God is good. God is faithful. I was running a few minutes behind on my way to school last night. About 6 or 7 miles before my exit, I saw break lights on all the cars ahead of me. Soon, we were motioned to move into the right-hand lane by a police officer. Moving very slowly, we followed the instructions by officers to exit the interstate, go through a town and then onto another road. I was aggravated since I was in a hurry but after calling my husband, he assured me that the road I was detoured to would take me right into Lincoln. I couldn't figure out what the problem was until right before I came to Lincoln. I could see that a semi was tipped over on its side across the entire southbound lane of the interstate. There were cars backed up for miles behind it.

I was once again reminded of the fact that God knows what is ahead of us - he knows the future and we do not. I was frustrated because I didn't know why I had to make the detour but the police officer did and if he would not have sent me on another route, I would have been stuck in all that mess and probably been late or even miss my class.

When I got to school and parked my car, smoke started rolling out from under the hood. I opened the hood to check it out and noticed my antifreeze tank was empty again. I called my husband to let him know the situation and that I would fill it with water and come home after class. But being the wonderful husband he is, drove down, loaded my car on a trailer and left his truck for me to drive home.

Since last night was the end of my current class, the instructors had invited a panel of people to discuss their Lincoln Christian College experiences with us. One thing that all of them said and wanted us to remember was - it was the times that were the hardest, the times that they were discouraged and overwhelmed the most, that they learned the most from.

This morning, I was reading about John Mark in my Bible. It has inserts about different people in the Bible. Here's an exerpt: Mistakes are effective teachers. Their consequences have a way of making lessons painfully clear. But those who learn from their mistakes are likely to develop wisdom. John Mark was a good learner who just needed some time and encouragement.

1. Personal maturity usually comes from a combination of time and mistakes

2. Mistakes are not usually as important as what can be learned from them

3. Effective living is not measured as much by what we accomplish as by what we overcome in order to accomplish it

4. Encouragement can change a person's life.

Hope this all hits your heart like it did mine. Just a few reasons that we can be thankful for the hard times we endure.

Have a great day
Living fearlessly in Christ
Christie

Good morning and happy Monday my bloggy friends! I'm still chuckling and nodding my head over the writing by Lysa Terkeurst on Friday's post. She cracks me up!

What a wonderful weekend we had with the opportunity to share in the celebration of baptism. My husband's aunt and brother were baptized yesterday and we were elated with their decision. It all took place at our previous church and it was great to see faces that I hadn't seen in a long time. We then had a big party at his parent's home with friends and family. What fun!!

Dan and Peg have made a vow - they accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior and live their lives for Him.

We were discussing vows last night in our small group. The Bible tells of many who made vows to God: Jacob Gen 28:20, Jephthah Judges 11:30-31, Hannah 1 Samuel 1:9-11 and many more. We must be very careful what we vow to God.

I have made the vow to God that I will say yes to Him even when I am afraid and do not understand. Well, once again, I am in that state.

I thank God because He provided a home for us. We have been looking since January with no avail. We purchased a home in our town and then it all fell through a few weeks before closing. Through much prayer, God lead us to the house we are to live in. It meets each of our needs.

There is one problem though, it is in another town. We will be moving from Chenoa to Fairbury which is only 10 miles away but when you have a daycare in your home, 10 miles in the opposite direction of your daycare parents' work, causes issues. I have one daycare family that is still debating but all others have told me that they will be finding a new childcare provider to keep from the extra traveling. So, the possibility of having no job is very concerning to me, to say the least.

What will happen? I don't know. What will I do for an income? I don't know. But what I do know is that I will make the choice to trust in my Lord. I will plant myself in His Word and resist the devil.

I thank you for your prayers for us to find a new home. Praise God, our prayers have been answered! Will you please pray for this new adventure I am on with finding a means of income?

Now, don't get me wrong - I would love to not have to get a job and be a stay-at-home mom who volunteers her little heart out but I'm thinking that when you take a loan out for a home they actually want you to make payments on it - crazy idea! :)

You could of course also be praying that my husband gets a HUGE raise which allows me not to have to work - that would be quite cool too!! :)

Thank you for praying - I'll keep you updated on this crazy little thing I call LIFE.

