Butterfly Place

Not Just For Dishes

2015-06-08T06:00:00.000-05:00

Dawn takes away grease!

Even on clothing!

Put a few drops of Dawn on that favorite shirt with the oily spot.

Work it in, and throw it in the wash as usual.

No more oily spot!

Blessings!

Lisa

Tip For Laundry: Under Arm Stains/Odors

2015-06-01T15:08:00.000-05:00

Make a paste of peroxide and baking soda and work it in with an old toothbrush.

Then throw into the wash as usual.

Warning: you may want to test fabric for color fastness in an inconspicuous area first.

Blessings!

Lisa

Monday Musing: PUTTING MEMORIAL BACK INTO MEMORIAL DAY

2015-05-19T21:54:00.002-05:00

What do you do on Memorial Day? Have a picnic? Go swimming? Shop the sales? Originally called "Decoration Day", Memorial Day was a day set apart to remember the soldiers who died in the Civil War. Loved ones would decorate the graves of their departed soldiers with flowers and flags. New York was the first state to observe Decoration Day. Many southern states refused to celebrate the national day but began Confederate memorial days to remember their dead. After World War I, Decoration Day became known as Memorial Day and was modified to include all departed military. In the year 2,000 the United States congress passed a resolution to reinstate Memorial Day asking all Americans to stop whatever they are doing at 3 pm on each Memorial Day and for one minute remember those who gave their lives for their country. The resolution included that Taps be played where possible. The following is a youtube video about the origin of the beautiful, but haunting melody. Enjoy!

Blessings!

Monday Musing: GETTING GOD'S EAR

2015-05-19T21:54:00.000-05:00

It has often been said that God answers a prayer with "yes", "no", and "wait". But sometimes God doesn't answer at all. Why is that? Isaiah 59:1-2 says, "Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear."

The Bible tells us that God does not hear the prayers of the unrepentant. He is still God! He is still all powerful. He has not lost His hearing. But if we protect our sin and refuse to repent he CHOOSES not to hear us. The passage also says "your sins have hid his face from you". So in reality our own choices have everything to do with getting our prayers answered. If we feel we can't seem to get God's attention, we need to search our hearts and repent and confess our sins. If we do this God says in 2 Chronicles 7:14 "then will I hear from heaven". God also emphasizes the importance of being right with our fellow man. Jesus deals with this in Matthew 5:23-24 and Mark 11:25. Thank God! When we sin God has made a way for us to get forgiveness and regain His ear. Through His son, Jesus Christ, who died for our sins, (1 Cor. 15:3) we can confess our sins to God and be cleansed from unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

Blessings!

Lisa

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

2015-05-15T19:40:00.000-05:00

Our family loves these cookies. We first saw it in a Crisco recipe book. You can get this recipe with variations by clicking on this post's title or the picture.

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 stick Crisco® Baking Sticks Butter Flavor All-Vegetable Shortening

OR 3/4 cup Crisco® Butter Flavor All-Vegetable Shortening

1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 3/4 cups Pillsbury BEST™ All Purpose Flour

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 (6 oz.) package semi-sweet chocolate chips (1 cup)

1 cup coarsely chopped pecans (optional)

PREPARATION DIRECTIONS:

HEAT oven to 375ºF.

COMBINE shortening, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Beat in egg. Combine flour, salt and baking soda. Mix into shortening mixture until just blended. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.

DROP by rounded measuring tablespoonfuls 3 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet.

BAKE 8 to 10 minutes for chewy cookies, or 11 to 13 minutes for crisp cookies. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet on a cooling rack. Remove cookies to rack to cool completely.

* If nuts are omitted, add an additional 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Blessings!

Lisa

Taming of the Tempest-The Perfect Storm (Devotional from "Praise Him In The Storm" Women's Conference)

2015-02-28T17:53:00.001-06:00

Illustration: Rembrandt- “The Storm on the Sea of Galilee” borrowed from wikimedia.org

Notice Rembrandt painted himself in the center of boat with Jesus and disciples. He is the one looking directly at you.

