Sparkled Life

Success is a choice.

2012-01-30T19:51:00.000-08:00

You can only hear someone’s voice if they are close enough to you. So many times we keep people close to us that are our enemies. We feel discouraged and defeated because we are listening to the wrong voice.

So much of our decisions we make are determined by the voices that we listen to. One voice echoes that we won’t make it. One says that you are more than able.

Success is a choice.

So is defeat….

You can stop doing what you are doing, but that means the enemy wins.

I love the story of the woman caught in adultery (John 8). Jesus told the people that were against her that he who is without sin cast the first stone. No one threw a stone…in fact we know the story they all began to walk away one by one. Yet she still stood there before Him.

Until it was just her…and the maker of the Universe…Jesus.

God’s love for you will outlast your accusers. She never defended herself, not one time. She just continued to stand and let Jesus speak for her.

Let me tell you something. God’s word will outlast the people that say you can’t make it. God’s word will out last your failures. You don’t have to have all the answers. All you have to do to win is just stand, and let Jesus come to your defense. Before you know it all the people that were against you will be gone.

Some might say the woman caught in adultery got lucky that day, but she received the Grace because she stood. She stood when others told her to run away. In life there is no such thing as luck. What the world calls luck is when preparation meets opportunity.

Just keep standing.

Success is a choice…..Not a right.

LOVE MULTIPLIES CHALLENGE

2012-01-29T13:44:00.000-08:00

Our church has been raising money for our parking lot for two years. Little by little we have been paving our parking lot as we have the money come in. We are about to pave the LAST of THREE phases. In that a couple in our church challenged us today to use the talents that we have to finish the final things that needed to be done, and gave us $5.00 each to go multiply our seed. Our church is calling this LOVE MULTIPLIES CHALLENGE.

Talent....We are born with it right?

Well some of us were born with it any ways. I was sitting there thinking of what I could do and my mind was blank. Then it hit me.... CLOTHES! I LOVE CLOTHES

We all have that time in the morning staring in a closet that looks full of clothes yet we still can't find anything to wear right?!

This is my favorite part of my day is putting together outfits. Taking what I have and using it in different ways. So with that said for the LOVE MULTIPLIES challenge at our church I am going to people's homes and helping them take what they have and put it together in different ways then they would have usually done.

I will keep you all posted on how much money I raise for our church. I have two weeks from today and I am believing that my $5.00 that was given to me will turn into at least $500.

Makes you think what talent do YOU have that you just overlook. The widow in Kings was asked by the prophet...WHAT DO YOU HAVE? He didn't ask her what she WISHED she had. What she would ONE DAY have. He asked her what she had at that moment. She then told him that she had some oil. With that little bit of oil she filled lots of jars.

So now I am CHALLENGING you with our LOVE MULTIPLIES challenge. What do YOU have in YOUR house that you can give to God and watch God multiply over the next few weeks? Let's start a LOVE REVOLUTION with people using what God has given them to impact others... If you do rise to the challenge let me know and blog about it so I can see your progress along the way!

Key to Multiplication

2012-01-04T02:56:00.000-08:00

No matter who you are the New Year always brings a time of reflection...Looking inward and thinking about all the things we would have done differently....Thinking about things we are glad we did.....Thinking about what we would like to see in the year to come.

In Matthew 25:14-30 there is a popular story of the parable of the talents. Here Jesus tells us about a Man who was going on a journey so he entrusted all his wealth to three men each according to their ability. Sometime later the Bible tells us the first two brought back their earnings having doubled what was given to them. The third however came to the master calling him hard and reveals that he was afraid of him therefore he didn't do anything with what he had been given. The master was then disappointed with him.

I find it interesting that here we see three men all given an opportunity and all given something that they didn't necessarily earn. They all three had encountered the Man at the same time yet one had a skewed view of who He was.

A lot of us as we begin this new year we begin to take inventory of what all we have to make success happen. We begin to count things that really don't even matter as to weather we will be successful or not. For example we count the prestige of our jobs to see if we are successful. The amount of money we have in our checkbooks tells us if we are going to make it another year. The number the scale tells us if we are pretty or not. All of these things when counted will not bring forth any multiplication of what we desire.

The two men in that text in the Bible saw increase in their life because they saw the man (Jesus) for who He was. When you begin to see Jesus for who He is you begin to multiply in every area of your life. This time of year people are buying self help books, gym memberships, and listening to motivational speakers. All those things are good, but they will bring no real change.

What will bring change is just to find out who Jesus is in your life, and that will change the way you use everything you have. The two men that multiplied what they had did so because they knew the Person that gave it was loving forgiving and merciful. Where you know you are loved there begins to be a freedom to take risks that ordinarily you would have never taken. They knew the Man had given them something that cost Him everything, because they realized the price the Man paid for them to receive that chance they were willing to act on it.....

The final man received a rebuke from the Man (Jesus) in this text. He received rebuke because he had potential for increase, but didn't do anything about it. God has entrusted each of us with talents gifts and abilities. Those things are not ours to do what we want with. They were given for us to go and multiply what was begun in us. However there will be no multiplication until you see Jesus for who He is.

So I end this blog with a statement that has pierced my heart the last few days....

"Every area that is experiencing lack in your life is under the influence of a lie."-Pastor Lawrence Neisant.

The lack we see in our life really comes down to us not seeing Jesus who He is. So who is Jesus to you this 2012 year? Is He a hard man? Is He loving? How you see Him is how you will increase...It all starts with your vision of who He is.

Miracles Today

2011-11-30T04:15:00.000-08:00

I was sitting in service last night as altar ministry was going on and the Lord spoke to my heart "The reason why people don't pray for the sick is because they don't believe that I heal."

I was somewhat taken back at what the Lord had spoken to my heart. Then I began to think of all of the times that I felt like I should/could pray for someone to be healed, but in the back of my mind always remained a question...."What if I pray and nothing happens? I don't want to make God look bad." So instead of bringing solution to the problem (which is what we are called to do as Christ followers) I in turn just tell them how to deal with the situation.

Now don't get me wrong I have seen many miracles since being in ministry. I have with my eyes seen cancerous tumors shrivel before my eyes as prayer was taking place. I have seen the look of joy come upon the face of a person that just heard noise for the first time. Even with seeing all of this I know that the power of God is real and for today....yet why do we hesitate to pray for the sick?

Unbelief.

Pastor Thomas Kudjoe is my Pastor's Son in the faith. Pastor Thomas lives in Ghana Africa and he has seen three people raised from the dead, kids totally healed of autism in services and many more miracles. I asked him why does he think he sees those miracles and so many Americans have never seen those things happen. His response was easy. "We believe the Bible. We know that Jesus Words are true. We don't read the Bible for information we read it for a revelation."

I sat there listening to Pastor Thomas words and I felt so convicted in my heart of how many times I have let the Word of God only be information that I know in my head but not a revelation out of my heart that spurs action.

The Word of God is solid about healing from the Old Testament all the way through the New. God loves to see His people healed. I know what you are thinking: "Yes Crystal God does heal but only if it is His will." Let's look at that shall we?

Matthew 6:9-13

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
¹⁰ Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread.
¹² And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
¹³ And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

We all know this prayer right? Let's look at verse ten Your Kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Let's just think for just a second what they are saying is that we are going to have an invasion of heaven on earth. God's will is what is happening in heaven wouldn't you agree? Now think with me is there sickness in heaven? Is there cancer in heaven? Is there lack of money in heaven? You are thinking: "Of course not because it is heaven!" Wait a minute Jesus gave us this prayer so we can see an invasion of heaven on earth. So that means that whatever is happening in heaven WE are to enforce that principal on earth and it shall be done.

Psalm 103:3 Who forgives ALL your sins and heals ALL your diseases

Let's define ALL:

* the whole amount, quantity, or extent of

* as much as possible

* the whole number or sum of

So do you believe Jesus has forgiven ALL your sins? If you believe that we must believe the second part of this verse as well. Just as he forgives ALL your sins, He has also healed ALL your diseases. God is able.

I know there are a lot of people that don't believe that healing is for today. Truth is we try to make excuses for why we haven't seen it instead of confronting the unbelief that is within our hearts. God's will is to heal every time no matter what....Why don't we always see the fullness of that...That is for God to reveal to us one day in heaven, but for right now I am to do what he has told us todo and that is to lay hands on the sick and see them recover.

Now back to the service last night when the Lord spoke to me.... I opened my eyes and one of our students was standing there. He is an all-star athlete for our high school football team. I asked him what did he need. He replied "I need prayer for my back to be healed." I layer hands on his back and could feel the power of God go into his back and knew that he received his healing. I finished praying for him and then asked him if he felt any better then when he had asked for prayer. He replied and said "Well it only hurts when I do certain things." I then told him "Well do the certain things." He gave me a puzzled look and reluctantly said "ok".

He did the first thing that would have normally brought great pain and had a look of shock as there was NO PAIN....Then from doing that I told him do something else...He bent over and touched his toes. He comes up with watery eyes and says "There is NO PAIN!" He begins to tell me how he injured his back during football season and was going to have to go thru extensive physical rehab to get his back well. In that he would miss the sport that he loved most and that is baseball. This isn't the first healing I have seen like this. There has been so many more. Each one moves my heart to think that we serve a God that cares about everything that we need. He is so faithful. He loves to heal His people.

God is faithful every time...All we have to do is respond to the opportunities that are presented to us.

Girls perspective of football

2011-10-11T12:25:00.000-07:00

I was watching the "Red River Shoot Out" on Saturday. Needless to say if you watched at all you will know it was a hands down almost embarrassing win for Oklahoma this year. The announcer said something that caught my attention in the process of the game is that the Longhorns weren't expected to win because 54 of their 79 players were either Freshman or Sophomores.

I began to think about this. They lost because the ones that had gone before these freshman and sophomores failed to reproduce who they were in the people that were coming behind them. So many times in life we are so caught up in the game of life we are facing right now. Forgetting that there is a generation that is coming behind us. That the success of the team after we leave is hinged upon how we train up the people that are coming after we are gone.

Moses in the Bible trained up Joshua. Joshua after getting to the promised land never poured into the next generation. One of the saddest scriptures in the Bible is Judges 2: 10 After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel.

There are very few great moves of God that actually got to be passed down to the next generation.....Eli failed to raise up any Godly sons...So God used Samuel....Samuel didn't raise up Godly sons so the people desired a King to be like everyone else so they got Saul.

If the enemy can keep us busy fighting for victories of today we will never have long term success. In life it is not the wins that I experience today that measures if it was a victory won. Victory will be measured best when I am gone if what I have continues to live on.

Think of Pastor John Osteen. He had a dream and a vision that was larger than life. He knew that God had called him to have a global impact with the Gospel of Jesus. He died with a small part of that vision fulfilled. Now look at his son Joel Osteen who now preaches to 7 MILLION viewers each and every week in 100 countries thru television. That is not including the 43,500 people in attendance each week at his church. If that isn't enough all of John and Dodie Osteen's children are in full time ministry pastoring in thriving church's. Now that my friends is true victory! Pastor John Osteen took what inside of him and passed it on for the next generation to carry it on after he went to be with the Lord.

What ways are you training up those that are coming behind you in life?

Will what is inside of you die when you die? Or are others carrying the dream with you?

The truth of the matter is next year we will have another Texas vs. OU game. In life though there are no re-do's we get one chance to make an impact. Today is your day to pass on what you have inside of you!!

Take time to realize......

2011-09-27T07:43:00.000-07:00

In a world that never sleeps there are a million things grabbing for our attention....So many demands we feel as though we have to fulfill. Everyone in our world has some kind of expectation that they look for us to meet each and everyday.

Somewhere in the chaos the ones we love most are the ones that their voice becomes muddled. The people that we love so much and that all our activity is for are the very ones that we can no longer hear because there is so much grabbing for our focus.

We can love someone with our heart....

The problem is the people we love can't feel or see our heart....They can only see where our time goes and who it goes to.

So eight weeks ago with a world that shouted for my attention I decided to mute everything and to just get quiet.......I stepped away from a lot, and took time to realize what matters most.....

At the end of life what matters? Why do I do all that I do?

At the end of eight weeks I have realized that it really doesn't matter if the shoes are always put where they belong. What matters more are the little feet that fill shoes. When I look back over my life the placement of where the shoes were aren't going to matter....What we did while he was in those shoes is what we will remember the most.

Sometimes we can get so busy trying to get where we are going that we forget to chill out and enjoy the journey. To take a deep breath and realize that God is the one driving and that I will get to where I am going at the perfect time. So my windows in my house have a few more fingerprints......Instead of worrying about those fingerprints I am enjoying every single one. Realizing where there will be a day when I will have a house with everything in place, and when that day comes I will look back on these days and miss the shoes out where they don't belong. I will miss the little fingerprints from children laughing outside while they play. There will be a day when toys won't be hidden all over my house......Then I will look back to the day I am in today and smile.....I will have memories not just of cleaning the messes but enjoying the ones that made those little messes.

Have you ever stopped to realize that we are always getting ready to enjoy life, but we never actually start? We always say one day we are going to get away and do this or that....but we never do?

Last weekend we went on a mini family vacation in the middle of everything we just got away with our kids and had the best time. They did story time in their pajamas.....They ate food in the hotel bed. We did nothing but love on them and do anything they wanted to do.....We just took time to love the day we were in.

The greatest day of your life is today....The greatest blessings you will ever have are all around you right now. Today is the day you realize that your joy doesn't lie in your someday but rather it lies your today....Today has everything you need to live a happy fulfilled life...The question is have you taken time to realize it?

This just isn't fitting...

2011-09-17T06:58:00.000-07:00

Rylan was four years old and loved cowboy boots. The only problem is the cowboy boots that used to fit him when he was three no longer fit him. One morning he was so sad because he wanted to wear those boots to school. I pleaded my case as to why the boots don't fit and that he would be so uncomfortable all day long if he chose to wear him. Even with all my good points he did not believe me. In his eyes he was still the same size and hadn't grown at all. In these moments you can either let them trust what you are saying is true or you can let them have their way so they can experience what you have told them is true. Needless to say that was one of the longest days of his life he came home and his feet hurt so bad. He was adamant that he would NEVER wear those boots again.
Unfortunately the mind of a four year old only remembers pain for a few days then he wanted to wear those boots again....Thus we went thru the whole ordeal again. After this time though I got rid of the boots so they would no longer tempt him any longer.
Rylan's story with his boots seems like a silly and obvious story in that he had outgrown the boots and shouldn't wear them right?
I have found though so many times in our life it isn't boots that we are trying to squeeze into it is relationships, attitudes, lifestyles, and a world that we don't fit into.

1Corinthians 4:10(msg)
We are the Messiah's misfits......

The further you go into the goodness of God the more you realize that the world you fit into a few years ago, months ago, weeks ago maybe days ago just doesn't fit you the same anymore. I have found that Christians are filled with pain and disappointment because we live in a way that we were never supposed to live. The Bible calls you a MISFIT not most popular. Sure we live in this world, but the moment you got saved you got the seed of everything that Jesus is on the inside of you. In that there are things in you that are bound to change in time.

Before I got pregnant with Rylan I hated tomatoes. Just the sight of them would make my stomach turn....That is until I got pregnant with him. I would dream of biting into large whole tomatoes. The sight of them would make my mouth begin to water. Finally I told my husband I can't stop thinking about eating tomatoes. What is wrong with me? He told me maybe you should try them again. I did and it was the most glorious thing I had eaten in weeks. To this day I love tomatoes now.

You see what was growing inside of me changed what I was hungry for. Changed my desires from what I used to like to new things that would have never appealed to me prior. It is much like when you begin in Christ the things that never appealed to you now is what you look forward to. There begins to develop a hunger that can't be quenched in anything else. I tried to be satisfied without eating the tomatoes however nothing worked. So many times we are hungry for what only the presence of God can bring and we try to fill it with careers, money, friends and other things. When what we are hungry for is more of Him.

I believe when we got saved there was a yearning inside of us to shine forth this light that has been implanted in us. To not just blend into the crowd but to stand up and stand out for Christ. To step out into miracles that are beyond our understanding. There is a longing on the inside of us to encounter this Messiah in ways that we never thought possible. I think when we get to Heaven we will see what all we could have accomplished if only we would have not worried about fitting in and just would have stood up for what God wanted us to do.

Isaiah 60:1,2
Arise and shine for your light has come. And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold darkness shall cover the earth and deep darkness the people; but the LORD shall arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you.

There are several things that is happening in this verse let's look at it:
1. The Lord is telling you to arise. To get up means that first you must have fallen down right? So He is telling us no matter what problem has pushed you down it is time to get up again. That you can stand again.
2. Tells us that our light has come. Past tense. It is done. There is a light that is on you even when you are down or when you are standing. That the light is a fact no matter your position. He has placed this in you, and as you awaken to it there will be a response. That is response is that you will get up!
3. Next thing the Lord tells us is that we have light but that there is going to be a darkness around us, but not to worry that the light is still there. So many times the light of Christ in us if we got real honest makes us feel awkward because we don't see things like other people. We don't desire to live like other people, but being a light in a dark place makes us feel out of place and uncomfortable. So instead of shinning we just try to fit in where we were never made to fit in.

Again 1 Corinthians calls you a MISFIT! Paul calls us aliens in another text.

So I encourage you to SHINE. Don't worry about fitting into a world that you were never called to fit! When you decide to let the hunger of what is growing inside of you dictate your actions you will begin to walk in a fulfillment you didn't know was even possible. Together we can bring change to our world....It won't be done by trying to be like everyone else. It will come as we begin to step up and step out into what God has called us to!

Summer is....

