And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. – (1 John 2:17)

One of my favorite Christian songs is the song “Thank You” by Ray Boltz. The reason why it is my favorite song is because it pretty much covers how thankful I am for the people who have and are a part of my life. (Click Here to Listen to the song “Thank You” )

I am a firm believer that everyone has pivotal times in their lives that has made them the way they are. Dixie and Harry Myers has got to be one of my top 5 pivotal moments.  The song that perfectly describes how much the Myers impacted my life. I have done a couple of blogs over the years that I have used this song as an example and I believe each time it was when I have discussed Pastor Harry and Dixie Myers.

Dixie Myers went home to be with the Lord on January 24, 2018. I can only imagine what the reunion was life for Dixie and Harry.  Click here for her obituary…

My Memories of Dixie Myers

Our family moved to Willcox, AZ around 1978 and it was during that time that I happened upon the Willcox Church of the Nazarene. Pastor Harry Myers and Dixie were there. I don’t think i happened upon the church accidentally. I feel that God directed me to the church.

I was only 13 yrs old when I first met the Myers family. Dixie is the lovely wife of Pastor Harry Myers, who went home to be with the Lord on January 28th, 2018.  She is more than just the pastor’s wife to me and probably to many more. She was the role model that I desperately needed at that point in my life. I wasn’t raised in a Christian home and she helped me to become the best mom and Christian woman I could be. I can’t imagine what my life would have been like had it not been for the Myers Family.

From the moment I walked into the church, I felt like I was home. I actually chose the church I go to now because of the Willcox Church of the Nazarene.

Dixie made me feel welcome and loved. I don’t know if she really knew what was going on in my home life at the time,  but Harry and Dixie and their family impacted my life forever and still does. This is why when I think about the song, “Thank You”, I can’t help but think about how that song was written about them. Their entire family served the Lord happily.

Thank you for giving to the Lord
I am a life that was changed
Thank you for giving to the Lord
I am so glad you gave

Their daughter Diana was a good friend of mine, so I would hang out at their house a lot. In my other blog I go into more details.  Diana and I hung out a lot and most of the time it was at their house. My parents didn’t allow friends to come over. Diana played the piano and sung at church. Dixie was the choir leader, pianist, teacher and whatever else she had to do.

While I was over at the house, Dixie was doing what many mothers would be doing. She would be cooking all kinds of yumminess in their kitchen. Anytime I was there, they made sure to include me in whatever they were doing.  I don’t think I would ever go home hungry if I was over there. I didn’t really eat much at my home, so it was nice to be able to experience what real families do.

Dixie was a good listener as well and would take the time to really pay attention to what I was saying. I think that is a lost art. Most of the world has the “me” syndrome. If I was being a brat and doing something wrong, she had no problem telling me that.  I think all of the Myers were that way. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t thank the Lord for putting them in my lives.

One of the times that Dixie gave me a what for was right before church started. She was the choir leader among other things. I come walking into the church with a dress that was much shorter than what I should have been wearing at church. I was also barefooted with shoes in hand. She took me aside and asked me if I thought the dress I was wearing was appropriate for being in the choir lol. I sat where at the front of the choir since I was shorter. At least I think it was for that reason lol. But, either way, my dress was way too short. If you have seen pictures of dresses from the 70’s, that’s what I had on. Needless to say I didn’t wear that dress again 🙂

As I look back on my memories of Dixie, I guess the most profound thing about her was her love for God and for people. She demonstrated compassion for others. The compassion she had for me is something I will never forget. She showed me that we should be there for others even if we don’t feel like it. Dixie taught me that I should be giving to others even if I didn’t want to. It was a hard lesson, but a very important one.  She taught me that while I didn’t have an ideal family life, that I can still be the person that God intended me to be.

Dixie also taught me how to forgive and how to treat my kids and others with love and kindness. I was able to tell her how grateful I was for her life lessons. She made sure that those around her knew they were loved. Even when she was upset or mad, she still expressed her love by giving genuine hugs and telling them that she loved them. They weren’t just words, her actions demonstrated how much she honestly loved people and her kids.

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection. I am life. The person that believes in me will have life {again} after he dies. And the person that lives and believes in me will never really die. Martha, do you believe this?” John 11:25-26 NLT

I have been working on an article about the dangers of pornography and how porn destroys marriages. While I was working on this article, my thoughts began to wonder. My thoughts were on how people like my friend whose marriage was destroyed because of porn and her ex’s decisions make it though these life changing events.

I’m not sure about you, but I use the phrase, ” I hope things work out” or that “we always have hope”. As I thought about these statements as I was working on the dangers of pornography article, I realized that for many people hope isn’t real.

