God Keeps Me Safe

     My computer is crashing so we'll see if I can keep up with this from my phone. The entries might be a lot shorter though. Another child story. Last night at my job I had quite the experience that I haven't had for awhile there. One of the children started to go crazy and I mean that in the nicest way possible.
       This child started to throw things at a staff because the child wanted something that he couldn't have. I took the child to another room so he could calm down bit he didn't for awhile. He was talking in jabber and running up and down the hall. Back and forth to the bedroom.  I finally got him to sit down where I could hold him and take to him.
        I got him to sit down and I started asking questions like "why are you acting this way", "why are you mad", and none of them worked. I finally told him that he was safe at this place and it seemed like that madness just turned off like that. He was nice and calm for  the rest of the night.
        Then at bedtime he wouldn't go to sleep and he kept looking at the lighted stars on the ceiling so we got to talking about what was in the sky. There was a moment that I got to tell him about God and how He is up there in the sky watching over him and keeping him safe too. That God is always keeping him safe no matter where he goes. It didn't seem like he understood but you never know with little children. I just thought it was strange that he could go from hyper to calm in just a few seconds but that's normal at my job with the children.
         Just in my mind I like to think of it has a evil spirit inside of him but Drs and other people have other ideas. You never know with my job what it could be all you can do is pray for these children and help them while they are with you.

Diamonds in the Rust

      "In the same way,  let your good deeds shine out for all to see,  so that everyone will praise your Heavenly Father." - Matthew 5:16

       When the light shines in a diamond, it usually shines up and out of the diamond. As people of God,  we should look up to God and let our light shine out to people.
        There are 4 things that we should look at for a good diamond. There are: the cut, the color, the clarity, and the carrot. They are 4 words that start with the letter "c".
        When the light shines out of us,  we should have 4 cs shining out of us. There are: character, caring, compassion, and costly. I will give you one or two verses to go with each word.
        Character
               -Philippians 2:14-15

                -"Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky."       

        Caring
               - Matthew 10:42

                  -"And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.”               

              -Matthew 25:40

                  -"And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!"

        Compassion
               - 1 John 3:18

                 -"Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions."

               - Romans 12:9-10

                 -"Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other."

        Costly
               - Matthew 10:37-39

                 -"If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it."     

       Being a diamond in the rust will cost us. My job costs me. It's not just moms. If we are passionate about our jobs or whatever it is that we are doing then  it should be costly. When we have a relationship with God, our lives should cost a lot.

Spending my 20s Serving God

        I was challenged by a friend to make a list of things I want to do while I am single and free and I did. It turned out to be mainly serving God, children, and traveling by myself plus some races to run here and there, which is great. Those are the things I am most passionate about right now. Here are the things:

-The Color Vibe Run

-The Joplin, MO Run

-Go to the big 3 countries in Central America

-Start to write and publish a book

-The Glow Run

-Be involved with Opaertion Christmas Child by handing out the Christmas shoeboxes

-Start my own children's home or nannying business

      I got to thinking about this today. Just strange that everything I want to do and/or get done has to do with serving God. People say that the 20s are the times to be free and serve God the way you want to or the way He leads you to. I believe that because once you are married you have other things to focus on and do. In your 20s, you can be focus on God and who you are in Him. Sometimes, especially, today I was wondering what it would be like if I had plans and goals like this for all of my life. How would that feel? Just serving and living for God. Would I be content with that? Would I want to go to other countries after these 4 and would I want to do fostering or a children's home by myself as a single parent? That would be the life, I think. I'll do these plans and then see how I feel afterwards. How neat would it be if I could write a book and then another one and just go around speaking on those books?! Not only talk about the books but talk about children too and what I have been through and done with children, whether in the States or in other countries. How they are the same and difference?
       I'm learning a lot now about myself and the children I work with and probably still will be for awhile yet but that is how I like it. I want to share it with the world too. That is one of the many reasons I do this blog.

