Some Facts About Mary

MARY was one of the most greatest women of the bible.  She was the mother of Jesus!  She was chosen by God out of all the women on earth to carry His one and only son.  I am sure Mary at some point questioned why her?  Why would God choose her to be the mother of Jesus.  I just can not fathom how she felt when the angel appeared to tell her what her next few years would be like.  I thought that during this Christmas season, I should share about one great woman!  She was the one chosen by God to be Jesus's mother.  It is a pleasure to be a mom, but to be the mother to Jesus!  WOW!  God knew that she would be the right woman to help in His plan for the world! 

I found these facts at www.biblestudyplanet.com and found them to be interesting, so I thought I would post them on the blog.

SCRIPTURE

- Matthew 1; Luke 1-3.

BIOGRAPHY

Of the seven women named Mary in the New Testament, none has a more central role than Mary the mother of Jesus Christ. The genealogy of Mary is given in Luke 3. She is shown as the daughter of Heli (Luke 3:23), descended from Nathan the son of David (Luke 3:23-31). At the time of the conception of Jesus, she was engaged to Joseph who was also descended from David, through Solomon (Matthew 1:7-16). Through his parents Jesus was legally entitled to the throne of David. Living in Nazareth (Luke 1:26). Mary visited a close relative, Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist (Luke 1:39-56), before traveling to Bethlehem to be taxed under the orders of Augustus.

In Bethlehem, Jesus was born (Luke 2:1-20). After the visit of the Magi , when Jesus was about 18 months old, Joseph, Mary and Jesus fled into Egypt until the death of Herod the Great (Matthew 2:20,21). Joseph led his family to Nazareth because Archaleus, a very cruel king, was reigning in Judah (Matthew 2:22,23). Joseph is no longer mentioned, but Mary appears at the marriage of Cana (John 2:1-12); then later when Jesus was challenged by the Pharisees (Matthew 12:46-50); and at the cross (John 19:25-27). On the cross Jesus committed His mother to the care of the disciple John. Mary was with the disciples in the upper room after the ascension (Acts 1:13,14).

EVALUATION

a) Mary was one of the few people prophesied in the Old Testament, as the woman from whose seed the Savior would come (Genesis 3:15).

b) Her state was amplified in Isaiah 7:14 that she would be a virgin

c) Since the sin nature is passed down through the father, Mary received a sin nature from Heli

d) Because Jesus was born of a virgin however, conceived by the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ was born without a sin nature (Matthew 1:20).

e) Mary was highly favored in grace by God (Luke 1:28,30), being called "blessed among women".

f) Mary accepted the miracle of this birth as outlined by Gabriel (Luke 1:26-38).

g) Mary praised God for His goodness (Luke 1:46-55; cf. 1 Samuel 2:1-10).

h) Mary recognized that the child she was to have would be the long awaited Savior (Luke 1:46-48).

i) Joseph was noble by protecting Mary from public stoning as an adulteress (Deuteronomy 22:23,24).

j) Mary and Joseph arranged for Jesus' circumcision on the eighth day (Luke 2:21) and His presentation to the Lord after the purification of Mary (Luke 2:22-24). They offered turtle doves and pigeons, showing they were not wealthy (Luke 2:24).

k) Jesus never called Mary mother, but always woman (John 2:4; 19:26), to ensure that Mary was never to be thought of as the mother of God. 

Love in Christ,

Alicia

The Light

"In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not overcome it." - John 1:4-5 (NIV)

Jesus is life, and He will be your guiding light. Just as a flashlight or lighthouse shines bright and helps guide your way in the dark, so will Jesus. Fortunately, the light of Jesus shines brighter than any flashlight or lighthouse and the darkness(sin) of the world will never over take Him!

Love in Christ,

Alicia




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Sacrificial Love

I have an acquaintance from high school that has spent her whole life dealing with a bad kidney. I will be honest and say that I didn't know about her struggle until a couple of months ago (gotta love Facebook). Her twin sister set up a page on Facebook telling of her sister's story. I was shocked! I went all 4 yrs of high school with this girl and never knew anything was the matter. Apparently, over the past couple of years her kidney became worse, to the point were she needed a new one. Everyone in her family immediately stepped up to the plate to see if they were a match. One by one they were told they were not a suitable donor; that is until it was her mom's turn to be tested! Her mom was a perfect match!! Ok, seriously, how awesome is that to be able to give your child a second chance. Anyway, through the magic of Facebook I have been able to keep up with her journey. Yesterday was the day(12-2-11)! She received her "new" kidney! Her mom never thought twice about it when they said she was a match. The first thing that her mom said when she was coming out of anaesthesia was, "did it work?" Talk about sacrificial love! Everyone sacrifices something in there lifetime, maybe a friendship, because you know it isn't the best "fit" for you or a job offer, or maybe even something as small as the last piece of pie, but there is something about a parent's love that makes you not think twice about do something for your child no matter the cost!

God gave the ultimate sacrifice, His son, Jesus! He brought Jesus into this world to demonstrate the ultimate sacrifice of love. Jesus died for our sins so that we may have enternal life. When everyone turned their back on Jesus and God; God could have stopped His ONE and ONLY son from being hung on the cross and dying for our sins. But, thankfully He didn't, because by showing the ultimate sacrificial love, we are forgiven of our sins.

One of my favorite verses comes from John 3:16 (17,18)
"This is how much God loved the world: He gave His son, His one and only son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn't go through all the trouble of sending His son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trust in Him is aquitted; anyone who refuses to trust Him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person's failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to Him." (MSG)

If you have a Facebook account and would like to follow the journey, you can search for Kristi's Kidney and continue to see how she does. If you don't have a Facebook account, I can tell you that both mother and daughter are doing well and the kidney is functioning as a healthy kidney should. The doctors seem very hopeful.

Love in Christ,

Alicia





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Don't Take Christ out of CHRISTmas

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I just wanted to send a reminder not to forget the true reason for the season. It is easy to get caught up in all the shopping and parties. Sometimes the true meaning of Christmas takes a back seat to all the other activities that we have going on. Just remember that without Christ it's just "mas". It's not about the presents or the parties or trimming the tree, its about sharing Christ with the ones you love and know!! So don't put Jesus in back, he is far to great for second place!!!

Jesus Is The Reason for the Season

Love in Christ,

Alicia



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Refreshing The Soul

Proverbs 27:9
The Message (MSG)

9 Just as lotions and fragrance give sensual delight,
a sweet friendship refreshes the soul.

Friendship, Friend, Amigo and BFF are all words with meaning. A friendship is not to be taken lightly. Friends are good for the soul. They allow you to have a different view of the world around you. Friends provide you with support and a social network. You can never have too many friends! True friends will give you their shoulder to cry or lean on and they also push you to do your very best! A friendship is like a blanket that you wrap around you to keep you warm. True friends will stick with you until the end.

I have a lot of acquaintances but only a few true friends. These friends I know I can count on no matter what. God places certain people in your life on purpose and He knew who you needed in your life even before you were born. I am so thankful for the friends God has placed in my life. He knew exactly who needed to be placed in my life. I know with out a doubt that these friends will always be there for me no matter what.

"A friend is one of the nicest things you can have, and one of the best things you can be." --Douglas Pagels

Love in Christ,

Alicia





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The Golden Rule

We have all heard the "golden rule" before.  In fact, I am sure that we all have it memorized, being that we heard it since we could walk and probably still here it every now and then.  The "golden rule" is a good rule to live by.

Did you know that more than 8 different religions have and teach a form of the "golden rule."  If you are interested in viewing the religions and the "golden rule" you can go here:  http://www.teachingvalues.com/goldenrule.html  I am going to use the scripture from The Bible, Matthew 7:1

Matthew 7:1-5,  from the The Message Bible:
^1-5 "Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It's easy to see a smudge on your neighbor's face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, 'Let me wash your face for you,' when your own face is distorted by contempt? It's this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.