Have a great day

Living fearlessly in Christ
Christie

Good morning and happy Friday! I hope this post finds you doing well. Today, I want to post yesterday's blog from Lysa Terkeurst for all you moms. I totally agreed as I read each sentance. Enjoy.

For the sake of a mighty fine tastebud
Dear children of the world,You are loved. You are absolutely adored. You are one of the best gifts God ever thought of!All that said, please listen carefully to the following instructions lest you send your mama to the crazy house:

1. It's never okay to wipe the treasures you dig from the depths of your nostrils on anything other than a tissue headed in the direction of a trashcan.

2. When you need your mama, get up out of your chair and quietly go find her. Screaming "MAMA! MAMA! MAMA! MAMAAAAAA!" will make her blood pressure rise to the point of no return for like an hour. And when she finally lays her sweet little bulging eyes on your sweet little self, there better be something bleeding.

3. If your mama ever asks if anything about her body looks big, say no. Just say no. Let's practice. "No mama."

4. When your mama stands in her hot little kitchen, to cook a hot little meal for your hot little tummy- do not tell her you'd rather have mac and cheese. Nope. Do not do that. Don't even utter the word mac. It will make her want to sit down in the middle of the kitchen and scream. Really loud. Loudly. You get the point.

5. Your eyeballs are beautiful. Yes they are. But if they roll at the wrong time, they will be your greatest downfall. Oh yes they will. Especially if said eye roll occurs while you simultaneously mumble the word "whatever." Ewww, that might be a really bad moment of your life.We mama's don't like bad moments. We like happy moments. Kodak moments actually. The more of these you give us, the less our hair will gray, the less our skin will wrinkle and the less potato chips and chocolate we'll consume. Then the less cellulite we'll have.And it will be very bad for you if cellulite starts to take over our bodies because we'll strip the kitchen of everything that tastes good and replace it with fiber and no fat everything.

So, for the sake of your taste buds- be nice to your mama.

Thank you and have a nice day.

Have a great day and a great weekend!
Living fearlessly in Christ
Christie

John 14:1 "Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in god, believe also in Me."

You never know what you may learn from a child!

As several things were already overwhelming my mind, I began reading the syllabus for a class that I will begin in a week. As I read over all the assignments and what I would have to learn, my insecurities came through full force and I began to hear those lies from satan: you aren't smart enough to be in college, you will never have enough time to get your assignments done, you don't have the ability to learn these things they will be teaching, you might as well quit now.

My 13 year old daugther walked in the room and noticed my despair. I explained that I was feeling overwhelmed by the information I just read. She gave me an immediate response in a very non-chalent way; "Mom, you don't need to worry about all your assignments, just look at the one that needs to be done before you go to your first class - the rest will take care of itself."

Words of sweet wisdom. How I love it when my children give back what I have shared with them in the past. Maybe, just maybe they really are listening. :)

In our Bible study group last night, I was able to share this story with a friend who is hurting financially and was worried about what the future may bring.

We must learn to focus on today. Why worry about tomorrow when we don't even know if tomorrow will come. Now, don't get me wrong - this is much easier said than done and I feel like a hypocrite even allowing the words to come from my mouth, but it is truth.

Matthew 6:34 "So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Have a great day

Living fearlessly in Christ
Christie

Good morning and happy Wednesday to you! I was sharing my current life "storms" with a friend the other day and she said something to me that gave me a different perspective.

"You must be doing something right because the devil sure is trying to work on you."

I had been so consumed with my circumstances that I never considered that it could be satan trying to trip me up. That is his goal, you know - to keep our minds focused on everything else, anything else besides God. It took that reminder from my friend to awaken me to be very cautious of satan's schemes.

The negative thoughts, the feeling of hopelessness, helplessness, dread and confusion - all schemes of satan.

It is time to stop - stop allowing him in my mind, in my thoughts, in my actions, in my words.

Get behind me satan. I am a follower of Christ. I am a child of God and I want no trace of you in my life!!

Say it with me - I refuse to allow satan any hold in my life. I refuse to believe satan's lies when I know the Word of God to be true. I will trust in God because He is my Creator, my Father, and my Savior. He loves me and wants the best for me and satan only wants to destroy me.

Do you feel empowered? You should, the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe LOVES you!!!

