Gigi's Blog

I'm loosing my hair.  If you don't believe me, just ask Mark.  It comes out in clumps.  It stops up our drains.  The other night he had to clean it out of the bathroom sink.  Do they make Rogaine for women?  And what I think is highly unfair, is not only is it falling off my head where it belongs, it somehow attaches to my face!  And let me tell you, if you're one of those people who think people who have plastic surgery things done are bad people-then you better start your judging now.  Because I can promise you this, the minute that I can afford laser hair removal, it is SO happening.  I'm not sure where I get these wonderful traits.  People in NC, who don't know my dad, think that I look just like my mom.  But everybody in Tx. thinks that I look just like my dad.  And unfortunately, I think like I look like my dad too.  When I say unfortunately, it sort of makes a female insecure when everyone tells her without her make-up, she looks like a man.  My father has male hereditary baldness, which basically means he got it from his father.  So that makes sense as to my hair falling out, since everyone says I'm just like my dad.  My grandmother in Tx. was so upset when Daddy started loosing his hair, she told him to get a toupe (fake hair), and he did.  I didn't even know until I was 6, that my dad was bald.  We were visting NC and I went into the bedroom we were staying in and there was a styrofoam head, and there was hair on that head, and  it was my dad's hair!!!!  My cousin and I stumbled on it, 'cause Daddy was still in the bed.  Like I said, my dad got it from his dad.  I never met him.  He left my grandmother, and my dad only saw him a few times. But the real kicker is that he lived less than 20 minutes from me when I was growing up!  He didn't want to see me or meet me.  He came to the hospital when I was in a coma after a car acciden.  But, I wasn't awake of course, and I never saw him again.  He died and I never knew him, and he never knew me. 

That's the story of churches today, as well as our community, nation and world.  So many people are so close to Jesus, but they don't want to meet Him.  I believe churches are full of the lost who believe they are saved because of heritage and legacy and status. Like Paul said "having a form of godliness but denying its power."

While I was out with my surgery there were a fair amount of nights I couldn't sleep.  (I know I can't imagine me not sleeping either)  There was a program that came on MSNBC.  It was an old Dateline on a man by the name of Carlton Pearson.  Carolton used to attend Oral Roberts University and became a pastor and sat on their board.  But after years, he began to struggle with the belief that his granparents had died and went to hell because they weren't saved.  So, he claims God gave him a revelation, Hell is on earth.  That's right.  He believes that Hell is on earth.   http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14337492/  This kind of junk and trash is exactly what a lost world wants to hear. That no matter what they do, they are not going to go to Hell.  Carlton says that even Hitler is in Hevean, he calims God told him. 

Do you see what is going on here?  Do you see the battle we're up against?  Do you care? I mean I usually don't.  Or I live like I don't.  I'm too busy with my own problems to care that a lost and dying world believes that Hell doesn't even exist.  Right??  Roger talked Sunday about us all having friends and family members that are flat out LOST.  I have 'em and you do too.  God help me to care.  God help this to stay on our minds. 

Matthew 7 21-23"Knowing the correct password—saying 'Master, Master,' for instance— isn't going to get you anywhere with me. What is required is serious obedience—doing what my Father wills. I can see it now—at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, 'Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking.' And do you know what I am going to say? 'You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important. You don't impress me one bit. You're out of here.'

Church was good yesterday.  I know I always say that, but it was.  I just loved it when Jill sang and talked before hand about the forgiveness that might be holding people back from God's best.  What I mean by saying I loved it, is that she felt led to say something, so she said it.  If Christians would begin to do whatever the Holy Spirit prompts them to do, (myself included) my what would happen!!!  Roger preached on our Sunday School classes theme verse, Proverbs 29:18 which says: Where there is no vision the people perish.  It's so true in my own life.  When I loose a future vision and hope for my life, "Yuck!"   I had been trying to remember a particular day in The Purpose Driven life which talks about a darkness of the soul, and ironically today I was possibly going to do the devotion at M&M, so I decided to reference the book.  Guess what day 14 is on??  Exactly what I was going to tell my friend-When God seems distant.  I think sometimes when our life is like day 14 in Purpose driven life, if we're not careful, we loose our vision.  We feel rejected, but we're not.  We feel alone, but we're not.  We feel forsaken, but we're not.  I'm gonna hit some of the high points of the lesson:

 "The deepest level of worship is praising God in spite of pain, thanking God during a trial, trusting him when tempted, surrendering while suffering, and loving him when he seems distant.  To mature your friendship, God will test it with perios of seeming separation-times when it feels as if he has abandoned or forgotten you.  In utter desperation, you cry out"What's the matter with me"  The truth is there's nothing wrong with you!  This is a normal part of the testing and maturing of your friendship with God.  Every Christian goes through it at least once, and usually several times.  It is painful and disconcerting, but it is absolutely vital for the development of your faith.  Tell God exactly how you feel.  Pour out your heart to God.  Focus on who God is-his unchanging nature.  Trust God to keep his promises. Remember what God has already done for you.  For God has said, 'I will never leave you; I will never abandon you'" Hebrews 13:5"

After church we went to Winter Jam.  The day just went so smoothly.  I was stressed a bit because of taking Chloe.  I didn't know if she'd last, but she did.  The only "issue" was a bathroom crisis when she determined that she had to go to the bathroom right before we were getting on the charter bus to come home.  The "fit" lasted I dunno, maybe 15 minutes or so, and she ended up using the commode on the charter bus, and then she got ok.  Thanks Adam E. 

Oh, I forgot to tell you the whole CD situation.  Well, Lee Ann had suggested I take my song that I wrote for the American Idol songwriting competition to try and give to Mandisa.  For those of you who don't know, Mandisa was an American Idol contestant, who is a Christian.  She was insulted by Simon Cowell because of her weight, but then publically forgave him, and now her platform is forgiveness, and the Hand of God, as well as a woman trying to reach a healthy weight. She is a part of the Winter Jam line-up this year. I didn't have any blank cds, and I knew it, so I didn't think I'd be taking my song to try and give to her.  Sunday morning I went in Meagan's room to ask her if she had any blank cds, but I knew she didn't.  Ali had spent the night with Meagan Saturday.  When I asked Meagan about the cds, she said "Ali has some, they're laying right there."    Well, this changed everything!  It's already about 8:30 or so.  I ask Mark if he can burn the cds. It caused him to be late for church, which is one of his total pet peaves, but he did it anyway.  So, I just knew I was gonna get my songs to Mandissa.  They had a leaders meeting beforehand, and I went.  We were gonna have access to some of the artists, and I just knew she'd be one of them, she wasn't.  At the intermission, she was signing autographs.  Me, Chloe, Holly, Rachel, Rebekah, and Meagan B. all got in line.  Along with 100,000 other people.  We were probably 15-20 people away and she stopped signing.  People start trying to follow her, me included.  So with security surrounding her, me  and about 20 twelve year old girls try to get to her, but we didn't.  We went to the restroom and Megan said "let's go to her table and try and give it to the people there."  I overheard a girl asking the table lady to give her something and she said "No."  One of the guys from NewSong was signing, so Megan said "Give it to him to give to her."  So, I got in line and got his autograph and told him I was a songwriter and would he PLEASE give Mandisa my songs.  He said "Oh.  You're a songwriter."  I didn't feel as if he said that  in a positive way.    "Yes.  Will you please give this to her."  "Well, I don't know if she's accepting cds or not."  I don't remember what I said but he kept them, and we left.  That wasn't the miracle I'd hoped for.  Really that wasn't a miracle at all, or was it.  I was so close to Mandissa, but I couldn't quite get to her.  I thought for sure during that leaders meeting she'd be back there, but she wasn't.  I'd hoped that the NewSong member would say, "I'll be glad to get this to her, and she'd be glad to get it." But none of that happened.  Timing is everything.  God's timing, not mine. 

Are you like me today???  No, I don't mean addicted to coffee, I mean with a door slamming in your face that you just knew you were meant to walk through.  But have you ever considererd that it's a miracle that God has the love for us that he'll slam a door in our face if we're gonna go somewhere we're not meant to, or maybe not yet?  We often define love as giving us what we want, when and how we want it.  But God loves us too much to give us what is less than best.  We have a free will which explains how we get less than His best, we choose it.  We claim that He did it, but uh-uh-uh, we chose our own way. 

I have quite the habit of all this.  I put God on time tables, I threaten, I dream up things sometimes, and forge ahead and fall flat on my face. 

So I said all that to say this "God thank you that Mandisa didn't accept my song last night."  What a miracle!! 

