Who knew not working was so tiring?

Well, I spent 6 hours "tending" the
Quality Fair. I am pooped. I normally never wear heels, and my legs just ache. I need to use muscles that tennis shoes do not use. I also have so much pain in places I never knew I had in my feet.

I hope I can walk tomorrow.

An original post by me, about ME

I bet you miss me. I keep posting stuff from this book. One would think I work for Freedom in Christ Ministries but I don't. I just found so many truths in this book that lots of people do not understand. But, onto something personal to satisfy your curiosity.

This week is the Quality Fair at work, which I am a member of the planning committee. Basically, it is a chance for the hospital and the employees to show off what they have been doing to improve quality. For me, it is a chance to get involved in encouraging others to improve quality at the hospital. Personally, I get to work with people that are the "heads" of all these different areas. I get an insight into management and leadership by talking with these staff members. A few of the women have been very gracious and actually are interested in me as a person, which is a different experience for me. Also, I get to wear a suit instead of pajamas (scrubs) and look professional, or at least attempt to.

Thanks to my sister Megan who helped me shop for the suit, to my director Linda for appointing me to the committee, and to my supervisor and manager for understanding why I won't be working Wednesday and Thursday in the department. Thanks to all the ladies on the committee that have made me feel welcome.

So, this will be a new experience for me. I cannot wait to see it all pulled together! It has been awesome to see collaboration at work, and Wednesday I get to see the final results. That, and I get to wear a suit. Thanks God for the opportunity. May I grow and learn what you want me to grow and learn.

Since I am in Christ, by the grace of God...

I know that not everyone has the time to read the Bible, and if you are a new believer, or curious what being a Christian means, read this list. This is identity in Christ. Lovingly borrowed from (you guessed it) Victory Over the Darkness: realizing the power of your identity in Christ by Neil T. Anderson.

I have been justified - completely forgiven and made righteous (Rom. 5:1).
I died with Christ and died to the power of sin's rule over my life (Rom. 6:1-6).
I am free forever from condemnation (Rom. 8:1).
I have been placed into Christ by God's doing (1 Cor. 1:30).
I have received the Spirit of God into my life that I might know the things freely given to me by God (1 Cor. 2:12).
I have been given the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16).
I have been bought with a price; I am not my own; I belong to God (1 Cor. 6:19, 20).
I have been established, anointed and sealed by God in Christ, and I have been given the Holy Spirit as a pledge guaranteeing our inheritance to come (2 Cor. 1:21, 22; Eph. 1:13,14).
Since I have died, I no longer live for myself, but for Christ (2 Cor. 5:14, 15).
I have been made righteous (2 Cor. 5:21).
I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I am now living is Christ's life (Gal. 2:20).
I have been blessed with every spiritual blessing (Eph. 1:3).
I was chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and am without blame before Him (Eph. 1:4).
I was predestined - determined by God - to be adopted as God's son (Eph. 1:5).
I have been redeemed and forgiven, and I am a recipient of His lavish grace (Eph. 1:7, 8).
I have been made alive together with Christ (Eph. 2:5).
I have been raised up and seated with Christ in heaven (Eph. 2:6).
I have direct access to God through the Spirit (Eph 2:18).
I may approach God with boldness, freedom and confidence (Eph. 3:12).
I have been rescued from the domain of Satan's rule and transferred to the kingdom of Christ (Col. 1:13).
I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sisns. The debt against me has been canceled (Col. 1:14, 2:14).
Christ Himself is in me (Col 1:27).
I am firmly rooted in Christ and am now being built in Him (Col. 2:7).
I have been made complete in Christ (Col. 2:10).
I have been spiritually circumcised (Col. 2:11).
I have been buried, raised and made alive with Christ (Col. 2:12, 13).
I died with Christ and I have been raised up with Christ. My life is now hidden with Christ in God. Christ is now my life (Col. 3:1-4).
I have been given a spirit of power, love and self-discipline (2 Tim. 1:7).
I have been saved and set apart according to God's doing (2 Tim. 1:19; Titus 3:5).
Because I am sanctified and am one with the Sanctifier, He is not ashamed to call me brother (Heb. 2:11).
I have the right to come boldly before the throne of God to find mercy and grace in time of need (Heb. 4:16).
I have been given exceedingly great and precious promises by God by which I am a partaker of God's divine nature (2 Pet. 1:14).

