Meagan's Mind

Starving (But Not For Food)

2012-02-01T17:45:00.009-06:00

As Christians, most of us feel at some point in our life that God is not listening to us, He is not near us, or not helping us. We seem to notice this most when we are going through something trying or having to make a difficult decision. For some, while in these trying times, continue to praise God and read the Word; however for others, they let the circumstances of the situation take over. Slowly we stop reading our Bibles every day, then we read it three times a week, then we read it twice a month and then pretty soon we don’t really read it at all. When we are having a good day we may say something like, “God has supplied me with all my needs and blessed my life! Amen! Thank you Jesus!” Then we smile and all is right with our spiritual walk. But on the other hand when our days are bad we wonder, “Where are you Jesus? Why aren’t you helping me? Why aren’t you answering me? You said you would supply my needs but where are you?” At that time you can’t seem to remember ANY Bible verses, much less think of anything self-encouraging to say. You start to feel down, depressed and don’t know what direction to turn in.

I asked God one day, “Lord, why is this? Why do you seem to not be listening to them? Why do you seem so far away? Why aren’t you helping them? Is it really a big deal that they aren’t reading their bible EVERYDAY? They pray! Isn’t that enough for now? I know I don’t always read my bible everyday but does that REALLY matter? We should still be able to feel you; we should still be able to hear you! Why aren’t you showing us way? Why aren’t you guiding us? Reading the Bible shouldn’t make that huge of a difference with your presence being in our life? Right?”

Well you know what my answer was?! Food! Starvation! Yep those two words! You can’t eat just candy and expect to have a nourished body, just as you can’t read from Proverbs once a day and expect your spiritual walk to be complete. Although your daily devotional is great, it would be like having a snack for your spiritual life. Not much nourishment to keep you alive! Then you start missing your snacks throughout the day and you even stop eating your candy. You have moved on to a NO spiritual nourishment lifestyle!

So I looked up starvation and its symptoms; then I compared the symptoms to what your life is like when you don’t read the bible. When your Christian walk with God is biblically starved!

Human Starvation: the result of a severe or total lack of nutrients needed for the maintenance of life.

Human starvation causes loss of substantial fat and muscle mass as the body breaks down its own tissues for energy in order to keep other vital systems such as the heart muscles functioning. You become lethargic! Atrophy of the stomach weakens the perception of hunger, since the perception is controlled by the percentage of the stomach that is empty. Everything you do becomes painful and with your weakened body you can be easily attacked by diseases. After a while you can lose your sense of hearing, feeling and seeing; since your body is slowing shutting down.

Biblical Starvation: the result of a severe or total lack of reading the Word for the maintenance of your spiritual walk with God!

Biblical starvation is kind of the same. Your spiritual walk starts to break down and the Holy Spirit is keeping the rest of your Christian walk functioning. You too become lethargic. Some people stop going to church, some stop praying as much or stop talking about God. As you become weaker in your walk, you stop noticing it because you have become used to the very little you have been living off of. Everything you do starts to lack purpose or direction. With those things you become an easy prey for the devil and he can attack you in all areas of your life. By the end you stop hearing God, you stop feeling God, and you stop seeing God or the things He does! The sad thing is, is that you hardly even notice that your spiritual walk with God is slowing shutting down. Your body goes on functioning in the world but your relationship with Jesus grows farther apart! Without our spiritual food (the Bible) we are starving ourselves. We have a deficiency in our spiritual walk. Deficiencies in our lives can lead to all sorts of problems!

So every time you pick up your Bible to read it or you start a new Bible reading plan; remember it is your spiritual food. There are people that are biblically starving all over the world and you don’t want to become one of them. Keep your spiritual walk with Jesus healthy and nourished so that you never become too weak to help another!

Matthew 4:4 But he answered, “It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (ESV)

A Day In The Life Of A Missionary

2012-02-01T17:36:00.006-06:00

My family and I were invited to lunch by one of the young ladies I help disciple/train, who is going through the Nueva Imagen (New Image) program. For those who are not familiar with Nueva Imagen, it is a program that helps restore the lives of former prostitutes and victims of sexual exploitation. This young lady’s name is Vanessa and she has been in the program for about 6 months now. Vanessa is the mother of three boys (10, 11 & 13) and has a very warm and loving spirit. She always has a smile on her face despite all the struggles she has endured in her lifetime.

On the day of the lunch, we drove across town (to the not-so-nice side) and pulled up next to the curb in front of her house. Standing in the entryway of a metal door, we noticed a young boy, who we assumed was one of her sons, and he opened the door to what we thought was leading us into her home. When we passed through the opening, we realized we were actually standing in an alley way approximately 8’ X 50’. The first thing we noticed was the dirt mixed with what looked like sewage water flowing down the middle of the walkway. We also saw sickly chickens and mangy dogs running all around us. On the right, there were about five poorly made make-shift doors and two on the left, which were the entrances to houses. The materials making up these "houses" are mostly wood, rusted metal, trash bags, cardboard or whatever else could hold the walls together.

We made our way to the end of the alley and arrived at Vanessa’s home. Since she had invited two other ladies, Hellen Castro and Xiomara Cruz de Alfaro, the leaders of Nueva Imagen, she rented a table, tablecloths and chairs. She put them in the alley way outside her door, underneath an avocado tree, where we were going to eat. As I stepped into her doorway to hand her the birthday cake I made for her son, I noticed her house was probably a little larger than a walk-in closet (remember four people share this space). The house consisted of a dirt floor, a small table, one small burner for all her cooking and a small bed. There were no windows in the house so the heat almost swallowed us whole. Like most Nicaraguans, she doesn’t own a refrigerator so all the food for the day is bought and prepared that morning. Vanessa told us she got up at 4:30 AM to start preparing all the food for our lunch arrival and that she was nervous because she had never prepared food for gringos (white people) before. We assured her that everything looked tasty and wonderfully laid out, and not worry about anything.

Before we were seated to eat, however, Vanessa’s boys led us into the street to perform a native Nicaraguan dance, something they had prepared just for us. For the dance, two of her sons used costumes while the other played the drums and told us the story, in song form. One son wore a 10- foot tall costume (like a school mascot costume) of a lady puppet in a dress, while the other son wore a shorter costume of a man with an oversized head. The third son sang/rapped the story while keeping beat to a drum. As they began to play, we watched as the entire neighborhood came out to see the demonstration. In a matter of moments, there were children running around us everywhere, while their parents watched. As I was enjoying the dance, I felt two hands tug on my left leg. When I looked down, I was staring straight into the face of a beautiful two year-old (I’m guessing the age) girl wearing a cloth diaper. She was dirty from playing in the street, but she looked up at me with the most beautiful smile. As I smiled back at her, she grabbed on tighter and kept on dancing.

After the dance, we headed back up the alley to eat. We were asked to sit at the table while the rest of her family sat on the ground or in borrowed chairs. We didn’t bother to protest and ask her family to sit in our chairs because that would have been very offensive. We were served before everyone else and all eyes were upon us. We were served chicken, rice, beets, pico de gallo and Coke with ice (ice was a big deal for them to buy because it isn’t a necessity and she doesn’t have a freezer). As we ate, the sickly chickens and mangy dogs ran under the table and around our feet, but it didn’t matter. We talked and laughed about all kinds of different things and had a wonderful time. We know that to Nicaraguan people, time doesn’t mean the same as it does to North Americans, and being relational and spending time with people means so much more. Vanessa, a woman struggling with her past and struggling to raise three boys in a Nicaraguan ghetto, gave up her time and especially, her money, to bless our family with a lunch, and that means more than all the time in the world!

I know for Vanessa, saving her money to have us over was a huge sacrifice. We were humbled and honored by her giving spirit close to Christmas time. I love the joy she brings to my life and those around her, and I thank God He gives me the privilege to minister to her, and the rest of the ladies, each week. I also am THANKFUL to all of you who help support our ministry. Your support and prayers are what makes ministering to these women possible. Seeing God keep them off the streets, make them a new life and change their hearts to be hungry for His Word, is something invaluable, incredible and indescribable.

We are looking forward to a great year in 2012, and we know God has His hand in everything we do. We can’t wait to see it all unfold as we minister to the people of Nicaragua!

