Favorite Ingredients Friday Veggie Burritos

 

I was browsing through my kitchen in search of what I could toss together for a quick dinner one night and can’t believe all the stuff I have stocked up. 

in my cabinets I found – black olives, whole kernel corn, mexican chili beans, diced green chilies and diced tomatoes

in the fridge I found – grilled eggplant, flour tortilla shells, shredded cheeses (mexican mix and cheddar), sour cream and salsa

So, I mixed all the stuff from the cabinets and diced up the grilled eggplant, added a little taco seasoning mix, spooned it onto the tortilla, added some cheese, rolled it up, topped it with some more cheese, then baked in a preheated oven for 15 minutes and spooned on some sour cream and salsa…MMMMMMMmmmmmmm Yummo!

You can add diced chicken, beef or seafood sticks if you prefer, and I would have liked to have some sliced scallions to top it off, but they were so yummy….  Reminds me to put this on my list of stuff to make this weekend!  See what you can do when you have a well stocked kitchen – or in my case, and obsessive compulsive disorder with canned goods?

 

           

A Message From Joel Osteen 5/28

 

Well, if you have read any of my posts recently, you’ll know that today’s message from Joel Osteen really spoke to what I’m going through right now.  I especially took notice of his use of this scripture because one of the comments on a post spoke about so many walking around today with “sad eyes and crooked crosses”.   I truly feel that right now, I am in a crooked place with things off center but know the power our words hold and the power of God’s Word and His promises, I have been taking it to God and declaring healing in my body, mind and spirit.

 

He Prepares Your Path

Today’s Scripture

“I will go before you and make the crooked places straight…” (Isaiah 45:2 NKJV)

Today’s Word from Joel and Victoria

Do you ever feel like every time you try to move forward in something, you hit a roadblock? Something happens that throws you off course. Be encouraged today because right now in your life, God is going before you. He’s preparing a way. He’s making your crooked places straight. He’s making your rough places smooth. You may be going through a difficult time right now, but it’s not the end. It’s only the beginning. God has equipped you for this journey. You may feel like you’re in a dry season, but don’t look at your circumstances. Look at the promise of God today! If you’ll keep speaking words of faith, God promises that He’ll anoint your head with oil and your cup will run over. That means you’ll be refreshed and anointed to do what He’s called you to do. God is preparing your path and equipping you for the journey. What do you need today to keep moving forward? Start by checking your attitude. Don’t go around complaining and focused on the negative side of things. Put on an attitude of praise and thanksgiving. Thank Him for making your crooked places straight! As you do, you’ll move forward in joy and gladness in the blessed future He has prepared for you!

A Prayer for Today

Lord in heaven, thank You for Your goodness in my life. Thank You for preparing the path for my life and making my crooked places straight. Thank You for restoring my soul and life and for guiding me in everything I do. I submit every area of my life to You today. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Thursday Thirteen 18th Edition

Here are 13 things to do for yourself this week

1.  Buy a good book and then sit outside (preferably under a nice shade tree) and read.  We have a shop called paperback trader near us and you can trade your old paperbacks for store credit and pick up some pretty good titles.

2.  Have a manicure, even if you use acrylics.  And to save money, have one of your friends give you a mani, then you can reciprocate and give her one.

3.  Get a pedicure, preferably not the same day as your mani, this way you aren’t at the salon for hours and you can just sit and enjoy.

4. Treat yourself to a new CD and then pop it into your car or your player at home, crank up the volume and jam!  If you have older kids (like me) you can borrow their CD’s and make a copy for yourself!

5.  To heck with calorie counting, treat yourself to your favorite ice cream cone.

6.  Get a facial or massage, it is so worth it.

7.  Buy a few new bras and panties and toss out the old ones.

8.  Get your eyebrows professionally styled if you can have them threaded, go for it) then make sure you keep up with regular waxing or threading.

9.  Go through your handbag collection and ditch the ones you’ll never use again, and clean up the ones you really like.  You can even embellish the old ones to give them a new twist.

10. Subscribe to your favorite magazine and when it comes set aside an hour or two to browse through it.  Make sure you have a nice cold beverage and some snacks to go along with it.  To make it even more special, pack up the stuff along with a nice blanket and head to the park, or beach or even your own backyard and get some fresh air and sun.

