Month: January 2010

Faith

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wikipedia.com

I’ve been wondering how come it’s so easy to have faith in people but not in God? It’s strange isn’t it? The bible says:

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

So what does that mean? What is faith exactly? Faith is going for a job interview, hoping that you will ace the interview and then getting the job. The boss says, “You are going to start tomorrow, be here at 9 and the pay will be $1500 a week.” The next day you came to work at 8:45 (impression and preparation are everything). You work that day and 9 more days before a check appears in your hand for 1.5k minus taxes. That’s faith. Now faith is the substance (work) of things hoped for (the job), the evidence (a paycheck!) of things not seen(10 days later). You worked in advance, hoping that at the end what they boss told you they were going to pay you, they would.

Most people don’t have great faith. We’ve been disappointed enough to know that not everyone/everything comes through. God does come though. Here is a story from the bible

Matthew17:14 And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16 So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.” 17 Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. 21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

Okay, so here’s the story, the disciples didn’t have the faith even collectively to heal a boy who was an epileptic. Why? Jesus said it was because of their unbelief. He said that if we had faith as a mustard seed we could have things move in our lives. The mustard seed is the smallest seed, it’s tiny, smaller than a peppercorn. So we only need a tiny bit of it to move the mountains in our lives. We only have to believe a little bit.

The problem I am seeing is that we have faith and patience to wait for the paycheck from our job but if God doesn’t snap to it, we give up! Don’t give up on that thing you are believing for. Don’t give up on that job you want or that promotion, don’t give up on that marriage and don’t give up on that baby.

Sometimes the answer is no. The Apostle Paul asked for God to heal him from an affliction. The bible doesn’t say what the affliction was and it doesn’t even matter. God said no. Almighty God answered Mighty Apostle Paul, “My grace is sufficient.” In other words, “I am taking care of you and you’re fine just as you are. These times are disappointing but not fatal.

Sometimes the answer is yes but it takes a long time in coming. We get desperate for an answer but God is coming with one. Sarah and Abraham had to wait years and years to have a baby but God had said yes and so they waited. The wait paid off in their old age when their son Isaac was born. Can you imagine the joy?

Don’t lose hope. Don’t get impatient. God is moving in your life and he will answer you. Have a little faith!

He Wrote His Loving Words Down For Me So That I’ll Never Forget How He Feels About Me

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yourreadingonline.com

By now, you’ve figured out that when a daughter of the King, that’s you beloved, is asked, “Who’s Your Daddy?” there is no man on earth who fits those shoes. Only God is the one who is perfect. By now, you’ve figured out that the only one who can meet your needs completely is not a human. The only one who has your back is The King himself. Throughout these last several months of discussion of what you need to be looking for in a man, you have a much clearer understanding of what is acceptable and what is not.

God did write his loving, living and breathing words down for you. You are his daughter and he wanted you to know how much he loves you and cares for you and just in case you doubt that love ever, you need only go back to the bible and check it out.

Love notes are great. We all enjoy them but some people are not writers. Some men will get up at 2 a.m. out of dead sleep to get their pregnant wife a milk shake but will never write poetry. Which shows more love? They both do, they are just different in their approach. Don’t measure your man by what he doesn’t do, measure him by what he does do. Measure him not by what your girlfriend’s boyfriend does but by what your man does. My husband writes music but he’s never written a song for me. He does other thoughtful things like show up at the office and take me to lunch or call me during the day to see how my day is going or better still, sit through a chick flick without complaint and hold my hand.

God wrote his loving words down for you so that you could always go back to read them and know that feeling of security and love and trust in him with all that you have. The man you choose will not have that ability because your ultimate source of love and security can never be of this earth. What does your man do to make you feel secure and loved? If your answer is nothing then you may be in the wrong place. I say “may” be because you might be overlooking the very thing you think you don’t have. It’s time to get honest with yourself and assess what it is you want in a man, what kind of woman you plan to be and what your plan of action is to get there. My prayer is that through these discussions you’ve figured out what is acceptable and what is not.

The Book Of Eli

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Go see it! It’s a powerful movie! Wow is all I can say. If we have ever wondered what it was like for Abraham, Issac and Jacob, for Peter and Paul and James, this will give you a glimpse. If we have nothing else but a word from the Lord what grace we’d live in! Praise you Lord for this movie! It was an inspiration! Oh to walk by that kind of faith!

Filming A Movie

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The two main characters in the movie.

Today was a first for me. We had agreed to let a film company film a movie in our RMA store. It is California after all! Plus, they offered me a small part! 🙂 It’s a comedy and it looks like it will be really funny. The crew arrived and set up. They were really nice and very professional.

But wait, I get ahead of myself. I was feeling calm and not pressured at all. After all, I had to play myself how hard could that be? I do it everyday. Then my friends starting asking what I was going to wear. Uh, well, normally to work at the store, I’ll wear a nice blouse or sweater and jeans or pants. I didn’t want to dress up too much because I wanted the me on the screen to be the me in the store, if that makes sense. Then my husband asked me what I was going to wear. When I told him I didn’t know he said, “What? You don’t know? Well, just dress like you do when you go out with your friends for dinner.” Okay, really when I go out to dinner with friends, I straighten my hair and put a little more makeup on. My wardrobe really doesn’t change too much. So now I went into a vanity mode. Too late to go shopping so I didn’t know now what I was going to wear.

