When Life Gets In The Way...

First off, i apologize for being absent the last two weeks. I have no excuses, except that life got in the way. My plate is extremely full right now, plus i have a few side dishes that are overflowing also. But it's time - passed time - to "practice what i preach".

www.toxicatmedia.etsy.com

"Watch & pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body (flesh) is weak."

Matthew 26:41 (NIV)

I'm sure many of us can relate to this verse in one way or another. And today is a perfect example. As i write this, it has been literally 2 1/2 hours since i wrote the first paragraph. First off, our birthday boy woke up. Our youngest is 16 today!!! So i HAD to stop & sing "Happy Birthday" to him & make a fuss. Secondly, a wonderful lady from church called with some awesome news about the church having a float in the 4th of July Parade. (Yes, that's one of the things on my plate.) Yeah! Good news!!! Thirdly, as i'm talking to the lady from church, i hear my oven beep to let me know that it's preheated for the birthday treats. Now, our oven is temperamental. It takes "forever" to heat up & has a tendency to get too hot sometimes. So i knew i had to get the goodies made & in there ASAP.

www.SMCollierDesign.etsy.com

In the midst of this 2 1/2 hours of life, the dog needed to go outside & of course, wanted to come back inside before i wanted her to. Plus, i had laundry to fold, to put in the dryer & of course, start a new load in the washer.

Now to be totally honest, i could very easily said, "forget it!". But no!!! I will not let my flesh be weak today. I have asked & am trusting God to not let life distract me from doing His work. To keep me & my mind organized & for Him to prioritize for me. AND to give me His energy for what He wants me to accomplish, according to His will.

How about you? Does life get in the way sometimes? Most of us have the "want to", but lack the energy, motivation, &/or time to get things done.

www.ifrogcrafts.etsy.com

"Those who know Your name will trust You, for You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek You"

Psalm 9:10 (NIV)

Trust God & seek Him. Those are the best words of advice that anyone can heed. So not mater what you're facing &/or being distracted by in life, remember this:

TRUST IN GOD & SEEK HIM & HE WILL NEVER FORSAKE YOU.

 

No Condemnation

"There is therefore now no condemnation down in my heart..." Do you remember singing that as a kid? I do. Did you know what it meant? I didn't. But over the years, i've learned that if i started to feel any condemnation, those thoughts were NOT from the Lord. He always gives me grace to press on. I now know that there IS victory in Jesus & that a condemning spirit is only just an obstacle that needs to be overcome by the power of Jesus that is in me.

www.jkvinyldesigns.etsy.com

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

Romans 8:1

Jesus paid our debt on the cross & if we confess our sins & ask for forgiveness, God throws away the record of our sin. But even so, we sometimes allow the enemy to cause us to despair over God-forgiven sins of the past. God as forgiven us, so we have no reason to hang on to the feelings of condemnation.

www.stitchinginseattle.etsy.com

The truth is...GOD LOVES US. No matter where we go or how we respond to God, He loves us deeply. He longs for our fellowship, praise & worship. He constantly pursues us, seeking to draw us into a loving relationship.

www.ifrogcrafts.etsy.com

The truth is...GOD IS FAITHFUL. He shows us this by giving us a new chance everyday. Therefore, when the enemy comes to blame, claim, or shame, we need to lift it up to Jesus. We are new creations because of Jesus & what He suffered through on the cross. Hang on to that love. Accept that forgiveness. Then you can really sing "There is therefore now no condemnation, down in my heart"!!!

Battles to Victory Celebrations

We all experience battles in our lives. Some are continuous throughout our lives. Some are over soon. And some, though temporary, last a lot longer than we'd like. God never intended for us to enter a battle under our own strength.

" 'Not by might nor power, but by Spirit' says the Lord Almighty."

Zechariah 4:6

www.PrayerNotes.etsy.com

We need to have faith in God & be obedient to His teaching. He knows the areas of our lives that we have no strength or power to straighten things out. But victory does not depend on what strength, power, or willpower that you have, or don't have. Victories belong to God & the path we must follow is obedience. The best way to fight your battles is to ask & allow God's Holy Spirit to teach & guide us. Strength is limited & willpower is often subject to our emotional state. But God's Spirit is able to endure & lead you to victory.

www.SabellasEmporium.etsy.com

Even when we are not faithful to ourselves, God is always faithful to us. He's always with us to give us strength when we are weak, to hold us when we're lonely, to heal us when we're hurting, to hug us when we're happy & to even high-five us when we obey Him. And because one of God's greatest promises is that He will never leave us, i can assure you that He'll always show up for any battle or pity-party that you may have. Plus, if you ask Him, He'll turn it into a victory celebration.

www.libelluledesign.etsy.com

We can always count on God. He has the power through the Holy Spirit to lead us to victory in all areas of our lives. Our role is to learn to follow His will, not our own. We can also continue the victory celebration by sharing how God has worked in our lives. Share your experiences with other. It just may help them to believe & to call on God in their time of need.

www.ifrogcrafts.etsy.com

It's All About the Kids!