More thoughts from Victory over the Darkness

When your belief system is intact and your relationship with God is based on truth, you will have very little trouble working out the practical aspects of daily Christianity.

Getting right with God always begins with settling once and for all the fact that God is your loving Father and you are His adopted child. That is the foundational truth from which you live.

You are a child of God, you are created in His image, you have been justified and positionally declared righteous by Him because of Christ's finished work and your faith in Him. As long as you believe that and walk accordingly, your daily experience of practical Christianity will result in growth. You will struggle, though, if you question the finished work of Christ, and try to become somebody you already are.

We are not trying to become children of God; we are already children of God who are becoming like Christ.

We don't serve God to gain His acceptance; we are accepted so we serve God. We don't follow Him to be love: we are loved so we follow Him.

Excerpted from Victory over the Darkness by Neil T. Anderson.

I am what I am

Scriptural traits are guaranteed to you by the Word of God simply because you were born into God's holy nation by faith in Christ.
In Christ, I am what I am.
I am the salt of the earth (Matt. 5:13).
I am the light of the world (Matt. 5:14).
I am a child of God (John 1:12).
I am a part of the true vine, a channel of Christ's life (John 15:1,5).
I am Christ's friend (John 15:15).
I am chosen and appointed by Christ to bear His fruit (John 15:16).
I am a slave of righteousness (Rom. 6:18).
I am enslaved to God (Rom. 6:22).
I am a son of God; God is spiritually my Father (Rom. 8:14,15; Gal. 3:26; 4:6).
I am a joint heir with Christ, sharing His inheritance with Him (Rom. 8:17).
I am a temple - a dwelling place - of God. His Spirit and His life dwell in me (1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19).
I am united to the Lord and am one spirit with Him (1 Cor. 6:17)
I am a member of Christ's Body (1 Cor. 12:27; Eph. 5:30).
I am a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17).
I am reconciled to God and am a minister of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18, 19).
I am a son of God and one in Christ (Gal 3:26, 28).
I am an heir of God since I am a son of God (Gal. 4:6, 7).
I am a saint (1 Cor. 1:2; Eph. 1:1; Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:2).
I am God's workmanship - His handiwork - born anew in Christ to do His work (Eph. 2:10).
I am a fellow citizen with the rest of God's family (Eph. 2:19)
I am a prisoner of Christ (Eph. 3:1; 4:1).
I am righteous and holy (Eph. 4:24).
I am a citizen of heaven, seated in heaven right now (Eph. 2:6; Phil. 3:20).
I am hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3).
I am an expression of the life of Christ because He is my life (Col. 3:4).
I am chosen of God, holy and dearly loved (Col. 3:12; 1 Thess.1:4).
I am a son of light and not of darkness (1 Thess. 5:5).
I am a holy partaker of a heavenly calling (Heb 3:1).
I am a partaker of Christ; I share in His life (Heb 3:14).
I am one of God's living stones, being built up in Christ as a spiritual house (1 Pet. 2:5).
I am a member of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession (1 Pet. 2:9, 10).
I am an alien and stranger to this world in which I temporarily live (1 Pet. 2:11).
I am an enemy of the devil (1 Pet. 5:8).
I am a child of God and I will resemble Christ when He returns (1 John 3:1, 2).
I am born of God, and the evil one - the devil - cannot touch me (1 John 5:18).
I am not the great "I am" (Exod. 3:14; John 8:24, 28, 58), but by the grace of God, I am what I am (1 Cor. 15:10).