James 4:7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Living fearlessly in Christ
Christie

Well, I promised pictures - so here you go:

Liz and I in a cave
A beautiful waterfall

Liz thinks she needs new shoes for every occasion - this one being no different. These polka-dot rubber boots are a must for playing in the water. I can't tell you how many comments she got on them from the other people we saw.
And finally: Mike, Liz, Nate and two of our great friends, Dan and Christi. BTW, Nate has decided that he doesn't want to smile in any picture - he really is happy here, just STUBBORN!! (like his father, of course)

Oh, the fun we had! Oh, all the mud I had to clean yesterday - shoes, clothes, jackets, etc. but it was worth it all. We're ready to go again! :)

Have a great day

Living fearlessly in Christ

Christie

Good morning and happy Monday! This is the first day of spring break around here - which means lots of children and lots of CRAZINESS! Please be praying for me!! :)

We had a beautiful weekend and we took every opportunity to spend it outside. Saturday we spent at Humiston Woods as a family and with the dogs. What an experience! Since we live on 5 acres, our dogs run free so when you put leashes on them and expect them to walk beside you in the woods, it causes quite the problem. I started out with Cooper, our 80 pound yellow lab and he proceeded to drag me through several inches of mud. It didn't take me long to hand him off to my husband and take our 45 pound lab who was much easier to control.

After church on Sunday, we headed to Starved Rock with some friends. We were much smarter and didn't bring the dogs and we enjoyed the exercise, fellowship and warm weather. (I have pictures that I'll post later, but the camera cable is in my daughter's room and she is still sleeping)

After returning, my husband was heading out of our driveway and accidentally ran over our dog, Grace. We weren't sure of her internal injuries and after calling around for help from all the local vets without any luck, we loaded her up and headed to the Animal Hospital in Bloomington. They did a wonderful job of taking care of her, took some ex rays and concluded that she probably just had a concussion. We are taking her to our normal vet today to make sure she still doesn't have any internal bleeding. She is moving extremely slow and definitely isn't acting herself, but hopefully within a few days she'll be feeling better.

I hope you had an enjoyable weekend and are refreshed and ready for your Monday.

Mark 5:36 ......"no longer fear, only believe"

Living fearlessly in Christ
Christie

Good morning and happy Friday! It has been a long week and I'm ready for the weekend! I was reading the first chapter of John this morning and it really got me thinking. God had a great purpose for John - to prepare the way for Jesus. It was John's job to tell others about Jesus, so that they would know Him. What a HUGE responsibility!

John knew his purpose and he obeyed. Can you and I say the same?

I know that I have more than one purpose in my life but for many of them, I have run, run, run from. God has asked me to do some really hard things for me. For me, but not for Him. It all comes down to not just accepting God's calling and purpose for me, but obeying and acting on it.

I am a slow learner, but I am learning to obey, little by little. I say yes to something small and then see God's faithfulness. The next time, I may say yes a little sooner or depending on the size of the task, I may still back away.

God's faithfulness never changes - my obedience is my choice to trust in His faithfulness.

I will say yes today. I will say yes before I even know what God is going to ask me to do - scary but that is what faith is all about - trust! Will you say yes today too???

Living fearlessly in Christ
Christie

I'm beginning to believe the old saying "bad things happen in threes". Last week, our purchase of a new house fell through, Tuesday - one of my daycare parents told me of their decision to take their kids somewhere else due to scheduling issues, and then yesterday, when I came home from picking up my kids from school, my car smelt like it was burning up and had smoke rolling from under the hood.

For the past couple days, my husband and I have found ourselves worrying, wondering and continuously praying. I read that people seek God the most during tragedy and transition. We are definitely not facing tragedy but transition for sure.

What does God want for us or to teach us in each of these situations? I'm not sure as of yet but I know that He is faithful. I know that He is good. I know that He is trustworthy.

As I continue to pray and rely on His assurance, I will wait patiently for His sweet provision.

