LORD HELP US REMEMBER YOUR THE REASON FOR THIS SEASON!

I have heard over and over from so many people this year that Christmas does not feel the same, even from the children! I believe God is trying to wake us up to the fact that we are not focusing on the real Reason for the Season, which is Jesus Christ! Christmas has become so commercialized, stressful, overdone and expensive. We run around liked crazed maniacs trying to get it all done in a month. We decorate, put up lights, get our trees up, bake cookies, shop until we drop, wrap presents and go to endless parties, plays and events, leaving us overwhelmed, broke, stressed and thoroughly exhausted often times wishing for the month to just be over! We worry about buying the perfect gifts and spend way to much money on them a lot of times using money we don't even have which leads to regret as now we have credit card debt to start off our brand new year with.

God did not intend for Christmas to be this way and I believe he is disappointed and is beginning to show many of us the reasons we are not satisfied and things feel different this Christmas. When I was a child my mom struggled to make ends meet, often times working three jobs to keep food on the table and clothes on our backs. We did not get a lot for Christmas presents, mainly homemade gifts the focus was not about gifts then and all the hoopla we all go through these days but I tell you those were the most memorable Christmas's for me! Being surrounded by love and laughter with my family was the best... but even then I don't really remember much emphasis put on Jesus other then the prayer before our Christmas dinner and Christmas Eve service if we went. Many families are not even getting together anymore which is very sad. I have heard over and over this year as well its just going to be my immediate family getting together. This just goes to show the disconnect of families now days people are spending less and less time with their families which is something I know God does not want!

How about if we were to take a look at our Christmas this year and vow to make some changes next year to make it more memorable and meaningful. How about we vow to seek what God wants for Christmas. How about we seek out the lost, hurting, grieving people and invite them to Christmas dinner? How about we get together with our families we have ignored and quit being so selfish and self absorbed making everything about us and our immediate family? How about we seek to give more to those that have little and serve those that need to be served next Christmas?  I believe if we can make an effort to start making some small changes on how we view Christmas... God will begin to use us where he wants us at Christmas (and throughout the year) We need to begin to see what Christmas is really suppose to be about and we really need to seek what God wants from us.

I am just as guilty as the rest when it comes to all I mentioned above. I buy to many presents, try and pack to many things into my schedule, don't give or serve as much as I should, haven't invited anyone in need to dinner, haven't reached out to my family, I am caught up in the world's view of how Christmas SHOULD be! But God is working on my heart this year and I truly hope I can get this right next year!

One of my good friends who has been struggling financially was telling me how despite her financial struggles and not getting to give their children the "Traditional Christmas Presents" this Christmas  that God has blessed her in abundance by meeting her needs and showing her the kindness of others who have given her gifts for her children, a Christmas tree, Christmas dinner and much love! She is content and happy with very little and so appreciative for all she has. We can all learn a BIG lesson from her!  Giving a little goes a long way, loving a little goes a long way and sharing a little goes a long way! We can also learn that you don't need to a lot to make you happy! She loves the Lord and is happy and content with just having Him and her family for Christmas! AMAZING!!

You see my friends, giving to others is what God wants for Christmas, helping others is what God wants for Christmas, spending quality time with our families is what God wants for Christmas, pointing others to Christ is what God wants for Christmas, seeking to know Him, have a relationship with and love Him everyday of our lives is what God wants for Christmas. Won't we give him what He wants and deserves for Christmas? If not this year because it might be to late maybe we strive for this for next year and years to come?

God please forgive me for not remembering the real reason for the season. The birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Help me to remember YOU and what YOU want not just on Christmas but everyday of the year from me! Lord help me teach my children to not focus on the stuff that keeps us from YOU this time of year! Lord I am guilty of the commercialized Christmas, where Santa, presents, parties and busyness often times gets more attention and honor than YOU and I am truly sorry! I want to put forth as much effort or more into YOU as I do into those THINGS because truly these THINGS just often times bog me down and stress me out! If I can get this right next year Lord I believe I will indeed have the most memorable and meaningful Christmas ever and I believe YOU will finally have want YOU want which is ME-ALL IN -ALWAYS! I love you Lord!

Merry Christmas to all my family and friends! I love and cherish you all so very much! May God richly bless you this Christmas as you too will hopefully want to give God the honor He so deserves!

Love to you all,
Angie Goucher
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People forget that Christmas is about Jesus. Instead they spend too much money on presents, for their kids. Well it shouldn't be about the presents it shouldn't be about the Christmas tree, but about Jesus and celebrating his birthday and thanking him for all the blessings he gave us.

Merry Christmas,
Mariah Goucher


                        My all time favorite Christmas Song: Chris Tomlin singing O' Holy Night!
Thank you Maria Christina for singing this beautiful song at Camp and the Christmas Party this year!

LORD LET US BE A LIGHT IN THIS VERY DARK WORLD!

Lord let our light shine so bright that the whole world has no doubt we love you and we are your child! Let us act and speak in a way that pleases and glorifies you! Those of us that claim to love God and call ourselves "Christians" should know the meaning of the word "Christian"- it means Christ like...We need to take this title seriously, as people are watching us and we are to be example to all. There are people wanting to explore a relationship with God and may look to us desiring what Christ has given us and they may turn away and want nothing to do with him because of what they are seeing. They may think it hasn't changed or helped us at all so why bother. We need to honor Christ with the way we live and many of us "Christians" fail so miserably in this area. (Myself included!) Many people have been hurt by Christians and the church so they refuse to go back to church to learn God's word. This is very sad as church is suppose to be a place where you can feel comfortable, not feel judged by all you have done, fellowship, build relationship and worship the Lord. Some "Christians" are very judgmental and unloving even. If we want to become Christ like we need to pursue Jesus and what he says we are to act, speak and live our lives like. Jesus is our model, if you read the stories about Him his mercy, kindness, grace and forgiveness are very evident. He even shows these attributes to those who betrayed Him, mocked Him, ridiculed Him, beat Him and eventually killed Him.

