Clifton's Wife

His Name is Jesus: The Promise of God's Love Fulfilled

2009-08-28T20:44:00.000-07:00

If you are unfamiliar with the works of Max Lucado he is Christian author who has written several bestselling books.
“His Name is Jesus: The Promise of God's Love Fulfilled” by Max Lucado is a beautifully bound and illustrated book and would make a lovely gift presentation for a baptism or a new Christian.
The contents of the book lead us through the life of Christ: His Birth; His Mission; His Death; His Resurrection and His Legacy. The illustrations are lovely and a perfect complement to the story of the life of Jesus.
One selection from the book tells us “The next time you are called to suffer, pay attention. It may be the closest you’ll ever get to God. Watch closely. It could very well be that the hand that extends itself to lead you out of the fog is a pierced one.”
If you are seeking a closer relationship with Jesus or know someone you would like to introduce to Him this book is a fabulous selection.
http://www.thomasnelson.com/consumer/product_detail.asp?sku=1404186735

In Christ,
Clifton's Wife

THE DANGER OF ANGER

2009-08-10T21:11:00.000-07:00

Holding a grudge can be a dangerous thing for anyone, but especially for us as Christians. If there is one thing that can keep us from the relationship we desire to have with Jesus it is holding on to anger in our earthly relationships. The Bible tells us that anger is an open door for the enemy.

Ephesians 4:26-27 (New International Version)
26"In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27and do not give the devil a foothold.

Satin knows that once he can get inside our minds with the smallest doubt he can quickly grow that doubt into an all consuming distrust. We will soon find ourselves questioning everything that people are saying to us. We find ourselves looking at our loved ones as the enemy instead of the one who really is.

Concern over what other people think of us instead of what Jesus thinks puts a huge gap between us and God. If we find we are worried about people’s perception of our lives; we will soon find our ego so full and overwhelmed by pride that we are in the throes of sin with no room for God.

Psalm 10:4 (New International Version)
In his pride the wicked does not seek him;
in all his thoughts there is no room for God.

Holding on to anger, grudges and pride turns our thoughts from kindness and compassion to revenge and settling scores.

Ephesians 4:32 (New International Version)
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each
other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Today it is my prayer that we remember that Jesus has already settled the score for us on every level… that we will desire all of our thoughts to be on pleasing Jesus and not the world… and that when we feel anger we seek the one true mediator.

1 Timothy 2:5 (New International Version)
For there is one God and one mediator between God and men,
the man Christ Jesus

In Christ,
Clifton's Wife

THE ONE YOU ARE TRYING TO FIND

2009-04-07T21:29:00.000-07:00

When I am writing I always feel like God is leading me. He is the one who inspires me and I love when God finds a way to inspire me through an unexpected source.

I will be the first to admit that I am an emotional woman. I find no shame in expressing my feelings and often wear them on my sleeve. I have no problem telling you that I am over and over again so moved by God’s amazing love for me that I weep. I am not talking about a little tear, I mean all out weeping.

This week leading up to the Easter holiday I have been experiencing some overwhelming moments of deep love for God and for the gift of Jesus that He gave to us.

Galatians 2:20 (NIV)
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

I almost always have the radio in my car set to a Christian radio station or I listen to a Christian CD. I have found myself with tears flowing while driving and even had to pull over a few of times.

Today I decided I would listen to some country music on my way to work so that I wouldn’t have to sit in the parking garage fixing my make-up in the event of another tear-fest. Through the country music is how God found an unexpected way to inspire me today.

I was listening to the Brooks and Dunn song “I Am That Man”; a song about a woman who has given up on love after several bad relationships and a man who wants to prove his love can be all she needs.

I'm gonna show you what love can be
My job won't be done until you believe
I am that man
You're trying to find
I am that man
You had in mind
And I'll give you all my love
'Till you understand
I won't give up
'Cause I know
I am

Oh, you know it, the tears started. You see, there was a time when I was the woman they were singing about and Jesus was the man I was trying to find. I have to be honest with you until I surrendered completely to the Lord the quest I was on for an amazing, Earthly love was absolutely futile.

Clifton and I have an incredible marriage, a true blessing from God. We spent several years doing things our way and as a result travelled a rocky road that left us both unhappy and unsatisfied on more than one occasion.

