Hebrews 13:5-6

Good morning! Sorry I took a few days off...my husband was home on vacation and we had lots going on the last few days. But it is so nice to get back to spending my mornings in the Word!

Hebrews 13:5-6: Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"


I just love how God always answers my prayers of help right away! Anyone else having money problems out there?! Yeah I don't imagine I am the only one. I was just praying for direction in our finances and giving any anxieties over to God. I know myself...I can worry a hole right into the middle of my stomach if I am not careful! So this is going to be a daily occurrence for me...giving any fear or worry to the Lord for Him to handle. And in return, I get His peace! Sounds like a deal to me!

After prayer time, of course I open my Bible and these verses literally jump off of the page and smack me in the face! I really do put so much emphasis on money...like if I had this specific amount, it would solve all my problems. That is simply not true! God says to be content and happy with what you have and assures us that He will NEVER leave us and NEVER forsake us. He will never leave us to do this all on our own. So, with that truth in my heart, I can confidently say that God is my helper and I will not be afraid! What can this world do to me?!

I vowed this morning to continue doing what I know the Lord wants me to do. Pray, tithe, obey Him, study His Word and keep spreading it around the world. I will daily give this financial issue over to Him along with my marriage, my children, my household, and my life. He helps me in every area of my life...He is in control and there is nothing this world can do that will keep the Lord from blessing our socks off!

I can't wait to see what He does next...for my family and for yours. Please share with me your needs and/or success stories by leaving comments. I love hearing about what awesome things God is doing and I will definitely pray for you too!

Psalm 36:5-6

Good morning!

Welcome to Musical Mondays! I love reading in Scripture and then remembering a song in my head from praise and worship in church. Music helps me relate with the Word and somehow singing His Word makes me feel closer to Him. I know Mondays have a reputation for being blah and boring but hopefully, starting your day out with some music will brighten your mood and get your week going on the right foot!

Psalm 36:5-6: Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep.


Love me some Third Day! Have a great Memorial Day everyone!

John 11:40

Good afternoon!

John 11:40: Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"


For some reason, the things that God has promised me in my life have taken years for me to be able to see them with my own eyes. I think there is a big difference between trusting and believing. You can trust God with all your heart because you know He loves you. But do you really BELIEVE what He has told you is the truth? Do you really BELIEVE what He has told you will happen? Today could be the day when it happens. You never know when you wake up that this could be the biggest, most amazing day of your life!

God spoke truth from two complete strangers to me about my brother. Two years of praying later and he returned back to the Lord, turned his life around and our relationship was restored. God took a drug abuser and made him into a worship director!

God asked me twice if I loved Him. When I answered yes, He vowed that Kris, my husband would too. Three years of praying later and one horrible day ended with me holding my husband's hand as he accepted Jesus as His Savior! Not only was God's word true, I got to be there to experience it with him!

God spoke to me one morning that Kris and I would have a child when we were in the same place. It took three years but three DAYS after Kris and I got baptized together, I got pregnant! Even though I didn't know I was pregnant and lost that baby 7 weeks later, God's word was still true!

Three days after we lost our baby, God promised another one to us. And this time He told us his name...Elijah. I would be pregnant He said. And five years later, His oath was fulfilled. But I not only gave birth to Elijah, I also gave birth to his sister Annalise and his brother Isaac!

If I had given up...if I had stopped believing, my brother may have been lost to us, my marriage would have ended in divorce, and my babies would never have been conceived. I would have never seen God in all His glory! I would never have witnessed so many miracles!

Believe, believe and keep believing! I know I am not the only person He has ever spoken truth to. If it has been years since you heard that promise, keep believing. It WILL come to pass, in His time, in His way.

Trust me...you don't want to miss His glory! Hallelujah!

Psalm 3:3-4

Good afternoon!

Psalm 3:3-4: But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. To the LORD I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill.

