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YES! I've always wanted a nice smile. Some of us baby boomers took alot of antibiotics when we were babies, and they made our teeth yellow. Then years of wear and tare, plus being a real baby when it comes to going to the dentist, I've had teeth pulled instead of getting them fixed! Two verses have been on my mind lately. They don't actually fit my situation but it Feels like it! :o) "Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey Your Word" Psalm 119:67 "It was Good for me to be afflicted So that I might learn Your decrees" 119:71 Maybe someone just needed to hear these verses. So, my dream comes true! God provided my hubby with a good job and now i'm getting all porcelan (sp) teeth. Not just for cosmetic reasons but for health reasons also. It's going on the 3rd month of going constantly to the dentist 2 or 3 times a week. The summer has been spent mostly in the house. You might ask, Why didn't I get them pulled. It would have been easier. I talked to a man who had all his teeth pulled only to find out he did not have enough bone mass to hold false teeth! YIKES...Can you imagine that for a woman! In 3 or 4 weeks this should be all over with the exception of another 2 weeks of pain. All this to say...God is ALWAYS good, Loves to give us the desires of our hearts in His time, and when the blessing is fullfilled...it will override the pain that came before it. So if you are experiencing pain, or going through a hard time in your life, stay faithful and you Will see a blessing come out of it in due time... This is not the best example...but it's the one I can relate to now! Love*** Cj

♥Seeing Yourself Through Gods Eyes♥ I know how much Teen Girls struggle with outward beauty and inward beauty. Have you ever seen someone and they look so beautiful on the outside, then got to know them and all of a sudden they aren't so beautiful anymore? Then you see someone who is somewhat plain, but get to know Them and they are so beautiful on the Inside that they become beautiful on the outside? This is the True Christian Teen! Learning that the pressures that the world puts on you from magazines, commercials, school and other ways to be perfect on the outside are destructive to who GOD says you are. These models are Not the exception! Most of them have been touched up by computer programs when you see them in the magazines. Many have had alot of cosmetic surgery. The average girl is a size 12. God did not make us to be Like the World, but to be different. When we get down and out over not being able to meet Holywoods standards, They are not going to be the ones to pick us up after we have become anorexic, or balemic. It is your brothers and sisters in Christ who are going to be there for you. "But the goal is to Never get to this point". I know teens who deal with this everyday. It is a mental and physical torment. It takes our eyes off of Jesus and onto ourselves. But i'm here to tell you,,, it's a hard way back to being normal, and finding your relationship with Jesus again. But there is Always Hope! God did Not save us to forsake us. He is Always there waiting with open arms and wanting so badly to help you. When you know WHO you are in Jesus, you will accept yourself just as God made you. ( Psalm 139.) Cj ♥Here are some excerpts from this magazine♥ Book Description Through anecdotes and Scripture, Thomas describes how young women can pull themselves away from the ballroom wall and come to dance-securely and unconditionally-in the arms of their Lord. She acknowledges the fear and anxiety young girls have, and discusses how to turn off the disabling voices in their heads, how to ignore the negative voices of those around them, and how to follow the only voice that has ever mattered. Readers are left with confidence, security, and a challenge to begin a lifelong dance with God. Told from the heart of a women who understands, Beautiful will teach girls how to experience dreams that far surpass any Cinderella, to live a love that is no fairy tale, and to dance for eternity with a God who thinks, who knows, who created them Beautiful. Excerpt. ? Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. When No One Notices I don't think this is just my story. I truly believe that the longing to be known as beautiful is part of our design as girls. God put us together this way on purpose. We are wired to long for beauty, yet the world does a wonderful job of squelching this desire. I realized over time that I could not have anything in life that required me to be beautiful. I understood almost instinctively that I should keep my head down, study hard, try to do the right thing, and maybe life would turn out okay in the end. The journey, of course, can play out in many ways. Your experience may be quite different from mine. My friends who have been beautiful on the outside all of their lives have struggles that are foreign to me. Because they have been noticed for their physical beauty, they fear that no one will ever see their heart or their true self. Or they fear that they will be accepted only because of their beauty and will be rejected if anyone ever looks below the surface. I have a beautiful friend who has anxiety attacks in church because she is afraid that everyone is looking at her. Although it is painfully real for her, it is no exaggeration to say I cannot imagine her struggle. You see, I have always assumed that no one is looking. And so, when no one notices, a lot of us wander through life blending in, always trying to figure out the balance of being just right, like boiled eggs - bland and easy to swallow. Other girls act out, doing anything to get someone to notice. But either way, after lost hope, the ache of disappointment, and the repetitive pain of rejection, the longing to be beautiful is buried and the insecurities grow. The desire to be known as beautiful is eventually stuffed away into an untouchable place in our hearts. We cannot deny that the desire is there - whether you are like my friends or like me. It has been there for every girl I've ever known. Deep down, we long for romance. We long to be rescued. We long for a hero to steal us away. We long to be beautiful. Do you hear me saying that I long to be weak and brainless? Then you have not heard me. I want to be incredibly intelligent, creative, and significant. It's just that when I let myself search for the truth of my heart, it's always in the voice of a little girl who wants to grow up and be beautiful one day too. It fells a little goofy to be wrestling with these truths. But better now than never at all. Maybe no one has ever really noticed you either. And you've learned to pretend that it's okay. It's not okay! You were made to be seen and known and loved deeply. And it's okay to want what you were made for. No More Pretending We all pretend for a while or for a lifetime. But pretending is not living. It's like wearing a designer snow parka and sitting in the lodge but never really skiing down the mountain. When we pretend, we are alive and present, maybe sipping hot chocolate by the fire, but missing the whole extent of what God intended for our lives. Eventually, there was a day when it was just me and God with my insecurity. Everything had hit me at once and I was crying; actually, I was sobbing like a baby. My heart was racing and my chest felt like it was going to explode. And finally, through a blur of tears, these words made their way into my journal: Oh, God, do You think I'm beautiful? No one else has been able?so is it You? There is so much more inside of me, a great well of passion and dreams. A place I never let myself go. Is it safe to trust You with the rest of my heart? What will You do with me if I show You everything? Every desire? Every longing? Every doubt? Every weakness? If I show You, will You still love me? Will You hold me and care for me in the dark? Oh, God, hold me, please hold me and tell me that You love me. Tell me that You'll fight for me. Tell me that I am beautiful. I cried and waited. Empty. I lay on the floor completely spent. The question took up the whole room and there was nothing else to say, except to pray: It's just me. You see it all. You know it's just me. You know how You've made me, and You know how to speak so that I can hear. I cannot move until I hear from You. In the wilderness of that room, as alone as I have ever been, the Lord met me. The words He formed in my mind began to answer the question. In my imagination I could sense the Lord patiently smiling over me, and I heard Him speak into my heart: Yes, Angela, I think that you are beautiful. Your desire has served its purpose; you have finally brought your true heart to Me. Are you tired of pretending? Are you tired of hoping that someone else could fill the place that was meant for Me? I see you, all of you, and you do not have to hide anymore. I see your sin and I see your flaws and I still desire you as My own. I am crazy about you. I am the answer. The "more" that your heart waits for is Me. Yes, dear one, yes, you are incredibly beautiful to Me. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You can order the book from this link...http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1400304261/qid=1048386071/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/002 -3192566-4049665?v=glance&s=books&n=507846 ♥Leaving you with this thought♥ *Your self worth is not based on your outward appearance, but the beauty of Jesus who shines through the countenance of your face* Love~CJ

