Seek The Lord Sunday: Saved And Made New

This week is another "open" week...mostly because I forgot to update the topic in my sidebar! Sorry 'bout that. I'll try to offer a suggestion again next week.

Isn't it funny the different ways that God can speak to us? Once I'm looking, I see Him and his message of love and salvation everywhere. I mean everywhere...even in the garbage can! I'll explain...

This is my favorite houseplant:

I've had this plant for 18 years (how is that even possible?!). It's a shamrock plant, and it's so delicate and beautiful. It's leaves turn a deep green with purple backs when I'm doing a good job of fertilizing it regularly. And it produces these sweet little delicate white flowers, that I love. One of my favorite things is how it's leaves close at night, and open in the daylight. But this post isn't really about a houseplant, I promise.

The main reason I love this plant is because of the way I acquired it. Before it was mine, it was my Mom's. We moved houses one hot Idaho summer and this plant got left in the car too long. It was completely shriveled and dead looking when Mom found it in the back window of the car. She dumped the pot's contents into the garbage can, and set about unpacking boxes and setting up the new house.

A day or so later, I was taking out the trash. I took off the garage can lid, and was about to put the bag of garbage in the can when I saw something odd in there. It looked like a cluster of bright orange pine cones or something. I was intrigued, so I reached in there and grabbed it out of the dirt and grime. I realized it was the root ball of Mom's "dead" plant.

Some might call me a fool...I prefer the term "optimist". I brought my strange find into the house, ran it under some water to get the gunk and dirt off of it, and I plopped it into a flower pot. I didn't even know which end was up. I just stuck it in there, covered it with dirt, and gave it some water.

To my delight, I saw little green sprouts poking their heads through the soil in about a week! I couldn't believe it!

That plant has been in that very pot ever since. Every now and then it starts to look a little weak or anemic, and I think it's dying. When that happens, I literally dump it in the garbage, shake of the dirt that's run out of nutrients, and re-plant it in new, fresh soil. Sure enough, it comes back strong once again.

I'm sure you see where I'm going with this story by now :)

These days, when I look at that plant and think of it's beginnings, I'm reminded of how I'm saved and made new by the Lord. When I think of the person I was before he got his hands on my gunky little heart...oh, I belonged in a garbage can too! But not with a God like ours! He dug me out, washed me off, and planted me in soil filled with nutrients. I thrive under his love and care. I grow...and every now and then I even sprout a flower or two.

And although I wish I never needed it, sometimes he has to "dump me back out" and start over with me. And once again, I'm clean and new. And with the right soil, a drink from the never-dry well from time to time, and a little light from the Son...I'm back to being the best me that I can be.

I'm so thankful that we have a God who's not afraid to go to the ugly and dirty parts of our lives and hearts to rescue us...proof positive that he loves us beyond reason! Our very own "dumpster-diving" God!! Ha!

Tonight, my heart is just filled with gratitude. Gratitude for being saved...gratitude for being so preciously loved...gratitude that God is bigger and better than my little mind will ever be able to comprehend this side of Heaven. Can I get an 'Amen'!

"But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life." (Titus 3:4-7)

How has the Lord touched your heart recently?

Am I Willing?

Hey Bloggy Friends...have you read Kelli's story yet? (she's a guest writer at Rocks In My Dryer today).

You can also go straight to Kelli's blog if you'd like more info about her (I can't figure out how to get this button to link to her, sorry).

I'm feeling a bit...haunted.



I'd read Kelli's story months ago. I was so touched by this young mom who was facing a life threatening illness, that I called the donor number and requested an info packet to get signed up to be evaluated as a potential donor.

I got the packet in the mail. I filled out the papers. I got really REALLY scared about the whole idea. I filed the papers away. I pretended I never got them.

That little voice? It's been urging me to get those papers out and finish them up for some time now. I've been doing my best to ignore that voice. I hate to admit it, but sometimes I wish that little voice would leave me alone!

And then Kelli showed up at Rocks In My Dryer today. Ugh.

I went over to her site, hoping to read a post saying that they'd found her a donor. No luck.

Those dang papers.

So I dug them out of my file, finished filling them out, and sealed them all up in an envelope and sent them off. It's done. I've signed up to be a living kidney donor for Kelli Bauch.

Part of me thinks, "Hey, since the Lord seems to be prompting me to do this, maybe I'm her match! Wouldn't that be awesome?!"

But part of me thinks selfish and frightened thoughts like, "Oh no, what if I'm a match! I don't want to have surgery. What if something happens to me and I can't be a mom and wife like I want to? What if I die and leave my family without me? What if one of my own family members needs a kidney some day and I won't have one to give? What if, what if, what if...."

Obviously, I don't know what the outcome will be. But this experience of just filling out the paperwork has been eye-opening for me. How giving, how loving, how self-sacrificing am I...really? It's so easy to "talk the talk"...until it comes time to actually sign on the dotted line.

If nothing else, this has been an exercise in trusting the Lord. I might be a match for his beloved daughter, Kelli. One daughter helping another. Who am I to stand in the way of that plan? And if that's his plan? Well, then he'll probably see me through it, won't he?

And if it's his plan, but I die during surgery or from complications after? Well, my days are numbered anyway. What better way to go than to lay down my life for a friend?

Yeah, the whole thing makes my stomach turn a little too.

