Fasting is like miracle grow for your spirit.

I remember the first time a friend invited me to fast . It was  to be on a Wednesday from 6-6 and  I was drawn to it . The next morning was Tues and I spent the day studying everything I could find about fasting, and still with many questions in my head  Wednesday morning came and I fasted. I had no idea what I was doing and I told this to God as I began my morning. I got out a sheet of paper and started to make a list. On my list I wrote names of all the people I loved. I laid my hand over the paper and told God these are the  names I fast for today. Though out  that day every time I got hungry I would sit and pray for the names on my list. First name was my husband then my kids, family , church etc. With every name, I would tell God thank you for so and so and began to worship. I would see a face to match the name come from my memory, and then a need ,to match the face and I would pray for that need of theirs. The day flew by and  it was dinner time and just before 6. As I sat down to to say my final prayer ,I felt a power shift in my heart and I cried out ......
Let my people go ......I found myself thinking about Moses and thinking, this is how he felt. I began to cry, and asked God to let these people go,and always be  free to know you without limit. Let them worship you .Make a way just like you parted the sea for each spirit to  go through. That evening before bed I was saying my prayers and thanked God for our day together.
That next day my cup was overflowing . My spirit receives faster than my mind , so for days my mind , now more clear, had to play catch up .I felt like someone shot my own personal drug of choice straight into my veins and I was instantly addicted. Up till that day my spirit was starving and now it had a taste of the food it needed to be alert, awake, healthy, and to grow, like miracle grow for my spirit. God was closer than ever before to me , and as I did my daily studies , what God wanted me to know was now  magnified to me.  My mind grew sharper and more clear with each fast and my fast list changed each time  . My second fast , I wrote name on the paper my spirit was sensitive to . And my spirit became more and more sensitive , I wrote names on the list of people that were mean to me or my kids. The list to follow that was a list of children my kids knew, I looked forward to fasting and my changing lists.
Not so long ago I felt another change and one name would come to me at a time. I never knew who God would bring to my mind to fast for each week . One week I fasted for an atheist that attacked my blog. Who ever God made my spirit sensitive to that's who I fasted for and it began to be very clear to me why I was called to fast . God always allowed me to be aquainted with or even know who I fast for ,and the more God allowed me to know  about them ,there need was magnified to me.( Example). I  got to know a parent of a child my son goes to school with. The more I would run into her and talk with her the more my spirit would listen and hear a need. Then when God told me to fast for her I would see  a strong hold that she was captive in. I also would see her strengths very clear and see that, she has been using them to please man not God, and  that will  bring fear, disappointment,  hurt, and anger. I knew exactly how to pray for her and I was committed. This woman was angry to begin with, and grew more mean to me ,with no reason except that the world sees believers as a threat. The more uncomfortable around her I would feel ,  I continued to fast for her  over a few weeks. God says pray for those who come against you. I did but when she continued to stand out to me . I wanted muscle behind that prayer so I fasted , and fasted and fasted for this person. The more I fasted for her I would starve my own feeling to death. I starved the hurt she  caused me , I starved to need to avoid her, I starved the fear of confrontation our of myself . This went one until my feeling were no longer important and her needs were more important .
I felt another change growing rapidly. It was like my spirit was playing catch up from all years I missed  because I was stuck in my own strongholds and with every strong hold God showed me and conquered he gave back time with Him I missed.
I started to notice my gift of discernment  was on fire. I could walk in a room and tell you within minutes whoever God would show me truth in ,if they were in desperate need of God. I could see it in the facials , I could hear it seconds after they opened their mouth, sadly I could see it and hear it in there children. Discernment is a gift God give for us to see right from wrong ,but it like fasting, has a power of its own, and the limits to these gifts  when used with the tools like fasting, for Gods will ,with God there is no limit. . The more obedient we are the more they grow. When I started to use discernment with fasting , discernment was not for me to see right from wrong with judgement, but with a need for intersession.
Then I knew God wanted me to fast for those who don't know Him yet and desperately needed Him. Pray for those who come against you. With all the fasting I had gained confidence in God .I began to feel the freedom that is in Jesus. With this freedom I have come to find joy like no other I have know. The joy is in my pride for God, my confidence in Him,  the self-control fasting had helped me gain, its in the accepting that I am not in control and I am dependent on God. Not just my needs now ,but others as well. I still fast every Wednesday and for what or whom depends on God . I find my self now fasting an extra day for every aspect of my life I want God to intervene in before they become strongholds.
(Example), my job,  marriage , church etc. God made every aspect of my life, I want to Him to be in total control  them, I want every cell of my body to be so dependent on Him that my first thought is always Him.
When I found freedom in Jesus, I  saw a positive in every negative. Others took notice, they see  I am  a positive person.
When you see positive things,  you make positive choices . Then people see  happiness ,excitement and energy. This is alluring to others, its like moths to a flame . They want to know if its real, and if they can get it.God cant put negative people out there to draw people to Him. God knows the benefits of overcome a stronghold with Him. When you go through something with Him its hard,  you really have an understanding ,and overwhelming compassion that grows in you that is necessary to help someone , more necessary than any advice you can give.
 Fasting brought me a clear mind, self control and order. Jesus said your thoughts are an index of your mind. What you think, you say in your speech, action etc. That's why fasting is important , it brings clarity.
I have been asked a  lot "What is my purpose here on earth?"
 My only purpose is to be a living sacrifice for God. To be an example of the love that is in me . The compassion I now have because God showed me. This was ,for some reason hard to except for me ,but it turns out it was not just one or the biggest reliefs I have come to know ,but  it really is the only thing I want to do. I want to study and learn and spend my life maturing in faith so I can some day hear those magical words,"Well done good and faithful servant."
What I want most ,is to encourage other to use the tools needed to build their own relationship with God, and come to know for them self the freedom of Jesus . I want to shepherd others in the right direction by motivating love so they will hear those magic words first.
Dear Jesus. Thank you for teaching us by example what they told are and how to use them to build and build our unbreakable relationship with you. Please Jesus fan this fire in me and let it grow so I can be a example of the love you showed for me. Amen