I am nothing the world would ever look twice at. I hold no titles and am only important to a few. Yet the Lord shields and protects me and makes me honorable, dignified and glorious! He raises me up far higher than I could ever go by myself and bestows on me a godly reputation. No longer am I low in the trenches of life...small, meek, and quiet. I now shout loud from my new lofty position in Him and receive His answers from Heaven!

I love The Message version of this Sripture so I will close with it. Have a wonderful rest of the day!

But you, God, shield me on all sides; You ground my feet, you lift my head high; With all my might I shout up to God, His answers thunder from the holy mountain.

1 Timothy 2:3

Good morning!

Welcome to my new weekly installment of Winning Souls Wednesdays! Every Wednesday will be dedicated to winning souls for the Kingdom!

1 Timothy 2:3: This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.


God not only wants all of His children to be saved, but He wants us all informed with truth instead of continuing to believe the Devil's lies.

I remember hearing the truth from my mom and step-dad and other people over the years about God. I really did believe them but the lies I had always hung onto were louder than the truth. I really believed that I would be in a prison if I got saved, not being able to do anything or have fun. The truth is I was set free once I was saved and never wanted to do anything that I used to ever again. Those sinful desires were gone. I was a new creation and it felt really good!

Another lie I believed was that I was ordinary and that being a college drop-out and minimum wage earner was the best it would ever get for me. I saw no future for myself other than lackluster and sub-par. I think this is what held me back for so long.
In Christ, I am now a wife, mother of triplets, author, photographer, and a prayer warrior with a helper's heart. My life is far from lackluster...the Devil is such a liar! There are no limits to what God can do through me and He is not done with me yet!

Stop believing the lies today and hear the truth. God wants ALL men to be saved and to KNOW the truth.

ALL means YOU!!

Zephaniah 3:17

Good afternoon!

Zephaniah 3:17: The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.


This is one of my favorite Scriptures in the Bible. I know I have done this verse before the blog started but it just brings a smile to my face!

I really look forward to my mornings before the kids get up. I can pray, read, journal...whatever I want to do. By 7:00 or 7:30, I usually know what Scripture will be the Quick Word of the day and I start writing. I am usually done an hour later, just about when the kids are getting up. I then go spend the rest of the morning with them...in a perfect world! This morning did not go as planned! You know when they are up before 7:00, it's not going to be a good day. I really did try to read my Bible in there with them, but once a few pages had been ripped, I knew it wasn't going to happen! How dare I not give my full attention to them?! :)

They slowly turned into monsters and lunchtime couldn't come soon enough! Finally, I had them eating and I decided to end the morning on a good note. I brought out my laptop and pulled up on YouTube some worship videos and let them watch them. I sang to them and we all praised the Lord together. I cried as I watched them raising their hands high towards the sky. I know they don't know what they are doing yet, they are just mimicking Mommy but they will one day!

And just like that, my monsters disappeared and we were laughing, singing and dancing. God quieted us with His love and I know He was singing right along with us! It's amazing what a little worship can do. It's amazing how much better you feel when you step out of the way and let God move in and love on you.

This will be one verse my children will know by heart...God is mighty to save! He takes GREAT delight in you!

Enjoy this video that we watched today and I hope it blesses you like it blessed us this morning!

Psalm 52: 8-9

Good morning!

Psalm 52: 8-9: But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever. I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good.


Here are some interesting facts I've learned about an olive tree this morning. Olive trees are long-lived with a life expectancy of 500 years. There are some that are ancient and date back 2,000 years or more. Not only do they produce fruit but they also blossom beautiful flowers. Their gnarled branching pattern is also quite distinctive. The trees are also tenacious, easily sprouting back even when chopped to the ground.

Not a bad tree to liken one's self to right?! I can see now why it's leafy branches are used as a symbol of abundance, glory and peace.

