Journal ~ The Rod of Love, Our Vacation

Here we are camping



Hello Sisters!

We arrived home from camping Wednesday evening, 3 nights and 4 wonderful days! The Lord really blessed us through our neighbors. They brought their 40 foot diesel pusher, pulled our pop-up trailer with their Durango, paid for all the gas, camp site, and food. The whole trip cost us $70 of which $30 was for Starbucks :). I had planned to take lots of pictures for my scrapbooking, but I'm ashamed to say the only picture I took was the children in front of Starbucks!

Have you been praying for more prosperity both physical and spiritual, healing, and deeper relationships within your family? I have been. And while I'm getting here and there, I should be getting to a greater degree. When I go out and take others, I usually pay the tab for food or snack or whatever it is. But sometimes I can't pay the whole thing. Sometimes I see something I would like to buy a family member, neighbor, or just someone standing in line with me. Many times I can buy for a person/s, but not to the degree I want to. I want more.

The scripture says, "Give and it will be given unto, good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will be poured into your lap. FOR WITH THE MEASURE YOU USE, IT WILL BE MEASURED TO YOU." Luke 6:38. I can HONESTLY say that when I get money in my hands the first thing I think of is, "who can the Lord bless." And I can say that because I have "TASTED AND SEEN that the Lord is GOOD," (Psalm 34:8) and I know first hand that when I take care of His business, He ALWAYS takes care of mine (Matthew 6:33). FOR WITH THE MEASURE YOU USE, IT WILL BE MEASURED UNTO YOU. You give chinsey, you will reap chinsey. You give abundantly, you will reap abundantly. Jesus said it HIMSELF.

As I was saying, there is a "kink" in my blessings from heaven flow. I've been seeking the Lord and am still seeking Him about this, so I don't have all the answers. One thing He has shown me is LOVE. Love is like a curtain rod. Prosperity, wisdom, healing, etc... are the curtains. If I am trying to hang the curtains WITHOUT a rod, the curtains will just keeping falling on the floor. They will never get hung, they will never accomplish the purpose for which they were meant. Now, if I hang the ROD first (the rod is love), then the curtains (prosperity, wisdom, healing) will do the job they were meant for. So, this is what I am studying, and will fill you in as I learn more. :)

I would like to write more, but Hubby says the children are finally asleep (we went night swimming at neighbors) and he wants some visiting time. :)

Blessings,
Shannon

Journal ~ Love, Last minute camping, Here's an encouraging web site

Hubby and Sophia Rose taking a cat nap

Hello Sisters!

How is love working for ya all? Understanding about "walking" in love is very easy. Doing it is very advanced christianity....very advanced. If is wasn't, all our neighbors up and down our streets would be followers of Jesus. Walking in love, STAYING in love, not being touchy, filled with peace, joyful, forgiving, etc.... is very advanced and you won't get it by going to church once a week. You won't ever get it from a man in a pulpit. It can only be revealed in its fullest by the Holy Spirit Himself. I believe its 1 John 4 that says, "you have need for NO man to teach you, but the Holy Spirit will teach you ALL THINGS.

Some neighbors have invited us to go camping with them for a few days up or down highway 101. We have no reservations and have pretty much just decided to "wing it." We went to the store today and bought a bunch of food, we plan on wearing our swimsuits 24-7 and maybe bring a few t-shirts and shorts. I'll show you pics when we get home in a few days.

Have a great week of walking in LOVE....

Blessings,
Shannon

p.s. A web site I GREATLY enjoy and receive SO MUCH encouragement from is aboverubies.org I just wanted to pass that on in case you need some encouragement too! :)

Journal ~ Do your children need love?

Neighbors over for an evening treat

Hello Sisters!

I had hoped to return to "some" schooling, but summer seems to lend itself to late night swimming, laughing, eating and walks in the neighborhood. So, needless to say we have all been going to bed very late and rising late also. I have been slacking on my bible study the last few days, but got back into the routine this morning with my latte and dark chocolate to encourage me out of bed! :)

Have you ever had seasons in your life where you say, "my children need more love from me" and it is apparent because of how they are acting. It's hard to explain, but as a mom, you've probably had that feeling at one time or another.

