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Let the heavens be glad , and let the earth rejoice : and let men say among the nations, The LORD reigneth . Let the sea roar , and the fullness thereof: let the fields rejoice , and all that is therein. Then shall the trees of the wood sing out at the presence of the LORD, because he cometh to judge the earth. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.  ~ 1 Chronicles 16:31-34 ~

Every Knee, Every Tongue

I never could relate to people who looked forward to being in heaven. They never made sense to me.  We were going to have eternity in heaven, and there was so much work to be done down here, heaven can wait.  It seemed sorta selfish to me, that they wanted heaven to come now, simply because they wanted to be there enjoying it's peace, and were willing to leave so much undone...

As I've go on in life and have gained painful experiences, I began to get an insight.  The labor down here is intense, overwhelming, defeating, impossible.  The rest promised in heaven began to look very inviting.  There's a lot of sin going around down here and it's baggage is intense.  In case you haven't noticed, relationships are complicated, and they don't seem to get easier.  I get frustrated that people don't want to know God, and their life is messed up and painful because of it.  People don't want to do what's right, even though the way they do things now is pretty miserable.  I can't cram Him or His ways down their throat.

One of the promises God made was that every knee would bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.  One day, all those people who won't acknowledge God will bow their knee to Him.  All those people who don't care what was right or wrong will say with their tongue that Jesus Christ is Ruler of their life, defining what is right and wrong.   And suddenly, I yearn for heaven.  For Christ's Kingdom to come!  When all the sin and crookedness in this world is done away with and only righteousness remains!  When every knee will bow, and every tongue confess the Jesus Christ is Lord.  No more of this fighting, when people say "you can't judge me" or "you can't tell me what's right and wrong" or "believing is God is alright for you, but that's not for me" and refuse to hear the truth of what is being said.  Every knee will bow and every tongue confess. Oh what a glorious day that will be.

Well, I know this life is filled with sorrow
And there are days when the pain just lasts and lasts
But I know there will come a day
When all our tears are washed away with a break in the clouds
His glory coming down and in that moment

Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess
That God is love and love has come for us all
Every heart set free, every one will see
That God is love and love has come for us all

International Brownie Day!

Today has been deemed International Brownie Day.  :)  And so, in celebration of friends both near and far, to bring us all together in the glorious making of brownies, I have made brownies! :D  May their fabulous gooeyness bring us together always.  With a glass of milk.


Rocky Road Brownies

3 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1/2c butter
2c sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1c flour
1/2 tsp. salt
Topping:3 Tbl butter
1c semisweet chocolate chips
4c miniature marshmallows
1 1/2c coarsely chopped walnuts (opt.)

For brownies:

1) Melt chocolate and butter in saucepan over very low heat, stirring constantly.

2) Remove from heat; stir in sugar (oh my goodness that's a lot of sugar!!)

3) Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well.  Blend in vanilla. (The best kind is Mexican vanilla from Mexico. Mmmm!!)

4) Combine flour and salt. Add to mixture. Blend well but do not over blend!

5) Spread batter in greased 9x13" pan. 

6) Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

7) Cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes.

8) Meanwhile, for topping, in a saucepan melt butter and chocolate chips.

9) Sprinkle brownies evenly with marshmallows and walnuts (I oppted out of the walnuts. :P).  Return to oven and bake for another 3 minutes to melt marshmallows. (I didn't have miniature marshmallows so I just chopped up some larger ones I had.)

10) Drizzle with melted chocolate chips, spread around if needed.

11) Cool in pan, cut into squares or rectangles.  Serve. :)

Enjoy their gooey goodness, and know I am thinking of you, Sah and Leezy. ;)

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You are the Light of the world

You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life

You are the Light of the world

Lead us out of darkness

And into Your Marvelous Light

3 Purposes of Law

A knowledge of God's Law serves three purposes.

  First, the Law sets before us the righteous standards of God.  We see what it is to live righteously  in a way that pleases God. [...]  (Romans 7:12)  The Law shows us what God expects from us.
  The problem is not the Law. We are the problem! We are unholy, unrighteous, ungodly sinners.  So even when we try to live according to the Law, we sill always break it in one way or another.

  Thus, we come to the second purpose of the Law: By the Law is the knowledge of sin.  When we know what God expects and don't live up to it, we see our sin.  As you teach your children the commandments of God, they will see that they fall short of God's standard.  This understanding brings the knowledge of sin.  It is the sinners who need a Savior.  Jesus came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
  John Newton's knowledge of the commandments of God and the consequences of his sin brought him to the grace of God.

  The Law also serves a third purpose, if it is heeded.  Is serves as a tutor, a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ.  If John Newton had listened to his mother and honored all that she stood for and taught him, it would have saved him much grief and remorse.  He failed to allow the Law to be his schoolmaster.
  As you bring up your children under the Law of God, you are putting them under a schoomlmaster that will show them their need for the grace of God.  If they heed the Law, it will serve as a guard against a life of blatant sin and the bitter consequences that come from transgressing God's holy commandments.  [...]
  Teach your children the difference between right and wrong -- the Law -- but keep telling them of the grace of God that can be theirs through Jesus Christ and the New Covenant. 

~  "Lord, I need Grace to Make it Today" by Kay Arthur, pg. 48-49

Silence of God

~Andrew Peterson

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O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
~Psalms 63:1

For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart , and to be with Christ; which is far better: nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. And having this confidence , I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith;
~Philippians 1:23-25

With Authority

And they were astonished at [Christ's] doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.Mark 1:22

These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.Titus 2:15

Answer: Do

If you have a question, go to God and seek it out. God's Word holds the answer to any question for any situation.

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for everyone that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

 Matthew 7:7

But there comes a point where it's time to set aside the studying and find the answer in the doing.

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only...

James 1:22

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For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease. Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground; yet through the scent of water it will bud , and bring forth boughs like a plant. [...]  If a man die, shall he live again? 

~ Job 14:7-14 ~

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 

~ John 10:27, 28 ~

Jesus answered , Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

~ John 3:5 ~

The cure for anything is 

salt water:  

Tears, Sweat, or the Sea.

~ Isak Dinesen ~

Grace

But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.Ephesians 4:7

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:2 Corinthians 9:8

GRACE :~ Divine influence upon the heart. GIFT OF CHRIST :~ Christ's death on the Cross, restoring our relationship with God when we accept it.EVERY GOOD WORK :~ Righteousness, obedience of the law, preaching the Gospel to all men. We have been given as much grace as Christ gave us forgiveness of sins.  What is grace for?  It is the power of the Holy Ghost working in our hearts to achieve every good work.  We are incapable of being righteous, of doing good works, of making the right decisions, of having any wisdom at all to know what those right decisions are.  This is our sin nature.  God gives is His grace to us when we accept Christ's gift of salvation.  He divinely influences our hearts to give us all that we lack so that we may achieve all of this.  This is the gift of the Holy Ghost, of being able to abide with Christ.

How to Function in a Community

First , I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world ... if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.  For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.  Now I would not have you ignorant , brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto ,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth ; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written , The just shall live by faith.
~ Romans 1:8-17

...And as ye go , preach , saying , The kingdom of heaven is at hand . Heal the sick , cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received , freely give [...]  And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter , enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence . And when ye come into an house, salute it. And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.
~ Matthew 10:7-15