Trick or treat

How about trick. It amazes me how many Christians are "ok" with this holiday! By the way, "holiday" is derived from "holy day". Anything "holy" or "godly" about Halloween? I didn't think so.

So, lets start off with the core of a Christian adults desire to participate in Halloween, your kids. They get to dress up in cute costumes (usually not even bad characters) and get loads of candy, plus they have a great time with friends and playing games. Harmless right? Well, if you say so!

All Hallows eve is well known as a satanic day. This is a day of worship to Satan for some, a day of rituals, of sacrifice and your kids are participating...hmm. More than likely they aren't involved in those kinds of activities, but don't we still put them at risk for being interested in witchcraft, magic, and just darkness in general?

Lets not forget about skeltons, zombies, ghouls, ghosts, vampires. All characters of death and evil. Death not life. Jesus brings life, Satan brings death. Why do we desire to get involved with deeds of darkness!? Wake up sleeping Christians! Are we that naive to Satan's devices and traps?

I'm not here to condemn, but as the church of the living God, how do we think our country will ever change or turn to Lord? It will return to the
Jesus when we come back to Jesus. 

Remember Monday's blog? "Called by my name".
"If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves, pray and seek my face, I will turn and heal their land." 2 chronicles 7:14
(That's paraphrased a little bit.)
We all have to examine our motives and what we involve ourselves in, trust me there are things in my life that I know have to go. We are all a work in progress, let's go after the Lord!

Walking: In your neighbor's shoes

The other day my wife, Josie, had a school project with my beautiful nieces, Panda and Tori. It involved blessing a neighbor.

So, off to work on this project they went. They baked bread and made honey butter, wrapped it up and started over to the neighbor's house. They brought with them some honey that we made this year.
Mrs. Sharp's house was first. She lives almost right across the street from us. She is an older lady, but very sweet. She loves her cats! She was so excited! She rarely gets any company. I sure would hate to be by myself without someone to live life with. She kept insisting on buying the honey from us, and Josie was like "no, Mrs.Sharp"! Lol. She always enjoys it when we bring the youth group to sing Christmas carols to her.

The second lady is Mrs. Guisendorf. She is our neighbor to the side of us. She is middle aged as well. She still works full time and is also alone. When the girls brought her the bread she started crying!

Maybe you are in this type of situation, where you don't have anyone that you share life with. It's real easy for younger people with families to forget about people that don't have a family. Even though Josie and I do not currently have kids, we have each other, so
I cannot even imagine the empty days and the lifelong dreams that seem to just fade away.

Walking in your neighbors shoes...what is that like? Who is your neighbor? Have you thought of someone yet? What are they going through and where is there life at? Do we care?

The bible says to "love your neighbor as yourself". We take care of ourselves, we comfort ourselves, we pray for ourselves, we visit with our friends.Ten or twenty years we could easily be
"Walking in our neighbor's shoes".

 

Called by my name

You have heard the verses:

Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place. For I have chosen this Temple and set it apart to be holy—a place where my name will be honored forever. I will always watch over it, for it is dear to my heart. (2 Chronicles 7:14-16 NLT)

When there is a movement of God, it does not begin with the un-godly. Repentance starts in the house of God. Jonah preached to Nineveh and the entire city repented in sackcloth and ashes. Peter preached to the Jews, how they crucified the King of kings, it pricked their hearts and that day, three thousand repented and turned to Jesus. "The Great Awakenings" here in America have changed the path of this great nation. 

We may blame others, the government, our president, Hollywood, or what have you. This truth remains in this verse: "If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land." It starts with us, you and me, the church.

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 

Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. (Psalms 51:10,11, 12 KJV)

When was the last time you just laid out in the floor by yourself and got into the presence of The Lord?

"His ears will be open and attentive to us", if we just humble ourselves, if we just "pray and seek his face". We need a move from God! We need his mighty, awesome power to sweep through our homes, churches, schools, and our nation! 

What are we willing to do about it? Let's get on our knees together and start cleaning house! We are "called by his name" for a purpose! We have not been saved by the blood of lamb to just be "ok" with ourselves! We must get real, lost are hanging in the balance. Peoples lives depend on it. Let's make this life, sweet.

Testimony Tuesday: A word from " Jake Williams"

This word of testimony is from my friend and brother in Christ, Jake Williams. I hope you enjoy! Please keep his wife in our prayers.

Dear friend,

        Greetings in the name of The Lord.

If I may, let me speak to you from my heart, for just a few minutes.

First let me thank you for taking time to read this very important letter. You see through my own experience, I have found out that God could not have been pleased with my life, and I am afraid most Christians have fallen in my same pattern of lifestyle. 

        Thank God I have found a secret that I had not searched out. Through much prayer, reading God's word, and being filled with his Holy Spirit, he has lifted me up to a higher realm in his spirit then I have ever been before. 

        I have found out each day when I get in God's word that I also take time to talk to Him in prayer and wait upon Him for his presence and his love to be revealed to me. 

        This is what I want to tell you. I have found out it is not enough to accept forgiveness of our

sins or even surrender to God. That is only the beginning. We must understand that we do not have any power of our own to maintain our spiritual life.

        We must- we must, I repeat, we must, take time each day of our daily life to have fellowship with our Savior.

        This cannot be done with a few hasty words of prayer, nor can it be done by jumping into God's word and jumping right out. We must stay there until we come into his presence.

        I have found out it is then we feel our weakness and our need to wait upon God through his Holy Spirit, and to renew our fellowship with Him each day. It is then we can expect to be kept by the power of our Savior throughout each day. 

