Merry Christmas from our house to yours.......May your Christmas be blessed by the sweet presence of our Lord Jesus Christ. Remember it's all because of Jesus~

I am thankful this Thanksgiving for the awesome priviledge of knowing God, I mean really knowing Him in his fullness.   I am thankful that He covers me with His wings, shelters me and keeps me safe.  I am thankful that He loves me unconditionally, no matter what I've done, where I've been.....that as long as I ask for His forgiveness, He showers me with His mercy....His unmerited favor.  

As we gather together with our friends and family, may we forever be thankful that Jesus shed His blood and gave Himself as a sacrifice so that we could have eternal life.    Share the gift of God's love with somebody during the holidays and let Him use you to make a difference in the lives of others!

Well, it's been quite awhile since I wrote a blog. Life can get busy at times, huh? Well we just finished up a very relaxing vacation down at the beach. It was so nice and had been a whole year since our family had went anywhere!! If you're a pastor's wife or worship leader or do anything in the field of ministry, you know that time off is crucial. God expects us to take care of our physical bodies as well as our spiritual bodies.

Been doing a little couponing................WOW......it can take alot of your time if you're searching all those deals on the internet. I'm not going extreme, but I am going to take advantage of savings for my family. Well, have a great week and don't forget to take time our everyday to pray and meditate on the Word of God. We must feed our spirits daily with the Word. Peace and Love to all..........

Are you serious about the life you live??

Great word today from my husband ~ Pastor Marty Mason.

Message Bible translation of today's sermon: Colossians 3:1-2> So if you're serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. 2 Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ-that's where the action is. See things from His perspective.

Vs. 1 really should speak to us LOUDLY....if you're serious about living for Christ.....act like it and quit dabbling in the world and playing games. Wake up! There's much work to be done in the Kingdom business. Souls to be saved and the WORLD is looking to you for the answers. You may wear the name but you're playing another game. God is looking for a people that are separate and set apart. If we want to win the lost, you've got to advertise what you are selling so to speak. If the life that you are living is much like theirs then why should they change? You see God is not interested in how many times you attend church, but what you do when you get there. He wants you to GET it, absorb the WORD that's coming forth from the prophet of God and what He is speaking through Him. The Bible tells us to not only be hearers of the Word, but doers also of the Word. Doing is action! Live your life to the fullest, but live it fully for Jesus Christ. The church is your gas station .When your car is running low on gas, where do you go? To the filling station....the gas station. It don't matter if you go to WilcoHess, Kangaroo, Murphy or Citgo, when you are running low, you're gonna go somewhere to get you going again. The place to go when you are running dry in your spirit man, when you feel like you can't go one more step, all your get up and go......has got up and went! Brothers and Sisters it's time to go to the house of the Lord and get you tank filled back up with some JESUS!!! My advice to you is this......My Daddy always told me to not let the needle on my gas tank ever go past a certain point. He said, "you don't want to be found on the side of the road somewhere with no gas." Don't let your spiritual tank go empty. Don't let it get half full. Keep it full of the spirit of the living God. When you're hungry you eat. You gotta feed that physical man because your body is craving food. Just as your physical body needs food to survive, you spiritual man needs the Word of God to maintain in this life. It is your survival. Without God you will die spiritually. My prayer for you today is that you cry out to God and ask Him for his forgiveness and let Him wash you over with His blood. He died to set you FREE from the bondages of this world and the bondages of Satan. Cry out for His mercy and His grace. I promise you, He will hear you and He will answer.

