Surprisingly, that isn’t the case. This is why we all live in the mission field. Yeah, Africa needs missionaries and God has provided them, but we need them here in the United States as well. I honestly believe we are living in the end times. We live in a world that has immoral behavior, hatred, racism, poverty, depression and a whole host of other challenges, and people need to hear about how Christ loves them. The Lord works through missionaries to rescue those who are lost and hurting. Being a Christian missionary, we are obeying Jesus Christ, sharing the gospel and putting all our faith in Him alone.

In closing, God is not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9). His plan is that those who already know the Gospel share it with those around them. God could have chosen a variety of ways to share the story of redemption; however, He chose those who believe in Him to be the ones who shared Christ’s love with others

God wants the world to know about Christ. He has chosen us as individuals and as churches to share that Gospel with others. Are you willing to answer the call? Or will you hang up?

In a couple of days, the presidential elections will be over. Normally I make it a point to educate myself on those who are running. This time around, I can honestly say that the lines are blurred when it comes to both candidates.

I usually don’t stress much over who is going to be president, this year, I can honestly say I am worried over what is going to happen when one or the other loses. I don’t foresee either one of them playing nice.

On both sides there has been lies and harsh things done on both sides. When I voted I made sure to pray that the person I am voting for will be the best person for the job. I didn’t rely on all the false statements on Facebook or the media. I seriously researched each person. There are some who say that the website “Snopes” has made false statements and that is true. I think it has been a year or so when they were found out that they were falsifying information.

The candidates that I really liked ended up not getting the nomination. I really liked Carson and I liked Kasich. For me, they were the candidates that best aligned up with what I believe. I also have no problems with the VP’s that are running with Trump or Clinton.

My biggest problem I have with each is pretty simple. With Clinton, I am not comfortable at all that she is OK with abortions. I did have to read up on what people were saying about late-term abortions. I had this horrible image in my mind about the babies being cut out of the mother’s womb. I am against abortion in all senses. I know a precious and loving young person when she got pregnant and she had an abortion. This was a long time ago. I didn’t really grasp what was happening and the process. I kick myself all the time that I didn’t do more to convince her there are other options out there. If the young woman who I am talking about reads this, I want to apologize for not doing more when I should have.

Here is a link that talks more about that.

http://www.factcheck.org/2015/09/clinton-off-on-late-term-abortions/

My other problem with Clinton is the electing of Supreme Court judges. Right now there is an opening and they have to elect someone to fill that position. On a greater scale, during her term, she may have the opportunity to elect a couple of others since the Supreme Court Judges are getting up there in age.

Then there is Trump.. I don’t even know where to begin with the problems I have with him. J have huge issues on how he treats people. I also have issues on getting people going to the point of violence. Nobody deserves to be put down. When I hear friends that are Christian and they say that they don’t pay attention to what Trump says about woman. “It’s just words” they say. In my personal opinion, words are shaper than a two edge sword.  Words can literally destroy people.

Anyone who has gone to school has heard the adage, “Sticks and stones can break my bones/ But words can never harm me.” Unless you are living on an island alone, most have heard this saying. Words are powerful and  can bring a person down to the point where some people and children are committing suicide. Last week a young girl who survived cancer and she killed herself because she was being bullied. I have been bullied as a child and I have in turn been a bully also. Read More…

I was reading about how words can be hurtful and this is what it said, “It turns out that the brain receptors for physical and emotional pain are one and the same so, yes, you can have your heart and spirit broken more literally than not. There’s some evidence that the over-the-counter remedy for physical pain works for emotional pain too. It turns out too that when pain is inflicted intentionally, the hurt is greater—which is all the more reason to pay attention to the words that come out of our mouths.” Read More…

I’m not going to get into all of the things he has said and done, there is so much. I’ve gotten to the point where when both speak and do speeches, I change the channel. I am done with the whole thing. I am done with people getting angry with friends and family because they don’t agree. Many times these fights are over false stories from both sides. I’m not going to side one way or another. It does no good arguing over politics.

What I do know though is that no matter who a person votes for, they have that right. No matter who wins on Tuesday, I know it isn’t going to be easy for either one. This election period has a mob mentality. I think it would be awesome to see a woman as president. I’m not sure Hillary would be that person or not.

Each night I pray and discuss my worries about this election period with God. At my church, my pastor is going to start a study on the Book of Revelations. In the times we live in, I think it is a good time to pay attention to what is going on in and around our world. Lawlessness  is something that I can see that is going to get worse. When you have people burning churches and threatening to harm others because of Trump. Most aren’t going to do that. But, it doesn’t take many to get riots going.

My vote is going to go to Jesus Christ. He alone is the ONLY ONE that is going to be able to save us from ourselves.

In closing, I want to say that I’m so very happy that on November 9th, the voting is done and there will be a loser and a winner. I’m sure there is going to be so much anger and my prayer is that people will go back to living their lives instead of destroying other people’s lives and livelihood.

