I know I say it alot, but I just can't say it enough - God is so faithful!! I had shared with you that my husband and son had the flu a couple weeks ago and then I struggled with it all last week. Because I'm the mom, I thought I could keep on with all my daily tasks and just fight through the flu, but it didn't work. By Thursday, I couldn't do it any longer and had to head to bed. I spent Thurs, Fri and Sat feeling terrible and wondering how I would ever have enough strength to speak on Sunday. I prayed and I had others praying for me. I was amazed to wake up feeling so much better on Sunday! A cough was all that remained. Once again, God blessed me with His words as I shared the message. He is so faithful!

Have a great day as we gain confidence from His faithfulness
Christie

Good morning all! I received a call from the Fairbury Presbyterian church yesterday asking me to speak on Sunday. Their pastor is on vacation and the fill-in had a family emergency. I happily agreed because I love to share God's words with others. Please pray that God will prepare my heart as well as the hearts of the congregation as we come together on Sunday.

We continue our search for a new home with no avail - we are confident though, that God will put us exactly where He wants us to be. I'm glad we have this opportunity for our faith to be stretched.

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it
Christie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECxUupqLNQA

In Matthew 5:14, Jesus says you are the light of the world. Others around us will only learn about Jesus through our words and actions. I've heard it said that people won't want to know my Jesus, until they see my Jesus in me. What kind of light are you being? Are you a flashlight, a tablelamp, or a floodlight?

We hide our light when we are quiet when we should speak up, when we deny our relationship with God, ignore the needs of others, or any way we keep our Jesus to ourselves.

Be a light to others today - maybe you need to start out by just putting a smile on your face.

Have a great day as we are the light of the world
Christie

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.



Romans 6:14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under the law but under grace.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MbcYyOsF50&feature=related

Have a great day knowing that you are truly free

Christie

Good morning all! I hope you had a wonderful Easter. I was laid up trying to get over the sickies that my husband and son had last week and so sweetly gave to me. I feel like I moving in the right direction today and have a house full of children to keep me on my toes.

Anyway, on to the important stuff. I've been doing alot of research on fear for the book proposal I'm working on. As I read over Isaiah 43:1-5, I instantly thought that I should share some of these truths with you.
"Do not fear, for I have redeemed you"
"I have called you by name; you are Mine"
"you are precious in My sight"
"you are honored and I love you"
"Do not fear, for I am with you"
Think of the difference it would make in your life if you memorized and reminded yourself of theses truths everyday. Don't just know them in your head, but believe them in your heart.

Have a great day as we are servants to all
Christie

Good morning all! I'm so excited to announce that we went live with my new website yesterday. I would appreciate it if you could check it out and let me know what you think and if you find any bugs or improvements that could be made www.awakentheheartministries.com - thanks bunches!
Also, please be praying for my family. We agreed with a buyer on a price for our home and will be signing papers today. We don't have any clue where God wants us to go, so we'll be searching for His will and standing in our faith.

Thank you and have a great day as we stand on our Firm Foundation
Christie

I wanted to share an excerpt with you from "Stop Acting like a Christian, Just be One" by Christine Caine - "We get up and go through our well-rehearsed motions of existence; we check all our tasks off our lists and go to bed; we arise the next day and do it all over again. As Christians, we know that such a mundane existence falls far short of the abundant life Jesus came to give us. God did not create all of us with such creativity, cultural diversity and unique gifts and talents to simply go through the motions of a religious, boring life. As Christians, with the power of the Creator of the Universe inside of us, we should be living the most exciting, exhilarating lives on the planet! In the same way, a church that is going through the motions of "doing church" has missed the point of what God created her to be. God never intended for His church to be filled with empty ritual, boring and irrelevant teaching, uninspiring music or a lack of creativity. The Church of Jesus Christ ought to be dynamic, vibrant, life-giving - a place of hope, healing and destiny. Let's be that kind of church"

WOW! Chew on that one for awhile and see what prompting you receive from your Father.

Have a great day as we live in the boldness of God
Christie

We were asked a question at our small group on Monday. "Have there been times in your life when you knew what you were doing was wrong, but you rationalized and focused on the momentary enjoyment? How did you handle that?" I admitted that I could answer yes to this question during many times in my life - more than I'd like to admit.
I then read this morning about being an authentic Christian - not just outside actions, but a true desire of the heart to follow God's desires. (Matthew 23:25-28) I realized how much these two lessons go together. Although I will never be perfect and not sin, before I take any action I need to ask myself if it would be God's desire or not. If I have to rationalize what I am doing, then I probably shouldn't be doing it. If I have to wonder if what I am doing could hurt God, then I shouldn't be doing it - irregardless of how I feel. I know it's easier said than done, but I need to remind myself of this often.

Take the time today to ask yourself - "what would Jesus do"

Have a great day as we are servants to all
Christie

My son woke up today with a fever. Something I didn't expect since he was feeling fine last night. Each day brings an opportunity for something unexpected - the question is, how do we respond? Do you have God's promises hidden in your heart so that when you are thrown into a situation you respond in a way that is pleasing to God or do you allow your circumstance to determine your response?
Think of one thing that is a struggle for you today and look for a promise from God that you can hold on to when you are tempted to be negative.

