The First 3 of 10

For the past 3 weeks now, we have been studying the 10 Commandments on Sunday.  I knew it would be good..but there is way more substance than what you think!  I am going to do my best to summarize these studies, because I know you will find them interesting, too. 

 

So, why the 10 commandments?  Well, the Bible states that all of God's word is good, and every part applicable to our lives.  Our pastor explains it like this:  God gave us the commandments out of regard (or love) for us, to help us restrain against evil, and to help reveal our sins to us, to ultimately lead us to Christ.

 

You can find the commandments in Exodus chapter 20.  
Pastor Ron has broken each commandment into it's own study. 
In each study we cover 3 main topics:

• Denotation - what it means
• Motivation - why God gave us this commandment
• Application - how we can apply these in our daily lives

Without further adieu, lets start at the top:

 

1. "You shall have no other gods before Me."
(this commandment deals with who we are to worship)

• Denotation - God is the only god.  For centuries, man has tried to create gods for his own purposes.  The Egyptians had gods for everything from the Sun, to fertility.  God is simply stating that there are no other gods, just Him.
• Motivation - God knows that we tend to put things in front of him, such as work, or family.  The things that cloud our minds become our gods, and what we aspire to reach or please.
• Application - the best way to implement this commandment is to ask yourself some questions:
• What is my master passion?
• What do I think about most?
• Who do I want to please?
• What am I living for?

If, in answering these questions, you realize that God is not what consumes you, then, in fact, you have broken it.  This was very astonishing to me, while we were studying this first commandment.  I thought surely that I had this one in the bag..but then, I remembered how often I am consumed with one of my hobbies, and focusing my attention solely on that, and pushing God to the back.  I pray that I can center my focus on Him throughout my daily activities, and let Him lead me through my pursuits.

2. "You shall not make for yourself a carved image."
(this commandment deals with how we should worship)  

• Denotation - Don't try to figure out, or re-create what you think God looks like.
• Motivation - God knows our weakness when it comes to "seeing is believing".  He knows that our nature is to have something that we can hold onto or look upon to resemble Him, and make Him more manageable.  Unfortunately for most of the world, and even in Christianity, there are idols all around.  The cross for instance is a delicate topic, but can be taken two ways.  When people are bowing down to the cross (a statue), they are bowing down to worship the idol, not God.  If you wear a cross around your neck, symbolizing that you believe in Jesus, you are showing others your religion.  In 'The Screwtape Letters' by C.S. Lewis, he gives a great example of what this message is about.  The book is a collection of letters from one demon to another.  Each demon is assigned to an individual, to try to sway the person away from God, and/or keep them from knowing God in the first place.  In one part, the main demon tells the demon in training to make his man focus on the ceiling fan while praying.  By doing this, the man is praying to the ceiling fan, and unconsciously, not putting any meaning into his words.  You see the point I am making..
• Application - Jesus says, in John 4:24, "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth".  This can be very difficult, but if you can create in your mind a blank slate, and try not to imagine what God could look like, then you can get your prayers and messages to Him through the spirit.  Pastor Ron tells us to be warry of saying 'my god'...as He is not just yours, but for everyone, and no one has seen him, therefore we cannot place judgement on what he should be represented by.

3. "You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain."
(this commandment deals with who God is)

•  Denotation - Do not mis-use His name.  Do not take it lightly, or in anger.  Don't take away the importance of His name.
• Motivation - God doesn't want others to misunderstand His importance, by us representing Him poorly.  By using God's name in a bad way, say cussing, you are unconciously telling others that His name is of no consequence.  For example..what is in a name?  What do you think of when you hear the name Elvis?  How about Tiger Woods?  You automatically bring images into your head when hearing these names, be they good or bad.  Think of this commandment as God's reputation.  How do you want Him to be represented?
• Application - There are some obvious ways to obey this commandment; don't curse using God's name, and don't swear by God, unless you intend to follow-through.  But there is something else...your actions speak loudly towards how others percieve you.  How you live, and act should be indicators of your beliefs.  A great example is if you took the logo off of a Porche, and put it on a Toyota.  The logo would still look the same, but the meaning would be lost.  It is how you are representing God that should be your focus when trying to obey this commandment.  You are holding God's reputation in your hands every time you talk to someone, or how you act in a situation.  My favorite part of the sermon was when Pastor Ron said, "I have recently started doing this thing where if I hear someone say Jesus Christ...but taking it in vein, I run over to them and say, where?!!  That's may savior, and if you see him again, I would like to meet Him.  Please don't talk about Him like that."

So..as you can see..there is lots more to learn than you think about these 10 commandments..and I am excited to know what is next...I hope you will stay tuned!

