Fun is Warfare!?

This photo was sent to me by a friend via text message. He was prompted by the Holy Spirit to send it because of it's appropriateness in our lives.



Last week, another friend shared how the Lord had spoken to him and told him that he was to have fun. God wants Christians to have fun. The Lord told him that having fun is warfare. (You can read all about it on his blog which I have linked to this blog post!)


Anyway, as soon as I heard this, I bore a very strong witness to it!

Let us stop and remember that God's Word says that Christians are to be different.
Matthew 5:14 -16: “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father."

As Christians who serve a good, loving, God, we should be praising and worshipping; shouting of His goodness from our "rooftops"! Just the thought of it makes me want to dance and sing His praises! This is FUN!


Worship and praise are God's way of building us up! When we do it corporately and publicly, we build up and encourage one another! What an awesome way to tear down the strong-holds of the enemy!


So, I ask you, "Are you having fun?"


I am praying that every believer on the face of this earth will be released to have FUN!
Oh! Worship the Lord all you Saints! Worship Him in Spirit and in Truth! Let your inhibitions GO and allow His Spirit to flow in and through you! It is the liberating freedom that Satan so fears!


Shalom!

Be Not Dismayed

Your Father in heaven knows all of your needs before you even ask and they are all met by Him!

What a beautiful promise to the children of God!

The Lord reminded me this week that His children need to focus on His Word and His goodness, especially in these "trying" times in which we live.

Rather than listening and looking to the world for answers, we should be looking to Him; His Word, His Spirit and His truths.

These are the words which He spoke to me,

"Forget what others have 'taught' and listen to ME. I am good. All that I do is good. I work all things together for good. If what is being said is contrary to Me; My nature, My character and My word, then throw it away! I give HOPE. I give LIFE. I AM LOVE.

My Word says that trials and tribulations come your way. But people forget that it continues on to say, 'Fear NOT, I have overcome them all'. My Spirit in you has overcome them all!

Be encouraged. Be not dismayed. I am with you and I do not fail!"

What a loving Father! He gave me this Word so that we might be encouraged! It is just so like Him!

So..."bee" encouraged!

Life to the Fullest

Are we living life to the fullest? I wonder...

Life without Christ is empty.
Life without salvation is hopeless.
Life without God is pointless.

Is your life full?
Is your life hopeful?
Does your life have purpose?

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except by Me." John 14:6

Praying that the fullness and glory of a life with Christ is yours realized!

How Big is Our Great God!

In August of last year we saw a video by Louie Giglio entitled "How Great is Our God". It is a wonderful reminder of who we are and of who GOD is! It certainly puts things into perspective. A day or two after watching the video, I was contemplating the greatness of God whence He spoke and had me journal His response and has now prompted me to share it with you.

August 20, 2009


"Indeed, your human mind can only begin to fathom how big I am. But really, you have no idea. A minuscule part of Me came down from heaven as a man so you could relate to Me. I bent low so man could look into My face. If you would but look into My eyes, you would know My heart.

I have a purpose. I have given you purpose and hope. Yes, hope in Me. I see your future and it is a bright one! Do not lose heart. I who breathed the stars have fashioned you. You are far greater than the stars. I breathed them, but I formed you with My own hands.

I care about you; about every second of your life. Keep your eyes on Me. Look into My eyes and you will not be afraid.

I am not only with you, I am in you. And you are in Me! Don't forget it!
Power-My power in you.

The angels look upon man and wonder. They wonder why I chose you. They wonder why you don't walk in the fullness of who you are; who I created you to be. They wonder why you are blind; blind to the power I have given you. Your power far exceeds the power of the angels, yet you look to them for protection. Yes, I have created them to protect and have given them certain power. But they are here to work along side you. They are your helpers. Remember that! Call on them for help, but exercise the power that I have given you. My Spirit is all-powerful and I have given My Spirit to you!

The following image is Lamilin-our molecular structure-human DNA-simply AMAZING!!!

Praise Him, all His People

Praise Him! Praise Him! Let all the earth sing His praise!
"Let everything that has breath praise the Lord"!
Hallelujah!


The Lord answers,
"I inhabit the praises of my people. I have heard your praises and have answered! My answer is 'Yes and amen!' I have fulfilled that which you have believed. Yes! Yes! I have done it! Look up! I am glorified. Look up! Rejoice and be glad! Look up! I am here. My glory, My glory; look up and see My glory! Turn your head and receive! All you who love Me, look up!"



May the wonders of our Lord never cease to amaze you!

Floral Fancies

I have decided to post a "quick note" today. I spent the day at Twigs and even though it wasn't busy, I am surprisingly tired! Sheesh!

Anyway, I have included a couple of pictures of some of the fun things you can find at Twigs (Yerington's most awesome Flower/Gift Shop!).

