I Am a Man!!!!

I am a man!!! I know this is a strange confession to make. To some it may come as somewhat of a shock. So stick with me and by the end of this it should all make sense. I am a man!! It just so happens that I am a "wo" man. I am a conservative, Christian, homeschooling, domestic engineer in charge of housing,transportation, education and finance kind of "wo"man. I love what I do and in no way shape or form feel inferior for being this kind of a "wo" man.

When God created man in the Garden of Eden here is what He said: “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness....... (and then the bible goes on to say) So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

There are always people out there who are offended that the word "man" is used in the bible. It is time we take this word in context to help ease the anxieties of all the women out there that take offense to this. The word man is used in several different ways in the entire bible. Sometimes, as in this case, it refers to mankind as a whole, a people group, human beings. Some times it refers specifically to men or males. The majority of the New Testament the word "man" is refering to mankind as  a whole unless it specifically mentions women. As women that means we are not off the hook we need to obey the commands that mention "man" as well as "woman", when it is refering to mankind as a whole.

Now, I am not talking about a feminist equality but a spiritual equality. The bible is very clear in Romans 14:12 that we will all answer to God for ourselves. Not for our husbands, not for our children but for ourselves!!!! Feminists cry out for equality here on this earth. There will never be equality in the flesh here on earth due to sin. God set a specific order in place here on earth. He created the flesh of man (male) then He created the flesh of woman (female). Our spiritual equality comes when we are willing give into (submit to) His plan for our lives. The husband is the head of the wife just as Christ is the head of the church. Wives are to submit to their husbands as long as their husbands are submitting to Christ. (Abuse whether physical or emotional is a whole other blog. It is never tolerated by God nor should it be tolerated by "man"(mankind).) When we understand our sprirtual equality all other things in God's Word will fall into place in our life. If we look to the world we will always be dissatisfied with who we are.


 When God brought Eve to Adam he named her "wo"man. Genesis 2:23tells us Adam said: "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man." I like to think that when God brought Eve to Adam, Adam said "WOH"!! Man is she beautiful!!!" And that is where we get our term for "woman" from. I know it didn't happen that way but God did make us different. We are softer more squishy. We have emotions that sometimes can't be explained. We can be hard to understand (this is why God said for men to live with their wives with understanding). We have discernment when it comes to sprirtual things and also the character of others. We have been given a spiritual equality that transcends all other equalities. Let's dive into that equality to draw us closer to Him. Allowing His Image to shine through us to others. Being content with who God made us to be. Be confident with who you are in Christ!!! He made us Man!! We just happen to have the flesh of "wo"man. Draw closer to Him and He will draw closer to you. Thank Him for creating you in His Image.

 So if God, who made me in His Image wants to refer to me as man, so be it!!! I am a Man!!!!

OH MY WORD!!!!!!!

All I can say is OH MY WORD!!!!!! If you are married watch this!!!!!! This was a post I put on Facebook the other day. With all my capital letters and exclamation points one would maybe think I was upset about something. Or maybe I was excited about something. Neither of these could have been father from the truth. The fact of the matter was I was so deeply touched by the sweet story in the video I was speechless and all I could say was "OH MY WORD"!!!! Not in an angry or excited way but in an awe inspired way by how this man after so many years loves his wife and cares for her in such a loving way. That was my "tone" when I wrote that.
All of this being said brings me to my point about the title of this blog "Oh My Word". I am the first person to be very "vocal" (if that is what you want to call it) on Facebook about my religious beliefs, my political beliefs and my love for something or someone. Before posting anything I check my heart to make sure that I am not posting something out of anger or hate, pride or arrogance. I know not everything I post will be "liked" by everyone on Facebook, nor will everyone agree with me, but the reason I post it is because that is what I believe. There is nothing more invigorating, or empowering than a good debate. Not a yelling match, not angry words or foul language, (which is unacceptable), which are not part of a good sound debate or conversation. I welcome challenges to my posts and my beliefs, I believe it helps both me and the other person become more confident in what we believe in. It also helps to hold us accountable one to another. When I have a great debate on Facebook I don't walk away being angry at that person or talking about them. I do walk away questioning "how can they believe that?" but by no means does that change my love for that person in any way. It is possible to love someone and not agree with them. Jesus was a great example of this. He continued to preach the gospel even though that was not the "Politically Correct" thing to do. We are to do the same!!!! We are to stay consistent in our beliefs according to the Bible and not change our beliefs because that is the "Politically Correct" thing that society is telling us to do. Our "tone" on Facebook should reflect the Bible.
Now for my last point. Be careful how you read another person's post. Too often we read a post and because we would say those same words in an angry tone, a happy tone, or a passionate or challenging tone, might not be how that person wrote it. If you question a post or a post offends you open up a debate with that person. You might just be surprised to find out that is not what they meant at all. If that is what they meant have a great conversation with them and you just might come one step closer to solidifying why you believe what you believe. Your heart holds the key to let you know when you are crossing over the line into anger, or pride. So when you read posts on Facebook ask yourself ,when you read something in a certain tone, whether it could be read a different way or ask someone else if they see it differently. If you aren't sure have an open debate with the person. Social media is one of the best places to have a clean and healthy debate. The next time you read "OH MY WORD!!!!" it might not be just anger or excitement, it could just be they are in awe of something and that is the best way they could express it.