This is entitled perfect storm because we grow and mature during storms of life.

It is perfect because Jesus is with us, and He knows what He's doing.

How many of you have been on a cruise?

I want to invite you to come on a virtual cruise. You may say, I thought this conference was about praising God in the storm.

This is not your ordinary cruise. It is not for the faint-hearted.

It is more for thrill seekers! We got any roller-coaster riders?

Well let me assure you, the Captain has NEVER LOST A PASSENGER!

And it is GUARANTEED HE NEVER WILL…GLORY!!!

HE CONTROLS THE WINDS AND THE SEAS AND HIS PASSENGERS CANNOT DIE!!! You cannot drown when you are in the arms of the MASTER OF THE SEA!!! HALLELUJAH!!!

When we went on a cruise to the Bahamas, one of the crew told us that if we experience sea sickness just go up out on deck and look at the horizon. You know that is like looking into eternity. If you get sick at heart on this journey called life, just take a look at the spiritual horizon. This life is not all there is. We have to keep our eyes on the eternal… on Jesus. One day we will look back from eternity and see how God brought us through!

Our virtual cruise is taking us across the Sea of Galilee with Jesus and his disciples.

Before our cruise starts we have to go over the safety procedures.

As a result of the Titanic tragedy there are now safety rules for cruising.

By the way, crew members were heard telling passengers of the Titanic as they boarded, “Not even God could sink this ship.” I can’t help but wonder if that was their invitation for disaster.

SOLAS stands for Safety Of Life At Sea The GOSPEL is OUR ETERNAL SAFETY (I Cor. 15:3 & 4)

For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

When you got saved you boarded the gospel ship. But this journey is like a Night cruise – we only see our way by faith.

Jesus was teaching from a “ship” on the shore of Galilee. Ship is the term used in the New Testament for boat. It was believed to be very similar to the 1st century boat discovered on the Galilean shore during a drought in 1986. They called it the Jesus Boat.

Mark 4:35-41

Jesus had a good reason to go to the other side, and the storm caused them to get to the other side just in time for a Divine appointment for an exorcism. And this was no Linda Blair style event where the demons get the best of the priest. Oh no Jesus had full control of the situation, but you’ll have to read Mk. 5 to see how that turns out.

· Waves beat until boat full of water – not good

· Half the disciples being fisherman of the Lake knew this was a storm they could not survive. They said, “Jesus, we are dying and you are sleeping!”

· Jesus was asleep because it was time to sleep – night and he was exhausted from the events of the day. This revealed Jesus’ humanity & divinity. He was exhausted, but he had no fear of the storm.

Jesus stopped the wind and the waves immediately.

All cruise ships have muster stations and you are instructed before embarkation to go to your muster station if there is an emergency. This is a requirement of SOLAS. The definition of muster is to Take Inventory of people.

Who’s In Your Boat? Who is the Master In Your Boat? Are you saved? Are you letting him be the captain? We have Peace (Mk. 4:39) Jesus is our peace. Eph. 2:14, Is. 32:17, Is. 9:6 Two questions to ask yourself…When did you get lost? When did you get peace? We have God’s Power (Mk. 4:41) (Nahum 1:3, 7) God has a Place for us and sometimes it takes a storm to get us there. (Jn. 6:21)

Is there a Mutineer In Your Boat? A rebel against authority? Jonah was running from God. He resented the Ninevites, and was unconcerned for their souls.

Jonah got into the storm by being disobedient. The disciples got into the storm by being obedient. There are others in the same boat.

Believe it or not there are others who have been thru storms greater than this (greater than yours and mine). And they made it through!! The devil wants us to think we are the only one who facing or has faced this. He wants us to think it is impossible to get thru this. Then God will allow someone to come along and put their arm around us and say. “I understand, I’ve been there. Let me tell you how God brought me thru.”

(1 Cor. 10:13, I Peter 5:5-9) The people in the other boats would witness the power of God as the 12 did. And they were all in awe.

Think of Noah and the storm he and his family faced.

