beware of being big on performance religion live instead from the inside out!

Abundant Life

My Richest Gift

Jesus, Thou didst come that we might have life, and have it more abundantly.

Life, spiritual, mental, physical, abundant Life -- Joyous Life, Powerful Life. Yes! These I came to give you.

Think you not My Heart was sad that so few would accept that gracious gift!

Think! earth's richest, choicest gift held out -- free to all, and no man to care to stretch out a hand to take it.

Is that possible? My Gift, the richest Heaven has to offer, that precious Gift of Life, abundant Life -- man turns away from -- rejects -- will have none of.

Let it not be true of you. Hasten to take -- to use.

Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him ... shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
John 4:13,14

God Calling Devotional, August 14

Be Sanctified

'We have been talking a great deal about sanctification - what is it
all going to amount to? It should work out into rest in God which
means oneness with God, a oneness which will make us not only
blameless in His sight, but a deep joy to Him."
Oswald Chambers

Knowing Him

His Spirit beckons
calls out to me...
'where are you beloved?'

'Savior' i cry out
'its me, over here
i am tired and alone
my heart stirred by Your voice
but my mind filled with fear...
Will you,
come Lord into this prison of pain...?
its dirty and ugly...
only you can make it right again...
Shine your Holy Light
into the dark recesses of my mind...
come and bring YOUR joy
YOUR Presence
in You alone i find delight...'

'Here I come beloved only an invitation
was I waiting for...
I am a Gentleman and like a loving groom
I wait patiently at your heart's door
knocking gently My Spirit moves...
calling you back from that scary room
Come into the Light
Come back to Me
i have come to lead you HOME
to set your spirit FREE...
BE still and KNOW that I AM GOD.'

"from now on every road you travel
will take you to God.
follow the Covenant signs;
read the charted directions...

keep watch over me and keep me out of trouble;
don't let me down when i run to You."

Psalm 25:10,20
the Message

healed

Those who discover these words live, really live body and soul they are bursting with health. Proverbs 2:22
He took the punishment and made us whole. By His stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5

No Box

No Box big enough for my God None can contain
the glory of His holiness the POWER of His name
He calls me out of darkness
and beckons me, 'Come into the light'
I am His girl, His precious beloved
He is my fear conquering Knight
in Him i Trust
to Him i run
in His name my every battle's won
no more shame
i don't have to hide
by His stripes i am healed
made whole inside.

No Box big enough to hold His love
boundless, changeless
it is US He pursues...
longing, to hold us and wipe our tears when we cry
you and i He calls the apple of His eye.

To know Him is to Know no 'religious' god in a box
but Love-
shalom- wholeness He brings...
where He touches and breathes
there is no more pain-just peace
to be loved by LOVE Himself
satisfies a longing soul like nothing else

reach out to Him He is reaching out to you
taste and see that MY GOD is GOOD.

Seperated, Sacrificed, Satisified

The life of faith in Christ is marked by sacrifice, separation and satisfaction...
Oswald Chambers

Let's come out and be separate from everyone/thing's influence and be TRUE TO GOD!

Let's sacrifice-ourselves, gifting ourselves, our life, to God in perfect WHOLLY surrender

Let's be FULL and satisfied- filled with the fullness of God.

Be Lord of all in my life
the willing gift of my heart i bring
in Your hands, forever, i will remain
You are my everything

Oh-sweet satisfaction
to be held in Your hands
where my name is tattooed
my heart is made new
my mind renewed
Jesus i have come out and
am separated- consecrated to You!

Be satisfied i pray
with the sacrifice of self
i bring
tis my humble offering
receive my life
my Love
my Lord

and

be glorified
be magnified
O may the world see the wonder of You
let all watch and be amazed
as You take the pieces of little ole messed up me...
and weave a one of a kind tapestry
behold-Your imprint upon Your MASTER piece, Your promise
in You, i trust,
in YOU i believe

inspite of myself
my failures
my blunders
my many faults
i will watch as You work on me
from the inside out

what were once ashes
will be beautiful indeed
unspoken treasure
and untold seed...


i love YOU Lord
only You can make beauty from ashes

Friends

i went to see my sweet friend michelle this weekend-
(she is a totally gifted psalmist and an artist you can find her work under KNOW HIM: michelle: remembermejewelry.com)
my weekend was wonderful the beauty of my friend, like balm on my soul...
what did we do?
truth be told most of our time was spent in Michelle's room ... the secret sanctuary away from the sounds of her five children (all of whom are truly a treasure) ...
in the sanctuary we talked and she played the guitar...
and we sang together...
we took a walk...in the snow...
we ate...lots of salad!
we took communion and
michelle shared words the Father had spoken to her from the Bible...
she told me the Lord had given these words to her as an encouragement...
and she was giving them to me to encourage me ....
she suggested i insert my name accordingly in the Bible verses thus making God's words personal to me,
to my heart....

