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<channel>
	<title>The Diaries of a Fruitcake in a Half Baked World!</title>
	
	<link>http://diariesofafruitcake.com</link>
	<description>HBW Ministries</description>
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		<title>Our Meeting Together</title>
		<link>http://diariesofafruitcake.com/2010/03/our-meeting-together/</link>
		<comments>http://diariesofafruitcake.com/2010/03/our-meeting-together/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:05:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Thea</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Journey]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Apostolic Lighthouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hebrews 10:24-25]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pastor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reborn]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sisters]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://diariesofafruitcake.com/?p=499</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#8220;And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.&#8221;   Hebrews 10:24-25<br />
For many years I have neglected &#8230;]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<blockquote><p>&#8220;And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.&#8221;   Hebrews 10:24-25</p></blockquote>
<p>For many years I have neglected meeting together with my brother and sisters in Christ.  It became my habit and one that I couldn&#8217;t seem to break. My family seemed to fall in this trap with me. I call it a trap because we seemed to not be able to escape what was in our minds that was keeping us from forgiving offenses in our life, which caused us not to want to be around other Christians.</p>
<p>It is so easy to be offended by others and let everyone know about it.  When I was hurt, I wouldn&#8217;t wait until the kids were out of the room, I would do it there. They would see me crying because I was hurt and ask what was wrong and I would tell them. Not in a vindictive way but in a pathetic way. I was hurt. By letting my kids see this and know who offended me, they drew their own conclusion and opinion of those in question.</p>
<p>As the years passed, the dust on the Bible accumulated. We went as a family to different churches but I couldn&#8217;t leave fast enough. I was still hurt. I didn&#8217;t want to open my heart to anyone again. It was so hard. The churches we visited were so open and welcoming but I was closed off. I didn&#8217;t want to get involved in any ministries, I just wanted to be&#8230;</p>
<p>The Lord saw my hurt and carried me through the years&#8230;</p>
<p>I thought for a moment that I might be one of the sisters that had fallen away and their heart becomes harden and can&#8217;t find her way back. I was so worried about not being close to the Lord but then a friend&#8217;s face entered my mind. I started calling her and meeting with her. Slowly the ice was melting away. I let someone in.  I started opening my Bible and went to a women&#8217;s conference that opened my heart to those sisters around me. I found the joy in the Lord and forgave the offenses that I had against others. It felt like a huge weight was taken off my shoulders.</p>
<p>Something like scales had fallen off my eyes and I could see again. I could see others and feel love for them. I wanted to be around other brothers and sisters in Christ, to meet with them and fellowship. I was reborn!</p>
<p>It feels so good to have sisters that meet with you and want to pray with and for you. To have a Pastor that cares about your soul and preaches what the Lord puts on his heart.  If feels indescribable to be able to have the freedom of worship, true freedom, where you don&#8217;t have to worry about someone else watching you, your focus is all on Jesus, not anything else. How the Spirit of the Lord moves throughout the worship and sermon. To be able to be in a service and not think about what things you have to do that day but think about the message and the Lord.</p>
<p>It is wonderful to have a Lighthouse to go to.</p>
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		<item>
		<title>Do you have a Conviction of Dress?</title>
		<link>http://diariesofafruitcake.com/2010/03/do-you-have-a-conviction-of-dress/</link>
		<comments>http://diariesofafruitcake.com/2010/03/do-you-have-a-conviction-of-dress/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 12 Mar 2010 18:08:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Thea</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Woman]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[convictions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[girls in dresses]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[modesty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[women in skirts]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://diariesofafruitcake.com/?p=493</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ Going to a restroom, you will always see the sign where it shows the woman in a dress and the man in pants. Now I have seen unisex signs where half the figure is pant and skirt.<br />
I am on a journey of why our dress changed.  Why we &#8230;]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-494" title="restrooms" src="http://diariesofafruitcake.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/restrooms.jpg" alt="restrooms" width="347" height="346" /> Going to a restroom, you will always see the sign where it shows the woman in a dress and the man in pants. Now I have seen unisex signs where half the figure is pant and skirt.</p>
<p>I am on a journey of why our dress changed.  Why we feel like we have to wear pants or we think to wear a skirt or dress makes us less worthy. I was raised in little dresses and pants. But there was time when pants were not even an option for women.</p>
<p>I was speaking with my Granni this morning and I asked her if she remembered when she started wearing pants.  She thought for second and said she did. She was the first woman to wear a pair of pants to her church.  When she walked in, the women came up to her and told her how happy they were that she wore them. They could now start wearing pants, since she started it.  She laughed and said that she was always the first to be trying things.</p>