***

"The Slumber of Christianity"

Seth and I have been taking turns reading this book called "The Slumber of Christianity".  The book delves deep in explaining why we as Christians may be doing right by God, but we are no longer excited or yearning to be with him, putting us in a kind of slumber.  The author goes through examples of why we are sleeping, and how to awaken our minds and souls back to Christ in Heaven.  Unfortunately for me, Seth has already returned the book to the library, so now, I will need to paraphrase some of the highlights for you.  To make it easier, I am going to italicize a topic, and then explain it.

The first topic is about differentiating between what we consider Christianity:
Christianity has become a classification, and not a way of life.

There are many that consider themselves Christian, when in fact their church mentions nothing about Christ, or aspiring to be saved by Christ.  A great example is a Unitarian church not far from here.  Here is a blurb from their "principles" section:

We covenant to affirm and promote:

The inherent worth and dignity of every person,
Justice, equity, and compassion in human relations,
Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations,
A free and responsible search for truth and meaning,
The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process in our congregations and in society at large,
The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all, and
Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

While most of this is great, and I am happy that they aspire to love each other, there is no mention of living in Christ.  The most unfortunate thing about this church is that they do have Christian members, who are slowly being sucked out of the Christian faith.  Not only do they have Christian members, but they also invite people of all faiths (Buddhist, Jewish, Islam, etc.), and of all sexual orientation.  They even have committees and organizations made just for going to government functions to promote equality through a one world religion (love & peace).  It seems that in these times, Christians are people who live good lives, not people living in the definition of the word Christian: believer and follower of Christ.  Before my blood pressure rises any higher at the thought of the sins of this dead church, we will move on.


Then, he looks at what has taken the place of our aspirations towards Heaven:
We are caught up in the riches of this life, when we should be considering them a foretaste of what is to come.


As Christians we know that Heaven awaits, and that the streets will be lined with gold, and there will be no more want or suffering. As humans we are uncontrollably caught up in this world, and what lies ahead on the "to do" list. We see things every day that could make our life happier, but that happiness only lasts for a while, and then it is on to the next item, or job, or vacation. How many times do we go about our lives wishing for the next big thing? God has given us this Earth as a kind of "pre-Heaven", if we chose to look at it that way. For example, if you stop and take a look around you at all the beauty and splendor of this natural world, you will see God's hand at work. Now imagine those same things, like birds, trees, mountains, etc...in Technicolor. I say that because no one really knows what Heaven will be like, but the Bible does mention some details.  For example, the following verses from Revelation explain what the new Jerusalem in the new Heaven will look like:

Revelations 21:18 "The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass."
Revelations 21:23 "The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it.  The Lamb is its light."
Revelations 22:1 "And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb."

Next, he looks at why we have forgotten where we are headed:
Christianity has lost it's hope.

The best example for this is to remember yourself as child on Christmas Eve.  Your parents made you go to bed that night, despite your excitement and hope for the presents you would receive the next day.  When you awoke on Christmas morning, your hope for that new toy was uncontrollable as you ripped open your presents.  After a few weeks of playing with your new toy, you were bored with it, and the hope had died long before.  This can be likened to a new Christian.  You are saved, and you feel the Spirit moving through you on a regular basis.  Your hopes are in Heaven, and the life you will lead with Christ.  You remain faithful, and still love Christ, but after a while, your enthusiasm fades.  You become once again intoxicated by what this earthy realm holds for you.  Your hope turns towards the worldly things.

Finally, the author gives us some encouragement and tools to get us back on track:
Our minds and hearts should be hoping for Heaven on a daily basis.

If you can dedicate some time each day for the Lord, by reading, praying, listening to sermons, etc., you can keep your hope alive.  Something that has kept me going, especially after seeing so many of my friends going down the wrong path, is praying for God to keep me motivated.  When I get stressed out at work or at home, I pray for God to give me peace, and hope for my life with him in Heaven.  Try to set your sights on how glorious it will be to be with Jesus on a regular basis.  Imagine how awesome you feel when the Spirit is in you for those brief awesome moments, and focus on that being your permanent state in Heaven.  Close your eyes and try to imagine the indescribable light of God, as you meet him face to face.  And best of all, pray that Jesus comes quickly, so those whom you care for, that may not be going in the right direction, may see the right path, and be able to follow it before their ends.  For when that day comes, we will finally be where we belong, and our new life in Heaven can be realized.

***

Do me a Favor...

It has been said that there are two ways to Heaven.

