The Seed

A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business.Instead of choosing one of his directors or his children, he decided todo something different.

He called all the young executives in his company together.He said, 'It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you. 'The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued.' I am going to give each one of you a SEED today - one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring,and the one I choose will be the next CEO'

One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story.She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed. Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds andthe plants that were beginning to grow. Jim kept checking his seed, butnothing ever grew.

Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn'thave a plant and he felt like a failure.Six months went by--still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however. He just kept watering and fertilizing the soil - He so wanted the seed to grow.A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection.

Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick at his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of life, but he knew his wife was right Hetook his empty pot to the board room.

When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful--in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives.Jim just tried to hide in the back.

'My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown,' said the CEO. 'Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!' All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the financial director to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified. He thought, 'The CEO knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!'When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed Jim told him the story.

The CEO asked everyone to sit down exceptJim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, 'Behold your next Chief Executive!His name is Jim!' Jim couldn't believe it. Jim couldn't even grow his seed. How could he be the new CEO the others said?Then the CEO said, 'One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead - it was not possible for them to grow.

All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers.When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive!'

If you plant honesty, you will reap trust
If you plant goodness, you will reap friends
If you plant humility, you will reap greatness.
If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment
If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective
If you plant hard work, you will reap success
If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation

So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap later.
What we are is God's gift to us; what we become is our gift to God.

Author Unknown.
If you know the author of this story, Please contact me so I can give them proper credit. Thank you.

Focus!

Heavenly Father, when my life is moving along at break-neck speed, I feel so distracted from the things that are really important to my heart and soul. It seems like my lack of focus keeps me from paying attention to what really nourishes me. Help me learn to give less priority to what only leaves me feeling empty. Remind me that when I give priority to what is really important everything else falls into place with greater ease. I ask this for the sake of your love.

Thank you Jesus!
Love, Lori

PRO LIFE all the way

15 years ago now, we were touched with a life before some say life began.
our second child was due to come to us in June 1991. We faithfully went to checkup and took care of things the way we should have, but something went wrong. During a regular ultra sound to get an accurate due date and measurement of the baby, The Dr. found something.

An appointment for us was schedualed in Iowa City the following morning. There, they did an Amniocentesis http://www.marchofdimes.com/pnhec/159_520.asp only to find that our baby would not survive. The doctors in Iowa City told us to schedual for an abortion the next morning. We told him no immediatly!

We strongly believe that God gives life and GOD takes it. It was totally in his hands as to what would become of our beloved little girl. Days turned into weeks. Nothing was changing. I was going in everyweek to still hear her little heart beating. Our family doctor was so supportive and wonderful to us. We had hope that our baby would be made whole. That was not to be either.

At the end of March, I stopped feeling her move. We went to the ER to check for a heart beat.... nothing. It just happen to be on a Friday night, so nothing could be started until the following monday. It was devestating news, but we knew that God was in control. God has decided that our little Katie needed to be with him.

I will never regret carrying on with the pregnancy! Only God knew what her future was to be. We did not make that deccision for him. :)

Baptism Sunday

Sorry, no sermon notes today! Today was a day of celebration. 5 of our church family members were baptised today. One of them was our Dearest Daughter, Rebecca! We are so happy for her today. She has always been a Jesus lover. Bless her heart! She loves the lord with all her heart and will be a wonderful woman of god one day. She is a treasure to us and we are so very proud of her for taking this step in faithfulness to our lord.

Please Join our prayers for her today as she commits to following christ! :)

The following I took from http://www.believers.org/believe/bel190.htm which describes our beliefs in water baptism and it's meaning. a good read, and sorry, but our beliefs are not up for debate :) So, with that being said... If you disagree, please just go on to another blog without comment. Thank you very kindly!

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Water Baptism

Water baptism is a symbolic burial, by which the new Christian publicly declares they have died, and are now beginning a new life, in Christ.
Baptize is the English form of a Greek word which means to immerse: to place something into something else.

In Christian water baptism, the believer is put completely under water, then immediately raised out of the water.

Water baptism is a statement of faith: my old life is behind me -- I am a new person, with a new life.

Water baptism is a sign of repentance -- repentance means change -- a change so drastic that the old person is "buried."

It does not make you acceptable to God. As a work of righteousness, trying to obtain a good standing with God, it is worthless.

Water baptism is a way of giving testimony to what has happened inwardly, and a clear commitment to turn from the old life.

