Friday, April 22, 2016

Faith Friday - Bound by Bitterness

God is good every day. Every day God is good. Easy to say sometimes hard to believe. Bad things happen around the world every day. When something bad happens to you, it is very easy to let bitterness creep into your heart and break your spirit. But you always must remember God is with you in those moments. Psalms 34:18 says "God is close to the broken-hearted. He heals those who's spirits are crushed." It is human nature to be upset when a relationship ends. If you trust in God's plan in your life, then you have to believe that this is a moment of change in your life. A new season to begin in your path.

I have had romantic relationships end as well as friendships in my life. I have been so broken from the ending of these that I have been inconsolable. That being said, those moments were before I really had a relationship with God that was healthy. (Yeah I was one of those people who would question EVERYTHING about God's plan for me.) So often I find myself telling people that are struggling to read the bible because the answers are there. God's word is the one thing in our lives that will NEVER change! And by never, I mean not from the day you are born to the day you finally see him face to face.

And another dies in the bitterness of his soul, and never eats with pleasure. Job 21:25 Can you imagine letting your faith fall from bitterness so much that your soul is dead? Have you ever felt this way. Helpless, lost and you pray and feel like you are praying in silence. You aren't alone, you have separated yourself from God through lack of faith. Bitterness is a form of lack of faith. You are not trusting God's plan for you. People come into your life for a reason. Some come for a long time and some just for a season. There is a reason they are taken from you. Bu the one thing you can never forget is that God has a plan for you. Even if that plan doesn't line up with what you want, there is a plan.

But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. James 3:14. Envy, bitterness and strife are NOT of God. They are the seen by many as a form of sin in that you are letting the devil into your heart. God would never make you feel this way. God would never wish you to feel pain. God wants you to live abundantly and full of joy. Any negative feeling or thought is not of God and only you can pull your faith together and get where you need to be. Its about how you think. Its all about your attitude.

Can you change how you think? How about when you break up with someone or they break up with you or a friend decides that they no longer want to be tied to you. Initially you feel hurt. You feel pain. You may cry. You may get angry. You will be sad. But in that moment the best place you can go is to God. Ask him to lift you from this pain. Reaffirm your commitment to him and know that there is a plan and that you trust his path. You will find comfort in this. The best thing you can do after that is pray for the person that has left your life. Pray for them to find amazing happiness. Pray that they find their path in this world and that they will receive the love and grace of God. Pray that they find all of the happiness in the world. I know it is so much easier to take the path of anger and bitterness, but as a child of God.....you MUST not follow that path. That is not the path of a Christ follower. Follow the word in the book. Forgive and move forward. Do not give them a place in your heart and your soul by holding onto anger and bitterness. Give yourself freedom.

Thursday, April 21, 2016

What is coming! Man has my email been full!

So, I like to try to keep you guys up to date on what is coming up! Obviously I do my Monday topical post, We have Writer Wednesdays and We have Faith Fridays! Well now, we can be very excited about the fact that I have been getting a lot of opportunities to look into some great products for you! Some products I have coming for some upcoming features:

So, first of all I have some great dorm room solutions coming up! Everyone who has a high school senior and is trying to figure out what they might be able to use to maximize some space in the tiny dorm rooms! My daughter will be giving some info on items she found VERY helpful when she was in a small dorm room as well! Great planning for college blog.

Do you love fun products! What about water bottles! We have a great one we will be reviewing. This water bottle has a bluetooth speaker and lights up and MORE! Yes I said MORE! Its a very fund and useful water bottle I can't wait to share the information with you about this great product!

I have also received some requests from sellers to review some other great products a few funny glasses, trunk organizer, a bluetooth product hat lets you lock your computer remotely AND MORE! Yes the reviews are coming in and YOU will be the first to get to see these awesome items! If you have some sort of topic you would like me to review, please feel free to reach out to me on facebook or through my email. We are always looking for new and interesting items to review!

So what kind of items do we review. Almost anything (Except adult products we like to keep our family pages family friendly). Between the group of us, my kids are into video games, baking and makeup. Myself I am into anything crafting (soap making, scrapbooking, cardmaking, crocheting etc.) as well as baking, gardening, reading, anything faith based. My husband is an outdoorsman. He fishes, kayaks, hunts even has a mini cannon (yes that is FUN!). So pretty much all products will be intriguing to someone in our home! We host exchange students and love products and things from around the world! So you never know what you will end up seeing on this page!

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Writer Wednesday - Not a writer but a great program to find new writers!