        My prayer is to help Christians to see the necessity of spending time with The Lord each day. I have found out that if we do not spend time in fellowship with God each day, then without His fellowship, the power and the joys of God's Holy Spirit in our daily life cannot be experienced.

        As I write this, to whom it may concern, I feel the Holy Spirit right now. I feel His anointing. I am in my study alone with God. It is 1:30am.

        Let me say this in closing, that the secret to true power is in our prayers. You see, He will clothe you with His Holy Spirit and with power to overcome the world.

        When our Lord Jesus told us to pray to our Father in secret, He gave us his promise that the Father will hear our prayers, and mightily answer them in our lives before others (Jeremiah 33:3).

       If you will go with God, pray and study His word, I promise you, you will never be the same.

       Keep praying and keep looking up, for He is soon coming after his people, called His Church.

( 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18). If you will, please keep this letter. Please read it again and also read it to your friends. Always remember God loves you and so do I.

May God bless you,

Bro. Jake Williams

One of your Outreach Ministers

When good men do nothing

  

  I was at work today and the quote "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." (- Edmund Burke quotes) came to my mind. I thought about and looked it up. It bothers me that even though I might strive to live a holy, righteous life, there are times when I am silent about evil doings. How many times do we allow for immorality to take place in front of us? We let "evil triumph" ! We are allowing sin to reign, it takes more than just living right. I read this yesterday and wanted to share this with you. This article is put very well, it is really a good read! I can't put it better. It pricked my heart. 

http://www.padfield.com/1997/goodmen.html

When Good Men Do Nothing

by Wayne Greeson

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." (Edmund Burke)

So much of the history of the struggle between good and evil can be explained by Edmund Burke's observation. Time and again those who profess to be good seem to clearly outnumber those who are evil, yet those who are evil seem to prevail far too often. Seldom is it the numbers that determine the outcome, but whether those who claim to be good men are willing to stand up and fight for what they know to be right. There are numerous examples of this sad and awful scenario being played out over and over again in the scriptures.

They Get Nothing Good Done

When good men do nothing, they get nothing good done. To be good, one must do good. The Lord commands his people to do good (Luke 6:35; Eph. 2:10). Christ "gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works" (Titus 2:14).

In the parable of the talents, Jesus described a man who did nothing. When he received his Lord's money, he "went and digged in the earth, and hid his Lord's money" (Matt. 25:18). When his Lord returned, he returned to the Lord just what he had been given (Matt. 25:25). Notice, the servant did not do any outright evil, such as stealing the money, but then neither did he do anything good. He did nothing and he got nothing good accomplished. Jesus said he was a "wicked and slothful servant" (Matt. 25:26).

Jesus rebuked the church at Laodicea for doing nothing. "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked" (Rev. 3:15-17).

Too many Christians and too many churches do nothing. They are standing idly by, they are mere spectators. They sit on the sidelines instead of actively participating and working for the good. If good wins, they join in the celebration though they did nothing to produce the victory. If evil wins, they will complain long and loud though their own apathy helped produce the undesirable result.

When Jesus found a fig tree with "nothing thereon, but leaves only" He cursed the tree and "presently the fig tree withered away" (Matt. 21:19). What will He do with those who claim to be good and yet who do nothing? John the baptist warned, "And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire" (Matt. 3:10; John 15:2).

They Help Evil To Triumph

When good men do nothing, evil triumphs. Evil, sin and sinful men must be opposed. God commands those who are good, not just to avoid evil but actively oppose it.

Christians are to not only to "have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but (also) reprove them" (Eph. 5:11). Those who do nothing about sin and evil, help the sin and evil to prevail. One who is silent when there are those around him in sin becomes a partaker with them (Eph. 5:7).

In the days of Elijah, the silence of many had allowed the evil of Ahab and Jezebel to prevail throughout the land of Israel. "And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word" (1 Kings 18:21). The silence of the people spoke volumes of their indecisiveness and inaction. Their failure to stand up, speak up and speak out permitted wicked and evil men to run rampant.

Jesus told of a traveler who was robbed, beaten and left him half dead. The men who did this were wicked and did a very wicked thing. But the Levite and priest allowed this evil to continue unanswered by doing nothing as they each "passed by on the other side" (Luke 10:31-32). Fortunately for the traveler there was one man, a Samaritan, who was willing to stand up for what was right (Luke 10:33-36).

Jesus warned "He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad" (Matt. 12:30). In the fight against evil there is no middle ground, no gray area, no neutrality. Those who are not actively and vigorously fighting against evil are helping evil to triumph.

They Are No Longer Good

When good men do nothing, they are no longer good. Many have the mistaken notion that good is merely the absence of doing that which is wrong. Not so! One is good not merely because he does no evil, but because he is actively working for what is good. "Let him eschew evil, and do good" (1 Pet. 3:11). James explained, "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin" (James 4:17).

The eldest of Israel, Reuben, knew his brothers' murderous plot against their younger brother Joseph was wrong. He started an attempt to deliver Joseph, but as he hesitated and vacillated, the other brothers sold Joseph into slavery. When Reuben heard what they had done, he realized his failure to act had helped to bring about this evil result.

Instead of correcting his error, Reuben sought to cover his guilt by agreeing with his brothers to lie to their father about Joseph's disappearance (Gen. 37:18-35). Reuben had "good intentions" and he was not even present when Joseph was sold into slavery, but he knew his inaction and absence made him just as guilty as the rest of his wicked brothers. This guilt continued to haunt him through the years (Gen. 42:21-22).