For Your Benefit

Water baptism outwardly demonstrates what has happened inwardly. Water baptism helps you to grasp the reality of the spiritual truth that the old "you" has died.

Water baptism is only as important as the participant believes it to be. Water baptism is their confession, and a public commitment. Unless the person really believes they died, there is no need for a burial.

It is not something we must do to impress God, but something to impress on our mind what happened to us inwardly. Water baptism is for our benefit -- not God's.

Meaning Of The Word Baptize

T. J. Conant in his book, The Meaning And Use Of Baptizein,1 after an exhaustive examination of the Greek word baptizein in Greek literature, concludes that the English word immerse is the best word to translate it.

Conant tells us, "The word `baptize' is an Anglicized form of the Greek BAPTIZEIN."

He says immerse is the English word that "precisely" makes known to us the same meaning as BAPTIZEIN did "to those who first heard and read the Gospel in Greek."

In all the available Greek literature, both secular and religious, Conant found no example in which the word baptizein had any other meaning.

Conant reports that it was a common, secular word, used in the daily affairs of life, to express the most familiar acts and conditions.

Baptizein was a daily household word. Whenever the idea of total submergence was to be expressed, whether literally or metaphorically, baptizein was the word used.

As you read the Bible, mentally translating the word baptize to the word immerse will greatly help your understanding. Not every time the word baptize or baptism is used in the Bible refers to water baptism.

Burial After Death

Water baptism is about death -- your death. ("Death" is the end of something.) Water baptism is your public declaration of your death. It is a public confession of faith: I have died to my old life and my old ways.

By being baptized in water you are saying that you have died to sin, selfishness, and the world's ways. Water baptism is a public burial of the old life.

By asking for burial, you declare that you believe something has died. There is no need for a burial without a death.

Burial is not absolutely required, but is recommended as the best course of action. So, generally, those who receive Jesus Christ should normally be baptized in water.

In the book of Acts, water baptism always seemed to be done without delay. Although burial can take place at any time, the best time is immediately after death has been confirmed.

Clean Break With The Past

As we are baptized in water, we are in effect saying goodbye to our old life (self), and saying hello to a new creation who is IN Christ Jesus.

Because of death you are free from your old master the devil; now you have a new Master, the Lord Jesus Christ.

A major benefit to the believer is the clean break that water baptism makes with their past. When the devil brings temptations and accusations concerning their old life -- the believer can reply, "That person is dead and buried. I am a new person in Christ."

Water baptism is a point of separation, dividing the old from the new. It says the past is dead and gone -- drawing a clear line between the old life and the new, graphically imprinted on the mind of the believer.

Jesus' Baptism

Why was Jesus baptized in water? He was, and is, our pattern. And, in a sense, He was, at that point, dying to His past life.

From that point, His first allegiance would no longer be to earthly relatives. ("Who is My mother, or My brothers?" Mark 3:31-35.) Jesus would no longer be a carpenter. He was beginning His public ministry.

Jesus was declaring that He was dead to any selfishness and existed solely to do the will of the Father God.

A Picture Sermon

Because it illustrates the central message of the Gospel, water baptism should be a tool for teaching and evangelism. Water baptism should help people understand the spiritual truths being proclaimed.

Water baptism pictures the most fundamental truths of the Gospel: the burial and resurrection of Christ, and of the believer in union with Him.

By means of water baptism, we demonstrate to the world our identification with the crucified and risen Christ.

By water baptism we testify that our old life is gone, and we are now joined with Jesus. We are pledging ourselves to a new life, with Jesus Christ Who died for us and rose again.

Water baptism also acknowledges that the person being immersed is indeed a Christian believer.
So, all who baptize should question converts, just as Philip did in Acts 8:37, to be sure of their commitment to Christ, before immersing them in water. Only those who accept the Lordship of Jesus Christ should be baptized in water.

Which Formula Of Words?

MATTHEW 28:19 NKJ 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

ACTS 2:38 NKJ 38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Some people place great importance on certain words being spoken when a person is baptized in water. This is all religious tradition with no real meaning whatsoever.

"In the name of Jesus" can mean by the authority and command of Jesus. Colossians 3:17 tells us our every word and deed should be in the name of the Lord Jesus. Certainly, Colossians 3:17 does not mean we have to continually say, "I do this, or say this, in the name of Jesus."

