Waiting........i find it some of the hardest work to do. Whether you are waiting for the bus, a train, a cup of coffee, your food in a fast food line, waiting for the sun to shine or the rain to clear, waiting for school to start or school to recess for the summer. Waiting is work! Patient waiting is even mor difficult, especially in the culture we live in today. Waiting is NOT something people have time for.
What frustrates you the most about waiting? What frustrates you most about you feeling about having to wait? How do you feel when people are waiting on you.
I have often and still am waiting for this to happen or that to take place. I'm looking for the big breakthrough and waiting and waiting and waiting for something or someone to make that happen, often FOR me. Daivd Platt has a new book out after his orginal Radical, this new one is called Radical Together and i think it is a book that would really open our eyes to what God wants to do around us and for His Kingdom and Glory.
Now i have quite often thought of myself(myra) as a Radical but according to Pastor David Platt "you can never be radical enough". You also can not work hard enough to produce the fruit that is biblically described as attainable. God 's grace is what causes a radical to "chill out" and cause the hardest of working to "bear much fruit". Are you bearing fruit and thanking God for the grace that gives you that harvest? Are you making an impact for Christ and His Kingdom and thanking God for the energy He gives for you to be so "radical"? I know for me, i don't thank him enough for GRACE. Grace is something very difficult for me to grasp. I know what it is and i have heard it used umpteen million times to describe how God deals with us but putting it into active play in my everyday life is often a challenge. I DO know that without this grace i would NOT be sitting where i this very day. I would NOT be who i am today. I cannot function well and in health without it. Grace is a word and a concept that i need more study on, in knowledge and in everyday action. So, how do we, how do you GROW in Grace? How do your concepts of grace effect your everyday life? How does God's grace bestowed to you translate out into the world, as a friend often says, "What does that LOOK like"?
Now today and in the days to come, "May the GRACE of the Lord Jesus be with you!" 2 Corinthians 16:23
Showing posts with label Community. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Community. Show all posts
Monday, May 16, 2011
Friday, April 9, 2010
Powerlessness....
Went to a small group Tues. night with my sister. We were directed toward these new devo's from the Life Recovery Bible, they are GOOD.
This one is REALLY GOOD, i thought i would share.
Bible Reading Job 6:2-13
Step 1 : We admitted that we were powerless over our problems-that our lives had become unmanageable.
There are times when we are so confused and overwhelmed by the pain in our life that we wish we could die. No matter what we do, we are powerless to change things for the better. The weight of the pain and sadness seems too heavy to bear. We can't see why our heart doesn't break and allow death to free us.
Job felt that way. He'd lost everything, even though HE HAD ALWAYS DONE WHAT WAS RIGHT. His ten children were dead. He had lost his business, his riches, and his health. And all this happened in a matter of days! He was left with a sharp-tongued wife and three friends who blamed him for his own misfortune. Job cried out, "if my misery could be wieighd and my troubles be put on the scales, they would outweigh all the Sands of the sea....Oh, that i might have my request, that God would grant my desire. I wish he would crush me. I wish he would reach out his hand and kill me....I don't have the strength to endure. I have nothing to live for. Do i have the strength of a stone? Is my body made of bronze? No , I am utterly helpless, without any chance of success"(job 6:2-3, 8-9, 11-13)
Job didn't know that the END OF HIS LIFE WOULD BE EVEN BETTER THAN THE BEGINNING. God eventually restored everything Job had lost, and then some. "Then he died, an old man who had lived a long, full life" (job 42:17) Even when we're pressed to the point of death, there is STILL HOPE that our life will change. Our recovery could be so complete that the finaly lines written about us might read: "At last he or she died, after living a long, full life." We must remember: LIFE CAN BE GOOD AGAIN!
This one is REALLY GOOD, i thought i would share.
Bible Reading Job 6:2-13
Step 1 : We admitted that we were powerless over our problems-that our lives had become unmanageable.
There are times when we are so confused and overwhelmed by the pain in our life that we wish we could die. No matter what we do, we are powerless to change things for the better. The weight of the pain and sadness seems too heavy to bear. We can't see why our heart doesn't break and allow death to free us.
Job felt that way. He'd lost everything, even though HE HAD ALWAYS DONE WHAT WAS RIGHT. His ten children were dead. He had lost his business, his riches, and his health. And all this happened in a matter of days! He was left with a sharp-tongued wife and three friends who blamed him for his own misfortune. Job cried out, "if my misery could be wieighd and my troubles be put on the scales, they would outweigh all the Sands of the sea....Oh, that i might have my request, that God would grant my desire. I wish he would crush me. I wish he would reach out his hand and kill me....I don't have the strength to endure. I have nothing to live for. Do i have the strength of a stone? Is my body made of bronze? No , I am utterly helpless, without any chance of success"(job 6:2-3, 8-9, 11-13)
Job didn't know that the END OF HIS LIFE WOULD BE EVEN BETTER THAN THE BEGINNING. God eventually restored everything Job had lost, and then some. "Then he died, an old man who had lived a long, full life" (job 42:17) Even when we're pressed to the point of death, there is STILL HOPE that our life will change. Our recovery could be so complete that the finaly lines written about us might read: "At last he or she died, after living a long, full life." We must remember: LIFE CAN BE GOOD AGAIN!
Thursday, April 1, 2010
A Difficult Balance
This was good for me to read/hear today. As i struggle with the balance of giving too much or not giving enough. How do you strike the balance concerning this issue?