I wont become a pillar of salt......

Genesis 19 talks about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.   Abraham's nephew Lot, his wife and daughters  fled the burning cities with one rule  to follow.......
Get out quickly and don't look back.
Imagine for a moment that God told you to take your spouse and children and leave the area quickly and don't look back.Its hard to imagine huh.
Imagine this then, how many times have you done something because its the right thing to do but its not something you want to do?
Have you ever been told by a doctor you need to loose weight or quit smoking and you go home and try to do it because you have to to get healthy but really in your heart you love eating doughnuts in the evening while watching t.v. If you don't really want to loose weight ,what eventually happens? God knows when you really want something and when you really don''t. When you really want something bad, you ask God for help.When you don't ,your unhappy and you start to miss your old ways.
In Genesis Lots wife was unhappy ,we are all unhappy when we are not in line with Gods will.The same place that made her so unhappy was the same place she wanted more than God. Probably because she could see ,hear,feel, taste etc what was not good for her and she couldn't see God or the place He had prepared for her.
We all have strongholds on our life, I can tell you how many God has helped me overcome and placed behind me and I don't look back. Because each one was hard , I mean they are called strongholds for a reason.They are stronghold on your life. With each one I could not see imagine a life without them, I couldn't see what God had planned for my life without them, but  unlike Lots wife, I wanted the freedom .
We all have strongholds in our life that can either bring freedom or destruction, I just thought I would share how I came to know the freedom in Jesus Christ.