2011-08-21T19:15:00.000-07:00

Summer. Just the word brings excitement weather you are 3 or 93. Summer brings memories of back yard BBQ's with friends, watermelon, fresh tomatoes bought at a local fruit stand, small town snocone stands, and lots of fun with family and friends. There is something about summer that when it begins you feel as though it will be here forever.....and when it is over brings a realization that nothing is forever.

Here are a few things of what summer was for us...

Summer is loosing teeth

and gaining new sons and daughters.

It is never being so busy that you can't have time for the people that matter most.

It is playing dress up with Daddy's glasses and hat.

It is rides on the church bus for ice cream with Papa.

It is trips to the nail salon for girl time.

Summer is making time to get away and make memories that will last a lifetime.

Summer is overcoming fears that bound us for so long and realizing that thing that we feared all our life was nothing scary at all!
(Brailey used to be frightened of people in a costume)

Summer is lots of time spent at the pool and playing basketball. With sunburnt cheeks.

Summer is taking time to get away from it all and gathering with people you love for cook outs.

So tonight I am just looking through the pages of my life and all I can say is thankful. So thankful God allowed me to be Rylan and Brailey's mommy. So thankful to be given the gift to bring them up in the things of God. So thankful to be their mommy. Tomorrow Brailey starts 1st grade. I am overwhelmed in emotion. One part of me so thankful for the little girl that she has become and the other part sad that the baby she was is now over. Saying goodbye to the care free days of summer and going back into homework, field trips, and full schedules. I wouldn't have it any other way.....

So now the house is silent the night before with backpacks ready, lunchboxes full, and a little girl ready to face anything the world will bring her way.....

Scared of me.

2011-07-27T04:20:00.000-07:00

Meet Rosey.

She is a product of going to a beauty supply store. I know what you are thinking how did you get a dog at a beauty supply store right?

Well my daughter Brailey is six now and can read (which has it's good points and not so good points). I was pulling into the parking lot of the beauty supply store and Brailey reads a sign out front "PET ADOPTION TODAY ONLY". Her being the animal lover that she is lets out the biggest squeel asking me to please go and look at the pets.

We call daddy to tell him about the dog we just met, and I know you know the end of this story....We now have Rosseitta (aka Rosey)

Rosey is a great dog.

She is loving.

She is obedient.

She loves our kids.

Rosey was born and raised in a shelter. She has never had a family.

Ever since we had her she has been loosing weight. We were starting to grow concerned as to why.

My husband's aunt came in town for a few days. While she was at our house she watched Rosey with her shiny metal dog bowls. She asked if we had realized that Rosey was afraid of her bowls. We laughed it off thinking what dog would be afraid of her bowls? Then his aunt began to explain it isn't the bowls she is afraid of it is what she sees when she goes to eat from the bowls.

We look and realize that the bowls cast a reflection....She was scared of herself.

His aunt then put down food for her to eat on the floor and immediately she ate it all up. Rosey is putting on weight now.

All this time she had the thing she needed, but fear of herself had kept her out of a place of receiving it.

Isn't this how we are as people. We aren't afraid of success so much as we are afraid of our self....

What if I fail? What if I am not good enough? What if everything "they" said all my life is right? What if I don't make it? What if I don't have what it takes....

I have always said if you want to find your greatest enemy go to the bathroom and look in the mirror. That person staring back at you will talk you out of your greatest blessings and will back you into a place of feeling isolated. We will disqualify our self before anyone else gets a chance.

What is holding you back today from what you desire....Is it you?

2011-07-13T21:16:00.000-07:00

It's Wednesday night...Got to cook for the family, feed the kids, clean the kids from feeding the kids and then it is off to make the kitchen look like something that didn't get hit by a Texas tornado. In the midst of cleaning the kitchen, wiping little faces and hands what was on their faces and in the kitchen somehow got all over my outfit. So it is off to change clothes only to realize that the jeans are still in the washer, because I stopped laundry to cook dinner. So now it is a wet washcloth and quick "spot" clean instead. Load the kids in the car and drive with the air on high pointed at my pants so the spots will dry before I walk into church.

Pull into church spots still on pants. So I flip the mirror on my visor down to see if maybe I can fix my hair because I don't remember looking in the mirror since I brushed my teeth this morning....or did I even brush my teeth this morning....In contemplating my teeth I realize part of my sons dinner got on my shoulder when I lifted him out of his high chair....GREAT! Now I have spotty wet pants and spaghetti all over my shirt...and teeth that well....Let's just all pretend they got brushed ok!

Go into church frazled from the day. Walk in to find a handful of teens (ok not a handful there was two) hanging out in the lobby. As I walk in I am thinking "Lord really how am I supposed to be cool and relevant to these kids when I can't even keep any part of me clean!"

Bryan would preach his heart out to 2 teenagers in a room with 50 chairs. Bryan had decided to put the 50 chairs out in the room to stir up their faith. To me though it just made our two seem even smaller in the sea of chairs. I would try to connect with them but neither one of the two liked me to much. I felt like I spoke Spanish and they spoke a language that the world didn't know or even knew existed. We would turn out the lights in our then youth room and I would look at the 50 chairs and ask myself "Lord I know you have me here for a reason but why? These kids don't even like me! I am not cool enough. I am not smart enough."

The Lord spoke to me in those moments and said this in my heart: "I am not calling you to be cool enough and I am not calling you to be smart enough....I am calling you to mother a generation."

Something happened in my heart that night....I determined that anyone the Lord sent us I would be their mom.

What is a mother?
A mother is one who brings forth life. They are protectors and the responders to the children's cries in the night. Comforter of any and all injuries. She reminds them why they are great. She cleans, cooks, drives, directs, nurtures, protects and listens.

Ever since that moment I am mom. I am mom to any and all kids. Not to take the place of their natural mom, but to rather mother them in the spiritual. I love them, comfort them, believe in them, stand by them, stick up for them and most of all never give up on them.

All of this is leading me to this last Tuesday. Our interns and staff surprised us with an amazing gift and a wonderful card. The card was each intern's little one liner of what we meant to them. Tonight....The night before conference....I am being mom....my counters are lined with baked goods for my student babies...I am up praying for them thinking about them...reading their card at the kitchen counter and crying.....and remembering back to wet spotted jeans and spaghetti stained shirts.....

My heart full of gratitude that I didn't quit when it looked like we were not making progress. Hundreds have come to our student ministry since then....There has been a lot of hard times, but there has been a lot of happy times to....Moments that will forever be written on my heart.....

Some only have children born out of their womb...I thankfully get the honor and the privilege of birthing hundreds out of my heart....I am thankful to be...mom.

Delivery for me please!

2011-07-01T13:01:00.000-07:00

I love the book of Colossians. It is for sure in my top three books in the Bible along with Genesis and John. The other day I was reading Colossians in chapter one verses 12, 13:

Giving thanks to the Father, Who has qualified and made us fit to share the portion which is the inheritance of the saints (God's holy people) in the Light. [The Father] has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and the dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.

What a powerful scripture this is right?!

What stood out to me in reading this the other day is simple the word delivered. How many of my girls out there after a long day at the office or the home love delivery pizza? Even better is delivery of an entire meal that gives an appearance that you made it yourself. When the truth is the delivery bag is in garage with loads of Styrofoam containers that are now emptied after contents were shoved onto elegant platters. Don't act like you have never done it!!

The thing I love about delivery is that I don't have to do anything. I call and then it comes ready to go. All I get to do now is enjoy what someone else had to work for.

Isaiah 30:18,19
The Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you......He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when he hears it, He will answer you.

One of the greatest revelations we can have is that Jesus has done everything for us. There is no good works that we can ever do that will supersede the blood that was shed on the cross. We can spend all our life trying to make it on our own. However there is another way. Isaiah let's us know that this God that formed the Heavens and the Earth is waiting to do good to us. We are His hearts desire He is just waiting for us to call out to him.....

Think of this. I get in from the office from a long day. Guests are due to arrive anytime. I am breaking myself to go through the grocery store at 5p.m. while kids cry because they want to go home. I get home cook a dinner and quickly try to clean a kitchen to not look like a disaster zone. To now open the door and put on a smile to greet the people that just made me go through the last two hours of work.

Or you could just call for delivery as I described at the first of my blog.

So many times we are desperately trying to do it all on our own. So afraid to cry out to be delivered. So afraid to admit that in reality we can't do it on our own. While all this is happening in our life the truth still remains.....Christ has delivered us. All we have to do is accept what has been given.

Could it be that your joy, peace, prosperity, love, acceptance and dreams are all waiting for you? Jesus has paid for it...You have been delivered! You don't have to have one more day of measuring up and striving to keep your head above water! You just have to accept what He has already paid for.....

2011-05-02T11:06:00.000-07:00

I was getting ready to speak at a conference a few years ago, and at this conference I would be speaking in front of some people that in my opinion were more talented then me. All of a sudden I was feeling insecure and not qualified. I know we all know what that feeling is like. In praying I was asking God for a super powerful message. Something that would drop their jaws and flood the alters.

In praying the Holy Spirit spoke to me: "If you go in there as a communicator then it can go two ways really good or really bad. If you go in there as my daughter then every time you get up to speak it will be good."

This is total reverse of how I have always thought. I always thought if you could be a better speaker, with amazing illustrations and powerful points then that makes you a good preacher. Developing your gift is always something we should do as we go thru life, but that should never be our focus. So many times as leaders we fall more in love with our gift then we do with our Father. In these moments we take God out of our central reliance and put our reliance on the gift.

God calls us sons and daughters, no longer slaves we have been adopted in to the family. That means our development of our gift does not determine our position in Christ. Our position in Christ determines the development of our gift.

If every leader got real honest it is really easy to enter into a business transaction with God instead of a ongoing relationship with Him. The most powerful messages preached come out of a place of intimacy first, not from books read, or study time spent.

So I am saying all this to say
The earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.--Romans 8:19

The Earth doesn't have expectation for a better business man, sales person, preacher or evangelist. The Earth is waiting for a people to rise up as sons and daughters and thru that become a vessel for the Father's heart beat to be shown. Could it be that you aren't waiting for your destiny to come to fruition but rather your destiny is waiting for you to take your position?

Daniel in the Bible understood this as he kept close to God then God put the spirit of excellence on him. The best fruit in life comes in a place of abiding. After all Jesus said it best that you will produce no fruit apart from Him(John 15:5). You can have fish bumper stickers, head usher at your church, know scripture by heart and still not be in a place of abiding. Abiding happens as we get away and spend time with the amazing Father.

In closing the definition of insanity is doing the same thing time and time again expecting a different result. If what you are doing isn't working why not just try a place of resting in Him? I promise with Jesus you will get places you never dreamed possible.

The power of a single question....

2011-03-18T04:44:00.000-07:00

I was running the other morning on the treadmill. I began to think about things....When you are in minsitry you get the priviledcge of meeting people in all kinds of different walks in life. Some you walk with in good times others in hard times and few you walk with thru both. In all people in life I have noticed one constant theme. They refuse to challenge what they have always known.

It is as though thru life we begin to get a settledness in our mind of this is the way it has always been so this is the way it will always be. Why are we ok with life dictating to us who will be and what will become of us?

Words. Words in and of themself are nothing. As you read this they are just black font against a stark white background. Words have no power until they are released over someones life. That is when everything begins to radically change.

You know growing up I was always rejected by every coach that came my way. I was never given a second look as being an athlete. I was poked and ridiculed by peers for my obvious lack of ability to do anything athletic. I now get to go into schools all over east Texas and preach the Gospel to sports teams. Kind of funny when you think of it. For the last four years I have seen countless salvations and peoples lives radically transformed with the Gospel of Jesus on baseball fields, dugouts, and locker rooms. A coach looked at me at one of those schools recently and commented "Man I bet when you were in school you were a star athlete". He then began to list all the reasons why he thought so from my height, build etc. I couldn't help but laugh out loud and say no it was quiet the oposite I was always told all the reasons why wasn't good enough. He then said "Sounds like the problem was never your potential because the potential is still there today. The problem is you didn't have the right coach to see beyond where you were to what you could be."

WOW!! I stood there in awe as I listened to his words. So many times we take everything that has been said over all our life as the truth, and refuse to ever question its validity. I was running on the treadmill that morning and my mind became flooded with all of the people in life that I have watched with huge potential on their life yet they refused to question if the negative stuff that had been spoken over them was actually true.

You see words are powerful they have the ability to affect our entire being yet at the same time words when challenged can make a radical impact. So I have to ask you a question.....

What if everything that has been spoken over you all your life was a lie?

What if you really can do more with your life than where you are now?

What if it isn't too late to restart your life over?

What if this is the day that will change everything?

What if this is the moment you seize and decide to fully grab ahold of everything God is doing in and thru you?

What if you are valuable?

What if you are worthy of love and affection?

What if life is more than a mortgage a car payment and a job?

What if God sees you differently than you see yourself?

What if this is the first day of the rest of your life......

Where is the love?

2011-01-18T04:43:00.000-08:00

John 13:34 This one new commandment I give to you that you love one another as I have loved you.

To understand Jesus' words let's look at what love is

1Corinthians 13:4-6 (amp)
Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful, does not display itself haughtily. It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (god's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful, it takes no account of the evil done to it (it pays no attention to a suffered wrong). It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail.

In a society based on shows that glamorize love as sometimes you love them and sometimes you don't. With the divorce rate higher than it has ever been and broken homes more common than not. With shows that come on for children that portray manipulation and back stabbing as common place it is no wonder how we have lost what love really is.

My heart is saddened as I have watched lately how people will begin to tear others down?

Why is it that it is ok to push other people to a place below us in an attempt to make our self look better?

In the christian circle it looks no different than the world. One pastor blasting another pastor through public forums such as Twitter, Facebook or a blog. It grieves my heart to see this happening and it makes me wonder have we all forgotten what love is?

Are we so obsessed with being right that we will do anything it takes to prove our point even if that means defiling another man's name?

There needs to be a revelation in the body of Christ that we are all on the same team. Weather you are Baptist, Methodist, Assembly of God, Non-Denominational or fill in the blank. We are all on the same team. The minute we start mud-slinging at other believers in an attempt to prove our point we have lost what Jesus sent us to do. Jesus didn't send us to fight against one another He sent us to save a lost and dieing world.

Somewhere along the way we think it is our job as believers to go around and correct every one's doctrine and point out their sins. T.D. Jakes puts it best like this "We should be known for what we stand for not what we are against."

Romans 14:22 Says for YOU to follow your convictions and to keep them to yourself. Your personal convictions are not a platform to now try and wound your fellow believer......

You might be asking has someone spoken out against me that has me upset? The answer is no. In fact most of the people I have watched this happen to I personally don't know I just feel grieved in the spirit to watch this happening.

So in closing I will end with this quote by John Osteen "Make your words sweet because you never know when you might have to eat them." Let your words be full of encouragment not negativity. I hope this touched your heart as it has mine.

Empty Arms Real Promise

2011-01-04T13:27:00.000-08:00

There are some stories in the Bible that capture my heart no matter how many times I read them. The story of Hannah is very much one of those kind of stories. In 1st Samuel chapter one we get to meet this amazing woman.

There are some people in the Bible it is so easy to see yourself in their shoes. Although the time which we live in is so varied and even the difficulties differ yet there is something that makes our hearts connect.

Hannah wanted a baby so bad while her sister had children with ease Hannah had none. She had a dream in her heart of a baby yet it says year after year she had none. All the while her sister uses this as an opportunity to belittle her sister.

We have created a society that is so unwilling to wait for anything. We want instant dinners along side our instant success. Unfortunately in life things are anything but instant. I think about how Hannah had a dream in her heart for a family and she was unwilling to budge no matter how things looked or how long it took. She knew that God was going to give her that which she had asked for...

How confident are you about the desires in your heart? Do you quit at the first sign it isn't going to happen? Would it be written that year after year you still believed?

I preached a message on this the other day. Take a moment and listen here hope you enjoy it!

Together we make an Impact.

2010-11-08T16:59:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you have moments that are God given, and you don't even realize it till quiet sometime later. There are times where a thought will come across our mind, and when that thought is captured there is no limit on what can happen.

The thought came to me about doing something that would make a difference in the lives of women, and would pull a community together. So with that said we began our steps toward our first ever Susan G. Komen 5K. I have been the women's pastor at our church for 3 years and have helped host many events. I set a goal of 50 runners with around $5,000 being our projected goal. In my heart I felt like the goal was so large that I feared that I would be dissapointed in the end.

As time went on excitment spread in our community like wildfire. Within the first hour that the posters went up around town we had 100 runners signed up. I knew in this moment that God was about to blow our mind......

"If ever there comes a time when the women of the world come together purely & simply for the benefit of mankind, it will be a force such as the world has never known."
-Matthew Arnold
19th Century British Poet
(excerpt from Lisa Brevere Lioness Arising)

The morning of October 23rd 2010 I looked out over a crowd of well over 900 people with over $16,487 raised. All because of a thought......One little thought......With a goal of what I thought was impossible of 50 runners and to raise five thousand I had watched grow into something bigger than I could have ever asked. All because of putting one little thought into action.

A thought that brought together people of all backgrounds, denominations, education levels, ages, colors, economic status'. Yet in those moments none of those things mattered. We all stood united behind one cause. I looked over that huge sea of pink, and could feel Jesus smiling down on us in those moments....In those moments we came together to make a difference in a life that we may never meet face to face, but in those moments our heart knew them well.

We are called to something so much bigger than the 9-5 work weeks. Trying to get the biggest best house car and job. We were created to make a difference in the world which we live in. Our potential to play a part in making a difference is directly reflective to how we respond to the time we are given today.

Esther 4:14 You were created for such a time as this and for this very occasion

I hope this inspires you to do something that will make a difference where you are in your community! This is our time chiks lets rise up as one body and make a difference in our world! What do you say?!

For some reason I am having trouble uploading the video so click here to see the all the pictures from our event.

