THANKFUL THURSDAY

MOTHER KNOWS BEST...

What have you learned from your Mother or

some other female role model in your life?

? How to bake a cake ?

? How to sew a button on a shirt ?

? How to balance a checkbook ?

? How to write a letter ?

? How to grow a garden ?

Mothers have a great way of teaching their children. Some things are taught out of repetition and taught with deliberate motives, like some of things I mentioned above. But there are so many other things that Mothers teach us, that at the time, they may not even be aware that they are teaching and molding.

Like the time that a Mother bakes a cake for the sick neighbor; or when she gives her last dollar in the offering for the traveling missionary; or when a Mother speaks kindly to the lady who sideswiped her car. How about the Mother who speaks calmly to her children when they have disobeyed. Consider the Mother who doesn't have enough money to buy groceries but gives God thanks for His bounty. What is being taught by the Mother who holds her child, heartbroken over a loved one dying and prays for Gods comfort and His will to be done.

Mothers many times teach by their words of instruction and direction. But most times Mothers teach by their actions, their love, their kindness and their faith in God.

Many times we hear of a "rebellious" child. Even in times such as this, Mothers are teaching out of a pure heart of love and dedication. Her dedication to live for the Lord and be faithful in the good times and the bad is one of the greatest life lessons she can display to her children.

This THANKFUL THURSDAY, I would like to give honor and thanks to all the spiritual "Moms" that have shaped, formed and taught me to honor and live for Christ.

• ~ My own Mother who raised me in a godly home and saw to it that I was in the house of the Lord from an early age. thank you.
• ~ My husband's Mother who raised him to have integrity and character and to love his family. thank you.
• ~ My Grandmother's who left a legacy for us to follow as they trusted God for everything. thank you.
• ~ Sunday School teachers, School teachers, Bible study leaders who all taught me something from the Book and who lived the Word in front of me. thank you.

So many times, when we grow up and leave the nest - we tend to forget about what we have learned. But Solomon reminds us: "Do not neglect your mother's instruction."

One of the most important thing to teach our children is to love and honor God. This would be the most important lesson in life. And when we teach it ... we might have to use words but the greatest tool will be to "live it" out in front of them.

PROVERBS 23:25 "Give your father and mother joy! May she who gave you birth be happy."

THANK YOU Moms for giving...HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!

Lynn is hosting TT for the month of May. Please visit her and other grateful hearts HERE!

WEDNESDAY WEEKLY WORD...light at the end of the tunnel

One of the greatest things we can do when we are experiencing hard times is to see light at the end of the tunnel. With the economy the way it is these days, I would dare say that many of us are looking for that light at the end of the tunnel.

Unfortunately, many people are looking for the wrong light. They are looking down the wrong tunnel.

Many Christians were surprised and outraged by the movie and books authored by Dan Brown, "The DaVinci Code". Dan Brown, the author was one of those wrong lights. People followed him down the wrong tunnel. His writings led the readers to believe that the church made up the idea of Christ being the Son of God and it was written thru Browns book, that the church suppressed those with a different perception.

Spreading "doubt" should not of taken us by surprise. After all, to some degree, doubt has been present throughout history. Most of us have heard of "Doubting Thomas", but in reality, didn't ALL of the disciples have doubt at first? (Luke 24:38)

"But we were hoping that He was the One who was about to redeem Israel."

(spoken with despair by two of the Disciples on the road to Emmaus) Luke 24:21

All of this doubt and despair was quickly turned around when the risen Christ showed Himself. The prophecies of the scripture were indeed a light at the end of the tunnel for all those who believed.

One of the prophecies that I studied this week was from Isaiah. It was prophesied that God's Messiah would be seen as the "Prince of Peace".

ISAIAH 9:6 "For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on His shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace."

Now it is true that war has been in our past, is currently present and most likely will be in our future. As long as there is opposition in this world ... we will have war! We shouldn't be surprised...and as Christians we should have the hope and the peace that God is our Prince of Peace and one day His vision of a peaceful world will happen. Isaiah saw this kind of peace, he had this kind of hope.

