Birthday Celebration

This weekend, we have

alot of celebrating going on.

First of all I would like to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my mom. Today is her birthday, please say a prayer for her. She fell the other night and when she fell she broke her tailbone and she is in much pain. I'm praying for you Mom!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

Another celebration going on, all over our great states, is the celebration of our Independence. 1776 brought Independence and freedom, and today that is worth celebrating!


BBQ, picnics, fireworks, sparklers, hot dogs, waving flags, parades, swimming and eating good 'ole American apple pie ... whatever your holiday weekend plans are, please be safe and be proud!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!

CIRCLE OF LOVE segment will be back next Friday. I am off enjoying the holiday weekend with my family.

THANKFUL THURSDAY...freedom

For too many years, I took my freedoms for granted! Oh don't get me wrong ... I have always been patriotic, a supporter of my elected officials and a tax-paying citizen. I have always been proud to be an American.

However, when my son joined the Air Force and donned that blue uniform...things changed.

How I said the Pledge of Allegiance at a ballgame changed.

How I sang the National Anthem changed.

How I Watched the news of effects of war changed.

And when my son was sent overseas to serve our Country in South Korea ... something else changed.

How I prayed changed!

It looks like some of our elected officials would like to make a few changes in our freedoms. There have been alot of bills presented lately that will definitely make some changes in our lives. The freedom to choose our own medical treatment, or the freedom of being able to be fairly taxed can be altered by a vote but the freedom that we have in Christ, the freedom to pray, the freedom to be called His own can never be voted away or taken away from us.

GALATIONS 5:1 "Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage."

Now, that is a freedom that

cannot be taken from us!

LYNN is hosting THANKFUL THURSDAY for the month of July. Please CLICK HERE to join her grateful heart as we all unite together, a freedom that all are thankful for!

WEDNESDAY WEEKLY WORD... garden keeper

It has been said that while we are not "our brother's keeper", we should be our brother's (and sister's) "gardener. A "keeper" is one who takes care of animals and puts limits on them, while a "gardener" is one who encourages life to blossom and grow.

My husband works diligently in his vegetable garden. Pulling weeds, watering and watching for what needs to be done to have a harvest.

If we are to "blossom" as a person, we need to continually show new growth. As Christians, we can come alongside one another and encourage the beauty and the gifting that is inside each of us to bloom and blossom. Just as a gardener makes sure that abundant water and nutrition is available, we can also provide our fellow Christian brothers and sisters with resources that will encourage growth and encouragement to them. Providing strength such as scripture, prayer and the love of God will certainly encourage others to grow in the Lord.

In last week's YOUR OPINION MATTERS POLL, I polled the readers the following question, "What do you need to be doing now in order for your future to blossom?" The top 3 responses were:

1. 50% of those polled said that they need to be more patient with the slow process of growth.

2. 20% of those voting, said that they need to plant more seeds...take more chances.

3. Another 20% of the readers said that need to pray to the Lord of the harvest.

Growth should be one of the passions of each Christian believer. The Bible says that we are either hot or cold, that the lukewarm will be spewed out of God's mouth. Being a lukewarm christian would be like a Christian having a bunch of weeds in their garden. Limited to healthy growth.

ISAIAH 11:5 "Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped. (6) then the lame will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute will sing for joy, for water will gush in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; (7) the parched ground will become a pool of water, and the thirsty land springs of water."

God is a God of life. One of the greatest things about Jesus was how life blossomed when touched by Him. If you are going thru a dry time in your spiritual walk, look to this passage in Isaiah and be encouraged that when God touches you, a gush of water will well up in your dry land and refresh and renew you.

WHAT DOES THE GARDEN OF LIFE LOOK LIKE TO YOU?

• full of weeds, and lack of growth
• or full of energy and gushing waters?

Dear Lord...Help me today to come alongside my brothers and sisters and bring encouragement to them. Allow me to be tenderhearted towards them and help them to become all that they can be in Christ. May their life blossom and bloom into the beautiful vessel that God sees them as. -AMEN

YOUR OPINION MATTERS POLL: Please take time to vote in this weeks poll. Find it on the side bar of this blog. Your opinion really does matter!!

ARMED FOR WAR ... laced with grace devo

YOU CAN FIND ME TODAY OVER AT ...

