Doubt?

James 1 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

1 From: Ya‘akov, a slave of God and of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah

To: The Twelve Tribes in the Diaspora:

Shalom!

2 Regard it all as joy, my brothers, when you face various kinds of temptations; 3 for you know that the testing of your trust produces perseverance. 4 But let perseverance do its complete work; so that you may be complete and whole, lacking in nothing. 5 Now if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all generously and without reproach; and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in trust, doubting nothing; for the doubter is like a wave in the sea being tossed and driven by the wind. 7 Indeed that person should not think that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 because he is double-minded, unstable in all his ways.

Seriously, Regard it as joy? I don't know about you but it is so hard to be joyful when you are being persecuted for your faith. I once had a dear friend who was living a sinful lifestyle, away from her husband, and she told me that the Lord had given her a new man who is wonderful. I met with her to have dinner and it did not end well. If this friend would have left the Lord out of this, I honestly probably would have let it be. However, she was claiming to be a Christian and saying that the Lord was giving her a new man (all the while her husband was at home still). I asked her a very simple question: Did the Lord really give you another man while you still have a husband at home? She was infuriated and called me self-righteous, judgmental Christian. 

In this moment, I did not regard it a joy because as a Christian we must confront sin in the church. She was calling herself a Christian and openly going against the Lord. She was committing adultery in the name of the Lord. I had to not only as a friend but a Christian to confront this evil. If we do not address sin, then it creeps into the churches and eventually into our homes. 

We must have faith/trust in the Lord that when we are persecuted and called many names and publicly humiliated,  that God will redeem us and those we are trying to help. At that dinner, the friend got very loud, screaming at me and stormed out. I will never forget this little 6 year old girl who walked up to me and asked me what I did to that person to make them so mad. It was an awful experience. I still continued to pray for this friend, I knew it wasn't me that she was truly mad at but herself. Years later, she reached out to me divorced from her husband, with a child and several abusive relationships later, she told me that she was so sorry. She wishes it could have been different and she could now see that I was trying to be a good friend but things were just so difficult and she was lost. 

I am still praying for this friend. You may be asking why did I tell you this story? Well, to be honest, I haven't even thought of this instance in a very long time, but this scripture reminded me of it. In writing this, it reminded me of a process I had to go through. I began to wonder if there was any Truth to what she called me, a Self-Righteous and Judgmental Christian, I realized she was right. I was right in addressing her and how I did it was right but this good friend knew the core of me. She saw the real inside of me. I began to weep leaving the dinner because I knew deep, down inside that, that was me. I refused to see my own sin, my own hurt, bitterness and anger.

You see my temptation wasn't like most peoples. I was raised right. I knew right from wrong, so well that at times I could cut you like a dagger with the Word. My friend knew that I was the "Perfect Christian" on the outside but was eaten up with self-righteousness on the inside. Since I was a young child, I always stood up for what was right and felt good about it, knowing it was the "Right" thing. Sometimes, we must examine ourselves. It is so hard for me to remain silent when I feel something is wrong. Often times, I forget God's Mercy too. 

But let perseverance do its complete work; so that you may be complete and whole, lacking in nothing.

I started on a journey all those years back and God still deals with me on when to remain silent and when to speak. My dear husband, is great at reminding me of this. My husband is pretty good at encouraging me to remain silent at the perfect time. :) He also, likes to encourage me to speak up when I need to.  I like the above verse in recognizing that we are a work in progress... so that you may be complete and whole, lacking in nothing. We will eventually reach that point but the key point goes on to say that you must ASK for his help and he WILL do it and you must not DOUBT! If you do, You are a double-minded person if you do! 

Say what? Double-minded! 

Verse 8

8 because he is double-minded, unstable in all his ways.

Unstable in all his ways! 

Okay, think about this. You want to improve your life, you are trying to but you keep struggling and doubting that God will really be able to help you. Just because you doubted a little, you are now Unstable in all your ways. This just seems super harsh to me. It makes sense though. If you can't trust the Maker of the Universe, the Creator of you, the One whom you serve, then you are Unstable! 

This is speaking to me and I hope it does to you as well! 

I challenge you today think. 

Are you Trusting God? Do you really Trust him with your Life? With your temptations? With your insecurities? With your Fears? 

