This Is Christmas

Stressed out.

Bank account drained.

Overwhelmed.

Lost, lonely and confused.

Is this what Christmas is for you?

Toys and games.

Wants and must-haves.

Lists of plastic dreams.

Rushing to beat the crowds.

Is this what Christmas has come to?

Santa and reindeer.

Cookies and treats.

Holiday wishes and greenery.

A tree with gifts underneath.

Is this all that Christmas is?

What has happened to that simple story?

Of one Gift so small.

Of one Life given for all.

Of a Love that gave it all.

Of Mercy that covered it all.

Who will remind us?

Of a precious Baby born.

Of angels singing majestic glories.

Of Love come down to earth.

The King-child in a stable.

It is our Story too.

Of sin-stained man.

Of the innocent Son of Man.

Of an agonizing debt that was paid.

When Love was birthed we were reborn.

Hope in the form of One so helpless.

Yet He would rescue us all.

Glory clothed in the garment of humanity.

Peace came to earth, God's will for man.

This is Christmas.

Loaded!

"Blessed be the Lord Who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation."
Psalm 68:19

Rather than being burdened with the daily cares, I choose to be stuffed full of the blessings he has for me.

As I was sitting at my sewing machine yesterday and watching my children playing outside, I was overcome with a wave of thankfulness. I am so grateful that I am home to watch my sons lovingly play with their sister. I am so thankful that God gave us a house with a backyard that was the perfect size for their adventures. I am so grateful that we chose to step out in faith and have me stay at home even though the numbers didn't make sense financially. I am so thankful for a husband who saw the value of me being a stay at home mom. I am so grateful that God has proven Himself faithful to the promises He gave in His Word.

He does load me with benefits, daily, I just have to be aware of them because sometimes they are little blessings piled one on the other. And the benefits can get lost amidst the everydayness of my responsibilities.

But, it is also up to me how I perceive the benefits.

Having loads of laundry to do is a benefit. It means that I have a healthy family who wears clothing that God has provided for us. It means that I have electricity to run my washer and dryer. It means that I have two hands that function, with which to fold the laundry.

What about dishes? Once again, I have a family that is healthy and requires dishes to eat off of. Once again, God has provided us with delicious food. I have running water to rinse the dishes with and I have electricity to use my dishwasher. I have a dishwasher instead of having to do it all by hand! I have legs and feet so I can stand and pre-wash my dishes at my sink.

You know what I discovered this week? That when I choose to perceive my benefits in the light of gratitude, the myriad of chores that befall me as family manager don't seem quite so overwhelming. In fact, I might even learn to love laundry, or dishes, just because it means I can stop and give thanks for the blessings He has bestowed on me.

Struggling Economy....Strong Faith

Apparently, the economy is really bad. I feel like we are in a bubble that prevents us from being effected. I know that bubble is God's Grace. I also know that without His intervention, we would be in a very tight situation.

But tonight, as I went shopping at Albertsons, I realized for the first time how bad things really are.

As I pushed my heavily laden cart up to the register, I handed the cashier my wad of coupons. She politely informed me that she would take the competitor's coupons this once but now Albertsons was no longer other stores' coupons! The store was losing too much money. I am grateful for the favor of the Lord on me so that they honored the coupons I had.

I am so bummed. Now if I want a good deal I have to go to three different stores! Thriftway and Safeway don't honor competitor's coupons and now my beloved Albertsons doesn't either. Sigh. Sniff. Sniff.

She did mention that Albertsons was going to be sending out their own coupons in the mail. And that they would have their own doublers and deals. But I am skeptical as to how much money I will be able to save that way...