I have shared a devotion today entitled, "ARMED FOR WAR"

"As we fast approach the birthday of our country, I can't help but think of
the freedoms that we experience each and every day. So many freedoms that each of us take for granted. The freedom to live safely and peacefully in our
homes has been a privilege all of my life, but seemingly, we are approaching the
day that such freedom may be coming to an end. Imagine what it would be like
to wake up to gunfire and exploding grenades all around you. One minute..."

CLICK HERE to read the rest of today's devotion!

A PIECE OF MY HEART ... who do we resemble?

Have you ever heard someone say that dogs resemble their owners? We have 3 dogs. I don't think any of them look like me or act like me. I have seen pictures of people who actually resemble their pets. Look at these and tell me if you see any resemblance....

Seeing these pictures and thinking about who we may look like reminds me of what can happen if we hang around the wrong crowd. I have been talking with my 13 year old daughter alot about these kinds of things. When we surround ourselves with the wrong crowd, eventually we end up being like them. We resemble those that we spend the most time with.

You can walk onto any high school campus and see how teens imitate others intentionally with hair styles or body piercings. After awhile what seems like intentional imitation now becomes unintentional imitation with things like speech patterns, body language and attitudes. This is not just a lesson for teen-agers, but in our adult relationships as well.

Your parents may have been on to something when they warned you to be careful who you hung out with...

HEBREWS 6:12b "imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised."

Who we resemble the most may just be the one that we hang out with the most. I wonder what our speech patterns, body language and attitudes would be like if God was put as top priority in our lives.

WHO DO YOU RESEMBLE THE MOST?

My prayer is that I would intentionally imitate the habits of God!

and that is a piece of my heart today;

SUGAR AND SPICE AND NOT VERY NICE

**I am hosting AT THE WELL today **

Today as we gather around the Well, I want to talk about something that has been whispered about for some time now. You probably heard some of the mutterings and saw some of the looks if you would happen to come up to the well with your bucket for water. The ladies gathered there giggled and laughed as they watched you come closer. You never quite felt accepted by all of the women, and one time you overheard the not-so-nice things they were saying.

MEAN GIRLS
They not only existed around the well, but they still exist today.Mean girls exist in every city and every state across the country. Every schoolyard is overrun by them, it doesn't matter if it is urban, rural, Christian or public schools. Mean girls can be found on every playground. These girls can be said to be equal to the schoolyard bully, except instead of giving out black eyes, they leave bruised hearts.

Mean girls can cause emotional scars so deep that some girls might want to change schools in order to avoid their cruelty, others will find themselves in some kind of therapy years later to find healing for the emotional damage caused by these mean girls.

If you think dealing with mean girls is something new. You are wrong. They have been present throughout the ages and the Bible is full of stories of mean girls! Most likely, you are reading this post today and you, yourself, were either pegged as a "mean girl" or you were a victim of a mean girl.

In today's culture though, we are seeing girls who are being meaner than ever! Television has a lot to do with this...we have become desensitized and now because of reality shows and talk shows, we no longer resist getting in each others face and criticizing one another. Girls today have a "speak-your-mind," "tell-it-like-it-is" mentality which has taken the meaning of a "mean girl" to a whole new level.

The mean girls of today certainly make the mean girls of my generation seem like Shirley Temple! Today, technology has allowed girls to be vicious, rude, and down right mean. Girls can spread their venom electronically with the click of a mouse through emails, instant messaging, facebook and mypsace.Mean girls are not just a problem with adolescent teens. Mean girls are grown women too. And sometimes mean girls can be found in your own church pew. Christian girls are not exempt from associating with mean girls or even being a mean girl.

HOW TO SPOT A MEAN GIRL....

• Mean girls base their worth on being in control and exerting power over others.
• Mean girls use manipulation or scare tactics.
• Mean girls do not hesitate to ridicule or make fun of someone.
• Mean girls look for support from others that will join their team of being mean.
• Mean girls often express outward meanness to cover up a lack of self confidence or feeling of worth.

LUKE 6:32, 33 "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that."

LUKE 6:35, 36 "But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons (and daughters) of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful."

We must be set apart.
We must be different.

Questions to consider:
What do we do when we come across a mean girl?

As a Titus 2 woman, how can we raise our daughters to not be a mean girl?

Looking back, can you remember a time that you were a victim of a mean girl... how did you overcome?

Looking back, can you remember a time that you WERE a mean girl... what changed you?