In May of 2008 a tornado destroyed our church building. In June of 2007 a different kind of storm nearly destroyed our church.

Jesus faced a great storm when he died on the cross and shed his blood for the sins of the world. Not only the pain and agony though they were great. But just think…the sinless, purest, Son of the living God became sin (not a sinner) but sin. Think about what he might have gone through anticipating the cross, knowing he would become sin.

2Co_5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

The disciples' storm was a monsoon or great storm. You may be in a monsoon. Half the disciples being fisherman knew this was a storm they could not survive. They said, “Jesus, we are dying and you are sleeping!” It’s okay to come to the Lord in desperation during your storm. After all that is what he wants us to do. He may have created this storm, or at least allowed it upon us, so we would run to Him. He wants us to come to Him and learn that his grace is sufficient.

Notice they didn’t say- Lord please calm this storm. They didn’t know he could because they were amazed when he did. They just asked him if he cared that they were fixing to die. They might have even been including Jesus in that “we perish.”

They had seen him do many miracles, but had not seen him take control of the very atmosphere.

But when they came to him and woke him up. He said peace be still. (Mk 4:39)

What is your storm?

Financial, physical, relationship, an enemy, the enemy?

Our emotions are part of the storm. We can’t let them get the best of us.

Worry…….Panic…….Fear

Emotions can take you places God never intended for you to go.

Emotions do not follow facts. They follow “what ifs.”

Emotions tell you things are a whole lot worse than they are.

We have to encourage ourselves in the Lord like David did when everybody was ready to stone him. (1 Sam. 30:6) (2 Cor. 10:5) (1 Pet. 1:13)

We have to tell ourselves “God is still in control.”

Eph 5:19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

When you do this you will take control of your emotions.

Instead of being controlled by them.

How? Go to Jesus for help like the disciples did. Prayer and The Word

They ask Him, that’s prayer. They got a word from Him, “peace, be still”

Jesus performed a miracle. That is a supernatural work for an impossible problem. Jesus showed that he was God, an impeccable person. He is God incarnate, God in human flesh.

Notice Jesus didn’t pray and ask God to do it, he did it himself. He wanted them to know he had that kind of power because he wanted them to know He is God.

The message is more important than the miracle. (vs. 41) There was a rhetorical question

with a remarkable answer. "What manner of man is this..."

Well, Psalm 107:29, speaking of God says, "He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.

Our reasonable response is to proclaim His name with our actions and words, and praise His name even in the storm.We can be a witness to the lost world when we show them God in our storms. This shows the world that there is a God and we can trust Him.

We can praise Him in the storm. James 1:2 “count it all joy…”

Remember ladies you cannot drown in the arms of the Master of the Sea

Mark 5:1 says “And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.”

Ladies, they made it to the other side. God will get you to the other side of your storm! And the still small voice in me says, Glory!

STOP OBAMA'S "FUNDAMENTAL TRANSFORMATION OF AMERICA"

2015-01-21T16:16:00.002-06:00

Let your voice be heard. Visit this link to contact your senators and representatives.

Those we put in office need to know we are holding them accountable.

Blessings!

Lisa

CLEAN AND GREEN

2015-01-20T07:00:00.000-06:00

I recently noticed black mold starting on my bathroom ceiling. I had to get rid of it! So I did a little research and found the suggestion that hydrogen peroxide would remove black mold from even porous surfaces (like the bathroom ceiling.) I mixed 1 part 3% hydrogen peroxide with 2 parts water, put it on a sponge mop and rubbed it on the ceiling. WOW! It worked! It sure beats bleach and other cleaners. No fumes! Just had to share this with you.

Blessings!

Lisa

Egg Chopper

2014-10-15T17:09:00.000-05:00

Don't have an egg chopper? A pastry cutter is a great substitute.

Blessings!

Lisa

Pepper Steak With Sweet Red Sauce

2014-07-29T17:14:00.003-05:00

Steak-
1 lb. ground beef, 1 egg, 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs, 1 tsp. Worcestershire,
1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. black pepper, 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. garlic powder depending on taste.
2 Tbsp oil, cooking spray.