The word of God says we are to be an example to all believers in what we say, in the way we live, in our love, faith and purity. 1 Timothy 4:5. We are to stay true to what is right for the sake of our salvation and the salvation of those who hear you. 1 Timothy 4:16. It also says to live wisely among who are not believers and make the most of every opportunity,  we are to let our conversations be gracious and attractive so that we will have the right response for everyone. Colossians 4:5-6. The Lord gives us a very clear picture and direction on how we are to live and behave as we are ambassadors for Him.

He says if we claim to accept him as our Lord and Savior our lives should reflect this claim. We should get rid of all anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language Colossians 3:7-8 but instead clothe ourselves with tenderhearted, mercy, kindness, humility, and patience. Making allowances for each others faults and forgiving anyone who offends you. Colossians 3:12-13.

As I write this blog and go through the endless scripture in God's word about how we are to act, live and speak it has become abundantly clear I need to pray about this in my own life. He has opened my eyes to the fact that I'm not living as a light in this very dark world. He tells us that others should know that we are a Christian "Christ like" by our fruits that we will produce in our lives; Joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control and I must say my fruit is rotten much of the time. He also says love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable and keeps no record of being wronged. If we love we never give up, never lose faith are always hopeful and we will endure through every circumstance
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 and to be honest my love does not reflect his idea of love often times. He says to fix our thoughts on what is true and honorable and right and pure and lovely and admirable Ephesians 3:17-18 and instead I am a lot of times filling my mind with distressing and anxious thoughts. If we can start fixing our thoughts on the way Jesus wants us to act, speak and live on a daily basis we can become more like Christ and therefore draw others to him.

Being lovely will produce the mindset and personality which others find pleasing and enjoyable to be around. The mind of a Christian must be set on kindness, sympathy, forbearance and love if we are critical and always finding fault with one another nobody will see our fruit.

The Lord has spoke to me very clearly this morning as I have been struggling to be all that He wants me to be. He has shown me once again through his word how I am to act, think, speak and live and I am seeing clearly that I need to cover this area of my life in prayer and spend more time in his word reading on this topic. My deepest desire in life is to please my Father and to be a light in this dark world, I want others to see Christ through me. If I cannot show his love as he instructed me too how will I ever help lead anyone to him. If I am not showing his love, mercy, and grace to others and showing them how he has changed my life how will they believe that its true. If my life does not reflect Christ like behavior then I am not doing as he has asked!

Lord, forgive me for not being a good example to others all the time. Forgive me for my bitterness, rage, anger and harsh words I have used. Forgive me for not always showing the fruits of your spirit as I want so badly to be your light! Amen

God Bless You All,
Angie Goucher

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I know the perfect example of someone who lets her light shine to all those around her I would like to give a HUGE shout out to Lorilee Addy! Love you Lorilee!
Mariah
                                                                   Philippians 2:3-5
  Dont be selfish; don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in other people too. You must have the same attitude that Jesus Christ had. 

God Bless,
Mariah Goucher


                                                        

Start a Fire in me by: "Unspoken"

 

LORD HELP US SEE YOUR SUFFERING PEOPLE!

  

I wrote on the topic of suffering two weeks ago and after 3 hours of writing what I thought God wanted me to say was apparently not what he wanted as my computer shut down and I lost what I had written because I didn't save it. I was frustrated and confused as to why I had worked so hard on this particular blog to only have it disappear within seconds. I believed that God had something else in mind for this blog so I began pondering, reading and praying about it and started to write again.....

Almost everyone I know is suffering in way one or another whether it be physically, emotionally or spiritually. The pain and hardship is real and is very overwhelming. These hardships come in many forms...grief, marriage difficulties, financial stress, abuse and neglect, illnesses, crippling pain, disabilities, depression, anxiety, drug and alcohol addiction, people are starving and homeless, losing their jobs, homes and families, and many are so hopeless they are taking their own lives because the pain and suffering is to much and they see no other way out, leaving their loved ones behind.. confused and devastated.

Some are suffering because of bad choices they have made, some are suffering because of other peoples choices they have inflicted on them, and some are suffering because they are victims of circumstances which they cannot control..... regardless they are suffering.

We all have questions as to why there is so much suffering and why is God allowing it if he loves us and has the ability to stop it? We wonder if we are being punished. We wonder why he is not helping us or answering our prayers. We wonder what we did to deserve all the pain, suffering and heartache we are experiencing. Sometimes we even blame God and sometimes we even doubt there is a God. God said in the end times that the world will get increasing worse...Matthew 24:1-13,33,34, 2 Timothy 3:1-5. God also says that Satan is roaming around wanting to seek and destroy us. 1 Peter 5:8

 All the pain, heartache and suffering really began to overwhelm me and I realized I needed to ask God what it was I was suppose to do to help my loved ones... what was my part in all of this? Through prayer and reading God revealed to me that I could do something and that I needed to remember and remind my loved ones that God is with us always and if we allow Him to He will give us strength, peace and comfort through our storms. He is our Father and He hurts when He sees his children suffering. He is there in our joy AND in our darkest hours. We need to learn to cast our burdens, pain and sorrow upon Him. God wants us to cry out to Him, to trust Him, depend on Him, and to draw close to Him. He also wants to teach us to be compassionate people, to have sympathy and empathy for one another. He wants us to reach out to others and use our experiences, trials and tribulations to help others through their storms. He wants our eyes to be opened to the hurt, pain and suffering that people are going through and help them in whatever way we can. He wants us to stop being so complacent and non-chalent when we hear of yet again another tragedy. He wants us to wake up and quit being so wrapped up in our busy worlds so that we can see all he hurting people around us and do something to help them instead of saying.... "Oh that's so sad and moving on." He wants us to not only say we will pray for them but that we will actually PRAY for them!

