Higher Ground Ministries

Black Bears and Back to the Blog

2006-12-18T20:42:00.000+05:00

Wow! I can't believe that I've neglected this blog for so long! I kept meaning to update things, but it hadn't happened. It is almost Christmas and I'm trying to get my act together. So much I want and need to do.

We've had a couple of face to face encounters with "Bob", our black bear. We've had our pickett fence broken down twice. First by Bob, and again, right after the new fencing went up, by a smaller bear. We lost a few feeders with those break ins. The feeders come in at night now. Bob has been on our deck a couple of times and we've gone face to face through the kitchen door. He's beautiful and scary at the same time. We've also found mom and baby bear tracks, and moose tracks. Our other visitors are some pheasants...black ones and ring necks, an oppossum named "Corky", and the usual cast of critters. Heard the coyotes last night, singing their song.

My internet business is going "nowhere". This makes me sad. But, I'm not going to give up. I'm going to do this right. If I can't have a storefront at the moment....I'll take this lemon and make the sweetest, yummiest lemon-aide on the planet! So in 2007 I'm going to put a big effort into it. I hear it can take a very long time to start an internet business being busy. So, I will not be a quitter!

I'm semi-back at my old Baptist church. I'm the only one though. I feel very strongly that the Lord wants the children in the big pentacostal church. They are being well fed there, and the little church appears to be heading for a major split. The kids are better off away from the battle.

The weather here has been almost "balmy". I can't stand it. This is New England, and Christmas is just days away. We need snow!!!!!!

Well, I will try to keep this up better. God Bless all who stop by and visit here! And Merry Christmas all! It's 10:56 a.m. on December 18th, 2006.

Taking Back Ground From the Devil

2006-11-05T08:39:00.000+05:00

Wow! In church tonight they announced the success of the Halloween alternative. Over 2,500 were estimated to have come. Standing room only for the show. The police that direct traffic there had to start turning folks away because the parking lot was so full! The kids, and teens loved it. This church opened it's huge new building in our town (1,200 seat capacity) just a little over a year ago. In September we went from 2 to 3 services. They are mostly packed out. Now there is talk of expanding the sanctuary and the parking lot. There is just unending community outreach there. God is blessing them tremendously!

We saw our first snowflakes yesterday. The kids got so excited it was hard to get them back to homeschooling. Sigh...now begins the long, cold winter....

It is Saturday, November 4th, and it's 10:40 EST. May God richly bless all who stop by and read this blog!

10 Bibles and Mended Fences

2006-10-31T01:31:00.000+05:00

A few weeks ago I felt as though the Lord was telling me to buy Bibles. I looked them up on CBD, and found some inexpensive ones. I didn't order as money was low. Time went on...and the Lord just kept telling me to buy Bibles. Then, it became...10 Bibles. Finally I gave in and purchased 10 Bibles. The inexpensive ones have such tiny print....now I pray that the Lord will send 10 people with great eyesight! LOL I do feel that I need to buy a couple of other Bibles to find the perfect one...easy to look at. But....tiny print or not, God promises that His word will not come back void! I feel strongly that giving Bibles away will become a large part of my ministry.

The fence is back up, looks like the bear ate the hotsauce sandwich, and nothing has bothered us for a couple of nights. I hope he remembers the "hot" garbage, the mini-van chasing him last winter, and the "hot" sandwich, and decides our house isn't worth the effort anymore! It would be a shame if anything happened to him. He's really beautiful!!!! We really love that big ol' ornary beastie....

Well, here I wait for instructions about the 10 teeny print Bibles, our first on-line order, and the items I need to start building the scrapbooking kits to sell on e-Bay. Hmmmm, kind of like I'm on "hold".

It's October 30th, 2006 and it is 3:37 p.m. est. May God Bless all who stop by and visit my blog!

Black Bears and Black Bear Express.com

2006-10-29T08:20:00.000+05:00

Well, we finally started our business. It's still in the baby stages, but, we do have products. Our starting batch of items is on our own store on Cafe Press. We put our original artwork on a number of items. The address for that is http://cafepress.com/blackbear513
Our second address, and the one we will have our own independant store on is http://blackbearexpress.com

I will be putting scrapbooking kits, craft kits, New England made products, and gift baskets on that site and also on E-bay.

Now, our inspiration....Bob the black bear decided to come for a visit last night. After "allowing" us to be in awe of him on our deck he decided our adoration wasn't good enough. He came back later and tore down our pickett fence in the front yard and destroyed and emptied the birdfeeders. We moved them into the fence early in the year when he kept yanking them out of the trees for snack time. Now my hubby needs to fix the fence tomorrow and the feeders will either have to come in at night, or the shepherd's hooks will be put in amungst the ouchy, sharp holly bushes.

It is October 28th, and it's 11:23 p.m. est. May God Bless all who stop by here!

Beginnings

2006-10-15T18:37:00.000+05:00

Well, today is the day that we will take the first step and will register the name of our internet business and also get a web domain for it. I can't wait to get things started. In the meantime I'm going to sell scrapbooking supplies on e-bay.

I have my eye on a storefront in a neighboring town. It's in a high traffic area. I'm praying about it. I have alot of experience with retail, even owned a store with my folks. The big problem is that my husband is afraid of failure. I understand that. He's more comfortable with the idea of doing things on-line because he's a techno geek. I'm more comfortable with what I know. That is doing business from a physical store. I hope the Lord will work it out that we can do both. We really need a source of income other than his salary. Things are beginning to hurt too much around here. I have some great ideas and I want to try them out.

It's October 15th, 9:37 a.m. God bless all who stop by here.

What Is Your Quest?!

2006-10-02T02:02:00.000+05:00

Wow. My quest is to find a way to bring in an income from home. Who'd have thought it would be so complicated trying to find things that aren't scams. We are coming up with some ideas of making some money over the internet. I hope they turn out okay. I'd like to help with the bills and even save some for home improvement. Of course, tithe would come first.

We had our first frost. We covered everything that was important on the deck. It's time to bring in the last of the crops and concentrate on other things. We still need to apple pick though. I'd like to can alot of home made applesauce!

