Verse of the Week - Galatians 1:6-7

Isn't Galatians so pertinent to today? 
When Paul wrote this, the problem was that Jewish Christians believed that some of the Old Testament ceremonies were still to be practiced by the followers of Jesus. They believed this despite the fact that Paul had preached that man is justified by faith in Jesus and through Jesus, faith in God. 

Today, people are still trying to pervert the gospel of Christ and change the meaning of what is written in the Bible.
I don't want to debate what the Bible says. I've read commentaries for the bible and I believe that the majority of Jesus' followers believe the bible as written.  I am grateful for my salvation and I KNOW I didn't get saved by any works that I did. 

Jesus saved my life and my life changed. 

I like how GotQuestions.org sums up salvation is by grace and through faith in their Statement of Faith:

We believe salvation is received by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Good works and obedience are results of salvation, not requirements for salvation. Due to the greatness, sufficiency, and perfection of Christ's sacrifice, all those who have truly received Christ as Savior are eternally secure in salvation, kept by God's power, secured and sealed in Christ forever (John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Romans 8:1, 38-39; Ephesians 1:13-14; 1 Peter 1:5; Jude 24). Just as salvation cannot be earned by good works, neither does it need good works to be maintained or sustained. Good works and changed lives are the inevitable results of salvation (James 2).

I especially love the use of the word inevitable in the last sentence! 
Faith in Jesus causes a changed life. At least, it truly changed mine and turned me into a joyful follower of Jesus. My heart's desire is to be a servant for the Lord and to accomplish the good works that HE sets before me. Do I hear an amen? 

Worship In The Spirit and Truth - John 4:23-24

23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

Spiritual worship is that where the heart is offered to God, and where we do not depend on external forms for acceptance.                            Barnes Notes on the Bible

Worshiping in the Spirit and in Truth Is:

• in our spirit, or inwardly in our minds and hearts
• adoring his majesty
• revering his power
• humbled before his purity
• confiding in his mercy
• praising him for his benefits
• loving him for his extraordinary and transcendent love to us
• being subject to his authority
• obedient to his will
• devoted to his glory
• and striving after a closer union with him
• and a more full conformity to him. 

And all this is through the enlightening, energizing, and comforting influences of his Spirit, the Holy Spirit.                                                                                    adapted from the Benson Commentary

Feeling Sad at Easter

Judas followed Jesus and still missed the message of grace that Jesus taught

The sadness started a couple of days ago after reading Matthew 27:3-4.

 Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,saying,"I have sinned by betraying innocent blood."

 The words seemed to sink into my heart as I thought about the remorse that Judas felt. 
A remorse that completely overwhelmed Judas. He tried to return the thirty pieces of silver. Maybe he thought that would help to remove some of the guilt he felt. However, the chief priests and elders didn't want the money either, but Judas threw the silver pieces onto the ground and left. Judas focused on the sin he had committed and let it overcome him. Guilt, remorse, and hopelessness overcame Judas and he hanged himself. 
John 6:64

But there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.

Judas completely missed Jesus' message of grace and being reborn as a new man. Jesus knew this about Judas;Judas was among the unbelievers. 

John 6:40 - 41

And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day." The Jews then complained about Him, because He said," I am the bread which came down from heaven."

Many of the disciples did not understand the message that Jesus was trying to teach them in John 6. 
Many quit following Jesus after Jesus told them he was the bread which came down from heaven. Judas was among the unbelievers. Is this when Judas decided to betray Jesus? 

How many people reject Jesus because they don't understand the intent of Jesus' words?
The kingdom of Jesus is in heaven. It is a spiritual kingdom. Jesus is spiritual bread for those who believe in Him and follow Him. 

God has always sought His sheep and he sent a spiritual shepard to reconcile his sheep to himself. In truth, God himself seeks the sheep who follow Jesus Christ. 
Ezekiel 34:11-12

"For thus says the Lord God:"Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day.

Romans 3:21-26

 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

 The bolded section is mine to emphasize the message of what God has done through Jesus Christ. 

