Television Wisdom Wednesday: No Fear of the Dark

From the show 

Criminal Minds: 

Kirsten Vangsness who plays Penelope Garcia speaks the opening quote: 

“Hope is faith holding out its hands in the dark.” – George Iles.

When I heard this quote the other night while watching a re-run of Criminal Minds, it reminded me of a scene from M. Night Shyamalan's movie, The Village. Ivy, the main female character, is blind but can 'see' more than most. And what she can 'see' is that a young man named Lucius loves her and she knows it before he can admit it. One night one of the creatures from the surrounding woods comes to the village and it sends the villagers running for their shelters for protection. Here we find Ivy, standing on the front porch, in the dark, with her hand out, waiting in faith that Lucius is coming for her. She knows, without him ever saying it to her, that Lucius loves her so much he will not leave her alone in the dark but will come take her hand to show her the way to safe haven. This quote and this movie scene reminds me of my Savior and a bible verse in Deuteronomy 31: 6 that says, 'Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”'

Change is coming in my 2014

Well Hello There Friends! 

It's been a while since I was on here. Welcome to a New Year! I hope your holidays treated you well. Ours was fun and exhausting, full of friends and family and yummy treats. And gifts....! 

So.... 2014

Here we are a couple days in to the new year. Do you create resolutions or goals with the new year? Some say, 'bleh!', to making goals with the new year. I love it! I need it. I am always revisiting it, adding to it, marking things off and rolling things over to my new Goals list. I think it is good and healthy to think back on what you can improve on and to look forward to what you would like to do and learn and invest energy into. And, I like to pick a word for the title of my New Year's Goals. This year's word: 

Change. 

First change that came for my new year: we turned off our Dish service and are going back to bunny ears. That change came two days early! Why? Well, looking back over the past year, I realized God was talking to me through different avenues telling me that it was becoming too important in my life. I realized I had become addicted. I loved my television time. I have my favorite shows and would even watch reruns over and over again, wasting precious time and getting angry if my T.V. time was interrupted. My addiction was effecting our family life negatively. 

Second change to work on this year came to me after I read a post at Hands Free Mama. In her post, About Hands Free, Rachel writes, 

"Finally after years and years of over-commitment and meaningless information overload, I began to see those things for what they were: Daily Distractions. And with much regret, I realized I’d been holding on to “distractions” tighter than I had been to my own family, my own health, my own happiness–my own “things that matter.”

After reading this post and others on her site, I broke down in tears. God was speaking to my heart. I needed to hear this. I had to take a hard, close look at my daily life and swallow that I am not allowing much time for God or what He desires to be important in my life. And no matter how hard it was to read it and admit it [to myself and others], I needed to make some big changes in my life and choices. Thank God for people like Rachel to share these things and Thank God for his perfect timing!

So.... 2014 for me is Change!

Change how I spend my time. Change who I spend my time with. Allow Change to happen naturally and gracefully. Change.....

What is this New Year for you? What is your word for the year? Let God speak to you and stop long enough to truly hear what He is saying. 

Matthew 6: 19-21

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

30 Days of D.I.Y. Gifts and Decor: Scarves with a Purpose

Welcome to Day 14 of

Hi All! Now that Halloween is over, I am switching my focus onto the up-coming holidays that will be filled with family and friends, love and laughter, giving and receiving! For me, some of the best memories and gifts have been what is handmade and from the heart. And, I love giving and receiving handmade and locally crafted gifts. So, I am going to share a new project every day for the month of November to get y'all (and myself) into the spirit of the holidays! I hope you enjoy the next thirty days with me! I would love to hear if you try any of the projects and how they turned out. <3 Erika

Scarves with a Purpose

I literally just learned about this site a couple of hours ago as I was sitting in the laundry mat waiting for baby girls comforter to dry. I picked up the Woman's Day magazine and read a short write up on different charities you could donate to this holiday season. Scarves with a Purpose caught my attention especially because I love scarves. And I know many lovely ladies that are awesome at knitting beautiful scarves. I am not one of them but I have been blessed by them! Basically, Scarves with a Purpose collects handmade scarves to give out to whoever needs them. It stated in the Woman's Day article that they gave over 400 scarves to Hurricane Sandy victims last year! What a great D.I.Y. Gift idea! You are using your talents to make beautiful scarves that will give warmth to someone in need and bless not only them but you. No better gift! Stop by the Scarves with a Purpose page to learn more about getting involved! 
And please, help me spread the word about this great cause by sharing this post on Facebook and on Pinterest. Thank you!

