Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: Addicted!

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: Addicted!: I can very easily become addicted to things. An addiction is defined as anything one needs on a regular basis, and can not live without. Som...

Addicted!

I can very easily become addicted to things. An addiction is defined as anything one needs on a regular basis, and can not live without. Some addictions are not as bad as others, but when I focus on what I want, it is rarely a good thing. There are the obvious addictions. My first was smoking. Once I started, it became a most enjoyable part of my life. Quitting didn't work, because I didn't want to quit.

Without this "friend," I was crabby, and not nearly as sociable.

Smoking was part of my identity. Next, was drinking. Granted, I didn't do it all the time, but It too was part of my life. I felt very with it, and in charge while drinking. You would think that once you went through being sick and hung over, that would end it. No. I enjoyed the status of having drinks with friends, or at dinner.

It is easy for me to become addicted to food too. When I find something that I love, it becomes part of the joy of eating. Snacks are special culprits. What happens in forming an addiction? It is forming the habit of something that becomes a part of your life. Even the thought of doing without Spurs you to hang on to it even harder!

I have at times, become addicted to T.V. For a time I had to watch movies everyday on the Lifetime Channel. I planned my day around it. I let Bible study slide, I didn't take time for prayer, I didn't do ministry, because I was too preoccupied with trivial pursuit. The more I did this day after day, the more miserable I became! Like any of my addictions, I had to finally turn it over to The Lord, and let Him be in charge! Once I got to the desperate point, I let go, and fought to get free!

In each case, I could not fight it alone. I am human, I am weak. Some addictions in life, are even harder to dislodge. People use all kinds of things to heal their wounded, fragile, souls! Whether it is food, drugs, alcohol, pornography, sex, or even T.V., we all at one time or another grasp something to make us feel better about ourselves. I know that I was insecure, and had a very low self-image. The way I learned to cope was to hold a drink, a cigarette, or dress to get attention. In that world I created, I could feel adequate. I could feel better and appear better than I was. 

I am not proud of how messed up I was. I am extremely grateful that Jesus saw me in all my ugliness, and false identity, and loved me enough not to leave me there! Once I met Jesus, and gave my life to Him, He changed my heart, and let me see that I didn't need the garbage to be accepted. Did it happen overnight? No, it has been a journey! God has patiently walked me through the past, and helped me deal with each part of my life. He has shown me who I am in Him! 

I must tell you I am not totally there yet! I can still very easily get addicted to things like sweets, and T.V.

But, it is short lived. God lovingly shows me what I am doing, and helps me to go a different direction. I am so thankful I can lean on Him. Nothing is too messed up, or too difficult for Him! It is choices! He will guide and direct you, but you still have a choice! Do you know what your addictions are? Maybe you don't have any. But if you do....Jesus can and will help....just ask Him! I am so glad I did!

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: Gifts!

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: Gifts!: We all like gifts. From the time we are born, we get gifts for Birthday, Anniversary, graduations, wedding, baby shower, and Christmas. All ...

Gifts!

We all like gifts. From the time we are born, we get gifts for Birthday, Anniversary, graduations, wedding, baby shower, and Christmas. All gift worthy occasions! Why do we give gifts? We give gifts to honor the recipient, to share in others joy, and to tell them we love them. We are social creatures. We enjoy other people. Gift giving is one of the oldest traditions, and was common behavior even before we were an advanced culture.

Gifts were common as tributes to rulers of the land. We honor someone else, but we are the ones who feel gratified and happier about ourselves. The giving of a gift is emotional, selfless, and it takes time and thought. This time of year is a time for Christmas gifts, which may have come about because The Magi brought gifts to Jesus.

We run ourselves ragged, fight crowds, and spend money we don't have to find the perfect gifts. Why did that become such a big deal? Unless everyone was born on Christmas Day, it is not their birthday. The Bible says in Matthew 2:1-11, the Wise men came and inquired where to find the King of the Jews. They traveled far and saw Jesus days or weeks after He was born. Did they bring gifts to set an example? No. Did they bring gifts to exchange with others, or among themselves? No. When it is someone's Birthday, do you give gifts to the rest of the family? No. We honor only the Birthday person.

When the Magi saw Jesus, they fell down and worshipped Him. They presented gifts of gold, which was very costly, frankensence for one who would rule, and myrrh, for one who would need burial oil. People of the east never approached the presence of Kings or great people without gifts. It was their custom, but it wasn't their gifts that were precious to Jesus; it was that they fell down and worshipped Him.

The custom we have developed into a fine art of Christmas exchange has no Biblical basis. It is actually a pagan custom. I am not trying to be your Christmas Grinch! I like presents as much as any of you. What I have come to at this point in my life, is that gifts are not my focus. As I walk closer to Jesus, my Christmas is simpler, less hassle, and I am able to focus on the greatest gift you or I could ever receive. Without that gift of Christ, we would celebrate mas. Not much meaning in that, is there?

I love Christmas lights, cookies, music, and yes presents, but I love Jesus more. I used to bake many kinds of cookies, shop, wrap, decorate, make candy, and make myself tired, and stressed. I like now much better. A few decorations, a few gifts, no cookies or candy, more time with the true meaning,of this Holiday.

This year, God has shown me something I never thought of before. What would Jesus want for His Birthday? Jesus wants us to give to others, enjoy our families, and be blessed with good things, including His Grace! Back to my question....what does Jesus want? He desires your heart. Christmas is an ideal time to give Him the gift of YOU! Maybe you gave Him your heart years ago, but maybe you never have. Maybe you are thinking, "What does that even mean?" 

It simply means you accept Jesus as your Savior, and your Lord. It has nothing to do with religion, or going to Church. It is about a personal relationship with Jesus. You acknowledge that He is God's son, sent to earth, died on a cross for your sin, and came back to life, and ascended back to Heaven. You ask Him to forgive your sins, and you give Him your heart, your life. He is in control, and will lead you and teach you where He wants you to go. You give all to Him, He has a plan for your life. He will give you a reborn life. 

You get to be a child of  God, and you are assured your place in Heaven. By giving Jesus your heart today, you receive His gift of Grace. I would love to have you as my brother or sister in Christ, and live in Heaven with you one day. Until that time, I'll just wish you a very Merry Christmas!

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: More Molly Christmas!

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: More Molly Christmas!: It's me Molly, again! I am really liking this Christmas stuff. I know we had it last year too, but I was still a baby, and I don't r...

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: The Season of Joy!

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: The Season of Joy!: As I grow older, I have left the hurry, worry scurry of Christmas behind. I will decorate when I have time, I will not worry about getting c...

The Season of Joy!

As I grow older, I have left the hurry, worry scurry of Christmas behind. I will decorate when I have time, I will not worry about getting cards out, or gifts bought and wrapped. I am finally at peace with the true meaning of Christmas. It is a Birthday!  The most important birthday ever. He wants me focused on Him, and those He needs me to minister to. 

I put up some decorations, but I keep it simple. I buy gift cards, because I don't pretend to know what kids and grandkids want. Am I being selfish? I hope not. I just don't need stuff to celebrate my Jesus' birthday!  I would rather focus on spending time with friends and family, just loving each other, and building memories. 

One of those memories for many years has been Westside Church Pageant. I don't sing or dance, can't memorize lines, but I do what I can do. I have been blessed to be an animal handler. I love all animals, so this is a great way to be a part of the pageant. Each year we have camels, sheep, goats, chickens, and baby animals. To see children and adults faces light up, when given a chance to see these animals up close, and get to pet them, is a joy. You can hear the audience let out a sigh when the first animal appears. 

We have been blessed to make sure children in wheel chairs, or who 

have an illness, get special time to love on these animals. Usually someone will alert us to who in the audience needs this extra touch. The animals themselves don't always cooperate. That in itself ensures memorable moments. One year I had a Pygmy goat. He was fine the first few nights, then decided he had had enough. He would go down the aisle with coaxing but then would stop and not move. Finally by the last performance, we had to carry him. One year a horse got loose on busy Dodge Street in Omaha, and we finally corralled him in a parking lot. Camels spit, camels kick sideways, so you never know what will happen.

This year I also get to be part of the Magi, as we pay tribute to Jesus, and bring Him gifts! In all these presentations, we are brought to the very reason we do this! It is all about Jesus! This fun and time of team work is not about our abilities. It is about God sending His only son to a world deep in sin. We are just the tools God uses to bring His Gospel to the lost!