<p>I asked her if she remembered why she started wearing pants and she couldn&#8217;t remember the reasoning for it. My Great-Granni, her Mother, never wore pants that she could remember.</p>
<p>It truly is amazing when I decided to live for Christ how my manners, my sight, my feelings for living have changed. I care for people but it has tripled in how I feel love for everyone.</p>
<p>Here comes the fruitcake, and I say this with humor not demeaning in anyway. I have been dealing with the conviction of dress and it started over 8 years ago but then I stopped reading the word and spending daily time with my God, I even stopped going to church. People were looking at me like I was a freak and I was having a hard time with that and my husband coming back from the war and seeing a change in me. I was coming across as odd or different or religious. Looking back I realize that I was living for people and not God.</p>
<h4>EVERYONE has different convictions.  I am not putting this here to say that you need to have this conviction or be like me. I am sharing my testimony of the conviction of dress for me.</h4>
<p>I was in a bad place in my walk with Christ for a long period of time. I had the problem with offense. I was hurt by Christians and I held onto the offense without realizing.  I let my pride get in the way by saying, &#8220;This is what happened but I am good now&#8221;. I wasn&#8217;t good. I put up a wall and was afraid to open up to anyone for fear I would be hurt again.  Maybe you can relate to what I am saying. I wouldn&#8217;t plant my feet in any church, let alone go to one without feeling sad or asking myself, &#8220;what do they want of me?&#8221;. My walls were very high.</p>
<p>It wasn&#8217;t until recently, through my studying, it came to me that I need to learn from what Jesus did.  Imagine going through what He went through. When His hour came and everyone that said they wouldn&#8217;t deny Him, did. I tell you what, I would have been offended and thought, &#8220;well see if I call you again or speak to you.&#8221; My feelings would have been hurt that my so called friends that professed to love me, acted like they didn&#8217;t even know me.  Jesus didn&#8217;t feel that way or have any offense toward them. He loved them, truly loved them, and came to them.  That is what I need to do in my life.  I don&#8217;t need to be afraid of getting hurt. When I do, I know that I will grow from it and be stronger.</p>
<p>Why allow offenses to come in between me and my Lord? Why stay in the dark hole of self-pity? I decided that it is time to allow myself to be open to relationships around me and not be afraid of being hurt. This life isn&#8217;t suppose to be peachy and perfect, if it was then we would be in Heaven. This life is by no means heaven! I decided it is time to plant my feet and no long forsake the gathering of those who love Jesus. Where I plant is where the Lord is leading me. When it gets hard, I won&#8217;t leave and try to find another place. That is being offended and acting on it. I will not leave unless the Lord moves me in peace.</p>
<p>So with that being said, I have read the scripture Deut. 22:5, which says, &#8220;A woman must not wear man&#8217;s clothing, nor should a man dress up in woman&#8217;s clothing, for all who do this are an offense to the Lord your God.&#8221; We all know how we feel when we are offended. The word offense here is a hebrew term that speaks of anything that runs counter to ritual or moral order, especially to divine standards. It goes against God&#8217;s nature and will.</p>
<p>When I read that I went through the thoughts of, &#8220;that was then, this is now.&#8221; BUT God is never changing. We change all the time, constantly. His word never changes with the times. He has no time. One day to us could be a thousand years to Him and a thousand years to us, could be a day to Him. It is a book that teaches us how to live from the One and Only True God.  Kind of like when we have children and we have lived and know that the path they are on would be smoother if they went this way. But no, they won&#8217;t listen to us to get a smoother path. They have to choose for themselves and travel the bumpy way. That is how the Bible is to me. It is my choice whether I want to be obedient to my God or live the way I want to live.</p>
<p>Some might think that this scripture is being taken out of context but my question to those people that think that is this: If taking it out of context is saying that women should not wear men&#8217;s clothing and it causes me to want to live in more modest apparel, to not be masculine but feminine, to live according to what I feel the Lord is telling me to be obedient about, what difference is it to you? How is me wearing a skirt hurting you? It&#8217;s not. I think it makes people take a look at their own life and how they are living and it might make them upset with what they see there. Therefore, they get upset and talk about the women in skirts.</p>
<p>My Granni brought up this scripture when she told me she started wearing pants and said that she wasn&#8217;t wearing men&#8217;s pants but women&#8217;s pants.  I told her, whether the pants button on the right or left or wherever the zipper is placed to make it a pair of &#8220;women&#8217;s&#8221; pants isn&#8217;t what that scripture was saying to me. Men wouldn&#8217;t wear a skirt to work in America. They wear pants. So, if I wear pants then I am wearing clothing like men. I don&#8217;t know if you see that but I do. If you don&#8217;t see that, don&#8217;t worry, it&#8217;s not something you are convicted on. I know I felt that way when someone pointed it out to me. I had to let God convict me if I was to not wear pants. I am still wearing them on and off but that is between me and my God. I am beginning to think I will only wear my skirts outside the home. Inside my PJ&#8217;s are pants, my exercise outfit inside is pants. Women wore pantaloons under their skirts to have modest movement if they had to lift their skirt to do something active.</p>
