Sunday...

This morning serivce was a blessing! Thank God for the COG (as it has already been mentioned on another sister's blog)!! I know I got my part out of both of the sevices today...wow! I want to make it to heaven no matter what the cost! Those who are able to get a prayer through...pray for me...I wanna make it to heaven!

James 5:16
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Jena 6

I think the Jena 6 situation warrants a space on my blog. For those who know others who have been affected by the wrongness of the justice system, this does not come as a surprise. A couple of saints at church have sons in prison for situations where the punishment DOES NOT fit the crime...we've got to pray and do what we can to change these situations.

No words Necessary

Places I want to visit (not an any particular order).

1. Rome
2. Hawaii
3. Jamaica* or St. Lucia* (one of the Caribbean islands*)
4. Egypt (Africa*)
5. South America*
6. China
7. Colorado
8. Washington DC
9. Alaska
10. Iraq*
11. Israel*
12. Arizona (been there, but I want to visit my sister)
13. Mexico*

*For these places, I am more interested in "seeing" the "everyday" way of life, not necessarily the typical tourist attractions...

Hmm....

Needless to say...I have NOT been keeping up with my blog this month. Sorry guys!

Mediocrity

I was looked up the song "I Believe I Can Fly" on You Tube. There (of course) were many versions. This one was really encouraging...the thought I came away with was...


MEDIOCRITY IS NOT AN OPTION!! Think about it. For MJ to get where he got being mediocre was not an option. This thought has helped me in my life, spiritually, at work, etc. With God's help I will NOT settle for mediocre in any area of my life.

Check it out!!

I just found out this was up...

Elmira COG website

Check it out and leave a comment on Elmira's site...(you can leave one here too, if you'd like...)

This website has a link to some of the other CHURCH OF GOD CONGREGATIONS...this is a blessing!! I am so encouraged...God STILL answers prayer!!! PRAISE GOD!

P.S. I have been to the others except St. Pete's, they have Nicki singing, I really like this song. If anyone knows a way I can get this CD please let me know...

Great Story/Song...

I was reading a blog today and they had the Christmas Shoes song on. I really like that song but usually only hear it around Christmas time (naturally). I looked it up on You Tube. Below is what I found, very touching. But what I didn't know was that is was a made for TV movie too. (Of course I wouldn't have known that!!) Anyway, they have the movie cut up into 10 sections, on You Tube, it is very touching.

The thought I got out of it was though we are faced with some HARD situations, you never know (and might never know) how it touches, and might change someone else as a result of what you did (or reacted) in the situation.

If you get a chance to watch it (the actual movie)...get a box of tissue before you start...VERY TOUCHING!

Thoughts...

Yesterday and Tomorrow can be thieves of Today - unknown

Why do we say Hello verses Heavenhi? - Morris Family

___________________________________________

My sister went back to Phoenix yesterday (Saturday). I will miss her, it was nice seeing her for three days. Hopefully I will get down there to visit her soon.

Pastor preached a on time message today it was great! "The Secret of Victory is in Our Praise" (or "But, Rejoice") Give God thanks and praise for all things, some trials we are still in because we haven't truly thanked Him for them.

I am not doing the greatest (recently) keeping up with blogging once a day...but I do try to make it up when I blog again...(if you haven't noticed)

Birthday Pictures

HAPPY 30th BIRTHDAY!!

My sister, Dee (my cousin), my mom

sorry about her eyes being closed...we never did retake...

my sis and I (again sorry about the eyes)

My Sister's 30th Birthday!

My sister turned 30 yesterday (Sept. 20th)!! Wow, it is hard to believe we have gotten so old (I know it is all relative...) She came in from Phoenix and my mom and I spent the day with her.

I took her to get a massage and her hair done. Then we went out to eat. I was nice. We reminisced about our times growing up... She wanted to go to a vegetarian restaurant. Blind Faith Cafe is one of our favorites but it was all the way on the north side (we were on the south side at the time). So we went to Mellow Yellow in Hyde Park. We had been there probably 15 years ago (that was something that was hard for us to grasp - we can actually remember something clearly from 15 YEARS AGO!!...sadly it's more than that...I know it only gets worse and we WILL learn to live with it, aghh...) it was still good food! Highly recommended. Hopefully I will get some pictures up.