The Narrow Road

         "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."-Matthew 7:13-14

      This verse means the world to me right now when I feel like there are 3 or more roads that I could take. It seems like every choice has at least 3 roads whether it has to do with career, friendships, or just everyday things. I have never noticed what this verse really means until now. 
      "Enter through the narrow gate" means just go down the road God has for you. That I get but it is so hard to tell which one is which. Like the next sentence says, "For wide is the gate and broad is the road that lead to destruction". Do I want to enter the wide gate with so many choices that I could pick the wrong choice and go down the wrong path? How can I stop myself from going down to destruction? It says, "many enter through it". Is that because they don't trust God with their lives? Is it because they don't listen with their Spirit? Is it because they want the easy way out instead of the hard way out?
      "Small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life". What does that mean? It means that you can only make one out of those 3 choices because only one choice can lead you to the life that is worth living for. For many people, it is a hard path but worth living. Most people are scared to take that path because it is hard and you really do have to trust God with your all. You have to stick with it all the way no matter what times you have. You might seem weak or you might seem like you are not being used in the way God wants you to be used but in a way you are because God put you there. Life with God is not always easy because He wants us to depend on Him. 
       "Only a few find it" because only a few are looking for it. Only a few really want to be that close to God. They want a true relationship with Him. They want to live for Him and with Him. The people that don't find it are missing out because it is a wonderful way to live. It is a wonderful peace and comfort in knowing that no matter what happens in life you will always have someone with you. When I think of the phase "only a few find it", I think of the missionaries, the church people like pastors, church admin., and so on but really it is whoever will serve Him where they are at. We don't need to have a fancy job, we just need to be willing to serve Him where we are at. 
           I love to paint the picture in my head of a narrow road of my life with small gates that I need to walk through when God is ready for me to change plans in my life whether it be graduating college, changing jobs, going on different mission trips, letting go of people/friends, or moving place to place. Each one is a gate on the narrow road God has placed before me. Of course, when you let go of people it is like closing a gate but then God opens a more narrow one for you to walk through maybe with another person or friend. 
           It is more about the way of our hearts, not where we are. That is why only a few find it because only a few really gets the understanding of The Way. It's not what we have or do but who we are in Christ. The path is in our hearts, not out in the world. It comes from the inside to the outside. When you see that in people, it will draw you not only to them but to God as well no matter what situation you are in. 

Challenge: Go through the small gate and on the narrow road.

Prayer: Dear Daddy, Help to to listen to You and follow you on the narrow road you have for me in life. I want to be closer to You then to this world. I want to focus on You and who You meant for me to be instead of what this world has for me. This world has so many gates but You have one gate (aka one purpose) in life for me to walk to and through, please help me to see that gate when I get to it and keep walking through the gates when it is time. 

In Christ's Love, Amen

        

Being Raised Country is a Blessing

         Most people would say I'm more of a small town girl, which I would have to agree with because I was raised in a really small town and graduated from that small town but I was also raised in the country for the 1st 4 years of my life and those were the best years ever plus some summers after those 4 years until high school came along. I've heard somethings and just living in a "big" city makes me realize how blessed I am to be from a small town. Not that I would have said it back then while living there but now I do.
         I have had city folks say to be before and I quote, "A donkey actually does say "hee-haw" and "I have only seen horses in cages and zoos." I have some family that are from the city and I love them too death so I know there is more out there then the country or small towns and I have traveled around some. Those two phases just caught me off track when I heard them though. I understand if you have never seen a horse or a donkey and never heard them make noise but in a cage in a zoo for horses. For this small town girl, that is just wrong.
         Of course, God has been opening up my eyes to the city life and the more He does that more I notice it is not for me at all. Where's my country where I can enjoy God's Creation without a worry? I don't know what I will do for the rest of my life because I don't want to live out in the country alone but I sure don't want to live in the city all my life. It is already getting to me. I think back on my moments as a child and how I was truly blessed to have those fun but yet different moments back then.
         I will tell you and could tell you more stories. This small town/country girl has gathered eggs from the chickens, milked the cows, traded those two things with people or helped, walked in the woods, played in the mud pond and cow pond, taking horseback lessons, riding a horse in the beautiful state of Montana, fished and camped every summer when I was little, build a house out of sunflowers and morning glories, and a lot more. I'm sure I have been on a tractor a time or two. Right then, I just sounded like a redneck or a country girl but you know what I'm proud of it. Yes, I will be the old style mom and wife that teaches manners and have my children play outdoors but there is nothing wrong with that. I have and love to sew. I could go on and on. God has blessed me with a life I don't intend to trade even if I got the chance to. God has also blessed me with experiences that I will never forget in my lifetime and that many people do not get to experience espically in today's world.
          I'm that strong, stubborn country/small town girl and I intend to stay that way but maybe get a little more country like throw hunting in the mix of things. I'm country and I like it that way. It is a blessing when you know how many people have no idea what that life is like. It is a spical kind of life and really that could be taken both ways depending on who is reading this and that is fine with me. I know I am!

