Thank You, Jesus- Gabby's Back!

This is a GOOD day in America!

In the midst of all the politics on Capitol Hill and the debt ceiling crisis, this country needs a little bit of good news!

As I watched the news, I had goose-bumps all over! The day I have prayed for almost 7 months came to pass! Gabrielle Giffords has walked back onto the floor of Congress! One week less than 7 months ago, this lady was attacked senselessly and shot in the head. While it was first reported that she had died from the attack, thankfully, she did not!

I started this prayer blog as a way to deal with my emotions with the tragedy.

From the very moment this tragedy was reported, many people put a spin on the story, blaming the Tea Party for the attack.

The man that did this, from all accounts, was actually apolitical. While he had previous contact with Congresswoman Giffords, he was not a politically active person. Politics were not his motivation. Plain and simple, this man was a monster.

ALL blame should be left where it lies- with Jared Loughner.

This is not about politics. This is about a life- a beautiful life that was spared by God Almighty.

Thank You, Jesus, for healing Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Though I am sure she still has a long road of recovery ahead of her, her life is indeed a miracle! Thank You for sparing her life! All glory and honor belong to You, Lord God!

ONE DAY

"Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:9-11 (NIV)


One day, every knee WILL bow, and every tongue WILL confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. For me, it will be the most awaited day of all of my life. To be at the feet of my Jesus, loving Him, honoring Him, praising Him. For others, it will not be such a glorious day. I pray for these people.


I do not believe that these people have long to wait. I am so excited for that! Daily, the news points to that coming day when this scripture will come true:


"I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS."
Revelation 19:11-16


Oh Glorious Day!

People get ready! Jesus is coming! He is not willing that any should perish!

Lord, every day time grows shorter and shorter. While people have been saying this for thousands of years, and it still may be a long time in our view, we never know when we will breathe our last breath. I pray that You will open blinded eyes and soften hardened hearts.

I continue to pray for Congresswoman Giffords. I read a tweet today saying that she may run for Senate. Nothing has come out officially, but if this is even being discussed then it appears as though things are looking absolutely amazing for her! All glory, honor and praise be to You, Jesus, for the miracle in her life. I also continue to pray that the man that acted out this heinous attack will be given justice. Please do not allow political correctness to prevent justice in this.

I pray for President Obama. Lord, I get so angry! Please help me to not sin in my anger, where it concerns the man that is our president. I continue to pray that he will humble his heart before You, Jesus.

I pray for this nation. I pray that people will wake up and stand up for what is right. I believe many people have, but there are still too many who are complacent.

I pray for the nation of Israel. Protect her and bless her beyond measure.

I praise You for the mighty work You have done in my life. If it were not for my faith in You, I do not believe I would be alive today. Thank You for never giving up on me!

I pray all of these things in the precious Name of my Savior Jesus Christ- Amen.

BLESSED OR SPOILED?

I am in the midst of Spring Cleaning. This year, I have a completely different attitude than I've had in a very long time.

While I've gone through different stages over the years, so much of the time my Spring Cleaning ends up being just getting rid of clothes that no longer fit the kids and doing my really deep cleaning, like behind the refrigerator and things of that nature that are not in my weekly list of chores.

This year, something is different. I am getting rid of so many things that we just do not use!

As I am going through the kids clothes I am amazed at how much we have amassed. God has blessed us beyond measure, in this area! I am all about a bargain, and with 5 children that is an absolute must! A lot of my children's clothes are hand-me-downs, but the ones that are bought for them are without a doubt a bargain! And I am not at all ashamed to say this!

I had hoped to finish my Spring Cleaning this weekend, but, it is not going to happen. I am finding that I am looking at everything differently. If we do not use it or need it, it is going out!

This has brought me to a question within myself. Yes, without a doubt I know that we are blessed beyond measure! However, have these blessings turned into making us nothing more than spoiled brats? I pray that I will never take for granted the many blessings God has given me and my family, but when I sit down and really think about all that we have..... yes, sadly, I do take it all for granted.

Several natural disasters have hit the world in the last couple of years. While yes, there are always natural disasters, in a day and time when there is 24-hour news coverage of these disasters I believe it has a different effect than previously.

When we are inundated with the images of so much grief and destruction... how do we respond? Do we go into a shell and mourn for the loss that others experience? Do we look around at our surroundings and realize that in an instant all that we have can be gone? It is a sobering thought.

Yes, I am blessed beyond measure. But I am also very spoiled.