HEARTINESS V. HEARTLESSNESS TOWARDS OTHERS
"It is Christ . . . who also maketh intercession for us." "The Spirit . . . maketh intercession for the saints." Romans 8:34, 27
Do we need any more argument than this to become intercessors - that Christ "ever liveth to make intercession;" that the Holy Spirit "maketh intercession for the saints"? Are we living in such a vital relationship to our fellow men that we do the work of intercession as the Spirit-taught children of God?
Begin with the circumstances we are in - our homes, our business, our country, the present crisis as it touches us and others - are these things crushing us? Are they badgering us out of the presence of God and leaving us no time for worship? Then let us call a halt, and get into such living relationship with God that our relationship to others may be maintained on the line of intercession whereby God works His marvels.
Beware of outstripping God by your very longing to do His will. We run ahead of Him in a thousand and one activities, consequently we get so burdened with persons and with difficulties that we do not worship God, we do not intercede. If once the burden and the pressure come upon us and we are not in the worshipping attitude, it will produce not only hardness toward God but despair in our own souls.
God continually introduces us to people for whom we have no affinity, and unless we are worshipping God, the most natural thing to do is to treat them heartlessly, to give them a text like the jab of a spear, or leave them with a rapped-out counsel of God and go.
A heartless Christian must be a terrible grief to Our Lord.
Are we in the direct line of the intercession of our Lord and of the Holy Spirit?
HEARTINESS V. HEARTLESSNESS TOWARDS OTHERS
"It is Christ . . . who also maketh intercession for us." "The Spirit . . . maketh intercession for the saints." Romans 8:34, 27
Do we need any more argument than this to become intercessors - that Christ "ever liveth to make intercession;" that the Holy Spirit "maketh intercession for the saints"? Are we living in such a vital relationship to our fellow men that we do the work of intercession as the Spirit-taught children of God?
Begin with the circumstances we are in - our homes, our business, our country, the present crisis as it touches us and others - are these things crushing us? Are they badgering us out of the presence of God and leaving us no time for worship? Then let us call a halt, and get into such living relationship with God that our relationship to others may be maintained on the line of intercession whereby God works His marvels.
Beware of outstripping God by your very longing to do His will. We run ahead of Him in a thousand and one activities, consequently we get so burdened with persons and with difficulties that we do not worship God, we do not intercede. If once the burden and the pressure come upon us and we are not in the worshipping attitude, it will produce not only hardness toward God but despair in our own souls.
God continually introduces us to people for whom we have no affinity, and unless we are worshipping God, the most natural thing to do is to treat them heartlessly, to give them a text like the jab of a spear, or leave them with a rapped-out counsel of God and go.
A heartless Christian must be a terrible grief to Our Lord.
Are we in the direct line of the intercession of our Lord and of the Holy Spirit?
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
When i first began my journey toward Christ as a woman, then wife and mom, this is who i looked to. I read everything she wrote that i could get my hands on. Here's her devo for today.
Title: Pick Up Your Cross
Author: Elisabeth Elliot
Jesus invites us to be his disciples. If we choose to accept his loving invitation, we must understand that there are certain conditions to be fulfilled. One of them is a willingness to accept the cross. Is this a once-for-all taking up of one particular burden? I don't think so. It seems to me that my "cross" is each particular occasion when I am given the chance to "die"--that is, to offer up my own will whenever it crosses Christ's. This happens very often. A disagreement with my husband can cause an argument and harsh words, even if the matter is ridiculously small--"When are you going to get that dashboard light fixed in the car?" I have already mentioned the light three times. It may be time to keep my mouth shut, but I don't want to keep my mouth shut. Here, then, is a chance to die. A decision which affects both of us may be a fairly big one, but we find ourselves on two sides of the fence. One of us, then, must "die." It is never easy for me. Shall I make excuses for myself (that's the way I am; it's my personality; it's the way I was raised; I'm tired; I can't hack it; it doesn't turn me on; you don't understand)--or shall I pick up this cross?
Perhaps my illustration seems to trivialize the cross of Christ. His was so unimaginably greater. What cross could I possibly take up which would be analogous? Just here is the lesson for me: when Jesus took up his cross, He was saying yes with all his being to the will of the Father. If I am unwilling to say yes in even a very little thing, how shall I accept a more painful thing? What sort of practice does it take for a disciple to learn to follow the Crucified? A friend hurts us, a plan goes awry, an effort fails--small things indeed. But then cancer strikes, a daughter marries unwisely, a business folds, a wife abandons her home and family. The call still comes to us: Take up your cross and come with Me. With You, Lord? Yes, with Me. Will You give me strength and show me the way? That was my promise--is it my custom to break promises?
Title: Pick Up Your Cross
Author: Elisabeth Elliot
Jesus invites us to be his disciples. If we choose to accept his loving invitation, we must understand that there are certain conditions to be fulfilled. One of them is a willingness to accept the cross. Is this a once-for-all taking up of one particular burden? I don't think so. It seems to me that my "cross" is each particular occasion when I am given the chance to "die"--that is, to offer up my own will whenever it crosses Christ's. This happens very often. A disagreement with my husband can cause an argument and harsh words, even if the matter is ridiculously small--"When are you going to get that dashboard light fixed in the car?" I have already mentioned the light three times. It may be time to keep my mouth shut, but I don't want to keep my mouth shut. Here, then, is a chance to die. A decision which affects both of us may be a fairly big one, but we find ourselves on two sides of the fence. One of us, then, must "die." It is never easy for me. Shall I make excuses for myself (that's the way I am; it's my personality; it's the way I was raised; I'm tired; I can't hack it; it doesn't turn me on; you don't understand)--or shall I pick up this cross?
