Putting Prayer Back In Schools

I was just sitting here, checking out the recent posts when I found the “Now I Sit Me Down In School” prayer under the “religion” tag.  The timing of the piece is awesome (set to the children’s prayer Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep) because students (regardless of the grade) and their parents are starting their “back to school” preparations.  It also ties in very nicely with the whole reason for my blog – PRAYER!!! 

I know many of you have read the poem at one time or another, but do me a favor and link from your blog / site to the poem and if you are a non-blogger copy and paste the poem into your email and send it out encouraging others to do the same.   There is power in prayer, and when 2 or more come together in His name, His power is unleashed!!!

The movement to remove prayer from schools did not gain it’s momentum until Madalyn Murray O’Hair, an aethist mother from Maryland decided she was going to “save” her son from having to participate in school prayer (and making lots of money in the process didn’t hurt either) as well as advance the public awareness of her new founded organization American Aethists.  The irony is that this same son, William J. Murray III is now a major voice to return prayer to schools. 

HOW GOOD, AWESOME, WORTHY, POWERFUL, HOLY, WONDERFUL AND LOVING IS GOD!!!  He will be given all the Glory!!!

My Journey Toward A New Life

Well, as of yesterday, I’ve lost 40.2 lbs.  I tried on a few items of clothing that I haven’t worn in at least 3 years and a few fit perfectly, and when I shed about another 10 pounds, the rest will fit too!  I am not sure what size I was prior to surgery, but I imagine I was a size 32-34.  I’m about a 26 right now. 

 People keep asking me if I feel any different, the weird thing is aside from being able to walk and stand for more than 5 minutes without being in excruciating pain, NO I don’t feel any different.  I guess I’ve been so big for so long it will take at least another 30 pounds for me to feel different.  I guess it won’t  hit me until I have shrunk out of every piece of clothing I  have and trust me, I have clothes ranging from size 22-28 laying around here (most of them business attire). 

I’m still not able to keep food down and I’m not sure why.  I do think that things go down easier since my endoscope procedure last thursday, but once the food hits my tummy, I get really nauseaus.  I tried mashed potatoes again last night and they made me sooooo sick.  I will hit my six weeks this thursday 8/2 and I am soooo sick of being sick!!!

I ordered some protein samples from Vitalady because I know I MUST get protein!  Protein will help me lose more weight and it will keep my hair from falling out – this is really important because like Brittany Spears I don’t do the “bald” look very well.  I also hear that protein helps your skin keep its elasticity and this is a good thing too because I don’t need to look like a saggy old wrinkled prune anywhere on my body!!!!

I’m still hitting some highs and lows emotionally and spiritually, but they are fewer and farther between Praise God!!!  I keep reminding myself that He alone is in control and I have to let Him do my walkin and talkin for the time being.

My son, Justin, turns 26 tomorrow!!! I could never express in words how much I love having him home.  When he left to join the navy over 7 years ago it broke my heart into so  many pieces I never thought it would be made whole again.  I truly think that when you have children, you grow a new heart for each one of them and hold them in their own special place forever.  If I had it my way, all of my children would still live at home.  I’d have a compound and they would each have their own wings and when they got married, they would still live home and raise their families here.  Oh Lord, how I would love that!!  You know what’s weird – I started having my kids at a young age (18) and now I’m 47 (will be 48 in december) and I still have no grandchildren.  Now, I’m not complaining, I raise my kids to be smart and wait to get their own lives in order before they decide to become involved with anyone and start making babies, but I don’t want to be a walker granny or worse yet in a wheelchair when my kids start having kids… Just had to throw that random thought out there… I’ve been having a lot of random thoughts lately – for your sake, I’ll keep them to myself – for that matter, for my sake as well, I don’t want people thinking it’s time to get the “jacket” out and haul me off to the looney bin!! LOL

Well, enough for now – I set a goal to set aside 15-30 minutes every day to get my office in order and it’s getting late in the day and I’m still in my PJ’s!  Take care and God bless!!

 briggie ^i^

A Blog For Christian Women You’ll Want To Visit Again and Again…

I’ve said it before and it’s worth repeating, with God there are NO accidents.  I had my random drawing for my Dogdays of Summer Giveaway I tonight, and the winner was Distybug.  So, I went to her blog so I could let her know she’d won and my jaw nearly dropped when I read her most recent comment about another FREE giveaway at 5 Minutes for Moms.  So, I made my comment, then decided to click the link and not only was I blessed with another cool giveaway, but the content and information on 5 Minutes for Moms I just knew I was meant to pick Distybug so I could find this new blog.