These are called "Ice Cream Sodas". As one friend appropriately said, "Fat free ice cream sodas. You can even have two and without feeling guilty!"



This adorable little one is a "Carnation Butterfly Puppy".

Did I just hear you say, "How much is that puppy in the window? Hook me up with one!"???

Blessings y'all!

Sweet Song of Songs

The Song of Solomon seems to be one of those Books of the Bible which doesn't get the attention it deserves! For reasons known only to the Lord, He brought this to my attention this morning.

I was actually thinking about my hubby, praying for him and thanking God for him when God deposited this little thought into my head. At the same time a song titled "I Adore You" was running through my head. I was worshipping the Lord while praying for my Bob and thinking about how Bob's love for me mirrors the love of Jesus.


One day, several weeks ago , I asked Bob why he loved me. He looked at me with a slight pause, then proceeded to tell me all the reasons why. What I realized was that the reasons he listed were a progression of his love for me. There were the physical reasons (the initial attraction), then there were the "selfish" reasons (all the things that I do for him), and finally, there were the "me" reasons (loving me for who I am).

This morning the Lord revealed to me the parallels of my marriage relationship
with my God relationship. A relationship with the Lord should be one of continual progression. At first, we are attracted to Him; His beauty, His grace. His Spirit draws us unto Himself. Then we recognize our need of Him; salvation, guidance, love, acceptance. And then, we see Him for who He is; wonderful, Almighty, loving, powerful, forgiving (etc.).

The Song of Solomon is such a beautiful expression of all of this! He parallels marriage and God relationship so beautifully. Did I just realize this? No. But I believe the Lord brought it back to my mind this morning so that I would share it with you; to remind you.

He is the bridegroom ever beckoning His bride. You are His bride. He desires to wash His love over you like never before. He longs to whisper in your ear all of the reasons He loves you. This love is for every person; men and women alike.




He is teaching you men how to be the loving, devoted husbands that he has designed you to be. At the same time He is loving you; allowing you to experience what it is like to be loved as the "Beloved". He desires for you to love and not "lord-over".

He is teaching you women how to receive His unconditional love. He desires a humble, attentive bride. One who is "hopelessly" devoted to Him as well as to her husband. Serving in humble gratitude from a heart that desires to love, not serving out of obligation.

I would encourage you to spend a little time with the Song of Solomon and allow the Lord to wash His love over you. It matters not if you are married or single. If you have accepted Christ as your Savior, you are His bride. If you have not, He desires for you to know this love I am talking about!

May you have a wonderful, "love-filled day"!

Gideon's Typical Day

This is our Sun Conure, Gideon.
He's the
"Squawky Wheel" in our house.
Allow me to elaborate by describing Gideon's typical day...

"Squawk, squawk! Feed me! Open my cage! I need water! I don't like that food! I want fresh fruit! No, not a banana! I want an apple! Where are the nuts?"
And on it goes. It seems as if he is never satisfied.

Quite frustrated from this tirade I asked, "Lord, why is this bird NEVER satisfied? What more can I possibly do for him? Your word says that birds are God's messengers. Well, he's not delivering any messages from You. He's only demanding what he wants! He has been in my care for six years and he has never lacked any good thing!"

Then, ever so slightly, I feel the Lord's breath of laughter, the slightest amusement in the air.

"But Lysa, he IS giving you a message. He is showing you how fickle you are. Can you not see how you sometimes act as he? How many times do you demand from me? Does a day go by that you do not make demands on me? Yes, I tell you to make your requests known to me. Really, that's all Gideon is doing. What you're noticing is his 'tone-of-voice'. How has your tone with me been lately? And Lysa, you have been in my care for almost 39 years. Have you ever lacked any good thing?"

Oh! How humbling! How loving! God is so gracious!

"Thank you Lord for showing myself to me! Forgive me as I purpose to do better, starting today."

Pause-for-Thought...In Memorial

You may or may not know this, but at the end of March, I began working at Twigs, Yerington's local flower shop. The way it all came about was an absolute "God thing"! (He will never cease to amaze me!)

Working at Twigs has been an absolute joy and I have been blessed with the opportunity to get to know Tracey better. Tracey is the owner and is an amazing lady full of creativity and an eye for floral design like you wouldn't believe!

Since I've been at Twigs, the Lord has opened my eyes to many new things. He is heightening my awareness of people's moods and emotions. Flowers are a very powerful thing. God has instilled within us a strong connection with nature; created beings connected with created things. (It was Adam, after all, who named them!) I have witnessed people transform in countenance by the simple delivery of a beautiful bouquet. I have greeted people who have walked through the door wearing a frown and have led them out the door with a hug and a smile. Oh what a privilege it is to touch God's children in such a way! I thank Him for the beauty of His creation. Flowers truly are a gift from Him.

