Just One Minute Pullie

Wow!!  What a year!  Our God is an Awesome God!  This is the last blog entry for the year and we have really enjoyed posting these little nuggets each week.  God has been at work in all our lives and we pray for you to have an encounter with Him!  We want you to just take a minute (or 10 :) and just think about our awesome God.  Look around you.....He created it all!!  With one breath, it was there!  With one word, man was in existence!  He is amazing!  One of my favorite verses is

Habakkuk 1:5 - “Look at the nations and watch—
and be utterly amazed.
For I am going to do something in your days
that you would not believe,
even if you were told.

Stand back.  Listen.  God has a message He wants you to hear.  He is constantly at work and it is no coincidence that you found this pullie today.  God wants to get your attention.  Will you listen?  Please come visit us at Sardis Baptist Church we would love to have you!  VBS starts again this week and we will be "switching" to a new blog.  Visit us at:  The Switch. 



Beach Ball

I am so glad you have found the beach ball we left for you!!  Thank you for visiting our blog!!!

 

I think mostly everyone has a beach ball.  They are so fun to play with!!  What is so funny to me, is that I never see beach balls being played with on the beach!!  But always at the pool….too funny!!  One of my favorite things to do is to see how far I can pull the beach ball under the water and wait for it to find its way to the top and POP up out of the water!!  I heard the best analogy the other day about how we can relate that popping up from the beach ball, to the joy we should show each day for the love of Jesus!!

 

I mean how great would it be if our presence to others was like a beach ball popping out of the water showing our love and joy for Jesus Christ.  Everywhere we were just popping up, like someone was trying to hold us down, and we just couldn’t take it anymore and shouted to the mountain tops our love we have for our Lord and Savior.  I want to be like that, just a ball of Jesus Energy waiting to POP up and show how excited and honored I am to be a child of God, I mean I am a princess after all….according to my husband (J) and I am the daughter of a King!!

 

The Bible tells us so many different times, to be joyful….

 

Psalm 66:1 SHOUT WITH JOY TO GOD, ALL THE EARTH!!

 

Nehemiah 8:10 DO NOT GRIEVE, FOR THE JOY OF THE LORD IS YOUR STRENGTH

  

We are having VBS at our church starting June 9.  Please visit our church website at www.sardisbaptist.com to register and learn more about our VBS.

We are also switching our blog over to our new VBS website.  The blog is called The Switch and can be viewed here:  www.livetheswitch.blogspot.com
 

 

Bubbles!!

Yay!  You found the bubbles that someone left just for you! Bubbles are always
fun and they produce lots of giggles at my house, but only if we actually open
the bottle and blow through the wand.  The bubble solution in this bottle will
not and can not become a bubble unless it becomes subjected to a force, gets
stretched and then gets filled with air!  That's a lot like me when I became a
Christian.  God revealed to me His authority, then I took a step of faith to
believe and once I did, He filled me with the power and presence of the Holy
Spirit.  Wow!  Had I not become a believer in Christ I would have never reached
my full potential. Ephesians 4:1 says it like this "I, a prisoner for serving
the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been
called by God."  You can stay in the bottle like the rest of the solution or you
can surrender yourself to God calling you today!
    We pray that this gift and the message of Christ has touched you in some
way. If you have a story of how God is working in your life, please share that
with us.

Smile Card

Today you have received a smile!  Some days, you just need one!  There are lots of things that make me smile.  I was taking pictures of my daughters and their friends this weekend and I noticed that as I was taking the pictures I was smiling uncontrollably!  Their little smiles were just beaming from ear to ear and I couldn't help but smile back.  Today at Walmart, we saw a man in a wheelchair.  He was slow, but when he saw my kids, he just lite up and smiled....this made me smile.  Smiles are contagious.  Smiles remind us of happy times and happy feelings.  Smiles are so uplifting and can change your whole attitude.  Have you ever been around someone who complains and you smile and they all of the sudden stop and smile back?  In Job 9:27 says:

If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint, I will change my expression, and smile,’

Forget your complaints.  Forget those saddening feelings.  Hand those feelings over to an almighty God that can take those frowns and turn them into smiles.  Keep this card to help you remember that a smile is contagious.  That a smile can change a persons whole day!  You were made with a beautiful face and smile.......Use it!!