The prophet Obadiah severely condemned the Edomites for doing nothing when evil was befalling their brethren, the Jews. When Jerusalem was invaded by her enemies, the Edomites "stood on the other side" doing nothing but watching the slaughter as spectators. God said by their failure to act and to help their brethren "even thou wast as one of them" (Obad. 11).

Today, there are preachers and Christians who fail and refuse to meet the real foe, refute error and fight the enemy. Instead, they have turned to viciously savaging their own brethren. They are filled with bitterness and hatred and they maliciously attack, slander and misrepresent other Christians and gospel preachers.

Paul warned about such men and behavior among those professing to be Christians, "But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another" (Gal. 5:15). Those who engage in such behavior are spiritual cannibals.

While the conduct of these so-called Christians is shameful, what about those supposedly "good" men who do nothing? Those stand on the other side and do nothing but watch as their brothers are being slandered, slaughtered and devoured, they cease being innocent bystanders and idle spectators. Their failure to act not only allows evil to triumph, but makes them just as guilty as the spiritual cannibals they refuse to reprove and rebuke. In God's words, "even thou wast as one of them" (Obad. 11).

Conclusion

"Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap" (Gal. 6:7). Those who fail or refuse to do good in the face of evil are sowing some dangerous seeds. They are doing nothing good as Jesus commanded them to do; they are helping evil to win and have ceased being good and have become partakers of the evil they did nothing to stop.

Do not allow evil to triumph. Do not sit by and do nothing. Stand up and be counted, speak up against evil and speak out against evil men and their sinful deeds.

  Proverbs 29:2

When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.

The bible says to be "doers of good", that is an action! We can't idly stand by while evil prevails. We can't be laid back Christians, waiting for the next tv show to come on, or play on Facebook for hours. 

What can we do? We can't be afraid of standing up for Jesus. My heart breaks, I want to stand up, to speak out, to not let fear keep me from doing what's right in every situation. It starts with the little things: what sort of speech flows out of our mouths, what will laugh at, when will tell someone we don't want to hear the filth? Do we tell slight white lies to keep us out of the hot seat, when we said something we shouldn't have, I know I have. The change we need in this country is not with federal government, not your pastor, it starts with me and you. One Christian at a time truly following after Jesus.

2 Timothy 2:19

Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

Amen! What an awesome scripture! He knows who are his! Let's live for Jesus!

Family: Good times

   As a kid
growing up, my
grandparents had a camp house at Toledo Bend and at the Neches river. We would go up to lake during spring break and on weekend, I always loved it! I had the best times with my mamaw and papaw. We would fish for perch and white perch, run some trot lines for catfish. There was a local marina where us kids would walk to for a coke and candy bar. It was simple times, but I loved it, it was very peaceful.

As we got older, we started going more and more to the river camp on the Neches river. The whole family would get together to fish, swim, and of course eat some fried fish! Papaw had built a floating dock so you could fish off the bank. Honestly, I miss those times!

Make time for your family, put down the tablet, the phone, turn off the tv, and visit on the front porch. You don't always have your family.

My mamaw, Dora dei Shiftler Parks, was the glue of my family on my mom's side. Yes, she was from Germany. My papaw married her after world war two. The family wasn't too excited about it at first, but she was the type of person that you couldn't dislike. She had sweet personality. People would ask me about her accent, which I never noticed growing up around it. She was, by far, one of the most important people in my life. She was steadfast in her love for Jesus. I can't remember one day that she didn't read her bible.

Anyway, after a long battle with a heart valve issue and a battle with ovarian cancer, she passed away right after Christmas in 1999. I know it is a sad story, but the point is, hold tight to your family. Enjoy being with your family.
We had a lot of great memories. I said earlier,"she was the glue", my family has not been the same since. All my cousins and my brothers and I have grown up. We started families and we don't see each other like we used to.

My church family has filled in where my family has had a hard time being there. Do not get this wrong, I make an effort to get with my family as much as possible, they just work shift work (different shifts) and some live farther away. We still all love each other. Life is not the same, it changes, but that does not mean that we shouldn't strive to be with and bless our families.
The family is the bedrock of a strong church and a strong nation.


I am wistful of those good times, sounds like I'm depressed or something! :-)
Don't worry, I'm alright, I might be feeling a little mellow. Make your life into something sweet, live it to the fullest. Treat every day as a gift from God! Don't fight with your family. Love your family, love your neighbor, love your church! Pray for your family, your church, your leaders, and our nation. It's needed! Life is so sweet!

Next week, Testimony Tuesday is back with Bro. Jake Williams!