(DISCLAIMER: I DID NOT WRITE THIS BECAUSE A COMMENT WAS MADE ON THE PARTICULAR POST I REFERENCED. I CHOSE THAT POST BECAUSE NO ONE COMMENTED ON IT, AND BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN WANTING TO WRITE ABOUT THIS SUBJECT FOR A WHILE. THIS WAS NOT WRITTEN TO OFFEND, I WELCOME ALL COMMENTS)

A Fork in the Road

 When your life hands you a fork what do you do with it? That is not usually the saying, the saying usually is when life hands you lemons what do you do with them? Well we might not realize it but we might actually get more forks handed to us than lemons. Forks are those times in life when you have to make a decision and whether you choose left or you choose right neither one is wrong. Yet we can agonize for days over decisions like these. Weighing the pros and cons sometimes doesn't even make a difference. The more we try to fill up our fork hoping it will make the decision for us ultimately ends with us still having to make a decision. Even praying about it doesn't even bring more clarity because we serve a God that has given us a free will, and whatever decision we make, thanks to His Grace and Mercy, might not be a "right" or a "wrong" decision. Don't get me wrong there are definitely "Forks" that will alter your life but most of our decisions if we are doing our best to obey God and His Word will keep our focus on Him. So when you are handed one of these forks the only question to ask is  "will whatever decision I make continue to fulfill what I know God has called me to do?" If your answer is yes than go for it either decision will get you there. If your answer is no then say no and be at peace with it, another fork will come along soon enough. So when life hands you a fork what are you going to do with it? Celebrate fulfilling His calling on your life and all decisions will become much easier.

My Big Toe

    Frustration sets in when you are laid up and cannot walk. Two days ago I woke up with gout in my big toe, by the next afternoon it had spread to my ankle. I can't have this in my life right now!!!! I have too much to do!!! Where did this come from? Everything I read online and also speaking to my doctor helped me to realize I am on the right track. My new eating lifestyle is just causing toxins to be released into my body, that toxin just happens to be uric acid and has settled in the joint of my big toe. How can I turn this around for something good? Well I am thankful for my husband and children that are willing to serve and help around the house. I am thankful for my mother-in-law that brings me things like Cherries and cherry juice concentrate (which is great for healing gout).

   What can I learn or share with you about my lessons learned from gout? I know it sounds so stupid to think about finding a lesson in gout but I think I have it. Sharp, piercing, needle like crystal's forming in the joints causing extreme pain in whatever joint they form in. Then I realize that this uric acid came from inside of me, being released from where it was stored in the weight I am losing. I go and do something good for myself only to seem like it is getting worse. I am not giving up!!! This is the time to grit my teeth and bear through it.

    Do you ever have pain in your life when you feel like you are doing everything right? Sometimes that pain is caused from things that were in us whether recent or long ago. Limiting beliefs that when once we make changes start to manifest themselves in our lives. Too often we give up and tend to go back to our limiting beliefs. Well, God tells you in Rom.8:37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. The bible also tells us in this same chapter that if God is for us who can be against us? Amidst the pain don't give up!!! Keep believing!! Keep doing what you know is good for you and you will conquer it!!