But here I am, at least in my heart and mind, willing. Willing to at least see what the Lord has in mind. And if what's on his mind is having me donate a kidney? Well, I trust that he'll give me enough grace and courage to deal with that...

The LDS (Mormon) Church, Part 1: Joseph Smith

Well, I've decided to start this *enormous* conversation at the very beginning...with Joseph Smith. Why start here? Because the validity of the entire LDS faith hinges on whether or not Joseph Smith was who he claimed to be...a prophet of God.

I think that any time someone claims to be a prophet of God, we had better pay attention! We have to listen to what they're saying, and decide if they are truly a prophet or not. If it seems that they are of God, then we'd better start listen carefully and obey where necessary. So let's take a look at Joseph Smith. Was he a prophet or not?

Before I forget, are you new to these posts about the LDS faith? If so I strongly encourage you to start by reading about my intent in doing these posts, and then read about the format of these posts. Go on, go read and get all caught up. We'll wait...

Okay, now that we're all up to speed, I'll get started :)

Section 1: What the LDS (Mormon) Church teaches about Joseph Smith

- There is an abundance of material out there about who Joseph Smith was from the LDS perspective. If you want to read it all, I encourage you to start with this, this, or this. Or you could just Google "Joseph Smith" (but keep in mind all results will not be from the LDS perspective). For my purposes here, I'll try to just list some main points.
- Joseph Smith was the founder of the LDS church

- As a 14 year old boy, Joseph Smith Jr. was trying to figure out which church he should attend. He went into the woods to pray about it, and two beings appeared to him, which Joseph identified as Jesus and God. One of the beings instructed Joseph to attend none of the churches, because they were all wrong. This experience is known as "The First Vision".

- When he was 17 years old, an angel named Moroni appeared to Joseph. It was this angel who eventually lead Joseph to buried gold plates...a book with gold plates. It was buried in the state of New York.

- Along with the plates, there were "seer stones" buried. These stones were used by Joseph to translate the gold plates. The resulting document was The Book Of Mormon.

- The Book Of Mormon is referred to as "another testament of Jesus Christ" by the LDS faith.

- Joseph Smith said, "The Book of Mormon [is] the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion." (History of the Church 4:461)

- People of LDS faith believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. In other words, they believe that God spoke/otherwise communicated directly with Joseph (revelation).

- Joseph Smith wrote Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price, and the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible. The LDS church believe that these documents are divinely inspired, and they refer to them as "Modern Scripture".

- It is the LDS belief that God's church died with the death of the original apostles. Joseph Smith reported that he was visited by John the Baptist, Peter, James, and John (all of the New Testament). It was during these visits, that the LDS church believes that God's true church was "restored" to the earth.

- Joseph Smith was persecuted for his unique faith nearly everywhere he went.

- The modern LDS church condemns the practice of polygamy. However, they believe that God instructed Joseph Smith (among others) to practice polygamy for a season. Joseph reportedly was "challenged by the command, but obeyed it."

- For a time, Joseph Smith led the church in "communal living", where members consecrated their property to the church and everyone lived together and divided things up as needed for everyone to be cared for.

- Joseph Smith was murdered at age 38.

Section 2: What other, non LDS sources, say about Joseph Smith

-The first source I'd like to refer to is the Bible. Let's see what it says about prophets:

- Number 12:5-6 says that the Lord will, indeed, speak to prophets through visions and dreams.
- Deuteronomy 13:1-3 tells us that it is possible for someone to appear to be a prophet of God and to have visions. We are not to do as these people say because they are not actually of God.
- Deuteronomy 18:21-22, Jeremiah 28:9 , & Ezekiel 33:33 gives us some guidelines for determining if a prophet is a true prophet of God. Namely, if what he prophesies does not come true, then he is not speaking as a prophet of God.
- Kings 18:18-19 speaks of prophets that do not serve Almighty God, but serve other gods.
- Jeremiah 14:14, Jeremiah 23:9-40, Jeremiah 27:14-16, Jeremiah 29:8-9, & Lamentations 2:14, are all verses which describe false prophets in Old Testament times.
- Matthew 17:15, 1 John 4:1 warns us to be on the lookout for false prophets.
- Matthew 23:34 & Matthew 24:11 talks about how some prophets will be persecuted and killed.
- There is also an abundance of examples in the Bible where people deny and do not obey the teachings of God's true prophets.

Frankly, there are too many verses to list! When I did a Bible Gateway search for the keyword "prophet", I got 470 results!

Okay, on to a different source. Next, I did a Wikipedia search on Joseph Smith. They have a very detailed article about him. Most of the facts listed by the LDS sources about Smith correlate with what the non-LDS encyclopedia says (regarding the timeline of Smith's life and life events).

- Smith had a revelation in 1831 that Independence, Missouri would be Zion for the LDS people. But then after conflict in that area, Smith referred to their new settlement in Far West, Missouri as "the church in Zion" .'

-There is contradiction on the issue of "plural marriage" (polygamy). On the one hand, Smith preached that it was sinful and not to be a part of the LDS person's life:

"Inasmuch as this Church of Christ has been reproached with the crime of fornication and polygamy, we declare that we believe that one man should have one wife, and one woman but one husband, except in the case of death, when either is at liberty to marry again." (Doctrine & Covenants 1835 edition 101:4)

On the other hand, historians agree that Smith claimed to have had a revelation which commanded plural marriage. Smith also practiced polygamy, and had as many as 30 wives (clearly documented by "sealing" records, marriage licenses, etc.)

