LPM Simulcast

Today began very early at my house. It all started at 5:00 a.m. in order to get ready for Beth Moore's Simulcast "So Long Insecurity". My friend Allison came to my house at 7:00 a.m. and we left to meet Valerie and Beverly. We all hopped into Valerie's car and headed to the Journey Church at Norman. We arrived at around 8:30 a.m. The church served breakfast, lunch and snacks! They were so hospitable!

We met up with Jesse and Carol after we arrived. Here's a pic of us:

Valerie, Jessie, Carol, Me, Allison & Beverly

Oh, yes! I won a door prize - a pedicure. Valerie received one, too. Beverly won an awesome prize -- a personal consultation from an interior designer! Isn't that awesome? The Journey church out did themselves in putting this together!

It was reported that there were 300,000 in attendance in 869 locations! Praise and worship was brought by the local church so we didn't get to join in with Travis :( Beth did a tremendous job as usual. She shared from Ephesians 4. She gave us an acronym for "secure".

A secure woman is:

1. Saved from herself

2. Entitled to truth

3. Clothed with intention

4. Upended by Grace

5. Rebounded by love

6. Expectional in life

We learned that grace turns everything upside down:

• Broken becomes whole
• The leper becomes clean
• The weak become strong
• The pauper becomes rich
• Insecurity becomes security
• Impossible becomes possible.

Beth nearly always has a commissioning for us to say to each other. Here is the one from today:

My Dear Sister
If Christ is Your Savior
You are the dwelling place
Of His own Spirit
You have it IN YOU
to be secure.
Every day of your life
You have a choice to make
You can live in your old defeat
Or you can turn from your unbelief
And choose life
Make up your mind
To put off the old you
And put on the new you.
Never, ever, ever forget
That the Lord is your security.
He will keep your foot
From being caught in a trap.
He will take care of you
To your very last breath.
Now, leave this place
And go out into the world
And act like a person
Who knows she’s dearly loved.
You were born to be exceptional.
So, Girlfriend, go forth
And walk worthy of your calling.
You are clothed in strength and dignity!
Now unto Him
Who can keep you from falling
Be glory and majesty
Power and authority
Through Jesus Christ our Lord
Now and forever more
Amen.
So Long, Insecurity!

After I arrived home, I hurried off to catch the end of baby shower at the church. As soon as I returned back home we were off to take our guest for Sunday morning out to eat. It was a full and busy day but -- what a wonderful Saturday it was!

Love,

Sherry

Out of the box

Our Bible study group is currently doing "Here and Now - Then and There: A Study of Revelation" by Beth Moore. Each day we are to ask God to reveal himself to us, and then we are to briefly journal telling how God has done just that throughout the week.

For quite sometime, God has been revealing bits and pieces of his greatness to me. Last week I had a dream (I will not share the details) but the message he was reinforcing to me was that I am to let him "out of the box". My faith is too structured, too "in the box", too ordinary. He can be anything he needs to be, do anything he needs to do, go anywhere he needs to go in order to reveal himself to us, to reach us, to work miracles on our behalf. We have a tendency to wrap the Almighty in flawed flesh -- just like us. He, however, is far greater than our minds can comprehend. He has been gracious enough to give us small glimpses of his greatness, his power and his brilliance via his creation all around us, under our feet and above our heads.

Chris Tomlin wrote a song a few years ago that addresses God's greatness. Our God IS indescribable! Enjoy.

Love,
Sherry

Rock'n and a roll'n

I live in a very small town that's near a larger city and a short distance from our state capitol. In our little town the newspaper is published weekly -- yes, I said weekly. This was the headlines of our little paper this week:

You read it right! We had a 4.4 earthquake last Saturday! No damage was done, thank the Lord. It has been so interesting to hear the various stories of those who experienced it. Some people only experienced the shaking, some felt the shaking and heard rumbling sounds simultaneously.

In our case it was a bit different. Hubs and I were at home: I was in the living room and he was on the patio enjoying some sun. All of a sudden I heard "thunder", except this "thunder" was underground. I could hear it swiftly moving toward the house and my first thought was "Is this an earthquake?", then I braced myself for the possibility of shaking earth. After about 3 or 4 seconds of rumbling, the shaking began and lasted only 2 or 3 seconds, then it was over! I remember a sensation of warmth which in all probability was the warm air in the house shifting as well.

