Are We Making Our Lives Count?

This question has been one that seems to be on the minds of many people on a daily basis.  I've thought about the fact that truly most people's lives do count for something for someone no matter who they are.  My main thought is that there is one of two questions people look for when evaluating their lives:
1)  How many accomplishments have they caused to happen?
     a)  monies, possessions, etc.
     b)  relationships with no substance
OR
2)  How many people have they influenced or made a difference for the Kingdom of God?
     a)  salvations, discipleship, etc.
     b)  relationships with eternal value

In looking at these two instances we are actually looking at the lives of Christians and non-Christians.  Although there are a lot of really 'good' people who aren't Christians by profession or lifestyle, there are only two types of people according to the Bible, Christians or non-Christians.  We read on lots of signs in front of Churches, on billboards, and actually now on Facebook and other social networks we frequent that say 'the only way to heaven is through Jesus'; or 'Jesus is the only way to heaven', etc.  Jesus Himself said in John 14:6 "I am the Way the Truth and the Life and no one can come to the Father except through Me."
Several years ago I was leading a women's Sunday School class and never thought a thing about quoting this verse since throughout my life I have never ever doubted the truth of it.  It is in the Bible and attributed to Jesus.  When I said it, though, one of the ladies in the class was very upset and verbally with great volume let me know so in class.  Her argument was that there were so many who had done so many selfless things for others, leading lives spent to only help the helpless, feed the hungry, help the poor, etc. etc. etc.  She spoke of the Dahli Lahma, Ghandi, and others like them.  They had to be going to heaven and I had no call to say that they wouldn't just because they did not accept Jesus as Savior and the Son of God.  I attempted to confirm the verse stating that Jesus Himself had spoken these words, not just me, but that I repeated what He said.  Soon I went on to another subject as there was no way to calm the situation otherwise. 
This really shook me a bit.  The fact that we only have one way is part of the foundational truth of Christianity.  These 3 things that Jesus said He is, the Way, the Truth and the Life, are of utmost importance and truly are the beginning to what makes our lives count.  For a life to count at all, it has to count for Jesus, God and the Kingdom of Heaven first and formost. 
I've learned that the things needed are:
1)  Walk the Way of Jesus
2)  Live the Truth of God's Word
3)  Demonstrate God's Kingdom by example

Be blessed as you ponder the questions in your heart and look to the words of Jesus for the comfort and solidification of His call on your life.  Be the example God desires by finding the answers in the Bible.

In His Service,
Jennie
Luke 1:37

Baby Grands

Baby Grands are just the cutest, don't ya think?
Well, I do. Last weekend, Friday, Nov. 13, 2009 at 5:05 pm my daughter in love, Jennifer, had our 3rd Baby Grand. His Dad, both brothers and his Uncle Jon Jon were so excited. His Papa is so thrilled since Joe was partially named after him. Papa's choice was not to name his son after him and then his son didn't name his prior children after him. So now I call him Joey Selva, his name is really Joseph Selva Phillips, or I guess I could call him Skip, couldn't I? I guess whatever I decide to call him he'll love it since I'm Grandma.
Jonathan was so excited to be there just before and just after Joe's birth, yeah, Joe is probably what everybody else will call him. But like I said I'm Grandma, I can call him whatever I choose because as his brothers decided I'm so old I can do whatever I want. They were so-o-o-o awestruck at how OLD Grandma & Grandpa are and Papa, wow, you'da thought they were expecting all of us to just keel over any minute. We laughed so hard our sides hurt. The boys had no clue what was so funny. Grandma just went along with it all. Talk about eyes big as saucers, wow, they were amazed.
Jacob & Jack, the brothers, got to spend the night with Uncle Jon Jon, that's what Joey called Jonathan before he was ever born, and they got not much sleep and then had to get up so early for a Saturday so we could go to support a local Convoy of Hope event. Then upon seeing Baby Grand Joe, Joey Selva, Skip or whatever we brand him as, the brothers were so wanting to come back home with Uncle Jon Jon, but no can do, school for another week, and make-up tests on Monday since Baby Grand was born on Friday. Wow, what a Grand adventure we all are just beginning.

