I noticed that several people took me up on the book that I recommended. "Destined to Reign" by Joseph Prince. I'd love to hear what you think of it. Did anything specific jump out at you? One particular item for me was where he talked about being a lukewarm Christian. It has nothing to do with us shouting from the mountain tops as I had mistakenly thought. That concept was actually in reference to mixing law and grace. So deeply profound yet so simple. Love it!
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Joseph Prince was at Lakewood Church this weekend and I had the opportunity to watch live online. As usual, he had very note worthy things to say. One particular point was that the Bible says "as He (Jesus) is, so are we." So then the question is:

Was Jesus sick? Nope. As He is, so are we. That means we are not sick.

Was Jesus poor? Nope. As He is, so are we. That means we are not poor.

Was Jesus loved by the Father? Yup. As He is so are we. That means we are deeply loved by the Father.

If you're struggling with something today, declare out loud that "As He is so am I" and speak life to your situation. Remind yourself who are you in Christ. The old has passed away and all has become new. You are a new creation in Christ Jesus!
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More Good News! 08/20/2011
 
My mom's last two blood tests came back as 10 which means no cancerous growth or activity. They said she would be officially in remission. What a remarkable change from being diagnosed as having six months to two years to live just over a year ago. Our God is the Great Physician!
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Praise Report! 05/04/2011
 
Whoo hoo! God is good!

I have some great news to share. My mom was officially diagnosed with stage 4 cancer on May 12, 2010. The doctors said she had a cancerous mass in her pelvic region, cancer on her spine and several spots of cancer on her liver. They also found blood clots in her leg and lungs. Her last chemo treatment was in Nov 2010. Her PET scan in Dec 2010 showed that things were really improving. My mom asked the Dr at that time if she was in remission. The Dr said "No, you've got a ways to go yet." In April 2011 she went through another PET scan. This time the Dr said "Almost there."

The latest reports shows no cancer in her spine, the cancerous mass in her pelvic region is gone, the blood clots in her lungs and legs are gone and there is one almost undetectable spot still on her liver. That on it's own is quite a testimony being that the doctors really didn't have great expectations from the treatment. It was my impression that they thought they would be able to reduce the pain and delay the progression. I don't think they ever imagined this type of result. The nurses and doctors have said it's amazing and a miracle.

To add to that, a friend who was an oncology nurse informed me that the chemo drugs metabolize out of your system rather quickly. Since the last chemo treatment was Nov, the improvement from Dec to April could only be a God thing because the drugs were already out of her system. Now do you see why I started by saying Woo hoo! How cool is that?

Another neat thing is that on Thursday, April 22, 2010, my mom was diagnosed with blood clots and has had to give herself two shots a day since then. This is quite painful and really unpleasant. On Thursday, April 21, 2011, she was informed that the blood clots are gone and she can stop giving herself the shots. God is so good! Exactly one year from when she had to start taking the shots she was told she could stop.

We want the whole world to know how great our God is and our good report is all because of Him!
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The religious liberties in the US allow us to worship whoever or whatever we want without being discriminated against. However, what if a core belief in a religion is that its members must kill anyone who does not believe their way?

Should those beliefs be protected under the religious freedoms protected by our Constitution?

Do you really think this is what the founding fathers of the US really wanted to protect? 

Should the US be protecting the rights of people who believe it is ok to kill another person simply because he or she doesn't believe the way they do?

Wasn't that the whole point of the religious protection in our Constitution...that we would not be hurt because we believe differently?

And even more scary, should the US be protecting the rights of people who not only believe this but take matters into their own hands to kill these "unbelievers?"

This is the core issue at the root of all the debate about Islam that people are sadly missing.

I think many people have missed the point in the debates about religious liberties and religious tolerance regarding Islam. The Islamic religion is deceptive and evil to its core. It is portrayed as a peaceful religion but if you read their core beliefs and laws you find they are only peaceful to those who believe like they do. Their ultimate goal is a complete Islamic takeover of the world and the destruction of any non-believers. It will be done under the guise of "worldwide peace" but will be done through whatever means of force necessary.

