Christian Encouragers #212

You're on Page 2 of 10
Go to
  • Journal for February 13, 2006
    What foolish tricks do you play with your mind.

    What forbiddenfoods do you eat, pretending they won't count?

    Ask God to help you be more honest, for His glory .
  • Hi everyone! I've been having trouble with my computer (yes, the new one) and now have everything back on track. Thank goodness for a techie son!!

    I was also under the weather all weekend so I didn't get to do everything I wanted to. It did feel nice to be able to relax and not feel too guilty about it.

    Tonight I'm making chicken stroganoff for dinner. It's a family favourite. Easy to make and delicious.

    Tomorrow morning I go for my EKG and I guess I'll have to wait for a few days for the results.

    Well, dinner is starting to smell good so I better go check on it. Talk to you again soon!
  • Checking-in
    Hi everyone! I just had to stop by and say Hi! I feel like I'm missing out on something really important if I don't read these posts everyday. Kind of the same way I feel if I have to miss church on Sunday! I really get a whole bunch of inspiration from you all! Even though I can't DO ANYTHING with it right now 'cause I'm sick... I'm storing it up and I'll use it as soon as I can

    Tweetyandme you will find some great people here, as well as motivation and prayers - what more could you ask for?

    Christina I'm so glad you had a relaxing weekend, hope your spirit is feeling more uplifted! I will keep you in my prayers.

    Sprout, thank you for your daily devotionals, for me they seem to hit the nail on the head so to speak!

    Wilma, that sounds like a good recipe... care to share it?
    And Gary, thanks for your recipe, I'll be trying it this week!

    Anyone that comes down to Orlando, just tell me when and I'll give you the inside scoop of where to go and what to do. I've been living here for about 2 1/2 yrs. now and I feel like I'm on vacation every day! I was born and raised in Northern New Jersey and lived there until 2003, and I don't miss it at all.

    Keeping the faith - yoga is wonderful - I did it for a while right after I had my youngest son (now 3 1/2) and I would really like to get back to it. If you can, I would suggest a class, I was never really able to get the hang of it on dvd or video, but it was pretty easy once I had someone to tell me how to correct my moves (and for a woman 100 lbs. overweight I discovered I was very flexible)!

    Hope you ALL have a blessed Valentine's Day with your loved ones!

    Blessings,
  • Happy Valentine's Day
    HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY LADIES

    I am off work early today so I am cooking spinach lasagna for dinner. Angie and my daughter like my spinach one best.

    Not much going on here for V-Day, I still have to go shopping ...Angie gave me a pair of BOXERS which she will end up wearing for pj's. My daughter's boyfriend has to coach tonight so they are celebrating on Friday. He will come over about half way through her Gilmore Girls Show, always does! My son had his big V-date on Saturday, they went to Cirque du Soleil and he gave her flowers and a really cool necklace that his sister picked out and went and bought (with his $$$)! What are sister's for right? Since they both have to coach (son-track ~ girlfriend-dance/cheer) after teaching today they did their day last week-end.

    WILMA~OK dear ~ I WAS going to get up at midnight to watch CANADA vs. USA in women's curling......BUTsince I didn't go to bed until 11pm after watching the USA girls take gold and silver in the halfpipe snowboarding, I passed. on your victory! wait until the 20th when we meet again in the men's competition girl ~~ IT'S ON!~~Better watch your BP!

    The men's USA Gold medal winner in the snowboard halfpipe, Shaun White, just lives a couple of miles from us. He is in the paper a lot with his adventures! Seems to be a very nice kid.....he is called THE FLYING TOMATO because of his red hair. Since it doesn't here in our area most people from around here have never heard of him....from what I understand he is well known in other countries.

    AUNT SUE~Thank-you! They came in the mail a few minutes ago! She is so cute. Are you snowed in ? Sounds very nasty on the east coast. It has been in the low 80's here since Saturday....ya just really wanted to hear that didn't you?

    HISGIRL~I hope this finds you feeling better. My daughter and nephew have had sore throats and noses for a few days. The mozzarella chicken is pretty tasty, remember to brown the chicken first! I forgot until it had been in the crockpot for 2 hours, it was a little dry. You really don't need the crockpot, you can cook the chicken and make the sauce while you have your pasta cooking on the stove. I just do the crockpot when I want it ready when i get home from work. Always wanted to go to Disneyworld, we live within 60 miles of Disneyland but I haven't been for over 10 years! I really enjoy it but once the kids got bigger and started going on their own with their friends I just stopped going ~ there and Sea World which is only 25 miles from me. Never been to Lego Land and it is 5 miles from me, Angie and I walk by it all the time, maybe when I get GRANDKIDS!!

    MARILYN~DAY 2 Dear! You can do this! If Angie and my daughters had their way ~ and my son MOST of the time ~ they would have nothing but boneless/skinless chicken breasts with veggies and rice for dinner at least 4 times a week! Thank-goodness I do a lot of the

    I pray that ALL THE RIGHT THINGS happen for you and DH in your house decisions.

    BETH~Sorry to hear about the wrist and neck. I would suggest that you do all the thearpy you can before any injections. My wife has had back and neck problems since high school from being hit from behind in her car, she goes to the chriopracter and does her which really helps.

    We had a very nice evening with Juan.

    CHRISTINA~I hope you and DH have a very nice Valentine's Day together Continued prayers for your healing.

    TWEETYANDME~You already joined

    HILARY~ So happy to hear you seem to be doing better...NOW! GET MOVING!!

    KEEPINGTHEFAITH~ Your crockpot books sound cool. I really like the internet for looking up recipes.

    Good luck in your new lifestyle changes! You can do it!!

