I Ain't Even Trying To Forgive That ...

It's ALL Grace!!!

This blog post was inspired by First Five ... A Daily Devotional App for Women created by P31. Download it today and Become the change you want to see in others. 

Being transformed like Noah ... You've gotta read Romans 12:2 in your Bible right now because that's how Noah was transformed ... by God's Amazing Grace. Grace manifested through a new mindset, cause folk can make you wanna cuss, fight, walk away, pray down Hell fire bombs and more. But God! 

Grace. It's definitely not typical , it's unmerited, that's why it's called Grace. It's favor ... Favor extended from God to my sinning self. Daily. Can you imagine? 

So when I think of being transformed by God's grace like Noah's drinking self (don't judge me LOL), I think of being thrust in a place of such love and gratitude that I too start extending grace to others, just like my my Daddy who invites me to cry out "Abba Father!" 

All day everyday, to the best of my ability I seek His face for opportunities to BE like Him. So, oftentime as I am aware of God's grace being poured out on me, I actually hear from God on each situation I find myself in. And as He walks with me and talks with me (thru His Word and thru His Holy Spirit), He tells me what GRACE should look like in each situation. 

Practically, many a day me extending God's Grace looks like this: 

1. Me letting them have the parking spot even if I was there first

2. Me returning not only my shopping cart but someone else's too who would have let their cart hit somebody's else's car 

3. Me picking up trash when I didn't put it there ... and they always leave a mess. Grown folk. 

4. Me  leaving a place, thing or even a person in better shape than they were before they "experienced" me, even when I know they don't particularly care for me 

5. Me simply  laughing at my kids or somebody else's kids who tried to play a prank that wasn't really funny, but just ruined my new carpet

6. Me letting a perpetrator know that I have forgiven him or her for an intentional wrong deed done against me, etc.  

Note that when it comes to Me extending Grace, that decision starts with ME, every time. Because, Grace. Grace. God's Grace, His Grace is sufficient for me. Grace, Grace, God's Grace, His Grace will give you the VICTORY! 

God's Grace exuding thru me and extending to others in love. 

Noah found grace in God's eyes (See Genesis 6:6-8 ) because he stood on The Lord's side no matter what "The Street Committee" did or said.

 Noah developed a bold confidence in who God is and every WORD God said. And like Noah, if I want to find grace in God's eye, I too have to learn to trust Him with my EVERYTHING. 

Trust the fact that He is who He says He is ( gotta read The Bible to find out WHO He says He is) and, commit to letting  Him do whatever He wants to do both in and through you. 

It's a serious TRUST factor my friend. 

But why wouldn't I trust Him? He's The ONLY God who made Himself a sacrifice by intentionally allowing His only begotten Son, Jesus, to die on a cross, as if He were a criminal, for you and I ... for ALL our sin. Can you imagine? 

He exchanged His righteousness for OUR sin. I mean really? Who does that? AND, just like He said He would, He actually raised Jesus from the dead to prove to us that He is God. 

 So why wouldn't I trust Him? 

Why won't you trust Him today? 

Besides He's The ONLY way that you can have access to the Grace you need to overcome. And you and I both know that there's something that you need to overcome today. 

So, won't you "Come To Jesus" right now. You can pray to receive his FREE gift of Grace right now! 

Need some help? Call or Text me at 4074481987. 

I am 

#EarlineBlumhagen 

#aWannaBeBlogger

#aMessMinistry personified

#aWiFiPedaler

#OneOfGodsHands

#aPassionateServantLeader

#OnAMission 

LivingAndLearningLovingAndLeading

#WontYouJoinMe

Thanks for stopping by 

Marriage PPOOP, What Is It???

Thoughts from a Teacher, Speaker, Trainer and WannaBe Blogger 

What is Marriage PPOOP? 

Priority/ Permanent/ Oneness / Openness and Purity ... 