I was reading "My Daily Bread" this morning and wanted to share it with you. Scripture Matthew 22:34-40 Somehow the command to love doesn't get through to us. We may confess that we lack a strong faith, but seldom do we admit that we are defincient in love. Perhaps we feel we're as loving as the next person, and maybe a little more. Afte all, we're sensitive tot he hurts of other people. We don't enjoy reading newspaper articles about battered wives and abused children. We shift uneasily in front of our tv sets when we see little children sobbing with hunger or sitting in silent despair beyound crying. But deep inside we know that genuine caring reaches beyound (Feelings to Action.) Caring, like steam or electricity, isn't worth much unless something happens as a result of it. Love without deeds dosen't really exist, just as talent not demostrated in creative ways dosen't exist. Both must be expressed or they are a myth. If you want to be a loving person, don't start by taking on the needs of the world. Because we can't do everything. We often don't do anything. Start with caring about one person and build from there. You can't do everything, but you can do something. What you can do, you should do. Today, determine that in the power and grace of God you will do it. ~Haddon Robinson~ Let us be Christ's true disciples, Looking to another's need, Making stony pathways smoother By a gentle word or deed. ~Thorson IN A WORLD THAT "COULDN'T CARE LESS," WE ARE TO BE PEOPLE WHO COULDN'T CARE MORE. Love*** Cj

"Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgement on disputable matters." Romans 14:1. You really have to read the whole chapter to put this verse into context. "We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves." 15:1 So, if you get a chance, read Romans 14. Just a Thought for Today! :flowers: Love* Cj

God Is "Jesus" My God is able to do all things. He is the First and Last, the Beginning and the End! He is the keeper of Creation and the Creator of all! He is the Architect of the universe and the Manager of all times. He always was, He always is, and He always will be ..... Unmoved, Unchanged, Undefeated, and never Undone! He was bruised and brought healing! He was pierced and eased pain! He was persecuted and brought freedom! He was dead and brought life! He is risen and brings power! He reigns and brings Peace! The world can't understand him, The armies can't defeat Him, The schools can't explain Him, and The leaders can't ignore Him. Herod couldn't kill Him, The Pharisees couldn't confuse Him, and The people couldn't hold Him! Nero couldn't crush Him, Hitler couldn't silence Him, The New Age can't replace Him, and Donahue can't explain Him away! He is Light, Love, Longevity, and Lord. He is Goodness, Kindness, Gentleness, and JESUS He is Holy, Righteous, Mighty, Powerful, and Pure. His Ways are Right, His Word is Eternal, His Will is Unchanging, and His Mind is on Me. He is My Redeemer, He is My Saviour, He is My Guide, and He is Always Right. He is My Joy, He is My Comfort, He is My Lord, and He Rules My Life! I serve Him because His Bond is Love, His Burden is Light, and His Goal for Me is Abundant Life. I follow Him because He is The Wisdom of The Wise, The Power of The Powerful, The Ancient of Days, The Ruler of Rulers, The Leader of Leaders, The Overseer of the Overcomers, and The Sovereign Lord of all that Was and Is and Is to Come. And if that seems Impressive to you, try this for size. His goal is a Relationship with ME! He will Never Leave Me, Never Forsake Me, Never Forget Me, Never Overlook Me, and Never cancel my appointment in His appointment book! When I fall, He Lifts Me Up! When I fail, He Forgives! When I am weak, He is Strong! When I am lost, He is The Way! When I am afraid, He is My Courage! When I stumble, He Steadies Me! When I am hurt, He Heals Me! When I am broken, He Mends Me! When I am blind, He Leads Me! When I am hungry, He Feeds Me! When I face trials, He Is With Me! When I face persecution, He Shields Me! When I face problems, He Comforts Me! When I face loss, He Provides for Me! When I face Death, He Carries Me Home! He is Everything for Everybody Everywhere, Every Time, and Every Way! He is God, He is Faithful. I am His, and He is mine! Everyday is a Blessing for GOD Is! "JESUS"

