Faithful unto death.......

"Be faithful unto death and I will give you the crown of life." 
                                                          Revelation 2:10


My hubby is a police officer and is also on SWAT. I get asked all the time if I am always worried for him. The answer is, No. Worry is not from God. I can count on one hand how many times I have been comsumed by fear or worry about him not coming home. That doesn't mean that I am not constantly praying for his and other police officers safety though.

Very close to our department, we had two more Police Officers lose their life to a man with a gun. Though their deaths are horribly tragic there is something beautiful that has come from it. One of the officers was a man devoted to God. His whole family was. I did not know this man personally, so you may be wondering how I know. His wife went on a secular radio station a day after his death and brought glory to our King. You can listen to this wonderful testimony here (grab a tissue) She even says how this was her husbands destiny, that Jesus was calling him to die that day and how she was jealous that her husband was with Jesus. She also said that even though she doesn't like it, this is why she married him, so that she could glorify the Lord in his death. WOW! Is all I can say.

I wonder how I would react if my hubby's life was taken, or even my precious children.. I wonder if my faith is as strong as it is suppose to be. We say all the time that we want to lay down our lives for the Lord, but do we really mean it? Would we be faithful unto death?

Gods word tells us we are suppose to love Him more then these... These can be anything, do you love Jesus more then your husband? your kids? your animals? your job?  Here's the convicting part, not just a little bit more,  infinitely more then anything.

I love what it says in Obadiah, "If thieves came to you, if plunderers came by night- How have you been destroyed!"  It doesn't matter what is taken from us, we have Jesus. But by the way we live our lives you would think otherwise.

We live in a free country. A country where we can read our bibles and proclaim His name without fear of death, yet we don't. Why? because we don't love Jesus more then these.  We should be like Jeremiah, a prophet who was mocked for his Faith.  He never realized how bad his trials would get, but he says "If I say I will not mention Him or speak in His name, there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in and I can not."  Did he stop preaching the Gospel? No, He wanted to, but he was in Christ and he couldn't. He would have physical pain, like fire in bones if he were to stop.
Paul also says, "For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel." (1Corinthians9:16). And for those of you who think you are not suppose to share the Gospel. Christ has paid the penalty of sin by His death, It has been paid for all those who trust in Him.  "He died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for Him."`(2Corinthians 5:14)


So for my point. Will you be faithful unto death? No matter what this broken world throws at you, will you still proclaim His name? Will you still bring glory to our King? Will you share the Gospel with every single person you come into contact with? You never know whose life will be changed and who will be pulled from death.

One more thing to share. C. Spurgeon wrote this and if this is not your hearts cry or as in Jeremiah, his pain, then you don't love Jesus more then these,


"If sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. And if they will perish, let them perish with our arms around their knees, imploring them to stay. If hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions and let not one go there unwarned and unprayed for. Every Christian is either a missionary or an impostor. Have you no wish for others to be saved?"

Who/what do you run too??

   Hubby works a lot and sometimes has a very strange schedule, so when he comes home from work it is a big production around here. All the kiddos will look out the window and yell " Daddy's home!!" then they ask if they can open the front door and they all run outside to see who gets to tackle him first.

Though seeing this everyday melts my heart (and I'm sure my hubby's too) I can't help but wonder........


Do you run to your Heavenly Father? Do you wake up excited at being able to dive into His word? Do you jump at the chance to be able to serve others, to pray for them, to love them like Jesus does?

His word is more to be desired then gold, even the finest gold. Even more sweeter then honey and drippings of the honey comb. (Psalm19:10)


Or for an up to date version........ His word is more to be desired then money, sweeter then TV or Sleep or -------.

Are you staying hungry for the word? Are you sharing it's sweetness with those around you? Are you running to your Heavenly Father every moment of everyday???



  "Whom have I in heaven, but you?
                     There is nothing on earth I desire besides you."
                                                              Psalm73:25

Roller Coaster.... Of Love

Do you remember that song, Roller coaster by the Red Hot Chili Peppers? Roller Coaster of love...Ha Ha, can't seem to get that song out of my head.


This adoption has been, well......... hard. Don't get me wrong it's all completely worth it, but I feel like, especially this last month, like I have been on an emotional roller coaster and I would like to get off now. I JUST WANT MY BOY!!! Yes, I was yelling. It's funny how hard it is at this point, because I know that once I see his precious face, then I am going to feel even more anxiety to hold him, then once we see him, it's going to be even more painful leaving him there til we can come back, so I guess I am just surprised at how hard it is right now,  waiting for a referral.