Mix all steak ingredients except for flour and oil, and make into 6 or 8 patties.
Spray skillet (I use electric skillet.)
Add oil, then brown steak patties on both sides in oil. Remove from skillet and place aside. Turn heat off. Save oil for sauce.

Sauce-
4 Tbsp. flour, 6 medium sized tomatoes diced, 1 onion diced,
1 red pepper diced (Red is easier on digestion),
1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. black pepper,
3 Tbsp. sugar, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. Worcestershire, about 2 cups water.

Turn heat back on. Brown flour in oil. Mix other ingredients together. Stir into browned flour and oil mixture. Gradually stir in water. Add meat patties. Simmer on low until meat is done in center, about 30 minutes. Taste great over mashed potatoes, pasta or rice.

Blessings!

Lisa

GREEN PEPPERS = PAIN, RED PEPPERS = NO PAIN

2014-05-20T09:58:00.000-05:00

If green bell peppers give you stomach pain, try red ones. Someone told me that red bell peppers are ripe and green ones are not and that may be why the green ones hurt my tummy. I now eat the red ones and they do not give me pain. With a little research I found that there is a science to this; proteins that require certain enzymes for digestion, etc. I'm just glad I learned I can have the flavor without the gastritis.

Blessings!

Lisa

HOW TO IDENTIFY POISON IVY, POISON OAK, AND POISON SUMAC

2014-05-17T13:22:00.000-05:00

Blessings!

Lisa

Mail Station

2014-01-15T14:03:00.000-06:00

Woohoo! I finally did it! I now have a mail station (somewhere besides the kitchen table to put the mail until it gets sorted.) I love to organize. I just don't always find the time to do it. I am aware that clutter begets clutter. That first item that is placed on the table is like a magnet for other things to be placed on the table. First it's the mail, then it's the hammer that didn't get put away after the picture was hung, then it's Fido's scrap plate (eewwwh!), then it's the newspaper, etc. I hope this mail station thing works. I am trying to communicate to family members that it is not the final resting place for mail but only a temporary place for it until the junk mail is in the trash, bills are payed and filed, etc. I am looking forward to seeing how this new mail catcher works. I'll post in a few weeks and let you know.

Blessings!

Lisa

Southern Style Chicken n' Dressing (Or you can use turkey)

2013-11-06T10:45:00.003-06:00

This may look like a complicated process but it isn't. Dressing is NOT one of those recipes that you have to follow verbatim.

Ingredients:
First you have to make cornbread to go in the dressing. A lot of times I just freeze leftover cornbread to use for dressing. Even the Martha White website suggests doing this.

Cornbread for the dressing
Ingredients:
Martha White Self-Rising Flour
Martha White Self-Rising Cornmeal (I like the buttermilk kind)
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup canola oil to mix in cornbread
1/4 cup canola oil to put in skillet

1 cup buttermillk
Water to make soupy, like melted ice cream

Preheat oven to 450. I always bake cornbread in an iron skillet with about 1/4 cup oil in skillet bottom. Fill sifter basket/bottom with self-rising flour. Fill to too top with self -rising corn meal. Add other dry ingredients and sift into a large mixing bowl. Stir in about 1/4 cup oil, buttermilk then water. Bake at 450 for about 30 minutes or until it tests done with toothpick. Set aside to cool. Sometimes I make my cornbread the day before or I just make dressing from leftover pieces of cornbread that I have frozen. You can't tell the difference in the dressing.

Dressing
1 whole chicken (deboned)
1 cup chopped celery (I boil my celery and onions together in water with 2 Tbsp. margarine.)
1 cup chopped onion
3 cans chicken both and broth from chicken
3 hard boiled eggs sliced or chopped (your preference)
4 Tbsp. margarine
2 Tbsp. ground poultry seasoning (some to sprinkle chicken before cooking and the rest goes in the dressing.)
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Next cook chicken for dressing. Remove inside chicken parts and place them with the chicken in a 9x13 baking dish. Many people make giblet gravy with these "extra" parts. I'll post that recipe next. Rub chicken with 2 Tbsp. margarine. Sprinkle chicken inside and out with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning, and garlic powder. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for about an hour. While chicken is baking, chop celery and onions. Test chicken for doneness. I usually cut into the large part of the leg. There should be no blood and it should be easy to cut so you can pull chicken off the bone. While chicken cools, boil celery and onions in 3 cups water with 2 tbsp. margarine until soft. Debone chicken.