Claiming that certain words must be said at the time of water baptism, or that only certain special people can truly baptize you in water, makes water baptism into a magical rite -- a work of man trying to be right with God.

The words spoken by the person baptizing you in water will not save you, or condemn you. Water baptism is not some magic ritual which makes you right with God. Water baptism is a testimony and picture-sermon of what God did in you.

Even if no words are spoken over you during your water baptism, it is still a picture of burial and resurrection. Specific words are not what is important, but the attitudes and faith of the people involved are what matters.

When baptizing new believers, saying something like, "In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I baptize you into the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit," is probably best. Then the devil cannot tempt them to think they were not baptized in the right name.

Must You Be Baptized To Be Saved?

In Luke 23:39-43, we have the record of one of the criminals crucified with Jesus acknowledging Him as Lord.

LUKE 23:43 NKJ 43 And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."

Jesus told the criminal he would be with Him in Paradise, even though he was not baptized in water.

Also, in Acts 10:44-48, Cornelius' household became believers, received the Holy Spirit, and began speaking in tongues, before being baptized in water.

According to Jesus (John 7:38-39, Mark 16:17), receiving the Holy Spirit happens only to those who are believers, and therefore saved.
So, we must conclude that these believers were born again, and ready for Heaven, before they were baptized in water.

TITUS 3:5 NKJ 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
We are not saved by works of righteousness that we do. Many think, wrongly, of water baptism as a work that must be done to be right with God.

EPHESIANS 2:8-9 NKJ 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
If water baptism was necessary for salvation, then salvation would partly be by works, and not by grace.

1 CORINTHIANS 1:17 NKJ 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.
The apostle Paul, who received the Gospel direct from the risen Lord Jesus, said he was not sent to baptize. If water baptism was necessary for salvation, that would not make any sense.

MARK 16:16 NKJ 16 "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

What about Mark 16:16? Obviously, if water baptism was required for salvation, that requirement would be made clear throughout the New Testament -- and it is not. Mark 16:16 could mean, "believes to the point of publicly confessing, by the act of water immersion." Or, it could mean, "believes and is placed in Christ."

We should also note that the passage in question does not say, "He who believes and was baptized will be saved." Only a present tense baptism guarantees a person's salvation. That is to say: those who are IN CHRIST now, are saved.

Salvation cannot be dependent on physical surroundings -- such as water being present for baptism -- there are too many situations where water baptism would be impossible.
Those who make this error do so because the word baptize was not translated and understood. Therefore, they think every mention in Scripture of the word baptize refers to water -- which is not true.

Baptism in water is not necessary for salvation, but is beneficial for the believer. Water baptism provides a good foundation, if understood correctly.

Summary

The main points to remember about water baptism are:

* It does not make you a Christian, or right with God. It is only a symbolic act with no power to save you.
* It is a testimony of what has already happened inwardly in the believer -- the death of their old life.
* Certain formulas of words are not vital.
* It is complete immersion into water.
* It is best done publicly.
* It should be done only by someone old enough to understand what they are doing.
* It should be done only by those who have received the Lord Jesus Christ and are committed to Him.

Should you be baptized in water?

Yes, if you understand clearly what you are doing, and sincerely mean what baptism signifies.
Otherwise, you should not be baptized in water, because it will do you no good whatsoever. Water baptism could even harm you by giving you false hope.

Have a Blessed day!

Lori

Fears Relieved

My biggest Fear with my youngest son, is that he won't get the most out of school. I went and talked with his *special* teacher this morning. She says he is doing GREAT in her classroom.

His homeroom teacher is being kinda tough on him, but he needs to be pushed. The teacher that I spoke with this morning said she will talk with the other teacher and get a more suitable plan worked out for Tyler (my sweet little boy!) I reassured him before I left, while he was in the lunch room that I was very proud of him and not upset.

He is a wonderful loving little boy. He gave me a big hug and kiss {yep, right in front of his friends!} I do love him so much. :)

Feeling much better this morning, I threw my load of laundry in for the day ( down to 1 load a day now) big pat on my back! LOL and my home is getting more organized each day. Little by little! I am not stresses over it though... I know it will come together!

I bought a new center piece for my table yesterday. I love decorating for fall! the mornings have been alittle foggy and cool. You can tell the seasons are changing! above is my new center piece! nothing fancy, but makes the house feel more like HOME :)

Blessings to you today. May you feel God Presence surround you!

