Women' s Bible Class

Dear   sisters,

I  have  volunteered  to  teach  a  rural  women 's  ministries  class . Starting   tomorrow  Sept 1st  we  will  be  teaching  a group  of  ladies  in  a  newly  formed  Bible  school  for   4  to  5  days ,  mornings  only. 

I  am  really  excited  about  this new  oppurtunity.

Please   praty  for  us.

Love,  Amrita

Praying Without Ceasing And Letting God Hold Us

my heart has been with felisol so much the last week and it has made me think so much of my other sisters here who have been going through hard times also and so i am putting this song here for felisol's family and for you all and even for me.
god bless you all and keep praying for each other...love terry

Pray for Felisol and her Family

Hope  is  anchor  of  the  soul.

Though  wild   the  wind  and  rough  the  sea-

It holds us  firmly to our  faith

in life and  immortality...

When storms around  the  vessel  break

in mounting  waves  and  blinding  hail-

We hear  the  tender voice of God...

Though  turbulent  things   around  us  rage,

Hope  gives  us  quiet  anchorage.

From  Amrita

Hello Sisters!
I just realized that not all of you may be aware of what I have been up to these last few days so I wanted to update you. God has blessed my youngest daughter and her husband with a beautiful baby boy! He was born on Aug. 17 and weighed in at 8 lbs. 2 oz., 19.5 ins long. Mixed babies are beautiful and usually bright pink when they are born, which he is. He has lots of dark hair and seems to have a mellow disposition. His mommy and daddy are very excited and proud and camping out at my house for a while. Someone is almost always home there so my daughter will not have to be alone til she is feeling more like herself. It is falling to me and Papi to get Jbear to school and back every day which has turned out to be quite the adventure since we are so out of practice. lol
Here are a few pics of the happy event.

Jbear's first look. :)

Baby L

My girl and her babies. :)

Prayers are appreciated for all of us...that my daughter will recover quickly and that will God will provide while she is off work (greatly reduced income at the moment)...also that our home will be the sanctuary it needs to be for their family. For me...that I will have the patience and stamina that is needed to care for an entire other family unit....being a care giver is hard work and surely Not my temperament! ;) Anyone who reads my Facebook saw that I was in the kitchen for 4 hours last night....Whew!!
Hope you are all having a wonderful summer!

Happy Belated Anniversaries ...TWO Anniversaries!

i think that i had just better stick to happy belated anniversary and birthday messages these days ...as it DOES seem that i have been walking in slow motion lately!
here i go late AGAIN!...happy belated anniversary greetings to saiji and leo august 17th...AND happy belated anniversary to felisol and gunnar...august 19th...








god bless you with many more years of happy marriage saija and leo and felisol and gunnar....love from all of your sisters!

   Well ladies, I have enjoyed sharing this week but it is time for our Bible to embark on a new adventure!  I want to end my posts on here with a pictorial blog post.  Of all the wonderful things God has blessed me with besides salvation, he knew that the greatest desire of my heart was my family. My love for my children is what drove me to change my life in the first place. As referenced in my post A new life , we began getting our children back in late 1996 , and were saved in 1997. By the year 2000, we had all custody of all four of our children. As any parent, there were days when I wondered what in the world I had asked for raising four boys all one year or less apart LOL, but we got through it : D   So I want to leave off sharing with you my most precious earthly gifts.... Psalms 37:4  Take delight in the Lord , and he will give you the desires of your heart.

    Timothy Dewayne Lacefield - husband  49 yrs old, Cynthia Denise Lacefield - 42 yrs old , Christopher Alan Smith- son 22 yrs old, Anthony Dewayne Lacefield - son 21 yrs old, David Jordan Lacefield - son 20 yrs old, Dylan Thomas Brown- son19 yrs old , and in the past two years we have added  Riley Dawn Lacefield - grandaughter 2 yrs old ,and Braxton Dewayne Lacefield - grandson 10 months old.  Thank you , ABBA .