POPCORN

I’m so glad you have found the popcorn we left for you!! Don’t you just love RedBox…one of the greatest inventions EVER!!! And what better to go with a good movie than popcorn!! One of my favorite things to do is snuggle up on the couch and watch a movie with some yummy buttery popcorn! I was making popcorn the other day and for some reason my 19 month old thought it was the funniest thing he had seen all day I think. He giggled and giggled….it got me thinking about how I can totally relate to popcorn right now!! You see I am surrounded by the most wonderful ladies at my church. We have just come alive with the energy of Jesus in the past couple months and I love it!! My insides feel like a bunch of popcorn is just popping and popping!!! Between the bible studies, our awesome worship time on Sundays and the encouragement I get from the ladies I am surrounded by, my life is just popping with the Holy Spirit! I am constantly reminded every day how much Jesus loves me and wants to use me for His service. With recent experiences in my life, I have decided that I am no longer going to sit around and let this popping inside of me go to waste, I am going to GO AND DO the things Jesus lays on my heart. When the Holy Spirit “pops” something into my mind and I know it is lead by my Lord and Savior I am going to put that popping to good use! It will only bless me and others around me.

As silly as it may sound, you can experience this popping inside of you too!! When we sit still long enough and ask God to speak to us, HE WILL. One of the most important things is knowing how to discern the voice of God and know when he is speaking to you. I encourage you to read Gods word daily, learn how He teaches and how much He personally loved everyone. My pastor has mentioned a lot recently how we should love love love the people in our life and the people we come in contact with. What better way to express Gods endless, faithful, gracious, forgiving love than to do the same thing to everybody that we meet.

Thank you for reading our blog and I hope you experience the “popping” of the Holy Spirit in your life soon!!!

This blog entry is dedicated to the lovely ladies at Sardis Baptist Church and the endless encouragement you give me to be like Jesus! Thank you for the wise leadership and understanding you always show everyone!

Sharpie Pen

Happy Teachers week!  The school year is almost over and supplies are probably
running low so here is a little boost to get you through. I love sharpies, I
always need a few around. They are bold and can write on anything. I was just
looking through my sons weekend folder for his tests.  I love that I can very
quickly see the corrections that need to be made because his teacher has used a
sharpie to circle those things. That reminds me of  Hebrews 12:1-2
       
          Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,
let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.
And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on
Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set before him he
endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the
throne of God.

If you are a believer in Christ, then there is a race marked out for you. 
Continue to run it with perseverance. Jesus is the author of our faith and he
has the authority to do some editing in our lives. Can you see where He is at
work in you?  Circling some things that need to be changed? 

Father, I thank you for these teachers. I pray that you bless them in a special
way and they feel your power and presence in their lives. I ask that if anyone
reading this can not say they are in Christ, that you will reveal yourself to
them and call them to believe.  Then they will begin a new life in the race you
have set before them. Father thank you for the conviction that the Holy Spirit
brings, help us to see you boldly through your word, continue to walk in your
ways, and run this race......

Seed Packet

I love spring time!  I love seeing flowers getting their beautiful petals on them and all signs of life awakening after winter.  We have left you a seed packet so that you can go out and till up some dirt and plant pretty flowers.  And then you will get to see them grow!  Growth is such an important process.  The kids that passed these seed packets are children that attended our Vaction Bible School at our church.  They were given the verse from Ephesians 3:17b-18 ~ And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ ~ and they were taught what this verse means.  They were challenged to let Love Come to Life inside of them.  We planted a seed in them.  A seed to show others the love of Christ.  We wanted them to grasp how wide, long, high and deep Christ's love is for them.  They were given the challenge to pass out all 52 items in their reach one box to the community.  You were one of the special people that was reached.  We wanted these children to grow in Christ.  How does one grow?  To continually be in God's word, reading and living it out, and through prayer.  So, we challenge you to grow.  Whether you used to go to church and just stopped, we challenge you to find a church.  Sardis Baptist (the link is to the right) is always open with loving arms for visitors.  If you don't live near us, then find one that fits you and that can help you GROW!  Getting plugged in somewhere will help water you as you grow.  Saturate yourself in God's word!  We are getting geared up for this upcoming year's Vacation Bible School called the Switch.  You won't want to miss this!!  We are going to be pouring God's word into the hearts and homes to all the children that come.  We want to show them that they need to TRANSFORM themselves by renewing  their minds - by GROWING!  

