Merry CHRISTmas!

Friends,
We want to wish you all a Merry CHRISTmas!

Thank you to our precious Heavenly Father for sending your Son, Jesus Christ into this world to save us.

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

Merry Christmas to you all and may you celebrate the true reason for the season!

Blessings,
The Keepers Team

Need a Quick and Scent-sational Gift?

Did you forget someone on your Christmas list? Did you just realize that your child’s teacher, coach, or your hair dresser didn’t make your list? Or maybe you have been racking your brain trying to think of something unique and wonderful to give to your neighbors and those listed above.

I have a great idea for you and it came from our "Gift Giving 101" presentation by Irene Delano two years ago. It is still the one thing I make every year. Because of the simplicity of the gift and the way it can be used for weeks through the holidays, I am crazy about giving this as a gift. I also love using this for myself!

The first picture is what it looks like completed as a gift to give.

The second and third picture is what it looks like when you use it. I wish this computer could send a scent your way!

Copy and paste the following for the list of ingredients and easy instructions under the title of Holiday Scent. http://www.keepersofthehome.org/2009%20GG-%20online%20info..pdf

A couple of tips:
• When you buy in bulk (fruit and especially the cloves) you will save bundles of money.
• Make sure you buy REAL cinnamon sticks. The first year I unknowingly bought decorative cinnamon sticks at Wal-mart and Hobby Lobby. Needless to say that when I simmered the concoction, I didn't smell cinnamon and saw lots of paper in the water! Sorry to all those first year (2007) receivers!
• Make it personal by adding a special verse to the tag. I make the instruction tag (given at the link) and then, depending on who it is for, another tag with a special verse such as:
Merry Christmas!
We give thanks to God always for all of you,
making mention of you in our prayers;
constantly bearing in mind your work of faith
and labor of love and steadfastness of
hope in our Lord Jesus Christ…….1 Thess. 1:2-3
Steve, Lori, Josh, Jonathan & Brooke Merrill

These make great Hostess gifts for parties and Thanksgiving gifts as well.
Enjoy and have a Merry Christmas!

Are you Missing It?

I have a friend who misses 'it' all the time. What is 'it' that she misses? To me it is the important details of the messages I send her. We do ministry together and often I send emails to my ministry team about important information that I believe everyone on the team needs to know. This dear friend however has a habit of skimming emails or thinking they don't apply to her so she moves to the next thing. (We'll see if she reads this post!) How do I know this? Because often times our conversations revolve around the details of the latest email I sent. When she asks me questions that were answered in the email eventually our conversation involves this dialogue, "Did you read my email?" to which she replies, "Oh, that was in the email. I guess I didn't."

We have laughed about this bad habit of hers and our Keepers team gives her a hard time about it. Recently I sent her an E-card and knew she had not read it because the company sends a notice when it has been opened. So, knowing her habit I finally asked her, "Did you ever get the E-card I sent you?" She told me she had, however I knew she had not read it because I had not been notified. The next day I received notification that she had opened it thus I knew now that she had read it. She later explained that she thought it was a 'blanket card' that I sent to all my friends. Little did she know that I had written her a message of love and thankfulness to her from my heart.

This situation reminded me of this time of year. God sent a special message of love to you and me in the form of a baby. Not just any baby, mind you. This 'message' was God Himself in the form of a baby. Fully man and fully God. He came to this earth so that we might have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10) We needed a Savior from our sins. He sent His Son to be that for you and for me.

CHRISTMAS...are you missing the details of what this time of year is all about? Are you skimming over the most important message of this season because you have so much shopping to do, parties to attend, and food to prepare? Are you celebrating this season without really receiving the MESSAGE of love that was sent to you by God? Are you like my friend who could have missed my personal message of love to her because she skimmed over it? What a shame it would be to go through this month and never focus on the personal MESSAGE of love that God sent to you and to me. The even greater tragedy would be to never receive His gift.

Don't let this month get away from you and then realize you skimmed over the Message God sent to you; the *gift of His Son.
In His Love,
Lori

*Salvation is available to all who believe and receive. Read the following to learn how to do this.
Our Need--Romans 3:23 and 6:23a
God's Provision--Romans 5:8 and John 3:16
God's Promise--Romans 10:9-10, 13

Four Statements of the Gospel by Dennis Newkirk
1. God came to the earth in Jesus
2. Jesus suffered and died on the cross in order to receive the punishment of your sin.
3. Jesus arose from the dead to conquer both sin and death.
4. If you repent and believe this you will be saved.

