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Working For The Weekend!	Oct 23, 2008 3:22 am Mood: EXCITED!!!, 436 Views
I'm a goal-oriented person, for the last 22 years, I'm always working towards one deadline or another. All of my efforts for the entire year come down to this day. From today until January 15 is my play time, NO MORE DEADLINES until then, hallelujah! This weekend kicks off my fav time of year and is my first weekend off since the BigChurch Bash on the 4th of July. My Dear One and I will be taking our first trip together and I'm so excited! We're going to Orlando and every minute will be full of fun and spiritual blessings. We'll be going to the Holyland Experience on Saturday, and if you've never been there, you need to go. It's an entire city re-created to resemble Jerusalem in the Bible days. Complete with a village full of ancient craftsmen, working their particular crafts. And there's an ancient temple where shows and guest speakers appear. There's a whole building dedicated to Bible Antiquities, with dozens of original Bibles and scrolls. There's a man, who walks about the village, as Jesus, in all the traditional garb, greeting and speaking to all the visitors. He does a re-enactment of Jesus preaching to the multitudes. Then, there's a whole building with a scale model of Jerusalem, with even the smallest details included. It's amazing! If you ever go to Orlando, you'll be blessed immensely by visiting. On Saturday night, we'll go to the Arabian Nights Dinner Theater, where we'll watch a show of beautiful Arabian horses in a large arena, performing a story about the celebration of a Princess' birthday, as grandiose and elaborate as you can imagine. Of course there's a black knight who seeks to kidnap her and her love, the Prince, who rescues her. The food is excellent and after the show, the actors and the horses come to the edge of the arena, where guests can touch them and speak to the actors. Sunday morning, we plan to attend services at Faith World, the most dynamic, spirit-filled church I've ever been to. The worship service knocks my socks off. Then, we'll have a nice lunch somewhere and head back home. What a blessing this weekend will be! I've been looking forward to it for weeks now! But, it's only the beginning, lol. Every single weekend from this one to the middle of January will be filled with trips out of town and celebrations. My birthday is two weeks from today, we'll be going to the Keys and the Championship race of the season in Miami-Homestead, and we'll be going to see Joyce Meyer in Tampa, and then camping the first weekend of January. I hope my Dear One is well-rested and ready, he needs to buckle up for the ride of his life, lol. God is so good and His mercy and lovingkindness endure forever! See you on Monday BigChurch!
	7 Comments

Sarah Palin Says God Is Mocked In This Campaign	Oct 22, 2008 4:48 am Mood: Voting Sarah!, 510 Views
I love Sarah Palin! Her critics tout her lack of experience as the main reason she would be ineffective as President, but that "lack of experience" is the thing I appreciate most. I'm sick of politicians and the everyday Washington rhetoric and big government. She's like a breath of fresh air and not at all intimidated by the old fogies, comfortable with all the perks and favoritism they receive. She's for the little guy and speaks the language of simple, everyday, common Americans. I'm also impressed by her stance on the moral issues; she's against abortion and gay marriage, and not afraid to speak of her faith in God. These days, that's a rare commodity and something I look for in a candidate. Since her nomination, Sarah Palin has possibly been the most talked about Vice Presidential candidate in history. She has faced intense media scrutiny and in an exclusive interview, she tells CBN News that her faith in God has been mocked during this Presidential campaign. What she has heard plenty of, are the attacks against her -- especially her Christian faith. "Faith and God in general has been mocked through this campaign, and that breaks my heart." Newspaper editorials have taken shots at her Pentecostal upbringing. The liberal blogosphere has chimed in and yes, Saturday Night Live has taken their shots too. "People would misconstrue and spin anything that has to do with my faith or anybody else's and turn it into something to be mocked. That's very sad," she said. "I don't think that there's anything that I can do about it, so you know, I won't… whine or complain about it, but nobody is going to convince me that my foundation of faith is not good for me and for my family no matter the mocking, no matter what anybody says about it." Palin dedicated herself to the Lord as a middle-schooler complete with an Alaska lake baptism. It's an event she calls 'significant" because she realized there was something bigger than her out there. "As you're raised up out of the water it's like 'hey world, this is my confession of faith that I'm going to try to lead and live my life according to my belief that God as my Creator has good plans for all of us, and we are to seek those plans and seek the destiny that he has for all of us,"' Palin said. "I pray of course for about my family that my kids will not be adversely affected by some of the political shots of course that, that we've been taking the last couple of months. I pray for my son's safety over in Iraq fighting for us in a striker brigade in the US Army and for all of our troops," she said. "It will take God's hand of protection to be continually over our land and His wisdom, His grace, His favor I pray for that for our country." At this time, in our ever-increasing culture of evil, speaking of one's faith can be political suicide, but Sarah stands up for God, makes no bones about praying daily and seeking His will; personally, I'm proud to endorse a candidate that endorses God. For me, that's more important than experience because when you have God leading you and guiding you, that's ALL you need. You go Sarah!!!
	19 Comments

Does Life Begin At Conception? When Does It End?

