No condemnation!

Romans 8:1
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,[a] 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

Wow how many times have I heard this passage preached? Too many times to count really. God really has been revealing things to me about this text.

First thing I want to point out what is the "law"? Us country folk always calls the law meaning the cops....lol. Not in this text the law is the Ten Commandments. The original purpose of the Ten commandments was to show the people that they were unable to be perfect. That they could not measure up to God. Everything they did was based on works. If they were good and kept God's commandments they were blessed. If they didn't then judgement came. There had to be a sacrifice made when sin happened to keep them "clean".

Now because of Jesus we don't have to kill a fatted calf every time we do something wrong because Jesus' blood was enough for us all.

So why does all of that have to do with there is therefore no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus? Glad you asked!

You see we still think that God's love for us is performance based. When His love for us is solely on Jesus, because of the blood of Jesus God loves us unconditionally! There is no end to God's love for us. For some reason we think that when we do wrong God doesn't accept us. This is why people that stray away from God have such a hard time getting back into the church they feel unworthy and that God is disappointed with them.

I have learned in life it is easy to feel good about your relationship with God when your husband and you are getting along, money is good, kids are good, everything is going your way. When things start going south and you have a few sin issues pop up it is really hard to get around that the same God that loved us in the good times is there with us in the hard times. For some reason when we mess up we think that we have to make it up to God by doing things or we hide because we are ashamed of what we did.

The enemy wants to constantly tell us all of the things that we do wrong. How we miss the mark. How we aren't worthy of the love of God. How can you minister to people when you have problems yourself? I love that it says there is therefor NO condemnation! That means if you start to feel down on yourself that is the Devil whispering in your ear not God! When we entertain those thoughts we are going to the other team and agreeing with the enemy! We should be saying what God says about us! The only reason why I am ok is because of Jesus. Solely because of that is why no matter what I do God has already forgiven me and I am always on God's good side.

That is the good news of Grace! It is not about what I do but what Jesus did! I can never do enough to maintain my salvation! That is why Jesus had to come!

I just want to encourage you ladies! There is nothing wrong that you have problems and issues. Everyone does! All you need to do is cry out to God let Him know that you can not do it without His grace. Start looking to God as being strong enough to get you through any addiction, obstacle or problem not to your ability to get through it. Just accept the fact that He will get you through everything in life. When you do that you line yourself up for the blessings of God to flow through your life!

Love you Chiks! Check out the new Chik Blog!!

Crystal Sparks

Been a long time coming!

Wow so I have been not writing much lately! I have had such an incurable hunger for the word of God. I don’t know if you have ever had such a feeling like you could read the whole Bible and still want more of God. This is how I have been the last few weeks. When I do have time to actually sit down and blog I have been reading Destined to Reign by Joseph Prince or the Bible by God (lol I crack myself up) or just listen to preaching.

God is revealing himself in such new ways in my life. I am at such a place that is so wonderful yet so different. I am so happy yet so hungry for more all at the same time! I am seeing the word in such new ways. Isn’t it funny how you can read the same verse a thousand times then in one moment God sheds whole new light on it and it seems as though you have never read it before.

I am hoping to share all that God has been showing me! I promise I will try my very best to write more often. My Pastor came on here and yeah……I hadn’t posted anything sorry Pastor!

Sweater time!

I love summer don't get me wrong but I love fall too! I love the leaves turning and the cooler weather. I love pumpkin pie, hot chocolate, big over sized mugs filled with yummy coffee. Most of all I love how there is more family gatherings. I enjoy seeing all the people I care about.

Tomorrow it is turning fall here in big TEXAS! It will be cooler tom morrow and I am biting at the bit to wear a cute sweater or two!! So I thought I would show you girls some of the fun stuff for fall this year!


#1 Of my must haves for fall is SCARVES!!! I have just one (so far) but with a cute fitted T it looks so trendy and yet it is still casual!












