Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Book Review

Hello Beloved,

I have been busy this week reading.... I love to read; do you?
A couple of friends lent me some of their books this week..
One book was called " Joseph" by Joyce Landorf. It was a good book. It brought
to life what Joseph may have been like.. It was nice to read what he may have been like... I hope
you get a chance to read it... 313 pages
I like to bring to life the people in the bible. When you can picture them in everyday life to me that is easier then just reading about them . I hope you get a chance to read these books...

The second book I have read this week is by Francine Rivers.. called " and the Shofar Blew.
It was a bit longer then the first book... 439 pages but so worth the read! It is a good book..
I have another one that I have not finished yet and it is by Dr. Gary Chapman called the Five Love languages.. I have only just started it... and then one more by T.D. Jakes and it is on Mama's. I will let you know about these two books...
I hope you all settled down with THE GOOD BOOK, yes, the Bible of course... till later
May you always remember:
Smile , when you do , you are dressed the most beautiful you can be....
God Bless and Keep you, your friend and sister in Christ Jesus, billiemae

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

James 2

Hello Beloved,

Have you ever done or said something and wish it undone? Just thinking about how to go and undo what was done or said makes you kinda sick in the tummy? Maybe it was a judgement about the way someone looks or how they acted, whatever it was you really need to go and see
about correcting the problem, right? Well, guess what, I have to do that today... I am not looking forward to it at all.... but it will be the correct thing to do...
I was very angry about someone yesterday and I spewed it to my husband... and while I agree it is best to get the anger
out the way I went about it was all wrong....
I received an email today from a friend and it was about venting... I vented wrong. I should have stopped and said something to the person who made me angry and not just let it boil inside of me..... If I don't want to be judged harshly then I should not judge harshly either..
In James 2; it talks about not letting respect of person come into play... We are all created in God's image.... Not to let the rich have the best you have just because they are rich, not to let the poor have noting just because they are poor... but to give your best to both the rich and the poor alike.... If you break just one law you have broken all 613 of them.... I have broken all of them many times... How bout you?
I have to go and ask forgiveness today and I pray they will forgive me... I then need to put my
self in their place.... Why is it that we don't do that first? Why do we have to be corrected all the time...
I was corrected good today ... I think God uses people to teach us better ways... I may tell you that I am a Christian, but if I don't act like one and produce the fruit of the spirit then I am not telling you a truth..... So today when I was corrected I have to remember that and not do the same things over again....
James 2:12 ( KJV)
" So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty."
2:13
" For he shall have judgement without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy, and mercy rejoiceth against judgement."
I have to show mercy or no mercy will be shown to me... This has been a hard lesson to learn..
I am still in the learning stages of what I am suppose to do.... I know that I love the Lord Jesus
Christ with all that I am BUT, I have a long way to go...... so I need these lessons just wish that
they didn't hurt so....Faith without works is dead..... James 2:17
So I have some prayer time I need to do as well as some works today.... I pray that lessons I learn will be of some help to you...... Remember to Smile, you are at the most beautiful you can be......... In Christ Jesus, your friend/ sister billiemae

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Hello Beloved,

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
Talks about purpose under heaven. A time to be born, a time to die, time to plant, time to harvest.. time to kill, time to heal, time to break down, time to build up , time to weep, time to
laugh, time to mourn, time to dance, a time to cast stones and a time to gather stones, time to
embrace, and time to refrain from embracing, time to get, time to lose, time to keep, time to
cast away, time to rend, time to sew, time to be silence and time to talk.... a time to hate and a
time to love, time of war and time of peace...
some pretty neat things to ponder on don't you agree?
Everything under heaven has a purpose....

Have you ever wondered what your purpose is? I have, many times.
I believe now that my purpose is the worship God with all my heart, mind, and soul. I have found that this is what my soul was yearning for.
I was so very lost after my mama passed away. I didn't know if I was going to be able to function ever again... and for a time I don't think I did to well... But , God loved me so much that He gave me some super great sisters to lean on... And lean I did and do.... There is a time for all seasons...
Did you know that a seed planted in the ground has to die before the plant can live? John 12: 24
(KJV)
I got to see that happen today.... My grandson, who is just 6 years old ask his daddy today if
he could be baptized.. My son, ask him a lot of questions and had the Pastor talk with him and he did seem to understand what he was doing.... The seed had been planted very early in his life and now it would die so that it could grow and live for eternity... I am so happy for my son, and my grandson...... Now I know that he is on the right track for life... because it says in scripture
Proverbs 22:6(KJV)
" Train up a child in the way he should go : and when he is old, he will not depart from it."
I know that he has had a good foundation laid .... I believe he will now begin to build on it.
He died to this world and was reborn into the kingdom of God.

