My German Tomato Eater

My sister makes Salsa and my father-in-law LOVES tomatoes. So this year I planted tomatoes. I found out that the Rutgers variety has won taste contests, so I planted some Rutgers for eating, and then I planted some Roma tomatoes for salsa. The tomatoes were slow to ripen this year. Finally I noticed a Rutgers getting red. I thought I would wait until it was good and ripe and then let my father-in-law test it out. But just when it was ready to pick, it disappeared. Then it happened again and again. I couldn’t figure out what was happening until the other night I caught our German Shorthair Pointer out in the backyard eating a nice red tomato. Somewhere along the line Millie has acquired a taste for ripe tomatoes. She doesn’t bother the green one, only the RED one. I have YET to get to enjoy one of the tomatoes I have planted, watered, weeded and waited for. This DOG is driving me CRAZY!!!

Does the Devil Agree with YOU?

Why is it so easy for us to grab on to the negative? Look at the daily newspaper. They have learned that negative sells. The same goes for radio, TV, Internet and magazines. But the negative we are fed daily doesn’t just come from the media. We have an adversary who feeds us a steady diet of negative. The scripture refers to him as the “accuser of the brethren”. Why do you think negativity and accusation are two of the main strategies utilized by the devil? Because he knows that if we ever get in mental agreement with God and what He says about our lives, we will no longer be subject to his power. If we are going to be changed into the likeness of God, it will start with our thinking. “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh” What ever comes out of our mouth will determine are destiny. Like James said, the tongue is the rudder of our life.

My Dad used to say, “If we are going to go around saying ”I’m a failure, I am poor, I am weak, I am miserable, I am sick, I am discouraged, I will never be a success, I will never lose weight, I will never do anything great for God, I don’t have the talent or money…” The Devil will come and sit on your shoulder and put his feet in your front pocket and whisper in your ear “You are correct, that is right you never will amount to anything, that is true you are a failure…” Because, that is EXACTLY what the Devil wants you to think! If you believe and repeat the Devil's lies, then he has done his job and you WILL be completely ineffective. He does not have to trick you into committing some big moral sin to do his job, He just has to convince you to believe HIM rather that GOD! So as long as we are agreeing with the Devil, He will agree with us. Ask yourself TODAY, does the Devil agree with Me? If you are repeating those negative confessions, just know you are repeating lies that originated from the pit of HELL.

This is not some mental game. This is life and death. Who are we going to believe?!!! Starting TODAY, Let’s get out the Bible and find out who we are in Christ and everyday we need to speak those things into our lives. It may be a battle, it may be a war, but it will be worth it. We must be “transformed by the renewing of our mind”. Confessing the Word will transform our minds to be in agreement with God. Our lives will be changed by speaking faith no matter how we feel.

I am well able
I am anointed
I am blessed
I am the Victor and not a victim
I am an overcomer
I can do all things through Christ
I am empowered by the Holy Ghost
I am in the Palm of God’s hand
My Future is bright
My every need is being supplied
I have enough to be a blessing to someone else
God Loves Me
God has a unique plan for my life
God can use my journey up to this point to help someone else

It may feel awkward at first because we are not used to talking this way. The enemy will tell you "Who do you think you are?" Remember, we are not tooting our own horn, we are simply acknowledging who the Word says we are and what the Word says we have.

A QUICK answer

At ten in the morning yesterday, I stepped outside on a clear crisp morning for some fresh air. I made a conscious decision to pray and ASK the Lord to bless my family so that we could be more of a blessing to others. Maybe it will encourage your faith as it has mine to hear how quickly the Lord answers our prayers.

Chad called me at lunch time and said "I've have to tell you about my morning!"

On the way to class at 10am, he was walking down the "cow path" at Ball State University and found a $100.00 bill laying on the ground. He asked people who were around if they lost it, no one claimed it, so He said thank you Jesus and put it in his wallet!

Another concern he had was instantly resolved when He found that that the class he was concerned about was cancel for the day.

