Restoring All Things Girls

Psalm 24 King James Version (KJV) The earth is the  Lord 's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods. Who shall ascend into the hill of the  Lord ? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the  Lord , and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The  Lord  strong and mighty, the  Lord  mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The  Lord  of hosts, h...

Welcome Autumn Psalm 19:1, KJV   The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. The fall season is here, hooray!  I simply enjoy the fall season and all that it brings to us.  It is one of my favorite time of year. Autumn is Gods artistry on display and it is incredible.  The landscape is all a glow with rich brilliant colors of red, orange, yellow and brown..  Nature begins to cooperate all around us - leaves fall gently from the trees, squirrels scurry to store up nuts, and birds fly south for the winter. As nature cooperates with the season, so does my decor. Colorful mums greet you at the front door - a pumpkin or two in the garden - corn stalk - and a autumn floral wreath displayed on the front door.  At times you may be greeted with the aroma of something delicious baking in the oven...oh my. There is something special about Autumn, it seems to usher in a slower more relaxed pace of life. The crisp ...

I am weak but thou art strong. Jesus, keep me from all wrong I'll be satisfied as long. As I walk, let me walk close to thee Just a closer walk with thee.  Grant it Jesus is my plea Daily walking close to thee.  Let it be, dear Lord, let it be Take my hand Lord Jesus, take my hand Take my hand Lord Jesus, take my hand There's a race to be run.  There's a victory to be won Give me power every hour to go through When my feeble life is over. Time for me will be no more. Guide me gently safely over. To thy kingdom shore, to thy shore. Sung by Anne Murray

Romans 4:16-25, NIV Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace  and may be guaranteed  to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.   As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.”He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life  to the dead and calls  into being things that were not. Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations,  just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead —since he was about a hundred years old —and that Sarah’s womb was also dead.   Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened  in his faith and gave glory to God,   being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he ...

Where is God leading me and how do I follow that path? Is there a connection between my interests and God's call? What exactly does it mean to be "called" anyway? The new book,  Call Waiting , may help you answer these questions. Working from the assumption that all Christians are called to serve God in this world,  Call Waiting  is designed to help you understand the nature of "call," explore personal giftedness, and identify ways to walk in faithfulness to a unique and unfolding calling. An Invitation So you're watching your favorite music videos and you’re thinking,  Hey, I could do that! I should do that…lotsa money, lotsa fun!  Is that call? Not even close. Or you’re searching the Web and you get a pop-up about the next  American Idol  audition. Is this a sign? Should you go for it? Is this call?  Annnnt!  (Buzzer sound.) Wrong again! Or you ride in a bike-a-thon to raise money for a children’s hospital and you begin to feel ...

A Thankful Heart Now on his way to Jerusalem,  Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee.   As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance   and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When he saw them, he said,  “Go, show yourselves to the priests.”  And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God  in a loud voice.   He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked,  “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?   Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?”   Then he said to him,  “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” Luke 17:11-19 New International Version (NIV) Thank you Jesus for your love and mercy.  Thank you for being so good even when we don't deserve it.

The Parable of the Good Samaritan On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?”  he replied.  “How do you read it?” He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” “You have answered correctly,”  Jesus replied.  “Do this and you will live.” But he wanted to justify himself,  so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” In reply Jesus said:  “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.   A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.   So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ...

This is a true story - My friend Melissa is kind hearted person - A 67 year old woman who lived up the street from her would walk past her house every day to catch the bus for work.  In the early winter mornings and in the evenings, she would see the woman walking up the long street. Whenever my friend would see the woman walking, she would stop to give her a ride home. Sometimes my friend would run in to her at the grocery store.  She would graciously gather the woman's bags, place them in her car and drive her home. Melissa  even gave the woman her phone number and told her if she ever needed anything or a ride to the store she could call her. A friendship formed over the years and Melissa began inviting the woman to her home church.  The woman gladly accepted and accompanied Melissa to church on a few occasions. For the past few months my friend noticed that she had not seen the woman walking up the street.  A few days ago my friend learned that the woman, he...

  I wish I could have met King Solomon. I would have told him to get some new friends, or in his case, girlfriends. As king of Israel, Solomon had quite a lot going for him. He was the wealthiest man that ever lived, and when he asked God for the gift of wisdom, he became the wisest also. He is credited with writing the wealth of wisdom found in the book of Proverbs. Solomon also built an astonishingly beautiful temple for the Lord. He spared no expense on himself either. His own palace was running over with treasures. In fact, he even used other cities to store all of his stuff. One city alone housed his chariots and horses! It seems like he had it all, yet in the book of Ecclesiastes, which he also authored, we find him depressed and looking for meaning in his life.  His story, recorded in 1 Kings, tells of his downfall. He quickly went from a man doing great things for God, to someone whose actions greatly angered the Lord. As I have studied his life, I’ve been cu...