In the Presence of God

Last night I had the most amazing experience. I was on my way to city ministry function. I had to drive an hour to get to the place that I had to be. The clouds were building and the sun was straining to shine out and around the clouds. I had my mind on the mission that I had to do in the evening. (we were making calls to try to get group cordinators for the upcomming Weekend To Remember conference.) So I was praying about that. I had the radio on and was listening to my favorite christian radio station. I was singing the songs and driving along. All of the sudden the streams of light came pouring from the clouds and the radio station started to play "praise you in the Storm" by Casting Crowns. I was so moved and filled with the spirit of God. I nearly wept as it swept through me. I felt so much at peace. I pulled off the road and just take in the moment. It was awesome! I love it when God does that..... It is so GOOD to be a child of the king. :)



"Praise You In This Storm"

I was sure by now

That You would have reached down

And wiped our tears awayStepped in and saved the day

But once again, I say "Amen",

and it's still raining

As the thunder rollsI barely hear

Your whisper through the rain"I'm with you"

And as Your mercy falls

I raise my hands and praise the God who gives

And takes awayI'll praise You in this stormA

nd I will lift my handsFor You are who You are

No matter where I amEvery tear I've cried

You hold in Your handYou never left my side

And though my heart is tornI will praise You in this storm

I remember whenI stumbled in the wind

You heard my cry

You raised me up again

My strength is almost gone

How can I carry onIf I can't find You

As the thunder rolls

I barely hear You whisper through the rain"I'm with you"

And as Your mercy falls

I raise my hands and praise the God who gives

And takes awayI lift my eyes unto the hills

Where does my help come from?

My help comes from the LordThe Maker of Heaven and Earth

Your Seeds In My Garden

Your seeds blow into my garden, Friend,

Whenever the wind is right.

They blow on the winds of the breeze by day,

And they ride on the gales by night.

Your seeds blow into my garden, Friend,

And nestle among my flowers,

In the soft sweet soil of my garden plot

They wait for the sun and the showers.

Whatever you grow in your garden, Friend,

If flower, or ugly weed,

The fall will come and the wind will blow

And over will come your seed.

Your life is a garden by mine, dear Friend,

And planted with living deeds;

So ever and over the wall they blow:

Will you give me flowers-- or weeds?

*From Meigiddo Message, May/june issue*

Camping Comedy

Our family Loves camping. We try to make it out a couple of times during the summer each year. When Steve and I were first married, we bought our first tent. It was a nice two room tent that worked nicely for us for a good many years.

Our first tenting experience was an awful one! We packed up our brand new tent, some new sleeping bags, some food and paper plates. We didn’t figure that we would need many extra blankets or eating utensils. We brought along some charcoal and plenty of soda and purchased some firewood at the campsite to burn that evening. The evening went along pretty good. We grilled our hotdogs ate some chips and sat around watching the fire my brave husband built with his bare hands. He had that look of a cave man who had just beat his chest and roared out “I AM MAN!” As if starting a fire was that hard…


We talked and laughed and just simply enjoyed our first camping night out. As the night drew late, we snuggled up in the tent. Matthew and Rebecca in between us for warmth. We did not have air mattresses, just a couple of sleeping bags and 2 extra blankets.

I think I felt every dip and bump in the ground below us. Then I’d say it must have been about 4 in the morning, I woke up freezing! I was so cold, my teeth were chattering. I got up and got dressed (it was so nice out during the day I didn’t bring a jacket for anyone.) so I threw on my shorts and tee shirt and ran out to the car to warm up.

I started up the engine and sat there for a few minutes waiting for the warmth to come. Just as the car was warming up and small figure popped out of the tent and came running to the car. I giggled to myself to see Matthew running with all he could. He jumped into the car and clearly stated he did not like camping! That poor kid was just as cold as me. We sat there for quite some time. He fell back to sleep while I watched time go by on the dashboard.

After awhile my husband peeked out into the morning. It was getting light out now and Matt and I were drifting in and out of consciousness. Steve bravely made a new campfire to warm himself and grabbed a soda from the cooler. Other campers started to emerge from their hideaways, all busy making big camping breakfasts….hmm, I had not thought about what we were going to eat for breakfast! So, I convinced Steve to go down to the grocery store and get something for us to fix. He came back with pop tarts and chips! There were no grocery stores open so he had gone to a gas station to retrieve our sustenance. After eating our hearty meal of pop tarts and sodas. We waited for the dew to leave so we could pack up and go home. I was exhausted and swore off camping for good!


