A New Headband

Here is a headband that I made today.  I made it out of some fancy yarn that I had laying around.  It basically is made out of a simple single crochet throughout the entire thing.  It was very easy to make.  I think I am going to make another one but make it a little bit thinner.  I think this one was a tad bit to thick for my hair.  This would be a good band for straight hair.

Broken Girl by Matthew West

This song is extremely powerful. I just wanted to share it. If you have abuse issues please watch this video. I know the message in this video is very helpful.

The Serenity Prayer

Here is the full version of the serenity prayer and not just the short version that we use in AA.  I love the long version because I believe that it helps me to understand it better and it helps me to apply it to my life better.  So here it is:

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next. Amen.
By Reinhold Niebuhr

What a beautiful prayer.  And how true!  I think what I like the best here is the reminder that even Jesus had to accept things and people as they were.  He had to accept sin, and the consequences of it.  And he accepted it to a greater degree than I ever will when he paid the price of my sin on the cross.  When I can remember that Jesus experienced the same things that I experience, and yet he did it without sin, it makes me hopeful that I can persevere through whatever circumstances life brings me today.  I know that in the end I will be with him, a God who has walked a mile in my shoes.  To me that is comforting! 

What's Going On?

So a lot has been keeping me busy recently.  I got a promotion at work.  I am no longer a people greeter.  I was moved to the Vision Center and given a $1.30 raise.  That puts me over $9.00 an hour.  This really is a big help, and a huge answer to prayers.  Now I just have to learn everything that they want me to learn for the job.  The manual that I was given is like 400 pages.  Plus I have to do some computer training.  I know I can do it though!  God would never put me in a position that I was not ready for. 

I also have been getting things ready to go to school.  I am trying to get into Grand Valley State University.  I sent in my application and the fee.  I also filled out the financial aid papers and scheduled a visit.  I requested that my transcripts be sent from my last college.  So I guess now I just wait to see if I am accepted as a student.  I sure how this door opens for me.

So I really feel like my life is in a forward motion and it feels so good.  Everyday I think about how far I have come from the days that I could not even hold down a job, and it just makes me so grateful for the life I have today.  Without recovery I would not even have a shell of the life that I have today.  Things have changed so much in 3 years.

I have not stopped crocheting but I am working on an afghan right now and those take a lot longer.  I will post the pictures when I have finished.  That could be a couple of weeks from now.  It is a long process for such a big project.

Now I just hope the weather gets warm so I can go outside and get in some extra exercise that I need for this diet.  I could really use a walk on the boardwalk.  Its just not the same thing to always exercise with the Wii.  The Wii is fun but I want to go outside.

Hope everyone is good, and ta ta until later!

Why?

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Why did Jesus die on the cross? He died for my sin and for yours. The bible says that the wages of sin is death but that the gift of salvation is eternal life. The only way to get that gift is by accepting what Jesus did on the cross and inviting him into your life as your personal savior. John 3:16 says: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life." All we have to do is believe in Jesus. It is up to us to either believe or reject him.

I know that there are a lot of you out there who doubt the Bible and what it has to say. You have serious questions. You do not know how a loving God would send anyone to hell. The best way that I can answer this question is that a loving God would give you a choice on whether you want to love him or reject him. So many times in life we are upset by the lack of choices we have had. Who our parents are, where we were born, what school we went to, how rich or poor we were, etc. Well God is giving us an option on where we spend eternity. I think its loving to let us choose.

Another question is why doesn't he stop bad things from happening. Well, its like this. He gave people free will. He can not stop a murderer from murdering any faster than he can stop you from rejecting his love. In order to control what we do he would have to take our free will away. Also, he promised that he would turn every bad thing into something beautiful for those that love him. So it is a matter of faith. I know in my life some of the bad things that have happened have shaped and molded me into the person that I am today. If the bad things had not happened I would not be able to help others or experience life the way I do today.

One last question people ask is why do Christians act so badly. This is something that I often ask myself if I am being honest. I do know that Christian or not we are saved by grace and that apart from that we are no better then someone still in their sins. It is just as easy for a Christian to sin as it is for a non Christian. Unfortunately it only takes one bad apple to make the whole bunch look bad. But try to focus on the Christians that make a difference. People like Mother Teresa, Billy Graham, Steven Curtis Chapman, etc.

We are living in the end days.  Everyday a new natural disaster happens.  Wars are springing up all over the place.  I truly believe that it will not be long before the second coming of Jesus Christ.  And when that happens, and the church is raptured I have one question to ask you, "Will you be left behind?"  So if you think I am crazy and just talking crazy and foolish things I challenge you to really do your research.  Try to prove me wrong beyond a shadow of a doubt.  I know that you will not be able to.  But please try because it just may be the one thing that saves you.  But whatever you do don't just sit there any longer and do nothing.

