Just a few mins before midnight

I have minutes to get my Wed blog in!! This week has been a great week! We have spent 13 hours already this week working with our youth ministry.....we are having our first worship service this week. I am really believing God to come and whoosh down on us. I dreamt that The place was packed and that God just moved! That is my prayer that God would make Himself real and that He will lead the night, anoint the boys as they lead us in worship. Father let it rain down on us as we worship you! Father I pray for freedom to worship, a freedom like never before, Father may this be a life changing nite!!

Yep we are quite excited!!
Anyhow have a great night
Be blessed and remember to worship the Lord in the good, the bad, the stressful, the fun,
Phillipians says whatever is pure, what ever is good etc..think on these things
it also says When you are weak He is strong....rest in HIs strong arms today!

Church Politics and freedom

Last night Trev and I went out with a couple of our youth! What a great time we had talking about worship, vision, etc. We came away so blessed! These youth have so much to give, so much wisdom, even insight on who God is to them. We were so encouraged! It grieves me when adults think youth are just youth, They are so much more! There is so much more to them then what we think. Adults don't give teens enough credit. If you know some youth..then I encourage you go hang out with them, get to know them, you will be so blessed!

It was intresting because we started talking about Church politics and you know I found this verse about politics....which is silly, but unfortunatly every church has them. I thought it was intresting to read what we said last night.



Galatians 2:

17-18Have some of you noticed that we are not yet perfect? (No great surprise, right?) And are you ready to make the accusation that since people like me, who go through Christ in order to get things right with God, aren't perfectly virtuous, Christ must therefore be an accessory to sin? The accusation is frivolous. If I was "trying to be good," I would be rebuilding the same old barn that I tore down. I would be acting as a charlatan.

19-21What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn't work. So I quit being a "law man" so that I could be God's man. Christ's life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not "mine," but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that.

Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God's grace. If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily.

What amazing words.....what freeing words!!...
God is good, and He is so encouraging!

Be free today to be Who God has created you to be!!!

Worship, praise, sing, change

Well I have one child crying, another asking questions, another sulking! .......yes I have a sound mind....yes I have peace. I will worship through this,
Your strength is all I need...
I have a sound mind...I am disciplined!
This is a new week...I am starting a new discipline..... having a sound mind, life.
Lately I have been feeling like I am losing it especially when it comes to the children! The bantering, the winning, the presence, the responsibilities.
At the youth retreat the Speaker said when life is hard, not going right, when you are under attack, when you can't seem to kick whatever is bothering you....what should you do? WORSHIP!
Worship the Lord, sing, praise,
Keep worshiping despite how you feel...even if all you sing is "You are Holy" It will lift your spirit, change your perspective, calm you, give you peace,
Worship, sing, praise,........worship, sing, praise........worship sing praise...don't let your self think there is no hope.....look to God.....He holds you in His arms, rocking you, protecting you....
Like the song Rock a by baby.....when the winds blow, when the cradle rocks, even when the bough breaks,.....your Daddy will catch you!!!

No Matter what

so if any one is intrested i didn't play the piaon last night, well I did but not for worship! It worked out really well! Our speaker talked about How God has adopted us...this is so true. God's love is so amazing!! That He loves us no matter what we have ever said or done, no mstter what our past was, no matter what!! He love us.....Last night i just felt so overwlmed by His love and blessing! I cannot even fathom how much God love s me! It is mind boggling! If we can even grasp a small measure of His love, we aren't even close to the abubdance of unconditional love. When we see God as our Father who has adopted us...wow our lives are changed....how can they not be? We all are searching for someone to love us despite our faults, attitudes, streeses, past, etc...no matter what and here God is handing out the love we have always wanted ....will you choose to accept it as real today? Everyday? It's comes back to our choice!! My favroite word....choice.... No matter what....God love you! Be blessed today!

to work or not to work....

