Dear Mr.President

You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.

You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.

You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.

You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down.

You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.

You cannot build character and courage by taking away men's initiative and independence.

You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could, and should, do for themselves.

-Abraham Lincoln

Life is Beautiful

It's not an easy Road.

A good friend of mine from Denham Springs, along with his youth group, were at Lookout Mtn. this week for Student Life. Josh invited me and the cuz's to come up and see them for the evening and I got the privilege to accept the invitation. We had a great time, plenty of laughs in the car tryin to read directions (and didn't miss a turn thank you), we got to see some familiar, but greatly missed, faces.
We sat in on the message, but like any message there was worship to start with and one song in particular stuck with me...the chorus basically says that If we say we Love God, then don't we need to do what he says to do, and if we call Him our Friend don't we need to keep his commandments? Isn't that something?... so many times we get caught up with just saying I love you Lord and leave it at that. But a relationship takes so much more than that.
Later in the message the speaker talked about how so many times we as Christians keep up with what we DON"T do that we aren't suppose to and feel good about it...we don't take the time to think of what we are SUPPOSE to do. He told us that we were not sent here to sit around and wait for Heaven, we are here to chase the sin out of the earth..."...thy Kingdome COME, thy will be done ON EARTH as it is in HEAVEN..." we are filled with the power of Christ to use against sin in this world. Yes, there are things that we aren't suppose to do, and there are rules we follow as Christians. But we also need to start winning souls, and it isn't easy. Salvation isn't a ticket to a perfect, nothing-can-harm-us-now kind of life, but it is a decision, it is a gift, and it is also a lifestyle that we are to live. "Christ like", isn't that what we are taught the word Christian means? Christ didn't have a bed to call his own, Christ was critized, mocked, questioned, ridiculed, and ultimately BEAT and Crucified. That, the life of Christ, the One that we are made to follow, is not an easy life. It isn't easy and sometimes it isn't going to make sense or be fun, but in the end it is worth every mockery and every hardship.
Once we as humans accept Christ into our lives He is IN US. He is always with us and he will never leave us nor forsake us. The speaker tonight told us that once we ask God to use us in His Way, it also puts us on the radar of our enemies. How true is that? But we have on our side the One thing that our enemies lack...and that One thing is the ONLY thing we need. Christ. His strength. His Mercy. His Wisdom. His Love. His Protection. God provides for us an armor against Satan and our enemies because He expects us to fight. We are to go out and be fishers of men. Reaching out for lost souls. It isn't easy and it isn't safe but it is worth it and it is what we are meant to do. So please, pray for me and I will pray for you. Pray that as brothers and sisters in Christ we make a stand in the world today and fight the sin and corruption that is falling all around us in this great Country. Everywhere we turn there is a dark place in need of a light. Be that light, it doesn't always take much, sometimes no more than a smile...but we have got to Stand. Stand in the name of the Lord and chase the sin out and tell Satan to stand aside.

Thank you for reading this, and please remember that being a Christian is never a promise for an easy life...but it is a mission that we must work at. And it is Worth everything we will go through.

~*~Easier said than done~*~

As a person with a very controlling personality, I have been struggling mainly over the past two or three years with the thought of where my life was headed and where I needed to be. I would pray "Lord, I am giving you control over my life, take and do with it as You want" and I would feel relieved for a day, a week, and sometimes even a month...until something went wrong and I, by myself, wanted to and still try to, fix it on my own. The idea of handing God the reigns sounds wonderful, and I know that "He will never leave me nor forsake me" but actually doing it is easier said than done. I want to have peace about college, the degree I am studying and the dreams that I am working towards. And in the deep corners of my heart, I DO have peace. But my controlling personality wants to know how everything is going to end up, but that's not part of life.

~*~"For I know the plans I have for you" -[this is] the Lord's declaration - "plans for [your] welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. You will call to Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you ..." (Jeremiah 29:11-14)~*~

How many times do we go to sit down in a chair, but before sitting we inspect the chair, testing to stability? I, for one never do, I TRUST that that chair is going to do it's job and support me when I sit. The same goes for God though, but with God He will NEVER 'collapse' under the weight of our burdens. We just have to TRUST Him to take it. I have to continuously remind myself of this day in and day out.

~*~"Look, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too difficult for Me?"(Jeremiah 32:27)~*~

A dear friend, and soon to be family member, told me the other night that "God is the one true friend that when He says tell me your worries and let me carry the burden HE MEANS IT." He wants to hear our problems and hear our praises, He wants to heal our pain and rejoice in our success. He is the Ultimate Father, the Bestest Best Friend, and the ONLY ONE that can truly relieve us of our burdens, and He does it willingly. So worrying is really not even necessary. And I say all this in regard to my self. I know this is all true and I believe in His strength and power and I am trying to put a stop to the worrying, and to begin Loving Life and everything it has to offer.

~*~So don't worry, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear?' For the idolaters eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Therefore, don't worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:31-34)~*~

It has been a while, but I AM still here!
I just recently got back from an Amazing trip to Denham Springs, LA. It was a wonderful trip and it was so hard to leave. We (with God's help) finished all that we went to accomplish and more. Our God is amazing and is evident in everything everywhere. I also met some amazing people there and got to see some old friends. It was wonderful to go and spend a week fellowshipping and workin' for the Lord. Sorry for the briefness of the post, I just wanted to say how much fun I had on this trip and how blessed I am to be a part of the Carpenters For Christ group.

Greater Love

Greater Love

Alas,

Listen and look,

Here they are.

The soldiers of our land,

Home from places so far,

and now their families can,

Rejoice!

They are strong and determined,

standing eye to eye with death.

Our homes are protected, our rights secured,

Thanks to their devotion

Our boys become men, and

our hearts feel like breaking,

at each and every departure.

But they leave with honor and return,

Heros!

Soldiers, Soldiers,

Their lives are so important

but to them home and country are life.

And fighting is only natural.

What would life be without freedom?

That we don't want to know.

So thank you to those who fight,

and God Bless the families who,

unselfishly so,

watch their soldiers leave.

They will return and when they do,

love them, hug them, be proud and know,

Who THEY are, allows us to be what we want to be.

Army, Navy, Marines alike,

are heros in my book.

So be sure to thank them, pray for them,

and remember,

They lay down their lives,

in order for us, strangers,

to live free and safe.

Greater love hath no man than this.

-Lacie Smith

Exactly One Month to go:)

I looked at my calendar today cause I was a little down in the dumps that work won't let me off the weekend I wanted to come home, and I realized that my last exam is on May the 2nd, which entails that I, Lacie Smith, will be Rome bound, on Friday, May the 2nd. That is only 4 weeks. I am going to start a count day to that day...lots of studying and prayers are going to be going on in Tifton these next four weeks, but when I am in Rome for good till August all the studying will have been worth it. I am telling work TODAY that the 26th will be my last day to work for them. I am extremely bummed that I don't get to come home till May, but the next time I do come home, the trips to Tifton will be to see Jamie and the friends I have made...not to come to school, not to work, and not to be down here for weeks on end!!! I am so excited. Please keep me in your prayers...I miss everyone at home and can't wait to be back. Love and miss everyone!:)