Thanksgiving Day Prayer

Hi, thanks for stopping by.  I know you must be new here, because I am new. Please check out 

My Story to get to know me better or subscribe here. Welcome!

Lord I thank you that you are a faithful God.  Even when I am not faithful, You love me anyway.  

I am most thankful for the unconditional love you freely give me everyday. You are an awesome God. I am also thankful for the great love of my husband and children. 

Lord I pray that today you bless my time with my family.

Lord I pray that today my family can feel your love. 

Lord I pray that today my family can remember all that you have provided, and all that they can be thankful for.

Lord I pray that today you can allow me to boldly share my love of you, with my family that does not know you.

Lord I pray that today you allow me to be an example of you in all that I do.

Lord I pray that today my family can share conversations that will always glorify you. 

Lord I pray that today my family can share experiences that will become lifelong memories.

Lord I pray that you all have a happy and blessed Thanksgiving!

I am thankful for each and every one of you. In Jesus name amen.

Give thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.     Ephesians 5:20

What are you thankful for today?

How are you spending your Thanksgiving?

Envy

Hi, thanks for stopping by.  I know you must be new here, because I am new. Please check out 

My Story to get to know me better or subscribe here. Welcome!

How many times have you looked at someone else's life and thought, "I wish that could be me." 

We may try to imitate what they have or secretly compete,  in an effort to (as they call it)  "Keep up with the Joneses."  I know we have all experienced this, in some way, whether we think those exact words, or even have feelings of jealousy. 

We know that God's word instructs us against being led by these feelings.  In the word it does not say, that we are not to experience these feelings.  It is only natural to our flesh, but it is important not to be led by these feelings, because they will cause us to sin.  The word of God also offers us many ways that we can overcome these feelings, and the answer is only through Jesus Christ. 

There may even be times when we feel frustration because we see success in the life of a nonbeliever, and we look to our lives and all we see is a struggle.  We have envy, and can't understand why God is not blessing us in this way.  This is something that is hard to experience, but we must remember 

God always takes care of His children.

Also remember that the enemy will definitely try to attack you if he feels you are a threat to his evil schemes. So trust that God is in control. 

This morning in my quiet time with God.  I was reading Psalm 37 and felt so encouraged regarding this issue, because God gives us clear instructions on how to overcome these feelings of envy and jealousy.  He also promises us that when we choose to trust Him in this area, He will give us peace, righteousness, and the desires of our hearts.

Do not fret because of evil men or envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.  Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.  Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:1-4

Continue reading this whole Psalm and you will be encouraged by God's love and how He promises to take care of his children.

I am so thankful that we serve a God that not only understands these feelings that we experience, but He also gives us clear guidance, in His word on how to overcome them.  He then comforts us and prospers us, when we choose to follow and trust Him.

How can we not feel blessed when we have that type of assurance?

Have you ever experienced feelings of envy?

How has God helped you overcome?

Being Like Salt to the World

Hi, thanks for stopping by.  I know you must be new here, because I am new. Please check out 

My Story to get to know me better or subscribe here. Welcome!

You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall it's saltiness be restored?  It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under peoples feet.  Matthew 5:13

God's word tells us that we are the salt.  We have to remain salty or we become no good.  We will be thrown out and trampled under peoples feet.  I have always read this verse, understanding that God is calling us as believers to be different. Christians must bring flavor to the world.  The flavor is Jesus Christ. 

Yesterday while I was driving my daughter to preschool, we were listening to her bible songs cd that she got from church.  It's one of her favorites so it's usually on heavy rotation.  I love it because it's a great way for her to learn God's word, and she just loves singing out her praises to God.  I'm so used to hearing it over and over, that I have come to the point where I sometimes  block it out(you know how us moms do?)  

Today was a little different.  I happened to be listening, and something caught my attention.  Between the songs they have interludes.  The woman on the cd was speaking about us being salt in the world.  She then said, " Salt makes us thirsty, we must make people thirsty for Jesus."  I don't know why I never thought of it in this way before, but I guess God had revealed it to me.  It was so simple, but all of a sudden it made sense to me.  We must be like salt to the world, so people can be thirsty for Jesus.  In the word we learn that Jesus is the living water.

But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.  The water that I will give him will become in him  a spring of  water welling up to eternal life.  John 4:14

The only way that we can make others thirst for God, is being thirsty ourselves.  We must desire to be like Christ, to live our lives according to His word, striving each day to draw closer in our relationship with Him.  Once we can live our lives in this way, others will see something in us that they desire.  They will thirst for what we have.  

This lesson of being like salt can apply to our marriages as well.  We should desire to bring flavor to our marriages.  Often we can allow our marriages to become bland.  We must be the salt in our marriages that cause our spouses to thirst not only for us, but most importantly, for Christ.  Be the example in your marriage that allows your spouse to draw closer to Christ.

