Advocate

Our Advocate

1 John 2:1

My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.

We have such an awesome hope in Jesus because no matter what we do if we return to him He will take us back and love us like we never left. Just as we fight for others; elderly, unborn, disabled, etc...

When we let God fight for us we are essentially giving our problems to him and letting him take complete care of us. That is really all God asks of us. He wants to be our Advocate and trust in him to take care of us. 

Who do you advocate for? How do you fight for others? 

We all fight for something, make it worth while :)

Blessings!! 

Everlasting Father

Isaiah 9:6 "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

So, to be honest it is really hard to comprehend that God is everlasting. We are finite people and it is so hard for us to understand and infinite God. 

David the Psalmist praised:

1 Chronicles 29:10
"David praised the LORD in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, “Praise be to you, LORD, the God of our fatherIsrael, from everlasting to everlasting."

Jesus is the beginning, middle, and end of our whole existence. He is always with us and always for us. He is a father when we have no father. We are his children and he wants what is best for us even in a hard situation. God is always teaching and training us for His purposes. We have such and awesome God!! I pray today that He will help you understand his everlastingness. 

How have you seen the Everlasting Father show off in your life?

Blessings! 

Everlasting God

HUMPDAY! 

Isaiah 9:6 "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Because I can not due this name of God justly I think Chris Tomlin does a great job. I hope you enjoy this song :) 

I hope your shopping and celebrating is going well!! 

Blessings! 

Mighty God

                   Isaiah 9:6 "For un to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

                 What a Mighty God our Father is! I believe this sweet Psalm is a perfect description of how Mighty he is. 

Psalm 50

A psalm of Asaph.

¹ The Mighty One, God, the Lord,
    speaks and summons the earth
    from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets.
² From Zion, perfect in beauty,
    God shines forth.
³ Our God comes and will not be silent;
    a fire devours before him,
    and around him a tempest rages.
⁴ He summons the heavens above,
    and the earth, that he may judge his people:
⁵ “Gather to me my consecrated ones,
    who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”
⁶ And the heavens proclaim his righteousness,
    for God himself is judge. Selah

Blessings

The First Day of Advent!

Christmas is often a whirlwind of decorations, presents, and food! All of which I am totally okay with, but this season I am trying to devote myself to remembering the season for what it is. I grew up Pentecostal Holiness and never really celebrated Advent as apart of Christmas. My brothers and I always knew there was no such thing as fat man who came down our chimney to leave us presents under the tree, but we did believe and honor St. Nick of long ago. I was never scared or injured in anyway by not believing in Santa Clause. I simply had a respect for the man he was. We also got to play along just like everyone else that some presents were from “Santa.” 

I would like to take a moment and share what Advent is really and why I would like to celebrate it more during the Christmas season. The word Advent means simply coming, or arrive. So the season of advent is all about celebrating the coming of our savior 2000 years ago and waiting for His soon coming return. As a Christian it is so exciting to wait for the return of the Almighty! I think it is extremely important to teach children about the celebration of the advent season. I am gathering all sorts of cute ideas for one day when I have children to teach it to! 

Everyday this month I intend to post something knew about the advent season in hopes of helping you find the peace and joy in the real reason for the season. I am doing this for myself as well, in means of teaching myself to step back and really celebrate the Saviors return and not worry about money or school. I need to be reminded of the real reason for the season everyday and especially this month of December. I pray this month that you may be encouraged by my blog and be in awe of the Christ Jesus. 

Isaiah 9:6 

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Musical Friday : Us and Our Daughters

This couple has been my listening obsession since fall has decided to storm in. Their music is perfect for a nice calm day at home, drinking tea, and reading a romantic book. They also join me for many road trips! :) This couples story about the album is quite amazing! I promise, once you hear the whole album you will be in love yourself! 

Check them out!

Blessings!

Family River Ride

We had an absolute perfect day on the river! It had been so long since I had been on water and it was so nice! Perfect family time! Let summer begin!! 

Blessings

Lonely One

When I think of the word “lonely” I think of not having anyone around, a state of quietness, or deserted. So, what happens if that is not how life is and there are people around who love and care for you, yet the feeling of loneliness remains inside? What is there to do about this deep feeling of being alone? 

For the past few weeks, since I have been at school, I have felt like this so much! I believe that my homesickness and frustration in being at school has increased much more this year than my first year here at school, when I was new and had no one I knew. At school I am five hours away from my home and family, so there is no just dropping everything and running home. I have to wait it out for certain weekends, or plan much in advance to get to my family and loved ones.