Tomorrow: Bath Salts

Television Wisdom Wednesday: Malala Yousafzai

"They thought that the bullets would silence us, but they failed," Malala said in a speech at the United Nations on her 16th birthday. "The terrorists thought they would change my aims and stop my ambitions. But nothing changed in my life except this: weakness, fear and hopelessness died. Strength, power and courage was born."

I watched the 20/20 interview on Malala a couple weeks ago. Wow. Just wow. If you don't know this girls story of getting shot by the Taliban for her stand on educating girls or her message to the world about the power of education, learn it. I believe God saved her and that God can and is using her for good. 

Thank God for Farmers!

My son wants to be a farmer. Yup! I asked him this summer if he would like to move to the country and have a little farm with a big yard to play in and have chickens and a big garden. At the time, his answer was a flat, "No." 
No. What? Why not? But after hanging out at our friend's house a lot this summer and helping with their farm chores when they were out of town, my son had a change of heart. He told me this as we were driving out to a local farm for produce. And it was so stinkin' cute, when we got there, I had him tell me again so I could record it. : ) Here he is saying why he wants to live on a farm:

Here are a few cell phone pics of the kids on our friend's farm. 

So cute! Kids are such precious little gifts from God! Well, us buying property will take some time while we penny pinch in this rough economy just to keep this roof over ourselves. But goals and dreams are good to have and I think it is a great way to teach the kiddos a lesson in patience and saving and hope. In the mean time, we'll help out our friends as they will have us and enjoy fun videos by The Peterson Farm Bros. These young men make some great parody videos about farming. Good, clean fun! Enjoy!

In all seriousness though, a farmers (and ranchers and homesteaders) work is hard but provides for so many. When we lose sight and respect for that, we are in trouble. Thank God for the work they do. In our culture of consumerism, selfishness and greed, let's take a moment to read what God has to say about giving back and having faith in him to provide. 

2 Corinthians 9:6-11

6 Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. 7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” 8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 9 As the Scriptures say,

“They share freely and give generously to the poor.
    Their good deeds will be remembered forever.”(Psalms 112:9)

10 For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity (or righteousness) in you.

11 Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. 

(musings on) A Life Worth Giving - Part Two: Giving Generously, a Month Challenge!

So, Part Two: How do we take this God given grace and our joy-filled, thankful hearts and be more generous with our blessings?

Take a moment and think about YOU. Yes, think about you and the gifts God has given to you. What physical, relational, and/or spiritual gifts has God given you? What about the talents and passions you have? How can you take any and every thing God has given you and bless others with it? What has God given to you that makes your Life Worth Giving away? 

Psalms 139: 13-14 ~ 13 

For you created my inmost being;

    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

14 

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

    your works are wonderful,

    I know that full well.

Me, well, I like to share knowledge that I have picked up along the way that might improve others lives in some way. I like to help, in what ever menial task I can. I like the detailed work others don't so much. I like to garden and cook. I like to throw parties. : ) I love bargain shopping. I don't like to see bad things happening to kids. 

Where do I go from here? How do I give back based on just that little bit about myself. Well, here are just some ideas but I am sure you can take these ideas and come up with so much more.......

