Hat and Gloves

Mighty Hand

 

Thank you for visiting Love Come to Life. Maybe you found the gloves or the hat
that was left for you... Winter has definitely made it's arrival and it's nice
to have protection from the harsh cold weather. 

That reminds me of another story of some harsh conditions... remember the
Israelites?  They were slaves in Egypt and the Lord guided them out of that land
and into Canaan.  The Lord told them to have a seven day ceremony and on the
seventh day to hold a festival, but for those seven days they had to throw away
all their yeast!!  That means instead of PB&J on whitewheat, they were partying
with peanut butter crackers. And in place of those buttery yeast rolls, they
were eating saltines...  But why??  The Lord said on this day tell your son 'I
do this because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.'  For the
Lord brought us out of Egypt with his Mighty Hand!!   (Exodus 13) The Lord
wanted them to stop for a moment ( or 7 days) and celebrate His faithfulness! 
It wasn't easy to trust God to leave Egypt but they had backstage passes to some
pretty amazing miracles. 

2012 is almost over and we all have something to celebrate!  What has the Lord
brought you and your family out of with his Mighty Hand?? What can you do to
remember the faithfulness of God so that when someone asks you why , you can
tell them, ' I do this because of what the Lord did for me...' 

We would love to celebrate with you, if you have a testimony of God's
faithfulness in your life please post a comment below. 

Merry Christmas

Merry CHRISTmas!!!

I absolutely love Christmas time.  I love all the lights, I love wrapping presents, I love Christmas songs, and most of all I love reflecting on our Lord and Savior's birth!  I could go on and on about Christmas.  I could talk about so many different parts of the birth of Jesus, but for this entry I want to just zone in on one thing.  NO ROOM.  When Mary and Joseph traveled all the way to Bethlehem, there was no room for them anywhere.  Jesus, the King of Kings, was born in a manger because there was no room for his pregnant mother to lay down and rest.  Many people hold this sign over their hearts.  They won't allow God into their hardened hearts so that he may give them unconditional love.  Having a heart that has this NO ROOM sign on it will lead to alot of dead ends.  Opening your heart to the love of Christ will bring an eternity of hope, love, and a relationship with the Lord God Almighty.  If you have had this sign up over your heart, I urge you to take it down.  Let there be a vacancy in your heart for Jesus.  Let him come and penetrate you with the best Christmas present of all!  Revelation 3:20 says:  Jesus said "Here I am!  I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will go in an eat with him and he with me." 

I leave you with an exert from Luke chapter 2........Merry Christmas!

 

The Birth of Jesus

2 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. ² (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³ And everyone went to their own town to register.

⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵ He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Candy Cane



 

I am so glad you found the candy cane that we left for you!!! Those candy canes were made by the precious hands of our VBS children this year!!! I don’t know about you but I LOVE CANDY CANES!!! They are so festive for the Christmas Holidays and very historical too. Candy canes are dated back more than 350 years ago. I am a history nut, so I love to surround myself with anything historical!!! So yes, they are all over my house and Christmas tree!!!

I also think it is amazing how something as small as a candy cane can point us to Jesus and there is nothing more historical in the world that I would like to surround myself with, than Jesus!! There are so many different ways I have seen the candy cane represented in a Christian way, but the poem below is my favorite….

Look at the candy cane,

What do you see?

Stripes that are red

Like the blood shed for me

White for my Savior

Who’s sinless and pure!

“J” is for Jesus,

My Lord, that’s for sure!

Turn it around

And a staff you will see

Jesus my shepherd

Is coming for me!

-author unknown

I want to challenge you after the Christmas season is over, after all the Christmas decorations are put up and the house is “back to normal” until the next Holiday, leave a candy cane out….just one is all you need….put it somewhere you look every day…your bathroom mirror, the kitchen sink, in your car….to remind you of what Christ has done for you. God sent his son to die for you, so you could eternally be saved, loved, shown grace, and most importantly of all, to spend eternity with the most important historical person of all, your Heavenly Father. Thank you for reading….wishing you a blessed and happy Christmas and a God filled 2013.

Star Ornament

How many stars are in the universe??  Astrologers and scientists have
been studying stars for hundreds of years and no one can agree on one answer. 
As technology and exploration efforts improve, we discover new heights to the
heavens and the immeasurable expanse of the universe.  Whether its a million, a
billion or 1000 trillion, we will never be able to count them all.  Only the One
who created and placed the stars, the One who calls them by name, the One with
infinite wisdom, knows how many stars there are!!!
    Psalm 147:4, 5 states , "He determines the number of the stars and calls
them each by name. Great is our Lord and MIGHTY in power; his understanding has
no limit."
      I love being reminded of who I am in Christ.  Have you ever read the book
of Job?  Job pleaded with the Lord to respond to him and when the Lord does
respond, He speaks out of a raging, violent storm.  In a magnificent display of
His power and wisdom, the Lord offers Job rhetorical questions that he can't
possibly answer.  Here are a few from Job 37-38: " Where were you when I laid
the earths foundation? Who marked off its dimensions? Who shut up the sea behind
doors? And said 'This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud
waves halt.'  Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its
place?  Have you entered the storehouses of the snow? Or seen the storehouses of
the hail?  What is the way to the place where the lightening is dispersed?  Or
the place where the east winds are scattered over the earth?" 
     I am completely humbled by our Mighty God!  All I can do is offer my
praise... A few years ago I heard a man telling a story of him praising God.  He
was driving down a street and noticed that even the trees raise their branches
in praise.  So next time you are traveling down a road and you see a starry
night, remember the marvelous works of His MIGHTY hands and Lift your hands in
Praise to the Lord.....

