Friday Five for 9/14/12

Today I have for you, five little quote pictures that I found on Pinterest this week. Enjoy!




1. Don't we all just get a little too caught up in "stuff"?







2. LOVE this verse...







3. Always.





4. Move your feet!





5. A reminder for all the wives and mothers...





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Friday Five for 8/31/12

Today's Friday Five is from Jennifer! Hooray!

A few weeks ago we celebrated Hannah’s first birthday. My, how time flies. I’ve learned a lot in the past year. I thought I would share a few of those things here for today’s Friday Five.

1. A brownie and a can of Slim-Fast is an appropriate meal. I don’t do that much anymore, but in the first few weeks of having Hannah I was lucky to get to eat at all. Generally whatever was easily accessible was on the menu.

2. It’s not only acceptable, but expected to talk about poop. Seriously, the inspection and discussion of the poop was a surprise to me. Who knew??

3. I now understand why people purchase larger vehicles. I’ll be honest, before Hannah, I really didn’t “get it” when I saw others rush out to buy a mini-van when the first child arrived. How much room can one baby need? Then, I put the car seat, diaper bag and stroller in my CRV and thought, “I need a bigger car.”

4. Sleep is precious. Thankfully our sweet girl began sleeping through the night at twelve weeks old. Just in time for me to go back to work. Those first twelve weeks were rough, though. I still miss those “pre-Hannah” Saturdays when I could sleep until 9:00am if I wanted. However, I wouldn’t trade those days for the sweet sound of my girl waking up around 6:30 every morning.

5. My heart is overflowing. I think I love her more with every passing day. She has brought joy to my life that I didn’t even know I was missing.

As we go into year two with Hannah, I look forward to the life lessons we will learn and the joys, and yes, even the heartaches we will experience on this journey.

Have a great weekend!


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Friday Five for 8/24/12

This week has been a stressful one for me for a lot of reasons. I hope it hasn't been one for you, but if it has, I thought I'd share...

Five Scriptures for a Peaceful Mind

1. John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

2. Romans 16:20
The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

3. Psalms 55:22
Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.

4. James 1:2-4
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

5. Matthew 11:28-30
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”





- by Erica
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Friday Five for 8/17/12

Today's Friday Five is from Amy! Yay, Amy!

Five simple things to do or say to someone today to make their day:

1) SMILE! Give them a big ole heart felt smile and say hello!!

2) HUG! Give someone a hug today! You never know, that hug may mean the difference between a good and bad day.

3) Say "I'm thinking of you and praying for you." You can give no one a better gift than to bring their name to God.

4) Say "I love you because __________" and fill in the blank with something appropriate for that person.

5) Give someone a compliment. Something simple as "I like your shirt" to "You are my hero". A sincere compliment can make a gloomy day much brighter.


- by Amy
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Friday Five for 8/10/12

This week I began teaching the 3rd - 5th grade Class on Wednesday nights. They are so much fun! I have decided to pull several resources together and create my own curriculum focusing on the Fruit of the Spirit. We will spend a month on each one, taking us through most of school year. We will also have a service project each month and I thought I'd share my plans for the first five months so that, if you want, you can put some of them to work with your own family.

Fruit if the Spirit Service Projects, August - December

1. August - "Love"
We'll be talking about different kinds of love: God's love for us, our love for Him and then finishing my showing our love for others. We plan to bake cookies together and then invite the congregation to stay after our Wednesday night service for cookies and milk.

2. September - "Joy"
To spread the joy of God, we are going to spend a Sunday afternoon singing for the residents of a local nursing home.

3. October - "Peace"
This was the toughest one for me to find a project that matched. I have finally decided that we will put together care packages for deployed soldiers who put their lives in harm's way so that we can have peace and freedom.

4. November - "Patience"
To practice patience, I am going to teach the kids to crochet scarves which will then be donated to the homeless.

5. December - "Kindness"
I plan to have our class show kindness by helping them to prepare meals which we will then deliver to some of the sick of our congregation.

And here's a bonus for you, every Wednesday night, my students have the assignment that, after class, they must hug two members of our congregation who are not related to them. You should have seen the smiling faces with all those hugs going around the other night! It was wonderful!


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Friday Five for 8/3/12

Today is my birthday! It is hard to believe that I'm actually 34 years old. Inside I often still feel like a kid. I'm glad I'm not though. I wouldn't want to live through those teenage years again, would you? That was a really tough time for me and I wasn't exactly sticking to the straight and narrow. There are so many things I know now that I wish my 13 year old self had known, or at least known better. In that vein, I thought today's Friday Five should be

Five Scriptures for Children to Memorize

1. John 3:16
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

2. Acts 22:16
And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

3. Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

4. Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

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


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Friday Five for 7/27/12

This week marked my fifteenth wedding anniversary. Because of that, I've been thing a lot about what I can do to help my husband, so, today I have for you

Five Ways to Pray for Your Husband

1. Pray for his relationship with God.

2. Pray for his ability to be the head of your house.

3. Pray for his relationships with your children.

4. Pray for his success at work.

5. Pray for his continued love for you -- and yours for him.


- by Erica
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Friday Five for 7/20/12

Considering that I've been under the influence of heavy medication for a good part of this week and that it's after 10pm on Friday, today's Five is going to be different. Today, I have Five questions for you. If you can, please take a couple of minutes to answer them, it would mean a lot to me. You can answer in the comments or you can email us, you can be anonymous or not - it's up to you!

1. What would you like to see more of here at Far Above Rubies?
2. What should we not change?
3. What is your favorite Scripture?
4. Are you married? Have children?
5. What do you think is the most pressing issue for Christian wives and mothers today?

So, there it is. Short and sweet and, hopefully, not too difficult.

Also, let me take a minute to thank all of you who wrote me that you are praying with me. It was a huge source of strength for me this week and I hope it helps to know that I am also praying with you.


- by Erica
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Broken Shelves and Broken Spirits Can Be Repaired!