Please, do yourselves a favor, go to 5 Minutes for Moms, then bookmark it, linkback, trackback, post a comment about it on your blog or email all your friends if you’re a non-blogger.  You will be blessed, your friends will be blessed and best of all, the ladies who run the site (twin sisters) will also be blessed.

Do it right now, you’ll be soooooo glad you did – I know I am and I haven’t even scratched the surface of what they have on their site.

 God bless you all and keep you in the peace that only He can give you…

briggie ^i^

Win A FREE 37″ Flat Panel LCD TV!!!!!!

Yes, you read correctly – win a free 37″ flat panel lcd tv.  The TV is valued at over $799.00 and is being given courtesy of Best Buy!

 

Head on over to 5 Minutes for Mom to enter and check out all the other cool stuff they have on their blog.  I am just sooo excited – the fun isn’t over until the fat lady sings, and if you’ve checked out my About Me page, you’ll know that I’m the incredibly shrinking fat lady and my lips are sealed; at least for the time being!!!

Good luck, and remember, there’s still time to enter my Dogdays II Giveaway!

And The Winner Is…

  I KNOW YOU’VE WAITED TO HEAR WHO WON, SO HERE GOES…

I’m sorry it took so long to pick the winner, but I’ve been a bit under the weather the past 2 days.  Well, you’re waiting to hear who the winner is so without further ado…..

A big congrats goes out to Distybug!  Disty, you’ve won Francine Rivers, Unafraid, and to claim your prize, you must follow these instructions – – –  you have 72 hours to contact me via email and give me your full name, and mailing address at cruzinnj@gmail.com.  If for any reason Disty fails to notify me of her mailing information, I will do another drawing (i saved all the little pieces of paper – i admit it, i am a pack rat!) 

Congrats again Distybug and a big thanks to everyone that entered.  My Dogdays Giveaway #2 is still open, so feel free to check it out!!

 -briggie ^i^

My Journey Toward A New Life

**Time’s running out so don’t forget to check out my giveaways #1 and #2!!! (sorry for the plug) And visit my About Me page for new pictures!!

 So, when I went for my check-up 7/25 my doctor told me that I was getting sick way too much so without asking any further questions, he scheduled me for a quick surgical procedure to enlarge my esophogial tube.  He did an EDG or EGD (one of those is the correct acronym) or whatever you call it.  Bottom line, he put a camera down my throat to look at the opening, found it was tooooo narrow, so he inserted a balloon and stretched it open.  He said I should feel 100 times better and start to see a difference in what I can eat.  I don’t mind the not eating so much as the throwing up!  Now don’t get me wrong – I do go through my pouty mood when I really want something to eat and everyone around me is eating and I can’t have what they’re having.  I’m still on liquids / soft foods – mostly liquids because my tummy just doesn’t want to cooperate.  I thinks it’s the smelling part that makes me so sad, not so much watching them eat. 

I still HATE sweet stuff, but I’m being told hormonal changes due to the surgery are the reason for my taste bud changes.  I’m having the hardest time getting in protein, and I bought some “Any Whey” (supposed to be virtually tasteless – well they virtually lied!!) but it’s got a vanilla scent and taste —YUCKO!!  I don’t want to lose my hair – I’ve gotta do something!!  I ordered some samples from Vitalady so I’ll let you know how I make out.

Today is a good day!!!  I’m slowly but surely getting through my To Do List (even though it keeps growing every time I walk through a room) and my house is slowly getting to a point where I feel comfortable in it.  It’s sooo important to have at least 1 room where you can just go and relax, decompress, feel peaceful and be restored. 