Candy Cane

Candy Cane Facts

• The original candy cane had a shape different then the modern day design. It was straight, all white, and hard.
• A candy cane turned upside down reveals the letter J, which many believe represents Jesus.
• National candy cane day is celebrates on December 26 in the United States.
• The first candy cane was made over 350 years ago.
• The first historical reference in America to the candy cane dates back to 1847. A German immigrant from Wooster, Ohio decorated his Christmas tree with candy canes.
• The red and white striped candy canes were first made around 1900.
• The traditional candy cane flavor is peppermint, however, it is also made in a variety of other flavors and colored stripes.
• Over 1.76 billion candy canes are made each year.
• The biggest candy cane ever made was 36 feet 7 inches.
• Candy canes are sometimes as a topping for foods such as ice cream or as an additive to drinks such as hot chocolate. They are hung as decorations on Christmas Trees.
• Nearly 2 billion candy canes will be sold in the four weeks before Christmas and Hanukkah.

I can't believe there are this many facts on a piece of candy!!  I typed in candy canes in google and I got alot of stuff.  This is all from one website (candycanefacts.com) but I was really shocked at the number of candy canes that are made each year.  1.76 BILLION!!!!  That is alot for one sweet symbol for Christmas!  Attached to the candy cane that you received was a little story of the history of the candy cane and what it represents.  Keep this paper with you!  Why?  Reread it and anytime you see someone with one of those 1.76 billion candy canes, tell them the meaning behind the candy cane.  Tell them about this Jesus man who lived a pure and sinless life only to die a cruel death to save US/Me/YOU from hell!  Jesus was our living sacrifice so that if we believe in Him, we could have eternal life. 
John 6:40
For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

Don't let opportunities pass you buy when it comes to God's Kingdom!  There are so many people searching, so let one of those 1.76 billion pieces of candy help you tell them about the Almighty God and how following and developing a relationship with Jesus Christ is the only way to true fulfillment! 

Heart Puzzle

 

Don't you just love a good puzzle?  I do.  I love seeing the final product and know that I accomplished the task of twisting and turning each piece to make it fit into a masterpiece.  I love that I got to write this blog post tonight.  I actually spent the evening last night at the ER with my husband because of severe chest pains he was having.  When we got to the ER, I said the golden words "chest pains," and he was whisked away at rapid speeds because something wrong with your heart is a very serious matter.  They X-rayed him.  They ultra sounded him.  They CT scanned him.  All nothing.  No signs of anything wrong inside his body!  It was a puzzle for sure.  The Dr. had no answers for us.  All the pieces were there for a healthy body, but one piece was missing - the one that explained where this pain was coming from. 

Do you ever feel like that?  Do you ever feel like all your pieces are in the right spot, but just one piece is missing?  The piece that makes it all make sense.  The piece that heals, that forgives, that loves.  That piece is Jesus Christ.  He is our missing piece.  He is our answer.  He is our way to get to God the Father.  John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

And if you already know Jesus as your Lord and Savior - then what?  Serve Him!  Use your FULL heart to spread it to others.  Jesus isn't your missing piece for you to keep it all to yourself!!  I am sure if that Dr. last night was able to figure out some crazy reason why my husband was having so much pain, he would be telling other Dr.'s about it so that they could cure others.  Make each day count for the Kingdom of God!!

1 Chronicles 28:9
And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.

Back when my now 12 year old daughter was in kindergarten , I went to her school to eat lunch with her. Oh the memories... As we walked down the hall with our finger over our mouth, the smell of the cafeteria was coming ever closer. Lunch had always been my favorite subject in school, second to gym , so I could tell what was on the menu even before we got in line. It was nugget day! It's so funny what comes back to your memory when your standing in the lunch line waiting your turn to plate up. There it was, the sign I had seen many times before... NO SECONDS ON NUGGETS! Wow...some things never change!

I'm so thankful that Jesus isn't like that sign in the lunch room! In this world, so many things run out, like time, health, money, and yes, sometimes "the nuggets". Jesus will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5) If you don't have the joy of Christ in your life today, pray to him, His love and forgiveness will NEVER runout even if you need another helping. Click on the link below to worship our King!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_o6s5X5LSw&sns=em

 

Thank you for serving our children ~ You are very appreciated!

Thank you Librarians!

 

Thank you librarians!!!! I am so glad you found the precious gift our VBS children made for you!!! Thank you for what you do and dedicating yourself each day to making sure our children and families are educated!!! I just love libraries, the quiet surroundings, books and books of knowledge all around me!! And so very thankful for you, always willing to help find that missing link to the project being worked on, papers needing to be written or just good ole research being done to calm the weary mind!!! Reading, whether a book, e-book, magazine, website, etc. not only improves your vocabulary but gives us a general awareness about the world, different cultures and keeps our brain active!!! Thankfully, my mom instilled in me very early to read and I am so appreciative to her now for doing so!!