Have you ever had one of those days, weeks or months where nothing seems to go right and you are overwhelmed? I have had many of those days myself and so have those who are close to me. I have been thinking about my friend Lisa Louwsma. Lisa is my best friend and a more than a major blessing to me.  Lisa is the one person who I can say would drop anything she was doing and go to my parents home which is like going to hell. Long story, but she has been through thick and thin with me and for me. Lisa has been struggling to stay afloat. Life has a way of turning things upside down. I have known this all to well, but I try hard to not let it get to me. Even though there are days when that is easier said than done. I think that people have this idea that just because a person is a Christian then they should be happy all the time no matter what happens in our lives and what the circumstances are.

My friend Lisa has had more than her share of struggles and “hiccups” in her life. I haven’t been given permission to discuss what is going on in her life so I hope she is OK that I share a bit about her. The reason why I want to cover my friends hardships is because I know that these struggles may be something that others are going through. There are days where she struggles to see God’s presence and goodness in her life. Don’t get me wrong, Lisa isn’t going to end her life, but there are times when life is too much to handle. I would like to add that Lisa has tremendous faith and a strength within her that I admire.

I don’t know about you, but there has been many times when I have asked myself why God allows us to go through trials and tribulations?

If a person thinks that a Christian is immune to life’s trials and tribulations, then they are delusional. There are many days when I look around me and ask God why would He allow us to go through horrible life changing events? Why would God allow an innocent child to die? Why would God allow disease when it comes to our loved ones and ourselves. I have asked this question myself since my whole life has been filled with health issues that could take my life in a moments notice. Why would God allow financial worries and fear. If God really loves us, why is it that He doesn’t take these things away from us? I can’t even count how many times people are confused about why God allows these things to happen. These are questions I would think we all have or have had in our lives.

My friend Lisa has had financial hardships, abused by her father and her ex husband. She also suffers from clinical depression. Recently she learned that her mother had Uterine Cancer and has to go through chemo and radiation. Her parents aren’t Christian and that is causing a great deal of pain for Lisa. I can understand where Lisa is coming from since I recently lost my mom to cancer. Her step-father has a whole lot of other issues as well. Lisa has had more than enough for more than a lifetime. So, what is it that I would say to my friend Lisa and those who are going through catastrophic events in their days.

I have had many conversations with Lisa. Since my life has been filled with “hiccups” as well, just in different ways. I can say with certainty that no matter how well I plan out my days, months, and life, “hiccups” can take over my life if I allow them to. There have been days when I have struggled with anger and have cried a great deal. I’ve struggled with what I would call the seasons in my life. When I first came down with Guillian Barre Syndrome I found myself struggling with anger, bitterness and exhaustion. I wanted to hide in the darkest closet and from the world. Of course that wasn’t possible in a physical sense, so I would hide from life by closing myself down to those in my life and to God. Eventually I found that while I had many trials and tribulations, I knew that there was a divine purpose.

There came a time in my life where I had to take time to seriously look at my relationship with Christ. I had all of this anger, bitterness and resentment in my life and I was having issues with reconciling the notion that I have to love them and forgive them. I also knew that I had to fully trust God. This has been a bit of a rollercoaster in my life from time to time. I trusted, but found I didn’t give 100 percent. Then there came the times when I was more than tired and all I wanted to do was sleep and shut the world out. I see these things in Lisa’s life.

When I have gone through difficult days and was feeling unhappy, I knew that I had to hold onto the hope that Jesus Christ has given me. I would say this to Lisa and anyone else when they are going through down times or days when they are struggling. Jesus Christ will never leave nor forsake us.

There have been many who have asked me how is it that I get through my difficult times. My favorite verse in the Bible is Psalms 46:1.” God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”

I can’t say that my days are great. There has been a number of people who have thought that I never complain about my health, trials and tribulations. Those who live with me and those who are closest to me like Lisa knows differently. While I do complain and I have my moments, I am also truly thankful for the good and the bad experiences that comes with each day. When I read the verse Psalm 118:24, “The LORD has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad.” I hope is that on the good and the bad days I will learn to be happy and rejoice no matter what the day brings.

Right now it is as if a hurricane or tornado has been brewing in Lisa’s life. She may think at times she is complaining and I don’t see it that way. I see Lisa as a person who has fully put her storms into the hands of God. While she isn’t rejoicing over her struggles she is going through, she knows that God will never leave nor forsake her. Nothing happens without purpose and our afflictions will work out for our good, even if we don’t understand it while we are going through the darkness.

Not everyone knows all things about me. Not everyone knows how critical my medical diagnosis and prognosis is. My friend Lisa knows most of what is going on in my life and I think I know many of Lisa’s darkest moments. I also know that God knows all things.