The more I trust in God's will for my life, the more my trunk gnarls and twists and continues to grow, in it's own distinctive pattern. Even when I am cut down by life, I will easily sprout back up again. Every harvest, I will produce fruit and display my beautiful flowers for all the world to see. When my life is over here on earth, my olive tree will still be growing through my children. I will always tell them of the good He has done. My children will know where my hope comes from and I will continue to flourish long after I am gone.

For ever and ever, I pray I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of the Lord. Resilient, tenacious and distinctive are the words I want to be described as long after I am gone. I pray my mark here on this earth is felt for many years to come.

Hope in Him, for His name is good!

Ephesians 6:18

Good afternoon!

Ephesians 6:18: And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.


If you ever questioned before if prayer works or why you should pray when God already knows the answers, then this is the Scripture for you. With all your armor on, standing firm, His command is for you to pray on all occasions, about any and every need. You see, sometimes we go to pray without all our tools that we need. We forget to strap our belts of truth on, we leave our breastplate behind, our helmets are loose and falling off, are feet are bare and vulnerable, and we are defenseless without our shield and sword. I imagine it's like a kid in a candy store to the enemy. Seeing you with all your needs, yet you are praying without your armor on to protect you.

I want my prayers to make a difference. I want them to be powerful and to move mountains. I want to speak truth over situations and connect in my heart with the ones I am praying for. I want to hold my head up high as a child of God and step forward in faith as His peace carries me. The more I pray the more my faith grows. My shield is protecting me as I wield that sword in the name of Jesus!

With all this in mind, be alert! I remember when my dad was teaching me to drive. He was obnoxiously persistent that I learned to use my mirrors. He was insistent that not only was I to be focused on the road ahead of me but everyone else around me. Use my peripherals. Notice what the other person on the side of you is doing. I not only had to do my job but keep my eye on everyone else.

It is the same way in our walk in a world full of enemies. No we shouldn't live in fear, pessimistically thinking everything is going to turn out bad or that something awful is going to happen. We need to live our lives and live them abundantly! But we must be alert, always aware of what is going on in the unseen. We need to be ready when that day of evil comes. And we must keep praying for our family, our friends, are brothers and sisters around the world.

Our instructions are clear: Put on the full armor of God, and take your stand against the devil's schemes. Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of requests. Be alert, and keep praying for your brothers and sisters in Christ.

This lesson this week has touched my heart, and I hope it has done the same for you.

Ephesians 6:16-17

Good morning!

Ephesians 6:16-17: In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.


The first time you have to take your stand against an enemy attacking you at full force is not easy. Your knees may quake in fear, you may swing your sword with your eyes shut, and the first few punches may sting a little. You may have put on the full armor of God but it may feel heavy to you and you may not move well in it at first.

That is when we must remember all the times in the past God has proven Himself faithful. Your faith, your trust in the One who is unseen is a powerful shield that the enemy cannot stand against. You can't stand against a powerful enemy without a shield. It is added in front of your weapons of truth and righteousness so that it can block any flaming arrows that the evil one tries to throw at you.

I am sure it is because I am doing this study this week, but I have been attacked harder than I ever have before. I'll be thinking about one thing and it instantly turns into horrible visions of my children being hurt or dying. How awful is that?! I am so aware now of the fiery darts the enemy is trying to use to pierce my armor but my faith is blocking them from ever hurting me. God has seen me through years of trying to conceive these babies and then 34 weeks and 3 days of carrying them inside me! He has a plan for their lives and no one can convince me otherwise. My faith grows and so does my shield! I want to have one of those shields like in the movie 300. It covers the Spartans whole body and they use it and wield it in an acrobat-like fashion. That is how I want to use my faith against all these images the enemy keeps trying to hit me with. The more I use my shield, the faster I will be with it. My knees will no longer shake, I'll look my enemy in the eye when I strike him and he won't be able to get in the first punches any longer!

