Standing out, and feeling what the world should all feel..

This is a song to go with what I am posting about.. I have discovered it from youth and from there I fell in love with it.

Hi, I'm one of the Yaweh Sister's daughter's Gracie. I am in eighth grade, and my mom has been sick with the flu and isn't able to blog...so I am blogging for her. Latley I am always in a rush and always busy with doing everything else besides having time with God. I've noticed a very big change in the world that is kind of overwhelming. People just go on and on with their lives not even worrying that God could come back in a matter of seconds and they would be left here because they didn't do what they were supposed to do. I am feeling in my heart that we should come together as the Lord's children and seek his word. Every person is unique and we all have a chance to stand out and be different. I came home from youth group last night and really thought about what my leader talked about. People are so consumed in the world....worrying about what other people say and think about you. I know I feel that way sometimes... that I'm not pretty enough or skinny enough, or just what other people want me to be. I've taken these pictures of things that stand out from what the backround of the picture looks like. Notice the backround is boring, and the one standing out is the Christian. God is going to look at what's standing out not the ones in the backround. Maybe you know a person who is a very commited Christian, always doing what they were called to do... and you ask yourself why can't that be me? Why can't I be that person to shine and stand out to others and God? Well you can, everybody can. That's what God wants. He wants you to prove yourself through your actions and words. Show that you can be different. As the lord's children we are called to a new, holy standard. Instead of anger, jealousy, greed, hatred, and other sinful things.. we should practice compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Having God's grace instead of having another person's opinnion means a lot more... For he is the one we should all look up to. God uses the weak to lead the strong...I ask that through this week you take the time to do something that you think would make God smile, and would change the outcome it might've had if you hadn't done that something. Stand out.

In 1 John 2; 15-17 it says...Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the father is not in him. For everything of what he has and does-comes not from the Father but from the world. The world has its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

This is a picture of me.. I usually take my mom's camera and I love to take pictures then think of a way to use them in her blog.

How Great Is Our God

May your weekend be full of His Grace............Enjoy

God is my keeper

God is sovereign, and God is good. Knowing this, many believers struggle to understand why painful things happen in life. They wonder, Why wouldn't the Lord stop me from experiencing such heartache?
The question deepens when we read a Bible passage like Psalm 121: 7-8  " The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever." Many people interpret this to mean that God will keep them from difficulty. But what the words say is that He promises to keep their soul.
     The Lord allows pain. Sometimes he even orchestrates it. God understands the hurt, but he also looks into the deeper meaning of the situation. Trials often strengthen our faith, make us more like Jesus, and gives us compassion for others. At times, God may even use difficulties to keep us from living mundane lives or wasting opportunities. With his help, we profit immensely more from walking through the pain than from avoiding it. Instead, he enables us to endure the hardship by giving us wisdom and strength. And when we get to the other side, we can often see-with great gratitude how his gentle and gracious hand guided us through the whole situation.
     We have tremendous hope, knowing that God will keep us through the most difficult times. Read Psalm 124, and ask the Lord to remind you of its truths when painful situations arise in your life.
In His Service:
Amy

"WELL DONE MY GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVENT"

Matthew 25:21 His lord said to him, "Well done,good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord".
Matthew 25:40 And the king will answer and say to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to Me."
Matthew 25:45 Then he will answer them, saying, "Assuredly , I say to you, inasmuch as you did NOT do it to the least of these, you did NOT do it to me."