On a recent laundry day, I was placing clean rags on a wire shelf, in the laundry room. Suddenly, I heard the sound of ripping dry wall. Oh yes. The entire seven foot shelf, and its contents, suddenly landed on the floor! The room was littered with muddy shoes, cleaning supplies, a dirty rag basket, and a clean rag bin. As the dust literally settled, I realized that the shelf itself hadn’t broken. The supports had simply ripped out of the wall. I shouldn’t have been surprised…this shelf had required several small repairs in the past. However, the shelf had never actually crash landed, until this very busy day! Phil decided to step it up a notch with this repair, attaching the supports directly to wooden studs in the wall. The original intent for use of the shelf, had been for it to hold a few dirty shoes as we came into the house. As time went by, and we found more uses, we had not strengthened the supports as weight was added. That mistake took its toll! After Phil did a stellar repair, my job was to fill in the old holes, and clean up the debris.

As I was on the floor, looking at the mess, I started laughing out loud, and found that I was actually pleased that the shelf had come down! I had a chance to see behind all the junk we stored there, and realized there were several repairs needed, that had been neglected through the years. I found unfilled holes, a crack in the baseboard, dust on the shelf, dirt on the wall, and a great need for paint, due to scuff marks from the shoes. There were old dry wall anchors that needed to be removed as well. Since we had recently discussed, in class at church, how our faith holds up to stress and trauma in our lives, I couldn't help but smile at the correlation I was seeing.

When crisis comes our way, it can give us an opportunity to see things from a different point of view. When we're down on the floor, at the lowest points in our lives, we can look up, and see from a different vantage point! Sometimes, our own lack of preparation, or lack of attention to problems along the way, can cause a crisis. Other times, things just happen, beyond our control. Sometimes, we patch over things, as we had done for years, rather than actually fixing them. Have you ever done this with problems?
Just ignoring them, hoping they'll go away? There can be a temporary “happiness” when we shove problems aside, without facing them. But, there’s no comparison to the outcome, of finally meeting the problem head on, and finding the best way to handle the situation. As Christians, we can strengthen our lives with very strong supports, such as study and incorporation of the Word in our lives, growing in our prayer lives, developing strong bonds with other Christians, and reaching out to others. We prepare for whatever is thrown onto us. Even if we break, we can be repaired, and lifted back up by our support system! And, while down on the floor, we might see the good that can come from the bad. Romans 8:18, and Romans 8:28, tell us that our present sufferings in no way compare with the glory that will be revealed to us, and that all things work together for good, to those who love the Lord and are called according to his purpose. Some of that good may never be seen by us, but because our Lord is almighty and faithful, we believe what he has told us, and we can find peace, by leaving it up to him.


- by Becky
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Friday Five for 7/13/12

Today's Five is pretty personal, but, I think it is also pretty universal...

Five Things I'm Praying About Right Now

1. My Brother
My little brother just announced that he is getting married. In October. We're all very happy and love his fiancé, but it is a time of big changes and so I am praying for them.

2. My Daughters
I haven't talked much about my daughters here, but many of you know them. My relationship with my eldest (age 20) is strained, to say the least. She has made and continues to make decisions that I Biblically/personally/maternally cannot support. As for my younger daughter (age 13), she faces significant psychiatric issues that are a major focus of our daily lives.

3. My Mom and Her Family
The loss of my maternal grandmother last month was a huge blow that continues to affect us all in many ways.

4. My Husband
His job is extremely stressful and he is also in the process of applying for promotion. As the sole bread-winner of our house, he feels tremendous pressure. I do not envy being head of the house and I pray for his wisdom and strength daily.

5. Myself
Up to now, I have told very few people about this, but on Tuesday of next week, I will be having surgery. It isn't a huge deal in my mind, but any surgery has risks. For me, the benefits far outweigh those risks. Still, if you find the chance to remember me in your prayers Tuesday morning, I would appreciate it.

So, what's on your prayer list today? Can I/we pray for you about anything in particular?


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Friday Five for 7/6/12

After last week's girl-centric post, I thought I'd make this week's Five a list of resources for boys and/or the parents of boys.

1. Headed To The Office
by Glen Colley
This book talks about raising boys to be leaders in the church and preparing them to, eventually, serve as elders.

2. I Kissed Dating Goodbye
by Joshua Harris
I usually hesitate to post denominationally written books, but I do so love this one. It discusses the young man's effort not to "date", but to purposefully look for a Godly wife in a way that is not self-serving or lustful. (And it is equally good for girls.)

3. Guy Time
Boys cannot have too many male Christian role models. Having them places other than church and home is even better. Help your husband to plan an outing with your son as well as some other Dads and sons (like, maybe bowling). It'll be good for all of them.

4.Kids In Mind
Kids In Mind is website that provides very detailed movie ratings. When your son wants to see the latest comic book adaptation, but you aren't sure just exactly how far PG or PG-13 goes, this is the place to look. Each movie is given a three number rating, 1-10 on Sex/Nudity, Violence/Gore, and Profanity and then they go into detail about why a movie rates high/low in that category and they even document drug/alcohol use, etc. For example, the new Disney/Pixar film Brave scored a 2.4.1. I am a big fan of Kids in Mind and use it regularly, even for movies that my husband and I are going to see without kids.

5. Digger Doug's Underground
What little boy doesn't love dinosaurs? This 18 episode series presents them and other science-y stuff from a Christian/young Earth worldview. It's entertaining and educational. I've learned quite a bit from it myself!

What other books or resources would you suggest for young men and/or their parents?




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Independence Day

Politics is a tricky business. I know some people who are very involved and others who fully abstain. It fascinates me. I guess it comes from my love of American history. But, like I said, it is a tricky business. We don't all agree, even when we have the same goals, and that makes things complicated sometimes.

For all the things that can and do go wrong in this country, I believe we are supremely blessed to live here. None of us has ever known a time when we couldn't worship the Lord openly, when we couldn't say what we wanted to say. The very fact that this blog exists is due to our freedoms. There are plenty of other countries that would shut us down.