• Listen. Really listen to your kids' (or loved ones) stories
• Coach          
• Offer to watch a busy mom's kids
• Do a family member's chore for them
• Borrow a friends car and return it detailed and with a full tank of gas
• Teach your favorite hobby to a child
• Throw a birthday party for an underprivileged child (or adult) 
• Donate games to a local senior citizen center 
• Visit an elderly person
• Donate blood
• Weed a neighbor's yard
• Buy a gift card and give it to someone you hardly know
• Organize a block party
• Bring a treat into your office for everyone to share
• Give a big, genuine hug
• Give a fresh flower bouquet to your favorite store clerk
• Take a box of toys to a homeless shelter
• Pay for a single mom to get a mani/pedi
• Help a neighbor or friend build a garden box and teach them to grow their own veggies and fruits
• Have a garage sale and donate all the money earned
• Take dinner to a couple with a newborn
• Buy lunch for a coworker
• Volunteer at the hospital
• Send an anonymous encouragement card to someone in the 'snail' mail
• Turn off the t.v. and computer and phones and have a face to face conversation
• Look up and smile to that person walking by. Maybe even say, "Hello!"
• Say to all those you love, "I love you!"

Well, there you go! There is so much more you could do to live a generous life and give back with joy. And, you don't have to have a bunch of money to give generously. Many of the best gifts in life given and received cost nothing but your willingness to be open enough to give. So, here is my challenge to you. Take this list and whatever you have come up with to add to it and give once a week for the next month! Let's see how God works in us and through us. 

2 Corinthians 9: 6-7 ~ 6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

(musings on) A Life Worth Giving - Part One

We started a new series at church on Sunday. It's called 'A Life Worth Giving.' James 1: 17 says this: Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

Every good thing in your life came and comes from God. You didn't pick your family, country you were born into, the natural resources around you, the type of education you would receive or the brain to learn it all with. You didn't give yourself your talents and skills or spiritual gifts and you don't know what the future holds or which paths you will take. God gave you and still gives every good thing in your life. 

So, when was the last time you stopped to thank God for the the blessings in your life? When we stop and say thanks and praise him for ALL he has given us, we realize just how blessed we are and how big his love for us is. When we realize our blessings, I believe it stirs in us a passion to be more generous. What do you have to be thankful for which you have been blessed with that others may not have? A Car(s), a job, a home, food to eat, your family, friends, pet(s), sight, hearing, speech, free time to spend on hobbies and sports, a garden to grow flowers and food, new clothes and shoes, a phone, computer, IPad...... the list of his blessings goes on forever. 

God is good and is love and gives us our blessings freely not because of anything we have done but because of who he is. Give thanks to him for every good thing in your life because he gave it all and still gives what we don't deserve. This is called Grace. 

In Part Two: How do we take this God given grace and our joy-filled, thankful hearts and be more generous with our blessings? 

(musings on) Hurting Hearts and Hope

Some horrible things happened last week where many died or were seriously injured. A bombing, a fertilizer plant explosion, a big earthquake in China - just to name a few. That doesn't even include the every day happenings that are closer to home and just as horrible. People killing each other, kids hurting other kids, children never given a chance a life because of abortion, all kinds of abuse, addiction, and natural disasters. Many start questioning the point of it all; the point of this life. With all this going on, many start losing hope. So I ask you, Where is your hope right now? Mine is in Jesus Christ. Jesus asked us to follow Him. 

Mark 1:17 & 18 - And Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." 

Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. He asked and they followed. There was no big, long discussion on what He expected of them. He said, "Follow Me." Are you willing to leave your current life behind and let Him guide you? We strive so much for success, a comfortable life, a grand purpose that you will be remembered for but these don't bring hope to us like a life lead by Jesus. 

John 10: 25-30 - Jesus answered, " I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father's name testify about me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one." 

I want to have hope. I want to be His sheep, to hear and listen to His voice. I want to leave behind my old life and follow Him to where He wants my life to go. I love these lines from the song, Hosanna by Hillsong United. They say it so well.