Just like going to the library and getting that prime spot, so quiet and away from distraction to read and research whatever it is we are working on, it is also extremely important for you to daily find that same quiet spot away from distraction to read God’s word. In order for us to understand and truly learn God’s word, we must read and get into the bible!! How do we know how God wants us to live, if we don’t read and educate ourselves? He wants nothing more than for you to understand him and realize His book, THE BIBLE, is not fiction!!! It is the truth, the light, the way to eternity with Him.

So I ask you, find that quiet spot today, even if only for a few minutes, open the bible, the best book in the world, and read, read, read!!! God loves you and is waiting for you to experience the challenges, journey’s, love, hurt, sin, forgiveness, grace and all the many things His word has to offer.

I hope you all have a wonderful and spiritually powerful day!!!

Thank You Mail Carrier!

Thank you Mail Carrier

I don't know anything about him, but I know the exact time my mail carrier comes every day.  I know what type of car he drives.  I know when he is late.  I know when there is a substitute.  I know my mail carrier will come every day:  rain, sunshine, sleet, snow and ice.  I know all about my mail carrier's schedule - the only visitor I get to my house daily, and being a stay at home Mom, I look forward to my daily walk down the driveway to get the goodies he has stashed in my mailbox.  Never do I get to say thank you.  Never do I get to acknowledge my gratitude for his diligent deliveries.  So, we just wanted to let you know that we appreciate YOU!!!  We appreciate your service that you provide DAILY regardless of any circumstances.  Thank you. 

Isn't that a great feeling knowing that someone is there for you everyday?  This is just the mail, but God is there for you everyday.......regardless of YOUR circumstances.  Regardless of the hurricane in your life.  Regardless of the tornadoes that spin you out of control.  Regardless of the blizzard that we can create daily and let it snowball out of control.  God shows up for us daily.  God sent his son Jesus Christ so that we could be forgiven and so that we could see the unconditional love that shows up for us daily.  Luckily we don't have to wait for that one time of the day for God.  He is always available, always ready to listen, always ready to hold us up in every situation.  A relationship with our Heavenly Father is readily available when you accept the gift that He has given through the blood of Jesus Christ. 

Pumpkin Bookmark

I've always been fascinated with how farmers grow those huge record setting
pumpkins.  Ron Wallace, from Greene, Rhode Island is the current record holder
for his 2009 pound pumpkin he brought to the Topsfield Fair in Topsfield, MA on
September 28, 2012. It is said that giant pumpkins balloon out from the vine and
if precautions are not taken, they will tear away and lose touch with their
all-important stem. Since vines put out roots at every leaf, you have to tear
out the roots of the vine where it is close to the pumpkin. This will give it
free room to grow without damage to the vine. Gently train vines away from the
pumpkin to prevent it from crushing them, a little nudging everyday will get
them growing in the right direction. Our lives have much in common with "punkin
growin". Jesus says in his word that he is the true vine.

John 15:1-2
15  1 “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off
every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that
do bear fruit so they will produce even more.

Jesus tells us to remain in close fellowship with him. The image of a grapevine
illustrates both intimacy and fruitfulness. To sustain genuine spiritual life in
the world, believers must remain intimately connected to Christ. Are your roots
pulling you away from the all sustaining vine of life? Give your life to Jesus -
you will never grow the same again. 

SpOoKy CaRdS!

I hope we didn't scare you with our SpOoKy cards!  Have you ever been scared?  I mean really scared?  Not the kind where someone is hiding and jumps out at you, but the kind of heart stopping, earth shattering, adrenaline pumping scared. They are no where near fun and leave your life changed forever.  The scaredest I have ever been happened to me 3 years ago.  My son was 23 months old and I saw him out on our swing set.  He was hung.  When I got to him, he was the most sickening color of blue and purple mixed together that I have ever seen.  My baby was dead ~ I thought.  I will never forget that tingling sensation.  That taste I had in my mouth.  The ringing I had in my ears.  The uncontrollable shaking I had as I tried to focus and unwrap this horrible rope from my baby's neck.  It felt like forever and the phone I needed to call for help was so far away inside my house.  All I could do was cry out to God to please save my baby.  Please don't take him from me.  Please give me the strength that I needed to fix him.  He did!  I will never forget how clear my thoughts started becoming as I felt His arms wrap around me and gave me the power to start administering rescue breathing as I ran inside to get the phone to call 911. 

I bet that ruler in Matthew 9:18-25 felt the same way when he went out looking for Jesus because his daughter had died.  I bet he was out frantically looking for Jesus, because he had full faith in Him to heal his baby.  He knew all Jesus had to do was put his hand on her and she would live.  Full faith in the ultimate healer.  What or who do you turn to when you are scared?  Where do you immediately turn to for the healing that you are seeking?  I was shown how quickly life can be with my son.  I saw how you never know what tomorrow holds or the next 15 minutes.  That is why I am writing this, because you matter.  You matter to Jesus.  You are loved by Jesus.  He died a cruel death so that you may have an eternity in heaven when you except Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Run to Him when you are scared ~ He is the ultimate healer and comforter. 