Little Thoughts

        Have you ever had one of those weeks or days when you just have the little thoughts in your heads that you think about and that you might even pray about when you get home if you can remember them after a long day? I've had a lot of those this week and it is just the start of it. What is neat about it is everyone of them are thoughts I can and want to do and right now looks possible. I just have to remember to pray more deeply about them. I'll tell you the little thoughts that I have had these past few weeks and then tell you what has happened.
         One thought and this was the first one was that I wanted to keep looking at the boundaries in the Bible but my Bible study about Boundaries is over. It is one of those things where it seems interesting but you know you need the accountabity to keep doing it. I thought or God put the thought of some girls in my mind that I could do it with and it could be turned into a small Bible study group. I have 3 girls in mind and I've asked everyone of them so we'll see. It would be neat if I could get that started, even if it was with one out of the 3 girls or every so often with all 3. I've been wanting to lead or start a Bible study by myself for about a half a year now at the most.
          Then this weekend things were going on at church that made me thinking how I wanted to be able to share The Word with other people, more or less, international people and see lives changed. While I was sitting in the park this morning, this international lady came up and started talking to me. She loves writing and taking pictures like I do. We traded phone numbers and went on our way. It is a God moment because I haven't been at the park for so long and I just decided to go last night when I wake up because it helps me to calm down before the day starts. I hope and pray I can get a real friendship out of that. She said "Hi" first but I jumped up because it scared me. I was writing my prayer out so I was focused on that.
            Then the next thing was I got to make a donation to a ministry that I've seen grown from the start. It is the little thoughts and things that count and make you the person that you are or that God wants you to be. It is strange because I took an international Bible Study before Christmas but I felt strange going into their houses and felt like none of them was for me but then this other person showed up randomly 3 months after the class and we could have things to talk about. Everything is in God's timing and I think that is what He is showing me here again although He has shown me a lot of times. We all need that reminder that He has things under control if we give it to Him and forget about it.
             I do tend to try to have control of things and when I do they don't work. The moment in the park was just a reminder to let go and Let God. I say that because I prayed hard last night about a situation of mine that I want to let go and let God have control because I know it is for the better but it is hard espically when I care for the situation. It should be the more I care the able I am to let go so God can care for it. That situation, I still believe, will come true someday if I ever truely let God have it all, not just half or a little of it. I didn't think about it this way in the moment of meeting the new friend but that could be true. THANK GOD FOR HIS TIMING AND FOR HIS VOICE SPEAKING TO ME!

God's Love and Power on the Cross

        "What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

                                                               

                                                                                                                              -Romans 8:31-39

      I felt like I needed to write something "Eastery" since everyone else was. :) I love these verses as the "Easter" verses. I grew up in church where all they would talk about was the Easter story and don't get me wrong that is great to hear but we need another way to apply it to our lives. I feel like these verses gives us that way. For me, at this point in my life, they make it more real to me. This was the sermon I heard last night during my church service and they made me think. 

       

       Jesus died on the cross for us to take away our sins but yet God won't blame it on any of us but on himself. Nothing can take that Love away from us. We will go through hardships, famine, danger, and we do face death all day long and more but through Christ's Love we are conquerors. If that is not enough to get us to believe then it goes on to say, neither the present or future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth can keep us from Him. I like what my preacher said last night, "Paul is trying to get us to realize God's Love for us by giving examples but Paul knows that is not possible so he ends with saying, "nor anything else in all of Creation." That means nothing at all can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

    

        When you need to feel God's Love through the thick and thin, these are great verses to go back to and remember that no matter what God sent His Only Son to save us, sinners. God can pull us through anything with His Love if only we will believe in Him and again goes back to trusting in Him. WE CAN'T MEASURE HOW WIDE OR DEEP HIS LOVE IS FOR US BUT ISN'T THAT AWESOME!? HIS LOVE IS THAT BIG AND THAT FOREVER GIVING LOVE! IT HAS NO HUMAN BOUNDARIES, ONLY GOD GIVEN BOUNDARIES! Boundaries so BIG that Jesus had to go to a cross and nail the human boundaries there and get "new" ones. 

         

        Just think: God got rid of the old boundaries (the ways of the Old Testament) that weren't working in the lives of His people and placed new boundaries (The WAY of the New Testament) in their lives after Jesus died on the cross. WOW! When you put it like that, that means a lot!