Am I Crazy?

Hey Ginny...Joan and I are going to train for a 1/2 marathon this fall.  She has gotten me into this.  So, I need all the advice I can get.  I've run for years by never more than 4 miles.  I start back running next week.  I'm gonna have to get new shoes:)

Ephesians 6:7-9

Happy Friday morning!  I took the kids to the zoo yesterday and we were so tired afterwards!!  Today we are getting ready for our church Easter egg hunt tomorrow.  Probably going to dye some eggs, clean house, and play.  I go back to work on Tuesday and Wednesday next week so please pray for Thea and her sleeping:)  Have fun relaxing Ginny!

S - With good will render service as to the Lord and not to men.  Knowing that whatever good thing each one does this he will receive back from the Lord whether slave or free.  AnTHe give up d masters do the same things to them and give up threatening knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven and there is no partiality with Him.

O - This goes back to what I said the other day.  What I do needs to be for him and not to please others.  Because I can't please everybody.  The only person I can honor is Christ.  Even better...there's "no partiality with HIM"  He loves me the same as he does everyone else and I don't have to compete with him so I shouldn't try to compete with others:)

A - The give up threatening part struck me.  I'm going to work on not threatening my kids with spankings or punishments (I'll still use punishments) but instead of threatening I need to talk to them more about why disobedience is not pleasing to God.  I don't want them growing up trying to please me or Ryan I want them to want to honor God.

P - Father help me with my attitude in punishing my kids.  Help me to direct them to you in everything we do.  Help me today to look to pleasing you and not competing with others.  Thank you for loving us all the same.

Ginny - Ephesians 6:9

Good Morning Girlz!!! What are everyone's weekend plans??? I hope y'all have some fun, relaxing things planned. Hard to believe Sunday is April!!! I've got dinner with the girls tonight, a few errands, RUNNING in the morning (so excited about this - it's been a while!), and then the rest of Saturday will be laying out and reading (this will pretty much be my every Saturday plan from now through summer). Sunday is our Easter musical and I am so excited about it! I hope you each have a wonderful weekend! Love you all!

S - And masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.

O - God does not treat us differently based on our status and position down here on Earth. He is the final Master that we all answer to.

A - When I really stop and think about this I am quickly humbled by this thought, "I'm not any better than anyone else." No matter what title they hold or don't hold. No matter what they do or don't do. We both will answer to the Lord. It makes me want to love more. Encourage more. Go out of my way more for others. Not to earn "brownie points" but because we're all in this together. Not one of us is better than the other. I'd rather spend my days extending a hand rather than turning my back.

P - Lord, I want to be more like You. Teach me to love more. Show grace more. Be patient.

Ginny - Ephesians 6:7-8

Good Morning Girlz!!!

S - With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free.

O - Do as to the Lord, not man.

A - In all that I do, I want it to be for the Lord.

P - Lord, I pray that my motive is always to bring glory to You. That no matter the task, I do it as doing it unto You.

Is it Friday yet????

Ginny - Ephesians 6:5-6

Good Morning Girlz!!!

S - Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ; not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.

O - Do service not to show off, but to please Christ.

A - It's easy to just do things without asking ourselves WHY we are doing them. Am I doing things for the Lord's glory or my own?

P - Lord, I want You to receive all glory for all that I do. May every action, word, thought, and deed point to You.

Ephesians 6:5-6

Good hump day morning!

S - Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh with fear and trembling in the sincerity of your heart as to Christ not by way of eyeservice as men pleasers but as slaves of Christ doing the will of God from the heart.

O - not being men pleasers is a hard one for me.  I have a tendency to do things either to please others or to look pleasing to others.  This was brought to my attention a couple of weeks ago when I realized that I wasn't having a mind set of pleasing God in all I do but instead it was what will others think of me or how can I look like I've got it all together.

A - I confess that sin often lately and I'm trying to put it behind me but it's so easy for me to try to keep up with the jones' or just want to be pleasing to others.  Oh how I just want to please God in  everything I do instead of being trapped by pleasing the world.

P - God help me today to be aware of how I'm pleasing you instead of working to please others.  Help me to put you first and to glorify you with what I do!