My anniversary day at work is July 24th, I didn't expect a raise until then. I found out at 10:30am that I was getting a raise effective immediately!

Within a half hour of daring to ask the Lord to Bless our family, three totally unexpected blessing were poured out.

Not all blessing are monetary, be we need to understand that it is the Lord's PLEASURE to bless his children in every way. If you are a parent, think about how much you want nothing but good things for your kids. How much more does Jesus want to bless us and to see us walking in the fullness of everything He as designed for our lives.

James 4:2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

What IS True

The way I feel is not a true reflection of Truth because it is influenced by

• Physical tiredness
• Chemical imbalances
• Circumstantial concerns
• Spiritual attacks

NO MATTER HOW I FEEL, I KNOW:

• The Word of Faith is in MY mouth.
• And that word of Faith can remove mountains
• If I ASK I will receive
• If I SEEK I will find
• If I KNOCK the door will be opened.

It is not enough just to have knowledge of the Word of God. I MUST speak it into my life and ACT on it Daily for it to have an impact.

It is not enough just to Believe in God, I MUST BELIEVE GOD!

If he said it, it is True.

Why should I hesitate to pray BIG prayers and BELIEVE for Great things?

• My need is not going to tap out God’s supply of blessings.
• God’s plan for my life is Greater than I have imagined.

LORD open my heart and my mind to receive the AWESOME Plan you have for me TODAY!

Crop Circles on Chelsea's Leg

The other morning Chelsea woke up and thought she had been abducted by aliens. There was this perfect crop circle pattern on her leg. Little green dots arranged in perfectly symmetrical patterns. VERY STRANGE. It was so impressive that Chase wanted his picture taken with the pattern so that he could be famous.

After much speculation and imaginings, We went and looked in her bed and found that she had slept on her St Patrick's day green bead necklace. Of course I am still not convinced she wasn't abducted by aliens and they used this as a clever rues to throw us off of their track.

A Christmas Miracle in April

Last Thursday after work we got home and loaded up our Dodge Stratus for the trip to Louisiana. We purchased a car top carrier to put all the bags in it so Chelsea, Charity and Chase could fold down the back seats and stretch out and sleep during the night. Just as we left Indianapolis it started to rain. It rained solid and heavy for the next 16 hours as we struggled to stay awake and drive to Shreveport. We stopped around 9am in Little rock Arkansas for breakfast at MacDonald’s and found that a Tornado had passed about ½ a mile from where we were during the night and had wiped out a Trailer Park. I drove until almost Texarkana and then Debbie drove. Just after we got off of interstate 30 and started heading south toward Shreveport, the Low Fuel light came on. We had never traveled this road before and so we didn’t know how far it was to the next gas station. Only Debbie, Chase and I were awake and when I dozed off Chase told Debbie, “Well it’s just you and me now MOM!” He was so worried and watching that fuel gauge. I woke up again and every time we thought we had found a gas station it was closed and all dried up. We could see pumping oil wells all around us, but NO GAS! 10, 20 , 30 miles we were getting nervous. Finally we saw a stop light and thought surely there would be something there. We were in Ida Arkansas and we found a Real Gas Station! What a relief! Chase exclaimed “It’s a Christmas Miracle!” We knew we could make it on in to Papa and Grandma's now.

It doesn't matter what month it is. We all need a good ole Christmas Miracle every now and then.

A New Day

This is a new day. I am so glad that we know that the mercy of the Lord is "New Every Morning". The Word say that we are to take up our cross "daily" and follow Him. This really is a day by day walk. I will live tomorrow when it arrives. I have already lived yesterday and no matter how much money or power I would have, I cannot change what happened even one minute ago. So I am going to forget those things that are behind me, and press toward the mark of the high calling of God. With the help of the Lord I am going to initiate some changes in my life.

• I am going to get healthy. Eat right, Move and drink more water
• Feed my soul good things
• Use my time more wisely to focus on what I want to accomplish
• Be an encourager

I am going to be posting some photos occasionally to document my journey.