Well, I looked up the meaning for the word lonely and I was given generic descriptions such as: (without companions, solitary) and for a place (unfrequented and remote). I found the definitions of this word to be bare and hopeless. So as I turn to the bible to look up some encouragement apart from the desolate word, I discovered that David, the writer of Psalms felt just as I do right now. Psalms 25:16 says, “Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.” I read those words and prayed an imitative prayer to God, but I think to myself, “how did David, a man after God’s own heart, get to a place of loneliness and torment?” I scrolled up to the beginning of chapter 25 and read verses 1 and 2 which say, “In you, Lord my God, I put my trust. I trust in you; do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me.” How can this be the same chapter that I am reading? In verse 1 David is putting his trust in God and believing in the Lord to not let anything harm him. Reading down David asks God to show him the ways of the Lord, to guide him, and to teach him, while all of David’s hope is in God. 

As I try and imagine how David can be so lonely, as shown in vv.16, when he is so close to God; I find a footnote in my NIV study Bible, which says that David was the target of his enemy’s words. In a sense, David was mostly dealing with spiritual warfare to not let his spirit take in all the nastiness that was being said to him. 

I find it so encouraging that David has gone through this situation, because in our world today there are so many “bullies” that come against us. Satan tries to tell us “you are all alone” or “you are worthless”, but through this cry of David we continue down to see that in verses 19-21 David says to God, “See how my enemies have increased and how fiercely they hate me! Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you. May my integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you.” David is completely trusting in God! David knows that God is holding him through the hard times no matter what, because David does not let anything askew his faith, trust, and hope in God! 

As I feel hopeless and lonely in my dorm room praying the same prayer as David did; I am encouraged to know that I am not alone! God is with me, and I know that He is holding on to me because I remain faithful to Him. Loneliness is not supposed to be a lesson of selfishness, but a lesson of giving. Give yourself to God today and let Him use you in this trial season of your life. Choose not to let your heart be troubled but to speak in faith as David has shown us how to do. 

A few more encouragement verses to look up are:

• Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
• 1 Corinthians 3:16 “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s spirit dwells in your midst?”
• Psalms 119:116 “Sustain me, my God, according to your promise, and I will live; do not let my hopes be dashed.” 
• Hebrews 10:23 “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”
• 2 Thessalonians 2:16 “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope,”
• 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”

Small Achievements that Make Me Smile!

I am so excited because I weighed my self last night on 3 separate scales (2 at my house and 1 at a friends) and they all said that I weighed 170.0 lb.!!! This excites me to no end!! I am so thrilled and I know it is a small step because last time I went to the doctor I was 174. lb. so that means I am down about 4 pounds!! But that is a step in the right direction! My realistic goal weight is about 160 right now but my overall goal weight is 150. Since I am about 5'3" in height I think both are a good manageable goals to reach! I have always and will always be a curvy girl but my entire goal is to be healthier than I am now. I would also like to be able to run a 5k which is 3.1 miles. Growing up with asthma made the idea of running unimaginable, but I have been able to learn how to control my asthma to the point that now I can run about a mile and a half pretty well! I am hoping to be in a 5k race by next summer!

Recent Picture

This was the only full body picture I could find!

I am so excited for the things God is teaching me and equipping me to do. Being a college student is hard on our bodies and our spiritual lives! I hope to overcome both obstacles this coming school year, and have a social life. Well, its time to start packing again!

Does anyone have any tips for packing? I would love some advice and new tips and tools to get this moving process over with!

Proverbs 15:30 (NIV)

A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones.

Summer Time Catch Up

Hi everyone, This summer has been a whirl wind of unending things to do and accomplish! I have been fortunate enough to have much needed family time with my family as well as my future family (in-laws). So for this catch up blog I am going to post some of my favorite pictures from this summer! Also I should mention most of the pictures have been edited through Instagram.

Our new hobby is Geocaching!

Pretty Pictures of Tony and I!

Left; My brother and his friend. Right; Add a kid advertisement!

Down; Summer Travels

I hope your summer was wonderful and relaxing!

Now off to pack for school!

The Lord is my Strength!

I need strength! I am nothing without the strength of the LORD! His strength is what keeps me together, it holds my little broken world better than any glue man has made! I felt the need to share these verses with you, for my sake if no one else's.

Exodus 15: 2 The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation...