Thanksgiving, do we ever have something to be thankful for this year. Baby Grands, big brothers, uncles, mom, dad, and all the Grand-parents. God is so Grand and is blessing us to no end. Grandpa is so longing to see his new Grand, he has yet to be able to see him, we're hoping to see him this week. Then I'll post a photo or two of Grandpa and maybe even some more of the rest of us. I just know that since it's been over a week we'll be able to see personality when we get to see him again. I can hardly wait, and Grandpa is there, too. Oh, yes, let's not forget Uncle Jon Jon, he is wanting to be there already.
A great big happy family. How Grand is that? Just look at the faces on all these guys, you can see that each one of them is so excited and proud to begin teaching Joe to be all boy! I can see the wheels turning. Please feel free to share in the joy of Thanksgiving with us.
May the Lord bless you all and have a great and Happy Thanksgiving this year!

Head to Toe Husband Prayer

For the past several weeks the Lord has been keeping in my heart the need to lift my husband up in prayer. And as you might know I've been pondering it but not acting on it as a strong commitment. Now, after feeling that I was supposed to encourage this friend or that friend to do so, (hard head that I sometimes am) I finally realize that although this directive may well have been for some of my friends, it is definitely for me first and foremost. I asked Carl today to forgive me for not being as supportive of him as I should be and for being too negative of late. His facial expression was, as I'm sure you can expect, one of surprise and verbalized his assurity that he didn't think I'd been that way. Nevertheless, I know that I've failed to act on the call the Lord put into my heart and even tried to externalize it to others rather than taking this directive seriously to heart and making it a personal commitment. I now do commit to lift him up daily to the Lord and trust that God will move in ways that no attitude I may display will.

The "Head to Toe Husband Prayer" that I've shared with others is as follows: (Please use to pray for your husband daily and you'll see God move mightily on his behalf.)

Dear Lord, I pray for my husband, Carl, from Head to Toe.

• His Head - That he will look to You as Lord of his life. (1 Corinthians 11:3)
• His Mind - That he will have the mind of Christ and think as the Holy Spirit would lead him and not the flesh. (1 Corinthians 2:16)
• His Eyes - That You will keep his eyes from temptation and that he will turn his eyes from sin. (Matthew 6:13; Mark 9:47)
• His Ears - That he will hear Your still small voice instructing him. (1 Kings 19:12; Psalm 32:8)
• His Mouth - That his words will be pleasing to You. (Proverbs 19:1)
• His Neck - That he will humble himself before You and be strong, courageous, and careful to do everything written in Your Word so that he will be prosperous and successful. (James 4:01; Joshua 1:8-9)
• His Heart - That he will love and trust You with his whole heart. (Deuteronomy 6:4; Proverbs 3:5)
• His Arms - That You will be his strength. (Psalm 73:16)
• His Hands - That he will enjoy the work of his hands and see it as a gift from You. (Ecclesiastes 3:13, 5:19)
• His Feet - That You will order his steps and that he will walk in Your truth. (Proverbs 4:25; Psalm 26:3)

In Jesus' Name, Amen!

(I received this prayer months ago at the bottom of an article from Sharon Jaynes whose weekly article I subscribe to.)

One thing I purchased in 1/1/2000 at a Christian bookstore in VA Beach, VA is Praying God's Will for My Husband by: Lee Roberts has been a mainstay for praying for Carl when I don't really know what to pray. A statement printed on the back of the book is "Unless your husband has your constant prayer support, he cannot become all that he should be." (by Lee Roberts) has really struck a cord in my heart today.

Please continue to lift up your husband to the Lord. If he is going through difficult times the Lord will allow you to go through things together in a much more healthy way. If there is difficulty in your marriage the Lord will fill you with a new love for him and allow you to see him with a whole new and much more healthy outlook. If you have given up on him ever coming to a saving knowledge of the Lord or if his walk is not what it once was your committed prayers for him will make the way wide for him to come to that saving knowledge and bring him back to his first love. You will also develop a greater and deeper love for him and will be able to encourage and support him in many more ways in his life. If you are not married and long to be with the man God has for you when you commit to pray for that husband the Lord will honor that as well.

