Therefore Repent and Live!

Wowie wowie wow wow wow! I had the most sleepless night ever last night! I could say it was terrible, but it really wasn't, I was just wide awake.

A lot of it could be that I stayed up too long watching old re-runs of So You Think You Can Dance (season 2) or it's just the restlessness of wanting more and more of my Jesus without actually letting Him in!

I ended up going downstairs for my Bible at like 2:00 a.m.. I read the 18th chapter of Ezekiel - it was VERY encouraging - so much so that I told my husband that I need to get a tattoo on my arm of the last four words! "Therefore repent and live!" This is a GREAT reminder!

This morning I also told my husband that usually I can ignore asking the 'therefore' question (what is it there for?) and just take some single verses as they are, but this one I could NOT!

I could not would not with a vote! I would not could not in a boat! lol hehehe - sorry back on track now!

The reason this 'therefore' is there is what gives this verse SO much strength! This chapter focus' on the fact that God deals with everyone separately and according to the deeds of their heart. (You should read the chapter for yourself.) It also shows that the three/four generation pattern of sin is very breakable! And that even if you are living in sin you can always turn!

• The righteous man will surely live (verses 5-9).
  
• The son of the righteous man who then commits abominations will surely be put to death, his blood will be on his own head (verses 10-13).
• The grandson who observes all his father's sins and does NOT do likewise - he will not die for his father's iniquity (verses 14-18)

As one of my beloved youth pastors used to say "God has no grandchildren". It's all about a personal relationship! The righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself. (Ezekiel 18:20b)

But the other great thing about this chapter is it shows that God will not leave us in our sin - nor does He want to!

I encourage you brethren if you are committing any sin that you KNOW the Lord is convicting you about that you have not given up to Him, or that you continue to take back from Him... consider this chapter and turn away from it! (verse 28) let not your iniquity (or chosen sin) be a stumbling block to you (or anyone else) any longer! (verse 30). Determine to cast away from it and make yourselves a new heart and new spirit - instead of choosing death - why would you CHOSE death!? (verse 31)

"Therefore repent and live!"

Give Me Clean Hands

Give us Clean Hands by Chris Tomlin is the one that I thought was just perfect for my heart when the worship team sang it a week or so ago.

Lord I willingly bow my heart before You and welcome You to come into the secret places to do some cleaning, purify my heart oh God. Lord You know I tend to choose to do the very things I HATE and I do not want to do - please give me Your dynamite strength to turn from these things, Lord please tear down the idols in my heart. Teach me to seek after only You and not put anything before You. I love You!

My Walk Monday

My Walk Mondays mean so much to me considering it was yet another thing God told me to do that I was disobedient on, and like many other things in my life I tend to get complacent in my depression, my selfishness and my laziness, causing me to not even do some of the most important things in life... I do not want life to be like this anymore, I am DONE with complacency!!!

Like Daniel - now I am purposing in my heart not to defile myself in the complacency of this world! (Daniel 1:8 "But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king's dainties, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.") I know that with a good attitude, some determination and a daily seeking of God's will for my life I CAN BE CHANGED!!!

God has given me a promise before I moved into my new home in October that He would make up to me for the years that were swarmed, eaten, crept upon, stripped and gnawed on. (Joel 2:25)

He also told me to return to Him with ALL my heart, with fasting, weeping and mourning, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness and relenting of evil. (Joel 2: 11-13)

Now this is what I am REALLY holding on to!...

He told me - He will build me up and not tear me down, and he will plant me and not uproot me! (Jeremiah 42:10) I cannot wait to be firmly planted by the streams of water, I am tired of withering and being weak in everything I do! (Psalm 1:3) God reminded me of the times I used to garden with my daddy... we used to buy the flowers that came already planted in the little 6 pack containers, and my dad would teach me that you would have to separate the roots or break them up a little before you replanted them... well God is showing me that I have already grown a bit in a pot that is now too small for me... it is time to have my roots broken up a bit (which will be painful) so I will be able to spread out and grow better when He plants me in the ground by the stream :o)

The God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory in Christ, wants to perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish us (Romans 5:10) Why don't we just determine in our hearts to LET HIM! :o)

Wordless Wednesday

Happy New Year Everyone!

Merry Christmas...

... from my little family to yours....

Make your own Scrap-wrap Bow!

Got smallish chunks of wrapping paper you cannot use and no bows? Just make your own bow out of the chunk of scrap wrap!!! My friends loved it when I made mine.

1. Cut your scrap into 8 strips - 4 long and 4 a little shorter.

2. Tape all your strips into individual little rings.

3. Make sure you keep your large rings separate from your small ones.

4. Flatten your rings (with the tape in the center so it's not sticking out the sides).

- and cross one flat ring slightly over the other.