It is written in the Bible (Galatians 6:7): " Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. Here are some men and women who mocked God: JOHN LENNON: Some years before during his interview with an American Magazine, he said: "Christianity will end, it will disappear. I do not have to argue about that. I am certain. Jesus was ok, but his subjects were too simple, Today we are more famous than Him"(1966). Lennon, after saying that the Beatles were more famous than Jesus Christ, was shot six times. TANCREDO NEVES (President of Brazil): During the Presidential campaign, he said if he got 500 votes from his party, not even God would remove him from Presidency. Sure he got the votes, but he got sick a day before being made President, then he died. CAZUZA (Bi-sexual Brazilian composer, singer and poet): During a show in Caneco ( Rio de Janeiro ), w hile smoking his cigarette, he puffed out some smoke into the air and said: "God, that's for you. "He died at the age of 32 of AIDS in a horrible manner. THE MAN WHO BUILT TITANIC: After the construction of Titanic, a reporter asked him how safe the Titanic would be. With an ironic tone he said: "Not even God can sink it." The result: I think you all know what happened to the Titanic. MARILYN MONROE: She was visited by Billy Graham during a presentation of a show. He is a preacher and Evangelist and the Spirit of God had sent him to preach to her. After hearing what the Preacher had to say, she said: "I don't need your Jesus" A week later, she was found dead in her apartment. BON SCOTT: The ex-vocalist of the AC/DC. On one of his 1979 songs he sang: "Don't stop me, I'm going down all the way, wow the highway to hell". On the 19th of February 1980, Bon Scott was found dead, he had been choked by his vomit. CAMPINAS/SP IN 2005 In Campinas, Brazil a group of friends, drunk, went to pick up a friend. The mother accompanied her to the car and was so worried about the drunkenness of her friends and she said to the daughter - holding her hand, who was already seated in the car: "MY DAUGHTER, GO WITH GOD AND MAY HE PROTECT YOU", She responded: ONLY IF HE (GOD) TRAVELS IN THE BOOT, COZ INSIDE HERE IT'S ALREADY FULL" Hours later, news came by that they had been involved in a fatal accident, everyone had died, the car could not be recognized what type of car it had been, but surprisingly, the boot was intact. The police said there was no way the boot could have remained intact. To their surprise, inside the boot was a crate of eggs, none was broken. Many more important people have forgotten that there is no other name that was given so much authority as the name of Jesus. Many have died, but only Jesus died and rose again, and he is still alive. JESUS!!! P.S: If it was a joke, you could have sent it to everyone. So are you going to have courage to send this?.?? I have done my part, Jesus said "If you get embarrassed about me, I will also get embarrassed about you before my father." What benefit does it have, if a man gains the whole world but loses his soul? What can man give in exchange of his soul? (Mathew 16:26). .

MELANIE (age 5) asked her Granny how old she was. Granny replied she was so old she didn't remember any more. Melanie said, "If you don't remember, just look in the back of your panties. Mine say five to six." STEVEN (age 3) hugged and kissed his Mom goodnight. "I love you so much, that when you die I'm going to bury you outside my bedroom window." BRITTANY (age 4) had an earache and wanted a painkiller. She tried in vain to take the lid off the bottle. Seeing her frustration, her Mom explained it was a childproof cap and she'd have to open it for her. Eyes wide with wonder, the little girl asked: "How does it know it's me? SUSAN (age 4) was drinking juice when she got the hiccups. "Please don't give me this juice again," she said, "It makes my teeth cough." D I (age 4) stepped onto the bathroom scale and asked: "How much do I cost?" MARC (age 4) was engrossed in a young couple that were hugging and kissing in a restaurant. Without taking his eyes off them, he asked his dad, "Why is he whispering in her mouth?" CLINTON (age 5) was in his bedroom looking worried. When his Mom asked what was troubling him, he replied, "I don't know what'll happen with this bed when I get married. How will my wife fit in?" JAMES (age 4) was listening to a Bible story. His dad read, "The man named Lot was warned to take his wife and flee out of the city but his wife looked back and was turned to salt. "Concerned, James asked, "What happened to the flea?" TAMMY (age 4) was with her mother when they met an elderly, rather wrinkled woman her Mom knew. Tammy looked at her for awhile and then asked, "Why doesn't your skin fit your face?" Last but not least...The Sermon I think this Mom will never forget. In this particular Sunday sermon, the minister began, "Dear Lord," with arms extended toward heaven and a rapturous look on his upturned face. "Without you, we are but dust." He would have continued, but at that moment my normally very obedient daughter (who was listening!) leaned over to me and asked quite audibly in her shrill little girl voice, "Mommy, what is butt dust?" Love in Jesus*** ♥Cj♥

