grace 4 this life

Christmas Teacher Gifts

2012-12-08T15:22:00.001-06:00

I like to make stuff. I especially like to make teacher gifts. The last two years I have gotten my ideas from Pinterest. Last year I took a shadow box and broken crayons to make the initial of the teacher's last name. This year I took a vase and pencils and hot glued the pencils to the vase. I thought it would be a cute little desk accessory. I took a ribbon and wrapped the pencil vase with a bow.
Below is a picture of this year's gift. To see last year's gift, look me up on Pinterest!

Photo Card

2012-11-28T20:38:00.003-06:00

Joy Love Story Holiday

Shutterfly has elegant holiday invitations for your party.

View the entire collection of cards.

Unmasking The Truth That Lies Behind Halloween | Gateway Church

2012-10-31T06:36:00.001-05:00

Unmasking The Truth That Lies Behind Halloween | Gateway Church

Grasp His Love

2012-08-30T02:24:00.001-05:00

I probably don't get it, and neither do you. The closet thing I can compare it to is how much I love my own children and God says He loves us even more.

Today was the first day in my parenting "career" that I had to punish my oldest child. Don't get me wrong I have corrected him before and he has been in trouble, but I never have really had to punish him. I don't want him to learn the hard way. I just want him to grasp just how loved he really is!!! He is not a bad kid, he just intentionally did something he knew he was already grounded from behind my back and didn't tell me about it.

Anyway I had to "ground" him. I mean take EVERYTHING(and I mean everything) away. He will now have to earn back his electronic devices and other technology boy toys. I don't want to be that mom, but I will. It hurts thou, because as a parent, I don't want him to have to learn the hard way. I want him to just get it and live the abundant life God has for him.

That is when I know this is more than just punishing my son. It is spiritual and if I love him then I have to punish him. I would be doing a great injustice to his heart if I turned by head and looked the other way. I want him to know that I care about him and the character of his heart. I want him to know that he is really LOVED!! I want him to obey. And just to further that point, if he can't obey me then how should I expect him to obey God.

God so does this to us. He wants to give us gifts. My oldest wanted freedom, but the very thing he wanted he was keeping secret. That is the same way God works. Here are a few examples. We want God to give us a new job, but if we don't go looking for a new job another is probably not going to fall into our lap. We have to go and look. Trust the promise of a better job out there waiting for us. But we have to be obedient and go look for it. We want God to increase our fiances but we are hiding our tithe from God and waiting for him to do a miracle. He can't do a miracle until we obey.

Sometimes the way that we purse freedom IS the very thing we must be set free from. (Bob Hamp)

If we obey God wants to give us blessings for obedience. Just read it for yourself.

Deuteronomy 28:1-14

Blessings for Obedience 28 If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. 2 All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God: 3 You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. 4 The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. 5 Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed. 6 You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out. 7 The Lord will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven. 8 The Lord will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The Lord your God will bless you in the land he is giving you. 9 The Lord will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the Lord your God and walk in obedience to him. 10 Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they will fear you. 11 The Lord will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you. 12 The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none.13 The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. 14 Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them.

At out church they teach the kids from the time they are born until they are 12 or so a song. It is:

I am the head and not the tail.

I am above and never beneath.

I am blessed going in and blessed going out.

And everything I put my hands to will prosper.

That is exactly what I want for my son. God has fearfully and wonderfully made him. Not with a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and a sound mind. I want everything he puts his hands to to prosper! My prayer is that one day he will grasp just how loved he really is!

Grasp His Love

Strong

2012-08-17T23:11:00.002-05:00

Here is a piece of my story

I remember going to the hospital because I could not stop throwing up. I was hugging the toilet. My then boyfriend put me in the car and drove as fast as he could to the hospital. I never really got sick, so I knew something was not right.

We arrived at the hospital, I don't even remember checking in, and I was immediately given something to help me stop throwing up. My head was so foggy, but do remember the nurse asking me if I was pregnant. Me pregnant, um no, I just graduated valedictorian of high school and have a 4 year scholarship to the state university.