                          The Lacefield Clan , through the years.........

                      D.J. , Tony , Chris , Tim , Dylan , and Cyndi  2000

                                                            2001

                                                                 2004

                 2010 (with Corina - Tony's fiance  and Riley added )

  In 2000 and then again in 2011 , we were belessed to get to go to Disney world as family for several days. When we returned this second time , I told the boys there were three things I wanted them to do before they ran off in separate directions. I wanted to recreate some photos from 11 years before. These pictures mean so much to me as they show the growth of my boys ( hehehe and me too LOL )

From boys to men.

     First , they sat for a these silouetttes to match the earlier one. The boys are in order from oldest outside to youngest inside.

Then, our family with Cinderella's castle in the background. The first one in 2000 and the next one in 2011. ( notice I still have the fanny pack I bought there all those years ago LOL . I did have to let it out quite a bit though ! )

This next one is where the boys watched the Disney Character Parade in Frontierland. I wanted then right on that corner by the fence where they all stood as boys. I apprieciate their willingness to  satisfy Momma's whim of nostalgia. What good sons they were !

 2000

2011

Me and my honey - then and now : D 

2000

2011 at Disney World /reunion

LOL   My honey : D 2011

And, of course now we have the two new additions to the family- my wonderful, sweet, adorable grandchildren Riley and Braxton !

notice Riley's shirt says Daddy says NO DATING ! Good luck with that son .....

Braxton makes anyone happy just to be near him. He is the sweetest , happiest baby and his great Grammy was getting a kick out of him at the reunion  May 2011

My branch of the family tree with my father, Ron Lay on his 75th birthday at the Disney World reunion May 2011 and the most current pic of all of us together.

And here is our group photo at the reunion. These are the children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren of my father. Being with my brothers and sisters and their families all together for a week was a gift that can not be replaced. The love and memories we will share forever are priceless, as it had been over 30 years since all four siblings had been together at once, much less our children and grandchildren. 

Dad with  ALL his children on his 75th birthday, Ron Jr. , Alisa, Bob, and me.

Well, it is time for me to end this. Thank you for letting me be a part of this new family of sisters. One day we will have a reunion in heaven and we will all be together. What a glorious day it will be when we come together as joint heirs with Jesus to worship and praise God for eternity ! 

BE BLESSED - ALWAYS  

Women of Faith

   Years ago , I attended a bible study group focused on the book Her name is Woman  by Gien Karssen. A couple weeks ago, I decided it was time to read it again. I have so enjoyed it and want to recommend it to all of you. I just found it on Amazon for as little as $1.50 , and you may be able to find it in bookstores, you never know. One of the women who touches me in particular is Rahab. I find such a power in her story, and I can identify with a life that was stained by sin and immorality, then transformed to one of faith. Because it is a lengthy passage I will share the links for you to read it.
Joshua 2:1-21  http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joshua+2%3A1-21&version=NIV    and then finishing in   Joshua 6:22-25 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joshua+6%3A22-25&version=NIV