Isaiah 41:14-16 says:
"do you feel like a lowly worm, Jessi?
Don't be afraid.
Feel like a fragil insect, Jessi?
I want to help you.
I, God, want to reassure you.
The God who buys you back, The Holy of Israel.
I'm transforming you from worm to harrow,
from insect to iron.
As a sharp toothed harrow you'll smooth out the mountains,
turn those tough old hills to loamy soil.
You'll open the rough ground to weather,
to the blasts of sun and wind and rain.
But you will be confident and exuberant
expansive in the Holy of Israel!"

these words touched my soul and refreshed me...
they remind me that mental illness isn't the end of the road ...
and that God is more than enough for me....
even when my mind is in chaos...
and panic seizes my emotions God STILLS me...
and comforts me...

this weekend i was reminded that only GOd can make me ALL right... only God can chase away the crazies and the boogieman in my mind...
and that He will if i let Him.

o Lord teach me to live from my spirit...
where Your words are clearly spoken to my heart...
where fears and sorrow flee...
where my cries by Your Love are stilled...

speak O Lord to my soul
teach me how to live in the rhythm of Your Grace
in Your mercy melody Your radiance is shown...
how i need Your comforting embrace to fill my God shaped hole...

anxiety, tension
devilish oppression
in my mind there's WWF wrestling
a mixed up puzzle
thats never to be done

But You burst through the chaos....
with Your Light you break through...
i am not lost
my hope is renewed

Come Lord Jesus, fill me afresh
let Your Spirit a HOLY deluge upon me set.
to You alone will i cleave...
Your larger than life hands that hold me, i will never leave...

You are mine...
i am Yours...
nothing can change that or separate me from Your love...
in Your presence all striving has ceased
called by my Lover to everlasting peace
...
as the sun sets and the morning star rises...
with healing in His wings
forever ...
until time has no end
You will call me,
"My girl."
and i will call You
"My Beloved."

Nancy drew and the real fake is adout............

When Bess and George dare nancy to try out for the reality TV show called Mystery Solved!, But she never thought shed get picked. The next thing she new she was of to Paris to start the shoot. All the sudden she was getting creepy e mails from a strange address. Will she go on the with the mystery or not?

I want to read more. So far I'v read 70 pages.

love jaque

Freedom from Fear

as a result of being human- experience & mental illness i am no stranger to fear... nor are any of us- i am not afraid of any one thing- but many... fear of living and failing, fear of losing the love of those i hold dear, fear of missing the mark and messing up - letting God down cause i can't keep it together... these are sure to pass at one time or another in my life's journey... cause i cannot work hard enough to keep successes sure- i cannot avoid the pain of failure or of a relationship that has changed- i cannot ever meet the perfect standard of the law-man made or divine

in reality i am forced to realize my absolute inability to be 'good enough' and to trust MY SAVIOR for Grace...
His Wholeness in exchange for my brokenness- His Provision in exchange for my lack- His Strength for my weakness- His Rest for my turbulence- Soundness for chaos and so on... my fear for His Love.

if my relationship with God is based on anything 'cept HIS ability... it ceases to be a relationship based on Grace and becomes religion... religion asks, "what must i do- how do i fix this or that?" faith says, "thank you for all you've done and do- i trust You to do what i cannot, to teach me and lead me and guide me in ways that i do not know-show me Your Ways"

religion- which is driven by fear... says, "how can i be sure i have done enough to earn favor, to be saved. I don't know for sure so i must do more." ... this mentality leads men to slavery.

faith in God says, "i can never do enough so i will cease in my efforts and trust YOUR work- I will do what You want as You show me."

do i trust, then fear is driven out bit by bit and replaced with LOVE... as i get to Know the One who Loves me and is called LOVE

the secret is learning to surrender more and more of myself (fears and all) to the One who can keep me... in peace and rest and to trust that WHO He IS is MORE than ENOUGH for me...

"Some christians want to be slaves. It is easier to let others make decisions or to rely upon the letter of the law...
The kingdom of God is a kingdom of freedom. Jesus invites and challenges us to enter this kingdom, to walk the royal road of freedom to be set free by the Father's love. He calls ragamuffins everywhere to freedom from fear of death, freedom from fear of life and freedom from anxiety over salvation." Brennan Manning, Ragamuffin Gospel

"Desperate I throw myself on you-you r my God
hour by hour i place my days in your hands...
God takes care of those who stay close to Him
but pays back in full those arrogant enough to go at it alone."
Ps. 31:14- The Message

do we throw ourselves onto the Lord and let Him carry us or do we try and go at it alone...
when i catch myself saying, 'i can do this' .. then i need to remind myself, 'no, i can't. God can. He is on my side. so i can do all things...

i am not alone. Love is here. Emanuel, God IS with me.

Joshua's Dream

I had a good dream. My dream was about pirates. The captain of the pirate’s ship was hurt badly. He was dying. He had a map. Before he died he gave it to me. It was a treasure map. I was excited!

