To offend, or not to offend?

That is a good question! I have been thinking about this lately and have decided to write about it using an amazing collection of books called the Bible.

First to deal with the latter question "not to offend?" Yes formed by itself it doesn't make for a grammatically correct question, but go with me on this one.

Basically this question means "is it okay to offend people?" That is how I'm posing it anyway. So is it okay? Well to answer in simplest terms, no. It is not okay to offend people. Let me explain, because I may sound as if I am contradicting myself later. If you are merely trying to go out of your way to offend someone or hurt someone's feelings, then it is very wrong, in fact it is down right dirty.  Your motives are obviously in the wrong place. When you are trying to hurt someone's feelings, then it can be considered hatred, correct?

Proverbs 10:12 NLT
Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love makes up for all offenses.

"But love" I love that phrase! God is love, wouldn't you agree?  And God is truth, isn't that true? Well then isn't it safe to say that if we speak truth with love, then we are not in the wrong even if we offend someone, correct?  Truth be told, yes! We will not be in the wrong if someone gets offended, because our intent was merely to tell the truth.  Unfortunately, there will always be someone who gets offended by the truth.

I hope I am making sense.

It all boils down to our motives. If our motives are impure, then we are setting ourselves up for a world of hurt. If our motives are good and intentions pure, then we are more likely going to be heard.  You may ask, "what if our heart is in the right place, but we offend someone anyway?"  I have answered this because there is always going to be someone in the world who is going to be offended by whatever you say no matter how pure your motives are, especially if it's the truth. There is nothing you can do about that. Does that mean stop expressing your opinion or telling the truth? Of course not! If we all were afraid of telling the truth then the Good News about Jesus Christ would have been snuffed out long ago!

Acts 28:30,31
For the next two years, Paul lived in Rome at his own expense.  He welcomed all who visited him, boldly proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ. And no one tried to stop him.

Acts 19:8
Then Paul went to the synagogue and preached boldly for the next three months, arguing persuasively about the Kingdom of God. [emphasis added]

"Boldly arguing persuasively" Arguing can be viewed in two different ways.
       1. Many of us view it as fighting over or about something.
Here is an actual definition of "arguing" and this is the type Paul was using in Acts.
       2. Give reasons or cite evidence in support of an idea, action, or theory, typically with the aim of persuading others to share one's view.

So if Paul was afraid of offending people, then he would not have done what Jesus wanted him to do and the amazing books he wrote would be non existent.  He had to boldly speak the truth. The truth being, Jesus.

Now to the first half of the question: "To offend?" Should we offend? Well I believe I already answered that. Yes! In speaking the truth, offense is bound to follow, in fact it is inevitable! But the truth needs to be told.

You want to talk about someone who offended people every time he opened his mouth?  I do, because his name is Jesus and He is worth talking about.  He was the ultimate offender.  He offended the Pharisees and Sadducees left and right.  Did He go out every day thinking, "hmm...How can I offend the people of religious law today?"  Of course not.  The people of religious law set themselves up for offense.  When they asked a question and Jesus answered truthfully, they didn't like what He said and turned away in offense. 

Of course, there was that one time when Jesus truly put them in their place.