If you have had a loved one to pass away and you are feeling sorrow... I hope that the sorrow is
for yourself and who you have lost and not the one who has died..... In the O.T. Deuteronomy
34:8 ; the children of Israel mourned for Moses for thirty days (30) .. and in Matthew 8:22
Jesus said : let the dead bury the dead.
I am not trying to make light of the situation but sometimes we as humans take things to the
extreme...( I am telling on myself here.) We don't want to give up the bad feelings we have... but I have found that when I turned EVERYTHING over to the Lord, and let Him have it... it is so much easier then I could ever make it.... Letting go is the hardest thing I have ever done I think... Letting go of my little boys, my grandchildren, my mama, yeah letting go was hard... but after the initial pain and prayer that followed it became eaiser....
Do you have something that you are holding on to that you need to let go of ? If you will just
turn it over to the Lord God Almighty and NEVER pick it up again it will be so much better for you..... Are you having trouble with something like , smoking? forgiveness? pain of death? anything like that? Please , just ask the Lord to take it away and when you ask BELIEVE that
he is doing it and IT WILL get easier... I want to say a prayer with you right now.

Heavenly Father...
I don't know what the person reading this is going though but you do dear Father... I am asking in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, if You will hear their cry and plea and in the pain of it for them to receive peace from you that will surpass all the pain they have. and Let them have the hope of what it is you want for them in their life.... I pray Father for your will to be done and not my will or theirs .. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ... Amen... ( it is finished)

Beloved, place your trust in Christ Jesus and as always remember to Smile, you are the most beautiful when you do..... In the love of Christ Jesus... your friend...your sister,, billiemae

Friday, March 19, 2010

Thank you for Sisters

Hello Beloved,

I am just back from seeing someone who means a lot to me... It is my sister in Christ; who has
been so very sick this past few weeks. She has literally been a hair's way from death... But
PRAISE GOD!!!! she is now starting to slowly mend.. She needs lots of prayers from all of us
to make her well..... Would you please pray for her.... Her name is Sherry and God knows all about what she needs.
I came back home and just thinking about how good it was to see her for myself, to know she
was really starting to get better and it made me think of sisters. What is a sister?
I was born the last of 4 girls so I know what a sister is. I believe with all my heart that I have the greatest sisters any one person could have.... They are smart, talented, and beautiful... I love my 3 sisters with all my heart and I wouldn't trade em' for any others but..... I have found
that sisters do not have to have the same parents as you...

I have found in my church family some really great sisters.... I am so grateful for them and to them.... Ya see my smart, talented and beautiful sisters all live far away now... but God loves me
so much that he gave me a church full of sisters to fellowship with... Now, is God good or what?
So what is a sister? Well to me , a sister is someone you can ask anything and they will either give you a answer or help you find the answer. She is someone who sees in you the good as well as the bad and loves you anyway. She is someone who helps build you up when you are down.
They want to spend time with you and laugh and cry with you... They are there to lean on when you are starting to fall.... You share everything with your sisters....
When my mama passed away I thought I was going to be all alone with no one to care about what I was doing... but I was wrong.. I had my sisters and I don't know what I would have done
without them.... but like I said they all live far away now.... I miss them and all the sameness we share. But I know God loves me because like I have stated He has given me lots of sisters now... They are my sisters in Christ and what we share with each other is a Love of Christ Jesus.
One of my sisters has been so ill and it has saddened my heart but as always with God, there is light shinning through now . It is in the form of wellness on the rise. I am so grateful that I have a Father in Heaven who cares for how I feel and what I pray.... I am blessed, so truly blessed to have the sisters I have in my life.... My "real " sisters and my Blood bought sisters I could not ask for more then that... So Father in Heaven I say thank you for my sisters ALL of them....I pray for each one that today they would have what you want them to have In Jesus name . Amen..
Smile today so you can show the world just how beautiful you really are.... God gives us smiles, evil gives us frowns..... God Bless and know that you are loved.... In Christ Jesus your sister, billiemae

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Process

Hello Beloved,

I am going to try to tell you about a sermon I heard while visiting a church down in Texas. It was a good lesson I think... I don't know if I can remember all of it but I want to try and hit the highlights ok? I am not the author of this just the one trying to pass on a message ok?
Well here goes..

