Why I Haven't Been Posting

Isla Grace Josephine joined our family nine days after her due date on July 18th at 7:58 pm! She was 9 lbs 7 oz and 22" long.

We were able to experience another wonderful home water birth. I truly believe Plexus supplements helped me have another great experience.

As some of you know, I started Plexus during my pregnancy with Gordon and it was the best pregnancy since my first few. Well, this pregnancy went well, too. What was an even better benefit this time is that the labor went better than the last few. With the last two I had more bleeding than before, but this time it was back to normal. Also, active labor was only 3 hours long and I only had to push a few times. Recovery is going better, too!😁 Gordon was smaller than the two previous him and Isla was even smaller!

I am sure this is because of my Plexus supplements. I feel so much better overall and love that I had such a great labor and delivery at my age.🥰

Plexus is still offering wholesale pricing for an entire year for only $9.95! Also, because I am so happy with how well my delivery went, I will be giving a free gift to the first three that decide to start their own journey to better health with me!😊

Forgetting What is Behind

Philippians 3:13-14 KJV

13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

How do we forget what is behind and move on? It seems like Satan is good at bringing up the past. It is hard to move on when there are constant reminders of past sins.

Don't Faint

"[M]en ought always to pray, and not to faint." ~ Luke 18:1b

Luke 18:1-8 tells us the parable of the widow and judge. The judge did not fear God, therefore, he would not serve justice for the widow. However, the widow did not give up! The widow continued to go to him and seek justice. The judge finally served justice because the widow did not relent and it was the only way to get her to stop.

I think we can glean much from this for our current life circumstances. There is no question that some of us in America live under unjust governors and political leaders. Let us not give up! May be be relentless in seeking truth and justice. God has given us rights and we must stand for those rights!

Sin Comes in the Waiting

Genesis 12:4 KJV

So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.

Genesis 15:1-6 KJV

1 After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. 2 And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? 3 And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. 4 And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. 5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. 6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

Genesis 17:1 KJV 

And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

Genesis 17:21 KJV

But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.

I had been thinking about the story of Abraham so I opened my Bible and started reading to refresh my memory.

Abraham was 75 years old when God first told Him that He would make him a great nation. God then reminded Abraham years later of that promise. Then, ten years after God first told him taht He would bless him with children, Abraham and Sarah had felt they had waited long enough and he took Hagar so that he may have a child. Another ten years passed before Sarah conceived and had Isaac.

Now Abraham had believed God every time He said that He would make him a great nation, so why didn't he wait on His timing?

You see, sin often comes in the waiting.

We get impatient with God's timing. We think we need it now-or at least sooner than He is providing it. We try to take things into our own hands and it almost always causes grief and turmoil. Not only did Sarah end up sending Hagar and Ishmael away due to strife of having them around, but Ishmael's seed and Issac's seed have been fighting ever since.

When we are praying for something, we should also be praying that god strengthens us to wait on His timing. We know that His plans, His timing, is best, yet we still get impatient.

I think that after 40 years of trying to push my timing on His plans that I finally have my eyes opened enough to pray more for strength in waiting than for the desire itself. I am tired of the negative consequences. I am tired of the sin of not waiting leading to more sin. That first sin usually starts with a "small" disobedience, but it leads to larger and larger sins (if we don't catch ourselves and confess and repent right away).

Do you find that sin comes in the waiting? Do you pray for strength to wait on His timing?

Isaiah 60:22b 

I the LORD will hasten it in his time.

Change Begins with Us

Joel 2:12-13 KJV

12 Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: 13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

There is much evil in our world today. There is much unrest and division in the USA. There are many people calling for change.

Change IS needed; however, people are looking elsewhere for change. Change needs to begin in our own hearts!

Each individual person needs to start with themselves. When people are right with God and strong in faith, then we will have strong marriages and families. When we have strong marriages and families, we will have strong communities. When we have strong communities, we will have strong counties. With strong counties, we will have strong states. And then, with strong states, we can have a strong nation.

It all begins with us! Turn to God. Seek Him. Check you heart!

Walk Worthy

1 Thessalonians 2:12

That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.

We are called to walk worthy of God. What exactly does that mean?

Well, from reading scripture, we know it means following His commands. However, does that mean just following His commands sometimes? No! We are to live in a way that we would not be ashamed if others knew. We should not have to put on a show in front of some people. We should not fear embarrassment that others would discover a thought, word, or deed we have done.

Yes, we are sinners, but we must be ready to confess our sins and not hide them. We are to strive for perfection/holiness because that is what we are called to achieve.

1 Peter 1:12-16 KJV

12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into. 13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: 15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

May we all strive to walk worthy of God. May we all strive to follow His commands at all times. May we live a life that is not full of shame and embarrassment at our actions. May we confess our sins to God and others.

Honest with God

Luke 22:42-43 KJV

42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. 43 And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.

Most people have a hard time being honest with God about their feelings. We are either ashamed of them or think God doesn't care about or feelings and only our obedience. Here we see that He does want to hear.

Christ was honest with His father about how he was feeling. The key though is He didn't whine and complain. He simply stated His feelings and then acknowledged that God's will was great than His feelings. Christ transitioned from full honesty to full faith.

Do you see what happened next? God sent an angel to strengthen Him. The Father didn't scold Christ for His honesty; He strengthened Him for what was to come.

We need to be fully honest with God. We need to not only be honest, but we need to accept that God may call us to do something against our feelings and that is okay because if He calls us to something, He will strengthen us to do it!

Walk in Them

Ephesians 2:10 

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

We've looked at this verse not too long ago, but I would like to look at it in a different way today. Before we focused on the fact that God created us. Today, I would like to focus on the word, "walk".

What are we to walk in?

      The good works that God before hath ordained.

How are we to know what those good works are?

      By reading and studying the Bible.

One clue we can gather from the verses around this one is that most likely the good works will look different than the world around us. We are to walk in these good works after we have received new life through Christ Jesus.

Walked on Water

Matthew 14:29 KJV 

And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

"walked on the water"

I find this so amazing. How exciting it would be to walk on water!

What is deeper, however, is more amaing.

It took great faith on Peter's part to walk on the water. When he took his eyes off his Lord, he began to sink.

This poses a great lesson for us. We must keep our eyes on Christ. We can not let oursleves get distracted by the things of this world. Focus on Christ and always walk toward Him.

Walk in the Way

Isaiah 30:21 KJV

And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

"This is the way, walk ye in it." (emphasis mine)

God's Word tells us exactly how we should walk. All we need to do is pay attention and follow His commands.

What I find interesting is that the voice is heard from behind, not in front of us. Most leaders lead from the front, but God doesn't always lead that way. He leads by guiding us gently. He leads even though we turn from the right or the left and are niether in front or behind Him. No matter where we are, we can hear His voice if we listen. He never leaves us; He is always there.