Hubs said he could hear the thunderous sound waves coming toward him, then popping sounds. Following the sounds he saw the fence moving and shaking and the floor beneath his chair began shaking. It was over in a matter of seconds, however, time seemed to slow down and everything was in slow motion - except for the shaking.

Haiti had experienced a terrible earthquake days before. Chile had just had an 8.8 earthquake the very same day! One of many numerous thoughts that flooded my mind was "What is happening to our world? Is it trying to come apart!" Then as quickly as that thought passed, the Lord reminded me that He has it all under control!

What a blessed peace only He can give in the middle of our shaking worlds! We can experience "earthquake" moments that can change our lives forever. Satan desires to shatter and destroy us. God, on the other hand, tells us in Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) "'For I know the plans I have for you' says the Lord. 'They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.'" God brings restoration and hope in the middle of our life-quakes in place of destruction and despair.

As children of the Most High God we have the assurance that he will never leave us or forsake us. His plan for our lives is perfect and good. When challenges come our way, we can ". . know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28 KJV)

So whenever you are faced with a trial, think of it as a test not a tribulation. Tests are given to assess how much a student has learned. Tests are give for the student to pass -- not pass out!

Love,
Sherry

Will it be like this ?

This is what the eastern sky looked like today.

I couldn't help but wonder if the clouds might look something like this . . . on a day like this . . .

when Jesus steps out to gather us home!

As I was driving home from shopping in OKC today and noticed that the cloud formation was extraordinary. By the time I arrived home and got the camera out, it wasn't quite as beautiful but still worthy of photographing it.

I do not know when Christ will come, but He has promised to return for us. One thing I do know . . . how and when He comes will be perfectly done and perfect timing. It will be an awesome celebration -- done as only He could do it!

Oh, and these beautiful clouds? They are giving us rain as I type. I love to sleep to the rhythm of the rain. So . . I'm off to bed. Good Night!

Love,

Sherry

A Medical Nightmare

I am checking in with my sweet bloggy friends. Sorry that I have been missing from the blogging scene for the past few weeks. This has been such a busy summer. Hubs and I and our kids and grandkids are doing fine. However . . . I do have a prayer request.

My brother had a hip re-do surgery on June 23. Something went wrong with the hardware from the first surgery. The 2nd surgery went well and then he was moved for physical therapy. He went through PH very well . . . .until the last few days; he began feeling very week. My SIL said that he became unable to hold a conversation; it was hard for him to finish a thought; he developed a bad jerking; and his blood pressure was very low. She mentioned all of this to the doctor in charge but he didn't seem to be concerned. After 13 days of PH, his incision was still draining (he diabetic but it should have been better).

The day he came home from the PH hospital (a Friday) hubs and I went to see him and my SIL she told us "we're in trouble". After listening to her we felt that part of the problem was that he may be anemic.

She took him back to the the surgeon the following Monday for a post-op check up and insisted they run some lab work. Sure enough, he was anemic. When the got the results on Wednesday they called her and told her to admit him into the hospital through the emergency room that his blood count was 8.6 (it should be around 15 -- anything below 10 is a concern). She did exactly that. He was given 2 units of blood but it only brought the count to 9.9. (Still under 10.)

So now, he's still weak, unable to hold a decent conversation, his jerking is so bad (at times) that he can't brush his own teeth or feed himself. My SIL was not going to let them send him home this time. She pointed out the low blood count, low blood pressure and the other problems. The doctor in charge was very sarcastic with her and asked her what she wanted him to do -- give him more blood -- have a neurological evaluation -- what? She kept telling him she just wanted him to find out what was wrong and try to correct it.

They sent her the head of Patient Care, head of Nursing, etc. all to no avail. She could not get them to do anything until . . . . . she said she felt like they needed another doctor.

FYI: My SIL is a diplomatic person, very intelligent, possesses common sense and wisdom -- Gody wisdom. She is the chief executive officer (the head person) of a governmental agency. Part of what she does is to hire and fire doctors.)

A battery of tests were taken and 1 more unit of blood was given which brought the count up to and 11. (The doctor is still fired.) An Infectious Disease doctor shows up in his room because my poor brother has a staff infection . . . all the way to the hip joint (they think).