Today Chloe forgot her vocabulary book, and she went  into typical Chloe panic mode.  What were we to do?  It really wasn’t that big of a deal.  She wouldn’t get the Prinicpal’s Pal Award, and she would have silent lunch, but I mean she would live.  But, not in Chloe’s mind.  In Chloe’s mind this was a huge life-changing problem.  Now we had a choice.  We could say, “Chloe there’s nothing we can do” or we could do anything within our power to try and get the book.  Well, of course that’s what we did.  Mark called our next door neighbor who’s in Chloe’s grade, but he didn’t have his.  Mark then looked on caller ID and found the number of a class mate who lives a few minutes from us.  They were still on the school bus, because her mom drives the bus, but they said that when they got home and she was done, we could come and borrow the book and then return it.  Wow!  This a pain and inconvenience, but we’ll do it.

This is how our Christ-walk is often times.  We have to take a different avenue or do something out of the ordinary, which causes us to make a decision: Do we

1. Turn and walk away instead of to that closer walk? or
2. Find the way in, not matter how difficult

I want to choose b.  But we often search out people who tell us what we want to hear.  That it’s ok.  That it’s too difficult, so we’re excused.  Have you ever noticed that when you want absolute validation you go to a person with relatively lower moral standards?

Did Jesus know that man was at that door trying to get to Him???

If He did, and he cared, why didn’t He make the way for the man??

We often want God to move and want to make no effort to get to Him.  Don’t you like to be needed and wanted? The thing about it is we truly must have Christ to breathe and He inhabits our praise.  I remember when I would go visit my grandmother in Tx.  she was so excited to see me and made so many preparations. She cleaned and prepared my favorite goodies and scheduled me to see my family.  What if she would have just said “Well, she’s coming.  I’ll just wait.  There’s nothing to do.”?  But instead she did so many things, so that I knew she wanted me and was so glad I was coming home.  This is sort of how I’ve lived with Christ lately.  There’s nothing I need to do, God I’ll just wait here.  You do it all. 

I firmly believe that spiritual highs are often promptings of Satan that you are becoming a threat to him and so he has to try harder to bring you down.  If you’re saved he can’t actually do this, but as long as you believe or think he can, you become very ineffective.  Just like when Jesus was baptized he was lead  to be tempted.  This man on the mat encountered negativity, but it was for the sake of Jesus, and I think when we view negativity in this way, it’s not as devastating.  Have you ever encountered negativity for the sake of Jesus and effectively handled it?  How about ineffectively??  There are no chances or coincidences in Christianity, so if you’re getting “junk” dealt to you, God knows.    

The payoff came for that man when Jesus said “Take up your mat and walk.” Well actually when He forgave his sins.  But what if that man would’ve said the doors closed, I guess I’ll go home?  Think of what He would’ve missed out on.  I think we are all facing doors that are closed in our face, windows that are sealed tightly shut, and we are facing the decision of whether to cut a hole in roof.  But wasn’t it worth it for that man?  It will be worth it for you too and me!!!  

I mean let's just go ahead and discuss the pink elephant sitting on my head.  Can you laugh and be spiritual at the same time?  I think so. 

If you were in the service yesterday morning you already know what I'm talking about.  I hadn't been in the choir in about 4 months.  (hard to believe it's been that long)  I felt God leading me out, and so I quit.  I'm praying if it's time for me to rejoin.  But Joel e-mailed me and told me the choir was singing "In the Sanctuary" and I was welcome to sing if I wanted to.  So, I did.  It felt good to be up there.  Maybe a little too good. 'Cause I was really "into" the worship, and I close my eyes usually or at least often if I know the song we're singing.  I just feel strange sometimes when I'm singing to God and yet looking at people.  We started to sing "Majesty, worship His majesty" and I was trying to.  So, I closed my eyes.  I promise you, I momentarily thought "What if he dismisses during this song?"  But then I thought "No. Not this song."  So, I closed my eyes.  At some point I felt a slight nudge.  I opened my closed eyes.  Guess what???  Everyone-gone, but me and sweet Nancy A. who thank goodness didn't leave me up there alone. It was funny-it was.  When I sat down Mark said "I didn't know if you were gonna stay up there alone or what."  Holly and Megan B. were laughing about it, as well, as I'm sure everybody else who's eyes were open during the song.  Last night Roger told me "Ya, when I saw Megan and Holly laughing I said "Gina must be into the song." 

Someone got up during the service yesterday and proclaimed the truth that she felt in her heart and felt she had to share.  I so love this woman.  She said "Some of you think I'm crazy-and I don't care."  She poured out willingly what God had poured into her. 

I John 4:18   18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.  

This is one of my favorite scriptures in the Bible, and I'm amazed that God would be so kind of as to reveal something new to me, even last week as I've read it so many times before.  It just proves to me that His Word is so refreshing to me.

