Pray for Frank

This picture was taken a couple
years ago on the set of More Than
Conquerors, a show on TBN.
Frank Pastore, on the left,
was hit by a car on Monday
while riding his motorcycle and
found unconcious after being thrown
off.  He is in the hospital and has
sustained major head injuries.

I am so heavy-hearted about this
and have been praying for his
healing and for his wife, Gina,
and their kids.  Frank is a man
of God who is so energetic,
outgoing, and intelligent.  He is
a LA radio show host for KKLA
every weekday afternoon.  Please
lift him up in prayer and prayer that
God will restore him.  Ultimately we
pray for God's will to be done.

Happy Thanksgiving

We wish you a wonderful Thankgiving
                   2012

I reflect on the year and am so
humbled by how good God is.
He loves us and blesses us
and I don't deserve any of
it.  I am thankful for my family,
my friends, my health, my
home, our military and the
freedom they fight for, the
persecuted church, God's
children, and for all the little
things each day brings.

Here are some verses to
remind us that our thankfulness
is to be throughout the year
and directed to God:


Psalm 100

"Make a joyful noise unto the
LORD, all ye lands. Serve the
LORD with gladness: come
before his presence with singing.
Know ye that the LORD he is
God: it is he that hath made us,
and not we ourselves; we are
his people, and the sheep of
his pasture. Enter into his gates
with thanksgiving, and into his
courts with praise: be thankful
unto him, and bless his name.
For the LORD is good; his
mercy is everlasting; and his
truth endureth to all generations."
Psalm 107:1

"Give thanks to the LORD,
for he is good; his love
endures forever."

Psalm 145:7

"They will celebrate your
abundant goodness and
joyfully sing of your righteousness."

I spent the evening at my sister's
house with her family, my brother's
family, my mom, my dad, and
my husband's brother and his
family.  The food was great but
the time together with family is
what makes this day special.
I hope you had a wonderful
day with those you love most!

Jaded Faith by Jarod Osborne

This is the book I'm reading right
now.  I met the author's mom when
I was speaking in Ohio and she told
me about a book her son had just
written.  They were so sweet to send
me a book and he even signed it for
me.

I thought it was an interesting topic.
Jarod talks about how when he grew
up in a Christian home, his faith was
very strong.  He knew a lot of Bible
verses, was very active in church,
was a leader in youth group and so
on.  But in college he had some
questions about some things in
the Bible that seemed to contradict
other things and he said his faith
started to get a little jaded.  He also
saw others go through similar
situations and he wanted to find
some answers.  I'm not done with
the book, but he is now a Pastor
at Indiana Wesleyan University.
He wrestled with the hard questions
and found that life with God is
a whole lot more meaningful than
following the broad path that many
go on that leads to destruction.

I would agree with Jarod!  It is a
narrow path when you follow God,
and you will have struggles and
challenges.  The Bible teaches that
we will have trials and it is through
perseverance that character is
built in our lives and that leads us
to the hope we have in Jesus!

I think too many people want the
easy way out.  They either want to
make their own rules or follow a
made-up God that allows them to
live how they want but who offers
them eternal life anyway.  When
things get hard, many people get
angry at God or question if God
cares, or if He's even there at
all.  I think this is why it is so
important that we check our
foundations of the faith we
claim as Christians.  If I know
the Word of God, and believe
the Word of God, and trust
the God of the Bible, then when
things get hard, I cling to the Rock
so my faith doesn't crumble. In
Matthew 7:24-29, Jesus talks
about building on sand vs. rock.
He is the ROCK.  When storms
come, and they WILL come,
I want to cling tightly to the
ROCK and want to be found
firmly planted after the storm
is over.  My conviction runs
deep, my passion for Jesus
spills out!  I want people to know
that if their lives as Christians
are boring, then they are not
living the Christian life! 

I look forward to reading the
rest of this book, but I know
that it is the plan of the enemy
for us to become "jaded"- I
will allow my God to protect
my heart from that with His
truth from the Bible.