The two final pieces to your armor are your helmet and your sword. The helmet holds your salvation and marks you for all eternity as to what side you are on. You are a child of God and knowing that truth will keep your mind clear and on guard. Your helmet will protect you just like your breastplate will from sin. The two areas I sin are in my heart and in my thoughts. The enemy wants to get you to slip in the midst of your battle and get you to sin. He wants you to take off your helmet, just for a second to get a little rest. He wants you to remove your breastplate to catch your breath. Stand firm! Don't let him in! Keep your mind strong and your heart covered.

All the pieces mentioned before, belt, breastplate, readiness for your feet, helmet, and shield are to protect you. But here is what will slay your enemy every time. The sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Jesus used it to defeat the devil when he tempted him for 40 days. He cannot stand against the infallible Word of God. Hebrews says that the Word of God is active and sharper than any double-edged sword. It is alive for all time and it will always have what you need to defeat your enemy in any circumstance. Study it, memorize it, believe it, and use it!

I will be making sure everyday when I wake that my armor is on, good and tight. I want to be ready when that day of evil comes. Until then, God gives us another command so stay tuned tomorrow to find out what it is!

Ephesians 6:14-15

Good morning!

Ephesians 6:14-15: Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.


How can I stand my ground against such a big foe? Who am I to stand up and fight and be strong?

God gives us the weapons we need in advance so we can be ready! First...truth! Know God's promises and His Word and keep it in your heart. Know who you are in Christ. Dark forces cannot stand against that as hard as they try. They can never take that away from you! And notice it is to be buckled around your waist. What is the first thing you always see men do in old Westerns when they are in a duel? They stand, with their hands close to their belts, ready to draw their guns. In any military or police force, their weapons are on their belts, buckled in place. It should be the first thing you reach for when you are battling the enemy. Jesus is alive! I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son! No weapon formed against me shall prosper! These are the truths that will defeat your enemy in any situation.

Just last night as I lay trying to go to sleep, another awful image pops in my head about my children getting hurt and I immediately recognized it, spoke out to those evil forces in my head and said, "In the name of Jesus, get under my feet!" And it did! It was gone and I went right to sleep.

Stand firm and be ready to speak truth to your enemy.

The easiest thing to do when faced with a tragedy is to get angry. We don't understand why things happen and instead of letting it go and giving it over to the Lord, we hold onto it and try to fix things on our own. We suffer much more and longer than we need to and we let that anger turn into sin. It is so easy to do and we have all done it. But this is exactly what the enemy wants...you to be sinning and out of God's will. You are vulnerable now to slide even further away from the One who can defeat him. You have lost...he has won, yet again. But with the breastplate of righteousness in place, the enemy has no way in. Protect with all your might the truths God has given you and the goodness in your heart. Don't let anger or grief or sorrow ruin all the good in your life.

How does a mother continue life without her precious daughter? How does a father wait for hours while his son is under the knife having a tumor removed from his spine? They keep their sweet images of their children in the heart and protect it with their life. They remember the good and God keeps their heart from being corroded by sin. I will keep praying and praising God for my healthy children. I will picture their laughs anytime the enemy tries to trick me. I will stand strong and guard my heart at all times. God has a plan for my children and that is what I will remember, not the devil's lies.

Stand firm with your breastplate of righteousness in place.

I imagine the men in duels are still scared. Even though they have the weapons at their side, they are still scared. The mother who is burying her little girl is still frightened of the emptiness of her house. The father is still scared that the surgery wasn't a success and that the tumor will come back. But God gives us another weapon to help us move forward instead of just standing still. His peace! We can know God's truth and give our hearts over to Him for Him to protect but we can still be fearful of the unknown. You won't get anywhere in life staying where you are. Through the pain and tragedy, God still has a plan for you and a road for you to walk down. His peace that flows like a river will fit your feet like a pair of snug boots and take you where you need to go. It may take a while for you to get there but you will get there!

Stand firm because now you are ready to walk in God's peace.

But we are still missing some vital pieces to the puzzle. Stay tuned tomorrow to find out what will complete your armor!

Ephesians 6:12-13

Good morning!

Ephesians 6:12-13: For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.