God Will Help You Find Your Way

Aren’t mazes the best!! I just love them…the challenge of which way to go, what is around the corner, is it the right way, the wrong way….when are we going to make it to the end…..LOVE IT!!!

I am so glad you found this maze gift that we have left for you. Isn’t it great to find an unexpected gift from someone…..and even though this time you may not know the person who left this gift for you, there was a tremendous amount of love and thought put into this gift from so many different people!!!! And believe it or not, God orchestrated this gift to be left JUST FOR YOU!!!

Do you have a really great pastor? I do, and I am so thankful that God speaks to me through him every Sunday!!! I have to share something with you that I learned today from our sermon and has truly opened my eyes for the way I want to view things from now on…….and that ismotivation!!! The VBS children that attended our church this year were tasked with a very great challenge of leaving a gift for a random person each week until our next VBS, and if it was not for their motivation of making sure they completed this task, you would not have received this gift!!! Being generous and giving things away and not keeping things for yourself allows you to love and to love to give (something else I learned today from our sermon) and this is a great thing!!!! What motivates you to go and do the things that God wants you to do, is it reading your Bible, listening to a great sermon, praying, giving, loving others, completing a great maze that will challenge you to go complete unfinished jobs……whatever it is, find it and DO IT!!!

With a maze you usually have no idea what is waiting for you around the corner, but one really great thing about Gods love is we know that it is ALWAYS waiting for us around any corner…..with big ole open arms waiting to just pull us in and allow him to love us forever. God has a gift for you, just like the one you found today, free…waiting for you to just take it….and that is eternal life with Him. John 3:16 tells us that “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Eternal life, that is FOREVER, and what better place to be than with our heavenly father.

Do you have a church that you can call home? I do, and it is the greatest feeling in the world to know that I have them to support my family, my struggles, my fears and my everyday challenges I stumble on in getting motivated to do Gods work. I would love to invite you to my church, Sardis Baptist Church in Indian Trail, NC…..please come, join us, I would love to met you!!!

God Will Never "Leaf" You

God will never "leaf" you? It could almost sound cliché depending on your present circumstances.  If you are a younger person who has been reached, this is one of God's great promises that brings hope and courage to a fearful situation.  But perhaps you are older and you have lost hope because the unthinkable has happened and you have lost courage because everyday is full of fear and worry. Well,  YOU HAVE BEEN REACHED!!   At VBS this summer we learned that God's love knows no boundaries; there is nothing higher, deeper, longer or wider that can compare. 

          BUT...... did you also know that God's presence is limitless?  One of my favorite verses is Deuteronomy 31:8 "The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Moses is speaking to Joshua, his successor, who is getting ready to lead the nation of Israel ( who have been wondering in the desert for years with no place to call home) across the Jordan river to take up the Promised Land that God told them about.  Finally a place to call home, with all the comforts a home brings, no fears, no more worries for the Israelites........but that wasn't the case. Now jump ahead with me to Joshua 12:9-24

the king of Jericho - one

the king of Ai (near Bethel) - one the king of Jerusalem - one

the king of Hebron - one the king of Jarmuth - one

the king of Lachish - one the king of Eglon - one

the king of Gezer - one the king of Debir - one

the king of Geder - one the king of Hormah - one

the king of Arad - one the king of Libnah - one

the king of Adullam - one the king of Makkedah - one

the king of Bethel - one the king of Tappuah - one

the king of Hepher - one the king of Aphek - one

the king of Lasharon - one the king of Madon - one

the king of Hazor - one the king of Shimron Meron - one

the king of Akshaph - one the king of Taanach - one

the king of Megiddo - one the king of Kedesh - one

the king of Jokneam in Carmel - one the king of Dor (in Naphoth Dor) - one

the king of Goyim in Gilgal - one the king of Tirzah - one

thirty-one kings in all. (Joshua 12:9-24 NIV)

These are the kings of the land that Joshua and the Israelites conquered on the west side of the Jordan.  Each one of these was a battle.  With each battle came fear and worry, but the Lord had given them a promise and His presence was with them and He went before them into each situation. 

              

                      Now jot down your fears, your worries and your hopeless situations..... 

                                    How does your list compare to Joshua's?  

                                 Pray over each specific thing you wrote down.

                           Pray that the Lord himself will go before you and be with you!!

                                      After all....God will never "leaf" you! 