So they decided to run some test. I didn't care what they did as long as they could help me. When they came back, the doctor proceeded to tell me that in fact I was pregnant. I remember it was like I was in the room, but I was not in the room. So I just remembering thinking, just give me something to feel better so I can get some rest. Like it did not even register to me what the news the doctor just had given me. I went home and rested for two days. Then decided I should face reality and go to the doctor to see if I was really pregnant or if I just had a bug and the test was "wrong".

Well, you guessed it, the test was correct. I was pregnant. So my boyfriend and I went to his house to tell his parents. And his mom's response, "I knew it". The next day boyfriend went to work and came home with a bag in his hand. He had bought me a ring. He threw the box on my lap and said "will you marry me?"

Was this really happening? I mean this guy was 21 and still lived his parents and he is going to throw a ring at me and just assume because I am pregnant I was going to marry him. Obliviously, this guy had no idea who I was. I mean my childhood was a complete mess and I came out pretty good. Okay, I was pregnant, but I had been able to overcome the childhood "mess" without doing drugs or drinking and I had received a four year scholarship. I could do this pregnancy. Sure I knew it would be hard, but I practically raised my two younger brothers. So I knew I could do the mommy thing.

Needless to say I pushed the boyfriend away. I didn't know what a good husband looked like, but I knew it was not the guy who threw the ring in the box in my lap. So I embraced that I was single and pregnant. No one could do this for me. Little did I know that God had been preparing me my whole life for this very moment. I had a choice to make. I could choose to lie down and let life get the best of me or stand up and be strong and walk thru this thing called life with my head up. The choice for me was easy. I had not made it thru life this far to give up now. I choose to be strong and put one foot in front of the other and see where this path would lead me.

For I know the plans I have for you, "declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

God gave me a son, a gift from above. I named him Grant. His name literally means a gift from God. God knew what I needed and right when I needed it. God has blessed Grant with gifts that are immeasurable. I love that God chose me to be his mom. I pray that his life will be a testimony to the love of God and a Father that gives good gifts in His own perfect timing!

Mom, there is nothing to do

2012-08-16T07:30:00.000-05:00

How many times during the summer, especially, do I hear "mom, there is nothing to do" you ask? Probably a million. So I have this special chore jar. If someone is so bored they have nothing to do, then they can pick a chore. The system is not bullet proof, but it does cut down on the number of times I hear that famous line.

One of my favorite websites for mom tips is imom.com. Check it out, great tools for all families. There is no how to guide to parenting, but these little tidbits help along the way. Daily mails are encouraging. The print outs are super helpful. They even provide printable praying charts. So maybe the next time your kid(s) say they are bored, go to imom.com to check out some fun ideas.

Is Jesus your bff?

2012-08-15T22:26:00.002-05:00

As girls we have bffs. We learn that from a very young age. There are people in your life that love you for you and those will be forever your bffs. Here are some general rules bffs follow.
# 1Ruleno 1 and the MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL.. No girl may date her friend's; exs, past crushes, guys who have humiliated/used her and guys she currently fancies.. Acceptions to rule: a) Your friend has given you permission/ couldn't care less b) The said fancying/going out happened before the age of puberty
# 2 Rule- It is perfectly acceptable to take an automatic dislike to a girl/ judge them without ever speaking to them
#3 Rule- Chocolate is an accepted food in any occasion
#4 Rule- A girl has a right to lie in order to keep a secret told to her by her best friend.

Really having bffs is just fun! All joking aside, I LOVE how CeCe Sims describes her friendship with Jesus. She describes the perfect bff.

CeCe Sims

Jesus is my best friend. He is very loving to me and encouraging and inspiring and with me. And never gives up on me and helps me to do the things that I think are impossible and He is real. And He is way cooler than I ever thought. He helps me to know that things I do that I normally think that are weird or goofy or got made fun of by other people over the years that He loves those things and not to let those ever diminish in my personality. He helped me to know that my dreams are attainable and that I can do them. He opened up my eyes to a lot of things spiritually that I am still working on accepting and I am learning to forgive myself. So, there is happiness in the hard work because I know that the hard work will lead to happiness.