11. Plan a girls day/night out at least once a month.  You can meet a friend(s) for early lunch and movie, or have a mani/pedi and follow up with a nice lunch or dinner.  Or get all dressed up and hit the casino’s and walk the boards.  You can even keep it simple and just meet for coffee and hang out at the diner to catch up.

12. Volunteer at a local shelter, food bank, clinic, assisted living, or nursing home.  Giving a bit of yourself to others gives you so much in return.  And, you can write off your mileage and time spent volunteering on your taxes – give a little, get a little.

13.  Stop, look and listen, then breathe and give it all over to God.  No matter how bad things are, you can face them and then overcome any obstacle with Him by your side.

40 Tips to a Better Life

I don’t know who the original author is, but my Mom sent this to me in an email and I wanted to share it with everyone.  I think these tips are excellent and while most of us can say that we know them or have heard them before, I believe that we have to be at a point and time where we can hear them, receive them, accept them and implement them.  Kinda like when you hear the words of your parents ring in your head or read a scripture verse over and over and then BANG – one day the words come alive to you and makes sense.  Tomorrow is not promised to us, so make the most of today.

40 Tips for Better Life – 2008

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.

2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.

3. Buy or rent a DVR and tape your late night shows and get more sleep.

4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, ‘My purpose is to __________ today.’

5. Live with the 3 E’s — Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.

6. Play more games and read more books than you did in 2007.

7. Make time to practice meditation,  and prayer.  They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.

8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.

9. Dream more while you are awake.

10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.

11. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts and soak in 10-15 minutes of sunshine whenever possible.

12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

13. Clear clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new and flowing energy into your life.

14. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip, OR issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

16. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.

17. Smile and laugh more. It will keep the NEGATIVE BLUES away.

18. Accept that while life isn’t fair, it’s still good.

19. Forgive quickly, life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

20. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

21. Agree to disagree.  You don’t have to win every argument.

22. Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.

23. Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

24. Accept that NO ONE is in charge of your happiness except you.

25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: ‘In five years, will this matter?’

26. Forgive everyone for everything.

27. Don’t worry about what others think of you.  What other people think of you is none of your business.

28.REMEMBER GOD heals everything.

29. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

30. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

31. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.

32. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

33. The best is yet to come.

34. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

35. Do the right thing!

36. Call your family often. (Or email them to death!!!)

37. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: I am thankful for __________. Today I accomplished _________.

38. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.

39. Enjoy the ride. Remember this is not Disney World and you certainly don’t want a fast pass. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy the ride.

40. Know that as bad as things may be for you, there is someone that has it much worse.

In Touch Prayer May Week 4

***  Please Note – These prayer requests are taken directly from the quarterly prayer calendar send to members of the In Touch Ministries Impact Team. ***

 

Praise – God is changing lives through the 50,000 Messengers that were delivered to the U.S. military in 2007.  And He has blessed us with the resources to send an additional 30,000 Messengers in 2008!

 

Prayer– That God will open doors for the Messenger to be translated into different languages so that In Touch can send godly, biblical teaching around the world.

You Have Been Planted

Again, another timely word from Joel Osteen in my email and I wanted to share it with you.  May God bless you and keep you, strengthen and bless you and grant you peace that surpasses all understanding, in the precious name of Jesus, Yeshua Ha’Mashiach.  – Briggie ^i^

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain”
(John 12:24, NKJ)

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

We all face difficulties and challenges in life. But you have to remember, as a believer in Jesus, you have the life-giving seed of Almighty God on the inside of you. When you go through disappointments or tough times, you may feel like you’ve been buried. You may feel like you’re in a dark, lonely place. You may feel like it’s the end, but in reality, it’s only the beginning. The fact is, you haven’t been buried; you have been planted. That means you’re coming back. And not only are you coming back, but you’re coming back in increase, better and stronger than before.

In those tough times, you’ve got to draw the line in the sand. Make a declaration, “This difficulty is not going to bury me. This loss, this disappointment, this injustice is not going to cause me to give up on my dreams. I refuse to live in self-pity. I know I am a seed. That means I cannot be buried. I can only be planted. I may be down, but it’s only temporary. I know I’m not only coming back, I’m coming back even better than I was before!”