I love coupons and I have "liked" a few coupon pages on facebook, and one of these sites posted on facebook today, a great deal on an item!  The item was on sale for a $1.00 when it is regularly $20.00.   I started reading all the comments under the post and man oh man, I couldn't believe what I was reading.  People were literally fighting back and forth through their comments.  I read were some people picked up 20 of this said item, just because it was 1.00.  Some people had a purpose for having that many, but some people just bought as many as they could just because.  Now, that my friends is wrong, at least I think it is.  This is where the "golden rule" comes into play.  Think about how many people could have used one, just one of this said item, but in greed someone chose to take more than they needed just to say that they did.  I don't think, if the tables were turned, they would have liked that being done to them.  My point is, in the moment we sometimes do not think about "doing unto others as we would like them to do unto us", but we should.  This applies to everything that we do.  The words we speak, our actions, etc.  We should always treat people with respect, because we all know we want to be treated with respect.  Jesus, would have not been greedy with this said item, nor would he go and bash people.  He gives us the utmost respect, so in turn we should do the same to Him.  We should always think before we do and ask ourselves, WWJD (what would Jesus do)?


Love in Christ,

Alicia

Reason for the Season

I have tried to write this post at least three times.  I was trying to figure out how to put into words what I read and to make sure I didn't say the wrong thing.  I then decided that I just need to put it out there.  Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and belief, but parts of a letter that I recently read on the Internet just hit me wrong.  So here it goes:

The letter was written by a mom to her daughter regarding the subject of santa.  I am not going to share the whole letter, because I do not feel it is necessary.  I know that everyone has their own opinion about santa, and I am not here to criticize that in anyway.  In fact, my family does santa, but we also know and talk about the REAL reason for the season.

The part of the letter that I would like to share is this:

"Santa is bigger than any person, and his work has gone on longer than any of us have lived.  What he does is simple, but it is powerful.  He teaches children how to have belief in something they can't see or touch.

It's a big job, and it's an important one.  Throughout your life, you will need this capacity to believe: in yourself, in your friends, in your talents and in your family.  You'll also need to believe in things you can't measure or even hold in your hand.  Here, I am talking about love, that great power that will light your life from the inside out, even during its darkest, coldest moments.

Santa is a teacher, and I have been his student, and now you know the secret of how he...all the people whose hearts he's filled with joy.

With full hearts, people like Daddy and me take our turns...that would otherwise be impossible.

Santa is love and hope and happiness.  I'm on his team, and now you are too."

Now,  I would like you to go back and reread the section of the letter above, but this time replace the word santa with Jesus.  Replacing the word santa with Jesus makes much more sense, don't you think?  Jesus is the one that can provide every need for you and Jesus is the one that is love and hope and happiness.

It surprised me how many people commented back on the letter.  Some people were even moved to tears over the letter that they had read.  Only one person out of the comments that I found mention  God.  The other comments were encouraging and thanking this mom for the letter idea. 

It is just sad the reaction that was given over this letter.  Jesus is the Alpha and Omega!!! Plain and simple!

As the holiday season approaches remember the TRUE reason for the season!!

Note: Parts of the letter were left out as to not divulge certain information, as I do not know the ages of who reads this blog!  Thank you for understanding.

Love in Christ,

Alicia

Up in the Clouds

As a little girl, I remember laying in grass on a warm summer afternoon with my mom and brother looking at the clouds. It was a favorite past time of ours. We would lie there and make shapes and animals out of the clouds. To this day I still sometimes stop and look up at the clouds just to see what animals or shapes I can make out.

Last week I was flying to Nebraska and I noticed how beautiful the clouds were. If you have ever flown then you know what I am talking about. These clouds were like none I had ever seen. They were thick and stood tall, like cotton candy on a stick. I really can't describe how magnificent they were, because it would not do it justice. Being in the clouds reminded me how small I am compared to this vast, majestic world.

I love how things, like clouds, can put you back in perspective. This is God's world and He created us for a purpose. So when we think we got it, he likes to remind us they we really don't, but He does!!

I am going to close with the first few verses from the first book of the Bible, Genesis.

1: 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 And the earth was waste and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep: and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. 3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

If you are interested in reading how the world came to be or just want a reminder you should definitely read the whole book of Genesis.

Love in Christ,

Alicia

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Don't Judge A Book...

I am sure you have heard the statement, "Don't judge a book by it's cover." There is a lot of truth in this statement. I can't tell you how many times I have done this. It was just recently that I became aware that I had done it again. I have a neighbor that I occasionally see when I am going to work or just outside in the yard but never really take the time to talk to. I have waved a few times and said "Hi" but, never got a wave or a "Hi" back from her. I thought to myself how rude and she must be a snob! I stopped saying hi and waving even though I knew it was wrong and not the Christian thing to do. A couple of weekends ago we had a garage sale and she and her daughter came over to look around. I over heard them talking to each other in Spanish, then as they were paying for their items the daughter told me that her mom doesn't speak very good English and that is why she doesn't really speak when she sees us. She is not able to carry on a conversation in English,therefore she chooses not to speak. Ah ha!? I felt about an inch tall. All this time I have been ignoring her instead of accepting her; all because I judged her. I told her daughter to tell her not to worry about it. After visiting with them I learned that they are extremely nice and that she is trying to learn English and is embarrassed that she can't speak it very well.

After I was brought to my knees because of what I had done, I realized that is not what Jesus would have done. He would not have ignored her or judged her; He would have embraced her and continued to say hello and wave no matter her reaction. So, there really is some truth to the statement, "Never judge a book by it's cover."

If you go to The bible and look in the book of Matthew, chapter 7:1-3, you will find the verses below:


Chapter 7

1 Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured unto you. 3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

The verses above give you something to think about the next time you go to "judge a book by it's cover"
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The Place of Exaltation (O.Chambers)

"We have all experienced times of exaltation on the mountain, when we have seen things from God's perspective and have wanted to stay there.  But God will never allow us to stay there.  The true test of our spiritual life is in exhibiting the power to descend from the mountain.  If we only have the power to go up, something is wrong.  It is a wonderful thing to be on the mountain with God, but a person only gets there so that he may later go down and lift up the demon-possessed people in the valley.  We are not made for the mountains, for sunrises, or for the other beautiful attractions in life--those are simply intended to be moments of inspirations.  We are made for the valley and the ordinary things of life, and that is where we have to prove our stamina and strength.  Yet our spiritual selfishness always wants repeated moments on the mountain.  We feel that we could talk and live like perfect angels, if we could only stay on the mountaintop.  those times of exaltation are exceptional and they have their meaning in our life with god, but we must beware to prevent our spiritual selfishness from wanting to make them the only time.

We are inclined to think that everything that happens is to be turned into useful teaching.  In actual fact, it is to be turned into something even better than teaching, namely, character.  The mountaintop is not meant to teach us anything, it is meant to make us something.  There is a terrible trap in always asking, "what's the use of this experience?"  We can never measure spiritual matters in that way.  The moments on the mountaintop are rare moments, and they are meant for something in God's purpose."
(Scripture: Mark, Chapter 9)


"My Utmost For His Highest" by O. Chambers

If  you read the above and have never been on top of "the mountain" you can ask Jesus to come into your heart and be your personal Lord and Savior!!  All it takes is a genuine asking for Jesus to be apart of your life.  He is already waiting, so all you have to do is ask!  Jesus will guide you the rest of the way.  Through the peaks and the valleys!  He will hold your hand and lead you!  So go on ask him!

Those of you who are followers of Jesus, but have been lacking in faith and hope, can create a fresh start today!  Jesus wants to use you just like He has in the past!  Go on, start fresh today!!!

Love In Christ,

Alicia

Boxed In

This morning I was getting ready to leave for work and I saw something fly by me into the garage.  I waved my hands, thinking it was a moth or butterfly.  When I looked up, I noticed it was a small bird.  The poor bird was frantically trying to get out of the garage, but could not seem to find it's way out!  I tried to "shoo" it in the right direction, with no luck.  I finally, just closed the garage door and prayed that the bird would be ok until I got home.  I thought about the bird off and on all day while I was at work.  I was thinking to myself, how scared this little bird must be in the dark, boxed in with no way out!  When I arrived home this evening and pushed the button to open the garage, I was hoping I would find a bird flying about.  While I didn't see it fly right away, it did eventually come out from it's hiding spot.  I tried once again to "shoo" this helpless bird in the direction of freedom, but I still did not have any luck.  I went inside, but left the garage door opened so maybe, just maybe it would fly out.  My husband came home and was able to get the bird to fly to freedom.