When we quit living in our will and began submitting to God’s will and His law our relationship became exactly what the Lord had always intended it to be. I am blessed to be married to my best friend, the perfect husband for me, the man that God created me for and that He created for me.

Our relationship is not perfect but God is and He is in the center of our marriage. When we became sincerely willing to honor God and to live as husband and wife God blessed our relationship in a way I never thought possible.

I know so many women who are on that same rocky road I was on. I want to tell you if you are one of those women there is only one road to perfect love and that is the road to the cross.

Many of today’s spiritual leaders shy away from talking about sin and the punishment for not following God’s laws. We don’t want to hear about Biblical truth if it means giving up our wants and desires even if they are displeasing to God.

Ephesians 5:3 (NIV)
But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people.

If we are knowingly and rebelliously living in any kind of sin we cannot be in true relationship with God. I had become deeply unhappy when I was living with Clifton and trying to grow in my relationship with Christ. I was in constant turmoil. There is a reason that they call it living in sin.
I found the solution to my turmoil and I learned the beautiful truth about perfect love.

Psalm 37:4 (NIV)
Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

I can’t and won't promise you that if you offer yourself completely to God that you will suddenly find your perfect husband. In fact, I want you to know that once you submit yourself to God the desires of your heart will change.

Dr. Charles Stanley says “when your heart is turned toward Him, you begin to think the way He thinks. You will stop wanting “things” and begin to seek His fellowship and friendship above all else”.

My prayer today is that you will let God inspire you in unexpected ways, that you will surrender to His will for your life and that you let Jesus show you all that love can be.

In Christ,
Clifton's Wife

THERE WILL BE A DAY

2009-04-01T00:03:00.000-07:00

Lamentations 3:24-25 (NIV)
24 I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him."
25 The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;

I found myself caught up in the world tonight. I allowed myself to be constrained by envy, jealousy, fear, bitterness… there was nothing attractive or pleasing about the way that I was feeling.
I decided I would go for a ride and try to find some solace.
I drove up to one of my favorite places where I could sit and overlook the city lights. I wanted to pray but kept allowing my mind to take over. That is when I remembered what I had recently told my granddaughter “… you can always talk to Jesus, no matter where you are and He will hear you…”

Matthew 7:7-8 (NIV)
7"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

I began pouring out my heart to my Lord seeking his comfort. As always, He was right there to soothe me and remind me that all I need I will find in Him, not in the world.

John 15:19 (NIV)
19If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.

I began my ride home and couldn’t help but chuckle when Jeremy Camp’s song “There Will Be a Day” came on the radio; a radio dedication from Jesus to me.

“There will be a day with no more tears, no more pain, and no more fears
There will be a day when the burdens of this place, will be no more, we'll see Jesus face to face
But until that day, we'll hold on to you always.”

Today I pray that when the world gets me down that I will remember John 15:19 and WHO I belong to.

In Christ,
Clifton's Wife

I'VE GOT A SECRET

2009-03-07T21:17:00.000-08:00

I am a firm believer that when the enemy attacks us (and by us I mean Christians) he is going to come at us with a little bit of truth. In the beginning of time when Satan tempted Eve he presented her with the statement that she wouldn’t die if she ate from the tree.

GENESIS 3:4-5 (NIV)
4 “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

True: physical death did not immediately occur. True: spiritual death did. The relationship that Adam and Eve had with God was forever changed.

There is an attack taking place today that I have personally been drawn into and that I want to share with you. I want to share it with you because of I know how easy it is to be drawn in. The attack that the enemy is waging today is surrounding us in the promises of enlightenment through several New Age concepts.

Oprah Winfrey’s question to her audience, “How can there be only one way to heaven or to God?”
The answer is in the truth of God’s word.

JOHN 14:6 (NIV)
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

God sent Christ to us because of the love He has for us. God sent Christ as our bridge to reunite with Him.

One of the other currently popular big lies of the enemy is The Secret. The Secret makes enough claims that are similar to Biblical truth that when I first came to it felt like it was going to help me develop a closer relationship with God.

Luckily, I had enough Biblical knowledge to realize quickly that the The Secret goes against Biblical Truth and is filled with lies.