In Christ,

Meagan Henning

Stop Pretending

2011-08-05T15:00:00.007-05:00

Stop pretending… As I lay in bed I can’t help but think about all the people from different nationalities and professions I come across on a regular basis. From Nicaraguans, Canadians, Americans, Chinese, Germans, Teachers, Lawyers, Missionaries, Stay at Home Moms, etc….And of course when you see or meet them (no matter where they are from or what they do), you end up starting off with the same question… How are you doing? ….And what is always the answer 99.9% of the time. “I’m good and you?” That is it! That is how everyone answers. It really doesn’t matter if you are having the worst day ever in your life; you still answer the same and so do they. I can tell you why I myself answer that way: Because I think that most of the people who ask me how I’m doing, really don’t care how I am really doing anyway or I don’t want to bother them with my issues. Usually it is asked in passing to and from church, getting your kids from school, the grocery store, just where ever. Usually no one ever really stops what they are doing, so of course that gives off the impression that they don’t care. Like I said, I do the same thing every day. I ask that same “greeting” question because it is ingrained in my mind to do so. From the time you were little you had your dad or mom standing behind you whispering, “Shake his hand and ask him how he is doing. And look him in the eyes.” Thanks dad/mom!:)

Do I really care about their day? Yes because I care about them, but do I have time to hear about it? I mean I don’t wish them a bad day and I do care about them as a person, I am just busy! (Or so I think.) So, when I ask how they are, I am just being nice. (That is what people do, right.) But what happens when you run into the one person that is actually honest and doesn’t pretend. You are passing by hurriedly on your way to somewhere “oh so important”; you ask them how they are doing, then bam! They hit you with it… “Well today just hasn’t been a good day,” they tell you. So you think to yourself, “Ugh! I don’t have time for this right now. Gosh I really love her but right now? Of all days and of all times, I really need to be somewhere.” So what do you do? I know you’ve thought it, I have… I will just tell them I will be praying for them and keep walking. Well that isn’t rude or anything. So what do you REALLY do? You stay… you listen… you talk… you listen some more… and then you pray for them. After all that, you walk away feeling like you have maybe helped someone out and they might have even helped you out a little too. It is about building relationships. Putting forth effort to really care about what is going on with their lives. It’s also about you opening up and being relatable to other people. Believe me, I am guilty of it. So what am I learning? Don’t pretend…Don’t ask them how they are doing if you really don’t care or if you are too busy. Just wave and say hi! I am also learning to STOP! I read their face or body language to see if they really are doing well. I asked a friend here how she was doing one day. She told me the standard answer and turned around to continue to work on whatever it was she was working on. So I watched her and could tell something was bothering her. I asked her if she was sure everything was ok and she started crying. 30 minutes later, I learned that indeed she wasn’t alright. Building relationships with people is much more important than the next task on hand. God created us to have a relationship with him. Every relationship you build with people allows you to be a witness for Him. How awesome is that!

Disclaimer: Obviously this blog does not include everyone in the world. It is just a generalization of how I felt or have being feeling. Every person is different. This blog is more for me to learn my own lessons than for others to learn from it. :)

Are You Swimming With A Purpose?

2010-12-06T14:40:00.003-06:00

Standing at the fountain this morning, I found myself staring at the minnows swimming aimlessly around and around. They are swimming in green murky water containing tons of algae and dirt. They don’t really seem to mind and just continue to swim. When I step up to feed them, they swim up to where I am standing, and wait for food to be dropped in the water so they can eat. If I don’t feed them, the only way for them to survive is to eat the insects that swim on the top of the water or the algae that surrounds them. As I watch the fish swim around in the fountain, I think how purposeless is their life, or at least the ones in my fountain. They just eat, produce more fish and swim around; eat, produce more fish and swim around; eat produce more fish and swim around! There is no real purpose for them being there. They don’t even eat enough algae to keep the fountain clean!

Then I thought about our lives in God’s fish bowl. What do we eat, produce and where do we swim? God gives us the ability to be fed daily by Him, so that we don’t have to use the things of this world to feed on. But what are we producing? Are we telling people about Jesus? Are we sharing the gospel so that those we share it with have the chance to except Christ as their Savior? (So they can in turn start telling others about Jesus) Or are we just swimming around life aimlessly like the fish? We have all been blessed with so many things in life: spouses, children, jobs, friends, things, and it is easy for us to be grateful for those things every day. However, although God has blessed us with those things, they are just extra things to make life better for us. I must say it is great waking up next to a spouse who loves you, taking your children to a ball game, or buying a new car. But we still need and must have a purpose beyond those things!

So many of us are just living life, and living it well, but not living it with God’s purpose in mind. When was the last time you told someone about Jesus? Sure we all go to church, we all can volunteer for an outreach, etc., but are we really making it our purpose to tell everyone about Jesus? I don’t want anyone to end up in hell because I didn’t take the opportunity to tell them about Jesus! Why would we not tell them? Is it because we are busy living regular life? So we tell ourselves, if they come to an outreach, we can tell them about Jesus then. If they come to our church, we can tell them then. If they hear it from our Pastor, then we don’t even have to say anything at all! Alright, Pastor saved us! Or maybe if they ask us directly we will tell them then. But in the end, we assume they know about Jesus already and we leave it at that. We say our “How are ya’s?” and move on. No! Every soul is important to God and should be equally important to us. He doesn’t want any of His creation to spend their eternity in hell.

So now, every time I pass a fountain or fish tank, I am reminded to check my own life. Am I swimming with a purpose (God’s purpose)? Or am I just swimming? Does the person beside me know Jesus? Does the person behind me know Jesus? Let’s find out, and no it doesn’t need to be awkward! You don’t have to stare them down and ask them if they “know the Lord.” But it might not hurt to take the time to notice what they are doing or what they are looking at, and start a conversation from there…

Life In Nicaragua

2010-08-02T21:01:00.003-05:00

Funny Story! Today Daniel,the kids and I went to buy something at the mall here in Nicaragua. When we were finished shopping, Daniel got into the car and pulled it around to the door to pick the kids and I up. We loaded everything into the car, while parked blocking one of the mall traffic lanes, and jumped in the car to head home. As the kids and I got into the car, and Daniel was walking around to the driver's side to get in, we heard a police siren close by. As he opened his door and sat down, immediately a police truck pulled up right next to him (with lights and sirens) and told him to stay put. About five officers jumped from the truck, with Uzis in hand, and stood in front of our vehicle. Another vehicle that was directly behind the police truck, which was unmarked, pulled up right in front of our vehicle (facing our vehicle) and more cops jumped out with Uzis in hand, and were facing us. Behind this vehicle was another unmarked truck with a single blue light on top, and more cops were in this one. There were about 20 cops in all and they were all looking at us, while holding their big guns. I thought to myself, "Great they think that us gringos just stole something and they have the police here to arrest us!" As they were facing us, I noticed that a lady dressed in uniform and her two kids got out of the second car and began walking toward the store. She was the chief of police! She had come to the store to shop, and apparently needs 20 police officers guarding her. So basically since we pulled up right next to the door she was entering they were making sure we didn't make any sudden moves. Daniel knew what it was the whole time, but I didn't!! You would think that after living nine years as a cops wife, I would know better!! I love third-world living!

April Newsletter

2010-04-19T11:02:00.000-05:00

We are getting closer and closer to our time of departure from the great State of Texas! We have quickly learned that it is not easy to up and move out of the country and have been very busy getting everything prepared to leave. There is so much more to think about when you are moving abroad than moving down the road. We are almost there and continue to strive toward our goal of leaving in June every day.

The following is a quick update about what has happened in the past month:

We had our church’s annual missions conference at the end of March, and it went very well. We both had an opportunity to speak and share from our hearts about our future plans in Nicaragua. We also had some free time to hang out with the other missionaries that attended this year’s conference and it was a blessing to hear the amazing stories of what God is doing all around the world!

We will be closing on our house in a couple of weeks and are very excited. As we mentioned in previous newsletters, the sale of our house is the last thing we needed to accomplish prior to leaving the country. The couple that is buying our house is truly a Godsend, and we couldn’t have asked for nicer people. We look forward to completing this process and are excited for the new owners. We know they will love the house as much as we did!

Luke has about a week left in his cast and he is definitely counting down the days! He is looking forward to getting his walking boot on so he can finally get off the crutches. The doctor says his foot is healing perfectly and is healing ahead of schedule.

In dealing with the doctor who performed both surgeries, we have quickly discovered that our God is much bigger than we can imagine, and this world that we think is so big, is actually very, very small. The foot surgeon had several pictures on his wall of children in another country. We remarked at how closely these children resembled some of the orphans we had seen in Nicaragua, and decided to ask him where these pictures were taken. He told us the pictures were taken while he was on a medical mission trip to Masaya, Nicaragua! We almost fell out of our chairs. We have been to Masaya several times on our mission trips, and it is amazing to learn that the doctor we picked at random has seen firsthand the need in the country of Nicaragua. Do you think God knows what He is doing?

Jade is doing well and continues to be a blessing to our family. God has given her a sweet spirit that is compassionate and always helpful, and we thank God for her daily. She is also counting down the days until Luke gets his cast off so she can run and play with her brother.

We are still in contact with Sandy Carter, the veteran missionary that oversees the Children of Destiny Ministry, and she is excitedly awaiting our arrival to Nicaragua. Our first priority when we arrive is to enroll in the language school located in Managua, Nicaragua. We believe that learning the Spanish language is the key to success for our future work in the country. We want to demonstrate our love for the people by learning their culture, their language, and their way of living. We believe this shows the people our sincere desire to minister in their country.

We are continuing to raise support from individuals, churches and organizations as well as pack for our move. We appreciate all of you and pray that God blesses you mightily!

In Christ,
The Hennings

March 2010 Newsletter

2010-03-26T12:35:00.001-05:00

It’s March Madness already and we don’t even keep up with college basketball! The last week of February into the first week of March has brought us more challenges, but has let us know we are in the will of God.

On February 24th Luke had another seizure, coincidentally one week before his second foot surgery was scheduled. It was the same type of seizure that occurred back in October, and again it gave us quite a scare! Luke came out of this one quicker than last time and shortly after we arrived at the hospital he was back to normal. We followed up with an EEG and praise be to God, everything was normal. We think it is very interesting that both seizures have occurred right before his foot surgeries, and we personally believe that these seizures are stress related. We are believing that Luke will have no other seizures, and that he is completely healed by Jesus’ stripes!

Luke did undergo his second foot surgery and everything went well. His foot is healing nicely, and he is already looking forward to getting the next three months in a cast over with. He continues to have a great attitude and remains positive with everything he has endured.

Jade is the very best daughter and sister a family could have. She has done an awesome job helping Luke any way she can. She never complains about having to haul his books to and from school and always keeps a good attitude. God has blessed us with two wonderfully great kids!