Excerpt from Victory over the Darkness where Neil T. Anderson, the author, attributes the list to John Stott, Romans: God's Good News for the World.

Powerful reading

I am reading an awesome book right now titled Victory Over the Darkness: Realizing the Power of Your Identity in Christ by Neil T. Anderson. There are so many highlights of the book I wish I could share, but my post would then be a book! Basically, the author is trying to get people to understand the part about the gospel that most of us forget or never even knew.

Most believers know and accept that Christ died on the cross for our sins and then it ends there. That would be like celebrating Good Friday and forgetting Easter. The point is that Christ was resurrected, and so are we when we accept Christ. We become spiritually alive when we accept Christ because we are brought into union with God. New life requires new birth and a new identity. Anderson says that "salvation is not a future addition; it is a present transformation." What this means is that while our souls are saved from eternal damnation, we don't have to wait to die to experience salvation. We are alive in Christ now, why wait for salvation?

Anderson brings some powerful points to light about our identity in Christ. "Its not what you do as a Christian that determines who you are; it is who you are that determines what you do." "We are saints who sin, but we have all the resources in Christ we need not to sin." "As believers, we are not trying to become saints; we are saints who are becoming like Christ."

Ponder on that... it is not what you do as a Christian that determines who you are; it is who you are that determines what you do. Powerful stuff.

We are no longer in bondage to sin, we do not have to be who we were before we accepted Christ. Life can begin anew the minute you let Him in.

Some people think that my becoming a Christian suddenly makes me a good person, and then attack my Christianity when I do not live up to expectations. It is kind of like when I got married, I took on my new last name, but it did not change everything instantly. I had to go to the DMV and get a new license with my new name. I had to go to the bank and change my name. (This can equivocate with baptism, in that it is a public declaration of my faith.) When I start signing my checks and bills with my new name, I start to live as Mrs. Newname. I do not suddenly forget signing my checks with my old name and have to think hard to sign my new name. (This can be like being a new Christian, you have to choose how you want to do things.) With practice, I remember my new name, and forget how to sign my old signature.

Following Christ is not as easy as changing your name. The good news is that there is a book that tells you how to live. The Bible could be subtitled 'Life's Instruction Manual' without a doubt. The more you keep the Word in your heart and on your mind, the easier life is to live. All by the grace of God...

Hiding in a hole

Are you lonely? Do you feel like you have no one to lean on? I am. I mean, I have Dave, and I have my family. But who is my 3am phone call? What happens if I need help and Dave is not available? I am not going to find that person by hiding in my hole.

Many people get comfortable being alone. They have their own little world, and they think of excuses not to reach out. When is the last time you talked to a complete stranger? Ok, how about that person you see almost everyday at work but don't know them or talk to them? Or how about the lady who you always seem to get checking your groceries at the store? Many people go about their everyday lives without ever reaching out to people. I find myself guilty.

I even find myself not calling people because I only have five minutes, or because its been a week, or some other dumb excuse. I spend more time on my computer than with people in a personal relationship. No wonder loneliness is increasing and the statistics are rising on depression. I am just one person. How many other people spend their whole day surrounded by people but totally and utterly alone?

The Big Idea at church this week addresses loneliness. Our pastor found a study that said it was better to eat Twinkies in a small group than broccoli alone. This means that we all need people. When God created us, it was for a relationship. It is not good for man to be alone, and Eve was created. People are meant to have a relationship with God and with each other. God did not command us to eat fruit and sit in a cave, but to be fruitful and multiply.

I need to reach out more. Simply put. God spoke directly to me on Sunday. Do you know how many lunches I have not had, and calls I have not made and visits unvisited? Too many to count. No wonder I am lonely. God give me the strength to be bold, and to follow through. It may feel safe in my hole, but its awfully lonely, and one of these days someone might just sink a ball in the corner pocket! (ouch!)