Poncho

A poncho is a protective garment that can protect you from all the elements. A poncho is defined as a blanket with a slit in the middle so that it can be slipped over the head and worn as a sleeveless garment or a waterproof garment with a hood.

A poncho can protect you from the rain, wind, or other elements. The Love of Jesus is similar to a poncho, it will protect you from all the elements of life. Some ponchos are long and cover the majority of your body, the love of Jesus will also cover you and your life. All you need to do is ask Jesus for his protection and you will be protected.

Psalm 138 7 says, If I walk in the thick of danger You will preserve my life from the anger of enemies. You will extend Your hand Your right hand will save me.

Wooden Cross

Deuteronomy 6:5-9 NIV
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates."
You found the gift that was left for you. It is a little wooden cross! Many people wear crosses on a necklace or as a symbol on their shirt. Does wearing a cross mean you are a follower of Christ? The cross to a Christian is a symbol of salvation, meaning that Jesus died on a cross to be the final sacrifice for all our sins. Those who believe in Jesus have forgiveness because of what He did for us. It really is an amazing gift that God gave us if you stop to think about it!! God tells us to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength....that's everything we've got! Some people have the knowledge of what Jesus did in their minds but they don't believe in their hearts and lack the faith in their soul.

Maybe today will be the day that you will see that God is calling you to salvation and you will use your heart, mind,soul and strength to love Him and follow Him. If that is the case, then wear this cross as a reminder to walk in all His ways, and be obedient to His word. If you made that decision today, please notify us so we can help you grow in your new life!

Rubber Ducky

My first year teaching 2nd grade was also my Assistant Principal's first year in her position.  I will never forget her analogy she gave us during a meeting of how she was feeling.  She said she felt just like a duck.  Smoothly gliding along on top, where you can see, but underneath her little legs were paddling just as fast as they could.  An overwhelming feeling.  Have you ever had that overwhelming feeling?  I do!!  Pretty much all the time.  I have 5 kids that I homeschool and feel like I am constantly paddling upstream!  Ephesians 2:10 says "We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."  Man, this totally makes me think of how I spend my time each day.  Do I try to live my life with both feet in heaven or one foot in heaven and one foot on earth?  I want to participate in things that will last forever - EVERYDAY!  I know that I waste a lot of time trying to do pointless things that don't matter at all!  The Lord wants us to be obedient in everything that we do.  If we are listening to Him, don't you think we wouldn't be spreading ourselves so thin trying to please ourselves and everyone else?  This year our VBS theme is going to be "The Switch."  Inspired from Romans 12:2 - "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing, and perfect will."  I desire to make the switch in my life and place both feet in Heaven so that the good works that God has planned for me, I will be able to see and be obedient to them.

Frisbee

First let me apologize for submitting this blog so late!!!!  I hope you found
the frisbee we left for you!!!  What a perfect time to get outside and play
frisbee...spring is definitely in the air!!!  There is something so energizing
about being outside and breathing in all that fresh air!!

Thinking of a frisbee flying through the air reminds me of soaring on wings like
eagles...Isaiah 40:31 says "But those who hope in The Lord will renew their
strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow
weary, they will walk and not be faint."  I just love that verse...

Imagine just soaring through the wind, carefree, no worries just completely
trusting on The Lord for our strength and confidence.....that is what he tells
us to do you know....trust him completely.

I love seeing Jesus through the little things in life!!!

Have a great week and thank you for reading our blog!!!

