"Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you." 2 Thessalonians 3:16 Pin It

I'm still here!

I'm sharing this from my other blog.  Just wanted to let everyone know that we are doing OK, just been busy.. that's life.

I just thought I would hop on here and make a quick little post and let you all know that I am still alive and well. 

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Mad has turned 7 this past January and is doing great in school!  She is growing up so fast and is turning into a smart, beautiful young lady.  She is still loving school and loves the teachers and the kids at school and daycare.  I am still working but now I work from 11a-8p, which is a lot better than the 2p-11p that I was doing before.  I get to be home in the evening and check Mad's homework, spend a little time with her and tuck her into bed.  I also get to spend more time with the hubby too, which is a wonderful thing!

Here's a few pictures of Miss Mad since the last post.

So proud of this little girl!!

"Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you." 2 Thessalonians 3:16

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Never Give Up

 

I went to Walgreens today to pick up my pictures.  They had a booth to sign up to be a blood marrow donor and one of the ladies there asked me if I wanted to sign up so I said I would.  After I filled out the paper work and did the swab she said I could pick out a bracelet.  There were all the same, saying delete bone cancer, except one that had Phil. 3:14 showing.  The other side of it said, Never Give Up.  Of course that one caught my eye and I wondered what it said.  I asked if I could have it and she said yes.  She looked through her whole bag of bracelets and that was the only one with a verse on it.  Which we both thought was very odd and a little cool. 

I looked it up and this is what the verse said.

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

~Phil. 3:14

I really liked that so then I looked up Philippians 3 and read it.. very powerful and so much what I want! 

Here is Philippians 3:1-14

No Confidence in the Flesh

1 Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you. 2 Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh. 3 For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by His Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— 4 though I myself have reasons for such confidence.

If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.

7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of His resurrection and participation in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,  14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

 

Although I loved this whole passage, the italicized is the part that spoke to me the most.

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Knock, knock

 

 *image from google image

Revelation 3:20 (NIV)
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with Me.

Have you ever noticed that on most of the pictures where Jesus is standing at the door and knocking, there isn't a door knob on the outside? I never paid attention to that before. Although He is perfectly capable of coming in without that door knob, He wants us to open it for Him!! From the inside!! Let Him in!!! Open your heart, your life, your home to Him!!!

 

 

Hope you are all doing well.  Sorry I haven’t been writing lately.  To catch up on what’s been going on you can check out my other blog for the latest.  Hope everyone has a blessed New Year!! 

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Happy Birthday Maddie!!

Today our little girl turned 6 years old!   I can't believe how fast the time has gone.  She has grown up so much and is such a beautiful, smart and funny young lady!  She is doing well in school, learning so much and so far really loving it.  
Today one of her request was that we go back to our old church in Garber.  We are members of that church and went there for a few years but stopped because it was an hour drive and we couldn't join in with so many of the fellowship activities like we wanted to.  She was so excited and had such a great time!  After church we went to Brother Tom's house for a cookout and to celebrate her birthday.  
I am so proud of her and so happy that one of her requests was to go to church!!!  Love that girl!! Matthew 19:14 New Living Translation (©2007)
But Jesus said, "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children."
"Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you." 2 Thessalonians 3:16

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Joel Boggess with Finding Your Voice 09/25 by The Imperfect Wives | Blog Talk Radio

Joel Is Back!!! 

Joel's newest book, Finding Your Voice, is due to release this December. Join Cherie and Rebecca as they chat with Joel about the following three areas:

1 -> Understanding who you really are

2 -> What excites you

3 -> What you stand for

Grab your coffee and settle in for Finding Your Voice! Joel will be giving away 5 copies of his newest book during the show! Join the chat room for your chance to win a copy!

Chat room will open at 8:50am CST. ♥

Joel Boggess with Finding Your Voice 09/25 by The Imperfect Wives | Blog Talk Radio

The Imperfect Wives Radio

The Imperfect Wives Radio

"Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you." 2 Thessalonians 3:16

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Did I not tell you?

Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?"

I’m going to quickly break this down to what comes to mind when I read this verse.  To the many seasons in my life from the past few years.  This is what I see Jesus doing in my head when I read this.

From a few years back when I was just learning to trust Him and let go..

 

• Did I not tell you?

I could just see Jesus with His head in His hands, shaking His head at me because He had to tell me sooo many times….

 

• that if you believe

I thought I did believe.. I just didn’t believe the way I needed to.  Too many times I would pray about a situation and then I would doubt.  Well, maybe some might say that is harsh.  Doubt what God can do? 
I’m an impatient person and when you pray, you say that you believe God can do anything… but yet you sit and stew over it, complain about God not moving fast enough, wondering if He ever heard you.. isn’t that kind of doubting God? 

 

(my favorite picture of them all)

 

• you will see the glory of God

I love the picture above because to me this is what Jesus was doing.  Since I couldn’t find one of Him jumping up and down and clapping, this is the next best thing.

He was so happy when I finally understood, finally HEARD what He was trying to tell me. 

Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?"

 

I am so thankful for the fact that God and His amazing Son, never give up on me.  They stick with me until I finally get it!  Even when I might disappoint Them.. yes, even though They love us I am sure all of us have disappointed Them from time to time.  Just like any father and brother might be disappointed in a family member when they watch them struggling.  But oh, the glory when we finally get it!!!  The smiles on Their faces is too much for us to comprehend!! 

Some may think they way I see Jesus is a little weird.. but in reality He is our big brother.  God is our amazing wonderful Daddy and Jesus is our Brother.  Both here to help us grow, discipline us, show us the way to walk and protect us. 

Aren’t They amazing!! 

and this song just popped into my head as I finished.  Love this song. 

* all images found from google search

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God's Glory is just around the corner

There is a path to victory but it can elude us if we don't stay focused on Jesus and keep the 'right' perspective about our situations.

Suffering happens and it covers a wide range of emotions, especially for us as women. However, God is able to bring meaning into even the harshest of situations. Suffering is real, but how we walk through it determines if we are going to experience victory and ultimately allow our suffering to give God the glory.

Grab your Bibles, coffee/hot tea, highlighters, and notebooks and join us this morning at 10:00 EST LIVE for part 2 of "God's Glory Is Just Around The Corner." ♥

   God's Glory Is Just Around The Corner 1 Peter 4 part 2 09/11 by The Imperfect Wives | Blog Talk Radio

"Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you." 2 Thessalonians 3:16

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Move, get out of the way!

Moving and getting out of the way… normally this is not a problem for me until it comes to giving up control.

What I mean by that is by getting out of the way I am handing control over to God.  Most people would say this should be no problem, but for those that know me, they know how hard that is for me.  Even if it is to our Lord.

Until I learned to give it all to God I didn’t really have any peace.  Even in our marriage, which I always thought was good, wasn’t really. 

Submitting.. that is the same thing.  Whether I am submitting to God or my husband, its all the same thing.  Submitting to my husband is what our Lord wants.

For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. ~ Ephesians 5:22 (NLT)

It is that last part that makes me able to do it easier, just wish it wouldn’t have taken so long for me to figure that part out.

When I finally moved and got out of Shane’s way did I really let him start leading our family.  I started really trusting in him to lead our family.  After all I trust him with my life why not with what he thinks is best with our family?  Why was that part so hard?

I guess it was because I thought I would lose my voice, my opinions wouldn’t matter, but when I finally submitted that is when I felt Shane really started listening to me more.  (he always listened but this time I wasn’t as catty and demanding about my opinions.)

Our marriage hasn’t been this good in a long time!  Submitting isn’t that bad people, it’s really not!  Doesn’t mean he sits around and orders me around, it means I let him be the man that God made him to be!  And in turn our marriage is growing because of it!!

This was my verse of the year.. and so far I am having a peaceful life.  Just gotta do what the verse says!