Pencil

A pencil!!  Another school supply item that makes me so happy.  There is nothing like a fresh, sharp pencil with a good eraser.  I think that kids even write better when they have a great pencil!  But what in the world does a pencil have to do with Jesus?  Well, alot!  You see, everyone is like a new pencil.  I was.  I was dull and had absolutely no point at all.  And then Jesus came into my life.  And when he came into my life, I got sharp - really sharp.  When I excepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, I was written in the Book of Life.  My name is written because I am a believer and I am ready to be a follower of Jesus.  I was given lead so that I can leave a mark on other people's lives for Jesus.  So once you are sharp, you are to use the lead that you are given to share the love of Christ with others so that others may get sharpened as well.  But with all pencils, if you don't keep them sharp, they start to go dull, or even break.  That is very easy to do.  Sin can dull you.  Life can dull you.  Time can dull you.  There are alot of things that can dull you as you are trying to be a follower of Jesus.  There are alot of ways you can get off course and stop using yourself as a pencil for Jesus and stop writing on others for Him.  But there is a way to keep yourself sharp!!!  A PENCIL SHARPENER!  What kind of pencil sharpener can you use in your life to keep you sharp?  Prayer and repentance!  We are all sinners.  We all make mistakes.  The Lord knows that and He is so forgiving.  If you use the tools of prayer and repentance, He will keep you sharp and He will use you to reach others.

1 John 1:9 But if we confess our sins, he will forgive us our sins.  We can trust God.  He does what is right.  He will make us clean from all the wrongs we have done.

Cheer Up!

How was your day today? Was it busy? Rainy? Happy? Sad? Well I hope the little gift you found cheered you up!!! What does “cheer” mean to you? According to dictionary.com, cheer means a shout of encouragement, approval, congratulation….something that gives you joy or gladness, comfort, etc. I have read before that thinking in a more cheerful and positive way can actually provide health benefits, including easier breathing for people with emphysema, better coping skills and even a reduced risk of heart disease. It makes sense, if you are thinking in a more positive way, you would be able to handle stress better which would have great health benefits .

Among many things, God teaches us to be cheerful, happy, not to worry, and to leave our life struggles at the feet of Jesus so we can keep our mind, body and soul focused on Him. Random acts of kindness are a great thing. Open a door for someone, ask your co-worker how there day is going, make a phone call to that great friend or family member you haven’t talked to in a while, leave a post-card that says “cheer up” for that certain someone who may need that cheerful encouragement to get them through the day. Just doing these little things will not only make you feel good, but it will pass along that little bit of joy to someone else, hopefully making a chain reaction.

Clearing our mind, staying free from anger, and passing our struggles along to the Lord, will help us worship Him with gladness in our hearts.

Psalm 100:2 says “Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.”

God knows you and loves you and is always CHEERING YOU ON!!

Bookmark

Far away lands, a king, a battle and someone's desperate cry to be rescued....sounds like a good book to read!! Every story line introduces a plot and characters, then we discover the conflict, usually good versus evil. I am reading a book that fits this description and every night as I pick up my book I look for one thing - my bookmark. As I feel for those familiar pieces of string that are hanging over the top, I like to pause to see how far I have come but better yet, how much more I have to go!! That reminds me of my life as a follower of Christ. If I had to "bookmark" my relationship, where would it be and most importantly, has my bookmark moved?? Am I learning and growing in Christ?? Read this verse with me-

Colossians 2:6-8 NLT
"And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ."
Wow what a challenge for those who know Jesus.... Keep following, keep growing and let your roots grow down into Him!! For those who don't know, let me introduce you to the King of all Kings, who hears your cries, who rescues all who call upon Him, who has already won the battle and who is the author and finisher of my faith-- Jesus Christ. Today, you can begin to "bookmark" your relationship with Him!!

Cell Phone

"The Lord is near to all who call upon Him" Psalm 145:18.   Did you know that 
over 75% of the adult world population owns a cell phone and here in the US over 
95% of us have them.  Many americans have more than one phone to keep up with 
(don't loose them they are getting more and more expensive to replace.)  I have 
worked in the mobile phone industry over 13 years and watched how we have grown 
attached, obsessed and even addicted to our phones.  A device that can connect 
you to the world in only 10 digits (1 if saved as a favorite) we can reach out 
to anyone: a family member, friend, coworkers, neighbor, how about 75% of the 
world at anytime of the day with a text, email, IM, tweet, FB post, instagram, 
blog and dont forget a regular phone call.  If it's that easy then why are there 
times we feel like there is NO one we can call to help us with the 
situation we are currently going through in our lives?????  I mean with 314 million 
people in the US and 95% have phones isn't there someone who can help?  Yes, 
someone can help and you don't need a phone to call.  His name is Jesus the one 
who can forgive you for every wrong in your past "Truly i tell you, people can 
be forgiven all their sins and slander they utter" Mark 3:28 and help you 
overcome the obstacles in your future  "I can do all this through Him who gives 
me strength" Philippians 4:13.  If you are in a place that you don't have anyone 
to call and no one seems to know what to do, this paper phone you found could be 
God's way of calling out to you that he is ready and waiting for you to call upon 
Him.  

Check out this song, a call for Jesus!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPj_2L-uRpM&feature=related

Pray for Maydarline

Hey Everyone! 

I just wanted to post a prayer request for our sponsor child Maydarline who lives in Haiti.  I received the following email from Compassion International regarding what is going on in Haiti right now! 

Because you sponsor a child in Haiti, I’m writing to share an important update with you and ask for your prayers.

As you may know from recent news reports, Tropical Storm Isaac caused flash floods and landslides in Haiti.