Dogdays of Summer Giveaway II

Okay, I’ve been bitten by the bug!!!!  I wanted to list something where EVERYONE would win – so here goes! 

Reply to this post, then go to my website www.jbmall.biz and sign up as a client.  (there is no cost or obligation to you, and you have my word that you will not be spammed or e-bombed by me or my company)  Once I see you have made your comment and signed up on my site, I will mail you a 3 day sample of our Double X vitamin packs (no purchase or further obligation from you is required!!).  To qualify, you must sign up no later than 9:00pm Saturday July 28th, 2007!!!!

NOW LET’S KICK THIS UP A NOTCH!!!  Anyone that replies to this post and registers as a customer at www.jbmall.biz no later than 5pm EST Friday July 27th, 2007 will not only get a 3 day sample pack of THE NUMBER 1 selling Vitamin in the country, Nutrilite Double X, I will also enter their name into a drawing for a free Gift Catalog valued at $35!!!!  I will also enter everyone that makes a $75 purchase (any product on my site qualifies) into a drawing for a Gift Catalog ($35 value and the cost to ship the item you choose is pre-paid by me!!!)  There will be 2 lucky winners in this drawing!!!  I stand behind all of the products on my site and if you have any questions, please email me at jbmall@verizon.net.  To qualify you must make your purchase of $75 or more from my website no later than 9pm August 4th, 2007!!!  *** You will be entered 1 time for every completed purchase of $75 or more, and you could even qualify for FREE SHIPPING on your order.  See the details at www.jbmall.biz.

Dogdays of Summer Giveaway

  okay, this drawing is closed – i’m going to conduct the drawing later this evening so good luck to everyone that entered.  Dogdays of Summer Giveaway II is still open, so check it out!!!

I’m jumping on the bandwagon and joining the giveaway being hosted by Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer. 

My 1st giveaway is a book by Francine Rivers “Unafraid”. (click here to see my second giveaway) It is the final installment in her Lineage of Grace series, and it is about Mary.  I have each book in the series, and inadvertantly I purchased 2 copies of Unafraid.  I’ve held on to it knowing someday I could bless someone with it and this is the perfect way to do so. 

So to enter, just leave me a comment (only ONE per person please) and I will draw at random after 5pm EST, Friday, July 27th. This contest is open to US and Canadian residents only. (due to high cost of shipping and handling charges) I’m working on another giveaway that anyone can enter so check back soon. 

There are hundreds of other giveaways so make sure you go to  Rocks In My Dryer for more more chances to win FREE stuff!!!!

Check out my Dogdays of Summer Giveaway II by clicking on my blog headline There is Power in Prayer through Yeshua Ha’ Mashiach!!!!!!!!!

Taylor Ort

I need everyone’s help and prayers tonight for Taylor.  She is 6 years old and has Urniary Reflux and now scarring has developed on one of her kidneys.  She has also begun to complain that her hands hurt and while they have done a blood test for arthritis, they have not found the source of her pain.

Please lift Taylor up to God.  Lift her up to the Lord in prayer for healing in her body.  Lift up her mother, Kris and pray for strength in her spirit and her faith.  Father, in Jesus mighty name, Taylor’s kidneys and the tissue in Taylor’s body functions in the perfection you created it to function.  Your word flows through her bloodstream restoring her kidney, the scarring, her hands and every cell transforming her body.   As we give voice to Your word, power and the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus sets her free from the law of sin and death and your Life is energizing every cell of her body.  Body, we speak the Word of faith to you and demand that every internal organ perform a perfect work.  Father, because of Your Word, Taylor is an overcomer.  She overcomes the world, flesh and the devil by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of her testimony.  Lord, continue the perfect work You have begun and send your angels to her and blanket her in peace and healing.  Surround her with friends and family that will lift her up.  Father, guard her mother Kris and her thoughts against any words or feelings that will cause her to doubt the victory Taylor walks in.  In Jesus’ precious and mighty name.  Amen

Cool Blog You’ve Gotta See!