    I hope something as ridiculous as me and my big toe will help you and the ("Sharp, piercing, needle like crystal's" that you might be experiencing in your life), be a great illustration to press on and don't give up. Eventually they will break apart and you will move ahead in life once again one "step" at a time.

A Reason to Celebrate 13 years!!!

It is amazing how one phone call can literally change your life forever. Sitting in the movies on June 5, 1999 getting ready to watch October Sky when the phone call came. Not realizing that we ( Me & Hubby) should answer it we chose to ignore it. Not once but twice!! The third call came and we guessed someone was trying to get ahold of us. Not even 5 minutes into our movie and we get interrupted. Although this interruption is the kind you want to get you when you have been hooking up to a dialysis machine for the last 18 months. My hubby came back into the theater after taking the call and says "Life link called and they have a kidney for you". Leaving the theater I called Life link and heard these wonderful words "it is a perfect match, you won the lottery on this one. The only way you get a match this good is if somebody is living related to you". I hung up the phone and knew this is it!!! I guess they say third times the charm, this was the third time. I had been called twice several months before and those did not work out ( that is for another blog).

Off I went to receive the gift that would free me from hooking up to a machine every night. On June 6th 1999 I received a kidney transplant. Every year has been a celebration of life since.Today marks my 13th celebration of life. Each year I celebrate, I thank God for the gift I was given. Then my focus changes to not only thankfulness for my gift but also thankfulness for the family that decided to give that gift amidst their loss and tragedy. My gift came from the family of an 18 year old boy who died from a gunshot wound to the head. What a sacrificial gift for them as a family to change the lives of others when they had just experienced a tragedy.

  I encourage everyone to become an organ donor. Because you never know whose life you will affect.Take the time daily to celebrate life because you never know what others might be going through. They might be struggling physically because they have to hook up to a dialysis machine everyday. Or they might have just lost their son tragically. Take the time to celebrate everyone around you. You never know how long you will have them.

Celebrate Giving

What do you have to give? I just finished reading the story of the widow who gave her last two coins she had left to her name in Luke 21 and Mark 12. It is kind of amusing to think that a simple story of only about three verses came from Jesus sitting back observing what was going on around him. He saw the rest of the people putting in out of their abundance but this one woman put in all she had. It wasn't  out of her abundance it was all she had to give.
   Lately I have been feeling I have nothing of any value to give. All I have is who I am, and in my eyes this is not much. Until this morning!, my daughter was wanting to give an offering to an orphanage in South America for special needs children. She said to me I don't have much to give when other people can give so much more. That was when I thought of this story and shared it with my daughter. Those special needs kids are not going to say "so and so gave $xxxx but this 19 year old college student only gave$xx!!" . They will just be thankful for more food on the table, maybe some new clothes, diaper changes more often etc. I told my daughter give what you have not what you don't have. But more importantly don't hold back just because you don't feel what you have is enough.
  I needed to take that lesson to heart!! I was teaching myself in the process. I need to allow God to use what I have to give and not try to give out of a "super woman" status. I hope this helps someone. All I can give is who I am!!!! What are your two coins to give? Be willing to give  who you are and others will notice!!! Besides this whole story came about because Jesus was sitting back observing what was going on around him. I want him to observe me giving all I am and not just out of my abundance.

#Celebrating Blogging!!!

Today I am celebrating blogs!!! Is there anything better than people writing what is on their heart? I have had such a struggle blogging. The more I talk to others that have blogs the more I see and hear that the struggle to blog on a daily or even a weekly basis is a constant battle. So, today I celebrate all of you bloggers out there that are taking the time to share your passions and wisdom.
    I celebrate Julianne Howell's blog http://julieannhowell.wordpress.com/ . Her insight and wisdom to authors out there is such a help. Her passion for life and the written word is reflected in everything she does.
    I celebrate Lauren Miller's blog Legally Lauren. Her biblical wisdom is beyond her years!!! She shares such insightful things from the bible. You really se her heart and that she has put alot of thought into what she writes as a Law Student, but more so as someone striving for God's best in her life.
    Today I celebrate all you bloggers out there!!! Never give up!!! People are blessed by what you write even if you think noone is reading.