I am thankful today, and every day, for that freedom and for all those who serve our country. Today I will be praying for them - the firefighters and police officers, the military, even the politicians - and I hope you will join me.

God bless America, land that I love. Stand beside her and guide her through the night with a light from above.


Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, (1 Timothy 2:1-3 NKJV)





- by Erica
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Friday Five for 6/29/12

Summer is here and I've been thinking about things to occupy some of the free time my daughter and I will have. We don't have as much as some since we aren't taking the summer off from school, but we have plenty just the same and I want to make the most of it.

Teen/pre-teen girls today get so many mixed messages - or just blatantly BAD messages - about who they are supposed to be and how they should dress and act. The best solution I have for that is quality time with their mother, father and/or other Godly women and men who can set an example. So, today's Friday Five is:

Five Things You Can Do With/For Your Daughter This Summer

1. Take her to lunch/tea.
Let her lead the conversation. Dress up a little if she's interested in that sort of thing. Really listen. The more you know about where her thought process is, the better prepared you can be for whatever comes your way. I read something the other day - listening to the small, every day things your child tells you, sets them up to be able to come to you later with the big things.

2. Send her to Bible camp.
Apologetics Press has a great one in Alabama. There's another one at Fall Creek Falls in Tennessee. I am sure there are many more that have escaped my memory. Sometimes young people in the church feel alone and different from the other kids they know. Here they have the chance to meet new children and adults who share their beliefs.

3. Get her reading.
Here's a mini-five (within the Friday Five) of books you could read with your daughter. They might just strengthen her faith and yours!
A. Everyday Princess: Daughter of the King by Sheila K. butt
B. Gifts: Girls in Fellowship and Team Study by Hannah Colley (now Giselbach)
C. God's Girls - Secrets of Leadership for Young Women by Teresa Hampton
D. Real Life Lessons for Teens by Randy Simmons
E. Secret Keeper: The Delicate Power of Modesty by Dannah Gresh


4. Take her to area-wide church events aimed at girls and women.
Take her with you to that Ladies' Day you have planned or, better yet, find a Girl's Day near you. Every year, my daughter and I attend the one at Woodson Chapel Church of Christ in Nashville. We love it. She and I have both learned many wonderful things from them and she enjoys being with the large number of girls her age who are focused on God and I enjoy being with all the moms who are in the same child-raising place that I am.

5. Plan a Daddy-Daughter Date
Her father is the standard by which she will judge future suitors. If he can show her how a gentleman treats a lady, she'll be far less likely to settle for less.


This is, by no means, an exhaustive list. Just one mom's opinion. Granted many of you have girls who have not yet reached this age or maybe you are raising only boys, or maybe your kids are grown. Either way, I'd love to hear from you. Send me your best tips for raising Godly youngsters or young men (by email or through the comments section below) and, if I get enough of them, they may be featured in a future Friday Five.




-by Erica
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To Be Honest

To Be Honest (or TBH for short) or Truth Is..….Have you played this game on facebook yet? Apparently it’s a popular status game that (seems to me) younger folks are doing. I think you know what I’m talking about but just in case not, here’s how I think it goes. They put To Be Honest or Truth Is as their status and if you click ‘like’ then they go to your facebook wall and post something truth or honest about you. Or something like that. I may have it totally wrong, but basically it gets people sharing their true and honest thoughts about others. I’m going to play this game with you guys right here right now and you don’t even have to click ‘like’.


Truth Is – I play the comparison game and it’s not fun. I don’t even realize I’m playing it sometimes, but then eventually I realize that’s what I’m doing. For example, right now lots of people are going on summer vacations. I hear about it all on facebook and to be honest I am happy for them. Truth is though I just wish I could go on one too.


I hear about people building a house or remodeling their house and truth is sometimes I wish I could too. Don’t get me wrong, I love my house. To be honest though there are some things I would like to change and for different reasons (financial mostly) just can’t do it right now.


Truth is when I see other kids eating anything and everything, I just wish that mine would do so too without having all his texture/sensitivity issues.


To be honest – it makes me feel terrible when I see how organized and clean and clutter free other people’s homes look. I posted something on facebook the other night about stuffitis. I don’t like it. It’s a terrible condition. I’m trying to clean my 6 year olds room and let me tell you, I have to do it little by little, step by step. I’m talking baby steps. I literally got dizzy in there the other night working.


I could go on and on with examples. I’ll mention one more. Truth is – I wish I could write a lovely article like others that I read. But then I think, wait a minute. I’m writing one right now. Calling it ‘lovely’ may be stretching it, but it’s an article. I didn’t even plan to write anything tonight but came across some verses in I John that started the little wheels in my mind turning just a bit. I will share these verses here and maybe you will see where I’m trying to go with this.


In I John 15-17, the Bible states “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”


It simply states do not love the world. How much clearer can that be? Or the things of the world. I am not on vacation right now, but I live a vacation every day compared to so many folks. I have food, a house, a job, a car, a family, air conditioning, and on and on I could go. And it’s not like I’ve never been on one or will never go on one again. I’ve just been playing the comparison game. I may not live in a big ole house or mansion, but I have a mansion OUT OF THIS WORLD prepared for me in heaven. My child has some food issues, but he’s tall and growing and healthy. My house will never be like what you see in Better Homes & Gardens or those lovely magazines that make me feel so inadequate, but I have a house, a roof over my head. I have a family who helps me LIVE in my house. Living is dirty sometimes. It’s all about perspective. I’ve got to quit comparing myself to others. I need to be more thankful for my blessings each day.


I told my husband earlier tonight (when I needed the laptop from him) that I wanted to jot some thoughts down for an article, but that I wouldn’t write the whole thing. And here I am, finishing the whole article in one sitting. Now if I could just do that with my housekeeping tasks. Oh well, to be honest, the world is passing away and it won’t matter in the end anyway.