It's that last part of the verse "The one who fears is not made perfect in love"  that spoke to me in such a personal way.  I've said to God, "I need you to change him, or her, or this situation before I can continue."  I've said "If I get criticized, then I'm outta here."  If things didn't change, then I became afraid and began to listen to people instead of God and stopped dead in my tracks.  But my new understanding with this verse was that if I'm not doing God's will because of fear, it's not those people's fault, it's my fault.  If I fear, than I'm not allowing the love of God, which is perfect, to have control in my life. And I haven't.  I haven't in a long time.  The more I felt critiicized the more paranoid I'd become, until I felt the size of an ant, and any person who had a differing opinion than mine appeared the size of a giant. 

So, as I'm reevaulating my attitude of fear, that I had masked as other things, I'm also deciding and determining to do what that precious lady declared as her goal in life "Let God be God."  I've made it more complicated than it is. 

Yesterday I talked to two of my closest friends who are songwriters.  I've roomed with both of them at Write About Jesus, basically without even knowing them first.  But ANYWAY, it was kind of weird because I prayed for both of them specifically yesterday and then they called me.  So, I know it was sort of divine intervention that we talked.  But we sort of all three were in the same boat.  Apsiring songwriters.  Great ideas.  Full of hopes.  Just wanting SOMETHING to happen.  All trying to lift up and encourage the other, while inside having the same doubts.  Wendy H. (I've talked about before)  has a very bold-in-Christ attitude about her, which I love.  She demands that I see myself the way God see me, and when I try to refuse, she will not hear of it.  She told me yesterday "Gina, I'm offended by your ringback tone."  I knew exactly what she meant, and I knew I couldn't fool her.  I changed it to "if I only had a brain" from The Wizard of Oz.  She knew that this is exactly how I see myself, and she is exactly right.  So for me to say, "Oh, I just like that song" wouldn't have worked, so I didn't even try it.  At one point in our conversation she said "Gina can we pray?"  so we did.  Wendy and I are alike in our boldness in Christ, and passion for Him, and she is a HUGE encourager and support system in my life.  My other friend Cheryl, (who I think I've also talked about before) is very passionate about her pursuit of songwriting, and she is very willing to allow help from anyone willing to offer it, as well offer help to anyone who needs it.  After all she allowed me to stay in her room at Write About Jesus this year, and if she hadn't, I wouldn't have been able to go.  But we were all three basically talking about the same thing: Desire for God's will for our lives in songwriting.  I think the assumption here is "If you've given me a song God, surely God, surely you want this song out to the masses."  I laugh and laugh at what some of the professional songwriter clinicians at the Write About Jesus conference say about people who say "The Lord gave me this song."  You'd probably be offended, but you see it's business, it's commercial.  One of the clinicians said to that statement "Trust me, the Lord writes better."   But even the very successful are only one song away from their last, or feel these very same feelings of insecurity, but for some reason it's hard for us or at least me not to think, "Oh, if I could just get a song on a cd, then I'd be on my way."  But, in my heart I know better. So we trudge on to the unknown destination of our songwriting careers, or hobies, or whatever it is we're doing.

Last night in Vision I had three people who aren't my Wed. night regulars.  We talked about our hopes and our dreams.  One person even revealed to me a relatively major change they feel God calling them to make.

I think everyone this time of the year has this attitude.  "I want to accomplish__________(you fill in the blank).  As I told you already, I think resolutions aren't really a good thing.  I do however always want to grow in spirit and mind, not so much body (I think it's grown enough).  I want to find God in a new way daily. 

Last night in class we talked about this. 

Proverbs 1  

1-6 These are the wise sayings of Solomon,
   David's son, Israel's king—
Written down so we'll know how to live well and right,
   to understand what life means and where it's going;
A manual for living,
   for learning what's right and just and fair;
To teach the inexperienced the ropes
   and give our young people a grasp on reality.
There's something here also for seasoned men and women,
   still a thing or two for the experienced to learn—
Fresh wisdom to probe and penetrate,
   the rhymes and reasons of wise men and women.

This is for all of us

Start with God

 7 Start with God—the first step in learning is bowing down to God;
   only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning. 
We discussed sarting with God, and I asked when do you start with God.  Most answered that they went to God often as a last resort.  I told them that oftentimes I do sort of the opposite, I turn my back on God when things are bad and say "I'm not talking to You."  Pout Pout.

