These are the words of Christ. . .

I been sporadically trying to read through Revelations, and I just can't stop reading these specific chapters. . .

"These are the words of Him who holds the seven stars in His 

right hand and walks among the seven golden lamp stands." (Rev. 2:1)

"These are the words of Him who is the First and the Last,

who died and came to life again." (2:8)

"These are the words of Him who has the sharp, double-edged

sword." (2:12)

"These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like

blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze." (2:18)

"These are the words of Him who holds the seven Spirits

of God and the seven stars." (3:1)

"These are the words of Him who is Holy and True, who holds

the key of David. What He opens no one can shut, and what

He shuts no one can open." (3:7)

"These are the words of the Amen, the Faithful and true witness,

the ruler of God's creation." (3:14)

These are the words of God, Christ Jesus our Lord.

To me, it is so beautiful how God uses a different name (or description) for Himself, in each individual letter to the 7 churches.  It really shows you who the Lord is, "whose eyes are like blazing fire" "Him who is Holy and True, who holds the key of David", "who has the sharp double-edged sword", "who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again", and on and on it goes with the picture of the beauty of the Lord.  He put those verses in the Bible so that way we can see Jesus, and picture Him in our minds, in the glory and majesty of His Holiness!  Can you imagine how awesome the artwork would be, if someone could accurately paint a picture of this?

It has made me think recently, how much I'm missing the Lord.  It's not Him, it me and my 'busyness'.  I feel awkward.  I don't want to be trying to act 'spiritual' like my siblings.  No, they don't necessarily act spiritual, they just know Jesus more than I do and therefore, live it out.  I want it to be my own wonderful relationship with Jesus. . .I just can't seem to get there.  I don't think knowing Jesus should be something you need to work at, it should be natural to talk to Him, and read the Bible.  But where I'm at, needs to be worked on.  I need to make more of an effort to become just like Jesus, talk to Him freely, and read His Word.  What about you?  Do you feel like you're learning and becoming more like the Lord, or is it becoming something you've been having to work at?

Being in the medical field, working as an EMT, thinking and praying about going on to become a firefighter/paramedic. . .it's a little harder than I expected, to grow spiritually.  I think I've been kind of wrapped up in studying, taking tests, trying to graduate, trying to figure out what field I'm supposed to be getting into, catching up on sleep, trying to get better physically. . .so many things.  And yet, I've enjoyed it.  I can definitely tell that Jesus has been there through it all, even when I wasn't quite focused on Him.  Who would think that they would enjoy taking major tests?  Who on earth, has fun taking a National test that is recorded at all times, and has to get handprinted before and after entering the room? Who enjoys getting woken up at 3:00 in the morning to help save someones life 15 minutes away, when you could have been sleeping longer?  Can't you see His hand?!  Listen, I'm homeschooled.  I've never had to sit in a classroom and take exams, and tests. . .those things make me nervous.  But to have fun?  Unreal.  So if you don't feel like you're spending enough time with the Lord, or getting very close to Him, just know that He really and truly is with you no matter what is happening in your life.  He loves you SO very much, and wants to have an incredible relationship with you. . .no matter if your spending time with Him or not, He's still there. . .so there's no getting away from Him : )

I have no clue why I write all this stuff, but I hope it makes sense, and does somebody good (if not me). But hey, at least it's not as long as my other posts! : )

Thank you for reading, and have a very Merry Christmas!

He is worthy and greatly to be praised

 Olivia 

Life. . .

Wow.  Many things have happened since my last post in September.  Some good, and some bad.  But first, what does life mean anyway?

life.

the experience of being alive

"Life is a song--sing it. Life is a game--play it.

Life is a challenge--meet it. Life is a dream--realize it.

Life is a sacrifice--offer it. Life is love--enjoy it."

                              ~Sai Baba

"Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated"

                                   ~Confucius

Why is it that sometimes "the experience of being alive" isn't as pleasant as it sounds?  I think part of it is our attitude towards life. . .or the circumstances that arise in it.  And maybe the fact that sometimes we tend to lose our focus on Christ. . .at least I do.  I have a tendency to try and do things on my own, and even would rather sit an mope : )  But that is not being joyful of the life that God has given us!  It should be a privilege to be alive and live for Him.