While sitting in my car waiting for Olivia to get out of practice, I asked God to clean me.I told him I wanted Him to clean house with me and start with the skeletons in my closet.I asked Him to magnify to me what I needed to let go of to grow closer to Him.
I love God so much,I wanted to be clean and pure for Him.At that time I didn't care about what I would have to let go of I just wanted to please Him.From that day God revealed one thing at a time to me. Some stronghold took a lot longer for me to let go of than others, and with each one I found a part of me didn't want to let go, a part of me looked back and loved what I had to let go. But remember what I said before, if you really want something God knows because you ask Him for help.That makes all the difference. God knew with each stronghold I wanted Him more, so during my weakness I relied fully on His strength.Turns out, that's exactly what he wanted.
When you ask God for help , you are giving Him what you are dependent on in this world and becoming dependent on Him ,and that is freedom.Being 100%dependent on God is freedom from a world of stronghold.
Lots wife remained in the stronghold because she didn't know God for herself, after all how do you even know they are strongholds on your life if You don't go to God and Ask.
Its not hard to ask God to show you what separates you from Him, and it is not hard for Him to show you, remember God said mountains melt like wax before Him. Your strongholds are the mountains and when you ask God for help they melt like wax.
Looking back on some of my strongholds now I can see what God saw when I handed them to Him, they look small now. Every problem is small before Him.
I cant describe the feeling Gods freedom bring because there are no words here on earth to describe it,but if you can imagine one more thing tonight imagine living without fear.That's the best way I can describe freedom.
Dear Jesus, thank you for showing me my sins,thank you for forgiving me of my sins, thank you for overcoming sin in me. Please magnify any mountains between us so I can bring them to you and watch them melt like wax before you.Thank you Jesus because of you I do not have to look back and become a pillar of salt, I can look forward to freedom.Amen

Discernment is for Intercession not judgement.

Forgive them father they know not what they do.
Jesus showed us how to deal with people that come against us. Jesus showed us  as He hung on a cross and sweat blood in His obedience. He showed us! It was so important for us to understand , that as He hung there dying, He taught us this lesson.
We are given the gift of discernment so we can see right from wrong . Not only so we choose the right road but so we can see other taking the wrong road. If we judge them we sin, if we convict them we sin. If we join them we sin, if we ignore them we sin.
There is only one way we cannot sin. That's praying for them. I know how hard it is to forgive someone that hurt you ,but we have to so WE don't form a grudge and it grow into a stronghold that becomes a poison that spreads from you to the ones we love the most. A lot of us that have Jesus in our forgive. But it's for Us.
We don't have to stop there ,there is more we can do. Jesus did more for us. God forgives us because Jesus asked Him to. We are called to intercede on behalf of each other. We not only forgive, but we should ask God to forgive them! We pray for those who can't  do it for themself. I know first hand how hard it is to forgive someone that is mean to me but I can because loving Jesus the most makes this easier ,but praying for someone who in your eyes is wrong is what we are called to do. This is the whole reason God blesses believers with discernment. Discernment is a gift! A powerful one we can use it to its fullest by interceding for others. When someone is really off track or on the attack and it obvious they need God , fast for them. This is taking interceding to another level.
There are a lot of people that intercede in prayer for me. My family my church family my kids . I am testifying that there prayers were answered because they loved me . I never would be as close to God as I am without all the people God put in my life that pray for me. We are called to strengthen each other. Iron sharpens iron.
Thank God for letting you see right and wrong . Pray someone else does. Love them enough that you want them to see right and wrong.
You ever hear the saying , " your only as strong as your weakest link?" It's true. If you want to grow closer to God and be a stronger witness for Him. Take  who He lets you see in truth and be obedient . Do what Jesus did , interceded by asking God to forgive them of their sin. We are not responsible for others salvation but we are for our own.
Dear Jesus, thank you for being an example for me to follow.Thank you for the lesson you taught as you hung on the cross.The lesson of loving others . Please let the gift of discernment grow in me each time I am obedient when you show me the truth. Thank you for letting me see the truth so I can do as you did.Forgive them who have lost their way ,forgive them who come against, forgive those who can see the truth yet, use me holy spirit to be an example of Jesus. Amen

