How do I know what God's Will is in my life????

In our small group we are beginning a new study called, "Living God's Will." If you are like most of us in the group, you have to ask yourself, "How do I know what God's will is?" How do I know what I am doing is indeed God's Will???? If I pray for guidance....how do I know what I decide to do is truly God's will in this? Do I wait for God's guidance or do I just go ahead and do what I feel is the right thing to do? Do I even ask for God's guidance and wisdom in ALL things....or do I just handle it myself? Do I trust MY OWN decisions more than I do God's.....if not, why am I not praying about ALL things? These are just a few of the questions we faced in the first week of this workbook. Anita and I as facilitators of this group feel inadequate to facilitate such a study! But such is the dynamics of a small group. We do not pretend to have all the answers! We just trust God to use us to guide this group in this study and allow God to fill us with more faith and trust as we yield to his will. So.....how do we even BEGIN to submit to God's will in our lives? First of all we need to consciously stop doing our will over God's and yield to HIS will.....not OURS! Our surrender to God affects our ability to hear him. We can then discern which options are from God and which are not. Two characteristics that keep us from doing this so much of the time is pride and self-centeredness, however. Pride constantly sets limitations on what God's will can do! Self-centeredness is closely related to pride. We will NEVER find God's will in our lives until we settle in our hearts that we WANT to know his will. If we really want to HEAR God we must choose that HIS way is TRULY what we want. Secondly, we must trust God to be who he says he is and have faith that he wants only good for us. Bottom line is we will never find God on the road to OURS!!!!! So tonight my prayer is that we all can grow to yield to God and TRUST that HE knows what is good for me.....MUCH more than I do!!!

Please Pray For Our Honduran Friends!!!

By JOSé DE CORDOBA
Honduran President Manuel Zelaya's push to rewrite the constitution, and pave the way for his potential re-election, has plunged one of Latin America's poorest countries into a potentially violent political crisis.

A day after Mr. Zelaya fired the head of the country's armed forces, hundreds of troops on Thursday deployed around the Congress, presidential palace and airport in Tegucigalpa, the country's capital. It wasn't clear whether the troops were responding to orders from Mr. Zelaya, or Honduras' other civilian and military powers, all of which oppose the president.

View Full Image

Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

Honduras's president dismissed military chief General Romeo Vasquez, center, who refused to distribute ballots aimed at rewriting the constitution.
Mr. Zelaya, a populist and close ally of Venezuela's Hugo Chávez and Cuba's retired dictator Fidel Castro, wants to hold a referendum on Sunday aimed at allowing voters in the country's November presidential election to also vote on rewriting the constitution. Mr. Zelaya says the current constitution favors the country's elites.

The country's Supreme Court, top electoral body, and human-rights ombudsman have all declared the planned referendum illegal. Many in the country fear the president primarily wants to change the constitution to end its ban on re-election, and use that to stay in power when his term ends in January.

Other leftist Latin American leaders like Venezuela's Mr. Chávez, Ecuador's Rafael Correa and Bolivia's Evo Morales have used referendums for a similar purpose. Latin America has a long history of leaders of all political stripes trying to stay in power. Colombia's right-wing President Álvaro Uribe is trying to change the constitution to allow him a third term.

The current crisis was sparked on Wednesday when the armed forces apparently told the president that they wouldn't distribute the ballots for Sunday's vote, a role the army traditionally plays, because of the court's ruling. Mr. Zelaya responded by firing armed-forces chief Gen. Romeo Vásquez. The defense minister and heads of the navy and air force resigned later in the day.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court ruled that Gen. Vásquez be reinstated, ramping up its conflict with the president. Mr. Zelaya refused and called the ruling "an embarrassment for Hondurans." Meanwhile, Attorney General Luis Alberto Rubí asked Congress to oust Mr. Zelaya.

Mr. Zelaya has few supporters among the country's politicians, but is popular among the poor for his ramped-up social spending. His own Liberal Party has already chosen another candidate for the November election and asked the president to step aside.

"Zelaya has provoked this institutional crisis," said Michael Shifter, a Latin America analyst at Washington's Inter-American Dialogue. "He seems to have a very strong appetite for power. He's trying to be the victim, but he won't get a lot of sympathy by defying the country's institutions."

On Thursday, Honduras's top electoral tribunal ordered authorities to pick up all the ballots and other electoral material, which was being held by the country's air force.

In response, Mr. Zelaya called his supporters on the streets and marched them over to the base to try to claim the voting materials.