We are here for you if you need prayer but most of all God is ever listening to your hearts cry. It's never too late to start living your life solely and completely for Him. Don't be so absorbed by the things of the world, that you miss out on eternity. Love and Blessings........Scarlett

Why does it seem sometimes that when all is well in life and things are going smoothly, that all of sudden all hell breaks loose and you feel as though somebody pulled the rug right out from under you??
Ever asked yourself that question? Well, if you haven't then you must not be stirring up the kingdom of darkness by standing in your God given authority. Life is sometimes much like a box of chocolates, as Forest Gump said........"you never know what you're gonna get." You must be able to recognize an attack from the enemy. Just before your greatest breakthrough is when our adversary, Satan, will try to ambush you. But if you are obedient and driven by the Holy Spirit, you will notice those little sneaking ways that he tries to come in. Recently I experienced a one of these ambushes. Always remember that your past is just that, it's in the past and you move on and press forward. However, Satan will always try to conjure up stuff to bring it back to your remembrance. Satan uses people sometimes to do that. They may not even be aware that they are being used for your destruction but they are. Ephesians 6:12~ We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against prinicipalities, against powers, rulers of darkness of this world and spiritual wickedness in high places. You see, this battle is not against each other but against Satans kingdom! Nobody wants to have enemies but I'm sure there are some people that I have made mad or who dislike me for some reason or another, but we have to release those people and give them to God. Not everybody is going to agree with your life decisions. You will be criticized and scrutinized but this one thing I know, If God be for us, who on earth or in this universe can be against me? Romans 8:31 Just know that when the enemy comes in like a flood that the spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against them, they, her, him or whomever. ~Isaiah 59:19

Just always be on guard for traps set before you. Whenever you are doing Kingdom business and promoting the gospel of Jesus Christ, you are shaking the foundations of hell and making the devil mad. When you get up in the morning the devil should fear you. Arm yourself with the armor of God and listen to His voice by staying deep in His word. Whenever you do that, you are gonna smell trouble and be wise not to entertain gossip, lies, and all the other pitfalls that Satan may try. My husband and I have been in the ministry for almost 21 years now and we have seen and heard it all. Rumors get spread about you, people get jealous and can't stand to see you get blessed and do everything in the world to try and raise a stink. One thing we have learned to do is forgive. Forgiveness is one of the greatest things you can do, and you can't move forward in life until you do.
I don't have to have the applause of men or their approval but what I do need is God's approval and His guidance. As long as we know what we are doing is right and that God has our back we don't worry about anything else. I've told my kids that friends will come and friends will go but the true friends will remain with you when everyone else turns their back on you. What a friend we have in Jesus, our true companion, comforter, counselor, defender, peacemaker, peacespeaker and most of all our Father. It is His good pleasure to make sure that His children are protected on all sides. He has commanded His angels to watch over us day and night.
Don't be fooled by traps, for that is just what they are, they are meant to trap you and keep you in bondage and fear. Jesus has set us free, an whom the Son makes free is FREE INDEED!!!!!

Thankful

Yesterday was a very memorable day for me in that 7yrs ago I lost my Mom to colorectal cancer.  I talk about her alot because she meant so much to me and we were like best friends.  I smiled when my brother texted me and  reminded me that it was her who pushed me into playing the piano and singing.  I believe when I started piano lessons I was in the 4th or 5th grade and my music teacher reeked of listerine breath!!!   I'm telling you when I walked into the music room of his house it hit me like a ton of bricks! Well  I made my way through all those lessons and then started playing in the church right beside our house.  On a Wednesday night to be exact, the piano player didn't show up, so who do you think volunteered me??  My Moma!!   I was scared silly but did it and actually did a pretty good job she said.  I was my worst critic!   Then from there I started singing in the choir with her and she encouraged me to start singing by myself.  I'm so glad that she pushed me and encouraged me because it's made me who I am today.  Music has always been a big part of my life.  She knew that God had something wonderful planned for me and I hope that somehow up in Heaven that she's smiling down on her little girl today and feeling proud.   I'm proud that she was my Mom and I'm thankful for those lessons once a week.   As my brother said, "You get to sing LIVE in front of people every week."  Although it's not performance, purely WORSHIP.   Maybe that CD will be produced before long......  Thanks MOM.

What are you known for?