Our house is finally up for sale! We have slaved hours on end foregoing sleep and relaxation to get everything ready for this sale. We know the housing market is struggling right now but we are leaving the miracles up to God. We are not likely to make money from the sale, but we will be clear from the mortgage payments. Please pray that our house sells quickly because this is the last hurdle we must overcome in order to leave for Nicaragua. We are currently living with relatives in order to save money and keep our house in show-ready condition at all times.

We are continuing to raise support for our move in June and look forward to our church’s annual missions conference at the end of this month. We would like for you to join us at our church and invite all of you to come. We are also in the process of visiting other churches in order to raise support. If you are a pastor of a church or involved with a church you would like us to visit, please feel free to call us at (817) 229-3470 or email us at henningmissions@gmail.com. We would love to share our vision and what God has planned for us with each and every one of you.

We are so grateful for all your prayers and support for our move to Nicaragua, as well as your prayers for all we have been through as a family. We cannot do this without you, and we are blessed to be a part of your life.

In Christ,

The Henning Family

Globe International Nicaragua

2010-03-25T12:52:00.000-05:00

This is the latest video for the Globe International Nicaragua Ministry. This is the ministry that Daniel and I have a heart to work for and we are believing that God will send us there soon. Please feel free to check their website as well at: http://www.codn.org/home.html.

Henning February 2010 Newsletter

2010-03-18T16:32:00.006-05:00

Sell, Sell, Sell! Our main focus right now is selling our house. We need to sell quickly in order to save the mortgage payment for our move to Nicaragua. Please pray that our house sells soon, that it sells for what we’re asking and that all the transactions run smoothly. Once we have sold our house, we will be moving in with relatives until our departure. We are still planning on departing for Nicaragua in June of this year.

We want to invite all of you to our church’s annual missions conference on March 28th through March 31st. Each year the missionaries that our church supports speak about what God is doing in their respective countries. This year we will be representing the country of Nicaragua, and as always, we are excited to speak about the country, the love we have for the people and the plans God has for us. To the right is the information regarding the upcoming missions conference.

If you would like to see a video of what is currently going on in Nicaragua, please feel free to watch this video online at http://www.codn.org/video-2008video.html. We would love for all of you to join us for the conference. Please call us at 817-229-3470 if you would like to come or if you have any questions.

Another update on our son, Luke: he recently got his walking boot off and is excited about the opportunity to wear two shoes instead of one for a couple of weeks. He has been through a lot for a 9-year-old boy, but has never complained and continues to have a great attitude about his upcoming surgery. The next one is scheduled for the end of February or the beginning of March. This foot surgery will be the same as the last one, two months in a cast and one month in a walking boot. We expect him to be completely healed just in time for us to leave for Nicaragua. Please pray that God heals him sooner than expected.

In all things that we have endured in the past several months, we know that God is in control and has our future set. We continually rely upon his Word to lift us up and cling to Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future…” (NIV)

In Christ,
Daniel and Meagan Henning

Conference Information:

The Vine Fellowship Church
5229 Kelly Elliott Road
Arlington, Texas 76017
817-478-5081

Sunday, March 28
10:00AM
6:00PM

Monday, March 29
7:00PM - Men Only
(Dinner served $8, sign up in advance)

Tuesday, March 30
7:00PM - Women Only
(Dinner served $8, sign up in advance)

Wednesday, March 31
6:45PM

January Newsletter

2010-02-01T08:30:00.005-06:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 2010 is finally here! This is the year the Henning family has been looking forward to greatly. This is the year we are planning to move to Nicaragua. We cannot help but wonder what awesome things God has in store for our family during this year. We have feelings of excitement, happiness, and anticipation, but we also have many questions that fill our minds. Questions arise such as: Will we raise all the money in time? Are we spiritually equipped and ready to go? Will God use our family? Will we be successful?

We already know the answers to these questions, but it is funny how we begin to question everything we have known to be true because of the obstacles or attacks that come against us. Now, more than ever, as we grow closer to our departure, we need your prayers and support. Please pray our goals are met, we continue to stand strong in our faith and we strengthen our walk with Him.

Now that it is 2010, we would like to provide you with an update of where we stand in our fundraising from this past year. We have raised $4,348.00 of the $38,000 goal from August 2009 to December 2009. We want to thank all of you who have donated to us and prayed for us. We cannot reach our support goal without each and every one of you. We have received several questions and have tried to answer them as they come up, however, two of the most frequently asked questions we have received are:

• Does Globe support you financially?

No. Globe International does not pay for us to go to the mission field. Our income comes from family, friends, churches and supporters like you. Globe does support us with administrative needs such as: handling tax receipts, accounting, mailings and printings. Globe also lifts us up in prayer each and every day.

• Do your fundraising charts reflect actual needed expenses?

Yes. The financial needs listed on our fundraising charts are actually expenses for a family of four living in Nicaragua. These are not estimates from a website, but are actual numbers from a missionary family of four already living in Nicaragua. There are, however, some financial needs on our charts that are one-time expenses.

If you have other questions or would like to talk with us about our plans, please do not hesitate to email us at henningmissions@gmail.com or call us at 817-229-3470.

A quick update on the family: Meagan survived the tonsillectomy surgery, and yes the recovery was rough! Luke had his first foot surgery and is doing very well. He is amazingly fast on his crutches and even named them Mr. Bob and Billy Bob Junior. His cast was recently removed and he will be in a walking boot for a month. He undergoes surgery for the other foot soon. Despite what the devil may bring against us, we know that in all things God is always faithful! To Him be the glory and the honor forever!

Love In Christ,

Daniel and Meagan Henning

Our Goal: Start Up Cost We Must Raise
Car $5,000
Plane Tickets $1,800
Plane Tickets Home $1,900
One Time Enrollment Fee for Kids School $4,700*
6 Month Language School $7,500*
Shipping Cost for Crate $6,000
Visas $500
One Time Apartment Deposit $600
Our first 3 Month’s Cost (required by Globe) $10,830
Total Initial Cost $38,830
*Total Cost Not Per Person Cost

Monthly Budget: Once In Nicaragua
Vehicle & Insurance $380
Gas (Vehicle) $250
Apartment Rent & Utilities $900
Health Insurance $300*
Groceries $700
Purified Water $30
Kids School Tuition $600*
Missionary Operational Fees (Globe) $150
Misc Expenditures $300
Total Monthly Budget $3,610
*Total Cost, Not Per Person Cost

December Newsletter

2010-02-01T08:25:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas to all of you! We hope each and every one of you has a great Christmas. Every family, culture and country has their own Christmas traditions, as well as their own way of celebrating the holidays. We would like to share with you how Nicaraguan families celebrate during Christmas.

The Nicaraguan Christmas celebration begins on December 7th as the people begin to honor the Immaculate Conception of Christ. This celebration is called “La Purisima” (The Most Pure). During this time, the Nicaraguans sing prayers and songs to the Virgin Mary so loud that the celebration is called “La Noche de Griteria” (The Night of the Screaming).

During “La Griteria,” the majority of the country walks around all night singing until they lose their voices. They stop at each house, whose main entrance or porch is decorated, to sing the traditional hymns to the Virgin Mary. Fireworks continually explode around the country as treats are offered at every house. These treats may include rosquillas, leche de burra (a treat called donkey’s milk), nacatamal (tamales stuffed with meat), oranges, lemons, and chopped caña (cane). Finally, La Griteria ends when there are no more foods or candy to share.

Throughout December in Nicaragua you can see how Christmas symbols take over houses, streets, and many other places. One main symbol many families put up is ‘El Nacimiento’ (‘Nativity sets’). They are placed in houses, churches, in the avenues and in receptions of commercial buildings. Some people display the Nativity set without Baby Jesus’ image until the first hours of December 25th.

In Nicaragua celebrating Christmas is a mixture of traditional Nicaraguan practices with other elements that have become Christmas icons all over the world. Much like our North American Christmas traditions, Nicaragua has two main characters: Santa Claus and Baby Jesus. The height of this celebration occurs at midnight on December 24th. The Nicaraguan families gather on this night to enjoy a special dinner, and like “La Purisima”, fireworks are set off around the country. In some houses, children are sent to bed early because Santa’s myth is still maintained. Children are awakened at midnight to see what Santa has brought them. In other families, children are told to write a letter to Baby Jesus asking for all the gifts or special wishes they want. Parents use these letters to buy Christmas presents for their children, which are also opened at midnight on Jesus’ Birthday.

Another celebrated Nicaraguan Christmas tradition, and perhaps the most touching, is the tradition of the “Christmas Hug.” Family members, friends and neighbors celebrate this tradition by hugging each other as a sign of reconciliation. We all can learn from the Nicaraguan people with this tradition and we would like you to try something this Christmas: give a hug of reconciliation to those family members, friends or neighbors with whom you are not at peace. Open up your heart and humble yourself in order that you may mend the broken relationships of the past and be at peace with those close to you. Remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:9, “Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called the sons of God.”

This year, whether your are celebrating in North America or somewhere else around the world, we are praying for you, and wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Para Los Ninos?? Nica What Are You Thinking???

2009-12-09T08:52:00.002-06:00

Temporary Ice Rink Causes Controversy In Warm Nicaragua !

MANAGUA - Nicaragua's government caused controversy with the construction of a temporary ice rink that cost close to US$1.5 million dollars and was only set to be in use during December.
The tropical Nicaragua - with average temperatures of 87-93 degrees throughout the year - is the second-poorest country in the Americas, after Haiti.