All of us have sinned. 
We are freely given his grace and redeemed through faith in Jesus. God passed over our previous sins and is the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. How amazing is that? Sadly, like Judas, many people don't get this message. 

I have sinned. 
God gives me grace through the redemption of Jesus. God is my justifier because I have faith in Jesus. My life is not my own, it belongs to Jesus. I am His. Yes, this makes me smile and joy once again fills my heart and chases out the sadness out of my heart. Amen? 

Giving Satan an Inroad

As I was driving to work yesterday, a thought percolated to the top of my awareness. Perhaps by making the decision to exceed the speed limit, I am giving Satan an inroad into my life.

Maybe....
When I am speeding, I am giving Satan an opportunity to harm me because I am choosing to not follow the Word of God and am therefore taking myself out of the Spirit and into the world. After all, speeding by choice is an act of rebellion. 

After studying my bible, 
I have decided that the thought is correct. I am giving Satan an inroad by being in rebellion to the law of man.

Yes, I am supposed to follow the rules of man. 
Acts 25:8
While he answered for himself, Neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Caesar, have I offended any thing at all.
Titus 3:1
Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,
Romans 13:1
Let every soul be subject to the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

No, Satan is not going to harm me because I belong to God. Conversely, I also have to sin not. The decision to speed is the sin and I am acting unrighteously. 

1 John 5:17 - 18
All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not to death. We know that whoever is born of God sins not; but he that is begotten of God keeps himself, and that wicked one touches him not. 
James 4:7

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Satan isn't going to harm me. Satan is going to flee from me because I love Jesus with all my heart and have submitted myself to God in all areas of my life.

The Holy Spirit resides in me. I am sealed by the Holy Spirit into the new covenant of God through Jesus Christ my Savior and mediator. 

1 Timothy 2:5
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
2 Timothy 1:14
Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you--guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

I am not perfect.I know this. 
However, I am going to have to get my foot off of the gas pedal, or lighten up on the throttle. Clearly, my decision to intentionally exceed the speed limit has given Satan an inroad into my life.

Sin is not an option for me because I have submitted to God. 
I have a new heart that is God-focused. Sin is NOT an option for me because I know I am born of God through Jesus Christ. 
Romans 8:13
For if you live after the flesh, you shall die: but if you through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, you shall live.
1 John 5:4
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.
1 John 3:9
Whosoever is begotten of God doeth no sin, because his seed abideth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is begotten of God.

Conclusion
Don't give Satan an inroad into your life because you think you are only sinning a little bit. Speeding is breaking the law of man. I am supposed to follow that law because it is not contrary to the Bible. Speeding is living after the flesh and I want to live through the Spirit. 

Riding for the Son - May 8, 2016

Group Photo of Redeemed Riders.  ‪#‎rftsmo‬

Rather than writing this weekend, the hubby and I began our summer of "Riding for the Son"  by going on the annual Run for the Son ride that is held on the first Saturday in May. What a beautiful day to be riding a motorcycle!

Unfortunately, my bike is in the shop waiting for a part. Instead, I drove my Nissan Versa as a support vehicle with a cooler full of iced down water bottles in it.

Happily, a friend took the great picture below of  Bill and the other riders leaving the Mobil station in Hermann, MO. My car is in the picture too.

The yellow arrows are pointing at Bill and myself leaving Hermann, MO  ‪#‎rftsmo‬

Christian Motorcyclists Association members around the world participate in the Run for the Son ride. The video below will explain more about the 2016 Run for the Son.

                                     

Here are some pictures of the ride we participated in.  ‪#‎rftsmo‬ 

Our late lunch stop, about 2:00 P.M., was at Oscar's Classic Diner in Jefferson City, MO.