Romans 8:28 "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."
Amen

Have a great day

Living fearlessly in Christ
Christie

Donuts for breakfast today! I don't normally buy donuts for the fear of me eating them but today is a special day. Yesterday, Nathan came home with so much excitement. He announced that he got an A+ on his science test. Now this wasn't just any science test but one that he had studied and studied for. We were so proud of his accomplishment and asked what he wanted to do to celebrate. The first and only thing out of his mouth was: DONUTS FOR BREAKFAST! Our breakfast celebration was yummy but my thighs won't be able to celebrate any more for awhile. Victory is SWEET!

On a random note, I was reading chapter 38 of "The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren and was so inspired and convicted by the following paragraph: Worldly Christians look to God primarily for personal fulfillment. They are saved, but self-centered. They love to attend concerts and enrichment seminars, but you would never find them at a missions conference because they aren't interested. Their prayers focus on their own needs, blessings, and happiness. It's a "me-first" faith: How can God make my life more comfortable? They want to use God for their purposes instead of being used for His purposes. In contrast, world-class Christians know they were saved to serve and made for a mission. They are eager to receive a personal assignment and excited about the privilege of being used by God. World-class Christians are the only fully alive people on the planet. Their joy, confidence, and enthusiasm are contagious because they know they're making a difference. They wake up each morning expecting God to work through them in fresh ways. Which type of Christian do you want to be?

Ouch - enough said

Living fearlessly in Christ
Christie

Proverbs 15:33 The fear of the Lord is the instruction for wisdom, and before honor comes humility.

Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling.

1 Peter 5:5 ........clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

Yesterday, I spoke about God humbling my heart, once again, over the weekend. My selfish pride tends to rear its ugly head quite often and many times my sweet Savior brings humility to me. It is the things that I am most prideful about that He works on the most. I looked down on those who were afraid until I suffered from debilitating panic attacks which God used to change my heart. I looked down on those who couldn't overlook their differences and stay in a marriage until it was my marriage that was falling apart. Thank God that through His grace and our diligence, our marriage is now stronger than ever. I looked down on those who could commit adultery or even look at someone else besides their spouse, until I realized how much I enjoy attention from the opposite sex. God does and will humble those who are prideful. He continues to remind me that I am His child, I am His princess and He loves me unconditionally but I am no better than anyone else.

We are all sinners. We all need Jesus. My sins are forgiven, but I am still a sinner.

It is time to stop judging and start loving. We are all in this together!

Have a great day!

Living fearlessly in Christ
Christie

Hey!!! I'm baaaaack! Well, at least physically - my mind is still reeling from an amazing weekend. Once again, the Hearts at Home conference was unbelievable! The impact that this conference has on women makes me want to load up every woman I know and bring her with me! Like I told you before, this was the first time I have volunteered during the conference instead of attending it and I have to say that I learned just as much if not more from volunteering! God is so good! He orchestrated every detail to humble me and allow me to realize the true agony that some of my fellow sisters in Christ are enduring. I was a personal assistant to a speaker named Victoria Johnson. God brought this sweet, loving and compassionate woman into my life to teach me many lessons. I truly enjoyed every moment her and I spent together - what an inspiration to me! She spoke on 2 topics: raising children as a single parent and childhood sexual abuse. As her workshops filled with women and she began telling her story, I began to see the pain in the eyes of the attendees. She allowed time at the end of her message for questions and it was then that these women told of the gut wrenching pain they had and were experiencing. I had never seen so much pain. These were women who looked great - women who if I saw them on the street, I would assume had a perfect little life, but they have haunting pasts. This reminded me of how we must not judge by appearance. We all need the healing power of Jesus. We all have hurts. We all have pasts. We all need Jesus. My heart continues to break for these women. When I had the opportunity to speak with one woman, I hurt so badly for her, I wanted to help, I wanted to make things better for her but all I could do was listen, cry with her and hug her with all I had.

One more experience orchestrated by God has come and went but my heart will never be the same. Thanks be to God.

Lord, I thank You and praise You for orchestrating my life. I thank You for what you teach me and how you change my heart. I pray that as Your children, when we hurt, we turn to You and not to anything in this world. I need Your strength to do this. I pray for Your healing hand and comfort over each woman that Victoria ministers to and to all others who are hurting and need Your sweet peace. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen.

