WORD POWER...Chairo (Khah'-ee-ro)

PHILIPPIANS 4:4 " Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!"

REJOICING ...
* easy to do when things are going smoothly.
* not so easy to do when bad times roll around.

Paul says that we should REJOICE in the Lord ALWAYS. He means even in the bad times!

~ THERE IS POWER IN WORDS SUCH AS "REJOICE" ~

The Greek lexicon for rejoice is "Chairo". Let's look at the definition ...

CHAIRO (khah'-ee-ro)
-(verb)

• to rejoice, be glad
• to rejoice exceedingly
• to be well, thrive in salutations, hail!
  

I love the part of the definition that says "rejoice exceedingly". This is the attitude we need to come with when we give our Lord praise for His goodness. He is so worthy to not only hear our rejoicing but to hear it EXCEEDINGLY!

Looking up the word "exceedingly" in my trusty Webster says that it is "to an advanced or unusual degree; extremely".

So if we agree with Paul ...

• In all things (good and bad), because of God, we will be extremely glad!
• Today, may we all strive to have a CHAIRO spirit !

Now that's a WORD packed with POWER!

THANKFUL THURSDAY...repentance defined by a 13 year old

Last week, my daughter Anna shared with me her definition of what it meant to repent. It ministered to me so much (and caused my heart to leap with excitement) as she shared this definition with an unsaved friend.

I asked her to write her discussion with her friend out and share it here with you on this THANKFUL THURSDAY. Please leave your comment for Anna today as she debuts as a "first time" blogger. Anna is 13 years old and very wise for her age....




Hello, My name is Anna Marie. I am the daughter of the "world famous" (famous - 'cuz someone from Paris read her blog the other day!) blog writer - Laurie Adams. I have a story to tell all of you blog readers....

One day, my friend Kaitlyn was over at my house and she heard me reading my daily Proverbs. It spoke about "repentance". My friend asked me what repentance meant. Now, that was a great chance for me to minister. So here is my explanation of repentance:

"When you repent - you are asking God to forgive you. So basically, He has a book called the "Lambs Book of Life". So, when you repent - you are basically asking God to wash away your sins. "

Thinking since my friend Kaitlyn was unsaved - she might not understand that, so I gave her this example:

"Your name is the heading in God's book. And all of your sins are the body of the paragraph in the book. So, when you ask for forgiveness - God erases the body paragraphs. Leaving just your name."

IS YOUR NAME IN THE BOOK?

Be thankful for repentance ~ Be grateful for God's big eraser!

REVELATION 20:15 "And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire."


Let the words of a 13 year old sink in...and then go to IRIS at GRACE ALONE to find other Thankful Thursday posts...

WEDNESDAY WEEKLY WORD...walking worthy

COLOSSIANS 1:10 "so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God."

Some people believe and teach that living a good life is the way a person can "earn" his or her way into heaven. The Bible does not teach us that, rather it leads us to the truth that "works" is not the basis of our salvation...

EPHESIANS 2:8,9 "For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God's gift - not from works, so that no one can boast."

Paul challenges us in the book of Colossians to receive the calling to "walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing (to Him), bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God." Meaning that we do not do good works in order to earn God's favor or earn our salvation, but doing works is simply a way to say "thank you" to God for His free gift of Grace!

WALKING WORTHY...

Unbelievers see what we do (or don't do) quicker than looking to see what we stake our beliefs in! The things that we "do" is a witness to the kind of God that we serve.

WHY?

COLOSSIANS 1:13 "He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

This is the reason why we should walk worthy of the Lord. It is because of all that He has done for us. He has saved us and made it possible for us to take part in eternal fellowship of His kingdom. When we come to an understanding of this - we can do nothing but be thankful. Doing things ("works"), or how we live our lives is our "thank you note" to God for all that He has done.

HOW?

Understanding why we should walk worthy does not necessarily mean that we can. We are all prone to sin and to failing. In our own strength we have great difficulty walking in a manner worthy of God. Paul writes to the Colossians encouragement for all of us today...

"We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, so that you may walk worthy of the Lord."

The "How" is found in Him. God will help us walk worthy of Him. On our own, we are prone to taking wrong turns or even losing our direction. God fills us with His wisdom and understanding and He will give us direction.