You too can have a bff relationship with Jesus. Jesus himself had his own bffs. His twelve disciples.

These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. (Matthew 10:2-4)

Do you have your very own bff story that you would like to share with us? I would love to hear yours!!

You can read or watch CeCe's full story here. Very inspiring!!

What do you need?

2012-08-13T07:30:00.000-05:00

What is the area for which you need the most grace? Is it managing your time? Getting motivated to clean your house? Responding to that ridiculous request from your boss?

For me (April), it's patience. I find I need to stop, take a deep breath and ask God to grace before I even open my mouth to respond to simply daily task sometimes.

Thankfully, God has provided us with the fruits of the spirit.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance (patience), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (Galations 5:22-24)

Take it, it is there for the taking. Believe me, somedays I need two or three doses to get it. What do you need?

Sean Little - I Am Second

2012-08-12T22:09:00.000-05:00

Sean Little - I Am Second

About Sean Little

The music scene in Evansville, Indiana may not be as large as New York City, but it is vibrant nonetheless. So when Sean Little performs, people are listening. Performing it is, since his energetic hip-hop/rap requires him to transform from the soft-spoken family man he is away from the stage.

But it wasn’t always that way. Only through Jesus working in his life has he developed a peace to help him calm the dysfunctional he experienced earlier in his life. Family members in jail. Few positive role models. A path that could have easily led to death—but didn’t.

Love is Spoken Here

2012-08-11T19:56:00.002-05:00

If you have been on Pinterest at all then you have to have seen the sign has the words painted on it "Love is Spoken Here". Well I LOVE it and have been wanting to make it for sometime now. Well I did it. I typed it up on Word. I printed it on the t-shirt transfer setting (so it would print out a mirror image). I traced over it with chalk and then rubbed it on my chalk board. Then I took my chalk markers and colored. It took sometime, but I am so glad I did it. I saved the template and will attach it if you would like to attempt. Happy Crafting!!

Click here for the template.

Freedom Calling | Jake Hamilton Music

2012-08-10T22:23:00.001-05:00

I worked the product table this past Monday night for Jake Hamilton. Before the Father of Lights movie, Jake lead worship. To say it was awesome would be an understatement! He rocked the house and the presence of the Lord was thick!

We sold Cd's, t-shirts, stickers, and books. He came out and signed them all. It was a extraordinary experience to watch him listen to people sharing their hearts. We were there until they were locking up the church doors.

I do have to say that I have added Jake and his band to my personal fav list on iTunes! I encourage you to go and listen. You without a doubt will want to go and share the love of Jesus with the nations, just saying!! Why not you? Why not now?

Freedom Calling | Jake Hamilton Music

Ministry Bio:

Jake Hamilton is a passionate worshiper carrying the language and sound of reformation and revival. He has a deep desire to see generational and denominational boundaries blurred through the simple message of love embodied in the man Jesus Christ and lived out in the context of community. As an artist he desires to push the limits of creativity and as a father and a husband he is committed to his family first. But above any of his endorsements and accomplishments he is a lover of Jesus Christ with the ability to lead others into the same encounter that transformed his life over 15 years ago. For more information on the music and ministry of Jake Hamilton please visit jakehamiltonmusic.com

Additional Information:

He has led worship with Jesus Culture for over 3 years, has opened to sold out nights with Jeremy Camp, and a sold out CD Release Show at Club Nokia in Los Angeles, as well as playing at FishFest the summer of 2011 at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater which included artists like David Crowder, Third Day, and many more. He has recorded two CDs with Jesus Culture music; the first was entitled Marked by Heaven and made it into the top 10 on iTunes Christian Music charts. With the release of his second album available through Jesus Culture Music entitled Freedom Calling, Jake hoped to further redefine what is currently known as “corporate worship music” and see a sound released on the earth through sons and daughters that know who they are in Christ and are confidant of their calling. The album was released May of 2011 and reached number 8 on the overall charts on iTunes and remained at number 1 on the Christian Music chart for several weeks. His new website jakehamiltonmusic.com furthers his vision by creating new avenue for artists to release their music and share their vision.

