He doesn't forget

God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them.

- Hebrews 6:10

There is so much tragedy in the world today.

Every time you turn on the news or log into social media, it is another school shooting or a bomb somewhere.

When it is not man made devastation, there are storms and earthquakes and erupting volcanoes.

Over and over I hear people crying out, where is God in these tragedies?

I promise you, He is there.

He does not forget, He does not turn His back on any of us.

These are crazy times to live in, but we must continue to believe that God is on our side, that we are not alone.

And most important, we must remember to praise Him in all things.

Even when we feel our lowest, we thank Him for the promise of a better tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

dream small

But the noble make noble plans, and by noble deeds they stand.

- Isaiah 32:8

Do you have a dream?

Is it wealth, a fantastic job, a larger family, a significant other?

Or is it simply that you get through another day because of circumstances around you.

It could even be that you find a pretty button.

Song reference!

It's a momma singing songs about the Lord

It's a daddy spending family time that the world said he cannot afford

These simple moments change the world

It's a pastor at a tiny little Church

Forty years of loving for the broken and the hurt

These simple moments change the world

Dream small

Don't bother like you've gotta do it all

Just let Jesus use you where you are

One day at a time

Live well

Loving God and others as yourself

Find little ways where only you can help

With His great love

A tiny rock can make a giant fall

Dream small

It's visiting the widow down the street

Or dancing on a Friday with your friend with special needs

These simple moments change the world

Of course, there's nothing wrong with bigger dreams

Just don't miss the minutes on your way, your bigger things

'Cause these simple moments change the world

But dream small

Don't bother like you've gotta do it all

Just let Jesus use you where you are

One day at a time

Live well

Loving God and others as yourself

Find little ways where only you can help

With His great love

A tiny rock can make a giant fall

So dream small

Keep loving, keep serving

Keep listening, keep learning

Keep praying, keep hoping

Keep seeking, keep searching

Out of these small things and watch them grow bigger

The God who does all things makes oceans... from river

But dream small

Don't bother like you've gotta do it all

Just let Jesus use you where you are

One day at a time

Live well

Loving God and others as yourself

Find little ways where only you can help

With His great love

A tiny rock can make a giant fall....

Yeah, five loaves and two fish's could feed them all

So dream small

Dream small

What a beautiful, simple concept.

We should all have dreams, no matter how small.

Have a blessed day!

Don't listen to the lies

Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight.

- Proverbs 12:22

I do not like it when people lie to me.

Song reference!

When he told you you're not good enough

When he told you you're not right

When he told you you're not strong enough

To put up a good fight

When he told you you're not worthy

When he told you you're not loved

When he told you you're not beautiful

That you'll never be enough

Fear, he is a liar

He will take your breath

Stop you in your steps

Fear he is a liar

He will rob your rest

Steal your happiness

Cast your fear in the fire

'Cause fear he is a liar

When he told you were troubled

You'll forever be alone

When he told you you should run away

You'll never find a home

When he told you you were dirty

And you should be ashamed

When he told you you could be the one

That grace could never change

Fear he is a liar

He will take your breath

Stop you in your steps

Fear he is a liar

He will rob your rest

Steal your happiness

Cast your fear in the fire

'Cause fear he is a liar

Let Your fire fall and cast out all my fears

Let Your fire fall Your love is all I feel

Oh, fear he is a liar

He will take your breath

Stop you in your steps

Fear he is a liar

He will rob your rest

Steal your happiness

Cast your fear in the fire

'Cause fear he is a liar

'Cause fear he is a liar

How many times have you heard or told a lie?

Do you realize what is going on?

The evil one loves lies because in the lies, fear sets in.

Fear is a liar.

Lies will steal your happiness, your sleep, will paralyze you.

God is on your side, casting our fear, rebuking the evil one.

Don’t listen to the lies.

Have a blessed day!

Always Remember

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His faithful servants.

-Psalm 116:15

Today is Memorial Day.

According to dictionary dot com, Memorial Day is “a day on which those who died in active military service are remembered”.

People often get Memorial Day mixed up with Veteran’s Day and go around telling everyone “thank a vet for their service”.