- by Amy
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Walking on Water

Over the past three months, I’ve felt as if I was living in a somewhat milder, but just as shocking, “Kardashian-style” reality show. For weeks, I have weathered spiritual storms. It’s as if I’m drowning in one tragedy (okay, I’m being a bit dramatic…maybe a better word to use for “tragedy” is “disappointment”) to only catch my breath just in time to endure the next dunk. If my life were a TV show, I’d have a captured audience eager to TiVo the next week’s episode!

Through my trials, I had grown spiritually weak…desperately weak. I didn’t want to pray and I was avoiding my Bible or reading it reluctantly inadvertently blocking any of God’s Word from penetrating my soggy situations. Self-pity took over and for weeks I was covering my pillow with showers of tears. I was honestly feeling hopeless, but never wanting to admit it to myself (let alone anyone else).

I was battling with a prodigal teenager, failed employment attempts, and sobering financial strain--more crashing waves of “disappointments” than I thought my little mind could bear. But God had a plan.

Like many Christians, I had quickly forgotten that trials come to make us stronger.

“Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.” James 1:2-4 (The Message)

After weeks of receiving encouraging notes, emails, and prayers from loving friends and family, I woke up one morning with a smile on my face! God is still good. I realized that in order to get through these damp circumstances in life, I had to implement a new strategy. I began to ask God to “Fix me.” We will never be rid of problems as long as we walk this earth, but we can certainly change our attitudes towards them. I gained newfound peace knowing that God was working on me in His time, not mine.

Dealing with my current struggles remind me so much of the story of Jesus and Peter walking on water. Although the disciples were afraid when they first saw Jesus walking across that lake, they quickly gained strength when the Savior told them, “Take courage. It is I. Don’t be afraid.” (Matthew 14:27) I imagine Jesus saying those exact words to me, “Kenya, take courage…”

Like Peter, I’m afraid at times letting distractions weaken my faith and cause me to sink in the murky waters of life that beat upon my feet. What a blessing it is to cry, “Lord, save me!” (again and again)

He hasn’t failed me yet.

Although I’m still currently in my storms, I’m slowly learning to “sing in the rain” knowing that it is all working for my good. You’d be surprised what a good cry can wash away. I’m no longer afraid to get a little wet.







By Kenya
Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Friday Five for 6/22/12

I often have little snippets of things that I'd like to share with you, but then can't work them up into anything substantial, so they just sit, half-written and semi-forgotten on my computer. This is a bad habit I've fallen into and hope to remedy with a new addition for Far Above Rubies - the Friday Five. Sometimes it will be five little thoughts that don't warrant a full post on their own, sometimes Bible verses around a particular theme, sometimes quotes that got me thinking and sometimes, I expect, it will be completely random. Without further ado, I present our first Friday Five.

---

Today's Friday Five consists of quotes I've read or heard recently that got me thinking. I hope they do the same for you.

1. "Once you've felt the sun on your face, the moon will never do."
That is what being a child of God is to me: the sun on my face. He shines down on me and blesses me. I don't know how anyone could settle for less.

2. "We live in a world of sin, just as a boat is surrounded by water. The trouble comes when the water gets in the boat."
I may not have the wording of this one just right - it's from the sermon I heard Sunday, but it was just such a perfect illustration that I had to share it. Everyone can picture being safe and dry in a boat and they can also picture that boat being pulled down and sinking by the weight of water brought on board.

3. "The Bible is meant to be bread for daily use, not cake for special occasions."
How true! I think we could also substitute "prayer" in there, too.

4. "Live in such a way that, if someone should speak badly of you, no one would believe it."
I want this painted on the ceiling above my bed so that it is the first thing I see in the morning as a reminder of who God wants me to be.

5. "People are made to be loved and things are made to be used. The confusion in this world is that people are used and things are loved."
I don't have anything more to add to this. How much better would the world be if we just all remembered this?


- by Erica
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God is Gracious - Hannah's Story, Part 5

For Part One of this post, please click here; for Part Two, click here, for Part Three click here, and, finally, for part Four, click here.



We were running on pure adrenaline at this point. We were beyond tired but so ready to see this perfect girl that God had blessed us with so unexpectedly.

Tim had not yet held her so he was the first to get to his hands on her. Then grandma and aunt had to get in some time. We loved on her until we were so exhausted we had to attempt to get some rest. I think we finally attempted to go to sleep about 6:00am. At this point, we’d been awake for more than 24 hours and were still in shock!!

Everyone kept asking, “What is her name?” We had no idea. We hadn’t exactly had time to come up with a name. We had discussed a few names in the days prior to her birth, but we thought we had three more weeks. While we were in the waiting room right after she was born we were actually flipping through the magazines there, hoping the perfect name would jump out at us. My mom and sister made some suggestions as well. When we finally got settled into the room we made a list of about five names that we liked. We had settled on Rosemary for her middle name. My first name is Mary, after my mom and her grandmother. Tim’s grandmother’s name was Rosie. We combined the two in order to incorporate both families in her name. The first name came down to two names that we liked. Tim chose Hannah. Since then we’ve learned that Hannah means, “God is gracious.” Perfect.

The next day we hit the ground running with the attorney’s office and the social worker. Thankfully, although our attorney was out of town, his assistant began the long legal process. The agency began the process of updating our home study. We had a mountain of paperwork to fill out and we were quite stressed about the entire process. Our greatest fear was that this sweet girl would have to go into foster care during this process. Thankfully, that was not the case.

After another night in the hospital we finally got the word that we were being released. Because we still didn’t have legal custody of Hannah, we all, meaning the three of us and Hannah’s biological mother, had to walk out of the hospital together. Sharon had kept us up to date on how the mom was doing and I’d gone to her room down the hall and spoken with her a couple of times. She hadn’t seen Hannah since the birth, though so we were a little nervous. However, it worked out perfectly. She looked at Hannah one last time and I took her and Sharon back home while Tim took Hannah to our house.

