Spring Soiree

 A couple weeks ago... I hosted a Spring Soiree Garden Party for the teenage girls in our church congregation. These girls have amazing hearts and a zeal for doing what it right according to HIM.
They are such a blessing to know. 

I have some amazing friends at church...
                    the best in fact!....
that helped me decorate and cook.

The dessert table. Mmmmmm.

This was one of the spots for
taking photos of the beautiful girls.

                             These girls deserved a night where they could get
all dressed up and be pampered.
They are so worth it!!!

Some sweeties in purple.

Salvation is a Choice

I am thankful for the Bible ~ God’s very own written thoughts ~ that He has given to us so that we will know how to live in a way that is pleasing to Him. The Bible that shows us how to act while on this earth so that we can live in a place of eternal reward.

Heaven is real.

It is not some figment of our imagination.

God has created it for those who are obedient. It is a place where there will be no more tears… no more pain….no more sickness….no more sorrowful partings.

And I want to go there. I want to spend my eternal life in this beautiful place with my husband… my children… my friends and family. I want to hug my beautiful sister who is waiting there for me~ because she did live her life in obedience to Him and I know she is resting there in Paradise.

But God is just. He will reward those who diligently seek Him…. and He will punish those who do not. Hebrews 11:6 Hell is just as real as Heaven. And every single person who is alive, who has ever been alive, and who will ever live~ have to make the decision of which they are going to choose.

Living in denial… pushing the thought of eternity out of our minds doesn’t make it disappear. It doesn’t take away our responsibilities. We will all be judged at the end of our lives. Romans 2:5-6; Revelation 22:14

God doesn’t want you to choose Hell. He is patient and long-suffering and gives us every opportunity to make the decision to follow Him. 2 Peter 3:9; I Timothy 2:3-4

Living a pleasing life isn’t a mystery that we have to try to unscramble. Eternal reward isn’t just available for a chosen few. He has clearly shown us the path through the words given to us in the Bible ~ we just have to take it. That doesn’t mean that it is an easy path… For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Matthew 7:14 Taking the path to Heaven means that we have put away our selfish desires. We have to live pure and holy. We have to do good deeds for others. We have to study the Bible deeply… and interpret it correctly.

Sadly, there are many religious people that truly believe in their hearts that they are living right and that they are on the path to Heaven. But they have let other people’s wrong interpretations cloud their understanding of what the Bible says. They have the false hope that they are living right and will be in Heaven someday. It’s one of the saddest truths ~ because I don’t doubt their sincerity and zeal. That is why it is so important to study diligently… and with an open heart. It is difficult to see where we may be worshiping wrong. It is difficult to admit to being wrong. But it is vital to our lives. Matthew 7:21-23

Please open your hearts to think on these things. Open your Bibles and search out the truth for yourself. I want to be in Heaven with you.

Love

Chasity

http://braggschurchofchrist.com/2010/10/25/the-steps-of-salvation/

Here is a link that provides the information to what the Bible says we must do to receive salvation.

Grieving

This whole process that they call grieving is odd and unpredictable.
I can only speak from my own experience~
but I doubt that I'm alone in these feelings.

I try to live my life as well as I can... getting along in the every day.
When I am suddenly hit with the sorrow.

It's sudden. It's like being hit with a brick. Or punched in the stomach.

All I can do is sit and weep.
And wonder how I will get through this life.
I wonder when it will ever get easier.

I used to cry about 5 times a year.
And that was usually over a sad movie here and there.

My life was easy. I was blessed with happiness.

Now I cry that many times in a week.
At least.

I don't have any grand advice in this post.

I don't have any answers.

I'm just trying to work my way through this thing called grief.

Blessings to you~ Chasity

Dig Deeper

What is your day like?

I know that most of us can reply “BUSY!”

We either have to go to work, go to school, or start our daily work routine of being a mom and wife. {Or for those really busy folks~ doing all three}

We have chores around the house to do~ the never-ending pile of laundry. The dishes in the sink. There is dinner to plan and to cook.

There are events we must take our children to~ sports, band, play dates.

These things can pretty easily fill an entire day.

Every day.

It doesn’t leave much time to sit and think about our life.

To consider deeper things besides what meal we are going to throw together

before everyone starts getting hungry.

Ask yourself some questions to put life in perspective.

Why are we here?

How did we get here?

Is there a God that created this amazing world we live in?

There has to be an answer to all those questions.

If you aren’t sure of the existence of God… then you should examine the evidence.

It will take some time.

It may cut into our coveted free time.

You may have to miss some television time or shopping time to study.

And if you do already believe that Yes… God did create this world and all that is in it~

What does HE expect from his creation?

Are you living the way HE wants you to?

Is there a life after we leave this one?

And how do we prepare for it?