So now he is transported back to the hospital where he had the surgery. Since it has been less than 30 days since surgery, they decide to flush and scrape the incision and hope they got it all. A pic line was put in his arm so that he can receive 6 weeks of antibiotics by IV!

Two days later, they feel that they did not get it all so . . . back to surgery. They take out the new hip replacement and put in an extender that has antibiotics in it. Now they say he has is MRSA staff infection, better known as the "super bug". It can be deadly!

He began to complain about difficulty in breathing and they discovered that he has a small blood clot in his lung. They took him to another hospital across the street and admitted him into ICU for several days. Everyone must wear gowns and gloves to be in his room. The jerking, the low blood pressure, the inability to hold a conversation, need to sleep, all of it, was due to the staff infection. He is able to breath without difficulty now and they are continuing to treat and monitor the blood clot.

He is now back at the hospital where he had the surgery and is preparing to go through a short period of PH to help him walk with a walker (he cannot put much weight on the extender in his hip.)

Later, he will go back to surgery, have the extender removed and another hip replacement hardware put in! After all this is completed, that hip will have been opened 5 times!

Oh, and the sarcastic doctor? He never showed his face again. He's probably waiting for a law suit over this. We would have been attending a funeral if my SIL hadn't stood her ground. What she is going to do is report him to the Medical Board and the hospital Administrator and ask him if he really wants a doctor like this on his staff.

My brother still has so much yet ahead of him. Please add him to your prayer list. Also, pray for my SIL - she is exhausted.

God is mighty and powerful and is our Healer and Provider. I pray that He (God) will do what He does best and touch my brother with His mighty hand of healing!

Love,

Sherry

Some Awesome News!

I am so thrilled to tell you that I received the results of the MRI on my knee. I do not need to have surgery! There is damage to the cartilage on the inside of the meniscus (the cartilage under the knee cap). He said that it did not merit surgery and if I keep on taking care of it as I have, the need of arthroscopic surgery could be as far out at 10 years! (Sorry, this next stuff if kind of gross.) He drain a lot of fluid off the knee and put in another cortisone shot in it and I don't need to return until January 2010!

God is so good to allow all the events that led of up this so that I would not damage my knee any further. I am not allowed to kneel or squat (ever again), but I can live with that!

I am in the projectionist booth at church right now and service as begun . . so. . . I need to stop for now.

Have a wonderful Sunday evening!

Love,
Sherry

Worship

Worship is such a vital part of my life. I am so thank for music and recognize it as a gift from God!

I recently purchased Kari Jobe's newest cd (pictured on the right). For those who have not heard of her yet, she is one of the worship leaders at the Gateway church near Dallas, TX. There are several songs that have become some new favorites. She has a very quiet restful style. If you go to her website, you'll be able to listen to clips of the songs on her albums.

One song that I really like is "Revelation Song". I have included a video of her singing it on Gateway's worship DVD entitled "Wake Up". If you like worship DVDs, I can highly recommend this one. I have the cd for my car but the DVD is much better.

I encourage you to take a few moments to join her in worship as you watch this video.

Have a blessed Thursday and may you feel the God of wonder walking close by your side today!

Love,

Jonah, Part 1

When I begin a study, I like to know just where in history the story takes place. It's kind of like knowing which end of the swimming pool you are about jump into: how deep is the water -- how deep into history are we? So, let's begin with some background and little interesting information.

Setting: The story of Jonah is set in approximately 759 B.C. (give or take a few years). It was during the reign of Israel's King Jeroboam II.

Locations: Joppa: A coastal city in Israel approximately 25 miles from the present day Tel Aviv.

Tarshish: Scholars are not completely sure of the exact location of this city, but most think it is in Southern Spain.

Nineveh: At the time of this story, it was in the kingdom of Assyria. Nineveh was off and on the Capitol of Assyria. It is now in present day Iraq. There have been recent excavations that have proven Biblical and historical records. There could have been more uncovered if not for a burial site that has prohibited further progress.

Characters:
Jonah (Dove), son of Amittai (Truth). They were Jews from the Northern tribe of Zebulon (II Kings 14:25)

Tarshish Mariners: These men were pagans and worshiped many gods. They were seasoned sailors.

A great fish: This fish was especially prepared for Jonah.