Compassion church partners are working to assess the status of sponsored children in affected areas. There have been no reports of lives lost among Compassion children, and the majority of our children in Haiti are not greatly affected. Still, many of our sponsored children and their families have partially or totally lost their belongings, and hundreds of homes have been damaged or destroyed. If your child was directly affected by the storm’s damage, we will contact you as soon as possible.

The potential for cholera has also increased because of the flooding. For Compassion church partners and child development centers in affected regions, the situation is critical. Compassion is providing immediate relief to hundreds of registered children and their families by distributing food, clothing, and hygiene and household items to give help and hope in spite of loss and displacement.

Thank you so much for your support of Maydarline. Please continue to pray for the people of Haiti, already in need, who are struggling even more because of these events.

Sincerely in Him,

Dr. Wess Stafford
President and CEO

P.S. If you feel led to contribute to relief efforts, you may do so by making a donation to Compassion’s Disaster Relief fund.

Free Compliment

So which tab did you get?  That you are loved, beautiful, special?  Well it
doesn't really matter, because you are all of those things!!!!!  Aren't
compliments the best!!!  We should compliment people every day, I mean who
wouldn't appreciate that? 

Jesus said in Luke 6:31, "do to others as you would have them do to you". Even
though Jesus rebuked those who were evil, he always found time to give a
compliment.

In Luke 7:9, Jesus said to the Centurion that believed Jesus could heal his
servant without going into his house  "I tell you, I have not found such great
faith, even in Israel". 

I believe that compliments truly represent the beauty in life and we should
follow Jesus's example and compliment others.

Silly Bandz

Ok...what did you get? Was it a dog... a crown... a car... or maybe it was a fish?? Regardless of what you got, you have to admit these silly bandz are pretty cool lookin! I'm a father of 4 and I've heard my share of arguments over these stretchy little creations.

"That frog was mine...."
"No, I said you could just hold it..."
" But I thought all trades were final!!"

You get the picture. As an adult there have been times in my life when I've wanted something I thought I just couldn't live without, only to find that it just wasted my time, energy, and money! In the bible, it is written that people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. 1 Tim 6:9. In this life we're all easily distracted by things we think we need, but truth be told, the only thing in life we really need is JESUS! When you put this silly band around your wrist you will notice it no longer resembles what it first did, in fact it looks nothing like it did! I know one thing for certain, Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forevermore! Hebrews 13:8.

Don't you just love a good eraser?!  As a teacher, I find it utterly necessary that all kids have a great eraser when they do their work.  Even though erasers are on every one's back to school shopping list, and the kids start off on the first day of school with them, there are still different types of kids that use erasers in different ways.  They are all equipped with the erasers, but there are some kids who:  1) choose not to use the eraser at all and just cross out their faulty work and write the correct answer next to it, 2) kids that don't even bother to cross out their work and just simply write over the wrong letters and try to make it work somehow, 3) the light erasers - you know those that attempt to erase, but just fail to get it even remotely gone, and then 4) the kids that will put holes in their paper because they just can't get things erased enough no matter how hard they try.  There are so many times that I wish I could just pull out a big eraser and scrub as hard as I could to get rid of my sins, my wrongdoings.  There are times that I know that I thought if I just crossed it off in my head, that those sins would disappear.  There are times when a sin just didn't seem big enough to matter, so I just "wrote" over it and thought no one would notice.  There are times when I tried so hard to erase what I have done and then ended up making a bigger mess of things than I started off with.  The point of this is, that no matter how hard we all try to erase our past, our sins, our faults, WE CAN'T!!  But I do have some amazing news.........Jesus Christ is our eraser!!  Jesus came to this earth so that we could have our slates wiped clean.  He lived a perfect and holy life and became a sacrifice for our sins as He died on the cross.  His forgiveness is our eraser.  He has forgiven everything, as long as we accept Him and then FOLLOW Him!  It reminds me of my kids.  When my 7 year old accidentally writes on the wall, she apologizes, I get out the magic eraser and take care of it, and then I expect her to teacher her younger siblings not to do the same.  If she doesn't apologize and confess her sin to me, I won't be able to forgive her and erase it.  She could just leave the marks there or try to get rid of them herself, but they will never be gone.  Confessing what has happened is the only way that I will be able to get it off.  And then if she doesn't teach her siblings, then they will make the same mistakes eventually, and she will have not have learned that writing on the wall is unacceptable.  Asking for forgiveness is the best eraser you will ever get.  No matter how hard you try, you will never be able to erase the things you have done, but only through the blood of Jesus Christ can your sins be completely forgiven. 

Hebrews 9:14
How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

If you would like to leave a comment or would like to email us a story of you being reached, please do so. Our email is lovecometolife@gmail.com or just leave a comment below - we'd love to hear from you.