Having direction is not enough all by itself. We also need God's strength. To know God's direction without receiving His strength is like having a map for a trip without provisions. God will supply us with not only the map (direction) but also His provision (strength)!

COLOSSIANS 1:11 "May you be strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience."

In last week's YOUR OPINION MATTERS POLL, I asked the following question, "What reflects how you feel worthy of the good things that have happened to you?" The top 2 results were...

1. 90% of those polled voted that they don't know what they have done to deserve even one of the pleasures they have known.

2. 10% voted and said that they deserve much better than what they are getting.

Good things are happening all around us. Most of us feel unworthy of the joy, happiness and goodness that happens to us, but we are also at the same time thankful! Whether we are worthy of what happens to us or not - the bottom line is "how are your circumstances developing you?"

How do we change how the unbeliever sees what we "do" instead of what we "believe"? We can't change one without affecting the other! Our walk and our beliefs go hand in hand. These are two elements of walking worthy - first it is producing good works (in the outward man) and secondly, it is having spiritual growth (the inward man).

There are several ways we can grow spiritually. We can attend worship services, we can fellowship with like believers and we can pray. You can take one of the first two out and still grow spiritually, it will just be alittle bit harder. But the one element for spiritual growth that you cannot remove is prayer. Prayer makes the connection more personal. For a person to "grow in the knowledge of God" - prayer has to be more than something we do as an escape when we get into trouble. It has to be a regular discipline, just like physical exercise.

If living a life worthy of God is seeking His strength and direction - we need to pray for it. Praying for strength and direction acknowledges that we cannot thrive alone. God promised us if we will keep asking, IT WILL be given to us. If we keep looking, WE WILL find it. Just keep knocking and the door WILL BE opened. (Matthew 7:7)

WE ARE CALLED TO LIVE A LIFE WORTHY!

OUR LIFE SHOULD REFLECT FRUITS or WORKS OF SERVICE!

What do others see you doing that is worthy?

I am studying the book of Colossians. It is my prayer that you will be challenged by the Word of God today. Like Paul, it is my prayer that you will receive the knowledge of God's will for your life and that you will receive Gods strength for the challenges that face you today! Thank you for joining with me for this midweek devotion.

YOUR OPINION MATTERS POLL: Please take time to vote in this week's poll. It is located on the side bar of this blog. Your opinion matters!

A PIECE OF MY HEART...Are you hungry?

This morning I woke up hungry. Physically. I'm not sure why I was more hungry this morning compared to other mornings. It could be that yesterday I did not eat very much. I had too many things going on to take time to eat my basic 3 meals.

Sometimes I get so busy with things that I neglect feeding myself - not only my physical body - but also my spiritual body.

• Have you ever felt a hunger pain?
• Have you felt dehydrated or dry?

When we do not spend time in Gods Word and in His presence, we will dry up. We will have a thirst that seems never to be quenched.

When I go hungry, it is because I have chosen to not eat.

When my spirit is dry, it is because I have chosen to not delve into Gods Word.

~ CHOICES ~

What choice does the person have who has no food to eat?

What choice does the person have who has not been told about Jesus?

MATTHEW 25:35, 36 "For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; (36) naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me."

People are dying all around us from starvation, both physically and spiritually.

What are we doing to meet their needs?

What are we doing to feed them?

Recently, our church started a ministry that will give us an opportunity to feed the hungry in our community. ANGEL FOOD MINISTRY - an opportunity to offer food at a great savings but the best part is offering soul food that will lead to saving souls. What a wonderful way to feed our community!

MATTHEW 25:40 "Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me."

To find out if there is an Angel Food Ministry in your area, go to their website http://www.angelfoodministry.com/ . If led by the Spirit, you may find out how your local church can be involved in this ministry of feeding the hungry in your community.

DON'T LET PEOPLE GO HUNGRY!

~ IT'S YOUR CHOICE ~

And that's a piece of my heart today;

AT THE WELL...arise and shine

Today's topic over AT THE WELL is "Arise and shine - being an exceptional Mother in the midst of the ordinary". LISA is our leading host. She has asked us the following discussion questions...

