Flesh versus Spirit

The Spirit says : Forgive
The Flesh says: Hold a grudge

The Spirit says: Be Temperate
The Flesh says: Eat whatever you want whenever you feel like it.

The Spirit says: Give that money to someone in need.
The Flesh says: Spend that money on yourself.

The Spirit says: Spend some time in the Word and in prayer.
The Flesh says: You've had a long day chill out in front of the TV for the evening.

The Spirit says: Hold your tongue. What you are about to say is not necessary. (ouch)
The Flesh says: Tell it like it is.

How many times do I give into the Flesh when I know the Spirit is telling me something else.

The King is Coming

As a Babe came our Savior the first time....God in the Flesh. He came to save us from our sins.

As we enter into the Christmas season, all the hustle and bustle of the season I want to stop...I want to listen to the quietness of the His words that He has written in His Word. On the Holiness of Jesus and His love for the world and how He paid for all the sin debt of every soul that has and will be born.

How He walked with sinners...how He ate with sinners....how he humble Himself to washing the dirty feet of His disciples.....how He went to the Garden and prayed....how He has the perfect plan laid out in His word for contentment....for instruction on life...on money.. on how we are to live...and how many, many times...we do it our way....our way seems so much better....and we wonder then where is the peace...where is the contentment....where is the hope.....

He came to give us life...and give it to us abundantly.
As a nation we must get down on our knees and seek his forgiveness and repent of our sins and turn to Him....but it must start with us...with me....our world has become so accepting...even our church's do not say anything that could condemn someone or hurt someones feelings...we must look the other way in order not to stir up any trouble...often times I wonder where I would have been had I not had the foundation as a child. I didn't understand it then but it was instilled in in me there is a heaven and there is a hell and one place or the other we will spend eternity there. And I do know the only way is through Jesus....as a babe He came but He came as our King to die for our sins so that we may live.

Christmas eve is my very, very most favorite day of the year....I makes me feel special...to think that Jesus had me in mind had you in mind...He came as a babe....the first time but the next time He will come as a King.....

Merry Christmas...let's cherish this time and listen...to the sounds of Christmas!!!

Food On my Table

I have a roof up above me and a good place to sleep, there is food on my table, and shoes on my feet, you gave me your love Lord and a fine family...thank you Lord for you blessings on me.

What a song..what words...though the world looks upon me when I struggle along, they say I have nothing but they are so wrong, in my heart I am rejoicing why can't they see...thank you Lord for your blessings on me.

Love! Favorites!

These are the people and places and things in my life that bring me joy and I love. I love the man standing next to our camper. I love camping!! Love. Love. Love.

I loved going to Chicago when Abby and Jeff were there. Loved their apartments, being in the city so far from home.
Love spending the time with them doing the things I don't do everyday. Taking the train there, and even flying one time and driving twice...fun

Love Colorado....love...We have been there quite a few times and it makes me feel so close to God..all the beauty of it all!

My blackboard Everett made me many years ago. Each and every day for years he leaves me a note on it early in the morning. It is there when I come down from upstairs. His notes have so much meaning for life. Love. Love. Love.

My red wash house that sits in my back yard. It sat in the backyard of the home I grew up in...I played in it when I was little it was my playhouse and my mom washed her clothes in it when I was a child...love it in my back yard. A very kind man had bought it when they burned down my home place and hauled it off and a couple of years later brought it to my backyard!

Snow, fresh fallen snow...the building is where I have worked for almost 37 years...tears and laughter in that building but now it is a joy I have wonderful girls working for me..it used to be our  flour mill here in town now it is a wire harness shop. I love the old in there. My office has the original floors....love ...for the most part....my job ...soon it will be time to retire...how do I feel??? 

Branson....we go there sometimes 2 to 3 times a year....we have so much fun...Christmas in Branson...The Landing...just all the people..Silver Dollar City...the kiddos get us Season Ticket to SDC...love the smell there...the food...

NOW MY MOST FAVORITE TIME AND PEOPLE...

Christmas eve...my favorite day of the year...there is something sacred about that day...love Christmas eve..going to candle light service with all of my family..getting together for snacks...going to bed and waking up on Christmas morning used to be so exciting when the kiddos were all home....So many memories!! Love. Love.

Great Wolf Lodge...been doing this for a number of years now..our Christmas present to the children and grandchildren..how they love it a week-end together. Playing, swimming talking late into the night. I will cherish these times forever..as long as I have my mind...these are so special to me!!!
All are a gift from God...Thank you!!!

STRONGHOLDS

Fortress the Greek  word for stronghold taken literally means a fortress. It is used in the Bible as a metaphor to represent things that are based only on human confidence or pride as opposed to those that rely on God's input and guidance. Strongholds are walls or fortresses around beliefs and emotions to protect us from further pain. an important part of healing and transforming the deep wounds divinely pulling down the stronghold.

Strongholds can bind us tie us up and keep us from doing and living the life that God has planned for us.
I don't claim to be an expert on strongholds and may be all wrong about them. I have not done an intense study on strongholds but do know that I myself have struggled with some. The stronghold of beliefs that I have had have been powerful. We are fighting a spiritual battle daily. The world, self and the devil. Believing things that are not true can keep us from having the peace and joy and freedom that God has intended for us to have.

