To say the least I am VERY frustrated. I was annoyed when so many people came down so hard on the Bronco’s Tim Tebow.  But now it has started all over again with Kirk Cameron. I couldn’t care less about what the unsaved say about these two men. Persecution is one thing BUT when BELIEVERS start knocking their fellow believers because they are taking a stand and living an exemplary life and using their stardom to make Christ known.

I have read quite a few blogs that have knocked both men. And might I say that NONE of them had reason to. Both men lead blameless lives and take very seriously their call to be Christ-like.

I would like to remind these nay-Sayers that there is a verse from the Bible that speaks right towards this issue and I believe that specifically these two men are following this verse as God intended it

For everyone to whom much is given, of him shall much be required.” — Luke 12:48.

These two men have been blessed with talent, ability, and popuarity and they are using these blessings to share their faith! And for that very reason I support them. They are good at what they do. And for the record I am not a Broncos fan, and even though I watched Growing Pains as a kid, I am not one of  those fainting screaming nut cases.

As long as they aren’t going against what they claim to believe and living a Christ-like life I will support them in what they do – famous or not!

And to them I say WAY TO GO AND KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!

We all need  it  and I am no different.  I am so excited…yes excited because this is something I have been praying about for almost  years now.  God will bring someone to mind and I will pray about it, then talk to them.  I get two major responses with some varied in between.

#! No time, I’m too busy!

#2 Yes I’ll do that for you –AND IT NEVER HAPPENS!

It’s not Like i am  some half- hearted  believer.  I am a pastor’s wife. I NEED to be held accountable.  For the things I do,say and believe! Well after many  “rejections”(it starts wearing on you after a year and a half) God provides someone I believe will do the job well…NOT half- heartedly!  She is a pastor’s wife and she is busy too. BUT we make time for the things and people that are most important to us!   And would you believe we haven’t seen each other or talked in nearly 5 years!

We were talking on FB she wanted to share some really exciting news she had going on in her life ….Sowe chatted for awhile. Reminisced about Seminary WivesFellowshipand the Disciplines Bible Study class we took together!  She lives in Ohio and I in New York    We had talked about our families and what we were doing now and at the end I just felt God prodding me…Ask her..ask her…So instead of holding off and praying about it first. I took a leap of faith and stepped out on the proverbial water….You know what i found out….BOTH of us have been living and experiencing the same thing!    We then discussed what we expected out of this and how we were going to go about it…WE MADE A PLAN!  First  call tonight during Awana.

So I am very thankful  for a coupleofthings concerning this..

1. BIGGEST OF THEM  ALL- God answers our prayers…maybe not on our time and in the way in which we thin He should BUT when He does it is SOOO obvious!
2. A friend who is as passionate and dedicated to excellence.  She will keep her word.
3. Telephones  because  everyone locally is too busy.
4. Wisdom to not be too scared to ask and follow God’s reading!
5. A friend who cares!

there is so much more that goes into this story and I wish I could share it all BUT alas I can’t and I shouldn’t…SO happy thankful Thursday!

This Movie is based on a true person.  Richard Kelly is a young African American  who is struggling during the time if Martin Luther king Jr  He has big plans as he has a job all lined up that will help pay for the medication his ailing mother needs.  without him knowing his mother fills out an application to Westbury Seminary in California.  After attempting to calm violence he is placed in jail  for assault of  a police officer.  Thru a turn of events he is forced to go to the seminary in order to reduce his sentence.  And by doing so and through God working in this man’s life BOTH he and the seminary are changed for the better!

As for my personal thoughts on this movie……it’s a good one BUT it challenges you.  I think I liked it better the second time around.  there is a lot to process and many characters.  it is an eyeopener that just because Seminary is attached to a school’s name it doesn’t mean it’s a solid one.  Also being in a Christian environment doesn’t mean that racism or for that matter sin isn’t still there.  Money can corrupt and hearts can be hardened to God. In an amazing set of events God reaches young Kelly and changes him from the inside out and in  not so easy ways.    In the end the transformation is simply amazing. Stands are made and we learn just before the credits roll what Richard Kelly does with the rest of his life!

On  a side note we have not yet let our children  (ages 6 1/2 and under watch this movie)   due to violence.

Phil Vischer

Do you know the name?  If you have had a  preschooler in the last20 years you should (Oh BOY  do I feel Old)  He is the creator of VEGGIE TALES!  For a long time i loved Veggie Tales But have you noticed that it has changed…and in my opinion NOT for the better!   I believe that this has to do with Phil Vischer no longer working on Veggie Tales  there has hardly been a  reference to God and there has been no Bible stories since Gideon!  Well except for the Christmas story “The little Drummer Boy”  Which talks about Jesus’ Birth BUT the little drummer boy is never mentioned in scripture!  So enough of my soap Box and Onto our family’s new favorite go to video series.