Go be Fearless! Trust God! Watch him change you from the inside out! Watch him change your family, your finances, your Life! Whatever you are struggling with -- give it to him! 

My friend, Go and Persevere with great Joy!

#Persevere#Doubt#help#Unstable #christian#self-righteous#goodfriend#struggling#Jesus#Lord#God#JOY

At the Door

Exodus 12:22

And ye shall take a bunch of Hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning.

What is this saying? 

Really think about what God is doing here in this scripture. He is sparing a people/his people who had been oppressed, in slavery, and disobedient to him for hundreds of years. These were the people that he had set aside as his own. Yet, they struggled to do the simplest things in obedience. However, in this instance, they must obey or it can cost them their very life or the life of a loved one.

This Hyssop branch that has been stained with blood and the blood was spread around each of their doors and they must not open their doors until morning. If they disobey, it will surely change their family forever. As I think on this it reminded me of a scripture:

Revelation 3:20

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with Me.

Who is being talked to in Revelation 3:20?

The church of Laodicea -- they were a lukewarm church. They were a church that was neither on Fire for God or Cold completely against God. This makes God not too happy. He goes on to say that those who he loves he corrects. He tells them he is standing at the door and knocking.

This message wasn't for just any sinner- it was for God's people who were just "getting by". God will reject you. Just like he told the Church of Loadicea- he will spew you out of his mouth. It much like room temperature tea. Hardly anyone wants that, they will drink either cold tea or hot tea. Lukewarmness is such discusting and dangerous place to be in as a Christian because you are blind to your own ways, you think everything is great. If you feel like all is well today, you better examine yourself. We will never reach perfection on this earth, you should be striving/ running this race with all of your might.

When you look at the Isrealites and compare them to the Laodicean Church they have many similarities.

We find the Israelites struggling to fully Trust in Yahweh.
They both looked the part but it wasn't in their heart.
They were both called to be God's people.
They both had God's spirit at the door.
God has mercy on them both.
God gives them both a Second chance.

There are many other similarities but these are just a few.

As you read and observe the history of the Israelites' they fell into the cycle of Apostasy. Putting it in the simplest terms- they would serve God for a season and then fall back into the sinful lifestyle. Eventually, it cost them thousands of years of displacement and persecution. They are just now, in the past 70+ years, returning and rebuilding what was originally meant for them.

God is calling US- he sent his son to hang on another branch with is blood and he now stands at the door and knocks on the doors of our Lukewarm hearts in the church.

He is giving us a second chance.

Are you on Fire?
Do you need to repent and ask God for his forgiveness and help? 
Where is you heart?
Is Christ knocking on your heart?

This message is for the church and God's people, not the sinner.

Wake up, Wake up, O' Sleeper.

My Heart's Cry

Psalm 3:2

Adonai, I have heard the report about you

Adonai, I am awed by your deeds.

Bring your work to life in our own age,

make it known in our own time;

but in anger, remember compassion. 

What a beautiful scripture. If there is a scripture to define my heart, this is it. 

I have heard about my Lord and all his wondrous deeds all of my life! I have witnessed a few but oh how I long for more. I am truly in awe over what the Lord does and is doing! The 3rd line is where it touches my heart the most! 

"Bring your work to life in our own age, make it known in our time"

I want to see his work on a whole new level! It seems like in the thick of Apostasy that America has lost its power. The power that only came through God, his Son, and the Holy Spirit. However, there is a turn around happening! A new generation has risen that is on fire and seeking Yahweh. We are Millennials. We are but a Remnant rising. We have had to stand on Faith and seek the Truth. We do not want opinions, we do not care about feelings, we want the Whole Truth. Its time to stop with the "Christianese" and speak what is the plain and simple Truth. We are not the Acts 2 church but the Acts 17 church. Most of our generation doesn't even know who God is and most are Pagan. We must Study to truly reach the lost. We must know the Word and what we believe or we will be swept away by false teachings that sound like Truth. The Acts 2 church knew all about God and his wonderous deeds but the Acts 17 church doesn't know much of any of these things but they do know what the world offers. We must get back to the basics and use the Word.

We have "Heard the Report about you and I am awed by your Deeds!" Now, Lord, I want to see you in our age! Make yourself known! Have Mercy on us, we are seeking you, we are longing for you! I know you have every right to be angry with us but please have compassion on us. We are your Remnant! We want Revival! Teach us your ways. I want to know you More, in this Age!!!!