Judging a man

If you know me very well, you know that I love coffee! Yes, I am an addict for sure. I have been drinking more of it as I work long hours at the job. Working a lot also makes it hard to write a blog I do admit, but the Lord placed something on my heart. So grab a cup of coffee and let us dig in!
How do we judge a man? The bible says "you shall know them by fruits".  Matthew 7:16
If you read that chapter, you will see that Jesus was talking about wolves in sheep's clothing. He is also spoke of good trees producing good fruit and bad trees producing bad fruit. Basically, the holy spirit gives us discernment to know what's going on. It does not mean we condemn a person.
1 Corinthians 2:14-16
14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 16 “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
Ok, let's look at this: "Judge not lest you be judged". We can look at someone's sin and condemn them. We might think we are better or we don't do the things they do, right? We KNOW that sin is sin, and we aren't better than anyone else.
Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
Only by God's grace, "for all have sinned, and have fallen short of the glory of God".
So, when we carry on about someone else and their problems, we are in the wrong. We are in sin, it's called gossip and slander or best known as judging.
"You shall know them by their fruits". It's not wrong to look at a situation and discern what is happening. You decide when your children do not need to be around a stranger. You decide it's best not to place yourself in a bad situation.
We judge things or people to make sure we protect what the Lord has given us. We want to be holy and righteous and have a clean heart before God.
"Create in me a pure heart oh God, and renew a right spirit in me. Cast me not away oh Lord, and take not thy holy spirit from me."
It's a beautiful thing to live for the Lord. It is a sweet life that the Lord has given us. Know that God expects us to judge and discern our surroundings with a pure heart and a right spirit, he gave us a brain and some common sense! Just don't look down on people because of their problems or their past. A person's past can definitely change your view of someone. So examine their fruit, now, in the present, is it good or bad? Do not let a first impression be the last impression of a person. Know them by their fruits.

JosieAnn Mathis: Memory Lane

As most of you know, or have noticed, my beloved Michael has been working a lot lately. So, this morning I am going to try to write his blog for him. I know you've read my writings here before, but Michael finalized everything and posted it, so I am in uncharted waters.   =)

Autumn! Joyful, crisp, mornings just like today are part of what makes me absolutely love this season! With the joy and delight I find in this season, I also find touches of sadness and wistful memories. You see, this was also my favorite time of year with my dad! Oh, the fun times full of cozy campfires and crazy home-made tents are many. My dad loved to run rabbit dogs(aka Beagles) all the time. Bro. BJ Kilpatrick can attest to that. He also loved making my poor baby sister Betsy (aka 'my little helper') do everything for him. Lol 

This December will be 12 years since he went home to be with Jesus. And do we ever miss him so! This time of year always brings with it so many memories. Some not so good, but mostly those of joyful times. Last year, all during Christmas time someone's hunting dogs were running by my house almost daily. It brought back quite a lot of wistfulness and also some tears. But even during the heartache, in a strange way, it also brought me comfort. It was like The Lord was stirring up those good times in my mind and maybe, just maybe, saying "I haven't forgotten you, or the sorrow in your heart. I am here for you, just a breath away." 

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:8, 9 NLT)

Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.... Isn't it amazing how we can choose what to remember. The good things that God gives us are most certainly worthy of praising Him! And I believe, yes, that also includes memories with those we love. Perhaps you have lost a loved one. I am quite sure we all have those certain times that will remind us more of that loved one than other times. Allow yourself to walk down that memory lane! God gives us those memories, after all. And He is with you every step of the way, to bring you comfort and the peace you need.

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. (2 Corinthians 1:3, 4 NLT)

Dear family of God, never think you are alone! For we are your brothers and sisters, your family. We are here to share God's comfort and His love. Those times when you feel so desperate for a physical touch from your Father, God, and a brother or sister in Christ hugs you close, it is His arms reaching through their obedience and holding you close to Him! It is His comfort and peace that radiates from those who serve Him and are willing to be His vessel. So many of you comment about my hugs (thanks for loving the hugs and me! Lol); I am simply a willing vessel to pass on God's love through me. So, the next time you are feeling wistful from a walk down memory lane, or if you just need God's touch, find comfort in the arms of your Savior -Godly brothers and sisters- to bring you the comfort you seek.

So today, find in present joys or in memories past, and maybe a willing vessel of God, you too can find that Life is So Sweet!!

Buddy Buckner: Faithfulness

Faithfulness

The Lord’s faithfulness… Need I say more? Imagine someone who is always there for you no matter what, or that forgives your trespasses without fail when you ask. Could you imagine a friend that possessed such love to give their life for you even if you mocked, rejected or ridiculed them? Maybe you never even acknowledged this person or knew them but they were willing to take your place in death. Could such an individual even exist?

“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”
John 15:13

There couldn’t possibly be any greater expression of love than to be willing to die for someone and actually follow through. No matter who we are, where we are, or what we are, their is such a friend who is in our life or desires to be our life… His name is Jesus. He doesn’t simply want to be a part of our life… He wants to be our life; the very reason of our existence; our heartbeat; our everything. Jesus wasn’t one to “talk a big game” but not back it up. He didn’t live by “Do as I say and not as I do.” Whatever Jesus preached was how he lived on this earth and is the essence of His character even today at the right hand of the Father.

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 5:8

Even before I ever received forgiveness of sin thru faith in Christ, His faithfulness was abundant. The very fact that 2,000 years ago Jesus was willing to die for me before I had ever confessed or believed in Him is amazing. That’s the great thing about the gospel. Jesus didn’t just give His life for the people in existence in His day but for all that would call upon Him unto the end of the earth and time! So His faithfulness, His goodness, His grace and mercy have been abundantly shed upon our lives even before we existed. No matter what the circumstances in an individuals life may be, all can rejoice in the fact that we have a Savior and Friend that gave it all for us individually and would have done so even if we were the only soul in this world. The gospel of Jesus is indeed that personal. Sometimes maybe we don’t make it personal enough. When you experience His faithfulness and forgiveness in your life then it’s difficult to not realize how personal and intimate our God is.

We as flesh struggle sometimes with faithfulness. We at times find ourselves struggling to keep promises. It can be easy to make commitments to others and later down the road forget about them, or maybe we decide the cost of keeping the commitment is too great. Maybe some commitments become a burden to us.  The Lord never struggles with His faithfulness or forgets His promises.