As I am going through my trials and tribulations, I have found that I have empathy towards those who are going through the same thing I have or am going through. I’m not angry that I ended up with the chronic form Guillian Barre Syndrome which means I have had it three times. Normally with Guillian Barre Syndrome it never comes back after strength is regained, that was and is not the case with me. I also have Myasthenia Gravis and all of the life changing obstacles that have come with it.  According to my Dr’s, I should not be here now. My blood pressure is always by the end of the day around 260/130. I have been able to use my experiences and my faith in Christ because of my trials and tribulations. Trials and tribulations come with a purpose. I don’t know what tomorrow holds, nobody does. But I do know that various trials and tribulations produces results and a personal testimony.

• James 1:2-4,12, Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him” .

While my friend Lisa is going through some really dark days, she is showing others by example that she has shown how beautiful she is. Her love for her family and the Lord is apparent in all things that she does. She has a heart that is bigger than the tallest mountain. I see this in her, even when she doesn’t see it. There are moments in her day when she feels like she is lost and doesn’t know where to turn. During those moments Lisa I just want to say that do what you know you must do and turn to Jesus Christ. Be that light to your mom and family. You have blessed my life and you are a light in my life. You are that same light to all who meet you. If they don’t know that, then they are delusional. You have a way of lifting others up, showing them the love of Christ while showing them how to seek God and to not feel lost and alone any longer.

If you have a moment to post a prayer for my friend Lisa and her mom who is going through cancer treatment, that would be awesome…

Dear Lord, I come to you to please heal my friend Lisa’s mom Helen. I pray for her health and her spiritual growth. She doesn’t know Jesus Christ as her personal Savior, so I come to You today to ask that You place the right people in her life so that she can learn about You. My prayer is for You to be with Lisa also. She is going through some pretty tough days herself. She has been on my heart for a long time and has such a huge heart herself and a greater love for You. You know what she is going through and you know what hurts she is having. I ask that you wrap Your loving arms around her and comfort her. My prayer is for You to protect her from harm and evil and to guide her family to the right path in their lives. Lisa is a very special person to me and I would so love to see her happy. I know without a doubt that all things are possible when we put our faith and hope in You alone. I petition you on behalf of Lisa and her family tonight to be there for her.

In Jesus’s name I pray, Amen

The other day I went over to the Hope Chest in my home town. All the proceeds from the Hope Chest goes to help pregnant mothers and free services. They do all kinds of things for free.  I go over here and there to see if there is something that I don’t need. I bought some books and some were free. One of the books was the Holy Bible. I love Bibles. When I purchased a couple of Bibles and some other books I felt blessed.

When I picked up this Bible, I was intrigued. This Bible is very much-loved. It’s a leather Bible that has verses highlighted here and there. I am always surprised when I see people donate Bibles that belonged to their loved ones. I bought one from a thrift store years ago and I was able to track down the family that it belonged to. The family lived in California and went to a Presbyterian Church. That Bible meant a lot of them.

I love older Bibles that were loved. As I thumb through the Bible, I could feel God’s presence. Some of the verses highlighted warmed my heart. On the front of the Bible it has a presented to page. It Says:

Presented to, my dear wife Bonnie K Miller on Easter 1950. Where it has the by section, it goes on to say, By, your husband Clint – in the hope you will gain eternal life. Easter 1950. I felt very touched that he loved his wife so much that he felt that the best gift would the Bible.

Inside the Bible, there are colored pictures and an article that was clipped out of the newspaper. Washington Still With Us- Good Counselor Never Dies. I don’t know the importance of this article, but it must have been something special to either Bonnie or Clint.

As I was sitting in the chair, I was leafing through it to see if there may be a clue about how it belonged to. It was obvious that they both loved the Lord. Out of all of my possessions, the Bible is the most important item I have. I hope my family realizes how important the Bible is to me and just toss it away when I die.

A very good friend of mine died about 9 yrs ago. Miss Dena Allen loved to study the Word of God. She loved to study everything. She gave me some books and one of her Bibles. When I put my hands on her Bible or books it’s as if she is still here. I would read her side notes and highlights in her Bible. I felt like she was leading me through the lessons in the Bible. I would go to the pages, verses or whatever because I was interested in her thoughts.

In this Bible, Bonnie highlighted a number of areas, but it seems as if she was doing a lot of studying about the end times. She has a paper clip on a section from Daniel 8-the end of Hosea. The passages that she was reading and studying discusses Daniels Dream of the 4 beasts of the ancient of Days and the Son of Man. The paperclips on these passages are a bit rusted, so I will leave it there.

Here are a few verses she was studying.

• Matthew 7:11, And he answered and said, Elijah indeed cometh, and shall restore all things.
• Mark 1:14, Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God,
• Acts 1:9-11, In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him; and a voice came out of the heavens: “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.”
• James 3:14-26,  ¹⁴ What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? ¹⁵ If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? ¹⁷ Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. Read More…

I guess in many ways I see it being disrespectful when someone throws out a Bible that was cherished by a loved one. I don’t know the circumstances on this Bible. I would hope that my kids or grandkids would think more about wanting to hold onto my Bibles. Not all of them, but some. In my opinion everything else is just stuff. But there will come a time when we won’t have accessed to God’s Word. I have many BIbles that I give to others and I would hope when I am no longer hear that my family would care enough to not just toss out God’s Word. Maybe I am over thinking the whole tossing out a Bible, but it breaks my heart. Especially when it is a Bible that has been an important part of someones life.