My sister Joyce and my friend who ended up divorced because her spouse made the decision to turn her life and her children’s life upside down over porn and cheating on her. When you have someone who is feeling hopeless and alone, they have a difficult time helping themselves out of their situations. They have a great sense of loss and helplessness. That’s when it is important to bring them the good news of Jesus Christ and all that Jesus Christ has to offer them.

John 10:10 NIV- The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

I don’t know about you, but I know I have felt hopeless and alone.One of the biggest problems we have in the world is that there are millions of people who are dealing with sickness, financial problems, political concerns, family problems ect. It doesn’t matter where you live in the world, there is going to be woes. It’s as if there is no hope in the world.

For myself, without God, this world is a place that is filled with hopelessness. But, with God, we can make it. No matter what is going on in your life or whatever situation you are dealing with, there is hope. You may not be able to see it while you are going through your situation, but there is hope.

I was rereading some of my blog posts from a number of years ago. I was just done with it. I felt there was no hope and if God took me home to be with Him, I would be OK with that. Also during that time, I wasn’t putting all of my hope and trust in the Lord. A friend of mine who I haven’t talked to in a number of years pointed out to me that I wasn’t trusting in the Lord. I wanted to control my situation. She was right. I wasn’t trusting in Him.

I was wallowing in self-pity and it was only because of God that I was able to find my way out and to find hope. He also put the right people in my life to help me. I couldn’t do it alone. You may not be able to see or feel the hope, but it is there for you. How do we find the hope? There is only one place where hope can be found, and that is in Jesus Christ.

As I was working on the pornography article and I started thinking about the word “hope”, I found some pretty awesome Bible verses.  David found himself dealing with some pretty difficult situations and was loosing hope. He needed to be reminded that hope is very real and it comes from God.  Psalms are packed with awesome Bible verses about hope. Here are a few Bible verses about hope:

Psalms 39:7 NIV “But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you.”

Psalms 42:11 NIV “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”

Psalms 33:18 NIV “But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,”

Psalms 119:49 NIV– Remember your word to your servant,  for you have given me hope.

Trusting in God has been a hard thing for me. I always thought I fully trusted Him, that was until my friend told me that I was still trying to control my life and that I wasn’t fully trusting God. At first I wanted to throw her out of my house. How dare she tell me that I wasn’t trusting in the Lord. I thought she had some nerve. But, she was telling me the hard truth. A friend doesn’t just tell you what you want you want them to hear, a real friend tells you the truth. God wants us to fully and 100 percent to trust Him.

I  was trusting in myself and my own choices that I was derailing my life. It wasn’t a good thing. As I consider my relationship with my sister and my friend, I have felt that even if they got upset with what I had to say, it is better to be truthful.

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV– For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Because of the choices that my friends ex husband made, she is now a single mom. She has had more than her share of disappointments and feels alone. But, she can still have hope. My sister has also had more than her share of loss and disappointments.

God will send the right person into her life. When I’m needing to find encouragement and I grab my Bible. I will ask God to direct me to the Words that I need the most. So, I close my eyes and open my Bible up.

When I have opened up the Bible in need of hope, it never fails to amaze me that He directs me to the right Bible verse and the words encourage me and ignites the flames of hope that have been hidden deep inside my heart.

Paul writes in Romans these words of encouragement:

Romans 5:5 NIV “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 15:4 NIV “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

Hope is real. God offers Words of Hope for our lives and your situations. Words of hope that He has given us and are found in the Bible.  I have these verses on my prayer wall. When I wake up, I see the verses and I see the printout of “Trust God”. I have had these on my wall ever since my friend told me that I need to be trusting God more than relying on myself. Hope Is Real. It comes from God!

Psalms 31:24 NIV- Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.

Isaiah 40:31 NIV-  but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Romans 12:12 NIV – “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

Romans 8:24 NIV – ” But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”

Psalms 119:74 NIV May those who fear you rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in your word.

In closing I just want to say that whatever it is that you are going through to take it to Jesus. If there is someone in your life that is in need of hope, share Words of encouragement that can only be found in the Bible.

Romans 15:13 NIV- May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

1 Samuel 30:6 (NIV)  David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God.    

We are told throughout the Bible that God wants us to choose him as our Him as our source of hope and strength when things in our life get hard to handle. What I have found is that when I fully relied on God when I face is that He will carry me through the most difficult situation.

Trusting in God during your trials and difficulties;

5. “Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)

I was having a conversation with a friend of mine who felt like she should give up because she was going through a difficult period in her life. Her marriage isn’t in a good place.  She was beyond frustrated and she was tired and worn out. I didn’t and still don’t have the right words to help her understand that everything will be fine and that God is always there for her.

As I searched for the right words for her, I got to thinking about David. David felt like giving up.  He was frustrated throughout his life because of the decisions he made. David made horrible mistakes that affected those around him. He was able to strengthen himself in the Lord.