“For all the promises of God in Him are yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.”
2 Corinthians 1:20

We can stand upon the promises of God’s word and the truth of it because it will not fail, because our God will not fail. He never makes a promise that He is not able to keep. He never gives a promise in His word that He is not able to fulfill! The faithfulness of God will not allow it to be any other way. He is a God of His word and His word will not return void. Hallelujah! He has given us the word of God to be a weapon against the enemy and to bring victory in our lives. So if you are standing upon the promises of His word, and His word is seemingly all that is holding you up and all that you have left, then you are in a great place!

Our God is faithful in every way, whether we need the forgiveness that He bought for us 2,000 years ago, or if we need a miracle and promise of His word fulfilled in our life. You can never go wrong with trusting in the Lord and leaning upon His unfailing faithfulness!

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I (Jesus) will give you rest. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28,30

How sweet life is…. because of the Lord’s faithfulness.

Walking: in Elijah's shoes

Elijah was an anointed, powerful man of God in his time, but his road was a tough road to walk.

He was a man that stood against the rising tide of evil. I'm sure most of you are familiar with Ahab and Jezabel. Wickedness at it's highest prevailed in Israel during their reign. Elijah was God's chosen to speak out against this evil.

A short interjection here, God is looking for Godly men and women to stand up against the rising tide of evil. The truth cannot and will never be buried by Satan or anyone else.

So, what did Elijah face? Many times we might think it was easy for Elijah, Paul, Peter, etc. to stand against evil and preach the truth. Whoever said that? Elijah was a man like you and me. Was he fearful or afraid sometimes? Yes! Elijah was the man God called to reign down fire on a sacrifice that had 12 barrels of water poured on it!

Kings 18:33-39 NLT)
He piled wood on the altar, cut the bull into pieces, and laid the pieces on the wood. Then he said, “Fill four large jars with water, and pour the water over the offering and the wood.” After they had done this, he said, “Do the same thing again!” And when they were finished, he said, “Now do it a third time!” So they did as he said, and the water ran around the altar and even filled the trench. At the usual time for offering the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.” Immediately the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench! And when all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, “The Lord —he is God! Yes, the Lord is God!” 

The fire licked every drop out of the trenches! He put the prophets of Baal to shame! They had went on all day calling on Baal and cutting themselves. There were 450 of them to 1 of God's prophets! But did Baal show up? No! But God showed up with an all consuming fire. Elijah killed all of these prophets. Why? Because God is a jealous God. He wants your adoration and love. The same Elijah ran for his life to hide in a cave away from Jezebel for fear of losing his life.

1 Kings 19:2, 3 NLT
So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: “May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you just as you killed them.” Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there.

Into the wilderness
1 Kings 19:9, 10 NLT
There he came to a cave, where he spent the night. But the Lord said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Elijah replied, “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”

God told him, " There are 7000 that have not bowed the knee to Baal. You are not alone!" Even in the midst of attack, defeat, oppression, and wickedness in the world, YOU are not alone! God has an army here with you. No matter the circumstances, God is in control and firmly has a plan in place, as with Elijah! Elijah trusted God and stepped out in faith.

He told a woman, who had lost all hope and was preparing a last meal for her and her son to eat, to make a meal for him 'first'. She never ran out of oil or flour because of her obedience. Her son, died a little later on, and he stretched out over him and brought back her son from back from death by crying out to God!

He prayed and it rained after three and a half years of drought.

Elijah always spoke the truth even in dire circumstances or seemingly everything against him.

Always trust God and speak the truth. With truth may come persecution, but you will never go wrong and will have a great big God to have your back!
Walk in Elijah's shoes!
Life is so sweet!

Testimony Tuesday: Mama Joyce

  

What a blessing I have today! Michael asked me to share something on his Blog. I love to give glory to and a testimony of my LORD and Savior, JESUS CHRIST. He is true to his word(In the bible), I can assure you. My name is Joyce Sheffield, now many know and call me, MAMA JOYCE.What an honor. My testimony today is on how this came about. I have always gone to church ever since I was a baby, for it was what was expected in our family. I read my bible, memorized the scriptures, BUT it was not alive in me. I believed  the stories of Jesus, but he(God) was not alive to me. Now, that would make a good title for a book, "My life and walk with JESUS CHRIST".

Then at the age of 37 and a mother of 6 children, was when I really got saved . The word of GOD came alive and I hungered for the word. I began asking for the fullness of all that he had for me. Wow! The Holy Spirit opened a new hunger to pray for anyone, any were. It never wore off. Next I  was filled with HOLY SPIRIT and began speaking  in tongues, everything came alive. Revelation of GOD'S word and understanding began. One of the first words he gave me was Mathew 6:32 "But seek ye first the kingdom of GOD and his Righteousness and all these things shall be added to you . He revealed the kingdom was in me, the hope of Glory, (wow) working in and through my life. You see walking with the LORD has been an adventure along with many tests and trials. It became a battle many times. At the time my children started pulling away from God and Church. Nothing I said or did mattered, they were doing there own thing. I took it as a personal feeling of failure as a mother. I felt discouraged ,inadequate & insignificant. It was threatening to overwhelm me. Then, the Holy Spirit led me to the word, Isaiah 54:1-17, it was for me claim. I asked God what that meant for me and how do I apply it to my life. The gold nugget of truth, He said he was about to do a new work in my life. He was giving me Jeremiah 33:3,"Call on me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things you don't understand." I said "ok let it be done, as you will." I was to now enlarge my my heart and make room. He was about to make me a mother of many spiritual children. They number many more then my natural children. I was not to fear, leave my children to him, reach out and love, minister to those he brings in my life, to love them, turn them to him and teach them his word in Spirit and in Life. Powerful, full of creative power to change and create new life. Jeremiah 1:12, "I am alert and ready to preform my word." "Teach my children, my word is the answer to all there problems. Read my word, receive, trust, and have faith in my word. Declare and pray it, watch what I will do." I feel I am blessed of the LORD. Ask him for his fullness and surrender to his will. You will not be ashamed .