The popularity of it, I believe, is it gives people the opportunity to be their “own God”, to deny the truth of the Bible while suggesting that it is based in Biblical truth.

For example this quote from The Secret: “You are eternal life. You are source energy. You are God manifested in human form”.

The Biblical truth is that I am created in God’s image, I am not God. The Biblical truth is that I have eternal life through the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made on the cross, I am not eternal life.
As human beings we are always looking for the easy way out. Following the word of God and living for Him is not always easy.

Whether being called the law of attraction, the power of intention, or any of the other new age catch phrases the truth is that God is in control; not us. There is only one God. There is one way to God and that is through Christ.

As Christians I believe we often try to seek an easy answer by trying to pick and choose the parts of The Bible that work for us and our Earthly desires; then trying to ease out of the tough stuff.

My desire today is to have a close relationship with God. To grow in Christ and to help spread the good news that is brought to us through The Word. Today I pray that God will help me recognize the attacks of the enemy. I pray that I will always go to His word to seek truth.

DEUTERONOMY 13:1-4 (NIV)
Worshiping Other Gods

1 If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, 2 and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, "Let us follow other gods" (gods you have not known) "and let us worship them," 3 you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 It is the LORD your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him.

In Christ,
Clifton's Wife

JOY IN MY HEART OR JOY IN MY BRAIN?

2009-03-07T16:53:00.000-08:00

In a constant search for a closer more joyful walk with Jesus I came across the book "This Is Your Brain on Joy: A Revolutionary Program for Balancing Mood, Restoring Brain Health and Nurturing Spiritual Growth".

Once I received the book I flipped through it and laid it aside. At first glance I felt like I had a science text book in my hand and that is in no way what I was looking for.

Don't get me wrong; I am not a Christian who is opposed to science. I just prefer to use the Bible as my source of learning and often science seems to move away from that road. I picked the book up again recently and committed to make it through the first chapter. Once I did, I was hooked and found myself wanting to read more.

Dr. Earl Henslin is a Christian and uses Biblical principles with scientific thought throughout the book. Early on in the book he states "Prayer works. Prayer heals. (And you'll read in these pages how science supports this fact.)"

I am always looking for scientific answers to Biblical truths and found that this book offered many. Topics in the book include ADD, sexual abuse, post partum depression and post traumatic stress. When discussing ADD you not only do you find scientific charts and scans of the brains but quotes from Tigger in Whinnie the Pooh and Donkey in Shrek.

"This Is Your Brain on Joy: A Revolutionary Program for Balancing Mood, Restoring Brain Health and Nurturing Spiritual Growth" is an insightful journey to joy that travels through the brain using the Bible as its roadmap.

You can find a copy of the book at http://www.thomasnelson.com/consumer/product_detail.asp?sku=078522873X

LET HIM BLESS YOU

2009-03-03T21:54:00.000-08:00

I know there are many people who wonder how I can talk so readily about God’s saving grace, about the love that Jesus has for me. How can I consider some of the things in my life as blessings?

It would be easy for me to look back on my life and see nothing but negative experiences and painful memories.

I have had diabetes for twenty plus years. I have lost loved ones to cancer. I have struggled with many different addictions.

But when I look over my life I see a life full of blessings and miracles. And yes I believe in my heart of hearts that I am blessed.

So again you ask: how can you consider some of the things in your life as a blessing; some of them as miracles even?

My answer to you can be found throughout the Gospels.

Matthew 8 tells us of many of Jesus’ miracles. Could our Savior have calmed the seas without the storm?

In Mark 8, would Jesus have been able to restore the man’s sight had the man not been blind?

In Luke 5, there would have been no healing without the leprosy.

John 11 tells one of my favorite Bible stories. I ask you, how would Jesus have performed the miracle of bringing Lazarus back to life, if Lazarus had not died?

I promise you my friends the Lord has amazing blessings in store for you. My question for you is: are you willing to let Him bless you? Are you going to recognize the blessings He has in store for you? I pray that you do and I pray that I do also.

PSALM 23:6 (NIV)
Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.

In Christ,
Clifton's Wife

RADICAL OBEDIANCE

2009-02-28T19:56:00.000-08:00

1 John 5:3 NIV
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.

You have heard me mention radical obedience before. I want to make it clear I do not think that my obedience to Christ is radical. In fact, I think it is an area of my life that will never be where I want it to be. I will however continue trying to reach a level that you, my brothers and sisters, will consider radical.

