Oath of allegiance

You would've thought I'd blog on becoming a citizen last Thursday. LOL Well, I am an American citizen now. woohoo! I first drove all the way from the seminary to Irving, thinking that the ceremony was there. Then when I got all 3 kids down to the building and checking the diaper bag through security, an officer came up to me and said, "Ma'am, it is not here." "You are KIDDING me!" So I looked on the paper, and realized it was in a court house in downtown Fort Worth. Wow. I wasn't mad, I had a peace and calmness about it that only God could explain. I buckled all 3 kids back into the car, drove down to dowtown Fort Worth and tried to park. Parking was expensive and guess what? I did not bring my wallet. HA. HA. Well, I drove around till I found a meter and I prayed and prayed that it was one with leftover minutes in it. Lo and behold, the Lord provides 39 minutes on the meter! So, I used the 2 dimes and a nickel that I found on the carpet in my car and prayed that the ceremony will not be longer than an hour. My kids must have thought I was losing my mind watching me mumbling these prayers.

As we went into the court house, I explained to the officer at the front that I went to Irving. Without another word, he said, "go upstairs to the 4th floor and look for Maria." "okay... thanks" "don't dwadle, you don't have much time. go go go!" So with 3 children under the age of 4, we went to the 4th floor. Well, it was real quiet and real solemn. There were people outside the courthouse waiting for the people who were in the ceremony. So I started asking everyone where Maria is. No one knew. I prayed again. Suddenly the door opens, and out comes Maria. NO KIDDING! "MARIA, MARIA!" She was very surprised and said to go with her. As she opened the door, she asked, "You didn't bring anyone with you?" I shook my head. "Do you have to bring your kids?" "Well, Yes! I am not leaving them outside" So with thousands of apologies, I walked through the court house where people had to move their chairs and legs out of the way for my kids and stroller. Finally, I reached the immigration officers who just checked me in and asked me to sit... There was no room. So, one of the officers stood up and orchestrated for a whole row of strangers to move down one seat. That was my most most most embarrassing moment of my life. We waited and waited for the judge to come out. Someone sang the star spangled banner and then all 63 countries represented were mentioned, ranging from Iran to Vietnam. Then we got to the oath of allegiance. This is the part where I thought was interesting. The oath really reminded me of a covenant I made with the Lord my God when I first surrended my life to Him! Read this:

I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.

When we declare our faith in Christ, we renounce our allegiance to the world, Satan and our sinful nature. That we will read His word, support and defend the Truth which is in Christ Jesus. That we will put on the armor of God and stand firm against the Devil's schemes. Ephesians 6. That we quoting the oath, take the obligation freely without nay mental reservation or purpose of evasion, so help us Lord! We are to renounce our own lives and die to ourselves and gain new lives in Christ! When we "jump kingdoms", we must understand that we will no longer serve the Prince of the World but pledge our lives to the Prince of Peace.

Well anyway, then judge Bleil had to give the keynote address because there was no keynote speaker. He was so funny. He kept apologizing for America and speaking of the responsibilities of the judicial branch. That sometimes the executive and legislative branch tells the judicial branch to shut up and that's wrong because the judicial branch keeps the other branches in line. Then he went on to tell people to vote.

Then someone sang God bless America. I personally preferred God bless the USA but I'll take God bless America. Then we did the pledge of allegiance and that was it! I was glad we went to Irving because if we showed up at 9:30, I would not have had enough coins for 3 hours, and I would have been in terrible traffic, upset, stressed out and grouchy. And the kids would not have behaved so well at the courthouse. The Lord turned my carelessness into a huge blessing. The first thing I did to celebrate my new found citizenship was to fill out a form to register as a voter!!! =)

Lord thank You that I am a citizen in Heaven. That You have allowed me to become part of Your Kingdom. AMEN.

Who's your security blanket?

I have been mourning over certain sins in my life and learning to die to myself and gaining new life in Christ. Once in a while, I still get series of dreams of abandonment, insecurity, and heartache all over again. My sinful nature keeps going backwards, looking at life with a hindsight, and wanting to gain some kind of security through my past. During these times, I feel shame and guilt, and I always turn to my God, my godly friends, and my husband for help. I confess, I mourn, I repent, I forgive, I let go.... it is terribly difficult. I seek for wise counsel, I read and meditate upon His words, and I pray for His miraculous healing upon my soul. I asked Phill to tell me what to do today and he asked me to stop clinging onto my past as a security blanket. I felt terrible. At first, because I feel like I have betrayed him. As if I have not clung onto him as a security blanket. Then, I felt convicted, because it means I have not clung onto Christ as my security blanket either! Yes, this is going to be a long, hard road. But I know I have a God who will never leave me or forsake me, and I know I have a husband who continues to lay down his life for me daily. I will continue to die to myself and align my life with Christ who saved me from the darkness.