Matthew 23 NLT

Jesus Criticizes the Religious Leaders
 ¹ Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, ² “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses.^{[a] 3} So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach.[Hypocrites] ⁴ They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden. [basically they're heartless]
 ⁵ “Everything they do is for show. [They are fake] On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear robes with extra long tassels.^{[b] 6} And they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the seats of honor in the synagogues. ⁷ They love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi.’^[c] [They have a holier than thou complex]
 ⁸ “Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters.^{[d] 9} And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,’ for only God in heaven is your spiritual Father. ¹⁰ And don’t let anyone call you ‘Teacher,’ for you have only one teacher, the Messiah. ¹¹ The greatest among you must be a servant. ¹² But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
 ¹³ “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either.^[e] [ooo ouch! I don't know about you, but that sounded like an offense] 
 ¹⁵ “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn that person into twice the child of hell^[f] you yourselves are!
[sounds like a burn to me] 
 ¹⁶ “Blind guides! What sorrow awaits you! For you say that it means nothing to swear ‘by God’s Temple,’ but that it is binding to swear ‘by the gold in the Temple.’ ¹⁷ Blind fools! Which is more important—the gold or the Temple that makes the gold sacred? ¹⁸ And you say that to swear ‘by the altar’ is not binding, but to swear ‘by the gifts on the altar’ is binding. ¹⁹ How blind! For which is more important—the gift on the altar or the altar that makes the gift sacred? ²⁰ When you swear ‘by the altar,’ you are swearing by it and by everything on it. ²¹ And when you swear ‘by the Temple,’ you are swearing by it and by God, who lives in it. ²² And when you swear ‘by heaven,’ you are swearing by the throne of God and by God, who sits on the throne. [I wonder if they even flinched at this truth]
 ²³ “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens,^[g] but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. ²⁴ Blind guides! You strain your water so you won’t accidentally swallow a gnat, but you swallow a camel!^[h]
 25 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence! ²⁶ You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish,^[i] and then the outside will become clean, too. [The insults keep coming, don't they?]
 ²⁷ “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity. ²⁸ Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness. [Sad that most of the church today is just like this]
 ²⁹ “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you build tombs for the prophets your ancestors killed, and you decorate the monuments of the godly people your ancestors destroyed. ³⁰ Then you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would never have joined them in killing the prophets.’ [This verse coming up (33) is my favorite]
 ³¹ “But in saying that, you testify against yourselves that you are indeed the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. ³² Go ahead and finish what your ancestors started. ³³ Snakes! Sons of vipers! How will you escape the judgment of hell? [If you really want to offend someone, then go quote this scripture to someone]
 ³⁴ “Therefore, I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers of religious law. But you will kill some by crucifixion, and you will flog others with whips in your synagogues, chasing them from city to city. ³⁵ As a result, you will be held responsible for the murder of all godly people of all time—from the murder of righteous Abel to the murder of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you killed in the Temple between the sanctuary and the altar. ³⁶ I tell you the truth, this judgment will fall on this very generation.

I had a little commentary going on in those scriptures. Not that I'm doubting your ability to see that, but it was just fun for me. 

Back on topic.  Judging by what you have read, do you think Jesus was offending the Pharisees?  You may be thinking "well, duh! It was plain as day!"  Jesus called the people of religious law "hypocrites" 6 times in this one chapter, not to mention verse 3, which is the definition of a hypocrite.  So it's safe to say He called them "hypocrites" 7 times!  He called them "fools" and "blind guides" a number of times. He accused them of being impure (27).  He called them 'fake' and 'high and mighty'(5-7).  He called them "snakes"(33).  He told them what they will do in the future (34), they will become murderers (34-35). Just as their ancestors murdered the prophets of God (29-30), they will do the same to Jesus' followers.

Whew! That is a lot to take in! Can you imagine how the Pharisees reacted? Of course, they were offended, angry, furious, some possibly squirming in discomfort. And why is that? Because they knew Jesus spoke the truth, but they didn't want to see it, so what do they do? Plot the death of Jesus: a righteous man, a sinless man, a man preaching only the truth.  This is what happens when we speak the truth.  We get ridiculed, persecuted, mocked, accused of being a liar, slandered, and yes, even killed.

It is happening all over the world.  People who are trying to share the love of Christ are being killed.  Children are being betrayed by their own parents, because they found Jesus, but the parents didn't want to hear the truth.