Sometime later, We decided to give camping another go. This time we were a bit more prepared. I packed extra clothes for cooler or warmer weather. I remembered a can opener and other essentials to making a meal complete. And yes, I even remembered to think of breakfast! This time we had a new air mattress that we had purchased from the local discount store. I brought along some extra blankets for everyone, so I was sure we would not freeze this time. We choose a better campground that had a bathroom and shower within walking distance. We were much better prepared for this adventure.

After fishing all day and playing at the beach, We retreated to our little camp area. We made a great supper and had s’mores later in the evening. We sat around the campfire and sang to the kids. I read a story to Rebecca and got her ready for bed. She dozed right off and we all eventually had a peaceful and warm nights rest.

The following morning We rose with the sun, content with the world and the beauty around us. I made a nice breakfast of eggs, bacon and toast, then we headed off for another day of fun. That evening we took full advantage of the showers. Evidently everyone else there had the same idea.

The shower was wall to wall women and children, all waiting patiently for their turn in a shower stall. Finally our turn came to slip into our semi private stall with only a thin curtain separating us from everyone else either dressing, undressing or waiting in line. The drains had a hard time keeping up with the constant flow of water trying to force it’s way down. Needless to say, the water was rising.

Soon our partition was level with the step over just above my ankles. I finished washing Rebecca and started washing my hair. All the sudden Rebecca burst out into song, singing the Sunday school song about Noah’s Ark. The words she sang were “ The Rains came down and the floods came up, The rains came down and the floods came up. The Rains came down and the floods came up and the house came tumbling down!” Rebecca was soon silenced by a shower room full of women in laughter. It was a priceless moment which I hold dear in my heart.


The camping trips we have taken over the years have been filled with fun, laughter and bonding moments for Steve and I along with our children. We treasure the time we spend alone with our family. Even more so, now that they are all getting older. Just recently, we spent an entire week at our now favorite spot. We still use a tent and we have much better air mattresses now. We have proper cooking equipment and gear that stays packed for any weekend that we decide at the spur of a moment to just go. This has been a wonderful instrument in establishing a bond with our children and each other. All of our Children enjoy the time we spend together as a family, camping….

A Christmas to Remember

Now I know it's July 18, and a far cry for Christmas..... You see, I've just been doing some reminising and thought I would share this very special memory with you. If you happen along my blog please share in this Journey.

A Christmas to Remember
Christmas back in the early days of having our children used to be my favorite holiday to decorate, wrap gifts and celebrate as a family. We never had a lot of money and it would seem that Christmas would always just sneak up on us, leaving us with sparse morsels of would others would consider a very weak attempt.

I remember one year, I believe it was 1995. We had not had the money to buy more than one gift for each other or our two small kids. We barely had enough for a Christmas dinner either. I fretted for weeks before Christmas already. I grew depressed thinking of having nothing to celebrate with.

We did not have a tree at all. I could NOT let the kids have a Christmas without that, so I took out the Christmas lights and the staple gun. I went to work moving the furniture away from the wall were we usually put a tree. I shaped and stapled lights up on the wall and added some tinsel and bulbs. Soon we had a tree! Matthew thought it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Rebecca just giggled and it did my heart good to see joy in their faces.

Steve too, was feeling pretty down about this particular year. He came home from work and walked through the door and saw the tree of lights on the wall. The look on his face was one of disbelief! (I still wonder what he wanted to say about all the staple holes in the wall of our rented house…. )

I placed my sewing cabinet under the light tree. After the kids went to bed, I gingerly wrapped the few things that we had for them to open on Christmas morning and went to bed. The following day we had a special church service that I was involved in. During that service, my eyes were opened and my heart receive a word from God that presents and big meals are not was Christmas was all about. Christ was what we were celebrating! I was so ashamed at my self pity. Steve and I talked about how we both felt after the service and how our hearts were lifted.

Following church that day, we met with family and had a meal together. We came later that afternoon to find on my sewing Cabinet a whole display of gifts and in the fridge fixings for a wonderful Christmas dinner! On the table was an anonymous note just saying “Have a very Merry Christmas!” We never found out who the anonymous gift giver was, but it turned out to be the very best Christmas we ever celebrated! Not just because of the gifts, but because we learned to let go and just celebrate GOD!

Matthew and Rebecca remember that Christmas as the very best Christmas we ever had…. Now that is a precious memory.


Matthew 6:25 (New International Version)

25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?