   Rahab was a well known prostitute and innkeeper. The spies sent into Jerico would have ended up there quite naturally as did many travelers. The King had heard there were Isrealite spies and had called for them to be found and taken into custody, but Rahab had already figured out who they were and hid them on her roof. When asked, she gave false information to the king's messengers and went and talked to the spies. She let them know that people were afraid of their God because of the miracles he had brought for his people.She asked them," Since I have saved your life, will you save me and my relatives?'  She was afraid and didn't believe her people stood a chance at keeping the Isrealites out, so she took ACTION.
   She asked them to give her a sign so that when the army came in, they would save her and they told her to tie a scarlet cord in her window so they would know to spare that household. By doing this, she showed action on her faith. They had barely left before she put the ribbon in her window. There was no delay for her. She didn't have to think about it. She didn't need any futher proof from this God she didn't know. She already was showing she believed and she wanted to be certain that when the time came, her and her family were ready.
   On the seventh day of the Isrealites marching around the city, the horns began to blow and the people began to shout. The earth began to tremble. Walls which had stood for so long began to crumble and fall down. How scared the Canaanite people must have been! But I believe Rahab was calm and prepared. The walls all around the city fell except for where her house stood! How Great is our God !!! In Hebrews it says that the faith of the Isrealites caused the walls to fall, so by the same , Rahab's faith kept the wall of her home up. Rahab and all of her relatives, which were in her home with her, were spared.
   Rahab's past was one of dishonor because of her sin and immorality, yet God took her tarnished life and because of her great faith, made it new. She became a believer, a wife, a wonderful mother to Boaz, and the great grandmother to King David. She is one of the ancestors of Jesus Christ himself ! Her name is one of the only two women mentioned in the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 along with Sarah.
   God doesn't see our past. We have only to ask him to cleanse us of our sins and step out into faith through action, and we will see mighty things happen for the Kingdom of God. I am so thankful for this wonderful story of redemption. God can and will work through any who are willing.
   I am so thankful that my past is just that- past. God sees what is in my heart now, not then. I pray that I will be a woman of great faith and action. What an inspiration and example Rahab is to me.
   Thank you, Lord for those who have come before us, great women of faith that you have set forth in your word for us to learn from.  Bless my sisters and myself , that we will walk in that kind of faith in our own lives.
 

What wonderful things I am gleaning from each of you as I go through the marked verses in our Bible. How precious it is ! I am so honored to be able to have this time with it and be a part of the journey it is on. I have written a new post just below this earlier today. I just wanted to let you all know I am so thankful for your friendship and this sisterhood.

 I realize that my posts are a bit different, as most of you are sharing your testimonies on here this year, but I have been working on mine on my personal blog since January and just felt led to do something different here. I hope others will continue to share of their personal stories in future posts. I love getting to know all of you! Please feel free to read at  http://iloveme-ilovemenot.blogspot.com/2011/08/you-have-collect-call-from-cyndi.html  if you do are not familiar with  how God delivered me from abuse and drugs. I am very open about my experiences and my past.
     Romans 8:1  Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.

Are you listening?

   However, when He, the Spirit of truth has come, He will lead and guide you into all truth; for he will not speak on his own authority,but whatever he hears he will speak; and he will tell you things to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are mine. Therefore I said that he will take of mine and declare it to you.  John 16:13-15

   How blessed we are to have the Holy Spirit in our lives to lead and guide us. Life gets hectic at times, and we all get busy with our various schedules, running to and fro, but we must always listen to the prompting of The Holy Spirit. I say that with humility though, because there are times when I get my mind set on something and I don't , and it just doesn't turn out well at all. The world calls those little niggles you have in your gut your conscience.
    The dictionary defines conscience as this :  'the inner sense of what is right or wrong in one's conduct or motives, impelling one toward right action; the complex of ethical and moral principles that controls or inhibits the actions or thoughts of an individual.'  We as Christians  know this as the prompting of the Spirit , who brings conviction when needed , peace and joy when we are fully trusting and obeying him, and discernment when questioning ours or someones else's motives or actions.


 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. John 14:16-20 . 