I can do all the things I can think of to keep my children safe. I can feed them good food, put sunscreen on them, keep them away from other kids who are sick, baby proof my house to try and eliminate major injuries, take them to the doctor for every sniffle and fever. But all these things aren't going to stop them from getting cancer if that is what is supposed to happen. I can't prevent tragedies if that is God's will.

I don't need to take a stand against keeping my kids safe. It is the evil thoughts that are trying to take over my mind and keep me from being the mother I know I need to be that I need to take a stand against. My children belong to God and there is nothing that can happen to them on this earth that would be impossible for God to heal or change. But He can't do anything with them or through them if I am keeping them hold up in my house til they are 18 (or 21!), being fearful of anything and everything that might hurt them. If I am letting these evil thoughts control the way I raise my children, then I am ultimately hurting them by never letting them actually live.

I pray I never have to see the day when my children are sick or hurt more than I can care for them. But if they are, I know having my full armor on will be all I need to stand through it instead of cowering in the corner through it. Whatever your struggle is, know that deep down, it is not the people or things around you that are the problem. It is the evil forces behind the scenes, that you cannot see, battling in the heavenly realms to steal your peace, your joy, your life!

I imagine just like in today's military when a soldier sees his enemy defenseless and unprepared, it is the best time to strike, quickly and powerfully disabling them until they are defeated. But if they see their enemy is armed, smart, ready, and standing their ground at all times, their attack may take longer to come together and there would be no way of a sneak attack!

No one is spared their share of evil days. We all see them come...it is inevitable. So when your day of evil comes, be ready. Put on your full armor of God and take your stand. See through the world around you to the evil behind the scenes. That is your real enemy who wants nothing less than to destroy you!

Stay tuned tomorrow and you'll learn what the armor is made of!

Ephesians 6:10-11

Good morning!

This week I'll be covering The Armor of God from Ephesians 6:10-18. This is one of my favorite passages from God's Word. Everytime I read it, I seem to pick up something new from it. I hope by the end of this week, we are all stronger and are faith is built up and we are ready to stand our ground against anything that may come our way!

Ephesians 6:10-11: Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.


There is a recurring nightmare in my head and it has seemed to get worse the more I come in contact with families who are losing their children or fighting with them through terminal diseases. What will I do if I lose my children or husband? How will I survive without them? I just don't think I would be strong enough to go through what some of these ladies are battling through, seeing their children sick and in pain and even dying. This is one of my biggest struggles but I am sure it is not for everyone. I will use this example all week long but just insert your own biggest trials. We all have things we struggle with. We all have reasons why we need to put on the full armor of God. Get yours in your mind and determine to study with me this week on we can overcome this together!

I read these stories and blogs of these families losing their precious children and I am telling you, I weep like a little baby. My heart feels like it is breaking and I say out loud to God, "I don't know how I could survive Lord. There is just no way!" Part of that is correct. I am not strong enough to survive such a loss on my own. There is no super human strength in me that would be able to keep me going. My mind would be mush, my heart would be in such pain, and that heartache would physically shut my body down. But God promises that I can be strong in Him. I can find all that I need to survive through Him and Him alone. He is mightily powerful and we can use Him to keep our minds clear, our hearts won't completely fall apart and the pain won't crush us to death. Think of your battle and admit out loud that you can't do it on your own. But be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power!

I have three healthy children and haven't had to face anything close to what these women are living with. The truth is this is not my reality so why is it something I think about all the time? Why do I have nightmares about it? Because the devil knows exactly where to hurt me. He knows what pushes my buttons and keeps me in a state of fear. If I am in fear, I am not where God wants me to be. He knows what weapons are at my disposal, but as long as I am cowering in fear, I have lost and he has won.

God has given us armor that will protect us from anything the devil tries to throw our way. He seeks to destroy your heart, your soul and your mind. We must believe that we can be strong against anything he throws our way, and we must put on the armor before the attack comes. I did not and have been wounded by the images in my head of my children dying or being sick. But no more will I let the devil torment me like this. I am taking a stand now. God's armor is impenetrable. It has no weak spots and it will never fail you.