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father in heaven, thank You for filling me with Your life-giving seed. I choose today to focus on the potential for my future. I know that I will overcome every obstacle by Your power that is at work in me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Let The Peace Of God Reign

So, I wrote this post the other day titled What would you say, and friends and family are telling me they too have these feelings and that they believe many many more are experiencing the same situation that I am.  I know I am not alone and my question is why?  Why are so many people living with this burden, and yes I call it a burden because no one wants to wake up every day just because they’re done sleeping.  We are meant to have a purpose, a reason to live.  Right now I am not living, I am existing and not doing a very good job of it either.  I’ve decided that I do not accept that this is a natural phase of life and that it isn’t normal or something I will tolerate any further.  I started looking through Psalms and came across Psalm 42 and this touched my spirit and expressed a lot of what I am feeling so I went to Bible.com and decided to copy and paste it here for others to read.  I also decided to look for the lyrics to the the song that is taken from this Psalm and came across another an awesome site called Pinoymix.com which has the lyrics to lots of popular Christian songs and I came across the lyrics for Let The Peace Of God Reign and have them pasted below.  I pray for an abundance of peace and joy to flood over me and fill me to the point I cannot contain it and it spills out onto everyone and everything I touch.  Lord, let your love wash over me.

Psalm 42

^[b] As the deer pants for streams of water,
       so my soul pants for you, O God.

² My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
       When can I go and meet with God?

³ My tears have been my food
       day and night,
       while men say to me all day long,
       “Where is your God?”

⁴ These things I remember
       as I pour out my soul:
       how I used to go with the multitude,
       leading the procession to the house of God,
       with shouts of joy and thanksgiving
       among the festive throng.

⁵ 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 ⁶ my God.
       My ^[c] soul is downcast within me;
       therefore I will remember you
       from the land of the Jordan,
       the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.

⁷ Deep calls to deep
       in the roar of your waterfalls;
       all your waves and breakers
       have swept over me.

⁸ By day the LORD directs his love,
       at night his song is with me—
       a prayer to the God of my life.

⁹ I say to God my Rock,
       “Why have you forgotten me?
       Why must I go about mourning,
       oppressed by the enemy?”

¹⁰ My bones suffer mortal agony
       as my foes taunt me,
       saying to me all day long,
       “Where is your God?”

¹¹ 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.

 

Let the Peace of God Reign

Father of life draw me closer
Lord, my heart is set on You
Let me run the race of time
With Your life enfolding mine
And let the peace of God
Let it reign

Oh Holy Spirit, You’re my comfort
Strengthen me, hold my head up high
And I stand upon Your truth
Bringing glory unto You
And let the peace of God
Let it reign

Oh Lord I hunger for more of You
Rise up within me let me know Your truth
Oh Holy Spirit saturate my soul
And let the life of God fill me now
Let Your healing power breathe life and
Make me whole
And let the peace of God let it reign

Update on Logan Stehno

I just received this update from Daniel on Logan;s progress.  Continue to stand in prayer for him and his family.  I rebuke the spirit of fear and claim healing for Logan in the name of Jehovah Rophe.  May the hand of God be upon him and his family and may an outpouring of finances be showered upon them so they can focus on Logan’s care and not the stress of medical and other financial bills.

5/22 –

Logan’s progress has been in baby steps and it seems like there are days
when no progress at all can be detected. I did find out this morning
that he has been released from the hospital, but is in a rehabilitation
and therapy center connected to the hospital. Logan has never “woken
up”. His eyes open and it appears that he is awake, but he is not
responding voluntarily. He does respond to stimulus, but nothing on his
own. Personally, I fear that this is his awake, but like all who are
praying for him, I pray that my fear is unfounded and nothing more than
that, fear. I know that Our Lord has a plan for Logan or he would not
still be alive. Logan’s still so very young and God created the human
body to overcome difficulties. It is my prayer that the brain and the
body, with God’s direction, will heal and compensate for the damaged
brain cells in Logan so he will be able to have a productive and
wonderful life. Much like the way the body and brain can compensate for
a blind person or someone with other disabilities. His parents have
basically secluded themselves and are concentrating on learning the
skills they are going to need in order to care for Logan once he comes
home. My updates are coming from his Grandma Gail’s employers, who Gail
is in touch with daily. Some days there is good news and some days, there are no changes. Please, continue to pray for Logan and the family. Also, can you please add to the prayer that the many benefits and fundraiser’s for Logan that are being held are a great success. The insurance company is fighting the claim and this is causing so much stress on the family. The fundraiser’s so far have helped raised quite a bit of money, but Logan’s hospital bills are already in excess of $1M. As you can imagine, this is devastating for the family. I hope you have a Blessed day and a Blessed and safe Memorial Day weekend.
Lisa Thompson Tristan

Praise Report Amiel Ortiz

I haven’t had any additional information on Amiel for sometime but today I received an email from my friend in Christ, Daniel which along with some disturbing news had this update on Amiel.