What are we doing?

What are we doing?

Why are we constantly pouring into needs of others?

Is it worth it?

I have had to ask myself this, this week. I have been pouring out into ministry in different ways and it has been plumb exhausting. We had a lot of change in this past year. We started goat farming, we purchased a German Short-haired Pointer puppy and joined a 4-H group; while also being in our 7th year of homeschooling twin boys and becoming the Praise and Worship leader at our church. It has been a quite an eventful year.

It is time to re-evaluate again.

What am I doing?

I am serving my God (the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and the Father of Yeshua) the best that I know how to. I want to please him, raise my sons according to the Bible, and create memories that will encourage my sons to seek after Jehovah.

Why are we constantly pouring into the needs of others?

The reason is because I am instructed to pour into others.

James 1:22

But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. (New Living Translation) 

God's word says we are to be fishers of men, to worship him in spirit and truth, to take care of the widows, the orphans, and the poor. The list goes on, our job is to preach, teach, worship, and live in Truth. God's Word and his Spirit are Truth. If we are not living as the scripture tells us to, then we make no impact.

Is it worth it?

It is absolutely worth it. As I sit here thinking about this. I didn't realize it until typing this right now, that it is totally worth it. My sons have grown spiritually leaps and bounds this past year. My twin boys turn 11 years old tomorrow and they long to be more like Jesus everyday. They come home after church and often research what has been taught by the Preacher or the Sunday School teacher. They do not just take their word for it. One son is singing and worshiping on stage with me and the other son is our "Sound Man". Both of them are learning so much by taking 4-H. They have learned how to take care of the goats and the dog. They have excelled in their 4-H projects. Both won Grand Champion in their category at our County Fair. Looking at it this way, yes we are doing what God wants us to do. In 1 year, look what the Lord has done. It has not been easy but it has been good. God is good, even in the hard times. 

We love helping, serving, and caring for others.

It is not time to give up some but to go forward. To run this race with such fierceness that we want to win it. We do. We want to make it into Heaven and hear the words, "Well done thou good and faithful servant." It is time to seek the Lord in each of our callings and how he wants to use our lives all the more. 

Click this link to enjoy this song of Praise! I get no money if you do, I just happened to hear it while writing this entry. I thought how appropriate it is! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7l3wb-1wgw

Oh Lord, Have Thine Own Way...

Has God been tapping at the innermost depths of your hearts lately? Where is he in our thoughts through out the day? We often get trapped into this crazy life and looking for "His Will" or "Our Own Will". In that we sit and get anxious about the things to come yet fret about the things of yesterday. I know many of our dear Army friends and some family are facing hard decisions in the near future, I just want to put a word of Encouragement in this crazy time. Stop and Smell the Roses/Coffee/Baby Diapers.... at least we have them at the present time.

Philippians 4:6Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

As I type this out, I also remind myself of these simple concepts, yet I lack in so many levels. It is very easy to get caught up in our daily lives and forget to THANK him. In Philippians, it says to Be Anxious of Nothing.... NOTHING... seriously... how many of us lack in this department! I sure do! I want to be anxious of Nothing..... how do we do this..... Put the FOCUS On GOD.... tell HIM EVERYTHING! It states by Prayer and Supplications, This means to get alone with God and Tell Him by Pouring out yourself to Our One and Only Supreme God; who already knows our burdens, he just wants us to recognize him. Once you do this begin to THANK GOD! Thank him while making your requests known! Praise him for the Answer on the way. Thank him for the breath you have. Thank him for everything he has promised us in Glory! We have so much to Thank Him for.

Jesus said in Matthew 6:34

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

How much more simple can we get. DO NOT WORRY ABOUT THE FUTURE.... there is enough to deal with in the present. We need not to waste our days worrying. Apparently, Jesus knew how hard this was for us, he even cried out to God. His example was going away for extended time in Prayer to talk to the Father! What do we need to do, just get alone with him. 