What's meant distract you can make you stronger

Have you ever heard the saying " what doesn't kill you makes you stronger ?" There is much truth behind that. Why does God allow us to have disappointments , grief, broken hearts , fear etc. ? God allows the devil to test us with these. What happens when we have disappointments ? We learn patients. What happens when we deal with grief from a loss? We learn how time is a gift. What happens when we experience a broken heart? We lean how powerful love really is. What happens when we overcome fear? We gain confidence.
These things that we know and teach out children are part of life, are meant to be more than just to teach us there is sorrow in the world. They are meant to be more than just so we know this isn't heaven so don't expect it to be.
These are actually ways to grow closer to God hear on earth. These are meant to be ways to make us dependent on Him.
What happens when you exercise for years? You grow strong and healthy.
These are ways we can exercise our faith. God wants use to grow strong and healthy.
If we go to Him with each  disappointment and give it to Him , he will show you that disappointments are nothing more than the devil trying to distract you from the appointment He made for our life. If we go to Him with every heartbreak we have , He will show you how far you have come in learning the power of love and you being to understand and respect His love for us more with everyone. He teaches us how much you can love another more than yourself. What happens when we go to God with grief? He shows you His pure agape love. We learn  to become dependents of Him. What happens when we go to Him with our fear? He will show you flashes of your life and reminds you when He has been there and concurred them through you.
Satan hopes you will take these as bait and they will build one on top another and grow into strongholds.
These are meant to be strengthening tools . If we go to God with each one boldly to the throne with HOPE. Hope that He has a plan to mature us in faith by becoming more dependent on Him. He shows you how strong your becoming by exercising your faith.
Jeremiah 29:11  "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. "
Everything that happens in our life was what He planned every heart break , every fear etc. with every plan is a chance for us to prosper and have hope in Him.
Dear God , forgive me for every time I took the bait and was catch up in the flesh. Thank you for the hope you give me now and the future plans to prosper in our relationship . I. Love you more with every day. Amen!!!!

Teach your children to how to be a tattle tail.

All through school I tried to people please my way through.I did make it through ,but then it all caught up with me.This gets harder as an adult.You cannot people please your way through life .You must learn to make waves with a perfect blend of truth and grace or waves will come anyway you'll feel like your drowning.

God says do not hinder the children.This means in any way.We as parents must accept trial will come for our children and see them as lessons that God needs them to learn.This way as they grow they mature in faith too.God has carefully planned every second of their life and every trial they need to face in order to learn and lead them to the calling He has for them.

I tried so hard to please people growing up because i thought this way they will see Jesus in me.I was never really taught how to deal with difficult people so my natural way was act like it didn't bother me and go home and cry to my mom.My mom did what I see most parents do now and try to solve the problem for me . This is handicapping our children from a lesson they eventually must learn.So every time a mean child crossed my path I did the same thing acted like it didn't bother me and forgave them . The truth was it did bother me and they didn't see Jesus in me they saw that their behavior toward me was OK .What they saw in me was weak.I showed grace but grace alone is not how we should teach our children to deal with difficult people.If all we show is grace we either become a doormat or over time grow cold and show less and less grace until we are bitter.

As a young adult this is exactly what happened.I realized I wasn't in high school anymore and I was going to use my voice.I got a taste of speaking the truth to others that were mean .I realized I could let them know I didn't like how they were treating me, and the relief of getting it out and off my chest was addictive.I would say things like,"well, you asked me what I think." or "well,its the truth isn't it."I enjoyed seeing thing how they were and speaking the truth.As you know practice makes perfect. It did, I became very good at calling it like I see it .It grew into hiding meanness in the truth.The thing is when you say the truth without grace, only meanness is heard not the truth.The truth is ,there is a time and place for both and both must be used together.When I showed grace I was trying to please man for God instead of Pleasing God for man.When I spoke truth,I was convicting others.Just because I saw the truth didn't mean they were ready to hear it and they wont hear it without grace.

Jesus was not a doormat nor mean, he used the perfect blend of truth and grace to equal healing.When he dealt with difficult people he never used one more than the other.He was obedient to God by speaking the truth with grace.Did you ever hear the saying ,"Its not what you said it is how you said it" 

Daniel was a shepherd for sheep as a boy , you don't become a shepherd of men for God by picking up the sheep when they stray off and putting them back where you want them.You must lead the sheep in the right direction letting them get there themselves.

We have to learn and teach our children, sheep get lost ,when they are lost they are scared,out of fear they do wrong things ,but we can lead them to finding the truth on there own by motivating them . When people are mean to us we naturally are discouraged if we are mean in return we discourage .If we ignore the lost sheep they stay lost.