Where to start? I guess back where it all began. As a child my parent's didn't get along. There was much fighting and even guns involved. My sister, Linda and brother Chris do not remember what I do, as they were too young. When I was 10, my parent's divorced. I was relieved, there was too much violence. My brother and sister lived with my dad and I stayed with my mom. She had her boyfriend's and own life, so I was usually in the way. We lived so many different places, I can't count them all. With mom, there was alot of physical abuse such as hitting me in the head and putting me to the floor. The verbal abuse was worse. I remember at age 7 she told me she wished I'd never been born. I think verbal abuse is worse than physical. They determine how you see yourself. Needless to say I felt like a nobody. One of many violent times I remember, I was 15, we lived in an apartment, and mom's second ex husband was waiting in the apartment when we got home. Mom had another man there with us. We both went upstairs to find Bobby holding a shotgun in our face. I jumped down eleven stairs in one jump and grabed the man who mom was seeing and pulled him out the door. Bobby came running after him and shot him, missing his body and only hitting his hand. I was hiding inbetween the wall and refridgerator. Then he put the gun to mom's head and said he would kill her. For some reason he didn't, he took her outside and beat her up and down the steps. She still saught after the wrong kind of men. The day I turned 16 I left home. No one came after me. I lived with other homeless teens in the city of Raleigh NC. One time a family with 12 kids took me in! For that I'm forever grateful. I also stayed in school, and worked every night after school from 5pm till 10pm. How did I get there? The dangerous old fashion way, hitchiking. That got me into some trouble too, and thank God he spared my life. Me and another girl got in the Van with the Wrong person! God Definatly had a plan for me to lIVE! Another time, Police picked me and another girl up while hitchiking thinking we were run aways. They called her dad, and he came and took her home. I had to tell them where to find my mom, at a bar. They called her, she came down with one of her friends and told them I was on my own. I didn't want to be with her anyway. At 17 I lived with my boyfriend and his mother. She was very good to me. After graduating High School, I went to work in a factory. I baught my own mobile home and car. I even had a dog. Going forward a few years, I changed jobs and wound up working 3 jobs at once. For lack of sleep I started blacking out. During this time I went to a Christian rock concert and found that Jesus loved me despite everything. I RAN to the alter. I had been around Christians that had told me how bad I was and was going to hell. But now I know it's the Love of God that leads men to repentance. I couldn't get enough of the word and found a church that taught right from the bible, like they told us at the concert. I started over as a new creature and left the old life of sin. PRAISE GOD FOREVER! With 3 jobs, my uncle contacted me from Kentucky. He asked me to come live with them and there was plenty of work there. I found a job in a factory making $10 and hour in 1983! WoW... And found an apartment for only $140 a month. So I had started over, lived with my aunt and uncle and cousins for three months. Then I got that apartment. I found a great church there. By this time I was 23. Even though I had been saved, the scars from the abuse where still there. I had no coping skills. My self image was nothing. I cried out to the Lord everyday for healing from this. Little did I know changing jobs again would be the beginning of this healing. The new job was so stressful I started having panic attacks and wound up in the hospital. They put me on med's for Panic Dissorder and that helped tremendously. Two months later I met the love of my life. He was also a believer, as I would not date anyone who was not. We dated 12 weeks and got married. He was a coal miner. So I was able to quit my job and stay home. My mental health problems started to show up in our marriage. We found a wonderful Christian Counselor who made the world of difference in my life. God had lead me to the help I needed. By this time I was 29. I've dealt with head banging, anarexia, anxiety, depression and panic dissorder. It's hard to be so open with this, but I know many other believer's live in a closet suffering these things, because the Christian community sometimes is not very kind; and Someone needs to hear this. Just because we get saved, that dosen't automatically give us the coping skills we need to live a productive life. We need help from those God send's our way to see us through. God not only works through His Word, but through People. I take FULL responsibility for my Sin! I do not let my past keep me from Livng a Full and Fullfilled life in Christ as a WHOLE person! What FREEDOM that is!!! I'm now 48, been married for 19 years