These are all qualities that God says should be found and not just found but be VERY much evident in our marriages according to God in Genesis chapter 2.  

Thank you P31 for today's devotion ... It has been a great help to me already. Spurring me to pause and consider the following. 

My marriage to Jon ... How it should reflect my relationship with my Creator, my Heavenly Father, my God, whom I only have relationship with because of Jesus. 

So likewise, my marriage to Jon should reflect my  relationship with God, through PPOOP.  And here are a few thoughts on that. 

1. Jon my husband of 20 years this December should be a top PRIORITY in my life, not an after thought. His needs  and desires are important to me and that should be evident in all that I do. 

2. Our relationship on this side is PERMANENT. I have decided that The "D" word / divorce,  is NOT an option. 

Even though there have been and will be times that we don't like each other on the journey ... I am COMMITTED. We're committed. Just like The Father is committed to me, to us. 

3. We are ONE. We are joined together at the core of our souls. All in!!! Body, Soul and Mind. And I have to consciously, on purpose have the mind of Christ to be able to pull this ONENESS thing off with Jon, because it's natural to be selfish. So God, please help me to understand that this marriage is NOT all about me, but is to be a reflection of Your relationship with Your church / The Bride of Christ. 

4. My natural father, my daddy, the late Rev. L.F. Holmes' favorite song was entitled, "I Must Tell Jesus." In order to tell Jesus everything, there's an genuine OPENESS required, along with a willingness to be vulnerable. And so it is within the constraints of my marriage. 

 Otherwise,  the relationship is only surface when I don't go there ... My personal "War Room"  is vital for this to happen. BTW - if you haven't seen the movie War Room yet, do so ASAP. You'll be a better woman for it. 

5. PURITY ... In thought and deed is a process, as the mind must be renewed daily. 

I am learning to purposely remind myself to think through whatever is of "Good Report"  as the Bible teaches. Many will call you green, but choose to stay focused knowing that this is God's business and He will direct your path if you stay tuned in. 

Think about the facts ... I Am, Jon Is, You Are, your hubby is whoever, whatever God says in His Word. You are either Holy or Heathen, but the choice remains yours. 

So,  let God be God and determine to remind yourself of the facts by daily declaring  "I'm a conqueror, I'm victorious, I'm an achiever, I'm a Believer, I won't be blocked, and I won't be stopped. 

Lord teach me to number my days and apply a heart of wisdom to each of them, Lord help me to think pure thoughts today and beyond, and allow me to walk in Oneness with you and my husband today in Jesus name. Amen! 

I am Earline Blumhagen and my response to today's post of in-couragement was inspired by a daily devotional app called First Five created by P31. 

I strongly encourage you to download the First Five App and give it some attention ... Daily. 

Giving God at least the First Five minutes of your day is the premise here and you'll be so glad you did. 

I am Earline Blumhagen

a WannaBe Blogger on a mission to: 

Live & Learn. Love & Lead.

Follow me on: 

FaceBook, Twitter, Interest and/or Instagram 

Websites- 

EarlineBlumhagen.com 

aMessMinistry.com 

GodsHandsAgency.com 

TheWiFiPedalers.com 

How God Uses Twitter

Earline floating in the Dead Sea in Israel 

It was after a morning swim on the last day of an awe inspiring convention. The National Black Deaf Advocates Convention had been very taxing mentally, but oh sooooo good. With a strong end nearing, I decided to put my feet up and skip out on the scheduled business meetings at hand.

Swimming in the Red Sea (or the Reed Sea) in Israel 

Taking time to sit and Encourage myself in The Lord, while intentionally Adorning myself in the beauty of His holiness thru prayer, reading and meditation sounded like a great idea. After all, I have found these TEA times are vital to my mental, spiritual and emotional health.