We are bombarded with so many people suffering on a daily basis. We NEED to take action in the lives of those that God places on our hearts. We need to be there to comfort, offer a helping hand and a listening ear to the hopeless, grief stricken, and suffering people in our lives. We need to stop just saying we are there for them and really start being there for them in any way we can! We need to encourage our loved ones and build them up. We need to tell them we love them more often and tell them all the reasons why we love them. We need to let them know we appreciate them more.  We need to forgive people and quit taking offense to everything everybody does and says. We need to show more grace and compassion to one another. We are all way to hard on each other. We need to start paying more attention to people bottom line. ESPECIALLY OUR OWN CHILDREN OUR SPOUSES AND IMMEDIATE FAMILY!

The suffering is REAL and people are often times alone because we just don't have time to serve and love them as God has called us to do and the cost is high. People are taking their lives because they feel hopeless, alone and afraid. People are anxious, overwhelmed and depressed and we are all to busy to see it. People's marriages are falling apart, they are struggling financially, they are in physical and emotional turmoil and we are not helping them because we are to busy! Satan is reeking havect on this nation. He is killing and destroying us and his goal is to distract us so he can keep us from doing what God has called us to do... which is to love God, love others, to help and serve others, to build relationship with others and truly invest in their lives. We need to know that people care so we don't feel so alone in this crazy world.

Friends and Family its time to wake up! There is a war on for our lives, much is at stake and it is only going to get worse! Let's take a stand against Satan, let's open our eyes to the hurt and suffering and be obedient to God and do something for his children. Let's pray for opportunities and for God to free up some of our time so we can reach out to others and help them. Let's be bold enough to point these people we love to Jesus and assure them and give them hope that someday we will leave this pain and suffering behind once and for all and we will go to a place where there will be no more! Let's tell them about Heaven and how Glorious it will be and that they need to stay focused on the fact we are only here on this Earth for a short time and we will get to spend eternity in Heaven someday with our Lord! We need to take our eyes off ourselves and our problems for awhile and help others and I promise you it will help you in turn as well.

I am truly heartbroken for all those that are suffering. I cry out to God daily for those I love for some sort of relief and healing from it. But am I doing more than just praying for those that are hurting? NO! I don't understand it and often times I am very overwhelmed by all of it. I desperately want to help but don't know how so I will pray for God to show me how and he will if I ask. He places people on my mind and I try not to ignore the Holy Spirit and in that moment I will reach out... because if I don't right then and there I will forget or get to busy and move on. Listen to Him prompting you... if He brings someone to your mind there is a reason. Don't ignore it! Act on it right then if possible!

Lord, please come quickly and in the meantime  help us help others see you and trust in you in the midst of all their pain. Help us to serve, listen and be more aware of the hurt, pain and suffering around us and help us to remember you have a plan for our future!

For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  In those days when you pray I will listen. If you look wholeheartedly for me you will find me. Jeremiah 29:11  

God Bless,
Angie Goucher

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It really bothers me when people say oh my God or OMG! That can be offensive to a lot of people and it is taking the Lords name in vain. Its one of the 10 commandments and you aren't supposed to say that. Its the 3rd commandment and it says "You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain." It's in the Bible....  here is the verse: Exodus (20: 2-17) Someone at my youth group said oh my God and my youth group leader said that that was very offensive to a lot of people and that it was very rude to God. I always correct my friends about it because it bothers me, its very sad.  Everywhere I go someone always has to be there to say it... no matter where I go youth group, school, sometimes church. Almost everyone does it. Sad to think about but, so true that's the world that we live in. How about we show our creator some respect. 
   
God Bless,
Mariah Goucher.

                                                        He Knows...Jeremy Camp

LORD I'M NOT STRONG ENOUGH!

             

I have learned I am not strong enough to do this thing we call life on my own. My struggles and failures are many and I face many demons each and every day. I do things I shouldn't, and some of the choices I make are not good for me, my mind, body and often times soul.

I long for and hold onto the hope that one day the struggle of this world will fade! I try to keep my head up, my arms open, my mind focused on the big picture and encourage others to turn to the Father with their struggles and often times I am dealing with the same issues but not taking my own advice.

 I so desperately want to seek and serve the Lord in all areas of my life but yet day after day I find myself in the same position, just making it through another day. I know that God has so much more for me in my short life on this Earth. When will I stop playing games with him and start genuinely seeking his will for my life?

He has begun to reveal many areas I need improvement on and I have been ignoring him even though I know he knows best...I've realized I need accountability in my life, I need to seek it wholeheartedly and pray for the right people whom I trust to come along side me and encourage me, pray for me about my struggles and help me to focus on God to get through these struggles. I am always trying to fix everyone else, but do not try and fix my own issues. I can hand out all kinds of advice, good or bad all day long but do I take advice from others? NO! Do I seek wise counsel? NO! Do I practice what I preach? Often times the answer is NO!