- There seem to have been many prophecies made by Smith that did not come to fruition.

Section 3: My thoughts and comments regarding Joseph Smith

Alright. Are you all sitting there waiting for me to say "See?! Joseph Smith was a lunatic, and couldn't possibly have been from God!" No, I'm not going to say that.

Before I give you my thoughts on Joseph Smith, please remember that anyone who claims to be a prophet of God opens themselves and their life to scrutiny. The Bible tells us to examine what a prophet says to determine if they are truly of God or not. I'm not looking critically at Joseph Smith because I'm being mean or unfair. I'm looking at him to see if he's someone I need to be paying more attention to.

First, I'd like to say that anyone...regardless of age, race, gender, occupation, hobbies, or past or present sins...anyone can be used by God. It's totally God's call. Sometimes (think Saul turned Paul in the New Testament), it seems God uses the least likely candidate just to make it clear that he/she is of God instead of being of their own abilities.

So do I automatically dismiss the possibility that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God because of his young age? No. Because of his history of being a "seer" (staring at stones in the bottom of his hat to try and find buried treasure). No. Because of the way he was persecuted? Nope. Especially not for that...men and women of God are persecuted more often than not.

But I can say this: after much research and after even more prayer (my brain and body and soul are just exhausted right now!)...I do, with 100% certainty dismiss Joseph Smith as being a prophet of God.

So who do I believe Joseph Smith was, if not a prophet? He was one or both of the following:
1. Deceived
2. Deceiver

Why do I think this? Because, he simply does not meet the criteria that a prophet of God must fulfill. His prophesies did not come true. His revelations contradicted the Word of God (he had to re-write ("re-translate") the Bible to make it fit with his new set of beliefs!). And he lived a contradictory lifestyle to what he taught.

Based on all the ways the Bible gives us to test prophets, Joseph Smith just can not be a prophet of God.

Oh my. Do I have to turn my comment moderation on, or can we still be nice to each other? I'm a bit nervous as I sit here an type because I just know I'm ruffling feathers with these bold statements.

But please...please...remember where I'm coming from.

Why would I say such hurtful and insulting things to people I claim to care about? I say them because I'm praying that some light will be shed on Joseph Smith, and that eyes and hearts will be opened to a God that is very different than the god taught by Smith. I'm talking about a God of grace and mercy. An Everlasting God.

We still have lots and lots to discuss. I'm not sure what my next LDS post will be about...documents? The nature of God? Jesus? Doctrine? I don't know. But I hope you'll hang in here with me and come back.

Section 4: Questions for us all to think and pray about

1. Who do you think Joseph Smith was? Prophet? Deceiver? Deceived?
2. The Bible teaches that we are to test prophets who claim to be of God. How have you tested Joseph Smith? How do your tests of Smith compare to the way the Bible instructs us to test?
3. Historians, Archaeologists, Scientists...they all agree that the Book of Mormon is false. How does this affect your faith in Joseph Smith as a prophet of God?
4. If you are LDS...why do you trust Joseph Smith for your eternal salvation?
5. The Bible tells us that Satan "masquerades as an angel of light" to deceive and harm. How do you know that Joseph Smith's visions were of God instead of someone masquerading as an angel of God?

A note on commenting:
Please remember, you do not have to answer these questions for my benefit. If you'd like for me or other readers to know how you'd answer these questions, please write a post at your blog and drop me a comment directing us there.

Seek The Lord Sunday: God's Grace

I've felt particularly drawn to the book of Galatians this week. I've been reading and re-reading it in my spare quiet moments (and with 4 little ones, I have SO many of those, HA!).

If not extra quiet moments, I did find some extra peace in this wonderful book this week. There is one verse that keeps playing in my head like a stuck record...

"I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" Galatians 2:21

I admit it: I have control issues. It's a daily battle for me to turn my life over to God and to just rest in his grace and mercy. And when I think about my eternity? Sometimes I panic.

I think, "Oh, I'm not good enough! I don't deserve it! What if I've missed something and I'm actually headed down instead of up?!" And in my mind, I try to take inventory of all the "good" stuff I've done that might tip the scales in my favor. And then I panic some more...knowing that there's probably "bad" stuff that I'm not even aware of. It's a terrible, vicious circle!

But this verse. This verse really hit me this week. If I could do enough...if it were possible to do enough "good" to earn our way to Heaven? Then Christ would have died for NOTHING.

When I try, in my little mind, to figure my way into Heaven based on doing "good", I'm reducing what Jesus did for me to nothing. I'm making a mockery of his sacrifice. It's like saying, "Yeah, that was awful nice of you. It's kind of a nice safety net in case I need it. But me? I'm okay. I'm doing tons of great stuff here, so I should be fine. Thanks anyway!"

I'm made righteous...I'm saved...because of God's GRACE. Nothing more and nothing less. If I stand before the gates of Heaven some day and hear the question "Why should you be let in?" My answer should only be...CAN only be, "Because Jesus died for me, and he washed me clean. His sacrifice was 100% sufficient. His grace is enough."

(I'm probably throw a "pretty please with sugar on top" in there somewhere too!)

And resting in God's grace is such a relief. I don't have to do it! I can stop trying so hard to be "good", and focus only on being grateful. I can focus on living a life that is inspired by my love for the one who showed me such grace. I can focus on my Jesus.

