Butterfly Princess

We gave our kids their presents this morning and one of Rayah’s gifts was a butterfly fairy dress and a jewelry set to go with it, complete with shoes, crown, earrings, rings, and a wand. Her Royal Chubbiness could barely fit into the dress – lol – but that was part of what made her look so cute. I couldn’t resist posting a few pictures…

Our Advent Experience

Yesterday we finished our 24-Day Advent Experience using the eBook Truth in the Tinsel and I’m so glad we did it! Having never celebrated Advent before, it was a new experience for both me and the kids and we all loved it. Justice especially loved retrieving the daily clue, reading the scripture passage with daddy and doing the craft for that day. Each one helped solidify his knowledge and understanding of the birth of Jesus and it all culminated with the message of the Cross and how Jesus came to die for us to save us from our sins and give us the gift of eternal life.

While I don’t know exactly how much Justice and Rayah comprehend of the lessons we are teaching them, I believe that these seeds we are sowing will produce much good fruit. I eagerly look forward to the day when my kids will make their own personal decision to accept Jesus’ sacrifice for them and make him their Lord, but until then, I am simply enjoying the journey of telling them, and hopefully showing them, who Jesus is and how much He loves them.

I love seeing these seeds of truth being planting in their hearts.

I love hearing them sing songs of worship to Jesus in the wee hours of the morning.

I love watching them pour over the Bible and becoming familiar with its stories.

I love hearing Justice drum to worship music and watching Rayah dance or lift her hands.

I love listening to these early, innocent, creative and sincere prayers that they offer up to God.

I love seeing and experiencing the story of Jesus’ birth through their eyes.

This Christmas, I am just so thankful for how much we have been given and for the opportunity to share with my kids what God has so graciously and abundantly given to me. My prayer is that this Christmas, my kids will receive revelation of who Jesus is and how He feels about them and that His love will go deep into their hearts in a way that will root them and ground them in Him for the rest of their lives. My heart is full.

  
  
  
  

The Essential Jesus – Isaiah 9:6-7 – His Government and Peace

You can read about the origins of this blog series on The Essential Jesus here and catch up on previous posts here.

Though I wasn’t due to write about Isaiah 9 for quite some time, I figured it was fitting to write about it during the month of December, as it is a key prophecy about the birth of Jesus. Since there was simply so much contained in just these 2 verses, I split it up into several posts that each focus on a certain phrase, with the last one being “His Government and Peace”. Merry Christmas!!

Isaiah 9:6-7

When I come into my Kingdom, the government of the earth will rest on my shoulders. I will gladly shoulder this responsibility and I am, in fact, the only one capable of doing so. I am the perfect leader and the burden of leadership over all of mankind is no burden at all for me!

My government is also an increasing one that began thousands of years ago and which is growing daily. The bounds of my Kingdom are ever expanding and its glory is ever shining brighter and brighter until it reaches its perfection.

The gates of hell will not prevail against my Church – it will keep reaching out and taking territory from my enemy. What joy I take in rescuing souls from the kingdom of darkness and conveying them into my Kingdom of light! My government and peace are relentless in their expansion, for I am relentless in my pursuit of the hearts of mankind! I am forever wooing and winning the love of my subjects and conquering sin and wickedness, that I might rule and reign in their hearts.

The more you submit to my leadership and rule, the more peace you will experience, for as my government increases, so does my peace. Allow me to govern your day, your thoughts, your emotions, your actions, your time, your words and watch the result of peace that will flood into your life! The more you say, “yes” to my Holy Spirit within you, the more you will be set free from fear and doubt and anxiety and striving.

As both the Root and Offspring of David, I will rule and reign upon the throne of David and over his kingdom, for my Father has given it to me and has set me on His holy hill in Zion. Where there has been chaos, I will order it and establish it, setting all things in their rightful place. I will be both a King and Judge and I will judge all things rightly with true justice.

In fact, I am the only one worthy to take the scroll from my Father, the title deed to the earth, and to open it and unleash its judgments. I am the only one able to judge the earth and its inhabitants perfectly with righteousness and equity, for I am the only one who was slain and who gave my very own life for mankind. I shed my blood and bore the wrath of my Father in order to redeem you to Him, which makes me the only one worthy to receive the power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.