A pastor friend of mine posted this on Facebook. It pretty much summed up my thoughts on this whole “locker room” talk. Thanks for sharing this message Bernie.

America is descending into vulgarity,lewdness, crudeness, and profanity. Those of us who are believers need to be careful that we do not descend into this trashiness! From the book of James- ” Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” James 1:27.
What kind of world are we living in? All this “locker room” talk we hear in the news is often met with comments like this from Christians- ” It is no big deal; we all say and do things like that.” Really??
The question is today- regardless of our past- How are we living today? What do we think and talk about! The issue is: The purity of our hearts and the purity of our lips, also our actions. God calls us to live a life of purity!! Ephesians 5: 1-4. ” Be imitators of God, as beloved children, and walk in love- do not let sexual immorality or covetousness be named among us. Let no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking be named among us- let there be thanksgiving.” WE use to be in darkness,but now, in Jesus, we are light! Let us walk as children of light! II Corinthians 7: 1. ” Since we have these precious promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”

People of God- Let us change the world rather than be changed by the world!! Bernie

If you haven’t seen or heard what is going on in the world of politics, you must be living under some kind of a rock. Even if you don’t vote, I would think with social media and the times we live in, most know that this has been a crazy year. It has been said many times over and over again throughout history that “religion and politics don’t mix.” In my personal view when it comes to my political views I do take into consideration that I am a Christian.

I have been staying off of Facebook more than I normally do. I try to stay current on what is going on. When it comes to the hatred and false information being shared from both sides, it is giving me a headache. This year politically and faith wise has been different for me. We live in a world that is filled with immoral, idolatrous and a corrupt government. There has also been more civil disobedience and lawlessness in the past few years.

I have no  doubt that we have a responsibility to obey the laws of the land and our government. We can turn to Romans 13:1-8 where Paul tells us that is the government’s responsibility to rule in authority over us such as collecting taxes and keeping the peace.

• Romans 13:1-8; Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.  Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.

We live in a country where we have free speech and we can vote for our leaders. I believe that each person that chooses to vote should be voting for those who stand close to what our views are. When I consider who it is that I would vote for, I am taking many things into consideration. I don’t vote for a party, I vote for the person. I am having a harder time with sorting things out this year. I’m not into the whole, “lesser of two evils”. When I consider what evil is, there is no good or bad. Evil is evil !  Some may disagree with me, but it isn’t the politicians job to defend and guard Christian principles. It is a huge plus when we can have a Christian leader that has Christian morals and principles.

They can say all day long that they are living a godly life, but I have serious doubts on that. I can’t judge a person who says they are Christian like God can. The only thing I can go on is by their actions, words and how they live their lives. As I watch the politicians, government officials, the media and church leaders it demonstrates how far we have come from our nation being a country founded on Christian principles.

As I pray and have discussions with God throughout the day all I can say is that politicians and the leaders of this world are not Jesus Christ who is the Savior of the World. My hope is in Jesus Christ and only Christ is the salvation for mankind. God knew that we needed to be saved. God showed the world that redemption cannot happen by mankind or the politics of this world. I have a great deal of peace and hope that we can only be accomplished through Jesus Christ.

Christians throughout time have lived under a tremendous amount of stress and pagan governments. During my prayers and listening to what is going on in our own presidential races, it is clear to me that believers in Christ are under an immense amount of stress. While I ponder who I will or won’t vote for, I will be praying for our country and our leaders. Whether this is a write-in kind of year, none of the above or a specific person, I will do that in a prayerful way.

My prayer is that when I cast my ballot that I will vote for the one who best aligns with my faith and beliefs. I’m not into this whole bickering and back biting. I don’t listen to satire sites and I fact check everything. I have also found that 90 percent of the things on the internet and on social media are mere distractions and half-truths. I have made it a point to not share my political views on social media since there are those who are willing to attack, unfriend and behave in violent manners. It is shocking to see those who profess to be Christian can be filled with a great deal of hate. It is like a road rage kind of atmosphere on social media. Thankfully that isn’t everyone, but there are some scary people out there.

I have a friend on Facebook that is a Christian and he has made a few comments about how he can’t believe people would vote for a person who would talk about women, Mexicans, Putin and a number of other things. The anger and backlash he received from those who say they are Christian is nothing short of what it would have been like to live during the Salem Witch Hunt. Nobody deserves to be treated the way he was treated. It isn’t just him, it is happening to people all over the place. People don’t need to be hateful and have a lynch mob mentality just because a person doesn’t agree.