This week is an "Open" week. Write about whatever you want. Hopefully, you've been praying and seeking all week and the Lord has taught you a thing or two too! Please share :)

Seeking The Lord Through The Psalms

This week, we're looking at the Psalms. Do you have a favorite? Or is there one that speaks to you recently?

To be honest, I had a hard time deciding on just one. It's not like I have an "answer" when I choose a topic for the week. I typically pray about it, or just have an interest in something...that's how it becomes a topic for STLS. This one just sort of popped into my head (thank you, Lord). So here I am...trying to figure out what to write about!

Since I can't decide on one chapter or verse in this awesome book...lucky you, I'm writing about two!

The first is Psalm 10:14:

"But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to you; you are the helper of the fatherless."

I love this one because it tells me that God sees me. When I feel sad or lonely or depressed or worthless? God sees what I'm going through. I am not alone, even when it feels like I might be.

And not only does he see my troubles and grief...but He considers my pain and "takes it in hand". What does this mean? To me, this means he does something about it. Not only is he aware of what's happening, but he's an active participant in our lives. He's thinking for us. He's working for us. He's healing for us.

So many New Age religions demote God to some sort of mystical nebulous of happy feelings floating aimlessly through space. "We are what we believe". To this, I respectfully and lovingly say...BALONEY! The Bible tells of a God who is very very real, very personal.

He is a God who takes care of the victims in our world...and who hasn't been a victim at some point in our lives? Sin is everywhere and it affects us all. And he is a God who even sees the little ones who are without a father. They are orphaned and alone...but not really. God sees them. God loves them. God is taking their situation in hand. No one is too small or too "bad" for God to love and care for.

Have you been hurt by your sin? Have you been hurt by someone else? Does it feel like your life is in a shambles and like there's no hope? God sees you. He cares for you. He loves you. Be patient, cry on his shoulder if you'd like, and trust in Him to work it out for you. He has taken your situation "in hand". There is hope!

I guess, bottom line, this verse tells me that God cares for all the little things in our lives. He cares for the hidden things in our lives. He cares for the pain in our lives. And who could care for all of these little things but a very BIG God? He's awesome!

The other verse that struck a chord with me this week is Psalm 147:10-11:

"His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man; the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love."

I love how this verse basically takes things out of my hands. God is not interested or impressed by my strength or my intelligence. He's not interested in what I can do. He's not impressed by all the good stuff I'm doing. Why is He not impressed by this stuff? Because when I do good, or am strong, or am smart...if I'm doing it to impress, then it's not of God. It's of me, and it's pride.

What God does delight in though, is people who respect and trust Him. He want our hearts, not our strength. He wants our faith, not our good work. He wants us to lean on Him, not on ourselves.

So when I feel like a failure or like I'm not "doing" enough? This verse reminds me that what the Lord really wants from me is for me to trust in Him. To rejoice in the hope that his unfailing love offers me. Even in my lazy and good for nothing moments...I can do that. I can trust God. I can remind myself of His love. His unfailing love.

It's almost always in these moments of stillness and humbleness before God that I am refreshed....rejuvenated. And then, with the reassurance of His love for me, I can take on the world. I can to to work for Him...not because I want to impress, but because I want to bless. My work is then a response to God's love for me...not a way of trying to earn God's approval.

There's such peace in knowing that there's really nothing I can do outside of trusting Him! After that, He works out all the details :)

How about you? How have you sought the Lord through the Psalms this week, and what did you find?

Seek The Lord Sunday Participants

1. Home with Amy

2. Denise

3. Everyday Becky

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Bloggy Blessings...

I just wanted to tell you what an amazing and surprising moment I had this morning. I went over to visit my bloggy buddy Amy at her blog, My Tudor House, just now.

Typically, when a blog has music playing when I open it, it's an automatic thing for me...I navigate away. I don't like to be blasted by someone else's music. But this morning? Different story. Amy's most recent post is asking us, "what has God been reminding you of?" My answer? God reminded me of the importance of worship.

I haven't been to church in a while because I'm always having to work in the nursery to keep Thomas happy. Worship was always my most favorite part - a real time of connecting with the Lord. I've been missing it terribly, and didn't even realize it.

So today, when I clicked over to Amy's blog I was surprised. Surprised by how powerfully her message hit me, and even more surprised by how the music she has playing touched my heart. I just closed my eyes, sang along to the music, and had a little church right here in my office!

Go over and see Amy today...take a look around at her delightful blog...and enjoy the music.

Thanks, Amy, for the blessing :)

You Get What You Get, And You Don't Throw A Fit!

Happy weekend, everyone! I hope you're having a good one :)

This week, we're writing about a lesson we've learned recently. What has God been showing you...teaching you?

Personally, I learn a lot of God's lessons from my children. This week was no different. Clara, my 5 year old, taught me this important lesson.

For those of you with 5 year olds, you've probably heard, "It's not Faaaaair!" many times. I'm beginning to think it's about all she can say these days, and it is driving me positively crazy! I can't seem to do anything that's "fair" in her eyes. Someone always has more than her...more computer time, more snuggles, more ice cream, more books, more time with friends. Even I've begun to look at the world differently. As I'm dividing up the dessert into the kids' bowls, I'm thinking, "Okay, now will Clara think that this looks fair?"

