You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. Matthew 5:13

Are you salty?

Are you passionate about your relationship with God?

Are you ready to say "yes" before God even makes the request?

Are you allowing God's light to shine through you?

It is easy to be on fire for the Lord when you first become a Christian but as the years go by and circumstances get the chance to harden your heart, do you find it more difficult to burn?

Think about your priorities today - does what you do set a godly example for others?

Do you speak and act differently than those who are not Christians?

Just some thoughts that I've been pondering and thought you may want to also.
Have a great day
Christie

Hello my friends - long time, no talk! Well, since its been so long since I've wrote something, I thought I'd add some recent pics so I could show you what I've been up to. On Monday, I had my 35th birthday and my sweet sweet friend, Kristy made me a beautiful cake! Her name is Kristy Cotter and she makes the BEST cakes ever and will be starting Cotter's cakes soon, so make sure you let me know if you are ready to be a very special customer. YUMMY!!!!
Another birthday surprise got delivered to my job on Monday. What a wonderful hubby I have!!
We also spent last weekend camping. It was so much fun and very relaxing. It was windy enough to blow us away but we were able to find ways to stay near the ground - well, except for the pics below.

Nate decided it would be good to walk in Cooper's shoes (paws) for awhile. He really enjoyed being a dog (I guess its a good thing that dog is his nickname!)

Well, that's all I have for now - hope you enjoyed the pictures.

Living fearlessly in Christ

Christie

Hello and happy Friday my bloggy friends! I have to admit that as I write today, I am in pain! Lots of physical pain! I got this great idea that since I packed on a few pounds over the winter that I could join my local Curves and get this old body back into shape. I never do things half way, so I worked out this week with fervor and passion, not thinking about how long it had been since my body had experienced exercise. I am now hobbling around like an old lady and wishing I hadn't been quite so passionate!

This week, I heard someone say "don't judge lest ye be judged," quoting from Matthew 7:1 and I began thinking about how our defenses go up when someone may get just a little to close to our favorite sin. When I think of "judging" someone, I think of the times when I really don't know the whole situation but choose to make a judgement on a person's actions or motives, anyway. It's a way that we make ourselves feel better by putting someone else down.

As Christians, we are to love each other, lift each other up, and help our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ when they have fallen. I believe it is my responsibility to lovingly keep those Christians accountable, that I have a relationship with. I am not responsible to point out the mistakes of those who are not Christians because I have to show them the love of Jesus before they will be able to see their sin. Relationship is the key to keeping others accountable. No relationship will bring out all the defenses in the other person. Now, I'm not saying that this always makes the other person happy and could not hurt the relationship but to follow the example of Christ, we are not to judge but we are to help keep others accountable for their actions and also be open and willing to be kept accountable, ourselves.

Hope I stepped on some toes today! :) (If I have to hurt, you have to hurt!)

Living fearlessly in Christ
Christie

Does you life bring glory to God?

Each choice we make, answers the question.

Living fearlessly in Christ
Christie

Good morning my bloggy friends! As I read the first chapter of Matthew this morning, I was reminded of how God has a purpose and a plan for everything and everyone. It begins with the genealogy of Jesus. I have to admit that I have often skipped over all the names of who fathered who but as I read all the names, I realized how important each person was.

I know many people who call their pregnancies "accidents" but truly, in God's eyes, their are no accidents. God has a plan and a purpose for each of us, whether our parents had planned for us or not.

It gives me comfort knowing that God wants me - even if no one else does. God knows how to stretch and pull me so that I can be who He wants me to be. His love and faithfulness gives me the strength to do what He asks me to do.

Do you know what God's purpose is for you? What are your spiritual gifts? What can you make the choice to say yes to? (even if its scary!)

Hope you can spend some time chewing on these thoughts, today.

Living fearlessly in Christ
Christie

When my husband and I had our first child at the age of twenty, I had no idea that I should be making choices to protect my marriage. How I wish that someone would have prepared me for the issues I would face with setting family priorities and boundaries once children entered the picture.
From speaking with many Christ following women in central Illinois, I have found most being as naïve, as I was, as I believed that our new little bundle of joy would only enhance our marriage. That was, until the baby was actually born!
For me and many other moms, it is common to put our children and their needs above our husbands and sometimes even God. This is not God’s plan for us and I am excited for the opportunity to share with other Christ following moms, my experiences and hard core facts about setting priorities and boundaries in marriage. I have learned much through discussing this topic with other women, learning from other Christ following moms, my own personal experiences, doing much reading from the last decade and internet research.
So the question to answer comes down to: how can something a married couple made together be the root of what could tear them apart and how do we keep that from happening?
It is in no way the child’s fault but the reactions of the parents in the midst of an addition to their family. Although caring for a child takes much time and energy, I believe that nurturing marriage is a wise investment. A family begins when a man and woman become one through marriage. Children are additions to an already established family.
Titus 2:4 “so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children.” (Holy Bible New American Standard Translation) The responsibilities of a young mom are clear: love your husband and love your children. What it does not say is: love you children and let your husband fend for himself!
God created marriage and gives much input to the subject through His Word. God created marriage for pleasure and for procreation. The Bible’s timeline shows God was first, and then He created man and marriage, and then procreation. Although this makes sense as we read the Bible, when we add children to a marriage, our priorities can be easily altered.
“Children. When husbands and wives become parents, they go through a significant transition that changes their lives and their marriage completely and permanently. These changes cause a husband and wife, to stop and wonder, “What has happened to our lives…what has happened to our marriage?” (Morgan and Kuykendall pg. 21)
The issue of Christ following wives neglecting their husbands to be more child focused runs rampant today in central Illinois. The ability to learn from others is a powerful tool in our lives, so use this information to understand how your marriage not only affects the married couple but also the children involved.

Have a great day!
Living fearlessly in Christ
Christie

Spring must be officially here - my kids had set up the hammock and I found them relaxing in the sunshine today. There is just something about spring that makes my heart smile :)