Oct 21, 2008 3:09 am
Mood: Voting the Bible!, 525 Views

My Dear One and I were discussing recently the value of life, and when that value begins. Since on-demand abortion has become so widely acceptable in our society, perhaps the next extermination of life will be to get rid of people when they become useless and unproductive. If a person is terminally ill or permanently disabled, maybe burdensome to society, should we make a provision for ending their existence? Far-fetched you say? I think not!

For a society that places more value on an endangered species of animal than it does on an unborn human being, it's the natural progression of things. For all of those who support a candidate that is Pro Choice, (Obama) I ask you this-does how God feels about this have any credence? How DOES God view the value of life and conception?

"For You did form my inward parts; You did knit me together in my mother's womb . . . Your eyes saw my unformed substance, and in Your book, all the days of my life were written before ever they took shape, when as yet there was none of them."
Psalm 139:13, 16 AMP

I'm certainly no Bible scholar, but it appears to me from this scripture that God is present at our creation; He is, in fact, our Creator. Our value as human beings created in His image is conceived even before we are. Consider this:

"Before I formed you in the womb, I knew and approved of you as My chosen instrument, and before you were born, I separated you and set you apart, consecrating you; and I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."
Jeremiah 1:5 AMP

The Bible DOES teach that life begins at conception. Every culture's view of when human life begins, changes as society's values, moral standards, and knowledge about the process of embryonic development change. Prior to the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision that allowed abortion on demand, developing embryos were considered unborn persons. Now, even a fetus that could survive on its own outside its mother's womb could be aborted, under certain medical circumstances. This proves that some do not consider an unborn child to be a true human being.

As our morals continue to decay, will we, as a society, continue to devalue life? Who will be next? The terminally ill? The old, useless, and unproductive?

To all of you in favor of the 1973 legislation, I ask-how many abortions have you had? Speaking from experience, as I have had 3, there is no deeper sorrow than killing your own child. The guilt and condemnation remain for years, the emotional scars remain, even 30 years later. Rarely does a day go by, that I don't wonder what may have become of those lives I so casually ended. Even though I know that God has forgiven me, it has been difficult to forgive myself. Since then, I have discovered why God values life at conception and how damaging it is to go beyond His parameters.

"As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord, and we will vote the Bible and not our own agenda. For me, God has the final say on how I cast my ballot, "His will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. How about you? Will you vote the Bible? Or will you vote your own agenda?

17 Comments

Happy Anniversary My Dear One!	Oct 16, 2008 3:51 am Mood: Blessed beyond measure!, 686 Views
Six months ago today, marks the day I met my Love and my Life, AlanB2, right here at BigChurch. It may seem silly to some of you, to celebrate 6 months together, but we're taking this opportunity to rejoice today. Happy anniversary Baby! God is so good! He gave us both this wonderful gift of love, and for that I praise Him and thank Him! Hallelujah! He DOES give us the desires of our hearts, and more, as we submit ourselves to Him. But, we must spend some time in the wilderness before receiving the manifestation of answered prayer. Because it's in that wilderness that we both had the chance to grow into the people God created us to be. It's in that wilderness that we drew close to Him and realized our dependence on Him. It's in that wilderness that our healing took place and our faith had the chance to grow. Having been single for 10 years, I was almost to the point where I was contemplating the possibility that perhaps I'd stay that way. But my Gracious and Loving Father had other plans, plans for our good and for our future. So, take heart my brothers and sisters, your day is coming too! He is NO respecter of persons. Don't forsake this time God is giving you to heal and mature, because that is necessary preparation for the spouse you are praying for. "To God, Who is able to do exceedingly and abundantly, above and beyond, ALL that we could ever dare to hope, ask, or think, according to His Spirit that is within us." Ephesians 3:20 That's my fav scripture because that's ALWAYS how God has operated in my life. He gives me the answers (eventually) that are way better than I could have hoped for. The thing that amazes me most is how He gave me qualities in a man, that I didn't even know I longed for; I'd never experienced them before, so how could I know that I desired them? Qualities including someone who values and cherishes me, someone who constantly makes me laugh and fills me with joy, and someone who, so unselfishly, puts my needs before his own. He gave me a man who loves Jesus as much as I do and we share that love together, in praying, reading the Word, and living our lives with Him at front and center. I'm just in awe each day, at how deeply I am loved, as he takes great pleasure in pleasing me and keeping the smile on my face. When things get difficult, he is right there, beside me, to encourage me and reassure me. He is my prayer covering and does things regularly to protect me and keep me safe. He cooks for me and delights in helping me with household chores. He asks me to keep a "Honey-Do" list of things to fix up around the house, and shares in my dreams and goals for the future. Ladies, am I correct in asking, "what more could a woman ask for?" I thank you today Lord, for the gift of such a wonderful man! I give you all the praise and glory for everything good in our lives, it ALL comes from you. Please continue to bless our union and give us the grace to stand strong in the many obstacles we will face. And, bless every member here at BigChurch with the kind of love You've given Alan and I, in the precious Name of Jesus I pray, Amen and Amen! Happy anniversary to my Love and my Life! I'm looking forward to what this day holds for us and the many more anniversaries we will celebrate together.
	17 Comments

