Homeward Bound

Wow! What a Ride ~Fasting

2012-01-26T09:17:00.000-08:00

We have been fasting again and just ended it last night. We celebrated by going to Red Robin for burgers. I kept it kinda healthy by getting lettuce, tomato, and blue cheese. Wink wink.

Our boys were soooo happy to be out to eat as a family again. They missed it. Not only that, but sitting down to dinner as a family and all eating the same meal is something that they always miss during a fast.

I think that is awesome! 21 days of eating in a different way causes our teen boys to miss our table time. That just goes to prove that kids like routine, and they like dinner at the table as a family.

If you haven't tried fasting, I want to encourage you to do so. Not only will it cleanse your body of unwanted... crud... that has built up over many, many years, but it will take you on the Spiritual ride of your life!

After all, when you fast, you are in obedience to Jesus Christ (Yeshua Ha-Mashiach). Matthew chapter 6 says, "when you give" "when you pray" and "when you fast."

Here is a sermon series that will help you get on your path to fasting:

Linky Love

2012-01-20T07:49:00.000-08:00

Hello ladies! I want to share a blog with you and give this precious sister some linky love!

Her blog is Wayside Treasures and her name is Sandy. I absolutely LOVE the pics on her site. She is very creative and makes beautiful treasures for the home. ...love it!

Do you tweet...or twit..tweety?

2012-01-19T13:04:00.000-08:00

Hey ya'all! (No, we don't really say that in Chicagoland!)

Do you Twitter? I just started my tweetin on Twitter.

Follow me on Twitter: @JanetsAtHOME

Hope to see you there, Tweety!

He is a GREAT boss!

2012-01-13T08:55:00.001-08:00

Who do you work for? Where are you employed?

Maybe... you are a stay at home mom / wife. Maybe... you own a business and are your own boss. Maybe... you have a boss that is full of himself or has a mean streak.

No matter who you collect your $paycheck$ from or are employed by, if you are a child of God, the Creator of the Universe is your boss!

You are on mission for Him! He will tell you what to do, when to do it and how to do it. Some things He's already told you in Scripture other things He will lead you to and in.

Just listen...

1 Corinthians 15:58
Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Colossians 3:23
Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.

What mission are you on for the LORD?

Teachable Moments

2012-01-12T08:27:00.000-08:00

As parents, we need to be able to spot a "teachable moment" when it appears before us. Since I homeschool and the boyz are hear all day, I am able to take full advantage of these moments. A moment presented itself to us this morning and I leaped on it!

The subject was racism.

As a mom to boys, a teacher to students, and a Sunday school teacher to students, we have discussed this issue many times over. This morning (yesterday's show) the 700 Club did a piece on a woman who, before she had accepted Jesus into her life, was very racist against racist people.

I pointed out that the reason why there is racism is because people fail to apply the Bible to their life. The Bible says, "For God so loved the ______ .... world.... that He gave..." (John 3:16) It doesn't say that He so loved this race or that race, this color or that color.

As we were discussing this racism issue, Double Espresso (12) noticed that on a cartoon type of game that he plays, one color of people area always mad and the other color is always happy! I don't know if it was intentional or not, but the makers of the game built racism into the game!

Be on the alert for teachable moments!

Have you had any lately?

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Very excited about fasting!

2012-01-06T07:52:00.000-08:00

Have you ever done a fast? Now is the time! Join thousands and thousands of people and churches all across our country in fasting for 21 days. Our church has already started but many will be starting on Sunday.

Here is some info to help you get started:

Daniel Fast Verses ~ The Daniel Fast is found in Daniel chapter 10. Basically, we eat nothing man-made. Only fruits, veggies, beans, nuts, and brown rice for 21 days.

We start the fast by watching the fasting sermons by Pastor Jentezen Franklin and then take communion.

Here is one sermon: Jentezen Franklin Fasting Sermon. The rest are in the sidebar of this video.

In Matthew chapter 6 you will notice that several verses start with "when you give" "when you pray" and then "when you fast." God expects us to fast. It is a cleanse for our Spirit and our body. Fasting draws God's attention and opens us up to His wondrous miracles and blessings. Read about what fasting does in Isaiah chapter 58. It really is amazing! Jentezen talks about that chapter as well.

Here is some more info on the Daniel Fast.

This one looks GREAT! It has some info in it as well as recipes. Daniel Fast PDF

Here is a free cookbook ~ It looks like it has some good stuff in it.

If you decide to do this, I have plenty of quick, get-me-by type of food ideas.

I can't wait to hear about the miracles that God is doing in your life!

I've Been MIBA

2012-01-04T07:55:00.000-08:00

Hello fellow bloggy friends! Thought I'd pop in and tell you why I've been Missing In Blogging Action. Well, to make a long story short, I've been busy in God's action!

I am so excited to tell you that I have a big reveal coming soon. God has led me into a speaking ministry combined with a business. I can't wait to show you! I will reveal it all very soon.

I can tell you this, God is so faithful! He began a work in me a year ago and it is FINALLY going to happen, or at least launch. This work began while reading through the book, "Sun Stand Still" by Steven Furtick. I highly recommend it if you want to move forward, even if you don't know what area you want to move forward in.

God can start something new in you!

Do you believe it?

2011-12-09T07:29:00.000-08:00

Ephesians 3:20 (NASB) says:

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,

Ok, I've got a pretty big imagination! I am so glad that God goes above and beyond it!

Are you trusting God for something right now? Do you believe that He will go abundantly beyond all you can as or think?

Staying Healthy

2011-12-04T15:40:00.000-08:00

My body has decided... ehemm... to have a cold. My spirit does NOT agree with this! LOL! I am well in Jesus almighty, powerful, name above all other names!

Here is a video that I am using to relax and meditate on God's Word and also some wonderful healing Scriptures.

I hope it helps you also.

Hebrews 7:25
25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

Romans 8:1111 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

2 Corinthians 4:10-1110 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

Mark 16:17-1817 And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Psalm 41:33 The Lord sustains him on his sickbed;
in his illness you restore him to full health.

My favorite of all:

Psalm 103:1-6

¹ Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
² Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
³ Who pardons all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases;
⁴ Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
⁵ Who satisfies your ^[a]years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

How many sins does He forgive? ALL

How many diseases does He heal? ALL

You can find more here: Healing Scriptures

Have you heard God's creation sing?

2011-12-02T13:59:00.000-08:00

This is TOTALLY amazing. God's creation is so beautiful and God is even more beautiful!

It's worth the 15 minutes

Starts and whales sing

Before I formed you, I knew you~ Amazing video

2011-12-01T07:45:00.000-08:00

"I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations." (Jeremiah 1:5)

MY GOD IS AMAZING and full of LOVINGKINDNESS

Sad Dolls

2011-11-29T12:04:00.000-08:00

Remember when you were a little girl and played with dolls? I have fond memories of treating them like they were my real babies. When I wanted a bunch of kids, I included my stuffed animals!

I had a crib and blankets and bottles. You know the kind; the ones that you tip over and it looks like the liquid goes away.

Here is the sad part. I saw these dolls. I guess they are the new thing. I don't really know since I don't have little girls! They are dressed pretty cute but their faces... their sad little faces...

The dolls are sad and their eyes have a zombie look to them. I'm going to have to say that if I had little girls, I wouldn't be encouraging these sad dolls... :(

I still like dolls! I will probably be one of those old ladies who go around holding a baby doll.

I wan to be like Him

2011-11-29T05:48:00.000-08:00

I am so glad that God gave. That's right! You know what else He did? He tithed. Yeah, you know that BIG money issue that is a huge debate among Christians.

Some say, "I don't have to tithe. It's not commanded in the New Testament." Others say, "Yes yes! God rewards obedience and the Bible says to tithe!"

But I say, God is my loving Father who... gave. Not only did He give, He... tithed! Tithing is the giving of your "firstfruits" correct? God gave His "firstfruits" ~ Jesus! (1 Cor 15:20-23)

I am thankful for tithing. Even more than that, I'm thankful that God tithed. Without it, where would I be? My desire is to be like my Daddy.

Proverbs 3:9 (NLT)
Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce.

Our Santa vs Jesus Story

2011-11-28T07:19:00.000-08:00

I mean to encourage you to just think things through before you make a decision ~ Even pray about it! :)

Do you tell your children that Santa is real? When our boys got old enough to understand Santa stuff, we struggled with the idea. We didn't want to seem like weirdos so we went along with well meaning relatives and friends with one difference. We didn't actually speak the words that Santa is real or coming, BUT we did allow our kids to be led in that direction.

Every year at Christmas time, we struggled with the idea of continuing to let the boys "believe." We both felt so guilty allowing Santa into their lives while we were trying to lay a good foundation of Christ. How were we going to tell them one day that, no Santa isn't real but Jesus is?

The day finally came and our oldest figured it out. That was a very hard day. He cried and cried and demanded an answer. When he finally got his answer, he wanted to know why we had lied to him all of those years. Wow, that was a tough one. Busted.

But we still want you to believe in Jesus! Smile...

So, that's how it all went down. Would I do it again? NO. For all of you young mommies out there, no, I would not let my child believe that Santa is real. Not even for a minute. I wouldn't want to live with the guilt of lying every single Christmas, nor with the guilt after the big reveal.