I don’t know about you, but there have been many times that I have made bad choices. My bad choices not only hurt myself, but they hurt others as well. Not all of the problems we face in our life because of our own bad choices and decisions, but some are. David found out that when he faced problems in his life that God is the only one he could turn to. He also realized how awesome God’s loving grace is.

Davids life was for sure not going as he planned. In the Bible it talks about how Davids army was captured. His wife was were captured taken and pretty much everyone around him was upset with David. Those in his army had no strength and wept.

David was distressed and found strength in the Lord.  We can all learn from David.  He didn’t know what to do, so he prayed to God and asked for his help and  for direction, and God answered his prayers.  David did as God instructed him to do and his men was rescued and so was their families and belongings. David made it a point to acknowledge that it was God who protected them.

As I was talking to my friend and David came to mind, God spoke to my heart as well. I have made many poor choices. I am a stubborn woman who wants to do things my way. Let me tell you right now, doing things my way is not the way to go. My bad choices not only made things harder for me, but it has been harder for those around me. But, the most awesome thing is that God wants us to trust in Him.

“Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?”(Jeremiah 32:27)

If you have never made the decision to turn to Jesus Christ, now is a good time to do that. If you feel like your life is spinning out of control and you want to give up, now is a good time to trust in Jesus Christ. If you feel like you have no strength and you just can’t do it anymore, now is a good time to trust in Jesus Christ.  If you are trying to manage everything on your own or trying to cope with bad behavior, now is a good time to Trust in Jesus Christ.  Jesus wants us to find the truth. He will carry us through our battles and situations like He did with David, all you have to do is ask and trust in Him.

“Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.”(Deuteronomy 31:6)

We are told in the Bible that God wants us to put our trust in Him when we are in need of strength. My own personal experience has shown me that even during difficult times and situations that He has carried me through. If you have relied on God in the past, remember those times and put your trust in Him again.

When we are facing trials, we forget or at-least I forget that God knows everything.  I am a control freak and I want to be the one in charge. But, the reality is that God is the One in charge of my present and He is in charge if my future. It just makes sense that we would let Him guide us since He knows infinitely more about our lives than we do. We don’t have to ponder the thought of if we will have trials; we are told to expect them. Thankfully we won’t be facing them alone. God is always there for us and making sure things are OK.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

I don’t know about you, but I spend a lot of time trying to figure out what it is that I need to do next. We humans have a way of leaning on everything and everyone else but God. In Proverbs 3:5-6 we are assured that if we lean on God, He will direct us. He will make our path straight. There isn’t a path that God cannot make straight.  

Since I am getting close to writing a book on this subject, I just want to end this by saying that trials have a way of wearing us down. There may be times when you feel like you can’t take another step and that you can’t make it. Satan whispers in our ears that we won’t make it and that we are alone. He has a way of bringing up our past mistakes like he did with David. The truth is that God will give us all the strength we need. He will help us and hold us up when we need Him the most. Everything will be OK if we put our trust in the Lord.

“Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)

Many of us have done what David did. And some of us are still doing it.  For myself, I have made more than my share of mistakes. The good news is that when we are ready to turn things around, God is there and He loves you and all you have to do is ask. He doesn’t just sit there and watch us making stupid choice, He protects us and delivers us out of it.

“Cast your burden upon the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never allow the righteous to be shaken.” (Psalm 55:22)

God is there for us and He is our rescuer.  When we call out to Him, He will respond. He won’t just let us sit there and drown. When we acknowledge that we need Him, He is there to protect us and deliver us out of the troubles we have gotten ourselves out of. In my life I have had many struggles and most of the time it is my own doing. But, the awesome thing is that He still blesses me and He will bless you, all you have to do is ask. We just need to call on Him.

A Prayer for Hard Times 

Lord, help us when we face the many trials we face each day and in our lives. Would you give us the strength to get through whatever difficulties we are going through together as only you can make the impossible possible. Lord Jesus, help us call on You, knowing that You are always there for us and that You always hear us. Help us lean on You instead of leaning on our own understanding. You are aware of all things. Thank You Lord Jesus for not leaving us along. Thank You for your Love, Mercy and Grace.  We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

I had a company contact me last week and wanted me to build a website for them. I actually think they wanted me to work for them and they have been looking for webmasters/developers.

They seen the website that I did for my church. I explained to them that I don’t build website for other people. I did my churches St.George Community Church,  New Covenants, and a few for friends. He asked me how much I charged for my churches website and I told him I don’t charge my church for anything I do and I refuse to make money on the site since I would feel like I was charging God. It is my way to give back to God.

He let me know that with the quality of the website and the graphics I create, I could have easily charged my church a minimum $15,000. Just for a simple update and that could be 1 word or a paragraph, I could make a minimum of $50.00. Which is true. I use to build other websites and I would charge $45.00 for a simple update. Sometimes that was just a telephone number or an address.

