Don't Believe in Shouting? Read Your Bible

I’ve not been watching the basketball games on TV lately. By reading my Facebook wall and my son calling  to let us know, UK Wildcats moves into the Final 4. Even though I don’t watch the games, and of course it has nothing to do with my religious beliefs, many Christians do watch. Matter of fact I’ve never seen so many  get so physical with shouting and jumping up and down over the games. I have no intention of judging so please forgive me if you get that impression. I can’t help but wonder if someone can get extremely excited over a game that is here today, gone tomorrow, why they can't get that excited over a risen Saviour who is eternal and has delivered them from Hell. I’m only trying to understand. Is it because we are afraid of what others will think of us in church? Is it because we may attend a denomination where shouting or jumping may be forbidden? 

If you have a desire to shout to the Lord or jump with spiritual excitement and it’s forbidden in your church then maybe you are in the wrong church. God is so worthy to be praised. We need to regroup ourselves as Christians and know it’s ok to shout to the Lord, not for the purpose of being seen or heard from fellow Christians but because we adore Him, we praise Him with voice, we worship with movement. We need to stop being a “stick in the mud”. We need to allow God to take control of our lives. We need to re-evaluate our Christian walk and put our priorities in the right place.  

Listen I  have no problem with music. Gosh, I don’t know how to say this because  I love most  types of music. I think when music is sex related or cursing throughout the song or even play electronic games with cursing and a lot of violence then we are crossing the line in our service to God. I feel the same with TV shows or movies.  If we’d rather listen to worldly music, watch worldly shows or movies we are crossing the line in our service to God. God should be first in everything.  

Again my intentions is not to judge. However, I feel very strongly about saying what God has laid on my heart.  To be truthful with you this message is correcting my spirit also.

Again, it’s ok to shout and dance before the Lord.

Psalms 5:11  But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever SHOUT for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.

Psalms 35:27  Let them SHOUT for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.

Psalms 149:3  Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.

Psalms 150:4  Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.

We should never fear what others think of us. It is what God thinks of us that matters. We need to be focused on our Heavenly Father. 

I challenge each of you who reads this newsletter to begin a Bible study regimen. We need Bible study groups in our churches and if that doesn’t work for you then have one in your home. Gather a few friends and set one hour one day a week to fellowship and study. 

I feel very urgent in saying this to someone who is reading this newsletter. You know if it’s you. If your life isn’t where it should with God. If your life is not lined up with his will for your life then you need to correct this. Only you and the Lord can make it right again. Please don’t  put it off. Don't be afraid to shout and/or dance before the Lord. He is worthy to be praised!

A Road Worth Taking

I get so tired of complaining because I hurt all the time. My joints ache, between my joints ache, I hurt all over. I don't like the person I've become. I liked me much better when I could do more things with less effort.  I miss being the positive person I once was. I miss being with friends, laughing together, and having good times. These days I'm more secluded, going out only when I must. I don't move as much as I use to which my husband says contributes to my aches and pains. I've become a quieter person. I've become a prayer warrior. 


Praying for others is something I know I can do without being in pain. I can lift others up in prayer spiritually without hurting myself. But who in the world would want me to in this 'state' I'm in. I so enjoy being around people who are positive, uplifting, and aggressive in a good way. I've always told my children there is someone out there in worse condition than you are. We are never as bad off as we can be or as we think we are. 


Jesus Christ grew up to be tormented, abused, and mocked. His clothing was torn off him, his head was encased with a crown of thorns pushed down so hard upon his head that blood ran like a stream. He was beaten until his back was a blood bath with meat stripped exposing bone.  His hands and feet nailed to a cross and his body radically shaken as the pole was jarred into the ground. All this for what reason? All this was done so you and I could be saved. You never asked him to do this for you, you say? You should be glad he did. He did this knowing we had the free will to ask him to be our Lord and Savior or to reject him. Jesus could have came down from the cross. I have no doubt in my mind that he could've said, "ok, that's enough, I'm through." Yet he didn't. He suffered it all and why? Because of love. Love is a very special and powerful word that we in today's society abuse and use extremely loose. 


