Blood Moon

The sun will become dark, and the moon will turn blood red before that great and glorious day of the lord arrives. (Acts of the Apostles 2:20 NLT)

I wasn't able to see the beautiful Blood Moon last night due to extreme weather. But I promise that I spent many moments pondering on what this meant. Is the end of the world here? Does this signal the beginning of the end? Or is this just a random scientific occurrence? 

I would be crazy not to see the significance of this. Especially with the moon coinciding with Passover. After all, it's 30 degrees tonight...in April...in the Deep South. Get real!

See, for as long as I can remember, I have been obsessed with End Time prophecy! I have researched and studied and studied and researched. What did I find out? Do you really want to know?

What I learned is that while the end of the age is important, what's most important is that we are prepared for Christ's return at every moment. We as a people are always looking for signs. Jesus said that it is a wicked and adulterous generation that asks for a sign (Matthew 12:39). Why did He say that? Because we want to know how much time we have left so that we can get our fill of sin and then repent at the last possible moment.

How arrogant of us. How do we know we will live to see the end. We could die tomorrow. I could die while writing this. You could die while reading this. We are but a vapor, a mist. Here today, gone the next. We have to prepare for our eternity NOW. Don't wait until it's too late. Tomorrow may never come. 

Yes, the end of the world is surely coming. Christ's return will be glorious!! But it could be 100 years from now....or it could be one year from now.

I still research and study, because it's important to know what will happen. But it's more important to know where we will spend eternity. I want to spend my forever always with Jesus. Do you? Invite Him in and be sure.......

Sweet Temptation

I've been a candy connoseiour for as long as I can remember. I remember my Uncle Junebug (yes, Junebugs actually exist) bringing me caramel candies on a regular basis. That led to lemon drops, red hots and my all-time favorite--Hot Tamales. Y'all, they are my weakness! Everyone who knows me closely can attest to that! 

It didn't stop at just candy, it carried over to all sweets--cakes, brownies, etc. I literally could go an entire day eating only sweets. Although I could, it's definitely not beneficial. It reminds me of a scripture--

You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything. (1 Corinthians 6:12 NLT)

It's true. I admit. I have an addiction to sweets. I became a slave to it. I'm a slave because I allowed something to control me. And although sweets are okay in moderation, it's definitely not okay in large doses. 

What's your addiction? It doesn't have to be something bad. It's anything that you can't control, something that takes your focus off of priorities. Is it social media? Alcohol? Gossip? Money? 

I invite you to give it over to God. It won't be easy. But it will be worth it. I'm on my fifth day without sweets and it has been tough. But God's Grace is sufficient in my weakness.

Can't Get Right

I gathered all of my newly purchased water jugs. I labeled each in ways so that I will have guzzled down a full gallon of water each day. I knew it was a stretch because I'm not particularly a water fanatic. 

I was determined that hunger would catch me off guard, so I unthawed my already-seasoned chicken breast and prepared the salad to go long with it. 

I was determined to eat healthy and live healthy. There was one thing standing in my way--the leftover cake in the fridge and the gallon of Blue Bell ice cream in the freezer. Panic started to set in. What would I do? Well, a little cake wouldn't necessarily hurt. Except I knew I would never probably have just a little. It wouldn't necessarily throw me off course. 

I played scenarios out in my head. The right way seemed boring and constrictive. The wrong way--to eat just a little cake and ice cream seemed justifiable and not too bad. While weighing the pros vs. cons, I never thought about the consequences of negative actions, I only saw that I would be scratching that sweet itch and satisfying my flesh. I decided to eat the cake. 

And afterwards, I felt absolutely horrible. I decided that the day was already ruine and that I might as well fully indulge in bad behavior. It was at that point that the consequences began to cross my mind. The fact that heart disease is so prevalent in my family. It was then that I recalled the new study that said excessive sugar could lead to heart disease. And that cake and ice cream was excessive. 

Isn't that how Satan does us when we are struggling with sin? After all, in the Garden of Eden, he presented Eve with the "good side" of disobeying God. He failed to mention the consequences. Once we give into sin, we can feel helpless and hopeless. In our minds, we might as well fully indulge, since we gave in already. Romans 6:1-2 says, "What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" 

We have to pick ourselves up and try again. Continue on the with good fight. It's hard to resist temptation, but it's so worth it. "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded."  (James 4:7, 8 NIV) God wants to take us to higher heights and deeper depths. We can't allow tricks of the enemy to block our blessings. Stand strong and tall and fully depend on God. 