Psalm of the Week - 36:9 - January 18, 2016

From Psalm 36:9, Dr. John Gill wrote six points in his Exposition of the Entire Bible:

1. ...in thy light shall we see light; God is light itself, the Father of lights, and the former of it in every sense; in the light of his countenance, and the discoveries of his love, 
2. they that trust in him see light, or enjoy comfort; and in the light of his Son Jesus Christ, the sun of righteousness and light of the world, they see the face of God, and enjoy his favour, and behold the glory and excellency of Christ himself; 
3. and in the light of the divine Spirit, who is a spirit of wisdom and revelation, they see their sins exceeding sinful, their righteousness as nothing, and a preciousness in the blood, righteousness, and sacrifice of Christ; 
4. and in the light of the divine word they see the truths of the Gospel in their native simplicity and excellency...
5. ...and in the light of faith, which is the gift of God, they have at least a glimpse of the unseen glories of the other world; 
6. and when the beatific vision shall take place, they shall see no more darkly through a glass, but face to face, even God himself, as he is in Christ. 

Psalm of the Week - 51:10-12 - Week of January 4, 2015

Can you believe that 2016 has arrived? Where did 2015 go? Time has begun to fly by faster every year. 
My Focus on the Lord
My focus on the Lord thinned a little as an action packed 2015 holiday season arrived and progressed. November - December was filled with activity deadlines and therefore stressful. Stress tends to drain away some of my willingness and joyfulness. Now that January 2016 has begun, I feel the need to renew my attitude with Psalm 51.

What Caused David to Write Psalm 51?
King David wrote Psalm 51 when the prophet Nathan came to him after David committed adultery with Bathsheba. Not only was David guilty of adultery, but he was also guilty of having Bathsheba's husband, Uriah, killed.  The prophet Nathan was successful in his intervention with David.  

David confessed his sin, his guilt, and his love of God. Next, King David asked for forgiveness in verses 1-9. These verses contain a powerful example of a personal repentance. God forgave David, just as he has forgiven me.

My Attitude Renewal
My attitude renewal begins with praying verses 10-12 as a personal prayer. 

My Personal Prayer
O God, create in me a pure heart and renew my spirit. Make the spirit within me steadfast. I love you Lord, do not cast me from your presence, or take your Holy Spirit away from me. Restore me Lord. Restore me to the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit that will sustain me.  
Amen. 

Verse of the Week - Acts 9:31 NIV - January 4, 2016

2016 is here! How did you celebrate New Year's Eve? Bill and I had a Game of Thrones TV marathon with our Season One and Season Two DVD sets. We talked about making New Year's resolutions, but decided not to make any. However, our pastor gave us a New Year's resolution during worship service.

Brother Jimmy's Challenge

Brother Jimmy challenged us to adopt the following parts of Acts 9:31 as an individual and a church resolution. 

• Personal Peace 
• Peace between the members of the church
• Fear of the Lord, or reverential awe
• Listening to the Holy Spirit

The Early Church was Blessed

Acts 9:31 tells us that that the early church was blessed because they included reverence and awe of God in their daily life.  Additionally, The church will increase in numbers when the church body is living in peace, have reverential awe, or fear of the Lord, and are following the counseling of Holy Spirit. 

My NIV Discipleship Bible footnotes include four sentences about the biblical truths expressed in verse thirty-one of chapter nine in the book of Acts:

1. "Timid" does not belong in the church's vocabulary. The Spirit gives the church strength and courage to accomplish its mission.
2. The Spirit works with the entire church as well as individual to provide power and guidance in the astonishing mission to witness to every person on earth. 
3. Church growth depends on God's strength and encouragement provided by the Holy Spirit. 
4. The result is a reverent, worshiping, witnessing church. 

Bill and I are accepting Brother Jimmy's challenge. 

Our New Year's Resolution is to have personal peace, be a peacemaker at church, continue to worship God with reverence and awe, and to continue listening to the Holy Spirit for guidance and direction. 

Are you going to accept Brother Jimmy's challenge? 

We hope you are because living a joy-filled life before leaving Earth is what God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit want for you. Come on brothers and sisters, grab onto the joy and spread the Good News!

Jesus – A Piece of the Relationship Pie

For years, the amount of time that I spent with Jesus was a very small part of my life.  

Honestly, on Monday through Saturday, Jesus had about ten percent of my time.  In contrast, I gave Jesus about half of my day on Sunday.  The pie chart above represents this weekly relationship "pie."

I am not saying I did not have a relationship with Jesus.  