     We are all put here on earth for a purpose, a reason for living. To build up the kingdom of heaven.  That seems like a lot to take in,  but do we actually think that God is going to trust us with big and powerful works, if we can not even do the "little things"?. I believe we are tested every day, to see where are faith lies. Are we going to trust him today? Are we going to pass this test of life? We are tested and tempted every day. Similar to what Jesus was tempted in the Wilderness. Sometimes I pray, " God please reveal to me, CLEARLY and very SIMPLE ( cause I'm not very bright, Lord) what your plan is for me. I feel it is BIG lord and I'm ready to jump in with two feet. As always, I hear the Lord say to me, BE STILL.   Which makes me sad, but also gets me out of " giving til it hurts"- with either tithes or service. So does Being Still mean to sit on my butt in front of the TV?, oh course not!!!! it means getting out there- in life- and do what I do. Right now it is being a ICU nurse and raising three WILD boys, which I love so much.
With raising children, you must lead them, guide them, teach them right from wrong. We are going to be judged one day, and I would be devastated if my actions caused my kids not to hear the Word of God and guide them into the right path. Right now, while I am being still, I can show them a Godly example. To let them see Jesus lives in my heart. To teach them right from wrong. Read the bible to them and with them. My parents have been great Godly examples for my children, and I am relieved that they are in their life. Their gifts are not material ones, but are filled with time and teachings about Jesus. That gift is priceless.
At work, while I'm being still, I can go out of my way to be friendly. To be on time to work. To pull up a chair and talk with a patient, not just the sweet and funny ones, but the grouchy, and miserable ones. To pray with someone. Robbie recently prayed the salvation prayer with one of her patients per request and I can not even imagine how pleased God was that day. I pray for God to touch each one reading this blog, that it will inspire you to, while being still, do the little things that please God. What we do for others we ultimately do for him. Jesus is coming soon. Please if you are not saved- get saved. All you have to do is believe that Jesus died on the cross for you- to save  your sins.  And that he arose from the grave in three days. And that he is seating at the right hand of his father waiting on him to say "IT IS TIME BRING MY CHILDREN HOME".
Confess your sins. That's it. The rest will come through reading the bible and praying. So start with the little things, God will open doors that will surprise you. Trust him. Obey him. Look for him to return soon.
In His Service,
Amy

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY..................................

On this valentines day; I can't help but think "God create in me a new heart!"

What is the moral and spiritual condtion of my heart? It will affect those around me...........I may fail in my own life and that is ok as long as I never falter in my desire for an ongoing relationship with Jesus............I want a faithful attitude toward God......I want a new heart created by the great physician.....a repentant heart.......forgive me Lord.......restore me....help me to resist the sin that is lurking at my back door.........

And God says to me; "My Grace is sufficient for you.............................for my power is made perfect in weakness.......

As I got up this morning and went into the kitchen this is what I found.......He always thinks of our girls..........Our youngest (Ellie,) rushes right in to open her card up from the man she admires most.....she says;( "mom did you read my card? It sounds just like me!")

Taking the time to smell the sweet things in life and remembering to be self-less.........just like God who was so self-less to send his own son.......to take upon himself the sins of the world......

I am blessed beyond words.........................

As we shared our coffee this morning after the girls had gone to school.....I thought of how many transitions and changes that have come in this lifetime.....for everyone.......We pass from one season to the next.....and ultimately, like it or not, life will eventually shift to death.................Life is a constant state of change....the girls are getting older......Our oldest will graduate from high-school in two years......We have another starting high school in the fall.....and our youngest will start middle school.......changes like it or not keep coming.......

So how do I handle these changes? Do I fall apart when faced with a new path or choice? Do I stay faithful and close to God through prayer and the study of His word?

No-one knows how much time we have on this earth......but while I am here am I laying down self? Am I showing mercy to my eniemies? What about to the ones I love the most? My family?

He has always strengthen me to the core of who I am........Love is not all about the passion......it is the heartbeat of selflessness..............Love involves the laying down of self, laying down the need to always being right.....laying down the pride.......and laying down the arrogance.........

Looking at my cup half full today........instead of half empty...........trying to honor God by being the wife he asks me to be.....asking God for the gift of humiliation today......which brings a softness of heart.......a gift that will cause me to pause and listen...........listen to God.....

wanting so badly to be forever changed;

his grace,

Robbie

THORN TREE AND EN GIDEN......

This is a thorn tree; the same kind that they used to make Jesus' Crown of Thorns it was woven of thorn branches and placed on Jesus Christ before his crucifixion. It is mentioned in the Canonical gospels of Matthew (27:29

Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. And the soldiers plaited a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe, And said,"Hail, King of the Jews!" and they smote him with their hands. Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him. Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!"