Luke 12:49-53 NLT
⁴⁹ “I have come to set the world on fire, and I wish it were already burning! ⁵⁰ I have a terrible baptism of suffering ahead of me, and I am under a heavy burden until it is accomplished. ⁵¹ Do you think I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I have come to divide people against each other! ⁵² From now on families will be split apart, three in favor of me, and two against—or two in favor and three against.
 ⁵³ ‘Father will be divided against son
      and son against father;
   mother against daughter
      and daughter against mother;
   and mother-in-law against daughter-in-law
      and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.’^[a]”

Jesus fulfilled this scripture in the Old Testament.  Houses are divided because some have come to know and have a relationship with the Savior of the world and others doubt and choose to not believe.

Why is all of this division occurring?  It occurs not just because Jesus said it would, but because of offense.  The truth is offensive to so many of us.  If someone confronts a subject that perhaps you are struggling with, it is hard to listen, because you take offense. 

We should not be offended so easily.  We should not be afraid to offend others simply because we are telling the truth.  I want to tell the truth.  The truth of Jesus.  He is truth.  My Father in heaven is truth.  So why should I not tell the truth? Should I be afraid someone won't like it or they will take offense and start ridiculing me for speaking the truth? No!

So don't be surprised if there is a blog that I post that is on subjects that might be uncomfortable, because the truth is uncomfortable.  But it needs to be spoken.  I apologize in advance for any offense my future blogs may induce.  It will of course be my opinion, but I will have scriptures to support those opinions, because they are not simply my opinions, they are my beliefs.

So, "to offend, or not to offend? That is the question"

I choose to offend. Not in the sense of intentionally offending someone, but with the intention of revealing the truth.

Made to Worship! PART TWO

Made to Worship PART ONE was my heart on worship.  PART TWO is still my heart, but I intend on using the Bible to show God's heart on worship and a few other select people.

First, let's start with the heart of David.  That is a great start, because David was a pursuer! 

Acts 13: 22 NLT
...David, a man about whom God said, 'I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart' [reference to 1 Samuel 13:14]

He was not perfect.  He made mistakes, but what God loved most about David was the fact that he was teachable.  I am paraphrasing from Brother Al's teaching on David we did a while back.  God loved when David made a mistake and felt conviction or was convicted, he immediately turned back to God and did not make that same mistake again.  I believe God also loved David, because of his heart of worship.

Psalm 95:6,7a NLT
Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the LORD our maker, for he is our God.

Psalm 84:4 NLT
What joy for those who can live in your house[presence], always singing your praises.

The Psalms show that heart of worship.  How better to please God than to sing His praises?

Psalm 148 NLT
 ¹ Praise the LORD!
   Praise the LORD from the heavens!
      Praise him from the skies!
 ² Praise him, all his angels!
      Praise him, all the armies of heaven!
 ³ Praise him, sun and moon!
      Praise him, all you twinkling stars!
 ⁴ Praise him, skies above!
      Praise him, vapors high above the clouds!
 ⁵ Let every created thing give praise to the LORD,
      for he issued his command, and they came into being.
 ⁶ He set them in place forever and ever.
      His decree will never be revoked.
 ⁷ Praise the LORD from the earth,
      you creatures of the ocean depths,
 ⁸ fire and hail, snow and clouds,^[a]
      wind and weather that obey him,
 ⁹ mountains and all hills,
      fruit trees and all cedars,
 ¹⁰ wild animals and all livestock,
      small scurrying animals and birds,
 ¹¹ kings of the earth and all people,
      rulers and judges of the earth,
 ¹² young men and young women,
      old men and children.
 ¹³ Let them all praise the name of the LORD.
      For his name is very great;
      his glory towers over the earth and heaven!
 ¹⁴ He has made his people strong,
      honoring his faithful ones—
      the people of Israel who are close to him.
   Praise the LORD!

This scripture is so beautiful! But if you haven't seen this video with pastor Louie Giglio, then please check it out.  You can tell Louie is passionate in what he says.  I was blown away at the concert several months ago when I heard him speak about this.  It is just wonderful.  Psalm 148 really comes to life! It's about 14 minutes long, but well worth the watch!