Local media have strongly criticized the project in Managua as 'an excentricity,' in a country of 6 million where 70 per cent of the people live on at most us$1 dollar per day and where 60 per cent would like to go abroad to work, according to independent research.

First Lady Rosario Murillo - also the spokeswoman for the government of Sandinista President Daniel Ortega - said the 225- square-metre ice rink built near the city's waterfront Malecon on Lake Managua is set to 'give joy' to poor children.

Murillo - accompanied by several of her children and grandchildren - walked around the facility, known as the Park of Happy Girls and Boys, which was set to stand for just one month.
'We have the responsibility to bring here many children from across the country,' she said at the first ice rink ever built in Nicaragua.

City government officials said they hope to host 8,000 visitors per day at the park. Use of the ice rink - which can hold 60 skaters at any one time - is set to be free.
'We are going to have circuses, music shows, clowns, jugglers, all free, because that is what children deserve,' Murillo said.

Nicaraguan authorities did not reveal the upkeep costs of the ice rink, or the origin of the funds that were devoted to its construction.

November 2009 Henning Newsleter

2009-11-27T17:44:00.005-06:00

"Why does God allow such warfare? Sometimes God uses the fight to strengthen muscles we'll need at that next level. If yesterday's wimp is going to become tomorrow's warrior, something has to happen today." - Beth Moore

This quote came from the Beth Moore bible study, “Stepping Up,” and it states exactly what we have been going through in the month of October, warfare!

This past month has been one of the most challenging and trying months in the life of our family. It all began by Meagan getting sick with strep throat, which she quickly recovered from, and everything seemed to be returning to normal. On October 15th, we had a huge praise report: we overcame one of our biggest goals in preparation for leaving the country by paying off our last debt!

Immediately, without any warning, and while we were still celebrating the greatness of our God, the devil decided to attack our joy. The very next night, on Friday, October 16th, as we were eating dinner with some friends, we noticed our son was sitting at the table not speaking or doing anything. We asked him what was wrong, and he did not answer. As we looked at him closer, we noticed his eyes were rolling back in his head and his body was going limp. We immediately picked him up and began running to our truck to get him to the hospital. After several hours in the emergency room and numerous tests, we were released with no explanation other than he had a seizure, and all tests were normal. Naturally, to any parent, this is one of the most terrifying experiences to go through.

The very next week, a previously scheduled doctor visit with the podiatrist yielded some additional bad news. Luke will have to undergo two operations on his feet, one per foot. (The first surgery is November 13.) This will correct his feet from hurting and prevent future problems as he grows older. The next day, after that doctor’s visit, Luke developed a fever. The subsequent trip to the pediatrician resulted in him being diagnosed with the H1N1 virus.

On October 24th, we snuck out of town to have some fun fishing on Lake Texoma, but the day was not entirely a blast. As the day wore on, I started to develop symptoms of strep throat, and some other type of infection on my face. A trip to the “doc in the box” resulted in me being diagnosed with shingles and strep. Then the following Monday, Meagan was diagnosed with strep again!

So, why does God allow such warfare? He is strengthening our muscles! The devil has tried to attack us financially (pending medical bills and expensive house repairs), with fear (future medical problems with Luke), by stealing our joy (having become debt free) and taking our focus off of what is important: fulfilling the call that God has placed on our lives!

In all the things we have gone through this month, we keep coming back to Ephesians 6:13, “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.” Our faith, hope and trust in getting to Nicaragua lies in the awesome power of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and we will stand firm against all the fiery darts of the enemy! Please continue to pray for us as we continue to move toward our goal of leaving for Nicaragua in June of 2010!

In Christ,
Daniel and Meagan Henning

Our Goal: Start Up Cost We Must Raise
Car $5,000
Plane Tickets $1,800
Plane Tickets Home $1,900
One Time Enrollment Fee for Kids School $4,700*
6 Month Language School $7,500*
Shipping Cost for Crate $6,000
Visas $500
One Time Apartment Deposit $600
Our first 3 Month’s Cost (required by Globe) $10,830
Total Initial Cost $38,830
*Total Cost Not Per Person Cost

Monthly Budget: Once In Nicaragua
Vehicle & Insurance $380
Gas (Vehicle) $250
Apartment Rent & Utilities $900
Health Insurance $300*
Groceries $700
Purified Water $30
Kids School Tuition $600*
Missionary Operational Fees (Globe) $150
Misc Expenditures $300
Total Monthly Budget $3,610
*Total Cost, Not Per Person Cost

One Last Post Surgery Update

2009-11-17T09:36:00.004-06:00

Not much has changed since my last blog about our surgeries but I can give you another update on how the Henning family is currently doing.

Whoever said the “Coblation” method for a tonsillectomy was less painful was VERY WRONG! I am on day seven-post surgery and I still feel horrible. Yes, I can say that it isn’t so bad to where I would ever say, “I can never handle anything like this again”; but I will say it is BAD! For the last four days I have had a sore throat that feels like someone is searing it with a hot iron, a severe headache from my throat aching so bad and severe earache that comes with the removal of your tonsil. My ears literally feel like they are going to bust off my head. Plus, the pain meds they gave me really don’t help much. Yea fun! When I yawn that is when I feel like I am going to come unglued with pain. I also sneezed for the first time last night, and that was 10,000 times worse then yawning. I hope I don’t sneeze again for a long while. Last night I started thinking, “where is all that yucky white stuff at the back of my throat going to end up”, that is when my stomach got all queasy thinking about the fact it is going to end up being swallowed. Yuck! I am so ready for this to be over and the pain to be gone. I just want to resume my normal schedule.

Luke on the other hand is doing well since his foot surgery. He still doesn’t complain of pain except at night, which I think is because he is finally still enough to realize he might hurt a little. Other then that he has been doing well with the crutches and I think he is even ready to go back to school. He gets his cast on tomorrow morning and he is requesting it to be blue! I hope they can do that. Jade has been a big help to him and us. She is right by his side whenever he needs anything. She has such a sweet spirit. She is doing well even though her brother and mother are getting all the attention. She prays for my throat every night to get better and for my pain to go away. She makes my heart melt.

My wonderful hubby is doing great as our caretaker too! I know it can’t be fun taking care of a wife who is in constant pain and a son who is learning how to use crutches; but he has done extremely well and kept up a great attitude. He makes us breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday (my meals modified of course); and he is there to get us whatever we need. Not that I expected anything less of him, that is how he always is even if we aren’t down and out. He is the best hubby ever. Now we are all just praying to be healed quickly. Hope all of you are doing well! Let me know if you need us to add anything to our prayer request list!

Surgery Update

2009-11-13T19:20:00.002-06:00

Well I am on recovery day three from my tonsil surgery and today has been the worst to date. The first two days were a cinch. I was up talking, cleaning, doing laundry, and eating whatever I wanted. My doctor gave me no restrictions and told me to do whatever I felt like doing. So that is what I did. Today however, I woke up super tired and my throat seemed a lot more swollen. I have not felt like doing anything today. Tonight isn’t any better either. I could barely eat and drinking is killing me too. My throat is hurting from the inside out and it is causing me to have a huge headache. Blah! I am praying that tomorrow will be better.

We also had Luke’s first foot surgery today, so being at the surgery center for 5 hours didn’t help me much either. Luke has been doing wonderful since his surgery this morning, he is such a trooper. After we brought him home his sleepiness wore off and he has been acting normal ever since. He isn’t even in any pain. We have to watch him because he is throwing his foot around like he didn’t just have surgery. So now we are just praying for a quick recovery and healing time for him. Right now the projected recovery time is two months in a cast and one month in a boot, then we move to his next foot.

I have included a few pictures. Thanks to everyone for your prayers and well wishes! They are very much appreciated!

My Throat:

Luke's Leg Bandage:

October 2009 Henning Newsletter

2009-10-08T10:17:00.007-05:00

Wow, a whole month has gone by since our last newsletter! If feels like we just sent our first newsletter to you yesterday. This past month we have focused on getting our house ready for sale. One of our goals is to have it on the market by November and sold by the end of the year. This will enable us to avoid paying a mortgage in the months prior to our departure. Unfortunately, we have three major repairs to face prior to putting the house on the market: a water leak (which may be under the house), shifting in the foundation, and a new fence. We are in the process of receiving bids for these projects so we can continue with our plans to sell the house by the end of the year. We are praying we can get these repairs accomplished, sell the house quickly, and make a profit.

The next goal is to find other avenues to share our vision for Nicaragua and raise support for our family. If you are a Pastor and would like us to share our vision at your church, if you know of a Pastor you would like us to contact, or if you would like more information about our family or the ministry we will be working with, please email us at henningmissions@gmail.com or call us at 817-229-3470. We would love to share what God has put on our heart for the people and children of Nicaragua! Please feel free to check out the Children of Destiny Ministry website at www.codn.org for more information regarding the orphanages, boys’ home, and feeding programs we will be involved with in Nicaragua.

We want to thank everyone who has sent us a financial gift or who is currently supporting us regularly, as well as those who are thinking about supporting us. Without your financial contributions it would not be possible for us to move, work and live in Nicaragua. Your contributions help us help the people and children of Nicaragua. The children are in need of practical, every-day items such as good food and clean water. They need daily encouragement and teaching to believe they, too, can make a difference in their country. They are always excited to know that people are thinking about them and praying for them every day. For all of you who keep our family, the country of Nicaragua, the political leaders, and most of all the children of Nicaragua in your prayers, we want to thank you. We appreciate every one of you, and we cannot do this without you praying for us.