I had the privilege to go help out at Medical Center of McKinney in the beginning of November.  It was required for my EMT school to have two clinical's there and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it : )  They were 12 hour shifts; one of them being on the night of the time change. . .making it 13 hours long!  It was hard, but really neat to meet different kinds of people in their times of need, and be able to help them.

I was also able to help on the back of an ambulance for 12 hours at a private ambulance service called TLC (Texas Lifeline Corperation).  A valuable lesson was learned:  the stretcher is the most dangerous piece of material on the box (ambulance).  It was a really neat experience for me to have.  I think I have finally figured out what I enjoy doing : )

Just this past Wednesday, I passed my finals test with a score of 85.1%, which I was very happy about!  The Lord has been amazing to me whenever I have had a major test in class: He has always given me a peace and excitement to do it and just have fun with it.  Now all I have left, is the big National test to take in the next 4 weeks. . .hopefully passing, and getting a certification in the mail.  I am quite shocked at how the Lord has helped me through EMT school all this time, and that this is really happening!  This is one of the good things God has been doing in the midst of the interesting stuff.

What 'interesting stuff' you say?  Well, the picture below might explain a few things. . .

And no, before I say anything else, I am not smoking : )  This is called a nebulizer treatment.



I was diagnosed with asthma, just 6 hours before this happened.  I was at school and all of my classmates and I had gone outside to do some hands on things. . .but I had accidently gone up the stairs too fast, and not really understood when enough was enough. My inhaler didn't quite work, since I had waited too long to do it.  Long story short, I was basically taken to the hospital by ambulance since I was kind of going into shock due to respiratory problems and being outside in the colder environment.  They then gave me a steroid shot, and a nebulizer treatment to help with everything. . .and then I finally felt better after all that.

I am now learning the hard way what triggers my asthma: one of them being cigarette smoke, or any other kind of smoke in general.  I'll be having to quit my job because of the people that smoke there, and am now trying to figure out where the Lord wants me to work after this.  I have also been semi-diagnosed with Myoclonic/Partial seizures, which mean that I will suddenly jerk, or my head will fall.  This week, I've been even dropping things at my work and not remembering how it happened: almost like my brain shuts down for a second, but I never lose consciousness.  All of this has occurred over the past month or so and has been so sudden, that it was really hard to deal with at first.  My body is hypersensitive to almost everything, causing me to be on a strict rotational diet where I only eat beans, meat, vegetables, some dairy products, and berries.  I have become highly allergic to sugar, including most fruits.  My mom is thinking that I have a high metal toxicity in my body (just like my brother Micah), and so we're going to test for that next week.  I already know that I have a horrible candida (yeast) problem, hence the sugar allergy, which might be causing my immune system to shut down and suddenly giving me these issues with asthma and seizures.  We are hopeful that it is curable, whatever it may be, and that I won't have to live with this my whole life : )

So this has been my story for the past 3 months of life.  A whirlwind for sure, and something that is teaching me how weak I really am (even though I don't want to admit it), and that my strength can only come from our gracious Lord Jesus. 

My mom was talking to me about all of this, a couple weeks ago, and mentioned something I hadn't thought of before: that maybe I need to let go of my pride.  Pride?  I didn't know I had any! 

pride.

a feeling that you respect yourself and deserve to be respected by other people;

the quality or state of being proud as: inordinate self-esteem.

It took me awhile to figure out what she was talking about, but then she explained her point of view.  I was being prideful in the fact that I was too ashamed to admit that I have health problems, because I was embarrassed, and unsure what other people would think.  There it is: pride.  I'm too prideful to accept weakness. . .because nobody wants to be weak.  Everyone wants to be strong and do everything, and help everyone, and be the one person that everyone looks up to and trusts.  That is who I am.  And it is not bad in any way, to help others and be sad when you can't, but I was taking it too far.  I was taking it to the point of pushing the limits on my body. . .all because I wanted to keep my trust.  The people I work for trust me a whole lot, and I didn't want to let them down because of my weakness.  It all silently led to pride, and I didn't even know it.

