Day 26: Sunday Rest

One last time! A little music, a little coffee, a devotional!
I sure do hope you have enjoyed our Sundays together! ;)

Day 19: Sunday Rest

A little music, a cup of coffee and a devotion... Seek His face!

Day 12: Sunday Rest

Keeping with my last Sunday post - things will be simple here:

A little music:

A little Coffee, and a little Devotion:

Day 7: Bible Studies for the Family

Do y'all remember when I said I was motivated to try and draw out my bible study, which didn't work out the way I had planned, but ended up showing me an amazing way to do bible study with my (now) seven year old daughter? Hop over to Day 3 of the 31 Day writing challenge to re-read if you must. 

Well, I have bible study groups and resources galore at my finger tips. I can jump around and do more than one if I want or need - I can scale it down if I'm just not feeling up to it. When it comes to my children, it's not so easy... they have to have it there, in front of them; In their hands, laid out step by step, day by day in order to do any type of bible study. They aren't going to just take the initiative and dive into the Word on their own... and who could blame them really - the bible can seem so overwhelming to even adults at times. Where do you begin? The beginning, the New Testament, any certain book? So I began to search for the perfect devotion for each of my children...

I had received a Tween Bible Study book - Around the Word in 60 Seconds - a year or so ago and was going to give it to my oldest as a daily devotional.

However, after reading over a few weeks worth of devotions myself I decided it was more for my 10 year old than for my soon to be 15 year old daughter. That lead me to do some research to find a great bible study/devotional for my 15 year old daughter. It needed to be something that would reach deep, but not take an enormous amount of time and discourage her from wanting to read it each day.

I discovered A Daughters Worth... I'm waiting for it to come in now! I'm excited about this one, and hopefully she will enjoy it as well.

So, I have my youngest daughter following along with me in my own bible study each day - I have the Around the Word for my 10 year old daughter and will soon have A Daughter's Worth for my eldest daughter.

All I need now is a good bible study/devotion for my 13 year old son... any suggestions?!

Really - I need suggestions!

Hopefully these bible studies will leave a lasting impression on my children and lead them on their own journey of Seeking His Face.

Day 6: Praise

Praise... it is the reason we were created - to give Him praise and glory. 

Isaiah 43:21 The people I have formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.

I remember the first time I read Ann Voskamps book One Thousand Gifts. I remember how blessed, how touched and inspired I was by her willingness to essentially give God praise in the simple mundane moments of her everyday life. 

A simple sight, a smell, a thought or a word... anything and everything is worth giving Him praise. 

Hebrews 13:15 (NIV)Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise - the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.

If you've never read her book I encourage you to do so. 

You can visit her website HERE as well. 

No matter what you are going through in your life, no matter what situation or circumstances you might find yourself in, you can ALWAYS find a reason to praise God. Even if it's solely for having the breath in your lungs to be able to do so. 

Psalm 145:3 (NIV) Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.

We cannot even fathom His greatness! 

Psalm 18:3 (NIV) I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies. 

He is there... when no one else is, when no one else can be... when no one else wants to be, He is there. Sometimes God allows us to drop to the lowest points in our lives so that once we reach the bottom we have no choice but to look UP... when we are weak, when we can no longer try by our own hands to fix the problems we face... we feel as if we have no choice but to put it in Gods hands. After we've drained all of our resources and call on God, and he comes in and fixes it we have no choice but to give Him the glory and the praise. If we would only begin with handing it over to Him... we would save ourselves so much heartache. 

Revelation 7:12 (NIV)  Amen! Prise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!

Day 4: Forgiveness...

One of the things I used to struggle with was forgiveness. Oh, how I would lay up at night thinking about the ways people had hurt me... I would wallow in my self pity as I'm sure the other parties were fast asleep in their beds. 

I have since learned to let go... let go and let God. 

Ezekiel 33:12-16 (NIV)
12 “Therefore, son of man, say to your people, ‘If someone who is righteous disobeys, that person’s former righteousness will count for nothing. And if someone who is wicked repents, that person’s former wickedness will not bring condemnation. The righteous person who sins will not be allowed to live even though they were formerly righteous.’13 If I tell a righteous person that they will surely live, but then they trust in their righteousness and do evil, none of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered; they will die for the evil they have done. 14 And if I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ but they then turn away from their sin and do what is just and right—15 if they give back what they took in pledge for a loan, return what they have stolen,follow the decrees that give life, and do no evil—that person will surely live; they will not die. 16 None of the sins that person has committed will be remembered against them. They have done what is just and right; they will surely live.