As a reminder, we will leave our two charts of “start up cost” and “monthly budget” in our newsletters through December and will update everyone on our financial status this coming January. We still have a very long way to go to reach our goal, so please consider supporting us monthly. Every donation places us one step closer to helping the people and children of Nicaragua. Remember, all contributions are tax deductible. You can send funds to the address below or donate online at: https://www.gme.org/donate.

Love In Christ,

Daniel and Meagan Henning

Our Goal: Start Up Cost We Must Raise
Car $5,000
Plane Tickets $1,800
Plane Tickets Home $1,900
One Time Enrollment Fee for Kids School $4,700*
6 Month Language School $7,500*
Shipping Cost for Crate $6,000
Visas $500
One Time Apartment Deposit $600
Our first 3 Month’s Cost (required by Globe) $10,830
Total Initial Cost $38,830
*Total Cost Not Per Person Cost

Monthly Budget: Once In Nicaragua
Vehicle & Insurance $380
Gas (Vehicle) $250
Apartment Rent & Utilities $900
Health Insurance $300*
Groceries $700
Purified Water $30
Kids School Tuition $600*
Missionary Operational Fees (Globe) $150
Misc Expenditures $300
Total Monthly Budget $3,610
*Total Cost, Not Per Person Cost

Newsletter September 2009

2009-10-08T09:41:00.015-05:00

Dear Family and Friends,

Can you imagine a country where 79% of the population lives on less than $2 a day? Where 2,500 people live inside the city dump, scavenging daily for rotted scraps of food just to survive? A country where children are sent out to the streets to beg for money and if they don’t meet their daily quota they are beaten; then sent out again? A country where houses are made of cardboard and scrap metal held together by barb wire? We want to share with you a challenging ministry opportunity God has impressed upon our hearts for the country of Nicaragua.

Over the last four years we have taken three missions trips to Nicaragua and have witnessed all of the disheartening things mentioned above. Nicaragua is a place of both scenic beauty and extreme poverty. The people are extremely generous and warm, but they lack the basic necessities that many of us take for granted: clean water, electricity, food, employment, education, and access to true Christian faith. We feel led to work with a ministry in Nicaragua called Children of Destiny Nicaragua (CODN) through Globe International, Inc. The mission of CODN is to demonstrate the love of God for each child daily in the most practical ways, provide them with basic necessities, and teach them the Word of God, so that they may help the nation of Nicaragua in the future. We both fell in love with the mission and work of CODN and feel the Lord has opened the door and given us an opportunity to work with them full time. In May 2010, we will become missionaries and make Nicaragua our permanent home. We are very excited about this event, and our children are, too!

We need your prayers and financial support to make this happen. We want and need you to be a part of this important endeavor with us! We need people who are willing to pray for us, our family, the ministry and Nicaragua on a regular basis, but we will also need financial support! To be able to participate in this ministry, we must raise $3,610 a month, which includes everything our family of four needs. We are humbly asking our churches, our friends, and our family members who are able, to make a monetary contribution starting as soon as possible. We have 10 months to raise our initial startup cost totaling $38,830. We cannot leave for Nicaragua until we have raised our initial startup cost. Any contribution you make will be appreciated and used, and there is no gift too large or small.

After raising the initial startup cost, our monthly budget to remain in Nicaragua will be $3,610. All funds will be held at Globe International. They are a missionary sending agency that sends missionaries all over the world. The funds will not be released until we leave for Nicaragua. Funds are allotted monthly over an approved budget by Globe. All contributions are tax deductible. You may send funds to the address below or for easy convenient pay donate online at: https://www.gme.org/donate. Please partner with us starting today! We pray that together we can live according to James 1:27.

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

Sincerely yours,
Daniel and Meagan Henning

Our Goal: Start Up Cost We Must Raise
Car $5,000
Plane Tickets $1,800
Plane Tickets Home $1,900
One Time Enrollment Fee for Kids School $4,700*
6 Month Language School $7,500*
Shipping Cost for Crate $6,000
Visas $500
One Time Apartment Deposit $600
Our first 3 Month’s Cost (required by Globe) $10,830
Total Initial Cost $38,830

Monthly Budget: Once In Nicaragua
Vehicle & Insurance $380
Gas (Vehicle) $250
Apartment Rent & Utilities $900
Health Insurance $300*
Groceries $700
Purified Water $30
Kids School Tuition $600*
Missionary Operational Fees (Globe) $150
Misc Expenditures $300
Total Monthly Budget $3,610

Random Epiphany

2009-08-01T23:59:00.001-05:00

It’s funny the things you have epiphanies about just doing every day things in life. Every time I come across a bug that gets on me, when I cut myself on a thorny plant, when I talk to other women about labor pains or anything in life that I think may not have happened if she hadn’t sinned, I always say to my self, “When I get to heaven me and Mrs. Eve are going to have a little chat.” I never understood how she could cause the fall of mankind over a stupid healthy apple! Really! It isn’t like the devil was putting chocolate in her face. She sinned with a dumb healthy apple. And to make it worse she had thousands of apples she could have choose from. Not that I am saying I could do a better job because I know I wouldn’t. I sin just as much as the next person on this earth, unfortunately! I always just thought if she was going to sin why would she do it with an apple!! Why not sin with a big bang!! Do something grand, if you’re going actually cause the fall of mankind. Then it dawned on me, duh, that was all the devil had to tempt her with. There was no other man, no pornography, no one to gossip to (unless she talked to the animals when she was mad), no shallow women jealousy, no drugs, there was nothing else for her to be tempted by. It is just funny how the devil knows exactly what you need to be tempted with. Even when it is as simple as an apple! He knows what your weakness is and he hits you right there. So I guess I can’t say I need to talk to Eve anymore! The devil tempted her the same way he tempts me. Even if it was an apple! I know it is silly but it was just one of those epiphanies you get when one random thought leads to another random thought!

Obituary (Click On It To View)

2009-04-14T11:39:00.001-05:00

To Him-From Me

2009-04-07T22:15:00.003-05:00

Where am I Lord?
Where do you want me to be?
Why am I so complacent Lord?
Why do I feel like it is always me?

I know if I ask, you will say
seek and you shall find.
But that means change within me Lord,
and that I sometimes mind.

As hard as life can be you would
think that I would change.
Instead of you, I run to me and
with that my life gets so deranged.

Keep working in me Lord,
cause without you I am no more.
I know you won't give up and
you always keep open the door.

Your love for me I do not understand
but am grateful for always.
Create in me a new person that can
live for you all the days!

PERFECT BIBLE

2009-03-16T13:42:00.003-05:00

For some reason I've never been a person that writes/highlights in my bible. Since we were little kids we were taught (or at least I was) to not write in or on your books. So that always translated in my mind to not write in my bible either. It just feels like I am doing something wrong. I know many people who find it helpful to write in their bible. They jot down something that is meaningful to them or they write down factual/helpful information that isn’t already listed in their bible. In doing so, those types of things help them remember what they have read or help them remember what God has done for them. I look at people who have bibles that are worn, written in, highlighted, etc… and I think to myself “Wow that is so awesome. I wish I could do that.” However, I have never been able to bring myself to actually do it; it has always been a mental issue with me from childhood. So during bible study last week I decided my new goal would be to write in my bible because I know how helpful it would be for me. So I went home that night to see what bible I would use. I have lots of bibles at home to choose from. I have a bible in Spanish, the New King James, NIV, the Message Bible, study bibles, geographical bibles, etc… the list goes on and on. (I love buying bibles because I think you can never have too many.) However after looking through them all, none of them fit exactly what I was looking for. So this weekend I set out on a mission to find the perfect bible for me to be able to read and write in. It needed to have wider margins for writing room but I wanted to find one that wasn’t to think and bulky to carry around. I also didn’t want one that was so small I wouldn’t have room for writing in it. So off to Mardel’s I went! As I looked over all the different bibles at Mardel’s, this bible buying experience felt different. It felt very personal. (Don’t ask me why!) I looked at tons of bibles but since I already knew what translation I wanted I was able to narrow down the many, many shelves of bibles there are to look at and go through. After looking, I just still wasn’t feeling like any of these were what I really wanted. Then I noticed my husband, Daniel, going through all the books on clearance, so I moved on over there thinking my search was over. I just figured I would have to go to another store to keep looking. He was looking at this particular bible (that was on clearance) and told me to look at it and see if it was what I was looking for. I thought to myself for sure it wouldn’t be what I was looking for. Book clearances normally mean they weren’t big sellers or they were damaged, etc…. so I had already played out in my head that this wouldn’t be the bible for me. (So Stubborn, I Am) But I went ahead and took it from his hands anyway. Then that was it….I KNEW RIGHT THEN THAT I HAD FOUND MY PERFECT BIBLE. It was exactly what I had been looking for. I loved it instantly. It was thinner but large enough to write in. It had room in the margins for writing. It was the translation I wanted. It was perfect. I know it sounds silly for me to be so excited over a bible, especially when you know I have tons of them at home. But again…I tell you this time it was different. I can’t explain it nor will I even try. J I just know that I love my new bible and I have also already written in it. It took some gearing up time and me overcoming some mental issues of not being allowed to write in my bible. But none-the-less, I did it and I am glad I did! Wahoo!! I just thought I would share this story with everyone.

(Please excuse any misspelled words or grammatical errors.)