A GHA Tea Party (see GodsHandsAgency.com) for more Tea Time Photos 

As I gazed out the window of my 7th floor room at The Hyatt in Louisville, Kentucky, I was able to engage in one of my favorite pastimes, people watching.  The only thing missing was a cup of coffee, I knew that that would help settle this moment perfectly in my mind. 

So, I proceeded to gather the coffee, the creamer and the cup for my 3 step process of tried and true coffee making, but I soon discovered that there weren't any cups of any kind available for this now very weary girl. I searched all over my room, to no avail. There were no cups to be found. No Not One!!! Really, Not even ONE???  

Coffee with a friend while in Italy ... The Good Life 

Feeling kinda desperate,  I took to the hall to see if I could spot a housekeeper's cart, and that too proved to be an unsuccessful venture.

That's when I plopped down in my chair, totally disgusted and randomly did something that in my minds eye was a bigtime time waster. I tweeted my frustration.

Thank God I used nice language. LOL Because within seconds I received a response tweet from The Hyatt's concierge/ customer service department offering to take care of my need for a coffee cup.

It was through this process that God reminded me that He's even better and faster than twitter when it comes to answering my calls,  as He answers even before we call, or tweet. As a matter of fact, here's specifically what God has to say about His system.

"I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!"  Isaiah 65:25

Follow me on Twitter 

I remember sitting there in AWE of God's grandiose way of so loving the world, so loving me, in that He continues to give of Himself through teaching and demonstrating His Word through things all around us. Sometimes the things He uses are found in nature, and yet other times they are even found in technology. That's love. Seeking to reach us by any means necessary.  

So what are you tweeting about these days? Have you been FaceBooking about something, ANYTHING that's pressing on your mind, but have yet to take to God in prayer?

He's your friend you know?  And He gets you. He not only gets you my friend, He actually cares about the things that concerns you. Even a coffee cup. LOL

Beach Front in Haiti 

I promise you He does, so go ahead and discuss it with Him today, as He already has a plan in mind, just like He had for for Joseph Scriven. Here's his story. 

Written by: Connie Ruth Christiansen 

Irish born Joseph M. Scriven (1819-1896) was 25 years old, in love and to be married. The day before his wedding his fiance died in a tragic drowning accident. Heartbroken, Joseph sailed from his homeland to start a new life in Canada. While in Canada working as a teacher, he fell in love again and became engaged to Eliza Roche, 

a relative of one of his students. Once again, Joseph's hopes and dreams were shattered when Eliza became ill and died before the wedding could take place.

Although one can only imagine the turmoil within this young man, history tells us that his faith in God sustained him. Soon after Eliza's death Joseph joined the Plymouth Brethren and began preaching for a Baptist church. He never married, but spent the remainder of his life giving all his time, money and even the clothes off his own back to help the less fortunate and to spread the love and compassion of Jesus wherever he went.

Around the same time that Eliza died, Joseph received word from Ireland that his mother was ill. He could not go to be with her, so he wrote a letter of comfort and enclosed one of his poems entitled What a Friend We Have in Jesus.

Many years later a friend was sitting with Joseph, as he was very ill. During this visit, the friend was very impressed when he ran across his poems, including What a Friend We Have in Jesus. As a result of this visit, almost 30 years after his letter of comfort to his mother, Joseph's poems were published in a book called Hymns and Other Verses. Soon thereafter, noted musician Charles C. Converse (1834-1918) put music to one of those poems: What a Friend We Have in Jesus. 

Well-known musician and revivalist Ira D. Sankey (1840-1908) was a great admirer of Joseph Scriven. In 1875, Sankey came upon the music and words for What a Friend We Have in Jesus. He included it as the last entry into his well-known publication Sankey's Gospel Hymns Number 1.

After Joseph Scriven's death, the citizens of Port Hope, Ontario, Canada, where he gave so much of himself, erected a monument to his life. The seemingly sad and obscure life of one man resulted in so many lives being uplifted, both in his own time, and for many years after whenever the beautiful and comforting words of What a Friend We Have in Jesus are sung.