If our God can forgive us to the point of not even remembering - when we are all sinners not worthy of his love... how much more so should we forgive those who have sinned against us? 

Matthew 6:14 (NIV)
14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

I don't know about you... but I want my sins forgiven. 

Is it easier for me to forgive now than it was say three years ago? YES! Would I say it's easy? NO! Easier yes, easy... no. It's a choice, sometimes daily, to forgive someone. 

You know one day we will stand before the King of Kings and we will have to answer for the things we did in our lives. It will not matter what anyone else did or didn't do to or for us... they will have to answer for their lives when it is their time... all that will matter is what you did. 

As often as you can, make the right choice - and try to forgive the best you can. 

Day 5: Sunday Rest

I'll be taking things pretty easy on Sundays, we are usually really busy... we wake early to get ready for church service, and on the days we are not able to wake up and get ready in time (with four children it doesn't always happen) we listed to our church service via podcast blaring through our bluetooth speaker in the livingroom. Whether we are able to attend church in person or not, we always visit my Grandmother afterwards, as does the rest of my family, for Sunday Supper. 

After Supper we sit around for a while and talk and visit and just catch up with whats been going on with everyone during the week. After an hour or so we usually head home for some relaxation.

So my Sunday posts will be pretty quick. A little music, a little devotion, cup of coffee, and I'll be on my way. 

I hope you spend today enjoying the blessing of being alive! Whatever way you choose to meditate on His word... self bible study, online church programs, podcast, television broadcast, daily devotion, or you have a Church home... I hope you were able to be with Him today.

Day 3: Inspiration in Motion

Yesterday I shared with you a blog feature I happened upon of a beautiful lady of the Lord named Shar. You can find that post HERE if you missed it. 

Today I wanted to show you a page from a journal I used to keep... before life got in the way and I stopped...

I don't think I'm an artist, by any means of the word, but I enjoy drawing just as much as I enjoy writing... it soothes me. Drawing while meditating on a scripture just made sense. I enjoyed it immensely! 

So after seeing Shars journal, I loved the way she incorporated the entire chapter of the bible, not just one single verse... so I tried to come up with my own version of what she did...

It kind of reminded me of a low budget childrens bible book. ;) - maybe another example of "be yourself". My youngest daughter loved the picture so much, she copied it! She took my page and re-drew it herself. Afterwards I read the chapter to her so she could see why I put each picture in there. It turned out to be a great bible study tool with her (she's six) which was something I completely didn't plan on. Perhaps I can continue this on a regular basis as her bible study? I've recently given my 10 year old her own Tween bible devotional book, and purchases a Teen one for my 14 year old... so this would work perfect for my younger daughter who hasn't mastered the art of reading yet! 

I do LOVE the way Shars journal pages turns out... I'm just not as great with it as she is. I love her method of color coding and symbols... I've always color coded, even when studying on my tablet. The below picture is of my tablet.

This picture is of my bible - it's ratty and tearing apart in places, with stains at the tip in the beginning pages... I have so many notes and markings in it though, I couldn't stand to part with it just yet. I love my ratty and torn bible! I've started to add a few symbols here and there of my own... I think I'll continue this one going forward.

So... my inspiration from Shar in motion... I thank the Lord for you my friend!

This was Day 3 of 31- You can jump to Day 1 and view the rest of the days of this challenge HERE. 

Day 2: Drawing Inspiration from others

I love to journal... I just always have. I love to write, I love to draw, I love to express myself in those ways more so than any other. I had begun a while back to incorporate journaling/drawing WITH my bible study. I would simply pull a scripture and draw a picture to correspond with it. It was therapeutic for me and I really enjoyed it. 

I'm not sure what happened, but along the way I stopped... that busyness of life usually gets in the way of our best of intentions sometimes. Anyway, a few days ago I was looking through one of the many blogs I follow and I ran across a feature of Shar, this Wonderful lady has such a  heart for God... 

Take a look at some of the journal pages she has created from her bible studies!

gypsy.mama.nc is her instagram if you want to check out more of her Journal pages... she doesn't have a blog, just yet, but she has decided to bless us with a single Q&A post! You can find that post here - http://GypsyMamaNC.wordpress.com . 

She. Has. Inspired. Me! 

Wow, I had given up journaling... but she has re-ignited that spark! 

We both follow along with the same bible study group - GMG (Good Morning Girls). You can follow along with us if you wish. You can find it here - Good Morning Girls! We are going through the book of Genesis right now, one chapter at a time. 

I thank God for allowing me to come across her feature. 

Sometimes His light shining through others makes it that much easier to seek His face. 