How are you salt in your marriage?

Do you desire to be salt to the world?

A Night To Remember

Hi, thanks for stopping by.  I know you must be new here, because I am new. Please check out 

My Story to get to know me better or subscribe here. Welcome!

Last Thursday I was excited to celebrate my 4 year anniversary.  Usually when it's my anniversary I look forward to a special date night with my man.  This year I was blessed to not only have a date night but a family night out too. 

Thursday night which was my actual anniversary, my family went to dinner at the restaurant Friday's.  It wasn't anything planned, and it was a great treat from my mother-in-law.  We had a great time, great food, and the waiter even brought us a double Oreo sundae, with two spoons. He even wished us a "Happy Anniversary." 

Then all week I was waiting in anticipation for my official date night on Saturday.  Everything was coming together as planned.  I even got my Mom to take the kids overnight.  They love it over there, so they were very excited.  To make things a little more interesting, I convinced my hubby that we would pick each others outfits for the night.  I love picking out his clothes, so this was going to be fun for me.  In the past he has always had great taste in fashion, especially when it comes to shopping for our daughter's clothes.  I totally trusted him in his choice.  I was very pleased with his choice. He picked my navy blue dress with my white leather jacket, and purple super chunky wedge heels(unfortunately the heels were not made for walking so they didn't make it through the night). 

For accessories I added in my large silver earrings, and my tribal print bag. 

I have to admit overall hubby did a good job. Do you agree?

As for him I picked out a dark purple sweater with a purple and white checkered shirt.  I also threw in a lavender and grey striped tie just to make him look a little fancy(I mean it is our anniversary.) 

I chose a pair of his new jeans and topped it off with a brown leather jacket and brown shoes.  I think I made a good choices, and I have to admit my hubby was looking very handsome that evening. What do you think?

As you can see from the pics we decided to spend the evening in New York City.  There are always so many things to do.  We had late reservations for dinner, so we ended up walking around times square, enjoying the sights, and taking pictures. You never know what you'll find in NYC, so we had lots of fun.  We even wandered up to a band playing music by the fountain, so we had the chance to sit and enjoy the music. The weather was a little warmer than usual so it made for the perfect night. 

As we were walking, my husband comes up with a great idea, to go to one of the popular candy shops in the area.  Now of course how could I resist?  So we were off to the candy shop.

When we arrived at Dylan's Candy Bar we realized this place was more than a candy shop.  They had two levels of candy and the top level was a cafe with ice cream.  I ordered the candy bar blast ice cream, and my hubby had an apple candy milkshake.  It was delicious.

After the ice cream we were literally like two kids in a candy shop, as we went around filling up our bags with all types of candy.  It was then time to catch a cab over to the restaurant for dinner.

The restaurant was beautiful. When we walked in it was dark with candles and flowers on the tables.  We were greeted by the hostess who also wished us a "Happy Anniversary," and she took us to our table on the second level.  This place was definitely romantic enough for an anniversary dinner. 

Hubby and I enjoyed a three course meal which included an appetizer, entree, and dessert.  Talk about fancy eating.  My hubby sure knows how to make a girl feel special.  After all the food we were completely stuffed, so we ended up taking our dessert to go. 

We ended our night by going to see a movie at the huge theater in times square.  Honestly I really enjoyed the night out with my husband.  It's always nice to take time out of our everyday schedules to enjoy each others company.  The best part was being able to hold hands as we walked around the city.

It was definitely a night to remember!

How do you & your hubby celebrate anniversaries?

What makes the celebration truly special?

Here are some more pics of our NYC adventure. 

 

Remembering What God Has Done

Hi, thanks for stopping by.  I know you must be new here, because I am new. Please check out 

My Story to get to know me better or subscribe here. Welcome!

In the bible there are many verses that tell us to forget our past, and look to a new life that God has given us through the death of Jesus.  Depending on your lifestyle before your salvation this may come easier.  Many people feel disgusted by their old lives, and may have a hard time even thinking about those days before Jesus.  It may be a reminder of past sins or pain, that were only overcome by the blood of Jesus.  These people may forget their past focusing only to their new lives.  Other people may have a harder time forgetting their past.  The enemy may be using past sins from your old life as a stronghold in your new life.  This may cause you to feel stuck, confused, or discouraged, because you are unable to see yourself through the eyes of God. God's Word clearly tells us that we are made new through Christ.  

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.   2 Corinthians 5:17

God's Word also tells us that the only way we can move forward in Him is to forget our past.  I think it is also important to remember the past, so we can always remember and be thankful for what God has done.  

Today as I sat and had my breakfast God began to remind me of where I used to be.  He reminded  me of the things of the past, and the times I prayed for Him to work in my life.  Just as quickly as He reminded me of those times, He began to remind me of how far He has brought me.  