I did and do have a relationship with Jesus Christ.  I AM saying that my relationship with Jesus consisted of slices of time because I didn't know enough about the New Testament teachings to understand my relationship with Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit.

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.                                                                                  Romans 10:9-10 NIV

Truthfully, I was looking for a way to connect the Bible with my daily life.  

My question was, "How do I take this biblical information and use it in my daily life?"  In fact, I asked this exact question one Sunday morning during my Sunday school class.

A long pause followed the question, while all of the women in the Sunday school class stared at me as if I had suddenly turned into an alien from another planet.

Had I done something wrong?  

It felt like I had, but the question was sincere.  However, not one woman tried to answer my question and the class resumed with our weekly lesson as if I had never asked my question.  Maybe I had phrased the question poorly, or no one understood exactly what I was asking.

In my quest to understand how to use the Bible in my daily life,I visited a Christian bookstore and bought a Discipleship Study Bible with life helps in the back of the Bible.  At last, I felt as if I might have a way to learn how to implement biblical information into my daily life.

My time spent with Jesus began to grow.  

About 20% of my average day became using the new Discipleship Bible and reading the different sections of the life helps.  The new knowledge began to help me see how the different books of the Bible fit together like pieces in a puzzle.

Slowly, I began to see how I could put the Bible information into action in my daily life.  My personal relationship with Jesus was deepening as my Bible knowledge continued to grow.  However, I still divided my relationship with Jesus into slices of time.

In the meantime, I took a college night class entitled, "The Teachings of Paul."  The college professor was also a pastor who truly wanted the class to connect with the Apostle Paul and to see the context of Paul's life in the New Testament.

A weekly class assignment was to find a current news story and pair it with verses from Paul's writings.  Students had to explain how and why the chosen verses were applicable to the news story.

Hallelujah!  I learned a method to apply the scripture to my daily life, in a practical manner that I understood.  The Lord sent me a teacher!  Woohoo!

Now fast forward to an afternoon in February 2009, a video about the Holy Spirit is playing and a woman is leading a group prayer for the infilling of the Holy Spirit.  Head bowed, I am silently praying with her.  Suddenly, tears began flowing from my eyes as I find myself reliving my baptism

. 

With crystal clarity, I recall and feel all of the emotions - the joy, and the sense of completeness I experience the moment I sink beneath the baptistery water.

  

Moments later, my face emerges back into the air; a reborn child of God entering the world.

Yes, I am a daughter of the King!

The moment I came up out of the baptistery waters in 1994, I was a daughter of God.  What I had not understood during my actual baptism was the fact that I had the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of me.  

That understanding came to me during the recollection of my baptism. I became a holy child of Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit from the inside out!  I belong to Jesus.  I am a coheir of the kingdom!  What a revelation I received from participating in that video prayer!

Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”  So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.                                Galatians 4:6-7 NIV

The revelation that Jesus loves me from the inside out has forever changed my life.  I loved Jesus for years without understanding that I had the Holy Spirit living inside me.  I am in awe that Jesus loves me from the inside out!  He knows EVERYTHING about me and STILL loves me unconditionally!

and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?"  They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."

                                                                                                                            Acts 19:2 NIV

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.                                                                                                                                John 14:16-17 NIV

Do you want to know how to use the information in the Bible in your daily life?  The answer is simply this, "Jesus lives inside you.  The Holy Spirit dwells in you to give you guidance from the moment you give Jesus your life.  This is God's plan to reconcile you to Him."

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price.                                                                                     1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NIV

 God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us.                                                               Acts 15:8 NIV

In conclusion, Jesus no longer gets slices of my time.  He gets all of my time because I truly understand that I belong to Him.  The Holy Spirit dwells inside me to guide and help me understand the teachings in the Bible.  I understand my relationship with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.  

On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.                                                                                               John 14:20 NIV

Prayer for Receiving the Holy Spirit from the book, The Holy Spirit by Andrew Wommack

"Father, I recognize my need for Your power to live this new life. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit. By faith, I receive it right now! Thank You for baptizing me. Holy Spirit, You are welcome in my life!"  I am so grateful You gave me this wonderful gift. Please help me to walk in all of its benefits! Amen

I

Psalm of the Week - 98:4-6 - December 21, 2015

Celebrate the birth of Jesus this week! 