First and foremost I am not healthy and this weighs on my mind heavily.... yet I continue to make unhealthy choices. I tend to pray for others that are struggling in this area but do I pray about this for myself? NO! I watch others that are making small steps to better their health and long for it but do nothing about it. I want those of you that are making better choices for yourselves to know you are an encouragement for me and for many others but I also know that if I do not cover this area in my life with prayer I will fail as I have been for so many years. If I do not strive to get my health under control I cannot achieve the other areas in my life that need my attention. Lord help me to get my health under control, I am not strong enough to do this task on my own!

Second, I am struggling being a good wife, I am not! I have been with my husband for 26 years, and when you have been with someone so long you tend to take them for granted and if you do not make a conscience effort to make your marriage a priority you can start being complacent and unappreciative. Having twin boys at the age of 40 really threw us both for a loop.. let me tell you! My life consists of working a very demanding full time job, raising twins which has been very difficult with all kinds of medical and trying times, trying to raise my beautiful daughter to know the Lord and helping her to find her place in life, caring for a young man who lives with us in our home part time and  it just seems the wife thing and myself always seem to come last. God is revealing to me that if I don't take care of myself I won't be around to take care of the ones I love.  I am watching many people lose their spouses and when I watch the grief this brings  to them I always say I am going to appreciate my husband more for what he does for my family, I am going to kiss and hug him more and tell him I love him more. I am going to strive to be a better wife to him and give him the love he deserves and that I promised to give him when we took our vows before God. I say I am going to be friends with him instead of enemies and show our children what a happy, healthy marriage is suppose to look like through God's eyes. But do I? NO! I have family and friends whose marriages mirror what God had in mind when He created this union between husband and wife, and although they to struggle and have gone through hard times they have chosen not to give up, they have strived to make each day count with their spouse, and they have worked hard to make sure their spouse feels love and appreciated!   I look to you and your healthy and loving relationships and long to have one but do I do anything about it? NO! Do I cover my marriage in prayer daily? NO! My husband deserves to have a wife who is emotionally and physically healthy, one who is attentive and attractive and not to busy or tierd for him, one who loves him in a way he knows that he is loved and appreciated without a doubt! Lord please help me to be the wife you called me to be, I am not strong enough to do this task on my own!


Third, my children deserve my undivided attention and I am usually so busy with all that needs to get done to fully give them the attention they need and deserve. My desire is to be the best mom to my children, to leave a lasting legacy and to be patient, kind and attentive to them. I want to smile more, play with them more, snuggle them more, dance with them more, talk with them and truly listen to them but most importantly I want to teach them about God and the things that truly matter in this world. I want to equip them with God's tools to make good decisions, wisdom and discernment and to always stay grounded in the Truth.  I want to spend less time being overwhelmed with what I have to get done on my long to do list and ask God to help me to see that they are only little for just awhile and that I MUST cherish every moment and make it count. I know so many mothers that strive for these things with their children and are indeed doing very well with this area of their lives and I look to you for advice and watch how you interact and it helps but what I am lacking is that I am not seeking God daily on this area of my life and when I do I must say I do pretty good but when I don't and I try and do this in my own strength I fail miserably. Lord, please help me to be the kind of mother you called me to be, I am not strong enough to face this task on my own!

I could truly write a book on the struggles I face on a daily basis, we all have struggles, we may struggle in different ways, but we all have them... these are the three most challenging struggles I face at the moment, they are the ones I desire to change and I realize I can only do this when I turn away from my old ways of doing things and begin to allow God to change me. I need to seek accountability and have a deep desire to change and most importantly I need to begin to seek God in prayer daily about these issues! I am not happy with the results I am getting now so I can chose to change maybe even little bits at a time or I can stay where I'm at and wonder how it would feel to finally be free of these struggles I face on a daily basis once and for all.

I would like to thank my dear friends who have been beside me as I face these issues in my life, thank you for encouraging me, laughing with me, crying with me and praying for me when I have asked you too. You know who you are and I love you!

My health, My husband, My children...my deepest desire is to give my all to these 3 areas of my life! What are you struggling with today? Begin this journey with me of praying about it, seeking an accountability partner, asking others to pray for you and beginning to make small changes so it isn't so overwhelming. I'm not strong enough to do this on my own...Are you?

God Bless You All,
Angie Goucher

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                                                                    Mathew 11:28
                   "Come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
                                                                
                                                                 Philippians 4:13 
                                I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.

God bless,
Mariah Goucher

   

A GLIMPSE OF HIS GLORY!

Do you REALLY know who God is? His desire is for us to know him and be in deep relationship with him. We can't just go off what people have said about him... we need to seek the TRUTH about him ourselves, we need to be able to explain to others who he is as well.

I have been struggling for three weeks trying to write this blog and although explaining who God is should be an easy task I am finding it is mind boggling to say the least. I have been trying to come up with a way to show him in all his Glory and give him the justice he so deserves. How do I explain who God is? Well, I'm going to try my best, but no matter how much I try I will never be able to cover the complete splendor of His majesty.

First of all, God is the creator of all things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible!  Now let's just ponder that for a moment. He is the creator of  EVERYTHING... Let's start with man, he created man in his own image... He created you and I and every other human being. God also created us to have our own children and that in and of itself is a true miracle and blessing.  He created each and everyone of us different, not one of us is the same, each and everyone of us has a different set of fingerprints even, we are all so complex and so very unique. We have a complex body, mind and soul. He created us to be intelligent, relational, creative, spiritual, articulate, emotional, and able to make decisions, we  have also been given a conscience to be able to determine right from wrong.to name just a few of our characteristics and attributes. There is so much to the Human body and brain that I could never write it all!