Although they tell me you’re not a real person - a piece of tissue - a blob - not yet alive - I know you are a life from God  I feel you growing inside me, moving, stretching and kicking You respond to the sound of my voice and sometimes I find myself talking to you Yes, I am young, and the choices I made have altered the direction I must go Once looking forward to prom, I now await motherhood Once looking forward to the care free season of youthful fun, I must now schedule around a new born Once looking forward to having so many options, now I must consider… I never imagined it would be like this – my body changing - oh how I wish Hopefully my family will stand by me because this is so overwhelming These are the thoughts of a young mother to be – hopefully it will help you see The choices you make affect your destiny Enjoy your time under the sun – the carefree season of youthful fun By P. Osborn

Proverbs 18:10, KJV The name of the Lord is a strong tower;  The righteous run to it and are saved.

When a prostitute wanted to honor Jesus, He welcomed and honored her. But the religious folks of His time wanted to turn her away. Whose example are you following? by Mark Buchanan It’s one of Jesus’ most pointed, poignant questions, which is saying something. The man could skewer you with a question, plumb to the depths and pry loose and drag into daylight your deepest, most hidden thought. But this question just about tops them all. He asks it of a Pharisee named Simon, a man filled with righteous indignation and self-congratulatory piety (not unlike me at times.) He’s invited Jesus to lunch at his house with an agenda: to suss out Jesus’ bona-fides. Is this “rabbi” really a holy man? A prophet? Is it possible he’s the Messiah? Simon wants an up-close-and-personal encounter with Jesus to weigh the matter, to test it against certain assumptions. But plans go sideways. A woman crashes the party. Not just any woman: one of those kinds of women. With a reputation. A past. A st...

2 Corinthians 6:14-17 King James Version (KJV) 14  Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15  And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16  And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.

Have you ever wondered why you are the way you are? Why you are so different? Why others expect things from you that you don‘t know how to give? Why they can‘t see your insecurities and your pain? As a little girl, I was expected to have answers and to know how to do so many things. Others much older than me would tell me secrets and ask my advice. I hadn‘t experienced life like them. Why would they think it was important for me to know so much? When I was five years old, my father‘s friend would play with me. He would touch me when no one was looking. Why did he think I would like that? He would say things to me that scared me like, ―You are not going to live long. I was only five years old! My mother would trust her friends with me—male and female. They would grab me and try to touch me in those places that you learn in school are not touchable. I would hide from them for hours when my mother was not around.  Then there was my brother‘s friend. One day, he left with my br...

It wasn’t a special day. It wasn’t a grand occasion. It wasn’t met with great fanfare. Instead it was an ordinary trip to the well on an ordinary day. But on this particular day, young Rebekah so impressed Abraham’s servant, the man sent by the wealthy patriarch to find a suitable mate for Isaac. What impresses me about Rebekah—and what likely impressed Abraham’s servant—was Rebekah’s spirit of servanthood. Let’s think about this. Like most young girls, she took at least two trips to the well, one in the morning and one in the evening. It was a routine she’d carried out thousands of times. Lower the bucket deep into the well, bring it back up again, fill up the heavy clay pot, hoist it on her shoulder, and make her back to her home. On this particular day, she was probably tired from a long day’s work. She probably wasn’t in a very talkative mood. She was probably hoping to get her pot filled and get it home. But there was something different about Rebekah. Rebekah had the he...

Psalm 9:1-2, NIV I will praise thee, O  Lord , with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.   I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.

In an effort to teach his college-aged daughter modesty, Scott Mackintosh decided to wear short shorts to illustrate how inappropriate they can look. The photos have since gone viral. The father of seven children, four of which are girls, says, "I’m a firm believer that the way we dress sends messages about us, and it influences the way we and others act." Mackintosh had chided his second youngest daughter about her clothing choices to no avail, and earlier this month he thought it was time for drastic measures. He created his own version of Daisy Dukes and wore them during the family's night out. He was met with laughter and stares as he entered a restaurant and a small amusement park. By the night's end, his daughter was thoroughly embarrassed. But had she learned her lesson? "I know the world has varying degrees of what is modest and what is not when it comes to clothing," he says. "In our family we have pretty definite modesty guidelines: ...