Easter Egg

Easter Egg

 

          Have you ever heard the saying, “that’s everything in a nutshell”?  What that person was trying to say is here is the true, condensed version of the long story.  Another definition for this phrase is something that you say when you are describing something using as few words as possible.  Well you didn’t find a nutshell but rather this eggshell.  Inside your eggshell you will find some true, condensed truths of God’s word.  Read over these truths…over and over again.  God reveals himself to us in many ways and one way is through His written word.  As we come into this Easter weekend, we all come with different traditions, ideas, celebrations and menus.  It’s easy to get swept away with how the world celebrates Easter and forget that there really is a true, concise reason why we can celebrate.

 

God loves us so much even despite our sin and rejection.

He sent Jesus to show us the way to Him.

Jesus’ death on the cross was the final payment for our sins.

All who believe will have eternal life with God.

 

What’s keeping you from the knowledge and wisdom of the Lord our God?  What’s standing in the way of you having a close relationship with the One who knew you, formed you and created you before you were even born.  What does it all boil down to and would you be willing to sacrifice eternity without God for everyone of your answers in a nutshell? 

 

You have been reached with this plastic easter egg, not because you are lucky but because God has chosen you to receive HIS SALVATION TODAY. 

Please email us or leave a comment so we can celebrate with you….

 

Shamrock Puzzle

Don't you feel so lucky that you found this super fun puzzle?!  Are you one of those people that win stuff all the time?  I know some people that always win contests and always win free stuff.  I am not one of those people.  I don't ever win!  I try, but I just don't have that "luck."  But I have some very good news for you.  You just got LUCKY!!  You just received a super cool puzzle that led you to here!  Now that is lucky, because I get to tell you that you are a winner.  You are a winner of the most precious gift of all - the love of Jesus Christ!  You see, many many years ago, God sent his son Jesus Christ to come to this earth to be our savior.  He came to die.  He came to save.  He came to forgive.  He did this for you.  He did this so that you wouldn't get what we all deserve, but to give us a gift of salvation.  If you don't know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, we want to help you!  Please email us at lovecometolife@gmail.com and we will contact you so we can talk with you.  We know that this puzzle was left just for you, and that today was the most luckiest day of your life if you are searching for something that you just don't know what....it's Jesus!  Please email us with your questions or your praises that you made a decision.  We would love to contact you!  You are so lucky!

Bookmark

We are so glad you found the bookmark that was left for you!!! The many things you can do with a paint sample card!! Amazing!!! I hope you got a bright and cheery color to brighten your day!!! I have to be honest and tell you, I’m not sure I would be able to live life enjoyably if I didn’t have bookmarks. I am a reader, and not an e-reader, I need to HOLD the book in my hand and feel the pages as I turn them…..weird this day and age I know, but I can’t help it. I’m stuck on the old-school books and bookmarks!! I actually have a favorite book mark, my mom gave to me as a gift when I was very young and I have used it in my books that I have read throughout the years now for at least 24 years…..its old and torn and raggedy but I love it and it reminds of my mom every time I read. It is hand stitched with “Mom Loves Erin” and just like reading is for me, that bookmark is very comforting….

Bookmarks are great for reminding us of where we left off, what page we were on when we stopped reading, and then right when we feel like we have lost the page, we remember…OH I bookmarked where I left off. I think that Jesus is like a bookmark in our lives. He always knows just where we are, were we left off and when we are lost he knows EXACTLY where we need to be…..isn’t that awesome….that Jesus loves us and thinks of us always and is continuously waiting for us to use Him as our bookmark. I know that because Jesus is my bookmark that I never have to worry about being lost and not finding my way. I can turn to Him whenever I need Him (which is always) and my bookmark will be exactly where He left it for me. I love how God connects the little things in life , such as my bookmark my mom gave me years ago, and points it towards Jesus. God wants to be your bookmark, he wants you to eternally know the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. I encourage you to put this bookmark somewhere where you will see it daily as a reminder of exactly who is at the other side of that bookmark.

Thank you for reading our blog!! Have a great week!!!