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.~ John 14:27

 

*images from google search

although Shane never did the top picture, this is what I bet he felt like doing!!
I was searching for a picture of a man pushing a woman behind him, kinda like this picture, just not with someone else attacking them.  lol

And I have used this one before and really love it!

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The Sensational Scent of Prayer

The other day Inspired Reads shared some free books for kindle.  One of them was The Sensational Scent of Prayer by Rachel Wojnarowski.  I am only half way through it but really loving it so far.  It’s not free anymore but is only $3 so I think it is worth it!
Here is the description found on Amazon.

What does prayer smell like?
One year of Bible study.
One summer of Bible teaching.

One ebook: “The Sensational Scent of Prayer.”
Each step brought the familiar sights and sounds closer. The annual trek to the tabernacle was one dreaded by Hannah. The trip only meant more of the teasing and taunting; when would it ever end?
As the smell of the constant, burning incense of tabernacle lamps became stronger and stronger, Hannah’s broken spirit poured out words of desperation. Anguish flooded her body, disabling her voice.

The tabernacle’s perfumes waft higher into the air and Hannah’s prayers trailed just behind them, soaring to the heavens, rousing the attention of her heavenly Father…

The One Who loves:
The Sensational Scent of Prayer.

Foreword by Karen Ehman, Proverbs 31 Ministries

 

Here is a part that really spoke to me:

By praising God in the worst circumstances, we fulfill the reason for our very creation.  We were made to worship, and we spend much of our entire lives for fulfillment of that purpose, seeking the completion of that desire in all the wrong ways.  But when we praise God in less-than-pleasing situations, He is magnified beyond measure.  This praise is life-transforming.  When we praise God, our hearts & lives are changed.

Now there have been many times I should have praised God in my bad situations but instead I just sat & complained more.  Not until I realized I needed to go to God & pour out my heart, leave it all at His feet did I have some peace.

When you pray you are growing that relationship with God, our Father.  If you want to be close to your husband, friend or whoever, we talk to them right?  So the more we pray and talk to God, the closer we get to Him! 

I do my best now to praise Him in the good AND the bad!  I have more peace now, and don’t worry so much when things pop up.  He is in control and whatever happens will be good because it is His decision.  I just have to step out of the way, trust Him & let Him do it!

Stepping out of the way is hard to do but by getting out of His way you get to see God’s glory!!  (more of getting out of the way later)

Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?" John 11:40

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Holy Bible,GOD'S WORD Translation (GW) (with direct verse lookup and book and chapter navigation): Baker Publishing Group: Amazon.com: Kindle Store

Holy Bible,GOD'S WORD Translation (GW) (with direct verse lookup and book and chapter navigation): Baker Publishing Group: Amazon.com: Kindle Store

If you hurry, it's free right now!!!

"Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you." 2 Thessalonians 3:16

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You Want Me to what!?!

Do you know that your submission to your husband is to be in the SAME WAY that we submit to the authorities set up by men?

It is indeed for the Lord’s sake! He has a great purpose in this additional aspect of submission and there is tremendous benefit to US as we obey this portion of God’s word. We will also continue to discuss God’s value for us in suffering and we will learn how to do this WITHOUT FEAR!

Grab your Bible, coffee/hot tea/sweet tea, your notebook and highlighter and join Cherie and Rebecca as they continue a verse-by-verse discussion of 1 Peter. ♥

 

For podcasts you can go to iTunes.  Today’s should be added shortly. 
The Imperfect Wives Radio on iTunes

 

 

 

"Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you."

~2 Thessalonians 3:16 Pin It

God’s Way

I love this verse so I made up an image real quick.  Feel free to print it if you would like.  (the image size I made was a 5x7)

 

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Joel Boggess with Powerful Living 06/26 by The Imperfect Wives | Blog Talk Radio

Joel Boggess with Powerful Living 06/26 by The Imperfect Wives | Blog Talk Radio

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Fear Not printable

 

click picture above for link

I found this on Facebook and really liked it.  I decided to make my own so I can print it out.  I did several different versions, one of them so that if you don’t want to frame and just want to hang it in your office it looks kind of like it is framed and matted.  I thought I would share them with you. 