Do you ever feel like you are trapped, boxed in, with no way out!  I know that I have several times.  You feel like giving up.  Everything and everyone seems to fight against you!  You are looking for the easy way out, but instead you find yourself running into "walls".  Do you ever stop and think that maybe that is where God wants you to be at that moment.  Probably not! I know I didn't at first!  I just threw pity parties for myself and acted like the world was coming to an end.  Sometimes, God has to "box us in" to get our attention!  Humans are so stubborn, and we think we know what is best, but really we haven't a clue.  When God is ready for you to get out of the "box" He will guide you and make sure you get out.  God is always there!  He wants what is best for you!  He knows what is best for you!  So, the next time you find yourself "boxed in", think about what God is trying to show you or have you do.  There is a reason why He chose you to be "boxed in".  Just like the bird found his way out of my garage, you will find your way too, with the help of God!

And don't be wishing you were someplace else or with someone else. Where you are right now is God's place for you. Live and obey and love and believe right there. God, not your marital status, defines your life. Don't think I'm being harder on you than on the others. I give this same counsel in all the churches.
1 Corinthians 7:16-18 (in Context)

Love In Christ,

Alicia

The Second Mile

Lately, the media has been focusing on all the natural disasters that have been taking place all over the United States.  You really can't escape it!  In case you haven't heard, I will give you a little recap.  A few weeks ago, the east coast had an earthquake(no, that isn't a typo; it was the EAST coast).  Then a week later got hit by a Cat. 3 hurricane(Irene).  This hurricane was different, because it didn't hit just one state and then die down, it road all the way up the east coast flooding everything in it's path from the Bahamas all the way up past New York!  This storm was mighty, producing tornadoes and flooding streets and homes.  The powerful storm shut down some of the busiest transit systems.  Thousands of lives and homes destroyed! Over labor day weekend, central Texas was fighting off brush fires.  The combination of 100 plus temperatures and no rain for what seems like forever, made a deadly combination.  The major fire started in Bastrop, over 1,000 plus homes gone.  Then fires began to pop up all over the central Texas area.  None of the fires were linked.  They were all miles apart from each other.  You could see smoke from miles away.  Major highways blocked and firefighters stretched thin.  It was horrific to see all of these disasters on the television and Internet.  Everything that has happened in the last month or so, has happened so fast and furious!  It has left me with a feeling of compassion and servitude.

I want to talk a little about going the "second mile".  We have all heard the phrase, going the extra mile, but what if we went the second mile?  Here in central Texas where I live, there have been a number of ways to help the victims, volunteers, and firefighters.  Schools opening up as shelters, churches setting up as donation stations, etc.  I decided I would donate a few bags of nonperishable foods and things.  Dropping it off I felt good about what I had done, but then I began to wonder why do we wait to go the second mile?  It seems that we can choose to go the second mile everyday, but we don't.  We only choose the second mile when a disaster arises.  The second mile is different for everyone.  Your second mile could be inviting a friend to a family get together, instead of just seeing them at school or the coffee shop.  Your second mile could be volunteering once a week at a local food bank or shelter, instead of just donating the food.  Everyone has their own "second mile", but when do you choose to use it?  God served others in so many ways and never once complained about it.  He didn't serve them when he felt like it or when there was a disaster.  He served the people day in and day out.  God created us all to have a servant heart.  He wants us to serve Him day in and day out.  We don't get to pick and choose when we want to serve.  We should always want to go the "second mile" for God!  He is the ultimate one we should serve!  The world needs people like you and me to go the second mile!  So, will you go the second mile today or wait for another disaster?

Matthew 5:41 says, "And whoever shall force you to go one mile, go with him two."


**The events listed in the above post were the ones that have happened in the last month.  I know that there are probably other disasters that have happened in between.  All of them are equally devastating and important.  Please know that these were the ones that impacted me and therefore the ones that got posted.**

Love In Christ,

Alicia

"Pushing" Girls to Grow Up To Fast!

I was getting ready for work this morning; doing my normal routine when I heard something that stopped me in my tracks.  One of the morning shows was running a segment on push-up bras for tweens!!  I was speechless!  I couldn't believe that there was a debate about this at all!!  I don't have little girls, but I have nieces and I think this is absolutely ridiculous!  I did a little research and found that push-up bras are the latest fashion trend for tweens, along with anti-ageing makeup!  COME ON PEOPLE!! What is this world coming to? 

The morning show was saying how the push-up bra will increase a cup size by 2!  First of all, most tweens don't even have enough to even call it a "cup size", and the ones that do have something don't really need to increase it anymore that it already is.  I think it is disgusting that the world thinks that this is right in any fashion!  Girls are already pressured to look a certain way and act a certain way.  Teaching our girls that if you dress or act a certain way will get you popular and "looked at" is wrong!  We should not have to create a fake look or act for anybody!  God created us all in His image and He knew what he was doing before we were even born!  God did not intend for us to change how He created us.  I wish the world would stop pressuring women and girls to be a certain way!  The superficial life is not the way to go!  Being who God created you to be is the way to go.  Girls will never gain anything from looking or acting fake!  You can gain so much more, by being who God created you to be!   JUST BE YOU!!!!

Love in Christ,
Alicia

New Posture!

I am reading a book right now, called The Tangible Kingdom by Hugh Halter and Matt Smay.  This book is pretty heavy and answers alot of questions about ancient church and how to bring it back in today's culture, but it also has shown me some very interesting things about my own personal character and how I "advertise" myself as a christian.  A couple of posts ago I talked about how we are all walking billboards and that we should act and carry ourselves a certain way.  In the book I am reading the authors talk about this same thing.  Halter and Smay refer to it as "A New Posture."  They focus on the nonverbal communication part of the person.  I wanted to just highlight some points from the book that made me think about my "posture".

The authors describe posture as representing the attitude of the body: the nonverbal forms of communication that accompany what we say.  This description is so true.  Our body language speaks louder than our verbal speaking.

The second point the authors bring up is words communicate what we know; posture represents what we believe and feel.  Therefore, posture is the most important part of relationship and communication.  Posture shows true emotion and the intent of our heart.  I know that sometimes, we can be left with the question of what is wrong? Girls and women are so good at not expressing how they feel.  For some reason we feel the need to torture others, by giving the silent treatment or ignore others that have wronged us or we think have wronged us.  We never share how we truly feel and then when we are over it, we don't talk about it to the person that we feel has wronged us.  We just assume that they are over it too.  So, when they do not respond how we think they should we are asking ourselves, what is wrong? What did I do?  In truth it may have something to do with our nonverbals.  They are not going to want to approach you if you are putting off all kinds of nonverbal signs that basically says: GO AWAY! I DON"T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT OR TALK TO YOU!  This really goes for both males and females, but females are really good at working the body language! 

We are always advertising with our body language! We don't have to speak to even be noticed.  What we wear, how we act and what we say can change us and the people around us.  It doesn't take much to turn a person's head!  So, what statement will you make with your NEW POSTURE?

Love In Christ,

Alicia

Food For Thought

Watch you thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny!

Taken from a passage out of  The Daniel Fast by Susan Gregory

Do You See Jesus In Your Clouds?

"Behold, He is coming with clouds..."  (Revelation 1:7)

In the Bible clouds are always associated with God.  Clouds are the sorrows, sufferings, or providential circumstances, within or without our personal lives, which actually seem to contradict the sovereignty of God.  Yet it is through these very clouds that the Spirit of God is teaching us how to walk by faith.  If there were never any clouds in our lives, we would have no faith.  "The clouds are the dust of His feet." (Nahum 1:3).  They are a sign that God is there.  What a revelation it is to know that sorrow, bereavement, and suffering are actually the clouds that come along with God!  God cannot come near us without clouds--He does not come in clear-shining brightness.

