Easter Centerpiece

Ok. I told y’all I would continue to show you my seasonal centerpieces.

I did this one for Spring/Easter! I had a super fun time!

EASTER INVITE!

Last week at church, they showed this video. I just loved it.

Obviously this is what NOT to do, but it is so stinking funny. I am a HUGE HUGE fan of the Skit Guys. Several years ago before they got big, we got to see them at a youth worker’s dinner. They are amazing!

INVITE!!! INVITE!!! Invite people to join you this Easter at church.

Slow Fade

People never crumble in a day! Check this out...

This video truly shows that each choice we make every day leads somewhere. God has given us the opportunity to choose. Each decision we make will have a consequence either, bad or good.

I love how the video is talking about a slow fade. It’s never one choice you make that changes everything. It’s choice after choice that changes life. You could think, “Nah, it’s not that big of deal...I am only having one drink, I am only going to that one party, I am going to have one hit, I am only going to cut one time.” Then before you know it, you are staring up out of a massive, tangled net wondering how you got there.

The devil has one job. Just one. We all carry multiple hats in our lives, but the devil only has one purpose. To steal, kill, and destroy your life, like John 10:10 says. He wants you to make that seemingly harmless, but bad choice just this one time. Then the next time it’s just a little bit more. And the slow fade begins. But John 10:10 also states another even more powerful truth: Jesus came so that we may have life and have it to the full.

My entire life, my mother always offered me some advice that has become somewhat of a running joke in our family, but I guarantee I will say the same thing to my children because it is so true. She said, “You have a choice. You can choose the path God has planned for you and you will be blessed and things will go well for you, or you can choose your way and things will not go well for you. Now, which one do you want?”

Such a simple thought. Which do you want? Who do you want to choose? Who do you want to serve? When it comes down to it, that becomes a daily prayer. “Lord, help me choose You in EVERYTHING I do!”

One of the many great leaders in my life challenged me as a teenager with this quote: “Are the things you’re living for worth Christ dying for?” That has moved and shaped me for years and continuous to do so. I want the things I am living for to be worth Christ dying for. I want to be making Him famous everywhere I go and to everyone I come in contact with.

We all have choices we make each day....Which path do you choose?

Tie Dying

Over Spring Break one of my precious girls and I did Tie Dying. I have never Tie Dyed; I know, crazy!!! So we did like 6 shirts!!!

I had such a fun fun time. It was like Christmas opening the shirt and seeing what it turned out to be. I was way to excited. We had such a fantastic time...so many laughs. Wanted to share some pics with y’all.

We are ready to go...

Julia has her safety gloves on...

Even though we wore gloves...we still got paint on our fingers!

Finished product!

Had such a fun time!

Julia sporting her knew shirt!

Also, wanted to give a shout out to, Julia. It happens to be her birthday this week! Happy Happy Birthday, Julia! Hope it's a great one! God has awesome and wonderful plans in store for you! You are going to rock this world for Him!

Being Real

I know it has been a while...so sorry. It’s been a little crazy around here.

A couple of weekends ago my man and I were invited to a concert. If you know my husband you would understand he is a freak about music. Loves it. Breathes it. Studies it. All the years I have known him, which is almost half our lives now, he has been passionate about music. One of the many things I do love about him.

Anyway, when we were invited, of course he was like, “Heck ya, we are going...it’s a concert.” So we went in with no real expectations, just to enjoy the show. I can’t begin to count the number of concerts I have been to with him, whether he was on or off the stage.

The concert was being held at a local church and it was a contemporary Christian artist. Now I am not going to lie. I am not a huge “contemporary Christian artist” fan. I am more on the side of pop/rock, pop, or classics. I range between Toby mac to Michael Buble. I never really listen to the radio because I want to control what’s being played, for music and message. Therefore, Hillsong United, Planetshakers, Toby Mac, Jesus Culture, Hillsong, and Fee are the usual CD’s being played in my car.