<p>I am not perfect and I know that people will always judge me and I am fine with that now. The only judge that matters is God. They will judge me if I am wearing pants by thinking things like, &#8220;Look at her butt&#8221;, or &#8220;why is her pants so tight?&#8221;. They will judge me in skirts by saying, &#8220;Why is she wearing a skirt?&#8221; or &#8220;She looks like she is one of those church ladies that have long hair and don&#8217;t wear make-up.&#8221; Well, I am one of those ladies but I wear make up and my hair is short.  The Lord hasn&#8217;t convicted me in those areas. I do want my hair longer but I like having the color, just like the Godly Women have perms. I know that I cannot change my gray because the temporary stuff just wears off and bam! there is the gray. (I only have around 10 strands, by the way.) But how I look on the outside if for man to judge I guess. Whether I am affected by it or not is my choice.</p>
<p>Here is something that came to me since I started being obedient to the conviction the Lord gave me:</p>
<ul>
<li>I realized while in Wal-Mart that when I looked around, I was the minority. I thought how back when women were wearing skirts, how they must have felt looking at the woman in pants. Do the women in pants now look at the woman in the skirt and think the same thing? Or were the women in skirts envious of the woman that seemed to have freedom in pants and be independent and now looking at the women in skirts feels that those women are going back to a time when we were in bondage?</li>
</ul>
<p>Do you have anything to share on this topic? If so, feel free to email me or sign up and put your thoughts in the comments.</p>
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		<title>Vision | Mission Statement</title>
		<link>http://diariesofafruitcake.com/2010/02/vision-mission-statement/</link>
		<comments>http://diariesofafruitcake.com/2010/02/vision-mission-statement/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 20 Feb 2010 13:40:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Thea</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Stories]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Woman]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[love your enemies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mission statement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[prayer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vision statement]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://diariesofafruitcake.com/?p=472</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[THEA’S VISION/MISSION STATEMENT<br />
One of my life Scriptures: Matthew 5:43,44 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”<br />
We live in a world that is an instant gratification and ME &#8230;]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>THEA’S VISION/MISSION STATEMENT</p>
<p>One of my life Scriptures: Matthew 5:43,44 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”</p>
<p>We live in a world that is an instant gratification and ME generation.  Loving others is being replaced with loving me, first. The hardest thing I have been asked to do is love my enemies and those who persecute me. It shouldn’t be hard but it sometimes is. My life will be to overcome and endure the persecution by loving through it. I will in turn love my enemies and my enemies will no longer be viewed as such.<span id="more-472"></span></p>
<h4>My Vision Statement: (Vision is the art of seeing the invisible )</h4>
<p>To love others and pray my eyes will be open to see what God sees in them.</p>
<p>In doing so, people will be at peace around me; they will trust me; they will pay it forward; they will eventually ask me why I am different; God will be glorified through my life and my actions. Most of all they will find the love of God. They will be reconciled. If they have the love of God, they will be encouraged and rejuvenated.</p>
<h4>My Mission Statement: (the how and who of what I see God calling me to)</h4>
<p>Return to Love and reconcile others to Love.  Through my daily walk and where the Lord leads me, I will love. To always remember that Love is the only thing real. Anything else is just a perception of my mind.</p>
<p>I am being called to help others; to counsel them in their financial decisions and their personal life. I am here to help them, not me. I am and will continue to be taken care of. I do not see a dollar amount, I see a head count! I will not be led by the mighty dollar but by the Mighty Lord.</p>
<h4>What God has said to and about me:</h4>
<p>This world is full of people who aren’t full of love but themselves. These people think they are looking out for themselves and in turn hurting others but really they are hurting themselves. In knowing this:</p>
<p>I will be successful at being a helper to those in need. I will listen more than I talk. I will speak with wisdom and research all avenues to help those in need.  I will serve in love. When I am spoken to outside of love, I will remember that they need to be reconciled to love and pray for them; show them God’s love through my actions. I am a counselor of the heart. I am a truth seeker.</p>
<p>God will send those who need love, to me and my life will show them God&#8217;s love and what is rightfully theirs also. I have no fear of not being taken care of financially. If I am financially not producing, there is a lesson. Either I am out of God’s will and need to make things right or He is fixing to bless my socks off and he is teaching me patience or someone in direct contact with me.</p>
<p>I am a woman who loves challenges.  I love to research and find the best for others. I want my customers, my clients, to be given the right information and to not be taken advantage of. I will be the best I can be in protecting others.</p>
<h4>Vision to accomplish my life’s mission: (Practical strategy to ensure I maintain focused)</h4>
<p>Daily walk with the Lord.</p>
<p>Love others through the eyes of God, not the eyes of Thea.</p>
<p>Be sensitive to the Spirit and obey.</p>
<p>Never turn anyone away. Always find time to help others, to listen to others.</p>
<p>Research my field and be the most knowledgeable in it.</p>