He continued on and on about how much I’m losing money wise since I do everything and anything that has to do with our website. He was actually ticking me off a bit by now. He was asking me about if I use templates for websites, which is basically a layout or do I do my own HTML. I told him I use a little of both. But, I always do my own coding when it comes to applications and such. I was wondering if I should just hang up on him or should I serve him some humble pie. So, humble pie it was.

I went on to explain to him that even if the website and the hundreds or thousands of hours I spend on creating a website for my church helps one person, than it is all worth it. There is no amount of money that is worth losing a soul for. I then let him know that by putting contact forms on our churches website, it allows people to contact us in case they need prayers. The person who is visiting our site might need a word or two of encouragement. You never know what someone is going through, but God does and there is no amount of money that could take the place of a person in need.

I told him that I know I could make a lot of money, but to me it isn’t worth it. He then asked me if I charge the church for the hosting and the domain and I told him no. He was shocked that anyone would do that. I got the idea that this man didn’t really do anything to help someone out and I don’t think he goes to church lol. I could be wrong, but I’m guessing I’m not wrong.

I have made it a point to not tell many what I donate to my church or what I do. I personally feel that when a person does that, they are tooting their own horns and it isn’t to glorify God. They are only doing that to get a pat on the back. There are only a handful of people at my church that knows what I do. I have been doing my churches website for many years and I’m fine with that. There have been some companies websites that I have built and I made a whole lot of money on them. Without a doubt I could have by now made over $40,000 when I take everything into consideration. But to me, I would never take a penny for anything I do for my church.

Most don’t know that I have never gone to school for anything that I do. The first time I sat down at the computer, I didn’t even know how to turn it on. I didn’t want a computer in my house. Then one day, my Dr’s told me I could never work again because of me having the CIPD variant of Guillian Barre Syndrome and I had Myasthenia Gravis. I knew I had Guillian Barre Syndrome but nothing else. I thought once I got better from Guillian Barre Syndrome, it would never come back. I was wrong big time. I have the chronic form with is the CIPD. I felt like I was never going to do anything positive in my life.

As I sat at the computer when my daughters were at school, I prayed for God to use me in some small way. I always did something. I felt worthless since I couldn’t work or anything. I was an usher at church which meant I passed the offering plate and I did a bunch of other things. When I asked God for a way to help others even though my body isn’t able to do the things I did before, it was like God was revealing an answer. Sitting in front of me was a computer. I was terrified of it since I had no idea how to turn it on or what a red x on the screen was.

Thankfully my daughter Jessica showed me a little bit. I found my way to a website called Angelhaven. I actually think it was my husband who told me about this website. I didn’t even know what a website was then. But, I found my way there and some of the people who I met in a chat-room taught me some of the things I needed to know about the computer. As I was praying and feeling sorry for myself and all of the things I couldn’t do, God put it on my heart to do something more with the computer. I honestly think that it was God who gave me the ability to build websites. He put the right people in my life at the time I needed them the most.

At that time, they didn’t have templates for websites. So, God basically showed me what I needed to do. I don’t know how many realize that in order for you to see what you see on a website, you have to use HTML. For example. If you want to have your text show up as black, it isn’t as simple as typing and it is there… This is just one way to have it where your text is black, <p style=”color:black;“>These fonts are black!</p>. Or sometimes instead of writing the color as black, you have a code which is #000000. So, instead of writing black, you will substitute the word black for #000000.  The picture above is the code that  I have on the front page of my churches website. Part of this code is also for the font which is “lucida sans“/

I had a local dentist that I bartered his website for dentistry. He thought I went to school to learn computer programming and building websites. When I told him that I’m self-taught he was surprised.

When I sat at the computer and prayed for God to use me in ways that I couldn’t think of, He took me literally. A I was praying and my hands on my keyboard, the answer was literally right there in front of me. I was able to share this with the guy who wanted me to build his website or to work for his company and he was shocked. Because of God’s gift, not only have I been able to help my church and to share with people all over the world, but I was able to witness to this man about why it is that I couldn’t take him up on his offer.

He still wanted me to do his site and told me that with my gift I could easily make thousands and thousands by building other people’s websites. I let him know that I’m doing fine and thanked him for his kind words, but that my gift is reserved for glorifying God, not myself or the world.

There are many things I have learned when it comes to building my churches website. It isn’t the actual time, money or anything else that is important. What’s important is that when I thought I couldn’t do anything that I use to do, God showed me that there are many ways I can give back. It wasn’t and isn’t about money for me. For me, it is about feeling useful and giving back. I love it when someone says that they found our church because of the website or the Facebook page that I did. The most important thing for me is that God found a way for me to do something. If God can teach me HTML codes and how to do websites, then anyone can find a way to reach out to those around us.