I have no issues with thanking the men and women that serve our country every day, I am a proud Army mom.

But I am also a Gold Star sister.

A Gold Star Family is the immediate family member(s) of a fallen service member who died while serving in a time of conflict. (hopeforthewarriors dot org)

While I was in high school, one of my English Literature classes required memorizing a poem.

While the rest of my class was practicing Ralph Waldo Emerson or Robert Frost, I learned this little gem by Rudyard Kipling:

In times of war and not before,
God and the soldier we adore.
But in times of peace and all things righted,
God is forgotten and the soldier slighted.

I appreciate everyone that tells my son thank you (although it still makes him a little uncomfortable).

But today, please take a moment to remember those who never came home.

Have a blessed day!

an opportunity

Make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

—Colossians 4:5-6

Today I will post my 500th blog post. 

What started out as a simple email with a Bible verse to a dozen or so friends, expanding to a daily Bible verse email to 89 people with commentary that I copied from other sites (I know, plagiarism – bad Kitty)  has now grown into a ministry where I am writing my own commentary and sharing via email, blog, facebook, and several other social media venues.

Make the most of every opportunity.

You hear story after story of people standing in line waiting for something, check out, bank tellers, or entrance to an event  and suddenly one person makes some nasty remark and then, lemmings that we are, everyone is in an uproar over some innocuous thing.

Salt and Light.

These are the things that we are supposed to be.

Making the most of every opportunity could mean sharing the Gospel when you least expect it.

Perhaps there is a reason that the line is so long. 

Maybe it is an opportunity for you to make a new friend, and share the love of Christ.

Have a blessed day!

hey, we need to talk

If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.

—Matthew 18:15

I have a love / hate relationship with social media.

On one hand, it is wonderful, it allows people to reconnect with long lost friends and family members and bridges the distance by instantly sharing your life with your connections.

On the other hand, it has become the norm to post everything on social media, from baby’s first steps to what you are having for dinner.

Things that used to be kept private are now put on display for the whole world to like, share, comment and discuss.

This can cause a lot of hurt and a lot of harm.

Instead of posting random vague jabs at people that you feel have wronged you, take the advice in the Bible.

Don’t post negative things for the whole world to bash the person that offended you, but speak to that person directly and privately.

You might be surprised to learn that he / she did not even realize they hurt you.

Once the issue is out in the open and resolved, you can move forward with your relationship.  

That my friends, is a win / win.

Have a blessed day!

are you happy?

Those who are pure in their thinking are happy, because they will be with God.

- Matthew 5:8

  

Are you happy?

No, I mean like truly happy?

I want to be.

I want to be one of those people that sees the beauty in everything, the miracle in all things and the glory of God everywhere.

But the human side of me does not let me do that.

I am not always happy.

Here again we are told to trust in Him, turn to Him, focus on Him.

And with that, be happy.  

Have a blessed day!

Present troubles

For our present troubles are small and won't last very long.  Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever.

- 2 Corinthians 4:17

Looking back,  I can remember thinking that I would not be able to get through whatever  horror or tragedy I was facing at the time.

Obviously, I have made it through.

Everyone goes through some rough times, some people struggle more than others.

How many times have we said “if we could go back and change things” or “if only I knew then what I know now”

Song reference!

Dear younger me
Where do I start
If I could tell you everything that I have learned so far
Then you could be
One step ahead
Of all the painful memories still running thru my head
I wonder how much different things would be
Dear younger me,

Dear younger me
I cannot decide
Do I give some speech about how to get the most out of your life
Or do I go deep
And try to change
The choices that you’ll make cuz they’re choices that made me
Even though I love this crazy life
Sometimes I wish it was a smoother ride
Dear younger me, dear younger me

If I knew then what I know now
Condemnation would’ve had no power
My joy my pain would’ve never been my worth
If I knew then what I know now
Would’ve not been hard to figure out
What I would’ve changed if I had heard

Dear younger me
It’s not your fault
You were never meant to carry this beyond the cross
Dear younger me

You are holy
You are righteous
You are one of the redeemed
Set apart a brand new heart
You are free indeed

Every mountain every valley
Thru each heartache you will see
Every moment brings you closer
To who you were meant to be
Dear younger me, dear younger me

You are holy
You are righteous
You are one of the redeemed
Set apart a brand new heart
You are free indeed

No matter what you are going through, you are not alone.