Have a great day as we are servants to all
Christie

Good morning all! I had a very wonderful weekend - very tiring, but wonderful. The Hearts at Home Conference is always a blessing. On Friday, I was able to meet alot of sisters in Christ, do some networking, worship and learn alot! Throughout the day, I think I experienced every emotion possible from laughing to crying. I was exhausted by the time I left and headed to my sister's rehearsal dinner. It was a great time and we didn't get home until late. Saturday morning we were back up and in action preparing everything for the wedding. It was so beautiful.

On Friday, I had attended a class on teenagers since my 12 year old daughter is acting like one. One suggestion they gave was to not allow teens to have a computer in their rooms. It gives too much freedom for internet predators and also oppotunities to see things they shouldn't be seeing. In fact, I learned that boys from the ages of 11-13 are at the highest risk of being addicted to pornography. I told my husband about this when I got home and he said that he had read an article the same day about the same thing and had talked to the kids while I was gone about all the dangers of the Internet. Although, our daughter was not happy at all about it, we decided to move her computer into the living room so there would always be adult supervision. We purchased a cabinet to store it in. It was a cabinet that had to be put together, so Mike and I spent most of Sunday evening assembling it. We put the whole thing together without getting into a fight! Who says God doesn't make miracles happen??!!!

Have a great day as we stand in the boldness of God

Christie

Good morning all! Not much time to blog today, I'm heading out to the Hearts at Home Conference. I'm excited because God always speaks to me through this wonderful conference.

Have a great day standing in the boldness of God
Christie

I'm so excited!!! I received a phone call early this morning from a friend who was struggling with saying yes to God. Over the past year, God has made it very clear to her and her husband that they were to start a new business. Very slowly and reluctantly they have begun while her husband continued working full time. He has been feeling lead to quit his job to work on the business full time but has been too afraid to do it. God has been giving him many affirmations and he is finally ready to say yes and take the biggest step he ever has in his faith. But will his wife stand behind his decision? What an awesome opportunity to say yes to God by submitting to her husband. I know she will but it will not be easy - for either of them. God's plan for us is not to be comfortable, but to build character.

I know what it feels like to live your life afraid, I've done it for most of my life. I also know what it's like to pass up many doors that God has opened because of letting fear be my guide. What is it that you are afraid to do? What doors are you walking right by? Stop waiting - stop being afraid - say yes to God today!!!!!!!

Have a great day standing in the boldness of God,
Christie

Good morning all! Just wanted to let you know that the interview went really great yesterday. The reporter asked alot of really good questions and I was able to tell her just about every aspect of my life. She also was a Christian and we found that we are alot alike. It's so cool that I could become friends with another sister in Christ through this situation. I explained to her about the doors that God has been opening for me to be able to share with others about Him and her coming was one of those doors. She told me that there will be an addition to the Daily Leader on March 25-28 called the Progress Edition. Each day there will be a different topic - she thought my article will be under "people" and will probably be on the 28th. I pray that it will bring glory to God and open more doors for me to be able to share how awesome our God is. Thank you for praying for me. God heard and answered.

Another thought, the fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. How many of these are being displayed in your life? These are the measurements of your Christlikeness. I challenge you to choose one today that you may be lacking in and work on developing it in your life.

Have a great day as we are servants to all
Christie

I was very excited yesterday to receive a call from a reporter at the Pontiac Daily Leader. She asked if they could come interview me today for a story they want to do on "I'm Glad I'm a Mom" which I am a contributing author. It will be a great opportunity to share about what God has done in my life and about my ministry. The interview is at 12:30 and I ask that you will be praying for God's words to come from my mouth and that He will receive any and all glory. I have this problem with my mouth running faster than my brain and it gets worse when I'm nervous so I'm just praying for only God's words and none of my own.

Also, I purchased extra copies of "I'm Glad I'm a Mom" if you would like to purchase one for $13 or you can order one through www.hearts-at-home.org

Have a great day as we are servants to all
Christie

We all have to settle for less sometimes. There are many things in this world that we may want, but cannot have due to many different reasons (money, location, etc). When it comes to our relationship with God, we never have to settle for less. Our commitment to Him, determines our relationship with Him. He is always there, waiting for fellowship with us. He always loves us, He always wants us. We as individuals make the choice to settle for a mediocre relationship with God or to receive more of Him everyday. This is one area of your life that you should never settle for less - be intentional today about seeking God, being more like Jesus, and being a blessing to God and others by your actions.

Every action you take has eternal ramifications.

Have a great day as we are servants to all
Christie

This is one of my family's favorites:
Chicken Mac
1 box mac and cheese (minus the cheese)
1 small box Velveeta
1 can chunk chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup
minced onion - to taste
pepper - to taste
3/4 cup milk

Cook and drain macaroni noodles. Cut the Velveeta into chunks. Mix all ingredients and put in a 8X8 casserole dish. Cook covered at 350 for 30 minutes and then uncovered for 10. This feeds our family of 4.