Tonight we are celebrating with the rest of the family at my uncle's house. I will take pictures...

It was nice to have a couple days off work too!

Only God could do it!

Bro. Kevin(my dad) gave us his experience of his time up in Elmira at church on Wednesday. It was just a blessing to see God work...

Keep Elmira in your prayers.

I keep thinking of the scripture (not word for word)..."The harvest truly is plentiful but the laborers are few, pray ye therefore for laborers."

We have to pray...I believe God has more "Elmiras" across this world.

Nyah's Prayer

Nyah (Sis. Sheri's daughter - age 5) was praying after seeing a DVD of Sis. Minnie Jones testimony of her 50 year old baby. Her prayer went something like this...

And dear God, please heal Sis. Minnie's baby, work with her body so she can hold and love her baby...

The mind of a child...

Pray for Nyah, she got saved that night too!

I saw, I saw...

My dad came home; he had taken alot of pictures of the Elmira work. It was a blessing to see all the souls... Hopefully the pictures will be up soon. God is so good! Keep the work in your prayers!

Campmeeting 2007

I will be keeping Knoxville campmeeting in my prayers. I know God is going bless it.

Keep Elmira in your prayers...God is still doing great things...

Matt. 9:36-38
36But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.

37Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;

38Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

Not much to say...

Don't have much to say...keep trusting God...belelive in HIM!!

Psalms 125:1
They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever.

Fighting Song

This song is truly a blessing to my soul...it is truly testing times!! Keep the faith saints and keep fighting!

Chorus:
That’s why we must fight in this lukewarm age we must wake up the battle is still on, we must fight to get what we need let the Lord sense that we’re really going for it, blows are coming winds will be strong don’t surrender never let go, just fight keep on fighting the blessing will come.

Verse 1:
The Bible tells of a man with strong determination, with courage he held on & never let go, till he got what he wanted. His name was Jacob before he fought but after the battle was blessed with a new name. God called him Israel for he fought until he was blessed.

Verse 2:
The Bible says he was left alone to fight with the angel sent by the Lord, all night he pressed without rest for he knew that he was to be blessed. And in the morning when he was touched the angel said “Jacob let me go”, Jacob said “Bless me, bless me first, then I’ll let you go.”

Verse 3:
There are some battles we must break through & fight with the angel in the midst of our test. Lights are dimming & in no time it’s dark & you wonder if you’ll make it through the night. But let me tell you saints your fasting & prayers, it’s not in vain if its done for the Lord. Just fight keep on fighting the blessing will come.

Best Loved Songs (no particular order - just ones that came to my mind...it was hard to narrow down to 13). All these songs have been someway a blessing to me in my life. Probably what has impacted me more recently...

1. God's Way is Best
2. Fighting Song*
3. I Surrender All
4. I am Not Ashamed
5. I Need thee Every Hour
6. Sweet Hour of Prayer
7. I am Blessed
8. When You Believe
9. I'm Gonna be Ready (Yolanda Adams) (see below)
10. Whatever it Takes*
11. Everything to me (Avalon)
12. How Firm a Foundation
13. Yes (Shekinah Glory)*

I'm Gonna be Ready...


*look for a future post

That's why we must fight...

It was a long day today, worked almost 12 hours (not normal for me) and then church. Church was DEFINATELY worth it!! Sis. Minnie has been in town and she preached tonight. "Fight to Survive" Two comments really stood out in my mind

God can use us if He wants, we must be ready and not be afraid.

We can want to be used by God but is we fail to prepare or we let fear slip in He can't!! At least not to the extent He wants to use us. That is so encouraging.

God will have a tried people!

God's people are going to be tried...rest assured in that!

Sis Minnie has such strong faith...Her message has increased my faith. PRAISE GOD.

Strengthen your heart---

I was reading Ecclesiates 7...verse 3 stood out to me.

Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.

Why would sorrow be better than laughter? The verse states that it makes the heart better. I was reading comentary on it and it stated that "hard" (sorrowful) times strength us. I then thought of a verse in Psalms.