Oh, How I Long for that talk with Jesus. As many of us are relocating, getting new jobs, or leaving jobs may we all keep our Mind on Jesus. Just Thank Him for all the time we have in the present. For us it is hard but Jesus says to do it, when we do ,the Burdens seem to lighten up. I pray Gods Blessings over All of my Family, Friends, and Those reading. Good Night and God Bless!        Serving In Christ Jesus, Angel Mohler

Through Sorrow it brings Eternal Life

2 Corinthians 7:9-10

⁹ I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us. ¹⁰ For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.




What a Wonderful passage of scripture! How many of us can think back on a time as to when we were so offended by what the pastor preached, that it made us seek God and what he wanted out of us. As for me there have been many times and I have a feeling there will be many more times. I want to strive for holiness, however the closer I get to God, the harder it is for me to sit with my "christian" friends and allow them to continue down the path that is ultimately going to land them in Hell, if not careful.


I love as Paul is writing his letters to Cornith. He is very upset with those who have questioned his sincerity and being a True Apostle of Jesus. They were also having many issues with what were considered "okay" in the eyes of God, Paul then wrote letters to them they may have stepped on some toes and made them angry. In the passages I started with today, he began telling the church that he is now glad that he had wrote them such harsh letters but it made a difference because they were turning from those old fleshly ways.


Paul starts by saying he is joyful and not because they were sorrowful, no true christian wants to hurt someone.However, if it brings good results then sometimes we must tell them the Truth which can possible offend or grieve them. We know they may end up in Hell if we do not tell them the error of their ways. Soon, after Paul met up with Titus, Titus then revealed to Paul that his written letters to Cornith had brought much change. for the better. Although there were still a few who did want to believe in Paul's position. This made Paul a lot more comfortable addressing Cornith again, he had not known how converts had taken his previous letter. (Keep in mind, I am just summarzing the story).


We are going to replace some words with their definition in this passage to try to get a better grasp on the true meaning and intent of these scriptures.

⁹ I now rejoice, not that you were made offended or grieved, but that you were made offended to the point of reversal of your decisions; for you were offended or grieving according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us. ¹⁰ For the grieving that is according to the will of God produces a reversal of your decisions without regret, leading to deliverance from sin and spiritual consequences making it into eternal life with Jesus, but the sorrow of the world produces death.

Did you notice Sorrow is meaning offending or grieving. Repentance means to reverse your decision. Salvation means to be delivered from sin and spiritual consequences and making it into eternal life with Jesus.  

Basically all those times we are afraid of offending our brother or sister (fellow Christian) with the Truth, we need not to be. It can set them free, not always, some will not listen and still will refuse as those who still did not believe Paul was a Apostle of Christ, and were obviously wrong in their thinking. Sometimes there are people who refuse to listen. It is our job to still tell them what God expects from his believers. 

Matthew 18:15-17

 “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. If he refuses to listen to them,tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

Titus 3:10-11

¹⁰ Reject a factious man after a first and second warning, ¹¹knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned.

The catch to doing these things is doing it in Love, not to hurt each other, but to make the Body of Christ stronger. Our friends who are calling themselves Christians should not take our advice from the Word of God as hateful or mean, although some will. We will know if they have listened and we shall see the fruit that follows. Once your friend does take on a reversal of decision, comfort them and love them as you always have so they do not feel condemned.

2 Corinthians 2:7-8

so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. 

I like to tell my friends Conviction comes from God and leads to Repentance (asking forgiveness, reversal of desion, turning away from your sin). Condemnation comes from the Devil, if you have repented of that sin then let it go and remember God has forgiven you already. The devil likes to make us feel worse, God only wants what is best.


Some will take this as an attack and want to point out all of your sins and issues, do not let this discourage you. However, if they do say something even in anger that made you realize you may have a log in you own eye, make sure you are sure to examine you own self. We all have issues, we need to examine ourselves daily. 

Matthew 7:3-5

³ Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.


I leave you with this last scripture because we need to remember to stay humble. We need to make sure we die daily to our fleshly desires and try our best to stay Holy, as we are respresentation of Jesus. Our bodies are temple and we need to treat them as just that. Before we go telling a brother or sister their wrongs make sure we have that log out of our own eye. Remember if you are the one being corrected or shown the way, do not take it as hostility but in Love, we want each other to make it into The Glory Land together! 


Have a another Blessed Day!

Who We Are.