No matter what your traditions, or how frantic and busy you get this season, it is not about that! God put His plan in place long ago, because He knew we would need help. When we sin, we put ourselves far from God! He is perfect and can not associate with sin! He brought His son, Jesus to this world as a common baby, to grow up into a perfect sacrifice for us. Jesus shed all the blood He had on the cross to cover us, so God would see us as clean. When you take His free gift of salvation, you are clean, you are assured a place in Heaven with God!  That is this season for me! 

Will you put aside the hurry, the shopping, and the activity to sit quietly at Jesus feet? Will you honor Him, instead of things this Christmas?  It's O.K. To do gifts, and decorating, and baking, but don't make them the center of your Christmas!  If you make it about Jesus, all the other things will fall into place! May you have a joyful time, and let your memories be of a tiny baby, born  to all of us who saves you from your sin! 

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: Brothers Four!

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: Brothers Four!: I often dreamed of having a big brother. I was adopted and an only! I knew brothers could be pesky, obnoxious and a nuisance, but they were ...

Brothers Four!

I often dreamed of having a big brother. I was adopted and an only! I knew brothers could be pesky, obnoxious and a nuisance, but they were also protectors, companions, and best friends. I learned as an adult my parents had a chance to adopt an older boy, but they refused. I had come so close.

Through a series of events, God heard the desire of my heart. In 2000 He gave me back to my birth family. It was verified and official. I not only had three sisters, but four, yes, four brothers! I felt so blessed. My oldest brother Bill immediately welcomed me into the family. I think he was as excited as I was. It was a miracle from God, and it was magical!

Bill delighted in including John and I into Thanksgiving and Christmas. He brought out family photos and tried to give me a life time of ancestry in several hours. He was a father figure at 21 years older than me. We talked on the phone every week, he came to our house for dinner, and we ate out in Omaha together. He was the one to make sure everyone was o.k. One Saturday, winter evening, we had just started a fire in the fireplace. We were enjoying the last of special wood we had, when Bill called. When he heard we had started a fire, he said, "Well did you have the chimney cleaned first?" No, I said. "Well you better put the fire out, cause that is dangerous if the chimney is dirty!" There went our fire, because we figured he knew what he was talking about.

My next oldest brother, Frank, I never got to meet. I found my family or it was verified by Lutheran Family Services on a Wednesday. On Friday, John arranged to take me to the cemetery where Mom and Grandma were buried in Omaha. When we got home there were messages from Brother Bill. Frank had a stroke and was in the hospital. Before we could respond, another call came to say another stroke had taken his life. He knew I had been found, and was very glad!

The hard part was meeting the rest of the family at his funeral. It was awkward, and bittersweet. We did not want my reunion to overshadow the family's celebration of his life. Everyone was excited to meet me. The story had spread. Brother Virgil, Mac as he was known kept his distance. At the funeral, his daughter told me he wasn't ready to meet me. He was always Mom's protector, and he wasn't sure about my agenda.

Halfway through the lunch after the service, he agreed to meet me. He soon realized, I just wanted the family I never had.  From then on, I spent a lot of time with him in conversations. For a time, John was an interim pastor at his Church. A month later I met my youngest brother Mike at a family Memorial Day picnic. We were amazed at how much we looked alike. He bemoaned the fact that he was the baby of the family, now I was.

The common thread in all my brothers was football and horse races. We all loved to watch both! For the first time in 57 years, I knew where I belonged! I was home! Mike lived in Arkansas and then Oklahome, so Bill and Mac were the ones I saw most often. It was Mac that visited my adopted Mom in the nursing home, and came to her funeral. As with our Mom, he was all about Moms and family. He was there when I had my knee replaced, and often came to our apartment for coffee and conversation.He was the one who brought our Mom to life for me. When he visited her everyday in a nursing home, he recorded their conversations! He shared all those with me.

Virgil cared for his twin sister, our Mom, then me, because even though he tried to hide it, he had a tender heart. He was caring, and protecting of the ladies in his life. Those living I.  The same town, especially benefited. When Mac went to be with Jesus on my Birthday two days ago, it was hard to deal with. Yet this is one more bond between us. God's hand was on it. We had come full circle. We were separated by my birth, God reunited us years later, and God took him away again on my Birthday!

Four dear brothers, each loving, caring, and mine! All with Jesus now, yet still with us all, until God changes our address one day! 

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: Birth, Adoption, Rebirth.....God's Bigger Plan

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: Birth, Adoption, Rebirth.....God's Bigger Plan: National Adoption Month is dear to my heart! When I pray for Moms and babies thinking about abortion as a solution to a problem, I think abo...

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: Trust Me

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: Trust Me: Do you trust your friends, your family? What does it mean to trust someone. It means you have confidence they will act in your best interest...

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: Quote Scripture Or Live Scripture?

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: Quote Scripture Or Live Scripture?: It is easy to quote scripture, or wise words, but another thing to live it out . I might be able to do it for a day or two, but for always? ...

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: Monster......

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: Monster......: Socially, abortion is acceptable. Morally it is still murder! Abortion creates victims. It has become an even bigger monster, because more h...

Monster......

Socially, abortion is acceptable. Morally it is still murder! Abortion creates victims. It has become an even bigger monster, because more has been added into it. First it was designed to get rid of a baby because it was inconvenient, then the guidelines expanded. Now an abortion can be done late term. Some babies are even born alive, and left to die unattended, or out and out killed by various means. Murder intensified! Soon it will be expanded again. Liberals see nothing wrong with killing children up to the age of four. These post birth abortions would eliminate the difficult child, give parents more income without the child. America, we are out of control. Nothing is sacred, and this abortion monster grows and grows! Murder!

The latest expansion of this evil is harvested body parts that can be sold. This monster now, carefully aborts the baby, so all the parts are whole, and worth money. There is something so sinister about taking an already victim, and adding insult to injury. If this weren't a human as they try to tell us, they wouldn't have body parts to sell.

We are horrified that everyday new monsters of violence, torture and evil are invading our world, yet we allow the biggest monster of depravity to exist. You remember Hitler. He very effectively and purposely  murdered thousands of people, he decided were inferior and unfit to live. No one should have the power to decide who is fit to live. Being judged as sub-human or unwanted should not be a crime punishable by death.

A baby's heart starts beating in 32 days from conception. That's about the time a pregnancy is discovered. These pre-born babies are as human as you and I. Historian Arnold Toynbee once said, "A civilization is judged by how society treats it's most helpless members." Our pre-born children are not undesirable, they are undeveloped potential. They deserve a chance to touch lives, make contributions to society, and have the life God planned for them. Yet these little ones have their voices stilled before they can even cry.

There are still people who don't understand or know God who made them. They refer to babies as meaningless protoplasm. They don't understand or acknowledge that God never has nor will create anything meaningless. Human life was created to have eternal value. Women may need choices, but more than that, they need the truth about the child they helped conceive. Abortionists, and especially Planned Parenthood mislead and lie to keep making money. If they told the truth about this evil, they would be out of business.

Did you know an ultrasound will even show a baby's personality at eight weeks? Pre-born babies wave, do somersaults, and are as cute then as they are when they are born, and snuggled in their mother's arms. It just is not natural to kill your children. There are no winners in abortion. The little victim is killed, and the mother and the killers are affected for their whole lives, Psychologically. All will be haunted by what they have done, if not now, some day.

Young women going to Planned Parenthood for answers, are only offered abortion. Their name alone is ludicrous. Planned Parenthood is evidentially Planned Murder. They offer no other solutions. They try to say they are about women's health, but that is another lie. What can I do, you ask. We can help save a little life, one at a time. Spread the word, point the hurting to Jesus, and pray often! This is a war, but don't be afraid to fight!

Life is no longer sacred. If history has stepped on Jesus, the blacks, the Jews, what chance do helpless pre-born babies have? Never forget God is the creator and giver of life. It is a gift! I often wonder how many doctors, scientists, pastors, teachers, mothers, and fathers

has our society killed, needlessly. How many more will die, because society said it is O.K? Think about all those who never got a hug, had no childhood joys, or someone to say, "I Love You."

Only God gave us life, and only He has the right to decide when that life ends. Are you big enough to fit in shoes only God should wear?

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: A Special Place!

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: A Special Place!: Do you have a place that is special to you? A place where you can think, dream, and just be. It might be an actual place, or it could be onl...

A Special Place!

