Scripture of the Day - December 30, 2011

Matthew 5:16  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Christmas is a time for lights. People all over light up their houses inside and out to celebrate Christmas. We have a cute slogan "Keep Christ in Christmas" but we need to keep Christ in us all year long. We have to let our light, which is the Holy Ghost, shine in us all year long. We need to keep Jesus as our focus all year long. Don't turn out that light when the Christmas season is over, keep it shining bright!!


~Mary Hynes~

Scripture of the Day - December 29, 2011

Genesis 39:21 But the Lord was with Joseph and shewed him mercy and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 

Sometimes we end up in terrible situations that are not of our own doing and we wonder why God allowed this terrible thing to happen to us. We think we are doing the right thing...we think we are doing our best...but the bottom sometimes falls out of the barrel anyway. Why? Who knows? 

I'll tell you who knows...God does...and if we just keep following after His ways God will show us mercy and give us favor. He has proven that over and over in His word...read the rest of Joseph's story to find out...and He has proven that over and over in my life but my story isn't over yet. Neither is yours. keep your eyes focused on Him, seek His kingdom first and He will show you mercy and give you favor. 

~Mary Hynes~

Scripture of the Day - December 28, 2011

Jeremiah 31:3 Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee...

What sweet words. God is the tender lover of our souls. He draws us with lovingkindess.  Even though we often have to go through trials and struggles the Lord is very pitiful and He blesses us with His tender mercies. Look at the end of Job! He was blessed far greater that at the beginning. We too will be blessed if we faint not, if we grow not weary in well doing. Look at the prodigal son! The father stood with open arms and blessed him greatly for returning home. 
Our wonderful God will reject no one who turns to Him, He loves all of us with an everlasting love that will never fade or die.


~Mary Hynes~

Scripture of the Day - December 27, 2011

Ps 139:23  Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts...

God is the great searcher of the heart. He cuts through the walls we erect and exposes the dross. He will try us and purify us like gold in the fire. Each one of us, from old to young must take inventory of our heart. The hoary head may cover a dark heart so search your piety and the greenness of youth may sprout up hypocrisy so don't despise words of warning. Even the mighty oak does fall. Tares are still sown among the wheat and it's only the winds of self examination that will blow them away.


~Mary Hynes~

Scripture of the Day - December 26, 2011

JOEL 2:12 ...turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning...
13  And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness...

God wants your heart. He is not interested in our outward signs of religion for He sees the oft times hypocrisy of it all. Ah but we like the pomp and the ceremony, we like the outward actions... perhaps because it takes the focus off the inside workings of the heart. If I dress right and talk right and go through all the ceremony then I'm doing okay. Nothing could be further from the truth. Religion that is not of the heart, that is not pure, is worse than worthless...it's dangerous. There are going to be many souls attempting to go through those pearly gates one day only to be rejected. There are going to be many who will say but..but...but...listing all the things they did and Jesus is going to say I never knew you. 

God wants your heart but we are often unwilling to give it. To give God your heart you must purge it of the dross, you must probe deep and clean out every crevasse. This is a humbling experience which many are not willing to suffer through.  We would rather do things that puff us up and make us feel important. But what we have to understand is that apart from true godliness our religion is in vain, nothing more than a sham and mocks the God who will not be mocked.  

God wants your heart. Why don't you give it? Let the Holy Spirit move in your heart. It will be unsettling at first but when God is finished you will be able to soar like the eagle, you will run and not be weary, you will walk and not faint!


~Mary Hynes~

Scripture of the Day - December 25, 2011

Ps 139:23  Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts...

God is the great searcher of the heart. He cuts through the walls we erect and exposes the dross. He will try us and purify us like gold in the fire. Each one of us, from old to young must take inventory of our heart. The hoary head may cover a dark heart so search your piety and the greenness of youth may sprout up hypocrisy so don't despise words of warning. Even the mighty oak does fall. Tares are still sown among the wheat and it's only the winds of self examination that will blow them away.