Day 2 of 31 - You can jump to Day 1 and view the rest of the days in this challenge HERE.

Day 1: 31 Days of Seeking His Face

Thank you so much for stopping in! 

I was wondering if anyone would come for a visit, and here you are! I am accepting the challenge to write for 31 days straight in the month of October. My theme will be "Seeking His face", as this is something I often find myself struggling with.

Before we begin, I love setting the atmosphere... it's sort of a "thing" with me. The right lighting, a few well placed decorations, some music. Seeing how I can't really adjust the lighting or the decorations around you, I CAN help with music!

Just click on the Youtube video below to let the music begin, lower the volume a bit and continue reading on. 

You see, often times when my head hits my pillow at night, and my eyelids begin to close, I reflect over the days events. Sometimes I realize that I haven't sought Him like I should have. 

In the morning, while I was drinking my coffee and waking the kids up to get dressed for school (for the third and fourth time) I forgot to seek Him.

On the twenty minute drive to work when it's just me and the radio and the highway... I forgot to seek Him.

At my desk during the day with my work before me... I forgot to seek Him.

At breaks, at lunch, on the commute home...

Cooking supper, doing homework, laundry, cleaning...

I forgot to seek Him. 

It's so very easy to get lost in the days tasks and forget to seek His face, I know, because it happens to me way more often than it should. It's not that difficult to do either... to just take a minute and exhale, and speak to Him. When you're facing a difficult situation or a hard task, to ask Him for guidance or help. 

So for me, these next 31 days will be me getting back to what really matters. It's not about us... it's about Him. So often we hear the saying "I've done all I can do, all I can do now is pray." Why? Why do we save prayer as a last resort? Why don't we pray first? There's nothing more powerful in the world than prayer, nothing that can bring change faster than prayer... so why do we try and use our own strength and resources first when there's one who is mightier and more powerful than anything of this world? You have access to direct contact with Him... Prayer! 

I hope to see you again during these next 31 days of me Seeking His face. ;)

P.S. ~ If the song hasn't finished yet - just sit here for a minute and enjoy it... maybe send up a quiet "Thank You" to the man above for all He has done for you in your life... Amen? 

Quick access to all 31 days in this challenge:
Day 2 - Drawing Inspiration from Others
Day 3 - Inspiration in Motion
Day 4 - Forgiveness
Day 5 - Sunday Rest
Day 6 - Praise
Day 7 - Bible Studies for the Family
Day 8 - When Your Teen Rebels 
Day 9 - Activity Advent Calendar

31 Days of Blogging Every Day!

Well, I am going to do it. 

I am going to commit to the challenge of blogging every day for 31 days with The Nester @ The Nesting Place

A rather large group of us bloggers are going to commit to blogging every day for 31 days beginning October 1st!

This is FAST approaching and I hope I'm ready for it!

My blogging topic for the month of October will be.... drum roll.....

I invite you to join me on this journey... may God be with us!

Study The Word Wednesday: What Effect Does My Attitude Have On Others?

What Effect Does My Attitude Have On Others?

It's amazing how positive words can encourage us. How do you feel when someone has said something positive about you?

Christians need to be aware of how they influence others. Jesus said, “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:13). This is a goal worth striving for.

Our joy can show in our speech and actions in many different ways. We can affect people by our speech and actions. Take, for example, a group of teenagers: If one person begins gossiping about someone, it’s not long until most, if not all, of the group has joined in.
Have you ever been in a room where someone started yawning? What happened? Soon everyone in the room began to yawn. Why? For some reason, yawns are contagious. Our attitude is much like a yawn. If we are positive and reflect Christ, those around us will want to be like us. If, however, we are negative, those around us will soon follow our lead.

Jesus was teaching on salt and light when He said, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” (Matthew 5:13). He wants us to be set apart from the world and be His light. If we follow His example, we can be a positive influence on those around us rather than a negative one. “We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works” (Ephesians 2:10).

Titus 2:7-8 - In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.

1 Peter 2:21 - To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you,leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

Hebrews 4:12 - For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

As Christians we need to be aware of how we appear to those around us. Think hard about yourself, and ask yourself these questions.

• Do I reflect Christ?
• Does my attitude affect others in a positive way?
• Do people enjoy being around me because I make them feel good?
• In a group setting does my attitude lead others to be Christlike, or does my attitude bring others down?

Remember, that you are called to lead others toward Christ, not away from Him. 

Ask God to help you walk in Christ's steps and be a light for Him in the darkness of this world. 

Study The Word Wednesday: What Effect Does My Attitude Have On My Actions?

What Effect Does My Attitude Have On My Actions?