I just want to say that it seems as if we are relying more on what is being put out by the media and the internet when it comes to who we stand up for and stand behind. In our country, we have the ability if we choose to make our opinions known by voting for our choice. I wonder what America would be like if every Christian prayed for God’s guidance and voted for their conscience?

My one vote won’t change anything, but I know I will be praying for God direct my vote and I will be praying for our leaders and our country.

• I Timothy 2:1-3  “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,  for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.  This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior…”

God is sovereign over everything that happens to us.

“…love the Lord your God with all [our] heart and with all [our] soul and with all [our] mind and with all [our] strength.”  When we live this way, we have nothing to fear from man at all, not even the entity we call ‘government’. And we for sure don’t have anything to worry about when it comes to the media and social media sites such as Facebook.

I want to add just one more thing about voting. There are many who have said that Christians have a moral obligation to get involved in politics and to vote. I have many friends and family members who don’t vote. They have their own reasons and I respect them for that. I actually try my best to respect each person because they can vote for who they like, even if I don’t agree. When it comes to getting involved in politics and voting the Bible tells us that as Christians we have a moral obligation to obey the law, but it never tells us that we have a so-called moral obligation to become involved in politics or to vote.

Then there are those who say that as humans we have a responsibility. We can’t just sit there and let our world go to hell in a hand basket. “What about our human responsibility?” they insist that we must go vote because it is our responsibility to vote and campaign for a particular candidate, even if that means we don’t like him/her very much.  I think when they say it is our moral and human responsibility that it is a kind of calling someone out.

I just want to say that who ever you vote for, vote for the person you can best align with. I will vote for my conscience and I will vote for the person who stands closest to my beliefs and my faith. I am praying that Christ comes soon and that this whole election won’t happen. Instead of beaming me up Scotti, I am saying to “beam me up Jesus.” If a person doesn’t want to vote, that is their business. I don’t plan on harping on them or belittling anyone for their choice. Now, I will say,  if someone doesn’t vote or doesn’t get involved in whatever activity they are grumbling over, then I don’t think they should have a right to grumble. But, that’s just me.

In closing I just want to say that I feel that as a Christian my obligation and responsibility is to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15).  If we really believe this, then we should be doing more for Christ. Just think about how different our world would be if we took our faith and sharing the Gospel as serious as some politicians do. We are spending a huge amount of money, time, resources and laboring without fail. They are fully devoted to their politician or government leader just so they can get elected. I just wonder if we put that much into sharing the Gospel with others would make our lives and world better. I guess that isn’t in Satan’s plan and he is trying to get people to fight over things that divide instead of unite.

Tonight I was talking to a friend who has been having a difficult time health wise. During our conversation we got talking about how God’s present with us during difficult times, even if it is hard to tell while we are going through dark moments.

Psalms 46:1 is my all time favorite Bible Verse. This is also the verse that gets me through so much. tomorrow as my friend goes in for another biopsy, I will be praying for her and remembering this verse on her behalf. The verse says, “God is our refuge and strength, ever-present in times of trouble.”

As I was talking to her, I got thinking about one of many times I was in the hospital for what seemed like months at a time. Which literally, it was.

When I am in the hospital for any period of time, I always bring music with me and my fan.

One night, I was having a very difficult time. I was already in the hospital for about 6 weeks and I was at the point of wanting to throw in the towel. I was fighting sepsis during this particular visit.

During this night, I was done. I didn’t want to go on any longer. I spent most of the year in the hospital off and on and I couldn’t handle anything else. My daughters were teenagers and I was feeling like I wasn’t a good mother because I was always in the hospital fighting for my life.

Around 11pm, the night-time nurse came into my room to do my vitals. She was asking me about the songs that were on the radio at the time. I must have been listening to Klove. She wasn’t a Christian, so she wasn’t familiar with the songs I was listening to. I talked to her about them for a few minutes and then she  left to finish her rounds. Right before she came in, I was in tears. She asked me what was wrong and I told her that I was fine. I was just having one of those moments.

As I was having a discussion with God, which is my way of praying, I was frustrated and I have to say I was feeling a bit like I was abandoned. I have been going through so many storms, that it was getting hard to see and feel God’s presence. I was emotionally spent and I cried out to Jesus and I wanted to know what it was that I did so wrong to be going through all of the things I was and still am going through.

After crying to the point where I had no more tears left, I rolled over to my side and quieted myself down. I prayed and begged God to show me that He was there. I needed to know He was with me. And then it happened. The first song came on and it was called, “Praise You in the Storm.” It is a song by Casting Crowns. Here is a snippet of the song. Click Here to Listen to it;

Praise You In This Storm

And I’ll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
And every tear I’ve cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry to you
And you raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can’t find You

As I was listening to this song by Casting Crowns, I couldn’t help but let the tears once again flow. I must have been a mess emotionally. A nurse heard me sobbing in my room and she poked her head in and asked if there was anything she could do. All I could say was that, “God is here and I’m not alone.”