The first is by God examining your "works", or your deeds on Earth, be they good or bad. These laws by which you should live were given to Moses on Mount Sinai as a covenant between God and man. If you can follow and maintain these laws as your own, you will surely join God in Heaven. I have come up with an easy way to see if it is a possible option, and I'm going to use myself as an example:
_______________________________________________________
APPLICATION FOR ADMITANCE TO HEAVEN

**Be advised that all references will be checked in full, and this application should be carried with you at all times.**

Name: Kristy Mapp
Birth Year: 1980
Country of Origin: United States

Part I:

Please answer yes or no, and comment if necessary:

1. Have you ever worshiped anything above God?
Yes. Does my husband count?

2. Have you ever made an idol for worship?
No.

3. Have you ever used the Lord’s name in vein?

Yes.

4. Did you remember the Sabbath and keep it holy?

Not always..just recently.

5. Did you honor your father and mother?

Sometimes

6. Did you murder?

No.

7. Did you commit adultery?

No.

8. Did you steal?

Yes.

9. Did you bear false witness against your neighbor?

Yes.

10. Did you covet what your neighbor had?

Yes.

Part II:

 Please list anything you would like to state before God.
Despite half of my answers going against what I was supposed to do, I did live a good life…well, at least after I turned 28. And most of that stuff happened before I was 16..so does it really count?

Part III:

Please list any references:

My husband, My mom, My boss
___________________________________________________

Wait a minute. Surely God will forgive my small indiscretions…right? Let’s see what God thinks about this:

“I, the LORD, have spoken; it is coming and I will act. I will not relent, and I will not pity and I will not be sorry; according to your ways and according to your deeds I will judge you," declares the Lord GOD.” Ezekiel 24:14

So, what he is saying is that even my small sins will count against me on judgment day? Thank goodness there is another way…

The Second way to Heaven is by accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior. The best way to show you, the viewer, is by giving you the text directly from the Bible, where John is quoting Jesus:

"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die." John 11:25,26

The basic premise of Jesus himself was to help save us from our sins so we would get a chance to come to Heaven. Not everyone will go of course. You not only have to believe in Jesus, but you have to ask him to be your Lord and Savior, and follow his teachings. God sent Jesus as a way out for all of us that have that horrible curse of being Human. Now, this is not to say that you may go and plunder and do evil things and think that you will still get to Heaven. That is simply not true. When you put your life in Jesus’ hands, you give your soul to Him (who is God), and you magically don’t want to do bad things anymore.

I want you to do me a favor, seeing that most people who read this believe in the same God, the one who created the Heavens and Earth, and the one who gave us His son, Jesus. Wait, maybe you don’t believe that. Maybe you just think about it every now and then, or maybe you only believe it on Christmas or Easter. Here is what I want you to do either way…

The next time you are really sad, say out loud, “God, please help me. Show me what you want from me.”

The next time you are really mad, say out loud, “God, please help me. Show me what you want from me.”

I suggest doing this every time you are feeling extremely upset, or your day has gone so horribly that you think you might just curl up and die.

The catch here is trying to actually mean what you are asking. The more times you say it, and the more emotion you put into it, the more likely you are to mean it. I can honestly say that when you have reached that place when you feel like no one cares, and no one will help you, Jesus will. Just be prepared to open up, and let Him flood over you (this is actually what it feels like).

I would like to end this entry with a quote from Jesus himself, for your ponderings:

"Therefore I say to you that you will die in your sins, for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins". John 8:24

***

"Conspiracy to Controversy"

Let me first start by saying that my last entry was not meant to upset, or alarm. I was just sitting here, and some force came over me and I just couldn’t stop writing.


After I had written that, I looked at my Facebook page, and noticed that I had a new friend request. I saw that it was someone from my church. So I said ‘yes’, and then went to check out his page. I was looking at what groups he was a member of, and saw one that said ‘Bet we can find 1,000,000 who believe in Creationism by June’.

I thought, “Hmm..Coincidence?” So, I went there, and was looking at the discussion boards. I was surprised to see so many people bashing the beliefs of Christians who believe in creation. Most of these people claimed to be Christian, but by the way they were typing, it was hard to tell. If you would have told me 2 months ago that if I read those things, I would start to cry, I would have laughed in your face. But now there is something that pulls on me and says that the only thing I can and should go by is God’s word..the Bible.

I’ve been really torn up about writing since that happened. I don’t want to be criticized for what I believe, but then again, I want everyone to know the Lord as I now do. I want to spread His word, and it’s an urge that I feel every day. When I wake up in the morning, there are thoughts flinging themselves around in my head and trying to get out, and all of them are about whom I can share them with, or what to tell people about Jesus.