Do you have a place that is special to you? A place where you can think, dream, and just be. It might be an actual place, or it could be only in your head. Do I need a special place, you ask? I can't answer that for you, but for me it is necessary, and my place has been with me since the 1990s. I don't know if I can even explain it, it may not translate into actual words.

You see my place is the ceiling of our sanctuary at Church. Sounds weird I know, but it all started years ago when we were new to Westside Church in Omaha. At the time, I was not good at a budget, and the only major problems we had was my spending more than we had. By Sunday, I was usually dreading Monday, because I was juggling money, and not well. This didn't happen all the time, but it was often enough. I was afraid to let my husband help me, because I believed he would no longer love me, if he knew I had messed up.

My life long battle with self esteem and fears of being a loser, colored

everything I did. It took God a long time to move me through all this. I began feeling safe when we sang praise music, and I started looking up to the heavens. Actually that was the ceiling of our sanctuary. I can't explain it, I just know it started becoming a place that soothed my soul, made me feel safe, and that never went away! When I looked up at that high ceiling, I felt closer to God. I could picture Him above me in Heaven, looking down.

That may seem strange, but I don't know how else to say it. This was our first time at Westside. John was then pastor of a Church in Schuyler, and then a pastor on staff at Cornerstone Church in Omaha. Even though we were gone from Westside for awhile, it was always our Church home. Now we have been back for three years, and my safe haven, my ceiling still means the same to me.

Most of our problems now are health concerns, but God has brought us through so much. I can not imagine singing praise music on Sunday without my ceiling. It has been painted different colors over the years, but it is still my go to place to pray during a song, be uplifted by the songs words, and to praise my Lord for all He does! It reminds me of God's care, His unlimited love, and that I am safe!

I can't explain my peace, and joy when I lift my eyes to that ceiling, but it is real for me!

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: My Best Friend!

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: My Best Friend!: Tomorrow I will have been married to my best friend for 37 years!  At this time in our life together, we think simultaneous, and we even hav...

My Best Friend!

Tomorrow I will have been married to my best friend for 37 years!  At this time in our life together, we think simultaneous, and we even have common aches and pains! We have built a love and a friendship out of pain, disappointment, sad times, and hooray times! A marriage is like that. It starts out with stars in your eyes, and dreams.     

Reality is, hard work, and lots of compromise! 

John has super patience. When we met and married, I had no relationship with Jesus. I struggled a lot letting John be the head of our house. I thought I knew better, and he always proved me wrong. I struggled with honor and obey. I was fine, if we were thinking alike, but if he wanted something different, I was not too agreeable.

Once I found God, and began a relationship with Jesus, that slowly changed. Through all my silliness, John stayed loyal, and even refrained from saying, "Told you so!" I can not count how many times he had to forgive my arrogance, self-centeredness, and mistakes. Did, he get mad? Yes, when he needed to, but it never has lasted too long. Amazingly he loves me as I am.

He always takes care of me, and makes me feel special. Because of my upbringing, I felt like I had to hide the real me, so he would still love me. He has helped me see that I don't need to do that. Over the years, he has been generous with his time. I am blessed with a husband that would rather be with me than the guys. Over the years he has surprised me with making dinners, having a candlelit bath ready for me when I came home from work, and with dinners out. 

We have come to realize, God made us perfect for each other. God knew I needed to be pushed in directions I didn't want to go. He knew I needed lots of love, and someone I could have fun with. John is all that! He always has my back!  Even when he hurts or doesn't feel good, he is more concerned about me! He is never too busy to talk. We have never run out of things to talk about.

His humor is one of a kind! We have laughed a lot and often in 37 years! We see humor in weird things, but there is comfort in being a little weird together. As I write this, John is making a shelf with legs to fit in our closet, so I have more room for shoes and purses. Most of all, he is my spiritual leader. He guides our home toward Jesus, and praying together is a huge blessing. He has been there in all my writing and has had to go out of his way sometimes, when there were computer glitches, and I had a deadline. He gives of himself to so many, but I am grateful, he puts me first!

I can't imagine life without you John! I love you with all my heard, and many, many, times more than when we began this journey! I am grateful for your love, your guidance, and your care! We are forever....here or in Heaven!

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: All Are Victims!

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: All Are Victims!: I'm headed for death. The verdict is in, and I have been found guilty of being inconvenient. Although I'm not very big yet, I will c...

All Are Victims!

I'm headed for death. The verdict is in, and I have been found guilty of being inconvenient. Although I'm not very big yet, I will cause you some discomfort and pain. I will take up a lot of your time and will do little for you except give you smiles, and snuggles. Some will tell you I'm not worth much and I'm not equipped to argue with them.

They will tell you I am not human, and have no value. They will say I am just a blob of tissue, and can be destroyed....no problem. In my defense, I haven't killed anyone, or stolen anything, or lied, but I'm still deemed undesirable. I will take a lot of love and care. If I were given a chance, you would learn to love me, but now I won't have that time with you! 

I don't know when my time with you will end. It may be in 32 days, 42 days, or even 84 days. I'll have no warning, but at some point, I'll be pulled apart, piece by piece, and executed. I make noise, I cry in pain, but no one hears my voice. It is too small, and they don't care. I wish I could tell you that I do feel the pain, even though they say I don't.

I wish I could tell you that I could have contributed to your life. God created me as surely as He created you. He had a plan for my life, and for the people I would have touched by my existence. I am so sorry we'll never know each other or hold each other. One more thing, I forgive you. I know you were misinformed about me. They lied to you. When you do think of me....and you will, God will gather your tears in a bottle as He says in Psalm 56:8.

I am your pre-born son, your pre-born daughter, who loved you, but didn't survive the abortion.

A mother has a heart that beats, her unborn baby has a heart that beats. Mom has eyes, ears, fingers, and toes. Unborn baby has eyes, ears, fingers and toes. Moms have all the other parts that make her human, and the unborn baby does too. Babies are simply in different stages of progress. Undeveloped potential!

If you are human and alive, why isn't your baby? Moms have been convinced this is not human, it is inconvenient, and they can hire someone for money to murder it. That is abortion!  This little committed no crime, has no voice, and is torn limb from limb from the inside. Women are convince it is their choice, over their bodies. First the victim is not your body, it is the baby's. Second,  the choices should have been made before a child was formed. Abortionists will convince women they are doing something normal and noble. That is another lie.

This is no different from the Old Testament people who threw their babies into fire pits as sacrifices to the gods they worshiped. Abortion kills babies today as a sacrifice for selfish desires. God did not stay silent...there were consequences. From the women I have talked to that had abortions, they have suffered physical emotional, and mental consequences. The abortionists don't care about that. It's just another day of baby body parts that add up to money.

God can and will forgive if abortionists, nurses, or Moms want to be free of this. It is like any other sin, it is against God's word, but if we repent and turn from our wicked ways, He will forgive. If they accept Him as their Lord and Savior, they can live free of the pain. A prime example is the woman that started abortion being legal in Roe vs Wade,  she

became a born again Christian. Now she works tirelessly to try and reverse the monster she helped create. God is good! He was the first ever to love the sinner, but hate their sin!  For my friends who don't agree, I have to speak out, because abortion is wrong. It takes a human life!

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: Survivor!

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: Survivor!: I am a survivor! I am a survivor from being lost in sin to being rescued by Jesus! What does the heart of a sinner look like? Mine was as bl...

Survivor!

I am a survivor! I am a survivor from being lost in sin to being rescued by Jesus! What does the heart of a sinner look like? Mine was as black as it could be. It was ugly, mean spirited, and was a good follower of Satan. I was a very selfish, egotistical person. The world revolved around me, and if it didn't I was nasty and mean to whoever crossed my path!

I don't think I started out that way. I was a fairly normal little girl. I was spoiled, and got everything I wanted. Perhaps that was the problem. Deep down I was a scared, insecure little girl. Only my Dad loved me. So I learned to act tough with my friends. We played at my house. We played what I wanted to, and I got the good parts in our play acting games. If a friend opposed me, I took my toys inside, and told them to go home!

Sunday School I did because I was promised a puppy! Church I did, because I had no choice. I did not care about either. As a

Teen, I went to Youth activities and Church because of boys. I am sure my mind wandered in Church more than any lost lamb ever! And I did not care! I didn't know it, but I was of the world, I did not have the right values, and I was satan's girl. It was all about me. 

