Pictures-Pumpkin Patch Fun

So every year we support some local friends that hava pumpkin patch....

This year my brother Jake and our friend Joanna joined us.....

and there were tons of "Warty" pumpkins.....

and plenty of kitties to play with...

Lotsa fun was had.....

Torturing the cats....

My little pumpkin model ;)

Our stash we came home with....LOVE this time of year!!!

The Gospel

“we will multiply the gospel only when we allow others to get close enough to us to see the life of Christ in action”

~David Platt

Pictures-Favorite Things

Laughter from monkies and funny face smiles....These are a few of my favorite things....

Piggy toes, baby bottoms, coffee, and hugs....these are a few of my favorite things.

He Will Fill It With Fishes

"Put out into the deep and let your nets down for a catch." --Luke 5:4

"We learn from this narrative the necessity of human agency. The catch of fishes was miraculous, yet neither the fisherman nor his boat, nor his fishing tackle were ignored; but all were used to take the fishes. So in the saving of souls, God works by means; and while the present economy of grace shall stand, God will be pleased by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. When God works without instruments, doubtless he is glorified; but he has himself selected the plan of instrumentality as being that by which he is most magnified in the earth. Means of themselves are utterly unavailing. 'Master, we have toiled all the night and have taken nothing.' What was the reason of this? Were they not fishermen plying their special calling? They were no raw hands; they understood the work. Had they gone about the toil unskilfully? No. Had they lacked industry? No, they had toiled. Had they lacked perseverance? No, they had toiled all the night. Was there a deficiency of fish in the sea? Certainly not, for as soon as the Master came, they swam to the net in shoals. What, then, is the reason? Is it because there is no power in the means of themselves apart from the presence of Jesus? 'Without him we can do nothing.' But with Christ we can do all things. Christ’s presence confers success. Jesus sat in Peter’s boat, and his will, by a mysterious influence, drew the fish to the net. When Jesus is lifted up in his Church, his presence is the Church’s power—the shout of a king is in the midst of her. 'I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me.' Let us go out this morning on our work of soul fishing, looking up in faith, and around us in solemn anxiety. Let us toil till night comes, and we shall not labor in vain, for He who bids us let down the net, will fill it with fishes."
~Charles Spurgeon

Jesus Please Come

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OX2uM0L3Y1A


HALLELUJAH...
By Heather Williams

Jesus, please come
Please come today
Hear me
Heal me
Be near me I pray

I have fallen so far
Flat on my face
I’m in need of Your grace today
I stumble and fall
But in spite of it all
Your love always stays the same
Hallelujah
Hallelujah

Jesus, please come
Please come today
Break me
Mold me
Use me I pray

But don’t give up on me now
I’m so close to You now
I’m in need of Your grace today
wipe the dirt off my face
hold me in Your embrace
Your love always saves the day
Hallelujah
Hallelujah

I have fallen so far
flat on my face
I’m in need of Your grace today
Hallelujah
Hallelujah

Sing Hallelujah
Sing Hallelujah
Sing Hallelujah
Amen

On my knees here I fall
in spite of it all
Hallelujah
And though it seems hard
I’m still trusting You Lord
Hallelujah
Hallelujah

The Perfect Storm

"God puts us with our opposite. Our mutual brokenness plays off each other so perfectly that it is frightening. It's like throwing a dog and a cat in a dryer. Is he absolutley mad? Why would God do such a thing?


Because marriage is a divine conspiracy.

It is a conspiracy divinely arranged and with divine intent.


God lures us into marriage and then He uses it to transform us. We all have a way that we do life. We might call it our personality, or our natural bent---the way we handle pressure, the way we listen, the way we look for happiness, the way we control our world. We didn't sit down one day and willfully choose to adopt it but it remains a choice nonetheless. Call it our style of relating. It is a carefully crafted approach to life---especially to relationships----that colors the way we work, the way we love, the way we respond, and the way we simply have a conversation with people.


We are, all of us, utterly committed and deeply devoted to our "style", our "way", our "approach to life." We have absolutley no intention of giving it up. Not even for love. So God creates an environment where we have to. It's called marriage.


Take the fundamental differences of a man and a woman. Add to this the fact that opposites attract and our peculiarties are nearly always at odds. Toss in our profound brokenness, our sin, and our style of relating. It's the perfect storm.


Now listen carefully: God wants us to be happy. He really does. "I've come," Jesus said, "that you may have life and have it to the full" (John 10:10). He simply knows that until we deal with our brokenness, our sin, and our style of relating, we aren't going to be happy. Nobody around us is going to be very happy, either. Most of what you've been experiencing in the last twelve months is God's attempt to get you to face your style of relating and repent of it.


This is the old Christian understanding of the world, the understanding that happiness is the fruit of other things, chief among them our own holiness, and so we must undergo a transformation. We must be smoothed over. Just like the fairy tales, we must share in God's holiness before the story is finished."

~John and Stasi Eldredge from Love & War

Judging and Loving

"God has the ability to judge and love at the same time. We, however, cannot do both at the same time. If we are judging someone, we can't be loving them. And if we are loving them, we can't be judging them."

Found this on someone else's blog and it really echos my heart.

I grew up in a church where judging others was a huge downfall and stronghold in the church.

Actually, it still is....and it still breaks my heart.

The older I get, the stronger the desire burns in my heart to love instead of judge.

Love them into the Kingdom, instead of convicting them into the Kingdom.

Because it's the Holy Spirit's job to convict anyways....not ours.

I just want to love others for who they are....because we are all imperfect humans.

Every single one of has has flaws...whether we realize them or not.

And God loves us...flaws and all.

So why don't we love others...flaws and all?