Well, just a few days ago, it really came to a head. I gave the kids bowls of grapes as a snack. Knowing that Clara would immediately look at her bowl and compare it to the contents of her siblings' bowls and bellow, "Hey! They have more than me, that's not fair!", I actually counted the grapes as they went in the bowls. Yes, I counted them. Each and every bowl got exactly 15 grapes. Exactly.

And what did Clara think? You guessed it...not fair. I'd had it. My blood began to boil a bit after all my effort to make it not only fair, but precisely and exactly fair. I took a deep breath and said (I wish more calmly),

"Clara, it IS fair. It's perfectly fair. I counted the grapes and you have exactly as many grapes as your brother and sister. It only looks unfair to you because you automatically assume that it's not fair and that you're getting the short stick.

And do you know what else? When you are always looking at what other people have and wanting it for yourself....do you know what that's called? It's called coveting, my dear, and it's no good. In fact, God even talks about it in the Bible. He says we shouldn't do it. Do you know why? Because when you're so busy looking at someone else's stuff, you're too busy to enjoy the blessings sitting right in front of you. Like that bowl of grapes...they're delicious. Why don't you just look at that bowl, and say "YUM!", thank me for giving them to you, an enjoy them?!

And that reminds me...I am your Mommy, Clara. I love you very very much, and I always do things fairly. And if I don't? Well, then there's a darn good reason for it, and you're just going to have to trust me. Sometimes you just get what you get, and you don't throw a fit. NOW EAT YOUR 15 GRAPES!"

As you can imagine, she looked at me with those beautiful, wide, green eyes of hers. Then she looked at her bowl. Then she said, "yummy, thank you Mommy", and enjoyed the heck out of those grapes!

Of course, I had to apologize to her for getting so upset...but the lesson, it seemed to sink in a bit! And even more importantly, I learned a thing or two about coveting.

Logically...intelectually...I've always understood that we "shall not covet". I understood what coveting was and I could recognize it in my own life. But until that moment with my precious girl, I had never really grasped what it must do to God's heart when we covet. What a blessing it was to be taught that lesson.

In the spirit of really Seeking The Lord this Sunday, I've done a search of the Bible for some scripture that talks about coveting and, it's opposite, contentment. I found some interesting passages. First, the obvious:

"You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor." Exodus 20:17

And then I found this one in Romans 13:9:
"The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself.""

This Romans passage really hit a nerve with me too, because it described another reason that Clara's coveting was so painful for me. Not only was she not enjoying her blessings and not trusting me...but she was wanting less for her brother and sister! As their Mommy, it always breaks my heart when they're not a team...when they're not rooting for each other....when they're not wanting the best for one another. And when Clara wanted what Ben had? She wanted more for herself and less for him. She was not loving him as herself.

And then there's Hebrews 13:5:
"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.""

And Philippians 4:11-12:
"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength."

Now we're getting to the heart of it, aren't we? It all comes back to Him...it always does :) We are to avoid coveting, and choose contentment. But why? Because we have HIM. He will never leave us. He will never forsake us. And everything we need to do? We can do it through Him.

So really...what do we need to covet? We are complete in him. We are daughters and sons of the King of Kings...princesses and princes! So let's get to the business of enjoying our blessings and loving one another...really loving one another...even if it means that someone will end up with "more" and it won't be "fair".


P.S. I've written about contentment before. If you'd like to read that post, click HERE.

Seek The Lord Sunday Participants

1. Home with Amy 2. Untypically Jia 3. Amanda (my new blog)

4. Peggy@Mazes... 5. Mama Belle 6. Kimberly

7. Sheila @ The Faithful Follower 8. Andrea

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On Being Real...

Oh, I just hate it when I know there's something I'm supposed to be praying and thinking about, but I don't want to do it because it hurts too much. Ever feel that way? You can pretty much always tell when there's something up with me because I start posting about nothing but pretty flowers and yummy recipes. I blog, but I don't say a whole lot. I'm not real. So here's me being real...

My best friend is expecting a baby TOMORROW. She and her family have been through an incredible amount of loss when it comes to growing their family. Adoptions that have fallen through after they've come to love the children. Babies that never made it home. I won't go into detail here...it's not really my story to share anyway.

My kids went to her house mid morning yesterday to see if her girls could play. No one was home. They kept trying, but there was never an answer at the door. Finally, around 2:00, I realized that she had an appointment with her doctor that day. A cold wave of fear and dread washed over me, and I instantly panicked and started crying. It was unlike her to have a doctor's visit and not call to tell me that all was well. I immediately assumed that something had gone wrong, and that she was at the hospital. Or worse.

I began praying my heart out. I begged. I pleaded. I demanded. I cried. I got mad, "Oh no you don't! You can't let this happen to them again!" And all of this in the first, oh, 5 minutes that I realized that something was wrong. The cycle of pleading and praying and crying continued for the next hour.

I called her. No one home, so I left a message. A desperate, tearful, "Please call me and tell me that everything is alright" message.

I didn't know what else to do but wait. I grabbed my cell phone and headed out the door to do my errands as planned.

Mercy upon mercies...as I pulled out of my driveway, I saw her car in a friend's drive. I was so relieved I could almost not draw a breath. I drove down the block, got out of the car, and went to give her a hug. She was beaming and excited. Everything had gone well at her appointment...which was at 1:00 (instead of a morning appointment as I thought).

After getting a good look at her and putting my mind and heart at ease, I got back into my car.