I Am Blessed

2009-01-16T13:11:00.005-06:00

I love my family! I have husband who is a wonderful man of God, an incredible husband, a great father, and an excellent leader. He loves me when I am happy, he loves me when I am sad and he loves me even when I am hard to love! :) I love my two beautiful children that the Lord has blessed me with. They love God, they respect and love their parents, and they love each other! God has truly blessed me with the best family on this earth. :) I just thought I would share that with everyone!

To Daniel, Luke and Jade: I love you with all my heart! Thank you for being such a blessing to me!

A New Year

2009-01-07T11:24:00.001-06:00

The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul and a new nose; new feet, a new backbone, new ears, and new eyes. Unless a particular man made New Year resolutions, he would make no resolutions. Unless a man starts afresh about things, he will certainly do nothing effective. Unless a man starts on the strange assumption that he has never existed before, it is quite certain that he will never exist afterwards. Unless a man be born again, he shall by no means enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. -G. K. Chesterton

To Friends

2008-12-09T10:32:00.003-06:00

I have learned and relearned in life that no matter how many friends you have or how close you become; you will always end up disappointing each other at some time. This is what makes us all human. It is also why you have to put your faith in Jesus Christ because he is the only one who can be steadfast in your life. However, I have also learned that the true friends will stick by you through all the times you disappoint them (and you will stick by them as well). They know that you are human, that you are bound to make bad choices and wrong decisions; which is why they pray for you and see you through it all. They see your heart and know that you are good. They look out for your best interest and you love them for it. I just want to thank God for giving me friends that can see me through my many mistakes and pitfalls!

Thank You

2008-11-26T23:37:00.006-06:00

1 Chronicles 16:34
Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!

In honor of this holiday and just because you can never be thankful enough, I wanted to say thanks to everyone who is in my life! First and most importantly thanks to God for giving his one and only son for me. He is merciful time and again with my many faults and mistakes. He loves me just as I am. I also want to thank Him for the many blessing He has given me. I am blessed with the best most loving husband in the world; I have two beautiful wonderfully made children, and the best family I could have ever asked for. As if that wasn’t enough I am also blessed with many friends that support, encourage and love me. The Lord has given me great opportunities in my life and I am sure there are more to come. So a big thank you to God, to my family and to all my friends! I love you all! Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy the pictures below of some of the many family and friends I am thankful for.

Coolness

2008-11-20T16:33:00.001-06:00

Anonymous

2008-11-20T09:15:00.003-06:00

"Anonymous Coward" is a term applied within some online communities to describe users who post without a screen name; it is a dummy name attributed to anonymous posts used by some weblogs that allow posting by people without registering for accounts.

When you are courageous enough to sign your name along with your comment, then and only then will I allow your comment to be posted to my blog. (Stop hiding!) If you truly believe in what you want to post or what you have to say then you shouldn’t have to hide behind the posting of anonymous!

"Screaming Inside My Head"

2008-11-10T10:36:00.005-06:00

Apathy - is a state of indifference, or the suppression of emotions such as concern, excitement, motivation and passion. An apathetic individual has an absence of interest or concern to emotional, social, or physical life. They may also exhibit an insensibility or sluggishness.

Complacent - pleased, esp. with oneself or one's merits, advantages, situation, etc., often without awareness of some potential danger or defect; self-satisfied.

Frustration, frustration, frustration! Excuse after excuse! How does God do it? I don’t know. I am about to go out of my mind listening to the petty excuses people make. All around me I see apathy and complacency. Everyone seems satisfied with where they are in life; just barely getting by. No one wants to commit anymore, no one wants to press in. If they have to go to church anymore then on a Sunday morning they act like it is the end of their world. And please don’t ask them to give over and above their tithes. Geez….it is almost like asking them to cut off one of their limbs. It always seems to be one excuse after the other. I have said for many years, I am so glad God didn’t have they same attitude we have. Where is our commitment to God? Where is our zeal? How can we expect any more from the unsaved if we are doing almost less then they are in our walk with God? How can we become satisfied with just sitting in the pews? My answer right now when I hear someone’s excuse for not doing something: “Wow, I am glad Jesus died on the cross for you. He was beaten beyond recognition, his body was broken and he died for you. God sent his only son just for you. And now you can’t even commit to coming to church on a regular basis much less asking you to actually be involved in something on more then just a Sunday, give a little more money to help someone out, or you can’t help out with an outreach. Wow!” I know it isn’t the best attitude for me to have. Guilt isn’t always the best way to approach things. I am not really trying to make anyone feel guilty, I am just trying to make people realize how miniscule there excuses are! I know I am not the Holy Spirit, I just wished people wouldn’t put what Jesus did for us at the back of their mind. We as Christians have a job to do but we seem to let tons of every day life get in the way of that. (I am preaching to myself as well!) It always seems to be the same faithful people volunteering and helping out where ever they can! Everyone else seems to just be there, not doing really anything. Anyways…. Sorry for the lack of spiritualness of this post. I was just frustrated. Now I can go pray and have God change my heart. (He always does!) :)

Missionaries Sharing Their Hearts!

2008-09-10T13:17:00.005-05:00

in·spi·ra·tion

2008-09-08T13:31:00.003-05:00

IN-SPI-RA-TION

I was thinking about this word today. What am I inspired by? Who inspires me? When I am inspired is it by God, by my own self, by a friend, by a TV show? Is everything supposed to be inspired by God? While I was reading/thinking about the different definitions of the word inspiration, I came across the meaning of the word in Greek. Reading the Greek translation of the word inspiration puts a much deeper meaning into the word then what a general dictionary would! The general dictionary translates inspiration as: 1: a divine influence or action on a person believed to qualify him or her to receive and communicate sacred revelation 2: the action or power of moving the intellect or emotions 3: the act of influencing or suggesting opinions.

However, the Greek word for Inspiration is theopneustos — “theo/God, pneus/breath, tos/the “tos” ending indicates the end result of what precedes it. Thus the result of the process is God breathed. (Which I already knew, I just never really put any real thought into.) Then I started thinking! I mean “God Breathed”! That is huge! God’s breath is what gave life to Adam. I mean LIFE people! Adam was made of mere dust/dirt from the ground and when God breathed into him it gave him life. His whole body became real. No longer was he dust/dirt but his flesh turned real, his organs worked, blood ran through his veins, his heart starting beating, he could see, move, touch, feel, taste and think! All of that from a pile of freaking dirt! When I go outside and pick up a handful of dirt the only thing I can make is a mud pie; I couldn't even imagine it turning into a man! That just shows me only a small glimpse of the power of the Breath of God! So it goes back to my questions: Who inspires me? Or what is my inspiration? I want to make sure my inspiration comes from God or is God; because I want to be able to without a doubt say it was God Breathed!

Love For Nicaragua

2008-09-05T14:07:00.002-05:00

Nicaragua

2008-08-20T14:56:00.012-05:00

As, I watch my two kids start an argument over free crayons that were given to them by the Olive Garden hostess to keep them occupied, and as I start to place my “special” order at the restaurant (please hold this, put this on the side, don’t bring me that, I don’t like this); I start to think back to the week I just spent in Nicaragua! Life is much simpler there. People are actually grateful for what they have and they appreciate what is given to them. Things are much slower there as well. Here Daniel and I both rush to work, rush from work, rush to youth, rush to the next meeting (whether it be for leadership, our jobs, youth, young marrieds, etc…), rush to home to work on youth stuff, and rush to family functions. There is NEVER enough time in the day. No time to eat at home because we are off to the next thing. The easiest thing to do is grab food in the car. Not a good habit but when you get home at 5:30 and your meeting is at 6:00; you don’t have very many options. Daniel and I learned a lot this year in Nicaragua. One lesson we learned (which we already knew but just needed a reminder) is to slow down and prioritize. We can’t be in everything and we can’t volunteer for everything. We can’t go to every event or meeting that we are asked to participate in and if that means dropping out of some things then so be it. We need to appreciate our time we have (time together and with the kids).

I also learned that I need to be mindful not to Americanize the Nicaraguans. Not that I would ever purposely force my culture onto theirs but I just need to be more aware of what I am doing or saying. They have their own way of doing things and I need to adjust to them. They don’t need “material things” like we North Americans have come accustom to. They don’t need to have fancy pictures hanging on the wall or the latest greatest technology. They don’t come in and special order their meals and make their “presence” known to everybody like we do. What they do need is for me to be humble, be accepting of exactly who they are, be mindful of what they need, and only show them the love of Christ.

This trip showed Daniel and I the urgency of us being there. There is a need that we can fill by being there. However, no matter if there is a need for us to fill we can’t make such a huge move like this without God. It has to be in HIS timing not our own. We are working fervently to be there by January 2010 if that is God’s plan. I would so love to pack up and move now if I could! We feel so at home when we are down there. This year the kids went with us and had a blast! They fit right in and immediately starting playing with the kids at the orphanages. I know that when we move they will have absolutely no problems adjusting to life there. We were so proud of how well they did!!

Our prayer now is to get what little debt we have paid off by January 2009 and save up for the rest of the year. I guess we will see where we are when our debt gets paid off and what steps we need to take to continue our process. Like I said it is all in God's timing not ours!

Thanks to everyone who prayed for our team to go down and for everyone who supported us. It was greatly appreciated and needed! We love you all!! Below are just a few pictures from the trip!

