As I sit thinking about all of the wonderful blessings and challenges I have faced in 2016 and I praise GOD for his guiding hand in all things. I have many challenges ahead in 2017 and look forward to a new year with so many opportunities. I love yall, MERRY CHRISTMAS and many, many happy returns in 2017.
This time if year we all get into this infectious gift giving mode lead on by a cultural media that has totally given up on the true meaning of the holiday.
Then the question arises, what is the reason for the season? Is Jolly Old Saint Nicholas? Is it elves on our shelves? Perhaps it's just giving? I submit to you that we need a return to priority! I submit that first and foremost the reason for the season is a life or death situation!
JESUS is the real reason for the season! We celebrate his birth, his coming into this world to be a sacrifice for all of us before we were even born! So I submit to you in true celebration of the season first make sure you know JESUS as your savior that is the greatest gift given to us and the real reason for the season!! I love y'all and want to make sure everyone knows they have the greatest gift waiting on them in knowing they will spend eternity with him through a surrendering and submission to JESUS! I ask this of everyone reading this make today CHRISTMAS and repent of your sinful life and start today right now living for the greatest gift we can ever have, JESUS.
I was raised in Appalachia. I have been getting back to the basics of my raising for at least a year. I have had a real back to basics return to all things Appalachian! I have never felt more myself in all my life.
One thing i have planned to do as a part of my gardening activities is "leather britches". This is an old timey way to preserve green beans to use any time of the year. It is fairly easy to do and I can tell you that you will never eat another green bean recipe again. All you do is take cooking string or twine and a large sewing needle and string the whole green beans together and then hang them in a cool dry place to dry out. When your ready take the beans ham hock and onions and cook them together for an awesome Appalachian dish!
Just a quick Praise to GOD for a great day! We got some much needed rest and down time, then topped it off with a wonderful dinner of pecan smoked burgers and all the trimmings! Be grateful for all things! We are do blessed!
I find myself recently just in awe of old timey pictures, I have always been enthralled with black and whites but the photos I have been blessed to come across from friends and family members, and of course good Ol Pinterest have ignited a new passion for simplicity in my life.
I was blessed to have some great literature teachers in school who introduced me to life changing books like Walden, and I was blessed to be born and raised in Appalachia. My love for GOD, family and country has been instilled in me since I could walk. I have gotten back to my roots in the past few years and am so proud to feel that I am a simple GOD fearing American hillbilly who loves his cultural diversity and wants desperately to use it to spread love and a simple GODLY lifestyle to the world.
Now you may be saying why do you feel our technology is surpassing our humanity? Quite simply: how many of the generations we are raising and educating know where we came from not only as a country but as CHRISTIANS? If I were to assemble 20 youngins from the age of 10 to 18 how many of them could correctly answer historical questions about their families? How many could correctly answer historical questions about our country? How many, more importantly, could correctly answer questions about our religious history? But, how many of them could correctly answer historical questions about Facebook, or iPhones, or PlayStation games?
We as the passing generation do not need to stand by and just pass our children and grandchildren on to a new technology that will ultimately dehumanize if not used for the right reason!
All this being said I don't want anyone to think that I hate technology. I use all of the resources available to me to work, play, study and learn everyday. I do however believe like all things we shouldn't use it in a way that it becomes our focus, our GOD. We need to always use the resources we have been given to glorify God and not replace him.
As I laid in bed mulling over all the days happening's GOD laid something on my heart....... I had been replaying scenes in my head like a movie editor and as I was doing this I kept thinking "well that didn't go as I planned", over and over several times it went through my head, then just as I was settling for all the days events, GOD said it wasn't as you planned it was as I planned!!
I was humbled and started again going over all the days events but this time when I accepted the fact that I am GOD'S servant and all that happens is his will and not mine I started seeing things for what they were, BLESSINGS!
LORD, I pray that every breath I take I realize it's your will and your plans for my life, I want to show the world with all I do and say that no matter where people are in life it's GOD'S will and plans for their life he is blessing us with everything that happens. So next time you catch yourself telling GOD what the plan is or saying that wasn't in my plans stop for a moment and remember these are GOD'S plans not ours!
As I watch the events of the day I am compelled to wonder when does it change? It only begins to change when we start, so, if not us then who?