That is the question of the day? I have the phone right now.......it's a bit of work to sort through the disorganization.....Trev is stressed out ...When I had the phone i was stressed yet Trev wasn't our schedule ran smoothly, our lives ran smoothly...now it seems more disrupted....I don't know what to do? Do I work and homeschool? I am at a loss..what is important? I could not homeschool....and focus on working, youth etc....or do I homeschool and work, and youth, or just youth and home school......so yeah that's how my day is going........Lord Help!!
Yep and tonight I have Ladies night...I am playing the piano, I have been praticsing so hopefully I will do ok...Ill let you know.. Hope you all have a great day!!

All over the place

This is a week of friends...right now I am listening to the children have a snack and talk with their friend who is over.....it is quite humerous to listen to them ...they are talking about birds. Children can bring us so much joy!! I am so blessed to be a mom! It can be stressful at times, yet I believe those times don't outweigh the amazing times!! It is the same with marriage too! So I ve come to realise once again....life is about choice! Every thing we do or say or think is a choice whether conciously or subconsciously choose! I believe that we have the power to control our choices.....it is taking control of our thoughts, feelings, and words.
It is so easy for us to say negative words......on Saturday night at the Date nite I had the couples read 1 Cor 13, but where love was to put their own name.

Love never gives up. Vangie never gives up
Love cares more for others than for self. Vangie cares more for others than for self
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have. Vangie doesn't want what it doesn't have
Love doesn't strut, Vangie doesn't strut
Doesn't have a swelled head, Vangie doesn't have a swelled head
Doesn't force itself on others, Vangie doesn't force herself on others
Isn't always "me first," Vangie isn't always me first
Doesn't fly off the handle, Vangie doesn't fly off the handle
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others, Vangie doesn't keep score of the sins of others
Doesn't revel when others grovel, Vangie doesn't revel when others grovel
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, Vangie takes pleasure in the flowering of truth
Puts up with anything, Vangie puts up with anything
Trusts God always, Vangie trusts God always
Always looks for the best, Vangie always looks for the best
Never looks back, Vangie never looks back, but keeps going to the end
But keeps going to the end.

So these are stong words...always looking for the best.....how many of us do that .....it says ALWAYS not sometimes!! The one I heard the most on Sat was ......"I always fly off the handle" .....I was kinda blown away. not that these people fly off the handle...we all do that....trust me I am a pro.......but I was blown away by the confession made.......our words are powerful......if we say we fly off the handle all the time.....then you know what we will.....negative confession! But if we were to say "I will not fly off the handle today....I will be calm, peaceful, and relaxed" or even better say....I AM PEACEFUL! I AM CALM! I AM RELAXED!
So I am totally talking to myself here..... I need to be aware of my words....are they building myself and others up or are they tearing myself and others down. Are the postive or negative?
I challenge you today and myself too..to watch what we say......lets CHOOSE to build up....be positive..and turn our habits of speaking what we think is truth (I can'ts, I am's that are negative) and start speaking what God says, lets honor ourselves and walk in confidence of who we are in HIM! Ask the Holy Spirit to make you aware of the words you say....when you become aware then you can choose to change your words to be words of life..not death!
You don't have to fly off the handle!
You don't have to be stressed Remember God doesn't let you go through anything you can't handle...but you gotta turn to Him, ask for help!... worship him! SIng, praise, talk to Him! TRUST HIM!!

Choose your words today carefully ...lets build ourselves up, lets take control!!

busy weekend

Wow I do not remember when I had such a busy go go go weekend. It was fun but busy!! We had our Bible School course, then we had youth, where we planned and set up for our Date nite whuch was on Saturday night, as well as Church, and then another Bible school course, since we can't be there next Thursday. To top the weekend off, we decided to relax and watch a movie, but the movie ended up being a tense movie!!!! Needless to say this morning it is hard to get going!!
This is where I am so glad to be homeschooling. The Children just got up and started their work,,,no one had to rush out of the house...it is so much more relaxing!!
So our Date nite was a success!! It was so fun to watch couples be romantic....relaxed? It was alot of work, but well worth it!!
However the seasonal me...is so glad it is over!! Now I can relax untill the next idea comes along!!!!
I guess the next ideas are our mini retreats coming up! That will be fun to plan!!!
Well have a blessed week!