Watch....Now!

I love that!  I know it kind of cuts off at the end, but I'm sure you get where Louie is going with that.  God has an entire universe worshiping Him.  It says it right in the scriptures,
 ¹ Praise the LORD!
   Praise the LORD from the heavens!
      Praise him from the skies!
 ² Praise him, all his angels!
      Praise him, all the armies of heaven!
 ³ Praise him, sun and moon!
      Praise him, all you twinkling stars!

I don't know about you but I think the heavens, sun, moon, and stars pretty much covers the universe!  When we read that scripture we may not fully see that happening.  I know I didn't. Sometimes we view the scriptures as symbolism, but Louie brought that scripture to life for me.  I hope it did for you as well.  David wrote that scripture thousands of years ago, but it reflected the heart of worship, the heart of God.  The universe is alive today and from what Louie and scientists prove, they make drum beats and string instruments. I could hear what sounded like violins in the second group of pulsars he showed. It's amazing! "God has His own string section!"

Many people commented on this video saying, "Louie isn't proving the existence of God by demonstrating that the stars make music."  But it is proof!  What are the odds of these magnificent stars light years away making sounds of musical instruments?  Not that I need proof, because I believe in God and what His Son Jesus did for my life with all my heart, but Louie really ministered to my heart when he talked about this scripture and showed me stars that sang.  I would never have known this scientific fact and probably would never have seen Psalm 148 in the way I see it now; alive!

I love what Louie said at the concert and I quote him word for word, "I don't know about you, but I do not want a whale to out worship me!"  I don't want to let a whale out worship me either!  I love to worship! I know I say that a lot, but it is true, because that is why I was made! 

"God chose to overthrow Satan's dark kingdom through those He made in His image,

who worshiped God by choice" Bill Johnson

John 4:23 ESV
But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.

I choose to worship a living God! He is worthy of my praise!  He doesn't need my worship, because He has an entire universe that worships Him, but He desires my worship!  He desires your worship!  He gave us that choice--free will-- to choose to worship Him or the world.  He doesn't want a worship that is fake, forced, or half-hearted!  He wants a worship that is true, willing, and whole-hearted!

Who will you worship? God or the world?

Made to Worship! PART ONE

We were all made to worship!  We were all made to worship God! Do we all choose to worship God? No. But we all know how to worship.

I love what Bill Johnson wrote in a book he co-authored with Randy Clark called, The Essential Guide to Healing: Equipping all Christians to Pray for the Sick.  In Chapter 5 he stated:

       

Since Satan wanted to be worshiped like God, God chose to overthrow Satan's dark kingdom through those He made in His image,

who worshiped God by choice.

God chose to defeat the devil and his cohorts through worshipers.

Worship is the primary call of mankind. (pg. 112)

The fact that we were made to worship, doesn't surprise me in the least.  I love to worship! I'm on the worship and praise team at church and just recently I became more open in my worship to God on stage.  Many times in the past I wouldn't close my eyes, raise my hands, or just get utterly lost in worship, because I wanted to make sure I didn't sing the wrong words or miss what the worship leader was telling us to do, such as go back to the chorus, repeat verse 1, or stop.  I was so worried about messing up, that I completely forgot to just worship God! And if I was not worshiping God, then all I was doing was singing words, not praises!

While in Cuba I experienced a worship that is missing in many churches in America: Complete and utter abandonment to the Father in worship! Not to mention the joy they had while worshiping!  In Cuba, there were no projectors with words on the screen, no hymnals. It was simply God's children coming together and worshiping their Father, with music, singing, and dancing.  The congregation was the worship team! Yes, they had worship leaders singing and playing the piano or drums, but they weren't the only ones worshiping. 