Assyrians: They were feared enemies of the Israelites. The Assyrians were extremely cruel. The Word Knowledge Commentary quotes Ashur Nasir Pal II (859 B.C.) boasting:

"I stormed the mountain peaks & took them. In the midst of the mighty mountain I slaughtered them with their blood I dyed the mountains red like wool . . . "

"Heads of their warriors I cut off - formed them into a pillar against their city."

"Their young men & their maidens I burned in the fire."

Regarding one captured leader he wrote:

"I flayed [him], his skin I spread upon the wall of the city . . .

He also wrote of mutilating the bodies of live captives and stacking their corpses in piles.

Shalmanese II (859 - 824 B.C.) boasts:

"A Pyramid of heads I raised in front of his city. the youths and their maidens I burned up in the flames."

Also, if anyone opposed him or the government, their lips, head or hands would have been cut off according to their crime.

In Jonah 1:1 we find that the Lord asks Jonah to go to Nineveh to warn them of coming destruction. Asking Jonah to go to Nineveh would have been like asking a Jew in NYC during WWII to go to Germany to deliver a message to Hitler and the people of that country! Thankfully, when God asks something of us, He prepares all circumstances and all persons involved. He never takes us only part way, but completes the journey with us. He's so faithful -- always faithful to us!

The story of Jonah in the most controversial in the Old Testament -- mostly because of the fish and whether or not it was possible for a fish to be large enough to swallow a man. Also, the question has been raised as to whether he could have survived three days and three nights inside a fish.

We don't have to go looking for other incidents as evidence to prove that something like Jonah being swallowed by a fish could be true. We don't have to find another occasion of it again because that's part of what makes it a miracle! The miracle is that only God could do it!

The New American Commentary says:

"Searching for historical incidents when people and large animals were swallowed and later recovered from sea creatures, show a posture of defensiveness, unnecessary, counter productive and violates the nature of the biblical accounts."

Dee Stuarts says: "A miracle is a divine account beyond human replications or explanation."

Jesus himself believed the story to be true (Matthew 12). So if we deny Jonah's experience to be fact, then we are charging Christ either with fraud, deception or ignorance of the truth. The truth is, God can do anything, be anything or use anything He chooses for the furtherance of the Gospel and His purpose!

Do you need a miracle today? God's supply is inexhaustible. He is ready and able to deliver you from, in, or through your circumstance. He knows. He knows you. He knows exactly what you need. Trust Him. Believe Him. He loves you and He cares.

Love,

A Jonah-heart?

Like most of you, I heard the story of Jonah and the whale when I was a small child. Sitting, listening intently with wide eyes, I tried to picture what the inside of a whale might look like. It's one of my grand daughters favorite Bible stories -- probably because her grandfather and I insert sounds and motions that make her giggle.

Recently I felt God leading me to teach on Jonah in my young adult Sunday school class. I ask, "Are you sure? Jonah?" (Why do I question Him?!!!) I began to read and research. I read the little four-chapter book in every version I could get my hands on. After gathering extra information and insight from commentaries and articles I began putting the four lessons together.

To be perfectly honest, I always get much more out of preparing a lesson than the students get out having it presented to them. This little book has made an impact on me. As God would have it and considering the world we live in today, the timing was perfect.

It amazes me how the Word of God is never outdated! The setting for this story is set around 759 BC, yet humans are still dealing with similar issues and God is still trying to get us to do what is right!

I've decided to share with you what I learned through this study. I will break it down in four or five posts. God is continuing to use this series of lessons to help me perfect my heart. So, come back soon and we'll get started on the lessons I've learned from the book of Jonah.

Love,

A and B

The ladies of our church are doing the Daniel Bible study on Monday nights and Thursday mornings. A week ago we studied chapter three which tells of the three Hebrew boys who were delivered through a fiery furnace trial -- literally. We learned that there can be three scenarios for when God allows us to go through a fiery trial in our life: A, B, & C.

• 
  
  Scenario A: Delivered FROM the fire. When the trial doesn't come to life. Dividend? Our faith is built.

• 
  
  Scenario B: Delivered THROUGH the fire. We experience the trial but God brings us through with victory. Dividend? Our faith is refined.


