Just a candy wrapper!!!

Soooooo quite a few years back, my good friends Joe and Anali Velez were here with their little baby girl, Alina! Like most babies, Alina loves playing with anything that makes noise, like wrapping paper, MORE that what is ACTUALLY inside the wrapping paper!!!

Weeeeeeeeellllll one of the days she was here just crawling around and she found a candy wrapper, she was just having the time of her life with it when once of her parent's saw it in her and took it away from her. You should have seen the look on her face when they took it from her, ABSOLUTE DEVESTATION!!!!

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That lil baby girl threw the biggest lil fit ever. We all tried to console her with other toys, I had just given her this really cool toy from a yard sale, a dancing swan, that lights up, sings, and swirls that carousal ANNNNND walks all over the floor...I mean, talk about a COOL TOY...from an even COOLER AUNTIE ;)...

I'm like,

looooook Alina, you want your Swan????

BUUUUT NOOOOO, she wanted her CANDY WRAPPER!!!

There she was, surrounded by other toys to play with, just crying her eyes out, meanie O parents had taken her candy wrapper away. It was just a little piece of trash, buuuuut for Alina, it was THE BEST THING EVERRRR!!!

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She had no way of knowing or understanding that her parent's were just being GOOD parent's, taking it away from her. Her parent's were looking out for her, they saw that it was small and despite her fascination in it, it could be harmful for her. She had know way of comprehending the danger, for her, it was her beloved little toy, it was HER CANDY WRAPPER!!! 

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This got me to thinking, how often are we THE SAME WAY with God??? The world has littered our lives with little pieces of trash and every so often, something catches our eye...

Oooooh look, IT'S SHINY!

and we pick it up and start to play with it! Oh wow, this is pretty cool, it crinkles and makes a funny noise too...I LIIIIIIIKE IT!!! 

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It could be anything, internet surfing, video games, influences, friendships, relationships, social media, etc...a thought or an idea an activity or place or person or just a thing, buuuuuut God sees the danger in it even when we don't, so, like a good and loving parent, he simply takes it out of our hands. And there we are, like a little baby, we throw a FIT!!! How DARE YOU GOD!!! How could you take that away from me??? It was just a little piece of trash but there you are, MAD at God because he was looking out for you! How can you do this to me God??? It was shiny and it crinkled, that was MY CANDY WRAPPER!

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And all we can do is focus on that little piece of trash that God took away from us, when meanwhile, like Alina was surrounded by nice toys she didn't want, we are surrounded by the blessings of God all around us. The goodness of God surrounds us. God has done SO MUCH for us, buuuuut ALL we can focus on is what he hasn't given us or what he took away, OUR CANDY WRAPPER! 

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You guys, if God NEVERRRR does one more thing for us, He died on a cross for our sins, he took our place, he forgave us, he washed away our sins, he saved our souls from a burning hell, I think we can surrender a few candy wrappers that the devil has left littered on the ground so we can make it to heaven.  And when God takes it away from us, instead of being a baby about it, THANK GOD, for being a good, protective parent that is looking out for you! We don't know better than God. We are just little children that a loving father is protecting from harm.

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Don't hang on to your candy wrapper,

it's  a piece of trash!

Just let it go!!!

"If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles." (Job 11:14)

♥Mary Frances :)

Falling in love!!!

I want to FALL IN LOVE!!!

Okaaaaaaaaaaaay isn't that in the heart of just about every typical female???

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This summer, I discovered something specific that I want to be totally and completely in love with!!! One day, as I was running around with my friends, Brandon and Hanna, the bride and groom, well, we're running around together doing all the typical wedding errands. We stopped for a break and while Hanna and I did whatever, Brandon sat there and read his Bible.

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When it was time to leave Hanna said come on lets go! Brandon looked up from his Bible and was like, wait, just let me read one more chapter in my Bible! She kinda hesitated, since we were in a rush and had a MILLION AND ONE things to do, and he says, please?! Like a little boy begging to play with his favorite toy for five more minutes. She was like, well, how can I say NO to that??? I was like, yeah, WOW, your marrying a GOOD MAN HANNA!!! (Anywayz, back to our gossip session...JUUUUUUUUUUUST KIDDING!!! Seriously, that was a joke people!!! LOL) Annnnnnnnd just like that I thought, I WANT THAT!!!

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Your probably thinking that I mean I want a man like that, buuuuuuuuut NO!!! I want that in myself!!! I want to be that same way with reading my Bible!!!

I WANT TO FALL IN LOVE

WITH GOD'S WORD!!!