Just and true are all my ways, as King of the saints, for I alone am holy. I will reign from that time forward, even forever. My Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and my dominion will never pass away or be destroyed. All peoples, nations and languages will serve and worship me, for it is from every tribe and tongue and people and nation that I have redeemed my chosen ones.

Not only will I reign as King of kings, but I will make my subjects kings and priests who will also reign with me on the earth. For in addition to being a King and a Judge, I am also a Bridegroom and you are my Bride and I desire to have you seated with me, ruling together with me, partnering with me in bringing my purposes to pass.

The zeal of my Father, the Lord of hosts, will perform this! My Father, who is the Lord Almighty, the Lord of the Armies of Heaven – He is jealous for His own honor, to bring to pass His word and to accomplish His purposes. The One who holds the heavenly hosts in His hands, who created all things, who has ultimate power and who commands an angelic army - He is passionate and filled with zeal to see me established on my throne. He trusts me explicitly to rule and reign in accordance to the desires of His heart and He is committed and determined to bring this to fulfillment.

All of this and more was being proclaimed and prophesied in my first advent and you will see it all unfold to its completion at my second advent. Surely I am coming quickly!

** This post was influenced by Matthew Henry’s Commentary on Isaiah 9 and David Guzik’s Study Guide for Isaiah 9 as well as the following scriptures: Isaiah 60; Matthew 16:18; Colossians 1:12-14; Revelation 22:16; Revelation 5:1-14; Revelation 15:3-4; Daniel 7:13-14; Ephesians 2:6-7; Revelation 22:20 **

The Essential Jesus – Isaiah 9:6-7 – Prince of Peace

You can read about the origins of this blog series on The Essential Jesus here and catch up on previous posts here.

Though I wasn’t due to write about Isaiah 9 for quite some time, I figured it was fitting to write about it during the month of December, as it is a key prophecy about the birth of Jesus. And since there is simply so much contained in just these 2 verses, I am splitting it up into several posts that each focus on a certain phrase, today’s being “Prince of Peace”.

Isaiah 9:6-7

I am the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of my government and peace there will be no end. I will sit upon the throne of David and rule over my kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of my Father, the Lord of hosts, will perform this!

When I come, I will bring an end to all war, strife, division and turmoil. I will bring an everlasting peace to the minds and hearts of the subjects in my kingdom. There will be no more anxiety, worry, contention, striving, or fear – just absolute peace.

But you don’t have to wait for that day to experience the peace that comes from me. Today you can choose to surrender your fears and anxieties to me and receive my peace that passes understanding, my peace which comes as a guard around your mind and heart. When I left the earth to return to my Father, I left my peace with you and gave it as a gift to preserve and keep you until I return for you. My peace is available for you when you feel troubled or afraid, that the trials of this life would not be able to shake you or overcome you.

For my peace is not a passive, weak gift, but it is a weapon of warfare against the schemes of the enemy, effective for fighting off his attacks. I am the God of peace who will crush Satan underneath your feet! I am your Prince of Peace who fights for you and I myself am your peace, so you will have peace by welcoming and embracing me. Hold fast to me and I will fill you with my peace by the power of my Holy Spirit.

But my peace isn’t only for you personally, it is for my Bride as a whole, for I came to bring oneness and unity in my Church by breaking down every dividing wall. In my flesh I abolished all enmity between Jew and Gentile, man and woman, master and slave, rich and poor, young and old. I came and preached peace, that you might know my heart for you and be empowered to release your offenses, your bitterness, your strife, your prejudices and love one another unconditionally. You are not all separate and disconnected from each other, for I came to make peace between you, creating one new man. As the Prince of Peace, it is my heart’s desire for there to be complete peace among my subjects, that my Bride would live in peace and remove every dividing wall, for I came to reconcile you to each other, as well as to my Father.

However, I did not come to bring peace as the world interprets it, but a sword. The sword is the instrument by which peace will be brought, for I will come with the sword to cut away all those things that are keeping you from peace. My wisdom is first pure and then peaceable, so as long as you try to hold on to those things which are impure, you can never have true peace.