Jesus and Santa Comparison

JESUS vs Santa

1. Has white hair like wool (Rev 1:14)	1. Has white hair like wool
2. Has a beard (Isaiah 50:6)	2. Has a beard
3. Comes in red apparel Isaiah (63:1-2)	3. Comes in red apparel
4. Hour of His coming is a mystery (Luke 12:40; Mark 13:33)	4. Hour of his coming is a mystery
5. Comes from the North where He lives (Ezekiel 1:4; Psalm 48:2)	5. Comes from the North where he lives: North Pole
6. Is a carpenter (Mark 6:3)	6. Is a toy carpenter
7. Comes as a thief in the night (Matthew 24:43-44)	7. Comes as a thief in the night. Even gains entrance to homes as a thief.
8. Omnipotent -- all powerful (Rev 19:6)	8. Omnipotent -- can deliver all the toys of the world in one night
9. Omniscient -- knows all (Hebrews 4:13; 1 John 3:20)	9. Omniscient -- knows if you have been good or bad, for the entire year
10. Omnipresent (Psalm 139:7-10; Ephesians 4:6; John 3:13)	10. Omnipresent -- sees when you wake or sleep. Has to be everywhere at once to be able to deliver all the toys in one short night.
11. Ageless, eternal (Rev 1:8; 21:6)	11. Lives forever
12. Lives in men (1 Cor 3:16; 2 Cor 6:16-17)	12. Lives in the hearts of children
13. Giver of Gifts (Ephesians 4:8)	13. Giver of Gifts
14. Absolute Truth (John 14:6)	14. Absolute Fable - (1 Tim 1:4; 4:7; 2 Tim 4:4)
15. Sits on a throne (Rev 5:1; Heb 1:8)	15. Sits on a throne
16. We are told to boldly go to the throne of Grace for our needs (Heb 4:16)	16. Children are bidden to approach his throne to ask for anything they want
17. Commands children to obey parents	17. Tells children to obey parents
18. Wants little children to come to Him (Mark 10:14)	18. Bids children to come unto him
19. Judges (Rom 14:10; Rev 20:2)	19. Judges whether you were good or bad
20. Everlasting Father (Isa 9:6; Heb 12:2)	20. Father Christmas
21. Christ Child (Matt 1:23; Luke 2:11-12)	21. Kris Kringle (means christ child)
22. Worthy of Prayers and Worship (Rev 5:14 Hebrews 1:6)	22. Prayers and worship to "St. Nick" by children
23. Lord of Hosts (Mal 3:5; Isa 8:13; Psalms 24:10)	23. Lord over a host of elves - (In Druidic religion, elves are demons or tree spirits
24. God says, "Ho, ho ... (Zechariah 2:6)	24. Santa says, "Ho, ho, ho ..."
25. Prince of Peace, the Image of God (Isa 9:6; Hebrews 1:3)	25. Symbol of World Peace, the image of the Christmas Season

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Meditation

2011-11-25T09:18:00.000-08:00

How to meditate on the Word of God

Psalm 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.

We are told to meditate on the Word of God. Some Christians instantly think that the word "meditate" is New Age religion BUT the Bible tells us to meditate on it's words. (The enemy always tries to copy what originated with God!) Don't let the world change what God has already spoken!

The words in our Bible are Jesus. John 1:1, John 1:14

So, if meditating isn't sitting cross legged on the floor and saying, "Aaaahhh ooooommm..." while thinking of nothing and clearing our mind, then what is it? How do we do it?

1. Ponder the Word ~ think about it. Let it go through your mind.

2. Muse it ~ Take in the Word, let it settle down inside of you, and at appropriate times you bring it back up again. (Maybe at night before bed.) Let it stir in your heart and in your mind again.

3. Mutter it ~ You actually say it. Say it quietly to yourself. Mutter the truth that God is trying to plant into you. (For example: a verse or part of a verse that pertains to your situation.) Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.

We must change on the inside, not just our outward appearance. Meditating on God's Word changes us on the inside.

Jesus is ALL powerful! God's Word is powerful; it WILL change your life!

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The Most Awesome Day!

2011-11-23T08:42:00.000-08:00

I had the most awesome day yesterday. I received a call from a friend to see if I could run some shopping errands with her. Sounds "normal" enough, doesn't it?

This was far from normal.

When I was a little girl, K through 3rd grade, I had a best friend. In kindergarten, we discovered that we shared a birthday! That is most exciting to two new friends! As we talked with our mothers, we discovered that we were born on the same day, in the same town, at the same hospital, with the same doctor, at the same time!

Not only that, but our mothers remembered each other! No doubt because it was my mother's first baby so the doctor delivered me. It was her mother's 8th child so her father and nurse delivered her!

After 3rd grade, my mother moved me to the local public school. Many years had gone by and I hadn't heard from my little friend. One day, my mother got news that my friend was going to leave the country to go to the mission field full time! She got my friend's phone number for me and I made the call to say a long lost "hello" and "good-bye."

We talked as if no time had passed! Her voice even sounded the same to me. It was bitter sweet but the beginning of a life-long friendship. Since then, we have seen each other several times when she comes back on furlough, and she has even spoken in our church. Of course, we keep in touch through email!

So, the phone call from a friend to run some shopping errands was no ordinary call. It was a blessing from the LORD that we both serve, to spend some time together even though we are normally worlds apart.

Marriage Challenge

2011-11-22T08:29:00.000-08:00

Marriage is a journey. It has ups and downs and the ups need to start somewhere. Would you like to begin to have more ups?

A good place to start:

1. Pray that God will put the spark back into your marriage.
2. Read what the Bible has to say about being a good wife and begin to apply it.
3. Start by respecting your husband. Give him praise and honor him even if he is not acting honorable.
4. Do the 30 Day Challenge (click the link below and print the document) and pray for your husband.

30 Day Challenge

I'm a Bride!

2011-11-19T20:25:00.000-08:00

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Psalm 45:11

The Message (MSG)

^10-12 "Now listen, daughter, don't miss a word:

forget your country, put your home behind you.

Be here—the king is wild for you.

Since he's your lord, adore him.

Wedding gifts pour in from Tyre;

rich guests shower you with presents."

I'm a bride! Are you?

Where is she now?

2011-11-18T10:39:00.000-08:00

I posted this little story about "Pat" in July of 2009. I am pleased to say that she is still at our church, growing tremendously in her faith, stepping out in faith like God says to, and she is on our praise team. Hallelujah!

NO ONE! Do you hear me? No one can take your testimony away from you! It is yours; use it!

Your story for HIS glory!

I am so privileged to know my new friend at church. I'll call her "Pat". She has a son and I'll call him "Jose".

My husband had been praying for people to come to the church. More specifically, he wanted people to wander in and not know why they came in; just to be drawn in by the Holy Spirit.

One Sunday evening, church was about to start and this girl (Pat) and her son came in through the side door. My husband just happened to be standing there so he welcomed them. He said that she looked kind of confused. She told him that she saw the lights on and wanted to come in to see what was going on. He told her that church was about to start and showed them around. They stayed for church and have been coming back ever since.

Pat had just accepted Jesus as her Savior a few weeks before. She was in her car listening to Christian radio and heard the good news. She also called 1888needhim and was told that she needed to find a church now.

Pat continued to grow in the Lord, got baptized and joined the church. Her son, "Jose" is such a good boy. The 2 Espressos are so excited to be his friend as am I. You see, I had prayed for God to send Double Espresso a good, Christian friend. The next thing I new, in walked Pat and Jose.

Yesterday after Sunday school, Jose went to my husband and said that he had some questions and wanted to know what it meant to be saved? My husband took the time before church started, to speak the truth of the gospel to this boy. By the time they were done talking, Jose had clasped his lips together with his fingers and his eyes were welling up with tears. My husband said, "you know what you need to do now, don't you?" He said yes and ran out of the room to the bathroom, and the Lord did the rest.

Pat called right after church and said that Jose would like to be baptized. Praise the Lord for them!

Pat's family, her siblings and her parents all went out to eat last night. Her brother and Jose got into quite a heated debate during dinner about God and church. He was so filled with the Holy Spirit! Jose was quoting Scripture and preaching to his tio (uncle).

These two have grown in the Lord so much in just a couple of months. They are more vocal and passionate about Jesus than some Christians that I know that have been born again for decades.

I am so encouraged by my new friends.

The Kingdom

2011-11-18T05:18:00.000-08:00

This quote would make a great base for a prayer over your children...

"Give me 100 men who fear nothing but sin in their own lives and want nothing but God and God alone; I care not whether they be clergymen or laymen, they will shake the gates of hell and set up God's kingdom upon the earth." - John Wesley

The Simple Woman's Daybook

2011-11-17T08:33:00.000-08:00

Simple Woman's Daybook

Outside my window… absolutely beautiful... woods, sunshine, basketballs sitting still in the driveway.

I am thinking... about how good God has been to me. He is revealing a path for my life and I can't wait to know more! (Hint: speaking ministry)

I am thankful... for my beautiful marriage, loving family, my crazy boyz that make me laugh.

From the learning rooms… Espresso is loving his new Algebra 1 online curriculum, Double Espresso is loving his italics cursive presidential quotes curriculum (mouthful!), I am loving learning about the Jewish betrothal process and how that relates to the Scriptures, husband is loving learning about taking faith to a miraculous level.

In the kitchen… cutting up and freezing the green peppers and mushrooms that are on sale at Aldi this week. GP $1 for 3 big ones, Mush $0.79 per pack.

I am wearing… right now, black sweats and black T, I plan on looking... real good... for hubs later!

I am creating… a night of worship for Friday Night Praise at church.

I am going… to praise team practice... that's about it! It takes a lot to get me out of the house. I like it here...

I am reading… the book of Mark with a college girl. I am mentoring her through the Bible. Her fiance has decided to go into ministry. Wow... responsibility!

I am hoping... for soooo much! ...and my God is soooo good! Ok, time for transparency. I am hoping to find a like-minded friend. ;)

I am looking forward to… our beautiful family dinner, complete with fancy dishes, table cloth, and candles. For what? Because we love each other. That's it...

I am hearing… silence for now... DE is using the computer and E is reading his Bible.

Around the house… I am always trying to decorate and make this house more cozy. :) Looking for ways to re-arrange!

I am pondering… thoughts on how God works. His thoughts are not ours. His ways are not ours.

One of my favorite things… doing laundry on my tall bed while watching Joyce Meyer. God speaks to me through her lessons. Joyce is my hero!

A few plans for the rest of the week: to enjoy it!

Here is picture I am sharing…

photo credit: I encourage you to go see her blog!

Some day, I will have a special, shabby chic room all of my own. A quiet place with fluffy pillows, a chandelier, books, tea cups, and lace. A place where I can feel feminine. A place to sit and hear from God... Until then, I will relish in this place of boyz, dogs, dirty hands, and wrestling matches. I do LOVE my boyz!

Be Careful!

2011-11-16T13:13:00.000-08:00

Just because God has convicted you of something doesn't mean it is a sin for others. Be very careful not to push your convictions on others and label them as sin!

Everyone is on a different Spiritual level, and God must have time to work in their lives like He did yours.

I Am Thankful

2011-11-16T08:36:00.000-08:00

I am thankful that after being a born again believer in Jesus Christ for 35 years, I am STILL growing spiritually at a tremendous rate! Verses that I've read over and over in the Word jump out at me "anew."

They go down deep.
They change me.
They change the way I think.
They make me excited!
They give me passion!

Jesus IS the Word!

John 1:1 (NAS)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:14 (NAS)
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

What are you thankful for today?

2011-11-15T08:31:00.000-08:00

I'm just curious. I know that there are a lot of people out there going through all kinds of different situations from all different walks of life. ...so... I'm just wondering, what are you thankful for today?