Many times in my own church we have been singing songs that have so much passion and zeal for the Lord, but the congregation was stagnant, standing still.  But in Cuba, the whole congregation, at every church we went to were passionately involved in worshiping God!  They sang, even louder than those with microphones, they clapped their hands, danced in the Spirit, raised their hands in praise to God and they did this with such joy! Young and old worshiped together with passion, feeling, excitement and joy, because they worshiped a living God!

This picture below is just one of the churches we went to.

Notice everyone standing, clapping, singing?  But I want you to look at the little girl in the blue shirt, playing the tambourine.  Do you see her face?

Here is a close-up.

Can you see it?  Can you see the joy on her face?  Those beautiful girls dancing just touched  my heart, but this one girl in particular gripped my heart. She was dancing, singing, and playing that tambourine as if her life depended on it.  But isn't that true?  Our lives do depend on God, or at least they should!

Worship is effective, but it is even more so when everyone is involved!  In Cuba, as you've seen in this one picture of just one church out of the 7 or 8 we visited, everyone was involved!  No matter how small the church building, they worshiped.  No matter how cramped together they were, they worshiped.  It didn't matter if one got elbowed in the side, they were too enthralled in worship to even notice.

Atmosphere plays a huge role in worship.  When you are surrounded by it you can't help but join in.  When everyone is singing and dancing and worshiping God, then you shouldn't worry about whether or not you'll look stupid, because everybody is doing the same thing!  I remember going to Christian concerts or places like Xtreme or New Breed, and I remember how easy it was to let go and just worship, because everyone was doing it.  And that is why it was harder to return home, because not everyone was doing it.

When we aren't obedient to the Spirit, it can snuff out what God is wanting to do.  He wants us to experience his presence.  And I am so thankful when He pours out His Spirit. This past Sunday, our church experienced His presence through obedience in worship.  That is not to give credit to any one person or the worship team, everyone played a role in what happened Sunday.  The congregation became sensitive to what God was doing and we were experiencing His awesome Spirit.  His Spirit was flowing through our church like a gentle wave, giving us a taste of things to come.  I'm excited! I can't wait to see what happens next, but it requires obedience on our part.

We were made to worship! We know how to worship, but we must decide who we are going to worship!

Why go to Church?

It amazes me how so many people, including newly, born again Christians, get it into their heads that church is not necessary. 

Well this is my thought on the matter.

Many new Christians have said, "why go to church? I can find out what the Bible means with my own intellect, just as well as a preacher can in his own human thinking. So why should I go to church?"
Believe it or not these people do have a point.  We do have a brain, given as a gift by God to reason, think, decide, articulate, use common sense through processes of thought and reason.

We have so much potential as human beings. And part of that potential, when we have chosen the path of Christ, is to lift each other up with encouragement, love, kindness, understanding, prayer and so much more! But how are all of these things to be accomplished? Through fellowship, coming together!

I decided to use actual definitions of the word fellowship:

fel·low·ship /ˈfelōˌSHip/Noun:
     1. Friendly association, esp. with people who share one's interests.
     2. A group of people meeting to pursue a shared interest or aim.
Synonyms: companionship - friendship -comradeship - association
     1.    a. The condition of sharing similar interests, ideals, or experiences, as by reason of profession, religion, or nationality.
            b. The companionship of individuals in a congenial atmosphere and on equal terms.
     2. A close association of friends or equals sharing similar interests.
     3. Friendship; comradeship.

Many of these are repeating the same definition, but that is because they are from two different sources [I googled it :) ] Anyway I think you get the picture.

Romans 1:12 NLT
When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours.

Fellowship, from a Christian standpoint, is coming together in friendship, to encourage, pray for one another and share the same interest and our mutual interest is to worship and study the word of a living God. Wouldn't you agree that is the whole purpose of the church, at least it should be.

I know many churches, due to conflicts of beliefs or interpretations have divided into denominations and many do not participate in worshiping our Lord, but that was the whole reason we were created! (however that is another blog for another day)

To stay on topic, back to the definition of fellowship. In the first definition, number 2, I highlighted the word "pursue." Why? Because that is what we are doing in our meetings and daily lives. We are pursuing that relationship with God and desiring to know Him in a more intimate way! We are pursuing a life that Jesus Christ led!