Who are we?Are we just another person set forth in a motion that will just waste away as many others have chosen a path of destruction? I can tell you who we are. We are the children of the Most High God! I sit and think on this night in my home listening to heavenly soaking music from Soaking.net and ponder, Who Am I? What has been accomplished in my life. I will not ultimately know until I get to heaven but I want to give God all that I am. Since I have become a wife my focus has been primarily on that of my husband and children, no longer of God as much as before I married and had children. We are all guilty of it at times, however is that an excuse.

It should not be an excuse, God understands our limitations and our exhaustions, do I think I will go to Hell by not thinking of God all day long, No. I do think God knows what else you and I can do for him. How much more we can honor him and how much more he deserves it. I was raised in Church all of my life and was taught to pray and stay active for the Lord. However, upon becoming a wife and mother of twins, somehow I am no longer as active as I once was. I find the very energy I have to wake up is the same energy I barely have to fall asleep on. I know my job being a mother and wife is one that is not taken lightly and I try to do everything as if I were doing it unto the Lord. I feel this blog is a little piece of me that I can let out, Who Am I? I strive to be like Jesus. Perfect, AM I? No, but I want to be like JESUS and try to be more everyday!

 All of the wives and mothers who are going through the same season. I challenge you to find someway to let You be JESUS this week. Be kind to that elderly lady and put her groceries away for her, teach your children a new bible story about being a good neighbor, show Love to those who hurt you the most. LOVE is one of the most powerful things,  I believe, God gave us. I can be angry and hurt at a person but as soon as I feel Love, Forgiveness takes over. I want that LOVE to outshine the rest of me! Our sinful flesh would like to get us all upset but it makes us look foolish and ultimately hurts the Kingdom of Heaven.  We must Crucify the Flesh daily or the Flesh will Crucify us ultimately.

So who are we? We are servants of  the MOST HIGH GOD! We are to strive to be like Jesus. Many are called but few are chosen, Are You a Chosen One? Make God your goal and join me, take at least 10 minutes a day out of your busy schedule and see how much more you can be like Jesus. For wives and mothers, Proverbs 31 is my favorite. Military, Psalms 91. These are easy to understand and comforting! Join me in discovering more of our God and who we are truly meant to be! God Bless You!

The Path of Life

As I close the evening, I sit and reminisce on the last 4 years of my life serving my husband. It has truly been a path of much joy and pain. Joy always comes in the morning.Carrying our twin sons was very painful on the body but the joy of watching them grow, well there is no Greater joy. The pain and misery of the military life of giving long hours, lonely nights, and selflessness at times seems so pointless but yet we reap the benefits of Freedom. Freedom we must fight to obtain. Sometimes I think, Why Us? Then I think on all of those who were before us and realize its not about us its about you and the rest of the world. Just as Jesus saw all of us when he died on the cross. He wanted us to have the same freedom through him.

You see tomorrow will be our 4 year Anniversary. A Blessed 4 years at that. I see all the lows and highs and all of the in betweens and all I can do is sit back in amazement. God is truly amazing. When we first married 4 years ago we were fresh out of high school. I wanted to go to the Air Force Academy and I had attended a vocational school with JROTC where I received Air Force Certifications in Boroscoping F15 and F16 jet engines. My goals in life were very different than what they are today. I look back an smile on how different my life was when I allowed God to run it. I met my husband at a Southern Ohio Church of God Youth Camp the year previously while we were working it, I was an Assistant Counsellor and he was part of the Recreation staff. We grew up attending the same youth camp most of our lives never really speaking until that summer. I knew God had wanted me at this Camp that year for a reason not really knowing why. That same very week I made a statement "Guys and marriage were the last thing on my list of concerns" ,did God ever show me who was boss.

Within 6 months we were engaged and within a year married. Did I mention we lived 3 hours apart and saw each other less than 10 times in that year. People thought we were crazy but my father Married us on July 21st 2007. We found out a few weeks later we were having a honeymoon baby! Oh what joy! Neither of us wanted any children. Then 3 months later we found out we were having babies not a baby. We were told we were having twins. I remember thinking how are we ever going to manage! My husband was working a minimum wage job and only brought in less than $700/mth. We were quite worried. God never failed us though. We stayed faithful in our tithing and we always got our bills paid and our date was a shared ice cream fudge sundae at McDonalds every Sunday.

