Church Sign

"Been taken for granted?  Imagine how GOD feels!"

I saw this on a church sign, and all I could think was "Wow, this is so true!"

Yes, I have been taken for granted.  Several times.  Too many times to count.  Yes, it hurt.  A lot.  Sometimes it hurt so much that I thought my heart was breaking in two.  Sometimes I thought I would never be able to forgive the person who took me for granted.  But, I did.  

I lived, and I am a better person today because of what has happened to me.  I have learned from my experiences and my past.

But, I could never imagine how GOD feels.  Who could?

I can, however, reflect on this the next time I feel used or taken for granted.  I will know that it is a temporary pain, and it will go away.  I know that as long as I am doing the Lord's will, I am on the right path.

I also know that I must follow God's words.

Matthew 6: 14 - 15 (KJV), "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:  But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

Thankful Tuesday!

It's back!  I cannot believe it has been a week, it has gone by so fast.  I am super excited, though, to list more blessings that I have to be thankful for.  The Lord is always there for me, even when I am not there for myself.  So, I am still thankful for all the things that were listed in my last Thankful Tuesday post, which can be found here.  In addition to these blessings, I have many more this week, including:

* I have now lost a total of 12.4 lbs.  Thank you, Lord! (To read about my recent weight loss, click here.)

* I live in a country where I am free to be me, free to serve and worship the Lord, and free to go to church, say pretty much what I want, and free to live.

* I have recently finished (on Sunday) my last two classes for my Associate's Degree in Elementary Education.  I am just waiting on my final grades, so that I can apply for my degree.

These three items are the main blessings I am thankful for today, but there are many, many more, and I will probably update this post to include those as the day goes on!

Thank you Lord for all your blessings, even those I do not recognize at first!

Happy Mother's Day!

To all the beautiful mothers, I want to say thank you and Happy Mother's Day!  Our service today at church was about six great women and mothers in the Bible, and it was amazing.  Mothers are made in the image of God, as is everyone, but Moms lead their children in God's path and will!

Thank you to my Mom for always being there for me, supporting me, and pushing me to do my best.  I love you!

National Day of Prayer 2011

Today, May 5th, is the National Day of Prayer.  It always occurs on the first Thursday in May, which happens to be Cinco de Mayo.  I thought about today and how so many people will be celebrating by going to bars and drinking, even if they are not of Hispanic origin or from Mexico.  Well, I just found out that today is National Day of Prayer, and this is a much better way to celebrate today.

The link to the website is under National Day of Prayer.  Through this website, you can learn the history behind the day, the mission, and how you can get involved.

Today, I will be praying for many items, including the nation, the government, the current education system, and many other personal requests that I know about.  Please join me today & PRAY!

Thankful Tuesday!

So, I was reading my cousins' blogs, which can be found under Pink Pixie and By His Grace, and they turned me onto Thankful Tuesdays!  I just cannot resist the opportunity to praise and thank our LORD for all HE has done for me!

I am so thankful for all my blessings, and I try to thank the Lord each and every day for all I have and even for the things I do not have.

So, for this week, I am extremely thankful for:

*My family and friends - They are the greatest and the support that I receive from them is amazing.

*I have lost 10 lbs, which without God, would not have been possible, because I do not have the strength to do it on my own.

*I have food, clothes, a roof over my head, and a warm or cool (whichever I prefer) bed to sleep in.

*I am a full-time student, and I am about to finish my last two classes (on Sunday) for my Associate's Degree in Elementary Education!

*I attend an awesome church, with a terrific Pastor, who understands that we are all sinners, he does not judge, and he always tries to make you laugh.

Well, I could go on and on about how much I am blessed by the Lord, but I will leave this post as is for now!  Believe me, next week, I will have much more to post as my blessings, that I do not deserve, but the Lord loves me anyway!

Easter Sunday! - Christ is risen from the dead!

Easter is of course about Jesus Christ rising from the grave, after dying to pay for our sins!  Well, Easter, to me, is also about family, friends, and love.  Since we spent Saturday with the girls, we went on and gave them their Easter baskets, filled with simple pleasures!

Cazzie & Shayna's Baskets

Stormi's Easter Basket

Momma & I after Easter services & lunch :)

Just me <3

Ash Wednesday - Lent

As far as I can remember, I have never participated in Lent and the process of giving up something for the time between Ash Wednesday & Easter Sunday!  But, this year will be different.  This year I plan to give up sodas, and I am going to try to quit smoking.  I do not like the word "quit" though.  So, I am going to try to stop smoking, indefinitely!

The reason I chose the two things are because I feel they are weighing me down and holding me back from Jesus.  Instead of relying on the Lord, I have become addicted to items that are bad for my health and my religion.

I want to become a stronger person, individual, and Christian.  I want to crave the Lord not sodas or cigarettes.  I want to live my life to the fullest, without anything holding me down.  Cigarettes and soda are ruining my health, which is ruining my progress to become a stronger person and Christian.

Lent is the time to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus!  It is a time to pray, as Jesus did, while removing items from your life that are holding you back.  During this time, I will try to pray and read the Bible several times throughout the day, while giving up items that are holding me back in my life.  In addition, I plan to clean and get rid of items that are old and not needed anymore.  I believe that by committing to Lent and sacrificing items, I will become more in tune with the Lord and His will in my life.