*Thanks to Karen for having
her son send me this book :)

Here is what the book is
about:
 "Many young adults are disillusioned
with the faith they've inherited.
They see the churches of their
youth as superficial and irrelevant
to their deepest concerns.
Meanwhile, culture pushes and
pulls them in many directions,
none of its pathways leading
to true life. In Jaded Faith,
Jarod Osborne confronts
head-on the disorientation and
disappointment you may be
experiencing in your own journey
of faith. He helps you navigate--
spiritually and intellectually--the
most common side-trails that
cause young adults to wander
from the Christian faith. For those
who still want to believe despite
their disillusionment, Osborne
illuminates the pathway through
jaded to a stronger, intellectually
honest walk with Christ. You can
find hope and life after being jaded."

Election 2012

The election is over. . .

 The votes are in. . .

The country has decided that
they wanted Obama for 4 more
years.  I am thankful for the
opportunity to vote and make
our voices heard, even when
things don't turn out the way
I voted. 

I have seen a lot of social
media and have seen many
people talking about the mean
and racial comments that others
are making.  I guess I am
fortunate that those who are
my Facebook "friends" are
not making those same comments.
Yes, many people are worried
about how this election turned
out, and I am as well.  And many
people are upset about the
direction our country is headed
if things don't drastically change
from the way it's been the past
4 years.

I am hoping that our freedom
doesn't start slipping away
more and more in the near
future.  I am worried about
the debt in this country and
the weakening of our military.
I am sad that there is so much
support for abortion with this
leadership.  I am deeply
concerned about the fact that
this party is taking God out
of everything, including not
participating in the National
Day of Prayer and is turning
their backs on Israel. 

I also know that God is
still in control of ALL things.
I know that Jesus is coming
back and that we are to keep
our eyes on Him.  I pray that
people will seek God with
all their heart, mind, soul
and strength.  I believe as
people do that, God will
take care of their needs,
even if times get hard.  I
am still thankful to live in
the USA. I pray we can
hold onto the foundations
that our founders set in
place and that is something
I will be praying for often!

This photo says it all:

Standing for truth in LOVE

 I have recently taken some trips to
Planned Parenthood in our area and
joined some friends who have passions
to share with girls ALL options when
it comes to birth control/abortion/other
female procedures. 

I do not feel like an activist (although
I once marched around the University
of Arizona with my classmates with
signs making our voices heard in
support of Physical Education in
schools).  Yes, I was a PE major :).
But with that said, my boys wanted
to make signs after the first time we
went.  They wanted them to be "loving",
so they made 2 signs saying: Choose
LIFE, and God is Love. 

I didn't feel like I had much to offer
until I thought about it further.  I
realized by being there and praying
for each person I physically saw, I
could make a difference.

 People might not agree with
those who hold signs in front
of clinics, but the fact is that
babies are being killed and mothers
hearts are being broken in the same
moment.  We have seen lots of tears.
One woman got out of her car with
her boyfriend and she could not
stop crying before walking in for
her appointment.  They ended up
driving away because she could
not go through with it- praise God. 
But we also see women coming out
limping, and a sadness is so evident
on their faces. 

The friend I have gone to watch
as she speaks to the men and
women driving into Planned
Parenthood understands this pain.
She too had an abortion at a young
age and now she wants to share
that there are other options.  She
too was scared and had no support,
yet she dealt with physical and
emotional scars for many, many
years in her life due to the choice
she made. Praise God that
she has now been healed and this
is why she shares her stories.  She
offers advice, she shares about God
and how every child is not an accident
because God is the Creator of life. 
She tells each of them about another
free clinic that is clean and where the
people working there truly care about
each woman who walks in.  She offers
free resources and information before
and after abortions and talks about
God's forgiveness no matter what
choice has been made.

I have served God in different ways,
but this is one area where you truly
see the battle for the heart.  This is
life and death and I have prayed
for many people by being on that
sidewalk that I would have never
known about.  Like my friend says,
she wishes someone was out on
the sidewalk to talk to her when
she made her choice to have an
abortion.  There is nothing but love
and grace in the heart of my
friends who are talking to these
women who are going to PP.

I hope you will be praying about
the unborn and the women who
are affected by the choices
afterward.  I have learned a
lot - that love and grace are
the only things that can break
down a hard and scared heart.