Seth and Kalee's Reading Castle

My creative daddy used 2X4's, cardboard and his imagination to build this reading castle for my kids.  They love it, but I think I like it more than them :) It even comes with a drawbridge.

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What I have learned in 2009

First and foremost: God is good no matter what situation we find ourselves. We tend to only hear God is good when He answers a prayer the way we want it or things are going our way...But even if our prayers are not answered the way we would like or circumstances arrive that are painful...God is still good.

Whether in riches or whether in poverty; whether in health or whether in disease; whether in birth of children or whether in death of children; whether in job promotion or whether in job loss; whether in prosperity or whether in the loss of everything...God is good.

Everything we face is from the hand of a good God. He ordains everything whatsoever comes to pass and He never changes...He is good!

In the day of prosperity be joyful,
But in the day of adversity consider:
Surely God has appointed the one as well as the other...Ecclesiastes 7:14

2nd we deserve nothing good... This highlights God's goodness, kindness, patience, mercy, grace, and Amazing Love. We tend to want to question why...but we usually ask the wrong why questions...my question is...Why have I not been punished? Why did God not crush me because of my sins against Him? How could a Holy God not see what I thought and did yesterday and not kill me in my sleep? Why has His wrath tarried?

As in the words of Spurgeon..."Wonder of Wonders we are still in the land of mercy!" We have all sinned against a Good and Just God. One sin is enough to separate us from Him, BUT God!! He says that His grace is greater than all our sin! Praise God. We don't deserve to have blessings from God...food, friends, birth of children, colorful flowers, beautiful moutains to behold. Because of our sin against God, everything should be dark and dreary. We should be in misery, suffering, and sickness every moment, BUT GOD!! He is RICH in mercy, kindness, and goodness, and chooses to, IN SPITE of me, be patient and allow us things to enjoy..mainly Himself! What a GOOD God!

Even though I did nothing to cause Him to show me grace; I did nothing to cause HIm to love me; I did nothing to cause Him to choose me...on the contrary, I did everything for Him not to show me grace, not to love me, not to be kind to me...only judge me...He STILL chose to cause me to repent and believe...Wow!

3rd Sinners need Christ... Another year has gone, that means we are closer than ever to God's judgment that is coming upon the guilty...He is showing so much patience and kindness and bearing with sinners to come to Him and be forgiven. He is allowing the gospel to spread...Another wonder of wonders! Even though men sin, blaspheme His name, deny His existence...still He is waiting, urging sinners to come to Him to be forgiven. No matter what you have done...No matter the sin...whether you are a liar, idolater, homosexual, adulterer, murderer, thief, drunkard...the vilest of the vile...there is a Savior!

"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals,[a] nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God." 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

There is forgiveness and Christ will cleanse you. Even though you have sinned beyond measure, Because of Christ you can be presented before a Holy God without spot, blemish...blameless...Innocent! Praise His name! Repent and believe the gospel.

So as I approach this next year, I want to remember these things...not knowing what 2010 may bring...as I face uncertainty about my future, I know God is sovereign and everything is from His hand for my good and His glory...

And I write this amid a cloud of uncertanity as my husband and I are jobless, living with my parents, a 4 year old, and a child on the way...I can still say, by His grace alone, God is GOOD! He is worthy of all praise, worship, obedience...no matter what I face.

Happy new year and I love you all!

My Christmas Card to all :)

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! 2 Corinthians 9:15

God gave the gift of Christ…Why is He indescribable?

1st reason: God must punish sin…Christ was punished for sin.

“The LORD is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He by no means clears the guilty”. Numbers 14:18
God is merciful and gracious, but He’s also holy and just. He can’t let the guilty go free. He can not let sin go unpunished. We have all sinned against this Holy God and are guilty. Because of this we are subject to His Righteous Judgment and are hell-deserving. But God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son!

Christ was righteous and knew no sin, but He was treated as if He had lived a life of sin. We sinned, but He took the punishment. To those who repent, their sins have been dealt with in the body of Christ and they are now declared not guilty! Christ died under His Father’s wrath and rose again three days later so that now God can justly forgive His people because their sins have been punished! To those who do not repent, they will face the just punishment of a Holy God and perish, but He stands ready to forgive!

“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” 1 Peter 3:18.

2nd reason: We need Righteousness…Christ has provided just that!

The Bible states, “There is none righteous, no not one…There is none who does good, no not one.” Romans 3:10-12.

No one is good enough for God. If we could have been good enough, there would have been no reason for Christ to come. As the Bible states,“…Our righteousness is as filthy rags.” Isaiah 64:6

But the good news is the righteousness that we need to be made right God has been provided for us! We are not saved by our works, but only by the works of Christ. You can’t trust in anything you have ever done…it’s all of grace!
Christ lived a life of perfect obedience and those who will trust in Him, they will be credited with that perfect life! God will declare them right with Him based on the merit and virtue of Another, Jesus Christ the Lord!

Most gifts we get we do not need,
but the gift of Christ we desperately need for without Him, we will perish.
Our only hope is Christ alone…Repent and believe the gospel!

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! 2 Corinthians 9:15

I never knew you.

Salvation does not come by saying a "sinner's prayer"

Are you a new creation?

this is a video i put together with one of my favorite preachers.

"My Lord, I did not choose You"