I came upon this interesting site and thought I’d share this post with you.  It’s called the “21 Day Challenge: Loving God’s Word”.  If you have been thinking about a way to read through the bible, this might be a good way to start.

21 Day Challenge

Hi blog readers!

I’m delighted to share that I’ll be appearing on AM Buffalo (WKBW – Channel 7) soon. I will update my blog and website with the date/time once I know it, or will simply add a link to the interview on my website.

I love the song More Beautiful You by Jonny Diaz.  It has such a great message for young women today. 

Take a listen, and then pass this on to the beautiful girls and women in your life.

And always remember that you were made by your Creator to fulfill a purpose!

In a class I took recently the teacher explained that there are over 3000 promises in the bible!  Isn’t that amazing? 

As you begin 2012, I thought I’d share this great Daily Promises website with you.  It lists paraphrased bible promises for daily life.  I hope you enjoy it and the blessings that come from God’s promises to you!

 

I love my GPS! I love that when I drive to a new place and finish my visit, I can simply click on the Go Home option; one click and my GPS guides me home. I feel reassured knowing that the GPS can find my house from anywhere!

When I return from a vacation, I love that first time that I get to lay down on my “own” bed again. After hotel room beds or guest room beds away from home, I feel content to once again be in my own room on my own bed. I find comfort as I return to the habits and familiarity of our life at home.

As much as I love my home, however, it is a temporary home. This world is not my final home. My final home will be with Jesus in heaven someday.

Questions to consider:

• What do I think of when I imagine my home; my earthly home or my eternal home?
• Do I find comfort in my earthly home and/or in my eternal home?
• When I’m told in John 15:19 that I am not of this world, how does that translate into my daily actions and life?

Check out what God’s Word says about this:

John 15:19

Romans 12:2

James 4:4

I just wanted to say Merry Christmas to my blog followers!   I hope you have a wonderful Christmas this year! 

Here is a link to Silent Night by Mercy Me…I hope you enjoy it!

While snorkeling on a vacation, I learned first hand that barracuda’s like shiny items. As I returned to our boat from snorkeling one day, I was alone. When I was within 20 feet of the boat, I saw a barracuda swimming just behind our shining metal ladder we used for getting back into the boat. This guy was a nasty looking bugger! Barracuda’s are not a particularly welcome sight, with their long sharp teeth protruding out of their mouths. They look pretty ferocious, and I was definitely scared of going closer to him. Needless to say, I turned back and did not return to the boat until I had others with me!

A bit later, I felt slightly braver approaching the boat because there were two other people with me, and one of them volunteered to go up the ladder first. But even as I saw that the first person got up the ladder without getting attacked by the nasty looking fish, I still felt the blood pumping quickly through my veins as I scrambled up into the boat. And finally, once on the boat, I could breathe normally again and begin to calm down my quickened pulse; happily relieved that the barracuda had continued to find the boat’s ladder more interesting than me.

I was thankful that I had others to share this experience with, and that I wasn’t alone. If nothing else, it makes it more fun to retell the adventure! There is a lot of emphasis in our country on being an individual. But God’s ways are not our ways. He reminds us to rely on other believers to help us stay strong in our faith. Jesus asks us to be a part of His body of believers.

Questions to consider:

• Do I strive to do everything on my own, or do I rely on others for help sometimes?
• Do I ask God to be with me when I am afraid, or do I try to “go it alone”?
• If Jesus had friends when He lived on earth, would it make sense that He wants me to have friends who support me in my faith?

God’s Word says:

Romans 12:5

1 Corinthians 12:27

Colossians 3:15

On a family trip out West, my son saw a soda pop machine behind bars. “Why is that soda pop in jail?” he asked me. After I had finished giggling at his clever question, I told him that I had never seen anything quite like it!

It was such a surprise to me to see that soda machine closed inside of steel bars, physically protected from potential theft; locked away and safe. It made me wonder about the cause of locking up the machine. Had someone really tried to steal this machine before?

The irony of our country being called civilization is that much of the time people don’t use civil behavior. Our country (and our world) are filled with thieves, murderers, liars, adulterers, you name it! When we watch the news we expect story after story of people destroying lives, buildings, reputations, and it goes on and on. It can feel overwhelming at times to see the chaos, unrestrained anger, and unrest that occurs daily in the world. It can make me feel like an alien in my own country, my own city, my own backyard.

Questions to consider:

• Do I ever feel shocked anymore when I watch the news?
• Do I feel overwhelmed by the evil in this world?
• Am I going to Jesus humbly in prayer, asking for His protection and guidance?

God’s Word says:

James 4:1-3

Psalm 33:8

John 15:19

When you hear the word Grace, what do you think of?

Does it remind you of a person you knew named Grace?

Does it make you think of times when someone has said “Let’s say grace,” before having a meal?

The dictionary gives several descriptions of Grace:

• Elegance or beauty of form
• Pleasing or attractive quality
• A manifestation of favor
• Mercy, clemency, pardon

I can relate to each of these definitions, but the one that really touches my heart is the last definition; mercy, clemency, pardon. In our culture, mercy seems to be a rare treasure. Instead, we are told to retaliate, to “get back”, to avenge. Mercy and grace mean the opposite of revenge. To give mercy or grace to someone is almost shocking to people when it happens in today’s world.

Questions for you:

• What comes to mind when I hear the word grace?
• Have I given grace to others, or do I tend to want to “get back” at those who have hurt me?
• Am I willing to accept grace and mercy from others; am I willing to accept grace from God?

God’s Word says:

Psalm 86:6

John 1:14

Ephesians 2:8-9

In honor of our Thanksgiving holiday coming up, I wanted to share a link to this video, a great reminder of all that we can be thankful for. 

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!!