"No one is going to stop Sunday's referendum," he told a cheering crowd. He called on the army to obey his orders. "If an army rebels against a president, then we are back to the era of the cavemen, back to the darkest chapters in Honduran history." Air force officers handed over the material without incident, according to local press reports.

HOME IN OHIO :)

THESE ARE SOME PICTURES OF THE KIDS AND GRANDKIDS TAKEN THIS PAST WEEK. ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE THEM HOME AND WATCH THE LITTLE ONES PLAY TOGETHER AND RECONNECT. SOMETHING THEY GET TO DO SO RARELY. IN THE FIRST PICTURE KAITLYN AND BRENNEN ARE ASLEEP IN THE TENT IN OUR BASEMENT....TO HOT OUTSIDE TO CAMP OUT...SO WE BROUHGT IT IN. BRENNEN AT ONE POINT GOT ZIPPED UP IN IT. :) I GUESS THE TENT BOUNCED AROUND THE BASEMENT THERE FOR A FEW MINUTES AS HE TRIED TO ESCAPE! :) THEN THERE IS THE TRACTOR RIDE THAT ALL LOVE. THAT WAS UNTIL THEIR LAST ONE WHEN JASON DUMPED THEM INTO SOME DOG POOP! :) ONLY MY KIDS! LOL :) NO INJURIES....JUST SOME CLEANING UP TO DO! :) THEN THERE IS THE ONE OF THEM IN THEIR FAVORITE CHAIR IN OUR SITTING ROOM....ALL SEEM TO FIT VERY WELL. :) LIFE WITH ALL OF THEM HERE IS ALWAYS A BIT HECTIC AND WILD....BUT GOD HAS BLESSED ME WITH SOME WONDERFUL KIDS AND GRANDKIDS. THANK YOU KIDS FOR SHARING THEM WITH ME! LOVE YOU ALL! MOMMA! :)

WHAT DO YOU DO WITH STRESS????

A lecturer when explaining stress management to an audience,
Raised a glass of water and asked
'How heavy is this glass of water?'

Answers called out ranged from 1oz to 25ozs.

The lecturer replied, 'The absolute weight doesn't matter.
It depends on how long you try to hold it.
If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem.
If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm.
If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.
In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.'

He continued,
'And that's the way it is with stress management..
If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later,
As the burden becomes increasingly heavy,
We won't be able to carry on. '

'As with the glass of water,
You have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again.
When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden.'
'So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow.

Whatever burdens you're carrying now,
Let them down for a moment if you can.'
So, my friend, Put down anything that may be a burden to you right now. Don't pick it up again until after you've rested a while.

WHY DO WE TEACH???

June 14, 2009
Fathers: Teach Your Children God's Word
by Rick Warren
"I have given them Your word" (John 17:14 NIV).


You can become a spiritual leader to your children by developing the characteristics that were evident in Jesus as He taught His disciples for three years.

He taught them that the Word of God is our foundation. It's what we build our lives on and it's what our children should build their lives on. God's Word is the truth, and Jesus said, "You will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free" (John 8:32 TEV).

I want my kids to be free; I don't want them bound up by guilt. I don't want them bound up by worry. I don't want my kids messed up by resentment. I don't want them to be pressured by the expectations of others.

There's only one way to help your kids be free: teach them the Truth that will set them free. Teach them that, when you build your life on God's Word, then you live a life of genuine freedom. A life built on God's Truth is filled with happiness, joy, passion, and purpose. You will spare your kids an awful lot of headaches and heartaches and heartbreaks if you teach them to rely on God's Word as the sole authority for their lives.

God expects you to be the primary teacher of His word and that means you have to know God's Word yourself! Like many people, you may need to catch up by getting into a Bible study. Then, teach your children to study the Bible for themselves.

Jesus said, "I gave them the message that You gave Me, and they received it; they know that it is true that I came from You, and they believe that You sent Me" (John 17:8 TEV).

WHAT KIND OF LEADER AM I??

June 13, 2009
Fathers: Help Your Children Know God
by Rick Warren
"I showed what You are like to those You gave Me from the world. They belonged to You, and You gave them to Me" (John 17:6 NCV).


The world is full of sons and daughters who desperately need a father who is a spiritual leader. Is it possible your kids are among them? You can become a spiritual leader to your children by developing the characteristics that we see in Jesus as He taught His disciples for three years.