As I strive to live my life as Christ like as possible I am constantly reminded of my humanness and how far I am from radical obedience.

I often pose the age old question “what would Jesus do?” If I am serious about living a life of obedience to Christ then I must take the question seriously.

Just tonight I became very irritated with another driver in a parking garage. I was going the speed limit which in turn caused her to begin honking and gesturing to me. I promptly responded by slowing down to about 2 M.P.H. and centered myself so that she could not go around me.

I felt some gratification for about 10 or 15 minutes and then God moved me, what would Jesus do? I began to think, I do not know what the other persons situation was. Perhaps she is a mother who just got a call that her child is sick. Perhaps she was late to a very important engagement. I am not certain what caused her reaction; but I am certain that my reaction is not the reaction that my savoir would have had nor is it the one He would desire from me.

Matthew 5:44 (NIV)
But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

Today I pray that God will continue His good work in me, that he will continue to nudge me with a soft reminder, what would Jesus do? I pray that those gentle reminders will become fewer and further between as I grow closer to my goal of radical obedience.

1 Peter 4:1-6 (NIV)
1Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. 2As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. 3For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. 4They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you. 5But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to men in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit.

In Christ,
Clifton's Wife

MONEY ~ MONEY ~ MONEY

2009-02-25T22:32:00.000-08:00

Money seems to be a big topic these days. Actually, I guess it is the lack of money that is the big topic. With the downturn in the economy Americans have had to cut back in many areas. Sadly I think one of the first cutbacks many people choose to make is in their giving to the church.

I am not going to lay out a lecture on tithing today but I do want to share my own experiences in anticipation that you might find some hope.

I believe to the depths of my soul that God rewards us when we tithe. I believe this because His word says that He will and He has proven it to me a number of times recently. I want to share with you one my stories.

Malachi 3:10-12 (NIV)
10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. 11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty. 12 "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the LORD Almighty.

A little over a year ago I had made a commitment to begin tithing. I had been considering moving beyond throwing an offering in the plate every now and then to making a real commitment to the Lord in this area. My first consideration came when one of my pastors posed the question “Would you rather have 100% of your money or 90% of what God will bless super naturally?”

I started pondering this question but still was unable to find the faith I needed to make a full on commitment.

That is until I was trying to buy a handbag. Yes, this commitment began in an odd way… I love purses and was bidding on a lovely designer bag on e-bay. My bid was up to a couple of hundred dollars and I was very excited about the pretty pink bag I was soon going to be able to call mine!

Suddenly the Holy Spirit moved me. If I could spend that kind of money on a hand bag why in the world couldn’t I tithe? I thought to myself if I don’t win this auction I am going to give the amount of my bid at church tomorrow.

At almost the exact time I finished my thought my computer dinged “you have been outbid”! I wrote out a check to my church and I felt really good about my decision.

I also believe that the enemy hates it when we grow closer to God and when we begin to follow Him with radical obedience. I believe that Satan will try to pull us away from any type of obedience to God.

A few weeks after I made the commitment to tithe I checked my bank account and found that it was empty! I called the bank and learned that the IRS had levied our accounts.

I called the IRS and the agent told me she could not discuss anything with me because the issue was one of my husband’s returns from before we were married. Clifton was away working on a cruise ship and I had no way to reach him.

This took place on Thursday; I got paid on Friday, and was very afraid that my entire check would be taken.

I started trying to figure out how I was going to pay the bills; one of my first thoughts was to not give my tithe. That thought did not last long; I wrote out my check and put it in my Bible for Sunday.

Within a week… yes a week, 7 short days, an arrangement was made with the IRS and all of our money was placed back in our accounts! I don't know how often you have dealt with the IRS but things don't generally get worked out that quickly.

As Clifton and I continue in our financial commitment to God we continue to realize the vast difference between 100% and the percentage of what God is blessing super naturally. We find ourselves looking for ways to give instead of ways to get. One of the most noticeable blessings is the absolute joy we find in giving.

In Christ,
Clifton's Wife

LOVE

2009-02-18T04:29:00.000-08:00

Earthly love is beautiful but it holds nothing compared to the love that God has for us.