Everything we need....

2010-10-01T17:02:00.000-07:00

This morning there were a lot of things weighing on my mind. It felt as though my mind was so cluttered with so many different things pulling for my time, efforts and attention. I woke up before the alarm even went off just thinking about everything.

As I made a pot of coffee wiped the sleep out of my eyes and pulled up my calendar for the next to see what all was on the agenda the next few days this overwhelming feeling of inadequacy came over me. How am I going to be able to do all that I need to do the next few weeks....

I finally got my mind quieted to spend time with Jesus.......

Finally my mind was silent and it was just me and Jesus.....I love moments like these.....

All of a sudden all of that weight from all of the things that were wanting my attention so badly moments before were just an after thought. As I spent this quiet time with nothing going on all of a sudden I got the solutions for everything I needed one by one.

You know the thing we forget so easily is that Jesus really is everything we need. In Colossians it says that ALL the treasures of the Earth lie hidden in Christ. I believe they stay there hidden because we don't seek Christ to ever find the treasures. We go through life trying to obtain our own answers and solutions to problems that we were never made to solve.

Jesus is the perfect parent, spouse, employee, boss, business owner (He is running a pretty big world ya know?), author (His book is a best seller!), counselor, listener, friend and helper. He is literally everything we need. For some reason it is the simple things that we forget in life.

Things have gotten so busy and the first thing I wanted to do was to begin to carry loads I was never made to carry and that is why I was feeling stressed and overwhelmed. After an hour with Jesus....there was nothing different in my schedule, the deadlines were still there, e-mails still piled up, calls waiting to be returned, and yet I came out a hundred times lighter then when I went in.

Isn't it comforting that the solutions to all our problems is that which is inside us and all around us everyday....We just have to be quiet enough and still enough to receive the answer.

2010-09-21T12:03:00.000-07:00

I began to think the other day about how each of us are on a pursuit that we our self didn't even really realize that we were on. Something inside of us desires to find that which is lost from a young age we begin doing this without even needing to be told how or what to do you will see a child begin to play hide and go seek. What is it inside of us that desires to reclaim that which we had at one time. It is as though we have this yearning from a young age that there is something missing in our life.

The other Sunday I preached a message called Found. Click here , listen, and realize that the hunt you have been on all your life is over.

Some things are left as mysteries...

2010-08-28T19:41:00.000-07:00

One thing about being a pastor is you get to be with people on their most joyful events. Weddings, births of babies, salvation's, healings etc. These are all times that are wonderful to share with people. Moments that impact you and they give such a sense of fulfilment like none other.

When Mrs. Dodie Osteen was at our church a few months ago she used this scripture...

The secret things belong to the Lord

Deut. 29:29

It so stood out to me. Why for some reason we as christians we feel as though we have to have the reasons of why behind everything that happens. It is as though that now that we are believers that we can now tell anyone and everything why things are happening in their life. No one ever calls for counseling to ask why they are falling in love and getting married. No one calls for counsel when the experience the joy of a new baby in their arms. The good things in life we never question. We grab hold of them as though they were always meant to be part of us.

Then there are the parts in life that just make no sense. Let me prelude this with I don't want to hear your "doctrine" or your "theology". If we all got real real we would say there are things that happen in life that don't make sense. They cut us to the very core of our being. We can't wrap our mind around the why and the why not.

These are the challenging parts of being a pastor. When the bad things in life happen the first question is always "why them" or "why me?" This my friends is hard. If all of us got real real in the world we would all say we have been that person on multiple occasions.

Today I found myself going about my daily life when I got some bad news about someone I knew. They were in a life or death situation. Tonight we found out that the outcome to that wasn't good. Everything in me darkened. Sadness loomed where I was. All of a sudden now the breaths I was taken were worth more money then what I have. I all of a sudden had so many questions of why.

Then in a moment I heard Mrs. Dodie Osteen say..."The secret things belong to the Lord. Sometimes we don't have the answers, and we don't have to. We just have to trust God and know one day we will understand."

How faithful God is to give me a word like that months ago that I can now draw upon while I sit on my couch and think about this person's life. That word is life to me right now. I know in the next few days we will be asked a lot of questions as to why this happened. What relief from pressure to know I am not required to give the answer. It isn't because God needed another angel (He has plenty after all He is God). It isn't because this person sinned (we all do don't we). I can just reply that the secret things really do belong to the Lord. This is one of those secret things.....

In a world that always has to have an answer to everything. It is nice to know that to somethings there are no answers. There are no words. There are no explinations. With that I can hang my heart my trust and my whole being upon the Lord and know that He knows the answers in this. I don't have to.

I hope this blessed you. It did me....

Chosen

2010-08-18T06:53:00.000-07:00

Have you ever taken a moment to think that of all the people all across the world that could be doing what you are doing that God chose you? Maybe you are not like me, but many people didn't pick me. So often I was the one looked over but in Ephesians 1:4 (amp) says that God actually handpicked me out. I am the one that He picked. I didn't choose Him I was just responding to something that He had already done. I was just catching up to the place where He had been waiting for me all that time. I don't ever want to cease to be amazed that God wanted me. That He loves me right where I am and chose to put a label on me that says...Chosen. That means I am no suprise to God! He knew what he was getting and chose me anyway. That is something that will give you a confidence you have never known.

Every person in the Bible that did anything great for God first had to realize that they had been chosen. Joseph in a dream. David out in a field keeping some sheep. Abraham in a tent. Joshua out where no one even knew where they were God knew and showed up to let him know he was chosen. Rahab in her house before a city was destroyed. Mary at her house laying asleep in her bed when an angel showed up. Saul on the road going to murder some people. God has a way of showing up and putting a label on you of chosen. The moment that you realize that you are chosen is the moment that changes everything from that point forward. Ohhh if the world could only get that they are indeed chosen. That their life is so much more than the 8-5 work schedule. If you could grab hold of a vision that is larger than life that is bigger than where you are that vision would change everything that is now written of you from this point forward.

You see when God shows up you can't stay the same. When He marks you now all of a sudden the life that once seemed boring and just another day, becomes a day of unexplored potential.

Click here to find out how you are chosen

On the way to where you are going....

2010-07-28T15:04:00.000-07:00

This morning my kids were in the mood for some chicken nuggets from McDonald's. They were about to go see some friends so as any "good mom" would I picked up happy meals for all the kids that would be where we were going.

(Side note since when did McDonald's stop doing the box for the happy meal? That is like fundamental memory all children should have! Ha! Now back to the blog)

I go up to the first window to pay. The girl working stops what she was doing and tears up looking at me. I think bless her heart she has had a hard day.

She then asks me "Do you speak?"

I am thinking hmmmm do I speak...well I did order four happy meals just a moment ago.

She quickly corrects herself and says "Do you preach?"

I tell her "Yes I do". I must say at this point I am totally puzzled as to where this is going exactly.

She then tells me how she was one of the girls that was at the school when I came and preached at the High School this year. She began to talk about how it changed her life. She talks about how she is going to school in the fall and working at McDonald's for the summer to save up money.....

I began to think about how some of the best blessings in life come on the way to where you are going....

I remember the first time I preached at the school to a group of about 50 teenage girls that looked at me like I was crazy the whole time while I poured my heart out about the love that Jesus has for them. They sat there straight faced the whole time. I was wondering should I even have come? Then at the end there was much weeping and ministry where girls lives were changed. Through the last 4 years I have gotten to go to various schools and minister to teens of all ages amongst other women events.

I was talking to a girl a few months ago that wants to start preaching to women. I asked her if she had stepped out and spoke at any ladies events yet. She said "Well you see the only offers I have received are ones to minister to groups of 20 people or so. So I have turned them all down. God has called me to preach to thousands."

I must say my heart broke as I heard those words come out of her mouth. She turned down a chance to change 20 people's lives because it was too small. What if Jesus would have said "12 disciples really God? I am called to save the world and you only give me 12 to minister to?"

As I pulled out of McDonald's I was overwhelmed with emotion as I thought of how one girl's life was changed because someone wasn't more caught up in the size of a crowd or the response of the people. I was just willing to go through a door God opened. Do I believe that I will one day preach to crowds of thousands...Yes I have seen it in my heart.

Although I don't know that will be the day I receive the blessings from God...Some of the biggest things God has done is right now....On the way to where I am going.....

Look out Jesus is in the Kitchen!

2010-07-23T05:24:00.000-07:00

I always tell people it isn't the big things in life that take us out. It is the sum of all the little things added together that run us down. It is the loads of laundry that have to be folded ironed and hung up. The vacuuming and sweeping that at times seems as though it is never going to go away. The dishes that always need to be washed even when a load is already done. The homework to help kids with that you are thinking I am not qualified to be helping with these kind of things. Then there is the everyday work and just life....With all these things it is easy to say that being a woman in today's world is a lot of work!

If only it was as simple as the Leave it to Beaver shows made it seem in the "good ole days". Where each day was easy and all people were full of joy. Where the daily tasks got done with ease and everything is always in place!

Colassians 3:17

And whatever you do no matter what it is in word or deed do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus and in dependence upon His Person, giving praise to God the Father through Him.

You see this says that everything we do we are to do in dependence upon Jesus. Why is it that we take this verse and never apply it to the dishes and the daily life? We think that it has to be some "holy" situation to use the word of God. I have news for you chiks. God wants to be a part of every area of your life.....from the scrubbing of the toilets, to pulling weeds, to cleaning out the refrigerator....Jesus desires to help you in everything.....The problem is we think we can try to do it on our own....

Question: How is that working for you?

I have found that when I try to do life out my own strength and ability it makes me always feel like I missed the mark and came up short. When I start looking to Jesus as the author and the finisher of everything I do then all of a sudden things get easier then what they are.

Psalm 34:1-2

I will bless the Lord at all times His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My LIFE makes its boast in the Lord....

In this is a scripture that we love to skip over that word is the smallest word yet the most powerful....ALL. This doesn't mean your praise Jesus comes on when you pull in a church parking lot or see your Pastor....No! This means in your everyday normal regular nothing spiritual about it life you are to be thanking Jesus praising Him for how good He is. When is the last time you did this?

It says here in the second verse that your LIFE will make it's boast in the Lord. You see when you live a life of praise you don't have to tell people about the goodness of God they will just see the goodness of God. When is the last time someone saw you and recognized the goodness of God? I am getting all personal with you aren't I?

Life wasn't made to trudge thru and barely get by! Life was made to enjoy and to be lived with our amazing Jesus! I have news for you chiks Jesus is in the kitchen and that my friends changes everything! That makes the normal boring life become exciting and full of joy. That is the kind of outlook that will change your life when you grab ahold of it!

2010-07-10T10:32:00.000-07:00

I think if Jesus drove a car he would drive a UHAUL. For real I don't think that He would drive a Suburban or a Mercedes sports car or even a Lexus. I believe He would be driving a UHAUL.

Jesus was always on the move in His ministry He never stayed in one place for long and off He would go to a new place for a new thing.

I find it funny that the one thing that we as people hate is a UHAUL truck! It symbolizes everything we don't like

*work

*change

*transition

*leaving things behind

Just to say the words "We are moving". Brings instant sigh from the person you are telling then followed with "Bless your heart".

Why is that?

Everyone knows who Abraham is from the Bible. Abraham had a father whose name was Terah. Terah too was called out of the land he was at. He was called to load his UHAUL with all his stuff and head out to a new place. In Genesis 11:2 as they journeyed eastward, they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they settled and dwelt there.

He found a plain place. Can I put it this way. Most Americans find a "plain" place in life. One that is comfortable and not challenging where they can live there life with no real obstacle. All along Terah was headed to a place where he was called to and that was his destiny, but he settled.

How many of us in the journey to where we are going do we find a place that is comfortable. An easy place and we decide that we have gone far enough and we decide to settle.

At the end of Genesis 11 we see that where Terah settled he died. He compromised he stopped pressing forward. As people we desire a place to set up camp in our life a place to get comfortable and get settled in. Can I say this where you settle is where you will die. No one made Terah stop pressing forward. It was a choice that he made to stop going forward. That where he was, was "good enough".

You see Jesus never stopped moving forward in life. I believe that He doesn't want us to stop moving forward either. He wants us to constantly pressing forward. Paul said that this one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind I press on! You are made to press on! Worst thing you can do is unload a UHAUL in your life and decide that this is good enough. Don't ever quit!!

Have you come to a place in life where you have settled?

Are you still moving forward in life?

2010-06-30T03:27:00.000-07:00

In my life I have been forced to ask the question.

"God what do you do when you have given me everything I have asked for?"

As a young girl growing up I just wanted a happy family. A wonderful hubby that would love me take care of me. I wanted to be a mom and stay at home with my babies. I wanted parents that served the Lord with a passionate heart. I look over each Sunday morning and cry each time as I see them hands raised praising Jesus. As I got older I developed a passion to preach the Gospel of Jesus. My husband and I took over a youth group of literally on a good night 2 kids and now in that youth group we have 100+. I live in a wonderful home. All my needs are met. So what do you do when God gives you everything?

This is such a good picture to show where I am standing right now in my life...

Looking out at vast amounts of uncharted waters not knowing what is to come yet at the same time knowing that the possibilities are just like the sky is endless...It is time to take the next step...Steps that will lead to new places and new things.

God is always calling us deeper. Always wanting to stretch us into new uncharted areas of our faith.

Luke 5:4-6

When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.

Simon here had to make a decision to be happy with what he had or to go out to the place where Jesus was taking him.

Jesus is always calling us to go out to deeper waters. He desires us to ask and believe for things that are bigger than we are. Jesus wants nothing more then for you to step out into a place where when He moves you will know it was Him, because you were so over your head there is no way you could take credit.

Notice here Jesus said that they would get "a catch". Then when you read on they caught a great number of fish and their net was breaking. Jesus had promised them they would catch some. As Bryan says Jesus' "some" is more than you can handle!!

So here I am. Standing looking over vast opportunities. Not knowing what may be out there. I know God is about big things and that He who began a good work in me will be faithful to complete it...

So I leave with this as where to go from here:

Luke 1:38

Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.”

Summer how I have missed you!

2010-06-16T05:01:00.000-07:00

It has been a summer full of days spent at the swimming pool till our cheeks turn red. Lots of splashing and laughing. Mornings spent in pj's till 11 o'clock. Having brownies every now and then for breakfast.

A trip to Sea World that the kids loved. Feeding dolphins, watching seals, & amazed at killer whales. It was a fun trip all the way around. One week of no work just loving on the greatest accomplishments we have had in our life.....Our sweet babies.
(our son hates pictures thus the sad face in the above picture)

(this one I did a sneak attack for a picture so I got a smile)
Movies that makes us all laugh and giggle. Especially the way we looked with those glasses on!

Funny how you forget how much you love summer until it comes and then you remember how wonderful it is to have fun with your babies and not have to try and balance school, ministry and home life. June is coming to a close soon and July will be full of conferences and youth camp. July life will quickly go from slow and peaceful back to busy and a different kind of wonderful. For right now I am thinking of how wonderful it is not to have something going on everyday. How great it is to just have time to breath. Most of all how thankful I am for the two babies we have in our life....

Barbie Dreamhouse

2010-06-11T22:20:00.000-07:00

Every girl no matter what age you are can say that at some point you dreamed of having a Barbie dream house. A wonderful home that Barbie can have everything she needs.

I always wanted one as a child. My parents unfortunately didn't have the money to buy such an expensive item for my birthday. My grandpa built a wooden shelves that held dolls with different small compartments. I would stack books and other random objects to make these wood shelves a "home" for my Barbie.

My daughter just turned 5 and has decided that she LOVES all things Barbie which is the best news under the sun for me. I am so excited to play dolls with her. Something that is so coming of age to dress and primp your Barbies just says you are no longer little but that you are more mature (this coming from a 26yr old mom that is giddy over her daughter liking Barbie so much). One thing that Brailey Kay wanted for her birthday was a Barbie dream house.

We were able to get it for her thanks to her amazing grandparents that jumped on the opportunity of having the hands down hit gift of the party.

As we assembled it I began to think of the hours spent playing with those wooden shelves when I was younger. I began to remember how I would wish I had a Barbie dream house.... There I am 26yrs. old sitting on the living room floor.

I began to think of all that God has done in my life in the last 10 years. Barbie's dream house comes with all things wonderful....

Beautiful furniture, chandeliers, bubble bath, fully stocked kitchen, bedding, and a cute closet. I remember thinking as a child if I had a place of my own stocked with all those beautiful things how it would make life great.

Barbie's Dream house is just an empty shell. The beauty is all in there. It is waiting for the dolls that it was created for to come and play inside.

Made me think of life. I have everything I have always wanted. Not because I live in a nice home with nice cars and a great closet full of wonderful clothes (and shoes). But the wonderful thing about my home is the people in it. My amazing husband and beautiful children. They are what makes my home into a dream home. It's the laughs we share, the cuddle time spent on a Saturday morning, dinners with family that we love around the dinning room table, and the hallway filled with the sound of running feet in a game of chase....That is what makes my home a dream home.

I looked around and thought about the wooden shelves and how many amazing memories I have of playing with my dolls in those old shelves. Sure I always wanted the fancy home, but the memories made with my brother and sister weren't based on what that home looked like. It was based off of the laughter and the love we shared as we played. It was still fun even though it wasn't the marketed DREAM HOME by Barbie. It was our dream home and we loved it. I wish I still had those shelves....

Do you see your life as your dream home? Or do you see it just as wooden shelves?

Maybe the dream home you have been asking for is what you already have...you just are looking at it in the wrong light.

Then life happens.....