5. Continue to flatten and cross the rings...

6. Wiggle the flat rings around a bit (if needed) to distance them evenly.

7. Staple them at the center (just once).

* This is what it will look like...

8. Repeat steps 4 through 7 with the smaller rings.

9. Place your smaller bow on top of your larger bow.

10. Staple your two bows together (just once).

* This is what your bow will look like...

11. Cover your staples with a button and viola! :o)

Children's Christmas Tea

They quite enjoyed the "soda" (that's what they were calling it) and the food... there were finger sandwiches in PB&J, turkey & cheese, and egg salad, also chocolate covered strawberries, grapes, "ants on a log", and scones :o)

JJ did want to color, she was waiting patiently for her craft - I'll blog that later :o)

B.Boy just wanted to play on his chair - that's my boy!

There is JJ praying fervently!
And B.Boy trying to follow suit.
Here they are watching an awesome little puppet show of the Christmas story!
Here is the star JJ put on the Christmas tree... I asked her why she loved Jesus and that is what she said *shoulder shrugging* ... okay!

I took them outside afterwards to get some playtime in...

JJ was so cute playing in that pretty dress of hers! And B.Boy did very well on the big swing by himself! All in all a nice day!

Getting to Know me - Christmas Style!

I got this in an email from one of my friends and I thought I would answer it on my blog... you can play along if you'd like, but if you do be sure to leave a comment with a link so I can visit :o)...

• Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your friends. Okay, here's what you're supposed to do... Just copy this email/post and paste into a new e-mail/post to share with others. Change all the answers so that they apply to you.... here's mine.....

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Definitely wrapping paper (with handmade scrap-paper bows :o)

2. Real tree or Artificial? Definitely real - mostly preferred to cut one down :o) We got a tall one this year because our new house has high ceilings.

3. When do you put up the tree? Usually we go get it the day after Thanksgiving and put it up that same day - this year we were a bit late :o)

4. When do you take the tree down? Hopefully by the New Year.

5. Favorite gift received as a child? My toy barbie stretch limousine with the spa in the back.

6. Hardest person to buy for? Anyone when you have no money.

7. Easiest person to buy for? My kids because they are so sweet - they would be happy to play with coal! lol

8. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, but it's not ever what anyone expects - it's very small!

9. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail and usually handmade as well, but this year God is teaching us to live without.... but I did get a beautiful handmade card from a missionary couple in Africa we pray for, look......

10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Tangerines and walnuts.

11. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Maybe in October if I find the right thing for the right person.

12. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No - but I did receive an awesome recycled gift from a gift exchange last year....

13. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? My grandma's peadogs (or at least that's what she calls them, I think they are really Pîrâgis)... it's a latvian food... I've always loved these things!!!! I need to learn how to make them like she does....

14. Lights on the tree? Yes definitely and in the rooms as well (thank you Mary).....

15. Favorite Christmas song? Mary Did you Know and Carol of the Bells!

16. Travel at Christmas or stay home? My family would love to travel to the Snow around Christmastime, but on Christmas day we stay home.

17. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Yes - Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Doner, Blitzen, and Rudolf ... it's easy... I memorize songs way too well.

18. Angel on the tree top or a star? I would like a good looking star - but we have a crocheted and starched angel ;o)

19. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas Eve with my side of the family at my Uncles house and Christmas morning with my own little family... Christmas day with my hubby's side of the family.

20. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Santa Claus! And how he seems to sound so much like God! You notice that he has a lot of names and seems to be all knowing and ever present - "he see's you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake, he knows if you've been bad or good".... that's worrisome!!!

21. Favorite ornament theme or color? I like my Mary had a little Lamb ornament - because He died for His flock! Amen!

22. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Turkey just like Thanksgiving!

23. What do you want for Christmas this year? I would really like to have my wedding and engagement ring re-sized and plated with white gold but I know that is way too much to ask for!

24. Who is most likely to respond to this? Alicia :o)

• Now for some questions I would like to add...

1. Do you read the Christmas story from the Bible with family? Yes - usually my husband reads it and I love it when he does... last year my mother-in-law did.

2. What is your favorite Christmas movie? Mine is White Christmas. Vera-Ellen was an amazing dancer and I love Rosemary Clooney's voice!!

3. Do you pretend Santa for your kids - or do they know he is pretend? My kids are still pretty young but I always tell them that the story of Santa is just that - a story, but they know Jesus is real :o)

4. Do you hang stockings? Where and how? Yes - this year they are on my mantle! but previous years they would just be on a wall with command strips (I love those things!)

5. Does your family have any birthdays near Christmas? Yes - my sister Charleen and my daughter JJ.

Wordless Wednesday

My little one is standing!!! It's official... she's not just holding onto the couch for dear life, she also standing in her crib, at the toy basket, the table, and the baby gate! :o)