Oh well, as I told Mr. Q today when I got home : It doesn't matter if all the coupons in the world disappear, God will find a way to provide for our grocery needs anyway! Because our trust isn't in my husband's paycheck, store deals, coupons or even my ability to shop frugally. Our trust is in the Unchanging, Ever-Present Provider....He won't cut back on His blessings because of the economy! :)

How Did The Meal Plan Go: Day Four

Day 4::
Okay, so to be completely honest, I cannot remember what we ate. I know it wasn't what was on the meal plan...lol. Since Sunday I have been in a bit of daze. I am trying to get my mind back to the tasks at hand. But it is hard to return to business as usual when God reaches down and touches your life in such a miraculous way.

Since then, I have talked to several friends and they have all told me the same thing: "Normally, I don't carry cash on me. But it just so happened that day that I had some in my wallet/ purse."

More than half of it was cash. Our congregation size that day was probably about two hundred or less.

He makes something out of nothing! He moves the hearts of His people with compassion.

He is so good!

Twenty Minutes of Grace...

Sunday was a life-altering day for our family.

It was my second service back at church since my baby girl got so sick. I was so thankful to be able to attend the service again and worship God with my church family! Nothing could have prepared my heart for what happened though.

Pastor was teaching on faith. Specifically, if you say you have faith, put feet to it and do something! He was also teaching on being confident that God will do what He has said He will do in His Word. Every time. Without fail. I can't speak for my husband, but I started to rethink what I thought about Who He is and what He says He will do. Of course, the ER bills were on my mind too. But I knew some how He would meet that need.

Then Pastor started talking about a couple in the church (he didn't name names at this point) who had gone through some really rough times financially. He said that God told him to give to them and he held up a check, then he called up his wife and she also had money in her hand. In the next minute to my utter shock and disbelief he said "Mr and Mrs. Q will you please come up here?"

WHAT???? Did he really just say our names?!?!

But oh yes, the Pastors did call us up front. As my feet propel me forward, I am thinking "Praise God, that money will go to pay for some of the medical bills! Thank You Lord You are so faithful!"

Here is where it gets really good...

Then the Pastors invited others to add to that amount to pay for the hospital bills. (We don't have insurance because we cannot afford it on one income.)

At that point I honestly don't remember much of what was happening. I was too overwhelmed to process what was going on. I just stood there next to my Pastors crying my eyes out!

In absolute amazement I watched as a huge, long line (made up of every single one of those people in the sanctuary) began to form and stretch around the perimeter of the sanctuary! People dropped money and checks into an offering bucket FOR US. In gratitude all I could do was hug each one and cry. My husband stood there holding the bucket in shock!

People we didn't even know came forward to give.

It took twenty minutes for people to finish giving to us. In twenty minutes God met above and beyond the need. In twenty minutes we were shown just how much He cares and how much our church family loves us. In twenty minutes we were so humbled and in awe of the overflowing generosity and outpouring of love.

Every person who stood in that line was smiling. No one looked on us with pity. Oh no, it was compassion I saw in their eyes. The same compassion I imagine that those who were touched by Jesus saw when He looked at them.

We love you. It was echoed with every hug, every dollar that was placed in that bucket.

We have never been that profoundly touched. We were impacted for life by twenty minutes of His lavish blessing. Twenty minutes of His miraculous provision. Twenty minutes of being drenched in His love. Twenty minutes of tangible, irrefutable, undeniable grace.

"Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
Hebrews 4:16

Oh, and the result? All the ER bills, as well as labs and physicians, were paid in full with some left over! Is He not amazing?

God's boundless grace and lavish love, it works for me!

New Birth!

Tonight Mr. Dramatic made the momentous and life-changing decision to ask Jesus into his heart! It came with little fanfare, just taking advantage of the opportunity that God placed within my reach. I made sure that he was serious about it and understood what he was doing. When I quizzed him, "What is sin?" He answered "Disobeyin'."

Yep, he gets it :) It is nice to know that all the times I have said that to them really sank into their hearts.

I cannot remember if I noted it on my blog that Mr. Independent accepted Jesus on September 22nd of this year. Again, just grasping the moment when it was presented. And I made certain that he understood what he was doing too.