What's Your Specialty?

2011-11-11T20:12:00.000-08:00

Everyone has something special about them that they are known for and that they do for others. Some people make quilts, some cook, some hug, some always have a kind word, some throw awesome parties, etc.

I think I have several specialties. First, I like to make my house a home. You know... nest!
I want people to feel cozy and comfortable when they come to our house. If they come for a dinner, I set it up buffet style so they can feel at ease getting things out of the kitchen. If they come to stay, I provide everything that I think they may need for their stay and show them around the kitchen so that they can help themselves if need be.

I want our home to be a place of refuge for my husband and family. Of course, it first starts with me (that's the hard part) and then it can transfer to the actual house. Love, no yelling, no name calling, kind acts, and blessings are all things that my family tries to give to each other.

If I am out of the house (I said IF), I like to give. I give kind acts, cards that say "God loves you", extra tips, and of course, a smile goes a long way!

Someday, I'd like to learn to quilt and give them to people. Quilts are just cozy!

So, what's your specialty?

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repost from Dec 2010

Steppin Out

2011-11-08T17:15:00.000-08:00

Have you ever been in a place where you have such doubt and fear, and then you felt convicted for your doubt? That happened to me.

So, what did you do? I reached out, grabbed hold of faith, and... the result comes in a couple of days! I'm actually in the middle of it all.

For me, life just goes on... I homeschool the boys everyday, lead worship at church, worship the LORD, learn... etc. Kinda boring actually! Then, God speaks.

God spoke to my spirit I guess. He led me to step out and do something out of the ordinary for me. It's a big step ~ to go someplace I've never gone, a BIG someplace, with people I've never met, doing things I've never done, etc...

I'll let you know how it goes. But for now, here is a quote from Joyce Meyer's sermon from Sunday:

"The only way your faith is gonna grow is if God puts you in a place where you have to use it."

That's where I'm at. Groping in the dark, in a place I've never been, doing something I've never done. All while being led my my loving God.

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It's Monday! Rise and sing!

2011-11-07T05:43:00.000-08:00

This song is getting me goin for the week!

My husband preached up a storm yesterday. I'm full of faith, steppin out in faith, and ready to walk on the path that God has placed before me.

Rise and sing!

Just Ask!

2011-11-04T13:59:00.000-07:00

The Favor of God

You have not because you ask not!

What are you asking for?
What have you asked for?

Ask your Father in Heaven... Yes!
Ask people here on earth.... Yes!

God didn't give me a big mouth for nothin! I ask!

Yes, I have to get over it... set my pride aside, open my big mouth and ask!

Matthew 7:7-77 (NLT)
⁷ “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

⁹ “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? ¹⁰ Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! ¹¹ So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.

Luke 2:52And Jesus advanced in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

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BFOW - What?

2011-11-04T06:48:00.000-07:00

Ever hear that one?

It stands for: My Best Friend on the Web!

Do you have a best friend on the web?

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The Anointing of the Holy Spirit

2011-11-03T07:50:00.000-07:00

"The anointing of the Holy Spirit is given through people to demonstrate God's love and power. Christ means the "Anointed One". Because Christ is in us the same anointing that He had on earth we also have."

My husband has a special anointing. He does all of the following and I'd like to give a testimony of that.

Yesterday, I woke up with a shoulder pain. I don't know what I did, but it felt like the front of the inside was out of place. As we sat on the couch with our morning coffee, watching a "preaching show" I told him about my pain. He said, "Well let's pray right now!"

He touched my shoulder and prayed a prayer of healing over me. A few hours later I noticed that the pain was gone. Not only was the pain gone, but I could move my arm all around my head. (Normally, this same pain will last me for weeks.)

I don't usually need a prayer for healing. I know many people who have had my husband pray over them for healing, jobs and other situations and it was done just as he asked. I know one person who was healed from cancer, one was going blind, one had a shattered hip... and the list goes on. One person needed a job and after prayer, walked out of my husbands office, crossed the street and got TWO jobs at the same time.

(Luke 4:18-19 NKJV) "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; {19} To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD."
1. The anointing is given to preach the gospel to the poor2. The anointing is given to heal and restore people3. The anointing is given to proclaim freedom to the captives4. The anointing is given to open blind eyes5. The anointing is given to set people free6. The anointing flows in God's timing and proclaims God's timingQuotes from: Seek God Ministries

I thank God for my husband and for the anointing on his life. He is an awesome man of God. Our home is blessed. Our children are blessed. Our marriage is blessed.

There is hope in Jesus Christ. Because of Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, there is healing. There is peace. There is prosperity. There is HOPE!

(Re-post)

Compliments From Above

2011-11-03T07:33:00.000-07:00

My dear son (12) came to me the other day. He gave me one of the biggest compliments I think a kid can give.

We were talking about the different "parenting styles" of the mothers at church. Even at the tender age of 12 he understands the verse,

Proverbs 13:24 (NLT)
"Those who spare the rod of discipline hate their children.
Those who love their children care enough to discipline them."

So then he said, "Mom, you should get all of the mothers together (at the church) and teach a class on how to be a good mom!"

When I have one of those moments I just thank God that knows what we need to hear, when we need to hear it! Praise the Lord for speaking through our kids!

How to Keep Christ In Christmas

2011-11-02T08:28:00.000-07:00

That has been a struggle and a debate for years!

I can tell you, with FULL assurance, that I have discovered the answer to the question, "How do I keep Christmas meaningful?"

People get offended if the cashier says, "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas." Others purchase buttons and bumper stickers that say, "Jesus is the reason for the season." Often, there are huge fights, offences, and battles to keep a nativity scene in a public place like a court-house. Oh, and the upside-down Christmas tree... not even going there!

Slowly but surely, America is divorcing God. So how do we as Christians, Jesus followers, disciples of Christ, keep the momentum going in the right direction? Well, that's a bigger question than the one that I am going to tackle today!

Don't you wonder...

When was Jesus REALLY born?
How do I keep Christ in Christmas?
Ever wonder, where did Christmas come from?
How do I keep our kids focused on Jesus and not gifts?
How do I not get stressed out?
How does our family have peace in the midst of hustle and bustle?

Well, the short answer is...

Read the rest of the story:

...we don't! Now before you click me off, hear me out!

I have discovered the true meaning of "holiday festivities." Where did I turn to find it? God's Word! I discovered the "feasts of the LORD." I discovered the "holidays" that Jesus not only celebrated but fulfilled!

Let me say this. People often make the mistake of calling the feasts of the LORD "Jewish holidays." That is incorrect! The feasts are for believers in Jesus. They are for God's people and I am one of those people!

It's really amazing! I am so excited to have found this treasure that was there all along. I'll be honest, when I first discovered the "Biblical holidays" I felt ripped off. How could I go to church since I was 3 days old and not know about this? Why am I just now learning this at the age of... 30 something? (I'm now 40.)

Once you learn some basics about the feasts, you will find mention of them all over the Old and New Testaments. You will discover that God intended for His children to celebrate them! You will discover that Jesus is in them. You will find that Jesus fulfilled them! He is "the feasts."

Jesus is the Passover Lamb.
Jesus is the Unleavened Bread.
Jesus is the Firstfruits. (Passover)
Jesus is our atonement. (Yom Kippur or Day of Atonement.)
Jesus "Tabernacled among us." (Feast of Tabernacles or Booths also likely His BIRTHDAY.)
Someday, Jesus will fulfill the Feast of Trumpets!

I will tell the rest of my story later. But for now, here is some information on the basics of the Biblical Holidays: Finding Jesus (Yeshua) in the feasts

Information from Robin at "The Heart of Wisdom." She explains it all and has books to help you understand. She is a kind, loving, Christian lady who gets it!

Biblical Holidays ~ Exploring Our Hebrew Roots
Hebrew Roots ~ Passover
Hebrew Roots ~ Fall Holidays
Free Downloads

photo credit: (From "The Nativity Story," Paramount Pictures, 2006)

Webcam ~ Mature Love

2011-10-31T10:28:00.000-07:00

You are going to LOVE this!

My husband got this in the email today from "Family Life Today" and I just had to share.

It is so sweet, loving, even flirty. They remind me of my husband and I but so. much. older. That is going to be us someday! Probably sooner than we think.... sigh...

This is their description of the video:

"Bruce and Esther Huffman of McMinnville, Oregon, sat down at their new computer and tried to figure out how to capture a picture from the webcam. What Esther didn’t know was that she had activated the video capture and the computer was recording everything. In the video, as Esther puzzles over the computer, Bruce acts like a monkey, moans over wrinkles in his forehead, yawns and burps, compliments Esther on her hair, and much more. It’s hilarious and touching, a nice picture of a couple who are still crazy about each other after all those years."

"The Huffmans discovered the recording a couple days later and showed it to their granddaughter, who then uploaded it to YouTube. And now it’s a hit, running up nearly 9 million hits since August. It’s worth watching."

Do you remember this?

2011-10-29T20:28:00.000-07:00

Ok, I admit... I'm a total nerd and I LOVE it! :)

Do you remember this? My kids are laughing at me for singing along. LOL! I can't help it! I'm musical. The tunes just stick in my head.

Urgent question for YOU!

2011-10-28T13:18:00.001-07:00

For those of you who study the Biblical Feasts (or at least understand them), would you PLEASE email me or leave a comment?

I have some information for you that is blessing my socks OFF!

I'll tell you how huge it is. You know how you would feel if God handed you a check for $2,000,000 and then you went and cashed it and it was in your bank? That would be such a happy and overwhelming time, right? Well, I wouldn't even be able to sleep or think of anything else.

That's how I am feeling Spiritually. God has given me a HUGE nugget out of His Word and I have got to share it with you.

Free Reading: Marriage

2011-10-28T08:23:00.000-07:00

Photo Credit

Ever wonder what the Bible says about marriage and sex? Oh, it's in there! God shows us a wonderful picture of what that area of our lives is supposed to be like.

A great place to start: Read through the Song of Solomon; it doesn't take long.

Step 2: Find a guide that helps to explain the symbolism in the book. (I've included some below.)

Step 3: Read it again or at least parts of it, and as you read it, read it to your husband and explain what the symbols mean. First of all, he'll think your smart (LOL)! Plus it may sprinkle some... excitement into both of you!

Also, you can subscribe to some Twitters that send out marriage tips. They are really great reminders.