1. What daily tasks seem mundane or monotonous to you?

2. How can we change our outlook when completing these tasks?

3. What impact do these tasks have on our husband and children? How does it make a difference in their lives?

4. Is it okay to focus on earthly recognition when completing these tasks for our loved ones, or is receiving an eternal reward sufficient? What does Jesus think is more important? Should that be our focus, as well?

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Today's topic is certainly one that is challenging, while at the same time soul searching. I have had to sit back and ask myself. "am I an ordinary Mother or am I considered extraordinary?" All of us want to think that everything we do is "extraordinary", even if it is in our mind. But the reality of it is - at times we tend to be just "ordinary".

Webster defines "ordinary" as":

• usual
• of no exceptional degree or quality
• average

Certainly, around the house we have things that may seem mundane or feel monotonous.

1. It seems it does not matter if we get all of the laundry done - we have another chance tomorrow to do more!


2. It doesn't matter how many times we wash the dishes - we will have another chance tomorrow to wash some more!


3. It doesn't matter how many gallons of milk we buy - we will have another chance to replenish the empty jug.

Some things just never change. Some things remain the same.

Our attitude during these "same 'ole - same 'ole" routines can make a huge difference. A huge difference in us. A huge difference in our family. A huge difference in our life.

Tackling the unwanted pile of laundry with negativity ~ Complaining about the long list of chores to accomplish ~ Expressing frustration at the high prices at the grocery store ~ Angry because there is not enough time in the day to do it all ~ Wishing someone (anyone) would help out alittle around the house.


Understanding the call that God has placed on women will help you to have a better outlook. We can have a more positive take on the "day-in / day-out" madness in our life.

TITUS 2:3-4 " the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behaviour, not slanderers, not given much to wine, teachers of god things - (4) that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children.

In this passage - God is pointing us to the role of a mother. We are called to "love our children." Love is the highest blessing in an earthly home - this is the place that God has placed the wife and the mother.

If we are called to "love our children" - what does it mean to love them?

This kind of love is the same kind of love God calls us to display for our husbands. It is a "phileo" love ~ a friendship love. Literally, God is calling mothers to be CHILDREN -LOVERS! Such love will flow out of the heart of a godly woman, who will then extend Christ's love to her family.

Once we accept this high calling God has placed on us as godly wives and mothers, our attitude for remaining "ordinary" will change. We will no longer look at mundane chores negatively but we will look upon it as expressing love. We will pick up the mantel to love our family by serving them.

There are several examples of loving mothers in the Bible.

1. Jochebed - a mother who deeply cherished her baby. She was the mother of baby Moses.
2. Hannah - mother of Samuel - her loving instruction deeply rooted into Samuel's character.
3. Mary - the mother of Jesus. She was favored and chosen by God.
4. Eunice - the godly mother of Timothy. She passed on the genuine faith to her son.
5. Lois - the grandmother of Timothy, Eunice could not have passed the faith without Lois first passing it to her.

What great examples of mothers who faithfully and lovingly taught and trained their precious children. We should all be touched and spurred on as we contemplate the awesome role and responsibility that God has given us as mothers. The impact that we can have on our children, in our home, for the cause of Christ is phenomenal!

When it is all done and said - we will have another chance to do the chores all over again tomorrow but raising our family... loving them... serving them... and guiding them to Christ - sometimes we only get one chance to do this. What a high calling we have each and every day.

ARISE AND SHINE...AND BECOME EXTRAORDINARY!

"Leave your mark on the world by leaving behind a child who grows up to love and serve the Lord....who then also raises godly children to continue your godly legacy for generations to come." -Elizabeth George, author

For other thoughts on this topic of "Arise and Shine", please visit Lisa and all of the other At The Well participants. Find it HERE!

FUN FRIDAY..'lil zachary

'LIL ZACHARY WAS DOING POORLY IN MATH...

His parents had tried everything... Tutors, Mentors, flash cards, Special learning centers.

In short, they tried everything they could think of to help his math. Finally, in a last ditch effort, they took Zachary down and enrolled him in the local Catholic school.