 8-19 Pay close attention, friend, to what your father tells you; 
  never forget what you learned at your mother's knee.
Wear their counsel like flowers in your hair,
   like rings on your fingers.
Dear friend, if bad companions tempt you,
   don't go along with them.
If they say—"Let's go out and raise some hell.
   Let's beat up some old man, mug some old woman.
Let's pick them clean
   and get them ready for their funerals.
We'll load up on top-quality loot.
   We'll haul it home by the truckload.
Join us for the time of your life!
   With us, it's share and share alike!"—
Oh, friend, don't give them a second look;
   don't listen to them for a minute.
They're racing to a very bad end,
   hurrying to ruin everything they lay hands on.
Nobody robs a bank
   with everyone watching,
Yet that's what these people are doing—
   they're doing themselves in.
When you grab all you can get, that's what happens:
   the more you get, the less you are.

Harmless good times-even in college sometimes aren't harmless. Just like I told them, they know better, you and I know better, and we are held to that standard even if we don't want to be. 

Lady Wisdom

 20-21 Lady Wisdom goes out in the street and shouts.
   At the town center she makes her speech.
In the middle of the traffic she takes her stand.
   At the busiest corner she calls out: 

You know often times we tell God "Lord, I need to get away on a nice vacation to hear you"  But, this says that Wisdom is crying out to us , begging us to listen. I also reminded them that this Lady Wisdom has nothing to do with academics. 

 22-24 "Simpletons! How long will you wallow in ignorance?
   Cynics! How long will you feed your cynicism?
Idiots! How long will you refuse to learn?
   About face! I can revise your life.
Look, I'm ready to pour out my spirit on you;
   I'm ready to tell you all I know.
As it is, I've called, but you've turned a deaf ear;
   I've reached out to you, but you've ignored me.

 25-28 "Since you laugh at my counsel
   and make a joke of my advice,
How can I take you seriously?
   I'll turn the tables and joke about your troubles!
What if the roof falls in,
   and your whole life goes to pieces?
What if catastrophe strikes and there's nothing
   to show for your life but rubble and ashes?
You'll need me then. You'll call for me, but don't expect
      an answer.
   No matter how hard you look, you won't find me.

 29-33 "Because you hated Knowledge
   and had nothing to do with the Fear-of-God,
Because you wouldn't take my advice
   and brushed aside all my offers to train you,
Well, you've made your bed—now lie in it;
   you wanted your own way—now, how do you like it?
Don't you see what happens, you simpletons, you idiots?
   Carelessness kills; complacency is murder.
First pay attention to me, and then relax.
   Now you can take it easy—you're in good hands."

This is the place none of us want to be.

 So my desire is to grow in wisdom, knowledge, and understanding.  Just read this passage again and take comfort and hope in knowing that God wants to reveal Himself to you today in a fresh and new way.  He wants to give and do and be everything in Your life.  Meet every need, comfort every hurt, water your drought-filled life. 

My weekend was wonderful.  I give the credit to God.  New Year's eve was just perfect-at home and alone.  Well, Chloe and a friend were there.  But as I tell you constantly, I was very tired and had prayed over and over that God would allow me some down time to get at least something done around my house, so that I could feel like I was contributing in some way to the betterment of my family.  (I know I'm so dramatic)  I cleaned out a few closets, and Mark painted the kitchen-RED!!  I love it!  Red is my favorite color.  I rested and I'm not proud to say I overate. 

I do give the credit to God, but I also thank God for Mark and his willingness to be there for me this weekend.  He painted the house, and helped clean out, and was there spending time with me, and it was huge for me.  My attitude this morning has been better and my spirits lifted, and I know alot of that was Mark and I being together. 

I don't really have New Year's resolutions 'cause I think they're sort of dumb.  I did have us say what we hoped to change as the New Year rang in, but I feel like my life is so dependent on God that when I resolve in myself to change, I always fail. 

I prayed this morning that God would give me some tangible hope and direction in and for my life.  I prayed that if I'm exactly where I should be, that He'll give me the help to be the best I can be.  If he wants a change, that He'll make a change.  Whatever He wants, just be there like He said He'd be, and I KNOW He will.

Proverbs 2

 1-5 Good friend, take to heart what I'm telling you; collect my counsels and guard them with your life.
Tune your ears to the world of Wisdom;
   set your heart on a life of Understanding.
That's right—if you make Insight your priority,
   and won't take no for an answer,
Searching for it like a prospector panning for gold,
   like an adventurer on a treasure hunt,
Believe me, before you know it Fear-of-God will be yours;
   you'll have come upon the Knowledge of God.

 6-8 And here's why: God gives out Wisdom free,
   is plainspoken in Knowledge and Understanding.
He's a rich mine of Common Sense for those who live well,
   a personal bodyguard to the candid and sincere.
He keeps his eye on all who live honestly,
   and pays special attention to his loyally committed ones.