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own.  But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press toward the goal  for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:13-14

I began to recognize that my past struggles were now victories because of what God had done in me.  I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with emotion, because I know I serve a faithful God.  

I pray  that God helps me to never forget my past, because it will help me to always remember why I have a future.

How do you feel about your past?

Have you taken the time to think about how far God has brought you?

A Hard Lesson:"Not my will God, but Yours."

Hi, thanks for stopping by.  I know you must be new here, because I am new. Please check out 

My Story to get to know me better or subscribe here. Welcome!

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.  

Proverbs 3:5-6

This was my devotional scripture verses for today.  I have learned in the past that each morning, I need to take the time to spend with God.  This quiet time consists of reading a daily devotional, reading the scriptures, praying, and listening to what God has to tell me for the day.

Normally I try to make sure this is done first thing in the morning.  I have found that my day goes better, and I am more open to God, when I put Him first in my day.  Now there are times when my busy morning routine gets the best of me.  I don't end up sitting down with my bible and devotional, until after the kids are off at school.  

This morning happened to be one of those mornings.  I also made the mistake of checking my emails beforehand as well.  This turned out to be a mistake because I noticed an email that I didn't like.  Immediately I felt my frustration level begin to rise.  I began to get angry over what I saw in the email.  I knew that I needed to calm down, so in my mind that is exactly what I told myself.  I even told myself, "I need to put it in God's hands and trust Him to handle it." After those initial feelings I prayed that I would do exactly that. 

Now everything seemed so simple right?  I had my personal attitude check and even sealed it with a prayer.  I should feel good now, trusting that God is in control of it all.  That is the ultimate goal that I pray for on a daily bases, but of corse it's never that simple, when it comes to emotions.  I continued to feel frustrated about the situation, as I looked for ways to solve it.  

My husband was working from home today, so I began to think, "I need to talk to him about this." 

In the back of my mind God was telling me not to share it, and just to trust Him.  Somehow I convinced myself that I was going to let my hubby read the email, just to make sure I didn't misunderstand anything.  Obviously this was a completely a lie from the enemy, which I fell for.  It caused me to disobey what I heard God telling me, and it happened just that simple.  At the time I didn't even recognize that this was happening, but that's how sneaky the enemy works.

I got on the phone made a call, and eventually the situation was resolved, just that simple.  That is how our God works.  God took care of the situation just as He had promised, regardless of my disobedience.

After that I sat down with my bible and devotional, what is the first thing I read?

My scripture verses Proverbs 3:5-6.  The devotional reading then goes on to talk about how most people want what they want, and their emotions flare up if they don't get it.  Talk about being humbled. 

Often as Christians we have this feeling of entitlement.  We expect life to be perfect and everything to go smoothly for us.  We expect all the goodness of God, and when things don't go that way, we begin to complain and pout.

God wants to give us the desires of our hearts, but sometimes we have to be patient and endure not getting our way.  These disappointments teach us a lesson about our character, and tests our level of spiritual maturity.  

So take my advice and learn from my lesson.  This was a big lesson God was trying to teach me.   I had to learn the hard way.  Unfortunately this is the way I learn most of my lessons.  Regardless I am thankful that God loves me enough to discipline me. He never leaves me in my disobedience.  That's just not who He is.

Commit yourself fully to God.  That means even when situations arise, it won't make you angry.  Remember "Not my will God, but Yours." 

I had to ask God for forgiveness for my disobedience, and pray that I could change from this lesson learned.  Pray with me that we can learn to completely submit to God's will, even if it's not what we want.  When we do, God will always give us exactly what is best.

How do you learn most of your lessons from God?

Are you often like me learning things the hard way?

My Lesson in Appreciation

Hi, thanks for stopping by.  I know you must be new here, because I am new. Please check out 

My Story to get to know me better or subscribe here. Welcome!

Last week I posted a blog about having an "Appreciative Heart." Yesterday I was inspired by an article I read about appreciating our husbands.  The article talked about how although we appreciate our husbands our behavior does not always reflect it.  Recently I noticed that God really has this ongoing theme that He has tried to work on me about. I know that means I need to put more attention in this area.  Again today God spoke to my heart about appreciating my kids, especially my son Amari.   The funny thing is, sometimes it takes another mother to mention it, before you can think and appreciate it yourself.

Today in church my son Amari was being very responsible by helping me with his sister and my niece.  I was so busy with my own business, that I gave him a simple "Thank you," and then went back to my conversation with a friend.  Then my friend happened to make the comment "He is so good, and a very responsible young man."  When she said this it immediately  made me think and I responded to her saying, "Yes he is."