 

Of course I LOVE God's word!!! I read it! I listen to it, but so often it's out of a dutiful love to God and not out of a consuming desire. Of course love, even in a marriage has both a love out of duty and out of a consuming passion and desire, there are times when our dutiful love and devotion to God carries us through, but still, I want to experience that all consuming passion and desire to God as well. If you all could have just heard it in his voice, it wasn't to show off to us, TRUST ME, we're all life family, he really just wanted ONE MORE CHAPTER, before he went on his day...just a little bit more!

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I want that for myself!!! I want to fall fully and completely IN LOVE with God's word! I want it to consume my life, my thoughts, my dreams. I want more than just a dutiful love, renew that passion within me. Draw me closer to you, teach me your ways, saturate my heart, my life...

I LOVE GOD ALREADY

BUUUUUUUUUUUT...

I WANT TO LOVE HIM MORE!!!

♥Mary Frances :)

The player!!!

Have you ever met someone, that you found attractive and you thought there was a connection between the two of you? You talked and you felt there was a mutal interest, you felt an attraction, you thought from the conversation that something would develop between the two of you only to find out, the other person, was JUST A PLAYER!!!

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What is a player??? 

A player is a slang term that describes a man (Or woman) who toys with the emotions of a person (oftentimes many individuals at the same time) when they really are not at all serious about pursuing a real relationship or making a commitment with you, yet leading you to believe they will. They talk to you one day, then the next day they ignore you. "I'll see you in a few weeks!" Buuuuut in a few weeks they've already moved on, BECAUSE...

PLAYAS GONNA PLAY!!!

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-A player is good with words

-A player will sweet talk there way in or out of whatever they want

-A player is more romantic than what they can commit to.

-A player will tell you things privately, so they can't be held accountable for their words publicly

-A player will look at you like your a beautiful work of art and "forget" to say hi the next time they see you.
-A player passes up friendship and goes straight to the romance

-A player will lead you to believe things are one way, then say you misinterpreted them.

-A player is all words but no action
-A player sends non-verbal cues with their body language or eyes, then say, I never said that.

-A player promises more than they can give

-A player can't make up their mind
-A player sends mixed messages or say things that contradict

-A player keeps things surface

-A player wants YOU to be interested in them, but they're not really interested in YOU!

-A player lives for the moment NOT for the future

-The thing about a player is that they seem like they truly do want you, and the truth is, THEY DO!!! Because, a player wants YOU, buuuuuuuuuut they want THEM TOO!!!

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Can I tell you all something???

 THE DEVIL IS A PLAYER!!! He's a player, he's a player, HE'S A PLAYER!!! He will play with your heart, toy with your emotions, get you to believe things are a certain way. He'll twist things around, he'll manipulate and pervert even the words of God, "Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" (Genesis 3:1)

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First he'll get you to just question the things of God and once your questioning it, he'll come a long and begin his flattery towards you. ^"And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." (Genesis 3:4-5)

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Don't fall for the player of this world. Don't listen to his flattering words or promises he has no power to fulfil. The devil is such a player, he EVEN TRIED to play Jesus!!! "...the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me." (Matthew 8-9) 

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Don't listen to the devil. He'll lead you on and then when things get rough, he'll act like he never even saw you before. He'll tell you things in whispers so he doesn't have to be held accountable for his words. He'll play with your emotions, making you feel so special, just so he can get you to do what he wants.

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"... He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." (John 8:44)

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He'll lure you on with promises he has no power to fulfil. The player of this world, he'll fill you with surface flattery, but their will never be roots of friendship for when the times are hard. He'll let you have  your fun for the moment, allow you to enjoy the pleasure of sin for a SEASON, buuuuut forget to tell you about all the consequences that come with it, the future of an eternity in hell. Oh yes, THE DEVIL IS PLAYER!!! 

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Revelation 12:9 says he decieveth the whole world.
YES, the devil wants YOUR SOUL...

ANNNNNNNNNND...

HE WANTS EVERYONE ELSE'S TOO!!!!!!

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:" (1 Peter 5:8)

BEWARE OF THE PLAYER!!!

(Part 2   A bro and then some! Coming next Monday!!!)

Mary Frances :)

#Biblegoals

With it being the beginning of the year, I thought I would to a Bible reading push with a reposted blog written by a question Bishop Abbott asked us in his preaching one time!!! Buuuuuuuut before I do that repost, I thought I would also share with you all something really neat that Bishop Abbott did with us recently at church...
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He read with us the last two chapters of Revelations to finish up his Bible reading for the year, HOWEVERRRRR, this was a very significant moment he shared with us because it was his 50th time reading the Bible through in his life and he wanted to complete his 50th time, WITH US!!!

#Biblegoals

I thought that was superrrrr cool and just wanted to share that with you all!!! Its very inspiring to push us to strive and be better with our Bible reading. I've read the Bible all the way through two times now, my sister completed her first time this year!!!