This is the area where my struggle has been for years. Believing things that are not true! The only way to free yourself from the stronghold of untruth is to find out the truth. Searching God's word, prayer, seeking the Holy Spirit's leading, and in my case having a husband that is so spiritually and in God's word that we can talk and seek God's word for the truth.

We can really believe something to be so true and it can be so far from truth that when the light comes on you wonder how you could have really believed that to begin with but then realize at the time I didn't know better nor did I take the time to search for the truth. When we are taught something and it is taught over and over generation after generation and you keep asking questions but no one will answer them or know the answer themselves how do you break the untruth.

Now not all can be not true...there may be just enough truth there that you don't ever question it keeping us enough naïve that we just don't think anything can be wrong.

There are a lot of strongholds.....sin.....destructive thoughts, negative thoughts, lust, impure thinking...pride, habits, learned behaviors that enslave us.

But Glory be to God...there is a way...to break down strongholds...whatever they may be....God's Spirit and God's Word.

Through the power of the Holy Spirit and the life-transforming power of God's Word, our stronghold(s) can be pulled down!

I am so thankful for a loving, all powerful God...nothing, nothing is to hard for Him...

I am so thankful for His love for me and for you that He sent His only begotten Son that we may have everlasting life.
That whosoever believeth in Him will have everlasting life...His gave His life for me and for you..and there is NOTHING I can do to help Him save me...He did it all...and on the cross said IT IS FINISHED...there is nothing left to do but believe.....I have put all my trust in Him....to do what HE said HE has done....He died for my sins and yours!

And He is coming back....soon....

Did I take enough time?

Sometimes as I look back I feel like I never took enough time.
Not enough time holding my babies.
Not enough time sitting on the porch swing.
Not enough time visiting with my Mom and Dad.
Not enough time talking to my babies.
Not enough time telling them how much I love them.
Not enough time sitting doing nothing with my hubby.
Not enough time listening just plain listening.
With not thinking about what I am going to say .

Today I want to stop....I want to take some time...
Not always reading what someone else wrote...
But listening to what my heart is telling me what to do...
And taking the time to do that...
It's pretty late but not to late...
What is my passion....???
What do I love..???

I used to think that I knew...
But somewhere between then and now...
I feel like I lost something...
To much time at work...
To much time thinking how it is all going to end....
I need to stop...breathe....relax....hold my hubbies hand...
Tell all my children and grandchildren and great grandchildren how much I love them...
How much they mean to me....

I want to be just the person God created me to be...not what I think I want to be...
Not who I think that I am...
But who am I in Christ...
I am a daughter of the King....
Blessed beyond anything I would have ever imagined...

I have just the same amount of time today as I did back then...
When I was in school living at home...
When I was newly married....
When my children were small...
When they were big...
And now...24 hours a day....

I don't want to waste anymore time on things that don't matter
I want to live as God would have me live...
Be me....Be me...as He has create only me to be....
Love...as He has loved....
Give has He has given...

Grown Up

What did I think it would be like to be all grown up. All my life I remember wanting nothing more then to be grown up. WHAT was I thinking. Why do children want to grow up so fast.

I used to tell my children to enjoy...could be the best days of your life.....did they listen...I don't think so...

I am so far into grown up I don't remember what it was like to be a kid...even though sometimes I feel like one inside...but then look in the mirror and whoops...not so much there....

Today everything so different...the I pads...I phone....all the games...there is no more imagination being used..everything is right there. They don't even have to do anything....just sit there and use their fingers....

I used to play house...my husbands name was Bob...I thought that Bob and Evelyn sounded really good together...had a doll named Debra....loved that name....played in the back of the garage...mom even let me wall paper in there...made mud pies for lunch..for Bob and Debra....my bike was my car....had so much fun...I was by myself had no one to play with....

We didn't even have a TV...imagine that....no radio....just Dad Mom and Me...I played school....I played church....mom would let me mix flour and water in the kitchen and play like I was baking....she would let me to my math on the kitchen table with a pencil and then would take Ajax and wash it off..never told me I couldn't...

My mom would always make my bed....have lunch ready for me when I came home from school...when I was young and before I went a little crazy she never screamed at me..or at least I don't remember her doing that....I got in trouble but that was usually a spanking or had to sit on a chair....but she was a patient momma....I would ask her if she loved me and she always said yes...

Wonder why all this is coming to my mind...I last week fractured my foot...and have been in a Big Black Boot...now listen I know that this is NOTHING compared to what is going on in the world...and what others are going through..I  know that...I do....it has for some reason made me very emotional....tears..even...and it makes me want my mom...to hold me to comfort me to tell me it will be OK...

God is teaching me something through this..just don't know what yet but when I find out I will tell you what it is...maybe to let go and let HIM....maybe to slow me down as Steph said I have a hard time doing nothing....maybe none of that...but something else...I am now going to let HIM.....

Also another thing happened this month besides my foot...I had a pretty big birthday....didn't really bother me so much...thankful that God has given me all this time...healthy time for the most part...really mostly healthy...not sick much...and oh what a family..I have..love each and everyone of them...so much...I thank Him daily for all of them...ask Him to protect and keep them from harm...

Everett and I have a good life...so for my foot...it will all be ok...could have been so much worse...

And I am going to go camping again....love to camp....