We are back to feeding the birds. We do it lightly during the summer. Now we keep the feeders full. I love to watch the birds. We did have to put the feeders inside the fences though. Last year "Bob" our local bear destroyed 7 feeders!

Weight Loss and Lessons Learned

2006-09-22T18:36:00.000+05:00

Wow. I actually forgot to mention that my weight loss is in motion again. I've lost 22 pounds! I still have a HUGE amount of weight to lose as I'm morbidly obese. But, every little bit counts.

And someone I've locked horns with on the big forum said a wonderful apology for misunderstanding me. It's like I said...with ministry coming up....I need a thicker skin, more patience with others, and a more Christ like understanding of people and their opinions. I am a work in progress....a diamond in the rough. God will mold me into what He sees me to be, and I need to trust Him for that.

I have 2 sick kids and we've missed a week of school. This is stressful to me, but, I know it's okay. They have been watching educational t.v. and are always learning, but, I still like seeing those pages cranked out and those books read!

It's Friday, September 22nd, and it's 9:38 a.m.

Again It Starts

2006-09-21T18:36:00.000+05:00

It seems like every time I get onto a peaceful thread on that big Christian forum there are a couple of what I consider "angry" people that get on and start picking apart what I and others say. They almost seem to enjoy being picky and questioning other peoples faith. They are always charging in with there opinions...which are never wrong. I haven't got anything against people having their opinions, it's when they attack your opinion, or read things into it that you didn't even say! And when they do, it is not okay for you to question their opinion, because they are always right in their own eyes.

It seems this group likes to hover around any thread that pertains to TBN or televangelists. They have a deep loathing for these people, and treat those of us who watch as if we are not right with the Lord....because we don't hold their opinion on it. I'm quite tired of these people. Every time someone innocently starts a thread on the televangelists, or Christian television, I think..."Oh no, here we go again!" It's as though they can't let us have a thread to ourselves. They hunt it down, lurk for awhile, then jump in for the kill. I am seriously wondering if they actually get their jollies from this!

I would never allow such things on my forums. It's in my rules to not attack others opinions and beliefs. I often wonder where the moderators are on that forum. But, because they don't stop the attacks, I'm left to assume that they hold the same opinions and beliefs of the people that do this. I've even warned folks who've started threads that it will become a battleground. I don't think the Lord wants His people being so combative towards each other. It's like there is a spirit of controversy on that forum. I'm on alot of forums and have never seen such attacks on them. People are respectful of each other.

I'm sorry for the rant. I'm just so tired of the garbage there. I'm tired of my faith being attacked and indirectly questioned. I suppose, being called to future ministry, I'm to let my skin get thicker, because the attacks will be worse. I'm curious as to how God will use someone as sensetive to what others say as I am. But, He has shown me the ministry, and I will be in the public eye....up there for all of the legalistic Christians to critisize. These are my lessons in patience and unconditional love and forgiveness. Lord, help me to forgive and love these people because I'm irritated by them big time! And please help me to know when to "shut up" and go into "lurk" mode. Amen

Well, it's September 21, and it's 9:51 a.m. I need to get shopping...(with 2 sick kids!)

Long Time No Blog

2006-09-17T08:38:00.000+05:00

It's been awhile! I haven't had much to write about. I'm still canning and freezing things for the winter. Tonight was church and it was about forgiveness. I met someone there that I'd gone to school with as a kid. It was good to see that he is saved now and is living for Jesus. I guess that is all for now. I'll try not to be so asleep and boring next time!

It is Saturday, September 16th at 11:35 p.m. and the date and time on this thing are still way off!

Back to School

2006-08-31T00:49:00.000+05:00

We officially started the full school days on Monday. It's going well. I'm more organized and less distracted this year.

A week ago today I went to see the surgeon and he immediatly drained the cyst. OY! What an experience! Painful!! Anyway, it's healing now. I'm glad to be rid of it. I hope no further surgery is required.

Saturday it was nice to get back to church after missing it several times. I don't want to go that long again. This week our pastor should be back from vacation.

The Lord is active again with the spiritual gifts He gave me. I'm wondering when He'll send us back to our old church. It feels like it's getting close.

I need to get back to teaching. God Bless all who visit here! It's 3:50 p.m. on August 30th, 2006

Lumpy and Grumpy

2006-08-22T09:49:00.000+05:00

I've been suffering from a cyst and it's getting very annoying. It's interferring with everything I want to do. But, I'm praying for a healing. I'm also waiting to see what the surgeon will say after I have my ultra sound. I'm trying not to let it get me down emotionally. The thing is huge, infected, and is spreading just under my skin. That is painful by the way.

We are still canning and freezing. My daughters are a great help and I'm thankful for them. Trying to garden and homeschool, and not whine about the pain is tough...but, I can do it!

I'm grumpier about that darn black bear than I am about anything. It's gotten to where we are afraid to be outside for any period of time. He has decided that my brother's house, next door is particularly fun to hang out at. He's also been on my deck again. Bears are still protected here, because we used to have only a few. Now there are 500 in my county alone! Time to lift the protection in my opinion. I hope putting hot sauce in my garbage makes him think twice about being here. We'll see what comes of it.

We have re-started our old Bible Study. There are just two of us so far, but it's a start. I have a feeling it won't be two for very long. I can't shake the feeling that it will actually grow into a house church this time.

It is August 22nd, at 12:53 a.m. God Bless all who read this!

Obedience is key....

2006-08-09T08:32:00.000+05:00

All during the service on Saturday night I felt the Lord tugging at me to restart the Bible study in my home that we abandoned years ago. He's been letting me know He wanted me to start it again for a long time, but Saturday I felt He wanted me to step out in faith even if it was just me and a friend. So today, my friend and I got together and began our study. It was good and we really felt blessed. Obedience is so important. We started a study on the fruit of the Spirit.

I cut up cucumbers for making a batch of bread and butter pickles tomorrow. I still have enough cucumbers for 2 more batches of pickles. So, I have alot of work ahead of me. It's a good thing my pickles are "famous" with my family and friends! I love blessing others with what God blesses me with!