When your cornbread is cool enough to handle, crumble it up in a very large bowl. You can add leftover biscuits or bread that needs to be used if you like. Just crumble them in too. We don't like to waste around our house. Stir in all your ingredients for your dressing. Pour into a 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake dressing at 450 for about 30 to 40 minutes, stirring in the edges when they start to brown every 15 minutes or so. Remember there are no raw ingredients, so just cook it until it suits your taste. Serve with jellied cranberry sauce. Enjoy!

Hallelujah Harvest!

2013-10-22T11:22:00.001-05:00

Each year at Enterprise Baptist Church, we have our Hallelujah Harvest. We schedule this event on Halloween night, not in celebration of Halloween, but to provide an alternative. As a matter of fact, we use to call it our Halloween Alternative, but every year when we announced it, it just seemed like it needed a different name. So, last year, at the event, we took nominations for names, then we voted, and Hallelujah Harvest won the title. We had some great other suggestions like Holy Harvest, Hallelujah Night, etc. Over the years we have had several fun activities, such as hayrides, weenie and marshmallow roasts, and s'mores. One year we announced that we wanted each person who would like to share a story of a special event or a testimony about family or church. That turned into a time of praise and worship. We have served chips and dips, hot dogs, chili, cup cakes, etc. We don't encourage costumes, but we have face painting, nothing scary, just super heroes, animals, butterflies, etc. Last year we started a new game for the Hallelujah Harvest where we dress up like a Bible character and give clues, and everyone tries to figure out who we are. This year we are playing the game again and giving it the name "Who Art Thou?". We have this event to provide fellowship, fun and candy for the children and to avoid things that the Bible says are an abomination to God.

Lev 19:31 Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.

Deu 18:10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,

Deu 18:11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

Deu 18:12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.

Is God Trying To Get Your Attention?

2012-08-28T07:14:00.001-05:00

Click on the picture to link to weather.com, but please take time to read the following article also.

Hurricane Isaac is expected to make landfall on the 7^th anniversary of Katrina, August 29^th. Weather forecasters predict that New Orleans may have storm surges as much as 14 feet.

Is it possible that God is trying to get our attention again. Katrina was 2005, seven years ago. The number 7 in biblical numerology represents spiritual perfection or the number of God. It’s as if God is saying, “It’s me again, I AM trying to get your attention.” I can almost hear it now, someone might say, “Why would a loving God do such a thing?” And I say, “Why wouldn’t a loving God do such a thing?” Stay with me for a minute. A loving God would give a sinner a chance, wouldn’t he? Well, he has given all of us many chances. What do the authorities do when a hurricane is coming? They warn you to evacuate, right? Well, that is what God does. He warns us of impending doom. He wants us to go to heaven to be with him when we die. So he gets our attention while we are still alive so we can make the right decision to surrender to him and serve him. God speaks to us from a very early age through something called a conscience. He gave us that little “voice” in our heads that tells us basic right from wrong. He gives us little rays of light, or truths that let us know we are sinners with a nature that is bent toward sin. Then he prompts someone to give us a gospel witness of how Jesus Christ of Nazareth died on a cross for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day according to the scriptures. He gives us a chance to be saved. Saved from what? Saved from the control of sin, saved from Hell, a place of torment.

So, you see, a hurricane is a good thing compared with going to hell and spending eternity without God wishing we had obeyed the gospel and accepted Christ while on earth. If you haven’t obeyed the gospel, you can. Go to the Salvation Plan tab at the top of the page to read more about how you can be saved and have peace with God.

Note: For those of us who are already saved ...