A baby was born in Bethlehem who was to change the world. Rejoice that the Lord loved us so much that he sent his son, as man and God, to live among us for a short while. A living God and eternal life are the joy and reward for all who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Celebrate Christ as King! 

Meth the Destroyer

Our local TV news featured the mug shots of four young people, two women and two men,  from my hometown who have been arrested on meth charges.  Personally, I have known three of the young people as school children when I worked for the school district. My heart is so sad. Methamphetamine abuse is a pestilence in central Missouri.



My first awareness of how rampant meth production is began a few years ago.
I was riding my motorcycle down a rural county road. As the road dipped down into a small valley, an acrid aroma hit my nose. I had never in all my life smelled such an awful stench. The only smell that even halfway describes what I smelt that day is to take a completely urine soaked cat box and multiply that odor until it will fill an entire valley.

I am a country girl. My grandparents all owned large farms and raised a variety of animals.  I am  completely familiar with the aromas of country living. That smell was nothing like anything I had ever smelt before.Now I know, that in all probability, I had come across a meth lab cooking up their destructive product. Several weeks later there was a meth lab found in that area by a local law enforcement task force.

Meth hooks some people the first time they try it. It fills up all of their insecurities and makes them feel like they are super alive.The chemicals in meth create a euphoria that is akin to the beautiful songs the mythical Greek sirens sang to lure passing sailors to their death. Stopping is a difficult struggle.

Because I work with children, I see the impact of meth on them. 
My prayers include a plethora of children, whom I have known, or know personally, whose lives have been broken apart because of the effects of meth abuse. Toddlers found in homes with meth pipes and crystal meth within their reach. Kindergarten children whose parents, grandparents, or siblings became burglars to get money for meth. Fourth and fifth grade students whose parents were arrested and sent to prison for manufacturing meth. High school students who were stopped by a law enforcement task force for approaching a known meth dealer's house that they were watching, and the list goes on...and on...and on.

In my imagination, I see the angels in heaven weeping every time a child of God turns to drugs like meth. Jesus himself sits weeping on his throne over the destruction and chaos that is in the lives of his innocent, little children. How Jesus feels about babies and children is made clear in the following verses from Luke 16. 

15 People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17 Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

Jesus also said in Luke 16:

26 “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

I am praying for the Pestilence of Meth to be removed from the lives of children everywhere. Pray this prayer with me:

Father God, Jesus,  please remove the pestilence of meth from the lives of innocent babies and children. Heal the babies born to addicted mothers. Soften the hearts of their parents so that they will be receptive to hearing about a different way to feel super alive. Let them hear about Jesus and let them desire to be born again and feel super alive in Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit. Father, I am weeping before you because of the meth born destruction that I see in the lives of children all around me. 

Open the eyes, ears, and hearts of your faithful ones to reach out to families and bring the Good News of Jesus into their live. I know the workers are few, but the harvest is bountiful and needs to be brought in. Instill the need for community outreach in the spirit-led, leaders in your worldwide church.

I ask these things through the mighty name of Jesus Christ, who obediently died on a cross to save your children in all generations. 

Amen.   

Verse of the Week - Matthew 28:19 - August 24, 2015

The picture above is from our chapter's Run for the Son ride. See me in the middle? The patch on the back of my riding vest is a public profession that I am an evangelist and following the commission that Jesus gave to all of his followers. 

When I first started wearing the patch, or colors (the proper biker term), I was scared. There was no way I could be perfect. What if I failed miserably? What if, what if, what if... started whirling around in my head. Finally, I just said to myself,"I can do this because I am being obedient to his call." 

With the Father's, the Son's, and the Holy Spirit's help, the fear evaporated as I kept telling myself,"I can do this." The Lord equips me for the paths he calls me to follow. He gives me the right words to say, he gives me calmness when I need it, and he gives me encouragement when I need it. 

