Bad Company

I cannot believe it has been since April that I have blogged! Wow! I really am going to try to get better at this...

Okay so something that has been on my mind and heart a lot lately is the modern church and modern day Christians. I don't think everyone really *gets it* to be completely honest.

People were originally called Christians because they followed Christ and were Christ-like. Now days the church and "Christians" are so far from what Christ originally called us to its not even funny. Churches/Christians(C&C) are filled with "cliques" and we try to teach our kids to not leave people out... C&C is filled with judgmental attitudes but we try to teach others to be accepting... C&C are filled with hate but we try to teach others to love.

The Bible teaches that they will know us by our love and by our fruit... But yet we are not loving the least of these. We aren't reaching out to the prostitutes, to the gamblers, to the homeless... Not on the scale that we were commanded to do. We get so comfortable with our friends in our comfy homes that we forget what the others may feel or how they feel. We forget that there is hurt outside our little circle of friends, that we don't dare let anyone new into, unless they "fit in" with the friends that are already there. We talk about the other believers and say things like we can't believe that so-n-so acted a certain way or did a certain thing or has "those" friends.

You want the truth? Jesus would probably not hang out with most of us... He probably would not step foot in to most churches. Why? Because we are following His commands... We are so focused inward and He wants us to be focused outward. Get OUT of your comfort zone! Get out of your cozy circle of friends! Go where the others won't go! Love on the unlovable and unlovely! Why? Because that's what Jesus would do... It's not about a bracelet or a saying, it's about a lifestyle and making changes. Stop saying "I can't believe the friends that she/he keeps" and go be the friend to those, love on them, we ARE the only Jesus that some people see and meet. Love on that single mom, that alcoholic, that gambler, the homeless, the abused, the abuser, the drug dealer, the gangs... They will know us by our love and will be won for Christ by letting HIS love shine through us.

If Jesus walked in todays times most people would not want to be around Him because the company that He would keep and the people He would love on... And didn't He command us to do as He does? To love as He loves? We were, after all created in HIS image.

Ramblings

If you choose to believe the Bible, then you have to believe in all of it, you can't just pick and choose what you like out of it. The Bible is God's unfallible truth. It is never changing and can not be compromised. If God's Word changed then what hope would we have in Him? He would be no different than you or I. 

God's Word is clear and there is not any room for interpretation. God is LOVE and He sent His one and only Son to die for a world of sinners all because He loves us. I couldn't let my child die for anyone, there is no one I love enough to give my childs' life for. I would gladly give my life for my child but I wouldn't give my child's life for anyone. Don't get me wrong I have a deep love for many people in my life, but there is just no one on this earth that I would offer to give my child's life for. If He didn't love us then He wouldn't have sent His Son for us... He loves us with an unfathomable love. 

God loves us regardless of who we are, where we have been, what sin we have fallen into or what others think of us. We aren't to condem or be judgemental of others. We are to love them as Christ loves us and has set the example for us... But we also should not condone, nor support a life of sin. The Bible clearly outlines sin for us to know how we, as believers, should and should not act... And Jesus set the perfect example. While none of us can be perfect, we are to imitate Christ and the life that He led, Paul says imitate me as I imitate Christ. None of us will ever reach perfection, but we should live our lives in such a way that we would not be embarassed if Jesus/God were physically present to be where we are. God sees all and knows all, so He is always with us anyways, but how differently would we behave if we could physically see His presence? Would He be weeping over the our actions that we openly do in front of Him or would He tell us, face to face, well done my good and faithful servant?

Just some food for thought... 

My Best Friend... Besides my Jesus and my hubby...

So I just finished reading through my best friends blog... And I have to brag on her for a minute. She has taking such a stand and is turning her life around and I am so proud of her! She went down the road of drugs, alcohol, Atlanta party scene, etc thinking that was the life. No one could tell her no. She had issues of self esteem, a clearly beautiful woman on the inside and out that doubted her self. I wouldn't say any of this publicly had she not said it herself and realized who she truly is. 

She is all of us. She is beautiful. She is God's princess. And God NEVER wants any of His children to feel that way... But that feeling is all too well known amongst today's females. 

I'm proud of her - She is finding herself again and realizing God in her life again and the purpose that He has for her. I pray that everyone out there going through what she has gone through will realize before its too late that God loves them and that there is more to life than what this world has to offer!

I love you RD!! And I am so proud of you!! 

