Who says dogs don't know how to pray ?

"Dear Lord...Thank you for sending me to Timmy's house and not Michael Vick's"

My friend Aisa sent this to me and I wanted to share it

The Stand

Hillsong United is one of my favorite worship bands. I found this video for "The Stand". The pictures are beautiful and I liked the fact that they had the words in Spanish

Love in Action

"Preach the Gospel, and if necessary, use words."

Francis of Assisi

"Loving Well"

I am doing a Beth Moore study for 4 weeks called "Loving Well".
She is one of the most down to earth speakers I've ever listened to.
She just knows how to get to the heart.
In the video and in the journaling for this week she uses the verses from 1 John 4:4-17.
They have pretty much smacked me in the face
I have struggled to understand why I have such a hard time when I'm dealing with "testy people" to love. I have the duck taped heart for sure that she describes...and that's the problem...I try to repair the hurt myself and I try to love these people without relying on God's love to fill me up first.
"We love each other as a result of his loving us first."
I think it's easy to love God...not so easy to love others but it's something we are commanded
"And God himself has commanded that we must love not only him but our Christian brothers and sisters too."
It's easy to say...that doesn't count though...it has to be shown...not so easy.
It takes time...it takes energy...it takes vulnerability...it takes God.

"What Just Happened"

These are the notes I took from a sermon Rob did on Sat eve.

Just to give you background..a week ago at the morning service..a woman spoke out against the church and Rob. The woman was from out of town and had never attended the church. She spoke out at various times in the sermon which no one thought a lot of because at times people will do that. However, at the altar call, she came down the aisle and then went on a 10 min rant about how the spirit wasn't in this church. Rob let her speak. He did speak with her after the service. There were many reactions ...some angry,some fear, some concern for Rob. Was she speaking from God? Was it spiritual warfare? Was she mentally ill? What was her spiritual experience?
Her timing couldn't have been worse...there were people at the altar who had come down for prayer and to make decisions and she totally interrupted that...all but one person left the altar. What she did and said did nothing to glorify God.

There are ways to discern what happened.

"Followers of Jesus have a mandate to test spirits"

1 John 4:1-6
1 Thessalonians 5:21

Sometimes what you think is "spiritual" isn't

Evil can hide behind:
1 Right Beliefs about the nature of God
2 an appearance of Godliness 2 Thess 2:9
3 Religious passion....Matthew 23:15

I really liked the next part when he talks about positive things to do in unclear situations

Confusing or unclear situations are opportunities:

1 To pray more
James 1:5 Be devoted to prayer

2 To love deeper
Put a connection between head and heart
God does things in sense of order...from Genesis to Revelation
There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus
God isn't the author of confusion God isn't honored/glorified by disunity

3 Choose wisely
Look at things on your schedule...at situations...discern what is best

4 To build integrity
In biblical times...the word for integrity meant" not filled with wax" When plates had cracks in them they would be filled with wax..fired ..so that the weak areas didn't show unless it was held up to the light.
Are you filling your life with wax...Are there weak areas that you need to work on ..cracks in your life that if they are held up to light...show the cracks?

5 To worship Jesus only ... Jude 1:24

"I'm Going Home"....TODAY!!!!!

"I'm going home
To the place where I belong
Where your love has always been enough for me"

Turkey time

I have always had someone cook Thanksgiving for me so I've never cooked a turkey. Well, there's always a first time. Our house church is having a Thanksgiving meal tonight and we volunteered to make the turkey since we have a coupon for $20 off. We ordered a fresh turkey. We've looked at many websites and recipes. I think my biggest fear is that we cook it long enough. I don't want to be responsible for making a group of people sick :^)

Addendum..We made our turkey and it turned out good...a little dry so we made some awesome gravy with the juice. I think the next time we'll use the brine bag method they sell at DLM. Our thanksgiving meal was good...the sweet potato casserole was the best!!! The only thing missing was the pumpkin pie.

International Day of Prayer For the Persecuted Church

So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. 7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
1 Peter 6-7


Adam showed a video in honor of those who are being persecuted for their faith which was powerful. We tend to forget that there are those who are standing up for their faith with the threat of torture and even death. You can find information about it at Voice of The Martyrs website

An Unbelievable voice

Even if you don't like opera...this will make the hair on your arms stand up. This guy is totally amazing and very humble.

Trekkie wannabes

I've never gotten into Star Trek but I know there are alot of followers and here's your chance if you're one of them!!!



Want to be in the new Star Trek movie? Just head out to the casting call in Burbank this weekend. Oh yeah, you shouldn’t be too attached to your eyebrows, because they will have to be shaved. Casting directors are also looking for “Talent with interesting and unique facial features such as: long necks, small heads, extremely large heads, wide-set eyes, bug eyes, close-set eyes, large forehead, short upper lip, pronounced cheekbones” and a whole list of other “unique” looks …

God gives....God takes..God be ever blessed

"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place." Psalm 8


The picture above is from the center of the Whirlpool Galaxy which sits beside our galaxy. Just a reminder of who created us. The next time there is a clear night, look up at the stars and remember Psalm 8.

They showed this video Saturday night at Apex which also shows how God has a plan for creating you no matter how long you are here

Going back

Tomorrow is the day we move our clocks back an hour. We get to go back in time. I've thought about how we go back at times. I grew up in Kettering which is not far from here. My dad still lives in the house where I grew up from age 11. Every time I drive back to Kettering, there is just that feeling of going back ..a feeling of belonging.
I have a friend who is getting ready to go back to his hometown to serve as a minister.
He shared this scripture from Jeremiah 29. I use verse 11 "For I know the plans I
have for you," says the Lord, "They are plans for good
and not for disaster, to give you a future and a
hope." but I never paid much attention to the verses around them until he pointed them out in connection to his going back home

"You will be in Babylon for seventy (in my case,
seven) years. But then I will come and do for you all
the good things I have promised, and I will bring you
home again."

Then that famous verse shows up. Then after that:

"In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you
look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will
be found by you," says the Lord. "I will end your
captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather
you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring
you home again to your own land."

You may be a different person going back but you can always go back..and sometimes that's God's plan.

I was browsing some of the blogs I look at and I saw this on Phil Wing's blog so I clicked on. This guy is good!




born the youngest child of two blind parents, william fitzsimmons was raised in the small industrial steel town of pittsburgh, pennsylvania. reared more on sound than sight, wee little fitzy was immersed in classical orchestral and organ works, 1970's folk, and elementary school recitals and christmas plays. his influences range from simon & garfunkel and nick drake, to contemporaries sufjan stevens, patty griffin, the postal service, and iron & wine. he is a multi-instrumentalist, and self-produced, with a penchant for including pianos, guitars, banjos, melodicas, flutes, clarinets, and electronic elements in his music.

"Good Feelings"...."Good Worship"

It's amazing how many people think these are interchangeable. If they feel a "high"if their favorite song is played. You can have a heavy heart and feel burdened and worship God just as much as when you are on top of the world.
I'm reading a book that explains this very well.

"Pure worship is an act of our will in which we offer our allegiance, praise, and thanksgiving to God. Just because we feel good during a time of worship doesn't mean we have offered up our will in an appropriate manner. Conversely, just because we feel down or "flat" doesn't mean we aren't effectively worshiping God."
Gary Thomas "Sacred Pathways"