Deuteronomy 6:5 Love the Lord your God with all you heart, and with all your soul and with all your strength.

2 Samuel 22:33 It is God who arms me with strength and makes my ways perfect.

Nehemiah 8:10 ... Do not greave, for the joy of the Lord is our strength.

Psalms 28:7-8 The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. The Lord is the strength of his people a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.

Psalms 46:1 God is our refuge and strength and ever-present help in trouble.

Psalms 118:14 The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.

Isaiah 40:31 But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; the will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

1 Corinthians 1: 25 For the foolishness of god is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.

Philippians 4:13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

As I think on these top scriptures I find that strength is only given through God. No matter how hard we try to strengthen ourselves, we will always remain weak to God’s strength. I also find it interesting that strength is not one of the fruits of the spirit; Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and self-Control. But oddly enough not one of us can give in to these traits with out strength. We need God’s strength to help us acquire these fruit. I find that I am at my weakest spiritually when I have messed up in one of the fruits of the spirit. For example; when do not act lovingly then I know my strength is weak, or when I loose my patience easily, I am in need of God’s strength. There is no human way to exude all the fruits of the Spirit and Godly character with out God’s strength! I charge everyone to pray God’s strength in to your lives!

Psalms 119:28 My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word.

Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will Strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Violin Camp

So today all of the campers came for institute! The campus is hopping tonight! Honestly, my best and worst memories were made at Suzuki Institute and I wouldn’t trade any of them! I have made life long friendships, life long mentors, and i have learned more lessons about who I am opposed to how well I play! No matter where I am I know I have a connection with everyone here. Music makes a person connect unlike anything else! Suzuki is unlike any other music curriculum I have seen. They call it an “approach to learning” so there is always room for self expression or experimental elements. What I love about Suzuki is that the parents involvement is so crucial to how well a student improves. So a lot of the teaching is taught to the parent who in turn helps the child to understand. The parents are a key role in their children’s musical education. Dr. Suzuki thought of learning music like a language. It is easer and faster to learn a language if a person is immersed through a constant environment. So the thinking is to immerse the student in music to help the learning process.

“The destiny of a child is in his parents hands”- Dr. Suzuki

To me I love that my mom was so involved and I think it is just what parents need to give their children the one on one attention they want. Suzuki is a great music curriculum!!

Brain Storming New Ideas

With the rise of behavioral disorders in children and the amount of problems within the educational world, it has come to my attention that as a future educator I will deal with these issues. So many children are way to highly medicated and under disciplined. I was at our church camp and noticed that over half of our campers in the grades of 4 and 5 were on at least two daily medications. And most of the medications were to treat a behavioral issue, such as ADHD, depression, anxiety, etc.. Now I do realize that for many kids these types of medical issues are very real and require some form of treatment. I myself am on ADHD medication to help me finish college. So I totally understand this treatment as a valid solution. But, is there anything more we can do? Are there other options beyond the traditional world of medicine? Is there a way to give a child an outlet for bad behavior or good behavior? I have been a Sizuki Violin student and teacher. I believe that there is so many benefits to children learning an instrument! I believe learning to play an instrument can help with all sorts of behavioral issues! I also believe that learning an instrument can help with learning disabilities! So I am wondering if anyone has some questions, comments, or input about me blogging about music incorporated in ADHD therapy and treatment? I feel like this could be a new stomping ground for some to understand. So if anyone is interested in reading about this topic please let me know! I am interested in seeing any kind of response! Or if anyone doesn’t like the idea let me know that as well! I am trying to understand and research all this out too. Thanks for your input!

Falcon Youth Camp 2011

I can not believe that camp is over for this year! It feels like it just started and now I have to wait a whole year for camp to come again! God has been working so much in me lately and has shown me so much during camp! The first week I was there I had two girls accept Jesus for the first time and about 5 who rededicated! We serve a mighty and holy God!

My heart is on fire for the future generation right now! We live in such a corrupt and sinful world and everyone seems to be okay with the way that we are living. But It is not okay!!!! As Christians we are called to live above what the world says is fine and live according to what the bible tells us to do! I know that I am guilty of living a life below the standards of God but I am so thankful that we all have a God who can and does forgive! No matter what we have done or what we will do God is always willing to forgive if we have a heart that is sincerely sorry.

We need to not be okay with a “little white lie” or watching TV that has sex, alcohol, cursing, and drugs. We need to think twice before we listen to another song that is on the Top 100 list. We need to not make Idols of the celebrities today because they will be gone tomorrow.