By the time the end of December rolled around I was placed on complete bedrest and we moved in with his parents so they could help take care of me, while we maintained the other home, Josh renovated a bedroom for the twins to have when they were born. Before having a Cesarean Section to two wonderful baby boys in March, I was placed in the hospital 8 times and thanked God for keeping us all safe. The boys were pretty healthy preemies at Birth other than some things we won't even get started in. They spent their first Easter under Billiruben lights. By the next Easter they were celebrating it in the Army away from home sweet home Ohio.

When the twins were 4 months old, Josh decided to join the Army and join the fight for our Safety and Freedom. It was his dream since he was a small child to join the military, so he did. It was one of the hardest times of our lives seeing him go away and leaving me with two small infants, I was terrified and without my family, I relied on his and God. I went through the next 5 months without him and by Christmas he was back home celebrating the twins 1st Christmas. Through the next year we moved to Fort Leonard Wood, MO and spent numerous lonely nights and days while he trained for his Deployment in Feb.2010 overseas for a year. In a years time we went from fresh High school Graduates to being Married, to Parenting Twins, and joining the Army. Then a deployment. I thought Lord when is there a break! We have to remember GOD is our BREAK! We take time our for him he takes it out for us.

So now, here we are 4 years later happier than ever. Now working on 5 years! The way I look at this life is if God has us going through all of this with constantly adjusting and learning then he must have something in store later down this road that can help someone else or even ourselves. Why not embrace this to full impact and let God do his awesomeness. Its so hard at times when we military wives feel all alone and hopeless antod its all we can do to try and stand firm in our Faith but what else do we really have other than Faith. Faith is what we have to obtain in order to trust God with our Military Men, our homes, our children, and our lives! We must take the scales off of our eyes in order to see the real picture, the spiritual picture of the ultimate goalpersuade you of his Greatness but allow him to Comfort you this day. I will leave you with one of my Favorite passages of scriptures... John 14:15-20
  
¹⁵“If you love me, you will obey my commandments. ¹⁶I will ask the Father, and he will give you another helper who will be with you forever. ¹⁷That helper is the Spirit of Truth. The world cannot accept him, because it doesn’t see or know him. You know him, because he lives with you and will be in you.
 ¹⁸“I will not leave you all alone. I will come back to you. ¹⁹In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. You will live because I live. ²⁰On that day you will know that I am in my Father and that you are in me and that I am in you. ²¹Whoever knows and obeys my commandments is the person who loves me. Those who love me will have my Father’s love, and I, too, will love them and show myself to them.”


If you do not know him I invite you to get to know him. Confess your sins to him and ask him for forgiveness and believe that he died for you. Its that simple and the deeper you dig into his word, the more you want to be like him. Try Jesus. He never fails.

Who are They? Really...

As many know by now my husband finally returned from his Year long tour in Iraq. He has been home a week and I forgot the Fullness of being a Christian Wife and Mother in the Military. I am so blessed by the honor given to me. I am humbled by the many men and women serving along side of me who has also endured Deployments and Military Life. As I looked around at the Welcome Home Ceremony I saw so many familiar faces and many new faces. I also so so much joy and sorrow at the same time. Many had no family awaiting their arrival and some had all of their family greeting them. My heart broke for some but I was so full of joy to see my own it was hard to sympathize very long. God has opened my eyes to a new way of Life. I once would look at the Cheater, the Alcoholic, and the Abuser as a piece of life wasted, now I look at them and my heart breaks. I see a soul lost so deep into sin and yet searching for fulfillment they can't seem to find. They have been  accepted into a crowd of people who will accept anybody but then they turn into something they never thought. They are now that Cheater, Alcoholic or Abuser they tried to run from. Why do we just sit there? Why do we complain about it as Christians and slander them? Shouldn't we Pray instead? Now, I am not a perfect example of praying for every woman who walks by me in an immodest manner, I may think a few things to myself and not pray at all. However, wouldn't it be wonderful  if we prayed for all of those people who offend us.Afterall what does the bible say about those... But I tell you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Matthew 5: 44  How much more would be accomplished in the Kingdom of Heaven? I look around me on our Military Post and as my eyes are being opened I see some who I literally just walk up to and pray with now. My heart is breaking for those who just want to be loved and told they are loved and needed. The wives who have cheating husbands but are staying for the sake of their family and reputation, the mothers who have teenagers rebelling but feel no hope is left for their child, and the single parent raising their child on their own who just wants a break.I want you to know I see your pain but God knows your sees and knows your pain. He wants you to tell him all about it and for all of us walking past you that you see, we are praying. How Blessed are We that we know this wonderful Love and Savior! Share our Lord! My heart is so full of aches for all of the lost souls. If you need prayer, we are hear for you.
Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working]. James 5:16 
So too the [Holy] Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groanings too deep for utterance. Romans 8: 26

