...As You Believed It Would

A couple of weeks back, I felt the urge to read Jesus' Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-7:28). I was struggling in some areas, and I felt like the Sermon on the Mount was a great place to find some answers and some reassurance for what I was dealing with. So I read the Sermon and was incredibly enlightened. However, I felt like there was more that God was wanting to show me, so I read on. That is when He led me to the passage that told of Jesus healing the centurion's servant.

I've read the story about the centurion's servant many, many times, but this time, God wanted to speak to me a particular phrase that I may not have spent enough time on. For those of you who may not know much about this particular passage, let me fill you in:

Jesus entered Capernaum, after his Sermon on the Mount, and a centurion came to Him, asking Him for help. The centurion told Jesus that his servant was at home "paralyzed and in terrible suffering." Jesus immediately told the man that He would go to his house and heal his servant. This is the point where the centurion amazed Jesus (and probably all those around them) with his faith. He told Jesus, "...just say the word, and my servant will be healed...". He says more, and if you haven't read it, you can find it in Matthew 8:5-13.
Verse 10 says, "When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following Him, 'I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with so much faith.'".

This man, this centurion, was so sure of His faith in Jesus Christ, that he knew that His servant would be healed simply by His words. That was a HUGE deal. However, the phrase that echoed in my mind after reading this story was this:

Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go! It will be done just as you believed it would." And his servant was healed at that very hour.

Specifically, "Go! It will be done just as you believed..." Those four words echoed in my head, "just as you believed... just as you believed... just as you believed..." I feel like God was trying to remind me that what happens around me is often a result of my faith, or lack thereof. Hebrews 11:1 says, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." And in Matthew 21:22, Jesus said, "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."

In other words, if I am in God's will, and if I am pursuing Him with all of my heart, I needn't worry about my worries (if that makes any sort of sense). He is in control. He knows what is on my heart. He knows the desires I have. I need to stop doubting. I have heard it said, "Believe and Receive or Doubt and Do Without", and I completely believe that, although I often lose my way. When things get hard, I sometimes pray to God, ask Him for help, but plan my own way of escape. When I do this, I usually receive exactly what I believe, just like Jesus told the centurion.

You see, Jesus sees my heart. Although He hears my words of faith and my prayer needs, my beliefs are the things fulfilled. Too many times, I believe I'm going to be left to deal with the situation. AND too many times, that's exactly what I end up with. It's based on MY OWN BELIEF, not on God's unwillingness to help me. I am not a baby Christian, and He expects more from me.

Many times, though, God has rescued me by His great mercy and compassion, and I am SO thankful for that! Where would I be without His daily mercies??? I LOVE this verse, " The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end: they are new every morning..." (Lamentations 3:23-24 RSV). Thank you, Lord!!! EVERY MORNING He showers us with new mercies. WOW! Do I shower others with new mercies every day? I'm pretty sure I don't. God, you are amazing!

Lord, you never cease to amaze me. Thank you, thank you, thank you for the new mercies that await me each and every morning. Thank you that despite my sometimes floundering attempts at faith, you don't give up on me. I pray that you will fill me with the faith that can only come from the Holy Spirit. My trust is in YOU. I offer my life as a living sacrifice. I BELIEVE IN YOU! I believe, I believe, I believe. I love you, Lord. I pray blessings over all those who are hurting right now, Lord. I pray your peace over each of them. I pray that you will encourage them and strengthen them. I pray that their youth will be renewed like the eagle's. Lord, you are awesome! In Jesus Name, Amen.


Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy Name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits- who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagles. Psalm 103:1-5

FREE DIAPERS!

Yes, folks. That's right. FREE diapers! That's almost like an oxymoron. :) I first read about this on The Centsible Sawyer's blog a couple of weeks ago. I called and left a couple of messages, and on Tuesday, I finally connected with Sheila. I am now signed up to receive a FREE pack of size 4 diapers. All I have to do is have Asher wear the diapers, I fill out a survey, she calls me to get the results, AND then they send me $10 DOLLARS!!! FREE DIAPERS AND $10 DOLLARS! Woo hoo!!!

Sheila (the lady at Arquest, the survey company) said that if I knew of anyone with kids who wear size 4 diapers, to pass on the information. This is the last week for size 4.

For size 4 BOYS, call (888) 342-7372 ext. 634.
For size 4 GIRLS, call (888) 342-7372 ext. 646.

Thanks to The Centsible Sawyer for this great information!!!

Love This Quote

A mom will sit in the rain
in the bleachers to watch
her kid sit on a bench.

~Bill Gray

LOVE that quote! How true?!

This next one is just plain funny:

Good moms let kids lick the beaters.
Great moms turn the mixer off first.
~Amie Doyen

The Power of Words

As I continue on in my Proverbs study, I am being enlightened day by day. Sure, I know many of these proverbs, but to actually sit down and meditate on them really gives me fresh perspective. This week is going to be a really powerful one for me. This week's study deals a lot with the tongue and words spoken; a great area of struggle for me.