Earline and Lucinda "Joyce" Ward. A dear family friend. 

What a Friend We Have in Jesus 

What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He'll take and shield you; you will find a solace there.

Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised Thou wilt all our burdens bear
May we ever, Lord, be bringing all to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright unclouded there will be no need for prayer
Rapture, praise and endless worship will be our sweet portion there.

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” ( John 15:13) 

Thanks for stopping by, 

I am Earline Blumhagen  ...  a Wanna Blogger and a Mess Ministry personified.

Follow Me on FaceBook  as I'm trying to Learn and Live. Lead and Love others to Jesus!

A Proud WiFi Pedaler ... doing it afraid at times 

1. 
   

Life Lessons Thru Death.

My mind raced around all day, missing the details of a mile long to-do list set before me, simply because I thought of "her"  most of the day. Wondering what really happened inside of her. 

She was in her mid twenties when the bottom threaten to drop out, but on a serious note, I don't think that she thought it to be that serious. After all, how could it be? She was beautiful, gifted, active, married with children, and madly in love with Jesus.  A little tired, but who wasn't. She was  "good," at least that's what she told herself and others for years. 

Even as she checked in and out of the hospital almost weekly, she held true to her stance that "all is well" while continuing her busy lifestyle of consistently serving (that can be good) while seeking to always please others (that's not so good), to the detriment of her own self care. 

It eventually caught up with her, as it will you and I, that's if we don't have an "ear to hear."  

So, the year was 1980, January 25th to be exact.  It was a cold, wet and windy day ... both inside and out. I can still feel the chill on my shoulders as I write today from a humid Central Florida in July.

 At the ripe age of 39 years she was gone. Her transition from the "land of the dying" to a place where there's no need for doctors, hospitals, insulin or people pleasing, left me, a lonely, confused, hurt and angry young lady. 

She was my mother, a pastor's wife, the daughter of a control freak, a chronic diabetic, and I love and miss her more than all the words on all the pages of all the books in all the world can describe. 

 

Had momma been living today, she would be celebrating her 75th birthday. Sooooo, I have decided to celebrate my momma's life and legacy by sharing with you a few lessons learned in hopes that you too will be helped.  

Lessons Learned from Momma's Lfe

1. Seek to please God and Him only, and hope yall are OK with that. If not, "Oh Well."

2. Say NO often without explaining. 

3. Work smart and play harder. Fleshed out, to effectively handle my workload, I need the minimum of 3 "vacations" annually. 

4. Eat better than I think I can afford to. Sacrifice other things to make that happen.   

5.  Let folk handle their own business, recognizing that there is a God and I ain't Him. 

6. Walk several miles, the minimum of 4 times weekly. 

7. And last but certainly not least, just BE who God has made me to BE. Often reminding myself of who I am and Whose I am.  

I am Earline Blumhagen, the daughter of the late Rev. Louis F. Holmes and the late Arlie Pearl Holmes, the wife of Jon A. Blumhagen, the mother of Reggie, Melisha and Torin ... a Mess Ministry fleshed out. 

Thanks for stopping by. 

www.EarlineBlumhagen.com

www.aMessMinistry.com

We don't know what causes gestational diabetes, but we have some clues. The placenta supports the baby as it grows. Hormones from the placenta help the baby develop. But these hormones also block the action of the mother's insulin in her body. This problem is called insulin resistance. Insulin resistance makes it hard for the mother's body to use insulin. She may need up to three times as much insulin.

- See more at: http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/gestational/what-is-gestational-diabetes.html#sthash.lNriKndB.dpuf

Girl, I'm Having My Baby!

 

Many times we passively allow the deliberate termination (abortion) of our God given dreams and goals to take place. 

And yet there are other times that the abortion is a self induced spontaneous termination because, in the words of my favorite poem, "Somebody Said It Couldn't Be Done." 