2010-06-11T06:09:00.000-07:00

How much of our life do we spend trying to make things happen? I think that most of our life we try to chase down opportunities and open doors. We try to make a connection with someone who will help us out.... We try to impress people and make them like us when they could care less about who and what we are. Yet we spend all our time and resources trying to prove our self to them.... We spend countless hours trying to think of how there is some way to make something happen.... Why do we spend our life trying to make life happen?

I was reading the Bible the other day (good idea huh? Ha!) in the book of Ruth. In Ruth Chapter 2 verse 3 it is says this:

Then she left, and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers. And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.

So here in the story Ruth and Naomi are at the end of there rope they have no money resources and what is even more sad no hope from all that has gone on in their life. So Ruth sets out just to try and get enough to survive from what falls from the people reaping in the fields....when she happens on the field of Boaz. Her whole life changed from this happening.

You see all the time you spend in trying to make things happen will never come up with anything then one day God will line things up to happen and all of a sudden everything you want and dream about all begins to fall into line. So much time we waste in life worrying about what is going to happen to get us to our destiny when the God things in life happen.

Job put it best at the end of his life in Chapter 42:2

I know that You can do all things, and that no thought or purpose of Yours can be restrained or thwarted.

God's plans in your life will be brought to pass. You don't have to make them happen. Your job is to just be faithful, and keep growing in the things of God. Luke 16:10 says if you are faithful in little you will be faithful in much. God is looking at what you are doing in your small situation to determine what BIG things are to come.

Ruth was faithful. She was dedicated to Naomi when she could have walked away. She kept on doing what she knew to do. That is why things begin to happen in her life.

What are you doing where you are?

Are you being faithful?

If the answer is yes....I have to tell you something.....Life is about to happen for you!

Successful Ministry

2010-05-27T05:07:00.000-07:00

One thing that has been standing out to me lately is ministering out of the abundance within us.

In Romans 15:29 (amp) I know that when I do come to you, I shall come in the abundant blessing of the Gospel of Christ.

Paul had a confidence that when he came to them that he wasn't just come just him as a person, but that he would come in the ABUNDANT BLESSING. Abundant means: Present in great quantity; more than adequate; over sufficient 2. well supplied; abounding 3. richly supplied. So Paul knew that when he came that there would be a great quantity of blessings coming with him. That it would be more than adequate to meet the needs of who he would come in contact with.

How do you enter into your everyday life? With abundance of blessings or just barely enough to get you by in what you have going in your day?

We had my hero Mrs. Dodie Osteen at our church recently. She was in a room full of people she did not get to talk to every person. Yet every person I talked to said that they felt as though she had personally ministered to them. Wow! Think about that!!!

That so challenged me. She had such an abundance on her life that when she came into a room everyone felt the abundance of love, grace, mercy etc. then without her even speaking to them personally they felt ministered to. That I believe is some of what Paul was talking about in this verse. Being so full of the goodness of God that just coming into a room he would have enough that the room would be filled with what he had.

Ministry and life is won through having this kind of abundance I believe. I think that our spiritual self is a lot like our natural bank account. There needs to be deposits in it to keep the bank account functioning. I believe the problem with the church in general today is that we have people stepping into pulpits that are spiritually just struggling to keep themselves afloat...never mind having a fullness to pass on to others. No deposits have been made.

Frank Demazio said it best. "You should have enough joy, happiness, faith to fill a room no matter what wherever you go".

I think of Benny Perez. When he steps on the platform and ministers the room is filled with faith and an excitement. That which is in him spreads throughout the room. He comes into a service as Paul did with an abundance of blessings. That is why people leave healed, encouraged, and set free.

What a challenge to live a life that you have so much deposits of the word inside of you that you can give deposits of joy etc. into anyone and you don't miss it because you are carrying so much of it. Just like in our natural account you can't write a check if there is no money backing it the check will only come back as a hot check. Same with spiritual things. If you don't have the deposits inside of you through time in the word prayer etc. then when you lay hands to minister you are ministering out of your soul and not the spirit.

All means all....

2010-04-27T08:07:00.000-07:00

In the English language one of the smallest words yet the most powerful is all. Where does all begin and where does it end? It means so much yet it is one word that we usually look over when we are reading our Bible.

Casting the whole of your care (all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all) on Him for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. -1Peter 5:7

All.....

All means all. You were never made to worry about life and what is happening in our world today. With our government economy and society the way it is today you can watch the news for just a short time and begin to worry about where the world is headed. There is a statistic that says around 50-60% of people laying in hospitals everywhere are there because of worry.

For some reason we get in our head that through us worrying and thinking about something constantly that we will somehow use our will to change something. You can spend days trying to make something happen through your thoughts and actions that God can change in one instant.

Sometimes our mind will go endlessly around a problem trying to find a solution. When you begin to feel stress and frustration you have taken the situation out of God's hands and you are now trying to fix it on your own. If God knows all then He knows your beginning and your end. Then that means He knows your middle too! You are no surprise to God. He knows all there is to know about you. He knows the number of hairs on your head. Then He also knows the problems you are facing and can conquer them!

We say that we give God control of all our life, but in actuality we only give him the areas we feel as though are going good. The areas in our life like children, marriage, finances, etc. we spend countless hours stressing about.

I wonder sometimes how many hours we waste on worrying about things. Each hour is one that we can never get back one that is a gift from God that we can do anything we want with. Why waste it stressing over your problems. Who is bigger God or your problems? If God is bigger meditate on His word about your situation instead of replaying the problem through your head.

Inside of you is the greatest power that ever existed. The same power that raised Christ from the dead dwells inside of you and you are worried about an electric bill being paid? Think about it....

Jesus didn't give us power to just shout a Hallelujah in church and go about our day. You have power inside of you to make the impossible possible, or there is the other alternative you can just keep trying to fix it on your own....

All means all....Do you give Jesus your all? It is easier said then done. However it is the one thing we do that will bring forth the most fruit.

Let your WE rise up!

2010-04-22T20:22:00.000-07:00

I was reading my Bible in John 3 1-21 this morning. This is the story about Jesus and Nicodemus talking about being born of the spirit. For those of you that don't know Nicodemus is trying to understand spiritual things with his natural mind which is impossible to do this. He is trying to comprehend how one can truly be borne again.

verse 11 is what spoke to me:

I assure you most solemnly I tell you, we speak only of what we know (we know absolutely what we are talking about); we have actually seen what we are testifying to (we were eyewitnesses of it). And still you do not receive our testimony (you reject and refuse our evidence-that of myself and of all those who are born of the Spirit).

Think about Jesus goes from talking about what He thought up until this point, and the rest of the text Jesus only talks about Himself as singular. This one verse He speaks of Himself plural....

The Holy Spirit began to speak to me....Nicodemus was going through his life singular all a lone trying to figure things out by himself. All he had is what he could see touch, feel, and what the facts were that were given to him from his education. A lot of people go through life living a singular you life. They think they are going through things and that God put them down here to figure it out on there own.

The Holy Spirit spoke in my heart when you become a believer you are no longer a you---you become a WE. There becomes a WE that is inside of you that is bigger than any obstacle, trail, death, job loss, death or any thing that can come your way. That no matter what the outside situation says the inside WE in you changes you from a singular being that was once left to figure things out on your own to something that is so powerful. So powerful that the WE inside of you can conquer anything any YOU can send our way any day of the week.

You see as Jesus spoke to Nicodemus here He said "we know absolutely what we are talking about we have actually seen what we are testifying to''. All this time Jesus was telling Nicodemus His point of view, until the WE inside of Him had to speak up and let Nicodemus know that the WE knew that God was so real.

You see you may have problems today. Things may be so hard and you might be at the end of your rope wondering how you can make it another day. Jesus wants you to know something. That the voice that spoke the world into existence is inside of you. The power that opened blind eyes is inside of you. The healer of the broken hearted is within you. The one who parted the Red Sea and brought manna is right in you this moment. The WE inside of you needs to rise up!!!!

You are no longer just a you (singular) everywhere you go---you have been made a WE(plural). Never again do you have to fight life a lone! Greater is HE that is inside of YOU then he that is in the world!!!!

Today......

2010-03-18T05:37:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Today is the day you take charge of your life and decide it will be great! Today is the day that you stop waiting for other people to make you happy and lean on them to decide what your day will hold....

Today is the day you say "this is MY LIFE and I am going to make it a great day".

Today is the day you notice people around you that are hurting and reach out to them for once instead of ignoring them because you are "busy". Today is the day you help someone in need. Today is the day you quit just thinking about your needs and you instead fill a need. Today is the day you give a hug just because. Only to find that is all that that person really wanted.

Today is the day you smile no matter what the devil throws your way. Knowing that though things may not be what you want them to be right now you know that the promises of God are eternal. That the calling of God on your life is without repentance. That He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it. Today is the day you stop holding grudges and instead you let forgiveness rule in your heart. Today is the day you stop trying to measure up to others expectations and realize that God has already approved of you as you already are.

Today is the day you have been waiting for all your life. A day that is filled with laughter and tears of joy. A day that you spend living in the moment and not living for what is to come. Today is the day you are present everywhere you go. Not just present in body and absent in mind.

Today you will find that the dishes will always be there.....laundry will pile up by the days end....the pressing things that you once thought were pressing now just don't seem as important as the people that eat off of those plates...the people that fill those clothes...Instead of giving all your attention to things you will give attention to people instead.

Today is the day that when you lay down you won't feel like it is another day wasted. Today will be the day that you lay down knowing that you impacted a life only to realize the one you impacted the most was your own.......

Today is the first day of the rest of your life.....What are you going to do with it?

What work are you doing?

2010-02-19T18:25:00.000-08:00

I read this the other day and it resounded in my spirit. Jesus was about to be crucified he is praying to God in John 17:4 I have finished the work that you have given me to do.

Something inside me just resounded....the work that God the Father gave Jesus to do...that is what He finished....

How much of our life do we spend working on things that everyone else wants us to do?

How much time do we spend doing things that in all reality we don't like at all trying to make other people happy?

How much time to do we waste on things that in all actuality don't matter at all?

Think about the above questions. I think all of us can say that at some point that we have had one if not all of them apply to our life. Funny how quickly that happens that we get caught up in what others want us to do and somehow get lost in the most important thing of all....what God our Father wants us to do.

My daughter is in pre-k. At the beginning of the year her teacher asked me to be the room mom. I declined the position and told her that I had a lot going thanks but no thanks. She said ok. Only to ask me again the next week with me saying no again. Finally on the last week she asked and I finally agreed to do the job.

Women are so catty especially when it comes to their kids. The majority of moms have been wonderful. Well more than a majority just one mom has been difficult. She has not been so pleasant....

Things have really been a struggle with this mom and I. Balancing doing it "all " and getting it "all" done has been so much at times. Finding the balance with another ball in the air has been rather stressful. I was before the Lord praying about the situation....The Lord spoke this in my heart "When things feel difficult you are doing things that I haven't graced you to do."

Then I remembered the text I quoted in the beginning of this blog.....What work has God placed me here for. When you feel stressed, frustrated, angry even you are trying to do things that God has not graced you to do. Jesus said my yoke is easy my burden is light. That means you aren't going to battle those kind of feelings like you will when you are outside of grace.

I am here to be the best wife I can be, my kids mom, minister to hurting people, encourage this generation to be all they can be....That is the work that the Father has given me to do. How easy it is to get caught up in all of the other things that come our way and forget what it is that we are here to do.

What are your things that are pulling away from your time that aren't what you are here for? Are you doing the work man has made for you or the work God has given to you?

What makes a house a home

2010-01-24T18:54:00.001-08:00

Well we have been ripping up carpet, tearing out toilets, painting the walls and doing all kinds of things around the house. It is looking so much better yet so much worse. Right now as I type this I am sitting on the carpet in my living room as some of our youth helped us move all the furniture out this evening because this carpet too is going bye bye in the morning.

It is funny though how a house doesn't feel like "home" without all the little mementos. You know your kids first pictures in frames that you bought when you were pregnant with them. The little stuff people pick up that reminded them of you. All the little things that make your house a home. The pillows on the couch the mirrors on the wall. Funny how welcoming all the little details are in your home....So what makes a house a home?

What makes your house a home? I can think of things that make each person's house their "home". For nana it is the sweet little old stove by the back door. The times spent out shooting guns with the boys, or the apple pies that are made at her counter. It is dominoes played at the table with Aunt Gay, Nana and Misty till wee hours of the night.

At Mimi's house it is time spent outside in her beautiful yard just enjoying all the beautiful surroundings. It is cookouts with yummy grilled food in the summer. Grass between my toes as we play baseball with the kids in the yard.

At my Grandpa's it is breakfast meals eaten at the bar with memories of him reading the newspaper sports section. While grandma does her crossword puzzle. Each memory special and unique in it's own way. Each makes you go back to that moment in time when you think about it.So sitting here on the floor looking around I begin to think about all those little mementos....all those things that seem like they are what make my house feel like home. When you think about it....those little mementos aren't what makes our house a home it is the people in our house. It is the tickle fights that happen on the living room floor. The fact that our dinning room table is always full with people we love. The backyard filled with the noise of laughter as the kids swing. All the decor is nice. I enjoy them....but the best memories I have of home is the people that are in my home. How thankful I am for my amazing family!

Chapter two

2010-01-16T20:22:00.000-08:00

Sometimes life gets hard. It is so easy to let your circumstances determine your joy or lack there of. The good news is that in Hebrews 13:8 God is the same yesterday today and forever. God is so faithful in our life. He is always there reaching out to us. He never gives up on us no matter what may come He is forever there with open arms. That is something that will forever change your life when you come to the full realization. God is ready to turn your circumstances into joy.

I preached a message out of Habakuk the other night at Unleashed....Listen to it......Today is time for your Chapter two.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

Confidence level=Life happiness level

2010-01-09T23:34:00.000-08:00

Hebrews 10:35-36 Therefore do not cast away your confidence which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.

I was reading this the other day. It tells us not to cast away what? Our confidence....Why not because it is the determiner of our great reward.....hmmmmmmmm

So you mean it isn't me being "good" or "perfect". It is my confidence in God to bring to pass what He said He would do. That really rocks everything you thought about obtaining your goals huh? Being confident in the things of God is for sure the number one thing I watch people slip up in and then everything else starts falling in around them. I never quiet understood why it works like that until I read this. Our confidence in God has everything to do with us receiving the promises of God. So I must ask....where is your confidence?

Out of our confidence comes our endurance is what it talks about in verse 16. The devil wants to attack your confidence in God through attacking your children, finances, health, situations, job etc. These things will make people waiver in their confidence which then makes them loose the endurance to finish their race. In the message translation verse 16 finishes by saying it is our promised completion. God promises our finish you determine weather you have the endurance to get there.

So how is your confidence in the things of God in your life. Are you led by your circumstances or by the word....That my friends is a question that only you can answer.

HOUSE REMODEL

2009-12-29T20:36:00.000-08:00

Look out Family Life Church's worship team here come the Sparks band! Rylan got a new set of drums for Christmas and he is determined to learn how to play before January 1st. Each morning I drink coffee to a beat it is so sweet. While Brailey plays away on the keyboard and sings into the mic. My hubby with ears covered is acting like he doesn't enjoy it, but the whole time is smiling from ear to ear knowing that the musical talent got passed down to them. It sure didn't come from me! The only person that likes to hear me sing is Jesus.

Really Rylan was a baby and I was singing and he told me "Mom don't sing just drive." Out of the mouths of babes. So it has been musical to say the least around here.....
We are also in phase one of a remodel. I don't know what I was thinking but we have got it all torn apart. You really don't think that you are a neat freak until your house is out of order and you are having to swallow down serious anxiety to just get rid of all of the clutter. I will be so glad when it is all done. I will keep you all posted with lots of pictures of progress made.

For now though it is back to work for me!

2009-12-22T05:34:00.000-08:00

Well it is here Christmas packages wrapped or not. Shopping done or not it comes. Every year it comes so quickly that sometimes it catches you off guard. Things may not all be done as you would want it to be. You may not be ready for a Southern Living magazine shoot right now. Every year what surprises me about Christmas is weather I have every detail ready or not the memories that are made always take my breath away.

Time with family is so precious in this time of year. I love getting together with all the family we love so much. Getting to talk and catch up on all that has happened since we last saw each other. My son getting to learn about guns with his great grandpa. This will probably be a picture that will forever bring a tear to my eyes.

My son being the wise man in the Christmas play. He took his roll so seriously...saying he "wanted to be wise". So precious watching him and Brailey sing their little hearts out. What will I do when we don't have a Christmas program to attend one day? Let's not think about it!

Christmas shopping to do and the rain was pouring down. Brailey and I decided it was time for a mommy daughter picture. When we got out of the car we ran in the rain. Who cares my hair got crazy our jeans were soaked but we laughed so hard. I will never forget the feeling of her little hand in mine as we ran as fast as we could to the doors.

When you have five kids and things get quiet that means trouble. We go look and all five are in the leaf pile that their uncle had racked. So precious. I am still scrubbing dirt out of places from that moment. They had so much fun.....Nana's house had a trail of leaves a mile long.

You see weather you have everything perfect or not Christmas is upon us. Why not just enjoy the moment that you are in right now the way it is instead of trying to make it your version of "perfect". After it is all said and done no one will remember the presents or the gift wrap. No one will remember what wasn't done around the house....What the will remember is the laughter, the smiles, the great moments spent together. Take time to enjoy the wonderful most precious present you have around you everyday.....The people you love.

From my family to yours

Merry Christmas!

A Christmas like no other

2009-12-17T12:41:00.001-08:00

In Luke chapter 2 is a story that will be told a lot this time of year. It isn't about last minute Christmas shopping. It isn't about getting what you want or didn't want for Christmas. It isn't about making the best green bean casserole. What it is about is the birth of Jesus.