I hope you enjoyed today's blog! Get ready for tomorrow! Walking: in Elijah's shoes.

Washed in the blood

                                  

We are tainted or stained by sin, born into a sinful world.

Isaiah 64:6-7 (NLT) says:

We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind. Yet no one calls on your name or pleads with you for mercy. Therefore, you have turned away from us and turned us over to our sins.

Filthy rags...try using an oily, greasy,torn rag to wash your body with! You won't get clean, will you? Try and try, you aren't good enough, you can't do enough good.

"Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power, are you washed in the blood of the lamb? Are you fully trusting in his grace this hour, are you washed in the blood of the lamb!" Still a powerful message!

     Take a walk down the Roman road with me.

Romans 3:10

As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one.

Romans 3:23

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.

Romans 5:8

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through

Jesus Christ our Lord.

Death lies at the door for sin! Life everlasting for confessing and loving Jesus!

Romans 10:9-11

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt

believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  For the scripture saith, whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

Romans 10:13

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

What an awesome experience! Call on him and you shall be saved! It's so easy to realize that we can't get to heaven by ourselves, we can't get rid of the shame and guilt, but Jesus Christ can!

You see the blood of Jesus washes all the stains out of me, the blood of Jesus makes me free, no more chains pulling back on me. I've been made clean, I've been redeemed, I am a new creation in Christ!

God loves us so much! What a blessing to be a child of the king.

Be light to someone today and your life and their life will be so sweet!

Walking: In the Pastor's shoes

    Have you ever put yourself in someone else's shoes? Let's try the Pastor's shoes on today, shall we?

I love my pastor! He has been in my life for over twenty years now.  He has been a counselor, a father figure, a spiritual leader, a brother, and I call him my friend. It is truly is an honor to serve and grow with him. 

My pastor has been through some very turbulent times in the journey and on the path the Lord has set for him. I think to myself sometimes, "How in the world would I be able to handle what he handles?!" I've come to realize that he doesn't handle things in and of himself. (Big revelation, right? Lol.) Please understand what I am saying though, the issues and problems that our pastors deal with can be tremendous!

There are times when I feel like my heart will split apart for what my pastor is having to deal with.

1 Kings 3:23-28 NIV 

(Tough choices)

The king said, “This one says, ‘My son is alive and your son is dead,’ while that one says, ‘No! Your son is dead and mine is alive.’ ” Then the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword for the king. He then gave an order: “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.” The woman whose son was alive was deeply moved out of love for her son and said to the king, “Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don’t kill him!” But the other said, “Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!” Then the king gave his ruling: “Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother.” When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice. 

Two women fought over this newborn baby, and Solomon had a decision to make. Now, I don't know any pastors that have had to make a decision in the physical like that, but pastors have to make tough spiritual decisions like that sometimes. Have you ever had to confront a friend that was in sin or doing the wrong thing, or a multitude of people? How about having to preach funerals of good people, young people who have passed before their time? Have you had to choose God above your family? Life is sweet, but not always easy. Our pastors are in the line of fire. Satan will stop at nothing to take down a pastor that "seeks God's face" and preaches the truth of Jesus Christ! It's only by the grace of God and his magnificent wisdom that humble, godly men are able to "withstand the wiles and fiery darts of the devil!"

Now, the question is, what are we doing to support our pastors? Do you treat your pastor with respect? Do you talk behind his back? God has placed a pastor in your life to lead and guide you. He is the shepherd of the flock. 

                                                                               1 Peter 5:2

 Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, watching over them--not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve.

If we undermine his authority, we are directly going against the word of God! Pray for your pastor, bless him and help him every way you can. Hold nothing back, go all out to protect your pastor with prayer. Defend him, don't be apart of foolish talk or badmouthing.

Isaiah 61:1-3 KJV

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord , and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.

A pastor's walk is a tough one but rewards with salvations, freedom for captives, and healing for the broken hearted. Think about your pastor right now and pray for him. "Walk in his shoes".  

I hope you enjoyed this new series,
"Walking: In someone else's shoes", every Wednesday!

Testimony Tuesday: Josie Mathis

A Testimony of Deepest Emotion

So I will just be honest, when Michael asked me to write for today, I was quite unprepared and a little reluctant. We had a busy weekend and a lot of craziness going on and I was going to take the short-cut, lazy way out. Lol. I went to looking through old folders for my 'Salvation' testimony, after all this is Testimony Tuesday, right?

Well, The Lord has a different plan and message for me to share. Please be patient with me, I tend to be long winded, rambling, and I am sure there will be plenty of bad grammar. =) Anyway, here goes...

The testimony I want to share is difficult, mostly because it is somewhat of a roller coaster ride for me. I grew up in church, waited (what seemed like forever to a young woman) for the man God had for me as my husband, and we have had 10 wonderful years together. I wouldn't trade him for anything!! =) Love you sweetheart! 