We got home on Saturday and Tim’s parents, his niece and her husband and son all came to visit. The grandparents couldn’t get enough of her. She was already being spoiled!!

The next few weeks passed through a haze of legal stuff. We went to court for the mom’s official surrender of her rights. We had to deal with some issues with the biological father. We had things to complete for the home study as well as visits with our social worker. All of those details, while significant to us and stressful as we were going through them, are really way too much to include here.

My purpose for sharing this story is to share a little bit of my joy with you and to impress upon you the power of prayer.

On February 13th, we went to court one last time to finalize our adoption. We had been through a whirlwind of activity in the previous 6 months. This was the moment we had waited for and it was a precious moment.

For so many years I prayed that God would bless Tim and me with a child. I’m not surprised that he answered that prayer because God is faithful. I am, however, overwhelmed with thanksgiving and gratitude that I can’t even express in words, that He answered our prayers with this sweet natured girl. Isn’t God wonderful??

What I thought was a “No” was actually a “Wait.” I don’t claim to understand all the hows and whys, but what I do understand is that we serve an awesome God. He loves us and if we delight ourselves in Him, He will give us the desires of our heart.

He has given us the sweetest blessing and we will forever be humbled by that fact. We can’t wait for Hannah to be old enough to understand her story and how God worked in our lives to bring us all together.

I look forward to sharing more about sweet Hannah here in the future.

If you’ve reached this point in this story, I appreciate your patience in reading it all. I love telling it. It’s a perfect opportunity for me to honor and glorify God.

What has God done in your life? Are you sharing that with others? Are you taking the opportunity to talk about Him through the things He’s done for you?

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ~~Jeremiah 29:11

-by Jennifer
Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Happy Birthday, Tim - Hannah's Story, Part 4

For Part One of this post, please click here; for Part Two, click here, and for Part Three click here.



When I arrived to pick her up, I could tell something had changed. She was hurting and she was very worried. We were on the way out of the parking lot when we ran into our mutual friend, Sharon. We stopped to tell her we were going to the hospital. She got very excited. If you know Sharon you know what that means! I said, “We’re not going to have the baby, just to have a test.” She wanted to go with us.

We arrived at the hospital and got her checked in and they hooked her up to the fetal monitor. By this time she was having some pretty strong contractions. The nurse decided she better call the doctor. They would give her something to stop the contractions or the baby would be delivered that night.

It’s amazing how your perspective changes. Just a few hours before I was panicking because I thought we had the weekend to prepare for a baby. When I realized the baby might be born that night I thought the weekend sounded like plenty of time to prepare. I called Tim and told him to be prepared to come to the hospital at a moment’s notice.

The few hours we spent in the hospital room while she was on the fetal monitor were very special. We talked about her and the changes she wanted to make so that she could give her older child a better life. We talked about the baby about to be born and what a wonderful blessing she would be. We were all a bit nervous, but we held hands and prayed. We prayed that the delivery would be smooth and the baby healthy. We prayed that mom would be healthy and recover quickly from the c-section. We prayed that Tim and I would be good parents. We thanked God for allowing our paths to cross and for this sweet girl who would forever be a connection between us all.

I started getting really nervous. It was beginning to sink in that I was going to have a baby, sooner rather than later. I called my mom, but she didn’t answer. I sent her a text, “the baby may be born tonight.” She sent one back that she and Sara, my niece, were in a movie. Sara didn’t even know about the possibility of the baby so my mom didn’t say anything to her. Since I couldn’t talk to my mom, I immediately called my sister. She had been out of town and was on her way home and had passed the hospital just a few minutes earlier. Should she turn around? Should they come to the hospital? I didn’t know what to tell her because there was no decision yet about delivering the baby. She asked if I was excited. I said “Yes, but scared to death.”

Sometime during all this it dawned on me that it was Tim’s birthday. In all the excitement I had forgotten. What a sweet gift it would be if the baby would be born on this day. When I mentioned this to Sharon and the young mom, they were really excited. They wanted so much for the baby to be born soon. Their excitement was contagious and soon we were all praying that this sweet baby was ready to meet us.

By the time Tim was on his way, the doctor had decided to deliver. My mom and sister decided they should be there so they were on their way.

She wanted Sharon and me to be in the delivery room with her. About five minutes after Tim arrived, the nurse came and told us it was time to get ready!

We went back to the room to get everyone prepped for the c-section. While mom went to the delivery room, Sharon and I were given what looked like hazmat suits to put on over our clothes. She and I waited anxiously outside the delivery room. Although it was only about thirty minutes, it seemed like forever before we were allowed in the room.

I have never had any type of surgery or been in the hospital so this was all new to me. There were tons of people in the room. At least three standing over her and a few others milling about the room. We were instructed to sit on two stools close to the table. At this point we could only see the blue drape. I was so thankful for that blue drape!! I was surprised that the doctors were just casually chatting about golf and other mundane things while they were cutting her open. Sharon was sitting behind me singing a hymn. I don’t remember which one, but I remember her singing.

When it came time to pull the baby out, they told us we could stand up and watch. I don’t know if I could ever express in words what an amazing moment this was for me. Seeing that sweet baby for the first time is forever imprinted on my heart. I’m only beginning to fully understand what a precious blessing it was for me to be there for her first moments.

As soon as she was out, there was a whirlwind of activity. The nurses whisked her away to weigh and measure her. Finally they allowed me to go over and see her. She was so tiny; only 5 pounds and 7 ounces. I couldn’t wait to touch her and hold her. Finally they let me take her over so that her mom could see her. Mom looked at me and then at the baby girl and said to the baby, “There’s your mamma.” The lump in my throat was growing bigger by the minute as was the smile on my face.

They allowed me to carry her from the delivery room to the nursery. When I walked in I could see Tim, my mom and my sister anxiously waiting. They came over to the window to get a first look at her. I had to leave her in the nursery to be poked and prodded. Tim and I and Sharon, my mom and my sister stood outside that window for as long as we could. We were already smitten.

