Free

Today will be my last post.

I have no more commitments to fulfill on this blog.

I'm kind of sad to let it go, but God has really released me.

I feel totally at peace with my decision. I know it's because of Jesus.

So, that being said, I will leave you with a few songs about the freedom we have in Jesus. I will not be deleting this blog page. It will be here to serve as a witness to the greatness and AWESOMENESS that is Jesus Christ.













My prayer is that this blog has been a testimony to the Powerful, Awesome, One and Only, Jesus Christ, the SAVIOR OF THE WORLD. THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE, no one comes to the Father (God), except through Him.....John 14:6

The Real Me

... "The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7

I love this song. I feel like it describes what I want to say......

mJESUSe

I'm such a people pleaser that this is really hard for me. I crying as I'm typing this. This is about as raw as it gets.

This will be my last week blogging.

I love the sisterhood of friends I have made. Some I hope will stay my friends even though I've made this decision.

I can't believe I'm crying. This seems so silly. This has become a huge part of my life. So much so, that I believe I must give it up.

I want to love Jesus more than anything else.

I don't.

I love blogging more.

I love food more. (I'm not giving that up, completely:)

I love TV more. (I've already given up a lot of that.)

I don't say this to brag or to dump or to say what's right for anyone else.

I just know this is right for me.

At church today, my husband preached a sermon that rocked my world. It made me realize just how insignificant this temporary life is in light of how MIGHTY and BIG and ETERNAL God is.

Some of ya'll probably didn't see this coming. Some of ya'll probably couldn't care less. Some of ya'll may try to talk me out of it.

I've heard the reasons for keeping a blog.

• You can use your blog to witness (that's great, but word of mouth and living out loud is more effective)
• You can affirm and encourage other believers (I can do that over the phone and by email, too)
• You're funny and I enjoy hearing about your kids (give me your email and I will keep you updated)

I want to reiterate, I'm not saying that every Christian needs to stop blogging because it is SINFUL. I'm saying that it's become something that's more important than Christ to me. And, as far as I'm concerned, I have an idol on my hands.

God has called me to something higher. I wanted to serve the Lord with everything I have. Everything I am. Everything I'm not. Everything I hope to be.

I may make some of you mad. I may make some of you feel bad. That's not what this is about. This is about me and Jesus. He is and always will be on THE THRONE, but I have taken Him off the throne of my heart.

My kids have taken a backseat to blogging at times. I was talking to someone, the other night, who has become a dear friend to me in the past few months. She was telling me about this mom that had become obsessed with a certain celebrity and was checking his website and surfing the web all day and neglecting her kids--only getting up to give them food and then going right back to her obsession. That could so easily have been me. I woke up the morning after talking to her thinking to myself, "Melissa, you are that woman!" (I'm not that bad, but the potential is definitely there.) My kids and my sweet, committed loving husband are infinitely more important than my blog. They are the reason I have stuff to blog about.

So, with that said, I've probably got some of you reading this saying, "oooh she must be in one those cults that asks you to close off the outside world." I would say to those, I'm a Christ following, God-fearing, committed mother and wife who has realized, for me, what needs to change in my life. My priorities are out of whack and I'm putting them back where they belong.

If I don't receive a single comment on this post, that's okay.

To God be the glory, forever and ever, AMEN. "Christ in [me], the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27).

Help Me Choose

We are getting ready to start a new Ladies Bible Study at church and I would love your input. We just finished "To Live Is Christ" By Beth Moore and I am really eager to do another one of her studies. I brought home 2 different studies to preview and I'm having trouble deciding which one to pick. I need your help. Have you been through either of these studies? Even if you haven't, have you heard anything about them? I'm leaning towards one, but something you say could very well change that. I'm sure we will eventually go through both.

The first study in on the book of Daniel: Lives of Integrity, Words of Prophecy

The second study on called Stepping Up: A Journey Through the Psalms of Ascent

I'm really looking forward to what you have to say! I appreciate your help.

Must have one of these.......Is this thing awesome or what? It does everything. Scrapbooking, vinyl lettering, school projects, etc......

SITS is having a contest and they are giving one of these away. How cool is that? What better time to join the awesome commenting, blog support network? It's such an awesome way to meet cool people like these:

Shelley at I'm Changing My Name to Ouisa

Lula at Lulaville

Caroline at Pocket Change

Heather at Mindless Junque

Tiffany at The R Family Diaries

Debbie at This Is The Life

Heather at This Is The Day

Kori at Between A Whisper and A Roar

Susan at Fordy Days and Nights

All amazing bloggers!!!!!! Go visit SITS and then go check these women out. There are many more and I do not mean to exlude anyone(See my blog bus). I just grabbed a few that I visit frequently.