But something changed that night. At the concert, my husband and I decided to expand our family. We had the opportunity to sponsor a precious girl in Africa, Celica. She has 3 other siblings and has a single mom. She is absolutely beautiful, and we are so glad to have her as a part of our family.

Ok...back to the concert. Haha! I haven’t blogged in a while, can you tell? So the guest artist was the band 33 Miles. I only knew a couple of their songs that were sung at church, so the group was basically new to me.

They were seriously awesome. My hubby and I were totally blown away by their performance. I loved it! They started talking in between songs, and the lead singer shared their hearts and gave us a glimpse of who they really are. I was in awe....they weren’t just saying they are the “real”, they were actually being “real”. If you ever get a chance to see them live, I recommend it. Great guys, great music, and awesome hearts that are making Jesus famous.

I loved seeing people challenged to make God famous through themselves and live out being “real” instead of just telling people we are “real”. I strongly believe that the world should just be able to see that there is something different in us Christians. THERE IS....IT’S GOD! Nothing else. JUST GOD. We shouldn’t have to say we are “real” or “legit”.

We should just be real and live it out everyday, wherever we go.

The Olympics!

I am so sad the Olympics are over, but I know those athletes are so glad they can relax and rest. I am what you would call an “Olympiholic”. I just love watching these people perform the particular sport that they have been training for their whole lives.

After watching story after story about the athletes and their dedication to their sport, I realized just how much they sacrificed to compete. They would do their sport even with broken fingers and shin pains...they didn’t care; they were still going to race no matter what. They would fall and be hurdled down a mountain like I’ve never seen and get right back up and race with the same tenacity the next time around. What dedication!

What if as Christians we lived as Olympians? What would happen if we got up and trained everyday... in the Word? What if all we cared about was...God! We would give up all other earthly things for Him. Nothing else would matter except running our race. We wouldn’t care if we had broken fingers or bruised anything...all we’d care about would be running our race! The race God set before us... winning souls, caring about others, and the joy of being in Gods presence.

I want to be an Olympian for God! I am running this race. I am training everyday. I want to give up all other things that don’t matter. Even when I might be bruised or have a few things broken, I am still going to run. I might fall down, but I am going to get up and keep racing, and at the end there will be an award ceremony.

Will you join the race? God never said it would be easy. He never promised it would be perfect. It’s a lot of work; it’s going to take dedication. You are going to have to give up things, but the reward is eternal. Let’s run our race to win!

Wake Up Call!!!

My best friend told me about this video she saw at church this past weekend. While watching it I just wept. Watch the video below...

It stepped on my toes and I hope it stepped on yours. I don’t mean that in a horrible way at all...actually I mean that in the most loving way. I totally agree with the guy...I am so tired of Christians living a double life.

In one of my Bible studies I am in this semester we are studying the Old Testament. Wow!! I am seriously in love with the Old Testament. I have heard it spoken too many times to people that they should just read the New Testament. It’s easier. It’s better. What? Hmm...God wrote the WHOLE Bible. I’ve also heard before that when you read the Old Testament you can really see the heart of God, and after really getting into it and studying it I would have to agree. I love how God is just black and white. There are no gray areas with Him. You are either in or your out. Your chosen or you aren’t. I will talk more about the Old Testament in a whole ‘nother blog...

After watching the video last night I looked over to my husband with tears flowing down my cheeks and said how deceived Christians are...how deceived our generation is and we are teaching the next one the same. I was personally challenged to step up my game as a Christian. I am carrying the name of Christ. That is never to be taken lightly.

I’ve told many of my girls that God and Satan are not Disney characters and Heaven and Hell are not a fantasy land. They are very real. People have watered down and tried to make everything look so cute that it’s been made into something that it’s not.

I want to make God famous through me. I am going to challenge each of you reading this as well as myself. Make God famous through you.... STAND UP be the Christian and carry His name. Be a JESUS FREAK. Be the difference. Be the change! Cuz one day we will have to make a stand for it all!