Thanks to everyone that has been lifting Amiel and his family up to the Lord.  I know that God will bless you for your diligence and your prayers.

I am excited to see what God has in store for Amiel and for the body of Christ, all I do know is that God will be glorified!  So, here is the update on Amiel from, “The Voice of Martyrs”.

 

Pastor’s Son Recovering after Bomb Attack – VOM Sources
Praise God! Amiel Ortiz, the teenage son of Messianic Pastor David Ortiz, is recovering after he was seriously injured when a bomb delivered to the family’s home in the Jewish settlement went off in his hands. According to The Voice of the Martyrs contacts, Amiel’s father reports, “We checked out of the Schneider Children’s Hospital last week after a six-week stay, eight days in the ICU and the rest on the children’s floor. Ami received excellent care from the doctors and nurses in that hospital, but in response to prayer from the four corners of the earth, Ami has been healing at a rate that is extraordinary The plastic surgeon that worked on Ami said that in his 15 years of experience, he had never seen such extensive wounds. He said he has at least 100 pieces of shrapnel in his body from his head to his feet, which his body is slowly bringing up under the surface of the skin, which will come out by themselves.” Pray for Amiel’s continued recovery as he has transitioned into a rehabilitation center. Pray specifically for both eardrums to be restored, for him to regain use of his hands and arms, and healing for the burns and scars on his body. Also for the emotional healing for Amiel and his family, and for those responsible for the attack to be brought to justice. Ask God to give this family strength to forgive their attackers. 1 Corinthians 1: 3-5

Works For Me Wednesday

My carpets get dirty, fast.  I have 2 dogs and 3 of my 4 children live at home which makes 5 of us and although only 1 of my children is still a minor, they all make messes and walk by with that, “what, I didn’t make that mess” look on their faces.  I also do not have a foyer, or mud room or entrance hall or closed in front porch or any of those great things that help to stop the flow of dirt from outside to the inside. 

So, my post for this WFMW will include things I do and products I use to help keep the rugs looking good. (and to be honest, they look pretty bad right now because I haven’t followed my own tips the past month – mainly because my husband has been home recovering from surgery and when he’s home, for some reason, housekeeping just falls by the wayside)

1) Vacuum every single day.  It helps to keep dirt, sand, hair and all that other stuff from destroying the carpet fibers and from getting trapped deep down inside the rug.  I highly recommend you invest in a good vacuum cleaner.  If I had it my way, I would have an Electrolux or Rainbow canister, because they say canisters actually clean the carpets better than uprights.  I had to settle for a Hoover but I must admit it’s pretty good compared to other Uprights and I got it on sale.  I’m trying to talk my husband into getting me a Dyson with our Stimulus check so keep your fingers crossed for me.

2) Whenever possible, have everyone remove their shoes prior to walking on the carpet.  This helps to keep the dirt and oil and grease and grime from being rubbed off the soles of their shoes and onto your carpet.  Oh yeah, and if you have pets that like to poo in your yard, it prevents the “who tracked in dog poo” moments.  you can keep a basket or boot tray by the door for everyone to keep a pair of slippers handy, so when they come in, they take off their shoes and put on their slippers.

3) Spot treat immediately.  My Lhasa Biskit, tends to hate going outside when it’s raining which usually means at some point in the day, he’s going to throw up.  The quicker you get to that stain, the less likely the chance it’s going to set in.

4) Use a good Stain Remover.  I have tried so many different products over the years from store bought to homemade and the ONLY product that meets my standards is Folex.  It is fantastic.  I found it at Lowes and it comes in a spray bottle or gallon size.  The price is great and it doesn’t take a lot to get the stain up.  I have used this to get stains out of my sofa, rugs, clothes and even the mattress (because sometimes women miscalculate their time of the month and the flow which results in well, I don’t think I need to say any more…)  I also use this to shampoo the rugs when they get really bad. 

