Monday, July 25, 2011

Encouraging Words!

The Lord showed me today just how important encouraging words are!  He has a lot to say in His Word about our speech - we can use it for building up or tearing down. 

"And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell."
James 3:6

"He who has knowledge spares his words, And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit."
Proverbs 17:27
An old picture of all of us girls.

Oftentimes my mouth gets me into trouble because instead of "taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ" I'm quick to say what's on my mind...even if it's not Christ-honoring.  I think the biggest and also the hardest thing that defines the quality of a  brother/sister relationship is your speech toward them.  Last year at the Homeschool Convention I was able to attend a session about brother/sister relationships by Dr. S.M. Davis.  He said, and I agree (although it's very hard to practice), that 90% of your speech should be encouraging and 10% should be criticism.  I find that I'm usually switched around....I'm 90% criticism and 10% encouraging.  I believe the main reason for this is that I think more highly of myself than I ought and instead of comparing myself to Jesus I compare myself to others and think, "why, I'm not doing so bad" or "I'm better than that person, by far".  How shocking!! 

Some of my loving siblings!


"In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride, But the lips of the wise will preserve them." 
Proverbs 14:3
 
How true is the verse in Jeremiah 17:9, “ The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?"  The answer to this question is of course the Lord.  He knows all the mean, prideful, evil things about me and yet He still loves me!!??!!  How amazing is His love!


If you do not have Jesus Christ as your Savior I'm praying for you.  There is nothing more wonderful than a real relationship with the God of the universe!!  No one else, nothing else, can ever fill that void in your life except Jesus Christ!!  He died so you and I might live; He rose so that we might live with Him in His Heavenly Kingdom for eternity.  Isn't it amazing that He would want you and I to live with Him in paradise!  The least we can do is offer up our lives for Him to do with as He wills.


Anyways, back to encouraging words.  As the oldest in my family I sometimes find it difficult to be just the loving, encouraging sister; not the overbearing, bossy "second mother".  This morning, instead of encouraging my brother I brought him down with my selfish, condemning words.  I later asked him for forgiveness and he encouraged me, even though I had just been unkind to him!  I believe he's surpassed me as a Christian!  I love all my brothers and sisters so much and wouldn't trade my family for any other.  They love me even though they know my faults and sins so well.  How thankful I am for that love!

A big hug from my youngest sister!!



"The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish pulls it down with her own hands"
Proverbs 14:1

Only with the Lord's help can we become this woman!  If we will allow Him to work in our speech, actions, and thoughts, He will change us into something beyond our wildest imaginations!
What a mighty God we serve!

Learning to delight in Jesus,
Hannah 


Monday, July 18, 2011

Exercising while Cellercising®


Home Based Half-Fold Cellerciser® Kit
The Cellerciser®
Okay, you're probably still trying to figure out the root word of "cellercising" and what in the world it has to do with exercising! :)  No worries, I'll get to that soon.  First things first, as a young lady I had found it difficult to work out as much I had wanted until I met the Cellerciser®.  A Cellerciser is a mini-trampoline also known as a rebounder.  This isn't any run of the mill  rebounder though.  Specially constructed the springs are three-tiered and will not stretch out over time, unlike the cheap department store versions.  The mat, made up of durable, non-stretching material, allows you to land as if you're on solid ground instead of causing your feet to bend in towards your body which can cause ankle, knee, and back problems.  Sturdy and resistant to UV rays, you can leave it outside and it will still be just as usable as if you had left it inside.  Now, I think that the health benefits are even better than the amazing quality of this product.  Instead of going against gravity as you would if you were lifting, you're moving with gravity.  As you bounce high you're increasing your gravitational force and when you fall down every single muscle in your body is pulled on simply to keep yourself upright.  You only have to bounce for 10-15 minutes a day to see benefits!  Not only that, but when you bounce you flush out your cells keeping you healthy and more immune resistant.  Thus the name Cellercising: exercising your cells.
The benefits for us ladies I think is immense!  You can bounce in the privacy of your own home without the worries of causing your brothers to stumble due to the exercise clothing available.  You're also not using a machine or weight that hundreds of other hands have been on, thus you are safer in regards to germs.  I personally can testify that this works!  I've lost 5 pounds since I started doing it 5 days a week in January and I have been sick only once since then.  I really didn't believe what it claimed but now my sisters, mother, father, and I can prove that it works.  My father quit his $40 subscription to a local gym and began working out using the Cellerciser...he has built muscle!  So, girls if you can afford it (it is a little expensive but it's worth it!!) buy a Cellerciser and enjoy the benefits of exercising while cellercising!! 