I know it sounds like I was some kind of monster, but to the world and my friends, I was average, and normal. I didn't steal, or hurt people, except with words, and I was polite and respectful to those in authority. I focused on things money could buy, dating, clothes, and my looks. Never once did I worry about what was on the inside. As I got into college, I drank, smoked, and spouted off words that were awful. I was a flirt and a tease. It was all about fun. When I didn't have to go to Church anymore, I didn't. God was not real to me so He was not part of my life. 

I discovered witchcraft, transcendental meditation, and everything connected with it. Taro cards, spells,  and horoscopes all fascinated me. Then a time came when I was no longer happy living on the dark side. My soul was black, my heart was black, and suddenly it was no longer fun. I became miserable and started searching, but for what? I had no idea. I joined the Catholic Church. They had a beautiful Church, ritual, and my friends belonged. I was in the blackest of pits and didn't know how to get out. At the time I'm not sure I wanted out. Satan and bad behavior, and sin were all I knew. I was part of the world, and convinced myself it wasn't bad. If the world wasn't bad or sinful, then I couldn't be either.

What I didn't know was, God's hand was on me. He had been there all along, and He was not letting go. He knew one day I would turn to Him and accept Him as my Lord and Savior. He knew exactly where I needed to be, and what I needed to hear! For me it became a terrible fear of death. At some level, I knew I was awful, ugly in sin, and I was terrified I wouldn't be good enough to go to Heaven. I knew just enough to be totally confused.

God did meet me one morning. He used a T.V. Evangelist in Arizona to reach me with His Gospel message! I had family praying for me, and I listened, and I said yes Lord! I was reborn. My spirit was washed clean, my heart was new, and I was filled with a joy I had never known! God cleaned up my language immediately, because that must have really bothered Him. He gave me a new loving, gene rouse heart. I began to see me as God had seen me. That was amazing, because it was hard to look at, and yet He did and He loved me anyway!

It is amazing even in the midst of trouble, pain, illness, and loss how beautiful a life lived in Christ can be! It is like night and day. Yes, I am a survivor! I lived through the depths of hell, and came out on the other side as a Princess of The King! My life broke Jesus heart, but He let me come back to Him! I chose life as a survivor!

Wait For It

LAs I attended our Church kick-off for our Christmas Pageant, my mind began to wander. The name of our Pageant this year is The Waiting Room. That brought to mind that our life is a constant round of waiting. From the beginning of who we are, we wait to be born. There is an estimated date of birth, yet, Moms and Dads are in a holding pattern, waiting for the blessed event. Even after that first birth pain, it's a wait time until the little one is actually here.

From then on, we wait. Babies can't do for themselves, so they wait for Mom to feed them, change them, and they wait for the day they can walk, talk, and run. We wait to go to Kindergarten and be a big kid. We wait to learn to ride a bike. We wait to become a teenager and we wait for our first date, first kiss!

We all grew up with so many phrases telling us to wait. Wait your turn, wait for me. Wait until your Father comes home! (I heard that one a lot!) You have to wait until after dinner for dessert. Wait and see, waiting for the weekend! We spend most of our time waiting for something. It's hard to wait. Most of us don't really enjoy waiting. We want instant gratification. Instant reward. 

As we get older, waiting is just as hard as when you were a child waiting for Christmas. As adults our waits get more complicated, more serious, more urgent. We apply for a job, then we wait. Will we get it? We have a chance to buy the home of our dreams...then we wait to see if it is ours. We become engaged to be married. We wait through months of planning before the magical day arrives. We wait for our children to be born just as our parents waited for us. 

Through our waiting life, we will at some point wait in a hospital waiting room. A loved one is in surgery, or very ill. We wait on tests, we wait for the doctor to fix it. We pray and wait for  God to heal. We wait for retirement, we wait for children to come home to visit, and we wait for the end of our life!

God's people waited too. They waited throughout the Bible for God to rescue them from their enemies, from tragedies, and  they waited for God to send their Messiah. God's plan didn't unfold all at once, it took many generations before His perfect plan was born! After waiting years and years, Jesus was born! We waited when we didn't know what we were waiting for. 

God sent His son to earth, as a human baby, so that He could shed His blood for each of us. If you have not given your heart to Jesus, this is foreign to you. It was to me too. We are all sinners. Because God is perfect, He can not be in a relationship with sinners. So He planned to send His son to take our sin on Himself, bleed and die, so that sin could be forgiven. Jesus waited three years while He taught God's word to many, before He was crucified for us. 

Jesus waited in the grave three days, then arose and is still with us! If we ask Him to forgive us, He will. We are made clean with the blood He shed. Now we can have a personal relationship with God, and we can spend eternity with Him! The blood of the Lamb, Jesus covers us. Right now, if you haven't given your life, your heart to Him, He is waiting! 

Our final wait is when we close our eyes on this world, and open them in heaven. When we accept Him, turn from our sin, and ask forgiveness, we are assured we will spend eternity with God in Heaven. So we wait. We are not fearful, because it is a joyful event, and we are at peace. We as believers know Jesus is coming back. If we do not die before that, we will be caught up in the air when Jesus returns for us. And we wait! Will you take Him as your Savior, so you can wait in peace? Are you ready for the final wait of this life? It is a free choice. God will not force you, but He is waiting just for you! 

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: Culturally Right Or Go...

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: Culturally Right Or Go...: Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: Culturally Right Or God Right? : Culture says almost anything is right. If it makes money, or if it feels good, ...

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: Culturally Right Or God Right?

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: Culturally Right Or God Right?: Culture says almost anything is right. If it makes money, or if it feels good, do it! It doesn't matter what the consequences are to oth...

Culturally Right Or God Right?

Culture says almost anything is right. If it makes money, or if it feels good, do it! It doesn't matter what the consequences are to others or to you. God and the Bible are behind the times. It may have applied in the past, but not today! After all, we know what's best for us.....right?

How should we discern right from wrong?

 First we have to acknowledge God and His word are still relevant today. It doesn't matter what our culture says. When we see our world openly practicing evil, we see a world that is lost. When wrong becomes right, it reveals evil in the hearts of the lost.

It is God who sees our heart. God searches our heart. If our heart chooses to believe lies, our heart will tell us lies. When our society allows wrong to become right, it dares God to send judgment. I often look at the news of the day. It reports crimes against others, floods, storms, terrorist attacks, and I wonder.... Is this God's judgment?

It appears things are getting worse in our culture. Evil is running rampant, and yet so many don't understand God's judgment or His ways. You see, we serve a God who is just, full of Grace and Mercy. He gives people chance after chance to repent of their sin, and accept Him as the ruler of their life. Eventually God comes to a point when He gives you over to your sin.

Doing evil and applauding the evil one are the same, both are sin. Following selfish desires instead of God, is allowing our wrong to become our right which results in rejecting God. When a people reject God, a people have fallen. Will you stand for God, or for the approval of other people? There is no in between. If you are luke warm, God will spit you out as He says in Revaluation to one of the seven Churches.

God created you. He knows you. He loves you. Are you His child? Some believe we are all God's children, but that is a lie.  God's Children, have experienced a new birth. They have accepted Him as their Savior, turned from their sin, and let Him have control of all their life. Our society today, on the other side, are trying to eliminate Him  totally. So if you are for God and what is truly right, don't agree with world's view of right. Don't try to appease the wrong, and don't minimize the wrong. If God says it is wrong...it is wrong!

Stand for what's right. Warn our culture. Embrace and declare Biblical values. Be strong and stand on the truth. Be at peace and do right. Share Christ with others. We Christians can make a difference, one person at a time! Pray for those who are lost in this worldly maze of the new right. Once you were on that side of the fence. By praying and sharing you can be a light in the dark.

When a society continually chooses wrong, their moral compass becomes skewed. What once was right no longer has any affect when it becomes wrong. For so many they no longer see wrong. Everything is good. It is time to raise up an army of believers who aren't afraid o speak truth into others. We can no longer sit back and pretend it's O.K. It isn't!  If we don't speak out, who will?

Don't apologize, and don't be intimidated. When you are

called judgmental, remember the accuser is judging you!  You are speaking up for what is right in God's eyes. Only God is the ultimate and final judge!

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: New Address!

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: New Address!: She has a new address now. She doesn't live here any more. Her frail body is healed, and she is rejoicing in Heaven with Jesus. She was ...

New Address!

