Gateways to Joy

Right before I got ready to publish this post, I received an email from another blogger, Angela England, whose post I subscribe to.  What caught my attention about this particular post was her title, 'The Power of Exposing Your Dreams.' I opened the email and this was her introduction: "Did you know that a dormant seed is so well protected it can survive for years in a dead-but-not dead, alive-but-not alive state? In fact, kernels of wheat found buried in ancient Egyptian tombs were able to be germinated. The wheat survived for centuries, yet never served its true purpose." We do that with our dreams, don't we?  We keep them safely tucked away and protected in the shell of our minds and hearts in a state of dead, but not dead, alive, but not alive, and no one benefits.  Why do we do this?   Because we're fearful.  Fearful of the unknown, fear of failure. After you read the blog post today, please take time to listen to Alma Loveland and Melani...

I know I am way off schedule!  So much has been going on here.  Practically everyone but me has had the stomach virus in this dwelling of ours. I will still try to get the prayers out consecutively, but if I don't please know that I am still praying and I hope that you are too. I found these videos, thanks to Ann V.  They are so cool.   It is the entire book of Matthew on Youtube videos.  The kids and I are about to watch them now. Here's day 5 of the prayer: Pray that your husband will be faithful to his wedding vows. Pray that he will have a desire to cultivate your relationship as a sign of his loyalty and commitment to you, and as a picture of Christ’s love for the Church. ( Prov. 20:6 ;  Gen. 2:24 ) "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear." ~ 1 John 4:18 How has your self-esteem been strengthened by your mates love? xo, Angela blog subscription  | twitter | facebook

Girls do you realize that not only are we created in the image of God, but our emotions are a part of God's imagine imprinted within us too? As women who are pursuing worthiness and strength in Godly character, we need to grow in our understanding of our emotions which is no easy task because often times we aren't prepared to handle the different emotions we feel throughout the different stages of our lives. Barbara Rainey says, "As a woman experiences various emotions, she needs to feel loved and accepted so she can face these times positively.  This is not only critical for her emotional health, but also for impacting her children with positive emotional identities so they will grow up to be mature adults. These emotions are a part of the image of God, and we should grow and mature when we experience them." Let me ask you ladies, how are you controlling your emotions when it comes to dealing with your mate or children? Pray: Ask the Holy Spirit to fill...

Yes, ladies.  Today, I want to encourage you to fear the Lord. Why? "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."~ Proverbs 9:10 What happens when a woman fears or reverences God? First and foremost girls, when we reverence God we gain wisdom and knowledge of God's ways.   We understand Him better.  When we understand Him better by having His wisdom and knowledge, we move as we should, being less selfish and more selfless.  All these things are pleasing to Him.  If we are moving in ways that are pleasing to God, we will certainly please our husband's {particularly if he is a believer} and we will find ourselves caring for them, our children and our home in more of a selfless manner. I believe this is why we see the skills of the woman in Proverbs 31 highlighted. It shows us what God does for the woman who fears Him—respects Him.  We also see how God gives us our gifts to be a blessing to o...

"W hen you're in a middle of a struggle . . . that's not who you are," says Holley Gerth . A friend of mine use to say to me often, "Your circumstances don't define who you are.  A lot of people find themselves in bad situations and they let that situation define them." I get it now. Girls our struggles are not our identity, it is merely our location at the moment .  And that goes for anything good or bad. "Where we are in life changes.  Who we are stays the same wherever we go."   Personally I was so glad to read Holley's words .  I know sometimes we can find ourselves in situations that seem to have a stronghold on us— in spite of this we must press on as best we can.  Even if we have to fall to our knees, lift our hands and say, "Help me Father."  Seasons do change. Today we are here.  Tomorrow or the next day . . . only God knows. Ladies, we don't have to be perfect, yet we are perfectly loved. xo, Ange...

Do you ever feel stagnate in your faith? That's how I've been feeling lately.  I feel like I've just been going through the motions.  I feel as if I've been living to please me, and I see how this selfishness of mine continues to leave a wedge between God and me. "I love you Lord and I want to please You.  What's wrong with me?" God reminded me of His servant David. David felt this way too.  When we find ourselves distant from the Father we need to cry out in prayer and ask Him to: "Restore to me the joy Of Your salvation, and sustain me with a willing spirit..." Ps. 51:12 Our heavenly Father wants to be close to us—His children.  But somewhere along the road call life, we forget about His longing and focus on ours and what we feel is best for the life that He has given us. Unconfessed sin makes intimacy with God impossible.  Confess your sin so that God can restore you to the joy of your salvation . . . resulting intimacy with Hi...