  The morning of May 2nd, 2001 began with an early phone call from a lady asking Tim and I to work at an Emmaus walk. (it is a christian retreat) She also asked me if I would be willing to write a devotional for the team about what I was thankful for. I went on about my day not realizing how quickly it would be apparent just how thankful I was for the Holy spirit in my life. 
  A friend of mine was staying at our house,and her niece , Megan had come to visit. At about 11:15 am I heard Megan in my back yard and a voice spoke to me. 'Someone needs to go get her.',but the phone was ringing and instead of listening to the Holy Spirit, I went to the phone in the back of the house. It was another friend calling, inviting me to lunch. I got off the phone in less than 2 minutes and headed to turn on my curling iron and ask Marie if she would stay with my  youngest son Dylan and Megan until I returned and then I would watch them while she went to the tanning bed. She got on the phone to make an appointment while I began getting ready. Once again, the Lord spoke to me.... ' Where's Megan ??!??!? ' My stomach turned. This time I listened. You see, we had an in-ground swimming pool. 
   I turned instantly and ran out of the room, through the house and out the back sliding door as fast as I possibly could. When I hit the back porch there was a deathly quiet in the air. It was like there was a vacuum of sound all around me. I was running down the stairs and up to the pool, while kicking off my sandals. I was going up the incline to the pool area and there she was... face up in the deep end ,floating about 5 or 6 inches under water. She was blue and motionless. I jumped in and pulled her little body to the edge as water was pouring out of her mouth. Right after I had dashed out of the room so quickly, Marie had looked out the window and saw her, so as I screamed " MARIE!" , she was already there. I handed her up out of the water and climbed out myself and we started working to get the water out and bring her back. Her face was so blue, and we were so scared. We pushed and pounded on her little stomach as water just kept spewing out.She was limp and lifeless. We were frantically working on her and saying, ' Baby,come back. Come back! Come on Megan, come on .Please .....' It was a minute or so, I don't know, it seemed like an eternity in those moments, but she sputtered, SHE SPUTTERED !!!! Her eyelids began to move and flicker and she was back. We got her to the house and she was still spitting up water everywhere, but Praise the Lord, thank You Jesus. She was back. 
   The shock of what had just happened didn't really sink in until I left the Hospital. I find that when in a situation of intense fear and adrenaline, the mommy in me kicks in and I do what I have to do in the moment and break down later. As we were going back to the parking lot, Dylan( 9 yrs. ) patted me on my arm and said, 'You did good , Momma.' I broke down. I sat there and cried for a few minutes, my sweet little boy all the while stroking my arm and hugging me with such wonderful compassion and love. We could have lost her and I would have never gotten over it. I thank God so much that he continued to quicken my spirit and that the second time, JUST IN TIME , I listened. 
   Megan is a teenager now. She is fine. The Dr's got all the water out and after a bit of oxygen they sent her home. That day filled me with a new awareness of the Holy Spirit. I realize this is an extreme example, but we do need to be listening and acting on what we are told do do by the Lord. We may be told to call someone and check on them, to forgive someone who has done us wrong, to share our testimony with a complete stranger,  to bless someone financially. There are so many ways the Lord wants to work through us, if we will only listen ! 
 This was a matter of life and death, but he speaks to us in all things great and small. I KNOW without a shadow of a doubt that the Lord spoke to me that day. I wish I had listened the first time, but I am thankful he spoke again.Had it been even one more minute longer, I do not think I would have been in time. I honestly don't. Praise God for his mercy and goodness. He is faithful! Glory to God for the things he has done! Thank you, Lord. 


  What is the Lord telling you do do today? ARE YOU LISTENING?  
    

A Short Station Break Cyndi..To Wish Kell And Her Sweetheart A Happy Anniversary

yesterday was kell's and micheal's anniversary and again i have been running late!
i had the time to post this just now and we hope that you had a very happy anniversary!

i really do believe that our kell lives with a camera ever in her hands...taking beautiful photos of her beautiful family!...it took an hour to find a couple of beautiful pictures of HER!...and so this here one is a few years old but it is a favourite of mine!
kell's motto[taken from her blog]...What I Believe
"As a mom, I am my child’s best advocate. Who loves them more? Who knows them more? No teacher, no doctor, no friend, no one else. As they get older, the advocating needs to be handed off to them…but when they are young, I will be the one to trust my gut. Mother's intuition is a gift that comes along with that baby. I’ve learned to never doubt mine-even if it makes me uncomfortable, even if it makes others uncomfortable, even if it makes me unpopular, even if it makes me the odd ball out."

happy anniversary little mother and a happy anniversry to your dear husband too!
married august 9..1997.
love from all of your aisters!

