Mother of Seven + 2

My heart cries out My spirit weeps The tears fall to my feet Many are lost Some have strayed And for them I pray May they hear your voice Be held in peace Surrounded by your love Let salvation be found from You alone Our only God and Savior I can cry I can pray Beg salvation on this day But the choice It is Yours,  Not mine Offered freely by our Lord Oh, if my prayers lifted up and my tears were enough to save you His blood cries out to cover you Your pain he longs to make his own Your wounds he wants to heal Listen, listen, listen His love is calling you Listen, listen, listen His Word speaks truth to you Oh, if my prayers lifted up and my tears were enough to save you My heart beats this prayer...

Photo from www.freedigitalphotos.net Protect means to keep from being damaged, attacked, stolen, or injured; to guard. What types of things do we go to great lengths to protect? How do we protect these things? What should we guard above all else? (Proverbs 4:23) Why? What helps guard our hearts? Proverbs 30:5 (see also II Sam. 22:31; Ps. 18:30) - II Tim. 1:12-14 - Philippians 4:-6-7 Why is there no other effective way to guard our hearts? - Psalm 127:1 Read Psalm 91. This is a beautiful description of God's protection. What are some of the descriptions of God's protection from this passage? Who is promised this protection? What are we protected from? Psalm 119:11 - Eph. 6:10-18 –   Hebrews 2:14-15 – II Pet. 3:17-18 – What makes the Word of God a powerful protector? Psalm 19:7-11 - II Tim. 3:16-17 - Hebrews 4:12-13 - Rev. 19:11-21 - The best ...

When I was in grade school, my grandparents gave me a china tea set. I loved my play dishes. With our dolls gathered around my sister and I enjoyed many a tea party. Each plate and cup was set lovingly on the table. We would gingerly pick the teacups up and sip our pretend tea. When our tea party was over, I carefully washed the dishes and then wrapped them in newspaper and packed them tenderly back in their box. I treasured my tea set. I protected it. My treasured tea set I fear many times that I have put more effort into guarding or protecting earthly possessions then in guarding my spiritual heart. The Scripture tells me, "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." (Proverbs 4:23) This passage clearly states the importance of guarding the heart. Life comes from the heart. If it is not guarded well, spiritual death can occur.  My heart is the seat of my emotions, attitudes, and character.  It is the location of my thoughts and de...

Our usual way of living life has been turned upside down in recent days.  Thankfully we serve a God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  His Word is truth amidst a flood of news in which it is increasingly hard to discern the truth.  According to I Peter 5:8 our enemy, the devil, is always on the prowl seeking whom he can destroy.  That is why we must be alert and put on the armor of God that is described in Ephesians 6:10-18. In a battle the enemy goes for the heart because if he can mortally wound the heart, life will slip away.  Now more then ever we need to understand our spiritual hearts and be prepared for the battle ahead. So grab your Bible and a cup of coffee and sit down and join me for a "heart to heart" study. Study Guide #1 The human heart is a muscle that beats an average of 70 times per minute.  That is 100,000 times a day, 36 million times a year, and 3 billion times in a lifetime.  It's primary job is to keep our blo...

The heart – It is an interesting subject. We all know we have an organ in our body called the heart. Its purpose is to pump blood. This blood as it courses through the body takes impurities out of the body and brings nutrients to the organs that need them. This process is vital in transporting life-giving oxygen throughout the body and carrying carbon dioxide back to the lungs to be expelled from the body. The heart is essential for physical life. If the physical heart fails, physical life ends. Image from FreeDigitalPhotos.net  But the heart that intrigues me is the spiritual heart. We cannot see it. We cannot touch it. Yet it is there. It can be healthy, or it can be sick. When the spiritual heart fails, it can mean eternal death. But when it is healthy and strong, it can mean eternal life. Image from FreeDigitalPhotos.net During the summer of 2011 I went through a period of extreme discouragement. Circumstances in my life were sucking away my joy....

Those teen years are not something I desire to revisit.  Our family moved to Fredonia when I was going into 8th grade.  Until that time, my world had felt secure.  I attended a small K-12 Christian school where my dad was the principal.  There were only about 8 students in each class.  I had a best friend since kindergarten days.  I felt important and special since my dad was the principal.  When we moved, I didn't know anyone and attended public school for the first time.  Although it was a small school with 50+ students per class, it was huge and overwhelming to me. I was shy and quiet by nature.  The change rocked my world, and insecurity became my companion.  At school most the students had been raised together.  It was a tight knit community.  It felt hard to fit in.  I was different.  My parents were conservative.  I didn't dance or swim at public pools.  My clothing was weird.  I didn't wear sh...

Sitting at the supper table, I reached over and ran my hand down my husband's leg.  With a twinkle in his eye he said, "Hey, whatcha doing?  That's my leg." In our usual, often repeated, fun-loving exchange I answer back, "No, it's not.  You married me.  It's mine now." The two youngest seated across from us exchange grimaces and exclaim, "Gross!" We just laugh, but Kaishawn always ready for a debate takes up his father's cause, "It's not your leg, Mom." Taking the teachable moment we share I Corinthians 7:4. "A wife does not have the right over her own body, but her husband does.  In the same way, a husband does not have the right over his own body, but his wife does."   I Corinthians 7:4 CSB We explain that when people are married, they are no longer two people.  They become like one person sharing all. Kaishawn, trying to process, questions, "So that means you and daddy are the same h...