One Way to Make Your Laundry Smell Great!

Mondays are my laundry days. I LOVE when you can smell the subtle fragrance of laundry soap in freshly washed clothes, don't you? I can't seem to get that scent to stay in our clothes like some of my friends can. However, on this particular Monday...

...I got way more scent than I could have ever imagined. My laundry day turned to laundry DAYS as I washed the same loads over and over again until all the suds had diminished! That, my friend, is a Warehouse size of Laundry soap all over my utility room floor.

Keeper tip of the day--DO NOT LEAVE DETERGENT ON TOP OF YOUR WASHING MACHINE SINCE IT DOES VIBRATE AS IT SPINS!!! Oh yeah, and if you do, then laughter helps!

Blessings,

Lori

Do you Struggle?

Considering what I am about to write I already know the answer to the question. I don’t think I am alone in this category of Christian living. However, I needed to get your attention. I have pondered this issue of struggles recently and particularly pertaining to our thoughts. Last week a woman shared with me that she stays mad at her husband almost all the time. When examining why this is, I was able to get to the root of the problem really quick. While she is doing things around the house throughout the day she thinks about all the things that make her mad about him. She simply stated, “I can be folding laundry and chewing him out in my mind the whole time.” She said often her husband comes home to her anger towards him and has no idea what he has done. Let’s face it, not many of us want to walk in the door to that every day.

Sad as it is, I believe all of us can be plagued by this issue. It may not be a husband, but it can be thoughts about something or someone else that plague our mind. The solution is quick and easy. Let me restate that—the solution is, maybe not so much for the actual doing!

Solution = changing your thoughts

As I share in Called to be a Keeper; I struggled with fear and worry in my mid-twenties (And I struggle today more than I would like to admit). I knew where those ‘strongholds’ came from, but I didn’t realize I had a choice in whether or not they consumed me. The good news from God’s Word is that “greater is He who is in me than He who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4) In other words, if a Christian, we do have the power within us to kill those thoughts and not become a slave to them. However, the longer we have allowed them into our minds the harder it can be to become free of them. We have to tap into the power of the Holy Spirit and obey Gods Word when it says, “Finally brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things (Philippians 4:8). Taking thoughts captive truly is a discipline. It does require training. However, if you ask the Lord to prompt you each time you entertain ‘unworthy’ thoughts He will be faithful to do it.

How about you? Are there thoughts that plague your mind daily, keeping you in bondage to anger, hurt, frustration and the ‘what ifs’ of life? What are they? Recognize them now and give them to God through the power of the Spirit within you. Would love to hear from you!

In His Love,
Lori

You Can Have Whatever You Want!

I have never had anyone say to me, “You can have whatever you want.” Not until last week anyway. Those were my husband’s first words to me when he woke from having a shoulder block administered. Of course, I had him repeat the statement again to make sure I had heard him correctly. “You can have whatever you want,” he mumbled again. I then turned to his friend who had come to pray with us before surgery and say, “You are a witness to his statement in case he doesn’t remember.” Of course we were laughing at my husband’s slurred words and grogginess!

However, his statement made me think about what it is I would want, if I could ‘have anything’ as my husband offered. My mind didn’t go to material things. My mind went to spiritual things. I am a child of the King. What more could I want? I have a wonderful marriage (not that it just happened), we have worked hard through our issues to make our marriage one that is honoring to our Lord. I have three healthy, wonderful children who are or are quickly becoming young adults. They each are a child of the King as well. So, what is it that I could possibly desire beyond those things? Please do not consider me self-indulgent as I share with you my wish list now that I have had a week to mull it over:

• I want each of the five Merrill’s that are known as ‘our family’ to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30). Why? Because though we are each a child of the King I am not satisfied with this. I don’t want our family to live a life of mediocrity. I want our family to be known as a family that honors God and lives for Him no matter the cost. One of my deepest passions in life has been to instill God’s Truths into my children. I am trusting in God that His Word will not return void (Isaiah 55:11) and I will see and hear that my children are living a life where their utmost priority is to please their Heavenly Father (3 John 1:4).
• For my extended family members to grow in their relationship with the Lord and realize that until they live completely for Him they never truly will have peace within (Revelation 2:4-5). And just as much as I want this for my extended family, I want it for anyone and everyone that the Lord has placed in my life that He has called and allowed me to shepherd, mentor, teach, to have a friendship with, and for my church family.
• For my extended family members and friends that do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ to receive the gift of salvation by trusting and believing in Him as their Savior. (Romans 3:23, 5:8, 10:9-10)
• Though the first bullet might encompass the following I still feel the need to express these:
• That I could grow to be better at evangelism. Through the power of the Spirit I would allow Him to take over and in spite of me, work wonders through me; so that I sense the need unexpectedly to share the gospel, am clear in sharing the gospel, and am not scared to share (even with a complete stranger).
• That the Lord would grow me to reflect Christ's example of love, forgiveness, and servanthood: wholeheartedly, unconditionally, and without hesitation. (John 13:15)
• For courage and bravery in this daily Christian walk so that whatever I face in adversity I count it joy to suffer for the sake of Christ—which means that as I am wounded on this journey I do not let it deter or discourage me from that which He has called me to. (Philippians 1:29, Colossians 1:24, 1 Peter 2:21)

I am sure I could continue in this ‘wish list’. However, as I have examined what it is that I truly want, this would be the list 'in a nutshell'. I have been blessed with so much in this life, but as I reflect on those blessings it is the spiritual things that mean the most to me. It is the things that last for eternity. What about you? If someone said to you right now, “You can have whatever you want,” what is it you would request? Then be faithful to take your requests to the Lord in prayer.

Prayerfully,
Lori

UNPROTECTED!

Recently I left my house in a hurry to get to an all day meeting that I was leading. In the late afternoon I hurried home to try to get some things done before leaving the house again to attend an event with my daughter. As I arrived at the event that evening I began to greet others and exchange hugs with friends. As I went to hug a friend I hadn’t seen in a while I realized very quickly (and to my dread) that I had left the house that morning unprotected! In a moment the rush of the morning came back to me…I forgot to put on deodorant! “Yuk”, you are thinking. I know, I know. I was horrified as I wondered how many people had noticed that day that I was unprotected, before I noticed that evening. Embarrassing, huh?!

As I reflected on that incident the next morning, the Lord reminded me that this is how my life is when I begin my day without spending time in His Word and in prayer. I am spiritually unprotected for the day and that can stink too! It can stink for the people that I encounter that day, it can stink for my family, and it can stink for my friends. However, most of all it can stink for me. I am the one missing the blessing of interacting with my precious Heavenly Father and discovering the things He wants to teach me that day and the way He wants to live through me that day. I have learned the hard way that when I fail to make Him the priority of my day then my days are very different. I need His wisdom, guidance, and peace to get through my day in a Christ-like manner. I shouldn’t start my day without yielding myself to His rule and reign in my life.

So, learn a lesson from me and my day of unknowingly spreading ‘perfume’ to all those around me. Don’t miss waking in the morning and spiritually protecting yourself by spending time with your Lord. David expressed His gratitude for God’s protection and love in Psalm 59:16, 17 when he said, “But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress. O my Strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love.” When we do this, we will be the fragrant aroma of Christ that we are meant to be (2 Corinthians 2:14).

In His Love,
Lori

Are you Thankful for your Gift?

My son couldn’t have been more than 5 years old when he learned a valuable lesson about thankfulness. It was during one of our visits to my in-laws that my children ran to the ‘surprise drawer’ my mother-in-law had created for them to check. My children anticipated their gift with each trip to their grandparent’s home. On this particular day all three of my children ran to the drawer and excitedly opened it to retrieve their ‘surprise’. It was at this moment that the excitement turned to embarrassment for me as my middle child grabbed his gift. Imagine his face turning from pure delight to sheer disappointment in less than two seconds…yes, it looked liked something from a movie! He turned to his grandmother and with a sound of dismay stated, “I already have this.” It was one of those times in life that I wished I had a pause-life button that I could hit and stop something as I sensed it was coming. No such luck for me or my son on this day! Needless to say, he was quickly exited from the room as we had a crash course on being ‘thankful for whatever you have been given’ in the privacy of the bathroom. That same son is now 19 years old and in college, yet often a reference is made to this incident by his grandparents when an opportunity arises to complain. Someone in the family will mockingly say, “I am thankful for whatever I get” in a tone that is a reminder of his little voice echoing those words. It became something he said with each gift he received from that day on.

