What kind of clay are YOU?

Growing up I loved and I mean LOVED art class at school. One of my favorite things to work with was clay. Kind of funny since I am one who doesn't like to get my hands dirty. There is a process to clay and also a process with working with clay.

Below are some notes from listening to Paster Dan M. Plus things I have gained from personal experience and insights from the scriptures.
********************************************************************

"The only thing clay does is yields itself to the master potter

It's pliable, it's moldible, it's workable.

It's moist, not dry and cracky

I'm not talking about chapped lips 

The hand of the master potter
ALL the clay does is lays there in the hand of the master potter comes upon it and begins to flex it, shape it, and pressure it, and mold it into the master piece he saw before he started 

He's the potter- we're the clay 

*You gotta learn to be clay- pliable, yielded, sincere.* (look at end of post for more clarity on these words)

Not praying religious things because they are right but actually getting alone with God-that's where that draw on your heart starts coming from 

Corporate prayer is easy but you might of have your reward already

You might because where you are coming from that you are actually finding identity through that cooperate setting.

IF we aren't moist, he needs to wet us down and go stick us on a shelf and let it soften.

Daily devotion take the place of knowing him.

Come on, it's good someone is talking like this.It just happens to be me, it's what I learned .
 I grew up in church guys. I knew the language,  but I didn't know him. So I had all kinds of things in my heart that was never created to be. I know what my heart looked like the night I got saved, it wasn't good . Selfish to the core man  and hypocritical , prideful, didn't even like me and wanted you to like what I didn't like and I was a mess  and I got saved man.

Everyone in this room has a right to his presence through his blood if you are sincere in your approach. If you really want to know him, he is waiting to commune with you . If you really don't want to live this thing and really want to become what he paid for and sincere about those thoughts and you don't even had the revelation or the answers of what that totally means 

What leads man to repentance and change? 

A: Goodness of God. 

So God makes fully known who he is and doesn't reserve or restrict in ANY way 

And wants us to enter in and respond. 

Do we love him first because we chose to love him? Why do we love him? Because he first loved us."-end of notes on Pastor Dan
****************************************************************************************************
Hardened their hearts- reminds me of hard clay- stiff, not yielding, not pliable, not mobile.

For the past year I have reflected and pondered about/over the "heart".
In the scriptures there are ALOT of descriptions of the heart.

In the next post, those will be mentioned and it all links to what matters most- Our Hearts- Our will and the importance to have our hearts Aligned to God. That's the key to it ALL.  Ding, ding, ding.

Q: How to have a new heart- even the heart of Christ?
A:That comes when he baptizes us with the Baptism of Fire.
We become new creatures in Christ.
The dross is burned out and we actually receive the Heart of Christ.
The natural man dies- is burned out and we actually become the children of God. How exciting is that!


Which kind of clay are you? Another way of putting it- Are we like children OR has life hardened us and we are "set in our ways", not willing to bow and bend and move how and when the Lord directs????

When we are like the soft, wet, pliable clay the Master Potter (Yeshua) can make us into the beautiful masterpiece he sees. If NOT, the Lord will wet us down, wrap a paper towel around us and wrap us up and sit us on the self until we are ready. Many of our so called "trials" and burdens just might be the Lord giving us the opportunity to soften up- to humble ourselves, to become childlike, meek and TEACHABLE. 

When one is stuck in unbelief and traditions, they get hardened- (Hard heart) and very difficult to see the need to be open and to change.(Repent). When one thinks they "know" but in reality they really don't "know/ experience", it keeps them from greater things and to progress. 

May we each realize we are to be the wet,pliable, soft clay and just sit and allow the Master Potter to work with us. Complete, surrender to God- (Being Yeilded) 

When one does that, it is a beautiful thing!

It's no longer about me, me, me or self-reliance BUT God-Reliance. 

To be a vessel unto the Lord. He just needs a willing heart. He can make a beautiful masterpiece out of you yet IF you are like that soft wet clay! Pliable, moldable, workable. 

Some of the definitions as found in the 1828 Webster's dictionary:
PLI'ABLE

Easy to be bent; that readily yields to pressure without rupture; flexible; as, willow is a pliable plant.

2. Flexible in disposition; readily yielding to moral influence, arguments, persuasion or discipline; as a pliable youth.

YIELDED
Produced; afforded; conceded; allowed; resigned; surrendered.