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My personal tip for completing Bible reading is this: I started reading it like I would any other book, in the sense that I stopped using a Bible reading program and started just reading it straight through and book marking it when I stopped for the day! I always got so frustrated if I got behind a day and then I would just give up for the year when I got TO FAR behind and couldn't catch up, buuuuut I thought, when I'm reading a good book, If I missed reading it one day, do I just STOP READING IT??? NO...I just start reading it again right where I left off and when I started that, that was when I ACTUALLY read my Bible ALL THE WAY THROUGH!!!

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One thing that PUSHED me to ACTUALLY read my Bible all the way through was from a story Bishop Abbott would tell us in his preaching growing up. It was about a man that was fighting something in court to do with his religious freedom and the judge asked him, Sir, Have you ever read your Bible all the way through and the man had to say NO he had not and because of he had never read it through the judge couldn't grant him favor, That story stuck with me, I've always thought, I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO ANSWER NO!!! Even tho I never read my Bible through til I was an adult, that story was the inspiration that ALWAYS pushed me to read it through!!! In a year??? NO, but ALL THE WAY THROUGH??? YES!!! 

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It's never too late to start and you may be saying, OH i'm THIS OLD and I was raised in church and I still haven't read it all the way through, don't beat yourself up, just START NOW!!!

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Annnnnd now THE REPOST...

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What is MORE important...???? That is the question that Bishop Abbott asked us one day while he was preaching.

What is MORE important praying or reading your Bible?!

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He said, that so often we think that prayer is MORE important than reading your Bible and he said that while prayer IS indeed VERY important,  JUST REMEMBER, when we pray, it is, US talking to God, (OR with God)THE BIBLE is ALL GOD TALKING TO US!!!

NOT that God can't or doesn't talk to us while we pray, BUUUUUT praying still involves us talking, while the Bible is THE WORD OF GOD, and ALL OF IT IS GOD TALKING!!!  I think that it is pretty safe to say that they both go hand in hand and work together for the GOOD!!! The WORD of God will be enlightened even more to us when we pray.

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 Yet at the same time, We will find the very answers to our prayers IN THE WORD OF GOD!!! Furthermore, the Bible will even begin to show us WHAT we need to praying about!!!

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 Quite awhile ago, I was havin a conversation with fellow Apostolics,  and in the group someone stated, "oh I just wish there was a book that told us ALL the answers to the questions in life." I'm standing there thinkin ummmmmmm HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOO....So I'm like not wantin sound like a halier-that-thou-self-righteous-NO-IT-ALL...but I'm just like, well there is, its called THE BIBLE!!! (Like ...ummm...DUH!!!)Sometimes we think that life is soooo complicated that we need something MORE instructional that the Bible...buuuuut NO, the BIBLE IS GOD'S WORD TO US!!! Every single part that you read has the annointing of God on it! It is the INSPIRED WORD OF GOD...imagine, THE BREATH OF GOD breathing down your back...READ YOUR BIBLE...IT HAS THE ANSWERS!!! 
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 Get your Bible and begin to read...JUST THNK, Today, YOU have the opportunity for God talk to you!!!! Start your year off THE RIGHT way...

PRAY AND READ YOUR BIBLE!!!

Mary Frances :)

Doors!!!

Have you ever noticed HOW MANY different kinds of doors there are???

There's doors that have to be PUSHED to be opened, there's doors that you have to PULL to open. There's sliding doors, there's car doors, there's revolving doors, there's glass doors, there's screen doors and there's automatic doors, there's locked doors and I'm SURE, many more!!!

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WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A DOOR???

A door is a moving structure used to block off, and yet still allow access to something, an entrance to a place, yet a closure to a place within an enclosed space, such as a building, room, closet or vehicle.

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In life, there are MANY doors that we will walk through and some that we will SEE, but NEVER walk through. The question IS, HOW do we know if a door is meant for us to walk through or NOT???

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So often you will hear and probably even say at some point, "I'm JUST waiting for GOD to open the door before making a decision." AND while this is good to a certain extent, SOMETIMES, we're waiting for God to open a door that says PUSH or PULL on it!!!

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Sometimes, the door has a LOCK and only God can unlock it but there are other times that the door has a lock and GOD has given us THE KEY and now it us up to us to take that key and unlock the door. Sometimes we have to KNOCK and WAIT for God to open the door, And YET there are other times, when God locks a door and it will NEVER BE UNLOCKED!!!

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Sometimes, there's a revolving door, and God wants us to go through something before we can get to what is on the other side. Sometimes you just gotta shut the door for a little bit, while your riding to your destination and THEN its time to open that door again! Sometimes there's sliding doors and you gotta figure out if you should SLIDE that door all the way open, or if you should just partially slide it open to not let anything IN or OUT with you.