My goal this year was to see both of my sons get saved. I have been praying and believing for them to come to the knowledge of their need for a Savior. Now I can just build upon their salvation and bring them to know this God Who loves them infinitely.

God is faithful to finish the work that He has begun!


3 John 1:4
"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth."

Weary

I am all out of faith right now. I am so weary with believing and not seeing results. Oh, I know that God hears and answers each prayer. But how long must I wait? How long must dreams lay dormant before You resurrect them?

Please forgive my unbelief Lord. I cannot muster any faith at this point. I believe Your Word is true. But why does it not come to pass? Why is there only silence echoed in my prayers?

I am so tired of waiting for promises to be fulfilled. I feel as if I have been waiting forever.

There is no formula for faith. No step-by-step instructions. I feel as if I always take the rough path rather than a smooth road. I feel as if I am in a country where I do not know the language, yet I am expected to participate in a complicated business transaction. I feel lost.

Perhaps it is all the old questions that are raised anew. Ones that didn't get answered before, rather they were shoved aside so that I could go on with life. They rise from sepulchres of disbelief where I had buried them, bidden by resurrected sorrow and pain.

And so, I hold on to what little hope still smolders as embers in my heart:

"This too shall pass."

My God, He Meets Me Where I Am!

God truly meets you when you step out in faith!

My husband has been working for his current employer for eleven years. He has also been passed up for a promotion to supervisor twice. He is more than capable to excel in the position. He is an excellent leader and a hard worker. But still he gets passed over for someone with LESS experience and tenure. He has understandably been very frustrated by this.

So he and I have been praying about it. Meanwhile, the paychecks he has been getting have seemed to shrink. And our bills have seemed to be enlarging. Mr. Querido decided that he needed to get a part-time job to make ends meet. I was against it because I knew it would steal time away from our family, but I also didn't want to have to go back to work. I decided to submit to his God-given authority and let him make the decision. He started job hunting.

Thursday night, I was at women's Biblestudy and went up for prayer regarding the whole situation. The lovely lady who prayed with me boosted my faith when she prayed the exact same verse I had found a couple of days ago.

"Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before unknown men."
Proverbs 22:29

When she prayed that over the situation, I knew that God was listening to the cry of my heart. I didn't want my husband to have to strive so hard to provide for us. I wanted him to be able to take a break every weekend and enjoy the fruits of his labor. The way things were going, he wasn't going to be taking a break, he would be working himself to death just to get the bills paid.

After praying at the Biblestudy, I was certain that the breakthrough we needed was coming. God had confirmed that with His Word. I knew that it wasn't coincidence that lady had spoken the very verse I was believing on. HE was at work and He was gracious enough to bolster my faith by letting me know that He was moving everything into place.

Saturday, Mr. Querido and I were at membership class at church and during lunch we got a chance to chat with the pastors. The subject of employment came up and we casually mentioned the whole job situation. Pastor said that maybe Mr. Querido needed to hone his leadership skills. That perhaps they were looking for someone with better managerial skills that could get the other people to work well. Then it was onto a different subject. Class ended and we went home to get ready for Saturday night service. Mr. Querido and I chatted about what Pastor had said and we decided that Mr. Querido might need to work on his leadership skills.

Saturday night service was awesome! The presence of God was so tangible and I was so grateful that the answer to my prayers was on its way. The service ended and Pastor got up front and told us all that God still wanted to do some things. He started praying for people with needs. Whatever the need, God can meet it! As we had already received the confirmation from His Word, we didn't go up. Then out of nowhere, he told Mr. Querido and I to come up front.

"I could not stop thinking about your job situation Mr. Querido. You were on my heart all day long." Pastor said.

(God put our need on Pastor's heart all day long?)

"And I believe that God rewards faithfulness. You have been faithful in your job and He is going to reward it."

Pastor prayed over us, over the situation, over our marriage, and our children. It was done! I knew that the answer was on its way.