SINCE'RE
1. Pure; unmixed

3. Being in reality what it appears to be; not feigned; not simulated; not assumed or said for the sake of appearance; real; not hypocritical or pretended. This is the present use of the word. Let your intentions be pure and your declarations sincere Let love and friendship be sincere No prayer can avail with a heart-searching God, unless it is sincere


When I think of hard clay/hard heart THIS scripture popped into my mind

1Nephi 15:3 For he (Nephi) truly spake many great things unto them (his brothers), which were hard to be understood, save a man should inquire of the Lord; and they being hard in their hearts, therefore they did not look unto the Lord as they ought.

His brothers were not like the soft pliable, moldable, workable clay. They were set in their ways. How many times does it tells us about them being hard in their hearts? Their hearts were still set on the things of the world. 

I used to be very stubborn and hard hearted. Many times the Master Potter/the Lord has had to wet me up sort of speak,put me in a wet paper towel and wrap me up and put me up on a shelf to soften. (Trials-learning opportunities- whatever you want to call it)

Now days I choose to have a soft, willing heart. Having the heart of Christ (through the Baptism of Fire/Rebirth) is a gamechanger. I testify to it. I am a new creature in Christ! A fool for Christ sake, his daughter. I know who I am and whose I am. I still don't see the masterpiece he is doing with me. But I trust in the Master Potter, all I have to do is be that soft pliable clay and allow him to shape me, mold me, refine me. 
God is soooo good! Until next time- Your sister in Christ, Sally

Little blessings/Emma's Gift

I've been spending a lot of time in my car lately as I have become the taxi driver as we only have one vehicle for the time being. After dropping off my son and I was on my way home (only one in the van) gratitude filled my heart for all the little answered prayers.

On Thurs afternoon as I was pulling out of the driveway I noticed my neighbor from 2 doors down whose name is also Sally walking towards my house, so I was careful as I pulled out looking for her dog because that is usually why she walks outside to walk her dog. No dog, but instead I noticed something in her hands. After I backed out and stop to roll down my window so that she can talk to me she said, "Here, Harry ( her hubby) got these tickets and he had no use for him and thought of you and wanted me to give them to you. When she handed me the tickets I noticed they were for Fritz Adventure.(A huge indoor obstacle course.) I said, "Oh my!" and covered my mouth in amazement. My daughter who is turning 7 next month has been asking to go to Fritz Adventure every time we drop daddy off to work. We pass right by there and I told her we'll have to see.

I have been praying that I might be able to find discounted tickets or something so that either Megan our friend or Cliff could take her and that would be her birthday present. So when I was handed  5 tickets to go, I knew it was answered prayer and I said to Sally, "You don't understand" and explained the situation about how Emma really wanted to go and it's almost her birthday and I said, "Thank you so much and thank your husband for this wonderful birthday gift for my daughter! "

I realize that the Lord cares about what we care about and other instances flooded back to my mind.
Many times when we act on thoughts or impressions we are actually being used by the Lord and being an answered prayer for someone else. So next time you get that thought or idea in your head to do something for someone or or whatever- just know that it could be God working through you to bless and help his other children.

My neighbor Harry had no idea about Emma and her wanting to go and her birthday coming up and about me praying to be able to figure out a way that they she go because right now money has been very tight and so I was just asking the Lord you know to help me to come up with a way to be able to to do that and it was hand delivered to me by my neighbor. How awesome is that!

He answered in his own way- (through my neighbor) and in his own time- (way ahead of my timeline this time) Her birthday isn't for another 3 weeks. How and when was a totally surprise to me. We have a God that has a great sense of humor and enjoys to surprise us.

Have a delightful day in the Lord- Love, Sister Sally

Go Visit Shirley

Had the desire to head to Target to check out their food clearance section to see if I could find some more gluten free cereal that I had previously bought from there recently (I hardly shop there)

as I was thinking about doing that the thought came in my mind that I needed to take David Joseph (he is our 5th child and miracle baby- will be doing a post on him in the near future)

to visit a nursing home. As I did the name Shirley popped into my mind. I knew we needed to visit her.

"Go visit Shirley" with the thought of nursing home attached to her name

 I said, "Ok Lord, I will visit Shirley"

 (I had no clue who this Shirley was) I then quickly thought of 2 different nursing homes that would kind of be on my way to Target. Soon as I was forming a game plan in my mind on which driving route to take, the Lord brought another nursing home- Point Lookout front and center to my mind. This one is actually real close to my home and also the least visited by me.