Have you heard of a page called Kindle Scout? It is a great program really. Basically writers can feature their books on there. They give you a synopsis of the story. They tell you about the plot, the characters and the story line in detail. You get a feel for the book. There are lots of books to look through and you can pick three to nominate to be selected to be available to shoppers in the Kindle Store. The page describes the process as follows: "Kindle Scout is reader-powered publishing for new, never-before-published books. It’s a place where readers help decide if a book gets published. Selected books will be published by Kindle Press and receive 5-year renewable terms, a $1,500 advance, 50% eBook royalty rate, easy rights reversions and featured Amazon marketing." (kindlescout.amazon.about)

So if you are like me...you are thinking ok and why do I care....well let me tell you why! You care because if the book you nominate gets selected to be available you get a FREE COPY! So that book that intrigued you can be yours for free just by nominating it. As your selections are pulled after 30 days for nominations they are then reviewed for number of nominations. The winning nominated books are then decided. Then if one you nominated is released you get a free copy! This really works best if there are a lot of people using this program. Great books and great writers get a voice in the market by your nomination. (You really have more direct say than the current elections it seems).

Are you a writer? Are you tired of getting the letter saying, No sorry, not interested in your story but everyone tells you its great! Well worry no more. You now can be a published author! Follow the submission checklist. Submit your book to Kindle Scout. Agree to the publishing agreement and then get ready to launch. Once it launches, share with your friends and family. Have them share. And then also make sure your description of your book is intriguing so that people like me will find it that way too and you too may be a published author with a great publishing deal. Just so you know the process of getting your book on Kindle Scout can take up to 45 days!

So for you readers, this is a great program and really helps aspring writers and readers that love new books and are on a budget! Check it out today. Just go to and start reading TODAY!

Monday, April 18, 2016

Personal Accountability - Has anyone seen it? It is missing!

On April 14, 2016, a judge in Connecticut ruled that a lawsuit can go forward placed by families of the Sandy Hook victims against the maker of the gun that killed a number of children and adults in the shooting there. I am absolutely in shock that this is being allowed. I am, for one, personally over the lack of accountability that this country has come to. He stated in his answer to the request the following information: The maker knew or should have known that their weapon would be used in a way that may injure a person or persons.

Reality yes guns can be used to kill someone. So can knives, rope, toothpicks, forks, toothbrushes(see somewhere online about how to make a prison shank) etc. Really any item can be used to kill someone and this is common knowledge. It is a tragedy that 20 children and 6 teachers were killed that day. It is really heartbreaking that families had to endure that in 2012. Just like my family dealt with the loss of an amazing friend in the shootings at the Aurora theater. They are indeed tragedies, however, the finger is pointing in the wrong place.

From my research it appears that approximately 20% of all guns made in the US have AR15 patterns. Now, that being said. There are approximately 100 million rifles owned in the united states. 20-30 million of those would be considered Assault Rifles. 99% of those owners of the 'Assault Style Weapons' owned other weapons previous to the purchase of this gun. Almost half of the people who own these guns have previous Military or Police Experience.

If anyone is crying but these aren't for hunting you are right. Sometimes people just like to blow stuff up. We had a friend, when we lived in IL, who was a former marine. He served to help train the local PD at the time in their training etc. He also did crime scene work as well. He had a gun that would be considered in this family of weapons. He actually probably had more. He had land and he would buy these canisters of Tannerite and set up 'practice runs' for ideas for training police officers and such. He liked to have fun and would apply the Tannerite to targets for an easier way to tell when shot etc. He only shot his weapon there. When not in use the guns are always locked up. Most weapon owners are diligent if not obsessive with the safety of their family and the security of their weapons.

There is a large gap in the mental health system of this country. Let's just take Connecticut for example. Since Malloy took office in 2011. It is really not even questionable that his budget cuts have left an already struggling mental health system in Connecticut even more broken. As recent as 2016, Malloy has requested MORE cuts that will cut back availability of the services that people with mental health issues have available. What this means is when parents struggle (as did the mother of the shooter in Sandy Hook) to get help for their child, they will be told over and over again no. They will be put on waiting lists for help. They will be ignored.

Instead of suing gun makers, these families should be suing the state to provide proper mental health care. They should be requiring these different organizations to be making less hoops for parents in need of help for their children to find that help. We also need to start cracking down on the guns on the street that are owned by criminals. There are laws in place to help with this one, however, no resources are being used to start doing this crackdown. We can all agree that a sane person doesn't gun down children. But, there is also many documents that show this mom tried desperately to get her son help and was turned away. The change that needs to happen is not gun makers it is our medical system.

Friday, April 15, 2016

Faith Friday - Forgiveness





Usually someone we don't know can't cause a hurt that needs forgiveness. But, it can happen. The hurt that cuts the deepest is when a friend or family member hurts us. We allow ourselves to trust these people in our lives so when they let us down, it just cuts us to the bone. It distances us from others and it makes our faith walk a little bit harder.