• 
  
  Scenario C: Delivered BY the fire into His Arms. We go home to our eternal reward. Dividend? Our faith is perfected.

In any of these scenarios, the child of God wins!

As I have shared in previous posts, I have a friend who the doctors feared had ovarian cancer. Now, as we gals know, so many times that is usually a death sentence, especially when one has a tumors is the size of a cantaloupe!

My prayer for her from the beginning was that the doctors would be amazed when they did the surgery and found that it was not what they expected. That's EXACTLY what happen!

She did not have cancer: Scenario A - She was delivered FROM having cancer and FROM having to go through all the treatments.

She did have surgery -- a complete hysterectomy: Scenario B - She was delivered THROUGH surgery and did well. (BTW she is home after only 3 days!)

So, she experienced Scenario A & B. Our morning class asked me to thank her for being the subject of an awesome object lesson during our Bible study :) They are so fun. Needless to say, we are rejoicing around here!


♥

Emmie's Miracle

At church last night we had Super Bowl Sunday. We have a man in our church that really does an awesome job of smoking ribs. So . . we had a rib dinner, pot luck items brought to compliment the ribs and, of course, football!

Since half time can present some"issues" for Christian viewers (ie. Janet. Jackson and her infamous clothing ), we turn off the game and have a devotion. This year Emmie's mom gave the devotion and shared little Emmie's miracle. Emmie had hydrops syndrom. Only 10% of the babies who develop this survive birth. Then, only 50% of that 10% live. Even if a child survives, they are at high great risk for blindness, heart disease, lung problems, liver damage just to mention a few. Emmie has NONE these. The doctors who do not believe in healing from The Healer, could only shake their head.

To me, all babies are a miracle. When I look at the little hands and feet, face, eyes -- everything perfect -- its a miracle! Then there are precious little ones like Emmie who experience great difficulty in sustaining life. "But there is a God in heaven" (Daniel 2) who is sovereign and and hear's his children's cry. Emmie is a living, breathing testimony to God's miraculous healing power. Her parents, family and friends are ever grateful and are careful to give God all the glory for what he has done for them.

Here are a few pics of Emmies first few weeks of life:

In the NICU at mercy hospital.
(Great Nanny, Mommy, Grammy and Emmie)

A rare moment of sleeping in mommy's arms.

Baby Emmie with her big brother, Bryte.

And, Emmie last night, February 1, 2009, 7 months of age
and her grateful mother, Jaclyn.

I couldn't resist having a picture made with her.
Isn't she just precious?!!

We read in Bible of miracles that Jesus performed when he was here on earth. Let this story be a reminder that He still performs miracles today. Jesus came to Emmie and touched her and she has been made WHOLE by His healing power. Our God is no respecter of persons -- He doesn't show favoritism. What He may do for one, He will do for another. We just need to believe and trust Him.

If you need a miracle today, Christ is ready, willing and waiting to touch you and your situation.

Love,

How much did Mary know?

I've often wondered how much Mary knew of what was ahead for her little baby. I'm sure there was much more to the announcements and conversations that Gabriel had with Joseph and Mary than was recorded. There is enough, though, to make a curious mind like mine to ponder.

In my Sunday School class today we will be looking at scripture and the lyrics to this song for a time of pondering and trying to put ourselves in their shoes. What must it have been like to be the very young parents of the Son of God? I pray that Jesus will be even more real to us as we review the life of this tiny baby who grew and fulfilled His role in the redemption plan for all mankind!

Love,

Kids, Christmas, Truth & Traditions

Christmas will soon be here! -- You're welcome :)

It's such a (forgive me here) magical time of year for most people. I have fond memories of special treats baking in the oven that sent luscious aroma throughout the house; the smell of the Christmas tree; the cold on my face; the snow as it glistened under the moonlight; and the Christmas gifts! Oh, my, the anticipation was almost more than I could bear! I'm sure you can add your own memories to my short list.

Playing the Santa "game" was fun but my parents also told me the truth and taught me the true meaning of Christmas early on.

Then . . . . I became a parent. I didn't want to lie to my child . . . so what do I do. Mindy at Ponderings of the Heart had a post that got me to thinking about all of this.

