Carolina Balloon Fest 38 10-21-2011

Leaving the school

Our view over Target

Looking back toward our house from over Mooresville in our balloon

You can see Charlotte in the background!!! Look at all that God has made!

Bryan and me with Mooresville in the background : )

Needless to say we had a GREAT first day at the Balloon Fest, we had our first EVER hot air balloon ride thanks to the WONDERFUL pilot and crew chief we are working with this year...we are working with Marc and Ursula Klinger with Airtime Balloon Co.

Bryan and me with the trailer, we REALLY need a pic w/ the staff!!

Boys had a blast too, and we cant wait to go back tonight!!! :)

Struggles

When I search
forgiveness...I get 186 times it is listed...WOW so it must be LOTS of people need to read about forgiveness. The bible teaches us that we must forgive...we can not out forgive God, but because of the amount that it is listed in the bible it tells me that I am not the only one to struggle with forgiveness. It is an everyday struggle that I even forget sometimes...

845 times the bible says LOVE, so we must need help/advice in this area too...sometimes I want to love those who are closest to me or those who are most like me but Jesus loved the disciples and they were not like Him (other than made in his image) they were sinners. While He loved them he He also had to forgive them because they were sinners, after all they were human.

While HE did love and forgive them He taught them and expected them to be more like Him...after all that is what being a Christian is all about, being more Christ like...

Being more Christ like will be something we struggle with until the day we die...in heaven with Christ we will be perfect (like He intended for us to be)

185 times the bible talks about eternity...and 537 the bible talks about heaven...

The only way to heaven is through Jesus Christ, who came to die for your sins...He sacrificed His life as an atonement for ALL of our sins...we are to forgive as He forgave us and we are to love as Christ loved us...I am trying, REALLY trying...

We are also to pray for on another, so please cover each other in prayer...

Psalm 139

So yesterday I looked at English Standard version...today I looked at the same passage in Good News Translation...

1 Lord, you  have examined me and you know me.
2 You know everything I do; from far away you understand my thoughts.
3 You see me, whether I am working or resting; you know all my actions - I liked this!!! :)
4 Even before I speak, you already know what I will say.
5 You are all around me on every side; you protect me with your power. - I liked the way it said this one too
6 Your knowledge of me is too deep; it is beyond my understanding.

Today with reading back over the first 6 verses and looking at different translations I also looked at the next couple verses 7-12 and I focused on the good news translation

7 Where could I go to escape from you? Where could I get away from your presence?
8 If I went up to heaven, you would be there; if I lay down in the world of the dead, you would be there.
9 If I flew away beyond the east or lived in the farthest place in the west,
10 you would be there to lead me, you would be there to help me. - I LOVED the thought expressed here!!! No matter where I go God will be there to lead me and help me!!!
11 I could ask the darkness to hide me or the light around me to turn into night,
12 but even darkness is not dark to you, and the night is as bright as the day. - I liked this thought as well, think about this with me, you turn out the lights and you cant see anything (beside you, in front of you, behind you, above you, below you...) isnt that just like life? I have NO clue where I am going, I cant see! But to God the night is as bright as the day!!! He sees it all!!!

Today we found out that Bryan has lost his job AGAIN! I read these verses this morning and prayed over his job, not yet knowing what was to come...I still dont know what is to come...all I know is that we (God's children) are loved and promised hope and a future (Jer 29:11) Please pray over our family as we continue in this journey of trusting God...we are learning how to step out in faith.

I have several friends in need of prayer, most are to personal to list but God knows each of them by name and each of their hearts, needs, and HE WILL provide exactly what they need!

Psalm 139:1-6 (I love this Psalm, I am trying to look through it this week)

English Standard Version
1 "O Lord, you have searched me and known me" - He knew me, even when He sent His Son, He knew every sin I would every commit, yet He loved me enough to die for me!
2 "You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar."
3 "You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways."
4 "Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether." - EVEN BEFORE A WORD IS ON MY TONGUE, that means He knows my thoughts about that car in front of me, or when I think something about someone I dont like...(food for thought, literally)
5 "You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me."
6 "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it." - Yes, to wonderful for me too, I don't understand how He DOES know everything I just believe He does...