This man who contacted me didn’t understand that there are people out there who aren’t all about money. I should have asked him how he found my churches website, but that isn’t important. I’m just really honored and blessed that my church allows me to do what I do. There are many who worry that I do too much, but in my opinion, I don’t do enough. I could always do more. I want to thank everyone at my church for letting me give back. There are some who thinks I should do nothing, but that isn’t what God has in mind and I know I don’t.

I was going to post this on my Facebook page, so hopefully people will read this. I normally only post about me having CIPD/GBS and Myastehenia on awareness weeks or months. I will go into what they are more when it is the awareness months since this is about having a little bit of respect for those who can lose their lives if they get sick. But, I am rather ticked off right now that I am sick once again with a different strain of either the cold of the flu. I get that people may not know they are coming down with something. But, for those who know they are sick, please stay away from me.

I told her that not everyone can get sick because it could kill them. As she was getting ready to fill in her check, she had the audacity to even ask to borrow my pen. Oh my gosh, Bill was my angel that day. He said what I couldn’t say. He ripped into her and anyone else in earshot about the dangers of me getting sick. Even though he didn’t know exactly what I had or how to pronounce it, he made sure to let her and everyone know that if they are sick they need to stay home. My boss listened to what Bill said and he was very impressed. I then told my boss that Bill just got diagnosis with cancer and I believe he was on hospice at the time. Bill brought tears to my eyes with what he did. I actually had to take a break. I’m pretty sure that woman and everyone else got the message that day. My heart sunk though because I knew how critical Bill was at the time and here he is going to bat for me and not even saying that he is fighting for his life too. I can totally feel Bill around me.

My first choice of pharmacies is Brents Pharmacy:

Brent’s Pharmacy & Diabetes Care

Mon-Fri 10:00am – 6:00pm

Sat 11:00am – 3:00pm

Sun Closed

Website: brentspharmacy.com

Phone: (435) 674-5667

Address: 1091 N Bluff St, St George, UT 84770

The Meaning of the Advent Wreath

Jesus is the light of the world, and  we should always be prepared for His return. At Christmas time, people have their minds set on getting ready for the return of Christ. In reality and in my view, we should ALWAYS be prepared for the return of Jesus Christ the Messiah.

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”…

He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.  And he will be our peace when the Assyrians invade our land and march through our fortresses. We will raise against them seven shepherds, even eight commanders, (Micah 5:2, 4-5)

Isaiah 9:6 – For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

In closing, I just want to leave you with this prayer; 

Father in heaven, thank you for the gift of your son Jesus who came to be the Prince of Peace and save us from our sinfulness. You sent Your Son as a teeny tiny little baby. He inspired a new way of living in this dark world. Your Son Jesus Christ inspired an awesome way of being in this world, but not of it and I know that I am eternally grateful for His gift of life. Because of this sinless and perfect child’s gift He has become the brightest light of hope and mercy in an otherwise dark and empty world.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen

I don’t celebrate very many holidays. Matter of fact most of them, I can totally live without. For me, the most important celebrations and observances are Christmas and Easter.  This year, I did put up decorations, but we celebrate the birth of Jesus on Easter Sunday. We celebrate, the birth, death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Most of the other holidays are all a money thing.

Week 1-
JESUS is our HOPE.
Hope believes that the best is yet to come.
Christ, in You, is the hope of glory.
It is HE Whom we proclaim.
Colossians 1: 27

Scripture Reading

Mark 13:33-37 (NIV)

³³ Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.³⁴ It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servantsin charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.

³⁵ “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. ³⁶ If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. ³⁷ What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”

“Wait for the LORD; be strong and courageous. Wait for the LORD” (Psalm 27:14). “Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him.” —Hebrews 11:6

Advent means ‘coming’.  In the Old Testament believers anticipated and was watching for the coming of the Messiah. In the New Testament believers are eagerly waiting for the second coming of Christ. I know I have been watching for and waiting for Christ to come again.

We live in fast paced world. We expect everything to happen right now.  Waiting is very difficult since we are use to getting emails right away, food from the microwave and all kinds of other things. Even though I would be more than happy to have Christ come right now, I can pretty much guarantee that I will have to wait just like everyone else. But, He is going to be coming again and what a joyous time that will be.

Romans 15:13 May God, the source of hope, fill you with all joy and peace by means of your faith in Him, so that your hope will continue to grow by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Patience aren’t my cup of tea. Some of us aren’t very patient. People have said that                                                                                                                                                                                           elf and return home.

Many of us are waiting for the phone to ring so we can return to a job with a normal salary and benefits.

Others are waiting for an eye-opening spiritual breakthrough.

Waiting is the embodiment of faith.