No matter what you are facing, it is temporary.

Your present troubles will not last long, let them bring you closer to God.  

Have a blessed day!

what is your purpose?

God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; He does great things beyond our understanding.  He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’ The breath of God produces ice, and the broad waters become frozen. He loads the clouds with moisture; He scatters His lightning through them. At His direction they swirl around over the face of the whole earth to do whatever He commands them.

- Job 37:5-6, 10-12

So many song references!

Think about it. 

Every blade of grass, every gust of wind, every grain of sand has a purpose and God created them for that purpose.

Even us.

God created us for a purpose and He has a plan.

We want our children to do what we instruct them to do, right?

We are God’s children.

Listen to what He is commanding of us.  

Have a blessed day!

Who built this?

For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.
- Hebrews 3:4

Sadly it is our last day of vacation.
What memories we have made here, but it is time to return home.
I love my home, my house, my cats, my church home.
I could probably look on the city website to see who built our house and our church, but that does not matter.
God is the builder of everything.
He built the relationships that make me call the church my home.
He built my family, and I am so thankful.
As our adventure comes to a close, we will hold our memories of this place close and know that those too were built by God.

Have a blessed day!

-      Speaking of church . . . if you are looking for someplace to go this Sunday, Rogers Christian Church is having a “Church on the Lawn” event.  Worship at 11 (under a tent) and after worship there will be free inflatables for the kids to play on, food and other activities.  Come! Join us this week! 2501 W Oak Street, Rogers, AR -

Look around

 How many are your works, Lord!  In wisdom You made them all; the earth is full of Your creatures.
- Psalm 104:24
Today we are golfing!
Truth be told, hubby is golfing, and I am pretending to be a caddy (I offer sage golf advice such as “you should use the nine iron here, honey”, on every single shot!!).
Honestly I really love to go golfing with him, because it gives me a chance to enjoy the beauty of God’s creation.
I love taking pictures of the little creatures that find their homes on or near the course, and some of the views are absolutely breathtaking.
Look around today, breathe in the glory of God’s creation, from sunrise to sunset and revel in the beauty He made.

Have a blessed day!

Let’s go fishing

         And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”
          - Mark 1:17

Hubby and I are checking off a bucket list item today – deep sea fishing!

I can barely contain myself, I am so excited!

I wonder if Simon and Andrew were as excited when Jesus told them they would be fishers of men.

They must have been, because the Bible says that they immediately left their nets and followed Him.

I wonder if we would respond as quickly if we were told to drop everything.

I would like to think that I would, but I am an imperfect human, so I am sure it would not go the way I have it planned at all.

I hope that we catch lots of fish today.

I really hope that my words, this email / blog catches the eyes of someone who needs to hear His word, and as a result, they too become fishers of men.

Have a blessed day!  

A lamp

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

- Psalm 19:105

Today my hubby and I embark on a new adventure, it’s vacation time!

We like to take a couple of days each year to go someplace that we have never been, it is exciting to learn and explore together.

While it is important to escape the reality of our day to day life and enjoy time with each other, it is equally important that we keep God as our main focus on our journey.

As we begin this trip, I pray for safe travel, exciting excursions and mostly I pray for God to light our path, be with us, and bring us safely home.  

Hopefully we will meet new friends and have the opportunity to share His love.

Have a blessed day!

quiet words

         The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than shouts of a ruler of fools.  

- Ecclesiastes 9:17

We live in a world that thrives on the “the squeaky wheel gets the grease” mentality.

For certain many great things have been accomplished by people who speak up and fight for what is right.

These days however, it is sad to observe the shouts of those who consider themselves pioneers and leaders, because quite often I find that those who are shouting the loudest don’t even know why they are shouting. 

Please don’t misunderstand me, there are numerous causes that need the publicity to raise awareness.

On the other hand, there are squeaky wheels who are organizing protests and walkouts and boycotts who honestly know nothing about the bottom line or the impact their actions will ultimately have.  