As long as I can remember, I have used my words carelessly. I say a lot of negative things. I say things meant in jest that could potentially hurt feelings. Proverbs 18:21 says, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue." DEATH and LIFE. What more do I need to know? The words I speak bring DEATH and LIFE. Seriously. That kind of puts things in perspective. If you're like me, you have heard the debate over this verse. Some teachers of the Word say that it means hurt feelings, while others say the words you speak can bring literal death. There are those that teach that your words have the power to make things happen, just as Jesus' words caused the fig tree to wither. I am not going to get into that debate. Rather, I am going to make this point. Our words have the potential to kill someone...emotionally, spiritually, and that can lead to physical death as well. Think about it. Think about a time that someone said something that just crushed you, something that caused such inexplicable pain. Think of the death you felt on the inside. Think of those who have committed suicide because of things said to them. Words do have the power of life and death.

Today I read Proverbs 12:18. It says, "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." I'm sure we could all attest to this. We have all had reckless words pierce our hearts, literally take our breath away. Sometimes the words spoken to us were spoken without the intention to hurt, but they hurt anyway. Now let's examine ourselves. When have we used reckless words? Think about times you may have hurt someone by your loose tongue. Maybe you don't struggle with this at all, but I surely do. I use reckless words every day. How awful is that? Sometimes these words are directed at my husband, my kids, friends, patients, the check out lady at Target. Many times, I speak careless words, words that I don't intend to cause harm but do anyway. Prime example, Tristan, you're driving me crazy! RECKLESS! If I have to do this one more time, I'm going to run away! RECKLESS.

James 3:8 says that "No man can tame the tongue." No man. Not you, not me. It is up to us to ask God for help. It is up to us to focus on the positive because out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks (Luke 6:45). Like David, we should pray, "Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips (Psalm 141:3).

This may have totally bored you. You may not struggle with this at all. If you do, though, you're not alone. I have close friends who are struggling right beside me with this (we're praying for each other on this. I'm not trying to give someone a hint about themselves ;)). It is SO hard to tame the tongue!

Lord, I humbly come before you and ask you to set a guard over my mouth. Please keep a watch over my lips and let the words I speak be words of life, words that build others up rather than tear them down. Lord, let me be known as someone who speaks words of encouragement, someone whose words bring healing. Father, help me to focus on the positive and to keep my sights set on Jesus. Lord, I love You. I praise You. In Jesus Name, Amen.

On My Way to a Cleansed Liver

It's been a tough day. Channing and I just started a 21 day detoxification and purification cleanse. Channing is beyond thrilled. I, on the other hand, am counting down my 21 days as if I were in a prison. I'm the old fashioned southern girl. I like to eat...a lot! I am all about health, but nutrition is one area where I need a lot of work. I eat a lot and a lot of the wrong things. Give me candy, ice cream, and fried chicken fingers (from Guthries, of course), and I'm happy. Give me 10 supplements to take three times a day, along with boring meat and veggies (no Sonic slushes), and I'm a little sad.

This is Channing's second or third cleanse but only my first. Although I'm not excited about the process, I am thrilled about the impending results. I'm excited to clean out my liver because I know it is SO important. It's the filter of my body. It can only work well if it's not loaded with junk. Too, and my super main focus, is that I will probably lose some weight (Channing keeps reminding me that the liver should be my main focus. Yeah, yeah. That too. ;)). YEA!!! I am ready to lose what's left of the baby pooch.

The cleanse we're doing is from Standard Process. It's a great company that uses all organic supplements. And, according to Standard Process, there are approximately 80,000 synthetic chemicals registered for use in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that hundreds of these chemicals are present in our bodies. Research has shown that many of these chemicals can disrupt our immune, endocrine, nervous, and reproductive systems. Then they list the following as examples of external and internal toxins:

External Toxins:
Air and water pollutants
Caffeine
Cigarette Smoke
Cosmetics
Heavy metals
Household cleaning products
Pesticides and herbicides
Pharmaceuticals
Preservatives

Internal Toxins:
Ammonia
Carbon dioxide
Free radicals

We've had several patients in our office who have gotten GREAT results, so I'm excited to join their ranks. Now if I can just remind myself that this is good for me, I'll be doing well. ;)

CVS $5.00 4th of July Challenge

My boys and I spent our holiday weekend with my family in Ozark. While I was there, I gave some CVS tutorials to my parents and sister. They were definitely intrigued. My sister was so curious, she decided to go on my fourth of July shopping trip to the fabulous store. Check out what I got:I got all this in two transactions.

