SO Excited!!!

My order for the new Gal's study came in over the weekend! This is an AWESOME Book! If you want to check out more about it, go to pure freedom and read about what it is all about! I WISH all of our gals could go to a Pure Freedom Conference. Hmmm...God? Will you work that out for us? I'll be praying...you pray too!!!!

x x x x x x x x

Lies Young Women Believe And the Truth that Sets Them Free

by Nancy Leigh DeMoss and Dannah Gresh

It is a sad statistic that only 9 percent of born-again teens believe in moral absolutes (Barna, February 2002). The covers of today's teen magazines would make yesteryear's sailor blush. And yet these are the images and messages that teens are flooded with in print and electronic media. Lies Young Women Believe will give girls aged 13-19 the tools they need to identify where their lives and beliefs are off course - the result of buying into Satan's lies about God, guys, media, and more. Based on surveys of over 1000 young women, million-selling author Nancy Leigh DeMoss teams up with established youth author Dannah Gresh to speak to teenage girls about the top lies they believe. It isn't enough to identify these lies, however. The authors are well-equipped to lead young women in the skills and the truths of Scripture that overcome those lies.

x x x x x x x x

Praise God for answered prayer...showing His love in so many tangible ways to me this weekend..and for an amazing worship service & message today at church. I'm praying for revival, are you??? And, you know...revival begins with me! So, it must begin with you as well.

If you haven't heard about it, check out Twitter and start following people. My name is mehickcox on twitter! Jenna is following me & so is Frank, oh & Mike Kell from Liberty Baptist in Moreno Valley.

I love you all & pray for you daily!

c'iao-M

Testing...testing...??!!!@#$%^%^&&&*

Hm...I've figured out how to make a "flash" file. Let's see if it uploads here.



On an entirely different, but unrelated note...



I want to say I appreciated the words of wisdom Judy Jones shared with us at lunch on Sunday. It was at just the right time that she spoke them and I have them now in my possession to read at my whim, moment of despair and need.



God is so good! I want to praise Him today, for He alone is worthy of my praise, affection, devotion, submission, obedience, honor, glory...my whole life.



I am so tired today.

Must get some sleep.



What do you do when you either can't sleep...or wake up in the middle of the night by the same thoughts that kept you from falling asleep in the first place? Lately, I've been having this groggy sleep/talk/prayer time with God. Sometimes...the prayer begins with, "Oh Lord...help me!" and then I go blank.



Kinda interesting that my mom talked about "being still before God" at share time on Sunday. When I talked to her yesterday, she wasn't even sure I was in the audience, but she felt God was telling her to remind me of the truth that I need to be still before God.



That is my favorite verse: Psalm 46:10, "Be still and know that I am God..."



So, when I go blank...I'm focusing on being "still before God." I hope one of two things happens soon...either He'll reveal to me what I should be praying for or meditating on when I wake up like this...or, He'll grace me with a solid night of sleep.



I love You God.

And, I love you all!

c'iao-M

Life Update (not LIVE)

I despise the fact I cannot update my blog at work! Grrr....

Since I last posted, so much has happened.

April 10, 2008 was Jameson's 19th birthday! We had a mother/son dinner at Lucille's in Brea. It was great to just spend time together we two. He is becoming quite the young man and I love him so much! He, like most soon to be graduated seniors, is pondering his future, what he should study in college and life in general. We talked about God, his relationship and how God will pursue him one way or another. Then...

April 11, 2008 I was on my way to Cox Stadium in San Diego when I get this call from Jameson. He was in an accident, he is okay, but his car is totaled! I am so thankful neither he nor the gal who hit him was seriously hurt. I have to wonder if this is God's subtle way of trying to get Jameson's attention? Or, even mine? Reminding me that He is watching over Jameson and in His capable hands? I thank God no one was hurt!

