Starting Fresh!

Hi everyone!

I'm sorry that it's been so long since my last blog post. It's been quite a busy time for me. I just wanted to let you all know that I have started a new blog. I will be writing on there from now on. If you want to check it out, you can find it here...  pb-fingers.blogspot.com

Thanks ;0)

Mother's Day

   Happy belated Mother's Day everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful day. I think Mother's Day is such a good time to stop and reflect on all that our mothers have done for us, from cooking to cleaning to caring to loving and so much more. I am so thankful for my mom. She is my closest and dearest friend, role model, and someone who I know I can always go to. I just can't thank God enough for giving her to me.

    For Mother's Day, the day started off with the little kids from our church (including my sister) singing a special song for all the moms. It was so sweet to watch them on the platform light up with big smiles on their faces as they spotted their moms in the crowd. ;D After church, we invited my great aunt to come over to our house to celebrate Mother's Day with my grandparents and the rest of my family. We had such a wonderful time together. I can't think of anything I love more than to sit around a table with my family as we talk together and laugh about old memories. God blessed us with such beautiful weather, which only added to the beauty of the day. Yet another blessing from God! Overall, the whole day was beautiful and I wouldn't have traded anything for it.

~A mother's love cannot be measured. It is a brilliant gem to be treasured.~

Thank you Mom for all you do. Love you!!

Hannah: Fervent in Prayer

     Have you ever prayed for something, really hard? This could be something concerning a health need, salvation need for someone, or just a deep desire that you have had. Did you feel that if God didn't answer your prayer, you wouldn't know what you would do?

     Meet our sister Hannah. She demonstrates such a wonderful example to us concerning fervency in prayer, commitment, and faithfulness.

~1 Samuel 1:1-11

     Hannah's great desire was to have a son. Day after day, month after month, and year after year she continued to ask God for her heart's desire. She wept to God and even fasted. Why didn't God answer her request? After pondering this thought for a while, this is what God showed me. I feel that by allowing her to wait, God was building up her patience, faith, and trust in Him. If she could trust Him by answering her single request, she could trust Him with anything. This I believe is the same for us. If we can't trust God in the small areas of life, how can He expect us to trust Him with the big areas of our lives?

     Hannah got so desperate that she actually made a vow almost like a bargain with God. What great faith and boldness this woman had! Vows or promises as we consider them today were held very seriously back then. If you would break your promise you would suffer with serious consequences, especially if you made them with God. I think this is such a good reminder to all of us to watch what we say, because God weighs out every word, and we will be held accountable for it. A great truth that we can pull from this is that Hannah did not retaliate against others or give up hope, instead she honestly prayed before God! How hard it must have been for her to make that vow, and after the Lord
 had blessed her with her son how much harder it must have been for her to keep it. I mean after nursing and taking care of him for around 3 years how could she just give him up? Could you imagine the thoughts and feelings that must have been going through her head? It shows how much character this woman had, and because of her obedience, God blessed her far beyond what she could have imagined. Samuel was used as one of the greatest prophets in Israel and she was also blessed with many children. How great our God is!

     Lastly, we read in 1 Samuel 2:1-2 about Hannah's rejoicing. Finally God had answered the desire of her heart!! The theme of her rejoicing prayer was her confidence in God's sovereignty and her thankfulness for His blessings. Like Hannah, we need to be confident in God's ultimate control over the events and situations in our lives, and we need/should be thankful for the ways in which He has blessed us. By praising Him for all the gifts and blessings that He continually gives us, we acknowledge His ultimate control over all the affairs of our lives and through this we remain humble reminding ourselves that it's not because of us, but through God only. I read this and I thought it was
so true, "In our fast-paced world, friends come and go, and circumstances change. It's difficult to find a solid foundation that will not change. However, God is always present and ready to help, even when all else seems to be falling apart. Remember that it's His timing and not ours. Hope in Him, because He will NEVER fail us.

Rahab: Harlot to Heroine

Her neighbors called her a woman of the night.
The Lord God called her a heroine of the faith.
And a man named Salmon gladly called her his wife.

Meet our amazing sister Rahab, a former prostitute who was decidedly Bad for a Season, but Not Forever.

       ~Liz Curtis Higgs

     Rahab's story starts off on the awkward side. She is introduced to us as a harlot. Who knew that God could ever use someone like her... I'm sure she didn't. Her story I think reveals to us the virtues of faith and courage, God's merciful longsuffering, and His desire to use anyone who is willing.

     Rahab's story is such a great example of having simple faith. As the stories of how the Israelites defeated the Egyptians and news of their other miraculous defeats reached Jericho, for as much as we know, Rahab was one of the only citizens who believed that their God was the true God. So, when the two Israelite spies reached her home, she probably couldn't help but realize that this was a divine appointment. Rahab is one of the greatest role models of making the right decisions and standing firm even when it goes against your own peers. Her demonstration of faith in God resulted in safety for her and her family. No wonder God wanted to reward her faith and courage by placing her in the lineage of Jesus Christ. Faith helps us to do what is right regardless of our past and what others think. Rahab is mentioned again to us in Hebrews 11:30-31.
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.
31 By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.