<p>Pray for wisdom and always seek improvements.</p>
<p>Pray God sends a Mentor to help develop the skills He wants me to have to be complete. I pray for the best to rise up and offer their training. I will constantly improve</p>
<h5>What is your vision/mission statement? I challenge you to start today and write it out and put it before you. Keep it in your bible or somewhere you can view it. If you would like to share your statement, please <a href="mailto:theaagnew@me.com">send</a> it to me. I would love to read it.</h5>
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		<title>Why Make Up?</title>
		<link>http://diariesofafruitcake.com/2010/02/why-make-up/</link>
		<comments>http://diariesofafruitcake.com/2010/02/why-make-up/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 06 Feb 2010 16:38:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Thea</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Beauty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[large pores]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[make up]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mally Beauty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pore minimizer]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://diariesofafruitcake.com/?p=466</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This is my daughter on her webcam.  She doesn&#8217;t wear make up, which is surprising to me. Neither of my girls wear make up.  I am amazed, coming from the generation that I am in and being around the make up I was around, that my girls didn&#8217;t feel the &#8230;]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-467" title="Debbiedoll" src="http://diariesofafruitcake.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Debbiedoll.jpg" alt="Debbiedoll" width="256" height="192" />This is my daughter on her webcam.  She doesn&#8217;t wear make up, which is surprising to me. Neither of my girls wear make up.  I am amazed, coming from the generation that I am in and being around the make up I was around, that my girls didn&#8217;t feel the need to wear it.</p>
<p>When I was younger I would sit and watch my Momma put on her make up and wish I would be like her when I grew up.  She did the wigs and everything. I just loved it all.  I had the magazines that showed me how to put on makeup, etc&#8230; I did wear a lot of it.  I hid behind the make up.  I didn&#8217;t want people to see who I really was underneath.</p>
<p>I am so blessed that my girls don&#8217;t feel the need to put make up on. That they recognize their natural beauty without all the other stuff.  It is freeing. Why do we feel we have to wear make up?  I still wear it today but it&#8217;s a habit that I have had for over 20 years. It&#8217;s part of my life. Believe me, I don&#8217;t wear it like I use to.</p>
<p>I think the world of glamour and beauty is what caused me to want to do it. I wanted to look like those women in the magazines. I believe that is called <a href="http://diariesofafruitcake.com/2010/02/your-fruit/" target="_blank">envy</a>, possibly. Plus we all know that men are visual. Women attract men by the way they look. I got my man. He likes me to wear make up when we go out to special events but loves me just as much without it. I do love the way my face feels when it is clean.</p>
<p>I asked my daughter why she doesn&#8217;t wear make up and she said that she knows that when she wears it, it clogs her pores and she wants her face clean. She doesn&#8217;t want to have big pores when she is older.  That is one thing that both my Mom and I have had a problem with, bigger pores. My Mom&#8217;s has shrunk some with age, as well as her height <img src='http://diariesofafruitcake.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' />  (Love you Momma) and I am using cleaning products to try and help with that issue.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.mallybeauty.com/" target="_blank">Mally Beauty</a> has a product that minimizes the pore appearance, which I bought and it does work: <a href="http://www.mallybeauty.com/community/category/ask_mally/article/large_pores" target="_blank">Perfect Prep Poreless Primer</a>. It has a silky feeling and you don&#8217;t even know it is on.</p>
<p>If you haven&#8217;t thought about it, possibly wearing make up is second nature to you, think about it and let me know why you wear make up or don&#8217;t wear it. I would love <a href="emailto:theaagnew@me.com">to hear</a> the different responses I will get.</p>
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		<title>Your Fruit</title>
		<link>http://diariesofafruitcake.com/2010/02/your-fruit/</link>
		<comments>http://diariesofafruitcake.com/2010/02/your-fruit/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 06 Feb 2010 15:15:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Thea</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[F.R.I.T.S.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Journey]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fruit of the spirit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[i am jealous]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[i want what she has]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jesus Christ]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://diariesofafruitcake.com/?p=463</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Galatians 5:22,23<br />
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. Against such things there is no law.<br />
This is the fruit that we need to renew in the Spirit. When you have the Spirit, which is the Holy Spirit, He &#8230;]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<blockquote><p>Galatians 5:22,23</p>
<p>But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. Against such things there is no law.</p></blockquote>
<p>This is the fruit that we need to renew in the Spirit. When you have the Spirit, which is the Holy Spirit, He will produce this fruit in you. It is up to you whether to share it or not.</p>
<p>Sometimes, when I have been hurt, talking from my experiences, I tend to hold certain things back. Like joy, peace, kindness and self control.  It is the best thing, even though it can be hard, to forgive immediately when you have been hurt. Don&#8217;t let the sun go down on your anger.  If you do it will start manifesting itself and become very ugly.<span id="more-463"></span></p>