From what I understand, there are many Islamic/Muslim (pardon my ignorance in how to properly address) people who want to live peacefully. However, what happens when the extremists threaten their lives? Will these "peaceful" Islamic people cave in and follow the laws set before them in their own religion? Will they turn on their neighbor who has done them no wrong and kill them simply in the name of Allah?

I believe there are some truly well meaning people who are Islamic. They wish no one harm and want peace. They are probably really great people. But the force behind this is bigger than them and unfortunately they don't realize they are a pawn in this diaboloical situation. Islam goes back to the beginning of time. It stems from the foundational battle between good and evil. Evil wants to destroy good...Islam's purpose is to destroy Christianity. Once you realize the root and the history, I think it helps to demonstrate the significance of what is happening right now.

Some have tried to compare Islam to Christianity saying we Christians want to convert the whole world as well. This is true. As a Christian, I would like everyone to know my Jesus as their personal Lord, Savior, Redeemer and Friend. God's grace has changed and blessed my life beyond my wildest dreams. Why would I not want others to enjoy the same life? What is so wrong with wanting to see people healed, happy, victorious, prosperous, and joyful? Even though those are great benefits, there is nothing in the Bible that tells Christians to kill those who do not believe. Rather, it clearly instructs us to love everyone, regardless of their belief. Hopefully, once people feel God's love working through us they will come to know God in their own personal way. But, this would never be by force or murder. In fact, the choice to know God personally and intimately can only come through our own personal decision. No one can force us. It by God's grace that we can be saved and not of our own works otherwise man could boast of himself.

The Bible tells us that in the end times there will be a lot of deception in the world. Be aware that things will appear differently than they really are at the core. Make sure that what you believes lines up with the Bible and do not waver from it. Stay close to God and listen as the Holy Spirit guides you into all truth. These times may be challenging but we do not have to be fearful, intimidated or defeated. The great news is that we know how the story ends!

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I Like Mike 03/08/2011
 
Below is a link to a good article about Mike Huckabee.

I Like Mike (OneNewsNow)
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  There was an unusual high school football game played in Grapevine,   Texas .  The game was between Grapevine   Faith Academy and the Gainesville   State School .  Faith is a Christian school and Gainesville State School is located within a maximum security correction facility.

Gainesville State School has 14 players. They play every game on the  road. Their record was 0-8. They've only scored twice. Their 14 players  are teenagers who have been convicted of crimes ranging from drugs to assault to robbery. Most had families who had disowned them.  They wore  outdated, used shoulder pads and helmets. Faith Academy was 7-2. They  had 70 players, 11 coaches, and the latest equipment.

Chris Hogan, the head coach at Faith Academy , knew the Gainesville team  would have no fans and it would be no contest, so he thought, “What if half of our fans and half of our cheerleaders, for one night only,  cheered for the other team?”  He sent out an email to the faithful asking them to do just that. “Here’s the message I want you to send,”  Hogan wrote. “You’re just as valuable as any other person on the   planet.”

Some folks were confused and thought he was nuts. One player said,  “Coach, why are we doing this?” Hogan said, “Imagine you don’t have a home life, no one to love you, no one pulling for you. Imagine that everyone pretty much had given up on you. Now, imagine what it would  feel like and mean to you for hundreds of people to suddenly believe in you.”

The idea took root. On the night of the game, imagine the surprise of  those 14 players when they took the field and there was a banner the  cheerleaders had made for them to crash through. The visitors’ stands were full. The cheerleaders were leading cheers for them. The fans were  calling them by their names. Isaiah, the quarterback-middle linebacker said, “I never in my life thought I would hear parents cheering to  tackle and hit their kid. Most of the time, when we come out, people are  afraid of us. You can see it in their eyes, but these people are yelling  for us. They knew our names.”