I took his ship and became its captain. The ship was called the “white crater.” We began to search for the the treasure shown on the map. I saw another ship in the water. The ship was dark with black sails. I heard the captain of the other ship say, “Let’s fight!” I told my crew, “Prepare the cannons!” As we got closer I looked and saw on the other ship that the pirates were goblins. Now, I was so scared. We had a long fight. It lasted four hours. We finally won the battle.


Soon we found land. The land was rocky. Our crew used the map to find the treasure. It was very hard to find, it took us four days. We thought we would never return back to our wives. Then we found a big faded X on a large mountain. We had to look closely to see it. We knocked on a rock and a box opened to show the treasure. It was a gold! It was easy to split it between the 20 people left in the crew.

Next we set sails for home. There where two paths to take. I took the wrong one. A month went by until we realized it was a dead end. Already our food was running out. My crew screamed,” Arghh!” They took their swords and pointed them at me. I said, “Wait! I have an idea.” This looked familiar. I took a cannon ball and blew all the rocks out of the way. We were surprised to be back near home. Then- I woke up!

Nancy Drew,The clue in the old album....

I read the story, The Clue in the Old Album by Carolyn Keene. the story was about Nancy Drew. She was a tall girl. She was also good looking and smart. Nancy had cousins named Bess and George.They helped her solve mysteries. Ned was a very close friend.

Two of Nancy's friends, Mrs. Sluther, and her granddaughter, Rose, had lots of dolls. Some were Asian, others were Italian. One day Nancy was admiring a doll with a sword. The doll’s sword poked her and before she knew it she had fainted and a doctor was there. The doll had poisoned her!The DR. said that Nancy should sleep and that's just what she did. The next day Mrs. Sluther found that two of her dolls were missing! The only clue they had was that Nancy had seen a charcoal black car with a gypsy symbol on the tire that was speeding away.

The next day Ned and Nancy went to a fair. Nancy saw a poster that read “gypsy wedding tickets 10$ each”. Nancy didn’t hesitate for she knew that the people who stole Mrs. Sluther’s dolls were Gypsies with a charcoal black car. And there it was, the charcoal black car! Nancy thought it weird that a Gypsy would have a car. At the wedding Nancy saw that the priest was giving a doll out. But it wasn't Mrs.Sluther’s doll. She caught the names of two of the gypsies. They were Neaka and Atomn.

The next day she followed them to the gypsy camp. Before she knew it she was in a trailer with a hanky around her mouth. They had given her a sleeping drug! The trailor came to a violent stop-and her dad barged in with the police. Neaka and Atomn were captured for stealing in the past and kidnaping Nancy. The police also found Mrs Sluther’s dolls. They gave them back to her. She and Rose were happy to have the dolls back safely.

I like this story because it has adventure. I also like mysteries which this is. I will keep reading the Nancy Drew series!

2 Know Him is Real Life

"...this is the real and eternal life:
That they know you,
The one and only true God,
And Jesus Christ, whom you sent. "
John 17:3
Messsage

Knowing Jesus, and the Father through Him, is real- and eternal life.
God is more than the sum total of what He has done..
He not only loves us -
He is LOVE
He not only speaks truth-
He is TRUTH
not only does Christ make the way to the Father-
He is the WAY
Not only does He provide nourishment to our spirits-
He is LIVING BREAD AND WATER poured out for US
Not only does He speak to us in the Bible-
HE IS THE WORD MADE FLESH
Not only does He require sacrifice-
HE IS THE LAMB SLAIN FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD
He put Himself on the altar and HE IS THE SACRIFICE...

Who is God to you?
A loving awesome Friend and Father...
Lover and Teacher or
just an idea out there somewhere...?

Knowing Christ is of utmost importance - it is vital to our beings...
because KNOWING HIM EXPERIENTIALLY is REAL- ETERNAL LIFE
whether we know it or not we have a God shaped void that only He can fill...
we must feed on HIm- His Words
and only He can reveal Himself as we spend time with Him...
'KNOW ME & LIVE' beckons the Lord...
do not harden your heart today...
Let's worship God for who He is-He Himself is worthy

"God's people passionately and faithfully STAND their ground." Revelations 13:10

reveal your awesome self to me & us O Lord
i ask you humbly Lord
not because we are so deserving of the revelation of YOURSELF
but because YOU are WiLLiNg and DESIRE for us to KNOW YOU AND LIVE!
AmEn.

