1/31/12

1/31/12

                I had to take a survey recently because I am in the middle of training and it helps to learn as much as possible when dealing with people and counseling.  I had to take a survey about my childhood and had to answer a lot of questions.  While doing this survey I learned a lot of great things about myself and also I was able to see something from a perspective that I have never seen before.  This survey showed me that EVERY CHILD NEEDS a stable, god loving Father AND Mother.  It shows what happens when there are people who are raised by a mother or a father, divorced, step dads, step moms, etc.  If you look in the world the divorce rate is up and people have already had several marriages.  You take it back to the beginning of the bible and God created Man and Woman to come together as ONE.  So Gods plan was for you to have one person and become joined for LIFE!!  We are not supposed to experiment, test partners, have several marriages jumping from one to the next because “we aren’t happy.” We are doing damage to ourselves and our bodies and not to even mention that if we have children they are suffering the most.  As parents or even just people in society we can see children at a young age and then grow up to be dysfunctional or a debt to society by bad behavior and causing more harm than good and we ask “what happened?”  Well to be honest if that child had BOTH godly parents who took the time to mold that child and love that child and educate and teach that child, then the child would have Gods blessing and Gods covering.  If you are single, engaged, married, parent, etc.  YOU have a job!!!! Your job is to have God in your life and to seek his face and honor him with the way we live.  We can’t live like the world and live for ourselves and seek desires and pleasures that are selfish.  We need to respect our bodies because they are temples and not to be shown to the world and they are to be sacred and valued.  If you are single you should make a vow to stay abstinent, if you are engaged make a vow to work on pre-marital classes and how to have a strong marriage and to wait until you are married, even if you haven’t it isn’t too late to make a change and wait. If you are married then you can understand it is a full time job and you can’t get lazy and must always keep seeking Gods face and his Word.  If you are a parent it is so important to be stable and make sure your child has a safe and loving up-bringing.  I know lots will argue with what I have to say because a lot of people aren’t married or are alone raising children and the truth is that it can turn around with one touch from God.  If you make him important he will work 100% in your life and it will always benefit you.  So start seeking Gods face and making him a priority!!

Costa Cruises Offers $14,460 Per Person For Concordia Cruise

Costa Cruises Offers $14,460 Per Person For Concordia Cruise

This whole cruise ship really has broken my heart.  I recently went on a cruise with my brother to the bahamas and it was our first time on a cruise ship.  I was imagining on our last day when we knew the ship was close to arriving to our port, we were asleep in our cabin and we had no window and no idea of where we were at because we were trusting the captain of the ship.  I was imagining how it would of been if we were asleep and all of a sudden a huge crash and shaking and power going out and people screaming and panic and water coming in and seeing dead people etc.  This is something that would be an absolute nightmare to have gone through.  This upsets me so much because I feel so much for the people that experienced it.  The whole experience is so dramatic and especially for the people who are still missing.  I was shocked to see that they are putting a price $ on this horrific disaster.  I read this article and below is from an actual passenger who survived this accident and what she wrote just puts into a reality of how this has truly affected and changed peoples lives forever.
"We're very worried about the children," said Claudia Urru of Cagliari, Sardinia, who was on board the ship with her husband and two sons aged 3 and 12. Her eldest child, she said, is seeing a psychiatrist: He won't speak about the incident or even look at television footage of the grounding.
"He's terrorized at night," she told The Associated Press. "He can't go to the bathroom alone. We're all sleeping together, except my husband, who has gone into another room because we don't all fit."
As a result, she said, her family has retained a lawyer because they don't know what the real impact – financial or otherwise – of the trauma will be. She said her family simply isn't able to make such decisions now.
"We are having a very, very hard time," she said.
Please keep lifting everyone up in your prayers to God about everyone who was involved in this accident.

Quotes/Scripture

I am doing this bible study on scriptures and the book is mixed with quotes by authors, and biblical scriptures.  There were a few that jumped out to me where I had to highlight a bunch of times and even put little stars by. J

            -You are either becoming more like Christ every day or you’re becoming less like him.  There is no neutral position in the Lord.   (Stormie Omartian)

             We make daily excuses of why we do things or don’t do things so we feel better about ourselves.  When you look at this quote you see you are or you aren’t.  It is that simple.  I love how spelled out this quote is because it sums it up where I feel everyone can relate.