Psalms 27:14

Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

These really encouraged my heart...though I am in a trial of my faith (sorrowful time) right now, God is just strengthening my heart!! People who GO THROUGH their trials are made stronger by it.

My God You Know!

I think Bro Howard preached a message once..."Surviving the Waiting Period", sometimes we earnestly seek God about something (spiritual or natural) and there are times he requires us to wait. The question is, HOW am I going through that waiting period? This poem has been a blessing to me...I know I have felt like this... (It might seem kinda long, but read it all the way through...it's good!)

Desperately, helplessly, longingly I cried:
Quietly, patiently, lovingly God replied.
I plead and I wept for a clue to my fate,
And the Master so gently said,
“Child, you must wait”.

“Wait? You say, wait!” my indignant reply.
“Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!
Is Your hand shortened? Or have I not heard?
By faith I have asked, and am claiming Your Word.

My future and all to which I can relate
Hangs in the balance, and YOU tell me to WAIT?
I’m needing a ‘Yes,’ a go-ahead sign,
Or even a ‘No’ to which I can resign.

And Lord, You promised that if we believe
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
And Lord, I’ve been asking, and this is my cry:
‘I’m weary of asking! I need a reply!’”

Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate
As my Master replied once again, “You must wait”.
So I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut
And grumbled to God, “So I’m waiting…for what?

He seemed then to kneel
And His eyes wept with mine,
And He tenderly said, “I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens, and darken the sun,
I could raise the dead, and cause the mountains to run.

All you seek, I could give, and pleased you would be.
You would have what you want
But you wouldn’t know Me.
You’d not know the depth of My love for each saint;
You’d not know the power I give to the faint;

You’d not learn to see through the clouds of despair;
You’d not learn to trust by just knowing I’m there;
You’d not know the joy of resting in Me;
When darkness and silence were all you could see.

You’d never experience that fullness of love
As the peace of My spirit descends like a dove;
You’d know that I gave, and I save for a start,
But you’d not know the depth of the beat of My heart.

The glow of My comfort late into the night,
The faith that I give when you walk without sight,
The depth that’s beyond getting what you have asked
of and infinite God, who have makes you have last.

You’d never know, should your pain quickly flee,
What it means that ‘My grace is sufficient for thee’.
Yes, your dreams for you, loved one,
Overnight would come true,

But, Oh the Loss! If I lost what I’m doing in you!

SO be silent My child, and in time you will see
That the greatest of gifts is getting to know Me.
And though oft’ My answers seem terribly late,
My most precious answer of all is still ‘Wait’”.

~Author Unknown My God You know

God is working - Elmira, NY

God is working
He's still working
God is working even now
though we often don't know just how
He's still working
He's still working
God is working even now

Hallelujah, he's working even now
Hallelujah, he's working even now

See how God is working here!

Courage

II Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Be of good courage, strenthen your heart...(from Ps 27:14)

Newsboys - I'm Not Ashamed
From the album Not Ashamed

I'm not ashamed to let you know
I want this light in me to show
I'm not ashamed to speak the name of Jesus Christ

What are we sneaking around for?
Who are we trying to please?
Shrugging off sin,
apologizing like we're spreading
some kind of disease
I'm saying "No way. No way."

This one warns it's a lost cause
save your testimonies for church time
The other ones state you'd better wait
until you do a little market research
I'm saying "No way. No way.

Did it again!

I did not post Friday...

I was reading BASFSOGP post for Sept. 6th "It must needs be that offences will come" it was such a blessing to me. It was like she was talking about what my job has done for me!! I have really enjoy reading her blog (for over the year that I have), it has been a great blessing and encouragement to me. I can relate to many of her experiences...

So I added her link.

Hope you enjoy!

Nouns (People, Places and Things) I love...