Rainbow

  What is a rainbow anyway? Well it has always been an optical and 
meteorological phenomenon, but really it's only light and water. So many things 
come to mind when I see one...  For instance, the song Kermit the frog sang," 
Rainbow Connection ", starts playing in my head. But most importantly, in 
Genesis 9:13 God made a covenant with Noah and his sons that He would never 
again flood the earth. He told them that He would make a sign for them to 
forever remind them that He would never again destroy the earth with water, that 
being a rainbow. 
  Rainbows also symbolize starting over. It is written that the first thing Noah 
did after the flood was he began to cultivate the ground, Genesis 9:20. I'll bet 
the ground had never been as soft as it was that day. Have you ever tried to 
plant something in hard packed soil? That very day Noah started a new life, we 
also have that same opportunity. No matter how bad your past has been or how 
hardened your heart may be, God has sent his only Son, Jesus, to be our new 
beginning! 
     It is also said that the Hebrew word for rainbow is the same as "bow". When 
you look at a rainbow, it's shape is similar to a warriors bow.  Consider what 
God did by sending Jesus to take on our sins, some think that it is the imagery 
of the Divine Warrior hanging up his bow of judgment. Im so thankful for the 
forever reminder of a rainbow, and that God sent us his Son ,Jesus, so those 
that are in Christ will  never have to fear the wrath of God for our sins.  


      Thank you for visiting Lovecometolife blog!                                   

Star Card

You have been reached!  You are a star!  Several weeks ago my kids and I were able to go out and look at the stars and we were able to see Jupiter right near the moon.  It was such a clear night and there were so many stars.  I love sitting back and soaking up the beauty that God has created.  I love knowing that those stars are always up there.  They are the same stars that Abraham sat under when God told him 

(Genesis 15:5 - He took him outside and said), “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”  Abraham and his wife Sarah did not have any kids, but through God's promise, Sarah was able to have a child at 90 years old.  This sounds so ludicrous to us because that is just plain OLD.  When God told Abraham this, he had to WAIT.  I bet he went outside ALOT and looked up to the stars and was awestruck that his descendants would be that numerous when he was yet to even have 1 child yet.  Now, I am telling you this story super fast and missing alot of things that happened, so you will have to read the entire story in Genesis yourselves....it's great!  But I wanted to tell you that you are a star.  You were chosen by God to be His child and wants so desperately to have a relationship with you.  You are a star!  You are amazing!  You are chosen!

Note Pad

The Power of a Note

I don’t know about you, but I am a NOTE TAKER!!!! My desk at work is covered with little notes to remind me of the most important things that need to be taken care of. I have notes at home for groceries, things to be done around the house, when and where the family needs to be through the week….oh yea I am a NOTE TAKER!!!!

I was in a bible study a few years back, and the lady who was leading the study, challenged us to write down the things that we wanted God to work out most in our lives. I remember thinking, how silly….why would God react to a list I wrote in the back of my study book? I remember writing that I would like to get the courage to pray in public, that I wanted to be still long enough to feel the Holy Spirit’s presence in my life and ease my anxiety long enough to focus on what God wanted me to do in my life. Well months went by, and do you know I started slowly seeing the things I wrote down start to happen. I was asked to help be a part of VBS at our church, and was asked by our director to lead prayer for our volunteers and I was soooooooo scared!! But I did it, I prayed and remember the first person I saw when I looked up was my pastor, and I looked straight at him and said I have never prayed in public before, and he just hugged me and said, you did GREAT!! WOW the power of a note, on a piece of paper, from my bible study months ago!!

I want to challenge you to do the same thing I did so many years ago, use this notepad that you received from our precious VBS children and use it to write down the things you want God to do most in your life. Maybe you want him to speak to you about work, family, your children, your marriage…or just to be still long enough to hear him speak to you. Whatever it is write it down, pray about it and lift it up to the Holy Spirit who can hear you whether you say it, feel it in your heart or write it down on a notepad. I hope you feel the Power of a Note very soon in your life.

Thank you for reading our blog, we love you but God loves you so very much more than us. I pray that you hear him speak to you and that the things you do write down are lifted up to the Holy Spirit and that you slowly start to see and realize the things you wrote down are being done by the Power of the Note that you wrote to our Almighty God!!