Then the next song that came on was a song by Third Day called, “Cry Out to Jesus.” By this time I am blubbering all over the place and inconsolable, but in a good way. Here are some of the lyrics;

Cry Out To Jesus

And to all of the people with burdens and pains
Keepin’ you back from your life
You believe that there’s nothing
And there is no one who can make it right

There is hope for the helpless, rest for the weary
And love for the broken hearts
There is grace and forgiveness, mercy and healing
He’ll meet you wherever you are

Cry out to Jesus
Cry out to Jesus

This song spoke to me in so many ways. I’m laying in my hospital bed and the Dr’s didn’t know what else they could do or if they were going to have to send me to ICU. My life was in the hands of God at this point.

Then, a third song came onto the radio. It was an old hymn that many probably know. That song is called, “What a Friend We Have In Jesus.” About a year before this hospitalization I was listening to this song as I was driving down the road. I became so overcome emotionally that I had to pull over. Since I was in the hospital, it wasnt like I could pull over, but God did get my attention. I have listened to this song most of my life. It wasn’t until my life was falling apart medically that I got it. I finally figured out that Jesus is my friend. He will never leave me. He is always there. Pay attention to the words. Even though this song was written by Joseph M. Scriven in 1855. He wrote this as a poem to comfort his mother who was living in Ireland while he was in Canada. These words mean just as much today as it did back then.

What a Friend We Have In Jesus

What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear,
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Saviour still our refuge;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends dispise forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in Prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee;
Thou wilt find a solace there.

As I was talking to my friend tonight about how there are times when life gets so hard and it is hard to feel God around us, He makes sure to show us that He is there. One of the things that she shared with me and it is so true is that we can pray over people at any moment. It doesn’t matter what else is going on around us.

By the way, if anyone out there would like to pray for her, she could really use some prayers. She found out that she has a mass it is malignant. So, she will be having treatments. What she and I were saying is that even though all these things are happening. We can allow these moments as opportunities to reach out to those who needs help. God does some awesome things.

I want to just share one more thing about my hospital stay. After the three songs were played and I was just exhausted emotionally and at the same time, I felt such an overwhelming peace that only can come from God.

As I was laying there, a cleaning women knocked on  my door. She asked me if she could come into the room? I told her that was fine. Even though I probably had puffy eyes and looked horrible. So, she came in and shut the door behind her. She was saying that she enjoyed the music that has been playing in my room. She felt the promoting to come in and pray over me. She explained that she had to shut the door or she would get in trouble. She prayed and held my hand. I felt the most warm and loving touch from her hands.

She was only in there a few minutes and she did say that she is a believer in Christ. As she left, I felt this cool breeze. I thought it was from the AC. When the nurse came back in to check the vitals and to see how I was, I asked her about the AC and she said it wasn’t on. I did find it strange that there was a cleaning lady that late, I asked the nurse to thank her for coming in and helping. She didn’t know who or what I was talking about. She said there was no cleaning ladies.

In closing, I would like to ask you all to say a prayer for my friend.

Dear Lord, I come to you today for my friend who has been told that she has a malignant mass. Lord, she is in need of your healing hand. In you all things are possible. Give her the strength to move forward on the path you have shown her. We pray that You bless my friend and renew her health and strengthen her as only You can.

Wrap your loving arms around her family as they draw near to you Love. Bind us with Your loving hands. You are the Vine dear Lord and we are the branches.

We praying these things in Jesus’s name, Amen.

I really like to watch the Big Bang Theory. The one I am watching right now is about where Sheldon’s sister is having a baby. All of his friends, Amy, Leonard, Penny, Howard and Bernadette, Raj are sitting around discussing what it would have been like if they never met Sheldon. For a long time I wouldn’t watch the show because I thought it was more about evolution and since I am a Christian, I wasn’t going to watch it. But, after watching it, I have grown to love it.

While I was watching the show it got me thinking about what my life would have been like if circumstances were different. As I thought about this episode, I thought about this Bible verse;

• Romans 8:28 – And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

I met my husband Chuck when I was 17 and we got married about 4 months later. We lived in Texas at the time. I ended up with Guillian Barre Syndrome just before we got married. At the time I was probably in most ways not doing things in the right way. The reason I say that is that, I ran away from home, then met Chuck in Tucson. His mom met me when I was illegally working at a Winchells Donuts. I ended up with the job because I was wearing a bikini. I was pretty thin then. The owner gave me a job without even knowing my age or name. I am pretty sure it was because he was a pervert. But, like I said, I got a job there. I had no ID and he paid me under the table.

My mother in law walked in to get Donuts since her son (Chuck) was going to be coming home for a couple of days on leave. I gave her my number and told her if he wanted to do something. She wasn’t going to give him my number, but then my father in law stepped in and told him that some girl gave her his number. She gave it to him and he called.