Ephesians 6:4, Karlyn

S - Fathers do not provoke your children to anger but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

O - There's so many times when I'm are frustrated or angry at something that has happened that I take that frustration out on whoever is around me and provoke them to anger.  Where what I should do is follow and demonstrate God's instructions.

A - My first step when I get frustrated needs to be to stop and pray instead of letting it out on everyone else around me!

P - God thank you that I can come to you when I'm angry or short tempered so that you can lead me to show others your instructions and not my sin!

Ginny - Ephesians 6:4

Good Morning Girlz!!!

S - Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

O - The Word of the Lord is here for us to use. Instead of following what the world teaches is right, we must follow what the Lord lays out for us.

A - There is not a situation that I will encounter that the Lord doesn't want to help me through. Right now I am praying for some wisdom regarding a decision about an event on Friday. Nothing major. Nothing big, and to be honest I've been tempted to just make a game plan and go with it, but the Lord keeps wispering to me, "Give it to Me. Ask Me what to do. Let Me instruct you." So, I'm trusting the decision to Him and believe He will let me know what to do.

P - Lord, I pray for what to do on Friday. Please give me a peace about the decision and what I should say. Lord I also pray for each one of these OBU girls. If they are facing decisions, big or small, today I pray for wisdom and clarity for them as well. Thank You for Your Word.

Ephesians 6:1-3, Karlyn

The wedding was so beautiful and everyone had a great time. 
Amber your family picture is adorable! 
Ginny I'm so excited for your aunt and will keep praying.

S - Children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right.  Honor your father and mother which is the first commandment with a promise so that it may be well with you and that you may live long on the earth.

O - I love this verse because it reminds me that even as an adult I'm held accountable to this verse.  With decisions I make I ask myself a lot how would my parents handle this.  I don't always do things exactly like them but I do respect them and want to honor them with my life.

A - I want my kids to see that Ryan and I honor and respect our parents now so that they understand it carries over for a lifetime not just when they are with us!

P - Lord I praise you for the parents grandparents and in laws you have given me.  Help me to continue to honor and respect them as I glorify you.  Please give me wisdom in teaching my own kids to respect and honor us as they learn more about you!

Ginny - Ephesians 6:1-3

Good Morning Everyone!!! Karlyn, I followed the link in your fb status to Tessa's page and saw the wedding pictures. It was beautiful!!! Oh how fun! It looked absolutely wonderful!

S - Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER (which is the first commandment with a promise), SO THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH YOU, AND THAT YOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH.

O - The Lord commands us to obey our parents.

A - To follow the commands of the Lord.

P - Lord, thank You for my parents. I pray specifically for them today.

Ginny - Ephesians 5:33

Good Morning Girlz!!!

S - Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.

O - Paul is pointing out the importance of love & respect between a husband and wife.

A - Love & respect are foundational to relationships. There are many times that I'm not the most loving person. Whether it's because the person irritates me, or I'm being selfish, or I'm just plain moody, whatever the reason...sometimes it's just hard to be loving.

P - Lord please help me to be a good example of You. May love & respect be present in all my relationships. Thank You for giving us Your Word to instruct us in how we should live.

Hope everyone has a fun weekend planned! Jenifer have fun in Waco visiting your friend! Eat some Bush's chicken for me! Karlyn you tell those boys I said to go play in the dirt & give Thea a big squeeze for me. Cindy tell Owen to come to West Texas! Amber, so glad to hear the twins are growing good. Praying that keeps up! I've got dinner with the girls tonight, breakfast with a friend in the morning, making a rain barrel tomorrow afternoon, going shooting after that, and church Sunday. Lots of fun stuff! Love you gals!

Ginny - PRAISE THE LORD!

Girls below is an exert from my Uncle's email concerning my Aunt Lynn's cancer. Thank y'all! Thank y'all! Thank y'all for praying! It certainly is working! Much love - Ginny

THE SCANS SHOW THAT THE CANCER IN HER NECK AND ON THE SIDE OF HER FACE ARE GONE, THE CANCER IN HER LIVER AND BONES IS 50% GONE AND THE REST OF THE CANCER IN HER CHEST AND BODY IS 75% GONE. THE DOCTOR WAS VERY HAPPY AND SAID WE FOUND THE RIGHT TREATMENT AND WE WILL STAY WITH IT FOR THE NEXT FEW TREATMENTS. EVEN THE TUMOR IN HER LUNG IS SMALLER AND THE LUNG LOOKS MUCH CLEARER.