Let's ALL Quit This Place And Go Somewhere Else!!!	Oct 9, 2008 1:01 pm Mood: Frustrated!!!!!, 920 Views
Hey everybody! Since BigChurch is so lackadaisical about making their customers happy, let's ALL find a new place to go! The only reason I pay to be here is to blog and read and comment on all of my friend's posts. If I can't do that, I'm outta here! I don't care about senior friendfinders or gay friendfinders or amigo friendfinders, I just want to find the friends I've already made. Anyone got any suggestions?
	26 Comments

I Miss ALL Of You And Covet Your Prayers!	Oct 8, 2008 6:50 am Mood: Missing you!, 820 Views
Hi BigChurch!!! I have so missed interacting with all of you the last couple of weeks and reading your posts and commenting. This place and each of you have become cherished members of my family in the last 1 1/2 years. As of today, I have 7 days until meeting the deadline for all the tax extensions filed on April 15. Those who procrastinate on April 15, also procrastinate October 15, and of the 20 or so tax returns left to get done, half have not even brought me their paperwork yet. To make matters more stressful, my ministry's annual Appreciation Banquet is being held this Saturday night for approximately 250 people. As a Director, I am responsible for preparing food, helping in the kitchen, typing up almost 100 appreciation certificates, printing out 300 programs, and presenting the opening speech and prayer. I keep telling myself that I can do ALL things, through Christ Who strengthens me, but am feeling a bit overwhelmed at the moment. For those who feel inclined, I covet your prayers and look forward to being done with all my deadlines, including quarterly reports due by October 31st, so that I can get back to blogging and getting to know all of you newbies. (Wow, there's so many!) Until then, know that I am praying for each of you and believing for God's perfect Will in every situation. May He bless you richly and abundantly! Hallelujah! Praising His Holy Name! See you soon!
	9 Comments

Should Christians Invest In The Stock Market?

Oct 5, 2008 4:01 am
Mood: Cautious, 892 Views

Having dealt with other people's money for 22 years in my profession, I've seen more money lost than won, through investing in the stock market. I've seen lives destroyed and life savings lost from making unwise choices. Since the market is controlled by so many variables, seemingly out of one's individual control, can it ever really be a wise choice for investing your money?

There are those who oppose investment in the stock market, saying that buying stocks is the equivalent of gambling. The argument goes that since stocks are bought in the hope (not guarantee) that they will increase in value, that it is a form of gambling. There are differences, however, between gambling at a casino or buying lottery tickets, and buying stock. Gamblers risk money, which they know they will probably lose, in the hopes of making money quickly. Wise investors buy partial ownership in a company in the hopes of making money over time, which can be a sound way to plan for the future.

The difference really comes down to intent. Some types of investing, such as day-trading, are very much like gambling. Anything that requires "luck" above wise decision-making and long-term planning should be avoided. Most long-term investments return a profit over time, making them much more like buying bonds or certificates of deposit than rolling dice in a casino. There are many who use investments to secure retirement, education for their children, and inheritance for their families.

The Bible offers quite a few examples of growing wealth through legitimate means. Some are similar to investing—spending money now to make money later. God’s intentions for how we should manage our wealth are found in many scriptures. The following are a few examples.

Proverbs 28:20 says "a faithful man will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished." This speaks against the "get-rich-quick" mentality. Looking at investment as a long-term plan for the future is good planning, but trying to make a fortune overnight is not.

Second Corinthians 9:6 says "Remember this: whoever sows sparingly will reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will reap generously." The context is actually speaking about investing in our relationship with God, but it demonstrates how one must often sacrifice now to gain in the future. Similarly, Proverbs 3:9-10 says "Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine."