~Mary Hynes~

Scripture of the Day - December 24, 2011

 Re 2:7  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches...
I recently read in a blog about a phenomenon in the deaf community that is quite amazing. Many of them do not want to hear. If one does have the opportunity to have some sort of procedure to enable them to hear, the others call it the KISS OF DEATH. Here is a quote from the blog..."Hearing would ruin their life, as they know it. Many deaf people are very happy in their own world,” she said. “It’s a very tight-knit society.  Lip reading is a coveted gift. Most deaf people don’t want to be healed. They are happy being deaf.“ In fact, this woman even speaks of expectant deaf  mothers-to-be who want their babies to be deaf. 
Now that sounds quite incredible and very hard to believe but the same phenomenon is in the spiritual world. People don't want to hear what the Spirit has to say. They are comfortable with their lives and don't want anything to change. They stop their ears so they won't hear. I actually saw a person do that in a church...my sister had come for my son's baptism and she didn't realize she would have to sit through a full church service first. She actually sat through the service with her hands covering her ears. It was almost comical but on the other hand very sad. She refused to hear the preaching of God's word not realizing she was living out scripture. Zec 7:11  But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear. The problem is that if you won't listen to God then your are going to fall for man made junk...2Ti 4:3  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4  And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
Folks, we have to pray for those who won't listen that their ears become unclogged...unclogged from pride, stubbornness and perversity, and that they hear what the Spirit has to say.

~Mary Hynes~

Scripture of the Day - December 23, 2011

Isaiah 9:6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

For unto us a child is born and, among other things, his name shall be called the mighty God and the everlasting Father!!  

How can that be? 
When you understand that this "child" is God almighty showing himself in the flesh then you can grasp how this "son"  can be called the everlasting Father. 
When you understand that this "child" is the human body that God manifest himself to mankind in then you can grasp that this "son" is the mighty God. 
When you understand that God came to earth to reconcile the world unto Himself (2Co 5:19  To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself) then you can grasp that this "son" isn't a third person in a Godhead but God almighty in the flesh (Col. 2:8  Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 9  For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.) The complete Godhead is in Jesus. And this is why He is the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit all in ONE! 

When you understand WHO Jesus is then you can have a real relationship with Him. Till then, you are just practicing religion, you are just going through the motions, you don't feel anything and your religion is dead. 

Jesus came to bring life! This Christmas as we celebrate His birth why don't you take some time to think about why He came, think about how much He loves you and think about getting into a relationship with Him. It will be the best thing you could ever do!!

Scripture of the Day - December 22, 2011

John 10:9  I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

Jesus is the only way to heaven and that's because He is God! 
Now get this...if any man enter in...every single person on this earth has an opportunity to enter heaven...there is no one Jesus will reject...if you believe on Him and repent of your sins the door is wide open and you will be saved from a dreadful ending. 
Not only that but...you shall go in and out and find pasture...you shall traffic in this world and do well...if you follow the ways of Jesus all things will work out for good...if you seek His guidance your foot will not slip. 
I think of the 23rd Psalm when I read this scripture...David knew that he had nothing to fear because the Lord was with him. You also will have nothing to fear if you walk hand in hand with the Lord. 