 9-15 So now you can pick out what's true and fair,
   find all the good trails!
Lady Wisdom will be your close friend,
   and Brother Knowledge your pleasant companion.
Good Sense will scout ahead for danger,
   Insight will keep an eye out for you.
They'll keep you from making wrong turns,
   or following the bad directions
Of those who are lost themselves
   and can't tell a trail from a tumbleweed,
These losers who make a game of evil
   and throw parties to celebrate perversity,
Traveling paths that go nowhere,
   wandering in a maze of detours and dead ends.

 16-19 Wise friends will rescue you from the Temptress—
   that smooth-talking Seductress
Who's faithless to the husband she married years ago,
   never gave a second thought to her promises before God.
Her whole way of life is doomed;
   every step she takes brings her closer to hell.
No one who joins her company ever comes back,
   ever sets foot on the path to real living.

 20-22 So—join the company of good men and women,
   keep your feet on the tried-and-true paths.
It's the men who walk straight who will settle this land,
   the women with integrity who will last here.
The corrupt will lose their lives;
   the dishonest will be gone for good.

Christmas has come, but hopefully isn't gone.  I mean as so many are putting up decorations as quickly as possible so they can "get on with life", and "get back to normal", I hope that the reality of what Jesus did become their normal.    I had a really good Christmas, and it was primarily because of family and friends and time with them.  As per my usual sharing, I'll tell you the highlights:

1. Chloe and I cooked together a bit on Christmas Eve

2. We watched A Christmas Story 500+ times

3. Got to sleep late on Christmas Eve

4. Mark and I had a wonderful day together Saturday

5. Eating*Eating*Eating*Eating*Eating*Eating*Eating

6. The family talking about the Christmas story, and our goals for our lives, and our favorite memories of the month of Dec.  

7. E-solar (tell you about that in a minute)

8. Meagan got a miniature breathing machine from her Nana, and we've laughed and laughed because we all love that present.  That's sort of a personal family story, that would take too much time to tell.

9. I got to go to the City Club Friday night with my work for a party.  It's neat to have an employer that insists on Christ presence being at his company, and talks about Him and gives Him all credit for any good thing in his life.  I don't take that for granted.

10. My gifts:

a. Cookware * b. New glasses * c. Coffee * d. PJs * e. A fondue set * f. perfume *g*keychain H*E-solar

OK, ok, I know you can't stand it anymore, and I can't stand it either ,E-solar!  Let me tell you about e-solar.  Meagan got me a manicure and pedicure for Christmas, and she knew I'd totally love it and be excited about it, which I was and am.  So she's basking in the glory of her gift-giving(like we all do), and says "Mommy, you're manicure has e-solar, I don't know what it is, but it's got e-solar. "Wow!" I say and  I reach for my pamphlet to find out what this might be.  Mark picks up my certificate and busts out laughing, and then I reach for it and I bust out laughing.  The certificate said "Manicure and Pedicure w/color" .  "E-solar", was in actuality "with color"!  Meagan said "Well, I didn't know." We all laughed at her expense.  That night I watched a television show that discussed Christmas, and the mystery behind it.  Just like Meagan didn't know what she was talking about with E-solar, I think when secular media talks about Christmas, they usually don't know what they're talking about.  In defense of the show, I fell asleep before the end-big shock, right?  But anyway, they were discussing the reasoning behind the accounts of the story being told differently and suggested that the reason behind Luke's recollection was so that his audience would be drawn in more.  They said he tried to write with similiarities to a mythological story for the benefit of the readers.  They also interviewed some people that said the story wasn't literal, and not just people off the street, I mean religous figures.  I believe there's a line between evalangelism and entertainment with this stuff, and these shows are not for the purpose of evangelism.  Alot of people view all this with the same wonderment and curiosity as a haunted house, and the media has many going on a "ghost hunt" of sort for Jesus.  I mean it is mysterious, His love, but the scary thing is the people that have no idea, and follow these roads to try to find a higher power, or something bigger than them, but with no strings attached or standards and think they are accomplishing something. 