Also, by proclaiming allegiance to me and picking up your cross and following me, it is a direct act of warfare with the world, so you must expect trials and persecution as a result. To embrace me and my peace will also mean that the people closest to you, in your own family, may turn against you. My peace doesn’t mean you will never experience difficult circumstances, but it does mean that you can experience internal peace in the midst of them.

For though I came to bring peace on earth and good will towards men, I also came with a sword to declare war on all sin and wickedness and injustice. To be friends with the world is to be my enemy, for the world advocates those very things that make true peace impossible. So you too must declare war on all things that are contrary to my ways, for as long as you hold onto them, you will find that you have unrest in your soul and will not be at peace with my Spirit who dwells in you. For my Spirit yearns jealously within you, for you to submit completely to my leadership in your life, as your Prince and as your King.

** This post was influenced by Matthew Henry’s Commentary on Isaiah 9 and David Guzik’s Study Guide for Isaiah 9 as well as the following scriptures: Ephesians 2:13-18; Luke 2:14; Matthew 10:34-39; James 3:17; John 14:27; 2 Thessalonians 3:16; Romans 16:20; Philippians 4:6-7; James 4:4-8 **

A Toothy Accident – Part 2

For those of you who don’t already know, my daughter Rayah had an accident back in April where she fell down a couple steps off our deck and knocked three of her bottom teeth forwards. It was gruesome and a little traumatic and we feared the worst, that she would lose all three teeth, but God performed a miracle and the teeth were saved! Many times over the last few months, my husband and I have made remarks about how beautiful her teeth look and how amazed we are at how well they healed. She has such a beautiful smile, as you can see!

Well, this last Tuesday, the kids were playing football upstairs while I was working in my office downstairs. Justice especially loves to play “tackle football” and was chasing Rayah towards the stairs. It was only a few moments when I heard the dreadful thump, thump, thump and immediate wail from Rayah as she fell down several steps (I’m not sure how many exactly). I quickly scooped her up and saw her mouth full of blood yet again and immediately noticed a gaping hole where a tooth had obviously been knocked out. All I could think was, “Not again!!”

I managed to remain calm and not panic or call 9-1-1 this time, and after I was able to clean her up and assess the damage, I could see the slit down the front of her gums where the tooth’s root had torn through and I worried that she had swallowed the tooth. Once I had given her a little baby Tylenol and her soother and she had calmed down, I went back to the bottom of the stairs and sure enough, there was her tooth – root and all. I tried to get from Justice what had happened and he denied pushing her, but eventually it came out that he had thrown the football at her while she was going down the stairs, which is why she fell.

I then called the dentist who had treated her from the last tooth incident and they told me to put the tooth in milk and to bring her in. I was skeptical that they would be able to do anything to save the tooth and once we brought her in, my suspicions were confirmed. They do not try to save baby teeth, as it can actually damage the adult tooth growing beneath it, so they simply examined her and said she was fine and that her new tooth would grow in in 3-4 years.

I am so grateful she didn’t get hurt more seriously and that she only lost one tooth but I’m still a little sad. Of course, she is still as beautiful as ever, but I’ll still miss that little tooth.

The Essential Jesus – Isaiah 9:6-7 – Everlasting Father

You can read about the origins of this blog series on The Essential Jesus here and catch up on previous posts here.

Though I wasn’t due to write about Isaiah 9 for quite some time, I figured it was fitting to write about it during the month of December, as it is a key prophecy about the birth of Jesus. And since there is simply so much contained in just these 2 verses, I am splitting it up into several posts that each focus on a certain phrase, today’s being “Everlasting Father”.

Isaiah 9:6-7

I am the Everlasting Father, for I am God, one with my Father, who is from everlasting to everlasting. I am the Father of eternity, the very source and author of everlasting life and of the great work of redemption. I am the Creator, existing for eternity past with my Father and the Holy Spirit, partnering with them both in the works of creation.

Eternity itself and time and the endlessness of time in both directions was my design and idea. I am the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. I am eternal and unchanging, the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. I am He who is and who was and who is to come. I am He who called the generations from the beginning, ordaining the ages and setting in place the times and places of the events of history.

Before me there was no god formed, nor shall there be after Me. Indeed, before the day was, I am He, I am God, I am the Lord and besides me there is no Savior! I am the First and the Last; besides me there is no God. I inhabit eternity, for it belongs to me and eternal life is my gift to you.