We arranged to met at the Winchells Donuts. He told me what he was driving and I told him what I looked like. Since I ran away from home, I only had the clothes a friend let me where. Let’s say that she wore reallllllllly short shorts and shirts that didn’t leave much to the imagination. What didn’t help was that I just got my hair permed and the lady had it done in tight curls. I had no clue what it looked like since it was still wet and I was heading to met Chuck.

So, here I am walking of to this truck that was not in very good shape. Chuck was sitting in the truck working on something and I was thinking that this was NOT going to be a good fit. Then he looked at me and he thought the same thing, except he thought I was EASY, lol. The reason he thought that is because Robin let me wear her cloths till I could sneak back home to get mine. So, here I am walking up to his 58 Chevy wearing red shorts, a tub top and heels. My hair finally dried and it looked like an afro. When I seen how it looked, I about died lol.

The reason I am going into this little bit of history is that, if I wasn’t where I was at and met my mother in law because I had a perverted boss, I wouldn’t be where I am now. I wouldn’t have ended up in Texas,  I wouldn’t have met Chuck which means I wouldn’t have my daughter. I was completely paralyzed from Guillian Barre Syndrome. I ended up pregnant while having Guillian Barre Syndrome.

Chuck and I weren’t married at the time. But we did get married after 4 months of knowing each other. I guess we assumed we would get married before all of this happened. We got married early because I had no insurance and he was in the Army in Fort Hood, Texas.

God has a way of working things out because I would out about 7 years later that if I wouldn’t have had a child when I did, I never would have had kids. God had a way of making my bad decisions into something good. I ended up having to have a hysterectomy at the age of 25. When the oncologist told me that I should never have been able to get pregnant when I did. She couldn’t understand how I was able to carry a child the way I did. Since I had been paralyzed from Guillian Barre Syndrome and an undiagnosed illness, she didn’t get it. I got it. It was a God thing.

Hopefully, I’m not boring you all. But, since I had all the problems I didn’t really work. But we were struggling and there was NO WAY I was going to let anyone else raise my daughter. That’s when I met up with a friend and she had two daughters. She needed a baby sitter and I needed money. I offered to babysit her daughters and she took me up on it.

That’s when Rebechia (Rebecca) came into our lives. Jessica and Beckiah (Becca) became close friends. I had no idea what was going to happen. All I knew was that I was a babysitter. Eventually things happened and we ended up adopting Rebechia. She has a younger sister that also was in need of a home a few years later. At that time, I knew we were not equipped to be able to adopt two children. I had so many medical problems and was not able to do it. I felt guilty over that for many years and I guess even now I do also.

Because of circumstances we adopted her and we now had two daughters. God put everything in order. He knew what He was doing, even though I didn’t. Both of my daughters are huge blessings in my life. Even though Jessica was what I would have considered at the time an OOOPs baby, she wasn’t a mistake. I have never thought about Jessica being a mistake, even though I was just a teenager and I had major medical things going on, God worked it out.

If any of these things didn’t happen and in the right order, I don’t know where my life would be now. But, I do know that I wouldn’t have the life I have now. I wouldn’t have my daughters Jessica and Rebechia. I wouldn’t still be married to my husband almost 36 yrs next month. I wouldn’t have the most amazing grandkids. If I wasn’t working that night at Winchells, none of these things would have happened.

It’s interesting how a TV show can make a person think about how blessed you really are. Which I have to say I am very blessed. I don’t know what tomorrow holds and that’s OK. There are no guarantees, but I know that God holds my future in His hands. I don’t need to know about what is going to happen since God already knows that information and I am just going along for the ride. 🙂

in closing, I just want to say that if it weren’t for everything that happened in the order it did, I wouldn’t have met Chuck. Which would mean that Jessica wouldn’t have been born and there would be no JJ or Josalyn. Beckiah would be here since we adopted her. But more than likely she wouldn’t be married to Jason Barton, which would mean that there would be no Tyson, Jace, Ashton or Kora. Everything works out for the good, even when we may not realize it at the time.

I want to forewarn you all. This blog post is more of a vent. I just want to get if off my chest.

I honestly try to stay out of conversations that are political. I particularly try to stay out of religion and politics. My friend Lisa and I were discussing who is running and who we are voting for. We were able to have good conversation without trying to kill each other. We never unfriended each other. It isn’t that way on Facebook or social media.

I can’t even begin to count how many times people would literally get into screaming matches. They would go into how they are right and they read this article about it so they believe what it said. My guess is that they never go check out the sites to make sure they are real or not. This whole election year is out of control. I have had to restrict so many people on my Facebook because of the hate filled comments.

Being thankful for the elections to get done and over with is an understatement. When I turn on my computer, the first thing I see is Trump said or done this or that. Clinton is unfit and blah blah blah. I am so done with hearing about the blasted emails that got lost. I am tired of hearing how Trump is going to do this and that because he is the human form of Under Dog. Trump should get a blue cap and buzz around the world and tell everyone, “Have No Fear, Underdog is Here.”

Now it is the whole birther thing and again blah blah blah. All of these stories are  blurring the lines of where truth and reality will be met. I want to hear the facts, not all the other things that are cluttering my mind.

