I want a puppy September 29, 2008

    I have decided that I want a puppy.

  Growing up, I always had animals in our house and I miss having one.

  I am really a cat person but I like dogs too.

Michael doesn’t like cats. He only liked one cat and he(Tommy the tomcat) thought he was a dog. We don’t like the litter box and cats like to scratch up the furniture.

 

 

  

 

but a dog is trainable and loyal and lovable.

      I would take a free dog or a dog from the pound but when I look at the pound all I see is pit bulls and chows and starved hunting dogs. No family friendly dogs.

 

     I will be doing some research but right now it looks like a golden retriever, a schnoodle, or an Australian shepherd.

 

   What would you do?

 

 

 

This is a hint for one who would be reading this blog. hint,hint,hint.

symbolic or literal September 25, 2008

    Noah and the flood. Moses and the red sea, plagues and a burning bush. Daniel survives a night with lions and Jonah is swallowed by a whale.

     Wars and love, sheep and shepherds, laws and a new law. People going up in the sky on a cloud. The dead walking around. Darkness and light. Cities destroyed and cities raised up. Sex and seas. Men being thrown into a fire and not burning. A man listening to his wife and changing the course of history. A little boy slaying a giant and another boy, and his colorful coat, having dreams about the future.

     A baby born of a virgin and beatin’ and killed so long ago for us. So that we could be forgiven and have a life forever with God.

     Some people debate on whether or not the Bible is symbolic or to be taken literally.

 If God wanted us to take a man being swallowed by a whale symbolically, wouldn’t he have said “It was like being swallowed by a whale.” instead of ” he was swallowed by a whale and lived in it’s belly for days and was coughed up onto shore.”?  What do you think?

the potter September 22, 2008

    Romans 9:21- Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purpose and some for common use?

   God who created us is sovereign ( all powerful and independent of outside control), so we can know that his purposes for his creation will be fulfilled. Like the potter who crafts each pot, cup, or bowl to be a certain way, God forms each one of us with his plan for our lives in mind.

   We have a choice in how we respond to this reality. We can take it as a threat and resent God’s power. Or we can gain comfort from knowing that no matter what life holds, God has designed us to meet the challenge of bringing him glory.

veggies with love or steak with strife September 19, 2008

     Proverbs 15:17- Better a meal of vegetables were there is love

         than a fattened calf with hatred.

  In a world that values money and power over just about everything else. It is easy to start thinking,” if only I had more money, we would be happy.” or ” if only we had all the stuff the Smith’s have, our family would have it all.” But just because someone has more in terms of wealth or position doesn’t mean they are better off.

  Human beings are created for relationship, so when their relationships with others are not good they really can’t be happy, no matter what they possess. Without love they might as well be starving.

BETTER VEGGIES WITH LOVE THAN STEAK WITH STRIFE.

Give us today our daily bread September 17, 2008

      as some of you know Michael and I are studying the four gospels and we just finished reading Matthew 6 where Jesus is telling the disciples how to pray. I thought the verse ” Give us today our daily bread” interesting so I looked for a similar verse and came across Proverbs 30:7-9 that says,

      Two things I ask  of you, O Lord;

        do not refuse me before I die:

     Keep falsehood and lies far from me;

        give me neither poverty nor riches,

        but give me only my daily bread.

    Otherwise, I may have too much and

                 disown you

         and say,’Who is the Lord?’

     Or I may become poor and steal,

          and so dishonor the name of my God.

 

    WOW! Agur is praying only for his daily bread because he knows he will be self-satisfied with excess and self- seeking with lack. Therefore, give me only what you know I need in order to love and serve you well.   Are we able to trust God’s goodness and generosity like that?

While you were sleeping September 15, 2008

      yesterday Mr. porter started teaching and preaching out of the old testament book ” Amos”. I really think it was a great message especially with our up and coming election. The book of Amos is about judgement on the complacent and speaks against materialism. It made me think of this Casting Crowns song.

 

Whenever things are going good it is easy for smugness to creep in. In Amos 6:6 God says they “should be grieving over the state of their nation”.

 

Instead of dining on fine food and resting in ivory beds. we need to dine on his love and rest in his mercy.

hands show love September 13, 2008

                                                                             

 

   

 

 

      There are many ways to communicate love. Poets have filled volumes trying to find the perfect words. Preachers preach, teachers teach, prophets prophesy and so love spreads, from one person to the next. But we are not all good with words. Many would be lost if it weren’t for their hands- hands caress, hands wipe aways tears, hands scratch backs, message feet and hands work.

    Hands: functional body parts, used as grasping organs. But God made them for loving.

     Our hands can be God’s saving instruments in the lives of others.

     Our hands can preach good news to the poor, bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, and comfort those who mourn. Isaiah61:1-2

in acts Dorcas used her hands to show love to the poor by sewing clothes for them.

September 11th 2001 September 9, 2008

WARNING:the content of this video is very disturbing to some viewers.

      Where were you when you heard about the act of terror on the world trade centers?

   I was at church, working in the 2 year old room when michael called and told me to turn on the t.v. because a plane had just flown into the world trade center and they didn’t know if it was an accident or on purpose. When I turned on the t.v. my assistant and I saw the 2ndplane hit live. at first we thought it was a replay but quickly found out that it wasn’t. It was definitely an act of terror.

    Michael was at home recovering from meningitus and came straight to the church and there was a prayer vigil.

    And lets not forget the Pentagon and the hero’s who didn’t let one plane make it’s destination.

    When it first happened everyone turned to God. Where are they now? I think people have forgotten what happened. The pain they felt. The sadness and anger.

what do you think? September 8, 2008

     What do you think “true forgiveness”, person to person is?

Molly’s been praying again September 7, 2008

 

Michael and I have been joking that the reason why we are in a drought is because our 8 year old daughter Molly is so afraid of a storm that she keeps praying that there will not be any.

    We told her that she needed to stop doing that and at least pray for rain. So she has started to do that, but last week when she found out about Hanna she almost went crazy thinking about it. I told her that hurricanes are good for cooling of the earth and helps prevent global warming. They might be destructive to humans sometimes but they are good for the earth.

     Well, I think she snuck one in because we didn’t get anything out of this storm.No

downed trees ( I have a dead one in my yard and I wanted God to take it out.), no blackouts, no rain(just a sprinkle) and just a little sweet breeze. My husband had to go to work.

     Now don’t get me wrong. I don’t want bad stuff to happen but yes I like exciting weather and I get bummed when i am promised exciting weather and don’t get it.

 

      look at my yard. just a few tiny limbs.

                                               just enough rain and wind to keep poor little Adele( our 6 year old neighbor and friend) in the house.