She has a new address now. She doesn't live here any more. Her frail body is healed, and she is rejoicing in Heaven with Jesus. She was old, she had lived a long life, and she was tired. Her eyes had dimmed, and she couldn't always hear us, but she kept her humor and her smile to the end.

This red head was a feisty lady. She did things her way, and was very independent. She was German, and no nonsense. She was proud that she worked hard, and took care of her boys, and herself, and never asked for help! She left home and her Mom and Dad, and 11 siblings when she was very young. From there she worked, she married, and she had two boys.

There was only one thing that could totally do her in. Snakes! She was terrified of snakes of any kind. The mere mention of the word made her shiver. Once when she and the boys were home on the farm they lived on outside Omaha, a snake dared to enter her yard. She went in and got the shotgun, stood up on a block of wood, and with the gun on her arm, not her shoulder, she proceeded to fire. She missed the snake, and bruised her arm greatly! The snake slithered away, probably with a smile. 

She was a lady who had a lot of friends wherever she went. After working all day, she bowled on a team, she ate with friends, and she played Bingo. She wasn't shy about traveling, and enjoyed trips to Arizona, Amana Colonies in Iowa, and even a Cruise. She loved to joke with people, and she loved to Polka. She was game for anything fun!

Fun as she was, she was a worrier. Even though she knew God was in charge, she worried. As she got older, she watched the news and weather, but got confused. If they said it was snowing or flooding somewhere in the country, she thought it was in her neighborhood. She worried about her family. Always wanting to know if they were o.k. She wanted the details of everyone's life, jobs, and general circumstances. 

Later in life after she retired, she taught an exercise class for the ladies in her apartment building. She helped decorate and fix food for any events in her building. She learned how to do ceramics. She made some beautiful things. She was always there to help others fire their pieces when they needed help. She was an avid reader, up until her eyes were too dim to see. She had dozens of cook books, and dozens of other recipes cut from magazines, and papers. Her big love besides Bingo was crossword puzzles. She was very proud of the fact that she did them in ink, she knew words most people don't, and spent her life learning more every day.

Who was this lady? I was blessed to call her mother-in-law. I married her youngest, and she welcomed me in. We didn't always agree, but I learned from her. I learned to be strong, and to enjoy family time just visiting. We didn't have to go anywhere, or have an event. I learned about loyalty to family! Even into her 90s, when I had surgery for a knee replacement, she waited on me. She made sure I had food, and she did my ironing. By that time she lived down the hall from us, so she was right there. A few years later, I was privileged to take care of her. 

She has been in her new home now for Three years. She is surrounded by music, which she loved. She can dance down a street of gold if she chooses. Her frail body is healed, her eyes see again, and she can here all the sounds of her new home. We still miss her, and find we want to tell her something, only to remember, she's not here, she's there. One day, we will join her, and what a joy that will be! She wasn't' just my mother-in-law....she was my Mom!

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: What God Puts Together,

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: What God Puts Together,: Little girls dream of that special day when they walk down the aisle to be joined with the man of their dreams on their Wedding Day. As litt...

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: Pain Is A Pain!

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: Pain Is A Pain!: No one wants it. No one greets it with open arms. No one ever truly understands why it comes to them or loved ones, or friends. Pain has man...

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: Why Me Lord?

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: Why Me Lord?: When troubles hit, are you grounded? Do you stand firm in your belief that God will take care of the problem? Most often, we stand firm for ...

Why Me Lord?

When troubles hit, are you grounded? Do you stand firm in your belief that God will take care of the problem? Most often, we stand firm for awhile, but as day after day goes by with no relief, we can lose heart. We sometimes find we have no patience for waiting.

Of course we have all heard, "God will take care of this, or in God's timing." Friends  or Church family assure us, that God hears us,and you just have to have faith. That's all true, but those words just automatically tumble out to reassure someone in crisis. Sometimes that's all they are, words!

We believers also know that God does answer prayer, but not always how we have it planned. We need to look to the character of God. He is not a magic genie trapped in a bottle. We can't summon Him by rubbing a bottle, and expect Him to do our biding. Our prayers are not about us, but a way of communicating with our Savior, our Lord. He absolutely wants you to approach Him with your wants and needs, but He wants your heart first!

After walking with Him, learning some hard lessons from Him, I have learned to rely on His plans. I have learned patience, and to wait for Him to answer. Do I have that totally right? No! I am too human for that, but I am getting better. I trust Jesus totally with my life, my family, and I know He is trustworthy. It is never easy, but I have learned a few things about prayer, and God's answers.

God has answered yes, almost before the prayer is out of my mouth. Other times, He very clearly says No. Most of the time, He says wait! Waiting, I have learned consists of a loving Father orchestrating what is best for me. I am still a child, so I don't always recognize what is good for me. What I have learned is that just because I can't see God working out my problem, doesn't mean He isn't putting a plan together. He is there rearranging circumstances to give me the best for me. 

I have learned that I may think the plan is the perfect plan, only to have God shut that door. He may present many "look like" solutions for me, but each one is shut down. Why? In my case, and in the case of various friends, because God has a better plan. As He directs me to the path that is for me, He has to shut doors, so I will keep going until I am standing in front of the right door. When that happens, every detail falls into place perfectly. God's perfect plan or solution for my needs.

The hardest of all is understanding why a loving God would make us wait, or why He would give us that crisis, or problem in the first place. "How can a loving God do that to me?" Why me Lord?"

How many times you feel like God doesn't care. We yell at Him, we get angry, we lose hope. Been there? Of course we all have. It also seem

s to all hit at once. We may have a problem, and before that's resolved, another, and another hits. At those times, we yell out, "I can't take any more! Where are you God?

I asked God that once. It was as though He were in the room with me, and audibly said, " I did not go anywhere, you stepped away from me." That was an eye opener. As I grow and learn, I have learned, God is always on time, but usually it is a plan I would not have thought of. It is so much better, and far more of a blessing than I could have imagined.

Why doesn't God grant our every wish?  For one thing, He knows what lies ahead. He knows us so completely, he knows what is good for us. God uses these wait times not only to teach me, but He uses my experiences to help others. The more trouble I experience, the more I wait for answers, the more joyous my heart, when the crisis is resolved. In that huge relief, I can first hand minister to someone else waiting for answered prayer. I can walk someone else through, and help them make sense from their wait. Because of what God has done, and does do for me, I can relate to others. I can better help them not lose heart. Why me Lord?  Why not? It will always be my training ground, and my ministry for others!

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: No Whispers, Please!

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: No Whispers, Please!: Tolerance appears to be a benign way to get along with people who are different. We hear every day that we must be tolerant. Wha does that e...

No Whispers, Please!

Tolerance appears to be a benign way to get along with people who are different. We hear every day that we must be tolerant. What does that even mean? Tolerance means to recognize and respect others beliefs and practices without agreeing. In our schools today, your children are taught about alternate life styles, and that the world just evolved. The Bible is untrue, and there is no need for the Pledge of Allegiance. Christian parents who object are called intolerant.

In today's world, tolerance means something very different. The new tolerance includes every belief, value, life style, and truth as being equally valid. People have a right to their beliefs, and all beliefs are equal. We have gone beyond respecting others' rights. Now we also have to endorse and embrace their beliefs and life styles.

If we Christians speak up against un-Biblical truth, we are the intolerant ones. It is getting worse, and the day is coming when our freedom of choice will be denied completely. Many today cry, "Hate Crime!" They want those who don't agree with them to be punished by law. Christians speaking God's Holy Word, especially on unpopular messages, are labeled judgemental.

I find it interesting that those judging us are never judged. Christians today are the only group without religious rights. We are seen by unbelievers as offensive. They want all symbols of Christianity destroyed, or at least out of sight, because someone, somewhere, somehow is offended. According to God's word, this situation will only get worse.

We believe we can embrace and love all people, but not all beliefs. We Christians truly do love you with God's love, but we can not, and will not love your sin. We hate our own sin when it is shown to us by the Holy Spirit, so why would yours be any different? Anything against God's teaching is sin. The new tolerance teaches that I have to agree with your beliefs, no matter what. If I speak out in disagreement, I must hate you.

Judges 21:25 says, "Know this first of all that in the last days, mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own truths." When God is removed from life and society, there are no guidelines left, other than what each individual thinks. We are being asked to accept out and out sin! No one even considers we might be offended.