2 Chronicles 7:13-14

If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Blessings!

Lisa

Remember

2012-08-14T06:00:00.000-05:00

I said to my husband the other night, “Wouldn’t it be neat if we could memorize a sermon when we hear it and like a computer pull it out when we need it.” I was referring to the great messages we had heard at a Bible conference we had recently attended. But upon further reflection I realized that it is by the grace and mercy of God that we don’t memorize everything we see and hear. Think of all the traumatic experiences in life that we would remember in great detail, and we would never be able to erase from our memory. It is good that we have to make an effort to memorize information like Bible verses. The older I get, the more difficult it is to remember things (more about that later.)

God tells us in His word some things we need to remember.

Exo 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Ecc 12:1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

Luk 17:32 Remember Lot's wife.

Joh 15:20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

Heb 13:3 Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.

Heb 13:7 Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.

Jud 1:17-18 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.

Rev 2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

Rev 3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

Here is a very cute poem that goes with this thing of remembering. Hope you enjoy it!

Shall I? - Or - Have I?

Just a line to say I'm living

That I'm not among the dead.

Though I'm getting more forgetful

And more mixed up in the head.

For sometimes I can't remember

When I stand at foot of stair,

If I must go up for something

Or I've just come down from there.

And before the frig', so often

My poor mind is filled with doubt,

Have I just put food away, or

Have I come to take some out?

And there's times when it is dark out

With my nightcap on my head,

I don't know if I'm retiring

Or just getting out of bed.

So if it's my turn to write you

There's no need of getting sore,

I may think I have written

And don't want to be a bore.

So, remember...I do love you,

And I wish that you were here;

But now, it is nearly mail time

So I must say: "Goodbye Dear".

Here I stand beside the mailbox,

With my face so very red,

Instead of mailing you this letter...

I have opened it instead....

Source Unknown.

Blessings!

Lisa

We Are In A Race

2012-06-19T06:28:00.004-05:00

Believers in Jesus Christ are in a race. Our race is not a foot race for sprinters like the great sprinter, Michael Johnson. Neither is it NASCAR for heavy-footed drivers like Dale Earnhardt Jr. It is a race for a far greater cause and a far greater prize, a prize that will last forever. The training for this race is mental and spiritual. Our coach has left us an instruction manual (the Bible.) The Holy Spirit of God and that great cloud of witnesses are our cheering fans. The finish line is either death or the rapture of the church. We will be rewarded for running this race by our heavenly Father, but we will not get a trophy and put it on display in a glass case. We will place our trophies (the crowns we have won) at the feet of the Savior because without him we can do nothing.

1Co 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

1Co 9:25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

Heb 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Rev 4:10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

Rev 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Blessings!

Lisa

Interceding for a Good Brother

2012-06-14T08:57:00.002-05:00

Jerry Messer, a man in our church, has been on a kidney transplant list for over a year, and yesterday he got the call he has been waiting for. He is in surgery even now getting the transplant. Please help me to intercede for him. We are praying that all goes well with the transplant and for a speedy recovery. Thanks!

Blessings!

Lisa

2012-05-31T10:00:00.000-05:00

WORD FOR THE DAY
Magnifical
1Ch 22:5 And David said, Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be builded for the LORD must be exceeding magnifical, of fame and of glory throughout all countries: I will therefore now make preparation for it. So David prepared abundantly before his death.

Blessings!

Lisa

On Memorial Day

2012-05-28T10:15:00.001-05:00

Memorial day started in 1866 as the not-so-United States was recovering from the Civil War. It was then called Decoration Day. One can almost picture the veterans with their forced stoic efforts to remain strong, walking along side the families of the dead, grieving in route to the cemetery, tears trickling down their cheeks. Together they would pay tribute to their fallen comrades and loved ones by decorating the graves of the soldiers who had died during the war between the states. In 1868 the name was changed to Memorial Day and it was expanded to include the casualties of all previous wars. President Richard Nixon made it a national holiday in 1972. Some still decorate graves with flags and flowers, but for many people today, Memorial Day just represents the beginning of summer and a long weekend when people have cook-outs, head to the beach, have family reunions, etc.