I'm still learning to accept my weakness. . .and it's taking awhile.  I can't exercise anymore.  I can't play sports that I love anymore.  I can't even sing much anymore.  I can't keep going and going anymore like I used to. . .like all the youth my age do.  I can't keep working like I have been.  I'm going to have to leave in the next week or two. All this is because God has allowed me to be weak for a time, to learn a valuable lesson from the Savior of the universe.  To allow me to gain my strength from Him only.  To learn to trust Him for my every need.  To rely on Jesus Christ who will help me through the struggles of this life.  But the blessing is that it wont last forever. . .we who are believers in Him have the hope of Heaven to look forward to.  Where it is promised to have no suffering or trials.  Where we are privileged to spend time with our Father, forever.  The struggles of this life are only for a short period of time.  Why do we become so discouraged when problems come up?  This is not the end!  We should all keep saying to ourselves "look up! look up!".

Life is a journey.  It comes with many joys, and sadness.  With struggles, and happiness. Now we just need to enjoy the 'experience of being alive', and praise the Lord for allowing us to be on this earth and giving us the privilege to be a blessing and a light to the other people that God has created.

He is worthy and greatly to be praised

 Olivia 



Remember Them

 

"Twas on a fair September morn, the year two thousand one
Life was changed forever; smoke-filled skies blocked the sun
Eyes turned heavenward in the East, we solemnly pondered why
So many innocent people this eleventh day would die.


 

New York’s Twin Towers first were hit, in moments both were gone
Our nation’s capitol next attacked, the mighty Pentagon
Above a field in Shanksville, the fourth plane met its fate
Humanity cannot justify such evil and such hate.

 

Even before this nation shared in the perilous fight
People aboard Flight 93 showed brave and determined might
Knowing that we were in danger and certain their own deaths were near
They proved their uncommon valor, and overtook the enemy here.


 

Many unknown heroes on land and in the air
Saved the lives of strangers, simply, because they cared
United together in conscience, joined in a common quest
Proving to God and the rest of the world they passed the ultimate test.

Brave firemen, police, EMS and clergy, responded so quickly that day
Performing their duties without thought of self, soon the towers began to sway
They kept to their tasks while in danger; they knew full well the cost.
Then the pillars came crashing down, now our rescuers, too, were lost.
 

 

As we gazed at the scenes before us, transfixed, in chilled disbelief

Survivors emerged from the massive haze, shaken and filled with grief

The chaos shifted to order, aide poured in from throughout the land

Our leaders poised and ready were determined to take a stand.

Our country is not disheartened, nor weakened by these attacks

The depth of our courage, honor and love, the evil enemy lacks

The terrorists thought they’d destroy us, a goal they failed to achieve

For we’re stronger and more united than they could ever believe.

 

 

Our soldiers are fighting relentlessly now, giving all that they have got

The torch passed to them is carried with pride and the battles fiercely fought

Fear not my brothers and sisters, steel thy will and follow their lead

For our people unite, without question, especially in times of great need.

Concerned Americans, young and old, anxious to help in some way

Support our soldiers and leaders in their efforts day by day

Our nation is strong…don’t worry…carry on with your daily lives

‘Til that day when our troops are welcomed home by their country, husbands and wives.

 

There will be days when the struggle seems more than we can bear
These will be the most desperate times for this country in our care
We must rise above our weariness, any doubts, or awesome fear
And remember a brave man’s final words, “Let’s Roll!” heard loud and clear.

Our forefathers’ envisioned this country with a future so vivid and bright
Ideals held firm in mind and heart through many uncertain nights
We’ve struggled to mold this nation as “…the founding principles…intended it to be.”
A land of equality in every way, and all men living free.
 

Defending our hard-won freedoms with abiding faith in our might
To protect our precious homeland, we will do what is just and right
Old Glory has flown through strife-ridden nights, though she was tattered and torn
Ever-present, she reminds us still, the reasons why our country was born.

As we struggle to come to grips, with events of that September day
Let our new found commitment and patriot’s pride protect the American way
Lincoln believed in this country, its potential and every man’s worth
Words spoken more than a century ago, “the last best hope of the Earth.”
 

 

Let us never forget the thousands of those whose lives were claimed
Honor and remember their spirit; they did not die in vain
The memories of all that transpired must, forever, be kept alive
To protect our country from future harm, our vigilance must never die.

Say a prayer for this nation, beautiful and free
One people, a rainbow of color, for all the world to see
Many faiths and customs living together in peace
Encouraging open minds and hearts, “from sea to shining sea.”
 

 

Say a prayer for America, and the liberties we hold so dear
“Freedom of speech and religion; freedom from want and fear”
We’ll do what we must, we love her, and all that she stands for is true
“The land of the free and home of the brave” clothed in red, white and blue."