And so I write this, not having yet seen the benefit of the prayers, but certain that the answer is coming swiftly. I write this in a spirit of faith and trust in the One Who provides everything. And I write this in gratefulness and appreciation of a God Who expects me to step out in faith and trust, but Who loves me enough to put my situation on the heart of someone who can come alongside my faith and steady my gait.

With anticipation I write this post. Anticipation of the blessings that are going to come about from the Word being worked in our lives.

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful."
Hebrews 10:23

He is faithful to meet every need, even my need for reassurance that He was listening and moving in my life. He is faithful.

The Sacrifice of Love

Have you ever truly stopped to think about the sacrifice that Jesus made when He decided to die on the Cross? I have been a Christian for 22 years, and I don't think until today I truly comprehended what He did.

In Matthew 27:26-53 you can see what He went through for our salvation from sin.

First, He was scourged. Scourging consisted of being beaten with a whip that had pieces of glass, bone or metal attached to the ends so that when the ends met flesh, they tore through down to the bone. He did this for our salvation from sickness and disease.. Then the soldiers and people mocked Him by placing a heavy robe over the back that was now sliced into ribbons of agony. Picture getting a sunburn and having a heavy coat resting on your tender skin. Now you can only imagine what pain He was in already. The cruelty and humiliation continues. They placed a crown of thorns on His head. A more apt description would be they jammed a crown of thorns (with thorns that were approximately two inches long!) into His head. More mockery (remember, He is the King of all kings and He deigned to endure the mockery for our salvation), then they spat on Him. Imagine how much spit hurts in a little papercut, picture that intensified a thousand times. Think about how disgusting and degrading it would be to be spit upon by people. To be hated so intensely. After that, the whole Roman soldier garrison beat Him on the head with a reed. A big, thick reed. These soldiers were used to torture, they had perfected the art of it. Picture being beat over the head (which is still being punctured with a crown of thick thorns) with a thick stick by trained burly, unfeeling men. After that, they tore the robe off of His back and put His other clothes back on Him. They brought Him to Golgotha (the Place of a Skull) and they gave Him sour wine to drink mixed with gall. He refused to drink it once He had tasted a little. The wine mixed with gall would have acted as a painkiller, dulling the pain a little. He refused it because He wanted to feel every bit of agony, for us.

The Scripture then just says four words..."then they crucified Him." Those four words cannot begin to detail what crucifixion consisted of. The soldiers didn't hoist the victim up to the cross and then nail them to it. No, they started with the cross on the ground, pounded the spikes (think railroad-tie nails) into the person's feet and wrists. Into places of the body where there would be enough bone to hold them up on the cross. Then the Roman soldiers would hoist the cross up and drop it into a hole that had been pre-dug. Imagine how much more flesh was ripped off His back as the rough bark from the cross scraped up against it. Stop and think a bit about how the rusty, blood-stained nails shredded the nerves and tendons in His feet and hands. Yet He endured, for us. I cannot even picture the agony that must have sent shockwaves through His tortured body. And then He hung there for hours. Unending pain.

Blood dripping into His eyes, nose and mouth. His arms tire from trying to hold Himself up to breathe. Laboring for each precious breath. The feet that had traveled all over healing the sick, now were nailed to a rough tree. The hands that had tenderly reached out to the lost and dying, now clenched in agony.

What was on His mind, those hours He spent hanging there? You were, and I was. He did it for us. Would you have given yourself over to be sentenced to death in this manner for those who would spurn your love and sacrifice? I surely would have not. But that is the beauty of grace. He did it even when we didn't deserve it.

" For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." John 3:16-17

The physical agony was nothing compared to the emotional agony he would endure as well. He was abandoned by God while He hung on the cross. God had to turn away from the sin that clung to His son as He paid the price of redemption for our souls. Imagine being with the person you love most, then imagine if they turned their back as you were put through horrible physical and mental anguish. They had the power to stop all of that with one word, yet they said nothing. Did nothing.
Jesus too, could have stopped all of His suffering with one word. Yet He endured for your sake and for mine.

