My Jesus I Love Thee

My Jesus I love Thee, I know you are mine. I have walked where You walked, I have eaten foods You have eaten, and I have seen the wonders of the land You lived in. The beautiful flowers and waters are indescribable. Lord, when you walked all those miles did your feet hurt? Did you get tired? Did you feel bad? It sure seems a long way to travel by foot. But You were determined weren't You? You were set on a purpose. God's purpose. When you spoke of the lilies of the fields did You see the pretty yellow flowers all around? Did you see the awesome roses with the funny colors? (I guess You were there when the colors were picked out). Help me to remember You have a hand in this world, then and now.

I saw a saying in Charles Spurgeon's sermons this morning....." It does not matter whether I live or die, because if I die I come to live with You, and if I stay you are here to live with Me." Either way we are in it all together. I have a friend that is on his way to death. I pray that You will meet him and take him to live with You. It is really hard to lose someone that you love, someone close to your age, and realize that it can be me next. But God, I am so thankful that I know who I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep me till that day. I pray that You will be Yeshua to my friend. His salvation. Please help me to share You with my friend. Please.

I have walked in Your land, now I beg You to walk in mine and help me to share You to someone that needs You. Not just a little, but wholly. I pray that You will walk with him to meet You. Help him to be able to say, "I know you are mine". Please.....

I am willing. Give me the chance to open my mouth.

Israel, What's So Special?

Israel, I have always wanted to visit there. My grandmother went when I was a teenager and brought me back a neat Olive Wood Bible and a wood carved box. I still have the box. She was the typical grandmother, on her own and not the most independent self assured person, I thought. She loved the trip and often spoke to me of it.
She said, "You have to go, if you ever get the chance." Why, I often wondered.

Israel is the land God loved so much that He promised it to Abraham and his family. They were the people of God's choice and Israel is the land of His choice. I wanted to know why? What is so great about it? What makes it the place in the whole world that God is so concerned about? I got the chance to go to check it out for myself.

My church offered a trip to it's members. Peter and I signed up. Everyone thought we were crazy to go there with all the strife and chaos going on in the Middle East. Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and Israel have much going on in their political arenas. But I prayed about it and decided if God wanted me to go then I would. So.....  it just felt right, it felt peaceful, and it felt exciting. So on February 20,2013 we loaded up on a bus drove to the airport with 8 other people from First Baptist, and off we went.

I will say that I never felt uneasy, afraid, or threatened. I was completely at ease for the whole ten days. There was a protest going on because a Palestinian boy was found dead in an Israeli jail. The Palestinians claimed he was tortured to death. We saw the protests on TV but only saw a small gathering in Nazareth and a few kids throwing rocks at some policemen in Bethlehem. I walked alone behind everyone most of the time, because I was so busy taking pictures and looking at everything up close. No one ever bothered me except in Jerusalem one day. A young man came up to me and asked if I was an American. I told him I was and he immediately began to question me in an arguable voice. He wanted to know if I believed in God. I told him I did and I was a Christian. He said to me, "Why would a God put three different religions in one city all together?" He said he thought it was cruel and could not worship a God that would do that. I asked him if he had ever thought that maybe God put them all in one place so that all of His children could figure out how to live together and make peace. He did not know how to answer that question. He said he was going to the hot place and I would be there too and would ask him to light my cigarette. He obviously doesn't know me...... my family will get that..... I HATE cigarettes.  Anyway, that was the only time anyone ever made me feel a little uncomfortable and I wasn't uncomfortable just hoping I said the right thing. I have been praying for him....

Israel is a beautiful place. It is the gateway from Europe to the Middle East and Africa. It is a valuable piece of property.  As a Realtor, I would bet it is the most expensive piece of property in the world. Wars have gone on since the very beginning to gain control of it. Location, location, location. But it is also unique and wonderful. The Golan Heights were the prettiest, I thought. It is green and moutainous and strategically located between Syria and Israel. Israel needs to keep it because it makes it more difficult for Syria to bomb Israel. I loved it.