So I knew I needed to atleast visit that one as well and decided I would head to that one first on my search for this Shirley. As I was driving down the hill and across the little bridge I saw a couple walking on the sidewalk. The closer I looked I realized it was the couple that I have been thinking about off and on.
side story- up to a few years ago this couple had been homeless, when I met up with them on Halloween they had an apartment to live in and I gave them a ride home along with my mom's leftover tator tot casserole that I was originally going to take home to my kids but felt prompted to share it with them instead. Told them I would just need the dish back as it was my moms. I believe that dish is older then me. I remember that since my childhood.

Anyways I found a place to stop and got out and said hi and asked them if they needed a ride. They both recognized me as well and said, "hey we still have your dish." They needed to go to the south part of town which was in the same direction of the nursing home I was going to. So I dropped them off and told them that after I was done with the nursing home if I saw them walking on their way to the bank I would pick them up and take them.

I got to the nursing home and noticed right by the front door a white piece of paper with the notice that it was flue season (in our county there has already been 4 confirmed deaths and many people sick with the flue) and highly recommend that NO children under the age of 14 come and visit at this time.
So I check in real quick with the Lord and said, "You still want me here, right?" Or something like that and got a affirmative. So in I go with David Joseph in my arms. We let ourselves in after punching the code to let us in and saw  a lady sitting in a wheel chair with a colorful afghan. I introduced her to David Joseph and chatted with her for a few minutes before moving on. Peaked into the dinning area and surprised that lunch was still going on, it was around 1pm. It was still pretty full with the residents eating their lunch. I took David Joseph first to a table where a lady was sitting by herself near the piano.
I introduced her to David Joseph and started to give her a very short version of how he was our miracle baby. That he started off as a tubal pregnancy and how our Lord and Savior actually came to my bed and finished completely moving him into the womb. I testified that we truly have a God of miracles and she shared some things as well. We continued to move table to table introducing David Joseph one by one. About half way through I came up to a table with a much younger lady probably younger then me. She was severely handicapped (her body that is) I went up to introduce her to my son when she said very clearly- "Hi David Joseph!" Very clearly and full of love. She had great hearing. In that moment the Lord opened up my understanding about her and my son. I said to her, "You know David Joseph!" and my eyes started to tear up. She was very observant and ask, what is wrong? I said, I am just overwhelmed but a good kind of overwhelming moment.

Later at a table with 4 ladies we gave our introduction and noticed a worker helping one of the ladies and knew her face. She attends my ward, she is a recent convert. She asked me, "Who are you here to visit?"
I replied- "Everybody!"
She goes, "No, I mean who did you come to see? I first thought you knew people at the other table because you were so friendly and visiting with them."
 I said, "I don't know anyone that lives here. I just walked in with my son and we just started to make our rounds. Actually I am here (I started to point my finger up towards the ceiling) because God told me to come. I am trying to find Shirley. Do you have a Shirley that lives here? I still have 2 more nursing homes to find her. She told me she knew of 2 Shirleys here at this facility.

The lady that I talked to by the piano came to me and gave me a hug and thanked me for coming and sharing with her that she needed that so much- that encouragement.

After visiting with what I thought was the last table that had 2 men sitting there, movement caught the corner of my eye. In the middle of the room sat a man by himself at a table. He had been long done with his meal. He was waiting there very quiet and patient for his turn to visit with us. I said to him, "We haven't visited with you yet, have we?" He smiled and said, "No you haven't". So we went over there and he tried to get my son to play with him. It was a short and sweet visit.

We then headed our way to the nurses station where I saw another paper on the flue thing. I told the lady/nurse on the right side of the nurses station that I was here to visit with both of her Shirley's. She said, actually there are 3 of them that live here. Which one are you here to visit? What's her last name? I shrugged my shoulders and said, " I have no idea. I just know that I am here to visit Shirley." Asked her that I may visit which ever ones were available. She told me she would have to get clearance from the head nurse. The head nurse was to the left of me- the right side of this nurse. She looked at me and reminded me of the flue and their policy or was it just a suggestion? I just stood there and smiled real big and said, "yes I understand." Well after a few seconds of silence and no change on my part the head nurse relented and the other nurse asked her about Shirley S to which the head nurse just shook her head no . Then told her I could see Shirley X. She told me the room number and pointed to the correct hallway. I asked her if it was at the end of the hall. She said " no, not that far." Well I thanked both nurses, sending them more love and smiles and off we went. 

