What I would like... if you must

I don't need anything for Christmas, most of us don't. If you are insisting on buying me something here are just a few things that I would enjoy having:
Third Day - Christmas Offerings CD http://www.familychristian.com/shop/product.asp?prodID=15905
Nativity Story DVD http://www.familychristian.com/shop/product.asp?prodID=17997

Chris Rice - Short Term Memories CD http://www.familychristian.com/shop/product.asp?prodID=10744
Large Quilted Handbag http://www.lifewaystores.com/lwstore/product.aspsku=005122111&partnerURL=http://catalogs.shoplocal.com/lifewaystores/index.aspx%3fpagename=shopmain%26pagenumber=16&circularid=12125
GoBible http://www.familychristian.com/shop/product.asp?prodID=23379
The Reality of the Resurrection CD - Pator Paul Shepherd http://www.enduringtruth.org/store/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=919
When The Enemy Shows Up (3 parts) (from The Journey Towards Greatness series) CD - Pastor Paul Shepherd http://www.enduringtruth.org/store/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=550552
Psalm 51: Confession and Forgiveness Video Series - R.C. Sproul https://store.ligonier.org/product.asp?idDept=V&idCategory=BS&idProduct=PSA01VC
Hammered Stacked Ring http://secure.jamesavery.com/jewelry/search/product/R-1383/Stacked-Hammered-Ring/
22 Piece Tool Kit http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=278617-16878-50930&detail=&lpage=none
Pink Tool Set http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=278617-16878-50930&detail=&lpage=none
Drill http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jspproductId=2918732&cp=&sr=1&origkw=drill&kw=drill&parentPage=search
Willie Nelson's Pretty Paper CD http://entertainment.circuitcity.com/Music/Album.aspx?prodid=SSP52367.2&si=ccity-prod&store=Music

Happy Birthday Jesus.

Yesterday I was on the phone talking to my dear friend whom I don't see enough of. She sometimes teaches my children in church. Well, on Sunday she taught my youngest. My friend, we'll call her Kirstin, was I guess leading class and asking them what Christmas was about. She said most of the class said Santa and presents. Not my little girl. She said I would have been proud. My little girl said "it's Jesus' birthday." Proud I am. That might not seem like too big of a deal but... When my eldest daughter, who is in public school, told me at school they read a story called "The Night Before Christmas" it was a real big deal to me. I asked her what the story was about and she said "Santa and presents." I said "did it talk about Jesus"? She said "no." I said "nowhere at all in the story did it talk about Jesus"? Again my daughter said "no."

I have sort of a weird style of parenting. Telling your kids at a very early age that Santa isn't real and that he's just a distraction to pull peoples focus away from Christ may be a little weird when they are all preschool age. I told my kids early on that Santa was a sham. I wasn't so sure that was the best route to go, but I was sure I couldn't tell them otherwise. I just can't see putting any more obstacles in their path to a Christ filled life. I was blessed and reassured that I am making choices that honor the Lord when I heard of my child's answer.

Christmas is Jesus' birthday. It is the day that God put on skin and came down to our level. He came to fulfill His own law on our behalf. Santa is a joke in my book.

I suggest the movie the Nativity Story this "Christmas." I also suggest reading the Gospel of Luke first. I bawled during the movie when Jesus was born. So powerful. I saw the Scripture come to life.

The Gospel of John is currently on sale at Family Christian Store, $5.00! I recommend that as well.

Mary, did you know

that your Baby Boy would one day walk on water?

Mary, did you know

that your Baby Boy would save our sons and daughters?

Did you know

that your Baby Boy has come to make you new?

This Child that you delivered will soon deliver you.

Mary, did you know

that your Baby Boy will give sight to a blind man?

Mary, did you know

that your Baby Boy will calm the storm with His hand?

Did you know

that your Baby Boy has walked where angels trod?

When you kiss your little Baby you kissed the face of God?

Mary did you know.. Ooo Ooo Ooo

The blind will see.

The deaf will hear.

The dead will live again.

The lame will leap.

The dumb will speak

The praises of The Lamb.

Mary, did you know

that your Baby Boy is Lord of all creation?

Mary, did you know

that your Baby Boy will one day rule the nations?

Did you know

that your Baby Boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?

The sleeping Child you're holding is the Great, I Am.

These are a few of my favorite things.

1. WHAT WERE YOU DOING 10 YEARS AGO?
---I really don't remember. I think I worked at Outback Steakhouse.


2. WHAT WERE YOU DOING 1 YEAR AGO?
---teaching Sunday School


3. FIVE SNACKS YOU ENJOY:
---Nature Valley -Chewy TRAIL MIX Bars- Fruit & Nut, pretzels, bananas, apples, strawberries w/red grapes.