We drove in the desert and saw the borders of Jordan. Simply awesome. I feel I have visited 3 countries while being in Israel because you can see them so clearly. Lebanon can also be seen from the mountains of Haifa. Believe me, God had a plan. And He is still in control of that land.

It was a very long flight and longer going home. It took us 25.5 hours to get home. I am exhausted and sick. I have bronchitis and a terrible cold. We went non stop for 10 days. We were rushed to and fro, saw so much, I do not regret one thing, but I have never been so tired. It is Wednesday and I am still recovering. As for my grandmother being a little old lady with no independence or stamina, what was I thinking? Maw Coffman, you were so much more than I ever knew. Wish I had talked one on one more often. I am the loser..... I know you are looking at God face to face and asking all the questions I want to ask Him. I also know you interceded for me while I was in Israel and enjoyed watching me take it all in. Thank you.

Get Your Pre-Approval Letter First!

inShare Rome first time home buyer tips - Rome real estate Now is the time to set the appointment with your mortgage loan officer to sit down and get a mortgage pre-approval letter.  First of all, Why do you need a mortgage pre-approval letter?  No listing agent will even take your purchase offer without a mortgage pre-approval letter.   Why do they need that you ask?  Well,  look at it this way, how does a  listing agent and the seller know if you can afford to buy the house.  Believe it or not I have people calling me all the time to go show them  homes that they are not approved or able to buy.  After talking to them, I find they have had bankruptcies, or foreclosures, bad credit, or poor work history.  THEY WANT TO BUY.  But in their current circumstances they cannot buy a piece of Rome real estate. I just had a call the other day from a Facebook friend.  Their kids wanted to buy, but unfortunately they were only out of a foreclosure 1 year.  They have to wait longer before they can buy.  So if you were a seller and I brought that buyer with no pre-approval letter there would be an issue.  The buyer and seller would agree to a price.  The  home would come off the market.  The inspection would be done and the clients would go to the mortgage lender.  Only to find out that the buyer cannot get a mortgage. So the home owner would have wasted time and had their home off the market for a bad buyer.  So it is very smart for any Rome home owner to ask all buyers to bring a pre-approval letter when they bring an offer.  A mortgage pre-approval letter is a mandatory item you have to have when submitting a home offer on any foreclosure or bank owned properties.  No pre-approval letter, your offer is not even going to be looked at.   So I hope you understand why you need a mortgage pre-approval letter.  It eliminates the lookers, and makes sure the deal is a "real deal".  It tells the seller that you have talked to a mortgage lender and that you can afford to buy this piece of Rome real estate.  I hope you learned one more thing about the Rome, GA home buying process.  If you have more questions give me a call. I will be glad to help you out every way I can.  That's my job to make your home buying process easier and less complicated.

Rise and Shine!

Real Estate Experts are now saying that the Real Estate Market has shifted from Survival to Growth. I don't know about you but I find that like a breath of fresh air. Finally....... 

We are now back to historical healthy levels for pending home sales. Normal inventory has always been that homes would sell within 5-6 months. The last 4-5 years have been more like 1-2 years! But now that so much has sold, we are moving back to the normal time.... isn't that great????????

The demand is up and the inventory is down. I learned in college the basic rule of economics is based on supply and demand. There are lots of people buying and therefore the inventory is moving down. Therefore, we need lots more listings.  If you have been thinking about selling but afraid of the market, get off that fence! Your home will be worth more than you probably think. 

The good investment of home ownership has always been one of America's strong dreams. It is again. The thing you probably aren't aware of is that over the last 13 years, homes have appreciated about 40% overall. Even during 2012 prices were up overall 4.3%. Take a look at your stock values and see which is the wisest investment, still today.

The Wall Street Journal Economic Survey says that homes will appreciate 3.5% this year, 2013. There is urgency being felt by buyers due to  prices and interest rates being projected to rise this year. It is a great indicator of better times, people.

All indications are that we are going to have a great year in real estate. Now is the time. Rise up and get your house shining. You want the "shiny penny" to be your house that everyone is looking for. Get it ready, call me and lets join forces to get it sold so that you can move on to next great investment for you and your family.