 

Matthew 27:29

... and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. "Hail, king of the Jews!" they said. (NIV)
In the Bible thorns often represent sin, and therefore, the crown of thorns is fitting—that Jesus would bear the sins of the world. But a crown is also fitting because it represents the suffering King of Christianity—Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Random pics from the special people that we went to Israel with.......these two beautiful girls were called the "THE SISTERS," Amy and I were known as the "NURSES." Every single person from that group has such a special place in our hearts....we miss them terribly........Sisters if you are reading this we love you and miss you.......the nurses......................

Don't you just see God glowing right here!!! These two women were amazing women of God........Oh how they made the trip wonderful!!!!!(they were best friends)........

"Life cascades from this Ein Gedi waterfall.......bearing rainwater from the Judean Mountains.......................

"As the deer thirsts for streams of water, so I thirst for you....." (Psalm 42:  1)

Long before "humans," came to Ein Gedi's overflowing spring......bountiful greenery provided shelter from the intense sun to the caprines and coney's of Psalm 104......The bible calls "EIN GEDI," "the rocks of the Wild Goats," hence why we saw the precious little things on our way in to Ein Gedi........This was "David's oasis hideout!!! And where Saul enjoyed a moment of healing in their rocky relationship......This amazing place was founded some 300 years after David's time............

The dry climate and fertile oasis were a perfectly balanced home for the "beds of spice yielding perfume," (Song of Solomon 5:18).......

Visitors climb through the tangled reeds to the waterfall named after David.......I am almost certain that the future king and his mighty men walked these amazing paths............................(children and adults splashed about in the water down below)......just as David's 400 men might have done thousands of years ago........................

As Amy and I began our climb, toward David's Fall, we had to step on very large rocks.....As we turned and looked we were awestruck by the caves cut into the mountains that had been there for thousands of years........................As I looked over them one by one,  I wondered in which of these did this man who so had a heart for Jesus hide in from Saul.....................Saul would have been crouched only a few feet away..................But David who was driven by "LOVE," spared the King's life.........................according to 1 Samuel; David crept up on Saul as he slept and cut off a piece of the King's robe.....proving that he could have killed him but resisted.......(He didn't feed his flesh..........)

Amy and I were distracted by the sound of the rushing water of the small waterfall of Lower Wadi David.......We continued our journey and stepped off the beaten path.......balancing ourselves on large rocks and slipping our feet into the stream......Why? Why were we so drawn to this simple place? The water looked as if it were emerald green as it fell like God's  Grace........................It seems so powerful and completely surrounded by Peace indescribable!!!!

The green you see on the side of the caves is the date palms of the modern day oasis of Ein Gedi and they skirt the stark wilderness cliffs............................

Look at that view.......the huge mountains in the background........I am totally captivated by Israel's beauty.............................Ein Gedi has lush greens in the middle of a desert....with mountains that stun you by their height!

Caves dotting the walls of Ein Gedi like these once hid a fleeing David from King Saul's wrath and vengeance.......................David was the "victim," of one of Saul's rages...........Saul took 3000 chosen men out of Israel to seek David and his men upon these very rocks which were called the "the rocks of the wild goats."(1 Sam. 24: 2)........

As I look back on these pictures I remember how I felt somewhat connected to the heart of a man who sought the heart of God.................................Although for a time David was a fugitive.....he dwelt in the secret place of the Most High; so much so that when his enemy was vulnerable, he chose God's way and not his own fleshly desires.................wow................I drop my head in shame today!!!! How many times have I sought out  my own revenge? How about you? Rather than seek God's power and peace, I have always found it easier to seek my own vengeance....I basically chose to be apart from God rather to live with him in such a way that becomes one with the Father..............I close my eyes once more and silently scream from my heart.....teach me O'Lord......teach me your ways......change me Father down to the core of who I am...........Give me a new heart....a heart like David's.........A heart for you.....