Jessi

The Cross

"Christianity happens when men and women accept with unwavering trust that their sins have not only been forgiven but forgotten, washed by he blood of the Lamb... There is an existential connection between experiencing God, loving God and trusting God...The cross is the CONFRONTATION with the overwhelming goodness of God revealed in the broken body of His ONLY begotten Son." Brennan Manning, Ragamuffin Gospel

"More pleasing to me than all your prayers, works and penances is that you would believe that I LOVE YOU."
Jesus

Do we believe that we are loved by God- does His love undo us?
Is His love enough to satisfy us-of course, but do we let it?
These questions should challenge us to the core; knocking off religious piety...
begging the attention of our heart...
Do we let HIm love on US or are we to busy trying to prove to Him our love or earn His?

personally, if i am honest, i struggle with turning to anything but Jesus when i need Him most...
nighttime is the worst
at night sleep comes with difficulty...
i begin to get anxious because of a physiological surge of chemicals about 3 0 clock in the afternoon anticipating late night loneliness... when everyone is quiet and able to sleep and i am alone...
or am i?
Jesus has promised He will never leave me or forsake me so it stands to reason that He is there with me in the anxiety-fear and loneliness beckoning me as He always does, "Come away with me Beloved...Do not hide from me, run to me. My love will make you whole."
most recently i have struggled with wanting to drink at night to ease the anxiety- i know that only one, maybe two, will help me sleep.. and yet my soul testifies that i should not and my spirit cries out to Jesus... HE does not come and lift me out of the anxiety- He doesn't appear to me in a vision... but He gently reminds me who i am - and who He is... and that this too shall pass...His love encircles me and whispers YOU ARE ACCEPTED-YOU ARE LOVED

in part that anxiety is why i started blogging- to help pass time, lonely time... i also read... the Bible-yes but also christian fiction... Ted Deker is fabulous, and i am working on a puzzle... the Doc told me embroidery is good- i'll try that too...

but no matter what i DO the challenge is to not take matters into my hands- but to instead remember that Christ is WITH me and then ask Him what would be best, if anything to do... He won't answer audibly - i don't think:) but usually through a still small nudge in a certain direction- if i do just that - then i have come to KNOW Him more and my intimacy with Him grows...
not because i have chosen what is most 'holy' but because i have chosen to follow the Holy One... and allowed Him to put healing balm on my soul through a whisper to my heart.

Do we trust Him? Then let us turn to Him with all our hearts- He is there arms stretched out waiting...
The Cross a perfect picture of our loving God arms outstretched waiting to embrace ME and YOU.

Shalom
Jessi

Who am i?

recently diagnosed with a mental illness i am learning to walk with Jesus in this Truth. so long i have been hiding- afraid- in darkness... mental illness is so often confused with someone being 'bad' or 'weird'... instead of truthfully being an illness. like diabetes. i have a mental disorder my brain does not cooperate with my heart and without medication my brain manages to wig out causing emotions to rail and anxiety to peak... (family life gets pretty sticky when you can't stand yourself) shame has kept me from talking and still does to some extent about my illness- yet it is so needful for people who struggle with a mental illness to know that others struggle as well and that Jesus cares... and can walk us into the Light if we are willing to humble ourselves and receive help...He is our all and all...our everything and He longs to be welcomed into our hurts and fears... so He can set us free....

Being a christian doesn't mean perfection or being free from pain and suffering... but it does mean having the Creator of the universe on your side.. and if He is for you who can stand against you and win? and as far as being perfect- no way that will happen this side of heaven but that was never the point of Christ coming- that is the beauty of grace- grace whispers, "you are forgiven, you are loved" when we/i am utterly unlovable and as prickly as a porcupine... who am i to deserve to be called a christian and identified with the King of Kings...? no one special and yet He readily calls me Beloved and calls me His Girl unashamedly. in moments when i am particularly ugly and unchristian like is when i am most aware of the unmistakingly amazing love of God.

i abide in Your Grace,
forever i will remain in Your hands
not by works or by might
not by intelectual knowledge
but by Your blood shed for me
on the Cross
my life you bought..
purchased -
payed for
i belong to You
You are the Key Bearer-
You have full access to my heart...
i love you Lord...
i am Your Beloved and You are mine...

Follow Him

Following Jesus can be such a challenge to my selfishness... at all times it means being willing to give it all... to surrender my all...
to not be scattered to my own efforts but rather to be in intimate union with God and thereby bringing everything i learn in my intimacies out into the open by practicing that which i learn daily... living by faith... and walking in love...
but so often instead i serve my own interests even forgetting what i have learned forgoing my training and doing what i please instead ..

Jesus, is not interested in trite religion but in me, in us and our Lord beckons us to love on Him and be loved... He knows what we have need of and longs to satisfy us- will we turn to Him or keep trying to do things our way?

'In my pain and in my joy draw me ever near Your heart-
till i hear it beat and know Your will...
i love you Lord- yet follow you imperfectly...
though Perfect Love beckons...
You shun me not-
You love me still...
always calling me, "Beloved,
Come away with me...
my love will restore your soul
fill you up-
make you whole..."
I am so sorry for the times when 'wait' is my answer
instead of a passionate pursuit...
and yet You woo me still...
Indeed i have met and tasted of Love,,,
and He is good...
" Surely God is my salvation;
I will trust and not be afraid.
The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song;
He has become my salvation. With joy you will draw from the wells of salvation..."
Isaiah 12:2-3

Being brave, ME ?