Here are a few: The Marriage Mentor, The Marriage Bed, Seeds 4 Couples, Family Matters, Marriage Today, Marriage Family

Things to read:

Romantic Lovers - Song of Solomon (PDF ~ Explanation of Song of Solomon)

The Joy of One Flesh (Romantic Ideas ~ These look like real fun! PDF)

Sex Romance and the Glory of God (Ladies, you WANT your husband to read this book! ~ Book review PDF)

The Bible - A Love Story (PDF ~ Stages of a Jewish wedding)

Good Romance (PDF ~ Romance before and after marriage with Scriptures!)

Have any resource ideas?

For my girlfriends!

2011-10-27T11:57:00.000-07:00

This post is dedicated to my friend.

(The following is said in love and with a girlfriend tone of voice in a Chicago accent!)

Girl, let's get a few things straight. First of all... NOwhere in the Bible does God, Jesus or any other person call you EVIL! Once you are born again, the Bible says you are a saint.

The Bible says that you are justified, sanctified, and glorified. (Rom. 8:28-30) Not will be someday. You ARE!

You have been redeemed and forgiven. Not just the stuff you did yesterday, but the stuff you'll do tomorrow!

You have been taken out of the darkness, the dark evil of the world. You are rescued! It's already done!

Colossians 1:13-14 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

If you needed to hear this, would you please let me know.

Part 2 is coming!

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More Family Photos

2011-10-27T09:31:00.000-07:00

Our Boyz

Did you know?

2011-10-27T08:39:00.000-07:00

Stay with me now!

Ever wonder about what God's name is? You know that we have "Jesus." You know that we have the Holy Spirit and then we have God the Father. But did you realize that God actually has a name?

In Exodus 34:6, God descended in a cloud, stood by Moses, and then passed by him. As He passed by He

"...proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth..."

In Hebrew (which is what most of the O.T. was written in) when it says "LORD" in all caps, that is actually "Yahweh."

So, God spoke His own name and proclaimed it to Moses! How awesome is that? Then, He described Himself and told of His attributes!

Oh, this is sooo exciting! So, here is how it should read:

"And YAHWEH passed by before him, and called out, YAHWEH, YAHWEH, The Almighty One, compassionate and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in kindness and truth..."

Stay tuned, I will be talking about Jesus and His real name later. It is just as exciting!

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Our Newest Family Photos ~ Really!

2011-10-26T07:08:00.000-07:00

Romance In Marriage ~ God's Way!

2011-10-25T08:39:00.000-07:00

(This was yesterday ~ After 16 1/2 years of marriage)

Sheila at "To Love Honor and Vacuum" wrote a post called, "Do Women Expect Endless Courtship?" and that got me thinkin! So, go check out her post and her blog (It's amazing!).

This is what I had to say about her question (plus some):

Everyone has opinions of what a "good" marriage is ~ MYSELF included! ;)

BUT, what does God say? Well, actually, He has plenty to say about husbands and wives. If the two were doing to and with their spouse like He says, the argument of sex vs. love wouldn't be there.

If husbands "loved their wives in an understanding way" and "washed her with the Word" and "loved her as Christ loved the church" etc. etc. She wouldn't feel the need to turn elsewhere. She wouldn't try to fill her days with activities to avoid going home. She would RUN home everyday to be with her lover, protector, the one who cherishes her.

If wives didn't trash talk their husbands and they were "respected at the city gate" and if she respected him the way the Bible says and if she "didn't withhold" from him, his love tank would be overflowing.

It's so awesome that the Bible can be our standard on love, sex, friendship, romance, passion, and marriage! God thought all of this out beforehand!

Check out this verse:

Proverbs 5:19
A loving doe, a graceful deer—may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be captivated by her love.

I am studying Song of Solomon in depth right now ~ talk about stirring up passion in marriage! That will do it! Talking about it together, that will do it too! If more people turned to the Bible for their inspiration, maybe they wouldn't have a need to turn to ~~porn.~~

Romance is all over the Bible. Love, respect, passion, friendship, sex ~ I could go on and on. If the churches would teach their married couples what the Bible says about these issues instead of just the typical ~ submission vs. respect argument ~ there wouldn't be a need for romance movies! LOL!

When the Bible is our standard and we try to do what it says in our marriages, watch out! The churches will be on fire! People will be fanning their flames of love and romance given to them by God Himself!

Hollywood would be going to the church for romance ideas!

^{Song of Solomon (The Message)}
^1:12-14 When my King-Lover lay down beside me,
   my fragrance filled the room.
His head resting between my breasts—
the head of my lover was a sachet of sweet myrrh.

¹⁶And you, my dear lover—you're so handsome!
   And the bed we share is like a forest glen.

^2:3-4 As an apricot tree stands out in the forest,
   my lover stands above the young men in town.
All I want is to sit in his shade,
   to taste and savor his delicious love.
He took me home with him for a festive meal,
   but his eyes feasted on me!

6 His left hand cradles my head,
   and his right arm encircles my waist!

  ^16-17 My lover is mine, and I am his.

   Nightly he strolls in our garden,
Delighting in the flowers
   until dawn breathes its light and night slips away.    Turn to me, dear lover.
   Come like a gazelle.
Leap like a wild stag
   on delectable mountains!

There is POWER and this is amazing!

2011-10-25T05:04:00.000-07:00

I'm tellin ya, this made my week!

In His name!

I lead worship at our church and yesterday morning I really felt like I was supposed to help people put the name of Jesus "above" their problems. I explained how powerful His name IS! I read a couple of Scriptures about His name and then we proclaimed Jesus over our issues. We sang a song called, "Your Name."

I was surfing through my Twitter (@JanetsAtHome) and saw a Tweet (http://twitter.com/#!/2_to_1) with a link to this video.

I was stunned! You GO girl! Check it out:

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Flirting With Your Husband

2011-10-24T08:23:00.000-07:00

It's fun to flirt with your husband through Twitter! You can Tweet sweet, uplifting comments about him. Make him feel like your hero. Reaffirm your respect for him.

You can also send him private messages. That's where you can be a little more specific in your compliments or wording.

Do you use social media to flirt with your husband?

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Are You the Type

2011-10-24T08:10:00.000-07:00

Are you the type of person who has several projects going on all at the same time? I work best that way.

I live a fairly simple life outside of our home; we don't have a lot of sports, clubs and activities going on all at once. I'm not the person who, when asked, says, "...oh we've been so busy..." BUT, inside the house, if I don't have things going on, I can quickly get bored or into a rut!

Here is what I have going right now:

1 Christian workbook
2 Books
Studying Song of Solomon in depth
Mentoring 1 college age girl through the Bible
Homeschooling 2 boys (of course)
Redoing 1 chair
Redoing 2 lamps
Redoing some decorative wall items
Reorganizing our bedroom to make it more... romantic :)
Card making
Building a website for my future online ministry
Making devotional videos for online ministry
Etc. LOL!

Although I have a lot going on all at once inside the home, I can put just about any of them aside at any time and life will still go on.

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Fabulous 40 ~ My "Thank YOU" Video

2011-10-21T11:51:00.000-07:00

So, my husband and mom threw me a big surprise 40th birthday party. Well, I needed to thank everyone and I decided to do something a little more modern than a written thank you note! ...and a little more fun too!

So, here is my "thank you" to all of the people who came and blessed my SOCKS off!

Follow Friday Four Fill-In

2011-10-20T19:20:00.000-07:00

1. I am afraid of____ heights and my boys are disappointed that I won't go in the clear box that sticks out of the Sears Tower. Sorry... NO WAY!

2. My ___ kitchenette is my favorite room of my house. My husband and I sit here to read, talk, and have coffee everyday! (Quality time)

3. The last time I __tried_ I couldn’t __think of anything to fill in here____.
4. I got my first __ surprise birthday party__ when I was _turning 40_.

Fabulous 40 posts

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I'm Lovin It!

2011-10-20T18:49:00.000-07:00

Yes, you read that right! I am now 40 and lovin it! I've been 40 for almost a week now. You know that song by Shania Twain? Man... I feel like a woman! (Heard it at Sonic the other day.) Well I do! Not that I wasn't a woman before 40 but I just feel GOOD!

I feel mature. Wiser. ...More... attractive (To my husband of course.)

I am really excited to see what this next phase of life will be like. I KNOW that God's got something great for me and I'm ready for it.

Are you 40 or above? How do YOU feel?

Ministry LIFE

2011-10-19T11:39:00.000-07:00

Whether you are in full time ministry or not, we can all imagine that there are plenty of struggles along with the blessings.

Since this is "Pastor Appreciation Month" I thought I'd share some resources with you. I hope you are encouraged and inspired to do something WONDERFUL for your Pastor and his family!

If you are a Pastor's wife, there are some PDF articles for you to read. If you are a member of a church, there are some PDF articles for you too. These articles give encouragement and a glimpse into being a Pastor or his wife.

If you are a Pastor's wife and are struggling, I would love to encourage you! Please email me (homeiscool4u @ yahoo. com).

31 Days of Praying for Your Pastor's Wife - PDF (Revive Our Hearts)

Loving the Pastor's Wife - PDF (By Mark Driskol - and yes, for some Pastor's wives, it can be this bad... even worse.)

A Guide to Appreciating Your Pastor - PDF

The Role of the Pastor's Wife - PDF

The Role of the Pastor's Wife - PDF (short article)

Pastor's Wife Killers - PDF (Conversation between Pastor and wife ~ very nicely done)

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What's your favorite?

2011-10-14T15:38:00.000-07:00

What is your favorite ---

Bible Verse?

I have 2 that I like a lot but really can't pick a fave.

Romans 15:13 (Aramaic Bible in Plain English)
But The God of hope shall fill you with all joy and peace by faith, that you shall superabound in his hope by the power of The Spirit of Holiness.

Numbers 6:24-26 (NASB)

²⁴ The LORD bless you, and keep you;

²⁵ The LORD make His face shine on you,
And be gracious to you;
²⁶ The LORD lift up His countenance on you,
And give you peace.’

What's yours?

Beauty

2011-10-14T10:06:00.000-07:00

It is a beautiful day! I am so happy it's my 40th Birthday. So many people get sad when they turn 40. So many women feel inferior and old when they turn 40, but not me!

I know who I am! I can't wait to see what God has for me in this next chapter of my life. He LOVES ME!

I have all of this and more through Jesus- my Christ- my Redeemer!