My website, www.karenmcalisterjordan.com is loaded with wonderful homes for you to compare and choose for your next real estate dream. Give me a call and let's get started. Today is the day!!!!!

How great is our God

• Posted by Peter McMurray on January 22, 2010 at 1:52pm

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How great is our God

You may know the Chris Tomlin song How Great is Our God. The one with the chorus that goes

 “How great is our God, sing with me,

How great is our God, and all will see,

How great is our God”

But how will the dying, lost world see if we do all our singing in Churches, in worship venues? Time spent in corporate worship isn’t going to result in many people
seeing how great God is. It is when we go out of the worship venue that the
non-Christians see us. It is then that we can show them how great God is. We
need to be ‘singing’ with our lives outside the worship venue. We need to let
joy spill out in indiscriminate acts of kindness in our everyday life. We need
to show love to the broken, the hurting, the weeping, the looked down upon, the
rejects, the oppressed, the sick, the outcasts. If our times of cooperate
worship doesn’t result in that pouring out in our lives it is just empty noise.
It is worthless. We have wasted our time. Non-Christians aren’t going to see
how great God is, and God already knows how great He is. He doesn’t need us to
tell him, he needs us to show the world. In Amos 5:23-24 God makes it very
clear that worship that is pleasing to Him isn’t singing the right words, but
doing the right things:

“Away with the noise of your songs!
       I will not listen to the music of your harps.

 But let justice roll on like a river,
       righteousness like a never-failing stream!”

We need to worship with our lives, with actions speaking louder than words, with love for God and all his creation. We need to
let our praise be genuine and be pouring out at all times and in all ways, not
just in standard worship in special venues. God isn’t just in the venue, He is
in the world. It is when we worship like out there, with our life song and not
just lip praises that all will see how great God is.

We can’t worship God in the building and then ignore Him as we walk out the door. (In Matthew 25 Jesus says that ‘whatever you
did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' )We
can’t worship the homeless Son of Man on a Sunday and then walk past the
homeless in our day to day lives. (Matthew 8v20: Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests,
but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." ) We can’t tell God
we love Him, but then refuse to love his people. (1 John 3:16-18 tells us “This is how we know what love is: Jesus
Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our
brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but
has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us
not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”)

We know how great God is, and so does God. So rather than half heartedly telling Him how great He is again and again, it is time for us to show the world through our lives.
Aaron Boyd from Bluetree once said “Songs don’t change the world, people do.”
We need to be people who don’t just sing the songs, but live the life. Then all
will see how great is our God!

My Sunday School lesson was on Amos this morning and I had never really read about him before. I googled him this afternoon and found this. I think it is the perfect paraphrase or what God meant for us to get out of it!!! I copied and pasted this from a Max Lucado devotion. 

Happy Father's Day

Father's Day is a day that should be sad for me. My Daddy died when I was 8 years old. He committed suicide. I have been told that he had an injury from the Korean War that left him mentally incapacitated at times. He also had alot of sadness in his life. He chose to end his life. I wish that he hadn't. There have been so many times in my life that I could have used his shoulder to cry on, or celebrate with. So many times that I needed him to be in my life.

I did however have a wonderful step father. He did the best he could. He was my friend. I could not have picked a better 2nd choice. I lost him when I was 25. He died from lung cancer. I hate cigarettes. He was always around when I needed a friend and a father figure. But he was not my daddy.

Daddy's have a special role in a girl's life. Just a man to wrap his big strong arms around you and make you feel safe. I never had that. A man to protect you from big dogs and bad boys. I never had that. A man to walk you down the aisle to get married and care enough to make sure the man he was giving you to was the right guy. I never had that.  A man to be there when your children were born and to cry because he too, loved them so much. I never had that. A man to be there to pat your head when your heart was broken and let you know the most important man loves you enough to stick around. I never had that either.