Another thing that He has brought to my attention is the significance flowers play around the holidays. Not, just holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, but like the ones coming upon us now...Memorial Day for instance. We have received several orders for memorial bouquets and/or wreaths. Most of which will be taken and placed at grave sights of lost loved-ones.

Then it occurred to me...wouldn't it be neat if everyone who is planning a Memorial Day barbecue would order a bouquet in memory of any lost loved-ones? I thought about my own mom and how it would touch her if I purchased a bouquet in memory of my grandma and gave it to her at the end of the day. It's such a simple thing, yet it says so much!

The Lord, in His infinite love, is constantly aware of each of us; our moods, our desires, our quirks! And I just love it when He reaches down and pours that love for you into me!

Blessings to you my friend!

Testing 1,2,3

Alright everyone! This is a test! I am posting this from my phone and am quite curious as to how it's going to turn out!

Since it is a test, I thought it appropriate that I include a recipe for a simple yet delicious Lemon Cake recipe which I just happened to make up on a whim the other day!

I don't usually use cake mixes, but I wanted something quick and easy and was limited to only a few ingredients on hand.

As it turns out, the cake was delicious! The only thing I regret is that I didn't take a picture of it! Oh well, here's the recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup ricotta cheese (or sour cream)
4 eggs
1 yellow cake mix
1 small box instant lemon pudding mix

In a large bowl, mix butter and ricotta until smooth. Add eggs and mix well. Stir in cake and pudding mixes. Stir until all lumps are gone. (You may use electric mixer if desired). Pour into a well greased bundt cake pan. The batter will be very thick. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes until done. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Drizzle with Lemon drizzle or sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Lemon drizzle:
Zest and juice one lemon into bowl or 2 cup measuring cup. Add powdered sugar until it reaches desired consistency. Drizzle over cake and enjoy!

Feline Fancy

This is Tahoe. She is Jenna's big white cat . To say that she is neurotic is an understatement!

I have a standing threat against her that one day I am going to trade her for a "real" cat. This threat began after a visit to my mom and her "real", friendly cat and upon returning home was given the usual cold shoulder by Tahoe. Much to my surprise, after making this verbal threat to her, she jumped up onto my lap and began to purr! Never underestimate what animals understand!

Back in April, after an evening with "Ms. Neurosis", I was prompted to write about my experience with her...

"Tahoe, the big white cat plops herself onto the arm of the sofa; never minding the fact that my arm is resting there! She looks at me quite indignantly as if I have invaded her space.

Several minutes pass before she, ever so innocently, begins to "wink-blink" at me. 'Well, are you going to pet me or not? Don't you want me to be a real cat?'

Smiling, I take the bait. Yes, indeed, I do want Tahoe to be a real cat. In fact, I am pleased that she has graced me with her presence and is allowing me the pleasure of petting her.

Suddenly it occurs to me...I am so much like a cat! How often do I approach the Lord in the same manner? I come to Him on my time and on my terms. I plop down beside Him as if it's some great honor-His honor, that is. Then, I look at Him indignantly, expecting Him to pet and cuddle me.

Then, He smiles at me, reaches out, pets me and cuddles me. And as I do with Tahoe, He sincerely delights in so doing! He is such a loving and gracious Father!

Never be afraid or ashamed to approach the Lord! He loves you and delights in you! Afterall, HE created you!

Lessons From Jake-Part 1

Everyone, this is Jake. Jake, this is everyone.

Jake has been a part of our family for ten years now. He has
brought much joy to our home and is the quintessential "dog".

He loves the family unconditionally and is the ever protective third parent to the children. He is also an opportunist!

For instance, he loves to roam around the kitchen and sniff the floor for any crumbs that may have been dropped. Any time I am in the kitchen, I can be sure to find him lurking just around the corner, hoping and waiting for the sound of something hitting the floor! He is ever ready for his "score" of the day!

One day, not too long ago, throwing subtlety aside, Jake decided that under my feet would be the most beneficial place for him to lurk. Suffice it to say this annoyed me immensely! Raising my voice in frustration, I demanded that he remove himself from the kitchen.

He, with those puppy dog eyes, sulkingly, obeyed.

That's when I heard the Lord whisper, "Even the little dogs get the crumbs from the master's table. " My reply was, "Yes Lord, but he's pestering under my feet!"
"But Lysa, how often do you do the same to Me? And, do I yell at you when you do?"
(Ouch! Flinch!) "Of course not Father. You are always loving. Sometimes firm, but always loving. Thank You for Your love, grace and mercy. Forgive me for my harshness towards Jake."