Last night we attended our first Wednesday night Bible study. I really wanted to go because they were starting from the beginning of the next book in the line, Ezekiel. Let me tell you that Wednesday night service is nothing like Sunday. Pastor Ron was on a mission, and he is super awesome at helping you really get into the scripture. The first few chapters tell of a vision Ezekiel had from God. It is hard to understand at first, because he is describing something supernatural, and how do you put that into words? Then, after really analyzing the passage, you see that he is describing God’s throne.

Pastor Ron stopped and said, “Now, I know that it sounds like we are talking about a UFO, and several scholars have theorized that that is what he saw..but let me tell you that UFOs, if they exist, are not something God is showing you, it’s Satan, and his demons.”

Then Ron seemed to look directly at me and said, “There are no such things as UFO’s!”

Well, I thought that was pretty awesome..because up until a few weeks ago (refer back to my ‘It was the Spirit’ blog), I was a UFO believer. In fact..I have even seen one, or two. But did I really? Ok..we’ll talk about that some other time!

So, by now he had my full attention. We kept reading and this passage in particular rang out in my ears:

Ezekiel 2

6 And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or be terrified by them, though they are a rebellious house. 7 You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious.

It became blatantly clear to me that this sermon was direct at me. No wonder I wanted to go so bad! God was pushing me and pushing me to go, and hear what He had to tell me.

The night before, I had been telling Seth that I was done doing the controversial blogging. I think this was God’s way of saying, “You know what, Kristy? If you don’t say these things, they will never hear them. They will never ponder on what my words mean, or what they could mean for them in the afterlife. Yes, it will be hard, and you will lose friends, and even close loved ones, but it is important that everyone know my words, and the only one true way to get to Heaven; through Jesus”.

So, that is why I will keep going. I hope that you will keep reading, even if you don’t agree. In fact, I would like to know if you don’t agree..because then I will know which buttons to push harder.

**

"The Greatest Conspiracy"

Seth can attest that I love a good conspiracy. This morning my boss came in and was talking about the conspiracy behind the World Trade Center collapse on 9/11. I wish I had a whole day to just think about all the possibilities, and who could be to blame and such. Although this is just a favorite pastime, it would probably never amount to anything, even if I did have time to work on it. One of my favorite movies is "Conspiracy Theory". It has Mel Gibson and Julia Roberts, and I literally could watch it over and over again for 3 days.


So this got me thinking about a conspiracy of a different kind. The Bible. Not that the Bible is a conspiracy, but to many, it is just a fiction novel, that no one wants to read, about the possible truth of our existence. When I was first trying to come up with some more stuff to write on my blog, I had an immediate idea of comparing the scientific theory of creation vs. the Bible's teachings. I spent almost a week researching, adding and subtracting, reading thru the Bible, and looking on the internet to figure it all out.

Even last night Seth and I were talking about how it wouldn't be a good topic for the blog because it is kind of irrelevant to those who are reading this....or is it? Isn't it true that the very first thing you read in the Bible is about creation? And if you are a scientist, brought up on theories and evolution, you immediately throw out the idea of creation, therefore throwing out any other information that you may find in the book. So, we should naturally assume that all things in the Bible are false, right down to the existence of Jesus, because there is no way that the Earth was created in 7 days!

Let me expound upon some things I found during my research. (Very scientific, I know!) Genesis chapter 1 goes thru what God did for the first 7 days. After each entry it says 'and there was morning and there was evening, the ___ day'. I don't know about you, but that is pretty clear. When you have morning time, and that makes its way into evening time..isn't that one day? Yep! Another thing, after the first seven days, the Bible starts telling the lineage of Adam. It states how old he was when he had one of his sons. Then it tells how old that child was when they had one of their sons. It goes all the way from Adam to Jesus, thus giving us an exact time frame for the age of the world. Now, let me state that the ages get less and less as people become more and more un-pure through DNA. The Bible does not give you their ages after Abraham, but if you give an estimated 100 years between the births of one generation to the next (just to be safe), you come up with about 4,000 years. That makes the Earth a whopping 6, 010 years old!

Wow. Is this possible? I think so. When I was 16 my family traveled to Canada, to do some back packing and camping around Banff National Park. One night we set up camp next to a tiny creek. I would say my tent was approx. 20 feet away from the creek. When we woke up the next morning, my tent was only about 5 feet away from a rushing river! The creek had turned from a fountain into a deluge, and not only that, the earth around it had been completely changed. Where there was once almost level land, there was now a deep crevice, which looked like it had been there for centuries.

There is a whole group out there dedicated to bringing awareness to this huge oversight, and conspiracy. Here’s a caption from ‘About.com’ on the subject:

“The key characteristic of Young Earth Creationism is the insistence on a “young” earth, on the order of 6,000 - 10,000 years old, rather than the commonly accepted age of approximately 4.5 billion years old. This figure is arrived at using complicated dating procedures based upon biblical records, much like those used by Bishop John Ussher when he dated the point of creation at 4004 BCE.”