In Hebrews 11:13 we are reminded that faith involves trust in God’s promise even if the promises of God are fulfilled long after we’re gone. The writer says, “These all died in faith without having received the promises, but they saw them from a distance …” (Emphasis added.)

Remain Faithful

Advent is about faith and waiting. What are you waiting on God for this year? Remember the years of silence as God’s people waited for the Messiah. Take time today, right now, to reflect on the fact that God’s timing is quite different from ours.

The story of Jesus’ birth gives us assurance and joy because even though the waiting lingered for decades, God broke through at just the right time.

Are you struggling with a lack of faith? That’s OK. It doesn’t take much faith to get God’s attention. Jesus encouraged his frustrated followers this way:

“If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20).

• An entire nation waited centuries before their eternal king appeared.
• Mary wasn’t given a full-grown son.
• The Wise Men from the east didn’t see the Messiah to appear at their front door.

Are you willing to plant faith and wait upon God? Nothing seems to be appearing on the horizon today, but just wait! God always keeps his promises, even to those who have little faith. Just wait.

Today: How Waiting Affects You

Share: Share with a friend or family member something you are waiting for.

Encourage: Encourage someone you know who is weary of waiting. Remind them of God’s promises.

Evaluate: Take inventory of your relationship with God. Are you struggling with His silence?

Pray: Lord, I remember the years of waiting for a Messiah. I’m often impatient with my life. Please teach me to enjoy You and not just the blessings I see in Your hands. Fill my days with laughter and joy through hardship and uncertainty. Remind me that when I think I’m waiting for an eternity, it really isn’t. Life on this earth is infinitesimally smaller than a second in the light of true eternity.

Express: Create a decorative graffiti poster of things you have faith God will do for you, your family, and your church in the coming year. If you have kids, invite them be a part of the project. This is a great time to teach them about the concept of faith. Display it in a prominent place in your home.

First Sunday of Advent 2017
December 3, 2017 in the World

An Advent wreath with a burning candle.

The theme of readings and teachings during Advent is often to prepare for the Second Coming while commemorating the First Coming of Christ at Christmas. With the view of directing the thoughts of Christians to the first coming of Jesus Christ as savior and to his second coming as judge, special readings are prescribed for each of the four Sundays in Advent. This text has been taken from www.cute-calendar.com

Video about the advent week 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj7ZEi4iMbQ

God created man and man sinned against God. Ever since then there has been no escaping the curse of the garden. We experience the effects of the fall every day and in every season.

The beauty of this Advent season is the building anticipation of our coming Hope. Jesus Christ is our only hope in life and in death. He is our Savior from the effects of sin, as well as our Redeemer from the wages of it.

I know this sounds like a lot, and it actually is. But these things have become part of the fabric of this season for our family.  It all started out very simply when our children were young.  As they grew older, we began branching out, but they didn’t want to stop what we were doing previously.  And so it continued…

Over time, tradition has been created in our home, and now what used to be a chore has become a much anticipated precious time with our family.  It changes our entire Christmas season by helping us focus our hearts on Christ.  We’ve been marked by the manger.

If you’re not already, we encourage you to begin an Advent journey with your family.  Make haste toward the “baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger”. (Luke 2:12)  Build the excitement and awe of the Creator taking on the form of the created to redeem fallen man and call His own for His glory.

During this time of the year, you will see all kinds of special requests from people who say that they need to get gifts for their children and they can’t afford to buy gifts. I am one of those people who will do what I can do to help people out and especially when it comes to children. It breaks my heart. But, there are also a lot of scammers who will prey on the kind-hearted. So, please be careful. In some of the groups on Facebook, I have noticed a trend of where people will get donations of money, food and toys and they will turn around and sell those items. Please make sure that the person who you are giving to are legit and the toys are going to the kids, not the adults pocket-book.

I was just thinking after reading a number of posts from different groups and don’t get me wrong, I realize people don’t have a lot of money to buy their kids everything they want. But, I have been seeing people posting about wanting items such as the thing shown before, which my grandsons would love and only $400.00. They are asking for Lego sets (new preferably), Apple Watches, Lap Tops, Hover Boards, X-Boxes, keyboards and not cheap ones. I guess I am of the mindset that kids don’t need these kinds of things. If people have to beg others to full-fill toy wishes, then they should be re-examining their priorities.

One parent even went as far as posting pictures of what it was that they wanted to make sure it was in the right color and such. I posted the picture of that. They sell that kitchen at Kohls for close to $300.00.

One of the items that ticked me off was that someone posted that they wanted a “purebred toy cup poodle” for their kids because of allergies. Hello!!! So, I shouldn’t be calling people idiots and scammers, but to me these people are. I have no problem at all helping someone out. This year I am sponsoring a family since they won’t have the finances to get gifts and such. I happen to know this family and I know they would never think about taking people for granted like some of those on the Facebook Online Yard Sale sites and such.