Have a great Monday!
Living fearlessly in Christ
Christie

Good morning and happy Friday! Oh wait, this isn't your Friday but it's mine!! :) For the next two days, I get the exciting opportunity to volunteer at the Hearts at Home conference (www.hearts-at-home.org). I have attended the conference for the last several years and have been greatly impacted by it. In fact, it was one of the main determining factors in me letting go of my fear of public speaking and saying yes to God's calling for me. God has spoke so clearly to me through speakers at this conference. This year, I felt His prompting to give back. I signed up to volunteer and was asked to be a speaker's personal assistant. I will introduce the speaker before each workshop, guide her where she needs to go, and do anything else she needs me to do. I am excited to serve and learn.

You know, each day gives us opportunities to serve and learn. The question is - are we taking them? Will you choose to serve and learn today?

Have a great day and a great weekend! I can't wait to tell you all about what God accomplishes!

Living fearlessly in Christ
Christie

Good morning and happy Wednesday! Do you remember as a child, having lunch with your friends - making one of them laugh hysterically, and milk shooting out their nose? As an adult, I have come close at times but haven't had that experience since - that is, until today. I wasn't laughing, but as I took a drink of hot tea, it slide down the wrong pipe and I began to cough - trying to hold it all in, I lost control and shot most of it out my nose onto the kitchen table. I looked up trying to compose myself to see the horror on the little faces of my daycare children. In disgust, one three year old pipes up "why did you do that??" No one asks if I'm alright, no one asks to help, as I continue to cough up a lung and my nose burns like it was just set on fire, they just continue to stare at me in wonder.

Actually the stares of confusion by others is a pretty normal sight for me. I haven't been one to fit in the norm. Thank God, He is always changing me. He is teaching me that I don't have to "fit in", I just have to follow Him. Following Christ will make you change. It will cause people to look and you funny and be stumped by your actions. The thing that gives me strength during those times is the truth that God never changes.

Malachi 3:6 "For I, the Lord, do not change;

While crazy things happen in our lives, our God doesn't change. While my heart continues to change, our God doesn't change. When I am tempted to trust myself instead of God, our God doesn't change. When I do wrong or when I do right, our God doesn't change. When others think I'm crazy, our God doesn't change.

Praise God for never changing!

Have a great day
Living fearlessly in Christ
Christie

Good morning my bloggy friends! Obedience is hard sometimes - trusting God is hard sometimes. Does it depend on the situation if you chose to or not? I was reading John 9:1-12 where Jesus heals a blind man. Now, He doesn't just say, "you are healed" but He spits on the ground, mixes His spit with dirt to make mud, wipes the mud on the man's eyes and then tells him to wash it off in the river. Miraculously, when he obeys, he can see.

As I read this story, I couldn't help but notice this man's obedience. He didn't ask Jesus why He was rubbing spit mixed with dirt on his face or why he had to wash it off in the river - he just trusts and obeys. The Bible doesn't state that this man was a devoted follower of Christ or someone who even knew who Christ was - He just obeyed and was blessed.

This truth truly humbles me as I think of my relationship with Jesus, the time that I spend with Him, the faithfulness He has shown me over the years, and yet I continue to disobey and not trust. I say that I want to, and then I do not.

What crazy thing is going on in your life that you are not trusting God with? What has He asked you to obey that you are not?

I will choose to trust and obey today - will you?

Living fearlessly in Christ
Christie

Good morning and happy Monday! We finished up Nathan's basketball season on Saturday. Unfortunately, his team lost both games they played, but he really did a great job. Both our children really enjoy playing basketball so it's a bummer when their seasons are over but it will work out well since we will soon be starting the remodeling on our new house. Since we'll be on a one month time frame, I'm sure there won't be time for much else. I think that God just has a way of working these things out.

I woke with a song in my head that we often sing in church. "All things work together, all things work together, all things work together, work together for good. For those who love God, for who are called, called to His purpose. All things work together, all things work together, all things work together, work together for good."

This is a song pulled from Scripture. What a great way to memorize this powerful truth.

I will stand on God's promises today - will you?