Lord, reveal your heart to me and pull me away from evil. Help me find security, identity, and sovereignty in You alone. AMEN.

"Propaganda is propaganda no matter how you paint it"... shame shame shame

God help us. Show your sovereignty and give us hope. Help us to guide people around us to find hope in You and You only. Use us to glorify Your name. Send us into the fields of harvest and teach us to be fishers of men. You alone are God and You will deliver these souls. AMEN

YouTube Evangelism part 2

Unexpected turn of events I believe. Pray pray pray for the person I have been reaching out to.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78kGJCPYRkM&NR=1


"Hey everybody! we are going on vacation for the very first time as a family! do you what vacation is?" Abigail: "Yeah! The baaaad apple." "No!!! THat's temptation!!!" LOL!

NAPO

I have always been troubled about not being able to organize and decorate any space around me. I went online and typed in organization tips, and clicked on NAPO, National Association of Professional Organizers!!! You can apparently pay someone who is certified through this association about 50 dollars an hour to come to your house and help you organize your house. I think I should just read tips and learn how to do it myself. So, the journey has begun. I have been getting boxes and bins and just putting everything in them. Supposedly that's how it works. The next step is to learn how to decorate. Here are the "Ten comments in decorating your room".

http://www.rentaldecorating.com/Interiordesign101-7/interior_design_ten_commandments.htm

God, continue to help me in becoming a godly woman, wife, and mother who can pass down great skills and knowledge to the next generations. AMEN.

YouTube Evangelism

I love being on youtube. Not just because I get to watch movie clips, free comedy shows, bring up worship songs etc etc. But because I feel heart broken for those who comment on these sites! A lot of them are seeking for the truth and asking really good questions but seldom do they get the answers they need. Some are just there to debate and tear others' shakable faith down and that's not right. So, I've been at this for about 6 months now. I read the comments, find a target, pray pray pray for what and how to say, and give it a shot. It is simple. Shy Christians should definitely give it a try! Here's a recent example:

SHADOW10621 (3 months ago)

I didn't get this story when I was in bible school and I still don't get it 38 years later. What did God sacrifice if he could bring anything back ? I mean he sideth on the right hand of God the father almighty. I am bad I should not question things God knows everything and I am stupid.

ndyt (2 months ago)

SHADOW10621, yeah, I feel the same way. If Jesus came back and still lives, then what was sacrificed? Doesn't Jesus need to stay dead for it to be a sacrifice?

mommykoo (1 day ago)

He was dead. Jesus died for 3 days! The resurrection was important for He proved that one day He CAN in fact plead for our lives in front of the Father and get us in Heaven with Him. That's HUGE and glorious!

mommykoo (1 day ago)

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going. John 14:1-4

lepgray (3 weeks ago)

So the excrutiating pain and torture, the humiliation, the injustice, the betrayal by His own disciple and His own people, that's not sacrifice enough for you? He was completely and utterly deserted by His father and He didn't KNOW if He would be resurrected. He was sinless and He suffered anyway, so that each of us can take His gift and live eternally with Him. I have to say I'm pretty awe struck and deeply humbled. By the way, it's okay to question, just be open to His answer.

mommykoo (1 day ago)

The most awesome thing about God is that He wants you to ask the questions because then it means you are still seeking for the truth and have not given up.

Jesus did not have to die but because God wants His creation to be saved so one day we can still be with Him, Jesus had to die for our sins. He was resurrected to prove that He was indeed the Son of God and that He can one day fulfill His promise to bring us to Heaven.

mommykoo (1 day ago)

For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him. John 3:34-36

TheThechosen0ne (2 months ago)

wat happen about the earthquake

mommykoo (1 day ago)

And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people. Matthew 27

mommykoo (1 day ago)

i think the earth shook to open the tombs. the sequence of events was not exactly 100%. also the sky was supposed to be dark.

mommykoo (1 day ago)

oh and there was no storm recorded

mommykoo (1 day ago)

nevertheless, it's a great video.

ndyt (1 day ago)

mommykoo, your religion is a based on a fairytale and its practice is a cult.

mommykoo (1 day ago)

what if you are wrong?

ndyt (1 day ago)

mommykoo, if am wrong then my chance of getting into heaven is the same about the same as yours because there are thousands of religions out there so the chance of picking the right one is small. There are over 38,000 different denominations of christianity alone! Those are long odds to get it right. Also, I feel I have not done anything to warrant being tortured for eternity. Have you? What was it you did?

mommykoo (21 hours ago)

Those were bible verses just in case you'd give Him a chance and read it thoroughly.

