Changes

Recently, my life has been changing in many ways. Friends moving on to pursue other God-given goals. Me getting a job at a local grocery store. Our family resigning from the ministry we've been at for 12 years, and dad looking for a new job. A possible life-changing diagnosis. New relationships at my job. Change, change, change.

If any of you know me, you know that I hate change. It has always been my downfall, and something that takes a long time for me to get settled in to. But, God doesn't promise that nothing will change in life. In fact, He has a tendency to use change to change us, grow us, and mature us. Change brings us a different outlook on life. It helps life not become monotonous and boring. It brings families together. It draws you closer to Christ.

If caterpillars stayed the same, we would never be able to enjoy butterflies.

 

If plants never blossomed, we would never be able to enjoy flowers.

If we never grew up and changed, we would never know what it's like to ride a bike, to swim in the ocean, to have a job, to make new friends, to get married, to have children, to watch your kids grow up, to learn many valuable lessons. We would never know.

But the best part about life, is that our Father never changes! He always remains the same, and we don't have to worry about Him changing His mind about us or deciding to change His commands every once in awhile.

"I the Lord do not change.." ~Malachi 3:6a

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Hebrews 13:8

"Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow." James 1:17

"If we are faithless, He remains Faithful, for He cannot deny Himself." 2 Timothy 2:13

"God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?" Numbers 23:19

"Many plans are in a mans heart, But the counsel of the LORD will stand." Proverbs 19:21

"The grass withers, the flower fades, But the Word of our God stands forever." Isaiah 40:8

Our Lord remains the same.

As I have been reading through the Bible this year, I am now in Deuteronomy. I must admit, it is probably my favorite book of the Bible! There are so many encouraging things in that book, most verses are underlined. Even though it was originally written for the people of Israel, I believe that since the Word is alive and Deuteronomy is in there, that these beautiful verses pertain to us as His children as well.

"Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

"Do not be terrified, do not be afraid of them. The LORD your God who is going before you, will fight for you...There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place."

"The Lord you God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast desert. Theses forty years the Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything."

"Be careful not to forget the covenant of the Lord your God that He made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the Lord your God has forbidden. For the Lord you God is a consuming fire,  jealous God."

"But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find Him if you look for Him with all your heart and with all your soul."

"For the Lord you God is a merciful God; He will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your forefathers which He confirmed to them by oath."

"You were shown these thing so that you might know that the Lord is God, besides Him there is no other."

"Be careful that you do not forget the Lord...Fear the Lord you God, serve Him only."

"For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be His people, His treasured possession."

"Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; He is the Faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commands."

"He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers."

"For the Lord our God who is among you, is a great and awesome God."

"He humbled you causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord."

"Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you."

"But be assured today that the Lord your God is the one who goes across ahead of you."

"And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord's commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?"

"To the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. Yet the Lord set His affection on your forefathers and loved them, and He chose you..."

"For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing."

"Fear the Lord your God and serve Him. Hold fast to Him and take your oaths in His Name. He is your praise, He is your God..."

"There, in the presence of the Lord your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the Lord your God has blessed you."

"It is the Lord your God you must follow, and Him you must revere. Keep His commands and obey Him; serve Him and hold fast to Him."

"You are the children of the Lord your God...for you are a people holy to the Lord your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the Lord has chosen you to be His treasured possession."

Do you see how valuable you are? How chosen, how beautiful? God has called you to do something for His purpose, something to draw you to Himself, to bring others to Christ. You are worth more than gold. And despite what changes might occur, our Lord is in control and His is going to use these changes in your life to do something great for His Name.

Are you willing to do that for Him?

He is worthy and greatly to be praised

 Olivia Grace

Three Classes

So I believe there are three classes:

the sick class

the middle class

the healthy class

All of us fall in one of these 3 categories.

Some of us are chronically ill, or at least are constantly sick. I, of course, would fall into that category.

Some of us are in-between sick and healthy. Sort of...sick a bit frequently. Dealing with minor health issues.

And there are some, that can hardly say they've been sick in their life. Can't remember coming down with a cold, but maybe once or twice ever.

Yet there is still an unknown of the days that lie ahead of us. How many there are left. What might pose a problem in the future. Those who have chronic or constant health concerns think about the end of life more often than most. However, I don't think the middle class or the healthy class think about their eternal destiny enough. 

In case you haven't thought of this, your life could end at any moment. While you're reading my post. While you're working at your job. While you are sleeping tonight. While you drive to the store. While you stand and make dinner. While you're playing with your kids.

At. Any. Moment.

It's as true as it comes.

Not everybody lives to be 80 or 90. Some don't even make it past 5 years old.