Have a great day
Living fearlessly in Christ
Christie

OUCH!!! I am learning that going to the rec center is a bad, bad thing! I've shared with you before that I enjoy walking each morning before the rest of my family rises. Lately, I've added a little jogging into my morning routine - about 1/2 and 1/2. So when we met some friends at the rec center last night, I thought - no problem! My friend, Christi and I began walking the track. I noticed her strides were much longer than mine and she could keep up a very fast pace, but of course, feeling like a professional, I suggest to her that we walk 1/2 and jog 1/2. MISTAKE! She informs me that she normally runs 2.5-3 miles at a time. Yes, I said RUN. Let's just say after about 10 laps I thought I was going to die! I asked if we could just walk - sure - but her walking is like my jogging. I couldn't let her know that she was killing me, so I continued on acting like everything was fine. My shins began to burn, my hip was hurting and I had a sharp pain shooting through my back into my tailbone. I could fake it no longer as I limped along. She suggested that maybe we should stop and take a break - hallelujah!!! I went straight home and into my bed, falling instantly asleep. Let's just say - I'm glad it's Friday!

Oh, the pain of pride!! I must get rid of this nasty habit!

Have a great day and a great weekend!

Living fearlessly in Christ
Christie

As I study the book of Malachi, I've noticed, each time Malachi confronts people with their sins, they come back with "how is that"? How could we be doing that?

I know many times that I have justified my sin because it's what I want to do. When I am confronted about it, my defense begins with each justification that has already went through my brain and maybe a few more I can come up with on the spot. Sometimes, I actually have convinced myself that I'm really not doing anything wrong.

It normally doesn't hit me until I have time to reflect on the confrontation or conviction from God. Then, I have a choice to make. Will I continue to do what I want, knowing that it is wrong or do I practice what I preach and confess my sin and repent.

Now, don't get me wrong - I totally understand that it is not always so cut and dried. Stopping a sin that we love so much is a very difficult thing to do.

Looking back over my life, I actually wish that I would have been confronted more by loving Christians. I wonder if I would have made the choice to stop specific sins sooner if someone had brought them to my attention. This actually gives me more strength to lovingly confront others when I see them acting against God. I would want the same for myself.

Here's the commentary from my Bible for 3:13-15 - it pretty much sums it up. "These verses describe the people's arrogant attitude toward God. When we ask, "What good does it do to serve God?" we are really asking, "What good does it do for me?" Our focus is selfish. Our real question should be, "What good does it do for God?" We must serve God just because He is God and deserves to be served."

Have a great day!

Living fearlessly in Christ
Christie

Good morning my bloggy friends and happy Wednesday!! :) I'm so excited to introduce Jill Savage, speaking about her new book, "Real Moms....Real Jesus"!
Today I’d like to welcome author and speaker, Jill Savage. Jill’s recent book Real Moms…Real Jesus, just released, and I wanted to ask her about her real mom moments.

Jill, tell us a little bit about yourself and your family.

Mark and I have been married 25 years and we have five children. Anne is 24 and married to our wonderful son-in-love, Matt. Evan is 21 and married to our beautiful daughter-in-love, Julie. Erica is 18 and a college student at Heartland Community College. Kolya is 15 and in the 8th grade. We adopted Kolya at the age of 9 from Russia---the God story about his adoption is included in the Real Moms…Real Jesus book. And Austin is 12 and in the 7th grade.

Tell us about your newest book Real Moms...Real Jesus?

Real Moms…Real Jesus is a book designed to help moms understand that when Jesus lived on this earth he was fully God, yet fully man. We don’t often think about the fact that he was a human being and he lived the full human experience: pain, hunger, fatigue, frustration, betrayal, disappointment. He experienced it all!

There’s one verse in the Bible about Jesus that simply says “large crowds followed him everywhere he went.” Well, isn’t that the life of a mom? Large crowds follow her to the bathroom. They follow her to the kitchen. To the grocery store. She’s in high demand! And when Jesus lived on this earth, He was in high demand, too.

Why did you want to write this book?

Most of us long for a friend who understands. Yes, we need girlfriends who understand what our life is like. But we also need to understand that we have a friend who understands in Jesus. Too many of us think of God as being distant and unable to relate to our daily struggles. But nothing could be further from the truth! He understands and he wants us to build our friendship with Him. He wants to not only be our Savior, but also our Friend.

What do you hope your readers will gain from this book?

I hope that readers will gain a new perspective about their relationship with Jesus. I also hope to weave God’s truth into the daily life of a mom.

What unique elements will the reader find in Real Moms…Real Jesus?