Sometimes it is the quiet words of the wise that are needed to bring about change.

Maybe this is another place where we are being told to be still and listen?

Have a blessed day!

-          Oh and shout out to my youngest son – happy 20^th birthday, PFC Jordan Matz!! -

Mom

She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all." Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

- Proverbs 31: 25-31

Don’t forget – Mother’s day is this Sunday!

I am so blessed because God gave me three moms – my birth mother, my adoptive mother, and my mother-in-law.

I am thankful beyond measure for all three of these women.

My mother –in-law, I have to say is pretty much phenomenal - she raised my husband to be the loving and nurturing man that he is, and she has molded me into a better woman with her teachings. 

If I had to spend the rest of my life with only one person and it could not be my husband, I would choose my mother-in-law.

Some women do not have human children, but are “mom” to fur babies.

Some women step up and raise someone else’s child as their own through adoption or step parenting.

I believe that inside each woman is a little bit of a mom.

Moms are precious, in any capacity.

Tell them.

Show them.

Even if it is not YOUR mom, let someone know that you see the sacrifices they make and you appreciate them for being a mom.

Happy Mother’s Day!

(side note – sometimes dads have to be moms too – and they are every bit as precious, and should also receive honor)

Have a blessed day!

what's for dinner?

So then, my brothers and sisters, when you gather to eat, you should all eat together.

- 1 Corinthians 11:33

My husband and I are empty nesters, you should hear both joy and sadness in that statement.

Between the kids all moving out and the fact that we live 500 miles from the rest of our family, we don’t get a lot of sitting down to dinner together.

I miss that.

When we do gather with family and have a meal, we have some of the best conversations.

Instead of eating in the living room with the TV on, set the table with your best china and have a sit down dinner with your family.

Make memories.

Eat together.

Have a blessed day!

what are you going to do?

Do to others as you would have them do to you.

- Luke 6:31

  

The Golden Rule, right?

Many people also refer to the “Platinum Rule” which is to treat others better than they expect to be treated, or better than you want to be treated.

Regardless of the wording the bottom line is that we are directed by God to be nice to each other.

Sometimes I struggle with this because I don’t like it when people lie and I don’t like people who are fake.

I find it difficult at best to be nice to people who are blatantly rude or disrespectful to others.

Here is where I have to turn to God to help me. . .  I really could add another verse here, or a song reference.

Psalm 121 said it first and Casting Crowns put it to music:

I lift my eyes unto the hills

Where does my help come from

My help comes from the Lord,

The maker of heaven and earth

So yeah . . . do to others as you would have them do to you, and if you don’t think you can, you better ask for God’s help!

Have a blessed day!

Who will win?

Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.

- James 3:5

Walt Disney’s character Thumper said it very well: “if you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothin’ at all.”

Obviously, James did not know Thumper or his parents, but I’m fairly certain that the lesson is the same.

Bullies have always existed, all the way back to Cain in the Old Testament.

Bullies don’t just cause physical pain, they cause emotional pain too.

The tongue is a small part of the body, but it can cause more damage than a fist.

Do you know someone that is being bullied?  Stand up for them.

Are you being bullied? Report it, don’t let them control you like that!

Are you a bully? Be ashamed and repent right now.

We can change the world, one prayer at a time. 

Don’t stand by and let the Cains of today win.

Have a blessed day!

wonders

He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.

- Job 5:9

Song reference!

From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea
Creation revealing Your majesty
From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring
Every creature unique in the song that it sings
All exclaiming

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God

Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go
Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow
Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light
Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night
None can fathom

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God
Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
Incomparable, unchangeable
You see the depths of my heart and You love me the same

You are amazing God

He is amazing!

Look around you, there are miracles everywhere, from the butterfly coming out of her cocoon to the surgeon that is transplanting an organ to allow a person to live a longer life.

Look in the mirror, my friend, you are a miracle!

I think that last few lines of this song are my favorite: “You see the depths of my heart and You love me the same”

We are children of God and He loves us.

There are days that I don’t even love myself, but His love is unchanging.

Amazing.

Have a blessed day!