Paper Animal

I’m glad you found the origami animal that was left for you!  Isn’t it amazing these tiny creations made of paper.  Did you know that origami started in the 17^th century AD.  Origami is the art of taking a flat piece of paper and turning it into a sculpture through folding and bending the paper.  How crazy it is to think that a flat piece of paper can become such an amazing work of art.  This reminds me so much of exactly how God took my life and turned it into something beyond description.  Before I knew Christ, I felt like my life was a flat piece of paper, just boring, empty and lifeless.  Just like it took time and dedication to make the piece of origami you found, it took God time and dedication to prepare my life to accept Him as my Lord and Savior.  My life has been folded, bent, molded, and sculptured all by the mighty hands of God.  How great it is to know that God is in control of us and is there waiting to mold and shape us into an amazing work of art.  Before I knew Christ I used to fight so much when my life was changed, folded, and bent.  Now, I accept these changes with a different aspect, because I know it is God making the changes and teaching me to continuously depend and look to him for answers.  God tells us in Isaiah 64:8 “But now, O Jehovah, thou art our Father, we are the clay, and thou our potter, and we all are the work of they hand.”  Enjoy your day and always know God loves you and is waiting for you to call upon Him to mold, shape, fold and bend you. 

BandAid Please!

I....need....a..........Band-Aid!! Now throw in a puddle of tears and a lot of sobbing and there you have a typical reaction to a boo-boo from my three year old. Sometimes the boo-boo is so small that one Band-Aid will do the job but then there are some that will take several Band-Aids and my patch working skills to cover. Ultimately she just wants the pain to go away so the Band-Aid serves as a quick fix. .....Until........ it's time to take the Band-Aid off! The stickiness of our "quick fix" has now created new, unwanted consequences. What can I say....it's hard to be three!

No matter how young or how old we are, we will all get physical boo-boos but what about our spiritual boo- boos, you know

the pains and hurts that we've caused and created because of our sin. God's word says that all have sinned and we all fall short of the glory of God. (Romans3:23). Too often we try to cover up our sins with a "quick fix" band-aid but eventually our sin gets sticky and messy and that Band-Aid has to be ripped off! It's time to throw away all the Band-Aids and all the excuses that we make to cover up our sin and take a daily dose of repentance. Ephesians 5:6-8,11 puts it this way,"Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. Don’t participate in the things these people do. For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them." Throughout history God has always called his people to repentance and it is still true today.

Compass

I am totally addicted to the Olympics!  I love to watch these amazing men and women push themselves to the limits.  I love how they train so hard for these two weeks.  I can't help but notice what they do before their race or event is about to start.  Gymnastics is my favorite and they always talk to their coach the whole time they are waiting and about to get onto their apparatus.  Their coaches give them their direction.  They give them the tips they need to make themselves go that extra mile to aim for that gold medal.  They depend heavily on their coach.  They trust their coach.  They know their coach will do and say whatever it takes to make them the absolute best that they can be.  Wouldn't you love to have a coach like that?  Someone who is always there for you.  Someone to calm your nerves, pick you up when you fall, give you that direction that you crave, someone who can push you to be the best that you can be, someone will stop at nothing to ensure that you are number one.  Well, you can!  Jesus can give you that direction to a relationship to our Heavenly Father.  God can be that amazing coach to get you through it all.  Joshua 1:9 says, "Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."  I don't know about you, but having a life coach that will be with me wherever I go sounds pretty awesome. 

Glow Stick

Woohoooo you have found the glow stick we left for you!!! What a strange gift to find in the middle of July….but is it really? Glow sticks are fun to play with and offer hours of light and fun for everyone. They can also be very useful in emergency situations. In order to get a glow stick to work, it has to be broken and shaken in order for the chemicals to react together to make light. We are not that different from glow sticks, how you ask? Well……..there are many of us that have been broken and shaken in our lives, due to work, family, friends, illnesses, etc. in order for the light of Christ to be shown in our life. We all must come to a point where we admit that we are sinful human beings and that we need Christ’s love in order to create light in our life for eternity. God is ready for you to do that, He is waiting with open arms to become the light in your life and glow for eternity. He wants us to lean on Him when we are broken and shaken. Proverbs 13:9 tells us, “The light of the righteous shines brightly, but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out.” Always remember that just like a glow stick is very useful in emergency situations, GOD is always there for us in these same situations and is waiting for you to call His name for help.  

Fan

Congratulations you have been given the gift of a hand powered air distributor! On hot days, a little air goes a long way. In times like this, we could use a little comfort in our lives with school, our jobs, busy schedules, family issues, etc... God's word says in 2 Corinthians 4:17 that our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! Life's problems will come and go, but God never intended for you to go it alone. Wow! What a comfort to know that no matter how life's winds are blowing around us , our great comforter Jesus Christ is ready and waiting for us to know him... Do you know him?

John 16:33
I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbkO5o7C8jc&feature=youtube_gdata_player

If you would like to leave a comment or would like to email us a story of you being reached, please do so.  Our email is lovecometolife@gmail.com or just leave a comment below - we'd love to hear from you.

Magnet Rock

You found it!!!  You found the rock!!  Immediately when I hear the word rock, I think of this song:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=wDhaAWHjVRM
The song was inspired by Matthew 7:24-29
²⁴ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. ²⁶ But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” ²⁸ When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, ²⁹ because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
And after reading these words and hearing this song (even though it is a children's song), we ask you, what is your life built on?  The Hebrew word for "rock" indicates firmness, stability, and faithfulness.  God is truth.  Would you want the "truth" to be anything but stable and unchanging?  Is your life able to withstand the heavy rain, the rising stream, and the blowing winds?  Believing in the truth and having 100% faith in Jesus Christ will be the only way you can weather this storm of life.  Build your life on the Lord Jesus Christ!