     I love roller coasters. They are just scary enough to me that it makes it absolutely thrilling to be on one. The longer they are and the less you can see what is ahead of you, the more thrilling they are. The fun thing about roller coasters is that no matter how hard you brace your self or how hard you move your body to either side you are at the mercy of the controller. You are going to go and stop exactly when they say you are. But isn't that what makes roller coasters so fun!?! You just throw your hands in the air and go where it takes you.

At some point in this adoption process I lost my thrill (joy). All I think about all day long is my son. Even though it is good to be in constant prayer for him, I have been praying for my will and not Gods. Our sweet boy has turned into my idol. When God called us on this journey and when we strapped our selves in, we knew we would have absolutely no control over any of it. I wonder why I feel like I am entitled  to control it now. "Sorry Jesus, your timing is not good enough, I know whats best.".... I sometimes picture the ride stopping and I am getting off  running towards our boy with arms stretch out (in slow motion of course) and I swoop him up and take him home. And then we live happily ever after.....  We all know that will not happen.

As I pray (pretty much every hour) that God would help me to wait patiently on  His perfect timing. His response is always the same. "Embrace exactly where I have you."

I am thankful that He is in control, even if my actions and emotions don't seem like it. I know during this time of waiting He is making us into the parents and family that we will need to be to properly love on this sweet child. And I need this time to cling to Jesus more, to depend on only Him more, because when our little one gets here there will be many, many, many times that I will need (should be all the time) to draw my strength, grace and love from Him.

So, even though my momma heart is about to burst, I am letting go and repenting of my actions and feelings....... Well attempting to with the Lords help.......... I have to, want to, need to embrace exactly where I am at. I need to make sure that my kids see me going to the Lord before my patients runs out, so that they will do that as well. (we are experiencing this as a family after all). I need to be enjoying what little date nights and family nights we have now. I need to make sure that I am spending my time in a way that honors the Lord and not me. I need to make sure that my eyes are (every second of every day) focused on the one who is in control.


"Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor the fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food.
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herds in the stalls, 
YET I WILL REJOICE IN THE LORD;
I WILL TAKE JOY IN THE GOD OF MY SALVATION."
Habakkuk 3:17-18

Pray for me as I throw my hands in the air and allow the ride to take me where I am meant to go.

Thirty One

Also don't forget to check out our 
                                                                                                             fund raiser. It ends January 15th!!

Thirty One!

No that is not our waiting list number, that number is actually 29. :D

   Have you ever heard of 31?? They sell fantabulous (yes, I'm aware that's not a word, that's how great they are!) gifts that you can also embroider. I have lots of their products and have always been happy with what I ordered. Here is a way that you can get something amazing and still help us bring our son home. Because as you can see that wait list number is dropping and I spoke with our agency today and they are expecting more referrals. Not only that, our number only reflects all those waiting ahead of us, not people who are asking for a boy in our age range so it can be a lot sooner.


Without further ado, Here is how you can help us bring our prince home and you get some cute stuff in return.

  My friend sells Thirty One and she is giving us 20% of all orders back to our adoption!  Now through January 15th if you order through this link - My thirty one  - we'll get the credit and you'll get some great Thirty One items!  PLUS right now their thermal lunch totes are $10 and there is NO limit to how many you buy!  You can get the small lunch totes for $8.50!  Even more savings - personalization on the lunch totes is only $1.50 per item!  Think about birthday gifts, school lunch bags, think about using them as gift bags, teacher gifts, baby shower gifts, the possibilities are endless!  On top of all that savings you are still helping bring our son home with every order!  If you have any questions about ordering EMAIL ME!

We would really appreciate it, if you also spread the word. As you can see it is only for a limited time and every bit helps bring our little man home. We also have some great jewelry that is almost gone. :D

Blessings~

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

As most of us will be ringing in the New Year tonight I can't help but share what has been heavy on my heart.

If you want to have news years resolutions, that's awesome, but maybe we should all stop and think about what is really important.




    Hubby and I have a lot of people in our lives who don't know Jesus, who know Him and don't care, or the ones that really kills us, those that think they know Him and claim to be a Christian. This is not coming  from a judgmental or self righteous place, this is coming from a pain in my body that has been placed there by the Holy Spirit. This post is written in nothing but love.

