Instead of bills, Welcomed Christmas Cards are now flowing into the mail box. Family and friends near and far is wishing us a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year. Some cards come with a family picture of the children- we celebrate with them as we gaze at how large their family has become over the past years. We see how happy the children look in the pictures- they are staged into a posed, and neatly dressed that compliment their smiles. The kids seem to be saying: “Hi! Long time no see!”

I love to see the updates of family and friends at the end of the year- Now, for the upcoming year we have faces that match the tiny voices on the other end. But still, our hearts become heavy because we wish so dearly to see them in person. Financial obligations, our family responsibilities, or job obligations sometimes hinder us from making the long trip to see our family and friends that we hold so dear in our hearts. As it may be, we are still so happy to see they are alive, happy, and still remember us. We will return the favor, by calling them on Christmas Morning to wish them Bountiful Joy, Endless Hope, Good Health and Prosperity for years to come!

So let me extend my wish to you and your family:
Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

living free

Free from guilt
Free from the past
Free from Harm
Free from Fear
Free from being a victim
And
Free to become a victor!
Finally I am Free and Trusting God.
At first, it was so hard for me.
Hard for me to let it all go
And
Be Free.
I had gotten used to the idea of being
Beaten down, crushed, and dreams vanquished.
It was familiar.
And I didn’t want to change.
It gave me substance.
It gave me excuses.
It allowed me to cast blame on everything and everyone.
It allowed me to be irresponsible and unreliable.
I had an excuse
To yell at my husband,
To yell at my kids,
To come in late at work,
To not attend Church.
To cry all night long,
To sing the deceitful poor me pity me song.
I was raped.
I was abused.
I was mistreated.
I was used.
I was washed up.
I was cried out.
I was mentally mistreated.
And
Satan used all of the above to his advantage.
I just sat there and let him have his way.
I allowed him to
Come into my heart.
To come into my home.
To come between my family and friends.
I allowed Satan
To take away my joy.

I allowed Satan to take away my light.
I had refused
To take refuge in Christ.
I had accepted that this was me.
I had accepted to be bind in hate and anger.
I had become a person that lacked victory.
I allowed Satan to tell me that
I was not meant to be free.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One day….
I found my self tired and exhausted.
On the verge of loosing my mind.
On the verge of loosing my family.
On the verge of loosing it all.
I was tried of fighting, tired of running.

Tired of living.

I wanted to end it all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
But in the midst of my pain

I heard a strong yet gentle voice whispering in my ear

"Don't end it yet."
“Try me”
“Cast Your Cares and I will set you Free.”

So I tryed HIM for myself.
And
I declared PEACE!
Peace on my home, Peace on my Marriage, Peace on my kids, Peace on my friends,
Peace on my Job…
PEACE!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I Thank God I am healed!
Thank you Lord, for dieing on the cross for me.
Thank you for washing me in your blood.
By your stripes
I am healed!
Healed from Every sin!
Healed from Every mistake!
Healed from Depression!
Healed from Addiction!
Healed from Poverty!
Healed from Affliction!
I casted my cares!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It is all GONE!
Everything that anyone has ever done to me….
Gone!
Thank You God!
It's all gone!
The pain
GONE!
The hurt
GONE!
The guilt
GONE!
I let go of the past.
I let go of the victim mentality.
I hold on to God’s grace and mercy.
Praise God, I have been set Free!
Free of what my mother said, free of what my father said.
Free of what anyone has done to me.
Free from all the guilt.
Free from all the pain.
Thank You Lord for giving me another Chance!
Thank you oh Lord for giving me back

My Light.

My Life.
My Hope.
My Faith.

My Family

My Friends.

My Marriage.

Praise to the Glory on High, I am HEALED!
Thank You, Oh Lord, for giving me your Love!
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ahhhh
Finally.
I am free.
Finally.
I am Me.
Finally.
I have let it all go.
Finally.
I can Praise the Lord!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Psalm 150:1-6
{150:1} Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.
{150:2} Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.
{150:3} Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.
{150:4} Praise him with the tumbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
{150:5} Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.
{150:6} Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.

A Prayer in December

I cry out unto you, Father on high: the Father of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I call on you today Lord to please hear my prayer. Change me and make me into your image. Change me into the person you have foreseen me to be. Let me not harden my heart to your voice and let me not be afraid to teach your word, or do your works that you have me to do. You advised us that whosoever is ashamed of you, than you will be ashamed of us. I pray today that you will take my hand, and guide me toward the right path. Guide my thoughts, my emotions, and my words. I lift my hands toward you and ask you to take my hand. Take my hand oh Lord and I will follow you. All that I am, all that I do, is and shall always be for you.

Amen.