Then, there are those who are posting all kinds of stupid stuff without finding out if it is true or not. Satire sites (fake news) are popping up all over the place. Fake news websites are satire sites that are not funny. They are an attempt to play on gullible people who do not check sources and will just pass the news on as if it were really true. They make them look real but they are far from it. Here is a list of satire sites. These are sites you shouldn’t consider right. More and more fake-news websites have appeared online. These sites publish articles that  – for the most part – are simply made up by their authors.

• National Report: (http://nationalreport.net/)
• Huzlers: (http://www.huzlers.com/)
• Empire News : (http://empirenews.net/)
• Empire Sports: (http://www.empiresports.co/)
• The Onion:  (http://www.theonion.com)
• The Christ Wire: (http://christwire.org)
• And Many More…

Then you have  what is called clickbait websites. They are sites that will take a little bit of a true story and then they  will make up other details to create fear.  For the most part they are conspiracies and not reliable.

It bugs the bejibbers out of me when I see links to these sites on my Facebook wall throughout  the day and at least dozens of times a day and it makes me want to smack my head into a wall.

In closing I just want to say that my  prayer is that Christ would come soon. I wish this election is over when. We must be getting close to the end times. I am also coming before the Lord to ask Him for wisdom and guidance for who I should vote for. I will NOT vote for Trump. No amount of money will convince me to vote for him. I can’t vote for him because he stands for things that I am against.

No other person on Earth knows your story better than you do. Sharing your testimony with others can be a powerful and important way to tell God thank you for all he has done. The Bible says in Isaiah 12:4, “Thank the Lord! Praise his name! Tell the world about his wondrous love and how mighty he is!”

I have shared my personal testimony with many people. My personal testimony of faith isn’t really much about what I would call the “ah ha” moment.

As I have said off and on in my life, I wasn’t raised in a church-going family, and for the most part they weren’t Christians.

What I would like to discuss is why it is important for us to share our personal testimony.

When we share our testimony it is about what we have experienced. It’s important share our experiences with God.  I actually believe it is mandatory to witness to others. As Christians  we need to come forward and talk about what God has and is doing in our lives. Friends, families, neighbors and strangers will begin to believe that God is real, prayers get answered and miracles happen. When we share the Gospel and our testimony it will inspire others to seek God.

Acts 1:8 says, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” When we share our testimony we are to be a witness to Jesus Christ. By witnessing to Jesus Christ we are communicating the things that we have seen and experienced in our lives.

When we share our testimony with others we are helping others that may be going through the same things we have gone through both good and bad.  I can’t even begin to count how many testimonies I have heard  that have been beneficial in my life. There are situations and experiences in our lives that may be causing anger, despair and they eat aways at your insides.

A good friend of mine has been going through some pretty rough patches in her life. If she were to allow these feelings to take over, it has the possibility of making everyday miserable and makes each day hard to get through. While I observe these moments in her life and how debilitating they are, I also see her love for Christ. At the end of the day, she gives it to God and that is something each of us should be doing.

I believe Christians have an obligation to share  what God is doing in our lives. We each have our own unique experiences with Him and I would think that because of our experiences with Jesus. We each have the ability to reach people who can relate to what we have or are going through. Jesus has a plan and purpose for each of us. Even if you are afraid to say what Jesus has done in your life, He will guide each person specifically in every  part of your testimony.

There are those who claim to be Christian and yet they feel empty inside. As I talk to various people about my experiences they are shocked that I feel the way I do and I still put my faith in Christ. For me, there is no other way. Jesus is the ONLY way. I find it very sad that people are loosing their faith. I wish churches had a time in their services where people would share what God is doing in their life or share their personal testimony. I wonder if churches had a time of sharing if people would do it. I’m not the kind of person who likes to stand front and center when I share my testimony. I use blogging and one on one interactions.

There use to be a ladies get together called, “Tender Touch.” The ladies who started this were able to offer something to the ladies that helped renew their faith. One part of the program was where someone would share their testimony with the ladies. Usually there was someone in the crowd that needed to hear that message. I wish we still had this. I would love to get something like that back at my church.

It is our responsibility to share the good news that Jesus Christ paid for their sins, and conquered death for us through rising from the dead.  Once a person believes  that Jesus Christ is the son of God then His people should go on to receive the power of the Holy Spirit, and then testify to others what God has done for them.

The Bible says, “Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the people’s!” (1 Chronicles 16:8).

You also give them a glimpse into God’s will for their lives. The Bible says, “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV). God’s will for our lives is to show gratitude in all circumstances. I have a bit of a hard time doing this, but it is something we are instructed to do. Begin thankful doesn’t happen just on Thanksgiving and it isn’t about a national holiday.

Take a few moments to thinking about the following questions and share your answers;

• What has God done in your life that you need to share with others who are struggling through difficult circumstances?
• How has someone else’s story inspired or impacted you?