From that day forward I have been much more sensitive to the demands that others make upon me (including Jake!). When I am tempted to feel irritated or frustrated, I remember the lesson the Lord taught me through my little dog.

Those who have received Grace (through salvation by belief in Jesus as Lord and Savior) should be GREAT BIG GIVERS of Grace!

Oh for the Grace of Christ to live and manifest itself through the life of every person who confesses Him as Lord!

Praying the Holy Spirit fills you anew this day as you extend His love and grace to others!

From My Heart to Yours!

The Lord never ceases to amaze me with His infinite love, mercy and grace!

The work He continues to do in me is unfathomable.

Oh that the heart of every believer would yield to Him in complete surrender! What joy for those who live and confess Him as "Adonai" (Lord and Master)!

Praying your heart is drawn closer and closer to Him every day of your life!

Love and blessings to you my friend!

Foodies

I want to share a recipe with you but first I have to tell you a little bit about our family. We are ALL "foodies"! We love food! Some of us simply love to eat it and some of us love everything about it!

I, personally, love everything about it. I enjoy researching the origins of ethnic foods, reading about where certain foods are grown and cultivated, experimenting with different foods and cooking methods, and of course, I love eating!

Bob, well, first and foremost he loves eating. However, he does enjoy the aspects of food that I mentioned above. He, unfortunately, rarely gets into the kitchen to cook!

Jenna...ah, Jenna...likes to eat. She has been graced with a petite frame and an awesome metabolism and it's a good thing because at times, she can put it away! However, for any young man who may have his eye on her, she does not like to cook! Oh, she can get by and cook some basic things, but she doesn't like it! She does occasionally enjoy baking up a batch of cookies and does quite well at it.

Geoff...while Geoff enjoys the end result of a day of baking, he despises the process! Give him an hour in the kitchen, however, with a hunk of meat and a head of garlic and he will proudly present you with a tasty meal!

And, lastly, but certainly not least, Sarah. Sarah loves baking! She would bake every day if given the chance. Thankfully, mom is here to remind her that it's not at all good for our waistlines! She is learning how to cook and does not enjoy it as much as baking. But given a little more time in the kitchen, I have a feeling she'll come to love it!

All of this simply to share a recipe for a Banana Coconut Chocolate Chip Cake that Sarah made the other day. She originally started out with a simple Banana Cake recipe, but decided to do some embellishing on it! It was wonderful!!!

The Recipe:

2 C. flour
1 1/2 C. sugar
1 1/2 t. baking powder
3/4 t. baking soda
1 C. ripe mashed banana
1/2 C. buttermilk or sour milk
1/2 C. olive oil
2 eggs
2 t. coconut extract
1 C. chocolate chips

In a bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add banana, milk, oil, eggs and coconut extract. Beat until well combined. Pour batter into a well greased bundt pan. Sprinkle in chocolate chips. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Remove from oven, cool on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and enjoy!

Called Out

God is calling; calling out to His children. "To him who has ears, let him hear!"

The voice of the Lord beckons ever so softly, "Come out my children! Come away with Me!"

This feeling we have, it's the Lord calling out to us, tempting us, creating in us a desire to go beyond the borders of Southern California, to trust Him and follow where He leads.

In March of 1995, following the Voice, we travelled through Southern Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona. All the while, seeking and applying for various jobs, looking at real estate and wondering where the Lord was calling us to.
Upon arriving home, Bob received a phone call from a company in Colorado, not asking him to return for an interview, but offering him a job! This was very exciting because Colorado was our favorite state out of the ones we had visited. After a couple of days of prayer and contemplation, the Voice replied, "No. It is not the time or the place." So, we remained where we were and the Voice was silent.

"Come away my children. Follow Me."

This feeling we have, it's the Lord calling us to follow Him.

Life had become hectic and frustrating! It was 2003 and we were ready for a vacation! This time we travelled to the Sierra Nevada, Carson Valley, Reno, and down into Mason Valley. We were quite taken with the Carson Valley area and thus, returned home to seek the Lord and inquire of Him what He would have us do.

"Wait, My children, it is almost time, but not quite." Then, the Voice was silent.

"Come, follow Me."

Five months after our first visit to northern Nevada, we re-visited Mason Valley, specifically, Yerington. Neither of us felt as if it was the place for us.
Never-the-less, we returned home to seek what the Lord would have us do.

"Put your house on the market. It will sell."

And sell it did! On December 22, 2003 we received three different offers on the house. We accepted the full-price offer and the process began!

On January 30, 2004 we loaded a moving truck with our children, our dog and all of our belongings and the next day we left all that we had known and embarked on a new journey with the Lord!

At Midnight on Febrauary 1, 2004, in the midst of a snow storm, we pulled into a local motel and checked in for the night. We had arrived...Yerington.