God Listens

I love this song because it reminds me that God always listens. Even in the toughest situations we are not alone and we do not have to tackle things alone. I sometimes forget that and try to do things on my own or think that I have a better way of doing things but I am quickly reminded that I better let go and let God lead me. When you don't know what else to do, pray.

Don't worry honey, I'm not going anywhere...

You worry so much about me leaving you because of the differences in our beliefs, but you don't need to. I love you so much and while it does break my heart that you do not believe in Jesus or maybe even God, I do not want to go anywhere. Also, if you're worried about what Christians think I should do about our situation, do be. Even the Bible has an answer about that:

 ¹²But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.

 ¹³And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.

 ¹⁴For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.

 ¹⁵But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.

 ¹⁶For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife? (1 Corinthians 7:12-16, King James Version)

See? I may get frustrated from time to time but I love you and vowed to love you and cherish you until death do us part. I will be always praying for you though :-)

Wonderful weekend!

So this past weekend was the annual Missions Conference at my church. I wish I could have participated more than I did but unfortunately my husband was giving me a hard time (long story that I will explain later) as it was for the extra time I did spend at church. There were some wonderful messages that really lit a fire within me and helped me realize I needed to work on my priorities. On another note, I heard this song for the first time today and love it:

Some of my favorite websites :-)

Okay so I'm just going to jump into this list. I am pretty spontanious when visiting sites but these are three that I rely on.

Proverbs 31 Ministries

Their about page states "Proverbs 31 Ministries is a non-denominational, non-profit Christian ministry that seeks to lead women into a personal relationship with Christ. With Proverbs 31:10-31 as a guide, Proverbs 31 Ministries reaches women right in the middle of their busy day through free daily devotions, radio program, speaking events, conferences, monthly magazine, resources, online communities, and Gather and Grow groups. We are real women offering real-life solutions to women who are striving to maintain life’s balance, in spite of today’s hectic pace and cultural pull away from godly principles. Wherever a woman may be on her spiritual journey, Proverbs 31 Ministries exists to be a trusted friend who takes her by the hand and walks by her side, leading her one step closer to the heart of God." They have a daily devotion blog that is wonderful: http://proverbs31devotions.blogspot.com/

Crosswalk.com

"Our aim is to offer the freshest and most compelling biblically-based content to Christians who take seriously their relationship with Christ. Crosswalk.com is built around four primary content areas – Faith, Family, Fun and Community. Each category is further subdivided into areas of significance to many Christians, including Bible Study, Devotionals, Marriage, Parenting, Music, etc." (Crosswalk.com)

Gentle Christian Mothers

This is what their about me page says: "Through informative articles and helpful links to online resources, a supportive message board, and a print newsletter, we hope to uplift mothers in their incredibly important role of ministering to their children." I love their parenting beliefs! This is what they say:

All children are a gift from God. Psalm 127:3

The husband/wife marriage relationship is the scriptural model for creating a family.

Life begins at conception, and unborn babies have a right to life and should be nurtured and loved. Psalm 139:13-16

Babies deserve the most natural and gentle birth possible.

Babies communicate through crying, and their cries deserve a quick, nurturing response.

Parents should not put an unnecessary emphasis on schedules.

Children greatly benefit from lots of physical touch, and babies can not be held too much.

Breastmilk is God's design in infant nutrition.

Breastfeeding satisfies not only babies' hunger and thirst, but it also is a great way to pacify and comfort them.

Breastfeeding babies on cue is important not only to help them grow strong and healthy, but it also helps them to learn to trust.

Breastfeeding into toddlerhood--and for as long as mother and child desire--continues to provide health and emotional benefits and serves to strengthen the foundation of trust laid in infancy.

Children's nighttime needs are as worthy of being met as their daytime needs, and each child has individual nighttime needs that should be respected and met to the best of their parents' ability.

There should be minimal separation between mother and baby, and parents need to be sensitive to their children's need to be close to them and not force separation before their child is ready.

Everyone benefits when children are an integral part of the family's daily life.

A father's involvement in raising his children is vital.

Parents have been given authority over their children from the Lord. Scripture is clear that discipline and correction are our responsibility as we raise our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Fear and purposely-inflicted pain have no place in gentle, loving, Biblical discipline, and children should be discipled from birth with an appropriate mixture of kindness and firmness in a manner that respects their feelings and their developmental, emotional, and daily needs.

Parents are responsible for making informed decisions regarding their children's healthcare.

Come to Jesus

I have been a Chris Rice fan since high school. This happens to be one of my favorite songs by him.

Too Cool

Minute long sermon :-)

Harder Than I Thought

Today I did something that was a little tougher than it should have been. I let go of a grudge and sent a word of encouragement to my husband's ex wife. Seeing how hard this was for me made me realize that forgiving others is something I really need to work on in my personal journey. If God can forgive me so easily, why can't I forgive others?

Here's a little back story: What she put my husband and stepchildren through before I met them (and even after we met) was in my mind unexcusable and therefore unforgiveable. I'm not going to go into details but to this day she really knows how to push both my husband's and my buttons. A couple months ago she sent me a friend request on a social networking site and it took me a while to decide whether or not I would accept it. She rarely spoke to her children and could be downright rude and spiteful to my husband and me. I knew my husband would have told me to deny it. I sat and thought about how my stepchildren were growing up without their birth mother in their life and, for them, decided to accept her request. I then immediately sent her a message:

I know that things haven't always been exactly cordial between us in the past but I decided to accept your friend request. I understand that there was a troubled past and to this day, issues continue to rise but I have heard that you are trying to make things better so I respect that, especially for the children. One thing I do ask is that you try to patch up the relationship you have with them by contacting them. While my husband and I give them all the love we can, they are still affected by their relationship with you. Whether they are affected negatively or positively is entirely up to you. It may take a while to patch things up with them because it has been 5 years but if you continue on a regular basis to speak with them, then they will see that you are serious about building a relationship with them. They are strong but deep down I can still see how hurt they are and it affects each one individually...

I then included the times she could call. We eventually established communication but before she had the chance to actually talk to the children, her boyfriend was in an accident that paralyzed him. She left everything; her job, her apartment, to be by his side while he is in the hospital in another state. Apparently, no one else has been to the hospital to see him. She has sent a few brief messages asking me to tell the children that she loves them and until today I just blew them off, just as she did to her children in the past. I am so ashamed to admit that now. I was still holding that ugly grudge. In my mind I was thinking, "Why should I let it go and show her sympathy after everything she's done to my family?" The answer hit me like a ton of bricks. I'm no saint either. I've had some pretty low points in my past to the point that I didn't even recognize myself or the fact that I was even a Christian, and here I am, judging this woman like I was so much better than her. I may be in a better place now in my life and in my faith but that does not give me the right to judge her. If God can forgive all my ugly faults and past, then surely I can let go and give her a chance.

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Ephesians 4:31-32 KJV