Thoughts of Soups and Comfort

This morning I woke up at 6:15, content to stay right where I was - on the couch by the fire place under my warm blanket. Yes, I have my own bed, but the warm living room with cozy flames burning in the fire place was just too inviting. Thus I slept on the couch! As soon as I got out from underneath my covers I got a cup of fresh coffee to warm my insides. Coffee never tasted so good! As I got ready for work I picked out a long sleeve shirt and a long thick skirt hoping that they would do their job of keeping me warm.

As I worked away in our office at the hospital I couldn't help but notice how slow the day was going by. Maybe it was because I knew I had to face the piercing winds after my work day was over, or maybe it was because I couldn't wait to be home with all it's comforts. Every one that came through our department was wearing a long sleeve shirt or sweater . . . a sure sign that winter is on it's way!

This evening I drove home a little tired. As I walked inside my home I was welcomed by warmth and smells of mama's chicken noodle soup. As I ate supper with my family and talked of the day's events I realized just how blessed I am to have such a family. Ah, it is good to be home!

Winter always seems to give me warm feelings about my home. If I had come home to a cold house with only smells of the dryer linen and cleaning supplies I doubt I would have felt the same way. Those good smells that linger in our house and warmth that fills the air gives me a sense of security and reminds me that I am taken cared of and loved. Having experienced this after a long day at work makes me see how my future husband will feel when he comes home from an exhausting day earning our living. It makes me look forward to being able to make our home a happy, comfortable, inviting place that my hubby will look forward to coming home to. Though actually he should want to come home because he knows I will be there! What more could he ask for? (Just kidding!) Ah, the comforts that only winter can bring!

Attention All Christians!

Have you noticed what everyone in America is talking about? Every where I go I hear people talking about the dwindling economy and the upcoming election. It's on the news, in the news papers, on websites, on the front of magazines, talked about on the radio, discussed at the supper table, and is the center of the conversations at work. Even Christians are starting to worry about these issues. Of course I realize that the way the economy is going is not good, the gas prices don't always make us happy, and this years' election may not go like we want it to. But do you know what? God is still in control! He will take care of us no matter what so what do we have to fear? Now I know it is probably easy for me to have no worries because I don't have a family to buy groceries for and my two bills amount to $76 together, but doesn't God tell us to have the faith of a little child?

I received an e-mail just the other day called, "10 Predictions About the Election". They are:

1. The Bible will still have all the answers.
2. Prayer will still work.
3. The Holy Spirit will still move.
4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.
5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.
6. There will still be singing of praise to God.
7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.
8. There will still be room at the Cross.
9. Jesus will still love you.
10. Jesus will still save the lost.

So this is my message to you today: Take this opportunity to put God's name out there among all the discouraging conversations. When you hear some one say in a dismal voice, "I just don't know what we're going to do. Everything seems to be going so bad" reply by telling them about our God who will take care of everything and who is always there for us to turn to when everything in this world seems to be falling apart. I don't know about you, but I'm tired of hearing the news of gloom and doom. I would much rather talk about my Savior who feeds the ravens and knows when every sparrow falls to the ground. (Luke 12:24 & Luke 12:6) Surely God can take care of us too!

Hilarious is the Word

You have got to watch this You Tube video! It is one of the funniest You Tubes I beleive I have ever seen (probably because it is so true!). I think you will all like it, especially all you homeschool lovers. I don't know how to place a video on my blog yet so you'll have to go to this link to see it. I hope it brightens your day!

New and Exciting

Wow! I have had quite a few visitors to my blog lately! It's good to know that my post are being read and enjoyed.

So what have I been up to lately? Most of my time has been spent at work, but that is fine because it is all still new and exciting to me. It reminds me of how I felt when I got saved or felt a new fire for serving God. I was so excited that I wanted to tell everyone! I even told my brother and best friend that they needed to get saved! : ) But now I find myself more interested in telling everyone about my new job instead of our wonderful Savior. What a shame. Sometimes keeping our focus on God doesn't come naturally like it does when we are first saved. Everyday we have to deliberately set our mind on the main goal: to serve God and bring souls to Him. Like we have been discussing in Sunday School, witnessing isn't always easy, so we have make our self put our own desires down and live out God's desire for our lives. But there is a reward for obeying God! Just knowing that I did what God told me to do makes me feel so much better about myself. I have never seen my work bring anyone to salvation, but I know I have planted seeds and in time God will bring the increase if it is His will.

I hope you all have a great weekend! Remember to keep Jesus first!

Witnessing in the 21st Centry: Our Purpose

Tomorrow I will start a new job. I will finally be able to use my college education to make good money and do something I love! What exactly will I be doing? I will be doing all the code work for the hospital in our town. When a doctor files a patient medical record it is my job to look at that record, find the diagnosis or procedure, and find a code that will match it making things easier for the insurance company to pay the doctors and facilities. That will be my purpose - to find the right codes.

Now imagine if I went on the job, realizing what I was suppose to do, but chose to ignore that and do what I wanted to do. I could clean the office, organize papers, set up appointments, answer the phone, maybe work in the transcribing area . . . anything but what I was hired for. It sounds like a lot of fun and I might like it more than coding! But how do you think my boss would react? I don't think he would like it at all! In fact, I don't think I would be his employee for very long if I continued to do such things.

While this illustration sounds a little bazaar, we do the same thing everyday. Most Christians who have been saved for a long period of time know what our purpose is. It is to serve Christ and point souls to Him. We see this in Matthew 28:19-20. "Go therefore, & teach all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the holy Ghost, Teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even till the end of the world, Amen." But do we do our duty? Are we hearers only? (James 1:22 ) How often do we even speak Christ' name to others? These are all questions we need to consider when we examine our life. Sharing God's love with others is something we can all do.

For some this may mean telling their children and other family members about Christ. Others may have great opportunities to witness to strangers on a daily basis while your friend may have to go out deliberately with the sole purpose in mind being to tell someone the good news. Some people may feel more comfortable to hand out tracks and leave them in places where others will find them, but there are some Christians who prefer to talk directly to others about their spiritual condition. However you choose to go about it is okay. The most important thing is that we are following God by telling others about the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. That is our purpose.