Well, it is late. It's still August 8th, but not for long. It's 11:36 pm EST. God Bless you all.

Bible Study and Dill Pickles

2006-08-07T06:02:00.000+05:00

I feel strongly that it is time to start having a Bible study at my home. I did it successfully for 7 years back when I was first married. So on Tuesday, it begins!

Our pastor is away and the youth pastor is doing the sermons for the month I believe. He's a good preacher, so we're still being fed. We're going to have a big outdoor cinema event there on Friday! The kids are excited about it!

I'm replanting wherever things have been harvested and I'm looking forward to new crops. I canned some more dill pickles today!

It's August 6th, and it's 9:03 pm. God bless everyone who takes the time to read my blog!

Pen Pals and Incontinent Pooch

2006-08-03T05:16:00.000+05:00

Last night my daughter and I started a new forum/site for homeschoolers that want to find pen-pals. We have 5 members already. I hope it works out.

Our dog is "leaking" and it is causing quite a problem. Of course I can't get her to the vet till tomorrow morning. In the meantime we have to keep cleaning up after her. This is very discouraging.... I hope that this doesn't end in sadness! It looks like she will need to be enclosed in the kitchen all night. I wonder if the heat over 100 has anything to do with it! I don't feel so good myself.

It is 8:17 pm EST May God Bless you all.

Boston, Old Friends, and More Pickles!

2006-08-01T20:27:00.000+05:00

Well, we went to Boston and went to the Museum of Science and the New England Aquarium. The kids learned alot and I'm counting it as field trips in our homeschooling. We had alot of fun but it was nice to leave the hot city and head for the smaller city of Nashua, NH where we once lived. We had dinner with friends in the area and it was wonderful!

We've picked more cukes and it looks like I'm making more dill pickles in the next couple of days. We have also harvested cabbage, onions, and potatos. I'm trying to come up with clever new ways to preserve these things. Last year our canned and frozen goods saved us alot of money in the winter. I hope to surpass what I did last year and have more variety of preserved foods. It is my goal to become as self sufficient as possible. (Yep, I'm a homesteader at heart!) I'm so thankful for the fertile land that God has given us!

The Lord is teaching me more lessons all of the time. Patience, tolerance, forgiveness, change in attitude, change in outlook, faith, everything. I am schooling my kids, and God is schooling His kid! LOL!

It is 11:33 pm EST on Tuesday, August 1, 2006 And may God bless all who visit here!

Jesse Duplantis and Dill Pickles

2006-07-26T09:29:00.000+05:00

Weird title, ay? Sunday I made my first batch of dill pickles for the season. They are delicious and one jar is already half gone! My kids love them. I will be making bread and butter pickles tomorrow. Home-made always tastes so much better than store-bought! When we get back from vacation I'm going to dig the potatos and use the raised bed for more cucumbers and bush beans. I intend to increase the amount of canning this year.

Jesse Duplantis was at our church the other night. It's the second time I've seen him there. He's a really funny guy. Yet, no nonsense. I'm not used to sitting way up in the back of the church, but the place was already just about packed when we got there. The curtains kept malfunctioning while he preached and would close and open on the choir. Of course he had alot of fun with that. I always go away feeling a little better when I hear him. It's encouraging to know that God uses mightily goofballs like me! He also did something unique. When they took the offering for him he gave it back to our church plus a big check of his own. No wonder God blesses him so much. That is where my heart is....giving to others. I have alot to learn.

We will be traveling to Boston this Thursday, then to New Hampshire on Friday, and then home on Saturday. I know, it's a short vacation, but we aren't made of money.... The original plan was for another couple to go with us, and we women were going to the Benny Hinn crusade. (Oh, some of you are starting to steam! I mentioned the BH word! :) Anyway, the other couple's kids got sick.... Sick...we were going to a HEALING service. Okay....so that's only ironic to me. I said I was a goofball. So, anyway, I'll be there....but, I won't be there. Hey, look! I believe God can heal me whether I'm being prayed over by um....you know, the forbidden to talk about guy, or whether I'm standing in front of a t-rex skeleton at a museum. Either way....I'm good. I'm disappointed, because he doesn't come this way often, but, I'll live.

I'm glad to be going to New Hampshire because I'll be seeing old friends from my old church, from the few brief years we lived there. We'll be having a BBQ. Don't know whether hubby will be doing his comedy act for all. That would be fun! :) My girlfriend and I each have a kid that the other has never met. And teens that need to be re-united!

It is 12:48 am on Wednesday, July 26th. May God Bless everyone that reads this blog.

Hot Days, VBS, and War

2006-07-17T07:42:00.000+05:00

We're going into a heat wave of sorts here. It's a good thing we have air conditioning. It's very hard to get anything done outside. Despite it all the lawn got mowed today.

All reservations are made for our Boston trip. I am going to the crusade on a mission of sorts of my own. Can't wait to go to the aquarium, and then see old friends higher up in New England.

Vacation Bible School was a success. 130 kids in attendance. Both of my girls were workers. My son participated in classes.

Praying for Israel. It saddens me to see war breaking out. I pray that the innocents are spared. I am not surprised, because of Biblical prophecy, that so many countries are trying to make Israel back off. Thankfully our country stands firmly behind her and will probably continue to do so. We can't allow the terrorists to bully us.

It is July 16th, 10:50 p.m. May God Bless all who visit here!

Higher Ground

2006-07-06T05:18:00.000+05:00

Today my daughter and I have been working on the "Higher Ground Ministries" Web-site. She created the logo and matched it to a good background. The first job for the ministry is to actually support and promote other ministries and Christian groups. The site will start out as an information resource site and will expand when our actual evangelism ministry is up and running. In a way it already is, but it is not official. We are still waiting for our final "marching orders" and for our "leader" to come on board. Oh, I know that sounds vague, but, when what needs to happen does happen I will get into detail about it. It will be a fabulous testimony for sure!

I am also supposed to take two leaps of faith. I need the Spirit to reveal them...although I think I may already be doing one of them.