Father of Lights

2012-08-09T13:00:00.001-05:00

Our church had the Father of Lights tour stop at our church along their summer tour. You can check out the tour schedule at fatheroflightsfilm.com/tour I have not seen the previous two movies made by Darren Wilson and the Wanderlust team.

After seeing Father of Lights, I can not wait to see Furious Love and Finger of God. These are not just movies, they are documentaries that showing God working miracles before your very eyes. The movie inspired me to go and share the love of God with everyone. You already know that I am passionate about sharing God's love. The move just fueled the fire within me.

Here is a little bit about the movie from the website fatheroflightsfilm.com:

Father of Lights is the final film in the Finger of God/Furious Love trilogy. It is big, epic, and above all, challenging. If I were to have to explain what it is about in a nutshell, I would put it like this: if Finger of God is about God’s power, and Furious Love is about God’s love, then Father of Lights is about God’s heart. I went into making this film by asking the simple question: who is God? I wanted to know His character, His personality, and who He truly is. To answer this question, we had to peel back the many layers of religious garbage that has been passed onto him through generations. That He is angry. Vengeful. Wrathful. And in general, that He doesn’t like you very much. The truth, as you will see vibrantly in this film, is that He is the most loving, compassionate, and wonderful Father you can imagine.

This is a movie I would encourage everyone to see; believers, non-believers, and children (it is age appropriate for children). I don't even know if I could begin to describe the movie. I can say that there was cheering, clapping, and praising going on during the movie. It is one of a kind, life changing, and you will not be the same after you see it movies. I know that last sentence probably doesn't even make sense, but I tell you, it will leave you speechless. Go see it if you have a chance. And I encourage you to see the other two movies before it as well. I know I am!!!

1 Corinthians 12:27

²⁷Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. ²⁸And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance

It's not about a building

2012-08-04T15:29:00.000-05:00

Jesus doesn't show up at a church just because it has the name church written on it. He shows up where His people are. You can have "church" where ever you are at.

I want to encourage you to have "church" were you are at. Where can God use you to tell the world about Jesus? He will use some of us at work, school or even in our own neighborhoods. Others He will ask to "go", often that looks like missions. But don't be mistaken, missions are right here at home too. You don't have to travel to a foreign country to be a missionary.

So ask God "where". Where to start? And remember, it's not about the building, it's about His people showing up and sharing love.

Rest

2012-08-01T15:33:00.002-05:00

Recently my family and I were able to go to the beach. It was the first time the girls had ever been to the beach. We didn't go crazy and try and 'do' everything on vacation. We simply just were. We enjoyed just being away from the normal everyday life.

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters (Psalms 23:1-2)

The bible puts emphasis on a relationship between God and you as a family unit, merely than meeting one another's needs. In depth relationships don't happen in the everyday hustle and bustle. Relationships may develop in everyday life, but in depth relationships form with personal interaction. Remember that old hymn: "He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His." Well that is exactly what we did as a family during this time. It was a time to reflect, rest and refresh.

That is exactly what He wants to do with you. You have to allow Him the time. How will you allow God to walk and talk with you? You don't have to go to the beach, but you do need to carve out some time were your soul can tune out life and tune into God.

Redeemed

2012-07-27T23:35:00.001-05:00

Do you ever look back over your life and question why did you have to go thru something? Or do you ever look back and regret that there was so much of your time wasted on things that didn't matter.

Think of Joseph. I bet you he looked over his life and wondered why his brothers ripped off his robe and threw him into a pit. And it wasn't just any pit it was a cistern, which is a deep pit that's built to store water. They were not playing around. They were going to leave him for dead. Somewhere in them ripping off his robe and throwing him into a pit they saw a trader walking thru. The brothers decided not to leave him for dead but to sell him into slavery for a mere $80. The brothers went home and convinced their father that a wild animal eaten his son.