But I do know that, it was his loss. He missed so many wonderful times and people that he was responsible for. I did get to hang around to love them for him. I thank him for the life he gave me and I do know that he loved me more than life. I am just so sorry that he did not have someone to shake him and make him stick around. Life is worth living...for those we love and for those we are going to love that we don't even know yet.

So, Thank you my Heavenly Father, for showing me Your love. It is everlasting and will never disappear. If not for You, I would never have made it through some of things that have come my way. You have used them to make me strong. You have shown me that through whatever comes along, that the life You have given me is worth living. Because You have been with me all along, today is not sad for me. I have been very blessed by everyone you have sent into my life. If my Daddy had not come to be with you, I would never have had Trey and Stacey. I can not imagine life without them. I adore them and all they have brought into my life. Because of that decision I have Brennan, Nate, and Charlie, not to mention Larry and Julie. Thank you for all you have given me in place of my Daddy. Romans 8:28 says,"All things work together for good for those who love the Lord." I do, and it has. Everything. Praise You.

 I love you, Lord Jesus. Thank you for wonderful memories of two daddies, my daddy and Hugh.

Who was Mary Magdalene?

 Who was Mary Magdalene? There are just some things we are not supposed to know all of the answers too. There are things that God does not reveal all the details about. Mary Magdalene is one of them. There are many opinions of exactly who Mary Magdalene is.

Mary of Magda, Mary of Bethany, The woman at the well, Mary the sister of Martha and Lazarus, the woman that washed the feet of Jesus and anointed with oil, at the home of Martha and Lazarus. There are also many non-Biblical opinions about her. I choose not to go there. If it isn’t in God’s word, I find it unimportant.

But does it really matter? What God wants us to see is her gratefulness for being healed, her faith, her dedication, her love.

She is brave, loyal to the bitter end, and an undying friend.

The male disciples have run, scattered, fled. But Mary Madalene was at the foot of the cross. Mary Magdalene stood below the cross where Jesus was nailed. She must have seen his agony. She must have seen Jesus ask forgiveness for the people doing these terrible things to Him. I bet she was not surprised. Mary Magdalene had seen Jesus in action. She knew, first- hand how He took a sinner, a person with seven bad things wrong with her and made her his friend. We don’t know what the seven things were, we just know she was healed of seven demons. She was the first person to the tomb the next morning after the crucifiction. She was there when no one else would be seen as a friend of Jesus.

Some commentaries I read, suggested that Mary Madgalene is Martha and Lazerus’ sister, Mary. If so, then she had fresh in her mind that Jesus had raised her brother out of a tomb. She probably had at least a suspicion that Jesus could, maybe, just do the same. As far as we know Lazarus was the only other person that was resurrected after being dead, wrapped in burial cloths, anointed with burial herbs and oils, and left for dead for several days. AND, Jesus brought him back by calling Lazerus to come forth. She went back to the tomb the next morning after Jesus’ burial while it was still dark. She had probably been up all night, not being able to sleep, grieving. She wanted to get to the tomb early. Perhaps to just sit and talk to Jesus, pray, or maybe, just by a miracle, He was risen…. Jesus must have really cared about Mary Magdelene, even loved her. He chose her to reveal Himself to first, after His resurrection.

He could have appeared in the room where all the male disciples were. He could have shown Himself to Pilate, wouldn’t that have caused Pilate a scare? But, no, Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene. At first, she did not know who He was. She thought He was the gardener. We don’t know why she did not recognize Him, but as soon as He spoke her name, she grabbed Him, and said “Rabboni”, Teacher!!! She was so excited to see Him, He had to tell her to let go. He wanted her to see Him as He was. He had changed. She had changed. Everything was different, she did not recognize Him by looking at Him, but in her heart she knew Him by His voice. Same as us. We might not recognize Him by seeing Him on the street, but as soon as He speaks to our heart, we know it is Him.

Jesus told her to go tell the others. She did not have to think about it one second. She never had the thought, “They will think I am crazy, they will think I am possessed again”. She did not care, she had seen Jesus, God’s Son, risen from the dead, just like He said.