Whether or not you decide to invest is a personal decision, which I hope is done with a well-thought out plan and a great deal of research. Many of my clients retirement plans have devalued because it has been invested in the stock market. Proceed with caution, pray about where you invest and rely on the Holy Spirit's guidance before risking your money. In this volatile market, buyer beware!

5 Comments

Who Do YOU Think YOU Are?	Oct 2, 2008 3:37 am Mood: I'm approved!, 989 Views
Each one of us is a rare, one-of-a-kind person. After creating each of us, God threw away the mold. We each have a God-given destiny to fulfill-a unique call, that ONLY we can carry out. But, in order to reach our full potential and truly succeed in life, we must learn to accept ourselves for WHO we are. Now, I'm not talking about self-esteem here, I'm talking about identity. Too often, we see ourselves through our past performances and what we DO. But, through knowledge in the Word, I learned that my identity is not at all what I DO, rather it's found in what Jesus DID. When I first started walking with the Lord, I was very negative. So many bad things had happened to me that it had become easier to expect and anticipate the next bad thing to happen, because, at least when it did, (and it usually did) I was prepared for it. From childhood, I had been conditioned to believe that the better I behaved, the more love and acceptance I would receive. My identity was performance-oriented. So, when I tried to relate to God, I applied the same principle. The problem with that was that I was never able to act right all of the time, I couldn't be GOOD enough to get into God's good graces. I was weary, worn out, and hopeless, and that's exactly where Satan wanted me to be. Then, through God's wonderful love, I read a scripture in the Bible that caused me to reconsider the platform I had built my identity on. "For our sake, He made Christ (virtually) to be sin, Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him, we might become...the righteousness of God, what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, by His goodness." 2 Corinthians 5:21 Amplified Wow!! That shook the foundation upon which my identity was based. When God sees me, He sees the righteousness of Christ, not everything I've done wrong. How could that be? I was damaged and flawed, even though my heart wanted to do the right things, I had a flesh, and was unable to do the things I wanted to do. It must be a misprint, lol. How could God love and approve of this sinner? This was very difficult for me to accept, in my intellectual mind. (I told you I was negative.) The next day, again, in His wonderful love, God brought me to another scripture. "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you and approved of you." Jeremiah 1:5 Amplified Wow again! Wow! Wow! He approved of me, even in spite of all the wrong things I would ever do. And, if He is the measuring stick I use to base my opinions, then I had no right to disapprove of myself. I realized that if I continued to accept the condemning thoughts of the enemy, I could never walk in the confidence of Christ. You cannot walk in confidence and condemnation at the same time. Which would I choose? Which will you choose? When Satan brings thoughts of condemnation to you, this is what you should say, out loud: There is therefore now, no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. I am the apple of God's eye and He loves me. He has forgiven my sins and remembers them no more. Take that devil! God doesn't want us to have our identity in our physical appearance, talents, education, job, children, friends, religion, or anything else. He doesn't want our identity to be tied up in the trials that we go through, or the circumstances we live in. He wants us to find our personal identity in Christ alone. He paid a high price for us to belong to Him, and when God sees us, He sees the righteousness that Jesus died for us to have. Apart from Him, we can do nothing and we are nothing! Today, make the decision to get your mind and your mouth in line with the Word. Start proclaiming the positive scriptures over your life, and you'll discover that His grace to succeed is all you need, once you've determined who you are. So, who do you think you are?
	8 Comments