If you would like to link up your post today, please go to the AT THE WELL homepage. Find more thoughts on this subject HERE!

CIRCLE OF LOVE ... meet Denise

This week on CIRCLE OF LOVE, I am happy to introduce to you my friend and a friend to most of you ~DENISE who pens...

Denise will not be a "new friend" to most of you, because most likely at some point in time of your blogging experience you have probably received an encouraging word left on your blog from Denise.

When visiting Denise's page, you will notice that she signs her posts "Warrior of Jesus". I love that! Isn't that an awesome thing for someone to remember us by ... "a warrior, a soldier, a fighter" for the cause of Christ. Denise certainly lives up to that signature.

Denise has a great passion for others. It is evident in the way that she is always encouraging others. Another way her passion is evident is when she blogs about her sweet husband. She always has an encouraging word about him and praises him for all that he does. She is certainly a warrior in her relationships. But the most powerful passion that you will find over at Denise's blog is the passion that she has for Jesus Christ and for those that are hurting and lost. This is what impresses me so much about Denise ... that she passionately loves her Heavenly Father and loves doing His business and is steadily a warrior for the Kingdom!

Despite physical ailments that could easily keep someone down, Denise is the ultimate example of how even in times of difficulty, God is still in control and He deserves all of our praise.

Denise ... you are a blessing to me, and to so many and I believe there will be a very special crown in heaven for a lovely angel such as yourself. :)

In addition to Shortybear's Place, Denise also has another blog over at:

If you are in the midst of a battle or struggle, I know that your heart and spirit will be refreshed and renewed after visiting FREE TO BE ME as well. Here is a recent post from her blog "Free To Be Me"...

"Start today by lifting your hearts in praise to the One who created the
heart that beats within you my friend. Make your heart smile, by praising its
Maker. Lift your hearts higher, higher, and even higher, until you touch the
very heart, of the one most worthy of your praise!!"

Recently, Denise shared more from her heart with me online. Let's get better acquainted with our dear sister in the Lord and special friend....

1. PLEASE TELL US YOUR NAME AND WHERE WE CAN FIND YOU ON THE WEB?
My name is Denise Oldham, and you can find me on the web at: http://shortybearsplace.blogspot.com/ or at http://freetobeme-denise.blogspot.com/

2. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN BLOGGING AND TELL US YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT BLOGGING?
I have been blogging for about three years now. My favorite thing about blogging is being able to share the love of Jesus with others.

3. WHAT ARE THE MAIN THINGS THAT YOU BLOG ABOUT?
I basically blog about my life, and Jesus.

4. TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF...if you work ~where? ...have a family ~ tell us about them?
I recently celebrated my 24th wedding anniversary to Eddie, otherwise known as my lovebug. I am a stay at home wife. Unfortunately, we were not able to have children, but God knows best.

5. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN SERVING THE LORD?
20 years

6. CAN YOU GIVE US A TESTIMONY OF HOW GOD HAS PROVEN HIMSELF FAITHFUL TO YOU?
I have had several close calls with death, but God kept me here. He is so faithful to love me, and watch over my diabetes.

7. COULD YOU SHARE WITH YOUR CIRCLE OF BLOGGING FRIENDS YOUR FAVORITE SCRIPTURE?
Philippians 4:13: I can do all things through Christ Who gives me strength.

8. HOW HAS THAT SCRIPTURE MINISTERED TO YOU RECENTLY?
My diabetes really tears my body down, but God daily gives me His strength to run my race of life.

9. WHAT ADVICE ABOUT BLOGGING WOULD YOU OFFER TO YOUR CIRCLE OF BLOGGING FRIENDS?
Be your true self, not someone you wish you were. Share Jesus, let Him shine brightly on your blog.

Thank you Denise for that great advice and certainly you are a living testimony of that very thing ... being true to yourself and sharing Jesus thru your blog! You are a huge blessing to me, to many readers and to all the women who are taking a stand with us! -Blessings and love, Laurie

PLEASE GO BY AND VISIT DENISE TODAY ... Shortybearsplace and Freetobeme !

I WOULD LOVE TO FEATURE YOUR BLOG NEXT! Please CLICK HERE to find out how you and your blog could be featured in a future CIRCLE OF LOVE segment. You can get better acquainted with your fellow blogger's right here every Friday!