It is not true to say that God wants to teach us something in our trials.  Through every cloud He brings our way; He wants us to unlearn something.  His purpose in using the cloud is to simplify our beliefs until our relationship with Him is exactly like that of a child--a relationship simply between God and our own souls, and where other people are but shadows.  Until other people become shadows to us, clouds and darkness will be ours every once in a while.  Is our relationship with God becoming more simple than it whas ever been?

There is a connection between the strange providential circumstances allowed by God and what we know of Him, and we have to learn to interpret the mysteries of life in the light of our knowledge of God.  Until we can come face to face with the deepest, darkest fact of life without damaging our view of God's character, we do not yet know Him.

"...they were fearful as they entered the cloud"(Luke 9:34).  Is there anyone except Jesus in your cloud?  If so, it will only get darker until you get to the place where there is "no one anymore, but only Jesus..." (Mark 9:8; also see verses 2-7)

This is a devotional taken from "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswalt Chambers

Walking Billboards!

  When we think of advertising, we think of billboards, commercials, and even those pesky fliers that are put on our cars and front doors.  But, did you ever think of yourself as walking advertisement?  Let me explain what I am talking about.

As humans we are pron to people watch!  Some people purposefully people watch, because they find it intriguing and fun and others do it with out really thinking about it.  So, in essence, we are all advertising ourselves in one way or another, whether it be good or bad.  I want to talk about FIVE attributes that I think all women should focus on "advertising".

1. GOD-FEARING:  This is total acknowledgement of all that God is!!  We should not be afraid of God, but we should respect what He can do and what He has done.  He is all powerful and mighty!  So in fearing Him we are respecting Him.  It's kind of like you respecting your guardian, whether it be a mom, dad, or grandparent.  You fear them because you respect them as authority, but you know that they love you and protect you.  All women should be God-Fearing, it teaches us to respect others and have faith in God.
Proverbs 31:30 says "Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be  praised" (NASB)
Proverbs 14:26 says "Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for their children it will be a refuge" (NIV)

2.  Prayed-Up:  This means to go to God with all your needs and wants.  Be faithful in your talk with Him.  He is the only one that can supply all our needs and answer all our questions.  We just have to be in constant communication with Him and be still and listen for His answers. 
Romans 12:12 says "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." (NIV)

3.  Pure:  The word pure basically means clean; without blemishes.  We are not perfect by any means, but we can become pure from the inside out by believing in God and asking Him to be our Lord and savior.  Once, we do that the slate is wiped clean and we have another chance to try and stay pure.  Yes, we will still make mistakes, but we can ask for forgiveness.  The goal is to try and remain pure in all you do; pure in your mind, body and soul.
Titus 2:4-5 says "Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God." (NIV)  This verse might be a little confusing, but basically we should practice purity in our mind, body and soul, so that we can pass on this example to spouses and future generations to come.

4.  Self Respected:  Oh, how hard this is for some of us.  Before we can respect anyone else, we first have to respect ourselves and treat ourselves appropriately.  This is one thing I used to struggle with all the time.  To have respect for yourself, means that you love you for who you are and that you stand up for yourself.  If you do not respect yourself, then there is no way that you will be able to respect others and have respect shown to you.  It has to start with you first!  Like, I said such a hard thing to do for most women.  If you show yourself some respect then it will radiate from you and in return others will give you respect.
2 Timothy 2:15 says "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." (NIV) 

5.  Confident Women of God:  I believe the top 4 attributes make up a Confident Woman of God.  Having the four things that I discussed above; God-fearing, prayed-up, pure, and self-respect will make you so confident in your walk and your daily living.
1 Timothy 6:12 says "Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses." (NASB)

You see, we are like walking advertisements.  We are being watched, whether you like it or not, someone is always looking at us or listening to us.  So, why wouldn't you want to advertise these FIVE attributes and show the world what you have and who you live for! So, go on market these five attributes, because you never know who is watching you and you just might change their life forever!

Love in Christ,

Alicia

Friendship and Compassion

I remember back when I was a kid having and making friendship bracelets.  It was the big craze and you were supposed to give them out to your true friends!  Those "true" friends that I gave bracelets to in school are no longer apart of my life, for whatever reason.  It's funny how time and things change the way you choose your friends.  In middle school I had a best friend. We spent almost every weekend together and we even had the necklace that says "best friend" where one friend wears one half of the charm and the other friend wears the other half.  We were pretty much inseparable and then in the 9th grade we grew apart and didn't hang out as much.  At one point it got so bad that we were not even speaking to each other.  We grew apart and high school came and went with out much interaction.  I never heard from her again, that is until I moved and found out that she was in the same city.  I think through the magic of facebook or myspace we found each other and started emailing.  Now, we talk every once in a while and see each other on occasion.  I would not say we are best friends, like we were in middle school, but we are good friends and still keep in touch.  I can honestly say that I only have a  handful of true friendships, you know the ones that stick by you no matter what! 

One aspect of true friendship is when one will be honest even if it hurts.  This is probably one of the most important aspects in a friendship.  This means that they will be honest with you knowing that it could hurt, but they know telling the truth is better than sugar coating it.  Telling the truth can also have to do with telling you that you are wrong or that you made a bad decision.  A true friend is not saying this to point out your faults; they are doing it because they care and only want what is best for you.
(Proverbs 27:6)

Sometimes friendship just means being there for one another.  Sometimes it is better to listen than to do the talking.  Friendships need balance for it to work.  One friend can't do all the talking while the other one does all the listening.  It just doesn't work that way.  Sometimes, the best part of a friendship is just knowing that they other one is there for you when you are having a hard time or just need a shoulder to cry on.  Sometimes, you just have to play the silent friend and just be there and listen.  In some cases, it isn't the best to point out your friends faults or wrong choosing.  They might have already known that they messed up and just wanted you to be there with them and support them through it rather than tell them what they did wrong.  (Job 2:11-13 and Job 42:7-8)

True friendship will have a positive influence on you.  It is always good to have a friend.  Someone that will be there for you and help you up when you fall.  Will be there to encourage you and stand up for you.  Two friends can lean on each other in times of need and protect each other in times of strife. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)

You want to be wise in who you choose to have a friendship with, because some friendships can have a negative influence on you.  Bad friendships can bring you down and cause you to fall into the wrong crowd.  These friendships are not true friendships and usually have a motive behind them and that motive is usually for their own success.  So be careful in how and who you choose to be a friend with.  (1 Corinthians 15:33 and Proverbs 22:24)

Jesus shows the ultimate friendship!  John 15:12-14 (NIV) says, "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command."  Jesus is the perfect example for true friendship, because He gave up his life for us.  He is definitely the ULTIMATE TRUE FRIEND!!!

Like I said in the beginning of this post, I think compassion and friendship are a perfect fit.  Philippians 2:4 says, "do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others." (NASB) If you have true friendships then this will be a no brainer to do for one another.  Luke 10:25-37 tells the parable of the good Samaritan.  A man was traveling and ran into some robbers that stripped him and beat him and then left him for dead.  Not one, but two men traveling down the same road saw the man and did not stop to help him.  They crossed over to the other side of the road and continued on their journey.  It was the third man, a good Samaritan, that saw him and felt compassion and stopped to help the man.  He cleaned his wounds and bandaged them and then carried him to an inn where he took care of him.  The good Samaritan showed great compassion on this man.  This parable is pretty easy to understand, but I will give you a couple of examples using situations from today (2011).  Providing your friend clothing and food when their house burnt down or befriending someone that is not as popular or that gets picked on.  These are just a couple of examples of compassion.  To be a true friend and have a true friendship, you need to have compassion.  Compassion is just one of the characteristics of a true friendship, but I think it plays a pretty big role.

I don't have a whole lot of true friendships, but the ones I do have I cherish and I know these friendships will last my whole life.  The one, true friendship that will never let me down, is my friendship with Jesus.  He is perfect and will never lead me astray!!!