This weekend I was at the women's retreat. Miss Debbie treated me and Judy to a very nice suite on the bay in Mission Bay. It was so relaxing and we had some very awesome conversations. Part of the weekend, we spent at the Beth Moore Conference. She spoke on Pslam 139 (one of my favorite Psalms). Mrs. Moore is a very dynamic speaker. I didn't learn anything new, nor did I agree with all she had to say. But, there were over 9,000 women in attendance at this conference! It was amazing to see all these women drawn to one place and worshipping the Lord together. When we all sang, I would close my eyes and listen. It was incredibly beautiful. I cannot wait to worship in heaven with all of God's beloved children! How amazing that will truly be. For some reason, there were a lot of pregnant women at this conference too. Maybe it was just me, but where-ever I went, bam! there were these protruding bellies coming at me. It was kinda funny, actually.

It was great to spend the weekend with Debbie and Judy, like I said. Our fellowship was sweet and I learned some new things I didn't know before...about Debbie & Judy! I enjoy and admire both of these women very much. I think we should plan to get away again, just the three of us soon! Or...at least go back to the same place and bring our husbands. That WOULD be a hoot!

I missed being at church on Sunday! I look forward to seeing everyone on Wednesay.

I'll close with Psalm 139. It is an AWESOME Psalm about how known we are to God. It is amazing to me that the very Creator of the universe, the One who knew me before I was formed...before the foundations of the earth...loves me, knows me and desires a relationship with me. What an awesome God we serve. It IS too wonderful for me to completely understand how intimately God knows each one of us and yet how vast and beyond our understanding God is.

How great is our God...sing with me

How great is our God..and all will see

How great

How great, is our God!

Psalms 139:1-24
(1) For the choir director. A Psalm of David. O LORD, You have searched me and known me.
(2) You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar.
(3) You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.
(4) Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O LORD, You know it all.
(5) You have enclosed me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me.
(6) Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it.
(7) Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?
(8) If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.
(9) If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
(10) Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me.
(11) If I say, "Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night,"
(12) Even the darkness is not dark to You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You.
(13) For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb.
(14) I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.
(15) My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;
(16) Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.
(17) How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them!
(18) If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You.
(19) O that You would slay the wicked, O God; Depart from me, therefore, men of bloodshed.
(20) For they speak against You wickedly, And Your enemies take Your name in vain.
(21) Do I not hate those who hate You, O LORD? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?
(22) I hate them with the utmost hatred; They have become my enemies.
(23) Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
(24) And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.

I love you all & pray for you daily.

C'iao-M

What Might Come Back to Haunt You

This is from Dare2Share's Soul Fuel Email Blasts - you too can get these each week in your email! Go here to sign up!

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Have you ever thrown a boomerang? You know, the funky curved-shaped sticks that originated in Australia thousands of years ago.

What makes them fun is the cool way they arc around and come back to you like a Golden Retriever with a slobbery tennis ball.

Only you don't have to feed and bathe a boomerang.

Oh - and they don't shed either.

My point? The boomerang effect doesn't just happen with Australian sticks...it also happens with the choices we make every minute of every day.

Here's the way one author put it:

Sow an act...reap a habit

Sow a habit...reap a character

Sow a character...reap a destiny.

The word 'sow' here basically means to plant a seed.

Did you know that the Bible warns us about the 'boomerang effect' that happens with our choices?

See if you pick up on this theme-

You may be sure that your sin will find you out. (Numbers 32:23)

The time is coming when everything that is covered up will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all. Whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be shouted from the housetops for all to hear! (Luke 12:2-3)

My experience shows that those who plant trouble and cultivate evil will harvest the same. (Job 4:8)

Don't be misled - you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. (Galatians 6:7-8)

It's just one of those laws of nature - right? Just like the boomerang operates on principles of physics and aerodynamics that are unchanging, the spiritual law of planting and harvesting operates on unchanging principles designed by God Himself.

Why did God do that? Well, the fact is He loves us too much to let us keep throwing destructive choices into our world that will eventually come back to destroy us. That's why He warns us so much, and that's why I'd like to challenge you to think about what "C's" you are flippantly casting into the life God gave you that will come back and trash your destiny.

A few that come to my mind-

"I can smoke like Thomas the Train, but it won't affect my health."

