Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving to Everyone!

Thanksgiving Poem

The time of year where friends and families come together as one

To share a scrumptious meal until all is said and done

The sweet aroma of spices baked into pies and cakes fills the air 

Oh my, I've just got to go back there twice, or maybe thrice

By now, my stomach is so full I feel I'm about to burst

Oh no, how can I forget I needed to pray first

All this excitement has gotten to my head

I'm thinking to myself, I'll just go to bed

Remembering God in Jesus who has blessed us should never come last

In fact, He is all the reason why we are having this great blast 

Give thanks to the Lord for He is good

For His mercy endures forever! 

~

Children Website

Dear Light Upon My Way Readers,

I came across the following faith-based and word-filled website for children while visiting duggarfamily.com . It has devotional readings, games, and so much more. My children absolutely love it! Maybe yours will, too. See the link below to check it out!

 
http://makaziville.com/makaziville/register

Preserving Godly Seed

Did you ever hear this song as a child?



O be careful little eyes what you see
O be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above is looking down in love
So, be careful little eyes what you see

I remember it so well being sung in my church's Sunday school class. I was probably around four - five years old. Then, we would change the words to O be careful little ears what you hear, O be careful little feet where you go, and O be careful little hands what you do etc. But, really how true was this song? As a child, I really believed these words were true, but did not fully comprehend.  As I grew up, I began to realize that the song was somewhat of a warning to help prevent me from doing something with my life that would be disastrous. I also began to realize that there was someone above me that loved, cared, and truly desired the best for me.  That someone was the Heavenly Father over all the world.  Furthermore, this song also instilled within me a sense of accountability. One day, I will have to stand before the Father and give an account of my words and deeds. Today, when I sing this same song to my children,  I'm thankful to God that I have this golden opportunity to impart into them these same truths I've come to know and understand. 

As parents, we have a great responsibility given to us by God to raise (steer) our children in the right way.  The Bible says,

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6 

Prayer: O Gracious and Bountiful Father, shine your light upon our way so that, while our children are under our care and roof; we may make it our business to do all we can, while we can to ensure the preservation of Godly seed in the earth...in Jesus name, Amen!


Please Comment below: 

What are you doing to train up your child/children in the way they should go?

My Soul Must Live!

"For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" Mark 8:36

This is a question, we should all ask ourselves. Many times we go after material things (money, cars, clothes, degrees, and houses etc.) to satisfy our own desire and pleasure. But, at the end of the day what real profit does these things have in relation to the winning (saving) of our soul? This is Jesus speaking to us! He wants us to consider how we are living our lives and for what reason. It is the heart of Jesus that we know Him and that we are known of Him. 

"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock"  Matthew 7:21-24

"The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise." Proverbs 11:30

"Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth." 3 John 1:2 For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. Psalm 107:9

So, let's not allow our souls to become so overwhelmed with the things of this life. Be free! Run into His presence! We are in this world, but not of this world. Lift up your heart and soul in praise to Him who has blessed you beyond what you deserve, but for His grace and mercy.  Praise ye the Lord! If we are not ashamed of Jesus, He'll not be ashamed of us. Let's get closer to Jesus and He'll get closer to us!

Let this be your prayer today!

Forget Me Not

And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the Lord thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish. Deuteronomy 8:19

People are being remembered on all kinds of occasions including: birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, funerals, holidays, and some others, for their humanitarian works and accomplishments. 

However, today, I would like to turn our eyes upon someone who should never be forgotten at any time and that is God and Jesus Christ, the fullness of the God Head.

Do you recall the story of how God brought His people out of Egypt? Well, He brought them out with silver and gold so that they could serve, worship and bring offerings to Him. Later, they took what God had given them to build another god (idol) to serve and worship.  This brought the wrath of God upon them. As a result, many died. This is a very important lesson to note!

God is not against us having things, but He doesn't want those things to have us or become a god to us. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Psalm 103:2

Amazing love! When I consider how much God has loved the world and has given us Himself in His only begotten son, that whosoever would believe in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life it makes my heart want to sing and leap for joy.

What a wonder! God had every right to abandon and forget us as His creation, but He didn't. In fact, He chose to love us beyond our shameful, blatant disobedience and more than our minds would ever be able to fathom and comprehend.

Think about this! He  remembered us in our low estate and made a way for us through the shedding of His son's precious blood on a cross to forgive our sins and reconcile us to our God and Father. He did this so that we would always remember Him and forever be with Him . 