<p>The Bible is here for us to learn how to make our life much better.  John 20:31 tells us why the Bible was written: &#8220;But these things are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that by believing you may have life in <a href="http://diariesofafruitcake.com/2010/01/in-the-name-of-jesus/" target="_blank">His name</a>.&#8221; Living in the world can be very hard and can ultimately cause you to go against all that was written in the Bible, to go against God. What is living in the world? What are the examples? The acts of the sinful nature are obvious:</p>
<blockquote><p>Galatians 5: 19-21</p>
<p>&#8230;sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery, idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.</p></blockquote>
<p>A lot of people think these things are fun. Going out and partying and getting drunk and just having a good time. Sure, I was there. But when you are drunk you aren&#8217;t all there. You are open to all kinds of things that can come into your space and lead you astray. I have heard on shows or from women or men that when they did something wrong, it was because they were drunk. What&#8217;s the song by Jamie Fox, Blame it on the Alcohol? In order to change myself, I have to know that I need to change. You will know deep within if you need to make some changes. The next step is to ask for help from the Helper. He will not turn you away.</p>
<p>Jealousy can lead to fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, envy, discord, etc&#8230;  How can we live a life that is pleasing to God? What would that life look like to you? I think if I live for Christ, He will send His Holy Spirit to help me live right. Everyone has the choice to either listen or ignore the Spirit. I try to always listen but there are times my own self will wants something more. In those times, my life then becomes chaotic and a lesson is then learned.</p>
<p>So to get your fruit renewed in the Spirit, sit down in a quiet room and have a chat with the Lord Jesus Christ. You can have a chat. He already knows your every thought. Just talk with Him and let Him know you are ready to make a change in your life and you need Him.  Deep down we all want this, it&#8217;s just that our pride gets in the way of humbling ourselves or admitting that we need someone else, especially someone you can&#8217;t see with the physical eye. But believe me, you will feel Him and hear Him!</p>
<p>I pray that your fruit will be renewed in the Spirit right now!</p>
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		<title>Do Animals go to Heaven?</title>
		<link>http://diariesofafruitcake.com/2010/02/do-animals-go-to-heaven/</link>
		<comments>http://diariesofafruitcake.com/2010/02/do-animals-go-to-heaven/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 06 Feb 2010 13:28:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Thea</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Pets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[animals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chihuahua]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[do animals go to heaven]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heaven]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[spirit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[squirrels]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://diariesofafruitcake.com/?p=455</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Growing up, I saw the way people treated their animals. Some let them inside the home and some didn&#8217;t allow the animals inside but had them outside for guarding purposes. A close family member at one time mentioned that animals didn&#8217;t have feelings so they just treated them however they &#8230;]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Growing up, I saw the way people treated their animals. Some let them inside the home and some didn&#8217;t allow the animals inside but had them outside for guarding purposes. A close family member at one time mentioned that animals didn&#8217;t have feelings so they just treated them however they wanted to.</p>
<p>I have seen on the local news how pet owners treat their animals, whether it be chaining them to a tree or leaving them out in the winter months or having them trained to attack other animals, which is illegal. I&#8217;m here to tell you that animals do have feelings! Looking at those examples, humans treat other humans the same way. People have been chained to something to work or stand guard, people have been left outside in the winter months, people have been trained to do bad things to others. Are we really that much different?<span id="more-455"></span></p>
<p>Our family loves animals. We have had, since I have been married, 7 dogs and 3 cats. 2 Dogs have since passed away and are in a better place and 1 cat ran off to be the king of the woods I guess, can&#8217;t find him.  For me, I think that everything living worships our Lord.  If it is alive, it has feelings and can worship. We might not think so because we don&#8217;t have the scientific proof but I believe that everything made has a communication with it&#8217;s maker. That is me though.</p>
<blockquote><p>Ecc. 3:19-21 says: &#8220;For the fate of humans and the fate of animals are the same; as one dies, so dies the other. Both have the same breath (Spirit:NIV) there is no advantage for humans over animals, for both are fleeting. Both go to the same place, both come from the dust and both return to dust. Who really knows if the spirit of man ascends upward, and the spirit of the animal goes downward to the earth?</p></blockquote>
<ol>
<li>Animals &amp; Humans have same fate; death</li>
<li>Both have the same spirit</li>
<li>Both are fleeting</li>
<li>Both go to the same place</li>
<li>Both came from the dust and returns to the dust</li>
</ol>
<p>In the verse that says, &#8220;..and the dust returns to the ground it came from and the spirit returns to God who gave it.&#8221;</p>
<p>Ecc. 3:21 answers this verse 7 in Chapter 3 by saying, &#8220;the spirit returns to God who gave it.&#8221;</p>