ISAIAH 2:4 "They will turn their swords into plows and their spears into pruning knives. Nations will not take up the sword against (other) nations, and they will never again train for war."

In last week's YOUR OPINION MATTERS POLL, I polled the readers the following question: "Who do you most look at as an "oppressor" in your life right now?" The top 3 responses were...
1. 35% of those voting said that they had oppressors in their life.
2. 21% of the readers voted and said that the oppressor in their life right now were creditors.
3. Another 21% voted and said an irritating family member was an oppressor to them.

Oppressors...those we battle with .... that we war against...in the flesh and spiritually. The poll this week confirms to me that there isn't much difference between myself and "Doubting Thomas". When the battle brings me to the front line ...

Where is my faith?
Do I doubt that I have a Prince of Peace?
What do I hold on to?

Even though war continues on today, can I remind you, that God still holds the vision of Isaiah 2:4 before us. The way to overcome our oppressors is by accepting the Prince of Peace ... Jesus Christ!

WEDNESDAY WEEKLY WORD is a post that I designate each Wednesday to reflect on a personal study. For the next several weeks, I will be sharing some thoughts and scripture on promises of Christ returning for His church. Hope you will join me again next week as we venture into this study.

YOUR OPINION MATTERS POLL: please take time to vote in this weeks poll. I am asking about your family tree this week....YOUR OPINION REALLY DOES MATTER!

A PIECE OF MY HEART...its all in the guts!

Have you ever heard someone say, "I hate your guts!" or "Well, that felt like a kick in the gut". GUTS is simply another word for our insides, or something deep within us.

When I think of the word guts ... I think about how God must feel when His children are in pain. All throughout scripture, we see Jesus encountering hurting people and He had compassion upon them.

I looked up the word "compassion" and I found that the Greek verb that Matthew uses for compassion is the word ... splanchnizomai. I know that means absolutely nothing to you unless you studied Medicine. Because the word "splanchnizomai" refers to the study of internal organs, or as I would say, the "guts" of a person!

I found it interesting that the word "compassion" was linked up with "guts". You see, Jesus did not feel pity on people in just a casual way. He did not run on just emotions when it came to hurt and dying people.

Jesus felt the hurts of others deep down in His gut!

The pain of others felt like a sock in the stomach to Him. He felt the brokenness of the crippled person. He felt the physical suffering of the one who was diseased. He felt the loneliness of the leper and the embarrassment of the woman with many husbands.

Jesus compassion towards us is not any different.

We can be confident that He is not untouched by what hurts us and what weights heavy on us. When we feel sad ~ He is moved. When we feel confused ~ He is moved. When we feel afraid ~ he is moved. When we feel frustrated ~ He is moved. When we feel disappointed ~ He is moved.

Jesus has compassion on us.

He feels our pain.

Right down in His gut.

Now that is a deep love and deep compassion.

How about you ... what level of compassion do you have for others? Those around you that are hurting, that are lost, that are searching ... do you have compassion deep down in your gut for them?

LUKE 6:36 "You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate."

True compassion comes from down within!

and that is a piece of my heart today;

DAYS AND NIGHTS

You toss all night long.

You sleep all day long.

You wake up in the morning wishing it was still nighttime.

When a little baby does this, we call it "having our nights and days mixed up".

Some of us have our days and nights mixed up!

When we don't get a good nights rest ~ we cannot wake up refreshed. A restless night can cause us to have a miserable day.

God gave each of us 24 hours in a day. We sleep alittle bit and then we wake up feeling refreshed and start all over again! God intended for EACH morning to be a brand-new day, a fresh opportunity.

How long has it been, friend, since you have had a good nights sleep and woke up in the morning refreshed? Renewed? and saying ...."TODAY is the day my breakthrough will come. TODAY is the day that my miracle will happen. I can make it thru one more day!"

Today is truly the day the Lord has made!

Go ahead and rejoice in it...

(and get a good nights sleep while you are at it!!!)