4. FIVE SONGS YOU KNOW ALL THE WORDS TO.
--- Only Five!? --- Comfortably Numb -Pink Floyd, Dust In The Wind -Kansas, I Can Only Imagine -MercyMe, My Redeemer Lives -Nicole C. Mullen, Your Love Oh Lord -Third Day, Spoken For -MercyMe, etc...

5. FIVE THINGS YOU’D DO IF YOU WERE A MILLIONAIRE.
---own a 1969 Camaro RS/SS , fund K-LOVE, get out of debt, visit Niagara falls, put my children in a private Christian school


6. FIVE BAD HABITS.
---over indulging on sweets, interrupting people when they are talking, sharing too much personal information, hitting the snooze button, driving too fast


7. FIVE THINGS YOU LIKE DOING.
---growing spiritually, laying in bed, bowling, roller skating, being on the beach


8. FIVE THINGS YOU WOULD NEVER WEAR AGAIN.
---leg warmers, side ponytail, size 6, black nail polish, naval ring

Paul Wright --> Take This Life

Parkhills Prayer Line: (210) 436-PRAY

At my church we have a prayer ministry. It is called IPM - Intercessory Prayer Ministry. I don't remember how exactly I came to learn about the ministry although I'm sure it must be through receiving one of their precious "prayer grams."

A prayer gram is a card that an intercessor

writes. The card usually has an encouraging word or Scripture to let you know that you are being prayed for. These are mailed out daily. They are not mandatory. They are written as one is felt led to do so.

It is just so encouraging to be on the receiving end of one of these prayer grams. I loved writing prayer grams because I knew the impact that they had on my family and I. I wanted others to know that kind of love and hope and feel the presence of God in their lives.

When one calls in a prayer request a card is made an put in a little filing box. People that are voluntarily involved in the prayer ministry will come in and pray over those cards in the filing box. I know this because I was so impacted by this ministry that I was drawn to serve in it. My husband had received so many prayer grams from this ministry that I was compelled to give back to it. So I offered up one hour of my time a week. I was scheduled one hour in a certain day of the week to come and pray for others. This is an unbelievably powerful and rewarding ministry.

Intercessory Prayer Ministry

Intercessory prayer is entreaty, petition or request offered to God on behalf of someone else. It is a mark of Christian maturity, an unselfish action that grows out of a deep concern toward the other person or group. It is a deed done in faith, hope, and love.

Intercession is really a Christian response to life and our contact with a world of needy humans. Prayer has meaning and importance in the fulfillment of human needs.

It is because we at Parkhills believe and have experienced the reality and power of God’s working in lives as we pray for others that our Intercessory Prayer Ministry was established. Our prayer room accepts requests 24 hours per day from

Our church family

Our community

Our state

Our world

Trained volunteers pray for prayer requests daily in Prayer Room.

Thank you Debbie Shaleen,

for all that you do,

and the little people

who do big things

selfelssly

one hour at a time

one week at a time.

Thank you.

You make a difference.

Parkhills Baptist Church

17747 San Pedro Avenue

San Antonio TX 78232

www.Parkhills.org

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

Well, I just drove 700 miles in the last 29 hours.

Did I mention that I did it with my 6, 5, and 3 year old? By myself? 700 miles in 29 hours with three children.

You want to know what the most amazing of this is though? All except for about 30 minutes I was able to listen to local contemporary Christian music radio. How's that for cool? That's not an easy drive to make. It sure makes it a lot easier to do when you've got your mind on what's really important.

Thank You

89.3 KSBJ

102.3 The River

91.3 106.3 89.1 KLOVE

20 The Countdown Magazine.

I also want to thank those that support these stations which makes listening to them possible.

I am so proud of Christians for getting the message on the air.

I was introduced to Christian music about 2 1/2 years ago and it is all that I listen to now. Scripture taken right out of the Bible put to music is often what you'll hear on these radio stations. I have memorized many verses by listening to them sang in songs on the radio. I can always bring a praise and worship song to mind at any given moment. The songs that I hear on the radio are always on my lips and in my thoughts. What a great way to practice -

"Let the words of my mouth

and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your

sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer."

And then there is always the positive and encouraging stories that are shared on the radio. This is taken out of website that K-LOVE linked to. I heard this story over the radio the other day driving to school. I felt the goose bumps all over my body as I yelled "praise God" with my mouth still hanging open. ---
Peru (MNN) ― As Bruce and Jan made their way carefully down the Andes mountains after a joy-filled JESUS Film showing, they had no idea that they were headed straight for a trap. Bruce and Jan are long-time missionaries for the JESUS Film Project. They approached a truck that seemed to have stalled, and before they knew it, they were surrounded by 45 heavily-armed terrorists, with guns thrust at them. The terrorists interrogated them and searched their belongings. They found their projection equipment and took it with the intention of showing revolutionary films. With the projection equipment a loss, Bruce handed over the JESUS Film as well, praying that it would not go unwatched. He and Jan were not harmed.
When the couple returned to that region a a year later, one of their attackers found Bruce to tell him an incredible story. The man named Jose apologized for the attack a year earlier and revealed that they had planned to kill them. However, whenever the topic came up something stopped them. They terrorists had brought the film back to camp where 700 people viewed the film. As they watched, they realized that Jesus was a true revolutionary, and many were so moved they wanted lay down their weapons and quit right there. Best of all, Jose told Bruce he had become a Christian and apologized for the attack a year earlier.