Here is one video series of 13 lessons that will help you consider how this earth came into being, if Christ really exists, and other biblical questions.

http://www.thebible1.net/video1/outwithdoubt/

Here is a series for understanding if there is a life after death~ and what is expected from us according to the bible.

http://www.thebible.net/searchingfortruth/truth.html

There are many many more resources like this available.

And they are free.

Except for your time.

But it is worth it.

I hope you will take a little time for yourself to consider these questions and look into them.

It could change your life for all eternity.

Blessings to you~

Chasity

Not a Friend in the World?

This life can be very lonely.
Sometimes it feels that there is no one who understands your heart.
Your family is dysfunctional. Your friends seem few and far.

Maybe you spend time in the hospital and only a few come to visit or call to check on you.

Maybe you are out of town for a while... and no one seems to miss you.



Days go by without the phone ringing.

Conversations are rare.

Compliments~ non-existent.


It makes life hard. And no one wants to ask for help.
You don't want pity. You don't want to beg for friendship.


If these feelings have ever gone through your mind....

haunted you in the quiet nights~


know that you are not alone.


The one who understands your heart the best has also felt alone.


When He needed a friend in His darkest hour~
there were none.

This man is our Savior and Friend.

This man is Jesus Christ.


He promises us His friendship if we give Him our love and obedience.

He promises that He will never leave us or forsake us.


He loved us so much that He willingly let men beat him and hang Him on a cross to be the perfect sacrifice for our sins.


We couldn't ask for a better friend than this.


If you do feel alone and heartbroken~ I would hope that a special person would be sent into your life to help ease those burdens.


But no matter what the future holds~ we have the Bible ~ the precious words of God to comfort us and give us the love we need. We may be let down by friends of this world, but He will never fail us.


Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts....
2 Thessalonians 2: 16 & 17

Our Growing Girls

Today was the Birthday Bash for my girls and Shauna's girl.
It is something we have done together for quite a few years now.

Having to do it without her stinks.

But life does continue.

The sun continues to rise every morning.
The seasons continue to change.

And I have to live this life as joyously as I can~

for those girls.

I need to show them the hope that lies within me...
that we will be reunited with Shauna and all our loved ones
if we continue on the journey that God has set before us.

I must show them that my love for them is as deep as the ocean runs deep.

Even when my heart aches from a hole that will never be filled~
they fill my heart with amazing love...
deep and unmovable.


My goal is to make every day special and special days spectacular.

and to remember

"Life is Good"

Coping

Two Saturdays ago, Shauna left this earth.
Last Saturday, we had her memorial service.

The two hardest days of my life.

I've gotten through the past two weeks in a haze of tears.


There are so many emotions that have washed over me...
feelings I never even knew existed.

I try to knock down the ones that aren't helpful.
When the thoughts of unfairness and injustice creep in~
I try to replace that. And quickly.

It doesn't make it any less true~


but it doesn't help any one.

It doesn't help me. It doesn't help her husband.
It doesn't help her children. It doesn't help our parents.
or our sisters.

It just doesn't help.



I have to focus and refocus my thoughts.

I want her little ones to be able to see a little slice of their
Mommy living through me.

I want to be able to fill a bit of that void... to be that comfort...


I have been spending lots of time looking at photos.
So many beautiful photos~ always with a smile on her face.

I have been watching bits of video to hear her voice.


I don't want to take the easy road and just get busy with life
so that I don't have to deal.

I want to keep our wonderful memories alive.

I don't want my own children to forget what a great aunt she was.
Always pouring attention on them.... giving them sweet compliments...
letting them spend the night~ and making those nights so special.


With every day that passes...
whether it has been a really sad day...or an ok day...
I tell myself~
I am one day closer to heaven.

I am one day closer to seeing Shauna again.


I am trying to keep my focus on that goal.
Keep my eyes on the finish line...
and I will try to be joyous on my journey to get there.


I will work my hardest to help those that Shauna loved
get there as well so that we can all be reunited on that
great and happy day.


I know that if she could talk to me now... she would say
"and you thought that sunsets were pretty"


I have tried to imagine Heaven more than I ever have before.

I'm sure that what I've imagined can't do it justice.

~~~

The pain is still so fresh and so deep.
The littlest moments open up that wound and the tears
begin to fall.

Little things that come unexpectedly....
the sun's rays through the clouds.
a song on the radio.


It will be a long road to healing. I'm so very aware of that.
Unless perhaps the Lord comes first and our days on earth are over.


Either way~ as I begin that walk ~ to try to figure out how life goes on...

I will put my trust in Him.
Study His Holy Word.

and rely on prayers to strengthen me.

My own prayers.
and the prayers of others that keep me lifted up.


Blessings to you~

Chasity