She was born at 10:30pm so by this time it was pretty late. We were happily stunned, but tired and realizing that we hadn’t eaten dinner. To top it off, we had no idea what we were going to do next. We had not begun the legal process yet so we had no legal right to the baby at all. The hospital was more than gracious to us. We sat in the waiting room for quite some time and a nurse came through and asked if anyone had arranged for us to have a room yet. We said no, and she said she’d check on it. Within a matter of minutes we were in a room waiting on them to bring us our sweet little girl.

My mom and sister went out about 2:00am and brought back crackers, soft drinks and even some clothes for the baby.

I left my boss a voice message which started out something like, “you’re not going to believe this, but…”

About 4:00am they finally brought her to us!

To be continued…..


- by Jennifer
Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

VBS - Hannah's Story, Part 3

For Part One of this post, please click here; for Part Two, click here.




About a week has passed.



At this point, I still had very few details. I had never made contact with either of my friends and was just waiting for God to reveal His plan. Funny how he does that when we least expect it.



This young mother had attended church a few times since the initial mention of adoption. I had “seen her around,” but hadn’t been introduced to her. Vacation Bible School was the next week and I knew she was planning on bringing her child. I was quite surprised when, on the first night of VBS, someone walks up to me and says, “She wants to talk to you and Tim tonight.” Wow!



I explained that it wouldn’t be possible on this particular night as I had to ride the church van to take some children home after VBS.



We met her the following night.



What in the world do you say to someone that wants to give you their baby?



This was one of the most surreal conversations I have ever had. First of all, we met her in a dark corner of the church fellowship room. There were tons of other people milling about the other side of the room. This was the VBS refreshment room for adults. Needless to say it was a bit of an awkward situation.



She really didn’t have any questions for us. She explained a bit about her situation. She had one child from another relationship. She was struggling financially and knew she couldn’t provide for two children. She was barely making it with one. Also, the father of this child was abusive to her. She didn’t want to bring the baby into that kind of life.



We asked her several questions about her background, her family and the baby. A healthy baby girl, by the way. She didn’t give us as much information as we wanted, however, we had plenty to think about and discuss over the next few days. We needed to think quickly because the baby was due in four weeks.



The following week the young mom called and asked if I would go to her next doctor visit with her. It was to be the next day.



The next day was going to be a busy one for me. I was in the process of planning and preparing for a company picnic. One of those tasks was shopping for prizes. My plan was to leave work a bit early and do some of the shopping before the doctor visit and finish it when we were done. It was also Tim’s birthday so I had dinner in the crock-pot and planned to stop at a local bakery for a birthday cupcake for him.



We met outside the doctor’s office. This was only the second time I had really had a lengthy conversation with her. I really liked her and enjoyed talking with her. The first thing the doctor wanted to do was an ultrasound. I was allowed to be with her during that. It was truly amazing to hear that heartbeat and to be able to see that sweet face. It was a precious moment and I am so thankful she allowed me to be a part of it.



Once the doctor came in and examined her and looked at the ultrasound he was a bit concerned. The baby was a little smaller than she should’ve been at 37 weeks. He wanted to deliver the baby the following week.



Panic set in pretty quickly. He assured us both that the baby was fine, but that he felt she would be better off once delivered. He scheduled a c-section for the following Monday. Just as a precaution, though, he wanted her to go to the hospital to be on a fetal monitor for a few hours.



We decided it would be best if I finished some of my errands and she went home to take care of her son. I would pick her up about 5pm and we would go over to the hospital for the test.



As soon as I got in my car I was in full panic mode. It was Thursday. How in the world would be able to prepare for a baby by Monday? We hadn’t even begun the legal process. I had sent an e-mail to our attorney. He was out of town until the next week.



Thankfully, I knew people that worked at the agency that helped us before. I called them immediately and they got the ball rolling.



Oh, and I called Tim and said, “Are you sitting down?” We are going to have a baby on Monday morning at 7:30am.



To be continued………..




- by Jennifer
Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Seriously, God? Again? - Hannah's Story, Part Two

For Part One of this post, please click here.


“They” say life goes on…and mine did. I felt at peace about giving away the baby items and went about my life. Always still praying for a child, but content with where I was in life.

One Wednesday night I slipped into the back row at church. I had to leave the class a few minutes early to help some children make their way back to the church van. A few minutes into the class my friend Sharon came and sat down beside me. As she was walking in she said, “I was just talking about you.” “Oh really?” was my reply. I had no clue how my life was about to change. Very casually she says, “Are you interested in adoption?” I sort of stammered an answer, “Well, I don’t know, maybe.”

She proceeded to tell me about her young friend that was expecting her second child. She was not going to be able to keep the baby and had just decided on adoption. Another friend had told Sharon about our past adoption experience. While Sharon is telling me a few details (keep in mind that this conversation is taking place during the class), she looks up and says, “Oh, there she is.”

My heart was about to beat out of my chest. Thankfully, Sharon and her friend stayed only a short time. There was no opportunity for an introduction or conversation. I have no idea what I would’ve said to her at that moment.

The rest of the evening I could think of nothing else. Tim was out of town and I knew that this was not a conversation we were going to have over the phone. This was definitely a face to face talk.

I spent the evening praying. And, as much of the next day as possible, while at work.

I tried calling Sharon a couple of different times over the next few days. I also tried calling another friend that was aware of the situation and had some of the details that I so desperately wanted. Oddly enough either I couldn’t get in touch with them or they couldn’t talk to me when I called. Finally I just prayed that if this was something we should pursue that God would open the door and show us exactly how to proceed.

After Tim returned from his business trip, he had to go out of town again right away. My father-in-law was hospitalized and had surgery while Tim was away. He felt he needed to be there with his parents.

Finally, once he returned we had a chance to talk. Tim reacted much as I’d expected. He was hesitant. Not because he didn’t want a child, but because the first experience was very painful. I still struggled with it too and wasn’t sure I could survive another disappointment. Ultimately we decided we would cautiously proceed. Basically we agreed to talk with her and see how we felt about it later.