Process: is created for man, not man for process. Think about that for a minute... Process:
is created for man, not man for process...
When you think or ponder on that a while it becomes pretty deep. eh? I thought so anyway.
Luke 22:32 ( KJV)

'But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted , strengthen thy
brethren..'

a point that was made in the lesson was .... your faith should not fail; and the word converted was called process. When you have faith in something or someone you should not let that faith become something else; like fear, doubt, pride or angry ect..... Your faith should be strong enough to endure the conversion( process)..
What is conversion? It is a process that turns around or transforms.
When you are converted you go through a process of change.. For ex: When you go down to
an alter in a church service and you give your life back over to God and you leave that service
changed then you are converted.. A new process of change has taken place. You no longer want to do the things the way you used to. You have a renewing of your mind, soul and spirit. It starts as a process... Maybe you used to be a old sour face person but now you start seeing things in a different light... that is process...
We were told that there are three steps of process.
Step 1.
The Purpose of Process:
Achieving Change
1. Seeds
2. Minds
3. Relationships

The questions was what happens in each of these?
The answers given were a seed has potential , growth, DNA, process
Minds: power, change
Relationships: challenge, change, development, growth, agreement

So it was tied up like this...
When you plant a seed it has to be in agreement with your mind to grow.
What you think is developed in your mind. It is about the process of growth.

Step 2
The Power of Process
Becoming more.
Matthew 13: 31-32 ( KJV)
The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took , and sowed in his field. 32) Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof."

We all go through a process of growth, no matter how small we are( this is in the mind) ..We need to get our thoughts right to become more like our Lord; remembering to say to ourselves,
I am a child of God!!!! I am the light of the world..... We need to remember that we have THE LIGHT living inside of us now.... Christ Jesus IS The Light...
Matthew 13: 33
it speaks of leaven and we were told that it was the power of process.

Step 3;
The Beauty of Process.
1Corinthians: 3:7 ( KJV)
So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth, but God that giveth the
increase.
He who plants: the ignitetor; he who waters: the facilitator; God who gives the increase:
processor.
1. Proves God, the universe is working.. beautiful
2. Process is observable
3. Process is dependable.
Psalms 8:6 ( KJV)
Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet.
Let what you are out. What mask do you wear? Plant a good seed today in your spouse, child, friend , yourself... We will talk more later on these things... God Bless... and remember to Smile today. your friend in Christ Jesus. billiemae

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

San Antonio. Texas

Hello Beloved,

Wow, does it ever feel good to be back home... I really want to tell you about the trip
we just had... It was such a great trip...
Mike and I just got home today from San Antonio, Texas. We went down to see our eldest
son. We had a really good time with him.. We met some of the most friendly and polite, and lovely warm people we have ever met.... San Antonio is a really spread out city, with a population of over one million people but it still has the small town feel.... We both loved it.

We visited a small town called Castroville. It was a very old historical town with so many
wonderful people in it... It sits in a valley and has a lot of character and characters in it... What
a simply wonderful peaceful little town....
The road system down there was like nothing I had ever seen before.. For such a large city it
was pretty easy to navigate. So many lanes of traffic and it went so smoothly. The downtown
Riverwalk was sure a treat.... the canal boat ride was nice too... We went and saw the Alamo of course and it is in such a beautiful setting..... It showed me at least why the folks in Texas are so
proud and honored to call themselves Texans.
We both loved our visit down there and the next time we get to go we would like to go outside
of San Antonio and see some of the other parts of Texas.. If you ever get a chance to go and
visit San Antonio I would recommend it highly!!!!! It is a beautiful town with beautiful people...
Well Beloved , time for bed . I hope to talk to you again soon.... Remember, Smile, when you do you are the most beautiful you can be.... God Bless each of you... your friend in Christ Jesus, billiemae

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

James Chapter 1

Hello Beloved,

I have been thinking about prayer... We had a call from our church today asking us to pray for
someone who had been taken to the hospital... I just happen to love this someone with all my heart.... She is very sick and she needs prayer.. I said a prayer but then it made me start thinking about how I pray.. I have done this a lot... I listen to others pray and think wow, how do they do that? I don't know how to pray that way.... I then start thinking that maybe I am doing it wrong... So I did what I usually do I went to the Word and looked prayer up.
I went to James 1:2-16
Prayer is something so personal between you and The Lord.... You should not think about how others are praying but on how you pray... In James 1:5
If you lack wisdom , ask.
James 1:6
When you ask , BELIEVE and do NOT doubt,
James 1:7 doubt is double mined.
Now I have put these scriptures in my own words, more for me to understand then anything else.... When I ask ,I should not doubt because a double minded person is unstable in all he does..
I have taken this all from a NIV Bible..
The title in my Bible on James 1: 2-16 is Trials and Temptation...
James 1:12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial.... Stand firm...
It is not the trial you have joy in but the results of the trial...
My trial has been on prayer... and I think I have found some answers in what I have just written.