In that chapter you will see it said twice Mary pondered these things in her heart. You see Mary had her baby in a stable. There were animals all around. She didn't give birth in a maternity suite at Baylor medical. She was in a stable. A stable means poop. You could say it literally stunk where she was. Can I say this where you are right now may stink. Things may not be going your way life maybe really hard....Can you do one thing this Christmas can you take the time to enjoy right where you are?

If this sounds like where you are I encourage you to listen to this full message by clicking here. I hope you too will take time to ponder this time in your heart this holiday season.

HOLIDAZZLE

2009-12-07T07:35:00.000-08:00

This Saturday is our annual Christmas party at Family Life Church! We will be having an ornament gift exchange and a free brunch! We have done this for 5 years now and we always have the best time. Saturday December 12th I hope to see you at Family Life Church at 10a.m.

I am going to be sharing a word about enjoying life today right where you are in the midst of anything you are going through enjoying that moment. The other day when I was reading my Bible I came across 1Kings 19:6 Elijah had just gotten done with a big battle and he had fallen asleep. An angel woke him up and in the amplified it says "behold there was a cake baked on the coals".

You know what this tells me? God loves cake! God loves to celebrate! He likes a good party! I think in the midst of it all that God was not only providing food for Elijah, but He could have made anything for Elijah. After all He is God. But God picked cake. I think in the midst of the battles in your life, no matter what is going on take a moment to have cake. Enjoy your life right where you are.

I am taking time this week to eat cake. To enjoy my life right where it is. God loves the party, and it is going on everyday of your life. All you have to do is take a moment and enjoy life today and everyday!

The best apple pie you will ever have!

2009-11-28T20:25:00.000-08:00

WOW Thanksgiving was wonderful wasn't it? I love getting together with family laughing telling jokes, and enjoying memories being made. There is something so special getting together on Thanksgiving to think people for hundreds of years have done this very same thing. How special is that to think about that?

I will say this Thanksgiving I finally realized that no the rest of the world does not have Thanksgiving. I was shocked to learn that our friends overseas were not celebrating with us on Thursday, but then I realized DUH pilgrims, Indians, big boat....Never realized that before!

So I have to tell you I made my first apple pie the other day....It turned out GREAT! Ok girls hands down this is the best pie you will ever eat! My hubby loves loves loves apple pie and he even will say this is the best pie he has ever had! I know you will love it too!!

Crunch Apple Pie

Refrigerated pie crust (comes in pack of two)

Filling:

1/2 c. sugar

1/4 c. brown sugar

1 T. flour

1 T. cinnamon

dash salt

1 t. lemon juice

10 oz. Motts cinnamon applesauce

(yes Motts I have tried all different applesauce didn't turn out as well)

4 c. Peeled sliced apples (Golden delicous)

3 T. butter

Topping:

6 T. flour

2T. sugar

2T. brown sugar

dash salt

Vegetable oil

Time to put it all together!

Step 1.

Pre-heat oven to 350

Step 2.

Mix all your filling ingredients but butter.

Put into pie shell then dab butter pieces all over.

Step 3.

Mix up all crunch topping do enough Vegetable oil that the flour mixture is just barely moist. There should be some that doesn't even get any oil. (about 3Tablespoons)

Step 4.

Cut your second pie shell in to pieces and piece

across top of topping in the first shell.

Step 5.

Put crumb topping all over top of pie.

Step 6.

Place in oven and bake till crust is nice and brown!

(Mine takes about 35-40 minutes so be sure and watch it!)

Hope you all love it as much as my family and friends have and do! Let me know how it turns out! This will be a great treat for you to make for all of your Christmas party guests!

Faith comes by hearing.....

2009-11-19T18:23:00.000-08:00

In Romans 10:17 it says that

"faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God".

So where does faith come from? By hearing the word right? That is how faith is built up in our heart. When I saw the biggest change in my life is when I decided to start watching what I was listening to. A lot of people think this just means music but it is so much more than that. You can be feeding your spirit all day long. Yes get good worship music but also get some good preaching.....

Here are a few that I recomend.....Don't just listen to it once but listen to it time and time again! Listen to it until it isn't just something you hear, but it becomes part of you.

You can always get great preaching here to listen to my amazing husband, my wonderful Pastor or myself.

Then you can always listen here. This is Pastor Benny Perez at The Church at South Las Vegas.

Get some word today it is something that has changed my life and I know it will change yours also!

When is it ok to put up Christmas decor?

2009-11-17T12:48:00.000-08:00

When is it ok to put up Christmas trees and decorations and when is it too soon? People all have their own reasoning behind it. There are those that say that it is way to soon if you do it before Thanksgiving. For those of us that drive a long way and stay the entire week of Thanksgiving it is almost as though not setting it up after Thanksgiving just isn't soon enough....

Well Chiks at the Sparks house it is Christmas...well it is on it's way to being that way! I always set up the week before Thanksgiving due to the fact that we go way out of town each year to be with Bryan's family. So I have been working on it for the last few days...Shew it is a lot of work!

I love Christmas!!! I have been in full blown baking mode and wanting to make all of the yummy treats. So that I don't gain too much weight I have been sure to pass along the sweets to dear friends and neighbors (thanks guys!)!!

With all this Christmas setting up the kids had the biggest bubble bath ever the other day...Too much bubbles got put in and this is what we got! It was hilarious how much fun they had in the bath tub. There was maybe about 12 inches of water and about 2 foot of bubbles. The kids loved it....I thought I would share with you hope this makes you smile!

So weather you are putting up Christmas like me right now or later post pictures cuz I want to see your winter wonderland at your house!

The best day of your life.....

2009-11-08T18:42:00.000-08:00

Everyday is an opportunity. You have never had a day like this one is going to be nor will you ever. There is something so special each and everyday. Things waiting to be explored, opportunities waiting to be found, lives waiting to be changed, experiences that will blow your mind. Each day they are all there waiting for one thing....YOU.

Everyday I wake up and think "This is the best day of my life".

So many times I find that we live for what tomorrow will hold or even worse we think about all the bad that has held us back in the past. Instead of thinking of what lies before us right now. Really taking the time to embrace what is happening today.

When you treat today like it is the best day of your life you will find opportunities happen things just seem to click. There is a joy unspeakable that takes over your life. After all I believe that with each day you are one day closer to your miracle you never know when God is going to show up and use you to do something big in the earth.

I think of Joseph he didn't know the week before, the hour before he was promoted from the prison. He had one job while he was in prison that was to trust God and keep a good heart. He did so he was promoted.

Think of David. Can you imagine the prophet comes to anoint the next king and your family doesn't even think of you to bring you in for the fields...God saw him though and He called him in....

Each day is the best day of our life if we let it be. Each day is the beginning of new things if we will open the door for God to come in and do something big in and through us!

So I have to ask you....are you going to make today the best day of your life or is it going to be just another day that you gripe about having?

Personal inventory......

2009-11-04T20:40:00.000-08:00

I love that song by Michael W. Smith "I'm coming back to the heart of worship". What I like the most about that song is when he sings...

You're looking into my heart......looking into my heart.......

Wow think about it for a minute.....Jesus......Looking into your heart....

If we all got real for a minute and really meditated on that line & took time to think about what is in our heart. What is in there when no one is around no one is looking what are those things that are deep within us?

Around this time of the year I always think about goals I had coming into that year. Was I successful after those or not? Did I make the best use of my year or is there room to do better in the next year....if yes then how....

Every good business takes inventory of their merchandise so they know what they have. Shouldn't we do the same thing in our life?

Questions to think about

God: Am I......

Actively choosing God and His ways at every decision, word, moment, thought and step each day?

Consistent in my quiet time?

Daily spending time with God in prayer and Bible reading?

Husband: Am I.......

Praying for him DAILY?

Being a help meet to him?

Preparing for my husband daily?

Spending time with him?

Positively responding to him?

Noticing, regarding, honoring, preferring, esteeming, praising, admiring and loving him?

Bending or bucking with submission?

Being predictably happy?

Giving away to others what I haven't given first away at home?

Children: Am I.....

Spending quality time with them?

Praying with them daily?

Teaching them to follow God by my words and actions?

Home: Am I managing my home effectively. ....

with finances and budgeting?

with housecleaning?

(Managing it instead of it managing me?)

with planning meals and shopping wisely?

by taking care of needs at home?

Others: Am I......

Loving others correctly?

Serving others?

Preferring others?

Self: Am I......

Growing in my walk with God?

Eating properly and exercising?

Making sure I am healthy and give myself rest when needed so I can be what my family needs?

You see I don't think that I am perfect. I wish I could say I could put a big check mark by all of these questions as though I have done them all. But you know what I am just like you a normal person with real issues and real life comes along the way and distracts us. That is why it is so important that we look inward to our self and see what we can do better. Being a good mom and wife is a process not an overnight thing. It is a daily journey with lots of mistakes along the way!

An empty journal

2009-11-02T04:41:00.000-08:00

Whenever I pass them in the store I have to pick them up and look through them. I always flip the pages looking at the blank pages. I can never pass a journal without having my heart race a little.

I love to journal it is one of those things that just is a release for me. To put on paper what God is doing in my heart is something so amazing. What is even more amazing is to write things and then look back years later and see how God worked things out. There are so many miracles that happen in our life that at the moment we weep and thank God & even vow that we will never forget that moment. Time goes on and so does life…..and somehow we forget.

A journal empty pages. Empty pages just waiting for someone to write down the wonderful things that are happening in their life. Waiting for someone to write down dreams, prayers, and answered prayers. Waiting for someone to pick it up and read about all the good things that have happened in life.

You see journals are a lot like our life. We start out blank with nothing really. Just a cover and a whole lot of blank space that begins to get filled with time. Some pages are sad, some funny, some happy and some uplifting. They all come together and tell a beautiful story of your life. The beautiful wonderful person that you are.

I think of how I can’t help but stop and look at a journal and see all the potential. I see myself carrying it. I see myself putting wonderful things that are happening in it. I see my children reading it and they are inspired because the same God that did it for me will do it for them.

I think God is a lot like I am when He is looking through people in the Earth. He sees beautiful perfect people with a whole lot of unwritten greatness. He sees unlimited potential. He can’t help but see Himself carrying them through life and performing miracles that blow their mind. He sees them setting up landmarks for their children. That their life will touch so many with what will happen on those blank pages. He sees the funny times, happy, the sad, the wonderful, and the miraculous.

You see the great thing about God is He never puts us back on the shelf. He always wants to take us and use us. Fill our life with such wonderful things.

“Your life is telling a story make it one worth reading”-April Simons

You see we are all journals that are being read everyday. What kind of a story is your life telling? Is it good? Weather you like it or not people are constantly reading it. They are browsing the pages and seeing what is inside.

Life is a fight!!

2009-10-29T21:23:00.001-07:00

I have come to realize that nothing in life will ever be easy. You will never wake up and have the life that you have always dreamed of. Everything that you really want in life will take two things:
1. Time 2. Determination
The word tells us in Deut. 30:19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;
You see the Lord is prepping us right here that we hold the choice for our life that a decision has to be made. Life or death. We can pick either neither is ever chosen for us. Sometimes I think people think that once you get ask Jesus into your heart that you have chosen life so now things will all be good. I have found that isn’t so. I have found that choosing life is a daily sometimes hourly decision you have to make.
One of my favorite scriptures of all time is 1Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
You see he is being reminded here to fight the good fight! I love what my Pastor says a good fight is one in which you win. You see we are in this life to be victorious we are in this life to conquer. You are not here to be stepped on, used, kicked aside, & pushed to the back. No you are here to win in this life. You are here to kick down the devil’s door and to make a difference in people’s life. To do that though takes you making a choice. You have to choose what you are going to do……choose life or choose death.
Some of you reading this have a marriage that is on the rocks….Choose life! Fight the good fight! You go in and love that spouse like no tomorrow! You begin to pray for them. You begin to sew those seeds of love that will bring life to your marriage. Whatever you do you don’t give up!!
Some of you reading this have dreams and desires that you haven’t seen come to pass yet! Choose life! Breathe life into those dreams don’t let them die no matter what the situation may be like! You go back in and fight for that dream!
Some of you reading this have people you have been standing believing God for their life the be changed. Don’t give up! Life is a fight, but you are in this to win! You don’t know what a difference you are having in their life. Things you think are small and nothing may be what is keeping them going. Don’t give up!!

You see I have learned this. When you feel like giving up the most. When there is that voice inside your head that tells you it is pointless, that you are not making a difference that it can never happen, that you should walk away now……Those moments are when you are the closest to your miracle then ever before. The enemy is doing all he can to push you down. Let something rise up in you right now and say I am going to fight the good fight! I am in this to win!
Job 42:2 I'm convinced: You can do anything and everything. Nothing and no one can upset your plans.
You see you have already won in God’s eyes. God gave you a beginning in this situation because He saw the end. He knew that you could do this thing! He knew that you are a winner! He knows you are a winner because He made you that way!!

So I have to ask you……Are you in this thing to win?
Are you going to choose life?
Is your destiny worth fighting another day?
Life is a fight….A daily choice to win or loose….I am in this thing to win……How about you?

Big Steps in New places

2009-09-22T10:28:00.000-07:00

I remember the night Bryan and I went out on our first date...We were sitting in his old white Ford pickup truck (sounds like something out of a country song huh?). We began to talk about where we were heading in life and what were our goals. Bryan at that time told me that all he ever wanted was to be in full time ministry. Months later after we got to know each other more and more I realized that this wasn't just a dream of his, but a passion.

Time went on and bills came. We decided that while waiting for that dream to happen he needed a different career then at the lumber yard. So he went to fire school just a few short months after we got married. Then there were the multiple applications to get on at a fire department. Lots of time passes and we still aren't able to be full time at the church. Inside him though the dream was very much alive.

As far as I can remember all I have known is shift work, fire uniforms, smells of smoke after a long night, Bryan missing Christmas, birthdays etc. This has been my life for I don't know how long.

Our church has grown so much in these last few years. We knew that he would go full time at the church soon....Bryan came to me and told me by October 1st he would leave the fire department. Not long after Pastor came to us just a few months ago and said it is time!

WOW! Here we were on the verge of everything we had prayed for the last 9 years. So many emotions came upon me as Bryan worked his last shift last Thursday. Happiness, joy, sadness, and a little fear of the unknown. I felt like we were taking one huge leap off of a cliff not knowing what was below, but knowing that God was going to take care of us.

Sunday morning at church it was a normal service. Our anniversary was last Tuesday. I love love love love the song "Then" by Brad Paisley after Bryan showed it to me a few months ago. In fact it is the ringer on my cell phone when he calls :)

Right there before everyone he begins singing this song to me. You want to talk about cry! I was in a heap! How faithful God is! So many people go through life never finding happiness and here I am with joy over flowing in mine! Not only have I seen God's faith fullness in every area of our life, but I also have an amazing husband that after all these years is still head over heels for me!

How blessed I am! How thankful I am to be going on this wonderful journey of life with the most amazing guy in the world! I love him more today than ever!

Why am I blogging this? To brag on me? NO! To inspire you! God is no respecter of persons what He has done for me He can do for you too!! Just get a purpose and a dream in your heart and go for it! Don't worry about the details God will take care of those a long the way!

All of the networking things these days!

2009-09-15T12:50:00.000-07:00

I remember when I first started doing this whole "technology scene" with networking and such. At that time if you had a myspace you were really on the front edge of things. Then if you blogged and did myspace man you were like cutting edge. Then I started doing both and have met some of the most wonderful people. Well then "they" said that myspace is now the dinosaur in the technology world and anyone who is anyone does facebook now. So I got a facebook. So then I found out that tweeting is where it is at and facebook is good too. So I was trying to tweet, facebook, myspace, and blog. Shew! You have to have a full time job just to keep up with all of that! Can I get an amen?

So now I hear that tweeting is where it is at and that people aren't really big on blogs anymore! What is a girl to do???

To blog or not to blog? That is the question I had in my mind. So last Sunday I am thinking of all this technology madness and am thinking what in the world is a girl supposed to do and how do you know if it is effective or not!? After alll I don't just want to be waisting time on things that aren't producing fruit!

Well then a lady back in the visitor center at our church meets me. She then goes on how she came that Sunday because she had read my blog and that is what touched her life. WOW so someone is out there??? There are people that really do write what I type (ramble) about??

Sometimes you know that is how life is we get to running trying to make sure we are being effective and relevant. We spend sometimes so much time trying to keep up with everything and we don't even know if we are effecting anyone with what we are doing. At the very moment we feel like what we are doing isn't making a difference someone comes forward and says I am one life that was touched by all that you have done.

This doesn't just go for blogging, facebook, or myspace. Sometimes we in our everyday life think that we are just going to a job and doing our time and that we aren't really effecting anyone. Then out of the blue someone comes and tells you how you changed their life.

I think that is the moment that all of us live for. Deep down we all want to know that we had a positive influence on someone somewhere along the way.

So I said all that to say I am going to try and do better on blogging more often! I did say try though so no promises made!

Follow me on TWITTER!!! crystalsparks I would love it if you did because I do try and do that almost daily!! Love you chiks!!

Just a question! I need you though to tell me!

2009-08-27T06:18:00.000-07:00

Hey Chiks! It has been a while since I last posted a blog!

Well we just got back the other day from.......LAS VEGAS!!

We had so much fun I will have to say that if you are going to Vegas don't go for the strip, don't go for the shows don't go for the food go to Pastor Benny Perez's church....The Church at South Las Vegas! You won't be disappointed! That is what we went for was a three day conference and it was so wonderful! They had amazing speakers. We brought a few of our youth group leadership and they all loved it!

Then my kids have been getting ready for Sulphur Springs Wildcat football season! They are really excited and so am I! We always love going to the games as a family it really is a neat time for us!

So Chiks I have to say there are a lot of really exciting things coming up in my life and hopefully in yours too!

