What is Love?

Love is giving. Giving to the point of your life for another. Love is thinking of someone more than you do yourself; so much more that you value their life over your own. If you accepted Christ, you can be sure of where you will spend eternity.

1 John 5:11-13

And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

Are you willing to give of your life here on earth to help someone else accept their free gift of eternal life?

God is Love

Amend My Ways

Jeremiah 7:3-11

Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these. For if ye throughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour; If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt: Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever. Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit. Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations? Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD.

I have been struggling with negative thoughts lately and prayed that God would lead me to the scripture I needed to hear and hide in my heart. I then opened my Bible to Jeremiah 7 and started reading.

Verse 1 starts with, "The word . . .from the Lord." I knew I needed to pay attention!

I need to amend my ways, my thoughts--to receive God's blessings. I need to stop listening and believing lying words--even those I speak to myself. I need to seek truth, God's truth, and stand on it. Listening to Satan's lies will not profit anyone but Satan. I may need to speak God's truth (audibly and mentally) numerous times a day to over power what Satan is trying trying to tell me. Just like we are told in James 3 (a fountain does not spew good & bitter water--11), we can not be a temple of God if we are believing the lies of this world. My body is the Lord's temple and I need to start treating it as such. I can not let Satan invade God's temple! I must combat the lies!

Servant of Sin

48 Hour Lilla Rose Sale!

http://www.lillarose.biz/darcyc

A Sleep Trick for Baby

I think I stumbled upon a little sleep trick.

My youngest is 5 months old and went through 2 weeks of waking every 1 1/2 to 2 hours at night and would only go back to sleep after eating. At first I thought that maybe this was a growth spurt, but then I realized that during the day she would go 4 to 4 1/2 hours so it must not have been a growth spurt.

Then it happened.

I remembered (after being back from vacation for 2 weeks) to turn down the thermostat before going to bed. You see, we used to always turn down the thermostat before going to bed but had gotten out of the habit while on vacation and had forgotten since returning home. Well, that first night of me turning down the thermostat, she only woke once. Then, the next night I remembered again, and again, she only woke once.

My guess is that just like me, she was getting too hot during the night and it woke her up (just like it did me). Getting up to eat cooled her down since she was out from the blanket for 10-15 minutes.

This isn't something that I would have even thought would affect a baby and it certainly wasn't a suggestion when I was asking around for advice on what to do for my baby that wouldn't sleep anymore. I figure that maybe it might help someone else who is as perplexed as I was.

The Shepherd

Sermon from 1-24-16

Self-sufficient?

Half Truth

Transform

I was challenged this year to come up with a word for the year for myself. After prayer and consideration, I decided (or rather God showed me) that I truly did need to have a word to focus on for 2016.

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

~ Romans 12:2

Romans 12:2 tells us to not become like the world, but instead to transform our minds with God's Word.

God's ways are different from the world's and we need to be okay with that. We will suffer if we try to fit into this world and follow God's commands at the same time. We need to change our hearts and minds to be in compliance to His--a change in our soul--a transformation.

I long to be transformed into whom God desires me to be. I desire to be transformed like a woman who God will use for His glory. It is only when I give up my old self and the control I desired before will I complete God's desire/will for me.

The Best Sermons are Lived, not Preached.

I received the following in an email and wanted to share.

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1. Today, I interviewed my grandmother for part of a research paper I'm
working on for my Psychology class.  When I asked her to define success in
her own words, she said, "Success is when you look back at your life and the
memories make you smile."

 

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2. Today, I asked my mentor - a very successful business man in his 70s-
what his top 3 tips are for success.  He smiled and said, "Read something no
one else is reading, think something no one else is thinking, and do
something no one else is doing."

 

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3.   Today, after a 72 hour shift at the fire station, a woman ran up to me
at the grocery store and gave me a hug.   When I tensed up, she realized I
didn't recognize her. She let go with tears of joy in her eyes and the most
sincere smile and said, "On 9-11-2001, you carried me out of the World Trade
Center."

 

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4.  Today, after I watched my dog get run over by a car, I sat on the side
of the road holding him and crying.  And just before he died, he licked the
tears off my face.

 

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5.  Today at 7AM , I woke up feeling ill, but decided I needed the money, so
I went into work.   At 3PM I got laid off. On my drive home I got a flat
tire. When I went into the trunk for the spare, it was flat too.   A man in
a BMW pulled over, gave me a ride, we chatted, and then he offered me a job.

 

I start tomorrow.

 

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6.  Today, as my father, three brothers, and two sisters stood around my
mother's hospital bed, my mother uttered her last coherent words before she
died. She simply said, "I feel so loved right now. We should have gotten
together like this more often."

 

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7. Today, I kissed my dad on the forehead as he passed away in a small
hospital bed.   About 5 seconds after he passed, I realized it was the first
time I had given him a kiss since I was a little boy.

 

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8. Today, in the cutest voice, my 8-year-old daughter asked me to start
recycling.  I chuckled and asked, "Why?" She replied, "So you can help me
save the planet."   I chuckled again and asked, "And why do you want to save
the planet?"  Because that's where I keep all my stuff," she said.