I am spending less time on the forums lately and concentrating on my own projects. I am also staying out of pointless arguments...finally. I have more constructive things to do with my life than to argue about silly things. I need to concentrate on what God tells me to do, and not allow myself to be distracted.

My husband is at the comedy club tonight.

This is July 5th, 2006 and it is 8:26 p.m. and I'm waiting for "Lost" to come on. (Talk about distractions!)

Happy Fourth!

2006-07-05T07:44:00.000+05:00

It's July 4th! We saw our town fireworks display on Saturday after church. It was great! Tonight we watched the ones in Washington, DC on PBS.

What a happy turn of events! I got a phone call today from the first person I was told to deliver a prophecy to....3 years ago. I thought she had rejected the message, but, 3 years later she is encountering confirmation and is excited! Praise God! He says "My Word will not come back void!" Wow! How true! It helped, because I was uptight and a bit down today!

I took a big step and put my address on a new pen-pal ad. I've been chicken thus far. I love writing to people. Since last month I've gained 5 new and wonderful friends in Christ.

It is July 4th, 2006, and it is 10:48 p.m. May God Bless You All!

Water Logged and Ready to be Taught

2006-06-28T08:32:00.000+05:00

I am so aware that there is just so much I need to learn before ministry. In some things I am wise beyond my years, and in other things I'm as dumb as a post. God is patient, and I'm really grateful for that. It frustrates me that I have no mentor. I am a mentor to a couple of folks, but God alone mentors me. That's wonderful, but sometimes I just want to have a friendly talk with someone who's been there, done that. I want to be taught, I want to learn....Thankfully the Holy Spirit gives me wisdom when it's truly needed....but, when I forget to lean on Him...wow, I can truly miss the mark. Thank you Lord for Your mercy!

Finally got into the garden tonight. Got in there between rainstorms. I planted 35 pepper plants and 6 tomatos. Some produce didn't make it because it's been so wet. But, others are doing beautifully! Tomorrow, more rain. Wish I could send some to those of you who are praying for rain!

Well, it's 11:40 on June 27th. Still need the calander fixed on this thing! May God Bless all who visit here!

Weekend Warrior!

2006-06-26T08:26:00.000+05:00

This was a busy weekend. It started on Friday night. I took my girls, my friend, and her daughter to the big church to a healing service. It was wonderful. Mostly at healing services I have a tendancy to do a poor me thing with God, and beg Him for a special touch. He really worked on me. He started me earlier in the day, praying for pastor's annointing to be magnified that night. When I got there I started out thinking about ME (oy....) but the Lord directed me towards praying for my friend and her daughter, who are in a bad situation. I was thrilled that they got so much attention when it was time to pray over them. I found myself praying more for the pastor and those who would be called out. Okay, so what was I learning? It's not all about ME! It's about other people, other needs. God will take care of the mess that my body is. It will be in His time, and at the appointed place. I'm certainly not going to the Benny Hinn crusade next month in a"me" mode. I'm not going to go away bummed out if not healed. I'm going to find someone to concentrate on praying for, and I'll pray for the pastor's annointing. Many folks have been healed while praying for others. I've already been promised a healing. I'm going to trust Him to follow through in His perfect timing.

Okay...back on track! Saturday my Mom actually got to go to church with us. There was a guest speaker. He spoke on being righteous. It was great!

Now, tonight my hubby took me to see the comedian Bob Nelson. He was really funny and we got to say hello and shake his hand. He signed a DVD (Filmed for Bananas) for us. The lady that worked for the comedy promoter introduced my hubby to him as a fellow comedian. That must have been a thrill for my hubby, cause he only started in February. It's hard for him to think of himself as a comic. But, the fact is, he does stand up comedy, therefore, is a comic!

Well, it's 11:38 on Sunday, June 25th. May God Bless All Who Visit Here!

Whatever His Will Is

2006-06-24T00:05:00.000+05:00

Tonight will be the healing service at church. Last time I went to a healing service at the big church it was when Kingsley Fletcher was there. (Fascinating having royalty pray over you!) This time it is our own pastor doing the service. I'm interested in finding out what he believes about it and how he goes about it.

Of course I need a head to toe healing....I want to see what transpires tonight. The Lord knows I'm open to whatever He has for me, and I totally believe in healing, as I've been healed of several things. I've been healed under different circumstances...in my own home with my own prayer of faith, at Grace and Vessels healing ministries, at my old church under prayer of my old pastor, through the Benny Hinn ministries via television....I just believe He chooses the time, place and circumstances. I honestly believe if I could get rid of one certain problem that a bunch of the other problems would heal up by themselves. (I'm a physical mess, but, God is cleaning the mess up!) So, tonight, I will go....open to "whatever" and fully believing that my God is a God of healing and miracles. It is not uncommon for the healing to be a spiritual or emotional one when I go to these things. I'm taking my daughters with me, a friend, and her daughter.

I'll be talking about it later....today is June 23rd, 2006 and it is 3:17 p.m. Our time clock is still off track here.

May God Bless all who visit here!

The Hot and the Restless

2006-06-20T02:44:00.000+05:00

Well, it's hot here in the Northeast. (Up there near 100 degrees.) We're expecting thundershowers in awhile. It was too hot for the garden. We got some homeschooling done and went to the post office. (Took the dee-oh-gee for a ride. She liked that!)

Hubby is going to make steak tonight. Yesterday was Father's Day and we took him out to breakfast. Later we let him take off on his own, and he went to see the new X-Men movie. He almost ran out of gas though!

Church was great on Saturday. Pastor finished the DaVinci code series by talking about Jesus being who He claimed to be. He's so very good at apologetics. He should write a book.

I've been writing alot of letters to people from the pen-pal site. I hope to make some new friends. I miss snail-mailing. Sometimes I get really sick of this technical toy. I'm still into the old fashioned way of doing things. Including journaling...so, I do public journaling and private journaling. Yeah....I write alot.....That's okay, cause writing is something I love to do!