Job 4:8 - "As I have observed, those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it."

James 3:18 - "Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness."

Proverbs 22:8 - "He who sows wickedness reaps trouble, and the rod of  his fury will be destroyed."

When we allow wrong emotions to take root in our lives,

trouble is soon to follow. Even if we try to disguise our feelings, sooner or later they will surface in one form or another. Facial expressions reveal what’s inside. True feelings are hard to hide from others, no matter how hard we try.

When hurt and bitterness are allowed to grow, they will eventually erupt. I'm sure all of us have been upset with someone, but just couldn't tell that person... We usually handle such situations in one of two ways: 

(1) We may choose not to say anything to the person we’re upset with but become cold. This may begin by being short with that person during conversations, followed by making hurtful remarks while hiding behind humor. Eventually the friendship ends with the other person hurt and confused as to what happened. 

(2) We may try to hide our emotions by pretending the bad feelings don’t exist, which may work for awhile, but in the end it usually blows up in our faces. Have you ever been upset with someone, and one day you couldn’t hold it in any longer—you blew up at that person, telling her everything she ever did that made you mad?

God does not condemn us for having such feelings, but He expects us to learn how to control our emotions. Feelings alone aren’t good or bad—it’s what we do with those feelings that can turn into problems. For example, if we feel anger toward someone, we must forgive, or that anger will soon grow and show in our actions.

During the next week, take a look at how you handle emotions. Try to control your emotions and not react in a way that would be displeasing to the Lord. As we close in prayer, ask God to help you.

I would like to know what you think... Should we forgive, even if a person doesn't apologize?

Child Training Bible Giveaway Winner!!!

Hi everyone!

Today is the day I get to announce the winner of the Child Training Bible!

and the winner is......

Jessica Loveland! 

I feel so honored to be able to host this giveaway. Such a blessing it has been to my family, and I know this beautiful family will benefit from it as well.

To those of you who entered, you can still receive the Child Training Bible! Simply go to their website and purchase one for yourself... at the low price of only 9.00 plus shipping and handling... it's the price of a meal you gals! For just this price you can have a treasure in your family for years! 

May God bless you all!

Study The Word Wednesday: How Can I use God's Word To Change My Attitude

How Can I Use God's Word to Change My Attitude?

We can possess a godly attitude if we look to God, for He has supplied us with the Guidebook on how to live. The Bible instructs us to become imitators of Christ, who was humble in spirit and cared for the unlovely. “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love”. 

"Follow God's example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person - such a person is an idolater - has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God." EPHESIANS 5:1,5

It may sometimes seem difficult to imitate Christ... many times we find ourselves surrounded by people who do not in any way imitate God or the things of God. The work place, and some women groups are full of people just trying to fit in. All of us want to be noticed, and sometimes we will act or do whatever it takes to get attention.

We need to remember, that no matter what, God hates a bad attitude. He wants us to have a gentle spirit. 

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near." PHILIPPIANS 4:4,5

Besides hiding God’s Word in our hearts, we can keep our attitude in line by keeping good company. If we hang out with negative people, it will affect us. 

"Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character."" 1 Corinthians 15:33 

Although we are to be witnesses to the unsaved, God never intended for us to build strong relationships with people who do not respect God’s laws.

To obtain the kind of attitude which God desires, we must put aside the persons we were before Christ.

 “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4:22-24

As Christians we need to get into the Word of God. God has outlined His purposes for our lives through the Scriptures. Not only does the Word give us instruction but it also gives us examples to follow by looking at other people’s lives. We can learn much by looking at people of the Bible. God realized that we struggle sometimes, but He wants us to know that we can overcome and live godly lives.

What we put into our hearts will pour out.

 “As he thinks in his heart, so is he” Proverbs 23:7. 

If we absorb God’s Word and cover our lives with prayer, God will work in our hearts and help us to change. Although we will never be perfect this side of heaven, God can do mighty things in our lives if we allow Him. We all can use an attitude adjustment from time to time. When will we learn that only God can do the adjusting!

Ask God to help you study His Word more so you will know the guidelines He has given for a Christlike attitude. 

Study The Word Wednesday: What Kind of Attitude Should I Have

I'm sure everyone has heard the terms half empty versus half full, describing a glass of water by now... correct? You know, if you see the glass half full you're most likely positive, if you view the glass as half empty you may tend to look at the negative side of things rather than the positive. Well, our personality and surroundings contribute to how we view the world. No matter how you might view things as of now, one can easily change her point of view to see the brighter side. 