It's good to have goals, get out of debt, lose weight, or whatever you are thinking about, but those will not bring you life, bring you hope, those will not pull you from death. (if your not in Jesus you are dead)

If Jesus is not your foundation, if Jesus is not your everything, if you are just sprinkling Him in your life then you don't know Him. I honestly don't know how much clearer I can be. Going to church regularly, praying before a meal or at bedtime is all good, BUT if you are not actively seeking Him, reading His word, bearing fruit! Then how can you love someone you don't know, How can you call yourself a Christian or His child if you don't even know what's required of you?  It's not the pastors job or anyone else to show you, it's yours.
You don't have to take my word for it listen to what Jesus will say:


"Not everyone who says to me "Lord, Lord" will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my father who is in Heaven. On that day many will say to me .Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, cast out demons in your name and do many mighty works in your name? And then I will declare to them, "I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness." Matthew7:21-23

It's also not enough to just use Jesus when things are bad. His word says:

"You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as front lets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down and when you rise." Deuteronomy11:18-19
All the time! Do you see that?? when you are awake, when you are lying down.. ALL THE TIME.


We have such an amazing gift. We get to repent! Jesus says that  "As far as the East is to the West, I will remember your sins no more."  What a gift, why aren't you taking it?

My prayer for all of you (and me as well) is that you will examine your walk or lack there of with the Lord. That you will ask Him to show you the truth and that you will be willing to hear it and obey. That the Lord will rip the scales off your eyes and you will be able to see His Holiness, your depravity, and that He is worthy to be feared and worshiped.That you will live your life on your knees in repentance to the King of Kings and  that you will truly be a light in this dark world. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Am I?

     

 "Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become so callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ, to PUT OFF YOUR OLD SELF which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and TO BE RENEWED IN THE SPIRIT OF YOUR MINDS, and TO PUT ON THE NEW SELF, CREATED AFTER THE LIKENESS OF GOD IN TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HOLINESS." Ephesians4:17-24

Am I being renewed daily? or am I still "putting on my old self?" 


As I have been praying  that I would be more aware of how my walk is and how I am spending my time (Ephesians5:15-16) I have realized that so quickly I am ready to put on my "old self."

The other day I was at a store with all my kiddos, they were being horrible (that's actually being nice) Normally I would have left with their behavior, but I had to get food. I had more then enough by the time we were checking out. I was doing all that I could to not explode so in turn I was being very cold. To add more fun to my night, I accidentally got into the 10 items or less lane with about 50 items. The cashier was nice and said she would take me anyway, but then the line behind me got long and the kids were all over the place, I told her I would put everything back in my cart and go to another line. The customers behind me were all making fun of me ( not in a mean way, trying to be funny) and I about lost it. The cashier could see that I was about to boil over and she read my shirt which said (hope) she said "No big deal, there is always hope, right!?!" You would have thought that I would have put a smile on my face and said "thank you". Nope, I gave her a nasty look and threw all my items off the belt and into my cart and went into another line.

 At the time, I thought I handled everything correct, because I never yelled, but when I stopped and let the Lord show me my behavior. I was horribly embarrassed and convicted. Needless to say I apologized and asked my kiddos to forgive me and the Lord as well.

I could share so many more.

I am pretty sure that if the people in the store would have known all that I went though leading up to my nastiness then they would have completely understood, BUT is that really an excuse (or any excuses for that matter) okay for those who say they are in Christ!?! That would be NO!

I don't want to live on this earth with my old self pretending to be new. I want the Lord to rip off my old self. And to live in Jesus, clothed in His love. (Colossians3)


 *Because God is pleased with me, I now want to live a life pleasing to Him (2Corn5:9, 1Thes4:1)

I am righteous through Jesus, now go and be righteous, I am loved now go and be loving (Col3:1)


I am forgiven, now go and be forgiving (1John4:11)

* I have had this written in my bible for a long time, It is not from me, but don't remember where I got it. If you know, please let me know so I can give credit*


                                        "You called me out of death and called me into life!"

It's. Almost. Gone.....

        Just wanted to remind everyone that our JEWELRY SALE is still going on. 

I can still ship it to you in time for CHRISTmas.

You better hurry though we only have 8 of our beautiful coin necklaces left!!! And once they are gone, they are gone.

So hurry and get yours today!!!!!!!


You can see all about the necklaces and our fabulous sale by going here!

If you would rather send me a check, that is fine, just email me masermel@yahoo.com