LOVE DAY

HAPPY LOVE DAY !!! VALENTINE'S DAY

THIS IS SUCH A GREAT DAY TO REFLECT ON HOW MUCH GOD LOVES US, WHICH BLOWS MY MIND WHEN I THINK OF THE LOVE AND SACRAFICE GOD GAVE US. IT IS ALSO A DAY TO REFLECT THE BLESSINGS OF GOD IN OUR LIVES.
I AM SO BLESSED TO HAVE THE MOST AMAZING HUSBAND EVER, THE MOST AMAZING CHILDREN EVER, AMAZING FRIENDS AND FAMILY. GOD'S LOVE IS SHOWN THROUGH ALL THOSE AROUND ME AND I AM SO THANKFUL FOR EACH ONE!
FATHER THANK YOU FOR YOU UNENDING LOVE AND GRACE. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! THANK YOU FOR EACH FRIEND YOU HAVE GIVEN ME AND EACH FAMILY MEMBER YOU HAVE PLACED IN MY LIFE. YOUR LOVE IS AMAZING!!

latest paintings and photos

Trust & Faith

It is funny how every where I go people are talking about Faith and Trust. My sister in law's blog talks about it, my friends are walking out in faith and trusting God to catch them..
Well that' where I am today....I am trying to quit my job...which means less income for us. Trevor is also trying to cut back on work so that we can focus more on what we believe God has given us a passion for. In saying all this....it is a step of faith! We are trusting God to catch us as we jump off the known into the unknown. We are taking one day a week to focus on the youth. We are getting a office set up at church and want to take time away from home to focus, pray,plan,and hang out with the youth.
The children are going to be taken care of and we can just focus. We are starting one day a week with the goal to eventually do two days! This means not working , but it also means God can work!! We are believeing HIm to provide all our needs as we step out in to this new season of ministry. I am quiting my job to focus on homeschooling and youth. It very hard being so busy you can not focus on anything.
So Trust and Faith...believing that He will be fatihful in what he says he will do!!


We have jumped and we know that God will catch us and carry us where He wants us to go.

self-discipline and its affects

I have really been aware of the lack of discipline in all areas of my life....however this is changing. I am Self-Discipline in all areas of my life! Yesterday I wrote about choices.....and yesterday I chose to do laundry, I washed the load, I dryed the load and here comes the amazing part...a great breakthrough regarding discipline......I folded the laundry and put it away!!! Right away!!! It was amazing feeling..I was very proud of myself. Before Either the laundry would sit crumpled untill I needed the clothes again, or it would get folded then sit untill I needed the clothes again! Ok next step to freedom is doing it again today! Choices! Everyday thinking before I do.
We also noticed how our lack of self discipline has been an example to our children.....so they have learnt lack of self discipline. Hopefully it will be easier to change because they only have 4-7 years no self discipline where I have had over 30 years!!! So mynew challenge today is being an example with my children,. saying sorry, and asking forgivingness, and then teaching them good habits especially be example! Father I thank you for your grace,,,,it is abounding and always there when I need it!! Father continue to teach me about discipline and how to accomplish goals.

I had another thought about lack of self -discipline.......I think a cause of lack of self- discipline could be self - hatred? or Self-esteem? If we don't love ourselves then why would we take care of our selves, or any part of ourselves.

Proverbs 25: 28
A person without self-control is like a house with its doors and windows knocked out. (Message)

Here without self control we have no sense of security, anything can get in a house without doors or windows, there is no protection, fear.....fear of buglars, fear of animals, fear of storms, fear of death, FEAR. Intresting isn't it? When we have self control or self discipline our house has doors and windows, we are protected from the outside unknowns!