God's Dreams, Visions and BHAGs ( Big, Hairy, Audacious Goals) can be somewhat intimidating at times. But just like Mary, the young virgin Mother of Jesus asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” 

Maybe you are asking the same question, HOW can I accomplish my dreams? Nobody in my family ever did. I don't have what it takes. I am a virgin, meaning I've never been there before. I'm too young, too old, or too busy, so HOW in the world us this suppose to happen for me? 

So if you are asking HOW know that's it's OK. God is NOT afraid of your questions. As a matter of fact, 

the answer the Angel gave to Mary's question is the same answer to your question and my question, even today. Check this out. 

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you." 

In other words sis, "Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God EVERYTHING is possible!" 

(see Matthew 19:26). 

Then Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” 

(Luke 1:34-35, 38 NLT)

What is your response sis? Will you push through the hard times (labor) and have YOUR baby? Or, will you passively or spontaneously  abort the mission? The choice is yours, but "Girl, I'm Having My Baby!!!" 

 

An excerpt from a Mother's Day talk given by Earline Blumhagen at Progress Missionary Baptist Church in Sanford, FL on May 10th, 2015. 

I pray that you have found these words to be Inspiring, In-couraging while  Influencing you to BE your Upmost for His Highest. 

My goal as a Biblical Life Coach is to help you reach and maximize your God given potential, so please contact me at www.EarlineBlumhagen.com if I can be if any further assistance to you. 

Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. (Jude 1:24-25 KJV)

The Struggle, Everybody Has One ...

Many of you have asked me the following questions: Why do we do this? How did I fall in love with cycling? Aren't you scared out there? First off, thank you for asking and here's my attempt at answering your question, but if I still miss it, PLEASE let me know and I'll revisit it until you are satisfied with a good understanding. OK? 

1. Why do we do this? I think that question can best be answered with a "snippet" from a chapter of my personal testimony. I call it, "The Struggle." 

You see by the time I was 14, my life had gone a totally different route from my peers, because of the chronic illness and ultimate death of my 39 year old mother. One of the things that happen to me as a result of this is I became a caretaker ... but I gave it all I had, doing it with a spirit of integrity. 

Integrity, I was taught that was a value everyone should seek to live by, so I tried ... I was a "saved but struggling" young lady that made some really bad decisions. So, by the time I was 20, I was a single mother, but soon thereafter married .... out of the will of both my Heavenly Father and my earthly father.

 I married a man almost 20 years my senior, who was also a "so called Muslim." Go figure. Needless to say there's another story behind that statement, but let's suffice it to say that this was a really bad decision on my part, as this is when I was introduced personally to domestic violence on a real note, BUT God!!!!

By the time my son was two years of age he contracted a deadly virus called Spinal Meningitis, BUT God. As a result of a very intensive battle for his life, he was left with a profound hearing loss. This was my intro to the world of D/deafness. 

My struggle .... Did you know that 90% of parents with d/Deaf children are hearing just like you and I? And brace yourself for this one, less than 10% of those parents and families will ever bother to learn sign language. Can you imagine that? Keeping in mind that most of what we learn, we do so by the age of 5. So, how are you suppose to learn if your parents, your immediate family, your caretaker cannot communicate with you? What do you do then? 

Most of the people we speak with about this can't imagine this, but it is a truth I deal with EVERYDAY of my life in one way or the other. Helping the Deaf, kids, youth and adults, evening the hearing realize and accept the fact that life is hard, and sometimes those we love the most hurt us in ways they may or may not realize.

Nevertheless YOU must make a decision for yourself to "Get Somewhere and BE Somebody." "Face YOUR Fears" and Know that "Your Mission Is Possible!" We use God's infallible WORD to confirm these truths. 

