I want to bring to you a great book! (Another one of my favorite things) I just bought this at the Christian bookstore and have already enjoyed it a lot. There are some great things that Leslie covers. I like her. She stnads up and says things a lot of people won’t say today. I like that fact that she is relevent and lives in the today world, yet she speaks the truth about our needing to get back to some of the “old-fashioned” ways of life = God’s ways.

This book had inspired me already to live as God would have me live in beautiful set-apart femininity. Get it!

OK, another thing you can do right now. And that is to visit her blog. I did just tonight. www.setapartgirl.com She has links to great sites, 6 - 10 minute podcasts that will encourage you (I listened to one tonight it was great), she has a couple of online magazines with great stuff in them and more! So go there and check it out! I really enjoyed it tonight and will be visiting it more.

So off of Leslie’s blog I found another neat blog. This girl Christa Taylor sells cute, feminine affordable, fashionable clothes. And part of the profits go to orphan work! What a cool idea. She also has a cool blog you should check out. www.christa-taylor.com

In the girls bible study I just started on Tuesday evenings I told the girls that one thing we need to do is saturate ourselves with truth. God’s truth. There is so much junk out there. So many lies. So much of it! That we need to come back to the living and breathing truth. Of course that would be God’s Word. As well as other great things too. And these websites and book would be one of the great ways of getting truth into you! Proof there IS good stuff if we seach hard enough. Thank the Lord…

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Under my umbrella, ella, ella, A A A …. Ok, sorry.. *clearing my throat* One little thing I love is … Vera Bradley and the color pink, as you might have been able to pick up on. I just do. But Vera .. Cute stuff. My dear sweet sister in law Elizabeth bought me this umbrella. It matches the Vera Bradley beach bag I also own. VERY Vera Cute… anyway I wanted to share that with you tonight. We all have favorite things… this would be one of mine.

Oh and while I am at it. The necklace I have on in the picture? Is my first “Tiffany’s”. My dear sweet family I work for in Hindale, IL. They fly me back a few times to stay at their house… well it was my birthday and they brought out this box! I opened it to find a beautiful cross necklace. So now I am a fan of “Tiffany’s” too

Whenever I see a picture with an umbrella I am reminded of the many blessings in my life, I don’t know why. I have them raining down around all the time! Do you ever feel like He has been too good? Like you don’t deserve all the good things He showers down upon you? You need an umbrella because you are overwhelmed? God has been so good to me. Has He been good to you? I know He has. He is good to all. Reminds me of the song “God is goood, all the time. He put this song of praise in this heart of mine. God is good, God is good all the time….”

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Do I Wildly Share Jesus With Everyone I meet? Is It REALLY Important? If So? Why Don’t I?

Today on my way into my Dad’s study to study… my first courses from Moody! Which I love doing I might add. It is challanging but great… I turned the radio on. A speaker came on at the time I didn’t know but it was Lee Strobel. He was on focus on the family. I think you should listen to this guys message if you can. It was so good. He was talking about the importance of telling others about Jesus. It inspired me. And as I drove the car I found tears blinding my vision as I realized my lack in this area. I so want to be better at this.

One of his quotes I will quote from his sermon. He was an editor with the Chicago Tribune. He said, “I went into my boss one day and told him that I was a different person now… I had become a Christian and I was a follower of Jesus.” He said, “My boss looked at me and it looked like his cigar was gonna fall out of his mouth all he could say was ‘Well I’ll be damned’ he said I looked at him and said actually you don’t have to be!”

God had changed his life and he has so many interesting stories of how he has shared Christ with others. It will inspire you to share Christ in any way that you can, however you can. Isn’t it awesome what God will do with someone out to prove HE is false!?? Check out www.focusonthefamily.com

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Ok, I was just reading my dear Brother Kyle’s blog the other day and noticed his post about this book. I had to go out and get it. Of course, in my stop at the Christian Bookstore I found so many books I wanted. One of which I did purchase and I will also post here later … very good book. But this one….. Crazy Love, was the reason for my going. This book is by Francis Chan. I have enjoyed Francis’ videos online. You should look them up if you haven’t seen them.

This book gives you a fresh new look at what our relationship with God should really be like. I love books about loving God. Ever since I was young (younger than I am now) I have realized the most important thing I can ever do is love God. As that is what God said Himself. This is one book that takes me farther along in that pursuit. I want to love Him so much more than I do. I want to have a CRAZY love for Him…One thing Francis said I wanted to share here… “He doesn’t need us at all…. yet he loves us and doesn’t stop wanting a relationship…. we DESPERATELY need Him yet we act like we can take Him or leave Him”. Wow. He points out that our relationship with Christ needs help. We need to really awaken to a deeper love for our First Love, Jesus, once again.

Go to his website… www.crazylovebook.com and watch the videos there. I watched one last night I think it was called “awesome factor” about how small we really are! I was speechless when I got done watching it…. speechless. Which, I think, was the point.

May we all enjoy the deepest love in the world with the only one worth giving our all for…

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Tomorrow night will be the start of the young ladies bible/book study I have wanted to start for a while with some girls in the church. We will be going through the book by Nancy DeMoss “Lies Young Women Believe” I have looked over this book and have really liked it. I think it really speaks truth. Some things that the Lord has been showing me lately is that there are so many lies/half truths/junk that we allow into our minds throughout the day. We need to return to the Truth. We need God’s truth daily. I know if I need that others would as well. So I am excited about starting this tomorrow night!