As I think about Memorial Day, I want to take time to appreciate those who sacrificed their lives so I can live in freedom. I also want to acknowledge the one who gave me a freedom that no one can ever take away, spiritual freedom. I was once a slave to sin, but there was one who sacrificed His life so I could choose to be free. Jesus Christ gave his life. No man took it from Him, but he freely gave it so that all people could be made free if they will trust in him for salvation. In reality, the purpose of the "Lord's Supper", or the "Lord's Table", or "communion" is to commemorate the death of our Lord Jesus Christ for our sins.

1Co 11:24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

1Co 11:25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

1Co 11:26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.

Blessings!
Lisa

Godly Like Josiah

2012-05-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign in Jerusalem. The Bible says he did right before the Lord. He destroyed the places of false worship. (1 Kings 23) He tore down the houses of the sodomites. In 2 Kings 23:24, the Bible says he put away wizardry, idolatry, and all other abominations. He re-instated observance of the passover. Because of his righteous actions, God told Josiah that he would hold off his judgement until after Josiah's death.

We need a modern day Josiah to do some spiritual clean-up. I attended a women's conference recently, and the speaker talked about the possibility of having the president of the United States giving his state of the union address and making the statement, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord." She stated that we should not consider that an impossibility, but believe God, and we should pray to that end. God could give us that godly leader through the election process, or even better, he could save a leader who's already in office. We are commanded to pray for the leaders of our government. (1 Tim. 2:1-2)

Not only do we need godly leadership in our government, we need to clean up our own personal lives. We need to get rid of the things that bring the wrath of the Lord on us, and we need to add the things that please Him. I wonder how many books and movies we have in our homes that promote things that back in Josiah's day God called an abomination. An abomination is something that doesn't change, it is something that God hates and will always hate. That which God hates brings judgement. I challenge you to search the word abomination in the Bible. Some of the things you will find are: necomancy (communicating with the dead), witchcraft, same sex relations, cross-dressing, psychic reading, beastiality. Some passages use the word abomination, while others say that those who do those things shall be put to death. Do any of these things remind you of some of our so-called entertainment? God, help us to have discernment when it comes to these things.

We may not be able to force morality as Josiah did, but we can pray and God can touch hearts and change lives. Will you join me in praying for revival and awakening in our world?

Blessings!

Lisa

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Blessings!

Lisa

WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO SHUT YOU UP?

2012-05-08T06:00:00.000-05:00

Matthew 28:11-15

While my husband preached the other day, this passage stood out to me. He spoke of how the guards at Jesus tomb were paid off to lie and say that Jesus did not rise from the dead. And as I thought on this I wondered how many believers could be shut up about their faith by some means or other. Thus the title "What Would It Take To Shut You Up?"

I think of all the martyrs who gave their lives, and others whose mouths would not be shut up, even in the face of persecution. Here is a list of some:

Stephen, stoned

James the son of Zebedee, beheaded

Philip, crucified

Matthew, killed with a halbert

James the Less, At the age of ninety-four he was beaten and stoned; and his brains were bashed out

Matthias, stoned and beheaded

Andrew, crucified on an X-shaped cross

Mark, dragged to death

Peter, crucified head down because he told his executioners he was unworthy to die as his Lord did

Paul, persecuted many times over and finally beheaded

Jude, commonly called Thaddeus, crucified

Bartholomew, beaten and crucified

Thomas, thrust through with a spear

Luke, hanged

Simon, crucified

John, boiled in oil but survived miraculously, exiled to the Isle of Patmos

There are countless others. For instance, Polycarp, a student under the apostle John, when asked to renounce Christ and say that Caesar is Lord said, "Eighty-six years I have served Christ, and He never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?" He would not recant and thus was burnt alive. Peter and John were commanded to shut up in Acts 4, but they're reply was that they could not help but to speak about the things they had seen and heard. Acts 4. William Tyndale, "Brought forth to the place of execution, he was tied to the stake, strangled by the hangman, and afterwards consumed with fire, at the town of Vilvorde, A.D. 1536; crying at the stake with a fervent zeal, and a loud voice, 'Lord! open the king of England's eyes.'"