It's not worth the low feeling of guilt that we feel after we fall. But we know that He's right there to pick us up. We don't deserve a love like that, but He's willing to freely give it to us. 

 

And remember, He provides a way of escape...we just have to want to accept the way out. "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." (1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV)

What does it mean to "love the world?"

"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them." (1 John 2:15 NIV)

It's a Bible verse that we all have (or probably have) heard. It's mentioned in our churches. In our conversations. We can quote it verbatim. But do we REALLY understand what it means? 

What is "the world?" Does John (the writer of 1 John) mean the earth? No. What is it then? The world, in this writing, means the evil in the world. This is the world that Satan dominates. It includes things that oppose the Kingdom of God. 

1 John goes on to say, "For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world." (1 John 2:16 NIV)

So the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride if life are things that oppose God. 

The lust of the flesh is pretty simple to describe. It's the desire for anything that is forbidden by God. This can be fornication, adultery, homosexual sex, drugs, drunkenness, hatred, jealousy, etc. "The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God."  (Galatians 5:19-21 NIV)

The lust of the eyes is also something many of us can describe. It's desiring the things that we see in the world. Let me clarify, there is nothing wrong with desiring a better life. What makes some desires wrong is our motives. There's one thing to want more money in order to provide for our families. It's a completely different situation when we desire more income in order to place ourselves above others. When we desire to be "big shots" in order to "stunt," we turn money into an idol. The Bible says we can't serve God and money. And it's absolutely right. The love of money positions itself as a total opposite of the love of God. Check your motives. 

There are many different theories as to what "the pride of life" is. I believe that the pride of life is a life saturated with arrogance. One that is totally self-centered and does not glorify God for it's accomplishments. 

All of these things are in direct violation of the word of God. Thankfully, we serve a mighty God....one who loves us. Let's turn our backs to the things of this world and serve God wholeheartedly. After all, "The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever." (1 John 2:17 NIV)

Crock Pot White Chicken Chilli

So, I decided to switch things up and post a few recipes here and there. Last night, we had white chicken chili for dinner. It was so good!!!

I found the recipe on pinterest (duh, I'm hooked on Pinterest)! Follow me on Pinterest

I decided to make a few changes in the recipe. You can find the original recipe here

Of course, I didn't remember to take a picture until we started eating! Here's the picture from the original recipe.

Ingredients for Chilli:

1 1/2 lbs of uncooked chicken breasts cut into 1-2" chunks
Two 15 oz cans of white beans (White kidney beans)
One 15 oz can of white corn (can substitute with sweet yellow corn)
1/2 onion chopped (I used the sweet yellow onion)
One clove of garlic, finely chopped
Two packages of taco seasoning (I used McCormick. I notice that other brands tend to be super salty.)
One 7 oz can of chopped green chiles
One can of cream of chicken soup (small can)
One 14 oz can of chicken broth


Ingredients for Topping:
1/2 cup of sour cream
Shredded cheese (I used Colby Jack and Cheddar)



Directions:
Place cut up chicken in the bottom of your crock pot. Add beans, corn and onion on top of the chicken. In a bowl, mix the chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, green chiles, garlic and chopped garlic. Once mixed, pour into crock pot. I cooked the chili on high for about 4 1/2 hours. Afterwards, I placed it on low for 3 1/2, for a total of 8 hours.

Using a fork, I broke up the chicken pieces. I didn't drain the beans or corn prior to cooking because I wanted to serve the chili with rice. If you want to serve with tortilla chips or crackers, drain the beans and corn prior to pouring them into the crock pot.

Pour the shredded cheese on top of the chili. Next, place a dollop of sour cream to finish it off. The original recipe garnished the chili with finely chopped cilantro. I skipped that step, but will likely do it the next time I made it.

I really like crock pot cooking. Clean up is super easy if you use the crock pot liners.

Enjoy!!

Sandie

I don't want to raise successful children

I read this a few years ago. It's really been on my heart lately. It's a must read for parents and future parents. It is written by Lisa TerKeurst. She is an awesome writer! She can be found on the Proverbs 31 ministries website. I encourage all women to check out the site at Proverbs31.org !

I Don't Want to Raise Successful Children by Lisa T

“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” Proverbs 22:6 (NIV)

I don’t want to raise successful children. That’s a shocking thing to read, and a shocking thing for a mother to type. So, let me clarify.

I used to define success according to my child’s report card. Good grades and academic achievement would surely equal a good child with great potential in this world. But then several of my children wound up being average students with average grades. Though we carted them off to tutors and spent many a late night at the kitchen table helping them, they remained average. And I remained concerned and frustrated.