Lord God, I thank You for Your abundant blessings in my life. While I know that I am not only blessed, but also the realization has hit that I am also very spoiled. It is time for me to get back to the basics. If something is not needed or used or does not have a place in our home, it is time to let it go.I pray that You will help me look through these renewed eyes as I continue this Spring Cleaning.

I pray for this nation. We, as a nation, are blessed beyond measure as well! In this new realization I have become so very sad for America! Very few people realize how blessed we are, I believe. I pray that this nation will wake up before it is too late! I pray that this nation will humble herself before You and praise You for Your endless blessings in this nation.

I pray for our President. I pray for all elected leaders who are making our laws. So many laws of this land are being broken. Lord God, I pray for truth and justice to prevail!

As always, I pray for Congresswoman Giffords. She is truly blessed in her life being spared by the senseless attack on her! I pray that this nation would look upon the miracle of her life and realize the blessing and miracle You have shown us through her.

I pray for the nation and people of Israel. Lord God, every day more and more anger is being hurled upon Your chosen people! Keep them safe, I pray. Hide them in the shadow of Your wings (Psalm 91).

I pray all of these things in the Name of Jesus Christ- Giver of Life and all blessings- Amen!

YES, THIS COUNTS!

I received an email today that is going to be the topic of today's post. My brother sent me the email, and he had added a note that yes, this was his niece (his wife's sister's daughter). I called him and asked him if he could get their permission to post the picture on my blog entry for today, because I have never seen anything so beautiful in all of my life!

When I talked to my brother after he talked to his brother-in-law, he told me he was surprised to find out that it is not his niece! This is an email that was actually forwarded to his brother-in-law. They are all amazed at how much like this little girl my brother's niece actually looks.

So, I am going to post the picture, as the note at the bottom of the page says to forward to your friends. If the parents of this child sees the picture and would like it to be removed, please let me know. I would never want to offend them in any ways.

So, before I go any further, here is the email text, as well as the picture, of the original email I was sent:

Matthew 18:20
For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

DOES THIS COUNT?

Yes, this most definitely counts, sweetheart!

This little girl understands more than most adults do. While I believe that it is imperative and very beneficial to read, study, disect, meditate and analyze Scripture to grow in our faith, walk and understanding of God, I beleive that a lot of times our analyzing gets in the way of the true heart of the matter. As my husband has said before, too often, the most "intellectual" of minds have absolutely no faith in God because He cannot be explained. Faith is believing in the unseen.

A WRETCH LIKE ME

This time of the year is extremely special to me. On February 25, 2004, a movie was released that reaches down into the very depths of my soul. While I know the story well, I've never seen it depicted in this exact way.

The movie I am referring to is, "The Passion Of The Christ".

Within the first month after the movie was released, my husband and I went to the theatre 7 times to see it. At the time, we were Youth Leaders at our church. Since the movie was rated "R" due to the extreme violence depicted, we were required to view the movie before taking students to see it. For the students to see the movie their parents had to sign a permission form, for the exact same reason.

I was raised in a Christian home. I often joke that I went to church before I entered the world, and started my entry into the world at church! My Mom actually went into labor during the Sunday night service. A funny side story here that my mom loves to tell. She went to the restroom, and her water broke. Obviously, she had to send someone in to get my Dad.

My grandparents, as well as a couple of my aunts and uncles went to the same church. My Dad sent one of the ushers in to let my grandparents know what was going on. It was at this very moment that the congregation was sitting, and the choir was getting ready to sing. My grandfather did not realize what was going on, so he was standing up, in the middle of the church, looking at my aunt, who was in the choir, shaking his head "yes" So this is how the congregation knew I was ready to make my entrance into the world!

Well, I've gotten a bit off track here. But, the point of telling this funny little tidbit of my life is to say that yes, I attended church regularly as a child. When the church doors were open, we were there. I knew the words of the old hymns by heart. In fact, I was even known to give a concert for my grandparents at the drop of a hat! There are even pictures of the performances, my "brush microphone" in hand.

Even if you are not a church-goer, it's quite likely you know the words to the ever-famous hymn, "Amazing Grace." In fact, there is now even a movie of how the hymn came to be. This was one of the songs that I loved to sing the most.

Strangely enough, though I have known the words of "Amazing Grace"  by heart pretty much since I uttered my first words, It was not until I was 31-years-old that I truly grasped the true meaning of this beautiful hymn.