Just Hit In The Head

2008-08-13T23:02:00.006-05:00

You know, when GOD deals with you on something subtly and you don't get it then eventually he makes it SO obvious for you too see that you can't question it anymore. Thank GOD, that he makes the obvious known. Most of the time I don't learn from subtle hints anyway. :) I guess that is my own personal issue I deal with. I am very hard headed, definitely not perfect and slow to learn. I am growing in Christ, I just sometimes learn differently then others. Usually I have to be hit in the head and knocked down first. :) (I am usually a mess without God.) Thanks Rob for sending out your daily bible readings. I don't know what I would do without them. They are a constant reminder to stay in the Word!

This was part of my bible reading for the day:

Romans 14 1-14

Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. It is written:

" 'As surely as I live,' says the Lord,
'every knee will bow before me;
every tongue will confess to God.'
"So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way.

You gotta to love they way God deals with us!

Charlotte's Webb

2008-07-24T22:49:00.005-05:00

Just a thought... can anyone explain to me this... In the movie Charlotte's Webb why people were so enamored with the pig instead of the spider that could spin words into her web? I always wondered why people were so happy with the pig. They never mentioned all the things the spider was doing. I was just wondering.

I guess I better make sure I am not enamored with people on this earth and what they are doing. I better just keep my eyes fixed on our Creator and what he is doing through/and for the people. Anyway.... I know it is silly but I was just thinking.

Youth Camp

2008-07-14T21:07:00.014-05:00

Well we are back from Youth Camp. Daniel took the position as Youth Pastor of our church, so this past week we took the kids to Youth For The Nations (YFN) church camp. We had a great time getting to know all the kids that went, being able to see their lives changed, and also being renewed and refreshed in the Lord ourselves. Since full time ministry is truly where are heart is, we are both not ready to go back to work. We feel at home working in the ministry and love being involved in our church. However, sometimes it can take a toll on us due to the fact we both work full time jobs. Needless to say, this week at camp was worth it. We love each youth that went and enjoyed being able to see them grow in the Lord and have fun doing it. We all had an awesome time this week! Below is our camp group picture! Awww how cute!

Next stop, we leave to go on our third mission’s trip to Nicaragua August 1st. We are super pumped about that! Wahoo!

Cardboard Testimonies

2008-06-18T12:36:00.005-05:00

Someone from youtube sent this video to me. It is people's lives before and after Christ. All I can say is wow, very touching! Thank God for his mercy, forgiveness, grace and redemption!

Cardboard Testimonies

Flyleaf

2008-06-18T09:02:00.008-05:00

I love flyleaf but I loved them before they got popular! However, I do think it is great that their song "All Around Me" is being played every where on secular music stations. Good for them!

All Around Me

Fully Alive

Breathe Today

He Did It!

2008-06-10T21:21:00.005-05:00

Well, he finally got it. Yea! Yea! Yea! My husband got an unbelievable out of this world deal on his life long dream. He bought a 2004 Harley-Davidson with only 3,800 miles. The Lord blessed us mightily on this endeavor. Daniel and I couldn’t seem to come to an agreement on a price. He wanted to spend more and I wanted to spend less. (Which it is usually the opposite for us.) I wanted to spend less not because he doesn’t deserve his life long dream but because we are trying are best to get to where God has called us; and spending loads of money doesn’t exactly scream “hey here we come”. It is hard to tell your husband no to his dream when you know he is out sacrificing every day for your family. He works his regular job, then he works at the church, and he still works part times; then on top of all that he stays up for 24 hours 2 times a week! Whew! That would tire anyone out. However, this deal will allow us to stay on track with what we told Globe! Actually we are way ahead of what we told Globe so I am happy that the Lord continues to bless us as we continue ahead with our progress. This deal allowed my husband to finally accomplish his life long dream and keep my mind at peace! We are both happy, happy, happy! However, I think he is verging on the lines of ecstatic! I am glad he is happy and that the Lord always comes through our family. HE always seems to work things out. Thank goodness it isn’t in my hands or we would all be in trouble.

I apologize for all the grammatical errors in this blog! :)

Churches Today

2008-05-30T09:41:00.003-05:00

A Blessed Life

2008-04-24T08:38:00.002-05:00

Wow, life seems to just get busier and busier! When you feel like, “if I can just get past this, things will slow down” nothing really seems to slow down. It just becomes one more event/meeting thing on my schedule. I am swamped with a busy schedule juggling a full time job, a husband with a weird schedule, kids, church and a youth group; but when I look back I see how the Lord gets me through it all. I am truly blessed in my life with a wonderful husband, two great children, an awesome family and great friends. I have a job that I don’t hate doing and people I love to work with. God has provided me with everything I need and then some! I am so grateful to him that he has blessed me SO much in my life. I love him MORE and MORE everyday and try to serve him to the fullest. I know I fail on a daily basis but I also know he forgives me and helps me try again. Thank you to everyone in my life that holds me accountable to what God has called me to do.

Heal Me

2008-04-09T13:58:00.005-05:00

I am taking it back old school. I came across an old song that I have always loved. It is on the Aaron & Jeoffrey album. This song always helps me focus on bringing myself back to where I am supposed/need to be. The lyrics are below but just reading them doesn't do the song justice. It is even better to hear it played.

HEAL ME BY AARON & JEOFFREY

It's another good-to-see-you Sunday morning
Oh, I hardly hear the words roll off my tongue
Looking in myself for signs of something That's long gone
Oh, I stumble through a verse that says You love me
As the voices echo my thoughts drift away
And I close my eyes ashamed I'm feelin' nothing
I pray

CHORUS
Heal me
Heal these eyes
Heal this heart
Heal my mind
Breathe Your breath of life
Heal me
Wake my soul
From this sleep
Give me back the joy Of when I first believed
Heal me

Oh, I lose myself to one more day's indifference
When my eyes are everywhere but fixed on You
I don't have the strength to overcome this distance
But You do
You do

CHORUS

I don't wanna waste another minute
Takin' all Your love for granted
I just wanna feel Your Holy Spirit rushing over me

CHORUS

It's Over But It's Not Over

2008-03-25T09:54:00.002-05:00

Well Lent is over and I made it through my whole entire 40 days of no TV! Whew! It really wasn’t too hard. I learned a lot from reading the bible and doing my own personal bible study. (Who wouldn’t?) I was able to take some time to reflect on myself and see if there were any changes I needed to make personally, physically or spiritually. Of course I found some things to work on. If you honestly think you don’t have anything in any of those three areas to work on then you probably aren’t looking hard enough. (That is just my two cents.)

Since Lent is now over I still plan on keeping the things in my life that I implemented while watching no TV. (I stopped recording all my shows except for Lost and American Idol. However, I probably won’t even watch American Idol because I am really not into it.) I plan on continuing to do a personal bible study. (I love the ladies bible study at church but it just becomes one more night away from my family and one more thing to add to my already never-ending schedule.) I receive a lot of insight from doing my own bible study and I am still able to share what I am learning with my husband and friends. I will also continue to stay on my current bible reading plan. Not that I wasn’t reading it before but I seem to read for longer periods of time now. I also decided (actually before Lent) not to get on the computer during the week evenings while the kids were up. If there is anything I need to do, it can probably wait until after they are in bed at 8:00.

All in all this whole giving up something for Lent (even though I am not Catholic) was a learning experience for me. I am not saying that I will never stumble with my “new found life” plan (of course I will, I am only human) but I have definitely started something good in my life, that I plan to continue. It has brought me closer to God, closer to my family and given me knowledge and insight that I didn’t have before. I encourage anyone to try giving up TV for a day, a week, or a month (whatever works for you). In the time you would normally be watching endless hours of TV, use that time to spend with your family, read the bible, read a book. Just do something besides always sitting in front of the tube. Don’t get me wrong… I love my TV and I plan on continuing to watch it but this experience has made me more aware of what I am watching and how much I am watching it.

Have a super great rest of the week! I apologize for any grammatical errors in this blog! I am sure there are lots!

No One Left Behind

2008-03-01T18:04:00.002-06:00

How easily you get into the flow of life and you start to forget that there are millions of people dying and going to hell. I guess it is always in the back of our minds but it really isn’t ever put on the forefront until people are on their deathbeds. I mean how many times do we tell a stranger our testimony or show them the love of Jesus. The Bible tells us that we aren’t here for ourselves but for the lost world, but we let “normal living” get in the way of that. I had a gentleman come into my work the other day to buy tuition raffle tickets (I work at UT Arlington.) and he made sure he got around to telling me that the Lord has been good in his life and what the Lord had done for him. After learning that I too was a Christian, he then preceded to tell me that he doesn’t let a day go by without spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. We chatted for a moment (he is the one who gave me the “Reflecting His Image” book I’m reading) and he went on his way. I sat back for a moment and thought how nice it was to actually be witnessed to. It sounds funny I know because I am already a Christian. However, I don’t really ever remember a stranger coming up to me out of the blue and witnessing to me. Does that mean I look like a Christian or act super Christiany? No. You don’t just seek out people who are doing immoral things to witness to. You have to assume that the man pumping gas beside you or the lady standing in line in front of you at the grocery store are dying and going to hell. I can’t say it is easy to step out and talk about Jesus with a perfect stranger; however we have to have a mindset that they could spend an eternity in hell. How many people have I let walk by me, stand in front of me, talk to me and I never say a word about my Savior and what He can do for them. Most of the time I am fuming because they have 13 items in the 10 item or less line. I mean how could they get in the 10 items or less line! Really! They clearly have 13 items! Geez… do I actually think those last three extra items are going to put me behind that much. No it isn’t but I have become accustomed to “normal living”. I am self serving, I want it my way, and I want it now. Shame on me when I get to heaven and the Lord asks me why I didn’t bother to witness to all those people. Then what? Then how will I answer him? There will be no good excuse! The Lord told us to spread the gospel and I haven’t made that my mission. Am I saying that I have never witnessed before, of course not but it hasn’t been my mission! I am thankful that the Lord is turning up the fire that has flickered down to a single flame. It was never put out but it wasn’t consuming me either. I want to again have a deep passion for the unsaved and a strong desire to know God and serve Him to the fullest.