Got Unanswered Prayers???	Oct 1, 2008 2:50 am Mood: Believing for the answers, 947 Views
Most people know that prayer should be part of a Christian's life, but sometimes we wonder why our prayers do not seem to be answered. What does the Bible say? In 1 John 5:14, God promises: "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us." It is possible to be confident that God hears our prayer. But there is a condition - an "if." He hears us "if we ask according to His will." When I was first saved, in my ignorance of the things of God, I became resentful that every promise in the Bible comes with certain conditions, certain strings attached, there always seems to be an "if". What I have come to learn is that God gave us an "Owners Manual". When we buy a new car, it comes with an "Owners Manual". If you want that car to operate the way it was intended, when it was made, you have to follow the guidelines laid out in the manual. Our lives are the same way, if we are to operate the way God intended, when He created us, we have to follow the instructions. His Word is our "Instruction Book" for living. In it, can be found the answers to every question, circumstance, and situation. How can we have confidence in receiving answers to our prayers, if we don't know what His will is? How can we know what His will is, if we don't get out the "Instruction Book" and find out? There are some things God wills for us to have, but we will not receive them unless we ask. "You have not, because you ask not". There are other things we may think we need, but God knows best what we REALLY need. Our problem is we often think God has not answered our prayers, when He really has given what we needed, but we do not recognize or appreciate it. Too often we attempt to force our will on God and insist that He answer according to our will, not according to His will! Again, James 5:16 says: "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." And 1 John 3:22 says: "Whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight." Yes, God does answer prayer. Prayer "avails much." We will receive what we prayer for. But this promise is only for the righteous, who keep God's commands and do what pleases Him. Here again are conditions God has placed on our prayers. IF we have never been willing to submit to God and become His children, we can be sure that He will not answer when we call. Proverbs 28:9 says: "One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination." This also includes children of God who go back to living to please themselves instead of pleasing God. Are there sins in your life that you are unwilling to repent of? Don't expect God to serve you, when you refuse to serve God! Are your prayers "according to your will", and NOT "according to HIS will"? Before you pray, find scriptures that promise the thing you are praying for, and pray those scriptures back to God, because "His Word will not return to Him void." Is there unforgiveness in your heart towards another? This is another condition for answered prayer. If you have ought against any, repent, and forgive that person, then come back to pray, with confidence, believing that your prayers be answered. Do you believe you have received, when you pray? This is another instruction for answered prayer. What does your confession have to say about what you're believing for? Are you speaking the facts or circumstances, or are you speaking the Truth? There is a difference. If you will apply these basic principles to your prayer life, you will begin to see more fruit. If you have met all of the conditions and still have no answer, consider that the answer is there, perhaps you just don't recognize it, or maybe it isn't the answer you are looking for. Finally, if all conditions are met, and no answer has come, WAIT. We all dislike that part, we want it NOW. But God's timing is perfect. Don't step out in front of God and force things to happen on your own, or you might end up with an Ishmael. Trust God, He IS faithful, His promises ARE true, but you have to follow all the instructions.
	16 Comments

Body Parts.......WOW! I Didn't Know!	Sep 30, 2008 3:40 am 942 Views
A friend sent me this email about body parts, wow, I didn't know. You really ought to know this. The human body is a machine that is full of wonder. This collection of human body facts will leave you wondering why in the heck we were designed the way we were, only God knows for sure. -Scientists say the higher your I. Q., the more you dream. -The largest cell in the human body is the female egg and the smallest is the male sperm. -You use 200 muscles to take one step. -The average woman is 5 inches shorter than the average man. -Your big toes have two bones each while the rest have three. -A pair of human feet contains 250,000 sweat glands. (Why?) -A full bladder is roughly the size of a soft ball. (Now I know why I can pee a quart) -The acid in your stomach is strong enough to dissolve razor blades. (So, be careful in swallowing them) -The human brain cell can hold 5 times as much information as the Encyclopedia Britannica. (So Ms P, you're OK) -It takes the food seven seconds to get from your mouth to your stomach. -The average human dream lasts 2-3 seconds. -Men without hair on their chests are more likely to get cirrhosis of the liver than men with hair. -At the moment of conception, you spent about half an hour as a single cell. -There is about one trillion bacteria on each of your feet, which may result in an affliction nicknamed 'foot & toe-scum'. -Your body gives off enough heat in 30 minutes to bring half a gallon of water to a boil. -The enamel in your teeth is the hardest substance in your body. -Your teeth start growing 6 months before you are born. -When you are looking at someone you love, your pupils dilate, and they do the same when you are looking at someone you hate. (How do you tell if you're loving or hating?) -Your thumb is the same length of your nose. At this very moment I know full well you are putting this last fact to the test... now remove your thumb from your nose and tell the friends you think might be interested in comparing their thumbs to their noses as well. Just some interesting facts I thought you should know, why? I don't know.
	12 Comments

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Most Recent Comments by Others

Post	Poster	Post Date
We've Set The Date And You're All Invited!	pelican1	Nov 21 2:44 pm
Hi BigChurch!!! We're Back!!!	racefan4	Nov 21 3:47 am
New Members at BigChurch, WATCH OUT!!!	racefan4	Nov 21 1:54 am
Significance Of The Jewish Prayer Shawl	sonia1964	Nov 13 12:24 am
Got Encouragement??? Need Some???	Verybusybee	Nov 12 2:15 pm
Painfully Remembering	racefan4	Nov 12 6:09 am
Please Pray For My Dear One!	racefan4	Nov 10 3:26 am
Why All The Fuss Over Obama???	loki2007	Nov 9 2:06 am
How Would YOU Vote On This Issue???	Indescribeable	Nov 4 9:43 pm
The Holyland Experience	looking4aknight	Nov 3 7:00 pm
Setting Your Clocks Back On Sunday!!!	neverold	Nov 1 11:24 pm