Fire Drill!

Fire Drill!

This morning a few minutes after arriving home from taking my daughter to school...I heard the familiar sound of  the schools fire alarm...I watched out the back window of our home, as all the teachers and students filed out of the school to their predetermined locations in the field behind our house.  I could recognize the teachers from my daughter's kindergarten class, and knew that among all the kids dressed in bright colors, my daughter was there...learning what to do in the event of a true emergency.  

As I stood there and watched, until they all gradually went back inside...I thought about a couple things.  

1. I was thankful that today's alarm was just a drill, a practice, there was no fire, no true emergency...my kiddo is safe! 

2. I felt gratitude to all the teachers and staff who work so hard to prepare our young children for a true emergency if/when they have one. 

3. I thought about life.  Every thing we do, everywhere we go, the good times and the bad, and how we even as adults could learn much from these kids who are practicing how they will react when the emergency comes.  

We never know what today holds, or how tomorrow will go.  We can however work today, to be prepared and ready for whatever life may bring.  

How? How do we prepare and get ready for something that is unknown?  

By getting to know the One who holds all of our tomorrows. By learning to trust, and lean on God, even in the good times. We must make sure our source of strength, and our source of hope is God and God alone. 

We cannot place our trust and hope in this world, in money, in our job, in the roof above our heads, in the food we've packed into our pantry, or friends and family we love and depend on daily. All of these things are great, and wonderful...but we must realize that all of these things can fail...they can run out, wear out, disappear, or leave us wanting...Only God, the creator of Heaven and Earth...the one who formed the stars, and knows the number of hairs on our head...He and He alone can be our everything. 

 When we come to the place of trusting Him completely, of making Him the source for all we need...the things of this life, the good and the bad, the known and the unknown, past, present and future, will not shake us, will not wear us down, or knock us out. We will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, bringing forth fruit in it's season, our leaves will not wither, and whatever we do will prosper. (Psalm 1:3) We will mount up with wings like eagles, we will run and not grow weary, we will walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31) 

Today, right now, this is the time to get ready, to be prepared...to start working on a growing, and vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ.   Let's dig our roots down deep into God's Word, so that when the storms of life come, we will be planted  so deeply in Him, nothing can move or shake us! 

Build on the Rock!!

Build on the Rock!!

"24 Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

28 And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, 29 for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes." 

Matthew 7:24-29

As a young child I remember learning the wise man and foolish man story, through the children's song...

"A wise man builds his house upon the rock. 

A wise man builds his house upon the rock. 

A wise man builds his house upon the rock, and the rain come tumbling down. 

The rains come down and the floods go up. 

The rains come down and the floods go up. 

The rains come down and the floods go up, but the house on the rock stands firm.

A foolish man builds his house upon the sand.

A foolish man builds his house upon the sand.

A foolish man builds his house upon the sand and the rain come tumbling down. 

The rains come down and the floods go up. 

The rains come down and the floods go up. 

The rains come down and the floods go up, but the house on the sand goes splat."

The incredible thing, is that in all my years of singing this song, and hearing sermons preached on this scripture, and reading this scripture in my own study times, I don't ever remember hearing anyone say/point out, nor did I ever notice, that this scripture doesn't just talk about building the house on the rock. It gives specific instructions on what building your house on the rock means. Look again at the beginning of this portion of scripture, at verse 24.

24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:"

So how do we become like the "wise man"?


By listening to Jesus' words and then doing what He said.


It is such a simple concept, and yet so hard to follow through and do everyday.


Just before Jesus spoke these words, He gave specific directions on how we should live our lives. Starting back in Chapter 5 He goes through the Beatitudes; then being salt and light. Next, He talks about how He is the fulfillment of the law; and then on to murder; Adultery; Marriage; Oaths; going beyond the call of duty - the second mile; and loving your enemies. The in Chapter 6, Jesus continues teaching on, doing good; how to pray; fasting; laying up treasure in Heaven; the lamp of the body; serving two masters; worry; And in Chapter 7, judging others; asking, seeking & knocking; the narrow path; knowing people by their fruits; doing the will of the Father; and then building on the rock.


The third verse of the song goes on to say, "So build your house on the Lord Jesus Christ." If you ever wondered how to build your house on the Lord Jesus Christ; Or if you ever want to be likened to a wise man...these teachings from these chapters are the sayings of Christ, the very things He wants us to hear, and then do. There is so much in these three chapters... So i encourage you to read them, and pray asking God to help you to see what areas you need to work on. We all make mistakes and fall short, but with God's help, and through the leading of the Holy Spirit, we can study these scriptures and start working to living our lives to honor and serve God!


I don't think there is anything we could do that would please Him more, than living our lives to honor and serve Him.

Romans 12:1

[ Living Sacrifices to God ] I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

1 Peter 2:5

you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Unshakable Faith Day 28: The Deception

Unshakable Faith

Day 28: The Deception

1. Are you resisting sin by controlling your eyes?


Yes! I remember as a child learning the song "Oh, be careful little eyes what you see!" And as I've matured over the years I am realizing just how true that song is...The things we look at, watch, and allow into our lives through movies, t.v., internet, magazines, books we read...everything we do has an effect on us.  The question is, are we watching, reading, and looking at things that will lead to sin, or are we watching, reading and looking at things that will make us more like Christ?  If our God given purpose is Christ-likeness, which I believe it is! Then we need to be careful of what we allow our eyes to see!