We decided late this afternoon to ride by our local park so bikes and skateboard's could be ridden and dad's could have a lil under the pines quiet time. I sat watching the world go by thinking about what I have seen and done in 44 years of existence on GOD'S wonderful creation it occurred to me again as it has before that I need to be always giving thanks for all things at all times. The apostle Paul taught us through many of the situations that GOD led him through no matter where he was he gave thanks for all things therein.
We fuss and grumble when things get rough and cry out to GOD to make it all rosy and sweet when maybe we need to thank him for where we are and the things he is teaching us by being here.
As I sit here this evening thinking about how blessed my life is I began thinking of ways to help people see how blessed they were in all things.
I first thought of John 3:16 and how plainly it tells us that GOD so loved the world he gave us his only son as a sacrifice for our sins, and that alone if it was the only blessing we ever received would in fact be the greatest blessing of any. But then I began to think of all the things we take for granted that are blessings: such as not just clothes on our back but nice clothes on our back! Then I decided I was going to start a list, a list of all the reasons GOD loves us!! Now at first I was thinking of obvious things like food to eat and a vehicle to drive. As I continued to think about it something occurred to me I needed to be more specific and more thankful.
I needed to begin in the beginning: Breath, I am genuinely thankful for and cherish every breath you give me LORD. This is where I begin every day and end every day, and every day I strive to be thankful for every aspect of my day, even when I am not happy with what's going on I am thankful for GOD leading me through these valleys because with everything I can learn something. Teach me with all that I am and all you would give LORD.
Just a quick blog to give GOD the glory!! I have been working on a 3part series that I want to complete before I publish them, but I have to glorify my GOD in the meantime!!
As I started this day I had such a burden on my heart to talk about prioritized lives, and focus on GOD. I have for a greater part of my life struggled with moving too quickly from thought to thought. I am implementing in my life a new train of thought in which I ask myself is it for GOD about any new endeavor I undertake. So in all aspects of my life I should always come back to one fact: GOD FIRST!!
I have been studying about Paul a lot lately and I have come to one conclusion: He was the man to be on missions trips with! It didn't matter whether he was in a jail cell or preaching and teaching to the masses, he praised GOD for the journey, where he was and the opportunity to witness CHRIST! I am praying that in my daily walk I can do just that!
Thank you LORD for another day, for giving us all our needs, and leading us into your will. What a wonderful day here in the deep south, even through the pain of my many diagnosis I am so blessed. I hope to start my On the porch segment tomorrow, thank y'all for all your support.
I have had the most amazing pleasure of watching some kinfolk working on our family tree. Here is my Great, Great Grandmother Rachel Hacker.
Here is the plan of salvation with scripture references straight from the book of Romans:
This evening i want to praise GOD for the health that I have. I have been battling a lot of issues and sometimes I can get caught up in these battles, so, I want to start tonight by acknowledging that GOD IS IN CONTROL!! I Praise him for the fact that he is guiding me through this valley.
I am grateful for a family that is supportive of me as I continue to prepare for GOD'S work and discipleship endeavors as I go out into ministry in whatever capacity GOD has for me.
I pray for our country, all our leaders and all of the citizens of the greatest country on the planet. I pray for a revival like the world has never seen!
I want to make sure that anyone reading this has the opportunity to come to CHRIST if he is not your savior, message me on here or Facebook or Instagram, please do not wait, tomorrow may be to late. If anyone has prayer requests please message them to me and I will add them to our list daily. Ol Hillbilly loves y'all and I pray we can spend some time every here on the porch!
I hear folks talking about I love him or I love her I will do anything to keep them and make them happy.......This is all well and good but my question as a 23 year receiver of marital bliss is this.......Have ya prayed and made sure GOD wants you two to be together? Is this union GOD'S will or yours? Is it based on the butterfly feelings you get only? If so you better hold up and take inventory if you want to have a GODLY relationship based on biblical principles and not societal tags that say if it feels good it must be good go for it!!
I can tell you as an observer of many relationships that if GOD is not first the relationship will not LAST!!
So I was deep in thought one afternoon recently when it suddenly occurred to me........I have spent more of my life trying to figure life out than I have living through trial and error an actual life!! I intend to change this!!
I Praise GOD for his leading. I feel that this has been a long time coming, real people, real attitudes, real blogs!! Positive outlooks, grateful rememberances, and good Ol fashioned GODLY living principles.
