Guess who I caught being Nosey??

Could you guess?? Yep! It was Allie. In preparation for the major pain in my butt school starting tomorrow.... I have been gutting every stinkin' nook and cranny in my office for school. Well... this is who I found checking things out!!

If you cannot tell, this is a long cabinet to the left side of my wrap around desk!  He likes nooks and crannies too, what can I say????  I start tomorrow back to school.. lucky for me all the firsts are OVER and no more nervousness! I am scheduled to go downtown every day but Friday... so lucky me.. I am blessed to get a great education, and the gas in which to get there... not to mention the brains to accomplish these tasks and excel at it! Yep... I am blessed! Well, I must get back to work so I can fit that ugly comfy, thinking/reading/praying chair in here somehow!!!!

After Church Drive...

I dont know why I feel the need to explain myself, but I think that I need to. I know a lot of you read MckMama's blog- the My Charming Kids blog advertised to the right of my posts.. and I want to say that TWICE it has appeared that I have copied her blog post material like a day after she has posted, even though I have not read it.. it's weird. She did it two weeks ago with the "Name that Photo" post, and then AGAIN yesterday with the "Sunday Drive!!!" It is quite infuriating. (sp?) So yes, people.. I have an imagination.. and it just appears that I am a blog title/post stealer.. but I am NOT. It just seems that MckMama & I have some near thought patterns, and advertise it on our blogs. I am NOT a plagarizer.. even though I have adopted some neat widget ideas from her blog! anyway.. I thought that I should explain! - - - - So, let's get to the meat of things, then.. shall we?

Before Dennis and I left after church on Sunday, Nathan let me use his EF 50 mm 1:18 II lens, and I loaned my 50-250 zoom lens! I guess that it pays off that we both have a Canon, and I LOVE it. It was the first lens that I had on my list to purchase! BUT Anyway.... I wont bore you Non-camera fans!!... We drove to my mom's to pick up my thinking/praying/reading chair that I LOVE. It was here with the house when Dennis bought it 5 years ago, and I couldn't part with it....

So, here are some photos of the drive there using that AMAZING lens!

I have pics that we took at my mom's house, but I will let her claim that on her blog

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Dennis and I have been humbled by some visitors yesterday about how real and how intimate God's plan is for our lives, and how every in and out, circumstance and purpose is perfectly orchestrated through his perfect plan. We are thankful for even the smallest blessings!

No More Condemnation!

I started reading that book and was going to take my time reading it, but I loved it so much I finished it in two sittings!!!! I think that I am going to read it again so that it can get burned into my heart and head. A few huge things stuck out to me while reading.. and I am so relieved that someone has written about this to allow me to pray to relieve my weary soul over this issue. The issue is called: CONDEMNATION!
C.J Mahaney states that condemnation can be over any sin, past or present, great or small. The common element is a sustained sense of guilt or shame over sins for which you have repented to God and to any appropriate individuals.
How would you know? What are the signs??

• Do you relate to God as if you were on a kind of permanent probation, suspecting that at any moment He may haul you back into the jail cell of his disfavor?
• When you come to worship do you maintain a "respectful distance" from God, as if He were a fascinating but ill-tempered celebrity known for lashing out at His fans?
• When you read Scripture does it reveal the boundless love of the Savior or merely intesify your condemnation?
• Are you more aware of your sin than you are of God's grace, given through the cross??

If you said yes to any or all of these, don't keep carrying the burden! You can be completely free of all condemnation! Not mostly free, but completely free.

God is glorified when we believe with all of our hearts that those who trust in Christ can be never be condemned!
C.J continued to talk about how the woman (former prostitute) that went in a washed Jesus' feet with her hair was responding as an act of worship, not shame and condemnation of her past sin! How amazing! We can all take a lesson from this woman.

Being freed from condemnation doesn't require that we forget or deny the depth and depravity of our sins, whether their sins committed prior to our conversion or sins committed since our conversion. If we want to know the joy and gratitude that the woman at Jesus' feet experienced, we must start by acknowledging and owning up to our many sins, confessing them, and believe in him.
Jesus died for the very sins that you are being condemned for!