After the first Day, little Zachary came home with a very serious look on his face. He didn't even kiss his mother hello. Instead, he went straight to his room and started studying. Books and papers were spread out all over the room and little Zachary was hard at work. His mother was amazed. She called him down to dinner. To her shock, the minute he was done, he marched back to his room without a word, and in no time, he was back hitting the books as hard as before.

This went on for some time, day after day, while his mother tried to understand what made all the difference.

Finally, little Zachary brought home his report Card.

He quietly laid it on the table, went up to his room and hit the books. With great trepidation, his mom looked at it and to her great surprise, little Zachary got an 'A' in math. She could no longer hold her curiosity.

She went to his room and said, "Son, what was it? Was it the nuns?"

Little Zachary looked at her and shook his head, no.

"Well, then," she replied, "Was it the book , the discipline, the structure, or the uniforms?" ~"WHAT WAS IT ALREADY?"

Little Zachary looked at her and said,

"Well, on the first day of school when I saw that guy nailed to the plus sign...

"I KNEW THEY WERE NOT FOOLING AROUND!"

want to see other funnies?

check out FRIDAY FUNNIES with KIM!

Have a fun-filled Friday!

THANKFUL THURSDAY..."1/2 off" sale

Everybody loves a sale. There is no better find then when I stumble upon a "1/2 off" sale! Or better yet, "buy one - get one free"! It is so great to find sales like this. One of my favorite stores to shop at, that always has a sale, is KOHL'S department store.

Do you have one of these stores in your community?

It is a great place to find a bargain. You can get quality merchandise for a much lower price, sometimes half the price.

As much as I love a bargain, I am so thankful that when Jesus Christ was nailed to the cross, and suffered, as He bled and died for me, that He did not try to make a bargain. He was willing to pay the full price.

Wouldn't it be great to shop at Kohl's and pull up to the check out stand with a full cart of merchandise and be told "It's been paid for" - "Your debt has been paid". (you know where I am going with this, don't you....)

Even though our "cart" was full of doubt, full of sin, full of regret, full of sorrow, full of STUFF ...Jesus did not settle for a "1/2 off" sale!

Jesus did not pay for ~1/2 of our doubt, 1/2 of our sin, 1/2 of our regrets...

"You, (put your name here!) are worth it all!"

1 CORINTHIANS 6:20a "For you have been bought with a price"

1 PETER 1:18, 19 "knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, (19) but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ."

We have been bought by His blood!

I am so grateful for Jesus Christ, that the only "savings" He sought on Calvary was saving my soul! How about you?

For other THANKFUL THURSDAY posts, join me and IRIS over at GRACE ALONE.

WEDNESDAY WEEKLY WORD...the importance of hope

Today, I am beginning a study of the book of Colossians. I hope you will come along on the journey as God reveals His Word to me on this study.

AFFIRMING THE POSITIVE IN PEOPLE
Paul begins his letter to the Colossians, as he did most of his letters with a greeting, followed by pointing out their accomplishments in the Lord. In the book of Colossians, Paul specifically thanks them for their faith and love. I love this about Paul, that his first communication is positive affirmation! He did this even if he had some concerns about them.

COLOSSIANS 1:4-6
"for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints (5) because of the hope reserved for you in heaven. You have already heard about this hope in the message of truth, (6) the gospel that has come to you. It is bearing fruit and growing all over the world, just as it has among you since the day you heard it and recognized God's grace in the truth."

Paul is affirming his readers' faith and love, which came out of their hope. In 1 Corinthians, chapter 13, Paul says that "the greatest of these is love", here in Colossians, Paul says that his readers' faith and love come out of their hope.

HOW DOES FAITH AND LOVE COME OUT OF HOPE?
The NIV says that they "spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven". (1:5) This hope that is stored up (or reserved) is a hope that death will not defeat us, our hope is in Jesus Christ!

Love will grow out of hope...
Love is more secure when we have the hope that it is forever. It is hard to fully love something that you know you will soon lose. People tend to hold on less tightly when they know that a permanent separation is inevitable.

Love becomes more intense when we share a common vision of where we are going. Sport teams are bound to each other by their passion to win a championship. In the same way, Christians are bound together by their common hope in Jesus Christ.

Faith is strengthened through hope...
Faith is important, it helps to bring meaning and abundance to our life. However, without having hope, faith would not be all that it can be.