And then He gave up His spirit and died.

Are tears running down your face as they are mine? I cannot comprehend why He did this all for me! How many times do I disappoint Him, how many times do I refuse to listen to His voice? How many times will I miss the mark? And yet, knowing all of this, He still went to the cross for me. For my sin. For my shame. For my shortcomings. For my pain.

But there is more, it doesn't end here! He was resurrected and lives!

My Savior and Redeemer is alive and He loves me! And He loves you! He died and rose again so that we could be free from the penalty that our sins demanded.

"That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
Romans 10:9-10

It's that simple. He went through all of that, and all we have to do is believe and confess and it's done.

Thank You Jesus, for the sacrifice that You made for me. I acknowledge that I have sinned against You. I believe that Your death and resurrection is the only way I can be saved. And Your Name is the only name that I can be redeemed by. Forgive me of my sins. Cleanse me from everything I have done that has not glorified You. I want to live my life for You. I confess You as my Savior, my Lord and my Master. Take rule over my life, I give it to You. Thank You for making me a new person on the inside. Thank You for forgiving me of my sins. Thank You for Your grace that covers me. I love you Jesus.

Called to Completion

This morning, I woke up at 5:48 am. For those of you who are unaware, this is not an everyday occurrence...lol...I am NOT a morning person. I laid in bed and tried to go back to sleep, but sleep eluded me. So I got up and decided to continue reading in my marriage biblestudy that I have been doing.

I was reading the part in Genesis about when God curses the man and woman for their disobedience to His Word. (Gen. 3:16-17)What specifically arrested my attention was the part "Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife," As I continued further into the study for that day, it went on to question was there anything that I was trying to control in our marriage. And of course, the blithe answer would be OF COURSE NOT! My man is in control...I don't manipulate.

Then God gently tapped me on the shoulder "Um, Mrs. Q, are you sure about that?"
Me: "Well of course I am. I am a good wife who allows her husband to lead in ALL areas (note my exaggeration of reality, I am trying to convince myself of my goodness)!"
God: "I think you should think that answer over again, Daughter."
Me: "(whining a little)But why?"
God: "Because you are tearing down your marriage word by word when you usurp the authority that I have given your husband."
Me: "(meekly)Oh."

God and I went on to have a much more involved conversation about what areas I was STILL attempting to control. Sigh. I have a lot of work to do.

Then I continued on in the biblestudy...
And I came to this part:
"Is your husband's God-ordained authority in the home an issue for you? Do you vie for control? In what areas? Finances? Parenting? Career? Color-coordinating his clothes? What does competition in your home look like? How is it impacting your relationship?" Judy Rossi-Enhancing Your Marriage

Uh..gulp..guilty. It seemed ridiculous at first, but I love being coordinated with my husband on Sunday mornings. He hates being coordinated. He thinks that it's stupid. I think that it's cute and a sign of true one-ship in a marriage. Probably because my parents always matched when going to church. I think I also viewed it as a way to identify myself with him. "I'm obviously with him and he is obviously with me." I have fought for control with him in this area our whole six years of marriage. No more, I am not going to attempt to match him any more. Upon further heart inspection, as I am writing this, I discovered the real root reason for wanting to match. I am afraid that he doesn't want to be a part of me or be associated with me. Like his defiance of wanting to be matchy-matchy is declaration of his independence. Which, is true, but it doesn't mean he wants to be independently independent from me! He wants to keep part of his identity rather than me determining it for him.

Which brings me to the next revelation...