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Sometimes there's a glass door and you can see very clearly what is on the other side and weather or not you should open that door! Sometimes there's a screen door, and you can only kind of see what is on the other side, but you'll never really know, TILL YOU OPEN THE DOOR!!!

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Sometimes in life, there are automatic doors. There are things in our life that are just automatic. They just happen without us trying or doing anything for them to open. Church, school, family, those were automatic doors for me that just happened without trying. Waking up and going to sleep are just automatic doors. And you'll find blessings that come to you in life, that were just automatic without you doing or saying anything to have ever gotten them!!!

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There are automatic things that God expects us to do. I remember hearing someone once say that they kept bumping into someone, they didn't know what God wanted to do, but they just wanted to pray about if they should witness to them or not. Bishop Abbott spoke up, WELL, I can tell you what God wants to do for that person, HE WANTS TO SAVE THEM!!! Sometimes we over-spiritualize the OBVIOUS or THE AUTOMATIC!!! Should you witness??? YES!!! The Bible says that God is NOT willing that ANY should perish, BUT that ALL should come to repentance! Should you repent??? Should you obey God's word??? It's an AUTOMATIC DOOR!!! YES, you should!!!

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As a female, sometimes, its good for us to be a lady, WAIT and let a man OPEN THE DOOR FOR US, but sometimes, you can't always wait around for someone to be opening the doors for you.

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I've seen AZ females, usually in the dating or newlywed stage of life, SIT IN THE CAR after reaching a destination, in 120 degree weather and NO AC, WAITING FOR THE GUY to get out of the car and open the door for her. Now, I believe in chivalry, I like it, its nice, I appreciate it, BUT, in 120 degree weather, I'm OPENING MY DOOR AS QUICLEY AS POSSIBLE AND HIGHTAILING IT TO THE CLOSEST PLACE WITH AC!!! Why??? BECAUSE ITS HOT OUT!!!! Sometimes you just need to be PRACTICAL!!! The original intent of chivalry was NOT the romanticized version that we know about now. The original intent of chivalry was for a man to do something for a female, elderly person, or child, that they could NOT do for themselves.

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There are times, when you need to wait, trust in God and LET HIM OPEN THE DOOR! There are times in life, when there is NO WAY you can open the door yourself and the only thing you can do is WAIT for God to open it. However, while YES, God IS indeed a gentleman, SOMETIMES, there are things that YOU CAN DO FOR YOURSELF!!! Sometimes, you just gotta OPEN YOUR OWN DOOR!!!

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HOW DO YOU KNOW IN LIFE, WHAT TO DO AT EACH DOOR YOU COME TOO???

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The KEY to knowing how you should proceed at each door in life, is THROUGH PRAYER!!! Jesus says in John 10:9 "I am the door..." THE KEY to knowing, IS SEEKING GOD or THE DOOR!!! We have to continually seek God in prayer for His will and direction in our lives. "The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God." (Psalm 14:2)

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Should I wait? Should I PUSH? Should I PULL? Should I knock? Should I get a key? It can seem so complicated knowing what to do in life, and yet, its SO SIMPLE, PRAY!!! God wants us to PRAY!!! We will know what God wants us to do at each door in life, when we seek Him for His will and direction in our next step.

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“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.” (Psalm 32:8)

♥Mary Frances :)

When your line BREAKS!!!

Have you ever been fishing annnnnnnd...

Okaaaaaaaaaaaay, NO, I've never gone fishing, LOL!!! Buuuuut recently, one of my friends and my brother went on a deep sea fishing trip. They had a good time on the trip, but were slightly disappointed in the lack of fish they caught!!!

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But the thing that was even MORE disappointing for my friend then NOT catching anything at all, was the fact that at one point, he ACTUALLY had a BIG ONE on his line, buuuuut as he was reeling it in, HIS LINE BROKE, and that BIG ONE got away!!!

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And after my friend had relayed his disappointment, it got me to thinking about how so often, this very same situation happens to us in life. We all have hopes and dreams that we desire and wait for. Sometimes it can seem like your just waiting and waiting with your life fishing line sailing through an ocean of faith, your waiting and your waiting and your waiting for that BIG HOPE to finally get caught on your line.

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Then it happens, what you have been waiting for, IS FINALLY biting on your line, its hooked, and you begin reeling it in, but as your reeling it in, the worst thing possible happens, YOUR LINE BREAKS and before you could reel it in, what you've been waiting for is GONE!!!

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Your sooooo disappointed!!! You wish that you had never even thought you were about to get what you had been waiting for in the first place! You feel discouraged and your faith is down. What happened??? Why did your line break??? We can't always explain or understand the way things happened, maybe you weren't ready, you needed a better fishing line, it wasn't time and God just wants you to keep trusting him, or maybe God has something even bigger for you and you need to just keep waiting.