5) Invest in a carpet cleaner rather than use the rentals at the supermarket and hiring professional cleaners and make sure it’s a steamer with a good set of bristles. I have a Hoover and a Bissell   and I like them both (don’t ask me why I  have 2, it’s a long story).  Doing the rugs yourself is cheaper, faster and easier.  Besides, you know it will be done right and because you have your own machine, you can do it as often as you need to.  I recommend you register your machine because they can tend to break and if you register them you can save on costly replacement parts.  I like to use Oxi-Clean (in the liquid form only – trust me.  if you can’t find it in liquid form, you can make up a batch in a gallon jug.  i just use a washed out milk jug, i use hot water and add the oxi clean a bit at a time so it all dissolves) if the rugs need a quick pick me up.  When the rugs are really bad, I spray on the Folex and let it stand, then use the Oxi-Clean to shampoo the rugs.  To help the carpets dry quickly, have a fan (preferably a floor fan) running to circulate the air.  Also, lay down towels if you must walk on the rugs before they are dry.  This will help absorb excess water and keep your tootsies and sockies dry.

6) And lastly, if you have little ones, use spill-proof sippy cups.  If you have big ones, like I do, threaten them with bodily harm if they spill anything and educate them on proper clean up should they have an accident.  It is also good to train the older ones on how to vacuum, pick up after themselves when they track in leaves and dirt as well as proper usage of the carpet cleaners. 

The better you treat your carpets, the longer they will last you.

99 Balloons

I found this video this evening and before you click on play, I must advise you of a few things.  You will cry.  You will need to make sure you have plenty of tissues on hand.  When the video is over you will spend a few minutes crying and drying your tears.  Then, you will think to yourself, how small and insignificant your problems are compared to those of this child and his family. 

 

 

 

Now it is quite possible that your sorrow will turn to anger against God, for allowing this family to experience pain and suffering as well as the suffering that goes on in the world.  If so, think on this; these parents are expressing joy and love for their son and they praise and thank God for him.  God allowed this precious child to come into their lives and even though it was only for a short time, they were blessed and their son Eliot has touched many lives and continues to touch lives every day.

Move over YouTube – GodTube is in the House!

Okay, since I got the email from my Mom about Laminin I’ve been hearing a lot about this guy Louie Giglio.

As I was searching for info on him through the Internet, I came upon a new site, that I am sad to say I never heard of before.

It’s called GodTube!  It’s a really cool site and it’s not just video’s.  There is a virtual bible, a prayer wall, personal blog and so much more.

I’m really disappointed that I hadn’t seen anything on any of the Christian sites I’ve been to, they should really be talking this site up.

So take a few minutes and head on over, I know you’ll love it so much you’ll bookmark it or add it to your start up pages.

What Would You Say?

I’m sitting here, not feeling well, actually not feeling well for several days, and I’m trying to focus on something other than not feeling well.  I’m really trying to focus on Jesus and being closer to Him.

As I’m sitting here thinking on Him, a book came to my mind that I’ve read and gave away in one of my Pay It Forwards some time back.  The book is called, “Dinner With A Perfect Stranger: An Invitation Worth Considering” by David Gregory. 

It’s a really good book and it’s about a man who receives an invitation to dine with Jesus, which he perceives to be a gag from his friends.  Although he is a very busy man, he decides to accept the invitation. (I won’t go any further, you’ll have to read the book to find out what transpires)

So, anyway, I began to wonder, if Jesus invited me to dinner, what would I do?  Would I go?  If I went, what would I wear?  What would I order?  More importantly, what would I say?

I would probably be unable to say or do anything.  I imagine I would be numb from fear, shame, awe, amazement and wonder just to be sitting in His presence before “my time” or His final coming – whichever comes first.

At some point, I am sure He would say something to make me feel at ease because I am sure if He wanted to invite me to dinner, there was a reason for it and my being catatonic would not be in either of our best interests.

I’d like to think that I would ask Him something intelligent, something that would benefit mankind, but I know me, so I doubt I would have the forethought for that.

I’d probably ask Him to fill in the gaps of His life.  He walked this earth for 33 years, but we know so little of His life, except for those last few years.  I would ask Him if He always knew His purpose was the cross, and if not, when was it revealed to Him.  I’d ask Him if I get to meet David and Joseph and James and Paul and will I see loved ones that are in heaven.  I’d ask Him what heaven was like and if Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins got any of it right in their Left Behind series. 

Then, I guess there would be that moment of truth moment where I’d ask Him about my path.  I know that I’m forgiven of my sins so I wouldn’t go into the wrongs of my past.  I know that once I ask forgiveness and repent, He tosses them into the sea of forgetfulness, but I can’t seem to be as forgetful or forgiving of myself.  I would ask Him what I’m doing wrong and what I have to do to get it right.  I’d ask Him what my calling is, because no matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to figure it out.

