Thank you, Mom!

I've been thinking about all the things my mother has done for me and my siblings. And I thought I would make a list of as many of those things as I could.

THANK YOU, for, putting us first. 

THANK YOU, for, sacrificing so Kiah and I could attend Faith Christian School. 

THANK YOU, for, homeschooling us. It gave me a working knowledge. We didn't have to worry about tests or grades. It was about the learning. And it created a fire within me to always seek to learn new things. I am so thankful to have been educated at home. I was able to choose what I wanted to learn. It made me excited about knowledge.  

THANK YOU, for, making us matching outfits. We always looked so cute. You made sure our clothing wasn't awkward or weird. 

THANK YOU, for, taking so many photos of our childhood. I have so many photos to look back on and enjoy. I don't have to wonder what I looked like as a baby, toddler, child, tween or teenager. 

THANK YOU, for, listening. We could always come to you with our problems and vent. And we still can. 

THANK YOU, for, controlling our food intake and cooking amazing meals. And keeping us healthy. You set rules in place and we didn't dare disobey. And we always asked mommy first for treats. It taught us self control and discipline. And now we know how to be healthy and not over indulge. 

THANK YOU, for, letting me pick my toothbrush and toothpaste. It is the little things we could control that helped us gain confidence and have us the security to make choices. And also to not feel too controlled. Positive choices and affirming those choices goes a long way. 

THANK YOU, for, setting everything up for deiver's ed. And then helping me get my deiver's license. And even when I failed the first time, thank you for staying positive. 2nd times the charm! 

THANK YOU, for, making me take keyboarding in high school even though I fought you tooth and nail, verbally. I was so rude and you just stuck to your guns. And now I have a lasting skill that helped me greatly to obtain two college degrees! 

THANK YOU, for, bringing us to Burger King every Tuesday in SC. I have such beautiful memories of those times. And plenty of the plastic toys to prove it! Gotta love Kids meals! 

THANK YOU, for, planning amazingly fun birthday parties for each one of us EVERY year! Not until I was older did I learn that other kids don't get birthday parties for each year! I assumed they did. And once I learned they didn't I felt even more blessed! 

THANK YOU, for, reading to is for hours and hours. I have coloring books all colored in to remind me of how many hours we spent listening to you read, Elsie Dinsmore and Narnia. I can't wait for the day I can read to my children! 💙

THANK YOU, for, bringing us to church all by yourself. Now that I have Elijah, I can't imagine how you did it all. It's hard enough with one child! 

THANK YOU, for, caring to make it possible for me to get baptized at Faith Assembly  in South Carolina. 

 THANK YOU, for, teaching is the truth about life. Because you taught us about Jesus and God and the Bible we have a foundation. And a view of life theough the lens of truth. It has helped me to be counter cultural, to question the world's ideas. And above all, to know that I am loved. 

THANK YOU, for, teaching us to think for ourselves. Because you taught us the truth. It gave me the ability to really think about situations! And to see reality in spite of how things appear on the outside. 

THANK YOU, for, letting me find my own way. And for trusting God with my future. It must have been scary. But you trusted God's word. 

Proverbs 22:6

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:10-11

2013

 

I am friends with my sisters because you cultivated the love between us. You didn't force me, as the oldest to care for my siblings. I never felt forced to protect them or mother them. Because you were always around to do that. 

THANK YOU, MOM. 

I AM WHO I AM TODAY BECAUSE OF THE TIME YOU SPENT WITH ME AS A CHILD
I LOVE YOU! 

Open the eyes of my heart...

I have been thinking about tackling a post on music. And how important it is to protect our minds from worldly lyrics.

 So here goes:::

Psalm 104:33 ESV / 146 helpful votesI will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being.

I do not understand why people who claim to LOVE Jesus fill their minds and souls with today's popular music. Songs that sing about being drunk, being high, having sex and many other gross sad nasty icky debouched terrible worldly things should not even being entering our ears. Today's popular music does not glorify God. The music glorifies the world. It glorifies losing your inhibitions and setting your mind aside and listening to your feelings. The ears of believers need to be protected. It is a serious thing.

Philippians 4:8 ESV / 34 helpful votes
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

We need to have our minds open and our hearts need to be guarded. Music is powerful and it sits inside of our minds for our entire life. It is important that we are careful about what we allow to come out of the speakers in our homes, phones and especially in our cars. As Americans we spend a lot of time in our vehicles and the songs that play on the popular secular radio stations should not be playing in our cars! Not when we sit here and claim Christ as our Savior. If you have dedicated your life to Jesus, then that includes your ears and the music you allow to permeate your brain. I was thinking that I would put some lyrics of some popular songs on here and talk about them. But then I prayed and realized that, that defeats the purpose. I have not and will not be listening to popular  secular music ever again. I refuse to listen.
I now only listen to KLOVE Christian radio or local Christian radio, Christian music I have downloaded or podcasts from my favorite Pastors. I know that whatever I put into my mind affects how I see the world. I strive to apply God's Word to my life. I have decided to give my whole life to Jesus. That includes what music I listen to.