Romans 5:8 (NIV)
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

God responded to my life of sin with the life of his son. Every wrong from me has been met with God’s amazing grace and mercy.

Ephesians 2:4-5 (NIV)
4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in
mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in
transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

I have seen too often people accept God’s love, accept this undeserved gift and offer nothing to God in return. Of course, nothing we can offer will ever come close to being enough.
Jesus gave his life for us.

Our faith, our acceptance of Christ as our Savior is all that is required. But once we accept this incredible gift and our relationship begins to grow we want to please the Lord.

So, my attempt at repayment to Him is to live my life for Him. To study His word, to seek a relationship with Him, to share Him with those who don’t know Him and to let His love shine through me. To live a life of radical obedience. No easy task.

Today my goal is to honor God by loving my fellow man, especially those who I feel “don’t deserve it”.

1 John 4:19-21 (KJV)
19We love him, because he first loved us.
20If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a
liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen,
how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
21And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth
God love his brother also.

In Christ,
Clifton's Wife

FEAR NOT

2009-02-08T20:37:00.000-08:00

Fear has been on my mind a lot lately. Not that I have been afraid; but my concern for the fear that is over taking so many in our country right now.
About two years ago I kept being confronted with this scripture:

Philippians 4:6 (NIV)
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by
prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

I’m not talking about the scripture showing up in a couple of places, I mean the sermon at church, the verse of the day in my e-mail, the topic on one of the Christian broadcast I listen to, in a daily devotional I was reading. Everywhere I turned there it was. It was apparent God was trying to tell me something.

Worry about nothing, instead pray about everything. It sounds much easier than it is; but in striving to reach this goal I have found such peace in my life. I have gone from a life of worry and apprehension to a life of peace and joy. Does that mean that I never worry? Of course not, but I catch myself quickly and pray!

With all of the crises in the news today I understand why folks are worried. But I promise you my friend; all of the experts, all of the politicians and all of the world leaders are not in control. God is!

With God as my financial advisor, my life coach, my banker, I have nothing to fear. Living in fear or living in faith. The choice is yours, but what will fear and worry get you in the end?

Matthew 6:27 (NIV)
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

In Christ,
Clifton's Wife

I'LL BELIEVE IT WHEN I SEE IT

2009-01-29T15:50:00.000-08:00

Genesis 1:1 (NIV)
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

I often hear the argument of non-believers that there is no proof that God exists. No proof?!?! What proof do they need? How many scientists can create a tree? I don’t mean grow a tree; I mean create a tree, from nothing.
How many of us can create anything? The true meaning of creation is to bring into existence; to make something from nothing. That being said, none of us can actually “create” anything. We need seeds to grow things, we need paint to paint, and we need our minds and thoughts to write.
I am amazed every time I see the mountains, the ocean, and the sky. God’s creation is incredible and so apparent around us.

Romans 1:20 (NIV)
For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—
his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen,
being understood from what has been made, so that men are
without excuse.

I do not believe as a Christian that you have to discount all science. The famous French scientist Louis Pasteur said “The more I study nature, the more I stand amazed at the work of the Creator”.
More than forty men wrote the Bible over thousands of years yet the books flow. In fact, in comparing The New Testament to most other historical manuscripts you will find that the existing copies of The New Testament date back further and in higher numbers than the works of Plato, Aristotle or Homer.
If you are one that argues you cannot believe in God because you haven’t seen Him believe me when I say that I see Him every day! My prayer for you today is that your eyes and your heart will be open to see Him all around you too.

In Christ,
Clifton's Wife

DELIGHT YOURSELF IN THE LORD

2009-01-25T00:17:00.000-08:00

Have you ever felt like you will never find true happiness? That God is too busy to concern Himself with your wishes?

Never, for one moment, believe that God does not want you to be happy. Never, for one moment, believe that God has forgotten you or isn’t concerned about what you want.

Could it be that possibly what you think you want isn’t really what you need to be happy.
God’s word tells us that He wants to fulfill our deepest dreams and desires.

Psalm 37:4 (NIV)
4 Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

The problem is that too often we don’t thank Him for all of the blessings He has bestowed upon us. Maybe because we don’t recognize the blessings He has given us.