"Whether or not we're in a dual income marriage, it's necessary to drive home a very important point here: the frightening reality is that God will hold every husband accountable for his God-ordained role in the home as a leader, provider and protector, even if he's not a believer. That role was established in his soul from the beginning. A wife's competition for her husband's role as head of the family will yield one of two reactions from him: either he'll withdraw and let her take over, or he'll fight back. If she deliberately and willfully cajoles, manipulates and nags in order to impose her will in an area of her husband's responsibility (which is not the same as offering wise counsel), she is in sin.If he allows her to take over his role, he is in sin." Judy Rossi-Enhancing Your Marriage

Did you get that? It hit me square between the eyes. I AM IN SIN if I attempt to control or manipulate my husband out of his GOD-ORDAINED place of authority. Wow. That was revelation to me. I never knew that! I have been sinning this whole time thinking that I was just helping him. And if he were to abdicate that authority to me, he would have been in sin. Thank God I have a husband who is willing to fight for what God rightfully gave him.

Judy Rossi said one sentence that really stopped me and got me thinking:
"Instead of being my husband's completer, I was his competer."

So I encourage you ladies to let God search your hearts and stretch your faith a little. Let Him show you areas that you are competing in against your husband. As for me, I am going to make sure that my husband is wearing whatever color he wants to, regardless of what I am wearing! I think that not being identical shows off the beauty of and uniqueness of both, don't you agree?

Just as my skin color differs from that of my husband, so do our personalities and God-given callings. We are equal in God's eyes, but that does not mean we are the same. We have the same value but different functions. Put together, we are beautiful and harmonious. Celebrate the harmony in your life!

**I know that I said I was taking a blogging break, but I just had to share what God had showed me. Plus, writing it down helped to cement it in my heart.**

Becoming an On-Purpose Woman....and a GIVEAWAY!

Today I got an unexpected blessing and an answer to prayer! Do you ever feel like you know you should be doing something, but you cannot figure out your purpose? Well, I have felt like that for a long time. But I couldn't figure out how to start becoming who I wanted to be.

Then a couple of days ago, this lovely lady named Lylah Ledner came to my blog. She read my bio about strugggling to find my purpose and decided to send me a copy of her book "Becoming an On-Purpose Woman"!

And, she also wants to give away ten copies to the next 10 ladies who go to her site and mention the book as well as the fact that you came from my blog! So go over to her Lylah's blog and post that you want to become an On-Purpose Woman and that you came from Five In The Potter's Hand :)

You can check out the book here
And here are Lylah's words about the book:

Becoming an On-Purpose Woman is for the woman who is ready to be changed from the inside out. It’s
for the woman serious about her life. It’s for the teachable, the willing, the one who is tired of how she’s
living. It’s for the woman who wants more out of life. It’s for the woman who really wants to leave a good
legacy for her children's children. It’s for the woman who’s soul is desperate for God—to know Him, to
follow Him and to love Him. --Lylah Ledner, Life Coach Moms Ministries

I just started the book today, and I am so excited to see where this journey will take me!

Diapers: Evidence of God's Faithfulness

For those of you who wonder if God cares about the little things...

Last night my husband and I were counting out the spare change we had. This is all the money we have until the 23rd. Slowly and carefully I counted out the coins. Under ten dollars with some change. This would have to be sufficient for gas, milk and eggs and diapers for the next week. We looked at the coins on the table, how would this be enough?

We left it in God's hands and trusted Him to meet the needs we have.

And then later on today, my next door neighbor came over with a bag of things she was getting rid of. She pulled out clothing that will fit my boys. Some tablecloths that I can definitely use and then...diapers! A bag half full of diapers in the exact size Miss Precious wears!

So when you think that He doesn't notice the little needs, such as something for the baby to poop and pee in, just remember blessings can come in all shapes and sizes! Sometimes in just the size you need :)

Redefining Your Interior

As I was perusing Melissa's lovely blog, I started to think to myself that "I bet I could do that too!" (My love of rearranging rooms goes way back and continues to cause more labor for my patient hubby today.) Tenatively, I wrote her an email with a couple of questions about interior refining. I didn't really expect an answer, but I hoped for one. She wrote me back the most beautiful email! In it, she encouraged me to use the strengths that God has given me. And to pursue my passions.