Beach Run

Labor Day was spent doing nothing but relaxing. We slept in. We didn't eat breakfast until 10 a.m. We let the kids nap and loaf around. Then we went to the beach. I. love. St. Augustine Beach. I was never much of a beachgoer as a teen. I lived a mile away from it, but never cared to go. This beach is different. It's flat. You can drive on it. It's huge!!!!! The water is like 1/2 a mile from where you park. Okay. I'm exagerrating, but it's far enough. There's plenty of room for the kids to just do......whatever they want. Which means.....I can do whatever I want. Love me some St. Auggie Beach. Here are some videos of the kids from Monday. That's all I got today!

Let's Talk About Men

I don't think I appreciate my hubby enough. There. I said it. I want to give a shout out to my man.

Come on, ladies. You know we spend plenty of time griping to one another about the things they do that drive us to blog. I just thought it would be nice to brag on our guys for a change. Are you with me? If not, I hope you will reconsider.

My husband is Mr. Handyman. He has, almost, single-handedly renovated our home. He continues to work on it, even after 3 years of improvements. He is at Lowe's (as I type) getting supplies to add additional storage to our bedroom. We sooooooo need it. I am so thankful that my hubby takes the time to take care of us.

He is so smart and can be romantic, on occasion. For our 10th anniversary, since $$$ was tight, we decided to fore go gifts for one another. We did take a little trip to a time-share. It was awesome. Even though we didn't buy gifts, he took the time to make little coupons and he put them in a tin jar (because tin is the 10 year anniversary metal??? It is. He verified). There are various coupons that I can redeem whenever I want, such as: Saturday morning sleep-in; put kids to bed; make supper; vacuum; girl's night out; and others.

What do you love most about your man? Don't be shy. This is the time to brag. Oh, and let him know what it is that you think is soooo great. I guarantee it will make his day.

Destined To Be Holy ~ Oswald Chambers

This devotion was taken from My Utmost For His Highest By Oswald Chambers

I am continually brought back to this message. There's obviously some truth to it, if that's the case. My flesh continues to deny it's validity, but my spirit testifies to me over and over and over again that I need to pursue holiness above everything else. The conviction that results is sometimes painful, but soooooooooooooo necessary. Just a little thought from me....read on.

Oswald Chambers:

. . it is written, ’Be holy, for I am holy’ —1 Peter 1:16

We must continually remind ourselves of the purpose of life. We are not destined to happiness, nor to health, but to holiness. Today we have far too many desires and interests, and our lives are being consumed and wasted by them. Many of them may be right, noble, and good, and may later be fulfilled, but in the meantime God must cause their importance to us to decrease. The only thing that truly matters is whether a person will accept the God who will make him holy. At all costs, a person must have the right relationship with God.

Do I believe I need to be holy? Do I believe that God can come into me and make me holy? If through your preaching you convince me that I am unholy, I then resent your preaching. The preaching of the gospel awakens an intense resentment because it is designed to reveal my unholiness, but it also awakens an intense yearning and desire within me. God has only one intended destiny for mankind— holiness. His only goal is to produce saints. God is not some eternal blessing-machine for people to use, and He did not come to save us out of pity— He came to save us because He created us to be holy. Atonement through the Cross of Christ means that God can put me back into perfect oneness with Himself through the death of Jesus Christ, without a trace of anything coming between us any longer.

Never tolerate, because of sympathy for yourself or for others, any practice that is not in keeping with a holy God. Holiness means absolute purity of your walk before God, the words coming from your mouth, and every thought in your mind— placing every detail of your life under the scrutiny of God Himself. Holiness is not simply what God gives me, but what God has given me that is being exhibited in my life.

Monday Movie Moment

Okay, I have a lot to blog about this week, but I have been slack in some of my other duties (Lula can attest). Laundry is piling up and children are missing mommy time. It's Labor Day and we are headed to the beach, so the laundry part will have to wait. I just don't have time right now to sit and pour my heart out about maxi-pads, singing bird clocks, and Edward (oh Edward). That will have to wait until my kids are tightly tucked into bed. I'm trying to give you a small, very ambiguous preview of what's to come this week.

Until then, I want to share a short montage of one of my all time favorite tragedies. No, it's not Romeo and Juliet. It's not Edward and Bella (I'm not done with this one and I don't want to know if it's a tragedy, so don't spoil it). It's Tristan and ............the women he loved in one of the best movies Brad Pitt (who I really don't think is all that) has ever done. I have to watch this movie at least once or twice a year. It moves me. I picked this featurette because it was short. Just Netflix it if you haven't had the pleasure. You won't be sorry.......