My Voice, My Heart, My Life

I'm a big Star Trek fan. I've enjoyed almost ever incarnation of this Sci-Fi giant. Recently my husband and I have been watching Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. One of the enemies for this particular series are the Jem'Hadar. These creatures are genetically engineered for battle and controlled through a drug called ketracel-white; which they require to function properly. Their mantra is "Obedience brings Victory. And Victory is Life." Every time they say this, I cringe. They are following orders from people who don't care for them and whose only goal is their own survival. I always felt it was such a terrible mantra. But today I had a revelation.  During today's sermon, my pastor was going over John 10, The Good Shepherd. One of his points was how do we ensure that we can hear our Good Shepherd's (Jesus) voice. We need to read His word, meditate in His word, memorize His word and obey  His word. Through obeying His word & voice we find life....

Today during devotions I read Judges 3:31. One verse dedicated to a man named Shamgar. "After him came Shamgar the son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad; and he also saved Israel."(Judges 3:31) Twenty-two words telling it straight of how God used Shamgar. This is the first time I read or focused on this verse. I began to wonder who is Shamgar. What can I learn from this individual and what is a an oxgoad? So I did a little digging. First let's take a quick look at the book of Judges. Basically the book of Judges accounts the various activities of Judges who delivered and had authority in Israel after the death of Joshua. Now Joshua had defeated the main forces of the opposition and led Israel into Canaan and divided the lands to the various tribes. Before his death he warned Israel to not mix or intermarry with the local people. Stay away from their foreign gods and keep your eye on the true God. But Israel disobeyed. Which began a p...

I found the picture above while scrolling Facebook. It stopped me in my tracks. It was so convicting! Simple yet poignant. I added the question to the picture, which was the caption it was given on FB. "Have You Eaten Today?" It was a spiritual stomach punch. We live our lives knowing that we have to eat physical food. Without food our bodies will being to deteriorate and stop functioning. Without food and water we could cease to exist. It doesn't happen quickly, no it's a subtle change. We skip a meal here and there. Our body feels a little tired but nothing significant. We start skipping more meals consecutively, then our body wires down faster but still works because we're drinking lots of water. Then we stop eating all together yet still drinking water. Our body starts feasting on itself trying everything possible to stay alive. Then the water runs out and within a few days all that's left is a lifeless deformed shell. The same is true in our spiritu...

This year I was blessed with 17 little ones that have brought joy, frustration, laughter, stress and constant surprises into my life. Each one has left an imprint in my heart. With only two months left of instruction bittersweet emotions has begun to surface. It is the price we paid as teachers. We pour so much of ourselves for 9 months that it's hard not to feel a little empty at the end of the year. Like with any class there are some students that have required more attention and redirection than most. That certainly has been true this year. One boy in particular. I'll call him "Derek." Derek is a typical boy with unending energy who doesn't know when to quit. He also had a problem with anger. At the beginning of the year he would get angry when he didn't get his way, especially on the playground.  His remedy was to hit the offender. He spent much of his time in the principal's office. I spent time with him talking him through the anger and gave ...

This past weekend my husband and I had the pleasure to attend a co-worker's (Scott's) wedding. It was a touching ceremony. The pastor presiding over them had some very beautiful words to share with the couple and to those in attendance. He reminded us of how special love is. Love is tender and precious. It is something that we need to protect and cherish. The part that moved me the most was when they exchanged rings. The pastor explained the significance of the rings in a way I hadn't hear before. We all know that the circle of the ring represents our infinity love for one another. It's put on the left finger because it's closet to our heart. The ring is also a outward showing that we are promised to someone. But lets consider how the ring came into existence. The ring started off as unrefined gold. The gold was put through extreme pressure and heat so it could be molded. It was shaped and stretched into a perfect circle glistening and refined. Just as the ri...

The History channel will be airing a 10 episode series on the Bible starting Sunday, March 3rd. The series is produced by husband/wife team, Mark Burnett & Roma Downey. They have worked hard to stay true to the Scriptures. They wanted the stories to stand on their own merits and reveal the beauty and truth that lies within them. Knowing the skills of Mark Burnett and the excitement that is the Bible I can't wait to see this extraordinary series. I am so inspired by them. They believe that the Bible is the word of God and absolute truth. They don't question it. They truly live by faith. Despite being part of the Hollywood world they are not ashamed of their faith or proclaiming that Christ is Lord. Sadly, not all people see the Bible as absolute truth. I came across an interview they had with Bill O'Reilly, promoting this mini-series, which left me upset. What upset me wasn't what they (Burnett's) said but what the host said. (If you're an O'Rei...

  Beloved,     Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (1 Peter 1:3) The unfailing love of the Lord never ends! By His mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each day. I say to myself, "The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!"(Lamentations 3:22-24 )     Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6) Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act. Don't worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes. (Psalm 37:7) And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28) Let us hold uns...