I am a daughter of the Most High God!
I am blessed and highly favored!
I am royalty and an heir to the Kingdom of God!
I am dressed and equipped for supernatural living!
I am blessed with every spiritual blessing!
I am chosen!
I am complete!
I am an over-comer!
I was born to reign!
I am blessed to be a blessing!
I am blessed beyond measure!
I walk in power and authority!
I am anointed!
I am a faith walker!

Because of Jesus Christ, that's who I am!
You can have this too! Just ask.

Confession Time

2011-10-12T09:33:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'm going to fess up!

This week

On Friday

I am turning........ Drum roll please!

To be continued!

Check it out!

2011-10-12T07:51:00.000-07:00

Hey! Check out this car. There is a single mom in our church and her car broke down. We all pulled together some money and bought her this one! This is one of the nicer cars she's had and it was a gift.

I think that is awesome! ;)

Do you have one?

2011-10-12T05:52:00.000-07:00

I guess we all do to some extent...sigh...

Don't watch this video if you can't stand conviction or if you don't like the word - but.

Blog header for a friend

2011-10-11T16:52:00.000-07:00

Hi ladies! I was feeling creative today so I decided to make a blog header for someone else.

Do you like it?

Good Deeds

2011-10-11T07:13:00.000-07:00

I often hear the quote, "Our good deeds are like filthy rags." (Quoting from the book of Isaiah in the Bible - Isaiah 64:6)

Meaning~ When our Holy God looks at the good things that we do, they are actually filthy.

Is that really true? Because MY Bible says:

Eph 2:10 (NIV) For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

If God created us to do HIS good works and He prepared them in advance for us to do, how can they be filthy?

Isaiah 64 is talking about Israel when she had fallen. They thought they were righteous and were worshiping other gods.

I realize that not every good deed that a person does is a God deed! I also realize that motives and heart come into play. But to say that our good deeds are like filthy rags is a misquote of God's Word.

Let's be careful to look at God's Word with fresh eyes. We shouldn't go quotin our "Christianeese" until we have studied to show ourselves approved (2 Tim. 2:15) to God.

Sometimes a mama's just got to protect what is hers!

2011-10-10T13:32:00.000-07:00

Some things are just worth waiting for and when the boys get older and can appreciate it, they can have some.

What am I talking about you say? Chocolate. The goooood kind. Grinning from ear to ear...

That's right, I hide my stash. I purchase dark, dark, dark chocolate and keep it all to myself. Sometimes for months!

Now, before you say, "Awwwww.... the poor boys don't get any candy." Let me tell you, they do! Although we don't live off of the stuff, my boys aren't candy deprived.

We went to a candy factory the other day and they got over a pound of gummies... EACH! What did I get? I settled on a tiny, little, expensive bag of dark chocolate covered almonds, one dark chocolate haystack and one other little chocolate treat. I made it last too! I nibbled on that little treat like a mouse and enjoyed every morsel!

So, yes. I hide my dark chocolate stash in the back of the fridge or freezer and if they stumble upon it, they know to leave it alone. That's Mama's chocolate!

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Know your gifts so you don't say yes and regret it!

2011-10-07T04:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I posted some links for you to take a Spiritual gifts test. On the website with the online Spiritual gifts test, I found some information with Scripture concerning the gifts.

When you know your gifts that God has blessed you with, you are better able to serve Him and those around you. You won't be volunteering for something that you regret later when you sign up for service in an area that you are gifted in!

Biblical Summary about Spiritual Gifts

Every Christian has at least one Spiritual Gift ( 1 Peter 4:10 )
No Christian has all the gifts ( 1 Corinthians 12:28-30 )
We cannot choose our gifts; God does that job ( 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 )
There is no gift that every Christian possesses ( 1 Corinthians 12:29-30 )
Believers will account to the Lord for how they use their gifts ( 1 Peter 4:10 )
Spiritual Gifts indicate God's call and purpose for a Christian's life ( Romans 12:2-8 )
Gifts used without love do not accomplish God's intended purposes ( 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 )
Spiritual Gifts are for the common good to build up the Body ( 1 Corinthians 12:27 )

If you scroll down on this page: Spiritual Gifts List with Definitions and Biblical References you will find easy to understand explanations of your gift.

What are you doing?

2011-10-06T13:38:00.000-07:00

When you know what your Spiritual gifts are, you are better able to serve the Lord and those around you. You won't be signing up to do something that you will regret later.

Rather, when you serve the Lord with the gifts that He hand picked for you, you will THRIVE! Serving is much easier that way. You will find joy in your heavenly job!

Don't let this verse from Matthew be true because of you! You can be a blessing to the Kingdom! The very Kingdom that you will be spending all of eternity serving God in!

Matthew 9:37-38 (NIV)

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

I've often heard people say, "I don't care what my job in the Kingdom will be. Just give me a broom and I will sweep streets, as long as I get there!"

That isn't a Biblical or even Godly perspective of the Kingdom. You have all of the power that raised Christ from the dead at your disposal! Find out what your gifts are and go use it!

Do you know what your Spiritual gifts are?

2011-10-06T12:29:00.000-07:00

Here is a great assessment from Canyon Ridge Christian Church: Spiritual gifts test PDF

Gifted 2 Serve: Adult Spiritual Gifts Test

Do your children know what their Spiritual gifts are? Kid's Spiritual Gifts Test

So, what are your gifts?

I found a great resource!

2011-10-05T12:41:00.000-07:00

I was searching the net for a free Bible study on being a Godly woman, wife, etc. and I found a gem! Thought I'd share it with ya!

The Godly Woman Bible Study (complete with Bible study PDF and an MP3 teaching)

"Personally, I believe that The Godly Woman: Personal Bible Studies for the Christian Woman is unique. In this book, you have an excellent combination of well-designed lessons with relevance to the issues and problems of the day, deeply rooted in Scripture with practical application of biblical truth to specific areas of life."

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So much depression...

2011-10-03T05:28:00.000-07:00

I look around

I listen

I see into the eyes

So much depression...

There are so many people inside and out of the church who are struggling with depression. I, too, struggle occasionally. Now that I have learned who I am in Christ, the frequency and duration of depression have lessened tremendously!

Is the Bible true? Does God lie? That's right, NO! Therefore, anything you say or think that is contrary to what the Word says, is a LIE!

God is so good! The Bible is alive and active; it will penetrate even the hardest soul.

I did a Google search and found some great verses to declare over yourself. Do it! Even if you don't feel like it! Print up some of these verses and speak them. God's Word and YOUR word are powerful!

Life and death are in the power of the tongue. Prov. 18:21

Because God is so good and loves us so much, we can say the following and they are totally true statements!

From Inspirational Bible Verses:

I acknowledge and declare by faith the following truths:

I am a new creation in Christ. Old things have passed away and all things have become new! (2 Corinthians 5:17)
I am forgiven, in Christ. (Colossians 1:13-14)
I am blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms, in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3)
In Christ, I am free from guilt and condemnation. (Romans 8:1)

I have received the righteousness of God, in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
In Christ, I am holy. (1 Corinthians 1:30)
In Christ I am free. (Galatians 2:4)
In Christ, I am joyful, prayerful and thankful according to the will of God.
(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

More from Crossing Church:

I have been established, anointed and sealed by God (2 Corinthians 1:21-22)
I am a citizen of heaven (Philippians 3:20)

I have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love and self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7)
I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me (1 John 5:18)
I am blessed in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3)
I am chosen before the creation of the world (Ephesians 1:4, 11)

I have purpose (Ephesians 1:9 & 3:11)
I have hope (Ephesians 1:12)

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Change Your Atmosphere

2011-10-01T19:16:00.000-07:00

Praise changes the atmosphere! It's time to get your praise on!

Here, I'll help you:

What does your name mean?

2011-09-30T11:01:00.000-07:00

What's in a name?

Juliet:

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."

Your name is important! That is how people know you and call you. As soon as someone hears your name, what image comes to their mind? ...may not actually want to know that!

I looked up the meaning of my name and was quite pleased:

Janet

God's Gracious Gift
Origin: English

You can look up your name too at http://www.name-meanings.com/.

I was watching TV the other night and a girl said her name was Latrina. I looked at my husband and said, "As in latrine? Toilet?" So, while I was looking up names, I looked this one up and here is what http://www.babynamer.com/ said:

"the name of the Greek goddess of magic. Another possible source is katateinô, the Greek word for torture. "

Wow, that's worse than I thought! We really do need to be careful when naming our children!

I was wondering what name means, "God's gift?" This is what I found:

Anjeanette

Gift of God's favor. Blend of Ann and Janet.

What does your name mean? Do share!

Here is a BEAUTIFUL video about your name:

Wordless Wednesday ~ "The Guys"

2011-09-28T13:03:00.000-07:00

I've been invaded by a red horned caterpillar!

2011-09-27T11:54:00.000-07:00

My garden is under attack! Yes, that green monster in the photo is now my enemy. It is called the "tomato hornworm" and yes, many of them have decided that my tomatoes will be their buffet!

It's been a few days since I have been out to my garden as I've had a head cold. Since I believe that I am healed, I thought I'd put some walk to my talk and get off of my behind. I went out to my garden only to find a gob (how many is that anyway?) of these dudes eating my tomato plants down to their scrawny little stems.

I read on some websites about these little buggers. They can grow to about 4 inches long and are the larvae of a huge moth called the "hummingbird moth." If left on your plants, they will eat them alive!

As I found more and more of these green monsters, I noticed that some of them were covered in little white eggs. I said, "Oh no you don't! You are not laying eggs and making more monsters to eat my tomatoes."

After I picked as many as I could see, about 20, I put them in a bucket and told my son to "extinguish" them. He thought he would do it humanely and just fill up the bucket with water. Well... that didn't work. I told him to take them to the driveway, get a brick and squish them. Gaaarrroooosss! Gross!

After everything settled down around here I began my research. I was pleased to see that I didn't just freak out and squish these things. That is exactly how you get rid of them. Pick and stomp!

Then I found out that those aren't eggs of the green worm. They are eggs of a wasp! What?! The wasp lays its eggs on the back of this worm and the wasp larvae actually eat away the worm and kill it.

Isn't nature interesting? God is so creative! I learn a great lesson that I will have to keep in mind for next years' tomato crops and I was able to teach the boys all about it.

Have your tomatoes ever been invaded by these things?

Photo credit 1
Photo credit 2

Winning Number: 1

2011-09-26T16:49:00.000-07:00

We have a winner of the My Memories Suite giveaway!

Rox won with number 1 drawn by "random.org."

Thanks for participating!

He knows...