Romans 1:16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes…

Everyone Is Well

2008-02-29T08:50:00.002-06:00

Praise God, everyone is well in our family. First it was Daniel, then me, then Jade! I just wanted to thank everyone for all their wonderful prayers and great notes of encouragement. It is great knowing that each and everyone of you love us so much. We are truly blessed to have such an awesome family of friends! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

2008-02-27T14:28:00.005-06:00

I am praying for my baby girl who is at home sick with the flu. So far she has missed two days of school and it looks like she will be out the rest of the week. She told me this morning she is ready to feel better so she can give us lots of kisses without us getting sick! Awww!

She is at home with her amazing daddy right now! He is the best daddy and husband ever! They are probably both taking a nap or watching a movie!

Noah, Animals and Me

2008-02-24T21:04:00.004-06:00

The other night I was unable to sleep so I decided to read the Chapters in Genesis about Noah and the Ark. When I got to the end, I really started thinking of what it would be like to live on the ark for as long as they did. When you are a kid you always had the picture of a peaceful Noah walking around the ark petting the animals (or at least I did). In my mind the animals were happy and just grateful to have Noah save them from the flood. They all just got along quietly with a few bird chirps here and there to let Noah know just how happy they truly were. Yah right, that isn’t even close! Can you imagine the noise they had to deal with on a daily/nightly basis? It never says God shut all of the animal’s mouths. I get frustrated when a dog barks in the middle of the night much less hearing lions roar, cats meow, dogs bark, birds chirp, pigs grunt AND THE LIST JUST KEEPS ON GOING! Besides the noise who cleaned up all the “mess” the animals made? I guess your daily job could be shoveling out the poop but you could never catch all that pee? Where did that go? Did it just run into the wood down to the lower decks? Did it fall on the animals below? What if Noah or his family happened to be on the lower floor at that time? Yuck! Could his family of eight shovel enough hours in a day to get rid of all that? Gross! Do you just get used to the “all natural” smell? I don’t think I would have ever felt clean enough to even put food to my mouth. How much animal hair was floating around in the air on the boat? That just gives me the heebyjeebies thinking about it. I know Noah was grateful to be saved from the flood but he was also a human being. I am sure he wanted to be off that boat and not living in such close quarters with those animals. When the flood was over and the waters had receded the first thing Noah did when he got off the boat was he immediately built a sacrifice to God and worshiped him.

So all this to say… that got me thinking about my own “surroundings” as a boat. Sometimes I have too much noise going on, too many people talking in my ears. I can’t hear God, I can barely hear myself! Sometimes the noise is good, sometimes bad, sometimes it is just everyday life noise but nonetheless it is still noise. Plus to add on top of all the noise I have the never-ending messes to clean up. (My own included!) There is always a big crisis to clean up around me or with me. Don’t get me wrong, I love all that is around me and I am grateful for the life God gave me however; just like Noah I need to step out of the boat. I don’t need to live in such close quarters. I can live amongst everyone and everything just not in the same boat. Sometimes being in the boat means you are just too close for comfort! I need to be out of the boat worshiping God and seeking him. He can help me drown out the noise and clean up my messes!

Just Thinking?

2008-02-18T22:50:00.004-06:00

What kind of Christian am I really? Do I pray everyday? Do I read my Bible everyday? Do I expect Jesus to really be with me throughout my day? Do I even really rely on Him everyday like I should? Or do I call on Him only in my time of pain or need? It is funny how when you don’t feel Christian/spiritual enough or disconnected from God, you start doing another Bible study, you read the latest book, you listen to the latest dynamic preacher, you try to make it to every service in church, you try to read a short devotional. While all these things are wonderful, they really aren’t the starting point. What is the starting point? Why don’t we feel connected to God? Probably because we don’t spend enough time alone with Him. It is just like getting to know a person. You can meet with them casually or meet with them in a big group; but you don’t get to know them intimately unless you spend time alone with them. That is how you really develop a personal relationship with them. It is the same with God; you get to know Him by reading and studying His Word. Spending time alone with just you and Him. Sounds pretty simple! Unfortunately, our lives are busy. We are so impacted by what is going on around us that we don’t take the time to really study His Word and hear from Him. (I am talking to myself.) I say to myself well I just don’t have the time. I am soooo busy. But then when you really break it down, you realize you do have time. How much TV do you watch a day? How much time do you spend surfing the web? How much time do you spend talking on the phone? How much time do you spend on mundane things that can wait? There is always time, you just have to make it. There isn’t a formula or recipe to become a powerful, effective Christian overnight. It takes a daily walk with Him. Just you and God! Getting to know someone takes time, you don’t become best friends with them overnight. Ok, I know this isn’t anything profound. I just thought I would share my thoughts mainly just to help remind myself where I need to be!

“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139: 23-24

(I apologize for any misspellings or grammatical errors.)

Shut My Big Mouth

2008-02-16T14:16:00.000-06:00

I read something very interesting today that caught my attention. James 3:5-12. I have read it before however; verse 9 really hit home today. It says, “Sometimes it (our mouth/the tongue) praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it breaks out into curses against those who have been made in the image of God” -Student’s Life Application Bible

Did you read that? “…who have been made in the image of God”. Geez, I never really thought about that before. I get so angry with people who do stupid, stupid things and instantly my tongue starts a flowing. “Gosh, Lord they are so stupid! Why are they so hasty? Why are they even here? They are just dumb people who don’t deserve another glance from my direction.” Then I read that verse today. The people who I talk about like that were made in the image or likeness of God! In other words, I am calling God’s creation stupid, dumb and undeserving of my attention. I guess my first thought was do I wake up in the morning and say, “God, those trees are stupid! Why did you make them? I hate how you made the sky blue, I don’t even need to look at it anymore.” Of course I don’t say that. I would never say anything bad about God’s creation. Well, I better start realizing that ALL people were made in the image or likeness of God too! When I say rude or bad things about them, then I am speaking directly against what God has made.

Lord,
Tame my tongue! Help me control my big mouth so I speak only words that help, not hurt. Let every word I speak be pleasing to You and encouraging to others. Amen

Are we Authentic For The Lord?

2008-02-14T22:50:00.000-06:00

“Today so much that passes for Christianity-Christian ministry, serving the Lord- is like a synthetic plant. It looks real and smells real, but the life of God is not in it. It isn’t authentic. Man creates and sustains it by his own cleverness and strength. Great zeal in serving God, giving money, worshiping the Lord-it all looks wonderful, yet the motivating factor is not from a deep down inner reality."

"People who seem to have great zeal in serving God, giving money for a worthy cause or worshiping the Lord with devotion and joy easily impress us. Although we look with awe at the outside appearance, God searches hearts and judges motives. (Jeremiah 17:10)… Only authentic life can produce fruit that remains for eternity. Let us not forget that what is great in man’s sight, God despises." ---Reflecting His Image by K.P Yohannan

This passage really hit my heart tonight. It wasn’t anything profound or anything I didn’t already know. However, it made me realize how easy one can just get into the “religious” swing of things. How many times have I looked at other Christians and thought, “Wow, look at them! They are the super Christian of Christians.” I don't know their heart! I don't know what kind of spiritual place they are in. Maybe instead of observing them, I should just serve the Lord to the best of my ability and he will bring me to the place where I need to be. I pray that we as Christians have a pure heart and a complete devotion to him. I never want to serve God for the praise of man. I want to seek God’s approval in everything I do!

Valentines Day

2008-02-14T10:20:00.000-06:00

Happy Valentines Day Everyone! It is the day of LOVE! (Ok well maybe the "commercialized" day of love.) I awoke this morning to a loving husband bringing me beautiful flowers and gifts. I love seeing his smiling face every morning when he comes home! He is a true blessing and gift from God. He is my BEST Valentine.

Please keep my daughter in your prayers today. She isn’t feeling too well, so I am praying that the Lord heals her and she doesn’t catch what everyone else has.

Have super great day!

TV Or Not TV

2008-02-13T14:52:00.000-06:00

Well, I have been thinking and praying for awhile now and even though I am a little late getting started, I have decided that I am going to fast television for Lent. No, I am not Catholic nor am I looking into joining the Catholic religion. I am however, finding that with all of our new technology in this world it has made it extremely easy to increase the number of shows that people watch on a daily basis! (Obviously a big finger pointing back at me!) I sometimes find myself starting a new mindless television series just because I have a DVR that records four shows at once. Pathetic! Really? Does one need to watch that much TV? Do you really need to record four shows at one time? Don’t anyone worry, I am still going to record my die hard shows such as Lost and 24 but I have already deleted everything else programmed into my DVR. I have decided that Lost and 24 will just have to wait until after Lent is up. I would like to see how much more productive I can be for Christ, myself, my husband, and my kids if I am not watching so much TV. All that extra free time can allow me to read and study the bible more. I just think sitting and watching mundane pointless television series makes me feel lazy. I feel like I am not doing what I was called to do. Pray for me while I am doing this. While it seems easy for me to say that I am going to do this, it is a habit to just plop down on my couch after the kids are in bed and watch mindless TV! I will need God, some willpower and some self discipline!