Many of you know that i send tithes plus offerings to Casa de Fe, which is a Christian orphanage in Shel, Ecuador. So how did i get involved with this particular cause? Well, first off, a class mate of mine found me on Facebook. This wonderful lady, Patti Sue, manages Casa de Fe. I thought it was awesome. It wasn't long after we renewed our friendship on line, that i saw this picture...

All i could see was this precious little boy with God's smile. This was Jhony when he first came to Casa de Fe, three years ago.

"Jhony is a miracle child. He was born with a portion of his skull missing from his forehead & between his eyes. When he came to us, he had fluid leaking from a fisher between his eyes. His brain being opened to the world, opened him up to the possibility of infection going straight to his brain. But God had a different plan. Within 4 days of coming to Casa de Fe, we whisked him off to Quito to have surgery. He had a portion of his brain removed & then sealed, the skull rebuilt, & screen put in where the ridge of his nose was missing. All in all, it was an 8 hour surgery & he was in intensive care for 8 days. Now Jhony is a normally developing [boy] which can only be for the Grace of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ."

(from Casa de Fe's website)

This is just one of many stories that come out of CdF that will warm your heart. But one thing that i really admire about CdF is that they live up to their mission statement.

www.ifrogcrafts.etsy.com

"Believing that all children are created in God's image, Casa de Fe exists as an integral part of the body of Christ, focused on rescuing abandoned, abused & special needs children, providing for their physical, spiritual, & educational needs, in a loving supportive home environment, with the ultimate goal of assisting each of God's children to achieve their highest potential in His Kingdom." 

www.SprinkledJoy.etsy.com

For more information about Casa de Fe, please visit their website.

lacasadefe.org/

So why am i taking this different route for today's blog entry? Well, this part is hard for me, because i really don't like to toot my own horn. But ifrogcrafts has entered the world of fundraising...mostly for church youth groups....but, anyone really.

www.SILVESTROMEDIA.etsy.com

In the November, 2011 CdF newsletter, these financial needs were listed:

          Fresh fruits & vegetables - $500 (weekly)

          100 lbs. rice - $35 (2 months)

          100 lbs. sugar - $42 (1 1/2 months)

          360 eggs - $37.20 (monthly)

          100 liters milk - $50 (weekly)

          Cheese & Yogurt - $30 (weekly)

          Chicken - $35 (weekly)

          Meats - $65 (weekly)

          Pediasure - $20 (daily), $140 (weekly), $600 (monthly)

And this is just general food needs. There is so much more included in the home operations.

www.Vanessasblankets.etsy.com

Today, i am humbly asking for you to help me send more to Casa de Fe. If you know of any group that does periodic fundraisers, i just ask that you tell them about ifrogcrafts. I would love to get emails asking for more information or questions at ifrogcrafts@live.com.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. I so appreciate it. AND i appreciate & am thankful for each & every one of you.

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,

for the rights of all who are destitute.

Speak up & judge fairly,

defend the rights of the poor & needy."

Proverbs 31:8-9

Unsearchable Things

Sometimes we are so ready to believe that we always know the right thing to do. But then comes a time when we have no words, no wisdom, no strength in ourselves. God is the only one who can do the work that needs to be done in all of our lives. He always has a way of teaching us something new, especially when we think we have all the answers.

www.ForwardPerspective.etsy.com

It's comforting to know that God is interested in the smallest & largest details of our lives. It's also comforting to know that only He can -- and does -- orchestrate events & people to meet our deepest needs.

www.ifrogcrafts.etsy.com

"Call to me & I will answer you & tell you great & unsearchable things you do not know."

Jeremiah 33:3

When we call on His name & seek His face, He will show us where He wants us to be & also gives us direction to reach that place. We know, we can call on Him anytime. But please don't let His call & messages go to voice mail. He has great & unsearchable things that He wants to tell us & show us. The mere fact that God. who created the heavens & earth, would take time to speak to little ole me, is simply amazing! I'm just one of a bajillion people who struggles with issues. And there are so many other issues in this world that are so much worse than mine.

www.cpandmackstudio.etsy.com

Jeremiah 33:3 can set you free. Free from believing that "nothing great could happen to me". God is telling us that if we call to Him, He will answer us. And He'll not only answers us but tells & shows us "unsearchable" things that we would never know or see without Him. Personally, i feel extremely honored & grateful that our magnificent God would share these thing with me.

www.pattisprimitives.etsy.com

Today & every day, please remember that we are all extraordinary enough that Jesus died on the cross for us. And since God created each & every one of us, He has a special plan for our lives. Call to Him & watch in awe, how His plan for you unfolds every single day.