We need to wake up and continue to stand against those trying to tear down all we believe. Christians today are the new martyrs for the faith. We have to raise our voices! No more whispering. In America now, the minority rules. They oppose God, His word, and they oppose all that is decent  and right. They are yelling, so all will hear. We, the majority of Christians are whispering.

God is making me bolder, and I have taken my stand for my Lord and Savior, Jesus. I will love you, but I will defend what is right according to The Bible! You can not pick and choose what part of  God's word you will follow. And you can not decide to ignore what goes against your fun. Without God's standards, our best efforts in life will fail!  If you are wanting my approval for your sin, just so I can be deemed tolerant.....I will shout out my faith based on God's Holy Word......I will not whisper!

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: God Is Still God!

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: God Is Still God!: It doesn't matter if you believe or not. It doesn't change the fact that God is God. He is sovereign, He is omnipresent, He is omnip...

God Is Still God!

It doesn't matter if you believe or not. It doesn't change the fact that God is God. He is sovereign, He is omnipresent, He is omnipotent. More than 2000 years ago, men tried to kill Him, because they didn't like what He said. You see how well that worked for them! Yes, He died, but He rose from the dead, and is still with us.

Christians are accused of being intolerant when we express Biblical truth. We are told we are one sided, because we think only God's word is right. One thing you can't ignore or destroy is God made a one sided world from the beginning. The world operates on one-sided-ness every day. Two plus two equals four. It will always equal four. An orchestra is filled with many instruments, each with their own sound. They are played according to a set of musical laws. If each played instrument played whatever, it wanted, it would be noisy chaos. All aeronautical engineers build aircraft with a single set of aerodynamic laws. You can say that's not right all you want, but it doesn't change it.

A dress and heels don't make a woman, if God designed you as a man. Having sex change surgery doesn't make you a woman, if God designed you as a man! You can argue, debate, and justify it, but it doesn't change who God designed you to be! Believing God somehow made a mistake in creating you 

is a lie from satan.  If God wanted you to be a male, He certainly didn't mistakenly create you a female and then tell you to change it.

God knew who and what you would be, by His plan, long before your parents were born. That eliminates the theory that He made a mistake designing you. I know those who are gay or transgender believe God made a horrible mistake, and that they know better than God. If they believe satan's lies, it gives them a license to sin. It's someone else's' fault. We have all done that at one time or another, but if we belong to God and follow Him, we learn, we turn from that behavior, acknowledge it is sin, and take responsibility for our actions.

Satan loves to drive a wedge between humans and the God who created them. Some will say the Bible isn't true, God is all about love. Yes God does love you, but if you don't get right with Him, and quit going against His word, you will suffer the consequences. He is a loving God, but He is also a just God. You can argue about the Bible all you want, it doesn't change God's word. Some say man wrote the Bible. Yes they did do the physical writing, but God did the dictating. When you read the Bible all the way through, it builds on itself, it proves itself, and prophecies at the beginning are fulfilled hundreds of years later. How do a few men manage that. 

If you don't believe it, or live it, it is still God and only God's Holy word! He doesn't need you to help Him explain the Bible. He wants your love, your faith, and your obedience, given freely as your choice. If you don't know God intimately, it is easy to let satan deceive you.

What I say next is not to be mean, judgmental, or intolerant. It is the opposite. I have the love of Jesus in me, and I want that for you, if you are not there. If you aren't following God, by having a personal relationship with Him, you are lost. That allows you to live outside God's word. That breaks my heart, because I was there once. I believed satan's lies. I even worshipped satan. 

You may not believe in God. You may think you are fine. I did. You may even go to Church, you are a nice person. You even do nice things for others. But you also may not know who God really is. You don't know His personality, and maybe sin is no big deal to you. If I sit in Church every week, that doesn't make me a Christian, any more than sitting in a gym makes me an athlete.

Whether you believe me or not, God's word says in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me." Jesus says that because He died on a cross, so His blood could cover my sins, your sins, so we could fellowship with God. It is your choice to choose how you will live. There is no gray area. It is either black(satan) or white (Jesus). Your choice does affect your eternity. Everyone faces eternity, but where you spend yours is your choice.

Remember, just because you don't believe the Bible, or God, it does not change His sovereignty. You can call me judgemental but it will not stop me from praying for you. It will not change my mind. God remains the same, His word remains the same. As a Christian and an American, I can not let a few tell me that their skewed ideas are right. 

I am no ones' judge. God has that job. He will judge everyone someday. My sins are forgiven, I am assured of Heaven, but I will still be judged for what I said, did, or didn't do. God will only allow so much evil before His righteous anger kicks in. God is, and always has been in control. Even if you don't believe that, it's still true! God is God!

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: I Do Love You!

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: I Do Love You!: Marriage between one man and one woman is one of God's blessings to His people! Someone said marriage is a 50/50 deal. That is not true....

I Do Love You!

Marriage between one man and one woman is one of God's blessings to His people! Someone said marriage is a 50/50 deal. That is not true. A marriage is 100/100. Wonderful, Godly marriages don't just happen. They take dedication, patience, and a lot of work. 100% effort all the time, by both husband and wife!

Anytime you join a man and a woman into one family unit, ask them to live for each other, only, and ask them to live together until death, you have two people with different ways, different attitudes, and different goals. If they are committed to each other, their years together are a constant blending, giving, taking, and giving yet again.

I was excited when my husband John proposed to me. We had only been dating about three months, but we knew we were a match. Then I had a moment of panic. Did I really want to do this? Then of all things, we went to a Gene Wilder movie, and the movies's song was, "Taking A Chance On Love Again." It was all I needed, and I knew this was right. We will celebrate our 37th anniversary in September.

Has our marriage always been perfect, joyful, and without strife? No! At first, we seemed at times to be on two different pages. We have learned that men and women really do think differently about things, and the way they should be done. It doesn't mean either are wrong, just different. Words can be said in one way, and heard in a different way. Once God became the head of our house, we worked through a lot of conflict!

We have learned several lessons. Respect each other's ideas. I may think some of my husband's actions, likes, and dislikes are silly and unimportant, but I do not tell him that. I live with those quirks. I have ideas and actions that he thinks are silly, but those are my quirks. There is nothing so hurtful, than to have your best friend make you think something you like is stupid.

Always be there with your physical, emotional, and spiritual support. It's important to know you can count on each other when you are hurting, facing a problem, or have a conflict. It is those times, we put our own needs on the back burner, and let your spouse have priority. This is where you practice give and take. God will sometimes give you mutual issues, to work through together, but more often, one spouse is down when the other is up. When your spouse is having a bad day, or a bad season, be there for them 100%.

Laugh together, always, and often! John and I have been given similar humor. We like to watch comedy, and often, we can quote something funny from a show or movie, and get the other to laugh as hard as when we saw it the first time. We have each done such silly things in our years together, and it has given us a lot of laughs, and fun together.

Choose your battles! Your spouse will sometimes do things you really hate. If they aren't major, if they can be ignored and not hurt anyone....LET THEM GO! Sometimes you will do something, and again, hopefully your spouse will let it go. Not everything is worth a battle. Always, always ask for forgiveness, and give forgiveness when needed!

Be patient, be kind, think no evil. Put aside your ego, your wants, focus on your spouse! Love as God our Father loves us. This is God's standard. He planned from the beginning, for one man, Adam, and one woman, Eve, to live together, share everything, and to put God first ! We know they blew it, but if we put  God at the top of our marriage triangle, watch what happens. I am on one corner, John is on the opposite corner. As we grow, working up each side of the triangle, do you see what happens? We grow closer, and closer to God at the top.

If we let Him, He will guide and direct our marriage. He will be in the very midst of all we do. Growing and learning together with Him, has given us a beautiful relationship! We have been through a lot including, laughter, tears, hurts, and set backs, but God has brought us through! I love my husband more today than when I married him. We are a pair. In God's infinite wisdom, He paired a man and a woman with similarities,and some differences, who would compliment each other. What one is strong in, the other is strong somewhere else. We were meant to be together of that I am sure. 

In this day when same sex marriage is popular, I am sorry they have been mislead into that. They are missing so much. God's plan is the perfect plan, and we were designed for a man and a woman to compliment and blend as one. Anything else is one of satan's lies.

I am not judging, but simply sharing what God has taught me, and what He has given us! My best friend, John is my first, and best love!

America's Strength.....Her Spiritual Base!