Shame washed over me. Why? Why do I fear so much? I know that my life (and my friend's life and baby) are in God's capable hands. But why can't I fully trust Him and His plan? I always think I'm trusting Him...but then, in a flash, I think the sky is falling and all I do is fret and cry and beg and blame and get angry. Why can't I rest in the knowledge that He's taking care of me in the good and the bad times?

I feel so weak. So hypocritical. I write and write on this blog about how big, awesome, perfect, and loving our God is...and then I sit here and stew in my fear. This is not what God wants for me! He wants me to trust Him. He wants me to rest in Him. He wants peace for me. So why is it so hard for me to let go and let Him give me that rest and peace?

I don't have the answer.

And you know what else? Part of me doesn't want to trust Him too much because then I'm afraid that my trust...my faith...will be tested. Testing is painful. Testing means loss. I don't want to be tested! But then again, I fear not trusting Him too, because then...I don't know...am I going to be punished for not trusting? It's a vicious circle.

I'm sure that part of it is Satan. Heck, I just wrote a lengthy post about what a great deceiver he is! He's probably got this weak spot of mine figured out. He's the one who whispers fear and dread into my heart as I lay my babies in their beds at night and pray that we'll have another day tomorrow. He's the one who suggests so cleverly that I deserve to be punished and that these blessings are too got to last.

So what should I do? Putting on my armor, praying, reading the Word is part of it. But I think there's more.

As I type, I'm reminded of Psalm 23. You know the part where it says, "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil"?

Notice that is says "I will fear no evil". It does not say, "I have no reason to fear." It does not say, "God will make it so I don't fear." It does not say, "I hope I do not fear."

I. will. not. fear.

It's a choice. I must choose to not fear. I have to take my thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ...to the obedience of who He is and who I am in Him. I have to make a deliberate choice to not fear.

Sure, it makes sense. I know it's true. But I have no idea how to do it.

So tonight I'm going to pray. I'm going to ask forgiveness for not trusting Him more. I'm going to pray that my friend, her baby, and every other good and perfect gift in my life will be safe. I'm going to pray that I can...with all my heart and soul...offer those good and perfect things up to God and just put them in His hands. No matter what. No matter the loss. And I'll try to trust that there will be enough of God's grace to cover me if the worst should happen.

If you think of it, would you pray for me too?

Okay, now I've been real. Back to recipes and flowers...

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"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Let's Talk About Deception

This week's Seek The Lord Sunday topic is "Satan". Fun one, eh? I think it's important for us to learn about him though, since the Bible tells us that he is our enemy, and that he "prowls around looking for someone to devour"! I don't know about you, but if someone is out to get me, I want to be able to see him coming. I can't see him coming if I hide under the covers and pretend he's not real!

So this week, I'm hoping we can all shine some light on this roaring lion in our lives. Let's get him out in the open so the mystery is gone, and we can DO something to fight against him.

Satan has many names including Devil, Accuser, Beelzebub, Prince of Demons, Prince of this World, Deceiver, and Father of Lies. A name in Biblical times was not simply a random label placed on someone, or chosen because mom and dad liked how it sounded. A name held real meaning. It spoke to one's character. So clearly, there is lots we could talk about when it comes to Satan!

What I'd like to focus on today is spiritual deception. Namely, what is it, what does it look like, and how does Satan use it?

First, what is deception? The Miriam-Webster Dictionary says that "Deceive" means "To cause to accept as true or valid that which is false or invalid". So spiritual deception means to cause someone to accept something spiritual that is false.

Take a look at 2 Corinthians 11:13-15: "For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve."

Satan masquerades as an angel of light...he makes himself appear to be of God and from God in order to trick us...to deceive us. Why would Satan spend his time trying to deceive us? Why does he care if we believe the truth or not? Because we're not talking about any old truth...we're talking about THE Truth, with a capital "T". God's Truth. God's Gospel, to be more specific. The Gospel is our ticket to salvation, to forgiveness...ultimately to Heaven for all of eternity, should we accept it. Satan wants to steal, kill, and destroy...he does not want us to have abundant or eternal life with God.

Deception is one of the tools that Satan uses to keep us from God's Truth. So, what does deception look like?

Well, the short answer is...it looks really appealing. Deception makes the bad look great. It makes lies look like truth. It's sneaky.

Let's look at an overly-simplistic example of deception. If you were going to deceive someone into eating...say...poison, how would you do it? Would you:

A. Give them a bottle marked with the word "poison", and tell them to drink up?
B. Mix the poison into a slimy, gooey, smelly drink, and tell them it's a health drink?
C. Pick some sweet, ripe strawberries, coat ONE in the poison, add a bunch of sugar, and place the bowl in front of them?

Assuming you really wanted to be successful...like it's your mission in life...you would give something like (C) a try. You'd be sneaky about it. Satan is sneaky too.

Let's look at this from a spiritual deception standpoint. Do you belong to a church? How do you know that your church is telling you the Truth? How do you know that what you're being fed every week is good for you, and not actually spiritual poison? Here are some things I've heard people say in defense of their church:

"I know my church is true because God has blessed it with great wealth."
"I know my church is of God because we are growing faster than any other church."
"I know that my church is a good one because we do so many great and wonderful things in our communities."
"I know my church is Godly because it teaches good, strong family and lifestyle values."
"I know my church is teaching me the right stuff because our leaders are so dedicated, and such good men/women."
"I know my church is right for me because I feel so good when I'm there."
"I know I'm on the right path because I had a vision that this is where I should be."
"I know I'm being taught the truth because one of our church leaders had a vision of God, and I trust my church leader."
"I am where I belong because this is working really well for me and my life right now."

