Trina's Trinkets

The Lord has been leading me on an interesting journey into the world of small business. I have just recently opened an online shop using Etsy selling handmade jewelry and accessories, and I hope to include knitted items and stamped cards as well. It is all very exciting! Especially when I made my first sale. But now things are quiting down. My store isn't getting as many views and I haven't made any more sales after the initial first. It's just reminding me that no matter what kind of thrills may happen in life they only last for a moment. But God is still there through it all. Isaiah 40 says "but those who hope in the Lord... will walk and not be faint." So I may be just walking right now, but my hope is in the Lord and I will not despair.

Where Did All The Hot Water Go?

It happens to us all the time. To some it's a regular occurrence. Your brother took his shower first, finally it's your turn, and someone is doing the dishes. Now your standing in the shower with sudsy hair and water is barely warm. You keep turning the hot water know but the water stays the same unsatisfying tepid temperature. "Where did all the hot water go?" You might mutter with an exasperated tone. I wonder if that's what it's like for God.

We can be going through life, growing in the Lord, on fire for Him. We feel invincible. We're giving God hot water. But maybe we get to a point where we decide it's enough. We don't have to go any farther. We become lukewarm, tepid water.

Revelations 3:15-16 says, "'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because your are lukewarm -- neither hot nor cold -- I am about to spit you out of my mouth.'" That verse could just as well read: "I keep turning the hot water knob but your still just lukewarm. I'm going to get out of this shower!" This is Jesus speaking to the Church in Laodicea. The people there have great wealth are are arrogant, thinking they need nothing. But they are only lukewarm, they aren't giving God everything.

We become lukewarm when we know God is God but we stop moving and growing. We think we have everything and can do anything, but really we're missing the point; the point that God needs to be our everything and only through him can we do anything. James 2:17 says, "In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action is dead."

We need to give God what he deserves: a life full of hot water action for him. Even if the action is just taking the time to study the Word and grow, at least its something. I encourage you to give God the hot water fullness of your life. Don't make him put up with just lukewarm. Be hot.

Audience

Hello, fellow bloggers and Maidens of the King! I have just added a new feature to my blog called "Following". I'm sure most bloggers know about it by now. I titled my Following feature "~Readers of My Blog~" and you can find it on the right-hand side of my blog, underneath my "About Me" section.

If you enjoy my blog and would like to come back and see new posts, please click on the "follow" button, so we can continue to uplift and encourage each other in our heavenly journey. The other reason I would like you to follow my blog, is so that I will in turn discover you and your blog, that I might read what you have to say.

Hope to see you back here again!
~Katrina~

United With Christ

As a believer in God and His son Jesus Christ I know that Christ died for me; He paid the price for my sins. But do I know that I also must die? Not a physical death, mind you, but I must die to sin.

It is a decision everyone must make. Oswald Chambers once said, "It takes a long time to come to a moral decision about sin, but it is the great moment in my life when I do decide that just as Jesus Christ died for the sin of the world, so sin must die out of me, not be curbed or suppressed or counteracted, but crucified."

Are we suppressing our sin, excusing it away, saying, "It's just who I am"? Or are we crucifying it on the cross with Christ?

Romans 6:6 says, "For we know that our old self [our sinful self] was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin." If we choose to put aways our sinful selves we will be Co-Crucified with Jesus Christ, God's Son.

Which brings me to my next point: Not only is our old self crucified with Christ but we also share in the glorious resurrection! Romans 6:5 says, "If we have been united with him like this in death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection."

How wonderful to be so united with the Son of God! Hebrews 2:18 tells us that Christ was also tempted, just like you and me, so that He would be able to help us overcome sin and temptation. Of course, He never gave into temptation, which is what makes him the perfect lamb who was slain for us.

Oswald Chambers also wrote, "The proof that I have been through crucifixion with Jesus is that I have a decided likeness to him. The incoming of the Spirit of Jesus into me readjusts my personal life to God. The resurrection of Jesus has given him authority to impart the life of God to me, and my experimental life must be constructed on the basis of His life. I can have the resurrection life of Jesus now, and it will show itself in holiness." Mr. Chambers goes on to write, "When I have made the moral decision about sin, it is easy to reckon actually that I am dead unto sin, because I find the life of Jesus there all the time. Just as there is only one stamp of humanity, so there is only one stamp of holiness, the holiness of Jesus, and it is His holiness that is gifted to me. God puts the holiness of His Son into me, and I belong to a new order spiritually."