O ften times dear friends, the profoundest of our statements is observed not by the utterances of our words, but rather by the way our heart instructs us to walk.   You may tell me you love me, but if the only way I experience it is by hearing you say it, yet never seeing or feeling it expressed any other way, chances are my belief in what you say will gradually fade. Our most sincere way to walk with Jesus is sometimes to not say anything with our lips, but with our hearts. Allowing how we feel inwardly to spill over, we then have no choice but to display outwardly how we are truly feeling inside, thus we bend the knee and bow low as an expression of our love to Him. "Wherefore, I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much." ~ Luke 7:47 Are you sorry for something you did, an act you committed?  Don't just say you're sorry, show how sorry you really are. Allow this weekend to be a time where you do some self-reflection,...

Living gratitude is one of the things I find that I am most inconsistent with.   I start.  I stop.  My eyes or better yet my heart always seems to shift it's focus.  I've been touched by the weight that a life lived out in gratitude can lift, but I always seem to forget. So I will attempt again.  I will try today to remember that a life lived with consistent gratitude is a happy life.  It is a life that will keep me closes to God and it will be the most fulfilling for me. Friends from Ann's I ask that you bestow on my grace as I've stopped giving thanks for a while and have found that it has brought me a sense of emptiness. I'm looking to be filled and refueled again and I have come to experience that the only way that is possible is for me to give thanks for this moment because even if I don't see it, there are plenty of things to count as joy.  One being the grace to begin again. What I am thankful for: 1. ...

I know I'm behind!  There seems to always be something to do.  I'm slow, I know, but I'm striving to be steady :-) Y'all what I appreciate with Day One of this study, "James: Mercy Triumphs" is how Beth has focused on the human side of Jesus.  Letting us see Him as a brother, a Son, a neighbor, speaking of neighbors and the the neighborhood. For me this helps me accept James and his message even more because in this way, I see him as the brother of Jesus.  I see him living with Him.  Sharing tender brother moments. He knew Jesus as brother, and still accepted Him as his Lord. Many times it's hard for the people in our household to accept our message , regardless of the truth of that message because "they know us."  They see how we function. So Beth introducing the family setting like this first, sets the stage for me to accept James' message. That's it for now.  That's what I got from Day One. See you manana! xo,...

Elisabeth Elliot, friend and mentor, said the following in regards to verbal authority as it relates to parenting: "The Bible tells us children are to obey their parents.  In our many travels Lars and I observe that few young parents have any idea that a child can be taught to obey.  Some of them, alas, feel that it would damage their little egos to correct them, but God's word is clear. 'He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him." For those who don't know and wonder, 'where do I begin?' There's no need to fret.    Lorrie Flem, author of   the new e-book Yelling: the cause, the casualty, the cure , shows us in her book that we are to , Respond.  We don't react. I am so delighted that Eternal Encouragement aka The Gabby Mamas ask me to review this book and tap out my thoughts. I find this book to be sound biblicaly, laced in wisdom toting timeless treasures. In Yelling , Lorrie metho...

This weekend, on a rainy Saturday morning, I'm thanking God over here. Thanking Him for allowing me to right my wrongs ... again and again. Thanking Him that I can get on my knees and come to here right here from the quietness of my room. Thanking Him for the Bible that is available, but at times taken for granted by me. xo, Angela blog subscription  | twitter | facebook

How do you respond to God when He tells you to "go" or "do?" Does your heart say, "Anywhere you lead Lord I'll go?" Yesterday, while fellowshipping with some of the ladies in my neighborhood, I found myself telling my "new" young friend and neighbor, Veronica, a mother to a three year-old, wife of five years and new to the faith... thedetails of when the Lord called me to be a homeschooling mom. In telling the story my heart went back and I reminisced on the early years of my obedient heart.  Back then it seems that all of my prayers were, "Lord what is your will for my life?"  "Anywhere you lead me God, I will go." Sometimes it seems like I get so far from that in my heart now though my sentiments are still the same. What about you dear friend?  What is your hearts cry to the Lord concerning "the thing" He is and has called you to do? In her book, "Wherever He leads me," Corrie Ten Boom w...