Stormie Omartian, in her book The Power of A Praying Wife, says "Worrying about your marriage changes nothing...Praying about it can change everything."

I pray that you'll join me in praying for your husband as I pray for Carl.

In His Love and Service,

Jennie

Matthew 6:33; Isaiah 55:12

90 Day Bible Reading Challenge

90 Day Bible Reading Challenge
Please join me in a 90 day Bible reading challenge beginning on June 15. Go to Our Lifestyle of Learning at www.ourlifestyleoflearning.com and sign up to read along with us. There you can print out the reading plan or sign up to receive daily notices that will include the reading for that day.
I'm really very excited about this CHALLENGE. I know for me it will be a great one as this summer promises to be pretty busy. I trust that I can get away for the amount of time needed each day to fulfill the requirements to complete this challenge. I know with God all things are possible and He will give me the strength to accomplish this desire. This challenge has gained members very quickly. I'm so excited to see it everytime a new person joins in.
I noticed one of the ladies has stated that she's going to go ahead and get started as she has a tendancy to fall behind in these challenges. If anyone else desires to do so I think it would be a great idea.
Also if you'd like to take the challenge to incorporate this into your family's reading plan for the summer I know you'd all experience that great sense of accomplishment by the time school starts back up.
I know as Homeschoolers a lot of us do not stop the learning process as far as our school year is concerned but continue throughout the summer which gives us more time during the holidays to spend with family.
A 90 day plan will be a stretch for many of us but I am confident that the reward will be phenomenal.
In His Love and Service,
Jennie
Mt. 6:33 & Is. 55:12

Friends

Friends - Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13

Friends - This is a subject that one of my Facebook buddies peaked my interest in over the last few days. He mentioned that he was planning to preach on Friends for his Sunday sermon and wanted feedback from the FB crowd. This got me to thinking about the Friends God has so lovingly placed in my life right now!

This photo is of a few of the girls in the weekly Bible study I attend. We are walking together through the book of Psalms this year and having an awesome time communng with the Lord and each other.

One of our 'friends' and her husband were celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary and a handful of our group was able to be there. After taking a classy shot we decided we needed a 'sassy' one to go with it. Here's the sassy!

This group of Godly women that the Lord has so lovingly set me with for this season in my life is so spiritually tuned to the Lord's voice and I continue to learn the Word with them 'with skin on', not only the Word written, but life overall. I have grown by leaps and bounds in so many ways just in the fact that I've been in their company. So many of these ladies have such enormous obstacles to face on a daily basis in many areas of their lives, however rather than grumble, mumble or complain they just praise the Lord for His love for them. They are always giving into others' lives. They are the ones who are reaching out to everyone in their lives and giving even when their need seems so great. God has demonstrated to me in the lives of these women what is meant in the Scripture reference, John 15:13. I know that if I had a need all I'd need do is ask for their help.

In the first part of this chapter vv.4-8 "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and They gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples" we see the heart of these ladies I am writing about today. This is a passage that really spoke with great resonance to me while the Holy Spirit was wooing me into salvation some 20 + years ago. I did NOT want to be a branch 'cast out and thrown into the fire'. I had walked the aisle as a child and given my life to the Lord but hadn't walked closely with the Lord for some time, about 15 years. He used this passage, among others, to bring me back just as if I were the Prodigal child. I can daily see these verses lived out in my presence with this group of ladies. No matter what else may be facing them they are exuding the love, grace and presence of the Lord not only to me but others in which they come in contact.

I have been blessed in so many settings of life as a Pastor's wife, a Mom, Grandma, Friend and just as a Christian woman. The Lord has given me many groups of friends over the years who have put His love and grace into my life. Each group He has placed me with has a uniqueness of their own and I've been very blessed as a result. Sure, there have been challenges, and seemingly they would try to destroy me and I think this is the very reason the Lord places His Word in others who live it out. This is what brings encouragement and gives the ability to put one foot in front of the other when life's challenges seem too great. He is a loving Father and desires each of His children would excel and grow in His Word, love and grace in all areas of life.