We got ours HERE!  To get a special discount on your own new Cellerciser enter coupon code: jesussaves.

But do remember this verse during your exercising endeavors:
"For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come."
1 Timothy 4:8

If we're in shape physically but weak spiritually we have failed.  Jesus should be first in everything in our lives...even exercising!

Learning to delight in Jesus,
Hannah     

Monday, July 11, 2011

Movie Review: Agenda


The story of how we first found out about this movie is quite interesting.  In 2007 my father and I attended the Vision Forum Father/Daughter Retreat and there met Mr. Bowers and his two beautiful daughters while eating and enjoying the High Tea.  Soon after lunch Mr. Bowers asked my Dad if I would be willing to pen-pal his youngest daughter.  I agreed and so began our long distance writing relationship.
In summer 2010 I was told by my friend that her father was almost finished producing his new movie, "Agenda", and was planning on entering it into the San Antonio Film Festival.  Around mid-November we eagerly watched the SAFF blog and prayed that, if the Lord willed, Agenda would win.  Early the morning after the winners were announced I ran to the computer and checked the festival's blog.  I couldn't believe my eyes, THEY HAD WON FIRST PLACE!!!  I was so excited and so happy of my friend and her family.  Soon after we ordered a copy of our own and watched it together as a family.  What we saw not only amazed us but drove us to action.
Narrated by the producer, Agenda tells the story of how he was invited to take the place of a friend at an undercover meeting of the Communist Party USA in 1992.  What he heard and saw was just the beginning of many years of research about the communists and their political agenda.  Chilling to say the least, he explains that communism is not by any means dead but alive and well, thriving in "free" America.  He will walk you through several communist books that were published in the 1950's and show how their goals then are being fulfilled now.  He will show you that we are very close to full blown communism and that the biggest threat to the US right now is self destruction.  Explore the many close ties President Obama has to radical communists and communistic groups such as the Fabians, ACORN, etc.  Listen as Mr. Bowers interviews over 15 people all across America and asks them about communism and its goals.  Please understand this is not a conspiracy theory. This is reality.  The evidence is too much to be denied.  Gather your whole family, share this movie with your church, friends, acquaintances, etc.  Everyone needs to know about this before it's too late and we no longer have the freedom to stand for what this nation was founded on.

To learn more go here!
Learning to delight in Jesus,
Hannah   

Monday, July 4, 2011

America! America!

"This evil people, who refuse to hear My words, who follow the dictates of their hearts, and walk after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be just like this sash which is profitable for nothing.  Give glory to the Lord your God, before He causes darkness, and before your feet stumble on the dark mountains, and while you are looking for light, He turns it into the shadow of death and makes it dense darkness."
Jeremiah 13:10, 16

In the beginning of a great nation, strong godly men knelt in prayer for hours before making any drastic decision that would effect their country that they loved so well.  Humble and prayerful, the Lord blessed their efforts and blessed their country.  Rich in natural resources and with many plentiful jobs, thousands of immigrants came to the "land of the free and the home of the brave".  Founded on the solid rock of Jesus Christ, this nation flourished and people not only found physical rest but rest for their souls.  There was no nation like it on earth! 
Several hundred years past and men became "too smart for God".  Relying on their own strength and following their own selfish desires they quickly led the country away from the firm foundation that had weathered all storms and withstood all attacks.  Unrepentent and unprotected, this nation soon fell into the hands of the Devil.  Reveling in his success at taking down the first nation founded on the Bible, Satan soon infiltrated the schools, the government, the medical system, and the Biblical definition of marriage.  Living apart from the safety of God's fold and purposly walking contrary to the path set forth in the Scripture, this once mighty country now faces the sure judgement of God..........  Is that the end of America?  Shall we become an astonishment and byword [Duet. 28;37] among the ungodly nations?
Will we turn America back to the Lord before it's too late? 
"If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." 
2 Chr. 7:14  

This is our solution as believers.  We need to humble ourselves as a nation, realizing we've done wrong.  We need to pray for forgiveness then seek the Lord once again.  We have a very gracious Lord and Savior who would gladly receive us back into His arms if we would but run to Him. 

Will you pray with me for America? 
Learning to delight in Jesus,
Hannah