As I replied to her letter, I started thinking about all the things that I see others able to do, and how much I wished I could be them. "So-and-so could do it so much better than I could." and "She is more gifted than me."
How many times have you found yourself uttering those phrases?

Growing up, I lived in the shadow of my younger sister's abilities. She is naturally gifted in just about every area: muscially, artistically and even in writing. I often felt like I had nothing special to offer, nothing that would truly define me. (I have yet to find something that I am better at..lol!) And, even now, I find the old record player starting up every now and then.

But God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. And it is not up to me to decide what my talent is to be. He decided that for me a long time ago. It is my job to use what He has given me for His glory.

So let me leave you with this encouragement: The next time you are tempted to think less of your abilities, remember this...

"You don't have to have the exact same skills as someone else (I know I don't) but you can still be of great effectiveness and maybe even MORE effective because you will be uniquely gifted in your passions." Melissa Michaels -The Inspired Room

We all need encouragement to be ourselves and realize that God can work through us. Let Melissa's words inspire you and encourage you as they have me. The Lord has given us unique talents, but sometimes we are so busy envying the gifting of those surrounding us that we don't notice what we have in our own hands. Open up your eyes and look around, you never know what He will use!

Fuel Your Faith...

Be inspired...



"You have to choose what you magnify."
~Mike Guglielmucci

Am I going to magnify my situation or am I going to magnify God, Who is infinitely bigger than my situation?



HEALER
Composed by Mike Guglielmucci
Hillsong

Lyrics:

You hold my every moment
You calm my raging sea
You walk with me through fire
You heal all my disease
I trust in You
I trust in You

And I believe You're my Healer
I believe You are all I need
I believe You're my Portion
I believe that You're more than enough for me
Jesus You're all I need

Nothing is impossible for You
Nothing is impossible
Nothing is impossible for You
You hold my world in Your hands

Copyright 2008 Hillsong Music

Defiant faith. Faith in spite of what we see.

Hebrews 10:23
"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful."

The Helper...

"The LORD will perfect that which concerns me;
Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands."
Psalm 138:8

He will perfect that which concerns me. Which means that I am not alone in my efforts to improve myself spiritually. He is the One Who strengthens. He is the One Who is working on me. It is not just me in my pitiful humanity trying to attain to the perfection of Christ. The Holy Spirit is the One Who shapes and molds me into the woman He wants me to be.

Prayer:
Thank You Lord, that it is You Who is working on me and in me! Mold me into a vessel to be used for Your glory. Give me opportunity today to share Your love with others. Let Christ be perfected in me!

Figuring Out Faith

Secretly I was dreading posting the figures for May. I felt like my grocery shopping had gotten a little out of control last month. And I certainly didn't remember using coupons that frequently. I had actually gotten three weeks behind in my coupon cutting...lol! I did a major catch-up day on a Sunday and my hand was cramping from all the clipping, but I am back on track!

As for meeting my goal of $500, I missed it by $92.22. As I look back on the expenses, I can see where eating out tipped the budget. If we had not eaten out, our total would have been $466.49! Which is only $66.49 from what I am truly striving to reach for a grocery budget for a family of five (2 adults, 2 little boys and one baby girl who doesn't eat much yet..lol). I feel like the ultimate goal of $400 for one month is within grasp..FINALLY.

But as I look back over the past six months, I see improvement all along the way:
January: $494.13 (I'm still not completely convinced that I had all of the receipts to reach a correct tally)
February: $718.76
March: $610.41
April: $535.13

And I am grateful for the wisdom that God has given me for grocery shopping. I am truly grateful for finding this book...



The author, Ellie Kay, believes in saving so that you can bless others with the abundance you are given. I think I remember her writing that her family gives nine bags of groceries A MONTH to local food banks. Imagine being able to bless that many people! I'm still learning how couponing works, and for now I'm just in survival mode. But once I get really good at working within the system, I want to be able to give away that much food too! For now we are only able to give away a bag of groceries every three months or so.

