whew!...

On Tuesday, I got together with a friend. As I opened my purse to look for my keys, I discovered I didn't have them with me! I looked in the car and the keys were right on the driver's seat! I had locked the car and a sinking sensation came over me..."I guess I'll have to call my parents and have one of them drive to where I was and give me another set of keys."

But first I tried the passenger side door and...it opened! I couldn't believe it! I had locked all the doors and this one just happened to not lock! I'm pretty sure God ordained that. :)

Needless to say, I was very relieved and thankful to God for working this situation out. I love to see when God works!

40th Anniversary of First Landing on the Moon!

Today, July 20, 2009 is the 40th anniversary of man's first step on the moon! It is incredible what we have done and accomplished since then! Although, these are amazing things done by man, God has ordained them. And space exploration only serves to increase a Christian's trust in God and His amazing power! What a mighty God we serve!!


How astounding it is that this God who made the universe by the word of His mouth would LOVE us! What a mind-blowing reality! We should never cease to be amazed and awed by God's AMAZING love!!!


Let us fear God and love and serve Him all the more! He deserves everything we've got, because He has given us EVERYTHING He has: Himself!





Yahweh FLOORS me!! He should shock all of us.





Think about it.





Here is a picture of the first men on the moon:

^

From left: Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins, Neil Armstrong, and Chris Kraft

I couldn't upload a video of the first landing, but you can check it out on http://www.nasa.gov/.

In Him,

*Mel

Just plain AWESOME!

Here are some incredible pictures of the universe that point to the AWESOMENESS of our Almighty God!!

Psalm 19:1-4 ~ The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.

Drama Camp

I had a lot of fun watching the drama camp performance today. Everyone did such an excellent job! So many talents...thank God for wholesome entertainment. :)

I especially liked the Prodigal Son skit...that was just plain hilarious!! I was laughing soooo hard!

With all the reports that this year's drama camp wouldn't be as good as previous years', I was really impressed.

Hope you all enjoyed it, too!

Quote

I've been starting to study The Joy of Fearing God by Jerry Bridges. I thought this was a good thing point he made.
"Any sphere of knowledge you're engaged in--every aspect of your workaday world--should be to you as a believer a source of wonder and worship and should be used as a means of glorifying God. And it will be if you enjoy the fear of God. Finally, we must consider the most important knowledge of all. Jesus said, 'Now this is eternal life: that they may know you , the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent' (John 17:3). In reality this is where true knowledge begins. The person who knows God and fears Him possesses something more valuable than all the combined knowledge of philosophy and science put together. The scientist and the philosopher may discover ways to improve this life; the Christian has found the way to eternal life. That the Christian's knowledge is more valuable was attested by Jesus when He said, 'What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?' (Mark 8:36-37)." The Joy of Fearing God by Jerry Bridges pg. 5.

Verse of the day!

Psalm 52:8-9: But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever. I will thank you forever, because you have done it. I will wait for your name, for it is good, in the presence of the godly.

Short post! :)

Well, work went well today. I'm exhausted, but otherwise in shape and smelling very nice. :)
I'm so thankful to God that I have a job, even though it's not a constant schedule.

This topic reminds me to pray for those who don't have jobs: my dad, Em Joy's dad, John Butler, and others in my church. Also for those men whose businesses are downsizing or just doing poorly because of the economy.

However, God knows our every need. And He will always take care of us. Come what may, we have our God!

In His Grip,
*Mel

After thoughts

Well, I had a wonderful time today at the Bible study. :) I'm so glad many were able to make it; I think this study on Ephesians is really benefitting us all.

So encouraged by everyone who shared (all of us).

God is soooo AWESOME!!! And His love to unworthy sinners is mind-blowing! He died for us, took the price for our sin on Himself, He declares us righteous in His sight, adopted us as His children (co-heirs with Christ; we've got everything God the Father bestows on Christ!), and is preparing a wonderful place for us all in heaven! God is too good!

Thank you, Lord...may you be glorified! We are clay vessels to be used for You...give us your mighty power to carry out your will and to walk the talk.

Deus semper fidelis,
*Mel

That was /close/!...

Incredible!...

This weather seems to be the right ingredient for some violent results. Well, "close only counts in hand grenades and lightning!" (hint, hint)
My mom had an empty can of paint in her hand; she stepped out the door to throw away the can, walked a few steps when all of a sudden she heard a clap of thunder! She saw the lightning and the hairs on her arms and head shot straight up; at the same time she screamed and subconsciously flung the can into the air. She lifted her hands to duck the lighting that she saw above her. Needless to say, my mom turned weak and her limbs felt like rubber. It took her awhile to get over what happened. She almost got struck by lightning!! We immediately thanked the Lord for watching over her and protecting her life and physical body. True story.

And this triggered a thought in my head: if my mom responded this way to a natural phenomenon, how much more terror did people in the Bible feel when they saw the presence of God. His brilliant light of holiness around them. Like Paul and his companions on the road to Damascus. Just a thought...

In His Grip,
*Mel

Bad news...and good news!

Well, today we heard the bad news that my dad was laid off from work. :( This was quite unexpected. No regular paychecks to come and no benefits. At first I was astonished and then by God's grace (here's the good news) my next thought was "Wait a minute! God is the one who provides!" God gave this job and then He took it away, but He should still be praised. God can certainly provide another job, maybe a better job for my dad.

In order to back this thinking up, I found some good promises right out of God's Word...Here they are. The first passage may sound very familiar, but it's a both a command and promise. And we should never tire of the promises of God "for no matter how many promises God has made, they are 'Yes' in Christ." 2 Corinthians 1:20. (Here is yet another promise!)
Matthew 6:25-33:
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in the barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow.They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we wear?" For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (my emphasis)

What promise and hope!! "If God is for us, who (or what) can be against us?"

So I end with this prayer...
Ephesians 3:20-21: Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory in the chruch and in Christ Jesus thoughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (my emphasis)

What bad news...but what GOOD news!! Praise God!

In Christ,
*Mel

The Most Important Message

In a person's whole life, he will receive many messages. Something as minor as a to-do list to a major call from a doctor saying, "You've got cancer!" But there's really one message that surpasses them all, and that's the gospel of Jesus Christ!
The gospel simply put is Christ died for your sins.
Why? Because "God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16
God loves me, you, and the entire world He has created. The world He created for His glory. But because of Adam and Eve's sin, the perfect world He created was stained. Sin could not be present in the sight of God's holiness. At that moment Man became separated from God, but even before that moment, God had His plan of salvation worked out.
Christ's death enabled us to have a relationship with the God of the universe! God calls us His children of God. "But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, who were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." John 1:12-13
So it is because of God "that I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect." 1 Corinthians 15:10
I commit this blog to God. I pray that everything I write on here is done for His glory!
Jesus may you be glorified through one of your children.

Soli deo gloria!!

In Christ,
*Mel

Pre-intro

So ya'll...I have decided to join the blogging world! I'm surprised that I'm still awake - 10:41 PM...I know, for some of you that's EARLY.
Since it is late (for me), I'm gonna keep this note short, mostly for my sake. :P
Well, I'll log back on later...toodles.

*Melly Rose

p.s. I'll officially introduce myself and my blog at a later post. :)