Guiding Hearts to Salvation with a Simple Roadmap Through Scripture

Do you desire to lead someone to salvation?  Here is a simple way that could help you feel prepared to direct them.

Begin by getting a small New Testament Bible to keep in your purse or pocket.  (I also keep an inexpensive hardback Bible in my car.)  Now let’s get it prepared as we mark a route to the scripture that you will need. 

Somewhere inside the front of your Bible, jot down the scripture reference      
                    Romans 3:23.

This is your starting point, and if you write it in the front, you will always know where to begin. 

Now go ahead and turn to Romans 3:23, and mark it. ( I used red to underline and box it in, making sure it stands out from other scripture that I have marked.)  Beside the verse or somewhere near on that page, write down the next scripture reference that you can use to show them, which is

                    Romans 6:23.

Go there.  Mark or underline Rom. 6:23, and near it write the next scripture reference that you will direct them to, which is

                     John 3:3.

Underline John 3:3, writing beside it the reference

                     John 14:6. 

You get the idea. Each scripture that you go to will point you to the next scripture.

After underlining John 14:6, write the reference 

                     Romans 10:9-13.

Mark it, and the next scripture reference to write near it is

                  2 Corinthians 5:15.

And lastly, underline 2 Cor. 5:15, then beside it write the scripture reference  

                    Revelation 3:20,

and go mark it too.  (I love this verse-it makes my heart leap with joy!)

Now then; all set!

A good way to sum it up is with the ABC’s of salvation:

Admit that you are a sinner, and that repentance is necessary, knowing that the wages of sin is death. 

Believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God, trusting that the only way to have eternal life is through His death on the cross where He paid your sin debt in full, and was resurrected on the third day.

Commit to Him, making Him Lord and ruler of your life, no longer insisting on having your own way.

Since we don’t always get the chance to sit down with someone and walk them through the Bible, here is another way to reach out - give them a Pocket Testament.  You can click here for more information about sharing these wonderful little Gospels of John that come from The Pocket Testament League. 

  

Chocolate Pecan Pie

As this pie bakes, the pecans, chocolate, and filling divide into scrumptious layers.  It is so easy to make, yet company worthy.   

Chocolate Pecan Pie

1 deep dish pie crust
4 eggs
3/4 cup honey
1 stick melted butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup chocolate semi-sweet mini morsels

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, honey, melted butter, and vanilla. 
Add sugars, flour, pecans, and chocolate morsels.  Stir. 
Pour in deep dish pie shell and bake for 40 – 50 minutes.

Valentine’s Day 2013

For the past seven or so years, each Valentine’s Day, I have been giving a party for our homeschool group.

I just had the best time this year planning the decorations!

In the process, I got addicted to little vintage valentines. (…Sending a big thanks to all of you who share them with us!)

 

I planned, tweaked, and played for a month and when the day arrived,

there was a good deal of packing and transporting to do. 

I’ve made it a tradition to give the party at a beautiful carousel house, and we have built many memories there as we create a special time for the homeschool families.  Young kids, teens, parents, and even some grandparents attend, and I am so glad! 

They rode the carousel until everyone must have been plenty dizzy, and then it was time to stop for fellowship and sweets.  I delegate the goodie bringing to the parents, and there were lots of wonderful looking treats!

The crowd seems to grow each year, and this year was no exception.  One of the dads did a head count for me, and he counted 104 – that was a very good turn out! 

After everyone’s sweet toothies were all happy,

it was time to start lining up for a few more rides.

Finishing off, the kids collected their decorated boxes and bags full of valentines and chose cotton candy or popcorn to go.  I snapped a few more blurry pictures in the dim lighting ;),

and it was then time to leave for home.  Well, not quite time for us.  After cleaning up we were famished from all our busyness, so fast food was in order…KFC for one…Taco Bell for others…Sonic…Are we the only ones that do the multiple drive-thru thing? 

How was your Valentine’s Day?

Praying for Carrie

Praying for my beloved long time friend at

          Life on a Back Road

as she will be having surgery Monday. 

Will you join me in prayer?

“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”        Matt. 18:20

You Are So Loved!

“As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you; continue ye in my love.”

                                             John 15:9

Dear reader, will you take a moment to read that verse one more time and let Jesus’ words thoroughly soak in? 

Jesus loves you as much as God loves Him - I’m here to tell you, that is POWERFUL LOVE!
Not only did He describe how He feels about us, but He showed us at the cross.

So, whenever you need a dose of feeling loved, renew your heart and mind with the realization of just how loved you are by our Lord Jesus Christ!  You can walk through the rest of your life with the confidence that you are loved with intensity beyond comprehension.  

And, God loves you so much that He gave His only begotten Son…(see also John 16:27)  Because our minds can become numb to familiar passages, take the time to ponder the layers of depth in those verses.  It truly is astounding that He would do that for us. 

My friend, feel loved, because you are!!!

This is a free Valentine graphic with scripture for you, created by my daughter and me.  I’m so glad that you came over for a visit today!

(Little boy and girl Valentine used for this scripture graphic came from The Graphics Fairy.)

The Lord’s Awesome Ways

I always enjoy visiting Gail, over at WOW and Bible Love Notes.  In her post “The Blue Book” she tells an account of how the Lord comforted her, beginning with events that at the time were not necessarily noteworthy to her, but ended with direct help from God for her troubled heart.  I hope you will read it.