Chasing crows

Sometimes I get overwhelmed. Today I just couldn't handle the emotions of life. I was letting the crow chase me. I felt scared like a little puppy. I wanted to cry without reason.

Its times like this that I feel so small, and so far away from God. I didn't know what to do. I cried out to people I knew were safe. "Pray for me," I said. I felt even too weak to pray for myself.

Sometimes the body is weak but the spirit is willing. That is how I felt. I knew I needed something beyond myself and felt too weak to ask for it. Do you ever feel that way? Well, thank God for my wonderful husband. Dave prayed and lifted me up to God, and He wrapped me in His love. Peace returned, almost instantly. Proof that prayer works over cell phones.

Heavenly Father, I get so overwhelmed sometimes. I concern myself so much with others, and I forget about myself. Thank you for help when I am weak, and continue to keep me strong. Thank you for my husband and our trinity with you. Keep us both strong despite the resistance of the world. Please chase all of our crows away in the name of your Son, Jesus. Amen.

Happy Valentine's Day

A special post to send my love. I didn't get a chance to buy Valentines this year. I find so often that my life is full of things that I thought about more than things that I have done. Valentine's day is not just a day to spend with your sweetie, it is a good day to tell other people that you love and care for them too. Unfortunately, most people (including myself) don't always share those feelings. Today is a good excuse. In school, we gave cards to all the kids, especially our friends. What stopped us, maturity? No, I really think it is immaturity. If you are afraid to share your feelings, well, grow up.

I love more people than I can tell, I will admit it. Not everyone is very accepting of me telling them that I love them. So I am going to take this opportunity to be completely vague and totally honest... I love you. I love you more than you know, and I love you more than you deserve, I desire nothing but happiness and joy in your life. I want you to be full of love and peace, wrapped all in His grace.

Jesus loves you too, He died so that you can have a personal relationship with God. How many of your friends would die for you? Jesus knows you, He created you and he wants for you unimaginable joy. If you know this and you know Jesus, go be a blessing and love someone else today. If you are unsure of this, he wrote you a love story in the Bible, read some of it today.

If you think I am cheesy, corny, and totally whacked, its okay. I still love you. I always will. God loves you, He always will. He knows you aren't perfect, He knows that you have made mistakes, but if you are willing to accept His love, you will find grace and healing that no human being could ever share with you. That is why God sent Jesus. Jesus paid the price for all of your sins. You are right with God if you choose to love Him through His Son.

So, happy Valentine's day. I love you.

In John chapter 3: 16-21
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

Nowhere to turn? God is listening...

Sometimes life gets so overwhelming. Recently there was a tragic car accident in Oswego where 4 kids were killed, and several injured. My friend's son has a friend that lost a leg. Imagine that, being in high school, losing your friends and your leg... So tragic. This is when life gets overwhelming, and you wonder why God puts us through such ordeals. I saw those kids faces on the paper today and I wanted to cry.

I wondered why God had made my mom so sick,why she had to suffer, why we had to suffer so much. On that side of the pain, it was hard to see. I got this awesome devotional that really helped lead me through the pain, and into the glory of God. I also started reading the Bible and going to church. Things started to make sense. Then I worked on my relationship with God.

If you are hurting now, it is so hard to see the light that is there behind the cloud. I assure it, it exists. God created this world, and us, to give us love. He needed nothing, He just wanted to have us to love. Start by accepting that love, trying to understand it, and the Truth will be found. Prayer is good. Prayer is not some formal thing, and you don't even have to get on your knees, or talk out loud. Just talk to God. If you want to know God, pray for that by saying "God I want to know you." Believe me, you will come to know God. Keep reading the Bible, and talking to God. Before long, you will have a relationship, which is exactly what God wants. God wants a relationship with you. He wants you to know Him and be able to bear your heart to Him, he wants you to talk to Him, and rely on Him, especially when all else fails.

I say this because this is the truth that I have found by living in His Grace. I pray that more people will come to understand the peace that I feel by having a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. I want them to feel the joy that I feel, even a fraction of the peace I know...