This morning I called my hair stylist in a panic, “Can you straighten my hair?” She was booked but one of the girls agreed to come in and do it as long as I washed and dried my own hair. Now, I can straighten my own hair, but hey, this was the big screen. Okay, now what to wear. I wore a purple jacket, black blouse, jeans, and purple boots to get my hair done. Actually, this is an outfit I wear often because I love my purple boots. The girls at the salon said, “Wear the jacket, top and boots but lose the jeans and put on black pants.” So I went home and changed. I’ve been losing weight but I didn’t want to chance it, so I squeezed into my Spanx and if you’ve ever worn Spanx you know it’s a half hour process. That didn’t work. When I put on my black pants they were too big. So I then took the Spanx off, yes another process and put the pants back on. Okay they fit fine, (yeaaaah). I was hungry but there was no time to eat. I had to get to “the set”.

They filmed the shot in about an hour and a half. They had me film my scene two ways, one happy and one annoyed. We’ll see when it comes out which one they use or don’t. In any case, I did a new thing today! The movie should be edited and ready by November or December. I’ll keep you updated. Fun stuff! And yes, you can have my autograph. I’m not too big for that….yet.

Potential Is Risky Business

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http://www.politiquebec.com/ forum viewtopic.php?p=579528

Just the mention of this word sends the women of TLC into laughing mode. It’s because when they come to me about a man and they use the phrase, “He has potential…” I always answer the same way, “Potential is just potential until it’s put into play.”

Please don’t make life changing decisions based on potential unless you are willing to take a risk. Potential is just possibility. It doesn’t make it a reality. It makes it a maybe.

Dictionary.com defines Potential as:

1. possible, as opposed to actual
2. capable of being or becoming
3. Grammar. expressing possibility

Has everyone told you that you have potential? If so, it’s possible you could move ahead in that area but you may not. It remains to be seen. I won’t bet on it unless I am willing to take a risk. There are some things worth betting on. There are other things that are just to precious to risk a bet.

Make wise choices!

A Year Ago

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Worship Leader Steve Valencia and Pastor Doug Young

One year ago today we received a call on Sunday morning to let us know the church was on fire. Today a year later, although we aren’t back in our building yet, we should be back in another month or two. We are looking forward to the possibilities. We are happy, we are healthy and we are moving forward.

If you would have asked us what our struggles were last year, it was finding a place to have service, it was a feeling of displacement, it was a feeling of despondency. This year, there is hope, there is excitement and there is the anticipation of a move-in date.

Never throw in the towel. So much more awaits you on the other side of your biggest challenge. Today our troubles are completely different than they were last year. Today we know that in adversity we are people of velocity.

Respect Your Elders

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http://www.flickr.com/ photos/ 83385870@N00/ 200184246/

Remember when you were a child and you were told to respect your elders? Do they still teach that today? I wonder!

Two weeks before Christmas I was standing in a long line at the Post Office getting some packages mailed out. When I was two people away from the window, yes one window open because we’re a small town, a woman walked in leaning heavily her cane, walking slowly with her little black purse. She stood in the back of the line about 5 people behind me.

I didn’t hesitate. I said to the people behind me loudly, “You guys don’t mind if I let this woman go in front of me do you?” Now, they might have, but thankfully everyone pretended to see her for the very first time and they all said no. She turned bright red and said, “Thank you all, I don’t get around as well as I used to.” She shuffled forward to get in front of me. By then I was one away from the window. Do you THINK the guy in front of me had any chivalry at all? No! He looked back at her and turned away. She then asked us if we could help her open her purse as she couldn’t unzip it very well.

This is when I wish I were even bolder than I am because I SO wanted to ask the guy why he wouldn’t give up his place in line for an elderly person? This is when she smiled at us and said, “I’ll be 90 on Christmas Day.” We all smiled at her and wished her happy birthday.

Just a reminder everyone! One day we’ll all be in this place, shuffling through a line where a younger generation or two will be busy being world changers. Will they prefer us and help us or will we be on our own? The only way it continues is for us to teach, and to be the example to the elders of our generation.

I’m Torn To Pieces

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http://www.flickr.com/ photos/ 22242229@N08/ 2291998745/

Psalm 41:1. Dignify those who are down on their luck; you’ll feel good – that’s what God does. 2. God looks after us all, makes us robust with life – Lucky to be in the land, we’re free from enemy worries. 3. Whenever we’re sick and in bed, God becomes our nurse, nurses us back to health. 4. I said, “God, be gracious! Put me together again – my sins have torn me to pieces.”“The Message”

Not Likely

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chrisbrady.typepad.com/

“All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of superintending providence in our favor. … Have we now forgotten that powerful Friend? Or do we imagine that we no longer need His assistance? I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth — that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the Ground without His notice, is it probable that an Empire can rise without his Aid?” –Benjamin Franklin

Lessons on Life

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This email was sent to me by my friend Cynthia. It is so true I thought I’d share it! I don’t know where it originated but it’s worthy of distribution!

These are pictures of the same place at different seasons.

Lessons on Life

There was an Indian Chief who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away.

The first son went in the Winter, the second in the Spring, the third in Summer, and the youngest son in the Fall.

When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe what they had seen.

The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted.
The second son said “no” it was covered with green buds and full of promise.
The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful. It was the most graceful thing he had ever seen.

The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.

The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen but only one season in the tree’s life.

He told them that you can not judge a tree, or a person, by only one season, and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up.

If you give up when it’s Winter, you will miss the promise of your Spring, the beauty of your Summer, the fulfillment of your Fall.

Moral:

Don’t let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest.

Don’t judge life by one difficult season.

Persevere through the difficult patches and better times are sure to come.

Live Simply.

Love Generously.

Care Deeply.

Speak Kindly.

Leave the Rest to God.

Happiness keeps You Sweet,

Trials keep You Strong,

Sorrows keep You Human,

Failures keep You Humble,

Success keeps You Glowing,

But God keeps You Going!