In Udder Words Tuesday~~~it's Up to You

Make a decision today that you are going to enjoy the living daylights out of the rest of your life, and you're going to let God reward you for everything you've lost, that you're going to have a double-good, extra blessed life because of the pain in your past.  Joyce Meyers 

Every day is a choice. We can choose to be happy or we can choose to be grumpy. We can choose to let the pain of our past knock us down or we can choose to let it pick us up as we live a double-good extra blessed life because of it. The choice is ours, it's up to you. 

In spite of cancer, health issues, marital problems, financial issues or other things we need to make the choice to enjoy the living daylights out of the rest of our lives. It doesn't matter how long or short that time may be. We need to allow God to reward us for everything we have lost and the pain we have suffered.

We must refuse to allow that which hurt us in the past to continue to do damage to our lives. For the biggest reason being what controlled us then doesn't have to control us now. It's up to you believe it or not. 

Its up to us to allow God to reward us for our lost, opening the door to better things to be done with what has hurt us in the past. We can't let Satan win the battle he has us in. It's up to us. Let the living begin not end with the pain of our past. 

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Homage To, In Remembrance Of

“Let us remember that, as much as has been given us, much will be expected from us, and that true homage comes from the heart as well as from the lips, and shows itself in deeds.”–Theodore Roosevelt




The declaration Theodore Roosevelt (26th President 1901-1909) spoke to the United States were good words to listen to. They started with the attention getter of, “let us remember!” Following his opening phrase came more to think about. He wanted the American people to remember the fact much was given them and much will be expected from them.


Next the President would give them the reason behind it all. The why of why he told them they needed to remember. It was because, as he said, ‘true homage comes from the heart as well as the lips and it shows itself in deeds.’


For being the youngest President up until then he really knew what he was talking about. They are words that not only pertain to us as citizens of America or wherever we live but they pertain to us as citizens of Heaven as well. Sad part is we are way too quick to forget and way to selfish to know what true homage is all about.


To pay homage to something means to show it respect, pay tribute to it and to find ways to serve and honor it. It is something that needs to come from our hearts as well as our lips to the point it shows up in our actions.


Too often we overlook what was given to us and we concentrate on what “we don’t have yet.” We think we are entitled to everything but don’t need to return anything. We treat our families, country, church, and God this way. As long as we get what we want that is all that matters. Wrong!


That is why it’s important that, we remember! Over and over again in the Bible we read about how altars were built, wells were given special names all in a process to help them to remember. Remember what? Remember what was done for them. The cross along side the road is there to remember the one who died there. The picture on the wall is there to remember a love one. The special token in a hope chest lies there as a reminder to the story or deed or person from which it came.


What are we doing today to remember what God has done for us and our country? We have kicked Him out of the schools. We’ve outlawed prayer in public places. We’ve taken His name out of Christmas. We want the words, “In God we Trust” taken off our currency. We compromise our beliefs in the church in order to bring in more bodies with voices to sing our jazzy songs. It’s almost like we forgot instead of remembered who God is and what He has truly done for us.


The fact that God is the same today as He was yesterday and will be tomorrow should give us something to remember. Remembering the reality that God hasn’t changed, we have. The only thing that needed to change over the years is technology not our belief system or values. There is no expiration date on the Bible or God. He deserves our honor and respect and we need to pay homage to Him by the way we live our lives.


Therefore, instead of kicking Him out we need to invite Him in. In to our lives, our country, our homes, our churches and give to Him the glory due His name. As another famous president once said, “It’s not what our country can do for us, but what we can do for our country.” It would serve our country and God well if we would teach our younger generation this forgotten trait and dying deed on how to pay homage to both their country as well as God.


In God we trust. As for as me and my household, we will serve the Lord!


