What's gotcha clogged up....?

I was lying here thinking about the sermon our pastor shared yesterday and a statement he made toward the end came to my thoughts and I had to share another post for today. He said....

"what is it that is clogging up your life"?

So I figured I needed to take some inventory of my own life and see what it is that clogs up my daily life and keeping my relationship from growing with Jesus the way He wants it to. If I have clogs then I can't grow cause nothing is able to get through.

Let's remember none of us are perfect or have perfect lives so all of us have clogged up drains that God is just waiting to get a plunger on and clear the lines......

......so let's all take some inventory and get one of those "snake thingys" and look into ourselves and see what's clogged and get it set free so He can "freely" move in and through us.

Pictures of feelings....

I have been sitting around tonite reading God's Word and contemplating on some thoughts and this one thought just came to my mind......if I could take a picture of "my feelings" what would it look like right now? and would that picture change as the minutes, hours went by? or does my picture always stay the same?

Here is what my picture would look like right now....
I am happy!!!!!!!


Just some food for thought, what about you? what would the picture of your feelings look like right now?

2011 MS 50 Mile Challenge Walk

Know someone with MS? I do.
My sister in law, Beth McCormick.

I will be participating in my 8th year of walking 50 miles to help find a cure for this disease. There are many suffering every day and many who can't even take "one" step that ones who can walk take for granted when we get up from our beds every morning. I've attached a link to this post hoping you would be willing to donate to this cause and help the thousands of people who need YOU. The donations are not only to aid in helping to find a cure but also help them with many of their daily needs they have each day.

Please click today and help me to help them! Thanks

http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Challenge/NCPChallengeWalkEvents?px=2165923&pg=personal&fr_id=15351

SSMT #3....

"My soul melts from heaviness, strengthen me according to Your Word" Psalms 119:28

The reason I chose this verse as my memory verse #3 for 2011, is my heart has been heavily burdened for a few friends in my life and I KNOW God's Word will strengthen me, it gives me hope, it gives me peace, it lifts my burdens and my heaviness that I feel with them and what they are facing during these times in their life. It is a reminder to me that no matter how heavy my load or their load, His Word is my promise that He will bring me and them through everything we face. Thank you Lord for your constant promises throughout every page of Your Word!

Your Word NEVER fails and I'm praying that my friends will also dig into your beautiful Word and find this same peace from their heaviness too!

Room Service anyone?..........

(Check out my room service tray , yep He left it for me)

I have been pondering over many thoughts today of several issues and I came to one conclusion "my every morning is room service from my Lord".

When you are out of town and you call to order room service they bring it to you on this nice tray with everything just as you desire it to be, it all looks fresh, smells wonderful and you can't wait to dig in.

Well that is how "every morning" of my life is, except I don't have to call room service to place an order. My order is already waiting for me on my night stand when I get up, I don't have to wait for anyone to bring it to me, or worry that its late, It's already there waiting for me when my feet hit the floor, to feast from it, to eat it up, to dig in and experience the meat, the fruit, the freshness it has just by opening it up. And I have to say this is much better than bacon and eggs.

Thank you Lord for having my order ready for me each morning and thanks for filling my cup with your daily promises. I know that each day has struggles and trials but when I eat from the food you gave me "Your Word" I can't help but be "filled" and "full", and the times I'm feeling empty I'm gonna head back to my room service tray you left for me and get a "refill".

Who are you? who who who who.....

In my devotion time with the Lord tonite there was a wonderful portion that I just had to share with all of you. (Author Ellen Miller) she says...

She says we want to be accepted and admired, we fear ridicule so we create a fictional character that we believe is more engaging and attractive than our true self.

Here is three tips she gives us:
1. Reveal - tell others something about yourself, others love to hear that you are not perfect, that you make stupid mistakes.
2. Respond - real people listen with their heart and respond with their eyes. The eyes are a window to the soul.
3. Relax - get comfortable, take your shoes off, it is amazing to watch the walls come down when we kick off our heels.

So who do you believe you are? Is she a different woman than you allow others to know? If you've been in character too long, you may have forgotten how to fake it and be yourself.
"You can't live intentionally until you fake it; try being yourself for a change"

What our sins do...

Our sins weigh us down like an anchor on a ship.....let Jesus lift that anchor
Our sins shatter our hearts.......but Jesus can mend/repair what is broken
Our sins have us bound in chains....but Jesus has the key to release us
Our sins convict us.....but Jesus will give us words of forgiveness

Let Jesus grasp you in His arms of grace....let Him envelop you with His mercies...let Him draw you into His heart.......when you are given His forgiveness and you receive it then you will hear him say..... "For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love towards those who fear him, as far as the east is from the west so far does he remove our transgressions from us" Psalm 103:11-12

Camel Knees....getting ready to have them...again..