Crochet Tutorial #1 Chain Stitch

So this is the first in a series of crochet videos that I am going to post on my blog.  I hope to help teach others how to crochet.  This video is how to do the chain stitch which is the very first thing that you should know in crochet.  Enjoy!

Not Going To Worry

Recently I feel like the world and the people that are in it have really been in a state of constant worry.  If you turn on the news, or even just talk to a group of people about gas prices, the middle east or heath insurance coverage you will get the same message that I am getting.  That message is that this world is going to hell and that we should all be scared out of our minds.  You can't get through the day without the message of fear creeping in, in someway.  I am not writing this to make people feel bad for be scared.  But I am writing this because I know there's no reason to be scared if you are a Christian.  I believe that the God that pinned my sins on a cross and has called me his, also safely holds me even while the world goes crazy around me.  What does the Bible say about worry.  “Then Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?’” (Luke 12:22-26, NIV).   It is true.  Worry does nothing good for my life.  By worrying I have never prevented anything from happening.  In fact worry actually causes health problems.  Stress can lead to heart disease, anxiety disorders, and a multitude of other problems.  But can it prevent anything.  I have never prevented anything from happening by worrying about it.  However, I did waste precious time that I could have been spending doing God's will.  The Bible also says this about worry. 
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).
 
I cannot do anything about the gas prices, the middle east, the rising cost of living, the politicians in Washington, or even the people around me.  But I can do something about how I respond to it.  Jesus calls us as Christians to respond with faith instead of fear.  Let the world see that we are not scared.  Won't that send a message.  Maybe they will want what we have if we respond in faith to this rising fear.  Remember Jesus has already won this war.One of the things that I notice about this verse is that I will have peace that transcends understanding.  What does that mean?  I think that means that I will have peace that makes no sense.  I will have peace when others are not in peace.  When it would make sense for me to worry and be fearful I will be peaceful instead.  And how do I get that kind of peace?  By praying to God instead of worrying. 

First Walk of the Spring

So my mom and I went and walked the boardwalk in Grand Haven for the first time on Paczki Day.  In all reality it was only like forty degrees outside but I think we are just so sick and tired of being cooped up inside that we just could not wait any longer.  Spring just seems so long over due.  Every year about this time I start to get spring fever and then I want to be outside and that is basically all I want for months.  I just really hate being inside all winter.  So here's is to hoping that in the next couple of weeks we will see warmer days yet.  It is March 10th today so just 10 short days and it will officially be the first day of Spring.  And it could not come faster!!!

35 Great Exercise Ideas

So as I have stated in earlier blogs I am on a diet.  I was thinking earlier about free ways that  I could exercise and that got me in research mode.  This is what I came up with.  I thought that I would share it here so that someone else might be able to benefit from it also.  So here's 35 somewhat cheap exercise ideas for the Lake shore area in Michigan:

1. Walk the boardwalk
2. Ride your bike on the bike trails in Spring Lake, Ferrysburg and Grand Haven
3. Buy a Wii and a Wii Fit and use it daily
4. Walk the Lakes Mall
5. Walk the trails at Hoffmaster State Park
6. Buy some roller blades and take them to the state park or the board walk
7. Join the YMCA
8. During the winter Ski and Luge at Muskegon State Park
9. Ski and Snowboard at Mulligans Hollow
10. Go to the closest park and play basketball with a Friend
11. Play tennis with a Friend
12. Yoga
13. Pilate's
14. Go swimming
15. Walk the beach
16. Beach volleyball
17. Running
18. Housework
19. Clean your car
20. Play with your kids
21. Jump rope
22. Buy a hula hoop and use it
23. Buy a dance video and learn the dance
24. Go shopping
25. Walk your dog
26. Sit ups
27. Strength training on machines
28. Join a baseball or softball team
29. Take the stairs instead of the elevator
30. Stair climbing
31. Play with the children, take them to the park
32. Yard work
33. Planks and Wall-sits, squats
34. Sprints at your local track
35. Chin-ups on a monkey bar



Why I Don't Go To Church

I have never written about this for the pure reason that I have not wanted to offend my other Christian friends but I think its time just to put it out there and be real about it.  There are some things about church and my fellow Christian brothers and sisters that really disturb and upset me.  It upsets me so much that I would just rather stay at home on Sunday than be around them.  I feel I get more out of the connections with my friends in AA than I do with my Christian brothers and sisters anyways. 

Here's the number one reason I stay home.  I find that other Christians are terribly judgemental of everyone.  If I remember from what I read in the Bible the most important commandment was to love God and then to love our neighbor.  This is what the Bible says:
One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." (NIV, Mark 12:28-31).
Also in 1 Corinthians 13 it says in verse 4-6 it tells us that love is not arrogant or boastful and that it is patient and that it hopes all things.  To me that sounds like the opposite of judging.  And then it goes on to say its the most important thing and that without it we are nothing!