Some of you are laughing at me right now. "Yeah, some people do. But I'm healthy, and I know I won't die early. That just doesn't happen. It won't happen to me."

But it might.

Young healthy people die sometimes. Yes it may be rare, but it may be you.

you could be the one on the news having died from a heart attack at 24.

you could be the one on the web who died in a car accident at 31.

It. Could. Be. You.

God is the only one who knows your destiny, your future. He planed it Himself. But do you know where you'll be going once you do die?

Imagine yourself in the kitchen preparing to have some friends over. You are cooking up your favorite meal, excited about the fun evening that lies ahead. You are in shape, fit, eat healthy, go running all the time, and workout at the gym 4 times a week. What could go wrong? Well, everything...

You start feeling a little strange, but dismiss it for being a bit tired. A few minutes later, your heart stops. You fall on the floor. You stop breathing. Your friends show up for dinner 30 minutes after and keep knocking, only to get worried and break in. They find you on the floor, and call an 911. The Paramedics arrive and start CPR. They get a long tube and stick it down your throat, attaching a port in order to breathe for you. The medics place two large pads on your chest connected to the defibrillator. They shock you 3 times to no avail. They stick a needle in your vein and push medications, hoping for some type of response. Nothing happens. Continuing CPR and ventilations, they put you on the stretcher and load up into the ambulance. Lights and sirens tell the cars up ahead to pull over. But it's too late. You're gone. They've done their best, but it just wasn't enough. You died.

Where did you go, the moment your heart stopped beating? Did you go to a beautiful place with green grass, colors you've never seen before, flowers blooming everywhere, castles made with gold, and the Master whom you served with your whole heart gazing at you with His glory, beauty and love? Or did you go to a place of agony, of torment, of eternal fire all around you, horrific screaming echoing in your ears, your body burning in pain, wanting to repent and get out, but unable to? There are only two places, my friend. There is no purgatory, no nothingness, no other person you turn into in the next life.

There is another common story I would like you to imagine yourself in.

It was a typical morning for your family, you were getting ready to go to work and take your 2 kids to school on the way there. You finish eating breakfast, kiss your spouse goodbye, grab the kids lunch sacks and head for the car. You all get buckled, and start driving to the school. Your children get dropped off, and you head to work. On the freeway, and car changes lanes without seeing you and you get hit. The car spins out of control, hitting the median. You have hit your head on the windshield and gone unconscious. Your femur is broken, you have a punctured lung, and fractured a bone in your back. Emergency vehicles arrive and have to cut you out of your mangled car with the Jaws of Life. They put you on a backboard, put a neck brace on, splint your leg, start an IV, and load you in the ambulance. The medics work on trying to stabilize your vital signs and bring you in to the hospital. At the ER, the doctors and nurses try and keep you alive. You are sent to have emergency brain surgery. They also have to amputate your leg due to the immense trauma and fact that you could bleed to death. You are on life support. Your spouse and children watch you lay in the bed, praying you'll wake up. Crying, because they wanted to say I love you one more time. Weeks go by, and you still haven't woken up. Brain scans reveal no brain activity, and you are technically a vegetable. You will never wake up. The family decides to take you off life support. You have died.

Friends, this happens. These pictures are real. These stories could be you someday. The life you live now may not last much longer.

I don't mean to scare you, but I do want you to realize and understand the fact that you need to figure out NOW, where you are going when you die. Don't put it off until later. Because you might not have later.

God says in His Word that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23 Nothing that we can do on our own, will get us to that beautiful eternal destiny. We all deserve Hell and the everlasting torment it brings but because of the fact the He loves us despite the icky sins we have committed, He did something to set us free and secure a place with Him in Heaven. However, we have to believe on Him and accept this gift of life.

Around April 7, A.D. 30 a man named Jesus died for you. He was the Son of God who had come to earth as a baby through a virgin named Mary around 6 B.C. He grew up learning carpentry, and teaching people. He performed miracles and constantly prayed, staying in tune to His Father. He lived a perfectly sinless life. Yes, He still struggled with temptations and was mocked many times. But He never gave up. He was falsely accused of blasphemy when He was about 32 years old, and sentenced to death. As hard as it was, and as much as He cried and prayed it wouldn't have to happen, this was the Father's plan. Jesus willingly gave His life over to the Romans, knowing that this is what it would take to save these people. The Romans whipped Him 40 times, spit on Him, took almost all His clothing and sold it, built a crucifixion cross and made Him carry it up a hill to the area where He was to die, and nailed Him to it. They put a circle of thorns on His head, and broke His legs. The pain and agony was unbearable, but He did this for you. For your sin. He died after a few hours of being nailed up on the cross, Mary His mother crying below Him.