I know He wants me to do something, I can feel it.  I get this well of feelings that start in my stomach, then make their way up through my chest and into my throat and my heart beats fast and my breathing speeds up and I feel like I’m going to cry out and then something breaks.  The feeling stops moving toward my brain – it seems to dissipate just as it gets to my mouth and it fades away.  It’s like sensory overload, then shutdown. 

Right now I feel like I am in a Catch 22.  I feel so rundown and weak.  I have little to no energy and feel like I can sleep all day, however I don’t really sleep.  I toss and turn and drift in and out of sleep, which is probably why I am so rundown.  I know that through prayer and God’s Word, I can renew my strength and health and while I do spend time in prayer, it’s not quality time.  When I read the Word, I am so tired, I can barely remember what I’ve read, let alone meditate on it.  I need to pray and be in God’s Word so I can get restful sleep and have energy to pray and read God’s Word so I can know His will but I need to have restful sleep to have energy to pray and read God’s Word, and on it goes…

I know the enemy wants me stuck in this rut because God has something powerful in mind for me.  It frustrates me because I feel as though I am no further in my walk today as I was years ago.  I feel as though time is slipping by and I’m stuck watching it from my window.  I battle with the feeling that I am powerless yet have the knowledge that through Christ I am an overcomer.  This then leads me to believe that I am in fact my own worst enemy which then would mean I am praying against the wrong force and should focus my prayers on my own flesh and mind.

So, here I sit, wanting so badly to be released, to be healed, to have some kind of transformation, to understand what’s going on.  I’m wondering why, if I am truly a born again, spirit filled, Jesus loving, knowledge seeking child of God, why is this happening?  WHY?  To what end and for what purpose?

I will say that I know enough to know that I know, ya know?  I mean, I know this funk I am in will last for just a season – the problem is that my understanding of a season and God’s season are totally two different things.  I know the comfort and promise of Psalm 23, and I know through Isaiah 55 that God’s Word does not return to Him void.  Through John 14 I know that Jesus is the only Son of God and the only way to the Father.  I know that Jesus was born, died, and rose again for the remittance of my sins and that He is preparing a place for me.

I don’t need scientific proof of Jesus, or God, or The Bible.  I take all that on faith, I don’t feel the need to explain it or have documented evidence to believe it.  What I do need is to understand who I am, why I am and what I am supposed to be doing with my life.  To me, having faith in God is the easy part, the problem is with the latter.

before you…

There was a blind girl who hated herself because

she was blind. She hated everyone, except her

loving boyfriend. He was always there for her.  

She told her boyfriend, ‘If I could only see the

world, I will marry you.’

One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her.

When the bandages came off, she was able to see

everything, including her boyfriend.  He asked her,

‘Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?’

The girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was

blind. The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her.

She hadn’t expected that. The thought of looking at

them the rest of her life led her to refuse to marry

him.   Her boyfriend left her in tears and days later

wrote a note to her saying: ‘Take good care of your

eyes, my dear, for before they were yours,

they were mine.’

This is how the human brain often works when our

status changes. Only a very few remember what life

was like before, and who was always by their side

in the most painful situations.

Before you say an unkind word – Think of someone who can’t speak.

Before you complain about the taste of your food -Think of someone who has nothing to eat.

Today before you complain about life –Think of someone who died.

Before you complain about your children –Think of someone who desires children but they’re barren.

Before you argue about your dirty house someone didn’t clean or sweep – Think of the people who are living in the streets.

Before whining about the distance you drive – Think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet.

And when you are tired and complain about your job – Think of the unemployed, the disabled, and those who wish they had your job.

And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down – Put a smile on your face and thank GOD you’re alive and still around.

The happiest people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.

In Touch Prayer May Week 3

***  Please Note – These prayer requests are taken directly from the quarterly prayer calendar send to members of the In Touch Ministries Impact Team. ***

 

Praise – God is changing lives through the 50,000 Messengers that were delivered to the U.S. military in 2007.  And He has blessed us with the resources to send an additional 30,000 Messengers in 2008!

 

Prayer– That God will continue to encourage and inspire servicemen and servicewomen through the Messenger and protect those who are in harm’s way.

Laminin – The Glue That Holds Us Together

My mom sent me another awesome email and this is definitely a gotta share it with everyone message so sit back and get ready to be amazed!