I hope you enjoy the video as much as I do.

Psalm of the Week - 51:13 - August 24, 2015

David was a sinner, as well as a king and prophet. In Psalm 51, he repents and then makes promises to God. David promised God that he would teach sinners, or transgressors, God's ways so that sinners would turn back to him. 

And John Gill Wrote:

• David was a prophet as well as a king; see Acts 2:30; and taught men the fear of the Lord, Psalm 34:11, and instructed them in God's ways, as he here promises he would;
•  by which is meant, either the ways which God prescribes and directs men to walk in, as the paths of faith, holiness, and truth, and the ways of his commandments; 
• or which he himself has walked in; meaning not the ways of his providence, which are sometimes past finding out;
•  but the ways of his grace, the steps and methods he has taken in the salvation of men, by forming the scheme of it, by choosing unto it, by making a covenant with his Son, and appointing him to effect it; 
• and particularly his ways and methods in receiving and pardoning backsliders, when returned by repentance to him; and who may be meant by "transgressors" here: 
• and then the sense is, that David, upon his being received and pardoned, would teach others like himself how graciously God had dealt with him; how plenteous he is in mercy; how ready to forgive, and how faithful to his promises; and so encourage them to go to him, and acknowledge their transgressions, and seek pardoning grace at his hands, who does abundantly pardon, and whose ways are not as theirs; see Isaiah 55:7;                                       Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

David's promise can be applied to every Christian today because Jesus gave all of his followers the job of making disciples of all nations and baptizing them. 

Enjoy the song below that is based on Psalm 51!

Verse of the Week - Hebrews 11:1 - August 17, 2015

The disciple Thomas, did not believe his fellow disciples when they told him Jesus had come among them, showed them his wounds, and told them he came to encourage and strengthen them. Thomas wasn't there when this happened.He doubted their words because Jesus was crucified, buried, and his body had disappeared after his burial. 

A week later, Jesus appeared again and this time Thomas was there with the rest of Jesus' followers. Jesus singled out Thomas and told him to touch the wounds in his hands and side. Do you think Thomas actually touched the wounds? I do not think he did. However, Jesus had one last thing to say. He told everyone that people who believe without seeing are truly blessed.

Writing an acrostic poem for the word "FAITH" was part of my Sunday School lesson. The two students and I wrote phrases and words that we felt represented faith. My list is below.

F - Fill my life with Jesus

A - Acknowledge God Daily

I - Inside us is the Holy Spirit

T - Tell Jesus everything

H - He (Jesus) helps me

Where would you place your faith level on a scale of 1-5, with 1 meaning no faith at all and 5 meaning filled with faith? This is the same question that I asked at Sunday School today. You know my answer is a 5. My poem tells how to reach a level 5 faith.

1. Fill your life with Jesus. 
2. Acknowledge God daily.
3. Children of God are holy because the Holy Spirit lives in each one. The Bible says so.
4. Vent to Jesus, not people. Then, ask for Jesus for help.
5. Watch for how Jesus is helping. 

Journey Off the Map Vacation Bible School

VBS was small this year, thirty-eight children. However, all of my 5th/6th grade students have been baptised, attend church, church camp, and know the Bible fairly well. I loved teaching this group about sharing the good news as an evangelist and mission work.

Palm trees - 3 Pool noodles, 2 rectangular plastic table cloths, and 20 paper bags

5th/6th Base camp tent. The students loved being under this awning!

Tissue paper flowers to help decorate 5th/6th basecamp. I love how the two toned flowers turned out, very water lillyish. 

Three of us took pictures during the five days of vacation bible school. I used Windows Live Movie Maker to turn the pictures into a movie.  For a sound track, I went to iTunes and purchased three songs from the Journey Off the Map sountrack. ($3 for 3 songs)  We played the movie on the last day of Vacation Bible School for parents. It is a 9 minute and 45 second look into VBS. If you would like to view the movie, Click Here

The last day of VBS ends with a party! Popcorn, cotton candy, hotdogs, a bounce house, and a cake walk are part of the fun. I made cakes for the cake walk.