Perhaps my illustration seems to trivialize the cross of Christ. His was so unimaginably greater. What cross could I possibly take up which would be analogous? Just here is the lesson for me: when Jesus took up his cross, He was saying yes with all his being to the will of the Father. If I am unwilling to say yes in even a very little thing, how shall I accept a more painful thing? What sort of practice does it take for a disciple to learn to follow the Crucified? A friend hurts us, a plan goes awry, an effort fails--small things indeed. But then cancer strikes, a daughter marries unwisely, a business folds, a wife abandons her home and family. The call still comes to us: Take up your cross and come with Me. With You, Lord? Yes, with Me. Will You give me strength and show me the way? That was my promise--is it my custom to break promises?
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Jewish Passover
I checked the calendar again this morning, as i like to do at the start of each new day. I trudged to it wondering, "what will today hold"? I noticed right away that typed in black on my calendar it said JEWISH PASSOVER. I immediately thought "something we should celebrate". The family talked quickly over Jewish Passover as everyone was preparing to embark on the day. I'm thankful Matt and James are alive and here! They are both first borns and the Jews celebrate Passover each year to commemorate the angel of death PASSING OVER their homes and sparing the first born sons of those who painted blood on their doorposts thousands of years ago.
WOW. How times change and if we are not careful our thinking shallows over time. Can you imagine something like that happening today in the world we live in here in America? What would the response and the reactions be?
I've had a most meaningful Lenten Season this year. I'm thankful God has allowed me to experience new things and gain some new perspectives. I'm thankful i still have a blog, though fb has caused me to neglect it more and more. For me, giving up facebook, for the most part, during this Lenten Season has helped me communicate more with others in other ways.
I pray this Season that God will reveal Himself, His Ways and His plans for you, to you, in a new way this coming week and weekend, especially.
WOW. How times change and if we are not careful our thinking shallows over time. Can you imagine something like that happening today in the world we live in here in America? What would the response and the reactions be?
I've had a most meaningful Lenten Season this year. I'm thankful God has allowed me to experience new things and gain some new perspectives. I'm thankful i still have a blog, though fb has caused me to neglect it more and more. For me, giving up facebook, for the most part, during this Lenten Season has helped me communicate more with others in other ways.
I pray this Season that God will reveal Himself, His Ways and His plans for you, to you, in a new way this coming week and weekend, especially.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
March: HONESTY!
Choosing to be truthful in whatever you say and do.
The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful. Proverbs 12:22
This month we will be focusing on the virtue of HONESTY, one of my favorites!
Why is HONESTY one of my favorites? I think because it was a virtue I REALLY had to WORK on growing up :)
As most of us have probably learned in one way or another, HONESTY is VERY important in life. It’s a building block to so many other things, like a brick in a wall that when taken out can crumble the whole wall.
Here’s something we’ll be discussing with our kids this month:Richard Nixon has almost completed his first term as president when members of the team working on his re-election broke into the opposing political party’s headquarters to spy on them. Nixon and his staff attempted to cover up the break-in. Then Nixon denied knowing anything about it. When people found out what had happened, they started a process to have Nixon removed from the presidency.
What do you think?
How was Nixon dishonest?
How might things have been different if President Nixon hadn’t tried to cover up the break-in?
Have you ever had a hard time trusting someone because of a lie they told you?
If you chose to tell a lie, what might it do to the way people think about you?
Taken from March Family Times Pact www.familytimes.org
Choosing to be truthful in whatever you say and do.
The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful. Proverbs 12:22
This month we will be focusing on the virtue of HONESTY, one of my favorites!
Why is HONESTY one of my favorites? I think because it was a virtue I REALLY had to WORK on growing up :)
As most of us have probably learned in one way or another, HONESTY is VERY important in life. It’s a building block to so many other things, like a brick in a wall that when taken out can crumble the whole wall.
Here’s something we’ll be discussing with our kids this month:Richard Nixon has almost completed his first term as president when members of the team working on his re-election broke into the opposing political party’s headquarters to spy on them. Nixon and his staff attempted to cover up the break-in. Then Nixon denied knowing anything about it. When people found out what had happened, they started a process to have Nixon removed from the presidency.
What do you think?
How was Nixon dishonest?
How might things have been different if President Nixon hadn’t tried to cover up the break-in?
Have you ever had a hard time trusting someone because of a lie they told you?
If you chose to tell a lie, what might it do to the way people think about you?
Taken from March Family Times Pact www.familytimes.org
Monday, February 8, 2010
February Virtue
HONOR
a small word with profound meaning and action
"Letting someone know you see how valuable they really are." Honor.
Love each other deeply. Honor one another more than yourselves. Romans 12:10
Wow. What does that LOOK like?
We will be studying Honor this month at home and with your church family. We will work on in our home and in our community loving deeply, honoring others and letting them know how valuable they really are.
John-John got us off to a good start last week by writing a thank you note to our postal carrier. Letting him know that we appreciated him and his service to us and others. The kids also wanted to thank the snow plows and the trash men! I second that! Since moving into the city limits that has been one of the biggest blessings, having my trash picked up! I just love it!
Think of others in your life and around you that make like "easier" for you and show them HONOR!
a small word with profound meaning and action
"Letting someone know you see how valuable they really are." Honor.
Love each other deeply. Honor one another more than yourselves. Romans 12:10
Wow. What does that LOOK like?
We will be studying Honor this month at home and with your church family. We will work on in our home and in our community loving deeply, honoring others and letting them know how valuable they really are.