Ephesians 5:28-30, Karlyn

S - So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies.  He who loves his own wife loves himself for no one ever hated his own flesh but nourishes and cherishes it just as Christ also does the church because we are members of his body. 

O - The ladies Bible study I go to on Thursdays has been talking some about how to really be sure that your friends and family members are Christians.  We've got several people in our lives that we aren't sure about.  I think this verse is another clue into how we can be sure some one is a believer.   If Christ is Lord of their life they are going to love their wives like this verse says.

A - For me I need to be a little less independent and a little more dependent on Ryan.

P - Lord thank you for loving us and putting people in our lives to love us and support us. 

Ephesians 5:25-27, Karlyn

S - Husbands love your wives even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself up for her so that he might sanctify her having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word that he might present to Himself the church in all her glory having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.

O - I love that it is so important to God to keep believers and the church pure and holy and offers the Word and himself to make that happen just so we can be blameless before God.  This is a reminder of just how important we are to him and if I'm that important to him He needs to be first all the time with me.

A - I'm still struggling with putting Christ first in everything I do and going to him first for every need concern and thought.  I'm tired of forgetting and what does that say about my heart?

P - God I'm so grateful that I'm so important to you that you sacrificed your Son and go out of your way to make me blameless!

Ginny - Ephesians 5:21-24

Praying for Tessa's wedding and weather and all of the above! I hope it is a beautiful, fun day!

Amy & I had a blast making all our pinterest stuff! We tried the laundry detergent and it seemed to work fine. I might do a little more experimenting with scents for the detergent. The lotion is wonderful, and I'll try out the weed killer this weekend. Amy is becoming a pro with her bread stuff, so it turned out great and tasted so good! The liquid hand soap was pretty runny, but based on the reviews that is fairly normal. On the ice packs, I think I will try a new recipe next time. I wasn't too impressed.

S - and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ. Marriage Like Christ and the Church. Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.

O - The church is to be submissive and obedient to the Lord just as a wife is to her husband.

A - God is our head, so our church body should function as one to obey, honor, and respect His authority. Speaking of churches, I have to tell y'all! Y'all know how I have been praying for ways to get involved? Ways to really meet needs. Go out of my way for people. This Bible Study has brought my attention to that. Well, last week I got a letter in the mail from my pastor asking me to join a small group of folks at the church to begin the task of setting up some servant ministry projects. There is already a church in town that does this, and it is really cool. The church that is already doing this takes a week each year and sends out teams from the church to do incredible projects in the city. It's almost like an extreme makeover feel. They do huge projects for people in need and ask for nothing in return. I have no idea if our concept will look the same, but the point is this is a pretty clear answer to prayer! I am so interested in hearing what the staff already has in mind and getting the planning underway. It's what the church should be about not just one week out of the year, but everyday.

P - Lord I specifically pray for this new opportunity at the church. I pray for direction and enthusiasm as we begin to talk and plan. Thank You for the opportunity to be out in the world making a difference for You. Prepare now the people and projects that we can do to bring You glory and add more to Your Kingdom.

Wedding Day Saturday

Ryan's cousin Tessa is getting married this Saturday at Ryan's mom's house!!!  We are so excited but need everyone to pray that it doesn't rain this week.  The wedding is outside!!!!  and no wind on Saturday either:)  This time of year the wind can feel like you're in Oklahoma!

Ephesians 5:21-24, Karlyn

Good Monday Morning!!!!  I've missed you.  Ginny it looks like y'all had fun this weekend. 

S - and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.  Wives be subject to your own husbands as to the Lord.  For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ also is the head of the church.  He himself being the Savior of the body.But as the church is subject to Christ so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.

O - I know this is one of the most controversial passages especially for women who are very much into the woman empowerment, but God is very orderly and he designed men and women a certain way for a reason...to glorify him.  Believers make up the church and we are the bride of Christ, we are subject to him.  He created marriage between a man and woman and we as women are the bride and subject to the husband not as a mindless slave but in a respectful attitude we follow the lead of our husband and let him follow Christ's lead.

A - I wish this wasn't such an issue for some people because when this is carried out the way God intended it's not degrading to women but actually protects us and gives us the opportunity to carry out life the way God designed us to.  His design is always best.  I may be rambling but that comes from sleep deprivation:)

P - Lord help me to live in a way that I am always subject to your direction and thank you for designing us the way you did by allowing us to lead and to follow. 

Ginny - Ephesians 5:18-20

Good Afternoon Girlz!!! Hope everyone is doing good and has some fun weekend plans. I am headed to see the Shaws in Burleson. Amy & I are doing a PinSISTER weekend! We've got a list of about 8 pinterest projects we are going to try. I'll report back on Monday on how they all turn out.

S - And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;

O - Fill up with those things that last and are beneficial.

A - God is true. He is constant. His ways are right. The things of the Lord come through the fire brighter and stronger than when they entered. The things of the world burn up. I don't want quick fixes, I want to be trained & strengthened.

P - Lord I pray for patience. Patience to fight the good fight and stay committed to learn the bigger lesson.

Ginny - Ephesians 5:15-17

Good Morning Girlz!!!

S - Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

O - Take time to think about your steps. Be a good steward of what you fill your days up with.

A - For me, if I am to be careful how I walk, then I have to be in the light. Hard to see where I am stepping if it's dark. Remaining in the light. Being in His Word. Talking to Him. Listening to Him. Yielding to His teachings.

P - Lord, please contine to direct each step. I trust You.

Ginny - Ephesians 5:8-14

Good Morning Girlz!!!

S - for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. For this reason it says, “Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you.”

A - As children of Light we are to be about goodness & righteousness, not the secrets & unfruitfulness of the dark.

O - I've mentioned before that the Lord taught me a lot about light through our last Bible Study and He continues to teach me concerning this lesson. As I have trusted in Him and made decisions to stay away from the darkness, I feel so much more free. I didn't realize how binding the darkness was and just how freeing the light is. I am so thankful that the Lord opened my eyes and gave me the courage to take definite steps to get out of the darkness. I like how this passage says "unfruitful deeds of darkness." I truly experienced that. There was no fruit. No reason for being there. Nothing lasting that came from it. No purpose. I'd rather be in the light where Christ shines!

P - Lord thank You for the work You have done in my life. All glory to You! Please continue to teach & grow me.

Ginny - Ephesians 5:5-7

S - For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them;

O - Can't be more cut & dry than that. There are those that will not enter the Kingdom of God.

A - There are those that try to deceive, that have impure motives. These are not who I want to live my life around.

P - Lord please give me the eyes and wisdom to recognize deceitfulness. May I continue to move towards the light and avoid the dark.

Ephesians 5:1-4, Karlyn

S - Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.

O-  There's a lot in these verses for me to meditate on, but  if I'm imitating God I don't have to worry about being involved in the immorality and impurity

A - What am I surrounding myself with every day?   I'm not  focusing enough on imitating God in everything I do. 

P- Lord prompt me to imitate you all day long and not immoral impure things!

Ginny - Ephesians 5:1-4

Good Morning Girlz!!! Hope everyone had a great weekend!

S - Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.

O - We are to be the example of Christ. Such an example includes love, sacrifice, selflessness, thankfulness

A - I remember the summer I worked at Glorieta, the centrifuge theme was love, and the main verse was the one about if you do not have love then you are like a loud, clanging gong. Well, one night the camp paster actually had a gong and started beating it with a mallet. It was REALLY loud. Like not pretty loud. Put your hands over your ears loud. This passage reminds me of that gong. If we are not loving others than are actions are more of a turn-off than a help when it comes to exemplifying Christ.

P - Lord, I don't want to be a gong. I want to put others first and what their needs are. I want to love because You love me. Help me to be a witness. A light in the darkness to those that need to see You.

Ginny - Ephesians 4:30-32

Good Morning Girlz!!!! It's BOONE DAY!!!!! Today I payoff Boone (my car)!!!! I am so excited!!! I'm getting off work early and going to go celebrate. Maybe massage, maybe nails, maybe spray tan, maybe shopping, maybe nap...whatever...and then dinner with the girls! I am so excited!!! Having a car that runs has been the hugest blessing in my life and everyday I thank the Lord for Boone. It is only because of the Lord that I have Boone and am able to pay him off early. All praise to Him!!! So excited! So excited! So excited!

S - Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

O - What a good closing to this chapter. All the things Paul has been talking about in this chapter come down to this: we follow these rules to please God & because He showed such kindness to us.

A - "Put away" Sounds simple, but sometimes we try to make it so much more than just that. Put away. Don't try to figure it out. Don't question it. Don't ask around. Just put it away. Be done. There are more worthy things such as kindness, love, and forgiveness to dwell on.

P - Lord please keep my priorities and my thoughts in check. Let me be about the good stuff and not the darkness.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!!!

Ginny - Ephesians 4:28-29

Good Morning Girlz!!!

S - He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need. Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.

O - In deed and in word we are to put others first. To think of their needs and their feelings.

A - So the first thing I read here is that we are not to be lazy, but to be useful. Working for a finished product. That in itself is a lesson to be taken from this verse, but Paul doesn't stop there. He goes on to say, that we are to work so that we have something to benefit others. He does the same things with words. We are to speak so as to benefit others. It's not about our works and our words, but rather how they help others. Verse 29 is another one I need to tatoo to my head...I'm running out of forehead room!!!! "Let no unwholesome word come out of my mouth." "Good for edification" "Grace to those who hear." Words are powerful, and I need to work on not letting my frustrations sound off. I'm getting better though!

P - Lord, may I always keep in mind the other person. How can I help them? What do they need? Help me put them first in my words and deeds.

amber- update

well, it's 4:30 in the morning and i can't sleep with lots of thoughts running through my head (and my phone won't let me use capital letters in this post.) here is an update on where we are now...we are moving to an apartment here in knoxville with a 6 month lease on saturday until we decide where to go from here. i don't know if i told you all but i quit work at the school in january. it was a very stressful situation, which i didn't need at this point. jeremy got to move to 2nd shift from 3rd which has already been a huge help and blessing. tomorrow i will be 27 weeks along. i went to the dr. tuesday for a regular checkup and my glucose test. the babies look great weighing in at 2.2 pounds each and are very active. mom's body is not cooperating quite as well. claire is head down really far down. when they checked my cervix it was already thinning. they sent me over to have a couple of steroid shots to help the babies' lungs just in case they come early. the dr. told me to rest and not strain, but not bedrest yet. he will check me on monday and see how i am doing. if things don't look better then he will put a stitch in to keep things closed up. sounds so extremely fun :( anyway, anything to keep the babies in for a few more weeks.

i would appreciate any prayers for me to find the help i need to rest in these busy weeks to come and that the babies will stay in for 9 more weeks would be great, but for awhile longer so they can develop well. my parents are coming with my niece and nephew next week for a quick trip. please pray for safety. ab is noticing all the changes going on already and has been out of sorts this week. pray for peace in her little heart as tons more are about to come our way. also that we will have wisdom on how to help her during all these changes. overall we are doing well in our very eventful first two and a half years of marriage. learning just how much we have to depend on the lord. praying for you all... karlyn, praying for thea to sleep. cindy, praying you are enjoying motherhood and that owen is sleeping. ginny, still praying for a good man in your life and for god to bring new opportunities for service. jen, haven't heard from you in awhile, hope you are doing well. love you all!

Ephesians 4:28-29, Karlyn

S - He who steals must steal no longer but rather he must labor performing with his own hands what is good so that he will have something to share with one who has need.  Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment so that it will give grace to those who hear.

O - Aww this verse always hits me so hard.  I really struggle sometimes with my words and the conversations I get in especially those "bless her heart" moments. 

A - I've got to remember edification, need of the moment, grace to those who hear!!!

P - Lord help me to edify and give grace at all times with my words with my kids, Ryan, friends, everyone!

Ephesians 4:25-27, Karlyn

Whew!  It's been a long week.  Thea is still not sleeping well at night.  Trying not to wish these days away but I am looking forward to her sleeping better!

S - Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity.

O - This is a concept that is hard for me, speaking truth to each other.  This says to me accountability and if I see a believer in sin I need to reach out and speak truth to them.  This is something God has been teaching me for a while and I'm not quite their yet.  I like to hide from this instead of stepping up.

