"KEEP YOUR HATE, ATHEIST"

Now I'm just mad!!! I'm not even going to start this post with anything except my feelings. I'm sick and tired of people who don't believe in God making it their life's mission to destroy the faith and hope that those of us who do believe have. It's their very mission to tell a believer how ignorant and wrong they are! Based on what? Their own belief. Now how's that for a fine how-do-ya-do? So let's see...how's it work? Oh ya, they open their Buddha book, their Pagan ritual books, their ScienceNow magazine and read from that to tell us how the book we're reading from is wrong but theirs is all about the truth. "Man made this and man made that" they say, "man made religion you fool," they say. And I would argue that "man made your magazine and your Buddha god that sits there without the ability to help itself!"

See, I'm a Christian...I believe there's a God who made me in a fearfully wonderful way. But since the man-made notion of evolution was created by man, they say that that makes my faith man-made and therefore, all wrong. How astounding is it that they can't see their own contradictions? And I would ask any Atheist,..."tell us all about your life-after-death experience. Tell us Atheist..oh mighty knower of all things, tell us all about the God you never saw when you never died and never saw what's to come." 99.99% have never had a near death experience and have nothing to base their beliefs on. You know all those stories documented of people who have died and came back to tell us what they saw? Guess what they all saw? Heaven..God. You're probably not going to find one Atheist's life-after-death account where the Atheist died, saw hell, and came back to live the same exact way. When you find one, send me the link to his/her story please. I would dare say, I might be waiting awhile for that information. See, life after death is God and He's GOING to make sure we see Him there so we can live to tell others the truth and give the world hope. 

I'm also astonished at how many will say such rude things to Christians they've never met before and have no knowledge of what that Christian's life's experiences have been but have enough imagined knowledge to tear that Christian's faith and hope down to the ground. For what?! Pleasure? Do they feel they're saving the world from that pesky notion of hope and faith? They've never lived our lives and have never experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit but they have friends that believe like they do so that must make them right and us wrong. 

Their general lack of respect for me as a believer is outrageous! They cling to their beliefs while sitting back on their high and mighty laurels telling me how wrong I am for having mine! I'm more than allowed to cling stubbornly to whatever I want to cling to in order to get through this crappy life.  

I have been touched by God Himself...like most Christians. I was baptized in His Spirit and felt His presence and can attest with 100% certainty that there's a force on this side of eternity that isn't from this world. A force that can punch a hole into our time and bathe us in it's presence. Can your Buddha do that? Can your life's partner do that? Can your loving devoted parents do that? Can the birth of a child or a big stash of money do that? NOPE. That's because man-made items can't do anything but temporarily satisfy a physiological, emotional, or physical need and then once it's satisfied another need will replace it. That doesn't sustain anyone. But with God, there's a constant presence of peace that sustains us. How do we explain that? We really can't. We can try but we really can't explain it to people with closed minds and blackened hearts. They don't want to know the truth and therefore nothing we tell them will resemble truth to them. Those with eyes to see will see. Those seeking will find.

Look, all I'm saying to the world is that we're all in this thing together. I don't intend on strangling you with God so don't try to pull Him out of me and stomp Him to death with your unbelief. If you die having never believed in God and find that He was real all along, you're the one that has to face that eternity. But if you believed on this side and die to find He never existed, what did it hurt for you to believe throughout your life? It hurt nothing and no one. It was a blessing to the world through the love you shared, the gifts you gave, the general spirit of benevolence that knowing God inspires you to show. How is any of that wrong or bad to the degree that if you don't accept it, it's your mission to kill it as dead as you can? Just let people love other people and call it the Spirit of Christ. Let them!!!! Stop working to kill good. You don't have to agree, just accept that some of us believe in this and we like it this way. Go about your business and let us go about our business of loving people like you. Would you rather the world be void of love and sincerity? Void of the things that give us the strength to overcome? That's what you're doing when you work to destroy it. You're working for the wrong people. People that hate, are angry, and strive to destroy the spiritual things inside another human heart. It's pointless to do that! I compare the Atheist agenda to a destructive storm. It moves in and wipes all that was built off the place it was built upon (for the weak-minded who are vulnerable to false doctrine and hate). It sows doubt and misery in it's place...and weeds begin to grow which choke out the message of hope. How does that sound like a right and good thing to spread to the rest of society? I don't know about anyone else, but I ask you to keep your agenda away from me, because what you do is hurt people and destroy hope for no other reason except so that you can walk away and pat yourself on the back for convincing an innocent to hate like you do. May God forgive your soul!

