How to be SMART!!!

I was just going through old drafts of blog posts that I've never written, just thoughts that I save in a draft for a later time, this was one that I found from quite a few years ago, its such a good thought, I had completely forgotten it but thought NOW would be a good time to post it...

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Ever wish you were one of those people that other people viewed as SMART???

My mom said something last week that I just HAD TO BLOG ABOUT!!! She was talking about how  if you do NOT submit to your pastor, you will NOT truly submit to GOD. The she said, "I have no fear of man, my fear is of GOD!!! I don't submit because I fear man, but because I fear God!!!" You know that really stuck out to me, because IF YOU KNOW MY MOM, you know just HOW TRUE this statement is!!! My mom, is INTIMIDATED BY NO ONE!!! (except God!) LOLOLOL However, she submits, because she FEARS GOD!!!

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The Bible says that THE FEAR OF GOD, is the BEGINNING OF WISDOM!!! I really have to wonder sometimes about people's actions, DON'T YOU FEAR GOD??? I don't care what MAN thinks, buuuuut I DO CARE what GOD THINKS!!!

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IF you want to be a person of knowledge, THE FIRST thing you need to learn is TO FEAR GOD!!!
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding." (Proverbs 9:10)
♥Mary Frances :)

WHY I like to look in the mirror!!!

Soooooooooooo you all are probably juuuuuuust DYING to know the answer to this question!!! Rest assured, you will be able to sleep better tonight knowing the answer to this question!!! I'd like to start off by saying, its ALL HANNA's FAULT!!! BAHAHAHA!!! Buuuuuuuuuuuuuut let me explain myself first...OF COURSE there's a STORY!!! Always a story...
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SOOOOOOO you all know how it is when your single, weeeeeellll at least for me, you have a list of people that IF they don't give they're approval on your latest interest for a future spouse, it AIN'T NEVER gonna happen...you know, your close Fam, mom, sister, pastor and a FEW really, really, really, REALLY close friends!!! Weeeeeeellllll Hanna happens to be one of those peeps on my list!!!

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Sooooooooo there was this guy I had been crushin on from way, way, waaaaaaaay back in the day,  that her and pretty much none of my friends liked for me. Of course I would always defend the dude, like trying to convince my peeps of him EVEN tho you know deep down inside that if they don't approve it ain't never gonna happen...And every time I would defend this dude, they'd say their famous, good-friend line to me, "We're NOT saying he's isn't a good guy, we're just sayin he wouldn't be good FOR YOU! He wouldn't appreciate the things that make you our Mar Bear!" (So sweet!!) my peeps you know, they're actually really protective of me! (Awwww, I'm wiping a tear remembering, well not really, but it did make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside!!! Buuuuuut I mean REALLY, what guy wouldn't appreciate a purrrrrring wife??? I'm jus sayin!  AHAHAHA!!! ;) Soooooo yeah, they didn't like him for ME...especially HANNA!!!

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Weeeeeelllll after a while I got over him, heeeeeey you know, outta sight, OUTTA MIND!!! AHAHAHA!!! Anywayz, it dwindled down to just a "conference crush", then it faded into a, "only-if-I-ACTUALLY-talk-to-him-at-the-conference-crush" annnnd well yeah, it faded away till one conference i'm tellin Hanna, like yeah, I'm pretty much just OVER HIM!!! Annnnnnd Hanna, (I'm paraphrasing) says something like, good cuz its not like he's all that anyway! I'm like, weeeeeellll its just that he has REALLY PRETTY BLUE EYES!!! (I know, I know, it seems incriminating actually admitting to liking a guy with such a specific eye color, I actually paused for two seconds in hesitation to weather or not I should ACTUALLY admit to this...then I was like, EH its ME, MARY, its NOT like I really care what anyone thinks anyways...LOL...I have NOTHING to lose except maybe some pride...LOL...buuuuut anyway, soooo yeah, all you single guys out there, the MILLIONS I'm sure that read this blog...annnnnd happen to have blue eyes also, if your reading this and thinking, BLUE EYES??? She must be talking about ME!!! Or  to anyone speculating on WHO, just remember, this is NOT Africa, its a common eye  color...weeeeellll after THE MOST COMMON eye color which is brown!!! Sooooooo it COULD BE YOU or it could be YOUR LITTLE BROTHER...heeeeeey!!!;)

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Sooooo anyway, yeah I'm just like, yeah its just his eyes, are just sooooo BLUE!!  And Hanna pauses for a moment annnnnnd THEN out of her mouth proceeded some of THE WISEST words I have ever heard in my life...

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She said, well you know Mary, IF YOU REALLY LIKE BLUE EYES THAT MUCH...

YOU COULD JUST

LOOK IN THE MIRROR!!! 