When I pray believe it will be heard .. I have to learn that as much as I might love someone,
they are really NO better then I am.... They may have different ways of doing things and maybe they have more of something then I do... but they are NOT better....
This is something I have battled all my life, believing just because I was not as " something" as someone else I was not as good... That is a lie from the master liar... We ( all of us) are created in the image of God..... I just sometimes need to be reminded of that ... and I just was...
God does not tempt me, He always has a door of escape for me.. Temptation is from my own
evil desire, and desire give way to sin and sin leads to death. I need to be reminded of this so that I will remember that I have the Blood of the Savior, Jesus Christ applied to my life... He will never leave nor will He forsake me..... Every good gift is from God... I need to live in God's Word everyday so that I can bear the fruit of the Spirit.
I am so awed by what Jesus Christ did for me at Calvary. I sure did not deserve it.... I am so grateful that with all of my flaws and shortcomings that Jesus loved me so much He died so I would not have too.... Is that not just the most AWESOME thought you can have today!
JESUS LOVES ME!
May your day be filled with all that God wants for you today and I hope you are filled with PRAISE and THANKSGIVING to Him...
Remember to Smile : when you do you are dressed the most beautiful you can be.
With love in Christ Jesus, your friend ,billiemae

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Rambling Thoughts.

Hello Beloved,


Today is a rambling day.. my thoughts take off in a hundred different directions. I got up
in a sour mood today and I don't like being sour. I ask myself what happens when you don't
like yourself much? I awoke with that feeling today... What happens when you lose your
pray? I don't like to start a day without pray and thanksgiving, makes for a looooong day.
I went and had a haircut and it looks terrible ... that made my day bad and then my husband
and I had a bit of a tiff, to end the day... Not a good way to go to sleep. ( what sleep?) So I know why I lost my pray, it's about finding it again..
In today's news ( online) I saw these things,,, Super bacteria, how it is growing, earthquakes affecting the length of the day, churches being told to move the food line for the homeless because it upsets the wealthy neighbors, things such as these.... It made me think about how
close to the second coming we are....
Like I said my thoughts have been all over today in different subjects and places.... I don't know how to keep up! How we talk to God. I have had that on my mind today.... People needing prayer today for things rather serious and thinking only of myself.. How selfish can that be?
I just read on my sister's blog that she likes things going in a straight line and that for this minute it was straight.. and she thanked Jesus for it... That was just " spot hitting" for me..
I talked with someone today I haven't seen for awhile and she uplifted me... This after telling me she had just been laid off from her job and she was up lifting me.... She said something I knew,
but just had not applied to myself...... When bad things happen, stand, because you don't know who may be watching.. I want to repeat that,,

" When bad things happen, stand, because you don't know who may be watching."
I knew that but to have it said out loud was what I needed today... I need to remember to
put people around myself who stand on the Word of God.... Sometimes we just have a bad day.
I have to ask Jesus everyday to forgive me for getting in the way...
What an awesome Father we have. It make no difference if we are naughty or nice if we ask He
will forgive and love us anyway.... I love you, Lord Jesus... and I am so sorry for all my shortcomings and I ask you please Jesus to forgive me... Now , I feel better for having ask,
No one , no one, is perfect... no matter how hard we try we can not be. I love the Lord, and I love each one of you ... Thank you for listening to my ramblings today. I don't always make sense to myself either...
I made a blunder the other day.. I hurt some one's feeling without meaning too.. and I want you to know it has bothered me to no end.... yes, I ask for forgiveness, I called them , I wrote to them and I was still feeling bad... " Mission Friend" said,,, go and tell Jesus that He was not enough..
Well, that helped more then she will ever know... Jesus is enough.. My flesh just got in the way and wouldn't move.... but Praise God,,, for more than one friend....
Just remember if you have a bad day it only makes you human...
God Bless you and remember to Smile, when you do you are the most beautiful you can be.
Your friend in Christ Jesus, billilemae