Now that we are strong in the Lord and have put on our armor, stayed tuned tomorrow to find out exactly what are struggles are really against and why we need to take our stand.

Proverbs 31:28-29

Good morning!

Proverbs 31:28-29: Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all."


This is my second Mother's Day and I hope I never take them for granted. It wasn't too long ago when this day was a dreaded day for me. I used to spend most Mother's Day's crying and in despair. It was a reminder of what I was not. It was a slap in the face and a punch to the gut! I know some of you who are reading this are not mothers and desperately want to be one. Believe me, I know the pain this day can bring but don't lose hope! Please don't give up and stop seeking after God. Your day is coming. Believe it and never stop praying for it!

On Sunday, arise and let your mother know how special she is to you while she is here. Remember that some people don't get the chance to do this anymore. Husbands, lavish praise over your wife this weekend and let them know that she surpasses them all and there is no one else like her. Thank her for the awesome mother that she is...and maybe even get her some flowers! :)

Happy Mother's Day everyone! It may be a sad day for you but try to see the good in it too. Love you Momma!

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

Good morning!

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24: May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.


Just think of all the times that He has been faithful to you. EVERY thing He has ever said to me was the truth. EVERY thing He said would happen came to be. EVERY way He directed me to go was the right way. So that leads me to believe that the biggest thing He has ever said would happen, will happen. Jesus is coming back and coming soon. He is faithful to His word...He will do it!

How important it must be for our lives to be purified through and through! You don't just wake up and are automatically blameless. It is a process that you must consciously strive to achieve each day. It takes time and persistence and work. It is your choice on how you live each day. You can allow sin to overtake you and then ask for forgiveness. Or you can recognize your stumbling blocks and try your best to avoid them. At the end of the day, you won't feel like you are begging to be forgiven but more thankful to God for helping you through. Every day can be a little bit better than it was before. We will never be perfect but we can live lives that are peaceful, purified and blameless.

This is my new challenge. I want to be ready when He comes back for me; He said He would and He will! I know what my pitfalls are and I can avoid them if I set my mind on it. And God himself, the God of peace will help me...through and through.

2 Corinthians 13:14

Good morning!

2 Corinthians 13:14: May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.


Without Jesus' grace, our souls would not find salvation. Without the love of God, we are incapable of truly loving some one else. Without the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, our lives lack satisfaction and we struggle with feelings of inadequacy.

His grace revives my soul, His love warms my heart and His fellowship reminds me to whom I belong. I am saved, I am loved, and I am a child of God.

I pray He is all these things to you today and for always.

Psalm 146:3-9

Good morning!

Psalm 146:3-9: Don't put your life in the hands of experts who know nothing of life, of salvation life. Mere humans don't have what it takes; when they die, their projects die with them. Instead, get help from the God of Jacob, put your hope in God and know real blessing! God made sky and soil, sea and all the fish in it. He always does what he says— he defends the wronged, he feeds the hungry. God frees prisoners— he gives sight to the blind, he lifts up the fallen. God loves good people, protects strangers, takes the side of orphans and widows, but makes short work of the wicked. (The Message)


I remember the first time I realized I had made the wrong choice. I had put all my faith, all my trust, given all of my heart to a man and just like that he was gone. No real explanation. I was alone and all that I had dreamed was gone. I knew right then for the first time in my life who wouldn't have done that to me. You think that big of a letdown would have made me fall on my knees right then and there and accept God's salvation and love and walk His path. But no...I was hard-headed and liked abuse I guess! Two years I spent with that knowledge in my head but instead kept living like I was living.