The sins of of your past ans the sin you just committed were all atoned for; you need carry their weight no more!!!!

Are we living a cross centered life?

I have avoided "New Years Resolutions" completely because I think that they are stupid when we have a new day every morning, and a new week every week, and a new month.... you get the picture. BUT.. I do think that there are goals in order of what we want a new year to bring.. let's hope that its not limited to weighing less, or becoming a "better" person like you really have something to offer.

See, I think that this is why we fail... WE set out to do these things on our own. If our church has goals for a new year, than there is no reason that I cannot have some similar goals. One of the great emphasis' this new year is that Holiness would begin in the home... and not when we get out of the car at church and hit Holy Pavement!!! Our church will be training and teaching the husbands in our congregation how to lead their wives to Calvary.... daily!!! And in our home, Dennis and I will be pursuing Holiness... and we are going to start with seeking the face of God daily together, and then using some of God's great servants like C.J. Mahaney. We are starting with this book! I will let you know what we are learning!!!

Here's to a year seeking God's face and becoming Holy, and not just "better"

How do I learn your secrets, Mr. Rebel?

 

As most of you know by now, Dennis and I bought a new Canon Rebel Xsi for Christmas. I have been out of school since December 17, and have barely had time to learn anything about this camera!! Nathan has allowed me to look at some books, but honestly, I don't know what any of them mean! Turns out, learning how to operate a camera to its fullest potential requires some brains! So... I am going to be using my last week before the hustle and bustle begins by cleaning out things that needs to be cleaned out, and HOPEFULLY learning how to work this masterpiece in my hands! Anyone wandering about the photo? It's a picture of the books Nathan loaned me in the kitchen.. taken from the living room! I love the photo for some reason.. even if it is of random things on my kitchen counter!

 

"Another Rule, Mrs. Shannon????"

I have had a wonderful week substituting at the Child Development Center at our church. We have just put in place a new Director.. Go Adam!!! and he has already warmed the place up with his compassion and care for these little ones! I am so glad that God has called him to this position.

I have had the opportunity to be back with the children that were in Kindergarten when I started two years ago, and continue on with: "Mrs. Shannon's stupid rules.." and "Oh, no! Not another memory verse!.." These kids will always be so special to me. They are sooo smart, and have proven to show that I can teach children. I had them try their hardest to remember old memory verses and bible lessons.. and THEY REMEMBER!!! It is the neatest thing! I couldnt help but take some pride in that if I wasnt here for that bit of time.. they wouldnt know and embrace the fruits of the spirit, and the life of Jesus, and every in and out of the battle of Jericho!!!

I know that in my future endeavors as a public school educator that I wont be able to teach these eternal principles, but for now I can, and I am so enjoying it. Today is my last day to look these precious children in the eye balls and ask them why they are tearing up their napkins, stuffing them in their mouth and pretending to act like a frog.... yep... today is the last day.

My Idols or My God

I have let everything in my life get in the way between me and my relationship with God. I have allowed sin like selfishness and laziness get in the way of bible reading and prayer time. I have tried to keep going on old fumes that I had once built up in knowledge and previous emotion, AND today I have finally hit empty, and can longer move any longer in this condition. I am through with feeling unsaved, and not RELISHING in the undeserved grace that was granted to me for nothing that I did in the first place to earn it... and there is nothing that I can do that can pluck me from the Father's Hand. I have pulled away from my church that has served as a window to God's real and true character, and I have pulled away from the people that have invested their time praying for me and my husband the past two years, I have pulled out of every bible study, and have turned my back on my savior by allowing idols.. the computer, school work, sleep, and whatever else I could find to fill up my time. I have given Dennis the responsibility to fulfill my every need and happiness... and not God. Of course, Dennis has failed me in this because he is fallible, sinful man! I cannot find satisfaction and fulfillment in the things of this world. I see this now. I am ready to enjoy GOD and love him with 100% of my attention by asking forgiveness and repenting of this previous life in the past. I can no longer live like I have not been bought with the blood of Jesus Christ!
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