When my son was small and it was time to begin teaching him about Christmas, I prayed and asked the Lord to help me share the truth without taking away the fun of Christmas as we know it in America. Here's what I came up with:

To emphasize that this was Jesus' birthday, I wrapped a gift and put it under our Christmas tree. This was a gift for Jesus and our son opened it first (symbolizing giving Christ first place). I took gold wrapping paper, traced, cut out and pasted some items in the box (shirt box) then wrapped it up nice and pretty.

When our son opened the gift, I explained what each item meant. Each one represented something that Jesus really wants from us.

There was:

1. A Heart: First and foremost, Jesus wants us to give Him our hearts, to ask forgiveness for our sins and accept Him as our Lord and Savior (explained according to the child's age).

2. Hands: We give ourselves to help others - reaching out to those in need.

3. A Hammer: We give Him our labors. (His Daddy was/is Senior Pastor.) Working in our church, witnessing, etc.

4. Check/money/debit card: We give him money as the Bible teaches so that the church will have what it needs to minister to people, etc., etc.

We did this for a few years, until we were sure that he understood what Christmas was really about. Then we hung a small "Bible" at the very top of our tree that told of the Christmas story from the book of Luke. We let our son read the story to us and eventually, he could recite it from memory.

Legend tells us that Santa Claus was Bishop Nicholas from a town of Myra in the 4th century. He helped the poor through his generosity. Loved by all who knew him for helping those in need, the church would later saint him for his kindness and good deeds. Since that time, around the world, many children do believe that if they are good and kind to all, they will receive gifts from St. Nick at Christmastime.

Santa? Yes, we played the Santa game with him. He will tell you today that Christmases were very special and fun. He still receives Christmas gifts from "Santa", the real one -- Dad! :)

I am doing something different with my granddaughter. I have a small Nativity set. For one week, each day the child opens a gift. Each gift is a piece of the Nativity set. Each piece is explained as the story of the birth of Christ is told. On the seventh and final day the gift contains a mirror, and when its opened , the child see herself/himself in the mirror. You explain that they are a very special gift for Jesus. It's a perfect opportunity to share salvation with them as well.

A few years ago we started a new tradition: the "pickle" hidden in the Christmas tree. Do any of you do that?

Many Christian parents struggle to find creative ways to teach their children the true meaning of Christmas. Maybe you are doing something special to get the message across to your children. I would love to hear what what you're doing. Also, if you have any family traditions that you want to share, that would be fun to learn as well.

However you celebrate, family fun and traditions, along with the real reason for the Christmas season, make for a wonderful holiday full of warmth, joy and peace of heart!



Love,

For all Christians in the Military

It's so inspiring to see the Christian men and women of our military making a way to worship God whether it be in a military chapel, in the humblest of "homemade" settings or simply surrounded by the beauty of creation. God bless them for their faithfulness!

We may be feeling uneasy about the USA right now since we are so uncertain about the real President Elect Obama, but as the video will tell us, we must keep our eyes of Jesus!




Love,

7 Years . . . .?

Ooops! Look what I did!

I broke the back-of-my-hair-fixing-mirror!

Ooooooo!
Now that could be bad if I believed that a broken mirror brings 7 years bad luck!!

Well, I'm happy to say that I know that it doesn't. My fate is not in a broken piece of man-made glass, but instead, my life is in God's hands -- the hands of the very one who made the sand from which the glass was formed. I really have nothing to fear. It is wonderful to have the peace that is beyond understanding and to know that my future is under His control.

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
For I am the LORD your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior."
~ Isaiah 43: 1b -3

Love,

Living on Leftovers

Even after my husband and I were married a few years, he was still reluctant to tell me that he absolutely hated leftovers. I, on the other hand, loved them because it kept me from cooking everyday. Finally, he told me that he didn't like Used Food!

I thought the term "used food" was quite unique and I got the message but . . . . he still got leftovers every once in a while. :) Now, (I guess out of desperation), he seems to really like them.

I am taking my Young Adult Sunday School class through a month-long study on the life of Solomon (I Kings 1 - 11). As I was reading and preparing for the life application that will come at the end of our video, one thing about Solomon's life began to stand out to me: Solomon mostly lived on spiritual leftovers.