Check out these ugly knees of a camel. This is what my poor knees are going to look like before this year 2011 is up.

I'm going to be down on my knees praying "continually" for someone special. I cried and cried all day today...finally realizing and accepting the fact that God might just have to bring them to rock bottom for them to realize they need to change.

It breaks my heart for anyone to have to reach this level in their life to hear God speak to them. Why would anyone want to have to go through this?

I hope my heart can take all this....I've started crying again just sharing this with my blog world friends...

Please if you would, pray with me for this person asking God to open their eyes and bring them back home to Him and hopefully before they have to face "the rock bottom road".

Is anyone interested in you?

• Businesses are, they love to see shoppers come in their doors.
• Banks are, they want people to come in and open an account and invest their money.
• Politicians are, they want all those people to get out and vote.
• Sports Teams, they want your support as a fan cause they know you will buy the "team stuff" and go to the events.
• Doctors are, they want to see if they can help their patients.

All these and others I could go on and on with the list are interested in you because they have something to gain for themselves. (prestige, wealth)

But there is one that is interested in you just as you are...and that's God...He made you in His image...you are His precious child whom He loves dearly....and He's not interested in you because He has something to gain from you....He's interested in you just because He loves you.

Isn't it wonderful to know that!

The Three R's Part IV....

Check out the pics of our first day of the Three R's...then I'll tell you about it...

this is the beauty we woke up to at 6:30 a.m.

then we got out our Word and devotion books and our Bible Study and spent time with each other and God learning from Him until around 10:30 a.m. and oh the many things he taught us today.

then we headed out for some lunch at Johnny Rockets (this cute little dish is a (mini hot dog, a mini hamburger and a mini chili dog) it was quite good.

Then we checked out the movie "Country Strong" and then headed over to Lifeway book store to look at some books and stuff.

then oh how yummy, we went to "The Melting Pot" for dinner. It was my first time going. It was delicious. I have now become a fan...

Now we are back in our room with the balcony door open, the heat on 80, listening to the rumble of the ocean waves as they roll in and we are ready for Round two of the Word and personal devotion and prayer with our Lord! God has already spoke mountains to both of us and we look forward to what He has left to show us while we are together this weekend.

The Three R's Part III...

And the three R's have officially begun..

We have arrived at our hotel....
Opened the balcony doors so we can hear the ocean roll in all night long....
We've checked our facebooks and conversed with a few friends....
Called our husbands to let them know we arrived safe and sound...oh yeah and told them we love em' and miss em'.....

Now its off to doing some personal talking and catching up for the rest of tonite (yep just an hour left of it now)...but it will be some doozy conversations I'm sure and some funny ones. I've already had my sissy laughing like crazy at me!

Then tomorrow will bring on the meat of the weekend....SEEKING HIM!

The Three R's Part II..........

I'm gonna be experiencing the three "R"s beginning tomorrow. Headed out for a few days with my sister and definitely gonna be...
---resting (getting rid of baggage, so looking forward to doing nothing or doing what we want when we want)

and after resting comes...
---renewal (as we rest our bodies and our minds and begin seeking God then He begins to renew the things we lay at His feet)

and then comes....
--rededication (we give God what He wants from us)

Please pray for us as we get away from our normal routine of everyday life and seek Him in where He would have us to be in ourselves, with our husbands, with our children, with our families, with our church, with our jobs, and anywhere else He needs us to change in this 2011 year.

A quote from Lysa Terkeurst new Bible Study I started yesterday
"When the strains of life press against us, do we live as if Jesus really works"?
***Well, this is one of the purposes of this trip we take every year, for Jesus to renew us so that when we face each of the days God gives us to live that we are able to show the world that YES HE does!!!!

The Three R's.....

I've been sharing from my heart each day this year what God lays on my heart now I would like to hear from you and what God lays on your heart on the three "R"s...

• Rest
• Renewal
• Rededication

Where do you find them?

Each....

Each step you take is the right step if it follows Gods path....
Each word you speak is a word of love if it comes from His heart through yours....
Each decision you make is wise if you are making it according to God's will....
Each work you do is good when you are doing it for His glory....
Each truth you tell stands the test of time for lies are soon exposed....
Each gray hair you get is a crown of glory as it is gained by living a godly life....
Each smile you give is much needed....
Each prayer you lift up is heard and answered by God....
Each valley you go through there is a mountain on the other side....
Each fall you make God is there to pick you up....
Each tear you shed God will send joy to fill you up again....
Each sin you commit, God will forgive if you ask him....
Each wrong road you take God can re-direct you....
Each darkness you encounter you can find the light of God....
Each worry you have can be squashed with prayer....

