SMACK list

i love my time in the mornings alone with God, my bible, and my journal. It is the source to my survival throughout the day!

this morning i was wide awake way earlier than i should have of been for going to bed so late. i knew it must have been Him waking me up ready to show me something. i went to my spot opening His words to read where i had left off yesterday.

Over a month ago i felt God reveling to me that i needed to read through Jesus' life and write down everything that Jesus did (all His actions, how He showed love) and all of His thoughts.

So i found my self in Matthew 22:24-40 which talks about the 2 greatest things we need to get in order to get life and Matthew 23:1-26 which talks about the religious leaders. So i started to list out Jesus' description of these "religious leaders" of His time.

Religious Leaders (official interpreters and teachers of God's law) look like:

• they don't practice what they preach
• they crush people with unbearable religious demands and "rules" and never lift a finger to ease the burden of these "rules"
• everything they do is to show off or show others how good they are
• they love to sit at the head of the table or seats of honor, they love to be exalted or honored by man
• they shut the door to the Kingdom of Heaven in people's faces
• they don't even go into the door themselves
• they cross land and see to make a "convert" then they teach them to be twice the hypocrite they are.
• they are more concerned about their fancy religious buildings than they are of the God that makes something/someone holy.
• they are more concerned with the gifts given to God than God whom the gifts are for.
• they are careful to tithe on everything they earn and receive but they ignore the most important aspects of God's law - Justice, Mercy, and Faith.
• they cheat the poor then pretend to know God by making long prayers in public.
• they are careful to APPEAR holy but inside they are filthy, full of greed and SELF-INDULGENCE!
• on the outside they appear like people that do good and are right but inwardly their hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.
• they remember publicly the profits and martyrs of long ago that were obviously people sent by God. yet it was their ancestors, religious people like them that murdered and persecuted them.

While Jesus was describing them he said to them... "Woe to you, what sorrow awaits you! Hypocrites!"

Jesus told the crowds, "Don't follow them, Don't tell people what they preach, Don't obey what they teach, Don't think they are better....we are all equal, Don't call them father or teacher... you only have one "teacher,father" and that is Me. "

He also said how we can be like Him and not them, "If you want to be the greatest be a servant, a person who serves is the 'greatest'. Those who humble themselves will be exalted, those who exalt themselves will be humbled. First be concerned with the inside and wash it... then the outside will become clean too."

The question that came in to my mind after all of this and all that He has been showing me all year is..... which do i look more like? Like Jesus, the disciples, or the religious leaders?

SMACK!! Only God knows what's in our hearts! Our we really like Jesus?

Jesus, make me more like you, i want to love, serve and be like YOU!!!!

way bigger than us

Constantly i am reminded that God's love and plan for people is way bigger than us and our biggest dreams.

Months ago in search for people who help the Romani (Gypsies) of Eastern Europe, Daniela discovered Global Partners and the work we are doing in Slovakia with the Romani people. Recently she started Yoy Dally, a non-profit organization, to raise awareness and funds to help the Romani people.

Her compassion for the Romani began in her childhood as she watched the discrimination of her Romani friend.

Last Night she hosted a Benefit in New York, New York where proceeds were given to help us, Global Partners in Peace and Development, help the Romani. This charity event included live Romani music by Vadim Kolpakov (who was the lead guitarist on tour with Madonna) , distinguished Romani speaker Dr. Petra Gelbart, the photography of Yan Yoors, a Roma-inspired fashion show introduced by Lotte Verbeek of “The Borgias” , the background spins of DJ Joro Boro and my favorite speaker and the most handsome man in the world, my hubby, Jonathan D. Grooms.

It was a huge success with around 250 guests. See our facebook page for more pic of the event.

The Romani have very difficult lives, many are discriminated against, most do not get an education and do not have job skills. In Slovakia more than 80% of them are unemployed. The Romani children are many times put in special ed classes simply because they are Romani.

Our desire for some time is to start a Romani Center in the Hore Hronie region of Slovakia. We believe that this project will not only help meet the basic needs the Romani people have today, but will truly help them in the years to come.

The purpose of the center would be to enable this new generation of Romani people to get out of the poverty cycle and build a life with meaning and true hope that comes from God.

This community center would be open daily, as a safe place for children to come, have fun, play sports, play music and learn. Classes would be given to meet the needs of adults and young adults to prepare them for life. Such as “How to manage finances”, “How to improve their health” (nutrition, hygiene - many Romani people are sick year after year due to lack of basic nutrition), “How to read.” (many are illiterate), basic work skills to get a job, and world view classes. The center would advise students and help keep them in school as well as teaching them practical vocational skills.

We praise God for what He is doing to show love to the Romani and i feel so humbled that we can be a part of humongous plan.

my little sprout

God is so good to us. On May, 18th 2009 He blessed us with our second child, Jeriah Michael. Tuesday was his second birthday celebration of God's miracle and gift of his life and health.

Jeriah is my little thinker, my listener, my cuddler, my laugher, my "moma's boy"... he likes dirt, "bob bob's" (any heavy machinery including a riding lawn mower), bikes, slides, chocolate, his daddy and me. He has been all over the world in his little life and is a great traveler.

When i was thinking of him and what to do for his celebration... all that could come to mind was how much God was and is growing my little sprout. This verse seemed to fit well for a celebration theme.

Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. Colossians 2:7

So we had a tree for a cake...

And dirt for an additional dessert...

(2 instant chocolate pudding mixes, Oreo cookies crushed in a blender, edible candy grass, and gummy worms)

A big fresh salad with yummy garden veggies (notice the garden shovels)...

"Growing" games and projects... (God was watering our yard most of Jeriah's party so a lot of the games we did inside instead of outside).

GARDEN TREASURE HUNT (take pictures of growing things outside, the first child to bring all 5 items to you wins)

PLANTING VEGGIES (kids like dirt)

RAKE RACE (have 3 children's garden tools and some rocks or pine cone, they have 10 seconds to see who can rake the most up - they really liked this one)

Family and friends to join us...

Every celebration we invite people to come early and pray over the birthday boy. It was a sweet time this year. Jeriah sit so calmly in mawmaw's lap and let us pray.

Here are links to other themed birthday celebrations we have had.

God is our Builder theme

He is thinkn about me (sand) theme

It is such a great time to reflect and thank God for the precious life he has blessed us with.