"Being brave is not about not being scared but having the courage to do something scary."

We all have a fear of some thing but we have to suck it up and face our fears with God's help. That is (some day).
I love the fact that people cheer me on when I am brave. But then I think, once its over, it wasn't really me that did anything, it was God, wasn't it? Yes, it was God. We some times think too much of ourselves and end up thinking it was us when it was really God.


love <><
Jaque!

Intercessor or Hypocrite

".. if we see a Christian believer sinning... we ask for God's help and He gladly gives it, gives life to the sinner..." The Message, I John 5:16

"If we are not heedful to the way the Spirit of God works in us we will become spiritual hypocrites we see where other folks are failing and we turn our discernment into gibe instead of intercession.

God reveals things that we may take the burden of these souls before Him... that we rouse ourselves until God is able to convey His mind to us about the one for whom we intercede...

Is Jesus Christ seeing the travail of His soul in us?"

Oswald Chambers

the world would be unrecognizable if we were to turn all found faults of others to prayer and intercession. what would that mean in our very own family life if instead of harping on each others faults we prayed for each other? maybe then the Church would glow brightly-a beacon to the hurting world; united and whole.

Father forgive us for our petty complaints against each other...
help us to see others with Your eyes of love and to turn all that we see that would hinder someone from fulfilling Your plan for their life to prayer... rather than gibe. Thank You for your mercy for our shortcomings and Your grace to walk on... in Love with one another... Let the world see Your love through us- I pray.

Prayer

"Worship and intercession must go together,
the one is impossible without the other...
When we lose sight of God
we become hard and dogmatic-
we hurl petitions at God's throne
and dictate to Him what we wish Him to do.
Are we so worshipping God
that we rouse ourselves up to lay hold on Him
so that we may be brought into contact with His mind...?"
Oswald Chambers

Prayer is a vital part of our relationship with God...
we worship Him in prayer when we exalt His desires...
over our own, trusting His Heart...surrendering our own will to
the point of union with His Heart
and agreement with His Mind and Will...
Trusting that ultimately He always will do what is best for
us and that which will point others to Himself...
so that they too can Know Him.
His end desire is that we all know Him and become His
children...He longs to be Father to us all...
this is why Jesus died in our stead.
He was making a Way
to the Father's Heart for each of us...
paving a Way to the throne room of God Almighty...
a Way to the Lover of our Souls...
How God's Heart must ache when we choose other lovers...
Prayer is our opportunity to love on God and be loved by Him...
Take time with the King.
Jessi

'I Am Yours;
Your Nourishment, Manna- Bread of Life
Your Daily Bread
I Am Your Peace, Shalom and Wholeness
I Am your Hope
Yours...
the Lover of Your Soul.
I am Alpha and Omega- the Beginning and the End
and Everything in between
and I gave Everything I Am for you...
Beloved.
I want to be YOUR EverYthinG
Come away with me Beloved
My Banner over you is LOVE
I Am Yours."
Jesus

Barlow Girl

Barlow Girl is one of my fav bands.
They have a new album.
I want to buy it soon on iTunes.
The Barlow Girls are uplifting
and an awesome Christian Girl Band.
Hear are some of my fav songs
Average Girl, Clothes, Harder Than The First Time, On My Own, Superstar, Surrender & She Walked Away
Jaque

Nancy Drew,The clue in the old album....

Was the first original nancy drew book I read. I love mystery books and movies. I don't usually read comic books. I've found out there are nancy drew books that are comics. Go to your library and look up nancy drew "graphic novels". So far I've read 4 nancy drew comics they are so fun to read I can't put it down. And that's strange because I don't usually like reading ("that much"). God has really opened up my life through reading. So go and read some thing you don't usually read. I tried it and it rocks.
Bye,
bloggers! love,
jaque

Symbolic Christian Passover Meal

The Passover meal was instituted by God to remind us of His power to deliver and save us, we cannot save ourselves...
we must rely on the blood of the Lamb, Jesus to save us from the spiritual death our sin otherwise requires.
The first Passover is found in the book of Exodus chapter 12 of the Bible.

With passover coming up i thought this might be of interest. It is the dialogue common to the passover meal. It incorporates both Jewish and Christian traditions. It isn't the full meal or complete rendering of the dialogue and isn't meant to be a meal. Rather it is meant to commemorate the passover work of JESUS and to teach children and adults about the jewish tradition of passover.

Our family celebrated the Passover meal last year- it was wonderful-
i learned a lot and we decided to make a tradition of it...enjoy!

Symbolic Christian Passover Meal
Leader: Let’s start our meal together by playing a game. The kids need to find 5 pastries hidden in the living room. Ok. Go.