~Mary Hynes~

Scripture of the Day - December 21, 2011

John 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Have you ever loved someone enough that you would give your life for them? I know as a mother I would give my life for any of my children. Many years ago my son Matthew was getting migraines and it pained me to see him like that so I prayed a naive prayer. I really didn't want him to have those migraines and told the Lord I would take them in his place if someone had to have them. The interesting thing is that eventually Matthew stopped getting migraines and I started getting them. Every time I had a migraine I would thank God that Matthew didn't have to suffer through this any more. I was actually glad to have them if it meant he wouldn't suffer. Not to pat myself on the back... but that's love. I truly don't pat myself on the back because it's easy to sacrifice for someone you love.
Now here is PURE LOVE...God loved humanity so much that even while we were enemies of Him He came to earth in human flesh to pay the penalty for our sins. He paid the penalty so we wouldn't have to. We didn't deserve it, but He did it out of pure love. 
There are many people in the world today who are still enemies of God. Some refuse to admit He exists because they don't want to accept the fact that they will be answerable to a higher power when they leave this world. Some once knew Him but turned their backs on Him thinking... well who knows what they were thinking. 
God loves everyone equally and was glad to pay the penalty for us. All we have to do is believe...we don't have to do any great works of penance...we just have to believe that Jesus is God Almighty manifested in the flesh...we just have to believe and follow Him...we just have to believe and bask in His love.


~Mary Hynes~

Scripture of the Day - December 20, 2011

Pr 23:23  Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.


We live in a time when things have turned upside down. Good is now considered evil and evil is now considered good. People who stand for truth are attacked and labeled with all sorts of horrible names. I read from a blogger that truth is the new hate speech and she hit the nail right on the head when she said this. Jesus warned us this would happen therefore we can't let down on standing for truth. We can't sell out to the whim of society. We have to stand strong for the Word of God. Get wisdom, get instruction and get understanding so you won't be deceived. Buy the truth and don't sell out!!!


~Mary Hynes~

Fighting the Mom-Guilt Battle

by QuatroMama on December 9, 2011

I am so so grateful to be able to stay home with our boys for this stage in life.  It’s a dream come true, it’s an enormous privilege, and something I don’t want to take for granted. It’s a sacrifice that has paid itself off in ways that I could never put a monetary value to… I know there are so many of you would LOVE the opportunity to stay home with your little ones. I love my life – this home, these boys, even the craziness.

BUT it’s not always rainbows, puppy dogs, and roses.

There are days when I’m just a plain ole mess.

Days when I’m buried in laundry, desperately need a shower, boys that need bathed as well, a dirty kitchen floor, a grocery list that needs made, a dishwasher that needs unloaded, and no plans for dinner.  I have an inbox full of messages that need a response, commitments that need fulfilled, and other business responsibilities that need my attention. There are more days than I’d like to admit that I’ve got very little to show for my day.

There are too many days that I don’t cherish the moment that surrounds me to love on my boys while they are little.  Instead I get lost in a list that’s not checked off, and overwhelmed with the chaos.

There are times that I find myself getting frustrated with them just being BOYS.  Boys are messy, loud, rowdy, and filled with energy.  Instead of embracing it and the way that God created them differently than girls, I too often get frustrated in their messes, their breaking of something of little value, or their crazy charades.

I’m ashamed to say it, but perhaps I’m not alone in this journey.

I go to bed with regrets, and asking forgiveness to a man I feel I so often let down.  He surrounds me with his embrace, and offers words of reassurance and encouragement.  He tells me what a great mom I am, and I shrug it off.

I can’t believe him, because my standard that I’ve put on myself hasn’t been met.  Instead I feel guilty and disappointed. Discouraged.

It’s an ugly thing, this mom-guilt.  It robs me of joy, it whispers non-truths, it steals my courage.

Maybe the mom-guilt that haunts you is different – maybe it’s that you wish you could be home but need to work, perhaps it’s that you can’t be the mom that you pictured yourself being, or you can’t provide the things that you feel would make your family happier.

So How Can We Navigate Through This Mom-Guilt Battle Together? 

1. We have to separate the non-truths from the truth. 

Philippians 4:8,9  “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.  Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

2. We have to embrace our situation with grace, gratitude, and joy.

Philippians 4: 4-6 “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

3. We have to turn to Christ and His Word in our weakness, rather than our own strength.

2 Corinthians 12:9,10 “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

4. We have to embrace the grace that Has been extended to us through His sacrifice.

Romans 8:1-3a “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.”