and live as a whole person. Yes, The troubles, trials and pain in our lives draw us closer to God. If we had no problems; Would we really need or seek after Him? We are not alone in this, and in no way is it unusual. Quite the contrary! Read the Psalms of David. He poured his heart out to God asking many questions about why he was going through such trials. David is full of complaints, pain and emotional suffering. I'm living proof that no matter what you've gone through. or how you Feel about yourself, You CAN be a Survivor and Know YOU are made just the way God wanted you! There's so much pressure from magazines, comercials, school, and friends to look a certian way or act a certain way. Forget them! They are not going to be the one's to pick you up when you can't messure up to those standards. I didn't share everything, there are some things maybe you just don't need to know. But something I do want you to know is if you are hurting yourself by cutting or any other way, to cope with the pain in your life, God is the Ultimate Physcian! Please seek out help from a loving Adult who has a Firm relationship with God. Not someone else who has problems of their own that they cannot deal with either. What GOD says about us is True! Our Feeling are unreliable and the enemy always uses our minds to keep us in bondage. Just because we Feel a certian way, does Not make it True or Reality. God Loves You because He Says so. Regardless if we can believe it or not. I'm Forever Grateful for the blood of Jesus that ran down, For my sins and salvation. I was brought out of darkness into the light! "He who has been forgiven much, loves much." Love in Christ Jesus* Cj

I know most of you have probablly read this, but it's still good to read it again. ~ The Most Beautiful Heart ~ One day a young man was standing in the middle of the town proclaiming that he had the most beautiful heart in the whole valley. A large crowd gathered and they all admired his heart for it was perfect. There was not a mark or a flaw in it. Yes, they all agreed it truly was the most beautiful heart they had ever seen. The young man was very proud and boasted more loudly about his beautiful heart. Suddenly, an old man appeared at the front of the crowd and said, "Why your heart is not nearly as beautiful as mine." The crowd and the young man looked at the old man's heart. It was beating strongly, but full of scars, it had places where pieces had been removed and other pieces put in, but they didn't fit quite right and there were several jagged edges. In fact, in some places there were deep gouges where whole pieces were missing. The people stared -- how can he say his heart is more beautiful, they thought? The young man looked at the old man's heart and saw its state and laughed. "You must be joking," he said. "Compare your heart with mine, mine is perfect and yours is a mess of scars and tears." "Yes," said the old man, "yours is perfect looking but I would never trade with you. You see, every scar represents a person to whom I have given my love - I tear out a piece of my heart and give it to them, and often they give me a piece of their heart which fits into the empty place in my heart, but because the pieces aren't exact, I have some rough edges, which I cherish, because they remind me of the love we shared. Sometimes I have given pieces of my heart away, and the other person hasn't returned a piece of his heart to me. These are the empty gouges -- giving love is taking a chance. Although these gouges are painful, they stay open, reminding me of the love I have for these people too, and I hope someday they may return and fill the space I have waiting. So now do you see what true beauty is?" The young man stood silently with tears running down his cheeks. He walked up to the old man, reached into his perfect young and beautiful heart, and ripped a piece out. He offered it to the old man with trembling hands. The old man took his offering, placed it in his heart and then took a piece from his old scarred heart and placed it in the wound in the young man's heart. It fit, but not perfectly, as there were some jagged edges. The young man looked at his heart, not perfect anymore but more beautiful than ever, since love from the old man's heart flowed into his. They embraced and walked away side by side. Author: Unknown *** When Jesus was in the garden praying...Father if it be your will, take this cup from me. He knew what was going to happen. When Jesus was on the cross God poured out His wrath against sin on Jesus, who's heart was sinless. Jesus who while we were yet sinners, died for us. Having the sin of the whole world put upon him, this is why He said, Father why has thou forsaken me. Something to think about... Love in Christ* Cj

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