1st person: The reason we did this is because God commanded the people of Israel to remove yeast from their houses to prepare for this special meal. The reason He did this is because yeast represents corruption and sin. By removing the yeast we show God that we want to remove sin from our life and obey only Him. That is why we are using bread that doesn’t have any yeast tonight. This special bread is called Matzoh.

Light candles.

2nd person: We light the candles to symbolize that God is with us tonight as we celebrate that He led the people of Israel out of slavery from Egypt and that Jesus died for our sins.
Do you remember that Jesus said He is the Light of the World?

All: Thank you Lord for being here with us tonight.

2nd person: The first cup we will drink from tonight represents God’s promise to free us from all our enemies. God says, “I am the Lord that will free you...” Exodus 6:6 God did this when He freed the Israelites from Egypt and when Jesus freed us from sin and all the power of Satan.

All: Thank You Lord that you free us from all our enemies.

Leader: Now let’s drink together.

Pass out wet paper towels.

Child: Now we are going to wash our hands- to prepare for the meal. This represents our clean hands and hearts before God.

Leader: Wash your hands.

Serve parsley.

1st person: The parsley represents everything wonderful God created and the new life we have through Jesus.

All: Thank you God for filling our lives with good things.

Pass out salt water.

2nd person: Even though God intended only goodness for us- sometimes our lives have sadness in them. This salt water represents the sadness we have in our lives.

Leader: Let’s all dip the parsley in salt water and taste it.

Serve the [Matzoh]. Do not eat yet.
2nd person: The Bread we are going to eat tonight is like the Bread that the Israelites took with them from Egypt when they left. Since they were hurrying they did not have time to let the bread rise, so they made it with no yeast. The bread that Jesus ate at the Last Supper was also without yeast. Jesus said that this bread represents His body. Just like the bread doesn’t have yeast-Jesus was without sin. And just like we brake the Matzoh to eat it - His body was broken for us when He died on the cross.

All: Thank you Lord for dying for our sins.

Leader: Everyone take the Matzoh- break it and eat it .

1st person: The Bible tells us we should teach our children God’s ways - to do that we must teach them to remember the things God has done for us.

Child #1: Why is tonight different from other nights”

2nd person: Tonight is different because tonight we remember that God delivered the Israelites from Egypt and Jesus delivered all of us from sin!

All: Thank you God for delivering us.

Pour more juice for everyone.

1st person: This second cup is the cup of deliverance. God delivered the people of Israel from Egypt but the Pharaoh didn’t want them to go. Tonight we are sad that God had to allow judgment on Pharaoh and the Egyptians before the people of Israel could leave. As I say the 10 plagues of judgment take your finger and dip it into your juice... this represents the cost of sin. The judgments were: Blood, Frogs, Lice, Swarms, Cattle Disease, Boils, Hail, Locusts and Darkness. The last plague was the death of the first born. Before this last plague happened God told the Israelites to take the blood of a spotless lamb and put it over their door posts so that Death would passover their homes. The blood was a sign of their trust in God. Jesus is the Lamb of God who shed His blood on the cross. If we trust in Jesus than His blood protects us and delivers us from eternal death and from the power of Satan.

All: Thank You Jesus, Lamb of God-Your blood shed for me delivers me from all harm!

Leader: Now let’s drink the second cup of deliverance. Drink.

Bring the plate with the egg and the lamb.

Leader: This piece of Lamb represents the lamb the Israelites sacrificed to save their children from the last plague in Egypt which was a also a symbol that represents Jesus, the Lamb of God who died for our sins.
3rd person: The egg is a symbol for sadness. For the Jews it is here to remind them that the temple where the jews offered sacrifices for their sins has been destroyed. But it reminds me as a Christian that Jesus- the TEMPLE was destroyed and then ROSE AGAIN!

Serve horseradish.

Child #2: Why do we eat bitter herbs tonight?

2nd person: Tonight we eat bitter herbs to remind us of the bitterness of slavery and sin.

Leader: Take a piece of Matzoh and dip it in the horseradish. Let’s eat this bitter herb together and remember the bitterness of sin.
Action: Eat.

Serve Choraset.

1st person: Now we serve Choraset because it reminds us of the clay the Israelites used to build with as slaves in Egypt.

Leader: Take parsley and dip it in choraset. Taste it. Its sweet!

Child #3: Why do we dip the parsley twice?

3rd person: We dipped the parsley first in the salt to remind us of sins bitterness and then in the choraset to remind us that God brings sweet deliverance in times of suffering.

Child #4: Why are we doing this tonight?

Leader: Tonight we are remembering God’s goodness in delivering us.

All: Thank you Lord for delivering us!

Serve everyone juice.

1st Person: We drink this third cup to welcome our Lord Jesus tonight and to thank Him for leaving heaven to Redeem us! To buy us back from slavery- to pay the price for our sins with His own Body and Blood!

All: Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna!

Leader: Let’s Drink to honor Jesus our Lord. Drink.