    Well I hafta and get Angie something!

    Have a great day ladies!!

    Blessings, Gary
  • Journal for February 14, 2006
    Tell God about your greatest areas of temptation and ask for His help
  • Hi friends,

    Hope you are moving right along on your weight loss progress. It can be hard sometimes, I know first hand. I was so upset last evening over something so silly that I made myself sick. Well of course when you are not feeling good emotionally what do we do? Yup, eat wrongly! I did for sure. Ate only a small amount of supper, and then got into the ice cream. I sure wish I wouldn't do that. I know better. The Lord should be my strength ALL the time, not just when I feel good. Momentary loss of memory on this one I think. The old devil is sly, and we so often let him play over our minds. Hate when that happens! I know better. Know thy enemy and know who fights the battle for us and victory is coming. The Word of God says the victory is the Lords, so why not let Him get us through the tough spots. Food certainly doesn't help at all. Just makes it worse doesn't it? Well, back on track now. No more feeling sorry for myself. I must plot a good course and I know the Lord is here to direct me. He wipes away my gilt with His forgiveness and helps me move forward. He will do that for all of us friends. Hang in there ok. The old saying "It isn't over till the fat lady sings." is not going to happen. This skinny lady will sing when it's over LOL! How about the rest of you. You to GARY ! This can apply for gents as well LOL! God Bless all of you.

    God's Blessings.....Carol P.S. I am having trouble getting into the site that is discussing Proverbs 31. Any hints on how friends? Thanks
  • Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

    So DH did a nice thing for me today. Around lunchtime, he called me at the lab to ask me if I wanted to go out to lunch. He was downstairs waiting for me! He took me to a local Californian cuisine place and we had a nice time. Tonight he has a gig at our church (doing some repairs) so we won't be together, but maybe he'll get home in time for us to watch Gilmore Girls together. YES, I am almost 30 and I still LOVE that show. DH and I are still both feeling really rough about the miscarriage. We're still in shock that we've had two in a row.

    To make things more complicated, FOUR of my friends announced their pregnancies since I learned about my miscarriage. Of course, I am happy for them but at the same time I feel sad that I'm not going to be pregnant along with them. When I read announcement #3 on my friend's blog today, I started crying. I felt so guilty, like I was kind of being selfish...but so sad I know that the sadness will subside and give way to joy, but I'm just having a bad day today If you could say a prayer for me and DH as we continue to heal...and also for my four friends Summer, Jordan, LP, and Jamie and their that would be wonderful!

    I hope you all are having a nice week so far!

  • Carol? Maybe I can help you. It's getting kind of lonely there by myself. Do you need a link?
  • Question / food for thought
    Matthew 5:20 says:
    But I warn you - unless you obey God better than the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees do, you can't enter the Kingdom of Heaven at all!

    This verse was one I read today and it got me thinking re salvation / heaven.
    Teachers of the Law: I am assuming they are meaning her the Sadduccees

    I do understand the Sadduccees and Pharisees had their problem with being very dogmatic / legalistic in their approach to their faith. Is this what this verse is talking about - not to be as they were? If so, we could be refused to enter Heaven because of this? Sounds like that of losing salvation which I believe you can't - once saved always sayed.

    Ok people, I would like your comments on this
  • Quote: HILARY~ So happy to hear you seem to be doing better...NOW! GET MOVING!!
    !
    Gary, you'll be so proud of me. Yesterday I did 15 mins on the treadmill at 3mph anddd Pilates. Today I did 30 mins on the treadmill at 3mph with a little higher thrown in.. it felt SO great too.

    Christina, I will of course pray for you and I do understand the feelings you have and it's natural, just remember that the Lord will bless you and your DH when He *knows* to. God works in mysterious ways, remember.

    Marilyn, I'm thinking that part meant to *be* saved.. like you said once saved always saved. Really though, I'm not 100% positive what that meant but that is an interesting point you brought up!
  • MARILYN~ A good point you bring up.

    Jesus was not speaking against observing all the requirements of the law , but against the hypocritical, Pharisaical lealism. Such legalism was not the keeping of all the details of the law but the sham of keeping the laws externally, to gain merit before God, while breaking them inwardly. Following the letter of the law while ignoring its spirit. Jesus scolds the Pharisees' interpretation of the law and their view of righteousness by works. He preaches a righteousness that comes only through faith in him and his work. He goes on to give examples in the next few verses of the reading.

    We won't be denied HEAVEN because WE have our faith and salvation in Jesus because what HE has done for us NOT what WE have done ~our faith is not in the law! They were putting their salvation in the law and works ~ which you already know.

    As far as "once saved always saved" I am not sure that I believe in that...Our Lord gives us the right of free will ~~ I actually believe that I cannot even accept Christ, that HE does/did it for me ~~ I believe that I cannot do anything for my salvation, not even accept it ~ I believe that I can only acknowledge it. I believe my only power is to be able to reject Christ because of free will.

    Because Christ has entered my it is my desire to live (sometimes NOT VERY GOOD) according to HIS commandments ~ however ~ this is not the way that I am going to heaven.

    SO ~ to answer your question ~ NO! Our awesome Lord will never deny you salvation because of the LAW ~ He already promised us that:

    John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

    Not one mention of law there!

    Blessings, Gary
  • HILARY! I AM ALWAYS PROUD OF YOU!!
  • Thanks Gary. I'm specially proud of everyone here, such a great group. I liked your response to what Marilyn posted.
  • Hi all! Just wanted to drop by, not feeling very well, but needed my 3FC
  • Hi all! Just wanted to drop by, not feeling very well, but needed my 3FC "fix"...