I can’t help but think how I so often do this to my Heavenly Father with one of the most precious gifts He has given me—the gift of time. The way I use the gift of time could be an indicator about how I feel about it.
Do I waste time on things such as TV, internet, Facebook, etc?
Do I use it for what I want instead of what He would want? Serving Him by serving others.
Do I use it on things that have no eternal value over and over again? Building my kingdom instead of His kingdom.
Do my actions, in essence, say that I already have plenty of time and I can do what I want and when I want?
The way I use the time allotted to me is an indicator about what I think of His gift. If I am truly His child, His servant, and His creation then I will realize that my time is not mine at all, but rather His. I am to be a good steward of the time He has given me. His Word says, “So, teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12) Time…only God controls how much we get of it. Are we making choices that reflect a heart that is truly “thankful for whatever we get”?
In His Love,
Lori

Need Peace?

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6, 7

Friends,
There are so many things that we can become anxious about simply because we live in a world that is full of calamity. How do we live above these feelings of anxiousness? How do we attain to this peaceful way of life? Can we really experience a true peace in the midst of a crisis, in the midst of terrible hurt and pain, and during disappointing circumstances? YES, YES and YES again! We truly can. There is a secret to living this life of peace. Actually, its not a secret at all since it is stated clearly in the verse above. God’s Word tells us to take everything to Him in prayer with a thankful heart. For me, this has taken years of prayer and discipline to train myself to run to the Lord first when I become anxious, overwhelmed, hurt, or disappointed. But, as with any exercise the results are worth it. In recent months I have experienced one difficult situation after another. Each situation resulted in hurt, disappointment, and what could have been anxious feelings. However, through the power of the Holy Spirit, the Lord has reminded me of this verse and my responsibility to respond appropriately in circumstances or to people. How in practical terms does it work? Let me share with you how I put the Truth of God’s Word to work in my life and release the power of God in my life. When I experience a situation such as those described above:
· I make a conscious choice to pray either silently (while it is occurring) or aloud (immediately afterwards) for God to be in the midst of my response.
· As soon as possible I focus on prayer while obeying His Truth—praying to Him about the situation and thanking Him for it; knowing that He would not allow it in my life unless it could conform me to the image of His Son (Romans 8:28, 29).
· I then ask that His will is made known to me in my response to the situation. I ask Him to comfort me in my feelings and for Him to grant godly wisdom to me as I walk through the situation (James 3:17).

Does the formula above prevent pain in my life? No, not at all nor does it make the situation disappear. However, I can say that in the midst of the situation I do experience His peace. Situations that could have caused me to crumble, become disillusioned with other believers, and challenge my faith have instead caused me to trust Him more, rely on His power and not my own, and grown me even nearer to my Heavenly Father. Praying and thanking Him in the midst of a trial does keep me from responding in my own strength, wisdom, and according to what ‘feels good to me’ at the moment. God’s Word is Truth. These are not words on a page to read and leave there. We are to live by them, walk according to them, and allow them to invade our very being by changing the way we live. God’s peace is available to you today—right now. Let it overwhelm and surround you so that you will experience the ‘peace that surpasses all comprehension’.
In His Love,
Lori

Hello Friends,
This concept of blogging and my thoughts about whether I should or shouldn’t is a reminder to me of some remarks that I have heard in the last few weeks. My daughter looked at my feet recently and said, “Your feet are wrinkly!” I wished I could say that I had been swimming or just come out of the tub, but I had not. Last night my son was explaining the content of one of his college courses and stated, “I’m sure it wasn’t even around when you were here in college—it is all about computers.” Two statements such as this can really make one feel old. The idea of blogging makes me feel old just because it is foreign to me. But, I am giving it a try. You could say I am doing it so my children think I am ‘with it’. Or it could be that for some time I have felt the Lord’s prompting for this to be a good way for me to stay connected to the women that are a part of this ministry. I believe it is the latter, although the other two remarks moved me quicker in this direction!

So, I would love to hear your thoughts. Do you like to read blogs? Could we stay connected this way? What are your thoughts on this subject? I would love for this to be a way for us to connect and for you to hear how God is working in this ministry and my life. If I understand correctly then I will get to hear how He is working in yours as well. So, let’s try something new for this ministry and see how God wants to use it. I am anticipating great things!

In His Love,
Lori Merrill

Called to be a Keeper

The Keepers Ministry is SO EXCITED to announce to you the release of the newest version of the Keepers Bible Study, everything you need for Keepers in one bound book. Order online by going to our website at www.calledtobeakeeper.com.