Click this link to see some really cool FREE giveaways at Rocks In My Dryer.  Have fun, and who know’s maybe you’ll see something from me listed there as well!!

Lord I Need You In My Life

Several years ago I was driving to work and I was going through a very emtional time and instead of putting on the radio, I started humming.  I was trying to lift my spirits by singing some praise and worship songs and I just began to sing to the Lord but instead of singing the words to the song I wanted to sing, these words came flowing out of me along with a precious melody.  To this day, the tune has not left me, nor have the words.  I don’t know what made me think of this song today – scratch that, I do know what made me think of this song, God put it on my heart to share it with you.  God Bless ^i^

Lord, I need You In My Life

A Song Unto The Lord , by Briggitte Cruz

Inspired by God 

Lord give me strength, I’m feeling weak.

Lord put the words into my mouth that I must speak.

My mind is troubled, from all the things I’ve seen.

Lord let Your love wash over me. 

*

Lord let me drink, from the waters that send forth refreshing life.  Lord heal the wounds that I have hidden and have forced down deep inside.  Lord I want to be, Your humble servant, but from Your will I’ve tried to hide.  Lord I need you in my life. 

* 

Lord send me comfort, I feel alone.

I’m hanging on here by a thread, Lord hear my groans.

My heart is broken, from all the things I’ve seen.

Lord let Your love wash over me. 

*

Lord let me drink, from the waters that send forth refreshing life.  Lord give me strength to accept what I’m given, and a joy down deep inside.  Lord I long to be Your humble servant, and Your will I can’t deny.  Lord I need you in my life.

*

Lord show me mercy, I’m on my knees.

Lord, I’m not perfect, my flesh is weak.

My spirit’s broken from all the things I’ve seen.

Lord let Your love wash over me. 

*

Lord let me drink, from the waters that send forth refreshing life.  Lord let your light shine down upon me; send your power and your might.  Lord I’ll always be Your humble servant and Your will shall now be mine.  Lord I need you in my life.  Oh, oh, oh, oh, Lord I want you in my life.   Oh, oh, oh, oh, Thank You Lord, for my life.

Sandy

please click here to see prayer update 

Friends, I need your prayers today for my younger brother, Sandy. He recently left his home in Maryland on a 3 week motorcycle cross county road trip with his friend. My mom told this morning she had not heard from him since Tuesday, and she had tried many times to reach him without success. Just a short while ago, she called to tell me he had been in a very serious accident while in Texas and was in the hospital since Tuesday. He lost all of his ID, cell phone, etc along with his memory. The only phone number he could remember, was his ex-girlfriend Michelle. We’ve learned that his bike was totalled, he suffered severe head injuries and was unconscious for some time. He has severe road rash on his head and body, he has staples in his head and he is really banged up. He is still in Texas, but is making plans to come home. Please ask God to heal him physically, and to also open my brothers eyes and heart to the gift he was given in Michelle. She still loves him and I believe he loves her but says he does not want to get married – ever. Well, I know the God I serve, and perhaps this is the wake up call my brother needs to see that being alone is not a good thing.

Good Advice

ONE.
Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully. TWO.
Marry   a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other. THREE.
Don’t believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.

FOUR.
When you say, ‘I love you,’ mean it.

FIVE.
When you say, ‘I’m sorry,’ look the person in the eye.

SIX.
Be engaged at least six months before you get married. SEVEN.
Believe in love at first sight. EIGHT.
Never laugh at anyone’s dream. People who don’t have dreams don’t have much.

NINE.
Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it’s the only way to live life completely. TEN.

In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.

ELEVEN.
Don’t judge people by their relatives.

TWELVE.
Talk slowly but think quickly.

THIRTEEN.
When someone asks you a question you don’t want to answer, smile and ask, ‘Why do you want to know?’

FOURTEEN.
Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk..

FIFTEEN.
Say ‘bless you’ when you hear someone sneeze. SIXTEEN.
When you lose, don’t lose the lesson

SEVENTEEN.
Remember the three R’s: Respect for self; Respect for others; and Responsibility for all your actions. EIGHTEEN.

Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

NINETEEN.
When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it. TWENTY.
Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice. TWENTY-ONE.
Spend some time alone.

My Journey Toward A New Life

Okay – time for good news for a change.  I finally called my mom’s friend Edette and I had a really good talk with her.  She had gastric bypass surgery about 3 years ago and went through much the same of what I’m going through, only she had it 10x worse than I do.  I was very encouraged by her words and she gave me a lot of information. 

After I got off the phone with her I felt like having something to eat so  I decided to cook something for myself (which I haven’t done in a very long time).  Now, I know this will sound like I lost the last shred of common sense I have but here’s what I did – I made myself an “omelet de fromage” but I added finely diced cooked bacon-potatoes and green olives.  I know weird huh – you’d think I was preggo or something but the the weirdest part was I actually was able to eat some it and it stayed down!!!  I also was able to get in about 36 oz of water yesterday and I took a fast acting Tylenol because I had one heck of major headache!!  All that and no reversal of fortune!!

 Now today I had the best time – I met 2 of my dearest buddies for lunch and a quick catch-up (we haven’t been together at the same time in the same place for over 3 years!!) and I ordered Maryland Crab Cakes with mashed potatoes and pickled beets and guess what – – – I ate 1 slice of the beets, 3 bites of the mashed potatoes and almost 1/2 of a crab cake and it stayed down.  PRAISE THE LORD!!!  I can’t tell you how happy I was that I did not get sick – I was having so much fun I did not want to spoil the day for anyone.  I didn’t really drink anything at lunch, although I did order a glass of water and unsweetened ice tea ( I had a few sips of each) and then I had a coffee aftwerwards (I only had a few sips, but it was sooo good).

Now, I’m about to head out the door again, Tylar turned 14 on the 19th but we are celebrating tonight.  She choose a buffett place out in Moorestown (she loves the crab legs) so everyone (minus me) will be chowing down, then we’ll sing the happy birthday song and watch her open presents. 

The Lord has surely blessed us with a glorious day here in S. Jersey, I pray that you too are sharing it’s beauty.  May God bless you and keep you in His care.

 *** thought i’d just update this post rather than create another one – I wanted to tell you all about Tylar’s birthday dinner.  We went to the Old Towne Buffet in Moorestown, NJ.  We had sooo much fun laughing and joking around.  I refrained from eating most of the evening, but my tummy started growling so I decided to try a few things.  I plated myself tiny spoonfuls of mashed potatoes, tuna salad, a small piece of chicken, a stuffed shrimp, a few steamed shrimp, a mini crab cake, and a custard bun.  I tried a tiny bit of mashed potatoes, YUCK, so I nixed them.  Then I had a couple of steamed shrimp – they were ok – but very bland.  I had a few bites of the crab cake, a tiny tiny tiny bit of the chicken and a little piece of the custard bun minus the custard.  I didn’t really eat much, but what I did eat, stayed down.  And I know this part was a no-no but I couldn’t resist – – – I had a tiny bit of frozen custard – – -wooooeeeeeee was it nice – cold and creamy and —-you guessed it, it stayed down.  I’ve drinking my water and I’m feeling pretty good.  And the kicker to the evening was running into Gloria and Danny (I had lunch with Gloria and Kathy earlier today) at the buffet.  What are the odds???  It was so nice to see Danny and I know Gloria was so happy to see my whole family + Daniele’s boyfriend Chris.  She hasn’t seen my kids in a very long time.  That was a wonderful ending to a glorious day.  

Of course, my feet are sore ( I could really use a foot massage ) and my right knee is really bothering me but I’ll take this pain over that of being sick all day for days in a row.  So, now I’m watching Tv with my husband and Justin (Son-in-Law) and I’ll be heading to bed in a little bit.  I’ve got a big day tomorrow, my boys are going to put my new office desk/hutch together and I’m going to finally get my business supplies, books, etc organized and easily accessible to me!!!  It feels like Christmas to me!! 