Love in Christ,

Alicia

Addiction

Addiction is broadly defined as persistent compulsive use of a substance known by the user to be harmful. (Merriam -Webster)

The three most common addictions that we hear about are drugs, alcohol and tobacco.  These three addictions are on the rise in society today and the age of use is getting younger and younger.  While these are very important substances to discuss, I want to focus on some things that we do not necessarily look to as being "addictive".  Here are just a few that I thought about: Facebook, sodas, chocolate, shopping, food, dieting, smartphones/cellphones, Internet and the list could keep going on and on.

It is interesting to think that simple things like shopping or facebook can be addicting.  I mean it's not like you are harming yourself by shopping or checking facebook.  While you might not be harming yourself by doing these things, you can certainly become consumed with it and it can become so mindless, that you can't even keep up with the other things around you.  It becomes a habit and you feel like you need it in your daily routine or you want be able to make it through the day. 

This all may sound silly, but think about it. How many times a day do you have to have that soda or check your facebook page?  I will admit that I do love to check my personal facebook page.  I don't update it everyday, but I do check it multiple times a day.  It made me think, what did I do before facebook?  I didn't really care what everyone else in the world was doing and I certainly didn't keep in contact with every single person on my "friends list".  I am sure I occupied my time with other things.  It wasn't the end of the world that I did not know "sally" was going to the mall to buy a new outfit for a blind date that she was going on that night.  While I think facebook is a great idea for keeping in touch with old friends and with your family, it can definitely consume you before you know it.  A friend of mine actually took a little hiatus from facebook.  She realized that it was interfering with her time with God and other important things in her life that were going on.  She is back on facebook now, but she is not on it constantly like she used to be.  Another "addiction" that I want to talk about is the cellphone!  Oh yeah, you know you can't live without that little life line.  I have literally caught myself going into panic mode when I could not find my phone.  How sad is that?  I also find myself going back for my phone when I am leaving to go somewhere, like to fill up the car or run a really quick errand.  Do I really need my phone for the short five minutes I am going to be gone, probably not, but it is habit to have it on my person at all times.  It is funny to me to go into a public bathroom and hear someone talking on their phone(I apologize if this is you), but how important is that conversation that you need to talk while you are peeing!   While these things are not harming us physically or mentally(well maybe a little mentally), they are harming us spiritually and socially.  I am not saying that you should get rid of your social networking devices or stop drinking that diet coke. I am just asking you to step back and take a look and see if you have or do something that you seem to not be able to live without or that has come so apart of your daily routine that you don't even think about it anymore, you just do it. 

An addict doesn't necessarily have to be addicted to drugs, alcohol or tobacco.  You can be an addict in other ways too.  The good news is that you can be saved from the addiction whether it be the harsh addiction of drugs and alcohol or the material things like, shopping and dieting.  God is your ultimate rescuer!!

1 Corinthians 10:13 says: "No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face.  All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it."  The Message (MSG)

1 Corinthians 8:9  says: "But take care lest this liberty of yours somehow become a stumbling block to the weak."  New American Standard Bible (NASB)

This blog was not intended to make light of the addiction of drugs, alcohol or tobacco. If you or someone you know is addicted to these things please seek help with an organization.  Here are a couple of websites that I found:
www.24houraddictionhelp.org   and  www.abovetheinfluence.com .  I know there are alot more organizations out there that are ready to help.  Remember, the ultimate rescuer is God!  HE can and will rescue YOU from anything, you just have to ask and believe!!

Love in Christ,

Alicia

A Little Reminider

Psalm 94: 14-15 "For the Lord will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage; for justice will return to the righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it."

Giving Thanks When It Doesn't Make Sense

"Give thanks in ALL circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus of you." 1Thessalonians 5:18 ESV

Let's dissect this verse shall we.  Give thanks in ALL circumstances, really ALL of them?  Give thanks when we are running late to work or school? Give thanks when the car want start or breaks down?  Give thanks when my kid is crying and screaming so loud and constant that I want to pull my hair out?  Give thanks when a friend betrays us?  Give thanks when  you don't make the dance team or the cheerleading squad?  Really, I am supposed to give thanks during my worst moments?  Yes, that is correct! You are probably like, that doesn't make sense what so ever!!!  Why should I give "thanks" in the midst of negative situations?  Here is the answer:  In the midst of our worst there is a mercy in disguise; a blessing!  You probably will not see it right then in there, but God allows trails to happen to each and everyone of us.  I am not saying that God allows bad things to happen to us.  It is usually us not listening and disobeying Him that allows these awful situations to occur.  God does allow certain trials in our lives and certain situations not to happen and they are all for His will.  God is not out to get us! He is here to protect us and guide us in His will.

It is so much easier to give "thanks" in wonderful circumstances and when things are going our way, but we have to remember that we should also give "thanks" during our trails as well.  Even if we don't feel like it is appropriate; it is to God!  I am going to leave you with a chorus from a song that I am hearing alot lately. It is from the song "Blessings" by Laura Story:

"What if our blessings come through raindrops? What if healing comes through tears?  What if a thousand sleepless nights is what it takes to know you're near; and what if trails of this life are mercies in disguise?"

 Love in Christ,

Alicia

Unique on Purpose!

 The world is full of different types of people.  All different shapes and sizes.  I am thankful that every single person on this earth is unique! How boring would it be if we all had the same eye color, same hair color, and were all the same size and shape.  B-O-R-I-N-G!!  God made us all unique for a reason, right down to our fingerprints and the number of hairs on our head.  Sometimes, we would rather be a carbon copy of another person that we think is prettier or more popular than we are.  Especially women and girls!  We love to try and change something that we don't like about ourselves.  People also compete for attention. For example, it might be with friends, or a sibling; it could even be a certain group.  It is our human nature to want to get noticed and want to be liked and loved!

I am going to tell you a little story about a woman named Leah.  She was the daughter of Laban and had a younger sister named Rachel.  Now, the bible tells us that Rachel was beautiful and had everything going for her.  Leah was fair and had lazy eyes. Back then you could not make an appointment to go have your eyes checked, nor were there any glasses, so Leah had quite the time getting around.  One day, Rachel was out at the family well when a boy named Jacob approached the well and quickly fell in love with Leah's younger sister. He wanted to marry Rachel and would work for her father for 7 years so he could marry her.  Wow!  Rachel must be some woman!  Anyway, Rachel's father was a tricky, crooked man, so at the end of the 7 years he gave Leah to Jacob instead of Rachel.  You are probably thinking well, how did he trick him?  Jacob could clearly see that it was not Rachel he was marrying.  Well, just like there were not any eye appointments or glasses; there also wasn't any electricity.  So, it was dark when it came time for Jacob to take Rachel as his wife and when the sun rose the next day, Jacob was with Leah and not Rachel! Laban had tricked him!  Jacob asked why this was done to him and Laban said it was not custom to give away the youngest daughter before the oldest.  Laban said that he could marry Rachel too if he worked another 7 years for him.  Jacob worked another 7 years and finally married Rachel.  So, now Jacob has Leah and Rachel.  Leah was always in competition with Rachel for Jacob's attention and affection. Jacob pushed Leah aside and I am sure that made Leah feel unwanted.  Leah bore many sons for Jacob, and after every son, she thought surely this will make Jacob love me and want to be with me, but it didn't!  Finally, Leah decided to praise God for the sons she had bore and realized that it was more important to know God loves you and cares for you than it is to make sure everyone else does.  We can not control the way people feel about us.  I am sure Leah struggled with jealousy.  Leah decided not to let that bring her down.  She decided to thank God for what she had and even though Rachel still had the outer beauty, Leah had the inner beauty that continued to grow with each praise to God. 

Like, Leah you may also have rivals and compete with someone in your life.  You should always remember that God made you who you are and that He did it on PURPOSE! 