Circumstances can change our attitude to be more positive or negative. Of course, in pleasant situations we tend to be happy. When bad times come around we tend to be sad. Although we can't help our initial feelings, we can learn to adapt to the various situations. God does not want us to base our attitude on the happenings around us. He wants us to keep the inner joy that is offered through salvation, it's what He desires for us. 

It is difficult to have a positive attitude if we do not possess inner joy. The word joy means to have great delight or happiness. As Christians we should find our joy in being God’s children. Without Him in our lives we would be empty and hopeless. However, because of Christ’s sacrifice, we can live with fullness of joy. If we are truly joyous in Christ, then our attitude will reflect that joy.

• Proverbs 15:30 - Light in a messenger's eyes brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones.
• Galatians 5:22 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness...
• 1 Thessalonian 5:16 - Rejoice always,

To acquire a positive attitude, we must relearn how to react to difficult situations. We can learn how to be positive if we learn to focus on the good in life rather than the bad. In every bad situation, something good can usually be found if we look hard enough. However, some people choose only to see the bad.

When we learn to look on the brighter side of things, rather than the downside, we can change our outlooks, which will change our attitudes. I'm sure almost all of us have been around a person a time or two in our lives who is set on always seeing the bad in everything right? Can you remember how you felt when you were around that person? 

Being a positive person doesn’t mean we should ignore or disguise negative emotions. There will be times for sadness and hurt. At those times we need to look to God for healing and comfort. However, God wants us to live victorious lives, and we can if we depend on Him. If we work to change our view from negative to positive, we can see the world in a different light when the bad times come. We can also learn how to avoid looking for the bad in good situations.

So many things in the world can bring sadness and despair. If we look to God for His comforting love, we can rest in His care. Once we find the real joy that only God can give, we can change our attitudes. Our attitudes come from the feelings deep inside us. We may be able to hide secret fears and pain, but our attitudes will always give our secrets away.

Today, ask God to help you look at the good or positive sides of situations you will face... He will answer. 

Child Training Bible - GIVEAWAY!

I am so excited!!

Why?

Because today I get to (finally) post the Child Training Bible Giveaway!!!

It was delayed so many times due to sicknesses and then this hurricane Isaac. The main reason for this taking so long was the fact that my camera broke, and I wanted to take some awesome pictures for you guys... but this will have to do for now. I can't wait any longer.

For those of you who have been eying this little golden nugget... you now have a chance to win it at absolutely no cost to yourself! Mindy, the creator of The Child Training Bible, has offered to send one of my blessed readers The Child Training Bible... because that's how awesome she is! 

For those of you who have not had the privilege of hearing about this wonderful tool as of yet, let me fill you in...

The Child Training Bible is used to teach your children scripture verses that correspond to issues they might be facing. I love that you can put your Child Training Bible together using the bible translation of your choice. I created mine with the NIV translation because it's easier for my children to understand. 

This God sent mom and dad of four adorable children sat down and through prayers, determination, and with dedication they put together this Child Training Bible. I think they could probably explain their product better than I can... so I will again put up their video explanation for your viewing pleasure!

Watched it? Good! 

The first time I came across this magnificent tool I wanted to say AAGGGHHHH!!!! FINALLY, I have been searching for something like this for so long! Can you imagine the numerous ways this tool can be used? Even the basic principle in itself is amazing!

You can find more information on this product, and the beautiful family, at the ChildTrainingBible website.

I have used the Child Training Bible with my own children countless times since I was blessed with it. 

My son is the only boy of our four children... so to entertain himself, he often times enjoys the game "Let's see how fast I can annoy one of my sisters by picking on them".  Whenever he gets in the mood for this game I sit down and have him write the scriptures that correspond with Quarreling or Disobedience if I've instructed him to quite and he did not. 

My oldest daughter benefited greatly from reading the scriptures listed in the Wrong Friendships tab. It helped her make a confident decision about a friendship she had been struggling with letting go.

My husband once commented that our children would know these scriptures by heart by the time they left our home... in which I responded "That's the point". 

 Two sisters who attend the Teen Girls Ministry class I teach told me they didn't have a bible in their home. I was teaching them the importance of reading their bible daily when they told me this. I went to the nearest store and picked up a pretty pink (niv) bible and tabbed their bible with the following topics. 

• Purity
• Modesty
• Obedience
• Wrong Friendships
• Discouragement
• The Gospel  

I never would have thought of this if it had not been for the Child Training Bible. This will give them a head start in knowing where to look in the bible for scriptures to deal with issues they are facing daily.

What are you waiting for?! Enter to win one for yourself! 
Winner will be announced on Sept. 20th!

a Rafflecopter giveaway