One mother even asked for Ulta makeup for her teenage daughter. I was surprised by this because my daughter Jessica buys that and it is far from cheap. Why do people think it is OK to ask strangers for things.

Last year my church did an angel tree program and we aren’t doing it this year. We only did the Operation Child Christmas. I had people leaving me messages about what they wanted for their kids and all of this stuff. A few families were legit and after I got talking to a few of them, I realized they were getting stuff from all kinds of places. I ended up taking them off the list. There are so many children that are needy and parents genuinely need help. But, when you get people taking advantage of the system and kind-hearted people, it makes it bad for everyone and the ones that are paying the price are the children.

My husband and I adopted our daughter Rebeckiah (Rebecca) from the Foster Care Program. I use to babysit for her and her parents were good friends of mine. When Beckiah would come to our house, she had her own room, even though I was just babysitting her. When she was taken into foster care, there was no way I was going to leave her there if I could find a way to get her out. We thought it was temporary, but when we got a call from her birth mom that she didn’t want her back, then we were asked about adopting her. That was a no brainer.  After all of the paper work and background checks were done, the caseworkers called us and told us we were approved as her foster parents. We were so happy, but worried.

The reason we were worried was because they were bringing her over 4 days before Christmas. We already did the shopping for Jessica and we didn’t have any money left over for gifts let alone food. Instead of asking for handouts from others, we had a talk with Jessica who was only 4 yrs old. She and Beckiah were just 4 months apart in age, so all of the things we got Jessica would be awesome for Beckiah.

We told Jessica that Beckiah (Misty at the time) was going to be coming home. She was so excited and for her, it was like Christmas. Jessica and Beckiah were the best of friends. I asked Jessica if it would be OK if we gave Beckiah some of the gifts we had already gotten her. We only had $100.00 to spend on our entire Christmas. Thankfully there was a store called Pic N Save which I think is Big Lots now. That money was to pay for all of the gifts and the food. There was no money left over and we didn’t get paid for a couple more weeks.

Jessica truly amazed me with her gesture. Jessica was super excited to see Beckiah. She immediately went to work under the Christmas Tree. Jessica had no idea what she had under the tree since it was wrapped. She did a two pile thing. One for her and one for Beckiah. She and I put new tags on the gifts that she had for Beckiah. Everything she had was split down the middle and hand-picked out. She didn’t keep more for her.

We did have to go to my husbands boss to see if we could borrow an extra $100.00. He worked for Progressive Roofing in Phoenix at the time. The reason we needed to borrow a little from him was because we knew that Jessica had a big wheels coming her way. We didn’t want to give Jessica one without giving one to Beckiah. His boss did give us the money. He didn’t ask for us to take it back.

The Big Wheel was only $20.00, but we also needed to get Beckiah clothes. Thankfully Jessica and Beckiah wore the same size. When Beckiah was dropped off to our house. She immediately ran to her bedroom. She knew where it was. She put her clothes away. The social worker talked to us and we had to sign some papers. I asked her where the rest of the stuff like clothes was for Beckiah and she said that is all she had. She came in with one brown bag of clothes. We needed to get clothes for her. They put in a request for a clothing voucher, but it would take a couple of weeks to get to us. Again, Jessica went to her dresser and closet and she made sure that Beckiah had clothes. She even let Beckiah pick out what she wanted.

It bothers me to no end that people are taking advantage of those who want to help and make a difference. Last year I had so many asking for help and then I started seeing them posting the items that either I gave them or others have donated for sale. The children weren’t getting the items. They wanted them for resale. During the holidays people like to tug at others heartstrings.

I feel like as a Christian, I should be helping people. Over the years I guess I have been more cynical because of all of the people taking advantage of others. The internet has been a huge tool when it comes to getting what they want. It’s sad that people are doing this and it ruins it for others. That’s why this year I am just sponsoring a single mom and her children that are still at home. If you’re going to donate, please make sure it is legit. My personal favorite places I donate to are the Salvation Army and the Hope Chest.

Here are some links if you are in need. These are in Southern Utah…

Salvation Army- St. George Utah

• 803 S. Bluff Street, St. George | 435-275-4975 (Kmart Shopping Center) Click here to learn more about what they do and the services they offer.

Hope Chest Thrift Store – St. George (Facebook Page) This is a thrift store and if you are pregnant and are in need, you can call them and they offer a number of services.

Hope Pregnancy Care Center–  Click on the link and it will give you the address, times and services.

Hope Pregnancy Care Center is a free and confidential, life-affirming resource center for unplanned pregnancies. We offer practical, emotional and spiritual support to women and men through our various compassionate programs, eg. options education, parenting, material resources, and past abortion care and education. With the view toward prevention of unplanned pregnancies, sexual risk avoidance education is provided to clients and to public school students.