Yes, he was God's choice as King to follow David. He asked for wisdom to know how to lead the nation of Israel and that pleased God. He built the temple for God's presence to permanently dwell among them and God was pleased. He used this wisdom to advance the kingdom. He made some good political moves for trade and peace -- good in man's eyes. Some of his political decisions led to the desecration of the nation of Israel. One of several things he did was to take pagan wives in order to have peace and good relations with other nations. Bad spiritual move. (He had 700 wives and 300 concubines.)

God told Solomon that in order for the nation of Israel to be blessed, Solomon must follow God's decrees as his father David had done. God warned Solomon over and over and over of what would happen if he failed to follow these instructions. As Solomon aged, he became more lax in obedience to God's decrees for Israel. God was not pleased.

Here's where the spiritual leftovers come in. As I was reading, I noticed that many, many times God kept Solomon from punishment because of God's love for David! Solomon was living off of his fathers blessings! After Solomon's death, his children suffered because of his disobedience. The nation of Israel revolted and divided and eventually was taken into captivity because their king failed to follow God's instructions.

Leftover blessings. Here's the problem. Solomon was not receiving blessings from his own obedience. He was living off of the overflow of the abundance of blessings from David's love, obedience and dedication to God. Just like leftover food, once it's gone, there's nothing else to eat unless we get in the kitchen and cook up another meal.

Blessings from God. I can't feast on the blessings that my parents gave me as a spiritual inheritance forever. I must receive for myself by walking in obedience on a daily basis. My children and grandchildren will inherit from us, but they, too, will have to "cook up some blessings" for themselves.

Like David , we must pass the example of rightousness to those who follow us. "Lord, give me a heart like your beloved servant David."

Love,

Got a spot?

I'm sure you have seen this commercial. I think its funny! But, each time I see it, something speaks loudly to me. The man TRYING to impress the interviewer with information about his accomplishments, is completely out talked by the stain on his shirt. It's a hoot! This is a perfect example of the phrase "actions speak louder than words".

I wonder if this is how others see us when we talk one way and live another, perhaps without integrity and good character Are we always honest? Do we strive to do what is right? Do we witness with our mouths only or are we being a witness by our actions and deeds? There is a difference. We need to be witnesses.

I ask God daily to help me keep the "spots" from my life. He loves a repentant heart and will lovingly help us remove the things in our lives that could "out talk" witness. We just need to sincerely ask. How about you, are you willing let God do a little "laundering" on your heart?

I want it all.....and I want it now!

Have you seen the Chase credit card commercial where a wife has had it with their family television? She says to her husband, "You're right, we need a new TV. He brightens up and goes shopping for a new HD TV. Then the music starts ,"I Want It All, and I Want It Now!" The commercial ends with the tag line "Chase what matters."

Every time I see this commercial it reminds me that this is the mentality of most Americans. We have so much to be thankful for. We are free to make choices for ourselves, blessed with abundance of all kinds and still have our freedom to worship God. Yet, we are a nation that consumes more anti-depressants that any other nation. We have so much to be happy about but there seems to be a big void. So....we look elsewhere to fill it.

Many do not necessarily delve into illicit sex, drugs and other "deep" sins" (sin is sin) but instead, over consume food and the purchasing of stuff. We are a nation who spends money on the rental of storage units just to house our over abundance of stuff. (The leasing of storage units is a real money maker for the owners - no joke.)

Just like the song on the commercial, "We want it all and we want it now!", kind of sounds like a small child throwing a temper tantrum doesn't it? I must be honest and admit I, too, have found myself doing the same -- getting caught up in excessiveness, wanting more and wanting it now only to find that the anticipation was more satisfying that the "getting". God is working on this area of my life and I am very thankful for His loving ways that include no condemnation.

The last part of that commercial says "Chase what matters." What matters to me? What matters to you? Relationships: God, family and friends are what matters to me the most. Stuff is so temporary and if it ever brings satisfaction, it's usually very short-lived. So let's chase what matters - the heart of God and all the other relationships and things (stuff) will fall into their proper place. God truly fills the void and brings satisfaction like nothing else and it lasts in spite of the circumstances around us.

Love to you,

Sherry

Keeping Up With Emmie

This is baby Emmie and her big brother who just turned 1!
She is growing and filling out her preemie clothes. She is still very tiny and so beautiful!

Thank you for praying for her. She is a miracle!

Love,

Sherry

Amazing!!

This is amazing and inspiring.

Sherry