I was at a pep assembly the other day my I was sharing with a cheer mom that my daughter still fighting a cold after a week of antibiotics. Ill refer to this mom as a lost sheep.Anyway a lost sheep interrupted and crudely said "you should keep her home instead of infecting everyone else"I know this lost sheep is a negative person and very lost. I could have said" mind your own business",or I could have said what I was thinking "Its called a common cold for a reason, its common and there is no cure, and its a public school not a bubble so why get mad about something that will happen allot?"But I knew the cold was not all that was bugging her and the cold was not what led her to be rued.I said well thank you for your input and since have ignored her.So I wouldn't say i led the sheep to the truth ,by ignoring her  I am actually discouraging her and leaving her lost.We are not called to be quiet to be people pleasers . WE are called to see the truth and show truth with grace.So I'm still praying about this lost sheep and the opportunity and word to say .

Because of Jesus perfect example of holding on to truth and grace for dear life literally, we see that we are making it harder than we need to . We do not have to be a doormat for people to see Jesus in us, We do not have to demand people see the truth, when we are motivating others that is showing grace leading them to find the truth is walking in truth.I don't know the perfect thing to say to all negative difficult people at the very moment needed but, I don't have to because God says put Him first so all i have to do is pray then God says if need to question someone,do it in private .So I just have to wait for God to present the timing then His truth words will flow out

This is how we should teach our children to deal with difficult people because if not we are hindering there spiritual growth.WE all want more for our children the we had we all want an easier life for them .We all want them to make the most of their life so teach them obedience.

 My husband Kelly often asks me why does it bother you so much when people are rued,or mean to you? You know it doesn't really have anything to do with you right?Well,the answer is because I see them as lost sheep, and no good shepherd wants to his sheep.

Usually God allows us to get to know the person before they turn on us . This is so we can see the truth why they really are lost.If you ask a shepherd about his sheep , he will tell you them all by name , and all their different traits, and how he has to lead each one. God allows difficult people to pass through our life each one is a lost sheep and He trusted them with you.I'm starting to see them more as children that have never been taught how to deal with difficult people and at some point was sucked in.I think we should treat them with kid gloves. Isn't that what a shepherd does,a teacher does, a leader does, isn't that what Jesus taught us?We don't have to have all the right answers at just the right time we should remember we are sons and daughters of God we can take time and talk to our father first and ask what to do.We don't have all the answers but our father does.That brings me back to the beginning isn't that what as a child we are taught to do ?Run and tell an adult or parent.Run to the throne not the phone be a tattle tail God loves a tattle tail.

Im going on a diet to loose expectations!!!!!!!

Cinderella was not only my favorite storybook as a child but she became my role model,my hero.Like many little girls I dreamed I would grow up meet prince charming ,get a beautiful dress,and live like a princess in a castle happilly ever after.  Looking back I think I lived Cinderella backwards. I was the princess growing up then I became the housekeeper. So what went wrong?

I think we( mostly woman) set our expectation high. I not only set them high but I set my expectation to fiction. So first of all that's why they went wrong. Second I had expectations. We set ourselves up for dissappoinment every day. We go to college with the expectation of getting our dream job,we have a child and expect we can make their life better than ours was, we buy a house and expect it to be filled with happiness,we get marries expectation our new spouse to magically become perfect from the kiss, we even go to the grocery store expecting that the store will have everything we needed. I cant even tell you how many times I have been disappointed, but I can tell you every time could have been prevented. I bought my daughter a dress for a formal this week and heard myself say to my daughter,"This will be a perfect night."I stopped myself  and said well at least you'll look perfect, I stopped myself again and said the dress is beautiful. I walked around the house for days thinking what am I doing?Im not only setting my expectations high but Im setting Olivias high as well.This has to stop!