God created EVERY living creature of the land, air and sea, ALL the different animals, bugs, birds, and fish. They too are all different, unique and mysterious and we cannot even begin to count them all.

God created ALL the beautiful bodies of water from the powerful and majestic oceans to the beautiful creeks, lakes, rivers  and streams not to mention the most amazing waterfalls.

God created the most breathtaking scenery as well, he created all the different trees, shrubs, grass, sand, rocks, mountains, meadows, volcanoes, hot springs, glaciers and all the beautiful flowers, again all of them are different shapes, sizes and colors. He also created the vegetation, plants bearing seed  according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit according to their kinds.

God created the billions of stars and galaxies, the beautiful moon and the brilliant sun. He also created the light and darkness.

God created the seasons... winter, spring, summer and fall and the weather... snow, rain, sunshine, rainbows, the powerful and unexplainable thunder, lightning, wind and natural disasters.

 I cannot capture ALL his glory here and give ALL his creation justice in this writing but I want you to just think upon ALL the beauty he has created from man to our majestic surroundings. When you stop to think about the amazing beauty that surrounds us each day just remember WHO created that beauty.

Second, I will begin to try and give you a glimpse of some of his glorious, magnificent and unbelievable attributes He possess.

God never changes, He is the same yesterday, today and forever. In a world of constant change... one thing we can always count on is for God to be consistent. What He said in the beginning is the same today and it will be tomorrow! We don't have to guess or wonder, we can know without a doubt what He says will remain.

God is sovereign, infinite, all powerful and all knowing. You can't fool him, hide from him or keep things from Him, He knows what we are going to do before we even do it.
 
God is faithful and TRUE! What He says is the complete and absolute truth, no matter what anyone says or thinks... His TRUTH will prevail. 

God is trustworthy! In a world where there seems to be very little we can count on and trust in you can be assured that you can always count on Him and what He says you can completely trust!

God is always good, He is patient with us, (thank goodness) and is compassionate, kind and gentle. He is humble, wise, and is the Prince of Peace. He is filled with righteousness and holiness and delights in justice. He is our provider and He presides over every event in our lives, great or small. He is in control always. He will fulfill His promises, and He WILL win in the end! God is the Alpha and the Omega...The beginning and the end!

God gives us strength when we are weak, He gives us mercy and grace we do not deserve, He cares deeply about each one of us. God comforts us when we need it. He hears every cry and He catches each and every tear that falls. He can heal our hearts, body, mind and soul if we call upon him and allow him too. He doesn't condemn us and He forgives us for all we have done, even when we don't deserve it.
 
God is ETERNAL. He is God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.....and he truly loves us...YES, the God of the universe, the one who created EVERYTHING truly loves each and everyone of us more than we can ever know, understand or imagine. He paid the ultimate price...He died for us so that we could be forgiven and free and so that we can spend eternity in heaven with Him. WOW! He is truly majestic and amazing isn't He! Don't you want to strive to be more like Him! I know I want to! It is so hard... but He can and will change us if we allow Him too.
 
Like I said in the beginning of this blog, it has been very difficult trying to explain who God is in all his splendor and majesty so I truly hope that I helped you see a glimpse of our King! Now lets praise Him for all he has done, all that He is, all He has given and all He has created and lets begin to tell everyone we know about our Glorious God!
 
God bless you,
Angie Goucher

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Did everyone see the moon the other night? It was very pretty.... God made that blood moon and super moon mixed together for us!
God Bless, Mariah Goucher
I love this song it is one of my favorites.  

Former American Idol Star, Danny Gokey sings this beautiful song:

FORGIVENESS!

 
Why is it so hard to forgive one another? Why is it even harder to ask for forgiveness when we have hurt someone? It is human nature to want revenge of some sort, even if it is only making sure that the person is aware of having hurt us. We are all guilty of saying the wrong thing or offending someone in some way or another, we have all crossed the line of discretion, we have all gotten upset and at times have said things we should not have said or did things we should not have done to others. We all have had others do the same to us as well.

How do you react to someone who betrays you, gossips about you, lies about you or mistreats you in some way? For those that have been abandoned, abused physically, emotionally or sexually can you learn to forgive these unforgivable acts that someone has done against you? For those that have been rejected, cheated on, or told they are worthless and will never amount to anything.... how do you learn to forgive the people that have wronged you in such terrible ways? I myself do not know the answer but I do know the One who does. God is the ONLY one that can help you begin to heal from the hurt and help you to get to a place of forgiveness and peace with yourself and others. This does not mean you need to be in relationship with them especially if they have hurt you in unexplainable ways.

The inability to forgive not only destroys relationships it also can destroy the person who cannot seem to forgive. The bitterness will grow deeper and deeper as you live with it longer and longer. Scripture says where there is lack of forgiveness there will develop bitterness and out of bitterness comes hatred and couple with hatred comes anger and anger and bitterness is the pursuit of vengeance. The price of vengeance is extremely high, it will keep you imprisoned in your past and eat at you until you learn to forgive and let it go! You are truly hurting yourself when you your refuse to forgive and often times it will result in self pity.

Jesus set the perfect example asking God to forgive those that flogged, mocked, beat, denied and crucified him on the cross. Luke 23:34. Even in his agony, Jesus concern was for those who counted themselves among His enemies. He told us to love our enemies. Matthew 5:22.  He died for this very reason so we could be forgiven and saved. He is expecting us to forgive as he has shown us. He says in his word if you do not forgive others that the Father will not forgive you. Matthew 6:15. Asking for God's forgiveness for one's own sins, all the while withholding forgiveness from someone else is hypocritical. We cannot walk with God in true fellowship when we harbor un-forgiveness in our hearts. When we consider the extent in which God has forgiven us, we realize that we do not have the right to withhold this grace from others. We must make a conscious choice to obey God and forgive. Ideally the offender will seek reconciliation but if not the one wronged can make the decision to forgive still.