In America, persecution is virtually non-existent, but for others it is still a reality in 2012. Youcef Nadarkhani, is in prison with a death sentence for converting to Christianiy from Islam. Voice of the Martyrs publications are full of accounts of modern day persecutions.

I ask myself and the reader, what would it take to shut you up? Sadly, many Christians are secret Christians. How many of us really share Christ like we should? So we have already been shut up. We need to share the gospel. We need to decide what we would do with an ultimatum like so many of our brothers and sisters have faced. We better decide now. We better know before the persecution starts. We need to make up our minds, and pray for boldness, that we will stand up and speak up, if and when, our time comes.

Let's pray for those around the world whose very lives are on the line as they speak up for the Lord. And lets not take our freedoms for granted. We need to speak up for the Lord Jesus Christ. There are still those who have never heard.

Information for the post was obtained from the following:

http://www.ccel.org/f/foxe/martyrs/home.html

http://www.prisoneralert.com/

http://polycarp.net/

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Blessings!

Lisa

Five Aspects of An Effective Prayer Life

2012-04-24T06:00:00.001-05:00

This is an abbreviated version of the devotion I gave at a recent ladies meeting.

In the following passage Jesus is teaching his disciples a vital lesson on the power of prayer. He knew that he was about to be crucified, placed in the grave, rise again, and ascend after forty days. He was about to leave. The disciples were dependent on Jesus for everything. They needed to learn how to pray and trust God to meet their every need.

Mark 11:20-26

Mar 11:20 And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.

Mar 11:21 And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.

Mar 11:22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

Mar 11:23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

Mar 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Mar 11:25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

Mar 11:26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

Using a nickel, I gave these 5 aspects of an effective prayer life.

On The Heads Side:

The first thing you see is the Head of Jefferson, a historical figure. That represents the Historical Aspect of Prayer – Remember what God has done in the past. (v. 20-21)
In God We Trust represents the Theological Aspect of Prayer - Trust, Have Faith in God - (v. 22)
Liberty (2Cor. 3:17) represents the Spiritual Aspect – Believe (v. 23)

On The Tails Side:

E Pluribus Unum provokes a question (What does that mean?) and represents the Practical Aspect – Ask (v. 24) (Mat. 7:7-11, Lu. 11:9-13) Incidently, E Pluribus Unum is latin for “Out of many, one”
United represents the Moral Aspect – Forgive (v. 25-26)

I hope that each time you look at a nickel it will remind you of these five aspects of an effective prayer life.

Blessings!

Lisa

Keep Pressing On!

2012-04-10T05:37:00.002-05:00

I looked at this little rose bush (top) again today, and I said to my husband, "That little rose bush just won't give up." Then I talked about how many times I had tried to pull it up by the roots and get rid of it because it would not bloom due to the fact that it is in my front flower bed, and it doesn't get enough sun.

After I said that, I thought about these two rose bushes (above) on either side of my driveway. I transplanted them from the pieces that I pulled up from the one above. Now, I am about to enjoy them because they are in a place where they receive enough sun. They have many buds that will soon be beautiful, fragrant roses.

Then I thought about how we often give up on our soul-winning efforts because we don't see anyone saved, we don't see any fruit. But we are not seeing the finished results of our labors. We may be having more of an effect on others than we know. Our service to the Lord is not in vain. When we get to heaven, we will reap the reward, and we may learn that there are more people there because of our testimony than we thought.

Just because a rose bush doesn't always bear roses, that doesn't mean it is not a rose bush. As a matter of fact, the last time the bush next to the bricks bloomed was the day after the tornado hit our house, our car, and our church. Hmm! This little bush bloomed after a terrible storm.

Isn't that also like times in our lives when we feel the least effective, hard times when we don't even think we can go on? Yet, we find more strength from the Son, and we keep pressing on.

Blessings!

Lisa