We tried to do a live chat on the Wowhomeschoolers forum yesterday but the chatroom "broke down" or something. By the time my daughter had a new one up and running it was too late. We will have to schedule a new one. Several folks had said they were going to participate yesterday. Too bad.

Smile for Jesus! It's the LEAST you can do! After all, He DIED for you! (I made that up when I was a teen and had a gazillion pen-pals!) God Bless All who stop by here!

Groggy Bloggy

2006-06-16T07:43:00.000+05:00

Weird title, I know, but, I'm really tired. Tonight there is no sign of having to be up late, (it's 10:41 EST), so maybe I'll actually get some sleep. I did alot of study today and felt I was led to several scriptures that were about peace-keeping, being slow to anger, you know, all of that great wisdom. I hope to get some of them in within the next couple of days. So, I'll check a couple more things on the computer then it's off to snooze land.

God Bless all.

YAWN!

2006-06-15T19:37:00.000+05:00

Today is payday. But I got to sleep too late last night, so I'll take a nap before piling 3 kids into the van and going to a gazillion destinations to stock up for the next few weeks! I also need to visit the PO to see if the new box contains any goodies. I am trying to get back into pen-paling, only not on the grand scale I used to do it!

My daughter and I got some more done in the garden yesterday. We put in more cukes, sunflowers, and I created a new raised bed and planted acorn squash in it. We were then chased out of the garden by a thunderstorm.

The Lord is teaching me something about peace-making. Between a sitch that my friend is in..a bad one, and me always getting into controversial threads on the forum, I believe the Lord is pointing out some things to me. I believe I'll be posting some scriptures soon that He is leading me towards. I'll write them and then make personal comments, pertaining to me....not anyone else.

May God Bless all who visit here!

Spiritual Snipers

2006-06-14T08:37:00.000+05:00

Finally! Let me see if I can at least get one up before I'm too tired to move. (The time is still very wrong on this thing so it is actually Tuesday night still. At least for 25 more minutes.

Spiritual Snipers of the Church and of ministries.

Sniper #1

The Spirit of Discontent-Complaining (i.e. don't like the pastor, don't like the music, don't like so and so's hair today. ) Fault finding in individuals, groups, doctrine, music, even the paint colour of the sanctuary, and the hymnals don't match the carpet. This spirit keeps people grumbling and sputtering and making people miserable. Discontented people drag others down. Discontent can spread...it is contagious.

Sniper#2

The Spirit of Gossip-Undermining self-esteem, hurting other peoples character and reputation, which in turn hurts their potential and their ministries. Character assasination/false witness.

Sniper #3

The Spirit of Fear/Doubt- Not trusting God, allowing doubt, other peoples opinions, circumstances, to keep you from trusting God, His Word, His Spirit, and His plans for you. Fear is a spirit that can grow.

Sniper #4

The Spirit of Pride/Disrespect- Feeling so good about yourself that you do not respect the authority, position, or experience of Christians around you. Believing that you are wonderful enough to do it your way without honouring elders or seeking God's will in every move you make. (The "Aren't I wonderful?" syndrome.) Not being able to face or accept correction or words of wisdom.

All 4 of these attributes(spirits) can cause splits and destruction in the church and in the body of Christ.

May God bless all who visit here.

Puppies and 4 Spiritual Snipers of the Church

2006-06-14T03:20:00.000+05:00

I still don't have time to add what the Lord gave me about the spiritual snipers, but my friend gave them to the deacon friend and his wife and all I know is that they were "pleased". This adds to my frustration...did they already know the answers, were they looking for answers, or did God tell him to ask me as a "test" of my ability to seek Him for answers and receive the answers? "Pleased" is nice, but...where did the original question come from?!

In the meantime his dog had 15 puppies with 12 surviving. The mom dog is having trouble producing milk so we are praying for that situation, as they have to feed the pups every two hours! My daughter is working on a web-site for their dogs as it's a rare (and very large, drooling) breed.

It has become hot very quickly here and today was hot, sticky, and contained lots of whining. We all had the energy of a potato chip that has been kicked under the couch!

The Lord is telling me that I need to take 2 leaps of faith, before our ministries take off. He has revealed one, and the other is still a mystery to me. New insite was gained today as to some of the things "Front Door Ministries" will be involved in.

I also felt that the Lord confirmed that my eldest child will be a youth pastor! She loves teens and is wanting to start a teen girl ministry.

Ladies in the Church and Tomato Plants

2006-06-12T09:11:00.000+05:00

Saturday night's sermon was so excellent. It was about the roll women play in the church. Scriptural proof that it's okay for women to preach, teach, do whatever God calls them to, just like any man. There was a time of prayer for anyone who'd been hurt or devalued by the actions of men and the stereotypes of what women should be. Alot of us went forward.

Today I took the girls shopping and out to lunch. This evening we planted tomatoes! (Oh, and a bean plant!) Hope to do alot more planting tomorrow. Still have around 70 tomato plants and 52 pepper plants to be put into the ground!

The kids got their first pen-pal today!

Spiritual Snipers

2006-06-10T09:10:00.000+05:00

An odd thing. A few days ago, my friend said that our deacon friend asked her to ask me what the 4 spiritual snipers of the church were! HUH???? Did he know, and was quizing me? Did he not know and wanted the answer? Did God put him up to it to make me seek Him and to be taught? My friend asked him but he wouldn't give a good answer....danced around it. Well, yesterday I feel that God gave me some answers as to who these 4 spirits were. I will post what I got at another time, as it is just past midnight and it will require some typing! (Alot of typing.)
My friend wrote them down and will be reporting to our friend. I have yet to find out if it matches anything he was given. I feel like I'm being "trained" and taught at every turn. It's a good thing, just that, sometimes God uses very creative ways to teach me things!

Hives without bees

2006-06-08T06:22:00.000+05:00

I think I have the hives! This has gone on every night for the last 3 nights. I'm worried that it is my antibiotic. I've lost 2 antibiotics to getting hives so far over the last 12 years. I hope that isn't it. But now I'm afraid to take it tonight cuz hubby is many miles away for many long hours and if I need help....Oh, I just need to pray about it and trust that the Lord will give me wisdom. I've been putting ice on it.