Which brings me to the other point of this post. Giving. I won't post figures of our tithing, but let's just say I was pleasantly surprised how much we have been tithing and giving in offerings so far this year. It far exceeds our gross income. God is so good! He has never ceased to make provision for us. We always pay all of our bills on time, we always have food (even enough to share with others), we have clothing, and our vehicles run great. I am amazed by His miraculous provision.
When I quit working to stay at home with Mr. Dramatic, Mr. Independent and Miss Precious, we had decided that Mr. Querdio would get a part-time job to make ends meet. He applied at so many different places, but no one would hire him! Even pizza delivery places didn't call back. It was very frustrating for both of us. But as the first month without additional income, came and went, we realized that we weren't in the red! How could that be? I had meticulously gone over the figures myself...twice! I still can't make the numbers work right in the natural, but in the supernatural, which is the realm that my Master reigns, it all adds up! Praise the Lord!


"Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.���
Luke 6:38

"Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,
That there may be food in My house,
And try Me now in this,���
Says the LORD of hosts,

'If I will not open for you the windows of heaven
And pour out for you such blessing
That there will not be room enough to receive it.'
Malachi 3:10

"And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:19

Anointed!

"But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things." I John 2:20

Anointing: To choose by or as if by divine intervention.

I ran across this verse in my daily Bible reading (our church has a read-through-the-Bible-in-a-year calendar that I have been using). It just struck a chord within. Do you ever just have a Scripture jump off of the page when you read it? Well, that's what happened with this verse. And then I started to think about what it really means..

It means that I have been anointed (chosen by God) to be a mom. I know all things that pertain to motherhood and raising children. I know how to encourage my children to love the Lord. I know how to cultivate their God-given gifts. I know how to harness Mr. Independent's stubborn nature into a positive attribute rather than a negative. I know how to draw out the boldness from within Mr. Dramatic. I know how to teach my children obedience as they see me obeying the Lord. I know how to manage my time well so that not a minute of the day is wasted. I know how to impart spiritual insight to my children.

It means that I have been anointed (chosen by God) to be a wife. I know how to honor my husband and show him respect. I know how to show him (in his love language) that I love him. I know how to be an emotional sanctuary for him to retreat to. I know how support him in prayer, in love and in deed. I know how to uplift him with my words rather than tear him down. I know how to make our home a place of refuge for him. I know how to create an atmosphere of peace. I know how to keep the household chores from piling up (and that includes laundry!). I know how to manage our finances well and not spend needlessly. I know how to run my household well and with kindness.

It means I have been anointed (chosen by God) to be a Christian. I know how to share God's love with others. I know how to pray effectively. I know how to witness with my life and my words. I know how to reach others where they hurt the most. I know how to be generous with myself, my time and my money. I know how to serve the Lord to the best of my ability. I know how to honor Him in all that I do, bringing glory to His Name. I know how to support my fellow Christian friends in prayer. I know how to be a blessing to others.

And how do I know all of these things? Because He says I do! And that is good enough for me! :)

What are you anointed for today?

Faith

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,
the evidence of things not seen."
Hebrews 11:1

Contract from God
giving me hope
Substance of that hope
And proof of the unseen.
Holds me in trust
and anchors me still.
When all hope is gone
faith remains.

Copyright 1997 J.N. Gallegos

He Thought of You..

While His body was wracked with pain,
With blood pouring from His side,
When God looked away from Him
Because He was so full of sin,
He thought of you.

Upon that cross He stayed,
Splinters digging into His raw flesh,
Blood running down His face,
Hand that healed, now wounded,
All because He thought of you.

He endured the pain,
He became the Sacrifice,
Jesus willingly died on a cross,
Because you were on His mind.

Copyright 1997 J.N. Gallegos

Weaving....

Today I just read a post from we are THAT family (go to Friday's post "God Sees" for the story), which I just had to link to and share. All I can say is that the Master weaves a beautiful masterpiece! May you be inspired to touch someone else today!