His Grace,

Robbie

PSALM 32: 7;  YOU ARE MY HIDING PLACE....YOU PROTECT ME FROM MY TROUBLES AND FILL ME WITH SONGS OF SALVATION.......................................

BEDOUIN'S HOMES AND THE WILD GOATS......ISRAEL

These metal type homes were seen throughout our ride especially when we were headed to Jerusalem......They are the homes of Bedouin's............

Bedouin's are quintessential Arab's who are (nomad herdsman), dressed in flowing robes, some riding camels across the sands, pitching tents or ramshackle structures usually made of prefabricated metals.

Some 20 percent of Israel's 150,000 Bedouin people live in the Galilee and the coastal plain in village's in a more traditional manner. They have NO running water or electricity......

(More prefabricated metal homes);  The government of Israel has tried to confine certain areas for the Bedouin's and have been generous in giving them areas with excellent farming land. Some Bedouin's have made it difficult for the government to plan certain villages for them to have by refusing to move to certain areas.....choosing instead to live more traditionally with their dwellings spread out all over the desert.........

A large number of Bedouin's still herd sheep and goats........they are incredible farmers and know how to utilize ancient water cisterns, which they have excavated....................Most still practice having  more than one wife....

Bedouin's are not conscripted into the Israel Defense Forces, but many of them serve as scouts and trackers, utilizing their traditional skills, and some have even moved up in rank for their expertise....................................

We were headed into the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve and these adorable small goats that could literally stand in the trees just melted our hearts.....

They were very small in size and didn't seem to have any fear of us. Our guide told us that they do not have predators...(this being the reason they didn't have any fear).....Amy and I wanted to bring one home.....lol

I have never seen an animal just hang out standing and eating in trees.........

After seeing these precious animals who had no fear it made me think of how many times in my life that I have allowed fear to take over.............Fear is not of God.....

These little goats didn't live in fear....it was like they looked at us with excitement...."anticipation"....Isn't that how we are supposed to live? "Anticipation?" Waiting.....waiting for the return of our Lord.....

We are supposed to be living our lives in "anticipation," for what is coming!!!! With the assurance of PEACE.........because what is coming is so much better than what is here.............

This life is a "JOURNEY," it can and will be difficult sometimes.....it will not make sense to us at times.....But God didn't even make it easy on his own son!!!!!!! We will never figure God out, no matter how hard we try!!! He sent His own son on a "JOURNEY," He allowed Jesus to be hungry, tired, but the difference in Jesus is;   He relied on PRAYER, FASTING, and spending time with the Father.....Do I rely on ME? Or do I rely on God? How about you? On this "JOURNEY," called "LIFE," we have to at some point, give up our will, keep our eyes on Jesus and TRUST IN HIM...........God did not send His only son to die for us so when we prayed to Him we could bless ourselves.........We are craving the convenient and the comfort of our own lives.........What is wrong with us???? We are missing the very essence of who God is and what He wants..........Yes He could defeat our enemies, Yes He could solve all our problems with one exhale of His very breath......but He is soooooooo much deeper than that......

Sometimes God Himself will send us to that inconvenient place in our lives, to grow us, to teach us, to shape us, to burn off the impurities...........and sometimes it could be to save our very souls.........

A relationship with Jesus is not a FEELING..........He may not make you comfortable in your current situation but HE WILL BRING YOU COMFORT!!!!!

I know in my heart that I can't trust my feelings.......the emotional part of who I am....they can and will lead us astray.....feelings cause me to react in the flesh.......it is almost like if I don't feel God then I don't think He is with me................

I am praying for God to remove my necessity of  always wanting to FEEL something..... when sometimes God may have us in a place where there isn't a whole lot of FEELING going on.....Oh how I pray for God to get me to that place where my FAITH is because of what His word says and not what I FEEL....

God's word is there to strengthen us....but we have to open it and read it first!!!! The most important thing in the this world has to be a closer RELATIONSHIP with Jesus......and guess what? It will NOT happen while we are sitting around in the easy being comfortable!!!!!!

praying for God to remove the necessity for me to feel something,

Robbie