This is pretty fascinating stuff if you ask me! How could there be such a huge gap between the two theories? Is carbon dating just another ploy by the beast down under to take our minds off of God, and into the worldly realm? We are inundated with mind-diversions every day, from the ‘slim down fast’ magazines in the checkout lane, to the ‘how to get rich quick’ scams on every other billboard.

Being a child of a scientist, myself, I cannot help but ponder and theorize that the whole existence of other religions is based around the fact that somewhere down the line, a man read the first chapter of the Bible, threw it on the ground and said, “This is a conspiracy, and I just can’t believe it!” Then, the man picked up another book, written by someone like Darwin and said, “Now this makes sense, because my small brain can’t handle what God is trying to show me.”

Just some thoughts for your Monday afternoon..enjoy!

"Keep your eye-balls peeled!"

Sounds kinda gross right?  My mom used to use this expression with me and my sister when we were kids, and on the hunt for something.  Usually it involved driving somewhere new, and not knowing where we were going.  Basically, it means: keep your eyes open at all times, and be on the look out.

The past couple days leading up to this weekend had been pretty trying.  We have started reading the Bible every night, and really getting into the breakdown of the scripture, and what God is saying through the writer.  Every day I had been feeling closer and closer with God.  I started noticing the things and people around me in a whole new way. 

Now, I have always been a watcher.  I used to go the mall, sit down with a drink or something, and just watch and listen to the people go by.  I am definitely a reader of men.  Just this past evening my sis called to tell me that the guy we are doing a website for said he was super happy with the site layout I had created...all of it being done by email (he lives in San Fran, and we have never met, except once by phone).  I am not trying to brag.  I am just setting the scene for you on my earthly knowledge of getting inside people's heads to figure out what they are really thinking.

Up until this point, when I was reading people, it had been mostly superficial.  I could figure out what colors you like, what type of music you listen to, who you would like to date, if you are going to be mean or nice, if you are happy or sad, etc.  I had never really stopped to think about what the person I was studying thought about God.  This has put a whole new spin on watching...and it's not a good feeling.

Like I said, the past few days leading up to this weekend have been hard.  Every where I look, I see sadness.  These people don't even realize they are sad.  They are not presenting the usual signs.  No frownie faces..no tears..no...nothing.  And that is exactly it.  Nothing.  Blah.  Just lots and lots of blah.  You know how sometimes you just haven't had a good day and when you get home you just feel like vegging out in front of the TV and wasting away?  That's what I mean by blah.  Empty.

Now after a day or two of this it starts to wear on you.  If all you see is blah, then that is how you feel, too.  I talked to Seth about it, and that night I prayed about what to do.  God doesn't just give you the answers you know..you have to help a bit.  Friday I was feeling better, and got going on my day.  The feeling started to creep back in again, and this time instead of letting it over come me, I decided to push it out until I could do something about it.  Well, I got my opportunity later that day.  Instead of just listening and nodding when talking, I waited till the end and said, "You know..that used to bother me, too.  Ever since I have been going to church those things have just been pushed aside...it's like a whole new set of priorities." 

I got a kind of "um..ok...yeah" look, and then it turned into a kind of "ahhh...I see" look.  I know that this person is a 'do it yourselfer' like me, so I am not going to push, but the message I was sending did reach the target.  It was just a small gesture, but over time, small gestures can turn into something bigger.  I have come to realize that Seth was put in my life to give me my small gestures.  It took 5 years..but it finally worked.

My hope for you is that you pay attention to the world and people around you.  Keep an open mind, and pay attention to those subtle hints that things aren't going as planned.  Keep your eye-balls peeled.  Something I have been hearing over and over again in the sermons and while reading is "you can't get to heaven by believing in Jesus".  Think about that for a second.  Even the Devil believes in Jesus. 

You have to do more.  You have to repent.  You have to study.  You have to help others come to understand and know Jesus.  You have to live a good life, and part of keeping your eyes open means looking everywhere for the next thing that will bring you that much closer to Him. 

Our society has been blinded by the here and now, and has no concept of what it means to just be.  Yes, we are all able to get things done faster and more efficiently, due to technology, which means we should have more time to enjoy life.  Instead, we are expected to work that much harder, and the strain of it all has caused us to lose sight of the fact that what we have now is what we should be thankful for..not what we hope to have some day.  The only thing we should be hopeful for is that shining moment when we are before the throne in Heaven, and God says, "Welcome my child". 

If we are not keeping our eye-balls peeled, then we will most certainly have them sewn shut for us on the day of judgment.