American Flag

We are so glad you have found the American Flag that was left just for YOU!!! With Fourth of July right around the corner, what better way to celebrate than to fly this flag!! Do you know what the colors of the flag actually stand for? White signifies purity and innocence, Red stands for hardiness and valour and Blue signifies vigilance, perseverance and justice. The American Flag also represents Freedom. A Freedom that was at the cost of much more than most of us can imagine. This gift we have left for you also serves the purpose of sharing Gods love with you. Just like this flag represents the freedoms we have today in America, God sent his son, Jesus Christ, to die for you and me so we can be set free from our sins forever. 2 Corinthians 3:17 says “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” As you fly this flag, remember, that Jesus Christ died for you, so that you can eternally be freed from your sins.

Wild Wacky Wednesday

                                          WiLD WaCKY WeDNeSDaY

@SaRDiS
From 6:30-7:30

We would like to welcome you to WWW @ Sardis this summer!   We will have lots of fun spending time together!  Please wear tennis shoes unless otherwise specified for a special night.  We will be learning about friendship and how Jesus is our best friend and He is always with us.  

Over the next several weeks, we will be collecting items to help our friends at Thompson Children’s Home.  The expressive arts therapy department is in need of art kits for the children at the home.  The following items are needed and will be collected until Wednesday, August 15th.  

• Plastic shoeboxes
• Beads String or ribbon
• Cool paper
• Glue sticks
• Water colors
• Colored pencils  

You will need to fill out a permission slip that needs to be returned NEXT week.  We will need to know about any allergies or medical conditions so please write these on the back of the permission slip.  YOUR CHILD WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RIDE THE BUS OFF CAMPUS UNLESS WE HAVE THE PERMISSION SLIP RETURNED!!  

                                 
                                                WWW 2012 Schedule  

• June 13 – ​NO WWW  
• June 20 – ​NO WWW  
• June 27 – ​Bring $3 for a special project.  Don’t forget your collected Items for TCH!  
• July 4 – ​NO WWW  
• July 11 – ​Dollar Menu Night at McDonalds – Bring dollars! Don’t forget your collected items for TCH!  
• July 18 – ​Wear your comfy clothes that could get messy! Don’t forget your collected items for TCH!  
• July 25 – Columbia Zoo – Ages K-5th grade ​(All K-1st grade children MUST be accompanied by a parent) ​Meet at the church at 8:00 a.m. – Depart at 8:15 a.m. ​Return to church by 5:00 p.m. Bring a packed lunch and some money for a drink during the day!  Cost for the day is as follows: ​​Group Adults $10.00 ​​​/Group Children (3-12 years) $8.00 /​ Group Children (under 3) FREE. ​Non-refundable Prepayment required at WWW by June 27th.  
• August 1 – ​My Favorites Night – Bring your favorite food to share, wear your favorite summer outfit, your favorite verse, favorite color and your favorite stuffed animal! Don’t forget your collected items for TCH!  
• August 8 – ​Hotdog & Water Night – Come at 5:30 to begin the WWW!   We will have hotdogs during the evening!  Bring your favorite dessert!  Wear swimsuit (one-piece), water shoes and bring a beach towel! Don’t forget your collected items for TCH!  
• August 15 -  ​Assemble art kits for TCH!  
• August 22 –​ ​Activity you don’t want to miss!  Last night of WWW!​​

Back Scratcher

Have you ever gotten an itch right in the middle of your back that no matter
how you twisted and turned your arm,  you still couldn't reach it??  Well now
you have been given the gift of a back scratcher!  But this isn't just a random
gift, it serves a greater purpose. It reminds us that Christ's love reaches all
dimensions. Ephesians 3:18 says "how wide and long and deep and high is the love
of Christ".  It can sometimes be difficult to understand this kind of LOVE, the
writer of Ephesians goes on to say "and to know this love that surpasses
knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." 
So now when you pick up your back scratcher to use it, be reminded that Christ's
love always reaches the unreachable!!

If this item has blessed you in a way that you would like to share....please do so!  Just leave a comment below or email us at lovecometolife@gmail.com ~ we'd love to share with these precious kids the impact that they are making!

Fun places to Reach One

We loved seeing where people were leaving their sunglasses this past week!


There were sunglasses left at Dr. offices!


In bathrooms!

And many, many more places! 

SUNGLASSES

You have found a pair of sunglasses.  Why?  Well, we wanted to tell you something that you just had to hear and SEE for yourselves!  Have you ever heard of Jesus Christ?  He is the SON of God.  God sent him to this earth to die for us and to protect us ~ get it SUNGLASSES or SON-GLASSES :)  We are all sinners and live in a very sinful world and Jesus came to sacrifice his life so that we all may go to heaven and have eternal life.  In order to receive that gift of eternal life, we are charged to repent of our sins, accept Him as our Lord and Savior and then FOLLOW Jesus!!!  We invite you to come visit us to learn more about what a life filled with the SON is all about! 
John 3:16 ~ For God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.