I am not perfect. I have had people hurt me very badly and I had a lot of them that I thought I had forgiven but during a recent class I am taking through church called LIFE, I found that some of those I had 'forgiven' was not full forgiveness and I had lied to myself. After some deep and thorough reflection, I found feelings that were hidden within me. I had been denying hurt that I was holding onto. This worked into my daily reactions to events and people. It was taking away from my ability to really truly experience my life and my faith.

Below are some verses that talk about how God wants us to forgive others. It isn't easy but it is something that we as Christians need to do. Some people find writing down what someone did and acknowledging our feelings and making a decision to let it go. Some people then burn the hurt to make it go away. Now i am the first person who will tell you that I did not used to do the give it to God thing well. I still struggle with it from time to time, however, with forgiving others, I sincerely have found a great path to that by just saying to God, it is your will that I forgive and I give this pain to you. It has seriously helped me!

The first verse is Collossians 3:13 - Be tolerant with one another and forgive one another whenever any of you has a complaint against someone else. You must forgive one another just as the Lord has forgiven you.

God has forgiven all of us. He gave his only begotten sons life for our sins. Would you allow your son or daughter to die to save someone else? Could you love someone else so much that you would be willing to do that? As a human, I can not say that I would so his strength is more than me. I have found peace in this thought. But that same strength that I find in the love and forgiveness of God.....tells me I must forgive others.

The second verse is Matthew 18:21 & 22 - Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, 'Lord, if my brother keeps on sinning against me, how many times do I have to forgive him? Seven times?' 'No, not seven times,' answered Jesus, 'but seventy times seven.'

Jesus tells Peter in this verse to continue to forgive. He technically says 490 times, however, all of the other verses show the never ending forgiveness of God is what we should show to others.

One of my favorite verses...the Third Verse is Ephesians 2:4 & 5 - But God's mercy is so abundant, and his love for us is so great, that while we were spiritually dead in our disobedience he brought us to life with Christ. It is by God's grace that you have been saved.

I have been saved by Gods Grace. He has given me infinitely more mercy than I have ever earned. In that same love (recall Jesus said, By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another in John 13:35.) we must forgive others.

In Luke 23:34, Jesus showed us that even in that moment of desperation, Forgiveness is the required response. Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

Jesus was dying for our sins and he asked God to forgive those gambling to take his clothing. He could have said no that's my stuff stop. He could have said, ' look at these people, I'm not even dead and they are divvying up my stuff! He didn't. He asked for forgiveness for their actions.

In that he loved us we were forgiven. In that he loves us, we must forgive. Don't forget. Getting angry is human. Feeling pain and betrayal is human. Forgiving is divine.

My challenge for you this week is to make a decision to cast lots or to forgive. If you choose to forgive feel free to post why you forgave someone. What they did. Let me pray for you that you can maintain your freedom. Take your faith to a new level. Open your heart larger to let others inside. No longer be a prisoner to anger and resentment and let love fill you instead.

Have a blessed week!

Friday, April 8, 2016

Personal time off has given me a new mission...

So I have seriously tried to take some time off to get myself good. I found that on my blog I had no form, no plans and it was kind of winging past. I have finally stood up and said What is MY VOICE! Well this is what you will find with the new and improved blog.
#1 You can follow me on Google Plus. I am not doing an email because, well, lets be honest do you really read those emails telling you someone posted another blog link. On Google Plus my updates will load in your feed. Or you can just be awesome and check back frequently for updates.
#2. I have a plan. Most of the week will be random we will be posting a Vlog post weekly on our new Vlog site and I will write a coordinating blog post which will correlate with the release of the Vlog. So links to things etc. Now, that being said, I recently found out that writers have a really hard time being seen. I will be doing Writer Wednesday. Featuring a book that I have read. Hoping to find some through referrals (feel free to email me if you are a writer.) I will also be doing Faith Fridays. I am a Christian. I may discuss non Christian Religious issues as well. Depends on what is important at the time or on my mind. Again if you want me to research a topic please feel free to email me.
#3 I am going to be faithful. I have had a very hard time with changing jobs and working 50 to 60 hours per week and trying to sleep and be with my family to be able to maintain my blog. There has been a lot in the last year that has really gotten in the way of me being faithful to my blog. Even though my blog is important to me it falls down the line after my family, my faith and my job. I am currently not working. I walked away from my job in the hopes that I can find something part time that will bring in what we need for extra money and then not have to give up what else is important to me.
#4 You can see me in other places too!
Follow me
Twitter @lynninco on twitter
Snapchat lynn74
instagram: lynnmjansen
Pinterest: Visit Lynn's profile on Pinterest.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Southern-Yankee-Blogging-414162468673211/

If you have any products, books, etc you want me to review and you are the 'owner' of this company or writer of the book feel free to message me through the Facebook link.