Which brings me to my third and final point: After we are crucified with Christ, and resurrected through the power of God we take part in Co- Eternal Life with the Son. Romans 6:8-11 says, "Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Jesus Christ."

How amazing! We are alive forever in Jesus Christ. So many worries, frustrations, fears melt away when I meditate on that truth.

Christ cannot die again; He died once and for all to sin. We also, after making the decision to put away sin, have died once and for all to sin. This is how we are granted eternal life.

But the crazy thing is this: we are not perfect. We still mess up and sin, even after we decide to crucify ourselves with Christ. That is why we must make the decision every day. As Oswald Chambers wrote, "We have to keep letting go, and slowly and surely the great full life of God will invade us in every part."

Please, make the decision once and for all. Stop making excuses! The sin in your life is not "who you are"! God wants something so much more grand for your life. Crucify your sinful self, let the power of God invade your life and resurrect a profound holiness, and accept eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.

*All quotation of Oswald Chambers taken from the book "My Utmost For His Highest"; all scripture quotations taken from the New International Version Bible.

The Duggar Family

I just recently finished reading the book The Duggars: 20 and Counting by Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar. And it was a tremendously good read!
The Duggar Family (as seen on Discovery Health Channel and TLC) is one of the largest families in America with 19 children (one married and one just born last December). In their book Mr. and Mrs. Duggar share their family's story, the ups and downs, and everything in between. With photos, recipes, and funny snippets throughout, reading 20 and Counting is more like looking through the family's scrapbook.
I was an only child for the first 10 years of my life before my brother and sister were grafted in (adopted) to our family. So I certainly don't know anything about having a multitude for a family. Reading this book gave me a new perspective, encouraged me, and completely entertained me.
It was great seeing another family who homeschools and has home church thrive in our culture. I think this is a must read for anyone who has ever thought about having a family of their own.

Pretty Pearls

I find the oddest things delightful. Yesterday my sister and I were stranded at Target waiting for our mom to come pick us up. We had some extra money so my sis bought a black knit hat (very cute) and I bought these faux pearl necklaces.
Now this was actually a compulsive purchase. I usually have a plan when I go into a store, but yesterday I didn't. And when I saw those I just decided to buy them. I thought they were three strands connected in the back with a clasp, but when I arrived home and opened up the packaging I realized it was three strands on elastic stretch cord.
I was disappointed! I paid $7.50 for beads and stretchy string. But then I put them on... And I fell in love. The oddest things can bring delight to me, and this was one of those things. For some reason wearing these necklaces, or even just one by itself, makes me happy inside. I did come pretty close to buying a useless item, so next time I'll be more careful to only buy things I know I have use for.
Hmm... I hope this doesn't make me sound like a materialistic, shallow girl. I think that it is actually the joy of the Lord that makes simple things like a faux pearl necklace delightful. Whatever it is, I know I am happy.

Thoughts From The Kitchen

Cooking is lots of fun, in my own oppinion. I remember when I was younger and I would be so flustered and upset when I would cook a meal or bake some goodies for my family. I was so nervous about making a mistake that in the end I usually did! But now that I am older and have had lots of practice (and mistakes!) cooking and baking tends to go a lot smoother for me... with even better results!
As I was making the entree for my family's dinner tonight, a thought struck me. What if my mother had never taken the time to teach me how to cook? What if I had married without furthering my culinary skills? I would be struggling a lot at meal times, and would also be subjecting my new husband to all those common mistakes made by new chefs.
I am so thankful for a patient mom who taught me the tricks of the trade. I am so thankful for this time that God has given me to perfect my culinary skills before entering into marriage. And I am sure that my future husband will be thankful that I made all those mistakes years ago instead of in our first year of marriage. :-)

Spring Inspiration

Hearing the birds chirping and seeing the yellow and violet crocus shooting up in the yard inspired me to make this watercolor greeting card today. I am no artist, I cannot draw for my life. But by stamping an image in black ink, letting it dry, and then using inks, a paintbrush and a little water, I was able to add a beautiful watercolor effect to my card. And, as always, I used Stampin' Up! paper, ink, ribbon, and scallop punch to craft this little beauty.

Whenever I make a card I always make two. When using a 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of card stock I can cut it perfectly in half at the 5 1/2" mark widthwise to get two 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" cards. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? ~Luke 12:28~