Happy Thanksgiving




I heard on the news this morning people arguing over the fact that we don’t know if the pilgrims ate turkey on Thanksgiving or not. Who cares what they ate? Thanksgiving wasn’t for the purpose of the main menu but for the giving of thanks for the harvest and for what God had given them. It doesn’t matter if they ate tacos, noodle casserole, roast beef, or salmon. How utterly ridiculous this political correct garbage has gotten. Talk about paying homage to our country it would do us well to pay homage by allowing us to be ruled by values instead of what someone thinks is “politically correct.”

© 2011 Karen J Gillett @ Pencil Marks and Recipes Publishing

Masks Off, Jesus On

“You can’t cling to a mask and God at the same time.” Dr. Juli Slattery “Beyond the Masquerade”

As Halloween was approaching excitement from the grandkids could be seen as they thought about what they want to be for the Holiday. While some lean towards their favorite character they want to imitate others were going for the spooky and scary. No matter how young or old they all enjoyed the challenge of disguising themselves to where they thought no one would recognize them.

Just as quickly as it comes the excitement of the season is often short lived. The minute the holiday passes so does the joy of the temporary masquerade. Unfortunately as much as we might think the season for masquerades have come and gone we find ourselves frequently living life behind a mask as often as daily instead of once a year. We are under the impression we can cling to our mask and God at the same time. We fail to see that with God we don’t need a mask. After all God knows everything behind our mask anyway.

Like the Samaritan woman in the Bible who thought she could hide who she was to Jesus we try to do the same and it just doesn’t work. No matter how many times our efforts have failed we continue to try. We find great security in keeping our masks in place because we’re afraid of being rejected or found out to whom we really are. We wind up not being free to be real. That day at the well Jesus wanted to get the Samaritan woman to take off her mask and He wants us to do the same. For its when our masks are off that He can help us, water us with His living water, and give us the abundance of His blessings.

There’s no doubt about it we are experts at hiding, covering, accusing, and blaming others. Adam and Eve started this in the garden when they hid from God. It didn’t work for them and it doesn’t work for us either. God knows our deepest darkest secrets. He knows the truth. The things we wouldn’t dare breathe to those closest to us He knows already. We may have an impressive exterior but God knows and sees within. He recognizes who we are.

It’s that simple truth that makes our quote for the day accurate about how “we can’t hold on to our mask and cling to God at the same time.” The beauty of it all is the fact we don’t need to. When we let go of our mask we are free to hold on to Jesus. Sadly enough we think we need a mask because that’s what people want. It’s not what people want that we should concern ourselves with but what God wants in our lives. He wants us to be free.

So people, masks off and Jesus on is the motto we should live by.

© 2010 Karen J. Gillett @ Pencil Marks and Recipes Publishing

A Bethlehem for Jesus

“Just as Our Lord came into human history from outside, so He must come into me from outside. Have I allowed my personal human life to become a “Bethlehem” for the Son of God?” by ~ Oswald Chambers My Utmost for His Highest

The date was set. Baby Emma was to be born December 23, 2009 in Redmond Oregon via a cesarean section. Arriving as planned the healthy and vibrant Emma screamed from her mommy’s room her entry call into the world. For the rest of her life she will have to answer the question, “Where were you born?” “Redmond Oregon would be the only answer to this repeated inquiry.

As Christians we have the privilege of being a “Redmond Oregon” or Bethlehem for Jesus as we make room in our hearts where His Spirit can give birth. When Christ is asked the question “where were you born?” We should want the answer to be, “in Karen, in Sue, in Jeff, in Mike.” Praise the Lord the answer to this repeated inquiry could be many different answers, the choice is up to us.

Emma’s mom made sure she got a booking in the hospital close to where she lived for the arrival of her child. However, Christ had to travel a long ways to get where He was needed. He left the thrones of Heaven to come down not to station Himself on the outskirts of Bethlehem but to enter in.

As long as we keep our lives cluttered with the things we want to hold on to Christ will always be found on the outskirts of town instead of within where He belongs. The choice becomes ours whether we are going to allow our personal human life to be that birthing place or not. Once we’ve booked the event to happen we find it’s the beginning not the end of a way of life, a place of growth and spiritual maturity.

Unlike little Emma whose mom and dad could only hope she was born healthy we get that choice ourselves to determine the health of our new spiritual birth. A good birth starts with all the correct preparations such as setting aside what Paul referred to as the “old” to put on the “new.” Taking the time to clean out what doesn’t need to be in order to reserve our whole heart for Jesus.

For the birth of my third grandchild even before we arrived at the hospital someone was there ahead of us. The grandmother on her father’s side had come and left pictures of daddy all around to ensure his presence there since he couldn’t be there physically.

We need to stop and take a look at what our birthing room looks like? Is it all us or does it reflect the one that was or needs to be born there, Jesus Christ. Is it only pictures, and symbols, empty crosses, and dusty Bibles? Do we have Him waiting on the outskirts or have we opened the doors for Him to come in.

It’s important that we need to remember that it is not God who is homeless. It’s us who have a home in our heart that is empty. Book Him today, make room for this outside source that was designed to live within. Be a Bethlehem for Jesus.

Our host today is Miriam over at her blog, Miriam Pauline’s Monologue. Hop on over there and see what everyone has to say about today’s wonder quote.

Keeping the Main Story the Main Story

“Let us remember the proclamation of the angel: “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you;He is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11). May our hearts go out to the unconverted people…who have no blessed Christmas day, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord” (Nehemiah 8:10).by ~ Mrs. L.B. Cowman Streams in the Desert

Outside of telling the main story of the birth of Jesus there is more we can and need to do to reach the unconverted. The true unedited message of the baby is a simple one that seems to have gotten complicated over the years. Not because God has added to it or taken away from it but because of us. We seem to have created our own version of illiteracy by reading things into the story that are not even there. We do that with the entire Bible.

Some look at the story and see a baby that will grow up to be a dictator. They see something they can’t believe in and that is the virgin birth so they scrap the whole message. They figure because people can’t place the shepherds, wise men, or kings in the right place at the right time there must be something wrong. They see no need for a Savior in the first place so why this little tike.

It’s what happens after Christmas, after we have told the story that becomes the most important thing. It is here where we will reach the unconverted. The story doesn’t end with the babe in the manger that people need to know about it continues on all the way to Easter in our hearts. No not Easter in April but Easter in our hearts where true conviction and transformation takes place.

As quickly as the Christmas decorations go up they seem to come down just as fast. Nice and neatly or in my case crowded and deeply they are stored in the closet only to come out one year from now. In order to reach the unconverted Christmas needs to stay up in our hearts. It doesn’t belong in the closet of our heart wrapped in swaddling layers of dust and cobwebs only to come out one season a year.

People need to see the blessing that Christmas can be but the only way we can do that is to demonstrate it for them. It’s our job as Christians to join this fashion show and model Jesus, this babe in the manger up and down the run-ways of life for all to see. It begins at the manger and continues on with the reaching out to those around us sharing a meal, buying a gift for those who have nothing, and so much more. Once again we can’t stop when Christmas is over because it needs to continue on in all we do.

Maybe I’m crazy which I know I am, I wonder if it was a mistake years ago to declare Christmas a “holiday.” When they did they made it a seasonal event that was designated to come and go at a certain time and stay away one year in between. We can’t wait for people to come and visit the manger we need to bring the manger and Jesus to people year around.

As soon as this declared Holiday is over we need to stop and take a look at ourselves and ask, “Did I put away Jesus with the decorations or is He still garnishing the walls of my heart, mind, and soul.” As political correctness, selfishness, and spiritual blindness kills this Holiday we need to keep it alive in the lives that we lead. Let’s keep the main story the main story forever and ever for all to see and experience with us.


Our host today is Patricia dear who is trying to type and drink her coffee at the same time. Get on over there to her blog at Typing One-Handed and join her and the rest of us in sharing today’s quote.