I will admit there are a few people in my life that I still struggle to forgive. I have been betrayed by people who I thought were my friends, I've been rejected by others, some have lied and or gossiped about me, my husband and I, at times have struggled in our 26 years together to forgive each other when we have hurt each other. I've had some hurtful things that have happened in my family that have been hard to forgive and or let go of. I also know that I have needed forgiveness as I have said and done some things to people that have truly hurt them. I haven't deserved the forgiveness but have received it from some of the people I have hurt. I have not been very good about asking those I have hurt to forgive me though I must say. I know there are those I've hurt that I'm not even aware of also! Often times I even forget to ask God to forgive me! I know my words and actions have not always been ideal to say the least!

God loves us despite all our stupid mistakes, I stand in awe and amazement that my father has forgiven me time after time. I certainly do not deserve his forgiveness. As we focus on the things that are eternal we will begin to experience freedom from the things that shackle us such as unforgiving heart, we will begin to break free from our past and can experience a life of peace like we have not known.

Are you still unable to forgive someone who hurt you deeply? How long will you remain a prisoner to your unforgiving spirit? Jesus can give you the power you need to help you learn to forgive, to be healed and to be set free to live your life to the fullest. Won't you ask for His help today?

Let's strive to be forgiving people even when people don't deserve forgiveness and let's strive to ask forgiveness from those that we have hurt or wronged. We should also try and think before we talk and be more aware of our actions so maybe we can avoid being in a position where we need to ask for forgiveness.

May God Bless You,
Angie Goucher


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                                             Ephesians 4;32

Be kind…, tenderhearted, forgiving…, even as Jesus Christ forgave you.

                                                           1 John 1;9

If we confess our sins, He is Faithful and righteous to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

                                      God wants YOU to forgive!

 

This song is written by: Mathew West -Forgiveness

 

God bless,

Mariah Goucher

 

LORD I'M READY NOW!

Lord I'm ready now to be obedient and write what you have been asking me to write for awhile now!

Why is the Lords return such a touchy topic with people? Why do people tend to get so defensive and weird when you speak of our Lords return. We will all perish someday and whether we are alive to be here for the actual return of the Lord or whether he takes us tomorrow we will all have to face the Lord someday. I have prayed about this blog for awhile now and I feel God wants me to share this with you. I can't seem to bring this topic up as much as I should but it really should be something I talk with people about as much as I am given the opportunity. Maybe I am anxious to share about the Lord coming because I am not as ready for his return as I should be, and many of my loved ones are not ready. Have I done all I should be doing as far as sharing with my loved ones about Jesus and how he longs to take us home with him someday?  Have I prayed continuously for them and have I asked others to be praying for them as well? Honestly?

 I have many people in my life that I feel comfortable sharing my faith with and we get excited about God together but those that have rejected or shown little interest when I have tried, I can honestly say I have given up or have been reluctant to share with them. Some people may have turned further away from him because of how I approached the manner with them and God has sadly taken the rap for it. God always gets the bad rap for the mistakes us "so called" Christians make. As Christians, we need to be mindful of how we present ourselves, we need to watch what we do and say, as others are always watching us.  We must strive to have the characteristics of God, so that others will see his peace, joy and hope of his return through us. We should want what he wants, which is outlined in his word clearly. HE WANTS ALL TO BELIEVE IN HIM AND HE WANTS ALL TO HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.( 2 Peter 3:9, John 3:16) No one  knows the hour or day in which he will return (Mark 13:32, Matthew 24:36, Matt.24:42, Matt 25:13) but we should be acting as if each day may be our last on this Earth and make every day count. It is his desire for us to come home with him and experience everlasting life in a place where there is no more pain, no more struggle, no more tears, no more catastrophes, no more financial burdens, no more grief, no more stupidity, no more cruelty, no more abuse, no more selfishness, thieves, murderers, divorce, or adultery. I am looking forward to the day when He will take our weak mortal bodies and transform them to be glorious like his. (Philippians 3:21) There will be NOTHING bad allowed in Heaven! Oh what a glorious day it will be!

I absolutely without a doubt, want all my loved ones to go to Heaven, so I have to go back to the question that keeps nagging at me...Am I doing my part to help them see God for who he is...am I helping them understand the time is near...the signs are all here...to look around and see the ciaos on this Earth ...Unfortunately things are not going to get better! Am I allowing opportunities to slip past because I am scared to be rejected? I need to realize the bottom line is they are not rejecting me, it is God they are actually rejecting and he knows what the end result will be. He Wins! Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ if Lord in the end! (Romans 14:11, Philippians 2:10)

 I want my loved ones to have peace in the crazy days to come and the assurance that we are only foreigners on this Earth. We are only meant to pass through, not stay forever, however there is  Eternal Life waiting for those who love him, but ultimately it is your decision. God doesn't force us to believe, he lets us make our own choices. What will you choose? And if you have already chose to follow God are you prepared for his return or if he were to take you home unexpectedly? Are you sharing God's love with the people you encounter on a daily basis in some way? God uses his people to spread the word for him but only if you are willing to be obedient and do it!