What an amazing way to be remembered!

     Although Rahab's sins were many, we see a merciful God who had a purpose and a plan for her life. Though she may not have fully realized the sins of what she had done, she did realize that God was the true God and would forgive her of her past.

     She was a common harlot who was an uncommon saint of faith and courage and received the privilege of being in the lineage of Jesus Christ. Surely nothing is impossible with God. God's divine grace can transform even the worst of sinners. He can use anyone regardless of their past  Rahab's amazing story is a lesson for us all.

     We too, can leave our past behind and walk forward in God's glorious, divine  grace, proclaiming to all who will listen, "God is God!"

 1 John 1:9
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

A Little Gesture to Brighten My Day :o)

How special! My first picked flower of the year from my sweet little sister Nolie. I just love my sisters! 

Now I Believe ~ Easter Drama 2014

   Well, the hype of this weekend is over! After all the practices and rehearsals that we had, it's sad to say that it has come to an end. Being apart of this year's easter drama has impacted me in many ways and has given me such sweet memories. I was casted as Rebecca who portrayed the woman that was caught in the act of adultery. Ever since I was little I have always liked hearing and watching the story of how Jesus saved this woman from being stoned. When I found out that she was part of the play, I knew that I had to try out for her part. It was such a blessing to get it! One main lesson that I learned through her story is that no matter what the sin, Jesus is ready to accept and forgive us with open arms. Here are some pictures from last night's performance. I hope you enjoy. :o)

Ruth: A Loyal Friend

    Do you have that one friend who you know will always be there for you through thick and thin? Naomi did. Ruth was not only her daughter-in-law, but she was also her faithful friend and companion. For this week's bible study I used the story of Ruth to talk about the subject of being a loyal friend. First off, we defined what that was. A loyal friend will always be there to support you whenever you need support, they listen to you, and when you are sad they'll make you laugh and say something like this, "You know, no matter what happens, I'm by your side!"

    Like Ruth and Naomi, our relationships and conversations should be formed around our faith in a God. How often do we choose NOT to mention God in our conversations with our friends? For some of us, it's second nature to ask our friends about the latest movie or show that they've seen or the latest book that they've read, but how much more effort it takes for us to talk about something that we've gotten out of our devotions for that day or something that God spoke to us about in a church service. Through the things that Naomi said and the way she acted, Ruth realized that she was genuine and came to know Naomi's God as her God. Sharing openly about our relationship with God can bring depth and meaning in our relationships with others. By our speech and actions people can see what we are all about. We need to make sure what we say measures up to God's standards. Colossians 4:6~ "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man." We can win someone to the Lord through our speech, but we can also discourage someone from coming to Him too. It's vital for us as Christians to control our speech and conduct.

    Ruth's life was guided by her faithfulness toward God and it was shown through her loyalty towards others, even throughout the deep sorrow and great affliction she and Naomi endured together. Ruth showed her genuine commitment to Naomi, by leaving her country, her family, and everyone she had ever known to travel with Naomi to a country where everything was new and strange to her. Their commitment to each other reminds me of God's never ending, everlasting faithfulness to us.
Lamentations 3:22-23, "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." 

 I think that Ruth and Naomi are one of the best illustrations of a pair of loyal friends. Here are 4 things that I think are key in being a loyal friend.

Trust-
     Here is a perfect description that I found online concerning trust in friendship. Trust is one of the main ingredients in a friendship. Without trust, a person could not be truthful about their feelings, goals, or desires. A healthy friendship needs trust so that there can be communication and honesty. Otherwise a person might be afraid they would be ridiculed or not supported. When a friendship has trust the people involved both feel respected and know the other person would not intentionally hurt them or abuse the trust given to them. Trust in a friendship is important to have a healthy relationship
that will last through bad and good times. Ruth trusted Naomi's leadership in two ways. She
trusted Naomi by following her to a foreign land and she also trusted her with how she asked Boaz to be her kinsman redeemer.

Respect-
     Another foundational element of a healthy friendship is respect. We need to respect our friends by taking their thoughts and feelings seriously. Respect is also shown by valuing, and not undermining, your friends' decisions. If your friend wants to do something and you don't quite agree with them, you can still respect their decision UNLESS it is going against the clear commands of God. Respect your friend enough to "agree to disagree" while still keeping your friendship intact.

Encouragement-
    Good friends support and encourage each other. A good friend is there to encourage you to pursue
a particular interest or help you find the confidence you need to start something new. When difficult
times arise, encouraging friends can give you the support you need to survive and thrive through your
troubles. Also, if you desire supportive friends, it's important to provide this quality to your friends as well.

Prayer-
     Lastly, I think prayer is the most important key that we could have in a friendship. We show our true love,support, and loyalty to our friends when we take the time to pray for them. I know how much I feel encouraged when a friend of mine tells me that they are praying for me. If it encourages us and makes us feel good, then let's start a chain reaction and start praying for our friends.

1 Timothy 2:1 - I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, [and] giving of thanks, be made for all men;