Today my first courses from Moody Bible Institute should be coming. I am enrolled in the Independent Studies program. I am so excited about this and it’s been something I have wanted to do for a long time. I am so glad that I can start this and be learning about God’s Word. That’s my main goal. I was reading today in the Word in Psalms 77 I believe. About teaching the next generations about God. Telling our children the stories about how great our God is. I believe that learning the Word is so important for so many reasons. One of which is the most sweet to think about for me. One day gathering my children around me to teach them about God’s Word. Speaking the truth into their hearts and lives. Right now it will be a big help to me to know the Word and to be able to speak and teach it more clearly as I have a better understanding of it. I am excited.

Today, I am working at Lowes hardware store. I am thankful for this job that God has given me. Though I would never have thought that I would go from working in a nail spa to a hardware store… it’s been something that God has opened up and I am grateful for the lessons I continue to learn from working there. I only work part time or a little less than part time and I am so glad for the hours. I still have a life! Speaking of which I need to get ready to go to work….

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Here is a touching movie I just saw recently. It’s one of those popular movies going around God Tube you might have seen it. It touched my heart. It’s a father and son team. The son always wanted to do a marathon. The father made it possible.

I realized while watching it that this was what Jesus did for me. When I was born I had and have a horrible defect - sin. I can’t do anything. I am helpless and I am crippled by sin. That’s when God stepped in. He knew I had to run a race. And He did it for me. This movie reminded me of what He does for me everyday. I live with sin… yet everyday I look to Him and He brings me through this race we call life. Watch this.

"I love You Lord!!!! With everything in me I want to raise my weak, and helpless person up to give You all I have for all You have done. I will live my life to glorify You. I love You. Yet I long, long to love You more. My heart is full. Let me always bring you glory. Thank You for all you went through and for all You have done for me. I will always love You Father… Amen”

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Here is a song we sang in church today. I love the verses of this song. They seem to have real meaning. I sing this song with all my heart to the Lord tonight. I am so glad I have Him to rely on and depend on. I will have Him for all of life and into eternity!

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Today was a beautiful day for me.

A few weeks ago, maybe a month ago, I was talking to the Lord about wanting to tell more people about him. I felt like all the people I know well are Christains and I have a burden to win people to Jesus and know His love like I do. I know this doesn’t mean I need to go hang out in bars sooo…. I told the Lord this desire of my heart. I asked Him to bring the ones that He wanted to me. I told Him that I would be open to sharing the gospel with them. I didn’t remember this prayer until today.

Today Dad preached a great sermon on young people following the Lord. After the service mom called me to come with her. There was a young girl at the front of the church who was ready to be saved. She just came to our church to visit. After sharing with her the plan of salvation again in a clear way for her I made sure she understood… Mom asked her if she would like to pray and ask the Lord into her heart. She said she would. Mom looked at me and told me to lead her in a prayer to receive Jesus into her heart. I did. It was a beautiful thing. After I got done praying and she repeated after me she looked up at me with a bright smile I looked back at her… and we both laughed in a happy light hearted way. I hugged her. We now had a connection. She was a child of God. She was my sister.

I am so thankful to the Lord for giving me the desires of my heart. I know that He brought her to our church because He has a beautiful plan for her life and I “just happened” to be in the right spot to be able to lead her to the Lord because of my prayer to be used of Him. I want to pray that prayer more often. I want to be a vessel He can use. I believe He whispered to my heart today... “Holly I want to use you… just be willing to be used of Me.” I am thankful that His promises are forever true… wherever your at, whatever your doing..I believe He will use us if that is the truest desire of our hearts. It’s been a happy day! All glory to His Name today. I love Him so much….

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Today I found a spot on the back porch with my Bible, a few of my encouraging devotional books and my iced coffee. The family is all gone today so it was quiet…( I miss you family) As I poured my heart out to the Lord it seemed like there was a back up! I had SO much to tell Him. Sometimes we slip into the “business” of life or even unintentionally just don’t take the time we need with our Savior, it isn’t our priority, so it slips by. How sad. I feel like I have been guilty. He reminds us we need Him. So, as I was pouring my heart out to the Lord bubbling over really with things to tell Him…. I realized again and anew. He is everything that we need…. if we need a friend, He is Friendship. If we need a shoulder to cry on… He is Comfort. If we need someone to talk to…He is The Listening Heart. If we need something constant and faithful in our lives He is Faithfulness in its entirety. If we need to share joys He is the Sunshine of Happiness and Joy, He is our Song. If we are unclear and don’t know where to go He is Direction and Guidance. If we need love He has shown us He is Love. If we struggle for health, He is Health in its completeness. If we have the desire for more knowledge and wisdom He Himself is Wisdom. If we need something powerful and strong (girls need this) He is Strength and Power. If we need protection He is our Shield (and He will fight ) If we desire to be beautiful, He is True Beauty… See He just doesn’t know about these characteristics He is the manifestation of them!

What an awesome thought that I have Him! If we know we have this Awesome God who IS, why don’t we run to Him more with every need, every thought, every hope, every dream, every joy, every struggle… instead we try to do it alone. What a crazy thought!

I love Him so much. I am so thankful today, I am so happy, because I have Him who IS! He has spoken to my heart in the clearest ways… spend time with Him today. Pour out your heart to him… you will find He is There.

From the Psalm I read today -

50:1 The Mighty One, God the Lord,
speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to its setting.
2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God shines forth. (ESV)

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