"God loves you because you're you. He sees and knows your heart and soul. Does he see Jesus in your life?"  (Real Girls of the Bible by Mona Hodgson)

If you would like you can read Leah's story in it's entirety in the Bible starting with Genesis 29:4-35. Also in chapters 30, 31, 33, 35 and 49.

Love in Christ,
Alicia

Ultimate Brainwashing

MONEY, Sex, MODELS, Clothes, CARS, Violence and everything in between!!  These are topics that we see everyday, everywhere.  I know that newspapers, radio and advertisements make up the media, but I want to talk about what I think is the Ultimate Brainwash: TELEVISION! (I am going to throw in this disclaimer now; No I do not think TV is all bad and Yes I do watch TV.  I am not here to criticize anyone, just share my own thoughts on how TV has gone from classy to trashy.)

Gone are the days of the classics like Leave it to Beaver, The Walton's, The Cosby Show and more.  Yes, you can still probably find reruns of some of these shows on Nick at Nite, but you will no longer find wholesome shows on prime time television.  Most shows now are either reality shows or sitcoms that are focused on sex, violence and money.  In the past, shows like these would not come on until after 8, but now they are all the time!  The commercials are just down right awful today! I usually end up muting the commercials or getting up to do something else, because I just can't believe what they use to try and sale their products!

This is what I get from the commercials and some of the television shows: SEX SALES and MONEY TALKS!  Wow!  How sad that world has to use sex to sale a product.  Some of these products are simple, like M&Ms or Shampoo!  I mean really, its candy! Candy can sell itself without having to add sex appeal to it and I don't think using a certain shampoo is going to make you become sexy and have people flock to you.  Some of the TV shows have gotten pretty gross and tacky.  Lets, take Greys Anatomy for example; when it first aired it was focused on the hospital and the drama was about the hospital and the doctors trying to save lives, but now it seems it is all about sex,cheating and lying with a little bit of life saving thrown in.  I used to watch Greys Anatomy, but when it started becoming pointless and basically a big sex show, I stopped watching it.(Once again, this is just my opinion.  You are not evil for watching Greys if you do.) There are so many more shows out there that have spiraled into trash and it is so hard to find something worth watching today!

My family doesn't watch a whole lot of TV, we try to limit it as best we can.  When we do watch it, we usually watch game shows or talent shows.  We also watch alot of Nick Jr. and PBS, because we have a 3 year old and he loves Thomas, Elmo, and Dora.  Even some of the kid's shows are just down right ugly and rude!  I think today's TV is the ultimate brainwash, because it portrays all the wrong images and ideas.  It is sad that the media thinks that the only way to sell a product or provide entertainment is through sex, money and violence.

Philippians 4:8 says: "Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious-the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.  Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies."  (The Message Bible)

God wants us to fill our minds with pure and pleasant thoughts and meditate on those thoughts instead of the worldly ones that are thrown at us everyday.  Let God and his Word become your ultimate brainwash instead of the media of this world!!

Love in Christ,
Alicia

God Possible

It is amazing to think of all the things God can do!  The Bible is written proof of that!  I took my son to Seaworld this past Saturday and even though I had been before; I was able to look at it a little differently than when I was a kid.  While my son was "wowed" by the big animals, I was "wowed" by how amazing God is!  It amazed me that a 1200 lb killer whale could jump so high out of the water in such a perfect arch and land gracefully back in the water(as gracefully as a giant whale can).  Or the sea lion that glided through the water with such grace and speed with ease!  God created these animals to do these exact things and each has a purpose as to why they can arch so perfectly or why they can speed through the water.  I saw seaworld in a whole new way, which allowed me to reflect on my own life's journey and how God has made so many things possible in my little world that I just don't deserve. 

God makes everything possible according to His will!!  There are so many things in my life that he has made possible that I can't even count them!  Some things are big and some are small but they all add up to His will for me!  There has been times where money was so tight, that I thought how are we going to make it to the next check, when there are bills to be paid and groceries to be bought, but God made it possible for us to make it to the next paycheck and still be able to pay the bills and buy groceries.  God will always provide for us, but you have to have faith and believe in Him.

The bible has so many stories about God and all the things He made possible!!  Page after page, book after book tells us of women being barren, but God making it possible for them to bare a child, God sparing lives when there didn't seem like there was a way, and most of all Jesus dying on the cross for all of our sins past, present and future and then raising from the grave so we could have eternal life!!!  GOD POSSIBLE!!!!!

God has made so many things possible for me in my life and he can do the same for you!  You just have to let go and let God!  You have to have faith and believe in Him. God is someone that you want to have on your side at all times!  He will never leave you nor forsake you!  With God ALL things are possible!

Isn't it amazing to know ALL things are Possible with God!  That is great reassurance! 

Love in Christ,
Alicia

Ladybug Bow Drive

Be The Girl Ministries is teaming up with Bow Chic and donating bows to the little girls at Children's Medical Center in Plano. 

The Story: There is a family that has a little boy who is 3 and a little girl who just turned 1.  The family unfortunately spends a lot of time in the hospital because their son was born with a defective heart and has other multiple issues.  The parents get to know alot of the other families that spend time at the hospital, so they all become like a family. 

The parents of the little boy have always donated something to the children's hospital in "lieu" of gifts for his birthday.  So, when their little girl turned 1, they decided to have a bow drive.  Her daughter loves bows and is always wearing them, so it seemed fitting.  Many children that are sick in the hospital just a need a little something to make them feel better.

Once, BTGM read about this, we knew we had to help out!  Bow Chic is a little business that is expanding its inventory everyday, but she mostly makes bows and cute bows at that!  So, if you would like to donate your bows or if you would like Bow Chic to make one to donate, just email BTGM and we will be glad to get you the information on where to send the bows.

The bows don't have to be anything fancy, any bow will do.  This is just a little something to brighten a little girl's day who is stuck in the hospital. 

You can leave a message on this blog post or you can email us at BTGMinistry@yahoo.com or leave us a message on facebook.

Thank you and God Bless

Eve and Temptation

Eve is a REAL woman of the bible!  She also was the first woman to fall into temptation. In Genesis, chapter 3 we read about how Eve was tempted by satan to take a bite of the forbidden fruit.  Satan made the fruit on that tree look so tasty and inviting that Eve could not pass it up.  At first, Eve stood her ground and told satan that she was not allowed by God to eat from that tree, but with satan's fancy talk and deceitfulness, she fell right into the arms of temptation.  Taking just one bite of the fruit caused her eyes to open to where she was able to acknowledge between good and evil. See, before her tasty bite of the forbidden fruit, Eve had no concept of the difference between good and evil.  One bite of temptation changed all that!! 

We have all fallen into temptation just like Eve.  It probably wasn't with a piece of fruit, but maybe listening to the wrong people or hanging out with the wrong crowd.  Different situations can make it easier for us to fall into temptation.  Everyone has been tempted one way or another.  It is much easier to do or go the wrong way, when it looks so inviting and comfortable.

After Eve disobeyed God, she hid behind a tree.  God knew what she had done and asked why she was behind the tree.  Eve and Adam(her husband) said that they heard God's voice and hid behind the tree because they were ashamed of being naked.  God said,"who told you were naked, did you eat from the forbidden tree?"

Eve had to live with the consequences of her disobedience, but God still provided for her needs.  Like Eve, we are sometimes tempted to want things and relationships that aren't good for us.  God wants us to listen to Him and trust His love for us.  When we do fall into temptation and make the wrong choice, it is nice to know that we can go to God and confess our sins to Him and accept His gracious forgiveness.

Eve's Fun Facts:  Real Girls of the Bible by Mona Hodgson

Eve was the first woman
She was the first woman to walk with God.
the first wife.
the first person to disobey God and sin.
the first woman to receive God's grace.
the first woman to sew a piece of clothing.
the first woman to give birth to a child.
the first mother to lose a child.

You can read all about Eve in the Bible in the book of Genesis, starting with chapter 2.

HOT! HOT! HOT!

I do not know where all the readers of this blog live, but I live in Texas and it is so very HOT down here!  Now that summer has started and the temperature outside makes you melt, I thought I would touch on the subject of modesty again.  I know that we talked about this a few blogs ago, but just want to remind you that you don't have to let it all show to get some one's attention.