From the song Hosanna

"....Open up my eyes to the things unseen

Show me how to love like You have loved me

Break my heart for what breaks Yours

Everything I am for Your Kingdom's cause

As I walk from earth into eternity"

More lyrics: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/h/hillsong_united/
YouTube video of Hosanna by Hillsong United here   

Television Wisdom Wednesday: A Prayer

I was just thinking about this movie the other day. I hadn't watched it in a while and thought I would like to again. And what do you know, as I was looking for something to watch while doing a project today, there it was on the channel guide. Divine timing? Maybe, who knows but it provided today's wonderful Television Wisdom. (wonderful in my opinion anyway!)

From the movie 

The Book of Eli:

Denzel Washington as Eli - 

"Dear Lord, 

Thank you for giving me the strength and the conviction to complete the task you entrusted to me. 

Thank you for guiding me straight and true through the many obstacles in my path and for keeping me resolute when all around seem lost. 

Thank you for your protection and for your many signs along the way. 

Thank you for any good I may have done. 

I'm so sorry about the bad. 

Thank you for the friend I made. 

Please watch over her as you watched over me. Thank you for finally allowing me to rest, I'm so very tired. But I go now to my rest at peace knowing that I have done right with my time on this earth. 

I fought the good fight. I finished the race. I kept the faith." 

Do you love this prayer? I love this prayer. I hope to live in a way that I could say a similar prayer when it is time. I feel, so many times (every day even), that I am not 'living up to' this prayer. Do I even know what task God has given to me? How would I know what that task is unless I spend every day in the word like Eli did in the movie? Have I ever knelt down and prayed to God that He reveal what my task is in my time on this earth? How about you? Where are you at? I know, so many questions but they are questions we all should be asking ourselves, aren't they?

Showing Compassionate Intolerance While Living in the Real World

It is no surprise that Easter is around the corner. The stores have been full of Easter 'stuff' that they wish us to buy for a while now. But instead of putting

so much focus on the fluffy fun of eggs and candy and pastel colored flowers, I want to take a moment to focus on Jonah. 

Yep. 

Jonah. 

That guy in the bible that was swallowed by a large fish and then spit out. You see, God wanted Jonah to go to Ninevah to tell them His good message because they were so sinful and He wanted them to repent. But Jonah didn't want to because he despised them so much for their evil ways. But, after being swallowed by the fish and repenting for running away from what God called him to do, Jonah went and shared the message. The Ninevites repented from their sin and God saved them from the consequences of their sinful ways. This compassionate intolerance from the Lord made Jonah angry. All Jonah saw was that the Ninevites were very sinful people. What he wanted for them was justice for their actions not mercy or compassion. 

(Imagine it like this- Could you give mercy to and have compassion on [who many see as] the most vile of our culture like the serial killer, Jeffrey Dahmer, or would you only want justice? Learn more about how Dahmer became a Christian here.) 

But, as Jonah said, God is gracious, compassionate, slow to get angry, abounding in love and patient. Jonah, like us, was vindictive, heartless, impatient, barren of love and wished calamity for sinners. God could see that the Ninevites were so sinful, they couldn't tell their right from their left. They needed what only He can offer. It was their only hope to be saved from the consequences of their sin, death. 

Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We like to think that the stories of the world depicted in the bible is so far off but it is not. It is the same sinful place that we live in. God has put us here and desires that we would be concerned with what He is. That we would have compassionate intolerance and save the lost and sinful from the evil one. 

John 17:15 - My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 

We live in a world, not too unlike Ninevah, that likes gray areas. It is too uncomfortable to stand up and say that things are black and white, right and wrong. But, if we say we are Christ followers, that we desire to follow His example, and that we are concerned with what He is concerned with, than we have to be willing to speak up against what is wrong no matter how uncomfortable. We have become too accepting, too tolerant of the grayness. We have become numb to all the poor choices we are making. We need to love each other enough to save each other from the 'wages of sin'. To God, there are no gray areas like we like to live in. There is no scale of bad sins to worst sins. For God, it is just repentant or not. And, no matter how far off we run in our sinfulness, away from Him, He is still within reach. Even when we are feeling swallowed up (like Jonah) by sin and that there is no light left, God can still hear our prayers, our cries out in repentance. 