You have a great and blessed day. And can't wait to show you so much more!

When you have church hurt......



I know not everyone that reads my blog is a Christian and not everyone has had Church hurt. But, it is a topic that I think needs to be addressed more with Christians. So often, we are quick to say well this person said this and they are this at church. You are putting yourself in a place of judgement or a place of victimization that allows you to give up what is most

I think the first thing to make very clear. All too often we put our faith in people not God. We struggle to keep our faith because people let us down. If you lose faith because you are hurt by a church, then your faith was not in God, it was in people. That is a very important differentiation to make. I have been church hurt before but I have never let it affect my faith. I very clearly saw the difference between the 'fake Christians' and 'self proclaimed Christians'. My church hurt has never affected my faith. It has never caused me to question my faith. It has, however, made me question the faith of others.

You see, yes you have a pastor, you have people who operate in different areas of the church but not a single one of them is a perfect person. Not a single one of them is Jesus. If you have questions and you seek help and you don't feel like the members of your church are giving you the guidance you need that is because all the guidance with your faith you need is already available to you in the bible. There are many concordance options available online or in book form that can help you find guidance. Granted there are times when you definitely need a little more human support but it is truly support not guidance you are seeking. There is a huge difference.

Many times, you will hear those who have been church hurt referred to as the Walking Wounded. It's true they are wounded. They are hurt. Their emotions, their stability, their world has been changed. Why is this more painful than other hurt from people. Well, probably because when you go to church you go to be part of a community. You go to share your love for God. You let yourself be completely vulnerable in those moments in order to let god teach you by listening to sermons and talking about your life. When you allow yourself to be vulnerable a human can break your heart and it will hurt worse than a stranger yelling at you telling you that you are ugly etc.

My church hurt story. I have actually been church hurt more than one time. But I will speak on my most recent time. We moved to a new home, it was far away from friends and family. We knew basically no one. We went to a church recommended by our realtor. She said she loved it. We did too! We loved the people and we loved the sermons. My husband actually went forward and gave himself to God and was saved in that church and baptized. We truly loved the church. There were weird things that we started noticing as people got 'comfortable' around us. Comments about someone who had brought someone who was gay into the church. And how the pastor wouldn't agree to baptize them if they came forward because they are gay. Being told that they absolutely can judge other people. That it says in the bible you can judge the fruit of the tree. I was told that I was absolutely wrong to believe that God would want us to love everyone without fail and let God do the final judgement for sins. I started finding these types of comments over and over.

Then the next thing happened. My son had moved home after being injured in the military. He was having some transition issues. He came home in March. I asked the pastor to meet with him and there was no contact. I asked him 10 times in the course of time between March 6 and July 4th. I gave him my sons number 5 times. He was at our home for my daughter's birthday and never said a word to him. He never met with my son. We were dealing with a young man who had lost faith while in the Army due to events that happened. I begged this pastor as a former military person and a pastor to reach out to my son. What I was doing was not working. 2 weeks after 4th of July, I had vented to someone else that went to our church and it got back to him immediately (so much for venting to a friend) His response was to tell my son "I said I'd get to you after the fourth of July and I am. Ball is in your court. What kind of supportive message is that? Also during this time I was struggling. They stated they needed someone to work with Worship team and in the office.I had volunteered to work for free to prove myself and was ignored. I have many years of performance experience and love worship music and have a number of worship leader friends. I was told by someone else, well you can't be a worship leader silly you are a woman. Say what? Shortly after that commentary and after they flew in three families who all turned down the position for the man to run the worship and his wife to work in the office. The church was hit by lightening, not once but twice. What do you think the lightening took out? Their office equipment and music equipment. That being said between those events and his response to my son who desperately needed his support we left.

I was absolutely church hurt. But I clearly could see it was the man not God who failed me. Sadly when I had tried to talk to him about it he said never put your faith in man, man will always let you down. Although true, his actions were not actions of a man of God. We struggled, we prayed we begged God for guidance. We were finally led where we belonged. Is it perfect? Heck no.....It is not perfect. It has learning curves. But, it is good. It is better. And my son is back in the fold. He loves that this church in no way expects you to be perfect. They don't judge where you are at in your path, they just love you for who you are.

Churches were never meant for saints. They were always meant to be hospitals for the broken. If you have been church hurt. Do not give up your faith. God did not do this. Man did. Always remember somewhere out there is a place you can worship and be loved. Just like any relationship it sometimes takes time to find the right one. And you may kiss some frogs before you have the experience you are looking for.

God Bless and prayers go out to anyone who has been Church Hurt that if you have not yet found your way home, you will take this as a sign to pray for a guiding light from God. He loves you in your broken form. A solid object has tobe cracked to let the light inside.