I’m sorry about this, but I will not be posting at this blog anymore. I have started a blog with blogger. WordPress has some road blocks, so I just felt it was best to move.
Here is my new blog address: http://jennifer-asag.blogspot.com/
All of the posts at my new blog are the same as my previous blog. Please come by often as I will continue posting.
Thanks so much for understanding!

For anyone not familiar with the “All You” magazine, they have some incredible coupons! It is definitely worth the $1.97 for the magazine. You can find it at Walmart and I’m sure at other retail stores. I bought 4 magazines so I could use some of the coupons to get some great savings at Walgreens. (To find out more, click on the Money Saving Mom link on the side.)

Let me know if you ever find any deals worth noting. I may even post the deal!

I love the Grocery Game! I just don’t love that I need to pay for someone to tell me what the best deals are. Today, a friend of mine told me about Coupon Mom. She does basically the same thing as the Grocery Game and what’s better, it’s free to join!

All you need to do once you’ve registered, is click on your state and it will give you the stores that she covers. She also shows what the best deals are at the pharmacy chains (i.e. Walgreen’s, CVS, Walmart, Target, etc.)

So, have some fun saving money!

Why should we study the Bible? We have churches where the Bible is taught and there are plenty of online courses and books we can use to help us learn more about it. What more could we ask for? Well, even though all of these things are good and necessary, they should not replace our personal study of God’s Word. Here are a few reasons why this is so.

1. God commands us to study His Word.
II Timothy 2:15 says, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God…” It’s not telling us to listen to someone else’s study. Although, in other places the Bible does say that we are listen to others teach it. But, in this particular verse Paul is instructing us as individuals to learn what God has to say.

2. Bible study arms us with the Sword of truth.
If we never take the time to search the Scriptures than we won’t be equipped to fight Satan’s lies and deception. He comes at us with lies wrapped in just enough truth for us to swallow it. He is so cunning and sly. If the only diet of God’s Word that we receive comes from church than our sword will be ill equipped to fight off the devil’s tactics.

Notice that the Bible is the Sword. A sword is not a defensive weapon. It is an offensive one. It is meant to be used in attack against the enemy. The more that our mind is infused with the truths of the Bible, the more we will be able to discern and bring to light Satan’s lies.

3. Bible study prevents man worship.
There is a danger in completely depending on someone else to teach us the truths of God’s Word. I said this earlier, but I want to reiterate that this doesn’t mean that we don’t go to church and listen to our pastor teach us the Bible. That is very important. But, if we solely depend on him to feed us, than we will start looking to him and what he says instead of what the Bible says. All men are human. God never intended for us to become mindless Christians who cannot discern the Scriptures apart from the pastor’s teaching. This can then lead to the worship of the teacher. No one ever intends to do this, but again, Satan is so sly. We must first of all look completely to our Teacher, the Lord Jesus Christ, and then to the other teachers in our lives.

4. Last, but certainly not least, Bible study is our opportunity to get to know Jesus intimately.
Psalm 25:14 says, “The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.” Just think about that for a minute. Jesus has so many nuggets of truth that He wants to share with us. How can He do this if we are not spending time digging into His Word?

It takes a lot of time for a miner to find the gold or other mineral he is searching for. But, when he has found what he’s looking for, he would say it was worth all the effort! It also takes time to find the treasures in God’s Word. But, when you sit at the feet of Jesus and He teaches you something that you never knew before…well, there’s nothing like it!! It will not only make you want to come back for more, but it will also draw you closer to Him. He is definitely the treasure in the Bible that we all need.

In my next entry I will talk about the different ways that I have learned to study the Bible. If you have any ideas, please share them with me. I am by no means an expert, but I want to learn as much as I can. I look forward to hearing from you!

This is one of those questions that seems pointless. What could be worse? Ezekiel 16 tells us. I mentioned in a previous blog that I would talk about the rest of the contents of this chapter. It’s sad and eye-opening at the same time.