A new life

 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  2 Corinthians 5:17


  " ADDICT-THIEF-CRIMINAL-ADULTRESS-LIAR-CHEAT-SELFISH-JUDGEMENTAL-ABUSER-UNFORGIVING-FEARFUL-ASHAMED-WORTHLESS-UGLY-ABUSED-BROKEN-LOST........That is me.Cynthia Denise Lacefield. These are all words that could describe me in my life. 
LOVING-KIND-HONEST-GENTLE-MERCIFUL-FAITHFUL-COMPASSIONATE-SUPPORTIVE-GRACEFUL-GIVING-FORGIVING-PURE-WHOLE-RESPECTFUL-BEAUTIFUL-SAVED. That is who I am in Christ.A princess and daughter of the King! " excerpt from http://iloveme-ilovemenot.blogspot.com/2011/01/resounding-gongs-and-clanging-cymbals.html

   I have been writing on my life and testimony before Christ came into my life in my blog. While it is a good thing to get it all out there, it can sometimes be hard to revisit. I want my time with the Bible to be one of joy and celebration, so I am going to share ways God has blessed my life and changed me since then. I am quite excited : D  

   Love for your children can make you do incredible things. The changes in our lives really came about due to a deep yearning to get all of our children back into our home. I had gotten a social worker and was taking the steps necessary to regain custody of my youngest son from my mother. I had to clear up my legal problems, get clean, and follow through with the court process to get him back. During this time, we got custody of his two due to finding out the mothers boyfriend had them in a hit and run accident. Tim threatened to tell on her boyfriend, so she signed them over to us within hours! She just gave them right up! Since we already had the social worker and had been following through with all that was required, with his help it was very easy to get the custody order signed by a judge. ( the Lord knew when that would happen : D ) 

   My mother was not on board with me getting Dylan back.She did not trust us and was still scared of Tim. It was close to going to an ugly court battle. In fact we had a couple of hearings and it did not go well.  I had only been given a couple of supervised visits and was banned from my mother's property. We had to go to court in her county and in a small town where everyone knew everyone, outsiders didn't really fair well. It was hard for me to do it interstate. We needed to move down there and get a local social worker and be closer. So, God bless my wonderful husband, he uprooted his life and his own boys to go and start a new life and get my sons too. We moved to Alabama in Feb. of 1997. We were married on April 3 so that would be in our favor with the judge (and my mother). In May, shortly before our court date,my mother gave me custody on her own. 

  In July of that year, some folks came to our home from a local Baptist church on visitation night. By then, I was already under conviction. I was yearning for more, especially since returning home where going to church was just what people did! Tim told them he was not ready to go to church. I remember clear as a day him saying, " I am not ready. I don't want to go to church until I am living right. I will one day" They told him that saying,"not now" was saying NO, that a person couldn't get themselves good enough on his own, and we are not promised tomorrow. He did agree to let the boys go to VBS. That was fine.The kids could go but he wasn't ready. 

  The church van came and picked up the boys and took them to VBS. I was in so much pain and conviction that on the third day, I got on the van with them. I went and found a lady who had known me since I was a child myself. Her name is Patricia Dubose. I told her I needed to talk to her. I am sure she could see the distress on my face. I said to her, " Mrs. Patricia, You have known me since I was a little girl. I don't want to live this way any more. Will you please pray with me?"  I started weeping even then.She took me into the 3 yr old nursery and got out her Bible and read the beatitudes ( Matthew 5:3-12) Then, right there on that nursery floor, she prayed with me the sinners prayer and I asked Jesus to come back into my life and my heart and peace and joy flooded into my spirit. The burden of my conviction was lifted and I was saved at Vacation Bible School in July of 1997 !!!     