<p>Our last animal that passed away was Angel.  February 9th will be the one year anniversary of her death. I know without a doubt that she is with the Lord and one day we will see her again. Yes, she is an animal but she is God&#8217;s creature and we treated her like a princess and loved her. She was a companion to us. Traveled with us everywhere in the 16 years she was alive. I wrote <a href="http://lasttraintoclarksville.com/2009/02/09/depth-of-our-being/" target="_blank">about her</a> in my Real Estate blog and would put it in this one but I will just link it. Take time to read about our family pet that meant so much to us. If I was ever a pet, I would want a family like ours. As I write this I have our chihuahua, who is 12 years old, sitting on my lap, snoring. <img src='http://diariesofafruitcake.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p>So remember, when you are sitting around and looking at your pet, they DO have a spirit and feelings. Love them. That is all they need and want. They love you, you can be sure of that. You are the food and water source and a lot of times, the entertainment.  Take time to play or just rub them.  My Mom has a pet squirrel. Never in a million years would I have thought that a squirrel could communicate with people! But little Buckwheat can.  He has feelings. Whenever she goes somewhere, he will go into the closet and sulk.  He won&#8217;t come out until she comes back.  Whenever she comes home, he runs up to her and around her like you would see squirrels running up a tree, (not saying your a tree, if you are reading this Momma), and wait for her to hold him. He likes his jaw rubbed and he lets her file his nails. He loves to play with a white towel that she holds up and he jumps on and swings.  Amazing to me!</p>
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		<title>In the Name of Jesus</title>
		<link>http://diariesofafruitcake.com/2010/01/in-the-name-of-jesus/</link>
		<comments>http://diariesofafruitcake.com/2010/01/in-the-name-of-jesus/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 31 Jan 2010 16:34:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Thea</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[F.R.I.T.S.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Journey]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Acts 2:38]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Acts 3]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Daily prayer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[in the name of Jesus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jesus Christ of Nazareth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[name of Jesus]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://diariesofafruitcake.com/?p=447</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Well, I was raised Southern Baptist and accepted Jesus Christ as my savior on March 25, 1985. I was 14 and had my baptism that following month on Easter Sunday. I was baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. What is &#8230;]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-449" title="baptized" src="http://diariesofafruitcake.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/baptized-300x219.jpg" alt="baptized" width="300" height="219" />Well, I was raised Southern Baptist and accepted Jesus Christ as my savior on March 25, 1985. I was 14 and had my baptism that following month on Easter Sunday. I was baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. What is that name? What is the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit? When we are baptized &#8220;in the name&#8221; isn&#8217;t that singular? It doesn&#8217;t say &#8220;names&#8221;.</p>
<p>So, I was going through some of my journals and I came across one of my writings that I wanted to share.<span id="more-447"></span></p>
<p>Matthew 28:17-19</p>
<p>&#8220;When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and spoke to them saying, &#8220;<span style="color: #800000;">All authority has been give to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.</span>&#8221; Amen.&#8221;</p>
<p>This verse is another indication that God is one in three persons. &#8220;I am with you always&#8221; demonstrates that Jesus is the true Immanuel, &#8220;God with us&#8221; (see Matt. 1:23; Heb. 13:5, 6; Rev. 21:3)</p>
<p>This is the only place I have found where baptism is said to be done in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. A couple of things stick out to me.</p>
<ol>
<li>In these verses they are written in red, which means they were said by Jesus. He was speaking. In v.17 some doubted. If Jesus were to say baptize in the name of Jesus that would have sent the doubters over the edge. But He didn&#8217;t.  He was still in front of them.</li>
<li>In v. 19 He left it up to everyone to baptize according to their faith. &#8220;In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.&#8221; So, what is the name of these three? The name is singular. It didn&#8217;t say, baptize in the names of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. My faith says that singular &#8220;name&#8221; is Jesus.</li>
</ol>
<p>The concept could be easily explained like this. My name is Thea.  I am a Mother and a daughter and a wife. What is the name of all three? Thea. I am all three in one name. (I am humbly trying to use this example to simplify, though I don&#8217;t see how it could be any simpler than what is said in scripture.)</p>
<p>So why is it so hard to baptize in the name of Jesus? I can&#8217;t help but look back in Acts chapter 4. Starting in v.13. Peter and John were speaking and teaching in the name of Jesus. Even going so far as to say that you needed to be baptized in the name of Jesus. (Acts 2:38) The members of the Sanhedrin didn&#8217;t like this and commanded them to not speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.(v.18) Has that followed us to this day and age?</p>