Ten years have gone by and for reasons unknown, and certainly not understood, we have yet to have children of our own. I, especially, have fought with fear, doubt, unbelief, and tons of confusion while facing this mental battle raging within. Our church is filled with babies. Our family is full of beautiful children. Every time I see Michael playing with our nieces and nephews my heart aches because I know he would be the best daddy Ever! After all, he is already the Bestest Uncle Michael Ever! =) This said from the mouth of our babies.

Slight squirrel chase-- The other day Meghan and Jonah were over. Meghan had her baby doll and I teasingly asked her, hey where's my baby? To which she responds, "You have  TWO babies!" So curiously I ask, "Um, ok, where?" She responds, "We'll, Aunt Josie, we're right here!" Obviously speaking of herself and Jonah. Out of the mouths of babes, right?!

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you. Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act.  (Psalms 37:4, 5, 7a NLT)

Through all of the pain and tears I have shed, God reminds me that though we may not have children of our own, we have so many, spiritually, we can't count them all. Maybe your child is one of ours. I knew when I was a teenager myself, that God was calling me to work with teens. There have been times, yes, when I have thought of not being in youth ministry, but Gods love for these kids runs through me like blood in my veins. This may seem off the subject, but these kids ARE our kids. They are the ones God has chosen to give us for this time. And I also wouldn't trade them either!! =) One of our students (who is now grown with a family of his own) recently came up behind us as we sat, pokes his head between us with a group hug, and delivers the following comment: "I just want to let you guys know you changed my life, thank you." WOW! If that isn't a humbling, powerful statement, nothing is. Another couple gives me a Mother's Day card each year. These, along with several other comments and situations lately, have reminded me God hears us and He sees a bigger picture we may not see right now. If you are one of our children, past or present, you are much loved and irreplaceable! Those of you who are serving The Lord, we are so proud that you have chosen to serve God. If you are one who may have gone astray for a while, we love you deeply, as if you are our own, and are earnestly praying God will lead you home.

He gives the childless woman a family, making her a happy mother. Praise the Lord ! (Psalms 113:9 NLT)

“Sing, O childless woman, you who have never given birth! Break into loud and joyful song, O Jerusalem, you who have never been in labor. For the desolate woman now has more children than the woman who lives with her husband,” says the Lord. “Enlarge your house; build an addition. Spread out your home, and spare no expense! For you will soon be bursting at the seams. Your descendants will occupy other nations and resettle the ruined cities. “Fear not; you will no longer live in shame. Don’t be afraid; there is no more disgrace for you. (Isaiah 54:1-4a NLT)

************ I don't know about my house, but the youth room surely is bursting at the seams! =)************

We have faced many difficult situations in this journey, from people promising us a child within a year, to having three ladies super close to us being pregnant at once and having to plan baby showers for them all at one time. God's mercy is so deep and His grace is sufficient.

Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 
(2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT)

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. (Jeremiah 29:11 NLT)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. (Proverbs 3:5, 6 NLT)

Will we still face disappointment and sadness at times that we don't have our own child, of course. But we know who holds our future in His hands. And though we may not understand the reasons, we trust in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Our Father holds us close to His heart, and when we face those times of sorrow or confusion, He will bring us the comfort and grace we need. 

And yes, trusting in Him, makes our Life So Sweet!!

Committed

Doldrums, whether Monday morning or the middle of the afternoon on a Thursday, we all get them sometimes! I know I do!
◄
It's so easy to really have a great time worshipping the Lord, for God's presence to fall on Sunday or Wednesday night just to have it fizzle out through out the week. The next day everything goes wrong, the kids are sick, someone treats you ugly at work...you get the picture.

Revelation 12:10-11 NLT

Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, “It has come at last— salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth— the one who accuses them before our God day and night. And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.

The power and strength God gives us! Such a powerful verse, to know we have overcome because of his blood and the word of our testimony!

You know and I know, that we can't live from Sunday to Wednesday or Wednesday to Sunday! Our walk must be a daily commitment to Jesus Christ! He is committed to us.
The question is, "what is our excuse?" I know life can be tiring, it can wear us out! This life we live for the Lord is not a certain time or day that we live for him, but a every minute, every hour, everyday we live for him! It is a lifestyle, meaning it is my life, everything my life is a about.
We are children of the most high God, let's encourage one another, check on each other, pray for one another!

James 5:16

New International Version
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

Staying committed to Jesus is not just tackling problems by yourself. Grab a friend, pray together and walk with God. Life will be so much sweeter!

Christ like

    I wanted to share these verses with you this morning, awesome verses! They really speak for themselves. Otherwise, I don't have much this morning, I hope enjoy the word of God today!

Philippians 2:1-5
   Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate?

  Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.

  Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.

  Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

  You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

  One mind, one purpose, one life to live. How will we live our lives? The scripture points to comfort and fellowship in Christ. "Are our hearts tender and compassionate?"

  What separates us from the worldly? We must humble ourselves, have a Christ like mind and attitude.
If only we could or would consider others always before ourselves! How much better off would this world be.

 We have to get into our hearts, to be more like Jesus!

  "Create in me a new heart, oh Lord, and renew a right spirit in me. I want to be holy as you are holy God! Make me more like you and less like me. I pray, that you would bless my brothers and sisters this morning, let them feel your presence, wrap your arms around them. Bless your people oh Lord! In the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.
Life is so sweet!
  
  

Building a generation

  I grew up in a God fearing family. My mom and dad raised us living for the Lord. As kids we respected our elders, of course we cut up and got in trouble, don't get me wrong (there is some Texas slang for y'all)! Generally though, parents raised their kids back then!