#2 A great pair of jeans! I LOVE BKE!! Any girl looks dressy with a cute top, great jeans and a heel!












#3 LOAFERS BABY! I love the loafer. I must say at first I thought they were ugly, but this season it is all about random stuff put together=cute. So loafers go with anything!! These are from Target and all my girlfriends have them they are 20.00 and come in 3 colors!











#4 Shirts you can layer with! Be it prints or solids. Long sleeve under any shirt is so cute these days so stock up girls

The most precious gifts......

Rylan my second baby......Ohhhhh my surprise child. Brailey was a little over six months old when I could not be in denial anymore. I was so sick all of the time, I knew that I was pregers. Time to face the music and take the test.....

As soon it turned positive panic struck me so hard....how was I going to do it. 13 months apart my two kids would be. I just was enjoying wearing regular jeans and then now here we go again.

The whole time I was pregnant I was so sad. Why do I seriously have to do all of this AGAIN grrrr.....I hate pregnancy as it is but back to back. It was like a sick joke.

I finally went into labor I remember just being relieved finally I don't have to be pregnant anymore.

That night I kept telling the nurses something is wrong with my baby. They kept telling me I was just being a paranoid mommy (side note girls always trust your gut). I knew something was wrong, but no one listened.

My sweet baby and I got all dressed and were ready to leave the hospital the next day. The doctor told us it was totally up to us on what we wanted but he would like to watch Rylan at the hospital one more night, but if we wanted to go it was ok too. Bryan and I decided to stay one more night and I could at least get a little more rest.

One hour later Rylan's O2 stat when crashing down. He went from my arms to being rushed out of the room. I could see the panic on the doctor's face and knew that there was something bad wrong. I all of a sudden realized how precious this gift is that God had given me. Now the Devil was trying to take him away from me. I began to pray and Bryan went to check on him. All of a sudden this baby that was our surprise I was having to fight for.

Rylan had to be transported......one week later we got to bring him home from the hospital. What a precious gift children are. I look at Rylan and often think of the miracle he is that he is here. If we would have gone home that day who knows what would have happened.


God truly guides our steps. There are so many things in my life as I know is in yours that you can look back and literally see the hand of God guiding you on what you needed to do.


I want to encourage you guys to look at the things in your life and be thankful for them. I hated being pregnant with Rylan. I didn't know how much and how badly I wanted him until there was a chance of me loosing him. He is such a precious gift in my life. I can't imagine living one day without him near me. Sometimes the best gifts from God come when you least expect them and in different ways then you first expected!!

God is so good to me. Thank you Lord for our precious son. Such a gift. Wonderfully perfect gift!

Dress up time!!

So we are doing a big Costume Party with our youth this year at the church. We are having a rapper in and giving away a ton of really cool stuff. Since it is a costume party Bryan and I have been looking for costumes that we should get for over a month now. I have looked at so many costumes I could scream.

So yesterday CD and I loaded up to go find us a costume. You might say buy your costume online, but ohhhh no we are too picky for that. If we get something we want to make sure that it is as flattering as possible. If that is even possible. So we spend literally about 3 hours looking at costumes.

I don't know if you have ever gone costume shopping, but I must say it is quiet hard. Maybe it isn't for most, but for me it was. I think it is because I try to picture if I would ever be that if the answer is no I keep moving on.

For example an Incredible. My best friend wanted me to be this so bad....I couldn't do it. In real life I am not an incredible....so I can't pull it off dressing as one.

I forgot to mention about my hubby. He already found what he wanted us to be...



So I find the costume (yes they actually had it), and try it on. Ohhhh dear does it look amazing. I mean I don't know if you see the gear that she has on but yeah it is pretty amazing lol. So I am going to wear the Olive Oyle outfit. Might I add that I don't feel as though Olive Oyle is someone I would ever be in real life she is somewhat whinny, and dresses well just awful! I figure though I am going to wear heels instead of brown boots and maybe add some pearls to spice it up a little. Now Bryan he looks amazing in his Popeye git up! With the bald head and his handsome body it fits him perfectly!