John-John got us off to a good start last week by writing a thank you note to our postal carrier. Letting him know that we appreciated him and his service to us and others. The kids also wanted to thank the snow plows and the trash men! I second that! Since moving into the city limits that has been one of the biggest blessings, having my trash picked up! I just love it!
Think of others in your life and around you that make like "easier" for you and show them HONOR!
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Crazy Love
Friends,
This is not a new book but relatively new. Crazy Love by Francis Chan. i read it in 3 days so i know if you don't have time to read it you could at least watch the short videos on www.crazylovebook.com if you haven't already. Wow! it will get you thinking and leave you wondering!
Abundant Blessings and Eternal Hope,
Myra
This is not a new book but relatively new. Crazy Love by Francis Chan. i read it in 3 days so i know if you don't have time to read it you could at least watch the short videos on www.crazylovebook.com if you haven't already. Wow! it will get you thinking and leave you wondering!
Abundant Blessings and Eternal Hope,
Myra
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Oswald's Wisdom
Q:? What is the difference b/t "interfering in other people's lives" and being the hand and feet of Christ? After reading the following devo. from Oswald Chambers, i would love to hear your comments on the balance you find b/t interfering and serving others.
"Lord, what shall this man do? . . What is that to thee(you)? Follow thou Me." John 21:21,2
One of our severest lessons comes from the stubborn refusal to see that we must not interfere in other people's lives. It takes a long time to realize the danger of being an amateur providence, that is, interfering with God's order for others.
You see a certain person suffering, and you say - He shall not suffer, and I will see that he does not. You put your hand straight in front of God's permissive will to prevent it, and God says - "What is that to thee(you)?" If there is stagnation(for you) spiritually, never allow it to go on, but get into God's presence and find out the reason for it. Possibly you will find it is because you have been interfering in the life of another; proposing things you had no right to propose; advising when you had no right to advise. When you do have to give advice to another, God will advise through you with the direct understanding of His Spirit; your part is to be so rightly related to God that His discernment comes through you all the time for the blessing of another soul.
Most of us live on the borders of consciousness - consciously serving, consciously devoted to God. All this is immature, it is not the real life yet. The mature stage is the life of a child which is never conscious; we become so abandoned to God that the consciousness of being used never enters in. When we are consciously being used as broken bread and poured-out wine, there is another stage to be reached, where all consciousness of ourselves and of what God is doing through us is eliminated. A saint is never consciously a saint; a saint is consciously dependent on God.
What are your thoughts?
"Lord, what shall this man do? . . What is that to thee(you)? Follow thou Me." John 21:21,2
One of our severest lessons comes from the stubborn refusal to see that we must not interfere in other people's lives. It takes a long time to realize the danger of being an amateur providence, that is, interfering with God's order for others.
You see a certain person suffering, and you say - He shall not suffer, and I will see that he does not. You put your hand straight in front of God's permissive will to prevent it, and God says - "What is that to thee(you)?" If there is stagnation(for you) spiritually, never allow it to go on, but get into God's presence and find out the reason for it. Possibly you will find it is because you have been interfering in the life of another; proposing things you had no right to propose; advising when you had no right to advise. When you do have to give advice to another, God will advise through you with the direct understanding of His Spirit; your part is to be so rightly related to God that His discernment comes through you all the time for the blessing of another soul.
Most of us live on the borders of consciousness - consciously serving, consciously devoted to God. All this is immature, it is not the real life yet. The mature stage is the life of a child which is never conscious; we become so abandoned to God that the consciousness of being used never enters in. When we are consciously being used as broken bread and poured-out wine, there is another stage to be reached, where all consciousness of ourselves and of what God is doing through us is eliminated. A saint is never consciously a saint; a saint is consciously dependent on God.
What are your thoughts?
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
How do You Celebrate Halloween?
B.B.4.B. is Barrel Burnings For Bibles
Recently in the news, a pastor and church advertised it was having an event on Halloween Night and Burning Bibles and other important Christian Lit. just b/c they didn't think it was "of God".
We here at MMerge Ministries were "inspired by God" to counteract this event by holding an alternative Halloween burning of all your extra, unneeded and unnecessary stuff, that is a hindrance to you and your walk with God. This could be anything and everything depending on how you look, read and interpret this....a magazine, movie, music, clothes, or simply some things that bother, hurt or haunt you that you want to write down and throw in the fire and put in the past...could even be character issues or habits you struggle with.
Who: YOU, Come to burn or to fellowship :)
Where: 138 Club Dr. Mc Minnville
When: Meal starts at 6pm
What: We'll burn all night if we have to!
Pinata for the kids! Costumes welcome or come as you are. This is a FREE event, no cost, no donations required. Donations or proceeds(if given) will go to translating and distributing bibles to those in lands/places that may have never received the Word of God in their language. This probably won't be in KJV so if you have an issue with that, buy a KJV and ship it!
We have personally attended these type of events a couple of times in our lives. It was an opportunity for us as we were growing spiritually to rid our lives of some junk that didn't need to be there. At one time i remember doing away with certain cds, books, movies, magazines, immodest or inappropriate clothing. At other times it was an opportunity to write down issues that were holding us back. Emotional, physical, mental or spiritual issues that we knew we were struggling with and needed victory over. We would write those down, anonymously, pray and claim victory over those and put the papers into the fire. Symbolic yet memorable ways to show and remember a time or commitment of getting rid of unhealthiness and growing toward a more Christ-like life.
However, we also want to take the time to celebrate, fellowship and have fun together on Sat. night. There will be Chili and dogs, drinks and goodies. Fun and games for the kids.
Recently in the news, a pastor and church advertised it was having an event on Halloween Night and Burning Bibles and other important Christian Lit. just b/c they didn't think it was "of God".
We here at MMerge Ministries were "inspired by God" to counteract this event by holding an alternative Halloween burning of all your extra, unneeded and unnecessary stuff, that is a hindrance to you and your walk with God. This could be anything and everything depending on how you look, read and interpret this....a magazine, movie, music, clothes, or simply some things that bother, hurt or haunt you that you want to write down and throw in the fire and put in the past...could even be character issues or habits you struggle with.
Who: YOU, Come to burn or to fellowship :)
Where: 138 Club Dr. Mc Minnville
When: Meal starts at 6pm
What: We'll burn all night if we have to!
Pinata for the kids! Costumes welcome or come as you are. This is a FREE event, no cost, no donations required. Donations or proceeds(if given) will go to translating and distributing bibles to those in lands/places that may have never received the Word of God in their language. This probably won't be in KJV so if you have an issue with that, buy a KJV and ship it!
We have personally attended these type of events a couple of times in our lives. It was an opportunity for us as we were growing spiritually to rid our lives of some junk that didn't need to be there. At one time i remember doing away with certain cds, books, movies, magazines, immodest or inappropriate clothing. At other times it was an opportunity to write down issues that were holding us back. Emotional, physical, mental or spiritual issues that we knew we were struggling with and needed victory over. We would write those down, anonymously, pray and claim victory over those and put the papers into the fire. Symbolic yet memorable ways to show and remember a time or commitment of getting rid of unhealthiness and growing toward a more Christ-like life.
However, we also want to take the time to celebrate, fellowship and have fun together on Sat. night. There will be Chili and dogs, drinks and goodies. Fun and games for the kids.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
McMinnville Parks and Recreation-May Wellness Tip
May Wellness Tip
Find a Life PurposeFeed the spiritual side of you by finding something you're passionate about, something that makes you want to get up in the morning to do.
Try gardening, or volunteering at a local school or nursing home, or do something else that thrills you. It will keep you well, balanced and happy!
Try gardening, or volunteering at a local school or nursing home, or do something else that thrills you. It will keep you well, balanced and happy!
Get up wanting to see what your day brings you... or find another job or interest where you do! (Tip: Go to bed telling yourself that you'll wake up refreshed and ready have a great day!)
Check out the McMinnville Parks and Recreation website at http://www.mcminnvilletenn.com/ and follow the links to Parks and Recreation. We've got plenty of fun, affordable, family oriented activities to help you stay motivated!
Kristie Sanders, MS, MBA
Wellness Specialist
McMinnville Parks and Recreation
500 Garfield Street
McMinnville, TN 37110
931-473-1212
Get Fit McMinnville !!
Monday, May 4, 2009
Mother's Day May 10th
Mother's Day is FAST approaching....have you thought about how you will honor your mom this year? What about that special woman who has impacted your life in some way? Well we have the Perfect gift for you and very affordable, hand made with loving care. A gift that will bring a smile that means a thousand words of affection!
Hand Made Jewelry for under $5.00
138 Club Drive
McMinnville, Tn 37110
come by to view or purchase
call 931-273-5802 to place an order
or pay by PayPal on this site
Saturday, February 28, 2009
50 Million Killed in 36 years
WOW! That's a lot of babies......this letter/article came through my inbox today and though it is all too lengthy to share here, this part i found worth sharing.
The Roe(in roe vs. wade case) Justices.....didn't anticipate "the policy imposed by the Court to be an unmitigated disaster. In the thirty-six years since Roe and Doe, abortion has taken the lives of more than fifty million unborn victims--each a distinct, unique, precious human being. It has done immeasurable moral, psychological, and sometimes physical harm to women who are so very often, and in so many respects, truly abortion's "secondary victims."
It has corrupted physicians and nurses by turning healers into killers. It has undermined the moral authority of the law by its injustice. It has abetted irresponsible--even predatory--male sexual behavior. Far from reducing the rate of out-of-wedlock births, particularly to poor women, illegitimacy has skyrocketed in the age of abortion. Now the abortion license has metastasized into widespread elite support for deadly embryo experimentation and even, in my home state of New Jersey, to the express legalization of the horrific and grisly practice of fetal farming--the creation of human beings by cloning or other processes for the purpose of harvesting their tissues and organs at any point up to birth for experimentation and transplantation."
Of course, from the pro-life vantage point, success on the judicial front is only the prelude to the larger political struggle over abortion. If Roe is reversed, the result will be to return the matter to the domain of ordinary democratic deliberation for resolution by the state legislatures or the Congress. The burden will then be on the pro-life movement to win the struggle for the soul of the nation. We must, with God's help, persuade our fellow citizens to fulfill the promise of the Declaration of Independence by bringing the unborn fully within the protection of our laws.
On this score, we have a marvelous model in the great anti-slavery crusader William Wilberforce. When he began his work against the monstrous evil of chattel slavery, the odds appeared to be long against abolition. He was attacked by partisans of the slave power as a zealot, a religious fanatic and, most perversely, an enemy of freedom. He was, they said, imposing his religious values on others. If he didn't like slavery, well, no one was forcing him to own slaves. He should mind his own business and stay out of other people's affairs. Less vitriolic critics said that he was unrealistic. He was a dreamer. He was making impossible demands. Does any of this sound familiar?
Wilberforce refused to be intimidated. He would allow nothing to deter him from his mission of Christian charity to free the slaves and end the practice of slavery. He was undaunted by the ridicule often heaped upon him.
A more recent hero, Mother Teresa of Calcutta reminded us during her final visit to the United States that prayer is the most powerful weapon in the pro-life arsenal. Wilberforce would certainly agree. We must ask God's forgiveness for our great national sin of abandoning the unborn to the crime of abortion and implore His guidance and assistance in recalling the nation to its founding ideals of liberty and justice for all. While not all pro-life citizens are in a position to be activists or exercise leadership in the social and political spheres, all are able to participate in the prayer effort, and no one's prayers are superfluous."
*thoughts from Dr. James Dobson in his newsletter and thoughts shared from Professor Robert P. George. Professor George is McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and Director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University. He is a member of the President's Council on Bioethics and previously served on the United States Commission on Civil Rights. He also sits on the editorial board of Public Discourse.
things that make me go "hummmmmmmmmm". what do you think?
The Roe(in roe vs. wade case) Justices.....didn't anticipate "the policy imposed by the Court to be an unmitigated disaster. In the thirty-six years since Roe and Doe, abortion has taken the lives of more than fifty million unborn victims--each a distinct, unique, precious human being. It has done immeasurable moral, psychological, and sometimes physical harm to women who are so very often, and in so many respects, truly abortion's "secondary victims."
It has corrupted physicians and nurses by turning healers into killers. It has undermined the moral authority of the law by its injustice. It has abetted irresponsible--even predatory--male sexual behavior. Far from reducing the rate of out-of-wedlock births, particularly to poor women, illegitimacy has skyrocketed in the age of abortion. Now the abortion license has metastasized into widespread elite support for deadly embryo experimentation and even, in my home state of New Jersey, to the express legalization of the horrific and grisly practice of fetal farming--the creation of human beings by cloning or other processes for the purpose of harvesting their tissues and organs at any point up to birth for experimentation and transplantation."
Of course, from the pro-life vantage point, success on the judicial front is only the prelude to the larger political struggle over abortion. If Roe is reversed, the result will be to return the matter to the domain of ordinary democratic deliberation for resolution by the state legislatures or the Congress. The burden will then be on the pro-life movement to win the struggle for the soul of the nation. We must, with God's help, persuade our fellow citizens to fulfill the promise of the Declaration of Independence by bringing the unborn fully within the protection of our laws.
On this score, we have a marvelous model in the great anti-slavery crusader William Wilberforce. When he began his work against the monstrous evil of chattel slavery, the odds appeared to be long against abolition. He was attacked by partisans of the slave power as a zealot, a religious fanatic and, most perversely, an enemy of freedom. He was, they said, imposing his religious values on others. If he didn't like slavery, well, no one was forcing him to own slaves. He should mind his own business and stay out of other people's affairs. Less vitriolic critics said that he was unrealistic. He was a dreamer. He was making impossible demands. Does any of this sound familiar?
Wilberforce refused to be intimidated. He would allow nothing to deter him from his mission of Christian charity to free the slaves and end the practice of slavery. He was undaunted by the ridicule often heaped upon him.
A more recent hero, Mother Teresa of Calcutta reminded us during her final visit to the United States that prayer is the most powerful weapon in the pro-life arsenal. Wilberforce would certainly agree. We must ask God's forgiveness for our great national sin of abandoning the unborn to the crime of abortion and implore His guidance and assistance in recalling the nation to its founding ideals of liberty and justice for all. While not all pro-life citizens are in a position to be activists or exercise leadership in the social and political spheres, all are able to participate in the prayer effort, and no one's prayers are superfluous."
*thoughts from Dr. James Dobson in his newsletter and thoughts shared from Professor Robert P. George. Professor George is McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and Director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University. He is a member of the President's Council on Bioethics and previously served on the United States Commission on Civil Rights. He also sits on the editorial board of Public Discourse.
things that make me go "hummmmmmmmmm". what do you think?
Friday, February 20, 2009
MMerge Inc. is NOW on FACEBOOK, friend us!!
Friend us on Facebook and join the MMerge Ministries, Inc. Group. We'll still post here to the blog for those of you that aren't on facebook, however, we are finding that facebook is a very effective and vastly used tool for networking and ministry!
Also, the 25 Random things about you note has circulated around the WORLD and my inbox enough times that i finally took some time to respond. I won't paste the entire note here...you can find that on facebook by friending Myra Micah Periwinkle Johnson Jackson but here's a taste of my randomness:
(copied from my facebook notes page)
ok, here it is.......
1. I like to brush my teeth in the shower, it's warmer
2. I'm greedy but for more kids than the general public accepts as "normal" :)
3. I like everything SEE THRU, except clothes of course, that shows that yes i am paranoid and modest and want you to be too :) modest that is...
4. I am more random than your averag JOE or JESSE in my case and yes that is a name i wantd to use for our fourth child but couldn't b/c Jesse Jackson just would NOT have worked for her or me. one of the sweetest youth girls i know is a Jesse, I wished i could have named Rebekah after her.
5. My next children's names WILL be Jeremiah and Joanna Jackson, twins from Africa, i hope, pray and am trusting the Lord for this one!!! Miracles do happen and stranger things than this have already, in our lives.
6. I want one child from EVERY continent and a penguin from Antartica.....no money to do it but i BELIEVE and have EXPERIENCED, YAWEH(God) always have, always will and always continues to provide for me and my family and my friends and all those who are loved and called according to HIS purposes.
7. I think faster than a speeding bullet, people tell me, and act faster than others usually want to, most of the time. it drives my husband, dad and most of my family crazy!!!
8. And when people don't think, act, listen or operate on my time table I tend to get alittle.......lets say.....UPSET???? IRRITATED????? HIGHLY ANNOYED at times????? IMPATIENT????? UGLY????? BRATTY acting??? did i cover it all folks that know me well?
9. *edited*, actually deleted
10. I must have IRISH SPRING bar soap in the reg. flavor AND moisturizing body wash with sponge in the shower at ALL times or else it's just not that good but i'll survive trust me. i have to go DAYS w/o a shower sometimes and i've been on mission trips to a 3rd world country and other places i have survived to tell about w/o showering or brushing my teeth AND sleeping with the largest insect flying things I have EVER seen b4 in my life and yes those were in my bed when i woke up in the middle of the night. And YES, i freaked out!!! But not near as much as i have FRRREAKED out in the last year, trust me there too, it has been bad, that bad. Well worse i guess........
to be continued if you want it to be......
Enjoy your weekend folks and spend some good, quality time with your family, that doesn't include just going to "church" together for an hour on Sunday morning :) You have to "go the extra mile" if that is the case for you and yours and quality time. Adventure OUTDOORS/INDOORS together!!
OR....visit www.jellytelly.com today or this weekend with your pre-school- elementary aged kids, grandkids, nieces, newphews or your nieces and newphews friends :)
Also, the 25 Random things about you note has circulated around the WORLD and my inbox enough times that i finally took some time to respond. I won't paste the entire note here...you can find that on facebook by friending Myra Micah Periwinkle Johnson Jackson but here's a taste of my randomness:
(copied from my facebook notes page)
ok, here it is.......
1. I like to brush my teeth in the shower, it's warmer
2. I'm greedy but for more kids than the general public accepts as "normal" :)
3. I like everything SEE THRU, except clothes of course, that shows that yes i am paranoid and modest and want you to be too :) modest that is...
4. I am more random than your averag JOE or JESSE in my case and yes that is a name i wantd to use for our fourth child but couldn't b/c Jesse Jackson just would NOT have worked for her or me. one of the sweetest youth girls i know is a Jesse, I wished i could have named Rebekah after her.
5. My next children's names WILL be Jeremiah and Joanna Jackson, twins from Africa, i hope, pray and am trusting the Lord for this one!!! Miracles do happen and stranger things than this have already, in our lives.
6. I want one child from EVERY continent and a penguin from Antartica.....no money to do it but i BELIEVE and have EXPERIENCED, YAWEH(God) always have, always will and always continues to provide for me and my family and my friends and all those who are loved and called according to HIS purposes.
7. I think faster than a speeding bullet, people tell me, and act faster than others usually want to, most of the time. it drives my husband, dad and most of my family crazy!!!
8. And when people don't think, act, listen or operate on my time table I tend to get alittle.......lets say.....UPSET???? IRRITATED????? HIGHLY ANNOYED at times????? IMPATIENT????? UGLY????? BRATTY acting??? did i cover it all folks that know me well?
9. *edited*, actually deleted
10. I must have IRISH SPRING bar soap in the reg. flavor AND moisturizing body wash with sponge in the shower at ALL times or else it's just not that good but i'll survive trust me. i have to go DAYS w/o a shower sometimes and i've been on mission trips to a 3rd world country and other places i have survived to tell about w/o showering or brushing my teeth AND sleeping with the largest insect flying things I have EVER seen b4 in my life and yes those were in my bed when i woke up in the middle of the night. And YES, i freaked out!!! But not near as much as i have FRRREAKED out in the last year, trust me there too, it has been bad, that bad. Well worse i guess........
to be continued if you want it to be......
Enjoy your weekend folks and spend some good, quality time with your family, that doesn't include just going to "church" together for an hour on Sunday morning :) You have to "go the extra mile" if that is the case for you and yours and quality time. Adventure OUTDOORS/INDOORS together!!
OR....visit www.jellytelly.com today or this weekend with your pre-school- elementary aged kids, grandkids, nieces, newphews or your nieces and newphews friends :)
Saturday, February 7, 2009
I need/want your help, PLEASE, it could only take a sec!!
Way #1 you could help: if you haven't noticed or checked out www.jellytelly.com WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR??? ok i know, it's been a busy week but now IT'S THE WEEKEND!! make some time to relax, slow down and spend a few minutes with you kids watchin this great stuff, way BETTER than any Sat. morning cartoons my kids usually watch, take time to check it out before another Busy week starts and help me spread the word THANKS!
Way #2: Help me begin to make my dreams/goals start heading toward a reality. I have always wanted to write, i have always loved to write and i've always said that "one day i should write a book" well the research phase is beginning now. If you have known me or even just met me for any length of time you are who i want to help me!!! Please help me by completeing the following statement in the comment section.
i have known myra since __________(give a general date or amount of time) and she __________________________________________________________________. (no more than 7 sentences and all those that are from way back in the day, please keep it clean and appropriate, THANKS :)!!! You never know, one day 10 years from now your statements might be mentioned in my published LIFE STORY !!!
Thanks my FRIENDS, you FUEL me!!!
Myra
if you haven't friended us on facebook, please do!