 

I also made some fb banners but for some reason, even with the right dimensions it didn’t work out just right so I kind of tried something slightly different.

Hope you all like them! 

 

But now, thus says the LORD, your Creator, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel, "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine!

Isaiah 43:1 New American Standard Bible

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Forgive and Forget

 

People say that all the time but it is so hard for us as humans to do.  How many times have we said that to people?  To someone that has hurt us over and over again but if we do forgive we don’t forget.  Why is that?  Why can’t we be like our Father and just forget?  When someone has hurt us again, we’ve given them so many chances that we just give up on them. 

Matthew 18:21-22 (NIV)

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

²¹ Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

²² Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

Our Father is much better than that.  He not only forgives… no matter how many times we ask for it, even when it’s about the same thing, He forgives and forgets!  Never brings it up to us the next time we fail and come asking for forgiveness again. 

Hebrews 8:12 (NIV)

For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."

I pray that God will help me to be able to forgive and forget!  To really and truly forget so that I won’t have it there, keeping score for the next time.  I am so thankful that our Father does that for us!

*image found from Pinterest

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The God Who Sees You

 

I have been reading this wonderful book by Tammy Maltby called The God Who Sees You: Look to Him When You Feel Discouraged, Forgotten, or Invisible and I just wanted to share a little passage from it.  I think that everyone should run and get this book!  I am really loving the down time at work when I am waiting on the floor to dry or just taking a breather and sit down to see how God Sees ME! 

This is crucial to remember:  There is nothing you can do to change the way God sees you!  Nothing you can do to make Him love you any less. 
When you rebel, when you forget Him, when you get lost or fail—He doesn’t stop desiring you or delighting in you.

But that doesn’t mean the God who delights in you is blinded by love.  Because the God who sees you, the God who delights in you, also sees you just the way you are!!

How awesome is that!?!  God loves us, delights in us even when we mess up, He made us and knows who we are and sees us for who we are!  We need to stop looking to man to see us that way and to praise our Father for being like that!  I love the God who sees me!!! 

Here’s some more little snippets from this amazing book.

Gently and with grace, God is constantly in the process of positioning you where you need to be.

But you can be be confident that when God looks at you, He sees you dancing beyond your circumstances whatever they are—living the life He has already prepared for you. He will put you where you need to be… if you pay attention & obey His call.

 

If you keep your focus on God, He will put you exactly where you need to be.  But even if you lose focus, if you’re disobedient and lose your way, you can turn back to Him and still trust Him to use all your pain and mistakes to put you where you need to be. 

 

God loves you! 
God says--

Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne?  Though she may forget, I will not forget you! 

See I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.  ~Isaiah 49:15-16

 

This is a definite must read!  I was not paid to ‘promote’ this book but it has touched me so much and I am only on chapter four!!  I just wanted to share this with everyone and pray that you will understand The God Who Sees You!

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Weekend adventures

Last Sunday we drove on down to Lawton and went to Medicine Park, up Mt. Scott and then on to the Holy City.  Maddie loves going there and I have always loved going there, it’s just so beautiful and relaxing!  However, this weekend it was packed because there was some kind of event going on in Medicine Park and it was also extremely windy so once we got the the top of the mountain it was just pushing around up there!

I love going here, it just restores my soul and helps me to appreciate His creations!

Here’s some of the pictures we got from our trip.

 

MEDICINE PARK  (you can click the pictures to make them larger)

 

Then we went on up MT. SCOTT (some were taken from the van as we were going down the mountain)

 

Then we went to the HOLY CITY and also saw some prairie dogs along the way and some buffalo

 

Last time we went here it was in 2010 and I got this picture of Maddie, think she has grown just a little bit since then! 

 

and here’s some of my pictures I made up for my cover photo on FB.

 

He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents;   Malachi 4:6a (NIV)

these are photos from previous trips

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