Jesus offered us a road into Heaven or a road into Hell. We have the freedom to choose what road we will take. Now who in the world wants to make a decision like that when you can come and go as you please, party hard, and have sex like eating candy (any time you want it)? Fun only lasts for a while then what? The love Jesus Christ offers is eternal. We learn so much being Christians. We learn sex isn't like candy. There is a time and place for that kind of relationship. It's called marriage! You can party with your Christian friends,  it's different kind of partying. You don't have to worry about someone getting hurt but if they do you can join in prayer asking the Lord for help.  You don't have to worry about someone overdosing. Living a Christian life brings you spiritual peace. There will be a  calming of the spirit you'll never experience any other way. Every day won't be a party nor will every day be an easy day. Your day can be approached with wisdom and knowledge as you study God's word to find out what he wants you to do that day or what you should say to others. Being a Christian isn't a scary way of life. We learn each day and yes, we make mistakes. 


Being a Christian isn't a perfect life but it's a forgiving life. We don't intentionally hurt someone then ask forgiveness. We learn how to get along with others rather Christian or non-Christian. We learn how to love one another with a love only God can give us. We learn how to  lift each other up during bad times and not stomp them into the ground. Christianity is a forgiving way. Christianity is a road worth taking . You have the promise of living in Heaven for all eternity. You can also choose to burn in Hell for all eternity too. I don't think that is the road you'd rather take, right?  Who wants to burn and be in excruciating pain for ever and ever? The Bible tells us  Revelation 14:11  And the SMOKE OF THEIR TORMENT ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night...   I wouldn't want to go there. Why would you? Forever is eternity, no coming back, final call. You don't give up anything by being a Christian. You just don't want to do the same things anymore that you use to do.  When I feel all alone I'm reminded that Jesus Christ is only a prayer away. He's there to comfort me in a way no one else can. 


Accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior will be one of the greatest decisions you'll ever make in your life. After accepting Jesus as your Savior then you can begin looking for a church that meets your needs. Look for a church that teaches you discipleship. Discipleship is an important part of being a Christian. Being a Disciple is being a follower. We must follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. We must learn to be good servants. By being a good servant you will learn to be a great teacher. 


So with my aches and pains I will continue to follow my Lord and Savior. I will be a prayer warrior and lift up those around me. It's not my place to tear anyone down. There are too many so called Christians who do that already. I want to be a supporter of those in spiritual need. I choose the road that leads me in the arms of Jesus Christ. What road do you find worth taking? 


Thank you for allowing me to share with you today. I so love writing what the Lord lays on my heart. The road I have chosen is a road worth taking. God Bless you and yours. 

HHCG DIET FINAL UPDATE

I'm glad this diet worked for so many people and wish it had worked for me but while being on the diet I had three episodes with my heart getting out of control. I have problems with an irregular heart beat and am on heart medication to slow it down. Since being on the diet my heart rate and went to 130 and 135 while at rest waking me up in the middle of the night with coughing and violently vomiting due to not being able to breath fast enough to keep up with my heart rate. Once I vomit my heart rate comes down. I was so hoping this diet would work for me but guess not. I did learn some things that worked for my body and what didn't work. I will continue to count my carbs and calories. A wonderful lady told me once it's all about calories in and calories out. Important words I must heed. Please keep me in your prayers that I will find what works for me.

HHCG DIET

Bear with me please. I'm out of town but also not feeling well. I will start back on the diet once I get back home and will start blogging again but for now I think I have a virus or something. My stomach isn't feeling well at all. I'll talk to you soon on here. God Bless you all!