Isaiah 58:9-12
(9) Then shall thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shall cry, and he shall say, ‘Here I am’. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; (10) And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday: (11) And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. (12) And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shall rise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shall be called, the repairer of the breach, the restorer of paths to dwell in.

As The Snow Falls

This year has come and gone and another year is almost here.

Here in Northern Illinois, we have had our first significant snow fall of about two inches and another three is on the way. My husband has retrieved the snow shovel from our garage and has started shoveling before all five inches fall on the driveway and sidewalks in front of our home.

I can’t help but to think; didn’t we just do this? What happen to the last eleven months?

We have decorated our Christmas tree in preparation for another Christmas. I look back over the year and reminisce of the past. The good days and the bad, the good decisions we made, and the bad decisions we look forward in the future to correct. I can’t help but to think what might lay ahead in 2009. I can’t help but to think what unresolved problems we will bring into the coming year. Will we make better choices regarding our finances, health, family affairs, friendships, education…..? What will we be faced with, and how will we handle difficult decisions that lay ahead?

For now, all I can do is concentrate on the now, and not worry about tomorrow. For tomorrow is not promised to any of us, but today is. So, on this cold Sunday night, I will choose to prepare for tomorrow but live, love and laugh for today.

As I write....

I sit and think tonight….my Heart is not heavy, my soul not afraid, my mind not weary. I sit here tonight and think, how bless I am to have God in my everyday life. I think of how blessed I am, even when all odds are stacked up against me, I know I have the unconditional love of Christ.
We are living in a time where everything is on the rise. Our heating cost has increased, our property tax has increased, our mortgage has increased, the cost of food has increased, general cost of living has increased…. But our pay stays the same. In these hard economic times, I Thank God even more… and find even more peace in Him.
As I am writing this, someone is getting kicked out of their home.
As I am writing this, someone’s home has been foreclosed against.
As I am writing this, someone is mourning a loved one.
As I am writing this, a child has to read in the dark.
As I am writing this, a parent is deeply depressed because they are unable to care for the family.
As I am writing this, someone has lost their job today. Not just an income, but the family’s life line of hope and prosperity.
As I am writing this, someone is battling an illness or a disease.
As I am writing this, someone is lonely, cold, scared, overwhelmed with regret, have given up on God, their faith, love and hope.
As I am writing this, someone is depressed and thinking about ending their life.

As I am writing this, I thank God for the many blessings I have RIGHT NOW! Because I know, while I am writing this, It could have been, should have been, ME. While I am writing this, I could have lost my job today. While I am writing this, I could have lost my home today. I could have a hungry family, dirty clothes, no car, and no hope, scared, depressed and thinking about ending my life. While I am writing this, I could be battling cancer; I could be mourning for a friend or a love one…. I could be lost and never know hope.

But, God picked me up…. He tells me that He loves me, He cherishes me, and He wants me to be forever with Him now, while I am on this earth so that I can spend eternity with him. He tells me, if I am thirsty, He will give me living water…. He tells me I can not live off of bread alone, but I must also live off His Word! He tells me if I am sick and want to get better, I have to take up my bed and walk! He tells me that food is not what defiles a me, but it is the words that come out of my mouth that defiles me. He tells me to cast my cares on him. He tells me that he did not come to condemn the world but came so the world might be saved through him.
So, while I am writing this, I think God for saving me! While I am writing this, I am not hungry. While I am writing this, I am in my home, I have a job, I have lights, I have water, and I have the undying and unchanging love of Jesus Christ!

No matter how bad your situation may seem it could always be worse. As long as you keep the Love of Christ in your heart, he WILL protect you. Stand on his promise to you... know that what He has bless you with was not for you to be glorified by others.. but for others to Glorify and Follow Him. He has set you apart, He put you here to be an example, He put you here to bring hope, peace, guidense, love, unselfishness, positivity, motivation...He put you here to bring others to Him. We are all HIS children.. we are here to help one another....

He will never forsake the righteous…. He will never leave you nor forsake you.

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with the might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, maybe able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fullness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that work in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
Ephesians 3:14-21

In God's Due Timing.....

Isaiah 55:8-11
(8) The Lord says, “My thoughts are not like your thoughts. Your ways are not like my ways.” (9) Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. (10) Rain and snow fall from the sky and do not return without watering the ground. They cause the plants to spout and grow making seeds for the farmer and bread for the people. (11) The same thing is true of the words I speak. They will not return to me empty. They make things happen that I want to happen, and they succeed in doing what I send them to do.”

We constantly think of ways to get out of debt, buy that car, get that promotion, buy a house or sell our homes. We plan, plot, and loose precious sleep over things we have no control over… We stress about the mounting bills, losing our jobs, how we are going to pay this and pay that. (Some of which the agonizing stress comes from bad decision making and not seeking God for answers in the first place… and others because it’s just life.)