My daughters are making something we call "rhubarb surprise". It's vanilla cake with cooked rhubarb swirled in. It's delicious!

Mom came home for awhile today, worked in her part of the house, and visited with me and the kids. We gave her a nice big head of Boston lettuce.

We're having a Nor'easter with lots of wind and rain today. So, I didn't get to the garden.

Okay...I did it again!

2006-06-07T18:53:00.000+05:00

I went back to the thread and made another long post. The people trying to argue with me are seeming sincere in their concerns. I guess this is a nobody wins argument. We all have different experiences in life and those experiences colour how we view things. We are probably all right on different points. Only God knows the 100% truth, who's right, who's wrong, how much of it is made up and reported as fact...And God is the one who will look at our hearts. I suppose the one thing He will see in all of us is that we are passionate about what we believe! I can tell you this. If ANY man or woman presented the salvation message incorrectly, I'd be outta there! Their arguments are about healing doctrine, prophecies(which I never heard..even though I watch daily), and fund-raising. Nobody has listened to the presentation of the salvation message I think. That is the single most important message anyone can give. It must be right on the mark or that minister is history to me. Another thing that bothers me is when there is NO salvation message, just teaching. (An issue I have had with my small church pastor, but before I left he began to give alter calls, but then again after I left he had the parishoners meet and celebrate the winter solstice!)

Being that the Lord is calling my family to the ministry, I guess I'm really touchy. It's not so much that Benny Hinn is under attack. I think it goes deeper. I know our ministry will go under the magnifying glass and we'll be attacked. I guess it is part of the package. I have to learn to not be so blasted sensative. I need a thicker skin. I think the forum thread is actually a good practice tool, to help my skin thicken. Maybe I'll be thanking those that oppose my opinions for helping to toughen me up. (Man, I wish I had smileys for emphasis!)

My hubby took the kids to the big church for dance and it turned out that it had been cancelled because of the school's graduation. So he took the kids out for awhile and gave me the evening off! Peace and quiet! Hooray!

On a more somber note....my 100 year old grandmother is not doing well today. I'm wondering if my mom will be coming home soon.....

Well, I'm going to do some cleaning, then some schooling. It's a rainy day in the neighborhood. (Won't you be my neighbor? Snicker!) Hubby is going to a comedy club tonight...sigh...I feel like a comic widow.

Hills of Squash and Hurtful Judgements

2006-06-07T08:51:00.000+05:00

We were in the garden for a good part of the day. Planted 4 hills of squash, some pole beans, sunflowers, and cucumbers. Mostly digging and weeding.

I just got soooooo tired of the attacks on I Believe. Two times now the attacks have been personal. I don't understand how anyone can be so viscous and not even feel regret. I finally kind of "went off" on them, as politly as possible, but, I'm afraid I used a bit of sarcasm, which I always try not to do. Why do I keep participating? I said I'd only lurk....but, finally my name was mentioned and I was hurt, so I did the wounded animal thing. When will I learn to let the Holy Spirit lead in everything...not just most things? I'm sure the anger from those who claim to have all of the answers will be swift and with sharp claws. I really believe these people get their kicks out of stirring things up! I think they like to get into arguments! I need to rise above such lunacy. I pray that I will not get sucked into it again.

Well, these are the final moments of 6-06-06. (My time zone is still not changed.) I believe, other than getting a bit ticked off...I had a good day!

Higher Ground Christian Fellowship Forum

2006-06-05T18:31:00.000+05:00

This is really new and only has 12 members so far. Besides WOW this is my other "baby". I want a place where folks who are kind of "down to earth" will join. There is a homesteading, old fashioned life theme throughout the forums...I hope to attract the Christians that still love the simple things, like gardens, flowers, orchards, homesteading, raising animals, doing crafts, etc. There is a "swap" section, and I hope to get that going within a years time. Again, we need to seriously consider paid advertising on large sites and on the search engines. I need to pray for wisdom on this subject. Wow is growing and the teens have become very active on it. (Again, a plea for adults!) Anyway, I won't give up on it. I really want for people to have a safe fellowship environment.

The girls and I are going to start getting snail-mail pen-pals soon, so I'm considering getting a PO Box for safety reasons. So I will travel to another town...State?, and get a Box. I did that when I had pen-pals before, and also while I was husband hunting in a large Christian Singles correspondance club from California. I was super glad to have a box then as some of the guys were "weird", and that's being kind. By the way, I did find my husband through that club!

Today I hope to garden. We've had bad weather and sickness for far too long and have hundreds of plants to get into the garden.

Wow Homeschoolers For Christ

2006-06-05T04:28:00.000+05:00

This is my first forum, started before Christmas. I love my two Christian forums. But, today I'll talk about WOW. It started out for homeschoolers, but is welcoming Christian families in general. We seem to have attracted teens, teens, teens! I'm very pleased, but I'm praying for more people around my age, or just moms in general to show up and visit. There are a few of us, but not enough to keep ourselves busy. We have alot of poetry and art there these days. We've added a live chatroom and I'm going to schedule a chat event ASAP so the teens can get together and have a blast.

I also post project ideas, printables, and monthly challenges. We have sections where you can review movies, books, tv shows, etc. There are many games there and riddles. A place for humour, recipes, gardening, and just visiting.

My whole purpose was a place where people can meet and really just become friends, share ideas, and support each other. I hear it takes a painfully long time for forums to build up if you don't advertise somewhere on the net. Thankfully we gained two more members this weekend. (Teens, of course!) They seem to be having fun, and I like that.

Hey grownups! Where are you? It's not just for homeschoolers! Friendly Christians welcome! We have only one man who has joined! He gets lonely.

Didn't make it to church this weekend. Cuz I've been sick. Now I wish I'd made the effort because I miss the fellowship and the preaching. Haven't been able to garden because of the weather. So, not much happening here.