If we have no doors or windows our house would look empty, deserted, unwanted, uncared for, incomplete, forgotten,
but with doors and windows...it looks amazing, safe, cared for, alive, beautiful....
I am imaging a beautiful house it is blue with white trim and a white picket fence. But somewhere along the life of this house it was blown up, the windows lay shattered on the ground, the doors have all been kicked in and are haniging by a broken hinge,,,,the house that once was so beautiful lay decaying in a mess.....yet
God sees this house and sees the beauty of it despite the rundown, broken house. God's spirit comes and breathes new life into the house, and bit by bit changes start to happen...He comes and picks up the front door, takes it , throws it away, and puts up a brand new solid door, then he goes to each window and door and does the same thing....untill the house is beautiful, new, complete.
wow Our Heavenly Father is amazing....Thank you Lord for your love, mercy and grace, for never letting us go! For changing us inside and out! I love you Lord!

So here is a very true verse ..that I think is funny! and taches us about self- discipline....a good lesson for me to learn !!!

Proverbs 25 ; 16
When you're given a box of candy, don't gulp it all down;
eat too much chocolate and you'll make yourself sick;

This next verse I thougt really pertained to fear...we can get so caught up in ourselves and our fear that we stay in our in our broken house....we never leave and we stay we fear, we worry, we fret, we are miserable...yet if we have a "Sound" Mind and trust our creator...then we are truly free to show, mirror God's amazing love and grace!

1 John 3: 18-20
My dear children, let's not just talk about love; let's practice real love. This is the only way we'll know we're living truly, living in God's reality. It's also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves.

God is always knocking on our hearts, calling for us to see Him in a real light, to recognise his love, acceptance, grace, mercy, to accept Him. and we grasp the truth....then the Truth will set you Free! You will be given a new heart, a new joy, a new love, you will be complete!

Ezekiel 36-24
"'For here's what I'm going to do: I'm going to take you out of these countries, gather you from all over, and bring you back to your own land. I'll pour pure water over you and scrub you clean. I'll give you a new heart, put a new spirit in you. I'll remove the stone heart from your body and replace it with a heart that's God-willed, not self-willed. I'll put my Spirit in you and make it possible for you to do what I tell you and live by my commands. You'll once again live in the land I gave your ancestors. You'll be my people! I'll be your God!

Be encouraged to day.....know that you Father want to make you whole and give you a freedom you have never known before... Do you Trust Him today .....Are you willing to change? Be encouraged God's Grace, and love is more than sufficient!
Ask Him to reveal himself to you today!

Love you all!

Choices

Good Morning !! So Discipline once again is my new word and theme. Yesterday I had a great discipline day....loved it, was encouraged, it felt good. Today so far I had to drag myself out of my bed......Trev has been up for a hour he has taken out all the garbage, all the recyling, put laundry on, made me tea....while I am still dragging.....well it feels like dragging. Anyhow I was wondering and pondering how does one get disciplined.....my answer.....it's a choice.
Darn...I was so hoping for instant change, like Mary Poppins says "a spoon full of sugar helps the discipline go away!!" How great life would be. But reality is ..... it's a choice. Yep a choice. Isn't it funny how so many things in our life is based on our choices. There are choices to have a good attitude or a bad attitude. We can choose joy in any circumstanses. We choice to listen to our thoughts or take on the mind of Christ! We choose to get out of bed and be happy or we can choose to get out of bed and be grumpy. Choices. Then there are choices that are everyday little things like what to wear, what to eat, what to listen to..... Good choices and bad choices. So discipline is a choice, a ongoing choice....every descision I make today will be etiher a disiplined choice or a lazy choice. It will be a positive choice or a negative choice.
So with discilpine in conection with fear....You have to choose to be discilpined and take control of you thoughts, your life.
So in saying all this I have a choice right now........
Today I am disciplined. Today I am choosing discilpine. Today I am choosing joy. Today I am walking in Grace. Today I am choosing peace. Today I am victorious!
Father God thank you for your discipline. Thank you for your joy! Thank you for you grace, peace. FAther thank you that you never give us anything we can not handle or deal with. Father you are awesome and I love you very much.

New challenge for everyone especially myself.......to choose discipline in ALL areas of my day ! Remember there is grace, but that's not an excuse to not keep going!! That's just a choice!


Be Blessed!