I could go on and on with "each this" or "each that" but I will let you find some of your own as you seek God's Word and pray for Him to change some things in your life that may not be right where He wants them to be. Let's give our "eachs" to Him and watch how He changes us. Others in the world can't be changed until we change....so let's do some seeking and some praying and some changing....

GPS or HB, which one will help you find your way?

If you were going on an expedition you would want a guide who had the knowledge of everything in the area that could possibly be dangerous.

If you decided to take a trip through the desert you would definitely want a guide that would know where a well was located so you could replenish your water.

What about if you decided on a trek through the jungle or tropical rainforest, would you not want a guide that knew exactly how to get you through to your destination.

As we travel through different places in our lives each year many of us have this little machine called a GPS (Global Positioning System) it can tell us how to get somewhere and even how long it takes to get there.

I would just rather have an HB instead (a Holy Bible), no it won't show me how to get to an address and give me the estimated time of arrival but within its pages it helps me to find God, the one true guide, the one true trustworthy fully qualified guide who can direct my path and lead me in the exact way I need to be going.

When I have the right guide then I have the right guidance.
Psalms 48:14

Thoughts of tomorrow....

I was laying here in my bed tonite going over my lesson notes for Life Group tomorrow and began to think about my daddy. Tomorrow would be his birthday, however he is spending it not with us but with His daddy "Jesus". I have really missed having him around and getting to know my children. I look "back" at old pictures when I still lived at home and just laugh at the memories they bring. I look "forward" to the day when I will be able to see him, laugh with him and he can spend time with my kids again. That day when I will meet him in heaven where he has been for a while basking in God's presence personally.

Happy Birthday Daddy. I love you!

Today is her day.....

Well today is my precious nieces "wedding day". Born on Aug. 5 1983 Erin Elizabeth McCormick is getting married to Jeremy Tindle, the man God has placed in this world just "for her".

Congratulations to you both and I look forward to what God will be doing in your lives together.

I love you both, Aunt Beverly

SSMT #2.......my 2nd scripture memory verse for 2011

Here is my 2nd memory verse for this new year that I'm putting in my heart.

Col 3:14 "And the most important piece of clothing you must wear is love. Love is what binds us together in perfect harmony".

I want to make sure that every morning when I get ready for the day God has for me that before I walk out of my house the last garment I put on is "love". If I'm not putting on my garment of love then in no way will I ever be binding the world together with "His love". I've gotta have that garment "on" in order to give the "love" out. So if I'm not dressed properly there will be people out in this world who will miss out on something wonderful and that is ......"Jesus"

Truth...what should we do with it?

• Know it.......... (John 8:32)
• Worship in it..... (John 4:23)
• Speak it........... (John 8:46)
• Obey it............ (Romans 2:8)
• Love it.............(2 Thess. 2:10)
• Welcome it....... (2 Tim 3:8)
• Walk in it......... (2 John 1:4)

Who is the TRUTH....well Jesus that's who! (John 14:6)

Pedicures tonite.....

Kelly and Josie having pedicures tonite for the beautiful wedding tomorrow....Awwhh how sweet.....

Go or no Go?........submit or not submit?...

Well, got up at 4:00am today checked out the weather report. We decided OK we would try it. We got our showers, got dressed and headed out..."to work".....got to my office at 5:30, then my husband heads onto his job he gets there about 6:30.....

then guess what.....the president of our company calls in around 7:45 and says "the company is closed"....so what do we do...there were about 30 of us nuts who showed up to work and since we did we wanted to stay so that we could uh...get paid for the day!!! so we stayed as long as we could then he called back and said we had to leave at 12:00.

not to sure about tomorrow though..if its as bad as I'm hearing on the news....don't think I'm even gonna try....(plus my husband is telling me "no you aren't going") so what am I suppose to do.....according to God's Word I'm suppose to submit to Him.......hmmmm

Snow Day Jan 10 2011...

Well here's our first snow day of 2011.

Day in the Life of Mamma......today

Started out my day in devotion, and my Bible reading.
Off to run some errands.
Watched it snow while clear skies and 41 degrees.
Home to cook homemade soup and cornbread.
Watched movies with my son.
Did my evening devotion.
gonna chill for the rest of the night....
then ready to worship with my Lord tomorrow at His house.