The last time I had that feeling, the Lord spoke to me. He told me if I would just love my husband and make him my first priority, then I would not have to worry about the children, they would just fall in line.

"This I command you, that you LOVE ONE ANOTHER." John 15:17

That is the only command we have from Jesus...LOVE...to love the Father and your neighbor as yourself. THAT'S IT!!!!! And if we will just walk in that LOVE, EVERYTHING IN OUR LIFE WILL FALL INTO ITS PROPER PLACE.

I don't worry about my children walking in love because the more they see "mommy" (it's not my business to monitor daddy, the Lord takes care of daddy, I take care of myself, I'm not the Holy Spirit for my hubby. :) loving on Daddy by stroking his hair, rubbing his arms, siting with him while many times draping my legs over his, serving him, etc.... they REAP the benefits of love being sown into their lives!

"Love is PATIENT, love is KIND, and is not jealous, love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly, it does not SEEK ITS OWN, it is not TOUCHY, does not take into account a WRONG SUFFERED, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears ALL THINGS, BELIEVES ALL THINGS, HOPES ALL THINGS, ENDURES ALL THINGS. LOVE NEVER FAILS." I Corinthians 13

When I'm not hanging all over Hubby, they see Mommy (I'm not perfect, just trying to be :) striving to be PATIENT, KIND and the hardest one for me.....NOT BE TOUCHY. When they see Daddy trying to do 2 things at one time and he doesn't even look over at his wife with so much as a little thank you for the beautiful meal she has just made....and he runs out the front door and Mommy just smiles and says, "let's pray for Daddy" WITHOUT BEING TOUCHY, this will stick with them forever and especially as they see us overcome touchiness day in and day out!

This ability to become non-touchy, has a little to do with our own self. Truly we do "feel" the touchiness well up inside of us and we must take pains (and pains it is) in crucifying our flesh. But the REAL ability to walk in love has to do with being filled with the Holy Spirit and walking according to Him and not our flesh. And the only way to walk according to Him, is by spending time with Him so that we can be EMPOWERED with His power!

If your family needs rejuvenation, start by spending time with Jesus, let the love flow over to your hubby and then it will NATURALLY spill into your children!

Blessings,
Shannon

Journal ~ Victorious Praise, Saurkraut

Silver bowl we use to pound cabbage,
wooden pounder that son made,
cabbage fermenting into saurkraut,
basil waiting to be planted.

Hello Sisters!

We have friends here visiting from Germany so....this will be a short journal, but encouraging!

"When he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers to sing to the Lord and praise Him in their holy garments AS THEY WENT OUT "BEFORE" THE ARMY, saying, Give thanks to the Lord, for His mercy and loving kindness endure forever!" 2 Chron. 20:1-22

PRAISE always comes before VICTORY!

There have been many times in my life where I was up against a BRICK wall and at that point had 2 choices. #1, give into fear and be defeated. #2, trust God and act like the bible is really true and that what He really says, He WILL do. When ever I've done #2, I've always started on the path to victory, with PRAISING HIS HOLY NAME. Praise when things look bad, and praise when things look bad..er. If God says we have the VICTORY already, then by golley, let's start acting like we REALLY BELIEVE what He says!!!!

Jehoshaphat got word to send out singers BEFORE the army?????? That's insane!!!! But not with the Lord. God is pretty much opposite of human logic. It was the singers PRAISE going out BEFORE the problem, that actually gave them COMPLETE VICTORY. Oh how blessed these families must have felt, but they knew it all along. They knew they were going to receive the victory BEFORE it even manifest itself. Just read verse 9, 10, 12, 15, 17, 20 and 21.

We have an army against us (satan and all his demons), we are in the same situation as these believers were in. But we have it even easier than them because Jesus ALREADY won the battle for us on Resurrection morning!

Believe God's Word like it's TRUE! Grab up your children and take your stand of what is rightfully ours in Christ Jesus THROUGH THE POWER OF PRAISE!!!!!!

Blessings,
Shannon