Naomi said to call her, "Mara."  I say call me, "Stained." I'm blemished.  And as hard as I try to make it not so with them, it seems that my children are cursed with blemishes too and I'm sad. At times I just want to throw up my hands in surrender and say, "Forget this!"  It's just too hard.  Not only is parenting hard, but the children have no idea of what I'm trying to invest in them.  It's as if they don't care.  So I'm wondering early this Saturday morning, "Should I?  Should I care?" It is very easy for me to distance myself and get into a mechanical mode, to protect myself, you know? Hmmm.  Choices. As I'm thinking these thoughts I look on my bed and see the book that I bought at the Women of Faith Conference by Patsy Clairmont: "Stained Glass Hearts."  I'm really getting into this book.  While feeling sorry for myself—something I do oh so well.  I saw this phrase written on the...

I got up early this morning, again.  Here lately, I've been rising much earlier than normal.  I've been disturbed by my thoughts—my actions, my desires. This morning, I decided I would do a more in depth reading of the Bible.  The only thing is that I left my Bible in our Suburban last night and I'm too afraid to go outside by myself in the dark. No problem, right, just pick up another Bible.  I can't find any of our other Bibles.  I'm in the dark looking stepping over kids . . . people, trying not to wake anyone so locating the other Bibles are made harder this morning. So what is a girl to do?  Well, I went to my bookshelf and pulled down a book that I've been wanting to read for years, but hadn't because the title scared me: " Spiritual Warfare ."  It's written by Timothy M. Warner.  It's an old book, but so many truths are still prevalent today. " Spiritual Warfare . . . hm.  That's exactly what I think I'm g...

Burdens?  This and that? Sometimes the walls in your life, the glue that binds you together, the thing that keeps you sane, that makes you continue to chose right over wrong seems to loose its grip and the adhesive wears away. I know the Holy Spirit is steadfast within us, but sometimes as believers we can ignore that very adhesiveness that binds the being within us.  We ignore Him and go our own way. When I get like this I find myself asking, "Is it worth it?" I mean really and truly is all of what I am doing, not doing and giving up really worth it?  Sometimes you just wonder these things you know? Most of us, the one's who have dedicated our lives to walking in the way that pleases God, make decisions for our life based on how we feel God's leading. However, we learn very quickly that just because we are obedient to what God has told us doesn't mean that our obedience in that area will SEEMINGLY to us— turn out perfect or pleasant.  Sometimes it see...

Abortion survivor Gianna Jessen tells the riveting tale of her seventeen year-old, seven and a half months pregnant mother's decision to go to a planned parenthood to end her pregnancy by having a saline solution injection abortion.  Usually when a procedure such as this one is performed, the baby is delivered within 24 hours dead! But Gianna didn't arrive dead. She arrived alive! Listen to the account of Gianna's life story ... a life story predestined by God for God. I honestly think this is the first time a speaker has given my chills.  She's a phenomenal speaker. Throughout the entire videos all I could say was, "Yes."  and "Amen." Please scroll down and pause the music. If you are getting this post via email, please go here to hear the story of abortion survivor, Gianna Jessen.  yes, you read it right.  Gianna Jessen survived her mother's abortion. {a repost from the archives} &...

It really is about the seeing ... the viewing ... how you see it? Remember, God knows the finish product of our life, He never sees the underside or the upside down. This is a beautiful video.  I saw it at Ann's and knew I had to share it with you. Sit back and watch the messiness turn into beauty—just like our lives. If you are seeing this through the email, click here so you won't miss the video .  Don't forget to silence the music. I hope you are blessed by this video.  Please share it. Blessings. xo, Angela blog subscription  | twitter | facebook

One of my favorite passages of Scripture is " Just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear." ~ 1 Peter 3:16 Lord:  human master, ruler.  One who has due power ownership, control, or authority over others.  A term of respect for ones father, rulers and government officials, teachers, et al. Yep.  That's what he needs ladies: reverence.  A man needs his ego fed.  That's just how the Lord designed him. I try and I fall and I try and I fall. And I will keep trying (and falling). So what does it say, ladies, to our man when we treat him as lord?  We say to them that we: trust him we think he's capable he has favor with us we respect him and yes, we love him To put it in today's terminology we're basically telling him that we think "He's all that!" Now...how do we follow in Sarah's footsteps? WE SUBMIT Ouch!  I know for some...