I invite you to share eternity with me and to experience pleasures at my right hand forevermore! For this is eternal life – to know my Father and to know me – it is my joy to give to you the fullness of joy in my presence by spending all of eternity revealing my glory to you, the glory that I had with my Father before the world was.

I am giving you the ability to inhabit eternity with me and for everlasting ages I will satisfy your heart with the knowledge of Our heart, for there is no end to the glory and depths of wisdom and beauty in Me!

** This post was influenced by Matthew Henry’s Commentary on Isaiah 9 and David Guzik’s Study Guide for Isaiah 9 as well as the following scriptures: Revelation 1:8; Hebrews 13:8; Isaiah 41:4; Isaiah 43:10-13; Isaiah 44:6; John 17:2-5; Psalm 16:11 **

The Essential Jesus – Isaiah 9:6-7 – Mighty God

You can read about the origins of this blog series on The Essential Jesus here and catch up on previous posts here.

Though I wasn’t due to write about Isaiah 9 for quite some time, I figured it was fitting to write about it during the month of December, as it is a key prophecy about the birth of Jesus. And since there is simply so much contained in just these 2 verses, I am splitting it up into several posts that each focus on a certain phrase, today’s being “Mighty God”. In this one, Jesus got a bit more personal with me, so I’ll include my own name in here, but you can replace it with your name and ask Him to speak to you about the issues that are closest to your heart.

Isaiah 9:6-7

I am the Mighty God. I am the One who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth. I am the Commander of the armies of heaven, riding victoriously. I hold everything together by the power of my Word, by the strength of my right hand. I am mighty in battle, a fierce warrior and judge to my enemies, and I am also mighty to save, demonstrating my power on behalf of the weak and lowly and repentant, to rescue them from the grip of sin and death and oppression.

I am a mighty man of war, coming in my zeal and wrath against wickedness, sickness, bondage, deception, poverty, murder, and oppression of every kind. I am coming to show my power and strength to rescue and deliver the sick and broken, to rescue those in chains – both literal and spiritual, to break the power of every lie of the enemy, to break the back of poverty and bring the poor into great abundance, to deliver the innocent lives from death, and to set free every person being exploited, abused, crushed or taken advantage of!

There is no foe, no enemy, no stronghold, no demon, no principality that is beyond my ability to defeat and soundly destroy! I have the power to end human trafficking, abortion, wars, famine, cancer, epidemics, unjust governments, homosexuality, divorce, infertility, murder, atheism, Islam, every cult and false religion or god, and even the sin and compromise in my own Church. There is NOTHING that can stand in the face of my zeal and my love. I am mighty to tear them down and to bring healing and restoration to every one who has been victimized by them.

Jacquie, I am your Mighty God. I am mighty in battle on your behalf. I am stronger than your every weakness and failing. Every thing in your life that looks impossible is nothing to me. I am jealous for your heart and I am mighty to finish the work I have started in you.

I am powerful to deliver you from shame and to set you free from fear.

I am mighty to save your loved ones – their hard hearts will be my joy to soften and unlock and transform before your very eyes.

I am mighty to overcome the pain and hatred and deception in that broken relationship – I am more than able to bring restoration and healing where it appears impossible.

I AM going to heal your jaw – trust me – and know that I take great joy in you as you keep asking me with your mustard seed of faith – don’t give up!

I want to confront and tear down every lie and every accusation that the enemy has made about me to your heart! He would make me out to be weak, uncaring, and incompetent, but I want you to know me for who I really am! I want to demonstrate my power that is working in you, for you and for those you love.

Don’t believe his lies!! Don’t try to protect your heart from disappointment or embarrassment by planning for or expecting the worst (that I won’t answer your prayers) and barely hoping for the best. Believe me and what I tell you! I AM MIGHTY!!! My strength and power is beyond anything you could possibly imagine! My abilities would blow your mind and captivate your heart if you had the courage to fully believe them and put your faith and trust in me.

I give you permission to tear down the idols that you have made out of your fears and problems, for you have set them higher than me.