**As a side note, I would like to thank those who have commented, and given me the courage and will power to continue writing, and God for giving me the material.  You have certainly left an impression on me that my thoughts on paper may help save some one else, and that is what I know I have been called to do.**

Words Cannot Express...

Some of you will start to read this and change your minds, and close your browsers.  Unlike my post a few weeks ago, I will not be telling you to do so.  This is important, and I hope you can just pay attention for a couple minutes.

Let me start by saying that 3 weeks ago I prayed for God to help me understand his plan for me, and that I would accept Jesus into my heart.  I asked him to help me know and feel that it had happend.  If you know me, then you will understand that I am very picky when it comes to expectations, and when I want something, I need to know that it has happend.  Well, I got that confirmation when we went to church that Sunday, and every day since then.  It is an overwhelming feeling of joy, that doesn't end.  When I wake up in the morning I am happy, when I go to bed at night I am happy, and when I have to go to work, I am reluctant, but still happy.  This is an internal happiness..a feeling of peace, that I have not known until now.

This past Sunday, we went to church, and our pastor deviated from his teachings on Revelations to give a more Evangilistic sermon.  At first I was dissapointed, because I wanted to keep going, and I was excited to learn what was next.  About half-way through, I realized why he was doing this.  Easter is the one day a year when the congregations around the world swell to triple in size.  People who never go to church end up going with their families because they feel compeled to "show up" and support.  The message was aimed at those who had not come to Christ.

Towards the end of the sermon the most amazing thing happend.  Pastor Ron lead us in prayer and asked that if anyone felt compeled to come forward and accept Jesus as their savior, that they should do so.  About 20 people left their chairs, and came forward.  Then Ron said it again, "Maybe you are wondering what the person next to you will think if you came forward, but the person next to you is thinking the same thing.  You are not here to impress anyone but Christ."  He began praying again, and another 20 or so people got up from their seats and came forward.

If you have never experienced the Spirit, it is the most awesome feeling.  It's like a huge rush starts on one side of the church and sweeps over you, and you get this feeling of pure joy, and you can't hold back that lump in your throat, and the tears just come.  I was truley amazed, and extremley happy to see all those people give their lives to Christ.  It was the most awesome thing I have ever witnessed.

My hope for you, if you are reading this as a cynic, is that you just stop and think for a second. 

Do you want to live every day with a wish for the next best thing?
OR
Do you want to live every day like now is the best thing?

Honestly, if you are even thinking about it, or intrigued at all..please just take 45 more minutes of your day and listen to this sermon: http://www.vimeo.com/8629572

I know it does not sound appealing, but just hear me out, and pay close attention.  Your world can change, as mine has, and I can honestly, and without one doubt say that I will never go back.  I will spend every day like it is my last, and every minute thanking God, and every second trying to help those around me to feel the same.

Strength in Numbers?

333 This one is quite disturbing to me. A few years ago, when Ethan was just a wee tot, I was doing a side job for a woman named Robin. I used to work for her full time, but had since gotten a new job, and helped her out sometimes. We met at the house we were going to measure, and got to work. Somehow we got on the subject of the number 333. She said she had been seeing it a lot lately and it gave her a weird feeling, like something bad was going to happen. I explained to her that I had also been seeing that number frequently the past few weeks.

Now, I know what you are thinking..once your mind sees something, it will pick it out constantly. Like, when you buy a new car and you hadn't seen it on the road until you bought it.

This was different though..I would see it in random places like on the pole that holds up a billboard you notice everyday, but go by too fast to see it....and then one day you happen to be stuck in traffic right in front of it, and look over and there they are..the numbers 333 in big black font.

Well, after meeting with Robin, I didn't see, or think about it much. A couple weeks ago, I started seeing it again. By the way..the billboard post numbers are different now. I still didn't think much of it. I told Seth, and he told me not to get into such things...that it was like inviting evil spirits in thru numerology. Of course I listened to him, but I still wanted to see what it was all about. I went on-line, and found a couple websites talking about Paganism, and the power of 3, numerology, astronomy..I could go on.

I had solved the mystery, so I thought. I was going to watch a movie while Ethan was napping on Sunday afternoon. I went to On Demand, and flipped thru the titles..I wanted to watch 'The 4th Kind'. I watched the preview (if you haven't..just the preview will freak you out!). There was a flash of a woman waking up and looking at the clock. It said 3:33. The basic premise of the movie is about people who are having encounters, and being taken by aliens. They use some actual footage of documented cases. After seeing the preview, it appeared that all those people had been possessed.

This is the really interesting part.

I decided to look in my bible. I was flipping around and came to a "Memorable Verses" page. There was only one listed with the numbers: Jeremiah 33:3 "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." This passage sums up the chapter by basically saying when you are in need of comforting, call on our Lord, and he will help you through it. In my mind, when I see those numbers, it is a feeling of uncomfortable-ness, and God is telling me to call on him, and not to worry.