We overlook the simple things while chasing worldly objects. It sounds cliché but stop and smell the roses and thank God for their beauty. When you’re watching television with your spouse tell them how grateful you are that God put them in your life.

Start your day and end your day with God. Strive to live in a constant state of prayer and gratitude. Stop putting yourself first and put God first! You will be amazed at how quickly your ideas of what you want and need to make you happy will change.

Philippians 4:19 (NIV)
19 And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

In Christ,
Clifton's Wife

WHAT GOD HAS BROUGHT TOGETHER

2009-01-21T19:49:00.000-08:00

In today’s world marriage no longer seems to be something that couples have a desire to work at. I believe that is because the majority of marriages do not follow the Biblical principles of marriage. The Bible is the best instruction manual there is for a marriage. God is the best marriage counselor you could ever want.

1 Thessalonians 4:9 (NIV)
9 Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other.

Having a healthy, God centered marriage is not something that happens overnight. It takes a lifetime commitment. However, so many husbands and wives choose the easy way out. Marriage is not just about love. It takes work.

It seems that if the new wears off too many couples choose to forget all of the things about their mate that made them fall in love in the first place. I speak from experience. They forget that God should be the most important relationship in their life; that includes their marriage.

We have needs that no person will ever be able to meet. Needs only God can fill; He intended it to be that way. He intended for us to rely on Him. When we place God in the center of our marriage we create a bond with strength to overcome temptation, anger, resentment, boredom and any other of the pitfalls of today’s marriages.

Ecclesiastes 4:12 (NIV)
12 Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

A popular saying is that love is only a feeling; I say love is a choice. If you make a conscious choice to love your husband or wife today and every day the same way you loved them the day you married you will find that the romance will be easier to keep alive.

Proverbs 3:3 (NIV)
3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.

In Christ,
Clifton's Wife

Happy Birthday Daddy

2009-01-17T19:50:00.000-08:00

Today would have been my Daddy's 66th birthday. I can't believe it has been almost 13 years since he passed away. I miss him as much today as I did when he first went home to be with Jesus.

I find such peace in knowing that my Daddy knew the Lord and that in his final days there was a sense of tranquility and serenity around him. I believe that he was enveloped in God's spirit. I believe that God wrapped him in his arms and hushed him just as he had done to me when I was a baby.

I often wonder how people who do not know Jesus and his love can survive the loss of a loved one. Knowing that my Daddy was with OUR Father and that he no longer suffered from the diseases that made his life here on Earth a struggle is how I was able to deal with my grief.

1 John 3:2 (NIV)
2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

I believe I will see my Daddy again, and that I will know him when I enter into Heaven. Until then I will miss him and thank God for allowing me to have been my Daddy's little girl.

This is the poem I wrote for my Daddy days before he passed. I am so glad I got to share it with him.

One More Day at the Ballpark

One more day at the ballpark
by my Daddy's side
and I promise I'll say all the things
that for years I tried to hide.

I'll tell him how much I respect him
and how much he means to me;
I'll tell him I'm proud he's my dad
and that I'll always be.

I'll say thanks for all he's given
and for working hard his whole life
and thanks for all that he gave up
to provide for his children and his wife.

I'll let him know I understand
why he said some of the things he did
and that they sure make sense now
when I say 'em to my kid.

I'll take his hands and hold them
and look into his eyes, so blue,
and then I'll say so softly
"Daddy I love you".

In Christ,

CLifton's Wife

JESUS FREAK

2009-01-07T21:11:00.000-08:00

Romans 2:1-4 (NIV)
1 You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2 Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3 So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? 4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?

I have had a lot of labels placed on me in my lifetime; some of them not very nice. Some of them hurt me deeply although I tried to never show it.

An old friend recently asked me if it bothered me that people now refer to me as a Jesus freak. Hmmm, I wonder why no one ever asked me if the other things people used to call me bothered me.

I think a more important question for me is; does it bother me the labels I have placed on others? The judgments I passed so easily because someone wasn’t where I thought they should be in their life or because they looked (or didn’t look) a certain way? Perhaps a name called in jest. The truth is if I am the only one laughing, it probably isn’t funny. Often times we try to disguise cruelty behind a veil of humor.

For every judgment I felt was unfairly leveled against me, I admit there was probably an unfair judgment from me towards someone.