At the beginning of the chapter God is describing the birth of Jerusalem and how she grew into a beautiful woman that He clothed and provided for. Then, she started glorying in her beauty and living the life of a harlot. But, it gets worse. As time goes on, God compares her to a woman who is married and yet gives away what she has to other men. They are not paying for her services! She is paying them for her services!

Proverbs 7:10-21 teaches about this kind of woman. Verse 10 says that she is wearing the attire of a harlot. She’s not actually a harlot. She’s just dressing like one to feed her lusts. She’s not desperate for her next meal and has nowhere to turn. She doesn’t feel that the only thing she can do to survive is to sell her body. No. This is the lowest of women. Her husband provides for her and she betrays his trust, using what he has given her to do what she wants to do. Even if it costs the life of her victim.

What could possibly make someone sink to such low depths? Someone who has experienced God’s blessing and bounty? It is someone who strays from God in the small things. They forget who God really is and begin looking to the world for their fulfillment.  It’s viewing life horizontally instead of vertically. It’s forgetting that it is God who gives us our life and the gifts that go along with it.

Even though I have never physically done any of these things, I wonder how many times I have given my best to the world? Things that belong to God are then given for the pleasure of man. We are here to honor and glorify God and to give Him our best. Because it was His to begin with. He gave us our spiritual gifts. He wants us to offer them willingly back to Him.

This world is so alluring. If we live in the present and not consider the future and it’s consequences, it will be much easier to give our best to someone else. Let’s keep our eyes on Christ and remember that He alone is worthy to receive our best. Ezekiel 16 is a picture of our relationship with God. He is our husband. Let’s not give to the world what He has so generously given to us.

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t want to save some money when it comes to shopping for groceries and other household items. And, of course, coupons are one of the greatest ways to do that. But, what is the best way to use coupons? Is Walmart the only option we have for saving money? (even though it is such a great place)

All you need to do is click on the link to the right titled “Money Saving Mom” to find out. This mom is Crystal Paine and her site is loaded with information that will help you in this area.

Have fun and let me know how it has helped you!

Even though the Old Testament prophets can be difficult to read and understand sometimes, I absolutely love to read them! I used to keep them at arms’ length for the reasons I just stated. But, I decided one day to just dive in and see what I could learn from them.

The main issues they deal with are the rebellious Israelites. It would seem that not much of it would be relevant for today’s Christian. I couldn’t be more wrong. As I was reading in the book of Ezekiel (you know, the one with the wheels, even though it’s at the beginning of the Book and doesn’t encompass the whole thing), I learned something about how God views our children.

Children are a gift from God. We all know this. In Psalms it says that children are an heritage of the Lord. But, how serious is God when it comes to our children and what we do with them? Ezekiel tells us.

In the context of Ezekiel 16, God is telling Ezekiel to tell the Israelites that they are like an adulteress who is also married. (That is a whole different topic for another blog entry.) But, right in the middle He describes to them what they have been doing with their children. “Moreover thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters whom thou hast borne unto me, and these hast thou sacrificed unto them to be devoured. Is this of thy whoredoms a small matter, That thou hast slain MY children…? (Ezekiel 16:20-21 KJV, emphasis added)

I always knew that my children belong to God, but when I read this very personal account of how God felt about the Israelites putting their children through the fire to other gods, it really hit me. God is very possessive of our children. They belong to HIM!! How important it is for me to follow His guidelines in raising my children and not follow the world. The world has advice that sometimes makes sense to my human way of thinking. But, is this the way God wants me to do things? It makes me think twice.

I have been turning this over in my mind for a couple of days. The Bible says that God is not a respecter of persons. That means that He loves everyone the same. So, why did Jesus have His inner circle? Why did He only invite Peter, James, and John up to the mountain to witness His transfiguration? Why not everyone?