Each chapter looks at some character trait in Jesus’ life that can help us in our life as a mom. In between the chapters are interactive vignettes that provide brief, refreshing glimpses into our real, messy, busy lives.

There are also questions at the end of the chapter for further consideration and suggested Bible reading in the book of Matthew. If the reader chooses to pursue the suggested reading, she will have read the book of Matthew completely by the end of the book! There is also a leader’s guide in the back of the book so it can be used in a group setting.

This is a Hearts at Home book. What is Hearts at Home?

Hearts at Home is an organization that encourages, educates, and equips women in the profession of motherhood. Hearts at Home encourages moms through annual conferences, our extensive website (http://www.hearts-at-home.org), a free bi-weekly electronic newsletter, a radio program, and an entire line of books designed to meet the needs of moms all over the world!

Any closing thoughts?

I am very excited about this book! I believe that if a mom can strengthen her relationship with Jesus Christ, she will feel more equipped to be the mom she wants to be. I’m also offering an online book discussion on my blog beginning Tuesday, April 7. If you’d like to join us, you can subscribe to my blog at http://www.jillsavage.org.

I’d love to hear a reader’s thoughts after they read the book, too! You can connect to me through my blog at http://www.jillsavage.org.

Thanks, Jill, for taking time out of your busy schedule to share your real mom, real Jesus moments with us.

You can purchase your own copy of Real Moms…Real Jesus by clicking http://www.amazon.com/Real-Moms-Real-Jesus-Friend-Understands/dp/0802483615/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1236090668&sr=1-1

And be sure to check out Hearts at Home, their conferences for moms, and all their online resources http://www.hearts-at-home.org

Have a great day

Living fearlessly in Christ
Christie :)

Make sure to check out my blog tomorrow! I can't believe I forgot to tell you that I am participating in a blog tour with Jill Savage. She has a new book out "Real Mom....Real Jesus". I will post an interview with her.

Good morning! I had another great evening at class. I continue in "Orientation for Adult Studies" where I'm learning how everything works and where everything's at. I have already been blessed by the people I'm meeting - from the instructors to the students. I picked up my books for the rest of the semester and was intimidated by the size and amount of reading that I will do in each six week class, but I continue to remind myself - God brought me here and He will bring me through. Here we go!!

Our small group is studying the book of Malachi. As I began reading yesterday, some verses jumped out at me and really made me think. Malachi 1:6 "A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a Father, where is My honor? And if I am a Master, where is My respect?" says the Lord of Hosts to you.......

OUCH! The question cuts me like a knife.

If I say that God is the Lord of my life - why do I put my desires over His?
If I say that I am a woman of faith - why do I choose fear over faith?
If I say that I love the Lord - why do I not show that love by my thoughts, words and actions?
If I say that I put the Lord first - why do I end up there so often?

The Lord is asking us - where is My honor and respect?

It is our choice. I have no one else to blame but myself. I want to honor and respect my Lord.

Lord, give me the strength to put You where You belong in my life - at the #1 spot. Give me the fire and passion to serve You over myself. Make satan's lies clear to me and prompt me to ignore his lures. You know that my heart truly wants to bring glory and honor to you - I just tend to get in the way. In Jesus Name, Amen

May this be the prayer of our hearts each day as we love and serve God.

Have a great day
Living fearlessly in Christ
Christie

Good morning and happy Monday! I'm feeling refreshed and revived after a much-needed weekend. I spent most of the day Saturday, working on relationships. I spoke in previous posts about God's prompting for me to reconcile and restore relationships that have been hurt. Through God's grace, I was able to ask forgiveness and reconcile with a person. Has the process been difficult for me? Absolutely! But has it been a total blessing? Absolutely! I am thankful for the Holy Spirit's prompting and for the strength that He gives me to obey.

Then, I worked on enhancing some already good relationships. Spending time with people that I don't get the opportunity to see very often. All times that I intentionally spend making the relationships I have, better, I am blessed.

The anger and bitterness that I've held inside is being cleansed - what an amazing feeling and what an even more amazing God we serve!!!

Hebrews 12:14-15 Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it may be defiled;

Philippians 2:3-4 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

Have a great day

Living fearlessly in Christ
Christie