2011-09-26T05:44:00.000-07:00

What love

He knows exactly what I like

They are beautiful

Who is he? God...

We were walking into Dunkin Doughnuts (for the boys) and I spotted them. They were beautiful! The pink rose bushes lined the walk. I thought... how I miss my roses. We lost a home one time where I had a rose garden. They were so beautiful and taking care of them was my special time to myself ~ Time away from little kiddos!

Tonight, a woman at church came storming through the door and marched across the building holding out her hand. In it was a little white vase with a bunch of pink roses. They looked like the same roses that I was admiring just the day before. I thanked her and told her that I appreciated her listening to God.

He loves me! As if I didn't already know that, He decided to show me by hearing my thoughts and giving me pink roses. Wow... I think that is so sweet and I am so humbled.

By the way, I did not get a doughnut... this time ;)

Giveaway ends tomorrow!

2011-09-25T12:07:00.000-07:00

Last chance to try and win the My Memories softwear! My giveaway ends tomorrow but I know of another! I can only pick one winner but Grandma Bonnie is giving one away also so be sure to stop by her blog and enter!

I love all of this generosity!

photo credit

Did you sign up?

2011-09-24T19:48:00.000-07:00

Did you sing up for my giveaway?

The My Memories Suite softwear is for anyone who uses a computer!

Super easy to use

Make all kinds of projects easily

See previous post for details.

My Memories Suite - Review AND Giveaway!

2011-09-16T09:31:00.000-07:00

You are going to love this!

Digital scrapbooking, cards, calendars, blog banners, photo books... these are just a few of the creative things you can make with My Memories Suite!

I was contacted by My Memories to review this digital scrapbooking software and I get to give one away! I am so excited to be able to pass this blessing on to one of my readers.

My Memories Suite comes with tons of pre-loaded content which makes it easy to instantly (we all love quick) make beautiful projects. Of course, there are tons of beautiful packs available for purchase too!

All I had to do is add photos to this page and save it.

There is a place to change the text and I added my own.

For someone who is in a hurry or doesn't have creativity,

this works great and looks great!

I wanted to take it a step further and customize the colors.

With a few simple clicks, I changed the whole color scheme!

As if those two pages weren't cute enough,

My Memories Suite comes with pre-loaded embellishments.

I found a couple that went well with my page and, again, with

a couple of clicks, added more charm. (Rick-rack, flowers, and bow.)

Some features of My Memories Suite:

"It has over 1500 background papers, 1300+ embellishments, 20 new templates, a new Resource Gallery that lets you drag and drop pictures, embellishments, shapes, backgrounds and more directly onto your layout. There is also a new Photo Wizard to help you assemble your book quickly and easily. Other new features include Word Art, giving you the ability to type text around your pictures and shapes, plus the ability to type text directly on the canvas and zoom in on your page."

With My Memories Suite, the projects that you can make are endless:

cards
photobooks
scrapbooks
blog banners
business cards
promotions
DVD video of photos/videos
calendars
posters

You can even add music, videos and sound to your projects!

This video tells all about what you can do with My Memories Suite:

______________________________________________

Receive a $10 discount off the purchase of the My Memories Suite Scrapbook software and a $10 coupon for the MyMemories.com store.
Code: STMMMS93521

______________________________________________

YOU CAN WIN A DOWNLOAD OF THIS DIGITAL SCRAPBOOKING SOFTWEAR WORTH $40!

Rules for entry:

***Mandatory entry***
Visit MyMemories and choose your favorite digital paper pack or layout, then leave a comment telling me which one you chose. Also, leave your email so that I can contact the WINNER!

You can earn *bonus* entries if you:

Follow my blog: Homeward Bound (Already a follower? Just let me know.)
Follow my other blog: Homeschooler Cafe
Follow my Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/janetsathome
Follow My Memories Suite on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/mymemoriessuite
List this giveaway ANYWHERE! (just show me where)

Don't forget to leave a comment for each entry.
Don't forget to leave your email address in the comment.
Contest ends September 26th, 12:00 PM Central

Weekend Worship

2011-09-11T09:48:00.000-07:00

Make It Loud ~ Celebrate Jesus!

Proud Mama Moment

2011-09-09T16:54:00.000-07:00

There they were, both of our boys, side by side, serving the poor and homeless in Chicago. (They are the blurry ones on the left.)

Espresso has had the privilege of going with us a couple of times before. (More photos here: Blessed to Be a Blessing) He is a great example to his brother who finally got to go for the first time.

You should have seen him. It was hard for Double E to contain himself all day just knowing that he was going to get to go. He loves people and loves to serve. Once we got there, he was higher than a kite! He was going all around (when he wasn't working) talking to everyone doing anything he could to help.

What a night. Our family of 4 was there, serving together, as well as both of my parents. What a blessing to be passing the baton of being Jesus' hands and feet!

Do You Want It?

2011-09-01T06:04:00.000-07:00

What do you want from your marriage? Do you want what God wants?

You can download FREE MP3 podcasts at Living On the Edge With Chip Ingram.

Experiencing God's Dream for Your Marriage

"Would you like a fresh breeze to blow in your marriage? Do you long for a marriage where intimacy and communication are a reality instead of a dream? Experiencing God's Dream for Your Marriage is a topical series by Chip Ingram that examines God's design for marriage, with practical instruction to help you make your marriage what God desires it to be."

It's over, over, ovaaaaaar!

2011-08-31T09:56:00.000-07:00

Butterflies | Forward this Picture

You might be wondering, "What's over? Ovaaaaaar sounds like you are celebrating something!"

Well, our family has been through a lot. All for our own good and growth, and I praise God for ALL of it! He has shown how faithful He is over and over again and now a whole new chapter has started and the last chapter is ovaaaaaaaar!

Here is a small list (just the highlights) of trials:

Left dream Victorian home for full time ministry
Left a great paying job for half of the money
Owed $24,000 in credit
Left our home church
Suffered at the hands of evil men for 5 years
Left that ministry and started one from nothing
Lived in MIL's basement for 22 months (homeless)
Had no income for several months
Car broke down ~ no $, no car, no home
Lived for a whole year on less than $12,000 with no government assistance
While homeless, old Victorian home was illegally taken (Freddie Mac & Fannie Mae scandal) and had to declare bankruptcy (not a proud moment but couldn't help it)

A New Beginning:

Now, why did I give you a highlight of all our woes? So I could show you how God turned them all into blessings!

Learned how to take huge steps of faith and sacrifice "the American dream" for God, ministry, and others
Leaving a lot of money is a faith step ~ depending on God for needs and wants ~ learned to hear His voice
Used a large sum of money (from 1st job) to pay off credit cards (and cut them up!)
Learned how to feel "at home" in any church and how to be leaders
Persevered through persecution, learned a lot about ourselves and able to discern evil spirits
Learned how to plant a church and start brand new ministries
Grew Spiritually under pressure and became different people
Now able to identify with poor and homeless ~ have a HUGE heart for their needs
Very grateful for everything we have ~ it changed our lives
Learned how to live frugally and make due with what we have ~ resourceful!
Depended on God and His provision ~ saw all kinds of miracles
Lastly, we learned what not to do! We can understand what people are going through. We can help them in their financial hard times. God is restoring to us 7 fold what the devil stole! I'm all for that!

So, now the big reveal.... drum roll please... two days ago, we paid off our car 3 months early and are now completely debt free. We don't owe anyone anything!

It CAN BE done! You can do it too! There is a recipe for becoming debt free. I will share that with anyone willing to listen.

Watch God work! We have lived in obedience to God and He rewards that!

Romans 13:8Owe nothing to anyone--except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God's law.

Hebrews 11:6And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

I believe God's Word. It IS truth.

Mary Mary Quite Contrary, How Does Your Garden Grow?

2011-08-17T07:22:00.000-07:00

Ok so, your name might not be Mary and you may be quite joyful! Did you grow a garden? How 'bout some potted tomatoes?

Tell us about it!

photo credit

Sick and tired of being sick and tired

2011-08-16T09:34:00.000-07:00

Do those words sound familiar to you? In recent days, I felt similar. I wasn't sick but I sure was tired. As a matter of fact, I went through many months struggling with fatigue.

There was a time when I would struggle to get past 1:00 in the afternoon. If I didn't get a nap by 3PM, I wasn't sure I could make it through the rest of the day.

I was growing fatter and fatter. I was at largest weight/size I had ever been other than in pregnancy. I was feeling miserable ~ down-right sluggish ~ fatigued ~ fat.

Through it all, my husband love me. He was attracted to me no matter my size. But I wasn't. I felt terrible and ugly most of the time.

"So, what gives?" you say. Good question. God spoke to me. I knew, that I knew, that I needed to fast again. I knew that God was calling me to a 2 week fast.

This fast was different. It loosed some things in my life and one of those things was energy! I have an abundance of energy. I am eating healthy and even after the fast, I am losing inches and weight! I am NOT on a diet. I do eat things that dieters wouldn't eat but I don't pig out on them nor eat them often.

Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired or overweight?

photo credit 1
photo credit 2

Fasting ~ Part 3

2011-08-13T10:24:00.000-07:00

Fasting Part 2
Fasting Part 1

There are several benefits to fasting, especially total food fasting and doing the Daniel Fast. (Daniel Fast Food List PDF)

Read full (Microsoft Word) article here: Why Do the "Daniel Fast"

1. Fasting supercharges our efforts to accomplish God’s purposes2. Fasting helps develop a spiritual hunger for God. 3. Fasting can help revitalize an area of our spiritual life that seems sluggish and resistant the change God desires to see in us as followers of Christ.4. Fasting promotes a disciplined lifestyle, one that is more conducive to living a life of spiritual purity before God. 5. The closely-related discipline of prayer is enhanced 6. Fasting has physical benefits as well. 7. “Corporate” or church-wide fasts can also be a time of detoxification for a congregation.

Since finishing my last fast, benefits are still lingering.
I am more hungry for God and even more "on fire" than I was before.
I have a better sense of discipline in my life. (Who doesn't need more of that?)
I've maintained my weight loss and am continuing to lose.
I have waaaaaaayyyy more energy.
Because of these benefits, I am getting a lot more done.

You don't need more hours in the day!
You need to fast!
You don't need energy drinks!
You need to fast!
You don't need anit-lazy pills!
You need to fast!
You don't need unnecessary medications!
You need to fast!
You don't need to be a BEGGAR in God's Kingdom!
You need to fast!