First Transaction:
2 Coppertone Water Babies Sunscreen $4.99 each ($9.98 total).
I used $7.99 in ECBs
Total Cash Out of Pocket: $2.17, and I earned $10 in ECB!!!
I spent $2.17 and saved $7.99!!!


Second Transaction:
2 CVS pantiliners $.99 each (1.98 total)
2 CVS tampons $1.49 each (2.98 total)
4 Sure deodorants $2.69 each (I used 2 coupons for B1G1 FREE and 2/$1 off coupons)
1 CVS Makeup remover wipes $2.99 each (I used a CVS coupon for $2 off)
I used my $10 in ECBs from my first transaction
Total Cash Out of Pocket: $1.93, and I earned $11.96 in ECBs
I spent $1.93 and saved $17.38!!!

So for my 4th of July CVS trip, I spent a total of $4.10 in cash and saved $25.37!!!
AND I went in with $7.99 in ECBs and came out with $11.96! YEA!

Also, I know a lot of you CVSers got email coupons for $4 off of a $20 purchase. I got that too, but I actually saved more money by doing two transactions than by using that coupon. Woo hoo!!! I LOVE CVS!

Oh, and I had an AWESOME CVS guy who was SO helpful! He actually only took one of my B1G1 free and one of my $1 off coupons for the Sure deodorant and doubled them so that I could use my other coupons again. YEAAA for him!!! CVS guy, I feel certain you don't read my blog, but if by some strange coincidence you do, THANK YOU!!!

Check out Alyssa's blog to see what others are getting for $5 or less (this is her challenge)!

Seriously, God?!

As I sit here and type, I am in utter awe of our God. He is SO amazing. Where do I begin?

Ok, so if you've been keeping up with my blog much over the past couple of weeks, you've probably seen the posts I've shared about what God is teaching me right now. I have been asking Him for wisdom and understanding. Just yesterday, I prayed, "Guide me in Your truth and teach me, my God, my Savior." Psalm 25:5. Well guess what? As usual, God does not disappoint.

This morning, I had a family member do something that really upset me. It upset me so much because it was dishonest and deceptive, and I felt that Channing and I were taken advantage of in a big way (there I go again, right?). I don't want to get into specifics, but I'll just say that I've had a really hard time with it.

As soon as I realized what happened, I immediately became angry (poor Channing. He had to sit through probably 30 minutes of me griping and complaining). My anger then turned to sadness. I just couldn't believe that this person would do this and be so deceptive about it. I mean, it really upset me. I had all these ways that I was going to "fix" this situation. I was determined not to reward this bad behavior. If our loved one was going to do this, then I was going to retaliate with that. I was making plans!

I came home for lunch, and after I made my sandwich, I thought I would get into God's Word a little bit while I ate. My first thought was to read today's lesson from my Proverbs study, but then I remembered it was in the car Channing is driving (and he's not home). Since I didn't have that, I pondered what I should read, then out of the blue I thought of my "Life on Purpose for Women" devotional. Channing bought it for me years ago, and I still haven't gotten through it. It seems I always have so many other books going. Anyway, in the past month or two, I have read the first couple of days of the devotional. So I went and grabbed it off the shelf and brought it to the table where I was eating. I opened the book up, and guess what was on the page???

Winning Battles God's Way

Do not say, "I'll pay you back for this wrong!" Wait for the Lord, and He will deliver you. Proverbs 20:22

Ummmm....YES, PEOPLE!!! God is listening and He does care! He hears every word, not that I didn't already know that. I mean, He's made sure to point it out to me EVERY day lately! WOW!!!

Some other nuggets from the devotion:

It seems that one of the hardest things for us to do is to wait for God to deliver us when we are victims of wrongdoing. Often our first reaction is to become angry (yep!), offended (check!), or to retaliate somehow (how embarrassing, but yes!). Unfortunately, when we do that, we usually forfeit any help we might have gotten from the Lord.

Yes, there are times we may have to take appropriate action-perhaps even legal action-but it should only be at God's direction and with His approval. Otherwise, it will be futile, or even disastrous. If you are in need of deliverance from injustice today, be encouraged by God's promise to you: "The Lord will vindicate His people and have compassion on His servants." Psalm 135:14

And a prayer:

Lord, when I'm a victim of injustice, help me to see Your direction above everyone else's. Show me when to take appropriate action and when to wait on You for deliverance. Teach me how to let You fight my battles for me so that I can gain the victory every time. Thank you for promising to be my Vindicator!
In Jesus Name, AMEN!!!

My greatest prayer is that this brings someone hope. God has been showing up in HUGE ways in my life lately, and I am in utter amazement of Him. However, He wants you to know that He loves you too. He cares about your problems and wants to reach out to you and to teach you as well. Matthew 6:33 says, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." I am living proof that this verse is TRUE. Thank you, Lord!!!

Lord, I am amazed by YOU!