   Through the next 6 weeks, I had such a peace that it just made Tim madder ! LOL. I was reading my  Bible. My relationship with my Mom was already improving. I did not harp on him or anything, I was just so full of joy and that bugged him more than anything. What was happening though was he was under conviction himself! Then one day when I came home, I had a new husband. While I was gone, he had been listening to a cassette tape I had of a Joyce Meyer's teaching about going from 'the pit to the palace'. Right there in the quiet of our bedroom, he got down on his knees and gave his life to Christ ! Praise the LORD! 

    I see God's hand through my life so clearly. Even in our lives in the world, I see how he was drawing us to him. He always had a plan for us, and he knew even as we began the journey to get our children back, that it would be a journey to have HIS CHILDREN RESTORED TO HIM.  I can't explain how profound that revelation has been to me. While our walk with God has not been without its times of losing our way and stumbling, we were forever changed that summer. We became new creations! Son and Daughter to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Our hearts and lives have never been the same..........

   

Guess what I have here in my happy little hands?  Yes, my sisters - the Bible has arrived !  I am so excited to get to share with you. I will be back later tonight to write after I have some quiet time with our precious book  : D     Be Blessed - Cyndi

BIL out of surgery. going to be in ICU and twilight until tomorrow. gonna hurt as they had to crack his chest! please continue to pray for God's hand of healing and peace!
Thanks!
Becky

Dear sisters,
My BIL was taken back for his surgery for esophagus cancer. His chemo went well over the past few months and now to remove all or part of his esphagus and/or what all that covers. Please pray that this long surgery is shorter and his healing time is less and his wife continues to lean into God.
Thanks!

Our purpose

1 Timothy 1:15-17
  Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.


   Why are there Christians? What is the point? Why are we saved? What is our very purpose in Christ? After people get saved, it is very easy to live our lives primarily around fellow Christians, and we need that fellowship to be strong and bond together, but that is not the point of our salvation. How many unbelievers do you know and interact with? How and where do you let the light of Christ shine? Is it just in church and to your believer friends, or are you being used to increase the kingdom of God? How many friends do you have who are not believers? Who would you listen to and trust on important life changing decisions more, a friend whom you know, or a casual acquaintance or stranger? When is the last time you really talked to a non-believer about your faith and your life in Christ and tried to share that gift with them? How often do you cultivate a friendship with a non believer and allow yourself to be the 'light of Jesus ' that they see?  If we are to be like Christ, and he came to the world for the purpose of saving sinners, isn't that our purpose too? Lets take a look....