1 CORINTHIANS 15:13,14
"But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is without foundation, and so is your faith."

1 CORINTHIANS 15:17-19
"And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Therefore those who have fallen asleep in Christ have also perished. If we have placed our hope in Christ for this life only, we should be pitied more than anyone."

Faith and hope are intertwined, and this is why it can be said that faith "springs from" the hope that we have within us. Love is the clearest sign of God's presence (1 John 4:12) however, Paul is telling his readers that having Christian hope is a vital role in generating and maintaining love as well as faith.

In studying Paul's letter to the Colossians, I have seen two positive factors which no doubt led to the growth of the gospel:

1. affirming the leaders by looking at the positive things in the lives of the newly converted.
2. recognizing the hope that the gospel offered those that needed to grow.

Sometimes, as leaders, we tend to emphasize the negative over the positive. Instead of noticing the progress that people make - we tend to point out their failures. One way that we can affirm one another is showing appreciation for them. Thanking them, honoring them, recognizing them, loving them, giving them hope when they feel hopeless.

In last weeks YOUR OPINION MATTERS POLL, I polled the readers the following question, "When it comes to thanking others for what they have done or are doing, how do you show your appreciation?" The top 3 answers:

1. 41% of those polled, said that they send a thank you note or a personal letter.
2. 33% voted and said that they will pull them aside and tell them face-to-face thank you.
3. 16% of those voting, said that they mean to give thanks but usually forget.

How can we change the 16% of people who mean well but just forget? Wouldn't it be great if our communities were full of Paul's? If we all took the approach that Paul took -affirming others and testifying to the hope that is within because of the love and faith in Jesus Christ.

This week, join me and find at least 1 newly born Christian that you can affirm. Talk to them face-to-face or at least give them a call. Affirm their decision to follow Christ and then encourage them to seek discipleship. Either in a Sunday School class, a Bible Study class, or one on one mentoring. Sharing your love and faith in Jesus Christ will strengthen their hope.

NEXT WEDNESDAY: Colossians 1:9-14

FALLING FOR JESUS...change of colors

I JUST LOVE FALL TIME
Change of seasons
Change of colors

Everything seems...

so crisp

so new

so vibrant

The recent falling of leaves reminds me of a time when the colors of fall did not seem so bright to me. In fact, they appeared dull and almost empty.

It was a time in my life, several years ago, that I am not proud of. However, I remember it because of the defining change that occurred in my life.

I am not sure how it happened?

~From the sudden illness I had encountered?
~From the side effects of the medicine?
~Was it just one of those things that we label as “unbalance”.

Whatever the cause ~ the result was depression.

I realize what you may be thinking. “Laurie, you are a Pastor’s wife!” Yes, I know and possibly that is the reason it totally took me by surprise! If the truth were told, I was in a very low place and I did not like it!

How did I get here?
More importantly, how do I get OUT of here?

Depression is like a thief
-it will sneak up on you
-it comes to steal and rob
-it is not satisfied until every ounce is drained

This is exactly how I felt. I did not want to be around people. It took every ounce of strength to be awake. I had no desire to do anything for anybody! The colors were all so faded! I just wanted to curl up and die.

That may have been the plan all along. The enemies’ plan - that is. Thank goodness there was a plan put into motion that was so much bigger and so much better.

• a plan to pull me up out of the miry clay.
• a plan to set my feet on solid ground.
• a plan that proved that no matter what...God was not going to leave me nor forsake me!
• God had a plan! It just took me a little while to see it, to grasp it, to believe it.

I began to believe there was MORE for me than to stay in this state of depression. I just knew that there was joy in the morning. There was joy in the Lord! The hold that this feeling had on me was at times so strong. I just did not have the strength to overcome it.

JOHN 16:20 (nkjv) "Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice, and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy."

WITH DETERMINATION, I said “the joy is mine!”, “the healing is mine”, “this is the day that is mine” and then I heard it. A song was playing on the radio. I knew this song from a long time ago. “Give it up” by the Imperials.

"Just Give it up. Give it up. Give it up to Jesus."