A couple of days ago I was running (I use that term very loosely) on my treadmill, watching a DVD sermon by Louie Giglio…and I was BLOWN AWAY! I want to share what I learned….but I fear not being able to convey it as well as I want. I will share anyway.

He (Louie) was talking about how inconceivably BIG our God is…how He spoke the universe into being…how He breathes stars out of His mouth that are huge raging balls of fire…etc. etc. Then He went on to speak of how this star-breathing, universe creating God ALSO knitted our human bodies together with amazing detail and wonder. At this point I am LOVING it (fascinating from a medical standpoint, you know.) …..and I was remembering how I was constantly amazed during medical school as I learned more and more about God’s handiwork. I remember so many times thinking….”How can ANYONE deny that a Creator did all of this???”

Louie went on to talk about how we can trust that the God who created all this, also has the power to hold it all together when things seem to be falling apart…how our loving Creator is also our sustainer. And then I lost my breath.

And it wasn’t because I was running my treadmill, either!!!
It was because he started talking about laminin.
I knew about laminin. Here is how Wikipedia describes them :”laminin’s are a family of proteins that are an integral part of the structural scaffolding of basement membranes in almost every animal tissue.” You see….laminin’s are what hold us together….LITERALLY. They are cell adhesion molecules. They are what holds one cell of our bodies to the next cell. Without them, we would literally fall apart. And I knew all this already. But what I didn’t know is what laminin LOOKED LIKE.
But now I do.

And I have thought about it a thousand times since (already)….
Here is what the structure of laminin looks like…AND THIS IS NOT a “Christian portrayal” of it….if you look up laminin in any scientific/medical piece of literature, this is what you will see…

Amazing!

The glue that holds us together….ALL of us….is in the shape of the cross. Immediately Colossians 1:15-17 comes to mind.

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.For by him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth , visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.
He is before all things, and in him all things HOLD TOGETHER. ”
Colossians 1:15-17

Call me crazy. I just think that is AWESOME!
Thousands of years before the world knew anything about laminin, Paul penned those words. And now we see that from a very LITERAL standpoint, we are held together…one cell to another….by the cross.

You would never in a quadrillion years convince me that is anything other than the mark of a Creator who knew EXACTLY what laminin “glue” would look like long before Adam even breathed his first breath!!

WE PRAISE YOU LORD!

        In Christ, Love Sabine

Update 5/20  - My site has been getting a lot of traffic to this post,
so I'm linking the Louie Giglio video from YouTube, enjoy! Briggie ^i^



Click Here to see the Laminin T-Shirt!

Who Just Called Me?

Did you ever go to answer the phone after the 3rd ring and find out the caller hung up?  Or how about you check your messages on your answering machine and see there are like 20 calls, but of those 20 only 1 caller left a message, while the others were hang ups or people just saying, “hello, hello???”  Isn’t that like so annoying?

There was a time when I had all the bells and whistles that the phone company offered, Call Waiting, Caller ID and Call Forwarding, just to name a few.  When I lost my job due to personal illness and our savings was depleted we had to find ways to cut back and costly frills like those mentioned above were the first to go. 

The downside to saving a few dollars every month was the stress of dealing with unwanted phone calls.  Even though we have been registered with the National Do Not Call List since its inception, we still get calls from companies wanting us to take a survey, calls from non profit organizations like The Cancer Society, Diabetes Foundation, etc…not to mention the ever dreaded debt collectors.

I have never been one to screen my calls, but between health problems and financial stress, the phone has become my sworn enemy.  It got to the point where I just turned off the ringer and let the answering machine handle the call.  Now that we have Verizon Fios, we have all the bells and whistles again and because we have a bundled offer, these features aren’t costing me any additional monies, and in actuality, we’re paying less for more – which is always a plus.

Any-who, I’ve been trying to get everyone out of the habit of turning off the ringer since we have caller ID and I’ve noticed some really weird phone numbers popping up along with a lot of UNAVAILABLE or NO DATA. 

There was a really weird ID tonight so I decided to search for it through YAHOO, (because I really don’t like GOOGLE that much anymore) and I came across a pretty cool site that I thought you’d like to check out.

The site is called “Who Called Us”, and it’s really pretty cool.  You can search a number which will show you any comments that others have left as well as let you leave your own comment.  I know people use Google to look up phone numbers but what makes this site so cool is that you get to see the feedback left by people who received the calls and you can leave feedback of your own. 