Fill everyone's glass again and give them a piece of Matzoh.

2nd person: Now to end this part of our Seder dinner we are going to take communion. Just like Jesus did the night He was betrayed... The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me."

Action: Take the bread and eat it.

3rd person: “In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.”

Action: Drink.

Lift Me Higher

Higher- By Josh
Higher than the mountains you lift me
Deeper than the oceans I believe
Wiser than the wisest you make me
Your love has set me free
Jesus-Your the king

You lift me Higher

Older than the dinosaurs
Stronger than any battle horse
You aren't about to lose the Holy war
Commander of the Angels
You ARE LORD

You lift me Higher

Mr. Right

51 reasons why I LOVE you, Tom, my Mr.Right...
1. You are as funny as the day I met you...
2. You always manage to say the right word at the right time... even when I don’t know what I want to hear!
3. You surprise me enough to keep me on my toes...
4. You are still feisty - never boring...
5. You are smart.
6. You are humble.
7. You are generous with me and others.
8. You are merciful - even when I so don’t deserve it.
9. You are a great dad.
10. You still like to have FUN!
11. You love to eat good food...
12. You really know how to enjoy a mid afternoon nap- I like that about you.
13. You are at almost all the games and practices...
14. You are honest - even when it hurts... and is UNCOMFORTABLE.
15. You don’t pretend to be someone you’re not... You’re comfortable in your own shoes!
16. You know how to LET THINGS GO... even when I am still holding on...
17. You don’t like to go to bed mad.
18. You like touching my feet under the covers even when they are icicles.
19. You listen to me even when you are tired...
20. You love to love me and do nice things for me...
21. You let me have my way - when it counts...
22. You are a great cheerleader and my biggest fan (the only one who knows what I am really like when we are all alone- so the only one that really counts!)
23. You know how to put your foot down and stand FIRM when I am being stubborn.
24. Red hair becomes you! (I heard it was becoming extinct?!)
25. You are still concerned with your swim suit figure... Looking GOOD if I do say so myself.
26. You are a conservative even when it isn’t PC...
27. You don’t try to force your views on others... you let people be who they are and wait patiently for them to come around to your point of view?!
28. You are ok with me being me- even when that stretches you!
29. You are the ROCK in our family- always stable and steady...
30. Even if something doesn’t click the first time you’ll keep plugging away at it - you never give up!
31. You tell me I am beautiful and treat me like you mean it.
32. You always come home- even when things are tense- you don’t run away.
33. You are a good son. You respect your parents - that says so much about your character.
34. You are strong - not easily shaken in the face of adversity.
35. You always come out on top.
36. You are successful at everything you put your hand to.
37. You try new things.
38. You ask for help.
39. You like to dance AND you can sing harmony.
40. You can make conversation with anyone.
41. You can sell anything to anyone.
42. Even after helping me through childbirth THREE TIMES, you make me feel like I am sexy.
43. You changed diapers, cleaned poop and throw up. Admirable.
44. You call me everyday when you are on the road.
45. You look as good in bifocals as you do in sunglasses!
46. You go to the Dells for a couple days even though you don’t really like to swim for more than 20 minutes.
47. You take me out to eat Mexican food even though you don’t ever know what to order.
48. You are always willing to warm up my car- even in sub zero weather.
49. You let me sleep in, AS LATE AS I WANT!
50. You willingly support my love for lattes.
51. You are a faithful man of integrity... proven out in your PATIENCE with me, over the last ten years.

For all these reasons and more I LOVE YOU.

icu&urbeautiful

I hope you enjoy this like i did- and i pray that the Lord give us eyes to see as He sees...and to behold the beauty in the unseen work of LOVE.

Invisible
It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?' Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom.
 
Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this?
 
Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'
 
I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!
 

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a hair clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: 'To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'
 
In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.
 
A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.' And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'
 
I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.'
 
At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.
 
When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'You're gonna love it there.'
 
As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.
 
Great Job, MOM!
 

Annabelle

this is from the writers desk of my 6 year old annabelle...i love her heart, its a song, enjoy.
I look up in the sky
there was a light in th sky
i walk up the path of religiosity
i know there is something missing
it is LOVE, your love-FOR ME
its only you that can give me that love
not a nice guy
or the things he gives
You are Jehovah
King of Kings
so please set me free

NO, DON’T GIVE UP!

You sometimes want to just give up but that isn’t the right thing and you and me know that. Sometimes its just good to STAND and SCREAM!!!! That is what I do. You need to get it all out and NOT by gossiping like some people think you should. I used to do that but not now I just give it into Jesus' hands. Giving up isn’t what you should do. I dont know who’s reading this but I think you need it. You aren’t alone.

Jaque's Life Verse

John 3:16
For God so loved the world he
gave his only son that hoever believes in him
will not die but live for ever.

ME, Jaque, a Jesus Freak, WHAT ?