Switchpoint- Beyond food and shelter: Switchpoint Community Resource Center is a stepping stone to independence for homeless individuals.

Most churches and organizations will send those in need to Switchpoint. They have the ability to hook people up with the resources that they need. The have so many services so I just put the link have it where you can check them out.  Find out more information on their website – Click Here

I know that once I give something to someone, then it is theirs. It shouldn’t bother me. But it does. When I seen one family get all kinds of stuff from other people and then on another Facebook Group, they sold all of those items. When they post that they need a bed or clothes for their children because they are cold and sleeping on the floor, who wouldn’t want to help out. I can see why a lot of the churches around my area have started handing out information to homeless shelters, Salvation Army and food banks. They have the resources and ability to make sure the ones needing the help are getting it. I have donated a little here and there if I see the homeless. Usually if I see someone homeless, I will go through drive thru and buy the food. I don’t give money anymore.

During this time of the year, be careful and safe. Most of the people are honest, but there are those out there that don’t care.

Psalm 100:4-5 …… Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good and His mercy is everlasting. (NKJV)

Wow, time sure flew by. It wasn’t till last week when I realized that Thanksgiving was next week. I didn’t come to this realization on my own. My daughter picked me up on Monday to cash my husbands check and she mentioned how she had to get stuff for Thanksgivings. Ooops, I almost missed it.

As the years go by it seems as if Thanksgiving and Christmas are here before we know it. This past year for the most part have been uneventful. Now watch something crazy happen. Because nothing major happened besides a couple of hospitalizations, it was a pretty good year overall.

I’m not really a person that goes all out for the holidays. I enjoy decorating for Christmas. I will be putting some Christmas decorations up this year. We celebrate Christmas at Easter, but I will decorate in a low-keyed manner during the Christmas season.

Christmas seems to be on everyone’s minds, but for some reason Thanksgiving get’s lost. For me, Thanksgiving falls where it should. It is a good reminder of what I’m thankful for. If it wasn’t for my faith in God, I don’t think I would be thankful for much. There are many who feel that Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for everything we have. But, I personally feel that in all things we should be thankful, good and bad. Even though it is hard to be thankful and grateful when things are going bad.

There seems to be a growing mentality when it comes to what it means to be thankful and grateful. We humans have a way of thinking that everything is better on the other side of the fence. Instead of being grateful and thankful, we grumble about everything we don’t have. I have been guilty of this also. As I get older I have found I am more grateful, but it wasn’t an easy process to get to this point.

Numbers 6:24-26 The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace. (NKJV)

It isn’t an easy process to be content and thankful for thing things we have been given. It took me a very long time to get to the point of  where I must be thankful for all things that God has blessed me with, even in the worst of circumstances.

There are some days, weeks and years that are worse than others. It is during those days when I just want to throw in the towel.  It would be easy for me to just give up when bad things happen. Many have asked me how I deal with the things I deal with health wise and the only answer is because of my personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I don’t know how people go through life without God.

I honestly feel that it is important for us to go through dark days and the losses we experience. Of course I hate going through tragic loss and hard times, but, maybe it’s important for us to go through them so we can realize how important the blessings and good things are. It’s because of these dark days and losses that I’m grateful for what God has done in my life.

Thanksgiving is a great time to encourage each other and remember the things we should be thankful for and grateful for.  Thanksgiving is the perfect opportunity to thank God for His grace and mercy, and a time to remind ourselves that we shouldn’t be taking God for granted.

(Psalm 100:4)   “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.”

What I’m Thankful For;

• My family: I have the most awesome daughters and grandkids. I also have a patient husband who puts up with the things I like to do, even though he doesn’t enjoy it (i.e. decoration for Christmas).
• A roof over my head and food on my table.
• The freedoms I have due to those are fighting for those freedoms such as religion, speech and a whole bunch of other things.
• My mouthy pugs
• Awesome and crazy friends
• My church family
• God’s undeserved love, grace and mercy

The other day, I was watching a video that a church in Charlotte put out. It was geared towards Christmas and all of the gifts and blessings we have received in our lives.

• Click here if you want to read the article.  
•  Here is the link to the video on youtube.

I wanted to leave you all this last message.  The most important thing that I am grateful for is that we have never had to earn God’s love. God loved us all before we loved Him.  God says “Your guilt is all paid for in Jesus Christ”. “Thank you!” When I think of everything I can be grateful for, it is that Jesus paid the ultimate price for my sins and He has paid for your sins as well.

God didn’t need to forgive us. He didn’t have to send His only begotten Son to die for our sins, but He did. God wasn’t under any obligation to save us. But because He loves us, He has chosen to save us.