4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; [2] 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Yet when I am around my Christian friends I find that they are terrible judgemental.  Have you ever noticed that when you walk into Church late everyone turns and looks at you.  I can guarantee they are not thinking how wonderful it is that you made it to church.  They are probably thinking something along the lines of how wonderful they are for making it to church on time when you couldn't.  When I am late for an AA meeting people are genuinely glad that I made it.  They even say you are never late for a meeting.  Its a shame I can't be accepted like that at church.
Also, there's this lady I work with.  She goes to church every Sunday.  She professes to love Jesus more than anything in the whole world.  Yet if someone comes in the door and they smell bad or are dressed bad I can guarantee you that she is the first person to talk about that person and how horrible it was for them to leave their house like that.  Well, excuse me I think its horrible for you to leave your house without the compassion of Christ.  Don't claim my saviors name if you are going to hurt people with your words.
Jesus came for sick people.  If we were well he would not have had to die.  Why is it when you go into a church everyone insists on acting like nothing is ever wrong in their lives.  You know that on the way to church in the car they were screaming at each other.  You can see the tear streams still etched on their face.  Yet when you ask how they are, they respond with life is wonderful and God is blessing us.  Don't lie.  Let your brothers and sisters in Christ help you.  That's why people go to drugs and alcohol to fix their problems instead of churches.  Churches don't seem like a place where sick people go.  To me that's sad.  That is exactly why Christ died on the cross.  To save the sick.  Not to be a resort club for the perfect.
I just wish there was a little less judging, a little more honesty, and a little more acceptance in the body of Christ today.  Do you want people to come to Christ.  You have to show them love first.  If you judge them first they will die before they come to Christ and they will die in their sins.  No one ever became a Christian because someone told them that they were scum.  You've got to show people love.  The Bible says they will know us because of our love.
"By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:35

I try to ask myself would someone be able to identify me as a Christian based on this statement.  

Not About Me

Wow, how fast I can forget that its not about me.  Today my blog was rising in popularity and I was really getting excited.  In just a few short hours I had gained 4 new members and none of these people were people I had ever met before.  I started thinking things like, "Wow, I must be a really good author," and "I must have a lot of important things to say."  How quick I forgot the real reason why these people joined my blog.  My last 2 posts were written about the grace and forgiveness of God.  These new followers came to my blog to see Jesus, not me.  They were not interested in how I said what I said, what interested them is what was being said.  And what was being said was that Jesus saves. 

My popularity grew because I was pointing to the cross.  I was saying look at God because he can help you.  And that is what I am going to continue to say.  Because I am starting to realise that when I am lifting my eyes towards Jesus and giving him the credit that is due him that is when life goes right.  Its all about him anyways.
1 Cor 10:31 "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."

I am starting to realise that we have to move out of the way.  When I was a teenager there was this man at my church that did a lot to help me go to church camp.  I would always try to thank him and his wife and it would never fail.  Every time I attempted to thank him he would point up and say "thank God, not me."  That used to irritate me a lot that this man would not take my thanks.  Now I understand why he did that.  He was trying to get me to see Jesus.  He did not want to take the attention off from God.  He understood that if I was thanking him it was distracting me from looking at God.  He wanted me to gain a closer relationship with God.

I want to be like my friend.  I want to help get people closer to Jesus.  I don't ever want to distract someone from God.

How can God forgive such evil?

Nice question Joe? In my last post I wrote on the mercy of God and Joe commented on whether or not God could forgive evil to the degree of Hitler? I would argue that he can. Our human mind is incapable of this kind of forgiveness and that is probably why it is hard for us to understand this kind of forgiveness. It is hard to understand something that we can not do. I visited a web site that explains this forgiveness so well. The web site is http://www.str.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5306

I especially liked this excerpt:
"This is the other lesson. Whether you have one billion sinners being forgiven of one sin, or one sinner being forgiven for a billion sins, it all amounts to the same thing--a billion sins. The work of the cross is such that it can forgive even the most egregious of sinners. The fact of Jeffrey Dahmer's forgiveness, if it is a fact, ought to teach us an entirely different lesson. Paul put it this way in I Timothy 1:15-16, "It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance (in other words be confident of this), that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. And yet for this reason I found mercy, in order than in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate his perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in him for eternal life." Paul says, Look, I am the biggest of sinners. I persecuted the church of God. I led people to their death because they were Christians. If God could forgive me, He could even forgive a Jeffrey Dahmer. He could even forgive a Greg Koukl. He could even forgive a Ken and John.

For those of you who are tempted to say, Listen I'm no Jeffrey Dahmer, my response is simply this: Maybe not, but you are no Jesus Christ either. You are more like Jeffrey Dahmer than you are like Jesus Christ. That's the comparison that ultimately will matter. If God can forgive Jeffrey, He can forgive you. And that is good news."


So can God forgive Hitler? Yes, if Hitler had wanted to be forgiven.