You should go visit a cancer hospice and talk to the lung cancer victims.

"I can 'hook up' before marriage without any consequences." You should read about the latest study showing that one in four teens has a sexually transmitted disease. You should also talk to a teen mom about how that choice impacted their life.

"I can lie, steal, cheat, and consume inappropriate violent and sexual content...and turn out just fine." Really? That's like saying, "I can throw a boomerang, stand in the same place, and I'm sure it won't come back to hit me!" Believe me...it will.

But the good news is that you can change this very minute. God promises the boomerang effect with positive choices as well:

I said, "Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the L ord , that he may come and shower righteousness upon you" (Hosea 10:12).

Decide today to bury the destructive choices that threaten your destiny, and start planting positive seeds of seeking God, trusting Christ, and treat your body, mind and soul as the temple of God - and you won't believe what amazing things will come back - not to haunt you - but to give you the fulfilling life Christ died to make available to you. Remember - you make your choices, then your choices make you...

Head: What you need to know about this truth

God has set up the universe with a spiritual boomerang effect, so that what we plant with our choices will ultimately influence our destiny.

Heart: What you need to feel about this truth

To be honest, it seems like most teens feel like they can keep making negative choices and not pay any consequences.

Here's a great quote to remember:

Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you're willing to pay (Steve Farrar, Finishing Strong ).

Hands: What you need to do about this truth

One great way to prevent your "c's" from coming back to haunt you is to map out where certain choices will take you in the future with an "if-then" format.

For example: If I continue to smoke - then __________________________________________________________.

If I continue to go farther with my boyfriend/girlfriend - then __________________________________________________________.

If I continue to lie, cheat, and steal - then __________________________________________________________.

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I love you all & I pray for you daily!

C'iao - M

Light & Heat!

Following is a recent devotional from Planet Wisdom...you can subscribe here.

"The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever." (Psalm 19:7-9)

Wait a minute? Wasn't David just describing the heavens? Wasn't he just writing beautiful poetry about the sun? Did someone change the channel on the psalm? Now it's all about the law and statutes and precepts and commands.

Nope, same story. David is expecting us to make the connection between God's glory in creation and His glory in Scripture. If you're impressed with the sun -- and who is not? -- then you should be astounded by the Law. David is talking about the Scriptures he knows, which would have included the first five books of our Bible. Specifically, he's describing God's instructions to His people Israel.

These revelations of God's heart tell us about God just as His creation does. They revive our souls, teach us wisdom, and bring us great joy. Why? For one, they show us how the Creator of life intends for life to be lived. And living by the design gives our lives great meaning. Just as the sun helps us see what is hidden in the dark, God's commands light up our dark roads, showing us what to avoid and how to stay on the path.

Think: What other connections can you find between the beauty of God's creation and the beauty of His Word?

Pray: Thank God for showing you His heart on the pages of your Bible. Ask Him to give you the courage to follow His commands for your good.

Do: Off the top of your head, write down three commands from the Bible that light up your path by telling you what to avoid and which way to go.

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Today was Sunday & church! What a great morning we had in fellowship, worship time together and lunch with Miss Jenna Bunny Princess afterwards!

It was so sweet and wonderful to spend time with her family, Zach and his momma, and then some lately noshows (Taylor & Jameson & Calob) and Master James Fox, Frank, Jenna & me! It seemed like we just all picked up from where we left off last in our lives together. I so enjoyed the conversation, laughter & fellowship.

So, Jenna is only here for a few days and then off to Jordan for the last leg of her global trotting! Frank and I get some personal face time with Jenna on Monday evening.

I also taught Sunday School today! It was a really special time with the 4-6th grade students + a few helpers (thanks = Chrissy, Jacob & AJ). We had a great, yet serious time, talking about the first Martyr, Stephen. We all prayed for our brothers & sisters in Christ in China and I challenged everyone to memorize Philippians 1:29 - For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.

Well, I hope you all are praying for one another & excited about meeting together Wednesday! There is a pretty good chance if you come, you might see Miss Jenner in the flesh!

I love you all!
C'iao!
-M