Our children are growing up thinking that it is “normal” to cheat on a test or to bully someone. Its normal for kids to experiment with drugs, alcohol and homosexuality. That Sex is what everyone is doing, and that talking back to parents and authorities are how a normal conversation is to occur.

I don’t know about you but the current stat in which this generation is in breaks my heart! Our world may seem fine to everyone but let me tell you, it is ripping at the seems! I know that we are in moral chaos.

The only answer for what is coming and what is happening now is Prayer. Parents, teachers, leaders, please, please pray for our young people!

It is not to late because I have seen teenagers lives changed with prayer. The youth of this generation are crying out for answers and hope!

We have an obligation and it is not optional.

A New Season

Daniel 2:21 “He controls the times and the seasons; He makes and unmakes kings; it is he who gives wisdom and understanding.”

The flowers are blooming bees are buzzing, birds are flying higher; this is spring. Spring has always been one of my favorite seasons because of its new life, color, and growth. This season I feel like God is growing me just like the spring is developing. A new season of my life is that is going to help me understand more of who I am, and who God is to me.
The verse at the beginning of this blog has shaken my world. Understanding that God controls the time and seasons seems normal for anyone, because God is the creator of the universe, so why wouldn’t he control the time and seasons. To me this is just reinstating that our God is a powerful God (and don’t you forget it); He knows and holds our world in close watch. I also think that this could be a metaphor for our lives. As He is growing and shaping us. God takes His people through seasons to teach them the things that will be needed as life goes on.
I have recently been diagnosed with ADHD. School has always been a struggle for me, but growing up home-schooled I was able to work around what ever troubles that occurred. However, College is a beast of it’s own kind. I have noticed recently that I was having a much harder time focusing on my professors, homework, and sheet music. So with some testing it was concluded that I have ADHD with inattentiveness. This may not come to a shock to any of my family members or close friends, but I still had to deal with taking on another learning difficulty. As far as an action towards this discovery, I am just doing some research and finding out as much as I can about it during the summer. I would love to know if any of you have some ideas in combating this.
God is making and unmaking kings and purging some of my feelings of low self-assurance. As I step forth into this new season I am asking for wisdom and understanding which only God can give; I am trusting in Him to sustain me and help me finish the school year strong!

First Project Of The Summer!

My first day home from college and my creativeness what begging for an outlet! After searching my house, I finally found some yarn! The yarn was the Wal-Mart brand baby pink and a calico pink, brown, and green. I crocheted the two yarns together for a thicker feel for the wash cloth. I used a "m" hook size. The wash cloth took about an hour to make.

The pattern is...

1) Chain 21- turn.

2) Double stitch first row. This row should have 20 stitches. turn.

3) single stitch second row.

4) Alternating rows 2 and 3, continue until the was cloth is square, approximately 15 rows.

5) End- Chain tightly 15, then slip stitch in to the last stitch, tie off and hide ending.

Ta-da finished product!!

Happy Mother's day!!

Tell me what is everyone doing for their mother's??

Wasp, Don't you touch my Coffee!

So let me just start off by saying I HATE WASPS! I hate them with a deep passion! I do not believe that there is a part of me that could ever learn to love a wasp or at least like them! So I decided to find out a little more on these skeletal nightmares of mine. Through Wikipedia.com (don’t hate me and please correct me if I am wrong) I learned that…

1. Wasps can vary in color between dark yellows, to brown and dark black.

2. These wasps have little to no hair.

3. They have two long legs that are visible hanging down while in flight.

4. They do not have pollen baskets.

5. Two out of four insects from the wasp family are aggressive. The Yellow Jacket, and The Bald-faced Hornet.

6. The Paper Wasp, and the Hornet (European hornet) are gentler.

7. The Paper Wasps are the ones that hang out around my college campus eat other insects for food.

8. CAN STING!

9. The sting pain is rated at a 3.0 for a Paper Wasp!!!! (ouch)

10. The paper wasp is not attracted to light at all.

11. They make homes out of small umbrella-shaped papery combs hanging horizontally in protected spaces such as attics, leaves, or soil cavities.

I am not going to say that knowing more about these little torments makes me dislike them less. It just makes me know that I do not want to get in a tussle with these 3.0 sting pain rate insects! That is for sure!

As Christians shouldn’t we also view sin the same way we view our air born terrors? We should yell out and feel as strongly about hating sin as we do bees or wasps! There are three things that come to mind when I think of a wasp; the wasp is sneaky, the wasp will eventually sting, and the wasp can be uncontrollable.