It is hard to find summer clothes that are not too revealing!  Let's face it, it is the way of the world right now, and you can not go into any store without revealing clothes being everywhere.  I was just in Old Navy the other day and could not believe what I was seeing.  It is really sad, that the world has this view about women and that the only way to get attention is to show some flesh.  I realize that it is summer and therefore tank tops and shorts will be the first choice, but you can still dress for the weather and not show everyone what God gave you.

What matters is whats on the inside!  I know you are rolling your eyes right about now, and thinking I  know! I know!  I have heard this a million times, but it is true!  Your personality and actions speak far louder that any mini skirt or revealing bathing suit.  It is true that guys are attracted to the outward appearance before even getting your name, but I know that once they get to know you and your personality they will be looking more on the inside than the out.  A true gentlemen will like you for what you are on the inside and not what you wear on the outside.  Guys do care about the inner beauty of a lady, even though most of the time it doesn't seem like it.  You should not take away from your personality by making your outward appearance more desirable!  You should focus on making what's on the inside more desirable, because it is so very pleasing to God!  In the long run guys search for someone with inner beauty more than they search for someone with outer beauty.

1 Peter 3:3-4 says, "What matters is not your outer appearance-the styling of your hair, the jewelry you wear, the cut of your clothes-but you inner disposition." (The Message Bible)

What is on the inside is what God looks at and what makes God pleased with us.  It is not how we look on the outside.  So, the next time you go to pick out an outfit ask yourself this question,"Does this outfit take away from what counts-my inner beauty?"   Inner Beauty is more important than outer beauty.

Love in Christ,

Alicia
BTGM

Broken Girl by Matthew West

Blessings

Here are the lyrics to a song that I heard on the radio.  It really spoke to me and made me think about how God can bless us in the midst of what we think is a tragedy or not the right time.  Read the lyrics in this post and then scroll down to the post below this and you can listen and watch the video of the song.  (I couldn't fit it all in one post)  Please read the lyrics carefully and hope it speaks to your heart as much as it did mine.

Blessings by Laura Story
We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things



'Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise



We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
[ From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/l/laura-story-lyrics/blessings-lyrics.html]
We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe



When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not our home



What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy
What if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise

Laura Story - Blessings

God Is...

I am reading a book called Crazy Love by Francis Chan and a couple of paragraphs that I read last night really struck my heart, so I thought I would share the paragraphs on the blog.

GOD IS ALL-KNOWING.  Isn't this an intimidating thought? 
Each of us, to some degree, fools our friends and family about who we really are. But it's impossible to do that with God.  He knows each of us, deeply and specifically.  He knows our thoughts before we think them, our actions before we commit them, whether we are lying down or sitting or walking around.  He knows who we are and what we are about.  We can not escape Him, not even if we want to.  When I grow weary of trying to be faithful to Him and want a break, it doesn't come as a surprise to God.
For David , God's knowledge led him to worship.  He viewed it as wonderful and meaningful.  He wrote in Psalm 139 that even in the darkness he couldn't hide from God; that while he was in his mother's womb, God was there.
Hebrews 4:13 says, "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight.  Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account."  It is sobering to realize that this is the same God who is holy and eternal, the Maker of the billions of galaxies and thousands of tree species in the rain forest.  This is the God who takes the time to know all the little details about each of us.  He does not have to know us so well, but He chooses to.

GOD IS ALL-POWERFUL.  Colossians 1:16 tells us that everything was created for God: "For by him all things were created:  things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him."
Don't we live instead as though God is created for us, to do our bidding, to bless us, and to take care of our loved ones?
Psalm 115:3 reveals, "Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him."  Yet we keep on questioning Him:  "Why did You make me this body, instead of that one?" "Why are so many people dying of starvation?"  "Why are there so many planets with nothing living on them?" "Why is my family so messed up?"  "Why don't You make Yourself more obvious to the people who need You?"
The answer to each of these questions is simply this:  because He's God.  He has more of a right to ask us why so many people are starving.  As much as we want God to explain himself to us, His creation, we are in no place to demand that He give an account to us.

All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing.  He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth.  No one can hold back his hand or say to him: "What have you done?"  Daniel 4:35

This section of paragraphs comes from the book "Crazy Love" written by Francis Chan

What I just wrote above is pretty powerful, don't you think?  As I was reading these paragraphs I was convicted and it touched my heart.  God truly is EVERYWHERE and knows EVERYTHING.  He created us after all and sometimes, I think we forget why he created us.  We get caught up in the worldly things and that blocks are "vision".  God will never leave us or forsake us.  We choose to walk away from Him, not the other way around.  He was there before you were born and He will be here until the end!

HE ISN'T GOING ANYWHERE!  Hopefully these few paragraphs tug at your heart strings like they did mine.  How AWESOME is He!!!

Keeping It Real!

We are going to try something different for the month of May and maybe even June.  We are going to keep it real and blog about personal experiences and thoughts that we have.  It could turn out to be a long blog post or just a short bit of information, either way we hope that you can still find some sort of connection or comfort through our personal posts!  I, Alicia, am going to start today with THE POWER OF PRAYER!

PRAYING is basically talking to God!  Yes, it is that simple.  You don't have to use fancy words or even have something memorized.  It is just a conversation between you and God.  I love to hear my 3 year old pray, because it is so sweet and meaningful.  A child's prayer is very sincere no matter if they are asking for a new bike or thanking God for their friends and family.  My 3 yr old once asked God for some potato chips( I am not kidding).  Now my child did not receive those chips right then and there, but I am sure he eventually ate some sort of chip.  God does not always answer prayers right away.  He definitely hears your prayers, but he will answer them in His time when he knows it is best and it's His will.  I have had God answer prayers before right away and then there were times that I had to wait, but I earnestly kept seeking God and praying and when it was His time, I received my answer. 

My brother was having some problems with one of his ex-employees and ended up with threats being made by the employee and the police getting involved. So, my brother asked us if we could pray for his(my brother) protection.  Of course!  This was on a Tuesday.  On Monday, Jana had my brother heavy on her heart, and she knew it was God telling her to pray for him.  She didn't know what it was about or why, but she started praying.  On Tuesday when I was telling her about what was going on, she said that he had been placed on her heart and she had been praying for him.  During that whole week there were alot of prayers being said to ask for protection for my brother. Everytime, the guy showed up to work, my brother was not in his office(coincidence, I don't think so).  My brother was supposed to hand deliver the ex-employee's check to him but when the day came the employee agreed to direct deposit, so my brother did not have to meet him. Little things like this continued to occur through out the week.  My brother had so many people lifting him up in prayer that week that God built a wall of protection around him.  God was able to give him a peace of mind and everyone else a peace of mind as well.  Now, that is the Power of Prayer!!  I have been totally blessed by this recent prayer request for protection.  God will always protect His children!

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened.” – Matthew 7:7-8

“And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he hears us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.” – 1 John 5:14-15

You Are More

I heard this song this morning and thought I would look up the lyrics and post them on our blog!  This is such a great song and the words are such a wonderful message to ladies of all ages.  No matter what you have done or do, GOD LOVES YOU   and YOU ARE MORE than your faults and YOU HAVE BEEN REMADE!!! 

 

 

You Are More lyrics
There's a girl in the corner
With tear stains on her eyes
From the places she's wandered
And the shame she can't hide

She says, "How did I get here?
I'm not who I once was.
And I'm crippled by the fear
That I've fallen too far to love"

But don't you know who you are,
What's been done for you?
Yeah don't you know who you are?

You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade.

Well she tries to believe it
That she's been given new life
But she can't shake the feeling
That it's not true tonight

She knows all the answers
And she's rehearsed all the lines
And so she'll try to do better
But then she's too weak to try

But don't you know who you are?

You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade.

You are more than the choices that you've made,
[ From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/t/tenth-avenue-north-lyrics/you-are-more-lyrics.html]
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade.