Check out more recipes at www.lysaterkeurst.blogspot.com

I am so glad that God is always teaching me! I really need it. I've been trying to do a better job of truly loving others. I am a task-oriented person and have a daily list of things that I want to accomplish. I tend to get irritated if those daily tasks don't get accomplished - that's why I'm working on putting people over tasks. I had the opportunity to do this last night. I was so excited to work on my book proposal while Mike, Liz and Nate went to basketball practice. No more did I sit down with my laptop and the phone rang. It was a close friend who wanted me to come over. Without even thinking, I told her that I had just sat down and had this great opportunity to work. (Just to let you know, that is the wrong answer when a friend needs you). Luckily, she didn't take no for an answer and I told her that I would be right over. Yes, you can say it - I'm a jerk. The cool thing was that because I went, we had a great visit and I really felt blessed from it. I didn't get my work done, but I got so much more. This is why God is teaching me to stop looking at other people as an interruption because they are really blessings.

Also, as I read Jonah this morning God showed me another great truth. In verses 15&16, the sailors threw Jonah overboard and the storm quieted - as they saw the power of God, they made sacrifices and vows to Him. Jonah made a big mistake by thinking he could disobey and run from God, but in the midst of his mistake, God revealed Himself to others. God can use my mistakes just like He used Jonah's. I'm very thankful that even when I make the wrong choice, my God can still be glorified.

Have a great day as we are servants to all
Christie

Are you prepared for what God wants to do in your life? Are you living each area of your life to the best of your ability? If you are not giving God your all right now, how can He entrust you with more? As I read Matthew 25:14-30 this morning, I thought about how the first two servants were pro-active with the talents their master gave them. They used what they were given to the best of their ability and were rewarded by being entrusted with more. The third servant was afraid, so he buried his talent and then was reprimanded and punished by the master. There was a time in my life that I was afraid to step out, so I told myself that if God wanted me to do something, He would just bring it to me as I sat. If he didn't bring anything to my couch, it must mean that He didn't want me to do anything. WRONG!! I allowed fear to be my guide. God says, do not fear.

Are you giving everything you have while you are at your job? (being on time, helping others, being honest, not stealing-time or materials, etc.) Are you giving everything to your family while you are with them? (Not being distracted while your spouse or children are talking to you, enjoy the little things you can share together, spend time laughing, talking and listening, etc.) The questions can go on and on.

Don't live your life by what's acceptable or the norm. Live it like Jesus is sitting right next to you all the time, like you want to do your best for Him because He is always with you!

Have a great day as we are servants to all
Christie

Last fall, I was in a 6 week study through our church called "Apples of Gold". It was an opportunity that changed my life. It consisted of mentors and mentees. I had never had a mentor before but now I have 7! We had a get together last night to catch up on all that was going on in our lives and I felt so blessed to be together again. The godly wisdom that my mentors shared has impacted every aspect of my life. Like I said, it was something I had never experienced before. It has really made me realize how instruction from mature Christians is such an important part of my growing and maturing. It also made me take the role of mentor that I am sometimes in, more seriously. No matter where you are in your faith, you can still be a mentor to someone else - take every opportunity you can because you just never know what kind of impact you can have.

Have a great day as we are servants to all
Christie

In our small group we discussed the book of Job. We considered how in one breath Job was praising God during his suffering and the next, he was stating his case. I realized how I am much like Job - I have stronger times when I can praise God when times are tough, but there also are those pity party days when I feel so sorry for myself that I can only lament. I also considered the fact that I want to say that no matter what ever happens to me, I will never loose my faith. Job lost all his 7 children, everything he owned and then was physically tormented by sores and lesions on his body - could I endure all of that and still praise my God? I want to say yes, but I guess I won't really know until I was put in the situation.

The one thing that stuck out to me the most in the book of Job was how God had put a hedge around Job that satan was not able to penetrate. Satan had to ask God for His permission to bring any suffering to Job. If God put a hedge around Job, He can put a hedge around those we ask Him to. I want to be more deliberate about asking God for His hedge to be around my children, my marriage, and our family.

Have a great day as we are servants to all
Christie

Good morning all! I had a very busy, but very good weekend. It all started off with my baby sister's bachlorette party. She is getting married to a wonderful man who loves her very much on March 15. I will be reading the scripture at the wedding and she is really nervous that once I get the microphone, I won't want to give it back. I cannot believe that she thinks I talk too much, you would think that she would know me better than that! :) I was a little nervous about going to the party with her friends who are 8-10 years younger than me but I felt better when I found out that my older sister would be there. We had a great time visiting in a very fancy restaurant. When I am anywhere that is fancy or elegant, I am way out of my element. I have always had a very simple lifestyle. So, when the waiter told me that there were scallions in the mashed potates and I told him that I didn't like seafood. He looked at me very puzzled and explained that scallions were onions. Then I was reprimanded by the other girls when I wanted ketchup for my steak. It all was a little embarrassing for me, but everyone else got a good chuckle at my expense. I was really glad that I could embarrass my sister - which is one of my goals whenever we're together. Maybe I went a little overboard with some of my stories, but that's what happens when a girl who normally is surrounded by children gets the opportunity to hang with other women.
I try harder for manners next time.

Have a great day as we are servants to all

Christie