I came to her room and noticed to names on the wall next to the entrance as I looked in I noticed 2 beds side by side but only one person there. Her back was to me as she was sitting in her wheel chair looking out the window. It was a beautiful sunny day (cold and windy but sunny) I called out and said, "Are you Shirley?" She nodded her head. As I got closer I realized I knew this lady or rather I had already met her earlier. In fact she was the first person we saw when we got there. She still had that afghan on her lap. 

Alpha and Omega came to my mind. First is last and last is first. I am pretty sure I asked her her name when I first met her but did not hear her or it was veiled from me. BECAUSE had I known from the get go that she was Shirley, I probably would not of gone into the dinning room and visited with all those people. 

It was such a beautiful experience. 

Once in the van David Joseph started to chat. I decided to take the freeway and go into Branson that way and go to Target and did so. Having fun with David Joseph as I would push the cart them put my feet up on the bars and take a ride with him. We both thought it was fun and since no workers or other customers complained about it - we continued to do it. 

After words I texted the couple to see where they were at and headed back to my town- Hollister. I found them and took them to the bank and let David munch on some Cheerios (berry ones) while we waited. Then drove them to Walmart and found a place to park while they went inside to put more minutes on there phone. Thought came to my mind that on Thursdays I can offer them a ride to pick up their check and go to the bank. That would save them hours of walking and after all I had already told the Lord that this van isn't mine anyways but I gave it to the Lord and I was willing to help whoever needed help. After 30 min of waiting I texted asking if they were almost done. David Joseph was getting just a little restless and it was soon to the time my kids would be getting home from school. When found out it was going to take more then 10 min I told them I would need to leave and hoped that someone else would be kind and offer them a ride home. (It's like 6 miles back home) 


This account is from the end of Jan. Just posting this now. Have many other posts in draft form that will be finished and then posted in the near future. I realize I have a tendency to start many, many things/projects that I don't seem to finish/complete them. So working on this weakness of mine. 

We have an amazing God! We have an amazing Lord! We have so many opportunities to uplift, radiate the love of God, and serve one another. It is wonderful to see that no matter what I am doing or where I am, opportunities present themselves to me and I am able to help the Lord and my fellow man. 

Until next time- your sister in Christ, Sally. 

No < or > but ALL Are =In The Sight of God

No one is <Less than or > Greater than each other in our Heavenly Parents eyes.
They are NO Respecter of Persons. We would be wise to do the same. 

Q: What are Idols?

One way of defining it-

An idol is any thing which usurps the place of God in the hearts of his rational creatures.

Are there other ways at looking at the term idol?

Yep, here is just one way. 

WHO are your idols?

I honestly didn't think I had any but over the past 2 decades

they have been brought to my attention.

Q: What if an idol is Anyone you think is better than you? >

Wouldn't that person, or persons be your idol? 

1 John 5:21

21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

Alma 17:15

15 Thus they were a very indolent people, many of whom did worship idols, and the ^acurse of God had fallen upon them because of the ^btraditions of their fathers; notwithstanding the promises of the Lord were extended unto them on the conditions of repentance.

WHO are "the least of these"?

Q: What if it is anyone you look down on, or think less of? <

Matthew 25:40,45

40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have ^adone it unto one of the ^bleast of these my ^cbrethren, ye have done it unto me.

45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the ^aleast of these, ye did it not to me.

In God's kingdom... In His eyes
We are ALL equal and worthy

Q: What does worthy mean?
Q: Something that is earned, or something completely different?
 How about worthy meaning= YOU are worth it!

worth=value given by blood of Jesus

Accept it. 

Be equal= have love for one another.

NO more > or < this. But this =.

Jesus sees the best of you, the potential in you NOT the wrong in you.
So he didn't get caught up with what you did wrong
He is caught up with what you can do right .
He is caught up with your purpose!

God IS LOVE! 
May we truly love one another and see ALL people how God sees them (see's their potential) is the desire of my heart. 

* The above is collected from scripture and other people who have received and delivered truth.
I was to combined it all together to make this blog post. *