Now to define the church. Yes, I think you know where I'm going with this.

Acts 12:5 NLT
But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.

I love this scripture, because when I read it I have to laugh. You must be thinking what's so funny about this verse? I'll tell you.

Many view the church as being a building. And in a way that is true. But if we simply thought of the church as being a building with doors, chairs, pews, stages, etc., then this scripture is funny. Because how does a "church" building "pray earnestly"?  Yes, I know that is a silly way to look at it, but it's true. Many people think that is all the church is, but that is wrong.  We are the church! The church building did not pray earnestly for Peter, the people prayed earnestly.

You may be thinking, she is proving the point of the people who think it isn't necessary to go to church, because if we are the church then why go to a church building. We have access to a Bible and she proved we can reason for ourselves what it means.  My answer to that is bear with me, I'm getting to my point and no I am not proving they are correct.

We still must consider what the Bible says about fellowship concerning the church.

Hebrews 10:25 NLT
And let us [the church] not neglect our meeting [fellowship] together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

Yes I reasoned for myself and interpreted this scripture without immediate aid of a preacher, but I also proved that the scripture clearly states that coming together in fellowship to encourage one another should never be neglected. The latter part of the verse is important: especially now that the day of his return is drawing near!

The time is drawing near. I believe that now more than ever. Of course, I don't know the day or the hour, but we are to live our lives as Jesus lived his life, sinless and walking daily with the Father, and live everyday expecting His return.

In conclusion, is it necessary to go to church? Yes! In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with going to church. The people in the church are meant to be encouragers! We are not perfect, but we desire to be as much like Christ as possible! I love the church I go to! I'm excited about what God is doing in our worship, our pastor, and many in the congregation. Our hearts and spirits are being stirred by our desire and pursuit of God! I am always encouraged by my family! That is also what the church in America needs to be--a family.

In a society where families are being torn apart, there should be a place where people can go to. If we have been transformed into the likeness of Christ, then we should be that family where the hurt, broken hearted, downtrodden, disappointed, lonely people can turn to. If we do not come together to lift each other up with encouraging words we've received from God for a specific person or even addressing the whole congregation, then how are we going to be strengthened in faith. 

1 Corinthians 14:26 NLT
Well, my brothers and sisters, let’s summarize. When you meet together, one will sing, another will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in tongues, and another will interpret what is said. But everything that is done must strengthen all of you. (emphasis added)

And can we strengthen each other if we do not fellowship with each other, whether it is in an official church building, a home group, or out in the open air. [I particularly love the last one! Praising God and studying His word surrounded by His creation! It's truly amazing!]

The point of this blog is simply to encourage those who think it's not important to go to a church and become part of a church family.  You can judge for yourself which church family is showing genuine love or just faking that they are glad to see you.  Look around   Find the church that God has for you, in fact seek Him and ask where it is He wants you.

I can't completely change how people view the church, but I can at least express my heart and what God has put on my heart to share. 

If you are not a Christian, and hate the church and have not experienced a true church family who have the love of Christ for you, then please search for it.  If you are not a Christian, and hate the church, but have been to one, then I am sorry, because your experience must have been a bad one.  All I can say is don't give up the search.  God is waiting with open arms.  If you are a Christian and hate the church, then you hate your brothers and sisters in Christ. Harsh, you say? No. Just the truth.

Hugged by God!

On March 18, 2011, I was working at the daycare, one of my two jobs.  It was Spring Break and classes were not in session.  Due to their lack of normal routine, the children became wild. 