Ultimate Mom "To Do" List

2011-08-11T16:45:00.000-07:00

Can you relate?

Where there's a will, there's a way!

2011-08-10T08:09:00.000-07:00

Determination! That's what it was. I had the determination that my body is going to be fit, healthy, and lookin good for my 40th birthday! I was already on a good roll after the recent fast and still losing weight, but I desperately needed to start exercising!

That is how my body works. If I want to shed those pounds, eating healthy is great, but I HAVE to exercise. It doesn't have to be strenuous. Just do SOMETHING and my body will respond in a great way.

I got up feeling wonderful; that is one lasting benefit of fasting. In the morning there is a renewed energy, a youthfulness. It is really refreshing. I decided that I have GOT to exercise, but I don't want to walk alone. Confession time... I don't have any friends. I have acquaintances, plenty of them. I thought about it for a minute and decided that Joyce Meyer would be a GREAT friend to walk with. After all, I know her very well from watching her on TV several days a week! Wink wink...

I asked Double Espresso (12) if he knew where his MP3 player was. I had downloaded some of Joyce's pod casts onto it; that would be perfect! The answer came back "no." My husband suggested that I use my phone to get on her website and listen. I tried that and it didn't work.

Ok, now I was gettin frustrated. I was determined that I was going to train my brain while I train my body! Then a thought came into my mind, "YouTube!" Yes, Espresso (14 4/5) is always using my phone to watch YouTube videos. So I clicked around, found Joyce Meyer on YouTube, and pressed play. It loaded up great. I was set or so I thought. It wasn't loud enough to hear and walk outside.

Ok, now what do I do? I thought about headphones. Espresso has a pair that look like Princess Lea's side buns. No, can't very well walk with those! I do have SOME dignity! Double Espresso has a pair that you stick inside your ears, so the search began. We looked high and low. Finally, in a bin in his room he found a pair that was all tangled up with 2 other thing-a-ma-jigs.

Determination rose up within me again. I can do this; I'm a MOM! I finally got them untangled, plugged them in, grabbed the ~~fat~~ dog, pressed play, and off we went.

Where there is a will, there is a way. I was determined to get this body into shape. I am going to get my youth back before it is too late and I pass over the 40 year hump!

Sometimes we have to put a lot of effort into getting what we want. When we stir up the determination within us, and finally come to the point of victory, the reward is so much greater than if it were handed to us on a silver platter. When we work hard at something and then accomplish it, it just feels good!

What are you working hard at? What is that thing that's been hanging over your head that you need to do? Stir it up! Stir up the determination within yourself, set your mind to it and with Jesus, accomplish it! He is a great partner. He is great inspiration and He rewards a disciplined, obedient life!

Ok, my calves totally don't look like that...yet! photo credit

FREE Book Offer

2011-08-10T06:21:00.000-07:00

No Longer a Slumdog

From the website:

"Filled with riveting stories of God's redeeming love
Your heart will rejoice as you share in their triumph. This dynamic book will open your eyes to an amazing move of God. "

Read it right now in PDF:
No Longer a Slumdog PDF

Organized ME! PDF instructions

2011-08-09T20:34:00.001-07:00

Ok, a couple of people had trouble understanding how to print the To Do List PDF. I posted the instructions on the original post. They are in bright pink at the bottom of the post.

:) Happy listing!

Janet

Organized ME!

2011-08-09T12:25:00.000-07:00

What do you think of when you hear the word "organized?" Does it make you cringe? Does it make you think of the Martha Stuarts in your life? Confession... I have a sickness.... Organizing makes me HAPPY!!!!

To start of this series, I've created a "To Do List" in PDF form. You can download it and print it. Using it will help you begin your journey to managing your time better and organizing your day.

Oh, by the way, It's cute too!

(to print: click the link below. Open PDF. Click on "file." Click "print PDF.")
To Do List PDF

Do you have a FREE Kindle?

2011-08-06T11:09:00.000-07:00

I found out about this today and thought some of you may be interested!

I want to thank Freely Educate for her post today! (You'll have to go check her out!)

Amazon is giving away 2 FREE Kindle books.
One is "250 Words Every High School Freshman Needs to Know"
The second is "250 Words Every High School Graduate Needs to Know"

I really like these two books. They even have vocabulary quizzes and the answers!

If you don't own a Kindle, that's ok! You can download it for FREE! :) I did that today and I got 3 FREE books on it. Download Kindle for FREE

When I first heard about Kindle, I wasn't too impressed. I just like the feel of a real book. But when I started exploring the Kindle, I found that I was quite impressed! You can even highlight and make notes with the Kindle.

Fasting ~ Part 2~ Awesome Resources

2011-08-05T09:46:00.000-07:00

Resources:
Fasting by Jentezen Franklin with DVD (Video at bottom of post)
Fasting PDF by Desiring God.org
Fasting Information PDF by IHOP, (Great tips for preparing your physical body)
FREE Daniel Fast Cookbook by saintjohn.net (Great recipes)
FREE small Bible study on Fasting PDF by getgreaterlife.org
Long study on Fasting PDF: Atomic Power with God by shiloabooks.com (very informative)

Ok now. Let's get down to business.

What is fasting?
From Wikepedia:

"Fasting is primarily the act of willingly abstaining from some or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time. An absolute fast is normally defined as abstinence from all food and liquid for a defined period, usually a single day (24 hours), or several days. Other fasts may be only partially restrictive, limiting particular foods or substance. The fast may also be intermittent in nature (see: Intermittent fasting). Fasting practices may preclude sexual and other activities as well as food."

Simply put, fasting is abstaining from some or all food. In these modern days, if a person is just learning to fast, there are other things that they could fast before fasting food. Sort of a ramping up. I know people who have fasted TV, internet, secular music, FaceBook, sugar, video games, and junk food just to name a few.

Why should a Christian fast?
Well, why should a Christian pray? Why should a Christian give? Check this out.

Matthew 6:2, 5, 16

“So when you give to the poor..."
“When you pray..."
“Whenever you fast..."

The Bible says, when you give, when you pray, and when you fast. It doesn't say when you give, when you pray, IF you fast! Most of my life, that has been the teaching that has been implied. Praying is essential, fasting is optional. Not true! Those words in Matthew were Jesus' words! They were straight from our Lord Himself. Amen?

Here is a VERY powerful fasting sermon by Jentezen Franklin. If you are serious about learning to fast, the resources in this post will help you tremendously.

Little Girl Story-teller

2011-08-01T18:08:00.000-07:00

Check out this little girl! She is quite the story teller. If you go to her mom's blog you can see several of her videos. She does Noah, Jonah and others. Douglas Family Blog

The Wonder of Your Love

2011-07-29T20:01:00.000-07:00

Some songs just move me. They just stir in my spirit and I want to worship. This is one of them. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! ;)

Monkey See Monkey Do

2011-07-29T11:01:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard someone tell their kids, "Don't do that!" and then hear the response, "...but Mom, YOU do it!"?

That is a simple case of "Do what I say, not what I do."

Our influence as parents is so much bigger than what we think. We may think that Justin Bieber (or some other latest and greatest) has more influence over our kids than we do. Don't get me wrong, the world has plenty of influence if we let it but, as parents, our influence is heads and tails above.

I'll give you a great example. My husband and I have been fasting for several years now. Of course, our kids see us do it and hear my husband teach about it in church. Now that they are old enough to make up their own minds and listen to the Holy Spirit themselves, they are participating in our most recent fast.

Just this week, I got all of my scrapbooking supplies out and started making cards for people. Double Espresso (12) was watching me and before I knew it, he was digging into my supplies and making cards for his friends. As a matter of fact, for the last 3 days, he has sat down and made several cards. All I did is leave the supplies out on the table.

That is a simple case of "Monkey see, monkey do."

Whether it is a good deed, a selfish ambition, laziness, or being disciplined, our children are watching. They see us do and they eventually repeat it.

You can break that chain (if it's a destructive chain)! You know the one. "My grand-mama did it. My mama did it. I did it and now my baby girl is doing it!"

"I command all hereditary spirits of lust, rejection, fear, sickness, infirmity, disease, anger, hatred, confusion, failure, and poverty to come out of my life in the name if Jesus. Through Jesus, my family is blessed! I break all generational rebellion that would cause me or my children to resist the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:51)."

"I am a son/daughter of the blessed (Mark 14:61).
I live in a kingdom of the blessed (Mark 11:10).
My sins are forgiven, and I am blessed (Rom. 4:7)
Lord, You daily load me with benefits (Ps. 68:19)
I am chosen by God, and I am blessed (Ps. 65:4)"

Now, speak and pray those wonderful words, those generational chain breaking words, over your children. You don't have to live chained to what your parents did! You can be free from what has been passed down to you!

Your kids will be happy to repeat what you do! Walking and living in the Spirit are things worth repeating!

KINGDOM BLESSINGS,

Janet

Do you Twitter?

2011-07-28T10:18:00.000-07:00

Hey ya'all! (No, we don't really say that in Chicagoland!)

Do you Twitter? I just started my tweetin on Twitter. Seems as though Blogger's Twitter link up isn't working right now so I thought I'd blog about it.

Follow me on Twitter: @JanetsAtHOME

Hope to see you there, Tweety!

Fasting ~ Our Story

2011-07-27T19:45:00.000-07:00

I wrote about fasting a while ago and told you my story. I was healed from a disease that I had for 8 years! It was the worst it had ever been and 2 weeks into the "Daniel Fast" I was healed!

You can read my other fasting posts and my healing story here: 21 Day Daniel Fast

My husband and I have been fasting for a few years now. I have done the Daniel Fast or something similar about 5 times. My husband has done the Daniel Fast, one week of no food, and now two weeks with no food, just juice.

Most of our church is fasting right now. We are doing a 2 week fast for Spiritual growth. For the first time our boys have decided to fast. Espresso (almost 15) is fasting TV and video games. Double Espresso (12 1/2) is fasting junk food, sweets, TV, and video games.

We couldn't be prouder of our boys. They are going to be Spiritual giants someday!

Stay tuned for the SKINNY on fasting!

Taking It Easy

2011-07-25T19:15:00.000-07:00

Hello bloggy friends! I hope you are having a blessed summer. I've been taking it easy and concentrating on being disciplined. Also, we FINALLY got internet here at the house. Such a huge blessing!

I've been fasting again. This has been such an incredible experience! Most of our church is on some sort of fast and people are growing by leaps and bounds! Growing Spiritually and shrinking physically, that is!