Today, Jose is a pastor and director of a large Bible school in Argentina. He also sends out missionaries all over the world.



While driving through the quite beautiful roads of highway 190 I was just reminded of how beautiful God is. As I was singing and praising Him with the words to praise and worship music driving through East Texas. The trees are starting to change color and the weather was just gorgeous.

God is everywhere you look.

And everywhere you look God is there.

 Not all of the drive was as beautiful. It wasn't always pleasant. I'll admit neither was I at times. In fact, most of it was very boring and quite plain to look at. But I was able to see God's presence in the details of every day life. The music over the radio kept me in the frame of mind that I always want to be in.

God is all around us. It's just that sometimes we lose sight of Him. He never really leaves us, we just quit focusing on Him. We turn our attention to something else. That's when we stop seeing Him.

 That's when we start looking outward instead of inward.
And we lose sight of what's important. We stop asking for God's help and begin to rely on our own strength to get us through our troubles.

 We are always going back for more, because our own strength is the kind that won't last.

 But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31
It is the Lord who sustains me. It is doing His will that keeps me going.

"I have hidden Your Word in my heart so that I might not sin against You."

I agree. Thank you for not letting me rob myself of the joy that blogging can be when used for all the right reasons and when all the right motives are applied. I think I shall keep "name that verse" for those of us who are trying to follow the teaching of : "I have hidden your Word in my heart so that I might not sin against you." That happens to be one of my all time favorites. It brings my mind back to when I was in Africa. We were asked for Bibles that we did not have to hand out when we were planting churches in Malawi. I remember an African who had made a decision for Christ asking how about he was going to study the Bible if he didn't have one. We were to tell them to go to the existing church in the area and there they would get discipleship. I had heard someone else tell some people to memorize a new verse from the Bibles that were at the church. I told him when he goes to write down one and memorize it for the week. He had a pen and paper in his hand and could read and write English. I told him of this such verse and wrote it down for him. It was beautiful to watch God's Word come to life before my eyes. God is so good.



It also brings to mind "abide in Me and I shall abide in you." It is the living Word of God that empowers us to live the kind of life that we have been called to live. I love Scripture. I love how it works. I love that it is what we use to defeat the devils attempts to tempt us. I love that certain Scriptures remind me of great lessons that the Lord has taught me and how I have grown through His Word and His teachings.

Over these next few blogs or more we will look into some of my favorite Scriptures and see how they've impacted my life and maybe yours. We will also learn where to find our Scriptures, how to find them and hopefully write them on our hearts and apply them to our lives.

Do we capitalize the word "word" when it refers to His "word?" I kind of feel like it needs to be. I feel God's Word should be revered and I happen to like capitalizing it. I wish there was a grammar check to go along with the spelling checks.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

I'm finding myself at a loss for words

And the funny thing is it's okay

The last thing I need is to be heard

But to hear what You would say

Word of God speak

Would You pour down like rain

Washing my eyes to see

Your majesty

To be still and know

That You're in this place

Please let me stay and rest

In Your holiness 

Word of God speak

I'm finding myself in the midst of You

Beyond the music, beyond the noise

All that I need is to be with You

And in the quiet hear Your voice

Word of God speak

Would You pour down like rain

Washing my eyes to see

Your majesty

To be still and know

That You're in this place

Please let me stay and rest

In Your holiness 

Word of God speak

Word of God speak

Would You pour down like rain

Washing my eyes to see

Your majesty

To be still and know

That You're in this place

Please let me stay and rest

In Your holiness 

Word of God speak

I'm finding myself at a loss for words

And the funny thing is it's okay

I am rather looking forward to playing name that verse. I enjoy God's Word.

Name That Verse

Okay, so I've been waiting for something to come to me and so far all that I have is a particular Scripture that is really on my mind. I have also thought that maybe my blog needs a little something to keep the viewer coming back so I've decided to try and play "Name that Bible Verse." Sounds like fun to me. So I'll start with the one that is popping out at me.

"

 ...to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by 

speaking the truth in love, we are to grow...

 up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love."
Christians are to grow up into their faith. We grow through: studying and applying the Word of God, fellowship with other believers, prayer, worship, and sharing our faith with those who do not know Jesus.