 

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9. Today, when I witnessed a 27-year-old breast cancer patient laughing
hysterically at her 2-year-old daughter's antics,  I suddenly realized that
I need to stop complaining about my life and start celebrating it again.

 

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10. Today, a boy in a wheelchair saw me desperately struggling on crutches
with my broken leg and offered to carry my backpack and books for me. He
helped me all the  way across campus to my class and as he was leaving he
said, "I hope you feel better soon."

 

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11.  Today, I was feeling down because the results of a biopsy came back
malignant.  When I got home, I opened an e-mail that said, "Thinking of you
today.  If you need me, I'm a phone call away."  It was from a high school
friend I hadn't seen in 10 years.

 

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12. Today, I was traveling in Kenya and I met a refugee from Zimbabwe. He
said he hadn't eaten anything in over 3 days and looked extremely skinny and
unhealthy.  Then my friend offered him the rest of the sandwich he was
eating. The first thing the man said was, "We can share it.

 

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The best sermons are lived, not preached.

 

Sticking Out All Over

I was inspired by an article I read in Keepers at Home (my favorite magazine) and wanted to share it with you.

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Sticking Out All Over by Sharon Beachy

SMILE!

I was in a hurry that day and my grocery list was long. I'm not fond of shopping in the first place. My shopping trips have three stages. 1. Get in. 2. Get what you need. 3. Get out. That day I was well into the second stage. Rushing up and down aisles. Dodging other shoppers. Focused.

I was hurrying past the winter coats when I heard the voice. "Smile!"

I whirled to see an old man standing between the racks. "Smile!" he commanded again, following up with one of his own.

I grinned weakly.

"There. That's better." He smiled again and hobbled off among the coats.

I continued on my way, but at a slower rate. Did I really look unhappy?  I wondered. I wasn't. I was just in a hurry.

But you were ignoring others and appearing rude in your rush. What kind of witness is that? my conscience challenged me.

I knew it was true. I also knew what my husband was going to say.

It wasn't much. Only, "People are watching us more than we think." Then he grinned at me. "I know how you shop. But remember, it's an opportunity to be a witness for Christ."

He can remember that much better than I can. He strolls through a store. When he meets someone he always yields the right of way. He waits patiently in long lines, and if the person behind him has only a few items and he has a whole cart full, he tells them to go ahead. Others ask him to help them find what they need (I guess they can see he's the kind of person who has time for that). And he smiles at people.

A few days after my shopping trip, a group of church sisters were together. One told a story about an evangelist who was approached by a small boy after a church service. The boy wanted to know how he could be saved. The preacher explained how to repent from sin and invite Jesus into his heart.

"But sir, I can't," the little boy exclaimed. "I'm so small and Jesus is so big, He would just stick out all over!"

"That's the whole point, Son," the evangelist said.

We all agreed. If those we meet cannot see Him "sticking out all over," something is wrong.

Another friend shared an incident that had happened to her and her sisters the day before. A man came up to them in a store and asked them several questions. before he left, he said, "You know, I get goose bumps just talking with you. I can feel the presence of God right here."

That was Jesus "sticking out all over," I thought. I've done a lot of thinking since then. God knows best what impressions we are leaving on others. Whether we do things consciously or unconsciously, those little things matter. Things like holding the door for someone. Letting others go first. Helping an older lady carry her purchases. Saying thank you. Even something as small as a smile.

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I highly recommend Keepers at Home. It is an Amish/Mennonite publication, but it is full of many helpful articles on keeping a home, cooking, herbs, etc. and all is put in the light of scripture. It is a quarterly magazine. It is $14 for 1 year or 2 years for $26 (prices are different for Canada). You can request a subscription at Keepers at Home, 2673 TR 421, Sugarcreek, OH 44681 or by calling 1-800-852-4482,

Don't be a Pharisee

Loving the Difficult Child

Loving the Difficult Child: As parents, we love ALL of our kids.  However, some of them may be easier to love than others.  If you are  dealing with a difficult child, you know what I mean! Out of our eight kids, two were what I considered difficult.  They were the ones that were stubborn, frustrating, disagreeable, and annoying.  At times …

The Truth Shall Make You Free

I'm still trying to catch up from vacation! Here is the sermon from Sunday.

Do Good

James 4:13-17

Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

Who is in control? God is in control! And yet, as I say that, I know I still struggle with wanting control and I bet most of you do as well.

We like feeling like we are in control, but if we are a Christian, we know that no matter what we do, God is in control.

When we make plans and say we are definitely going to do something, we are ignoring the fact that God may have other plans. Many times (too many to count!) I make plans for my life and God proved He was the one in control by changing those plans.

We can make plans, but always remember that God may change those plans. We need to say, "we hope to do this or that" or "God willing, this is what will happen." God cares about our desires, but He doesn't want to be ignored in our plans.

If we think we are in congrol and boast about how we are in control, we are following after evil things. We need to give God the glory and the right plce in our lives. We know it is good that God is in control. We know we need to bend to His will. We know how we ought to live --so, lets live that way.

Happy New Year!

As the new year starts, remember these words from our Lord.

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. -Romans 12:2

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, sainthood the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. -Jeremiah 29:11