1. Jesus - my savior and my Lord, what a wonderful relationship to have
2. My family - natural and church
3. My friends - most of them fit somewhere in the category above...but for those who don't
4. meeting & getting to know new people (and even not so new people...LOL)
5. Pizza - hot is nice...but a cold pizza sandwich (piece of pizza with lettuce folded in between) nothing can compare... you ought to try it!
6. Ice Cream - cookie dough or sandwiched between two chocolate chip cookies...yummm!
7. Salad (made right...with a mixture of green lettuces [not iceberg])
8. Pictures - I love them!! They capture precious moments...
9. Warm & Sunny days (Summer) - the best days -- I love to sit in the sun!
10. Travelling - it is exhilarating and exciting to see new places and people...oh the adventure...
11. Weekends - those two special days of break from the normal weekly routine
12. Prayer - "O needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer"...such a privilege to talk to God all day long...
13. Weddings - they are just lovely...

I forgot...but I am going to do it anyway!

I forgot that I did not post yesterday...until I was at work today.

ANYWAY

People are unreasonable, illogical and self-centered

Love them ANYWAY

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives

Do good ANYWAY

If you are successful you'll win false friends and true enemies

Succeed ANYWAY

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow

Do good ANYWAY

Honesty and Frankness will make you vulnerable

Be honest and frank ANYWAY

What you spent years building may be destroyed overnight

Build ANYWAY

People that really need help may attack you if you help them

Help ANYWAY

Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth

Give the world the best ANYWAY

(from a sign on the wall of Shishu Bhaven - a children's home in Calcutta - Mother Teresa)

I Surrender All - Clay Crosse

This song has been a blessing to me recently...

I have wrestled in the darkness of this lonely pilgrim land.
Raising strong and mighty fortress that I alone command
But these castles I've constructed by the strength of my own hand
Are just temporary kingdoms on foundations made of sand

In the middle of the battle I believe I've finally found
I'll never know the thrill of vict'ry 'til I'm willing to lay down
All my weapons of defense and earthly strategies of war
So I'm laying down my arms and running helplessly to yours

(chorus)
I surrender all my silent hopes and dreams
Though the price to follow costs me everything
I surrender all my human soul desires
If sacrifice requires that all my kingdoms fall, I surrender all

If the source of my ambition is the treasure I obtain
If I measure my successes on a scale of earthly gain
If the focus of my vision is the status I attain
My accomplishments are worthless and my efforts are in vain

So I lay aside these trophies to pursue a higher crown
And should you choose to use the life I willingly lay down
I surrender all the triumph for it's only by your grace
I relinquish all the glory; I surrender all the praise

Everything I am, all I've done and all I've known
Now belongs to you The life I live is not my own
Just as Abraham laid Isaac on the sacrificial fire
If all I have is all that you desire

Labor Day...

I did anything BUT labor today. It was good to have a day of rest. Don't have too much else to say...I heard the Youth Jubilee was great! I am looking forward to hearing more about it.

Thankful

I thought it was time I do a "thankful" blog. God wants us to thank Him for ALL things, even the things that we wouldn't initially want to thank Him for. So here I go...

I thank Him that I can requite my parents, right now, at this stage in my life.

I thank Him for transportation and all the things that go along with having it.

I thank Him for my job, it is my money source, for that I am thankful.

I am thankful for what this year has taught me about trusting in Him, submitting to His will, giving up my hopes, dreams and plans (when this is what He asks for), learning Him better than I did last year and how to praise Him through the storm and increasing my faith.

I am thankful for my life, my past and my future and yes, even my present, it is truly a gift.

I am thankful that I have learned (might be still learning) that I will have either an attitude of thankfulness or be discontent about something.

I have so much, so much to thank God, thank God for, I have so much, so much to thank God for!

the will of God...

I know it is not true, but sometimes it seems like the will of God is so opposite of what we want. It seems that if I want something, God's will is probably opposite because...well, that's just the way it sometimes seems to work.

Well, I was out to breakfast with my Dad the other day (because some how in the midst of our busy schedules we find time for things like that) and he said something I've never thought of.

God works in us both the WILL and to DO of HIS good pleasure.

Now, I know, I've read that scripture before (many times) and have even meditated on it...Philippians 2:13 - For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. But I don't think it ever struck like it did that day.

There are times when GOD puts in us a will to do something, and it is HIS perfect will for it to be done. He puts the will to do it and helps us to actually do it...now isn't that a blessing!