Amari is eleven years old, so he is at that age where he is figuring out who he is.  In his words he is a "Tween."  He definitely loves the Lord and he lives his life serving God.  I couldn't ask for anything better.  Often Amari and I have discussions. I try to get him to understand his actions, and encourage him to be more mature.  Especially when it comes to setting the example as an older brother.  I think often I get so caught up on those times, that I fail to recognize the mature young man, that God has blessed me with.  Amari is really growing into a young man after God's heart.  I am so thankful for his heart.  I am also thankful that God loves me enough to convict my heart.  He reminds me when I need to appreciate my children more.  

I made sure when we got home from church, that I shared with Amari "How mature I thought he was," and "How big of a help he is to me."  I could see that sharing this information with him made him feel good.  Honestly it made me feel good as well, because I was able to share with my son just how much I appreciate him. 

I know many days we are very busy moms.  We're trying to do our best as mothers, but we must remember to show our children some love.  

Once a day make a commitment to share with our kids one thing that we appreciate about them. This is a goal that is easily obtainable.  It will definitely be an investment into the lives of our children. 

What are some ways that you show your kids you appreciate them?

Unfair Expectations

Hi, thanks for stopping by.  I know you must be new here, because I am new. Please check out 

My Story to get to know me better or subscribe here. Welcome!

My husband is truly my best friend, so that means I love to spend all of my free time with him.  When we are together we can have fun just sitting and talking.  

In the beginning of our relationship I would continuously give him a hard time, if he couldn't spend time with me. I would feel that he was not giving me the appropriate attention.  Often times I would have feelings of rejection because I felt he was choosing something else over me.  Now don't get me wrong he was always the sweetest man, and most of the time he would consider my feelings first over his.  I know that I didn't have a legit reason to feel this way, but regardless I did. 

This  was something that over time God has helped me with, and it feels good to not put that burden on my husband.  I know I still have a long way to go, but I am definitely a work in progress.

Just recently I saw this post by Ruth Bell Graham, the wonderful wife of evangelist Billy Graham.

"It is a foolish woman who expects her husband to be to her which only Jesus Christ  Himself can be: ready to forgive, totally understanding, unendingly patient, invariably tender and loving, unfailing in every area, anticipating every need, and making more than adequate provision, such  expectations put a man under an impossible strain.  The same goes for the man who expects too much from his wife."

This quote really resinated in my heart.  How many times do we expect our husbands to do things, or make us feel a certain way, that only God can provide. 

How many of you wives have been here?  You and your hubby have an argument.  You are feeling all different kinds of emotions about the situation.  Then you become angry because your husband is not providing you with the comfort you feel you deserve.  You may be thinking he is my husband it is his job to make me feel better.  Here is a hard lesson that God has taught me.

"Stop giving somebody else the responsibility  for your joy."

Especially when it only comes from Christ alone.

These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.   John 15:11

When you begin to take the pressures off your man, and give them to your merciful and loving Father,  you will begin to see God working.  Eventually your hubby will feel more loved and less pressured, and he will want to give you exactly what you need.  

Appreciative Heart

Hi, thanks for stopping by.  I know you must be new here, because I am new. Please check out 

My Story to get to know me better or subscribe here. Welcome!

It is good to be back blogging after a few days off.  After the end of my 31 Days of Sharing God's Love Challenge, this girl needed a few days to recuperate.  Although, I do love writing so much that I couldn't be away for too long.

Last Sunday my church offered a service, that allowed the congregation to experience life as a missionary.  It was truly an eye-opening experience.  The whole church was set up like we were in another country. There were actors who told the story of different individuals, and their struggles living in these foreign countries.  As I listened to each story, it made me think about my life here as a believer in America. 

As Americans we have the freedom to pray, preach, and read God's Word at any time.  Unfortunately this is not the reality of many other believers around the world.  They often have to suffer for choosing to follow Jesus Christ.  This made me think.  If we have such freedoms such as reading the bible, praying in public, or preaching the Word of God, then why do we so often take it for granted?  We live such busy lives,  that sometimes just taking five minutes out of our day to spend time with God, seems like a burden.  

Sadly I know that I have personally been guilty of this.  Honestly God has convicted my heart about it. When I think of those believers out there that fight for what they believe, it makes me realize the true gift that God has given me. 

Sometimes we have to take ourselves out of own lives, and experience the lives of others in order to appreciate the blessings that God has given us.  

My desire is to make Jesus the number one priority in my life.  I pray that other wives and mothers desire this as well.  We must live our lives as an example to our families, friends, and to those that don't know Jesus. 

Lord I pray today that you put a passion in our hearts that motivate us to always seek you first.  Help us to not take for granted this gift of salvation, that you have so freely given us.  Thank you for your never ending love for us. In Jesus name Amen.

Have you put Jesus as number one in your life?

How can me make sure not to take our gift of salvation for granted?