Written by Kim Garvis 2001
 

 

Let us remember those who gave up their lives for others on that 11th September day of 2001. 

 

There was a total of 411 Emergency workers that died on that day, trying to rescue people and fight fires.

2,996+ people were killed from the tragic events of this day, mostly civilians.  At least 200 of those, jumped to their death from the burning towers, landing hundreds of feet below.





More than 6,000 were injured from debris, rubble, and toxic fumes.

 

Who knew?  No one expected that such a disaster would hit on that particular day.  It was a normal routine day for them, that drastically turned into a living nightmare.  How can you deal with something so traumatic?  Only God knows.  Only God can heal.

 

He is worthy and greatly to be praised

 

Olivia 

 

 







Please Watch!!

 

Please take an hour and half of your evening to watch this incredible video

 

 

 

I watched this with some friends last night, and it impacted me like never before.  The Lord actually used it to confirm His calling in my life: to go to South Asia and work in a hospital, sharing the love of Jesus Christ.  Have you ever told someone about Jesus?  Ever told them that Christ is pursuing them?  Watch this, and you'll be changed forever.

 

He is worthy and greatly to be praised

 

Olivia 

 



Witness

 

What does it mean to be a witness?  When you use the dictionary, it doesn't give justice to the definition of witness.  What does the Bible say about it though?

 

"You are my witnesses," declares the Lord, "and My servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe Me and understand that I am He.  Before Me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after Me." ~Isaiah 43:10

 

"You are My witnesses" declares the Lord.  According to the Bible, the true Word of God, we are officially His witness!  What a privilege we have to be a witness of the One true King.  We have the freedom of running around telling everyone about Him. . .to witness to them about Christ.

 

"And this gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." ~Matthew 24:14

 

But do we take hold of that freedom?  How often is it that we talk to someone about our Great God and Savior Jesus Christ?  For me, the answer would be: hardly ever.  Why is that?  What is it that makes us not use this fabulous privilege?   It is a privilege, you guys.

 

priv.i.lege

 noun: a special right, advantage, or immunity

granted or available to only one person

or group of people.

This is a special right.  An advantage that we have to tell others about Him, that God specifically gave us.  What holds us back?  It could be fear, pride, worry, lack of knowledge, etc.  What is it that is holding you back?  Are you afraid to talk to people you don't know?  Pray about it.  Are you filled with pride that causes you to not share Christ with others?  Pray about it.  Are you worried about what others might think of you?  Pray about it.  Do you feel like you don't have enough knowledge to answer their questions?  Pray about it.

Do you see a theme here?  I think what the problem might be, is our lack of prayer.  We need to talk to the Lord about the things that are holding us back from fulfilling His great Commission.  Ask Him to take away any fear we might have, and replace it with courage.  Ask Him to change our pride into godly humility.  Ask Him to let us not become worried about anything, but instead put our trust in Him, knowing that He will guide us.  Ask Him to fill us with His knowledge so as to best answer the questions asked.  These are things that He desires us to have.  So don't be afraid to ask!
 

How can you be a witness right where you are?  You can witness to you neighbor.  To your coworkers. To your friends. To your family members. To someone in the grocery store. To your classmates.  You can witness to anyone.  Even just showing little acts of kindness, can be a witness to them.  It will show them that someone cares for them.  You shouldn't just walk up to someone, and judge them of all the sins they have committed. . .the best way to be a witness, is to actively show them love.  And then tell them about the path that leads to life.

 

 

 The reason I am sharing this with you, is because it is something that the Lord has been teaching me lately.  I have never really taken the chance to share God's love with people I don't know, or even those I do know.  And now, God has thrown me into an EMT class that needs me to be a witness.  To share His love. . .and He's given me 4 whole months to share it with 18 people that He has created. 

 

Isn't that beautiful?  18 precious people made in the image of Christ.  People that He loves so dearly.  That He wants to make His own.  But their image is scarred from the cares and evil of this world.  What a privilege I have, through God's help, to show them love.  To show them that someone cares for them.  To show them that the things of this world is not worth hanging on to.  To show them their worth in Christ Jesus our Lord.  For they are far more precious than gold.  They can be His children, if only they knew about Him.  If only they had a witness. 

Are you going to be that witness?