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Just remember while your waiting that God IS in control! He is all powerful and he knows what he is doing. WHEN YOUR LINE BREAKS, you've got a God that knows WHERE ITS AT!!! You can be like the disciples, fishing ALL NIGHT and getting NOTHING, buuuuuut one word from Jesus, "Cast  your nets on the other side", and your net is so full you can hardly even lift it!!!

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Don't give up my friends!

You've got to just keep trusting and waiting and listening!!!

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6)

♥Mary Frances :)

To be like JESUS...

One day, while in the hospital during my mom's last few weeks of life, I had a very thought provoking thing go through my mind. During this time, I had gotten used to helping take care of my mom in whatever way I possibly could...

 

Anything from just getting her something that she couldn't reach, brushing her hair and sometimes sponge bathing. Now you have to understand, I'm NOT exactly the "Nurse" type of person, I'm known for gagging at just about anything to with the human body. But this was my mom whom I love dearly and by this time I'd gotten used to it, and you would be surprised at the grace God will give you to do something that you never planned on or saw yourself doing.

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So one night, before going to sleep, I was rubbing lotion on my mom's feet and I thought to myself, I'm being like Jesus!!! WOW! So this is what its like to be a servant, to be Christ like. And just when I was really starting to feel good about my spirit of servitude,  God put another thought in my mind...

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No, not quite Mary,

 because IF you were like ME,

you'd be doing this for your enemy.

BAM!!!

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OH HOW FAR WE TRUELY HAVE TO GO...

TO BE LIKE JESUS!!!

 

Think about it, it's one thing to be a servant to someone that you love and adore, but it's a completely different thing to be able to be a servant to a stranger, to someone that has done you wrong, to your enemy,  to someone that despises you, yet, Jesus was willing to do that for us.

Oh TO BE LIKE JESUS!!!

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Just when we think we're getting it, God shows us HOW FAR we really are from being like Him. And yet, it's the desire of my heart, TO BE LIKE HIM!!! Although I know I am human, I know that I'll never reach perfection, I'll never be able to be  completely like Him, until I breath my last breath, I will continue striving more and more, TO BE LIKE HIM!!!

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"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men." (Philippians 2:5-7)

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♪♫To be like Jesus ♪To be like Jesus♫All I ask - to be like Him♪♪All through life's journey♪♫From earth to glory♫♫All I ask - to be like Him.♫♫♫

♥Mary Frances :)

 

Just FLIRTING!!!!

Flirting!!! I was thinking about that...as a SINGLE person, there is JUST SOMETHING about FLIRTING!!! LOL!!! I mean lets all be honest...its FUN in the right context of course! Ya know what I mean, that harmless, fun teasing between a guy and girl...ahhhh...FUN TIMES!!! HAHA!!! I mean think about it you know when you just feel that SPARK...that chemistry??? Your just like OH WOW!!!
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This one time, i had this HUGE crush on like a very, very, VERY HANDSOME Apostolic young man buuuuuuut as we became friends, thats ALL it was...good conversation buuuuuut I NEVER felt sparks...its like no matter how attractive of a person that he was, there was just NO CHEMISTRY!!! sooooo i just kind of lost interest in him and the next thing I knew I fell for this OTHER guy and honestly, he really wasn't as good looking as the other guy, buuuuut there was something about our personalities together annnnnd man there were sparks!!! AHAHAHAHA!!! Even tho it woiuld be hard TO ACTUALLY start a convo with him...once we did...MAN...chemistry was STRONG!!! Some of my close girls were like, BUT MARY, the other guy is better lookin and you could talk to him easily, annnnnnd this guy isn't as good lookin and its HARDER for you to talk to him...
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I'm like I know buuuuuuuuut SPARKS girls...SPARKS!!! I mean really, MY NAME IS MARY GINTY and i'm the daughter of Frances Ginty, talking comes NATURALLY for me!!! I could talk to pretty much ANYONE, I could probabley even get a mute person to talk to me...BAHAHAHA!!! So i'm mean...just BEING able to talk to someone...is NOT a big deal for me...like HELLO...BORING!!! HOWEVER, not every person that I talk to, do I feel sparks...ANNNND I LIKE SPARKS!!! Yup! Yup! There is just NOTHING like some GOOD O FLIRTING!!! Can I can and AMEN from anyone out there??? ;)
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 Buuuuuuut at the same time, none of us want to be KNOWN as a FLIRT!!! None of us want to be known as the kind of person that flirts with everyone, without really having ANY sort of a true interest in them...being that way...it just gives you a BAD REPUTATION!!!