Proverbs 22:6
King James Version (KJV)
6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

 So where are we at today? What has happened to family? To the church? Parents are too busy, kids are being raised by the tv and internet. Church (in general) is a social club with a fraction of the power that Christ intended for us.

  I can remember when the beginnings of our church began with prayer meetings. Several families would get together on Fridays or Saturdays; we would have prayer, bible study, fellowship, and of course food! Those were good times, but then again, it has been good times throughout the life of our church. A lot has changed, but prayer, bible study, fellowship, and food has not changed!

Acts 2:46
And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart.

  So what does that have to do with building a generation? Foundation basics: Jesus, prayer, worship, bible study, and fellowship! Essential in our families, essential in our churches.

  I am apart of the second generation out of what I consider a four generation church, that is hungry for the Lord! My pastors, parents, and other leadership in our church faithfully serve the Lord. They are building generational in the church. They instill in us the word of God, they raised us to live for the Lord and to respect authority. In turn, we as second generation raise the third and fourth, to do what's right, to live for God, to serve Him with their whole heart.

Titus 2:1-6 NLT
As for you, Titus, promote the kind of living that reflects wholesome teaching.

Teach the older men to exercise self-control, to be worthy of respect, and to live wisely. They must have sound faith and be filled with love and patience.

Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that honors God. They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers. Instead, they should teach others what is good.

These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure,

To work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God.
In the same way, encourage the young men to live wisely.

  Building a generation starts with living for God all the time, being there for your family. Raise your kids, take them to church, bring them to bible study, teach them to pray, and let them have fellowship with Christian brothers and sisters. Family is utmost importance. The breakdown of the family is destructive for our nation and our churches.

  It's not all about my church or your church though, building generations of believers in Christ requires all of us, young and old! Be an example to the people around you.People are watching you, so live for the Lord and life will be so sweet!

Testimony Tuesday: Danielle Sharp

~Scripture of the day~

Psalms 18:2

The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Today, we have a testimony from Danielle Sharp, one of the young ladies from freedom fellowship's youth ministry.

This is an awesome blessing for you today!

“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity.” 1 Timothy 4:12

 I was ten years old the first time I dedicated my life to God. I don’t remember much about it other than the fact that I was baptized in February, and that the heater was broken in the baptistery and I nearly froze to death. Looking back now, it’s sad to see that that is all that I remember about my salvation. I don’t remember the warm fuzzy feeling of when I first asked Christ into my heart. I don’t remember the indescribable peace felt when I laid my head on my pillow that night. I never realized the complete weight of my decision and the sincerity that should come with it.

“Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:30-31

 As I grew older, I drifted farther and farther away from God. My first year of high school was brutal. High School is a time of discovery for most people, and the majority of my ‘friends’ went in completely opposite directions than me. I tried to straddle the line between the world and God. In the blink of an eye, I had lost all familiarity with my friends, myself, and Him. I had no idea what to do with myself, and that’s when I began my downward spiral.

“Fear not, for I am with you. Be not dismayed, for I am God. I will strengthen you. I will uphold you in my righteous right hand” Isaiah 41:10

 The third leading cause of death in teenagers is suicide. At least 25% of high school students have reported depression or suicidal thoughts. By the time I reached my mid-high school years, I became part of this statistic. My feeling of self-worth completely deteriorated, and I had no motivation for living anymore. I realize that it seems crazy that a teenager who has their whole life ahead of them would want to stop before they really even began, but I didn’t want to wait for life to get better. I began to physically harm myself to try and fill the emptiness inside of me. After this began, I never wanted to speak of church, much less go to church. I became bitter to God and I let the enemy steal what I could have.

“Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord shall be praised.” Proverbs 31:30

 In April, a young man in our church passed away. He was so full of life and fire for God, and after he passed I felt an obligation to not give up on life. I realized that God knew exactly what he was doing and that I could not stop His will from happening.

 “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18

 Soon after, I found myself on a charter bus to the happiest place on earth. Discovery Camp. Seriously, Disney World could never compare to how awesome this place is. I went with an expectant heart and desire for the Lord to show me His will in my life. Appropriately named, the theme was The Big Picture. The primary focus was on God’s entire plan for your life instead of just the here and now. The first night I was able to completely release the inhibitions I had been holding on to. I had to let go and let God. As soon as they called for people to come to the front after the service, I ran like there was no tomorrow. I can say confidently that as soon as I stepped in the isle I felt the burdens lift off of my shoulders and crumple at my feet. That was the warm-fuzzy feeling I was missing from my first salvation. That night when I laid my weary head on my deflated mattress, I felt the most amazing sense of peace. A peace that would never have been attainable by me alone.

“She is clothed in strength and dignity and laughs without fear of the future.” Proverbs 31:25

 When we usually return home from camp, I feel like the passion and yearning I experience for God fizzles out. However, this year I have had a desire placed in my heart to keep climbing up the mountain. I want to stretch and reach and push to become all that God has planned for me.

 I began my senior year of high school almost six weeks ago. I had to give up a few things that took a major part in my former life. I had to say goodbye to good friends. It hasn’t been easy, but it has definitely been worth it. I still struggle and fall down, but my faith has rooted me to a strong foundation that can translate to my adulthood. But God has given me unbelievable strength to weather any storm. Regardless of what happens in the future, I know that I am one of God’s children. I can’t wait until the day comes that I hear “Well done thou good and faithful servant.”

                     Life is so sweet!