2 Timothy 2: 22-26

 22-26Run away from infantile indulgence. Run after mature righteousness—faith, love, peace—joining those who are in honest and serious prayer before God. Refuse to get involved in inane discussions; they always end up in fights. God's servant must not be argumentative, but a gentle listener and a teacher who keeps cool, working firmly but patiently with those who refuse to obey. You never know how or when God might sober them up with a change of heart and a turning to the truth, enabling them to escape the Devil's trap, where they are caught and held captive, forced to run his errands

I didn't like school.  It just didn't interest me, and it didn't come easily to me, so I guess I didn't care.  I didn't fail, and it's not as if I did terrible in school. I just didn't focus on it like I should have.  Even though it's only been twenty years, school didn't go outside of the academic box as much then.  I mean you had your "art" people who all wore black, but that was really about it. I did take chorus, which I loved, but there just wasn't alot offered outside of that.  So my undiagnosed A.D.D. personality said "forget it.", and I did.  I struggle with academics, and it makes me "ill" when people who don't know me think I'm lazy or irresponsible for some of the ways are just, well me.  But, the thing about life is that it won't work for me to always say "It's just how Iam."  Sometimes I have to attempt to step-up.  I might fail, but at least I'll fail trying.  I think that's what God is looking for, a willing heart. But I want to learn, and be the best "Gina" that I can be, whatever that means.  I'm not so sure at this point.  But I'm trying to be teachable.

I thinkGod is trying to teach me something at this moment in my life.  I've shared with some of you that Mark and I are by no means done with our Christmas shopping.  It's stressful.  So much to do, and it literally looks impossilbe, and without God's help, it will be.  As I think about wanting to buy gifts to give, and some things may not happen, this has become for me a teachable moment, that I'm choosing to embrace today.  You know that feeling when you want to give your kids, or spouse, or parents or friends something and realize that you may not be able to?  Or how about you go to a party, but aren't able to bring a gift?  Or, you want to offer help, but you just can't?  That feeling.  That feeling of wanting to have a gift to give.  This is how it will be for many on the day of Christ.  They will want nothing more than to have a beautiful crown given to them, so that they can give it to Him, but they will (as the Bible says) just have made it in with nothing to show. 

Are you living your life in preparation for that moment.  I don't think I'm doing such a great job at it.  I'm thinking about now.  I'm thinking about: I want......., and gimmee,gimmee,gimmee. Not thinking of the gift that I can and should always give, which is just like the example of Christ, myself. I mean why worry about death or the return of Christ, it's not today, right????????????   

 http://www.gastongazette.com/articles/Gazette_14378___article.html/Spotlight_Page.html

Do you remember "Shorty"?  He came to our church a good bit when my Aunt Pat and I would pick up a group at the Salvation Army and bring them.  If you read the story, he died yesterday.  Wonder if he thought yesterday would be the last day of his life?  Two years ago at our church's Thanksgiving dinner, we brought a very small group from the Shelter to the meal.  They got up and talked as Roger asked what we were Thankful for.  "Shorty" is the third person from that group of I'd say no more than 10-12 people who have died. These were very young people, relatively speaking.  I'd say 30s-40s.  So I hope as Shorty stood before God that he had a gift to give. 

Revelation 4 9-11Every time the Animals gave glory and honor and thanks to the One Seated on the Throne—the age-after-age Living One—the Twenty-four Elders would fall prostrate before the One Seated on the Throne. They worshiped the age-after-age Living One. They threw their crowns at the foot of the Throne, chanting,

   Worthy, O Master! Yes, our God!
   Take the glory! the honor! the power!
   You created it all;
   It was created because you wanted it.

I Corinthians 15:51-57

 51-57But let me tell you something wonderful, a mystery I'll probably never fully understand. We're not all going to die—but we are all going to be changed. You hear a blast to end all blasts from a trumpet, and in the time that you look up and blink your eyes—it's over. On signal from that trumpet from heaven, the dead will be up and out of their graves, beyond the reach of death, never to die again. At the same moment and in the same way, we'll all be changed. In the resurrection scheme of things, this has to happen: everything perishable taken off the shelves and replaced by the imperishable, this mortal replaced by the immortal. Then the saying will come true:

   Death swallowed by triumphant Life!
   Who got the last word, oh, Death?
   Oh, Death, who's afraid of you now?
It was sin that made death so frightening and law-code guilt that gave sin its leverage, its destructive power. But now in a single victorious stroke of Life, all three—sin, guilt, death—are gone, the gift of our Master, Jesus Christ. Thank God

I don't know what you might be going through today, but God does, and He cares. Romans 8:28 says there is a reason behind it.  Don't be unteachable. Don't make the things that you are going through in your life a vain blur.  Embrace it.  Learn from it.  Grow.    

