I am NOT Ashamed!

 I want to tell you what I saw on my way to work yesterday. I work in Baton Rouge
& sometimes people there aren’t the nicest; especially in traffic. So in the slow lane ahead of me I see a white corvette, top down with a man driving. What caught my eyes was that he was holding one hand up. My first thought is “What in the world is he doing?” As I got closer I realized he was singing & praising God! He had to have been! He was singing to the top of his lungs & his arm seemed to have been extended all the way to the clouds. It was a beautiful sight! What a testimony!!! It made me think “would you do the same?” There have been times when I’m  loving God w/ song & praise & I
hesitate lifting my arms for fear of what people will think. I’m very ashamed that I let the world come between me & my Father. I’ve attached the verse below as an example that I want to start with everyday! I pray this brings some encouragement to you today! I love you & hope you have a wonderful weekend! Remember to praise God Always!

Psalm 71:17(The Message)You got me when I was an unformed youth, God, and taught me everything I know. Now I'm telling the world your wonders; I'll keep at it until I'm old and gray. God, don't walk off and leave me until I get out the news Of your strong right arm to this world, news of your power to the world yet to come, Your famous and righteous ways, O God. God, you've done it all! Who is quite like you? You, who made me stare trouble in the face, Turn me
around; Now let me look life in the face. I've been to the bottom; Bring me up, streaming with honors; turn to me, be tender to me, And I'll take up the lute and thank you to the tune of your faithfulness, God. I'll make music for you on a harp, Holy One of Israel. When I open up in song to you, I let out lungsful of praise, my rescued life a song. All day long I'm chanting about you and your righteous ways, While those who tried to do me in slink off looking ashamed.

Testimony in Short

On the Christian radio station this week they’ve been asking listeners what Jesus has saved them from. This got me thinking about my own life & what Jesus has saved me from. I’m gonna tell you a little about my past & what Jesus saved me from. This is a struggle for me b/c for the most part I’m a private person. I had a wonderful childhood with parents who loved me unconditionally. I was raised in church & was taught the difference between right & wrong. Here comes the tough stuff.  As a small child I was raped by a local teen in our neighborhood. During & after high school I partied constantly. This consisted of drugs, alcohol, & promiscuity. I got engaged young; this ultimately ended up being a 2 year physical/verbal abusive relationship. I was a rebel & didn’t care who I affected!! I got tattoos, piercings, & could cuss like a sailor. I knew God existed but didn’t care to know Him. Looking back I was living a very scary life. Thank God I found my husband, got engaged, married, have 2 precious babies & a wonderful circle of friends. God definitely had His hand over me & led me to my husband. Thank you Jesus! Long story short, Jesus saved me from the world. I want you to take time & really think, what has Jesus saved you from? If you want to share feel free to do so. I have attached 2 Samuel 22:32 from The Message version, as it assures me that God is our salvation & He will always be my side. I love you & hope you have a wonderful weekend. Remember to praise God always.

2 Samuel 22:32  Is there any god like God? Are we not at bedrock? Is not this the God who armed me well, then aimed me in the right direction? Now I run like a deer; I'm king of the mountain. He shows me how to fight; I can bend a bronze bow! You protect me with salvation-armor; you touch me and I feel ten feet tall. You cleared the ground under me so my footing was firm. When I chased my enemies I caught them; I didn't let go till they were dead men. I nailed them; they were down for good; then I walked all over them. You armed me well for this fight; you smashed
the upstarts. You made my enemies turn tail, and I wiped out the haters. They cried "uncle" but Uncle didn't come; They yelled for God and got no for an answer. I ground them to dust; they gusted in the wind. I threw them out, like garbage in the gutter. You rescued me from squabbling people; you made me a leader of nations. People I'd never heard of served me; the moment they got wind of me they submitted. They gave up; they came trembling from their hideouts.

Remembering the Good Ole' Days...