 She's like, I mean, I'm JUS SAYIN!!!

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I was like, heeeeeeeeeeey, that's a GOOD IDEA!!! I mean really, quite brilliant I might add!!! Hee, hee!!! Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd soooooooooooo...

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I'VE BEEN LOOKING

IN THE MIRROR EVER SINCE!!!

#ListenToGoodAdvice

annnnnnd since she spoke these ever, oh so wise words, I have taken them wholly and COMPLETELY to heart!!! SEE, I told you all at the beginning that its ALL Hanna's fault!!! AHAHAHAHA!!!(Love you Hanna, my chocolate-covered-banana!!! Purrrrrr) I'm soooooo glad I have such awesome friends to ALWAYS keep things in perspective for me!!! So now you all know, I look in the mirror cuz I LIKE BLUE EYES...I can NOT lie!!! :)))

♥Mary Frances :)

Words of Wisdom...

From Sis.Ikerd!!!

It was sooooo GREAT!!! To hear SIs. Ikerd speak last night...Her and her husband were missionaries for 28 years in Africa...all different countries...South Africa, Kenya, Zimbaway...and MORE that I can't even think of !!! They labored in the fields of Africa till Bro. Ikerd's health would no longer allow him to be there any longer...AND that was pretty much when MY CHURCH became aquainted with them!!!

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For I think around two years the Ikerds came and were a blessing to our church!!! We had A LOT of hard-headed people that were hard to get to pray get the Holy Ghost in the time they were with us!!! One of them Sheree Cleveland and our current youth pastor's wife, Janelle Karlson!!!

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Bro. Ikerd had a quiet way of just kind of nonchalantley talking as he preached...but let me tell you something...when it was alter call time...THE HOLY GHOST FELL!!! After being with us for a while, the Ikerd's decided that they could not stay still...they HAD TO REACH MORE SOULS...and they headed out to Prescott Arizona and built a church from scratch up there!!! That church is now a THRIVING church...AND its built on people that had absolutely nothing to give or offer...people that were pulled out of THE PIT of this WORLD!!! AWESOME!!!

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I remember it was at Bro. Ikerd's funeral that I decided I wanted to marry a man LIKE HIM!!! (Read it in A Man Like That)  Oh man...that funeral was AWESOME!!! I mean just to hear this man of God...SOOOO READY TO BE WITH JESUS...yet longing to stay a little longer...BECAUSE OF HIS BURDEN FOR SOULS!!! Till his dying day he just wanted to KEEP REACHING!!!

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Now Sister Ikerd is doing the SAME thing!!! She said that AFTER her husband died she knew she had to go back to Africa and keep reaching souls...her ONLY question was...COULD she do without her husband??? Awwww!!! BUT SHE DID!!! And she is going back again!!! Sooooo I just wanted to share a FEW words....

From Sis.Ikerd!!!

"There isn't anything more important to God than souls. There isn't anything greater than souls. There isn't any greater cause to die for."

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"The greatest miracle you will ever see is a changed life!"

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"Keep on Keeping on!"

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AND a few words of advice from Sis, Ikerd on before marriage...this isn't from last night...just from over the years...

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"If your lazy, don't EVER get married!"

"Nothing was complete until God made a woman!" Woot! WOOT!!! ;)

"Learn how to work under the authority in your life right now!"

"Learn how to cook!"

"Remember to say thank you!"

"Helpmeet-We are a helper! She is there to complete him!"

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One thing that I really remember Sis. Ikerd teaching on was PRAYER!!! I remember her telling us girls that she would think, HOW CAN I BE A MINISTERS WIFE??? God I can't sing!!! I can't play the piano! (I'm like OH YEAH...thats sooo ME!!!) SHe is like, but God said that there was one thing she COULD do and be good at and that was to PRAY!!! Is there ANYTHING more important for us as Godly Apostolic woman to learn than to PRAY??? 

"You gotta learn to have a good relationship with God FIRST-if you don't have time for God, you won't have time for your husband!"

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I'm sooooo thankful for the Godly teachings that I have gotten over the years!!! We are soooo blessed to have these woman of God in our life!!!

And I would like to end this with one of my all time favorite quotes from Sis. Ikerd...I like it cuz I feel like I can relate...AND for all you girls out there that may have a bad outlook on men, due to previous circumstances in your life...LISTEN UP...Sis. Ikerd said,

"I came from a busted home, but life with him, and he redeemed them all!"

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I was just like AWWWW!!! ANd we're not talking about a lady that was pampered and spoiled, and left with a fortune..but someone that they SPENT THEIR LIVES working for God!!! Awwwww man...thats the kinda love story I wanna to have!!!♥♥♥

♥Mary Frances :)