Even if you are not a father, or a mother, you will be able to lead others into the heart of God by following the example of Jesus.

First, Jesus helped the disciples to know God.

Dads, this is your number one responsibility as a father. You need to help your children get to know God because eternity hangs in the balance: life or death, heaven or hell. It is your job to help make sure your kids are introduced to God.

Look at what Jesus says: "They belonged to you." He's acknowledging that the disciples belonged to God; and reminding us that we don't own our kids. They belong to God. He loans them to us for a period of time in which He wants you to parent them. Parenting, like all forms of leadership, is really about stewardship. You learn to say, "God, I am the steward of these children, whom You put into my care, and I will do what You need me to do to help them achieve their purpose."

Notice Jesus then says, "I showed what You were like to those You gave Me." Jesus doesn't say, "I preached. I sermonized. I pontificated. I lectured so the disciples would know you." He says, "I showed." He led by example. This is one of the most sobering truths about being a parent. For right or wrong, for good or bad, whether you like it or not, your children's idea of God is going to be largely determined by the kind of father you are. You may not like that. I may not like that, but it's the truth.

If you are an impatient and demanding father, they're going to think God is impatient and demanding. If you are distant and detached and never have time for your kids, they're going to think God is distant and detached from them. If you are inconsistent and unreliable, if you break your promises, they're going to think their heavenly Father is inconsistent and unreliable and breaks His promises.

What is God really like?

• God is caring.
• God is close and aware of the details.
• God is consistent.
• God is competent.

If my kids are going to grow up knowing God is caring, close, consistent, and competent, then I must be caring, close, consistent, and competent. I must care about my kids enough to show them what God is like and show how they can become like Christ.

SHHHHHH! I NEED TO LISTEN!!!!! :)

OUR SMALL GROUP IS PREPARING TO BEGIN A NEW WORKBOOK CALLED "KNOWING GOD'S WILL." I READ THIS BY RICK WARREN AND THOUGHT IT WAS APPROPRIATE AS WE BEGIN THIS STUDY. ONE THING I MUST DO IF I WANT TO DO GOD'S WILL IS LEARN TO LISTEN TO HIM DAILY!! June 1, 2009
Tell God You Love Him by Listening to Him
by Rick Warren
"I am the Good Shepherd; I know My own sheep, and they know Me . . . They will listen to My voice" (John 10:14, 16 NLT).


One way to worship God is to listen to Him.

Listening is one of the greatest gifts you can give to somebody. When you listen to someone, you're saying, "You matter to me." When I listen to my children, when I listen to my wife, when I listen to anyone, I'm saying, "I value what you have to say. I value your opinion. You're important to me." When I don't listen to somebody, I'm basically saying, "You don't matter to me. You're not important to me. I don't value what you have to say."

The same is true with God. Every time you listen to God, you're saying, "God, you matter to me. I value what you have to say." Listening is the most misunderstood and overlooked part of prayer. Most of us think that prayer is just talking to God. That's only fifty percent of prayer. The other fifty percent of prayer is getting quiet and letting God speak to us.

Usually we're in too much of a hurry to do this. What we do is say, "Hi, God, it's me. I've got ten things I need from You. Thank you. Over and out. Goodbye." We don't wait and listen. We don't say, "God, do You have a few things to say to me?"

Did you know that the Bible says hearing God's voice is a test of whether you're a true believer—whether you're in God's family—whether you're headed for heaven or not? In John 10, Jesus essentially says, "I am the Good Shepherd; I know My own sheep, they know Me, and they listen to My voice."

How often do you pause to listen to God each day? Do you pause and say, "God, is there anything You want to say about this?" When you're trying to make a decision, or you're getting ready to go to an event, or you're about to talk to somebody about something important, do you pause and say, "God, is there anything You want to say about this?"

Evaluate yourself on that. God wants you to hear Him, and by listening, you worship Him.

What Kind Of Message Am I Sending To Others???

June 7, 2009
God Wants to Give You a Satisfying Life
by Rick Warren
"A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of" (John 10:10 MSG).


Some people fear worshiping God because they wrongly think that means they have to become judgmental and legalistic. Nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus came to give us a rich and satisfying life (see John 10:10 NLT).

It is Satan who wants to "steal and kill and destroy" your freedom and your joy (John 10:10 MSG).