Today I ask the Lord to remind me how I felt when a judgment has hurt me before I pass judgment.

John 13:34 (KJV)
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

In Christ,
Clifton's Wife

“JESUS LOVES ME… THIS I KNOW”

2009-01-02T17:18:00.000-08:00

The simple words of a childs song mean so much more to me as an adult. "Jesus loves me... this I know..."

Exodus 15:2 (NIV)
The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him

It is important that you know I accepted Jesus Christ as my savoir when I was a child. 8 years old. Shortly after that I began a life of sin and rebellion that only God could forgive. I used my salvation as my “get out of jail free card”.

I am sure that because I accepted Christ at that early age I am alive today. My lifestyle and the choices I made for the next 30 something years not many would survive. Even though I turned my back on Jesus, he never turned his back on me!

The reason I want you to know this is that I want you to know there is peace for you too. No matter what you have done. Friend, you have not out-sinned me, sin is sin, and sin can be forgiven. You can be set free.

There is a love that you can not find here on Earth, no matter how hard or where you search.
My life was the stereotypical “sex, drugs and rock and roll” lifestyle. Plus a few other things thrown in along the way.

The opposite of love is not hate. The opposite of love is indifference. Let me tell you, I was full of indifference. I was in a spiral of despair. Sorrow followed me through everyday.

When the pain finally became too much I went running back to Jesus. And do you know, He was right there waiting with His arms wide open! Waiting to fill me with His love. Waiting to show me the joy I longed for.

Ephesians 1:7 (NIV)
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace...

Today I know that joy. I know peace, a peace I never thought possible. The source of this peace? The love of Jesus. I have a relationship with Him that I had searched for my entire life. The relationship that I have with Him has changed every Earthly relationship that I have.

Does all of this mean that life has become simple and that I walk through each day with birds singing and daisies blooming? No, but I get through each day with Jesus by my side, loving me, forgiving me and guiding me.

Each day I commit my life to Jesus and that makes even the tough days survivable.

Isaiah 54:17 (KJV)
No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

In Christ,
Clifton's Wife

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T12:06:00.001-08:00

A new year. A new blog.
Clifton and I said goodbye to the New Year by driving up to the spot where he proposed to me. Overlooking Las Vegas we rang in 2009 with sparkling cider, a kiss and a prayer thanking God for all He has blessed us with over the past year and devoting ourselves to live for Him in 2009.
I am not one for making resolutions. Last year I decided to find a scripture to focus on for the year.
In 2008 it was Ephesians 4:29-32. In 2009 it is Philippians 3:13-14.
"No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven."
I am looking forward to 2009. Here is a rundown of what is coming up in January.
God has blessed Clifton with another contract on Carnival Cruise lines. He leaves on January 9. Of course, it is hard for me with my husband being gone for 3 months. But, we are so thankful that he has a job, a job playing music and doing what he loves. God is good. We are planning for me to join him on the final cruise again.
I am just finishing up the Bible study "Women Making A Difference In Marrige". One of my strongest desires for this new year is to continue to grow as a Godly, Biblical wife. Those of you who know me and know my past know that this is an area of my life that is a true reflection of God's work in me.
I am looking forward to a new Bible study at church. A 10 week study from Beth Moore - "Esther-It's Tough Being A Woman". That starts on January 8th and as of now it looks like it will work with my work schedule.
January 20th. Inaguration Day. Barrack Obama was not my choice for President. However, I am an American. I love our country. I will be praying ferverntly for our new president and for our Nation. I hope that you will join me in doing so.
Psalm 146:3-6 (NIV) "Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them-- the LORD, who remains faithful forever".
January 25th is the anniversary of our last ciggarette. It has been 3 years since we have been enslaved by nicotine. It is amazing that every once in a while I still think, "hmmm, I might like a smoke", the feelings pass quickly but they do still come.
I think one of the reasons it surprises me that the thoughts still come now and then is because since I prayed for God to take my desire to drink away on January 26, 2002 I have not had any desire to drink. 6 years and no thought that I would even like to taste alcohol. I have to say it again, God is good.
January should be exciting. 2009 should be exciting. I hope that you have a year filled with peace, love and that you recognize the blessings of the Lord in your life.
In Christ,
Clifton's Wife