Holy Smoke!!

Have you ever said that or heard that said...holy smoke, or holy cow, what about holy crap? I use to say them all the time, in fact, these words were habitual exclamations in my vocabulary for many years.  I know there are a lot of other people who use these phrases, remember Robin from Batman and Robin? Everything was holy to Robin, even peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!  I didn't think about what these words were implying until just recently, so blurt them out I did.

A cow is not holy, smoke is not holy, unless God is in it, and well you know the other word is completely unholy. The definition of Holy according to "Attributes of God #8, Holy" at www. parentcompany.com, says holy is the pure loving nature of God; separate from evil. Another site, BrainyQuotes.com, says the definition of Holy is; "set apart to the service or worship of God; hallowed; sacred; reserved from profane or common use."

 I believe, and now understand that all the things we loosely call holy were originally designed to hurt the heart of God and that is what it's doing. His holiness is beautiful and pure, something to be admired and desired. His holiness is not to be mocked or belittled but rather to be honored.

Lord God please forgive me for all the times I have called unholy things holy, I am truly sorry and I ask you to please help me break that habit.Your holiness is beautiful, Your holiness is wonderful, Your holiness is something I adore and aim for. Please give us, Your children, spiritual discernment to know when what we are saying is hurting You. Help us to bless You dear Lord and fill us with concern for your feelings always. We love You and Praise You forever! Amen

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is and is to come."

"You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they were created and have their being."

"To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power for ever and ever!"

Revelations 4:8,11, and 5:13

Find A Penny...

"TRUST ME"

In those times when it seems like God is not answering my prayers, because in my mind, it's taking too long, my Father tells me to trust Him. Each time I "find a penny, pick it up," I don't really believe in luck, but I do believe God is telling me to trust Him. It says so right on the coin, "In God We Trust!" He says, "don't worry, I will provide everything you need" through a picture, a figurine, or a real live bird. The Bible says Jesus told the people long ago when He walked the earth, "look at the birds, they don't sow, or harvest, or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them, aren't you far more valuable than they?"


The Lord surprises me, in some way or another, everyday. He really is attentive to His children and everything about them! Today after going on in my prayers as usual do you want to know what God said to me? He said, "one voice does make a difference!" In such a giant world, my prayers, however small or insignificant I might think they are, really do matter to the Father.

Our heavenly Father is always listening and answers the prayers of His children, I promise! It might not always seem like it because we don't always know how God will respond to our requests and situations. His wisdom is far to great for us to understand most of the time, but trust me, trust Him, God really is listening and He really does care! So don't ever stop praying!

You are far more valuable than they...

The next time you see a penny (or any coin really) laying around, don't think about luck, but rather hear our Father God say, "trust Me." And whenever you see a bird or lots of birds close by, be reminded that God is watching over you and will take care of all your needs.


We are so valuable to Him and so Loved by Him that He gave His all and His Best, He gave His One and only perfect beloved, begotten Son Jesus, for us so that we could be with Him forever. All we have to do is believe, ask for forgiveness for our sins, and invite Him into our life. My life has not been the same since Jesus came into my life and that is such a wonderful thing cause my life before Jesus...I Hated it!! He is real and He is for everyone, He want's to have a relationship with us right now, not after we die. Jesus is my Best Friend in the whole world and I've never been happier, ever...

What special way does God speak to you?

The King Of Glory

The precious blood of Jesus washes away all
our sin and makes us white as snow!

He had it all;  power, wealth, a kingdom, angels to worship Him, and the love of all He created in Heaven. He was Royalty of royalty, the King of Glory! But He gave it all up for you and for me. Our creator became His creation so He could save us from ourselves and the devil. He was the richest of all and became the poorest so He could relate to us in our poverty. He willingly came to earth and suffered persecution and rejection like no other. His creation spit in His face and called Him a liar, a blasphemer! Even His own brothers didn't believe He was who He said He was. Can you imagine God in all that He is being denied the glory that belonged to Him?  He knew how He would be treated when He got here but He came anyway. Why would He do that? Because of Love. God is Love and Love is stronger than pain, fear, rejection, and death. His Love for you is so much greater than you can even imagine!

"Every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord of all and kings will surrender their crowns to Him!"

"The whole earth is full of His glory!"

To say "Thank You dear Jesus for all that you suffered for my sake" seems so inadequate! You have made my life truly beautiful with Your perfect Love! I will praise You forever my King!