Are alien abductions and aliens in general just another ploy by the devil to make us interested so we will get sucked in and eventually allow ourselves to be open to the idea...of him? You be the judge..I have made up my mind, and by the way..I didn't watch the movie.

316 This number had appeared to me for the few weeks leading up to us going to church. After reading all of that stuff about the other number, I decided to also look at this one. I went back to the "Memorable Verses". This time I was pleasantly surprised:

Exodus 3:16 "Go, assemble the elders of Israel and say to them, The Lord, the God of your fathers - the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - appeared to me and said: I have watched over you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt". 3:17 "And I have promised to bring you up out of your misery in Egypt into a land flowing with milk and honey."

Luke 3:16 "John answered them all, "I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the holy Spirit and with fire."

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

1Corinthians 3:16 "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?"

All of this is leading to one thing in my mind: God is telling me that he has a plan, and it is unfolding. The 316 verses tell of my life before, leading up to, during, and the future of, my journey with Him. The 333 number is a warning, and one that I am now taking seriously, about staying away from things that might lead to the wrong path. My interest in scary movies has just dropped to zero. My interest in listening to sermons, and Christian radio has jumped to 10. Not to mention that you just feel better when you surround yourself with God.

It was the Spirit

No, I am not going to turn into one of those people you don't want to talk to because all they talk about is church...I just can't get over it..so I am going to write it down, so I will always remember how it happend.  I hope, if you are reading this, you are ready for some mush, a side of silly, and a large heap of humility followed by a warm and fuzzy.  If not, close your browser now.

March 13th, Saturday 2010:

I had been feeling depressed.  I decided to tell Seth that I just wasn't happy, and I needed his help.  Seth is always very understanding, and the best way for him to help me (in his mind) is by quoting scripture.  Usually, my brain would have turned off while my head nodded in understanding to what he was saying, but that night, I was listening...and very intently...something I have been having trouble with lately. 

He began telling me an old testament parabol about a wealthy man who was throwing a birthday party for himself, and sent out invitations to all the other wealthy people.  In that time they sent out invitations months in advance so the invitees would have time to respond.  When the big day finally came, not one of the people invited showed up.  The wealthy man told his servant, "Go to the outer limits of the city and invite anyone you see, I refuse to be alone in my hour of celebration".
The servant returned with no one, telling the man that no one wanted to join him.  So the man said, "Go to the pastures and far reaches of this providence, and invite the beggars, lepars, and anyone you come accross.  I refuse to be alone in my hour of celebration".
Again the servant returned, but this time he had one or two guests with him.  (of course I am paraphrasing while I am writing this..Seth is much better at story telling)  So the group feasted, and was merry..you know..the usuall. 

I think you are getting where this is going.  So after he told me this..I said, "You know..usually I would have let you just ramble on and act like I was paying attention, but tonight I actually was listening."  Of course, Seth was glad to know that..he likes attention.  Then he was telling me that over the past couple weeks he had had the urge to listen to Christian radio, and one day on the way home he started crying...he just felt it.

Then I started crying.  Not sobbing uncontrollably, just teary, and my throat was all knotted up..like when you watch a love story and you are so happy that you can't help but cry.  Seth looked at me and said, "that's the spirit".  I admitted that all this time I had been fooling myself.  I thought that I had accepted Jesus into my heart, but really, I was just doing what everyone told me to, and going thru the motions.  I asked Seth, "How do you know when you have really accepted him?  I have said it over and over, and I just don't know."

We stayed up way past our bed times, and continued our discussion..it felt good to talk.  We decided that we would go to church on the upcoming Sunday.  I prayed that God would help me to understand what I was feeling.

The next day at work the girls (there are only 5 of us that work there, me, 2 prego girls, a guy, and the Boss Man) were discussing wether or not to get their infants baptized.  One of them said to the other, "I was baptized twice as a child, so I am doubly going to heaven!"  I was pretty shocked to hear that.  Right at that moment, I knew.

Now, for a little background on why me going to church is so intriging:

When I was in 4th grade, my parents got divorced..yes I was destrought, but I have been thru therapy now, and I am OK!  My father got re-married and they decided that my sis and I needed some God in our lives.  Unfortunatly for us, we had never even heard the term God.  So, we just went along with it.  My dad blamed my mom for us not going and visa-versa..I don't blame either one..life happens the way it is supposed to, so you can ultimatly reach the best possible outcome (as we all have).  Anyway, we were made to go to church on Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday nights.  We were also told we had to have bible study every night while at my dad's house every summer.  Of course, coming into my teenage years, I was rebelous, and quite frankly didn't give a damn.  But, to appease those around me, so as not to get in trouble, I did what they said...I went to communion, got baptized, and sang in the choir.  I never really felt "saved", but I did "pray" to God and ask for forgiveness out loud.