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I remember seeing a friend, a really good, Godly young lady,  one time talking to a guy and after a few weeks I asked her, SOOOOO are you INTERESTED??? And she was like, actually, NO, I don't think I am! And I was like, REALLY, WHY NOT??? I mean, i was really curious, because although I didn't know the guy all that well, he was definatley on the very handsome, attractive side and I knew quite a few girls that would just LOVE to have this guys attention. So my friend, just looked at me and was like, well I don't mean to talk bad about him, buuuuuut to be perfectly honest, he is just TO MUCH OF A FLIRT!!! (Aka: A PLAYER!!!)

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Nobody wants a FLIRT!!! And while flirting outside of marriage is okay, WHILE YOUR SINGLE, within marriage, aside from flirting with each other, FLIRTING with other people is NOT ok! I mean, being VERY SINGLE and all myself, I do NOT know all that much about marriage, buuuuuut I do know, that I would NOT be okay with my husband flirting with other woman! How would you feel if you were married and your spouse was flirting with other people, and when you brought it up, WHAT IF they didn't think it was a big deal??? WHAT IF their response was...I'm NOT CHEATING on you...

I'm JUST FLIRTING!!!

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Oh man!!! I would sooooooo NOT be ok with that!!! Talk about INFURITATING!!! I mean come on...We're married!!! ACT MARRIED!!! We can all CLEARLY see this concept and YET, I see SOOOOOOO much, people IN THE CHURCH... that are SUPPOSED to be in a sold out relastionship with Jesus Christ,  JUST FLIRTING WITH THE WORLD!!!

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People living on the edge!!! Its like HOW much can I get away with and STILL be saved? I know that the pastor preaches against that, buuuuuuuut I don't think its ACTUALLY going to send me to hell! I mean, where exactley in the Bible does it say that I shouldn't do that? For some people, they hear that the pastor is gonna be outta town that weekend and its like, PARTAAAAAAAAY!!! They start breakin out all the clothes that they know pastor preaches against...its like WHAAAAT??? You shouldn't even HAVE THAT anymore!!!

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 You see people doing things that YOU KNOW they shouldn't be doing and when you try to kindly, as a friend, question them about it, they're just like, well I'm not backslidden!!! And its like, no your NOT, your JUST flirting....JUST FLIRTING WITH THE WORLD!!! That kind of an attitude is soooooo IGNORANT!!!

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THINK ABOUT IT!!! Why do single people even flirt with each other ANYWAYZ??? Its because, we're single, and we're TRYING, HOPING to get married...SOOOOO WE FLIRT!!! ;) or in my case, WE TRY TO FLIRT!!! HAHA!!! I for one, would ONLY TRY to flirt with a guy, that I would be interested in finding out IF he was THE ONE for marriage!!!

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 Flirting is NOT a commitment! It is NOT a relationship! It is NOT marriage!!! Buuuuuuut FLIRTING LEADS!!! Flirting is a tool, that can ignite sparks between two people, and if it keeps going the sparks can  turn into a burning, blazin fire and IF the chemistry is right between two people, eventually, FLIRTING can LEAD to marriage! I've NEVER known two people, that have gotten married, that the relationship didn't start, with a little bit of GOOD O FLIRTING!!!

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I've NEVER met a married person, man OR woman that was ok with their spouse flirting with another!!! You may say that flirting isn't ACTUALLY cheating and your "technically right," its NOT!!! However, when I see any two married people flirting, even tho I may not actually voice my oppinion out loud, in my mind, a RED FLAG goes flying up!!!
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I may be keeping my mouth SHUT about it, BUUUUUUT... in my mind i'm thinking, ummmmm...something is NOT right!!! Flirting outside of your marital vows is an INDICATOR that something is NOT right!!! Its the SAME way in your relationship with Christ! Disobediance, living on the edge, seeing HOW MUCH you can get away with and STILL be saved, is ALL an indicator, that SPIRITUALLY something is NOT right with you!!!
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Flirting LEADS to something else! Thats WHY, no married person, in their right mind, is okay with their spouse FLIRTING with other people...because even tho its NOT the actual ACT of adultry... FLIRTING LEADS!!! You wouldn't want to be married to someone that continually pushed to see just HOW MUCH they could flirt with others and STILL be considered married to YOU!!! What kind of a person would live their married life saying; How much can I get away with and it NOT be considered ADULTRY???  We all want to be kept away from marrrying THAT KIND of a person...AND YET...its done all the time to JESUS!!! When you live your life ON THE EDGE, trying to see what you can get a way with and still be "In Church" your flirting with the world annnnnnd FLIRTING leads!!!

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FLIRTING LEADS!!! You may not "TECHNICALLY" be backslidden YET... buuuuuut... FLIRTING LEADS!!! Your starting sparks with things you shouldn't be starting sparks with!!! Your flirting with the world... your supposed to be in a relationship with Jesus Christ, buuuuuut  your flirting with His adversay!!! Don't be a spirtitual PLAYER!!!