These Friends display that in my life everyday! I'm reminded of Michael W. Smith's song, Friends - Friends are friends forever, if the Lord's the Lord of them....

Be blessed and be a Friend!

Living Life with Purpose

Living Life with Purpose

Yes, this is my 11 year old. I got out in the yard early (about 6:30) and got these shots of Jonathan as he was weeding the garden. He just came into the study to let me know he's going to go out and check something in the garden right quick. He said right quick because he's ready to leave to do his weekly volunteer work at the Arboretum. These photos are PROOF that, yes, he is sold on this idea of getting to summer camp in Starkville this year. Conservation Camp - Entomology Camp week is an aspiration of his as he has decided to be a Landscape Architect when he grows up. Yes, we are encouraging him but we as parents know that there are also things we aspire to as children that when grown we abandon. Also we know that if this is God's plan for his life he will continue to develop the desire in him and we'll see it come to fruition.

The first photo is of him spotting and destroying a bug that would eventually destroy his crop if left to its own devices. As I watched him do this, he was purposeful in his tactic, I'll spare you the details but suffice it to say he got the job done. I'm reminded that in the Bible we are commanded to destroy the enemy who would destroy the fruit of the Spirit in our lives and we are also given to tools to get this accomplished. However, we often just don't do it. We need to be believers with a purpose and destroy anything that would destroy our witness.

The next two photos show him weeding and hoeing his garden. He is determined to take care of his crop. For you see, one day this week I asked him if he really wants to go to camp this year. He is paying his way by selling some of his crop and some bookmarks. He responded in the affirmative and I then reminded him that his garden would just die away if he didn't get out there and weed it. Well, you can see his response. Response with a corresponding action is a great thing to see. Not only is he raising monies for himself to attend camp but he is learning some of life's most important lessons.

In his Christian life he is also putting these principles to good use. He has been over the last year collecting can tabs to take to The Ronald McDonald House as a field trip and has been giving "Pay If Forward" gifts of Bibles, Bible CDs, and various things that were under the tree for Jesus at Christmas. We are very proud of our young son, as you can see. And yes, he is all boy and has to be shaped and molded into the man God wants him to be as each day rolls around. With time in the Word and Prayer we can see this accomplished.

Thank you so much for indulging some Proud Parents as we see our baby growing into adolescence. Our prayer is that as he is trained up in the ways of the Lord he will not depart from it but will live it out for others to see and will work in the place God has for him and realize that the sky is the limit in the things he can accomplish for the Kingdom of God as he walks in obedience to the Lord.

In His Love & Service,

Jennie
Mt. 6:33 & Is. 55:12

Life has been grand for me as the day before Mother's Day I saw two little ones working hard to pick out a puppy. Oh, my was it hard to decide on one of those puppies. Then the best thing happened. Daddy said each one could pick out one of their very own. You have never seen two more excited and happy little boys. Then they started all over again. The search was so much fun. Daddy just waited and one of the pups came right to him. Wow! That was hard to believe. That one was one of the ones chosen and then another one came up and he got to go home with these excited little boys, too.
These two little boys are my grandsons and their Daddy is my oldest son. What a memory he painted on the pages of their journal of life that day. Some day when they grow up and have boys they can look back on this event and know just what to do when someone tells their Mom that they have the most wonderful puppies to give away and that they will make great pets. The pen of experience often is read much longer than ink on paper.
This is what we have in experiencing the love of Jesus in our lives. Family is so important to Jesus in that His references were always toward the things He saw His Father do. Don't we also use these same references in our lives?
As parents we must be sure to be aware of our actions in the lives of our children. These children will remember this incident for years to come.
As a Mom, Grandma, Pastor's Wife and Friend I experience many instances when I have to stand back and see what would my Father in heaven do in the situation. I know that I don't always make the right choice but as I lean on Him and trust that He'll lead there are more right choices than wrong.
In saying this I am reminded that I must keep His goals, ideals, direction and calling in mind in each choice made in my life. I pray that you'll also be able to stand back and seek His direction when faced with choices.

In His Love and Service,

Jennie
Mt. 6:33 & Is. 55:12