Briggie ^i^

My Journey Toward A New Life

I posted this comment on another site 7/18, and I’ve been going back and forth wondering if I should put it here on my blog or not.  After a lot of thought, I decided to post it becauses it’s part of my journey and when I started this journey I said I would be upfront and honest no matter what.  So here goes:

Okay, i took everyone’s advice and went scale shopping. I started with the Tanita digital scales and saw one for $29 and another for $49. I loved how well they were constructed, however both scales only registered up to 330 pounds and each time I got on one, I got an O L error, meaniing I was over the limit. Needless to say I got very sad and teared up because that meant I haven’t really lost any weight since my 7/2 visit with my doctor which had me weighing 333.4 lbs. So, I picked up the Weight Watchers scale that was $59, again good construction but same result – the scale only went up to 330 lbs. Now I am really down and tears are running down my cheeks. I can’t understand how I have not lost weight – nearly everything I put in comes back up in minutes, when I do eat I only get in a few teaspoons. I don’t drink sugary stuff, just water and diet lemonade watered down. Well, now I decide to try my hand at analog scales, and believe me it gets worse! One scale said I was 340 pounds, the other said I was 331 pounds. I then tried a Homedics digital model that goes up to 400 pounds and before I even got on it, it displayed 2.6 pounds, once I got on it read 332.4 pounds which would put me at 329.8 which is right around where my primary doctor’s analog scale put me on 7/9. Determined to walk out of there with a scale, I bought the Homedics model. It was $49, has settings for 4 people, takes your height info and gives you your BMI as well. So, I took it out of the box, put in the info and got on. It said I weighed 329.6, well it’s better than 331, but considering I was 328 on 7/9 I found no comfort. Just to make sure the spot I put the scale on was level I turned it 180 degrees, got on and now it said I was 328.8, better weight, but not what I was looking for, I wanted it to say 329.6 so I could at least make sure I was getting accurate readings. My floor has 10″ ceramic tiles, so I moved the scale up one tile, got on and now it said I was 327.6 – I am now jumping out of my skin I am so frustrated. I made a comment about getting different readings every time and got a discertation from my son and husband on how scales differ, I’m never going to get the same reading as from my doctor, I have to pick a spot on the floor and weigh myself the same exact way, wearing the same clothing and at the same time and that I shouldn’t worry about where on the floor I put the scale, just put it in the same spot every time. I tried telling them that I wanted to know where to put the scale to get the most accurate reading, I have to know that I’ve lost something, and then I got the same lecture again. I got very upset because they’re hearing me speak, but not listening to what I was saying and I feel like they just don’t understand what I’m going through and when I said this, I just got yelled at louder. The thought of struggling with the throwing up, loose bowels, pain, nausea, being limited to liquid and semi liquids this far after surgery and not seeing the scale move is a bit more than I can bare right now. Rather than try and help me find the best location they just continued to tell me what I was doing wrong and how I should not worry about where I put the scale – I should only focus on what the scale at the doctors office says. I couldn’t take it anymore, I got loud and was yelling and then my husband began yelling at me to calm down and my son became angry with me and left the room. When I told them I was at the end of my rope, I was told to go back to the shrink and go back on my meds. Just what I needed to hear! I told my husband the other night I felt like I left one prison for another and now I feel like I’ve been put into solitary confinement. Sorry, I know it sounds like I’m having a pity party, but I just had to say what I feel. I’m going to stop here for now, I’ve made myself sick from being so upset. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention my dinner didn’t stay down tonight – back to square one… and, as I am about to submit my post, I got a call about a dear dear friend, mentor and man of God, we just learned that he was admitted into emergency surgery and they found he has stomach cancer and had to have his colon removed. This is such a shock because we were originally told it was merely colitis, then possibly a few cancer presenting cells in some polyups in his colon – this is really more than I can bare right now so please forgive me, I must go and get in God’s presence – I need His peace right now. Take care and God bless…

Albert

please click here to read the update

I NEED EVERYONE TO JOIN AND AGREE WITH ME IN PRAYER RIGHT NOW AND WITHOUT CEASING FOR ALBERT AND HIS FAMILY.

