Honor the Lord with your Firstfruits & Prayer

Hello!...
I had to write this morning about little scraps of everything.  (Must be why I love scrapbooking)!
My friend Emma had a wonderful story to tell that I have to re-tell and the verse I read this morning reminded me of it.  It is in Hebrews chapter 4.  It says something like..."let us come boldly before the throne of grace that we may find mercy in the time of our need."  ......so her story:
           "My cousin was getting married in England.  All of my family was going to be there [her family is scattered from England to Africa] but I could see no financial way for us to get there.  I felt the Lord strongly telling me that we were going to go.  I could still see no way,  but I felt so strongly that I was to check into tickets to fly to England [from the U.S.].  I checked with a travel agent on Friday and the tickets were a reasonable price.  Everything within me was telling me to go ahead and purchase those tickets but I hadn't consulted with my husband, yet, so I didn't purchase them.  When I spoke with my husband about my strong feelings he maintained "yes,  but we still don't have the money...."   The next day, I had a surprise phone call from my mum and she said that they were going to wire the money to us so that we could go to England!  (I hadn't spoken to my parents at all about the wedding or my feelings).
          I went back to the travel agent (it was Monday, now).  The travel agent searched for me and this time the same tickets were almost double the price and now totally unafordable.  I was disgusted and told the travel agent that that was just too high and we couldn't afford them.  I went back home and told the Lord, "You put that price back down on those plane tickets".  Shortly after my prayer,  the travel agent called back and said slowly,  "I don't understand this at all, but the price has gone back down on those tickets."  I secretly smiled.   I knew why they had gone back down! 
My friend said that because she honored her husband by waiting to speak to him before purchasing the tickets,  the Lord honored her and answered her prayer.!
Awesome!
Honor the Lord with our first fruits. 

I was thinking I needed to change my blog name to God, me and Salsa, just for this post!

Now, I just need to figure out how to upload.....Lacey?  are you out there?

I am just thanking God....the sweet little bird at my window singing its heart out reminds me that yesterday I heard,  then saw a beautiful cardinal undisguised in the gray trees while watching the kids outside for recess.   Then, on my way to work I saw a Great Blue Heron near Crookston!  Joy!

Freedom

Freedom
Hello people!
I am getting excited for the retreat coming up in May.
I always think of Freedom about this time of year, too and am thankful not only just for the soliders that died for my freedom,  but for all the many Christians that died to advance the gospel  (so they died for my freedom, too)  and of course,  the King of Glory,  Jesus Christ,  who laid His majesty's life down for paupers! 
So thankful....
I am just beginning to get the tip of the iceberg about the parable about the talents and why the servant who hid them was so wicked.  Look what He did to purchase our freedom!  And then we go and hide,  like He didn't even die for this very thing....for us to have life!
God is so good.
More to come.........hope you all can make it to the retreat! 

SPiDer MaN and GOD

The age old question....that haunts believers and unbelievers alike in a continual torment of sorts....Why?   I have had my monumental struggles with this question and a lot of them have surfaced in the last year.  What am I going to believe?   I guess I have been in the 5th step of Experiencing God.  Believe me,  it is not really a fun step -  "You will face a crisis of belief that requires faith and action."  It is especially not fun,  if you have chosen the not-faith route.  Believe me.  If believing in God is life.....(Believe in Me and you will have Life.........Jesus says),  then unbelief is death.   Okay,  so what does Spiderman have to do with this all?
I happen to love Spiderman.        I don't think very many mothers of young boys can escape becoming acquainted with Spiderman and/or many other heroes and villians, ruffians of the worst sort.  And they (young boys)  Love it!   My son's child-like enthusiasm opened up a whole new interesting world of heroes and villians for me.  Drag me back, yes,  my mind is like a far-flung discus or boomerang.  I like to explore everything before I actually get to the point!
So I have been argueing with God a lot lately (not recommendable;  you never win).
But my question is nothing new;  it is a centuries old question.  Here it is:
If you are God,  how could you let that happen?  If you are all-knowing,  all powerful,  all- above it all,  how could you let this happen?
There are things that are so dark,  so ugly,  so unloving, unkind,  unsitely, hideous, sinister (you get the point)!  that happen,  that well,  one has to sit in stark astonishment and rage and wonder,  how could something like this even happen?
There is a scene in Spidemarn that I believe helps illustrate God's love.  Because there is another question/belief that springs from God letting evil happen; that is that God doesn't even love us or care about us.  There is a scene in Spiderman where the Villian,  in his efforts to get to Spiderman,  causes a train, full of people, to race out of control.   They are heading toward certain death.
As the viewer,  you know that the Devil-Villian is using the people to get at Spiderman-God.  Now,  we know Spiderman isn't God, and in fact,  God, of course, is much more in control,  (supreme, all-knowing and powerful)  than Spiderman,  but I think this is a good illustration of perhaps why evil happens.  Sin, which includes every form of evil, is never, has never been and never will be in 'God's will.'....But I think the reason that sometimes it isn't stopped is simply for the salvation of more lives. If destoying the Villian is also going to destroy all the people that the Villian has trapped and is holding in front of himself (for his own safety), then a loving God would save the people and let the Villian go free.  But to be sure,  there will be another appointment with the Devil....Then the Devil, who betrayed them, was thrown into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet.  There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.  Revelation 20:10, the Holy Bible.   There is also another death that relieves us,  it is ..And death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. Rev. 20:14...THE DEATH OF DEATH! .........And there is one final warning in that glorious chapter to heed;
......Anyone whose name was not found written in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire. 
Make sure
doubly sure
that you are on the winning team!  
---with love to all the people that follow my blog.....Love you, Lace!  :)  Go Cherrie Blossom Paperie!   

Vitality

I love writing.  ...even if no one reads it I guess!  :)

I was thinking about how vital we are in our ministries, relationships, etc.  And I know that we are not as vital as we often think we are,  but at the same time we are vital!  Complex,  but everything with God is in perfect balance.  He certainly can raise up someone else to do the exact same job we are doing....but will he do it in this generation?  So then,  I thought the ministry we do is vital for us,  our rewards and happiness...but I do believe we can affect the eternal destination of people we meet. 
Maybe God would not raise up another person for many more generations to a certain people group??
So my conclusion is that we are vital for this generation,  this time, NOW.   .....but then again He can certainly "raise up the stones to cry out,  can't He?"  :)  smile.......He keeps us in check. 
Love, all.

The Antidote to Loneliness

God can always fill up the hole in our hearts.

This particular day,  I was feeling lonely.  I read some scripture out of Praying God's Word and I was filled!  God's word is AMAZING!
It has calmed the storm in me so many, many times!