Differences between fear and faith...

Fear questions;
faith moves forward.
Fear quivers;
faith stands firm.
Fear says later;
faith says "right now"
Fear is defeat;
faith is victory.
Fear says "You will be overcome";
faith says "You are an overcomer".
Fear tears you down;
faith raises you up.
Fear says, "how, when, where and why?";
faith says, "with God!"

Giving something away every day.....

"Be careful how you live, as you may be the only Bible some people ever read"

Thank you Lord for reminding me of this in my devotion tonite, and continue to help me show the world all about you by the things I say and the way I live.

Enjoy this moment....

enjoy this moment? yeah right that's kinda hard to do sometimes when you got so many things rolling around in your head...and curious about what will be happening at 8:30 tomorrow morning....well during my devotion tonite it helped me to see that if I am constantly thinking about the "next moment" in my life how will I ever be able to enjoy "this moment" I'm in right now.

Quote from my devotion "I will have more other moments to deal with life. Life's stuff is not going away - it will wait for me"

Being in "this moment" will help me to see, hear and experience the things God has for me right now in "this moment", don't hurry Him for what He is wanting to do now, take time and enjoy the moments, the blessings, choose to make "this moment" a priority for me and the ones I love, don't let the unknown creep in and ruin what God has planned.

A verse I found that gave me much comfort to not worry about the next moment.

Psalm 139:3 "You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment you know where I am".

Thank you Lord for taking care and seeing me through "every moment"

Needing to let go of yesterday....

I started an evening devotion this new year as well as one each morning and God has been speaking to me so clearly since the very first one. My devotion for tonite helped me to "See" that I need to let go of many yesterdays. I guess I thought I had, when indeed when I read through this devotion tonite God began showing me that down deep they still remained lurking in the crevices of my heart and mind ready to show their ugly horns again, pulling me into a place I don't want to go back to again.

It showed me that what happened yesterday, last month, last year or as far back as when I was a child cannot be undone. "It happened" and continuing to relive or think about it periodically is only robbing me of the present joy that God wants me to experience in my life now. Yesterday is an outside force. I need to be focusing on the present and the future of where God wants to change me and where He wants to take me. I need to be focusing on getting to know Him more, Love Him more, share Him more.

So what will I choose? the agonies of my yesterdays or the joys of today and tomorrow?

My joy is changing. Check out this verse God showed me during this devotion.
Psalm 63:7 "I think how much you have helped me; I sing for joy in the shadow of your protecting wings".

God has helped all along the way of my life and there is no need to carry this baggage of yesterday. God spoke and said "Let go"....so what's a girl to do? she is to obey her Lord! and so I will.....

Lasting Joy....

In my evening devotion tonite there is a statement I really wanted to run to my computer and share with everyone. Here it is:

"you will find lasting joy only when you decide that others' approval is not important to who you know you are".

Psalm 16:11, You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.

Joy is a state of heart that you and only you alone can control. No one can mess with your joy unless you let them.

Once " I was"....since then "I am".......

I was so excited after my devotion this morning that I wanted to just shout to the rooftops! It was about the "onces" in my life (where I once was...) but praise God I am no longer a "once was" instead I am in a "since then I am" place.

Oh just read these "onces" that God shared with me this morning from His Word:

You who were once far from God, have now been drawn close to His heart. Eph 2:13
You who were once in spiritual poverty, have now been made lavishly rich. Eph 2:7
You who were once without fruit, have now been made to flourish. John 15:16
You who were once extremely needy, have now been made complete. Col 2:10
You who were once alone and empty, have now been immersed in love. Eph 3:18-19
You who were once a wandering sheep, have now been brought into the fold. 1 Pet 2:25
You who were once an alien, have now been made a citizen of heaven. Eph 2:19
You who were once an orphan, have now been adopted into God's family. Rom 8:15

I once was lost, but now I'm found.

If I'd never had a "once I was" then I would have never found a "now I am".....

Thank you Lord

Menuchah....a place....

As I was doing my devotion this morning in this new year I was learning about this special place called "Menuchah", and I realized that I want to make sure I find this place each day in my life this year. This is the where you will find many different places like:

peace, quiet, safety, protection, nurturing, rest

A place where:

He will comfort your heart....

He will deepen your love.....

He will strengthen your faith....

He will renew your soul....

***Yep thats the place I want to be this year....in His dwelling place...all up in His arms as He takes me down each path...letting Him lead "the way"

Isaiah 32:18