I stood and lifted my weak hands up to the Lord. Right there, right at that moment. I surrendered and GAVE IT ALL UP to Jesus. It was like a gentle breeze had swept over my spirit that day. Suddenly, the colors that appeared dull to me now were once again bright and vibrant.

God had given back to me what was stolen. He changed my season, He changed my colors.

PSALM 51:10 (nkjv)"Create in me a clean heart, O God,

and renew a steadfast spirit within me."

I WAS ALIVE ONCE AGAIN!

What color is your season?

What causes your colors to seem faded?

Sadness ~ loneliness ~ emptiness ~ loss of a loved one

~ empty nest ~ infertility ~ fear

Why not GIVE IT UP to Jesus.

Go ahead, give it up today and FALL FOR JESUS COMPLETELY!

ISAIAH 64:8 (nkjv)"But now, O Lord, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; and all we are the work of Your hand."

YYYYYYYYYYYY

This is a submission to a writing contest.

But I would be amiss if I did not offer assistance to anyone who may read this that is struggling with depression. Depression is very real in many women. You do not have to go thru depression alone. If you need someone to talk to, please seek godly counsel from a Christian Counselor or your local Pastor. God is your almighty healer, and He has put people in your path that will help guide you to finding the bright colors of life once again. Please seek help.

AT THE WELL...our extension-our home

Each Monday, I gather with a few ladies over AT THE WELL, where we look at principles of being more like the Titus 2 woman. It is here at the Well that we find encouragement, teaching and love. I am glad that you joined in today.

This week our leading hostess is Natalie from I AM (not) and she leads us by asking us "Is our home an extension of who we are?"

HOW DOES MY HOME REFLECT WHO I AM?

I would have to ask myself -what is the first thing that a guest sees when they come thru my front door? My front door opens into our dining room. This is a room that is seldom used, in fact, many times the dining table is used for everyone in my home to "put things on". It drives me crazy!!

The next thing, a guest would probably notice in my home is all of the pictures and picture frames. I have many. I never understood why we would put our most precious memories in a photo album and stick it in a box or shove it on a shelf for no-one to see. Why not display the precious memories? The only problem is I run out of walls and shelves to display my photo gallery. That drives me crazy!

You can't be in my home long, before you notice the extension of our family. Not one, not two but THREE dogs. Yes...Jasmine, Maggie and Lucy are part of the family. They each have their own space, their own needs and definitely their own personality. They bark, they play, and they follow me everywhere I go (I think in hopes to get a doggy treat!). They drive me crazy!

These are 3 things that you will find in my home. They are 3 very important things that represent what I can offer my family and my friends as they come into my home. And if I let it, these are 3 things that could drive me crazy!

1. place of cleanliness and order
2. love and memories
3. feeling of security and safety

1. CLEANLINESS AND ORDER

School and working at the office can be very chaotic at times, it is important that our homes are a place that order and serenity can be found. Sometimes, as a working mom and wife I get too busy to keep the house in order. I have found over the years that things run more smoothly around the house when things are in order. No, I don't mean spotless (that would be my preference!) but keeping order in our homes will cut down on late arrivals, missing shoes, lost car keys, and running out of toilet paper!

Keeping a home that is clean and in order will also mean that when unexpected company arrives at your door, you will not have to explain the mess or quickly toss things behind the couch! My home is a place that should be inviting and warm (and clean!).

2. LOVE AND MEMORIES

Have you walked into some one's home and immediately smelled a sweet aroma? A chocolate cake freshly baked, or a sweet smelling candle? It is my desire that my home would be a sweet aroma to all that enter. It would be nice to have a fresh cake available, but the sweet aroma I am speaking of is the aroma of love and joy.

You can feel love. Joy is an expression of love. If our homes are a place that people feel unwelcome or a place that family resists to go, then possibly the aroma we are submitting is not pleasing. It is not pleasing to others, and definitely not pleasing to God.

"Where we love is home, home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts." -OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES

A home filled with strife, anger, name calling and frustration is a home that reeks of a stench. Keeping a sweet smelling home will require some action. Action of love.

3. FEELING SECURE AND SAFE

Most likely my 3 dogs would not guard much especially if an intruder offered them a tasty treat. They would probably retreat to their corners, salivating over their yum yum. Having a secure and safe home is much more than having guard dogs or alarm systems in place.