To be continued……….


- by Jennifer
Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Remembrance

Sally Weeks Cranmore was born in 1938, and had four sisters, one of which didn't survive infancy. Her father fought in World War II and would bear the effects of PTSD for the rest of his life. She married in 1956, three weeks before her 19th birthday and had three children before she was 21. She loved them fiercely. Illness kept her hospitalized for great lengths of time, but that didn't stop her from playing with her children. Stories abound of her making mud pies in the yard or testing out a home-made go-cart. In 1978, her first grandchild was born. Four more would follow by 1985. Then came a great-granddaughter in 2003. Adoption brought her two more great-granddaughters in 2004 and 2006. 2011 gave her a great-great-grandson. She made the most delicious biscuits in the world. She was terrified of thunderstorms. She loved anything red and/or sparkly. She had an incredible sweet-tooth. She managed the finances if her home to the penny, documenting everything that was spent and leaving notes about each transaction. She stood by her husband through harder times than I can imagine and cared for him through his three heart attacks. She sewed for her children. She took care of everyone around her. She hugged and kissed nearly everyone she knew every time she saw them. She would give away her last possession to help others. Her faith never wavered and was an example to everyone around her.

Sally Cranmore passed away suddenly on Saturday morning, June 2nd, to the great shock and sadness of her husband of 55 years, her three children, her five grandchildren, her three great-grandchildren and to everyone who knew and loved her.

I am the first of those five grandchildren. I was and will always be "Granny's Baby". Her worth was far above rubies.

"Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her." Proverbs 31:28




- by Erica
Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Preparing My Heart - Hannah's Story, Part One

I’ve had a great story to share with you for, oh, about 10 months now. I’ve been a bit busy so I’m just now getting the words together. I’ve been keeping track of the details but putting those details in an organized form has been quite a challenge. Most of you know some of the story. Some of you might not know any of it. It goes something like this:

Around early to mid spring our minister announced that there was a lady at a small congregation near ours that was expecting a baby boy. The church was not in a position financially to give her a shower and she needed pretty much everything. Now, I’ll admit that sometimes during the announcements at the end of the worship service my mind wanders a bit. This, however, made me sit up and take notice. It was as if there was no one else in the room and he was speaking directly to me. It was also as if the message was coming straight from God. The minister was just the messenger.

If you’ve read this story you can guess why I felt this way. Yes, I had a room full of baby things. And, they just happened to be boy things. I had a room full of blue that I would never get to use. Immediately I knew in my heart that it was time to clean the room and allow some precious little boy to get some use out of all that blue.

I resisted though. My first thought was, “Seriously, God? Why are you doing this to me?” In my mind, giving those things away was just as good as giving up on my hope of having a child. I had convinced myself that keeping those clothes, toys, diapers and bottles meant that I had faith that God would answer my prayer to have a child. I decided that I just couldn’t do it.

A couple of weeks went by and I tried to push it out of my mind, to “forget” about that need. But, God kept reminding me. Well, God and the church bulletin. I finally realized how very selfish it was for me to hold on to something that someone else needed. So, still a bit hesitant, I said to myself, “OK, if that announcement is in the bulletin again, I’ll do it.” Well, of course it was. Not only was it in the bulletin, it was announced at the next service.

This was so emotionally difficult that I didn’t even mention it to my husband, Tim. I knew that those things in that room weren’t weighing on him like they were me. I also knew that he wouldn’t mind me sharing those things with someone else. After all, most of it was given to us. Someone had blessed us with everything we needed for a new baby boy. Why shouldn’t we “pay it forward?”

Very quietly one day, while Tim was busy with something outside, I went up to the room and hastily shoved things into a garbage bag. I knew that I couldn’t take long in doing it. I couldn’t run my hands over those clothes and imagine that little boy wearing them.

I “snuck” the garbage bag, along with a full diaper bag into the church library. I e-mailed the church secretary to let her know they were there.

A few days later I went into the library to make sure the things had been retrieved.

No one ever said anything to me about giving those things away and I never said anything about it.

Not right then anyway.

I was OK, but still somewhat defeated by the entire process.

Little did I know that God was preparing my heart to receive His perfect answer to my prayer in His perfect time.

To be continued………………


- by Jennifer
Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Failure

"Do you ever feel like you're failing at everything but failing?"

I read this somewhere recently. I think I saw it on facebook. Do you ever feel like that? Like you are failing at everything you do or try?

Random House Webster's College Dictionary lists several definitions of the word 'fail'. One is "to fall short of success or achievement in something expected, attempted, desired, or approved". Another is "to be or become deficient or lacking; be insufficent or absent; fall short". And still another is "to lose strength or vigor, become weak".

Have you ever experienced any of those definitions? I sure have! There are many times that I feel like a failure. I think we all have at some point. We need to remind ourselves though that it's okay to fail at things. We are not perfect. We just do not need to let it destroy us or discourage us from 'keeping on keeping on' as they say. I could list many examples in my own life, but I will only mention one. One thing that I fail at a lot is in the realm of housekeeping. I only have 1 child, a 6 year old son, but if you were to walk into my house on any given day, take today for example, you would think that I had a brood of kids. I've accepted that I am not a perfect housekeeper. I've accepted that my house will never be 'guest ready'. We have to accept our failures in life and move on. We can not dwell on them. Yes we can work on them, but we don't need to let them define who we are and what we are about. It's like when taking a test. If we fail the test, it doesn't mean we are dumb. One failed test (or anything) doesn't mean it's the end of your life. Don't let your failures define you. Keep trying. Don't give up. Accept that failure is a part of life. I think accepting our failures helps us. It helps to be realistic. We just don't need to be pessimistic.

Always remember that even though we fail at things, there is One who never fails. There is God who will always help us. Deuteronomy 31:6 says "Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." Also, Deuteronomy 31:8 says "And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed." Joshua 1:5 says "There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." Even though I may fail at things, I trust that God will help me through the failures and He will never fail me.