Be Alert & Ready - Always

"Be self-controlled & alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."

I Peter 5:8 (NIV)

Did you know that the oldest lion, usually the one without any teeth, roars the loudest? When the lion pride is on a hunt, the oldest lion will lay on one side of the clearing while the young lions gather on the other side. When the prey enters the clearing, the old lion roars his loudest roar & the prey immediately runs the other way - right into the clutches of the young lions.

www.avedissianjeweler.etsy.com

Now, Think of the enemy as old & toothless even though his is powerful. He prowls like a lion. He roars loudly, hoping to paralyze God's children with fear, so that we might run right into the very traps we're trying to resist.

www.BunnyHeadPottery.etsy.com

What type of things are you fearing today? Are you afraid that you will never lose the weight that you want to or that you will never get organized? Those are two biggies for me right now. But maybe you're afraid that your marriage is doomed or that your rebellious child will never come back to God. Whatever the issue is, think about who really has the power in your situation. Jesus is able to accomplish anything on your behalf.

"Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes."

Ephesians 6:11 (NIV)

www.AmyDavisArt.etsy.com

When you are wearing the full armor of God, you will find how much easier life is. And when you allow God to be in control, He keeps you alert to the enemy's schemes & stands guard over you. The enemy who tempts us & tries to divert us & litters our paths with obstacles. But by practicing self control through the power of the Holy Spirit, self control becomes God-controlled. And be being God-controlled, each time we decline a temptation that we face, we grow stronger & more able to resist the next one.

www.ifrogcrafts.etsy.com

In our daily routines it's sometimes easy to forget that we are all targets & that we have a vicious lion on our heels. Often times I realize that i have been bitten with procrastination or distractions. Our Father has told us to be alert & ready - always! Maybe this acrostic for PRESERVE, may help us to do just that. 

Pray without ceasing (morning, noon, night & in between).

Enlist others in the fight. The lion doesn't like it when two or more gather.

Rejoice in the Lord. Praise & worship of God disturbs the lion! (And it's not just on      Sundays.)

Submit to God's control each day, allowing Him to lead.

Encourage others on this journey to be wary & prepared.

Victory - remember Christ has already secured victory through the cross! Remind      the lion that he is defeated.

Enlarge your arsenal of weapons. Keep God's armor on as protection against            teeth & claws!

Repent - don't let unconfessed sin leave an opening for the enemy to sin his teeth      in.

Eat according to God's bountiful plan. Feast on His word & allow Him to make you        spiritually strong & resilient.

Going Backwards to Go Forwards

We know that God gives us direction. He pushes us forward & provides a future for us. But have you ever felt like He has taken you backwards instead? Ever wonder why?

"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt; I will make you live in tents again, as in the days of appointed feasts."

Hosea 12:9 (NIV)

www.moozlehome.etsy.com

In this verse, from Hosea, God is telling the Israelites that they were going to take a few steps backwards. They had gotten out of Egypt & moved on with their lives. They had stepped towards a future, but had forgotten God in the process. God decided that the best thing that He could to, was to take them back to the days they lived in tents. It was during that time that they were filled with incredible joy; they celebrated feasts & remembered God's goodness - in spite of their surroundings.

www.SvetlanaGeiger.etsy.com

With so many irons in the fire, i must admit that God has had to take me back many times. There are times when i feel like i'm living in fast forward. I can get so focused on the busyness of life, that i forget to hit rewind & remember all God has done for me & rejoice. There are times when He takes me back to a particular hard time. He doesn't do this because He's punishing me, but because He knows how forgetful i can be. He reminds me of my "tents" so that i can remember where i started.

www.fourhandsarts.etsy.com

Sometimes going backwards is what God knows is best for you. We need to trust the direction that He is taking us. We need to settle in our "tents" & look for Him to dwell with us as He did with the Israelites. Whining & complaining about where you are doesn't accomplish anything. Instead choose to feel God's nearness & soak in His love. Maybe there is something He once taught you that you need to relearn. I know that's usually my experience.

www.plasticouture.etsy.com

I don't like going backwards & i'm sure that you don't like it either. But we must trust God's direction & embrace whatever it is that He is trying to teach us. Doing this will will make sure that you're always going the best direction possible, you'll feel your relationship with Him growing stronger every day.

www.ifrogcrafts.etsy.com

"They will know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of Egypt so that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God."

Exodus 29:46 (NIV)