 Let us not grow weary or be ashamed to share the TRUTH, some will think you are crazy or stupid, who cares! God says if you are ashamed of him he will be ashamed of you. (Luke 9:26, Luke 8:38, Matthew 10:32)

Some will defriend you because they may think you think you are better than them, or they feel guilty being around you knowing you are seeking the TRUTH and they are still entangled in sin that is keeping them from surrendering to the TRUTH.

Some are running from TRUTH...they think they can never measure up and never stop sinning. They are right! God says none are righteous not even one. (Romans 3:10, Ecclesiastes 7:20) We are all sinners and we will always be until we are in Heaven with him. (Just remember with God's power, grace and forgiveness he can change us in his own time if we are willing)

Some will completely ignore your willingness to share the TRUTH.

Some will be angry and resentful toward you when you share the TRUTH with them.

Some will be completely confused and wonder what in the world you are even talking about.

Some will not even care about what you share as they are to wrapped up in their own world here on this Earth to care about something that seems so far away or so unbelievable. And only when they or a loved one is facing death or illness will they listen.

Some will consider the possibility and show a little interest.

 And some will respond to the truth and give their lives to the Lord.

The Lord is coming one day, I know this without a doubt! It breaks my heart and also frightens me for those of you who don't believe this... Are you ready? I would love to talk with you someday about Jesus if you'd like. I am not a scholar,  I have a terrible memory when it comes to remembering scripture and I am not perfect by any means! I am a sinner myself, I don't have all the answers or even close but I can share what God has done in my life and is continuing to do daily because I am allowing him too. I can't wait for his return and I want to spend eternity with you all someday in this Glorious place that he has prepared just for us! Lord I'm Ready Now!

God bless,
Angie Goucher
.....................................,................................................................................................................................  This song hits me hard...I have always known the truth but ran from it for so many years!
Plumb, one of my favorite artist! Lord I'm Ready Now! Angie

I have always thought of Heaven as a beautiful place where there are no more tears and no pain. More colors than you could ever imagine. I cant wait to see my Father in Heaven face to face. I would tell him just what he means to me, he means ALOT to me cause he gave me everything! And one day he will take us home to the beautiful place he created so that we could live with him for ever!

I hope you are all safe from the fires!
God bless,
Mariah Goucher

I'm Famous In My Fathers Eyes!

The Lord knows each and every one of us, he knows everything about us, he knew us before we were even born. He is the one who created us in his own image and exactly how he wanted us to be. So many of us want to change who we are and we are not happy with how God has created us. We feel inadequate, insecure, and unlovable, we have low self esteem, self confidence and self worth. We very rarely focus on the things we do like about ourselves. Society says we must keep up with the latest trends, hairstyles, and clothing to be accepted. We must act and talk a certain way. We must have everything and we must be good at everything and often times we listen to this lie!  

God adores us and he made us all different for a reason! We should never be ashamed of how he created us... if we do we are actually saying that the creator didn't know what he was doing. We need to seek God's word about how much he loves and adores us daily, this would really help us to realize just how special we are to him.

We should pray about beginning to recognize the gifts and talents that the Lord has given us. If we are feeling jealous, or envious of someone's gifts, talents, looks, how they dress, or what they own that is actually called coveting. When you compare yourself to others it makes you feel insecure. God does not want us to feel insecure...Remember he loves and adores us! This doesn't mean we shouldn't strive to change for the better, it just means we shouldn't be dwelling and or condemning ourselves for things we don't like about ourselves or longing for what others may have.

Maybe someone in your past has partially been responsible for making you feel this way about yourself. Maybe you have heard the words your ugly, fat, stupid, irritating, no good etc. from someone.

Maybe your parents have not encouraged you enough or given you compliments and praise or maybe they didn't give you the kind of love and attention you deserve. Maybe they treated you poorly, maybe they have been verbally or physically abusive toward you. Maybe you were neglected because your parents were to busy or always working. Maybe you didn't feel adored in any way shape or form from your parents.

Maybe your spouse doesn't adore you and doesn't treat you as your deserve to be treated. Maybe they look at you with disgust and verbally attack you with words that tear you down instead of build you up. Maybe they show little or no affection or attention. Maybe they never give you any compliments, praise or appreciation. Maybe they show other people the kind of love and attention you wish you could receive from them. Maybe your relationship is no longer about adoring one another like it was at one time.

This is not what God wants us!  He wants us to know no matter what has been said or done to us to scar us that we must never believe the lie of the devil that we are not adored... because that is so far from the truth... God loves us and adores us unconditionally and always will. We must begin to see ourselves as God sees us. God's divine creation! We are Fearfully and Wonderfully made! Psalm 139:14. If we don't like something about ourselves and we need to change an area in our lives we need to learn to trust that God will help us and begin to pray about it instead of getting down on ourselves about it.  We need to ask God to heal the pain that others may have caused and we need to always remember that God makes no mistakes!

Last but not least, I believe God wants us to make others feel adored as well ...maybe we all need to make a conscience effort to make others feel more loved, appreciated and special as we so desire to be. 

God Bless,
Angie Goucher
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                                            This is another one of my Mom's favorite songs:
                                                             "He Knows My Name"
                                                             By: Francisca Battistelli           

I like this song as well it makes you feel like u r loved and you don't need your name in lights cause you are already famous in your fathers eyes, and even though your not perfect he still loves you very much! -Mariah Goucher

My moms good friend Maria Christina gave me a wonderful book called :

His Princess by Sheri Rose Shepherd

It is a great little book ...Thank you Maria!

 

Here is one of the pages and it is called

My Princess You Don't Have To Fit In...