Ok, that's enough of that..if you are really interested in all that then I will expound in a seperate post.

March 21st, Sunday 2010:

The big day had arrived.  We told Ethan we were going, as we have been praying with him before bed the past few months..and I asked him if he wanted to go to kids church.  He said, "Will we learn about that Jesus man?"  So I told him yes, and we were on our way.

We dropped Ethan off with the other kids, and went and sat in the sanctuary.  They sang exactly 2 songs, and then had a special guest.  His name was Rodrigo Rodrigues, and he was from South America, and played the guitar with a spanish flair..it was really awesome.  But that wasn't what made me remember him..when he was done he said, "17 years ago I decided to go to the Calvary church in my town.  That day God spoke to me and gave me this gift."  By the way, he was REALLY good.

Anyway, then the pastor, Ron Hindt, came out and totally got me hooked.  He read from Revelations and really broke down what the words were saying.  He didn't say it in his own words..he refered back to other scripture where things were explained (you are just supposed to remember those things till you get there).  I really enjoyed how he wasn't trying to make us all laugh or just have a good time..he was trying to help us understand what the text really says.  The Bible in lamens terms..go figure.

It was exactly what I was looking for.  The reason I haven't gone to church of my own accord EVER is because I didn't want to feel "forced" to be a Christian.  Pastor Ron said, "We don't belive in religion, and if you do, this is not the right church for you..you should leave.  We believe in a relationship with God.  If that is what you are looking for, you can stay."  So blunt..so me.  When the sermon was over, I had been listening so intently to what he said, that when they played that last song, I started crying again.  This time was the same..my throat was in a knot, and I was happy.  I suddenly realized why all those people hold their hands up during the songs..I wanted to, too!  But I held back..maybe next time.  Like Seth said, it was the Spirit.

I have finally found a place that feels like I fit..and I don't have to sing if I don't want to!

It's almost Christmas!

Not sure why, but every year I get super excited when it's time to start buying presents.  I think for me it is the joy of seeing someone open the present I gave them, and anticipating their reaction. 

This year is going to be especially awesome, because it will be the first time Ethan knows what the heck is going on.  He has a stuffed animal Santa, and he carries him around the house all the time.  Santa gets to eat dinner with us, sleep with Ethan, read bed time stories to him (curtousy of mom's bad impression), and even watch Ethan take a bath.  In fact, Santa is pretty much doing all my chores. 

We went Christmas shopping 2 weekends ago, and Santa came with us.  We went to the mall so Ethan could see the "real" Santa Claus, but he was too scared so we just looked at him from a safe distance.  It was so funny because ever time Ethan would get excited about something he would say, "Santa, did you see that?"  "Do you like this, Santa?"

Anyway, here are some pics of the event...enjoy!

Nicolas Update

Well, Dana, Eric, and Nicolas are home now.  Thank goodness!  They ran some genetic testing to make sure he didn't have down syndrom or anything.  The doctors were worried because it appeared that the plates in his head had fused to soon, and they thought that they might have to operate.  Turns out, he is fine!!  Hooray!

Nicolas

My good friend Dana, and her Hubbs, Eric, have just brought their first munchkin into the world.  His name is Nicolas.  He was 5.8 lbs, and was born on Novemer 29th in the afternoon.  He had to be taken to the Children's Hospital...not sure why exactly, but he was 3 weeks premature.  I am praying that everything is ok. 
I am so wierded out by the whole thing, tho.  I can't grasp that Dana is a mommy.  I guess it will take a while.  Here is some background on how we met:
Lisa, my younger sister, met Dana in middle school, and they became fast friends.  I would occasionaly hang out with them, too.  When Lisa went to collage, they lost touch.  During that time, Dana met Eric.  Then, Lisa and I moved in together, and they got back intouch with eachother, which meant that I was also going to hang out with them.  So, now Lisa is off in Pittsburgh, and I am here, still visiting with Dana and Eric on a regular basis. 
The End.

So, here are some pics that I took from Eric's facebook...

My First Blog Ever!

To further render myself, and my family, as people living in the 21st century, we have decided to create this blog. Don't get too caught up in the name, I just thought it was cool. I have lots of friends who have blogs, and I have always admired their willingness to share themselves with the world...so now, I am, too. Not to mention I will be sharing my husbands, and sons private lives with all of you. So, to kick off my..err..I mean, our family blog...here are some recent pictures for you to enjoy...