So we will keep you guys posted with pics when the party happens!!

Pick out the moments that mean the most

I always miss my grandpa (papa) nights like tonight I miss him more than ever. I miss my grandma in ways I can't describe. My grandma passed away of cancer I can't even tell you how long ago. Sometimes it feels as though it was yesterday. I cherish the memories I have of her in my heart.

My papa lives in California in the same house that my mother was raised in....There is something about the feeling when I walk in the front door. It takes me back to when I was a little girl. It is funny how a smell will trigger memories. The way my papa's hair smells when his arms are wrapped around me saying "it is good to see you baby girl." I miss him so much. Or the way my grandma would always poke her head around the corner when she heard the front door open.

When Bryan and I were planning our wedding a lady came in the gift shop that I worked at. She was so sweet and friendly. I went to hug her and she smelled just like my grandma. I was flooded with so much emotion all at once. For a moment it felt as though I was holding my grandma all over again.

There are so many things that fight for our attention in this world. Pick out the moments that mean the most and hold on to those. Don't let those moments go by. Remember everything about those times, because when you do they are forever kept in your heart.

I remember talking with my grandma at the kitchen bar while she did crosswords. Laughing with my papa as I ate rice checks spinning around in the chair while we joked about the sports page. I remember my grandma standing by my side showing me how to cook. There are so many things I would love to tell her now. I think of how much she would love my children. I think of how proud she would be of the woman I have become.

I know this is a little bit of a sad blog. I am just really home sick. I want to see my papa....it has been a year and a half. Life is too short to let so much time go by without seeing one another.

Goodness and Mercy

The Bible talks to us about in the book of Psalms 23:6 that "surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

Sounds good right?

I have been at such a place here lately in my life that God's goodness so surrounds me that it is somewhat overwhelming at times. His presence and His grace are so astounding that I feel as though I just seem to be floating as I walk. The word says that "His favor will surround you as a shield". That is so true to my life.

So you are saying "What is happening that you are so special right?

As most of you know myself with a team of ladies (whom which I can do nothing without) and the blessings and support of our church started Chik Nites. Our first one 5 months ago we had 32 ladies this last Friday we had nearly 90 ladies in attendance! That is so great!

We held a three day conference at our church that was out of this world amazing. My sister in law Misty did such a wonderful job and Roxanne was a speaker also and she did well also. I got to speak the last day of the conference. The presence of God was so sweet in the place all three days. I believe ladies lives were changed from those three days.

Our youth is growing. God is sending us the hurting and the lost. We are about to have a HUGE youth event the 25th of this month that I believe will change us forever! I have been really praying in money to help pay for all of these youth outreaches we have been doing. Wednesday night after church a man walks up to me and says that he is going to give our youth 1,200 dollars!!! God is so faithful to provide!

On top of all of this I stepped out in faith and asked one of the biggest speakers in the Christian world to come to our church and she said yes!! I am so excited. I can't release the name as of now because we are still doing details.

Our church is growing with new visitors every Sunday. Our numbers are up and we have new families joining us weekly. God is doing such a work in our community!

So with all of this going on my husband loves me like never before. There is a connection in our marriage that is so moving. We are closer than we have ever been.

I say all of this to you girls to encourage you! Ask God for BIG things. It has been an avalanche of blessings in my life. I was so overwhelmed the other day. I told the Lord "Wow I can't believe that you are doing all of this for me". Then I felt the Lord say to me "Whenever you talk I am always listening, I want to give you everything you desire." How cool is that? The even better thing is that He has done that in my life in these last weeks. Just poured out blessings so much so I can't hardly contain it! The word says that goodness and mercy shall follow us. So everywhere I put my foot to I should be being blessed and being a blessing. That is exactly what God is doing. I feel as thought there is no mountain to big for me with God on my side! How good it is to serve such a loving God!