He is telling us to stop trying to figure everything out- stop agonizing over things that we have no control over. He does not want us to live a defeated and depleted life.

“My thoughts are not like your thoughts.”

God does not think like us---- How do we already know God’s plan for your life?

“My ways are not like your ways.”

God is free from sin and Died on the cross for our sins so we might live. Be free and unbind yourself from worry and strife!

God will bless us in HIS timing!

“When rain and snow fall from the sky they do what they are suppose to do---they water the earth and make plants grow---and when I speak My WORD---When I get ready to bless you--- I will do just that!”

In Gods due time---What are you going to do until your season come?
Grow in God’s Grace and Mercy. Count it all JOY! Know you are a child of God—that he created you, and you can do all things through God that breathed HIS breath in YOU! Look how close we are to OUR Father! To those who believe in HIM, we have all access to HIS LOVE!
Trust in HIM and stay in HIS Word. And when your blessing comes—you will know it is from God.
Leave your planning to God and Go Out with joy and be led out in peace!

Isaiah 55:12-13
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Coffee Break~~~Book Review

Wow! Where do I begin with this book?
The Introduction page caught my attention. It's a book that I wish I had Before I got married, Before I had kids, Before I bought my house...Before I did anything!!! Don't get me wrong, the decisions I made about My Marriage, My kids, and My house were great choices and I made those choices wisely at that time, but still, It is a MUST read Book for everyone.

The point of the book, to me, is learning how to make choices that we won't regret later.
Before we are able to make any decisions based on anything in life, we must first understand 3 elements of ourselves. We must REFLECT who we are as a person, RESEARCH our life goals, and list the important aspects of our life. So, I made myself a couple of notes to dig deep and know who I am. (List of positive qualities) List what is important in my life, and the goals I want to accomplish. I have to admit, none of the above came easy!

I will leave you with a paragraph from the book regarding marriage. He was talking to his daughter and future son-n-law at the time ---- Bishop Jakes ask them this one question:

"What do you see when you look at each other?"

I thought about that question myself.

When I look at my husband, what do I see?

When he looks at me what does he see?

Then Bishop Jakes answered: (This is what we should see)

"I hope you see not only a face of your sweetie pie but the face that you'll wake up next to for the rest of your life. The face that you will watch alongside your own. This will be the face you run to when life seems cold and pains are unbearable. This is the face of your partner of choice. The one you choose like a warrior chooses a weapon or an artist her medium. He is, she is, your weapon of choice when you fight layoffs, mounting bills, pressure, and unimaginable challenge. It's the face that will be beside you if and when labor pains race through your body and you birth children together. And it may be the face you look to when you have to bury one or the other of you prematurely. It is the face that you will watch convulse with the aches and pains of disease and injury. It's the face that will comfort you and the hand you will squeeze when your mother and I pass from this earth and are lowered into the ground."

-Passage from the book: Before You Do

Have you thought of your significant other that way? When we are upset with our partner for the goofy, idiotic things they do, we should remind ourselves that we chose them. Our partner. Our weapon of choice.

Get the book.

Read it.

I promise it will give you insight on things that you THOUGHT you already knew.

**My next book review will be: Become a Better You. 7 Keys to improving Yout Life Every Day. By Joel Osteen**

Another Favorite Pastor of mine.

Strangers Meet

Jessica.
I will never forget your name.
I saw you today outside in the cold rain.
Tears in your eyes
Head down in shame.

For some reason, I could feel your heart-ache and
Your pain.
I didn't know why you sat there and cry
Nor did I ask you why.
But I was compelled to tell you that I care.
Care how you feel.
Care about your tears.
Care about your sorrows.
Care about your fears.

Our souls connected.
Unaware I was being directed by God.
I parked where you sat.
You crying on the cold wet concrete.

In my wildest imagination, I never thought this was how we would meet.
I parked my car.
and there you sat.
I said hello.
You said "Hello" - so very low and cold.
I walked into the store-my soul heavy and weary.
I Headed to the greeting card section.
I never thought about the price or getting back to work.
My mind focus on you-
Looking for a card that could numb
your hurt.
There I found a card with a wounded cat.
I jotted down you something from my heart and headed back.
Outside
you still sat there on the cold wet concrete.
Now on your cell phone.
Your hands trembled-
Your voice sad.
In that moment I knew we was destined to meet.

I handed you the card-letting you unaware that it was from me.
I glanced at your name tag.
It read
Jessica.
You open the purple envelope eagerly to see.
Your eyes began to light up.
A smile came across your face.

I got into my car.
I left quickly before you could figure out who the card was from.
I left.
Keeping us strangers.
Keeping it simple.
Keeping it plan.
I left.
Your name now logged forever in my brain.
Jessica.