 

He is worthy and greatly to be praised

 

Olivia



Praise to God for a Living Hope

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

In His great mercy He has given us new birth...

into a living hope…

through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade––

kept in heaven for you,

who through faith are shielded…

by God's power…

until the coming of the salvation…

that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

1 Peter 1:3-5

Praise the Lord!

He is wonderful and greatly to be praised

Olivia

Longing for the Lord?

This week, I've been feeling a longing to spend a few days with Jesus.  Have you ever felt that?  He is my Father, my Savior, my Everything. . .how can I, as His daughter, continually become distracted and not take time to just talk to Him?  It's a really sad thing for me, because I know that He needs to be my priority.  Now, I'm feeling the loss and the longing to just be with Him.

With my EMT class starting on Wednesday, I've had a lot of homework to do beforehand, and have kind of gotten wrapped up in it all.  There is so much to learn in the medical field.  So many things to remember.  But where is the Lord?  It's not like I'm studying in seminary, where the Lord is the focus.  I'm called to a field that needs Jesus.  People that need help in their immediate needs. To a place of high stress levels, where your skills are put to the test.  To a field that focuses on the physical and not the spiritual.  Right now, I'm not an EMT yet.  I haven't even started school.  Why on earth is it hard to find time to spend with my Father?  My wonderful, beautiful, Father?  It should be easy.  But it's not.  

It's amazing how you can get so wrapped up in what your doing and trying to learn, and forget to put your focus on Him.  But how can you forget our Lord? It must not really be forgetfulness, it must be more like negligence.

Neg.li.gence: noun

Failure to take proper care in doing something

Doesn't this single word describe it so well?  

It really is negligence on our part.  For it is our duty to spend time with the Lord, and draw close to Him.  He is there the whole time, just waiting for us to share our thoughts and listen to His voice.  Isn't that wonderful?  Our Lord loves to talk to us, if we would only use our time wisely and spend it with Him!

On Friday night, I had the blessing of going over to a good friends' house, and it was SO refreshing to just talk about Jesus!  That is pretty much all we talked about the entire time.  We talked about what the Lord has done, the things we have learned, and just about how awesome He is!  Because He IS amazing!  I would encourage each of you, to talk to someone and share the wonders of our God because He is worthy to be praised.  It will bring a joy to your spirit, and I'm sure it makes Jesus happy too!

I will definitely be making more of an effort this week, to spend lots of time with Him.  He is the One we are living for.  He is the One who created us.  He is the One who loves us unconditionally.  He is our Heavenly Father.  What could be a better way to worship Him, then to spend a few minutes, or even hours, with Him alone?  Sit at His feet, and adore our Father. 

He is wonderful and greatly to be praised

Olivia

Biblical insights - part 3

Alright!  Here we go for chapter 3 in the beautiful book of James.

There are a few things that stood out to me in this chapter, starting in verse 7. . .

All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. (James 3:7-8)

Actually the day before I read this, someone had mentioned this verse while we were talking about the people that have bears as pets.  We were questioning how could someone train a bear to become your friend.  Andy said, "the Bible talks about how men train ALL creatures, but no one can tame the tongue.  So of course you can train a bear!" I never thought of it that way!

It's so wild, that our own tongue is referred to as an animal. . .and that no one can tame it.  You think a bear or lion is wild?  Think about how much worse the piece of fat in your mouth is! (sorry for the description : )  That is why we have to be so carful with what we say.  The Bible mentions multiple times, to watch what you say and do. . .because actions can actually speak louder than words.  You know, it's good to hold you tongue from saying something bad, but your actions could say the same thing even louder.  So I suppose your tongue and your actions go together hand in hand.  Beware what you talk about with your family and friends!

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. My brothers, this should not be. (vs. 9-10)

The next thing that is mentioned in this chapter is about wisdom again. . .

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. (vs. 13-15)

Do you think you are wise?  If you are, it should be shown by the way you live and the things you do in the humility that comes from wisdom.  Note that word humility.  Humility and wisdom go together.  It's not about being prideful about how wise you are.  You need to be humbled before God, about the blessing of wisdom that He has gifted you with. . .and can be difficult.  Because our sinful human nature is to boast about our wisdom!  But that is wrong.

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness. (vs. 17-18)

Amen, and praise the Lord!

He is wonderful and greatly to be praised

Olivia

Biblical insights - part 2

We will continue through the book of James chapter 2. . .