SUFFER THE CHILDREN TO COME UNTO ME

I listened to this little voice coming through the broadcast as he shares the experience he just had on his ranch at home and thought, 'he's a man of God to-be'. I was amazed that this child is already man enough to put an animal down that's suffering, but even more amazed that he had the fortitude to call into a radio station and share what God told him about it! Don't wear makeup when you listen to this!

One more thing, if this child can comprehend that talking to God will yield a reply, and understands the meaning of what that reply was, it should be relatively easy for us.

DO NOT LOSE SIGHT OF WHAT HE DID!

I had such a sweet time in the Lord this morning. There's actually a special quality or unique circumstance to this, in my opinion.

It's been a long time since I've attended a church service. There's a reason for that. Although I spent years in church and faithful service attendance, there was always an inherent knowing that it wasn't supposed to be that way. I always knew in my spirit that it was more of a "man's objective" to get me there than it was ever God's objective. I felt obligated to go because I was being preached to that God is worthy and expects our devotion and that "if I love Him then I'll want to come." It's funny how none of those preachers ever considered that each of us are spoken to separately by God and that what God says to one He may not be saying to another. I suppose none of them ever considered that this one Christian was sitting in that pew thinking, "But I love Him with all my heart and I can tell you with that same whole heart that I don't want to be here."

Was every service a miserable time? No..of course not! I had many great moments in the Spirit but that never overcame the feeling that I was not commanded of God in any way to attend church. If that was God's objective with His children,wouldn't church either be designed as a home thing for all those who can't get out of bed due to being handicapped; or wouldn't He have made the way for nobody to ever be so sick they couldn't attend?

It was never about anything other than what I knew in my heart which lined up with the scriptures. "Whom the Son has made free is free indeed," and "Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, thus saith the Lord."

They say that you're not growing if you're not asking questions. If you refuse to change or you never question anything, then you're swayed by every doctrine and word of man that comes along. I began to realize that I wasn't dragging myself into Sunday services all those years because God wanted me there. If He did, He certainly was doing very little or nothing at all to fill me with the desire to do so. Did I ever consider that it was intended to be a sacrifice on my end, sure I did, but I still hated it and loved God and so therein lied the contradiction in my soul. I knew I had to change it and get my soul to line up with the Word. I decided to stop attending and if God was going to be upset with me for it, He would do what needed to be done within me to put me right. I woke that first Sunday and didn't go to church. But guess what happened? I felt His same presence and the knowing that I was loved and accepted of God as always had. I felt no conviction, no fear that I had done wrong, just peace. 

That was almost a year ago and I am changed very little. I have slipped up once or twice and used a potty word whereas I was stronger than that while in church. I have examined that and sought out the reasons for that change to take place. I know it's because I'm not surrounded by my fellow Christians and their prayers but have been forgotten of them (as none of them ever sought me when I just quit showing up after 5 years of being a permanent fixture in the second row on the left). I was also educated in the words of the Bible enough to know that one falls away and goes back to the hog pens of the world. I understood that concept. But I had not done that. The devil tried to tell me I had, but what I actually had done was allowed a weak moment of emotion to take me over and I spouted off a word unkind. Not quite the same as returning to the hog pens from which the Lord had delivered me.

Here's the great part! I worried that the lies the enemy whispered were true and he was successful at making me feel conflicted. But true to form, God rose up and took care to see to me. He understands us when we venture off and is like the father of any toddler, rushing over to take that child by the arm if they get to far away. 