My most recent encounter with a wasp was the other day as I went to buy some coffee from a local coffee house, on my way back to the car a wasp gently lands on the top of my coffee can. Well, needless to say I freaked out and dropped my coffee can on to the ground. As the wasp then crawled out from under the metal can heavy from the fullness of the ground up coffee beans, a man walked up from behind me and stepped on the intruding insect, thus saving me from this potentially angry wasp! You can imagine I was quite thankful for the man, and that my full can of coffee did not spill out all over the sidewalk.

Sometimes like the wasp in my story, sin can be sneaky. Flying in unannounced and landing on us. Our sneaky little wasp (Satan) whispers in our ears, “oh this one little lie won’t hurt anyone,” or “Just take it, the cashier won’t even notice or care,” or “Just take one little sip.” Then Wham Pow we are stung!

One little sin can start out like a small sting, then the sting can turn to an itch, then to a rash and by this point an all out infection. From the Message Bible in Romans 5:12 it says, “You know the story of how Adam landed us in the dilemma we’re in–first sin, then death, and no one is exempt from either sin or death.” I know that this verse seems pretty unpleasant, but there is hope! Just like the man who came from behind me in the story to save me from my wasp encounter, Jesus came for us and stepped on sin by dying on the cross and taking our punishment for sin upon himself! All we have to do is Confess what we have done wrong, Ask God to forgive, and He WILL!!

I guess there is something to learned from the wasp!

Where's the Fire?

When the term "Burnt Out" is said, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Maybe a light bulb, a car, a person? But what about church? I believe that this term, "Burnt Out," concerning the church has been misconstrued throughout our generation and the many generations before us. So here are a few reasons why I believe that we as a body of Christ claim to get Burnt Out on church.

First off, we are the church; people are the church! The building where people meet for worship is what we call the “church”, but it is really the people who make up the Church. So if someone says, “I feel burnt out on church,” this really states that the person is tired of the people in the building, or tired of mundanely going to the building.

The definition I found on the word "Burnt Out" comes from The Free Dictionary website which reads: " 1) burnt-out: exhausted as a result of longtime stress." Stress is a natural human experience; no one will ever go through life and not be stressed. Stress can be a product of school, work, children, etc.; life in general is stressful and problematic. But, there is hope to this obstacle, in Psalm 55:22 it says, "Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall." (NIV). So when all the pressures of life are building up, and it seems like there is no relief in sight, I believe it is not God that we are burnt out on. When we feel exhausted and just can't go on any more, that is the time we turn and run towards God. He will catch us, hold us, and care for our weary heart.

Women in the church are terrible for wanting to show their strength and femininity by being “Super Woman.” This is an unattainable goal for women and leaves us feeling worn out and tired! So we as women burn ourselves out on church. The mentality that Proverbs 31 gives women is impossible, but that is what we believe a real woman of God to be. Yes, I do believe that we are to strive to be the best possible for our families, and others around us, but one key point is that the Proverbs 31 women were relying on God to be given the strength needed to be sustained throughout the day We need to turn to God each morning and pray that He will guide and strengthen us to do what is needed, as well as enjoy the wonderful blessings of God around us.

The second definition also from The Free Dictionary website is "2) burnt-out: destroyed or badly damaged by fire." There will also be a time in life of damage. Sadly we live in a broken world, a world that will eat a person up and spit them back out without a care in the world.The saddest part is that we can be damaged, then damage others. Sin creates this death trap that just keeps going and going like the energizer bunny. I believe that this happens far too many times to many people in the church. Either we are hurt and thus shy away from the church or we hurt our selves by sinning and being ashamed of our actions. Like the old saying goes, "If you play with fire, you will get burned!" This is just apart of life. But God is reaching out saying, "Let me heal you, do not be ashamed; give me your burdens. I can fix you, I can make your pain go away. Just come to me, let me in you're heart, let me love you!"

So do not say that you are "Burnt Out" on God, or Church, because it is not true. We get burnt out on ourselves, and life. Church is meant to encourage, strengthen, build, and deepen our walk with Christ. Instead of being burnt out, I challenge everyone to go and meet with the body of Christ with a heart of expectancy. Go to church knowing that God is going to change hearts and heal lives of brokenness. Never let our hearts grow stale, let Jesus heal you from the inside out.

by Anna Barbara and Tony Feagin