Christmas with Kellen & Family 2010

I decided it was time to post some new pictures of our little man. Christmas was a lot of fun with Kellen now that he is a little over a year old. When I look at him it is so hard to believe the pain we all experienced until the wonderful day his adoption became final. No matter what happens in our lives, I will always have the blessing of Kellen to remember and remind me of the love and grace of the Lord. He is a miracle working God.

So when times get tough or the trials come along, there is and always be a peace and hope, knowing NOTHING is impossible with God.

What Faith ISN'T

Faith isn't constantly seeing only the worst case scenario nor is it constantly complaining and whining about your circumstances or the "bad breaks" that happen sometimes.


Faith is not speaking negative words into your life always going on and on about how things are messed up or haven't gone the way you expected them to. Saying things like "it's just my luck" or 'nothing good ever happens to me". There is no such thing as luck and if you truly look at your own life in comparison with those around you who in a lot of instances, have things a lot worse than you do, you just might find reasons to be thankful instead of constantly complaining and feeling sorry for yourself.


Jesus said if we have food and clothing we should be content with that. Being content doesn't mean you don't strive to improve things in your life it does however mean being thankful for what you do have and not constantly complaining and worrying about those you don't!


It's really easy for some people to look at their circumstances and accept little responsibility for them, blame circumstances or others for things that go wrong. Things like spending money on things you don't really need then finding you don't have enough to take care of the things you do!


The Lord will always provide enough for your needs (if you are truly living for him and not yourself). In most cases it is not that He has not provided or can't be trusted to provide it is more that his provisions have been spent foolishly on things a person wants. Lust is not just about sex, the lust of the eyes is also about meeting your desires right now even if it means doing so will harm someone else, your finances, and even your relationship with the Lord or others. It's about selfishness...I want what I want right now, I deserve what I want because...(fill in the blank).


It takes no faith to go asking people to borrow money, or knowing if you tell the right person you are in a predicament that person will give you want you want.

In the Old Testament the nation Israel ended up wandering around in the wilderness for over 40 years because they not only disobeyed the Lord they continually whined and complained about everything. God provided their daily food miraculously, only as much as they needed when they needed it. What did they do? Had the nerve to complain they were tired of having the same thing everyday.

God miraculously delivered them from Egypt...what did they do? At the first sign of trouble they again whined and complained and said they would rather go back to the bondage God had just delivered them from. Even after all the Lord had done the people still had no faith! Still constantly complained, worried and grumbled about everything.


The Lord has said the power of life and death is in the tongue, words are powerful and we will get what we speak forth.

Proverbs 18:21 "The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit". If we continue to speak for negative and worldly words we will speak into our lives those things. BUT if we speak the words of God into our lives, believing what HE says about us and about our lives we will recieve the good things he promises us. If we choose to take ALL our cares to God instead of always going to people, if we choose to listen to God and not what mere man tells us, we will see a marked difference in our lives.


We recently watched "The Book of Eli" an awesome movie by the way. Anyway, the premise of the movie revolved around the last surviving Bible in the world and Eli was the one chosen to protect it and get it to safety so it could be reprinted and shared with the world again. However, the vilian of the movie would stop at nothing to get this book..why? Because as he put it, "there is power in the words of that book" unfortunately he wanted that "power" so he could rule over everyone, not understanding what the true power is. The love of God when we surrender our lives over to him to serve others and not ourselves.

Ulitmately what we speak into our lives is what we will get! It's the whole reaping and sowing rule. I am NOT saying if you "think positive" you will have everything your heart desires and nothing will ever go wrong and you will be happy all through life. that is a misguiding doctrine that prosperity preachers tell people. One that leads people to lose faith the first time something doesn't go the way they want it to. That is not what the bible teaches and it is not what Jesus teaches.
There is power in the word of God, and there is power in our words and thoughts. It is why God tells us to mediate and speak HIS words. "Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against you." and "Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."