Forget Me Not, says the LORD! 

Reference Scriptures: John 3:16, Psalm 136:23, Deuteronomy 8:19

Well, it's that time again for many children to return to school including my own on Tuesday, September 3, 2013. This is usually not an easy transition, especially after enjoying a great fun-filled summer full of activities, concerts, going to water parks, staying up late, family vacations away from home, and spending time with family and friends. In this post, I would like to address the parents of children returning to school.

I have often heard it said, "when my children go to school, I'm in school, too." This is very true! Whether your children attend public/private or home school, we as parents have a major part to play in ensuring that our children get all that they need for their educational prosperity including the following:

Give God your waking moments! 

He desires to shine His Light upon your way.

*JOSHUA 1:8:

"This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

* PRAYER TIME/BENEDICTION:

There is much to be said in this area. However, for now I'll just say, we as parents need to pray for and speak (positive, enriching, life giving, transforming words...the Word of God) over our children daily. Although, we may find ourselves in the hustle and bustle of life's moments in the mornings, I'm challenging us to take at least one-minute or two daily to pray over our families and release our children with blessings from God's Word, which will overtake them in time and space. Here is an example of a Prayer of Benediction: 

"The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them." Numbers 6:24-27 

"For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways." Psalm 91:11

* SLEEP TIME : 

If children are to be alert, focused, and able to grasp the knowledge being dispensed in their classes via auditory, visual, tactile, and/or any other means they must get a good and substantial amount of quality sleep. As parents, we also have to get adequate sleep, so we're not dragging our children into school late and creating an unwanted pattern in them later in life. I must say, many times it is easier said than done, but with the help of JESUS, I know it can be done. We may not require the same amount of sleep as our children, but whatever that time is we should commit it to the LORD and ask Him to help us. I'm so glad that Jesus never leaves us nor forsakes us.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1  

*BREAKFAST/MEAL TIME: 

Children also need  to eat a well balanced meal (s) to keep them strong physically and mentally throughout the day. As parents, we must also supply the needed nutrition/nourishment our children will need to help them learn and grow. Parents, if your children can eat at home, you have the best opportunity to introduce other healthy alternatives for their nutrition. I believe morning meals are essential and help to boost and support our brain function and  its developmental capacities. Some children may eat in school cafeteria's. If so, it's a good idea to teach your children at home to make right/healthy choices. 

If you send your child or children to school with a box/sack lunch, I would suggest putting things like: fruit, veggies, protein, protein drinks, granola bars, and crackers (maybe try gluten-free). This list is by no means exhaustive. Also, I would love to know your suggestions below this post to help other readers looking for options.

O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever. Psalm 136:1, 25

* HOMEWORK/FAMILY TIME: 

School days are usually long days for the entire family because there are homework assignments to complete, dinner may need to be prepared or picked up, and games to attend etc; especially if your child (children) are involved in extracurricular activities. Although your days may be long and tiring, I encourage you to maintain open communication with all members of the family and give them the opportunity to share with you their feelings, thoughts, struggles, and joys.

Finally, at the end of the day, approach God with thanksgiving for all that He has done. Then, ask God to continue to shine His Light upon your way and each member of your family.

Books (Buy, Sell, and Rent)

Books, Books, Books...

Do you have too many books on your shelf collecting dust? Then, maybe it's time to find a new home for them, or better yet, why not sell them and make a profit.

Well,  I was in this situation. However, the books I had were in very good condition and I did not want to throw them away. So, I went on an online search to find a company willing to pay a fair amount for them.

After searching several sites and comparing prices, Hallelujah! I found a legitimate company site (see below) that not only buys books, but sells, and rents them as well called Text Book Rush. http://textbookrush.com/

The reason I'm writing this post is to let you know how pleased I was with the process of selling my books. It was so simple!

First, I entered all my books' ISBN numbers to discover if Text Book Rush was buying those type of books. At this time, I found two. Then, I printed a FREE SHIPPING LABEL from my home computer. Next, I found an appropriate box for the books to be shipped. Then, I dropped it off at a Fed-X Office, not a Fed-X Express Box near my home and within less than a week books were received, processed, and money deposited into my Paypal account. Also, as a courtesy, I received several emails letting me know where my books were in the process. Again, I was very happy and pleased with this site!

So, if you're ready to clear some "book clutter" in your home, then, I recommend trying, http://textbookrush.com/ 

If you do, I would love to hear about it!

Note: This is my personal opinion and I'm not receiving any compensation for this recommendation!