You all showed a lot of interest the last time I posted on fasting so I think I'll post again and go into more detail.

You never know what God is going to do in your life!

I Can't Say It Enough

2011-07-11T20:50:00.000-07:00

God is so good. I am totally amazed at how He works in our lives. It is so mind boggling. I love the WORD so much. I love the Holy Spirit so much. I am thankful to Jesus for His sacrifice.

I am also thankful for Godly conversations with people who "get it."

:) Janet

Living in the Ooops

2011-07-07T08:18:00.000-07:00

I was at church recently (the one we visit) and heard a sermon. The pastor touched on living a disciplined life. Boy, that struck a nerve. I like to be organized and not live life with everything up in the air, but there is more I can do. I have times of laziness. I have times of being sloppy. If I've said it once, I've said it twice... "OOps, I meant to do that last week."

I don't like living in the oops. Oops isn't disciplined. Ooops is lazy. When some people hear the words "disciplined life" they may think that means "rules, structure, and no Holy Spirit." That's not the case at all. If it were, the Bible wouldn't tell us that we need to live disciplined!

God has plenty to say about being disciplined and not being lazy. There are plenty of Proverbs and parables that tell us how to live a disciplined life. Pick one of them and learn from it!

I want more of what God has for me. I love living "in Him." I want to show God that I am am serious. I want to show Him that I can be faithful in "little."

So, what will a more disciplined life look like for me? Well, I'm a list maker so that's a great place for me to start. I need reminders! I am going to use a daily "to do list" to help me accomplish the tasks that easily get swept into "oops."

Not only will the to do list help me remember the extra things that I need to do, but I will be able to look back on me week and see all of the great things I got done.

How do you live a disciplined life? Is this something that you are working on or is it something that you need help with?

Here is a PDF on living a disciplined life.

Fat-n-Furious!

2011-07-05T19:31:00.001-07:00

I was mindin my own business, going to water my garden. It was about 9 PM and I just got out of church. As I rounded the corner of the house, I saw something moving in the dark. It came running toward me through the weeds. As it got to the corner, it snorted and growled at me!

Normally, this would have startled me; I might have started yelling at the demon in Jesus' name and pleading the blood! But this was no demon and I wasn't startled! So what was it? This growling, snarling, fast running creature was a beefy raccoon! That's right!

It was the funniest thing. He came around the corner growling at me for turning the sprinkler on him! That butterball thumped as he ran across the driveway and crashed face first into the six foot gate, but that didn't stop him! Somehow, he got his chubby behind up that six foot gate and over he went!

Not only did I make him mad, but I think I may have embarrassed him by laughing at him. I let out a good belly laugh the whole time. Poor fat fellow!

So I got to thinkin. Why wasn't I startled? Why did I find a growling creature running at me in the dark funny? (Hilarious actually!) I'll tell ya what I think. I had just spent three hours at church. This wasn't just any church service. We praised, rejoiced, called on the power of the Holy Spirit, and just flat kicked the devil OUT! He is medlin in too many marriages and we aren't gonna take it! The Holy Spirit had put me at such peace that it was going to take a lot more than a fat-n-furious raccoon to rattle me!

Spend time with God. He is your peace!

Seven Times

2011-07-01T20:55:00.000-07:00

Philippians 4:12
I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.

I know how to live in humble means. In that verse, humble means comes before prosperity. After living in humble means, I am able to help others live through theirs. I can offer understanding and advise. I can also offer God's wisdom on becoming the lender and not the borrower, God's wisdom on helping the poor, and God's wisdom on lending and not expecting it to be repaid.

Philippians 4:19
And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

God is moving. We had to learn from some situations so we can help others through theirs.

It's coming. It's already on the way. God can provide, God will provide, and God is doing it!

What is God providing for you?

Are you having fun yet? Fun in the Son!

2011-07-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

So many things to do! We have tons of choices of how to spend our precious summer.

I get so excited when the sunshine starts to peak out from the winter sky and the air starts to smell like spring. If you live anywhere in the north, you know what I'm talking about. I love it when we have that one warm day and we can go take a walk. My hopes for summer start to rise and then get dashed by a winter-like day.

In my past, I have wasted summers. I have gone through depressions that kept me inside. How sad is that? This has actually happened to me a few times. Before I knew it, it was winter again and I had hardly spent any time at all outside in the precious sunshine.

This summer has already been different. Not only have I spent time outside in the SUNshine but I am having fun in the SON! Having fun with God is a lifestyle. One way that I have fun in the SON is by believing what He says in His Word.

It's great to believe that Jesus died for you and was raised to life, but your belief should go much deeper than that! To be honest with you, that is the easy part! The hard part is to actually believe God for the rest of what He says in the Bible.

It takes faith; lots of faith!

So, what have you been doing this summer to have fun in the SUN and/or fun in the SON?

Here are some highlights of what I've done so far:

Grew seeds for my garden
Planted my garden
Painted our deck
Having/had big parties
Went to see Creflo Dollar in Chicago
Am growing in my prophetic gifting
Read through several books of the Bible and dug deeper into the Greek/Hebrew
Watch Creflo Dollar with my husband every morning
Got more creative in leading worship at church

From Good to Great In God's Eyes ~ FREE

2011-06-23T14:55:00.000-07:00

Chip Ingram has a FREE mp3 download called : From Good to Great In God's Eyes ~ Empower Great People

"Are you tired of the status quo Christian life? Do you long for a spiritual breakthrough? Are you looking to go to the next level or get a fresh infusion of faith and spiritual passion? Great Christians live out their faith with purpose."

Need Energy?

2011-06-22T15:37:00.000-07:00

I found the cure for lack of energy! I have felt tired a lot lately. Finally, I drew the line! That's it! I'm tired of being tired.

I want my youth back; doesn't matter if I'm turning 40 this year.

For the past 3 days, I've had more energy than I have in the last 2 years.

What did I do? Simple... I prayed! I just asked believing that God would do it.

What have you asked God for lately?

Friday Fill-Ins! A day late

2011-06-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

And...here we go!

1. One of my favorite birthday presents was _____.... to be honest, I can't remember. I do like money! This year may be different as I turn 40!

2. Hubs and I went out last night and celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary_____, it was as simple as that.

3. The moon has caused some people to act like ware-wolves lately__. At least it seems like it!

4. Life__ includes __rest.

5. I was tempted by __Starbucks! I wanted a coffee treat late last night. I did NOT give in!

6. __Hiking, hanging out in peace and quiet, enjoying scenery, and checking out the area are some of the things I like to do on vacation.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to __hanging out as a family, tomorrow my plans include __(it is tomorrow!) and Sunday, I want to __go to church and then do... not a whole lot!

Blessings ~ Coupon Blessings!

2011-06-16T13:16:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to share one of my passions with you! I have a friend who suggested that I coupon. I thought... you are crazy! I don't have any desire to coupon! I don't use the products that they put the coupons out for.

Then my friend told me that she figured out that when she coupons, it's like earning $40 an hour.

SAY WHAT?

Well, I thought, maybe I will look into it.

It started about 2 years ago. I was in a desperate situation. Food was expensive, our family needed clothes, and we were making less than $12,000 a year and NOT on food stamps or government assistance.

Can you say "TIGHT budget?"

To make a long story short, I am totally into couponing. I save A LOT of money. Of course, there's always more to save! Just last night, our family went out for Chicago deep dish pizza and got 50% off of our total bill using a coupon. Can you beat that?

I found a website that has helped me tremendously. It's "The Crazy Coupon Lady . com." She has coupon tips for beginners, coupon sites, coupon links, places to print coupons, and a video showing how to organize coupons.

I will share more about couponing in later posts. For now, know that it isn't as intimidating as it first seems and you can start SLOW!

Favorite Things

2011-06-10T11:12:00.000-07:00

Spiritual discussions with my husband

Hugs from my teen boys

Winning a lifetime subscription to Accountable2You

Facial masks and age defying lotion

The hope of what God is going to do

The blessings of what God is doing

Productive ideas

The ability to bless others

And last but NOT least... DARK CHOCOLATE

Homeward Bound

Wow! What a Ride ~Fasting

Linky Love

Do you tweet...or twit..tweety?

He is a GREAT boss!

Teachable Moments

Very excited about fasting!

I've Been MIBA

Do you believe it?

Staying Healthy

Have you heard God's creation sing?

Before I formed you, I knew you~ Amazing video

Sad Dolls

I wan to be like Him

Our Santa vs Jesus Story

Meditation

The Most Awesome Day!

Marriage Challenge

I'm a Bride!

photo credit

Psalm 45:11

Where is she now?

The Kingdom

The Simple Woman's Daybook

Be Careful!

I Am Thankful

What are you thankful for today?

What's Your Specialty?

Steppin Out

It's Monday! Rise and sing!

Just Ask!

BFOW - What?

The Anointing of the Holy Spirit

Compliments From Above

How to Keep Christ In Christmas

Webcam ~ Mature Love

Do you remember this?

Urgent question for YOU!

Free Reading: Marriage

For my girlfriends!

More Family Photos

Did you know?

Our Newest Family Photos ~ Really!

Romance In Marriage ~ God's Way!

There is POWER and this is amazing!

Flirting With Your Husband

Are You the Type

Fabulous 40 ~ My "Thank YOU" Video

Follow Friday Four Fill-In

I'm Lovin It!

Ministry LIFE

What's your favorite?

Numbers 6:24-26 (NASB)

24 The LORD bless you, and keep you;

Beauty

Confession Time

Check it out!

Do you have one?

Blog header for a friend

Good Deeds

Sometimes a mama's just got to protect what is hers!

Know your gifts so you don't say yes and regret it!

Yesterday, I posted some links for you to take a Spiritual gifts test. On the website with the online Spiritual gifts test, I found some information with Scripture concerning the gifts.

Biblical Summary about Spiritual Gifts

What are you doing?

When you know what your Spiritual gifts are, you are better able to serve the Lord and those around you. You won't be signing up to do something that you will regret later.

Rather, when you serve the Lord with the gifts that He hand picked for you, you will THRIVE! Serving is much easier that way. You will find joy in your heavenly job!

Matthew 9:37-38 (NIV)

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Do you know what your Spiritual gifts are?

I found a great resource!

So much depression...

Change Your Atmosphere

What does your name mean?

Wordless Wednesday ~ "The Guys"

I've been invaded by a red horned caterpillar!

Winning Number: 1

He knows...

Giveaway ends tomorrow!

Did you sign up?

²⁴ The LORD bless you, and keep you;