My not so favorite word, yet becoming my favorite SELF-DISCIPLINE

Well last night was interesting , I was pondering journalling and crying....me crying it is a rarity. However I believe I was dealing with another level of fear. Which is funny because yesterday at church I was talking to my Pastor's wife and I was telling her about fear and at the end of the converstaion I said "I don't think I am done yet, so bring it on!" I didn't realize that it would be brought on that night though!! Well it came in full thrust. I am Victorious in it!! The neatest thing was that when I was talking to Laurel she started talking about 2 Timothy 1: 7
2 Timothy 1:7
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
she said do you know that a sound mind means self-discipline?
I was like ok! Whatever yeah it could make sense I guess you have to have discipline o take control of your thoughts etc.
anyhow last night during this little "thing" I was going through I told Trev what Laurel said. Even He didn't think it meant discipline. So we looked it up and guess what!!!! The only translation that says a sound mind is the King James. All the other translations and the concordance says discipline!!
Can you believe it..... what a word to be....the word I dread the most DISCIPLINE!!
Well
FOR GOD HAS NOT GIVEN ME A SPIRIT OF FEAR; BUT OF POWER,AND OF LOVE, AND OF SELF-DISCIPLINE!!

Discipline means: to bring to a state of order and obedience by training and control. Training expected to produce a specific character or pattern of behavior, especially training that produces moral or mental improvement.
There isn't just one area of my life that needs discipline...it is in every area!! Trev and I where talking last night and realizing that there is not one area of our life that has any discipline. We wake up when we want to, we work out whenever we want to, we eat whatever we want to, we ignore the messy room, we ignore then messy life....wondering why it isn't improving no matter what we do.
Last night we also read some guys blog about self discipline and he said that if you don't have discipline then you don't live in reality....with me that is true... I see what I want think oh I would really like to have this, or if only this would happen I would be better at this...... I sweep (of course not literattly because then that would mean cleaning) everything under the carpet hoping it goes away! Yet the more I do it the large the mound of ignorance grows and then I lose it freak out and do what it takes to remove the mound , then start all over. I don't remove the mound I just flatten it. I don't get to the core......
With Discipline....the mound would never grow out of control. The things in my life that are out of control would be easy and relaxing. I have alway said that when my house is clean I am at
peace. Wow never realized the meaning and truth behind those words.

So now what? I'm not sure, however today I did get up at 7:oo am , made tea and now have been blogging for the last hour. It is now 8:00 am Time to be disciplined and work out.
Father I pray for this new revelation...I ask that you would grant me grace and wisdom and the means to change y ways...to stop dreading discipline but embrace it as me. Father you are so amazing for revealing this to me....I ask that you would continue to clean me out from fear, from crap that is not of you. Freedom is what I long for.
SO mom if your reading this I know that you be saying..." Havent I been telling you this the last 33 years" Thanks ! It confirmation! I will let you all know how my journey to discipline goes.....feel free to ask me about it...to keep me accountable with it. Please!!
God is good....He is so faithful, and patient. when you say bring it on...watch out, because He does......its another step to freedom, another step closer to the promise land!!

reality

So my parents are gone for three weeks.....now I have to get used to reality ..have to do my own laundry, have to cook all my meals, have to clean up after myself.......But I think what I will miss the most is going and talking about whatever to my friends....mom and dad. I do realize that I have to share!! They have gone to visit my brother and sister in law. So it's their turn to be blessed!!
So this last month Trevor and I have been working out 4 -5 x a week. We have been doing this exercise program we bought from a info- mercial at 2 am one day before Christmas. It has been going well.....but yesterday we decided to do something different........we went jogging!! Yes I went purposely jogging....I loved it ..it was so fun. We would jog a minute then walk a minute....., but oh am I sore today.....that was the hardest work out I have ever done.... I will do it again!! It was great!! I am getting slimmer and slimmer everyday!! Yep positive words I am speaking over myself!
The other crazy thing I did was , I started ripping up our lino in the kitchen........Now that I've started, I don't think I want to finish! It is a huge job!! Now I am not to sure what We are going to do?
I was thinking this morning that I am needing a change....my seasonal-ness is kicking in.....but I can't move.....what to do?
Well be blessed today...and keep positive in all things.....it's contagious, and helps others feel positive too.