These are just some thoughts I wanted to share. I hope they made sense and I would love to hear your thoughts on this as well.


Some quotes on failure:

"Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor."
Truman Capote

"Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success."
Dale Carnegie


"Failures are steps in the ladder of success."
James Allen


"For every failure, there's an alternative course of action. You just have to find it. When you come to a roadblock, take a detour."
Mary Kay Ash

"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm."
Winston Churchill

"Success is never final. Failure is never fatal. It is courage that counts."
Winston Churchill

"Forget past mistakes. Forget failures. Forget everything except what you’re going to do now and do it."
Will Durant

"Be of good cheer. Do not think of today's failures, but of the success that may come tomorrow. You have set yourselves a difficult task, but you will succeed if you persevere; and you will find joy in overcoming obstacles. Remember, no effort that we make to attain something beautiful is ever lost."
Helen Keller

"We cannot choose the things that will happen to us. But we can choose the attitude we will take toward anything that happens. Success or failure depends on your attitude."
Alfred A. Montapert

"Failure is delay, but not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead-end street."
William Arthur Ward


- by Amy

Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Sharing the Word

This past Saturday, I had the pleasure of attending a Ladies' Day at Soddy Church of Christ. The company, the singing and the speaker were all wonderful. I am never so at peace as I am after spending the day with my sisters in Christ.
I want to share with you, though, a little favor that the ladies of that congregation shared with the attendees. They have started a new project using Eternity Bracelets. These are the most ingenious little things! First, let me share some facts with you that were shared that morning. The average Christian has heard 4000 sermons, been led in 8000 prayers and many more songs, but do you know how many people the average Christian has brought to Christ? Zero. Isn't that terrible!? The fact is, the church is staying alive, not through new converts, but by generations raised in the church (not that that isn't a wonderful thing, training up our children is priority number one). Why is that? Well, one problem that the Soddy congregation sees is a lack of confidence that we have when it comes to sharing the Word and one solution to that problem is the Eternity Bracelet.




First, it gives you a conversation starter. Second, it comes with a little card with a poem describing what each bead represents. Let me paraphrase: (starting from the clear bead), first God made the world perfect and pristine, but then sin and darkness entered the world (black), the only salvation was the blood of Jesus Christ (red) which we reach through the water of baptism (blue) and spend our lives growing in His Word (green) until the day when we receive our golden crown in Heaven for eternity (gold). Everything you need to share the Word of God is right there on your wrist - a reminder of what to say and that we need to say it more often.
So here's the fun part. I have two to share. If you would like one, send an email to rubysisters@gmail.com. Include your name and mailing address. One week from today, I will choose two at random and will mail them out.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Jealousy

Jealousy is not a word with which I normally identify myself.  I am not covetous of others' things; I do not have even the slightest concern in regard to my husband's relationships.  As it turns out though, I am jealous of some people.  The sensitivity of the issue prevents me from going into detail, but suffice it to say that, what I feel like I am missing in my life is deference. I am struggling with a lack of respect from certain people in my life, respect that I feel I have earned. I feel unjustly dismissed. When I see others whose opinions are respected, whose feelings are considered, who are given the deference they deserve, my heart cries out, "Why not me?".  In this particular situation, there are even some who have blatantly abused their power and authority who continue to receive the respect I have worked for years to earn. As I've been trying to overcome these feelings through prayer and study, attempting to see God's path of peace rather than my path of jealousy, I have been reminded that we serve a jealous God (Ex. 34:14). He deserves our deference, our respect and He, too, is unjustly dismissed - on a far grander scale than I can ever imagine. So, I am before you, asking that you take a moment and look at how you treat our Lord. Remember all He has done for us and how little we have done for Him. And then, if you can, say a prayer for me, that God will soften my heart and show me His path. Many thanks and may God bless you all!

Republican, Democrat or Christian?

Election season again.  Is it just me or did the past four years seem to fly by?  I have mixed feelings about election season.  It’s an exciting time in our country and I am so thankful for the freedom we have to choose our leader.  I am also thankful for the peaceful transition of power that takes place in this country.  In so many places there is no right to vote and there is no peaceful transition.
 
What I don’t love is all the negativity surrounding the process.  It doesn’t matter what side of the political fence you’re on.  It comes from every side, every candidate, every media outlet and every campaigner.  It seems like politics (and here in the South, college football) brings out the worst in people.  We are so very passionate about our own political “agenda.” 
 
It’s great to be passionate and it’s great to fully support whatever it is you support.  However, it seems we’ve taken our passion to a dangerous level.  It saddens me to see that even those that profess to be Christians spar with one another over politics.  So much so at times, that it brings shame and reproach on the name of Jesus.
 
My point here is not to say that we should all agree on every issue.  We certainly won’t and shouldn’t compromise what we believe to be true and right, politically speaking. (If you compromise what you believe then did you really believe it to begin with??) 
 
My point is actually not about politics at all.  It’s about being passionate. 
 
Passionate about Jesus.
 
I am amazed that we’ve become more passionate about our candidate that we have about our Savior.
 
The past couple of Presidential elections have been quite intense.  It seems that there is constant e-mail being circulated about the current president as well as the current presidential candidates.  The majority of these e-mails are in some way negative.  They are either criticizing the current administration or the candidates.  There is very rarely a positive message. 

What if, instead of “mud-slinging,” these emails circulated the Gospel?  What if we were so passionate about Jesus that we would forward everyone in our address book e-mails which share the Good News?

Would that change our community, our culture, our country and maybe eventually, our world?  What if those of us that claim to know Christ were proclaiming Christ to those that don’t know Him?
 
It is certainly OK to have and express your political views and opinions.  Praise God that we live in a country where we can openly do just that.  However, let’s be Christians first.  Let’s talk about Jesus first.  When we talk about politics let’s remember to do so in a loving, peaceful way.  Not compromising what we believe, but remembering that we are not only representing a political candidate or message but as Christians we are representing Jesus and His message.