I want to ask you a question.

What is your women's ministry like at your church?

Is it fun?

What do you guys do?

Or do you even go/have one at your church?

What if someone like me and a few of my favorite chiks I know could come in and do a complete Chik nite at your church and you just have to get friends to come! Does this sound like something that your church would like? Let me know I want feedback!!

I really want to know because within the next year Chik is going to be coming to a city near you! I want to know will you be one of our stops on our CHIKS across the NATION????

Stand up Christians in a bow down world.

2009-08-06T13:55:00.000-07:00

The thing that has been on my heart so much here lately is people raising up and being the people that God has called us to be. Not just church goers but people that will effect our community, workplace, schools and even country.

Being a christian is so much more than just attending a Bible study once a week or even going to church or even reading your Bible. It is truly being a walking example of the goodness of God.

Sure you are never going to be perfect, but we should all strive to do the best we can don't you agree?

James 1:22-24 Don't fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! Those who hear and don't act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like.

I think there is a world full of people that sit in church and hear the word of God preached, but they never go out and do anything with what they hear.

I was driving the other day when a man in a truck with a cross on the back of his truck cut me off then proceeded to yell at me and make mean gestures.

I thought "Man no wonder why the world wants nothing to do with Christians when that is all they see".

Listen girls: What the world needs is people that aren't going to just be people that hear the word preached they need to see people that are going to live it out. Show them what it is like to be a christian. If Christians are acting the same as the world then why should they want what you have? People should see something different in your life!

I like how this scripture talks about us looking in the mirror and forgetting who we are. I always thought of this meaning forgetting what I look like. That isn't what it is saying at all. What James is telling us here is that we are made in the image of Christ. When we hear the word preached we are not hearing what Jesus is. If you are a Christ follower you are hearing what you look like. We have Jesus on the inside of us. The question is do you remember that when you walk away?

I have a challenge for you: Let's quit just "playing church" and let's start being the difference that this world needs!!

Where did summer go?

2009-07-28T18:51:00.000-07:00

I remember when I was young...it seemed as though when I was in school that summer would never get there and when summer was upon me it seemed like I would never go back to school to see all my friends. I got to thinking it is almost August. This summer has flown by...

Before long girls we will be back to getting kids off to school. Set bed times, mornings filled with busyness trying to get everyone and everything together before they go to school. So I got to thinking where did the summer go? I thought I would share where mine went!

My daughter turned 4. She is wondering if it is time for her to get married, and if it is who is she going to marry. Most importantly when will she get to have her first baby? She really wants to know these things. As you can tell she is my 100% girly girl (look out you get what you pray for when you say you want a REALLY GIRLY GIRL! God takes this serious I found out ;) )

My baby boy turned three, or as he says "Mom, I am taking it to three". This summer was filled with adventure for Rylan. From hunting down bugs in the backyard, to trying to scale our fence, to peeing out in our backyard as all the neighbors drove by and watched on their way to work in the morning. Rylan is starting his K-3 school here in just a few short weeks. It has made me realize how quickly they grow up......

My best friend (C.D. the one in the center) is getting married on September 12th so there has been lots of planning for her wedding and then there are showers and the dress and the invitations and the decor and the cake!!! Whew planning a wedding is a lot of work!

One of the most amazing things this summer has been getting to minister with Chiks like April Simons and Misty Westlund! There are a lot great things in life. One of the best is seeing women's lives changed! There is something so amazing about seeing women come in one way and then see them totally changed by the love of God when the leave! The above picture is with Mrs. April and myself at her Chik Nite at High Point Church in July.

Ohhhh now don't get me wrong I would be lieing if I acted like there wasn't any fun. There has been multiple trips to Starbucks, Chuck-E-Cheese, pool with the kids, Six Flags with all the family and lots of time spent with tickling sessions on our living room floor.

At the end of the day..........

2009-07-23T05:20:00.000-07:00

At the end of the day what doesn't matter is............

If all the dishes got done. The house being clean doesn't really matter. How many phone calls you missed. If your cookies you brought to the church pot-bless were home made or store bought. If there are weeds in the flower beds. If the kids had their outfits just so so or if they got a little dirty. How many hours you worked at the office. If the line at Wal-Mart took 10 minutes or if it took 15. If you caught the red light. If the lady that you met the other day really likes you or if she is just pretending.

At the end of the day what does matter is..........

If you spent lots of time hugging and kissing your babies. Time spent on the couch cuddeling instead of weeding the flower beds. Getting away with your husband to realize how wonderful he is. Knowing that your home is a place of peace and love. Making someone feel special. Going to bed knowing that those around you know they are loved. Realizing that you have a Savior that is watching over you. Touching one persons life for the better. Taking time to pray with your children, then to have them ask you later on in the day when things are crazy to just pray to make it all better.

I think so many times at the end of the day so little really matters. The Lord has been showing me more and more if we spent time on the things that really do matter at the end of the day instead of all the other stuff how much better our life would be. Think about it. What are the things that truly matter at the end of the day for you?

Digging to China

2009-07-16T18:43:00.000-07:00

When I was a little girl every day in the summer you would find me in my back yard with a spoon. I would start digging everyday and work as long as I could. I was digging a hole to China. You are probably laughing right now. I was totally convinced that if I dug long enough and hard enough I would eventually be looking down on the people of China.

My mom tried to tell me time and time again that you can't dig to China. Everyday I thought "Today is going to be the day that I dig a little further and see the people walking on the streets in China and she will see that you really can dig to China".

The Lord brought this to my mind the other day.......

How simple our faith is in things when we are young. You see all of the facts said that you can't dig to China. The world is round after all. Even if it wasn't could you really dig to China with plain old dinner silver wear? Even if I did dig to China how would I get to the ground to see the people?

Somewhere in life we get bogged down by all the details to tell us if something is really possible or not. When God doesn't want us to look at the facts He just wants us to look at the word to tell us what we can do.

You see when you start believing God for something big. Whatever your China might be there will be facts that say it is impossible. There will be people that tell you that it is impossible. You might not even have what you need to get to your China.

The good news is God knows how to get you to your China He has a perfect plan (Jeremiah 29:11) All you have to do is trust His word and He will get you what you need to get there and see you through. So weather it is healing, finances, a relationship, dreams in your heart or whatever is your "China" I encourage you to get God's word on it and don't worry about the facts or what other say! You just go for it and see what God does in the process!

I love you guys have a wonderful day!

2009-07-10T15:39:00.000-07:00

I twitter do you??? I just started so if you twitter also I would love to have you follow me :) So you can find me!! I really like twitter the best out of everything I have done such as myspace or facebook. So find me on twitter if you tweet! crystalsparks is my display name. Look forward to seeing you in twitter world!

The book of Acts

2009-06-30T19:30:00.000-07:00

I have been reading the book of Acts for the last week or so. How amazing that book in the Bible is!!! The things that happened as the traveled and went is so miraculous! So in saying that it gets me to thinking about my daily life. Think about your daily life.....

When is the last time you saw something truly miraculous?

I can honestly say that there is a lot of stuff in the book of Acts that took place that I have yet to see. I know one day I will though....

You know God's power is still alive in the Earth today. The only thing that is stoping you from seeing it is well.....you! We can see those things. The problem is that we think that those things don't happen anymore. Let's face it you don't see many people that are crippled stand up and walk everyday right? So it is sometimes so hard for us to get our minds wrapped around such a thing. The truth though is this.....That is what God wants us to be seeing all of the time.

I challenge you all to read the book of Acts. All the while asking yourself....Do I just play church on Sunday mornings or is this something that I live daily? Have I given God everything or do I just do my time Sunday morning?

I can say this when you start giving God everything in your life that is when the miracles break forth in your life! That is when the book of Acts will begin to unfold in your life!

What do you think?

2009-06-28T20:40:00.001-07:00

I think there are things all the time going on around us in the spiritual......Check out this story about a man that was addicted to drugs. In a picture you can see a demonic dog looking over his shoulder.....what do you think? Leave comments I want to hear your imput.....

K-3 Graduations, road trips, new members to our family, lake, and good times!

2009-06-03T11:52:00.001-07:00

Well I have missed all of you! Things have been so busy around here! There has been so much going on! I took pictures a long the way though knowing that I wanted to let all of you in on what I have been up to!

For starters Brailey graduated for her K-3 program at her school....she is very excited mommy was a little teary.

Do you see my little baby up there??

Once again Brailey loves pictures.....Rylan not so much.

This was at her after graduation party!

We got two new members to our family two goldfish. One named Henry (my son's) and Little Miss. Sunshine (my daughter's).

This is bear asleep in the car holding the bag with his fish.

Brailey was so excited to get Little Miss Sunshine home!!

All of my family always goes to the lake on Memorial day weekend. So off we went to the lake to spend time with the family! There is nothing like getting away from everything for a while and just enjoying nature and your children!

Brailey will never pass up a chance to have her picture taken. Bear on the other hand didn't want his picture taken that day!

Then it was off to Bryan's hometown for his cousin's high school graduation! No trip to the farm would be complete with out hay rides, Popsicles and rides around to see all of the animals!

This is Rylan and my nephew Ian.

Rylan and Aunt Brenda

Ian eating his Popsicle!

My beautiful sister in law and her daughter Zoe and Ian.

So that has been my last two weeks! It has been fast and furious. Brailey's 4th birthday was yesterday and it was wonderful! We are having her party on Saturday and she is super excited! I hope all of your summer's are off to a great start mine sure is!

Drumroll please............

2009-06-01T19:23:00.000-07:00

After an intense drawing we have a winner and it is......

My sweet friend Liz. Her blog is amazing! She can make any picture of anything look absolutely stunning! She is such a wonderful blogging friend! I encourage all of you to go check her out here! I promise she will be on your favorite blog places to go after your first visit!

Congrats Liz!

So now that we have a winner it is back to blogging for me! There is so much I want to tell you girls about!!

WHO LIKES FREE????

2009-05-23T05:22:00.000-07:00

This is POST #99!! So let's see what someone is going to win!

A lucky winner will get a TEXAS CHIKS ROCK THE WORLD Tee!!

Also a lucky winner gets a CHIK cookbook

Conference 3-disk CD series

Pretty good huh? So how do you win? You leave comments the more the better. If you post about the 100th post on your blog you get double points! Each comment left=more chances to win. Also our Chik blog is about to have it's 100th post so if you go over there and enter then you will get to win! So there will be 2 of these given away! So click here to enter (leave comments) after you leave comments here! So look at any past blogs they count for chances to win if you leave a comment between now and the giveaway!

So let the coments start girls!

All things country!!

2009-05-18T13:51:00.000-07:00

As many of you know we are getting ready for CHIKFEST!!! I am really excited all this talk about country stuff has got me thinking about things I have never ever thought of before like:

I want a pair of boots...and any belt with bling catches my eye....vintage tees ohhhh dear!!! I am loving the country stuff right now!!! Chikfest is bringing out the country in me!!

Ohhhh by the way this is blog post #98 for me....I will be having a BIG giveaway on my 100th post...So for your chance to win you have to leave comments! More comments=more chances to win!!! I will announce my giveaway item on my next blog post then post number 100 I will post the winner....So your chance to win starts.............NOW!

Friends for a season......

2009-05-16T13:23:00.001-07:00

I know you all know the saying about some friends come only for a season and some for a reason.....

I never did understand that saying until the last few years.

We all have meet people that when we meet them there is no denying that God put you together at just the right time! I can think of so many people that God just set us up to be together. These people are the kind of friends that from the minute you meet it feels like you have known each other for all you lives although you just met.

I am amazed at the people in my life that I have had like this. They wash in like the tide and as soon as I get used to them being here they are gone again.

I had a friend that was so close to Bryan and I we were the closest. Her husband and Bryan were best buds. Me and his wife got a long so well. One day her daughter got ill with cancer....We were there for them in the hospital down to the very end of her life. We prayed for them and stood with them all a long the way. The door closed. No matter how hard we tried they just weren't our friends anymore.

There are multiple other things like that, that have happened throughout my life. People that I stand with them in prayer I see God do mighty things in their life....then they no longer want to be in any part of my life....

Why is that?

Why is it that it is so God to have opened that door.....for the door to only close? I will never understand that.

Your mind does understand it, sometimes it is just hard to tell your heart.

Cinderella....

2009-05-13T21:08:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite movies hands down is Cinderella. If you are thinking "Yeah ok whatever". Then you obviously haven't seen it in quiet sometime or else you would note how wonderful of a movie it is.

I was shopping at Canton the other day and there were those cute signs you know the ones with the little sayings on a wood board. The ones that probably only cost like $5.00 to make but the charge you $25.00 because they know you will never get around to doing it yourself....Those signs.....

*I crack myself up*

Well I see this one that catches my eye

"One shoe can change your life"

Cinderella

Sounds silly but that is a powerful statement. So from that point on I had this urge to watch Cinderella. I watched it the other day finally with my daughter and realized how powerful that is. The story that is.....

You see she was going through life not where she wanted to be. She woke up every morning seeing the big castle up on the hill and dreaming of what life will one day be like, but still having to do the chores for her wicked step-mother and sisters. Then one day when she didn't see it coming she got her miracle. Everything in her life turned around.

You see Disney took this story from Joseph in the Bible he was the same way. He could see the dreams in his heart yet he had to keep doing what he was doing. Then one day his dreams came true.

I talk to people all of the time that have two things down

1. They don't like where they are

2. They know where they are going

What a lot of people fail to realize is that there is a road from #1 to #2, and what it takes to get there is a lot of patience. You see if Cinderella would have gotten fed up and just walked out she would have never had met the prince. Sure she probably would have gotten a some what better life, but not the wonderful one that she got at the end of the movie.

You see when you stay faithful where you are and in what you are doing God is working behind the scenes to make all of your dreams come true. You just have to do what I call "work the dream". Your job is to just do what you can with what you have till God shows up.

I love what Joyce Meyer says "People always see where I am today and want that. What they don't see is the 32 years it took for me to be here. The fact is they don't want those 32 years they just want my present situation".

That is so powerful when you think about it!

Girls let's work the dream. We are all on the road to our dreams. Well at least I am. I am not going to bail out for an easy out. I am going to keep working the dream because I know in the end it will all be more than I could have ever dreamt!

The best ten dollars you could spend!

2009-05-11T07:04:00.000-07:00

If you don't know the story of Bella Marie check it out before you read on....

She is the grandaughter of one of my favorite bloggy friends Deb at Talking Trash. Let me tell you girls this baby is such a wonderful miracle! She is a living testimate of the miracle working power of Jesus! Being born at 24 weeks and weighing only 15 oz. The odds were against her....but how many of you know when we join together and pray we can move mountains and a baby can live?

So you are wondering where you come in right? Well over 50 people have donated 50 wonderful items that you....well actually I will win ;) The tickets are $10.00 and all money raised will go to help the family of sweet Bella!

Chiks let's all get around this great cause. $10.00 is so cheap when you think about it and if everyone bought one ticket just think of what a HUGE difference it could make!

The one thing that is wonderful about blog land is we are all one big family. Even though we have never met we all feel like we know eachother. I remember crying as I prayed for Bella through her first days. She is getting bigger and bigger each day....God is so good!

So go here to go buy your ticket today and to see all of the great stuff that you can win!!

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T18:36:00.000-07:00

So I started to think of things about being a mother here are a few I know will make you smile....

You know you are a mom when you are potty training and there is pee in the middle of your floor and it no longer disgusts you.

You know you are a mom when you use the restroom with the door open.

You know you are a mom when your kids have runny noses you are out of Kleenex so you get it with your finger and wipe it on your pants.

You know you are a mom when you ask your son what is in his mouth then he proudly shows you the candy he just found in the grass at the park.

You know you are a mom when you forget one ingredient at the store so you load the kids in the car drive to wal-mart get into the store then stare at your children because you have no clue why you are here.

You know you are a mom when you haven't had a date with your hubby in three months because every time you make plans to go out you decide to just take the kids to Chuck E Cheese instead.

You know you are a mom when you realize that all smart moms give rewards for getting through the grocery store with good behavior.

You know you are a mom when your daughter has more clothes than you and you are proud of it.

You know you are a mom when you look at your children and realize that they are growing up and begin to cry.

You know you are a mom when you are at your child's school program and you weep the whole time they sing "Wheels on the bus".

You know you are a mom when you realize that having a baby was the craziest, most life changing, incredible thing you have ever done!

Happy Mother's Day Chiks hope yours was amazing!!

Funny things.....

2009-05-07T21:05:00.000-07:00

Church nights are always crazy. I am the administrator at our church along with being the youth Pastor's wife, women's pastor etc. So every time church is over I am always flooded with lots of questions about things....

So this Wednesday was like every other. I had a line out my office door with people wanting to ask me something.

I leave and my head was hurting so bad. I was talking to my hubby telling him the music in youth started my head to hurting then I said there was a lot of people after church needing things.... I tell him "There was a line out the door". My kids are looking at me wide eyed.

I tell them come on it is time to get ready for bed mommy doesn't feel well.

We get in the bathroom to brush teeth and Rylan asks....

"Mommy why were all those people lying to you??"

Then Brailey...

"Mommy there was a real lion in your office that gave you a headache?"

Life through a child's eyes....priceless.

Marriage 101

2009-05-03T12:00:00.000-07:00

One thing that the Lord has always blessed me with is an amazing marriage...Bryan and I have such a wonderful marriage. Sure we have our arguments, but at the end of the day he is the cheese to my macaroni.

One thing I do a lot of is marriage counseling. It seems that we have a way of finding people with their marriage on the rocks. It doesn't take long and we work with them and they see their life completely changed. I have seen marriages where it looked hopeless; it looked like there was no way to make it better. Somehow God has turned it around EVERY time. Never have we counseled someone and it not work out. God is so good!!