Ask me more, or ask Him...

Can dogs go to heaven?

I have had something on my heart recently, and I think I want to write on it today. I am not supposed to judge, that is God's job, but I see a situation that I want to address. I don't want to hurt feelings here, because this to me is not personal. This is something that we all need to be reminded of.

God is the only one who can say if someone is saved. (Substitute is a Christian, Christ Follower, or whatever you like instead of saved, it works.)If someone does not handle a situation perfectly, that does not make them "not saved" it just makes them human. If a person has faith in God and loves Jesus Christ that is good enough to be "saved". The rest is between them and God.

Paul talks about this in the Bible. Romans 14:1, 12-13 "Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don't argue with them what you think is right or wrong... Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God. So let's stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall." And he goes on in Romans 15:7 "Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory."

Scripture speaks to me daily. I like to read it because it helps me develop a personal, living relationship with God. I use it to help me understand things. I believe the Bible is God's instruction manual for life, the more you know and put into practice, the better your life.

So while I do not know if dogs go to heaven, I know that it is not up to me, but God. It is all about HIM, not me, not what I want.

76th post, born in 1976, too cool!

Happy Birthday to me!!! For my birthday I thought I would humiliate myself by posting a picture of me at my 80s themed bachelorette party. Props to Tammy and Ashley for throwing me a super-fun, totally awesome, bodacious bachelorette partay!

Plans for today are lunch with my aunt Robin and work. Well, at least I get to see Robin!

Hanging out on Sunday

Dave and I went out to a friend's house in Rockford on Sunday to watch the Superbowl. Well, the Bears lost. The performance from Prince was all wet. The commercials were not that great. Why did we bother?

We did have a great time despite all the bad football. First off, we got to see our friends. We all hung out and ate, talked and played with the kids. Our friends Hector and Michelle have a cutie pie named Evan that is 6 months old. Dave and I fell in love, and they had to fight us to take him home. Fernando has a 4 year old named Olivia. She has the brightest pair of eyes and the biggest smile. She is irresistible! We had such a great time playing with her, we forgot that being a jungle gym for a 4 year old makes us sore! Matthew is about 2, and the last time we saw him he was shy. This time, he was anything but! His dad had him all decked out in Bears gear, and had to chase him down to keep the headband and hat on. He amazed us by munching on hot Cheetos all night, and showed us how he could fit in his sister's doll's bed. The best was when she got in there with him. It was cute until they started to roll around, we didn't want them to get hurt. How can you beat Matthew saying "GO BEARS!"?

I never thought that I could have more fun sober on Superbowl Sunday. I never thought that just hanging out with friends and family could be so good. The best part is that these memories will last a lifetime. Friends to Dave and me are more than that. We cherish them like family. They are part of our "tribe" and being with them is worth the drive to Rockford. Who cares the Bears lost? We won.

Proud Father

My dad just posted some wedding photos on his website. He is a proud father. I will never forget the way my father smiled at me on my wedding day. Just look at him. Plus, how handsome is he in his tux? My dad had so much fun at my wedding, and I know he was happy and proud of me. That just makes me so happy. My dad and I have not always seen eye to eye. Even today, we agree to disagree on things and just love each other for who we are.

Dad isn't always exactly the perfect father I dreamed of. I am sure I am not exactly the perfect daughter he dreamed of either. The good news is that I am not limited to that. I have a Perfect Father that is everything I ever needed in God. Not to put my Dad down, but NO human can live up to GOD.

People tend to rely on other people to fill all their needs. People are flawed, no one is perfect, no one can give you all the love and forgiveness you need. Only God can do that. God gives you everything you need. Don't believe me? Rely on Him, and you will. Notice I did not say everything you want. What you want is not always good for you. If I could, I would live off of chocolate and pizza. Get my point?

Thanks God for being my Perfect Father, and I hope to make you just as proud as my Dad.