2. What is the difference between understanding the schemes of the devil, but resisting the temptation to understand the depths of evil?


We can know the schemes of the devil, which helps us to recognize sin for what it is and to make right decisions.  But the temptation to understand the depths of evil, opens us up for more sin.  We do not need to know everything about sin, once we know it as something we should keep ourselves from, we need to do just that...getting involved just to say you have the knowledge of what it really is, opens the door for further temptation.  If Eve had seen Satan's scheme and had turned away instead of sticking around to find out more info, she might have saved herself and her husband and everyone from the sinful nature we all are born with because of the fall.


3. Have you learned to discipline yourself and your thoughts?


Yes, I have learned to discipline myself and my thoughts.  When I was younger I used to always put myself down...constantly I was saying things like "I'm so stupid." or "I can't do anything right." just little put downs that I never even realized I was doing, until I started dating my husband...JC quickly realized the damage I was doing to myself, by not disciplining my thoughts and words.  So. he started calling me on it every time he heard me say something negative about myself, and then he would make me come up with and say out loud something positive.  It only took a couple months of reprogramming myself and disciplining myself this way to notice a huge change in my self-confidence.  
The same principle applies to our thoughts, not only about ourselves, but about our relationships, our jobs, our finances, our church, our children....everything! We need to think on the positive, wholesome, good things...we need to focus on our blessings and on how God is working it out for good.  We need to refocus on God, not on the circumstance, and soon the circumstance will not be as bad as we think it is, and we will see that God is at work in ways we never imagined.

Psalm 91 - Chapter 17: God Answers My Call

Psalm 91:God's Umbrella of Protection 

Chapter 17: God Answers My Call

"He will call on Me, and I will answer him..."

Psalm 91:15a

I am so thankful that we can call on God and know that He not only hears us, but that He will answer us too!  I remember a time when my husband and I were first married...he was in college, and I tried my best to bring in enough income so that he wouldn't need to work while finishing up school.  But even with all of my searching, calling, and going in for interviews, etc.  I could not find a job.  We had a small savings we had built up during the summer when JC was able to work, so we were living on as little as possible hoping and praying that I would find a good job before our savings ran out.  I remember the day that JC came to me with the bad news...by the end of the month our savings would be gone.  We went to bed that night praying and hoping for God to give us a miracle.   The following day - Saturday, we got a call from the Pastor of our church, he asked us to come by to see him that afternoon.  So we agreed, and went to see him just after lunch. As it turned out, the church board had been discussing hiring a church secretary for some time, but had not settled on a definite answer.  That is until the night before, Friday night at their board meeting, when they decided to offer the position to me. So God provided a job, that I never even applied for, within a month of us running out of money.   I love looking back at that time and seeing how even though we didn't understand why every door seemed to close, God was in control, and had it all worked out just in time.  We don't always understand why it seems that God is saying "no!", but I can tell you that He does have a plan and when we call on Him, He will answer...it may not be the answer we pictured, but it will always be what is best for us.

Those Who Trust The Lord - Chapter 6

Those Who Trust The Lord Shall Not Be Disappointed

Chapter 6 - Jack's Turn

Some of the stories this family shares are so unbelievable...but with God all things are possible and even though we may not see a way for things to work, God is greater, stronger, and bigger than any situation.  I've heard the saying "God owns the cattle on a thousand hills" all of my life, but in truth there have been very few times when I have stepped out in faith expecting Him to supply my need when there was no other way.  I think most of us have trouble just saying okay God you said to do it, so I'm gonna do it, no matter what it looks like from my perspective.  My hearts desire is to get to a place of trust and faith, where when God speaks I don't hesitate or delay, but I step out in faith, knowing that My God will not let me be disappointed...I want that kind of faith!

The Last Prophet - Chapter 6: It Pays To Tithe

The Last Prophet

Chapter 6: It Pays To Tithe

Questions to Ponder

1. What was your first job?

Administrative Assistant II  - Basically I filed  paperwork of all kinds for all the departments, and filled in as receptionist when needed.

2. What was the mistake Israel made regarding money?

They kept robbed God, by not tithing!

3. What does the word "tithe" mean? How does it apply to our earnings?

Tithe means 10%.  When we earn money, from a job, or as an award, or in the form of a gift...we need to be obedient and give 10% of our income back to God!

4. What does God promise to those who faithfully tithe?

God promises to renew our faith, rebuke our foes, and restore our fruitfulness...in another words God will take care of every need you have and bless you beyond anything you can imagine.  Pastor Bill points out the fact that we are better off living on 90% of our income with God, than living on 100% without God.  

5. What adjustment do you need to make regarding the way you handle your money? 

I think my husband and I need to make sure we give out of love and thankfulness, not just because it is a law.  As Pastor Bill say's in this chapter...many parents do not realize that there is a law that says you have to feed and care for your children, but they love and care for their children anyway, just because they love them.  We need to give back to God not just because God has commanded us to, but because we love Him and appreciate the sacrifice He has made for us, because He loves us.