For some reason every anniversary since I have been married has been a disaster. So after last year I decided not to even celebrate it anymore. I even forgot it this year. Well, a month after our anniversary we went to a football game to watch my daughter cheer . It was my turn to sell programs for cheer moms so Kelly and I brought chairs sat down at the gate and sold programs till halftime .When I was done I was hungry and ran down the street to get Chinese food for Kelly and I.  We sat in our chairs at the gate under the score board of the football game and ate dinner together. I looked over at  him and said Happy Anniversary.  I had no plan no expectations that day and it turned out to be the best anniversary date ever. That got me thinking , what should if anything should I expect?
Should I expect Kelly care about me rambling on about what happened at a cheer mom meeting?Should I expect Kelly to take care of me if I'm sick? Should I expect to get a close parking spot at the grocery store? Should I expect if I buy Olivia a dress that the dance will be fun? Should I expect my car to run today?Should I expect because i'm happy and polite  everyone else should be? The answer is No to all.  God never said because I created life and earth you can expect it all to be perfect.
Proverbs 10:28 says "The hope of the rightous brings joy,but the expectations of the wicked will parish.' I think I have been drastically confusing hope with expect.
Hope means Look  forward to with confidence or expectation.
Expectation means The (belief) about what might happen in the future?Expect is belief that something might happen because you did something. We cant beieve in any thing but God. 
God says hope not expect.Why?  Have you ever heard the saying expect the worst hope for the best?Isn't that what God said too? "Hope of the rightious brings joy, but expectations of the wicked will parish."Hope means what (you would like) to happen.  Expect means (what you think ) will happen. Don't you think that is what Job is all about? How strong is our faith unless tested? If we are God fearing people we cannot expect life will be perfect. Job was tested and did not expected one test to follow another and another etc.Jobs hope remained in God.  When we expect its like we demand that is what God should do. Job surrendered himself fully to God body MIND and soul.  Expecting is a frame of mind. We can put all our hope in God to fulfill his promises to us all of our days here on earth but we cant expect it. We may struggle all our life and hope God will make it right but It may not be made right till we are in heaven. If anyone had the right to expect from God it was His son and Jesus never expected God to save Him He accepted Gods will. What did Jesus do when He was hopeless? He fasted. He starved the expectations of what should be out and put all hope in God, through fasting He became hopeful. He starved the flesh of all expectations and power. Satan asked Jesus all kinds of questions,Satan wanted Jesus to expect God to save Him because He is the son of God. Satan expected .Satan expected Jesus to prove Gods existence and since Satan expected he failed.
Romans 5:3-5 But the hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?
When we expect we want to see .Who are we to expect God to show us anything? If we have to see to believe we have little faith.What about Thomas?John 20:29 Jesus says himself to Thomas,"Because you have seen me you have believed, blessed are those who believe and have not seen."When we have expectations we basically say Jesus let me see the holes in your hands.
~If we replaced expect with hope we get accept~. What I would give to go back in time and accept and not expect. I cant but I can stop the nonsense and ask God for a clear mind in raising Hunter and Olivia to Hope and not expect. I can ask Kelly to forgive me for all I expected as a new bride and share my hopes for the future . If we stop expecting we can eliminate offence , grudges, quick to anger,etc. Think about this We cannot expect to loose weight unless we accept we are over weight. When we go on a diet we hope we loose weight but we don't go on a diet expecting to loose it all in a month or what happens ?We fail. Recently I started fasting every wednesday.I accept there is a problem that i cannot fix. I am confident that God is in control I starve the problem of all its power and surrender it in hope to Gods will. We should not have expectations because they are beliefs . We should only have hopes in Gods will and the hope helps us accept His will. To put it all simply nonbelievers have expectations. The believe if they study for a test they should get an (A). Believer hope if they study for a test they will pass. Grade doesnt matter.