Deuteronomy 31:6 - Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Think about God's qualities and Jonah's. Where are you, on a scale of 1 to 10, in God's qualities compared to Jonah's? Where or with who is God calling you to show compassionate intolerance before they face the calamity of their own choices? 

*This is a write up of my notes on the Sunday morning sermon at my church, Summit View Church.

Leprechaun's Gold or Real Treasures

Luke 16: 10 “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. 11 And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? 12 And if you are not faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own?

As people celebrate St. Patrick's Day with corned beef and cabbage and images of leprechauns with pots of gold, I am thinking on what Jesus said about being faithful with what we are giving in this life. He said we can not serve two masters. Not God and Money or God and whatever else you think of as 'important' in your life. If we are faithful and serve the one, true God and give Him our life, He will be faithful and take care of us in this life. I challenge you to take a moment today and this next week to search your heart honestly and see if there is anything you are putting first in your life instead of God. 

Your job

Your marriage

Your kids

Your friends

Your screen time

Your abusive substances

Your lustful desires

Your money

Your ...........

Flight of Dreams

D R E A M  B I G

let those dreams  

T A K E  F L I G H T

E N J O Y  the  R I D E 

S O A R

T R E A S U R E  the  V I E W

S H A R E  your  E X P E R I E N C E 

R E P E A T 

Crimson and White

dishes to wash

laundry to fold

floors to vacuum

As I flutter about my home, I glance out the window to see an unexpected site. I decide to go outside and take a few minutes to take it in. It falls, silently and gracefully, from the pale gray sky. Floating slowly down to earth, it lands on my robe. I take in the wondrous intricacies of this creation. It is pure and white; it is snow. And as it melts into a perfectly round sphere, I notice the starkness of my scarlet robe against it. And God reminds me.....  

Isaiah 1:18

“Come now, let us settle the matter,”

    says the Lord.

“Though your sins are like scarlet,

    they shall be as white as snow;

though they are red as crimson,

    they shall be like wool.

I thank God for this moment and go back inside to once again flutter about. Joy has come to me today in the form of snow. 

Dark Days and the Ultimate Christmas gift

In dark days like as of late with evil running rampant, why do some get mad at God and cast blame on him, asking him or his followers, 'Why does a good and loving God let these things happen?' My question is why do we not recognize who is truly to blame, who is truly at work? It is Satan, the Devil, who is at work. God sent Jesus to die for our sins and to conquer Evil, which he has done. The devil is still the ruler of this dark world and he is at work every day trying to turn us away from the truth that can save us. God gave us free will to choose, Him or sin (which is of Satan). I beg of you, in love for you, choose God and his son to be the ruler of your life. Do his will. Do not give the devil a foothold in your life. And let us remember this Christmas this gift of our Savior, that God gave to us all. Pay this gift forward and spread the good news and His love. 

Some verses from God's word that are on my heart in light of recent events in our world. Please read them, let them into your heart and let them work in you. 

^{Romans 1: 28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.} 

^{(This is one of my most cherished chapters from God's word.)}

^{Romans 12: 9} Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. ¹⁰ Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. ¹¹ Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. ¹² Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. ¹³ Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. ¹⁶ Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

¹⁷ Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.¹⁸ If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. ¹⁹ Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. ²⁰ On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
    if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

^{Ephesians 6: 10} Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

^{Hebrews 2: 14} Since the children have flesh and blood, he too (Jesus) shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—¹⁵ and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.

^{James 1: 13} When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; ¹⁴ but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. ¹⁵ Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

¹⁶ Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. ¹⁷ Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 

^{Romans 15: 13} May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

In closing I would like to say, if we stop living our normal lives because we are afraid from events that the devil has caused, then his plans are gaining a foothold. What we need more is to continue to lead our normal lives, despite our pain, and not be afraid but keep our awesome fear of the God of heaven AND earth.