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The Bible says, "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." (Matthew 6:24) You may still be going to church, BUUUUUUT there is coming a day, where your going to have to CHOOSE!!!

THINK ABOUT IT!!!

ARE YOU JUST FLIRTING?!?!

 Your going to have to MAKE A CHOICE! Your either going to ask your saviour to forgive you for not being completely true and stay with your FIRST LOVE or your gonna choose to GO WITH WHO YOU HAVE BEEN FLIRTING WITH!!! Because you can't FULLY EMBRACE JESUS, while flirting with another!!! Why you would want to be in a half-hearted relationship with Jesus is beyond me...YOU KNOW that you wouldn't want it in YOUR marriage!!!

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I'm telling you all, JESUS LOVES YOU SOOOOOO MUCH...NO ONE will EVERRRR love you like JESUS will LOVE YOU!!! There is NOTHING and I mean NOTHING, worth getting in the way of your relationship with Christ!!! I encourage you all today, when it comes to Jesus, don't be all having fun with His adversary, don't be a player, don't flirt with the world, CHOOSE JESUS!!!

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"And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might." (Deuteronomy 6:5)

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Get beyond a half-hearted relationship with Jesus!!! LOVE HIM WITH ALL YOUR HEART!!! Embrace Him fully and completley...

 with a burning, blazing, fiery passion ignited from within you!!! 

 

♥Mary Frances :)

It could happen to YOU!!!

I remember when my younger brother John was diagnosed with Leukemia at age 16...I'll NEVER forget how i felt...fear and more than anything else, COMPLETE SHOCK!!! I had heard about people getting cancer all my life, buuuuuut I NEVER thought cancer would hit MY FAMILY!!! I NEVER thought that I would have to worry about about my own little brother's survival against this deadly disease...it always happens to OTHER people, buuuuut NOT YOU!!! Buuuuut I learned cancer can happen to anyone!!! It could happen to ME!!! It could happen to YOU!!!

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Recently, I have been seeing and noticing, a lot of people falling away from God. But I'm NOT just talking even about backsliding, buuuut just people IN GENERAL, changing! People of God, falling into deep sin...people that you NEVER thought it would happen to...Changing their standards, losing their convictions! It disturbs me, buuuut more than anything else, it SCARES me. I know that falling away and compromising is NOTHING new, buuuuut for some reason lately, i've just REALLY been noticing it...it just feels like its starting to hit close to my heart...annnnd it SCARES ME!!!

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I've been talking lately to several of my close friends and I said that when I see all these people, CHANGING, turning away from their FIRST teachings and convictions, the thought of marriage to someone honestly JUST SCARES ME!!! And I know I talk about it A LOT, joke around about it, and I know that I WANT to get married, buuuuut HONESTLY, the actual thought of MARRIAGE, at times,  puts some FEAR in my heart!!! Its NOT a flighty decision...no matter the person...How do you know that the person you marry will never compromise? How do you KNOW that they will never backslide? You may think you know, buuuuut i've seen people that I NEVER thought would change, CHANGE! It doesn't matter WHO they are or WHERE they come from...you just don't know what will happen!!! 

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As woman, we know that we are to submit, to follow, our husbands, I don't want to marry someone that will lead me away from God!!! I don't want that! I LOVE GOD!!!  I LOVE this truth!!! I LOVE this gospel message!!! I LOVE holiness!!! I would rather be single for life than to marry a compromiser! You can't say that because a person is this or from here or their last name is this that they will NEVER fall...because i've seen it!!! But as I was talking to my friends, telling them some of my fears, they were advising me and as we were discussing, HOW does it happen??? What allows a person to compromise? WHY would a person turn away from God?

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I came to the conclusion that the TRUTH of the matter is that there is NO guarantee!!! We have to be careful and watchful, buuuuut there is NEVER a guarantee that a person WILL NEVER compromise or fall away from God!!! It could happen to ME! It could happen to YOU!!! It could happen to ANY OF US!!! None of us are PERFECt!!! We are ALL human!!! It is in our very nature to sin!!! It could happen to YOUR FAMILY! TO YOUR LOVED ONES!!!! 

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None of us are sooooo spiritual and sooooo far above everyone else, that we become incapable of SIN!!! It happens when PEOPLE stop praying!!! It happens when STOP relying on God for their strength!!! It happens when people think that their knowlege and education is STRONGER than getting on their knees and seeking the face of God. It happens when people think that there is MORE annointing in their talent and ability then in their tears and a spirit of BROKENESS!!! It happens when PRIDE replaces HUMILITY!!! It happens when we start taking the Glory, instead of giving GOD THE GLORY!!!