A - I'm gonna continue to listen to the Spirit and try to speak truth in love.

P - Lord thank you for giving us the tools to lift each other up and encourage each other.  Help me to grow in this area in you and always have an attitude of love and truth.

Ginny - Ephesians 4:25-27

Good Morning Girlz!!!

S - Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity.

O - This verse says to me that there will be conflict. There will be disagreements and things that make us angry. All of that is O.K., but it is what we do next that deserves attention. Do not fester. Do not become bitter. Deal with it - in truth & love. Satan is waiting to pounce on an opportunity of emotions and ranging emotions. Don't let him. Keep in check.

A - I wish I was better at this. Not that I walk around angry at everyone, but I do tend to back off rather than confront if there is a problem. I'm not saying EVERY time I feel like I should talk about what's bothering me, but there are times I wish I did more than just accept it and move on. I feel like I miss out something or just settle for that's how things are.

P - Lord I pray for wisdom in this area. When is it O.K. to just keep going and distance myself from a situation that has angered me and when is it time to say something?

Ginny - Ephesians 4:20-24

Good Morning Girlz!!!

S - But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

O - Now, as Christians, these people have a new way of life. They live their old selves behind and begin a new way of life.

A - "Lay aside the old self" - I love that! I love that because it gives hope that change is possible. The past can truly be the past, and we can start a new.

P - Lord I pray that each day more and more of the old way is left behind and that I continue to move more and more into the light. Living a new self.

Ginny - Ephesians 4:17-19

Good Morning Girlz!!! Oh I am so ready to start this week and get going with things! It should be a good one! Hope y'all have some fun plans too!

S - So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.

O - The Gentiles had let sins come between them and their fellowship with the Lord. They had let the things of the world: impurity, greediness, hardness of heart, etc. become more important than the things of Christ. Paul is stating that as Christians we no longer walk that way. We leave those things behind. Our walk looks different.

A - You know at first I want to go, "Those crazy people! What were they thinking?!?" Obviously it must have been really bad what they were doing if there was a verse written about it...right? Well, you know what?...if someone was to write a verse about me it wouldn't look much prettier. Worry, glutony, pride, selfishness, stubborness. However, the thing to take away from this verse is not how bad the Gentiles were, but rather to change. To not walk in that way. How do I change? Stay in the light. Be in His Word. Talk to Him. Keep my mind pure.

P - Lord I pray that I may walk in a way that is an example of You. I will keep my mind on things of You. I will have patience. I will love. I will pray before I say a snappy comment. I will remember to give thanks in all circumstances.

Ginny - Ephesians 4:14-16

GOOD MORNING GIRLZ!!!

S - As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

O - God has a purpose. He did not create the world and put us in it without direction. There is a form that is to be followed. He is the head. We are to grow to be like Him. When we are all doing our part, we fit together.

A - Everyday I want to grow to be more like Him. There is so much I have to learn and change. I need to be in His Word everyday. And I need to talk to Him everyday.

P - Lord I pray to hear the truth of Your Word this weekend. Use these days to teach me and mold me.

Hope everyone has a great weekend! I've got an early dinner with the girls and then out to a customer's cow sale. Tomorrow, if the wind calms down a bit, I'm working in the yard. Church Sunday and ready to start it all over again. Y'all have fun!

Ephesians 4:11-13, Karlyn

Good Morning!  I actually got sleep last night!

S - Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.  Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.  This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

O - Over the last 10 years our church has really been struggling, and I thought we were going to leave because it got so bad, but God has answered many of our prayers and over the past 2 years I feel like we are on the path that these verses talk about.  We are finally beginning to equip and build up the church and continuing to grow in faith and unity and in knowledge.  It's been very exciting to watch people begin to use their gifts again and to reach out and take responsibility without being asked.  Now that I'm at home with Thea I really miss being there at church with the people who just a few years ago infuriated me most days:)
 
A - I need to continue to listen to the Spirit's call when he asks me to follow him or to complete a task.  I also need to encourage believers at my church and let them know how much I appreciate them. 

P - Lord thank you for giving me a church I can freely worship in.  thank you for the believers that are there and help us to continue to grow in you and to do your work.  Thank you for not giving up on us and seeing us through the darkness!