Here's how religion works: 

• Show up for church service on Sunday at 9:00 a.m. Faithful attendance is important for appearances.
• If you really want to fit in, wear your dress but not too low cut, and the hem can't be too high or you'll be frowned upon, you trollop. 
• Sing your hymns and quote your scriptures. This makes you appear pious and godly.
• Sing in the choir, volunteer in the kitchen, or to go out and knock on doors. This shows what a good worker for the Lord you are.
• Give your tithe because there's no way God can keep the building lit without your money. Remember, it's your way of giving back all that He gives to you (even though that's not the heart of Jesus to get back what He gives).

But here's how spirituality and being with God in a personal relationship works: 

• Get up on a Sunday morning realizing that if you're not perfect and that God will not cast you away from Him if you don't go to church and conform to the church crowd's ways.
• You can boast in your weakness for Jesus already did the work on the cross. 
• If you're truly saved then it's not by anything you do but by the grace of God that you go forward. 
• Trust His Spirit to speak to you and guide you. 
• He's there at all times so if you're on the wrong path or doing the wrong thing, He's going to let you know and as the Bible says, "it's hard to kick against the pricks." 
• If He has a message for you, a healing, or anything along those lines, He knows how to get that message to you.
• When you fail, nobody is going to call you names like "backslider."
• Realize that if you read the Bible to be following the rules, you'll never receive the message He has for you because you're in the way.
• God has provided you with what you need to live daily, realize that He wouldn't ask you to give that back to Him if He has given it to you. It pleasures Him to give. God's very nature of grace and grace is bestowed. He loves to love us!
• Be in touch with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. It comes in simple knowledge of good and bad, right and wrong. Follow that which is good and God will add to you in your decisions. If you follow after the wrong thing, He'll just be there to remind you of who you are in Christ and gently guide you back on the path, but again, it's not by your deeds that He will do a new thing. It's always about Him and what He can do in and through us.

Now, here's where God just does what He does for His children without our help. I woke up, the same as every Sunday for the past year, but this time I felt compelled. I was compelled by God to go online and find The Resurrection Fellowship Church of Loveland Colorado . First, I couldn't remember to save my life what the name of it was. Our blogger Christian sister Monica of the blog "Wandering Heart" , had recommended "The Rez" to me (above link) months ago. I couldn't remember the name of it, the town it was in, or the pastors name but I had a lot of worship time with them so it was odd that I couldn't remember. Suddenly, the Lord says, "Google Colorado churches" and then I heard Him say, "Loveland" which is the town it's in, bingo. I logged in and He flooded me with His Spirit. I worshiped as I hadn't in a long time and felt His sweet presence as we communed. It just so happened to be their communion service online. I got to watch their live broadcast, which incidentally had only just begun when I logged on. I didn't even know what time it was. Another indicator that it was His desire for me is that I usually study until 3 a.m. and sleep until about 11 a.m., but this morning the clocks fell back and I woke early for no reason. That put my rising at around 9 a.m., the same time the church service began online. I was just going to open the website and find a sermon of God's choosing. Instead, they had just started the live feed. It was immensely sweet! Tears streamed down my face, I couldn't stop weeping, He was just with me and through me. 

That's a spiritual connection, not a religious one. I add that I've been praying under my breath for weeks that God would touch me, and He did! See, I didn't have to be in church. I just had to be with God in my heart and soul and He reached out to me for the sole purpose of giving.

In closing, I say that when God calls, He calls. It's never about our efforts. That's where the devil steers us wrong and into our own ways. It's counter-indicative of what Jesus did on that cross. He died to set us free from ourselves and yet millions of Christians think they should "do" something in order to find God on a daily basis, or to be whole, or to be right, etc. Now, if you're called into a ministry, yes...for sure...do what you're compelled to do for that's your place if you feel sure and convicted that it's the right thing. But I would tell you that if you're a Christian and you don't think church is for you, then it's okay for you not to go. God is still going to love you and use you, and visit you, and speak to you because it's not about us and our works, it's about HIM and HIS. It's always been about HIS love for us and what HE does to show us grace and mercy when we fail. If we continue to try to do things to be right then we will miss the mark and lose sight of what Jesus did on the cross to make us all free! 

Blessings and hugs to you all!

WHEN TRAGEDY STRIKES

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I'll start with a link to a video from ABC news showing some of the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy here in the U.S.. You can click if you like and get an idea of what has just happened to these folks and why it's called a "A once in a lifetime storm" . This is New York City and flooding just doesn't occur here.