DAY 13 & 14 -HHCG DIET

I don't know what is going on but not feeling well today. I think I'm going off the diet for a couple of days since I'm heading to Lexington and make sure everything is ok. The last time I went off this diet I got ill. Adding carbs back in suddenly makes a difference I think. But anyway, I didn't write last night because I felt in a daze. Have you ever had one of those days. I didn't eat a lot but what I did eat had carbs in it. My belly didn't feel so good so went to bed around 11:30 pm. I tossed and turned and finally got to my feet around 1:30 am. I began throwing up and didn't feel well at all. I hated I woke John up by my noise since he gets up at 3:00 am for work. After one round of vomiting I checked my BP and it was 198/98. I heart was racing at 135 bpm. I know your thinking I'm crazy to go on with this diet but I can't say it's the diet. Things are making sense to me now. When I consume carbs on a diet or not on a diet this is what happens to me at least once a month. I've told the doctor about it and they can't figure it out either. Our bodies are amazing how the Lord made them and I think if we listen closely they will tell us in their own way what works and what doesn't. I'm working on a list on what I ate when I became ill to see if I see a pattern. Again be patient with me. I know this diet works. I've read too many good things about it. It's not even about the 500 calories. It has to be about combination of foods we take into our bodies. More to come soon......

DAY 12 -HHCG DIET

I messed up yesterday. I don't know what happened because I can usually keep myself busy on Sunday's. I gave into my cravings and ate a little much. I ate meatloaf with John for supper. It was a small sizing and didn't contain bread or sugar but nevertheless it wasn't on my list of things to eat. I then gave into pizza later in the evening when I fixed it for John. I told you I'd be honest so there. I'm not making any excuses for myself because I really want to get the weight off so I'm facing myself this year. John and I have been discussing how we are going to focus on ourselves in 2012 to get our health under control. We are wanting to be stronger in the ministry and to do so we need ourselves stronger in mind, body, and spirit. John will be retiring in the near future and I want us to enjoy his retirement and be able to get out and travel when we want to. I have gotten back up on the horse today and picking up where I left off. I guess with any diet, we may fail and we get back on it and go again. I intend to be victorious in several areas of my life this year. God will direct my paths and I will listen more closely to what he has to tell me. This is not my home. I have a mansion waiting for me in Heaven made by the Master Builder. With the Lord as my pilot I'll be thinner, healthier, and more knowledgable this year and years to come. God is good...all the time.

DAY 11- HHCG DIET

Two more pounds lost. Woke up bored this morning. I'm bored with food and that is what I was afraid of, being limited. It's the weekend and when John has the privilege to be off for the weekend we like to get out since he doesn't get to do much of anything after work due to being so tired. We ran to Harlan to look around Big Lots. I had my HCG with me this time so I was able to take it while in Harlan and wasn't hungry. This helped alot so I know to keep the HCG with me when I travel. I so enjoy seeing what all Big Lots has to offer from week to week. It's actually a neat place to shop. It's not Kirklands but it is the one of the better we have around here. I measured myself again today. I've been measuring but have not commented but now I have lost a total of 4.5". I knew some of my clothes were getting a little looser. I was reading a book on HCG last night and it was saying that if you know you are going to travel to stop the HCG 3 days before traveling and go on a strict diet until I get back so I will have to do that this week. I will be going to Lexington to see my daughter and grandsons so will stop the HCG 3 days before I leave. I will have to pick up when I get back. I'm excited to see what this will do for me. I could continue without stopping the HCG but my blood sugar has been falling quickly at times which causes me to become staggery and messes with my head so I feel it's not safe to drive that far on my own under those conditions. I sure hope I'm not boring you with this diet but I am. I apologize for that but I told my son I'd blog this diet to help hold myself more accountable. I could share my most inner thoughts on how I hate ever gaining so much weight and how I'm not proud to walk around wearing looser tops because I hate the fat roll around my belly. My youngest grandson once called it my inner tube. I hate going to the plus size section of stores when the smaller sizes are so much cuter. This is all true I just didn't think it would make me feel so relieved to share this. I don't enjoy looking in the mirror and I thank God every day that my husband loves me with with all my faults and failures. I don't feel pretty and I don't feel comfortable with myself being the size I am. I will be the first to poke fun fearing someone else may. I learned to be content with myself because every diet I've tried has failed and I don't want surgery even though I will qualify not by weight but by having heart disease, high blood pressure, and being diabetic. I didn't want to be cut on if I can help it. Ok, I just liberated myself and I hope you have encouraging words for me because I just spoke my true feelings on a blog. Take care, I'll see you tomorrow.