<p>See the name of Jesus is powerful. It&#8217;s not like, we&#8217;ll say it this way and it means the same thing. Or saying it this way, you know who we are talking about. The fact is we aren&#8217;t saying His name. Just like the Sanhedrin didn&#8217;t want to have anything done in His name, people aren&#8217;t being educated about how important His name is, so they don&#8217;t say it. Miraculous signs and wonders were done in His name. When the cripple man that would be laid at the gate of the temple which was called Beautiful had asked Peter and John for money, they didn&#8217;t have silver or gold to give but they did have something else. (Acts 3) They said, &#8220;In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.&#8221; He did and that is what caused the members of the Sanhedrin to come up against Peter and John with their teaching and preaching in the name of Jesus.</p>
<p>I have often asked myself and God in my daily prayer and study time, why I don&#8217;t see those miracles and signs like I read in the new testament in our time? Do you know why?</p>
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		<title>Saved and Blessed</title>
		<link>http://diariesofafruitcake.com/2010/01/saved-and-blessed/</link>
		<comments>http://diariesofafruitcake.com/2010/01/saved-and-blessed/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 25 Jan 2010 16:42:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Thea</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Woman]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[apostolic women]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[carl gooch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[more to life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[more to life today]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://diariesofafruitcake.com/?p=433</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A Poem written by Carl Gooch.  Carl is a relative of mine and he has a couple of books in stores.<br />
Here lately I have been thinking I was going crazy because I had so much going on and usually I can handle multi tasks.  My life was becoming chaotic &#8230;]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h6>A Poem written by Carl Gooch.  Carl is a relative of mine and he has a couple of books in stores.</h6>
<p>Here lately I have been thinking I was going crazy because I had so much going on and usually I can handle multi tasks.  My life was becoming chaotic and I was feeling like a heavy burden was on my shoulders, weighing me down. I have talked to multiple people on the phone who all made the same comment, &#8220;You sound down, are you ok?&#8221;</p>
<p>I have been taken over by the Facebook bug and couldn&#8217;t seem to get out of the 4 games I was playing. I had google alerts for 5 different topics that I wanted to keep on top of, coming to my email account 50 times a day, or so it seemed. I started a new class for my Real Estate and then was looking into getting my associates in Psychology. Making sure kids are doing what they are suppose to and going to all the games. Whew! I&#8217;m tired just writing it all down. Reading it makes my chest fill tight again. BREATHE!<span id="more-433"></span></p>
<p>So, I have been trying to rack my brain on what is going on! Why I feel this way. I sat down yesterday and just started reading scripture and reading from a site called <a href="http://www.moretolifetoday.com" target="_blank">More to Life Today</a>.  They have some really good studies.  As I continued to read, the fog seemed to be lifting from my vision and I saw that I had all these things in my life keeping me busy but I wasn&#8217;t having that time with the Lord.</p>
<p>This morning, my distant cousin sends me one of his poems and I wanted to share it with you, with his permission of course. You might be finding your in the same boat I am in and I hope this poem helps you realize where you are in life RIGHT NOW and what you need to do to get back to where you should be.</p>
<blockquote>
<h4>Saved and Blessed</h4>
<p>It is very easy to get caught up in the day</p>
<p>To get a little sidetracked and lose our way.</p>
<p>It starts out so simple with something small,</p>
<p>We take our eyes away then lose sight of it all.</p>
<p>We lose our focus just for a moment of time,</p>
<p>Thinking I’ll do this and then get back in line.</p>
<p>But our minds and hearts go farther off track,</p>
<p>not noticing it until we try to find the way back.</p>
<p>That which we started to do was good itself,</p>
<p>But forgot the reason, and left Him on the shelf.</p>
<p>We try so hard to take control that we lose sight,</p>
<p>And wander aimlessly into the darkest of night.</p>
<p>But the spirit within us calls out to bring us back,</p>
<p>His mercy and love restores the wisdom we lack.</p>
<p>He knows the trials and temptations we face,</p>
<p>And He comes to us with His mercy and grace.</p>
<p>He sees that which we can not see laying ahead,</p>
<p>And He waits for our return with arms wide spread.</p>
<p>As a forgiving Father He holds us close to His chest,</p>
<p>The one once lost now returned saved and blessed.</p>
<p><a href="http://poemswritingsbycarl.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Carl A. Gooch</a> ~ 25 January 2010</p></blockquote>
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		<title>Is your life like a dandelion?</title>
		<link>http://diariesofafruitcake.com/2010/01/is-your-life-like-a-dandelion/</link>
		<comments>http://diariesofafruitcake.com/2010/01/is-your-life-like-a-dandelion/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 10 Jan 2010 18:55:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Thea</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Woman]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[build a bear]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[life baker. dandelion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[life coach]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[myspace]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://diariesofafruitcake.com/?p=408</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<br />
Remember being young, possibly racing to the only dandelion you saw, hoping to beat your brother or sister? I do.<br />