There are many artists that make music that talks about their relationship with Jesus. They have a goal. That goal is to spread the gospel of Jesus. The truth about life. Their music gives hope to it's listeners. It talks about LOVE, joy, peace, kindness etc.

Ecclesiastes 7:5 ESV / 26 helpful votes
It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools

I want whoever is reading this to think, what does the music you listen to do for your soul?
Does it uplift you?
Does it bring you joy?
Does it help you to glorify your Savior??
Does it shine a light in the darkness?

OR

Does it make you ruminate in your own feelings?
Does it make you feel connected to the world?
Does it make you feel cool?
Does it include bad language?
Does it worship things of this world?

Romans 12:2 ESV / 619 helpful votes
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

WE KID OURSELVES IF WE JUDGE OTHER PEOPLE FOR CURSING, DRINKING, SLEEPING AROUND, DOING DRUGS {ETC.} WHEN WE LISTEN TO MUSIC THAT GLORIFIES THE AFOREMENTIONED THINGS.

Matthew 5:28 ESV / 163 helpful votesBut I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

This verse above leads me to believe that singing about sins is the same as doing them. God looks at our heart. Our actions, yes, they are important but so is what we think and say. Singing songs about being drunk and falling in love for the night {aka sexual encounters} is not pleasing in God's eyes.

Matthew 15:11 ESV / 93 helpful votesIt is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.”

Psalm 19:14 ESV / 15 helpful votes
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Allowing sin of ANY form into our lives is not good.

S I N  =  S L A V E R Y

Galatians 5:1 ESV / 70 helpful votes

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

 We cannot expect to grow in Christ if we allow bad nasty ugly sinful music into our lives. 

CUT IT OUT

I cannot help but think, what is stopping you from having your minds on while listening to music?

THINK about the lyrics that you are singing!!

It is important!

Show some self control, think about what Christ would want you listening to and choose the right songs.

 2 Timothy 1:7 ESV / 253 helpful votes

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control

As Christians, Christ Followers, Children of God, it is important that we remember who we represent. We are God's people. He has redeemed us through Jesus, He is Holy. Only HIM. We have to remember that through the Blood of Jesus we are set free. We are free to struggle. We are free to live for God. We are free to choose a life that honors our Savior! Allowing worldly music into our lives, does NOT honor God. It saddens Him. 

Pay attention tot he words in the songs you are singing and listening to. it is important that the songs we sing dont poison our souls.

Now that I am a mother, I take this even more serously. The things we allow our children to hear affect who they become. It changes how they view life. It is important that from the moment of conception that little life is flooded with love and calming words. The lyrics of most songs that are coming out of the radio these days, are not good. Think about that next time you have the radio on with your children in the car. Even if those children aren't born yet. I paid close attention to what I listened to when I was pregnant. And now, with little ears in the car, I pay even CLOSER attention. I make sure that songs are appropriate! There is nothing appropriate about being "sexy and knowing it". Imagine what kind of image that is putting into the mind of a child. Sexy isn't a word a little child should be allowed to say, but if it is coming out of the car speakers, how can we tell kids they can't say it.

WATCH THIS

We could be singing praises to Him. We could be singing about our blessings. We could be singing about our testimonies of how we once were lost and now we are found. The list could go on and on. There is a type of Christian music for all genres. The excuse that Christian music is boring, dull is no longer valid. Some of my most favorite Christian Music artists are FAR from dull. 

I will post a few of my most favorite songs at the bottom of this page.

My last words
are not directed to people who are Saved. This is not for people who have had a salvation experience and love Jesus. These next words are for people who read the above paragraphs and either felt mad inside or possibly guilty. Or perhaps, my words just confused you. 

Ephesians 1:3

 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us[b] for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known[c] to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which heset forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

BE THE VOICE

Search your soul - - if you are not claiming to be a Child of God, these last words are for you. You are on a different page of life. You need to think about your eternal future. If you have past shame or guilt - - Lay it at the foot of the Cross. Because Jesus died to save YOU! 

You. Yes. You.

Lord, help me to honor you with my choices. Help me to stand firm against the evils of this world. I am not perfect, only You are and only You can change my heart. I want to keep my eyes on You. Guide me as I make choices that will impact not only my future but the future of those I encounter in my life. Help me to be a light in this darkness around us all. Give me strength to continue to choose righteous things over worldly things. I pray that this touches someone out there and they feel encouraged! That is the cry of my heart, to be a light. 
To shine brightly for You, Father. 
In Jesus' precious and Holy name, 
Amen.

|||Here are some of my favorites|||

This band is one of my all time favorites. Their love for God is captivating. --->> Let Jesus carry you!