God was not finished with Joseph. Joseph endured awful events in his life. But God's plans for Joseph where plans to give hope and a future. If you don't know the rest of the story, I encourage you to read it. In the end, Joseph realizes that God's plan were to be able to provide for his family in an extreme drought. He tells his brothers in Genesis 45:15 "It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives."

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

God declares it is a new day. He will use your past to carve character into you and give you everything you need for the here and now. Just as God used hardship in Joseph's life to lead him to a position of leadership, influence, and blessing, He will use you. He will turn what others meant for harm into a testimony that God works everything together for His glory.

1st Crafting Post

2012-07-24T08:47:00.001-05:00

http://www.grace4thislife.com/p/4craftingdiy.html

your gifts

2012-07-21T13:17:00.002-05:00

click here

Truth! I love this quote. Don't just read it; let it soak in for a minute. Know anyone like that? Are you that person? Has anyone told you to believe that you were born to climb a tree?

I have seen people trying to climb trees. You can see it. They think no one can see, but it is written on their forehead. The sign clearly reads 'I am not doing what God gifted me with'.

I am not talking about 'doing' something for God. I am talking about using your God given gifts. Everyone has gifts from God.

For God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. (Romans 11:29)

That has to be my all-time favorite verse. God's gifts are irrevocable. He does not have a return counter, customer service center, or warranty department. When God gives a gift; He GIVES a gift.

There is a world of people walking around living and another world of people walking around living and using their gift(s). You know them. These people do not even realize what a joy it is to be around them.

I have a friend. Here name is Amy Ford. She describes her gifts as passion to reach out to the broken-hearted mommies and cheer them on as they embark on a new season full of blessings. She loves to sing as loud as she can (when no one is around), love on her kids, throw parties for her friends and go on date nights with her man.

Amy is walking out her God given gifts. It is amazing to watch her plus it is FUN to be around her!! She is full of love for God. God pours His love into Amy and it is evident. She celebrates life. (Her own life and other lives God has created). She realizes she is walking out her gifts God gave her, but I don't think she realizes the impact of her using her gifts for God. There are so many young single girls walking around with no hope, no direction and just looking for anyone to show them attention and love. Most of the girls look to a boy. Then they meet Amy and the rest of the Embrace Grace team. She encourages them to look up. She is a living breathing testimony that God can turn your mess into a message, your trail into a triumph and your test into a testimony and a victim into a victory.

To get the big picture I will have to give you a little back ground. Most of the girls Amy and the other leaders of Embrace Grace meet are at their breaking point. They are young pregnant and scared. Some are hopeful, but most of them at the beginning they are very cautious. I am sure they think, why in the world ladies from a church want to help me. The world thinks church is the last place to go to get help at this point. Wrong!! The group leaders of Embrace Grace have been there. We all wished that someone would have taken us under their wing when each of us found ourselves in that situation or one very similar. Side note-(just want to point out it is not necessarily church that these girls need, it is Jesus, we meet at a church and Jesus shows up....we could meet anywhere and we have, lol, and Jesus always shows up).

All that to set the scene for what happened last night when I went to a worship concert (by the way it was AMAZING!) and I looked around at the people around me just worshipping and praising the Lord. It was breath taking! Then I stopped and stared at two girls. They just happen to be two young ladies that have been thru Embrace Grace. They were worshipping God and singing His praises. They were crying out for more of Him. My heart just stopped. It was beautiful and I have no words to describe it. I thanked God for the opportunity to be able to watch the transformations in their hearts.