Serve others with LOVE

• Mark  10:45 
• "For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
• I asked God  to teach me to serve others as he serves me. He showed me that every job is a service to another person.Think about that every job serves another person.You serve many people every day.I am just a stay at home mom right now but even I serve other.I serve my husband and children by meeting their needs, I serve the school by volunteering , I serve the church how ever needed, I serve by sharing blogs with others. etc.Even I serve others and I don't hold a job.
• We don't get a choice if we want to serve or not.We are born to serve.We do get a choice of who we serve.Daniel in the bible was forced to work in captivity by King Nebuchadnezzar.He was forced to serve a King for 70 years.When you study Daniel you learn that no matter where you are , what you have to do ,who you marry, who your boss is, who your grandparents were, what faith your raised in, it does not matter because you can still serve God.We get to choose if we want to serve God or Man.
• I am a cheer mom, I could choose to always watch out for my daughter, encourage her who to hang out with, put her in extra tumbling classes for her to excel above other, volunteer for every need the cheer moms need for my daughter. Do you all get my point? I could take being in a cheer mom group and using it to serve my daughters needs or my needs , I could use it to serve man. Or I could use it to serve God. I do , I see being a cheer mom as simply this..... Its my daughters sport! Anything they ask Me to ,I do the best I can to help them.I dont need thank you or achknowledgment.I treat it as I do helping my husband and kids at home. The bathroom needs cleaned,I can do it, its done and noone needs to stop and say Oh My Angie!!!! The bathroom looks great.I serve others by helping with the odd jobs that need done but I serve God in this group by Praying for all the girls by name each night,by teaching Olivia too, By seeing a kid is sick and sending get well wishes, by seeing a child loose a grandparent and sending Olivia to give her a card and candy.In what could easily turn into  a man serviving self serving group God showed me it didnt have to. 
• Im going to give a more personal example that some can relate to. I was married into a family that is lets just say not practicing a faith.They know of God and Jesus but........ Anyway I was raised in church and choose to be babtized before I was married as an adult .God has always been the center of me.I as most new brides tried to embrass the new family that looked so leave it to Beaver.We moved next door , vacationed together,talked about everything, I tried to be the perfect  wife and daughter in law. I failed!!! I was often reminded Im not perfect. No matter how hard i tried to gain their attention and affermation, and respect, I just didnt get it. Boy I wanted it , I tried for about  10 years , then I stood in my kitchen feeling exactly how you end up feeling when you seek these things  from the world and others ,empty ,alone,and exhausted.I asked God to forgive me and lets start again.I asked Him why Did you put me in this family/Why a family of self servers?My answer surprized me, Why Not?
• If I would have married into a family of very devout believers would that be any different?Wow,that's all could think,Wow.The answer was nope.First of all who am I to think I deserve better than what God gave me?Second, why cant I be happy serving God ? Just God?Third why am I not happy?I was seeking the world first, I was seeking approval from others,etc. I was no better than them. I was them,I actually fit more into the family than I was willing to except.That day changed my life!!!!! 
• The first thing that came out of my mouth was forgive Them Lord as you forgive me.They do not know you yet. Please forgive them for what they are doing.That second God let the holy spirit turn toward Him and lead my steps.That second I began to serve God where I was the way I should . Ill never forget the feeling I felt.I felt the peace that surpasses all understanding.I felt peace where 2 seconds earlier I felt despair , and pain in my heart. In 1 second God showed me how to serve Him by loving others enough to bring them to Him where I was.After that day, I got a knock at my door and my soon to be FIRST spiritual friend invited my to her church. I went and am still there. I am still married still live next door to my in laws nothing changed but who I serve where I am.
• 1 Samuel 2 :26 And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and gain favor with the Lord and with people.
• Put God first, as Daniel and Samuel did and work on growing to know Him grow in faith, try to please Him,first and you will( gain)gain increase in favor of God first, if you are pleased Him no matter what no matter where people are pleased.Daniel served God for 70 years in the enemies hands we can serve God by putting Him first and being an example to others whats in your heart.Jesus!!!
• If you are at a job like my brother working for a tyrrant, if you are in a marriage or family , if you are a weight watchers club, it does'nt matter . If your not happy like I was ask your self a tuff question , who are you serving? Who are you seeking love, acceptence, affirmations, gifts, achknowledgment , respect from? The world , the enemy  does not have any of these to give.Jesus did not come here to be served, not be served love, acceptance, not respect ,not gifts,He served others with what He hand in His heart.Love !!!!!God is LOVE.Jesus ransomed His life so we could too.We can serve like He did. We can serve love.
• Today i was at Kroger getting groceries the young man bagging my groceries helped me to my car and loaded my car. I had 2$ in my purse cash, I could have tipped him as I have done before but he said he had to push buggies and forgot his gloves. I took the 2$ and went to another store and bought him gloves. I showed what was in my heart (love) to another person. I served him what was needed. I could not have done that or know that if Jesus would'nt have served me.God made sure we all could serve every day but how we use the gift of service He gave us is up to us.Thank you God for your gift to us all of service, help us serve love.Amen