The Green Mountains

Psalm 100

Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands! Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting. And His truth endures to all generations.

Devotion

While we were camping, I spent my daily devotional reading Philippians. It's a short book in the Bible, but rich with wisdom. I prayed for God's guidance that I would be able to glean pieces of wisdom that by God's grace I would be able to live out in my life. The following verses touched my heart and gave me a new perspective in certain areas of my life. I have a so much growing to do as a Christian. The more I learn, the more I come to realize I don't know. But I will rely on God, His wisdom and His love. The Word of God and His timing are nothing less than perfect.
"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate on these things."
Philippians 4:8

Rejoice in the Lord

"Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:4-7

GOD is great!

The above shot was taken by Todd Renninger

What does this day mean to me?

This is an emotional day for me, remembering that Jesus hung on a cross and died for my sins. How unworthy I am, that God loved me so much, that He sent His only Son to die for me......for me. I am still overwhelmed by the love of God, that words cannot truly express what I am holding in my heart. I have been a Christian for almost 8 years. I was saved in April of 1999. Some people may ask, "Well, haven't you always been a Christian, you went to Sunday school and church growing up?" This is what I would say: I always believed in God, but I never made a true public profession for my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savoir until I was 21 years old. Here is my story, my testimony. It feels right on this day to share it with those who don't know how I came to know Christ.
God's hand is always at work, even if we don't recognize it. I know, I have proof.....God changed my heart, He changed my life forever. Yes it is true, I grew up attending Sunday school and church. I learned the bible stories and the songs. I guess I quit going to church around my early teens. I just wasn't into it. I believed that there was a God, but I never took the time to know Him. Jared and I started dating when we were 16 yrs. old, and as many of you know, were inseperable. (Jared had a similar upbringing, went to Sunday school and church as a kid and that was it.) We ended up attending the same college, the University of Pittsburgh. One of Jared's roomates was a Christian. His name was Reagan. A young man who God used to lead us to Christ. He was a witness, a witness of who Jesus Christ was. I often saw Reagan in the Word, reading his Bible. What a nice guys he was. There was something truly different about him, now I know what made him so special, he had the Holy Spirit living in him. He never preached to us or made us feel uncomfortable.....He loved us and he prayed for us. When Jared and I would ask him "religious" questions he would stop what he was doing, and open his bible and read to us. He helped answer our questions by using the Word of Truth. How powerful God's Word truly is. Reagan invited us to church. So we said "Sure, why not." Every sermon we heard we felt as if the pastor was talking directly to us (Jared and I both). Something was happening to me, something I was unable to do on my own. I was becoming more aware of my sin, aware enough to know that I needed a Savoir. There was no way I was going to enter heaven on my own. On April 30, 1999 Reagan and Jared took me to a church in the South Hills to hear a speaker, talking about salvation.....what it meant to be saved. My heart was pounding as the pastor preached, so many events had led up to this very moment, but this was the most important of them. He told us to bow our heads, and asked if there was anyone who wanted to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savoir. I raised my hand and walked up to the front of the church, I got down on my knees and I cried.....like a baby. Jared had his hand on my one shoulder and Regan on the other. I confessed my sins before God, and I knew that I had been forgiven. That was it, that was the day God changed my heart and I gave my life to Christ. From that moment on I was saved. Saved from what you ask......I was saved from God's wrath. I was born a sinner, we all are, and God's justice for sin is eternal punishment.....hell. Christ took my place, my sins were nailed to that cross with Jesus. Although Jesus led a sinless life, he was punished for my sins........my sins. Because of Christ's death on the cross he paid for my sins, and because of His resurection on the third day, He secured a place for me in heaven. I was saved by the grace of God. After I was saved the song "Amazing Grace" meant something to me. "Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me...... I once was lost but now am found, was blind, but now, I see. "
God has me on a journey, living this life. He has truly blessed me with His presence. I am greatful that my life is in His hands, no other hands that I would rather be in. The road can get bumpy at times, but I am not traveling it alone, sometimes He carries me.
Today is Good Friday......A time for me to reflect on what Jesus has done for me, something that I don't think I will ever be able to truly grasp......but I am so greatful that He chose to save me. This is something I was not capable of doing on my own. Praise the Lord for His "Amazing Grace."

Behind "Verse of the Day"

Each morning I post a "Verse of the Day." These verses do have special meaning. I choose these verses based on what I am studying at the time, or something that I may be going through. They all have specific relevance in my daily life. I love to share these verses, in hopes that others will be touched by the Word of God. What a blessing it is to be able to read and share His powerful words of truth.

He gives me strength

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
Philippians 4:13

The Path

"The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day."
Proverbs 4:18

Faith

Here is an update on the boys. They are both on the road to recovery. Noah is feeling better, still lying on the couch, but in better spirits. Nate's coughing is not so bad this morning. It's so hard seeing my little guys sick. It's a beautiful day out this morning, the sky is blue and the sun is shining, I hope we can get the boys out today for some fresh air. I thank God for taking care of my boys. I know we will have to deal with many more colds and flu in the future, maybe even broken bones (especially with my two, who seem to have "no fear"). I have learned through this experience that I have to remember not only to pray for healing, but also that the Lord would comfort them in their time of pain or illness. I know it made Noah feel better knowing that his Mommy and Daddy were praying for him. At his young age, I feel that sometimes his faith in God is stronger than mine at times. His trust in God's power is real. My heart is moved when I see Noah close his eyes tight and talk to God, asking Him to help he and his brother feel better. It's as if when he was praying, he had no doubts, he knew God was listening and would take care of them. It's amazing what an important lesson I can learn from a 3 1/2 year old. I was reminded by my son that God is faithful to those who love Him. I am so greatful that God trusted me to be Noah and Nathan's Mommy.

The Lord is my Rock

"The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."
Psalm 18:2

This Life

God gave me the gift of life and a sense of humor. He has me right where I am for a specific reason. Sometimes I sit and look at my surroundings and can't believe how different things have unfolded from where I thought I would be. I am in awe of His sovereign hand. I am so thankful that He is the Lord of my life.