   1st timothy 1:15-17 is one of my favorite verses. I know we all have those special few verses that touch us to the very core of our faith. For me, this is the one that sums up my salvation and the reason for it. There is so much Paul is saying here and  I just feel led to share what God has revealed to me over years of contemplating on this passage. It may seem like a no brainer, but to me it has great power.
   First , a bit of background  -   Paul was writing to Timothy, who was not a Jew but was a gentile believer. Paul was Timothy's mentor. It is believed that Paul led Timothy to Christ and then he helped to teach and mold him as a missionary and preacher. Timothy was on fire for the Lord, even being circumcised so that he could minister to Jewish people better. Timothy's grandmother was named Lois (on a personal note, my dear hubby is Timothy and his mother is named Lois :  )  I think of Timothy as coming from a worldly or pagan upbringing, not a religious one as Jewish people would have. Sometimes I find that people who have come 'out of the world' and 'found ' Christ just give it 110 % and can be very effective in evangelism. Today, some call them Jesus freaks ! It is obvious Timothy had a strong walk with the Lord, after all he died a martyrs death. What incredible faith those men had, and how amazing would it have been to have Paul as your friend and mentor, right? WOW :D   I  imagine Paul and Timothy were very close after traveling together and working to start many churches, but obviously they were no longer together.
   Paul leads with 'Here is a trustworthy saying'. Why does Paul want to make a point of that to his friend and student?  Well, it is like when we are talking to our friends and we have something important that we want to stress. Yes, they would most likely believe us if we tell them. " You don't want to do this, or I tried such n such and it was not a good deal', but we say things like 'Trust me.' or ' Mark my words' . He wants Timothy to know that he has real experience on this and he KNOWS what he is talking about for a fact!
   'Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners' (We know this is all of us, no matter what our past or present circumstances and choices.) ' Of whom I am the worst.'    Boy, I can relate to that one! That is how I felt and I am sure so many others do do. Of course we all know Paul's amazing story of transformation. I can see how he viewed himself as ' the worst'. God does not put sin on a scale. Sometimes as humans we do. I mean, murdering someone, rape, or any violent act we see as much worse than many other sins. Just look at our world and our judicial systems. There are different sentences for each crime depending on 'how bad' it is. God doesn't work that way. There is one sentence, and that sentence is eternal death and separation from God in hell. Period. And we ALL deserve it. Point blank. None of us have lived a sin free life. NO NOT ONE.
   Here's where I get all excited !!!! (not that the previous isn't wonderful : D)  but get this---  BUT FOR THAT VERY REASON, (because the point is others to be saved)  I was shown mercy so that IN ME , the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his UNLIMITED PATIENCE  ( For myself, I was out there living in the world, using drugs, committing sins and crimes against myself and others KNOWING, yes, knowing there was another way and that Christ was that way!! How I did not end up dead, I do not know, except for this reason---  hehehe  it's so good : D )  'As an EXAMPLE for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.'  Whoo hoooo ! Isn't that good? See, the purpose of our salvation BEGINS with the fact that we will go to heaven ourselves, but that is not the goal! We don't say, 'Whew! I'm covered now. Too bad if no one else gets it!' Salvation is not meant to be kept and hoarded, it is meant to be shared. We are saved so that we may reach others and increase the kingdom of God.
   Everyone loves to hear exciting testimonies of lives turned around by salvation through Christ. We love a good before and after, so to speak. That is human. We like to see evidence of a life completely changed--- like the murderous, drug dealing gang banger who became a humble, loving preacher - the abused young woman who had several children by different men who falls in love with Jesus and finds peace and fulfillment in a relationship with him - or the homeless person who has been wandering around with an addiction or alcohol problem, who turns his life over to Christ, puts down roots in fertile soil, and begins to go out to the highways and byways and minister to the hurting, hungry people. They are the kind of stories that are inspiring and show us the power of Jesus' saving grace and mercy. Often times, people can only be reached by someone who has once walked in their steps. For many out there in the world would look at someone who has led a clean, simple life and say, 'You don't understand. What do you know? You don't know a thing about me or where I have been.' Lost people need to hear and see our testimonies through our lives. The people that Paul preached to and led to Christ probably did not know him before, but had heard of him and how he was prior to that day on the Damascus road. They knew what kind of life he came from and the things he did, and if they didn't I am sure he told them. His past was not hidden in shame, it was used to show how he became a new creation, and to be an example that others could be changed too.
   Now, let me clarify.... As a teen I heard something in a sermon by Bro.Jerry Gibson. It was one of those times where a point just stuck with you and you don't know why, but it did. He said, 'Everyone likes a good testimony, but the BEST testimony is of one who has lived their whole life loving and serving God.' I do agree. How wonderful to have a whole life walking by faith and serving our Lord ! In this day and age that truly is the unique testimony, for it does not happen much, and the person who does live that life is someone who should be respected and admired. I know a few who have, and they are amazing people. But no matter what path you took, no matter what your testimony, they are all for the purpose of leading others to Christ.
   'Now to the King  ETERNAL ----  IMMORTAL ----  INVISIBLE ----  THE   ONLY   GOD ----  be HONOR and GLORY for ever and ever. Amen.' Although it may be popular in self help books or in the world to pat yourself on the back when you  do something good or help someone else, we know all good things are from God.
   So, I end this as Paul did. God is so good, and I praise him and to thank him for his patience and for saving me. I ask him to lead me, and that my life may be used to be a witness to others for Christ. TO GOD BE THE GLORY FOR THE THINGS HE HAS DONE AND WILL DO IN AND THROUGH US ALL.
  Be Blessed - Cyndi 

