I am a Disciple of Jesus Christ

I am a part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have Holy Spirit power. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense and my future is secure. I am finished and done with low living, sight-walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame visions, mundane talking, chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded. I now live by presence, learn by faith, love by patience, lift by prayer and labor by power.

My pace is set, my gate is fast, my goal is Heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my Guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, deterred, lured away, turned back, diluted, or delayed.

I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity or meander in the maze of mediocrity. I won't give up, back up, let up, or shut up until I've preached up, prayed up, paid up, stored up, and stayed up for the cause of Christ.

I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I must go until He returns, give until I drop, preach until all know and work until He comes. And when He comes to get His own, He will have no problem recognizing me. My colors will be clear. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ.

 

Family Stories

I was digging through my cabinet of various paperwork and all the way on the bottom I found an old journal. I was very into journalism and writing when I was younger. I actually wanted to be a journalist, among my other crazy dreams, (that quickly passed) when I grew up. This journal was from 2006. I was flipping through, and I see how curious and passionate I was about Christ. It made me smile to remember the past, it was so much easier then..but that's a whole other topic!

I stumbled across a very interesting title "Family Stories" and a flood of memories hit me! I remembered being inspired to interview and ask my grandma questions about our family. Before my grandma Maria married Volodya Poplavskiy she was a Masimchuk and this is about her mother and herself..(this is written from my point of view)

1920s "My great grandma was only 5 years old when both of her parents died. She was the youngest of all her brothers, and she was the only girl. The oldest brother understood that his siblings would die if they didn't find a family. So one day he loaded all of his brothers and one sister into a wagon and pushed it through town so hopefully people would take the kids. My great grandma was not fortunate, very mean and bad people took her into their home. At the age of 6 she would get up way earlier than the whole family and took care of the cows. She took them out and watched over them, milked them, washed them, fed them and brought them back in. then she would finally eat and this was around 7pm. The people were very cruel, they made her labor at such a young age, starved her, and never loved her. At age 15 she met my great grandfather Roman Masimchuk, they fell in love and got married and he rescued her from the evil people. For her wedding all they gave her was a poorly sewn plain skirt. After 10 years of labor and serving her, they didn't repay her kindly."

"When she married Roman she was so happy. They had 7 kids in all. The two older girls died from "tif" at ages 16. My grandma Mariya was the youngest (she was born in the 1940s). She went through hunger and persecution throughout her life but God and her parents were with her always. During times of famine they had two cows where they would get cheese and milk and butter from. And they never starved to death. My grandmas job at about age 5 or 6 was to go out and beg for food on the streets. And also to find any kind of food for the family like potato peelings."

"In 1940 Roman went to America and lived there for 4 years. Just before World War II began he wanted to bring the family over to America. He had tickets and was ready but the Soviet gates closed and they couldn't leave Ukraine. Roman worked on the "jeleznaya doroga" and was not sent to fight in the war.
During WWII some Ukrainians killed a Nazi soldier and the Nazis stormed into town ready to get revenge. Their plan was to kill everyone. They took people our of their homes and lined them up, young to old. My grandma's house was next. The Nazis had already dug a huge hole to bury the townspeople in. Meanwhile all the Christian's were praying to God and crying out for mercy. Our God being a merciful God saved them and He did it through a German Nazi woman. She lived in the town and when she saw what the Nazis were doing she came and talked to them and changed their minds. The Nazis left and didn't kill anyone."

I encourage you to talk to your grandmas and grandpas about their lives so you can truly appreciate you family history and so you can then pass it on.
I will find a picture of my great grandparents and upload it later :)
 

The Cold: re: Stages of Marriage

First Stage:

"Oh dear you have the sniffles! Love, I'm going to call 911 and I am going to get an ambulance right away! Please lay down and everything will be okay."

Second Stage:

"Sounds like you have a cough dear, get to bed this instant and I will call the Doctor first thing in the morning."