First of all, the others had a job to do. Jesus left them down there to cast out the demons that were enslaving a poor little boy. But, instead they were arguing with some scribes about the situation. The bottom line is they didn’t have the faith that was required to accomplish the mission that He left for them.

Secondly, as I thought and prayed about this the Holy Spirit showed me what may be the real reason for Jesus’ decision. “Draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you.” Could it be that Peter, James, and John drew closer to God than the others did? That doesn’t mean that the others weren’t close to Jesus. I’m sure they were. But, Jesus never forces Himself on us. He waits for us to come to Him. To be intimate with Him.  Who knows what He would reveal to us if we just made Him our top priority. 

No. God doesn’t pick favorites. He’s just waiting for us to pick Him.

I know, that seems almost blasphemous. How in the world could God be lonely? But, I really think that sometimes he is. I’ve started reading the book of Jeremiah. It is a heart-gripping book. God is angry and sad over the condition of His people. He is telling Jeremiah the punishment that will come if His people do not repent. And, of course, they don’t. They think that because they are going through the motions with circumcision and sacrifices that God is happy with that. He is not!

In Jeremiah 6, God is telling Jeremiah that because of all of Israel’s rebellion, He will bring judgment. There is this great out-pouring of emotion. It almost sounds like He is lonely and He’s done so much for Israel, so why won’t they love Him completely? Then, in the middle of the chapter is verse 24. “But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exerciseth lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.” God is saying that all he wants is for his people to understand him and know him. This is what we should strive for. Going through the motions is not enough. He wants our heart.

When I look back on my life (not that I’ve lived a long time) I wish that I had not made some of the decisions that I had. It’s hard not to think, “If only I had listened more to the Holy Spirit”, or “How could I have been so foolish to think that decision would not affect me or my loved ones?” It’s easy to get discouraged and think that all is lost. This is where the Bible is so wonderful in that not only does it give us beautiful verses to encourage us, but it also shows us different characters we can learn from. Even from those we would never think could teach us anything profitable. Even someone like Bathsheba. 

What words conjure up in our minds when the name Bathsheba comes up? Most of the time, it’s adulteress and enticer. But, is this the true portrayal of her? I don’t think so. Here’s why.

First of all, we have no idea what the circumstances were when she took her bath on the roof of her home. Women were required to wash ceremoniously after the time of the month. Also, where were the men during this time? (Or should I say, where were they supposed to be?) They were at war. For all we know she thought everyone was gone, so what could be the harm in it? Of course, we don’t know what she was thinking, but that is a possibility.

Secondly, yes, she did something she shouldn’t have done. It was wrong in the eyes of God. She and David suffered enormously for their sin. Yet, I don’t think it’s right to judge her as a loose woman based on this one incident.

Fast forward a few years. Whom did God choose to become the next king of Israel? Solomon. What did Solomon ask for when God asked him what he wanted more than anything? Wisdom. Do you think it was an accident that he chose wisdom? He wasn’t a 40 year old man who had learned through the hard knocks of life that he needed wisdom. He was very young. Someone had to have taught him and trained him to choose wisely. Who was that someone? Bathsheba. There is no way that she could have trained him to love and serve the Lord with all of his heart if she had not confessed her sin and moved forward with her life. Does that mean it wasn’t hard? No. I’m sure she suffered from the “what-if’s” and “if-only’s.” However, somewhere along the way God helped her to turn to Him for forgiveness and for the strength to be the mother she needed to be.

Solomon honored her. The Bible documents that he did so publicly. He refers to her in some of the verses in Proverbs. Some commentators believe that King Lemuel in Prov. 31 was just another name for Solomon. His mother is the one who taught him what kind of a wife he needed to look for.

So, was this a morally loose woman or a woman who did something once that she probably regretted for the rest of her life? I think it was the latter. She is a woman of great encouragement. (I say “is”, because she is still speaking to us after thousands of years.) She took responsibility for what she did and then turned it around for God’s honor and glory.