WHAT’S IN THE BIBLE WITH BUCK DENVER

So what’s sospecial?

Howdy!  It’s Thursday again and  this week has been sooooohard to try to figure out!  Not because i don’t have anything tobe thankful for BUT there is just sooo much for one post!

As I sit here typing away my son just finished watching Veggie Tales.  I am so thankful for people who make uplifting and God honoring Media for families.  Last week i talked about movies!  And that fits into this category too, but it’s notlimited to just that.

Here are somethings our family uses in our everyday  lives to enhance our walk with God and keep our mind focused on the Good things as we are commanded to do in Philippians 4.8.

Growing Godly families list

• What’s in the Bible? with Buck Denver (look for another blog post just about this coming soon!  http://whatsinthebible.com/  and the kid site http://www.jellytelly.com/
• Focus on the familyhttp://www.focusonthefamily.com/
• Focus on the Family’s Plugged in Movie Reviews (they also review music and video games and TV!) http://www.pluggedin.com/tv.aspx
• Christian radio
• Christian TV programs like Way of the Master http://www.wayofthemaster.com/
• Christian bookstores….I will just say this now I am NOT a fan of Christian Romance, and I will never endorse it,,,But that is another Blog post entirely!
• Christian websites.

And the list goes on and on and on!  So what are some of the things you are thankful for?  What has helped your family grow inside, in their walk with God in the media?

Hi all!

This week has been full of realizations that some things just needed to be changed!    Hubby and I have been spending a lot of time talking about what we would like to see  change in our family. And though it has been an absolutely exhausting week, it has been an encouraging week.

Yesterday I got to go to our kids school and watch Tornado’s awards chapel!  As i sat there and realized just how small their school was I was impressed with the fact that I (Really we) got to choose this for our children.   Some of you know that I have had the opportunity to visit  a Communist country when I was a teenager (19).  At that point I never knew what kind of impact that would have on me BUT now that i am in my 30′s I realize that this trip impacts everyday of my life AND it should! I need to make sure that I don’t take certain choices for granted….let’s  see a few of them!

I don’t keep it a secret that we are a pastor’s family.   I am proud of that fact and i am VERY proud of my hubby as he feeds his flock and cares for them.   yes our lives are crazy and most days it is in question whether we are coming or going.  But my hubby realizes that we as a family need to be fed too.  We minister constantly…even our kids LOVE people like none other I have ever seen!

Well it is good for us to get Away…to rejuvenate and  relax!  Well this past October we had such an Opportunity!    All summer long we looked forward to going to Kentucky!  Hubby was going to attend the answers for Pastor’s Conference! A few years ago we got to go to the Creation Museum in Petersburg Kentucky.   Kentucky is in my opinion one of the most beautiful places in the U.S.  Sooo we decided to make this a family vacation. We knew that hubby had a pretty grueling schedule BUT we were all excited about going to the Creation museum.  NOW, the last time we were there Tornado was 3 Ladybug was  and weasel was about 15 months old.  Remarkably the Creation Museum left amark on our then 3 year who is now 6 .  He was so excited.  he talked of dinosaurs and Adam and Eve.  Noah’s Ark and so much more!

We had decided to take our camper and a babysitter!  Mostly so hubby and I could go to the pastor’s and wives dinner!  Which was a blast and we got to hear Ken Ham!  What a joy that was!

Our kids are still asking “dp you remember…?” questions 4 months later.  They talk about the  things they saw and learned.  They Loved the Petting zoo and Botanical gardens…(Especially the T-Rex topiary hiding in the Garden)  HP and I found it by accident and we both nearly jumped our of our skin when we did!

we came home rejuvenated and ready to share all that we had learned! we had a wonderful time and the Craetion museum staff is soooo very helpful in a bunch of ways.  Right down to the police officer directing traffic.  he made it apoint to notice things (Like how many kids were in our car)  He was very helpful and super nice and it is those things that encourage youand make you visit special!

Thanks Ken Ham and ALL of the Creation Museum Staff for making out visits an educational and enjoyable one.  WE WILL BE BACK!