Look at the confidence and boldness that David had in me and my power when he faced Goliath. He was full of faith and courage because he knew my heart and my strength from the place of intimacy with me. It’s not a false hope or hype or prosperity gospel I’m asking you to embrace – it’s ME! Those who know their God will be strong and do mighty exploits. Don’t be afraid of the giants in your life or let them intimidate you with their lies.

Do you want to confront the giant of abortion and the plight of the orphan in your city and nation? So do I! I realize it’s way bigger than you and you can’t battle it alone, but you’re not alone! I am with you! I am backing you up!

Do you dream of making a difference, making an impact and inspiring and equipping people to pray and intercede? So do I! Are you small, lacking in resources and knowledge? Well, I’m not! I have all the strength, money and wisdom you could ever need and more!

Are you becoming more aware of your own struggle with the desire to pray? I am mighty to fill your inner man with strength and perseverance by the power of my Holy Spirit. Your weakness is no obstacle or discouragement to me, for it is my joy and delight to woo you and win your heart in the place of prayer and to produce joy in my house of prayer (in your own heart) and to give you my abundant grace to pray.

Are you aware of the power of my blood? My grace is sufficient for you in your weakness! My strength and might is made available to you through my blood shed on the cross.

I AM THE MIGHTY GOD!! This is my name by which I am called. It’s not just a quality I possess – it’s WHO I AM ALL THE TIME.

** This post was influenced by the following scriptures: Isaiah 48:13; Daniel 4:35; Revelation 19:11-16; Hebrews 1:3; Psalm 89:13; Psalm 24:8; Isaiah 63:1; Isaiah 42:13; Isaiah 61:1-3; Mark 10:27; Philippians 1:6; Daniel 11:32; Ephesians 3:16; 2 Corinthians 12:9 **

Truth in the Tinsel: Special Discount Price!

As you may know, I got the opportunity to review Truth in the Tinsel: An Advent Experience for Little Hands by Amanda White from ImpressYourKids.com, which is a 24-day eBook that counts you and your kids down to Christmas Day with an interactive telling of the Christmas story through crafts and scriptures and ideas for talking with your kids about Jesus’ birth.

Well, my kids and I have been LOVING it!! After doing it for these first 12 days of December, it has been a FANTASTIC way to teach them the story of Jesus’ birth and they are really getting it! I am amazed at all the details Justice is able to remember from the story and that he is learning valuable lessons along the way as well. And of course they love the crafts and making ornaments for the Christmas tree each day.

But for those of you who missed getting the book earlier, I wanted to let you know that Amanda is putting on a one day sale today for 20% off Truth in the Tinsel by using the promo code 12DAYS - ending at midnight ET tonight!! When you go to download your copy of the eBook, it will also provide you with an alternative 12-day schedule that will allow you to participate in this “advent-ure” for the next 12 days leading up to Christmas! Here you can see some pictures of how much fun we’ve been having…

I would so highly recommend that you take advantage of this deal, as it will be so worth it! We are having a ton of fun with it and Jesus is being glorified and celebrated in a way that is impacting and impressing the Word upon the hearts of my kids!

**Note: Because I think Truth in the Tinsel is so great, I decided to become an affiliate, so if you buy the eBook after clicking one of the links in this post or by clicking the button in my sidebar, I will receive a percentage from the sale. If you buy it and love it as much as I do, consider becoming an affiliate too!**

Book Review: The Names of God Bible

I recently got the opportunity to review The Names of God Bible, of which the general editor is Ann Spangler, the bestselling author of Praying the Names of God. This Bible is in the God’s Word Translation (GW) which seeks to accurately translate the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek text into a contemporary English equivalent that expresses the meaning of the text in a way that can be naturally read and understood. Ann has extensively studied the names of God throughout the Bible and has included her insights in this Bible in several different ways to aid you in your own study, which includes the following resources:

• The most significant names and titles of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are written in a colored bold text in their original Hebrew or Aramaic so that they can be easily found within the text.
• There are references in the columns to the next occurrence of that name of God for an easy-to-follow path throughout the Bible. There is also a reference table that shows where the chain begins for each name of God.
• Name pages include an explanation of the name of God, key Scripture passages in which it’s meaning is revealed, a devotional reading to help you use this name in your prayer time, and specific Bible promises connected to that name.
• Book introductions highlight main themes and provide a list of the specific names of God that appear in that book.
• Sidebars highlight people in the Bible and the names they used when calling on God. Key scriptures that you may want to reflect on or memorize are also highlighted.
• A topical prayer guide that highlights certain subjects that you may want to pray about and some recommended scripture passages to use.
• A table of the names of God and how many times they are used in the Bible.
• A name index that shows all the references for each name of God.
• A list of the key chapters to read for each name of God.
• Bible reading plans

As you can see, this Bible is full of many tools to help you in studying the names of God and seeing how they are used in the Scripture. The goal of this Bible is to help clarify the unique names of God that were used by the original authors where they have become somewhat generalized in our current English translations into vague references to God, Lord, or LORD. I personally love being able to know the original name in Hebrew or Aramaic so that I have a better understanding of what aspect of His character is being highlighted in each passage.

In this Bible, the editors chose to limit their list to the most significant names and titles of God. Personally, I found this a little disappointing, since I’ve always been intrigued by all the names and titles used for God and I noticed that many of these are not included. Though I realize it would be impossible to have an exhaustive study with all of the tools and resources for every single title used for God, I think it would have been nice if they were still highlighted and indexed for a fuller picture of the various titles used for God and Jesus while you are reading. This is especially true of the many titles given to Jesus in the New Testament - while the Bible does actually have the Name Pages that explain several titles of Jesus, none of these titles are in the colored bold text or have the chain references or are included in the Name Index – the only name highlighted is his Hebrew name’s equivalent of Yeshua. 

As for the Bible translation, I must admit it is not my favorite. I tend to prefer word-for-word translation as opposed to idea-for-idea and I enjoy the translations that seek accuracy over paraphrasing into a more modern English. This is just a personal preference, so there may be many people who like this translation, which might be more comparable to The Message version. It does accomplish it’s goal of being easy to read, but I think I’ve become too attached to my favorite translations.

However, having said all that, I have actually turned to this Bible several times since receiving it when I’ve wanted to know the specific name of God used in a verse. It has helped me discover the meaning behind a name and what it reveals about who God is and what He’s saying about Himself through these names, as well as showing me new names of God that I never knew existed! I think this is a great study tool to supplement your Bible reading, though I might not choose to use it as my every-day Bible. Lastly, even if it couldn’t highlight every title used for God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, I would have loved at least an index with an exhaustive list of all the titles He has been given.

Overall, I would recommend this Bible as a great resource and addition to your library that will whet your appetite with a taste of the names and titles of God that will cause you to want to dig deeper and search Him out further.

Bible has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Almond Tea Cookies

To continue with my Christmas cookie baking frenzy, I got this recipe for Almond Tea Cookies from my mom, and like the Coffee Fingers, she said she got it from an old church friend, this time named Marge Martens, and who knows if she was the original creator or if she also got it from someone else, but whoever created them, they are delicious!! When you read the ingredients on this one, you may just have to turn a blind eye to the amount of margarine – it’s certainly not about being healthy here folks!

Almond Tea Cookies

1 pound (2 cups) margarine, softened
1 1/2 cups ground almonds
1/2 cup sugar
3 cups flour
pinch salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1-2 cups icing sugar

1. Make the dough.
Cream butter with sugar. Add almonds. Work in flour and salt. Add vanilla. Like the Coffee Fingers, you may need to play with the dough and mush it in your hands until it all sticks together nicely and becomes a soft and pliable dough. If it’s too soft, you can refrigerate it for a little bit for easier handling, but when I put mine in the fridge overnight, it turned into a solid brick and I had to let it sit on my counter and return to room temperature again before I could roll it out.

2. Roll the dough.
Roll out on a lightly floured surface into 1/4″ thickness and cut into rectangular pieces about 1 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ (the size doesn’t really matter, but this seems to work good for me).

3. Bake at 350F for 10-14 minutes.
Take them out while still creamy colored, before they start browning too much.

4. Dip ‘em.
Cool partially and then dip until nicely coated in icing sugar. This seems to be the most tedious and time-consuming part of the whole process.

5. Enjoy!!
They can get kinda messy, but it’s worth it!

Next Page »