Greetings

Welcome to my blog, may you find hope, inspiration, peace and perhaps a chuckle or two!

Monday, July 11, 2011

Blog updated!

Check out the latest! 



I’ve updated my blog with information about woodpeckers, God, Concussions etc. The blog is essentially about our journey through brain trauma with Hannah and how God created us so intricately.




Yes, we began pondering brains of woodpeckers during Hannah’s convalescing with her concussion. One decided to move into our backyard and peck our deck. It’s all good though.



Read about what we discovered here, and how God is amazing!



http://kissedbythecreator.com/?p=168

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Friday, May 13, 2011

WE HAVE MOVED!

Please check out the new blog site at http://www.kissedbythecreator.com/.
The webmistress adequately captured the Natural vibe I was looking for! Yeah!
The "Lessons of Wilderness" is the topic.
Be sure to switch your RSS feeder so you don't miss out on future "Kissed by the Creater" updates.
Have a blessed day!

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Do you have a "fooljita" Scale?

Howdy!

I invented a new word in my blog update over at Word Press.  We are in the process of creating a site over there, but you'll find my blog over there now.  Why not hike on over and check it out.




We don't want to lose ya when we move!

http://www.kissedbythecreator.com/

or

http://kissedbythecreator.com/?p=58

Remember to change your RSS Feed so we can stay in touch.

Blessings,
Connie Pilston Shoemaker
Kissed by the Creator

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

A is for Advocate

One can hardly read a news story without seeing the word advocate. In our area the natural gas companies are pushing to drill through the copious deposits of Marcellus Shale. The process of “fracking” is thought to contaminate ground water thus threatening our environment.


http://www.lindajackmanphotography.com/

There are advocates for a myriad of causes. Nature advocates lobby for practices to protect the ecosystem. Rachel Carson of “Silent Spring” fame one of the most famous in our area.

My mother and her husband are advocates for the Monarch Butterfly.  They retreive the eggs before the Milkweed is sprayed with chemicals and hatch them and set them free.  Any given season they protect and launch between 300 and 600 Monarchs a year. 

Last month in the Emergency Room the nurses were not listening or just not hearing that my husband was losing consciousness. His warning that the room was spinning, he could no longer hear and things were getting dark were not heeded. I had to step in and in one motion elbow nurse out of way, lower the bed with my foot and catch him on the way down before he pitched headlong onto the floor. I was his patient advocate. When his pain reached critical levels I was the one that tore the nurses from their dialog to increase his meds interceding on his behalf.

Several years ago I was in a courthouse lobby with a bible praying for a mom who faced lawyers and judges as they decided the fate of her children during a brutal custody battle. I became a court appointed advocate to accompany the children on their paternal visits.

Everyone needs an advocate. The word ADVOCATE has been on my heart so I began to research it.

Initially I looked to the Bible for my definition and learned that in Greek , the word translated as 'advocate' in some versions such as KJV - parakletos - is also translated as 'comforter' in verses : John 14 : 16, John 15 : 26, and John 16 : 7.

This word advocate often refers to the Holy Spirit.

“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”
John 14:26 (NIV)

Looking at the dictionary the definition says Advocate: a person who pleads for or in behalf of another; intercessor
Equally impressive are the synonyms listed:  Synonyms: champion, proponent, backer, counselor, counsel

The purpose of all this “advocate” pondering became real this morning.

I found myself this morning with a word on my heart. “May you have peace joy and hope! God has a plan.” And while I thanked God for the peace this gave me I was still stirred in my spirit that maybe it wasn’t just for me. I shared it with some of my friends by going through my twitter follower list and when I felt the nudge, I shared the words with them. I was not prepared for the response and the opportunity it afforded me to pray or intercede for those who received the word for them.

We all need an advocate and we are often called to be one. I posted the query, "what is an advocate" and  the responses all spoke of 'standing in the gap' for someone.

http://www.lindajackmanphotography.com/
"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute."
– Proverbs 31:8

And sometimes that means praying for someone when they can no longer find words.

Those who know me well, know that if they ask me for prayer, that I “stop, drop and pray” Followers on twitter or Facebook see actual prayers in response to a plea for prayer, not just a “sure I’ll keep you in my prayers”. How often do we say “prayin’ for ya” but get caught up in our stuff and forget? How many of us have forwarded an email or retweeted a prayer request and that’s as close as we got to actually praying?

Taking on the role of an advocate can yield a bounty of blessings for both parties. When our Advocate calls us to be one for someone else, we need to act. If you have put it off, today is a new day.  Step into your role of Advocte, a title with responsibility - you are in good company.

Point to Ponder: Who can you be an advocate for today? How is our “Advocate” encouraging you to move?

FYI  My Blogs are being changed over next week to http://www.kissedbythecreator.com/ so you might want to update your RSS Feeds


Friday, February 25, 2011

Fool’s Gold (Guest Blogger)

Guest Blogger: Pastor Chris Gibbs of CrossWay Church

"You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men" (Mark 7:8).

In the late 1840's, the Gold Rush was in full swing. Everyone was eager for the certain riches and wealth, prestige and success that would come from discovering the life-changing powers of gold. What many people found, however, was not gold, but was pyrite, knows as "fool's gold." They found this with excitement, abandoned their search any further and went about to trade this "treasure" in for the life-change they were dreaming for. To their great disappointment, they found that what they had only "looked like" what they were really seeking. They had settled for a fake.

The Pharisees, like many in our current society, were more focused on the the disciples of Jesus did not fit into their traditional and "acceptable" mold. They had traded seeking the face of God, the true gold, for seeking the praises of men, and judging every man against the standard of appearance. They judged Jesus' disciples' hearts based on how they followed traditions, rather than how they followed God. They equated godliness with appearance, ritual, and tradition.

It is so easy to get caught up in the trends and styles and leave the commandment to worship God alone. He IS the true gold. Everything else is a fool's copy. Styles are not my god. Traditions are not my god. Opinions of people are not my god. Jesus IS my God. I live my life to honor Him. He is the One who matters to me and how I live each day.

If we live each day this mindset, we will live blessed with Jesus. He is more valuable than gold, silver, and precious rubies. Our minds and hearts must be set on Him. Be encouraged today to seek Him, not to settle for anything less than the One, True, Living, and Loving God!!

You can read more here http://www.chrisgibbs.net/