I’ve been reminiscing a lot lately about my childhood & growing up in south Alabama. As most of you know I was born & raised in the small town of Opp, AL. I say small but that doesn’t describe the heart of the town. I grew up fairly poor but I wouldn’t have changed a thing about how I was raised. I was taught to work hard & enjoy the simple things in life. My Mom & Dad showed me that the value of a person wasn’t measured by their clothes or belongings. They also taught me to be open-minded & to not let other people’s opinions affect my outlook on things.
My headstrong Nana would drag us grandkids to church every Sunday to sing & learn the Gospel of Jesus. I can remember watching her from the back seat, pluck away at stray unsightly hairs on her chin, all the while singing that mornings hymns , driving, & telling us to keep our feet off the back of her seat. I’m so glad she did “make” me go to church with her EVERY SUNDAY! She always had such a joyful spirit but was quick to put you in your place if needed. To say she was a penny pincher would be an understatement. There were many times she would haul us grandkids behind what used to be the Piggly Wiggly to go “dumpster diving”. Too embarrassed to be seen, we would either stay in the car or play in the pine trees behind the store.

I can remember riding with my Papa on his red International tractor till it rocked me to sleep. That was our time. Although it was too loud for conversation, just spending that time together was more valuable to me than anything. To this day he is a man of little words but when he does speak; his words are full of wisdom. I will always cherish the many stories he’s told me about his life experiences. I hope to add to this from time to time when I get a chance.

Praying for the "P" word

Good Morning! I hope you’ve all had a wonderful week. It’s Friday already! WooHoo! So I’ve been tested a lot by my sweet 2 year old daughter. She can boil my pot over in .025 seconds. When I’ve reached my limit I catch myself praying “Sweet Jesus PLEASE just give me a little more PAtie….uhhh, I mean… Please control my temper with my daughter & hold my tongue. Amen” Just for the record, counting to 10 doesn’t work for me, especially when she joins in with me. :0) For as long as I can remember, I’ve always heard ”Be careful when you pray for the “P” word” , “God’ll teach you patience all right”, etc. so I’ve pretty much banned it from my prayers in fear that God will “teach me a lesson”. But isn’t that what I need? To be tested, tempted, or broken? (The following question comes from the movie Evan Almighty) Do you think God is going to just give us an abundance of warm fuzzy feelings or will He give us opportunities to grow & learn patience as a result? When we’re faced with obstacles, we ask God for guidance and/or patience to wait it out till the finish line. This is when we’ve persevered in Christ & ultimately have established a stronger relationship with Him. Who doesn’t want that? Below I’ve included Ecclesiastes 7:7-9 in the NLT version as well as The Message version for comparison.

I also attached Luke 11:9-13 from The Message Bible in hopes to rid some apprehension of praying for the “P” word. I love this version! I pray this brings some encouragement to you today! I love you & hope you have a wonderful weekend!


Ecclesiastes 7:7-9 (New Living Translation)
7 Extortion turns wise people into fools,
and bribes corrupt the heart.
8 Finishing is better than starting.
Patience is better than pride.
9 Control your temper,
for anger labels you a fool.

Ecclesiastes 7:7-9 (The Message)
7 Brutality stupefies even the wise
And destroys the strongest heart.
8 Endings are better than beginnings.
Sticking to it is better than standing out.
9 Don't be quick to fly off the handle.
Anger boomerangs. You can spot a fool by the lumps on his head.

Luke 11:9-13 (The Message)
9 "Here's what I'm saying:
Ask and you'll get;
Seek and you'll find;
Knock and the door will open.
10-13"Don't bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This is not a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we're in. If your little boy asks for a serving of fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? If your little girl asks for an egg, do you trick her with a spider? As bad as you are, you wouldn't think of such a thing—you're at least decent to your own children. And don't you think the Father who conceived you in love will give the Holy Spirit when you ask him?"

Time is precious!!!

Good Morning! I hope you all had a wonderful week! It’s Friday again! Woo-Hoo! So this past weekend I made a very short trip to my parents to celebrate my Papa’s (grandpa) 71st birthday. We had a blast & it was so nice to have all of my family together. However, as I mentioned before, it was a very short trip. We got there Friday night around 9pm & Saturday was spent running around getting things ready for the party. Sunday we left for home around 10:30 am. I wanted to soak in every moment I had with them & let them know how much our time together meant to me. Every time I visit them I try to capture every moment with them & not take the short time I have with them for granted. But before I knew it we were packing the truck to come back home. More time; all I wanted was just a little more time! Have you ever felt this way? Sometimes I take other things for granted. Playing with my children, my husband’s love, my job, my health, & time with family that lives close by, are some things I regretfully take for granted. I suppose I get in a rut & “go through the motions” when I have all these things within just an arm’s reach. But this isn’t how I want to live my life. I want those around me to know that I love them, appreciate them, & value our time together; regardless of how much or less I spend with them. Now with that said I want each of you to know that you are all very beautiful people! I’m so thankful God placed YOU in my life! I ask that you take the time to let someone know you love & appreciate them & your time together is treasured. I pray this brings some encouragement to you & hope you have a wonderful weekend!