2. How did I fall in love with cycling? NOT! It's simply a means to a end. I don't even consider myself a cyclist, a sports enthusiast, athletic or any of that. Just this morning in Sunday School I messed up an illustration of being on the Defense vs. playing Offense. Ha ... I just do what I do, and our tricycles are the vehicles that God gave us to literally take His WORD across the country to thousands. 

Actually Jon and I both find it to be a very interesting approach to accomplishing "the mission" that He has called us to, to which I have / we have responded, "Yes Lord!" God takes care of our business as we take the time and concern to care for His. It's really a great working relationship. LOL 

3. Am I Scared? Honestly, most of the time no, but sometimes yes. But I've gotten to a point in my walk with God that it really doesn't matter whether I am or not! Really, because I am learning more everyday how to just do things afraid and make the Devil really mad. LOL 

For example some of the results we see during these Mission Possible Tours make a big difference in the way I approach things, and yet we won't know the real fruit of our obedience until God Himself reveals it to us in Heaven. Amen? In the interim, I'll share a short "testimony"with you from the last few days as to why I do what I do.

The names and cities noted here have been changed for integrity purposes. 

Anna's Story - Anna is a single mom I met in recent days. She serviced me by giving me a haircut, a not so good haircut I might add, Nevertheless, I showed an interest in Anna and found out she was a struggling single mom who had recently relocated to Florida. She had dreams and goals like many. I shared my venture in life with Anna, to which she expressed an interest and then I said a silent prayer for Anna, asking God to anoint her hands. I did this while paying my fee and graciously tipping her out, kinda like God does me often, giving me what I don't deserve. 

The next day when we were ready to leave that town I felt led to stop by Anna's workplace so she could see our trikes. She was ecstatic. So much so, she dragged her visiting friend who worked at a local pizza parlor out to the parking lot and attempted to tell her our full story? I overheard her messing the story up pretty badly, so I went back to straightened out a few of the vital details, that's when God showed up and He showed out through me, quietly right there in the parking lot. And all I did was allowed Him to simply speak His truth profoundly yet discreetly into these ladies' spirits, right there on the spot. 

The words I used were pretty simple, they went something like this. "God sent me on a tricycle from Key West to tell you that He knows what you're dealing with, He cares about you and your situation and He is able. Don't you dare insult Him by even thinking about taking yourself out. You can do this! This thing called life can be challenging, but you have access to everything you need to make the journey. YOU NEED HIM! He's enough! More of Him and less of you and less of them other folk you keep trying to depend on." 

I'm sure I said some other things and just maybe some of what I just said is for you too. I don't know, God knows and you know if He's speaking to you right now. If He is, RESPOND and do it with the quickness. If you have questions or just need somebody to pray with you, count me in. Call me, text me, email me .... I am here, for you and the many "Anna's " out there.  Know that you ARE loved and you are NOT alone! 

I've spoken with many just like Anna and her friend along the way. Sometimes I meet them on the streets, in stores, in churches we speak in, in small businesses and large businesses alike. In schools and where ever He leads. This is just SOME of what we do as The WiFi Pedalers, as Missionaries of Development as 2 regular folk who have just said YES to Jesus.  

Our 3 fold goal is always to:  Raise Deaf Awareness, Raise Friends, and Raise Funds all while sharing The Good News of Jesus The Christ, who is The God of The Bible, in the flesh. See John 1. 

Won't you partner with us? You can sow a financial seed into our ministry of any amount, anytime by visiting our website, GoFundMe, or by snail mail. And know that your prayer support is vital to the success of the ministry as well.

 I love you, We love you and Thank You a whole bunch for stopping by, 

Earline E. Holmes-Blumhagen ( and Jon) 

Live & Learn. Love & Lead

v/text - 407.448.1987

fax- 407.521.9504

Our Website 

www.GodsHandsAgency.com

Click to Donate: 

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Our Blog - www.TheWiFiPedalers.com

My personal websites & blog 

www.earlineBlumhagen.com

www.aMessMinistry.com 

Our Business - www.jabdesigns.com