Will make an entry soon about Higher Ground.....(The new one)

Apple Trees, Psalm 30 Miracle, and Misc. Mischief

2006-06-02T20:09:00.000+05:00

I am going to all of the homesteading forums that I belong to, and any that have gardening sections, to try to find a cure for "cedar apple rust". My youngest started an apple tree from a seed and it is showing signs of "rust". We'd like to save it.

Psalm 30

A man in our church(the little church with the problems) had a massive stroke. The doctors put him into an induced coma and said he would not live more than two more days. The pastor went to his hospital room and began to look up the scriptures traditional for reading to people who are dieing. He heard the Lord tell Him to go to Psalm 30, he argued with Him, and kept going to the "death" scriptures. (Okay, I argue with God too, it's really an excercise in futility...yet, I do it...I cave in more quickly now tho), anyway, this went on for awhile and finally a deacon with him encouraged him to read the one God gave him. Well, as you can see from my previous post that Psalm 30 is all about being raised up and healed! Within a few days the man was out of the coma, walking (with assistance), and out of ICU! Exactly what Psalm 30 is all about! I can't wait to find out what his testamony will be!

We are in for more thunderstorms today. My hubby went to our neighboring NE state to do stand up comedy last night and he encountered alot of storm damage. I'm thankful to have him back! BTW...he had a good response at the club! I'm glad for him.

I just found out that Jesse Duplantis is going to be at our big church this summer. We saw him there last year. He's a hoot. He gets you laughing so hard it hurts! I really like the way he takes an offering. He tells people only to give if the Lord says so, and if what you have to give is what you'd normally give to your church, then don't give anything at all cause he doesn't want your tithe! I really respect that. He relies heavily on God and is never let down. Our pastor is good friends with him and I remember "meeting" my pastor when he preached on Praise the Lord when Jesse was hosting. I stumbled on it while surfing the channels. Our pastor is a great preacher and is a stickler about preaching the gospel correctly. He can be really funny too.

More later!

Prophecy and Televangelists

2006-06-02T05:27:00.000+05:00

I noticed on the thread that I am just lurking on...that people were bashing Benny Hinn's "prophecies."

Here is my stand on it:

I believe that a true prophet needs to have 100% accuracy as the Bible states. Whenever I hear a prophecy I take it with a "wait and see" attitude. I don't care who it is, how much I like them... I wait and I see. This is my statement on prophecy and my deeply held belief.

When the Lord gives me a vision, or prophecy I instruct the person or persons to wait for confirmation, or the actual event. To my relief, as far as I know I have been operating under 100% accuracy and have had total strangers give the same prophesies to those involved. I do wait, with fear of the Lord, for the results. God is true, and what He speaks through His prophets must also be true.

I am putting this here so that those who think I'm messed up because I happen to like Benny's preaching will know that I follow no one blindly. My shepherd is the Lord Jesus Christ. And it is His voice that I seek. And it is His voice that I follow.

COMMENTS:

I've changed the settings so that guests may comment. I did not realize that only registered users could comment before. Thank you and God bless you.

Thunderstorms and Dog Piddle

2006-06-02T02:47:00.000+05:00

Okay! Weird title. I know. After going to the doctor (not a word said about anything negative!) my oldest daughter and I went shopping and then picked up my other kids at their grandmother's house. We had to stay awhile due to a thunderstorm. When we got home the dog had wet the floor (she's scared of storms). Now there is another storm moving in as I type. Some may be severe the weather channel said.

I'd like to start putting scriptures here, so here's my first attempt. I have an interesting story to go with it.

Psalm 30

1. I will extol You, oh Lord, for You have lifted me up, and have not let my foes rejoice over me.
2. O Lord my God, I cried out to You, and You healed me.
3. O Lord, You brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.
4. Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.
5. For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.
6. Now in my prosperity I said, "I shall never be moved."
7. Lord, by Your favor You have made my mountain stand strong; You hid Your face, and I was troubled.
8. I cried out to You, o Lord; and to the Lord I made supplication:
9. "What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it declare Your truth?
10. Hear, O Lord, and have mercy on me; Lord, be my helper!"
11. You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,
12. to the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever!

I just love this Psalm. It touches me deeply. I will give an interesting story about it later as there is a rather large thunderstorm coming up over the mountain and I may need to abandon the computer for awhile!

Conviction, sore throats, and weird time zones

2006-06-01T17:51:00.000+05:00

We have been trying to get the correct time on my entries, but, alas, it isn't working. I'll set my computer wiz daughter on it again today perhaps. So, these entries are "ill timed". Ha-ha!

Still sick, but in a reasonably good mood. After engaging in a rowdy round of "who's right and who's wrong" on the Crosswalk forum I feel highly convicted of the Lord not to argue with fellow Christians. It has nothing to do with salvation and it is keeping me from what's important...what He has called me to do. Which is to help heal hurting hearts....which, is actually the opposite of getting into arguments! I'm supposed to lift up the body of Christ, not annoy it! He is teaching me to pray for others. I look at the prayer requests and I'm overwhelmed by the needs! There are so many that I stop in and say a heartfelt blanket prayer for all. It used to be hard for me to pray for others with conviction. How He changes us from day to day! I'm so glad He helps us to move forward, even when we do and say the dumbest things.

I have a tough decission to make today, whether to keep a doctor or not. He has helped me through 3 bouts of pneumonia in the past and battled severe asthma with me. So, what's the problem? Control! He has serious control issues! If my kids are sick and I cancel an appointment...which can happen more than once in a years time. I immediatly get a call back from his head nurse.....I'm not being responsable, I'm not taking my health seriously, I have to do it his way.... I'm taking my meds, I don't cancel if not necessary, etc. Yet, I get "accused" of not taking things seriously. This past time the head nurse said if I cancelled todays appointment he'd drop me as a patient! What he doesn't know is that I have for-armed myself. I have a piece of paper that authorizes the transfer of all of my records to another doc! I'm hoping I can reason with him, and keep him, and have him not get so uptight....but, at least I have the back up paper. (My physicians group told me that I'm not the only one complaining about the stranglehold.) He really knows how to play the guilt card. The thing that is bothering me is that I'm sick, and that could work against me. Hopefully he will back off a bit and I can continue with him as he is really a good doctor. At least my cold is "cold" (ha-ha) hard evidence that my kids were sick when I cancelled...I got it from them.