We can never understand the fear and devastation unless we go through it. It's becoming a common occurrence to see what we go through because of weather patterns, patterns that are being blamed on global warming. We've brought a lot of this on ourselves by being careless and apathetic to the destruction of the earth. We've over-mined, killed, stripped, and polluted. It's hardly impossible that we won't suffer the consequences of decades of this behavior. If "Mother Nature" were a real entity she would have been warning us long ago that these days were ahead of us. Let's just see it with eyes wide open and realize that it's our own doing/undoing but it's not all doom and gloom. We can reverse it or at least lessen the things we do now to destroy. There are so many things we do as a species to hurt the planet for things we can live without. We can live without diamonds on our hands. If the rich would stop buying them, then the mining that's being done would go to serve a purpose for technology but if we'd stop needing the biggest and the most expensive then the technology needed would be for those things which sustain life instead of making it convenient. We are a selfish and greedy lot, humans.

I didn't mean to get off on a tangent about pollution and foolish greed but it's hard to look at the way things are going and not see the book of Revelation coming to pass. All religion aside however, the base thing is that people survived because God is gracious. He didn't make this happen but He's always in the midst of it all. This could have been so much worse. Buildings could have crumbled and the death toll could have risen far above that of September 11th. It could always be worse. But since it isn't, I thank God for what happened and the way it did. And let us remember that Paul encouraged us to count it a blessing when we're in trials. He saw the value in it and I do too. We just come together during these times and help one another as best we can. We find things in ourselves and capabilities we didn't know we had. We're never better than when we're showing love for others in need.

All in all, this was a horrendous hurricane with widespread damage and destruction but it wasn't the end of us and we'll rebuild. My thoughts are with those who have to face the rebuilding of their homes and lives or those who will have to face unscrupulous contractors who can smell the insurance money a mile away. They will most assuredly come out of the wood work with promises of quality labor at an affordable price only to take thousands for materials up front and run. That's what they did to those after Katrina so it's to be expected here as well. Storms like this bring out the worst and the best of us.

Dear Lord,

Thank you for those you saved alive, those who are with their families tonight and the many pets that you have found a safe shelter for. Thank you for the healthcare providers and first responders who worked tirelessly through the storm to patch up the injured and keep others from being injured. Thank you that this storm was not worse and that you'll be with us every step of the way as we rebuild. All things are possible with you Father! To you be the glory for all the good that will come from this! -Amen

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HI Y'ALL, DROPPIN' A LINE

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Hi y'all,

I just wanted to stop in and touch base a little since I haven't blogged in the last couple of weeks. School is a priority right now and there's little time for thinking outside of the box.

On a happy note, I'm healthy and happy and the Lord continues to reveal His grace and mercies in a myriad of ways daily. The fact that my old car starts and has gotten me to every class and every important appointment is a miracle of His hand. The fact that I am still mobile after such a harsh physical punishment to my body over the years is a miracle. The fact that the friends I have are so awesome (in real life and the blogosphere) is a miracle.

My children are healthy and happy. My grandson is healthy and already walking before his first birthday. Those little cautious steps where he just stands there and balances while carefully weighing his options before deciding to take the step is one of the most beautiful and adorable things I've ever seen. He's the light of my life these days.

One of the most wonderful experiences I've had in the last few weeks is the revelation that God loves me for being true to myself and genuine before His beloved face. He has no doubt that I am as transparent as can be. How do I know I am? Because the things I tell Him, no man would except me for. I can tell Him the things that shame me the most. The things I wish I could hide from even myself. He loves that about me and I can sense His good pleasure in me because instead of feeling lowly and ashamed for my confessions, I feel free and elated. It's as if He just pats me on the back and says, "there there daughter, I love you anyway...I understand and we'll sort this out together." You know the thing I'm talking about, right?...that agape love that leaves you knowing you're loved unconditionally, as well as being loved in a way that no human being can ever love you.

Hence, and heretofore, I declare peace and joy is here with me in the form of the Lord in Spirit and He sends great love to you all! See you soon!

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