May the Light be with you!

This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.  If we claim to have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.  But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.

- 1 John 1:5-7

May the Force be with you (and also with you!) or on today, may the fourth be with you.

Yeah, I am a little nerdy – it’s ok, I embrace my nerdiness.

Did you know that there are anywhere from five to nine parallels to the Bible or Christian messages in the Star Wars series? (thank you Googles!)

Seriously, think about it, light vs. dark, good vs. evil, the darth sith, the unlikely hero in Luke Skywalker.

We read most of these stories in some form in the Bible, and always, good conquers bad, the light wins.

What about us?

Do you trend toward the dark side, or do you walk firmly in the light?

I want to believe that there is no darkness in me, but I know the truth, I am pitifully human, a sinner no matter how hard I try.

It is a good thing that the blood of Jesus, the Light of the world, has redeemed me.

So for me, on this May 4^th, I am going to say “May the Light be with you.”

You know what I mean.

Have a blessed day!

united

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

- Ephesians 4:3

Today we celebrate the National Day of Prayer, created in 1952 by Congress and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman. 

In 1988 the law was amended by both the House and the Senate and signed by President Ronald Reagan, designating the first Thursday of May as a day of national prayer.

The theme for the National Day of Prayer 2018 is Unity.

We should spend time today reflecting in prayer for unity in our cities, our states, our nation, our earth.

Think of the results if we could unite one and all through prayer.

Let’s make a big bold move today and pray for unity.

Have a blessed day!

Stop fighting a fight that's already been won

The Lord protects the unwary; when I was brought low, He saved me.

- Psalm 116:6

  

Song reference!

Seems like all I can see was the struggle
Haunted by ghosts that lived in my past
Bound up in shackles of all my failures
Wondering how long is this gonna last
Then You look at this prisoner and say to me "son
Stop fighting a fight that's already been won"

I am redeemed, You set me free
So I'll shake off theses heavy chains
And wipe away every stain now I'm not who I used to be
I am redeemed
I'm redeemed

All my life I have been called unworthy
Named by the voice of my shame and regret
But when I hear You whisper, "Child lift up your head"
I remember oh God, You're not done with me yet

I am redeemed, You set me free
So I'll shake off theses heavy chains
And wipe away every stain now I'm not who I used to be
Because I don't have to be the old man inside of me
'Cause his day is long dead and gone
Because I've got a new name, a new life I'm not the same
And a hope that will carry me home

I am redeemed, You set me free
So I'll shake off theses heavy chains
And wipe away every stain now I'm not who I used to be

Oh God I'm not who I used to be
Jesus I'm not who I used to be

'Cause I am redeemed
Thank God, redeemed

Oh, wow.

No matter how low I get, I am saved, redeemed, washed by the blood.

What more can I ask for?

Have a blessed day!

Mayday, mayday, mayday

Hear my prayer, Lord; listen to my cry for mercy.  When I am in distress, I call to you, because you answer me.

- Psalm 86:6-7

Today is May Day, often celebrated with baskets of flowers and candy, may poles and dancing.

I had suspected but did not know for sure that the celebration of “May Day” had pagan roots, so of course, I consulted “the Googles”.

It is always an adventure in the Googles.

I found that May Day has several roots including the Celtic festival of Beltane, the Germanic festival of Walpugis Night, the Wiccan anticipation of Summer Solstice, the list is quite extensive.

Something else interesting is that the word “Mayday” is an international distress signal, always repeated three times in a row to indicate clearly that the situation is a life threatening emergency and is derived from the French word “m’aidez” which means “help me”.  

Help me.

How many times have we cried out to God when we needed Him?

I found this quote to be appropriate:

“The most difficult situations we face can become doorways to a deeper relationship with our Lord. This begins when we call on Him to help us in our trouble, and also to lead us each day in His way.” - David C. McCasland

God hears our cry. . .  and He answers.

Song reference:

 Oh, O'Lord O'Lord I know You hear my cry
Your love is lifting me above all the lies
No matter what I face this I know in time
You'll take all that is wrong and make it right

When we cry, perhaps we need to be still and listen for His answer.

Have a blessed day!