ReDeployment Back Home

Its been almost an Entire Year! Where has time gone? Our Soldiers' return seems so close that its almost surreal. Many Army Wives have been through it but now it's my turn. I have dreamed of his return several times, what is it going to be like? In the beginning of the Deployment, I pictured all of the wives in a line with our arms out, so excited to see them but it seems like reality has kicked in recently. Nothing has seemed to go as planned and of course that is Normal, Right? Army Life, Normal, Ha! I think that may be an oxymoron. As I spoke to my mother-in-law tonight, we laughed at life even possibly being normal. She was a previous Air Force Wife of 10 years with 3 kids in the mix, so she has had her share of " The Normal Military Life" as well.

I was so full of excitement for this time to come and boy oh' boy it came fast! In the beginning, I would cringe at those wonderful, loving, and all-knowing people who would say "It will go by so fast". Now those words are true. Now don't get me wrong, those days were long but the months went by so quickly. I recommend you staying busy! Have an agenda, get a hobby, or make Christian friends. I emphasize Christian because they will lift you up, not tear you down.I encourage all military wives to make at least one Christian military friend  (wife/girlfriend)  to talk to in the Unit your Soldier is attached to during the deployment. They not only hold you accountable but pray with  and encourage you. They are going through the same emotional roller coaster ride as you. Its not good for you to hang out with the single ladies or non believers because they do not understand our Duty as Godly wives. Not all are like this but many are, its better to stick with married, if you are married. I have saw too many lose their marriages this way and not only in the military world.

I was designating the end of this Deployment to Only God, I was planning on setting myself aside for him and I, and when you make up your mind to do something for God, then Satan will try to destroy it. In the last two weeks I have been busier than this entire deployment. With sick twin toddlers, last get-togethers with the families in the unit, running errands, and all of the above. Now add a blizzard in the mix! Satan really is trying. So for all of you out there who really are trying, just know God knows your hearts! Last night as I was at my wits end, with high-fever-non-eating-screaming toddlers, I decided to get on my knees and cry out to God. Can you believe what happend? God wrapped his arms around me and spoke so softly "I'm Here". As I lay there God spoke to me about many things in my life and not in that loud audible voice as the movies portray but to my heart where only I know its coming from him, because I know I wouldn't think these things. God wants all of you to know he is there too!

God wants you to know he wants you to feel Loved. He wants you to know he is here for you and will walk with you in everything but he gives you and I that choice. Its a Choice and last night I made a choice to Cry out to him, in those times of Desperation, when we are dry, barren and Empty on the inside, God knows it.  God wants to wrap his Arms around you. I felt like a child all over again getting my Daddy's hugs. I remember starting to cry out to God and something (being the Devil) told me, he's not listening because you have not spent as much time with him as you said you would. Then I recalled a simple yet wonderful Scripture John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Thats all it requires of me for God to hear me, I am a child of his. I trust him and his word.

I once heard something that I will never forget from my Father-in-Law: When you have reached the top of the mountain and look around its cold and nothing grows there but as you look down the mountain on both sides their is lots of life, so remember life is much like this. As your climbing the mountain its tough but as you come back down there is life again.

You may just be waiting on God to Instruct you on which path to take back down the mountain, but wait on him. Isaiah 40:31 says it best: But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired. I don't know what this Life has to throw at me next but I do know that I am waiting on the Lord, during this season. Rather than I doing the instructing, he is instructing. I think sometimes he just has to remind us " He is in Control" and we need to relax.
So if your Soldier is soon to arrive, just relax, let God take the pen and notepad, so that he can write down the instructions for you to follow. Its hard to do but what better timing, than right before the "Head of our House" arrives back home.

Joshua 24:15 .. but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD