Pursuing Faith

Inkubook

2008-10-23T11:10:00.000-07:00

Two posts in one day, I know you are all shocked, but I must tell you of the great customer service at Inkubook

This morning I received an email from Inkubook's Product Marketing Manager. She had read my blog and was concerned over my thoughts regarding my photobook.

As I stated, it really is a great book. There were just some small things that were not what I was expecting, like the pages not being vertically center.

She was very helpful and directed me to their blog that explained how to make sure my pages were perfectly placed. She also offered to allow me to adjust my pages and they would print me a new book for free. Shipping included. I don't know about you, but I frequent places that have great customer service.

Thank you, Inkubook, and you can be sure I will be back.

Artscow

2008-10-23T10:51:00.000-07:00

For all of you who read about ArtsCow, here is another offer for you.

Use these coupon codes to receive a 30 page photobook for $11.99 with free shipping. These would usually cost you $14.99 with shipping.

I have to be honest and tell you I have yet to order a photobook from ArtsCow, but I do know someone who has. You can find what she has to say here: Digitreats.

These coupon codes only last until December 8th, so if you are interested please try it out. Also remember every code can only be used once. If you try one and it does not work, try another.

Enjoy!!

ZWEKNR8

ZK14H65

ZYY22PA

ZSZE3YW

ZV91J57

ZUBM8L3

ZYHSYR6

Z2QM7X2

ZV9UFHL

ZYY4939

Remember to go to ArtsCow.com.

It has arrived!

2008-10-22T20:59:00.001-07:00

My photobook I ordered from Inkubook has arrived. It was not exactly what I thought it was going to be, but it is nice. I really like it.

It was great to see the pages printed out and in a book.

It is not printed on photo paper, but it is definitely high quality paper. It is very securely bound and looks to be durable.

I also noticed that the pages where not exactly centered, but that could have been my fault. They have a great program that you use to build your book and I might not have been paying close enough attention.

Other than that, it is going to be a great treasure for my family to have. I did it on our vacation this summer to Kansas. The girls have already looked at it several times and just in that, it is a treasure. They loved being in a book.

Well, the only other new news is that I am pregnant and for my two readers, you all ready knew that.

Update

2008-10-10T20:49:00.001-07:00

My blog is definitely a work in progress. I will keep at it though until I get what I am looking for. Let me know what you think.

Other Freebie

2008-10-10T15:12:00.000-07:00

I am so sorry I did not get back here yesterday. The day went by way to quickly.

I do want to give you other freebie I was told about by Vicki from A Work In Progress. The website is called Inkubook and they are offering a photobook at just the price of shipping and the invitation of someone to view your book.

You do have to download a small program to be able to do it, but it was a very simple program and they have great livechat service. I purchased my book Wednesday and I will let you know what I think of it.

I put together a book about the vacation that my family and I took this summer. I am very excited to see it.

I am working on a project for Miss Bailee for Christmas, so I am going to get back to it. Chat at ya soon.

Free Stuff

2008-10-08T09:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I was reading the Digitreats blog and she had found a site that gave away 1200 free prints to new customers. The site is ArtsCow.

You sign up for free and they give you 600 4x6s and 600 5x7s. You are not able to use them all at once, but over a few month period.

I have to admit that I do not know what type of quality it is, but I am going to order some pictures and find out. When I do, I will let you know.

I also received a coupon for a free photo book. I have to pay for shipping, but that is a great deal especially since I was thinking of giving photo books for Christmas.

I am excited to see God's provision in my life. God is so good to provide for all of our needs even gifts.

I also have one more freebie that I heard of, but I am going to wait until tomorrow to mention it.

I did want you to see of the my 13 year old daughter I have been telling you about. She is beautiful and she has started taking pictures of herself in Vogue-esque style. She is actually good at it. Most of her pictures turn out great. Here is a recent picture she has taken.

I also finished my layouts from our vacation this summer. I am hoping to get a book made of them. They turned out really well. Here is the one I made for the cover.

This layout was done using "September" kit by by Jeanelle Paige. I just loved the colors.

I need to get back to my life and girls now. For those of you who do not know, I homeschool and I have been putting off starting. It is time though. Have a great day.

New Look

2008-10-07T12:22:00.001-07:00

Truly, I am going to try to keep this up to date.

Today I am trying to update my look. I am hoping I can get it worked out soon. I got my header updated and some new colors, but I am also hoping to get something done with the background.

Let me know what you think.

Well, I am going to get back to it.

HUH!!

2008-10-06T19:47:00.000-07:00

How in the heck does the time fly by so quickly?!!! Honestly, I am on the internet everyday, but do I take the time to jot a little something down, !NO! Should I? !YES!

I really do want to maintain this blog and have actual people read it. Ange and Becky, I am so thankful for the two of you. I know if you did not read it no one would.

Well, enough drama. I actually do have an excess of drama here in my house, but I will try to share it with you.

I am doing great. Now that my daughters are taking dance again I am busy. Not only do I have to be there bus drive to and from class, but I also do the bookkeeping for the school. I am not complaining though, because this allows my girls to go at a discount.

The big news in my life is that my eldest daughter will be turning 13 this month. I am not sure if I am ready, but I am excited for her. I remember 13 and just feeling like you could take on the world. I know I will be the one she mostly takes on, but that is okay. My mom and I had a lot of practice in the art of verbal battle when I was a teenage. It was not all good, but I did learn a few lessons.

Something completely different about my daughter as an almost-teenage and me as a teenager is her need to share everything. She cannot keep anything to herself. We receive the minute-by-minute rundown of the things that are going on in her life. I know I should not complain, but sometimes I know I am going to go crazy if she does not stop talking.

My new most favorite thing is digital scrapbooking. I have to admit that the majority of my time on the internet is spent reading people's blogs on this matter and downloading the free stuff they are so gracious to share.

If you are a traditional scrapbooker, I highly recommend checking this out. I love both. I love the opportunity to work with my hands, but then I love when I can get on my computer (and with no mess to clean up) create a layout in an hour. If you are ever interested let me know.

Have a great evening.

Here I Am Again!

2008-07-30T10:06:00.000-07:00

We are home. Well actually we have been home for a week now. We had a wonderful time on our vacation.

Our trip to Wichita was a bit long. Our youngest, Makayla, was sick throughout the whole trip. She had what we determined was "hand, foot, and mouth disease", which is definitely not something you want your children to have. She had a high fever and sores in her mouth making it hard to impossible to eat.

Once we got to my brother and sister-in-laws house, things were much better. We had a wonderful time together. We went shopping at malls Bailee enjoyed. We spent one day at the zoo. They have a great zoo there.

One thing we did was buy a box of Jelly Belly jelly beans. This particular one was called a "Bean-boozled" box. It contains eight different types of jelly beans. For each of these jelly beans, there is a nasty flavor. Flavors like skunk, pencil shavings, throw up, and booger. I have to say that this was quite an experience. We dumped all the jelly beans into a bowl and then we each took a turn take one jelly bean. What you got is what you got. All but one of my beans was a normal flavor. The one yucky one was the skunk.

SKUNK!! If you have ever been driving down the road and encountered fresh skunk, you will understand what I am saying. That smell that fills your senses became a taste on my tongue. It took quite some time to get rid of the taste. It was fun though. I wished we had video-taped the experience. Watching as each person took a bean and determined whether they really wanted to eat it.

Our trip home was a lot smoother. Everyone was feeling much better and we saw Mount Rushmore. It took longer than we had anticipated, but at 4am Wednesday morning, we arrived home.

We traveled through Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Denver, Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota. I would not mind living in Montana, Northern Wyoming, and South Dakota. I would not want to live in Nebraska. It is all corn fields. Denver I have to admit that I did not see much and what I did see was at night. If I had not seen Wichita, I would not want to live in Kansas either. If you have ever looked out over the ocean and seen how it just goes on forever, this is what you find in Kansas except of course it is land you see. It goes on forever though.

If you have not taken a road trip lately, I would encourage you to do so. Of course, I realize gas prices are a killer right now. But if you have the means, go. See some of the country you have never seen before. Or maybe just see some of the state you live in that you may have never seen before.

HA! Less than a Month!

2008-07-14T08:10:00.000-07:00

So I was at a little family function yesterday and being ribbed about how I do not write in my blog often enough, I thought to myself well I will show them.

I wish I had a picture, but when they pulled out their SRLs, I though better of bringing out my point and click. I know my sister-in-laws got some pictures. I am thinking I will get a few from them and then I will add one.

In other news, my family and I are getting ready for a road trip to Wichita.
This is the advice I have received thus far:
1) DVD player a necessity - As one person said, "How did we survive without portable DVD players?"
2) Bring audio books, because there truly is nothing in Wyoming.
3) Pray you return with your sanity. Some of my friends cannot imagine making this trip with our three girls.

I will let you know how this little venture goes. We leave tomorrow and return a week from Wednesday.

We are very excited. We are going to visit my brother Jake and his family. This moved to Wichita at the beginning of June, but it seems much longer.

A Month

2008-06-24T07:53:00.000-07:00

I truly wish that I was more consistent with this, but life just seems to mow over me and I become overwhelmed.

Life has definitely been chugging along for about a year now. Last September a good portion of my family moved to Kenya, Africa. While there one of my brothers got married. Then this last month one of my other brothers and his family moved to Wichita, Kansas. Now I wait for one of my sisters to have a baby and my brother and his new wife to visit. Life hopefully could not be busier, but this is really not what I was going to write about.

I want to tell you about a book I have read recently. It is called The Shack and it is quite controversial. I did not realize this when I read it though.

I have met many people who did not like it. I agree that the push off place for this book is quite emotional and heartrending. But I think that tragedy in our lives is definitely what draws us closer to God.

There were definite aspects of this book that I did not agree with, but what I found in it was a desire to make my relationship with the Lord more intimate. I realized from reading this book that it was I that had put limitations on who God was and what my relationship with Him would be.

I encourage you to at least check it out. You may not like. In fact, you may read the bulerp about and say "No way", but at least check it out.

If you read it, let me know what you think. I have found the the views regarding this book to be very broad and I love to have my personal opinion challenged by those who have thought about their's.

YIKES?!

2008-05-18T15:39:00.000-07:00

Does life ever get on the fast track for you? It is like someone has a remote controller that controls your life and they hit the fast forward button. My life seems to go through cycles of that. I cannot believe the last time I wrote one of these was in January. At least it was this year.

I have a friend, who is always encouraging me regarding my blog, so this one is for her. Annette, thank you for taking the time to encourage me. I really appreciate it.

I was reading in my Bible today, which is something I have not done a lot of lately. When my life gets on fast forward, it seems that my times with God are the first thing to go.

Why? I am not sure. It is definitely one of the most important parts of my day. I think I begin to think that I can handle my life just fine on my own. Then I find out that I cannot. I really always knew I couldn't, but something always assures me I can.

Back to my Bible, I was reading in 1 John and verse 3 says this: "See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are." It actually says more, but this is the part that really spoke to me.

Those of us who went to Sunday School are regularly taught that we are the children of God, but I think sometimes God will take those truths that we all ready know and increase our understanding of them. He has done that for me. Really He has placed within me the desire to have a greater understanding. It is like a treat to a child knowing they will take it and want more.

I have found that when I want to study a scripture I need to know what all of the words in the scripture mean. Some are just plain obvious, but others I need to look up and really understand their definitions.

"Bestowed" is just such a word. I have an inkling of what it means, but I really want to understand it fully. When I looked it up, I found this definition: to present as a gift or an honor.

This verse reminds me again that nothing I do will earn my right as a child of God. It is a gift and an honor.

Do you know how much God loves you? He loves you so much he gave you the gift of sonship or daughtership, if you will accept it. I encourage you to find the God that freely brings you into His family by His Son, Jesus. Know that you are loved with no requirements other than believing in Jesus and the gift He gave of His life for you.

Timing

2008-01-20T18:49:00.000-08:00

I find that timing is everything in life. I wish I had better timing. So many times I am too early or too late in something. With relationships, I find that is definitely true. I wish I could be who I want to be for people.

With my mom gone I have really had to reevaluate who I am and how that affects others. I find it fairly ironic that I look like my mom in more ways than one, but I am definitely my father's daughter. I did not acquire many of the people skills that my mom has. I did, in fact, inherit much of the lack of people skills that my father has.

The amusing thing is that my husband really is not better than I am. How did that happen? Usually you find a balance in a marriage, one is very social and the other less social. That is not mine and Jeremy's marriage though. We both struggle with being social.

Not social in the sense that we do not want to be around people, more in the sense that neither one of us have really deep relationships with those outside of our family.

You know I am trying to express things that I have not fully developed in my brain. I guess I just write this to let you know that I am trying. Or at least, I am aware. I am not sure what to do about it, but God is in on it and hopefully he will have a fix for it soon.

God knows I need friends and so do I. I am just not sure how to cultivate them.
So here I am just recording my thoughts to hold myself accountable. For tonight I find that I have searched my soul enough. Maybe tomorrow will bring illumination to the questions and help in finding the answers.

Waiting

2008-01-02T16:39:00.000-08:00

I am sitting here thinking of how easy my life is. I am buying things off Ebay. Thinking about what I will fix my family for dinner knowing that the food is there and if it weren't I could got to the store with no fear for my life and get more.

My power went out two different times today and I began to think what would I do if this were a permanent thing. Would I be ready for such a situation? I am not sure if I would.

My family is living in a land that 1000s are fleeing. They know that their lives are in grave danger and so they are leaving. They are leaving with the very little they have and they are seeing their homes burning behind them. Have you ever thought about someone running you out of your home? I cannot imagine being in so much fear for my life that I would need to move to another state or country.

My parents are well at this time. The situation is becoming more tense and from our news media it looks like they are on the verge of civil war. Anyone watch the movie, Hotel Rwanda? One news venue remarked how the situation was becoming close to that one.

I personally have never seen it. I watch movies for entertainment. I must admit that I am shallow in that way. I do not want to be depressed or sad after watching a movie, but I know what it is about. And I now know that my parents are living the reality of it.

If you are interested in keeping up to date regarding my family, please go to leisterkenya.blogspot.com. I will be doing the upkeep on my mom's blog while she is not able to.

Please continue to pray. God knows. I believe that He is holding my family in the palm of His hand. He will keep careful watch over them. I do not know what the final outcome of this situation will be, but I know that God is good. So I am looking for His goodness.

Draw close to those you love, because one day they will not be there.
Jess

The Year

2007-12-31T09:24:00.000-08:00

Do you ever look back at your year and just think "WOW!?". I do. There have been some years in my life that stand out for me. Some are for good things and some for not so good things.

I have to tell you that this was one of the "WOW!?" years. My husband and I were looking at having our house foreclosed on. My parents moved to Kenya, Africa. My daughter turned 12 and for those of you with 12 year olds or had 12 year old girls you understand. We sold our house, but were actually going to owe. God gave us a miracle and we walked away clear. I have had my first Christmas without my parents and younger siblings. Without my parents, I was in the position of bringing the fam together for a time to rejoice. It was a full year.

But this being the actual last day of the year, it is not over. I received a phone call from my mom in the middle of the night last night to let me know they are considering coming home.

Kenya was the most stable of African nations, but the elections that took place last Thursday have thrown it into chaos. The current president rigged the election so that he could stay in office. The main challenger, who should have one, is trying to set up a parallel government. The two main tribes are trying to kill each other to see who comes out on top.

As I talked with my mom, she told me she could hear automatic rifle fire in the background. The city they live in, Eldoret, has been burning, because people are lighting business on fire. Life in Kenya is no longer stable.

So here I am stateside knowing the only thing I can do is pray. Is God big enough? Absolutely! If there is one thing this last year has shown me is that God can do any number of impossible things as long as we believe. Well, I choose to believe.

To make matters worse in this situation, they have blacked out television, disconnected any internet use and they are threatening to stop phone usage.

My parents are living in exciting times. I wish I were there. I wish that I could be there to know if I have what it takes to believe God for the big stuff, but I am here and I can believe for them here.

If you have a moment in your day, lift up Horace, Phyllis, Marvin, Troyanna, Dannon, and Rachel in prayer.

Time

2007-12-18T16:47:00.000-08:00

Do you ever wonder how so much time can pass and you did not even realize it? My family moved to Kenya almost three months ago. It has seemed long, but then it hasn't. My daughter turned 12 in October. How the heck did that happen? When did I give her the okay to turn 12 and become an almost-teenager? Which I think is just as bad as being a teenager, because they can feel that change is coming but they do not fully understand it. Like any of us understand change.
Okay, well, life is much better than I am making it out. God has abundantly blessed me and He continues to do it every day. I actually have nothing to honestly complain about and yet, I often do it.
So, I technically have two blogs. I had three, but I just deleted one, because I never wrote in it. I was trying to be so organized. One blog for separate trains of thought, but you know what, they have all merged. I have one track and it just runs several trains.
My husband is a one-train kind of guy. He gets going in one thought pattern and it is really hard to get that train to stop. Me, I can switch trains with a speed that not many can match. I often confuse and befuddle by husband by switching trains or maybe it is jumping tracks.
All of that to say, I am going to condense. I will just be using this blog for all of my mindless and hopefully, not so mindless, wanderings. Come wander with me any time you have a minute.

Why Does It Take So Long?

2007-08-21T20:44:00.000-07:00

Do you ever feel like the lessons God is trying to teach do not "take" the first few times?

I do not know how many times I have been asked to have faith in God for something and I whine, complain, and tell Him "I do not understand", even though every time before He has made the way.

I hope I am learning. My family and I are about to reach the one year mark of my husband not having a full time job. It has been the most faith-challenging year I have ever experienced and yet, I know that I am in a much better place today than I was the day it all began.

God has proven Himself to be faithful over and over again. So why do I have any doubts? I truly cannot give you an answer.

In my logical mind, I know that I should not have any doubts, but somewhere in my illogical heart lives a weed. Every time we have a come to the test of faith I have pulled that weed, but every time I have missed a portion of the root. Why?

How do I get it all? I send this out to any of you who have experienced this. If you have insight, please enlighten me. I truly want to walk and no more doubt.

Be blessed!

One Moment

2007-07-10T07:37:00.000-07:00

For all of you SAHMs, you know this is a very rare moment. My kids all stayed the night with other people and my husband is still asleep.

Honestly, life is really good at this moment. My house is quiet. Do you remember what that sounds like?! Most of the time, I do not, but it is here now.

It is the most beautiful sound. You can actually hear yourself think. You can hear your house sign and get comfortable for the day. There is peace in silence. I love it!!!

The reason being is that I am usually listening to one or more of our three girls telling me a story, telling on one of the other ones, asking me to go somewhere (that is just Bailee, our eleven-year-old, right now), making plans that will not possibly work out, etc.

It is amazing to me how much my children talk. It seems they are completely unable to keep their thoughts in. I do realize though this is better than them never talking to me, which is something I would never want.

So you say to me, Jess I thought this was suppose to be about God or something. Oh, it is, because He is found in the silence. I truly struggle to have a "Quiet Time" when there is no quiet.

Lately, I have just not had the energy to get out of bed before our girls. The two younger ones are up usually by 7, if not sooner.

So this morning, I spent some time with the Lord. We talked about life and how I was doing. I read His word and was given the promise that no matter how it looks right now. It will get better, because my inheritance is in Him. I just need to keep seeking Him.

This is about God, because I am nothing without Him and life is impossible without Him.

I hope you are all blessed today.

2007-07-05T20:50:00.000-07:00

This is Shadow. We now have three cats. We are definitely done with the feline animals though. Next pet we may get will be a dog, but that is definitely for another day.

What do you think of him?

Independence

2007-07-05T20:24:00.000-07:00

I think sometimes we are too concerned with our own independence. I know I have really been struggling with this lately.

My husband and I are going through a tough time right now, not with each other, just with our circumstances and I am finding it difficult to follow his lead. I know this is the way it should be, but I struggle.

We did not get married until we were both 25 and we both were comfortable with who we were. We did not see any reason for change. Our first year was a definite challenge. We also had a seven year old, so I thought I knew everything about being a parent and ... Well, I thought I was more mature and grounded than he was.

We are finding ourselves in that place again. We have been going through a financial struggle for over six months now and it just seems to get harder. We know our God is the God of breakthrough and it is coming, but we are being challenged in many areas through this circumstance.

Anyway, we are at a place again to expect more out of each other than is fair. Again I have found myself looking at my husband thinking I am more mature and grounded, but God is reminding me that is not the case.

I have to say Jeremy's and my communication skills have improved greatly over the last five years. We are much more willing to see things from the other person's views or at least let the other person have there say and try to understand.

I write all of this I guess to encourage those who may be going through something similar. God is good. I can see His hand all over our lives. Do not give up. We have not, even though it is hard.

Blessings on all of you,

Jess

Wordless Wednesday

2007-06-27T11:15:00.000-07:00

I Return!!

2007-06-25T14:42:00.000-07:00

So after more than two months of life overwhelming me, I am finding a moment to come back to you. Not that your here with me yet, but I hope you will return.

My life is filled with God given challenges right now. I remember the times when I would pray for my faith to be strengthened and challenged. I highly recommend you not praying that unless you are truly ready for God to meet you in that prayer.

Actually, I know we are never fully ready for the faith stretching experiences God puts in our paths, otherwise they would not be faith stretching, right?!

We, my husband and I, are in a process of refinement. I think I am especially feeling, but I know he is here with me.

For me, my parents and younger siblings are moving to Africa. My brother, Josh, one of my closest friends moved last fall. My brother, Jake, and his family will most likely only be here a year longer. My sister, Brandi, is in California right now. My sister, Brittney, is bound and determined to return to Canada where she spent a year. Our finances have been under the faith column for quite some time. My children have decided to grow and change faster than I am ready for. Life just seems to be a tornado around me right now.

I plan on pursuing God through this whole experience, not matter where it leads. I know God will use my growth to benefit others which is what I want more than anything.

I hope you will all stick around to enjoy the ride. Blessings today.

Joy and Peace

2007-04-17T07:23:00.000-07:00

I was reading my Bible this morning and I found a scripture that I just must share.

Romans 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

I love the fact that I do not have to stir up hope for myself. That I can ask and God will fill me with joy and peace in believing. Then I can abound in hope and not in my power, but by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Is there anything better? To know that God wants peace, joy, and hope for each of us so much that He has provided for it. All we have to do is ask and believe that His word is truly.

Believe this for yourselves today. Know that no matter what you are struggling with, God has provided for your joy, peace, and hope. Grab a hold of that and do not let it go.

Blessings on all of you today.

Jess

Idaho Mandate & Abortion

2007-04-14T08:30:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to say "Yeah" to Idaho and the other states that have placed this mandate in their law. It is that pregnant women seeking an abortion would have to have an ultrasound first and see the images of their baby.

At one point in time, I was an unwed mother of 19 fearing to tell my parents and the world of my pregnancy. For one brief moment I thought about abortion, but something instead of me knew that an abortion was not the way out. I now know it was Jesus in me protecting me from making a mistake I would struggle to live with the rest of my life.

I know not everyone is like me and there are those who honestly do not view a fetus as a baby. I personally think that adding pictures to the equation will even out the odds in the baby's favor.

Here is the link if you want to read about it: CitizenLink.

P.S. Did I mention I was from Idaho?

Faith

2007-04-13T21:18:00.000-07:00

FAITH

Doesn't that word just get you? Do we fully understand what it means to have faith? The whole concept of faith stretches my mind beyond where it wants to go and yet, it does want to go there. I truly want to see the world the way God does. I truly want to believe that the things I ask in Jesus' name will be provided for as long as I am seeking His righteousness. I want to look into the scary future and know that "He who is in me is greater than he who is in the world".

All of this and so much more is what the word faith stirs up in me.

How about you?

Praying for Loved Ones

2007-04-09T16:27:00.000-07:00

The Lord has really been talking with me lately regarding prayer. I know the one way we can truly sacrifice for our families is to take time and lift them up in prayer. Sometimes, our lives become overwhelming and it seems that prayer is the first thing to go, or prayer for others, specifically.

Sometimes, I know, we need to find God in our circumstances before we can find Him in the circumstances of others.

But sometimes, we are just tired. Tired of fighting the Good Fight!! Tired of having to continuously lift up those that do everything in their power to hurt us or push us away.

I am actually living such a situation. I have a family member who has chosen to walk away from God and our family. She is trying desperately to cause us to be mad at her, so that we will push her away and she can feel justified in pushing us away. It is a very hard situation.

I have seven brothers and sisters. I have to say that my brother, who is closest in age to me, is special to me. He is almost 29 and not married and I have just been allowed to be his protecting, defending big sister for more years than is usual.

Once a brother gets a wife, your role as big sister changes. I know this by experience. My second youngest brother is happily married to a wonderful woman and so he does not need me to be the defender, protector in his life. God provided someone better and I am good with that.

So my wandering sister has chosen recently to spread terrible rumors about the brother I am the defender, protector to. So needless to say, I was a bit riled when I heard, but God is good, he gave me a husband who will let me know when I am stepping out of line.

The interesting thing of the whole situation is that I had decided just four days before to begin spending time daily praying for my sister and fasting one meal per day to see breakthrough. The Enemy knows which buttons to push in our lives to try to distract us from the purpose God has set before us.

Thankfully my husband does call me on things when I step out of line or I could have gotten very worked up and distracted from my purpose.

I tell you all of this so you will understand where I am coming from. In seek the best action plan to pray for my sister, God really spoke to my mom, sister-in-law, and I about proclaiming scripture over my sister to combat the lies she is speaking forth.

Our prayers are very important. The Bible says in James 5:16b The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

But I also know, there is nothing better than speaking the Word of God over and for those we love. God's heart for our loved ones is deeper and more pure. Sometimes, I own motives get in and can confuse our prayers. That will not happen if we are speaking the Word of God.

I encourage you. If you have any type of situation you are facing and your need truth spoken into it, get out your Bible and find the verses that will speak to it and then begin to declare them over that situation.

If you are being challenged in any situation, one of the best verses to proclaim over your life that will give you confidence to face it with the Lord at your side is Romans 8:37. "Yet in all things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

So take out your two-edged sword and show the Enemy what your Lord is made of.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

With love and blessings,

Jess

Praying Your Worries Away

2007-04-06T17:03:00.000-07:00

Last weekend on Sunday, I had the opportunity to speak at one of our local nursing homes. It was to be short and sweet. Let me tell you it was. I think I spoke for a total of 6 minutes.

I thought I would share with you what I said to those lovely elderly people.

(Just so you know, this will not be verbatim, but it will give you the gist.)

The Lord is always wanting to take care of our needs for us. Many times we do not feel like we want to bother God. We will take him the big things and try to fix the little ones on our own. Today I challenge you to begin taking all of your needs to God.

Matt. 6:25-34 says, ₂₅ "For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

₂₆ "Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?

₂₇ "And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?

₂₈ "And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin,

₂₉ yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.

₃₀ "But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!

₃₁ "Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?'

₃₂ "For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

₃₃ "But seek first His kindom and His righeousness, and all these things will be added to you.

₃₄ "So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

I have found these verse to be so true in my own life. My husband lost his job in September and we have been living on faith in the Father ever since. We are still making it, but I know it is not by anything we have done.

We chose at that time to "seek first His kingdom and His righteousness" and we believed that in doing that "all these things will be added to you".

The Father knows our needs and He desires to provide for them. The one thing we must do is lift them up to Him in prayer. Our prayers are not to enlighten God to our current situation. Our prayers are to lighten us of our burden of trying to make everything work out. That has never been our job, I am not sure why we try to perform it.

Philippians 4:6 says, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."

If you will release your burdens to God, He will take them from you. He will give back to you something that would not have dared to dream.

1 Peter 5:7 says, "casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you."

And He cares for each one of us like we were the only one. He does not think to himself, "Well, yesterday I helped Joe, so I cannot help Jess today. He cares for me and you as if we were the only ones on the planet. He has the provision to do that.

God loves us as his precious children. We can know that He only wants the best for us. Now that may not look like what we think it should, but if we give it time, we will release God's way is definitely the best way.

I will end today with Matt. 7:7-11.

₇ "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

₈ "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

₉ "Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone?

₁₀ "Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he?

₁₁ "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!

I hope this inspires you to remember, you never have to do it only. The Father is always there with you.

Israel

2007-03-31T19:54:00.000-07:00

I am not sure about you, but I have found myself so much more interested in Israel and God's chosen people.

If you did not know, Passover will be happening this weekend. This is the time when the Jewish people celebrate when God sent the Angel of Death and killed all the firstborn of the Egyptians. It also took on new meaning and depth when Jesus came as the new covenant.

While I am was reading in Romans 11 the other day, a verse just jumped out at me and I am not sure what to think of it.

It is Romans 11:25-27.
₂₅ For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery - so that you will not be wise in your own estimation - that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in;
₂₆ and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written,
"The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob."
₂₇ "This is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins."

Does this passage literally mean all Jews will go to heaven in the end? "All" seems pretty definite to me.

Isn't the Bible an amazing book? We could have read it for years and then all of a sudden something new jumps out at us and says, "Wait, you have missed me before. What do you think?" This is how I know the Word of God is alive. It seems to always be drawing me in to more.

Let me know if you have any insight into the Israelite question. Bless you this day.

Today with God

2007-03-28T21:50:00.000-07:00

I love to spend time with God and have Him speak to me. Lately it just seems like He has been revealing more of Himself to me.

My pastor spoke on Hell this week and how we should allow the certainty of Hell to put within us an overwhelming burden for the lost. It was such a good reminder. At times, I can get so caught up in my life and how it is being lived, I forget to look beyond myself.

I just think it is so wonderful that when we are willing God speaks to us. He just has been speaking to me lately about His love for all. There is no person out there that the Lord does not love. He sent Jesus to cover all of our sins putting us in right relationship with the Father. How incredible is that.

At times, I become discouraged with myself when I think of all that the Lord has done for me and how often I take that for granted. I know I am going to heaven and I want to arrive there in a right relationship with the Father, but what the Father wants is to see me and the harvest I have brought with me.

Now don't get me wrong. This is not a bash Jessica thing I am doing. It is just a self-realization thing. I want to be in right relationship with the Lord, but I want to be doing His will during that process. I do not think we get to be perfect and then He tells us to do the work. I think we should be doing the work while we are in process, because our testimonies of the process can be very powerful.

Tonight I stand before you or have written before you, my desire for more of the will of God, the ultimate goal for the Father, which is that none should perish. All should know the love of the Father and be adopted into the family.

I give you a challenge. Be listening for the Lord to speak to you about the people around you. Are you walking in His will regarding them? Are you speaking the words He has for them? And I believe a lot of the time those words are just going to be words of love and encouragement. It think sometimes we scare ourselves over what we think evangelism looks like, but all it is, is love someone so they see the Light of Jesus in you and then telling them about it when you feel the Lord's leading. When we love someone nothing else matters, but knowing in the end we will be together.

Blessings on you this night.

Publishing Style

2007-03-28T21:44:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe how long I can be kept away from this at times. Life can just be crazy.

I have to admit I am a little miffed right now. I write another blog and I was given some constructive criticism. I have to admit I would love to be someone who can handle constructive criticism, but I do struggle with it.

Anyway, the opinion was that changing the font, color, and alignment of test can be hard to read and confusing. I want your opinion. What do you think?

I understand that uniformity is easier to look at, but does it take away from the personality and creativity of the blog. Am I just being overly sensitive? I guess I just want some none biased opinions. Thanks.

Spring Reading Thing

2007-03-23T19:59:00.000-07:00

I have just found out about this reading challenge. I am very excited about it. I am definitely planning on joining. The only bad thing is I get lost in books. I can get so caught up in reading that nothing else matters. I will just have to be careful I guess.

Why don't you join? Find those books that are part of the way done or make a list of new books you have been wanting to read and join the challenge.

It is being hosted by Katrina at Callapidder Days. It is called the Spring Reading Thing and you should definitely join today.

Time Does Fly

2007-03-23T19:42:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe how quickly it does. I was sure it had only been two days since I last posted. Obviously, that was not the case though.

Life has just been moving along for me. I learn everyday I have to fight for my time with God. I either have to fight myself or my circumstances.

I know the days when I have not been with the Lord right from the start. They are much more challenging. It seems like everything that will upset me does.

I am beginning to realize why this happens. It is not because those things were not happening before. It is because when I have the Holy Spirit flowing through me than I have a completely different view and approach on life. I do not have to struggle with things as much, because I am more in tune to Jesus and how he views them.

The word tonight is spend time with Jesus. He loves you and He is waiting, always. He is always there for you. Never will He not be available.

Katchy Kids Dancewear

2007-03-19T21:53:00.000-07:00

The ladies' over at 5 Minutes for Mom are having another contest. They have found this great site that sells dancewear for the little dancers in your life. It is call Katchy Kids and I recommend you check them out and get in on the contest. The links on provided. What are you waiting for?

The Goodness of God

2007-03-19T21:24:00.000-07:00

I have to tell you about a friend of mine. She truly is amazing to me. We are not best friends by any means, but I hold this young woman in high esteem. I see qualities in her that I dream of acquiring. She is gracious, giving, kind, and, I can honestly say, the list does go on and on.

The reason I mention her is because she is about to have her first child. She has been married for five years come April, I am mostly sure, and up until now her and her husband have lost two or three babies to miscarriages. This has weighed very heavy on her and all who have known her and her husband, Sean.

I have gotten to know this couple better by working with them at our local Healing Rooms. They have been faithful to come in week after week and pray for the sicknesses and hurts of other people. So now they are receiving a part of their blessing for being faithful.

They do not know yet whether they are having a boy or a girl, but I know that the child will be blessed above and beyond. Not just because he or she is going to have great parents, but because this is a child conceived in prayer. This is a promise child.

I am asking you tonight if you have promises that you desire see come to pass. Have you been long suffering and patient to see those come about? Have you given them to the Lord and allowed Him to move in His time table? Or when they did not come to pass in your time table, have you forgotten them?

My friends have shown me what true perseverance is? What it means to have true heartache and yet not let go of the hem of Jesus garment? To hold on to Him and say, I will not let go until you bless me?

Did you know you could do that? Did you know you could ask the Lord for all you need and be persistent about it and He will never turn you away?
You have to be prepared for the way He answers those prayers. They may not look the way you think they will, but He will never turn you away.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, that you neither leave us nor forsake us. You are always for us. Help me to be persistent in pursuing the promises You have given me.

Dialoguing with God

2007-03-16T21:36:00.000-07:00

My desire was to true connect with the Father each day and to bring you a nugget of what I received. It just seems like I am totally unable to do that.

I did connect with the Father today. It was just hours ago and my life has just kind of left me in a mindless place. It is time for me to go to bed.

But I will leave you with this, God is good ALL THE TIME. I am beginning to see in my life His daily touches.

My husband has been self-employed since December last year. He was unemployed from September to December last year. During that period, we just proclaimed the Word of God over our lives and finances believing that He is the providing God He says He is.

This last month we have just seem random jobs come my husband's way. He just keeps getting calls out of the blue to do this or that. God truly is amazing. We would never have been able to make these opportunities happen in our own strengthens or abilities. It is just God being true to His Word, which says "I am the Provider."

Let God be your provider today. Maybe it is not finances. Maybe it is a child. Maybe it is a spouse. Maybe it is another relative, friend, boss, co-worker. Maybe it is your mind. There are so many areas in our lives the Lord will provide provision for if we allow Him. Open up to Him. Allow Him to be your Provider. Bless you all this night.

Husbands?!

2007-03-15T20:42:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been in the situation where you wanted your husband to care about something, but he doesn't?

Tonight I went to a Ladies' Night thing for my church. It was great to begin with. We were served nachos and Mexican style desserts. We were chatting away at our tables and having a great time.

They then divide us up and half go upstairs for some salsa lessons while the rest of us watch a movie until it is our turn. The only problem, in my opinion, is the movie has an issue. The language in it, I do not feel, was appropriate for the type of gathering we are having. There are young teenage girls there and it has some really coarse. They use 'Jesus' once and 'God' more than that.

I come home and I am a little stirred up by this. I am not in leadership, so this was not my choice. Is it wrong of me to desire my leaders to be a little more mindful of those that will be attending? Even more concerning to me, is the fact that my leadership might think this is an okay thing to show?

I want my husband to talk this out with me. He says, "I wasn't there. I do not know what I would think." Does anyone else's husbands offer that type of cop out response. Then he finally says that he agrees it should not be shown, but then he decides to tell me that I am wrong to take offense. Well the conversation goes downhill from there. I ask him, "What do you think I should do?" He says, "Do whatever. I do not care."

I just wanted someone to listen, but I become frustrated when he says he 'does not know' or 'I don't care.'

I know I am whining. I am probably PMSing and this will not be an issue tomorrow, but do you ever have these moments?

Is anything impossible?

2007-03-14T08:20:00.000-07:00

Matthew 19:26 And looking at them Jesus said to them, "With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

How do you view life? Are there things in your life that look impossible to you? Do you believe in a God that can do anything?

I know there have been times in my life recently that I have had to face these questions and decide what I believed. About five months ago, my husband was asked to voluntarily resign his job. When we prayed, we believed the Lord was telling us that Jeremy should not go and find a new job, but that we should start a web design business. My husband has a degree in computer technology, so this was definitely a possibility. As I am sure most of you know, though, it can take a year or more for a new business to begin to see profit.

I work very part time at our local Healing Rooms. We had no other income. I must also tell you that we had gotten very satisfied with the finances that were coming in. We were definitely not making a ton of money, but we were surviving well. We could pay all of our bills, buy food and necessities, and save a little for a vacation or a rainy day. Obviously, that all ended when he was asked to leave.

We were now faced with a decision. Do we trust that we are hearing God and go for it or do we take the safe and logical step and have Jeremy find a new job?

Most of me wanted to believe God, but part of me wanted the safe side. We did choose to believe what the Lord had said and we have been walking that out for the last five, actually it is almost six months.

We have had some hard times. Times when our cupboards and refrigerator was bare and there was no money. We had to let our house payment go 30 days late once.

Just so you know, that was probably the hardest for me. I was raised that you just do not allow you bills to be unpaid. I always knew I could go to my mom and dad's house and be fed, but there was nothing I could do about the house payment.

But through all of that, God has been faithful. We received gift cards for one of our local grocery stores either anonymously or with a card for Christmas. My in-laws came and bought us a bunch of food one time while we went out of town for my Grandma's memorial service. We have received gifts of money at different times. The Lord provided Jeremy with different jobs.

We were prayed over and give the scripture about the woman who was told to collect many pots and the oil would continue to flow into all the pots she had. So we became aware of all the different opportunities that were coming our way.

Jeremy now works three or four different small jobs. He is enjoying most of those more than he enjoyed his previous job. I have been offered another part-time job that will not take me from home and the Lord has given some other ideas about acquire funds. He IS GOOD!

My challenge for you today is two-fold. Look at your life and acknowledge the good. Do not look at your life and acknowledge the bad. And are you encountering what looks to be an impossible situation, give it to God. Trust that He loves you enough to make things good. One of my favorite scriptures during a rough period in my life was Romans 8:28. It says, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."

Be purposefully and confident that God loves you and will cause all things to work together for your good.

Getting Involved

2007-03-12T16:35:00.000-07:00

I am really loving the blogging world. I do not think I have been this involved with the world around me for a long time.

I have two small children and on preteen. It makes going a challenging thing, especially because I homeschool.

I have come across a great way for you to get involved too. I was visiting different blogs and came to Tasra at Lessons from the Scrapbooking Page. She is amazing. If you do not know her, I encourage you to visit her and get to know her.

She had heard about this great way to get involved and I am passing it on to you.

You probably never thought of this, but women's shelters in the U.S. go through thousands of feminine hygiene products monthly. Assistance agencies generally help with expenses of "everyday" necessities such as toilet paper, diapers, and clothing, but one of the most BASIC needs is overlooked--feminine hygiene products.

Seventh Generation, a green paper products and cleaning products company, has a do-good attitude and will donate a box of sanitary products to a women's shelter in your chosen state--just for clicking the link. Talk about easy (and it's kind of fun to drag and drop the little heart)!

So go ahead, get involved.

Moms for Modesty

2007-03-11T17:34:00.000-07:00

I have just joined with Moms for Modesty. If you are a mom of daughters or even of sons and you want to encourage this point of view, please join. Protect those you love the most from a world that would love to exploit them.

More Than Just Words

2007-03-11T16:02:00.000-07:00

I challenge you today to consider your Bible and decide for yourself it is more than just words. Is it the "Good Book" or is it THE Book? When asked where do you stand? Do you believe it is the inspired word of God or is just a collection of stories that help us to live life well?

At my church this morning, we had one of the elders speak on the Bible. Is it fact or is it a fable? He brought out some very interesting facts that prove the Bible to be true.

Just so you know, the Bible can be proven historically, scientifically, and archeologically. You may have to go find the proof, but it is there. Our society just wants us to believe that there is a question, so we do not feel emboldened to give it to those around us. We have allowed opinion to steal away, what should be, one of our most valued possessions.

Now that I have had my little soapbox moment, I want to tell you the most interesting thing I learned through this sermon. It was about what is called Equidistant Letter Sequences (ELS). Have you heard of this? I had not.

Very simplistically, this is what these are. You can take any section of written language and find patterns. You kind find words that will happen at regular intervals.

Spies use this type of code when sending a message they do not want anyone to know what the true message is. The will write a message and place the code within. They will have already determined with the person receiving the message how many letters are between the letters of the code.

You start with the first letter in the message, circle it, then you count the pre-deteremined number, and circle the letter at the end of that. You would continue through the message in this way. At the end, you will receive the hidden message.

What I found out this morning is the Bible contains these types of messages. Especially within the first five books, there are these hidden messages. These messages are prophetic words about things that have happened within the last one hundred years. Hitler, happenings in Israel, 9/11, and other such things that changed history drastically are found in the Bible. What is found is a list a words that point to these things.

I am providing you with some links to check this information out yourself. I trust the many who gave the word this morning, but I am thinking to myself, why have I never heard this before. So I came home and got on the internet. Check this out. If nothing else, it will cause you to look at the Bible in a new light.

If you are interested in listening to the message, go to my church's site through the link given, on the right hand side of the site is a list of recent sermons, you can check out. Give my husband a day or so, he is responsible for downloading it on to the site.

I encourage you to not just accept what you hear on Sunday morning, know for yourself. I hope you hear me in this. I am not saying to constantly question those that minister to you. I am just saying you are responsible to know the Word for yourself. Be a willing student. Diving into your Bible and own it as your own.

Truth about Bible Code
The Bible Codes
Torah Codes
Statistical Science

Updated Website

2007-03-10T22:17:00.000-08:00

I have updated my website. Check it out and let me know what you think.
1christianmom

Today's Dialogue

2007-03-09T10:14:00.000-08:00

¹⁹ Without becoming weak in faith he (Abraham) comtemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb;

²⁰ yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God,

²¹ and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.

Do you have a promise this morning? Are there things that God has spoken to you about and said "I will give you this or bring this about in your life?"

I want to encourage you to pick those promises up and believe for them. If they are buried deep within, dig them up.

I had the honor to listen to a local pastor teach on the buried promises. Sometimes we become discouraged because our promises do not come about in our time frame. We become disappointed with God because it is not happening the way we thought it would. This causes us to bury those promises. It is easier to deal with the discouragement or disappointment if we are not looking at those promises every day.

I say to you, "DIG THEM UP!!!"

God is good all the time. If He gave you a promise, He meant you to walk in it.
Remember our time is not God's time. He sees all and He knows when the right time
to bring that promise about.

Be like Abraham that even though his body was failing, his heart was not.
He knew the God he served and He knew that if God promised it, He would bring it about.

I have a practical suggestion to this. Take out your promises. Write them on a card.
Type them up. Put them where you will see them regularly. Then say to the Lord, "This is what you said you have for me. I have not seen it yet, but I know it will come about in Your perfect timing. Help me to have the faith to see it come about."

Lord, today we ask for grace to believe for the promises you have given us. Strength us as we walk through each day not knowing when it will come about, but knowing you have a perfect time for its coming forth. Draw us closer to you so that we do not ever doubt your love for us and your desire to give us those promise. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Bless you today.

I Have Moved!! Yeah!!

2007-03-09T09:43:00.000-08:00

I have moved. I definitely was not happy with my other blog spot and so here I am. I hope that I am easier to find and comment.

I have moved a few of my posts here, but am just going to link back to the rest. Check them out. They kind of build a foundation.

Previous blog spot

Pictures

2007-03-09T09:40:00.001-08:00

Yes, I am still partying.

But I also have figured out my picture issue,

I am including a link to my website, 1christianmom ,that contains a slideshow of our girls.

I hope you enjoy it.

These are people I hang with.

It's Almost Over!!

2007-03-09T00:51:00.000-08:00

The party is almost over!! I hope many of you got involved. It has really been a great experience. I have met a ton of great people that I just would not have went out and found without this incentive. I thought for my second to last day blog I would just give you a list of the great people I have met. If you are just joining, this will be an easy way for you to check people out. These are great women with fantastic hearts. I hope you visit some.

Karen W @ Wired Wisdom

Amy's blah, blah, blog

Jenny @ Home Is Where You Start From

Toni @ In the Midst of This Season

Amydeanne @ 160 Acre Woods

Cheryl @ from the belly of the whale

Lori @ Dirty Laundry Queen

Andrea @ Flourishing Mother

Amanda @ following an unknown path

Jessica @ Itty Bitty Bits of Me

This is definitely not everyone I met, but a few. I hope you enjoy meeting these great ladies.

My husband, Jeremy

2007-03-07T23:34:00.000-08:00

He is the foundation of our family. He is so solid and I know it comes from his relationship with Christ. He is a wonderful man with a wonderful sense of humor. Life is something to be enjoyed and not just endured. Sometimes I feel like I am in "just get through it" mode and Jer comes along and makes everything worth it.

We live in a home filled with drama queens, but my husband truly is the ring leader. I would never call him a drama queen. He would be very offended, but he definitely enhances the drama of the household.

Recently, he played Elvis. He went so far as to dye his hair black and shave off all of his facial hair. He had older women swooning at his feet. He was fabulous.

There is so much to my husband. I know I could not do him full justice. We fight, we love, and we care for our children. We do all this knowing that Christ is the true foundation of our family.

Be blessed today.

P.S. I am desperately trying to work the picture-thing out with this Wordpress, but it is not happen. If any of you have tips, please let me know.

March 7, 2007

2007-03-07T11:03:00.000-08:00

Each day I am trying to have connect with God and bring to you what I have received. I am going to have this actually posted on my website 1christianmom. It is under the Faith - Dialogue with God section. Come join me for a moment with our Father.