Now, I'm not saying that any of these statements automatically mean that a church is wrong...but they certainly do not guarantee that a church is right, or healthy, either. If these are the types of reasons that you believe your church is trustworthy, please look closely. You might be in a trap of deception.

Why would Satan encourage brotherly love, community service, upright living? Because the best way to attract people to lies is to put it in a pretty package. Satan is good at what he does. And he has his eye on the "end game"...eternity. Satan knows that if we are focused on doing lots of good things in this life instead of on the True Gospel of Jesus' death for our salvation....then Satan is happy! He knows that without The Gospel we're lost. He knows that without God's saving grace, all the good we do in this lifetime will be lost...it's temporary without the Gospel's saving power. He knows we'll be his in the end without it.

Alright. The question, then, that is begging to be asked is: How can I KNOW that I'm not being deceived? It's hard to know because, well, deception being what it is, you probably believe that you are NOT being deceived!

In Acts 17:11, the author tells us of a people who "examined the Scriptures" to see if what they were being told by Paul was true. I encourage you to do the same...examine and study the Scriptures.

We must be able to study the Scriptures objectively, though. We have to read the Bible, the very Word of God. Not your church's interpretation or translation of the Bible. Not our friends' interpretation. Not a study guide's notes. The Bible. (And please read it as books, not as verses. Verses alone are easily misunderstood without the context of the surrounding text.)

Now, if I had read this post at the very beginning of my walk with the Lord, I would have felt totally overwhelmed by the idea of just picking up the Bible and reading. With that in mind, I've been putting some thought into some of the most important teachings of the Bible (in my humble opinion). These are just the most basic building blocks, but a great place to start none the less.

First, the Gospel: Jesus is God in a human body. He came to earth to die for our sins. He was crucified, died, and was buried. He physically rose from death and ascended into Heaven. His death on the cross was 100% sufficient in paying the penalty for our sins. It something that he did for us out of his great love and mercy and grace. It is a gift. All we must do to become a Christian is to acknowledge our sinfulness, and acknowledge Jesus' death on our behalf. Ask God for forgiveness, and ask him to come into your life. It is truly that simple!

And second, my "Red Flag" list. This is a list of things that should raise a red flag for you if it's going on in your church. This list is certainly not exhaustive, but a good place to start. Here goes:

1. Teaching that there is more than one God.
2. Teaching that "salvation comes from within" yourself.
3. Teaching that sin is not real.
4. Teaching that no one is going to Hell, or that Hell is not real.
5. Teaching that Heaven is not real.
6. Teaching that Jesus is not God.
7. Encouragement to pray to anyone other than God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit.
8. Teaching that there are certain requirements that you must fulfill in order to get to Heaven (all you must do is believe in Jesus' sacrifice for you and accept it).
9. Teaching that Jesus was only a prophet or a good example for us to follow.
10. Teaching that Jesus was anything other than physically alive, then dead, and then physically alive again.
11. Teaching that God the Father has a body of flesh and bones. ( God is "invisible". Jesus is the only physical form of God.)
12. Encouragement to worship anyone/thing other than God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit.
13. Teaching that there is "scripture" outside of the Holy Bible.
14. Teaching that God changes or has changed. (God is eternal, and has been the same for all of time)

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By now, you can probably tell that this is something I'm passionate about! It's true. I'm a "Jesus Freak" :) I love him. I love what he did for me. I love what he does in me every single day. I'm amazed by him and his amazing love for little ol' me. And I find such joy and peace and freedom in being his child.

So yeah, I'm passionate about this issue of deception because I want Jesus...the real Jesus...for everyone!

I hope that this post helped you or encouraged you or educated you in some way. This has been an awesome topic for me this week. I've spent so much time studying and learning!

Now link up, and tell me about what you've learned this week :)

Seek The Lord Sunday Participants

1. Home with Amy 2. Abrianna

3. Peggy@...aMazingGrace 4. Abrianna-Part II

5. Sheila @ The Faithful Follower

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I Don't Know What's Growing Faster Around Here...

...The zucchini (look at this thing!):



...Or the babies. My Thomas is going to be a year old NEXT MONTH! I seriously...truly, and honestly...can NOT believe it. I don't know if I want to laugh along with his giggles, or cry at the rate he's growing up. Although hubby is planning a getaway for the two of us to some strange, sandy, sunny place for after I wean my last baby...I guess I'll stick to giggles ;)


We went to a local park the other day. Thomas and Sammy adore the swings...would have stayed on them all night if we'd have let them. Clara likes to help with the little ones, and Ben...he's outa there! He went straight to the monkey bars and got himself a giant blister on his palm. It seems like just yesterday that I was pushing my baby Benjamin in these very swings.



My sweet and spunky Clara Rose spent the night away from us last night for the first time. She stayed at her cousin's house. They live about 40 minutes from us...out on the "ranch". It's not really a ranch, but they do have goats, sheep, and dogs. And most importantly, Clara's favorite cousin...and a POOL.