So after looking up the weird ID, I decided to check out some of the numbers that have been popping up on my caller ID and found out that lots of them are survey companies and some of them are debt collectors. 

Here’s the weird thing, from reading some of the comments, people are getting calls from debt collectors who don’t even have debts.  These “collection” companies are using underhanded tactics to try and locate people that have write off accounts with other companies and will use all sorts of dirty tricks to get the information they want.

The sad part of all this is that even though you are registered with Do Not Call, you will still get calls, but you can report the numbers so keep the Do Not Call and Who Called Us sites bookmarked and take the time to look up the numbers on your Caller ID and report them.  Oh yeah, and whenever possible, DO NOT ANSWER THE PHONE, and if you do, keep a record of the Date, Time, Caller Name, Company and Phone Number and DO NOT GIVE ANY INFORMATION OUT!  Oh, and make sure you let the caller know you will be reporting them as they are violating FCC laws because even though they have a right to collect a debt, they do not have the right to harass anyone!

This Is a real Head Banger!

My mom sent this to me today and I wanted to share it with all of you!  Enjoy and God bless you – Briggie ^i^

 

Personal Word of Challenge – “This is a Real Head Banger”

Have you ever felt like you just banged your head against a wall?  Maybe you actually have banged your head against the wall.  As a teenager, I was hurriedly running into our basement from the backyard.  Being distracted, I somehow actually ran face first into the frame of the opened door.  The pressure from the blunt force literally burst open my top right eyebrow and blood began to profusely pour out.  The strange thing to me at the moment was the fact that the blunt force also numbed the injured area so I didn’t realize for several moments that I was actually hurt.

I believe that there are many Christians  who are suffering from certain injuries and do not even realize it because they have been numbed by the effectuating events leading up to their wall experience.  In many cases, wall experiences are subtle tactics to lessen the effectiveness of ministry without a person ever knowing.

When you run face first into a wall and you find yourself lying flat on your back, you usually get up, dust yourself off and continue forward.  After all, there is work to be done.  However, what most do not realize is that they go a little more slowly forward, hesitantly walking step by step so as not to hit another wall.  This is what usually hinders great ideas from being realized.  It is a tactic to prevent spiritual breakthrough.  It is a cunning plan the enemy has used to bring the church to a slow pace, and in some cases, a stand still condition.

I’ve been with Christians who are afraid to say what God has placed on their hearts.  I’ve seen Christians who are so insecure from past experiences they micromanage everything in attempt to keep control.  I know of way too many Christian leaders who have left their calling completely to avoid further conflict.  And, in the extreme cases, I know some who are now wayward from God.

Do not allow the enemy to get this foothold in your life and ministry!  Be on guard!  Do this today.
1 – As you pray, ask God to show you where you may be hurting and unaware of it.
2 – As you pray, state your case to God for the hurts that do weigh heavy on your heart.
3 – Ask God for forgiveness if you have failed by not sharing when you should have or by being too controlling when you should have been more empowering.
4 – If needed, ask for forgiveness if your hurt involves another.
5 – Forgive those you need to forgive.
6 – Forgive yourself.
7 – Become more diligent in the Word.
8 – Seek the fire and excitement of your calling.
9 – Find time to retreat and be refreshed.
10 – Ask God for supernatural, Holy Spirit-given insight to see the walls ahead of you.  You can avoid them, go over them, or break through them.  In any case, God can enable you to avoid the hurt and continue to run the race at full speed.

–Be Blessed, Gary R. Linn

Update on Logan May 14th

My dear friend in Christ Daniel, has been staying in touch with Lisa Thompson as to Logan’s progress.  Here is the most recent update she sent to him.  The prayers and love being poured out for Logan touches my heart and I ask God to bless each of you as you lift him up before the Lord.  I will continue to post updates on his progress, thank you and take care – Briggie ^i^

 

May 12 – Daniel,

I know that he continues to make progress every day. They did surgery to insert a trachea for him. He has not been moved to the rehabilitation center as of last week. There was an EEG and MRI done, but I have not heard of the results as of today. That is the best I have. But, the fact that he makes baby step progress everyday is still awesome news!

Lisa Thompson

A Mother’s Prayer

 

Whether your angels still reside in the nest or have flown away to make a nest of their own, they are always right there in that special place you made for them in your hearts.  God bless you this Mother’s Day and everyday.