Three days afterward He came back to life! The tomb stone was rolled away, and His burial clothes were left in the grave. The holes in His hands and feet were still there, but the glory of God was literally shining through Him. About 40 days later, He ascended up into Heaven, His work on earth complete.

This is history. This is no fluffed up story to make you feel bad about yourself, but rather the truth. It really did happen. Jesus did this in your place. He took the pain and agony of your sins upon Himself, so that you can live in Heaven with Him and the Father forever. So that you can have a life of abundance, peace, and joy. You may be wondering if there is any way you can pay this guy back in return for what He did for you, and there is. Although there is nothing we can do to equal what He did for us, His desire is for you to put your trust in Him, believe that He was born, died and rose again for you, and really just accept this huge gift. He wants you to live with Him in the mansions of gold, in the fields of color, in the arms of the Father. Why would you wait to take hold of that precious gift?

It doesn't matter if you are in the sick, middle, or healthy class...this is for all of you. You don't know when you might die. So settle your destiny now, by trusting in the One who died for you. Don't wait any longer, because your heartbeat can stop at any moment...and it could be a moment too late.

What will you do?

He is worthy and greatly to be praised

 Olivia Grace



Quilts

I have a friend. Her name is AJ, and she is such a sweet person. We have connected in more ways than one, with our common interests. We both love the medical field, me being an EMT, and she wanting to be a nurse in the navy. We both have some undiagnosed health issues. We both love Winnie the Pooh (don't ask!). 

So about 6 weeks ago, I felt like I should make her a blanket. She was really cold that night, and God put it on my heart to crochet a quilt for my friend. I came home and cried about it, because I knew I didn't have the money to do it. My financial status was almost bankruptcy. It hurt to know that I couldn't give a gift to someone because of my lack of resources. It's never happened before. I've always had at least enough to buy what I needed for a friend. However, this time was different. I had to pray for contentment in this situation. Three weeks go by….

….I end up flying to Colorado for a doctors appointment. The family I stayed with are close friends and supporters and are the coolest people! They have 4 boys, ranging from 13 to 20. I mainly hung out with the youngest one since the others were quite busy with school and jobs. One afternoon, I went for a walk with Mrs. D. She asked what she could pray for, and I told her about my issue with contentment in not being able to give. She prayed for me, and later on asked if there was anything in particular I wanted to make for somebody. I explained about my friend and the blanket I wanted to make, but said it's too expensive. The next morning when I walked into the kitchen, Mrs. D. asked if I was ready to go to Walmart to pick out yarn! I was shocked, insisted on paying for at least part of it (though she wouldn't let me), and had to call my friend for her favorite colors: Navy blue and white.

I was going to be leaving the next day, but got about half done in those 24 hours. She mailed the ingredients to me, and I finished it 2 days after receiving it.

This past Sunday I gave it to my dear friend AJ, just in time for the ice and snow storm that hit this week. She couldn't stop thanking me and said she needed one since she sleeps right next to a window! 

I thoroughly enjoyed making it, as it gave me something productive to do. If any of you need or want a SUPER thick and warm blanket for either you, a friend or family member, comment below or message me on Google + with the 2 colors you'd like. I'm selling them for $65 (without shipping) due to the fact that I need so much yarn to make it, and it costs a fortune :) It also will help with a little income so I can bless others!

He is worthy and greatly to be praised

                             Olivia Grace

Winter birds continued

As I assumed, we had snow on the ground from Monday until today (Wednesday). Unfortunately, it is beginning to melt as I write due to the warmer temperatures. What does a lot of snow, plus warmth, plus a slope equal?

snow + warmth + a slope = a flood 

Despite that, we have had a constant fire in the fireplace since Sunday, and plan to have a lazy day today :) It is supposed to snow again on Friday too! Man, is this fun or what? My siblings even managed to make a 6 foot snowman today. Texas is in lockdown, and it is so adventurous!

Anyway…back to the post: here are some more photos I took this morning of the outdoors. Enjoy!

Have a great day!

He is worthy and greatly to be praised

                                                           Olivia Grace

Winter birds

We just got a snow storm here last night, and looks like it'll be sticking around for awhile! That I must say, is a huge Texas accomplishment since it usually only stays for a few hours until the sun comes out. However, this time the temperatures won't be getting higher than 40* (tomorrow), with constant cloudy skies, and more snow on Wednesday. Whoo hoo! I love snow, ice, and cold weather :) It's so pretty and adventurous.

Anyway, here are a few pictures I took this morning of the birds in the snow. They are thoroughly enjoying it!

I hope you enjoyed these! Stay warm and cozy…

He is worthy and greatly to be praised

 Olivia Grace