Mothers

I always wanted a mother growing up...and even after, but I guess we are never really done growing up are we? The truth is I have actually had several mothers in my life, but not the real kind. The list started with my biological mother who decided she had had enough  when I was two and walked away from my dad, brother, and me. But I'm oaky with it now that I know God had a better plan for me! :)

When I was around the age of 4 my dad remarried and thus enters step-mother number one. She was very strict and very...I hate to say it...well down right mean. Dad was a truck driver and so he was gone very much of the time. We lived out in the boonies of hot southern Utah. Our house was up a long dusty gravel road, the only lonely place on that hill as far as I can remember. This is where my favorite, big as me doll, aka my best and only friend besides my brother, was taken to the burn barrel and cremated before my tender young eyes. I watched in horror.  That was the punishment for not keeping her where she belonged, wherever that was. Mealtime was quite stressful, if I didn't finish eating in a timely manner there would be a price to pay. I hated the taste of fish so bad that I threw-up in my plate once.  There were no excuses, and she made me eat that fish vomit. Would you believe I hate fish to this day! And then there was the belt of punishment, who's message was, I am a bad bad little girl!

I still love my dolls!
This one was a gift
from a dear friend :)

The beatings weren't as bad as my step-mom's cruel way of teaching me what I could and could not do, like the time I let a stranger put a coin in the mechanical pony for me at the grocery store while my "mom" was at the checkout. I loved those little rides and after my fun was done I looked up and my "mom" was gone!! I got as scared as a little girl of four years old could get and in a panic I ran outside to look for her. Up and down the sidewalk I went bawling out of shear fright. I can still see myself running, running, back and forth, up and down that sidewalk in front of the grocery store trying to find her. She did eventually come back to the store for me and informed me that I had better not ever take money from a stranger again! This is definitely not the mother I was longing for. I did love her though as she was the only mother I had ever known.

My dad divorced my step-mom about 5 years after he married her. We moved to Oregon where my grandparents, on my dad's side, lived. My dad allowed me to live with them for a couple years which was what I wanted cause I hated being all alone. I'm so grateful to the Lord for this time in my life. My grandparents provided a loving and peaceful home for me. The only one of its kind! Grandma liked to tell me that silence was golden ha ha, I understand that now. ;) We went to church every Sunday and there was no yelling and screaming there. Grandpa and I would watch cartoons together every Saturday morning until grandma said it was time to do our chores.The Lord's presence was there and it was wonderful!  I call these the best 2 years of my childhood. Then my dad remarried again.

This sweet little plaque hung on the wall of my
bedroom at grandma's house.
She let me take it with me when I moved out :)

I was so excited to be part of a family with my dad again. I was even getting a new little sister who was only a year old at the time. Boy did I want to please my new step-mom, and try hard I did! It was of no use though, I figured out not too long after. I couldn't seem to do anything right in my new "mom's" eyes. And when I would try to surprise her by doing something extra like cleaning out cupboards without being asked, I was told, these things were expected of me. As I grew into my adolescent years she had come up with quite a colorful array of names for me, none of which I would like to repeat. It seems though that I was tramp and whore by the 7th grade, even though I had no boyfriend and I made it on the honor role that year. I did gain two more beautiful sisters whom I love dearly during this marriage, but clearly this "mom" wasn't the one who was going to fill that empty place in my heart where the love of a mother goes.

I moved out when I was 17, although I attempted to 2 other times when I was 14 but that's another great story for another time. My senior year in high school I moved in with my boyfriend and his parents, who would later become my in-laws. They were good to me, providing me with a home, help with my education, and everything I needed to live comfortably.  Could this be the mother I've been searching for......um.....no. But what could I expect, I was way too young for her son who was 7 years my elder! What was I thinking??? Oh yeah, I remember now, I was looking for love. I didn't find it here either, although I am very grateful for these "parents", I'm quite sure that without their help I would not have graduated from high school.

Here I am 43 years old now, and as I look back at all the "moms" I had, I remember how painful it was to not have the one who bore me, and would call me her own, the one who would love me forever no matter what childish thing I did, or what mistakes I would make. The one who would put her arms around me and tuck me in at night and smile as she would tell me she loves me and that she's proud of me.

 That place in my heart where the love of a mother goes remained empty for the first 40 years of my life. All along the Lord had a bigger and better plan for me!  I see now that my precious Lord was reserving my whole heart for Him. He wanted to be the one to fill every empty place in it. Now that I understand this,  I am so glad He did, what an incredible blessing it is! I truly wouldn't want it any other way. And the Lord has given me the most wonderful, beautiful, gracious, and kind spiritual Momma to help me along on my journey! He's such a good God! I am richly blessed and I wouldn't trade places with anyone in the whole world!

This is only one of many beautiful cards
my Spiritual Momma has given me
She really touches my heart that sweet lady!

So for all you mother's out there who love your children and remain by their sides no matter what, I hope you know what a blessing and a treasure you are! And for those of us who don't have a mother like that, praise the Lord for the extra special blessing of having your whole heart filled by God! It truly is worth it! I really wouldn't want it any other way!

"Before I was born the Lord called me; from my birth He has made mention of my name."

"Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me." (Isaiah 49:1, 15-16)

"Though my mother and father forsake me, the Lord will receive me." (Psalm 27:10)

I praise You Lord for who You are and for who You created me to be...Yours! I am so very happy about that!!!!

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers and grandmothers out there! God bless you!

Hidden Treasure

I was reading a weekend post by Ann Voskamp, author of "One Thousand Gifts", and  blogger of  "A Holy Experience," when I noticed at the bottom of the page there was a link to a tutorial on how to draw the human eye in pencil only. I thought, that sounds like fun, I've always wanted to take art classes, only this is even better because it's free!

I remember hearing the Lord tell me some time ago, "Lori, you have gifts and talents that you don't even know about yet. That was exciting news because I've never really been good at anything that I can think of, but I always wanted to be.  I don't have a degree. I'm terrible at math beyond the basics and quite often I have to ask my husband, "how do you spell....?" Fortunately for me, my husband is very smart! I've never been good at sports, they require coordination and self confidence which I never had growing up.  I'm vocally challenged and can't carry half a tune half the time, and I have no rhythm in the dance department. I'm the one who claps totally out of sync during worship time at church on Sunday mornings.

My Grandma is an artist as is my great grandpa whom I never got to meet.  However, I do have a large beautiful picture of a light pink dahlia he drew in pastels that was handed down to me by my father. And my grandma has painted many beautiful pictures over the years. I've always hoped that I might have some of that talent to draw and paint like my grandma and great grandpa.

 We will never know if we can do something if we don't try so I did. The instructions for that human eye was very good and I was pleased that my drawing came out pretty good. Looked real to me and my husband agreed, at least that's what he said. :)

Shortly after I drew that eye, I got the urge to try and draw the object of my passion, the One who has stolen my heart, my magnificent obsession, my reason for being, Jesus. So I found a picture on Facebook from Jesus Daily's Page and began to draw what I saw.  I'm quite pleased with how it turned out! I had no idea I had this in me! Praise the Lord, I have a gift  after all just like the Lord told me I did. It was there all along, hiding, just waiting to be discovered, like hidden treasure!

Thank You Lord for giving me this wonderful gift! I'm so grateful for it and I will cherish it as the precious gift from You that it is! I give You all the glory for it Lord, I couldn't have done this without You!

What gift and talent has the Lord given to you? Please do share! :)

Fashion Bug

There I sat all by myself swinging shyly back and forth on the playground swing set watching as some of my 4th grade classmates played four square and tether ball, while others ran around laughing and screaming, chasing each other in a game of tag. I always hated recess, it was a crowded lonely place where it became all to clear that I didn't fit in. Oh how I longed to be like the popular kids, confident and stylish in their cute jeans and white sneakers. 

My dad had just divorced his second wife.  I asked if I could stay and live with my grandma and grandpa during a visit to their house shortly after that. I was nine years old at the time and if I continued to live with my father then I would be alone most of the time, or at the mercy of my very bigger and stronger brother, which by the way, was very little to no mercy at all.  Life was difficult for him too and I was the only one around for him to take his frustrations out on. Looking back, as an adult, I don't blame him for making me his target, after all we were just kids and to this day I love him very much! 

My grandparents agreed it would be best if I came to live with them so with my dad's permission I moved right in. It was peaceful at grandma's house. No yelling or screaming, and I hardly ever got in trouble.  Grandma was a wonderful cook and every week she would make grandpa these rich moist delicious dark chocolate cakes to put in his lunch box. I licked all the frosting off of one of those cakes when know one was looking, it was soooo good ha ha, but that's a different story. My diet was quite restricted prior to living with grandma, so my new found freedom to eat...well... let's say I became pleasantly plump.