People started using the words jesus and freak a lot and not even knowing what it ment. Well Freak started to be a word that ment monster and just like the word dumb it got over used. Dumb used to mean a person that couldn't talk but know it means you are not smart. Jesus freak means that you are crazy 4 jesus I don't know about you but I'm one. This post is short but has a lot in it.

perspective

last week was horrible - i think i hit an all time low...so instead of wallowing in self pity i thought i would
bring some balance to the perspective...
i decided to make a list of 10 blessings in my life-here goes:
1-God loves me and accepts me & declares me righteous on the basis of
the bLOOD of Jesus-I AM FORGIVEN
2-I am filled with the Precious Holy One- who leads me and guides me
and is always with me reminding me that i am a child of the Most High
God-a Princess-sealed for the day when Jesus comes to take me HOME
3-I am in relationship with My Abba Father who loves me perfectly & i
will spend 4ever with Him in ever increasing intimacy!
4-My 3 beautiful children who love me despite my many shortcomings- who
are more patient with me than i with them many xs
5-my hubby who is relentlessly in love with me-? who usually can't
remember my faults- even though they are HUGe
6-God has promised to make beauty from ashes and to restore all that
the enemy has taken and destroyed- and work it all out for His glorious
purposes.
7-God is with me and He is good and He PERSONALLY walks me through this
life to GLORY... even when the shadow of the valley of death and or
whatever tries to overtake me or just even scare me off course- He is
there taking care of me, giving me rest, caring for my needs! ...
besides- truth be told in the spirit i live in a perpetual- eternal
state of victory in Christ- this life is but a blink...
8-even when my fleshly mortal mind is not in working order - and is
doing its own thing- God has ordained that i walk in HEALTH and
therefore makes a way for that to happen - He is Order in Chaos- I can
learn to cling to Him and let the rest GO- He will provide the means
for Order like He provides air for me to breathe...
9- even in a sea of emotions that threaten to overtake me demanding to
be addressed- Jesus teaches me to walk on water-no matter how big the
waves, i can learn to surf- emotions may be real but Jesus IS TRUTH-and
my faithful Life Preserver
10-I am Jesus' Girl- the apple of His eye- He is my Lover-my Friend and
Lord- God is for me- who can stand against me-? the Commander of the
Angel Armies- the Lord of Hosts- My Maker is MY MAN- I am in GOOD HANDS
an extra blessing---
11- i am in a family.... of believers called The Body... i am not alone
anymore..even when i feel lonely...

the beginning-Jessi

I owe everything I am and have to God's work in my life. With His help, like countless others, I have overcome many trials. Parents who divorced when I was 7- followed by sexual abuse, running away, excessive drinking, drugs, promiscuity, cutting, eating disorders and anything else self - destructive, probably.

By the time I was 18, I didn't like myself or others and I lived in a prison of a shame based- dysfunctional inner world... Trying to find a way out of the pain I married my husband (of now 11 years) ... hoping that by settling down I would finally be 'happy'. It didn't work! What followed instead were many hard years while I struggled to make things work in my world of pain. I shoved it all behind a 'super-mom' mask... and hurt many people along the way, especially those closest to me. It wasn't until I had an encounter with the Living Christ- that my life truly began. Jesus continues to deliver me through many different God happenings, from the prison of my past even now, on a daily basis...sometimes moment to moment. That was about four years ago.

Immediately after my encounter with Christ I had a desire to live for Him and to work full time in ministry. As I began to seek God's plans for my life He gave me opportunities to pour into the lives of young people- including teen moms (through Teen MOPS) and middle schoolers at my local church. Currently I am taking a break from ministry and focusing on homeschooling and recovery.

Needless to say- the most difficult challenge to overcome has been the mental and emotional pain of my past. After years spent feeling like I should be 'better' already I finally realize that I am (and always will be) in constant transformation and that the freedom I found in Christ is ONLY the beginning of my story- not the end!

My husband and I are continuing to work towards building a healthy marriage and family. God continues faithfully to bring us to wholeness- teaching us His ways, through His Word, and leading us gently by His Spirit. My three beautiful children all love God passionately and have seen His power to restore lives first hand! We home-school and enjoy life together- being silly and embracing life with all abandon to God. It is an adventure filled with MOUNTAIN TOP HIGHS and death valley lows... but the constant is GOD's presence and His love...His promise to never leave or abandon us.

I was recently diagnosed with a mental illness and now am learning to trust Jesus in the midst of the present storm. As always He is faithful to help me, teach me, heal me and guide me as I walk with Him day by day. Through it all He is HERE with me- ever faithful... through trying different meds and dealing with all the wacked out symptoms. I pray that you are blessed and encouraged as you read the posts... that you would know that real people with real problems can trust Jesus and call themselves christians- God chasers. Remember- no matter what you are going through, you are not alone! God is waiting to help you... He has a good plan for your life and He is BIG enough to help you through anything! Be Blessed-as you follow HIM!