So my prayer today is for wisdom. Also for diplomacy, a calm tone and spirit. I think I'm going to start posting scriptures here. This is too new to me, but, I adjust well to technology!

2006-06-01T03:07:00.000+05:00

A professional artist I'm not, but I've been drawing horses since I was a toddler. I'm a horse lover. "Horse" was my first spoken word! LOL!

I had a horse for many, many years. She was a pinto. I loved her dearly and she was a good listener! Ha! I would love to have another horse, but it isn't do-able now with 3 kids, and my brother now owning the part of the property with the barn on it. (We traded it for the garden.)

I've Got a Code In By Doze.....

2006-05-31T21:40:00.000+05:00

Okay, I've got a cold in my nose. My mom took my middle daughter to get some more braces. I just want to veg in front of the computer and sleep alot today.

Wow is having trouble with strange people joining. They all have links to blogs and sites where their is nonsense written everywhere. In my opinion it looks demonic. No matter how many times I delete the accounts, they still come back. I have warned the teens on the forum to stay away from the profiles of new members. My friend over at another homeschooling forum is also getting alot of weird members. I guess it should be expected. People love to bug Christians. I should just pray for them.

I really need to learn to pray more for those who oppose us. I also need to forgive some people on the I Believe (Crosswalk)forum. The Lord is teaching me about opposition. Things won't be rosey when we start preaching. There will be enemies of the ministry and I need to start dealing with the opposing opinions of other Christians especially. It hurts most when it is from fellow Christians.

Another thing I need to persue more diligently is learning the Hebrew language. This is something the Lord has made obvious that He wants me to do. So, instead of getting into mindless, and pointless arguements about t.v. evangelists, I should be over on the Hebrews4Christians forum getting to know my Jewish brothers and sisters and learning the language from them. I feel I'm being disobedient getting into those awful arguments. God wants us to be His ambassadors. Nothing diplomatic about arguing with fellow Christians!

If anyone from I Believe(Crosswalk) reads my blog...I'm sorry I got sucked into arguing and I love you all as my brothers and sisters in Christ. I really need to better control my time on the big forums and I should concentrate more on my forums, which have suffered since I've been on other forums for such long periods of time.

I'm going to have my eldest daughter start putting pictures into my blog...favorite photos and things I've drawn. I'm going to put some of my dopey poetry into it too. :)

In the beginning....my first post.....

2006-05-19T05:33:00.000+05:00

This is the journey of Higher Ground Ministries/Front Door Ministries.

Under the umbrella of this ministry are the following sites and forums:

http://s9.invisionfree.com/Higher_Ground_Forum

A new forum dedicated to bringing Christians together to get to know each other and share their interests. It is unique as it has sections for gardening, homesteading, swapping items, etc.

http://wowhomeschoolers4christ.myfreeforum.org

Started in December of 2005- a place for Christian Homeschoolers and families to gather and get to know each other. There is more of an educational spin on this one but has great sections, such as Poem Chat (under Writer's Corner) where you converse with each other in rhyme, project suggestions, the monthly challenge, printables, recipes, riddles, a large game section, and a student section where chat for teens is highly encouraged.

http://agapegirls.myfreeforum.org

A safe place for girls to meet and talk to each other. It is a girls only site, and is monitored by me on a regular basis. I am the adminmom. Of course this is for Christian girls and we try to keep it safe for young girls to meet there and make friends. This site is the brainchild of my eldest daughter.

http://fishfriendzy.myfreeforum.org

This came out of our love for tropical fish. I hope that we can build it back up as many have lost interest. Too many empty sections. It's a good site and needs coaxing.

http://lubbysclubhouse.myfreeforum.org

The brainchild of my younger daughter it's just a place for kids to meet and just goof around. I monitor it and try to keep things from getting out of hand as it is not a for Christians only site.

http://z3.invisionfree.com/bunnyfufugraphics

My eldest daughter just started this so people can contribute and pick up artwork for avatars, wallpaper, smilies, etc. It's new and needs more artsy types to participate.

We are also putting together a Higher Ground web-site that will be the heart of our ministry. More on that another day.

WHO AM I?

I'm a 47 year old Born-Again, Spirit filled Bapticostal who homeschools her 3 kids, and loves the Lord. I'm a singer/songwriter, ex-business owner, who loves to raise organic veggies, feed the birds, annoy the local black bear (AKA-Bob the birdfeeder destroyer), watch our tropical fish, scrapbook, and just talk about Jesus and Christian things! I'm friendly, overweight, outspoken, funloving, and can go from serious to goofy and then back in a split second. I believe laughter is important and can heal much!

The Lord has made it clear that we are going to have a family ministry as well as individual ministries. My ministry, so far, is counseling hurting women, music, making people laugh, and raising 3 beautiful kids to serve the Lord.

I'm in love with my husband, voted for Taylor after we lost Mandisa, am a LOST fanatic and have my own theories about it, am always trying to second guess Smallville. Some of my secret desires include wanting to hug a tiger and a bear without getting killed, owning a jet black horse that can be ridden bareback and without reigns, and to wake up some morning and find out I'm totally healed and I've lost 200 pounds! Oh yeah, and my kids would stop fighting forever. LOL

My spiritual gifts include prophecy, word of wisdom, encouragement, discernment, word of knowledge, and a couple of others. I seem to have a preaching gift that is yet untapped, but recognized by others. I am currently "hiding and being emotionally healed" at a large New England pentacostal church with a membership of nearly 2,000 (and growing fast!). I am a member of a small country Baptist church which is in upheavel (over the Holy Spirit), and will return when the Lord tells me to.

My hubby is a computer programmer by day and stand up comic/musician by night. I would love to do a comic routine myself and have some great ideas for it. I believe this will be part of the ministry someday. (Remember, I believe in laughter!)

To be continued.....(I'm coming down with a cold and need some sleep!)