I was called in early on that Friday the 18.  I didn't mind, in fact I needed the hours.  At first the morning went smoothly, but as the day progressed and more and more children showed up things got out of hand.  Many did not want to listen to what they were told, of course that is a daily occurrence with my 2 year olds, but these were 3 and 4 year olds; they knew better.  In fact I had never had that much trouble with that age group.  Those kids were normally well-behaved, but they were simply getting restless and I was losing my patience.

By lunch time I had lost it! I wanted to get them calmed down, fed and put in bed as quickly as possible. I was ready to "throw in the towel"! I know that everyone has been there. Don't deny it, you know you have.  You get to that boil point.  You begin to lose your patience, or you get so emotionally and mentally drained that you just want to throw up your arms and say "I GIVE UP!"

That is exactly how I felt and what I did.  As soon as my 11 children were in their beds laying still and the majority had fallen asleep, I grabbed a chair, put it down in the middle of the room facing my kids, and just put my head in my hands.  I felt so exasperated! I just sat there and stared at the floor. I wanted so much to go home, but I knew I would be at work until 5:30 that evening. 

As I sat there looking at the ground, God showed me a vision.  Yes, I know many who would read this probably have their doubts about God and visions and things involving the supernatural.  But this was so real. This vision was as clear as this computer screen is to me right now.

My vision was of one of my little girls getting up from her nap pad, walking over to me and stopping in front of me. In my vision I was looking down at her feet.  When I looked up (still the vision) the little girl put her arms around my neck.

What happened after that blew my mind. In fact it is hard to refrain from crying every time I think about that moment. It was as if God was showing me that I wasn't imagining things, I wasn't having deja vu, or losing my mind. He wanted to prove to me that what I saw was a vision that He gave to me; it was directly from Him.

Seconds after the vision (I was still looking down at the ground) I saw little feet.  I looked up, and it was the same girl in my vision standing before me.  She quickly put her arms around my neck.  I was stunned! All I could do was put my arms around her and cry.  God was revealing to me that He loved me!  He used this little girl, so innocent and pure, to deliver a message to me. The message was "I love you; here's a hug to prove it."

Needless to say my day was so much more bearable after that moment!  I've always known that God cares for me, loves me, and knows when I am having a tough time.  But it was so much more sweeter to actually be hugged by God.  He can use all of us man, woman, rich, poor, young and old.  Isn't it funny how obedient children are to God.  They may not want to obey me, but God can speak to their hearts and they quickly respond.  God was trying to reveal to me through this innocent child, "I hear you! I hear your cry! In your times of stress, I hear you!"  He hears us all.  When we are frustrated, upset, worn down, crying, wanting to just GIVE UP, He wants us all to know that He is listening.  I received the answer quickly and through the obedience of a small child.  It may happen to others in a different way, but I simply pray that it happens. I want everyone to experience the love of God in a close intimate way.  I'm so thankful for what I experienced!

I had the privelege of sharing this story with my Brothers and Sisters in Cuba.  There were many people in tears.  I shared with them that we all have those times when we just want to quit, but God wants us to continue living for Him knowing that He loves us and is with us in every aspect of life. I pray that it was a blessing to them and that whoever reads this will be blessed as well.

Inspired

Okay, so I finally got onto an actual computer, so that I can write on my new blog. I'm not very good at "blogging" because I am not very computer savy and I do not have access to Internet very often, but I will do my best!

First off, I'd like to thank Mikayla for inspiring me to try blogging again.  I too love to write, but I don't do it very often.  The most of my writing that I do is on Facebook....how sad is that?  But hopefully I can get this going and maybe put a few of my thoughts down on...the computer screen. [instead of on paper, which I used to do a lot]

The Covington girls are very inspiring! Miriah's photography website, MoGee Photography, has got my mind reeling about finally making a website for my artwork. I have been trying to get my own art business up and running, but I have only done a few projects here and there for people I know.  However, I really want to expand, but once again I am not very computer savy...

If only I had Internet other than at my mom's house, then perhaps I could get my darling husband to help get me started.  Talking about it just isn't working.

Well, that is all I have for now.