It is my desire that after the world beats my family up, that they will want to run to the safety of our home. Our home should be a place of comfort. A place that gives solace to the weary. A place that is safe and secure in love and acceptance.

A quote I read recently...

"A house is a home when it shelters the body and comforts the soul." -PHILLIP MOFFITT

Our home and what it represents is an extension of who we are. It doesn't matter the size, the color, the location or the craziness of our home ... what is important is that "home is where the heart is".

TITUS 2:5 "be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed."

WHAT DOES YOUR HOME SAY ABOUT YOU?

Please join the other ladies as we discuss our homes around THE WELL. You can find more chatter by clicking HERE!

THEN SINGS MY SOUL SATURDAY...the gift of worship

~WORSHIP~

What does worship mean to you?

Is it in the song? ~ Is it the musical instruments?

Is it a hymn book? ~ or a song on the wall?

Do you consider how good worship is according to...

... what you get from it?

...or is worship about giving?

Worship ... it is a gift -What are you doing with your "gift of Worship" ?

Please jump over to Signs, Miracles and Wonders and join Amy as she leads us in Then Sings My Soul Saturday!

WORD POWER..."Hodegos (hod-ayg-os)"

Today's WORD POWER is packed with guidance.

HODEGOS (hod-ayg-os)
-noun

1. a leader of the way, a guide
2. a teacher of the ignorant and inexperienced

WEBSTER says that a leader is one who has influence or power.

WHO LEADS YOU? ~

WHO HAS THE MOST INFLUENCE OVER YOU?

We all have been given the ability to make choices. Everyday someone is faced with making a choice that may alter their future.

• Who to marry?
• Where to live?
• What career choice to make?
• What should we name our new baby?
• Will I serve God today or not?

In just a few short weeks, we will all be given a choice to make. The result of our choice may alter not just our future but our children and grand children's future.

If a leader has power and influence over us...who will you choose to be our next Presidential (Hodegos) leader?

ROMANS 2:19 "are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, (20) an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and truth in the law. (21)You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal? (22) You who say, 'do not commit adultery?' do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? (23) You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? (24) For 'the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,' as it is written.

"If they [my daughters] make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby."~Barak Obama (At a Town Hall Meeting in Johnstown, PA - March, 2008)

Is a baby "punishment" as one of our presidential candidates has indicated? I read a story of Rowan, a baby boy who was intended to be aborted but was born alive. CLICK HERE! to read his story. Babies are never a mistake or a punishment, this is just ONE of the differences our two candidates has to offer us. ON NOVEMBER 4TH...

~CHOOSE WISELY!~

Now that's a WORD packed with influence!

THANKFUL THURSDAY...God's authenticity

"This document is authentic" - have you ever read those words and wonder what makes it authentic. How do I know it is the real thing?

I looked up the word "authenticity" in Webster, it says: the condition or quality of being authentic, trustworthy or genuine.

What can we find in this world that is actually authentic? It seems like everything is artificial these days. artificial sweetener, artificial water, artificial grass, artificial flowers.

When you think about it, only God can make a flower. Silk blossoms, as beautiful as they can be, are only lifeless fakes. People can take seeds and cultivate new varieties of flowers, but in the end all they are really doing is altering the seeds and plants that God created in the first place.

Despite all of the modern technology and knowledge, no one on earth can produce, from scratch, a single living, growing flower capable of producing energy through photosynthesis, nourishing other living things, and reproducing itself. As much as one attempts....the true authenticity of a created flower belongs to only one Creator...God our Creator.

GENESIS 1:1,2 "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (2) The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters."

What is authentic about God and His creation?

• He was
• He is
• He always will be

He is the real deal. His love and forgiveness is genuine. It is trustworthy. It is authentic!

The proof of His authenticity are His fingerprints that are left all over creation. All we have to do is open our eyes and look around.

ROMANS 1:20 "From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see His invisible qualities -His eternal power and divine nature." NLT

Today, I am grateful for the authenticity of God's creation, the Authenticity of His love and His authenticity of forgiveness. Won't you join me, my friend IRIS and all other THANKFUL THURSDAY Participants as we give thanks today. Find other thankful hearts HERE!