Mommies

I've always heard the testimonies of others that go along the lines of "I brought my parents to church." I've always thought that people who say that are so strange. 

Why?

Because my parents took me to church every Sunday.  Even on Vacation, we went to church. I had to be "on fire, throwing up, broken, dead or dying" to miss church (and yes, that is a direct quote from my mother). If we didn't start the week off with church, everything else was thrown off. 

My mommy has always been completely submersed in the programs at The Salvation Army of North Little Rock, Ar. Whether its teaching Sunday School, playing the piano, teaching music classes, or teaching Sunbeams, she's there. Before we consolidated and put everything on one or two nights, we were at church 80% of the time. 

My mommy has instilled the most important values and life lessons into me from day one. She's always shown Christ's love in everything she does. Even if its spending weekend like this cutting up with our "non-DNA" family. She is seriously the best mommy there is around.

"'Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.' Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised." (Proverbs 31:29-30)

Happy Mother's Day, Moms!
I love you forever!

Torn

I've always been torn on the topic of Gay Rights. 

You see, I am first and foremost a Christian. Homosexuality does not coincide with a Christian life style. The Bible says in Leviticus  "If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination." (Leviticus 20:13) I do agree with this statement. Homosexuality is indeed an abomination....

...But does this mean we should go around screaming our heads off at them and showing them hatred and not love? No. The Bible also says "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Mark 12:31).  I guess you could also say "Don't hate the playa, hate the game." 

I do think that Gay people are people and deserve to have rights. Robbing them of their rights is like putting a sign in your yard that says "All dogs can poop here, but not Poodles. We don't like Poodles." That's not very fair now is it? 

I feel that states like North Carolina are only pushing Gay people further away.  That's not how you get through to people. You don't close your heart and say "We're not gonna take. No we ain't gonna take it." You open your heart and show them Christ's love. If I'm not mistaken, Jesus would prefer it that way. After all, the people we so freely turn away were his closest friends.

Christmas and New Years

As I sit here (already in my jammies at 8:22 pm) eagerly awaiting 2012 with my husband, I can't help but wonder, is this how Joseph, Mary, and the Wise Guys felt when they waited for the birth of our Savior? I'm sure they were much more eager since they were waiting for the Son of God and I'm just waiting for mid-night. Then I thought, why don't people feel this way when celebrating Christmas. Of course, some people do for the presents, but the vast majority do not eagerly wait for mid-night Christmas Eve night to celebrate the greatest gift of all, just they gifts they will receive the next morning. I am grateful for the gifts I received, but I must say I was most excited about spending Sunday morning in church with my family (those I've been given and those I've chosen). Of course until my dad fell and broke his arm (prayers please) Christmas morn. But still, I loved being in church with the ones I loved.
Now, I'd like to say I am eagerly awaiting Jesus coming again, and I am excited to party it up in H-Town with my Main Man and those who have gone before me, but I find sometimes that I think I have some unfinished business that I want to do before I head Upstairs.  I guess my New Years Resolution needs to be to focus more on how awesome my life is going to be in Heaven. There it is, my New Years Resolution.

Happy New Year!
and Merry Christmas!

Blessings

Sometimes I forget how truly blessed I am in life. I have the ability to want to buy a pair of shoes that kids in parts of the world need to live.  Even if I have absolutely nothing in my bank account I'm still richer than most of the world because I live in America. I have a husband that God picked out for me and I could not be happier with His choice. I have parents who right now are working so hard, along with my church family, to better the life of one sweet innocent kid who just wants to go to college. I have friends who I can text at anytime with a prayer request and I know that they will stop what they are doing and pray for me.

It bothers me how ungrateful people think Americans are just because of the few they have met. It makes me almost as mad as when people have a poor judgement about me because I am a Christian because of a previous encounter with a Christian who did not act as such (that's another soap box...). I thank my God daily for what he has provided me with and what he will continue to bless me with. I will admit that sometimes I get caught up in my own agenda that I forget what blessings I have, but I do take time to stop and think about all of the wonderful things God has given me in my life.

I guess you could say this is me still being thankful after Thanksgiving. O well, I'll just be thankful all year 'round.

Thanksgiving

It's incredibly hard for me to think of all that I'm thankful for in just one day.  I am constantly reminded of my thankfulness on a daily basis. I have an incredible husband who loves me fore me. I am thankful that I live in a country in which I can pick my own husband.  I am also thankful for my wonderful parents.  I know that God can do all things, but I'm almost certain that if I asked Him for better parents, He couldn't find any better than the ones He has already provided me with.  I'm thankful for amazing friends who make me laugh on an almost 5-minute basis.  I am thankful for the talents God has provided me with and I'm thankful for opportunities to share those talents and spread the gospel all at the same time.
A day does not pass by when I don't count my blessings and thank God for all he has provided me with. I am thankful for a special day to reflect on all that I have and am given, but I think America (a country I am thankful for) is too caught up in other things to sit down and be thankful everyday.
My husband and I decided about a year ago to try and only buy products that can better others lives. Whether it's TOMS or a Falling Whistle or just buying stuff from The Salvation Army Thrift Store.  I wear my TOMS and my Falling Whistle on a daily basis.  I pray for those that depend on companies like these to get by.  I am incredibly thankful for the opportunity to help others.  I one day hope to personally hand a pair of TOMS to a child in a Third-World-Country who NEEDS these shoes and not just WANTS them.
I think that's enough for today and I hope all that are reading remember to be thankful for what you have tomorrow and everyday!
"Do you see what we've got? An unshakable kingdom! And do you see how thankful we must be? Not only thankful, but brimming with worship, deeply reverent before God. For God is not an indifferent bystander."
-Hebrews 12:28

The Westboro "Baptist Church"

As I mentioned, a fellow Razorback passed away this past Sunday (RIP Garrett Uekman). The Westboro "Baptist Church" has decided to picket his funeral claiming college football is "pride-filled and teaches rape."  I cannot disagree more. I can't tell you how many times I've prayed inside a stadium.  These people sicken me beyond belief.  I do not understand how something so plainly written (The Bible) can be so badly misconstrued.  It clearly says in Romans that ALL  have fallen short. I have yet to find a translation that has a footnote which indicates that all but the Westboro "Baptist Church" have fallen short. It clearly says ALL. You, me, Margie Phelps, The Pope, Max Lucado, Beth Moore, e'erbody. I know the only thing I can do to help this embarrassing and completely lost people is pray. I've prayed so hard these last few days, not just for the WBC but for the Uekman family, that I have lost sleep.  I will continue to pray until they wake up and realize whats up.


Also, I didn't know God granted Margie Phelps the ability to judge us all and condemn us to hell. All I have to say to her about that is "See you when I get there."

Bucket Lists

Today, a player from my favorite college football team, the Arkansas Razorbacks, was found dead in his dorm room. A few days ago, the women's basketball coaches at Oklahoma State died in a plane crash in Perryville, Ar. It's made me think a lot about what exactly I want to do before I die. Here are just a few;

1. Visit all of the 7 wonders of the world.
2. Spend a week touring the museums in Washington DC and NYC.
3. Personally hand a pair of Toms Shoes to a kid in a Third-World country.
4. Adopt an Invisible Child
5. Have children
6. Change a life
7. Read the Bible in it's entirety

Those are only the ones that are fresh on my mind. I'm sure there is much more I want to do in life, but thats all I can think of right now. I hope I can do all of those and more before my time comes.