Albert just came out of emergency surgery where they found cancer in his stomach, and had to remove his colon. He is weak from being ill for the past 6 weeks and now must face chemo for his stomach. ( the family and the doctors have agreed to hold off on telling Albert so he can get his strength up)We need everyone to speak out every prayer on healing and victory over the enemy. Pray for peace, health, restoration and strength for Albert, his wife Louise, their son Albert Jr. and all of their family and loved ones. Right now, words just won’t come for me so I am leaning on you dear prayer warriors to help me and to lift them up to God. Please put him on every prayer list you can as well as ask your church to pray for him as well. When 2 or more are gathered together and stand in agreement, there is power! God bless you all – please feel free to leave your prayers in the comments section, I will pass them along to the family every day.

Words from Maya Angelou

“I’ve learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.”  

“I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.”
 

“I’ve learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you’ll miss them when they’re gone from your life.”
 

“I’ve learned that making a “living” is not the same thing as “making a life.”  

“I’ve learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.”  

“I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back.”  

“I’ve learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.”
 

“I’ve learned that even when I have pains, I don’t have to be one.”

“I’ve learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone.   People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.”  

“I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn.”
 

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”  

Doris

Father, we come to you today in the name of Your precious Son, Jesus, and ask that You touch our sister in Christ, Doris.  Father, the enemy comes to seek and destroy all that is good, bring chaos where there should be calm, frustration where there should be peace and sorrow where there should be joy.  Lord, You said You would go before us in battle, that you would never leave us, nor forsake us and that You know the plans You have laid for us, so we are standing on the Truth, Power, and Love of Your Word.  Touch Doris today in her mind, body and spirit, and allow her to claim the fruit of Your spirit and walk in total healing.  Your Word says we have dominion over all things that concern us, so we take back what the enemy has stolen and stand before You declaring Your Word and healing over her.  We boldly declare and ask these things in Jesus’ name.  Amen… ^i^

My Journey Toward A New Life

How appropriate for me to open my daily scripture message from Joel Osteen and find this…..  God is awesome!

Food Affects Us!

Today’s Scripture

“God created those foods to be eaten with thanks by faithful people who know the truth.” 1 Timothy 4:3 (NLT)

Today’s Word from Joel and Victoria

Food can change people, or it can affect on the way they act. Though you may not have considered this, certain foods can alter some people – often negatively. God made food as a pleasant blessing for sustaining life on this earth, but you can’t take this too far and let it change your whole persona. A little child can blossom into an angel when she fills her hungry stomach – or turn grouchy monster when her tummy is empty. If you want to perform properly for God, you must fuel your body with the right things and avoid those foods that have unsavory effects on you. God did not make the body to survive without food – but be healthy and wise in your eating decisions, because this honors the Lord.

A Prayer for Today

God, I want to thank You today for my daily bread. My prayer is to learn to use food properly and wisely to be at my best for You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Honey or Vinegar

Once again, my buddy Lenore sent me an email that made me stop dead in my tracks and I knew in my spirit I had to post it.  Please take a moment to read and reflect on this awesome message!  God bless you all… Briggie ^i^ 

The preacher placed two identical jars on the table next to the pulpit.
He quoted 1 Samuel 16:7: The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.
Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.

“These jars came from the same factory, were made of the same materials,
and can hold the same amount. But they are different,” he explained.

Then he upset one and it oozed out honey. He turned over the other, and
vinegar spilled out.

“When a jar is upset, whatever is in it comes out. Until the jars were upset, they looked alike. The difference was within and could not be seen. When they were upset, their contents were revealed. Until we are upset, we put on a good front. But when we are
upset, we reveal our innermost thoughts and attitudes, ‘for out of the
abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.'”  {Luke 6:45}

What if someone tipped you over today?

What would flow out??

Would you reveal the “honey” of grace and patience???

Or the “vinegar” of anger and criticism???

“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude
of sins.”
{ 1 Peter 4:8 }
:*“*::*“*:

Have a terrific day knowing that the one who upsets you may be just
looking to see what is going to flow out of you.