(Graphic from Little Birdie Blessings) 

As I did, it almost seemed familiar to me.  Let me explain.  What was recognizable to me in her account, was God’s parenting style.  The way that He orchestrated those events in her life that lead her to read just the message that He desired her listening heart to hear.   I love that.  I’ve experienced that.  

Here we are, you, Gail, me, not really knowing each other, just fellow bloggers living in different places with our life stories probably being a good bit different. Yet, isn’t it interesting how we are recognizably sisters in Christ when we tell our accounts of how our Loving Heavenly Father parents us, patiently teaching, and guiding, and comforting us. Now that is just neat!  No matter where we are, or what we do, or where our interests lie, for those of us that have chosen Jesus to be Lord of our lives, we have something very much in common – our experience in the Lord and His wondrous love and ways.

I must say, I am in a state of serious awe when He orchestrates events in my life to work together and I recognize them (always a  good reason to pay attention).

I am even more in AWE at how the events happened over hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus when the prophets foretold His coming.  These dozens of accounts were crystal clear about the coming Messiah,  fingerprinting Him, in a manner of speaking, so that there would be no mistake; only the true Messiah could fit the “fingerprint.”  And then it happened.  Jesus came, His identity confirmed, our Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ.  His lineage, all the events that took place leading up to His birth, even down to the census that would cause Him to be born in Jerusalem - all the prophecies were fulfilled…God, orchestrating events…Wow!  Not a lowercase wow, but an uppercase WOW! 

Blessings dear reader!  Thanks for listening!  Don’t forget to check out Gail’s blogs.

Bakin’ Bacon

“Well, of course,” you might think, but just in case you haven’t thought of it, you can put away that frying pan and make it easier on yourself.

Baked Bacon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

2. Arrange bacon in a single layer in a large baking dish or cookie sheet with raised edges.  

3. Place pan on middle wrack and bake 20-30 minutes or until browned and crispy.

4. Immediately remove from pan with spatula and pat off excess fat with paper towels.  (I save grease to season other dishes.)

Quote from my mom—“My daddy lived to be 91 and he ate bacon and eggs for breakfast every day of his life.” (Still, a daily diet of bacon might not be the best plan. )

Ringing in the New Year With Prayer

…A perfect way to begin the New Year!

       Hope you have a very

           HAPPY,

              NEW YEAR!!!

A Saving Faith

My dear Readers,

If you have read much of my blog, you know that I LOVE Dr. Charles Stanley and his ministry.  I feel like he has raised me in the Lord, having listened to Him since I was a young teen.  2012 has been a special year - He has celebrated his 80th birthday, 55 years of ministry and 35 years of In Touch Ministries.

I must share today's devotion with you.  If you or anyone you know is unclear about salvation, this devotion may be just what will help.  I hope that you will click and read the link below. 

                                                                                A Saving Faith

For further reading about the Lord’s gift of salvation, you can click here:

                                                                          The Greatest Gift of All 
                                                                               and here: 

                                                                     Benefits of God's Greatest Gift

If you already know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, these devotions may help give you the confidence you need to witness to someone.

May you be blessed as you read these! 

                                                     Prayerfully yours.

Merry Christmas!

As we celebrate our dear Savior’s birth, I hope that you are having a very Merry Christmas!

I will make this a quick post, as we are in the midst of severe weather.  It has been an interesting day weather wise for us.  Please pray for those in the path of these storms.  Blessings to each of you!!!

Victorian Christmas Home Tour

Wherever I go, I keep at least one eye out, although usually two, for old, Victorian homes.  I don’t know when my interest for that time period in history began, but I have a never ending curiosity for the sights and stories of the bygone era.  Driving around old Southern towns, and scouting out places that bring history alive is definitely my idea of thrill seeking.

Here is one such house, that we came across, situated so stately on a steep hill in the heart of Columbus, Mississippi.

Does anyone paint that way anymore?  It would be so spectacular to have paintings of my kids like these!

This charming house was a mixture of elegance and quaintness.  Endearing and interesting, the owner, a retired school teacher, was elegant in her own right.  Picturesquely dressed in Christmassy red, with her hair neatly up in a bun, she was busy in the basement kitchen baking sugar cookies for an afternoon Christmas gathering.  

I loved the meandering architecture of this house, and the landscape was equally interesting,

with lots of aged brick and stone paths, hedged in with azaleas, liriope, and cast iron, giving the courtyard such a well established, cozy feel making me long to be in one of the wicker rockers enjoying it on a rainy day. 

  For me, if hearing the stories about the lives that were lived in these old homes weren’t enough to fill me up with wonderment – which they are – there’s always decorating ideas to inspire my attempt to make our house have the feel of stepping back in time, oh say, 130 years or so. 

As I type, I hear the sweet sounds of my youngest merrily singing while she clangs dishes in the kitchen, which is beckoning me.  Thanks for touring this house with me today.

Shining Brightly This Christmas

Ah, the joy of the Christmas season!  Like many of you, we have been busy decorating, and enjoying this favorite time of year.

While we make preparations, I am reminded…

As we enjoy the warmth of our hearths, let us warm our hearts with a passion for Jesus;

as our Christmas trees shine brightly, let us take care to be the “light of the world;”

as we shop and choose special gifts,

let us share the message of the Greatest Gift of all.

With excitement and fervor, let us remember to be “a city that is set on an hill,” proclaiming His perfect love and the message of His redemption.

     Have a joyous 
  Christmas  Season!