One report card day I found myself facedown in the fibers of my carpet crying and wondering, “Where have I gone wrong as a mom?”

I dug into Scriptures. I begged God for wisdom and discernment. I prayed for God’s perspective with each of my kids. Finally, one day it dawned on me – what if I simply chose to embrace the natural bent of each of my kids as God’s way to protect them and keep them on the path toward His best plans for their lives?

What if my A student needs academic success to prepare her for God’s plans while my average to below-average student needs to be steered away from a more academic future? What if my sports star kid needs that athletic excellence for his future assignments by God, but my benchwarmer kid is being protected from getting off course by her lack in this area?

And that’s when it finally dawned on me. My job isn’t to push success for my kids. My job as a parent is to recognize the unique way God created each child and point them to Jesus at every turn along their journey toward adulthood. Yes, I want my kids to learn and thrive and grow up educated, but it’s not a flaw in me or them if they don’t have straight A report cards and trophy cases full of sports medals.

Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it” (NIV).

I am challenged to ponder these words, “… in the way he should go.” Are we training our kids that the “way he should go” is to chase worldly achievement or to chase God? Whatever they learn to chase as a child, they will chase as adults. Therefore, we must be challenged to honestly assess the way we are pointing them to go.

My daughter, Hope, is one of my average students. She has also warmed many a bench in the sports she’s tried, and can always be found hiding on the back row of the stage during school concerts. Using the world’s benchmarks for achievement, Hope wouldn’t be seen as a child positioned for success. But God…

This past January, my 15 year old Hope, shocked me when she announced she wanted to go to Ethiopia with some missionary friends of ours and live in the remote African bush for the summer. Yes, she may not have trophies and straight A report cards but she does have a heart of gold. And because she’s not entrenched in sports and academic pursuits that could have created obligations for her summer, she was free to go to Africa. Free to chase God in a really big way.

One of the first e-mails she sent me from Ethiopia read, “Mom, I’ve fallen in love with the AIDS orphanage children. They rushed at me when I held my arms out and I tried with all my might to hold all 30 of them at once. I love it here.”

Now, don’t get me wrong. I do expect Hope to return to her studies this fall, give 100% effort, and finish her high school career having done her very best. She will most likely then go to college. But she probably won’t be delivering the valedictorian address or wearing the honors cords and medals. She’ll be the one with a vision of a dying AIDS orphan pressing against her heart ready to chase God’s plans to the ends of the earth.

So back to my original statement, I don’t want to raise successful children. It’s true, I don’t. Though Hope’s sister coming behind her is an A student and can always be found on the front row of school performances – we don’t chase after success for her either. I trust God that she needs those things in her life for the plans He’s unfolding in her life. We train with that bent in mind. But, we don’t chase it. Just like Hope, we point her in the direction of God at every turn and pray like crazy.

I stand by what I said and I’ll say it again, I don’t want to raise successful children. Because— raising God-honoring adults who will set the world on fire for Christ is just so much more rewarding.

Don't give up on them

Growing up in the South, family is truly a cornerstone. We would gather every weekend just to hang out. In addition, we spent every Christmas together. I'm talking parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. Our family is (was) so intertwined, that I have a cousin that I call brother and another cousin that I call sister. We were just close like that. I could say that I don't know what happened. But, I do. Satan. See, he is so slick. He infiltrates and destroys everything. All he needs is one little argument, just a little jealousy, a little nastiness....and he will destroy everything in his path. That's what he did. Long gone are the family cook-outs, the Christmas morning breakfasts, the birthday parties, baby showers, etc. 

The Bible tells us that Satan came to steal, to kill and to destroy (John 10:10). And, y'all, he has stolen, killed and destroyed within my family for entirely too long. I'm not taking it anymore. I refuse for my family to continue to go down this path. There are so many Biblical promises that are relevant! God said that He would restore all that we have lost to the swarming locusts (Joel 2:25).  The one scriptur that I'm going to focus on is:

Mark 11:24 ESV 

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

I'm going to believe, no matter bad it looks, no matter how much they gossip about one another, no matter how much they seem to hate each other. I will believe that God is going to do a great work. My faith regarding this is bigger than a mustard seed. I want my extended family to be restored.

I know that I'm not the only one in this predicament. I ask you guys to join me in praying for my family. Lots believe God to do exceedingly and abundantly above what I have asked and what I think! Also, if you want to get in on this, leave a comment and we can begin a prayer group for restoration!