Necklace

This week is very special because it contains a very special day...Valentines Day! You are welcome for the reminder! I used to work at a Hallmark Cards store many years ago. It was humorous to see the people who would come the day before or even the day of Valentines, desperate for just the right card or gift, and then they would ask, "Is this all you have left?" Well we can't have an endless supply just for you is what I would think in my head but I would just nod politely and apologize. Many things run out in life....for example, toilet paper- someone has to change the roll, the ink in your favorite pen- needs to be refilled, even an endless buffet will eventually run out of food. There is only one thing that I can think of that needs no refilling, when I received this I was given everything I would,could and should ever need....that is the fullness of Christ!

"For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority." (Colossians 2:9-10)

I am in union with Christ and He has placed the Holy Spirit in me with all His fullness. When I am low on patience, I don't need to pray to be refilled, I need to ask God to restore me to the place where I feel His fullness! When my life seems empty and powerless, I need to pray and ask God to renew my mind to understand He has already given me all the fullness of Christ!! If I am in Christ there is no refilling needed, it's my end that has a little static and it's my phone that keeps dropping the call.

I don't know what your Valentine's Day will look like, maybe you will need to run out for a last minute card or gift. The Good News is that you can receive the most amazing gift ever offered, you can receive the fullness of Christ today. The second good news is that you now have received the gift of this necklace that you can give away on Valentines Day, just in case you find yourself in a store asking, "Is this all you have left?"

"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within "(Ephesians 3:16-20). AMEN 

Heart Card

Hearts!!!!  I love hearts!  I love seeing them all over my house.  I have small children and that is their favorite thing to draw.  On their spelling tests, they draw hearts, on their math sheets, they draw hearts, on their workbook pages, they draw hearts - there are hearts EVERYWHERE!  I love how misshapen they are and how they are various sizes.  I love all the colors they put on them as well as designs.  I love them so much, because of what they represent.  My children love me.  I used to teach second grade and I had one little boy that would always write me heart shaped notes that would say:  You are love to me.  It feels good to be loved.  It feels good to see the love and affection my children have towards me.  I think of how I love God.  Do I want to express it all the time?  Do I want to lather Him with hearts and tokens of my affection?  How do I show Him that He is love to me?  Love has no limits and I pray that I shower my Lord and Savior with limitless love.  Take time to praise and worship our God - He is Great and worthy of praise!
Psalm 13:6 - I will sing the Lord's praise, for he has been good to me.

Someone Held the Door for You

Being kind to someone is a wonderful thing, don’t you think!!!! I hope you had the privilege of having the door held for you today! A couple weeks ago, a lady held the door for me while leaving the restroom with my son. Now imagine this…..I had him and the stroller, about 3 bags and the diaper bag trying to open the door to the restroom so I could get out of the germ infested area all while strategically holding the paper towel on the door handle so I wouldn’t get this crazy flu bug going around, and out of nowhere this wonderful lady came and saved the day!!! She held the door open for me so I could leave the restroom in a not so embarrassing way! I just looked at her and said THANK YOU SO MUCH!! I told her going to the restroom in public was so much more enjoyable when someone held the door open for me…..the little things in life are ones that bring the most smiles and happiness sometimes!!!

Holding the door for others is not just polite it is so very KIND to do for someone else!!! You know God teaches us and has shown us in so many different ways how being kind to others will continuously not only bless you but the ones you are being kind to. Just imagine how polite the world would be if everyone held the door for each other!

Proverbs 11:17 says that “those who are kind benefit themselves, but the cruel bring ruin on themselves.”

Hope you all have a great week and thank you for reading our blog!!!

   I once heard someone say that the same sun that melts the ice also hardens 
the clay....think about that for a moment.  Now think about your heart and the 
condition you are in...it could be critical.  Does your heart melt every time you 
encounter the "Son" or have you found yourself in the cardiac ICU suffering from 
arteriosclerosis.  That's just a big long word that means hardening of the 
arteries.  This refers to a process that usually occurs with aging.  As we get 
older, plaque builds up in our arteries from the fat and cholesterol we eat and 
eventually it narrows or sometimes even blocks blood flow. Left unchecked, this 
hardening leads to major problems like stroke, a heart attack and death.  
>    You have found the gift left for you!  It's a crayon heart.  These hearts 
were made from broken and unused pieces, they were placed in a heart mold and 
exposed to a heat source.  The crayon pieces had no choice but to melt and be 
molded into something new.  That's what happens to us when we meet Jesus!  He 
takes our brokenness and remolds us to become something beautiful...nothing gets 
wasted!!  2 Corinthians 5:17 says  "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new 
creation has come:  The old has gone, the new is here!"  
>    You can become new, Praise God!  Open your hardened hearts to God's Love 
and mercy today before it's too late.  Unlike the cardiac patient in the ICU 
hoping that the doctors can fix their arteriosclerosis heart, You don't have to 
wonder anymore if your broken and hardened heart can be fixed!  Jesus is 
calling, answer him back....