So with that said I got to thinking I bet there is a lot of you guys that feel this way. Like there is no way your marriage could ever work. Maybe it isn't that bad, but you feel like living daily life with your mate is total torture. Maybe you are just saying well....we could always have some improvement.

This is what I am going to do. For the next few posts I am going to walk you through what makes a great marriage. I think we will all enjoy this process together!! You ready?

STEP 1: Let your words be sweet, because one day you might have to eat them!!

One thing I have noticed about us ladies is that once we get married we tend to get very critical about lots of things. I hear women constantly getting on to their husband for this or for that. Remember when you were dating? It wasn't ever this way! You were encouraging and would tell him how great he was at everything. We need to be our hubby's best support in this life. We should be there giving him all the reasons why he can accomplish something. I know some of you are rolling your eyes saying "You don't know my husband". At first for some ladies this is the hardest step, because they have gotten in a complaint cycle. So try really hard to compliment your hubby 4 times a day. Even if it is just something small like.....thanks for mowing the grass, thanks for putting your plate in the sink, thanks for putting your toothbrush up. Find the small things and brag on them. It won't be long and the good things that he does for you will begin to compliment. All people want to hear how great they are doing at something....same is true for our hubbys.....

Step 2: Date your husband

Remember when you were dating? You would giggle at every joke, put on something nice when you would see him, do anything just to be by him? Why shouldn't you still be like that? When we get married there is this thing in some people's heads that they don't have to "try" anymore to keep their significant other. Not true. Your marriage will be as good as you make it be! It takes work! I want you girls to take off those sweat pants before your hubby comes home from work. Put on something nice even a little lip gloss or a pair of heels. Don't worry about getting so much done, instead just sit and cuddle with him on the couch. Loving actions produce loving feelings. I promise this will spark the romance in him and you when you start doing that.

So that is the first two steps to having a great marriage. Try them I promise they will work! Leave me a comment and let me know how it is working for ya! I am not telling you chiks anything I don't do myself, and have learned the hard way.

Dream BIG

2009-04-25T18:17:00.000-07:00

I believe in life there is absolutely no such thing as "luck". What happens in life is when preparation meets opportunity. That is what I think luck is. It isn't by chance that things happen. There is lots and lots of preparation that goes behind the moment that you see your dreams happen. All along God is working to make those things happen. When you are being faithful right where you are then God is moving behind the scenes making your dreams come true.

My dream is to one day preach all around the world to thousands of ladies. I know that one day God will open the door for me to do so. When I worship I close my eyes and picture them all standing behind me worshiping. When I step up on stage to preach I may just see 100-150 people but in the spiritual I see this.................

I have seen it so many times in my heart that this picture is so real to me. I know that this is my destiny. I know that one day tons of people like this is something that will happen.

I encourage each of you to go for your dreams. Realize that God has planted each of us with UNLIMITED potential. You know the only difference between people that see their dreams come true and those that don't? The difference is the ones that quit and those that don't.

I don't know about you, but I refuse to quit. I am not giving up never.

I always think of Joseph. He didn't know the week before his dream was going to come to pass. He didn't know the day before. He didn't know ten minutes before they would come get him to promote him above all the land.

I think so many times we see people doing what we know we are called to do. We don't see the years of faith fullness it takes to get that person to that point in their life.

Like Joyce Meyer. She served for years in her local church doing small Bible studies in her home before she preached to thousands. She was taking steps to her dreams even back then.

Same with Joseph he was taking steps to being over all the land when he was in prison. You see you just never give up you just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Never give up!

Joyce Meyer always says "Quit waiting for your dreams to come to pass. Act like you are already living where you want to be. When you start doing that, that is when God starts making things happening on your behalf."

Isn't that so good?

So girls lets start dreaming big, and making steps toward it. Don't let anyone tell you it is too big. Don't let anyone tell you it won't happen. You just keep doing what is in your heart. All of that preparation will eventually meet that opportunity!

Seed time!

2009-04-22T20:19:00.000-07:00

This is Bonnie

She is amazing. She has been in our youth since she was 12 she is going to graduate here in just a few weeks. She has been praying for 2 things for the last year

1. That all of her college tuition would be paid for.

2. That she would get a paid for car by graduation.

She just recently found out that she would never have to pay college tuition to Oral Roberts University that all $75,000 was paid for!! We were so excited.

So I was worshiping the Lord the other day and was praying for Bonnie. I was thanking God that whoever was supposed to get her a car would be obedient and listen to the Lord.

I heard the Lord speak to me....

"You are supposed to get her the car."

I was shocked.....ME???

I said "Sure God, but you have to talk to my husband."

So Sunday afternoon after church we were all sitting around the kitchen table just talking. I made a comment about how proud I am of Bonnie. Bryan then asks "What is she going to do about not having a car when she goes to school?"

I told him "I don't know, but she is believing God for one."

He stops what he was doing looks at me and says "Let's buy her a car Crystal." I knew it was the Lord. He then tells me that the Lord told him just a few days before to buy Bonnie a car.

So tonight at youth group we gave Bonnie her first car. The look on her face as Bryan and I stood by each other and told her will forever be in my mind. I am so thankful that I got to be a vessel of God's blessings. I will never forget that moment.

The word says in Psalms that everything in the world is the Lords. Bryan and I take that literally. We see our check books not with our names on the top, but Jesus' name. You see when you start seeing everything you have as God's that he is the owner and you are just managing it for him then that is when amazing miracles start breaking forth in your life.

Think about it. If your checkbook is Jesus' then it can't ever be in the red. You can't be a blessing to people if you can't even pay your bills. Jesus wouldn't operate that way. Nor should we.

Just a few weeks ago my husband came to me and told me that the Lord had told him to give a guy in our church $50.00. He also told me that the Lord told him that if he gave that $50 that the Lord would bring it back to us 100 fold. 4 days later we got a call that we just got a unexpected $7,000 a year raise!!! Praise God! You see when you are that vessel of blessing to other people then blessings can't help, but flow back in!

Why am I telling you this? I am telling you to give. Give when the Holy Spirit prompts your heart, and see what God does. I promise He will never leave you disappointed. Let God blow your mind! He does mine everyday. You will find that giving truly is better than receiving!

What every girl can't live without

2009-04-17T20:01:00.000-07:00

I have been so curious what every woman can't live without???

What is it that you use everyday that makes your life a little bit better that you can't do without?

Here are some of mine:

1. Journal & Bible- I love writing notes, because I am forgetful. Bible because you never know when you might need the word!

2. Victoria's Secret lip gloss! I am so addicted to this stuff it isn't even funny. I have two tubes in my purse and will always have one in my car at all times!

3. Sunglasses. When I don't have a pair on me I feel so lost.

4. A super huge purse. I love big purses. LOVE THEM! Every woman needs one!

5. A BIG coffee cup. A thick one at that. I don't like the ones that burn your hand. I like the ones from Starbucks best because they keep your hands nice and warm.

5. Hairspray. Every girl needs this for sure!! I love love love hairspray. Bryan always says that I single handedly kill the ozone layer.

6. Jewelry. I usually don't wear bracelet earrings and necklace in one outfit. But I do usually wear two off the list. Of course I don't leave home with out my wedding ring on!!

7. Hand sanitizer. I love this stuff. Even my kids when we are in public love bypassing the sinks to just sanitize with "mommy's stuff".

8. Worship CD. I love good worship music. There is something about just praising the Lord during your day that just can change your life.

9. Clocks of some kind. I go nuts if I don't know the time. Most of the time the clock is my cell phone but there are times that I don't have that so. Clocks are all through out my house so I can know what time it is.

10. Crest whitening mouth wash. I truly believe I am in love with this stuff. There is something about the taste of it that just keeps me coming back for more!!! I love the stuff. My hubby thinks it is a gross taste. I on the other hand think it is so stinking yummy!!

So I need to well I GOT TO know what is it that you girls can't live without. Don't list like your car or your phone or your laptop. Somethings in life are the little things that make your life so much more wonderful. What are the little things that are around you each day that make your life great?? I can't wait to find out!!

Love you Chiks~

Crystal Sparks

Just the things I think about in a day.......

2009-04-15T13:10:00.000-07:00

Cotton balls....I hate those things there is something about them that just touching them makes my skin crawl. Just thinking about them makes me grit my teeth! Yuck!

Things I think about....Why is there cotton inside a new bottle of medicine? What does it do up there? Why are there Q-tips what are their purpose? My doctor the other day told me "Do not put a Q-tip in your ear!" So what in the world is their purpose then???

Why does a Rooster have the thing under its beak? What does that thing really do?

Why can I tell you where every necklace that I own is, but I can't tell you where half of the earings are that I own.

Where do bobby pins go? You can buy a 100 pack and in a month or so they are all gone and you have to buy more. You would think 100 would last a lifetime...not so!

(This is our dog Maggie)

Why do they say that a dog says "BOW WOW". Very not true I have never heard a dog say bow wow have you? What in the world makes all dogs love to dig?

Fashion-Who are the "they"? When people say "Well you know that they say that this spring this or that is in style". Who is they? Where do they live??

Sour cream and buttermilk. Aren't they already sour to begin with? Aren't they just sour stuff marketed as something else. So then isn't it already expired when they sell it then? So why does it have an experation date?

Why is it that you put two socks in a dryer, but only one makes it out?

Why is it I am 25 years old and I still can't remember to zip my pants after going to the bathroom??? Lol opps did I just say that???

Why is it you can have a closet full of clothes yet you still can't find anything to wear?

Why do men have this weird smell when the sleep? I mean really both my husband and my son have "the stink" when they sleep.

Where do those hundreds of birds come from every year that take over Wal-Mart parking lot? More importantly why do they always flock to my mom's car?

Busy busy week!!!

2009-04-14T11:02:00.000-07:00

So things last week were really crazy. Isn't it funny how just adding a few things in your week can make things kinda go nuts??

Well for those of you wondering....Yes I am still on my live it! Mercy that thing leaves me starving. So when hubby is gone I have to make a little peanut butter pie with my best friend! Or have some yummy ice cream! You know a girl still needs a little sweet right?? I know you aren't supposed to have sweets on a diet. BUT I am not on a diet I am on a live it. So I get to make up my own rules for the live it. Rule #1 is I still get sweets!!

So Sunday we had a BIG Easter service. There was a lot to do as when you are in ministry Easter Sunday is a HUGE deal. So there was a lot of work to make Sunday a success and boy was it! We had a total of 209 people there this Sunday. Seeing as how at the first of the year we had around 90 pretty stead to know 209 that is a big deal!!! We had a Easter Egg Hunt with 1,500 eggs and 5 bikes to be won. Our children's church pastors did a great job with that! Everyone that came had a blast! There is nothing like seeing kids squeel with joy while hunting eggs and bouncing in a bounce house. It really did make my heart smile.

So after I locked the door to the church Sunday around 3 p.m. I looked at my kids who were at that point very done with mommy working so much. My son was so sleepy he could barely hold his eyes open. I load them up and go home. I put Rylan down in his bed for a nap. Since hubby was there I looked over at Brailey and asked her if she wanted to do something fun with mommy. She screams YES!!!

So we load up and go see the Hannah Montana movie. It really was a super cute movie. I really did like it....and Brailey.......She loved it! She was squeeling the whole way through!

It is always nice to get that one on one time with your babies!

I always try to make it a point to get each one of my kids a lone and have one on one time with them. There is something so special about doing that with them. That way you can just love kiss and hug all over them and not worry what the other one that isn't in your arms is doing.

So that was our Easter Sunday. How was yours?

Did some one say work out???

2009-04-06T17:03:00.000-07:00

I know what you are thinking!!! Crystal why do you start off a blog with a picture like this? Today we are starting not a diet but a live it!! I hate the word diet it just sounds bad.....but a live it that sounds fun.....right?

So I know that in now way do I resemble this girl in the above picture. I remember the days though....You know before you had two kids. That I could go somewhere in my bathing suite and not want to just stay in my clothes. I mean really why can't I get into the pool in a pair of capris and a t-shirt?? There is something having children can do on the body that is well.....how do you say.....Just makes it not look like this girl. Especially after you have nursed two babies! Because mine don't look anything like this girls! LOL Are you thinking "Why am I reading this?"

So my hubby is wanting to loose weight and so I am being a supportive wife and doing it with him! Not only are me and hubby doing it, but my father in law and CD. We are all doing work outs too!! I don't want to loose weight I just want to loose the stuff that flaps a little more than it used to like:
*My arms in church when I clap.

*My stomach how it bounces when we hit bumps in the car.

*Not have to "suck in" to put on jeans in the morning.

*To walk out in my bathing suit and not be so embarrassed.....Can I HAVE A WITNESS??

So I am excited.....I really am. I am looking forward to being a more healthy me.

End of a long road

2009-04-03T13:09:00.001-07:00

People always tell you how much you love your children. I always knew that I would. There was never any doubt that I would love them. I am shocked daily at how much I love them more each day.

I love this saying: "When you have a child it is as though a piece of you is forever walking around."

That is so very true.

So you may be wondering why is this blog called end of a long road?

Glad you asked. We have battled for Rylan's health from the moment he came into this earth. I have come to a determination that I am done fighting for his health. I am drawing a line in the sand. I am not going to let the enemy keep robbing my child's health right from under us.

Rylan had to have tubes put in his ears today. I was really proud of myself I didn't cry. There were a few times when we were there that I nearly lost it. It just took me back to when he was in the NICU when he was borne. There is nothing more helpless then to see your baby in a hospital bed. To you mom's that this is your life going hospital to hospital I don't know how you do it. I can't imagine any worse pain there could be.

I believe as our kid's moms sometimes we have to intercede for them. Sometimes we have to pray things that they are not yet able to do for themselves. Today as they wheeled him back to the OR I decided this is the last time I am going to be doing this! Never again will my baby be in a hospital. Sometimes you just have to get fighting mad at the enemy. That is when you will finally quit taking the stuff and start standing on the promises. That doesn't mean that we haven't seen countless miracles in his health a long the way. I just mean I am going to be more vigilant about praying health over him. Amen?

This is little man trying to come out of the anesthesia. Thank you Jesus that everything went wonderfully during the procedure. I am believing that he is going to amaze the doctor's at how well he will be doing in three weeks at his next check up.

So....This is the end of the road for me. No more blogs about the enemy stealing my sons quality of health. No more long nights with a sick baby. No more hospital stays! We are going to have our best days before us and we aren't looking back. This is a start of a new road for Rylan.

Crystal Sparks

Funny things.....

2009-03-27T20:22:00.000-07:00

I am in a shoe store. I see a cute pair of flats....I ask the lady if I could get them in a 9. When the nine doesn't fit I ask for a 9.5. She then tells me that they only carry up to a size 9. I then continue to look. I pick up another pair ask for a 9. She then states we only carry that in a size 10.

After dropping Brailey off at school my coffee was cold. Not liking it I thought I am just going to dump it out. I roll down my window to attempt to dump it out. Not thinking that I am going 45 mph so now the coffee just blew all over me and everything in the car.

I am leaving a store. The lady calls out to me "Thank you, have a good day." I reply "Yes you too and do come back!"

Get the kids to bed decide that I am going to change out the greenery on top of my cabinets. I get up there and decide to just jump on down instead of using the step stool....That would be way to safe after all....My cargo pocket pants hang on the handle to the cabinets. The cabinet door swings open as I sit suspended in the air. I then fall.....

The thing I am best at is loosing my keys. It is the facts. While driving down the road the other day I go into a panic of where I could have put my keys. I begin to dig through my purse while driving only to find I can't find them. I then check to see if my car door is unlocked...IT IS how did I get in here??? I then realize that I am turning into my driveway and the keys were in it all along....

While walking down an aisle at Wal-Mart I feel something working its way down my pants. Thinking it is a dryer sheet I ignore it. It keeps going down....I look down and on top of my shoe is a pair of my underwear! Ohhh dear!! Dryer sheets just got added to the list.

April Simons is doing a dress rehearsal for her Chik Nite. She asks me to run through her part for her. She comes through a curtain with a rockin' guitar. I am thinking "I so got this". So she goes to the audience to watch. Music starts. I come through curtain with guitar....I bring down the whole piece of the curtain because it got stuck on the guitar!

I just have to laugh at myself. There are never dull moments in my life. I like to call these "Dork moments". What are your dork moments?

Crystal Sparks

One busy week!

2009-03-25T21:12:00.001-07:00

My precious baby boy Rylan. For those of you that now us know that this is my bear bear. He is the sweetest, funniest, easy going kid I have ever seen. I don't think that it is just because I am his mommy either....

Since December 1st we have been battling ear infections. He as of this point has been on 6 rounds of antibiotics since then. He literally has gone from one ear infection to another. So our pediatrician finally referred us to a ENT to see about getting tubes. Sure enough he is going to have to get them.

So next Friday we will be in Rockwall getting this procedure done. It is really emotional for me to think about I think because ever since he was born it has been a battle for his health. From getting ill right after birth, almost having to have his tonsils removed to now having to have ear tubes. It is really heart breaking to hear him scream when we walk into a doctor's office.

I know that God is going to do big things in Rylan's life. I know that everything is going to be ok. There is just a part of my heart that is a little sad about him having to go through all of this.

So why am I telling you all of this?

I am telling you because I just want you to be thinking of Bear. Be praying for total healing in his ear, be standing with us that everything is going to go great with this procedure, that there will be all of the good results that we are hoping to happen.

Isn't this the cutest cake ever!

On top of all of this we had a big birthday bash for Mrs. Sue West at our church! It was her 70th birthday party! I must say that it was amazing! She is such an incredible woman of God! She was so surprised!

This is what Patti made for Mrs. Sue

With birthday parties, doctor appointment, and getting back in the swing of school after spring break it has been a pretty busy week!