Often well-meaning and misguided people can cause us to avoid God because of their fanaticism. Here are the types of religious fanatics I've observed over the years:

Freddy the Pharisee: Rigid, narrow-minded, and legalistic, he has a rule for everything. His favorite word is "don't." And it's only natural for some people to fear they may become just like that if they become a Christian. But Jesus called people like Freddy the Pharisee "blind guides," saying, "You strain your water so you won't accidentally swallow a gnat, but you swallow a camel!" (Matthew 23:24 NLT).

Susie Self-Righteous: Holier-than-thou attitude and judgmental of others, her favorite phrase is "Thank God, I'm not like you!" Am I going to become like that if I become a Christian? If I get to know God? Yet, Jesus told the story of two men praying; one self-righteous and one humbled by his failures: "I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted" (Luke 18:14 NLT).

Billy Bible-Thumper: He's an obnoxious and overzealous crusader. His favorite phrase is "Turn or burn!" Yet, God's plan for bringing us home to Him is full of love, grace, and sacrifice: "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him" (John 3:16-17 NIV).

Pauline Praise-eluia: She can't speak without religious clichés. Everything is a miracle or the Devil did it. She's put her brain on the shelf. But God doesn't want you to stop thinking when you become a Christian; in fact, He wants to give you the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16 NIV).

These are stereotypes, but they represent people who have abandoned their relationship with God to instead embrace a religion. Jesus says, "I have come that you might have life [not religion] and have it to the fullest!" (John 10:10).

45 Lessons Aboout Life!

>
> Written
> By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer,
> Cleveland , Ohio

"To celebrate
> growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me...
> It is the most-requested column I've ever
> written. My odometer rolled
> over to 90 in August, so here is the column once
> more:
> 1. Life isn't
> fair, but it's still good.
>
> 2. When in doubt,
> just take the next small step.
>
> 3. Life is too
> short to waste time hating anyone...
>
> 4. Your job
> won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends
> and parents will. Stay in touch.
>
> 5. Pay off your
> credit cards every month.
>
> 6. You don't
> have to win every argument. Agree to
> disagree.
>
> 7. Cry with
> someone. It's more healing than crying
> alone.
>
> 8. It's OK to
> get angry with God. He can take it.
>
> 9. Save for
> retirement starting with your first pay
> check.
>
> 10. When it comes
> to chocolate, resistance
> is futile.
>
> 11. Make peace
> with your past so it won't screw up the
> present.
>
> 12. It's OK to
> let your children see you cry.
>
> 13.. Don't
> compare your life to others. You
> have no idea what their journey is all
> about.
>
> 14. If a
> relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in
> it.
>
> 15. Everything can
> change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God
> never blinks.
>
> 16. Take a deep
> breath. It calms the mind..
>
> 17. Get rid of
> anything that isn't useful, beautiful or
> joyful.
>
> 18. Whatever
> doesn't kill you really does make you
> stronger.
>
> 19. It's never
> too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up
> to you and no one else.
>
> 20. When it comes
> to going after what you love in life, don't take no for
> an answer.
>
> 21. Burn the
> candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie.
> Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is
> special.
>
> 22. Over prepare,
> then go with the flow.
>
> 23. Be eccentric
> now. Don't wait for old age to wear
> purple.
>
> 24. The most
> important sex organ is the brain.
>
> 25.. No one is in
> charge of your happiness but you.
>
> 26. Frame every
> so-called disaster with these words ’In five years, will
> this matter?'
>
> < font size="2"
> face="Arial">27. Always choose
> life.
>
> 28. Forgive
> everyone everything.
>
> 29. What other
> people think of you is none of your
> business.
>
> 30. Time heals
> almost everything. Give time time.
>
> 31. However good
> or bad a situation is, it will change.
>
> 32. Don't take
> yourself so seriously. No one else does.
>
> 33. Believe in
> miracles.
>
> 34. God loves you
> because of who God is, not because of anything you did or
> didn't do.
>
> 35. Don't
> audit life. Show up and make the most of it
> now.
>
> 36. Growing old
> beats the alternative -- dying young.
>
> 37. Your children
> get only one childhood.
>
> 38.
> All that truly matters in the end is that you
> loved.
>
> 39. Get outside
> every day. Miracles are waiting
> everywhere.
>
> 40. If we all
> threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s,
> we’d grab ours back.
>
> 41. Envy is a
> waste of time. You already have all you
> need.
>
> 42. The best is
> yet to come.
>
> 43. No matter how
> you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
>
> 44.
> Yield.
>
> 45. Life isn't
> tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.