Word art-Daughter of the King

I am the daughter of the King...this world is not my home He is coming for me. He is life and the length of my days...no matter how the enemy has messed with me, he will not get the victory. So until my faith is made sight I will fix my gaze on the Ancient of Days and not let go until He blesses me. 

DIY Garland-cheap

I bought some lace dresses at the thrift store and was going to make garland for a wedding but I don't think anyone was catching the vision but me. Lol. 

Anyway, lace isn't cheap and one dress I bought still had the stein mart tags on it for $99. 

First here are the dresses 

Next, I cut them into strips and ties them onto some jute. 

And here is a close up. I love this and can't wait to use it for my sisters baby shower!  

Put away the pointing of the finger

People are so full of themselves, so full of self love, so distracted, that they have no room for a heart for God or a heart for you. The problem isn't always that oh they don't love themselves. They love themselves alright. Too much to detect or hate their own sin or be able to turn their pointing finger in on themselves or humble themselves. It's called pride and rebellion. When you harden your heart you hide and your life becomes full of secrecy and shame. It then takes more sin to wet your appetite and more blaming others instead of getting on your face and humbling yourself. The thing is, when you deceive others you are being deceived and if you live long in that land you self-destruct but you also believe your own lies. So, I say this to say...some of you have had someone's finger pointed at you blaming you for their actions (when you are not responsible for how someone else acts and can't control anyone else) and telling you that if only _____________ (you fill in the blank) YOU would change then they would do XYZ. Take that load of condemnation off of you my friend. If you notice that after years and even decades the only one who has changed is you...well then maybe you aren't the problem. We are all sinful at best but all you can do is humble yourself and seek His face and ask Him to change you and take steps to obey. Deformed desires won't change apart from a renewed mind from the word. We were created to be filled and we can't quit an addiction or habit or sin without having a new heart and new mind that comes through the word of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. Stand your ground and keep short accounts with sin in your own life. Maybe you need to fess up like I just did before God and clean house spiritually speaking. Whatever you do...don't have ears that are too dull to hear. Turn off the noise. Lean in.  When you seek Him you will find Him when you seek Him with all of your heart. Don't waste your life either pining away for the affections of others that are so in love with themselves that they don't have anything to give. Love comes from God and you have to get it from Him to give it. Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts against Him. He can be trusted and if He is for you then who can be against you? It will be intentional and radical to seek Him and go against the world system but His love is better than life and better is one day in His courts then a thousand days elsewhere. The stakes are high, the devil and his cohorts have an agenda for you and your family...but he can't stand against the LORD. He must and will be defeated. The day is drawing near. Don't fold. 

The birth and death of my little girl. God won't give you anymore than you can bear? Not found in scripture. Walking by faith

It is so hard to believe that my first born would come into this world, live for half an hour and return to be with Jesus and how it's been almost 9 years this week. I'm choking back the tears over what the body of Christ meant to me during that time. I often encourage others to stay in the word and walk by faith when there are no footprints to be seen. Not even The Lords. I walked by faith not by sight and The Lord brought me through what was not bearable. I'm very literal when it comes to cliche sayings that aren't necessarily biblical. Based on this scripture the footprints poem that is so popular goes out the window with me because we are called to walk by faith, not sight, not on our own understanding and heaven forbid by what we "feel" ...our hearts are deceitful above all things.  

Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen. Psalm 77:19 Also, the very over used word that is not in the bible: "God won't give you anymore than you can bear". Life isn't bearable my friends. I think of a precious woman I went to school with her child was backed over by a car and died. That's not bearable. I have a friend now with all manner of health issues whose husband didn't keep his vows and left her. What do you do with that? What do you do with all of the injustices in this world without the hope that God will wipe away every tear? Destroy the final enemy death? What do you do with cancer, a child in prison, a husband murdered, children trafficked and abused???  We live in a fallen world and are in satans domain.   The bible says 1) God doesn't tempt anyone. Impossible. 2) but when we are tempted...we won't be tempted beyond what we are able to bear. He provides a way of escape. Yet it's up to us to take that way. 1 Corinthians 10:13

New International Version (NIV)

13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

Also, we are made for relationship but people will fail us and we fail others. Yet through all things Jesus has met me in the pages of scripture and given me a firm place to stand. Get your eyes on Him. He is what you need. Don't miss out on Him because you were waiting on mankind to be to you what only He can.  In the human realm I have been through so much more than I can put on a Facebook status and some actually can't handle authentic people...but you aren't hearing this from someone who hasn't suffered. He is so worthy and will bind up your brokenness. 

He gently leads those that have young.

I was so tired today that I puked. Lol.  But really. My heart aches for those who are single trying to just make it through the day with young ones or teenagers, or those that never feel like they can meet the proverbial bar of expectation before it gets raised a little higher. Those who are lonely or have health challenges and feel condemnation for feeling the way they feel. For those who feel that there must indeed be something wrong with them...and almost drown in a sea of insecurity. My friends who are suffering loss and divorce. To anyone who just barely made it through the day and wondered if there was more to life than this?? To the man or woman wondering if their life matters. Or the one who may be punishing themselves for things that they have already confessed and maybe long repented of but still feel branded by their guilt and shame and seek to medicate the reproach they feel in an unhealthy way. I pray that you will lean in tonight, if you are a believer in Christ and press in to our Saviors chest and let Him give you rest for your weary soul. I so wish I could share the neatest thing I learned in psalm 12 so perhaps ill blog on it but whoever you are, wherever you are, we serve a merciful Savior and He will carry you and tend to you. Lay your heavy burdens down with the One who flung stars into space by His word, and the One who holds the mountains in his hand. Maybe you can just open your bible and turn to Him and take comfort in the psalms. May He revive and refresh you and me for His great Name. Life is hard and requires faith but let's have some faith even if we are wrong about all of the outcomes...believing that no matter what He is worth it! He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. (Isaiah 40:11 NIV)

First day of 3rd Grade