God made everything above you and everything below you and still stops and thinks of you.
He will defend you when you are wronged.
He feeds the hungry, physically and spiritually.
His Son died on a cross to free the sinner from his prison of sin.
He gives sight to those who cannot see.
He lifts up those who are bowed down.
He loves those who seek to live a good life, protects strangers who are in a foreign land, sustains the fatherless and widowed.
But He frustrates the ways of the wicked.

Those two years I spent knowing the truth but never accepting it were the most frustrating years of my life! So many things went wrong...even when something good happened, I found a way to screw it up! Please don't wait as long as I did to put your hope in God and know real blessing!

James 1:17-18

Good morning!

James 1:17-18: Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.


I bet we've all heard of this Scripture but I always seem to read passed verse 18. I can look all around me at every single good and perfect gift He has given me and can now see that it was given with a purpose. He created us to be examples of Him. We are His firstfruits for all mankind to look upon and see His truth! Gifts are given not just for you to be blessed, but for you to bless others with.

For example, I love taking pictures and I know the gift I have is from God. I've never taken photography classes or been classically trained. But He has given me the natural ability and I take it from there! Hearing people's comments about their pictures and seeing them so filled with joy is reward enough for me. Making money becomes secondary to seeing people blessed by my gift!

Another example is my African children I support every month. We don't have lots of money lying around but what we do have, I give back to help two families who are much more needy than I could ever think of being. Getting their letters in the mail and seeing the pictures they draw me warms my heart and I am blessed over and over again!

And lastly, you wouldn't think my children would be a gift for anyone else but I found out this weekend, that is not entirely so. We took the kids out to eat at Red Lobster Friday night and of course we attract a lot of attention. As we were leaving, an older lady who was sitting near us and was watching us the entire time, came up to me and asked if they were triplets. I said, "Yes Ma'am!" She told me how beautiful they were and thanked me for the dinner entertainment! She wasn't being rude or funny, she was serious! Watching my babies play and laugh and throw stuff on the ground was a joy to her and she was grateful to me for sharing them with her. That certainly wasn't my intention but I was glad that we made her night.

The more I live, the more I realize all the meaning and purpose God has behind everything He does. So don't hide your gifts and keep them to yourself. God created you for a reason...to be an example of His truth...a vessel that gives back to His creation.

Have a wonderful week everyone!

Romans 4:17

Good morning!

Romans 4:17: As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.

God promised a son to Abraham and Sarah, even though they were passed the childbearing years. Can you imagine how crazy that must have sounded to them?! Sarah even laughed when she heard the angels say in a year's time, she would give birth to a son. I bet the reason God chose this time in their lives to bring Isaac forth was so that they could see with their own eyes that He could do anything. Just because they couldn't see a way for this to happen, doesn't mean God didn't already have it all figured out. He can make a way where this is no way.

Another example is me! My reproductive parts were literally dead. My fallopian tubes were either missing or damaged. There was fluid leaking into my uterus from my one fallopian tube making it impossible for me to conceive a child. Doctors said they would need to do surgery. My chances of ever carrying my own child were slim. We tried 3 times! Nothing... We could conceive the children just fine. I was able to make lots of babies but none would stick. Should we use a surrogate, adopt, give up?!

No, God told me years before I would be pregnant. I would be pregnant! Not someone else. It would happen and so in faith we tried again. And God definitely called things that were not as though they were! Not only was I able to carry one baby, I carried three babies. And God definitely gave life to the dead. I was encouraged to abort at least one of the babies because the risk of carrying triplets was great. I could deliver early, the babies might be disabled, sick, even die. But I carried them passed 34 weeks with no problems whatsoever. I gave birth to three healthy, big babies who only needed to stay in the hospital a total of 10 days. They are equal to a full term baby physically and developmentally...you would never know they were premature.

God gives life to the dead and makes things that are not as though they were. There are no limits to what He can accomplish. Have faith...even if what you are believing for is way out there! People make think you are crazy but if the Lord has spoken a word, He will make a way, in His timing, for His glory.

Abraham against all hope believed and became the father of many nations. What more is in store for you?