'Cause this is not about what you've done,
But what's been done for you.
This is not about where you've been,
But where your brokenness brings you to

This is not about what you feel,
But what He felt to forgive you,
And what He felt to make you loved.

You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade.

You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade.

You've been remade
You've been remade.
You've been remade.
You've been remade.

Inspiration Through Jumping!

 This month we are blogging about relationships and family.  I, Alicia, thought I would share a little experience that I had this past Saturday with my family.  The two people in the picture below are my grandparents, I call them Grammy and Poppy!  These two people are a great role model as a couple and how ones marriage should be like: GOD CENTERED!  They have been married for over 50 years and love each other unconditionally.  They put God first in everything that they do as a couple and as individuals!  They inspire me to have a marriage like they have and to be as God-fearing as they are.  These two are the nicest, most caring and giving people that you will ever meet or at least I think so.  There are alot of people that inspire me for different reasons, but these two I hold great respect for and I am proud to call them my family and my grandparents!

My grandmother turned 80 on April 2, which was a Saturday and to honor that great milestone, she decided to SKYDIVE!  Yes, my friends, my Grammy went skydiving the day she turned 8-0!  She told us that she always wanted to skydive and that on her 80th birthday she would and she did!! My 80 yr old grandmother jumped out of a perfectly good airplane at 13,500ft and plunged toward the earth going 120mph and then floated safely to the ground. 

Once she was on the ground the reaction on her face was one that I will always remember and fortunately we were able to catch on camera.  The picture below is her genuinely jumping for joy and giggling like a little girl.  She was so extremely happy at what she had accomplished.  Most of her family was there to support her, including 8 great-grand children.  She jumped because she wanted to and she had made up her mind that she was going to do it, but what she didn't know is how much of a ripple effect it would have on so many that watched her that day.  Family, strangers and children were all inspired by her jump that day.  It showed them that you really can do anything that you put your mind too no matter what age or who you are.  She told my uncle later on that there were actually a couple of things that she had to do before she could jump. 1. Make sure that it was ok with her husband.  How sweet that she took her husband into account before she jumped.  If he wasn't ok with it then she wasn't going to do it.  True relationship, people!  2.  She prayed about it.  Yes, the littlest thing, like jumping out of a plane she wanted to ask God permission for.  She said that she prayed and earnestly listened to what God had to say and on the day of the jump, she did not have one doubt or concern about jumping!  She was worry free and therefore made the jump.  I know that God gave her the desire of her heart that day because the sky was crystal blue and the wind was calm.  There is certain criteria to jump and the wind blowing at a certain speed can cause you not to be able to jump.  The instructor said that they had been waiting for 4 weeks for a day like Saturday!  Unbelievable, how God works!  On Sunday, the day after the jump it was overcast and very windy, she would not have been able to jump that day.  So, I know with out a doubt, because she followed and listened to God that she was able to fulfill her desire to jump.

I wanted to share this story because she inspired so many people that day.  She doesn't consider herself a hero, but to some people she is!  She is truly an inspiration for women and girls and men for that matter.  She inspires me to be a better woman and she inspires me with my own relationship with God and with my husband!  Her and my grandfather have and continue to inspire so many people that come in contact with them.  Saturday, April 2, 2011 will be a day that I never, ever forget!  I will never forget the pure joy on her face, the giggles that I heard as she jumped up and down, the family that supported her and most of all the witness that she was to her family and the strangers that watched and cheered her on as she landed safely to the ground!  She is such an inspiration and I thank God everyday that I can call her my grandmother!

Look what's talking....

Body language-non verbal communication that consits of body posture, gestures, facial expressions, and eye movement.
     Various studies show different statistics but, according to John Borg "Communication consits of 93% of body language, while only 7% consits of words."
    Body language can be used in many different ways. It can show approval, disappointment, happiness, and even romantic and sexual intentions.

     In the game charades, you use body language to speak the word or phrase that you have been given. The object of the game is to win without using any verbal communication. In your day to day living your body language can speak louder than any words you can say. From crossing your arms, looking down, a smile, or putting your hands on your hips; they all say different things.
    You can intentionally or unintentionally give off romantic or sexual vibes with your body. Batting your eyes and wearing a tight dress to accentuate your curves are just a few examples of romantic or sexual body language. We as girls should not cause boys to stumble because of our body language. Our bodies should be used for good and not evil.
  In Ephesians 5 chapter 1 God says: "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children and walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."

No matter your intention or unintention body language speaks volumes.


Love in Christ,
Alicia and Jana

Modesty is the best policy.

What does modesty mean to you?

"...And I want the women to get out there with the men in humility before God, not primping before a mirror or chasing the latest fashions but doing something beautiful for God and becoming beautiful doing it."
1 Timothy 9&10 (The Message)

  Everybody dresses for the ocassion rather it be wearing a formal to a wedding or a summer dress to a bbq. How you dress can lead to false impressions. We live in a judgemental society even though one should not care what other people think a first impression should not give off a false impression.
  Women should not dress for attention. Men are stimulated by sight. Men are always attracted to a female physically, before they are connected emotionally. Women are stimulated by touch. (Physical or emtional.)
  Short shorts, tight pants, and low cut shirts, all these things draw attention to you and we're not talking good attention! You should respect your body and yourself that includes how you dress.

"You are altogether beautiful, my darling. And there is no blemish in you." Song of Solomon 4:7 (NAS)

A womans apparel will be appropriate for the occasion and stylish if affordable, while remaining modest and proper.


Love in Christ,
Alicia and Jana

Are you a TRUE CoverGirl?

Cosmetics(make-up)-comes from the Greek word KOSMOS, which means "of this world, worldly."

71% of women think they are prettier with make-up on.

 taken from dreamingirls.wordpress.com-March 11, 2010.

1 out of 5 boyfriends have never seen their girlfriend without make-up.

taken from dreamingirls.wordpress.com-March 11, 2010

The cosmetic and toiletries industry, world wide, is a 45 to 66 billion dollar business.

taken from shine.yahoo.com-August 14, 2008.

"After World War II the cosmetics industry began promoting through advertising, the concept of flawless beauty. Women and girls around the world became enamored with the idea that they could be more attractive."

taken from http://www.therecg.org/

The advertising industry has not slowed down if anything it has become more of a pressure that without make-up you are not attractive.



Turn up the volume and listen carefully to the first 10 seconds of this covergirl commercial

http://www.youtube.com/ (Ellen Degeneres CoverGirl commerical)

     "Inner beauty is important, but not nearly as important as outer beauty." Yeah! You heard it right, that is what CoverGirl is promoting. Before we go any further we want to make it clear that wearing make-up is not a sin, but the reasoning as to why you wear the make up could  be sinful.

     Jezebel was one of the most evil women in the bible. She used her outward apparence to suduce men by wearing flashy clothes, jewlery, and a lot of make-up. Her reason behind the flashy clothes, and make-up was to seduce, the fact that she wore make-up was NOT a sin but why she wore it made it a sin.

      1 Samuel 16:7 (NAS) says "But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look at his apperance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appereance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

     God doesn't care if you spend hours and hours on your face packing on the make-up, or if you wear no make-up at all. God looks at your heart! It's sad that in todays society there is more pressure on how you look on the outside than how you look on the inside. Girls as young as 5 and 6 are being taught at a young age that looks are everything, when reality looks are nothing and heart is EVERYTHING.The song that we have playing on our blog pretty much spells out what today's society is teaching and expecting.

     The average woman spends 20 minutes a day putting on make-up, that averages to about 330 days in a lifetime. Imagine if we took half of that time "making up" our inward apperance for it to be pleasing to God.

Like we have been saying throughout this blog; wearing make-up is not a sin, but you should make sure that your reasoning for wearing make-up does not lead to sinful circumstances.

We want to leave you with a challenge. We won't ever know if you do it (unless you would like to share with us, which would be really cool!) only you will know. Challenge yourself to wear little or no make-up for a day or two OR challenge yourself to cut your make-up time in half, spending that extra time with God.

Love in Christ,

Alicia and Jana