Father I pray for those who feel broken and used up.  I ask that you draw them 
unto yourself and pour out your mercy and grace into their lives. Continue to 
make us new little by little. And I ask that you check my heart every day, my 
motives, my desires, and fill me with your compassion....
                              Amen 

Bracelet

You have found a bracelet!  They all say different things, but the message is still the same..........you are loved!  Put this bracelet on and every time you wear it, remember that message!  When sitting down to write this blog entry, I kept looking at the bracelet and thinking about those good ole friendship bracelets I used to make when I was little.  Oh how I loved to sit and tie knots all day in order to construct a beautiful masterpiece to give to one of my friends.  That led me to Jesus.  That sparked my thoughts of Jesus' friends.  His disciples.  His boys.  When Jesus called these men to be his disciples, he did not go to the church and pick out the most prestigious men with the best resume to be his followers.  Instead, he picked a tax collector, fishermen, a zealot, etc. to drop everything and follow Him.  There is no stipulations to Jesus' friend list, but He wanted to make it perfectly clear that no matter what, no matter your background, no matter your flaws, you are Jesus' friend!  He has called you to follow Him!  (Luke 5:1-11)  Becoming a believer means starting a relationship, a friendship, with Jesus Christ and to drop all your baggage, your insecurities, your hang ups and to FOLLOW Him!!  I have great news for you......Jesus Christ wants to be your friend.  He loves you without any restraint and made sure that you were the one that picked up the bracelet that some child left for you!!  The message is loud and clear that Jesus wants to be your friend.....all you have to do is FOLLOW!  If you would like to ask any questions or get any more personal information, please don't hesitate to send us an email!!!  lovecometolife@gmail.com
Luke 9:23
Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 

Tissue Pack

Oh how I love the sick season.......NOT!!!!  This year the dreaded FLU took hold of my family and squeezed them all ever so tightly!  The only time I left my house in almost 2 weeks was to go to CVS and get MORE medicine to relieve the pain of my shaking, achy, and absolutely pitiful 5 children and husband.  The whiny word "MOM" was said so much that I wanted to run and go hide in a closet somewhere.  It got to the point where I had to make a spread sheet on the computer so I could remember who got what medicine and when.  I knew there was going to be an end to this horrible sickness that overtook them all so bad.  I am so thankful for medicine.  I am thankful that as soon as my child spikes a fever, I can give them a Tylenol and they will feel better.  I am thankful that their doctor is just a phone call away.  I can't help but think of when Jesus walked on this earth and how Mommies and Daddies felt when their babies were sick.  The extremes they would go to get some type of relief and healing for their children.  In Mark 5:21-43, Jesus had come to a city and when Jarius saw Jesus "he fell at his feet."  What relief it must have been to see the savior's face.  Jarius had faith.  Jarius knew that no one could heal his dying daughter, but Jesus Christ.  As Jesus was walking with Jarius back to his place, a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years (who by the way had spent all her money and seen many doctors) knew that her only chance for ever getting healed would be to just TOUCH Jesus Christ.  What faith!  When no one else could help, when no medical attempt could be made to heal her, she knew the only healing she could get would be through Jesus Christ.  There are many stories in the Bible of people with so much faith that received healing through Jesus and so can you when you have FAITH in him.  I'm not saying that if you believe in Jesus anytime you are sick you will automatically get healed.  No, it doesn't work like that.  I am saying that when you put your trust and faith in Jesus Christ, you are saying that you know and believe that He can help you through any situation as long as you let Him.