In James 2, it starts talking about how wrong favoritism is.  This is something I'm sure we've all done at some point of our lives.  I know that I have.

My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? (James 2:1-4)

In these verses, it is using the example of showing special attention to the rich man, and not really caring about the poor man, thus showing favoritism.  But I think if you flip the story, and show special attention to the poor man and not care about the rich man, it is the same thing. . .both of them being wrong.  We need to show love to both of them, which can be really hard.

Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him? (vs. 5)

Later on in the chapter, it talks about the way you should speak and act:

Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment! (vs. 12-13)

So that means we need to show mercy to everyone, for mercy triumphs over judgment!

I think this next part is really interesting, and has caused a lot of confusion to some (including me).

What good is it, my brothers if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?

In the same way, faith by itself if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. (vs. 14-17)

I have always been stumped with this part of the chapter, because of what I have been taught.  You know that it's not by works that you are saved, but through faith in Jesus Christ.  We are not justified by works, but through faith.  To me, works and deeds, were the same. . .and maybe they are.  I know that other religions believe that you need to do deeds and works as well, in order to 'earn' your salvation.  So I always thought that 'works' and 'deeds'  were in essence, bad.  But when I read this on Tuesday, it started making sense to me.  The example in verses 15-16 clears up the confusion:

Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you all; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?

You can't just have faith that something is going to happen. . .sometimes you have to take action.  Although that could start another argument, with the fact that you're kind of saying you have to 'help God make something happen', and not having faith that He can do it by Himself.  But I think there is a balance, and it depends on the situation, to determine what you can do.  Because sometimes, you really just can't do anything, and that is a time that God uses, to have you rely on Him and Him alone.

As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. (vs. 26)

He is wonderful and greatly to be praised

Olivia

Biblical insights

I have been reading through the book of James over the past couple days, and I wanted to share some things that I'm learning.  It is amazing, some of the things that stick out to us. . .and you just have to believe it is God-inspired!

In James chapter 1, it talks about trials and the blessings of persevering.

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him. (James 1:12)

It also mentions wisdom, and how we should ask our Father for it whenever we need it.

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. BUT when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. (James 1:5-6)

So that would mean we can't just ask for wisdom, we need to believe and not doubt that God will give it generously to us.  He has it, we just need to ask for it with faith.

In the later verses, it talks about anger, the Word, and religion.

Anger:

Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. (vs. 19-20)

The Word:

Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. (vs. 22)

Religion:

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: 

to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (vs. 27)

I had no idea that the bible talks about what God accepts as religion!  He even describes what that looks like.  To me, that is encouraging to know that religion is important to the Lord. . .that He put a verse in there just for me : )

Until next time. . .

He is wonderful and greatly to be praised

Olivia

Our newest family member!

What has feet like a jackrabbit, eats cat food for fun, has a nose like a possum, and is a bandit?

(Hopefully you guessed right!)

This guy.  He scuffled the entire plate of cat food while we were watching, in a matter of 10 minutes.  Bandit, decided to be part of our family on Thursday night around 11 in the evening.

In case you don't know what this is, it's a raccoon : )

He is wonderful and greatly to be praised

Olivia

Heroes

My prayers go out to the brave firefighters who lost their lives in the front lines of the Arizona fire.  They did all that they were trained to do.  What more could you ask?  Now everyone is questioning whether or not they should have been pulled out earlier. . .but what can you do now?

This is the only surviver of the one hotshot team that perished.  Firefighter Brendan McDonough, only 21 years old.  Such a young man, with such a brave heart.  Please be praying for him as he deals with the shock of loosing 19 of his team members.

May the Lord comfort these families with the comfort only the Lord can give.  May He give them a peace, knowing that He has a plan for everything.  May He guide them to Himself, the one who loves them with an everlasting love.  

 I'm sure our dear Father is just as grieved as the families are. . .He is even interceding for them!  What a comfort it is to know that our heavenly Father is praying specifically for each individual family, during this tragic time.  He knows and understands what they are going through.  He is with them, even when they don't see it.  

Please pray for these dear families.

He is wonderful and greatly to be praised.

Olivia

Welcome!

Hello everyone!  I have a couple of friends that have encouraged me to start a blog, so here I go : )  I hope to be faithful in posting random things that are going on in my life, and hope that you will laugh, be blessed, and think about the greatness of the Lord!  

He is wonderful and greatly to be praised.

Olivia