      I posted this quote earlier today and it really got me thinking.  "It's not what you know or who you know. It's what you are that finally counts." Zig Ziglar    What are you known for?   So many people are known for different things.   There may be a person in your life that you go for to get advice and counsel from~ that person is known for giving wise counsel.  Who do you call when you're discouraged?  Whoever that someone may be is your encourager.   This other person may be known for knowing everything about any and everything going on in the community!  Do you attract gossip?   Does it seem that people come to you with probems and issues about others?   If they do, wouldn't you wonder why?   I know folks, women especially, sorry ladies but it's true, that thrive on finding out the latest news.   Women like to talk, we just do, but make sure that your talk is not bashing somebody else and running their name in the ground  when you don't even know the person.   Too many are judged without being known.  Gossip is a sin, it is equal to adultery, lying, stealing, murder, etc.  Yes I said murder!   You can murder someone with your tongue.  The book of James has alot to say about this little member of our body.   James 3:5~ Even so the tongue is a little member, and it can boast of great things.  6:  And the tongue is a world of wickedness set among our members, contaminating and depraving the whole body and setting on fire the wheel of birth(the cylce of man's nature), being itself ignited by hell.  8:  But the human tongue can be tamed by no man. It is a restless (undisciplined, irreconcilable) evil, full of deadly poison.  It goes on to say that with our tongue we bless our Heavenly Father, and with it we also curse men!  With our mouths we can speak forth blessing or cursing.   I don't know about you but I don't want that kind of reputation.  Don't you just hate walking in a room and it gets really quiet and it makes you feel as though you are being talked about?  I hate that feeling.  It goes on in many churches and where you work, don't want to exclude that.   Also the church kitchen, bathroom and work breakrooms.....   I am a pastor's wife, I know.  We have a way of hearing things that get stirred up.  What kind of example are we living before men if we can't stop talking about our own members and co-workers. 
    Bottom line is this, we need to make sure that we are being an image of Christ here on earth and being a godly example to others.  We want to be known for bearing good fruit not rotten fruit with worms and those nagging little fruit flies!  When you have rotten bananas in your kitchen there is always those disgusting little creatures flying around!  They are attracted to that rotten banana.  I don't want to attract people who like to start gossip.  I want to attract people who love the Lord and have the same passion as I do when it comes to praising the Lord.  I want to attract people who want to laugh and have a good time.  I am not a fake person, what you see is what you get.  That's how we should be.  REAL!!   So maybe you and I need to take a little inventory and make sure that what we are known for is good stuff.  Tame that tongue and edify one another in love.  If people are always coming to you with problems that they have with somebody else......you might better check yourself before you wreck yourself.  Hahahaha!!!  Be known for bearing good fruit.  <3

What I am Here for?

Ever ask yourself that question?  What on earth am I here for?   I've heard numerous people saying that over the years and in my experience being a pastor's wife.  You are here for a purpose, and that purpose is to worship your creator.  He made man so that He could have someone to communicate with.  I was made to worship you........  a song that I sing at our church says it all.  To worship I live, to worship you I live, I live to worship you.   From the rising of the sun, to the setting of the same........I live to worship you.   

You were created for such a time as this to change the world!!   People need to hear the news of the gospel, that there is an answer to life's problems.  It's not found in the government, in alcohol, drugs, sex, hollywood, etc.   The answer is found in the Light of the World.  The Great I am, the prince of peace, the Rose of Sharon, and the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.  Whew!!!!   I believe I could preach that!  The Bible tells us that God's word is alive.  There are truths in God's word that will direct you and lead you into understanding why you were created!   Psalms 139:14-16 is one of my favorite passages of scripture which says,  I praise you because I am wonderfully and fearfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.  When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.  All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.   See, there's your answer, you have a purpose and a destiny because before you were even born!!!!   The God of creation knew who you were and knew your name!!!  That is an awesome thought and I'm so glad that His truth has been iluminated in my spirit and in yours as you read this blog. 
So take joy in knowing that it's no mistake that you were born because God had you in mind!!  Peace and blessings..............Keep lifting up the name of Jesus and giving Him praise.