If you know me very well, you know that my favorite non-Jesus person in the Bible is the apostle Paul. I love his passion, I love his boldness, I love that what he believed, he lived without apoligies.  Well Saturday I guess the temperature drop caused a change in my brain activity, because I acted like Saul instead of Paul. Saul was who the apostle was before he became a God-fearing man.  Saul went to church, and knew alot about the law, and persecuted those who didn't agree with him. 

Saturday morning Mark was going to be home.  He was supposed to be going to get Adam at college, but instead he got Adam Friday night.  So, I saw this as my golden opportunity.  Notice how I'm already defending myself?!  This would be my only Saturday with Mark around the house until probably about October.  This happens every year.  He starts youth basketball practice in December, and then starting in January he coaches youth basketball and then as soon as that is over, grass-cutting season begins, and that literally will end in October.  For those of you who don't know-Mark does this a side-thing to help pay our bills.   So, I asked him if he would help clean the downstairs, and he said he would, not thrilled about it, but he would.  So we started, and Chloe even got in on it.  Now, let me back up.  Last Sunday Dec. 9th, our lesson talked about the whole "Happy Holidays" and people's stands on it.  It caused quite a discussion in Sunday School, and I even led M&Ms Monday morning Bible devotion about this.  It also caused quite a stir.  The point I made was that even though I don't agree with people who aren't Christians, that the goal of my life is to reach out in the love of Christ .  Now, jump forward to Saturday.  I'm cleaning the toilet, and the doorbell rings, and Mark gets it.  I glance in the door and see a lady and child both dressed in crisp blue suits, and I go back to to cleaning the commode.  I begin to listen in on what she is saying.  She's talking about the Bible and the book of Psalm, and I know she is a Jehovah's Witness.  I give it a few minutes and thought "I'm gonna put a stop to this."  I march to the door.  "Hi.  We believe that Jesus Christ is the only way to Heaven."  "Oh we do to."  "What is your religous affiliation?"  "We are Jehovah's Witness."  "Well, I hope that you are going to Heaven when you die, and thank you for coming, and honey you need to get back to your dusting."  Slam.  Mark is livid with me.  After us talking I was going to go out and apologize, but she and her very young son were gone.  I start trying to reject the conviction, but that proved an impossible task. In fact I began to feel sick.  Because as I told you, only a very few days before I'd told my Sunday school class, and told people at M&M that we have to show God's love at all times.  We can disagree but we have to do it in a way that always let's the hope of Christ shine.  The reality was that I had done everything but that.  I was more concerned with my toilet being cleaned than I was the salvation of two people, one a young boy.  My eyes are tearing up as I type this, because I can't get the piture of that little boy out of my head, and think of the scar I've left on his life.  I asked God to forigive me, and I know he has, but I don't want to forget what I've done. I have goals coming out of this.  One is to find out what Jehovah's witnesses believe, so that I won't allow my ignorance to turn into anger as a means of defense, and the second is to be a loving disciple of Christ the next time one shows up at my door. 

WWJD?  Not have acted like me.  I'm not proud, I'm sick about it. 

Mark 2 13-14Then Jesus went again to walk alongside the lake. Again a crowd came to him, and he taught them. Strolling along, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus, at his work collecting taxes. Jesus said, "Come along with me." He came.

 15-16Later Jesus and his disciples were at home having supper with a collection of disreputable guests. Unlikely as it seems, more than a few of them had become followers. The religion scholars and Pharisees saw him keeping this kind of company and lit into his disciples: "What kind of example is this, acting cozy with the riffraff?"

 17Jesus, overhearing, shot back, "Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? I'm here inviting the sin-sick, not the spiritually-fit."

I'm home, and we're rejoicing.  The Dr. said that there was no evidence of any leakage, of any scar tissue, of any problems!! I just wanted to let you know.  We'll talk more tomorrow.

Matthew 8 3-4Jesus reached out and touched him, saying, "I want to. Be clean." Then and there, all signs of the leprosy were gone. Jesus said, "Don't talk about this all over town. Just quietly present your healed body to the priest, along with the appropriate expressions of thanks to God. Your cleansed and grateful life, not your words, will bear witness to what I have done."

 Thanks for praying for me.

• Main
• Archives
• Albums
• Links
• Send us a story or an E-Mail
• Summary-Blog Directory
• Admin

• Boat ride
• Yes, it is as you say
• Silly Little Thing Called Love
• Have yourself a merry little Christmas
• Have yourself a merry little Christmas
• What if it's God speaking?
• Live your life
• From the inside out oh my soul cries out

• General [170]

• RSS 0.90
• RSS 1.0
• RSS 2.0
• Atom