Crystal

Train up a child in the way......

2009-03-21T12:46:00.000-07:00

Have you ever sat and thought about what a precious gift it is that we have children?

How special they are. From the moment I conceived my children I began to pray for them. There are a lot of things that I have and do pray for in their lives. The number one thing is that they come to know the Lord at a young age.

Brailey has always been hungry for the things of God. When worship music is going she really begins to worship the Lord. She has done this since she was about a year. She so feels the presence of the Lord that it really touches mine and Bryan's hearts.

She has been asking a lot of questions about Jesus lately. The other day she asked me "How does Jesus walk mommy?" I told her "With power and authority!!" She smiled from ear to ear and said "WOW I want to walk like that!!" I look back at her and tell her "You will honey!!"

So yesterday morning as I got ready for the day she started asking about how does Jesus wash away our sins? There was a lot of things she wanted to know about with heaven. Bryan and I talked to her about it all. Then we asked her if she wanted to ask Jesus into her heart.

Without any hesitation she exclaimed "YES I LOVE JESUS SO MUCH!!"

I knelt down there on my kitchen floor and began to weep uncontrollably as her little hand was in mine. Bryan had to compose himself before he could lead her in the prayer. It was the most precious moment in my life. Hearing her repeat those words was so precious. After we were done I said "Brailey how do you walk now?" She jumped and screamed "With power and authority!!!"

The word says in

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the

way he should go, and when he is old he won't depart from it.

We use this as a guideline to raise our children. There is such a hunger in their hearts for Jesus and the things of God that just makes me so excited that we are raising up a generation that will impact the world for Jesus. You see from the very beginning Brailey has always been the Lord's she is a gift that God gave us to take care of. There on that kitchen floor she gave herself to the Lord. To be a part of that moment....there is no words to describe it. I always prayed that Bryan and I would get to be there when she prayed that prayer, and God let us be there for it. How thankful I am for that!! I know that she will accomplish great things in her life. There are no limits to what she will accomplish!

Crystal Sparks

Chik Conference 2009

2009-03-16T20:25:00.000-07:00

Is this the cutest thing in the whole entire world!!!

To say I am excited about Chik conference is an understatement. I am so superly excited can't stand still jumping up and down kind of excited!!

We finally settled on a theme....

Ohhh yea it is going to be a good ole' fashioned country three day thing girls! We are so excited about all of the fun we will be having!

With speakers like:

Misty Westlund

April Simons

& welll errrr.....me

How can it not be fun?? The Chik Team is working like crazy getting everything ready for lots of "Chik" fun! So you might be asking "How can I be a part of this?"

Well mail $25.00 with all of your information:

name address e-mail phone number. Also if you need childcare

please note that with your child's ages to....

Family Life Church

1400 Loop 301

Sulphur Springs, TX 75482

Conference is June 11-13 spots are filling quickly so reserve your spot today.

If you have any questions comment me and I will back with you on it! I am really excited about conference I hope all of you are too!!

Fight the good fight!

2009-03-13T06:01:00.000-07:00

1 Timothy 1:18-19 Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith.

1 Timothy 6: 11-12 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses

Paul is trying to get something across to us in these two verses.....

FIGHT

Life is a fight. Fight for what God wants for you in your life and against what the enemy wants to do to keep you from God's plan.

This week has been a huge fight for me. I guess I have been fighting discouragement a lot this week. Sometimes it is really easy to look at what is going wrong and not what is going right.

Bryan (my hubby) has been youth pastoring for 9 years now. There has been a lot of kids come through our youth group in those 9 years. Each kid that we have had we have loved them like they were one of our own children. We pour into them the whole time they are in youth...then there comes a time where they have to choose what kind of life they are going to live.

For the first time ever we had youth tell us that they didn't want to go to camp this year. That really broke my heart. You see last year we had it prophesied that we would have a youth group of 1,200 youth. Since then our youth have over doubled in size. So when this happened it really broke my heart. On top of all that we have several youth that have just totally walked away from the Lord this year......This breaks both of our hearts.

So long story short we reached out to several youth that said they didn't want to go to camp 4 of them changed their mind and are now going to come. This made me so happy.

I then thought about this verse. You see we are supposed to fight. Paul tells us to never give up. Lay hold of the words that have been spoken. It is all about our faith at these points. We can't give up. The worst thing we can do is lay down and stop. Paul also says the there are ones that have given up and shipwrecked their faith. How true that is those people are all around us all of the time.

About two years ago the Lord had shown me that I had focused too much on the youth and people that walked away from God, and not focusing on the ones that have been changed.

You see I know that all of you are not youth pastor's. You have different problems. Maybe marriage, children, finances, depression, health or whatever it is that you are batteling. I just want to encourage you to FIGHT. Don't ever give up. Don't ever let the enemy make you think that you are not gaining ground. I love what it says in Ephesians "having done all else stand and stand therefore"

Girls you stand in the face of your problems and know that God is on your side you stand and stand tall and watch God do BIG things on your behalf. Don't ever let the enemy make you think what you are doing is for nothing.

You see I know the visions in my heart. I see my husband preaching to hundreds of youth although we only have around 25 right now. I see kids coming up and getting delivered from drugs when my husband prays for them. Even though right now some of our youth are addicted to drugs. I see myself preaching to hundreds of women...even though the biggest I have preached at is around 80 ladies thus far. You see you have to go with the what you see in your heart.

Because on the great side since I have been in ministry I have seen so many youth saved, radically delivered, lives healed, marriages totally restored. So the enemy still has a few. I am just believing God that those kids (who most aren't kids anymore) are going to come back as the protical son did.

Fight girls fight, with everything you have. Your miracle may be closer than you thought. Never give up!! When I look at these pictures I don't just see people I see people that God has changed their lives forever! I know that some of them I am still believing God that their lives will be changed. I just stand on the word & know that they too will be changed it is just a matter of time!

I am a winner!!!

2009-03-11T16:14:00.000-07:00

I know this sounds totally silly, but when I first started blogging I couldn't think of why or even who would want to read my blog. I mean really I was never a writer in school. I am sure it is apparent that my grammar isn't always perfect.

So why did I start blogging?

I had asked Joyce Meyer "How do you recommend me getting my name out there to start getting more preaching jobs?"

Her reply to my question "Start blogging. It makes you study and put messages together like you are already at your goal in life. With you doing that people will start reading like you and before you know it you will be getting invites to preach."

So I started.

Now I get sometimes 40 plus hits in a day! That is so amazing! So not only do you precious Chiks read my blog but Laurie Anna gave me this award on top of it all! How much that blesses my heart I can't quiet say! :D

This award (Originally written in the Portuguese language of Isabel at Maison Douce) focuses not on the glory and fanfare of blogging, but in the PROXIMITY to one another through this on-line world. Here's the definition of the award:

"Blogs who receive this award are 'exceedingly charming' say its authors. This blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY-nearness in space, time and relationships. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award."

How sweet is that definition??? That she thought of me really blesses me!

So now for my people that are receiving the award from me:

1. Family Life Church: Even though we don't have a "blog" on our church site my Pastors are the reason that I even have this blog! Stop by our church site listen to the messages and grow in the Lord. If you are looking to make a change in your life this is your best first step!

2. CHIK TEAM: These girls are the reason that Chik is as amazing as it is! How wonderful my life is because each one of them are in it!

3. RuthAnn: She is the most amazing inspiring blogger out there! She is reaching women like no tomorrow, and is so down to earth! From the first time I read her blog I felt like I had known her all my life. Then when she e-mailed me I knew she was my long lost girlfriend! I love you my girlfriend!

4. Carrie: This is a lady that has been through so much in her life. Her love for Jesus radiates everywhere she goes. There are some people it doesn't matter how long it has been since you last saw each other, you just pick right up where you left off! You ROCK girl!

5. Leslie: Even though she is new to the bloggy world she is doing an AMAZING job! Stop over and fall in love with her! She is a mommy of two beautiful babies and she just is real about life!

6. Benny Perez: I met Pastor Benny when at YFN a few years back. The way Pastor Benny ministers and operates in the things of the spirit always stir me up for more of God and push me to grow more in the Lord.

7. Counting your Blessings: Wheather she is writing a word of inspiration or just showing cute pictures of her latest pictures of what she has going on you will always leave her blog with a smile on your face!

8. Patti V: This lady will blow you away with her creativity. She never ceases to amaze me with the things she comes up with and does! She is one of the most out of the box people I have ever met! (I say that in a great way)

So Chiks take a few moments and check out these blogs! You will love love love all of them!

Hope your day is warm and peaceful!

Crystal Sparks

Peace in any time

2009-03-08T11:37:00.000-07:00

My most favortist (I know this isn't a "real" word but it is to me) pair of heels...........Awhhh every girl has them! You know the pair that fits just right. The kind that goes with so many outfits.

My favorite heels. They are the brown ones. My dog has chewed half of the bow off. I have worn them so much the gold on the inside is completely rubbed off. The rubber on the bottom of the shoe is completely coming off. I know they look rough but with the right pair of jeans they still got the look!

I love these brown heels

Then there are my new heels. They are cute also and comfort they are ok. But the blisters! Ohhh glory do they ever leave a blister on the toe right by my pinky toe. Hurts so bad!

I was looking in my closet the other day. I was looking at my favorite pair of worn heels and the new. The Lord spoke to my heart to look at

Ephesians 6:15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.

The Lord then told me.

There is a peace that I want my children to walk in that never wears out.

You see the children when they were in the wilderness wandered out there for 40 years. They never had to have new clothing or shoes. That no matter what growing their children did the clothes would supernaturally adjust to fit. No matter what weather conditions they were faced with the shoes and clothing never weathered.

Can you imagine 40 years without a new pair of your favorite jeans or shoes! Ohhh glory! That would be kinda tough I must say!

You see girls we are living in times that the world is in distress. It doesn't have to be that way for us. Sure the economy looks bad, sure there are lots of layoffs, and peoples values on their homes are significantly less than ever before. BUT we are children of GOD! Our financial situation doesn't have to be tied to this world it is tied to God's economy. Last time I checked God isn't on a budget with streets paved with gold. The word says that all our needs are met by HIS riches and glory Philippians 4:19

There is a peace when you begin to trust that will come upon your life. You will begin to realize that what you see is only half of the truth. That God is working on your behalf. It doesn't matter what your checkbooks says, because all your needs are met by HIS riches and glory.

Like I always say the word is either true or it isn't. I am going to take God at his word and let His peace come upon me. The peace that never changes, a peace that is constantly being renewed in my life. What about you?

Crystal Sparks

How to know that you are super sleepy!

2009-03-05T20:18:00.000-08:00

So with this being Chik week things are always upside down. There is always last minute strings that need fixing. We had conference brochures that came in that were all wrong.

It was a day of just doors being slammed in my face of things not going right.

So I spent the entire morning on Wednesday trying to find a business that could print a large amount of cards at a reasonable price and have them ready by Friday. I did find one...

Thank you Jesus!

So then there was dress rehearsal for Chik Nite which went really well. Youth group that night to get ready for etc. So we had no groceries in our house. After two weeks of not going to the grocery store we had no food. My hubby ever so sweetly looked in the cabinets to see that it was day 6 and still no bread. So after church was over kids were in bed I slipped on some clothes to head to wal-mart with my best friend CD.

I am walking in and I am so sleepy every step is a miracle (have you ever been there?) It was almost 11 p.m. and my body was exhausted from the long long day. So I am walking up to the store when CD starts cracking up laughing. I ask her what is so funny she tells me to look at my feet.....................

It took me a long time. I was like what is so funny about my feet??

Then I realized I had a purple shoe and a brown one........

Ohhh my goodness I just had to laugh! The sad est thing is if she hadn't have said anything I would have never even noticed. I made her take a picture because I wanted to share this with all of you! I know that all of you have had a crazy moment when the day was super long and you just did something not even thinking right?

So....we got the stage set up today for Chik Nite. Can I even begin to tell you how much I love it? No it isn't possible tooo much for words. I can tell you that Saturday will be a post of all of the cute pictures from tomorrow night. BUT don't wait for pictures come out and have a great time 7p.m. Family Life Church 1400 East Loop 301!

At that I am going to get busy on some work for Chik Nite! I love you Chiks!

Peep Peep little Chiks

2009-03-01T14:27:00.000-08:00

Getting ready for Chik Nite

So this Chik Nite we wanted to do something to get the word out about Chik Nite this Friday. So we got the great idea of getting Chik peeps and tying them up with bows and putting our Chik info on them and then passing them out in the community!

So 163 boxes of Chik peeps later we are done!

*sigh that is a lot*

There is just something about them that just makes my heart smile! If you got one of these Chik peeps and that is how you got on our blog today welcome! We hope that you are coming to Chik nite Friday!!!

So on to other things that are going on with us Chiks.

We have a new member to our Chik Team! We all feel like she is going to be a great addition to the team. I know that she will bring fresh new ideas and perspective.

Mrs. Patti! Click here to read her blog!

So I got to go preach at High Point Church's M.O.P.S group this week. It was amazing! The Lord really ministered to the ladies there. I preached the message that I am going to be doing at this Chik Nite. I know that God will really move in your heart this Friday!

Along with going to Arlington and preaching and getting ready for Chik nite there is just regular mom stuff. School, cooking cleaning, and ohhhh yea my daughter decided to cut her hair. Not just a little but a lot. It really broke my heart. I told my friend it is one of those things you always say my kid won't do that. Then you walk in the bathroom and see a huge pile of hair. So I am a little sad about that. At the same time it makes me just say "WOW parenting never does have a dull moment does it girls?"

I hope all of you had an amazing weekend!

Crystal Sparks

Trash to treasure........

2009-02-23T17:34:00.001-08:00

So do you girls remember the frame I found?

It was my hidden treasure from when I cleaned out my garage. It was a five dollar frame I had bought downtown on the square.....Well let's just say only Jesus only knows how long ago I bought that thing.

So I went shopping in Canton to Laurie Anna's on Friday. Her shop is amazing, incredible, and just breath taking. Be warned though girls going with kids is quiet scary. There wasn't much room to move around due to all of the supreme cute things waiting to be in my home :D There are the cutest ducks that you have ever seen there. They are made of like sticks I think. I have been dreaming about them ever since. I wonder if they are still thinking of me. I think I will be going by Thursday this week to go back and claim them. They would be much happier at my house!

I love the idea of tying silverwear to the garland how cute is that?

Thanks Laurie Anna's!
click here to go check out her blog

So moving back along.......I saw a really cute wreath there which lead me to this garland. Well I put them together with a plate that I had in the cabinet and this is what I got!

I was and am super excited.

So that was part of my weekend. Did you all like when brownies met cookies? Well everyone around our house loved them. Two 9x13 pans later it is a total win that everyone who has come by loves the brownies. So with all of brownie eating I have been getting ready for Chik conference. One of the things I needed was a picture for the information brochures for conference......so CD, Brailey and I all went down to the square downtown to take these pictures. These are some of our pictures.

My little Brailey Girl! I wonder where she gets those poses from....

Ohhh and the shirt I have on in this picture well yea I realized after I got there that it had a bleach spot on the back. Guess that is why I haven't worn it in over a year.....LOL underneath it all no matter how much we fix ourselves up we are all still dorks from time to time! The last picture here is the one I picked it will be going on about five to 700 brochures that will have all of our conference information on it! March 6th is Chik Nite and we will be revealing our other two speakers! It is going to be AWESOME!

Love you Chiks!

Crystal Sparks

When Brownies Met Cookies

2009-02-19T13:28:00.000-08:00

So it all started with me just looking around on the Internet at different cooking websites for something new and different to make. I was just minding my own business when

BAM

I see this recipe!! I knew that I had to make it! Just the picture on the screen made me want to eat the computer!

So I made it and girls it is so easy and you are going to love love love it!!

Step 1. Get Betty Crocker's brownie mix and cookie mix! She is amazing and her stuff out of the box is so good! I am so thankful for Mrs. Betty she makes our life so easy!

Step 2: Mix each of the packages in separate bowls as instructions say on the package.

With two kids around you have to get the stuff out of the bowls as fast as possible before the kids eat it! LOL so this is why it is a empty bowl picture!

Step 3: Put brownie mix in a 9x13 pan greased. Have your oven on to 350.

Step 4: Dollop cookie dough throughout the pan in tablespoon size.

Looks so good huh?

Are you hungry yet????

Step 5: Bake at 350 for about 35-40 minutes.

Step 6: Let it cool

Step 7: Make this ganache recipe to spread on top of brownies:

12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate morsels

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

6 Tbsp butter
In a small saucepan, heat cream and butter until just before the boiling stage.
Pour over the chocolate morsels.
Let stand about 20 seconds and stir until smooth.

Step 8: Now I recommend to poke holes all in your brownie/cookie to let the ganache soak into it for optimum yummy goodness!

Step 9: Let cool and then cut up and serve

I hope you all love them as much as I do and did! I got this recipe from Bakerella! She is amazing! If you have never checked out her blog do so it is full of great ideas!

Happy eating let me know how yours turn out!

CHIKS WE HAVE A WINNER

2009-02-16T19:58:00.000-08:00

Ok so I am not a party animal staying up till midnight just isn't good for a girl ya know? So I have decided that even though I am a hour and a half early I would go ahead and do our drawing! Drum roll please!

And so the winner is..................

Someone who is funny, inspiring, proud mother of two and always having a party even when it isn't her 100th post. Her hubby is the cat daddy of her heart so the winner is......

Well she loves to dress mannequins

and make us all smile.....

Debbie at Trash Talk!!

Congrats girl hope you enjoy it as much as

Pattie and I have! E-mail me your information

so I can get this in the mail to you!

Blessings to all of you that entered to win!