Happy Belated Birthday To A Princess!

there has been so many things happening in the sisterworld and so here i have forgotten our dear sister amrita's birthday...but it is better late then never, eh to
hope that she and her mama and sheeba had a great day on august the first!
while i was searching through amrita's blog.i came across this that she has written and at the end of each post before i hit "older post", i read these words...

YESUGARDEN

8 LET ME HEAR WHAT GOD THE LORD WILL SPEAK, FOR HE WILL SPEAK PEACE TO HIS PEOPLE, TO HIS SAINTS; BUT LET THEM NOT TURN BACK TO FOLLY.
9SURELY HIS SALVATION IS NEAR TO THOSE WHO FEAR HIM, THAT GLORY MAY DWELL IN OUR LAND.
10STEADFAST LOVE AND FAITHFULNESS MEET; RIGHTEOUSNESS AND PEACE KISS EACH OTHER.
11FAITHFULNESS SPRINGS UP FROM THE GROUND, AND RIGHTEOUSNESS LOOKS DOWN FROM THE SKY.
12YES, THE LORD WILL GIVE WHAT IS GOOD, AND OUR LAND WILL YIELD ITS INCREASE.
13RIGHTEOUSNESS WILL GO BEFORE HIM AND MAKE HIS FOOTSTEPS A WAY.

PSALM 85

so this is who indian princess amrita is about!

thank you for being such a faithful and loving sister, amrita!..give mama a hug and give that sheeba a big piece of google cake!
happy birthday from all of your sisters from every corner of the world!

There’s Staggering Glory in Your Story - Desiring God

There’s Staggering Glory in Your Story - Desiring God

Following God

It's been a while since I posted here.  Since our Bible was lost and now found ... and taking her sweet time once again, I thought I'd pop in and share.

Today I had an amazing opportunity to go with my oldest daughter, Elizabeth (Katie), and be with her and her husband as they visited a specialist.  They are expecting a daughter in December and it's been determined that the baby has a heart defect.

As you can imagine, getting that type of news on Monday was a shock.  I was at that ultrasound appointment as well.  Today's appointment was at least an hour and a half.  Forty-five minutes for the new ultrasound and 45 minutes with the doctor.  While it is a serious defect, it is treatable.   Tomorrow we will go to a cardiologist and find out more details.

Thank you to all that have been praying for my daughter and her family.  I'm sure the road ahead will be bumpy .. but God is leading the way ... and we're following right behind.

Hugs,

Art....

Today, Olivia and I had a "girl's day out" - we went to see a movie: The Smurfs, and then headed to one of our favorite shopping places...Pat Catan's. I could spend hours in that store. (and did!) I came away with a few art supplies, one of which was a pocket-sized leather bound sketch book which will fit nicely in my purse. Have sketch book - will travel! I will be able to draw whenever I have the urge if I'm waiting in a doctor's office, or sitting in the park...or wherever.

So, having this brand new sketch book, I could not possibly go to sleep without "breaking it in!"

Having just lost my friend, Frances, my thoughts have been focused more and more lately on heaven. In fact, Olivia and I were talking today about how wonderful it will be when we are all there together. We can't even possibly imagine....for "eye hasn't seen, ear hasn't heard, neither has it entered into the hearts of men the things that God has prepared for those who love Him!"

Where Are You Beloved Book??

has the sisterhood bible landed yet?...we surely need some encouragement from the best book and next sister...we surely do!!...love terry