I half expected to be driving out to get her at midnight, but she was quite the trooper. In fact, I just got off the phone with her and she was begging to stay the rest of the day and another night! I don't know what kind of brainwashing is going on over there, but I don't like it. Not one bit!

Yesterday was quite the day. I think the upcoming STLS "Satan" topic is making life difficult for me. Not to sound too dramatic, but I think that this is what spiritual war feels like. Yesterday I felt physically heavy...waves of fear coming over me at times that literally made me nauseous...tears and frustration for no apparent reason. I wasn't ready for it! But I've been working on putting on my armor this morning.

Bottom line? Satan is real. He's at work. And one of his favorite tricks is to make us believe that he's a fairytale. If we ignore him, we can't very well fight against him, now can we? Let's do some study, folks. Let's learn about him, let's seek the Lord about him, and let's shine some light on the SOB. He's the Prince of Darkness for a reason...he does his best work from the shadows.

I hope you'll join me this weekend to write about what you've learned about Satan, so we can all be educated and encouraged.

Well...I wasn't planning on writing about that today! Can you tell what's been on my mind? :)

To finish up, the grandparents are due for a baby video. Here you go...enjoy!

This Week's Seek The Lord Sunday

I just realized that I haven't put up a topic for this week's STLS! Sorry! I've been too busy stressing out for no good reason, and honestly...haven't even really thought about it!

Hmm. Maybe if I'd done some thinking about it, and maybe some actual seeking over the past couple of days I wouldn't have been so stressed. There's an idea.

Oh for crying out loud. Some days, even I get sick of me!

As for a topic for this week...Let's talk about Jesus.

I don't want to limit it more than that because I want you to write your own thing. It's sort of a personal topic, I know. I hope you'll share. Who is he to you? How would you characterize your relationship with him? Is there something that the Bible says about him that really strikes you? Is there a particular lesson or parable that he taught which really sticks out for you lately?

If you're rolling your eyes right now, thinking "I have no idea what to write!", I just want to encourage you. This is about seeking him and sharing what you find...not necessarily about sharing what you already know. Those who seek will find, so I encourage you to spend time in the Bible and in prayer. Ask him to reveal himself to you...he wants to be known!

Personally, I'm going to write a follow-up post to an earlier post I wrote (Jesus Is God). I've had an interesting dialogue with someone who believes differently than I do, so I'm going to write some more on that topic just to clarify why I believe the way I do.

BTW, if you're looking for a great Bible study reference, Bible Gateway is awesome. See you Sunday (or Saturday night) :)

Gifts Of The Holy Spirit

This week's STLS topic is "Spiritual Gifts".

To be honest, I hope that you all have a good healthy gift of forgiveness, prayer, and compassion, because I could use it this week. I'm not going to be able to put a post about Spiritual Gifts together. Am I a lame host, or what?!

I just have so much on my plate right now (hubby on a business trip, and me trying to get our whole family ready for a week long vacation), and this is too big a topic to just be able to write quickly. I should have looked at my calendar a bit closer before posting a topic for this week.

I'm going to put up a Mr. Linky so that you can link up to each other if you'd still like to. I can't wait to read all your posts when I get back from vacation.

I did find some interesting links on Spiritual Gifts, though. Here they are:

Spiritual Gifts on Wikipedia

A Spiritual Gifts "Inventory" (quiz)

Another Quiz...might be interesting to compare results with the other quiz!

A Bible Study about Gifts

An Article about Gifts

Another Article about Gifts

STLS for next weekend is cancelled...I'll be gone, and I bet many of you will be busy with summer vacation (4th of July if you're in the States). We'll be back up and running July 13th. Thanks for understanding!

Seek The Lord Sunday Participants

1. Abrianna 2. Abrianna - Quiz Results 3. Lisa@blessedwithgrace

4. Kimberly 5. Katrina-Walking with Y\'shua 6. Linda - Nickers and Ink

7. Peggy@Mazes, Messes,Miracles...

Learn more about Seek The Lord Sunday here.

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Jesus Is God

I just love the verse in my sidebar today. Isaiah was a prophet, and in this verse he was telling of the coming of Jesus. Isaiah began his ministry in 740 B.C.

There are many religions of the world that reject the idea of Jesus being God. To me, this verse says it all (emphasis added by me):

"The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even for ever. " Isaiah 9 : 2, 6-7

By the way....did you know that every single prophesy (telling of what the future holds) came true? Every one, with 100% accuracy. It's one of the things that convinced me that the Bible is God's Word.

Are you interested in more prophecies fulfilled by Jesus? Check THIS out. Or THIS. Or you can find more HERE, HERE, and HERE. And if you'd like something you can hold in your hand, give THIS a look.

Update: Jesus Is God, Part II

Is The Bible Really The Word Of God?

The topic for this week's STLS is: write about whatever you want!

Feel free to follow up on an earlier STLS post, choose a new topic, or respond to something written by someone else in a previous week. All I ask is that you stay true to the general idea of "Seeking The Lord". I can't wait to see what you all decide to write about!

And a reminder: the topic for the week can always be found in my left sidebar by about Tuesday, so you have plenty of time to think, pray, and write. You don't have to wait for my post to learn what the topic is.

This week, I feel compelled to write on a pretty big topic: Is The Bible Really The Very Word Of God? I think that those of you who participate in this meme each week already believe that the Bible is The Word.

But what about the folks who stop by and maybe aren't so convinced about the credibility of the Bible? I thought this might be a good forum to share