An unseen predator, posing as freedom is after your marriage, your children, your schools, and your Christian values. He is lulling you into a false security. The first settlers founded our country on those same Christian principles. Our forefathers wrote in the nation's documents, "God forbid that this generation should dissipate it."

Sad to say, we are that generation. The Constitution was written by moral people, for moral people. Maybe that's why some try so hard to keep the morality of home, family, and country at bay. Freedom today for non-believers seems to mean a license to sin. Little by little, we are allowing our government and groups to chip away at that morality.

With our silence we are allowing th enemies of indifference and the tolerance of all life styles to dictate the rules. We as Christians are told in Romans 13:1, to obey those in authority. Is that why we don't voice our objections. Not all rules of our land are morally right. Think about your ancestors. Would they have stood silently by while pre-born babies are murdered? Would they have supported laws that are twisted to accommodate same sex marriage or homosexuality? I think not!

God's word is explicit and clear on how to live morally. 1Timothy 1:8-10 says, " But we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous man, but for those who are lawless and rebellious." These words are from the same God who gave us this country. The same God our money says to put our trust in.

No country has had the Christian beginning America has, and none has been as blessed by God. America's strength is in Christians who strongly stand up for the beliefs that say abortion, homosexuality, and same sex marriage are sin! Our government has made laws to accommodate those sins. We have allowed prayer and the Bible

to be taken from our schools. We have let authority replace tolerance with whatever makes you feel good. Our families, schools, and country are on the verge of destruction.

This great country may not survive if we keep on being silent. We Christians following Jesus are being moved to the back of the bus. Those standing with God don't have the same respect or rights that we are told to give others. We are called intolerant. We are told God is wrong, and we should let everyone do what is right in their mind.

Let me assure you, I am not being intolerant, I am following God's truth, not the world's. If God says it is sin then it is sin, for me and for others. When I stand against those hurting my country and the way it was intended to be, I speak Biblical truth, not my own agenda. God's one way laws were set in motion for all people, just as our Constitution did. Our Country was founded on what is morally right. Those are  God's principles whether you choose to believe it or not!  America's spiritual base will keep her strong, if we put them back in place!

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: My Name Is Peter!

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: My Name Is Peter!: When I am reading the Bible, I often like to just focus on some of the great men and women in the Books found there. They are such a collect...

My Name Is Peter!

When I am reading the Bible, I often like to just focus on some of the great men and women in the Books found there. They are such a collection of personalities, attitudes, and talents. Since I love animals, I would love to get Noah's take on all those animals. I wonder if he loved animals? By the time he got to dry land, maybe not so much. I imagine what life in the palace was like for Queen Esther. We know she lived in scary times, but she stayed strong, and trusted God.

Then there is Jonah. I really can't imagine living in a fish belly for even a few minutes, let alone three days. I can understand his rebellion, and learning from it. How often does God have to be extreme to get my attention. I think I would have been in awe of Isaiah. He had the job of trying to get Israel to stay focused on God. I get them, it is hard to keep focused when the world is pulling you. Can you imagine how frustrated Isaiah must have gotten. Just when God got them refocused and turned back to Him, they blew it again.

I would love to sit and listen to David. He was musical and poetic, and he speaks to that part of me. He was one of God's people who really blew it many times, then repented in anguish. I know that feeling. I like to think about these memorable saints because they were human, like me. They loved God, they followed Him, and yet they fell down so many times. Moses was a murderer. He lacked self esteem. He didn't believe he could do what God was asking. I have done that.

Each of these people played an important part in God's plan from the beginning. He looked past their faults, and brought them to where He could use them for His Kingdom!  God knew who they were, He forgave them and He planted them on the right path when they got sidetracked. He has done that for me over and over!

There is one man that stands out in my thoughts, one I have felt drawn to for years. That is the man, Peter. He was a fisherman. He was quick tempered, he put his foot in his mouth, often, and he was impulsive. Those traits have endeared Peter to me, because I am so like him. I have said and done things without thinking, and then have to back track to set things right. 

Peter had an intimate, relationship with Jesus for over three years, spent everyday with Him, ministered with Him, and he still messed up. Peter truly wanted to be all Jesus wanted him to be, but he was human. Like Peter, if I take my eyes off Jesus, I fail.  Yet Jesus was close with Peter, calling him the Rock. Jesus understood Peter. He saw Peter's faults, but He also knew his worth, and He knew Peter's heart.

For as rough and tough as Peter was, he was also afraid. He was unsure of himself, and because of it, he denied Jesus the night Judas betrayed Him. I understand Peter's fear. He was supposed to be the strong one, Jesus right hand man, and yet, Peter feared for his life because of his association with Jesus. Peter was devastated by what he had done. He was allowed to feel Jesus' sadness at what he had done, and he cried! 

Several years ago, Jesus led me to a similar circumstance. I was not wanting to do what I knew was right. Jesus had been teaching me, and I didn't want to obey. God allowed me to feel, and see, and experience the sadness Jesus feels when I want my way, not His. I cried for a long time that day, totally broken, and broken hearted! It was a lesson that is always with me. Yes, Peter, you and I could have a long talk. You were forgiven, you were entrusted to feed Jesus' sheep!  I am forgiven, and am still learning.  Yes, Heaven will be a time of truly getting to know all these people of God, especially Peter.

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: Journeys!

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: Journeys!: I love this season of my life! This last year and a half I have taken an incredible journey with Jesus. He has spoken so much into my life a...

Journeys!

I love this season of my life! This last year and a half I have taken an incredible journey with Jesus. He has spoken so much into my life at this point, and He is not done yet. Have you been on a journey with Jesus? If you have, you know how amazing and beautiful it is. I have walked with Him for over 30 years, but this last year and a half have been special. Partly because I have stopped wanting my way, and partly just because He is so special to me.

When I first accepted Him as my personal Savior and was reborn spiritually, I was so excited! I felt new from the inside out! Jesus filled my thoughts, actions, and activities. I was filled with boundless joy. We were on vacation in Tucson visiting family. Normally if shopping was suggested, I was excited to buy clothes, or jewelry. This time was different. The only thing I wanted was a new study Bible. On the trip home, I started in Genesis, and read through. I was excited to study what God said, and I learned from our pastor, from James Dobson, and Chuck Swindohl. My life was turned upside down!

As with all things, the newness wears off and the joy fades with the everyday. I let the world crowd in, and I allowed Satan to steal my joy.Even though I loved Jesus and had committed my life to Him, the human me still wanted what I wanted. I prayed and didn't wait for His answers. As a result God had to take me on many desert journeys. As I learned, He retuned me to my mountain tops, only to fall again. I am always amazed at my God's patience, and second, third, and fourth chances.

Some things I learned quickly, while others have taken years. The biggest hurdle in my walk, and an ongoing sin, was resolved this year. I have always hated confrontation. I have always been terrified from a very early age to be in trouble. I was so afraid of consequences, and of losing love, because I was bad. Somehow I was very good at covering up, and lie my way out of difficulties, at least for the immediate. I was good at shutting it out of my conscious thought. In my mind others, family especially would not love me if they knew the real me. In confrontation I am tongue tied, and have no defense. For me that is uncomfortable beyond words.

God tried to teach me over and over, and I tried to believe I would be different. Like Paul, I did what I did not want to do, and I didn't do what I wanted to do. I lived a YoYo life for so long, and fell short of what God wanted for me. It became my normal. When things crashed this last time, I truly learned to let go, and let God lead. I have since had Him show up so many times this year through His Holy Spirit to lovingly, and gently show me what I was doing, and what I needed to do. It is such a joy to stand accountable, and to let God direct my life! I have gained the freedom to be who He intended all along!

It is a process. He has even shown me things from my youth, and from young adulthood, and from my present that I haven't dealt with, or how I should have. God has shown me sin, that I wasn't aware of. He personally has really shaped me and molded me maybe more this year than ever before! Some of it wasn't easy, and most of it was hurtful, but I am grateful He loves me that much! I have decided that if I am worth that much one on one care and love, then He deserves my very best! He holds nothing back from me, so why should I hold back pieces of myself from Him?

I have never been closer to Him than I am in this season. One lesson that He brought to me was Joshua 1:9. Be

strong, be courageous. Since I am living by His word, and example, there will be those in opposition. I am finding I do need to be strong, and courageous to share His word. I have learned to be patient, and wait on The Lord. His plans are far better than mine. He has proven it over and over. Many times in prayer for a desparate situation He answers and is there for me, even before I ask.