You pick this dandelion that is white and fluffy with seeds and try to be really careful not to let the wind cause any part of your masterpiece to disappear.<br &#8230;]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img style="float: left; border: 0px initial initial;" src="http://lasttraintoclarksville.com/files/2009/02/istock_000001921014xsmall1.jpg" alt="istock_000001921014xsmall1" width="425" height="282" /></p>
<p>Remember being young, possibly racing to the only dandelion you saw, hoping to beat your brother or sister? I do.</p>
<p>You pick this dandelion that is white and fluffy with seeds and try to be really careful not to let the wind cause any part of your masterpiece to disappear.</p>
<p>The thrill of being the breath that will losen, release the seeds to fly away with the wind made me a fast runner. I won!</p>
<p>Gently, pulling it from it’s warm bed, I would bring it to my mouth, enhale a deep breath and softly blow till the puffy white was all gone.</p>
<p>Where do the seeds fly to? It never entered my mind.</p>
<p>Something happened with the finality of my ‘Angel Girl’ dying last week. It was and still is hard to grasp that at 1:26 a.m. she was no longer with us. As my daughter said, “She exhaled”. Her last breath became part of the air I breathed. What is left of her? Pictures, a grave to visit daily, memories in my mind and that my family shares. She didn’t have puppies. Nothing from her physically, viewed, lived on. Just a hole in our hearts.</p>
<p>Your life…<span id="more-408"></span></p>
<p>What will live on when it’s time for you to exhale? Will there be memories that seem to fade with time or pictures that one day someone will ask, “Who is that?” and no one will be able to express in detail what you were like, your passions, your likes and dislikes?</p>
<p>Do you live your days to just get by and make sure your family is provided for? BUT nothing to stamp your seal on? Your children, if it’s His will you have any, will carry your personalities, memories, mannerisms but what will be your thoughts, words left behind?</p>
<p>Do you do things that pay it forward? Your kind words, random acts of kindness that make someone’s day brighter and in turn they touch someone searching for something, needing their day brightened.</p>
<p>Like a dandelion seeds that have been scattered on the wind, we scatter. The seeds land and a beautiful flower blooms and becomes a field of colors.</p>
<p>Where you are at, can you bloom?</p>
<p>Yes, you can. There is no better time than the present to claim your stake in how you will be remembered and not just exhale, being air someone else is breathing in.</p>
<p>What are ways you can make sure you are remembered and that your life wasn’t just another, forgotten?</p>
<p>I’m making my life be remembered by sharing my thoughts, my ideas, my life with others. My singing is on a CD. I wrote a song about my childhood, <a href="http://www.myspace.com/agnewthea" target="_self">“Who Would’ve Known”</a> and put it on my site, sung by another. My thoughts are on blogs, papers, journals, letters, cards. My voice is inside a build-a-bear, inside a picture frame. I have already written a letter and sealed it, to my children, that explains my choices in this life. I don’t want them guessing or assuming. I am not ashamed. My choices will help them make better ones because they will see what my choices got me, whether it be heartache or no ache.</p>
<p><a href="mailto:theaagnew@me.com">Share your ideas</a> with me. I would love more ways that my life will be remembered. Wouldn’t you?</p>
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		<title>What is a Fruit Baker?</title>
		<link>http://diariesofafruitcake.com/2010/01/what-is-a-fruit-baker/</link>
		<comments>http://diariesofafruitcake.com/2010/01/what-is-a-fruit-baker/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 10 Jan 2010 13:55:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Thea</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Advice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Coaching Lifestyle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[baking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Career]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[F.R.I.T.S.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[happy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[life baker]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[life coaching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lord]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[spiritual life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sweets]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://diariesofafruitcake.com/?p=402</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A fruit baker is much like a life coach.  I have always loved baking. When you have something sweet in front of you, you can&#8217;t help but smile. For some, they don&#8217;t like the sweets, like my son and husband. But those who do, know what I am talking about.<br &#8230;]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A fruit baker is much like a life coach.  I have always loved baking. When you have something sweet in front of you, you can&#8217;t help but smile. For some, they don&#8217;t like the sweets, like my son and husband. But those who do, know what I am talking about.</p>
<p>As a Fruit Baker, I am here to help you renew your fruit in the Spirit.  It goes with the HBW Ministries for <a href="http://diariesofafruitcake.com/frits/" target="_self">F.R.I.T.S. </a></p>
<p>Are you confused or disappointed with the spiritual part of your life? Maybe you have little ones running around and you feel like you are missing out and want to do more? What is your career? Do you feel you have to have one to be successful? Are you happy there, do you need someone to talk to and vent about your day and get advice? Are you thinking you aren&#8217;t special and that life just isn&#8217;t worth it anymore?</p>
<p>I am here and so is our Lord.  Any thoughts that you might have that require you to seek someone out to talk to, I am here and will prayerfully help you through this time of uncertainty.</p>
<p>If you would like to speak one on one, please <a href="mailto:theaagnew@me.com">email me</a> right now.</p>
<p>Blessings, as always.</p>
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