I love you & remember to Praise God Always!!!

Your Sister-in-Christ,

Amanda

Ecclesiastes 11:7 (The Message)

Oh, how sweet the light of day, And how wonderful to live in the sunshine! Even if you live a long time, don't take a single day for granted. Take delight in each light-filled hour, Remembering that there will also be many dark days and that most of what comes your way is smoke.

Stolen Joy!

Good Morning! I hope you’ve all had a wonderful week! It’s Friday!! WooHoo!!! This week has gone by especially slow for me b/c I’m going to visit my parents this weekend. You all know how it is when you’re excited about something & it seems to take forever to finally get here! As each day drew closer to the weekend my anxiety & excitement became overflowing. Well this morning as I’m rushing around, trying to get the kids ready to leave for work I pulled a muscle in my back. Not just a little muscle either, one that hurts when you breathe. How inconvenient is that huh? Naturally my excitement & joy was knocked out by the pain in my back. But we’re still going to my parents & I’m going to make the best of my short time with them. This got me thinking about things that steal our joy in Christ from us. Whether it is a negative person, finances, greed, or any other hardships we face day to day, these things happen. Now what we do about it is up to us! I love the saying “Put your Big Girl panties on & deal with it!” When our joy is stolen from us it can be crippling & we can lose our focus on Christ. He wants us to cry out to Him with our troubles & pain so we can be abundantly blessed by His grace & mercy. I pray that when you find your joy slipping away that you cry out for Christ to restore the joy in your heart. I hope this brings you some encouragement & you have a great weekend. I love you & remember to Praise God Always!




Psalm 126:4-6 (The Message)
4-6 And now, GOD, do it again—

bring rains to our drought-stricken lives

So those who planted their crops in despair

will shout hurrahs at the harvest,

So those who went off with heavy hearts

will come home laughing, with armloads of blessing.

Confusing simplicity

I hope you’ve all had a wonderful week. It’s Friday! WOOHOO!!! This past week has been crazy for me. My emotions have been like a rollercoaster….up & down, confusing & just way out there. I’ve contributed it to my monthly visitor but it got me daydreaming of the “good old days”. Have you ever thought that life would easier if we could go back to when things were simpler? Back before all the fashion hype, banking, fancy foods, & let’s not forget the GPS, VCR, DVD, DVR, PCU, CD, PCU, & HDTV’s. Very confusing huh? I’m not saying I don’t appreciate these things but sometimes simplicity is better. We as humans have a tendency to complicate things or over analyze till our heads feel like they’re going to explode if another thought crosses our minds. I picked my bible up this morning while waiting in traffic & randomly opened it to 1 Corinthians. Ain’t God good? The 2nd chapter seemed to scream at me. I felt like God was telling me to quit making things complicated…slow down, & don’t pick everything apart. I’m so grateful God can simplify or calm our lives by revealing His truth to us. I’ve attached The Message version, as this is what I read this morning. Pray this has brought you some encouragement today & that you have a wonderful & safe weekend. Remember I love you & to praise God always!



1 Corinthians 2

1-2You'll remember, friends, that when I first came to you to let you in on God's master stroke, I didn't try to impress you with polished speeches and the latest philosophy. I deliberately kept it plain and simple: first Jesus and who he is; then Jesus and what he did—Jesus crucified.

3-5I was unsure of how to go about this, and felt totally inadequate—I was scared to death, if you want the truth of it—and so nothing I said could have impressed you or anyone else. But the Message came through anyway. God's Spirit and God's power did it, which made it clear that your life of faith is a response to God's power, not to some fancy mental or emotional footwork by me or anyone else