But look, easy example. If I handed you a cup of water with a teaspoon of poison in there, would you take it? I wouldn't, because it's not pure. Well, God is light, and in Him there is no darkness. Just as water and poison wouldn't go together and light and darkness wouldn't either, neither do sinful people and God. That answers the question whether we have ever done anything to deserve hell.

ndyt (21 hours ago)

mommykoo, so you are saying that even though god is all powerful, he he accepts someone that is not pure good then he will become tainted and no longer pure good? If that is the case then he is not all powerful.

mommykoo (21 hours ago)

I have read richard dawkins' books. he tells me that i am an organic meatbag while my Creator tells me He had made a way for us to be in heaven with Him one day. All He ever did was love me.

ndyt (20 hours ago)

mommykoo, too bad your creator is a fairytale.

mommykoo (20 hours ago)

I have nothing to lose. He'll be my knight in shining armor and I will be His bride.

What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels. Mark 8:36-38

ndyt (11 hours ago)

mommykoo, how do you know you have the right religion and the right denomination? There are thousands.

mommykoo (4 hours ago)

religion and denomination are man made. all i know if my God is the living God that made me and that He provided a way for me to be with Him in the end of time. I know i am covered for eternity.

ndyt (2 hours ago)

mommykoo, the bible is man made too. It was constructed by the catholic church to control people. You have nothing that isn't man made to tell you about god.

mommykoo (1 minute ago)

you're incorrect. the whole world was created by God. He created the sun and the moon, He set the stars in the sky and rainbow in clouds. He created the trees and the fish, the birds and the beasts. He created the ants and the dirt. Cont......

mommykoo (1 minute ago)

He also created my conscience and made me in His image so when I do wrong, I feel guilt and shame. even if the bible was man made, the words were inspired by God. His words convicts a soul to fear death and desire Heaven. Nothing wrong w/ being in a better place after a person dies. is there?

mommykoo (3 seconds ago)

everything that He has made is more than enough evidence for my eyes.

mommykoo (21 hours ago)

JEsus said, "I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6

mommykoo (21 hours ago)

John 3:34-36

mommykoo (21 hours ago)

I think the more valid question is, why do you think you deserve to be in Heaven? Let's go down the list of 10 commandments. 1. Worship God only. Have you loved something more than God? 3. don't misuse His name. Have you ever said OMG? 5. Honor your parents. Have you ever disobeyed them? 9. Do not lie. Have you ever tweaked the truth?

ndyt (21 hours ago)

mommykoo, no, the more important question is: why do you think the god of the bible is real when there is only evidence agaisnt it and none for it?

mommykoo (21 hours ago)

what evidence do you have against a living God? I'd like to know. and i think you are avoiding my valid question of why you think you deserve to be in Heaven with a Holy God.

ndyt (21 hours ago)

The earthquake would be in roman records, it is not.

mommykoo (15 minutes ago)

i think you are saying that to take people's hearts away from God. why? why don't you want others to reconcile with their Creator? it's one thing if you don't believe and it's another to bring others with you... =(

Lord, continue to use us for Your glory and to become more efficient fishers of men. AMEN.

My hubby

I just wanted to take note here on my blog that Phill has stepped up like never before to lead this family spiritually! We have always done the basics just to get by. Like the before bed bible time, prayers at each meal and bed time, bible verse each week... real basic. For the past few days, Phill has added a simple devotion at dinner time too! He's been more patient, kind, and gentle lately. And I am not supposed to have found out, but he has been doing the love dare!!! (I found out on day 4, hehehe) I have just been so amazed, surprised and flattered that my husband has been making such huge efforts to love me and our children. God is so faithful and full of grace.

God, thank You for Your faithfulness. We marvel at Your plans. Continue Your work in us. Continue to mold us and transform us. Help me to be Phill's helper. To uplift him and to love him. Help me to be a Christ centered wife and mother. I will continue to surrender to You every morning. Your will be done. AMEN.

(Oh, and Esther crawled two steps this morning.)
Coming back from the pool, ABigail asked, "mommy can I go play with my friends?" "I thought you were hungry. Don't you wanna come inside to eat?" "ummm, you can go inside to cook and I can play outside!!!" LOL!!!