U S of A

So... According to some speeches as of late, republicans, Christians, etc are to be considered terrorists, extremists, etc... And we are not a "Christian Nation?" I thought that this nation was founded on Christian principles, that our money says "In God we Trust" 

I guess we are radicals if we believe the country should be ran the way it was set up to run... Hopefully this four years fly by!!

It is a beautiful day...

And I would LOVE to be outside running or playing with the girls but I am in a cast and on crutches....

I'm kinda in a "funk" right now, I guess you could call it. God has definitely provided all our needs for us but people have really let me down a lot lately. Strangers, family and friends... More so "friends" though. I've had a hard time with knowing who are true friends are lately and who aren't... Not every one of my friends have made me question this but there are a few. I like to think I'm a good friend, and that I try to be there for everyone when they need someone... But why does it seem that friends come and go like the seasons some times? The ones you could count on yesterday you can't even call today?

I'm thankful that our Heavenly Father is not like that. I love that I can count on my Father yesterday, today and tomorrow... And that He never changes. It's such a great thing to have some one who loves me the same and is there for me the same no matter what.

Can't think of anything life changing for a title...

I have sat and thought about trying to write something that would be life changing but instead I am just going to tell you about my day... as a mommy of 3. 

I was awaken by my 5 1/2month old and 4yr old fussing, on top of my head... Not the best way to start the day. Now enter my hubby with groceries for the week after taking my eldest to school. I let him clean the kitchen and stuff this morning while I worked on pictures from some shoots... Normal run of the mill kinda day for me. My hubby had a lunch date today with our oldest, I had a lunch date with my preganant younger sister, my niece and my middle girl :o). We had a good time... I love my sister. We are so alike in some ways and yet so different in others... I guess it'd be kinda boring if we were exactly alike. 

It was a very pretty day so we went to the park with some friends, another beautiful pregnant friend with her hubby and little girl. And I LOVE that family!! I can honestly say that I love this family like they were my own... God has truly blessed us with some great friends and I am truly grateful for them. 

Karate was today... That was fun. I think my daughter may actually do better if we weren't in there  for her to look at every so often. I think she looks over at us for approval of what she is doing. I am thankful for her goldy karate leaders that love her and are encouraging of her... She is the only one her age that has never been in karate but she loves it and so we will stick with it as long as she does.

Now on to dinner... We got a special invite to a Chick-fil-a "event" at a  location that we frequent... And that my hubby has befriended the ENTIRE staff. It was a lot of fun... There were people from our church and from other parts of our life there. We were unsure of the dress of the event though since it was invite only... My hubby and I were in the front of the car contemplating whether it was "dress up" or not... when from the back seat I hear "if it's dress up then I will just got as a zoo keeper........I think I still have some stuffed animals in the car..."  Our oldest apparently thought that by "dress up" we meant costume dress up... I love my children, they say the best things!!!

Back home to where I get some disturbing news (the out come was alright though) and I learned that my new camera is ON ITS WAY!! It will be here tomorrow!! And I couldn't be more excited!

My day will end with me watching a movie with my hubby and cuddling on our new shag rug that we got for our living room... GOT TO LOVE TARGET!! (pronounced tar-shay ;o) )

Night all... 

Adult Conversation and being a Mother of Three

I never realized how much adult conversation that I miss out on in my daily routine as a wife, mother and work from home-er. 

I was really really itching to get out of the house today. You see we have been passing around what I like to call "the junk" in my house and today I was tired of it... I felt better and was tired of being couped up. Need. To. Get. Out.  So I logged onto my faithful facebook account and lookie here... A friend of mine, whom I haven't gotten to spend much time with lately and lives just around the corner, was online... Who happens to also be a mother of three. After a bit of "chatting" we decided to make a trek to WalMart... At 10:30pm... Well... I just got home. We walked around that whole store for almost four hours and literally just talked. The. Whole. Time. 

IT WAS GREAT!!!

And then as we pull back into my drive way... I realize... How sad is this that the whole time we were there, child free, we looked for things for our children... And spent almost four hours in WalMart "chit chatting" - I was afraid that if we stayed any longer we would have been put to work. 

We did find some great things at WalMart though, things that I have never seen... And I have discovered, too, that apparently the 70's through early 90's have made a huge come back in the line of clothing... I thought there was a reason that those styles, and colors, were retired. Am I wrong??