 My dad didn't give my grandparents money to buy me school clothes that year so I was stuck wearing hideous hand me downs from my step-mom. I'm talking those ugly wool-like plaid bell bottomed pants that  were in style (if you can imagine) in the early 70's, but not anymore. I had a red pair and a green pair. Some would call that being frugal, I call it child abuse ha ha! What a vision I was with my long stringy hair, pleasantly plump body, wearing hand me down plaid bell bottom pants! It was a fourth grade nightmare!

I've come a long way since then. I have never been able to get it right in the fashion department but I'm okay with that now. To some I might look like a lowly worm on the outside, but by the love of God, my insides have metamorphosed  into a beautiful butterfly. Jesus Loves me just the way I am! When all is well and beautiful on the inside from the Love of God,  it doesn't matter so much what things look like on the outside.

The rejection I've encountered in life doesn't hold a candle to God, the Creator of mankind being rejected by His own creation! He knew what He was going to go through before He ever went through it and He did it any, crucified by His own, all for Love, all for you and me!

Thank You dear Lord for all the rejection and humiliation you endured for my sake. Thank You for creating me to be me so that I can have this relationship with You!  Thank You for setting me free from the pain of rejection. I will praise You forever! And I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with You!!

What is something that happened in your life that God turned around for good? I would love it if you would share with me! God bless you my blogger friends!

  

Can You See Him?

What a mess! 

That was my first thought when my husband brought home not one, not two, but three pallet fulls of old used ceramic molds he bought indirectly from a storage auction.  It seems we constantly either have cars that don't work or stacks of unwanted junk hiding under tarps waiting for a trip to Goodwill clogging up our carport. Now we have all these molds taking up valuable space! :/ 

Instead of getting mad about it, It dawned on me that God just might have a plan in all this clutter. As I mentioned in a previous post, I have learned my job is to love and support my husband and God will be the one to direct his steps.  Uhg...so hard sometimes!  Anyway, I start thinking, (via Holy Spirit prompting cause honestly, I'm not that good lol), this must be a test,  I think it's a lesson in trust.  I know God is in this mess, but where?

When I found out my husband only paid $100 for all these molds plus several containers of paint, paint brushes, and a firing kiln, I realized this definitely has God's fingerprints on it! We could turn around and make some good money on all this wonderful stuff the Lord laid in front us. Funny how everything changes when I see God amidst the rubble. This mess just turned to treasure right before my eyes! Glory to God! It's amazing what He will do with what we would call junk if we would give Him the chance.

 Like I said in my last post, I have been sick for over two years which has really limited my ability to get out of the house. However, one day I got an overwhelming urge to get some paint and try my hand at creating something with these molds! I started with some already fired, but not yet painted ceramics that came with all the other stuff. As I was painting I realized not only do I need glasses ha ha, but also...this is so much fun! I just LOVE this new found talent I didn't even know I had! I can clearly see God now!  He has blessed me with a craft that is not only fun, rewarding, and sometimes challenging, but it also takes my mind off of my illness as I get lost in each little creation. My wonderful husband now pours most of my molds and I paint them. I think he enjoys this new hobby as much as I do! Praise the Lord!

This would have been a much different story if I hadn't listened to the Holy Spirit and waited to see what God was going to do with all this stuff in my driveway! I wouldn't have this wonderful craft that makes me feel good about myself because it keeps me busy and I have fun doing it! My husband and I wouldn't have this hobby we can enjoy together. I also wouldn't have found out that I am actually talented at something ha, what a nice surprise that was! God is such a good God, so good I can't hardly stand it sometimes. His Love truly overwhelms me! I'm so glad I listened to the Holy Spirit the day my husband brought these home!

I poured these cute little guys, as you can see it's a trial and error process of learning lol, I call them the Dent Family ha ha....

I did actually pour these myself and they came out perfect...so proud of them! :)

 My husband poured these Hummel like boys and girl and he did such a great job! He is such an awesome blessing too! 

 Do you have a mess in front of you right now? It could become one of your greatest blessings! God wants to show you what He can do! Can you see Him?

I give You all the glory Lord, You deserve all the praise and I give it to You, Yes, it belongs to You!