Third Stage:

"Honey I know you don't feel good but can you wash up dishes while I put the kids to sleep? Then you can go lay down."

Fouth Stage:

"The medicine is in the top drawer of the kitchen cabinet. Go get some so we can both get some sleep."

Fifth Stage: 

"Go get some medicine instead of sitting around and barking like a seal."

Stage Six:

"CAN YOU STOP SNEEZING? What are you trying to do, give me the flu?"

Tuesday Chuckles

A young and nervous bride planning her wedding was increasingly terrified about her upcoming marriage. To calm her nerves, she decided to have a Bible verse which had always brought her comfort (1 John 4:18, "There is no fear in love; for perfect love casts out fear") engraved on her wedding care. So she called the caterer and all arrangements were made.

About a week before the wedding, she received a call from the catering company. "Is this really the verse you want on your cake?" they asked. Yes, she confirmed, it was the one she wanted, and after a few more questions they said they would decorate the cake as requested.

The wedding day came, and everything was beautiful ... until the reception, when the bride walked in to find the cake emblazoned with John 4:18: "For you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband."

Just Listen

If you have never heard this song before I suggest you find like 12 free minutes and just listen...

Lovesick

"I am lovesick for My Beloved
For my Beloved and my Friend.
Only You can satisfy.
All the other lovers fade away."

As I look back in my life I have chased so many other lovers (to name a few)
.........Popularity........Fashion........Relationships.........Approval From Others..........Recognition.......Romance......Knowledge........Fun........Money.....
 

But when I achieved those things I still found myself empty. When I was busy chasing those things I forgot about the only ONE who can fill that empty Void in my heart....GOD

Happy Am I to live a Hungry Life. Blessed Am I to Thirst.

Jesus says Blessed are those who hunger and Thirst for Righteousness for they shall be filled.
All the other things we hunger and thirst for leave us unsatisfied.

Where'd all the Crazy go?

As ya'll maybe know I have started studying Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing. And I find myself yet AGAIN (shocker) buried under a pile of books and papers. Haha And I have absolutely no idea why it inspired me of all things I can/have to do... (knit, run, laugh, cry, sing, travel, glob, eat, make a new friend, eat a bagel, walk the dog, go on facebook, play dragon, punch a wall, study more, just lay on the floor like a dead man) I blog!

...visualize with me (use of picture is optional). The heaviness and agony I find myself in. I cannot even take a normal breath with all of the pressure I feel on my chest (oy gryd) and body. And I search for the LIGHT...and with all the strength I have left I.......oh I'm getting bored of this story. Basically I just closed up my books and left the room. And turned on my laptop and started writing.
AnyWHoooo... Recently I have found myself kinda unstable and well...crazy (with all the psych pple around me and all the time i have spent with books and those evil little ity bitty letters).

Sometimes I hallucinate that this is occurring...boy that's gotta be frustrating. Basically what I'm trying to say is that I find it hard to keep myself mentally healthy (that doesnt mean I'm crazy people! lol). However it says in 2 Timothy "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." my own italics added.

God gives us that renewal and refresher that we so desperately need! Every step we take in this world makes our feet dirty. The filth, sickness and dirt of this world clings to us, whether we want it or not. However its God's promises like these that make me SO GLAD. God can wash us right up!

When God talks about how Christ loves the church in Ephesians 5, God understand that we get dirty and He says "that He [Christ] might sanctify and cleanse her [church] with the washing of water by the word, that he might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she might be holy and without blemish."

Its so amazing that God even promises to protect and wash and renew our minds for us...through the word, through the Holy Spirit (titus 3:5). After learning about all the scary things that go on in "sick" people's minds I find such comfort knowing God has my heart and mind in His hand. And He even wants to renew and refresh my mind for me.

He can renew your mind, your passions, your thoughts, your heart. God can, if you ask, instill His OWN passions and thoughts and heart and mind into you.