Faith won the game, and after the game the teams gathered at the 50-yard  line to pray. That’s when Isaiah, the teenage convict-quarterback surprised everybody and asked if he could pray.   he prayed, “Lord, I  don’t know what just happened so I don’t know how or who to say thank  you to, but I never knew there were so many people in the world who cared about us.”  On the way back to the bus, under guard, each one of  the players was handed a burger, fries, a coke, candy, a Bible, and an  encouraging letter from the players from Faith Academy .

What an incredible act of Christian witness and kindness and goodness  that was.  Proverbs 11:17 says, “Your own soul is nourished when you are  kind.” Proverbs 3:27 says, “Do not withhold good when it is in your  power to act.”

Be kind to someone this week. Be kind to every person you meet. You might be amazed at what God will do with a simple act of kindness.

Watch the Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52AOPQvCTv4&NR=1

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I've just had one of those weeks where everywhere I turn I can see God at work. From unexpected job opportunities to great parking spots, God's favor has been chasing me down and overtaking me like it says in the Bible.

I think it's important that we get in the habit of expecting to see these type of things happen every day. Joyce Meyer says we should confess every morning that "Something good is going to happen to me today." The more we purpose to watch for it, I think the more we will notice the great things that God has always been doing in our lives...we just maybe didn't recognize it.

Another good habit to get into is to immediately thank God for whatever good thing just happened. If I'm out running errands and I find a great parking spot, I thank God out loud for it. I think that is what "practicing His presence" is all about. It is recognizing that God is with you every second of the day and talking with Him as if you could see Him. The more you interact with Him throughout your day, the more connected you will feel to Him. (Please note that we aren't supposed to go by our feelings but you get my drift I'm sure.) This becomes a constant dialogue back and forth during the day with your heavenly Father. That is a true relationship with God. How awesome is that?
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Just One Thing 01/16/2011
 
As we look at our dreams and goals, we can sometimes feel unsure where to start. I'm learning that it doesn't matter where we start necessarily...just that we start somewhere.

So, as we start a new week, I encourage you to look at your list of dreams and goals and think of one thing you can do to get you a step closer. Here's an example of how it might work:

Let's say your goal is to get out of debt.
Week 1 - Find a spreadsheet or form that you can use to help identify all of your expenses. (Hint - On my other site, OverflowLiving.com, I have forms there that can help you with this.)

Week 2 - Write down all of your expenses. If you aren't sure, don't estimate. Locate the bills from the past 12 months to see exactly where the money is going and exactly how much is being spent. Be brutally honest. In order to get out of debt, you need to have a completely realistic picture of where your money is going.

Week 3 - Write down your net income which is after taxes, tithes, savings deposits, retirement contributions and other deductions.

Week 4 - Compare your expenses against your income and look for discrepancies.

Week 5 - Evaluate true needs verses wants. You may think you "need" a $4 premium coffee each morning, but you won't die without it. The fact is that that one splurge is costing you $1460 a year. Instead that money could be put towards extra payments against your debt which means you stop paying interest sooner. (Interest is basially you paying someone to borrow their money. The longer you borrow, the more you pay. That $25 sweater may have been on sale for $20, but if you put it on a credit card at 26% interest, after just one month you have now paid $25.20 for the sweater which is more than full price. Was the deal really a deal if you don't pay it all right away?)

I won't go on but you get the picture. Find little steps that you can take each week that will move you that much closer to your desired outcome. I'm logging off now to figure out what my little steps will be this week.

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It's Selah Time 01/15/2011
 
Selah means to pause for praise. You'll find this used throughout the Bible and it's a great practice for us to get into as well. Stop for a few minutes and list all of the things you are thankful for. I'll give you some ideas from my own life to get you started.

Thank You, Father, for your great love, compassion, forgiveness, mercy and grace. Thank You for Jesus. Thank You for my family and friends, my health, jobs for my husband and me, a paid off house, and reliable vehicles. Thank You for the annointed teachers you've placed in my path to teach me the Word. Thank You for the dreams, visions and desires that you've placed in my heart. Thank You that I am blessed to be a blessing!
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