I know you want to be accepted by others, but you were not made to fit in. You, my princess, were created to stand out. Not to draw attention to yourself, but to live the kind of life that leads others to Me. Remember its your choices that will pave your path to life. I will not force you to walk with Me or to walk away from Me. I want you to know that you can put on your crown at any time and let people know that you belong to Me. You have a royal call on your life. I want you to remember you wear the crown of everlasting life, and through you I will do abundantly more than you would ever dare to dream. Love, Your King and Crown giver

 

God Bless,

Mariah Goucher

 

Lord Let Us Bask In The Glory Of Your Presence!

                                    
Lord give me a clear mind and help me to focus on You and what's important to You. My mind is running a hundred miles an hour and there are to many things racing around in my head and to much to get done. The to do list never ends, the worries of the world are on my shoulder. Lord help me remember you are here in the midst of everything.

Lord help others see a glimpse of You through me, help me to be a women seeking after a heart like yours, a women reliant on you completely and one who desires to be like you. Lord help me be a good wife and a loving, attentive mother. Lord help me to stop wasting my precious time on pointless things that do not matter. Instead of being distracted by Facebook, TV, shopping, housework and worldly things help me to take that time and spend it in your word, praying for all those who so desperately need prayer, helping those who are in need and spending quality time with my family and friends and pointing them to you.

 Lord please restore my quiet time with you! Before I had my beautiful twin boys and life began to spin out of control with busyness, I couldn't wait to spend time with you.... I would get up with a cup of coffee, a pen, my journal and your word and begin my day so excited to be able to share some alone time with the one who knows me and my needs. You are the only one who can answer my prayers, the only one who loves me unconditionally despite all I've done, and the only one that has the answers to all my questions! YOU LORD, ONLY YOU!

Without you Lord I am truly a mess! I am suffering spiritually,  physically and emotionally. Without the opportunity to ask for your guidance, wisdom, strength and peace I am left doing it my way and I am weak. I am asking you Lord to help me be consistent about these things! I am so back and forth. I begin strong and pray for those I love who are struggling and then I stop, I begin to pray for myself and all my immediate family needs and then I stop. I watch situations that I prayed for so strongly at first begin to worsen then I start the prayers up again. Why do I do this? Haven't I seen your miracles before my very eyes, haven't I felt the glory of you presence? Haven't you provided comfort and strength when I need it and seek you for it?  The answer is Yes.... I have.... so why can't I just take to heart the verse that comes to my mind over and over again. Why can't I listen Lord?  Why? Lord help me bask in your presence of your glory each morning before I start my day and help me not forget that you are there throughout my day to consult. Lord help me to also start my day with gratitude for all you have done for me and for all that I have. Thank you Lord!  Amen

Matthew 7:7
Ask and it shall be given to you
Seek and you will find
Knock and the door will be opened
(See what it spells coming down ...It spells ASK! I just noticed this today when I was writing this and found it very fascinating.)

Some of the reasons people stop asking and seeking God are:
1.) To busy
2.) Hope is gone
3.) Faith is gone -Don't believe anything can change
4.) You forget to
5.) To involved in worldly things

(Don't give up! We can't afford to give up! Time is short! Let's make each day count!)

May You Bask In The Glory Of The Lord,
Angie Goucher
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 I enjoy spending time with the Lord through worship music, journaling and reading devotionals the most! I feel when I am close to the Lord I am safe, happier and more loving. He calms me down when I am angry or frustrated. I love reading my devotionals with my mom but don't do it as often as I would like to. That is something we need to get back in the habit of doing. When we read and pray before bed it brings me great comfort and helps me sleep better. Lord I want to be in your presence!

God Bless, Mariah Goucher

                                           Check out one of my mom's favorite songs!

Lord Let Us Tame Our Tongues!

 

 Lurking within us are varying degrees of hatred, bitterness, jealously, pride, selfishness and our big fat mouth. I am writing about taming the tongue today because I myself struggle with this and I know God does not like it, nor does the loved ones I hurt with it like it! (Sorry Marty!)

The tongue is our worst enemy...it can be very destructive and hurtful if not tamed. It takes hard work to tame our tongue and a lot of prayer and thought needs to go into this area of our lives. You all have heard the saying "If you don't have nothing nice to say then don't say anything at all" well I completely agree! I agree, but often times fail at this miserably!

 We need to think before we say something we will regret, especially when we are hurt, angry or irritated! Sometimes out of anger we will say what we are thinking at the time and don't even mean what we said really. Sometimes we mean what we said but we have no business saying it because it is hurtful and God would not approve of it. We tend to hurt our loved ones the worst with our tongues, especially our spouses. Why is it so easy to just strike out when were mad? This is exactly what the devil wants, he loves watching us hurt the ones we love, and just the opposite is true for God he does not like us to hurt our loved ones with our words and actions... it hurts him as well when we do.

Marriages and families have been broken, friendships have been lost, people are committing suicide from hateful words being said to them, peoples self esteem and self worth are deminishing and the list goes on... So question?  Are we using our tongues to build people up or destroy them? Are we filled with hate or love, bitterness or blessing, complaining or compliments?

Christians should be changed by the power of God and our words and actions should reflect it. Bottom line is we should think before we speak, if we need to walk away from the situation and calm down and say a little prayer about it and ask God to give us the right words to say then do it! It's so much better then being regretful or sorry for words or actions you can't take back.

Now if only I could take this advice from myself my husband and children would be so much happier!!! Please pray for me for this area of my life!

May God Bless You,
Angie Goucher
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                                          This is one of my favorite Bible verses I love it!!!!  

                                                          

 And this one of my favorite songs! Check it out!

King and Country

The proof of your love video  

                                     
 God bless.
Mariah Goucher