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I was crying the other day just thinking about it! I told God I don't ever, ever, EVER want this to happen to me! And as I was thinking about it, and as I was praying,  this song started going through my mind. Near, the Cross, near the cross...may we NEVER stray so far...keep me near the cross!!! i just felt like a gentle and clear way...God was telling me, just STAY NEAR THE CROSS!!!  

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if you want to stay strong...if you want to stay true, if you don't want to fall, if you don't want to stray...just stay near the cross...near Calvary.. near His suffering....right by the brokeness of what God did for us! How can you comromise or backslide, when your on your knees at the foot of the cross!? You can't! Because, as long as your under Him on the cross...at the death of Jesus, there is blood...GOD'S BLOOD..... at the foot of the cross your bound to get His blood on you!!!! This blood will keep flowing down onto you...washing over you...purifying you! At the foot of the cross you'll be living your life continually with a spirit of repentance...

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"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." (1 John 1:7)

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♪♫Keep me near the cross...near the cross...may we never stray soooo far...that I can not see what lies ahead of me♪♫ at the foot of the cross!!!♪♫♫♫

♥Mary Frances :)

Greater PURPOSE!!!

I was talking to a close friend recently who is in college and she was telling me about how in school, she feels so torn in two different directions...like a tug-of-war within! She was telling me that since she was a child she has had the desire for a certain career, she has always felt that way and has prayed long and hard about it and has felt like it is the will of God to pursue it!

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However, she said that there is SUCH a push at school, that this is MORE than just a job what they are learning to become...it is their CAREER! Their Passion...Their LIFE!!!! And she said, I'm sorry but I just don't feel that way about it! SHe knows that what she wants to be is a serious job and NOT to be taken lightly...buuuuuuut its just NOT ever going to be her everything!

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She said...I mean...I want it but...when they talk about it like that there is a part of me that just wonders if maybe its not right...if I shouldn't go through with it, she said, BUT I did pray about it and truley felt like it WAS the will of God to go through school for this! So I was like, Weeeeeellll...being a college drop out and all...I'm NOT really sure I'm a good person to get college advice from...buuuuuut... I think that you just have to keep EVERYTHING in the right perspective!

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You have to understand, that THE WORLD is NEVER going to see things, the way WE SEE THEM!!! Whatever they teach you in school, you have to filter through a Godly, heavenly, perspective! We just need to remember to keep THE MAIN THING... (GOD) THE MAIN THING!!!

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We have to undeRstand, that THE WoRLd doesn't have a hope outside of this life. If you think aBout it thaT way, you can undeRstand WHY to them, tHe grEaTesT thing you coulD eveR accomplish is yoUr caReer!!! I told my friend, who is a very intelligent and well educated person, your going to get your degree and be GREAT at it, buuuuuut I told her, I'm NOT being a prophetess or NOTHING like that, buuuuuut MORE THAN LIKELY, you are NOT going be in that career FOREVER! Because she is such a Godly, ministry minded person, who is absolutely BEAUTIFUL on the outside and even MORE BEAUTIFUL on the INSIDE, I told her, Most likely, your going to end up being a minister's wife of some sort!  She was like, WHAT? I was like,  yup! Your going to spend  your life working for God!!! Thats JUST THE WAY I SEE YOU!!! Its just WHO AND WHAT YOU ARE!!!

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The world doesn't see success...the way we see it!!! As a writer, I do NOT define the success of my writing, by how much money I make from it (Which is NONE...LOL) OR by how many people read it!!! I define the success of my writing by IF GOD USES IT!!! The point of my writing is to glorify HIM!!! God gave me the gift, to help, to encourage, to uplift, to inspire, and more than ANYTHING ELSE, to help point souls towards HIM!!! Thats how I see the success of my writing...BUUUUUUT the world doesn't see sucess the way we see it! They don't see life the way we see it...We know that this WORLD IS NOT OUR HOME...we're just passing through!!!

We have a GREATER PURPOSE!!!

"According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:20-21) 

 

Our purpose, is to fulfill all the will of God in our lives, to live our lives in a way that glorifys God and to direct souls to the gospel message of salvation. The world doesn't understand THAT we are children of God, we have HIS NAME written on our hearts, we're living, just to live again, this world is NOT our home...

 we are HEAVEN BOUND!!!

♥Mary Frances :)

Ain't EVEN TRYING!!!

"I'm shootin for the moon, an I'm in a spaceship, an this spaceship don't even have rear view mirrors, so that means I ain't even tryin to look back." (Samuel Andrews)
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My friend Samuel said this and I was like THATS the AWESOMEST quote ever... I'm soo BLOGGIN it!!! He says, "your gonna blog it?" I'm like, YES!!! I love it!!! Its like soooo ghetto, yet sooo profound. "...An this spaceship don't even have rear veiw mirrors..." <----- SOOO Ghetto...BUT sometimes I think we need to GET GHETTO!!!