Matt Jackson
Myra Micah Periwinkle Johnson Jackson
Way #2: Help me begin to make my dreams/goals start heading toward a reality. I have always wanted to write, i have always loved to write and i've always said that "one day i should write a book" well the research phase is beginning now. If you have known me or even just met me for any length of time you are who i want to help me!!! Please help me by completeing the following statement in the comment section.
i have known myra since __________(give a general date or amount of time) and she __________________________________________________________________. (no more than 7 sentences and all those that are from way back in the day, please keep it clean and appropriate, THANKS :)!!! You never know, one day 10 years from now your statements might be mentioned in my published LIFE STORY !!!
Thanks my FRIENDS, you FUEL me!!!
Myra
if you haven't friended us on facebook, please do!
Matt Jackson
Myra Micah Periwinkle Johnson Jackson
Friday, February 6, 2009
Saturday, November 8, 2008
The Gathering Tonight
Kung Po Chicken, Sweet and Sour Chicken, Shrimp Lo Mein, Beef and Brocolli, General Tso's Chicken... any of this sound good to you?????
If so come join us tonight at 5:30.
We are getting together for some Chinese Take Out! If you have a favorite Chinese food, let us know. We will order it all and pick it up. All you have to do is come hang out and eat. We would like to have an idea of who is coming so please RSVP by Friday afternoon.
Cost: $3 per person Bring friends and family!
Where: The Jacksons - 138 Club Drive
yuàn shàng dì zhù fú nĭ hé nĭ de ài rén yŏng yuăn cì fú yú nĭ men:
God bless you and yours and surround you ever with His blessing
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Being Church
I read a great article/ chapter today at www.simplechurchjournal.com and found out it comes from a free downloadable book at www.simplechurchrevolution.com .
Here's what caught me...
Being Church
My Filipino friend, Molong Nacua, wrote an excellent article entitled “Being Church” that reminds us of the true meaning of “church:”
Church is where Christ lives, not the place where we meet. It is Christ-empowered people, a kingdom of priests for the purpose of winning against the works of the devil and establishing God's Kingdom (1 Cor. 3:17; Matt. 18:19; Ex. 19:6)… Christianity is not about doing church, but being the church. Church is not some place to go to participate in, but it is about being who you are in Christ and thus experiencing His real life in you. Your Christianity was never defined by attending a particular church. It is defined by Christ in you. In other words, you are a Christian 24/7, not because you participate in a two-hour worship service, but because Christ lives in you every minute of every day.
Here's what caught me...
Being Church
My Filipino friend, Molong Nacua, wrote an excellent article entitled “Being Church” that reminds us of the true meaning of “church:”
Church is where Christ lives, not the place where we meet. It is Christ-empowered people, a kingdom of priests for the purpose of winning against the works of the devil and establishing God's Kingdom (1 Cor. 3:17; Matt. 18:19; Ex. 19:6)… Christianity is not about doing church, but being the church. Church is not some place to go to participate in, but it is about being who you are in Christ and thus experiencing His real life in you. Your Christianity was never defined by attending a particular church. It is defined by Christ in you. In other words, you are a Christian 24/7, not because you participate in a two-hour worship service, but because Christ lives in you every minute of every day.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
And the Winner IS......
Matthew Woodard!!
This is a type of Assassin Bug called a Wheel Bug.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheel_bug
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassin_bug
October 21, 2008 12:36 PM
Anne, you called right after him but did post first, however, I think he wins the Bug Prize and you win the Chigger prize...stayed tuned for details of the prizes and when you should expect it. THANKS for playing and now we have a science lesson for this afternoon :)
This is a type of Assassin Bug called a Wheel Bug.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheel_bug
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassin_bug
October 21, 2008 12:36 PM
Anne, you called right after him but did post first, however, I think he wins the Bug Prize and you win the Chigger prize...stayed tuned for details of the prizes and when you should expect it. THANKS for playing and now we have a science lesson for this afternoon :)
Monday, October 20, 2008
Rob Bell Interview at RelevantMagazine.com
This is just a clip from an interview that Relevant Magazine did with Rob Bell about his new book "Jesus wants to save Christians." - Looks like a good book, but you can't be afraid to think out of the religous box the church seems to be stuck in. Check it out
As the title of the book suggests, Jesus Wants To Save Christians. In your opinion, what are the biggest things we need saving from?
Boredom. Which is really despair in its non-caffeinated form. And boxes. Where we live in fear and where we put those who unsettle us.
You describe the plan of God for the church to be a gift to the world. Many people today would say that the church is anything but. What are some crucial changes that our churches need to make to become a Eucharist that is broken and poured out for the world?
1. Master the art of doubt. Faith needs it to survive.
4. Remember that the tax collectors and prostitutes loved to feast with Jesus and the religious establishment gossiped about him and dissected his teachings and questioned his commitment to orthodoxy and eventually had him killed. There's a lesson for us there.
As the title of the book suggests, Jesus Wants To Save Christians. In your opinion, what are the biggest things we need saving from?
Boredom. Which is really despair in its non-caffeinated form. And boxes. Where we live in fear and where we put those who unsettle us.
You describe the plan of God for the church to be a gift to the world. Many people today would say that the church is anything but. What are some crucial changes that our churches need to make to become a Eucharist that is broken and poured out for the world?
1. Master the art of doubt. Faith needs it to survive.
2. Surrender the compulsive need to constantly remind people that according to your worldview you're going to heaven forever when you die and they're going to burn in hell forever.
3. Celebrate the good and the true and the beautiful wherever and whenever you find it regardless of the label it wears or the person it comes from or the place you found it. All things are yours.
4. Remember that the tax collectors and prostitutes loved to feast with Jesus and the religious establishment gossiped about him and dissected his teachings and questioned his commitment to orthodoxy and eventually had him killed. There's a lesson for us there.
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