            -We are either the masters or the victims of our attitudes.  It is a matter of personal choice.  Who we are today is the result of the choices we made yesterday. Tomorrow, we will become what we choose today.  To change means to choose to change. (John Maxwell)

            We tend to think others are responsible for what they did to us or how they treated us, when truth is WE make the choice to become the victim or the master of our attitude.  Every day is an opportunity to learn from our mistakes and trials and grow in God and learn and keep moving forward.  We always have a choice, so we choose what we think, feel, do, or don’t do.

            -Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength. (Corrie ten Boom)

            As humans we tend to worry and try to figure out EVERY situation and we can grow tired and weary.  We think that when we worry we are in the process of fixing or finding a solution.  The truth is we are putting ourselves before God and telling him he can’t handle it, we can. 

            -And he said to me, My grace is sufficient enough for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. (2 corinthians 12:9)

            We are weak and grow tired, so at our worst, he is our best!!!

Majority of People... Are you one of them?

1/12/12

                Majority:

                                Lately, I have been noticing more and more how a lot of people say “they know Jesus” then follow up with their religion.  When people mention their religion at times it as almost as if they expect “their title of religion” to be self explanatory and that is good enough and no more needs to be said.  The crazy thing is even with questions and simple ones at that some seem lost and the truth comes out that they really truly don’t KNOW Jesus and the sacrifice he did for us and they don’t know how to receive it or even forgive themselves for that matter.  This truly saddens me because God isn’t hung up on what religion we are, that is something the world does to put a label on something.  God wants us to accept his love and the sacrifice he did for us so we can receive his grace and mercy and love.  Also so we are to do his will and reach others that are lost.  I have been meeting more and more people like this lately where they give this “religion label” and then can’t even explain what it is or what they believe and then when you ask the simple question “How do you know that you are going to heaven?”  People get scared and realize they don’t know.  This is how you truly know if you truly know Jesus and follow Jesus and love him and include him in your life.  So if this includes you then you shouldn’t be embarrassed just be happy that you are able to discover this on your own before it is too late.  It is sad to say that some people ignore it until it is too late and when that happens then there are no more chances.  Once your life here on earth is done, you are judged on everything from when you lived to when it ended.  So if you haven’t accepted the Lord truly, then sad to say, you are eternally separated from God.   

                                So instead of labeling yourself and having that give you a “feel good” when religion isn’t about a label, a feeling, a list of rules, etc.  Religion complicates things if you ask me.  I am talking get down to the bare bone, the bare basics and start at the very beginning.  Be real with yourself and ask yourself if you have truly accepted Jesus and if you have been living for yourself or for God?  No more lying to yourself or making excuses.  What is more important?  This life?  Or Eternal life? 

                                On a personal note, I was raised catholic and that was fine for the time being and the school was nice but when I grew up I actually discovered that there was so much that I was never taught or explained to about things.  There were so many gaps missing in my life regarding faith and I was trying to put back pieces that were missing.  I discovered Christian Church and saw that it was as real as it gets and the bible is read word for word and you can follow yourself.  I loved the concepts you can apply to your everyday life from the reading.  The word becomes alive!!!  The point of going to church isn’t so you can check it off your list and feel good.  It is so you can adore the Lord with praise and worship and be with other Christians your sisters/brothers and get that spiritual food for the week ahead.  You should feel supercharged when you leave church, and if you aren’t getting that when you leave church then stop lying to yourself and see that something big in your life is missing and that there is more that God wants you to have.

Gods TIming is ALWAYS right

            I am speaking for myself when I write this and this is honestly how I feel.  As humans we always try to do things our way or find reasoning that makes sense to us and we can justify it.  When situations happen and we aren’t expecting them, then we can try to do it our way and stress about it, OR we can sit back and trust God and not lose one hair over it.  I had a situation of the un-expected happen recently and I didn’t expect the way it happened and how it was presented at first and it really stressed me out.  I was overwhelmed and trying to figure out what to do or next step is.  I tried one night my way and was upset and stressed out trying to find a solution and then I just came to God with it and said “God Im scared, hold me, give me peace and take care of this situation for me and let it be done your way.”  I was 100% honest with God I was scared and felt trapped and it was almost as if God was just waiting for those words to come out of my mouth then action started.  Everything that happened after that was on Gods timing and he put a certain group of people in our circle to help, and our church family is wonderful and we can always count on them, and sure enough the answer came!!  Everything worked out for the best and sure enough it is even better now then when it was before.  I am so glad that I didn’t waste more time trying to figure it out on my own because I don’t need the stress especially being pregnant.  So here God was just waiting on me to come to him and lay in his arms and ask for help.  My husband and I are so blessed and highly favored from the Lord!! I am just so thankful!!! Amen!