The reason I brought Amy into this post is because without her heart for God and faith fullness to Him. There would not be an Embrace Grace group. It would be a group of women with really good thoughts and intentions. God hand-picked her to start this group, He knew she had what it takes to be bold and pull the puzzle pieces together. To actually form a group were all these good intentions good be poured out to these young girls. Her bff Salina had just as much to do with it as Amy as far as forming the group Embrace Grace. Salina was in the details. I mean she is 'into'(in my very best Beth Moore voice, lol) the details. We will all plan the teachings and Salina brings it together with embellishments and heart felt items. She takes the teachings and wraps them up with a great big bow on top. Her presentation is incredible.

I am so thankful to have them both in my life. They are the kind of girlfriends that you can call anytime day or night and they would be there for you no matter what. The friendships I have formed with all the leaders of Embrace Grace and such a blessing. We don't get to see much of each other out of Embrace Grace because well we all have our own families and schedules are busy. But when we all pull away from the busyness of life and come together for Embrace Grace, things happen. Walls are torn down, hearts are softened, and bonds are broken. Again, not because we are in church, but because we are sisters. Sisters that know without a shadow of a doubt that the name of Jesus can bring peace to the troubled, broken and confused. We laugh together, we cry together and we rejoice together. I can't think of a better way to live this life, but with ladies that have my back. Ladies that love the Lord with all their hearts and live this same, sometimes crappy, life that I do, but know that there is a bigger picture and encourage each other along this path of life.

This is how Amy uses her God given gifts. Do you know your God given gift(s)? How do you use them? Please share. There is nothing more beautiful than to read a story of an obedient child of God and watch the remarkable things of that God can do thru them. It gives me goose bumps (which Amy calls God bumps :), love that woman).

what defines you?

2012-07-17T22:41:00.000-05:00

Your ability does not define you. God defines you. I will say it again. Your ability to 'do' something does not define you. God did not create you to 'do'. He created you for so that He could know you. He created you so He could fellowship with you. He created you so He could have a friendship with you. He created you so He could have a relationship with you. He created you so He could connect with you. He did not create you do go and ‘do’ something for Him. He can ‘do’ everything himself. I mean He is God. He does not need your ability to ‘do’ something. He has the ability to ‘do’ everything himself.

Do you have relationships with people in your life for their ability of what they can 'do' for you? I am not talking about the people that are in your life (family, co-workers, neighbors, well you get the point). I am talking about the people you choose to have relationship with. Do you love your husband or wife because they 'do' something for you? Do have friends just knowing they can 'do' something? No, the people we choose to have relationships in with are there because we love them. We want to know them. We love spending time. Sure they may ‘do’ things that attract us to them, but we do not continue the relationship merely for that. If you do, then you are simply using them. I don’t want to be used by anyone. I want to have relationship with that person. I don’t love my husband because I have to. I want to. The things I ‘do’ for him is an overflow of love from my heart that I have for him. In this same way, you do not have to ‘do’ anything for God. He just loves you. Religion says you must go and ‘do’ to be loved by God. The bible says God loves you (period). God wants you to know how He defines you. Here is a Love Letter to you from God. Read or watch it, it is SO good!!

the GREATEST thing i have ever done....

2012-07-17T01:47:00.001-05:00

The greatest thing I have ever done is follow Jesus! I am serious! I was not raised in church. We prayed at Christmas and Thanksgiving and I thought "church" people were boring. Good intentions, but boring. I thought when I am older(35ish, lol-I know realize this is not old) and have a family of my own I would do the church thing. I thought going to church meant you had to give up fun. I didn't really know what fun was, but I knew church couldn't be fun. WRONG!

I decided at 16 to do the church thing. I didn't fully turn over my life to Jesus until I was 25. I knew church wasn't boring or lifeless at this point. It was the definition of FUN!

"I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." (John 15:15)

Did you just get that? Jesus refers to me and you as FRIENDS! I don't know about you, but I want to be friends with Jesus! He died for my sins so I can have eternal life. I can't think of someone better to be friends with. But He doesn't stop there, He goes on to say "that everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." Not only is Jesus going to call us His friend, but He is going to let us in on our the family secrets. SWEET!!! Yes Jesus, please share with me all that you have learned from the Father.

"Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill." (Matthew 12:15)

Jesus healed all who were ill. When you follow Jesus you get to see people healed. Jesus will heal illness, disease and sickness. I am a walking breathing testimony to that. But He doesn't stop there. He will heal your hurts, your hearts, your (fill in the blank). He will heal you of things you didn't even know needed healing!

"They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony;they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death." (Revelation 12:11)

The word of their testimony. The song Overcome- Desperation Band just gives me goosebumps everytime I hear it. I love to talk about Jesus and what He has done for me. The lyrics in this song are incredible.

Lyrics of Overcome:

Seated above, enthroned in the Father's love.
Destined to die, poured out for all mankind.
God's only son, perfect and spotless one.
He never sinned, but suffered as if He did.

Pre Chorus:
All authority, every victory is Yours

Chorus:
Saviour, worthy of honour and glory
Worthy of all our praise,
For You overcame.
Jesus, awesome in power forever,
Awesome and great is Your name,
For You overcame.

Verse 2:
Power in hand, speaking the Father's plan.
Sending us out, light in this broken land.

Bridge:
We will overcome,
By the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony,
everyone, overcome.

One of my many cardboard testimonies:
Front: I had cancer and illness in my body at the age of 21
Back: God healed all of my disease and sickness.
verse: "Lord my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me.(Psalm 30:2)

What is your testimony? Do you think following Jesus is the greatest thing you have ever done? If so, email your story to grace4thislife@gmail.com.

have you missed the mark?

2012-07-15T18:10:00.001-05:00

God created us to have fellowship with Him. He also created us in His image and with free will. This free will gives you the right to choice. To love or not to love. To tell the truth or tell a lie. Adam and Eve had free will. With that free will they chose to eat of the tree that God commanded them not to eat of. This was the first sin made by man. The truth is that sin, as defined in the original translations of the Bible, means "to miss the mark." I don't know about you, but I have missed the mark quite a few times in my life(then take that and multiply it by a million zillion). Viewed in that light, it is clear that we are all sinners. Being sinners we can not fellowship with God, unless we have Jesus.

"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."(Romans 3:23)

Man is sinful and separated from God. Therefore, he can not know and experience God's love and plan for his life.

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23)

Jesus is God's provision for man's sin. Through Him you can know and experience God's love and plan for your life.

"Jesus said, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."(John 14:6)

The good news is that, once we recognize ourselves as sinners and believe that God sent Jesus to die on the cross for our sins, we need only to receive the gift of Jesus! Receiving Jesus involves turning to God from self(repentance) and trusting Jesus to come into our lives to forgive our sins.

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9).

"For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16).

If you understand that you are a sinner, and you believe that Jesus Christ came as the one and only Redeemer of sin, then you understand the prayer of forgiveness. The question is – are you ready to implement the prayer, by receiving God’s gift of His Son, Jesus Christ? If this is the desire of your heart, then you pray this prayer aloud.

“Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of my life. Send Your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.”

Confess with Your Mouth

"Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in Heaven. But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in Heaven." (Matthew 10:32-33)

If you pray this prayer, email grace4thislife@gmail.com, tell your friends, tell your parents, tell anyone! We want to rejoice with the you!! God loves you and has a plan for your life.

"For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:26)

If you have questions or need prayer, email grace4thislife@gmail.com. http://www.grace4thislife.com/p/4foundations.html

4Family & Marriage Today

2012-07-10T23:44:00.001-05:00

I can honestly say my favorite resource for a healthy marriage is Marriage Today . When Daniel and I got married nei...

4Young Single & Pregnant

2012-07-09T02:38:00.001-05:00

Imagine a church that reaches out to the young single girls. Imagine a church that loves on them and tells them(some for the 1st time ever

The Extraordinary Life

2012-07-09T01:40:00.003-05:00

The most extraordinary people have known defeat. They have suffered, struggled,and lost. Yet they have climbed out of the depths of these pits. They know they did not climb alone. The climb was hard and there were many times it would have been easier just to give up, but they did not. These extraordinary people have discovered the only way to climb is God. When they were in the deepest darkest hour God was with them. They didn’t realize at the time, but now they know. Every battle, every struggle, and every loss He was there. God promises He will never leave you nor forsake you.