One ongoing reminder from God that I am still processing is the lost. As I see our world, and our country falling away from God, I see mean spirited people with no regard for others, no love, only greed, and I get angry. I want to get in their face, I want them to suffer. Yet over and over God reminds me, they are lost. They don't know Jesus. They need my prayer, not my condemnation.

I am still human, still have skin on, and I still make mistakes, still sin, still mess up. I am also loved, and forgiven by God, because I accepted Him as my Savior. When God reveals things to me, even if it is something I shouldn't have done, or it brings me to tears to see me as He sees me, there is now peace, and joy that only He can give. I am content for His will to be done. I don't like injustice, or waiting for answers, but I no longer stress about it. I wait! I look forward each day to see what Jesus has for me. 

What season of life are you in? My prayer for you is that you have that personal relationship with Jesus. I pray He is speaking to you, now, teaching you His ways as only He can. As my husband said from something he read, "You have made Jesus your Savior, but have you made Him Lord of your life?"

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: Memories In My Mind!

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: Memories In My Mind!: Sometimes God plants memories in my mind for no reason. I'm not sure what sets them off, but sometimes it's nice to just reflect on ...

Memories In My Mind!

Sometimes God plants memories in my mind for no reason. I'm not sure what sets them off, but sometimes it's nice to just reflect on them. Today's memory....High School. Starting High School is one of the big events in your life. It can be a combination of exciting and scary. It's exciting because you are getting older, and much smarter than when you were just a kid. Scary, because you are thrown into a whole new world outside your comfort zone.

I was a very insecure girl because I felt like everyone else was prettier, smarter, and cooler than I was. I was short, my nose was too big, and I had not learned to love me. I knew my friends from Junior High would be there, but so many new faces to meet. What if no one liked me, what if I had no friends. What if the studies were too hard, and I flunked? After a few weeks, I found my niche.

I found joy in English class, History was always an adventure, and Math and Science still held terror. Geometry was the worst. My Dad spent hours trying to explain it to me. My teacher spent time after school trying to show me what it all meant. Nothing helped, but I finally passed with a D. It was the extracurricular things that made me happy. I tried out for Choir, and got in. Mr. Larson was a great teacher. Our choir even went on choir tours to sing out of town, and even out of state. 

We traveled by bus, and stayed in hotels (well chaperoned), and did concerts in Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota. We sang at several prisons, Churches, and other High Schools it was especially fun to be away from school, and parents. Then if your boyfriend happened to be in choir too, even better.

As a senior, I was also in our Centrallettes. This was a precision dance team for sports events. It was a long and exacting tryout, but once in, I had fun, except for the 7:00 a.m. practice times. Some Football half times were also very cold as October and November rolled around. The Homecoming Game parade downtown was also nippy, for the outfits we wore. Wouldn't have traded it for anything.

Of course there were parties, and dances, after all we were a rock and roll generation. Parties were snacks, records, and maybe kissing. It was 1959 and 1960, so very mild compared to today. I remember having fun, and being in love, and being part of a group that liked me for me. The other thing that was a huge deal was the Musicals our school did every year. We did, Pajama Game, Damn Yankees, and Guys And Dolls. I remember the costumes, rehearsals, makeup, and the cast parties after. If you have been there you know how exciting that all is.

I also remember the downfalls that followed me through high school. I never was bad, but could never seem to get home from dates on time. My parents were always waiting up for me. I didn't

understand why they couldn't just go to sleep. As a result, I spent about every other week grounded. I remember the last week of being a senior, a group of we girls skipped school to go to the sand dunes across into South Dakota. We laid on the sand by the water all day. How we thought we could disguise our sunburns the next day in school I don't know. I don't remember really getting in trouble for that, but maybe that's a rememberance I blocked out.

We were the 50s generation with our Capri pants, angora sweaters, pony tails, loafers, and  Bobby Darin, Sandra Dee, A Summer Place, Elvis, and Ricky Nelson. On Friday nights we had Football games, or Basketball games. In the summer, we had summer jobs, and cruising up and down the same streets. Shouting out the windows at our friends in their cars. Occasionally we would decide to TP someone's house. Those nights were fun and we had fun without being destructive.

What do you remember about your High School days? It was still a time of innocence, of wonder, and exploring new things. 

 I look back and wish I had made a mark on that past, but I was too immature.it was all about me, and my friends, and what was popular. We made it through, and now relive memories at Class Reunions. This year will be our 54th Reunion. Several years ago, after the 50th, one of our class mates got all our emails, and now when one of the class of 1961 passes away, we are all notified. That starts a barrage of emails from everyone with memories. It is nice to still be connected even though we see each other rarely. Those days are done, but if you have fond memories of those days, they will live on.

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: Gentle Giant

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: Gentle Giant: I met him when I was  one year old. I had been in the orphanage for a year, when he walked in to meet me. He and Mother had been approved fo...

Gentle Giant

I met him when I was  one year old. I had been in the orphanage for a year, when he walked in to meet me. He and Mother had been approved for adoption, if they decided they wanted me. This man was all dressed up, and his shirt collar was starched stiff. When he picked me up I reached up to his collar and discovered it made a scratchy sound if you scratched on it. He thought that was funny.

After a year my adoption was final. By then we had moved to Colorado. This gentle giant, my Daddy was a special man. He would be my mentor, companion, playmate, and role model. He was always there to cushion the tenseness when Mother got angry. My Dad and I enjoyed our dog together, and laughed when he was naughty. Daddy was a house contractor, so with left over materials he built Shep the ultimate dog house. It had a wood floor, a shingled roof, and was painted white with green trim to match our house. 

When I was seven, we moved to Sioux City, Iowa. It was a house designed for a big kid, and a little kid to play. You could go from living room to hall to master bedroom, back to living room. A complete circle so perfect for chasing each other on my trikes. When I outgrew one, Daddy bought a bigger one, and kept the old one. We chased each other in our perfect circle. Then one night I tipped over and cut my chin open on their dresser. After stitches, Mother put an end to that fun.

Daddy spent hours laying on the floor coloring in my coloring books with me. He was never too  busy. He loved the simple things. As I got older, he taught me about one of his loves, cars. He worked on his own cars, changing oil, checking fluids, and even rotating tires. He washed them, waxed them, and did it all in a T Shirt, and old pants. He explained about what he was doing, and I grew to love cars too.

My Dad loved wrestling on TV, he loved boating and horseback riding, and he loved flying, and race cars. He trained pilots in WWll, he was a time keeper at car races, and he also coached women's basketball. He had so many dreams, and enjoyed life, for awhile. My mother did not enjoy any of those things. One by one he gave them up, except flying his plane. He was unselfish and he willingly gave up all he was to make her happy. He was always about helping others. He had a heart bigger than anyone I ever knew. 

He loved his Lord first of all, then his family, then all others. Many nights as I passed their room, I saw him in prayer on his knees. There was no one he didn't help if they needed it. There was no one he didn't give a second and third chance if they messed up. He had a bad heart, yet he worked hard, so we could have everything we wanted. He was still working his job the day before he died. He came home and said, he was very tired. He died quietly in his sleep that night. He was 85 years old. 

He left great memories. He was a kid at heart. The 4th of July gave him opportunity to be that kid. There were Roman Candles that he and a neighbor shot off to my delight. Then they decided to see how far they could shoot them across the lawn instead of up. The neighbors had their windows open, no screen, and yes, the rocket went straight into their house.

That was good for a laugh, as my Dad and his friend hurried into our house, hoping not to be connected with the mishap.

He loved to go deer hunting too. I often went with him and his friends up in the mountains to hunt. I stayed in the Jeep while they trailed the deer. I still have a tanned hide my Dad gave me. Many times to my Mother's horror, a deer carcass was strung up in our garage to be readied for the butcher shop. As a kid, I found all this very exciting.  As I grew older, those times ended. I don't know what happened, but piece by piece my Dad gave up his pleasures, hobbies, and with no argument did what Mother wanted. I never realized that for many years. In reflecting back after he died, it all came clear. 

This man, this gentle giant, for whatever reason, put his own wants aside for his wife. He was my hero, and now I have a husband that is so much like him. John enjoys his own things, but he too thinks of others first. He is a huge blessing, and he enjoyed my Dad too. These men in my life are what husbands and fathers should be.  Happy Father's Day to my Dad, and my husband! One in Heaven, and one still thankfully with me!