It Is a Gift of God

Our church's children's choir, New Creation Choir, of which Trevor is a member, performed Sunday evening.  I'm posting this short 3 minute video that one of the dad's took and so graciously shared.

It's quite a simple song, yet so powerful.   It brings tears to my eyes each time I watch these precious children singing of God's saving grace. 

By the way...  Trevor is located in the middle of the top row.  Hard to miss him, as he's the tallest in the choir!  

Ephesians 6:8 KJV
^"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God."

Please, Don't Criticize Others

Romans 14 1-12  ESV

Do Not Pass Judgment on One Another

 ¹As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. ² One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. ³Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. ⁴ Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. ⁵ One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. ⁶The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. ⁷For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. ⁸For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. ⁹For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
 ¹⁰Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; ¹¹for it is written,

    "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
   and every tongue shall confess to God."
 ¹²So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

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This passage has been on my heart for a couple of weeks now.  It makes me sad when believers cannot live with one another in harmony.  Some believers celebrate Christmas as a way to honor the Lord, and this passage says that this is good.  It is equally good to abstain, if that is your conviction.  However, we are not to look down on one another, making the other feel bad or to feel superior.  Let's love one another, encourage one another, not make one another feel bad.  The bottom line is that we love the Lord.  He is Supreme!  Let's enjoy Him this season (as always) however that looks for your family. 

Still My Soul

Keith and Kristyn Getty

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter my friends.

Rejoicing this morning that He is risen, indeed! May you have a wonderful day celebrating this most wonderful gift from above. 

Here is my favorite song for your listening pleasure!

What Hit Me?

Oh my, there is much to tell.  My poor husband woke up yesterday and how should I put this delicately, "got sick?"  He rightly decided to spend the day on the couch.  I was having, what I thought were sympathy pains, but was well enough to take the kids to their weekly "torture" class, as my youngest calls it.  He doesn't like running laps.  I remember feeling the same way, back in the day.  It's nice that our local community center offers this calss so that my kids can know some of my pain!  Remember those little scooters?  Remember dodge ball?  Torture! 

Where was I?  Oh yes, I was going on with my day even though I did not feel quite right.  After gym class, we dashed to our next destination, a fan appreciation meeting sponsored by KLOVE with my boys' favorite Christian band, Casting Crowns. 

We waited in line for an hour and a half.  The best part was that we were inside.  The temperatures were in the teens and I had visions of us outside waiting.  KLOVE at least made it more enjoyable.   Every 15 minuets they had a give away after singing a Christmas song.  We were to text a word to a number, something new to me!  We did not win anything, but it was still fun. 

In fact, all this was very new to me.  I had never, ever gone to get an autograph before.  I had never attended a concert, other than the jazz or symphony, up to the point when I met my husband.  Concerts are just not my thing.  But standing in line, I could do, especially since this band is so God centered in their ministry.  And my boys are my boys!  (Grace came along not as a fan, but a shopper. She spent her hard earned money on a CD for Ryan's Christmas gift.  Plus she got it signed.  What a sister.)

After the wait, which my boys remarked seemed short, we reached our destination and the kids became suddenly mutes.  It was so cute!  They handed their CD's to the band, got a picture taken and we were off, left a little stunned, I might say.  They acted as if they did not know what to do or where to go next.  Star struck? 

Anyway, we made it home where I fell onto the couch, not feeling too well at this point.  I slept most of the afternoon feeling achy and congested.  This morning I am feeling a lot better, just congested.  I know I said I was not going to get on the computer in the mornings, but I was too sick to post them yesterday afternoon and I just could not wait to post these sweet pictures.  Plus, our day is probably already compromised, so why not! 

Never Been More Homesick Than Now

I've always loved this song and every time I hear it I realize how homesick I am for Heaven.  I  get all weepy as I listen to it and think of Grandpa.  There is something so reverently special about being in the room when he passed away.  I am eternally grateful for that moment.  I got to see with my own eyes how peaceful his last breaths were.  My only regret is that I did not slip away with him!  I do not mean that to sound suicidal or anything.  Perhaps, if you love Jesus, you will understand what I mean.  The Bible says to be absent from the body is to be present with Christ.  In that moment, I was so close to Jesus that I could almost feel Him near.  I wanted to be with Him and to escape the pain on this earth, but it is not my time.  So I don't mean to be morbid.  I think it is normal to long for my Heavenly home the older I get and the more pain and suffering I witness here on earth.  In Christ, there are no good byes. 

Green Beans in the Garden

This is one of my favorites, so I thought I'd share it here. 
By the way, our green beans are growing! I will post an update as soon as the camera situation is worked out.

Also, if you are interested, there is a great give away going on at Raising Homemakers. You can enter to win a set of the West Sisters DVDs, something I would really love to own. If I do not win, I have hopes to buy the one about  gardening for my daughter's 11th birthday in July.  I think she'd love them all, as well!  

Happy Weekend