OK so it is no secret I Love to write.  i always have. I wrote poetry and stories since i was very young and have always done well in ALMOST all of my composition classes right through college (we won’t talk about one college class where we learned absolutely nothing about writing and far too much about a college prof) .  Anyway sometimes I read things on other blogs, or in books, or in the paper (and even sometimes in one of my hubby’s Pastoral magazines or journals…SHHH don’t tell him I read them)

Most of them time I will write about the things that I read where ever that maybe from, but on rare occasions I will choose to NOT write on a subject because I know someone who is directly going through these sorts of things.    And as I have become a teacher i have been talked to about people feeling as though I was directing the talk right at them…..and  personally i have never done that!.  I know of people that this is how they get their message titles on Sundays is by what needs worked on and church ….And there is a time and a place for that!  BUT my teaching nor my blog NOR any books I may write in the future  have anything to do  with anybody else.

I find it funny That I  find myself getting defensive when in reality No one has talked to me about my authorship of this blog or anything else BUT I have been praying so much about things to write about and the things that God has been laying on my heart are difficult topics.  Ones we all go through and struggle with.  My goal is to never seem like I am picking on someone or to  ‘tackle ” their downfalls but to be a help.  This is what God has called me to do.  and one of the many things he has called me to do is to  be bold.  To not fear what others think.  if I am speaking  and teaching his words with the right attitude and heart then I have the right motive and I am doing what he wants!  I may have persecution because of that.  BUT as long as I am holding forth his word he will richly bless me.  Maybe not in money or stature and fame but  as long as I bless Him and lift his name upi have no reason to fear those around me.

And as I embark on this New Year I am going to travel down down some not so traveled roads.  Some you may wholeheartedly agree with and some you may not agree with at all.  That is your choice BUT my writing comes from pure conviction from being in God’s word.  I will not write about my feelings or preferences for as i teach my Sunday school  class I stress that my feelings don’t matter.   What matters first and foremost is God’s word and If my thoughts and  feelings do not line up with that then I am out of line and I need to correct me.

with that being said, it’sstill All about the Walk as my Facebook Page says.  And this Blog is all about walking the Walk.   So are you Game are you ready to Be stretched and encouraged.  Take off the steel toed boots and run around barefoot. You might have your toes stepped on but what doesn’t kill you WILL make you stronger!  And I have Never Heard of ANYONE dying from getting their toes stepped on!

with Much Love and respect

Mary <3

This year I decided that I wanted to focus on one specific area of need in our family.  i prayed about this and contemplated it for some time and finally came up with this idea.

This year we are going to have a family verse. We needed to refocus on why we do what we do.

the verse we are going to be using throughout this year is 1 Corthians 10:31

whatever you eat or drink or whatever you do do all tothe Glory of  God.

It takes care of a couple of areas.

Namely selfishness, having right motives,and living a God centered life

let me close by asking you this?

Why do you do what you?  And what does God want you to focus on this year!?!

Let’s face it some women are like barracudas…snapping at everything that glitters or shines.  they want lots of jewelry (and high end stuff to boot) and they are not satisfied until they get it.   Well I’m here to make a confession….I am NOT one of those girls.  I am comfortable, not too fancy and i like simplicity!.  i don’t like loud colors though I do like color!! though at one point you may have thought otherwise if you saw my wardrobe of black, white,gray and navy Blue:)

But i must confess that there is one time of the year that my heart leaps for joy and that is the SPARKLE of Christmas.  That’s right SPARKLY STARS, TWINKLING LIGHTS, GLITTERY GARLAND AND TINSEL, AND SHINY ORNAMENTS!  All just make my heart smile.

But, when i speak of all these things I am not referring to the commercializingof chrstmas.  Sparkly stars remind me of the brightest star that shone that first Christmas leading shepards and eventually about 3 years later the wise men.  The twinkling Lights remind me of the awe struck shepards as they stood on the fieldsas the angels announced the arrival of baby Jesus, the glittery garland and tinsel remind me of the gifts of the kings (though it was not that  first Christmas)  Christ is worthy of everything we have.  And lastly the Shiny ornaments- the gifts and blessing that God has given to us.  we all have those ornaments that are well loved, they may be chipped and faded but they mean somehting to is, something special.  i have such an ornament hanging my my tre right now I can see it from where I sit.

It is a small felt stocking with a piece of hite yarn whip stiched around the edge.  it has a piece of snow white fake fur accoss the top and the initials MLS is sparles across the front.  i remember making that stocking.  i was in Kindergarten and my brothers each have one too. Those sparkles don’t “sparkle”anymore BUT as long as I can i will never consiously get rid of that stocking.

And as we each have different ornaments and some may signify different things in our lives God has ornamented our lives with blessings.   So now you know why i get giddy and hy I smile when I see sparkle this time of year.