So here I am “boasting in my weakness”. I hope in my weakness I can somehow encourage a few of you.  You are not alone in this mom-guilt battle.  Keep fighting, keep hitting the restart button, keep asking for forgiveness, keep growing, keep preaching truth to yourself.

Let’s encourage one another in this battle today!

** Be sure to read my husband’s insightful and timely response to this mom-guilt battle. It’s a must-read for wives and mothers! **

http://www.4tunate.net/2011/12/fighting-the-mom-guilt-battle/

It's beginning to look a lot like...chaos?

The tree is up, the stockings hung, cookies baked, gifts bought and wrapped and under the tree...wait a sec, not in MY house. The tree is up, we have a pile of stockings in the living room chair (why does our family of 3 own 11 stockings?) along with supplies to make 2 wreaths. A couple dozen cookies are made waiting to be decorated. Gifts are bought and hidden in precarious places and I have NO IDEA who I've bought them for and who I still need to buy for. Some have to be shipped across the island, others across the country. I decided 2 months ago that making Christmas cards would be a great idea...they are still in the "making" stage and not near ready to be mailed out.

All the above has culminated in one very stressed-out mommy/wifey. And then to top it off, I may not get the vacation time I requested from work to spend 10 uninterrupted days with my little family.

So, yes, I'm grumpy and frustrated. Yes, I'd like to give management a piece of my mind. Yes, I'd like my husband and child to disappear for a week so I could get organized.

BUT, the reality of my situation is this: I'm so incredibly thankful to have my well paying, usually cushy government job. I'm so incredibly thankful that my son and husband think I'm super-woman and can't live without me. I'm so incredibly thankful that I can express my feelings to friends and family with a gift that I've chosen just for them. I'm even thankful for my messy house, full of stuff, but it's our stuff that we've collected over time and even though I trip over toys and hubby's suitcase is still on our bedroom floor since he came home last weekend...at least he came home and loves me and our son unconditionally.

My to-do list is always never-ending and some days go by that nothing gets crossed off.

For Christmas this year, I want to give my family the gift of my undivided attention and my unconditional love. Just like God intended when He came to earth, born of a woman, to live among men, sinless so He could bear our sins on Calvary. He doesn't expect gifts and cookies and cards celebrating His birth, but our time and love is all He asks. Let's slow down and give our hearts.

WW update

As of Saturday, October 15, I have lost 24.7 pounds! Yes, it's been an extremely LONG and sometimes difficult road. Nearly 8 months to reach a 25 pound goal...but it's gone for GOOD! I'm determined to make this a lifestyle change. I have never eaten this well in my life. Or I should say eaten more well than un-well. I track my meals 5 days a week and "try" to keep a mental list on the weekends. I'm 2.3 pounds from my next goal. This will either happen on the 22nd or 29th. The weeks between now and Christmas I expect to be challanging. My mini-goal after that is no gain between then and the New Year. Totally doable!

It's a New Day

A few weeks ago I put on my best game face, bit the bullet and went back to weight watchers. Inspired by the transformation of Jennifer Hudson and spurred on by some medical issues I'm now facing as I approach my mid-30s. Three weeks in and I've lost 6.6 pounds. Yay me!

Date Night

What is the traditional "date night"? Is it Friday or Saturday night? In our house, it can be any night of the week. Tonight I have a two part date...neither of which is with hubby. Right now I'm sitting with my best boy watching Olivia on Treehouse. He and I usually enjoy the quieter activities, daddy is the real entertainer. Later I'm heading out to a movie with TL who got free tickets. I'm all for free! Perhaps hubby and I can enjoy an extra late part 3?

Mobile blogger

Well well well...finally I feel I'm in the 21st century! After a long hiatus from blogging, I feel ready to take it on again. I want to write a book, not sure what about yet. Surely my years of experience at...life, if nothing else, should qualify for something. Stay tuned!