Joshua 1:5 ~“No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

And the best part is God tells us in Exodus 14:14 that He will fight for you. If God is for you who can stand against you? No one or nothing can stand against God. God is for you! Be still and I will fight for you. Those words are music to my ears.

But in this world of technology with answers at our finger tips, it is hard to be still. We live in a world of “fast”food, “instant” messaging and search engines. We have to just learn to be still, put down the iPhones, iPads, or your choice of instant whatever. You might miss something, but you won’t miss God. Resting in His presence is refreshing. It doesn’t mean your situation is suddenly going to change overnight,but it does mean that God will sustain you though the trail. If need be He will climb down in that very pit of despair and sit with you. And when you are ready and God’s timing is perfect, you will climb out of that pit(and you will climb out). You will be more extraordinary than you were before you began to slip into the pit. And the beautiful thing is He will take your trails and turn them into triumphs. He will take your sufferings and turn them into service (this is my favorite part)! The highest service you and I can render here on earth is to bring glory to God.

How do you bring glory to God? By loving others that are right now in this very moment where you have been. I mean really who could relate better than the person that has been there done that. It doesn’t matter if you think that you are qualified or not. God doesn’t call the qualified, He equips the called. All you have to do is show up. You don’t need to know some fancy bible language or long prayer. He just wants YOU. When you show up, He will show off! You will be living the extraordinary life. The only question that remains, “Will YOU live the extraordinary life?”

Judgement

2012-07-06T11:50:00.000-05:00

We are so quick to judge. Aren't we? It is easy to judge, but not so easy to get involved. God didn't call us to judge.

Matthew 7:1-2~"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

What he did call us to do it to love. Actually he didn't just call us to love, but it is the second commandment, quoting that there is no commandment greater than this.

Mark 12:30-31. "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

Jesus expected all His followers to have compassion and love for others. If you see a need, do your best to meet the need if at all possible. No you will not be able to meet every need you see, but you can meet the needs of the people God has prepared you for. Meeting a need for someone maybe to give money, buy groceries, or even giving them a ride to work. But most needs will just be meet with you loving that person right where he or she is. Not judging or condemning, only loving and sharing the love that God pours into you everyday.

Do you have story to share with us about God calling you to love? Email it to grace4thislife@gmail.com. We would love to hear your story!

freedom

2012-07-04T16:27:00.001-05:00

First let me start by saying I am very thankful for all of our courageous men and women out there fighting for our freedom, risking your lives for ours.

When I think about Independence Day, "Independence Day (Martina McBride)" is a powerful song that just gives me goose bumps every time I hear it. I really like the chorus "Roll the stone away, It's Independence Day." Roll the stone away, did you get that, like really get it. For every child of God when they rolled the stone away from the tomb were Jesus was buried Jesus was gone. That is the ultimate meaning of independence. Just as a solider dies in place for my physical freedom from other countries, Jesus died for your soul. He died for me and for you! Jesus died on the cross and was raised from the dead for our sins. All we have to do is confess with our mouths and believe in our hearts and our souls will be set free. But the awesome part is He doesn't want to stop there. He wants to mold and shape you now here on earth. You don't have to do anything, it is a gift that cannot be taken away or returned to a store. It is Free.

I attend Gateway Church in Southlake, TX. The definition of freedom: Freedom is the ability to respond fully to God out of who He created and redeemed you to be. They have Freedom Ministries. It is kingdom focused and designed to help you become the person you were created to be. They will help you enter the life you were made for, grow in Christ and learn how to be an influence in the lives of others. If you would like to learn more, click on the link below.

Enjoy your Independence Day! Be thankful for the freedom we enjoy both physically and your soul.

Foundations of Freedom Classes | Gateway Church