FIND ME OVER AT LACED WITH GRACE TODAY

Come check out the devotion

I have shared today at:

"THE MISSING PIECE"

"One of my favorite past-times is to sit around the card table and work a puzzle. It is so exhilarating to take a bunch of puzzle pieces and one by one piece it all together. I can work for hours looking for that “one” piece. Maybe it is the piece that is green on the bottom with a little shade of yellow to the side. Certainly, I can locate that ONE little piece. (ha ha) Such joy I feel when I finally find that special piece.In fact, those around me, watching TV or doing something else in the den, will most likely hear me say “aha ….I found it!” The body of Christ can often resemble a large jigsaw puzzle. When the pieces..."

CLICK HERE to find the LWG page

and read the rest of todays devotion!

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN TO FIND TODAYS

"CIRCLE OF LOVE"

FEATURING MY FRIEND CINDY!

CIRLCE OF LOVE ... meet CINDY

I am so excited to introduce you to another friend on this week's segment of CIRCLE OF LOVE! I have met so many wonderful, Christian ladies thru my blogging experience and I want ALL of you to know them as well. So come along with me as we get acquainted...

~ MEET MY FRIEND... CINDY ~

Cindy is relatively new to the blogging world. I got to know Cindy a long time before she began blogging. Cindy is an old friend of mine, we attended church together for several years when our children were young. It has been quite awhile now since Cindy and her family moved to another state, but we have kept in touch thru different things like facebook and emailing.

God has done some amazing things in Cindy's life since she moved. For one thing, God called her and her husband into ministry! They serve as youth pastors and it has been amazing to watch Cindy blossom into such a beautiful blossom for the Lord!

Not only does Cindy have a heart and passion for young people, but also for women. Thus, the name of her blog - WOMEN OF FAITH. I made a visit to her blog earlier and found a great post on "Do not be afraid". Here is part of what Cindy had to say about fear ....

"Our main purpose here on earth is to be a witness and share God's Word with others. Why are we afraid to step out of our comfort zone? Why are we afraid to listen to God? Why are we afraid to be obedient to what God has called us to do? Why are we afraid to take the next step, that leap of faith?

Matthew 28:19-20 Ezekiel 2:6-7

Each summer our youth group takes a Missions Trip. I have learned that witnessing can be easy if you just allow God to use you. This past summer, we took our group to Milpitas, CA where we ministered to the surrounding communities. We went out into the streets of San Francisco during the night and witnessed to many different people, lost people, those who had lost hope and fell into drugs and prostitution and now homeless. It was sad to see such a sight, what you would see in movies was happening right in front of us and all you could do was..." (to continue reading Cindy's post ~ click HERE!)

YYYY

Thank you, Cindy, for sharing with us that great truth that because of Christ we do not have to be afraid! Recently, I had the opportunity to speak online with Cindy and when I asked her to share her heart with us, this is what she had to say...

1. PLEASE TELL US YOUR NAME AND WHERE WE CAN FIND YOU ON THE WEB?
Cindy Peplaw - http://www.womenoffaithblog.blogspot.com/

2. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN BLOGGING AND TELL US YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT BLOGGING?
I have been blogging for about 8 months now. My favorite thing about blogging would be the inspirational stories. I am hoping that what God has placed on my heart to write in some way will touch those reading the stories.

3. WHAT ARE THE MAIN THINGS THAT YOU BLOG ABOUT?
Women of Faith blogs range from personal experiences and what God has placed upon my heart to write. I enjoy writing and was keeping a journal and then started blogging. I pray my stories are words of encouragement and inspiration and will help those reading the blog to never give up but keep pressing on in Christ.

4. TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF...if you work ~where? ...have a family ~ tell us about them?
I have a wonderful, godly husband and 2 beautiful children, a son Will age 22, and a daughter Krista age 20 (whom will be getting married in a few weeks, May 23 - to a wonderful godly young man, Nick). My husband and I have been married almost 24 years and I have truly been blessed by God with a wonderful family. My husband is a Youth Pastor for our church, Calvary Temple Assembly of God in St. Charles, MO and also works full time as a computer programmer. We have been involved in youth ministry for 8 years, youth pastors for 4 years. We have been truly blessed to part of such an amazing youth group, they are our second family. God has truly blessed us! Our son is in college and majoring in Journalism and our daughter is in college majoring in Elementary Education (emphasis on teaching Kindergarten or First Grade). I am a Substitute Teacher for the Francis Howell School District for Early Childhood (preschool) and Elementary. I really enjoy working with kids both young and old. I love being a part of the Youth Ministry. We take annual Youth Missions Trip each summer and I look forward to being able to share our experiences in upcoming blogs. We serve an awesome God!

5. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN SERVING THE LORD?
Almost 19 years!

6. CAN YOU GIVE US A TESTIMONY OF HOW GOD HAS PROVEN HIMSELF FAITHFUL TO YOU?
There are numerous times God has proven himself faithful. I do remember one that really stands out and it was about 5 years ago. My husband was laid off in Oct. of 2003 and was out of work for a good 7 months. Then a year later due to cutbacks from the government, Bill was laid off once again. God opened a door at his old employment and he was rehired. During the layoffs God provided our needs in times when it didn't seem possible. We didn't lose our house, our cars or anything and we have God to thank for that. We had used up all our savings but we serve an AWESOME GOD!!! He has always been with us through each surgery my husband has had (15 surgeries in the last 10 years). Praise God!

7. COULD YOU SHARE WITH YOUR CIRCLE OF BLOGGING FRIENDS YOUR FAVORITE SCRIPTURE?
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."

8. HOW HAS THAT SCRIPTURE MINISTERED TO YOU RECENTLY?
Daily reminder that he has a plan for my life.

9. WHAT ADVICE ABOUT BLOGGING WOULD YOU OFFER TO YOUR CIRCLE OF BLOGGING FRIENDS?
Pray and seek God! Listen for his voice. Writing should be a passion and what you do from the heart. God will give you the words just put your trust in him. You can blog about your own personal experiences which may help someone who is reading your blog. We each have a story and it is waiting to be shared with the world. Share your story!

Thank you CINDY for that great advice, certainly I can see that you are blogging with a passion! I appreciate your ministry as you share your story with your readers! Thank you for being an encouragement to me and Women Taking a Stand!" -LAURIE

PLEASE VISIT CINDY HERE!

THANKFUL THURSDAY...courage

WELCOME to THANKFUL THURSDAY!

It is hard to believe that this is my last Thursday to host for this month! It has been so much fun getting to know all of you and sharing your heart of thanks! Lynn will be our gracious host for the month of May!

This week, I was thinking about courage. Of course my first thought immediately went to the classic movie WIZARD OF OZ. Don't you just love great stories of courage? I love to curl up on the couch with a big bowl of popcorn and watch a movie about brave people standing up to evil and WINNING!

I have never thought of myself as a particularly courageous person. I don't jump out of planes. I have never gone water skiing. I would tremble to climb Mt. Everest. I don't even like spiders, and definitely I am gravely afraid of little rodents!

Bravery? That is for other people. Right?
Wrong!!

When I think about the trials that my life has taken me thru - I realize that courage had alot to do with my survival. Some days, it might have been easier to climb Mount Everest! But during those times of wanting to hide my head in the sand and wishing I could run into my bedroom and hover under the covers - I realized that was EXACTLY what the enemy was trying to get me to do. The enemy wanted me to wither, to fall, to cave in, to fall off the mountain!

Some of you know exactly what I am talking about. Needing courage to take another step. Needing Courage.

Courage in your moment of grief. Courage in your moment of pain. Courage in your moment of sickness. Courage in your moment of stress. Courage in your moment of despair. Courage.

PSALM 3:3 "Lord, You are my shield, my wonderful God who gives me courage."

There are moments in our lives when we have to suck it up, we have to get some backbone, we have grab on to all the strength we can... such courage comes from the Lord!

Aren't you thankful for the courage of the Lord! His strength and protection will rise us up out of the hand of the enemy and we WILL be overcomers!

What are you thankful for this week? Is it courage? or some other blessing from the Lord? Join your grateful heart with ours and let us know by linking your post to Mr. Linky below.